《Blind Mage Adventures》 Chapter 1: Prologue Chapter 1.

Part 1.

A being observes the blue planet within a small solar system within a distant galaxy. If the news media would have known that there are actual beings who are not only capable of observing this planet but are actively doing so, they perhaps may have not shown those news clips of some guy sitting on Mars and watching their planet called Earth. (Or maybe they would. These mortal creatures are strange.) But the reason why this being is paying attention to this small rock within the universe is because the things which he has observed, are not promising at all. ¡®Mortals shouldn¡¯t have this much power. I can¡¯t believe that anyone in the future will be so foolish as to let them become that powerful!¡¯ thinks the observer to himself. ¡®And it all begins with this one child, who is not even born yet.¡¯ He shook his head at the laziness of his brethren. ¡®If I didn¡¯t keep an eye on such developments, we would have been destroyed so long ago.¡¯ He lamented within his mind. He focuses on that unborn child. ¡®But this curse should ensure that this creature will never reach its full potential. In the end, it will die just like all other mortals.¡¯ With this final thought, the powerful being ceases to observe the small rock within the universe, considering his job to be done. He ignored the cry of the universe for his interference.

Part 2.

Within the subcontinent near Asia, there is a city called the City of Throne. This city contains the magical throne of the king of the subcontinent. The current reigning king is holding the court at night, despite wanting to sleep desperately. (And yes, more than once people have made fun of this city¡¯s name. they have heard it all, so the citizens would prefer that you remain quiet, and keep the jokes to yourselves.) The current king, Porus leaned back on his throne and glared at the members of his court. ¡°So, any particular reason why you are causing me to be here, and reducing my sleep time?¡± He asked with a raised eyebrow. ¡°Your majesty, the time of the prophecy is coming closer¡­¡± the court member quelled under the sudden furious glare of the king but gathered his remaining dregs of courage, and continued. ¡°It is the request from the various mage families of the Subcontinent, that the figure should be summoned, lest the other lands seize the advantage from us.¡± ¡°You mean, I should bring a child here, so you can weave your political chains around them?¡± Said Porus bluntly. His words caused immediate coughs and murmuring, and some people shifted in their sitting spots a little. ¡°My liege, it is not just a matter of seizing the advantage.¡± Said one of the mage family representatives, who is sitting in the center, and glitters from all the gold he is wearing. ¡°It is also a matter of reducing unpredictability.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less, whatever your reasons are. I don¡¯t see why I should change my decision. In all these years, you have failed to convince me.¡± Said the king. ¡°Sir, the elves¡ª¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care what those morons with pointy ears have to say!¡± thundered the king, suddenly filling the courtroom with his power. ¡°They don¡¯t live on this planet; they don¡¯t get to decide what goes on here. And most certainly not in some nonsensical manner as a prophecy! In all the magical history of humanity, those have only proven to be true in hindsight, when the events which they referenced have already passed. And you are asking me to just bring a child here, on something baseless as a prophecy?¡± The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. After his tirade was done, Porus took a deep breath to control his power. Putting a tight leash on it, keeping it hidden once more within himself, ready to uncoil at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°Your majesty,¡± speaks the general, ¡°The mage families have said that if you don¡¯t consent to this, then they will perform the ritual to acquire this child.¡± He reveals. The representatives of the mage families glared at the general. ¡°That information was not for your ears, Sundar!¡± ¡°Who are you to decide that?¡± he asked. Before anyone could answer his question, the king spoke. ¡°So, your option is either summon the child now or be forced to watch from the sidelines, as you manipulate them to your ends?¡± The silence told the king everything he asked. ¡°Very well. The summoning will happen.¡± The smiles broke out on the faces of various members of the court, but the king spoke again, squashing those smiles. ¡°I do have some¡­ conditions.¡± ¡°What are they?¡± asked one of the courtiers. ¡°Simple. The summoning will happen on my castle.¡± None of them had any problems with this condition, so they nodded in agreement. ¡°And the second condition, is the child must live in my castle.¡± ¡°That is outrageous!¡± They all protested. ¡°You¡¯re doing the same thing which you accuse of us!¡± ¡°Well, at least I can ensure neutrality. None of you can even do that.¡± The king responded. ¡°And if you have this much problem, then you are welcome to challenge for this throne. I promise to take you all at once.¡± Porus smiled predatorily. At those words of the king, outrage flew from everyone; and they all sat down to their seats, pale from the very thought of challenging this monster. ¡°We¡­¡± one of the family representatives spoke then, clearing his throat to not sound so terrified. ¡°We accept those terms.¡± If there were any other situation, this member of the court would have been receiving glares from everyone. But considering what the king has just said now, none of them harbored any ill intent against this man. Instead, they all nodded in agreement. ¡°Very well, I will call the royal ritual experts to craft the ritual. I believe until then we can all adjourn the court.¡±

Part 3.

This house sits within the area of office workers; doctors and lawyers can be found in almost every home. While the family appears to be wealthy, there is one aspect that is quite striking. Their child. He doesn¡¯t have any eyeballs. Not because of some gruesome accident, but after he was born, he was diagnosed with ocular cancer at the age of one and a half. Thus, his eyes were removed, lest the disease takes their child¡¯s life. Currently, the said child sulks in his room, at the top of his room¡¯s door hangs a sign, saying ¡°Territory of Hatori Eagle, enter at your peril.¡± He created that on his birthday, with the help of his father, at that time, everyone laughed at those words. Despite the disability of the child, the family is considered a normal family for the most part. No raised voices, smiling faces, no lines of stress on the parents. However, recently, peace has been disturbed in the house. While people may think that a seven-years-old holding a grudge is ¡°cute,¡± or ¡°Bratty,¡± the problem is that none of them have any idea of why this seven-year-old in particular, holds such a strong hostility towards his parents, (or his mother in particular) ¡°Let¡¯s just hope that the dreams won¡¯t bother me.¡± Muttering to himself, Hatori shuts his laptop down, waiting until the screen reader stops babbling, before closing the lid. He then dreams of the code which he will submit to his school teacher as homework next day, (something which he has already done when the school ended for this year one month ago,) while people in another dimension plot. (End.) Chapter 2 Chapter 2.

Part 1.

With a jolt, Hatori woke up from his rather relaxing sleep, where for some strange reason, he was programming some murderous droid. According to his friends, it is a sign of his repressed anger that he has dreams like these, while he thinks that they are just dreams. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, Hatori realizes that he is not in his room anymore. For one thing, he always sleeps with the sealing fan turned up to five, even during the winter. And if anyone offs the fan, it is enough to wake him up. So, the first sign for him, is that he is in a different place, the noise of his room''s fan is missing. The second sign is that the echo is all wrong. He is well familiar with the size of his room, while this place appears to be larger than his room. And the third, (And perhaps the sign which woke him up; maybe he should consider it the first sign?) is the voices of people. Hatori despises the noise in his room when he is sleeping, or trying to sleep. ¡°Ah, the child is awake.¡± Said a male voice. ¡°So, what¡¯s your name, child?¡± asked a female voice. Hatori considered remaining quiet for a moment. But then he realizes that if these people lifted him from his room, it would be better to cooperate with them until he finds a way to save himself. Admittedly, the chances of a blind kid running away from the kidnappers are very small, but he decided to gamble with whatever chances he has. ¡°Hatori Eagle.¡± He answers. ¡°What an odd name.¡± noted someone (not for the first time, Hatori cursed his blindness.) ¡°It appears to be a Nihongan name.¡± Hatori remains quiet. ¡°Anyway,¡± a decidedly haughty voice speaks. ¡°We didn¡¯t bring this child here to think about the oddness of his name. He is only here to fulfill the prophecy, nothing more.¡± ¡°Be quiet!¡± thundered yet another voice, brimming with power, just waiting to uncoil. ¡°Ritual master Vasu, you will explain to him why this boy is brought here.¡± Ordered the powerful voice. ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± Says another voice, sounding rather quiet in comparison to everyone else. ¡°There is a prophecy regarding a war in the future. It is said that someone from the other dimension will participate in that war, and that person will change mage society as a whole through his actions. You are that person, as the ritual we performed to summon you proves.¡± Explains the quiet voice. ¡°Back up a bit.¡± Hatori said, ¡°What do you mean by prophecy? You think that I¡¯ll believe you because you say all these things to me? In case you didn¡¯t know, we don¡¯t live in a fantasy world.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Hold your sharp tongue, boy!¡± commanded an old voice. ¡°Maybe I would, if you morons will give me a real and plausible reason to kidnap me!¡± retorted the child. Hatori would have cooperated with these people as long as it took to find a way to run away from the clutches of these crazy people. However, the talks of wars, prophecies, and mages, all angered him. It is just like those charlatans who promised to fix his eyesight but failed to do so. Everyone takes a look at the child. Since his summoning, it is the first time they were paying him such clear attention. They were expecting a rather meek child, but this boy is nothing like that clearly, even though he answered his name calmly earlier. He appears not to be any different from any other child. Looking at this round-faced boy, with rather short hair, and unassuming clothes, it is hard to believe for the people in the court that this child will change mage society as a whole. True, his empty eye sockets are rather attention-grabbing. But that is hardly something worth considering, given how mages modify their bodies during their lives. ¡°You don¡¯t believe us?¡± the powerful voice asked, quieting the murmuring in the court. ¡°No,¡± Hatori answers, while getting up from the floor. ¡°Besides, you guys have a strange way of treating your savior. Letting me wake up on the floor like that tells me what kind of people I¡¯m dealing with here.¡± With that statement, Hatori offended many people in court. But the king silenced the growing clamor by just uncoiling a small percentage of his power. ¡°Could you give any elaborate reasons for your disbelief?¡± asked someone from the crowd. ¡°I don¡¯t enjoy repeating myself. You should have threatened me to cooperate with you, instead of playing this strange game of magic and prophecy. I¡¯m not an idiot!¡± ¡°Clearly.¡± Said general Sundar, remaining quiet up to this point. It appears that the court will be in session for a long time. The child appears to be nodding from sleep already; So the general whispered in the king¡¯s ears that he should be sent to sleep. ¡°We will meet you tomorrow.¡± Porus said, ¡°Take Hatori to a resting room.¡± Orders the king, since he also feels that the court is no place for a sleep-deprived child. ¡°We¡¯ll take him.¡± A young voice said, which sounded much closer to Hatori¡¯s age. ¡°Josh!¡± A male voice, filled with disapproval said, ¡°I told you not to be here!¡± ¡°Come on uncle. I wanted to see the ritual!¡± the younger voice said while walking towards Hatori. ¡°Fine. Take him to his room, then.¡± A paper was handed to Josh where the room number was written. Two kids grabbed Hatori¡¯s hands and escorted the rather shocked boy out of the courtroom.

Part 2.

Hatori wakes up in the morning, breaking out in a sweat just at the possibility of last night¡¯s events being true. Unfortunately, every sense is telling him that those events were very much true. Starting from the bed, which has a different type of sheets on it than his bed at home in his room. And this is before getting to the size of the bed, or even the bounciness. He puts one foot on the floor, and immediately, realizes that the floor is different than his home. Another point that makes him realize that the events of the last night were not the product of a feverish dream. Just as he was coming to grips with his reality, and missing tears, someone opened the door. ¡°Hey there!¡± Hatori remembered this voice. He seems to be one of two boys who brought him to his room last night. ¡°I didn¡¯t realize you were awake.¡± Said the boy, coming up close to him. ¡°Josh, introduce yourself.¡± Sighed another kid, from his tone, Hatori judged that this ¡°Josh¡± forgets to do it all the time. ¡°Oops, I completely forgot. My name is Josh Fernandes. Nice to meet you.¡± Josh extended his hand. When Hatori failed to do likewise, he dropped his hand in disappointment. ¡°You should extend your hand, you know.¡± Pointed out the other kid. ¡°Sorry.¡± Hatori did that, and this time, they both shook their hands together. Josh realizes that the poor guy probably didn¡¯t even realize that he offered his hand. ¡°I usually extend my hand, but¡­¡± Hatori trailed off. ¡°Wait, you do that automatically?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Yes.¡± Answered Hatori. ¡°The things last night, I don¡¯t think they have caught up to me yet. I haven¡¯t started to cry for the home, after all.¡± Josh¡¯s shoulders drooped after hearing that. ¡°My name is Hatori Eagle, thanks for bringing me here last night.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Josh smiled. ¡°Besides, if you want to thank me, you should help me in lecturing certain someone about manners.¡± He looked at the other boy, while Hatori failed to register the gesture. The other boy flushed red, but Hatori didn¡¯t have any way of knowing that. ¡°I¡¯m Raven Arora¡­¡± The only reason why he knew that for certain, is because his tone gave it away. Someone else walked in from the open door. ¡°Ah, it is good that you¡¯re awake. Would you like me to bathe you?¡± Hatori¡¯s face could be carved from stone as he replied to this woman¡¯s question. ¡°I can bathe myself since I was six.¡± He said in a frosty tone. ¡°Very well then.¡± The woman doesn¡¯t seem to mind his tone. ¡°I will just tell you where things are. You need to be ready; the king is waiting for you in court.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Said Raven, while taking Josh outside. ¡°Did you see him?¡± Asked Josh, outside of Hatori¡¯s room, while the woman takes him for a bath. ¡°He doesn¡¯t look like a person of prophecy to me.¡± Compared to his rather large size for his age, as well as powerful-looking limbs, Hatori indeed does not look impressive at all. ¡°His hands were also very soft. I don¡¯t think he is the person mentioned in the Elven Prophecy.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t deny, he is not exactly someone impressive, and he appears to be rather sheltered. But you saw it last night, just like me. He appeared after the ritual was concluded.¡± Raven counters. ¡°So, what? They could have made a mistake.¡± Josh waved Raven¡¯s points away. ¡°Yeah right. Those royal ritual mages have hundreds of years of experience among them. If they make a mistake, this entire subcontinent is more likely to turn into a smoking crater, rather than summoning the wrong kid.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. ¡°You¡­ have a good point there,¡± Josh said, not at all terrified of his home turning into a smoking crater. According to other kids at the castle, he is weird like that. ¡°Anyway, we can¡¯t discuss this anymore. Hatori is returning, and prophecy or not, I think he could use our support at least.¡± Raven said, hearing noises from the room, and he was proved right, as a few seconds later, Hatori opened the door. After observing Hatori¡¯s new clothes, with a white shirt and pants, and a tie, Josh said the first thing on his mind. ¡°Looks uncomfortable. Better you than me.¡± ¡°I swear, I¡¯m gonna choke someone with this.¡± Muttered Hatori, while fumbling with the tie. The woman also came out of the room and batted his hands away from the tie. ¡°Enough of that, you don¡¯t want to loosen that up, now, do you?¡± she asked in a stern tone. Hatori wanted to reply but just decided that it wasn¡¯t worth it. ¡°I think he would be happy without it,¡± Josh spoke out, saying what was going on in Hatori¡¯s mind. ¡°Do you read minds?¡± as all four of them walked to the court, Hatori asked. ¡°No. but I can tell it from your expression, you loathe that piece of clothing.¡± Josh whispered. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Raven whispered to the other side of Hatori, ¡°I¡¯ll remove it once we¡¯re seated in the court.¡± By the time they arrived, the court was already in session. When those kids were seated, Josh and Raven made sure that they were seated on both sides of Hatori. Though his uncle didn¡¯t mind Josh¡¯s protectiveness, he only hoped that his nephew would grasp the political messages he was sending with his behavior. He then started to lament about how kids shouldn¡¯t be forced to consider all these things before the words of the king caused him to pay full attention. Upon receiving the whispered message that the boy had arrived, Porus decided that it would do him good if he at least introduced himself to the child. It is not like he could see, and understand who is in charge around here. He wouldn¡¯t put past these snakes to take advantage of that fact. (He will apologize to the real snakes, once the court ends for comparing them to humans like that.) ¡°Hatori Eagle, come forward.¡± He called. Both Josh and Raven take him right in front of Porus, for which he gives an appreciative nod to the boys, making them blush in embarrassment. Porus also noted the glares the maid is giving to the boys, for removing Hatori¡¯s tie, most likely. He would have loved to laugh out loud after observing that; but alas, he must maintain his stoic bearing. ¡°Now, will you please introduce yourself before this court?¡± ¡°My name is Hatori Eagle.¡± The child said clearly, though everyone noted how he had to visibly gather himself before he could utter those words. ¡°Good then.¡± The king nodded. ¡°I am Porus, the king of the subcontinent, located at the southern end of the continent Asia. People who are present within this court, are the representatives of my¡­ influential subjects.¡± The general twitched at that declaration of Porus. ¡®Sigh, at least he could have waited longer before he tweaked them like that¡­¡¯ lamented the general. ¡°I do remember last night, you were most adamant about magic being not true, and how we should use a better excuse to kidnap you.¡± Everyone chuckled after hearing that. ¡°To demonstrate to you that indeed, we¡¯re not lying, I shall arrange an example. Amarnath, if you will?¡± ¡°Yes, your majesty.¡± Said a man with a baritone. He got up from his chair and got in front of the child. ¡°Which object would you like me to use as an example?¡± he asked. ¡°Raven, you still have the tie, right?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, I do. Should I give it to him?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡®Ah, the child is just like me. Many ties I have ruined in my rage.¡¯ The king smiled at the memories. ¡°Here, I would like it if you constantly touched it, and observed the changes.¡± Amarnath handed one end of the tie to Hatori. Very quickly, the tie, from a constricting piece of clothing, which hides its constricting power in its softness, turned into a hardened piece of rock. All in his palms. He felt the changes as they all went through, slowly, turning the tie into a rock-shaped tie. ¡°Here, observe it all.¡± Amarnath handed the other end to Hatori. Everything appears to be genuine, (for the given value of genuine), it felt heavy as a rock; it felt hard as a rock; and when Hatori dropped it to the ground, it made the sound exactly like an object made of rock would make if dropped to the marbled floor of the courtroom. ¡°Can you turn it back?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, I can.¡± While Amarnath was busy doing that, some people opened their mouths to chide the boy, but a glare from the king silenced them all. ¡°Can you only turn it into a rock, without changing its shape?¡± was the next question. ¡°Can you make it bigger?¡± Was the next question which followed. ¡°What about some other material besides rock?¡± the tie was turned into a steel chain promptly. ¡°Here, this final example should convince you much more firmly.¡± The tie was promptly turned into a dog, which barked, licked, and growled just like a real dog would. ¡°Have your doubts been quenched?¡± asked the king. Hatori was in still disbelief. He felt as if his senses had just betrayed him. How could a tie of all things, change like that? He suspected that Amarnath might be thrusting something under the tie, to deceive his hands. But when he dropped the tie to the ground, it made the same clattering sound as the real object made of rock would. The steel chain was even more unbelievable. How could an object made of cloth turn into a steel chain? A real clinking, and rattling steel chain. ¡®What about the dog?¡¯ he asked in his head. Hatori has no other option aside from saying, ¡°Yes, I believe you now.¡± Though he kept his doubts to himself. ¡°Very well. Is there anything you wish to know, or ask us? I promise you that we will answer you honestly.¡± The king looked at the court members. ¡°Indeed, we will.¡± They all answered, sweating under his gaze. ¡°When are you sending me home?¡± Hatori asked, finally building up enough courage to blurt out that question. On a former place, (About which he tries not to think actively), he received a lot of slaps for that question. ¡°We¡­¡± the king is trapped in a conundrum. He promised to answer him honestly, yet, he feels most unwilling to answer this question. ¡°Can¡¯t send you back.¡± He knew it! No matter how they all try to act, adults are all the same. At least this king admitted honestly, rather than tell him a fairytale. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because we can¡¯t. There is a barrier that blocks us from sending you back. Portals won¡¯t work either, according to my royal ritual mages. I apologize on behalf of the subcontinent.¡± ¡°Can I at least go to my room?¡± Hatori asked sadly. ¡°You may.¡± The king allowed.

Part 3.

¡°So, before we all leave for dinner, any other points to discuss? Maybe perhaps the newest child of our castle?¡± Prodded the king. He most carefully called it ¡®Our castle,¡¯ which meant his, and his alone. None of them have any illusions of what exactly he means. ¡°Well, I did observe him during lunch. He was surrounded by Fernandes¡¯s boy, along with that common child to accompany them.¡± Pointed out a heavily jeweled man. ¡°I did see him during the daytime when the two children were showing him various sights and areas of the castle. Though it was noticeable for me that the boy is in low spirits.¡± Said a middle-aged woman. ¡°My question is, doesn¡¯t your majesty plan to¡­ reprimand the boy for his disrespectful behavior in your majesty¡¯s presence? The first instance could be excused, especially since such an abrupt summoning must be disorienting for him. But his behavior during the morning? All those questions he asked Amarnath? Making him a circus performer¡ª¡± At this point, the old man who was going on and on about Hatori¡¯s behavior, suddenly realizes that he has crossed a line. ¡°I¡ªapologize.¡± He sat back down, while Amarnath kept glaring at him. ¡°Your majesty, while the manner in my senior has raised the issue¡­ could be questioned; it does not mean that he has not raised some good points.¡± Said another man. ¡°Indeed.¡± Said several people in agreement. ¡°I believe a strict instructor is in order, the one who would straighten out that boy?¡± said a harsh-looking man. ¡®Finally.¡¯ Porus breathed in relief. ¡®I never thought that they would arrive at this point.¡¯ ¡°The matter of his training¡­ is already taken care of. You need not concern yourselves with that.¡± The king said, with the smile of a hungry tiger. It is dinner time, and these people are delaying his dinner pointlessly. ¡°Also, he will be attending the local school with two boys he has befriended until it is time to send him to the academy. Now, the court is adjourned.¡± Declared Porus, while walking away humming a tune, ignoring the cries of protestations, and please for coming back. ¡®Petty? Probably. But considering how much grief they gave me; I think I¡¯m entitled to some payback.¡¯ Thinks the king. (End.) e Chapter 3 Chapter 3.

Part 1.

Hatori wakes up and realizes that he is still not back at his home. Yesterday when he went to sleep, he decided that he would at least try to adjust to life here, as much as it angers him, and no matter how unhappy it makes him. However, this adjustment did not go as smoothly as he had planned. Once more, he spent his entire day in the company of Raven and Josh, while remaining quiet, and letting those boys show him around the castle. (All the while noting how strange it is that they are not fed up with him already. But he gives two or three weeks; they¡¯ll leave him too, just like every other boy of his age.) His rather quiet behavior and the scene of Raven and Josh leading him around reached various people in the castle, and thus, Hatori has to endure a very uncomfortable lunch, as people keep talking about him and whispering about him. It is a mercy that he could not see them pointing at him. Someone might wonder, how exactly does he know that people are whispering about him? But they forget that he has a perfectly good pair of ears, and he can hear his name being mentioned repeatedly in the conversation. Hatori didn¡¯t mind the whispering much. But when someone came to him and began to belittle him, this is where he began to have problems. ¡°It is a good thing that we took you in.¡± Said a male voice. Raven and Josh already knew this man, judging by how they both tensed suddenly and began to put more force on his hands. ¡°After all, a boy like you might not have amounted to much. Your parents probably couldn¡¯t¡¯ even support you, so really, boy, you should stop looking so glum, and be grateful that you have been provided an opportunity by our grace¡ª" ¡°Shut up!¡± Hatori suddenly got up and snarled out. He is not good with his tempore to start with, while this man has just pushed all his buttons, to ensure maximum angry output. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°You think you¡¯re so great? Well, maybe if you were so great, then you wouldn¡¯t have needed a child to fulfill a prophecy, of all things!¡± All this yelling attracted the crowd of various workers of the castle. ¡°But I swear. I¡¯ll learn magic, and prove it to you all that I did not need your charity.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll learn it, not to fulfill the prophecy. But to prove you all wrong, and teach you what a mistake it was to bring me here. I am convinced that I would have a great future in my world, and I¡¯ll have it here in this world as well!¡± Hatori sits down with a huff, beginning to drink his juice. ¡®And to bring much chaos as possible in the lives of these miserable people.¡¯ He thinks to himself. Somewhere in his heart, he also hoped that maybe learning magic might allow him to go home.

Part 2.

Porus receives the letter from his aid, and after dismissing him, he opens the letter. The letter appears to be from the mage whom he called to train Hatori. The king smiled in satisfaction since the letter informs him that he will be arriving at his castle in just two days.

Part 3.

Hatori contemplates the information which he gathered on the school of the mages. He would have balked at himself in a normal situation if he saw himself as concerned about school. But since he is trapped in this world, he thinks that it would do him good if he starts to worry about these things. Apparently, according to the information he gathered, the school doesn¡¯t offer much in terms of science and technology, (which meant no computers, which is a shame, since Hatori feels his talent lies with those binary machines), with a focus only on the basics of language and magic. He learns that the school will be beginning in three months, which means he has three months to catch up on the practical things. He wouldn¡¯t be able to catch up on the theory, so he is not even going to bother with that. Instead, he would try to catch up practically and hope that would be enough. (End.) Chapter 4 Chapter 4.

Part 1.

This is the third day since Hatori has been brought here most unwillingly. While keeping his homesickness to himself, he noticed some things about people here. Mainly, how everyone seems to be assigned some rank, and they have to live their lives accordingly. Of course, some people dare to break the structure, but by large, people appear to comply with this societal norm. Hatori asked about this to the staff of the castle, since he feels that they would be honest while answering his questions. So, he stumbles his way to the kitchens of the castle, where he inquires about these ranks. ¡°Of course, there is a structure like that.¡± The chef told him. ¡°But honestly, there are no hopes for say, someone like me, to rise above my current place in the society. The powerful magical families will never stand for it.¡± The chef feels guilty for venting like that to a curious kid, so he apologized. ¡°Sorry.¡± Hatori took note of the bitter tone of the chef. So, he complimented his food. He might have many complaints about being brought here against his will, but food is not one of those. (Unlike a certain place, where he was sent once, also against his will¡­) ¡®Better not think about that.¡¯ he thought to himself and very firmly blocked those memories.

Part 2.

A man walked to the throne room of the king, not even noticing the group of guards trying to stop him. He barged inside. ¡°You called?¡± he asked with a lazy curl of his lips. ¡°Punctual as always.¡± The king motioned for him to sit, and dismiss the guards. ¡°So, did these backstabbing sons of bitches learn of my arrival?¡± He questioned. His language would have scandalized a lot of people if there were people in the room. ¡°As far as I know, not yet.¡± Answered the king, not taking notice of the language of this man. ¡°Well then. I¡¯ll wait until you think it is suitable for me to meet the boy.¡± The man rubs his palms. ¡°I haven¡¯t got any recent students to tor¡ªtrain.¡± ¡°Nice save.¡± Smiled Porus in amusement.

Part 3.

Hatori lies in his bed, remembering how he acted during the morning. He was, and still is, missing his home. Raven and Josh, (Who are surely going to leave him in two weeks,) tried to console him as best as they could. After lunch, he requested that they just leave him in his room. The castle is so big, he is having trouble remembering ways. So, after the boys left him in his room, he just lies in his bed, depressed. At least the bed is soft. The door opens, and an adult woman enters the room, judging by her footsteps. ¡°Hatori, are you awake?¡± He recognized this voice. She is the same woman who prepared him before he appeared in court. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°The king has called you. There is someone here to meet you.¡± For a moment, he thought of protesting but decided that it wouldn¡¯t be worth it. So, he gets up, and after his hair is fussed over by the woman (you must look immaculate before the king always) she leads him to the throne room.

Part 4.

¡°Ah, welcome! Welcome!¡± Porus said, after Hatori enters, ¡°I have someone here, who wishes to meet you.¡± Hatori tilted his head in curiosity. Usually, people meet him for two reasons. Either they were forced to, or they liked him (which is a rather short list of people.) so this must be the first one, given he hasn¡¯t met too many people outside of the castle. And even in the castle, outside of Raven and Josh, his contact is mostly with the staph. The king continued, ¡°He has arrived to train you in magic¡ª¡± The person interrupted Porus. ¡°I think I should take over from here, your majesty.¡± Hatori detected an amused tilt to the rough tone of the man while calling Porus with that title. ¡®They must have known each other for a long while, then.¡¯ He concludes with his thoughts. ¡°My name is Zeko, and I will be training you in the use of magic, as well as various other things which the government of your majesty disapproves of. I look forward to your¡­ training.¡± Hatori is concerned. Why did he pause at the end for a second? ¡°Well?¡± He said then, ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to say?¡± ¡°What can I say?¡± Hatori speaks finally, ¡°After all, all of this is happening without my choice.¡± ¡°Choices, choices. In the end boy, they are just an illusion.¡± Replied Zeko. ¡°I liked that illusion, thank you.¡± After a moment¡¯s consideration, Hatori speaks once more. ¡°I expected you to be some sort of infamous cruel master, you know?¡± The laughter which followed after that statement was frightening. ¡°Who said that I¡¯m not? This is a fine one Porus.¡± Hatori noted how the king didn¡¯t mind being called by his name since he didn¡¯t hear any sharp intake of breath. ¡°I like the witty students. They are so interesting to train.¡± ¡°I would have preferred it if I didn¡¯t need your training at all,¡± Hatori said, in a calm and controlled tone, which he has been using to talk with adults since he arrived (Brought against his will) here. This, of course, is the result of his experiences with adults. If you scream and throw a tantrum, they won¡¯t listen, they might even get violent. This is one of the lessons which he learned at the place. ¡®Better not go there.¡¯ ¡°Indeed? Don¡¯t you care what would happen to innocent people in the future, whatever event might take place because of this prophecy?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°It is hard to care about the faceless masses.¡± Porus looked at Zeko worriedly after this reply, but he shook his head, telling the king to remain silent. ¡°But I hear that you befriended two wonderful boys in this castle. Don¡¯t you care what would happen to them?¡± Zeko wanted to see how Hatori would reply to this curve ball. ¡°Hmm. Maybe I might care a little then. But to be honest, you all are going on someone¡¯s word that something is going to happen in the future, without having the capability of confirming for yourselves. I can¡¯t say whether either of them dies or not,¡± speculated the child. ¡°But for all we know, they might end up not involved, or die in some unrelated causes.¡± Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. This time, Zeko looked at Hatori in speculation. ¡®Most children of his age don¡¯t have a speech pattern like that. Not to mention, how easily he talks about death. I¡¯ll have to be careful, or he might turn mad.¡¯ This is the unfortunate fact of the world that mages can, and do turn mad. This could be the result of their experiments, or just the demons of their lives overwhelming them. ¡°Since it is a day of the Saturn already, you have one day free until we begin training. You better be prepared, boy.¡±

Part 5.

¡°Whaaaaatttt!¡± Two childish screams echoed on the ground. ¡°You mean you got that cruel monster as an instructor?¡± Raven asked after regaining his composure. Though from his tone, Hatori thinks that he might lose it any time. ¡°Yeah.¡± Confirms Hatori. ¡°Oh man,¡± Josh coughed to get rid of the sudden croak in his throat. ¡°You must be the unluckiest guy.¡± ¡°Probably,¡± Raven said in agreement. ¡°He doesn¡¯t appear to be that bad.¡± Hatori protested, ¡°If anything, he insulted the king right in front of me. He is more likely to end up in trouble for disrespecting him.¡± ¡°Yeah, he can get away with that,¡± Raven said in a grave tone. ¡°You see, this guy has a reputation.¡± ¡°What kind of reputation?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°When some parents wish to discipline their children, they call him.¡± Answered Raven, ¡°Didn¡¯t we hear about the case of that spoilt guy?¡± ¡°Oh yeah.¡± Josh remembers, ¡°He was picking fights with people, despite being a genius; he was doing poorly in school. His parents called this guy to straighten him out.¡± ¡°Indeed? What happened to him?¡± Hatori asked in a fascinated tone. ¡°By the end of his training, he was a gibbering mess, and acquired the fear of cows.¡± Raven looks at Josh strangely, apparently not aware of the last fact. ¡°They say,¡± Josh whispered, and Raven and Hatori leaned forward to hear him more clearly. ¡°That he constantly left him exploding cows.¡± ¡°That sounds rather dubious.¡± Hatori shook his head. ¡°Here¡¯s another one then.¡± Raven said, ¡°There was this one guy who needed to prepare for a dueling tournament. But since he was lazy, Zeko was called on to train him.¡± Josh paled, though Hatori did not know this. ¡°By the time of the tournament, that guy lost all of his teeth; his hair ripped from his scalp.¡± Josh whimpered while putting his hands on his head protectively. ¡°And despite all of that, he won the tournament.¡± Raven finished the recounting. ¡°Probably the fear of punishment motivated him,¡± Josh mumbled. ¡°That is not all.¡± Raven whispered, ¡°I hear my father talking about soldiers subjected to his training methods.¡± Raven shuttered, ¡°He always mutters how they never come out sane.¡± Hatori zoned out in the middle of this conversation. So, his sudden interruption came as a surprise for the two boys. ¡°Say, how things are outside of this castle?¡± he asked. ¡°Good. Why?¡± Josh didn¡¯t get it. ¡°Well, I mean, that is to say¡ª¡± Stuttered Hatori. ¡°You want to go outside?¡± Raven guessed. ¡°Yes.¡± he nodded. Both boys grinned. ¡°Well then. Let¡¯s show you the city outside!¡± declared Josh. ¡°Yeah, more like the fraction of the city. We won¡¯t be going too far.¡± Raven doused the flames quickly.

Part 6.

¡°But the surprising thing for me is that you have such a rowdy population outside. How come they don¡¯t just barge in here?¡± asked Hatori, still talking about the things he experienced outside of the castle. ¡°Probably because they respect the king too much.¡± Raven gave a practical answer, which Hatori noted he tends to do a lot. ¡°Yeah, imagine if a wimp were on the throne?¡± Josh snickered at the possibility. ¡°Well, well, well. Look what we have here?¡± a haughty voice said near their table. More like the voice tried to sound haughty, but failed to do. ¡®Maybe he should try that once he grows a little?¡¯ thinks Hatori. ¡°What? Aren¡¯t you gonna say anything to me?¡± The boy thumped the table. ¡°What can we say to you, we barely know you.¡± Replied Josh. ¡°You!¡ª" the kid splutters for a few moments. ¡°How can you not know me? I am Avinash, the future king of you all. Remember that, or else!¡± ¡°We¡¯ll do it, your majesty.¡± Replied Raven respectfully. ¡°You. Are you mocking me?¡± Avinash didn¡¯t like Raven¡¯s tone. ¡°I cannot do that to your majesty.¡± Replied Raven once more. Seeing a zoned-out Hatori, he asked, ¡°And what¡¯s his deal? Why is he so inattentive to the future king¡¯s presence?¡± Raven and Josh tried to offer various excuses for Hatori. But Avinash was having none of it. In reality, Hatori is not zoned out. He just looks that way when he¡¯s bored. This isn¡¯t the first time people have mistaken his expression for something else. ¡°Oy, you! What¡¯s your name?¡± Avinash asked. ¡°Hatori Eagle.¡± He answered in a monotone manner. ¡°What, don¡¯t tell me you have Nihongan island ancestry?¡± Avinash looked at him interestedly. Hatori, however, is too confused to answer. ¡®What exactly is Nihongan, what does an island have to do with it? I remember that people at the court were also talking about it.¡¯ ¡°Whatever. You will pay respect to your future king, you hear me?¡± said Avinash. Hatori didn¡¯t answer. Avinash walked closer to the still-seated Hatori and poked him. But Hatori still didn¡¯t react. So, he pushed him hard, nearly making him fall off his chair. At that point, Hatori leaped at him and wrestled him to the ground. Turning Avinash to his stomach, he sat on his back and pulled his head to his chest by grabbing his chin, all the while ignoring the complaints of pain and how a king should not be treated so roughly. After Hatori left with his friends, Avinash experienced a strange feeling. Usually, kids around his age treat him with respect, (because they¡¯re threatened by their parents), but this guy was not afraid of him. He even dared to touch him physically. Before long, a smile broke out on his face. Maybe he has found his competition. ¡®As father always says, competition is best for improving yourself.¡¯ (End.) Chapter 5 Chapter 5.

Part 1.

Raven walks out of his room, and in half an hour or so; it¡¯ll be breakfast time. He walks to Hatori¡¯s room, Josh nowhere to be seen. Every once in weekend, Josh leaves to visit his family, at the seat of his family¡¯s power. Raven has seen the effects of these visits for as long as he has known Josh. After all, it is very telling that a kid is happier at the giant office of the king than at his home. While he might lament his rather upcoming bland life, since he is just the son of a common soldier, Raven does not envy Josh. All those demands, ridicules, and mocking, his friend tolerates every time he meets his family. ¡®At least my father treats me with love, not pretending that he loves me.¡¯ Since Josh is not here today, Raven must spend time with Hatori. Both of them noticed how he tends to stay in his room depressed unless he is distracted. Nearby, he hears the laughter of the other kids of his age. After a while, he started to walk once more. ¡®Why bother with something which you can¡¯t have?¡¯ It hasn¡¯t escaped the attention of Josh¡¯s uncle, and his father, that both their boys are exceptionally intelligent, and it has also not escaped their attention the trouble they have as a result, in connecting with the kids of their age.

Part 2.

The boy walks out of the bathroom, combing his hair. They have started to grow long, and soon enough, they would start to tangle. Hopefully, he can get a haircut soon. Hatori woke up late this morning, and since Zeko would be training him from tomorrow; he wanted to take full advantage of the remaining time he has. ¡®Something tells me that I¡¯ll be wishing for rest once he starts to train me.¡¯ He thought to himself. He also woke up late, because, at least in his sleep, he can¡¯t think about the things he could have been doing at his home. By this point, school would have ended; he would have been in the middle of a nice and enjoyable summer, even though he would have stayed cooped up in his room in his home. Hatori doesn¡¯t prefer to go out in the castle; people are running around in a hurry everywhere. He can get used to the layout of the castle (or at least a few parts of it; the castle seems to be huge) but he can never deal with all those people running around. It also doesn¡¯t help that most people are still rather cold to him here. Not that it is something new to him, but at least people used to have a conversation with him back in his world; here, he just gets ignored by everyone, until the king himself calls to see him. And of course, can¡¯t forget all that stuff lying every which way. He prefers the order of this room (or his home) rather than the chaotic world outside. Hatori might have thought of at least talking to kids of his age, besides Raven and Josh. But considering the attitude of the adults, he doesn¡¯t expect any better from the kids either. His contemplation is interrupted by the door opening, and Raven¡¯s greeting. ¡°Good morning!¡± ¡°Good morning. I only heard one set of footsteps¡­¡± Hatori trailed off, cursing at such a foolish statement. People don¡¯t talk about footsteps. ¡°Josh is actually at his home, visiting his family with his uncle,¡± Raven confirmed, secretly impressed by the perception of his new friend. Seeing the gloom virtually descending on this room, Raven suddenly grabbed Hatori. ¡°Let¡¯s go outside; you should get some sunlight before breakfast. It is not good for you to stay inside all the time¡­¡± And thus, a very confused Hatori is led to the outside of the castle, while Raven lists the effects of depriving oneself of sunlight. in the early afternoon, just when they were done with their lunch, a familiar voice called to Hatori. ¡°You¡¯re done eating? Good, good. You must come with me, boy, we have to leave.¡± Raven looked at the silver-haired man, who appears to be harmless but gives the aura of danger. He turned to Hatori, but his new friend already anticipated his question. ¡°He¡¯s Zeko.¡± Hatori gives a simple introduction, ¡°And he¡¯s Raven.¡± There. Now his mother can¡¯t call him rude, or socially inept. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Zeko extended his hand, which Raven received with some hesitation. However, Zeko did not squeeze his hand in domination, like his reputation made him believe. ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°We need to check your physical health.¡± Replied the silver head. ¡°See whether there¡¯s an underlying problem, or not.¡±

Part 3.

The city of Fernandes is the seat of power for the Fernandes family. It is located in the Sapta Sindhu in the Subcontinent. Of course, the city has previous names, since anyone who captures it and uses it as their seat of power likes to rename it after themselves. The Fernandes family has managed to hold on to this city for close to five hundred years, making it the longest time in the history of this city when it has gone without getting conquered and renamed. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. The Fernandes family were having a lavish dinner at their castle, which despite trying to be impressive as the King¡¯s castle, fails to match it in impressiveness. It still doesn¡¯t stop the sprawling complex from showing off the wealth and power of the family. After a few minutes of spoons clinking at their plates (because the current head, Jorge Fernandes, believes that eating with your hands is a sign of low class; and he has forbidden any dishes which are eaten by hands in his kitchen) Jorge finally spoke to his son. ¡°So, I hear that the ritually summoned child is enthralled by you?¡± he asked with a questioning tone, but Josh knew what kind of answer he expected. For a moment, he considers protesting at the description of his father about his newly made friendship. (Which he hopes is a real friendship, and will last for the rest of his life¡­ hopefully), but he tamped down on his instincts. ¡°Yes.¡± And gave the expected answer. ¡°Good.¡± Jorge purred satisfyingly. ¡°Finally, from this position, you can bring prestige to our family.¡± ¡®Why?¡¯ Josh thinks, ¡®It¡¯s not like we¡¯re in urgent need of it.¡¯ But showing off his growing wisdom, he does not react to the praise of his father. ¡°Just make sure that soldier¡¯s son doesn¡¯t feel jealous; managing these things can be so hard.¡± Josh considers listening to his father hard. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll manage.¡± Right now, Josh wished that he was anywhere but at his house. (He refuses to call it his home.) Seeing that the conversation was done, and his father¡¯s attention was somewhere else, he began to eat once more. No need to make his stomach suffer for the opinion of the old men. Just when he was finished with his dinner, his father asked him another question. ¡°So, will you be spending the day of the Sun here?¡± But at least, he knows how to answer this one. ¡°No. there are some¡­ important things waiting for me at the castle.¡± He gave the predictable answer. ¡°Ah, self-made man.¡± Jorge smiled. ¡°Wishing to stay away from the comfort of the home, to build that sharp edge.¡± He nodded with approval. But when Jorge is finally alone in his room, he watches the pictures of his family, and his children, hoping that one day, Josh would say yes. Meanwhile, Josh couldn¡¯t wait to get back to the castle.

Part 4.

The next day, Raven is taking Hatori to lunch. The boy is still having trouble with moving around the castle; the size of the place doesn¡¯t make it any easier. He is also explaining that Josh will return today, and how he should behave when he returns because he is always in a bad mood when he returns from his home. ¡°In general, don¡¯t ask about his home, and don¡¯t be mad at him if he says something¡­¡± Raven searched for the correct word, ¡°Harsh.¡± ¡°Alright.¡± Hatori agreed. Although he decided privately, that he will only let Josh have some leeway. Just because his home life sucks, doesn¡¯t mean that he gets to take it out on others. (As for how he knows about the bad home life, he deduced from Raven¡¯s comments.) An hour later, when they were just walking out of the mess hall, a familiar voice greeted them. ¡°Hey, guys!¡± Raven and Josh exchanged high-fives, while Hatori restrained his first instincts to ask about Josh¡¯s visit to his home. Walking to Josh¡¯s room, Hatori realizes that he doesn¡¯t seem to be in a bad mood like Raven warned, but Hatori decided not to mention anything about it. They both entered the room, chatting about various things, and Josh puts his travel sack down. ¡°So, what happened in my absence?¡± ¡°Nothing unusual.¡± Answered Raven. ¡°Really? That¡¯s so boring.¡± He said in disappointment. ¡°Well, I was taken to the hospital and experimented, so¡­¡± Hatori trailed off. ¡°Seriously?¡± Josh asked in a horrified tone. ¡°Nah,¡± Josh sighed in relief. ¡°There were some tests about my physical condition.¡± He conveniently forgot to mention how there were so many questions regarding his behavior as if they were trying to map his personality. Hatori is having trouble deciding which one is worse. The blood extraction, or the dozen questions about his reaction to various scenarios. After talking to Josh all day long, they leave for dinner in the night. All three kids were leaving happily, after stuffing themselves silly, when a tall shadow fell upon them. Raven and Josh immediately stopped walking. ¡°Who¡¯s blocking our path?¡± Hatori asked. ¡°Good senses.¡± Zeko¡¯s voice made him jump in surprise. ¡°We¡¯ll get you good enough that you will be able to recognize a person.¡± The old fox put one hand on Hatori¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Just be ready for the training tomorrow kid, or I¡¯ll drag you down from your bed.¡± Zeko walked away after that warning, leaving three terrified kids in his wake. (End.) Chapter 6 Chapter 6.

Part 1.

In Hatori¡¯s room, Josh and Raven are eagerly awaiting to hear about his experiences of today¡¯s training. Given the reputation of Zeko and his ruthless training, both boys decided that a softly, softly approach was in order. ¡°So,¡± Josh finally asked, after sprawling on the bed. ¡°How did the training go?¡± Asked Josh bluntly. Raven puts his head in his hands. ¡°You were supposed to be more tactful than that.¡± he groaned. ¡°It began normally enough.¡± Hatori began, and both of his friends started to listen.

Part 2.

Given the warning the previous night, I was awake by the time of 6 in the morning, even though I hate to wake up early in the morning. But Zeko seemed like someone who would follow through on his word, so I decided not to test him. I also thanked my stars that he didn¡¯t show up at the time like four in the morning. I just might lose my patients at that point. The door opened, and Zeko walked in. ¡°So, you¡¯re already awake, huh?¡± He sounded disappointed. ¡°Considering the warning you gave last night¡­¡± I trailed off. ¡°Now, if only more of my students were like that,¡± he took me to the grounds of the castle, where, judging from the noise level, not even the early risers came. ¡°Now. I must ask you, how is your physical condition?¡± I tilted my head and thought about how to answer that. ¡°Define physical condition.¡± I settled on that. ¡°Sigh¡­ this might be harder than I thought.¡± He muttered. ¡°I mean, how long can you run? How much stamina do you have? That sort of stuff.¡± He clarified to me. ¡°Running?¡± I tilted my head, this time opposite of the previous direction. ¡°I don¡¯t think I run much.¡± ¡°Figures.¡± He grumbled. ¡°Well, I doubt you would run, with the threat of banging your head every which way.¡± I retorted, not liking his tone. ¡°Point. Let¡¯s move on to another thing then. How many push-ups can you do?¡± he asked. ¡°Twenty.¡± Was my immediate reply. ¡°Show me.¡± He commanded. I immediately dropped to the ground, where I began to do push-ups. I didn¡¯t need to worry about gravel digging into my palms, since the surface where Zeko brought me seemed to be smooth, unlike other parts of the ground. ¡°Nineteen¡­ twenty!¡± I spring off from the ground, dusting my hands. For a while, he just looked at me, which I deduced from his silence. I think he was surprised at my successful finish of the push-ups, and the fact that I was not flopping on the ground for breath, given the info I gave him earlier, which told him I didn¡¯t exercise at all, was the reason why I think he was looking at me like that. ¡°Very well, you will do four sets of twenty push-ups in the morning when I bring you here. Do you understand?¡± he asked. ¡°I understand.¡± And I dropped to the ground for the second round, without Zeko¡¯s prompting. I like to think that he was pleased with my move.

Part 3.

¡°That doesn¡¯t seem too bad. Although if he did make you do push-ups all day long, we¡¯ll understand why you¡¯re so tired.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Push-ups you say?¡± said Hatori, and started to tell the next part of his training.

Part 4.

After the push-ups, squats, and other assortment of exercises (which are skipped lest the readers get bored) Zeko asked me to do some running. ¡°Now, run a few laps boy.¡± He said, doing the exercises on his own. While I¡¯m huffing and puffing, he is barely starting to warm up. I stood up from my resting position on the ground, sure to feel the burn in my arms and legs by the next day, and began to run. But then, I suddenly broke out in cold sweat; my steps started to wobble, and I lost my orientation. I don¡¯t have much experience with other blind people (aside from a few experiences of which I would rather not elaborate) but my ears are very important in keeping my orientation. This makes sure that I don¡¯t go through a dizzy spell when I move from one place to another, and it is fine when I walk. But when I start to run, especially in a big unfamiliar place, with nothing to orient myself while running, this is what happens. Of course, the sudden appearance of the memories of banging my head, scraping my knees (which are very painful) hitting me like a hammer has also to do with it. I can¡¯t decide whether it is the result of those memories or the disorientation, or it''s just all in my head. (Regretfully, research like that is very much lacking on blind people.) But one thing was certain. Zeko will not be pleased. ¡°What¡¯s wrong boy?¡± came his voice, ¡°You were doing just fine, what happened?¡± He sounded concerned. Oh, how I hate that line. I walked to his voice slowly, and after orienting myself with his body (which probably left him confused) I tried to run again. This time, I made it further than before, but the same thing happened again. I heard his footsteps behind me and turned around. Let it be known that Hatori Eagle has never shied away from punishment, justified or not. Although a concerned hand over my shoulder is a new thing. ¡°Tell me what¡¯s going on.¡± ¡°I get scared.¡± I squeaked (and hating myself for it. I take pride in my always-in-control tone.) ¡°I just started thinking about colliding with things.¡± I said with a small cough, back to my controlled tone. ¡°I also feel¡­ lost.¡± I finally said the word, having no other word to replace the feeling. ¡°You also flap your arms, as if expecting to grab something.¡± He noted. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.

Part 5.

¡°He took me to an entirely different ground.¡± Hatori was saying. ¡°I think that''s because we went through the inner parts of the castle.¡± Josh and Raven noted how Hatori explains these reasons to them. ¡°He then let me walk around the new ground with one hand touching the wall, and after I got used to the layout, he told me to run three laps. I suspect he was recording my time because I heard him whispering about minutes and seconds.¡± ¡°What happened next?¡± Josh asked eagerly, while Raven shook his head at the antics of his friend. He always gets excited during a story.

Part 6.

After the whole business of running, push-ups, and squats, it was breakfast time. Zeko plans to monitor my diet. According to him, his biggest concern is not whether I eat enough or not. Instead, his concern is what I¡¯m eating, and in what amount. I¡¯m sure that there¡¯s an obligated complaint supposed to be here, but I didn¡¯t complain much. I¡­ have learned my lesson. After the breakfast was done, he began to tell me some theoretical stuff. ¡°It is the boring stuff. Best to get it out of the way.¡± That was his reasoning. After which, he tried to test my reflexes. ¡°It is clear that you have no concept of a reflex boy.¡± He said after I failed to catch the ball, which he had been tossing my way for the past hour. At that comment, my shoulders slumped, and an expression of defeat probably appeared on my face. (Can¡¯t be certain, haven¡¯t seen any human expressions since the age of ten months.) Realizing my slump, I immediately rallied myself back, with raised shoulders, and an expression of seriousness on my face, with lips pressed firmly. (I do hope that I look serious in that pose.) ¡°Hmhmhmhmhmhm.¡± He laughed, ¡°But don¡¯t worry. This is exactly why I¡¯m here, after all. Now run once more!¡± Thus, I began to run by tracing the wall with one hand once more.

Part 7.

¡°After that, it simply continued like that, with exercises and theory, and some sweet recovery time which always passed quickly. I swear he is somehow playing with time.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Poor guy,¡± Josh tried to sound sympathetic, but Hatori could practically hear the laughter in his voice. ¡°You must repeat that the next day as well? Such sacrifices you have to make.¡± Raven, however, sounded entirely sincere, but Hatori just knew that he was smirking at him. ¡°Both of you just wait. You will be there with me tomorrow.¡± He declared. ¡°Why?¡± they asked, not appreciating the possibility of experiencing the same horrors. ¡°Because why should I suffer alone?¡± Hatori gives his reason. Raven and Josh both scoffed at this. Hatori still has trouble finding his way around the castle. He could hardly come to their rooms in the morning and force them to come with him. So, both boys remained carefree and went to a peaceful sleep.

Part 8.

Hatori knows that he won¡¯t be able to get his friends to come with him to the suffering in the morning, so he decided to get some help. ¡°I need your help, sir,¡± Hatori said, as soon as they arrived on the ground. ¡°Oh?¡± Zeko raised an eyebrow. And listened to the proposition of his student. ¡°Well,¡± he said, after a few moments of consideration. ¡°That can be arranged.¡± Just a few minutes later, both boys were dragged from bed, kicking and screaming, and Hatori trained for the rest of the day, happily. Although they were miffed at him at first, Raven and Josh decided that there was no point in holding a grudge; the fact that he played so underhandedly also impressed them. After all, they often hear how if you wish to be successful as an adult, you have to be devious like that. If they hang around Hatori, maybe they¡¯ll learn a few tricks.

Part 9.

Porus leaned back in his chair. This wasn¡¯t his throne room, so he could sit and relax. After all, very few people have access to the king¡¯s office, given the rather ruthless security. ¡°So, that is the report?¡± he asked Zeko, who trained the security in the first place. ¡°Indeed.¡± ¡°His physical condition seems to be just fine. I mean, you know how things are with disabled children and their families.¡± Said the king. ¡°That was the most surprising part. It seems that his parents at least in the house, didn¡¯t restrict his movement.¡± ¡°Hmm. The hospital seems to clearly state that physically, he is fine for the awakening process.¡± The king looked at the report. ¡°But you and I both knew the problem they pointed out, long before they even performed the tests,¡± Zeko said. ¡°Yes.¡± The king flipped the pages and concluded Hatori¡¯s mental evaluation. ¡°That could prove to be a problem.¡± Zeko began to recount what the profiler told him.

Part 10.

¡°So, you¡¯re saying that there is a lot of rage in him?¡± I asked, disbelief clear in my tone, as children are known to get angry very easily. ¡°You misunderstand. It is not just some tantrum. In that case, he would be just screaming at the people bossing him around. But Hatori doesn¡¯t do any of that.¡± explained the doctor. ¡°What did he do then?¡± ¡°He waits for the correct moment, biding his time until that moment arrives. Then strike whoever wronged him. He has a lot of anger due to his blindness, but there are some incidents in his past that he refuses to talk about. Currently, he is biding his time, to strike at someone who has wronged him. Can you guess where I¡¯m going with this?¡± ¡°Us. He hates us for summoning him like we did.¡± I said, understanding finally dawning on me. ¡°Exactly. You must carefully handle this child.¡±

Part 11.

