COI C105
At Sister’s Hope Highschool, Joanne has been hearing things about the guild with the other students whose relatives are spreading the news. “The Mihayara district had become into desolated wasteland, I mean parts of it. The defense was a failure as everything they prepared are all into nothing”
“Even Taiyou Industries loses productions ever since it hit by the horde. I heard the only functioning factories out there are the forestation and the agriculture”
“Yikes, I thought we are going to starve to death if that happens”
After school, she searching for the Enders recruit. She shouted his name “Hey! Miyusuki!”
The shield student turns around and see the others marching along with her. “Why are you guys following me? I know it is close for the weekends and I have to be ready for training”
“Well yeah, we don’t want to miss your journey as an Ender. After what we saw on the internet, I’d imagining you operating a mech right about now”
“Geez, it’s Raker Mawn. Those group are not even part of their guild anyway”
They move out to where they meet. The shield student summarizes what he saw during the siege and videos recorded during the time. Massive powerful magic rains through the barriers causing havoc and destruction. It was like in the movie but more strange than normal. Monsters able to tear down the barriers while the well-equipped defenses still lose with their secret weapons. It’s like the monsters are prepared since the beginning, once that train comes, bombs the city, and the city barrier able to shield it. Made him think what kind of world is this, so much were happening during that time makes him think.
The shield student meets Haw as he saw them again in groups once again. Seeing them not bringing their crafted items, they look at the young boy wanting to see what happened. Haw says to them
“You can be recruited if you wanted to join”
Joanne declines “I saw and heard that woman about your guild. I don’t think we could muster against your discipline method”
“Yeah, we just want to see what skills and abilities he is going to learn”
Haw sighs in disappointment, Sanquin did it strictly to the boy on that night. They want to know about his full transformation.
“So, tell me. How is it feel to be alienated by your own peers?”
The shield student jolted from his back standing straight. Joanne and the other classmates had already seen him experiencing difficulty. The shield student is the only student from the entire school can’t cheat his way with his UI. Not anymore from his own personal usage, as he felt the emptiness for the first time and probably the same feeling like Haw in front of him. He feels miserable
“Yes, I can’t say much about school and how glad the teachers that my grades are not the same as the rest of my classmates”
They laugh from behind as others tried to stop them. Haw sees it perfectly. The school should have used runes to prevent cheating. As of now, runes can be expensive and there won’t be a priority seeing the city is in turmoil.
“I am impressed that you go here instead in the port, where we should’ve meet at your . . .”
The shield student redacted it “HERE! I mean here, she told me to meet here”
He starts to get nervous as everyone starts to look at him suspiciously. Haw ignores it and begin the training.
They were brought to the open parking lot, now as staging area for the materials. Cleaned and already sent to the island, they have much open spaces they can to do some training. Haw brings out the book, given by Juela, since the beginning she gives it to him if the recruit who is interested in magic. Trying to test him, he first tests other things beside magic.
“Alright, ignore the people who is going to watch you. It would take the rest of the evening”
“Ok, I’m ready”
“Good”
Haw brings out a scroll encrypted with special magic. He places it on his chest “Remember, this magic will diagnose every part of your body. To see anything that need to be improve and your health in need to be properly taken care off. You know about the exposure will harm you once that mana left from your system. The Agathean men were able to bring your people out from the dusts while others are barely hanging on”
“I understand, do your worse”
“There is nothing I say worse . . .”
The scroll burns on his chest and begins releasing his mana. Every part of his body releasing so much amount of mana and his body starts to shaken. The feeling of burning on his chest made him nervous and starts to sweat a bit. Haw sees the conditions of his body as everything being depended on mana. The shield student’s actual physique is worse than he had seen before. Frail or not, he prepares the list he made for him. Keeping one special item behind him as he hid it back to his pockets, whispering to himself in disappointment
“He is not ready”
After the diagnosis, Haw finalized what he had find “For a young boy, your body is heavily depended on mana. If I had magic, I will rather drain you to the core and smack you with no problem . . .”
His friends and classmates laugh a bit as Joanne hits them “Don’t laugh at him, what do you feel that your magic is taken away”
“Haha, sorry, but I got to say. What will Miyusuki can do after losing all of his power?”
