Scarlet 57

Scarlet 57

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Commissioned by Sivantic

Wordcount: 2500

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Magic training was both straightforward and not.

Primarily because of my body.

“It’s due to you recklessly transforming yourself into a hybrid between human and dragon. It’s simply never been done before, therefore there’s no set method for you to use and learn.” Sona was my teacher and was probably the best I could hope to have. Her knowledge over both theory and practice in regards to magic allowed her to innovate and to research. “As you can see, you’re incompatible with the magics of Devils and Humans, while pure firepower comes to you with ease.”

Typically, firepower is all that we need. Even cleaning ourselves, we just need to bathe in our own flames. Ddraig defended the changes, but I reminded him of a simple fact. A sigh reverberated through my mind. Yeah, but we’ll be far greater if we did know how to use the magics of others.

Dragons are prideful, but they held themselves to high standards because of that pride.

To not do so would be mere arrogance. That is below my kind.

“Does Ddraig have anything to say on the matter, Ise-kun?” Sona interrupted my thoughts and I shook my head.

“No, just the fact that there’s no magics made by his people in particular. I’m fairly sure that if they did have some form of magic, they’d consider it theirs and not share it. Or, it’s innate and born from instinct.”

“It’s most likely the latter. Many dragons throughout the ages have had incredible magics, which were never replicated. Divide and Boost are mighty, but some Dragons manipulate water and create vast storms, like Tiamat.” At the mention of Tiamat, I could tell that Ddraig grew uncomfortable. There was probably some sort of history between the two of them. I’ll ask later. “They perfect that magic that they have created through their experiences and lives, eventually reaching the point where they become so proficient with it that they can face down gods.”

It’s more like an innate superpower that they learn over time Or, maybe, a result of their lives and desires as they go on with their life. Ddraig and Albion, being rivals for so long, essentially created powers that countered each other and made it so that they remained equal when fighting each other. Even the timing between Boosts and Divides neatly came at the same moment. However, if one of them made a single opening or messed up during the battle, then their opponent would gain the advantage.

Such is a magic worthy of Dragons.

I’d rather just kill someone from across the planet, in all honesty.

Then, your greatest foe would most likely grow so strong you’d need to be that far from them all times to survive.

I frowned at Ddraig’s assertion, before refocusing on my magic training.

“So, what will we do?”

“You’ve had luck with human magics that require more magic and are destructive in nature. We’ll train with those, improve your ability to control your magic, and pull back bit by bit. We’ll essentially work backwards.” Sona said and picked apart the last set of spells I’d tried in the closed space created for my training. We’d gone through multitudes of spells systematically to establish a baseline for my powers. “Fire seems to be your strongest element, while water is your weakest. It’ll be best to keep training in all though, since you don’t particularly specialize in anything enough to warrant mono-focus.”

“I want options anyway, so that’s fine. Honestly, I wanted regular magics most.”

“Indeed, with your style of fighting, you would’ve used many of them very well for utility alone.” Sona stated, and I agreed with a slight nod. For her to teach me, she had to know how I intended to fight. Therefore, I obliged her. My goals for magic were centered around versatility. Put some water on the floor for an opponent to slip. Make a gust of wind that makes flying opponents get caught by wind. Raise a block of earth to create cover. Magic’s versatility was what I wanted, since I already had power to spare. “Perhaps this is because we are thinking too small. Such spells are for duels between people. However, if they are properly scaled up to fight against armies, then it would better work for you.”

Hm. I have a feeling that would work. Creating a whole hill to shield myself, or making a deluge of water to flood plains filled with troops, sounds far more amicable to my nature.

“Ddraig says that’ll work better, yep.”

Sona gave a thoughtful hum, before a frown flitted across her face.

