6 Chap 6

Very dishonourable, not a 4k chapter.

Very raw

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From the front of the church, only the sounds of bamboo can be heard.

The spar began as usual, with each fighter testing their opponent's footwork and hand movements. However, as they grew more confident, their movements became riskier, incorporating feints and quick jabs. With each passing moment, the pace of the spar quickened until both fighters were moving at breakneck speed.

Parries and thrusts became more forceful, and they put more weight behind their swings, determined to land a decisive blow. The sound of bamboo hitting bamboo echoed through the air, filling the church with a deafening noise.

Despite his burning muscles and ragged breaths, Seiji refused to give up. He dodged, weaved, blocked, and parried his opponent's attacks with every ounce of strength. The sweat pouring down his face only fueled his determination.

Finally, with one last swing, the sound of breaking bamboo echoed through the air, followed by a whack of bamboo hitting flesh. Silence fell over the church as the two stared at the splintered remains of the sword on the ground, then at the bamboo in Seiji's hand.

"Hehe...," he chuckled, barely able to contain his excitement. "I WIN! AHAHA! WAHOO!" He leaps into the air, pumping his fists and spinning around in a victory dance.

"What's next, then?" Masaomi suddenly asked.

"Huh?" Seiji dumbly responds.

Masaomi threw away the broken bamboo sword. "Congratulations, you've won. Now, you have a choice to make," he said. "You can either continue to become an exorcist by going to the Vatican and receiving further training, or," he paused, locking eyes with Seiji, "you can choose a different path, away from the world of supernatural beings. A normal life."

"So, which is it, Seiji?" Masaomi asked.

"Can I have some time to think?" Seiji requested, looking at Masaomi.

Masaomi considered a moment, "How about a month? Four weeks before making a serious life-long commitment." He reached into his pocket, pulled out a small notebook, and tossed it to Seiji.

Seiji caught the notebook and examined its leather cover. "What's this?" he asked Masaomi, his curiosity piqued.

"It's a journal for the prize," Masaomi replied calmly.

Seiji raised an eyebrow skeptically and flipped through the pages, skimming over some general information. "A journal, really? And it's already been written over."

"There's a section for some magics too." Masaomi interjected.

Seiji's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait, really?" He quickly flipped through the pages, searching for the magic section.

However, Seiji's excitement quickly turned to disbelief as he found old, torn papers stapled together. "What is this!? Is this for real?!" he asked incredulously, pointing at the papers.

"You'll need to make sense of it on your own," Masaomi said matter-of-factly.

Seiji pleaded, "But Teach, you're going to help, right? As a teacher--"

Masaomi abruptly cut him off. "No, not really. See you in four weeks," he said, waving as he entered the church.

[Week 1, Day 1]

"Bleh, Merlin is such a nerd," Seiji groaned in frustration after scouring the internet for hours, trying to convert medieval language into modern terms. He had even resorted to posting on a historical forum, but all he got in response were snide comments for apparently making up some alternate-history mathematical formula that didn't use Arabic numerals.

Seiji squinted at the paper before him. Suddenly, an idea struck him. "Wait a minute," he exclaimed, "I could just say it aloud." With a clearing of his throat, Seiji began to recite the words out loud, speaking each phrase a couple of times before transcribing them onto a fresh sheet of paper. His pen moved rapidly across the page, his eyes flicking back and forth between the text and the sheet before him.

"Okay, this looks good," he said as he finished writing, eyes scanning the page.

"Greetings, esteemed reader, May the grace of God guide your steps as you delve into the words written upon this page. Know that within these pages lies a compendium of knowledge and wisdom that I have striven to perfect throughout my life. It is my hope that the insights and secrets within will aid you in your journey, whether it be through the fields of battle, the halls of learning, or the winding paths of life.

Let us proceed with open minds and hearts, and let the winds of change carry us to a new understanding of the world around us. May you learn the secrets of Thaumaturgy, and may the wisdom contained herein be a source of guidance and strength.

Yours truly,

A humble wizard of Camelot

Merlin Ambrosius."

"Let's do another one," Seiji said, picking up another piece of paper.

He scanned the transcribed text and read aloud, "Chapter 1: Understanding and Manipulating Magical Energies."

"Perfect," he muttered, transcribing all of them before trying to do some proper magic.

[Week 1, Day 5]

"Good girl!" Seiji praised Rei as she brought him some more animal.

"Brain is like flesh computer, what if I could...." He muttered, gazing at the pile of animals. How easy it is to pry open them to find its brain, and with enough trial and error, he should be able to connect them to a logic circuit using custom transistors-

"Ew, a normal computer will do." he said, shaking his head.