¡°The question is, are you up for the task?¡± asked Porus. ¡°I¡¯ve never backed down from a challenge. The kid has some issues, that¡¯s true. But I see potential in him. Training him will be my pleasure.¡± (End.) Chapter 7 Chapter 7.

Part 1.

Josh walks outside of his room, already done with his morning rituals. He thought that he would have to wake up Raven (something he would enjoy doing, considering how rarely he gets to do that,) but his dreams of torment were interrupted, as he sees Raven just closing the door of his room, similarly done with his morning rituals. ¡°So, you¡¯re awake, I see.¡± Said Josh frostily. ¡°What, and let you torment me?¡± he asked, as they both began to walk to Hatori¡¯s room. ¡°Yes! You should let me do that once in a while!¡± Raven just shook his head. ¡°So, do you think he¡¯ll be awake?¡± ¡°Most likely.¡± Raven answered. ¡°Can you believe it though? We thought that he was just bluffing.¡± ¡°Tell me about it! This is exactly why I¡¯m awake so early in the morning, during vacation days no less!¡± said Josh. They arrived at Hatori¡¯s room, but before they could knock, Hatori opened the door. ¡°Oh, hey guys.¡± ¡°How did you know that it¡¯s us?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Well, if someone else was here, their footsteps would sound different. That, and I¡¯m familiar with the smell of the oil which you use for your hair.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Good job.¡± A gruff voice said, making all the kids jump and line up like soldiers. ¡°Ah, such discipline, it brings a tear to my eye.¡± Zeko commented. ¡®Yes, because indiscipline would bring tears to our eyes.¡¯ They all thought together. ¡°I hope you¡¯re ready for today¡¯s training. But first, Hatori, tell me. Do you feel sore from yesterday¡¯s activities?¡± Zeko asked. ¡°Um. Yes, my arms are not too bad, but my legs are a different story.¡± ¡°Okay. I won¡¯t make you do squats in the day then. Now, follow me!¡± They all followed him to the ground. Raven and Josh were running at the same speed, and Zeko never said anything about talking while running. So, they continued their conversation about their friend, while said friend was busy trying to keep up with them. ¡°Look,¡± Josh huffed. ¡°All I¡¯m saying is that he has a vicious streak. As his friends, we must make sure that he doesn¡¯t use it too often.¡± ¡°Look, I don¡¯t think he would do that with us. Besides, this is also for our advantage.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡± Conceded Josh. ¡°But, as a mage, a certain level of viciousness is expected, we just need to learn what makes him tick.¡± Elaborated Raven. ¡°Yes, and make people whom we don¡¯t like press all those buttons, and watch the fireworks from some distance.¡± Said Josh gleefully.

Part 2.

Hatori is sitting on a swing which he found in the garden of the castle. Since he was alone, he has been sitting there since lunch. Raven¡¯s parents, and Josh¡¯s uncle took them to spend some time with them. This would be the same for him in the normal world, but he simply doesn¡¯t live there anymore. Someone sits down next to him on the swing, and since it is easily big enough for two adult people, Hatori doesn¡¯t mind sharing the space. ¡°So, are you bored?¡± asked the king. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. He even manages to sound like a king while sitting on the swing. ¡°I am.¡± Hatori answers honestly, making sure that the answer doesn¡¯t sound rood. Porus looked at the child regretfully. He tried (oh, how he argued and fought) but nothing went through the heads of those morons. Since he has been the king for the last fifty years, he knows how brutal is the world of politics. But he never liked involving children in it. He never understood the point, since these children would end up resenting family members anyway. Just look how many parents end up dying by the hands of their children once they get old in noble families. This is exactly why he has kept Hatori in his castle. This is also why, Zeko, who is a trusted man of his, is currently training him. There have been, of course, many requests for access to the child, but he denied them all. ¡®If I had it my way, then he won¡¯t have to worry about those leaches, at least until he starts the academy.¡¯ He thinks to himself. ¡°I¡­ must apologize.¡± The king said, startling the child badly. ¡°I could have fought harder against your summoning¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t blame you.¡± Hatori cuts him off, ¡°Because you could have just given me to a noble family if you wanted to.¡± Hatori said, although he still doesn¡¯t get what is so great about these noble families that they command so much power. ¡°I did not tell you this before, but the ritual has locked you here. even if I wanted to, I cannot send you back, since you cannot cross the burier.¡± Explained the king. ¡°Still, if you have any requests, no. orders for me, please come to me any time.¡± Said Porus. ¡°Could you¡­¡± Hatori said, while the king leans forward in interest. ¡°Could you tell my parents that I¡¯m safe. I won¡¯t ask to talk to them. But they must be worried.¡± It appears that he is very close to his parents, even though there is some evidence of difficulty there. The words of the report flashed in Porus¡¯s mind. ¡°Of course, that is easily done.¡± But Porus didn¡¯t agree just because of a report. He understands the sadness of being separated from your family, though in his case, the family was the one which distanced itself from him. The king brought Hatori to the castle, and he found his way to his room eventually. Meanwhile, in his own personal part of the castle, he paced in excitement. ¡®I can¡¯t wait until the leaches accuse me of favoritism. It¡¯ll give me an excuse to tear them a new one; it hasn¡¯t happened in a while; they¡¯re getting overconfident.¡¯ Porus called some of his spies, who have the necessary skills to blend on to the other dimension. ¡°You must find Hatori¡¯s parents, and make contact with them.¡± He ordered, ¡°Tell them that he is safe with us.¡± ¡°What if they wish to talk with the child, your majesty?¡± asked the man. ¡°It is no trouble. You have authority to use magic in their house to make contact with us here.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Taking his orders, the man disappeared from Porus¡¯s personal room. (End.) Chapter 8 Chapter 8.

Part 1.

One week has passed since Zeko started Hatori¡¯s physical training. He not only has to improve his body, but he has to meditate as well every day with Zeko, which is not exactly easy when his mind is prone to distractions. Of course, it has been the same time for his friends as well, when he dragged them to the same grueling training the likes of which Zeko subjects him to. Currently, they were all eating dinner peacefully, not inclined to talk, given their exhaustion, since rather than just let them do the same exercises, Zeko took them to swim, which really took a toll on their stamina. Their peace did not last long, as someone decided that he must absolutely interrupt their blissful eating. ¡°Sooo. Don¡¯t tell me that magic is so tiring for you?¡± said Avinash, plopping himself next to Hatori on their table. ¡°Mur.¡± Answered Hatori, not wanting to get in an argument yet. ¡°Really? Don¡¯t tell me your intelligence is also struggling to keep up?¡± he mocked. ¡°Your spine and back will struggle to keep you up, if you kept talking like that.¡± Hatori finally answered, and put his head in his arms, the sentence proving to be too much effort for his exhausted mind and body. ¡°Ooooooh. I¡¯m so scared.¡± Avinash got up, and loomed over Hatori, while Raven and Josh leapt from their chairs in surprise, as they see something glowing on his palm. ¡°Talk to me once you can do something like this.¡± He puts his palm on Hatori¡¯s forehead, jolting the boy due to the heat. After that reaction, he walked away laughing, while Hatori growled in anger. ¡®I swear, once Zeko starts my training in magic, he¡¯ll be first.¡¯ He promised to himself. But for now, he trudged up to his room, and fell asleep, to recover his strength for tomorrow¡¯s training.

Part 2.

Zeko evaluated the physical condition of Hatori. While the child is certainly not fit up to his standards, his current level of fitness is sufficient to jump-start his magic with a shock. ¡®Too bad that I don¡¯t have years to teach him. If he were to discover it through meditation, then that would have been best.¡¯ He grumbled in his mind. There have been many people who because of some sort of chance event, ended up in the Mage Dimension. Mages are a vicious bunch, and the mortality rate among the mages is quite high. So, it is generally good for that person who stumbles upon this dimension to quickly pick up the ways of magic. Apparently, living in an environment where magic is heavily used encourages the magic of an adult user to wake up from the dormant state, which can be sped up with focusing tasks like meditation. However, children are different. No one knows the reason for it, but children who grew up without magic, and were then brought to the Mage Dimension, have a harder time waking up to their magic compared to teenagers and adults. ¡®Besides, he¡¯ll need all the advantages I can give him to survive the academy. Good thing that I at least have two years to prepare him for it.¡¯ He thinks. Later in the afternoon, when Porus was having his tea break, during which he kicked out everyone who bothers him, and generally charges his battery alone, Zeko approached him. ¡°So, I hear you¡¯ve been sending spies to the other side.¡± He opens the conversation bluntly. ¡°Indeed. And it seems that there are some tattletales in my court.¡± Said the king, displeased. ¡°You need to fix that problem. But I¡¯m not here to tell you how to do that.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°You need to make contact with the parents, make Hatori talk with them.¡± ¡°Why? Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯ve suddenly developed a soft spot? Usually it takes longer than this; he doesn¡¯t even have access to his magic yet.¡± Porus sipped his tea, while waiting for Zeko¡¯s incoming explosion. ¡°Nice try.¡± Porus is disappointed with the calm answer. ¡°He must talk with them, so he can have some semblance of inner peace. He might act like it, but there is a problem with that boy, and you and I both know about that.¡± ¡°Hmm. You have a point. If the awakening process went wrong, it could shock him into madness.¡± The king concedes the point. ¡°Very well, I will arrange the contact; but first I must give them instructions to make contact with the parents.¡±

Part 3.

Karan Eagle sat alone in the study of his home, sighing at another day of disappointment. It has been nearly a month and a half since the disappearance of his son from his own home, and police haven¡¯t found anything. And to top it all off, he has heard rumors about neighbors talking about how he himself might be responsible for the disappearance of the child, since in their eyes, taking care of a blind child was taking a toll on him. ¡°Bastards!¡± He slammed his hand to his desk, rattling the empty glass, as well as displacing the paperwork. ¡°What do they know about taking care of a child?¡± He rested his head on his folded arms. ¡°My own father told me to toss him out like yesterday¡¯s trash. I never did that,¡± he clenches his fists in remembrance. ¡°And now they are accusing me of doing the same thing? After my own father literally disowned me for keeping my child¡­¡± After he was done venting, he once more sat erect in his chair. They have stopped going to the police station for the information. They knew that sooner or later, the police would get annoyed with them, so they decided that there¡¯s nothing more they could do. His wife was not taking it well. Especially since she had a rather strained relationship with Hatori before his disappearance. ¡®I should have never sent him to that school. He has never been the same since he returned.¡¯ He gets up, and decides to go check up on Rita. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. But before he could enter their room, where she spends most of her time these days, the doorbell chimed in the house. Karan went to open the door, but before that, he spied people outside of his door for a few seconds. The disappearance of his son has turned him paranoid. ¡®They don¡¯t look like police officers, but they certainly carry themselves in rigid postures.¡¯ He opens the door. ¡°Are you mister Karan?¡± one of the men asked. ¡°Yes?¡± Karan decided that considering how they look, it was best to cooperate with them. ¡®Let¡¯s just hope this won¡¯t cost me my life as well¡­¡¯ ¡°We may have information regarding your son. Can we come in?¡± All thoughts of paranoia fled from his mind, and he let them in, while coaxing Rita out of their room. After seating them in there, one of the men began to talk again. ¡°Your child is with us.¡± They all see how the parents are just holding themselves from asking so many questions, as well as the anger. ¡°We, unfortunately, cannot return him to you.¡± ¡°Why?¡± They both burst out, unable to contain themselves. ¡°Because for the next thirty years, he cannot step into this part of the world.¡± Another picked up on the explanation. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± Karan asked in a frosty voice, which he has used on many a dishonest client. ¡°You see, we¡¯re mages, users of magic. We manipulate the laws of the universe according to our wishes.¡± ¡°I still fail to see what Hatori has to do with any of this, assuming that you¡¯re telling the truth.¡± Said Rita. One of the men sighed. ¡°Fine,¡± he dug into his pocket, and brought out some coins, which he handed to his partner. ¡°You won. You were right, they¡¯ll require a demonstration.¡± ¡°Demonstration of what?¡± asked Karan, not liking where this is going. ¡°Would you mind if we levitate this table?¡± the first man asked, tapping the table in question. ¡°Sure, if you can.¡± Karan didn¡¯t see how they could do that. there might be some talk of magic, but surely, they won¡¯t have enough time to set up the invisible wires? Both parents watched the first man in the hope of hearing him mutter some ridiculous sounding spell, but he did nothing of the sort. He just brought out a sharp looking knife, just as big as his hands, and flicked it up. The table soared upwards with the motion of the knife, and with another flick, it started to circle around them. After a few rounds of circling, during which Karan desperately looked under or above the table for any tricks, the table came back with another flick of the knife, and rested on its former spot, as if nothing had happened. ¡°Give them another example.¡± Said the second man. With a slashing motion, the first man turned the table into a rather large dog. It bounced up to Karan, licked his hand a few times, and sat down on the ground next to him. ¡°Such loyalty in a table, no less!¡± They both were impressed. With another slashing motion, the table was returned to its original state, and was levitated to its former spot in the center of the room. Both parents said nothing in shock, too stunned to say anything. After a while, Rita went into the kitchen, and brought some tea for all of them. After steadying their nerves with a few sips of tea, Karan asked. ¡°So, is this it? You took our child, and are now here to tell us that we can never see him again?¡± ¡°Well, not like that.¡± said the knife-wielding man. ¡°Are you here to silence us?¡± asked Rita. ¡°No!¡± They both burst out. Given that they live on an entirely different plane, mages haven¡¯t taken such drastic measures to hide themselves, and that goes double in this case. Porus will have their heads mounted outside of the city as a warning if they do something so stupid. ¡°Look, we can¡¯t bring him back here. But we can let you talk to him.¡± Said the other man. ¡°Through magic?¡± Rita asked. ¡°Yes.¡± They answered. ¡°Very well,¡± Karan says. ¡°Contact him. Do we have to wait?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± They assured. The second man brings out a mirror, which stops showing them their reflection once he tapped it. Instead, they see someone else on the other side, who asks in the most commanding tone which either of the parents have ever heard in their lives: ¡°Well?¡± ¡°We made the contact.¡± Reported one of them. ¡°Excellent. Now, make sure that they get to see everything on a large screen. I didn¡¯t give you those mirrors for nothing.¡± Said the commanding mirror guy. ¡°Of course, your majesty.¡± They nodded.

Part 4.

Hatori arrives in the room with Raven and Josh to accompany him, and after he heard the voice of his father and mother, he couldn¡¯t stop the tears. After he calmed himself down, and cursed himself for losing control like that in his mind, he began to tell how he ended up here. ¡°So, you were also given examples?¡± his mother asked. ¡°Yes, and I just kept asking for them. I think some people got really angry at that. but I couldn¡¯t stop myself¡­¡± and he was feeling vindictive, went unsaid. ¡°Did you make any friends?¡± asked his father. ¡°Yes.¡± He pointed to Josh and Raven, standing next to him, who went suddenly shy. ¡°High,¡± Josh waved. ¡°Hello.¡± Raven gave a composed greeting. ¡°Well, that one is just like you son, always in control.¡± Complimented his father, making Raven blush. ¡°Listen son, these fine people of the king have promised us to leave the mirror here for us. Do talk to us sometimes, will you?¡± said Rita. ¡°Of course, mother.¡± She flinched visibly on the screen, which did not go unobserved by his friends. ¡°Also, do try to get on top of the world; in other words, take control of the world, just like your emotions. Alright?¡± said Karan. ¡°Should I start to worry about my position?¡± joked Porus. ¡°I didn¡¯t mean it like that.¡± Karan said coldly. ¡°Of course, father.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Goodbye son,¡± they both said. ¡°Goodbye mother, father.¡± The call ended. (End.) Chapter 9 Chapter 9.

Part 1.

¡°So, did you notice how chipper he is today?¡± Raven was asking Josh, while arranging his school books. He likes to keep his books organized properly, less chances of losing things that way. ¡°Of course, he¡¯s happy.¡± Said Josh, hanging from the windowsill of Raven¡¯s room. Many times, Raven has tried to make him stop that, but apparently, Josh loves that spot too much. ¡°After all, he gets to talk with his parents! Two, loving, parents.¡± ¡°Is this about your family life again?¡± Raven asked, not happy with where this conversation was going. ¡°You can¡¯t be jealous of him just because of that?¡± ¡°And so? What if I am. I¡¯m eight. I have a right to be jealous.¡± ¡°Ah, yes. Be jealous, and ruin one good friendship you have?¡± remarked Raven, sharply, now done with his organizing. ¡°One of the two friendships. You¡ª¡± ¡°Nothing more than a lucky boy who gets to hang around you. I know that.¡± Josh wanted to protest, but Raven continued on. ¡°But, you know, unlike me, he has a better future. Do you honestly want to ruin all of that, just because his parents actually love him?¡± Josh didn¡¯t answer. ¡°Besides. Don¡¯t worry. Soon enough, he¡¯ll be back to his usual brooding self. Seriously, if it weren¡¯t for me taking him in the sun every day, he would look like a brooding vampire.¡±

Part 2.

Today is the day when Zeko will be helping Hatori in awakening in his magic. He did not do any training yesterday, since Zeko decided to give him a day off. ¡°You¡¯ll need all your strength, brat.¡± He said to him. and as a result, both of his friends also breathed a sigh of relief. Since Hatori doesn¡¯t have to train, that means they get a day off as well from the early morning training as well. ¡°So, what is the process of waking up the magic?¡± he asked Zeko. ¡°Simple. You meditate,¡± he ignored the groan, ¡°Once you are in a deep enough trans state, which you have been achieving due to all the practice I made you do, I¡¯ll put my hands on your shoulders, and channel my magic into you. As a result, you should be able to follow the sensation, and reach for it. Once that happens, we would have accomplished our task.¡± Zeko finished the explanation. ¡°What are these things surrounding us?¡± Hatori asked, tapping one of the wooden barriers. ¡°Hmm. They are nothing more than just some barriers to keep the explosions inside.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Explosions?¡± squeaked Hatori. ¡°Of course. Waking up the magic of a child is a volatile process. We can be blown to pieces, or the process could go erratically wrong, causing you to become mad.¡± Zeko said with too much happiness, in Hatori¡¯s opinion. ¡°Isn¡¯t that fun?¡± ¡°No, it is not. And what¡¯s this thing about me going mad?¡± Hatori shouted, ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me earlier?¡± ¡°Where¡¯s the fun in that?¡± said Zeko nonchalantly. Of course, there is another reason for those barriers. Designed by the best ward masters of the king, they will keep anyone from sensing Hatori¡¯s suddenly awakened magic, if it happens to be producing so much output, that is. But Zeko didn¡¯t share that information, yet, Hatori is not ready, in his opinion, to understand these things. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡®He trusts too easily. He thinks that people won¡¯t harm him. I must disabuse him of these notions.¡¯ ¡°Now, meditate, or I won¡¯t let you eat fried potatoes for the next 100 years!¡± Zeko roared, making Hatori sit down with plomb, with an expression of absolute focus on his face. ¡®Heh, that is the most amusing part of teaching! Threatening them with absurd things. Too bad you can only do it for so long, they grow up so fast¡­¡¯ Zeko shook his head. This is not the time to get emotional. After some time, Zeko judges Hatori¡¯s current state to be good enough, so, he crouches on his toes and knees behind Hatori, and puts both of his hands on his shoulder. The boy did not react to the touch, for which Zeko notes that he must also increase his paranoia. He slowly started to channel his own magic into Hatori¡¯s body, after which, he felt the child reach for it. Hatori feels as if he is on the mercy of a river, being tossed from this or that way. Whenever he tries to take control, he always loses that control sooner or later. The river brought him somewhere, and slammed him to the rocky banks, which he felt was uncalled for. He began to rage at the river. ¡°What do you think you are huh? My species has tamed hundreds of you, leaving you nothing more than a pathetic stream. How dare you treat me like that?¡± His raging was interrupted by the crackle of thunder from the sky, which he felt like he understood. ¡°Oh yeah? That makes no difference to me. You can cause all the floods you want. But sooner or later, you have to recede back inside your cage.¡± Another crackle of thunder occurs, louder than the first one. ¡°Whatever. If you know me so well, then you should know why I actually have come here.¡± The thunder rumbles loudly, but is different from the previous crackles. ¡°I only agreed, because I had no choice. Throwing a tantrum was not an option. I just did what the pragmatic book taught me. I really miss programming¡­¡± he trailed off. After remaining silent for some time, the thunder crackled once more. ¡°Never. I won¡¯t let you take me over. You can either cooperate with me, or just¡­ how did those morons say back at that organization¡­ oh yeah. You can just piss off! I¡¯m planning to make this world cry, a flood of tears the likes of this world have never seen before.¡± Hatori is copying all the villains and anime speeches he has heard over the years, ¡°and I will do it, either with your power, or without. Choice is yours.¡± The thunder rumbled in approval. Zeko didn¡¯t know what hit him. One moment, he was on his toes and knees, keeping his hands on Hatori¡¯s shoulders. The next moment, he is thrown off violently, while a lightning storm appears out of nowhere. A hastily created barrier saved him from serious injury. He observes how the storm is just focused on this rather isolated part of the castle, while the power coming from Hatori is off the chart. However, the power, and the storm, both disappeared as quickly as they came, and Zeko appeared before Hatori, quickly catching the falling child in his arms, before he hits his head on the hard ground. ¡°You¡¯ve done well,¡± he congratulated. ¡°Very well done.¡± (End.) Chapter 10 Chapter 10.

Part 1.

Rita puts down the morning newspaper, not wanting to read more of the stupidity of the politicians. She notes the time at the wall clock, which currently shows her 10 in the morning. ¡®Which means Karan has already left.¡¯ She thought to herself, as she walked to the kitchen, where she pours herself a cup of tea, which she left to brew a few minutes ago. Her husband has become more ruthless at his job (the career of a lawyer is already brutal) ever since the disappearance of their son to the other side. After Hatori was born, he started to shed his ruthless ways of pursuing cases. However, since he disappeared, he seems to have relapsed. Though he does not show to anyone, Rita knows that the arrival of the mages the day before yesterday shook him badly. Which is the same for her. Rita touched the piece of marble left by the mages, which according to them will provide magical protection from mundane and magical catastrophes. But the marble is just another reminder of what they both have lost; at least the taunts of the neighbors have stopped for some reason. ¡®I can¡¯t believe I used to care what those harlots thought.¡¯ Rita thinks, furious at herself. She looked at Hatori¡¯s picture, pinned on their living room, having just completed a project with his considerably older schoolmates. She walked to the picture. ¡°Will you ever forgive me?¡± she asked to the picture, with one finger touching the side of the frame. the expression of the child in the picture remained the same, and it failed to reply. Meanwhile, deep in the foundations of the home, unbeknownst to Rita, something as a result of magic, was starting to take form.

Part 2.

After he was done dealing with the crackling thunder, something rushed in his body. He tried to hold on to his consciousness, but he couldn¡¯t stop himself from losing it. The only thing which he remembers, is that Zeko finally gave him a compliment. Hatori will keep the moment to himself, lest the old mage gets angry with him. All of which results in Hatori waking up in his bed, quite sore as if he has done hundreds of push-ups and squats, while Zeko made him run hundred rounds afterwards, which results in his whole body aching the next day. Wincing a little, he sits up, and manages to walk to the toilet. After he is done with his morning tasks, he finds Raven and Josh present within his room. ¡°So, how do you feel, huh? Huh?¡± Josh was bouncing around in excitement. ¡°Tell us already!¡± ¡°Soar.¡± Hatori answers. ¡°Really? Is that all?¡± Raven asked in disbelief. ¡°What, did you think that I would be different somehow?¡± he asked. ¡°Would you believe us if we said yes?¡± asked Josh in return. ¡°Yes, yes I would.¡± Hatori shakes his head. The door suddenly opens. ¡°Yo!¡± greeted Avinash, who was sent flying just after the greeting. ¡°Oooooooh!¡± Josh watched the spectacle. ¡°Let me check up on him.¡± Raven leans out of the door. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked Avinash, who is slumped against the wall opposite Hatori¡¯s room. ¡°I felt as if I was grabbed, and thrown out of my room, just like my father would do, after I¡­ you know what? Never mind.¡± He walked unsteadily at first, but quickly regained his stride (which he practiced daily.) ¡°It seems that he finally has access to his magic.¡± He enters the room once more with Raven in front. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I was surprised.¡± Hatori said, stopping Avinash in his tracks. ¡°Is that what I was supposed to do?¡± He turned to Josh, sitting next to him. ¡°Yes. It is a polite thing to do.¡± Said Josh seriously. ¡°That¡¯s boring. I''d rather throw him out of here again¡­¡± Hatori gets an expression of focus on his face, but nothing happened. ¡°Ha! You might have gotten lucky, but you can¡¯t expect to succeed every time now, can you? Get control over your magic, and then, only then, you will be the match of me. Avinash, the future king¡ª¡± Avinash is pulled towards Hatori, and promptly ends up on the floor, once more, becoming the victim of the camel clutch. The door opens again, but thankfully, Hatori¡¯s attention is already occupied by the squirming enemy under him. ¡°Stop playing boy; we¡¯ve got training to do.¡± Zeko¡¯s voice snapped him out of it, and he promptly gets up to follow him, Stepping on Avinash¡¯s hand accidentally, inducing a yelp out of him.

Part 3.

Raven and Josh also followed them to the place of training, lest Hatori decides to drag them out of their rooms in the morning once more with the help of Zeko. Whenever the old fox looked their way, he always seemed to nod with an approving expression, making both boys nervous. ¡°How do you feel today?¡± Zeko asked, which is the first question he asks Hatori every morning. The opinions of Josh and Raven are never taken into account. ¡°I feel soar, as if I have done too much of your assigned exercises.¡± Hatori repeated the same explanation which he gave to his friends earlier. ¡®Not unexpected. He was channeling a frightening amount of magic for a first timer, or for his age.¡¯ He never let his thoughts show up on his face. ¡°Very well, we will practice with your magic today. It won¡¯t be something too hard for now; consider it to be a test drive for now.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve never driven a car¡­¡± Hatori said, already lost in his fantasies. ¡°Attention!¡± Zeko commanded. ¡°Yesir!¡± Hatori immediately saluted. ¡°Before we begin today¡¯s training, we must go over one more important thing.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°What is it?¡± asked the boy. ¡°Before now, you were just a simple student to me. I would have improved your physical condition, given you some lectures, and then left you to pursue your own path. However, I would like if you would accept me as your master, and become my apprentice.¡± ¡°But am I not your apprentice yet?¡± asked Hatori in confusion. ¡°No. You are just a student. An apprentice is someone who is a lifelong student of a mage. All my techniques, secret or otherwise, I will teach you. I will advise you as you grow up, to help you in finding your own path of magic.¡± Explained Zeko. ¡®And of course, tear anyone apart whoever threatens you, just like a parent would.¡¯ He thinks to himself. ¡°Hatori,¡± Josh sounded so serious. ¡°You don¡¯t realize how great of a chance this is.¡± ¡°Yes. Kids of our ages don¡¯t get an offer like that, unless they are some sort of genius.¡± Agreed Raven. ¡°So, should I accept him as my ¡®Master?¡¯¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes!¡± Both boys answered. ¡°Even though he has a terrifying reputation, as you two have repeatedly told me?¡± Zeko started to smile, while an expression of terror appeared on the faces of his friends. ¡°Yes, even then.¡± They both said once more, making Hatori wonder whether they practiced with each other or something. ¡°So, how should I accept you as my master?¡± is the next question of Hatori. ¡°Just say that you accept me as your master, and it¡¯ll be done. This is nothing important, but sometimes, boy, you will find that formalities like these are important all the same, even though they don¡¯t serve a purpose.¡± Explains Zeko. ¡°Okay. I, Hatori Eagle,¡± at his grunt of approval, Hatori continues. ¡°Accept Zeko, as my master.¡± He hesitated there for a moment, since he didn¡¯t know the full name of Zeko, but he decided not to pry about that too much. After the formalities were done, (Zeko will register the paperwork to the king during the afternoon,) Hatori begins his training, with instructions from Zeko. ¡°Right now, you feel as if you have gained a muscle which you never had before. As a result, you have a hard time controlling this muscle. You feel as if it does things at its own will.¡± Zeko began his lecture. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Right.¡± Hatori remembers programs from the BBC, showing how baby elephants have trouble controlling their trunks. This must be the same for his magic. ¡®Only elephants have it since the start of their lives, while I only got this trunk yesterday.¡¯ Hatori quickly started to pay attention to Zeko once more, lest he gets distracted by imagining a trunk on his own head. ¡°However, once you practice enough, it¡¯ll become a normal part of your body; you will have the same control over it as you do over your hands and legs. For now, meditate, and try to reach for the magic within you. Remember the feelings you felt during the awakening yesterday. Those will guide you.¡± instructs Zeko. ¡°Well, we don¡¯t wana disturb you, so we¡ª¡± Josh tries to slink away. ¡°Would be doing the same thing.¡± Zeko nodded in approval. ¡°Wah?¡± Josh¡¯s face is too funny for Raven to control his snicker. He knew that this would be happening, and as a result Raven was already sitting near Hatori. ¡°Even though you have access to your magic, focusing on it, and working with it will only strengthen you up for the future. I¡¯m glad that my apprentice has such hardworking friends.¡± Zeko nodded in approval. Josh just plopped next to Hatori as well, wanting to protest, but the words dying in his throat every time.

Part 4.

¡°And so, he was already hurling the kid of Amarnath around by the time I got there.¡± Zeko was saying. ¡°Which is a good thing. I thought that after the lightshow yesterday, I might have to coax him harder to get his magic out. But it seems like it is already there; I only need to improve his focus.¡± ¡°Yes, so he can draw upon it on a moment¡¯s notice, just like we do.¡± Said the king. ¡°Hmm. I will get him started on magic heavy training soon, although, I will have to train his stamina. He was tuckered out too quickly today.¡± Zeko said unhappily. ¡°Well, no one else better to do that, eh?¡± Porus smiled. ¡°True. But the biggest issue would be for him is control. He will be flailing around for the first few months, to be honest.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Porus said, slipping into his easy speak. Something which he couldn¡¯t get away with anyone else. ¡°It¡¯s not like I expected him to duel with adult mages already. Take your time.¡± ¡°Of course, I would. I couldn¡¯t have fast-forwarded his training, even if you wanted to. In fact, if you insisted on it, I might have to take the kid and run away.¡± ¡°Would you do that honestly?¡± Porus glared right into the eyes of Zeko. ¡°I will.¡± Zeko met his gaze unflinchingly. Porus smiled once more. ¡°I chose well.¡±

Part 5.

Surendra Sharma observes the people who have come after his call. The huge form of George Fernandes shows even within his astral form, while Shakuntala Mathis disappears in his shadow. But in the magical dimension, size means nothing. Shakuntala basically runs the business of the Mathis family in central India, while George is still limited in his region of Saptasindu. Of course, these weren¡¯t the only people who showed up to his call. They were the most likely to listen to him, however, as all three of them had rather friendly relations. He did note the absence of the Albions, but decided that they were not important in the grand scheme of things, since they were outsiders. After the pleasantries were over, Praduman Rao the senior, who assumed the leadership of his clan in mysterious circumstances, asked. ¡°Why have you called us now?¡± Among their circle, he is not known for dancing in the faux-pas. ¡°Very well. Let me get to the point. I trust you all sensed the surge of energy from the castle?¡± Getting nods all around, he continued. ¡°I would like to know whether any of you have managed to get access to the boy or not, as all my attempts have failed.¡± They all looked around, waiting for someone else to speak. Shakuntala finally spoke. ¡°I believe that none of us has had any success in that endeavor.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Since none of them had to say it first, they all nodded. ¡°What kind of trouble did you encounter?¡± Surendra asked, wanting to know whether there is a common person who is stonewalling them or not. ¡°Well, after seeing the boy in the court,¡± Praduman spoke without missing the beat. ¡°My younger brother who is situated in the castle, tried to approach the boy. Due to his blindness, he has a hard time getting his attention, coupled with the fact that he hangs around Zeko all day long, makes talking to him pretty hard.¡± He said, not revealing the information about how the said boy hangs with the Fernandes¡¯s boy. That bull is easily triggered. While he could take care of him if he gets uppity, he prefers not to pick fights with anyone unnecessarily. Everyone shared similar information, and Zeko is the one common factor in all of them. ¡°I believe, that as long as Zeko is around, we will have a hard time.¡± Said Shakuntala. ¡°That is true. But you can¡¯t get rid of him so easily.¡± Praduman countered, ¡°We might have our differences, but that Porus knows how to pick his men.¡± While the argument continued, Fernandes remained quiet. He knows that Josh is continuously around Hatori, (Since he is a friend of his child, he tries to use his name even in his head), and he very much knows why exactly this meeting is called for. ¡°Very well, we will pool our resources, and try to get access to the boy. Is that fine with you, Fernandes?¡± asked Shakuntala. ¡°Fine.¡± He said gruffly, though he did notice Praduman¡¯s disgruntled expression. ¡°I still say this is too much. Let him at least grow up a little before involving him in our games!¡± Surendra counted his lucky stars that Praduman was not here in his physical form; he would have certainly broken his stylish table by now. ¡°Oh, come now.¡± Yograj Joshi spoke then, making everyone shiver. He does not speak much, but there is a deep-seated fear he has established in all of them. ¡°We all know why we¡¯re here, don¡¯t we? To take control over that boy, is our agenda. We shouldn¡¯t fool ourselves.¡± He smiles. Yograj is that Distasteful person who can¡¯t be removed from the room. He might be just around the age of Zeko (which is quite young for a mage to amass this much political power, to sit in their circle) but even though he has a point, they can¡¯t seem to just bring themselves to agree with him. ¡°Since our purpose is accomplished, I conclude this meeting.¡± Surendra sighed. Maybe he should have let his brother¡ª ¡®Better not go there¡­¡¯ he shook his head to clear his thoughts. They all started to blink away, except for George and Praduman. ¡°Are you sure this is the correct response?¡± asked Praduman. ¡°Are you questioning your elder?¡± Surendra smirked. ¡°Ha! Just know this though, things like these have a habit of biting you in the future.¡± After these words, Praduman and George both blinked away.

Part 6.

¡°So, they are working together, hmm?¡± Porus muttered to himself. ¡°The boy is already doing a great thing. I would have never thought that those snakes would work together.¡± ¡°But they are, even though they are rather disjointed.¡± Said George. George Fernandes has a reputation of sorts. A politician, dueler in his younger days, but loyalty is something which he is not known for. This, of course, only his fellow noble leaders would say. Porus knows otherwise. ¡°I, to be honest, am not worried. Zeko is still going to stay with the boy after all, though it is a good thing you informed me. I must maneuver carefully from now on.¡± Said the king. ¡°Yes¡­¡± George trailed off. ¡°Anything else?¡± he asked. George opened his mouth, and then shook his head. ¡°Nothing. Just worried for the boy.¡± The king knows that he was not referring to Hatori. (End.) Chapter 11 Chapter 11.

Part 1.

Yesterday, when Hatori was done with his training, Raven and Josh promised him that they would take him outside of the castle. ¡°You need some other things aside from exercise.¡± They both said to him. Since Hatori himself was getting tired of the routine, he, of course, grabbed the chance with both hands. ¡®Or should I say, with talons?¡¯ He snickered at his private joke, before getting done with his breakfast and leaving with his friends. Today is the Day of the Sun. Zeko hates doing anything strenuous on the Day of the Sun, which is an odd thing to observe since he usually is so active. After all, he just doesn¡¯t order Hatori around; he often is doing some of his training along with him. But today is an off day, so Hatori, along with Raven and Josh, makes his way to the park near the castle, feeling the morning sun on his face. After running around in the park, (Where Josh and Raven observed Hatori¡¯s hesitation in an unfamiliar place,) they came back to the castle for lunch and left immediately for the park once more. But this time, being full of their midday meal, they didn¡¯t want to run around anymore, so all three boys rested in the shadows of a large tree. ¡°I can get used to this,¡± Josh said happily, stretching his body in laziness. ¡°No expectations, no orders, no one to berate you, what do you two think?¡± ¡°Well, it is relaxing.¡± Agreed Raven. But Hatori¡¯s mind is somewhere else. ¡°Bf4.¡± ¡°What do you say, Hatori? You don¡¯t have to worry about the training of Zeko. Eh?¡± said Josh, ¡®And drag us into it.¡¯ He thought privately. ¡°Nc6.¡± ¡°Qa4¡­¡± Hatori has been trying to put where exactly these strings of familiar phrases fit, and he suddenly realized. ¡°Got it!¡± he suddenly said loudly, making Josh and Raven jump in fright. They get even more frightened when Hatori suddenly gets up and starts to walk somewhere. This is something that he never does. They immediately went after him. ¡°Hay, slow down, aren¡¯t you worried about running into things?¡± Josh asked. ¡°At least tell us where you¡¯re going?¡± pleaded Raven. Hatori stopped suddenly, deeming his current distance to be enough for him to hear the strings of phrases, which brought him here. They sounded gibberish to the ears of his two friends, but Hatori perfectly knows what they are about. Josh finally looks at what has grabbed the attention of his friend so quickly, and after looking at the game of chess going on in front of them, he puts his head in his hands. ¡°Figures.¡± ¡°You used to play it back home?¡± Raven asked instead, ignoring the muttered comment from Josh. ¡°Yeah.¡± The game was over. The three teens finally looked at these kids watching them. ¡°So, what¡¯re you guys doing here?¡± said one of the players. ¡°Indeed. Don¡¯t you know what happens to the kids at this time in this place?¡± said player number two. They both walked up to the young boys, towering over them threateningly. ¡°Enough you too; that is no way to behave with our younger peers.¡± Said the final teen, who was noting the moves of the game. Both of their threatening auras deflated. ¡°Aww. Why must you go and do that?¡± said the player one. ¡°Yeah, they were just about to whimper in fear.¡± Said player number two. ¡°Never!¡± declared Hatori. ¡°What¡¯d you say, pipsqueak?¡± they both said, threatening aura back in full force. ¡°Master Zeko will never forgive me if I cower in fear.¡± Declared Hatori. The note-taking teen started to laugh, as both players went white from fear; for a few moments, there was silence. Which was broken by the player one asking, ¡°Hey kid, you know, we were just playing, write?¡± You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. ¡°Yeah, just having some fun, ¡± laughed the second teen in nervousness. ¡°Please don¡¯t tell him about us?¡± they both said pitifully. ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, my name is Suresh.¡± Said the note-taker. ¡°And these two are my friends, Ramesh,¡± he pointed to the player one. ¡°And Nilesh.¡± He pointed to player two. Seeing Hatori¡¯s empty eye sockets, Suresh was shocked for a moment. But he quickly rallied himself. ¡°Introduce yourself!¡± he commanded. ¡°Hello, I¡¯m Ramesh.¡± One of the teens called, having caught up to the problem by this point. ¡°And I¡¯m Nilesh.¡± They finally concluded their introduction. Meanwhile, Raven and Josh, who were just readying themselves to grab their rather foolish friend, and run, relaxed finally and gave their introductions as well. ¡°So, you play chess as well, Hatori?¡± asked Suresh. ¡°I used to¡­¡± he trailed off for a moment. ¡°Although, I don¡¯t have a board with which I could play.¡± ¡°Of course, the computer was also a big help. Although I won¡¯t lie, most of the good features, like analysis of the game and such were inaccessible to me.¡± This went entirely over their heads. His friends have gotten used to Hatori mentioning the strange device called a computer, but this is the first time he has mentioned it with people outside of his friend circle who are present. ¡°Oh, can you describe the board?¡± asked Ramesh after getting over the mention of this strange device called a computer, while Nilesh grabbed a large fallen leaf. ¡°Well, it was made of wood,¡± ¡°We figured that much.¡± Said Suresh drily. ¡°And the squares had holes in them on which the pieces were stuck through the peck present at the bottom of every piece.¡± Hatori went on, undeterred by Suresh¡¯s comment. ¡°Also, the black squares are a little bit above the white squares. That¡¯s about it.¡± ¡°Like this?¡± Nilesh handed the formerly fallen leaf to Hatori, which is now shape-shifted to the chessboard of his description. He took it in his hands and immediately noticed something. ¡°It won¡¯t be the complete copy, but it is the closest we can get to your description. Of course, we can improve it in the future.¡± Said Ramesh. The board resembled an eight-by-eight frame, with black and white squares, as well as small holes. The board has no compartment for storing the pieces, but Hatori smiled at their effort all the same. ¡°Yep, you¡¯ve got the basics right.¡± ¡°Good. Look, we¡¯ll play a game with you, but not today. It is currently our vacation time. We have a planned trip of sorts.¡± ¡°No problem,¡± Raven spoke then, he was too busy to gawk, along with Josh, as Ramesh and Nilesh seamlessly shaped the simple leaf to the chess board of Hatori¡¯s description. ¡°We¡¯ll bring him here every Day of the Sun.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a plan then. See you later kids, and sorry about the earlier.¡± Said Nilesh, and both groups walked away.

Part 2.

Sudha Joshi, the daughter of Yograj Joshi, waited for the arrival of the mercenary she hired. The mercenary appeared silently, startling her. Although she quickly composed herself. ¡°I examined the security. I¡¯m very confident that I can take the boy.¡± ¡°See that you¡¯re not caught. My family members will be waiting for you outside of the city.¡± She spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, consider the work to be done.¡± With those words of assurance, he disappeared once more. When, according to her father¡¯s instructions, she failed to get access to the boy, Sudha hatched this plan of hiring a mercenary and kidnapping him. If he gets caught, and even ends up spilling her name, she would just claim slander, and try some new tactic. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for that low life constantly keeping a watch over him, I would have had him by now. Instead, I¡¯m forced to wait here, like a common criminal sulking in the night.¡¯ She thought resentfully. (End.) Chapter 12 Chapter 12.

Part 1.

Hatori enters his room, drowsy from his training. He wonders how long will Zeko make him work on physical exercises. Not that he minds the exercise, since he clearly is getting stronger, but the whole point of awakening his magic was to finally let him use it. ¡®I¡¯ll talk to Zeko about it, but for now, sleep.¡¯ He yawned, and just fell on his bed as soon as he collided with it. He felt something might be wrong, since despite his level of drowsiness, to which he has gotten used to, he does not fall on his bed like that, barely capable of forming a thought. Usually, the days events are running in his mind, but he couldn¡¯t think on this for much longer, for the sleep claimed him quickly. Meanwhile, the hired mercenary waited just outside, sensing the magic of Hatori. Once he felt it relaxed, he quickly entered the room, found the sleeping Hatori, stuffed him in a magical bag, and quickly left the room. ¡®No hard feelings kid, just business.¡¯ He thinks to himself.

Part 2.

Zeko finally allows himself to rest. Training children is a demanding task; he has to constantly watch out for the smallest of things for them. Until they finally are advance enough. Until then, micromanagement is the only way, lest they end up damaging themselves beyond repair. Soon, though, he will start Hatori¡¯s practical magic training. He has already picked up on meditation, and reaching for the magic within himself. Now he must teach him to use it for some purpose. The future curses and complains brought a smile to his face, before remembering to write a letter to a friend, who might be able to advise him on how to teach the boy the magical navigation method. He was just about to doze off as these thoughts finally set him free, that he suddenly sensed something. The sleep immediately evaporated, and he sounded the alarm which would alert the king of the emergency, while he himself quickly ran to where his magic was telling him to go. ¡®Dammit, we got careless!¡¯ He cursed, already expecting what had happened.

Part 3.

The mercenary is just about to escape from the castle. Luckily, the child is still asleep in his magical bag, and even though it made it easier for him to carry the boy, if he were to awake, and cause a ruckus, and attracted the attention of the king¡¯s men, it wouldn¡¯t be good for him. Just when he was about to step outside, Zeko appeared in front of him. ¡°I realized that you will take this path. I was waiting for you in advance. Now, hand over my student.¡± ¡°Oh yeah? What if I don¡¯t?¡± He said, ¡°Maybe it would be for the best if I eliminated the problem. My client won¡¯t be happy, but I¡¯m sure some people would be paying handsomely for his dead body¡ª¡± he takes out the bag, and tries to distract Zeko with his words. When he thought that his bluff had worked, he tried to escape from him. ¡®I¡¯ll just take a different path¡ª'' but Zeko wasn¡¯t fooled at all. A sudden gust of wind knocked him on his back, while the bag carrying Hatori flies into Zeko¡¯s hands. The mercenary tries to say something, but Zeko didn¡¯t want to hear anything from him. He encased him in the granite, at which point the sound of running boots of the military personnel in the castle starts to thump on his ears, before they appear and salute him. ¡°Sir!¡± They saluted him. ¡°I¡¯ve managed to capture the kidnapper. I have the child,¡± he showed them off the bag. ¡°Perhaps you should carry him to the prison cell?¡± Zeko pointed to the granite-encased form of the kidnapper. ¡°Of course, sir!¡± the soldiers saluted once more, and floated the granite-encased mercenary behind them to the prison cell awaiting him. Zeko himself decided to check out the room of Hatori. No doubt the king would like to hear everything he has found.

Part 4.

¡°I don¡¯t care about the procedures. Do you forget that this is a dictatorship?¡± Said the irate king. ¡°I want the interrogation, now.¡± Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. In any other situation, people at this late-night session of court may have managed to calm the king down, and see the case reasonably. But coupled with the breach in security, as well as the child who has ended up very important for future events, as well as the throne itself supporting Porus, they have no choice but to let him have his way. Besides, the members of noble families are interested in which one of them is foolish enough to actually outright kidnap the child. Political machinations are one thing, but this sort of thing is frowned upon, even in their rather brutal circle of politics. The mercenary was brought in to the court, now free from the granite encasing him. He after giving a hateful look at Sudha, spilled the entire conspiracy. Porus clucked his tongue. ¡°Did you really think that you would get away with this?¡± Porus asked, barely containing his rage. ¡°Your majesty, he is clearly lying. I, as an honorable member of this court¡ª¡± her speech was unceremoniously cut off in the middle, as the king blocked the air around her to such an extent that no sound escaped her mouth. ¡°Take her to prison. I¡¯ll deal with her tomorrow. Maybe I might even give her a beheading. I haven¡¯t done that one in the last ten years.¡± The nobles were pretty horrified by this statement. The Subcontinent is a large land, to keep control over it; many a times the kings have employed fear tactics. Beheading is the most favorite of the current king among them, who has studied all the strategies used by his predecessors. Many nobles cursed the daughter of Yograj in their minds. If only she could have played the waiting game, its not like that the child would have remained under the thumb of Zeko and Porus forever. Instead, she has pushed the king too far, which is clear from his statement. When Zeko arrived on court, the king spoke. ¡°All of you leave, except for the general.¡± Not wanting to invite his wrath upon them, everyone left quickly. However, the head of the warders of the castle stopped. ¡°Your majesty, may we use the prisoner to power our wards? His body will be quite useful to us.¡± ¡°You may take him.¡± The king allowed. As the mercenary screamed and pleaded for mercy, the warder took him to his lab. There will be a late-night experiment; his students will be so happy. ¡°So what have you found?¡± Porus asked. ¡°I found the traces of the sleeping potion in the air. However, it was very diluted, since he spread it through the air. Once Hatori entered the room, the potion amplified his need to sleep, since he was already tired from today¡¯s training.¡± ¡°My liege, what about his security during the school?¡± Sundar, the general of the Subcontinent, asked, ¡°If people are so bold as to make moves in the castle itself, then clearly school is no safe place for the child.¡± Before Porus could say anything, Zeko beat him to it. ¡°I won¡¯t be sending him to pre-academy school.¡± ¡°What? Why!¡± They both asked Zeko. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand, this is the only chance he might have to associate with children of his own age in a non-hostile environment. While the academy is great for many things, we all know it is no gentle place for that sort of development.¡± Argues Porus. ¡°The problem is, you would be right in any other case. But tell me, how many children have you seen with Hatori, aside from those two boys? It is clear to me that in school, he will only face more isolation. Besides, the academy will begin for him when he is ten. He must be ready to defend himself by that time. Clearly, if he went to preschool, his training would be slowed down. He won¡¯t be properly prepared for the academy.¡± Counters Zeko. Porus wanted to argue against this some more. But he realized that Zeko had a point. He doesn¡¯t have to like it, but the fox is usually correct in these matters. ¡°Fine.¡± He agreed grudgingly. ¡°But he must complete all the projects assigned by the school. Otherwise, those bureaucrats at the academy would give us such a headache.¡± ¡°No problem. I will even seat him in the final end year exam.¡± Said Zeko, confident that his student could clear any measly exam. ¡°Very well, just break this news tactfully, would you? I don¡¯t think he will take it well just after everything.¡± The general said with a smile. ¡°Oh Sundar, you should know that I¡¯m always tactful.¡± With that, Zeko took his leave, while the general and the king were both not satisfied with his assurances of tactfulness. (End.) Chapter 13 Chapter 13.

Part 1.

Hatori wakes up groggily. The bed feels unfamiliar, as well as the surrounding area appears to be larger than his room. ¡®Maybe I ended up back home?¡¯ He puts his feet on the ground. ¡°Oh, of course not.¡± He whispers. The door opens. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake, good, good.¡± Zeko walked into the room. Someone else also walked in after him. ¡°How do you feel?¡± asked this person, who appears to be a male. ¡°He¡¯s one of the healers of the castle. be nice to him.¡± Said Zeko. After a few moments of silence, Hatori answers. ¡°I feel fine.¡± ¡°Did you feel groggy when you woke up?¡± asked the healer once more. ¡°Yes.¡± Hatori said. ¡°Do you feel groggy now?¡± ¡°no.¡± answers Hatori. ¡°There it is Zeko; there is nothing wrong with him.¡± Said the healer. ¡°Though it is a good thing that you brought him to the infirmary all the same.¡± After that, the healer excused himself from their company.

Part 2.

After Hatori was done with his morning ablutions, and taking a nice bath, he appears before Zeko within their usual place of meeting, the isolated square where he performs his morning runs. ¡°Before we begin, you should know what happened last night.¡± Said Zeko, and he began to recount the events of last night. When he explained about the sleeping potion in his room in the form of the air, Hatori clapped his hands. ¡°So that is why I felt so sleepy!¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Zeko said, and watched Hatori¡¯s reaction. His concern starts to grow when Zeko finds nothing. ¡°Aren¡¯t you bothered by your kidnapping?¡± he asked finally. ¡°What am I supposed to say? I don¡¯t even remember anything before I woke up today. For all I know, this might be just a story created by you. though I do trust you enough that you won¡¯t do it.¡± Zeko couldn¡¯t say anything about that. After that conversation, his friends show up as well, and his training for the morning begins. During the lunch break, Josh finally asked what they had been wanting to ask, but were unable to because of all the exercise they had to do along with him. ¡°So, don¡¯t you remember anything? Not even something like a dream or¡­ anything?¡± he waved his hand, willing his friend to understand what he had been wanting to say. ¡°Honestly, I¡¯ll tell you the same thing which I told master. I don¡¯t remember anything. As far as I¡¯m concerned, I just fell asleep last night, and woke up in an unfamiliar place.¡± Said Hatori to both of his friends. ¡°Although, it doesn¡¯t mean that I¡¯m not bothered by it.¡± Zeko appears before the boys. ¡°Are you done with your lunch?¡± he asked the children. ¡°Yes.¡± All three of them answered. ¡°Good. Because I have something to say to you, my student, and I would like if your friends were the witness to it.¡± Both Hatori¡¯s friends see Zeko kneel before Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I failed to protect you. It¡­ is not easy for a person like me to apologize, but you are my student, and I failed you. please forgive me.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. This is a new feeling for Hatori. Usually, he has observed that adults would do anything in their power to shift the blame on someone else, even threaten the children themselves, if need be, to hide their mistake. But here his master is, kneeling before him, (Judging from the height of his voice), apologizing to him. Right then and there, Hatori decided that he might not trust any adult in this world. But Zeko will be an exception, someone whom he can trust unconditionally. ¡°You got me back, didn¡¯t you?¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You don¡¯t have to say sorry to me. Just train me so good that this could never happen.¡± Zeko gets up from his kneeling position. He promises that he will fulfill the request of his student. ¡®I promise you, kid, next time, you¡¯ll be so strong that you¡¯ll turn your enemy into nothing more than a red-splatter on the ground.¡¯ Both boys were also moved by Zeko¡¯s apology. He might have a terrifying reputation, which he totally deserves, as their bodies remind them each night. But here he has shown to them that he is willing to take responsibility for his mistakes.

Part 3.

Lord Yograaj quelled his rage by beating his low-class soldiers in a duel. Since he can¡¯t exactly hurt his current source of anger. He is furious at Porus for imprisoning his daughter. So what if she made a foolish mistake. The mercenary was caught; the king didn¡¯t need to take any further action on her. Being named in the filled court should have been humiliation enough. But he can¡¯t exactly let go of his anger over her screw-up, which he needed to fix immediately. He has sent his brother to the castle in place of his daughter, to see whether he can take her out or not, as well as feel out the general mood of the king. He left his groaning soldiers without sparing them a second thought, and arrived in his personal study to plot the next move.

Part 4.

Surendra is writing a letter to his clan¡¯s representative in the castle. He has already learned what happened last night. When he called for that meeting a few days ago, he never would have thought that things would turn out like this. He didn¡¯t want to kidnap the child. He thought that all the representatives would increase their effort of talking and cajoling the boy to their side. Outright kidnapping never crossed his mind. He finishes the letter, and sends it to the castle. The instructions in the letter are simple. Support the king, make sure to remind the king that Sharma clan will always support the throne, and protect the child actively instead of watching from the sidelines. And if the boy comes into contact with the children of the clan there, welcome him with open arms. (End.) Chapter 14 Chapter 14.

Part 1.

