Chapter 9:

The Finish and Starting Line

[SATSUJUNO KARASU]

“Air, Underground Spears!” I casted as I punched the ground. Spears came out beneath the ground directing to Kuro and the twins’ feet.

Kuro was able to dodge it by jumping high using a magical item he made. They were shoes that he had imbued with magical energy that allows them it to get springy. I never knew that you could use magic like this. He smiled for the first time as he falls from a high altitude. It seemed like he was happy because of his experiment, but his face was still the same, while the other two, Paru and Hanchen transformed into their first beast form and used their wings.

“Kuro, there are common beasts on the left side!” Paru shouted as she landed down.

Kuro, as usual, threw magically imbued rocks to kill the common beasts that were coming from the left side of the bloody forest. We decided to train here because I need to test how far they have come. I need to see their improvements after five years of training.

“On the right side, Hanchen!” Paru said.

“With the blessings of the fire god, may these creatures experience the flames of hell! Breath of Dragon!” Hanchen, after falling, casted a spell that created a fire coming from his hand that looks like a dragon’s breath. The common beasts resembling wolves turned into smoked rotten meat.

He’s gotten stronger…

“We did it, Master!!!”

I could see Paru’s eyes’ dazzling.

Carefree…as always.

“All right! You better rest once you got home! Tomorrow will be your last training and the day after tomorrow will be the beginning of the bloody moon.”

“Yes, Master!” Paru and Hanchen shouted, but Kuro remained silent as usual.

I’ve never heard him calling me “Master”

My name is Satsujuno Karasu, and I think I have picked up a weird kid. His name is Kuro Shiro, I gave him that name because it suddenly appeared in my mind after seeing the odd color of his hair. He’d always be silent and cautious. It’s like he has lots of secrets that he is hiding. I sometimes catch him watching me and everything I do. I don’t really understand why but I feel like all of my moves are being watched by someone. It is giving me creep.

We began our practice when he was five years old. I was surprised that he’s already in light gray stage. Most of the kids I encountered had gone only at white stage when they are at the same age as him. I need to prepare him to the upcoming Bloody Moon Festival Test; he must pass that test for him to go where he really belongs. I have to do everything to prepare him.

Kuro learns fast. I thought it would be hard to teach a child, but I forgot the fact that he is an unusual kid. I was surprised at first that he could read the books in my room but I remember my master saying that someday, I’d encounter strange things that I won’t be able to explain. I think this is what he meant by then.

“Satsujunu, quit spacing out.” A voice kicked me back to my senses.

“O-Oh. I’m sorry for spacing out. I was just thinking about something,” I stuttered.

He’s still addressing me using my name. I’m really amazed that he can address me like that.

“What will we do next?” he asked.

“We will now proceed to the next level of training – the attribute testing.”

“Attribute testing?”

“We need to know what element is abundant to your magical energy.”

“But I am Markless, right?”

“We won’t know unless we try.”

We finished our physical training and got home to test what attribute he has. Hanchen and Paru asked permission to leave. It’s been years but Paru hasn’t changed at all. However, she grew up a fine girl.

***

[KURO SHIRO]

5 years have passed and I am already at slightly dark gray level. In order for me to reach higher levels, I need to train my magic intensely and gain experience. There are things that Satsujuno taught me about stage levels and magic; mages who are in Intermediate level can only use magic spells with long casting, white level needs the longest casting and dark gray level mages can shorten their spells a bit. It seems like Satsujuno is in the dark gray stage. Master level includes black, blue, and yellow colors. A mage in this level can cast using shortened words or without even using words. Lastly, God level – which includes light orange, dark-orange, and red color stages, can cast spells without even speaking. They said that no one has ever reached the red stage before.

“Kuro, we need to know what attribute you have,” he said as he put the magic crystal on the table.

Will this really work? I’ve spent my 5 years leveling up my mana but I never managed to use any spells that he taught me. According to him, I should treat mana or magical energy as muscles that need to be torn and repair. In that way, it will expand and get denser. The way he explains how he uses spells isn’t easy to understand. I have never thought that he have this side of him. I actually thought that he’s different from someone I know in my past life that uses sound effects to explain things that he couldn’t describe using words. I remember him once explaining how his spell that creates sound wave, he’s like “it goes boom, and wooosshh.” How would I understand that?

“Listen,” He turned his gaze to me, “This magic crystal is different from the magic crystal that determines your color stage. This crystal is made to determine your attribute.”

