EVEN AS A SLAVE, THE HEAVENLY DEMON’S MIGHT SHALL TAME THE BEAUTIES

The dragon's head turned slowly upward, massive eyes like golden suns focusing on the two humans suspended impossibly above the water's surface. Intelligence blazed in that ancient gaze, not animal cunning but the kind of consciousness that had witnessed the birth and death of civilizations.

Pressure began building in the space around them, spiritual force so profound that Ashcroft felt his knees buckle. The air itself seemed to thicken with power beyond mortal comprehension, while the dragon's presence pressed against his consciousness like the weight of mountains.

"I... I can't..." Ashcroft gasped, his academic composure crumbling as forces beyond his understanding overwhelmed his senses. The pressure was building toward levels that threatened to crush his very soul, reality itself becoming too heavy to bear.

Yomi's hands moved swiftly, forming dismissal seals that severed the connection with casual precision. Reality snapped back like a released rubber band, the vast water realm dissolving as the familiar classroom reasserted itself around them.

Ashcroft collapsed into his chair, breathing heavily as he struggled to process what he had just experienced. His face was pale, sweat beading on his forehead as he stared at Yomi with a mixture of awe and barely controlled terror.

"That," he managed after several moments of stunned silence, "was not a theoretical demonstration."

Yomi's expression remained calm, though his eyes showed satisfaction at having proven his point so definitively. "You asked me to activate the seal," he said simply. "Ki doesn't deal in approximations."

"The creature," Ashcroft whispered, his voice carrying the reverence of someone who had just witnessed something that challenged his understanding of reality itself. "That was real. That place was real. How is such a thing possible?"

"Ki can access what your magic can only theorize about," Yomi replied, settling into the chair across from his shaken professor. "The seal you call theoretical Aether manipulation, it's a gateway, not just a pattern. When properly activated, it connects to the realm where such forces originate."

Ashcroft sat in stunned silence for several long moments, his academic mind struggling to process implications that threatened to overturn everything he thought he understood about magical theory. When he finally spoke, his voice carried the hushed tones of someone who had just been granted a glimpse of divine mystery.

"I can teach you the basics of what I know," Yomi offered carefully, watching his professor's reaction. "But if you're truly interested in power beyond conventional magic, perhaps we could arrange an exchange of knowledge."

Ashcroft stopped his mental processing, his sharp eyes focusing on Yomi with laser intensity. "What kind of exchange?"

"I have questions," Yomi replied, his tone suggesting depths of purpose that extended far beyond academic curiosity. "About divine beings. Gods, demi-gods, entities that exist beyond mortal understanding. The kind of knowledge that conventional academia might consider... inappropriate."

The request sent electricity through Ashcroft's scholarly soul. Divine beings, forbidden techniques, lost civilizations, these were exactly the kinds of topics that his private research had been investigating for decades, knowledge that the academy would never officially approve but that represented the cutting edge of theoretical understanding.

"My private library," he said slowly, excitement building in his voice, "contains texts that the academy would never permit in standard curriculum. Knowledge of divine hierarchies, forbidden techniques, civilizations that predate recorded history." His eyes gleamed with the fervor of someone who had finally found a kindred spirit in forbidden scholarship. "But such knowledge comes with risks."

"I understand risks," Yomi replied with a certainty that spoke of personal experience with forces beyond ordinary comprehension.

Ashcroft studied his student's expression, reading the quiet confidence that suggested someone who had already confronted dangers that would terrify most academics. "Very well," he decided. "Knowledge exchange for mutual benefit. I'll teach you Mana and Aura techniques, provide access to my private research. In return, I want to study your 'something else' and learn whatever you're willing to share about divine entities."

"Agreed," Yomi said immediately, recognizing that this arrangement would provide exactly the kind of information he needed for his mission while offering knowledge that could prove valuable for future challenges.

"Mr. Masaru," Ashcroft said finally, his voice carrying newfound respect tinged with healthy wariness, "I believe our collaboration will be far more extraordinary than I initially imagined."

****

For the next hour, they engaged in the kind of intensive knowledge exchange that would have scandalized academy administrators had they witnessed it. Ashcroft shared theoretical frameworks about divine hierarchies and forbidden techniques, while Yomi explained how Ki principles transcended the limitations of conventional magical theory.

"The patterns you used in the seal," Ashcroft said, looking up from his frantic note-taking, "they weren't magical formulas at all, were they? They were guides for intent?"

"Something like that," Yomi confirmed, pleased that his new mentor was proving capable of grasping concepts that transcended conventional magical education. "Your Aether theory approximates what Ki accomplishes naturally, but it's still constrained by the assumption that external forces must be convinced rather than commanded."

By the time their session concluded, both men had gained insights that would reshape their understanding of power and possibility. Ashcroft had encountered practical concepts that could revolutionize magical research, while Yomi had gained access to information that could prove crucial for his mission.

"Tomorrow," Ashcroft said as they prepared to leave, "I'll provide you with texts from my private collection. Works that discuss divine beings, their capabilities, the signs that mark their presence in the mortal realm."

"And I'll continue sharing Ki principles," Yomi replied, recognizing that this arrangement served multiple purposes. "Though I suspect your academic colleagues might find our discussions... unorthodox."

Ashcroft's smile carried the satisfaction of someone who had spent his career challenging orthodoxy in pursuit of genuine understanding. "Mr. Masaru, orthodoxy has never produced revolutionary discoveries. I have the feeling that our collaboration will prove far more valuable than any conventional mentorship."

As Yomi left the Sanctum of Forbidden Knowledge, he carried with him the satisfaction of having established exactly the kind of relationship he needed. Access to information about divine beings, academic protection for his unusual capabilities, and a mentor whose scholarly obsessions would provide cover for investigations that might otherwise attract unwanted attention.

The hunt for the apostles could now begin in earnest.