***The World***

***Celes***

I am running through a white place, an endless, white plain. There is nothing but me in this place, but something tells me that I have to run. It feels like the River of Souls, that dimension between life and death, on the pathways between the worlds of mortals.

Something feels wrong about what I am doing, but I don't know why.

Shouldn’t only gods be able to traverse this place? And right now I am mortal. So why am I here?

Confused, I hold my head, suddenly realizing that I have horns and that I am an adult. Feeling my curved horns, thinking that they are somehow wrong, I clarify that I am an adult demon. I am Celes, the mortal, not Myrm, the Goddess. Then other memories flash through my mind. Memories of an infernal place, a life where I was called... Isabella.

No.

That’s not right, and yet it is. Trying to get a grip on what’s going on, I look down at myself, at Isabella’s body. Am I Myrm? Or am I Isabella?

Am I going insane?

How did I come to be here!? My memories are just a mashed up pile of fragments. I... I was fighting. Yes, I was fighting that bastard! And I was winning! Then he turned against the world and I tried to stop him. I jumped right into his spell to save the mortals.

I thought I could take it, but I was wrong! The pain was unbelievable as everything went red and I could feel my soul being torn apart! I could have dodged it so easily. He didn’t even aim the attack at me, yet I am sure that he knew I would try to stop it.

It hurt so much, but... but why am I here now?

“Are you yourself again, Myrm?”

Turning, I suddenly face Seria who is floating above me like an avenging angel. Her set of angel and demon wings spread wide. “S- Seria? What happened? Why are we here?”

“You fought with Ascathon. And he killed you,” she replies in a motherly tone.

“Yes, no.” More memories flash through my mind. “He did and yet he didn’t. I tried to save my sister and that girl… and then that other god struck me down. He was one of my own subordinates!” Clawing at my temples, I try to understand what’s going on! Why was I killed by one of my own subordinates!? “What's happening to me!? I am not this Myrm, and being Isabella at the same time feels wrong! I don't understand.”

“Your soul was torn apart, it took me quite a while to piece you back together,” Seria explains in a calm tone. “It might take some time for things to make sense.” Then she smiles. “Just rest and try to heal. You have some time before the Council will start asking questions.”

The Council? Yes, that’s right! The Council! “They must have judged us! That’s why we are mortal. But why? What do they care about one world or even the gods we killed?” We messed up their experiment, but does that really warrant such a harsh punishment? “They are the rulers of the multiverse. What does one world matter to them? They don't move a finger at the fate of worlds! Such matters don't concern them!”

“They don’t care about a small world or the fate of a few deities.” Seria floats towards me until we are on eye-level. “Oh, my Myrm. You are the same as Ascathon. He didn't understand what you two did wrong either. Such ignorance of your own power.” Seria’s expression turns sad.

“They wouldn't care if you destroyed a universe. That happens everywhere, at all times. Worlds are created, worlds perish. Entire timelines unwind and new ones spring forth. The multiverse is a place of wonders and those who are able to explore its myriad paths are called immortals and gods. Even though they are just children bumbling about in a little sandbox at their creator’s behest.”

She suddenly seems to grow larger, more threatening.

“Everything dies and is reborn again. The Council is angry at you because they think that you two have the power to end those who should reign supreme forever. In your last battle, you felled each other and those around you and had I not intervened, you wouldn’t have been back for another eternity. Ascathon’s weapons and your hands killed that which cannot be killed. You encroached on a power that was thought to be only the Council’s.”

Her expression turns wolfish and she smiles, revealing sharp fangs. “For the first time in living remembrance, they are afraid. They want to know how you did it! They want the secret behind the Mana Crystals!”

Shooting forward, she is suddenly right in my face and grabs my shoulders. “Don’t let them get it!”

Opening my eyes, I sit up in my bed, sucking in a sharp breath. Hyperventilating, I take notice of the fact that I am drenched in sweat and back to being a child. Looking around, I realize that I am back in my room, safe and sound.

“F- fuck that shit! That was one hell of a tail-curling nightmare!”

Fumbling around in the dark, I exchange my nightgown for a new one and check my body, making sure that everything is as it's supposed to be. Then I take my body pillow and sneak over into my parents’ bedroom, dead set on taking advantage of being a child for as long as possible.

