The two of them barged into the library, to see an unsettling scene - Bael sat upon a stone table, staring and grinning menacingly at Deku.
... Or, what was supposed to be Deku.
More than half of his being was glowing yellow, and his fists recklessly slammed into bookshelves and some support pillars, only to absorb the books, shelves, granite and dust all into his body. But, it seemed as if he was already at his limit a long time ago - The debris was reassembling itself outside his body, encasing him in a whole bunch of scrap-like armor. It was obvious that he could not keep them all in its yellow liquid-like form - He had long been forced beyond what he could handle alone.
C : (What is Bael doing, sitting there like that? Is she the perpetrator?) "Bael! What is the meaning of this?!"
B : "Oh, Cillian. You're here."
Her malicious smile was burned into his memory as she looked him down with frenzied eyes.
"Senior! He's... He's growing!!"
Cillian turned his head to see Deku growing in size - Bits and shrapnel of junk was encircling Deku, creeping upon his golem slowly, and his makeshift golem's arms glowed a brilliant yellow. It tore the wall next to it down, and absorbed the rubble and dust into the golem's main body, growing even bigger.
C : (What the hell's wrong with Deku? This isn't like him to use his powers without restraint! Did Bael do something to him?) "Bael!! Explain yourself!!!"
B : "You're noisy, Cillian! Shut up!"
Bael's snapping was likely the worst outcome that they could have hoped for.
Within an instant, the golem's right arm swung out towards Cillian and his junior in the Disciplinary Committee. Cillian drew his sword quick and struck against the hand, using the sword swing's momentum to shift out of the straight punch just barely.
Cillian kicked off the ground and reached for the back of the golem's hand. His sword clashing against the ragged skin of the golem, he thrusted it into the mantle of its earth-like skin.
C : (If I can just sever the main part that connects it all together...!)
"Senior! Watch out!!"
C : (!! Shit!)
He felt the rumbling of the outer crust and sensed imminent danger. As he withdrew his sword and leaped back, the fragments on the golem's hand suddenly exploded outwards, and the broken pieces of wood and stone rained against his body. Some were deflected by the sword in his hand; Some were light, blunt and small, and embedded themselves onto his shirt - And some of them, with destructive force, ripped some of his sleeves and deep into his gut and shoulder. If not for the sword defending the vital points on his torso, he may have suffered a fatal wound immediately.
His plan to land a preemptive strike had failed. It's usually the smartest course of action to exploit the only form of defense for Gatherer's Golem users - In order to maintain stronger control over the parts further from the body, the composition of the magic circuits at the innermost of the golem differs from the protective materiel that forms the mantle and crust of the golem. To stave off severe damage, the outer crust can be sacrificed and shed to shrug off attackers. Though it holds great risk in that shedding too much exposes the delicate core, thus opening a predictable weak point for co-ordinated attacks, good manipulators can control and limit the amount of materiel expunged.
A core weakness, truly - Then again, such is the consequence of a Reincarnate Spell. The true Reincarnate Art, Golem, holds no such weakness; And it is in that which the devoted followers draw their mightiest strength. But if Cillian couldn't even work around such a simple gimmick, what honor has he left?
The golem began reassembling the many small debris that have splintered out. Cillian felt the pieces embedded within him being ripped out of his body, and acted quick.
C : (!! It's moving... ! I can't take much more damage! Shepherd of the foreign, the illuminator of light!! The Bringer of Dawn guides the lost lamb to safety!!)
Cillian's body turned into light for a short moment, which let the small rubble within his body and the substances in his rectum fall out without harm. When he phased back into a human being-
C : "!!!" (That's right... This spell was not meant to be used defensively. The consequence for using this with an open wound... I can't believe I forgot about something that important...)
-massive amounts of blood spurted out from his body.
Cillian felt dizzy all of a sudden. It felt similar to the conclusion of a rigorous training with his brother, with his world spinning and a stinging, fiery feeling from all his muscles accompanied by numbness, but it also felt different somehow. It felt like a searing heat blanketed by a cruel cold gushed into his body from where the wounds were.
It felt like he wasn't coming back from this.
He leaned heavily on his sword crutch, the poor refined metal creaking and shaking from his unsteady hands. Cillian wanted to get to a safe spot to recover, to heal himself, or at least rest a bit before he faced the berserk Deku.
How ironic... Cillian knew that Deku was a really powerful magus among students, but he's never fought this seriously in the tournament before. To think that their match in the tournament was one of mercy, and that Deku held back from his full power such that he wouldn't harm his opponents. This technique... He's never performed something like this before in his tournaments. Most of the time, he simply freezes the water around into ice to encase him in a prison, or bury him to his neck, among many other things that simply weakened Cillian to ease the capture.
