The soft tapping of metal brought peace to Apollo's ears as he made his way to Kaltsit's office. The gray floor was soft to his eyes as dashes of orange along the walls and the blue hue of the various monitors displaying a map of the current floor gave Apollo a nostalgic feeling. The familiar layout made him think back to his early days in Chaldea, back before any of the other members of Team A were found. He could effortlessly look out the window to see the all white land of the arctic, miles and miles away from civilization. That sight made him feel as if all the struggles were gone, like he was in an alien world.
It wasn't long before he found himself in front of the office he needed to be, as in his mind he had an important matter to discuss. Without caring to knock he opened the door to see a few people. Ignoring the various books shelfs containing files and actual books, Amiya was sitting at her desk relaxing as she drank from her pure white cup that had a bunny stick on it. Near the back of the room lies the person he was looking for.
"Oh, hi Mr. Apollo. What brings you here tonight?" Amiya said as she placed her cup down and greeted him with a friendly expression that could make many people's hearts melt.
Apollo returned a friendly expression as he walked Amiya's desk. "I'm here to see the Boss Cat about something, I have something important to discuss with her and potentially you too depending on how things go." He said as he took out a sucker and offered it to her.
Amiya accepted the treat that Apollo became known for among the younger operators.
As Kaltsit locks eyes with Apollo who was leaning on Amiya's desk like she owned the place causing Kaltsit to internally grown although she maintains a straight face. "What can I do for you Apollo?" As she said in a deadpan expression.
"I just needed to talk to you about the results of the mission. Are you free right now or are you gonna be a workaholic?" Apollo asked as he ate another sucker.
"I can spare some time for you, what do you need?"
Apollo turns around to look at Amiya before returning his gaze to Kaltsit.
"The young one had a talk with me and she wants to be my apprentice, I'm assuming she means in a more direct way beyond a student." Apollo explained, this time his jokative attitude was replaced with a more serious tone of voice.
The shift of Apollo's voice and expression caught Kaltsit and Amiya off guard, especially Kaltsit. After all his jokative expression never left his voice even when she threatened him with Monst3r, his smile and personality didn't change.
"And you wish to confirm with me if you can do it? As long as yo-"
"I'm not gonna teach her, at least not yet." He said with no room for negotiation.
Kaltsit eyes narrowed while Amiya slightly opened her mouth in surprise.
"I thought you wanted to teach her and the other magecraft, why the change in heart. You mentioned that Marth is talented in the field."
"She is talented, that's why I'm not going to take her yet." Apollo takes out his sucker, walks and stops in the room where he can see both Kaltsit and Amiya as if he is about to say a speech. "Magecraft in my eyes is a useful thing but it also tends to consume those who study it, I'm not different. Magecraft has exposed me to the darkness back home, both human and non human. I don't wish that for Marth or the others."
Kaltist closed her eyes and leaned back, releasing a sigh. "So what do you need from us? From my perspective you're denying Marth so nothing is changing from how things are now."
"True, Marth and the others will learn magecraft as normal, you have my course. I will have to update it as all of them are quickly understanding the material much quicker than I thought."Apollo explained. "Suzuran is learning summoning which would be good for her supporting nature, that girl is too pure for this world. Vigna is learning to enhance her body, I'm planning to teach her some ranged options so she is more well rounded. Angelina is also learning summoning but for the movement of cargo which fits her job well, in combination with her levitation arts things will move smoothly with her.
"How's Skyfire doing? Since she is the most knowledgeable on arts compared to the others, I imagine teaching her requires a different style." Kaltsit says as she pulls up each of the operator's files on one of the screens in the room.
"She's the hardest to teach, science and magecraft operate so far away from each other that they are basically opposites like a circle, this is a blessing and a curse. In one scene her scientific mind causes her to want to understand the world and its workings. The curse is that she is someone who believes that science is for the people which goes against one of the core pillars of magecraft."
"That pillar being secrecy. The more people understand magecraft, the weaker it gets." Kaltsit said.
"Exactly, for better or worse she has a key to Pandora's box. If she really wanted to, in the future she would write a paper with all the knowledge I've taught her about magecraft."
"Are you concerned? In the worst case scenario the base of your power will get weaker as the world knows, so I ask what is your plan if that happened?" Kaltsit said as she focused on Skyfire's file.
"I'm not worried, I know how to deal with people like her."
On the drop of a dime the hostile aura of Kaltsit rushed towards Apollo but before she could physically do anything Apollo raised his palm as if to her 'wait a moment.'
"I promise you no harm will come to Skyfire, I already know I'm on thin ice with you and by extension all the big wigs in this company due to my origin. All I need to do is seal away her memories." Apollo explained as if it was the most obvious thing.
"I see." Kaltist says as she crosses her legs. "I'll like a report on how that is done, beyond that is there anything else you need to discuss with me?"
