Absolute Zero. That was what I named the technique I deployed. Seeing how Suijin had used it, reducing the efficacy of magic attacks within the radius to zero-as she put it-I was inspired.

It couldn't be called a full-fledged technique, as it was more than a little rough around the edges, however it was something that would allow me to gain the advantage in this battle.

Ice. That was my specialty.

As any magician had to growing up, I chose an element that I wanted to specialize in. One that I would study, that I would use enough to completely memorize all of the basic spells and sequences involving it. I had chosen ice.

That was because of my enviromint. My training at the Chisaki estate, always took place in the outside area of the backyard, where there was a large circle, filled with the petals of surrounding Sakura trees.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※ ※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　

Out there, it was always burning hot. So hot that after only a few minutes of training, I would get tired. I would be sweating buckets, and I just lost all the will to move on.

"Up Kami! We've only just begun." Mina said. as she energetically jumped around in her maid outfit. Stockings and all. She didn't even show a single sign of sweating, let alone discomfort.

"Oh, come on, Its burning hot out here! Can't we just call the day off or something?" I complained from where I lay, in a pool of my own sweat which drenched the pink leaves beneath me.

"Your opponents won't be keen to call it off, don't you think?" Mina made a valid point, but I was too busy wallowing in my own hatred for the sun to give it much thought.

"Yeah, but when am I ever going to fight in the desert?" It was nonsense, and I knew it. The sun was just frying my brain.

Mina stared down at me for a second, before sighing. She walked up before sitting down next to me. "Do you want me to teach you something, Kami?"

In the distance, Raiden was doing his own training. I watched him in a bit of awe, as he moved flawlessly and quickly, without a hint of exhaustion. He was sparring against Yuki. Both armed with bokken, they battled fiercely with each other, trading blow after blow. All the while, Yuki was shouting pointers.

"Less defense more offense! Faster swings! Don't overcommit! Recover!"

Raiden adapted quickly, taking each callout into stride as he shifted gears insanely quickly.

It was a dance.

"Yes." I said absentmindedly.

Mina was also watching them, closely as well. She lifted her hand above my head, and then a relieving cool spread around my head.

"Ahhhhhh." I exhaled in pleasure, leaning into the cooling breeze that was pouring from her hand.

However just as quickly as the refreshing cold had come out, it disappeared. I opened my eyes with a, "hey!" only to see Mina standing above me, wagging her finger.

"If you want to know how, then get up."

After sticking my tongue out at her, I got up begrudgingly, still watching Raiden and Yuki's dance, which was about to reach its conclusion.

After a flurry of strikes, Raiden must have gauged something wrong, because the next parry of his ended up with his blade flying into the air, and Yuri pinning him to the ground with her knee.

"Damn!"

"Don't lose focuses, Rai-Rai!"

"Don't call me that." Raiden shouted as he squirmed underneath Yuri.

"Oh, and what are you going to do if I keep saying that?" Yuri raised an eyebrow.

"God. This obnoxious personality is why you haven't gotten married yet!"

I turned away after that, not wanting to watch exactly what kind of punishment was enacted after those words. Raiden's cries of pain were enough.

"So, how did you do it?" I asked.

"Ice magic. You can use to coat your body without it being visible. Using that, you are not only resistant to hot weather, but you can also minimize the damage dealt when touching hot surfaces."

The mention of hot surfaces brought my mind back to the black iron gates of the Chisaki estate.

Maybe one day you'll be as strong as me!

I remember how Raiden teased me for being burnt by the iron gate. If I could learn ice magic, then I would show him! That I could be just as strong and great as he was!"

With a smile on my face, I told Mina: "Bring it on then."

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※ ※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　

"Bring it on then." I taunted my opponent with the same words that I had told Mina back then. The smile on my face was just as wide.

Suijin's own technique was the inspiration for what I had come up with, and I combined it with my ice magic to create something new.

Unlike Suijin's, which used water to essentially deflect, absorb, and slow down attacks, my own variation of absolute zero made use of ice, more specifically, the temperature, to internally freeze an opponent's circulation. It significantly slowed down the processing speed of the nerves in the brain that were responsible for transporting information about magic spells and sequences.

It slowed them down so much, that it was impossible to use a magic sequence. Well not impossible, but the activation would be so slow that it didn't matter. It did have a major drawback though.