“Unfortunately, I am no expert in human magic. Certainly, enough to teach someone from a book and break down problems, but not enough to create iterations of spells long perfected across the ages.” Sona explained, and I agreed with a grunt of assent. That was a massive expectation to place on someone who’s not even human and has to study and train on her own time with her people’s magics. “We will need to find you a human sorcery, someone who has truly mastered human magic, or you can try experimenting with the spells yourself until they befit your nature.”

“I get it. Thanks. I’ll keep an eye out and put ears on the ground.”

“Very well, then, let us begin with repetition practice. I will time your casting and evaluate your results. Our goal for today will be to establish a benchmark for you to overcome each week, until you can cast spells without a word without any loss of its strength. Understood?”

“I understand.”

With that said, I resumed training under Sona’s gaze, putting aside the thoughts of how I’ll get a human mage with such mastery to teach me.

The only thing that came to mind was money, and even then I only had one lead.

Irina.

…

My first experience with the Church of this world was Asia after she got executed. After that she was attacked by the Fallen, and shortly after we were attacked by exorcists, and then the Fallen attacked in force. Somewhere along the line, there was the issue with the Holy Swords, which came as a result of the Church trying to make artificial users of the aforementioned weapons with the lead researcher stealing powerful weapons and proceeding to grant the power to wield holy swords himself. While that was happening, I met Irina and her partner… and found them without funds and struggling to investigate the issue whilst in Japan.

In other words, they seemed like a spectacularly inept organization, so I wasn’t interested in working with them. Even without considering who my allies were, and their frosty relations with the Church, the track record that the organization presented didn’t exactly show them in a good light. In fact, the Nurarihyon I met before the conference began seemed like a better alternative to the Church. At the very least, I was sure that old man wouldn’t send powerful agents to another country without being briefed and funded properly.

As far as I was concerned, the Church didn’t present any good arguments for me to join them. That’s without considering that I’ll be betraying my current allies by joining them.  Even if I wasn’t personally entangled with some of the people in my current alliance, I wouldn’t consider what the Church offered worth it.  Multiple people betraying them, them losing priceless, powerful artifacts, and finally their lack of support for their own agents. All of it just downgraded them as a potential employer, let alone an organization I’d submit myself to.

Very logical, very good reasons. So, how about you stop getting tempted anyway because of boobs?

They’re tomboy childhood friend boobs, Ddraig, how the hell am I supposed to resist!?

“Ise-kun, Ise-kun, look over here!” Irina had a big smile on her face, as she hugged my arm and pressed it within the generous valley of her chest. Her hold was so tight that my upper arm was experiencing marshmallow softness, while my forearm was clasped against a toned midsection. If there’s anything I can say about the Church, it was the fact that they trained their people exceptionally well… and their combat suits were fantastic. “Cheese!”

“Cheese!” I had a dumb, goofy smile on my face and Irina had a wide one, while we took a picture in front of the same fireplace we did as kids. She was insisting on remaking all our old photos and making a new album to accommodate our old one as friends. I was as dour on the old photos, struggling with my new body and mind. The good, old days before puberty hit me like a wrecking ball and forced me to acknowledge the fact that the body had a lot of control over the soul. The camera flashed and spat out a photo with a whir. Irina had a big smile as it did. “Let me see.”

“Oh, it’s great! Here!” The picture with the two of us near the fireplace with a Holy Sword on the mantle was replicated, though the sword on the mantle was now a replica since Irina kept Excalibur Rapidly stored away in a pocket dimension. From the childhood picture, it looked like two boys standing next to each other. Now, Irina was most definitely a cute young woman… though she was wearing denim shorts and a crop top that would’ve covered her younger self just fine. That meant the clothes were now better. I’m going to leave. You enjoy yourself. “Look, look. It’s just like back then.”

A cute girl was clinging to me happily and sharing photos from an album with both of us in it.

So… this is the fabled strength of a childhood friend.

It took me all I could to just smile and nod.

“I think that’s the last photo, right?” There were plenty of photos in the album, but after the last one Irina’s family moved away. “Anything else you want to do, Irina-chan?”

