The Ouroboros Potioneer - Book 2: Chapter 20 (Patreon)

AN: #1 of November

Beta'd by Plum

.

Book 2: My Life With An S&M Maid Teacher

Chapter 20: The Ideal Summoner / Beyond Us

“Impressive.” Kama’s one word said enough as he overlooked the nighttime operation, his arms crossed as gleaming executioner axes were strapped to his back.

Half a dozen surrounding agents swallowed at the praise.

“Impressive?” Voll, standing at his side, huffed in exasperation. “This is just sad. Where was the security? They spent more than our yearly budget on making that building a fortress.”

The two men had stood ready, watching the young mages spread out and quite literally smash their way inside as if the walls were made of paper.

“Young and powerful.” Kama nodded, his expression hidden beneath his lower-face mask. “The kingdom’s strength grows.”

“More like young and reckless.” Voll grunted. “At least they are legal mages, unlike The Hunter.”

“Do not draw the line between ally and enemy so shallow.” Kama reprimanded lightly, his eyes tracking changes in the scene below as a trio of low-ranking Grains ran out of the building. “Grey exists on both sides.”

“I prefer what I know and don’t know.” Voll countered stubbornly, pointing at the retreating Grains. “And I don’t know how that one is doing that.”

Moments later, the surrounding agents watched with cold sweat as the running Grains were swallowed by the earth before they could protest, only their necks rising above the ground.

Three more to join the dozens on all sides of the building.

Almost unconsciously, Kama and Voll turned their gazes to a nearby building, where the pink-haired maid stood on the corner of a rooftop, sapphire-blue eyes glowing in the dark, her clothes fluttering in the breeze to the backdrop of the full moon.

“She’s an earth mage, Sir.” Wolf, leader of Team Wolfsbane, answered the man in a stoic tone.

“I’m aware of that!” Voll yelled at the agent, gritting his teeth as he pointed blatantly at her. “She’s a celestial spirit! How the hell is she this strong when Ouroboros isn’t anywhere in the vicinity?!”

“Are we sure the master isn’t nearby?” Rose, leader of Team Nightshade, asked curiously.

“There isn’t a mouse in the surrounding three blocks.” Voll bit out. “I personally checked.”

“Calm.” Kama looked at the man with a sigh, knowing he still had a ways to go before he was ready to take over the agency. “Ouroboros is to be an ally.”

 "With all due respect, Sir." Voll's brow twitched as another group of retreating Grains was swallowed up to their necks. "If she is this strong at such a distance, what does that mean for our interactions with the master?"

Kama understood the man was really asking whether they could even resist such a powerful mage, and to that question Kama could only shake his head. "Monsters exist that cannot be controlled." He pointed at the maid, inwardly twitching toward his axes as he saw her eyes meet his gaze. “S-Class titles are not given without reason; each is a force unto the world.” He held Virgo’s gaze. “Fiore welcomes such capability if they hold peaceful intentions.”

Virgo’s head inclined slightly, and Kama inwardly sighed in relief.

"Sir, we-." Voll's words cut off as a wave of pressure exploded outward from the building, snapping everyone's heads toward the source.

“S-Class.” Kama frowned.

“Did we confirm an S-Class was on site?!” Voll immediately jumped into action. “I want the cordon expanded! Push five blocks out!”

The agents scrambled, and Kama nodded in approval at Voll’s response, only for his eyes to widen slightly as he noticed the maid had vanished, her previous position empty and the moon half covered by dark clouds.

‘The cordon needs to be widened further.’

0000

“Get him.”

Light nearly blinded Dante as a well-dressed Leo appeared before him in a flash, an apologetic smile on his face. “Sorry about this, man.”

Instincts screamed right before an explosion of light flashed through the hallway, blowing dust and debris everywhere.

Vance Holleran gulped as he glanced out from behind a safety wall, seeing the hardened walls built from the most expensive building materials crack like glass from the impact.

Karen smirked in Vance’s chair, resting her chin on a palm. “Leo dear, I need him alive.”