Not only did the effect also apply to me, but it did to anyone inside of the zone I used it in. Not to mention, I couldn't go overboard with it, or else I'd accidentally freeze all brain activity of both me and my opponent.

My opponent held her hand out in order to fire a blast of lightning, but as she soon realized, it wouldn't fire. Her eyes widened in shock as she turned to look at me, but I was already in front of her.

CRACKKKK!

The floor of the ice castle below us nearly shattered completely from the force of my blow. A right hook straight to her chin. She was blasted backwards and I immediately jumped after her, catching her before she could fly away completely, and smashing her body into the ground.

Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!

Immediately rolling away, my opponent forced themselves to their feet.

I followed up immediately, not letting up any of the pressure. My opponent backed tried to recover, to fight back, but I was relentless.

Right, left, jab, kick, toss, slam.

An endless combo. My opponent was launched backwards by the force of the blow, and this time, when she recovered, she did not attempt to fight back. She knew that she could not match me in hand-to-hand combat, so she went for the best option available to her.

Escape the zone of [[Absolute Zero.]]

It was the right idea; however, her plan came with one major flaw.

This entire ice castle in the sky, was my domain. And so, in order to escape the techniques effect, she would need to escape the ice castle.

She realized that only a second too late. She was just inches away from crashing through the ice wall and leaving, when I caught up to her.

With great force, I landed a punch that smashed her skull against the wall.

SMASHHHH!

My opponent's eyes rolled into the back of her head, and she was defeated.

Shattered pieces of ice hung in the air and fell from the ceiling, creating a rain of shimmering ice.

I let go of the technique's effects.

Suijin! Homura!

I turned towards where my two allies were fighting, to see that Homura had already defeated her opponent.

Suijin, was facing off against Aergia. A pause had ensued in their battle. They were simply facing off against each other.

Suijin had multiples slashes that were leaking blood on her body; however, she showed no signs of pain. She was simply staring, with determination, at Aergia.

She had a few scratches of her own, however nothing major. She was staring at Suijin like she had just told her to take out the trash.

"You two did well." Suijin congratulated us as we walked to join her. "Whatever you did their Kami, it was impressive. Just shows how great you are."

I felt great hearing that praise.

"Thats what I've been saying." Homura patted me on the back. "Seriously impressive work Kami! Developing a technique on the spot? And to think you were the one having doubts about themselves!"

I laughed nervously. It did feel good though. To get congratulations from both of them, who had put their faith in me, was amazing.

Suijin now turned her gaze towards Aergia. "Now. Its time we finish this."

"Hmph!" Me and Homura both nodded as we faced our next opponent.

Aergia turned her eyes to look at us, before for the first time in this fight, speaking.

"Why. Why do you try so hard?"

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※ ※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　

I landed on my feet and nearly slipped off the roof of the magic academy. It was insanely wet out here, and the rain showed no signs of letting up. The sky had been darkened significantly by black thunder clouds that stretched into infinity. Using my sword to stabilize my position on the slanting roof, I looked around.

WOOOSH!

An arrow flew right by my head, exploding a few feet away. Looking in the direction of where it had come from, I took notice of two students, battling a 4 other people.

There!

As I moved to take a step-

I slipped.

Not because I had taken a misstep, or because I had actually slipped on the slick surface of the roof.

No.

The reason that I slipped was because my own body.......misfired. That was the best word to describe it. My brain and body lost their connection, and I slipped.

"Shit!"

Trying to reach out, I only ended up sliding my hand against the wet surface of the ceiling, and now, I was tumbling to my death.

What the hell's going on!

Trying to regain control of my body, I mentally flailed-because my physical body wasn't responding-in the air.

Get a grip Raiden!

I roared in my own mind, but it was to no avail, my body simply would not respond.

Thats when my own had gripped a railing of one of the glass paths, and I flipped myself back into the air, landing unto another rooftop.

I paused in absolute shock for a few seconds. I don't know how, but I could just tell that I hadn't done that.

The entire act of saving myself, was something that I had not executed myself, because my body wasn't responding to commands. It was like when people said that their body moved on its own, except in this case it quite literally did move on its o

■■■■■: Thank me later, Raiden.

The same voice returned to my head. I froze, a chill running down my spine.

Just who the hell are you?

■■■■■: I'm guessing that if I answer, I'm you, you won't believe me. The voice belonged to a woman. It definitely did. And it was teasing me.

Cut the bullshit!