“Hm, let’s make lunch like we used to!” Irina’s eyes were bright and she went off to the kitchen with pep in her step and gave me a wonderful sight as she did. She didn’t have a single bad angle. I was used to that since I hung around Devils. They were meticulous with their appearance and did their best to appeal to others in their own way. Koneko was the only odd one out, and that was because she was interested in food more than people. Wait. That wasn’t Yuuto’s style. Did the Church just know how to produce exceptionally beautiful and fit people? “I remember you made the best spaghetti! I didn’t have anything as good back in training!”

“Alright, sounds good. I think you have all the ingredients.”

I got up and moved to leave, when Quarta decided to speak.

“Oi, make me some too.” I dislike Quarta. She was thuggish, dogmatic, and practically hated Devils without giving them a chance to make their own case. A zealot through and through, she was a fervent soldier and showed no respect to others who didn’t follow her faith. But in all the times I’ve seen her in the house, she’s only worn sports bras and sports shorts and nothing else. Black and conforming with white trim and the brand name logos on the trim, on just a well-toned and sculpted body. “Irina’s been talking about it.”

I stared for a second and she honed in on that.

“Leave your Devils and you know what you can do.” It was plain and obvious. They were infringing on certain values in order to get a Sacred Gear user with a Longinus on their side. Irina and Quarta were here to contend against Rias, Sona, and Akeno in that regard. School goddesses vs childhood friend and a near-delinquent tomboy, while I was caught in the middle. My popular phase is fantastic. She smirked at me. “But only if you leave the Devils.”

Temptation was more a tool of the Church than the Hell, in honesty.

I shook my head and followed Irina into the kitchen.

It was a modern kitchen with an island at the center instead of a table with all the appliances and the range surrounding the central island. The center island had storage space and the countertop extended to allow for chairs. The Church went out of their way to renovate the old house in order to lure me into it more easily.

“I always remembered when you cooked, Ise-kun. The food you made was really like the food back in Italy!” Irina had a wide smile as she put on an apron. The scant nature of her clothes made it so the front made it looked like she was wearing nothing but that apron, too. I fought off my insticts, as she started taking stuff out of the fridge and the cupboards. “I’ll get the water boiling, and you can tell me everything else that you need.”

Lewd thoughts filled my brain, but I managed to suppress them with a grunt.

Focus on getting stronger, so that you can get what you want and protect what you have.

“Hm, I’d like it if you were able to work together with the Devils. That’ll take a lot off my plate. They don’t want any trouble.” Irina pouted at my words. Obviously disliking how I moved towards ‘work’ rather than spending time with her. I still moved to get everything ready for the meal. Pasta sauce in Japan was on the sweeter side, but I recalled making food from my previous life. It was just a matter of having the ingredients on hand. There was plenty of that here. They Church shipped over a lot of their own goods, probably to entice me with what luxuries they could offer. They were, after all, competing against an asset to two Pillar houses that had a Satan each. Removing me from play from those two Pillar families, at the cost of just two of their soldiers and some wealth, was probably a good price. I’d pay it. “Is it really that impossible? You’ve been here long enough in Kuoh. They’re making contracts and getting magical power from people, but that’s it.”

“…I know and they’re even making sure Stray Devils don’t hurt others. I can see that they’re being decent people, Ise-kun, but it’s not that simple. The Church has only survived this long because we didn’t accept Devils at all. The temptation after lowering our guard just a bit is too high.” Irina hit me back with a sad smile. She believed in everything that she said. Worse. It made sense. I could see the Church getting corrupted, their people accepting Devils, and humanity losing its only ‘shield’ if they relented. Irina shook her head. “Maybe, in a few hundred more years of peace, we can relax. But not right now. The Church is too weak, Ise-kun.”

I nodded, but frowned myself.

“What about Heaven then? Or God?”

My question made Irina’s smile grow sadder and I felt a pit form in my stomach.

What’s going on up there?