Messiah 30 : Politics_To_The_Rescue

This man was different.

He held his fists against his chest, bare and clenched. He did not wield weapons like the other knights around him who used maces, axes, polearms, or the like.

A bare-handed brawler.

Katachi had not met a person brash or bold enough to battle without weaponry. Then again, with Rugnud being a country where the strong are revered, his strength must have been something else.

K : (That knight from before was his disciple...)

He dreaded at the thought of this opponent. For a man like himself, to have mentored the knight responsible for the difficult battle just now... Not to mention that as a veteran, Nazkova would have a wealth of experience greater than Ian.

Katachi felt exhausted. He wasn't sure if he had the stamina to fight this match. But he couldn't back down, not now - He had the feeling that the uproar from mentioning Segus earlier on would only worsen should he refuse this match.

K : (Their glares hurt... Why do I feel like this match was here deliberately to make me suffer even more?)

At the very least, he should give those knights the satisfaction of seeing their idol of spite beaten up.

N : "Relax yourself, child - There is no need to be so tense."

He spoke with a deep, and concerned voice, one filled with reason and care. His demeanor, looking at Katachi with tired, gentle eyes, was not what he had expected from a knight as himself.

Such calming words... It made Katachi feel understood. As though the man before him knew him like a brother, a friend from long ago. The charisma he held was incredible.

Katachi relaxed his shoulders-

N : "!!"

-and regretted his decision almost immediately.

Nazkova rushed him down with incredible celerity out of nowhere, one that made Katachi flinch and fall on his back.

K : (Wha-)

That speed was incredible. Katachi could tell that it was not a speed achieved by using a spell, but by the sheer strength of his legs kicking against the ground furiously in a mad charge. He could only bring his arms up to his face to guard himself from whatever attacks came his way, as the fist was driven into his body before he-

It never came.

The man simply rushed towards Katachi with an incredible speed, halting to a dead slow right before him, and stopped, hurling a gust of wind at the poor boy's face.

K : (... It was so fast that I was already seeing the image of being hurt...)

Nazkova never attacked... Rather, he seemed more concerned with the demonstration than the attack itself. He turned to face the knight, now staring in astonishment.

N : "Do you see, Ian? This child is no warrior. He would loosen himself and relax when told to, instead of keeping his guard up with extreme caution against your words. He holds none of the pride you would expect from a warrior. Your biggest mistake was that you treated him as a warrior, not a magus."

Ian nodded his head slowly, absorbing what had happened readily.

N : "You should know that in a battle, the lesser your skills are made known of, the bigger of an advantage you have. This applies to all forms of battle - Against the knights of our own, or the champions of Auseri, or the samurai of Ohde, and even this boy."

I : "... I understand."

Ian turned his head away in regret, reflecting deeply on his actions.

K : (He's no easy opponent... I can tell.)

That speed he moved at was almost as fast as Sigurd's Water Linkage. He had achieved that nearly-inhumane speed by himself, and he could have easily punched the living daylights out of Katachi had he chose to. The strength that accompanied that speed... It was a beauty to behold, and a horror to face.

This man was dangerous.

K : (I have to be very careful...)

He raised his guard further, but he doubted. It would have been of little help, but every little bit could lead to a path of survival, to victory.

But the veteran's words rang in his ears. He was right - Katachi didn't know how to beat him.

He wielded no weapons, and used the brute force of his knuckles as weaponry. He could move at that mind-blowing speed he couldn't keep up with, and he did it naturally without the aid of a spell.

No tales were uttered, no gestures were made. Then, the only feasible reason aside from rigorous and proper training would be that Nazkova used the passive image power, the image everyone in the throne had of him, to move at that amazing speed. And the most frightening of it all, was the fact that it was not a spell - He could have easily changed the direction he moved in at any time, to his own preference, unlike Water Linkage where it was a straight beeline from one point to another.

Image power, a strength he turned against Ian, was now turned against him.

But, for everyone to believe that a veteran with an aging body to be that swift...

K : (... Is he actually famous?)

*** ***

Fame was something to be adored by many.

The recognition of one's capabilities. The acknowledgement of one's existence, and the approval of one's efforts to achieve what others would otherwise fail to.

In Rugnud, that was especially true - In a country where strength is power, fame naturally became an important element incorporated into that strength.

Being famous meant that your image would surface in their heads upon the mere mention of anything that remotely reminded others of yourself.

If you asked someone whether they knew of the God named Dardicel, they would easily nod their heads. But if you asked someone to recall Vesja, an Auseri legend, the likelihood of them recognizing would drop severely if they weren't from the respective region.

That was the importance of fame.

And yet... It was unusual.

It was truly unusual.

Minister Lein may be well-known among the many villages and towns of Findel, but he would not garner as much attention outside other countries.

And yet, Katachi had heard tales of how Minister Lein would wield and manipulate image in the most creative of ways. How he would recall an image of himself in somewhere else, close his eyes and take ten steps to magically transport himself to the location of his desire.

But Minister Lein couldn't move at that speed, even if so. He recalled how the Minister would magically shift himself before the man who often prayed at his church, grabbing him by his neck and locking him onto the pillory.

And yet, that was slower than what the knight had performed.

K : (... Could it be...?)

Could Katachi have stumbled across someone incredibly famous and powerful, and remain unaware of his greatness?

That... Was the only logical explanation to that incredible power.

