Chapter 18 : Tournament 9 : Childhood_Enemy

In the night, five tiny lights flickered and lit in the whole academy.

The first light was from the principal's office - Bertund and Shelly were busy with administrative things, and so they burned the night doing what they did not have time for in the day. Needless to say, this light has been switched on since the sun set.

Be : "... Hmm. Strange."

S : "What is?"

Be : "According to the cafeteria's reports, we seem to be running low on salt."

S : "So we are. Apparently, a princess of Rugnud disappeared, so they are suffering from economic panic. It's throwing all sorts of things out of order - The trades are delayed and the border check all around Rugnud is being reinforced. At this rate, Findel might run out of resources besides salt, like materiel to build and repair buildings as well. The price of jewels and crystals might skyrocket, too."

Be : "... Huh. We'll need to look into this matter more... After the tournament. The tournament comes first."

S : "Yeah. We should plan and prioritize a day for it too. Simply squeezing our own matters into the curriculum is too selfish."

Be : "... The next available days we have are... the third and fourth week after the tournament."

S : "Schedule that."

Be : "Okay. I'm scheduling it right now."

And so the couple continued working the night away.

The second light was the small light at an emergency station, one that was always lit and ready should anything bad occur. The last three lights belonged to the semifinalists of the tournament. They all stayed up, they revised and planned their opponent's movements, and they expended sleep for victory. Well, at least, two of them were - One of the students, Pitin, was chewing his nails rigorously in a state of panic. The semifinalists were all awake, doing something.

... Except Katachi. He was just snugly sleeping the night off, recovering his energy instead. Katachi's young body could not withstand the pressure of staying up all night - Expecting it from a 10 year old is a tough ordeal compared to the other semifinalists.

And so, a peaceful night passed.

*** ***

An itch formed on his left shoulder.

K : (... ? Already?)

(Contestant Katachi, your match begins in 30 minutes. Please assemble at the entrance to Cosmatral Tlod.)

Opening his eyes, Katachi was greeted by the foldable mounted rack just above him.

K : (... That was close. I almost tried to get up normally.)

Folding up the table rack, Katachi climbed off his bed, and changed into his uniform. Securing the pants onto his skin with a belt, wearing a white undershirt, and sticking his arm into the jacket's sleeve-

The sounds of wood creaking was heard. His door was being opened!

"Yeah, yeah, I'll just change my socks- ..."

Another student has barged into his room, while Katachi was putting on his jacket.

The student was dumbfounded at Katachi being in the room, with eyes wide open and one arm through the jacket sleeve. He looked at the door plate again, before sighing an "Ah..." and apologizing.

"... Sorry about that. I thought this was the first floor."

Closing the door gently, the student left.

K : (... Huh. Do such mix-ups happen often?)

*** ***

At the waiting area for the contestants, Katachi leaned against the stone wall, waiting for his match patiently.

P : "... No way..."

K : (?)

Facing the exit, Katachi looks at the student he's going to be fighting - A brown bowl-cut hair adolescent slightly older than he is, holding a wooden rune carving on his hands.

P : "... Are you Kotsuba... Katachi?" (He's so young!! He's the guy that beat Nea, Cillian, and even Deku...)

K : "... Yes? Yes I am?"

P : "I have to fight YOU!? But, but- but, you the guy that beat the champion! You beat Deku! I can't- I can't possibly defeat a guy who's beaten both Deku and Cillian!"

It seems that this student lacked self-confidence. It was a bit different from the other opponents, but Katachi roughly guessed that this student was not accustomed to high-pressure situations.

Basically, he was a student who would break under a certain level of stress.

K : "... Are you okay?"

P : "No. NO! I am NOT okay. I've seen what you did in Cosmatral Tlod. The way you savagely attacked Cillian... You're going to smack my rune out of my hands, and you're going to hurt me a lot, aren't you!! I... I forfeit! I don't want to fight anymore!"

By now, the student's face had paled, and his teeth clattered nervously.

K : (... Is he afraid of pain, or... something... ?)

*** ***

Shelly's voice projected over the whole coliseum.

S : "Your attention please. Due to the semifinalist Pitin requesting for a forfeit, contestant Kotsuba Katachi has won the match by default. As such, we shall only have one match for the semifinals, Djinnje against Zirco."

D : "It's THE AMAZING Djinnje! You forgot to put THE AMAZING before my name! Hey! Don't igno-" The voice of a student was projected throughout the school before the announcement was abruptly cut off.

... With an unexpected turn of events, Katachi was allowed to partake in the finals, by default.

Two minutes later, Bael walked into the waiting area to congratulate Katachi.

Ba : "I'm impressed. You just won the semifinals without lifting a finger. Literally!"

K : "It's not really... Not really my fault. He... he... he wanted to forfeit when he realized that I was his opponent."

Ba : "Yeah. Why did he just give up, though? He's come all the way to the semifinals, be it by luck or skill, so he should have at least aimed for the champion's seat."

K : "... I don't know. Maybe he was afraid of pain? He looked like he was in agony just from remembering how I beat Cillian."

Ba : (Oh, yeah, the one where Katachi just madly attacked Cillian.) "... Yeah. The way you fought Cillian was pretty aggressive, actually."

K : "... It is?"

Ba : "Yeah. I mean, I haven't met a pure magus who would attack like that. You're like, a mixture between a rogue and a mage, wielding a dagger like that."

K : "Ahaha, you flatter me..." (... I guess Nistier's Style is a form of martial arts that accommodate to rogues. Which means, according to Gnote's Findel Guide to Paganism Survival, if anyone uses this style, their role in a team is most likely a rogue, and they would attempt their best at placing the magi in danger while keeping away from the warrior. To counter them, a warmonger approach, or boosting the rogue's strength or the warrior's speed to pin down the opposing rogue would be the best option...)

Ba : (... He's just standing there, pondering... What is he thinking about?... Is he worried about the championship match?) "Hey, Katachi?"

K : (?) "Ah, yes?"

Ba : "If you need me, I'd always be there. In fact, I want you to need me, so be sure to rely on this senior more, ahahahahaha!" (WAIT, WAIT, WHAT AM I SAYING!? THAT HAS GOT TO BE THE MOST EMBARRASSING THING I COULD HAVE EVER SAID!! IT'S AS GOOD AS A CONFESSION!!!)

Bael's face reddens uncontrollably, her lips straightened to form an expression that shows her holding in her joy and fear at the same time.

K : (... Okay... ? So, I'm like, what, her son?... She must see seniority over me because of our age differences, but I wish she would not treat me like her own son. Still, it's a form of goodwill, and the thought's what counts. I guess I'll thank her for the blessing.) "... Thank you?"

Ba : (Is... Is.... Is that a yes? Or a sympathetic no? Which is it? Why does he talk like that?... !)

K : (!)

Shelly's voice echoed through the whole stadium.

S : "Your attention please, contestants for the finals, please stand by. The finals will begin shortly."

The recording sounded awkward. It was definitely Shelly's voice, but it was far too energetic and unrealistic compared to how she taught Katachi during the Words of Power lecture. Still, because proper communication magic was far too expensive, this was one of the better alternatives the school looked to. The important part of the Young Magus tournament was the finalization of the most powerful young magi, not the announcer's voice, after all.

Ba : (Wha- The semifinals are over already? We've only been talking for a few minutes! That was fast...)

K : "... Bael."

Ba : "?"

Katachi's face turned serious.

K : "... I don't want to fight this final round."

Ba : (He looks really serious... But, Katachi's already that powerful. Why wouldn't he want to fight the last round? Is it because the semifinal match was settled this quickly?)

"... There you are, bastard child."

A voice Katachi had hoped never to hear echoed through the corridor to their ears.

Ba : "Bastard child? Who are you calling a bastard child? Show yourself!"

Z : "Shut up, woman."

Walking into the room, was a person Katachi didn't want to see.

Zirco.

He had been another one of many children in Mielfeud whom had given Katachi a hellish childhood. He had been the brains of a trio of delinquents in town that picked on him deliberately. Though compared to Juval and Dante, Zirco hasn't actually hurt Katachi physically, but he deceived the adults and set up the bullying to reverse their roles - Katachi was made to look like the bad child everyone thought he was. His actions have promoted Juval and Dante's bullying, hurting him without holding back, and he had been here for about a year already. Zirco must know a lot of things about the school, about the lore that Katachi himself probably didn't.

