"Enough. We've seen enough candidates."
Iris Valen's voice sliced through the air like a guillotine as she turned on her heel and walked toward the exit, her cape swaying with that perfect military vibe.
Damon stayed frozen in the middle of the room.
Already? That was it?
"Don't worry, Zero," Lieutenant Miller's voice dripped sweet poison. "After your... jaw-dropping little show in the stadium, it was basically guaranteed you'd pass."
Miller gave him a smile that didn't reach his eyes and followed his captain without looking back.
Silence dropped into the hallway again.
'Whew! I made it. Or was it pity? No, Iris doesn't do pity. But that look...'
[MENTAL STATUS: ANXIETY 80%]
"Happy, worm?"
The voice boomed right next to him. Damon jumped like a scared cat.
Aiwass was there, leaning on the wall, adjusting her cap to hide the horns that were about to stab right through the fabric.
"Aiwass! Can you warn me?!" Damon squeaked in a whisper. "I almost had a heart attack!"
"A heart attack? Fragile little species," she mocked, crossing her arms. Being almost six and a half feet tall made him feel tiny. "You should be thanking me."
"Thank you?" Damon ran his hands through his hair, freaking out.
"Because of you I almost got frozen! You told the whole Guild we're a 'couple'! Iris was staring at me like she wanted to dissect me!"
"And what did you expect? Me to introduce you as my pet?" Aiwass rolled her eyes.
"It was the only logical way to explain why a noble like me follows you everywhere. Now you're an Inquisitor. Congrats. One step closer to your grave, but with better pay."
Damon groaned.
"If Iris finds out I'm a fraud... if Ophelia smells a lie..."
"They won't," Aiwass smacked him on the back so hard his shoulder almost popped. "So stop shaking, man, we gotta celebrate. What do Inquisitors eat?"
***
The Captain's office was dim, lit only by the neon glow of the rain-soaked city below.
Iris Valen watched the traffic. Her mind, though, was somewhere else.
On him.
He'd passed Recertification, but something didn't fit.
Mana rollback amnesia is common, she told herself. But instincts... instincts don't get erased.
The steady sound of military boots broke her focus.
"Captain."
Iris didn't turn. She'd recognize that oily voice anywhere.
"Congrats on the new recruit," Miller said, stopping at a respectful distance. "An S-rank Fire Elemental and also... Zero's 'couple,' funny."
"Her power is an asset to the Guild and that's all that matters, Lieutenant."
"Of course, it's just that... Zero has changed." Miller took another step, his reflection in the glass smiling. "I've never seen him rely on others and I've certainly never seen him use a firearm."
Iris felt a stab of annoyance, but her face stayed an ice mask.
"It's not the weapon that worries me," Miller insisted, lowering his voice. "It's the one that's missing."
Iris pressed her lips together.
"Before the explosion," he went on, "Zero despised ranged weapons. Said they were for cowards. His sword, BENEDICT, was part of his soul. Where is it? Why replace a legendary blade with a rusty revolver?"
"The explosion destroyed a lot of things, Miller. Including his memories, so BENEDICT probably disintegrated."
"Maybe, or the man who came back doesn't know how to use it."
Iris turned sharply.
"Watch what you're implying, Lieutenant. Any tactical decision made by Zero is his business, and I don't need your conspiracy theories. Dismissed."
Miller bowed perfectly, way too dramatic.
"As you command, Captain. I only seek the Guild's... purity."
***
The hum of the vending machine was the only sound in the break hall.
Damon sighed, pressing his forehead to the machine's cold glass.
They'd just spent their last coins on a chocolate bar.
Aiwass devoured it in one bite, wrapper and all, then spit the paper onto the floor.
"See?" Damon whispered, wiping sweat. "We survived day one and nobody suspects anything."
"Inquisitor Zero."
The voice hit his back like the click of a trigger.
Damon felt his soul leave his body. He turned slowly, forcing his face into the expression of "Bored God."
Lieutenant Miller was there.
"Lieutenant," Damon said, but his voice came out an octave higher than he wanted.
"I'm glad I caught you before you left," Miller said, stepping into his personal space. "The Captain and I were... remembering old times."
Aiwass growled under her breath, but Miller ignored her. His rat eyes were locked on Damon.
"It's a shame about BENEDICT, a great loss, but like you always said: 'Steel breaks, technique is forever.'"
Damon blinked.
'Did Zero say that? That sounds cool as hell. Write that down, brain.'
"What are you getting at?"
Miller's smile widened.
"Tomorrow first thing there will be the official presentation of the recruits before Master Ophelia and as tradition for the highest-ranking officer... a demonstration is expected."
Time stopped.
"A... demonstration?"
"Exactly," Miller said, making a little fencing motion with his hand. "Many fear that without your magic sword, your famous Void Cut style has gotten rusty. So tomorrow, in the central arena... you will give a lesson in pure swordsmanship."
Miller leaned in until his breath brushed Damon's ear.
"Wooden swords. No magic, and to make sure the lesson is fair... I've activated the Artifact Inhibitors on the field, so no weird guns."
He pulled back, enjoying the pale color taking over Damon's face.
"It'll just be you, a wooden stick, and gravity. Let's see if the God of War can stay standing without his toys. See you at dawn, sir."
Miller turned and walked off, humming a cheerful tune.
Damon stayed stuck next to the vending machine.
WHAT?!
His mind shorted out.
Fencing?! No magic?!
'My arms shake when I lift grocery bags! If I run thirty feet I get asthma! And he wants me to do the Void Cut?! I don't even know what that is! Is it vertical?! Horizontal?! Diagonal?!'
[ALERT: THREAT LEVEL - EXTREME]
He looked at Aiwass with wounded puppy eyes.
The demon girl shrugged, licking a bit of chocolate off her finger.
"Sounds like you're about to get your ass kicked, 'Master.'"