Chapter 3-Magic Vurses A Blade

Four more years have passed. Tsucko was now nine years old and the only one left from his original group in the orphanage. Every time a soldier came for adoption he would suppress his mana making it seem like he was weak allowing others to be chosen over him.

" THWACK!"

[" Again."]

Tsucko was the last one left from the original group, outside of one other. A boy with jet-black hair that extended down to his shoulders. He often wore a mixed outfit with black pants on the bottom and a white baggy long-sleeve shirt.

[" I've measured his mana multiple times over these years and it all comes back the same. Out of everyone in the original group, he had the least, but still, something feels off about him."]

Tsucko was looking out a window in the back of the library where he saw the boy swinging a practice sword against a tree. That was all he ever did. Tscuko never saw him practice magic casts or summons. He had only seen him summon a sword that held almost all of his mana.

[ "Is he suppressing it like me...It could be possible but unlikely. Then again I don't know anything about him.]

" fwump."

Tsucko closed his book and stood still facing the window. He stretched his arms and closed his eyes to better feel the mana within his body. In this world, there wasn't much in the way of increasing your mana as it is set in stone at birth, but if you can locate it within your body you can unleash more of it each time. This is how Tsucko had grown so strong so quickly compared to the other kids.

['Guess I'll introduce myself. He's taken my interest."]

Tscuko exited the library passing Nun Zasha on the way out who paid him no mind. As he walked a strand of blonde hair fell in front of his right eye. 

["It's getting long again. I should cut it...Actually long hair might look badass, but it could be impractical for combat. Oh well I'll decide later"]

He reached the door and twisted the handle revealing the outside to him. The grass of this world was slightly greener and the sky slightly bluer. The air seemed cleaner than back home and felt cooler.

["It's always nice to see what a world free of pollution looks like."]

Stepping into the clean outside world he began to make his way to the back of the building where the boy would be. As he rounded the corner he saw the boy sitting down in the grass seemingly catching his breath. 

As Tsucko approached, the boy seemed to tense up momentarily, noticing he was there. Again Tsucko measured his mana, again nothing changed.

[" It makes me uneasy. I can tell there's something with him. Some strength but it's not clear where it's coming from...I wonder if he'll spar with me. Then I can maybe get an idea of his strength. Ah, what's his name again? Eh, it doesn't matter.']

" Hey you what's your name." 

The kid didn't bat him an eye remaining silent sitting in the grass. He was around the same age as Tsucko as he remembered him being a child at the same time as him. Tsucko looked him up and down finding that he was very muscular for a nine or ten-year-old.

" Hm. Wanna spar?"

This would be the first person Tsucko had asked for any sparring match so he figured the kid might seem surprised but he showed no emotion. Remaining still in the grass, not a single muscle twitch came from him.

["Fine. I'll just come out and say it."]

" I don't know what the deal with you is but you're hiding something. Right? I can sense and measure magic but you. You have barely any mana at all but I still get the impression that you're strong."

The kid's right hand twitched slightly. Tscuko began to slowly come closer while speaking as the wind rattled the trees that surrounded them.

" So, you suppressing your mana or something, or is it something else?"

The kid remained silent. The world grew quiet as tension grew between the two as Tsucko awaited some sort of response.

[ Fine then. If he isn't willing to answer any of my questions. I'll just force him to reveal himself. I doubt he'd let a full power attack hit him."]

" I would like to know what you are hiding. So I'll give you one last chance to answer before I force it out of you."

Tsucko extended his arm with his palm facing the kid. Mana began to run up through his arm into his palm as he felt his nerves begin to tingle. The yellow color mana began to grow into a floating ball.

" This magic I hold in my hand will evaporate your entire body. I plan on finding out what your hiding one way or the other. so I ask again. What are you hiding!?"

For some reason, Tsucko grew enraged by the boys' silence. The feeling of strength was all he could get from this boy, but it was unclear where it was coming from. Tsucko didn't want any mysteries that could disrupt his goals.

Still. Silence was the only response.

"...Fine!"

Tsucko poured even more mana into the ball preparing to fire it at full power. He didn't worry about the possibility of the orphanage being destroyed or the impact it would have on the environment. Though he knows this magic could create a creator of the orphanage's size.

The yellow mana turned the surrounding area a bright yellow. The darkness inside of the woods was lifted as it grew brighter and brighter.

" SHINN!"

" HUH!?

From the right Tsucko spotted a blade cutting through the air for his neck. The boy moved quicker than Tsucko could fire his attack.

[ 'I didn't even sense him. That blade is made of mana, that's the only reason I can react now.']