*Cozy's Notes : That last line up there was sarcasm - Rinnesfeld's church has a library, and Katachi hung around it often. Zirco may have read books for a year, but Katachi's been doing it for at least 8 years. Kehehehehehehe.*

Z : "Don't look at me, scum."

Of course, his intellect was the source, if not the equivalent of his egoism.

K : "... Zirco."

Z : "A bastard child like yourself does not deserve to address me. Your actions of defeating Deku and Cillian are commendable, but I'm not some goofy-headed fool who screams and swears stupid promises around, nor am I a fool who splits time between learning magic and swordplay. I am different - I am a pure magus."

K : "... Chotil Nea's a pure magus too, if you put it that way."

Z : "She doesn't count. She transforms into a cougar using Qin Tsung Yao's tale - Transformation magic can't be considered proper magic. To have her up on the semifinals last year was a big blunder. I should have just beat Cillian so I could defeat her too."

K : "... Defeat Cillian... So you were in the tournament last year."

Z : "Of course I have. And now, thanks to you, I can't fight and test this new strength I've obtained."

Zirco's eyes gradually fill with hatred and spite as he keeps complaining about the lack of tough opponents. It was just a mere shoutdown - Zirco's complaining that Katachi isn't strong enough to be worthy of an opponent.

Z : "... No matter. I'll take this chance to show everyone the bastard child that you are."

Zirco walked towards the obelisk that was the entrance to Cosmatral Tlod. Touching the crystal atop, he transported himself to the plane of plain sand.

When he did, the announcer who was Shelly spoke up, to remind him of something important.

S : "... Uhm... Mister Zirco? The finals this year aren't held in Cosmatral Tlod..."

The crowd is laughing at the fool Zirco had made of himself, as he rebutted as hard as he could. Since the voices and sounds inside Cosmatral Tlod were broadcasted to the coliseum, everyone could hear them clearly.

Z : "What do you mean, it's not in Cosmatral Tlod? It has always been this field! It was the same last year!"

S : "Well, mister Zirco, you've probably only been here for a year, but the tradition of the final round of the Young Magus tournament is to determine the field for next year's tournament. Last year, the roll was just a coincidence that the field was going to be Cosmatral Tlod again. But this year, the final round is held at Cosmatral Silo. That means next year's tournament is going to be held in Cosmatral Silo. Please exit Cosmatral Tlod now, mister Zirco. And to the future participants, rejoice - It's Cosmatral Silo again!"

Zirco quietly left the plane, and headed to the obelisk for Cosmatral Silo instead. The crowd was laughing at Zirco for his mistake at first, but the revelation of 'Cosmatral Silo' caused many of the students to sigh, moan and lament at the news.

Ba : "Ooo-hoo-hoo! Cosmatral Silo! That's my field!"

S : "Oh, come on! Don't be so glum! Cosmatral Silo might be a bad place for elementalists, but that means Dardicel magi are going to be weakened as well! This should be your chance to beat Deku while he's weakened!"

K : (Deku? Weakened?)

Hearing that, Katchi's ears perked up. He had never heard of Cosmatral Silo before.

K : "Bael, what's Cosmatral Silo?"

Ba : "Oh, Cosmatral Silo? It's another plane, like Tlod and Neud.

K : "It is? What are the differences?"

Ba : "Well, Neud has a lot of soil and trees, which allows other plants and animals to live there. The air is much fresher, and so plant magi, Soltak followers like you, and fire magi benefit from it the most. Tlod's a sandy plain, so kicking, heavy combat and sand- or earth-using magi like Deku benefit from it the most. Silo is completely metallic - If you dent the floor, it becomes an obstacle that people have to look out for. If it's utilized correctly, the entire battlefield can be made to one's advantage. Because it lacks nature, many elemental magi suffer, but it's fields like that which emphasize on the space available to maneuver makes me, an animationist, shine."

K : (... I wonder how many planes there are out there?) "You sound like you have a plan ready already."

Ba : "Of course! If I write Kaba or Tespi runes on the floor, I can force the metal to crumble and make a lot of materiel to reanimate, while the elemental magi are left completely open and defenseless!"

K : "... Wow, you're really far-sighted, aren't you..."

Ba : "Oh, don't look at me like that. I've been here for 6 years, and I've joined this tournament twice already, don't you know!"

K : (... She really is a lot older than the students here. She's 16 years old, but I didn't think she came here since she was 10 years old as well.) "I suppose I better head to Cosmatral Silo then."

Ba : "Good luck! Have fun! And be careful - Don't get impaled!"

K : *cold sweat* (Im... Impaled? Impaled by what?)

Routes

Words of Power Quest, is a story I've written, its inspiration is gathered from the things I've met, encountered, experienced, etc.

And recently, I know it's embarrassing to say this - But I only started reading Fate/Stay Night recently. I mean, I've watched the anime, but comparing it to the visual novel itself, the anime just lacks a lot. It's simplified and all, but the joy of visual novels is to look at the background while reading and listening, and imagining the scene out yourself in a definition and quality way higher than the 24fps allowed for normal anime.

Also, the anime only covered Fate/Stay Night, and it had a film on Unlimited Blade Works too. But it's missing Cup of Heaven, or Heaven's Feel for those hardcore English fans. And I find the whole concept of these alternate routes available... interesting.

Originally, choosing the 'bad' option unlocks a 'bad end' scene, but once you play through the game once, this 'bad end' scene is replaced with a new story route. And progressively, finishing this new route unlocks another new route. Systematically, this sounds logical, because the characters' actions affect the world, affect the interactions and relationships between the characters, and the way the story unfolds changes because of these factors.

I really like that concept - That's probably why visual novels are third in my list, compared to light novels and films. And, I see great potential for this in WoP. That's right - WoP Quest is also going to have different routes! :D

It's going to have 3 different routes. The first route is the 'good route', the second route is the 'bad route', and the final route is the 'true route'. Now, here's a big problem - If I am going to implement all three routes, then... Won't that mean this would be a big-scale, 10-year blog project?

... Yes. It would. But I'm not about to let it stretch on for 10 long years.

I have plans for countering that problem, and I plan to sit down and discuss this problem with my friends, to assess the most efficient and effective method of countering this.

My first plan for it, is to have double-route content when I reach that point - As in, posting two chapters, one of each route, repeatedly. So I'll be doing the good route and the bad route at the same time.

The problem is, reading these together spoils the feels of the novel itself. You have to constantly alternate your brain around each route's story and progress, and it might be easy to mix up. But it's still my ideal. Or, alternately, you can choose to read one route first, and slowly enjoy it all, before taking your time to read the second route. That would work, but it's going to be arduous waiting. Also, I think I'll die an early death via excessive stress, having to post the content of two separate routes weekly like so, having to sit down and think about how each route is progressing, etc.

The second idea is to go with the old plan - Dedicate on one route and finish it before starting the next. It will either drag as long as 10 years, or it will be slightly shorter. Might post double or even triple chapters once in a while.

... Nahdah. Those are my only ideas so far. I have a long way to go, because I'm just a budding writer. At least, I think I am.

So, yeah. A little APUDAET on what I'm been doing. How's you people spending the day?

... Yeah. This update seems unnecessary, because it's barely about the story at all. So, let me make it more related to the story.

In Fate/Stay Night, the separate routes each have their own name that correlates to the outcome of that route. Fate/Stay Night featured the classic Shirou = Victorious, UBW featured Shirou's ide-... Uh, I won't spoil it, but ANYWAY, each route has their own name and such, so I'll share the names of all the routes.

The good route's name is Messiah. I know, I know. It sounds crappy and cheesy, like it has been overused. Well, it has. But it describes the route the best way possible. You can think about how and what kind of future creates this route. When the time comes, of course.

The bad route's name is Herald. Ooo, it's a name we don't hear as often nowadays. This term, is often confused with "Herald-at-arms". Yes, Herald is a bad route. No, it does not necessarily mean war. This route features things not in Messiah.

The true route is Endus Reignum. To be honest, I had asked my friends to decide whether it should be Endetiden, or Endus Reignum. They went with this, so let's just go along with it. Apparently it sounds more majestic than some Norwegian term for "End of time".

Here's the final clue - All the routes has something to do with the deuteragonist starred in Chapter 13.5 : Omen_To_Leave.

With that, I bid farewell, and until we meet again, next week! Thanks for those whom have supported this series thus far!

