Chapter 41.

PART 1.

Shin comes from the library to their room, where Hatori and others are waiting for him. Since Hatori already has taken out a book in his name, he can’t take out another book, since currently there is a one-book limitation put on first-year students. So Shin agreed to bring the book of basic combat spells from the library.

Meanwhile, Josh is wondering what to do about these insane people with whom he is trapped.

“Let’s take a look, shall we?” Said Shin, opening the book. “Oooooh. This spell looks good.” He shows it to Raven.

“Imagine the destruction.” Said Raven.

“Yes, but I doubt you can actually cast this spell.” said the book, spooking the boys.

“You can talk?” said the book in surprise.

“Yeah.” It said in reply.

“But I already have a book. It doesn’t talk at all.” Said Hatori.

“Did you ever try that? We all have different personalities. I’m considered very talkative by other books.” It said.

“Whatever. Let’s cast that spell.” Hatori brings out the staff bought by Zeko for him, and enlarges it (But not like that. He’s just a child, for Author’s sake!)

The spell in question causes a small twister to appear. “Maybe we shouldn’t cast this in our room.” Said James.

But he was too late. The twister appears, and goes out of control. While Hatori struggles to control it, Raven opens the window. Hatori pushes it out of the open window. While this was going on, the book was laughing in the background the entire time.

“Phew. That was wild.” Said Hatori.

“You nearly destroyed our dorms!” said Josh, he sounded very upset from his tone.

“I’m sorry.” Hatori ducks his head in shame.

“Oy. Lighten up. If he didn’t do it, one of us would have done that.” said Shin in defense of Hatori.

“Why are you so right?” Lamented Josh.

“Anyway, let’s stick to shielding spells for now.” After they all agreed, the book shows them a basic shielding spell.

The next morning, Raven, James, Hatori, Shin, and a reluctant Josh go out for their usual spot of training near the stream, taking the book along for it can offer corrections. Meanwhile, Hatori also brought in his book. He is currently following its instructions, running around and exercising hard. He pushed his body harder than he ever did with Zeko.

Unfortunately for him, he doesn’t have enough time to practice his spellcasting, so he decides to wake up an hour early. “You performed well today.” Said the book. “Though if you wish to learn the physical techniques, you’ll need a sparring partner.”

Hatori doesn’t have a solution to that problem.

They are just about to leave, since it is time for breakfast. But the appearance of Samudra Sharma stops them. “Hey there, boys.” He greeted them. “I see you followed my advice.”

“Yeah, we’re learning some shielding spells, like you suggested to us. Though it is just a basic shield for now.” Said Shin.

“Indeed? Show me.” He said.

Holding their foci to the side as if gripping a shield by a handle, all five of them focus. A glowing circle appears in front of them, bobbing up and down.

“Wonderful. Though keep in mind that this basic shield is easy to break, because, well… it is basic. But you have to start somewhere, right?” He clapped. “Continue your hard work, boys. I’m sure you’ll go far.” He turned around, and walked away.

“Strange guy.” said Josh after he left.

“I know. But for now, he seems to be helping us.” Said Raven.

“Yeah. But I don’t think we should trust him all the time.” Said James. “I’m not sure of his motive.”

PART 2.

Shin has been moving around the room blindfolded, using the Radar spell taught to him by Hatori. The spell was simple enough, so he learned it quickly. “I think you’ve gotten used to moving around in the room. Let’s go outside now.” He said, relaxing after their lunch in their free time.

“Okay. But where?” asked Shin.

“Just follow me. I’ll walk slowly.” He said, and they both walked out of their dorm.

“We’re going to the hospital section.” Said Hatori, taking a different direction from the path of the ground.

“Why?” asked Shin. “You’re not hurt, are you?”

“Not that. But Zeko thinks that the healers there can help me with my physical training.” Explained Hatori.