“I should prefer the dome kid, but I guess the joke gets old huh”
The shield student said to them “I don’t care what names you call me. Either be my actual name or my nickname given to me by my uncle. I still believe I can be able to win with Haw’s training”
His confidence grew as he showed them what he believes in, everyone sees him the only one letting go his core UI with little left and stuck for the worse not knowing anything except for the basics. Haw brings out his mana battery as he showed them to the students
“Truly, I am weak. I won’t be able to train you but I would like to show you when fighting against other mana types. Let’s see first how many skills you can control with”
The students back away as two prepares to fight. While they prepare, Haw says a few comments “If you are about to surrender or lose, don’t hesitate to let lose your magic, I can handle it”
The shield student nods as they face. He brings out his shield and with a glove on his other hand, an unarmed with a shield, and it makes Haw see something new beside the common weapon such as swords. Haw raises his mana battery as the energy unleashed showing forms of magic around him. He pulled out his belt with magic scrolls, all scrapped and unstably ‘safe’. He places it to the battery as it is being absorbed. Haw calls out to him
“This is only sparring, remember what I said; don’t hesitate to let lose your magic. I know what I am doing”
The mana battery, it has a different model than the city’s version. It looks like a relic with multiple designs; writings, symbols, sigils, and many more. The students can’t identify it well, his classmates enhanced their UI just to identify it, and this made them more confused as if they read a forbidden book. Joanne notices their confused face
“What’s with that look?”
“We were able to identify it, no clarified information but images of some cult. This is something we won’t learn in school”
She checks their UIs and see the images and drawings, truly strange where she sees it. Neither it be cultic nor made up, it looks rather futuristic.
Haw’s mana battery shines where its symbols slowly moving on its surface. The shield student readies his shield and other weapons hidden in his inventory, it’s time to spar. The two waited each other to react, Haw moves side ways around him while the shield student going the opposite direction. Circling around to wait for someone to act, Haw pulls out a scroll from behind. The shield student immediately throws his dagger at it. The scroll mid used, then it was easily disabled. Haw sees the shield student stops it in quick reflex. He looks less impressed than he had thought.
“That won’t do. You have something hidden from your arsenal and immediately revealed it for me. My scrolls are not that dangerous”
“But . . .”
“Yes, this is a spar but there is no need for you to hesitate to react everything I do. Because I am an alchemist, former Dexter guild member, and I won’t hesitate to show you what I got. Do you understand?”
They can’t believe what they hear. Haw was a former Dexter guild member, those strange people who transport the train that transform into a ridiculous measure. From a machine into flying snake dropping a bomb out of nowhere, they cheered to the shield student.
“Go for it Miyusuki! We want to see it”
The cheers from the back made the shield student nervous. But what he said is true. The dangers he is now with limited mana and he must train with it. He has little to no option and his throwing daggers revealed to him that he can do range. He charges in, equip his bracer from his inventory. Haw waits for him for his attack and with the mana battery held on his hand that is a size of a cinder block, the shield student blocks Haw’s punch. The shield student punches back and hits his mana battery, overpowering Haw. Haw pulls out a scroll while Haw is backing, powering the battery in mid reaction. He blocks with it again as the shield student bashes him further with his shield.
The bash pushes Haw down to the ground, and the shield student pin him down. He is charging up his bracer and slams it to his face. The mana battery activates, Haw slides through his legs and it pulls himself up from the ground. Haw picks up more scrolls as he rubs it on the mana battery. The scrolls burning in a flash and cause a magic explosion damaging his hand, then another scroll he picks up from his belt and heals him. The look of his hands moving fast as he starting to gather the scroll to the mana battery. The shield student throws his dagger at him, Haw receives it through his arm.
The shield student sees it as a hit and keep throwing his daggers. Haw tries to pull it out while he dodges. The mana battery channel through one of the scrolls on his belt as it burst open to the air. Multiple scrolls activate unleashing a cloud of spells exploding out of nothing. The smoke is weak and the force is strong enough to stop it in mid-air. Haw checks on his throwing dagger, the magic has control, strong and resilient, and it won’t pull out. He brings out his scroll wrapped around it. the dagger is slowly being pulled out as his blood starts to spurt out. A release after sticking resiliently to no end, the dagger released a blinding light and his body stops.
The breaking the magic from the shield student’s dagger release massive amount of mana. The mana battery is absorbing it and channel around him as he froze in motion. The shield student sees Haw pulled out his dagger and can’t move. He looks at him in awe of how he was able to pulled it out. He works so hard to customize the effects of his throwing daggers, and Haw was able to pulled it out. The shield student feels frustrated and raises his fist and then punches forward like a bullet.
