The first day of training with Mirtagos began with enthusiasm… and despair. The mountain spirit appeared from the thick mist covering the northern slope of the mountain, drifting lazily with a half-transparent body, bathed in a dazzling yellow-green aura. His lecherous smile never left his misty face.
"Welcome to my playground~ Ready for a hug, Miss Elara?" he teased, extending a misty hand.
"Shut up, you pervy spirit!" Sylveras snapped, immediately forming a small protective circle of earth around Elara.
But their attacks were ineffective. Mirtagos could transform into mist and disappear before Sylveras' magic or strikes could touch his body. They spent the whole day trying various strategies, but none worked. Mirtagos was too agile, too mischievous… and too strong.
On the second day, Elara tried freezing the mist using a spell based on wind and ice elements. The mist thickened for a moment… only to turn into dozens of playful hands poking their faces.
"Be gentler, Miss Elara~ Your cheeks are like flower petals~"
Sylveras kicked the empty air while shouting, "I curse you to be bathroom mist forever!"
On the third, fourth, and fifth days, they kept failing. New strategies, tighter coordination, even trying simultaneous magic traps. Mirtagos still escaped and stayed flirty.
Sometimes he disappeared for hours, then suddenly appeared just to slip strange comments:
"Wearing light blue today? Polite but tempting~"
Elara was almost in tears from frustration. Sylveras wanted to give up, but their determination to improve kept them going. Their nights were spent having dinner while discussing strategies to defeat Mirtagos.
Day six.
For the first time, they almost touched Mirtagos' core body. A spark of light appeared when their combined magic hit the center of the misty form—but only for a moment. The spirit quickly retreated and vanished back into the mist.
That night, sitting tired at Gorion's dining table, looking at the starry night sky through the window, their bodies full of small wounds and heavy frustration.
Silence.
Then, from the mist came a faint but annoying voice:
"You almost touched me, Elara~ Just a bit more... my heart's racing~"
Without thinking, Sylveras threw an empty wooden cup toward the mist.
"Gross, don't you know that!"
Mirtagos giggled, then disappeared.
Elara covered her face with her hands, her cheeks flushed.
"If I could seal that spirit, I'd do it right now…" she whispered softly.
Sylveras sighed, then glanced at Elara, intending to retaliate against Mirtagos' antics. Despite the constant harassment, she held on. He secretly admired Elara's steadfast heart, and it made him even more motivated.
"Tomorrow… we have to win," he murmured quietly, before they both returned to their rooms and fell asleep.
Day seven had come. The day of reckoning.
After many failures, wounds, and teasing, they were now ready with a new strategy crafted overnight. Mirtagos might be strong and annoying, but they had started to understand his movement patterns.
And most importantly they close to beat Mirtagos