CHAPTER 11

Rigorous Training

On the first day, Seiya and Cerceus enter the Summoning Chamber together.

As always, I was told not to come in until he buzzed me, so I decided to respect his wishes and leave them alone. However, around noon, I found Cerceus having lunch by himself at a table in the dining hall. I take a seat by his side and timidly ask:

“Hello, Cerceus. How’s Seiya doing?”

Immediately, he opens his mouth wide and cackles.

“Mm! He has a lot of fight in him. He’s not all talk after all! A lot tougher than I expected! There aren’t many who can keep up with me from day one!”

“R-really?!”

“But he still has a long way to go if he wants to beat me, though!”

Seeing him in such a good mood relieves me. It looks like they’re getting along really well.

“Thank you so much! Please keep up the good work!”

I bow to Cerceus before leaving the dining hall.

Wow! It really sounds like everything’s going well! Good job, Seiya!

Then day two comes around.

I find Cerceus in the dining hall at around noon again, but this time he has a rather glum look on his face as he pokes the fish on his plate with a fork. I take a seat next to him once more and say hello.

“Hello again, Cerceus. How’s training?”

“G-great. W-we’re working hard.”

…Huh? Why is he stuttering?

Cerceus heaves a deep sigh.

“Tsk. He’s gotten awfully strong in a mere two days.”

Seiya’s EXP Boost ability was already over level 10 last time I checked, so that’s likely what’s contributing to his growth period. Even though this is something to be thrilled about, Cerceus mutters disdainfully:

“If only I could unleash my true powers…”

“Yeah… We deities can’t use one hundred percent of our power on humans, after all…”

“And that’s the problem. With the exception of special cases, our powers are greatly suppressed due to the spirit world’s rules. I’d probably be able to defeat him if I was able to use my real powers…”

“Excuse me? Come again?”

“N-nothing! Don’t worry about it!”

Did he just say he’d “probably” be able to defeat him?! Did Seiya already surpass Cerceus?! But it’s only been two days… No, I must have been hearing things! There is absolutely no way that happened.

“A-at any rate, he makes a good rival! Wah-ha-ha-ha! Cough! Wheeze!”

It looks like he was laughing so hard that he started to choke. Seeing the Divine Blade act differently from yesterday gives me a touch of anxiety.

Then comes day three.

Cerceus is sipping on some water in the dining hall. He doesn’t look so good, especially with those sunken cheeks.

“Cerceus, have you lost weight?”

The Divine Blade speaks with a touch of lethargy…

“No… I’m fine…”

“Oh, I’m glad. Uh… So how’s Seiya doing?”

“Oh, y’know…”

“Is he progressing?”

“So-so…”

“What do you mean by ‘so-so’?”

“Y’know, so-so means so-so.”

“Sure, but, like, could you be a little more specific? He is my responsibility—”

He slams his fist against the table before I can finish.

“Enough!! Give it a rest!! I’m on my lunch break right now!! Stop talking about training!”

“Eek! S-s-sorry!”

Our yelling attracts the attention of the other gods in the dining hall. Not wanting to be the center of attention, Cerceus calms himself…

“Sorry. I shouldn’t have raised my voice.”

And with those words, he wearily plods out of the dining hall.

Day four. Cerceus isn’t in the dining hall during his lunch break. He hasn’t looked so well lately, so maybe he’s getting some rest in his room? Pondering to myself, I make Seiya something to eat in the spirit world kitchen, since he locked himself in the Summoning Chamber. As I head to the corner of the kitchen to get the seaweed for the rice ball…

“Ahhh!!”

I scream on instinct. Crouching over a mat next to the seaweed is Cerceus.

“Cerceus?! What are you doing here?!”

“Shhh! Quiet!”

“I-is something wrong? You almost look like you’re hiding from someone.”

He motions for me to come closer, then has me squat before whispering into my ear.

“Ristarte, listen carefully. That Hero of yours…is sick.”

I don’t have the heart to tell him I know that already. I just listen in silence as he wears a pale expression and speaks in a trembling voice.

“I told him that his training was complete, yet he insists he needs more and won’t let me go. To tell the truth, I’ve been training him with next to no sleep since day one.”

“O-oh, so that’s why you look so exhausted…”

“Even after I told him that he’s already three times stronger than I am, he said he wouldn’t be able to relax until he’s at least a hundred times stronger than me. There’s something wrong with him—he makes berserkers look cute. A super-berserker is what he is.”

In the middle of his frightening tale…

“Hey.”

Cerceus and I slowly look up in the direction of the deep voice. There, standing firm with his legs apart and his arms crossed, is the super-berserker himself.

“Uwaaa!”

I can’t help but scream.

“Ooo-eek!”

Cerceus, though, lets out a cry unlike anything ever heard before.

“Cerceus, lunchtime is over. What are you doing sitting next to seaweed?

“Oh, I, uh…”

He seems to be at a loss until a ray of hope flashes in his eyes.

“Oh, right! I was sitting here…pretending to be seaweed!”

Even I am amazed.

“Pretending to be seaweed?!” I’ve never heard a more bizarre excuse in my life!

But Seiya chooses not to pry, simply giving Cerceus a cold stare.

“Is that right? Well, are you finished?”

“N-not yet. I’m going to need some more time to really become the seaweed and—”

“No. We’re leaving.”

Then Seiya grabs him by the neck and mutters to himself:

“Taking into account the time we just wasted, we’re going to have to train for the rest of the day without any more breaks.”

“N-no more breaks…?”

Cerceus is trembling in fear.

“Noooooooooooooooo!”

I am stunned to see him loose a howl of terror.

“Cerceus! You’re breaking character!! Get it together, man!!”

“I’m sick of swords! I never want to see another sword again!”

“Whaaaaaat?! The Divine Blade is tired of swords?! What’s going on here?!”

“I hate them! I hate those stupid elongated strips of metal with their pointy ends!”

“He’s not even calling them ‘swords’ anymore?!”

Seiya pays no heed to Cerceus’s childish tantrum as he drags him out of the kitchen by his neck.

“Somebody heeelp!”

While watching him being taken away with tears in his eyes, I plead:

“S-Seiya! Quit it! He doesn’t want to go!”

That’s when the door to the kitchen opens, and Aria comes rushing over with her face burning red.

“Rista! There you are! Ishtar has been looking all over for you!”

“What?!”

Judging by how worked up Aria is, it’s clear this is serious.

“Cerceus! Please put up with Seiya just a little longer!”

I say my good-byes…

“You can’t leave me like this! Noooooooo!”

…and I leave the kitchen and head to Great Goddess Ishtar’s room, leaving Cerceus’s screams to trail off in the background.