Apollo placed a hand on his chin as he acted as if he was thinking. "Currently I don't, If I need something I'll come ask you. With that I'm out of here, bye." Apollo waved his hand to both Kal'tsit and Amiya before leaving the room.
The silence between Kal'tsit and Amiya was deafening only being broken by a massive sigh escaping Kal'tsit lips.
"Amiya, what is your opinion of Apollo?" Kal'tsit asked.
Both of Amiya's ears perked up like a deer in headlights as she stopped drinking from her cup. "I have nothing negative to say about Mr. Apollo, every operator that has worked with him has either given a positive opinion about him or neutral."
"I've heard similar thoughts that he isn't a problem to the majority of Rhodes Island. Were you able to do what I asked you to do when he next came to the office?" Kal'tsit asks as she pulls out a blank piece of paper and Apollo's file.
"I did but it was rather difficult." Amiya said as she put her cup down.
"How so?"
"You and him are both similar and different. When I tried to read your emotions when picking a gift for your birthday, it was like trying to push through a deep fog that no light could really push through. Hard to see but yet weirdly calming as if you are disconnected from the world." Amiya described how she made various hand movements.
"So what makes us so different, did he have a deeper fog?"
"No, Apollo's emotions were a dark swamp. Bubbles of black ozze what felt like a simple touch and you'll be dragged into the bottom with no way to escape. Yet under that swamp were various pretty pink lights that made his heart feel disturbingly beautiful."
Kal'tsit could only rub her chin at Amiya's words, so not much has changed. Still as unreadable as always." Kal'tsit could feel her eyes narrow as her forehead formed various creases. "He is starting to remind me of him and I'm concerned by what that will bring."
Amiya understood her words and while she can't deny that Apollo gives off the same feeling, she wishes that when they depart that their ending will be different. "I'm sure things will be different."
"I hope so, well I need to get back to work. Our next meeting with the Apotheosis Company will be very soon." Kal'tsit said before returning to work, Amiya quickly followed suit.
With his business with Kal'tsit being finished and found himself roaming around, he soon found himself in one of the training rooms. Much to his surprise the room was mostly empty, the one there was a woman. Apollo eyes raced to her head, hair being a faded blue like the sky, within her hair next to the ear was something black. Something similar to a black ornament. In contrast her dark green eyes akin to moss met his.
"Do you need something?" She asked, her voice booming throughout the room covering meters at a time.
"Nothing, just a guy enjoying life." Apollo replied as his eyes spotted a small dagger on her hip.
"Are you good at fighting?" The woman asked.
"I'm not dead so I'm decent enough, you want to fight or something?" Apollo asked as he made his way towards the women causally.
"If you're up for a fight, I will admit this however. I will fight till one of us almost sees the afterlife." The woman explained.
A small smirk forms on Apollo's face. "Wouldn't have it any other way. I like you already. Women who can kill me always tend to be the ones I tend to be friends with." He explains as he bit on the sucker cracking the hard candy leaving only the stick.
Within the span of a second the woman pulled out a white stick with small designs inscribed onto it, a calm melody rang throughout the room as a simple ball of fire formed and sent towards Apollo ready to burn him to a crisp.
Feeling a soft warmth starting from his chest spread to his hand as like in Kjerag he raised his hand and drew a rune using the side of the sucker stick coated in salvia as a pencil. A small translucent circle formed around him filling the surrounding air with a chill.
With a great bang the fireball slammed into the circle as it tried to overpower it. Small embers landed on Apollo's skin causing a light burn, a small smile appeared on his face as fighting was his lifeline. Combat was how he was given meaning.
With his sucker pencil in hand he drew another rune in the air, from it came a small dense ball of wind. With the light flick of a finger he fired it through the shield, shattering it like glass. Like a bullet in the air , the ball of wind pierced the fireball making it pop like a balloon. Seeing the projectile, the woman dodged to the side as she saw the ball disappear the moment she dodged.
"Damn, that missed. I should play more Duck Hunt or something."
The woman snapped her head as she saw Apollo less than a step behind her looking in the direction of the ball of wind. As she reached for her dagger to give some space, she felt a terrible pain in her gut as she saw her world blur as she felt her legs leave the ground. The cracking of wood followed as she found herself against a wall, she could only desperately breathe in air. The woman looked where she once stood and found Apollo standing with his foot out.
"Oh, you're still awake, thought that kick was gonna knock you out." Apollo rubbed the back of his neck. "Guess I underestimated the people here, I've been here for a few months.."