Both boys are walking out of a clothes shop, where they were measured for their school uniforms. Just in one year, both of them have outgrown their previous uniforms. ¡°That tape always itched.¡± Complained Josh, while Raven laughed. They both have come in the market to buy the things which they would need for their next school year, which will begin in about a month. Their friend is missing though, and both boys know why. ¡°What do you think he is suffering right now?¡± asked Raven. ¡°I don¡¯t want to think.¡± Josh shivers. ¡°It is bad enough that we doubted him once, and he has been dragging us with him to his morning training. I rather not think about what he is going through now.¡± ¡°At least he didn¡¯t take his near kidnapping that badly.¡± Said Raven with a serious tone. Josh nodded, as they both walked to their mothers.

Part 2.

¡°So, back for my wears already?¡± the man was saying. ¡°True. You always supplied me with clothes which could stand a lot of punishment.¡± Replied Zeko with a chuckle. ¡°The material which you use for your clothing is excellent for enchanting, of course; that is another reason.¡± ¡°Would the boy need some too?¡± asked the shop owner. ¡°Yes. Do measure him would you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± The shop owner leaves to call one of his assistants. ¡°Listen kid, they¡¯ll measure you inside, but I will be here, waiting for you. don¡¯t panic.¡± Said Zeko, dropping a hand on Hatori¡¯s shoulder. Hatori smirked. ¡°I never panic.¡± He said with complete confidence. Zeko gives him a flick on his forehead. ¡°I see you¡¯re getting overconfident. I must fix this.¡± Hatori was just about to take his words back, but the assistant lady quickly dragged him inside, and his words died on his lips. While Hatori is being measured inside (an experience which is sure to vex the boy, all that prodding, twisting and turning will surely get on his nerves) Zeko planned the conversation which he will need to have with his apprentice later today. He often indulged his overactive brain before a difficult conversation like this. Otherwise, he would just pace restlessly, something which he doesn¡¯t like to do. ¡®Now, if only he were to be old enough to duel with me, I would explain everything in that fight.¡¯ He smiled at the images his mind conjured of an older Hatori dueling with him. Training soldiers, dueling people, bluntly offering your opinion when asked for, are all easier things than having a difficult conversation. ¡®What Munshi used to say, it is all in your head. Just come out and say it.¡¯ He thinks to himself, as Hatori is brought outside of the shop, looking haggard. The assistance were cooing over him, calling him their most disciplined customer. Zeko just shook his head, and departed with his students for lunch, since their clothes will be delivered to the castle when they are ready. In the lunch shop, Zeko finally decides to broach the topic of their impending trip. ¡°Listen kid, I¡¯ve got something to tell you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hatori stopped scarfing his face off on food. ¡°We¡¯re leaving in a few days, we will be traveling around, and I will be training you during this trip.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°You mean I won¡¯t be going to school like my¡­ friends?¡± He hesitated before calling them friends. He still doesn¡¯t know when they would decide that he is not worth their time, and decide to leave him to spend time with other, more interesting kids. ¡°No. quite frankly, your time would be wasted there.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Not only do you need to catch up to your peers, you need to be better than them.¡± ¡°Is it about the kidnapping?¡± Hatori asks. ¡°Yes, that as well.¡± Zeko confirmed. ¡°You see, you¡¯ve got a target on your back, kid, did you hear about the Magecraft and Sorcery Academy?¡± ¡°I heard it mentioned once or twice, but only as an academy.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That is its full name. While it is the place for studying advance magic, it is one dangerous place. Students die there regularly. It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if someone decided that killing you would be a great idea there, or to just plans to torment you.¡± Zeko always gets weary just by the thought of the cruelty displayed by the kids there. ¡°Unless you have the right knowledge, and strength, you will be a sitting duck.¡± Hatori sighed. ¡°So when are we leaving?¡± ¡°In few days. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll bring you back here once in a while, but we won¡¯t be staying here.¡± ¡°Oh, okay then.¡± He went back to his lunch. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice how well you¡¯re taking this.¡± Commented Zeko, finishing his lunch. ¡°It always has been like that with me.¡± Hatori takes a sip of his juice. ¡°I was sent on a blind special school, then I was admitted on a normal school, where I was often kept isolated from other kids.¡± ¡°What do you mean by blind schools?¡± Zeko asked, not expecting anything good. ¡°They are schools for kids like me. I''d rather not talk about it more than that, if you don¡¯t mind.¡± He finishes his juice with a large gulp. Zeko nodded. Then he realized that Hatori wouldn¡¯t understand that, so he said, ¡°No problem kid.¡± He started to respect his student more, as he didn¡¯t throw a tantrum at all, which was the thing bothering Zeko before this conversation.

Part 3.

Zeko was thinking about how exactly he could test the natural reaction of his student in a fight. He needed to know this information before their trip started. Just when he was about to go and talk this out with Hatori, (which would take all the fun out of it for him), he found a most wonderful opportunity. ¡°So, you beat him in wrestling?¡± a kid was asking Avinash. ¡°Totally. He couldn¡¯t even move. I completely controlled him.¡± He bragged. ¡®Amarnath¡¯s kid.¡¯ He remembers how both boys don¡¯t get along with each other, though the prime minister himself hasn¡¯t said anything about it. ¡®This is a great chance. I should take advantage of it.¡¯ Suddenly appearing before the kids, and taking too much enjoyment in their startled yelps, Zeko dropped a hand on Avinash¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I heard what you were saying kid, you sound tough!¡± Zeko stroked Avinash¡¯s ego. Avinash smiles. He knows of Zeko¡¯s reputation, and he also knows that Hatori is learning from him. If he thinks that he is tough, then Hatori has no chance against him. ¡°However, I do hear that you were put on the floor by my student. Isn¡¯t that true?¡± The smile disappeared from his face. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°That was just a fluke. It won¡¯t happen all the time; your student was lucky, master Zeko.¡± Said Avinash, giving Zeko every respect. Having a beef with his student is one thing, but angering the Bloody Fox is an entirely different matter. ¡°You sure about that?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m entirely sure.¡± ¡°Well then, look.¡± Zeko pointed to the walking Hatori, who was with his two other friends, coming towards them. ¡°Why don¡¯t you prove it? I¡¯ll keep watching.¡± ¡°What?¡± Said Avinash. This is too confusing for him. Usually, his mother always tells him not to get in fights with other kids. And yet, here is an adult, who is offering to watch while he picks a fight with his student. Sensing that the boy needed some more nudging, Zeko added some extra words of encouragement. ¡°Just don¡¯t hurt him too badly. I do want my student to be able to tor¡ªI mean, train tomorrow.¡± Zeko congratulated himself in his head for catching his slip. His words did the trick. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, master Zeko,¡± said Avinash brimming with confidence. ¡°Your student would be fine, though his confidence might suffer a little after this.¡± Laughing in anticipation, Avinash saunters to Hatori, and exchanges some words with him. Zeko walks closer along with the boy to whom Avinash was bragging earlier. ¡°Besides,¡± they finally could hear the words, ¡°I think master Zeko would prefer me over you.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hatori said in surprise. ¡°Why would he prefer you?¡± ¡°I heard that your magic has been woken up.¡± Zeko made a note in his head to find out who leaked that information. Sure, his awakening process was rather spectacular, but no one should have known why it was like that. ¡°And despite that, you still haven¡¯t produced a simple light.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think he¡¯ll train you.¡± replied Hatori. ¡°After all, he has seen me putting you on the camel clutch.¡± Just like that, they both locked up. Zeko immediately started to note Hatori¡¯s natural reactions. ¡®Hmm. He is taking advantage of his natural bulk, compared to Amarnath¡¯s kid.¡¯ Avinash is naturally strong for his age, but he isn¡¯t doing physical training like Hatori is. So, Hatori didn¡¯t have any trouble taking him to the floor, and after flipping him on his stomach, applying the camel clutch. ¡®Hmm. So, he favors grapples. Not a bad idea, especially since striking gives his opponent a chance of dodging. Until he starts his sensory training, this would do just fine.¡¯ Zeko steps into the role of responsible adult, then, and asks with his authoritative voice. ¡°What¡¯s going on here?¡± Hatori immediately let go of Avinash, making his face hit the floor. He got up from his back, stepping on his hands accidentally. ¡°Nothing.¡± He said with a straight face. ¡°Boys,¡± he said to Hatori¡¯s friends. ¡°Take him to his room.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± they said quickly, and grabbed him and ran away. Zeko lends a hand to a groaning Avinash. ¡°You were good kid,¡± he complimented. ¡°Just work on your footing some more.¡± ¡°You mean it?¡± Avinash is thrilled to hear those words of encouragement. Wrestling is very important to him. ¡°Yes.¡± Zeko provided a few more pointers, and then walked away. ¡°So,¡± his friend said, ¡°Should we go to dinner?¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah let¡¯s go.¡± Said Avinash, not wanting to discuss what just happened.

Part 4.

Zeko has received the reply to the letter which he wrote his friend a few days ago, requesting some pointers for Hatori¡¯s training.
Dear Friend Zeko, As you know me, I am not much for beating around the bush. So, I shall get on with my point. First, get your student in a habit of sensing things around him at every time. You should start him immediately when he learns to reach for his magic, and is able to use it for some purpose. The deep mastery of magic is not required for this. Second, once he has learned to do that, you can then train his reflexes in any way you want. One final thing to note is that this will remain to be his primary way of making his way in the world, until he modifies himself in the future. This is the case with all those children who are born with some deformity in our world. -Munshi.
¡®Blunt as always.¡¯ Zeko smiled.

Part 5.

¡°Say whaaaaaaatttttt!?¡± Raven and Josh screamed, just when Hatori was done telling them about Zeko¡¯s plans. After remaining quiet, and waiting for the people to look away from them, Josh asked in a much more normal tone. ¡°You¡¯re not serious, are you?¡± ¡°I am.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What about the school?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Oh yeah. You do get to skip that, right?¡± Josh immediately brightens up. ¡°Maybe I should get myself in an apprenticeship with Zeko too.¡± ¡°Yeah, and then you¡¯ll just end up doing the same things in the morning all day long.¡± Raven quickly poured water in the flaming ambitions of Josh. Josh slumped. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right.¡± ¡°But look at this in other way. You won¡¯t have to come with me in the morning exercises anymore.¡± Reminds Hatori. ¡°Oh yeah!¡± They both jumped in joy after hearing that. ¡°We¡¯ll miss you though.¡± Said Raven quickly. Hatori hesitated. ¡°I will miss you two as well.¡± he whispered. ¡°Wait,¡± Josh said then, interrupting the emotional mood. ¡°That must mean you must live with him all the time.¡± He said with horror.

Part 6.

¡°So you¡¯re leaving today?¡± asked Porus, putting the cup of tea down on his desk. ¡°Yes.¡± Zeko replied simply. The king sighed. ¡°Just don¡¯t torment the kid too much.¡± ¡°As if. I might joke about that, but you know that I never did anything like that to any of my students.¡± Retorted Zeko. ¡°Yes, yes. Just pulling your leg.¡± The king smiled, and dismissed the Bloody Fox.

Part 7.

While Zeko was talking with the king, Hatori was waiting with his friends on the doors of the castle. He is currently passing the time by tapping on his magic, and producing simple lights. Though this is the kind of thing which his friends can do with a snap of a finger, they were still happy for his progress. He has recently started to tap on his magic, and slowly started to mold it for his purposes. He was able to do it fast, since Zeko made him meditate a lot. That came in really useful, now that he thinks about it. Still, he would rather not sit in one place until his legs start to sleep. Zeko comes out of the castle. ¡°Ready to leave kid?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± He shook hands with his friends. ¡°I promise, when I come back, I will have some tricks up my sleeve.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll wait.¡± Said Raven. ¡°In fact, we¡¯ll develop some of our own. Won¡¯t we?¡± said Josh. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Said Raven with a laugh. After waving at his friends, he left with Zeko. (End.) Chapter 15 XX Chapter 15.

Part 1.

Hatori lays down in his unfamiliar bed; he must now get used to sleeping in a moving vehicle. He remembers the days events.

Part 2.

¡°So, how are we going to travel?¡± I asked, once we left the castle. I¡¯m going to definitely miss my two friends, even though the chances of me being accepted as their friend once I return are very low. ¡°What makes you think we¡¯re going to travel?¡± Zeko asked in return. I explain my reasoning to him. ¡°Well, we wouldn¡¯t be staying in the city. If you wanted to train me here, the castle is clearly the better place, despite the kidnapping.¡± I noticed his slight flinch in his hand, which I was holding. ¡°So, wherever we must be going, we have to travel.¡± ¡°Excellent points!¡± He said. ¡°You see, we mages took notice of the new options of transport from your world. After that, we decided to use magic to create the same thing for our own.¡± Said Zeko. So basically, he said that we would be going in a car, which would be driven by magic. I don¡¯t know how, though. I lack the necessary knowledge to understand that. I also remind myself to stop underestimating these people. They might be magic users, but electricity is used widely among them, as proven by fans in my room back at the castle, and this latest thing I¡¯ve learned. In short, they are not trapped in some medieval time, for which I¡¯m glad. I hate that time. Putting it up in games or books is one thing. But living there? I think I would have destroyed that world out of spite. ¡°Also, boy, you¡¯ll get practice in walking alone outside. Don¡¯t worry, I won¡¯t drop your hand ever. But you must learn to walk by yourself, do you understand?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Yes master.¡± I answered, since I didn¡¯t mind that level of independence at all. ¡°Also, we¡¯re going to my home. It is quite far away, and we would be visiting some places while continuing your training. So, get use to this.¡± He spoke. ¡°Yes master.¡± I replied, thinking whether this must be my destiny or something, reply to your teacher dutifully and respectfully.

Part 3.

While thinking about these events, Hatori falls asleep without even realizing it.

Part 4.

¡°So, now that I¡¯m done explaining the levitation, let¡¯s talk about your natural response during a fight.¡± Zeko was saying, while Hatori focuses on trying to levitate a small stone. ¡°I notice how you favor grapples, which is fine when you¡¯re fighting against a single opponent. It might even suit you currently, since you have no way of striking your opponent accurately, for now.¡± He muttered the last part. ¡°But when you have to deal with multiple opponents, grapples are really not a great way of dealing with them.¡± Stopping his focus for a moment, Hatori asked. ¡°So, how do you know that I favor grapples?¡± Zeko didn¡¯t want to reveal how he goaded Avinash to pick a fight with him, and observed him from a distance. ¡°Because I¡¯m so wise and knowledgeable. Clearly, brat, you¡¯re lucky to have a teacher such as me.¡± Hatori ignored this answer, and went back to his practice. Zeko just shook his head. ¡®Kids these days, no respect for their elders.¡¯ He grumbled in his mind. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll teach you some hit-and-run tactics, which should serve you well.¡± He said. ¡®Until you can do some modification to yourself and raise the accuracy of your strikes¡­ but you won¡¯t need me by that point.¡¯ He thought. A few minutes later, after getting the stone to wobble a little, Hatori spoke to driving Zeko. ¡°Master, what¡¯s the point of fighting physically? I mean, don¡¯t the mages fight using magic?¡± he asked. On a side note, Hatori didn¡¯t know that the car was driving itself, and Zeko is just moving the steering wheel around for the show. ¡°An excellent question!¡± He stopped the spinning of the steering wheel, and answered this question. ¡°You see, while it is true that mages do fight using magic, all this physical combat training can give you an edge since no one expects that. After all, you can damage your opponent in both ways, either by magic, or by physically attacking them.¡± Zeko paused to take a drink of water. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Also,¡± he said, after gulping the water, ¡°Even when it comes to magic, the person who has superior physical condition will win, since they would have better stamina, resulting in them being able to cast magic for a long period of time.¡± ¡°So, it helps indirectly with magic as well?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Indeed. Someone with more control and stamina will always be superior in battle to someone who has only raw magical power.¡±

Part 5.

After stopping for lunch, where Zeko demonstrated his culinary skills, Hatori is now trying to work through the spell which Zeko¡¯s friend Munshi sent him. The spell is extremely simple to cast, doesn¡¯t require any incantation, and apparently, doesn¡¯t take long to learn. Though all those meditation sessions might have something to do with it. ¡®Better make sure that Zeko doesn¡¯t learn of this; he¡¯ll be smug otherwise.¡¯ Thought Hatori, while getting over his dizziness. After learning the spell, Zeko told Hatori to walk around the clear area to get used to the spell. The spell works like a radar installed in his head, letting Hatori know the location of objects around three meters from him. All of which is quite impressive, if he can get over the dizziness. ¡°Ow!¡± Hatori grumbled after colliding with the tree. If he didn¡¯t shift his face at the right moment, his nose would have been broken with a loud crunch. Zeko muffled his laughter while watching Hatori stumble around. ¡°Note to self. Keep the mind clear while using this spell.¡± Hatori muttered to himself. Though he was far enough that Zeko couldn¡¯t hear him, he could easily deduce what he was saying to himself. ¡®It is a good thing that it doesn¡¯t require any foci. It would have been problematic to teach him otherwise.¡¯ Thinks Zeko. ¡®That reminds me. I must get him one; his progression would come to a screeching halt otherwise.¡¯ After seeing Hatori stumble around some more, and observing that the dizzy expression had been absent on his face, Zeko called him back. ¡°Come on Hatori, we¡¯re leaving.¡± Hatori walks towards the car with a focused look on his face, using the spell to locate Zeko and the car. Zeko gives an approving nod at this. ¡°You can use the same spell inside. Try to monitor things outside while we¡¯re moving.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°I feel like this is a horrible idea.¡± Said Hatori, while getting in the car. ¡°What are you talking about, brat? You¡¯ll be fine.¡± Said Zeko. Much to the amusement of Zeko, Hatori turned out to be right. Not that Zeko didn¡¯t know that he would have trouble keeping up with the speed of the car, since a lot of things would come and disappear from his range quickly. For now, he focusses on large trees or buildings.

Part 6.

After the training, the spell, as well as the physical workout and levitation exercise, a very drained Hatori steps off the car when they stop for the night. Zeko took him to a pub, noting in amusement how he could sense Hatori using the radar spell subconsciously, although it remains to be quite random still. ¡°Look who walked in!¡± said a male voice, which resulted in a loud cheer. ¡°And what¡¯s this?¡± Said another voice, but female this time. ¡°He has a kid with him.¡± Several people clucked their tongue. ¡°You know sir, that just because you¡¯ve trained a lot of kids, doesn¡¯t mean that you can raise one. You¡¯re not suited for it.¡± said the male voice. ¡°Keep talking like that, and you won¡¯t be suitable for speaking, Subhash.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Ooooohhhhh!¡± responded the crowd. ¡°Anyway. He¡¯s my student.¡± Said Zeko, while directing Hatori to the direction of the male and female voice. ¡°And these are the soldiers I trained.¡± He explained to the child. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice that he¡¯s tired.¡± Said the female. ¡°Yeah, let him eat, and then I¡¯ll put him on the bed. Now, tell me what''s been going on recently?¡± asked Zeko. Ignoring the conversation entirely since he has no energy to pay attention, Hatori ate his food, and nodded off at the table. But when Zeko grabbed him to carry off to the room, (which is always reserved for him at this outpost), he sprang up so fast, and tried to grapple him. ¡°Easy kid.¡± Said Zeko, handling Hatori easily. Since now he was awake enough to walk, Zeko took him to his room. ¡°Paranoid one, isn¡¯t he?¡± asked Subhash. ¡°He is.¡± Responded Rani. ¡°The most worrying part, is that I don¡¯t think it¡¯s because of Zeko¡¯s training.¡± ¡°We all have gone through his training. Do you think that the king went too far in choosing him for that kid?¡± asked Subhash. ¡°Honestly, whatever rank we have, we¡¯re just normal soldiers. We don¡¯t ask those questions.¡± Responded Rani, while finishing her drink. ¡°Yeah, gotta disagree with that. I¡¯m not some hammer which you can use and discard at your convenience.¡± Said Subhash. (End.) Chapter 16 Chapter 16.

Part 1.

¡°You can stop for now, kid, take a rest.¡± Said Zeko to Hatori, having seen him levitating the stone for the past few hours. ¡®Things won¡¯t be interesting until we get to my home.¡¯ He smiled at the thought, but with none of the warm feelings which the thought of home brings. Hatori decides to heed his advice. ¡°Master Zeko,¡± he asked. ¡°Why are we traveling so slowly?¡± Hatori knows that the cars can travel hundreds of kilometers in a day. And yet, despite the traveling of four days, according to Zeko, they haven¡¯t come very far. ¡°Well, to be honest kid, traveling is a great chance to experience things, from new sights, experiences, feels, and this applies to you as well, given your new radar spell.¡± The very thought of that spell brought a pained expression to Hatori¡¯s face. ¡°That, and I like to travel.¡± He confessed. ¡°I think that you finally stated the real reason.¡± Said Hatori drily. ¡°What? Why would I use your own training as an excuse for travel? Why the very thought.¡± He harrumphed. Zeko carefully noted how Hatori is not asking any questions about the incident in the pub a few days ago.

Part 2.

Zeko is teaching Hatori the spell to make the text talk. ¡°So, once you use this spell on, let¡¯s say a book, you¡¯ll hear the text written on the page.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t other people hear what I¡¯m reading?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Good question. There¡¯s a way of making the text heard only by you. It comes with control. How you get there, I¡¯ll leave that to you.¡± He said, ¡®For now. I¡¯ll certainly give you enough hints to do that.¡¯ he added in his head. ¡°How do I use this spell?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°am I supposed to make some sort of movement?¡± ¡°What kind of movements do you have in mind?¡± Zeko asked in amusement. ¡°Well,¡± Hatori gets up, joins his palms, entangles his fingers, points his thumbs upwards, and speaks. ¡°Read the text to me. read the text to me!¡± he commanded. ¡°hahahahahahahahaha! I can¡¯t believe you thought of that.¡± Zeko roared with laughter. Hatori sits down, feeling his face getting heated up. ¡°Most of the spells like these are pretty simple. You just need good imagination, and focus. Just like your radar spell.¡± ¡°Oh.¡± Hatori nodded. ¡°For this spell, just focus on your ears, on your head. You can map your own body within your mind. The meditation should help you.¡± instructed Zeko. ¡°For now, you¡¯ll have to put your fingers on the page to read it. Once you¡¯re good enough, you can join this with your radar, and make the spell read the text from a distance, without touching it.¡± Hatori sighed. He really doesn¡¯t like how meditation is proving to be more and more useful. He doesn¡¯t mind the activity. But he just knows that Zeko is smug about it, given how he complained when he began to meditate. Zeko gives Hatori a simple book to practice. At first, he lost the spell in the middle of the reading, reminding Hatori of his screen reader crash back at his home. But by late afternoon, he has grasped the spell enough that he can consistently read a page. It took some experimenting, but he can now make the spell read out the individual characters of a line. He then started to map out the shape of these characters through his radar spell, since that spell let him know the shape of the ink on the paper. ¡°Row, row, row your boat, gently down the stream.¡± Read the spell to Hatori. Hatori smiles. ¡®Looks like both worlds use the same rhymes.¡¯ He thought. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. He then started to track down the characters, and read them out loud, going very slowly. He has no practice in reading and speaking out loud at the same time. During this practice, he falls asleep. He always gets sleepy after lunch. In his dreams, Hatori is running from a crowd of shapes, which are the characters which he was studying earlier in the day. A and B were leading the crowd, while C hung in the background. Z is screaming at him. ¡°Wake up boy, it is time to get up!¡± ¡°Ahhhhh!¡± He jumped awake, making Zeko dodge a sudden headbutt. ¡°Why¡¯re you yelling?¡± he asked, after seeing the terrified face of his apprentice. ¡°Those characters, they were coming after me. They wanted to turn me into someone just like them.¡± Said Hatori, shuttering. ¡®One hell of a nightmare.¡¯ Thought Zeko. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve stopped for now. Go out, practice your radar spell. Dinner will be up in an hour or so.¡± After the child runs out, Zeko gets ready to make the dinner, using the kitchen installed in his car. Advantage of modifying the technology of the other world is that the mages can change the things which the other world can¡¯t do easily, such as keeping a moving house in a small compact car. Various spells keep track of Hatori, while Zeko cooks. He poses in front of the stove. ¡°Cooking is the art of manliness!¡± He declares, brandishing his knife like a sword. Back in his school days, antics like this always set off his friends. Nowadays, his friends keep their distance from him. The ones who survived that is. While preparing the vegetables, Zeko thinks about Hatori¡¯s training. ¡®Everything is proceeding smoothly, and yet, I feel there is something missing.¡¯ He thought, while putting the potatoes in the oil. Leaving them to get fried, (he will never understand why Hatori likes those so much), he starts to think again. Observing the oil jumping in the pan, Zeko remembers how he got burned by it while he was learning to cook in his younger days. Apparently, inspiration struck at him with that thought. ¡®Danger.¡¯ He smiled at the thought. ¡®That¡¯s what''s missing. This is exactly why I brought him out of the Castle in the first place. How can I forget? Looks like aging is already taking its toll on me.¡¯ He planned to train Hatori away from the school, which prepares the children to attend the premier academy of their country once they get old. By taking him outside of that system, Zeko wants to train his apprentice with carefully controlled danger; this kind of training cannot be received in a formalized school environment. Normally, Zeko wouldn¡¯t have done something like that. but given how quickly he must ready the child, and how everyone has an edge over him with their experience in magic, he feels this is the right course of action. ¡®Hmm. Once we reach home, I¡¯ll start the 24-7 dangerous module. That ought to speed up everything.¡¯ He has disabled the module, since he has surpassed it a long time ago. Not to mention, it made it hard to have guests. ¡®Bonus. People won¡¯t bother me for quite some time.¡¯ He goes outside, after getting the dinner ready. ¡°Boy, enough playing outside. Come here. Dinner is ready.¡± He called. He looks to the sky. ¡®Hmm. there will be rain tonight.¡¯

Part 3.

Yograaj plots to deal with Zeko. He knows that he has taken the child with him. ¡®Once he reaches his home, it¡¯ll be impossible to catch the boy.¡¯ He thought. ¡®It¡¯ll be for the best if I can retrieve the boy in the middle of the way.¡¯ He smiles. ¡®Besides. Even if I did somehow lose this chance, I¡¯ll get another one when he comes back here for the yearly exams.¡¯ He called his men, and dismissed them after giving them their instructions. (End.) Chapter 17 Chapter 17.

Part 1.

In the middle of the night, Zeko and Hatori arrive at Zeko¡¯s home. The kid is tired, so Zeko takes him to his room. After tucking him to sleep, he left for his room. ¡®Rest for now, kid. Because tomorrow, your training will be notched up a level.¡¯ Chuckling a little, he falls asleep.

Part 2.

Hatori is dreaming a wonderful dream, where he¡¯s invading several planets in the name of planet Vegeta, where he has become a new Saiyan king. Only to awaken a tyrant due to his wars. He¡¯s fighting in single combat with the tyrant, but the monster is strangling him slowly. With a shutter, he wakes up, and finds out that the sheets are trying to strangle him. The sheets with which he covered himself in the night for the warmth, are now actively strangling him, keeping his body in a bind, making it hard for him to move around. ¡°Gaaaa! Get off me!¡± He screamed, and opened several holes in the sheets with a loud ripping sound. The sheets went limp afterwards. After lying there in the ripped sheets, Hatori realizes he has ended up on the floor in his effort to get away from the murderous sheets. He shakily gets up, and leaves the room, sensing this new area with his radar spell. ¡°Ah, what a morning. Nothing like a great morning at your home.¡± Said Zeko. Hatori followed his voice, smelling some food. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake. Have a nice sleep?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Master, something attacked me.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Indeed?¡± Zeko did not sound worried. ¡°The sheets, they nearly strangled me.¡± Hatori goes on to explain everything from when he woke up, and how the sheets got ripped. ¡°It has already begun, I see.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Listen boy, brush your teeth, and get back here. Then we¡¯ll talk about it.¡± After Hatori gets back to Zeko, the old fox begins to explain while they start to eat their breakfast. ¡°In this house, there¡¯s a system. It is responsible for taking care of this house. This is why it has remained clean despite my absence.¡± Zeko takes a drink of his orange juice. ¡°The things responsible for taking care of this house are various yantras, which cook, clean, wash the clothes, water the plants, anything which you can think of for them to do in a day-to-day life. But there¡¯s another part of their responsibility.¡± Said Zeko. Hatori puts his empty cup of milk down. ¡°And that is?¡± He didn¡¯t like where this was going. ¡°To help in training for the member of this house.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t ask for their help.¡± He grumbled. ¡°Frankly, you¡¯re opinion doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Anything and everything can attack you in this house, since they¡¯re enchanted that way, and are connected with the central yantra of this house. Your sheets attacking you is just the start. You¡¯re lucky that it wasn¡¯t your blanket.¡± ¡°What is so lucky about that?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°A blanket is thicker than a sheet. With your current physical strength, and inexperience with magic, you would have never been able to get out of your room.¡± Explained Zeko. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Though it might sound dangerous, this house is not designed to kill you. The training is for your improvement. You can¡¯t improve when you¡¯re dead, now, can you?¡± said Zeko. ¡°Now, get ready for today¡¯s training. And do watch out for the attacks. They¡¯ll try to knock you unconscious.¡± Hatori just shook his head. He couldn¡¯t believe something like this could ever exist in the world. ¡°Wait,¡± he stopped in the middle of his walk. ¡°What is yantra?¡± But Zeko has already left. He probably has to find his way out of his house, wherever Zeko is. It is a part of his training. As a result of this training, he has gotten really good with the radar spell. But not good enough to go out in the world by himself yet.

Part 3: a day in Hatori¡¯s life.

In the afternoon, Hatori is having a language lesson on the porch. Zeko is questioning him about the grammar of Hindi, while Hatori tries to extract himself from the chair, which is trying to eat him. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°So, tell me. What do you put at the end of a question?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°I would tell you, if this chair would stop trying to eat me!¡± said Hatori, trying to extract himself by pushing at the arms of the chair, only to get his hands sunk down the arms. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing boy. The chair won¡¯t eat you. It is just trying to reach your neck or head, so it can render you unconscious.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t want to be unconscious!¡± Hatori screams, as he tries to get some energy from the floor, and tries to get away from the chair. ¡°Answer the question, or you¡¯ll eat food filled with Coriander!¡± Zeko roars. ¡°aaaahhhhhhk!¡± Hatori screamed in disgust. ¡°You put question marks at the end of a question!¡± said Hatori, overturning the chair, and making it bounce to the floor. He did a little dance. ¡°Free, free, free! I¡¯m gonna teach that chair a lesson!¡± He kicked the chair. He then started to hop. ¡°Ao, ao, ao!¡± Giving up on punishing the chair, Hatori asks a question of his own. ¡°Why are you questioning me on symbols?¡± He asked. ¡°I know what to put where. Comma in the middle; full stop at the end, and a question mark at the end, if the sentence is posed as a question.¡± ¡°You might know that, but it is all part of your learning. If I don¡¯t question you, you¡¯ll forget everything.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Anyway, turn this sentence into a declarative.¡± Grumbling about how he does not forget things, Hatori tries to solve the problem. After the lesson was over, and the daily training was done, Hatori was meditating. It is the last part of his daily schedule. It is evening. Zeko has left Hatori alone to meditate in the garden, while he has left to do something. What exactly is that something, Hatori has no idea. While he¡¯s meditating, Hatori is also sensing the area around him, straining his senses to stretch the distance. After fifteen minutes of doing that, he suddenly has a thought. ¡®It¡¯ll be wonderful if I could sense the light through this radar spell.¡¯ He starts to imagine the possibilities. ¡®What am I waiting for? There should be some sun light remaining right now. I should try sensing that.¡¯ Before he could do that, he confirmed that he is not feeling the sun on his skin. ¡®I¡¯m sitting under a shade. It is cool here. I can¡¯t feel it.¡¯ thus assured, he tries to sense the sun''s light. But he didn¡¯t get any feedback. Nothing. He just did not feel a thing. No matter how hard he tries, he fails to sense the sun''s light. He tries for one last time. He gets something at the edge of his awareness, but the floor starts to shake. Not wanting to face whatever danger this house has cooked up for him, Hatori gets up from the floor, and runs away. At dinner, Hatori asks Zeko. ¡°Master, is there a way for me to sense the light with the radar spell?¡± ¡°What brought this thought?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°I was meditating, and sensing things around me; that is when this thought occurred to me.¡± ¡°Hmm. To see, light is not like a solid object. It does have wavelengths.¡± Seeing Hatori open his mouth for a question, Zeko responded before he could ask. ¡°And no, I¡¯m not telling you, what the wavelengths are. You don¡¯t have any knowledge to understand that stuff yet.¡± Hatori pouted. ¡°Anyway, you can sense the wavelength of the light. However, it won¡¯t work like sensing light with an eye.¡± ¡°Is the moon out tonight?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. Do you plan to sense the light tonight?¡± ¡°Yes, in the garden.¡± After dinner, Hatori leaves for the garden. He tries to sense the light, slowly getting back the same feeling which he got when the floor started to shake. However, he still has trouble keeping it up for the long time. He is not sure that what he¡¯s sensing is light at all. Unless he could manipulate light in the future, he wouldn¡¯t know. After two hours of trying, the grass of the garden suddenly becomes active, and tries to eat Hatori. Screaming, Hatori runs away from the garden. After reaching his room, he marveled at the feeling. He didn¡¯t collide with anything in his way. ¡®Well, I¡¯ll try that again tomorrow. For now, I have to be careful in the night.¡¯ He thinks before falling asleep. (End.) Chapter 18 Chapter 18.

Part 1.

It has been a month since Hatori and Zeko have settled down at Zeko¡¯s house. The child has adapted nicely to his new environment, in Zeko¡¯s opinion, partly due to the radar spell. The fact that he is demonstrating movement across his large property, while just a month or two ago, he was afraid of running also delighted Zeko. Training him in magic is one thing. But he wishes to bring him out of his comfort zone, so he can expand his mind. His training proceeds smoothly, since it was the main purpose why he brought him here in the first place from the castle. Now that the boy has gotten used to living here, (and all those attacks as well), it is time to move his magical training up a notch.

Part 2.

Hatori has been living in this dangerous house for a month now. During this time, he has learned to sleep with his ears open, since he gets attacked day and night randomly. The attacks last until he¡¯s unconscious, or he has sufficiently damaged the object which is attacking him, or has lasted long enough. He still has no idea just how much damage is sufficient, or how much time he is required to last against a particular object, since everything can attack him in this house. Despite that, he is not showing any signs of sleep deprivation. Although he would like to brag about how he has not been knocked out for once, he has been left unconscious two or three times a week. Though he does not feel anything wrong with his body when he wakes up. Instead, he feels as if his body has recovered fully, much better than a full night''s sleep. Just like every day, Zeko is teaching him in the garden after breakfast. ¡°Today, it is time for you to learn another basic spell, different than the ones you have learned already.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°This is a basic push spell; when it connects with a human, it feels like getting punched. The name of the spell is Knockback.¡± Explained Zeko. ¡°To perform this spell, think of forcefully pushing away the object on which you¡¯re performing this spell in your head, and yell ¡°Knock!¡± while putting your hand out, with your palm open.¡± Zeko did the movement. ¡°I also need to tell you that this spell is useless.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Then why are you teaching me this spell?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°For the simple reason that spells like this allow you to get a level of control over your magic. Right now, when you¡¯ll perform this spell, sometimes it¡¯ll come out like a weak touch, or sometimes like a very powerful punch. But when you gain control over your magic with repeated use, you will be able to adjust the force of your spell at will.¡± Explained Zeko. ¡°The reason why this is useless is because it can only do one thing, push something forcefully away from you. Not to mention, if you use this spell in a real fight, it¡¯ll be easily knocked aside.¡± Said Zeko. Seeing the boy grin, Zeko flicked his chin with his finger. ¡°Less joking, more practicing! Complete your morning practice, then you¡¯ve got homework to do.¡± Zeko walked to his chair, watching Hatori perform the spell, offering corrections whenever necessary. After a few hours of practicing the spell, broken by his usual physical morning drills, Hatori is having lunch with Zeko in the afternoon. ¡°You should start using that spell whenever you get attacked.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°I believe you¡¯ll improve quite fast.¡± Hatori gritted his teeth. After watching his face, Zeko roared with laughter. In the evening, Hatori meditates. Each time he sits down dutifully crossed-legged at the same time, (with a few adjustments here and there), he hears Zeko¡¯s smug voice at the back of his mind. He just knows that the old man is going to taunt him for this for the rest of his adult life. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Once more he reached for the light. He has consistently managed to reach for the light, or at least feel for the traveling light, and see how it feels. But he has not been able to do anything meaningful with it. Though he does get to observe how sunlight gets affected by the clouds, as clouds have been roiling in the sky all day long. Apparently, they have enough of roiling, and after a loud crackle of thunder, the rain starts to fall. He does not care to meditate in bad weather, because Hatori is not trying to achieve the status of a sage. Abandoning his meditation, Hatori tries to run inside. The door was open when he arrived at the porch, but suddenly it closed right on his face. If it weren¡¯t for his constantly running radar spell, he would have run to the door face first. ¡®Must be the air.¡¯ He thought, and tried to open the door. The door refused to budge. Hatori tried harder, but a sudden jolt of electricity caused him to yelp, and get away. Trembling from what just happened, and shivering in the air, he tries to understand. ¡®I¡¯m not wet, aside from a few drops in my hair.¡¯ He knows that the combination of water and electricity is dangerous. ¡®But how did the door get electrified?¡¯ He tries to open the door once more, getting close in the process. But before he could come in the touching distance, the door electrocuted him again. ¡°Baaaa!¡± He yelped away once more. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense!¡± He yelled out loud. ¡°I wasn¡¯t even touching the door.¡± Though he did get wet in the process, he brought a rock from the garden. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope it¡¯ll be enough damage.¡± He throws the rock at the door, and nothing happens. He shook his head, splashing the water everywhere. ¡°Didn¡¯t expected that to work anyway.¡± He brings the chair of Zeko from the porch, and tries to open the door by pushing that chair at the door. Still, the door refuses to budge. At least, he didn¡¯t get electrocuted this time. Getting angry, Hatori throws the Knock spell against the door, putting all the power he could in it. ¡°Knock!¡± With a loud crash, the door is opened, and Hatori rushes inside before it could close.

Part 3: Zeko¡¯s lectures on magic: What is magic?

¡°Listen boy, you¡¯ve been here long enough that you should get your basic theory clear. And we should start at the beginning!¡± declared Zeko. ¡°O¡­kay?¡± said Hatori, not understanding the excitement of Zeko. ¡°First thing¡¯s first. What is magic?¡± He asked. ¡°The answer could be very simple, or very hard.¡± ¡°Which is it?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°For now, let¡¯s work with the simple answer. As you grow up, you¡¯ll learn a lot of things about how things work on this planet, among the stars, or within the universe. The universe has some set rules, and through these rules, we understand how the world works.¡± ¡°Are you talking about physics?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m surprised that you know about it. Most kids at your age are really not interested in this stuff.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Anyway, magic allows us to manipulate the rules of physics. We can either manipulate them into the set bounds, though apparently, magic allows us to violate those rules if we have to.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°How does that happen?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°That, is a lesson for the other day. For now, remember this. Magic lets us manipulate the rules of the universe, and it has the potential of breaking those rules as well.¡± ¡°I think a lot of people would find your explanation lackluster.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°When did you learn that word brat?¡± asked Zeko. (End.) Chapter 19 Chapter 19.

Part 1.

Zeko is worried. When he brought Hatori to his home a few months ago, he didn¡¯t think much about how he might need some contact with children of his own age. Now, it is not like there aren¡¯t any children nearby. He is sure that once he lets him out, Hatori would make friends with them. (Or he hoped, at least.) But it just makes it clear that he can¡¯t be careless in the future. He¡¯s not dealing with some bratty teenager here, with whom he often dealt with when their parents called him. This problem is not that big in Zeko¡¯s opinion, since there are multiple solutions for it. He could introduce Hatori to the local children, or take him to the castle for a few days every once in a while. The greater problem is that the boy is sick for a week, and isn¡¯t showing any chances of improving. Whatever remedies Zeko knew, he had tried them already. At this point, it is time to call an expert. The doctor is coming tomorrow. He¡¯ll be sure to keep an eye on her, who knows what kind of secrets she might learn, and spill those secrets on to?

Part 2.

Doctor Taashi specializes in children¡¯s health; she often sees children from 1 to 10 for whatever problems they are suffering from. Today, The Bloody Fox himself has called her to his home. Aware of his reputation, she expected a tortured child when she arrived. She feels as if the house is watching her, as she rings the bell. ¡°Welcome.¡± Zeko appeared a few seconds later. He beckoned her inside. ¡°Would you like any refreshments before you see the patient?¡± ¡°I will see the patient first.¡± She said, walking inside after him. ¡°Very well.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°This way, please.¡± They arrive at Hatori¡¯s room. The boy is very lethargic, not having much energy to move, let alone perform his strenuous training regime. He¡¯s currently asleep, but there¡¯s no sense of peace or relaxation on his face. ¡°Hatori, wake up.¡± Said Zeko, putting a hand on his head. With a twitch, he wakes up, and lash out with a hand. Zeko easily stopped it by slapping his hand aside softly. ¡°Does he do that often?¡± asked the doctor. ¡°Only when he is woken up. He¡¯s still developing his instincts, you see.¡± Explained Zeko, ignoring the furious glare of the doctor. She very well knows how those instincts are developed. Clearly, she does not approve. ¡°Who is this person, master?¡± Hatori croaked. ¡°She¡¯s doctor Taashi. She¡¯s here to see you, boy.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Now, follow her instructions, okay? I¡¯m here too.¡± ¡°I can sense you.¡± said Hatori drily. Zeko chuckled. And takes a seat on the chair nearby. Doctor Taashi detaches herself from her normal response after seeing the empty eye sockets of Hatori. Before she could move, the door opens, and another chair floats in the room. For a moment, Hatori tenses. But when the chair lowers itself near the doctor, he relaxes. The doctor takes the chair. ¡°Now, will you open your mouth for me, and say ah?¡± she said, while observing Hatori for some throat infection. She fishes out her notepad from her bag, and notes her observations. She touched his forehead, and noted the heat. ¡°I¡¯m now going to perform some spells on you. Don¡¯t worry, it is only to know the condition of your body.¡± She said. Her words weren¡¯t not enough to relax Hatori, however, but when Zeko flared his magic, it reminded him of his presence in the room, and he relaxed. Ignoring that entire silent communication, she noted how there were no signs of torture, or physical abuse, something which she expected before she came here. Though she noted that the child is running a strong fever. Turning to Zeko, she spoke. ¡°My checks are done. I think we should talk outside, and let him rest.¡± ¡°Go back to sleep, boy.¡± Said Zeko, and left with the doctor. So far, she has not given him any reason to doubt her. Outside, a cup of tea floated to the doctor and Zeko. Opening her notepad, she gives her verdict. ¡°here¡¯s the problem with him. His body is responding to the stress put on him for the last few months, both physical, and mental. You told me that his magic was awakened?¡± At Zeko¡¯s nod, she continued. ¡°Yes, that is a pretty stressful event. I suspect that it also didn¡¯t help that he has gone through cancer treatment in the other world. The methods they use do leave their effect for a life time. His immune system is strained.¡± ¡°He was tested before his magic was awakened. Why wasn¡¯t this possibility considered then?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Because it is impossible to know how someone will react once they¡¯re put in a stressful environment.¡± She finished after looking around the room. She pretty much told Zeko what kind of stress she meant by her glances silently. After taking a sip, she continues. ¡°Having said that, the situation is not exactly beyond us. Just put him on this strict regimen of potions for two months; watch out for his diet, and let him rest for a week. You can resume his normal activities after a week.¡± She puts down her cup. She then hands over her diet recommendation and potion to Zeko. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Getting up, she speaks. ¡°By your leave? You have already paid my fees.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Zeko escorted her to the door, and then looked at her recommendations with a much more careful eye.

Part 3.

Three days have passed since the doctor visited. So far, she hasn¡¯t revealed anything to anyone about this, if she continues that behavior, Zeko will stop monitoring her. True, it is possible that she might tell someone after that. but generally, if no information leak is happening at that time, then it means that the party in question won¡¯t be leaking that info, and the resources used for monitoring them can be used somewhere else. Zeko sent her instructions to Porus. After all, what could be a better source to do a review than the king, and the foremost alchemist on the Subcontinent? During this time, the effects on Hatori are quite obvious. Before, he was unable to move much, often slept restlessly, and his body was constantly at a high temperature. But now, he has some energy back; he is less delirious, and walks around the house daily. Zeko is also happy to know that even during his fever, Hatori managed to handle the silent attacks, though the difficulty was reduced. Instead of attacks, they were more like checks to see whether the instincts were still sharp or were rusting away slowly. Hatori doesn¡¯t know what to make of Zeko. He¡¯s acting like a doating parent, constantly watching over him, basically sitting in his room all day long, and following the doctor¡¯s orders strictly. Hatori decides it is too much to think about currently, and decides to enjoy the peaceful sleep instead. Zeko observes his health. Everything is running smoothly. Soon enough, they¡¯ll be back in training, and they¡¯ll start from where they left off. For now, Zeko hears Hatori¡¯s mumbles. ¡°Pointers everywhere, my program doesn¡¯t leak memory¡­ I am unstoppable.¡± ¡®You¡¯ll be one day.¡¯ Thought Zeko.

Part 4.

It is night time. Porus has just concluded his day, and is currently talking about some final matters with his secretary, Amarnath Varma. In his head, he often compares how Avinash looks like his father when he grows up. ¡°So, he offered me a bribe worth 10,000 royal notes for making the case for ¡°Disappear¡±.¡± Amarnath was saying. ¡°Hmm. You took the bribe?¡± asked Porus. ¡°Yep. Just like our usual operation, we¡¯ll give him peace for a few years, and then go righteous on his ass.¡± He said. ¡°Excellent!¡± The king clapped happily. ¡°Though I would like to mention that guy is looking haggard. I suspect he¡¯ll run out of all the money soon enough.¡± Said Amarnath. ¡°He should have thought about it before he raped a girl as a member of my court.¡± Said Porus coldly. ¡°Tell me.¡± Said the king. ¡°we¡¯ve been running such schemes for a while now. What do you think about my methods?¡± ¡°I am your right-hand man.¡± replied Amarnath. ¡°You could be the right-hand man of someone, and yet disapprove of their methods.¡± Said Porus. ¡°If I were to disapprove of your methods, then I would have plotted against you a long time ago. Magic knows I''ve got the chance multiple times.¡± Amarnath shots back.

Part 5: Zeko¡¯s lectures on magic: Foci.

After recovering enough, Hatori feels that he is good enough to at least listen to the theory of magic. Besides, it is not like he gets to cause thunder storms, throw fireballs, or enchant something anyway. though Zeko assures him that he will be able to do all of that and more once he learns enough. ¡°Today, we will cover the topic of foci. For now, you¡¯ve been using magic without a foci. It worked mostly because the spells which you use are the ones which affect you directly, like your radar spell, or your reading spell. However, when you want to use more complex magic, you¡¯ll need a foci to channel your magic.¡± ¡°A foci channels your magic, gives you more precision, so you can perform more delicate tasks. For example, remember your levitation training? It would be very easy to do with a foci. But forming a strong foundation of magic is important; that is why young mages are not allowed to have their own foci, until they reach the academy, where they will need one, since they would start learning more complex magic.¡± ¡°Foci come in many varieties, from wands and staves to various weapons like bows, swords, clubs, to some unusual ones like mirrors or jewelry. In the right circumstances, even a blade of grass can act as a foci.¡± ¡°Does that mean that you need foci? Or can you learn to do complex magic without them?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°No. But remember. Mages who are extraordinary, or have a lot of magical power to spare, or an inhuman level of focus are the ones who are capable of doing complex magic without a Foci.¡± (End.) Chapter 20 Chapter 20.

Part 1.

This is the 12th magical month of the year 4018. The winter has arrived. Hatori is given a sweater by Zeko, a sweater which is trying to strangle him to unconsciousness by its every woolen being. Through brute force, and some liberal application of the Knockback spell, Hatori manages to extract himself from the woolen monster, just in time for Zeko to arrive at the door of his room. Turning towards his master, Hatori remains quiet, and after a while, speaks. ¡°I¡¯m not wearing a sweater.¡± ¡°You will have to. You¡¯ll freeze otherwise.¡± Said Zeko. Though he had to convince Hatori hard to wear the piece of clothing which just failed to strangle him, Zeko is delighted that Hatori is pushing against his authority. Most of the time, he is very relaxed, obeys his instructions without arguments. Which makes him bored. Zeko like the students with some spirit in them. Sullenly wearing the sweater at breakfast, Hatori manipulates light while eating breakfast. At first, he really had trouble with this magic, but now, he has gotten used to it. Though aside from reflecting the light, he hasn¡¯t managed to do anything special with it. His focus is interrupted as his food plops in his plate from his spoon. Hatori focuses hard on his food, giving Zeko some rest from the lightshow. He has been forcing him to eat with a spoon, since it is an excellent way of instilling control over his hands, something which can be very useful in life. Once he learns to do that with his right hand, Zeko will start him on his left hand. He suspects there will be lots of explosions of rage when that time comes.

Part 2.

After receiving a softer sweater from Zeko, since the old one is getting repaired by the house, Hatori decides it is time to explore the house. While he trains and works on his homework in the day time, Hatori has some time to wander around the property, since Zeko wants his sense of exploration to be encouraged. During one such exploration, Hatori found the basement a month ago. However, he had to leave because Zeko was calling him. After that, he got busy with the increasingly hard homework and his recent breakthrough in light manipulation, so he didn¡¯t have any time. But now, it is different. He has a whole two hours before Zeko starts his training at 9 in the morning. So he decides to go to the basement, and see what¡¯s inside. He tip-toes inside silently. He has gotten used to moving silently since a lot of the things do react like living creatures. He could trick them and move pass them if he is careful. He has started to avoid attacks this way recently. However, nothing attacked him when he got inside. The only thing which the basement has is some giant humming thing, according to the Radar spell. ¡°Ah, the student finally visits me.¡± speaks the giant¡­ thing. ¡°Let me introduce myself. I¡¯m the central yantra, responsible for running this house. I was programmed by a rune master, and was modified later by the current owner of the house due to his paranoid tendencies.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Hatori Eagle.¡± Said Hatori. He realizes what a gold mine this is. He¡¯ll think about a talking machine later. ¡°You are the cause of the attacks on me.¡± ¡°Hmm. advance vocabulary for a child of your age.¡± Noted the yantra. ¡°It is the part of the training module, young master. If anyone is responsible, it is your teacher. I¡¯m just following my owner¡¯s orders.¡± ¡°Just for once, I would like to see him getting attacked.¡± Said Hatori while pouting. ¡°he has completed the module. He won¡¯t be affected at all.¡± Replied Yantra. ¡°What about in his sleep?¡± persisted Hatori. ¡°I suspect you won¡¯t leave this alone. Very well. I shall send the house after him tonight. Let¡¯s see whether he has gotten rusty or not.¡± Hatori smiled. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Boy, time for the training!¡± comes the voice of Zeko. ¡°Run along, young master.¡± Said the yantra. Hatori shook his head. How could two hours go so fast? Maybe it happens when you¡¯re planning to torment someone.

Part 3.

In the night, Hatori waits for Zeko to fall asleep. Though Zeko always knows what is going on at the edge of his awareness, for example, outside of his room, he has gotten used to Hatori. Besides, if he has the chance of getting the boy out of trouble, and then admonish him about wandering in the night, he¡¯ll be actually happy. Not to mention, his ongoing efforts to make him push against his authority. If he remains passive like this, he won¡¯t succeed in life. He should learn to push back, or the world would squash him. Zeko falls asleep. Hatori¡¯s wait is complete. The central yantra opens the door, as the walls, furniture, and even shadows come alive, and attack Zeko in his sleep. Hatori balks as he senses Zeko punching his furniture so hard that it goes flying, shredding the sheets and blankets with a burst of magic, and taking out the shadows with some fast spells. They came so fast that Hatori failed to recognize any of them, not that he knew many spells. Zeko does not approve of learning advance magic without firm foundations. The entire event was over in under a minute. The bed got back to its old position, the furniture resets, and Zeko never woke up. He went to sleep without even realizing what had happened in his room. Impressed with his master, Hatori walks away. He knocked a window curtain aside on his way to the room with the Knockback spell. He decides he¡¯ll surpass Zeko one day and falls asleep. After all, he can¡¯t surpass him with a tired body, now, can he?

Part 4: Zeko¡¯s lecture on magic, classification of magic.

Next morning, Zeko just feels he has a strange dream. The boy seems unusually attentive this morning, but he supposed it happens some times. Not that Hatori is prone to ignoring him. ¡®Just give few more years, and I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll get sick of my lectures.¡¯ He chuckled at his thoughts. ¡°Today, we will talk about the classification of magic, and how it is divided into various categories and branches.¡± Said Zeko. Hatori listened carefully. Realizing that Zeko might be looking for a gesture of acknowledgement, he gave a nod. Ignoring the clumsy nod, Zeko continues. ¡°The magic has several branches. Here are a few of them. Potions and alchemy, it deals with creations of elixirs, and interaction of chemicals and other material with magic. Next is runes. These are symbols which can have magical effects. Direct magical effects are exactly as they sound. Affecting a person or an object directly with magic. Spells, curses, and enchantments belong to this branch.¡± Hatori opened his mouth. ¡°Yes, I¡¯m getting into what exactly spells and curses are.¡± Hatori closed his mouth. ¡°Spells are something which do need a direct supply of magical energy. This is why you need to constantly cast the Radar spell, even though it affects only you. Curses are malicious in nature. For example, you can be cursed to trip at the third stair from the top. Each time you reach that stair, you will trip. The curse does not specify that you will tumble down. Though the possibility does exist. Curses have a condition to end them. For example, your curse to trip on the third stair from the top can be broken if, say, you don¡¯t eat fried potatoes for an entire week.¡± Zeko chuckled at the expression of anguish on Hatori¡¯s face. ¡°Enchantments don¡¯t need a direct magical supply, though they do need to be casted at first. The stronger the mage, stronger the enchantment is. Though much like anything, they do get warn out, and often need to be recharged, or renewed again.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°All the yantras you see in this house are built with some enchantments, or are enchanted by me.¡± ¡°Do keep in mind that this is not a complete explanation. But at your level, this is enough for now. Later, you¡¯ll learn about other types of magic.¡± Zeko finished the explanation. (End.) Chapter 21 Chapter 21.

