Saki finds herself back in her bed, her hand clutching her chest, where the bat hit her. She takes a deep breath as lay down, the Cloaked Woman's word echo in her head.
"Who the fuck does she think she is!? Talking like she knows everything! Tch!"
Saki jumps out of her bed, takes her cloak out of the closet and storms off. She is determined to make the woman eat her words,
"Pffft... Please. You're not gonna achieve anything if you're motivated by pettiness."
A voice catches her attention the moment she set foot outside her room. Saki's eyes go wide as she looks around,
"Calm down, will you? I'm in your head."
"Who are you?" Saki asks,
"I'm the bat. Also no need to speak out loud, I can hear you just fine."
Saki narrows her eyes, continuing toward the door. "Are you here to monitor me or something?"
"Pfft like I want to monitor a demon for a year straight." The bat replies in an annoyed tone. "I'm here to help you... Even though it's against my will."
"Help me?" Saki repeats, and then shakes her head. "I don't need help, especially not from an angel."
"Oh, so you noticed?" The bat says, trying her best to sound surprised.
"Bitch, you hit me in the eyes and the chest! That holy power is anything but forgettable."
"Right, I did. I should have gouged your eye back then..." The bat says low, not enough for Saki not to hear however. "In any case, I have to help you with stupid trial, so get to the Grimoire."
Saki rolls her eyes in annoyance, as she walks away from her house. Demons and angels don't like each other, that is nothing new. One is a force of fire and darkness, the other of water and light. They are opposites in every sense, yet there they are, sharing a body.
***
The Cloaked Woman watches Saki walk through the quiet village, occasionally bickering with the bat. "Heh. I forgot how much we disliked each other..."
"I know, right?" Says another woman cloaked in the same fashion as the first. She turns to the first and asks, "Did you have to talk to your younger self like that?"
"Batsy, you know how dense I can be sometimes. I needed the message to be heard, you could say it's my way to motivate myself."
"Right. I won't question your decision, kitty." Batsy shrugs, "now come help me. These foundations are shit to build alone."
"I'm coming."
***
Saki arrives at the tree where her Grimoire resides, she looks up at the sky and nods. "The sun isn't out just yet... Good."
"What, do you have something planned?" The bat inquires, only to answer at her own question before Saki can elaborate. "Oh right, the spar."
"Yes, I don't need to hear that spoiled bitch howl on every roof that she beat me." Saki explains, massaging her temples as if to chase away a headache.
"Don't need to tell me that twice..." The bat seems to agree. "Anyway, let's start."
Saki nods as she grabs her book, black flames surge from it and run across her arm and stop at her shoulder. These flames aren't hot, they don't burn or hurt at all,
"... Interesting." The bat remarks, watching the black flames with curiosity.
Saki raises a brow at her reaction, "what is?" She inquires but the bat remains silent. Saki rolls her eyes, and takes a deep breath before prying open the Grimoire. Instantly, memories flood her mind, like last time.
The moment it stops, Saki finds herself on one knee, clutching her head. She looks but she is still in the forest, "it didn't send me back this time."
"What the hell was that!?" The bat asks in distress.
"You saw it too? These were my memories... From a day I'd rather forget entirely. Matter of fact, we're in this exact day."
"... I see. So, we just have to make sure this doesn't happen again."
Saki chuckles, "Easier said than done. They were like hundreds of assailants using so many types of spells and combat techniques... The guards and soldiers had no fucking chance. Hell, I managed to survive because demons aren't easy to kill!"
"Plus you had a Grimoire." The bat points out, but Saki shakes her head.
"It barely made a difference. Sure, it empowered me, but nowhere near enough."
The bat chuckles, "That's where I come in. Do you know about Aura?"
"Yep, saw lots of beastmen, humans and even elves use it. It's the application of Mana and life force to the body to strengthen muscles, joints and even the skin."
"Good, you're not entirely clueless!"
"But as you can probably tell... I can't sense Mana."