*** ***

Turning to face Katachi now, the veteran walked towards him in a seemingly unguarded fashion. And yet... Anyone could almost tell that he was completely prepared for anything the opponent may throw. He walked forward calmly without a specific stance, yet at the same time, it was like every move he made to take a step forward was a stance in itself - A perfect form of walking that allowed him to dodge or react at any given time.

He was certainly dangerous.

It wasn't comfortable for Katachi to stay so close to him. He retreated backwards, but the knight's calm and constant advance was hard to keep up with.

He could only leap back, and back, and back, with no room to push forward.

N : "Do you see? I have yet to attack him, and he fears me so, Ian. You should never be the aggressor when fighting a magus, even if the opportunity shows - After all, they can only act confidently when you have swung and left yourself open with a small window of weakness."

I : "I see..."

He was right again.

Katachi knew that this man was powerful - His feet shuffled quickly, and there was no telling what he hid behind his sleeves. He had not landed a single attack, and yet Katachi was already being cornered, without any means of attacking back. He advanced in such a defensive manner, that showed a world of absolute defense invisible at first glance, but subtly apparent.

He didn't know how to handle a difficult opponent who possessed such a defensive style, one that forced their foes to be confident in their strikes while warning them that any imperfections they showed would be mercilessly exploited.

Katachi wasn't confident in striking this powerful foe... He never was.

He simply moved in order to survive, but without even knowing how he could survive to begin with, how could he fight back?

Standing straight and facing him head on would be bad. Attacking only to reveal a big window for him to punish would be bad. This was a painful match for Katachi, not in the sense that he would be hurt but in the sense that he was forced to acknowledge his weaknesses.

He could never be the first to strike.

It wasn't like him to.

Katachi was simply too soft, and too kind to hurt another willingly.

And in this cruel yet beautiful world, where the men who practice kindness were mocked and devoured, he was alone.

Mother Rin may have shielded some of the more painful things from him, but nothing she could have done prepared him for this.

N : "Why do you not strike, young one?"

K : "..."

He had declared that they were fighting, and yet they weren't really fighting.

Not a single blow had been delivered. Not a single attack had been dealt to cause that throbbing, searing pain on his body, nor the extreme fear and focus that flooded his mind as he focused on dodging the blows that would otherwise cause such agony.

That, was when Katachi understood.

His opponent... He knew exactly how to fight Katachi because he was the same.

They were kindred spirits who knew of each others' weaknesses, even without saying much. They knew that the moment they attacked and showed a possible weakness the opponent could exploit, it would be their loss.

For turtles like them, there were only two feasible outcomes - Either they settled it with a single blow, or they would wait for the opponent to fail their single blow and beat them up from there.

N : "... !!"

Without warning, he pulled his arm back, and sent an uppercut in Katachi's direction. In a desperate attempt to dodge, Katachi twisted his body out of the way, and stumbled to a side before regaining his footing.

When he had regained his composure, he had noticed it, albeit a bit too late - The uppercut was never meant to hit him.

It was simply to incite a response from his foe, to tire them out by making them take unnecessary actions to guard against it.

Had he not felt this sensation before? This was the exact way he lulled Zirco into a false, desperate situation. But at that point, he was able to create a fake situation like so - Zirco did not know how Katachi would have fought using Urdythari's rune.

But now, his opponent had the upper hand.

His opponent had the time to observe him, and know his limitations.

N : "Young man, if you are to gasp for air after two feints that weren't even meant to hit you, then you have a serious need for endurance."

He hit the nail once more.

There was nothing to fear, but fear itself; Katachi had only been trying to defend himself, but the attacks never really came.

All the precautions he took to safeguard his life wore him out faster than pulling off a plan to exhaust his foe out instead. What's more, he had failed to condition his body properly for such a fight to begin with - Katachi would run out of stamina before he would take the veteran down.

That was a given.

... But there was a possible way out.

Destroy all doubt. Katachi was far from playing all of his cards yet, and that was a true saving grace in a situation like so - He could use spells he hasn't used in the battle against Ian. He could take the initiative just like before, and make his opponent reveal his weaknesses unconsciously without actually revealing any of his own.

N : "... That's a good light in your eyes. I'm surprised you didn't need me to point it out."

... It struck him even harder.

Had his opponent... Been manipulating his own train of thought all this time?

If that were the case, then it would make sense - How Nazkova seemed to respond to exactly what he had on his mind... So that was the nature of his opponent.

An intellectual opponent who forces his foes to make unfavorable moves.

The same kind of strategist that Katachi aspired to be.

And yet, that could be the greatest help of it all. After all, they are too like-minded to ignore the fact that they shared the same weaknesses - How the individual coped with those weaknesses would be another things altogether, but essentially the framework was in place.

Against a foe like that, the only way was to make him slip and reveal his own weaknesses. Having him react to the spells he hasn't expected was one of the best ways to do so, even if it meant falling right into his trap and empowering him with image power even further.

K : (... I don't know if it's wise to go along with his plans, but if I must, then so be it.)

*** ***

The grip on the broken dirk intensified.

The poor, brittle thing shook in his tiny hands as Katachi poised himself in Nistier's style once more.

Nazkova glanced over at him and chuckled a bit, before lowering his body and core in an actual, serious stance.

N : "... Very well, let's begin then."

Katachi could feel the actual intent to hurt and maim this time - That stance was serious. It showed no openings, and it gave an incredibly familiar feeling, similar to the Anikan lady.