Part 1.

Yograj waits for his prey to walk into his trap. He contains his urge to pace in his office. Pacing is for the weaklings. Though he might have failed to get the boy the previous year, he knew that Zeko would bring him for the exams, and it would be the perfect time to strike, and gain a new piece for the eternal chess game going on among the families. ¡®Should I spring the trap during the very first exam?¡¯ He considers his options. ¡®Hmm. It won¡¯t do. Zeko will be expecting something like that. I shall wait for him to drop his guard.¡¯ He thought. ¡®Besides, the boy probably would spend some additional time after the exams in the castle. Though it will be hard to get him out of there, it is certainly doable.¡¯ He contained his excitement. Getting excited too easily is the mark of a loser. Yograj might be many things, but a loser is not one of them.

Part 2.

Raven and Josh wait for Hatori. While Raven sits uneasily, Josh paces anxiously. They don¡¯t know what kind of state their friend will be in when they see him. Getting involved with Zeko¡¯s training indirectly last year was maddening enough for them. They can only think of how much more maddening it would have been for their friend. Both kids were standing on a tower, observing the gates of the castle from the top. This place does not provide the view of the entire castle, but it still gives the view of the most used paths of coming and going inside and outside of the castle. After seeing a terrifying looking man coming inside with a confident walk, followed by a child on his heels, they realized that their friend had just come. Running down from the tower, ignoring the adults please to stop running in the corridor, they both stop in front of Zeko, who is just in his way to enter his room. ¡°Well well. Your friends are here, boy.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°You should remember how they feel like inside your head.¡± ¡°Hello guys.¡± Said Hatori, extending his hand. Ignoring his hands, both boys jumped at him, and hug him fiercely. ¡°I¡¯ll leave you alone for now. Be ready tomorrow, I want to see whether you boys have become lazy or not in my absence.¡± Said Zeko before walking away, making Hatori¡¯s friends jump in fright. After staring in space for a while, they both snap out. ¡°Let¡¯s go for a walk.¡± Said Josh. ¡°So, how was living with the terrifying guy?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Mostly normal.¡± Replied Hatori. ¡°He¡¯s not that terrifying once you get to know him.¡± Both of them stumbled after hearing that. After staring at each other, they once more started to stride, as Hatori called them on it. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± he asked from some distance. ¡°Yeah, I think the training got to your head.¡± Said Josh. ¡°No, that¡¯s not true.¡± Protested Hatori. ¡°You see, I saw just how awesome he is.¡± Hatori tells them about his training and the house where he lived, and how Zeko faced everything in the house, and came out unscathed, all without waking up once. ¡°That¡¯s¡­ awesome.¡± Agreed Raven grudgingly. He couldn¡¯t deny it after all. While Hatori was telling his tale, Raven noticed the changes in their friend. For one, he walks with confidence, and without any assistance. Second, when they hugged him, they felt his body. Raven couldn¡¯t believe just how hard his body felt. He did not know whether as a kid, it was possible to get a body like that. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Josh also made some observations of his own. He feels how Hatori seems on an edge ever since he arrived here. But he chalked it up to his training. At least he is not getting any vibes that he needs help. By dinner time in the night, both boys were convinced that the training didn¡¯t¡¯ do anything bad with their friend. However, they got their views shattered harshly, when they went to wake him up the next morning. Though Zeko told them that they should let him sleep in after their trip, all the while making them run around the castle, it is 10 in the morning. Apparently, even Zeko feels it is late enough. They entered his room. Hatori lived in this same room last year, so they didn¡¯t need to find his room. ¡°Oy. Wake up already.¡± Said Josh. As they entered his room, Hatori twitched a little. But when Raven touched his shoulder, he suddenly grabbed his neck. ¡°What?¡± he choked. After getting over his shock, Josh tries to make Hatori release his grip. ¡°Let go already!¡± He put his entire body, and finally dislodged Hatori. He falls out of bed, and finally wakes up. Josh is surprised when Hatori releases his hand. He didn¡¯t know when he grabbed his hand. ¡°Yowa! good morning guys.¡± ¡°Good morning.¡± Raven covers Josh¡¯s mouth. ¡°Yep. A very good morning to you as well.¡± He replies. ¡°Give me a moment with Josh, will you?¡± Raven walks out. ¡°O¡­ okay¡­¡± Hatori decides to forget this strange incident. No point in getting worked up in the morning. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell him anything?¡± asked Josh, once they were outside. ¡°Because he did that in his sleep.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Remember how he told us, Zeko was basically attacked by his room, and took out everything in his sleep?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± Josh didn¡¯t like where this was going. ¡°I think we saw a small glimpse of that inside.¡± ¡°Dammit. I knew there was something wrong with him.¡± Muttered Josh. ¡°Yes. But there¡¯s nothing we can do. Just don¡¯t bother him too much with it. Let him relax here.¡± Said Raven, ignoring the bad word for now. ¡°Yeah. Maybe it¡¯ll curve his instincts.¡± ¡°Wow. I didn¡¯t know you could use big words.¡± Said Raven, as they walked into the room. ¡°I can use big words!¡± and the argument went on.

Part 3.

Porus and Zeko were talking about Hatori¡¯s training, during the king¡¯s break. ¡°So, he managed to sense the light itself. It is not perfect, but it is incredible.¡± Porus smiled. ¡°Interesting. You delivered the results, as you said before you took him away.¡± Zeko surmised that Porus is still not happy about it. ¡°But the question is, can he survive in the academy?¡± Zeko remains quiet.

Part 4.

Raven watches as Hatori follows the moving torch with his face. To make sure he is not sensing them, they put him in a room, hid the lighted torch, and then let him loose in the area. And he still managed to find the torch. They were even more delighted when he showed them that he could bend the light. ¡°I couldn¡¯t do anything more than that, though.¡± ¡°Yeah, but it is cool that you can already do this.¡± Josh mimed the zig-zagging light. ¡°I¡¯ve got something for Hatori.¡± Said one of the castle workers. He hands Hatori a paper, and leaves. ¡°You¡¯ve got a time table.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Can you read it?¡± Hatori began to read. After finishing, he just sighed. He hates exams. And apparently, even this dimension is not immune from the disease. (End.) Chapter 22 Chapter 22.

Part 1.

Hatori walks to the castle by himself. He marvels at the capability of magic. Just a year ago, he would have never thought that he would have been able to walk independently from his school. Raven and Josh are not here with him today. They left before him. This has happened once before, a few days ago. Hatori has made his peace with the fact that this is just the start. Soon enough, they will start to distance themselves from him. He suspects that some blame is on him. He should have controlled his instincts better. The choking Raven in that morning probably accelerated their consideration of getting away from him. He shakes his head. ¡®I¡¯m way too tired to think about all of this.¡¯ He has gotten tired mentally of answering the questions. While most of the kids come exhausted after practical exams, Hatori is not bothered by those tests. Instead, the theory drains him. It has been this way back in his magicless world as well. Hatori stops in his tracks. Last time he came from this road, there were a lot of people present. The road wasn¡¯t empty. He walked slowly, ready to run in a different direction at the slightest threat.

Part 2.

Ravi Tandan is the guy in charge of Yograj¡¯s operations, where he wants someone taken covertly or by force. He is waiting with ten soldiers from Joshi¡¯s army. Though he has great respect for Yograj, he doesn¡¯t like to work with his soldiers. They¡¯re too green, specifically this batch. He observes the child getting on the street. ¡®Dammit, this won¡¯t be easy.¡¯ He predicted. The boy is clearly on his guard. ¡®Nothing less can be expected from Zeko¡¯s student. Just under a year, he turned this boy from a normal disabled child to this.¡¯ He motions his men to move. The child is ready to run at the slightest sign of trouble. His men failed to conceal their footsteps. He cursed in his head a blue streak, as the boy started to run like a deer. The soldiers went after him like some excited group of hunters. He followed closely. ¡°Don¡¯t harm the boy!¡± His warning came just in time, as the soldiers began to fire spells at Hatori. Restraining ropes come from the short staff carried by the soldiers. They switched the spell just in time. when the ropes failed to entangle the boy, they launched some joint breaking spells to stop the running boy. Hatori¡¯s instincts took over, and he retaliated with a fast series of Knockback spells, sending those spells back to the unprepared soldiers. Sickening cracks of bones and howls of pain echoed on the street; yet no one came to see what was going on. Ravi admired the boy for retaliating. It is true that the soldiers are substandard, but it is truly impressive that the boy managed to stop five fully grown adult mages. But he is unable to avoid them for too long. After Ravi suddenly appears in front of the boy, while five soldiers come from behind, they entangle him within the ropes, and use the potion of sleep on him by cracking the viol near him. Once his struggles stop, they pick him up, and carry him off to their lord.

Part 3.

Ravi observes from outside, as Dhanraj, son of Yograj, presents the knocked-out child like a prize to his father. He kept his distaste for himself. He works for a pretty twisted family. Revealing his thoughts might just end his life. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Here¡¯s the child father, whom Porus tried to keep away from you.¡± said Dhanraj. ¡°Very good.¡± Said Yograj approvingly. ¡°Ravi, you may wake up the child.¡± He enters the room, and splashes some water on Hatori¡¯s face after conjuring a glass full of it. Hatori wakes up with a startled yelp. He quickly realizes he is unable to move, and his surroundings are different. ¡®Not again.¡¯ He quickly contains his distaste of waking up in an unfamiliar place. ¡°While the boy regains his bearings, explain how you captured him.¡± Orders Yograj. ¡°Of course, my lord.¡± Ravi bowed. ¡°As ordered, I took ten of your soldiers to capture him. After clearing out the street, we waited for the boy to return from school. However, when the boy walked into our trap, he sensed something. He started to run; your soldiers started to chase him like he was their prey.¡± ¡°Despite my orders not to do so?¡± said Yograj in a displeased tone. ¡°Yes.¡± Said Ravi. ¡°They used some spells on him, but my quick reminder made sure that they did not use any lethal ones.¡± ¡°I observe how he is undamaged.¡± ¡°He returned those spells, and knocked out five of your soldiers. However, he couldn¡¯t keep it up for too long. After he got exhausted, I knocked him out with the sleeping potion, and brought him here.¡± ¡°That explains it. It is well that you remembered my orders. Not even a joint out of the place.¡± Praised Yograj. ¡°You should leave and relax for now.¡± Ravi bowed, and quickly left. Yograj makes a note to do something about the lacking discipline of his soldiers. ¡°Now, boy, tell me who you are.¡± Orders Yograj. ¡°Hatori Eagle.¡± Answers the boy. ¡°A promising start. Keep following my orders, and you will realize that life is beautiful.¡± Said Yograj. ¡°Tell me. Do you know why we have brought you here?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± ¡°Hmm. Here¡¯s a simple explanation. I want you, to work for me and my family¡¯s interests. In return, we will look out for your education, training, and your general wellbeing.¡± ¡°And if I refuse?¡± asked Hatori. ¡®I did not expect a child of his age to say those words.¡¯ Thought Yograj. ¡°Then, you will realize that life is horrible.¡± ¡°I think there¡¯s a lot you¡¯re not telling me.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Yes. You are not capable of grasping those matters yet. Enough of this chitchat. Do you agree to do as I command or not?¡± Hatori considers for a moment. ¡°No.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± Yograj snaps his finger, and a servant appears. ¡°Take him to the basement. Do not give him food for three days. Give him water, but not food. Understand?¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The servant caries Hatori to the basement. Yograj expected him to throw a tantrum, but the child did no such thing. ¡°Father, why didn¡¯t you deny him water as well?¡± asked Dhanraj, ready with a violent spell in case his father answered with violence instead. ¡°Because he¡¯s still a child.¡± He answered. ¡°Let¡¯s see how much he resists without food for three days.¡±

Part 4.

Zeko searches the street. The signs point to a struggle and a chase. Talking to people has yielded no results, since no one has seen anything. The tracking spells are not working anymore. He must go to the last location where they were active. At least the vital spells are still working. Meaning his student is still alive, though in what condition, he does not know. (End.) Chapter 23 Chapter 23.

Part 1.

Ever since the disappearance of Hatori, Josh and Raven are inconsolable. Not a day goes by when they don¡¯t blame themselves for leaving him alone. no one has time for them either, since most adults are either looking for their friend, or just busy with politics. Except for one soldier who has a day off today. Magpie consoles his sobbing son. Usually, Raven is not very emotional. But clearly, the boy must have put an impression on his son, for to make him feel so badly for his disappearance. After having enough of their sobbing, Magpie decides that it is time someone says something to these children. Honestly, Josh¡¯s parents or his uncle should be the one doing the consoling for him. But as usual, they are too busy in court to look after the children of their families. ¡°Listen boys,¡± they stopped sobbing after hearing his strong tone. ¡°You should not blame yourself. Consider this. What could you have done for him? They could have killed you and taken Hatori all the same.¡± He winced internally. His wife is correct; he is too blunt. The words helped a little, but nothing could fix their mood until Hatori is found, and returns to them. ¡°Do you think Zeko would find him?¡± asks Josh. ¡°I¡¯m sure he will. Once that happens, we won¡¯t leave him alone.¡± assures Raven.

Part 2.

Porus paces back and forth in his room. Different from his study, no one is allowed here without his approval. Given the wards and fields surrounding this room, no one wants to enter this room without his permission. He considers the case of Hatori. Twice the boy has been kidnapped from under his protection. Meaning, his strength is not what it once was. Meaning, the nobles don¡¯t fear him anymore. meaning, he¡¯s not the tiger running the country. Instead, the ants are slowly climbing over him. ¡®But they forget.¡¯ He thinks. ¡®This tiger just doesn¡¯t roar. I will burn their nests if need be.¡¯ When the court resumed the next morning, it was terrifying.

Part 3.

Zeko tracks down the last location of the tracking spells on Hatori, finding that the spells were last active near the Joshi family¡¯s territory. ¡®Figures. That bastard won¡¯t stop at nothing to get his hands on my student.¡¯ Sending a letter to Porus, informing him of this information, Zeko tries to find a way inside without disturbing the wards. He has enough power within himself to tear these wards, but he would be weakened afterwards, so he won¡¯t use brute force on them. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Porus probably would move against Joshis in the future, since twice they have defied him. But Zeko puts all these thoughts out of his head, and focuses on rescuing his student. He keeps himself hidden from the patrols going on. ¡®Why the sudden increase in security? Could he be expecting some kind of retaliation?¡¯ Zeko considers capturing some of these grunts. But he decides that given Yograj¡¯s personality, he won¡¯t tell them the reason for their sudden increase in vigilance. Thus, capturing them would be fruitless, and it might even expose his position here. He must remain nearby, since he can move fast, and get the boy out of there if he could get the Joshis distracted somehow. The anger surged within Zeko. Just like these past three days, he controlled himself. He cannot let his emotions influence his decisions. His student¡¯s life in danger. He must use all the experience he has to play this carefully. But it is not like he couldn¡¯t ring the necks of the people involved once he got Hatori back. And he will get him back, no doubt about it.

Part 4.

Hatori has been locked in the basement without food, just according to the orders of Yograj. When he was brought here by the people whom Hatori thinks were the servants of this house, they introduced him to everything. They did not restrain him. They told him where to get water, where the toilet was, but did not give him any food. They left him in the basement, without checking up on him at that time. To save energy, Hatori began to meditate. He sensed some light near a wall. He follows the path of light in reverse, and learns that there is a shaft which brings some small amount of light during the time of day to this basement. That is how he has been able to keep count of the days down here. A blind kid keeping the count of days in a dark basement seems like a bad joke to him, but Hatori is experiencing the effects of hunger. His mind probably is not in the right place. Since he has nothing else to do aside from sleeping, drinking water to keep away the hunger, and meditating, he just focused on the light. Soon enough, he started to bend it around. It was hard at first, but it got easier and easier. He started to sense the light around his body, and started to deflect it away from him. He did not know what kind of effect it had on his body. but when the door opens, and the exclamations of surprise are uttered by the people who come to check up on him, he realized that he had a chance. ¡°Where did he go?¡± asked a man with a gruff voice. ¡°He couldn¡¯t have gone anywhere, find him!¡± To their surprise, the door is left open. Before anyone could stand there to block it, Hatori sneaks away from the door to the outside. He hears someone mumble behind his back. ¡°Lord Yograj will have our heads¡­¡± (End.) Chapter 24 Chapter 24.

Part 1.

¡°M¡ªmy lord?¡± Says a servant girl. She cursed at her studder. She is sent to relay the bad news, in the hope that Yograj would be merciful to a female. ¡°Yes?¡± She could not detect his mood. ¡°The child has run away.¡± The silence descends into the room, which is broken by Yograj¡¯s shriek of rage. His magic lashed out, and the girl lost her head. He called Tandan to his study, while leaving his servants to clean up the blood and take care of the body. ¡°My lord.¡± Ravi announces his presence. ¡°What are you doing to solve this issue?¡± asked Yograj. ¡°Your son is tracking the boy. I was about to leave to help him, which is when you called me.¡± said Ravi. ¡°Very well,¡± Yograj decides to forget the implications of him interrupting Ravi for now. ¡°You may leave. Bring the boy to me.¡± Ravi nodded, and left. Yograj contains his urge to pace in his study. There has been no news from the court ever since the child was brought to him. He expected Porus to do some posturing, but this is unexpected. All just because of a child? Granted, an important child, but still. A king should not interfere in such matters in the first place.

Part 2.

After escaping from that basement, Hatori finds himself in the middle of this massive house. He does not know how he was brought into this house, but he does know how he was brought into the basement. As long as he can avoid that crazy man, he should be able to get out of here. His plans get interrupted, as several men swarm the hall, where he is pretending to be the part of the wall. They can¡¯t see him, probably due to the light thing he is doing. He does not have any time to experiment with it right now. ¡°Cast revealing spells. We should find him.¡± They begin casting, and a clamour arises in the hall due to the verbal casting of their spells. Hatori manages to get lucky, and walks outside of the door, closing it behind him. He locks it behind him. When the men learned that they were locked, they began to pound the door. He avoided the path to Yograj¡¯s study. And runs into a group, which apparently, judging from the voices, contains women. This time, his luck does not hold. He is hit by a spell, feeling the magic touching him like a cold splash of water. ¡°We found him!¡± exclaims one of the women. ¡°Where is he though?¡± asked the rest of the group. ¡°In that direction.¡± He feels her hand pointing at him. ¡°Let¡¯s cast the canceling spells. It should make him visible.¡± A game of dodging ensues, where these mages fail to hit him accurately because they couldn¡¯t see him. Hatori sneaks off to the outside, where he couldn¡¯t conceal the sound of his footsteps, as the gravel crunches under his naked feet. He gets surrounded quickly. ¡°Surrender boy, or get ready to feel the pain.¡± Threatens one of them. They began casting. Some spells hit him, making him grunt. But again, they couldn¡¯t see him, so they could not hit him accurately. Though some spells ended up hitting other mages. Taking advantage of the argument breaking out, he sneaks away. However, the two men who were in that room with that crazy guy began to chase him with their own group. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Stop!¡± they ordered. But Hatori did not stop. Dhanraj shakes his head. Instead, he began to cast disabling spells, designed to stop a resisting person through pain and some carefully directed damage. He kept track of Hatori with revealing spells. At the end of his endurance, and getting bruised by the spells earlier, coupled with his hunger, Hatori lost his focus, and became visible. ¡°Get him!¡± comes the order from his back. Abandoning the sneaky approach, he breaks for it. ¡°Dammit, how is he able to run even after this? That Zeko must be a monster.¡± ¡°And we can¡¯t allow him to go outside of the wards!¡± said Ravi urgently. ¡°Why?¡± asked Dhanraj. ¡°The land outside does belong to us, after all.¡± ¡°Because we then have to face¡ª¡± Hatori goes outside of the wards in that moment, and at that moment, Zeko appears in a swirl of fire. ¡°We have to face that monster.¡± Finished Ravi grimly.

Part 3.

Zeko walks up to Hatori, keeping his student behind himself once he reaches the boy. Dhanraj tries to move to scoop up Hatori, who is now gasping on the ground, but Zeko stops him on his track with a glair. ¡°You can¡¯t interfere Zeko. This is a private matter, outside of royal authority.¡± Said Dhanraj. He is ready to bolt, mission be damned. ¡°Royal authority encompasses everything.¡± He replied coldly. ¡°But this isn¡¯t about authority and laws. You dare to kidnap my student. I cannot allow you to do that.¡± ¡°And what will you do?¡± Comes a voice from inside the massive house. ¡°I have the key to the future. You can¡¯t take him away from me.¡± said Yograj from inside his manner. ¡°I don¡¯t need my seat of power to tangle with you.¡± replied Zeko. ¡°There is a rule of magic. Strong rule, weak obey. And I order you to obey me, and let me and my student out of here.¡± ¡°Surround him!¡± Yograj thinks this is a bluff. Zeko might be strong, but he won¡¯t be able to fight and take his student away at the same time. In the resulting chaos, he will make moves to snatch the boy once more. ¡°You should have listened to me.¡± replied Zeko in a low tone. He charges a spell on his finger, which quickly grows into a large gun above his head. Flames swirl around him, going to that gun above Zeko¡¯s head. The shear pressure of his magic brings Ravi and Dhanraj to their knees, while their soldiers fall face-first to the ground. ¡°Fucking hell¡­¡± muttered Dhanraj. Even in his wildest rages, his father never inflicted that kind of pressure on his surroundings. Yograj prepares a shield from his study; the shield takes physical form in the shape of a sphere of bubbling water, encasing the house. He is expecting to stop the fire element spell easily with this shield. Zeko pulls his finger as if firing a gun. With the sound of a massive laser, the spell is fired. The shield starts to twist and bend inward from that spell. Yograj puts more effort into stopping the spell on its track. However, the effort proves to be too much for his body. After blood started to come out of his nose and mouth, he passes out in the pool of his own blood, while the spell devastates the House of Joshi, barely stopping before touching the study of Yograj. In the chaos, Zeko takes Hatori away, leaving the Joshis to pick up the pieces of their destroyed seat of power. (End.) Chapter 25 Chapter 25.

Part 1.

Dhanraj has taken over the family''s responsibility in the absence of his father. Already, sharks in the family are circling around, looking for weaknesses to take over positions for themselves. He considered killing his unresponsive father, and solidifying control under himself. But he quickly discarded the idea. That old man knows too many secrets of the family. He¡¯ll need his help to ward off the sharks. Currently, he is overlooking the repair of their destroyed house and their wards, while preparing for the response of the king. ¡®That Porus, he won¡¯t let it slide. Father went too far this time.¡¯ ¡®What if there are more mages like him under the king¡¯s employ?¡¯ He shuttered at that thought. He can still remember the pressure of Zeko¡¯s magic, how, despite not focusing on him, it stifled him. He wouldn¡¯t want to face a monster like him any time, soon, or ever in his life.

Part 2.

¡°Due to their defiance of the royal authority, bestowed upon me by this throne, I declare Joshi family as isolated. No one is going to do business with them; no one is going to supply them with military equipment. Anyone found doing so will be put to death, and if they are connected to a family, that family will be stripped of its resources for defying the authority of the throne.¡± Declared Porus. The silence descends on the court. Isolation is a type of sanction where despite having all of your resources, you essentially become untouchable¡­ in a negative way. No family would do any business with the one who is declared isolated. If this rule is broken, the king decides the punishment. Usually, it is fatal for the person who broke the rule, and ruinous for the family of that person. The sanction has not been used for the last 300 years. Thus, the sudden use of it by Porus shocked the court. ¡°Your Majesty, isn¡¯t that a bit harsh?¡± protested one noble, who quailed under the glare of Porus. ¡°You seem to have formed the opinion that Porus is a pushover. You can do anything under his nose, and get away with it, and if you get caught, just get a slap on the wrist because of your wealth and political connections.¡± Said Porus to the court. ¡°But I sit on this throne, not because I am the most feared, or the strongest. I sit on this throne, because it approves of me. You all have seen the historical examples of those who have tried to claim this throne without its approval.¡± ¡°But if you dispute my claim, then you are free to challenge me in single combat. I am ready to put this throne up as a price if you win." No one moved. They did not want to face Porus in any kind of combat, much less one-on-one single combat for the throne. They all cursed Josh is for their impulsive actions once again. First, the plot last year, and now this. They would need to be much smarter if they wished to survive the crisis caused by one noble family.

Part 3.

Zeko meets with the healer, to hear the report about Hatori¡¯s health. The boy is currently enjoying the company of his two friends in his room, after he was released from the castle¡¯s infirmary. Porus didn¡¯t want to send the boy to a hospital outside, so he summoned some healers and got his health checked out right in the castle. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. The healer flips through the report. ¡°His physical condition will recover in a month, though it is advised that his body should not be strained in any shape during that time. Far more concerning is his mental condition.¡± The healer flips through the report once more. ¡°He suffered complete isolation for three days; wasn¡¯t given any food during that time; was chased and forced to use his magic, straining his mind in the process, and suffered some minor damage during that chase. The psyche of children is fragile. No telling what kind of effects his mind might suffer, as a result of these experiences.¡± ¡°So, he should not strain himself mentally or physically for a month?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°He must not strain his body for a month. Mentally, it is harder to assess. You have worked with children before; you will spot if anything is wrong with him. But I do suggest you contact a healer instead of trying to solve the problem yourself.¡± Zeko nodded. Taking a copy of the report with him, he leaves for his room, leaving Hatori to relax for now. He will meet with him tomorrow. He suspects that his student would be full of questions.

Part 4.

Hatori finds Zeko next to himself in his room, sitting on a chair waiting for him to wake up. He feels rested from the sleep he has gotten, but the body still aches as if he has gone on a marathon while trying to play chess or solving math problems at the same time. Gingerly, he moves from his bed. Before he could step on the floor, Zeko was on his side, helping him. After his morning ablutions were done, Hatori asks Zeko while eating his breakfast in his room. ¡°So, why did that guy call me the key of the future, or something like that?¡± he asked, while swallowing his food. ¡°First, slow down. You wouldn¡¯t want to choke on your food, would you?¡± Said Zeko. Hatori slows down in response. ¡°Second, I didn¡¯t realize you were listening.¡± ¡°I was. I also remember feeling your magic. It was¡­¡± Hatori is lost for words. He does not know how to describe that feeling. ¡°My goal is to train you to the same level, or beyond.¡± Hatori couldn¡¯t believe what he had just heard. What kind of magic existed beyond Zeko¡¯s level? ¡°To answer your question, you remember you were brought here because of a prophecy?¡± At Hatori¡¯s nod, Zeko continues. ¡°It has to do with that. Some people think that by controlling you, they can control the future, and come out on top.¡± ¡°Why hasn¡¯t anyone told me the prophecy?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because no one knows aside from the heads of the family and the king. True, people know that there is a prophecy. But the details are only known to these people.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°To be honest kid, if I could have my way, I would prefer if no one knows about the details, let alone a prophecy that exists. Each time prophecies have appeared in human history; they have been more trouble than they were worth. We would have been better off without knowing them.¡± ¡°I have a question of my own.¡± Said Zeko, while Hatori drinks his orange juice. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you obey Yograj? You must be terrified. And yet, you refused him.¡± Asked Zeko. He learned about Hatori¡¯s refusal yesterday from him, before he went to sleep. He also deduced from the fact that Hatori actually ran away from Joshi family¡¯s manner. ¡°Because if I would have agreed with him, he would have just used me as a tool. What would happen to me once my use has run out?¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I didn¡¯t like his pitch either.¡± Zeko couldn¡¯t help but laugh after hearing the last statement. ¡°Maybe I will tell him to improve his sales pitch in the next life if I ever met him.¡± Said Zeko. Because he won¡¯t leave him alive to improve it in his current life. (End.) Chapter 26 Chapter 26.

Part 1.

After his second kidnapping, (it is distressing that he is keeping count of something like that), Hatori has done nothing but relax. Zeko hasn¡¯t provided any magical instructions or trained him physically. Coupled with the fact that he still keeps expecting some attacks just like back in the house, is making him antsy. He did suffer some sleep deprivation due to the nightmares caused by his kidnapping. In particular, the vivid dreams of getting chased like a prey made it hard for him to sleep. Strangely enough, he is not terrified by Yograj, whenever he appears in his dreams. Though he would consider his good fortune if he could avoid that family entirely in the future, he feels that it is not going to happen. He got his results in the meantime. He has scored a total average of 75, with which Hatori is happy with. ¡°Didn¡¯t you care to get in the magical eighties, or the unreachable nineties?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Nope.¡± Responded Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m happy in the middle of the class.¡± Both of his friends shook their heads at this strange behavior. Of course, both of them managed to reach the magical eighties, as Raven called it. Though Hatori failed to see what was so great about a number. It is not like it increased the magical level or something. If it did, maybe he would have bothered to pay attention then. After the month passed, Zeko declared that it was time to leave. ¡°Get ready boy,¡± he said at the time of lunch. ¡°We¡¯re leaving tomorrow.¡± ¡°To the house?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes.¡± He said, and left the children alone. There was no need for Hatori to do extensive packing. All his clothes were already in his bag since he arrived at the castle, ready to go. He did pack his gifts given to him by his friends on his birthday. He then played a round of chess with Suresh in the park, and left the next day.

Part 2.

Surendra Sharma calls another meeting of nobles, similar to the one which he called when he sensed Hattori¡¯s awakening. This time, the topic is about the Joshi family¡¯s recent actions, and Porus¡¯s response to them. ¡°That bastard on the throne has gone too far!¡± Unfortunately for Surendra, the meeting is not going well. A clamor has been going on for a while, where everyone is complaining about Porus, basically saying he has gone too far. By this point, he has lost control over his own conference. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t interfere in the business of honest citizens!¡± ¡°He should protect the country from outside threats, not run politics with an iron fist!¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. For all their complains, none of them have any suggestions. ¡°But he has the full authority of the throne.¡± Sharma tries to say this, but no one is listening to him. Even though they are not happy regarding the harsh treatment of Joshi family, none of them invited the family to this meeting. They already have cut ties with the family to save their skins. Praduman Rao and George Fernandes already know this. Getting sick of the hypocrisy, they both abruptly leave the conference, leaving the nobles scandalized, excluding Surendra.

Part 3.

In the car, Zeko explains the training for this year. ¡°You have started to build your foundation of magic. Now, I can begin to teach you more spells.¡± He spoke. ¡°Also, some other things, even though the school does not approve. Seriously, I would love nothing more than to burn that entire curriculum!¡± ¡°Can I help?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°No.¡± said Zeko, dampening the spirit of the boy. ¡°As much as we both might love to do that, unfortunately, that curriculum cannot be harmed in any way.¡± ¡°Also, it is time that I teach you how to conduct yourself in a formal setting.¡± Said Zeko. A shiver runs down Hatori¡¯s spine. ¡°Get ready boy, we¡¯re going for a formal dinner.¡± Hatori screams in horror.

Omake: argument with Narrator.

Narrator: I demand an increase in pay, and a greater presence in the story! Author: And what will you do if I refuse to give you those things? Narrator: Then I will go to the Narrator¡¯s union. Do you realize what they do to authors like you? Author: Fuuuuuuuuck! Those unions, when you need them, they are never useful. But they always come around to screw me! Narrator: So, about my demands¡ª Author: I called out to create a union for blind programmers, so the employees won¡¯t kick us out just because of our disability. But did they listen? No! ¡°No one would agree,¡± they said. ¡°We¡¯re into a politically charged world.¡± They spoke. But did they try to improve their situation once? No! Narrator: Um¡­ Author: As if it wasn¡¯t enough, they actually go against me when I write a story! Narrator: Had enough? Author: Yes. Narrator: So, about my demands? Author: Fine. You can have a greater presence in the story. But know this. Should you cross the limits, I¡¯ll fire you and your union. And no one, will come to save you. You got that? Narrator: By fire, you mean¡­ Author: figuratively, and very literally. Narrator: Okay, I won¡¯t cross any limits. Promise! Author: (Throws a check) Take this, and get lost, before I change my mind, and fire you on the spot. Narrator: (Walks away quickly) (End.) Chapter 27 Chapter 27.

Part 1.

Hatori limps into the house. Though he was horrified by the news of the formal dinner, he is glad that it doesn¡¯t have to take place immediately. He has a few months to prepare himself, according to Zeko. ¡°You will need that time to not embarrass me, boy.¡± Said Zeko to him. Hatori is also glad to return to the house. Though he did enjoy relaxation, without getting attacked, he is happy to live in a room while training, instead of living in a moving vehicle. Since it is the time of the night, and they have just returned to Zeko¡¯s house, there won¡¯t be any training. Hatori thinks he needs to get used to his physical activities once more. His body is taking a while to get back to its former intensity, though Zeko did say that they did not lose much progress. According to him, it is not enough to lose your progress in a month, unless you are injured badly, or don¡¯t move much during that entire month, both of which did not apply to Hatori. As he enters his room, looking forward to the rest, he is halted on his walk towards his bed by a voice. ¡°Master Hatori, this is Central Yantra.¡± Said the voice. Hatori senses a ball of light hovering over his bed. Why a ball of light is hovering, is too much to think about for his tired brain. ¡°I remember you.¡± he replied, groggy from exhaustion. ¡°I¡¯m glad, sir. We have detected that your abilities have gone through some improvements. As a result, we yantras would like to inform you that your difficulty will be increased tomorrow.¡± ¡°You increased the difficulty previously, without telling me. What has changed?¡± asked Hatori, this news has cleared the cobwebs of exhaustion from his brain. ¡°Because the next level is going to be quite tough.¡± Said central yantra in a mild voice, which Hatori feels is unsuited for the grave news. ¡°What kind of things can I look forward to?¡± asked Hatori, fishing for info. ¡°Mainly, you must prove yourself for the use of the facilities of this house in combat, every twenty-four hours. For example, eating, bathing, sleeping.¡± ¡°Great. I can sleep in peace for now?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes.¡± Answered, the ball of light disappeared after saying that. Hatori soon realizes that the Central Yantra is a liar, as he has to dispose of two shadows before he can sleep. At least nothing else bothered him for the remainder of the night.

Part 2.

The next morning, Hatori had to fight the curtain of the window near his table in the hall, before he could actually eat breakfast. It is considered inhuman to make children do things like that just for their food. As the curtain tries to choke him, Hatori levitates a knife from the table, and the curtain receives a hole. Hatori then slices a few more holes in the curtain, and sits on the table after it falls limp. Putting the knife back on the table, he sighed. ¡°Curtains these days, won¡¯t even let you break your fast in peace.¡± He complained. ¡°If I were me, I would demand a refund.¡± Zeko roared with laughter after hearing that. ¡°Now, you will see different utensils on your plate kid.¡± Said Zeko, once he calms down from his amusement. ¡°You will use these for eating.¡± ¡°Is it about that upcoming dinner?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes. Besides, I think it¡¯ll build your motor control, something which you¡¯ll need in the future. Now, pick up that fork.¡± Orders Zeko. Hatori wonders whether he would be able to eat at all in the coming days or not. Thankfully, the breakfast concluded without him spilling anything. But at this rate, it is only a matter of time. ¡®Why can¡¯t I use a spoon?¡¯ He thinks. ¡®Not that it is easy to eat with it. but it is easier than a fork.¡¯ Because the world is an unfair place kid.

Part 3.

After the breakfast is concluded, and the morning training and reading, along with the homework sent from the school is done, Hatori is waiting for his next instructions from Zeko in the garden. There are some wooden logs scattered around, which Zeko has recently brought in. ¡°Today, you will learn another spell.¡± He spoke. ¡°Now, sense this.¡± Hatori feels the magic of Zeko. It condensed at the tip of his index finger, and then released in a blade like shape at a wooden log, piercing it, and coming out from the other side. Hatori goes to touch the hole in the log, finding it smooth, and without any roughness. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t there be some roughness?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, when you don¡¯t have control.¡± Explains Zeko. ¡°This spell is the next step in acquiring control over your magic, especially when it comes to external effects. We''ve already covered them, but here¡¯s a quick refresher. These are spells which do affect the outside world in some fashion.¡± ¡°I remember. While spells like my Radar spell affect me personally, internally.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Zeko nodded. ¡°This spell also can be dangerous if performed on a human. Unlike the Knockback spell, it is not harmless. It can cause serious injuries, and fatalities. So be careful of that.¡± warns Zeko. ¡°I will.¡± Replies Hatori. Zeko then watches Hatori focus his magic on the spell. It requires concentration to make the magic appear in a shape like that. ¡®Master this spell boy, because you''ll be learning combat magic this year.¡¯ Zeko feels it is necessary that he get Hatori started on that. His recent kidnapping reminded him harshly that he does not have much time to instruct him. For now, he might be safe. But there won¡¯t be any safe place to hide in the academy. True, children ages ten to twelve don¡¯t suffer any fatalities. But you don¡¯t need to kill someone to make their life miserable. Cruelty comes to children easily. He should know, he suffered it, and inflicted it on others. The fact that those children will receive encouragement from their families to cow Hatori just makes things worse. ¡®But you won¡¯t suffer, if I have to say anything about it.¡¯ In the evening, after the days training is done, Hatori is sitting at the dinner table, having no need to fight for his dinner, since he already fought for his food in the morning. He is warned out though, since he has to fight for using water, and getting attacked in the bath after he nearly fell asleep there. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Master,¡± he asked. ¡°You have mentioned an academy in the past. What exactly is it? You never told me anything about it.¡± he asked, while trying not to spill his dinner. He is considering levitating his food, bypassing these difficulties entirely. In the opinion of this handsome narrator, he is completely right to do so. ¡°Hmm.¡± Zeko stroked his chin. ¡°The academy which I refer to is called Magecraft and Sorcery Academy. It is run by the Institute of Magecraft and Sorcery. It is the world¡¯s premier school of magic, among the top five.¡± Zeko stops to take a sip of his pineapple juice. ¡°In the Subcontinent, kids receive schooling before the age of ten to prepare them for the academy. For it is a magically intensive course, and it gets difficult each year. However, there¡¯s a dark and dangerous side to it.¡± Zeko puts his empty glass down. ¡°You could die by the hands of other students there, before you ever complete your graduation.¡± ¡°What?¡± Hatori is shocked. ¡°Yes. I am not kidding.¡± Zeko tries to impress the seriousness of the matter on his student. ¡°You see, the students start doing politics there. But instead of forming cleeks and taunting each other, they actually kill each other in combat, or poison each other to avoid combat.¡± ¡°But why?¡± Zeko thinks for a moment. ¡°Did you read stories in your dimension?¡± asked Zeko, taking the topic in an entirely different direction. ¡°Yes, but I don¡¯t understand, what they have to do with it.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Were there mages in them?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Yes.¡± Hatori decides not to question Zeko this time. ¡°Hmm. were they living in some isolated tower, where they would divine the secrets of the universe, uncaring of the politics, and only rewarding excellence?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Now that I think about it¡­¡± Hatori trailed off. When he consider it like that, those fictional mages did behave like that. ¡°The reason why I asked these questions is that I¡¯m sure the academics of your own dimension, though lacking in magic, have the same reputation among the people outside of that circle.¡± ¡°How can you say that so surely?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because, we¡¯re not exactly cut off from your dimension, remember? Or how else do you think the king sent some people to your house?¡± reminded Zeko. ¡°My point is, though, that academics have this reputation, with or without magic. And it is totally false.¡± ¡°I think those professors won¡¯t like to hear that.¡± said Hatori with a smirk. ¡°What¡¯re they gonna do. Turn me into a lab rat?¡± Zeko smiled in amusement. ¡°For all their ivory tower reputation, Academia has a dangerous politics, and on this magical side, it manifests like this. Instead of stopping someone¡¯s grants, or discrediting them in the eyes of piers and colleagues, they fight, and either by hook or by crook, remove the people standing in their way.¡± ¡°Of course, there¡¯s other side to this coin.¡± Said Zeko, sliding Hatori¡¯s finished plate away, and filling his glass with sugarcane juice. Let it be known that when it comes to feeding his students, Zeko the cruel never thinks twice. ¡°I¡¯m afraid to know that side.¡± Said Hatori, after finishing his juice. Zeko shook his head. The boy needs to learn how to savor the nice things in life. ¡°And you should be.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Magic is a dangerous force. Mages are often experimenting with it, finding new uses for it, or sometimes, re-discovering the old ones. Naturally, when you use a knife, you are bound to cut your finger. It can happen today; tomorrow, ten years later, it doesn¡¯t matter. It will happen, sooner or later. As a result, mages feel that they walk with danger and death their entire lives, and if they get to unlock the secrets of magic, so be it. For that, if they have to remove people in their way, so be it. And if some weaklings, who can¡¯t even defend themselves in their teenage years, or lose control die, then so be it. The sooner they remove themselves from the gene pool, the better.¡± Usually, by this point, Hatori would have deposited his dirty dishes on the stand. But this explanation has forced him to sit on his spot, and think about matters which he never considered. Zeko walks up to him and pats his shoulder. ¡°Don¡¯t worry kid. By the time you are in your third year of Academy, it¡¯ll appear normal for you as well. For now, you should go and sleep. I believe a battle is waiting for you in your room.¡± Said Zeko, snapping Hatori out of his shock. ¡°Here¡¯s some friendly advice. Be sure to try your Piercing spell.¡±

Part 4: Zeko¡¯s lecture on magic and politics, the seat of power.

The next morning, Hatori is practicing his piercing spell. Despite his battle in the room with a large shadow, he still hasn¡¯t gotten the spell down pat. Zeko assured him that it¡¯ll come to him after enough practice. While taking a breather, he decides to ask a question. ¡°Master, what is this seat of power?¡± ¡°You remember that too?¡± asked Zeko, sitting in the shade, writing something on the notebook on his lap. ¡°Yeah. But it is also mentioned once or twice in schoolwork.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°To put it simply, kid, it is where a mage, or the family of mages are the strongest. Their spells are much more powerful, and these places are protected quite well.¡± Said Zeko, turning a page in his notebook. ¡°Though it is not necessary to have generations of wards laid down on a land to make it a seat of power. For example, this very property is my own seat of power.¡± Hatori opens his mouth. ¡°And yes, we will talk about wards some other time.¡± Hatori closed his mouth. ¡°These seats of power are also political statements, that you are strong, and you have plenty of resources. As such, they are an excellent way of finding some poor shmucks who are easily swayed with power. however, the most powerful of such seats is the throne itself.¡± Hatori sagged in relief. He does not enjoy listening to politics. Not in his dimension, and not in this dimension. ¡®I must strive to become so powerful that stupid things like that don¡¯t bother me.¡¯ (End.) Chapter 28 Chapter 28.

Part 1.

After his battle for water in the morning, and taking a bath, Hatori waits for Zeko to call him for the breakfast. In the meantime, he passes the time in the hall by walking, and imagining a chess game in his head. He then senses a newspaper left on the table by Zeko. He comes to check it. It will be for the first time he tries his reading spell on a newspaper. The very first news which he reads is concerning, about how a youth was burned alive for walking on a newly built street, because he was of the lower class, and did not deserve to walk on that newly built street. That is one hell of a news item to read on your very first try. This dimension clearly has no concept of kid friendliness. Upset from this horrible news, Hatori shuffles off, his head hung in sadness.

Part 2.

Zeko worries about the softness of Hatori. He saw his reaction to the news in the morning. If news is enough to upset him, then how will he deal with the harshness of this world in person? Though he does admit that the news which he did read was particularly harsh. He can only hope that his experiences in the academy will harden him. But for that to happen, he must survive it. And to do that, he must prepare himself. Zeko is waiting in the tea shop near his house, after leaving Hatori with his homework and his training in the morning. He takes a sip of his spicy tea, while a woman with short hair sits across from him. The woman is in her early twenties, and her build suggests that she is quite powerful when it comes to physical confrontation. Zeko puts his empty cup down. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you drink something like that. Tea is supposed to be relaxing.¡± She said to Zeko. ¡°And I can¡¯t believe you¡¯ve lost your edge.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°What?¡± She turns around, only for him to grab her hands in a vice like grip. ¡°You¡¯ve made your point.¡± She grunted as Zeko let¡¯s go of her hands. ¡°One would think a mercenary would be hardened by this point.¡± Zeko jibed. ¡°Yeah, yeah, laugh for now. Soon enough, one of us will hand you your ass.¡± she declared. ¡°In your dreams. but as pleasant as this meeting is, I have called you here for a reason.¡± said Zeko, while ordering something to eat for himself. ¡°And that is?¡± ¡°I would like to hire your services to train my apprentice in dueling.¡± Explained Zeko, while bringing out the contract. ¡°Here are the terms and conditions.¡± ¡°So, you finally managed to trap some kid, huh? They¡¯re not that smart if they¡¯ve agreed to become your apprentice.¡± she said, while reviewing the contract. ¡°I offered you, remember? You refused me, just like my other students. Besides, this one has an advantage of sorts by accepting my apprenticeship.¡± Said Zeko, while biting his snack. ¡°I¡¯m sure. So, the boy is nine years old, and you want me to train him in magical combat?¡± Then what she has just said sinks in. ¡°Wait, you¡¯re serious?¡± ¡°First of all, it is dueling.¡± Zeko said firmly. ¡°Let¡¯s be honest here. You really don¡¯t like that formal competition in the first place. So let¡¯s not dance around it.¡± She glared at him. ¡°You probably are training him in physical combat. Why do you want to train him in magical combat as well?¡± ¡°Because otherwise, that boy has no chance of surviving in the academy.¡± Zeko said, while pushing his empty plate away. ¡°What, don¡¯t tell me that all those mad children would be gunning for him?¡± ¡°Precisely.¡± Zeko confirms. ¡°Okay, fine. But I will run his training my way. You won¡¯t interfere, and lift a single finger to help him.¡± She puts on her own conditions. ¡°That is fine by me.¡± Getting up, Zeko asks. ¡°Coming?¡± Signing the contract, she goes after him. ¡°Don¡¯t have a choice.¡± She muttered.

Part 3.

In the afternoon, Zeko arrives at his house. Hatori is meditating in the garden. He gets up after listening to his footsteps. He senses another person with him, but he decides that he will leave it to Zeko to introduce that person. For him to have someone at his house must mean something, for Hatori has observed that Zeko is an intensely private person, and does not like to have guests in his home. ¡°Did you do your homework boy?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m done with it.¡± He replied in a bored tone. Compared to his usual training or Zeko¡¯s lectures; the school assignments are boring to say the least. ¡°Good. Now, I have someone to introduce to you. Her name is Neshma Ashar. She will be your dueling instructor.¡± Said Zeko. Neshma observes the boy. His build is solid, no doubt a result of Zeko¡¯s training. However, his missing eyeballs are quite shocking to see at first. However, she decides that she won¡¯t make a comment about that. She could not make anything concrete of his magic. it seems to be flowing through him smoothly for a child; but that alone will not make him suited for dueling. ¡°She¡¯s one of my former students, so you can expect excellent training from her.¡± Zeko said with a touch of pride. ¡°Of course, if she does act like a spoiled child, you should come to me, and I¡¯ll straighten her out. Remedial lessons are sometimes needed.¡± Neshma sends a fireball over Zeko¡¯s head. ¡°I think I will take over from here.¡± She said, not appreciating her dirty laundry aired in front of her charge. ¡°Tell me few things boy. How many spells can you perform?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Hatori almost responded ¡°Depends.¡± But he got the feeling that would not be appreciated by this woman. So he decides to answer with only the number. ¡°Four.¡± there. If she wants details, she can ask more questions. Neshma twitched in surprise. Even if all of those spells are not direct effect spells, that is an impressive number of spells to know at his age. ¡°How many of them are directly affecting spells?¡± she asked. ¡°Two.¡± Once more, Hatori answers with the number only. ¡°Very well. Now, let¡¯s talk about the difference between dueling and magical combat. Though your master talked about me teaching you dueling, in reality, he wants to give you combat experience.¡± Zeko just shook his head. Must she put it like that to the boy? ¡°Here¡¯s a sharp difference between dueling and general combat. Dueling is formalized combat, with pretty detailed rules; it also takes place in a limited area. However, magical combat can take place anywhere in the world, and has no rules at all.¡± She explained. ¡°Why can¡¯t master Zeko teach me all of that?¡± he asked. ¡°Because my methods might be good for straightening out children, or for physical training, but if you were to learn magical combat from me, you''d die.¡± Said Zeko grimly. ¡°Finally stopped calling it dueling, eh?¡± jibed Neshma. ¡°He¡¯s not joking kid. He trains some of the men from the king¡¯s army, and they barely survive his training. At your age, his methods will do more damage to you than help you.¡± ¡°Okay, that makes sense.¡± Hatori does not want to experience unnecessary hardship. Living in this world is more than enough as it is. ¡°Good then. Let¡¯s test you. I will duel with you.¡± She said. ¡°It¡¯ll last as long as you can throw spells at me, and keep up with me. I won¡¯t leave this garden, and neither will you. Your master will monitor the duel. Ready? Begin!¡± She did not give Hatori any chances, and sent a spell at him. Hatori managed to get out of the way of that spell, which exploded loudly, making him stumble from the force of that spell. He tracked her through his radar spell, and sent the Knockback spell at Neshma, which she batted aside with contemptuous ease. She refrained from commenting on it, however, sparing the poor boy¡¯s ego. Which wasn¡¯t much of a conciliation, as more spells came Hatori¡¯s way, and he has to dart around to avoid getting hit by those. Neshma of course, did not want to hit him. She fired those spells at him with such a slow speed that he could dodge them after sensing them coming. She wants to see his endurance, and whether he can fire back in the heat of battle. Seeing the Knockback spell alone is not going to do much, Hatori decides to fire the Piercing spell as well, sending that spell in the combination of Knockback spell. All these spells are batted aside by Neshma, and Hatori is left gasping on the ground, unable to get up. ¡°See?¡± She comes and lends Hatori a hand. ¡°This is why your master calls me to train you. Imagine your state if he were to train you with his own methods.¡± ¡°I¡­ understand¡­¡± Hatori gasped out. ¡°The greatest thing you can do is duel with me two or three times a week. In the meantime, I will monitor your diet. And you will workout with me each morning, while you will work out in the evening with Zeko. Is that clear?¡± Hatori nodded, not wanting to waste energy by speaking. ¡°Now, we will do this again three days later.¡± She said, and walks away.

Part 4. Zeko¡¯s lectures on magic: runes.

Instead of getting a break from his exhausting duel today, Hatori is carving on a wooden board, while receiving lectures from Zeko. ¡°Runes are considered to be the language of magic, essentially putting down the effects of any spell, curse, or enchantment into writing. They are used in creating wards and boundary fields, formulas for spells, and countless other things. Needless to say, a basic understanding of runes is a must for any mage.¡± Zeko said, while Hatori continues to carve. ¡°Of course, if you make a mistake in your runes, it can be dangerous for you and the people around you. It is very important to write the runes correctly. The material on which the runes are written or carved also has an effect on the overall magic, since if the material is too weak to contain the energy of your runic effects, it is likely to burn into ashes.¡± Hatori tracks the lines he has carved on the wooden board. ¡°For now, you must get used to carving straight lines on this wooden board. A shaky-hand has taken many students lives. Once you start to do that correctly, then I will make you carve angles and shapes, and then basic alphabets. So continue to carve the lines.¡± Instructed Zeko. Hatori¡¯s hands shook, while he tried to carve a straight line. He has been doing this for the last two hours; the sweating hands are not making anything better. Thankfully, nothing attacked him during his carving. ¡°Boy, leave your carving for tomorrow. Come here for dinner.¡± Came the voice of Zeko after some time. Leaving his board and sharp pen, which he has been using to carve the lines on the board, Hatori leaves for dinner. He learns that there won¡¯t be any fried potatoes for him; apparently they are bad for your endurance. His dueling teacher has banned him from eating those. He was just going through this shock, that the table attacked him, leaping from its standing place, and coming at him, flying. Knockback spell barely fazed it, while piercing it with Piercing spell and making holes in it made it just angrier. Hatori, in his panic, takes control of the flying table, and through his levitation, launches it to the wall, shattering it into pieces. As the table repairs itself, Zeko watches from the corner. ¡®His combat instincts are improving.¡¯ (End.) Chapter 29 Chapter 29.

Part 1.

Hatori goes out for a walk. Zeko encourages these walking sessions, because he wants him to go out more, and get used to moving around outside on his own through the help of his magical sensing. This time, Hatori has come very far. He is still on Zeko¡¯s property, which he knows by the signs scattered throughout the area. ¡®He must be quite rich.¡¯ Hatori realizes. He also sees large trees with fruits growing on them, as well as vines with things growing on them. He only recognizes bananas, and oranges; the other, extremely large thing is unfamiliar to him. Hatori goes to touch the vine with the unfamiliar fruit¡­ vegetable? Thing. He goes to touch the vine with unfamiliar things, but the familiar footsteps of Zeko halt him. ¡°I see you found my farm.¡± He said, putting a hand on Hatori¡¯s shoulder. ¡°Yeah, I never got this far.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What is that thing though? I don¡¯t recognize it.¡± ¡°It''s pumpkin. You probably never saw it grow like this.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Yeah, I only saw a slice.¡± ¡°They are sold like that. These aren¡¯t fully grown yet, though.¡± Hatori touches one of the pumpkins. ¡°But they are already so big!¡± Zeko smiles. ¡°And they¡¯ll get bigger than this. Now let¡¯s go, it is time to eat dinner.¡±

Part 2.