“He managed to block.” Leo marveled at his fist, knowing he hit crossed arms. “I aimed to incapacitate, milady. That should have only broken his arms-!”

The golden lion’s eyes widened, tilting his head just as a sharp blade flew past his cheek, slamming into an abruptly summoned pink cloud before it could reach Karen.

Aries’s eyes flickered as she noticed how deep it buried itself, the blade having gone for the kill from the first strike.

Karen's easy smile dimmed as she watched the blade fall to the ground, glaring at the blood dripping from a thin line on Leo’s cheek.

“You should have gone for the head.” The dust settled, revealing a crouching Dante in the hall where he fought Shell; glowing green lines ignited along his skin as steam billowed away from his recently shattered forearms.

His fingers flexed, and a nearly invisible wire yanked the knife back.

“Holy shit.” Leo stumbled, taken off guard as the blade nearly impaled him from behind.

"Leo." Karen's gaze hardened as another notch of Mana pulsed from her into her spirit. "Stop playing around."

"Understood." Leo wiped his cheek with his thumb, then flashed forward, a glowing fist smashing toward Dante's head. "You're dangerous."

"Says the Zodiac." Dante didn't even try to defend, trusting his instincts as he lunged to the side and retreated down the hall.

Leo frowned as he didn’t make contact, switching into a series of kicks that Dante kept avoiding until he amped up the power. “Lion’s Brilliance.”

Light bloomed through the dark hall, banishing the shadows as the golden lion launched forward, his fist finally making contact, only for his expression to shift to surprise.

Dante redirected the attack, the light magic rolling over his skin like water on oil and smashing into a wall.

“Mana Armor?” Leo asked in surprise. “That’s impressive.”

“I had a good teacher.” Dante responded even as blood leaked from his lips, the impact having shaken his organs. “Why are you here?”

"I'm afraid my master wants the bounty on your head." Leo smirked, respecting Dante for blocking with his eyes closed even as he spun into a kick aimed at Dante's torso that he couldn't dodge. "And she gets impatient easily."

Leo’s leg halted mid-strike as a rope tightly wrapped around his shin.

“You want the boss’s head, you go through me first, ya hear?” Vinnie appeared at Dante’s shoulder, smoke drifting from his lips as he glared down the leader of the Zodiacs.

“Thanks.” Dante grunted, rapidly retreating as he downed another mouthful of Heartknit and felt his internal injuries settle.

He unsummoned and resummoned Vinnie for a quick breather, trusting the spirit to have his back.

“Ah, Vinnie.” Leo smiled kindly, the ropes straining to restrain him. “I do believe you owe me twenty thousand Jewels.”

The rope man sweatdropped, grunting as he put his all into trying to drain Leo's energy. "We're working, jackass."

“And so we are.” Leo nodded and flashed with light, twirling and yanking on the ropes to slam Vinnie into a wall; the impact shattered the concrete and destabilized a section of the building's roof. “Nothing personal, man.”

His fist lit up like a spotlight, the light shifting into a glowing lion head.

“J-Just.” Vinnie wheezed, seeing stars from the blow. “Business.”

“Well said.” Leo chuckled and swung his arm, the lion roaring forward. “Regulus Impa-!”

The blow was aborted as Leo was forced to dodge a knife coming for his jugular; the glint of a wire caught in his light. "Will you stop that!"

Dante appeared at Vinnie’s side, ripping the rope man out of the wall as he swung his knife.

“B-boss.” Vinnie slumped on his back.

“Delay and drain.” Dante commanded without opening his eyes, already retreating as he threw out nails to set up barbed wire, the same way he took out Ghost back in the hall. “He is beyond us.”

There was no hesitation in Dante's judgment.

"You really are ruthless, aren't you?" Leo raised a brow at the retreating pair, wiping his unharmed neck, which he knew had been Dante's target. "Who the hell taught you to be like this?"

Light flashed as he pursued, slowed as he had to twist between the sharp wire.