Many thanks,
Cozy and Tee Dubya / CozyTW / Cozy

Chapter 17 : Tournament 8 : Finally_The_Day_Ends

K : "... Ugh..."

Pouring the last of that brown syrup from the cup into his mouth, Katachi swallowed hard at the slimy brown liquid. Its texture and viscosity was preceded only by its amazing healing effects, but the taste itself would not forgive its utility. It was therefore favoured not by the nobles, but rather the commonfolk.

Experiencing the taste again firsthand, Katachi can only worry for Deku, whom has promised the students that he would be drinking this brown syrup for a whole month. It was worrisome in that he would have to gorge down this disgusting syrup for a whole month in replacement for water, but at least he would not have any tiny cuts or superficial injuries on his body since they would have been healed.

Katachi placed the wooden cup into the bin and headed towards the exit, but he was interrupted halfway by a senior he is familiar with. A senior with four blonde braids, and a dynamic body.

Ba : "Ahh, Katachi, you're over here?"

K : "... ? Bael?"

Ba : "Congratulations on defeating Deku back there, Katachi! I didn't know you were, uhm..."

K : "... were... what?"

Bael's face reddens, and turns away in embarrassment.

Ba : "... That... Powerful..."

Bael's eyes reflected a strange light, one Katachi couldn't quite word it. That light was similar to disbelief, though. Far, far too similar. She probably didn't expect Katachi to actually be powerful enough to beat Deku. Doubting his combat potential was bad on her part, which made her speaking awkward.

K : "Oh, er, not... Not really. Deku didn't fight at his fullest, so it wasn't that hard to beat him."

Katachi, on the other hand, has always stuttered with his words and so it has become sort of a bad habit on him - It wasn't surprising to see him trying to cough his own words out.

Ba : "... Katachi, it's not good to lie..."

K : "... About what?"

Ba : "I know Deku for these past 3 years. He may be foolish and childish to play bets like that, but that's because he uses those as a motivation to win. He wouldn't want to lose on purpose. If you didn't beat him at his full power, then it's probably either you have a power that can restrict him, or you somehow forced him to lose."

Katachi's palms turned sweaty at "power that can restrict him". It was a clear, accurate description of what exactly happened - She had obviously seen the match. Did they see it? Did they notice the two golden words glowing at the top of the mound of sand? They didn't catch on to it during Deku's first attack, did they?

Ba : "... What were you using back there?"

Katachi had to think fast. Being confronted directly, he had to come up with yet another convincing argument.

K : (Come on... Think... Think... ! Deku mentioned something called the Light prism back at our little conversation...) "Uhm... It's called Light Prism. It's... It's using sunlight to seal off the movements of the golem."

Bael's eyes widened slightly, since she hadn't heard of Soltak's Reincarnate Art being capable of that before. It was convincing not because it fit the description of what happened; Rather, it was believable because the records on Soltak's Reincarnate Art were so scarce, that it was often easier to trust the person explaining it than some author who didn't know it thoroughly.

Ba : "... That sounds cool."

K : (... I think she bought the lie. That's a relief.) "Uhm, Bael, listen... I... I'd need to sketch out the map you lent to me, so I'm in a... uh... kind-of in a rush..."

Ba : (He's worried about that?) "Oh, that? You don't need to rush that. You can return me the map anytime."

K : "Yes, bu- but I would feel like I'd be... imposing on you..."

Ba : (Imposing on me? How cute... He's like a little puppy, wanting to love me in the only way it knows how!  He's just... So... ADORABLE!!!)

K : "... Bael?"

Ba : (Haa... I'm imagining him with puppy ears, arf!-ing at me! I'm so excited!!!)

K : (... She's in a daze again, looking at me all funny. Is that my cue to leave?... I'll leave...)

Katachi scuttered quickly out of resting area, leaving a googly-eyed Bael in a daze.

*** ***

Be : "Come in, mister Kotsuba, come in."

Without even knocking on the door, Katachi was invited into the office, this time by the creepy, smiling green-attired principal with the slime hat still on his head. The other lady, Shelly, seems to have gone off to work on other matters, because she isn't there anymore.

K : "... How do you guys even know that I'm outside the office in the first place? Did you two apply some form of see-through magic on the door?"

Be : "Oh, not really. It's quite simple, really - When someone steps on the carpet outside, this flap unclips itself and drops down."

Pointing at a flap on the wall, Bertund demonstrated its function by pulling the flap out and closing it back in. It squeaked and made a solid sound when the leather strips are stretched to its fullest allowed, further demonstrating its usefulness.

Be : "It's pretty easy to tell if someone is outside the door, just loitering around, or has just arrived. This is so useful that we've learnt to automatically close it and call people in whenever it opens."

K : "... Huh. Interesting... construct."

Be : "I should say. I'm glad this was implemented. So, I've heard from Shelly just now - You wanted to discuss something with me? Is it about adding yet another course to your curriculum?"

K : "... Yes. !! I mean, no! No. Uhm... Missus Shelly couldn't teach me any water magic at all, because she isn't good with it. So, I was... I was hoping you'd teach me water magic."

Hearing that, Bertund maintained his creepy smile, and stood up silently. He walked towards the bookshelf in the room, picked up a book, and began flipping through its contents.

Be : "That is an interesting offer, mister Kotsuba. But, the thing is, I don't teach magic for free, you see. If you were to request for a normal teacher to assist you in basic spells and the like, it would be fine and free of charge. But, as the principal of this school and a head figure for the aspiring magi, I cannot simply teach someone a spell."

K : "... Why not?"

Bertund paused the flipping and looked at Katachi, with a slightly wider smile on his face.

Be : "Because, mister Kotsuba, when I teach magic, that is a 100% guarantee that you will not just learn, but master it."

K : "!!"

Be : "I can teach anything and everything about whatever magic I've managed to learn myself. And that is the reason why I am the principal, not a teacher - If I simply allow a mere, talentless student to study under my supervision, they will quite literally become a second me. The elemental affinities, the limitations of astrology and lore, even the most advanced spells, all of the tough reading and researching, the construction of mediums and weapons, all of that can be negated under my proficient teachings. That wouldn't be nice if everyone is as powerful as the principal now, would it?"

K : (... From the way he phrases that, I'm guessing that anyone who studies under him will learn everything his way... Does he have a kind of magic to transfer his knowledge to others, allowing them to master the spells as well as he does?) "..."

Be : "That is why I cannot afford to teach a student for free, unlike the free education the other teachers here provide. This academy is, after all, a place to nurture, ripen and foster the power of potential magi. It is not a factory for producing Sorceror-class magi. If you wish to learn a certain spell, you would have to pay."

K : (... Pay? Isn't this an academy that doesn't require payment?) "... Pay? Pay in what terms?..."

Be : "As you probably have guessed, my favorite food, is roasted newt. My favorite hat, is slime. And my favorite color, is green. If you wish to learn a basic spell, offer me something green. If you wish to learn an intermediate spell, fetch me a slime, or a slime-related by-product. If you wish to learn an advanced spell, you would have to actually catch and roast a newt for me by yourself. Those are my terms."

K : "... Why the funky currency?"

Bertund's smile faded a little, and he began reading the book he was holding.

Be : "... There are children around who rely on their parents' money, in order to obtain fame, fortune, status and power. I despise those who would use gold for bribery - And you may have noticed, but about a third of the students here are rich. Some of our students here have families rich enough to purchase this entire academy. That would distort the fair, balanced learning environment this place is supposed to be, would it not? Is that not defying the wishes of Sage Raufid himself?"

K : "... I guess you're right..."

Be : "... So, mister Kotsuba. You now know what you need to do. What have you to offer me?"

K : (... I'll go get a newt then.) "... I'll be right back."

Katachi exited the room silently, with a determined look in his eyes.

*** ***

Two and a half hours later, Katachi arrived at the principal's office once again.

K : "Bertund? Are you in there?"

Be : "Come in, mister Kotsuba."

Opening the door, Katachi was greeted by Bertund, and another teacher in the room. This teacher looked familiar, to say the least - His upper torso was bigger than his lower torso, and he looked like a gorilla human.

Be : "Well, Yorn, let us discuss this some other time- ..."

Katachi was holding a cage in his hand.

Y : "... ! ...Well, if you would excuse me. I will take my leave now."

The teacher Yorn slowly edged his way out of the room, avoiding collision with the furniture and Katachi.

With the door closed behind him, Katachi could openly discuss with Bertund on his issues again.

