Training in the Woods

A blackish portal suddenly appeared in the middle of the woods.

From that portal, a demonic handsome man stepped out. His skin was purple and his height was tall. Four pairs of ink-black wings were folded in his back. His goat horn was also mesmerizing to look at.

But the most striking feature this man has was his blazing scarlet eyes.

"Where are we Azrael?" A similar handsome man who was slightly shorter than the demon appeared after him.

His messy black hair was his most striking feature. He also has a pair of ink-black wings at his back. His pure black eyes were roaming around the vicinity.

"Are we in a forest?" Liam asked the demon beside him.

"Looks like it." The demon dully replied.

"Looks like it? Don't tell me you literally teleported as to a 'faraway' place?" Liam shivered.

"You did say to teleport to a place far away." Azrael put the blame on Liam.

"Ah f*ck! I just said that to look cool, ok? Anyways, I also need a breath of fresh air. Let's stay here for a while." And that was what he said.

Liam ordered Azrael to make a tent.

"Thanks!" Liam genuinely thank him. After that, he ordered him to hunt for food.

In which the demon did what he was asked efficiently.

"Azrael has been pretty obedient for the past hours. Something is strange..." He thought aloud while Azrael was deep in the forest, hunting food.

***

"Something is really weird with that boy's origin." Azrael thought aloud while he was searching for prey.

He maneuvered gracefully in the forest using his wings. He grabbed fruits on the way, those he deemed not poisonous.

"If it wasn't for that child intervention, I could have delayed the evolution of 'Armor' for half a decade." The demon grumbled.

Once an inheritor died, without properly transferring his/her Exosia to another inheritor, it will reappear after half a decade to a random person with the same bloodline. This will cause an issue since that person might already be outside the family. Worst, it might be inherited by a completely different person that has a tiny amount of the bloodline.

"Tsk. For the past thousand years, their Exosia's has grown incredibly fast." Azrael was worried.

If humans could summon demons at will in exchange for their souls, the angels have given five Exosia's to five families in exchange. This was an agreement made by two factions to make use of the human population.

However, it seems the Demon God was shortsighted. As this war dragged on, the five families will grow stronger and stronger. Azrael might destroy one Xynith based weapon of the Angels, but these five families were of greater importance too.

*Rustle*

A sudden sound from a bush made Azrael snap out of his thoughts.

The demon smiled.

"Finally. A prey."

***

It was now exactly twelve at the noon.

Smoke came from the deepest part of the forest. No one normally goes this deep in an unexplored forest. Yet it was as if these visitors were daredevils.

"Woah! These pieces of meat are delicious! What kind of animals are they?" Liam excitedly bit his meat in delish.

"I forgot what they are called. What matters is that it's delicious." Azrael who was sitting in front of him stated.

"Well, can't argue with that simple logic. Anyways, accompany me after this." Liam said while devouring like crazy.

"What are you talking about? I always accompany you." Azrael replied. He then suddenly realized what he just said and blushed.

"And thank you for that. My life became more exciting when I met you. But dude please, stop acting gay." Liam laughed with pieces of meat all over his face.

Liam already considered Azrael as his partner in crime. After all, he was always there for him, and have no choice but to be with him.

"I am not gay! Shut your mouth, child!" Azrael fumed and also talk while eating his meat.

This once dignified royalty was degraded to this point because of a single human.

They continued arguing happily in the woods until they finished eating.

***

"You'll just be a dummy for a while. No need to act like a child, Azrael!" Liam shouted.

"I can just summon familiars for you to train with. I don't need to participate in your childish plays. You are the one acting like a child, child!" Azrael angrily retorted.

"But I want you to train with me!" Liam pouted.

"I- No just train with my familiars." Azrael turned his head to another corner and waved his arm.

A lifeless lesser demon appeared in front of Liam.

It was a humanoid red demon. It looks ugly and its face was so disgusting.

"This sh*t looks nothing like a demon. It's more proper to call it a monster. Ugly monster to be exact." Liam criticized the summoned creature.

Azrael's pride got hurt when Liam said that. This demon was still his summon creature after all.

"Azrael, I order you to be my fighting partner!" Liam suddenly snapped out of it and forced the demon.