The woman reached for her stick and placed her mouth on one of the holes, from it came a hum. Off of instinic Apollo covered his ears slightly just enough so that if the sound being played was dangerous he could minimize the damage. However from it only came the soft hum, a hum so soft that Apollo couldn't even hear it, instead like a shadow from the corner. Standing over the woman like a protector, the shadow puts out their hand as they form a ball of energy. Not quite demonic or corrupted but pure wouldn't be the term for it either. Akin to a boxer, the woman got into a stance as her small black head piece changed from black to white. With the twist of her body she punched the ball of energy towards Apollo, like a bullet it zoomed cutting the wind.
Using the back of his hand to block feeling no threat from the ball of energy. However as the ball touched his hand, akin to an acid the ball burned a hole not just through his hand but burning off the entirety of his shoulder causing it to drop onto the floor. Apollo's eyes remained neutral as used his free hand and touched space where his arm once was as blood dripped onto his hand.
"Sorry, but like I said. I will fight till you're just short of death." The woman said before she started blowing into her flute once more, as more and more shadows crowded around her. The mix of various dots akin to eyes of different colors look at Apollo. "I'll apologize to Kal'tsit about this later, after all it's easier to ask for forgiveness than permission."
"I agree. What's your name?" Apollo said as he bites down sharply on his sucker cracking the candy. Akin to an overgrown vine, flesh began to rush out of his open world. The wet sound of blood and flesh echoed throughout the room as red crimson splashed across Apollo and the area around him before the skin sealed everything inside. His face not coated with dots of blood with his neutral expression as if nothing was wrong caused Apollo to look like a man who has lost his mind.
The woman doesn't answer before stomping her foot onto the ground, behind her was another shadow mimicking her actions as the ground beneath them started to shake.
Apollo has seen countless attacks like this before, with his only hand drawing a rune like he has done many times before, yet he didn't stop. He started to draw another rune on top of the first one, layering them before the rune glowed a soft light. "You're the first one I layered spells on, not a bad kid. You're at the level I want Marth to surpass."
As the rune dissipated into the air, the rumbling stopped as if the attack was never launched in the first place. The woman can only respond with slight shock in her expression before a small shadow forms around him, a singular shadow shaped like a person. Their eyes were only a slightly lighter tone of black, from their head something was waving as if it was being hit with wind akin to a head cloth.
"Don't be afraid this will only hurt for a bit."
Apollo then dashed towards the woman covering meters at a time. The woman in response threw the whole mass of shadows at him like a wall to cut his vision so she had a moment to think of her next step. However from the shadows all the woman saw was the bloody image of Apollo's hand with a look again to a demon with pure white eyes coming behind it. With a grip she couldn't break Apollo leaned forward and smashed her head onto the ground cracking the ground under her.
The woman, still able to see through the gap in Apollo's grip could see him pulling his free hand back with his palm flat as if he was going for a hand chop as he was crouched over her. The humanoid shade over Apollo did nothing to stare at her, like it was the vestige of something.
"Are you good with demon blood?" Apollo asked as he could see the glare in the woman's eyes as she tried to get out from his grip to no success. "I guess it's too early for that."
Akin to a sword Apollo justs his hand out in a piercing strike, the only thing the woman could do was try to block it with her hands but much to her surprise all that came from it was a line of blood hitting her face and a numbing pain. All she could do was register half the length of Apollo's middle three fingers halfway deep into the side of her hand. With the woman's shadow wall dissipating leaving only Apollo and her, one move and one of them could die and she knows it will likely be her.
Light shot up from the ground shaped like swords pierce not vital spots on Apollo with one being touching his where his heart is. The humanoid shadow around Apollo quickly disappeared into it.
"Sorry my friend, but I'mma need the little demon ya see. She is a good employee of mine."
Apollo while maintaining his grip on the woman turned his head towards the voice. At the entrance of the room he saw Kal'tist and Amiya, but they didn't speak instead it was the man walking towards Apollo. Blonde hair with strains of gray, his red and white color armor clung to his chest as he wore somewhat tight gray pants. At his hip was a gun no bigger than a standard revolver you would see on Earth but the thing that truly caught Apollo's eye was what was on his back. No rather what was around his back as just like the redhead met all that time back in Lungmen, small broken fragments of light in the shape of wings. He continued to walk until he was a few steps away from Apollo.
"I'm gonna assume she attacked you first so I'm not gonna get mad for fighting back, I just ask you to let her go." The man throws a look at the woman allowing Apollo to get a look at his eyes, white and gray. Apollo could only mentally comment on the odd eye colors. "Celia is a loose cannon at times but it is very clear she lost this one badly. So what's your name sonny, you look quite young."
Feeling that the fight was over, Apollo rose from his crouch position as he pulled his finger out of Celia's hand, all he could do was look at the blood slide down to his palm before looking at the old sankta. "The name's Apollo Kotomine." He said as he reached out with his non-bloody hand for a hand shake.
The sankta looked at Apollo and returned the gesture. "The name is Ben Pality, captain of Apotheosis."