Chapter 5: Real Magic
“How about a demonstration?” Relic suggested, taking out his katana. He started by chanting a few words and proceeded to draw a circle in the air as the keychain glowed. A gateway formed as Daragon saw the inside of his room.
“What? The hell is that?” This was beyond Daragon’s comprehension. Spatial magic like this was not possible at all. After all, Magic is still bound by the laws that govern our world. But this, this was something else. “Wait, if you could have done that the entire time why were we here?”
“Well the amount of energy it takes to travel a distance is followed by the inverse thing law. And I must also pinpoint the exact location. The vertical, horizontal and diagonal distances.”
“The inverse square law. Why is real magic following a scientific law?”
“Hell should I know. It’s magic. It does what it wants. Don’t overthink it.” Relic retorted. “This goes by many names depending on the country. The most accepted term is ‘Seguri’.”
“What does that mean?” Daragon asked Relic as he played with the portal. He moved his hand in and out of it. It was fascinating to him.
“Could you stop that first? The real energy consuming part is when objects go through it.” Relic said, holding his stomach.
“Sorry.”
“Alright, It’s named after some guy. Kinmar Seguri I believe.” He said. “Doesn’t matter though since you won’t be able to tap into it if you don’t stop being a wuss.”
“What?” Daragon raised his voice.
“You heard me. A Seguri chooses its partner. Only equals.” Relic told Daragon as the rain subsided. “We better get going.”
Questions still ran through Daragon’s mind but he stopped for now. As of this moment, his main priority was to get back home to apologize to Tom.
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A man knocked on the manor of the door. Aisha opened the door and was met by a man with wavy brown hair that didn’t look a day under 30. He had a rather big build. Maybe around 190cm (6’4). He had a military uniform with multiple badges on.
“Sir, is there a man named Relic here?” He asked Aisha. She scanned the man from head to toe.
“And who are you?” Aisha asked. She already knew who the man was however. There wasn’t a single soul in the entirety of South-East Asia that didn’t know his name.
“My apologies. I’m Lieutenant General Bradbury.” He answered. Lt. General, the second highest role obtainable for the British Army within the Malayan Colony. Dubbed one of the ‘Heavenly Generals’. He is best known for fending off an entire battalion of soldiers during the Strait of Malacca War, alone.
“And what do you want?” Aisha demanded an explanation.
“We have reason to suspect that a man named Relic is residing here.” Bradbury responded.
“No such person lives here.” She answered with a rather annoyed tone.
“Ma’am, please. I know he lives here. Just-.” The door shut on Bradbury. “And she shut the door. Of course she did.”
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The two were walking through the forest back home.
“Hey, Daragon?” Relic called out to him.
“Hm?” Daragon responded.
“What would it take for you to attend school?” Daragon stopped walking.
“Why the hell would I go back there?”
“Well-”
“No! No well! No nothing!” Daragon got defensive, shouting at Relic.
“Okay, geez. I’ll drop it.”
Daragon walked faster as Relic just stopped there. Daragon didn’t want to talk to him anymore. Relic, inferring this, opened a portal to the living room and walked in. He fell onto the couch, lethargic.
“God damn. That brat wasted so much of my energy…” Relic said as he closed his eyes to sleep. Just for a couple of hours.
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“What? That Hardass was looking for me?” Relic responded in a negative tone. “That means I gotta go soon. Maybe I shouldn’t have told those guys that.”
Relic was sitting on the couch, drinking a cold beer can. Meanwhile, Aisha stood over, sweeping the floor. Daragon had just left upstairs.
“Tell them what?” Aisha asked.
“Well I told them my name was Relic and to let us hold the funeral. I wanted to look cool.” Relic replied. “Looks like it backfired.”
“I’m not really close to Draken so I don’t know much about his friends, but who exactly are you?” She asked.
“I’m an assassin. Well, former. Right now I’m not really doing much.” Relic said, gulping his drink. “Oh right, what’s up with Daragon and school?”
