You Have Magic, Mio Kazura!

Despite being a little damp, the cave behind the waterfall was quite spacious. It had enough room for her to move around and there was a small water hole at one corner that she could use to wash or drink from. Mio moved to a small outcrop of rocks which some of them conveniently had a flat surface that she could use to sit down comfortably.

She put the bag down beside her and relaxed. Everything that happened after the competition was like a crazy circus. She got pulled into something akin to a portal and dumped into a dark forest. Then she met a crazy dog with wings and was about to become the lunch of a gryphon.

Not only that, her air gun changed from something out of a fantasy sci-fi movie. Hell, she didn't even know what she did to fire that shot that scared the gryphon away. However, she knew deep down that the dog had all the answers to her question.

"Alright, we are quite safe here." Mio started as she looked at the dog who was lounging on the floor in front of her. "It's time to answer some questions."

"I need to explain a lot of things to you as well. But you can start with your questions and I'll answer them the best I can" Otto replied. He made himself comfortable since he knew this was going to be a long conversation.

"Where am I and how did I get here?" Mio asked the first question that came into her mind.

"I was expecting that. To start things off, you're not on Earth anymore." Otto answered truthfully. Seeing Mio nod, he continued. "You're in the world of Azure and I was the one who brought you here."

Now this admission surprised Mio. She didn't expect that the culprit to her sudden transmigration was this crazy dog. She couldn't help but get mad at that admission. "Why did you bring me here? You have no right to drag me here without any permission whatsoever!"

"Well, I can't control who I summon." Otto answered but there was a quick hint of guilt in his eyes before it disappeared. He inwardly sighed in relief that Mio didn't notice it. It wasn't the right time to tell her the truth. "The spell of summoning will look for the largest and strongest concentration of magic in different dimensions. The spell will lock on to that person and initiate the transfer. That was how you got here."

Mio looked at Otto suspiciously. Her instinct was telling her that it wasn't the whole truth. However, her rationality decided to take note of this. Right now she needs immediate answers. She now knows how and why she got here. Now the question was, why was she summoned.

"Alright. I can understand that. But why did you have to summon me here? And did you say I have magic?"

"Yes, you have magic or else the spell wouldn't have brought you here." Otto explained. "You see, the world of Azure is a world of fantasy unlike your Earth. Here, magic is everywhere. Spells, magic beasts, and more. Also, people who can harness magic are revered and are automatically granted with title and stature that elevates them above the commonfolk."

"If I have magic, why in the world didn't I manifest it back on Earth?" Mio asked curiously.

Otto shook his head. "It doesn't work that way. Magic is a primordial force that works with the Laws of the world. There is no such law in your world so there is no way for your magic to manifest. Such it was in its dormancy. When you entered Azure, your magic system was unlocked thus you were able to instantly use it."

"Oh, that makes sense." Mio nodded, then she suddenly realized something. "You mean that tingly warm feeling that I felt earlier was magic?"

"That's your mana to be precise. It is the source of magic spells and abilities. The mana in your body was activated thus you could use it. You were quite rough when you used it but it was understandable considering that it was your first time and unschooled in the rules on how to use it."

"Well, excuse me." Mio huffed at that remark. "That was my first time so I fumbled through. Heck I didn't even know how I did it. And by the way, why did my gun change?"

"That all boils down to the Laws I mentioned earlier. This world doesn't accept things from another dimension. Such is the case, the laws saw fit to change your gun to fit what is in this world."

Mio looked at Otto dubiously before taking out the gun from her hand. She couldn't help but marvel at its beauty. "So you mean to say that there are guns in this world as well since the laws didn't reject this?"

"That's correct. The gun you used before was the product of technology. Now your gun can be classed as a Magic Weapon that is capable of harnessing the user's mana to produce an effect." Otto explained while using a paw to point at the gun in Mio's hand. "What you did with the gryphon is the creation of a magic bullet using your mana and affinity. You have a wind affinity so you were able to fire a magic bullet that was quite fast and sharp which is a characteristic of wind magic. There are different affinities with their own characteristics. You already know Wind. There's also Fire, Water, Earth, Light, and Dark. The first four are the common ones in this world. The last two are quite unique and not many have those affinities.

"Oh." Was all Mio could say before she pointed her gun at a rock by the entrance of the cave and pulled the trigger. To her dismay, nothing happened. Mio had a feeling that the gun was mocking her incompetence. "Then why can't I fire those bullets now?" she whined helplessly.

"You were able to fire it before because I was guiding you on how to use magic." Otto said in exasperation before a twinkle appeared in his eyes. "However, you were able to bring it out quickly at a moment's notice even with the rough instruction. This means that you have talent." He saw Mio look at him proudly so he decided to pop her bubble. "Don't push her luck. Even if you have talent, it's useless still without the knowledge to use it. You just tried it out and all you got from it is nothing."

Mio growled. She pointed her gun to a rock and focused. She remembered the feeling when she fired for the first time. This time, she used the sensation of heat from her stomach and visualized it going to her hand and to her gun.

Otto was shocked he saw the intense concentration Mio was sporting and the feeling of mana gathering. His shock turned into amazement when the gun released a loud bang and a tiny ball of light flew out and hit the rock from across the cave. The rock didn't shatter but there was a visible crack along its surface.

Mio saw her handiwork and looked at the shocked Otto in happiness. "You were saying?" she gloated.

Otto shook his head and decided to continue.

"Alright. You're more talented but stop doing that. You don't want to alert the monsters out there that we are hiding here. Besides, don't waste your mana or you're going to find out what will happen if you run out."

"What happens when you run out?" Mio asked curiously but she placed the gun beside her to avoid the temptation of testing her magic.

"Mana is considered as a source of energy in this world. It is what keeps everyone alive. Those with the ability to harness mana in their bodies can do magic like you. Naturally, since it is a life source, it will replenish itself over time. But if you overuse your magic that you run out, your body will shut down. If your magical core is empty, it will take time before it refills itself. It's always advisable to keep something in the tank and avoid emptying it out."

"Alright. I understand." Mio understood. So magic was like stamina. If you run out of stamina or if you overexert your body, it has no choice but to shut down to avoid damaging the body. She guessed that mana works with the same concept. "So you have magic too?"

"Of course I do." Otto said proudly. "How did you think I brought you here?"

"Alright. No need to get conceited." Mio said condescendingly with a wave of her hand. "So now that I know 'how' I was summoned, the next question is 'why' did you summon me here?"

"Easy. The reason I summoned you here so that you can fight evil." Otto answered in a matter of fact tone that left Mio flabbergasted

"You want me to do what?"