“I thought you could determine people’s attribute just by looking at their mark?”

“That’s the case when you have only manifested the first generation mark.”

“First generation mark?”

I think I’ve seen this information somewhere before. There are two generations of marks; the first and second generation. But that paper lacked explanation and I couldn’t find details about it to the books that are in Satsujuno’s room. The only thing I knew is that a person can’t hold two marks at the same time but can hold two attributes.

“There are two generations of marks. The first generations marks are the marks that has only one attribute; air, water, earth, fire, light, and sword. Yes, it is impossible for someone to hold two marks at the same time, but it is possible to have two attributes at the same time if the marks are mixed. That is where second generation marks enter. Listen, there are cases that a child will inherit the mixed marks of his parents,” he said as he looked at me, having intense gaze.

“Then, the second generation marked people can use two attributes at the same time? Won’t that make them overpowered…,” I said.

“Are you sure?”

“No! If their marks mixed, then their attributes mixed too, right?” A sudden realization invaded my mind.

“That’s right,” he said. “That’s why magic crystals like these are created to find out what attribute does a second generation Marked have at early age. In that way, they could practice spells without getting late.”

The fact that it is possible for marks to got mixed means the magic in this world is really vast. I could imagine a second-generation mage having the power of the sun or someone who could turn everything into ice. That’s probably the thing that I could never reach. Given the fact that I don’t have mark that can identify what attribute I have.

“Should we start now?” Satsujuno asked.

I placed my right hand on the crystal ball, closed my eyes and did what I did last time when I measured my color level. I imagined mana particles flowing through my veins. For five years, I’ve already memorized the mental image I made in order to feel the mana that is flowing in my body. I unleashed the mana from my body and directed it to my hand that is on top of the crystal ball. Suddenly, I felt vibrations around the room coming from the crystal. I could hear the sound of the table shaking.

“Kuro, that’s enough! Let go of the crystal!”

I heard Satsujuno shouting my name, saying I should stop but I couldn’t remove my hand to the ball.

I’ve lost control over my mana.

“Kuro!”

Satsujuno pushed me when the crystal ball was about to explode, however, he’s the one who got wounded as it blasted into pieces. Blood dripped from his left arm.

“Don’t get near.”

I was about to move my feet when he told me not to go near him. The broken pieces of crystals were scattered around the room. Its semi-transparent color earlier has now turned into pure black charcoal-like pieces of crystals. “I-It blasted.” All I could do was to stammer. “Are you okay?” I asked Satsujuno who was still bleeding.

“I’m okay,” said Satsujuno with an slightly curved down lips and widened eyes.

“I-I’m sorry… I didn’t mean to…”

“It’s okay, Kuro. It’s not your fault. I should have checked the crystal first if it can still hold magical energy,” he said. He touched his left arm with his right hand and started casting is spell.

“Air, wind of cure.”

Visible winds gathered around his right arm, shining in green light. It was obviously a spell that lets the mage heal wounds. The dripping of his blood stopped and the revealed flesh started closing. That was the first time I saw him using a healing spell firsthand.

“I’m sorry, I should have checked it first. Let’s call it a day.”

What?

“O-Okay.”

I followed what he said. I started reading books again and peek to the window to see how Beastmen interact with each other. Their appearance might be different from a normal human being but the way they move and talk is the same. This proves the fact that humanity isn’t just based on the appearance. I’d probably say they are more humane than humans in my past life. Even in this simple living, they still manage to live happy. I wish those people in my past life could live like this.

However, racism will always exist, even in different world. I can’t wander around the forest without Satsujuno.

Suddenly, I felt sleepy and decided to take a nap…

*** “Kuro, tomorrow will be your birthday, right!?”

I heard Satsujuno, his voice was bit loud and high. The bed that we usually share together became too cramp for as after as I grew older. I noticed that it was already dark outside. The moon was already peeking from my window.

Did I sleep too long? But… Birthday? Oh… I forgot about that. Do I still need to celebrate, though? It’s not like I am happy because I was given birth by a woman who can abandon her child without having second thoughts.

“What do you want as gift this time?” he asked.

“Nothing, as usual,” I said.

“Again? You didn’t mention anything in the past years, either. Just tell me if you want something.”

“Then… can you get me a new book?”

“Another one? Can’t you get enough reading the books here?” Satsujuno was having an annoyed face. His lips and eyes were having straight lines.

“Then, don’t,” I said in flat manner.

“Huh!? Don’t you think it’s about time you get to know the Beastmen here? It’s not like they’ll hurt you.”