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Haw can’t move, and the mana battery reacts. His belt releases the last batch of scrapped scrolls. The punch breaks through it all and hit him to the gut. The speed should have knocks him away, but Haw raises up in the air with as the shield student change direction of his punch upward. The shield student continues on until Haw told him to stop, but Haw is not going to stop it, he will go all out for this attack. He uses the edges of the shield and rams his head multiple times as he catches him. The students watch the brutally being done, they almost reach out to them but someone throws a hammer near them.
Rusic comes by with his jug of ale, gulping to see what happened and found out they are sparring. He looks at the younglings with his smiling face, while the other end of his free runed gloves with powerful presence. The students ignore him, but immediately stops their magic coming out. The hammer’s presence is negating their power. He burps
“I won’t hesitate to use all of my power to stop you, lads and lassies. This is rare to see your kind had become one of ours. Your friend will be as much as discipline any Enders you will come across. Don’t interfere”
The shield student throws him to the ground to where he stands. Haw looks defeated when he lies down, motionless and stiff, and checks on him as he knelt down. The effects of the freeze will soon be over, and Haw waits for him to come closer. The shield student asks
“Hey, are you alright? Is the sparring over?”
Haw disappears and reappears grabbing his head from behind. The scattered of scrolls all around him as Haw said to him “I have to make sense out of you. Compared to your strength now from the past, you think you can hit me on the head for few times would knock me out?”
“Yeah, I hit you with my shield”
The mana battery burst through them as both of them being healed. Fissure image appear from the air where Haw’s voice reaches him. “This is going to be a long training. Right here and right now, let’s finished this”
He let’s go his head and pulled him up by the shoulder, he throws him to the side as the cloud and scroll scraps surrounding him. The shield student raises his shield as the scraps of paper slicing through him. All attacks directly to his shield, blocking all attacks. The shield is covered with strange substance compiling together. The scrapped scrolls releasing substance that it stored by unrecognizable fluids.
He tries to wipe it off as it feels on his hand as its textures are oily. The shield student realizes its fuel. He turns around and sees Haw sliding towards him, and he manages to grab him and slip both of them to the ground. The shield student grabs his collar as both of them slides together as Haw tries to escape. He enforces his shield with a powerful blow, finishing the fight from all this mess. Haw’s face is covered with a piece of paper, the shield student ignores it and attacks him with the final blow. The ground filled with tainted fluids, raised fumes to the air and direct it to their faces.
The shield student breathes the toxic fumes as his lungs start to burn. Haw’s covered face starts to absorb the fumes and the scroll starts to form magic drawings from it. A toxic scroll magic on his face, where Haw pushes the shield student out of his way and stands before him. A mana battery on Haw’s hand with wind and fire magic together, fused together with the toxic scroll. Without saying the word, he blows through the scroll and the magic combined. Hellish green fire spread to both of them as it ends the fight. But the shield student held on for a bit.
He tries to reach up to him as he stands up, his body shaken as the toxic flames hurt everything on his body. The old mana he had start to reappear, his controls losing focus and dreadfully twitching through to break. One last effort on his fist, he punches Haw as the flames burst through the both of them. He trips himself after that punch and drops to the ground. The magic returns to him and forced him to his failsafe. Disappeared out of the blue as everyone sees his defeat.
Haw comes out from the flames as the mana battery took it all in. He uses it again and bring the shield student back. The shield student reappeared looking normal than usual. His face shows struggle from the randomness of magic scrolls coming around and go. He can’t understand what fight he is gotten into
“What are those oily stuffs?”
“Small container, I just brought cleaning material putting together to make the toxic”
“But it will be going to get us killed”
“Says to the man who called yourself shield student. Your defenses are able to protect you. Even the toxic flames burning for the both of us, I drank potions in advance against the poison . . . I guess the sparring is a bit confusing after that talk”
The students see the fight to be dangerous, and the some of them are supports found out that they are able to resist the poisons. Rusic comes closer to the shield student and said to him
“Lad, we are prepared to use the most disadvantaged strategy had come in mind. You have nice resistance of any elements and side effects. You might not know this, but we carefully study your people and their powers. Naturally, if you were born here you will know about yourself more than mere eyes”
Everyone joins them as the sparring is over. Haw gives his comment. “I compacted everything from this sparring, listen carefully, that everything I said will be the lesson you have to learn yourself . . .”
The shield student nods as the others join along. “. . . Good, now listen up”
The city is getting dangerous when night comes, especially what is happening on the ruins near the stadium. The mana batteries are returning after its smuggling. It turns out they don’t know the mana of the wraiths. The mana battery is becoming the containers to seal them.