Be : "... Well, I was expecting a roasted newt, but you actually went and caught a live newt?"

K : "... Segus forbids killing."

Be : "Right, of course. I believe Mother Rinnesfeld mentioned something along those lines in her recommendation letter?"

K : "... Yeah. Specifically, though, she... She mentioned that the church, which, well, we lived in, served Segus, so it wasn't... very... clear..."

Be : "It's fine, because the message got through. *observes newt* This newt... Yes, yes, this is good. Not quite an adult yet, but it will be one very soon."

Bertund nodded in approval to Katachi's gift.

Be : "So, you wanted to learn an advanced spell?"

Katachi placed the cage on the desk, and sat on the chair opposite the principal's seat.

K : "... Yes. A-and I'd like to learn one that can accustom to me and my needs properly."

Be : "... Yes, well, mister Kotsuba, I've noticed your combat patterns today, from the observation deck. But, are you sure you want an advanced spell? It might not be of great use to you in the tournament."

K : "? It won't?"

Be : "No, not in the slightest. The Young Magus tournament has rather specific limitations, where you are only allowed the wooden weapon you have with you, as well as any magic you are able to cast with your weapon, or by yourself. Even if, say, I do teach you one, it would require a rather large magic circle made entirely from, say, sand. You would have to draw the circle in the sand while avoiding the attacks from the other magi, and stopping the opponents from disrupting the circle. Unless, of course, the circle requires your opponent to be in a specific position. That's not an easy maneuver to perform neither, especially without practice. And, pulling tricks like that are often to force the opponent to move and counter before you can pull it off, or to lure them into a bigger trap. If you'd like to learn a bigger trap to go along with it, that would require another newt."

K : "..."

Katachi's head drooped a little at the news.

Be : "... Don't worry. You've presented me a newt anyway, so I shall teach magic of value equivalent to this offer. How about a couple of useful, fast-casting, basic spells, and some advice?"

Katachi's spirit raised upon the mention of 'fast-casting'.

K : "... I guess that's not too bad..."

Be : "Very well. Let's begin with the advice then - Every little bit helps, does it not?"

K : "... I... I guess."

Be : "Okay. Did you know, that your 定 is actually capable of 锁定, which means 'lock'?"

Katachi was taken aback at the sudden, random trivia.

K : "... I thought we were learning water magic!"

Be : "Ahh, but I said 'some advice', did I not? I did not specify what advice I would give. Besides, an advice on your own Word of Power is far greater than any advice I can give on magic you don't even know yet."

K : (... Bertund makes sense... 锁定, huh... That sounds really good.) "... I guess... That is nice to know, but why would knowing this be good for me?"

Be : "Because knowing that allows you to use your 定 to lock other objects, to lock chests, doors, and... Well, that's a hint big enough for you. You can figure out what you want to do with this knowledge."

K : (... That's really good to know. Locking, huh... So, if the bamboo scroll is right, basically, I can lock anything that is below the word's raw precedence level...) "... Okay...? So, can we touch on water magic now?"

Be : "Very well. I understand how important water magic is to you as an alternative, so just relax already, mister Kotsuba."

Katachi leaned back against the chair's backrest comfortably.

Be : "Just one last thing before we begin, mister Kotsuba. Let's review your strategy for battling - You like to head in for close-range combat, and clash at the magi in that uncomfortable zone. That's a good strategy against magi, if I may say so myself. Did you learn that somewhere beforehand?"

K ; "... Yes. There were these bamboo books laying outside one of the Mielfeud townsfolk's house, so I picked them up and carried them to the library to read... One of these... One of these books was about how people have generic fighting styles and how each could be countered in that fashion. For war- Warriors, pacing about and dodging their strikes, or out... Out- Outranging them was best, and for magi, it was, uhm, well, to get into a close range, and have them focus on their immediate space so they...So they stop supporting their team-mates and try to survive."

Be : "From your description, I'm guessing the book's name was Gnote's Findel Guide to Paganism Survival?"

K : "!! Yes, that's the one!"

Be : "I see. So, you already know that much. But the book isn't dedicated to magi, or assassins, or warriors, or anybody besides pagans like Gnote himself. It won't help a whole lot, but it certainly did improve your strategic thinking.... Hmm..."

K : "... ?"

Be : "... Very well! I'll start teaching you water magic now. You're going to LOVE these - I guarantee it."

*** ***

A long day of battling finally simmers down into a peaceful night.

Katachi put down the chalk and charcoal in his hands. He folded up the two maps, and placed them neatly on the side of the small desk.

(... I'm finally finished with the map...)

Looking up at the moonlit sky, a half-moon shone across the scenery outside his window.

(Tomorrow's going to be a big day, huh... The semifinals and the finals together on the same day. And I sure as hell hope I don't have to fight him at all.)

Staring at the night sky, Katachi immersed himself in his own thoughts.

(Well, if all else fails, I'll rely on the Word of Power then. But that should only be a last resort. If I can, I want to settle the battles with the rest of them as soon as possible with these new techniques... But what will they think? If they truly believe that I am using Child of Sun, won't it be very strange to suddenly know water spells?...)

The smell of sand, soil and the uncomfortable itch and stickness across his body broke him out of his trance - He hasn't bathed yet. For the whole day, he had been running around, rolling, tumbling and fighting on the sandy dunes of Cosmatral Tlod, dug around Cosmatral Neud and hunted for a newt, and by the time he realized the dirty uniform he has, it was already night.

(... It's almost 9... The curfew begins in a short while. I should use this time to bathe instead.)

Walking towards the door, Katachi took off the sandy jacket and headed towards the bathroom.

*** ***

The bathroom wasn't exactly a bathroom - It was essentially a huge bathing space. There were many outlets for water to flow through, but they were all connected to a single source - A single tank enchanted with an Urdythari's unending tears spell.

(... I'm surprised how nobody's here at this hour! Maybe it was because there's no actual lessons today that the students can bathe at their own time, so they chose to do it early?... Huh. I guess not all students want to bathe late in the night.)

Katachi undressed his uniform, neatly unfolded his towel, and hung them on the racks.

(For the uniform, well... I'll probably have to wash it another day, because I won't have enough time to bathe if I don't... Or, I could simply use the cleaning spell, but it's costly...)

Katachi was debating over whether to wash the uniform himself, or to have it cleaned by magic.

(There's no one around... I guess I'll use magic to clean it this time.)

Grabbing a tiny piece of gold, Katachi took advantage of the fact that he was the only one in the bathing space.

(恒定! Constant status - Gold!)

A tiny 定 was placed over the small piece of gold. Katachi placed that piece of gold in the center of the magic circle, and the shirt began to move on its own. The sand and the stains were all expulsed outward forcefully, and it was clean in an instant. Grabbing the gold from the magic circle, the shirt began falling down and Katachi grabbed it before it landed on the wet ground.

Katachi repeated the process for all of his other garments, while washing his own body. When it was all done, Katachi removed the Word of Power on the gold, and placed it into his gold pouch. Glancing around the empty bathing space, Katachi smiled to himself silently.

(... Excellent... Nobody's around to see it.)

Dressing into his sleepwear, Katachi was suddenly forced to walk out of the bathroom with all of his items. He just barely managed to pull his pants up in time before he exited the bathing area.

(! It must be time for curfew now... Well, at least I got the clothes clean.)

Katachi walked back to his own room, whether he wanted to or not - The curfew was in effect. Folding the clean clothes properly, Katachi placed them aside and prepared for bed.

(... Mother Rin... I don't know when I can visit you, since I'm not even sure myself how long I'd stay in this school, so I don't think I can keep the promise of visiting you every few lunar cycles... Please stay safe, Mother Rin.)

Slowly, Katachi dozed off into a light sleep.

Chapter 16 : Tournament 7 : Gatherers_Golem

On the coliseum seats was a senior that had the chest size of Mount Gigraceldi. That is supposedly an attractive feature on a lady, however she reeked of herbs and decay, so the other students weren't too fond of sitting next to her. She was impatiently waiting for a certain someone to enter the ring while fiddling with her fingers.

(... Katachi... You're actually going to fight Deku...)

The light in her eyes reflected a great worry, and she held her hands in prayer.

(... This, I have to see...)

The highlight of the day was the champion of the previous three tournaments, Deku, facing off with a black horse whom had enrolled for roughly 2 weeks, Katachi. It was a big highlight of the day because both competitors held great promise.