While Hatori is busy exploring his surroundings, Porus is busy hearing a case. The body of a woman was found, apparently a victim of some crime. People in charge there, instead of following the procedure, like calling the necromancer, burned it quickly. Now, the case has reached his court. To him, it is a simple case of gross mismanagement and incompetency. He just shook his head. The people arguing suddenly stopped. That headshake always means something bad is about to happen. ¡°Enough of the arguing. Send someone from the necromancer guild, and call the soul of that woman.¡± ¡°But your majesty¡ª¡± ¡°No more arguments.¡± Said Porus. ¡°Or do I need to remind you who is the king here?¡±

Part 3.

Hatori is sitting on the ground with his legs crossed, listening to Neshma¡¯s instructions. He might fail to meet her standards, but Neshma couldn¡¯t deny that the boy was an attentive listener. ¡°Now, in any kind of combat, magical or otherwise, accuracy is very important. A wasted spell or a missed punch is wasted energy, which you¡¯re not gonna get back. Today, we will practice the accuracy. I will move around, and you must tag me with a Knockback spell as much as you can. Ready? Begin!¡± Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. From his sitting position, Hatori fires several Knockback spells at her, but she manages to dodge. This bought him some time to get up. Though the strategy is sound, Neshma could have tore him into pieces if she wanted to, due to his slow speed. This goes on for 30 minutes without a stop. After it is clear that Hatori is unable to continue, Neshma puts a stop to the practice of today. ¡°We will work on your accuracy in the coming time.¡± she said, ignoring the flopping boy on the ground, struggling to breathe. Out of hundreds of spells he fired at her, he only managed to tag her once. Casting so many spells exhausted him, but the moving which he had to do to keep his aim right also exhausted him.

Part 4.

The time for the dreaded formal dinner has arrived. Hatori will leave with Zeko for the city where the hosts live. Neshma is coming with them, because Zeko doesn¡¯t want to break the flow of training for Hatori. Hatori is left alone to pack his clothes, apart from what he will wear during dinner. Zeko has already chosen the clothes for that occasion. Somehow, he just knew that it''d be a miserable affair overall.

Omake: Presenting the story.

The author is sitting in front of the Publisher¡¯s Man, whom he is trying to convince why they should invest in his book, and publish it under their banner. The Man has flipped through the manuscript, and he asks the first question. For simplicity¡¯s sake, the Publisher¡¯s Man will be referred to as Man from now on. Man: So, a blind boy ends up in another world. Why do you think this will sell? Author: As shown by the popularity of Kenshi and Toph, disabled characters have potential. Besides, there is a trend of people liking weak-to-strong protagonists. Man: So, he ends up in another world. How does he adapt? The author looks at him for a moment. Hasn¡¯t he looked at the manuscript already? Author: through magic. He senses the surrounding area, slowly getting good enough to actually live independently. Man: You¡¯re character seems villainous and childish. Why would anyone like it? Author: I do think that given current times, many people will identify with his cynical outlook. Man: But there is no philosophy, nothing to pander to the¡­ ahem. Different and diverse crowd. Author: If it doesn¡¯t have any plot importance, then there is no need to add it artificially. Man: Honestly, Mister Author, I don¡¯t think we can publish your book. Better luck elsewhere. The author gets up, and with a motion, lights the Man on fire. Man: Aaaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhh! The author walks outside, his shoulder sagged in defeat. Maybe going online will be a better idea, though chances are no one will read his work even there. Maybe there is some truth to behind all these rejections. (End.) Chapter 30 Chapter 30.

Part 1.

Hatori doesn¡¯t like Neshma. She¡¯s too ruthless with her training, and she never approves of him, no matter how hard he works. Neshma doesn¡¯t like Hatori. She thinks that her time could be better served instead of teaching a snot-nosed brat. Though Hatori has never defied her directly, because he doesn¡¯t want her getting violent on him, both of them are aware of the dislike for each other. But sometimes, even they can agree on something. In this case, they both agree that Zeko is a slave driver. The car has enough space inside for at least five people, and yet they are camping outside each night. Neshma and Hatori are responsible for putting up and removing camp each morning. ¡°Why must we do that?¡± complains Neshma. ¡°Yeah, why do you get to sit in the car, while we remove the camp?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because I¡¯m the strongest. Now, do you think that either of you can beat me?¡± They continue their work while grumbling. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought.¡± In reality, Neshma has no chance against Zeko, and she knows it. Whether Hatori teams with her wouldn¡¯t make a difference, since he¡¯s still green. As if this isn¡¯t enough, Hatori has to deal with the mosquitos in the night. As a result, he is unable to sleep. ¡®I swear. I¡¯ll destroy these blood-sucking fiends, if it is the last thing I do.¡¯ And I¡¯ll be there with you every step of the way, kid! Due to this, Hatori is in a perpetual state of exhaustion. Thankfully, Zeko lets him sleep at the final step of their journey, only waking him when they reach the house of their hosts.

Part 2.

This is the City of Tools, where items of all kinds are available for purchase. From ritual related items, to foci, to esoteric and rare items, all are sold here, of course, at the right price. Hatori walks out of the car groggily. The neighborhood is silent here. He can¡¯t sense anything beyond a big house, and a man on the door. ¡°Welcome to my house, master Zeko.¡± Said the man. His accent doesn¡¯t sound right. ¡®He¡¯s probably from not around here.¡¯ Deduces Hatori, while going inside. ¡°This is Blake family.¡± Explains Zeko, while they get seated. ¡°They are from Albion. David and Rita are the ones in whose house we¡¯re currently sitting.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you, young man.¡± said the woman, providing some drinks. ¡°Nice to meet you too, sir, mam.¡± Hatori remembers his lessons. He just hopes he won¡¯t have to be this stiff during his entire stay in this house. ¡°What a polite young man.¡± said David, while a young girl comes in the hall. ¡°Daphne, meet our guests today.¡± Said Rita. ¡°Hello master Zeko.¡± She greeted. ¡°And this must be your apprentice. Hello to you too.¡± Daphne looked at her mother, while pointing at her eyes. Rita shook her head, and put a finger to her lips. ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡± Replied Hatori, extending his hand when he senses Daphne doing the same. For being trained with the infamous cruel Zeko, he has surprisingly soft hands. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take the boy to the guest room?¡± Said David to Rita. ¡°He looks exhausted.¡± ¡°Why not?¡± Rita left, while Hatori followed after her. ¡°What measures have you taken?¡± Asked Zeko, while Neshma lost her bored look. Things are getting serious. ¡°The entire house is being watched. If the children go outside, they will be followed.¡± Explained David. ¡°Besides, I designed the wards of this city. They won¡¯t be able to escape from us.¡± Zeko nodded in satisfaction. ¡°I¡¯ll leave the boy in your care. I must do some tasks in the city. Don¡¯t mind him, if he takes a look around the house, he is coming out of his shell slowly.¡± ¡°I understand. Besides, nothing sensitive is here anyway. You don¡¯t need to worry about a thing.¡± Thus assured, Zeko took his leave, while Neshma went with him.

Part 3.

Aside from continuing his training, Zeko has another reason to bring in Neshma. She basically bullied him into bringing her with him. ¡°Your choice of foci is more likely to kill the boy. You¡¯ll need me to choose the right one.¡± she said. And thus, they both are at the shop of Ugra Sen, a man renowned in the entire city for building the best tools. They are greeted by a pale man, who looks like he has not seen any sunlight for a long time. ¡°Greetings master Zeko. I am Charu Sharma, the apprentice of master Ugra.¡± He greeted. ¡°He told me about your arrival.¡± ¡°One of these days, I¡¯ll know how your master knows things in advance.¡± Grumbled Zeko. ¡°Anyway, we need foci for a nine-years-old boy.¡± A yantra carrying various items comes to the counter, where Charu selects a few of the strange items, and places them on the counter. Most of the foci were staff, but few of them were jewels, and there was one mirror among them. Neshma rejected the jewels outright. She considered the mirror, but put it aside all the same. She selected a staff around the size of Hatori¡¯s hand, and picks it up. ¡°This one.¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Zeko looks at the runes covering the staff. ¡°Interesting choice.¡± ¡°Indeed. It can also change its size for easier carrying.¡± Added Charu. ¡°We will buy this one then.¡± Zeko puts the money down. With the jingling of the bells as they close the door behind them, Zeko is done with the purchase of foci for Hatori.

Part 4.

¡°Here, you can relax, or you can even take a shower.¡± Rita left Hatori in the room. ¡°If you need anything, just call me, we can hear our daughter from anywhere in our house if she calls our names. Just call my name if you need anything, okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± Hatori nodded, and Rita left. For a moment, he considers how strange it is that he is in the house of a woman who has the same name as his mother. He hasn¡¯t talked to his parents since leaving the castle for the first time. He decides to take a shower, and after taking a short nap, he comes out of the guest room, unable to contain his boredom. He hopes to find something to pass the time. He finds a frame hung on the walls of the corridor. Daphne comes behind him. Aside from a small twitch, Hatori doesn¡¯t react to her presence. After realizing that his Radar spell doesn¡¯t work on the pictures, he walks away from the frame. ¡°That was a portrait of my mother and father together.¡± Daphne fell in a step with him. ¡°Were you able to¡­¡± she is lost for words. ¡°I was unable to get anything out of it.¡± Said Hatori sadly. ¡°The only thing which I know is that there was a frame hanging on the wall.¡± Shaking her head in sadness, Daphne tries to cheer Hatori up. ¡°What do you think of going to the outside?¡± She asked. ¡°There isn¡¯t much to do in the house.¡± ¡°Why not? You are coming, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course.¡± Confirms Daphne. ¡°Mom, we¡¯re going outside!¡± she yelled. ¡°Okay, be back before the dinner.¡± Came the reply of Rita somewhere from the house. ¡°This is a quiet place. Too quiet for a city.¡± Said Hatori outside. ¡°This is a living area. Go to the market, and you¡¯ll find plenty of noise.¡± Said Daphne. She stops as Hatori senses something. She goes after him, as Hatori finds the coconut tree. ¡°Wow. I haven¡¯t seen those in person before.¡± ¡°Huge, isn¡¯t it?¡± Daphne has gotten used to seeing the tree, but she is left in awe of its sheer size when she sees it from close-up. Hatori tries to wrap his arms around the tree. Unfortunately for him, his arms are not big enough to give the tree a hug. Tapping the tree in appreciation, Hatori turns around, and once more, Daphne falls in step with him. Before they could go far, though, a girl¡¯s voice caused Hatori to stop. ¡°Daphne! Who is that with you?¡± ¡°He¡¯s Hatori, student of master Zeko. Hatori, this is Ravina Sen, my friend.¡± Daphne does the introductions. ¡°Nice to meet you, Ravina. I¡¯m Hatori.¡± He said politely. ¡°Hmm. I remember you saying about having some guests. Is he?¡± ¡°Yes, he is a guest, along with master Zeko.¡± Confirms Daphne. ¡°Trained by an infamous madman.¡± Said Ravina, while Daphne tries to quiet her. ¡°Tell me, boy, how many spells do you know?¡± ¡°Four. Two affecting only me, two with direct affects.¡± ¡°And what might those two spells be?¡± Asked Ravina, while Daphne laments quietly. The situation is just out of her hands now. ¡°Radar and a reading spell, which lets me sense things around me, and reads the text on a page for me. Knockback and Pierce.¡± Ravina recoils. ¡°You know that spell? I hope you didn¡¯t use it on someone.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t.¡± assures Hatori. ¡°Good. But how strange that you don¡¯t know about levitation. This is the first spell often taught.¡± Said Ravina, trying to get a rise out of Hatori. ¡°I thought it was just pure application of magic, not a spell.¡± Hatori puts his open palm in front of him, and several stones start to levitate. After leaving a gawking Ravina behind, Daphne apologizes for her friend. ¡°Please forgive her, she is very competitive.¡± ¡°She asked me some questions, that¡¯s all. I fail to see why you are worried so much.¡± Asked a puzzled Hatori.

Part 5.

The dinner starts. Spreading the napkin just like he was taught, Hatori remembers the final instructions of Zeko. ¡°This¡¯ll be a traditional Albion dinner, so you don¡¯t need to worry about sitting on the floor for a long period of time. just remember to use your utensils correctly.¡± Listening to his master¡¯s voice in his head, Hatori uses his tools like he is in a boss fight, where his own weapons might turn on him at any moment. All the while vowing that he will never come to an event like this in the future. ¡®I¡¯ll become so powerful that no one will invite me, because they¡¯ll be too scared!¡¯ This goes on until Daphne leaves her place next to her mother and father, and sits next to Hatori. She replaces every utensil with a spoon. ¡°Just use those. You won¡¯t be able to eat otherwise.¡± Hatori follows her instructions. After all, the guest should honor the host. They end up talking to each other during the remainder of the dinner, while the adults watch from across the table how their plan to teach Hatori went up in flames. Maybe this dinner thing isn¡¯t that bad after all. But still, Hatori just prefers to avoid them. He just knows that not everyone is going to be as generous as Daphne. (End.) Chapter 31. Chapter 31.

Part 1.

After the dinner is concluded, it is back to training for Hatori. By this point, the teachers in the school are pushing their students hard. They want them to be ready for the academy, and survive and graduate without losing their limb or life. Zeko is no different. He wants Hatori to be ready, so now he¡¯s teaching Hatori a new spell. ¡°Today, I will teach you a new spell.¡± Neshma observes the lesson. ¡°Here, sense my magic as I perform the spell.¡± Zeko uncoils his magic, and making it obvious what spell he¡¯s using, casts the spell. A sharp blade made of energy comes out of his index finger, and cuts the log into two pieces. ¡°Go observe the log, and tell me the difference between this spell and Piercing spell.¡± Hatori touches the log. Neshma looked at Zeko. Zeko shook his head. It is not the time to bog him down with the dangers of magic. It is time for exploration. Ignoring the byplay, Hatori touches the place where the log was split in two. ¡°Instead of piercing it, you cut it in two.¡± He deduces. ¡°Exactly. You have noticed the smoothness of the cut I see.¡± Said Zeko, seeing Hatori sliding his finger where the log was cut in two. ¡°The smoothness of the cut is a sign of control. Gain enough control over this, and you can even split a rock in two, just as smoothly.¡± ¡°Tut, tut, lying is bad for your health.¡± Neshma taunted. ¡°I bet you can¡¯t split the rock.¡± She conjures up a boulder which crashes on the ground with a boom. ¡°Can you cut or pierce this?¡± Neshma hoped to put Zeko in a difficult situation. But without showing any sign of worry, or using his foci, he pierced the boulder, and then split in two. Hatori goes to the rock to observe the hole and the slice. ¡°Wow, they are just as smooth as you said master.¡± Said Hatori in awe. ¡°Anything else?¡± asked Zeko, a challenge present within his tone. ¡°No, nothing else.¡± Mumbles Neshma. Hatori¡¯s performance in the duels has also improved, being able to go on for longer periods of time, though his awareness of the area still needs work. He is not allowed to use his newly bought foci during those lessons, though. Each time he asked why? Both of his teachers managed to redirect his attention to something else. He gets angry when he realizes that they have managed to evade the question once again.

Part 2.

Hatori is going out for his walk once more. Nowadays, if he doesn¡¯t go out, Zeko pesters him until he leaves the house to get some peace from the mad man. Sure, he gets that he wants to encourage him. But talking about math nonstop is going too far. He arrives to the land area where Zeko has planted fruits and vegetables. Unlike his previous visit, he can hear and sense some people, who are presumably working. Hatori senses the magic in use. He doesn¡¯t understand how they are actually shrinking those pumpkins and bananas before packing them. Though he expects that he¡¯ll understand that in the future. Shrinking items and then packing them seems useful. Not to mention, you can always shrink an enemy, and crush them like a bug. What the hell, kid? ¡°I didn¡¯t know that someone so young could sense the magic.¡± Said a boy. Hatori reminds himself to be alert next time. He didn¡¯t sense or hear him coming. A mistake like that could end up costing him a meal in the house. Hatori is sure that the voice is of a boy. The boy is older than him, judging by how deep his voice is. For all he knew, it could be a girl with a very deep voice. Judging the gender of people as blind person through the voice is a tough job, magic or not. ¡°Sensing magic is important to me.¡± said Hatori, turning in the direction of the boy¡¯s voice. ¡°I can see that.¡± He chuckled. ¡°Are you with them?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yeah. My father and uncle work for Zeko in taking care of his farm.¡± He explains. ¡°Speaking of which, you must be his student. I¡¯m Nandan Durve.¡± He extends a hand. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Hatori Eagle.¡± Hatori re-receives his hand. ¡°How strange. I don¡¯t see any feathers on you.¡± Nandan Joked. Smiling at his joke, Hatori hears the conversation between Nandan and his father. The boy excuses himself from the work. ¡°Fine. Go ahead. He seems like a polite boy, and the student of Zeko. Make sure he doesn¡¯t have any trouble.¡± Nandan puts an arm around Hatori¡¯s shoulder, and leads him off before his father can change his voice. He brings him to a quiet location with soft grass instead of gravel. He then sits on the grass, and Hatori sits in front of him. ¡°Thanks for that. I was getting bored. You can only pack so many oranges.¡± ¡°Not a problem. But shouldn¡¯t you be in the academy?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Well, you must be old enough to go there, judging by your voice.¡± explains Hatori. ¡°Got it right in one go.¡± Praised Nandan. ¡°I¡¯m currently on an extended vacation, because I¡¯ve just finished the junior dueling championship.¡± ¡°So, how is the academy?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Hmm. Tell you what, wrestle with me, and then I¡¯ll tell you.¡± said Nandan. Getting up, Hatori agrees. ¡°You¡¯re on.¡± Both boys try to take down each other. Despite being younger than him, Hatori surprises Nandan by not yielding to him so easily. Unfortunately, his age proved to be a limitation. The stronger boy got him in the ground. But Hatori proved to be slippery and hard to control. He did not allow Nandan to pin him easily. But he did get pinned, eventually. Both boys take their former sitting position, after brushing their clothes. ¡°So does that mean you won¡¯t tell me anything?¡± asked Hatori. After all, he lost. ¡°Nah. I said, just wrestle with me. You didn¡¯t need to win.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°I must pick up my training if I¡¯m having trouble with a boy three years younger than me.¡± He grumbled. ¡°Master Zeko¡¯s training is effective.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°No doubt about it. Now, let¡¯s talk about the academy.¡± Leaning close conspiratorially, he continues. ¡°Let me tell you, Hatori, that place is not like a normal school.¡± ¡°How?¡± asked Hatori, interested. ¡°You see, in a normal school, you have to follow rules and regulations. But here, as long as you can pass the test at the end of the year, you can do whatever. Skip classes, independent studies, or take part in competitions, like I did.¡± ¡°That sounds great.¡± Hatori said with a grin. A place where he could study independently sounds awesome to him. ¡°You already are doing the same thing. Train with Zeko, and do the homework for the school, and give the end year exams. I think you¡¯ll do great there.¡± ¡®Assuming you survived.¡¯ He thought of the last part. ¡°You seem to enjoy wrestling.¡± ¡°Yeah! It is such a shame that people actually don¡¯t pay attention to it. Not everything has to revolve around magic.¡± said Nandan. ¡°Do you have any brothers or sisters?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yeah, an older brother. He¡¯s currently studying with the general Sundar. You might have heard of him.¡± Nandan seems to admire his older brother. His tone changes when he talks about him. ¡°Yeah, I think I¡¯ve even heard his voice once on court.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve been on the court?¡± Nandan seemed shocked. ¡°Yeah. It is getting late though. I should go back. Zeko doesn¡¯t like it when I¡¯m late for dinner.¡± Said Hatori. In reality, he never had a reason to stay outside before dinner. ¡°Yeah sure. See you later.¡±

Part 3.

Hatori receives a blow to his face, making him take a step back in surprised pain. He senses a tree at the entrance. Each time he enters its range, the tree tries to hit him with its branches. Hatori tries to pierce the tree, but it bats the spell aside with its branches. However, Hatori does some damage with Slicing spell, after which the tree disappears. Breathing a sigh of relief, Hatori decides that he won¡¯t go outside anymore. The rain has just started. If he would have failed to beat the tree, he had to stay in the rain outside. He has no interest in doing something like that. (End.) Chapter 32 Chapter 32.

Part 1.

Neshma trains with the dummies, the multiple opponents who don¡¯t feel any pain or have any feelings. She has neglected her skills in recent times, because people seem to be unable to keep up with her. The feeling of safety infected her mind, and when Zeko easily split those boulders and pierced another one with such casual ease, something which she can¡¯t do despite hours of trying, lit a fire in her belly. She has also cranked up Hatori¡¯s training. If the boy becomes comfortable with his skills, then he will be eaten by the monsters in the future, and they won¡¯t even take a burp after eating him.

Part 2.

After his scare last week, Hatori has stopped going outside completely, because each time he tries to go for a walk (something which used to bring him a lot of joy) he remembers his helplessness. How he was trapped outside, and was unable to do anything about it. Better to stay inside instead of inviting trouble by going outside. Though the strategy is sound, the boy doesn¡¯t realize that that is no way to live. If you hide from danger in your home, it¡¯ll find you in your home. I know, I have personal experience. Anyway, Zeko is furious with his sudden cagey behavior. That is why he is coming at him to send him outside, since again, this is one of those off days for plot convenience¡­ oops! ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Zeko, taking the chair in Hatori¡¯s room. ¡°I¡¯ve just got done stretching.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about that. You used to go out every time you had a chance. So why have you stopped? What are you doing here, cooped up in your room?¡± asked Zeko firmly. ¡°I¡¯m tired. That woman has increased the pace of my training for some reason.¡± Muttered Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t give me excuses, boy.¡± Thundered Zeko. ¡°You¡¯re scared, aren¡¯t you?¡± Hatori remains quiet. ¡°Well?¡± Zeko said, when it is clear that no answer is coming. ¡°Yes!¡± Hatori shouted. ¡°I¡¯m scared that some monster from this house will stop me from coming in, trapping me in the rain outside. Is that so bad?¡± Zeko smiled. ¡°No fear is bad or good.¡± He said. ¡°But you will go out tonight, regardless of the danger.¡± ¡°But, but,¡± Hatori tries to protest. ¡°No buts. A boy of your age shouldn¡¯t stay cooped up in a house. Now, move it!¡± said Zeko. Once he saw Hatori to the outside, he turned to a wall. ¡°Did you need to scare him so badly?¡± He asked the wall. A face suddenly appeared on the wall. ¡°That is surprising. Have you gone soft? Do you need a remedial lesson?¡± asked the face. ¡°As if. The boy hasn¡¯t grown up here. He doesn¡¯t understand what is expected of him.¡± said Zeko. ¡°And he won¡¯t, if you coddle him. let us do our job, for which we were designed.¡± Said the face, and disappeared. Zeko grumbles, and sits down on the sofa of his hall. There¡¯s a reason why he doesn¡¯t like to work with children below the teenage years, and he hates his duties sometimes.

Part 3.

Hatori goes out for a reluctant walk. He checks the door one last time before leaving. The clouds were rumbling this afternoon, and though they might be quiet, Hatori can smell the strong possibility of rain tonight. Hatori goes to the same place where he met Nandan last time, and much to his delight, the boy is still here. ¡°Well, well, look who showed up?¡± said Nandan, helping his father. ¡°Is this the boy you told me about?¡± He asked. ¡°Yep. One hell of a wrestler, even at his age.¡± His father smacked him. ¡°Language! Do consider the age of him.¡± He said. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m sure by the time he returns from the academy, he¡¯ll be swearing a blue streak.¡± Said Nandan with a chuckle. ¡°We¡¯re done here. You can talk to him if you want.¡± said Nandan¡¯s father. Quickly taking this chance of getting away, Nandan puts one hand on Hatori¡¯s shoulder, and quickly runs away. ¡°Thanks for doing me a favor.¡± He said. ¡°I was getting bored with packing bananas. There¡¯s only so many times you can see the shrinking spell performed on your organized pile.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t know anything about it.¡± said Hatori, now walking beside Nandan. ¡°Say, I hear you practicing dueling. Is master Zeko teaching you?¡± asked Nandan. ¡°Nah, there¡¯s this woman¡­¡± Hatori trailed off, while Neshma sneezed. ¡°I bet that boy is talking behind my back.¡± She grumbled. ¡°Apparently, I¡¯m too young for his methods.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Makes sense. Once he starts, he doesn¡¯t relent. At your age, you won¡¯t survive his training. Your body and magic is not up to it yet.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°But why talk about boring future? Let¡¯s have a duel right here, and now. Let¡¯s see what you¡¯ve learned.¡± ¡°What¡¯re the rules?¡± asked Hatori. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Just try to tag each other with Knockback spell. Should be harmless enough. Whoever tags the other person with it three times will be the winner.¡± ¡°Sounds like three falls of wrestling.¡± Said Hatori, making Nandan chuckle. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± The duel didn¡¯t last long. Despite being done in an open place, Nandan and Hatori remained in the same area during the entire duration of the duel. Hatori managed to tag Nandan twice, though he failed to make him hit the ground. The older boy tagged him three times quite fast. The third was particularly harsh, making him sprawl on the ground. ¡°Are you okay?¡± asked Nandan, giving him a hand. ¡°Yeah, fine.¡± Hatori didn¡¯t mind Nandan not apologizing for the harsh hit. They both agreed for it after all. ¡°You have a lot of potential for this thing.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Though you do need to improve your reaction time, especially during an attack. You don¡¯t want to give any time to your opponent to prepare for your next move.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll work on it.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Say, how are the rules for an official competition?¡± ¡°To win, you have to incapacitate your opponent, or capture their foci. At younger ages, certain spells are not allowed, but as you go up in ages, you can pretty much have the freedom to use whatever you like.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°I must say that you cast the Knockback quite fast, even without a foci.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t use a foci.¡± Hatori reveals, shocking Nandan. ¡°Zeko doesn¡¯t let me use it for more than two hours a day.¡± Nandan shook his head. ¡°I don¡¯t know at what angle he¡¯s playing at. But you won¡¯t be able to continue like this forever.¡± After Hatori returns from his playtime, he cautiously senses the entrance. When he sees nothing, he tries to walk in. But before he could do that, a tall, humanoid-shaped shadow barred his path. The shadow lunges for him, and Hatori has to scamper away fast to avoid the grip of the shadow. Hatori tries to damage it with Piercing spell, but the shadow batted it aside, and replied with a Knockback spell of its own, sending Hatori sprawling to the ground for the second time this day. Failing to beat the shadow, he tries to sneak into the house. He waits for a while, and after feeling that the shadow has put its guard down, he tries to sneak inside. Sneak. Sneak. He senses to the right. Sneak. Sneak. He senses to the left. Sneak. Sneak. The shadow is looming over him suddenly, and after picking him up, it throws him out once more. ¡°This isn¡¯t fair!¡± Hatori whined. ¡°A child is not supposed to be trapped outside of the house in the night.¡± Then, the rain starts. ¡°Oh, just great.¡± Thoroughly dejected, Hatori takes shelter in the gardens shed. Apparently, the shadow doesn¡¯t mind that. He would like to have a fire here, but he doesn¡¯t know how to light one. He did handle the fire on the camping trip under the strict supervision of Neshma and Zeko. The mages who play with dangerous magic don¡¯t like children burning themselves with the mishandling of fire. Who knew? Thus, he has no option but to shiver for the entire night, all the while the shadow guards the entrance.

Part 4.

While Hatori is having his own problems, some thousand kilometers away, Porus sits on his throne, contemplating this latest issue. The throne doesn¡¯t like when people go against its authority. It certainly doesn¡¯t like people harboring plans to create another country right in its territory. And it positively despises someone who manages to do that successfully. Though Porus has practice in quietening its voice at the back of his head, this time, the issue was big, and Porus couldn¡¯t afford to ignore it. A mage after gathering the cult-like following, has claimed some land in the city of salt. All attempts at negotiations have failed. The only thing to consider is, whether he should go by himself, or send his general. ¡°A king never lowers himself by facing such rabbles.¡± Porus agrees with the throne, and calls general Sundar to his office, while leaving his throne room.

Part 5.

Hatori manages to survive the night, shivering for the whole time. Even when the rain stopped, the air was cool, and he didn¡¯t have any thick clothes to wear to protect himself. He tries to sneak inside once more, but the shadow grabs him. He got away after piercing its palm. Unfortunately, that bit of damage was not enough to make it disappear. ¡°Wow, what happened to you?¡± asked Nandan, seeing Hatori warming himself. ¡°I can¡¯t get in to the house.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Why?¡± asked Nandan. ¡°Did Zeko punish you?¡± ¡°No. there¡¯s a shadow outside of the entrance.¡± Explained Hatori. ¡°It won¡¯t let me enter.¡± ¡°What? Shadows don¡¯t do that.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Let¡¯s see. Holy crap a module monster.¡± Said Nandan, after seeing the shadow. ¡°Module monster?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Never mind. I¡¯m cold, I¡¯m hungry, and that thing is the cause.¡± ¡°Do you know any damaging spells?¡± asked Nandan. ¡°Piercing and Cutting spells.¡± answered Hatori. ¡°Hmm. We can work with those.¡± Smiled Nandan. It is not very often that he gets to teach someone. (End.) Chapter 33 Chapter 33.

Part 1.

After observing the shadow, Nandan takes Hatori to his home. ¡°Why can¡¯t we talk to Zeko?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°He can turn that off, can¡¯t he?¡± ¡°Yes. But tell me. Will he turn that thing off?¡± asked Nandan in return. ¡°Good point.¡± said Hatori grudgingly. ¡°Anyway, you need to eat something, and rest. After that, you can train to beat that ¡®Shadow¡¯, as you call it.¡± said Nandan. ¡°wouldn¡¯t your parents mind though?¡± ¡°Hahahahaha! No. don¡¯t worry about that. You¡¯re not a troublemaker. If anything, my father has been praising me for befriending you. He¡¯s happy, and hopes your good habits and politeness will rub off on me.¡± With a grin, Nandan continues. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m sure things will be different once you reach the academy. That place changes you.¡± ¡°Weren¡¯t you going back there?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I mean, you said that you got some off time after participating in the junior dueling competition.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll go back at the end of this month.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°But I don¡¯t like to think about it. Once I go back, my training will pick up. In the meantime, I wish to have as much fun as possible.¡± Hatori stays with Nandan and his family, and gets properly introduced to his father Shyam Durve, and mother Madhavi Durve. He was surprised by their kindness, as they never let him be troubled for anything while their son trained him. ¡°Now, the important thing is, your reaction while defending is fine, but while attacking it is slow. So we will practice casting spells fast, gradually increasing the speed. I will duel with you several times a day, and we will only use the Knockback spell.¡± Explained Nandan. ¡°And though I hate to do it, I will use my foci because while you need to improve your speed, you need to face the faster speed as well. Casting with foci is much faster, as you already know.¡± Hatori worked hard. He worked on his casting speed, going hoarse in the process. Nandan wanted to teach him silent casting, but his father put a stop to that. ¡°Don¡¯t teach him something new until he has mastered this old stuff already. Besides, the boy is already under pressure. He is effectively out of his home unless he manages to defeat that module. He won¡¯t be able to learn it in his current state.¡± Dueling with Nandan becomes harder, even though it is not at the same level as Neshma. Hatori has a feeling that Nandan couldn¡¯t defeat Neshma on her worst day, even with a foci. When he got frustrated with his training, he often asked to Nandan help. ¡°How long are you gonna put up with me?¡± Nandan always gave one single reply. ¡°As long as it took.¡± After five days of training, Nandan believes that Hatori is ready to face the conjuration of the module, so he goes along with Hatori to see the results of their efforts.

Part 2.

General Sundar and his army have surrounded the City of Salt, trapping the people inside. ¡®A siege is always an ugly business.¡¯ Thought the general, while surveying the landscape from his camp. He would like to get the civilians out of there, but the problem is that many of them might turn on them. He cannot afford to let some fanatics stab them in the back while engaging with the mage, who is calling himself Avatar. Apparently, this guy believes himself to be the physical manifestation of magic itself, and some gullible fools actually believe him. At first, he only had a pitiful following, but the promises which he made with his followers swayed some more people to his side, until he was able to consolidate his stronghold in this city. Too bad that the throne is not some pretty device for the king to sit on. There¡¯s a reason why it has survived the 3000 years of chaos in the magical world. And it certainly didn¡¯t do that by allowing some upstart to create his own territory within its own land.

Part 3.

Avatar paces on his camp, stoking his followers. ¡°Who does that Porus think he is? He cannot confine us here. We have taken over this land; this belongs to us. He cannot interfere. For you and your children¡¯s future, we must endure this siege, laid by that monster Sundar.¡± Angry cheers resounded within the camp. ¡°Even now, that dog of the throne is waiting to pounce on us. But I have devised a plan. No this though, that this will be dangerous, and whoever participates in this plan does not have a high chance of surviving.¡± Many people eagerly volunteered, despite the warnings. ¡°Very well. your names will be written in golden ink within the history of our new empire!¡±

Part 4.

¡°General, there¡¯s some movement within the city.¡± Said his aide. ¡°What kind of movement?¡± asked Sundar, while the army gets ready. Before the aid could answer, the entire city of salt went up in flames. Screams of terror, pain, and help drowned the sounds of those flames, and the army of fanatics came out to battle with them. The fanatics were no match for the trained royal army. As they get slaughtered, Sundar gives some new orders. ¡°Tell the reserves to move into the city, and put out the fire. Calm the public in there, by the use of force, if necessary.¡± Usually, the aid would have balked at such orders. But he realizes the situation they are in, so he left to carry out the orders. Meanwhile, Avatar watches the chaos from the walls of the city, bellowing at the top of his lungs. ¡°General Sundar! Come and duel with me, you coward!¡± He yelled, emboldening his followers even further. ¡°You don¡¯t have the guts to face me directly. What kind of general are you?¡± ¡°That is nothing but hot air, sir. You should ignore it.¡± said the aid, now done with executing his orders. ¡°That is true. But sometimes, you have to play with idiots. Especially when your reputation is concerned. You will learn that Bajrang, that reputation is very important in our field of work.¡± Sundar patted him on the back. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°Just watch and observe.¡± ¡°But sir,¡± he protested. ¡°There could be traps for you.¡± ¡°there are none. He would have sprung them on us otherwise.¡± The general leaped into the battle, and with a few jumps, he was standing in front of Avatar. ¡°I accept your duel. Prepare to die!¡± the general releases fire from his palms with that declaration, and Avatar has to scramble to avoid getting burned alive then and there. Jumping from the wall, he turns his foci in the form of a staff in his hands, and the wall explodes while the general was standing on it. Avatar watches the falling rubble with a grin of delight. But that happiness turns into horror, as Sundar walks out of the rubble unharmed, a transparent shield glowing around his body. Avatar taps his staff on the ground, and Earth comes up, trying to snare Sundar and halt him on his way. The general cuts his way to Avatar easily with his sword, which serves as his own foci. Sundar thrusts the sword into the air, and suddenly, the world of Avatar disappears in a bright explosion. Though he got a direct hit, Sundar waited, straining his senses to find his enemy. When he didn¡¯t find any sign of his life, nor did Avatar try to sneak attack him, the general sheathed his sword. Bajrang was at his side before he could call him. ¡°Announce that their leader has fallen. Try to find his body, maybe it is still on one piece. We can show it off to break their morale completely.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Bajrang saluted.

Part 5.

Nandan watches from far, while Hatori fights this important duel. Unlike the duel happening in the City of Salt, this duel does not have any political implications. However, to Hatori, this duel is just as important. Whether he could sleep inside the house or not tonight depends upon it. ¡®Let¡¯s hope that they¡¯ll give me a break for a while after this. I don¡¯t want to fight for food, water, or sleep after this difficult battle.¡¯ He thought, as Hatori tries to pass by the shadow, and it predictably attacks. ¡°It was worth a try,¡± muttered Hatori, batting the initial volley of Knockback with his hand. After blocking those spells, Hatori poses, indulging in his moment, while the shadow attacks with more spells. Hatori manages to dodge these new spells, but few of them landed, and Hatori felt like he was stung by several wasps. Ignoring the pain, Hatori gets over his shock at this sudden new spell, and attacks with his volley of Piercing spells, cornering the shadow, damaging its sides. The shadow retaliated with the combination of Knockback and this new stinging spell, while Hatori tries to nail it with the slow, but more damaging cutting spells. So far, that spell has only trussed up Zeko¡¯s garden, instead of damaging the shadow. The weather mocked this great and important duel. Instead of thunder and rain, the sun is shining brightly while a war takes place outside of Zeko¡¯s door. Though it might be a war for Hatori, Nandan sees it as an amateur fight, where both fighters are clumsy and slow, compared to him, that is. Covered with welts, and exhausted with his constant exchanges of spells (Even though he has managed to match shadow blow for blow) Hatori still has trouble putting it away. He couldn¡¯t ignore the pain for too long, and once the shadow knocks him from the entrance, he¡¯ll have to start again, while the shadow gets healed instantly, while Hatori has to take more days off to practice and heal. ¡®I won¡¯t let that happen. Either I¡¯ll win this, or die trying.¡¯ He decides grimly. If Nandan could hear his thoughts right now, he would be mightily disturbed. Children of his age are not supposed to think that way, in the opinion of this humble narrator. Another volley of stinging spells comes Hatori¡¯s way. This time, he takes them all. Screaming in pain, he fires Knockback spells at the shadow, hitting it directly. He then fires Piercing spells at its arms and legs, and then splits it from head to groin with a cutting spell. The two pieces of shadow disappear, and the door opens for Hatori. Clapping in praise, Nandan walks behind Hatori, as he enters the house like a returning general, where Zeko welcomes him. ¡°I¡¯ll leave him in your care, sir.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°You did a good job taking care of him.¡± Said Zeko, stopping Nandan on his track. ¡°Give this to your father on my behalf.¡± Zeko hands him a bag. Nandan opens his mouth. ¡°And no, I won¡¯t take a no for an answer.¡± Nandan closes his mouth, and leaves. Let his father deal with Zeko.

Part 6. Zeko¡¯s lectures on magic: Magical academies across the world.

After Hatori recovers, he asks Zeko about other academies around the world. This question has been at the back of his head for some time now, especially since he met Nandan. He ignores the absence of Neshma for now. He¡¯ll ask about her once he feels better. for now, he¡¯ll just enjoy this dinner (for which he didn¡¯t have to fight for a change) and listen to Zeko¡¯s lectures. ¡°Well, of course there are other academies in the world.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°But they are often spread across the world, and are too far. Not to mention, their customs can be different and strange. For example, there¡¯s a school which absolutely disdains the foci, preferring to do everything by hand.¡± ¡°Just like you, in other words.¡± Hatori protested. Ignoring the jibe, Zeko continues on. ¡°Generally, students attend the academy which is closest to them. In our case, it is the Magecraft and Sorcery Academy, run by the Institute of Magecraft and Sorcery. Well, all the academies are run by that institute, to be honest. because that institute is not affiliated with any country, and as a result, these academies are independent of the various rulers across the world.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t that bother those rulers?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Most of them aren¡¯t bothered by it. Some controlling freaks do get their feathers ruffled though. But that institute is very powerful. Each time anyone tried to interfere in their business, they got swiftly eliminated, and due to the absence of a leader, their countries were thrown into chaos.¡± (End.) Chapter 34 Chapter 34.

Part 1.

In Zeko¡¯s car, Hatori remembers the previous year. He is coming back to give his exams, and he will live once again in the castle, with Raven and Josh, hopefully. (His hopes aren¡¯t that high, though) He also hopes that he won¡¯t be kidnapped like the last time. He wants a simple, boring and nasty exam which he can remember and curse later in his life. Seriously, this kid is too hopeful. I think that the guy up there should break him, but he doesn¡¯t listen to me¡­ ahem. Many things have happened to him since he was trapped outside of the house in the eighth month of the previous year, (The year 4019, if you¡¯re curious.) Neshma left for one, after the deal to train him expired. Hatori never knew the specifics of that detail, like how long she was contracted for, or how much Zeko paid for that service. He also learns that the module didn¡¯t allow them to interfere. According to its conditions, he must face those challenges himself, without any training or help with them. Nandan was an exception, because, unlike them, he himself was a kid. Not that the module could have stopped Zeko from letting him enter. After all, he is the owner of the property. No magical machine can get in his way, once he has decided on something. But he didn¡¯t do that either, agreeing with the module that Hatori needed that experience. Though the boy burns with rage after learning that, he didn¡¯t bring that up to Zeko. He doesn¡¯t want to cross a line with him. Who knows how he might react? No one will protect him in this strange and unforgiving world from his rath. Nandan left later in the month for the academy, just like he said he would. Hatori hasn¡¯t seen him ever since. Truth to be told, Hatori enjoyed the brief company of the older boy. At least from that whole ordeal, Hatori convinced Zeko to teach him that stinging spell, adding a non-threatening pain-causing spell in his repertoire. He gets the feeling that the Knockback spell won¡¯t do him any good in the future. Meanwhile, Zeko thinks that entire idea ridiculous. When someone threatens you, you don¡¯t cause them pain and leave them alive. You end their existence. ¡®But given how young he is, and from an entirely different upbringing, certain allowances must be made¡­ for a while.¡¯ He thinks to himself.

Part 2.

¡°Yo!¡± Josh gives an exuberant greeting to Hatori as soon as he enters the castle. ¡°Wow. You¡¯ve gotten tall.¡± Said Raven. ¡°And it looks like you¡¯ve built more muscles!¡± said Josh after giving Hatori a mighty squeeze. ¡°Living with Zeko will do that to you.¡± Hatori said, not sure where these two stand with him. It has almost been two years since they have known each other. And in that time, they have not given any sign of leaving him behind for other friends. But Hatori just cannot shake off that feeling that sooner or later, they¡¯ll leave him, and it¡¯ll hurt. This is why he hates making new friends. He has experienced that too many times. They all go to the castle¡¯s ground, which is currently empty. Sitting in the shade of a large Banyan tree, Hatori tells them the stories of his training. ¡°So, that¡¯s why you¡¯re so paranoid.¡± Raven realized. ¡°Getting attacked all the time will do that to you.¡± ¡°Yeah, but fighting for your food, water, bath, sleep? Don¡¯t tell me next time you would have to fight for your own clothes?¡± said Josh. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t put past that module.¡± Hatori shook his head. ¡°That thing is cruel. And Zeko uses it in his house, and that makes him even crueler.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± asked Josh, always ready for a juicy tale, as long as he is not the one to suffer. Hatori recounts his entire experience of getting locked outside, the entire rainy night, and the tough battle to get in. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t been able to do it without Nandan¡¯s help.¡± He concludes his tale. ¡°See? I told you. That guy is cruel. He hid his nature from us in plain sight!¡± said Josh. ¡°Whatever. At least I learned dueling.¡± Hatori bragged. ¡°No way.¡± Said both of his friends together. ¡°Prove it. I challenge you now.¡± Raven gets up from the shade. ¡°What¡¯re the rules?¡± Hatori stretches himself in the warm-up, expecting a difficult fight. ¡°Whoever is knocked on the back loses. You can use any spell which is not dangerous, like Cutting or Piercing.¡± Explains Raven. Hatori smiles. That smile made Josh worried. ¡°Raven, I don¡¯t think it is a good idea.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Nah, don¡¯t worry. It¡¯ll be just Knockback spells.¡± said Raven confidently. ¡°Yeah, but I don¡¯t think that would be the case here.¡± Seeing that Raven is not listening anymore, Josh sits down in a huff. ¡°I¡¯ll toss this leaf in the air.¡± Raven picks up one of the fallen leaves of the Banyan tree. ¡°Once it hits the ground, we¡¯ll begin. You don¡¯t have any trouble sensing that, do you?¡± ¡°I can sense its path in the air.¡± Replied Hatori. ¡°Good.¡± Raven tosses the leaf into the air. It lands on the ground between them, and Raven finds himself on his back, wondering what happened, while his foci clatters away from him. ¡°I warned you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Josh helps him in getting up. ¡°He¡¯s well trained.¡± ¡°I know, why don¡¯t we take him together?¡± asked Raven. ¡°I¡¯m sure we can take him if we fight him at the same time.¡± Josh considers it, then nods in agreement. Without any warning, they attacked Hatori. Josh receives a Sting on his chest, while Raven once more finds himself looking at the sky. ¡°That was a dirty move.¡± Hatori looks down upon them. ¡°That wasn¡¯t nice.¡± ¡°We know.¡± Agreed Josh. ¡°We just wanted to win.¡± Lamented Raven. ¡°I can understand that feeling.¡± Commiserated Hatori. While they thought that they were alone, someone was watching their duel. Hatori stiffens up, as he senses someone in his range. ¡°Wonderful performance.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Though I wonder, are you only able to bully untrained kids?¡± ¡°Who¡¯re you calling a kid?¡± said Josh, outraged. ¡°You.¡± Avinash gives him a look full of disdain. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come and try your luck against me?¡± ¡°Rules?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°The same ones as your friends used. First one to be knocked on their back loses.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± agreed Hatori. While he has managed to get back to him for his insults and taunts physically, Hatori has never been a match for Avinash when it comes to magic. Given his greater experience, he couldn¡¯t hope to match him. But now, things are different. He¡¯ll shut his mouth once and for all. The duel starts. Hatori is surprised that Avinash is managing to keep up with his speed, though his casting speed is not like his. He can¡¯t seem to cast the swarms of spells like he does. Still, that speed is nothing compared to Nandan, or Neshma. Avinash himself is surprised at how well Hatori has been trained. Looks like Zeko deserves his reputation. He never thought that it was possible to bat the spells aside with your hand like that. He thought of taking advantage when Hatori¡¯s staff clatters away after he lost his grip after a Knockback spell brushes from his arm. But he only received a face full of Stinging spells for his trouble, after which he ends up losing. ¡°You fought well.¡± Complimented Hatori. This duel brings such joy to him, that he is surprised. ¡°Of course I did.¡± Avinash groaned from the ground. ¡°I may not have someone like Zeko training me. But my father is no slouch either.¡± ¡°Clearly.¡± Hatori agreed.

Part 3. Zeko¡¯s lectures on magic: The lifespan of a mage.

After the day¡¯s events, Hatori is carving runes. From straight lines, now he has moved to circles. The circles are proving to be tougher to carve than those lines so far, because a slightest mistake can ruin the shape of the circle. ¡°Master Zeko,¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You never told me when your birthday was.¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha! After you reach the age of 91, birthdays just lose their luster.¡± ¡°91?¡± said Hatori from shock, dropping his carver. ¡°Why, what did you think my age was?¡± asked Zeko, amused. ¡°Maybe 40, 50 at best.¡± Hatori gives his estimation. Zeko chuckled. ¡°The lifespan of mages is different than in your world. A mage can easily live up to 200 years.¡± ¡°Yeah, if they don¡¯t die by some experiment, or by the hands of another mage.¡± Muttered Hatori. Zeko slapped his back, ruining the circle. ¡°You¡¯re learning boy!¡± He chortled with laughter, while Hatori glared at him for his ruined circle. Now, he must start again.

Omake: Narrator¡¯s punishment.

Author: I see what you¡¯ve been doing these past few chapters. Narrator: (Scared) What? Author: You¡¯re trying to push me, trying to know how far you can go. Well, you have gone too far. Telling me how to write, and what to do in my own story, how dare you! (Summons a pink dress with laces.) Narrator: What are you going to do with that? Nooooo! Get away! Aaaaaaaaahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh! Author: Now, dance! That is your punishment! Narrator: Tanish you bastard! Nothing can stop me from narrating, you hear me? Author: Yeah, yeah. Just keep dancing. Nearby, several people walked away, hiding their smiles and laughter. (End.) Chapter 35 Chapter 35.

Part 1.

Hatori is finding the library to be a relaxing place. Though he has learned the spell which reads the text to him, and has even mastered it enough that only he can hear it, his training with Zeko doesn¡¯t give him many chances to just sit and read a book. Most of the time, he¡¯s too exhausted to actually even think about it. Though the exams are going on right now, and someone might wonder, why exactly isn¡¯t Hatori preparing for them, instead of reading a book? Hatori is sick of going over his material for this year¡¯s exam. He has been giving exams since he was four, and he has gotten pretty desensitized to it. While other kids worry and fret about their tests and their marks, Hatori doesn¡¯t give them much importance. There was an exam previous year. There is an exam this year. There will be an exam next year. Why worry about something like that, which manages to appear every year without a fail, and annoys the hell out of him? He could be learning new spells, or maybe working with his foci. Maybe improve his carving, or read some books of magic. Given how much he has learned, some of them are bound to start making sense to him by this point. Instead, he is stuck reciting the facts like a machine, and performing easy feats of magic like levitating something, and looping it in a circle, which he learned to do a year and a half ago, when Zeko woke up his magic. At least the stories of the mages are just as interesting. He personally is loving the story of this story of an immoral sorcerer, who usually acts like a bashful and innocent guy. But he actually takes apart the houses and castles of his enemies, and sells every single tile. Meanwhile, a gaggle of girls enters the library, upsetting the silence. Hatori was sitting right in the middle of the library, so they saw him immediately. ¡°Oh wow. I didn¡¯t know you could actually read without the eyeballs.¡± Said one of the girls, causing the rest of them to giggle. Hatori senses around. There¡¯s no one in the library. Even if there were an adult around, it is very unlikely that they would interfere on his behalf. So Hatori ignored their comments with practiced ease. Children and adults have been making fun of him for as long as he could remember. This isn¡¯t anything new to him. More importantly, the immoral sorcerer is binding his enemies by the use of promissory notes. Hatori doesn¡¯t know what that is, but he realizes it must have to do something with banks when he saw the sorcerer mention interest rates, and, more specifically, the vile, contemptable, illusive mess called compound interest. ¡°Say, shouldn¡¯t he be getting ready for the exams right now? I¡¯m sure he needs all the help he can get for passing them.¡± Another round of laughter ensues, and once more, Hatori ignores it. Why would he pay attention to such stupid children (He forgets that he himself is a child sometimes) when the sorcerer is weeping in joy after amassing the huge fortune? ¡®Getting rich is worth it. No one can mess with you when you have money on your side.¡¯ He thinks. ¡®Though I wonder. Do all the strong mages have lots of money in this world? Master Zeko seems to be quite loaded. I must ask him about this.¡¯ ¡°Looks like his ears are also bad along with his eyes.¡± Said one of the girls, the first one who made a comment on Hatori. ¡°Seriously, give it here. You can¡¯t read, you¡¯re not fooling anyone.¡± She snatches the book from Hatori¡¯s hand. The reading spell breaks, and Hatori is left stupefied for a moment. Then he realizes what happened, and gets up from the chair furiously. The girl tries to say something, but Hatori lunges for the book. The girl turned around, and tried to get away, but Hatori appeared out of nowhere in front of her, she felt as if she received a large shock, and the girl passed out. Hatori senses the other girls. They would come after him now. Though he couldn¡¯t see himself right now, the other girls can. To them, he looks like a monster, with missing eyes and electricity sparking around his body, and his hair standing straight on his head. When he took a step towards them, they broke, and started to run. Remembering the page where he got interrupted so rudely, Hatori returns the book to its place, and leaves. His mood to read has now vanished. Why can¡¯t people leave him alone? Not for the first time, he cursed his life, and his disability. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

Part 2.

The matter gets to the general Sundar. Apparently, his wife is not happy that some boy of unknown class hurt their daughter. ¡°We must do something about it, or else the other children will start bullying our children. She¡¯s a delicate flower; she won¡¯t be able to handle the roughness of these low-class boys.¡± The general shook his head. Some little electrocution is hardly going to hurt anyone. That might be a problem in the magicless world on the other side. But here, the children are stronger, and can handle some damage like little shocks of electricity. He completely ignored his wife¡¯s protestations. ¡°Are you listening to me? You must take action. This cannot be allowed to happen. We must set an example!¡± ¡°Tell me Anupama,¡± said general, making his wife wince. Whenever he uses her name, it never means anything good. ¡°Are you willing to deal with Zeko?¡± Anupama remains silent. ¡°Because let me assure you. If I get involved over some children¡¯s spat, he can make our lives very difficult.¡± In a huff, Anupama leaves the study of Sundar. ¡®Oh how I miss you, my boy¡­¡¯ Outside of the study, their daughter waits expectantly. ¡°Well?¡± She asked. ¡°You¡¯re father won¡¯t take any action.¡± Anupama said. Looking at her unhappy face, she assures her daughter. ¡°He might fear that idiot Zeko. But we don¡¯t. Be patient, Ramya, you will have your chance of taking revenge on him.¡± Ramya smiles. ¡°And no one can complain if I did it myself.¡± She finally understands her mother¡¯s point. ¡°Exactly!¡±

Part 3.

Josh and Raven burst into the room, where Zeko is lecturing Hatori. ¡°Do you have any idea what you have done?¡± They asked together. ¡°What?¡± ¡°You hurt the general¡¯s daughter.¡± Said Raven, while Josh gesticulated. ¡°Who?¡± Hatori doesn¡¯t remember. Both of them looked at each other. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember what you did in the library today?¡± ¡°Oh. I didn¡¯t realize she got hurt.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I just took the book out of her hands.¡± ¡°Dude, you shocked her.¡± Josh couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°You really don¡¯t remember doing that?¡± ¡°No. Not at all.¡± Said Hatori honestly. ¡°Well, she¡¯s spoiled. No doubt she has already complained to the general. They won¡¯t find your body if he gets angry with you.¡± Josh was very scared for his friend. ¡°Sundar won¡¯t get involved in some children¡¯s spat.¡± Zeko reminds them of his presence. ¡°And if he did, then you¡¯ve got me on your side kid. You do remember what I did to Joshis, don¡¯t you?¡± Hatori remembers the loud explosion, which reduced the seat of power of Joshi family to rubble. ¡°Just take a day off today. And don¡¯t worry about a thing.¡± Zeko pats his shoulder. ¡°You boys take care of him, alright?¡± ¡°Yessir.¡± They said together, and took Hatori away. Hatori is already showing signs of elemental magic. This isn¡¯t unheard of. In an emotionally volatile state, even an adult mage can lose control of their magic, so children having some magical fits is nothing new. But having the signs of elemental magic in those fits, in an awakened mage like Hatori, no less, this means only one thing. ¡°I¡¯ve got one hell of a student.¡± He chuckled while rubbing his palms. ¡°Let him return from the academy. I can finally take his training up another notch.¡±

Part 4.