... But that speed of his was a problem Katachi needed to deal with.  Katachi discarded the dirk, the poor tool that would give way very soon should he put any further strain on it.

K : "... He could only do his best to protect the flame from withering."

Recalling the image of the Urdythari rune in his hands, Katachi focused the image on his palms. He watched as Nazkova was slowly coated in gentle flames, his plan made clear.

N : "Marking me as the Troubled Glass-smith of FeiCuiYuBi? You sure are bold."

His opponent seemed to appreciate the power he received. But, more importantly, he recognized the tale, which would likely lower the chances of success should he get at what's going to happen.

N : "But, then again, it is akin to a curse, is it not? To wither my defenses such that I would be hurt by even the smallest drop of water... Though, the warmth is greatly appreciated."

Katachi moved. With the runes in his hands, he began to litter water all over the throne floor.

N : "..."

It should be distracting him by now. Instead of flailing his arms at him, where the veteran would be painfully frostbitten by the water, Katachi was distributing it across the ground with swiftness.

N : "... Is that not pointless?"

As he walked forward, the heat radiating from his body evaporated the water around his feet.

But Katachi paid him no heed. He continued to run around, in the squire's over-sized undershirt and socks, spreading the water everywhere across the floor.

Keep the opponent guessing. A defensive opponent often only acts up to prevent something from happening, but they are weak towards indirect methods of attacks - Just as Katachi himself was weak towards the feints Nazkova had used on him.

N : "... What an interesting strategy."

The veteran looked down upon the floor, and walked forward - Specifically, he walked to a point Katachi had run across.

And there, he saw Katachi's ploy.

On the floor itself, etched in blue by the soles of his feet and the socks, was an Urdythari rune.

N : "... A lake on the floor itself, serene and graceful like a mirror, which conceals the runes beneath that sustains this illusion..."

He was beginning to get an idea of what Katachi was doing. But had he deciphered the plan?

Katachi changed his movements. Instead of doing many, graceful steps, he did many quick taps on the floor, like a person hopping on hot coal. The runes carved onto the throne floor increased significantly, creating a beautiful film of water that coated the entirety of the throne room, flowing out from the sides off the roofs of the rooms below.

If there were walls in the room, that would certainly have escalated to a dangerous attempt at genocide, to flood everyone that was present.

But the feat was truly something to behold - The floor had become a beautiful, gigantic mirror, one that even Nazkova couldn't radiate enough heat to isolate the water from his soles.

He easily understood the general strategy Katachi used.

N : "... That's cruel, young man. How am I to move if every moment I spend here peels away at my feet?"

Certainly, if one reduced his mobility to nothing, the problem of his speed would no longer be an issue - If he could not move in the face of pain, it would be his victory.

Even if he could evaporate the water away, it takes time for it to take effect - The time his foe could not afford to spend if he were to speed through the surface with that speed.

... But.

The veteran knight created flames on the back of his left hand, and the heat from his body grew stronger. It created a powerful barrier of heat that boiled the water around his general vicinity into steam, and it would certainly hurt even more to engage him in close combat.

K : (... What kind of magic is that?)

Yet another magic derived from the country's True History? Again, another unexpected variable. It was similar to Vesja's Will of the Flame, but it formed on the back of his left hand instead of between his palms. Would this become Katachi's undoing? Would knowing what it could do help with his chances at success?

On that note, most of Rugnud's population were warriors. They used powerful, direct magic that were mainly offensive, much like how Ian Bloodcrust released a barrage of blood crystals forward in order to maim his foes. It was likely that this was another direct, offensive spell in a weaker form - One that had its offensive prowess reduced to be used defensively, and one that he need not fear.

But it would also make sense for it to be a supportive magic. After all, his opponent fought bare-handed, and so approaching his opponent to beat them down would be his preferred style of combat. Having to engage the opponent closely would mean that this support spell, which heats up everything in his general vicinity rapidly, could make the armor his foes wore intolerable.

... But that wouldn't matter if he never got the chance to attack Katachi close-range.

K : (Don't get distracted... Now!) "He got back to work, and prepared to blow the glass."

Before he could take another step, the aged knight was stopped in his place.

Katachi's plan succeeded. By retelling the tale in an advantageous way, he could immobilize the veteran momentarily and force him to do something else after he had been marked. The way he retold the tale emphasized on the actions of the glass-smith more, causing the veteran to stop everything else to perform the action.

The veteran 'got back to work', and stopped whatever else he did.

The veteran 'prepared to blow the glass', and so he took a deep breath.

... Forcibly inhaling all of the steam produced from his barrier of heat into his lungs.

His eyes widened as the water filled his lungs gradually. He had walked right into Katachi's trap, where Katachi had once fallen for his feints. Had he instead extinguished the flames on his body by performing the action the glass-smith always did to indicate a job's well done, he could have escaped that fate.

But now... Katachi had struck victory.

... A short-lasting victory, if anything.

The veteran did not frown, or show any signs of discomfort.

He smiled, as though he had already foresaw this outcome.

K : (... He's really experienced... !)

For a man to smile like so, even when put into a troubling position, was proof of his experience against battling other magi. To shrug off their foes' attacks casually as though it were an easy feat was a very lucid image of strength that would serve to strengthen the image of the warrior.

Nazkova's wealth of experience, far greater than both Ian's and Katachi's, overwhelmed them both and impressed the observers.