Deku, having attained the title of champion in the championship for the past three years, has been held in high regards - His wish to become a teacher only reinforced his will to battle and improve himself, making him one of the only students in the academy's history to be able to fight a teacher without handicaps. Of course, Reincarnate Arts were originally powerful on their own, but his great control and mastery over it makes him that much more dangerous.

Katachi has managed to take down the semifinalist Nea and the finalist Cillian, meaning that he would be competing with Deku in terms of who would be the most powerful student magus in the school. It doesn't help that Katachi, too, knows of a form of magic or art that could surpass the finalist.

It would be a rare event to see two Reincarnate Art users battle on the field. The thrill of seeing two rare forms of magic combating each other is enough to make anyone interested. The crowd's passion was climaxing, and gradually approaching the peak. People chattered and discussed on who would win. There were even students who started an illegal betting to rake in the stakes.

C : "Hey, Bael, what are you doing, sitting all alone here?"

Interrupting Bael was a girl with blue hair, a magus whom used Kafki's story for her spells' base.

B : "... Oh, good afternoon, Cestia. I was just... Well, I'm waiting for the next match."

C : "Isn't that obvious? You're sitting on the bench."

B : "... ! Oh! Ah... Ahaha, hahaha..."

Laughing awkwardly, Bael looked down in embarrassment.

Cestia sat down next to the depressed beauty and unwrapped a piece of cloth she placed on her lap. Within it was a small fish, roasted finely and its heat preserved with a heat rune.

C : "... I was about to ask why you were sitting all alone, but I guess the smell on you has been driving people away, huh..."

Cestia too noticed the odor on Bael's body and hair. It was that obvious to the point that even bringing a fragrantly roasted food next to her was not enough to mask the stench.

B : "... Yeah, I guess."

C : "So, do you want some of this Moontwine mudskipper? It's from Anik, you know."

Bael, upon hearing the name mudskipper, looked over at Cestia's morsel in disgust.

B : "... Mudskipper?"

C : "Oh, don't worry about it."

Picking up a small piece on her fingers, Cestia raised it towards Bael's face, tempting her to taste the foreign food.

C : "It says mudskipper, but it didn't have any mud when I bought it. It's surprisingly tasty! Try it! Loar roasted this for me."

Bael stared hard at the small piece of roasted fish between her fingers. Reluctantly, Bael reached her lips out and enveloped the meat with her mouth, and chewed slowly. The exotic flavor of mudskipper filled Bael's mouth, and she nodded her head slowly in delight.

B : "... Mmmm... Delicious."

C : "I wouldn't lie to you about stuff like that, Bael. Of course it's tasty."

Popping a piece into her own mouth, Cestia chewed slowly, and spoke with the mudskipper still within her mouth.

C : "... So, I heard this next match is a highlight, isn't it?"

B : "... Yeah. Deku and Katachi are going to fight it out."

Licking and sucking her fingers, Cestia continued the conversation.

C : "Deku, huh. D'you think the new guy would win?"

B : "..."

Bael had wished for it, but she didn't want to say it out neither.

Katachi seems to have a lot of potential, but against someone refined like Deku, it would probably be a miracle. Unless...

... Unless Katachi hasn't shown what he was truly capable of yet.

(... He always did seem a little bit dodgy, like he's trying to hide something... We've all seen that he's a follower of Soltak, but somehow, I can't help but feel that he's still hiding something... Like, a trump card, or something completely unexpected...)

Absorbed in her own thoughts, she was unaware of the screams and shouts of the students around her as the competitors for the second match of the third round gathered.

*** ***

D : "..."

Deku was silently observing his opponent. Normally, he would have screamed and confidently entertained the audience, but he was silent this time. It wasn't because he was afraid of losing, though - He had shouted too much in the past two rounds that his throat hurts and his voice sore. Though the healing syrup recovered many wounds, a sore throat was not amongst what it was brewed to heal.

K : "... Nice to meet you, mister... Uhm... What- What was your name?"

The sounds within Cosmatral Tlod were often projected onto the coliseum seats as well, so the battle isn't plain silent imagery of two people clashing. Upon hearing Katachi's voice, the audience themselves were stunned.

They all had one thought, in unison - How does this guy not know Deku!?

Deku is considered a model student, in terms of combat ability. In accordance, he is considered the most powerful combat-oriented student in the academy for three years. He had been the poster boy that had his face printed across the towns, on the posters and the like. He was well-known in many countries that have that edition of the poster still on the walls of the streets.

Katachi didn't seem to recognize him.

It was laughable. It was unthinkable. It was unbelievable that a student enrolled into the academy, without even seeing Deku's face at least once.

D : (... No way... This guy hasn't see my face before? He didn't recognize me at all, not even during the first two rounds!? There's no way a magus would be overconfident to the level that he'd not observe the matches, unless he's me, or he doesn't know how to go to the spectators' area... Then, he's a... A... A bona fide country bumpkin who's completely unfamiliar with the school?!)

K : "Oh, wait, you're... Deku, right?"

The crowd chuckled a little bit at the awkwardness Katachi created. Deku sighed in response to the redundant panic wave he just experienced.

D : "... Yes, yes I am. I was about to say, if you didn't recognize me, I would have been truly shocked. I'd have screamed till I was hoarse for nothing! Hahahahaha..."

The crowd laughed with Deku.

K : "... So, uhm... Deku, are you ready to fight?"

D : "Wha- Are you serious? I'm always ready to fight!"

K : (... From that response, he seems really confident about his abilities... I wouldn't be surprised, he could make golems, and he can hurl mounds of sand at me. That means he's best at mid-range combat, whereas I'm better at close-range combat, where most magi are weak at. He has a wooden sword though, while I have a mere wooden dagger, so his reach is farther in close combat. I'd have to work around the range of-)

Just as Katachi began to formulate a plan in his head, a dull sound was heard.

The wooden sword in his hand had fallenfrom his hand, its muffled sound against the sand heard clearly.

Katachi's eyes widened. Normal enemies would not let go of a weapon and put themselves at a disadvantage on purpose. This was a handicap that only those who were certain of their ability would do.

The adolescent before him glared into his eyes, reflecting an arrogant light.

D : "I feel so energized right now, I think I won't need a weapon to deal with the likes of you."

The crowd went wild hearing a cool, stylish response like that.

D : "In fact, I don't think a golem is necessary either. I'll beat you with Conduit Imbue alone. How about it, kid? Wanna try fighting the champion with that handicap?..."

K : "... Take it back."

D : "... Huh?"

Deku was surprised at the response, while the crowd hollered even louder. One was a 16 year old whom had experience with magic, whom had actual battle experience, whom had a prominent winning record of three years. The other was a mere 10 year old boy who had only enrolled 2 weeks ago. Logically speaking, for Katachi to survive the match with the handicap, let alone win it at Deku's full power, was enough of an ordeal to make others cringe in fear. Deku brought up a great offer, and he rejected it flatly. Why would he want Deku to take his words back?

K : "... Take it back. I wouldn't want my opponent to unnecessarily get hurt without fighting seriously."

D : "... Very well. I'll start it off easy, and then I'll go all out only when you've proven yourself worthy. I'll play by the same rules as the previous matches, this time with increased stakes - If you win, I'll drink the brown syrup for a whole month. If you lose, there will be no penalties. Would that make you happy?"

K : "... Let's hope you don't regret your choice."

Kicking the wooden sword next to his feet far away, Deku lowered his stance, and prepared to slam the ground with his fist.

D : "Don't worry, kid. I'm a professional."

With that, the judge signaled the start of the second match of the third round.

*** ***

Deku's right fist glowed a strange, entrancing yellow. With force, he slammed it into the earth, and the mound of land beneath his feet were absorbed, causing him to fall into the crater and landing stably.

With a straight, Deku released the yellow fluid from his arm, which then solidified into the chunk of land beneath his feet just seconds ago.

K : (设定! Set land's durability - A million fold! Set land's weight - A millionth fold!)

With a hand motion outstretched towards the sand flying towards him, two tiny 定s surfaced on the top of the land, which Katachi caught in his extended right hand with ease. Because the words were tiny and the object was too fast, it was hard to see the golden words on the sand. Also, the receiver to display the scene to the spectating students was behind him, and beneath his belly's level, so it probably wouldn't have shown the Words of Power clearly.

D : "!!! WHAT-!"

