Hard knuckles smash across the demon's face and he goes down on the mat. His partner nails their opponent with a knee to the gut which merely elicits an angry grunt from the target. The target flares his spirit core and with a smooth grapple, lifts the demon over his head in a military press. The demon is then dropped mercilessly on to his groaning partner with a savage crunch. 

A third demon enters their opponent's blind spot and delivers a blow to the head, sending the target stumbling. A follow up backhand sends the now helpless man crashing into the mat himself. The man struggles to get up but his legs give out from under him and he unceremoniously face plants back on the sweat stained mat. A whistle is blown, and the demon steps back from his prone opponent.

"No, I can still continue." The man whispers tiredly through swollen lips as he staggers back to his feet. The three demons who had shared the mat with him turn to the young girl in a gothic dress that had been watching the fight from the sidelines, awaiting her orders. 

"Your sparring partners need to be healed young master." Marshal St Clair says, "And you cannot absorb any more instruction in your current state. This will be all for tonight."

The trio of demons respectfully bow to both the Marshal and the young master of the House of von Amsterg before leaving the training room set up on the Standart. The young master's personal maid then steps forward and begins to dry off the sweat on Nicholas's body with a towel. 

"Meet me up on the deck when you have changed your clothes, young master." St Clair says before leaving the training room herself, "There is something that I want to discuss with you." 

....

The night wind blows across the deck and the snow falls gently. St Clair stares soundlessly into the distance, at the lights of The City that paint the horizon. Nicholas, now snugly wrapped in a fine coat, with the maid at his side, walks up to the Marshal and lowers his head, waiting for her to speak. 

St Clair turns and addresses the maid, "Leave us."

The maid silently bows and withdraws at this command, but not without first throwing a flirtatious glance at Nicholas. Nicholas on his part does not respond, his attention wholly focused on the Marshal. 

"She is beautiful." St Clair offhandedly comments, "Are you sleeping with her?"

Nicholas raises his head at being addressed and answers, "I used to Marshal. Though with everything going on now, my attention is required elsewhere."

"That never stopped you in the past." St Clair points out. 

Nicholas ponders for a moment before responding, "I enjoy life and the pleasure that it can provide. I just need to prove something to myself though, before I can get back to all of that."

St Clair tilts her head slightly and gestures at Nicholas to continue. 

Nicholas pauses again, and a look of consternation crosses his face, as if he is having difficulty getting his thoughts in order. He finally speaks, "Things were straight forward when I was younger. My place in the world was clear. My future path was set. It was easy in those days to indulge, especially since I had a clear heart. Then, when I became a man, the goddess showed me the truth."

"A dream. I think you told me this before. It was what guided you to us, was it not?" St Clair remarks. 

Nicholas's eyes take on a faraway look as he explains, "Yes. The goddess showed me the truth of my position and the destiny that the Tyrant had planned for me. I was nothing more than a stepping stone for Tensei to bring about the ruin of my House. The truth hurts Marshal, and the goddess's revelation almost broke me."

"Was that why you continued to indulge even after knowing the truth?" St Clair asks. 

"Partly." Nicholas sighs, "I never liked Tensei, Marshal. Between the two of us, I don't mind admitting that. I just could not accept an outsider as part of my family. It was a blow to me when papa and especially Rose began to see him as more than a distant relative. Then there was Master Chance and her blatant favoritism of Tensei. By indulging, I could reassure myself that my position in the family was secure, no matter what my eyes were telling me."

"You were just acting in the way the Tyrant had planned." St Clair points out, "You were setting yourself up to be Tensei's stepping stone."

Nicholas folds his arms and replies, "Hate blinded me during that time. I accepted the goddess's revelation, but reckoned that the root of the problem lay with the people around me. I hated Master Chance for favoring Tensei over me. I hated Rose for seeing Tensei as the brother and possible lover she wanted. And I hated Tensei the most for bearing the blessing of the Tyrant, who made his life so easy for him."

"But something changed." St Clair prompts. 

"Yes. Tensei left Berlin and came to The City." Nicholas agrees, "Distance lends perspective, and I realized that all this while, I had been mistaken. Master Chance may have favored Tensei over me, but at the end of the day, she taught both of us the exact same thing. Rose may desire Tensei, but I can tell that Tensei will never love her in the way she wants. And Tensei was not blessed by the Tyrant, but turned into a mindless pawn. It was at this time I finally opened my eyes."

"The truth is," Nicholas continues, "the fault lay with me. The goddess had warned me, but I continued to go down the road of self-destruction. We were already in contact back then Marshal, but I did not fully appreciate the help you were giving me. When I realized all this, I resolved that I would not waste this second chance the goddess had given me. I would not let the Tyrant dictate my destiny."

Nicholas's eyes harden for a moment as he concludes, "I would fight for my freedom."

St Clair gives Nicholas a dubious look, "You truly do not hate Tensei after all that has happened?"

Nicholas shakes his head firmly, "No. I will fight Tensei, Marshal, but out of necessity, not hate. If he had allowed Rose to leave with us back then, I would have arranged for him to live out his life somewhere in peace and comfort. But the time for that has passed. Thanks to papa, the only option left open to us is to fight."

St Clair stares at Nicholas for a long time before saying, "I envy you."

"Why?" Nicholas asks, dumbfounded. 

St Clair smiles gently, "You change. You grow. The goddess may have been the one who gave you the opportunity, but you seized it for all its worth. You're not the boy I met all those years ago."

Nicholas waves his hand and demurs, "Its really nothing quite so impressive."

St Clair spreads her arms and rebuts, "No? Look at me Nicholas. I am more than a thousand years old, but I will never change. This girl is all I will ever be. No matter how hard I try, I will always be shackled to my past self. What you have achieved is a wonderful thing Nicholas, don't ever devalue it."

"Uh." Nicholas grunts in slight bewilderment, "Well anyway, what was it you wanted to talk about Marshal?"

"Its not important." St Clair shakes her head, "It can wait until tomorrow. You are excused Nicholas. I wish to enjoy the breeze for a bit longer."

Nicholas salutes and begins to head back inside, but as he departs, St Clair has one more thing to say. The final word that is carried away on the night wind, never to be heard.

"I'm proud that you are my apprentice Nicholas. The day the goddess allowed us to meet was truly blessed."