Chapter 2: Accepting His Fate? - Part 5

Hiroki stared down at his hands, only to realize they were not his own. Gone were the numerous scars accumulated from years of toiling in his parents' restaurant kitchen during his youth. Also, the calluses from endless days of typing at his office job in recent years had vanished. In their place were very pale, unblemished arms and hands untouched by hard labour. Yet, on the palm of his right hand, a small, bright red flame continued to flicker.

Did I possess the body of a fictional character from a mediocre novel? Am I haunting my copy of Ascension? Maybe this would never have happened if I had bought an e-reader. This definitely wouldn't have happened if I had called in sick on the day of the skydiving trip.

"Now," Victor's voice cut through Hiroki's turbulent thoughts, "let's see if you can control it. Throw the fireball. Show me what you can do."

The prospect of deliberately launching a fireball felt surreal. Hiroki hesitated, doubt gnawing at him. He didn't want to harm anyone, least of all himself. But as he glanced at Victor, who was watching him with an expectant grin, Hiroki realized that refusing was not an option. The only way to move forward was to confront this newfound power head-on.

Taking a deep breath, Hiroki focused on the flames. The sensation was strange yet instinctively familiar as if a latent part of him recognized the energy flowing through his hand. Tentatively, he raised his arm, aiming away from Victor and towards an open area.

"Here goes nothing," he muttered to himself.

With a swift, deliberate motion, Hiroki thrust his hand forward. To his astonishment, the flames responded to his will, coalescing into a compact sphere that shot through the air. The fireball streaked toward its target, leaving a trail of radiant light in its wake.

The impact was immediate and dramatic. The fireball exploded against the ground with a burst of light and heat, sending a shower of sparks and embers into the air. Hiroki stared, wide-eyed, at the smouldering crater left in its wake, the realization of his actions dawning upon him.

Victor Thornwood's eyes, which had gleamed with satisfaction just moments before, now darkened with anger. He took a step closer to Hiroki, his expression severe. "What were you thinking?" he snapped, his voice a sharp contrast to his earlier encouragement. "You were supposed to throw the fireball at me! How else are we going to impress the judges at the closing ceremony if you can't follow simple instructions?"

Hiroki's heart sank. The elation he had felt from successfully conjuring the fireball was now overshadowed by Victor's harsh words. He had thought aiming away from Victor would be the safest option, but clearly, he had miscalculated.

"I didn't want to set fire to anything," Hiroki stammered, his mind racing. "I thought it would be more prudent to aim at an open area."

Victor's scowl deepened. "In the world of magic, precision and control are everything. You need to trust your abilities and your allies. Hesitation could be fatal in a real battle." He paused, taking a deep breath, as if trying to rein in his frustration.

"Look, we are in our final year at Highborne Imperial Institute of Magic. It is our last chance to impress the judges at this year's closing ceremony. They are expecting a full demonstration of our skills. If I fail to impress them, it will affect my plans."

Victor lowered his voice as he continued, "I've ascended, Hiroki. Do you understand what that means? I've gained the ability to master more than one element of magic. I can now use wind magic along with earth magic. Ascension is the pinnacle of magical achievement, something only one percent of mages ever accomplish. This closing ceremony is my chance to show the world what I've achieved."

Hiroki recalled from the novel that the hero, Leonard de Aquila, would steal the spotlight during the closing ceremony competitions. The exact details eluded him at the moment. He knew he couldn't share this information with Victor. He had no proof. Revealing he came from another world would sound crazy. Hiroki realized he needed to process everything that had happened since his arrival. He decided he had to get away from Victor at the first opportunity. He needed a quiet place to gather his thoughts and decided to slip away as soon as he could.

Victor's eyes gleamed with determination. "And that's where you come in. You make me look good in front of the judges, and I will get you into The Black Lotus."

Hiroki's blood ran cold at the mention of 'The Black Lotus'. He remembered that name all too well. In the novel this world was based on, The Black Lotus was a powerful and malevolent organization. Coincidentally, it was also the name of his family's noodle shop back in his previous life—The Black Lotus Noodle House. The irony was not lost on him, and the unsettling coincidence only added to his growing sense of dread.