“Heh.” Vinnie chuckled on Dante’s back, not answering as his ropes took over for Dante, layering the tunnel with dozens of tricky obstacles.

Dante frowned as he felt across his bond, knowing exactly what was happening and feeling exasperated. ‘Fucking Sadist.’

“You should know this won’t stop me, Vinnie!” Leo yelled behind them, his body flashing with light as he flashed through gaps and literally tore down sections of the wall to get through.

“Yeah, but it’ll annoy ya.” Vinnie huffed as he produced more rope. “Boss, he’s not wrong.”

“I’m aware.” Dante grunted, tossing away the idea of trapping such an overpowered force and cycling through his potions and brews for a solution. ‘I didn’t have enough time to experiment before coming here. Damn it. I might have to use that one.’

His hand traveled to his potion belt, pulling a small purple vial from a slot.

Vinnie noticed the movement and coughed. “Boss, isn’t that untested?”

“It’s all I have that might help.” Dante pulled the cork with his teeth and downed the contents. “Catch me if I fall.”

He said his last words to the ground, and his bond pulsed in agreement.

The long hallway came to an end, and Dante burst out into the stairway, his feet skimming the railing as muscles warped and bones groaned.

Mana roared down his limbs, and Dante funneled more than he ever had before into his feet.

The metal railing gave way, and Dante launched upward two dozen feet, his Mana-enhanced fist slamming into the door leading to the fifth floor and blowing it off its hinges.

“Well damn.” Leo blinked as he broke out into the stairway, whistling at Dante’s explosive movement. “Who the hell trained this kid?”

The golden lion chased Dante throughout floor five, offices and cubicles getting pulverized in their wild game of tag.

Yet Leo frowned; despite hitting Dante multiple times, the young man seemed to endure and keep moving.

“You can’t run!” Leo flashed forward, heel glowing bright as he brought it down at Dante’s head. “I’m not trying to kill you!”

To the spirit's surprise, Dante spun around, crossed his arms, and braced.

Leo’s heel connected with Dante’s arms, and this time Leo was shocked to find that Dante’s arms held up under the blow. “How?”

Dante only growled in reply, his teeth clenched and veins pulsing as if he was in deep pain, but his palms turned and clamped tightly on Leo’s shin.

Thankfully, Vinnie spoke fluent Dante by now and answered over Dante’s shoulder. “He says ‘Fuck you’. Monty!”

Leo's eyes widened as a flying gecko appeared inches from his face, its sharp, pointed tail aimed at his right eye.

“Monty stab.” Monty’s chilling whisper echoed in his ears.

Light flared in panic, slamming into Dante and his spirits like a physical force and shattering the ground all around them.

Monty blinked and looked down at her red tail. “Monty win?”

“I don’t think so.” Vinnie frowned, looking up in genuine anger as he found Dante crouched over them. “Boss…”

Dante’s cloak was in tatters; light burns on his back as his body continued to shift beneath his skin. “F-Focus.”

The words came out between clenched teeth, the experimental potion having varied results in enhancing his durability.

“You guys really are ruthless.” Leo’s voice rang from the dust cloud, blowing away a moment later from a burst of light.

The Zodiac spirit now had matching thin cuts on both cheeks, blood dripping from the fresh one beneath his eye.

“Monty no stab?” Monty stamped her foot in annoyance.

“You came close.” Leo admitted with a look of respect toward Dante. “You’re a good summoner.” His gaze slid to the small gecko hidden beneath Dante's bulk. "You didn't happen to change masters in the last year, did you, Monty?"

“Monty no answer.” Monty held up a claw like a middle finger.

“I’ll take that as a yes.” Leo laughed and gave Dante a measuring look. "That means you really were the kid who passed through Blue Pegasus around a year ago."

Dante slowly stood, limbs still shaking from the potion flowing through his veins.

“I thought Karen was crazy to match you two together.” Leo went on as if Dante had asked, his lips thinning in displeasure. “I tried to deter her from this path, but you really managed to piss her off, man.”