“Draken didn’t tell you?”
“He told me Daragon got bullied but I doubt that’s it. He wouldn’t act out if it was just bullying.”
“It isn’t. He was bullied for being a cripple.” Aisha responded.
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“Cripple?”
“It's slang for Magus Victus victims. Pretty derogatory but that’s what they called him. I don’t know the extent of the bullying but Daragon got suspended before for something.” Aisha answered. “Well, he finished school early after studying his heart out.”
“He is a nerd. I agree.” Relic remarked. "He’s a nerd, I agree.” Relic responded, making me want to punch his face. “Well, it’s fine for him I guess. But Draken told me about Daragon missing out school a few years ago. I thought I'd try to fulfill that wish of his.”
“Draken’s wish huh?” Aisha wondered. “I’ll try to convince him to consider it then. But he’s already finished school so he can only go to college.”
“Yeah. He might have trouble by being younger. Plus he might be rusty at his work. God knows I am.”
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Daragon sat at the frame of his window, looking at the moon. Dangling his legs, his piercing red eyes deep in thought. So in thought, he forgot his fear of heights.
“Daragon, get off the edge please. It’s dangerous. You might fracture another arm.” Aisha calmly instructed, breaking Daragon’s train of thought. He stared at her for a second before hopping back down.
“Are you also here to convince me to go back to school?” Daragon asked her.
“I know it’s a sore spot for you, but you need to.”
“For what? I already learnt everything and 99% of it is useless in real life. Especially since I’m not able to use Mana.” Daragon clapped back.
“I know how good you are but there’s one thing college can grant you that you won’t find here.” Aisha answered.
“Oh yeah and what’s that?” Daragon asked rhetorically.
“Friends your age.” Aisha answered him.
“I don’t need friends my age. Three is a crowd.” Daragon answered, turning back.
“Daragon, you and I both know that’s not the right use of that expression.” Daragon pouted in response to her argument. “Well, I tried my best I guess.”
Aisha left as Daragon continued staring upwards.
“Friends huh. Such a stupid idea.”
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“Come on man! I thought we were friends!” Relic begged Frank, the bartender.
“No means no! Didn’t Jeffords ever teach you manners? God damn.”
“I just need to crash at your place tonight. Bradbury might be watching the Manor.”
“Well maybe you shouldn’t have tried to flex in front of a couple of soldiers.”
“I didn’t know they worked for Bradbury! I thought they worked for James!”
“James retired a year ago dude. And that’s not the problem. I have a lady friend over if you catch my drift.” Frank said sheepishly
“So its hos before bros.” Relic wallowed on the bar table. He was about to grab his drink before Frank snatched it.
“To be frank, you are very offensive.” Frank said frankly as he drank the beer frankly. “No drinks for you.”
“But I paid for that!”
“Look at the sign.” Frank pointed to an empty sign. “That’s how many shits I give.”
“You really bought an empty sign just for that joke. You’re really lame.” Relic told Frank.
“You’re just jealous you can’t do it.”
'How does he know…' Relic thought to himself as he blew a raspberry at Frank. The door opens as men in uniform show up.
“You should get out of here. Go by the back and portal your way out or something.” Frank instructed. Relic nodded, picking up his katana and wearing his hood.
Relic dashed to the exit in an instant but as he opened the door, he saw even more uniformed men surround him.
“Did you really call this many people just to catch me? I already quit assassinating.” Relic called out. “Come out already Bradbury.”
The curly brown-hair came out of the crowd of uniformed officers. He didn’t have a uniform on however. Instead, he sported shiny silver armor with gold outlines.
“Well, you were pretty easy to find. After all, I heard you became a drunkard after your protege left you.” Bradbury’s words angered Relic as he drew his sword and attacked him.
Relic was blocked by two men beside Bradbury who blocked it with their hands. However, the blade never touched their hands.
“Chantless Reinforcement spell? Isn’t that illegal?” Relic asked.