In an effortless smash, the veteran pulverized the ground with an earth-shaking might, and created a rather sharp stalagmite-like mound of marble before him.

K : "!?" (He's... that strong?...)

With a spin, he tossed his own body into the air, and pile-drove his stomach and sternum onto the spire, forcing him to cough the water out.

... It shocked him.

K : (Forcing the elements to his aide when no one else is around to do so... He would go that far, just to recover from my plan... ?)

It never occurred to him that with enough endurance and resilience, one could forcibly shrug off the tactics the enemy employed. Where Katachi would have easily fallen victim to that magic, Nazkova had overcome the weakness of falling into unexpected traps by refining his physical strength and stoutness.

A dry cough that cleared his throat allowed him to speak.

N : "You're like this pool of water, young man. You're too soft."

K : "... What do you mean?"

He brushed the marble dust off of his stomach, and grinned back at the child while scratching at his chest area.

K : (Is he... Itchy?)

N : "Water is yielding, and it moves and adapts to the situation. But it lacks the impact to achieve what needs to be done, not unless you position yourself correctly."

As he hand-gestured his words dramatically, a brown object slipped out from the cloth in his chest region.

K : (! That's my dagger... ! He was scratching at the region the dagger pressed against! Why does he have it?!)

N : "You must be able to become the ultimate form of water, one that can change into anything the situation requires of you. Ice to encase and protect, steam to absorb and escape, torrents to quell and drown, waterfalls to erode and break through. If you do not strive for that, young man, then this is y- ... ?"

The veteran stopped as his eyes met the black-haired boy's.

N : "... Well, that's a rather unusual glare in your eyes. I don't suppose this is yours?"
K : (... Not good...)

He simply raised his leg, and kicked the dagger upwards into his hand. He observed the dagger, and found the carving attached onto it - A glyph, carved in Anikan.

N : "How interesting. Warden Warner has certainly brought me something truly interesting. I don't suppose you would mind if I... Broke it?"

He flipped the dagger and brought the hilt face-up. Raising his arm high, he swung down at the dagger with his fist.

The fist that shook the ground ever so violently, and yet in such a controlled fashion that pushed up a mound of marble easily-

K : (No!!)

A 定 was placed on the dagger right before he struck. His fist smashed against the hilt, sliding off the grip of his fingers and sending the dagger straight at the ground, driving it into the marble.

It pierced right through the marble effortlessly.

N : "Finally, you show your true colors."

What happened next was absolutely jaw-dropping. Katachi could only widen his eyes in absolute dread, at the sight before him.

N : "Let me tell you something of grave importance, child."
K : (No... No way...)

... For what was projected at the back of his left hand...

N : "You would do well to use powers like that only when there is absolutely no other way out."
K : (... He's a Hunter...)

... Was a big, gigantic 定 that appeared like a shield of some form.

*** ***

How could he sit by, and watch as the fist crushed and destroyed the dagger utterly?

How could he watch idly, as the tool that accompanied him thus far gets destroyed by a man he had not known for more than 20 minutes?

Katachi could endure being ostracized. He could endure being tortured, chided, bullied, hated on and accused of something he did not do. But he could not endure the sight of a gift from another, destroyed so easily.

The dagger was a gift, from the Sage Raufid Magus Academy, for his participation in a competition. It was not something he could allow harm to come upon, precisely because it was a gift, a token from another person. The amount of work and effort put into making the tools may not be as much as one might think. The feat may seem pointless, and almost foolish, but even so Katachi could not tolerate the destruction of it.

He understood, from the teachings in the church, how precious everything was.

How Segus struggled to make ends meet, how he fought his hunger, how he made the most of what little he had.

How he had to carve out the muck and algae on the drains and use them as fertilizer when his master refused to give him enough gold for a proper bag. How he boiled the left-over bones of the diseased cats that starved to death on the streets over and over again on bonfires formed from the garbage of others, drinking it as a soup to sustain what little energy he could conserve.

How he struggled as a slave to make ends meet, and how he had shown the need to take the utmost care of the things one has, to treasure it where others did not have such luxury.

As a person who deeply respected what Segus had to endure, Katachi could not allow that precious gift to be destroyed.

... Even if it meant losing and giving up what little life he had.

*** ***

N : "I figured you would be a Scholar or thief of some form, given the sheer amount of Words of Power we found in this."

The veteran walked towards the one they called Warden Warner, who handed him a thousand-paged, slightly worn-out paper book. He flipped open the pages and counted the contents casually.

N : "Look at this. Just look at all of this! One, two, three, four, five, six... And none of these looks like the one on my arm here. You have at least 7 of these on you already, and considering that there are 292 of them out there, I'd say that's quite something."
K : (He's a Hunter who can use the Words of Power he sees...? No... His magic is probably not that simple.)

*Cozy's Notes : In case you've forgotten, Katachi has collected these four words from Chapter 1 - 32 : 定, 解, 安, 信. He has also collected these three words from Messiah 1 to now - 凝, 合, 保. Note that the 定 is not in the book, but actually a part of himself. What, did you think collecting all 292 is going to be an easy feat? It sure as hell isn't. We hit 239 pages excluding this chapter, and we're only at 6.*

The trump card that granted him the imbalance needed to tilt the battle in his favor now rested upon his opponent's arm, as a power used against him.