“Never… met.” Dante rolled his jaw to get the words out.

“Sadly, you don’t have to have met her to piss Karen off.” A dark look passed Leo’s face before he ran a hand through his hair in exasperation. “It took some effort to track you as the one who took down Clarence’s trio.”

“…” Dante stared blankly.

"There's no need to play coy." Leo waved a hand lazily, thinking Dante was trying to pretend it wasn't him. "We have eyewitness reports that they attacked you in the city."

Dante continued to stare blankly.

“The Clarence trio. Blue Pegasus mages.” Leo tried to explain, now a tad bit awkward. “The ones you beat up? Clarence became a bartender; the other two got expelled.”

Dante slowly scratched his cheek. “Who?”

“…” Leo was at a loss for words.

“Boss.” Vinnie leaned in. “Ain’t those the ones you turned over to the Anna chick?”

The dreaded name rang a bell, and Dante grimaced. "Ah."

"Aha!" Leo pointed, though the spirit grimaced at the name too. "So it was you.”

Dante didn't know what to say, so he simply pointed at Vinnie.

“I was in the room!” Vinnie argued back.

“Once we knew it was you, it was easy to piece you together with your visit to the guild.” Leo went on. “Master Bob changed some guild rules not long after, and combined with the first domino of Clarence’s trio breaking away from Karen, soon her power base crumbled.”

“Ok.” Dante couldn’t deadpan hard enough.

“And that’s why Karen hates you.” Leo finished lamely, holding his hands up in defeat. “I tried to explain it differently, but she seems to have set her sights on you as the culprit of her fall.”

“Sounds like a toxic relationship if ya ask me.” Vinnie mumbled and lit a cigarette.

Dante grunted and hit Vinnie’s shoulder with the back of his hand.

“Boss says she sounds like a bitch.” Vinnie explained.

Dante grunted a second time.

Vinnie nodded without a doubt. “Yeah, Boss, your relationship is better.”

“I can’t tell if I should be insulted by the assumption or impressed that you can understand him that well.” Leo chuckled and went to say more before pausing.

He looked off to the side, brow furrowed. “Sorry guys, but my master is telling me to hurry this up.” His arm started glowing bright, brighter than they’d seen before. “And I’m afraid she’s not taking my excuses this time.”

Dante grunted.

“He says those punches didn’t feel like excuses.” Vinnie translated.

"Yeah, well, when you have an S-Class summoner." Leo trailed off with a shrug as the light around his arm took the shape of a lion's head and began to grow larger with every second. "Any last words?"

Dante nodded and pointed off to the side.

“He says.” Vinnie blew out some smoke with a chuckle as a form took shape on Leo’s shoulder. “You forgot there were three of us.”

Leo’s eyes widened just as a sharp tail came for his eye. “Monty always stab.”

Before even waiting for the result, the cratered ground beneath Dante cracked further as he launched himself at Leo, knife poised to strike while Vinnie’s ropes exploded forward to support and restrain.

The three formed a triple-layered attack, each going for the kill without hesitation.

And Leo, the golden lion and leader of the Zodiac Spirits of the Celestial Realm, could only grin as light bloomed. 

Monty’s tail stalled against a golden helm.

Dante’s knife chipped against a golden chest plate.

Vinnie's ropes froze inches from golden greaves and vambraces radiating light.

Time slowed for all three as Leo raised the glowing lion's head, the smile on his face unhidden beneath his helm. "You're an ideal summoner, kid." Leo spoke into the silence as the lion expanded to three times its size. "If only Karen had half the heart you do.”

Dante's vision was filled by the approaching strike, taking in the blazing spirit armored from head to toe, his instincts roaring but offering no path.

Even as ropes yanked around his waist, pulling him backward, Dante knew he was helpless in the face of the raw power gap.

Hidden beneath his clothes, a watching red orb scoffed in derision, black whorls beginning to climb Dante’s skin.

“Regulus.” Leo’s arm shot forward, his armor vibrating like solid light. “IMPACT!”