I didn’t say anything.

Satsujuno sighed. “All right, but promise me you’ll stick with Hanchen and Paru when you enter the test, okay?”

I continued being silent and read my book again. I felt my eyes getting tired as I read the book but suddenly…

“You should eat dinner before sleeping again,” Satsujuno said.

I stood up from bed and walked to the table where the food he prepared that was having leaves as cover. The food somehow reminded me of rice soup in my past life. It’s thick smell was lingering around the corners of the small house where we live in.

I sat down and started eating with a wooden spoon.

Birthday, huh? I never really cared about my birthday, even in my past life. The people around me always forget it anyway. I always feel like I have no worth on my birthday. It’s because even if I knew that no one would remember it, I still expect them to at least greet me, or treat me in a good way, just for a day. But… I already give up to that. I only had one friend who remembers my birthday but he also betrayed me. He killed me…

Well, there’s no point of remembering it now. It’s not like I’ll still meet him or I am still living in that world. I need to find the reason why I got reborn here. The Bloody Moon Festival is about to come, and yet… after five years… I still haven’t learned any of the spells that are written on the textbooks. I still don’t know the reason why, but the only thing I could do is to imbue magical energy to things and manipulate it. Will I really stay at this level? The only thing that I am improving is the level of my mana. I’m not really sure why I should pass that test but in order for me to pay Satsujuno for taking me.

I shouldn’t be thinking too much. I need to focus on what I can do. I just need to use anything I can use.

“Kuro!” Satsujuno’s voice snapped my thinking. He was standing beside me.

“I’ve been calling you for a while now, why are you spacing out?”

“It’s nothing,” I said.

Satsujuno gave out a long sigh, “Do you really think you can fool me? When you are lost in thought, you are always making a serious face. Your eyes always close and the wrinkles of your face reveal.”

Eh?

“I was just thinking about the festival.”

“Festival? Are you worried?”

“No.”

“Then, what?”

“I was just thinking that I took years to level up but I couldn’t learn any magic spells at all,” I said.

“That can’t be helped. We still don’t know what your attribute is.” He looked at me. “But you know what, Kuro. We all have different way of fighting just like how our goals differ from each other. So don’t worry too much. Good night.”

I continued eating without saying anything. He then came back lying on the floor, closed his eyes and sleeping on a brown mattress.

***

“Kuro, are you done?” asked Sastujuno, holding his white dimensional bag, sitting on the bed.

The sun was already peeking to the window from afar. Its rays were passing through, making the dusts in the room look like fireflies flying around. The warm breeze was making the room comforting.

I was preparing my shoes when he asked. I am constantly imbuing magical energy to this pair of shoes when I use them. Magical energy makes things more rigid depending on the magical energy you imbued to it. By doing it, I could change their form by manipulating the magical energy that is residing inside of them.

“I’m done,” I said after tying my shoes and packing my things to a small dimensional bag.

“Kuro, today is the last day I’ll test your strength. Don’t hold back, okay?” His eyebrows and eyes were close to each other. He was emitting an aura that would make you say agree to the things he would say.

“You don’t need to tell me,” I said, and as usual, I still can’t find myself expressing emotions. The last time I cried is when I was still a baby.

I actually find it funny how I can remember my memories even on the day of my birth. How I ended up to this place, and how I grew up.

“But before that, let me give you my present,” he said, suddenly.

“Present?”

He raised his right arm to the level of my face, holding the white dimensional bag. A smirk appeared on his face, indicating that he wass about to do something he’d be proud of. He opened the bag and inserted his hand. He pulled his left hand out, holding a cloth with a dark gray fabric. It was a comfy cloth with a long sleeves and a long collar that could cover your neck.

“It is imbued with magical energy and a healing spell. It would be a great help if you’d wear it tomorrow.” He smiled.

“Thank you…,” I said.

“Don’t mention it.” He smiled. “All right, we should go now. The twins might already be waiting for us.”

I didn’t respond and just follow him. We started walking towards the border between the Bloody forest and the Beast forest. Some Beastmen were intensely looking at my direction as I moved my feet. It was as if I am a lowlife or a filthy creature bugging their hero.

Beastmen call Satsujuno as “Hero” because he once assisted one of the legendary mages and swordsman who protected the whole continent from a certain demon. However, that mage died and left Satsujuno alone, not being able to transform into his beast form. That was the reason why he never used his full strength.