Seiji then turned to Rei and asked, "You know... I never see you eat. Do you even know what food is?" He grabbed the rat's tail and waved it before her, but Rei just stared at him as if it were the most obvious thing in the world.

"Okay! No need for food confirmed," Seiji said, throwing the rat into a pile before blasting it with a small orb of destruction.

"Ahem, so you can latch onto me, Maybe we can..." Seiji started, but Rei had already latched onto his back before he finished his sentence.

"Alrighty, let's try a couple of kicks first," Seiji said, adjusting his posture as Rei clung to his back. "One, two, three!" he counted, throwing a series of high kicks into the air.

[Week 2, Day 2]

"Power of the soul is a thing, right?" Seiji wonders, looking at the Dragonball CD on the floor, remembering the energy the characters referred to as "ki" and how it could be harnessed in various ways, along with the multitude of real martial arts and religions that were supposed to use it.

'Using soul manipulation isn't cheating,' he thought as he walked outside to the field. He imitated the stances and movements he had seen in the anime and shouted, "Haaaaa!" attempting to move his soul around.

He tried moving it left, right, and up, but nothing happened. When he moved it downward, he felt a strange sensation. There was a large, ugly imprint, and it was full of...

"I already have plenty of bad thoughts." Seiji shook his head and refocused his attention. "What about into the body itself?" He thought, pushing the energy into his body. He felt an intense itch all over his skin.

As he pushed more into his body, Seiji's eyes widened when he saw a slight glow emanating from his skin. After confirming it as Ki's existence, he let out a battlecry while trying to blow dust around, "HAAAAAA!!!!"

However, the imbalance between physical, spiritual, and the simple act of brute forcing caused him to collapse moments later, with his body trembling from the exertion. "R-rumble of triumph... w-woo," he muttered weakly, lying on the ground. "M-martial part, here I go..."

[Week 2 Day 4]

"And that's a wrap. Midou Reiji is down!" A voice announced.

Seiji whispered to Tatsuki, "Is Reiji a new guy? Is that an initiation?" as they watched a blue-haired girl beat the blonde boy in five seconds.

Tatsuki furrowed her eyebrows, trying to recall the face. "No, I don't think so. He's from a different dojo, maybe he's a new student from there?" she suggested, noticing the other person's lack of... everything.

It's been quite some time since their first encounter, and since then, they often met in the cafeteria before hanging out at the back of the school during their free time. Tatsuki had convinced Seiji to join the martial arts club after school.

"Oh," Seiji said, looking stumped as he gazed at the still-unconscious blonde boy, surrounded by a hysterical gaggle of girls.

Seiji nodded, "So, what are we doing today?"

"We can spar a little and then head out," Tatsuki suggested.

"Sounds good to me," Seiji agreed.

Tatsuki grinned. "I knew you'd be up for it. Let's head to the mat."

Seiji followed Tatsuki to the mat and asked, "So, what are the rules?"

"...What about karate only," Tatsuki replied.

Seiji raised his eyebrows in surprise. "Karate only? I thought we were going to practice some mixed martial arts."

Tatsuki shook her head. "Nah, let's stick to full body today. We can try the other only next time."

Seiji nodded, and the two of them assumed their starting positions. Seiji easily matched Tatsuki's moves, making him a little frustrated because that meant he was not improving.

After a few rounds, Tatsuki called for a break and sat on the mat, taking a moment to catch her breath.

"You're really good at this," Seiji praised, wiping what little sweat off his forehead.

"Thank you, you're not bad yourself," Tatsuki smiled.

"Now let's move on to some Jujitsu," Tatsuki continue.

Seiji raised an eyebrow at that. "Okay, give me a quick explanation?"

"It's like the Brazilian one, but standing up." She only said that before taking a stance.

Seiji blinks a couple of times, "...alright."

"Next up, Aikido!" Tatsuki announced.

"Explain!"

"Like Jujitsu, but advanced!"

"Now for MMA!"

"WHAT!"

"C'mon! it'll be fun!"

"You know what? All right, let's do it!"

Tatsuki pumped her fist in excitement. "That's the spirit!"

[Week 2, Day 6]

"Good luck!"

" 'Kay!" Issei waved as he disappeared into the bustling store, leaving Seiji and Natsuko outside to wait. Seiji leaned against the wall, arms crossed over his chest, while Natsuko fidgeted, tapping her foot.

"Do we need to...?" Natsuko began, but Seiji interrupted her.

"No, let's just see what he does," Seiji said, carrying the bag full of groceries.

"Big brother is evil," Natsuko muttered, rolling her eyes.

"Me? No, I'm not," Seiji denied. "It's just fun seeing people try to do something. Also stop being so worried, he's eight years old, he's a big boy!" he nodded sagely.