Deku had never seen anyone properly catch a mound of land like that. It didn't make sense at all - The mound of sand was maintained perfectly in its original shape, and he managed to cushion that mass of sand perfectly in his hand.

With a simple push, the sand expulsed outward, and was sent flying back towards Deku, which he punched with his glowing left fist. The sand mound glowed yellow, broke apart, and liquefied into the substance that was absorbed back into his body once again.

It didn't make sense at all. When Katachi caught the sand, it didn't change at all - When Deku tried to reabsorb the sand, it behaved naturally and broke apart like a mound of sand should.

D : (This guy... I've heard the students praise him as a Soltak follower, so he probably uses sunlight instead of normal stamina or magic objects, or symbols... Is he using a light prism technique to keep the mound of sand intact?... That's pretty impressive, since this place isn't even sunny to begin with...)

D : "... Hahahahahaha... Interesting indeed. It seems that I cannot beat you with Conduit Imbue."

Katachi's stance lowered, and he drew the wooden dagger, gripping it tightly with his right hand.

D : "Did you tell me to take my words back, knowing that you could use Soltak's Light Prism even in Cosmatral Tlod?"

Getting ahead of himself, Deku began forming sand armor with the mound of sand he had absorbed. Katachi, however, remained silent and maintained a cold, alert posture, ready to intercept any attacks Deku might dish out.

D : "... Very well. But, how will you fare against the Gatherer's Golem?"

With a punch, Deku drew up even more sand, and created a gargantuan made completely of sand and wind. The golem now had a form even more menacing than it was when he fought Vikarr - Winds twirling around its right elbow joint and flowing down to the hand, the winds raging violently around its center and head, and Deku was at the very top of the beast. It was at least 15 times Katachi's size.

Katachi looked up at the monstrosity, and gave a slight grin.

D : (! He's... Grinning?)

*** ***

The Gatherer's Golem was a name given to a combination of two techniques - Dardicel's Reincarnate Art, Golem, and the Conduit Imbue technique.

Normally, to perform the Reincarnate Art alone was a very tough task, indeed. Dardicel was the Lord of the Earth, as well as the God of Trials. His Reincarnate Art required his followers to synchronize themselves with the Earth, so they may call upon a mighty, sentient being at will when they are in danger, wherever they would be. But, not many people have that great an affinity with nature, so their Reincarnate Arts often end up shoddy, and weak.

Conduit Imbue was a technique used by miners in Rugnud - It was a magic where the miners melded the excessive soil and rocks into their own bodies, so they may release them when they are on the surface. It worked effectively as a transportation system, because of the relative ease of the technique. The only drawback was that when objects were absorbed into the body, the objects themselves will add to the weight of the person, for it is stored within them - This meant that users of this technique needed to be physically resilient if they wished to move about with items stored within the Conduit Imbue. It was only useful in certain situations, which led to its gradual decline outside of Rugnud.

Conduit Imbue's specialty was that it had a favorable side effect - It softened up the element absorbed into the body, and imbued a magic circuit into the object, to allow the body to absorb the materiel without rejecting it. In a sense, it was 'synchronizing' with the materiel because one imbued magical circuits into them before they are absorbed, for ease of absorption.

When these two techniques are used in tandem, an equally potent form of Dardicel's Reincarnate Art could be produced, at a much lower difficulty - The elements comprising the golem were already accepted into the body, and so it was much easier to create and control the golem since the materiel is already magically charged.

That, is the Gatherer's Golem.

*** ***

K : (固定! Fixate position - Golem!)

The golem had raised its foot, and was about to stomp on Katachi, when it stopped moving altogether.

The golem did not jerk, it did not retract its foot, it did not topple nor did it move at all - It just stopped in place. Desperately trying to swipe the golem's arms, Deku found himself in a pinch.

D : (...! Shit! I can't move!!!... Is his Soltak's light prism so powerful that it can lock my whole golem in place!?)

K : (恒定! Constant velocity - Self!)

With a leap, Katachi set his velocity to "Constant", and traveled through the air in a straight line - Right towards Deku.

D : (Kh-! He could just jump to me!?... Not to mention, that's him leaping all the way up here while defying the winds circling the golem... There's not that much sunlight in here, is there!?)

Holding his wooden dagger by Deku's neck, Katachi gave his opponent a piece of advice.

K : "... Don't throw your sword away next time - It's surprisingly useful."

With a swiping motion imitating a beheading, Katachi won the second match of the third round.

*** ***

D : "... Kid."

K : "? Y-... Yes?"

Walking towards the kid calmly, Deku patted Katachi on his shoulder.

D : "Good work there, kid. You caught me off-guard. I guess I'll have to uphold my bet and drink that syrup for a month."

K : "... You don't need to. I didn't want to bet anyway."

D : "Really? Well, that's doing me a huge favor, kid, but I have the students, the audience to attend to. Even if you didn't want me to drink it, I'd want to and I'd have to, for the sake of those students."

K : (... Is this really what a future teacher of this place going to be?...)

Deku breathed deeply, and looked at Katachi.

D : "Kid. I don't think I've caught on to your name."

K : "... Katachi. Kotsuba Katachi."

D : "Kotsuba, huh... Sounds like you're from Ohde. That would explain your black hair."

K : "Many people say that, but I'm from Mielfeud though."

It was surprising, to say the least. Only people from Ohde would have their hair black; Everywhere else, hair was usually blond or brown, and were dyed in funky colors because hair was a form of fashion and self-expression.

D : "Are you, now... Hmm. Well, whoever you are, you've changed my view on Soltak's magic completely. I thought if I made a golem with a larger torso that blocks the sunlight, your prism would be less effective, but it didn't work at all. I guess I underestimated the extent you could use your Light prism on. "

K : "? Uhm, yeah, I... I guess... I was a bit surprised as well, but if it works, it works."

D : (? He's uncertain of his own power?... That's odd. Most Reincarnate Art users speak plainly, without holding back, because of their faith in the God. To doubt his own ability is to doubt the God's ability. He can't possibly be a Reincarnate Art user.)

D : "You're not really a Soltak believer, are you?"

K : "... No. It's just a rumor that someone else started."

D : "..."

The answer was so swift and plain, it was shocking. Deku didn't think it wasn't a Reincarnate Art that defeated him. Or rather, he didn't want to believe that normal magic could compete with the Reincarnate Arts on an equal level. Yet, Katachi was a living proof of that, right before him. If someone was truly capable of magic that even rivals the Reincarnate Arts...

D : "... Exactly what kind of magic are you using, Katachi?"

Wordlessly, Katachi left the waiting area as fast as he could, holding a wooden cup filled with brown syrup.

D : (That kid's definitely hiding something.)

Chapter 15 : Tournament 6 : Off-hand

(... So that's Deku's power, isn't it...)

Katachi recalled the ridiculous power Deku used at the coliseum - He can collect the sand and create a giant golem with it, and the golem seemed capable of repairing itself. That was a tricky magic to deal with - Simplistic, without any intricacies or tricks and completely plain. That would mean the magic was one his opponents had to face head-on.

Had Katachi simply used the Words of Power to battle, a Reincarnate Art like that was nothing compared to what he could do, but that would risk blowing everything that he had done to keep it concealed. In an attempt to prevent that to the best of his ability, Katachi has resorted to one final safeguard.

Principal Bertund's office.

Raising his hand, Katachi knocked on-

"Come in!"

Even before Katachi could knock on the door, a familiar, feminine voice had instructed him to enter.

(? Who is that person behind the door? Is that a woman? And what is with her, is she psychic or something? It's almost as if she can see me right through the wall!)

Opening the door, Katachi closed it behind him, and sat on the creaking wooden chair.

Before Katachi sat a woman with blonde hair, tied up into a bun at the top. A ponytail extended from the bundle of hair, mooning down to her left shoulder. Her clothes indicate that she was most likely a teacher in the academy, and given how she was boldly sitting at Bertund's seat, she must be of a high authority. That, or her ego was incredibly inflated.

She wore an attire highly similar to Bertund's - A green-themed attire with a crisp jacket and a white shirt. Her skirt was also green, and it covered up to just before her knees. She wore an actual green-coloured top hat, unlike the green slime top hat Bertund had. What made her attire different from Bertund was that it had a gold lace hanging out from the chest- or rather, breast pocket of the green jacket, and she wore a diamond-shaped ruby locket on her neck.

K : "Uhm... What happened to Principal Bertund? And... Who are you?"