Tsucko closed his fist canceling the attack in his hand. He leaned back narrowly avoiding the blade that reflected in his blue eyes. The boy stopped his momentum and picked the blade up above his head.

" BOOM!!"

The blade struck the ground causing rock and dust to be tossed into the sky creating a dust cloud.

"FWIP!"

Tsucko emerged from the cloud flipping backward multiple times like a gymnast. He stopped after creating some distance allowing him time to think.

[" What the hell was that power! No nine or ten-year-old should be that strong even with magic involved!"]

Tsucko stared at the dust cloud waiting for some sort of movement. After a moment he attempted to sense his magic.

[" The hell! I can't sense anything. Even if he poured all his mana into the blade creation I should still sense the mana in the blade."]

" Tch!"

Suddenly on the right side of the dust cloud, Tsucko spotted movement followed by a trail of dust that followed telling him the boy had exited the dust cloud.

["How did he move so fast? I still sense no mana so how could he move that fast with his base body?"]

"SHWIM!"

A flash of light from the right blinded Tsucko.

["That's the blade! Did he re-summon it!?"]

He took a large step back as he saw the blade swipe just in front of him. The boy then appeared in front of him with his eyes piercing through his long bangs like daggers.

[ " Dame! Those red eyes certainly seem to match his combat style!"]

The boy then pointed the tip of his blade at Tsucko preparing for a lung attack.

[" If that blade hits me at all it will do serious damage!"]

Tsucko leaned to the right as the blade was pushed forward, barely grazing his neck Tsucko gritted his teeth. The boy then swiped the sword left in an attempt to cut Tsuckos head off.

Tscuko ducked down avoiding the strike as he predicted this move. He jumped back as the boy lifted the blade above his head once more.

"CRASHING!!"

" Huh!"

The boy's eyes widened as his attack was stopped by Tsuckos bare hands.

["Pouring mana into my hands helped reinforce them working as a type of armor. That's the only reason I can pull this off."]

" SHIM!"

Suddenly the blade dispersed catching Tsucko off guard. The boy swiftly followed up this move with a left kick aimed at his ribs.

Tsucko lowered his arms to brace his body for the impact. The boy stopped his kick mid-swing changing its trajectory. He raised his leg higher to reach Tsuckos face.

" SHIT!"

For the first time in the fight, words had been spoken as Tsucko uttered this singular curse as the boy's foot connected with his chin.

" THWACK!!"

Tsucko was lifted from his feet and sent into a violent role. 

[" That hit had mana behind it. He de-summoned his sword and loaded his mana into his leg for maximum power!"]

Tsucko was able to find the ground with his hands and forced them into the earth launching himself into the air and allowing him to regather himself. He examined the area to find himself now in front of the orphanage.

[" Did that kick send me over the building!"]

Dead ahead of him the boy persued. Tsucko was in mid-air causing the boy to assume he had no way of dodging. Though he underestimated Tsucko believing he didn't have a plan. Tsucko dispersed a small amount of mana which acted as a physical platform for him to use.

[ " When mana exits the body it takes a physical form during the first couple milliseconds it is released. Someone of your caliber should know this!"]

The boy swung his sword right as Tsucko used this platform causing him to miss and go sailing past.

" SKRSHH!"

The boy came to a sliding stop. Using his left foot he pushed off the ground causing the earth under his foot to uplift slightly. He continued his pursuit of Tsucko.

" Enough!"

Tsucko gathered his mana at his fingertips. After building it up for only a second he unleashed it. Small yellow wires then were launched from his fingertips at the boy. Tsucko then held his hands up like a puppeteer showing the boy they were still connected to him.

The boy's eyes widened as Tsucko closed his palm and brought his arms down swiftly causing the mana wire to descend on him. He held his sword out in front of his face as a defense but it could only block so much.

" RIP! SKRICH! TEAR!"

The sounds of clothes ripping and skin tearing filled the ears of them both as the boy dropped to one knee in defeat. He dropped his sword with a clang which disappeared shortly after.

[" I didn't put much mana into it so the cuts can't be that deep, but it did exactly what I wanted it to."]

" Hm. Hey!"

Tsucko began to walk over to him. The boy met his gaze with his blood-red eyes. Blood was leaking from his face due to the mana wire that left him covered in shallow cuts.

" I'm sure you know I could have killed you with that last attack." Tsucko was now standing directly over him. The boy though showed no fear towards the boy who just bested him. His red eyes stared directly back at Tsucko.

[" Dame! For a kid, you're pretty scary. Oh wait I forgot. I'm also a kid...Are all 9 and 10-year-olds like us?"]

" Like I stated before you interest me. So let's have a chat."