Chapter Five: His Butler: A Tutor

"Hello, Sebastian… Did your secondary contract go well?" Ciel asked, showing an uncommon level of interest in Sebastian. It made the demon suspicious.

"Yes, in fact. I granted her wish quickly, and am back to serving you… My Lord…" Sebastian said with a perfunctory smile that sent a chill down Ciel's spine.

"And? How did you find your temporary master?" Ciel asked, further surprising Sebastian. He found himself pleased by Ciel's current mood, though it was so unlike Ciel that Sebastian wondered what Ciel was up to.

"I find myself suspicious of your motives for asking me these questions… Is it mere curiosity, or do you have some ulterior motive?" The demon butler asked with a slight glare.

"Curiosity is arguably an ulterior motive in itself. However, I understand your suspicion. I merely wish to see your experience through your eyes. I feel it may help me attune myself to being a demon, myself." Ciel replied.

"I see… Humans… They think in such limited terms. Come, stand, and look into my eyes…" Sebastian said with a grin. Ciel nodded, and removed his eye patch. His eyes glowed fluorescent pink in time with Sebastian's, and Ciel gasped as memories flowed straight into his mind. He felt slightly queasy as memories of Sebastian and a young woman who appeared scarcely older than he.

He could feel her own sensations and emotions as well. She had been months from death, if not weeks, and was in love with a girl from her class. She was afraid of being rejected and humiliated if she confessed. She finally summoned Sebastian, and asked him for his help.

He used his usual 'One Hell of a Butler' routine, and helped her come clean about her feelings. Ciel smiled contentedly as the memory ended, and he felt the feelings that Sebastian tasted as he imbibed the girl's soul.

"What happens to a person's body after their soul is eaten?" Ciel asked. Sebastian laughed tepidly.

"My Lord… The body's integrity is not dependent on the soul. In fact, when the body dies, the soul leaves the body, anyhow, and nothing happens to the body then. When the soul is taken, the person simply becomes a cadaver.

You do not really believe the stories about people turning to dust after their souls are taken, do you?" Sebastian asked with a slightly mocking laugh. Ciel blushed lightly and scowled at Sebastian.

"How am I supposed to know what happens to the body after the loss of the soul!? I've just become a demon!"

"You are right, of course, My Lord. Perhaps I will… Take you under my wing. With my tutelage you should be able to become a more competent demon. You are already fairly competent as a human. But your skills in the martial arts, and home economics are sorely lacking.

As a worthwhile demon, you must be able to fight, make food, speak, read, and write languages, play instruments, paint, draw, clean, etcetera, etcetera… You must also gain control over your powers, and find out what they are, for that matter.

You realize, of course, that your powers are essentially Miss Hannah Annafellows. You will probably learn about her powers little by little in times of need."

"You believe that I will really need all of those skills? I can't see why I would need them. I have you…"

"Ah, but when you are contracted to work for a master, then it will ultimately be your job to take care of their needs. That is why you must, like me, become one hell of a butler. I do not know if you have an animal with which you are associated.

If you do, you will likely find yourself uncommonly attracted to them, and find that they are also attracted to you. I have cats. Claude Faustus had spiders. I do not know Miss Anafellows' animal. It is up to you to find. You are an intelligent young man. Choose what you would like to learn first."

"Well, I think I would like to learn fighting skills. I find that I am physically quite weak. I have rarely in the past needed to fight, as I have had you, and, before you, I had Tanaka."

"Indeed. Come with me. We can use the grounds in the back. Hurry, My Lord. I promise that I will be one hell of a tutor."

"Of course. Is there anything I should wear?"

"Wear? You may of course wear whatever you like. But I suggest something easier to move in than that. Is there any style of martial art you would like to learn?"

"I think hand-to-hand would be easiest to begin with." Ciel said uncertainly.

"I believe that is probably best for the Young Master to begin with."

"Okay, Young Master… I suppose that before we get into actually fighting each other, we should work on some basics. How flexible would you say you are?" Sebastian asked.

Little by little, Sebastian was finding that his resentment was wearing off, and being replaced by resignation, if not actual acceptance. He would be here with Ciel forever. So he figured he may as well get used to it.

"Martial arts is as much about using your opponent's force as against them as it is about applying your own force. Have you ever learned about Newton's laws of motion?" Sebastian asked. Ciel raised an eyebrow, and shook his head. He didn't really see how math had anything to do with fighting.

