Asher stayed silent, doubting he could do much, given Lucy's personality.
'He's giving way too much credit,' he sighed, and looked away.
Nakata fidgeted, shifting from foot to foot, and leaning closer. "Bro, don't just stay quiet," he urged, but despite his efforts, he received no response.
Seeing this, he decided to change his strategy, and dropped to one knee to quickly apologized
"Sister Lucy, I'm sorry. I won't do it again. Let's head to the training room—Nakata's probably waiting for us." he said.
Without waiting for an answer, he turned and hurried down the hall, his steps faster than usual, afraid she might hit him.
Lucy sighed heavily, rolling her eyes at his retreating figure. "That brat,"
She chose to let it go for Asher's sake.
The sooner he finished his revenge, the sooner he could grow both physically and emotionally.
They passed a wide staircase, and he led them to a wall tucked away in a corner.
Asher looked at the wall, curious about the secrets hidden in this place.
Takai approached a panel hidden within the wall and pressed a concealed chanism.
With a soft hum, the wall slid open to reveal the polished interior of an elevator, which was lined with smooth, tallic surfaces.
The trio stepped inside, and Asher raised an eyebrow as he glanced at the panel. He noticed the floor indicators, which showed that the elevator descended eight levels down.
"I didn't expect this place to be hiding sothing like this." Lucy comnted.
Takai grinned and gestured widely with his arms. "Surprised? Yeah, it's more like an underground fortress than a house."
She folded her arms as she leaned against the wall. "The Yamagi family has always gone a bit overboard with their security."
Takai shrugged, pressing a button. "We don't use them all. Only the first few are accessible floors. But for you, Sister Lucy, we'll make an exception."
The elevator humd softly as it descended, the numbers ticking down.
DING!
They ca to a stop, and the doors slid open to reveal a long hallway. The walls were made of concrete, giving the space an industrial feel.
"The training room is just a few ters ahead," Takai said, stepping out first.
The trio continued on, and after a couple of minutes, they reached a large double-panel door. Takai pushed it open, revealing an underground training hall .
It was a two-story area, featuring high ceilings and reinforced walls. Various pieces of equipnt lined the area.
The low lighting cast long shadows across the place, enhancing the sense of isolation.
At the far end of the room stood a figure Asher hadn't t before.
The middle age man was tall, with an intense gaze that made people avert their eyes. It was the stare of soone who had seen much in this world, carrying the weight of experiences that shaped his strong personality.
His dark eyes and jet-black hair, tied tightly into a knot that revealed his hairline, only intensified his presence.
Upon closer inspection, a faint bullet scar marked his right cheek, a proof to the hard life he had led.
His right shoulder, exposed by the sleeveless white martial arts robe he wore, displayed additional scars, each one hinting at the battles he had fought and survived.
Every detail about him spoke of discipline , hard work and experience, as though he had spent a lifeti training.
Unlike Asher's old, detached deanor when he was alive—where his boredom ca from the lack of anyone who could challenge him—this man looked like soone with a purpose and goal.
'What a strong presence,' Asher muttered to himself. He began to wonder who would win between them if he was still alive.
Lucy sensed his internal struggle and couldn't help but smile. Seeing him feel competitive brought her joy; it ant Asher wasn't as nonchalant as she had assud.
However, when she turned to look at Nakata, her expression shifted. "Is this it?"
After not seeing her old acquaintance for over a decade, she had expected much more from him.
But no matter how hard she looked, she couldn't find anything worth complinting.
It was as if she were looking at soone who had already reached their maximum potential.
She rembered a ti when he had more potential than this. What happened to him?
In fact, she felt like Asher was more impressive before he died, even though he hadn't trained seriously yet.
Nakata overheard her comnt but didn't mind at all.
He knew that her standards for human talents were extrely high, and not just anyone could impress her.
A decade ago, he had t Lucy while working as a rcenary; he was tasked with killing the head of the Yamagi family.
At that ti, he thought he was going to die, but to his surprise, she spared him after he managed to land a hit on her.
From that mont on, he had devoted himself to the Yamagi family, driven by a burning desire to one day defeat her.
Even when she disappeared, he continued training nonstop and finally reached his peak form.
Nakata stepped forward, grasping a blade in his right hand and a pistol in his left. "Let's fight. I want to show you how much I've improved."
He needed both weapons to have even a slight chance of standing up to her.
"There's no need. I can already tell how much you've improved, and to be honest, I'm very disappointed,"
Nakata's face twitched. Despite knowing she could be rude, her comnt still stung.
"Lucy, unlike demons, humans improve by honing our skills through repetitive practice," he declared.
"Oh, so you can talk back to now? Huh? You've definitely grew in that area. I rember you getting flustered all the ti," she let out a chuckle.
"Alright, I'll give you a chance, but let's make a bet first," she challenged.
"What bet?"
"Whoever wins can request one thing from the other," she added, a smirk playing on her lips. "But it would be unfair to ask you to beat . So if you manage to make bleed, then it's your win."
"Are you serious?" Nakata exclaid, raising his eyebrows in surprise. "You do know what I'll request when I win, right?"
"Of course, just like that silly wish you made years ago," she said with a smirk.
"Silly?" He let out a heavy breath and returned the weapons to their place.
"Takai, can you get those things for ? I need every advantage I can get to beat her,"
"Are you sure about this?" Takai asked, glancing nervously between Lucy and Nakata. "Those weapons are secrets. I don't think Father will approve."
"Don't worry about it." Nakata sneered, a dismissive wave of his hand following his words. "Do you really think she cares about re human weapons? Those things are trash to her anyway,"
"Y-You're right," Takai conceded, nodding slowly.
To humans, those weapons might look impressive, but Lucy was no ordinary demon. Her background alone could send shockwaves through the entire world.
"I'll get it now." Takai quickly turned and ran toward the elevator.
anwhile, Asher watched from the sidelines, sensing that a deeper reason was driving Nakata.
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