***The World***

***Angrod***

“I want to visit Culture and Art!” Celes proclaims, pointing out the classes on our schedule.

“But that's boring and of no use!” I voice my feelings on the matter. “We should visit important stuff, like Basic Magic Theory.”

“What use is a basic magic lesson to you?” Celes twists her face in confusion. “Don’t you already know much more than they can teach?”

“It’s the perfect class for me. I can sleep and still ace the test!” I nod, very proud of my thinking. “Culture and Art are different on every world. It would mean that I have to actually put effort into my education. No, thanks.”

“So you are lazy! Do you want to waste your school life sleeping?” Celes huffs, clearly dissatisfied with my reasoning.

I sigh and continue studying the letter we got from Midhold’s dean.

One week after our introduction to the upper society we are on the school grounds and about to register for our lessons. For the first time, we are without guards or parents looking down our backs, but only because Midhold University's school grounds are walled off from the rest of the city and heavily patrolled by security guards. They place a lot of effort in making sure that their charges are protected, as most of the students are from wealthy families or noble bloodlines.

Nicol didn't understate when he mentioned that it was a highly regarded school. Midhold University is big enough to lose yourself without a map. It’s only thanks to the documents that we are able to find our way.

There are areas for each grade so that the younger students don't get in the way of older ones. To advance a school grade we have to complete at least nine lessons, earning nine credits in total. Mathematics, Language and Basic Cantrips are fixed lessons for us, but we have to choose at least ten lessons to fill out the day.

One could go for the bare minimum of what's necessary, but that would be stupid. It would result in being held back, should we fail a subject for any reason.

Which means that we have at least seven lessons to our choice. Our problem is that Katrine and Ireth instructed us to take the same lessons and I am not in the least interested in the stuff Celes likes and vice versa.

“Fine. We throw a coin and whoever wins gets to choose first, then we take turns. That means that the winner has four choices, while the loser has three,” I suggest.

“Never! I know how good you are with telekinesis. You would just influence the coin to your advantage!” Celes rejects, shaking her head vehemently.

“Tch!” I click my tongue. There goes an almost perfect plan.

“Hah! I knew it!” She looks at me accusingly.

“Fine! We both choose three and take the last one at random,” I propose, not wanting to waste any more time than necessary.

“How?” Celes tilts her head, considering the idea.

“We write some scrap sheets and draw one blindly.”

“Hmmm.” Celes bites her lip while thinking. “That’s a possibility, but it still feels like you would be able to influence the outcome.”

“Okay.” I shrug. “What do you suggest? What would be sufficient so that you don’t accuse me of cheating.”

“We will ask a random person to name one subject. Maybe a teacher would be a good idea?” Celes purses her lips. “Yeah, I like that idea.”

“You don't trust me at all, don't you.” I try to look hurt, but the witch ignores me.

“Oh, I trust you, my love! I am sure that you would take every chance you get to make your life a little easier. Unfortunately, in this case, it would mean making my life more miserable. So let the war begin. I will start!”

“Art!”

“Rune Magic!”

“Culture!”

“Science!”

“Close Quarters Combat!”

One moment! “You just want to beat me up! You know that I hate getting up close and personal if I can avoid it.”

She smiles. “That's not a subject, but if we ask Nicol he could have the headmaster introduce it. Beat Up Angrod! Hm.”

“Fine, then, Magical Combat Training!”

“Now you want to beat me up!”

“Fair is fair! So, who do we ask for the last one?” I look around, searching for someone suitable who seems like he can spare the time.

“Over there! The gardener!” Celes points at an older man who is tending to a flowerbed.

“That guy is sure to name nothing intellectual. You want to trick me!” I complain. “We need a teacher.”

“Fine, we stop that teacher over there. HEY! Professor! Can you help us, please!?” Celes runs up to a random guy and stops him.

“What?” The elderly man stops, holding onto his suitcase. Aside from his reddish skin, he looks completely human. There are some deep laughing wrinkles in his face, making it seem like he is the approachable type.

“We want to choose one last subject for us to take together, but we cannot decide what to take. So we want someone else to choose for us. Would you be so kind?” Celes asks.

