Z : "!!!"
Zirco was stunned at the battlefield's layout. Meanwhile, Katachi had merely just stepped through, and entered Cosmatral Silo.
K : "What did she mean by don't get impaled- ... Oh my."
Cosmatral Silo is a nightmare.
Everything looked metallic. The air was full of dust, and it stained the presumably blue sky's azure into something between a sickly green and brown. The platform they are fighting on has already broken into many, many pieces - There were dents and cave-ins all over the floor, there were broken parts of the footing here and there, there were even shards of crystals littered over the ground, acting as a hazard. Strangely enough, there were no 'sharp objects' to 'impale' them with, so Bael's meaning was still unclear.
Z : "Remnants of the previous battles?... Don't they ever take care of this place?"
K : (... This, is the battlefield that Bael prefers?)
The place literally reeked of death, and would offset anyone that needs the natural elements to battle efficiently. Large mounds of metal float peacefully in the background, supposedly also horribly scarred and worn out by the previous students whom have set foot upon this plane. The air was stagnant and smelled like rust - Both from the pieces of corroded metal, and from the bloodstains on the ground. It was completely stale - Cosmatral Silo is a battlefield that restricts one's mobility by the obstacles on the plane, as well as the deprivation of fresh air available to the competitors.
It truly is a battlefield for testing the power of pure magi, not those that relied on finesse or brute strength.
Katachi's at a disadvantage, then.
The judge set the flag down, and the final round began.
*** ***
Katachi faced his opponent who was 7 meters away, dagger in hand, ready to strike.
Zirco reached for his wooden sword's rough position, to ensure that he had a way to fight Katachi close range, should he decide to close the gap like in the previous rounds.
Z : "I had originally wanted to use the sandy plains of Cosmatral Tlod to my advantage, scum... This just means that my spell will lose out in its efficiency, but that can be recovered with a little image power."
Zirco clapped his hands together twice, and began reciting his spell.
Z : "Hear me, students of Sage Raufid Magus Academy. Hear the cries of I, the man, and Katachi, the fool."
K : (He's marking me with a specific name, of the Fool... From what I can gather, there are at least 40 tales that use 'man' and 'fool'. It's a pity I didn't get to see his semifinal match because of Bael... I'd need more clues on his spell if I want to know what tale he's deriving his spells from. He's also using the image power of the students to offset the lack of an advantage... Like sand, perhaps? Is he an elemental type? There are 9 stories related to sand with 'man' and 'fool' within... That's only if he's actually using the sand, and not the pure air. Which is he using? Water? Fire?)
Zirco holds his hands up, towards the green sky.
Z : "The man treads lightly, and is thus protected."
K : (There are 3 stories related to sand, protect, man and fool... More...! I have to dodge whatever he's doing, and derive the spell's tale appropriately, before I properly strike him...)
Z : "While the fool stomps and leaps, happy-go-lucky as he ever will be."
The metal beneath Katachi's feet began to shake.
K : (...!!! Aleksei and the Wiseman! If that's really what he's using as a spell base, then I have to move right now!-)
Z : "And so the flames spewed forth, beneath the fool's feet!"
Katachi leapt away quickly onto a clearing on the platform. Where he once was, the metal creaked and exploded outward, and fire erupted from that spot. The air above it cleared for a moment, and was consumed by the dust once again. Zirco looked carefully and observed the effects of his actions, while Katachi took the time to reorganize the new information from his spell.
Z : (The metal isn't soft, like earth, so it takes longer to crack open for the flames to spew. The place where the fire gushed out from is still hot, so that's going to be to my advantage, I guess. My attacks are going to be delayed in here, though... The fire seems to be equally strong, even when the air isn't fresh. Perhaps the image power received from the students only intensified the flames, not the spell's speed. I had wanted this to be a swift victory, but this unexpected turn of events screwed it all up. If I had known the battlefield's going to be comprised of metal instead, I would simply have settled with Forze's flame-spewing stave instead... No point in regretting what's done. I'll just use this spell as I just had.)
K : (... The tale of Aleksei and the Wiseman... Aleksei, a happy-go-lucky Auser fool who traveled onto a mountain where he met a wiseman crossing a volcano as well. They landed into deep trouble because of Aleksei's foolishness, but the wiseman helped Aleksei move about without disturbing the volcano. If he's the wiseman, then he needs to shout 'Tread with care, young fool!' or his spell will affect me. It's supposed to be a story that can compose a spell for training magi to dodge, and the safe sentence protects the trainee from being damaged by the spell.)