N : "I first imagined you to be a thief who stole this in someone's sleep, but you've been collecting these, haven't you? It wouldn't make sense for you to have this 7th that I can't find in the book otherwise."

K : (... Then so be it. Let's use that to our advantage.)

And yet, Katachi did not hesitate.

K : (The power to ignite and explode... The remnant of what was once complete. That which was whole was merely a conglomeration of the many who were like-minded. 恒定! Constant status - Storage book!)

Nazkova flipped the book a little more, and found a strange symbol on one of the pages not in golden yellow, but in orange - An orange symbol 爆 was marked on one of the further pages.

The 爆 was no mere word - It was a symbol formed by numerous tiny Kaba runes patterned in a specific manner, that would cause a gigantic chain reaction sure to trouble anyone standing close to the book.

N : "!!!"

He tossed the book to his left after running to the edge of the court swiftly, and swung his left fist outward quickly. Raising the 定 on his arm like a shield, the emblem of power expanded and grew to protect everyone in the throne room from the possible attack from the weapon falling off the side.

The book, combusting into great balls of fire before erupting violently, was a power to be reckoned with. Even with a Word of Power protecting them, the residual heat could be felt on their exposed skin and armor, to a degree. The people in the throne room, though a little fazed by the sudden activation of the trap Katachi had laid, were sure that without the protection the heat would have been unbearable, and perhaps dangerous, even.

While Nazkova had raised his arm to protect everyone, Katachi rushed in swiftly. He cast Magic Enhancing on his legs once more, and sped towards the veteran.

He changed his posture, and slide kicked towards Nazkova...

K : (设定! Set displacement destination of storage book - From mid-air onto my hip! 溶解! Dissolve surface - Marble floor!)

... and went right through his legs, with a gigantic 解 on where the knight stood. The knight, startled by the ground under his feet giving way suddenly, loosened his grip to which Katachi took advantage of and snatched his dagger back into his hand.

N : "?- What-"

K : (凝固! Solidify - Marble mixture!)

The quick-sand like mixture beneath his feet hardened almost instantly, and Katachi smashed the dagger against his shield.

Normally, since they were of the same precedence level, both would have been cancelled out. However, the 定 in the dagger had a proper housing, which allowed its power to channel better by assimilating the Word of Power as part of the weapon itself, thereby raising its precedence level by a small amount.

With that, he was able to shatter the shield completely, the wooden blade lunging straight at his shoulder blade.

... Failure.

Nazkova forcefully plucked his arm from the marble floor, along with a good chunk still attached to his wrist. He punched Katachi square in the head, sending the black-haired boy flying a good distance away - A distance that was enough to allow a recovery on both sides.

Katachi wouldn't make it. Even if he sprinted at maximum speed in a full-on beeline, the knight would have more than enough time to get his body back up to solid ground. With a front walkover, he pulled his right leg out of the concrete fully, and his left still with a chunk attached.

He simply smashed his right hand and left leg together, freeing both of his limbs stuck with chunks.

N : "Let's go."
K : (That's not going to work, huh... How about this?)

With a determined and almost mad look in their eyes, they rushed at each other to force a window of weakness from their opponents.

*** ***

Their battle had become dangerous enough to threaten the safety of everyone in the throne room.

It was clearly evidenced from the explosion outside the throne room that had they kept this up, casualties were bound to occur. She could not allow this to go on any further, regardless of the outcome.

It was obvious, from the start. How could Katachi hope to defeat one of the two strongest in Rugnud, the man who stood as her father's equal as the Bulwark of Rugnud? It was no less of a miracle that he was still alive because Nazkova was obviously still going easy on him, and she could not afford to get either side injured, either in body or in pride. This whole match was enough of a joke to begin with, but now she had the incentive to stop them properly without fueling the rage of the other knights further.

It must be suspended indefinitely.

R : "... I've had enough of this."

Roberia marched towards Ian, with an impatient look in her eyes.

R : "Ian, your sword."

I : "As you wish, my liege."

She grabbed the greatsword with a single arm, and hurled it between the two who were running at each other. Katachi glanced over for a little bit at the exaggerated motion to his right, while Nazkova continued his assault, as if it wouldn't hurt if he had been hit by it.

... It probably wouldn't have. He was certainly muscular enough to deflect, and even ignore the attack altogether. It wouldn't hurt him even if a boulder fell upon him.

In that small distraction, Nazkova tripled his speed and grasped Katachi by his neck, a triumphant look in his eyes.

R : "Have you not had enough, Grande Nazkova? Or do you plan to continue this charade until one of us gets injured by that explosion?"

Her voice rang in his ears, and, as though he were in a trance, he seemingly regained his senses.

N : "Ahh, my apologies."

He gently let the black-haired boy down from his grasp, and dusted off the remnants of the floor from the squire's clothes.

N : "I suppose you could say that I was caught up in the 'heat' of the moment! Hahahahah!"

He backed off slowly, and bowed deeply.

N : "As I was saying, you must strive to become the ultimate form of water. Water that can slip right through my fingers, steam that can scald the ones who dare approach while you escape, there are many forms to water as there should be many forms to a Magus."

K : "... I understand."

Before anyone could rekindle the desire to attack Katachi once more, she cut into their conversation like a hot knife through butter.

R : "I hereby conclude their sparring, and declare it a tie. Now, allow me to make my statement, so I may better explain myself."

