At some point, there was no longer any point to teaching, and the only way for them to improve was to go out there and gain actual combat experience. That was the whole point of learning to fight, after all. Staying all sheltered and hiding in a dojo wasn't going to help much. There were things that you could only learn in a real life-and-death battle.

That, and practice. Lots and lots of practice. Fighting, like anything else, was a craft. The only way to hone it was to practice non-stop. The more you practiced, the better you get.

"Good job, you two."

I patted Adrian and Melina's heads after we completed a training session. Melina pouted.

"Geez, Sensei! Stop treating us like kids!"

"Yeah! We're already in middle school, Brother Richie!"

Even though I knew that, I just couldn't help it. They were both younger than I was, and shorter too. I felt like a big brother of sort.

"Yeah, well…sorry. Anyway, that's it for today. You two should go wash up, then do your homework. Don't forget about school!"

"Yes, Sensei…"

"Ugh…"

I watched the both of them go, and was about to follow them into the house when my smartphone rang. I frowned and stared at the screen, noting that the caller was Kufa.

"Great…" I sighed heavily. I had been expecting him to call earlier, but a couple of weeks had pa.s.sed without anything happening. I had almost forgotten about all this, and the Chiropteran had seemed like a bad dream. Resigning myself, I swiped at the screen and answered the call. "Richard here. What's up, Kufa?"

"I'm very sorry, Richard, but I need your help. Are you available right now?"

"For what?" I asked carefully, taking precautions not to promise him anything.

"I'll be honest…this is an unofficial mission, so we might get into trouble for this. I hope you don't mind."

"Of course I mind! I'm not doing anything that will break the rules!" I scowled. A hero was someone who upheld the law and brought justice to criminals. Why the h.e.l.l would I break the very rules that I was supposed to safeguard?

"Even if there are people's lives at risk?"

"Look, dude," I snapped impatiently. "Don't get all cryptic on me. If you want something, tell me directly. I don't have time to waste on your stupid games."

"Sorry." To his credit, Kufa sounded contrite. "I didn't mean to…but yeah, Saya's life is in danger at the moment, and we're the only two people available who can help her. I need your help. Both Saya and I need your help."

"Elaborate."

I was already heading for the gates, a scowl on my face. Of course, I stopped short of exiting the house. Kufa still hadn't told me where to go yet. I heard a sigh from the opposite end, though I couldn't tell if it was from relief or weariness.

"A few hours ago, David identified a possible Chiropteran. Saya went after it, to exterminate it. She tracked it all the way to a warehouse at the eastern district…but it turned out to be a trap." He swallowed audibly. "The warehouse is a nest of those things. Right now, Saya is outnumbered, and if this goes on, she'll be killed. Not only that, if these things escape, they will terrorize the human population of Flandor. There will be more victims."

"That can't be good. Where's this warehouse?"

"I'll send you to address through a text message. Use Google Maps – it should provide you a route."

"Got it." I was already summoning Cygnus. The white swan appeared beside me, flapping his wings once and cawing. "I'll meet you there."

"Thanks." This time I could hear the relief evident in his voice. "I really appreciate it. And…sorry."

"Don't need to apologize. I'll see you then." I then hung up and jumped atop Cygnus's back.

Thanks to flying there instead of walking, I reached the warehouse in less than fifteen minutes. While riding atop Cygnus, I used the Google Map app on my smartphone and mentally directed by Constellation spirit along the route depicted on the screen. From above, I could see the warehouse that Kufa talked about, and I had my swan descend upon its position.

Kufa was already waiting for me somewhere below, and I hopped off Cygnus's back to land beside him.

"What's the situation?" I asked. He grimaced.

"Bad."

"Don't me a vague description! Elaborate! I want details!" I was already drawing my swords and moving toward the main doors of the warehouse. "What's the enemy disposition? Is Saya the only one who is engaging them in combat? Or has she already been killed in action? Are the Chiropterans contained? What other forces do we have here? Have they already established a perimeter? I don't want any of these beasts to escape!"

"Uh, what? Huh?" Kufa looked puzzled, and then he held up his hands frantically. "Slow down, one question at a time!"

"I shouldn't even need to ask you these questions," I snapped, glaring at him. He looked at me guiltily.

"You sound like you're a professional soldier…" he blinked and paused. "Oh, right. You've worked with the Silver Wolves before…"

"Answers. Now."

Kufa swallowed. "There are about thirty Chiropterans, though the numbers might have fallen because Saya is still engaged in combat. They are currently contained…"

He glanced away and I saw a line of military vehicles parked around the warehouse. Men in suits were bustling about, with David giving orders. Many of them had their rifles out and supported atop the vehicles that they used as cover, ready to fire upon whatever monster that escaped the warehouse. So the perimeter had alredy been established.

Even though these men in suits didn't possess powerful magic like combat mages, they were still professionals. They could be counted on to get the job done.

"Then we're the only mages?" I asked Kufa. He nodded and drew his katana.

"We'll be the only ones going in."