“An exception was made for the Military.” Bradbury answered.
“Do you really think…” Relic paused as he closed his eyes and opened it again. “38? I’m flattered but it’s not enough is it.”
“How so?”
“Well I could just portal my way out.” Relic answered.
“Oh I’m well aware, but I’ve already blocked off all exits and we have sensors and men stationed over ten kilometers away.” Bradbury smiled. “Teleport.”
“Shit. That brat used up a lot of my energy teleporting his hand back and forth already. I haven’t properly rested enough to do that big of a jump.” Relic thought to himself. “You know what? I’ll entertain you for today.”
Bradbury laughed at him and so did all the soldiers.
“You’re dealing with the strongest soldiers in all of Malaya!” A Soldier shouted. Captain Ken. “There’s no way you’ll win!”
“And you’re dealing with the strongest assassin in the entire continent of asia.” Relic answered, going into a fighting stance.
“Nah, Mousha is bett-.” Captain Ken answered before Relic thrusted him with the back of his blade, sending him flying.
“Fuck off.” Relic’s eyes looked different. His orange eyes glowed brighter as the wind brushed off his red hair. “Primis Form. Willow Wisp!”
Relic’s keychain flew in the air as the katana’s blade turned orange and blue.
“Be careful! This is the same man that beat the strongest swordsman in all of Asia when he was 26!” Bradbury issued before voiciferating his next command to his shield. “Primis Form. Grant your divine protection, Armatus.”
His armor glowed a bright golden light. All 38 of them jumped Relic at once.
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Bradbury and Relic were the last ones standing. The fight, no. The massacre lasted 3 minutes and 42 seconds. 37 knocked, 0 casualties. Relic sustained zero injuries. Bradbury had blood drain down his head, covering one eye and multiple slashes across his armor.
“I really have gotten rusty.” Relic said as his sword turned back to normal. “I would have done that in 3 seconds instead if I was in my prime.”
Relic put his blade up to Bradbury’s throat. His hands were shaking though.
“You’re not going to do it, are you?” Bradbury smirked as he stood up. “It’s hard to believe that the man behind the Crimson Moon Massacre of ‘87 would hesitate to kill.”
“Oh? What makes you so sure that I didn’t just spare you to send a message?”
Bradbury grabbed his katana with his gloves, making his hand bleed even more.
“Because you only leave one alive to tell the tale.” Bradbury punched Relic. Relic was sent flying but blocked it with his katana. “Don’t you want to know though? The reason I’m here?”
“Isn’t it to capture me?” Relic asked. “Well, you aren’t doing a good job though.”
“No. James requested I give you this, but I wanted to interrogate you as well. [Display Photo: ENC-08].” Bradbury used a spell as an image appeared on the piece of paper. Bradbury held it up in his hand as Relic’s eyes widened. He had great vision being able to see things from afar but he immediately dashed towards Bradbury.
“Explain yourself before I lift my mercy rule.” Relic’s eyes changed to lifeless ones. His tone shifted to a much more serious one.
“That picture was taken by a war photographer during the commotion. Luckily all pictures taken are backed up to the news outlet in case something happened to the camera.” Bradbury said as he pointed to it. “That man was at the centre of it all. The one behind the explosion in Kedah.”
Relic’s concentration on the photo grew as he walked away.
“What are you going to do now?” Bradbury asked, holding one of his limp arms.
“I’m going to find him.” Relic tightened his grip on his Katan. He didn’t even consider the thought that Encil may have died in the blast radius.
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Relic entered the guest room. Daragon sat on his floor contemplating something, silently.
“Oh, hey. I’m going to go now but I think I left something here. Seen it?” Relic asked. Daragon looked at the table, remaining silent. “Right. Sorry about that school thing.”
Relic walked over and grabbed his wallet. He turned to leave before he got stopped.
“I’ll go.” Daragon told Relic.
“Go?”
“I’ll go to school.” Daragon paused. “If you teach me your real magic.”
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