Roberia retrieved the greatsword on the floor, and returned it to Ian Bloodcrust.

I : "Thank you, my liege."

She walked up the steps towards the throne, to elevate herself higher for a proper speech.

R : (... This is the only way out.)

*** ***

R : "The marriage between me and this young man is very real."

She fished out the ring she dangled on her neck, that reaffirmed everyone's suspicions. The gasps, the murmurs, the many eyes that glared and stared in disbelief and prejudice...

R : "... But I assure you - This is by no means a marriage out of love. This is a political marriage I have decided upon!"

This was for the best, she believed. One that would draw a definite distinction between both parties, one that would make everyone in this court consider Katachi an ally.

R : "You have seen how he held his ground against Grande Nazkova, against all odds. If it were but a second-rate magus in this court, it would be another thing altogether, but this is Grande Nazkova we speak of - The Bulwark of Rugnud whom I trust, and deeply thank for his contributions to our country."

N : "You honor me, my liege."

R : "I believe that this young man has potential - An untapped potential that will certainly help us in the long run. And that is why I have chosen him, as my partner, such that I may recruit this strength into our ranks. This marriage is strictly political!"

"A political marriage? You should have said so, my liege."

R : "I would have if I were given the chance, Sir Kain. But, more importantly, I find this prejudice UNFORGIVABLE!!!"

Roberia's roar lashed out at the ones who contributed to the racquet from before.

R : "This young man, regardless of his age or origin, is our ally! He has every right to be treated as an equal, even when that is not known ahead of time. Do you see him marching into these very halls, with me blindfolded and chained up as a tool to him? No! And yet some of you take advantage of this pandemonium to sling such vulgar terms at him, cursing him without any restraint!"

The knights kept their silence as Roberia's booming voice gradually died out in the room.

R : "Now, I understand that most of you acted out of your love toward the ones around you, your love toward this country. I do not blame you for your steadfast reactions, but this is not a matter of vigilance, but an issue on trust!"
K : (... Wow. She's really charismatic.)

They could only avert their gazes in shame at their behavior today.

R : "What if you had attacked your own niece or nephew you have never met before, simply because of a moment of folly accompanied by your misjudging? Would you answer for your actions only when the problem presents itself? Is that what defines us, the knights and warriors who defend this country with our dear lives, who the children look up to and aspire to become?"

... A slight quaking sound changed the attention of the knights to their king, seated upon the throne.

K : (? Where did that come from?)

F : "... She is right. We are knights for a reason, and we have no need to reduce ourselves to barbarians. Everyone in this throne room who has held the intent to insult our guest and new-found ally is to reflect upon what they did today."

He stood up silently, and raised his hand.

K : (... Strange. Why is everyone looking at him so attentively? Is this his charisma at work?...)
F : "... I've seen more than enough. This weekly court meeting is adjourned. Knights, you may return to your duties."

Roberia's father left the court quietly, with a single cough to excuse himself. Everyone was dispersing from the courtroom and tending to their duties. Katachi would have expected some of the knights to stay behind and ask questions about him, but no one did. None of them inquired anything about him.

K : (... Do they really hate me that much?... Or did their words affect everyone- Wait, it affected everyone? Every one of them in the court just now seriously hated me?... Or perhaps they have better things to do than this. It could be that they all have something urgent at hand.)
R : (... So, this is how it ends. This prejudice our knights have against foreigners... I must work hard to remedy this.)

A group of maids strolled into the room, to sweep up after the court meeting.

R : "You two, to me!"

Roberia signaled for two of the maids to her side.

R : "Take my guest to my room, and see to it that he is comfortable. Treat his wounds and recover his equipment."

"Yes, my liege."
"Yes, my liege."

The two maids tapped on Katachi's shoulders, and guided him towards the grand halls of the palace.

R : (... I wonder what he thinks about the speech just now. Is he upset that I've chosen him as a partner only for his strength? But... I didn't choose him because of that. Surely, he understands... ?)

*** ***

H : "... You looked like you were in a bit of trouble there."

N : "Hahahahah! He got me worked up, all right! I almost considered taking him seriously for a moment there."

H : "I could see it on your face when he made the floor beneath you collapse like that."

N : "Heh. It was that obvious?"

H : "Yeah."

N : "Hahahahah..."

H : "..." *sips*

N : "... On a serious note, though, our liege sure has an excellent eye for people."

H : "... Oh? How so?"

N : "Did you see the way that boy pushed past me, even when his Word of Power was revealed? That moment when I was flipping through the thick book and saw that trap."

H : "Yeah. I remember."

N : "Well, the thing is, I've been hunting these Words of Power for 40 years now, ever since I was 8. And all the Scholars I've met can be counted by both hands."

H : "So?"

N : "I've never met any one of them who could continue acting even after I've used that power as my own. That kid's different, in a good way - And he's so young! It's just, well..."

H : "It's just... ?"

N : "... I feel a little uneasy fighting him. I felt strange throughout this whole fight. It may have been tilted in my favor, but somehow... The way he moved with such confidence, even when all of his attacks failed, even with all his Words of Power in my hands that could have been used against him..."

H : "..."

N : "... It was as though I were part of a far grander scheme. It somehow felt like he was 'losing' on purpose to make me complacent and drop my guard. I've never seen the likes of him, my whole life."

H : "That does sound interesting."

N : "... But the biggest question is, my friend... Is he simply an exceptional Meister, or a Great Sorceror like myself in disguise?"