Haw’s version is not identical but has different magic plated on its surface. Its big as a size of a cinder block. But it did absorb the mana around him, the dangers of this item being used now after being hidden in storage. Now is the time to be warry of it. They listen carefully as they know about it too. Everything starts to add up after all this time. The students wonder about it, and Haw only knows from the people from the island. He gives the shield student one more lesson
“Go to the station in Taiyou Industries, don’t use any magic or transportation. Go there by foot at any time that is safe. It is part of your training”
Haw gives him the Raker Mawn seal strap with a cloth that could be a necklace, as they about to leave, one of the students wants to face Haw. “Excuse me, can I challenge you to a fight?”
“What for?”
“I’m curious about the Agathean adventurers talking about you guys to be more dangerous than them. I can see why, even you don’t even use some serious gears. If only the city will allow you to bring those dangerous weapons . . . I mean, I still want to try”
Rusic taps on Haw’s shoulder “That’s great, testing the pain without being arrogant. If I was your age little lad, I’d made my kin proud, haha”
Haw pushes him away and gives it an ok “Alright, I don’t have any cheap tricks left, I could. Be ready to fight, because I have nothing but something dangerous at hand”
The student cheers in excitement where the others gathered around and see what’s going to happen. Their excitement brings so much trouble for Haw, but better than out there where the exposure is something to keep it in mind. The student had watched a lot from the videos when facing Agathean adventurers. Their sparring is unique and uses the dust as their weapons. It would be difficult, and he would like to try it.
The two stands before each other, letting no resistance for the both of them. Haw gives him a potion before the match as he drinks it with caution. The students watch them closely as they are ready. The student brings out his longsword, fully cosmetic and no signs of runes embedded to it. Haw brings out his mana battery, he charges first as he dashes forward. The student dodges him and slashes him at his back. A sudden reflex happened as he is about to cut him down. The mana battery opens up a cylinder inside and smashes it to his sword.
The student disappears as the real one appeared from his back again, throwing his harpoon. It stuck to his chest and exploded between dust and his own magic. The student’s mana has no control already spreading the magic around them. The student backs away a bit as he sees Haw crystallized by the student’s magic. He cheers on to himself as he got him where he wants it.
“I have made the same mistake back in the city guild. I won’t have . . . the same mistake . . .!”
Haw’s hand twitches as the crystal fell into dust. His body has no magic and the mana battery absorb the mana contained. The dripping from the cylinder shows the mechanism of its filtration.
The student uses his magic to attack him, but the crystal blocks it. Haw is protected and slowly breaking free on inside. The student can do nothing but watch him gets out. He has to pull his secret weapon out from his inventory. A rune sword, as he goes through the crystal. Chipping it off one by one as he sees Haw getting free with his arm and his body starts to move except for the bone harpoon stuck to his chest. The potion Haw drank protects him air sealed by the crystalliation, his lungs breathe on itself keeping also the heart going. He activates his mana battery.
A blast of mana unleashed on to the student as he is being crystallized, and trapped with him. Haw breaks free from his confinement using the mana battery to absorb the rest of the mana inside. The crystal turned to dust and leaving the rest hold the student in place. The student’s body trying to break free. The crystal absorbs his mana giving it a harder texture. The mana battery continues to drip down of its damaged cylinder as Haw stands before him free from the crystallization. No mana on his body and picks up a crystallized shard into a pick.
He said to him “You didn’t use your mana control”
The student’s head breaks free and said “What is this? How can you control it?”
“You don’t even realize the potion I gave you stop you being exposed. Sigh* learn it yourself. Or follow the advice I said”
Haw places the mana battery before him as he tries to pull out the harpoon on him. The fight was over and it was faster than they thought. When the dusts were involved, everything ends quick. The student shakes Haw’s hand as he learns so much.
Everyone returns back to the city and went home. Joanne and the shield student where the only two people left as they eat at the shop. “So, your family let you eat out instead at your house?”
“Num* I have already called my mom about it. I heard none of your household know how to cook”
“My uncle knows how to cook, but he is busy at his job as a mechanic. He is hired from Taiyou Industries as a temporary maintenance worker”
“Really?! Well, I hope you are getting well with your family”
“How about you? How’s your family?”
“Mine is actually pretty normal, after transfer to another world. Living at South Shore Bay surrounded by adventurers feel safe”
As their conversation went on, the two still have an awkward interaction. Since Sanquin let him in to be their recruit. Joanne is going nonstop wanting to be friendly with him. He thought she is going with him because of that, but she looks rather happy to see him grow. She said to him
“That first sparring, why didn’t teacher Haw continue your training?”