C : (I really am a disgrace, after all...)
He could hear a bunch of footsteps behind him, as someone seemed to drag him away from the library into the connecting corridor.
"Hang in there, senior Cillian! Hang in there!"
... What a pitiful way to die, having another student see something so unsightly. What does this first year, who has yet to pronounce his own name, think of this predicament?... Is he feeling contempt towards a pathetic finalist like him, who was so muscle-headed that his brother disproved him? Or is he feeling regret, for choosing to enroll in this academy with such unstable students? Or was he feeling fear, fear that he might be next in line to die?
Cillian felt sick, and weak.
C : (Is this... The limit of my body? I feel so... Unsatisfied.)
He clenched his fist tightly, trying to regain control over the body that would not budge.
C : (I can't move, or fight to my heart's content, just because of a few wounds?... And now I suffer a humiliating death...)
"... to your former glory!"
*Cozy's Notes : Here's a little spoiler-hint, this is a very, very powerful spell cast here that has an extremely unfavorable side-effect, and it has... Very specific conditions. Here's the full chant - "By my command, __(insert name here)__, return to your former glory!!" It's a very powerful and incredible Reincarnate Spell from Xofita, one of Dardicel's reincarnates, but it has an awful downside that most people can't withstand.
I'm saying this because Katachi himself will use this spell one day... In a different route. This is the spell that makes Katachi that much scarier, and more formidable in Herald, with Hraxiif's efforts to negate the spell's downsides and a relentless pursuit towards his goal.*
C : (I won't let this be my end... Never...)
A sudden burst of energy.
A strange, almost mystical burst of energy flooded his body once more, and Cillian felt invigorated, like.. Almost as if he took some tonic that forced his body to move. As if he had entered another person's body, completely healthy and healed.
The wounds in his stomach still hurt. They weren't there anymore, but they still hurt, as badly as they had before, as if the flesh there had been blown away when it still remained. The pain dulled his mind, but...
... Cillian didn't care anymore. The pain was nothing compared to his vexation, his lack of an honorable duel to the death. As a proud member of the de Vorsche family... No, as a proud knight of Rugnud, the birthplace of knights, he simply cannot accept the fact that he shall die quietly.
C : "RrrrrrrrrRRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAARRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!!!!!!"
A loud roar escaped his throat and cleared his head of the distractions and numbing pain. Think? No. Don't even think - Act and react.
There is no joy in planning out an attack. Having to expect failure, having to act favorably to gain an upper hand, playing around the weaknesses of Deku's magic...
All the strategies and plans that Duke Harlot, his brother Aedan, Ian Bloodcrust, and even Empress Roberia herself favored over simply rushing in with brute strength...
He didn't like that. Cillian had trained himself long and hard, to the point that he suffered from atrophy when he forgot his meals. All the time spent training, honing his ancestor's Bringer of Dawn magic, such that he could beat Deku in the tournament, and overtake his brother one day... And yet, all of that, only to hold back on his power... He grew sick of it.
C : (I don't know what he did, but I can move again! I'm not letting this chance go to waste!)
Cillian turned around and headed through the doorway, to see the huge Gatherer's Golem breaking down its limb, and forming its left leg from pieces of its arm. It reached its huge hand out toward the ceiling, and absorbed the entire skylight and mesh of metal and glass into its body.
C : (The bigger they are, the harder they hit... No! Negative image power will bolster his golem's power. The bigger they are, the harder they fall! I can do this!)
With a running start, Cillian struck the sword against the ground, and leaped up at the golem. The golem's body was craggy and formed from a huge mess, comprised of broken furniture and parts of objects like chairs, tables and books. Cillian pulled himself up and reached for a chandelier stuck to its body, just slightly above his own position.
C : (Such sluggish movements... Don't start thinking that you can catch up to me.)
The golem seemed to react to his ascent, and tried to squish Cillian between its giant hand and stomach region. But Cillian kicked himself off the giant's chest, and lodged his sword between the giant's fingers to balance his position.
It may be huge, but its movements slow. It may be strong, but it is insensitive and weak at precision movements. Cillian ran up the arm made of broken rubble of walls and wood from furniture, and reached the golem's shoulder.
C : (This is as close to Deku as I can get... The region between its neck is dark, and no light enters nor escapes. I'm in position!) "That which is light shall split apart the dark, for it is the purpose of the truth that shatters lies!!!"
Cillian's sword gleamed with a brilliant sparkle, and with a single slice, he beheaded the golem. From where the huge mound of scrap fell off, Cillian jumped into the heart of the beast without second thought.
