The morning sun rose slowly over the city of Sitler, casting a pale glow over its cracked rooftops. Arsh stood beside Ainz's bed, his arms crossed.
"Wake up. Training starts now."
A groggy Ainz rubbed his eyes. "Ugh… Already?"
Soon, they arrived at a secluded, open training ground—clean, quiet, and completely hidden from the city. Standing in the center was a tall, lean figure in dark armor, arms folded behind his back. It was Noar.
"Good morning, my lord," Noar greeted Arsh with a respectful bow.
"Good morning, Noar. So, did you complete the investigation?"
Before Noar could answer, Arsh turned to Ainz. "Let me introduce you both. Ainz, this is Noar—the one and only Phantom, third strongest being in the world, and yes… he's a demon. But he's also my ally. Noar, meet Ainz Frost, son of Sitler's mayor and my new disciple."
Ainz's eyes widened. "You're the Phantom? The demon who switched sides? The one who never lost a single fight under the Demon Lord?"
Noar gave a slow nod. "My loyalty belongs to Arsh, not the demons or their lords."
Arsh stepped back. "From now on, Noar will train you. He'll teach you how to fight demons and survive. Learn from him. When you're strong enough to land a clean hit on Noar, then I'll train you personally."
"What? But I want you to teach me!" Ainz protested.
"You couldn't handle a single punch from me yet," Arsh said flatly. "Earn that right. Now get started."
With that, Arsh disappeared.
Noar turned to Ainz, cracking his neck. "Let's begin. I won't attack. You have ten minutes. Land a single blow—just one—and I'll consider you worthy."
Ainz lunged forward. His punch sailed past Noar's head, missing by a wide margin.
"I still can't believe I'm being trained by the Phantom," Ainz said while swinging again. "But why? Why are you working with humans? You're a demon—you used to eat us, right?"
Noar caught Ainz's wrist easily. "All demons believe humans are weak. Easy prey. Delicious prey. I was the same—until I fought Arsh."
He let go, stepping aside as Ainz stumbled forward.
"I was a powerful 4th-tier Rage Demon back then, full of fury. But Arsh beat me… not with hatred, but with clarity. He didn't see demons as monsters—just threats that needed to be stopped. When I surrendered, he didn't kill me. He offered me purpose. He taught me how to control the hunger, the anger… my aura."
Ainz paused, stunned.
"Time's up," Noar said calmly. "Now I strike."
The next thing Ainz saw was darkness.
Noar: I tried my best in holding back.
Ainz woke up groggily on a soft sofa. The smell of food filled the air.
"Good, you're awake. Come eat," Arsh said, placing a plate of hot breakfast beside him.
"I… I lost. I couldn't even see his attack…"
"No one can," Arsh replied, sipping tea. "Noar was the strongest 4th-tier I ever fought. Now, he's evolved into a 3rd-tier. You're lucky he held back."
Ainz looked around. "Where… are we?"
"A secret bunker under the boys' dorm. My command center," Arsh said with a small smile.
Ainz took a bite. "This is delicious. You're a good cook, too?"
Arsh smirked. "Eat fast. You've got another test."
Later, Arsh stood on the rooftop of a nearby building. Ainz was down in the alleyway, stretching.
"Can you hear me?" Arsh asked through a communicator.
"Yeah, loud and clear. What now?"
"Training," Arsh replied. "OSAI, give him full combat support."
"Understood, sir," OSAI replied.
"There are three Level 7 demons in the alley. You'll fight them. Alone."
"Wait, what?! It's my first day!"
"You'll be fine. They're only rank 7. OSAI will keep you alive for five minutes. After that, it's your problem."
Ainz gritted his teeth. "Okay… I'll do it."