"Fine! You will regret your decision, child." Azrael angrily stretched his hand and a long green sword appeared on it.

"Come!" He beckoned the boy to attack.

Liam unsheathed his knife at a fast speed. He threw it stylishly in the air. He grabbed it and went on his stance.

Left foot in front facing the enemy, right foot to support his body and maintain balance. He held his knife in a reverse grip using his right hand. His left palm was open facing the right. This will be used to control and restrain the opponent's hand when an opportunity arose.

"Here I come!" Liam excitedly shouted. This will be his first time sparring using a real knife.

Sharpy, the name he bestowed this knife, was made just for him. The hilt was exactly his size. The edge was also to his liking. The weight was also pretty non-existent. Nevertheless, he still needed to get used to it.

"Exosia: Flight!"

He also needed to get used to his wings during battle. This will make him more powerful since his movements will not just simply be side to side. But he could also fly in the air.

Black fog emerged from his right chest and covered him after that he emerged from it. He was flying at Azrael at supersonic speed.

Azrael brandished his sword and prepared to cut Liam in two.

But Liam just guarded against it. Azrael's strength was beyond him, so he just simply changed its trajectory and didn't fully block it. He then pushed Azrael using his left hand. Liam use this opportunity to take him out of balance

He suddenly spun counter-clockwise and slashed Azrael's chest.

Blood tickled in the Demon's chest, but it healed fast in a blink of an eye.

"Not bad, child. More!" Azrael also became excited. Liam was not half-bad.

Liam flew high in the air. He then glided downwards at astonishing speed.

This time Azrael didn't stand idle. He also flew in the air and clashed with Liam.

Liam was surprised. He wasn't ready yet to battle in mid-air. But he shook his head and his eyes showed excitement for battle.

"Let's go!" He shouted.

Azrael slashed his green sword super fast. Liam doesn't plan on blocking it. His range was also small. Not just that but Azrael was also exemplary in the art of flight.

Azrael kept slashing and hacking Liam in midair.

The hapless boy keeps dodging and blocking here and there.

Liam finally panicked and landed on the ground.

"Big mistake, child!" Azrael laughed and flew downwards aiming to slay Liam. His eyes were showing bloodlust.

His speed was so fast that Liam wouldn't have a chance to escape it. His only choice was to block him.

Azrael's figure reached Liam and he pierced his sword in Liam's chest.

"Arghhhh! F*ck!" Liam shouted in pain.

Azrael successfully pierced Liam in the middle of his chest.

But Azrael was also pierced by a knife in his neck albeit didn't deal any major damage. It only pierced half an inch in his neck. Luckily Liam's reach was small, if not, then he might suffer fatal damage.

"Azrael! You literally pierced me!" Liam's voice cracked. He felt his insides being crushed for good. His breathing became heavier and heavier.

"Not bad. You counter attacked instead knowing you don't stand a chance. Instinct or not, you are apt for battle." Azrael stated what he noticed and learned in the match.

But Liam kept breathing raggedly and didn't pay attention to anything Azrael just said.

He looked at his chest and noticed there wasn't any blood flowing from it. There was no hole, not even a scratch in his body.

Azrael looked at him and laughed.

"Worry not, child. What I pierced inside you was not an ordinary sword. It's an ethereal sword, dealing pain to your soul instead of your real body." He explained. He then removed the sword from Liam's body. Invoking pain in the boy one last time.

"F*ck you a hundred times Azrael!" Liam shouted on top of his lung. The pain was intense. This was the first time he felt this amount of pain in a single day. It hurts more than being hit by an arnis stick in the balls. He lay limp in the ground, breathing heavily

After fifteen minutes of enduring the pain, he finally stood up. He was having a hard time maintaining his balance. He looked at the demon casually resting on a tree, eating an apple, and couldn't help but get angry.

"Why do you need to do that? You could have just used a wooden sword or just punch me. But no, you wanted to pierce me alright. You d*ckhead, are you really that of a sadist?" He vented all his anger and shouted. The bird in the corner flew away in distress. His voice echoed deep in the forest.

"Oh, you're finally finished acting like a baby." Azrael threw the core of his apple at Liam. The demon accurately hit him in the face and laughed.

'Ah. So this is how he feels whenever he makes fun of me.' Azrael giggled