The smell clued them in that they were now in the hospital of the Academy. It seems magic or not, hospitals have the same smell of disinfectants, not to mention people groaning in pain. Though for a school-hospital, there is a lot of noise of pain coming from the rooms.

“What do you think happened to them?” asked Shin, still following Hatori.

“Probably their killing attempts backfired on them.” said Hatori grimly.

“Can I help you two?” asked a male voice.

“Yes. I’m looking for someone named Slaughter. Zeko told me to find him.” said Hatori.

“He said that, didn’t he?” asked the man. Shin is uncomfortable since he is unable to see the face of the man with whom Hatori is talking to. “Well, kid, you’ve found me. Why did he send you to me?”

“He said that you could help me with my physical training.” Answered Hatori.

“Hmm. I can. But do you know what that would involve?” asked Slaughter.

“No. I’ve got no idea.”

“To start with, I will give you a neckless, which you have to wear all the time. This neckless will make the air around your body heavier; you will feel like you’re moving through a molasses. But when you remove it, your speed will increase, and you’re body will get naturally strong.” The healer explained the method of training. “However, this will put your body through a horrible amount of stress. It can have some really bad side effects. Do you still want to do this?” He asked, hoping to scare Hatori away.

“Yes.” Answered Hatori, without even considering.

Muttering about mad men playing with the lives of children, Slaughter gives Hatori the neckless. “Now, wear this all the time.” He is amused to see Hatori struggling to move. Maybe the child would get enough of the hardship, and abandon this madness. “Once your body is used to moving at this level or resistance, the neckless will automatically adjust the resistance, and increase it for you.”

“Thanks.” Hatori said.

Slaughter is pretty disturbed to see the boys walking away. ‘What the hell is he planning? I’ve no doubt that he even recommended that dreadful book to him. Its not designed for children of his age; the exercises in that book are enough to make a fully grown mage cry!’

PART 3.

Hatori is reading his book in the night. The book is explaining some holds which can be used to restrain a mage physically, provided you can get close enough to them. The book justifies this by stating that most mages ignore their physical training, so a savvy mage who realizes these weaknesses can ruthlessly take advantage of it. And I’m describing this shortly, so I don’t have to literally narrate every passage of the book. Being a narrator is hard, folks, and you’re not even paid great. Can you believe it?

Anyway, getting back to the topic, while reading his book, Hatori hears some screams from outside of their room. All five boys stir uneasily in the room, thinking about what is going on outside. “Looks like someone is getting murdered.” Said Shin.

“Be quiet!” Josh shushed him.

But Hattori thinks they can hide from it all they want. They can’t change reality. His roommates cannot sense magic, so they remain ignorant. But Hatori can. He knows that there’s a battle going on out there. He just can’t sense it accurately enough. But wouldn’t it be cool if he could describe from a distance what is going on?

Shaking his head, he focuses back to his book. Moving on from the holds, -- Which the book advice to practice daily, -- it talks about the elemental magic. Though it doesn’t explain it clearly, but Hatori gets the feeling by the elements, it refers to the Earth, Lightning, and wind. Looks like reading those RPG wikis is now coming in handy. He is still salty about his inability to play and enjoy those games. Why must this cruel world torment him so? (To be honest, I ask this question to myself every night as well.)

According to the book, if the body of a user of an elemental magic is not strong enough, the spell can backfire, and the elements can end up destroying the magus from the inside out. Hatori decides that he doesn’t want to do anything with this horrific fate. So he will prepare his body. By the time he’s ready to use elemental magic, his body will be strong enough to handle anything.

The book also teaches him a new spell, to change the weight of an object. According to the book, this comes in handy when you need some heavier objects for your training. Additionally, it also works on clothes. Though Hatori doesn’t need to make his clothes heavy. The neckless healer Slaughter is already making his life difficult as it is. ‘This better all be worth it, or else I’ll make Zeko’s life a very difficult one. I don’t know how, but I’ll find a way.’

(On a training camp.)