K : (He's using it offensively, where he, the wiseman would never need to scream that line... I can't use the Water Lob spell Bertund recommended - He can probably surround himself with flames intense enough to evaporate the shot before it even reaches him. I guess the only other option I have is Croxa's spell. That's assuming he doesn't have any other spells up his sleeve.)
Katachi kept his dagger back into its sheathe, to free up his hands for evading Zirco's spell. Seeing him withdraw his wooden dagger, Zirco quickly took up offense. Clapping his hands even tighter than before, he began his incantation.
Z : "And lo, the fool leapt out of the pennsic and into the flames."
K : (!! It's not specifying anything, so it must be a CONTINUOUS SPELL- !! NOT GOOD, NOT GOOD-!!)
Katachi began sprinting around the battlefield quickly, in hopes to avoid the flames erupting from the floor. The flames, however, have begun gushing out in a tracing ripple - Wherever Katachi stepped on, the flames would spew over that piece of metal a moment later for a few seconds. It was forming many, many medium columns of flame, and it was chasing Katachi down. Round and round he went, forming lots of cracks on the ground and dividing the battlefield's border between him and Zirco.
K : "Gh!" (He's going to make me waste my stamina, a main weakness of most magi... Fine then! Let's see how you'd handle this!)
Running and dodging the flames narrowly, Katachi began reciting his own spell.
K : "And when she lifted her face, an unending stream flowed from her hands and eyes!"
Water started pouring out of Katachi's hands and eyes. They flowed and streamed, and covered the metal field with water all over. The flames were still spewing, but the water made the metal platform cool rapidly, so Katachi wouldn't feel the residual heat on his soles, while the heat dried the water fast enough for Katachi to re-run over the surface without feeling the slippery texture and eliminating the risk of skidding and losing balance.
Z : (!! What the-!!! Urdythari's unending tears!? That requires her rune to cast, but he's simply casting it without any form of guidance!? Did he tattoo her rune onto his skin or something!? Or did he cheat, and bring in a rune prepared beforehand?!) "Are you cheating!?"
Zirco, upon unearthing the seemingly impossible trick, lost his focus. His hands which were clapped together lost their firmness and loosened, and the pillars of flame stopped. But Katachi's palms and eyes were still leaking water like a stream, and it was now submerging the entire battlefield. The water poured and flowed over the metal ground. It flowed into the dents made by the previous students. It flowed into the cracks made from Zirco's spell. It flowed towards wherever Katachi was pointing his palms at - And Katachi was still calmly walking around the battlefield, pouring the water around the battlefield on purpose.
Z : (He wants to wet the entire field so the spell becomes ineffective? That shouldn't be effective normally, because the flames burst through the metal-...)
It took a while for Zirco to make out what Katachi's actually doing. It was vague, but Katachi was indeed drawing the water on the ground in a specific shape.
Z : (... !! The magic circle's shape... Ohde god Sharyu Zuku's rain call!! He wants to douse my spell completely by wetting the entire field in a rainstorm! Well, I'll just increase the sun's intensity to- !!!!!)
Zirco finally realizes what Katachi was planning. Clapping his hands together, Zirco recites a spell quickly in a desperate attempt to stop, or at least slow the process.
Z : "Flames born unto his palms, and took the form of a ball. With a bursting intensity, it expanded!"
A ball of fire was created in the gap between his hands, and it grew larger and larger, until it was about half his body's size. Zirco held it high above his head, and threw the ball down-
Katachi swung his arms wildly toward Zirco, and the streams of water whipped out towards his opponent. It doused his fireball gradually while soaking his clothes with water, and landed onto his area in general - It was merely extinguishing his spell by flailing about randomly, without precision training or proper planning of the sort, but it was enough to interrupt his fireball spell.
Z : (... That was an unglamorous move for a magus, but... Shit. He planned for this!... He's going to turn the field into one where fire spells are unfavorable. If I let him use the rain call as he pleases, then I won't be able to use Aleksei's spell properly. That's the fastest spell I have, and if he smothers it with rain, it will weaken a lot, and I won't be able to cast other flame spells easily because of the rain obstructing the other spells. Not to mention, he's soaked my clothes, so my movements will be sluggish and the spell's effectiveness will drop like a hammer. But if I strengthen the sun, it will strengthen his Child of Sun's powers...)
Z : (... Is he betting on Soltak's Reincarnate Art to guard himself from the flames?... I don't have much choice. I would rather fight him at full power than fight him when I am weakened!)
And so, Zirco began a Clear Sky spell.
*** ***
K : (... is probably what he's thinking. If I guessed it right, then it should play out perfectly.)