He told us yesterday that today would be our last training. Maybe this training is also a test for us to determine if we can survive the festival. However, his face earlier… he was serious. It’s been five years and I still haven’t found my purpose, but I need to pass the exam because I feel like I need to. Even though I’m pretty sure that I won’t feel anything if I became one of the champions.

We arrived to the border. Paru and Hanchen were waving their hands. The border that was separating the Beast forest – the village of Beasmen – from the Bloody forest was an empty grass field. You could spot the blue sky without getting distracted by the leaves of massive trees. At the center of the border is a statue sculpted using stones that was perching atop a stone pillar with a Corinthian-like appearance.

“We are here, Master!” Paru shouted, wearing a wide smile on her face.

Satsujuno waved back.

They both grew fine after five years. Beastmen grow faster than a normal person does. I could see that to their body build. Paru developed slightly forward chest while Hanchen grew taller than me. Maybe he’s around 150 centimeters. But his chicken looks never changed.

“Today is the last day of your training. I am going to test how far you’ve come in short time. I know that you have grown as much as I expected, that is why you guys will have to fight me.”

“We are going to fight you, Master!?” asked Paru, her eyes were dazzling from excitement.

“Yes,” Satsujuno said.

“Really!?” Hanchen’s eyes were the same as Paru’s.

“All right! Steel yourselves, brats!”

Paru and Hanchen responded at the same time, as usual.

“Okay, let us start! But before that, let me explain how this tes– no, this game works,” he said. “You brats will have to fight me with your full strength. You should not hold back, no matter what.”

“But Master, Hanchen and I are in gray color level and Kuro is in between gray and dark gray. If you are going to face us, you will have to be at least at black color level.” Paru smiled with her eyes closed, it was as if she was confident that we could defeat him.

“Paru is an idiot.” Hanchen’s eyes rounded.

“Shut up, chicken.”

“Huh!? What did you say you insect! It’s impossible for us to beat Master, he’s a Hero!”

“Thinking about the ending without getting started, are you an idiot?”

“Huh!?”

“Now, now. There’s no point of fighting over things like that and besides, Hanchen isn’t entirely wrong. Why? Because even I have growth.”

A heavy pressure suddenly appeared and filled the portion of the border of the two forests where we were resided. Paru flinched. I could see the terror on twins’ faces.

Satsujuno’s glare is telling us that he won’t hold back either. Is this King’s Presence? “King’s Presence” is a spell that creates pressure to a portion of a place where the caster resided. It fills the place by condensing the magicules of the place and controlling them. I’ve never tried this spell before because I think it would just waste my time to try. I’ve never learned any of the spells he taught me anyway, and besides, I’ve read about this before, but only mages who are in higher level can perform this spell because it consumes a huge amount of magical energy and it need a great concentration.

But this spell, this is far more heavy than what he did five years ago. It appears that while training us, he’s also growing.

“Now, begin!” Satsujuno punched the ground with a great pressure created using magical energy he imbued to his fist. “Air, underground spears!” Spears started striking, coming below the ground, pointing to us.

My instinct was telling me that this guy won’t stop unless we fought back. Paru and Hanchen transformed to the first form of their beast transformation and flapped their wings to fly and dodge the spears coming from the ground, while I used my magically-imbued shoes to run and keep distance between us.

“Paru! Hanchen!” I shouted.

They both looked at me and blinked. They followed me without hesitation. We gathered in a corpse tree near the bloody forest.

“What should we do, Kuro?” Paru’s eyes were intensely staring at me.

Did she switch into battle mode? That’s great then.

… We have talked about our plan.

“Are you going with my plan?”

“That’s a great idea!” said Paru. She paced her glance to her twin.

“D-Don’t misunderstand! I’m gonna go with your plan because my sister wants to.” His eyes rounded.

“I see.”

“What are you guys muttering about?” Satsujuno appeared out of nowhere, glaring at us with killing intent. His eyes were emitting aura that would make you shiver towards your spine. I could see the terror in twins’ eyes.

“Now!” I shouted.

The twins and I dashed towards different directions. Paru flew as fast as she could to the statue at the center of the border, while Hanchen was running to the opposite direction. Satsujuno followed me as I dashed towards the left side, near the center of the border.

“Don’t think I’d let you escape without putting up a fight, Kuro!” Satsujuno shouted. I looked back, he was having a wide grin.