Every window on the fifth floor shattered, and the surrounding King's Agents were blinded by the bright flash as the building shook.

00

“Hey, hey, we need the building to still be standing!” Voll yelled his complaint.

“Worry later!” Kama shot through the air, axe blades swinging as he cut apart debris that would have damaged the surrounding homes. “Contain the damage!”

00

“What the fuck?” Laxus grunted as the ceiling shook violently, walls cracking even as he punched the damn copper mage for the umpteenth time. “Will you stay down?!”

“It’s ok, hun.” #13 laughed and punched back with the manic grin of someone loving the fight. “I can survive even if the whole place comes down.”

“Why would I care?!” Laxus’s eyes lit white as he exploded in lightning, pissed off as he felt Dante’s Mana begin to dwindle. ‘Don’t you dare get your ass kicked, Orobo.’

00

“You’re unstable.” Yomi’s whispered voice rang through the warehouse, shadowy blades and spikes reaching for Jenny’s mobile form. “Our hired help is impressive, no?”

“Shut up!” Jenny growled, machine parts groaning from the rapid movements, her grapples keeping her out of reach of the man’s shadows. “How did you hire her?!”

The weight of that Mana was unmistakable to her.

“She volunteered.” Yomi cackled, his restrained personality bubbling over as his black eyes watched Jenny take out another of the few straggler Malts. "Her power is delicious."

Shadows seemed to respond to his excitement, undulating like waves as if to swallow Jenny whole.

“Fuck off, you creep.” Jenny growled as her shoulder pauldron cracked open, a miniature chain gun popping out as she aimed and fired all around at the shadow.

Her sensors were narrowing down the man’s position, but she had to hurry before she ran out of Mana. “My guild would never work for you.”

“Big words.” Yomi hissed at a glancing bullet, yet his lips pulled into a malicious grin as he felt her weakening. "I wonder how the truth shall feel?"

Jenny frowned and locked onto the last Malts, shooting off to finish them off. ‘You better keep your filthy hands off my friend, Karen.’

00

“This place is really getting wild.” Bacchus cackled as the building around them groaned, pieces of the ceiling falling, one even slamming into the dome of shields surrounding his opponent. “Ya cool with getting buried alive, man?”

“There is no risk to my well-being.” Shell responded coolly, even as he frowned at how heavily the building had to be damaged to see such widespread destruction. "Our hired help seems to be enjoying herself."

"Ah, that crazy pressure." Bacchus was likely the only one in the building who smiled widely as it washed over him, a loud laugh escaping him as he lifted his gourd to his lips. "My bro knows how to throw a real party." His red eyes glowed, hands lighting up white despite the countless bleeding cuts. "It's got my blood boiling."

"You are a fool." Shell sighed as Bacchus stepped forward once more, his rapid-fire movements slamming into conjured shields like rain on stone. "It matters not how much you strike; my shields shall not be broken through."

Shields cracked and were replaced in seconds, Shell swapping them out with his full concentration, never risking Bacchus’s palms getting close enough to his body to deal real damage.

“It matters not how long it takes to tire you out.” Shell calmly spoke as they dueled, trained skill versus magic that refused to be breached. “Once that monstrous woman catches the brewer, this day is done.”

"Catch?" Bacchus belted out a laugh as he slammed another glowing palm into a shield, his eyes curving up as he watched the cracks widen, his palms adapting to the man's magic. "That's a riot! Ya think one catches a Quatro Cerberus mage?"

Bacchus broke off, making Shell raise a brow in surprise as the martial artist pulled a well-worn flask from his waist and poured a glowing green brew down his gullet.

"I fail to see how drinking will help you?" Shell assessed him calmly as he took the time the young man foolishly gave him to fix his shields, making no outward note of how concerned he was that he had to keep swapping them out faster as the fight went on. "A brewer, no matter how talented, is no match for a professional S-Class mage."

