9 Domain of the First King
『Do you think that I can use that new seed ability to move? It did take me all the way here.』[Nova]
『Well, did it take too much mana?』[Reischneid]
『No, not at all. Let me give it a try.』[Nova]
He held his hand in front of him, palm up.
『Area.』[Nova]
On top of his hand sat something that looked similar to a black hole.
『Give it a flourish, a snap!』[Reischneid]
Listening to him, Nova focused a distance away, then snapped his fingers.
Suddenly, everything distorted.
He was enveloped in darkness, then appeared at his destination.
『Now try going back to where Sarena is!』[Reischneid]
『Okay! Area.』[Nova]
Nova stood there and imagined where he was previously, then snapped.
..Causing him to teleport a few meters ahead.
『It didn't work.』[Nova]
『Actually, did you even know where we were earlier?』[Reischneid]
『Nope. Where are we?』[Nova]
『Like, 3 miles from the car. Just try to teleport that wa-』[Reischneid]
『NOVAAAAAA!!!』[Sarena]
Explosions could be heard down the forest.
『Or, she can come pick you up.』[Reischneid]
-----
『So, what were you doing there?』[Sarena]
『Well, Reischneid told me my seed had grown, and I accidentally used a new seed ability.』[Nova]
『And that new ability was teleporting?』[Sarena]
「Maybe it would be better to show her..」[Nova]
He waved his hand around.
『Area.』[Nova]
To correspond, the black hole-like mass had grown large enough to engulf Sarena.
『..And what happens if I walk into this?』[Sarena]
『You teleport where I want you to?』[Nova]
『Alright.』[Sarena]
Before he even knew where she wanted to go, she had already stepped in.
But much to his surprise, she walked through it.
『So.. Is this any different from where I was before?』[Sarena]
『No. I didn't really have any place in mind.』[Nova]
『Okay, then teleport me to the car, about 3 miles down.』[Sarena]
「I kind of suck at measuring distance… but!」[Nova]
『Area!』[Nova]
The hole appeared on the floor.
『Let's go.』[Nova]
He hopped into the hole, with Sarena coming along shortly after.
...Except that they were about 50 meters in the air.
『..NOVA! WHY ARE WE IN THE AIR?』[Sarena]
Her question didn't reach Nova.
『AREA!』[Nova]
They fell into another hole that launched them upwards, toward the sky.
As they were falling, Nova created a giant hole.
『AREA!』[Nova]
This next one launched them forward, at an extremely fast speed.
「There's the car!」[Nova]
Nova focused a large amount of mana forward.
『AREA!』[Nova]
『AAAAAAAHHH!』[Sarena]
They landed into the hole and they popped up high next to the car.
Nova landed on his feet.
『NOVAAAAAA!!!』[Sarena]
『Oh.』[Nova]
He circulated his mana and caught Sarena in his arms.
Sarena had tears in her eyes and hugged Nova's chest.
『...I'm scared of heights.』[Sarena]
He stood there, with a blank head and red cheeks.
『...』[Nova]
She took a moment, then realized the predicament she was in.
『...Put me down.』[Sarena]
『Yes, master.』[Nova]
He carefully put her down.
Sarena quickly got into the car, with a pink blush on her face.
-------
It was only a couple of days until the next training.
「If I want to cast Inferno Purgatory more than once, I'll have to train my mana and how to use my seed.」[Nova]
This time, he made sure to respond to Sarena and not raise any concern.
Using the few days, he carefully expanded his mana- almost doubling it, while exploring magical theory with Reischneid.
Before long, it was Saturday.
Nova was welcomed back to the training facility with Oswald's enthusiastic face.
『Alright. how was your break, Nova?』[Oswald]
There were dark bags under Nova's eyes.
『..I'm tired.』[Nova]
『You shouldn't stay up too late! Play in moderation.』[Oswald]
『...Yes, master.』[Nova]
『..Master?』[Oswald]
Sarena stood off to the side with a smug face.
『Did.. You bother him on his days off?』[Oswald]
『Whatever do you mean?』[Sarena]
『...Damn it, what else did I expect.』[Oswald]
『He bothered me, not the other way around. He wouldn't respond to his master's texts, so I had to take action.』[Sarena]
『..So, what did you do?』[Oswald]
『Well, he can probably fight toe to toe with the nobility of his age now.』[Sarena]
『...There's no way. That's absolutely impossible.』[Oswald]
『Say what you want. He managed to land a hit on me.』[Sarena]
『He.. what?!』[Oswald]
『Nova. Be a dear, and don't show him any of your new powers.』[Sarena]
『What?! No, wait. You? The "Untouchable Queen"? The only girl in our class to have not even touched a gu-』[Oswald]
Sarena's smug face suddenly grew flushed.
『NOVA! USE THE SPELL! USE IT!』[Sarena]
『Ah! Alright!』[Nova]
He quickly began to circulate his mana.