Suddenly, the old guy starts grinning like the devil, giving me an entirely different opinion of how those laughing wrinkles came to be. “You two are a pain in the ass, to disturb me for something like this! But no worries, I will have you two join the worst lesson a first-year can take. MINE! Take the Mystic Arts Lesson. Be there the next time, or I will come and get you! I know your faces and you have horns! Not hard to find you.” The old guy pushes past Celes and continues on his way.

“That went well,” I comment.

“Why does it feel like we have problems now?” Celes asks me.

“Your fault.”

“WHYYY!?” she screams.

I just shake my head and check the lessons on our applications. “Let’s get on with it. We still have to register at the administration office.”

The following registration process wasn't worth mentioning. We found the responsible office and gave them the required documents which we had gotten from our parents. The lady in charge just took everything, checked the papers for completeness, and sent us on our merry way.

I am just glad that there is no need for us to stay in the university's dorm. Rose said that she would take us to school every morning and get us in the evening.

As we make our way to our first lesson – strangely enough it's Close Quarters Combat – we meet a familiar face.

“Celes! Oh, I wanted to see you! You take the same lessons!?” Tanja Morden jumps Celes and shakes the princess’s hands. Linking arms, the catgirl pulls Celes towards the large, open field where the lesson is held.

“T- Tanja. Why are you here? Aren't you older than us? What are you doing in a lesson for first-years?” Celes asks.

“Oh, no problem at all. The instructors take everyone who wants to join and separate them based on their abilities. There are kids from the age of six, up to fifteen in this class. Many of the older students rejoin every year just to train their bodies,” Tanja explains.

Celes gets dragged to the girls' dressing room by Tanja, giving me some peace at last!

While they change, I walk over to the boys’ area and also put on some sportswear, all provided by the university as it turns out. I even got a key for my own wardrobe, though we were instructed not to leave any personal stuff in there because the servants would replace the sportswear for washing.

Dressed up, I take a look at the very spacious training area, noting that boys and girls alike got uniform sport suits in a neutral blue.

Unsure of what to do I watch an instructor who is busy with teaching some kids the utter basics of hand to hand combat.

There wouldn't be much sense in joining the lecture, so I refrain from approaching them.

A few small fighting arenas are further down the field, likely intended to limit the damage to the surroundings, should two stronger opponents wish to test their abilities. I assume that there will be some kind of show-fight to judge our skills at the end of the year.

“Is that you, Angrod?”

I turn around and find a cute girl of about my age standing in front of me. She has silver hair, wolf ears, and a tail. Sky-blue eyes are looking up at me. Despite her cuteness, I am at a loss, unable to recognise her. “I am sorry. Do I know you?”

“No, you don't know me yet, but I have seen you at the party a week ago. You were so cool. I hope we can be friends!” She closes in and links arms with me. “My name is Iris, by the way,” she informs me nonchalantly.

“Ahem, okay?” I reply, feeling uncomfortable with the sudden skinship.

What's up with her behaviour? Is she just trying to be nice? If we were a few years older, I would call the way she is going down on me slutty. Maybe she just wants to be friends?

But Iris... that name sounds familiar. Didn’t Nicol mention something about an Iris?

Suddenly, someone body-checks into Iris from behind, sending her stumbling. She lets out a cute squeak and plops flat onto the ground, dirtying her tracksuit.

Celes is suddenly next to me. “Don't rub yourself all over him!”

“What's wrong with you!?” Iris screams while getting back to her feet.

“Just protecting my territory!” Celes shoots back.

Territory? I raise my hands, trying to calm her down. “Celes, she was a little intrusive, but is this really necessary? Becoming aggressive is a little much when we don't even know her.” Though, I am thankful that she removed the slutty child from my arm.

Celes turns to face me, smiling sweetly while playing with her hairpin. “Honey, keep out of girls' business, and I won't interfere in boys' business. Do we have an agreement?”

My eyes wander to the hairpin, making the decision easy.

Good luck in your next life, slutty wolfgirl. I only knew you for less than a minute. That's not enough to risk my head for you.

Stepping aside, I wave my hand with a flourish. “She’s all yours.” I already was on the receiving end of Celes's hairpin, and it's like being the victim in one of those slasher-movies.

“Celes, you should probably know that-” Tanja runs up to us, but is interrupted by the bellowing voice of an instructor.

“What is going on here!?”

“She gave me a shove for no reason!” Iris complains to the instructor who is running up to us, seizing her chance immediately.