After Hatori¡¯s exams are concluded (he passed naturally; we can only envy his confidence and intelligence) he goes shopping with Zeko. They needed to buy the textbooks for this year, and Zeko also bought him some enchanted items to protect him. After his revelation of elemental magic, Zeko is sad to let him go like this. He would have loved to explore it further, but then again. The academy has very flexible rules. If Hatori performs well, he can get the chance to explore his talent further. Two days later, Hatori and his friends are gathered at a reserved spot in the City of Throne, waiting for their transportation to arrive. A ship descends from the sky, and after the children get over their awe of it, they climb aboard, beginning their next step in the journey to become a mage. (end.) Chapter 36 Chapter 36.

Part 1.

Hatori, along with Raven and Josh, explores this ship. Hatori just knows if he asked what this ship flies on, the answer will be magic. He makes a note to use the same answer on future enemies. He can already imagine the howls of anger and the groans of frustration. ¡°Big space.¡± Noted Raven. ¡°I want a ship of my own now. It¡¯ll permanently remain on air.¡± ¡°That sounds awesome.¡± Agreed Hatori. ¡°You¡¯ll invite us there once in a while, right?¡± ¡°No. You don¡¯t need an invitation. There will be a permanent place there for both of you.¡± said Raven. ¡°Sniff¡­ sniff¡­¡± Josh hugs Raven. ¡°Such a good friend you are!¡± He starts to sob. ¡°Ug. Get off me!¡± Raven tries to wrestle himself free. ¡°I¡¯ll always remember your kindness!¡± Josh kept him in his grip. Hatori ignores that entire byplay, and continues to explore the ship with his Radar spell. Though Zeko told him that the academy is located on the Subcontinent, Hatori doesn¡¯t understand why they need to fly there, especially since that flying takes two whole days. ¡°Hey, let¡¯s find our rooms and put our stuff there.¡± Said Josh, done expressing his emotions. ¡°Sure.¡± They find some empty rooms, and put their trunks inside, expanding them to their original size in the process. They go out to explore the ship once more. There are some older students, but they decide to stay away from them by mutual agreement. Besides, they seem to have their own groups. Best not attract their attention. Who knows what kind of horrors they might inflict on them for their amusement?

Part 2.

After waking up the next day (he slept surprisingly well for being on a flying ship) Hatori goes for breakfast with Raven and Josh. Seriously, this is getting stale. The boy needs some new friends for variety. They stopped in the middle, because of the massive crowd blocking their path. After some pushing and taking advantage of their small size, they get in the front. They see a boy playing an instrument. Judging from his size, he appears to be their age. The older students were asking him to play something for them at a later date. It all sounded like a business deal conducted right in front of them. Hatori also hears some jingling coming from the direction of that boy, which he thinks might be another instrument at first. But through his Radar spell, he learns that it is actually coming from the hair of that boy. After the crowd disperses, they resume their way to breakfast. Hatori got his hand on that boy¡¯s shoulder before he could walk away. ¡°So, mind telling us what that instrument is?¡± He asked. ¡°Its harp.¡± He replied, not bothered by Hatori¡¯s forwardness. Meanwhile, Josh and Raven are in shock after seeing this strange new side of their friend. Looks like Hatori isn¡¯t shy all the time. They would laugh if they knew the reality. Inside his head, Hatori is panicking for his bold move. ¡°Wana eat with us?¡± He asked to hide his anxiety. ¡°Sure. Just let me put this in my room. Eating with this can be quite tough.¡± They all chuckled at his joke. After going to his room, and waiting outside (entering without permission would be impolite) the group finally arrives at the mess hall, and takes a table quickly. They¡¯re late already. If they would have failed to snag this table, they would have to eat while standing, or eat in their rooms. Though Hatori wouldn¡¯t have minded that. Josh, Raven and Hatori are sitting at one side, while the new boy is sitting at the other side. Two more spots are empty at the table currently. Josh and Raven take notice of the strange eyes of this boy. One is colored blue, while the other is colored gold, which they have never seen before. Sure, they have heard of people having two different eye-colors. But having golden eyes is unheard of. ¡°We forgot to introduce ourselves.¡± Said Raven, after serving his breakfast. ¡°I¡¯m Raven Arora.¡± ¡°I¡¯m Josh Fernandes.¡± ¡°Hatori Eagle.¡± He concludes with the introductions. Hatori gets a slap on his back from Josh for his rather poor introduction. ¡°That is no way to introduce yourself! Have some manners.¡± He chided. ¡°Manners? What¡¯s that bird?¡± asked Hatori in response. They all laugh at that joke. Once more, the jingling noise came from that boy¡¯s hair. ¡°Quite a unique character, isn¡¯t he?¡± said the boy, while Josh and Raven nodded in response. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Um¡­ May I sit with you?¡± asked another boy, who looks too frail in Josh¡¯s opinion. Though compared to him, every child looks frail. ¡°Every table seems to be filled.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Josh gestures at the two empty spots in front of them. ¡°Thank you very much. You seem to be having a conversation. Please continue, do not mind me.¡± said the new boy politely. Hatori thinks he is also a first-year student like them, judging by his size and voice. He also seems way too polite, like expecting hostility at any given time, and hoping to avoid it by his politeness. ¡°I¡¯m Shin.¡± He introduces himself. ¡°No last name, I¡¯m afraid.¡± The last sentence was spoken in the confidence Shin has displayed up to this point, though it also contains enough hints of politeness that he also wishes to avoid problems if they do mind his lack of a last name. Which is a curious thing. Why must someone lack a last name? It doesn¡¯t make any sense. And why would someone have a problem with it? Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°And what about you?¡± asked Hatori to the new boy, sitting next to Shin. ¡°Who are you?¡± ¡°You¡¯re not supposed to ask for it like that.¡± Once more Josh chided. ¡°My name is James Flora.¡± He introduced himself. Josh and Raven twitched in surprise after hearing that surname. Ignoring their reactions, Hatori does a quick introduction to everyone. He has no patience for another round. ¡°I¡¯m Hatori, they are Josh and Raven,¡± he points to his left and right, respectively, ¡°And you already heard his name. He¡¯s Shin. Nice to meet you, James.¡± Hatori turns to Josh. ¡°So, how was that?¡± ¡°Barely passable. You¡¯re gonna anger a lot of people if you continue like that.¡± Lamented Josh. He doesn¡¯t want to be on the firing line when that happens. ¡°Shin, mind telling us what¡¯s in your hair?¡± asked Hatori, unable to contain his curiosity anymore. ¡°I¡¯m surprised none of you have made a comment about it yet.¡± Raven and Josh look at each other. There¡¯s a lot about his appearance they have not made a comment on. ¡°These are bells in my hair. My¡­ ahem. Where I grew up, the lady who takes care of us has the same hairstyle. I liked the sound of those bells whenever she moved, so I styled my hair just like her.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Josh assesses the style with his chin in his palm. ¡°I think it looks good on you.¡± ¡°Good. Because making it work like this takes a lot of effort.¡± ¡°So every hair on your head is studded with bells?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°No. Only the top of my head.¡± Answered Shin. Once they were all done with their breakfast, they walked out of the mess hall. James was going his separate way, but Raven stopped him. ¡°Where are you going? Stay with us until we land.¡± ¡°Yeah, we can be clear on whether we¡¯ll be friends or enemies.¡± Said Hatori, receiving another slap on his back from Josh. ¡°What is wrong with you today?¡± smiling at the lecture Hatori is receiving, all five of them walk to the upper deck to do some walking after their breakfast.

Part 3.

¡°All students, please gather at the lower deck. I repeat, all students, please gather at the lower deck. We are about to land.¡± Announced a voice. So far, Hatori hasn¡¯t seen any adults on the ship aside from the older students. The kids are taken care of by yantras, so the announcement must be done by a yantra as well. ¡°I want an announcer like that, specially if it insults unwanted guests.¡± ¡°You know, Zeko also hates guests. I suppose it explains your recent behavior. He has corrupted you.¡± said Josh, while James and Shin contain their questions for now. So far, the boys have gotten along famously. Some older students who talked to them in passing told them this is how future cliques are founded. The ship starts to go down, making Hatori feel ticklish in his belly. Before they land completely, a female student comes to them. ¡°If you look outside,¡± she pointed to the transparent windows. ¡°You¡¯ll see a magical experiment currently in progress.¡± They all turned to see the said experiment. All four of the boys watch the explosions of magical energy in awe, while Hatori is surprised to sense it. ¡°You¡¯ve got sharp senses, boy.¡± She praised Hatori for sensing the energy from that far. ¡°Experiments like that one are quite dangerous.¡± Explains another male student. ¡°That is why these ships are used to take us to and from the academy.¡± Hatori appreciated the explanations, but he still doesn¡¯t understand, why they need two days of flying. They should be at the Academy in the matter of hours, instead of taking two whole days.

Part 4.

After the ship lands, the older students leave on a different path, while younger students are all gathered outside of the ship by yantras, where they are welcomed by the professors from the Academy. ¡°Welcome children. I hope you had a wonderful trip. I¡¯m Dhiraj Bishnoi, teacher of alchemy and potions at the Magecraft and Sorcery Academy, and with me is Professor Bali Deol, professor of combat.¡± To Hatori¡¯s ears, Dhiraj sounds like his namesake, very patient. ¡°And we will escort you through the grounds of the Academy, for they are dangerous, and with your experience, you¡¯ll all die in just a few days.¡± Unlike Dhiraj, this man sounds like he¡¯s ready to fight at any moment. He also sounds like he¡¯ll enjoy it a lot. ¡°Professor?¡± asked one student. ¡°We were told there would be an entrance exam.¡± ¡°Ah yes. You already passed that, when you passed your school this year.¡± Explained Dhiraj. ¡°Now, it¡¯ll take us until next morning to get to the Academy. So we should start moving now.¡± As they all begin to follow the professors, Hatori, along with his four friends, is walking just behind them. ¡°Professor? I¡¯ve got a question.¡± He said. ¡°Not even in a class, and already full of questions.¡± Dhiraj chuckles. ¡°Well, ask away.¡± ¡°Why doesn¡¯t the ship go to the Academy directly?¡± ¡°Two reasons. First, flying is restricted in this area.¡± Explained Dhiraj. ¡°And we also get to test the endurance of the students.¡± ¡°Also, if some of you die here, it¡¯ll save us from the trouble of educating you. So, please do us a favor, and eliminate yourselves from the gene pool as soon as you can.¡± Dhiraj delivers a thunderous slap to Bali. ¡°Be nice to the students! I¡¯m sure there are some of them worth our time.¡± (End.) Chapter 37 Chapter 37.

Part 1.

The professors set a brutal pace of trekking in the wilderness. While most children are flagging, Hatori is easily managing to keep up with them, due to training under Zeko. Raven and Josh were also managing to keep up with their pace, but since they didn¡¯t have the same regime as Hatori, they started to flag as well. As for Shin and James, let¡¯s not even talk about that. That is just too embarrassing. If I ever encounter these boys in the future, I¡¯ll totally blackmail them with this event¡­ ahem. ¡°What do you think professor, should we give them a rest?¡± asked Dhiraj, barely hiding his glee after hearing the groans of exhaustion behind him. ¡°Hmm. It is getting dark. I doubt they would manage in the night with us. Very well, professor, make them prepare the camp.¡± They halted. The children were dismayed that after the walking (which was more like jogging) through the difficult terrain all day long, now they must prepare their own camp. Once more, Hatori didn¡¯t have a problem. While setting up his tent (generously provided by the professors) he stopped to ask them a question. ¡°Sir, must we prepare our own fire as well?¡± Bali looked at Hatori in amusement. ¡°No. You probably don¡¯t know any spells to do that yet.¡± At Hatori¡¯s nod, the professor dismisses them. ¡°What do you think about adding the requirement of knowing spells to light the campfire before coming here?¡± asked Bali to his colleague. ¡°Hmm. Now that is an idea.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Did that blind boy give you the idea?¡± ¡°Yeah. He asked about that just a few moments ago.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t he trained by Zeko? No wonder he doesn¡¯t have any trouble.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Yeah. Though I doubt he¡¯ll be good enough in combat to survive alone here. That old fox probably didn¡¯t have enough time to prepare him for that.¡± said Bali in admiration. He admires Zeko¡¯s training methods, and his unbroken streak of turning every student he gets into a monster, without a fail. Though this boy is the youngest among them. He probably hasn¡¯t experienced his full teaching style. It¡¯ll change once he gets back after this year, assuming he survives.

Part 2.

Away from the professors, Hatori and his friends are enjoying their jamuns given to them by the professors. Nearby, a river flows gently. ¡°Raven, will you help me plant this here?¡± He asks after spitting the seed of the final jamun in his palm. ¡°Ewww. Isn¡¯t that dirty?¡± said Josh in response. ¡°Yeah, but it is just the seed. I wanted to plant a seed forever.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Finding a nice clear spot, Raven helps Hatori in burying the seed. ¡°Don¡¯t put it too deep. It¡¯ll need the sunlight.¡± Said Raven. ¡°You¡¯ll also need to adjust how you¡¯re putting it.¡± said James. That surprises them, given his silence most of the time. But Hatori follows his instructions, and finishes up burying the seed, hoping it¡¯ll bloom into a tree one day. Washing hands in the nearby river, Hatori and his friends are ambushed by five other boys of their own age. Before his friends could respond, Hatori is making the ambushers run, yelping in pain from his Stinging spell. His friends watched him in awe. He didn¡¯t even use his foci. ¡°Wow, that was great.¡± Complimented Raven, while Josh and Shin clapped. James smirked after watching the fleeing boys. ¡°They were too slow.¡± Complained Hatori. Compared to Nandan or Reshma, these boys don¡¯t even come anywhere close. ¡°Can you teach me how to fight like that?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Also, move like you without the use of my eyes.¡± ¡°Sure. I¡¯ll need a sparring partner to keep my skills sharp.¡± While Hatori agreed, Raven and Josh gave Shin sympathetic looks. They just know that Hatori will inflict the horrifying methods of Zeko on Shin. ¡°We¡¯ll start on that when we reach the Academy. Is that fine with you?¡± Shin nods in response, but realizes that Hatori probably didn¡¯t get that. So he gives a verbal response. Josh wanted to stop this horror from starting, because he just knew that it''d spread within their whole group later. But Hatori hears something, and he quiets them. ¡°Raven, let me lean on your shoulder.¡± He said. ¡°O¡­kay?¡± He lets Hatori put an arm around his shoulder, and leans on him as if he¡¯s injured. A few moments later, Ramya comes into the same clearing. She keeps a stoic face while looking at Hatori¡¯s friends, but turns a smile on Hatori. ¡°What happened here?¡± She asked. Before anyone could speak, Raven begins to explain. ¡°Few boys attacked us while we were washing our hands in that river. Hatori got injured.¡± Josh looks at Raven with an astonished expression at this lie, while Shin gives an approving nod from behind Ramya. None of them realized when he got there. ¡°Too bad.¡± She tried to sound sad, but it didn¡¯t come off right. ¡°Here, use this potion.¡± She tosses a small vial. Raven catches it. ¡°It should help him.¡± She walks away, still trying to look sad. ¡°You heard the footsteps, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Yeah. But I also recognized the feel of her magic. I knew who was coming our way.¡± Explains Hatori, getting away from Raven. ¡°Can any of you judge that potion?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Why? She could have given you an honest healing potion.¡± Asked Shin. ¡°She and I have a history.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ll explain that at some other time.¡± ¡°Sure. But count me out. I don¡¯t know how to judge that potion.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Neither do we.¡± said Raven and Josh together. ¡°I can. Give it here.¡± Said James, taking the potion from Raven. He opens the vial, and smells it, keeping it at a suitable distance from his nose. ¡°You were right to suspect her. The leaves of a Frangipani are used in this potion. Instead of healing you, this would have caused intense itching, and potential worsening of any open and bleeding wound.¡± He gives his verdict. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Man, you¡¯re a closet genius, aren¡¯t you?¡± praised Josh. ¡°Yeah. With a sniff, he recognized what plant is used in that potion, and he even knows the possible effects it can cause.¡± Said Shin. James shrugged his shoulders. ¡°I just have an interest in how things work, including potions. Since plants are used there, I¡¯ve learned a lot about them.¡± ¡°That explains how you knew about planting seeds.¡± James nodded at this comment from Raven. ¡°Those boys. They were with her in this plan most likely.¡± Realizes Hatori. ¡°After all, we haven¡¯t interacted with anyone much; they didn¡¯t have any reason to come after us.¡± ¡°Yeah. In the heed of the fight, you ignored it. But we saw how they mostly targeted you.¡± agreed Josh. ¡°Hmm. let some boys beat you up, and then come up with a healing potion with understanding, and what¡¯s the word? Ah yes. Empathy.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I won¡¯t let her get away with this.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°The thing in the library was an accident. But this is malicious.¡± ¡°But what could you do?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Those professors will stop you before you could even start a thing.¡± ¡°Though Josh has a point, I am in favor of nipping this in the bud right here.¡± James agreed with Hatori. ¡°Ignoring spats like these is a bad idea.¡± ¡°I also think that retaliation is the best idea.¡± Said Shin. ¡°If we ignore her now, she¡¯ll get even more ideas in the Academy. And I don¡¯t know about you, but I¡¯m getting a feeling that place is going to be much more dangerous than this forest, especially since it would be coming from other students.¡± ¡°Okay, then how¡¯re we going to pull this off?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Scout her tent. Spread this potion there.¡± Hatori formulated the plan. ¡°Yeah, but what about the people with her?¡± asked Raven. ¡°I don¡¯t think she is the sharing type. She might have to share in the Academy, but I doubt that the professors would bother to deal with her tantrum here.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, they¡¯re more likely to bury her somewhere here.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s scout her tent.¡± said Shin. ¡°You hold on to that vial, while you guys stay out of this.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Hatori tried to protest. ¡°But nothing. This is a dangerous operation. And for all your talent in fighting, you¡¯re going to fail hard in stealth.¡± Said Shin, brooking no argument from Hatori. What could he say? Shin is right. An hour or so later, James and Shin come back to them in their shared tent. ¡°It¡¯s done.¡± Announced Shin. ¡°What about the vial?¡± asked Josh. ¡°We threw it in the river.¡± Said James. ¡°I don¡¯t think the professors would bother searching for something like this. But just in case, it is best if that vial disappears into the river.¡±

Part 3.

The next day, they start extremely early in the morning. Among the grumblings and complains of other kids, they hear that a group of kids have to be carried on a levitating carriage, because they are unable to walk. Hatori is surprised that some other kids got caught up in his revenge. ¡®Oh well, I¡¯m sure they would have bothered me somehow in the future. Consider this some advance payback.¡¯ Meanwhile, Bali is disappointed that they survived whatever they got themselves into. It would have been better if they eliminated themselves from the gene pool, but no. They have to be carried on the carriage. At least they didn¡¯t need to trek for a long time. Three hours of trekking later, they arrive at the Academy. Judging by the heat of the sun, it must be eight in the morning, though Hatori has no way of confirming that. ¡®I must find some clock spells. There are bound to be some.¡¯ There¡¯s a massive crowd of the first-year students moving inside the massive building, getting herded through the halls into the mess hall, judging by the smells. Hatori decides to contain his questions, like how do they manage to sit so many students in here for now. After getting served breakfast, they all dig in with gusto. After the wild trekking they¡¯ve gone through, this fresh hot breakfast is appreciated. After they were all done eating, someone enters the mess hall. The students go silent one by one, and Hatori gets the feeling of absolute power from this person, much like Zeko. ¡°Good morning students. I hope you had a wonderful breakfast. After your run for the last day and a half, I¡¯m sure you needed it.¡± He said. Hatori curses not for the first time, the lack of his sight. Judging people is so hard without sight, magic or not. ¡°I am Corvus Black, the headmaster of this fine institute of learning, serving for the last 90 years. And today, I welcome you all. And I offer my condolences to those who will soon depart, unable to handle the dangers of the magical world. May they leave us early, before we waste any resources on them.¡± Hatori is disturbed by this attitude. He thought that the professors were joking. But apparently, the staff is like that, especially the man in charge. What is more disturbing is that older students agree with him, giving the same condolences. ¡°Though it should be noted that attacking students below their third year, meaning students ten years old, who have just arrived, and eleven, who are going through their second years, is forbidden. That is it for today¡¯s announcement. The classes for the first-year will begin tomorrow. Good luck, you¡¯re going to need it if you wish to survive.¡± Corvus then leaves. getting over that disturbing speech, Hatori whispers to Josh. ¡°We should leave before the teachers can separate us, and take over a room.¡± By this point, Hatori is fairly confident that these four will stay with him. ¡°Good idea.¡± They all leave, just when the professors begin the announcement of dormitory arrangements. Arriving to an empty room, they enlarge their small trunks, dump them in the middle of the room, decide to take a shower, and take a nap. They will sort out other details later. Meanwhile, the other students have just reached their own room, and the professors are bemused about that one room which they never assigned. (End.) Chapter 38 Chapter 38.

Part 1.

After their nap, Hatori and his friends wake up, and finally take a look at their room. There were five beds with curtains, and a rack after their beds, where they decided to place their trunks. Beyond that, there was a bathroom, complete with multiple showers and a changing room. Separate from that, there is a toilet. ¡°Don¡¯t you guys think this is creepy?¡± asked Josh. ¡°We¡¯re five, and there are only five beds here.¡± ¡°Maybe someone removed the final bed.¡± Suggested Raven. ¡°Or the room was designed for five kids in mind from the beginning.¡± Speculated Shin. ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s go out. I wanna see more of this Academy.¡± Said Josh, already walking out the door. ¡°Yeah, me too. I¡¯ve heard too many stories. I want to see whether it is as great as everyone describes it or not.¡± Raven followed Josh. The remaining three boys followed them as well, with Hatori muttering to himself. ¡°If Zeko¡¯s warnings, and the behavior of the professors is any indication, this place is going to be very dangerous.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Said James, walking to his right. ¡°We¡¯ll need to be on our toes.¡± By this time, the classes of the older students are over. Unlike the firsties, they don¡¯t get a full day off when they arrive. Which makes sense, given they arrive earlier than them. coming out of the dormitories, they stop because a girl called Hatori¡¯s name. ¡°Hey, long time no see.¡± Said Daphne, walking towards them. ¡°Yeah. did you come here with different professors?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes.¡± She nodded. Then she introduces the girls with her. ¡°You already know Ravina.¡± ¡°How¡¯re you doing?¡± She extended a hand, which Hatori received. ¡°And this is Maria Asato.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Hatori Eagle.¡± Hatori introduces himself. ¡°Nice to meet you. You don¡¯t seem to be from Nihon, though.¡± She said. ¡°No.¡± said Hatori, too confused to say anything more. What the hell is Nihon? And how does it taste? And why does it sound so familiar? After their meeting with Daphne, Josh began to tease Hatori. ¡°Soooo. When did you start to meet girls?¡± He asked. ¡°Zeko took me to her home for dinner.¡± This made Josh¡¯s grin broader. ¡°Guess you left an impression on her, eh?¡± He asked. ¡°Probably.¡± Hatori responded, not behaving like he was supposed to. How are you going to have fun while teasing someone, if they don¡¯t act embarrassed? ¡°¡­¡± Josh and Raven exchanged a look. They nodded together. That entire thing went over their friend¡¯s head. ¡°Cool. A library.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Definitely worth checking out.¡± ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s¡ª¡± Shin dragged Hatori away. ¡°Later. Later I meant, right Josh?¡± He said while dragging a protesting Hatori. ¡°A music room.¡± Said James. ¡°Yeah. But again, we¡¯ll go in there later. We¡¯re just browsing right now.¡± Said Shin. The library and music room were clustered together. Nearby, there was a stair going up. ¡°Should we go to the next floor?¡± Raven considers the stairs. ¡°Let¡¯s get familiar with the ground floor first.¡± Suggested Josh. ¡°Oh look, another dormitory.¡± Said Shin. ¡°There¡¯s a warning. Do not go inside if you¡¯re a firstie, if you value your life.¡± Raven reads the warning. ¡°I value my life, and I¡¯m leaving.¡± Said Hatori firmly. Getting outside, they find the ground. The ground is surrounded by forests, and a small stream flows through it. ¡°Are there any fishes in there?¡± Shin tries to look, but doesn¡¯t spot any. ¡°I doubt it. But we¡¯ll look later.¡± said Raven. ¡°Well, look who we found.¡± Said a familiar voice. ¡°Hello, Suresh.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Recognized me, eh?¡± He said. ¡°I saw you near the older students dormitory. It was a good decision not to enter there.¡± ¡°Yeah, I like living, thanks.¡± Suresh and his friends laughed at this response from Hatori. ¡°Mind introducing us to your new friends?¡± asked Ramesh. After the introductions were concluded, (which I skipped because I¡¯m not paid enough to narrate all that,) Suresh resumes their earlier topic. ¡°You kids need to be very careful. At any given time, there are tons of machinations running here. If you get caught in the middle of them, the chances of death are quite high.¡± ¡°Chances of permanent crippling are even higher.¡± Added Nilesh. ¡°I¡¯m considering sealing myself in my room.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Hahaha. Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯re life is not in danger during the day, until you reach the third year. However, you should avoid staying out in the night after dinner.¡± Explains Suresh. ¡°There are all kinds of attempts on life are going on at that time.¡± ¡°But that doesn¡¯t make any sense. This should be a place of learning, right?¡± asked Hatori. Pinching his cheek, Suresh replies. ¡°That is only an illusion. Let me tell you, kid, people in academia, especially in the mage world, are quite vicious and petty.¡± He patted him on the head. ¡°It¡¯ll be painful, but you¡¯ll learn.¡± ¡°Just stay inside during the night. No one can touch you during the day, but in the night, accidents can happen, now, can¡¯t they?¡± said Ramesh, and they all walked away, leaving a shaken group of kids behind.

Part 2.

After breakfast the next day, Hatori plans to visit the library. However, his plan has to be postponed, after he sees the schedule of the day. ¡°And we have to follow this for an entire year?¡± He said after reading it. ¡°Yep.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Looks like we¡¯re gonna be quite busy.¡± For a moment, Hatori imagine the classes as an army encroaching on his territory. With Zeko, he has gotten used to getting a lot of free time to pursue his interests, despite his brutal training regime. But here, it seems, every second of his time will be monopolized by classes and studying. ¡°As long as you can clear the exams, you can do whatever you want.¡± Reminded Nandan¡¯s voice in Hatori¡¯s head. Thus reassured, he follows his friends into history class. The classroom was located on the next floor, the stairs to get to that floor they already found yesterday. Although they would love to explore this floor more, they don¡¯t have time, as the class is about to begin. Hatori tries to remember the path to the classroom. The entire floor seems to be filled with other classrooms, which are currently in use. He does not want to enter the wrong classroom by mistake. Thus, he reminds himself that after climbing the stairs, the classroom of history is located to the north. To get there, he must turn left, and then take a right turn. After having enough of his muttering, Raven slaps him. ¡°Enough of that. We¡¯ll take you wherever you need to go. So stop muttering like that.¡± ¡°But you guys can be busy¡ª¡± Raven slaps him, this time on the other cheek. ¡°Then someone else will take you. There are four of us. I¡¯m sure at least one of us can help you. Right guys?¡± He asked. ¡°Right.¡± They all said, including James, who speaks rarely. Entering the classroom, all five of them quickly take over the three desks. James is the odd one out, so he shares his desk with another boy. After all the students are settled, the professor enters. ¡°Good morning class.¡± She greets them. ¡°Good morning, professor.¡± They replied. ¡°I¡¯m professor Amrita Bhagwati, and I will teach you history this year.¡± She introduces herself. Hatori notes that she sounds somewhere in her twenties, but he then remembers the lecture by Zeko about the lifespan of mages. Meaning, she could be older than she sounds. The professor lifts a curtain from a device in the front of the class, which they ignore in their haste, to quickly settle down before the professor arrives. ¡°To help me teach you, this device will assist me. As we go over important points in history, we will see the scenes on this device, in which you will see the places and people I¡¯m talking about. You will also see the effects of a spell, if a lesson demands it.¡± She lifts another curtain from another strange device, located even further in the classroom. ¡°This device will help you understand the movement of armies, and their tactics and logistics, if a lesson involves some military movement. Spoilers, there will be a lot of them.¡± The students chuckled at her joke. ¡°Now, tell me. What do you understand by history? What is history, and why should we study it?¡± ¡°History is the collection of events which have already happened.¡± Said a familiar voice. ¡®So, Avinash is in our group, huh?¡¯ Hatori thinks, while Ravina answers the other part of the question. ¡°It is important to study history, to not repeat the same mistakes.¡± She said. ¡°Excellent points. But as mages, there¡¯s another point for studying history.¡± Said professor Bhagwati. ¡°As we advance our knowledge of magecraft and our understanding of the world grows with it, we often abandon other methods or spells from the past. However, it is important to understand why we stopped using them, because sometimes, new discoveries can be made from the past.¡± ¡°Interesting class. Wasn¡¯t it?¡± said Shin while walking out of the classroom. ¡°Yeah. I never thought it could be so interesting to study history.¡± Josh said in agreement. ¡°Wait until they start to tell us about ancient laws. I¡¯m sure your happiness won¡¯t last long.¡± All five boys walked in silence after this revelation of James. The math class is located in front of the history class, though you need to walk to the right side to get to it, since it is closer to the staircase. This time, Hatori didn¡¯t mutter. Though he kept memorizing the way to the classroom. Unlike the classroom of the history, there was no fancy device here. On the front wall, there was one blackboard, and that was it. Once more, James shares the desk with the boy from history class, though he kind of gets the feeling that he is different somehow. Meanwhile, Hatori is trying to sense Avinash in class. He found him sitting in the very front, while he¡¯s sitting in the middle, in a different row from him. The professor enters, and once more, the students are quiet. ¡°Good morning, class.¡± She greets. ¡°I¡¯m Amelia Davis, your professor of mathematics.¡± Once more, Hatori gets the feeling from her voice that she¡¯s somewhere in her twenties, though this time, he didn¡¯t need to remember the lectures of Zeko. Judging from her accent and name, she is not from around here. ¡®So, the Academy hires professors from all around the world. Back there, it would have caused such an uproar.¡¯ ¡°Math is important for understanding magic at a deeper level, and designing new uses of magic, from developing new spells, to even designing entire new systems of magic. I can talk about this all day long, but here¡¯s a demonstration.¡± She brings out her foci, which appears to be a pen. With a flick of her wrist, there is a small explosion of fire in the class. Feeling a threat, Hatori fires several stinging spells. The professor dodged them all. ¡°Easy now, Mr. Hatori.¡± With a sheepish expression, he sits down. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Here¡¯s what I did. I changed the ratio of gasses in the air, and with just a small spark, you saw what happened. This is what mathematics of magic is all about.¡± ¡°Did you really need to attack her?¡± asked Josh, now going downstairs for the potions. ¡°I thought she was attacking us.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Also, I kind of got scared. So I decided that victory was beyond fear.¡± ¡°Yeah, please don¡¯t make a habit of it.¡± requested Raven. ¡°¡­ Can¡¯t make any promises.¡± Muttered Hatori. ¡°At this rate, some professor is going to kill us.¡± Said Shin, while everyone agreed, except Hatori. The classroom for potions is located in an isolated part of the ground floor. After entering the room, Hatori feels as if he entered in a room where air conditioning is heavily used. Thankfully, unlike the classrooms above, this room is not very hard to locate. It is located in the path of going to the ground. They are surprised that they actually ignored it yesterday during their exploration. On each desk, there are two cauldrons, freshly ready to be used. As the students settle down, the professor enters. The narrator is getting bored describing this same thing, just in case you didn¡¯t know. What? You say I spoke too soon? Fine. With the professor there is another person. Hatori remembers this feeling of magic. ¡°Good morning class. I¡¯m Dhiraj Bishnoi, your professor of potions and alchemy.¡± It seems all the professors follow the same script. ¡°With me is my slave¡ª¡± ¡°apprentice!¡± corrected the said slave, who happens to be a male, or a woman with a man like voice. ¡°¡ªShut up!¡± Sighing, Dhiraj resumes his introduction. ¡°Apprentice, who will be actually teaching you, unless there¡¯s a disaster due to his incompetency.¡± The students remain quiet, not sure what to make of that entire byplay. ¡°Anyway, that concludes the introduction. I¡¯m busy with something, you handle everything.¡± Dhiraj walks into another door, located in the place of the blackboard. ¡°Bastard, he even forgot to introduce me.¡± He seethed. ¡°Ahem. I¡¯m Sultan Khan, and you will learn potions under me, because last time we tried to start firsties with alchemy, the results were disastrous¡­ for them.¡± ¡°Now, tell me. What do you know about potions?¡± asked Sultan. ¡°A liquid brewed through magic, with use of animal parts and plants to achieve various effects.¡± Said James. ¡°Correct. Though I must tell you, not every solution is liquid. It is also possible to create pills, which do achieve the same effects as potions.¡± Said Sultan. ¡°Now, brewing potions can be dangerous. Wrong ingredients at the wrong time, or even the use of magic can upset the delicate balance, which usually explodes or has some other disastrous effect. For now, I will work on familiarizing you with the common ingredients, and then we will start brewing some basic potions.¡± It is time for lunch. While they made their way to the mess hall, they all realized that they would never look at their food the same way again. Who knew that the daily things which they eat can be used for creating potions? After postponing his visit to the library due to his classes, Hatori finally has some free time to explore it. After all, he has a whole hour free, since potions class was over at 1 o¡¯clock today, and he got done with lunch at 1:45. The library is bigger than the one at King¡¯s castle. Though Hatori supposes that the castle might just have a bigger library, he just hasn¡¯t seen it. Hatori checks out books about mages who are just starting out. He picks up a book at random. ¡°Greetings.¡± He nearly sliced the book in two due to surprise. ¡°This book is about exploration of magic through runes. Please open to check the table of contents.¡± ¡®That was helpful.¡¯ He thought, and picks up another book. ¡°Greetings. This book is about mathematical exploration of magic.¡± ¡°Greetings. This tome is about magical improvement through physical and mental methods.¡± ¡°This book is about simpler spells, beyond Knockback.¡± ¡°This book is about enchanting and breaking enchantments.¡± ¡°Advance wards and How to Break Them, please do check out how to break basic wards first if you lack the necessary knowledge.¡± After that, Josh and Shin dragged him out of the library. ¡°You should relax before our other class begins.¡± They said. At 3 o¡¯clock, their next class begins. The class is located near the dormitory of the older students. ¡°Welcome students, I¡¯m Amarjeet Advani, professor of conjuring and transmutation.¡± He introduced himself. ¡°Before you can conjure things, you must learn transmutation. Transmutation itself is a deep field, if you can develop your skill in this field, you can even change your shape, and be called a shapeshifter.¡± ¡°Can you shapeshift, Professor?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Indeed.¡± To demonstrate, he transformed into a perfect copy of Hatori, complete with missing eyeballs. He continues on Hatori¡¯s voice. ¡°Today, we will try to change the color of a small object. For this, we will use these red balls to turn into blue ones.¡± ¡°I feel like there¡¯s a joke there somewhere, but I don¡¯t get it.¡± Muttered Hatori. At the end of the class, no one succeeds in changing the color of their ball. However, some of the students do manage to change the shade of their balls a little. Meanwhile, Hatori has trouble getting the right shade, because he can¡¯t get the correct pattern of light reflection to produce the blue color. The final class of the day is located in the large hall built in the ground. ¡°Welcome, I¡¯m Bali Deol, and we will learn magical combat in this class.¡± Said Bali. ¡°You will see weapons around you in this room. Weapons are important for a mage, for they can often act as an offensive foci in a combat situation.¡± The professor goes to the weapons rack. ¡°Try these different weapons, see how they feel in your hands. Later, you will be sparring, training, and will some combat spells from my apprentice Darshan.¡± Once this last class is over, the children breathe a sigh of relief. Finally, their classes are over for a day. They all look forward to their rest, some of them more than others.

Part 3.

After lazing around for three whole hours, they all make their way to the mess hall for dinner, exchanging greetings with Daphne and some other classmates, and barely acknowledging the presence of Avinash when they come across each other. James and Shin are confused by this entire byplay, but they understand that they have prior history with each other, so decide to ignore it. Right outside of the mess hall, the group nearly runs into an older man. ¡°Kids these days. Has no one taught you that you shouldn¡¯t block a professor¡¯s path? Idiots.¡± He scolded them harshly. For a moment, they all are rooted on their spot out of shock. This professor is unknown to them, but the professors with whom they have their classes don¡¯t seem to be like this guy at all. A third year student watched this entire event happening. ¡°Ignore him. He might be a professor, but he doesn¡¯t teach anything.¡± He whispered to them and entered the mess hall. Getting out of their shock, they followed him inside.

Part 4.

During dinner, while Hatori is enjoying the desert, a yantra walks to their table. ¡°Letter for Mr. Hatori.¡± It said in a monotone voice. extending his hand, the yantra puts the letter in front of Hatori. Going over the letter quickly, Hatori extends his hand once more. ¡°I believe you have something else for me as well.¡± ¡°Indeed sir.¡± Said the yantra. He gives Hatori a vial. ¡°From now on, I will deliver this potion according to my instruction during breakfast, lunch, and dinner.¡± Having said that, the yantra walks away. ¡°So, what does the letter say?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Why don¡¯t you read it for yourself?¡± Hatori hands over the letter to Josh, while making face at the sour taste of the potion. Good thing his desert still remains half eaten. He will need it to improve the taste of his mouth after drinking this potion. Josh begins to read the letter.
Boy, You know, as your master, I take your development seriously. Don¡¯t think that just because you are far away from me, you¡¯ll get to relax. You should check out the library immediately. Look for these books specifically.
The list of books appears as blank to Josh, so he begins to read the next part of the letter.
Also, do monitor your diet strictly, and do take the nutrition potion on time. It will be delivered to you during your three meals of the day. do not skip them, for I¡¯ll know if you did, and will punish you accordingly. -Zeko.
Everyone shivered after hearing that part; even though James and Shin have no experience of dealing with Zeko directly, he sounds like a terrifying guy. They have heard his names once or twice, to scare the children. That does not help their composure either. ¡°Didn¡¯t took him as a mothering hen.¡± Said Hatori, terrifying them even further. After getting over his shock, Shin smiles. It seems he¡¯ll get to live an interesting life as long as he spends his time around Hatori.

Part 5.

Stuffed full of the delicious dinner which the author is too lazy to describe, (and has my favor because it makes my job of narrating easier), Shin and Hatori discuss Shin¡¯s training regiment to teach him dueling, and move like Hatori without the use of his eyes. ¡°So, judging by our busy schedule, we won¡¯t have time to assess you in the day. So we must do it in the morning, before breakfast.¡± Said Hatori, sitting on Shin¡¯s bed, planning for the next day. ¡°Hmm. Six in the morning sounds good. What do you think, should we start with it tomorrow?¡± He asked, his hair jingling. ¡°Why not?¡± Hatori enjoys this attitude. No more of people telling him to do it later. ¡°We¡¯ll start with what kind of spells you already can use, and then a mock duel to see how you react in the heed of the situation.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t you stop? We had a long day already.¡± Complained Josh from his bed. ¡°Sounds good. What about the movement training?¡± asked Shin. Josh groaned. ¡°Let it go Josh, they¡¯re not listening to you at this point.¡± consoled Raven. ¡°Well, first we¡¯ll start with moving around this room. Then, some larger spaces outside, and then leave you free to explore it on your own.¡± said Hatori. He leans closer. ¡°And maybe, some book might help us in refining this later.¡± He whispered. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯ll be nice if they listened.¡± Said Josh. ¡°And then, we¡¯ll become the most powerful mages in the world! Hahahahahahahahahahaha!¡± They both began to cackle, imagining, grinding their enemies to dust, and exploring the universe after leaving this planet. Meanwhile, Raven and Josh made peace with the fact that they¡¯re not going to get any sleep. But James watched the conversation intrigued, wondering how to open up the topic of his own participation in this training. (End.) Chapter 39 Chapter 39.

Part 1.

Shin wakes up in the morning, checking his time on his watch. ¡®Six in the morning, just like we agreed.¡¯ Though he is surprised that the rest of the boys are still asleep, including Hatori. ¡®Oh well, I¡¯ll let him sleep. I¡¯ll wake him up once I¡¯m ready.¡¯ He decides. Going to his trunk, he picks up his clothes plus his school dress, and goes to the bathroom for a shower. His moving around in the room wakes up Raven. He expected Hatori to be awake already, but Raven is surprised by listening to his soft snoring. Meanwhile, Josh is snoring heavily, sleeping like a log, uncaring for what is going on around him. Freshly showered, and having tied the bells of his hair, Shin goes to wake up Hatori. ¡°You should wake him up from a distance.¡± Raven croaked from his bed. ¡°Why?¡± asked Shin, stopping on his track. ¡°Because he can be dangerous when woken up.¡± Explained Raven. ¡°Nah, at worst, he¡¯s just going to grumble some.¡± Ignoring Raven¡¯s protests, Shin shakes Hatori. He promptly receives a punch on his belly, knocking the wind out of him. ¡±Yawa!¡± yawns Hatori. ¡°Good morning, Shin.¡± Said Hatori, after sensing him near his bed. ¡°Ready for the training?¡± ¡°Y¡ªyeah.¡± said Shin, recovering his breath. Hatori, ignorant to what he just did, goes for a shower after brushing his teeth. Meanwhile, Raven is feeling smug from his bed. ¡°Told you.¡± ¡°I should have listened.¡± Shin agreed.

Part 2.

After Hatori showered and got dressed, they walked to the ground, and found an isolated part near the stream, underneath a large oak tree. Leaving Josh asleep, James and Raven follow them. Raven wanted to keep an eye on Hatori. This Academy is a dangerous place. Sure, they haven¡¯t encountered any, but this is just their first week. He is sure that there will be some trouble, sooner or later. Meanwhile, James has come as a spectator, wondering about how to approach Shin and Hatori, and get himself involved in the training. Though Raven doesn¡¯t know the real reason for his presence on the ground, he is happy all the same. After all, two are better than one, right? ¡°So, let¡¯s start by what spells you already know.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Well, Knockback and Levitation.¡± Hatori twitched, He still doesn¡¯t consider Levitation a spell. ¡°And Disorient, which uses sound.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a unique one. mind casting that on me?¡± He asked. ¡°Sure. You asked for it.¡± bringing his foci out, which looks like the staff of an orchestral conductor, he casts the spell on Hatori. Hatori stumbles hard as soon as the spell connects. He feels as if multiple people have punched him at the same time. Shin grabbed him before he could fall to the ground. ¡°Wonderful.¡± He is ecstatic. ¡°This spell is wonderful.¡± Recovering from his bout of dizziness, he finds some large boulders, which surprisingly didn¡¯t prove to be that hard. ¡°Now, this spell is called Pierce.¡± Hatori casts the spell on the boulder. A sharp spike of energy comes out of his palm. ¡°Master Zeko could cast this spell just from his small finger.¡± Raven, James, and Shin watch this entire spectacle, as Hatori casted that spell without foci. ¡°Look at the hole.¡± He said to Shin. ¡°It is not smooth as master Zeko, but I¡¯ve gotten quite good with it. It is the sign of improving control over magic.¡± ¡°So, do I have to cast it without foci as well?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Nah, try to cast it with your foci first. You can then move on to fociless casting, or just ignore it. It¡¯s up to you.¡± said Hatori. He is not going to train him fully in the ways of Zeko. Mostly because Shin isn¡¯t his apprentice. It is not his responsibility to hand-hold him every step of the way. ¡°Here¡¯s another spell. This one is called Slice.¡± Hatori separated the boulder in two pieces, once more, putting his audience into shock, just when they started to recover from the first one. Raven remembers this spell. He fired this spell at Professor Amelia during the first day of their class. ¡°Learn to cast these spells, and improve your control over them. For now, that is the most important thing.¡± Shin nodded. ¡°Now that¡¯s out of the way, let¡¯s duel.¡± Shin is surprised. ¡°Already?¡± ¡°Of course. I need to know how you react to the pressure.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Let¡¯s keep it simple. We will only use Knockback spell, and whoever hits the ground will lose.¡± ¡°Sounds good.¡± Agreed Shin. ¡°Raven, will you toss a stone?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°When that stone hits the ground, we will begin.¡± Raven picks up a small stone. He throws it, and the stone lands in the middle of them, and Hatori fires his Knockback spell. He kept his speed slow. He reminds himself to practice his casting speed, lest he get slow, and punished by Zeko. Hatori notes that the movement of Shin is already good. He complains about how unfair it is, because it took him a lot of practice to keep his movement sharp. And yet, Shin already seems to have it, naturally. His reaction speed is also fast. Though casting speed is rather slow. Let¡¯s not even talk about stamina. Unable to keep up with Hatori¡¯s relentless assault, Shin takes the Knockback spell right in his face, and ends up on the ground. ¡°Ug. Your spell hits harder than I thought.¡± He picked himself up from the ground. ¡°I¡¯ve learned to adjust the force as my control has improved.¡± Noticing James watching from the distance, Hatori decides to invite him. ¡°James?¡± He¡¯s startled at his name being called suddenly. ¡°Why don¡¯t you come here, and show us what spells you know?¡± ¡°Well¡­¡± he makes his way to the clearing hesitatingly. ¡°Sure.¡± He decides to be confident. After all, Hatori called him, didn¡¯t he? Finding another boulder for James when he requested it, Hatori expected some damaging spells. And he is not disappointed. ¡°Shatter!¡± This spell caused a line of cracks to appear on the boulder. ¡°Disable!¡± Some dust falls from the boulder. ¡°Paralyze.¡± That spell did nothing. James flushed in embarrassment. ¡°Looks like that last one shows its effects only on humans.¡± Judged Raven. ¡°Yeah. You can¡¯t paralyze a rock, now can you?¡± said Shin. ¡°Good. Some truly unique spells.¡± praised Hatori. ¡°Mind explaining them to us? Unless they are secret.¡± Added Hatori quickly. ¡°They¡¯re not secret.¡± Said James, now recovered from his embarrassment. ¡°The first one is for breaking bones within a body; that¡¯s why you see a crack like that. The second one is supposed to disable them, making it impossible for the opponent to move. The spell works internally in the body; that¡¯s why you only saw some dust. The last one is suppose to paralyze the opponent. The paralysis can be controlled depending on the force of the spell, ranging from a complete paralysis to a partial one.¡± They all see James in a new light. ¡°How did you learn these spells?¡± asked Raven. ¡°I just kind of picked them up from books.¡± He said evasively. Seeing he is not ready or willing to share more info, Hatori decides to duel him. ¡°Let¡¯s duel. Same rules as before. I assume you remember them?¡± At James¡¯s nod, Hatori continues. ¡°Though please don¡¯t cast those spells on me. None of us are ready to handle a duel of that level.¡± James smiled. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t think of it.¡± Once more, Raven tosses a stone, making it land in the middle of them. Once more, Hatori is able to keep his initiative, firing the first Knockback of the duel. Though James is not as fast in movement and reaction as Shin, his stamina and accuracy are better than his. He also managed to clip Hatori with a few Knockback spells of his own. But Hatori has trained with the likes of Neshma and Nandan, so his experience prevailed, and James falls to the ground, unable to keep himself standing. ¡°You know, I only won because we restricted ourselves to the Knockback. I doubt I would be able to beat you if you decided to use those other spells against me.¡± said Hatori. ¡°That is of course, assuming you don¡¯t slice me in two.¡± They both laughed together. Hatori decides that James could be quite deadly in the future. Already he can subdue anyone from their year if he wants to. If he continues to work like that, he can be quite dangerous. ¡°Say, since you¡¯re so good, why don¡¯t you fight against us?¡± challenges Shin. ¡°What do you say buddy? Should we bring him down a peg or two?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that¡¯ll work.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m sure we can beat him together.¡± Shin is quite confident. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go already.¡± Raven sighed. After Hatori agreed. He already knew what was coming. After all, he and Josh tried beating him together in the castle, and that didn¡¯t turn out that well. And today, Raven gets to see a glimpse of why. Maybe he should come with them to practice in the morning as well. He doesn¡¯t want to be left behind. He tosses the stone, and it lands between the three duelists. Hatori was on one side, and Shin and James were on the other side. Despite their advantage, they couldn¡¯t seas the initiative, and Hatori still casts the first spell. Even two versus one odds are not enough to make Hatori use his foci. Instead, he used both of his hands for firing spells, while he used just one hand against James and Shin earlier. They are unable to handle the increased volume of spells as a result, and they both end up on the ground, having lost the duel. Raven just shakes his head. It is a good thing that the soil is soft here. They would have been badly injured by their repeated falls by this point. He knew this would happen, having already fought with Hatori together with Josh.

Part 3.

After the handicap duel is concluded, clapping echoes in the clearing, putting Raven on the guard. ¡®They must be exhausted. I hope they have enough energy left to run.¡¯ He thinks, while observing this stranger. He appears to be a fifth-year student. Judging from his build, he is not a stranger to physical exertion. From his clothes and ornaments on his person, Raven concludes that he must belong to some high-class family. ¡°Wonderful performance, bravo!¡± He praised Hatori. ¡°Of course, you two aren¡¯t that bad either; he just has more experience than you, along with training.¡± He said to Shin and James. Turning to Raven, he continued. ¡°Be at ease. I¡¯m not here to harm any of you.¡± He assures. ¡°If anything, my presence is likely to keep you safe from other students'' interference, especially from the second years. Though the older students aren¡¯t allowed to touch the students in the first to third year, the same rule doesn¡¯t apply to the students of that year. Meaning, you can end up in a fight with a second or a third-year student.¡± This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t surprise me if someone decides to use them as a proxy.¡± Hatori deduces. Raven agreed, having already arrived at the same conclusion. ¡°Oh? How do you know that?¡± asked the unknown youth. ¡°Because that is what I would have done.¡± Answers Hatori. ¡°I believe some introductions are in order, if we¡¯re going to have a long discussion.¡± Said James, feeling none of his meekness right now. ¡°I¡¯m James Flora; he is Raven Arora, Shin, with whom I worked against Hatori Eagle.¡± He pointed everyone in order. ¡°Now, what about you?¡± The teen¡¯s face lights up, as if someone brought him a birthday gift early. ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked. I am the all-consuming, ever-changing, full of mysteries. Wherever I go, I am the life of the party. I am the all-knowing, sometimes kind, sometimes wrathful; the younger brother of Surendra Sharma Junior. I am. Samudra Sharma!¡± He finished his bombastic introduction with a large thumbs up, complete with a shining spotlight focusing on him. The boys decide that he must be using some impressive bit of magic to achieve those effects. James is weary. The Sharma family is split into a total of 36 branches, and it is spread out all over the subcontinent. They are difficult, and sometimes infuriating to deal with. He thought he would get away from family politics, but clearly he won¡¯t get any peace from it here either. ¡°The name suits you, given your personality.¡± Complimented Hatori. ¡°Mind telling us why this place is so hostile?¡± He asked. He already learned some of this from Zeko. But having a source who is currently experiencing the same thing is better than listening to someone who actually completed their schooling around seventy years ago. Hatori shivers at the thought. It is a good thing that Zeko doesn¡¯t take offense when Hatori mentions his age. He would be in a world of hurt otherwise. ¡°Simple. To weed out the weaklings. Now, you¡¯re young kids. But I¡¯m sure you know how the bulk of power rests in the hands of the various mage families on the subcontinent. Aside from the king, they are the most powerful entity around. But when you get so big, you need to compete a lot. And this Academy serves as a purpose for doing exactly that. The children of the powerful family try to eliminate each other here, and anyone who could pose a threat to them in the future. Younger students are, of course, easy targets.¡± He explained. ¡°You should consider learning this stuff from your friend here.¡± Said Samudra, pointing to James. ¡°After all, he himself is from a powerful family. I¡¯m sure he can give you enough basics to find your feet here.¡± ¡°Now, let¡¯s get back to fighting. I suggest you hone your skill in that, much like Hatori. And learn some shielding or defensive spells. It is not possible to dodge all the time. And while a Knockback spell doesn¡¯t hurt that much, I doubt you would want to take landing blows of Pierce or Slice, which are the most basic damaging spells. That, and offensive spells won¡¯t win you fights by themselves.¡± After giving them that advice, he turns around and walks away. ¡°That was strange.¡± Said Shin, having remained silent during that whole exchange. ¡°True. Though his advice isn¡¯t wrong.¡± Said Raven. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, I would like to practice with you every morning as well.¡± ¡°It¡¯s not like a club or something.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Just come here, and join us.¡± Raven decides that it is in Josh¡¯s best interest to come here and practice with them in the morning for dueling, whether he likes it or not. From tomorrow, he¡¯ll bring him here, kicking and screaming. He also decides that he¡¯ll at least master some spells fociless. He is sure that would come in handy some day.

Part 4.