"Well. Newton's Third Law states that for every action, there is a similar yet opposite reaction. In martial arts, you must exert some force, but moving in a way that allows you to use your opponent's actions against them is also highly useful. Now sit down on the ground with your feet out in front of you all the way."

"What? I'm not sitting on the ground! That's filthy!" Ciel snapped. Sebastian scowled. Perhaps teaching his Young Master martial arts would be harder than it seemed.

"That is why you are wearing clothes like that. If they get dirty, it doesn't matter. Now sit." Sebastian said. Normally, he didn't get to give orders. But Ciel obeyed him this time, and sat with his feet in front of him.

"Good. Now, try to touch your toes without moving your legs. This is to test and improve flexibility. I can't imagine that you are very flexible." Sebastian said, and he watched as Ciel moved to touch his toes. Sebastian was surprised by how far down Ciel was able to reach. He was more naturally flexible than Sebastian would have thought. Suddenly, though, they were interrupted.

"Oh Ciel!" Lizzy shouted, running toward him. Sebastian sighed, and smiled over at Lizzie.

"Hello, Milady. I am sure you are wondering what we are doing." Sebastian said politely, kneeling down before Lizzie.

"Um… Yeah… Why is Ciel wearing such ugly clothes… His wardrobe is usually so beautiful…"

"Well… These are his casual clothes, for lack of a better word. Since the Young Master is a demon, now, and will eventually have to enter into a contract with a human, and thereafter take their soul, I am training the Young Master in various arts that he will need in order to serve his master better.

Right now, we are working on physical fitness and combat. Do not worry, Milady… I swear as his butler that I will not harm him severely. Besides, as a demon, he can regenerate most wounds in a day or so at most… Ah… Don't give me that severe look.

He asked me to teach him all this. Besides, for the time, we are only working on physical fitness. Demons are naturally strong, so he should be stronger and have more stamina than any human could ever hope to have.

But he is still weak for a demon. Come, Young Master. Is your body really that rigid?" Sebastian asked with a mildly sadistic smile as he lifted his foot and pushed down on Ciel's back gently, pushing him forward slightly, causing Ciel to gasp in pain, and begin to demand that Sebastian let him back up.

"I apologize, Young Master. Your orders were to train you. As your trainer, I cannot overlook your lack of flexibility. 18... 19… 20… 21… 22… 23… 24…" Then Sebastian pushed him down further, causing Ciel to start yelling and cursing angrily, and Lizzie to gasp at the way Sebastian was treating Ciel. Sebastian had always seemed like such a good and gentle man, even if he was a demon.

"25… 26… 27… 28…29…30." Sebastian released his foot, and told Ciel to get up slowly so as not to pull anything. Ciel obeyed, but looked up at Sebastian angrily, and moved his legs, trying to get some feeling back in them. Sebastian smirked, and looked down at the much shorter demon.

"Now, do a split. Do not bother looking at me like that. It is no easier or harder than it sounds. You simply do this…" Sebastian said, doing a perfect split. Both Ciel and Lizzie gasped as he displayed his extraordinary flexibility. Sebastian moved one leg to stick straight up in the air, and then bent at the knee, standing up perfectly.

"Do not think that you are required to be as flexible as I, Young Master. The animal that represents me most accurately is a cat, and cats are both highly agile, and extraordinarily limber. It is said that cats could be thrown out the third story window, and land on their feet with not so much as a scratch."

"You know I hate cats, Sebastian. I'm…"

"Allergic to them. You should not be allergic anymore. Demons do not have such things as allergies. They are a human malady, caused by an overreaction of the human immune system to a specific substance. Common allergies include chocolate, milk, bread, cats, other such animals, etc… Now, show me how far you can lower yourself. Do a split."

"You're an even greater tyrant than me, Sebastian…" Ciel said with a resentful smirk.

"Perhaps. I am a demon who has lived for over 5000 years, though. You should not expect better. I knew when I was first summoned by you, Young Master, that I could expect the very best from you as a human. And I now expect no less of you as a demon. You are smart, talented, and clever. Use your skills to their limit." Sebastian said with a wide smirk as Ciel sighed and began to go into a split.

