"It's just a small body injury, it's just a so-called pain, what's there to fear! Don't close off your pain nerves, it makes you weaker!"

"The human body has undergone countless evolutions to seek the fittest for survival, and so does the pain nerve also has its significant importance. People need to feel pain to their brain for interpretation!"

"Only when you get used to this pain, and endure it, until you start enjoying this pain, to let this pain become a factor that motivates yourself to become stronger, to overrun your limits!"

"Even if the strength you possess is herculean, if you don't have the willpower and patience to coordinate with that power, no matter how powerful you are, one day you will falter."

Scathach vociferated sternly.

The crimson red spear in her hand traversed with a mysterious trajectory tracing a light trail, going down on Roy's battered figure at an implausibly absurd angle as he tried to dodge. 

The spear left a long gash on his shoulders, stimulating Roy's pain nerves, leaving the nerve signals tantalizing in it's wake, making him clench his teeths as agony pushed through, from the nerves into the brain, until it flooded his soul. 

Making him let out a spasmed grunt. 

"Grkhhhh-!"

The heart-piercing tormential woe seeping in his lungs, like hundreds of thousands of ants nibbling holes through it, the severe pain of the soul being torn, enough to induce a man to die manically.

But the self preserving function of the brain cannot be affected by the pressured soul, even the coma mechanism didn't trigger, just tearing his being. 

Leaving him with his human will as the only bulwark that too seemed to be faltering on it's knees. 

Even under the agonized grunts, Roy bit that last thread of sanity with his teeths, to hold it with all his will, and began to swing his fists. 

The terrifying mana gushed out in singular waves from the deepest crevices of his body. 

Brrkhoom—! 

The earth cracked, the sky wheeched, ploughing through the atmosphere of the Land of Shadows. 

He let out his pain through his fists, one after another, like a vent overflowing with duress. 

This violent eruption made even Scathach took two steps back, only to, with a single stomp—slender and powerful legs of the Celtic female warrior to station on the ground like two heavy tongs, leaving the storm behind.

"Good! Even if it is painful, don't give up control of your body, and don't let yourself be controlled by your bestial instincts."

"Although the Celtics are known as desperate all givers, they have not transformed into beasts themselves. A Celtic warrior's romance is food, wine, and glory. There is no glory in becoming a wild beast that drinks raw blood."

"Tame that beast inside you. Don't misunderstand the way the Celtics' kill, they are fighting with their own will, not becoming the incarnation of beasts itself—rather one has to mount it and flurry the attacks on their opponent!"

"I know that you can easily do it, my discipline! For, in your context—this is just the trailer."

In that painful overhaul, Roy seemed to have heard something, Scathach imparting something intermittently. 

He couldn't comprehend her words in his condition, but, unknowingly he felt he could feel what the Queen of Shadows wanted to convey. 

He worked hard to maintain a trace of clarity of his will, and in the ocean of despair, he forged an island of his own reason.

Seeing that Roy's fists were gradually getting a touch of tactics, Scathach amble around as she easily dodged and praised: 

"…well done, although your fists are still weak and feeble, the intent is not conductive and direct, but you have gradually learned the order to master the method of reason under the pain, the battle skills and techniques are the subjects for the future."

"For now, what I want to teach you is the quality of being a fighter, the will of a hero."

In the battle, during the tutoring, Scathach will never show her gentle side. She is like an instructor training rebellious army recruits, stimulating Roy in an extremely harsh and cold tone.

Scathach is a qualified teacher, otherwise she wouldn't be the name behind the rise of so many Celtic heroes, nor would she have become a Goddess figure for warriors. 

Rather than to say that she is the teacher of so many Celtic heroes, it would be more correct to say that the students she tutored all rose to become heroes. 

The tamed fighting instinct of a beast is powerful, and the method of wisdom is also powerful. In theory, there is no difference—no distinction of being superior or inferior. 

She wanted to see in him, which path would he choose, his origin will definitely spur him to find his ideal way in the time of danger, much better to leave that choice to the brain. 

Instinct? 

Or, wisdom? 

...maybe, both? 

The pain gradually faded, Roy's reason returned, his shaky body barely stood up, sweating profusely, as he weakly quibbled at Scathach:

"Gkk-! Master, I feel if you continue like this my self consciousness will slip, so...why not, I mean, it's better to go a little bit slowly."

If self-consciousness is lost, Roy will fall into a vegetative state, which is no different from being dead.

"I have been watching, the pain of tearing the soul has approached your limit, but letting you break through that limit will definitely make you learn battle skills more proficiently."

"As for your concern. Don't worry about loosing your self consciousness, if I let my disciple go to his death from training, isn't it tarnishing my title as your master?"