“You touched and dirtied one of my valuables, horny wolf!” Celes accuses right back.

The two of them start bickering like two old hags trying to stake out their territory while the instructor is at a loss for words.

Tanja finally arrives at the scene. “We should stop them!”

I turn to face the older girl. “What am I to do? I don’t really want to get on Celes’s bad side. Weren’t you supposed to be with her?”

“She dashed off faster than I managed to follow when she saw you with Iris,” Tanja waves her hands, trying to catch her breath. “That little devil is fast when she wants to be.”

Finally, the instructor who is a middle-aged elf puts down his foot, stopping Celes and Iris. “We don't use violence outside of a match! I hope you two will understand that. Attacking another student outside of a duel is inexcusable!”

“Then I will have a match with her! I want revenge!” Iris screams at the instructor.

No! Slutty wolf girl, you are digging your own grave here! I raise a hand in an attempt to stop them. “Excus-”

Morden tugs at my shoulder, interrupting me. “Angrod, we have to stop them! That's Iris Tulhelm. She is feared for her brutality and is incidentally also the best newcomer in magically assisted combat! Celes will be hurt if she fights her!”

“I don’t think-” I try getting a word into the conflict, but Celes is faster. “Fine with me! If I win, you keep ten meters distance from Angrod!”

“Then, if I win, the same goes for you!” Iris taps Celes on the collarbone, leaning in threateningly.

Nooo! You are within the reach of her hairpins when she is angry, Iris! Don’t do that!

In any case, I somehow have to stop them from escalating things further.

“You two! Duels aren't fought for such a vain reason! And you, Celes? You are a newcomer? You can't just fight an advanced disciple of the master on the first day!” The instructor steps between the two girls.

That once more rings all my warning bells. Instructor-san! Don’t step between two fighting females! Doesn’t the guy have any life experience!?

“Where can we fight?” Celes looks up at the instructor.

“Haven't you heard me?” The instructor starts to get angry, shaking his finger at the girls. “Do I have to send both of you to the dean on the first day of school!?”

“Let them fight!” A stout man with a raccoon tail walks up to us after having observed the conflict from the sidelines. “Everyone has to learn their lesson! Some lessons are harder than others. Better they deal with their problems in the ring than on school grounds!” He gestures towards one of the free arenas further down the field. “Step into the arena.”

“Master!” The instructor bows to the newcomer, making it clear that the racoon-guy is his superior.

“Aaahh...” I let out a sigh, waving a hand at Tanja who is still trying to hound me into stopping the entire fiasco. “I don’t even care anymore. Just let happen whatever happens.”

The little duelling arena is a circular pit which was lowered into the ground. Its wall is reinforced with bricks so that no random rainfall would crumble it. The whole setup is about twenty metres in diameter and five metres deep. In absence of a magical barrier, it’s the best way to protect the surrounding area from random spells and misguided skill-shots.

Without a word, Celes and Iris make their way down into the little arena, taking a steep staircase.

“We really have to do something, Angrod!” Tanja Morden shakes my shoulder, looking anxious.

Nodding, I step up to the raccoon guy who was called master by the instructor. Given my experiences with Nicosar, I bow to the man, not wanting to raise the ire of someone who is almost impossible to kill. “Ahem, Master? I guess?”

“I am Teacher Tongord to you. I supervise this lesson,” he answers, watching the two girls down in the pit.

“I think it would be prudent to call a healer. Given their behaviour, I think that one will be needed, Teacher Tongord.”

After a moment of thought, I add, “A good one!”

Tongord looks at me with a raised eyebrow, but then he waves at the instructor who stayed nearby. The man quickly dashes off after having received the hint.

In the meantime, Celes and Iris have taken positions inside the arena. Legs wide, Celes just stands there with her arms crossed in front of her chest. Iris took a praying position with her legs right next to each other and her palms touching in front of her face.

“You may begin!” Tongord calls out.

Suddenly, Iris explodes with magical energy and disappears, creating a sparking after-image in my vision. Her blue aura is visible to the mundane eye like a magical torch. Then she reappears right in front of Celes who didn't even twitch.

CRACK!

With the sound of breaking bones Iris plants a perfect uppercut on Celes's chin, sending her straight up into the air.