*** ***
Z : "Oh, great mighty Soltak, you who guards the holy sun,"
K : (He's begun reciting... I need to play along as well.) "Sharyu Zuku, God of Rain,"
Placing his palms onto his own shirt, Katachi began reciting while the water flows through his uniform. Meanwhile, Zirco raised his hands above his head, in reverence to the sky.
Z : (He's pouring the water onto himself so he doesn't draw anything excessive... Smart move, but you should have kept refreshing the water on the circle.) "Grace us with the glory of the bringer of hope!"
K : (I don't know if he'd notice that Clear Sky needs 2 more verses than the Rain Call spell, so will he speed-read his spell before I finish mine, evaporating the magic circle? Or will he finish later, to receive the dominant weather?... I'll keep playing along.) "Grace us water, Everyday!"
Z : (He's finished his... Now I will finish mine, so my spell takes dominant effect!) "Let the sun purge the foes of the darkness which we fear! Clear the skies, so we may observe your magnanimous love, toward us all!"
The sun in Cosmatral Silo was positioned beneath the platform they are standing on, and so the light poured from beneath the battlefield, and leaked through the cracks made by Zirco's spell. The light, blanketing the base of the mound of steel they were standing and fighting on, was one so pure that it blanketed the entire area they stood in with a giant shadow. That lasted for a few seconds. When the light faded, it blew away and evaporated all the water on the platform, and the green, unhealthy air cleared out, revealing Cosmatral Silo's true appearance.
A vast, beautiful space with many floating mounds of metal, surrounded by a sky of the purest azure. It was a beauty that captivated even Sage Raufid himself, when he was still alive.
Z : (... Beautiful...)
K : (He's not paying attention to me, even when the match isn't over? Well, that deserves a punishment.) "As he touched the river they first met at, the water crept upwards."
Z : (!?)
Zirco turned to face Katachi, who was now being coated with strange, slime-like blobs of water.
K : "It enveloped his limp, dead body, like living armor, the same way his love embraced him."
The water took the form of a full set of body armor, spare the helmet, and Katachi finally withdrew his dagger when it had enveloped him and settled down.
Z : (A combination spell of Diehl and Urdythari... It's well-remembered because it was their most dramatic tragedy scene, but its usefulness is rather limited...)
K : "I was just joking, Zirco."
Z : (? Joking?) "I do not understand this joke you speak of, scum."
K : "I didn't actually learn Sharyu Zuku's Rain Call spell."
Z : "... ! ... You... DIDN'T know the spell." (Shit. He made me tire myself out...)
K : "No. I didn't. Besides, even if I did, haven't you even noticed it in the sky? There are no clouds I could have used."
Zirco felt like he had been slapped on his cheek so hard that the sting would linger for a long time. He just boosted his opponent's power exponentially and fell right into his trap while exhausting himself with Aleksei's and Soltak's spells.
Z : "... So, all that-"
K : "-Was just to throw your breathing off so you couldn't use Aleksei's spell."
Z : *checks his own breathing* "... I figured as much..." (He distorted my breathing on purpose while maintaining his own stamina, forcing my body to tire out... Shit. I predicted this scum playing something underhanded, but something this elaborate... It's scary how well-planned it actually is.)
K : "Seeing as how you're tired right now, how about a story of Croxa's reincarnate, Sigurd?" (This should give him no time to relax and regain his stamina at all.)
Zirco was once again pelted with another problem - Should he listen to Katachi's story?
Usually, listening to a story was a bad idea, because the image power of that story will only serve to empower your opponent's magic even further. That will make it more effective, and the magic will become more powerful, just as how Zirco had used the exact same trick when their match started by declaring Katachi as the fool to fuel his Aleksei's spell.
But, not listening to the story would mean not knowing what the spell is capable of, and not knowing what to expect nor how to counter it. And since everything said in Cosmatral Silo is projected onto the coliseum, it is going to gain strength in the image power from the audience anyway. If there were 250 students at the coliseum, him listening would empower the story's spell with the thoughts of 251 people, while not listening would empower it by 250 while he knows absolutely nothing about it.
Yet another gamble. Katachi's cornering Zirco with all of his traps well in place.
Z : "... Speak then, scum. For this shall be the last time you would ever step into the finals."
K : "... Okay then. Croxa's 3rd reincarnate, Sigurd, was one of the lesser-known reincarnates of his. He didn't fight an epic battle with Sha'koth's reincarnate, but rather he died being kicked in the head by a horse in an accident. His technique wasn't the most powerful amongst Croxa's reincarnates neither. But, he did do something interesting while he was alive."