C : "Deku!! Can you hear me?!" (Is he unconscious?)
And lo, there Deku lay, surrounded by many small pieces of rubble and splinters that seemed to form a sort of conglomerated, living armor.
C : (Respond to me, Deku!) "The Bringer of Dawn illuminates the path, for he is a Shepherd! Come hither, lost child, and heed my call!"
... No response. The mass around Deku seemed only to squirm and vibrate more vigorously.
C : (... He's unconscious. Looks like I'll have to free him the hard wa-)
*boom*
An impactful, concussive blow emanated from Deku's position. And, once again, Cillian was riddled full of broken pieces of stone and wood - Except with an outcome far worse than before.
Of course, Cillian thought. Engaging in close-range combat with a magus is suicidal. Conduit Imbue imprinted magical circuits into regular objects, allowing them to be readily absorbed and used according to their composition. It's a given that the pieces closest to him would have the greatest resonance, and so the magus' ability to manipulate them would also be dramatically improved.
The explosion from the golem's hand was incomparable to this. The wounds before only permeated his body from the front, but the attack this time blasted the shrapnel and pieces right through his body.
C : (Forgive me, Duke Harlot-)
Cillian didn't even get to feel his body hitting the floor.
...
... In a time where the shotgun was centuries from being invented, Cillian de Vorsche was murdered with multiple puncture wounds all over his body.
*Cozy's Notes : Now is probably a good time to ask - Where are the teachers? If Deku's potential rivals a teacher's level, surely one of them should have stepped up to stop him! Well, to that I say, it's actually because of the design of the school - The library is close to the living quarters, and it's at the opposite end of the academy. The lesson areas are more towards the south-west, while the library is more towards the northeast. Not to mention, the corridors are flooded with directional magic, and that essentially puts a speed limit on everyone, even teachers lel *
*** ***
"Fresh meat! Today's batch just came! Fresh meat!"
Among the many shouts and yodels of the other merchants in a foreign language was one in Findeli - One that caught their attention immediately.
Roberia's ears perked up at the sound of 'meat' and quickly hopped to the stall to view its selection.
K : (... She looks really hungry for some meat...)
As Katachi walked over, he could already see Roberia pointing at the different meats on the rack and asking what each of them are.
R : "What about this one?"
"You've got good eyes, stranger! This here's Eitglen-marinated geese. Guaranteed to keep you warm throughout the night."
A wide grin escapes the shopkeeper's face as his call out to Roberia worked effectively. There wasn't much traffic about the town, so the stall owners with customers seem to smile with glee and friendliness...
... An overwhelming friendliness that made Katachi shiver slightly.
R : "Eitglen, huh... ? What about that one?"
Instinctively, Roberia pointed at one of the stranger looking meats Katachi has laid eyes upon - A piece of dark red meat with many small drops of water on its surface like dew... next to an even-more-obscure purple-colored meat.
"! Ahh!... This here, stranger, is something you can get only in Anik. Moss-scaled Salamander. You can't get it fresh anywhere else. I caught this one about an hour ago."
It probably sounded quite disgusting to Katachi, but Roberia's eyes sparkled with a most enthusiastic light.
R : "Salamander! It's a must-have for anyone visiting Anik..." (I've always wanted to catch one, but they're so slippery and cunning that they slip right out of my hands with that slimy skin that can shed moss. Ian brings salamander back from his hunting trip sometimes, but they're mostly stale by then...)
She looked hungrily at the slab of salamander flesh on the rack.
R : (I haven't tasted one from Anik neither. With the different rivers and locations, I wonder if it would be bustling full of Anik's rich flavors? Should I look for a chef around to cook this in Anikan cuisine, or roast it by a campfire? I can't decide if I want to enjoy its original taste my way without too many herbs or spices added, but I feel like a brute for eating it in such an unrefined manner...)
K : (... ? She looks troubled...) "Are you okay, Roberia?"
Katachi walked over, and something foul in the air caught his attention immediately.
K : "!!" (My god... This stench! Where is this rotting smell coming from?)
R : "I'm fine, Katachi, let me think about this for a while."
Roberia turned back around and stared hard at the salamander meat.
R : (Maybe I should eat it raw? I'm not hunting, though. If I were hunting, normally having it raw for the first time would be the way to go, and then I can cook it the consecutive times. But this is simply purchasing another person's hunt. There's no glory in eating it raw when there's no sense of achievement that accompanies it. But with that line of reasoning, eating it in Anikan cuisine may be bad, too! My expectations and original impression for it would be polluted, and it ruins the experience when I actually succeed in hunting one!)
