Chapter 9: Fish Out of Water 3


    Daigo crossed his arms but pricked up his ears. He had never enjoyed indulging in spection, but a


    prodigious young schr like Shigeo had his way of making others listen. After their disys of power,


    the former had developed a respect for Keiji and Yuuki over the past month. They were young but


    highly aplished, and Daigo valued strength and ability above all else. Hajime and Yuuta stopped


    badgering Megumin and became attentive. They had be aware that they were disrupting a vital


    discussion. The girls were already tuned in.


    Shigeo: “Spare me a few minutes first, to exin the essentials. Has anyone here read the book-


    ‘Kinheni- The Provenance of Kitsu’ by thete shuzen healer Ogino Ginko?”


    “Anyone?”


    Kafu scoffed but said nothing. The name of thete heasler had irked him somehow. As nobody else


    chimed in, Shigeo pricked his spectacles up his nose again and began.


    Shigeo: “We have been taught for years- that kitsu is the art of channeling raiki and giving it physical


    form. The technique is very fundamental for us. It is the heart of all our economic and military activity.


    Be it running a sugar mill, sailing a boat, building a house, conveyance, agriculture, mining, fisheries or


    carrying out military defense, kitsu ys an integral role in almost every trade and activity. But, the


    origin of raiki- the substrate of kitsu, has always been ambiguous. A great deal of knowledge was lost


    when valuable records and research materials were destroyed, during the incessant wars of the


    previous century. It hade to be believed that raiki came from our lifeforce. But, Ginko-sensei


    suggested that raiki is drawn from an alternate world, which he named Meido.”


    “Meido is a ne where all entities are inherently made of condensed, tangible energy. This energy,


    which we know as raiki, is several times more easily molded and manipted, aspared to the rigid


    energies of our world. It can be transformed into the elements, and given forms and shapes ording


    to our will.“


    “Our ancestors developed the art of kitsu, which is a key to opening the gates of Meido, amassing raiki


    and turning it into an element. In basic civilian tasks, kitsu is useful even without a non-living or life-like


    form. Apact form of kitsu is necessary for military matters- a sword, dagger, or a bow and arrow. A


    compact form of kitsu is essential for military matters—a sword, a dagger, a bow and arrow and so on.


    Then there is bestial-kitsu, an intelligent maniption of raiki that manifests animal forms and gives


    them live attributes. They mimic original animals while obeying themands of the creator. As the


    descendants of the first kitsu-users, we can make raiki surge within our bodies and perform kitsu-


    maniption with a bit of practice. But how wide the gates can be opened and how much raiki an


    individual can endure- differs from person to person. The better is one’s ability to possess raiki, the


    stronger is the kitsu form. While someone like Kafu can manifest small animals like fire-shrews and


    earth-moles, someone like Lord Heydrian can summon a gigantic armoured whale. The Overlord,


    Senju Mikashita, has been away from battles for a long time, but I have heard stories. He was one of


    the leading generals during the Great Zenmetsu War. Enemies paled in front of his onught as he


    summoned seven fantastic elemental beasts, one of which was a mammoth. It is also worth


    mentioning- Oki, of the now-extinct, traitor n, Ishigami. He could summon a fire dragon as giant as a


    citadel tower.


    Nadeko, Masaki and Illumi looked wonder-struck. Akako, who revered warriors of legend, and aspired


    to be a General one day, seemed electrified as well. The history of Kinheni resounded with


    references to mythical worlds, all-mighty entities and supernatural events. Even the most recent war


    saw the mightiest of the continent going head-to-head, bringing genocide and destruction in their wake.


    The legends had culminated into bedside tales after decades of their fabled urrence.


    Kento: “But, what does Meido have to do with Keiji-sensei’s ability? Isn’t he kitsu-blind?”


    Shigeo: “Exactly. He cannot open the gates to Meido.


    Kento: “Then how did he aplish what he did, without being able to use kitsu?”


    Shigeo: “Let me first tell you- very little is known about Keiji-sensei, in the public domain. It is most


    likely he was a foreign mercenary for the Legacy Unit, and due to his military aplishments and


    loyalty towards Karasuma, he was admitted into the Daigaku. The same goes for Yuuki-sensei of


    course; both of them are too young to be Daigaku preceptors.”


    Hajime: I agree. Yuuki-sensei is merely three years older than me. But he looks and fights, like a


    seasoned warrior, who has been through a hundred battles. Even Lieutenant Yorokobi appears


    diminished in hisparison.


    Chiyo: “Perhaps they are just very gifted from birth.”


    This belongs to N?velDrama.Org - ?.


    Shigeo: “Mercenaries are sent into battle at a very young age and that ismon knowledge.


    Nevertheless, I was lucky to have spotted Keiji-sensei’s name referenced in a Daigaku


    correspondence, with the Overlord. I looked him up in the citadel library’s warrior index,st month, and


    interviewed some old retired clerks, and travellers from other viges. And this is what I learnt- Keiji-


    sensei was a popr mercenary in the past- known to his foes as Tabei-tenma, or the soul-devouring


    demon. Very few have lived to tell the tale of facing him in battle, and those who have survived, have


    left behind terrifying stories. They say he is possessed by a curse. Not only does he kill his enemies,


    but also consumes their souls. He has killed hundreds, maybe over a thousand.”


    Daigo: “I have heard of tabei-tenma. He is supposed to be a myth.”


    Shigeo: “Look over there, he is a man, not a myth.”


    The group looked towards the leading boat. Keiji, on the stern seat, with his slender back turned


    towards them, appeared like a vanguard, alert and unmoving. As if he realised the collective attention,


    Keiji turned around and faced the children. His chestnut hair syed in the breeze like a whip-de.


    He smiled feebly back at them. Perhaps it was meant to reassure the young ones that they were not in


    danger, as long as he was around. But it had a contrasting effect on them. They felt shivers run down


    their spines.