The Divine Demon - Book 1: A New Beginning

22. A New Partner

"Yeah, he didn't pull any punches, did he?" Tabito asked after swallowing a bite of his greasy cheese steak grinder. A couple peppers and onions dropped onto his paper plate with each gaping bite he ripped from the sandwich. "He could have been a little less harsh with his feedback."

"You should know he's a straightforward professor by now," Hara added, flicking through her phone. She had a half-eaten panini resting on her plate she hadn't touched in the last several minutes. "He'll tell it like it is. Yeah, what he says might be rough, but showering you with compliments will never let you grow as a magic user."

"I know, but he didn't hold back at all," sighed Riarshi with a glum look in his eyes. He had only taken a single bite of his sandwich before placing it onto his plate. His appetite had vanished.

On their way to Merino's, Tabito and Riarshi had run into Hara as they entered the city square. She was looking over the goods one jewelery stand offered. Tabito happily invited her to join them for dinner and, as they strolled to Merino's, cued her in on what had occurred at the practice field nearly an hour ago.

The usual smell of fried food, grilled meats, and the occasional fish dish filled the diner. Despite the fall chill creeping through the door with each new customer, the flaming, sizzling grills released enough heat to make the dining room comfortable to sit in without coats.

Now that the sun fell over the jagged horizon earlier in the day, fluorescent lights above each table illuminated the dining room with a faint yellow glow.

Riarshi rested his chin in his palm and, using his straw, swirled his dark brown cola. It wasn't the straightforward feedback that upset him and erased his appetite, but the accuracy of Khohn's assessment.

After watching his classmates' strength quickly progress throughout the length of the program, Riarshi recognized that he was still completely out of their league, despite his own recent improvements in magical strength.

What continued holding him back each time he sought more power was the damned pitch-black wall blocking his way - his own demonic powers.

He felt as though he was fighting an uphill battle, and with each ascending step growing steeper and taller, the harder it was for his body to prevent him from falling towards the bottom. He was stepping on nails, playing with fire, walking a tightrope. One wrong step and he'd lose everything he worked so hard for. He would fall into the depths of darkness.

"Hey. Don't let what he said get you down, Riarshi," Tabito mumbled with a mouth full of food. He swallowed and continued. "You gave it your all in that fight. I definitely had a run for my money. For the longest time, I couldn't even land a hit on you... and I wasn't even holding back. You're getting stronger, Riarshi. The gap between us is closing quickly."

Tabito's words brought Riarshi's cloudy mind back to the present. He stirred his drink again, watching it churn into a tiny whirlpool of ice and cola, sloshing against the edge of the glass. His lips quirked.

"Thanks, Tabito," he murmured.

Hara put her phone down and took another bite of her small panini. After placing the sandwich back onto her paper plate and wiping her mouth with a napkin, she looked at Riarshi with her big sapphire eyes. To his surprise, they weren't as cold as usual.

"Lasting in a fight against Tabito for as long as he says you did isn't something to scoff at. He's easily in the top three of our class in terms of pure magical power."

"Oh jeez, Hara, stop it!" said Tabito, waving a dismissive hand at her. "I'm not that good, come on," He had a cheeky smile across his face despite the humble objections.