『Birthed from the stars, Burnt to ashes, burn my enemies into nothingness. From ashes to ashes, to stardust and nothing, incinerate the enemy into eternal night.』[Nova]
This time, he did something Reischneid suggested.
The shape he drew was that of a simple circle, which confused Sarena.
He poured a large amount of mana into it, and a moment later something strange happened.
『Inferno Purgatory!』[Nova]
『No way, that spell?!』[Oswald]
Blue flames erupted in a large area, before a barrier was set up around it.
『What?!』[Sarena]
『Heavens! You taught him that?!』[Oswald]
Sarena stared at the zone Nova marked out for a moment.
『..No. He did that on his own. He just used the information I taught him.』[Sarena]
Oswald's eyes turned to a deep purple.
『...That's a null zone. Not a speck of mana in there.』[Oswald]
『How? Wasn't that his Blessed Flame Rebirth?』[Sarena]
『Nova, do you know what you just did? And how you did it?』[Oswald]
『..Yes. I created an area with no mana by combining my seed and the "rules" of the spell. Because my seed's flame is also a flame, I used the barrier to set an area after converting the mana with my flame.』[Nova]
『But isn't your flame just meant for healing?』[Sarena]
『No. It's an application, but the "Rebirth" in the spell is a "rule" also. It doesn't mean healing per say. It means "to be born anew". So, all I have to do is burn the mana in the area and create it into a barrier. To put it simply- my flame is a catalyst. It burns one thing to create another. A bridge of causal effect.』[Nova]
『Ah, I see! Very impressive, Nova! To think that you could figure all of that out from what Sarena taught you.』[Oswald]
『..What did he just say? He lost me somewhere around the "catalyst".』[Sarena]
Nova thought it would be better if he just made something up and told her.
『Uhm… It's a flame that purifies evil while changing things like mana into something else!』[Nova]
『Oh. Simple. Why didn't you say it like that?』[Sarena]
『It's sometimes really hard to imagine you as a "Queen".』[Oswald]
『Shut it, geek.』[Sarena]
『More importantly, who taught you how to use your seed to do that?』[Oswald]
『My partner.』[Nova]
Sarena took a step back, to look at Oswald's reaction in quiet.
『Who?』[Oswald]
『Reischneid.』[Nova]
Suddenly, a blue flame appeared in front of Nova then turned into a hilt.
『You call?』[Reischneid]
『.. A guardian.』[Oswald]
『...You're not surprised?』[Reischneid]
『Sir, I watched Nova create a null zone a week after he sprouted. The same day he sprouted, he healed my friend from the brink of death.』[Oswald]
『Wait, that happened?』[Sarena]
『...Of course I'm surprised. But I'm literally speechless right now.』[Oswald]
『Reischneid, is having a guardian rare?』[Nova]
『Yeah. Guardians are basically legends that have accumulated the power of belief. They merge with the original and create a weapon with sentience. There are only so many legends. If I had to count, there's probably a good 10 thousand guardians willing to be called upon, and a good chunk of them are picky as hell.』[Reischneid]
『Oh. So why did you pick me?』[Nova]
『Why else? You're one of two commoners who earned the right to stand with the nobility. Back in the day, I was also a commoner. Not to mention, since you're my descendant I've gotta look after you.』[Reischneid]
『..So you're like an over-involved grandpa?』[Nova]
『Hey! We're partners. It's more like I skipped through time to be buddy-buddy with someone I would've never had the chance to meet. If anything, call me a cool uncle.』[Reischneid]
『Hahaha! Alright. Thanks for watching out for me uncle Reisch.』[Nova]
『..How is he maintaining such casual conversation with all of these bombs dropped?』[Sarena]
『Sarena, do you talk to your guardian like that?』[Oswald]
『..If I did, she'd kill me.』[Sarena]
Oswald stared at the floating hilt speechlessly.
『...』[Oswald]
『By the way, Reischneid. How many features are you keeping secret from me?』[Nova]
『Hmm.. Enough to make you as strong as the First King.』[Reischneid]
That shook Oswald up.
『You're exaggerating! There's no way you can do that.』[Oswald]
『Why not? Don't you see Nova's potential?』[Reischneid]
『Of course I do. But to make him as strong as the one who established this kingdom? The first ever sprouted? That's impossible.』[Oswald]
『Here's a history quiz. Do you know what weapon the First King wielded?』[Reischneid]
『They called it the "Armory of God." A weapon that took a million forms and had enough power to demolish Graebrande.』[Oswald]
『Good. Now Nova. Use me.』[Reischneid]
『Alright, partner.』[Nova]
Nova grasped the hilt and poured his mana into it, Reischneid guiding the weapon's flow.
The result was a spear that appeared out of nowhere, which moved around like a snake.
After spinning Reischneid around in the air, the weapon changed into a strange amalgamation of ominous white mana in every direction.
『...You're kidding. He's a descendant...』[Sarena]
『Of the first king..』[Oswald]
Meanwhile, Nova was thinking of something else.
「..I wonder what master Oswald was talking about earlier..」[Nova]
