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‘I’ve seen you take a level twenty-five bare-handed,’ John said.
‘I prefer to use energy. Don’t get my hands dirty.’
‘Against humanoids?’
‘Oh, come on, you know that physical is the only way to go with them.’
‘Very well,’ John said. ‘Take the level thirties, and then we’ll move to weapons.’
‘Is this a test?’ I said.
‘Of course it is. A simulation.’
Leo and I shared a look, then shrugged. Whatever. He was the boss.
John tossed the level thirty to the floor under the mirrors. It took True Form: a massive humanoid, seven feet tall, with black scales and tusks.
‘Nice one,’ I said.
Leo hesitated. ‘You want it?’
‘Nah, you can have it.’
Leo stepped forward, readied himself and nodded.
The demon came alive. It looked at each of us in turn, then quickly saluted John. ‘Dark Lord.’ It nodded to Leo. ‘Black Lion. I am honoured.’ It saw me and stopped. ‘What are you?’
‘Perfectly ordinary human female. What, you’ve never seen one before? I find that hard to believe.’
‘Not like you.’ The demon turned its three red eyes onto Leo. ‘Lion.’
‘A second chance,’ John said.
The demon threw itself at Leo, clawed hands raised. Leo ducked beneath its hands and sliced at its abdomen as he went through. His hands glanced off.
The demon stopped and turned. Leo took two steps back, leapt, and ran a jumping high kick straight through its head.
He landed lightly on his feet and the demon dissipated.
‘Leo!’ John shouted.
Leo didn’t reply. He just turned to face John and held his hands out from his sides.
‘How many rules did you break just then?’
Leo hesitated. ‘I think at least five, my Lord.’
‘It is possible that it could have been a higher level disguising its speed. What if it had been a level fifty and you performed a stupid move like that?’
Leo didn’t reply.
‘You know the drill; you teach it! Treat all weapons as if they were sharp. Treat all demons as if they were Mothers. And never take both feet off the floor. When we return you will face five demons of random levels, and if I see you do any more stupid moves like that you will be restricted from weapons for three weeks.’
‘My Lord.’ Leo wasn’t fazed. ‘How many more? I need a shower now.’ He gestured towards his slacks, which were covered in black demon stuff. ‘Another pair ruined.’ He grinned at me. ‘I see what you mean.’
‘Not much longer,’ John said. ‘If it burns let me know and I’ll dismiss you. You should be fine for a while.’ He turned and threw a bead onto the floor. ‘Emma.’
The demon took female human form. She came straight for me.
I quickly bound her, and she stood frozen, her face a mask of loathing.
‘Move back, Leo, this is going to be big.’
Leo backed away.
I used the chi I had drained from her when I bound her and made it into a huge ball, a good metre across. I threw it at the demon and she exploded.
‘That was a foolish thing to do,’ John said. ‘You are pushing your reserves too hard.’
‘I can handle it.’
‘Not only was that a dangerously large amount of energy to throw at the demon, the energy you received when you destroyed her was an even more dangerous amount.’
‘I need a larger reserve. I need to be able to take out much bigger demons with energy. Is there any other way to enlarge my energy reserve?’
He sighed with resignation. ‘No. I understand. But please be careful; we need you.’ He gestured towards the weapons rack. ‘Your weapons are there; collect them and we’ll move up to level forty. And that means no more stupid grandstanding from either of you.’
‘Can you take one that high, Emma?’ Leo said as he selected John’s sword, Dark Heavens, from the rack.
‘With the sword, yes,’ I said as I collected my own. ‘Bare-handed, probably another year and I’ll have it.’
‘Sooner than that if you continue to work this hard with the energy,’ John said. He shuffled in the jar. ‘Damn, not many that high a level. Wait.’ He closed his eyes and held his hand over the jar.
‘No!’ Leo shouted.
‘You are in serious trouble!’ I yelled.
Two beads slid to the top and flew into his hand. He opened his eyes. ‘There are only about ten left.’
‘For heaven’s sake will you guard your energy, John.’
‘If Ms Kwan saw you do that she’d have your shell for breakfast,’ Leo growled.
‘Too late.’ John threw one of the beads onto the floor. The level forty took human form, a tiny ancient Chinese man. ‘Who wants it?’
Leo stepped forward. ‘I remember this little bastard. I was there when you took him. He’s mine.’
He readied himself and nodded.
The demon didn’t move but something changed in its eyes. It scowled. ‘I will not face something as worthless as you,’ it said, and spat on the floor at Leo’s feet. It looked at me then. ‘Disgusting,’ it sneered. ‘A lowly female.’ It turned to John and gestured angrily towards us. ‘Is this what you held me for? A gay-lo nigger and a little girl? I will not face women,’ it said, glaring at Leo.
‘I see what you mean, Leo,’ I said softly. ‘Please, my friend, take your time with this one.’
‘Do you like the taste of turtle, gay-lo?’ the demon said viciously.
Both John and Leo stiffened.
‘Do you like the taste of turtle egg?’