Zeko is training some military brats, who have lost their discipline. In the middle of his teardown of their capabilities, he suddenly stops, and looks in the sky. “You know what? I feel proud of my apprentice all of a sudden. So as a reward, I’m giving you this day off. But you better improve, or I’ll make your life a living hell, do you understand?”

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

“Sir! Yessir!” They all said, and marched away.

(Back to the academy.)

Though the spell might not be useful for his training, Hatori decides it can be useful in combat. After all, how many people can fight against their suddenly heavy clothing?

The next morning, Josh is disturbed to see bloodstains right outside of the dormitories of the first-year students. The last nights events are being discussed by everyone among the firsties with hushed whispers.

PART 4. BALI’S LECTURE ON COMBAT: SUMMONING SPELL.

Professor Bali begins the lecture after all the students have gathered within the classroom. Sometimes, he is amazed by the energy displayed by these children. Learning so many things just in a day, and then coming to a physically demanding class is too much to ask, in his opinion. Sadly, the education board has not listened to him when they actually separated the schedule of the next year’s classes on the daily basis. He feels that having just a few classes on one day will allow the students ample recovering time, and allow them to absorb the lessons better, and have more free time.

“Now, so far, you’re all very unfamiliar with combat magic. But still, I wish to know. What is the correct response if you’re attacked in a dark alley in the night?” everyone who heard the screams or saw the bloodstains in the morning shivers.

“Duel them?” suggested one student.

“But what if attackers outnumber you? Besides, duels are formalized; they have rules of their own, which are not followed outside of the arena.”

“Fight fire with fire, and fight them by forgoing the rules of dueling?” suggested another student.

“Again, that is not doing anything about your number disadvantage. Not to mention, the surprise factor.” Bali shook his head. “You should run, hide, or pray in this scenario.”

“But, professor, that is hardly going to solve the problem.” Argued Avinash. “Running away is not an option on the table sometimes.”

“Indeed.” Smiled Bali. “And I’m glad that you brought that point up. After all, that is what this class is about. If you know, or have some experience in combat, then chances of you getting away increase, since you will be able to create opportunities for running away, which should be your primary goal. Because a smart mage does not play by his opponent’s rules.”

“For that end, you will learn the first spell of the year in this class, called Summoning Spell.” Bali waved his foci in the air, and one of the swords hanging on the rack full of weapons was suddenly in his hand. “You can call any object into your hand with this spell. Beware though, if you call on an object which is heavier than you can handle, you can end up getting crushed by its weight.” He does the motion to perform the spell once more, and drills the students in that motion for several repetitions.

After he is satisfied, he puts small plastic balls in the center of the class, and begins his instructions once more. “Now, try to summon these balls into your hands.” While the students are practicing, Bali is glad that he’s not teaching the older students. For some reason, the mention of balls and hands in one sentence makes them giggle, and lose their focus.

Hatori easily performed the spell with his staff. But he decides to try the spell without it. He remembers the flow of magic during the spell, and how it reacted with his motions. Focusing with his one hand, and keeping his palm out, a ball appears on his hand. Nearby, Josh just shakes his head after watching that.

‘It seems that the spell looks for an object. Additionally, it also sends a mental picture of sorts into the caster’s mind when it touches an object. This can be useful.’ Thinks Hatori.

PART 5.

After classes were over, Hatori and his friends made their way out of the classroom. In the rush, they get separated, but his roommates are not worried about Hatori. So far, he seems to have no trouble moving around the Academy. So they are sure that he will make his way to their dorms. He might even decide to stroll around, given how much they have heard him describing his strolls on Zeko’s property.

Unfortunately, this won’t end well, as an experienced reader will notice. Separation always leads to problems, as we will learn shortly.

“Going somewhere?” Said a student. Hatori thinks from his voice that he must be at least thirteen.

He tries to get pass him, but he senses two students flanking him. Two students are behind him, covering his retreat. ‘Maybe they would ruff me up a little, and they’ll leave?’ He thinks, the situation reminding him of the past bullies he has faced already. “To my dorms.” He answers the question politely.