S : "I am Bertund's wife, Shelly. I'm not of Raufid's blood, but you can say that I'm the acting principal while Bertund's entertaining Minister Lein."

K : "... I... I see... ! Wait, you're the announcer!"

The voice she was making clicked in sync with the voice he had heard not too long ago.

S : "Yes, yes I am, but surely you didn't walk all the way here just to tell me that, did you? Let's get down to business. So, what brings you here, Mister Kotsuba? Here to look for another course to add to your curriculum? Invite me for tea? ...

... Or have you finally realized that you can't solely rely on your Word of Power alone for the entirety of the tournament?"

Shelly's words were spot-on.

Katachi couldn't deny it - Thus far, he had relied on the Word of Power he had way too much. Leaping towards the tokens, disabling Cillian's blade and stopping Nea's movements without being detected was impressive, but it could very well end in disaster if he weren't as lucky. There would probably be attacks where his clothes would be ripped, causing the Word to be revealed.

Of course, since Katachi didn't have any actual knowledge on the Child of Sun, it was not possible to feign the Word of Power as body paint, or something along those lines. Besides, they glow, and glowing paint tattooed onto people was as close to a believable story as a vegetarian Thorneil Hyanidae.

There was also the threat of Rekter, one of the teachers with another Word of Power, catching on to his trick. Even if he succeeded in deceiving everyone, Rekter wasn't a person who could be deceived by a trick like this, not especially since Katachi had already taken a lesson on the Words of Power - A proof strong enough to override all of his lies.

He could expose Katachi's act and blow all his hard work away with a simple huff of his breath. And, because their precedence levels tied, they would surely be put into a fervent duel between who will be able to raise their precedence level faster - The one with more knowledge wins. But there was no certainty as to who would have more knowledge.

In the event that he really had been busted, Katachi would have to use his Word of Power to escape. But, at the same time, he needed something else - An alternate source of power. One he could freely use without being discovered. One that was risk-free. One he could apply to the tournament that people could see and recognize, so as to distract their attention.

K : "... Yes... I have come to learn two things."

S : "What will they be?"

K : "First, I want to increase the precedence level of my Word of Power."

S : "You don't have a need for that, do you? There's pretty much nothing in this school that can rival a stupidly powerful magic like that."

K : "There is... Mister Rekter's precedence level ties with mine."

S : "...! A tie in precedence levels?... That's really rare."

K : "Yes, yes it is. I've... I've pulled a trick to stop his precedence levels from rising too quickly, so I must take advantage of this window to... To increase my own as much as possible."

Shelly nodded her head briefly, and responded.

S : "Consider it done. I'll give you a lecture on the Words of Power that's sure to raise your levels. What of the second topic at hand?"

K : "Oh, er, yes... The sec- The second thing is, well, my affinity with water."

S : "What about it?"

K : "... I would like to learn spells and magecraft related to water. Healing magic, if possible."

S : "Oh my. That wouldn't be easy. I've always hated water magic - Too slippery for me to grasp solidly. You'd have to ask Bertund for that when he comes back."

K : "... Okay..."

With the 'topics' 'discussed', Shelly's shoulders raised a little bit as she leaned forward onto the desk, eyeing Katachi down carefully.

S : "And here I thought you were going to discuss with him about something important, like how you're going to start collecting all of the Words of Power."

(This woman... Her eyes pierced right through my mind... !)

K : "... !!! YOU-..."

Katachi accidentally leaked out a scream, and he now glanced around nervously to see if anyone was listening in on their conversation.Realizing that he's inside the principal's office, Katachi exhaled and inhaled to remain calm, and spoke in a soft voice.

K : "... you... already know?"

Shelly leaned back onto the comfortable looking leather seat.

S : "Why wouldn't I? Look at you, acting all shifty. You probably want the school-sponsored prizes to provide you with the traveling equipment needed, didn't you?"

K : "!!! ... yes... But, but... But, how did you know?"

S : "Simple - You're poor. Nobody would expect a mere child that comes from a monastery in some dusty corner of Mielfeud to be wealthy without even working for coin. Those with such great power would strive to use that power to improve themselves in some way, wouldn't they?"

K : "..."

Shelly had been pinning down and summarizing all of Katachi's plans with words thus far.

S : "So, Mister Kotsuba, have you any plans on how you should start looking for the other 291 Words of Power?"

K : "... Not... really..."

Shelly's shoulders dropped slightly, and she leaned her head against her fingers, with her right elbow on the table.

S : "Wow, seriously? I'd have expected you to be more far-sighted than that, Mister Kotsuba, especially since you're the one with this crazy dream."

K : "... Sorry if I don't meet your expectations."

S : "Well, whatever. let's begin with the lecture. Tell me everything you know about your Word of Power, and we'll work from there."

K : "Uhm, okay, I guess- ! Wait! Don't you have to announce for the tournament rounds and the like?"

S : "Wha- Of all the things to be concerned about, you worry for THAT? Seriously? Don't be stupid - Nobody actually uses such expensive communication magic repeatedly nowadays. It's all pre-recorded. That announcement hasn't changed since I worked here."

The two proceeded to stay in Bertund's office, for Katachi's first actual lecture on the Words of Power.

*** ***

S : "That should be quite enough to raise your precedence levels. Okay, one final recap. Tell me everything you've learnt thus far."

K : "Okay... Uh, the Words of Power can be used in tandem, or rather, chained with one another, thereby raising their precedence levels even higher. Secondly, two Words of Power can- ca- can... can affect the same object, but they cannot affect the same property."

S : "Good. Go on?"

K : "Uhm, uh... Third... Thirdly,  Divine Beasts like Hraxiif are also empowered by image power, so they have some... some level of resistance towards the Words of Power. And lastly, three new terms for 定 I've learnt are 定居, 定睛, and 定婚. 定居 means to s- s- settle down, like having someone that has moved to another village settle down. 定睛 would- would be forcing someone to stare at a certain area, location, or object, and finally, 定婚 would mean for others to be... To be... To be betrothed. However, 定婚 cannot be used carelessly at just-... Just anyone, because each of the specific God's blessing is powerful enough to cancel out the effects of making two strangers, uhm... betrothed."

Snapping a foldable fan in her hands, Shelly unfolded her crossed legs and stood up from the desk.

S : "Very good! That should put you quite in the lead. Unless, of course, Rekter has been busy researching the Words of Power and raising his own levels as well. It's about time to end it off for today, though."

K : "For... For today? There's more?"

S : "Of course there's more! Why do you sound so tired? If you really want to beat Rekter and collect every Word of Power out there, you're going to need every little bit you can get, right?"

K : "Oh, uh, no, it's not that, but uh... I... I was just wondering... You know, why would you, the principal's wuh- wuh-... wuh- wife, want me to beat Rekter so badly?"

Shelly's head depressed slightly, and her enthusiastic looks turned sour as she gazed outside the window.

K : (... ? There's an itch on my magic circle?)

(Contestant Katachi, your match begins in 30 minutes. Please assemble at the entrance to Cosmatral Tlod.)

Shelly's voice resounded through his head, overlapping with Shelly's explanation.

S : "I hate that man's guts. He thinks he's all mighty and powerful, with him being the only Scholar in the school. He knows exactly how simple and broken this magic is, and yet he flaunts it like it's something he needs to breathe. But now, he's not the only Scholar in this academy.

Shelly turns around to look at Katachi with a serious expression.

S : "Now that you're here, you can punish him for being arrogant. Go show that bastard Rekter what it takes to anger me, and bully Bertund."

K : "... Bertund? Bullied?"

S : "... Yes. Rekter would often set up pranks to make Bertund look silly, but he doesn't mind - He's too soft and kind. Far, far too soft, and kind, to actually retaliate..."

Shelly's face twisted into one of sorrow. Her eyes softened, and she looked away to her left.

K : "... Er... My circle just itched, and my next match is uh, going to begin soon. So I guess... I guess I'll be going... ?"

S : "Oh, right, you're fighting Deku. Good luck out there, Mister Kotsuba."

Katachi left the wooden chair and headed for the door-

S : "Oh, one last advice, Mister Kotsuba!"

Katachi spun around to listen attentively.

S : "Just... Don't mind Deku too much. He's mostly joking around, so don't treat his taunts and follies as something serious. After all, he wouldn't want to have to deal with students that are too serious when he comes to work here."

K : "His- His taunts don't look joking, though."