Ciel couldn't deny that this sort of exercise was uncomfortable. But regardless of the pain, it was probably nothing compared to the tortures that he suffered at the hands of those cultists. So he stretched down as far as he could, and found that he actually got further than he thought he would.

"That is not bad, considering it was your first time. However, I would not say that it is extraordinary, even for a human, and especially for a demon. Remember that as a demon, you have the handicap of having been human once.

Most demons begin existence with extraordinary flexibility, great strength and endurance, and some idea of how to fight, even if they are not extraordinary at fighting. Over their thousands of years of life, they pick up countless martial arts forms.

It is possible that you have those knowledges locked away inside you, given that you essentially absorbed Hannah Annafellows' soul. Go lower…" Sebastian said, looking down at Ciel again with a look of mild contempt, and pushing down on his head. Seeing this, Lizzie ran over, yelling at Sebastian to stop.

"Milady… I hate to be the bearer of bad news, but your fiancé is no longer human. I cannot hurt him as you might hurt a human. He requires this training in order to be an adequate demon. Demons are, by virtue, creatures that serve humans in exchange for the human's soul.

That means that demons must possess a wide range of talents. Fighting is among the least and simplest of them. You may join us if you wish. I understand that you are extraordinarily talented at fencing. Martial arts are not so different."

"I-I'll join in. I suppose it can't be a bad idea to get a head start on my training for when I'm Culled by Ciel."

"Never a bad idea, Milady. Okay, Young Master. You may stand, now. You have stretched, so we are going to go for a run. I want you to run around the outermost edge of the grounds 50 times. Choose a landmark and use it as a checkpoint. Do not lose count. If you do, you must start over."

"Wait! 50 times! The grounds is at least a kilometer around!" Ciel yelled. Even Lizzie thought this was a bit much to expect of Ciel.

"You are right. What could I have been thinking? Go around 100 times. That is only 100 kilometers. For a demon, it should not be undoable. Experienced demons have been known to run hundreds of kilometers at extremely fast rates. So go. It's not so much. Come back when you finish, or when the sun sets. Whichever comes first." Sebastian said, being completely serious. Ciel glowered at Sebastian, but went off and started running.

"You will be a little more difficult to train, perhaps, Milady. I do not mean to be impolite, but, being a human, you could not possibly endure the same amount of exercise as the Young Master. You may have been stronger than him when you were both humans.

But he is not human, and you will quickly find that he will overtake you. But, it couldn't hurt to be in good physical shape for when you are Culled. I will begin your training first. But I suggest you change into something more suited to combat."

"Wh-what? What's wrong with this dress? I've fought in this before."

"Well, yes, but martial arts requires flexibility and mobility as well as strength. Come into the mansion. I am sure we can find something that will fit you." Sebastian said, bringing Lizzie back into the mansion, where he went up to Ciel's room, and dug through his clothes, and finally found something that would at least fit Lizzie, and be comfortable. He called Lizzie up, and gave her the clothes.

They were slightly ragged, and none too attractive. But she changed into it, and ran back downstairs, and out the door, and met Sebastian outside. Sebastian looked at her, taking her measure. Unlike Ciel, who had relatively little physical strength, Lizzie was overflowing with strength, and would likely do well in a martial art that emphasized strong, direct attacks. Perhaps Kung Fu, or Judo. Those would both be very direct. Capoeira wouldn't do for Lizzie.

"Perhaps, I should begin by having you stretch. You saw what the Young Master did earlier. Do those same stretches, and I'll teach you after that. If you aren't stretched out, you could hurt yourself.

Lizzie sat down, and began stretching, quickly proving that she was as flexible and supple as she was strong. This definitely impressed Sebastian. When she was done, she stood, and faced Sebastian. She had once taken some martial arts training, and become pretty good. Her talent was still with a sword. Sebastian nodded, and faced Lizzie.

"Do you know anything about martial arts?"

"Yes. I took a year of hand-to-hand combat lessons when I was twelve. I'm not great at it. But I suppose I could pass."

"Good. That will make this easier. I decided that Kung Fu is probably the best choice for you to begin with. It is very direct, and deals with relatively basic methods of combat." Sebastian found, to his satisfaction, that Lizzie was not half so incompetent physically as Ciel seemed to be.