"Talented?" Bacchus breathed out a cloud of steam, his hair covering his expression for a moment before he looked up with a savage smirk. "You all keep calling him a brewer like it's an insult." He crouched down on all fours as steam exploded from his skin, his voice turning hoarse and deep. “Who needs talent? His soul burns bright, and he’s gonna show the world what a brewer can really do with hard work.”

Between one blink and the next, Shell watched six of his shields shatter.

"!" The man lost his cool for the first time that night, staring into the blood-red eyes of the hound before him.

“Let’s get wild." Bacchus grinned with far-too-sharp teeth, his body blurring as shields shattered one after another.

Shell felt cold sweat roll down his spine as he conjured more shields, desperately trying to outlast whatever substance his foe had consumed. ‘Hurry up, woman!’

00

"Fucking Sadist." Dante growled, his body half-embedded in the ground on the third floor of Blackvein’s HQ.

"It was a valuable learning experience." Virgo chided gently, without her usual teasing amusement, standing over his prone form with a roof of earth above them. “You fought splendidly, Student.”

Vinnie and Monty were returned by the nuke that hit them, Vinnie only managing to send Dante back into the crater just in time for the ground to rise up and shield him before Leo’s blow sent him down two full floors of the building.

“Your co-workers are dicks.” Dante groaned as his experimental potion’s effects finally began to fade, returning his agility at the expense of the boosted durability.

“It is the nature of our existence.” Virgo hummed down at his shifting body. “This potion needs more work.”

“No shit.” Dante glared at the woman who took teaching far too literally. “What do you think I was making it for?”

Despite their situation, a flush couldn’t help but cross Virgo’s cheeks. “Bad master.”

“Bad maid.” Dante replied in fond exasperation as he pushed himself up, Virgo’s control having cushioned his fall enough that he didn’t need any major healing. “Enough jokes, he’s coming.”

"I shall handle the cat." Virgo helped him stand, brushing dust off his torn clothes. "I have observed his master. You shall deal with her."

“She’s an S-Class mage, Virgo.” Dante met her undaunted gaze. “And she has another Zodiac.”

“That woman possesses an average dimensional affinity.” Virgo patted his chest. “She will be unable to handle the strain of two Zodiacs fighting at once.”

"And that helps me how?" Dante knew exactly how much crossing into B-Class strengthened him. Laxus was a monster stepping into S-Class, yet the woman eclipsed them both. "My traps are useless against enough raw power."

“I’m sure you will manage.” Virgo smiled confidently, leaning in to place a gentle kiss on his lips. “You are gifted at rising to a challenge.”

Dante glared at her for a moment, then sighed and dropped his forehead to hers. "I preferred the forest."

“A true hunter has no environment he cannot hunt in.” Virgo said softly before their shelter shook violently. “Now go, my love.”

"That's my line, love." Dante lifted his lips to her forehead; the gates of their bond opened wide as he funneled over half of his Mana directly into the woman. "Unleash the earth."

Virgo giggled and stomped her foot.

Their earthen shell cracked just in time to smash into a golden-armored form, throwing them back across the wide-open ballroom where they landed.

“I knew it was you, Virgo!” Leo exploded out of the earthen debris, his helm vanishing as he laughed loudly.

Dante shook his head as his maid faced the overpowered Zodiac, then turned his gaze to the ceiling and the approaching weight of his foe. 'She never gives me easy tasks, does she?'

Chapter End.

AN: Hope you enjoyed! This chapter was honestly meant to be longer, but my beta reader put his foot down about cutting it, and he had a point. A few notes for everyone:

• Which chapter title do you like best?

• I tried to be realistic with Leo - currently still holding his position and responsibility - with the backing of a full S-Class mana pool to fuel him. Of course, there are AU elements, but I try to work based on how I imagine things.

• This might not mean much to anyone else, but I wanted to say that for the first time in 6 years of writing, I have finally surpassed the 300K word mark on a single story. The Ouroboros Potioneer is officially 300K+ and my longest running story, small achievement for me.

Thank you all for joining me for this ride, and the support that makes it possible.