Scathach smirked lightly, probably because he was closing to death, some damn illusions were appearing in front of his view, anyway, he got the rough assurity—only to unnerve him more. 

"Men can't say no! Especially to have a go with a beautiful women, come and continue to shake your fists at me, you just have to believe that this is not your limit."

"Who says I can't do it, in terms of having a go with women, me and my little brother are both super confident."

Even in absolute pain, where a person would never have the idleness to take out his speechless at all, Roy raised his voice in a predatory tone.

"Oh?"

Scathach sneered. She looked at Roy's body contemptuously and spurned her spears: 

"…just with your body that hasn't been exercised at all? In front of a truly powerful woman, you will be nothing, but to be only conquered!" 

She clearly knows where the pain points of men are. Moreover, in Celtic culture, the desire between men and women is even less restrictive as modern norms.

Sure enough, Scathach's contempt made Roy tetchy. 

Even if he knew that with a figure like Scathach with her tempered body, even if he led a war in bed, he will be left devastated with spears broken and armor discarded.

But. 

As a man you can deny everything, but insult to one's manhood is not thing to be left easily. 

"Then why don't we try it, Master~"

Roy angrily smirked as he punched at Scathach's beautiful face.

"Sorry, Roy. Your teacher is not interested in men who are too weak and too young."

Scathach dodged on one side, and then dropped Roy to the ground with a beautiful circulatory suplex fall.

The back banged on the ground forcefully, but the pain was completely insignificant compared to the severe pain that teared through his soul before, he reacted to escape her incoming grapple. 

"The [Wisdom of Dún Scáith] tells me that you should still have the ability to explode, come on."

Under Scathach's eccentric flurry of strikes, Roy didn't think much, and directly launched [Miraculous Spring of Life]-!

The power to return with the light when on the brink of desperation—'Status Revival'. 

At that moment, Roy once again felt that his body was full of power. He jumped up from the ground, like a carp lauding it's last leap, to engage with Scathach. 

With the zooming sound with the tearing the air, the demonic spear glossing the edict of death fell all over as he continued to attack and defend himself.

For this time, Roy persisted for a longer duration. When the [Miraculous Spring of Life] lost its effectiveness, he fell battered to the ground with a surge of dust rising in the air.

"I know this is your limit, you can no longer fight, but stand up, Roy. I believe you still have the strength to stand up!"

Scathach flicked the crimson red spear in her hand and as it pierced right next to Roy's hand, a centimeter away from impaling his hand. 

Roy gritted his teeths with blood dripping from the corner of his lips, his trembling hands grabbed the spear's shaft and forced his body little by little to make himself stand up again.

He seemed to feel like he was back in the time, when he was preparing for national sport competition. Every time he reached the limit, the coach monotonous 'again' will reach his ears again and again. 

But Scathach's teachings are multitudes of times more brutal than those coaches incarnated from hell. 

Not only was his body spent, even his soul was stretched to it's limit. 

Just as soon as he rose on his feet, his body suddenly stopped moving, his brain drowned into unconscious lucid rest, only the stubborn hand clenching the spear's shaft kept his body from falling. 

"Good job, Roy…"

Although she knew, he could no longer hear her, Scathach still praised him, her cold and stern expression disappeared, melting to become seductive watery tenderness again.

She gently meandered to Roy's side, with a delicate and caring expression. The gloves disappeared as she with the palm of her hand, wiped the blood stains and dirt on his face.

"Doesn't—the—way—of—training—break—him—in—long—run?"

Aiwass materialised behind Roy and questioned Scathach with raspy breaks in her tone. 

"You are not a human being, so you don't know where the limits of human beings are. And since a certain someone doesn't even know how to wield weapons, that stupid looking bird shouldn't meddle in my way of teaching."

Aiwass, who was refuted by Scathach, was left speechless. 

The Angel's brain was already analysing with the chances of conjectures if she should kick on the back of this barbarous woman's head, and whether she would later be able to get away with it safetly.

"He is my disciple, my last disciple, and the only disciple who can realize my wish. I will teach him everything about me, and I will satisfy all his desires and wishes, as long as he can satisfy me, I'm willing to give him my all."

Scathach gently hugged Roy's head in her bosom, let him lean on her soft peaks to which he nuzzled closer instinctively, she gently stroked his hair and continued.

"He is my best disciple. He will be better than what I teach him, outshining everyone with his brilliance."

The Queen of the Kingdom of Shadows muttered ever so gently. 

This man was the only treasure she saw in her lonely and desperate life. She believed that he would be able to do it—to redeem her, to release her from the shackles that bound her. 

———————————————

Greed is one of the Seven Deadly Sins, but it is also the motivating force for mankind, which includes me. 

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