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Seeing Hiroki's reaction, Victor's expression turned serious. "If you want your noble house to not only survive but thrive, you need allies. The Black Lotus is powerful, and their support could mean the difference between success and failure. Let's face it, you're an average fire mage at best. Joining them could give you the edge you need."

So, the person I possessed is a noble in this world, Hiroki realized, recalling that there were several noble houses in the novel Ascension. He took a deep breath, trying to steady his nerves. He knew he had little choice but to play along, at least for now. "Alright," he said, his voice firming. "I'll do my best. Let's try again."

Victor nodded approvingly. "Good. Remember, trust your power and trust me. I won't let you fail."

There was a flicker in Victor's eyes, a brief, almost imperceptible glint that Hiroki missed in his focus. It was gone as quickly as it had appeared, leaving only Victor's confident smile in its wake.

Taking a deep breath, Hiroki focused once more on the flames in his hand. This time, he aimed directly at Victor, pushing aside his fear of causing harm. He had to trust Victor's ability to defend himself with his wind magic.

"Ready?" he called out, his voice steadier.

Victor nodded, his stance confident. "Ready."

With renewed resolve, Hiroki thrust his hand forward, releasing the fireball with a swift, controlled motion. The flames obeyed his command, hurtling towards Victor with precision. At the last moment, Victor raised his hand, conjuring a barrier of wind that deflected the fireball with a swirling gust.

The flames dissipated harmlessly, leaving only a faint trace of smoke. Victor lowered his hand, a satisfied smile returning to his face. "Much better," he said. "Now that's the kind of control we'll need to show at the ceremony. We'll make a formidable team yet. Now, let's get back to training. We have a lot of work to do before the closing ceremony."

The momentary triumph from the successful fireball deflection was abruptly shattered by the sound of an irate female voice approaching from behind Hiroki. He recognized the distinctive pitch and tone of someone furious. "Nigel!?... Nigel!!... Nigel!!!... Nigel von Astaroth, do not ignore me!!!"

This Nigel must be in some real trouble, Hiroki thought, feeling the anger radiating from the woman's voice, a tone all too familiar from past experiences with his ex-girlfriend.

Glancing at Victor, Hiroki was shocked to see him turning pale, a look of genuine fear etched across his face. The approaching woman continued, her voice cutting through the air with palpable anger. "Victor, tell your lackey to pay me proper respect, or I will turn him into an undead that will listen when I talk."

Victor, now looking as if he wanted to melt into the ground, turned to Hiroki and whispered urgently, "Nigel, you should take care of this."

Hiroki's mind raced, trying to process the unexpected turn of events. Am I in possession of Nigel's body? Is he a fire mage? Is that why I can use magic?

As the woman drew nearer, her presence became unmistakable. Hiroki could sense her anger growing stronger, radiating like a palpable force. Victor's fearful reaction confirmed it: the woman was directly behind Hiroki, in full view of Victor, who seemed desperate to avoid her wrath.

Not knowing what else to do, Hiroki turned around and came face to face with the second familiar person he had met since arriving in this novel. It was Lysandra Noir, also known as the Lady in Black.

Lysandra was about 4 feet 8 inches (142.24 centimeters) in height. Her striking green eyes were filled with a fierce intensity, and her red hair cascaded down in wild, untamed waves. She had a sharp, angular face with high cheekbones and a slender frame that belied her formidable presence. A subtle scar ran across her left eyebrow, adding to her intimidating appearance.

Hiroki remembered Lysandra well. She was destined to be a top member of the villain group, the Black Lotus. Remarkably, she had gained her dark magic abilities at the age of nine, defying the norm where most people received their abilities between the ages of thirteen and eighteen. Despite these points, the main reason Hiroki remembered her was because she had the highest body count in the novel.

Is she about to kill Nigel? If she does, will I be able to possess another person's body in this novel? Maybe I can trade the life of a noble, filled with boring social events and dangerous political intrigue, for the exciting, carefree life of a rich travelling merchant.