Though she was a mere human, her strength was fairly great, and she had proved in the past that she would likely be a match for most men her own age, and even those slightly older than she. He also found that she was highly flexible, and that her grip was truly frightful, and would likely be strong enough to break a person's arm were she to try to do so.

As such, as Sebastian kept track of Ciel's progress, he taught Lizzie how to fight, and especially how to fight a person with much greater strength, speed, and reach, as Sebastian was indeed over six feet tall, and Lizzie was less than 5 ½ feet. Again, Sebastian was glad to see that at least one of his masters had some talent in combat.

Lizzie had skill in slipping out of seemingly impossible places, and striking from below. Sebastian had known that Lizzie had prodigious talent in Fencing. But not that she was talented at unarmed combat.

He was sure that Lizzie's parents would be displeased that she was learning such a thing from Sebastian. He was certain that Frances Midford would be deeply appalled that Lizzie was learning what she would consider such an unrefined method of combat. But if she was to be Culled

in the future, she may as well get a head start on her studies.

"Milady… If I may ask, where did you learn such proficiency in martial arts? One year of training would not be enough to become so talented. You have great proficiency in dodging and waiting until your opponent tires… Though, I should inform you that you should also learn to determine which opponents are susceptible to those tactics."

"What do you mean, Sebastian?" Lizzie asked innocently.

"Well, for example, a demon such as I would not likely tire before you. Due to the mere fact that you are a human, waiting for a demon to become tired is a waste of energy and time. It would be more logical to land some blows and at least weaken your enemy."

"I see. I just don't think I would have a chance of actually hitting you… That is, if you actually are a demon."

"I would have to disagree, Milady. There is a man who has met me in battle, and fought me extremely skillfully. Agni is his name, and he has matched me in battle on more than one occasion, despite the fact that he is, as you say, 'merely' human."

"Really? What is his secret?" Lizzie asked. Sebastian smiled mysteriously.

"Well… One benefit he has is his prodigious skill in Marma Adi, an Indian form of martial arts that focuses on attacking pressure points. But he also is profoundly dedicated to his master, seeing him almost as a god.

And so, when he harnesses that power, he is able to access superhuman power, speed, and endurance. That does not mean that he will not die if stabbed in the chest. But it does mean that he can ignore many wounds that would likely cripple lesser opponents."

"Wow… So… He worships Soma?" Lizzie asked.

"There will be plenty of time to discuss the semantics of their relationship in the future. After all, one could argue that you will have nothing but time in future years. Now, unlike the Young Master, who would benefit from a more passive martial art that utilizes a minimal amount of energy while yielding maximum results.

In the futre, I intend to train him in more rigorous martial arts. But for now, even though he is stronger than any human, he should beware of becoming overconfident. Even for a demon, that will lead to certain failure."

"Can I tell my family about all this?" Lizzie asked. Sebastian smiled, and shook his head.

"I would not dare to say what you can and cannot do. But I would not advise it. Most do not believe in demons, and would assume that you were insane were you to spin a tale of your fiancé being a demon who had another demon as his butler.

They would either assume that you sought attention, or that you were mad, and neither would go over well for you or for the Young Master… It seems it is getting dark. Young Master! How many laps have you run?

I have been counting, so do not lie." Sebastian said as Ciel huffed and puffed, slowly coming to a stop. Normally, his Asthma would have gotten the better of him. But now that he was a demon, Asthma was a nonissue, as a demon's lungs were not subject to human ailments.

Ciel glared furiously at Sebastian, still incensed that Sebastian had ordered him to run so much. He had never done so much work in his life.

"There is no need to be angry, Young Master. As a demon, you are much stronger, faster, and durable than a human. However, I would assume that you must grow into Hannah's powers. The fact that you hold her demonic essence does not automatically make you as extraordinarily powerful as she. I will admit that such a feat as she performed is unprecedented in my memory.

But there is no reason to think that you could suddenly become all powerful. Now… Tell me how many laps you did."

"I made seventy-two laps around the perimeter." Ciel said, dissatisfied that he had not completed the 100 laps that Sebastian had set him. Sebastian sighed, and nodded."

"Well… I cannot say I am impressed. But, you exceeded my expectations by a small margin. Let us go inside, and we can make dinner. Hopefully, the servants have not destroyed the manor." Sebastian said, walking back into the mansion with Ciel and Lizzie.