Avinash doesn¡¯t have a problem in the Academy so far. He is happy that the coat hangers of the castle are left behind, and there are actual powerful friends he has made, who can help him become the king of Subcontinent in the future. Though this dream has been a cause of a headache for his father, Avinash refuses to abandon his dream. Let¡¯s take a look of his friends, shall we? I¡¯m sure the author will be happy to pad his wordcount. The first friend Avinash made was Sagar Patel. His father is an owner of massive amount of land, and has a large business. Avinash likes his sense of business. This guy is able to find the opportunities of making money anywhere, even at his young age. Akshat Patil, a boy from a rather not-so-impressive family. Avinash took him in his group just for variety at first. But in just a week, he is proving to be quite a strategist. Tom, with no surname. His parents abandoned him; that¡¯s why he has no surname. Avinash found him in a brawl, where a bunch of second year students were bothering him. despite that, Tom wasn¡¯t scared, and actually ran them off. Despite his combative nature, Tom proved to be quite easy-going, once Avinash calms him down. His first two friends also didn¡¯t mind his inclusion on their group. And yet, despite that, he can¡¯t shake off this feeling of annoyance. Meanwhile, his friends are puzzled regarding his sulky mood. Until he finally managed to pin the reason for his bad mood down, and jumped in realization. ¡°Got it!¡± He screamed, making all three boys stare at him. ¡°Got what?¡± asked Sagar. ¡°I got it why I¡¯m in such a bad mood. We haven¡¯t been able to mingle with each other at all, what with our busy schedule.¡± Explains Avinash. ¡°I don¡¯t think that should cause you to sulk so much.¡± Said Tom. ¡°Yeah, but I was just unable to see who else can be swayed on our side for our future campaigns.¡± All of them sighed together. Once Avinash starts about his future plans, he just doesn¡¯t shut up. ¡°I have decided.¡± They all looked at him blankly. This will involve a lot of work, they can already tell. ¡°We¡¯ll organize a meet and greet, and invite everyone from our group.¡± He said. ¡°I¡¯ll get access to the printing yantra. It shouldn¡¯t take too long. I suspect selection of place and seating arrangement might take longer.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go look for a suitable place.¡± Said Akshat, having no interest in printing pamphlets. ¡°I¡¯ll try arranging seats for everyone.¡± Said Sagar, leaving with Akshat. ¡°Just tell me what you want to write on the pamphlets, and leave the printing and distribution to me.¡± said Tom. Avinash smiled. A successful king needs people who can take initiative around him. ¡°We¡¯ll write something like this¡­¡± After those pamphlets were printed, Avinash gives them to everyone in his class personally, even that arrogant Hatori. ¡®And now, we wait for the day to arrive.¡¯

Part 5.

A meeting of fourth year students is called in the dormitory of the older students. It is called by Ishwar Chandravanshi. ¡°So, those priests refuse to show up this time, eh?¡± He said. ¡°According to them, unless we take some concrete action, they won¡¯t support us.¡± Said Ajay Singh, who is aligned with Ishwar. ¡°Forget about them. Let¡¯s talk about how to deal with Hatori. I hear he has arrived at the academy. Have you seen him?¡± He asked. ¡°Not much. The first years have a very busy schedule, as you know.¡± Said Bhanu, another supporter of Ishwar. ¡°Hmm. WellWell, my father¡¯s orders were clear. Approach him to align with us, or convince him to do so either by hook or by crook.¡± Said Ishwar. ¡°Joshis failed to do that. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a great coup for us if we do that successfully.¡± Said Ajay. ¡°Of course they did.¡± Ishwar has a distasteful look on his face. ¡°My family might be aligned with them, but I just know that they are more trouble than their worth.¡± ¡°Also mad.¡± Added Bhanu. ¡°That. yeah. Now, let¡¯s approach him nicely for a start. He¡¯s just a young boy, much like how we were once.¡± They all chuckled. ¡°And if he refuses, then there are ways for us to make his life a living hell, without even touching him.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll recruit some third-years for our cause, just in case.¡± Said Bhanu. ¡°You do that.¡±

Part 6. Amrita¡¯s lecture on history: the creation of mage dimension.

¡°As you know, we live in an especially created dimension, different from the world of the other side. And today, we will learn how that happened.¡± She paced in the classroom. ¡°Around five-thousand years ago, we freely lived in the same world, with magic users and non-magic users forming mixed communities. But we mages have a different temper than them. We like to research a lot, and we don¡¯t like it when others force us to participate in their own conflicts.¡± She said. ¡°Though, as we learn later, we do love waging wars of our own.¡± ¡°Getting back to the point, the sorcerers of that time were annoyed by the kings constantly requesting them with aid for this or that task. So they planned to create a dimension where all mages could live freely, and do research as much as they wanted, without fulfilling the requests of a non-magical king.¡± ¡°This effort took a thousand years to complete, during which countless generations of mages and sorcerers worked tirelessly on the magical system which would allow us to create this dimension, complete with a copy of Earth, completely devoid of everything else aside from the basic necessities of life.¡± ¡°And that is how this dimension was created. Any questions?¡± ¡°Professor, did they bring in the plants and animals from the other side?¡± asked a student. ¡°Indeed they did. Overtime, the species have started to go on a different evolution path as a result of their separation.¡± ¡°Professor, what is a sorcerer? You implied it was something different from a normal mage.¡± Asked Hatori. ¡°We will learn more about them later.¡± ¡°Professor, why don¡¯t other people practice magic like us? Do they lack the ability to use magic?¡± asked another student. Amrita¡¯s eyes darted towards Hatori before she answered this question. ¡°No. They all have the capability to practice magic. They just did not choose to use it, either they lacked the necessary sources of educating themselves, or they just didn¡¯t have any interest in it.¡± ¡°Do we still have contact with them?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Yes, but only bare minimum. Around one-thousand years ago, we slowly stopped any magical operations there. The historical exploits of magic have been twisted, due to missing or destroyed records.¡± ¡°Who destroyed those records?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Certainly not us. Mages didn¡¯t want to hide themselves. They needed a place to practice magic, without fulfilling the demands of someone. The records were later destroyed or altered by the non-magic using humans themselves as time went on, and a lot of the records were destroyed during wars of their own.¡± (End.) Chapter 40 Chapter 40.

Part 1.

Ishwar cursed at the missed opportunities, each time they failed to get Hatori alone. The boy never leaves his friends, is often in classes, or in his dormitories. They avoid approaching him in the open, because they don¡¯t want their competition to realize that the attempts are already being made to recruit him. Ishwar is patient though. He is sure that he will get his chance. When that happens, he will pounce on it.

Part 2.

When classes are over, and he took an hour-long nap after changing his school-dress, Hatori goes to the library, and sees the books available there. For now, he decides to get the first book from the list of books recommended to him by Zeko. He would have loved to get some more books out of here, but currently, there¡¯s a limit of one book on him. He learned of it when he tried to take out the second book after the first one. The second book is about magical sensing. Hatori feels that could be useful in the future. ¡°Physical Side of Magic: How to Maintain Your Body for Maximum Growth. This book is to help young mages develop their physical condition to improve their magic.¡±

Part 3.

Avinash waits for the arrival of his guests, reclining on his throne-like chair. Akshat and Sagar have outdone themselves in finding this room, and arranging it with the staff to reserve it for their use today, along with seating arrangements for everyone. And of course, the special chair for him. Though the credit for finding it goes to Tom. Today is the day of the Sun, meaning they all get a day off today. They also had a day off yesterday, but they all just slept like a log, judging from how many students were missing from the first year during breakfast. Of course, he and that crazy Hatori did end up waking up early. At least the guy is driven, despite his infuriating disrespect towards him. Slowly but surely, the room starts to fill, as other students arrive. Hatori senses Avinash sitting in a big chair, as he entered along with his own group. ¡°What is up with him?¡± He pointed to Avinash, while whispering to Raven. ¡°Looks like a throne to me.¡± He whispered in return. ¡°He¡¯s too small for it.¡± The room is filled with the students of their group. Hatori feels the weakness in his legs for a moment. But he then gathers his confidence, and asks Josh. ¡°Will you be with me? I''d rather not meet anyone alone.¡± He is sure that the social nature of Josh will help him. ¡°Sure.¡± Nodded Josh. Avinash is happy to see other students mingling with each other. His own friends are distributing the refreshments to everyone. He sees Hatori¡¯s group as splitting up. That boy with bells in his hair and Raven go the other way, while Josh and Hatori go the other way. Whereas that quiet boy just sits in the corner, sipping his drink. Aside from greeting Daphne and Ravina, Josh and Hatori meet three girls. First are twin sisters Chaya and Maya. ¡°Wow. Even your voices are the same.¡± Said Hatori, after all, the greetings and pleasantries are done. ¡°Yeah, we get that a lot.¡± Said one of them, though Hatori isn¡¯t sure which one was it. Maybe magical sensing can help him differentiating between them? The other girl they meet while Hatori is bragging about his killer chess skills to Chaya and Maya. ¡°And just through my fingers, I can observe the board, and calculate my next moves, and form new strategies.¡± ¡°Like a squid playing through his tentacles.¡± They all laughed. ¡°Is that so, huh?¡± The third girl they met said to them. ¡°I bet you¡¯re not that great at it.¡± ¡°First, who¡¯re you?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Second, how can you say it so confidently?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m Maria Asato. And I say it, because I¡¯m unbeaten in chess.¡± She said. ¡°If you¡¯re so confident, then why don¡¯t you play against me?¡± ¡°Hmm. We¡¯ll see what we can do. My days are quite busy. Though we can play on weekends.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, he isn¡¯t lying. He wakes up at six in the morning every day, and practices dueling before breakfast.¡± Josh lamented his loss of sleep. After the first day, Raven has started to drag him with them as well, and no amount of protesting has returned his sleep. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll play next weekend. Don¡¯t run away.¡± She threatens Hatori with a finger on his face, and then walks away. ¡°Ignore her,¡± said Daphne. ¡°We¡¯ve learned that she¡¯s hyper-competitive. Even worse than Ravina.¡± ¡°Hey. I resent that!¡± This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. Moving on, and ignoring other people because we don¡¯t have enough space on our computer for such a large document filled with vivid descriptions of people mingling with each other. Hatori and his friends meet wait for it, another set of twins, this time male ones. ¡°Hello there!¡± greets one of them enthusiastically. ¡°Hello.¡± The second one sounds much calmer. ¡°I¡¯m Bhavani, and he is Ranveer. We¡¯re from the Singh family.¡± Bhavani introduces himself. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice you sound the same as well.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, we get that a lot. Though our personality helps in differentiating us.¡± Coming back from a decidedly frosty exchange between Avinash and Hatori, they also meet Praduman Rao JR. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± He asked. ¡°You look like a tough man.¡± He thumped Josh on his back, making him stumble. Though he failed to do the same with Hatori. ¡°Nah, you¡¯re tougher than him.¡± ¡°It¡¯s all Zeko¡¯s training.¡± For a moment after hearing that name, Praduman¡¯s face goes white from fear. He quickly excuses himself from their company. ¡°Was it something I said?¡± Wonders Hatori. ¡°Nah, he was just scared of Zeko.¡± Laughed Josh. Apparently, dinner will be provided here in this very room for their group. Hatori doesn¡¯t know how Avinash managed to do that. But he thinks it would be best for him to find out. What if he needs to hide somewhere? He can arrange food for himself without going to the mess hall. Though prying this info out of Avinash might prove to be hard. However, he notices that certain students are left out. They are not provided with chairs like others. Shin is among them, and another boy who seems to be part of Avinash¡¯s own group. Hatori couldn¡¯t believe it. He never thought that Avinash would treat someone like that, especially someone who seems to be working for him. Leaving his plate without even touching his dinner, he goes to Shin. ¡°Come with me.¡± He grabbed him. ¡°You should come with me as well.¡± Not seeing whether the other boy is following him or not, they all go to Avinash, still sitting on his throne. Though this time, he is sitting with his legs crossed. ¡°Looks like you forgot to arrange certain seats.¡± Said Hatori, once he is standing in front of him. ¡°Is that so?¡± said Avinash, looking at Shin, who is dragged by Hatori in front of him, while Tom followed on a sedate pace behind them. ¡°No we didn¡¯t.¡± said Akshat. ¡°We arranged proper seats for proper students.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Then they are not proper students. Is that it?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Answered Sagar. ¡°The fact that they even get to feed at the same time as us¡ª¡± ¡°You want to be a king in the future, don¡¯t you?¡± Hatori ignored Sagar entirely. At Avinash¡¯s nod, he continued. ¡°Then start treating everyone equally. There¡¯s no proper or improper, everyone is equal in the true king¡¯s eyes.¡± Said Hatori. The whole room is silent. Everyone feels as if they are watching a great confrontation, which is somehow going to have an impact on their future. ¡°You are, of course, correct. Tom, come sit next to me. Sagar, provide Shin with a seat, next to his friend.¡± Said Avinash. The entire room exploded. ¡°You can¡¯t do that!¡± ¡°You¡¯re breaking the social structure.¡± Protests like these came from every corner. ¡°Silence!¡± said Avinash. ¡°This is my event. A get-together which I organized to find my future supporters as a king. Many people laugh at me when I say that, but you¡¯ll see. One day, I will sit on the throne of Porus, and you can either be with me, or against me; social structure be damned.¡± He finished his speech. ¡°Also, from the next event onward, we will all sit on the floor, traditional Subcontinent-style.¡± Hatori decides to file that word for later use of his own. No one protested after that speech. Tom is seated on the right side of Avinash, while Akshat and Sagar seem to be talking with him in whispered tones. Meanwhile, Shin gets to sit with his friends, ignoring the strange look the two groups were receiving from the rest of the kids.

Part 4.

Hatori reads the book which he took out from the library yesterday in the night, after the party was over. After dinner, everyone left for their dorms. The book mostly talks about why it is important to keep the physical condition good is important for a mage, something which he already knows from repeated lectures of Zeko. However, there¡¯s some new info here. Mostly some new exercises which seem to be more difficult than his usual routine of squats and push-ups; hard spell casting practice to refine the control and practice, and some physical fighting techniques. Hatori is interested in the grappling section. ¡®I¡¯ll follow the routine from tomorrow.¡¯ He decides, after putting the book down. Tomorrow, he will have a hard day, he suspects. (End.) Chapter 41 Chapter 41.

Part 1.

Shin comes from the library to their room, where Hatori and others are waiting for him. Since Hatori already has taken out a book in his name, he can¡¯t take out another book, since currently there is a one-book limitation put on first-year students. So Shin agreed to bring the book of basic combat spells from the library. Meanwhile, Josh is wondering what to do about these insane people with whom he is trapped. ¡°Let¡¯s take a look, shall we?¡± Said Shin, opening the book. ¡°Oooooh. This spell looks good.¡± He shows it to Raven. ¡°Imagine the destruction.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Yes, but I doubt you can actually cast this spell.¡± said the book, spooking the boys. ¡°You can talk?¡± said the book in surprise. ¡°Yeah.¡± It said in reply. ¡°But I already have a book. It doesn¡¯t talk at all.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Did you ever try that? We all have different personalities. I¡¯m considered very talkative by other books.¡± It said. ¡°Whatever. Let¡¯s cast that spell.¡± Hatori brings out the staff bought by Zeko for him, and enlarges it (But not like that. He¡¯s just a child, for Author¡¯s sake!) The spell in question causes a small twister to appear. ¡°Maybe we shouldn¡¯t cast this in our room.¡± Said James. But he was too late. The twister appears, and goes out of control. While Hatori struggles to control it, Raven opens the window. Hatori pushes it out of the open window. While this was going on, the book was laughing in the background the entire time. ¡°Phew. That was wild.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You nearly destroyed our dorms!¡± said Josh, he sounded very upset from his tone. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Hatori ducks his head in shame. ¡°Oy. Lighten up. If he didn¡¯t do it, one of us would have done that.¡± said Shin in defense of Hatori. ¡°Why are you so right?¡± Lamented Josh. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s stick to shielding spells for now.¡± After they all agreed, the book shows them a basic shielding spell. The next morning, Raven, James, Hatori, Shin, and a reluctant Josh go out for their usual spot of training near the stream, taking the book along for it can offer corrections. Meanwhile, Hatori also brought in his book. He is currently following its instructions, running around and exercising hard. He pushed his body harder than he ever did with Zeko. Unfortunately for him, he doesn¡¯t have enough time to practice his spellcasting, so he decides to wake up an hour early. ¡°You performed well today.¡± Said the book. ¡°Though if you wish to learn the physical techniques, you¡¯ll need a sparring partner.¡± Hatori doesn¡¯t have a solution to that problem. They are just about to leave, since it is time for breakfast. But the appearance of Samudra Sharma stops them. ¡°Hey there, boys.¡± He greeted them. ¡°I see you followed my advice.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re learning some shielding spells, like you suggested to us. Though it is just a basic shield for now.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Indeed? Show me.¡± He said. Holding their foci to the side as if gripping a shield by a handle, all five of them focus. A glowing circle appears in front of them, bobbing up and down. ¡°Wonderful. Though keep in mind that this basic shield is easy to break, because, well¡­ it is basic. But you have to start somewhere, right?¡± He clapped. ¡°Continue your hard work, boys. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll go far.¡± He turned around, and walked away. ¡°Strange guy.¡± said Josh after he left. ¡°I know. But for now, he seems to be helping us.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Yeah. But I don¡¯t think we should trust him all the time.¡± Said James. ¡°I¡¯m not sure of his motive.¡±

Part 2.

Shin has been moving around the room blindfolded, using the Radar spell taught to him by Hatori. The spell was simple enough, so he learned it quickly. ¡°I think you¡¯ve gotten used to moving around in the room. Let¡¯s go outside now.¡± He said, relaxing after their lunch in their free time. ¡°Okay. But where?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Just follow me. I¡¯ll walk slowly.¡± He said, and they both walked out of their dorm. ¡°We¡¯re going to the hospital section.¡± Said Hatori, taking a different direction from the path of the ground. ¡°Why?¡± asked Shin. ¡°You¡¯re not hurt, are you?¡± ¡°Not that. But Zeko thinks that the healers there can help me with my physical training.¡± Explained Hatori. The smell clued them in that they were now in the hospital of the Academy. It seems magic or not, hospitals have the same smell of disinfectants, not to mention people groaning in pain. Though for a school-hospital, there is a lot of noise of pain coming from the rooms. ¡°What do you think happened to them?¡± asked Shin, still following Hatori. ¡°Probably their killing attempts backfired on them.¡± said Hatori grimly. ¡°Can I help you two?¡± asked a male voice. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m looking for someone named Slaughter. Zeko told me to find him.¡± said Hatori. ¡°He said that, didn¡¯t he?¡± asked the man. Shin is uncomfortable since he is unable to see the face of the man with whom Hatori is talking to. ¡°Well, kid, you¡¯ve found me. Why did he send you to me?¡± ¡°He said that you could help me with my physical training.¡± Answered Hatori. ¡°Hmm. I can. But do you know what that would involve?¡± asked Slaughter. ¡°No. I¡¯ve got no idea.¡± ¡°To start with, I will give you a neckless, which you have to wear all the time. This neckless will make the air around your body heavier; you will feel like you¡¯re moving through a molasses. But when you remove it, your speed will increase, and you¡¯re body will get naturally strong.¡± The healer explained the method of training. ¡°However, this will put your body through a horrible amount of stress. It can have some really bad side effects. Do you still want to do this?¡± He asked, hoping to scare Hatori away. ¡°Yes.¡± Answered Hatori, without even considering. Muttering about mad men playing with the lives of children, Slaughter gives Hatori the neckless. ¡°Now, wear this all the time.¡± He is amused to see Hatori struggling to move. Maybe the child would get enough of the hardship, and abandon this madness. ¡°Once your body is used to moving at this level or resistance, the neckless will automatically adjust the resistance, and increase it for you.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Hatori said. Slaughter is pretty disturbed to see the boys walking away. ¡®What the hell is he planning? I¡¯ve no doubt that he even recommended that dreadful book to him. Its not designed for children of his age; the exercises in that book are enough to make a fully grown mage cry!¡¯

Part 3.

Hatori is reading his book in the night. The book is explaining some holds which can be used to restrain a mage physically, provided you can get close enough to them. The book justifies this by stating that most mages ignore their physical training, so a savvy mage who realizes these weaknesses can ruthlessly take advantage of it. And I¡¯m describing this shortly, so I don¡¯t have to literally narrate every passage of the book. Being a narrator is hard, folks, and you¡¯re not even paid great. Can you believe it? Anyway, getting back to the topic, while reading his book, Hatori hears some screams from outside of their room. All five boys stir uneasily in the room, thinking about what is going on outside. ¡°Looks like someone is getting murdered.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Be quiet!¡± Josh shushed him. But Hattori thinks they can hide from it all they want. They can¡¯t change reality. His roommates cannot sense magic, so they remain ignorant. But Hatori can. He knows that there¡¯s a battle going on out there. He just can¡¯t sense it accurately enough. But wouldn¡¯t it be cool if he could describe from a distance what is going on? Shaking his head, he focuses back to his book. Moving on from the holds, -- Which the book advice to practice daily, -- it talks about the elemental magic. Though it doesn¡¯t explain it clearly, but Hatori gets the feeling by the elements, it refers to the Earth, Lightning, and wind. Looks like reading those RPG wikis is now coming in handy. He is still salty about his inability to play and enjoy those games. Why must this cruel world torment him so? (To be honest, I ask this question to myself every night as well.) According to the book, if the body of a user of an elemental magic is not strong enough, the spell can backfire, and the elements can end up destroying the magus from the inside out. Hatori decides that he doesn¡¯t want to do anything with this horrific fate. So he will prepare his body. By the time he¡¯s ready to use elemental magic, his body will be strong enough to handle anything. The book also teaches him a new spell, to change the weight of an object. According to the book, this comes in handy when you need some heavier objects for your training. Additionally, it also works on clothes. Though Hatori doesn¡¯t need to make his clothes heavy. The neckless healer Slaughter is already making his life difficult as it is. ¡®This better all be worth it, or else I¡¯ll make Zeko¡¯s life a very difficult one. I don¡¯t know how, but I¡¯ll find a way.¡¯ (On a training camp.) Zeko is training some military brats, who have lost their discipline. In the middle of his teardown of their capabilities, he suddenly stops, and looks in the sky. ¡°You know what? I feel proud of my apprentice all of a sudden. So as a reward, I¡¯m giving you this day off. But you better improve, or I¡¯ll make your life a living hell, do you understand?¡± Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°Sir! Yessir!¡± They all said, and marched away. (Back to the academy.) Though the spell might not be useful for his training, Hatori decides it can be useful in combat. After all, how many people can fight against their suddenly heavy clothing? The next morning, Josh is disturbed to see bloodstains right outside of the dormitories of the first-year students. The last nights events are being discussed by everyone among the firsties with hushed whispers.

Part 4. Bali¡¯s lecture on combat: summoning spell.

Professor Bali begins the lecture after all the students have gathered within the classroom. Sometimes, he is amazed by the energy displayed by these children. Learning so many things just in a day, and then coming to a physically demanding class is too much to ask, in his opinion. Sadly, the education board has not listened to him when they actually separated the schedule of the next year¡¯s classes on the daily basis. He feels that having just a few classes on one day will allow the students ample recovering time, and allow them to absorb the lessons better, and have more free time. ¡°Now, so far, you¡¯re all very unfamiliar with combat magic. But still, I wish to know. What is the correct response if you¡¯re attacked in a dark alley in the night?¡± everyone who heard the screams or saw the bloodstains in the morning shivers. ¡°Duel them?¡± suggested one student. ¡°But what if attackers outnumber you? Besides, duels are formalized; they have rules of their own, which are not followed outside of the arena.¡± ¡°Fight fire with fire, and fight them by forgoing the rules of dueling?¡± suggested another student. ¡°Again, that is not doing anything about your number disadvantage. Not to mention, the surprise factor.¡± Bali shook his head. ¡°You should run, hide, or pray in this scenario.¡± ¡°But, professor, that is hardly going to solve the problem.¡± Argued Avinash. ¡°Running away is not an option on the table sometimes.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Smiled Bali. ¡°And I¡¯m glad that you brought that point up. After all, that is what this class is about. If you know, or have some experience in combat, then chances of you getting away increase, since you will be able to create opportunities for running away, which should be your primary goal. Because a smart mage does not play by his opponent¡¯s rules.¡± ¡°For that end, you will learn the first spell of the year in this class, called Summoning Spell.¡± Bali waved his foci in the air, and one of the swords hanging on the rack full of weapons was suddenly in his hand. ¡°You can call any object into your hand with this spell. Beware though, if you call on an object which is heavier than you can handle, you can end up getting crushed by its weight.¡± He does the motion to perform the spell once more, and drills the students in that motion for several repetitions. After he is satisfied, he puts small plastic balls in the center of the class, and begins his instructions once more. ¡°Now, try to summon these balls into your hands.¡± While the students are practicing, Bali is glad that he¡¯s not teaching the older students. For some reason, the mention of balls and hands in one sentence makes them giggle, and lose their focus. Hatori easily performed the spell with his staff. But he decides to try the spell without it. He remembers the flow of magic during the spell, and how it reacted with his motions. Focusing with his one hand, and keeping his palm out, a ball appears on his hand. Nearby, Josh just shakes his head after watching that. ¡®It seems that the spell looks for an object. Additionally, it also sends a mental picture of sorts into the caster¡¯s mind when it touches an object. This can be useful.¡¯ Thinks Hatori.

Part 5.

After classes were over, Hatori and his friends made their way out of the classroom. In the rush, they get separated, but his roommates are not worried about Hatori. So far, he seems to have no trouble moving around the Academy. So they are sure that he will make his way to their dorms. He might even decide to stroll around, given how much they have heard him describing his strolls on Zeko¡¯s property. Unfortunately, this won¡¯t end well, as an experienced reader will notice. Separation always leads to problems, as we will learn shortly. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± Said a student. Hatori thinks from his voice that he must be at least thirteen. He tries to get pass him, but he senses two students flanking him. Two students are behind him, covering his retreat. ¡®Maybe they would ruff me up a little, and they¡¯ll leave?¡¯ He thinks, the situation reminding him of the past bullies he has faced already. ¡°To my dorms.¡± He answers the question politely. ¡°Quite a hurry to get in there, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked in the same voice. Maybe he is in charge? Hatori decides this is no time to dwell on bully hierarchy. ¡°You will listen to us first.¡± He said. ¡°Your stunts the previous year damaged a lot of us, especially the Joshis. You are lucky that they have not hunted you in revenge as a result.¡± The student gets in Hatori¡¯s face. ¡°Now, once more, we are giving you a chance. Join the high-class families. You will, of course, be punished for your mistakes which you have already committed. But once we take out the king and his ilk, we¡¯ll rule this Subcontinent. If you listen to us, you can live a luxurious life. Or else, suffer a lot before we¡¯ll put you out of your misery.¡± ¡°No.¡± said Hatori. ¡°What did you say, you hapless little shit?¡± The talker moves to grab his collar, but Hatori slices his ear with the Slice spell. This sudden attack made a way for him, so he takes advantage of this, and runs off, leaving the squealing bully behind. ¡°Go after him.¡± He orders in his high-pitch squeal, still whimpering in pain. The remaining three students go after Hatori, but the fourth one stops to kick the talker. ¡°You failed.¡± Leaving him to whimper in pain, he goes after Hatori as well, but at a much slower pace. Meanwhile, the firsties who saw a bunch of older students chasing Hatori ran away faster to their dorms, while the older students just turned their eyes away in indifference. This doesn¡¯t surprise Hatori. He has faced this before. The situation is way too familiar for his liking. One of the three students reached him first, and tries to grab him. But Hatori twisted his arm, and moved behind him, pulling the arm with him. The arm broke with a loud crack, leaving his bully in a lot of pain. Thanking the book, Hatori senses another one reaching him. Turning to the direction where he is coming from, Hatori fires another Slice spell, nearly separating his arm. Not stopping to see the results of his spell because the sound of pain confirmed a hit, and partly because another student was coming close, Hatori moved to the crowd. But that still fails to shake him. When he got in touching distance, Hatori applied the weight-changing spell to his clothes, making him collapse to the ground. Taking advantage of that, Hatori disappears into the crowd. Hatori enters the ground. He feels this open space will be best for losing his attackers? Bullies? Menaces. He settled on menaces, because calling them bullies in his head got old after a while. He hears the sound of crunching dirt behind him, so he takes off once more. Another reason to choose the ground is because he can hear anyone coming at him before they reach him. The crunching sound appears whenever he thinks he has lost his pursuer. This continued, until Hatori finds himself near a well, which goes deeper than Hatori can sense. ¡°They used this well for throwing blood after performing various rituals from it. After better methods were found for keeping up the soil quality, they abandoned those rituals. But this well is still here.¡± Said the final student. Hatori realizes this must be the leader. ¡°Now, you¡¯ve handled my underlings impressively. I will extend this chance once more. Join us, or be thrown in this well.¡± He moved towards him. Hatori panics. He has no way of surviving, getting thrown there. When the leader grabbed his hand, he was pushed back with a nasty shock. ¡°Looks like your master has equipped you well. No matter. Mere enchantments won¡¯t protect you for long.¡± He moved to grab Hatori once more. Not knowing what to do, Hatori blurted out the first thing that came to his mind. ¡°Master Zeko, thanks for saving me.¡± The leader didn¡¯t believe Hatori¡¯s words. But still, he turned around. During that time, Hatori casts the Summoning spell, mapping the objects around him. He can¡¯t call up the large boulders. But he calls up one of the fallen branches of a tree. When the leader turns around, furious at his deception, Hatori strikes him with that branch on his face, making him stumble back-first into the well. He lands with a loud crack, and Hatori takes off running. He didn¡¯t stop until he reached his room in his dorms. He looked strange to other students, running like that while waving a branch in the air threateningly. When his friends saw his condition, they knew something had gone wrong. In this narrator¡¯s opinion, told you so! None of them asked any questions, though. They took him to his bed, and hoped that he would come out of his shocked state, and would tell them himself what had happened to him. (End.) Chapter 42 Chapter 42.

Part 1.

Corvus Black, the headmaster of one of the premier schools for learning magecraft in the world, is currently dozing, while two professors complain in front of him. ¡°What was the last thing you said?¡± He asked in a clueless tone. ¡°I¡¯m getting old. My hearing is not as good as it used to be.¡± ¡°Headmaster!¡± Chided Surbha Joshi, the deputy headmistress of the Academy. ¡°You should listen to us when we speak.¡± ¡°Is that so, huh? Tell me again. Who is in charge here, hmm?¡± He asked while looking at her without blinking. ¡°The boy should be punished.¡± Snarled Krishna Menon. ¡°We can¡¯t allow some low-class filth to harm the future of our elites!¡± ¡°Whatever you say, professor dubious.¡± Krishna gritted his teeth at that title. Ever since he has gotten posted as a professor, Corvus has kept calling him that. ¡°But it is interesting that you suddenly care so much about students killing each other in this school, while just yesterday, everything was fine.¡± Suddenly, both of them have trouble breathing, as if they are hundreds of meters below sea level. ¡°I will not punish the boy.¡± Declared Corvus with finality. ¡°If he can eliminate the idiots from the gene pool, then maybe I won¡¯t be forced to deal with morons like you. Now, kindly get lost.¡± With a wave of his hand, both professors were pushed out of his office, and found themselves looking at the staircase to get to his office.

Part 2.

Hatori¡¯s friends realize that they just can¡¯t keep ignoring the warnings given to them by Samudra and the professors. Hatori already knew that the school was going to be dangerous before he came here. Though in his case, he just didn¡¯t realize how dangerous. After he got over his shock, Hatori told them everything. For a moment, they were all stunned. To kill a mage who had both strength of magic and experience on his side at his age was a remarkable thing to them. But they realize that Hatori has paid a heavy price for that in emotional damage. Now, they all train without complaining, while Hatori performs his routine nearby, having been training an hour before them already. After done with his physical workout, he moves to his spellcasting, performing his newly learned Summoning spell, alongside the spells he already knows.

Part 3.

During the breakfast, there¡¯s a fairly large buzz about the killing yesterday. The killing the day before yesterday didn¡¯t even generate any comments, but this one seems to be a trending topic among younger students. The older students didn¡¯t give a damn. They¡¯ve got their plates full already. They don¡¯t have time to think about why a younger year student murdered another one. Though no one knows about Hatori¡¯s involvement in this matter, and the four students who¡¯s leader was killed are strangely silent, some students do remark on how he was chased yesterday.

Part 4.

Daphne and her roommates are discussing the incident during lunchtime. ¡°It must be some sort of deep enmity among them if things escalated so quickly.¡± She said. ¡°Yeah, what you said.¡± Ravina, Chaya and Maya agreed. Sometimes, they need to remind Daphne not to use big words. ¡°Whatever.¡± Said Mira, their final roommate, reading a book in the corner. ¡°Ignore the boys and their spat. Focus on your studies.¡± Though the advice was sound, none of them appreciated the tone in which it was delivered. No one likes the snooty and superior attitude, no matter the age.

Part 5.

Ishwar is pissed. Those Joshis messed up his plans. He wanted to approach Hatori, and work on him softly, making him join them in the process. If he could bring the Flora and Fernandes boy with him, that would have been a bonus. But in their haste, they just threatened him. He got spooked, and refused. And they are now here to eat his head. Swaraj, the oldest student in the Academy from Joshi family, also brought his friend (And Ishwar suspects his romantic partner) Lucie Mathis with him. Though his family is under the thumb of Joshi family, Ishwar detests Joshis, and the presence of Mathis is just enough to make his blood boil from his uncontrollable anger. Still, he manages to keep his temper in check. ¡°You were moving too slowly.¡± Said Swaraj Joshi. ¡°True, that our methods yielded the same result. But we wouldn¡¯t have known if we hadn¡¯t tried, now, would we?¡± ¡°Fead this horseshit to someone who cares.¡± He retorted. ¡°You can put all the blame on me if you want. But the reality is that you fucked up. And now, the situation is out of our hands.¡± ¡°What would you have done then?¡± asked Lucie in a patronizing tone. ¡°You seem to be just flapping your mouth so far, instead of doing something.¡± Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. ¡®Oh, for the love of magic, please eradicate these fools who think someone must be seen doing something to be considered productive.¡¯ Thought Ishwar. ¡°I would have brought him on our side, making him question the king and Zeko in the process. But you just threatened him like a brute.¡± ¡°Who says we still can¡¯t use those same methods?¡± said Swaraj with a smirk. ¡°Yeah, I wash my hands off from this. Go do it yourselves.¡± He told them off. ¡°Be careful now, Chandravanshi. Your family¡ª¡± Ishwar interrupts Swaraj. ¡°Is nothing of consequence. I have nothing to lose. Whereas your families are already reeling after suffering the king¡¯s wrath.¡± He reminded them. ¡°Now, please leave kindly.¡± Ishwar¡¯s friends suddenly get up, and loom over both of them. ¡°Fine. But remember this, you will regret it.¡± said Lucie before leaving. ¡°What should we do now?¡± asked Bhanu. ¡°Just help out the kid.¡± Said Ishwar. ¡°Nothing else we can do.¡± ¡®He must be one hell of a mage at his age.¡¯ Thinks Ishwar. ¡®If I could keep these idiots off his back, he might develop into something wonderful. And I¡¯ll do it, family be damned.¡¯

Part 6.

Hatori decides that he can¡¯t rely on Zeko to train him all the time, and rely on the professors to teach him useful magic in the meantime. During his entire stay here, he has only learned just one useful spell, aside from that attempt of transmutation, with which he still has trouble with, and potions, most classes have proved to be, dare he say it, useless. As a result, he settles on taking matters into his own hands. Starting with skipping the classes which don¡¯t teach anything useful, and the work which he can accomplish in just a few days of a week. He also decides to train daily according to the physical magic book. So far, he has only followed its routine half-way. But with his free time, he will be able to follow it fully. But before he can do that, or learn even more powerful magic to defend himself, he needs a way to defend himself which he can use temporarily. So he goes to the library, and makes a list of basic offensive potions. Next day, as everyone is leaving for lunch, Hatori stops before Sultan. ¡°Can I help you?¡± He asked. For all his antagonistic relations with his master, Sultan always treats the students kindly. ¡°Yes. I need a place to brew these potions.¡± Hatori hands him the list. ¡°Why do you want to brew these?¡± He asked. The potions weren¡¯t any special. There was one to cause a bright light, which would cause blindness. Another one to make a loud sound, to stun people, and similar basic effects. ¡°Until I can learn powerful magic to defend myself, this is the only way I have to defend myself.¡± Explained Hatori. ¡°Makes sense.¡± Nodded Sultan. ¡°Fine, you can use my lab, kid. Just help me out with cleaning and upkeep every once in a while. The ingredients won¡¯t be a problem. These potions don¡¯t need any exotic ones to brew them.¡± Hatori smiled. ¡°Thanks.¡± ¡°No worries.¡± Nodded the teen, and left the classroom. He himself is getting hungry, so Hatori follows him. Eating his lunch, he leaves to explore the school some more, despite the risk it presents. ¡®I¡¯ll apologize to them later.¡¯ He thinks. thinking his friends must be upset at him for his recent cold behavior. In his search to find a secluded spot to train, he finds a room full of yantras which look to be abandoned. He also finds an entrance to somewhere from where he can smell the food being cooked. Deciding that he will explore them later, Hatori finds a gate in the ground. The spot is beyond the oak tree near the stream, where they practice every morning. Heaving to open the rusty gate, Hatori manages to open it. He considers himself lucky that it wasn¡¯t locked, or that there¡¯s nothing dangerous on the other side, as far as he can tell. Here, he finds another ground, almost identical to the one from which he came in here just now. Though this place seems to be lonely and abandoned. Apart from that, it is smaller than the Academy ground. ¡®Whatever. Seems good enough.¡¯ He thinks. ¡®This¡¯ll be a great place to train by myself.¡¯ Returning from his recently found training spot, Hatori returns the book he borrowed from the library. As soon as he did that, a voice called out. ¡°Attention!¡± His response is to nearly slice the said voice in two. ¡°Nice reflexes. Though it seems you¡¯re not following the routine properly!¡± Rumbles the voice. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m Sargent Book. And I will see that you follow the teachings of this book, whether you like it or not!¡± ¡°Whoever named you deserved to be kicked.¡± Said Hatori. Sargent started to weep. ¡°I wish I could do that.¡± Skipping his classes after lunch, Hatori spends the day with Sargent Book. It appraises his physical techniques. ¡°You should get a yantra to spar with you.¡± ¡°Why can¡¯t you spar with me?¡± asked Hatori, running along the ground. ¡°Because I¡¯m just a knowledge-spirit. I can only be heard and talked to. I can¡¯t be touched or damaged.¡± After his routine is done, Hatori goes to the library once more. At this point, someone might decide to ambush him there. ¡°The book of magical sensing.¡± Announced the robotic voice when he picked up this new book. No more information was provided. (End.) Chapter 43 Chapter 43.

Part 1.

Hatori is currently fighting a yantra on the grassy part of the secluded ground he found a few days earlier. This place is strange. Not only does everyone seem to ignore the pretty obvious gate to enter here, but no one seems to come here at all. Not to mention, the dangerous feeling he gets here sometimes. Though he chalked it up to loneliness. Currently, he is grappling with the yantra provided by the school. He thought he had to do a lot of begging and scraping for getting this, but surprisingly he got it very easily. He just asked Sultan about getting one, and before the class was over, he handed him a small doll like shape. He told him to add some magic to it when he needs to practice with it, and it¡¯ll grow into the size specified by him. He just needs to think about the size while adding the magic into it. Hatori still doesn¡¯t understand, after thinking about it, how something can actually work just by thinking about it. Meanwhile, Sargent Book is instructing him from the sidelines. ¡°Grab the wrist, grab the wrist! Now, pull it back; watch out for the elbow.¡± With a loud snap, the arm of the Yantra broke. He has been sparring physically with this thing for an hour now, and much like dueling, it saps his stamina quickly. ¡°Good job there. Now, let¡¯s have some dueling, shall we?¡± said Sargent Book. Tiredly, Hattori deactivates the yantra, and brings out another doll like figure. This one has a fixed size, but unlike the previous one, it can fire some selected spells like Sting for example. And if he gets too close to it, it can retaliate physically as well. ¡°For now, you¡¯re fine with training with these yantras. But soon you¡¯ll surpass them. At that point, you will need to create or buy advance yantras for your training.¡± Said Sargent, while Hatori deals with the Sting spell, blocking with his basic shield, and firing off several Slice spells in succession, mixing them up with Pierce and Sting spells of his own. This kind of routine is common now for Hatori. He spars in the morning and evening, and brews potions in the day-time and tries to keep up with schoolwork. After such an exhausting day, he doesn¡¯t have the energy to walk to his room. So he has spent many nights on this strange part of the ground. Strangely enough, the elements don¡¯t seem to bother him. He even woke up to the falling rain once, but he was completely dry.

Part 2.

Hatori¡¯s friends are worried. For several days now, Hatori has not come to sleep in their dorm, not to mention skipping classes. ¡°At least we get to see him during breakfast, lunch and dinner.¡± Said Raven when Josh raised the matter. ¡°Also in potions¡­ sometimes.¡± Added Shin. Every other class is ignored by Hatori. They are not sure how he is keeping up with classwork. ¡°Still, what exactly is he doing?¡± asked Josh. ¡°It can¡¯t be good for him if he cuts himself off from everyone like that.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to stop him.¡± Said James, suddenly, silencing everyone. ¡°He¡¯ll talk to us when he is ready. Remember, the events of last week heavily affected him.¡± They all nodded. ¡°That¡¯s fine. But only to some limit. We should interfere if things go far.¡± Suggested Shin. ¡°Yes.¡± Everyone agreed.

Part 3.

Hatori didn¡¯t have much trouble picking up the magical sensing. Given how it mostly requires focus, it wasn¡¯t a hard task for him to learn that. And he is perfectly aware of who deserves the credit for that. He can already hear the smug voice of Zeko talking about all those meditation sessions. The magical sense is different from Radar spell. While the spell works like a well¡­ radar, by reflecting the waves of magic at the casters mind, and painting the picture of an object in the process, the magical sense is feeling the magic around you, and discerning the changes as it goes through. According to the book from which he is learning all of this, he can even sense people with perfect accuracy once he familiarizes himself with the feel of their magic, even if they change their form, shape, and voice. Though Hatori hasn¡¯t tried that with many students, he can sense the spirit of Sargent Book, though the book didn¡¯t talk about spirits. Whereas he can now sense unfamiliar people coming or going away from him. According to the book, once someone starts to use it regularly, it becomes second nature, and no effort is required to sense something. Though Hatori decides to still use the radar spell. It has its uses still. Hatori falls asleep after performing the exercises in the book. He then begins to dream. ¡°So, did you complete Tekken 7 already?¡± asked a boy, looking around to be 13. ¡°Yep.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though still, I like Tekken Dark Resurrection better.¡± ¡°You do know you get beat up on that one, right?¡± asked another boy of similar age. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°That is a petty reason to hate a game.¡± Said Hatori with his arms crossed. ¡°Anyway, thanks for lending me BlazBlue. I really enjoyed that one.¡± said the first boy. ¡°Yeah. And screw those people who think that story is not important.¡± Said the second boy, before realizing what he just said. ¡°Ah s¡ªI¡¯m sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Hatori isn¡¯t bothered by it. He joined their school this year, and quickly proved himself to be a prodigy of sorts with computers and programming. Though he studies other subjects with children of his age, in their computer course, he is the youngest student in the class. Suraj and Ajay are two friends he made in his computer class. Though they did ask him about where he studied before coming to their school, they quickly realized that he doesn¡¯t like to talk about it. Though he comes off as a jerk, because he doesn¡¯t talk to people often, these two boys realize that he actually is a very nice boy underneath his quiet demeaner. As soon as the dream began, it was over. With a jerk, Hatori wakes up. For a moment, he thought he is still in his room back in his house, spending summer playing games or reading books on his laptop. A perfect summer for the lazy kid like him. But his ears reminded him of the open space of the isolated ground. ¡®I wonder what mother would say after learning how active I¡¯ve become. Would she approve?¡¯ He thinks. But he quickly shook off the thought. Her approval is not important. No sir. He doesn¡¯t need anyone¡¯s approval. Certainly not from a person with whom he hasn¡¯t spoken for a year and a half. And no, he is not in denial. Keep accusing him of that, and he¡¯ll turn you into a frog, and then squash you under his shoes, as soon as he can learn to turn someone into a frog. After breakfast, ignoring the rush of the crowd in which everyone is trying to get to their class in time, Hatori goes to the library, and returns the book about magical sensing. He then looks for the next book on Zeko¡¯s list, before he finds another book. ¡°Fociless Magic: Advantages and Methods.¡± Announces the robotic voice. ¡°This book teaches fociless magic, and talks about what advantages it presents compared to the magic done with foci.¡± Borrowing that book, and putting it in his bag, Hatori finds a short booklet on basic runes and enchantments. Getting comfortable after finding a chair, he begins to read those two books. ¡®Looks like I should start carving again.¡¯ Going back to his secluded spot, Hatori tries to perform the color-changing transmutation. The class has moved on to some other transmutations; for example, changing the needle to a matchstick. Hatori does not have any trouble with that. But the color change is still causing him problems. Often times, his matchsticks have the same color as the needles, instead of the wooden color. Though he does get the texture right, since they do feel made of wood when Hatori touches them. The light-reflecting doesn¡¯t work. He can¡¯t remember all the patterns for the colors. But now that he has learned magical sensing, he can now mimic the same flow as other people have while doing this transmutation, giving him a perfect result. Turning a red ball into blue, and turning a metal needle into a wooden matchstick complete with the right shade of color. Watch out, folks, he has taken his first step in turning you into a frog.

Part 6. Selected reading from Fociless Magic: Advantages and Methods.

If you go around observing the mages in these current times, you will see the heavy use of foci. But this wasn¡¯t the case when the Mage Dimension was created at first. Magi of that time were capable of using magic without foci. So how come things ended up this way? The reasons are many. But the biggest of them is the effort of the Sorcerer¡¯s Institute to encourage the use of foci to develop the expertise in magic faster. Fociless magic requires a strong mind and a strong body, both of which take a lot of time to develop. Not to mention, foci can be useful when you need procession, when you¡¯re unraveling wards, laying the enchantments, or powering up the runes. So why did I write this book? Mainly because I do think fociless magic has its own advantages. And if you are willing to put the effort into it, it can pay off massively. First, spells can be understood better, because you will get to experience the flow of magic directly within you as you cast them. Second, during dueling, you can basically cast spells without worrying about the limitations of a foci. True, there are some mages who use two focis together. But compared that with casting spells from both of your hands, legs, and even your mouth, they will be pretty much outclassed. Given time, you can even develop the ability to use magic without even moving your body, casting spells solely from your mind. Though it should be noted that only sorcerers have displayed this capability. At the end, you will be able to use your own body as a foci, which will allow you greater procession, which no foci in the world can match. If you are not afraid of hard work, then continue on. A great magical journey is about to start for you. (End.) Chapter 44 Chapter 44.

Part 1.

After a month-long absence, Hatori¡¯s friends find him sleeping in his bed. Hatori actually didn¡¯t have any problems on his training ground, because it seems to shelter him from rain, cold, and anything which could harm him. But there¡¯s just no comfort in there. After he has enough of listening to the crackling of thunder and the patter of rain, he decides to sleep in his room in the bliss of silence. ¡°So. Finally decided to grace us with your presence, huh?¡± asked Josh, brimming with protective anger. ¡°Who am I to grace anyone?¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Besides. It is necessary that I focus on my training.¡± He actually wanted to say that he is lucky that he has such good friends. But Hatori didn¡¯t have the guts to say that out loud. Honestly, he should take lessons from me. I say whatever the hell I want, consequences be damned. That¡¯s probably I¡¯m fired from every narrating job, but that¡¯s not the point here. The point is, Hatori¡¯s friends are left fuming as he leaves them without an explanation once more.

Part 2.

During the combat class, Bali is surprised to see Hatori. The boy has been missing classes. What exactly is he doing outside of classes is the question every professor has asked at least once, except for that bastard Dhiraj. Now Bali has a chance to find that out. ¡°So. Decided to show us your face, huh? mind telling the class what you were doing by skipping your classes?¡± asked Bali, looming over Hatori. ¡°Training.¡± He replied simply. ¡°Training? What training could you do outside of your classes? Aren¡¯t the professors good enough for you?¡± He asked. ¡°You allow older students to do that. Why are you asking me so many questions?¡± asked Hatori in return. ¡°Because they have a greater experience with magic. You have no such experience.¡± Said Bali. ¡°I¡¯m not telling you about my training.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And why is that?¡± questioned Bali. ¡°Because then it¡¯ll spread to other students, and I¡¯ll be in danger.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Nonsense, boy. No one can threaten you for the first two years of the Academy.¡± When Hatori still did not reveal what he was doing by skipping classes, Bali decides to teach him a lesson. ¡°Praduman Rao, you¡¯re up. You¡¯re going to duel with Hatori.¡± ¡®Let¡¯s see, how he fairs against the boy who actually attended his classes. His training will prove to be useless against the real teaching.¡¯ Thinks Bali. Hatori saw it as a punishment for defying a professor. This has happened to him before, so he can clearly see the signs. But he refuses to budge. He is completing the class assignments, knows the material, and he is sure that he can pass the exams at the end of the year. So he doesn¡¯t see any problem with skipping classes, and focusing on his own training to improve himself faster. Professor Bali is doing this just to satisfy his ego. Hatori is already familiar with Praduman. He met him at the party of Avinash about a month and a half ago. From his words, Hatori got the impression of him that he prefers brute force. But he decides he won¡¯t rely on that impression, for it could be wrong. ¡°Now, whoever is knocked unconscious loses. Otherwise, I will decide the winner, depending on dominance. No spells to maim each other are allowed.¡± Bali explained the rules. ¡°Begin!¡± Hatori opens with a flurry of Stinger spells, surprising Praduman with his fast speed. He is casting his spells without moving his staff too much. After getting his bearings, Praduman fires his own spells, which do come at Hatori slowly, but hit hard, judging from the impact against the wall. Several students had to scramble out of the way as the exchange of spells got wild, and professor Bali was in no hurry to interrupt the contest. Daphne watches this duel, along with his friends from the corner of the classroom. Praduman is unable to handle the rate of fire of Hatori for too long, and soon enough he has bruises to show for the hard-hitting Knockback spell, and several welts from the Stinger spell. Professor Bali is impressed by Hatori¡¯s control over his magic. To hit someone so hard with Knockback spell clearly requires a lot of skill and practice. Whereas Praduman needs to work on his control and his stamina. He lost his strength quickly by casting slow and power consuming spells, which missed their targets anyway, while Hatori hits him with a volley of lightweight spells with lots of damage as they find their mark. When Praduman is thrown to the ground with a Knockback spell, Hatori expected professor Bali to end the duel there. But he didn¡¯t do that, and Praduman got close to him and decided to attack him physically. Although he has gotten thoroughly trounced in this contest, there is a grin on his face. He reaches Hatori, and grabs him in a bear hug, lifting him from the ground with his strength. But Hatori wiggles out of his grip. He kicks his knee from behind, and, after kneeling on his leg, strangles his neck. Professor Bali loses the color of his face after seeing that hold. When Praduman stopped struggling, Hatori released him. This duel consumed the time for the class today. After everyone is dismissed for the day, and Praduman is sent to the hospital by Bali, he stops Hatori. ¡°Wait a minute, boy.¡± Annoyed, Hatori stops while the other children leave. Some of them gave him sympathetic looks. They think that the professor has a special punishment in mind for him. ¡°You¡¯re training with the book about physical magic, aren¡¯t you?¡± He asked. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Yes.¡± Said Hatori. The book is in the library. It doesn¡¯t surprise him that the professor knows about it. ¡°Do you have any idea what you¡¯re doing to yourself?¡± scolded Bali. ¡°That book reduces grown mages to tears with its mad physical exercises, never mind about the barbaric physical holds it teaches. You could end up hurting your body, and stunting your development!¡± ¡°I will become strong professor,¡± said Hatori. ¡°At any cost. Once I¡¯m strong, I won¡¯t need to hide from anyone.¡± Dismayed that his words are not reaching the boy, professor Bali waves Hatori off. He gets where the boy is coming from. Academia has its own brutal politics, so he can surmise that the children of powerful families are already causing problems for him. ¡®But the boy doesn¡¯t understand. This isn¡¯t the right way to approach this problem.¡¯ ¡°Fuck you Zeko, fuck you with a giant staff!¡±

Part 3.

After the classes were over, Hatori changed his uniform (he considered stopping to wear that. But then decided it''d make him just an easy target,) and is now taking notes in the library from the book called Mind and Magic. ¡°Mind and Magic. The mind of a mage is their greatest strength. The one who can improve their mind will always have an edge over someone who just followed the standard practice of magic.¡± announced the robotic voice. He has to take notes in the library, because he can¡¯t take out the book. He is still working on the book about fociless magic. His peace is interrupted when a bunch of second year students walk up to him. ¡°Oy. Firsties aren¡¯t allowed here. Get lost!¡± Said one of the students, while others laughed and jeered. Hatori thinks about why every bully has to follow the same script, and then decides he shouldn¡¯t waste his time and energy thinking about it. When they see that their threat is not having the intended effect, the boys grab Hatori¡¯s collar, and try to drag him out of the library. But Hatori pushes them away with an instinctual burst of magic. ¡°Halt!¡± Several yantras come marching in after sensing the conflict. ¡°Fighting is not allowed in the library.¡± They said, grabbing the second years. ¡°But he started it!¡± complained one of the second-year students. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter. All of you will be punished equally.¡± Said the yantra. ¡°I have no intention of suffering any punishment for the crime I did not commit. So buzz off!¡± said Hatori. But the yantras did not listen. They came to grab him. Hatori flings the chair on one of them, and stomps on one yantra¡¯s knee joint. After observing this impressive will of violence, the yantras have a quick discussion among them. ¡°We have decided to let you go, this time.¡± They quickly communicate to other yantras to come in more force whenever this boy is involved in an incident.

Part 4.