“Quite a hurry to get in there, aren’t you?” asked in the same voice. Maybe he is in charge? Hatori decides this is no time to dwell on bully hierarchy.

“You will listen to us first.” He said. “Your stunts the previous year damaged a lot of us, especially the Joshis. You are lucky that they have not hunted you in revenge as a result.” The student gets in Hatori’s face. “Now, once more, we are giving you a chance. Join the high-class families. You will, of course, be punished for your mistakes which you have already committed. But once we take out the king and his ilk, we’ll rule this Subcontinent. If you listen to us, you can live a luxurious life. Or else, suffer a lot before we’ll put you out of your misery.”

“No.” said Hatori.

“What did you say, you hapless little shit?” The talker moves to grab his collar, but Hatori slices his ear with the Slice spell.

This sudden attack made a way for him, so he takes advantage of this, and runs off, leaving the squealing bully behind. “Go after him.” He orders in his high-pitch squeal, still whimpering in pain.

The remaining three students go after Hatori, but the fourth one stops to kick the talker. “You failed.” Leaving him to whimper in pain, he goes after Hatori as well, but at a much slower pace.

Meanwhile, the firsties who saw a bunch of older students chasing Hatori ran away faster to their dorms, while the older students just turned their eyes away in indifference. This doesn’t surprise Hatori. He has faced this before. The situation is way too familiar for his liking. One of the three students reached him first, and tries to grab him. But Hatori twisted his arm, and moved behind him, pulling the arm with him. The arm broke with a loud crack, leaving his bully in a lot of pain.

Thanking the book, Hatori senses another one reaching him. Turning to the direction where he is coming from, Hatori fires another Slice spell, nearly separating his arm. Not stopping to see the results of his spell because the sound of pain confirmed a hit, and partly because another student was coming close, Hatori moved to the crowd.

But that still fails to shake him. When he got in touching distance, Hatori applied the weight-changing spell to his clothes, making him collapse to the ground. Taking advantage of that, Hatori disappears into the crowd.

Hatori enters the ground. He feels this open space will be best for losing his attackers? Bullies? Menaces. He settled on menaces, because calling them bullies in his head got old after a while.

He hears the sound of crunching dirt behind him, so he takes off once more. Another reason to choose the ground is because he can hear anyone coming at him before they reach him. The crunching sound appears whenever he thinks he has lost his pursuer. This continued, until Hatori finds himself near a well, which goes deeper than Hatori can sense.

“They used this well for throwing blood after performing various rituals from it. After better methods were found for keeping up the soil quality, they abandoned those rituals. But this well is still here.” Said the final student. Hatori realizes this must be the leader.

“Now, you’ve handled my underlings impressively. I will extend this chance once more. Join us, or be thrown in this well.” He moved towards him.

Hatori panics. He has no way of surviving, getting thrown there. When the leader grabbed his hand, he was pushed back with a nasty shock. “Looks like your master has equipped you well. No matter. Mere enchantments won’t protect you for long.”

He moved to grab Hatori once more. Not knowing what to do, Hatori blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. “Master Zeko, thanks for saving me.”

The leader didn’t believe Hatori’s words. But still, he turned around. During that time, Hatori casts the Summoning spell, mapping the objects around him. He can’t call up the large boulders. But he calls up one of the fallen branches of a tree. When the leader turns around, furious at his deception, Hatori strikes him with that branch on his face, making him stumble back-first into the well. He lands with a loud crack, and Hatori takes off running.

He didn’t stop until he reached his room in his dorms. He looked strange to other students, running like that while waving a branch in the air threateningly.

When his friends saw his condition, they knew something had gone wrong. In this narrator’s opinion, told you so! None of them asked any questions, though. They took him to his bed, and hoped that he would come out of his shocked state, and would tell them himself what had happened to him.

(End.)