H : "Hmm..."

The two could only ponder as they observed the squires' training.

The overhaul... It BEGINS

Cozy :

... It's time.

Time to overhaul WoP Quest and make it up to my current standard and level.

Time to polish it from the first chapters, when I was just starting out, and time to transform WoP Quest into a refined, polished gem.

One worth picking up, and loving from start to end.

... Well, I'm pretty satisfied with the 'end', personally.

It's the 'start' that has me in a bind.

I don't know about you, but as a writer, one of my biggest weaknesses is that my prologues, my first chapters are always the shittiest.

It's hard to write, there's a lot of dry content, but once you eat them down and the story gets juicy, that's when the flavor starts to come out.

I compensate that by going into the late, late, late, late game. When you become familiar with the Fundamentals mirror and how it works, hohohohoho, you'd naturally know 'Oh, this is gonna happen! He can do this, or this, and it'll be better if he did this instead!'

And then that's when I go 'Gotcha!' and suddenly your mind is blown away even further and you're like 'WHOA WTF' and I'm like 'YEAH I KNOW' and we all go crazy together and laugh like hyenas while the stream gets awkwardly wild.

Seriously. I'm good at thinking up wonderful twists and mind-benders. In fact, every battle thus far has been a mind-bender for you, but it's only baby food for me. Wait till I write to a point where I've actually pulled a mind-bender on myself once - That's the crazy part.

Really. I weirded myself out completely a few hours ago on one of his end-of-the-road powers, and I've changed my opinion of Katachi.

*** ***

I used to say that in Herald, Katachi is at his strongest, and in ER, Roberia is at her strongest. I... Stand corrected. Katachi is also at his strongest in ER.

I mean, yes, the concept of Herald is cool. Katachi becomes the vessel for the Wolf of Fear, and he feeds of Mankind's fears to grow in strength. But even that is not enough to defeat the ordeal of the Warlock of Time that's happening in Endus Reignum.

Oh, did I spoil that? Nope. I'm only saying, they'll fight _____ at _____. I haven't said how they will fight, what they will go through, and well, you probably look forward to the cold blooded battles and the mind games a lot more than you do the 'story', don't you? XP

It's not WoP Quest's greatest selling point, but hey, if I wrote this because I wanted to, I don't know, make a few critics jerk tears or something, I might as well copy-paste Jane Eyre or something and edit the names out to make it a 'good' story.

WoP's greatest selling points... I feel that the greatest points are the parts where the people, the readers are the most involved. Where the reader is most involved. Where the reader actually manages to connect with the story, and feel like they're actually there, a part of this great, magnificent conundrum, a part of its solution for being able to know the answer before I write it out. Or, if they're not as experienced, they'll get to see a new world of tactical fighting in a medieval age.

But the most important of all, is when the author is involved.

I'm not ashamed to say this. And I can say it as many times as I want to, as long as it doesn't dry out my throat. I love WoP Quest. I don't love this story because it's my story - If that were the case, I would have loved Project N.A.N.E. and V.Vizard! a lot as well. The love I have for this story goes beyond 'it's my work'.

It's like, when I write this story, it has a therapeutic effect on me. I feel this ecstasy, this euphoria that I'm doing something incredible. It's like... An electric feel. This story and I... We'll always be together, however far it seems! We'll always be together, TOGETHER IN ELECTRIC DREAMS~

XD

I feel extremely invigorated whenever I talk about this story. Someone asks one question like 'What do you like about your story anyway?' and I come up with 30 answers in my head. I don't even know where to start! XD

*** ***

On the other note, I've been reading some stories on Wattpad as of late.

It's strange how children want to achieve their ideals immediately. It really is.

You can tell - The characters they write about are 'already full-fledged adults', but they don't seem to know how a real adult would behave. The responsibility they shoulder, the pain they've faced, these teenagers and children don't understand it. And they probably never will, not until tey experience it for themselves first-hand.

Their characters are usually adults. They are usually sexy or ideal in some form. Either the character they like is perfect, or the character they want to be is perfect in order to make the ideal (and usually perfect) guy theirs.

It's like they don't understand that being 'perfect' is near impossible. At least, being 'ideal' is somewhat achievable, because some room for negotiation is possible, but perfection? You may as well kiss a dodo. Oh wait, they're extinct! A-ha! (That's the point, kids.)

As a writer, I can say one thing after coming this far.

The author reflects the works' natures as well as the works reflect the author's nature.

I think WoP Quest has served to demonstrate that well - I used a child character, Kotsuba Katachi, born under an accursed star. I used a stranger stereotype, a 'pretty princess' that is 'strong-willed and patriotic' that would normally be a base for many stories but it's weird used in this context.

Instead of falling in love with someone younger and prettier (and 'fresher', if you're old enough you should get what I mean. Kekeke Cozy you tikopek), Katachi is falling in love with someone older.

Where their stories imply their desire to grow up faster, mine reflects my desire to return to my childhood. (Even though I'm only 20 years old! whut) Hey, I'm allowed to dream, aren't I?

It's not like Roberia is picture perfect and void of all flaws.

Most of the time, those stories I see, often has the guy trying to pursue the girl desperately, like a dog. I'm sorry to say this, because it's demeaning, but it's the truth. Guys out there, you have been attacked by teenagers who wish you would slap your 6-pack abs and below-average cock against their gluteus maximus.