Z : *breathing deeply to regain stamina* "What 'something' did he do?"
K : "Sigurd had a pastime, which was dabbing his finger onto one drop of water, and pulling it to another drop of water. These two drops then fused to create a bigger drop of water. It was actually a base for one of his most offensive spells of surrounding himself with electrified water and charging at the opponent with frenzy, but this discovery also led to the creation of the water-powered devices we see today. Our bathing area does use Urdythari's unending tears as a water supply, but what makes the water flow out is actually Sigurd's discovery - The showering hole has a small pocket of water right before the pipe leads to the wall, that can merge with other pockets of water to 'pull' the water from the large pocket towards the shower hole."
Z : (... I see. I always wondered how the water system at the bathing spaces worked.) "You may be a bastard child, but you research well. For that and that alone, I give you credit."
K : "Yes, and thank you. But, you see, Zirco..."
Without warning, Katachi leapt forward, and traveled towards him. Fast.
Within half a second, Katachi had already appeared at point-blank range, right before Zirco.
Within half a second, Katachi covered the 4 meter gap between the two contestants at an astonishing speed invisible to the eye.
Within half a second, Katachi punched Zirco's throat with his right hand, still holding the wooden dagger.
Z : "Khaagh-!
Zirco clutched his neck as he fell backwards. He coughed twice, before Katachi placed the wooden blade against his throat, and performed a swiping motion with the dagger.
With that, Katachi became the champion for that year's Sage Raufid Young Magus Tournament.
*** ***
*Cozy's Notes : This chapter is no April Fool's joke, by the way.*
*T.W.'s Notes : My god. I told you to put a twist here and not let Katachi win. But no, you had to let the protagonist win. I thought you didn't want to write a shonen-styled story where the protagonist progressively gets stronger and stronger exponentially at unbelievably, fucking ridiculous rates. What do you have to say for yourself, Cozy? This better be an April Fool's Day joke.*
*Cozy's Notes : You'll see.*
Z : "... Damn it. I should have blown away the water on my clothes."
K : "... It would have been useless anyway. Even if your clothes weren't wet, even if I weren't wearing water armor, the spell would have worked regardless. People drink water, after all. Everyone has water within them."
Z : "...! You don't mean... !"
K : "... Yeah. I could have done the dash attack anytime. The only thing I was concerned with was that you would have defensive measures against such a straightforward attack, so I considered lowering your stamina first."
Z : "But, that speed... I could never catch up to that level! That is way too fast, even for my fastest-casting spell-!
K : "... Then, I suppose you've already lost this battle the moment you stepped in here - You keep focusing on what you can see, and not what you cannot see. In the end, you worry yourself over the effects of my attacks, not the cause."
Z : "Kh-!"
Slamming his right fist into the ground, Zirco expended a good bit of his remaining energy.
Z : (Losing, to the likes of this bastard child? Losing, to this INFERIOR?!)
K : "... I hope this changes your attitude. Please stop calling me scum, or bastard child, or crybaby weepants. No more."
*Cozy's Notes : Okay, crybaby weepants is a joke. Katachi is mentally-wise very, VERY strong, his mental strength was copied and inspired from one of the Mielfeud criminals that hang on the pillory. Refer to Chapter 1 if you don't remember.*
Katachi started walking out of Cosmatral Silo-
Z : (LOSING, TO THIS FOOL, WHO TURNED OUT NOT TO BE A FOOL!? THIS, THIS DESPICABLE LITTLE RUNT DEFEATED ME!?!? ... YOU... BAAASTAAAARRRD...!!!!!) "AND LO, THE LAVA SPEWED FORTH FROM BENEATH THE FOOL!!!"
Expending most of his remaining energy, Zirco cast a spell - One that was cast when the tournament was over. Normally, this would mean expulsion, but that didn't matter.
If Katachi could die, it didn't matter.
If the victory belonged to nobody, but he, Zirco, the sole finalist, it didn't matter.
If he could get rid of this eyesore permanently, it didn't matter.
Lava gurgled, and burst out in Katachi's place. Everyone in the coliseum saw the scene through the receiver. Katachi had clearly been where the lava was erupting from. Molten globs of heated, liquid earth eroded and melted anything it touched.
Katachi had melted.
*Cozy's Notes : This chapter marks the start of our notes because, well, April Fool's. I wanna take a day off sometimes and fool around on holidays or whenever I feel like it, like on the first day of April. Unless you want me to talk like that often, in which case, let me finish my story before I start commentating like Seorin.*
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