Iris follows her victim with another burst of crackling energy, making a reappearance above Celes. With a backward spinning kick her left foot impacts Celes in a terrifying blow, changing her trajectory back down into the arena.

Finishing her teleportation combo, Iris appears on the ground before Celes can impact the floor. Screaming her fury, Iris hits Celes with her other fist.

Spinning like a broken doll, Celes is sent into the arena’s wall.

The ground shakes and Tanja gasps in abject horror as a whole section of the arena’s wall collapses on top of her friend.

“Oh, no! I could hear the bones break! Why haven't you stopped this, Master Tongord!” Tanja cries out, turning her rage against the so-called master.

“Hmmm. I honestly didn't expect them to be so unevenly matched,” Tongord answers.

Narrowing my eyes at the older man, I take note of the fact that he matched a supposedly superior student against a newcomer like Celes. During the match, he didn’t even flinch or try to step in. Thinking of the enemies of the crown, I decide to keep a very close eye on this fellow in the future. If Iris was ordered to approach me, her behaviour, combined with Tongord’s leniency, would suddenly make so much more sense. Was it an attempt to kill Celes?

If so, they did a piss-poor job at it.

“We have to help her!” Tanja turns to jump down into the arena where Iris is still standing on one leg in a crane-position, supposedly some martial arts stance.

But I know better.

Reaching out, I hold Tanja back. “Don’t go down there. You might get in the way.”

Tanja looks shell-shocked and Tongord’s expression changes from a superior smirk to concerned neutrality.

“But Celes may be-”

I shake my head, interrupting her. “All Iris did was piss Celes off. And you don’t want to stand in her path when she is pissed.” I already did that once, and I died for it.

Then there is a tremor and the ground shakes a little as the pile of debris above Celes is blown apart in a cloud of dust and bricks.

“Oh, Iris has done it! Celes is angry! Poor little Iris...” I shake my head.

Tongord and Tanja look at me like I am mad.

Celes walks out of the dust cloud. Coughing, she dusts off her shoulders with her tail while walking towards her opponent.

Iris is still standing where she landed after dealing the last punch. Her eyes widen as she sees Celes slowly approaching, smiling and assured in the knowledge that her opponent can’t run.

The wolfgirl turns around, partly hopping on her good foot, partly limping away in an attempt to protect her broken foot from further damage.

With Iris being too slow, Celes reaches her and grabs her good foot, dragging her squealing opponent off her feet.

I wince when Iris’s remaining appendage breaks with a snap as Celes whirls the girl around in an overhead arc. There is an audible ‘WHAM!’ as the girl impacts the ground.

WHAM! WHAM! WHAM!

Celes slams Iris three times into the ground like a child playing with a toy. After a few seconds of confirming that there is no more movement, Iris gets tossed over Celes’s shoulder.

“I guess it’s a blessing in disguise that Iris lost consciousness,” I comment, clicking my tongue.

“I have dealt with the disturbance, honey!” Turning, Celes smiles and waves at us as the arriving healers jump down into the pit.

“How? How is that possible?” Tongord asks, flabbergasted.

At this point I have some explaining to do, I think. “Well, the simple version is this: Celes is a magical idiot! She has almost zero ability to sense external mana.” Even as a god she knew just the most basic spells.

Tanja looks at me, still shocked. “How the hell does that help her beat up a top-rank body enhancer!?”

I shrug. “What she has though, is godlike control over her internal mana flow. Some people call it inner power or just Ki. She is a master in manipulating it. It is a far more advanced version of what Iris did with her aura, sending sparks all over the arena. Iris wrapped herself in her own mana to enhance her physical abilities. But in the process, she lost control of a sizeable portion and it burst out as energy. We, as bystanders, could feel and see it. All of that was just wasted power.

“We could feel nothing from Celes who was doing the same. By coating herself with such a thin and tight layer of mana, Celes enhanced herself the same way as Iris, but much more efficiently, turning herself almost immune to most physical attacks and spells.”

That's why I had such a hard time against her as a god. I had to pull off a fucking planet cracker just to dent her defences.

“In other words, she is a martial artist who uses mana to her advantage. Or a simple brutish idiot as I would describe it. The only thing Iris did by hitting Celes with her full power was breaking her own arms and leg.”

Looking down into the pit, I smile and wave back at Celes who seems very proud of herself for beating up that not so innocent girl.