I couldn't help but smile at that. "No, we won't."

"Huh?"

An army of Constellation spirits appeared behind me. A pack of Canis Minor, led by Canis Major. A horde of Ursa Minor, led by Ursa Major. Serpens, uncoiling to raise his head and hiss in the direction of the warehouse.

"Like I said, we won't be the only ones." I then charged toward the huge double door that served as the entrance. "Let's go, everyone!"

Kicking the door open, I dove right into the melee and lashed out with my swords. A couple of Chiropterans had heard me coming in, and they spun around to confront me, but my black and white blades flashed out and took their heads off.

Then my Constellation spirits plunged right in without any hesitation, growling and snarling as they slashed, bit and clawed at the Chiropterans. Serpens wrapped his body around an unfortunate Chiropteran, crus.h.i.+ng it before biting its head off with its fangs and pumping venom into its system. Behind them, Kufa joined in, his dazzling speed turning him into a black and blue blur. His katana flashed silver and several heads flew, the Chiropterans dropping in several pieces.

"Your help was unnecessary."

Saya's voice rang coldly from the center of the warehouse. I scowled, thinking that I shouldn't have come along. Then I saw her state and my blood froze.

She was torn and tattered, one arm gone and blood pouring out of her stump. A Chiropteran had also ripped out one of her eyes, and blood was streaming own her face, leaking from her nose and mouth. She had also been eviscerated, her torn uniform revealing an ugly gash across her abdomen. She was limping, one of her legs evidently broken, but she somehow continued to stand out of sheer tenacity. She continued to fight on, wielding her katana with her remaining hand and hacking and slas.h.i.+ng at five Chiropterans that attempted to overwhelm her with their numbers.

She was literally single-handedly fending them off in a heroic effort to not just survive, but extermiant these monsters.

"d.a.m.n…" Kufa cursed and fought his way toward her. His figure disappeared in a zigzagging blur that left several dead Chiropterans in his wake. More of them turned their attention on him, but my army of Constellation spirits continued to pounce on them and rip them apart. The Ursa Minors pounded them to the ground and used their claws to rend them apart. Ever seen teddy bears with claws? That was what they looked like. Meanwhile, Canis Minor bit and tore the Chiropterans apart by working in concert with each other, much like Deinonychus from the Cretaceous period cooperating to take down a much larger prey the size of a sauropod. "Get out of the way!"

As always, I was impressed by his tremendous speed. However, more Chiropterans were literally throwing themselves at him, to get in his way and slow him down. On the opposite end, another Chiropteran slashed Saya across the chest, drawing another spray of blood and causing her to stagger. At this rate, she was going to die from ma.s.sive blood loss.

"…but it is appreciated nonetheless."

Despite her dire situation, Saya was still somehow able to crack a joke. At least I thought that was a joke. She wasn't smiling at all. I couldn't blame her, though. Who was going to smile when she was missing an arm and on the verge of bleeding to death?

"Canis Major, Sirius attack!" I commanded. The huge Constellation spirit tampled over a Chiropteran, crus.h.i.+ng the unfortunate thing, and then opened his jaws to unleash a devastating torrent of mana that washed through the s.p.a.ce between Kufa and Saya. As much as I wanted to hit the five Chiropterans that were directly a.s.saulting Saya, I couldn��t risk hitting her, so I decided to clear the way for Kufa instead.

Screeching, immolated Chiropterans fell to the ground, thras.h.i.+ng about. Kufa kicked off the ground and accelerated past their blazing corpses, his katana las.h.i.+ng out to take the head off one of the Chiropterans that were attacking Saya. Two of the remaining four turned to face him, and he parried and ducked under their blows while severing their limbs and sending claws flying into the air. They screeched as they clutched at their stumps, blood spraying violently like geysers.

Undaunted, Kufa closed in, hammering his sword into the chest of one of them and then cutting it apart. The other tried to slash at him with its remaining claw, but he whirled around and cut off its arm before beheading it.

"Great job," I praised him while bisecting a Chiropteran, Hei Yue cleaving through its chest from shoulder to hip, then turned to parry a strike with Bai Ri. A Canis Minor pounced on its back, his teeth sinking deeply into its throat and it staggered back, only for me to pierce its heart with Hei Yue.

Saya seized the opportunity to break out of her precarious situation. With the number of her opponents reduced, she single-handedly cut through them, sending their heads and claws tumbling through the air. That must have expended her remaining strength, for she fell onto her knees and rammed her sword into the ground to keep herself kneeling upright.

"Saya! Are you all right?"

"Yeah…but it's not over yet." She gritted her teeth, blood trickling from her lips. "This whole thing is a trap!"

Several crates were blown apart as something enormous knocked them over. A gigantic Chiropteran – easily three times the size of the others – strode over, its clawed feet gouging out concrete from the ground. Ma.s.sive wings spread out behind, giving the creature the impression that it was a humanoid bat.

"That's the Alpha Chiropteran," Saya spat, her eyes blazing furiously. "Be careful…it's the one who masterminded this whole thing."

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