But when I get to Endus Reignum, you'll begin to see a painful truth that accompanies their love - They're not perfect. They're children, they have their shortcomings and their own way of doing things. But they are matured children despite that, mind you, so they show a hybrid of both maturity and outright child-like behaviour.

Roberia is too aggressive and straight-forward, and she expects Katachi to behave the same. Her method of expressing love is direct and she treasures every moment thoroughly, and she's actually the sexually active one between the two. It's to be expected, though, Katachi hasn't hit puberty yet! He doesn't lust after girls (well, not yet and by the time ER ends, never) and he struggles to keep up with Roberia's expectations and libido most of the time.

Katachi is too passive and thoughtful, and he's intellectual by nature so he assumes his partner 'knows' without clarifying anything. His method of expressing love is more passive and rather than focusing on the moment, he hopes to repeat one or two acts for a very long time to come as a testament to faith.

Unlike Roberia, who has experienced the fear of Death enough to make or break men (and so treasures every moment a lot more) Katachi likes small acts better, e.g. spooning Roberia every night. Their conflicting natures will cause tension to swell, until one side is willing to compromise and sit down to talk things through.

You can guess what happens then though - After their discussions, they understand their respective partners more.

Katachi will feel that the word Death is more pronounced, and learns to treasure every passing day like Roberia does. He'll take the initiative when Roberia feels down, and comfort her, cuddle up to her, kiss her and reassure Roberia. Though he's a bit awkward at doing it, the act itself is a big surprise and source of joy for Roberia.

On the other hand, Roberia is touched that Katachi expresses a desire to accompany her throughout life. Their hairs will turn white, their grandchildren will play in the field, and they rest in their graves dug by their successors, side by side. She becomes a lot more appreciative of the things he does, knowing that his acts are out of love for her.

With that being said, they have yet to overcome the biggest hurdle they never truly conquer through the whole of ER - The Two Blankets dilemma (Previously, I called it Two Blankets Terminology, but terminology made no sense.) Only one blanket can be at the top layer at any given time, but these children, these two blankets constantly fight to become the one covering for and shielding the other from the cold, a painful cycle forged from their mutual love for each other.

And that is how the story ends, in the drama / relationship aspect. These children who will never age to their adult forms, who will never have children.

Cuz youse can gimme dat one-finga salute an' fuck Naruto, nigga. (TL;DR Haters gonna hate, but happy endings are sickening.)

*** ***

But, wait! ^ All that ^ was only about Katachi and Roberia. But they aren't the only characters in the story! They're not the only two in the world who matter!

In Rugnud, there's Cosette de Blois and Jullan Gracer's tale, of an abused boy and a girl who tries to heal him by taking his abuse for herself. There's Cillian de Vorsche and Nea of Chotil, a girl who would forsake her humanity and the lad who will guide her back on the path of Man once more. There's Ian Bloodcrust and Luce Frelti, who has a more awkward love from their common interest in others' suffering along with Lindra Frelti's masochistic tendencies.

In Findel, there's Dante and Sherayal, an insecure man and an overly-eager woman. There's Loar and Cestia, a child from a poor family and another with a village's fate on those tiny shoulders. There's Deku and Totta, a pedophile who can't stop getting 'rock-hard' and a child who is heavily contested by a lady with boobs the size of Mount Gigraceldi that is equally pedophilic- WHOA, WAIT, WHAT?!

I'm kidding.

... OR AM I?!!?! (Yeah, I'm kidding. Deku goes with Bael. They're like old, stale friends.)

In Anik, there's Wang Gu and Mei Lan, the brothel runners with a pained past. There's Su Guo Bao and Xu Ting Yi, the drunkard and the dumpling stall owner whom he's still indebted to. There's- Wait, why do the Anik couples sound so bland?

... Cuz they are. The Anikans are especially important in a Route to come. That's saying a lot since there's only 2 Routes besides Messiah. But don't worry - There's a LOAD of characters to show up, but we can take our time. I haven't even touched on the characters not in relationships - Etria and Tarkus, the acolytes of Hraxiif, Zhuo Huang Feng the martial artist, Lita Bloodcrust the pervert who gets a kick out of licking her brother's wounds (both new and old), there's so many to go.

In Ohde, there's Yotsuba Minami and Tsubo Ken'ichi, a dishonored samurai and a very important person to come for Katachi. (She's his relative! Shhh!! Don't tell the Wattpad nerds!) There's Aozoku Makoto and Anri Shizue, the true blue magus of Ohde and his fiancee who worries for his hubris. I won't keep the list going any further, but there's the last, most important one - Kotsuba Musashi and Kotsuba Sanae.

... There's so many characters. There's so many relationships that can progress differently from the protagonist's.

Do you know how disappointing it is when I read their stories and find out that the amount of content they have is absolutely pitiable compared to my own? I can't use any of their stuff as reference because EVERYONE WRITES THE SAME GOD-FORSAKEN LOVE STORY ON THAT SITE.

I cry when I see that. At least write one like Luka x Alipheese or something, damn it- Oops, they're from a H-game.

Ahh well, adultfanfiction's GenocideHeart, save me! Take me, to the promised land, where I may PCC to a good night's sleep.

... Ew. Maybe not. I got caught up in the moment there, ugh.

*** ***

All seriousness aside, thank you for your support of this story.

... I pray the day this becomes a real book happens soon.

Signing off,
Cozy