Chapter 3: The new companion in Yaxoc's group

Yaxoc strolled into Luna's apartment with a wave. "Hey, Luna!"

She looked up from tidying the couch and smiled. "Oh, hey, Yaxoc! How'd things go with Ogamak?"

Yaxoc shrugged nonchalantly. "Eh, easy. Sent him flying. How about you?"

"Pretty good," Luna replied. "Actually, Mr. Hight wanted me to tell you he's arranging for someone special to train you."

Yaxoc's curiosity piqued. "Oh? Who?"

"Someone named Heraphiel," Luna said, drying her hands with a towel. "He's an angelic magic user."

"An angelic magic user? I thought they'd vanished ages ago," Yaxoc said, eyes widening a bit.

"Not quite," Luna explained. "Apparently, there are still over 500 of them, but only a few are really experienced. Heraphiel's one of the best, and he's coming to train you."

"For what, though?" Yaxoc asked, still a bit puzzled.

"To give you an edge against Ogamak," Luna replied, snapping her fingers. "You may have knocked him around, but… you didn't actually defeat him."

Yaxoc frowned. "What do you mean?"

"Well, here's the thing," Luna began, "to truly defeat a demon with magic powers, you need Angelic Essence. It's extremely rare and tricky to master, which is why most teachers don't know the full process. Without complete mastery, you're missing the power to actually hurt demons like Ogamak. Your attacks will only push him around unless you have the real deal."

"Great…" Yaxoc muttered, rubbing the back of his neck. "Guess I'd better get ready to train with Heraphiel."

Luna gave him an encouraging smile. "With Angelic Essence, you'll be able to go up against Ogamak—and anyone like him—for real."

"Anyway, he should be here in a few weeks, so get ready," Luna added, then brightened. "Oh, by the way, do you remember what I mentioned last month?"

Yaxoc raised an eyebrow, thinking back. "Yeah, something about your sister visiting, right? Why?"

Luna grinned, her eyes lighting up. "She's here! Hang on, let me get her!" She rushed off, practically bouncing with excitement.

Yaxoc watched her go, muttering to himself. "Weird." He glanced around, wondering what her sister might be like, and half-expecting another whirlwind personality to match Luna's.

"Hey, Yaxoc, have you heard about the new attack?" Marcus's voice came from behind him.

Yaxoc turned, surprised to see his friend. "Oh, hey, Marcus. No, I haven't. What's Ogamak up to now?"

Marcus crossed his arms, a hint of concern on his face. "It's something big—apparently, he's got this new project involving 'protecting the country' while exposing supposed 'secrets' about the Savior Academy. And the worst part? A lot of civilians are buying into his nonsense."

"Great," Yaxoc sighed, a flicker of worry crossing his expression. "So, civilians will start turning against us?"

"Looks like it. We have until December to figure this out, unless Mr. Hight decides to send Heraphiel early to help."

"Guess we're on a time crunch, then," Yaxoc replied, his brow furrowed.

Marcus glanced around. "Speaking of help—have you seen Luna?"

Yaxoc nodded. "Yeah, she's with her sister, trying to catch up. Apparently, her sister just arrived."

"Oh, her sister, huh? I remember her—a sleepy catgirl with an attitude."

Yaxoc's eyes widened. "Hold on… did you just say catgirl?"

Marcus held back a chuckle. "Yeah, but don't worry, she's nothing like Luna. Moonlight's more laid-back, always yawning and keeping to herself. But she's got secrets, some deep stuff no one knows about."

Just then, Luna returned, guiding a girl by her side. Moonlight looked exactly as Marcus described: purple tail swaying lazily, her hair a blend of deep purple and blue, and she wore a relaxed but somewhat guarded expression. Her eyes were a striking blue, contrasting with her black jacket and casual outfit.

She blinked at Yaxoc, unimpressed. "Who's this guy?"

Luna beamed, gesturing at Yaxoc. "This is my trusty sidekick, Yaxoc!"

Yaxoc managed an awkward wave. "Uh, hey."

Marcus nudged him. "Relax. She doesn't bite."