I slammed my hand against the peak which I was leaning against.

Laughing. I could hear her laughing.

■■■■■: Do you want an answer as too who I am? As to what's happening to you, right now?

I remained silent.

■■■■■: I am, your savior.

I froze again, nearly slipping to my death.

Savior? Just what the hell was she talking about? Taking more free liberty to mess with my head?

However, at that moment, my memories of the trial returned. That hellish cycle. 100 million times, with no end in sight.

And the girl with the white hair, and vermillion eyes who had held out her hand. Who had offered to save me. What happened after that point, if anything did at all, I don't know. But that was beside the point. If what she was saying was true, and she was that girl, then that mean-

That we are

■■■■■: Two souls inhabiting the same body, yes.

She finished my sentence for me, with the exact words that I was going to use.

But, that's impossible. Things like that, they don't happen.

■■■■■: Believe it, Raiden. Things like this happen all the time. The world of magic as you know it is much deeper than anyone could ever imagine.

And for some reason, I knew she was telling the truth. Like, I could feel it.

■■■■■: Because of the fact that were two opposing souls, and because of that strain, your body is mixing up who is supposed to be in control. That time when you were not in control of your body, it was because control had swapped over to me.

And she saved me from dying.

I would have loved to say that my mind was reeling, but in truth, it was empty. What was there to think, after a revelation like that one.

My body. I wasn't even in control of that. Even that, had been completely taken from me.

■■■■■: I can see why you react like that. You've essentially lost everything. Your mind, taken away from you by your father's own orders.

■■■■■: Your feelings, robbed away from you by something you aren't even aware of.

■■■■■: Your body, first defiled by Eve, and then control leaving you completely.

■■■■■: Even your identity is being called into question. Are you Raiden Chisaki, or are you-

"■■■■■" I finished for her.

■■■■■: Everything's been stolen from you.

She was right. But stolen might to have been the right word. I had given it up. I was too stupid, too worthless, to self-centered to see what I was losing. It was my fault.

■■■■■: Your autonomy.

■■■■■: Your body.

■■■■■: Your own soul.

■■■■■: Your only reason to live now, is in order to serve as another's tool. A weapon.

The reality that I had been pushing against finally crashed down, and I accepted it. Everything she said was right. And what was worse, it had to have been the truth. Our souls were interlinked. We both shared each other's memories. Our thoughts were the same.

The fact that I even knew that was what was happening, was proof enough of what I said.

I was her and she was me. NO, it wasn't that far gone.

We existed in a limbo state.

■■■■■: Your very humanity and identity have been taken from you.

She was right.

I was right.

We were right.

On my knees, I stared out into the rain, an empty expression on my face. At that moment, a hand wrapped itself around me.

It felt warm, just like when Yuki had done it.

Pulled closed to someone's body, I looked up, to notice pink.

Pink. Pink.

Eve.

My memories of that day returned, as I stared into her blushing face. She leaned down and kissed me on the lips.

I didn't even resist. She had already taken my body from me once, and she would do it again. There was no point in resisting. Shame, regret, disgust. It all welled up inside me.

"My beloved. We finally meet once again."

A drop of water appeared from my eye, rolling down my cheek.

※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※ ※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　※　

Holding Raiden's body in her arms, Eve brushed is hair out of the way, as she stared down at him. Just looking at him made her body feel all sorts of ways. Heat rushed up her legs, through her head, all the way around her.

His eyes. They were black, like a void, and Eve was obsessed.

His long eyelashes, they made him look so sweet, like a young boy.

Eve was obsessed.

His entire body, defined, trained, and yet still pure. Well, not anymore.

Eve was utterly obsessed.

Every inch made her obsessed.

Even now, with a single tear rolling down his cheek, washed away by the rain.

"All is well. All will remain well. As long as we are together."

Raiden did not respond. He seemed nearly lifeless.

As Eve held him in her arms, she thought as to why her power did not work on him. Her ability to make anyone that found affection in her, lusted after her, even the tiniest bit, would be under her complete control.

It was one of the things that interested her.

It couldn't be because he didn't find her attractive. The night the spent together, even if he wasn't present for it, it made it clear that they had a bond. A connection. At least in eves mind.

The reason for it, was something that she could never know, because not even Raiden knew it himself.

At a young age, Raiden had been cursed. By a witch.

A curse that prevented him from feeling any sort of romantic or lustful affection. For anybody.