Suddenly, Seiji's moment of amusement was interrupted by a smack as Natsuko stuck a piece of paper on his head. He opened his eyes. "What's this?"

"Kamo told me it was a charm to ward off evil," Natsuko explained with a shrug.

"Really? is this Kamo person live at shrine or something?" Seiji asked, looking at the piece of paper stuck on his forehead.

"No, she's--" Natsuko was interrupted as Seiji removed the piece of paper, and it immediately burst into flames.

They looked at each other in dumbfounded silence, then at the ground, trying to process what had just happened.

"Um..."

"Uh..."

"Let's just forget about it," Seiji finally said.

Natsuko nodded in agreement, but before they could move on, they heard Issei's excited voice approaching. "I finally got it! Eh? Why are you two looking at the ground?"

"Nothing, older sibling stuff." Seiji waved it away.

"Yeah, What'dya you get?" Natsuko asked.

Issei held up a game console box, grinning from ear to ear. "Playstation!! I've been saving up for months!"

Seiji and Natsuko exchanged a look.

"That's great!" both of them said, smiling.

[Week 3, Day 3]

[Umbrakinetic Creature Creation/shadow creature 4/5 ]

Juzo Hyodou walked through the silence of the night, heading towards the bathroom. Turning the corner, he spotted a figure on the living room couch, cloaked in darkness.

His heart skipped a beat, and he froze in terror, imagining the worst-case scenarios. Was it an intruder, a thief, or something more ominous? The figure remained motionless, and Juzo couldn't discern any features or details. He felt a cold sweat on his forehead, realizing the situation was growing tenser by the second. He needed to act fast.

Tension grew unbearable, and his hands trembled with fear as he prepared for the worst. Suddenly, a familiar voice shattered the silence. "Hey, grandpa," the voice said.

Juzo's breath caught in his throat, and he blinked several times to ensure he didn't imagine things. "S-Seiji... what are you doing still awake?" he gasped, trying to catch his breath.

The silhouette shuffled nervously before slumping. "I.... have a question," the voice spoke hesitantly.

Juzo furrowed his brow. "A question?" he repeated.

Seiji hesitated for a moment before finally speaking. "I have to choose," he said, not elaborating further.

Juzo sat down on the couch opposite Seiji. He knew from the tone what "choose" meant, even if he didn't know the full story. "Well, I really thought it was some more years in the future when one of my grandkids try asking about it, but is this "choose" thing you ask about is something related to.... future maybe? future plans or career?" He took a shot in the dark.

Seiji is silent for a while before nodding. "Yeah, kind of."

Juzo nodded slowly, taking a moment to gather his thoughts. "It's okay to feel overwhelmed and unsure about your future," he began, his voice steady and reassuring. "But remember, you don't have to have everything figured out right now. You have time to explore different options and figure out what you're passionate about. The important thing is, you keep moving forward,"

Seiji chuckled. "Okay, I get it. So, about that harem king you telling to ise..."

Juzo laughed, shaking his head in amusement. "Ah, that story..."

"Bye grandpa! see you soon!"

"Bye, you brat," Juzo replied, and in a blink, the silhouette disappeared from the couch.

A chill ran down his spine as Juzo looked around. It suddenly dawned on him that he was not in his son's house, and his son was not visiting him either.

"Honey! Do you still keep in touch with the shrine lady?" Juzo called out to his wife, his voice trembling with fear.

[Week 3, Day 7]

The air was thick with harsh breathing, and the corpses of the fallen exorcists around him. The stench of burned flesh seared his clothes and skin as he stood inside the mansion.

Suddenly, the sound of footsteps shattered the eerie silence, jolting his senses. He turned to face the newcomer and recognized the glint of a sword wielded by a man he knew all too well.

"Shidou.."

His heart pounded as he stared at the bloodied sword in Shidou's hand. "Whose blood is that?" he demanded, his voice trembling with anger and disbelief.

Shidou remained silent, his expression stoic as he gazed back at Masaomi.

"ANSWER ME!" Masaomi shouted, his voice rising in desperation.

But Shidou still refused to speak. "Why?!" he then screamed.

Shidou stood firm, his holy sword raised and poised for action. "You know why, and you should know that it must be done," he said solemnly.

The sound of approaching footsteps filled the air.

"I wish it hadn't come to this," Shidou mournfully expressed as the reinforcements burst through the door, weapons drawn and ready to strike.

Masaomi's eyes darted to the incoming attackers, but his attention remained fixed on Shidou.

Masaomi clenched his teeth, frustration and anger coursing through him. "It doesn't, damn you!" he exclaimed, his hand gripping tightly onto his gun and spare light sword. He braced himself for the impending battle despite knowing it was futile.

[Week 4]

As the final component was secured, Seiji's hopes were high as he took the prototype into his hands, eager to test its performance.