John’s face went rigid and his eyes burned. ‘Take this one out before it speaks again, Leo, or I may be forced to do it myself.’
Leo gestured a come-on to the demon. ‘With a great deal of pleasure, my Lord.’
The demon didn’t move.
‘Come and get me.’
The demon smiled slightly and shook its head.
‘To hell with it,’ Leo said, and swung the sword at the demon’s head.
The demon backed, avoiding the blade, but didn’t fight back. When Leo swung at it again, it backed again. Eventually it reached the wall and turned away from Leo.
Leo lunged after it and it jumped back out of his reach. ‘You will need to do better than that, gay-lo. You have not even touched me.’
Leo’s face went rigid and he lunged to run the demon through before it could escape. It looked down at the sword piercing it with surprise, then smiled up at Leo and exploded.
‘Enough, Leo,’ John said. ‘I can see the level you are at. Shower, change, meet us in the top-floor conference room. Dismissed.’
Leo went to the weapons rack and collected Dark Heavens’ scabbard. He stopped at the doorway and saluted both John and me. ‘My Lord. My Lady.’ Then went out.
‘Your turn, my Lady,’ John said. He threw the level forty onto the floor.
It took True Form: a greyish-green humanoid with tufts of red hair and two bulging eyes.
I moved to the centre of the room, readied my sword and nodded. Physical was the way to go with this one.
The demon was unbound and studied me curiously. ‘What are you?’
‘Why do you things keep asking me that? Haven’t you seen a perfectly ordinary human woman before?’
‘Not like you. You are different.’ The demon turned and saluted John. ‘Dark Lord.’ It saluted me. ‘Lady.’ It threw itself at me.
I ducked under its outstretched arms and spun around it, hitting it on the back of the head with the pommel of my sword as it went through; I couldn’t move my arm around quickly enough to use the blade. It was knocked down by the blow, but turned a neat somersault and landed on its feet facing me, arms outstretched.
‘Nice move,’ I said.
‘Thank you.’
It went for me again, this time throwing a swinging fist at my face. I ducked under the fist and swung at its abdomen with my sword, but it wasn’t there. It had pivoted on our mutual axis and was beside me. It swung at my head but I ducked under the blow, flipped over forwards, rolled, and jumped up facing it. I didn’t lose momentum as it tried to keep up with me; I swung the sword straight at its neck.
It blocked the blow with its forearm and pushed my sword hand back. It was stronger than me and I couldn’t stop it from pushing my sword backwards.
I went with the movement, spun, and used my foot in a roundhouse kick into the side of its chest.
My foot went in with a satisfying crunch. I was through it. I carried my foot through the middle of the black stuff, then spun and leapt back as it exploded.
Not fast enough. Black stuff completely covered me from head to toe.
‘Damn.’
‘Well done,’ John said with satisfaction. ‘I can see the level you are at. Good.’ He didn’t move from the other side of the room. ‘Shower. Change. Meet me in the conference room.’ His voice became fierce. ‘Excellent!’
Everybody was waiting for me in the conference room. Simone had drawn brightly coloured dragons on the whiteboard; one of them was recognisably Jade and the other was Qing Long, the East Wind. She even had their size difference nearly accurate; he was about five times bigger than Jade.
‘Gold, take Simone to my office. I want to speak to Emma and Leo alone.’
Simone scowled.
‘Last time, sweetheart, I promise.’
Simone took Gold’s hand and led him out.
‘Good.’ John leaned his arms on the table. ‘Emma, what we just did is confirmation of something I already knew. You can both take up to level forty without too much difficulty.’
I stiffened as I understood. I was at the same level of expertise as Leo.
‘News, Emma?’ Leo said softly.
‘I didn’t think too much about it before, Leo. You’ve always been better than me at hand-to-hand. But with a weapon and energy, I can take the same level as you.’
‘You realise what this means?’ John said.
Leo and I shared a look, then turned back to John and shook our heads.
‘You can take turns staking out the school. You can share the guardian duties. You’re just as good a guard as Leo now, Emma.’
‘Oh no!’ I shouted. ‘Is that what this was about? You want to make me bodyguard as well as nanny? You must be joking! My thesis is due in five months and I haven’t even found a topic for it.’ I ran my hands through my hair. ‘No way. I have enough to do as it is.’
‘When Simone starts school, you’ll have plenty of time,’ John said. ‘You and Leo can share guard duties, and spend time teaching here. It will work out very well.’ He leaned over the table to me, his eyes sparkling. ‘Dear Lady Emma, I formally request of you. Will you assist Leo in the guarding of my beloved daughter?’
‘This is brilliant, my Lord,’ Leo said. ‘We can rotate the time. Some spent guarding, some spent teaching. A good balance.’
‘I want a pay rise,’ I grumbled. ‘I cannot believe you are doing this to me.’
‘Wait.’ John pulled a folded chequebook out of his hip pocket. He flattened it on the table, opened it, scribbled on a cheque, tore it out with a flourish and handed it to me.
‘How much?’ Leo said.
