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?)
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?)
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