WRRS-SHINK!

'Too slow,' Seiji thought. He couldn't help but be slightly disappointed, noting any areas that could be improved. He then turned his attention to the blade, breaking off a segment to inspect its weight and balance. After running his finger along the edge, he found that the blade bent with only slight pressure. Seiji set aside the bent segment and broke off another to test its cutting ability.

With the new segment in hand, Seiji grazed it against his palm, applying great pressure to test its sharpness. He finally felt the edge slice through his skin, leaving only a small cut along his palm.

"Spring mechanism is trash, steel blade is trash, look into gravity knife, fancy alloys, and transmutation," Seiji noted before pocketing the prototype so it could be fed to the moltenbeast for a future project.

He glanced down at his palm, realizing what he'd done. "I'm actually a moron," he could have tested the prototype on something other than himself, like a summonable facsimile of any creature he could think of.

He let out a groan of frustration at the unnecessary harm he had caused to himself, "Whyyyyy."

He looked at the calendar. "Guh, today is the day, isn't it?"

He sighed deeply, his hand instinctively running through his disheveled hair. "I forget to sleep," he muttered, his tiredness becoming more apparent as he realized he had been up all night tinkering with the failed prototype.

"Stop being wishy-washy!" he scolded himself, trying to shake off the fatigue. He began listing the positives of becoming an exorcist, his voice growing more animated with each item on the list. "Danger! Adventure! Staking vampires! Beheading werewolves! Prospect of death at every corner! Probably an abysmal pay and relying of gratitude of others! Possibility of upper echelon of being unbelievably corrupt! Plus, foreign food! Is that a bad thing? I dunno, I haven't slept yet!" He laughed, feeling a surge of excitement despite his exhaustion.

*Bang!* The church door slammed open, reverberating through the empty pews as Seiji entered the church.

"Teach? You forgot to open the church!" he called out, echoing through the space. "Hellooo?" he shouted again, hoping for a response.

"I already have the answer!" He shouted as he paced around. The sound of his footsteps echoed off the walls.

He stopped in his tracks and went to the door, scanning the entrance for any sign of a message. "No note at the door?" he mused, his gaze sweeping over the area.

He turned his attention to the fence outside. "On the fence?" he wondered aloud, his curiosity piqued. With a sigh, he headed toward the fence, scouring every inch of it, but to no avail.

Next, he focused on the basement doors, pressing his ear against each one, but there was only an eerie silence.

Seiji grew tired and settled into one of the pews. A loud yawn escaped his lips, interrupting his thoughts. "I guess I'll just have to wait," he decided, feeling the fatigue settle in. Before he knew it, exhaustion overtook him, and he drifted into a deep sleep, snoring softly. His breathing was the only noise in the otherwise silent church.

Seiji stirred in his sleep, his body slowly waking him up. As his eyes adjusted to the darkness, he realized that the church was now completely devoid of light. "Still not back yet," he muttered to himself.

He slowly rose to his feet, stretching his cramped limbs. "Maybe tomorrow," he decided and made his way out of the empty church. His footsteps echoed throughout the space as he walked towards the gate.

Seiji waved at Father Touji as he closed the gate behind him.

"What are you doing here at night?" Father Touji asked.

"I'm waiting for Teach," Seiji replied, letting out a tired yawn. His tiredness prevented him from noticing anything unusual about the priest's demeanor.

"..I see," Father Touji responded with a strange tone.

Seiji noticed a limp on one of Father Touji's arms and pointed at it, "Woah! What's with the limp?"

"I'm afraid I can't tell you that," Father Touji replied.

Seiji nodded, "Oh, okay. Well, I better get going. Goodnight, Father Touji!"

"Goodnight, Seiji," Father Touji replied, watching Seiji walk away before letting out a breath he didn't know he held.

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No le epic fight here, just a whimper.

Sorry for the chapter ending.

Earned from this chapter

1 for 2k

Unspent: 7-1+1 = 7

Powers

Umbrakinetic Creature Creation/shadow creature 4/5 (Active)

Summon can go to far distances. If humanoid, summon proficiency on X is based on the user's skill.

User can control summon, and gain increased spatial awareness for every summon in nearby vicinity (effected by distance).

Gain the ability to summon from other sources that user's shadow (affected by distance).

Intuitive Aptitude 3/5 (passive)

Faster learning speed, perception, Implement and adapt teachings at a faster rate than human, unconsciously know how most mundane things work.

(magical stuff he can theorize, but needs the context on how the magical energy is used for optimal result)

Soul Manipulation 3/5 (Active/touch only)

no risk of attribute manipulation, now can edit the existing attributes of others,

Automatically record new attribute and gain access to soul history (own is instant, other people need time).