S : "Yeah, well, that's always been a problem with him. But he still insists on acting like this because he wants to work in this academy as a teacher when he graduates. So don't worry - Think of it as him experimenting with a wild, crazy style of interacting with the students."

K : "... Uh, okay. I... I'll be sure to ignore his uh, insults."

S : "They're not insults, actually. He's stating them factually, but people tend to think there's a deeper meaning to his words. If you can, try to talk to him nicely, and tell him what's wrong with his methods. That would help him the most."

K : "O- Okay. I'll do my best."

S : "Good luck! And be sure to kick all of their asses for me!"

And with that, Katachi left the office of the wacky principal and his wacky wife.

Only one destination was in mind now.

He's headed towards Cosmatral Tlod.

Chapter 14 : Tournament 5 : Rising_Twilight

Since the first match of the second round had ended, Katachi had time to himself again, until the next match. Chancing this opportunity, he decided to invest in the time wisely by understanding more about the tournament's structure.

In a normal scenario, he could openly walk towards the tournament board, but from the past experience of being hounded by students wanting his autograph, Katachi had considered taking a more... subtle route this time. Using the directional magic, he instructed himself to walk the route people walked the least, that is, past the teacher's lounge, down the stairs to the neglected toilets, and then turning around and basically making a huge loop around the academy.

Katachi walked towards the strange suspended tournament board once again.

K : (... I can still feel that disgusting syrup in my throat... Ugh. It feels like slime residue.)

Looking at the tournament participant layout, Katachi carefully studied the chart before marking out the eliminated students. Sure enough, he slowly got a rough idea of which potential opponents he would be facing.

K : (I just beat that girl... What was her name, Chotil Nea? I can cancel her out... So that leaves me with... Either that wooden card guy Vikarr, or Deku for the next round- ... !)

Deku.

The crazy berserker-like magus that plucked out a chunk of land and threw it at the other student Zul. The student who could send the crowd roaring, like it was his own property. The guy that made up ridiculous bets just because he was the most powerful.

That name that was so far away on the chart had suddenly become so close to him.

That was truly frightening.

K : (... Deku, huh. Their battle is going on now. I would personally prefer the Vikarr guy to Deku, since that guy uses a lot of tiny cards, but the chances of him winning are so low I might as well assume my next opponent is Deku. I'll note him down just in case, though. I've seen his technique, after all, so every little bit helps. Let's see...)

Glancing through the unfamiliar names, Katachi finally stopped his eyes at something familiar.

K : (!!!... He's in the tournament as well?...)

*** ***

C : "... Hey, Loar."

With a pissed tone, Loar snapped back at her.

L : "... What do you want from me, Cestia?"

C : "I'm, ah... I'm sorry. I... I know how important your village was to you. And yet, I... I selfishly entered the tournament to get the school-sponsored medicine for my sister..."

L : "! Oh, er, uhm... It's okay, Cestia. Your sister was probably more important to you than my village - You're blood-related, after all. I... I have my faults too for actually attacking you seriously."

Both parties were at fault here, and so Loar had no right to be angry; Realizing that, Loar's face blushed into a blooming peach.

C : "..."

L : "..."

Since their battle, their chats had become awkward.

They were both wrong, in a sense, and they want to simply forget and move on. But what's done had been done. They were inches away from murdering each other for their own ideals back at the preliminaries.

L : "... I hope we can still be friends."

C : "J-... Just friends, huh..."

L : "... Uh... Hey, did you hear about that bald guy at the preliminaries?"

C : "? That one with the bladestaff?"

L : "Yeah. Apparently Minister Lein visited him personally and wanted to enlist him."

C : "! Wow, really?"

L : "Yeah. Apparently, 'I was chosen because my leadership skills and situation assessment during the preliminaries was something they were looking for.', or so he says. He's lucky, I guess - He literally graduated from here and went straight to the Findel Magus Association because of that one incident."

C : "The FMA? That's amazing!- Wait, then does that mean he would be getting a magus' pay, since he's working for Findel now?"

L : "Yeah, he did say that."

C : "..."

L : "? What's wrong, Cestia?"

C : "... I wanted a job to earn enough money for my sister to get better..."

Cestia's voice croaked, and her eyes grew red not with dryness from the complex Obscuration rune, but with sadness.

C : "... But I ended up being a stepping stone for someone else."

Cestia's head hung downwards in melancholy.

L : "Ah- ..."

C : "..."

There was not much Loar could do except change the topic and divert her attention from depression.

L : "... That's depressing... Let's not focus on that any more that we ought not to - Look, Deku and Vikarr's fights are about to begin! Maybe we can learn a bit from those two. We still have next year's tournament, and we might even- ! ..."

Without any warning at all, Cestia had rested her head on Loar's shoulder.

C : "... Thank you, Loar."

Loar recognized this signal. Instinctively, Loar slowly rested his head on Cestia's.

And with that, the two were close once more.

*** ***

D : "HELLO AGAIN, EVERYBODY!"

Deku's extravagant entrance once again sent the students hollering and screaming like they were under a spell.

V : "Hey, Deku. I've improved from last time, you know-"

D : "IF I LOSE THIS MATCH, I'LL DRINK THE SYRUP FOR TWO WEEKS STRAIGHT!"

Once again, Deku seemed to hold no regard for his opponent. This tensed a temple muscle of Vikarr's, as he tried his best to get the respect he deserved.

V : "Well, if you put it that way, Deku, it looks like you really are going to drink that syrup for two weeks straight after all. Unless, of course, you're not man enough to take it."

It was only with intimidation did Deku spin around, and actually address his opponent properly.

D : "You'd make me EAT my WORDS? IS THAT SO? WELL, WE SHALL SEE ABOUT THAT. I AM READY WHEN YOU ARE!!!"

V : "... 'Expect his skill at the level of a teacher', huh..."

Vikarr took his cards out, and stood in a battle stance that made him look like a professional killer - Left leg out, right leg in, cards in his hand, and a glare at the judge which signaled that he was ready.

The second match of the second round began.

*** ***

Vikarr expended everything he had.

A flutter of wooden cards flocked and circled around him like a hurricane, ready to attack anything close-range, like a barrier with many gaps.

Deku's left fist glowed yellow, and he smashed the ground with it. The chunk of land being converted beneath him was much larger than the chunk before in his first match. He 'absorbed' the 'thing' into his left hand, and the yellow, liquid-like substance creeped onto his body from his left hand. It coated his entire body, spare the head, and his size grew slightly.

When the yellow substance faded, what was in place was a sort of beige, sandy body armor.

Or rather, it was sand reconstructed into a form of armor.

D : "Vikarr. I'm going to go all out."

Deku's stern voice echoed through the entire coliseum. The students were excited to see Deku fighting seriously, and Vikarr too was taken aback by Deku's potential at magic.

The sand gauntlet on his hand glowed yellow, and it punched the sand on the floor once more, this time the chunk of land taken was on a ginormous scale, leaving a crater about one-third the battlefield.

The chunk of land was simply absorbed into his body, and he expanded quickly - forming a humongous golem made completely out of the sand.

Vikarr's eyes were open wide, as he stared hard at the wonders of this magic.

V : "... The Gatherer's Golem..."

With a simple change in his hand gesture, the cards flew towards the huge golem. It clashed and clattered noisily against the sturdy exterior of the golem. Some sand came out when the cards struck hard enough, but the sand spewing out merely glowed yellow into tiny orbs and 'flowed' back, or, more appropriately 'reabsorbed' back into the golem. It was a good effort, but the result was already obvious.

This magic was on a scale that Vikarr couldn't defeat.

Deku had already won.

The golem's right fist was raised, and it punched the earth. It caused a huge quake that made most students cry out in appall and awe. The sand beneath Vikarr flew at his face, obstructing his nose, eyes and ears. Vikarr couldn't keep his balance from the punch's effects, and landed on his butt.

D : "I could punch you instead of the earth, but that would be unnecessary murder, wouldn't it?"

With both his face and butt hurt, Vikarr clutched his butt cheeks in agony as he struggled to stand up, rubbing his eyes and exhaling air from his nose strongly.

V : "... You win. Alright? You, win."

Deku smiled at the surrender, and the crowd cheered at the amazing display of magic. With the entire golem glowing yellow, Deku alighted from it and slammed the liquid at the floor, covering the crater perfectly. It was as if nothing had happened, except for the loud blasting noise of the golem returning to the sand.

The second match of the second round ended with a bang.