Hunted by Characters I Drew!!

Marquis Voban sat on a park bench, his face drained of energy. With all his servants of death annihilated, there wasn't much left for him to do. 

He had no way to defeat Alexander. His death servants were gone, and even his powers of Gale and Rage, capable of destroying a city, wouldn't stand a chance against someone like Alexander. 

"Lord Marquis... what should we do now?" 

Liliana, who had been quietly following Voban, asked hesitantly. She knew her strength was insufficient to aid him in a battle of this level, but her loyalty compelled her to ask. 

"Liliana." 

"Yes, my lord?" she responded respectfully. 

"Is there a place nearby where I can... square dance?" 

"...What?" Liliana blinked, utterly speechless. 

——

Meanwhile, Alexander and Saeko stood facing each other at the site of the earlier battle. 

"Be careful in the future," Alexander said calmly. "This world might be even more dangerous than the one you come from." 

His words were not an exaggeration. While Saeko's apocalyptic school environment was perilous, her strength allowed her to navigate it with relative ease. But in this world, even a minor descendant of the supernatural realms could crush her without effort. 

Saeko nodded silently at Alexander's warning. Then, in a sudden and dramatic motion, she knelt before him. 

"What are you doing?" Alexander asked, startled. He had saved her life, but this felt like an excessive show of gratitude. 

Looking up at him with unwavering determination, Saeko said, "Please accept me as your apprentice!" 

"Apprentice?" Alexander was taken aback. 

Teaching an apprentice was an entirely different skill from simply being strong. Strength did not inherently make someone a good teacher. 

"I'm not good at teaching," Alexander replied bluntly. 

"Please accept me as your apprentice!" Saeko repeated with resolute firmness. 

"No, I mean, I don't want to take on any apprentices." 

"Please accept me as your apprentice!" Her determination didn't waver. To Saeko, kendo was everything, and witnessing Alexander's earlier battle had ignited an uncontrollable excitement in her. 

Her heart trembled with the thrill of it. 

"My sword techniques are traditionally passed from male to male," Alexander tried again, hoping to dissuade her. 

"I can go to Thailand!" Saeko retorted without hesitation, her expression unyielding. Alexander was momentarily stunned. Was she really this determined? Would she go so far as to change her gender just to learn from him? 

"Fine," Alexander said, trying another angle. "The apprenticeship ceremony I require is very expensive, and I don't accept ordinary gifts." 

"I'm willing to give you everything I have," Saeko said without hesitation. "Whatever it takes, I'll do it, as long as you teach me." 

Her resolve was clear, but after speaking, she fell silent. It was only then that she realized she had nothing to offer. She was penniless, stripped of material possessions, and a survivor of her own ruined world. 

"That's right," she murmured in despair. "I have nothing. Why would someone as powerful as you teach me?" 

Saeko was reminded of others who had sought mentorship in her world. Many of them offered generous gifts to their teachers in exchange for instruction, yet still, they were rejected. What hope did she have? 

But Alexander didn't view his abilities with the same reverence. The Breath of Thunder technique wasn't something he considered particularly precious—it was simply that he didn't have the patience to teach it. He would much rather spend his time relaxing with Esdeath and the others, pondering life's philosophies. 

"Get up," Alexander finally said. 

Saeko's eyes brightened with hope. "Does this mean... you'll teach me?" 

"I'll teach you," Alexander clarified, "but whether or not you can learn is up to you." 

That was enough for Saeko. Her dedication to kendo reminded Alexander of Ais, who was also learning swordsmanship under Yasuo and Zoro. 

Though he wasn't particularly enthusiastic about teaching, Alexander figured it wouldn't be much trouble. His household was full of sword masters—someone else could handle the instruction. At the very least, the Kocho sisters could start teaching Saeko the fundamentals of the breathing technique.