“Who said I won’t fight, Satsujuno?” I took a stop beneath a massive corpse tree, near the border. I took the dimensional bag from my pocket. “Here I go!” I shouted. I opened the dimensional bag and took a filthy, rusty, and old-looking sword that I picked up while having a training one time. It caught my eyes because it has faint magical energy and I figured it might be useful.

“Heh…, are you perhaps thinking that you can face me using that sword?”

“Never said that.”

I clenched my feet on the ground and dashed towards him without hesitation. Satsujuno drew his sword from his wrist, his eyes were glowing red as he moved forward to my direction.

“Sword, dagger,” I said. The sword I was holding using my right hand turned into shiny silver dagger with a pointy tip and a sharp blade.

I discovered this ability when I stumbled into information in a book that there are mages who can create just by manipulating their mana and turn it into physical material. However, my approach is quite different. I need things that I can touch and imbue magical energy into it in order for me to manipulate its properties and turn it into something else. I call this…“Magiculation.”

Satsujuno flinched after seeing what I just did but I could see that he was still aiming to fight me. We started clashing, as our weapons clashed, I could see sparks and the wind was becoming dense.

“That’s it, Kuro! Don’t hold back. Show me what you can do!” Satsujuno grinned again.

He was slowly pushing me towards the border as we clashed. Every swing was heavy. I can feel the vibration to my hand even though I was wearing magically-imbued gloves. It appears that he is aiming to take our battle in an open space. I can’t blame him, given my small body and my sharp reflexes, I might have the upper hand in close areas because I can freely move around using my shoes.

However… there are people I can use. Don’t forget that, Satsujuno.

We have entered the border.

“Kuro! Hanchen!” Paru shouted, standing in front of the pillar supporting the statue.

I jumped high. Satsujuno’s eyes widened as he looked at me, moving upward.

“Forgive me, Master!” Hanchen shouted as he ran towards Satsujuno, in his full beast form – massive red chicken with sharp claws that could slice trees into two. He flapped his wings and pushed Satsujuno from the back.

“Now, Paru!” Hanchen shouted.

“All right!” she shouted. “With the blessings of the Earth God, may the nature of this land lend me power and strength – Binding Vines!”

Vines coming from beneath restrained Satsujuno, who was lying on the ground.

“I see. You guys have thought this well…”

“Dagger, massive hammer!” I said as I fell from the altitude.

“However… don’t underestimate my experience! Air–”

“With the blessings of the Fire God, may the fire lend me power and strength to protect – Fire Wall!” Hanched casted a spell that creates wall of red flames before Satsujuno cast his spell.

“Air Shoot and Air Wall!”

Simultaneous casting? However…

The fire started sucking away the magicules of the wall made using air and blocked the bullets of wind. I am right. Fire sucks the magicules of the wind.

“You figured it out!?” Satsujuno shouted. I could tell that he was having a wide smile judging his voice. “However… you are already tired, Hanchen.”

The fire of wall started fading away. Hanchen lost in the battle of endurance. I could see Satsujuno’s wide smile as I fell.

“Don’t forget about me,” I said.

“Hammer, double!” The massive hammer that I was holding became even huge. It was because of the condensed magical that I was directing to the weapon.

When I was about to smashed the ground, Satsujuno casted a spell.

“Air, Exo-Manatoory!” A black sphere that was seemed created using condensed magical energy surrounded Satsujuno, who was being tied down by the vines of Paru.

The black sphere took a direct hit from the Hammer that I made but I only managed to create a small scratch to it. The vibration coming from the collision of two condensed magical energy made the birds fly from the trees and their nests.

I deactivated my spell and my sword came back to its normal form. I felt my legs becoming weak and my vibrations all over my body. Hanchen came back to its humanoid form and Paru ran towards us in her usual form.

“That was as great fight, you brats!” I could hear Satsujuno’s voice coming from the black sphere.

The black sphere started dispersing and Satsujuno appeared standing before us.

“We couldn’t defeat you, Master.” Paru’s eyerbrows were down.

“That’s given, insect,” said Hanchen.

“Shut up, chicken.”

“Why the long face? You just passed the test!” Satsjununo’s eyes were dazzling.

“Is that true!?” Paru’s expression turned bright.

I could see the excitement suppressed in Hanchen’s face.

“Yes! That’s why, you should take a rest and steel yourselves for tomorrow’s present. Today is you finish and starting line! Tomorrow will be hell… kids.”

“Understood, Master!” Hanchen and Paru stood up, speaking at the same time.

I am not a prophet to predict what’s about to come, but I know that I’d be facing a heavier atmosphere… starting now.