“Probably he is busy. I guess advising me to go there by foot will really hurt my feet. No magic going over there and the same time no public transport too, why is that?”
“Uh huh, it’s probably you’re training hmm . . .”
Joanne sends a message to her family. She won’t be getting home and said she would be sleeping with a friend. While the shield student sends his uncle a message that would be going to his training. The two are going to Taiyou Industries, right now without using magic. His uncle replies
“Ok, be careful. Running at night will be dangerous. I heard someone is working. They can’t see that person, but it might be the person you are going to see. I think?”
Once they set foot on the empty highway. Joanne’s older sister is there alone waiting for her. She gets embarrassed and rushed towards her. “What are you doing here? I know you are going to follow me”
“I didn’t . . . follow you, I was . . . smile* worried. Dad wants you to be safe”
Joanne is angry at her being here. She knows about her older sister’s mischievous eyes as rumors about the Dexter guild hide while they work cleaning the factories. She thinks both of them will meet those same people. Joanne almost says it but she says with one condition. Flustered
“Ok! But only you and not your friends, ok?”
Silfa smiles back at her and give her a hug “Alright, as your older sister will help you. Mom and Dad won’t be worried too much, ok?”
Oblivious responds, she hugs her younger sister and sees the shield student looks away from their sibling bonds. Puma hid through the night and leaped to her friends, secretly hiding to come along. It stops them and gives them a note. Ruby and Gemina read the note
“My younger sister said so, don’t interfere”
Both of them react with a grudge in their faces. They quickly accept it as this is going to be a rare experience about it.
Joanne says to the shield student. “Miyusuki, sorry but my sister is going to watch over us. (She held both of his hands) Please, she won’t be a bother”
“It’s fine, it’s a long walk. Can she handle it?”
Puma leaps to them as it carries Silfa up
“Puma”
Joanne pulled it to her arms and said
“She is”
Silfa looks at her being jealous. Puma does nothing to say but kept it to itself. The three takes the long highway walk as they are at outside of Mihayara district and close to where desolated parts of the city.
The place where only the solid barriers build against it, Remnants of the city barrier formed a bizarre shape to cover the street to the remaining standing industries. The highway is the only road is carefully protected. Magic built transports, only delivering resources to the city. Finished and under process alike are inside of the containers were heading to the city. It such a depressing look for the city being attacked. The city barrier blocks the mist of dusts keep preserving the imprisoned monsters. Still trapped, but not dead. Everyone can’t see through it but the cloud formation keeps turning as they believe something alive is out there.
Silfa couldn’t believe what is happening. Altair spokes about it and many others can’t even take something off from the monsters’ loots. Telling stories that they are bound with it, she says to her sister.
“Did your friend know about the phenomenon over there?”
Joanne looks at the forms of the cloud keep shifting as light sparks up from time to time “Everyone knows about it. I can’t believe all of them are familiars. How can you removed something that is belong to someone?”
“Mana batteries . . .” The shield student responds to them, as the two thought about it. Joanne nods while Silfa is surprised those two knew.
They made it through the complex highway. The madness of going there walking without magic was deliberately annoying as they are following the road. Many drivers passed by from them were confused, but moved on as they are in overtime. Reached to the intersection to the shore and to the overpass bridge to the main. Not realizing how big the place is and took them more time to get there. A full circle as the station blocked by solid wall barriers, no doors but at least they have scaffolding to go over there faster.
Once they reach over the barrier, Silfa can see someone working on the field computers or facility. She can’t believe her eyes, many people tried to investigate it why no one can’t see them. Now she finds someone is working through the night as the symbol on his back reflect the same with Haw’s. Almost too good to be true, Joanne did text them that it was her friend’s training, the Raker Mawn guild. The man who is looking over the screen panels where the factories preserving the equipment production. Planning to bring it out as the phenomenon is returning, he turns around and sees someone is wearing their guild symbol.
He stops, with surprises that he sees two more people respond. The man laughs “Two young ladies walk through here too. I guess you must be the investigator . . .”
The man pulls out a sphere, looks the same as the city sphere, but something dreadful inside of it. The mana inside released they could not recognize. Is it new? The shield student recognized it and said,
“That’s Sanquin’s mana”
The man stops and switches to his own. They can’t sense his mana, but they sure know not to mess with him. The man offered them a seat where the computer simulated the furniture. Greetings with gesture to show his courtesy, he said with a demonic voice
“Well met, evil laugh*”