K : (That bucket at the bottom... The flesh inside is rotting really bad. Are those the meat that wasn't sold in time?) "Uhm, excuse me, sir?"
"Yes?"
He breathed an ampule of pestilent odor out of his mouth as Katachi approached him.
K : "... Uhm... That bucket at the bottom... What's the, uhm... 'Thing' inside?"
"Wha- How did you see that?"
*Cozy's Notes : Do you remember when Yvolki's feather brushed against a plain stick in Roberia's hands, and it created the greatsword she originally used? It's from the Bird of Dream, and it is able to internalize and materialize the wielder's desires and intentions. Where Roberia received a feather, Katachi received actual magic seals in his eyes. These magic seals restrain the power of any of Yvolki's feathers when active.
When Roberia is away from Katachi / Katachi is unconscious, she can use Yvolki's feather to create the greatsword. But should Katachi come into proximity or he wakes up, the feather's power will be suppressed. Roberia's offering is a simple gesture by Yvolki, but the sigils burnt into Katachi's eyes are the real deal. From this, you can probably guess it for yourself - The stall owner has one of Yvolki's feathers to disguise the bucket, but Katachi's eyes stopped it from working.*
On his face was a look of astonishment, almost as if he had not anticipated that question. He peered under the table and racks, and then looked back up at Katachi in shock.
K : "That's, uhm... Is that-"
"哎, 果然各有千秋呀..."
The stall owner shook his head in disbelief and defeat.
"Alright, alright. You got me. This meat wasn't caught a couple of hours ago."
K : "?"
R : "?! Eh?"
The man picked up a bucket with a rotting carcass inside, and placed it on the table, next to the assortment of meat.
"I knew it wasn't going to sell because nobody would be stupid enough to cut up a salamander for sale anyway. The water droplets on it is proof enough that the meat's going to spoil if it's left out in the open."
K : "!?!" (Wait, what? What- What happened? Why is he confessing or something all of a sudden?)
R : "Interesting." (Ian's always said that 'You shouldn't damage the flesh of a salamander if you want to poach one.' So that's what he meant.)
"I can't help it, though. This poor salamander fell onto a sharp rock and did itself in. I had no choice but to cut the meaty part of the tail out and leave the rest to rot."
K : "..." (Ew. He's selling us tail meat?...)
R : "!" (Oh! Tail meat! It's one of the tastiest parts of a salamander!)
Their different facial reactions and experiences with the subject were almost blatantly obvious. It would have been the right mood for the stall owner to laugh, most probably, if he weren't in his current predicament.
*Cozy's Notes : Old man's got honor to preserve. No secrets if you're caught.*
R : (... Wait a minute... How old is this meat?)
K : (Hang on, the parts in the bucket have rotted for a good while now. I can't believe it looks like... This...)
R : "How did you preserve it so well?"
K : "How old is the meat anyway?"
They turned to face each other, realizing the question they were about to ask next had already been prompted.
"..."
The stall owner looked around furtively, and decided that it was safe if kept low.
"... Lean your heads closer, you two."
Katachi and Roberia stretched their necks forward, and touched cheek-by-cheek, eager to hear the answer.
"... I'm trusting you to keep a secret here - I've got one of those nice and handy Words of Power to preserve it well. Some of these are already well over a month, you know."
R : "... !"
K : "!!!"
They leaned back, and stared at the stall owner who had a rather sour grin on his face.
K : (Another Word of Power, right under our noses, on these meats...)
R : (What if all the meats were well over a month?! Did he just try to sell me tail meat that's a month old?!)
R : "... You can't be serious... None of these are fresh- Mmmmph!?"
K : (Quiet, Roberia! Don't ruin his business! I need his favor to copy the Word of Power successfully!)
Katachi gagged Roberia from behind, and she was definitely startled by the act. With an elbow jab, she hit Katachi on his side forcefully, with a powerful blow befitting her title as a warrior princess.
K : "Aaagghh..."
R : (Oh no! I just attacked blindly on reflex!) "Katachi?! Are you okay?!"
The damage was done. She could apologize all she wanted, but Roberia couldn't undo her retaliation out of self-defense. Katachi could only clutch his side painfully and flex his stomach muscles partially to numb the pain.
K : "Uuuuhhghh..." (Too... Too much pain...)
He felt the right side of his torso numb, and the scene before him fade to black.
*** ***
Katachi's awakening was accompanied with an odor in a strange room that smelled funny, Roberia profusely apologizing to him and the stall owner from before dragging his stand to a corner of the house.