"Hi, Moonlight," Marcus added, and she gave him a sleepy wave in return.

"Are you planning to help us keep an eye on enemy movements?" Marcus asked, glancing between Luna and Yaxoc, who were waiting for her answer.

Moonlight let out a long sigh. "Do I have to? Fine… Just tell me when."

"Tonight, 8 PM?" Marcus suggested.

"Good enough," she agreed before muttering, "Now, if you'll excuse me, I need to check what those idiots have done with my pictures." She wandered off, leaving Yaxoc staring after her in confusion.

"What was that about?" he asked.

Marcus smirked. "Don't worry about it. Moonlight has this odd habit of leaving her pictures everywhere, and she loves the attention it gets."

Yaxoc shook his head. "How hasn't anyone reported her yet?"

"No one wants to deal with her, honestly. Besides, she's the only one around who's mastered both Demonic and Angelic Essence," Luna explained. "So, while Heraphiel is on his way, she'll be staying with us temporarily."

Yaxoc shrugged, a smirk returning to his face. "Guess we're in for an interesting time."

At 8 PM, Yaxoc, Luna, Moonlight, and Marcus strolled through a quiet, empty city.

"Didn't know places like this could be so peaceful to walk through," Yaxoc said, enjoying the calm.

"Yeah, this is where I like to take a stroll," Moonlight added with a sly smile. "Especially when there's a chance encounter with someone looking for trouble."

Luna shot Yaxoc a glance to stay quiet, while Marcus simply kept his focus ahead.

Suddenly, a figure lunged from the bushes. Reacting quickly, Yaxoc cast a rope of Artificial Magic, binding the enemy in place.

"Gotcha," Yaxoc said, smirking.

"Nice catch, pot boy," Moonlight commented, approaching their captured opponent. She leaned closer, her voice mocking, "So… what's your business here, hmm?"

The enemy stammered, eyes wide. "N-n-nothing, ma'am! I swear, just… out for a stroll..."

"Doesn't look like a casual stroll to me," Marcus said, narrowing his eyes at the intruder. "Answer her—what are you doing here?"

Under Marcus's glare, the enemy caved. "I… I was sent to interrupt Heraphiel's arrival. Ogamak wants Yaxoc… out of the picture," he admitted, gulping.

Moonlight raised an eyebrow, amused. "Ogamak's that scared of the pot guy?"

"N-no, it's not that," the enemy replied, shaking his head. "It's more like… he doesn't like Yaxoc at all. That overconfidence, the magic potential—it rubs him the wrong way. That's why Ogamak prowls every night, hoping for a chance to kill him."

Luna's face grew serious. "Yaxoc's in more danger than we thought."

"But why?" Marcus asked, clearly puzzled. "Yaxoc doesn't have Angelic Essence… Ogamak shouldn't see him as a real threat."

The enemy glanced nervously around, then mumbled, "Because he's destined to become the strongest savior…"

Everyone was stunned—except Yaxoc.

"Strongest?" Luna asked, incredulous. "He's been at the academy for barely a month and a half. How is that possible?"

Before the enemy could respond, Moonlight knocked him unconscious with a swift jab. "I think we've heard enough," she muttered, casting a sharp glare at their fallen foe.

Yaxoc adjusted his pot helmet, grinning slightly. "Guess I'm more popular than I thought."

Moonlight shot Yaxoc a side glance. "No, you're not cool."

Yaxoc scoffed, looking away with a faint frown.

After hours of clashing with enemies, the group finally made their way back to Luna's apartment. They slumped onto the couches, exhausted but relieved to have a moment's rest.

Luna handed everyone a bottle of water. "Here. We earned this break."

"Guess I wasn't the only one pulling my weight out there," Yaxoc quipped, smirking as he took a sip.

Moonlight rolled her eyes. "Don't get too comfortable, pot boy. There's plenty more out there waiting for us."

Marcus chuckled. "She's got a point. Tonight was just a taste."

For a moment, the group shared a quiet camaraderie, each knowing the calm wouldn't last—but savoring it nonetheless.