Chapter 36
"By the way, Yūya… are you really okay with this? We haven’t finished getting revenge on that bastard yet."
"Hmm~. Before meeting Lumière-san, I was dead set on killing him. But somehow, the anger just… faded. Now I’d rather focus on helping Lumière-san than revenge."
"You’re so simple-minded."
"Shut up."
"Still, there’s a chance Lumière-san is deceiving us. Stay cautious."
"Well, we just met her. For now, let’s see how things go. If there’s a way to help, I’ll help—that’s all."
"Hopelessly naive."
"I get that a lot. Got a problem?"
"You give up on arguing way too fast."
[Lumière’s voice suddenly echoes in their minds:]
‘Yūya-san, Yuka-san, I’m about to cast the spell. It will likely be painful, but please endure it.’
"…Huh?"
The moment they hear her, their bodies grow impossibly heavy.
"Ghhh—UOOOOOH?!"
"GYAAAAAH?!"
A crushing force presses from all directions—like being dragged into the ocean’s depths naked. Have I ever done that? No, but— It’s agony. Gritting his teeth, Yuuya reaches for Yuuka.
"…Yu-Yuka… y-you okay…?"
"…Barely. But— cough —you sure she’s not trying to erase us after all?"
"…Dunno. But…"
"…But?"
"…If we got tricked… then I was just… an idiot."
"… We were idiots, you mean."
"…Hah. Yeah. If Lumière-san… keeps her promise… let’s meet again, okay?"
"…Pray we do."
And just like that—their consciousness fades into the dark.
"It's done. You may wake up now."
Lumière's voice reached us. Wait... am I alive right now?
"We thought we were gonna die!" we said in unison.
"You're fine. Very much alive."
"Wh-what was that just now?"
"It felt like my whole body got crushed!"
Yuka and I checked each other to confirm we were both alive. Thank god. We made it.
"I used a slightly stronger spell than intended."
"What kind?"
"One that drags the target into the abyss to be endlessly devoured by beasts. It's called 'Hell's Gate: Helzgate.'"
"That's terrifying."
"Wait... you used that on him?"
"Well, since we were already outside, I figured why not?"
"Oh..." we both muttered.
Gross. No, seriously—that's messed up.
"Still, you did faint after all. Hmm..."
Lumière seemed to be considering something.
"I've decided. Starting now, I'll be training you both. You'll need to acclimate to my power."
"Huh?!" we blurted in unison.
What? What does that mean? Why is this happening?
"Let's aim for 30 minutes a day to start."
"Hold on. Training? For what?"
"Your magical capacity."
"Magical... capacity?"
"To put it simply, you fainted because you overloaded. My magic flooded your systems, far exceeding your limits. Unlike humans, we demons absorb and utilize ambient magic around us. The sheer volume overwhelmed you."
"Magical... limits?"
"Think of it like a cup and water. The cup is your capacity; the water is your magic. You... overflowed."
"Ohhh, got it. We went past our limit."
"Precisely. Normally, a slight excess wouldn't matter, but this was extreme. Imagine trying to pour the entire ocean into a single cup."
"So... impossible difficulty?"
"Physically unsustainable. The cup would shatter. The only solution is to enlarge the cup itself. A larger vessel means greater capacity—and more magic at your disposal."
"Makes sense..."
"Which is why you'll train to expand your limits. Fainting at a critical moment is unacceptable if you're to protect Albert-sama—especially against higher-tier curses. While we're at it, let's improve your recovery speed too. Faster recovery means greater endurance in prolonged battles. You never know how many enemies you'll face."
"Yeah... okay, that tracks."
"We begin tomorrow. And I won't go easy."
"Y-Yes, ma'am..." we stammered.
And just like that, my revenge arc ended... and magic boot camp began.
"Oh, one more thing. Currently, I can only borrow Yuuka's body for five minutes in combat. Any longer risks severe damage. Increasing her magic capacity will directly improve her combat viability—so expect no mercy."
(At least it's longer than Ultraman...) I thought.
(At least it's longer than Ultraman...) Yuka echoed internally.
"...Are you thinking something rude? Shall I send you back to hell?"
"NOT AT ALL!!" we shouted in perfect sync.
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