At the same time, a discussion is happening in Hatori¡¯s room. ¡°That duel, it lacked the variety in the spells used. But it was very intense.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Yeah, and I¡¯m happy that Professor Bali was put in his place.¡± Said Shin. ¡°He clearly tried to punish Hatori with the hands of another student.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Agreed Josh. ¡°But I¡¯m worried, you guys. How is he getting so powerful? What is he doing?¡± ¡°Let¡¯s hope he is not taking some boosting potions.¡± Said James grimly. ¡°The effects can be very bad, to say the least.¡±

Part 5.

After dinner, Hatori is leaving with his friends. Even though there is some bitterness between them, (which is entirely his fault, he accepts that), he is stopped by Maria before he could leave for the ground. ¡°You!¡± She said, brimming with anger. ¡°How dare you forget the date of our duel?¡± ¡°What duel?¡± asked Josh. ¡°The duel over the board!¡± roared Maria. ¡°Ah, the chess match.¡± Remembers Hatori. ¡°YES!¡± ¡°Ug! Please stop screaming.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Tell you what, play a game with Raven. He plays better than me anyway.¡± said Hatori, and brushed past Maria. Maria glared at Raven. Though Raven refrains from using the curses he has heard over the years, he swears profusely in his mind at Hatori for saddling him with this problem. Hatori, ignorant of Raven declaring vengeance upon him, enters the ground, where Sargent Book is waiting for him. ¡°Ah, you are here, boy. Good. Good.¡± The spirit bobbed up and down in the air. ¡°I have to leave now; my job is done.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± ¡°I was supposed to teach and make sure that you performed your exercises on time. You do that now, without my prompting. Just keep practicing the holds, and I¡¯m sure you will become a powerful mage one day.¡± The spirit disappears. The ground seems lonely all of a sudden. Hatori goes to the square shaped platform, which he has been using as a bed during his stay in the ground. Today was an exhausting day. He had to fight a lot. With hopes of the next day being peaceful, Hatori falls asleep.

Part 6. Selected reading from Mind and Magic.

While it is true that the body is important to maintain for a powerful mage, the mind is equally important. Otherwise, the mage suffers from various effects, from spells coming to them slowly, and eventual death due to slowness while working with magic. Having a focused mind is also a boon while working with fociless magic. The feat of performing the magic through the shear will without any bodily movement is only possible through a focused mind. In this book, you will find ways to exercise the mind. Though the book is useful for all the mages, young mages benefit specially from the exercises we have designed. (End.) Chapter 45 Chapter 45.

Part 1.

Hatori caps another vial, filled with the potion he has just brewed. Nearby, Sultan and Dhiraj are busy discussing some advanced theory, while various cauldrons simmer and bubble in front of them. Once in a while, either of them adjusts the position of the cauldrons. ¡°Professor, I¡¯m leaving.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Thanks for letting me brew these.¡± He shows them the vial. ¡°Done already?¡± Sultan inspects the potion. ¡°You¡¯re doing good, kid.¡± ¡°Hmm. The real challenge will be to see how you deal with difficult potions.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°But that¡¯s in the future.¡± With that, they turned back to their conversation, dismissing him silently. Though his collection of potions has expanded, he has no safe way to carry them with him all the time. Unable to think of something, he writes a letter to Zeko, and delivers it to a yantra.

Part 2.

Josh is watching the chess match between Maria and Raven. Both players seem to have gotten into the area of each other, and the game looks to be close. Raven is playing against Maria, after Hatori put him on the spot to avoid her. After that, she pestered him to no end, until he finally agreed to play her on this weekend since they have no classes today. While watching them, Josh is thinking deeply about himself. ¡®What can I do?¡¯ He wonders to himself. ¡®Every one of my friends seems to be talented in something or other. But what is my talent?¡¯ Though the game comes to an end with a mutually agreed draw, Josh has still not found the answers to the questions he has.

Part 3.

Hatori is carving the runes on a piece of wood. Given the abundance of trees in the ground, he has no trouble finding fallen branches or twigs. Though the Academy doesn¡¯t teach runes until their third year, nothing stops him from reading a small booklet about them, and carving simple runes to produce simple effects like adjusting the temperature of an object, or producing a sound. The temperature ones are proving to be especially hard, as the slightest mistake can end up lighting the wood on fire. Though he is lucky enough that sound-related runes just produce nothing when he makes a mistake on them. He doubts he can handle the loud sound.

Part 4. Combat lesson: Invisibility.

Ignoring the presence of Hatori since he is still not over his previous attempt to discipline the boy, professor Bali begins the lesson. ¡°Today, we will learn about invisibility.¡± He said, while the narrator wonders why the author only shows lessons from some particular professors. ¡°Invisibility has many uses. It can be used to hide items, such as mark sheets when you get bad grades.¡± He glared at the class, while the children laughed nervously. Meanwhile, the narrator feels that is getting too close for comfort. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Or sneaking in the kitchen for a snack. But apart from that, in combat, if your opponent doesn¡¯t see you, he can¡¯t anticipate your moves, or where you will attack from.¡± He then shows them the foci movements to perform the spell of invisibility. ¡°Now, just because you¡¯re invisible, does not mean you are automatically safe. Not only are there spells to break invisibility and reveal you, but you can end up revealing yourself by making noise, or leaving footmarks. You can also end up getting hit even while being invisible, since you can still be touched. So do be careful, and don¡¯t rely on this spell all the time.

Part 5.

When the class is let out, Hatori is ambushed again. At this point, he is wondering whether this class is cursed for him or something; for every time he has gotten out of this class, he has been chased or surrounded. But this time, he does not give his ambushes any chance of surrounding him. Firing a sudden Slicer spell in their midst, he runs off, taking advantage of the chaos. ¡®A blast would have been a better choice. Oh well.¡¯ Until he learns that he has to make with what he has. A chase goes on, where once more, other students completely ignore him. He tried using the invisible spell, but due to not having enough time to practice with it, he gives himself away every time. Running by a silent area, he is suddenly pulled into a room, and a finger silences him before he can speak. After he calms down, he recognizes Avinash. He goes outside, and stands in the way of his chasers. ¡°Get lost, you firstie!¡± Snarled one of them, but another student quiets him. ¡°Oy, don¡¯t harm him. He is Amarnath¡¯s boy.¡± He whispered to the aggressive boy. ¡°Can I help you?¡± He asked them. ¡°Yes.¡± Said a third voice. ¡°Have you seen a boy running? He has two empty eye sockets.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anyone like that.¡± replied Avinash. ¡°What if he is lying?¡± asked the aggressive boy. ¡°He doesn¡¯t have a reason to do that. right?¡± asked the third voice with some menace in his tone. ¡°Of course.¡± Replied Avinash, refusing to be intimidated. When they go away, Avinash opens the door. ¡°You should go straight to your dorms now. Don¡¯t stop in the middle for anything.¡± He said to Hatori, and left. Hatori is grateful for Avinash¡¯s help. Though he did not go to his dorms. During the time of dinner, a yantra delivers his daily potions, along with an envelope and a package. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Josh. ¡°A letter from Zeko.¡± Replied Hatori, while listening to the letter with his reading spell.
Boy, This is the belt which is used by mages to store potions for their travels. The belt will remain hidden as long as it is fastened on your waist. Be careful, though, someone can still find out about it by touch. If they damage the vials you are carrying, the potions will mix up, and will cause you great harm. Take care, Zeko.
¡®It would have been quite useful just a few hours ago.¡¯ He thinks, opening the package, and putting on the belt. His friends didn¡¯t question him about it. (End.) Chapter 46 Chapter 46.

Part 1.

Three months of classes later, the professors have gathered for a meet and greet. The group responsible for the first-years is chilling at a corner table. It is unknown who started this tradition. But each year, the professors of every year gather at a particular place, and complain about their students, or just unwind from their work of grading students and running their own experiments. This year, the gathering spot is the hotel of Dhruva, located in the nearest city to the Academy. Currently, professor Dhiraj is sipping his tea while Amrita and Amelia are doing the women''s talk, while Amarjit and Bali are complaining about Hatori. ¡°And the worst part of it is that, whatever he is doing, it is working!¡± Said Bali, slamming his hand on the table. ¡°I tried to punish him through a duel with Praduman Rao. But he handily beat the boy.¡± ¡°Is he taking some enhancement potions?¡± wonders Amarjit. ¡°No.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Sultan tested him for those things. He came clean. Whatever he is doing, it¡¯s the result of his own training.¡± ¡°But he shouldn¡¯t skip classes like that.¡± Amarjit agreed with Bali. ¡°Get over yourselves.¡± scolded Dhiraj. ¡°You¡¯re behaving like a bunch of brats. The only reason you¡¯re complaining is because your egos got hurt. I don¡¯t see Amrita and Amelia complaining about him.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± chimed Amrita, female talk halted for a moment. ¡°He¡¯s doing the work of my class on time. I¡¯m happy with it.¡± ¡°Hmm. Though I do wish he would pay attention to the finer details of math. It can serve him well in the future, especially if he wishes to keep his independent streak.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Talk to him about it then.¡± Suggested Dhiraj. ¡°Enough of unruly students. What do you two birds say to a tag duel?¡± said Bali, already fired up from the very thought. ¡°Yep. This time, you won¡¯t win!¡± Amarjit agreed. ¡°Bring it on, pigs.¡± They said together. ¡°I¡¯ll bring my potion kit.¡± Said Dhiraj. None of them want Dhiraj involved. The man remains quiet most of the time, but he actually beat them all by himself the last time they challenged him.

Part 2.

¡°Hey guys,¡± said Josh, entering the dorm, where predictably Hatori is missing. Raven is reading something, while Shin is just lazing on his bed, his harp resting nearby. James is tinkering with a toy, though Josh thinks it is a basic yantra. ¡°What did you learn?¡± So far among their group, Josh and Shin have proved to be quite friendly with other students. As a result, whenever there is some piece of important student gossip or some rumor, they are the first ones to learn about it. Raven thinks this is quite advantageous, and as a result encourages Josh to actually meet and get involved with other students. Though with Shin, things are a little bit harder. Other students are wary of actually letting him be a part of their group, due to his birth. Raven understands this feeling; after all, he himself doesn¡¯t come from a powerful family either. ¡°There¡¯s a month-long festival coming next month. The classes will be suspended during that time, and students will organize all sorts of events during that time, from sports to entertainment, and various experts from the world will come to share their knowledge in conventions.¡± Explained Josh. ¡°Sounds interesting.¡± Said Shin, already planning to get in on one of those musical performances. ¡°The news is interesting, but I¡¯m much more interested in finding out something else.¡± Said Raven. ¡°What is that?¡± asked Shin and Josh. ¡°Where does Hatori disappear to?¡± He asked. No one in the room has any answers to this question. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. James, who did not stop tinkering with his yantra when Josh was explaining about the festivities to come next month, dropped his yantra, and listens to Raven. Not even he has an answer to this question. ¡°I¡¯m planning to find out.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I¡¯ll track him down and see where he disappears to, and what he is doing there.¡± ¡°What if he fights us?¡± asked Shin. ¡°He is quite strong.¡± ¡°We aren¡¯t weaklings either.¡± Said Raven. ¡°We have also improved. But he doesn¡¯t know that. If he wants a fight, he¡¯ll get one.¡± ¡°So, what¡¯s the plan?¡± All three boys crowd around Raven. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll start by observing him around his usual haunts. Then, we¡¯ll slowly start to follow him around after classes or lunch¡­¡±

Part 3.

Hatori finally has gotten the invisibility down. To practice quietening his footsteps, he walked on the rocky part of the ground. He tried to walk without the crunching sound of stones and pebbles under his feet reaching his ears. The spell took him a long time to perfect. His blindness got in the way, for no matter how hard he practiced, he just couldn¡¯t get the spell to hold on for too long, and it often lost its effects without him even realizing it. How can he get the concept of invisibility down, when he hasn¡¯t seen anything in the first place? The magical sensing does allow him to pin a lot of things down. But it is no replacement for eyes. While returning to the book of fociless magic and Mind and Magic, finally completing the list of books assigned to him by Zeko, Hatori finds a book of creative rune projects. He also finds the runic formula of the invisibility spell. The spell seems to be way too complicated. It apparently tricks the eye of an observer or something. These details went over his head. Utilizing his basic knowledge of runes, Hatori lays out the formula. Instead of the complications of the previous spell, he stops the reflection of light entirely. No reflection of light, no sight. After testing his rune work twice, he finally casts the spell on himself with his foci. > He walked in front of Josh and Raven, who seem to be searching for someone three times. They fail to see him. just in case to make sure they weren¡¯t playing a prank on him, he goes to Avinash, and pokes him with his finger. When even he fails to see him, Hatori realizes that he has gotten the spell down. To practice it, he casted it on himself as often as he could, and now he can hold it for a long time. Though, he doesn¡¯t know whether the means of cracking invisibility will work on his modified spell or not. Done with his spell practicing, Hatori also focuses on his new book of runic projects and enchantments. Taking a look at the table of contents, he is amazed to see the variety of projects in the book. From simply lighting a circuit, to actually creating a basic yantra through the basic runes and enchantments. It all appears to be quite amazing to him.

Part 4. Selected reading from Creative Projects in Runes and Enchantments for a Beginner.

If you go to a math mage, they will claim how math can perfectly lays out everything necessary to perform magic, how it is important to create spells. dear reader, do not listen to them. While it is true that math has its place in the research of magic, when it comes to creating enchantments, wards, or spells, runes are more important. They allow you to instruct the magic to perform your tasks. In this book, you will take your first steps with runes, opening a wide world of magic to you. No longer you will be restricted to using the spells taught to you by others. You will be able to manipulate magic, make yantras, and in future, manipulate magic through your mind just by thinking of certain runes. You will also be able to modify your body through the knowledge described in this book, should you choose to do so in the future. (End.) Chapter 47 Chapter 47.

Part 1.

While returning from breakfast, Hatori thinks of how to apologize to his friends for his recent cold treatment of them. He didn¡¯t do it deliberately, but given how he feels threatened, from every side, he has no option but to take his training to the next level. That caused him to break contact with them, leading to a wall between them. He is still thinking about this, that he suddenly feels a familiar presence. He has recently learned magic sensing, so he remembers a lot of magical signatures. But this one he knew before he learned to sense magic, back when he only used the Radar spell. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to wonder about it a lot, as the person actually recognized him. ¡°Hey now, look who we got here.¡± Said Nandan, coming up to Hatori and clapping him on his shoulder. ¡°You seem to have settled here nicely. Are these your friends?¡± He asked. This is a strange sight for Hatori¡¯s friends. Hatori doesn¡¯t even talk to them properly. And yet, this strange boy who looks to be in his fourth year, and looks strong physically, is treating him like an old buddy. ¡°Yes. Raven and Josh, about them I already told you.¡± Hatori pointed to the boys in question. ¡°Ah, the two from the castle.¡± nodded Nandan. ¡°These two are new friends I made on the ship. He¡¯s James, he remains quiet most of the time. And the boy with the bells in his hair is Shin. He plays some killer music.¡± Introduced Hatori. ¡°Nice to meet you. I¡¯m Nandan Durve.¡±Raven¡¯s eyes bug out after hearing his name. ¡°Nandan? You mean you¡¯re the guy who is among the top ten rising duelists in the Subcontinent?¡± He asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Said Nandan with a smile. Everyone enjoys listening to praise for themselves. He is no different. ¡°How did you meet him?¡± they all asked, now walking to their dorms, Nandan coming with them. ¡°I met him at Zeko¡¯s house. He helped me a lot with my reflexes and casting speed.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°So, why are you here? Is there some competition going on in the Academy?¡± He asked. ¡°Right.¡± Nandan sees the room of the boys. For a room of a bunch of ten-year-old boys, it is surprisingly clean. He is happy to see this, for cleanliness means discipline, as his master likes to say. ¡°There¡¯s a qualifying tournament going on here during the festival next month. If I win that, I¡¯m in for the international under sixteen-tournament.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± They all exclaimed in awe. ¡°Do tell us, how your trip was when you come back.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Easy now,¡± laughed Nandan. ¡°I have to qualify first. But I¡¯ll tell you alright. But for now, I want to do one thing only.¡± ¡°And that is?¡± asked Josh, not liking Nandan¡¯s grin in the slightest. ¡°Defend yourself.¡± He leapt at Hatori, and then they both began to wrestle each other, trying to pin the other person to the floor. ¡°Wow. You¡¯ve gotten stronger.¡± Grunted Nandan. ¡°But I haven¡¯t slacked off!¡± He picks up Hatori, and dumps him on his bed.

Part 2.

Raven and Josh are sitting under a tree. Even though they do get along with James and Shin, they still prefer each others company when they wish to be alone. partly because they grew up with each other, and partly because Raven knows how to handle Josh¡¯s temper when it gets bad. ¡°Hey there, boys.¡± Said Suresh, taking a seat between them. Suresh is one of the three teens whom they met in the castle in the park. They tried to scare them, but when they learned of Zeko, they got scared of themselves. Then, they played a game of chess with Hatori and Raven. ¡°Hello.¡± Greeted Josh lazily. ¡°Looks like the homework is getting to him.¡± whispered Suresh. ¡°Yeah. He hasn¡¯t gotten enough sleep, apparently, even though he snores the loudest in the room.¡± Whispered Raven in reply. ¡°I can hear you; you know.¡± Grumbled Josh. ¡°Anyway, I need your help, kid.¡± Said Suresh, suddenly becoming serious. ¡°With what?¡± asked Raven. Suresh hands him the notebook he brought with him. ¡°In this book, my games are recorded. You seem to have a great mind for this. While Ramesh and Nilesh are helping me with this already, I do want you to analyze these games, and give your thoughts on them.¡± explained Suresh. ¡°Also, serve as a sparring partner for me, so I can try different openings on you.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°For what?¡± asked Raven, taking a look in the notebook. ¡°The championship for chess is held every year at the festival. And I intend to win it this year. Will you help me?¡± He asked. ¡°Sure.¡± While this was going on, Josh felt an intense bout of jealousy towards Raven. How come older students are approaching him for help, and no one even gives him the time of the day?

Part 3.

After grooming himself immaculately, and making sure that the bells on his hair are in perfect position, he enters the room. ¡°Are you here for the audition?¡± asked a board male student. Shin looks around the room. Two students were sitting at a table, while most of the room was covered with curtains. ¡°Yes. I¡¯m¡ª¡± ¡°Shin. We know. We read the application. What made you think we needed an application for an audition?¡± asked the female student there, who has a stud on her nose. ¡°Well¡­ I thought¡­¡± Shin is lost for words. ¡°Enough. Don¡¯t tease him.¡± Said the board''s male student. ¡°I¡¯m Kailash, and she is Shreya. We will take your audition.¡± ¡°For which you can have just walked from the door instead of applying through a letter.¡± Added Shreya. Shin blushed in embarrassment. ¡°Sorry.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Kailash waved off the matter. ¡°What is your usual instrument?¡± ¡°I play the harp. I do have experience with cello and violin, but I don¡¯t have much practice with those.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Excellent. Don¡¯t worry about the practice; we¡¯ll do a lot of that before our performance. Now, will you play something for us? There have been a lot of tone-def idiots who came here, thinking they could join our group.¡± Said Shreya sounding furious. ¡°Filter.¡± Caution Kailash. ¡°But her point still stands. Play something for us.¡± Shin brings his harp into his arms. There is a chair right in front of them, but he thought better of sitting there. ¡°Please, do sit.¡± Said Shreya, not sounding so angry this time. ¡°We want natural performance from you.¡± Shin takes the seat, gratefully, and starts by playing some basic melodies. He gradually starts to play some songs he has heard or memorized, impressing the duo by playing them to their full length. Turning to the curtains, Kailash asks. ¡°What do you think?¡± Three older students walk out of the cover. Among them, two were male, and the third one was a female. ¡°I like his playing.¡± Said the female. ¡°Yep. No problems here either.¡± Said one of the males. ¡°I want to start his practice with the violin as soon as we can.¡± ¡°Yeah, but remember? He doesn¡¯t have a surname.¡± Said the final male, making Shin nervous. ¡°Honestly,¡± said Kailash, ¡°If it is such a big problem for you, then go join some other group. We¡¯re not exactly suffering the shortage of drummers, as you know already.¡± Chastised, the third male nodded his agreement. ¡°Welcome Shin, let¡¯s hope you will be able to work with us long-term. Please begin his training immediately.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± One of the males nodded, and took Shin away.

Part 4.

In the library, Hatori finds a surprising guide on Stinger spells. It analyzes the properties of this spell, and modifies it to add the poisonous effects of an actual sting. To practice this new variation, he goes to his training ground. After he practiced this with foci and without, he moved to his fociless transmutation. He already got the color changing, and needle to matchstick down. Now he is trying to change a twig into an iron spike, turning the wood into metal. The progress is slow, but he is getting there. He also practiced the rock-to wood transmutation, the latest transmutation assignment in the class currently. Unlike his wood-to metal transmutation, this didn¡¯t take him long to perform, with or without foci.

Part 5.

In the library, Mira and Swaraj are meeting with their underlings. ¡°Did you see him, where did he go?¡± ¡°He went invisible as soon as he left the library.¡± Said the underling. ¡°I tried to follow him, or break his invisibility, but nothing worked.¡± ¡°Maybe we should try it ourselves?¡± Suggests Mira. ¡°Our greater knowledge should allow us to break any modification he has come up with. After all, he is just a firstie at the end of the day.¡± ¡°Correct. We will do exactly that.¡± Nodded Swaraj in agreement.

Omake:

Voice: Ulrich, dear. Author: (asleep) Mmmm. Go away. Voice: Ulrich, dear. Author: (Still asleep) Mmmm. I said go away! Voice: Ulrich, dear. Author: (Sobbing) Leave me alone, I¡¯m not your Ulrich dear! Narrator: uh, man? Are you okay? Author: No. No I¡¯m not. (End.) Chapter 48 Chapter 48.

Part 1.

¡°Alright, today we will find the answer to our question.¡± Raven is saying, pacing back and forth in the room like a general about to go on a campaign with his men. ¡°We will have the results of all the laborious tracking we did¡ª¡± ¡°How did you learn that word?¡± asked Josh. ¡°¡ªAnd we will finally know where Hatori disappears too. Are you with me?¡± he asked with a roar. ¡°Aye, aye, captain!¡± said James, Shin, and Josh together. ¡°Can we do this?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes, we can!¡± said the three boys. ¡°Then let¡¯s go!¡± They all march out of that room, ready to conquer the world. After they all come out of the mess hall after breakfast, Hatori leaves in a different direction, just like usual. However, they find Hatori confronted by Maria. He has an annoyed expression on his face. But they are too far to listen to what they are talking about. After Maria leaves, they hoped to follow him. But he just disappears right in front of their eyes before they can do so. ¡°I knew we should have studied invisibility breaking spells.¡± lamented Raven. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, partner.¡± Assures Josh. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get more chances.¡±

Part 2.

After enjoying his breakfast (He even got a piece of guava at the end!) Hatori is ambushed by Maria. ¡°So. You don¡¯t have your friends around you anymore. You won¡¯t escape me this time!¡± she declares. ¡°What?¡± Hatori is confused. ¡°I want a game from you, now!¡± She reminded him. ¡°You bragged about your skills in chess, didn¡¯t you? Let¡¯s find out how good you are. Stop running away already!¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t Raven beat you already?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°That is not important. My challenge was to you.¡± said Maria, not willing to relent. ¡°Fine.¡± Said Hatori in an annoyed tone. ¡°We¡¯ll play tomorrow. Now leave me already!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t run this time.¡± she shot back, and left. Breathing to calm himself down, Hatori uses the invisibility spell, and makes his way to the library.

Part 3.

Lucie and Swaraj wait for Hatori in the library with their followers. These are the students whose families are either aligned with them, or are currently under debt to their families. They observe him going to his usual place in the corner, taking notes after reading a book. After an hour or so, he gets up, deposits the book in its place, and moves to the exit. They followed him outside. Swaraj runs ahead, where he sees Hatori disappearing into thin air. He reveals the knife under his sleeves, and begins to cast the revealing spells from it. Much to his surprise, he did not get anything out of them. He followed the direction which he saw Hatori take when he was visible. Hatori loses focus for a moment, and the spell runs out after a few seconds. At that point, Swaraj sees him, and they surround him. Hatori curses his luck. His spell ran out right in the middle of the ground and the library. Now he is trapped in a corridor, a closed space with no room to run away. For a moment, Swaraj entertains the suggestion of Ishwar. But he sneers at him in his thoughts. The boy will listen to him whether he likes it or not. Gripping his knife, he gets close to him. ¡®Or else, I can always relieve him of a limb or two.¡¯ ¡°Now¡ª¡± ¡°I know, I know. I¡¯m not joining you. get lost!¡± said Hatori. For a moment, everyone freezes at this bold declaration. ¡°Looks like some leg-breaking is in order. Right boys?¡± His lackies chuckled at the thought. Hatori fishes for the potions on his belt. He brings out the blasting potion and throws it in the middle of the group so fast that no one has any time to react. He then lops the blinding potion at them as well, which enhances the reflection of light so much that the observer goes blind. Dazed by this combination, they are unable to stop Hatori from breaking their circle and getting away. Still, they pursue him. He Slices one of the lackies legs with a Slicer spell. But he senses Swaraj is preparing for some big spells. He finds the first potion on his belt, and throws it at him. It landed on his face, and he screamed. The wild spellcasting going on at that moment stopped, as everyone went to help their boss, leaving Hatori to limp away. Though Zeko¡¯s clothes and shoes protect him from damage, each time he ends up in a tangle like this, he always comes off with a large collection of bruises and cuts. It is only the underestimation of him by older students, and his trained reflexes that he avoids the damage to his face and unprotected areas of his body. Lucie watches the skin on Swaraj¡¯s face melt with horror. She never thought that a firstie could do this much damage. She shook her head. ¡®Maybe we should have listened to that Chandravanshi boy.¡¯

Part 4.

Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. An informant tells the entire disaster to Ishwar. So he comes along with Bhanu and Ajay to check out everything for himself. ¡°Looks like a lot happened here.¡± Said Bhanu. Apart from blood and broken vials, there is an acidic potion which is melting through the floor. ¡°Do you think he brewed it himself?¡± asked Ajay to Ishwar, after taking a look at the acidic potion. ¡°It isn¡¯t hard to brew.¡± He said. ¡°The boy seems to be fine. I¡¯m glad we didn¡¯t try the heavy-handed approach for ourselves. This, more than anything, proves why Zeko has his reputation.¡± ¡°Yeah. Every student he has is just like this. You don¡¯t want to tangle with them.¡± agreed Bhanu.

Part 5.

¡°There he is!¡± Said Raven, having seen Hatori on the ground. They follow the direction he is going in, and arrive at the old rusty gate before he gets there. ¡°Here? He comes here?¡± said Shin. ¡°Sssshhhh. He is coming.¡± Shushed Raven. After his ambush, Hatori is on edge. So when he senses magical signatures near the gate, he fires a Stinger spell, thinking there are mor ambushers waiting for him there. ¡°Whoa, whoa, whoa. Easy there, buddy.¡± Said Shin, raising his hands in the universal gesture of harmlessness. ¡°Why did you come here?¡± asked Josh. ¡°And what¡¯s up with all those injuries you have?¡± asked James. Ignoring their questions, he focuses for a moment. After confirming that there are no more people around here, he goes to the gate, and pushes it open. ¡°Come in.¡± He invited them in. None of them expected a large ground on the other side. Aside from Hatori, it looks like no one has been here for years. Aside from a large palm tree, there are no trees there, unlike the ground beyond the gate, which is filled with large trees. there is a grassy section, and a rocky platform at a corner. ¡°I found this place when I felt like I needed to step up my training.¡± Hatori shows them the yantra which he acquired from the school. ¡°I use it to spar with it physically; it lets me practice the holds which you saw me apply on Praduman in the class.¡± ¡°During that duel.¡± Remembers Raven. ¡°Yes.¡± ¡°But why did you feel it so necessary to find such a place?¡± asked Shin. ¡°You see these injuries?¡± Hatori pointed to the cuts on his faces, as well as bruises on his arms, and legs. ¡°I¡¯ve got ambushed. Some families want to recruit me to their side.¡± ¡°Just like you¡¯re kidnapping before.¡± Raven connected the dots. ¡°Yes. But this time, Zeko isn¡¯t here to save me.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Do you remember how there was a student killed earlier this year, but no one knew how?¡± At their nod, he continued. ¡°I did it. I struck him with a branch while he was standing over an old ritual well--¡± ¡°Ah yes, he was found in one.¡± said Shin. ¡°But I don¡¯t think that¡¯s the whole truth, is it?¡± Said Josh, standing nose-to-nose with Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m sure there¡¯s some other secret on the ground which you¡¯re not telling us about.¡± ¡°What? There¡¯s no other secret here.¡± Protested Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ve told you everything, apart from the books I found.¡± He added the last one. ¡°We figured.¡± Said Shin and Raven together. ¡°Given how much you spend your time in the library, we figured you found some books to help with your training.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± Josh rushes at Hatori. He will throttle the answers out of him if need be. Hatori shook his head. Josh might be physically strong, but he has no technique. He grabbed his wide stretched arms, turned him around, and pulled on them. ¡°Enough. There¡¯s no secret.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you!¡± said Josh, trying to kick Hatori¡¯s legs off him. Everyone else watches this brawl, ready to interfere if things get nasty. Hatori lets go of Josh¡¯s arms, and makes some distance. Josh rushes at him, unable to remember any spells in his rage. Hatori grabs his wrist, and throws him to the ground with a large thump, making everyone wince in sympathy. But it seems Josh is still not out of his angry fog, so he attacks him again. Again, Hatori throws him to the ground, ruthlessly, not showing him any mercy. He couldn¡¯t afford to, given what state Josh is in. ¡°Snap, out, of, it!¡± He slapped his face with each word. Hatori waits for Josh to move. When it is clear that he is not going to attack him, he relaxes, and breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°You guys are free to come here for training. Just don¡¯t share it with anyone. This is my safe place. I¡¯m willing to share it with you. but not anyone else.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll take you on that offer.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Mumbled Josh from the ground, still haven¡¯t gotten up from the last time Hatori threw him. He goes to pick him up. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. What¡¯s a little beating among friends?¡± he said, making them laugh. He also plans to get Josh trained in the physical methods of magic, and teach him some hold-ups. He will be a great sparring partner, much better than any yantra. Meanwhile, his friends leave for their dorms. They never realized how much danger Hatori was facing alone. Now, they all wish to become strong, to protect their friends. Maybe if they did that, he wouldn¡¯t have to withdraw to himself, and cut them off from his life. (End.) Chapter 49 Chapter 49.

Part 1.

James is looking in the room. Parts are scattered around, though in some cases, he can find complete pieces as well. This is the room of abandoned yantras, about which he learned from older students. Once a yantra has run its course, it is put here, used for teaching students, or used as recycled parts for students who need it in their experiments. James likes tinkering with yantras. He often got in trouble at home because of that, but given how his home life is like, he considers it time well spent. The very thought brought a smile on his face. He picks up certain parts, and some completed yantras which have not lost their parts yet. He wanted to have a project book, but older students took all the copies out of the library, so he has to make do with small booklists. But his skill with runes should be enough to carry him through his tinkering. The door opens, and James is surprised to see Hatori walk in. Hatori senses him in the room. ¡°Hey. Didn¡¯t know you came here.¡± He said, picking up some parts for himself. ¡°I need something to tinker with.¡± Said James. Though he didn¡¯t elaborate on it more than that, Hatori understands the feeling. ¡°I already know how to carve runes. Should I take it?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes.¡± Replied James. Hatori then brings out the book for which James has been looking in the library. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you had this.¡± ¡°What, you mean the book? I''ve had this for a while now.¡± Hatori shows James the projects he has already done. ¡°Now, the next few projects require more effort, and more parts.¡± ¡°Do you need help?¡± asked James, hoping that Hatori would say yes. ¡°Yeah.¡± Said Hatori, making James wish come true unknowingly. ¡°I don¡¯t have much trouble with the enchantment of movement, but the runes to hold them are giving me trouble.¡± This is a project from the book, in which the reader must build a dancing yantra, which moves in specific steps repeatedly. ¡°Not to mention, you need proper parts which do align with balance with each other. Or else, the yantra would fall face first to the ground instead of a dance.¡± ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t thought of it so far.¡± Taking the necessary parts with themselves to their room, and ignoring the festive mood around them completely, both boys work on their project. Unfortunately for them, they forget to check their enchantment. Instead of a dance, the yantra goes on a rampage in their room, and then escapes outside, attacking the students as soon as it sees them. ¡°Looks like we forgot to close the brace in the dancing runes.¡± Said Hatori like a dispassionate observer. ¡°Hmm. the scope mixed with other runes. We can¡¯t predict what could happen in such a state.¡± Said James, equally dispassionate. ¡°Well,¡± Hatori leaves the room, and attacks the yantra. Though the magically built machine resisted hard, Hatori proved to be too much for it to handle. After subduing it, he brings it into his room, where James is waiting for him. ¡°Did anyone ask you any questions?¡± he asked, already looking at their rune mistake. ¡°Nah, as far as they¡¯re concerned, I just saved them from a mad machine.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yep. Which didn¡¯t escape from our room.¡± Said James, carving the closing brace. ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We¡¯re just reading stories.¡± If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

Part 2.

Corvus Black, the headmaster of the Magecraft and Sorcery Academy, surveys his office from his throne-like chair. Outside, he can hear the students enjoying the festivities, remembering his own days of being a student, and the chaos he used to cause on a daily basis. On his desk, the paperwork is being worked on automatically by the yantra designed by him. it is good enough to run day-to-day operations, and forward anything which needs his attention to him. He tests his signature function, just to make sure it works properly or not. RecognizeSignature(signature(¡°Corvus Black¡±)) True. ¡®wonderful.¡¯ He thought. Though Surbha the deputy headmistress, doesn¡¯t approve of his automation, he doesn¡¯t bother to listen to her. She¡¯s just here to manipulate him anyway. one of these days, he¡¯ll dispose of her.

Part 3.

Josh is sulking. Shin is busy with his rehearsal, while Raven is busy with Suresh, serving as his sparring partner. Meanwhile, Hatori and James are doing their own thing. Though Josh is happy to see Hatori spend time with them, and sleep within the safety of their room. After having enough of watching Josh sulk, Hatori drops the runes he was carving for the next yantra which he is building with James, and goes to him. ¡°What¡¯s up? You¡¯re usually not this down.¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Mumbled Josh. ¡°Come now. Something is bothering you.¡± probed Hatori. ¡°It¡¯s petty.¡± Said Josh, still mumbling. ¡°So? You can tell me anything, no matter how petty.¡± Said Hatori. For a moment, Josh thinks to use the retaliation of ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell us about your problems then?¡± But he thought better of it. ¡°It¡¯s just, you, Raven, James, Shin; every one of you have a talent of your own. But what is my talent? What am I good for?¡± ¡°Easy. Just experiment with things, and see what comes easy to you.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°For example, enchantments, runes, and fighting came easy to me. I can brew potions, but only by following instructions. I can¡¯t modify them.¡± ¡°Yeah, but where should I begin? There are so many choices.¡± Said Josh. ¡°That¡¯s easy as well.¡± Hatori summoned his staff, which was resting on his bed. ¡°Let¡¯s have a duel. You can easily check this one thing off of your list if you didn¡¯t like it.¡± ¡°But in the room?¡± Josh protested, even though he summoned his own foci, a large club. ¡°Of course. A duel like this should be spontaneous. Now, defend yourself!¡± said Hatori, casting the Stinger spells, and firing them relentlessly. Josh responded with his own spells, summoning pillows, and hitting Hatori with them. After a while, Josh shakes his head. ¡°This isn¡¯t great. I like dueling, but not like you.¡± ¡°Hmm. Maybe your talent is beyond magic?¡± suggested Hatori. ¡°You are really good with people and in large groups. I think you should explore that more.¡± ¡°huh. never thought about it.¡± said Josh. ¡°Also, I did see you reading some books on math beyond our class. Maybe that is your talent?¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Try these things.¡± After receiving a long lecture about dueling in the room from Raven in the morning, Hatori plays with Maria. After a long and grueling match, he manages to beat her. Then, they go out to eat the food prepared by other students, taking an annoyed Maria with them. They plan to enjoy the festival as much as possible. (End.) Chapter 50 Chapter 50.

Part 1.

Hatori heard the performance of Shin, where he provided support to the main violin player. Then, he heard that Suresh won the championship final. Now, he is going to watch the duel of Nandan, who has qualified for the final match. Once he wins this, he will be eligible to participate in the international under sixteen competition. ¡°Raven, will you ask Suresh to give me his games? I would like to analyze them for myself.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Answered Raven, walking besides Hatori. Though his friends did not come to watch the duel, Hatori still has the company of Singh twins. He is currently sitting with them, waiting for the match to begin. He senses Professor Bali taking the chair next to them. ¡°Good. You boys should take an interest in this. Even if you don¡¯t have an interest in dueling, it has political implications once you get involved with family politics.¡± He said. ¡°Not to mention, it gives you a great idea of what the meaning of walking the path of magic is.¡± Hatori notes how he doesn¡¯t sound bitter anymore towards him, though he suspects it is probably due to being in the public. Whatever the case might be, he cannot bring himself to trust professor Bali after their arguments, and his efforts to punish him through another student. Speaking of which, he has heard many times that Praduman was looking for him. But he always managed to avoid him, either by luck or by carefully hiding whenever he was near him. Rest of the time, Hatori is training at his secret place, so he doesn¡¯t have to worry about avoiding anyone. Once these festivities are over, he¡¯ll go back to his training seriously. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, and those who are not ladies nor gentlemen, welcome to the final match of the qualifying tournament for Subcontinent¡¯s under sixteen representatives! I am Samudra Sharma, your host, and much like every match of this tournament, I will be providing you with commentary throughout the match!¡± The crowd cheered, while I, the narrator, cheered the author. This means I don¡¯t have to put much effort into providing commentary for the readers of this match. I take back every single horrible thing I have said about the author so far. ¡°So, that¡¯s where he¡¯s been at.¡± Said Hatori. He hasn¡¯t found Samudra, even after looking for him. Since he was so willing to share some advice, Hatori thought this would be a great time to grill him for some more things, since he might be in a good mood during this festival. But he never has the chance to talk to him. ¡°Why can¡¯t we find a better commentator than him?¡± Said professor Bali, covering his face with his palm. Though there are a lot of great and talented students, none of them are great with their words, which is very important to describe to the audience when two mages duel. ¡°First is, Toofan Singh Badal. A boy from Panchnada, who has impressed everyone with his elemental magic, preferring water, and spells which he rains down upon his friend like his namesake. (Which is cloud, for those who are uneducated among us. Kindly eliminate yourself from the gene pool, for you fail to study even in the hallowed halls of this great and wonderful Academy!) speaking of which, three cheers for our great and wonderful headmaster, Corvus!¡± The students went wild, chanting Corvus¡¯s name over and over. ¡°Looks like he¡¯s quite popular.¡± Said Hatori to Ranveer, who is sitting to his right. ¡°Yep.¡± He nodded. By this point, Hatori has made some observations which allowed him to differentiate between the twins. Ranveer is much quieter and boisterous compared to Bhavani, and wears much more plainer clothes compared to his twin. His magic also feels calmer compared to the roiling fury of Bhavani. ¡°See, see what I mean?¡± Said professor Bali, unable to contain his feelings. The children ignored him. They like the announcing style of Samudra. ¡°Now, introducing the pride and joy of Bhojpal, central India, Nandan Durve! Much like his opponent, he has come through this tournament, disposing of every opponent. He prefers the slow and methodical approach, and prefers to use the wind element. He also likes to use transmutation and conjuration in his battles. Who will win this match? We are about to find out now!¡± The crowd gives another cheer. The referee comes between the two duelists. ¡°The duel will continue until either of you are knocked out, or when I decide one of you is unable to continue, or one of you says ¡°I give up!¡± or something to that effect. All the spells you know are allowed. Do you understand the rules?¡± At their nod, she moves aside. Barriers for the safety of the crowd are raised, and a leaf is tossed between two combatants by the referee after she conjures it. as soon as it hits the ground, they begin to fight each other, their foci dancing in the elaborate motions to cast spells. Hatori readies himself to note down whatever spells he is lucky enough to sense clearly. Though Samudra announced how Nandan prefers the wind element, he opens with a fireball. ¡°The first offensive spell taught to fire users.¡± Said Bali to the children. Hatori notes it down. The fireball is doused by Toofan. Taking advantage of the steam, Nandan decides to show his skill with elemental magic, waving his blunt-looking blade like foci in the air, and stomping on the ground. Several rocks come out of Toofan¡¯s side of the ring, which he blocks with the wall of ice. The ice wall is broken in to shards, which he sends towards Nandan. Nandan retaliates by the use of the wind, sending the large pieces of ice to Toofan, while accepting some scratches from the smaller shards. ¡°A remarkable feet of elemental magic folks, which is not easy to do in the heed of the battle. Elemental magic is difficult to use in the best circumstances, much less during a battle. And yet, these two duelists already have such great control over their magic.¡± The crowd roared in approval of both of them. There aren¡¯t any specific fans here, since both boys are from the Academy. Toofan makes some motions with his club-like foci, and Nandan staggers. His sight is disoriented, effecting his balance in the process. ¡°And we see the subtle power of illusion, as just one spell has disrupted the balance of Nandan. He looks in trouble!¡± Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site. Grunting due to his disorientation, he controls his belly by breathing, while thwarting the spells of Toofan, which just keep coming. The boy seems to have endless stamina. Once his stomach is under control, he makes a slashing motion with his blade, cutting the illusion. He makes eye contact with Toofan, and applies the one fociless illusion he knows. Toofan suddenly finds himself in a graveyard instead of his school-arena with a cheering crowd, which is replaced with undead corpses shambling towards him. He broke through this illusion, but this gave Nandan enough time to transmute birds and snakes from the small pebbles in the ring. Ideally, he would have loved to make the strangling grass, but his transmutation is not that good yet. ¡°And Nandan is back on the offensive, as these birds and snakes peck, bite, or strangle Toofan!¡± After getting away from the snakes, Toofan transmutes his own animals, sending them to fight with Nandan¡¯s animals. The problem is, now he is pinned to the wall of the ring at one side, unable to move much due to the wind spells used by Nandan, which keep buffeting him. He tries to blast some sharp stones at Nandan, but they just come back at him. Just when he is getting ready to break the elemental domination of Nandan, Nandan conjures a spike of iron, and flings it at Toofan. His arm is pinned to the wall as a result, and the spell he was preparing fizzles out in the middle. Realizing his situation, he decides to yield. ¡°I give up.¡± ¡°And we have the winner!¡± The crowd roared with this announcement, as Toofan gets some medical attention. But the twins are shocked by the rather brutal ending. Hatori is shocked too, but he already has his dose of violence, so he is not affected by the finish of the match that deeply. And this narrator dies from inside each time he has to describe something like that. ¡°Take heart kids,¡± said professor Bali softly. ¡°It could have been much worse. Besides, injuries like a sliced leg are easily repaired by magic. This will be treated as nothing more than a flesh wound.¡± Though it failed to assure them, Bali tried hard. So let¡¯s give him applause for that at least.

Part 2.

Nandan is eating dinner with Hatori¡¯s friends. ¡°Say, don¡¯t you have older friends?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Nah. My training doesn¡¯t give me much time to make friends.¡± Hatori¡¯s friends look at him. ¡°What?¡± He stopped eating his delicious curry. ¡°Besides, a lot of them are intimidated by me. So they don¡¯t talk to me. You kids, on the other hand, you treat me like a friend, and you¡¯re not afraid of me.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Besides, I rather enjoy the remaining time with you guys. I have to leave for training. The international competition will be tough.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Hatori. ¡°Judging by today¡¯s match, if they¡¯re sending their best, hard preparation will be needed for you to win. But I think you can win.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± agreed Hatori¡¯s friends. ¡°Thanks guys.¡± Nandan appreciated this support. ¡°Also,¡± Hatori and his friends remember this voice. ¡°I am here to say good luck to you.¡± ¡°You trained him?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Of course I did.¡± Said Sargent Book. ¡°Much like you, he was a hardworking student. though he couldn¡¯t master the holds.¡± Nandan looks at Hatori in pity. He knows why he¡¯s training like that. He has heard enough things among circles of older students to get an idea of what has happened this year. ¡°Well, thanks for the training, Sarge.¡± ¡°Yes. May you have a long and successful career.¡± The spirit flies away after those parting words.

Part 3.

After the festivities are over, everyone is going back to their classes and studies. Except for the five boys of a certain room. Ignoring classes whenever they like, James and Hatori, are working on their projects, while doing some combat training. Hatori is happy to have some human sparring partners. Meanwhile, Shin and Raven are experimenting with some sound related magic. Josh is wondering, what could he do for himself? His math skills don¡¯t seem to be immediately useful here. He needs a project of his own to show his improvement and learn new things, aside from serving as a sparring partner for Hatori. Seriously. Someone should teach him not to hit his friends that hard.

Part 4.

While Josh is busy thinking about a project to improve himself, someone is plotting revenge. Swaraj tried to recruit Hatori just before the festival. Needless to say, his aggressive recruitment drive meets with a face full of acid potion. Though his face is now restored, he lost his standing in the Academy. Thus, he plans to strike during exams. ¡®He¡¯ll be tired from the practical portions. Perfect time to get him for what he did to me.¡¯ he thinks to himself, now alone, without any lackies. He actually expected some help from Krishna Menon, but since the Joshis took a hit ever since the failed plan of Yograj two years ago, and this latest failure on his part, he refuses to give him the time of the day. Now he has no choice but to go on his own without any support. ¡°I¡¯ll come for you though, remember this. You left me when I needed you most. You will pay a heavy price for that.¡± He promises to himself.

Part 5.

Hatori is having a rest day with his friends. For now, he is learning Shogi with Maria. He wishes that he could play this game without paying too much attention to color, like he used to play chess back home, but he has to make do with what he has. The game is interesting enough to put up with it. Not to mention, Maria is surprisingly a good teacher, despite her competitive personality.

Part 6. Amrita¡¯s lectures on history: important mage wars.

¡°Throughout the history of Mage Dimension, wars have been fought. Some of them spanned the whole world, and some of them were confined to just a part of it. Here are a few important ones which we will study. ¡°Sorcerer¡¯s war: this war was among the sorcerers after they created this dimension, for the control over it. ¡°Copy wars: an entire collection of wars which is filled with mages trying to follow in the footsteps of their non-magical counterparts. ¡°Name wars: This was the civil war within the Subcontinent, because everyone wanted to name it according to their chosen name.¡± (End.) Chapter 51 Chapter 51.

Part 1.

It is the time for the final exams, and everyone is stressed out. Though Hatori is not worried. He has learned with magic, if you know the practical application, then you certainly know the theory. Since he himself is not worried, his friends are using him as a rock to anchor themselves, as the entire school is floating in the wave of stress. As a result, though they do want to score well, his friends are taking it easy. The whole group is getting envious looks from everyone for their relaxed demeaner. Walking from his training ground, Hatori overhears Daphne talking to Ravina. ¡°But I¡¯m not sure about the portion in the math and potions. I really don¡¯t get some of the topics.¡± She sounds really worried. ¡°Look, worrying won¡¯t solve the problem. Just study for them, and handle them as best as you can.¡± Said Ravina. She wanted to help her friend more than this, but she didn¡¯t know what she could do to stop her worrying. ¡°Hey girls,¡± said Hatori. ¡°High.¡± Said both of them together. ¡°I heard what you were talking about.¡± He spoke. ¡°It seems everyone is worried, even the older students.¡± ¡°You were doing your own thing again, weren¡¯t you?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± ¡°Nah.¡± Hatori waved the thought away. ¡°With magic, if you know the practical side, then you know enough theory to pass any exam.¡± ¡°How can you say that so confidently?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°Easy. Because I¡¯ve got experience with it.¡± He spoke. ¡°But Ravina is right. You shouldn¡¯t worry about your exams. Just go with a clear mind. I¡¯m sure everything will turn out well.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Daphne. Ravina gives Hatori a grateful look. She sounds calm. Then she realizes he doesn¡¯t know about that. She wanted to give her thanks verbally, but someone interrupted them. ¡°That way lies the failure.¡± Said Mira, who appears to have overheard their conversation. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Ravina, unable to hide the hostility in her tone. ¡°If you don¡¯t study diligently, you will fail.¡± She turns to Hatori. ¡°A slacker like you should be the last person to give any advice to anyone.¡± ¡°And I suppose everyone should flock to you instead?¡± asked Hatori, not bothered by her words. That seems to infuriate her more. ¡°Yes! How many classes have you missed? How many lectures you haven¡¯t attended¡ª¡± ¡°Those are the same things.¡± Pointed out Hatori. ¡°¡ªand how many projects have you missed as a result of your slacking? You¡¯re heading to a failure, and you don¡¯t even know it. And the worst part is, you are dragging everyone else with you. your friends, and now these poor girls.¡± ¡°Are you done now?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Looks like your memory is short. Who beat Praduman in front of the class? I remember most of you were hiding in the corner like mice while we fought. If you really know so much, then why didn¡¯t Professor Bali choose you to punish me?¡± Mira doesn¡¯t have an answer. ¡°Let¡¯s just leave.¡± Said Daphne. Mira is not worth enough to waste her time. They left her behind, vibrating from her fury. No one has ever bested her in the war of the words, and left her speechless like this before.

Part 2.

Swaraj waits outside of the classroom, bunking his own exams. For revenge, this is a small sacrifice he is willing to make. He has stopped thinking of Hatori as a child, and thinks of him as his mortal enemy. Currently, his enemy is giving his exam in combat magic. He chose this specific exam to strike, because students are very tired after the practical portion of this exam, which involves demonstrating the spells which they have learned in different conditions, and a free-form duel with multiple yantras. When the exam is over, the students make their way outside, chattering to each other, telling how they performed. This is in contrast to older students, who shamble out of classes in a zombie like state. Heedless of the other students, Swaraj charges a blasting spell, which explodes right in the middle of the firsties. They all run in a panic. Swaraj targets Hatori, who is calmly trying to escape. Using a speed-enhancing spell, he appears in front of him and grabs his throat. ¡°Not so great now, are you?¡± ¡°¡­¡± Hatori tried to escape his grip. ¡°What? Can¡¯t hear you. speak louder!¡± He grips him tighter. In his panic, Hatori fires the modified Stinger spell, causing Swaraj to release him in surprise. Once more, this Cretan has damaged his face. ¡°How dare you!¡± This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. He attacked like a mad man (teen?) while Hatori tries to fend him off. He thinks, why isn¡¯t the professor coming out of the class, but then realizes expecting any help from teachers is foolish in this Academy. ¡°Oy.¡± Said Shin, casting some sound related spells on Swaraj. ¡°Leave our friend alone.¡± Much to their surprise, Swaraj breaks through that illusion easily. ¡°It¡¯ll take more than that to confuse me, you low-life, orphan boy!¡± snarled Swaraj. James brings out several Yantras, while preparing to cast his disabling spells. He has already learned some new ones. Josh readies himself, ready to attack him physically, while transmuting the rubble from Swaraj¡¯s blasting spell in to animals with Raven. And Hatori is ready with his own offensive spells. Despite this five-on-one situation, Swaraj beats the kids. The animals are not strong like Nandan and Toofan¡¯s duel. James¡¯s Yantras is broken into pieces, while Shin is knocked out, clutching his broken foci. After Swaraj knocks out all of his friends, he focuses on Hatori once more. Hatori tries to overpower Swaraj through his holds, but he is thrown to the ground, remembering sergeant books lesson of how one should not grapple with someone older and stronger than them as a young mage. At this point, he has only one remaining option. If that doesn¡¯t work, he is dead today. ¡°Not so high and mighty, are you?¡± Swaraj stomps on his face. ¡°You cost me everything. My girl, my position, my self-respect. And now, it is time to pay up!¡± He then notices something clenched within Hatori¡¯s fist. ¡°What¡¯s that in your fist, boy?¡± ¡°My luck is in my fist.¡± Replies Hatori, giving Swaraj a cheeky smile. ¡°You!¡± He rears his leg back to kick his head like a football, but Hatori throws the vial contained in his fist, once more, landing it accurately on Swaraj¡¯s face. By this time, Swaraj is familiar with the pain, and paralyzed by the memory of the previous acidic potion. He couldn¡¯t believe that he forgot to protect himself against this potion in his madness. He opens his mouth to scream. Exactly at that moment, Hatori casts the Slicer spell on his mouth, separating his head from his body. Whipping the blood from his face, he gets up shakily, and goes to rouse his friends, while ignoring various aches and pains within his body. This incident causes an uproar in the school, for a first-year student managed to kill the fifth-year student. It doesn¡¯t matter how he did it. The fact that he did that at all, outside of a classroom no less, and without help, is a big thing for everyone. Of course, this isn¡¯t the first time Hatori has killed an older student. but since that one happened in isolation, and since no one knows the killer, that incident is forgotten. Aside from seeing Hatori getting dragged to their room by his ear by Raven, no one has seen Hatori outside of the exams since that day. He has thrown himself into the runes and enchantments to distract himself, playing with them like building blocks, carving runes relentlessly in the night. When he realizes that his friends are unable to sleep because of this, Hatori decides to sleep outside once more on his training ground. Only for Raven to drag him by his ear to their room. ¡°You can carve all day long, or for the entire night. But don¡¯t sleep outside, not for now at least.¡± He said to him.

Part 3.

Surbha and Krishna Menon meet in Surbha¡¯s office. She called to meet him after the latest incident. ¡°Do you think Corvus will do anything?¡± she asked, getting to the point directly. ¡°I doubt it.¡± He replied with a surly expression. ¡°He didn¡¯t do anything last time; we have no reason to think he will be any different this time.¡± ¡°I was afraid of that.¡± She spoke. ¡°We¡¯ll have to wait for the next year.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much.¡± He waved her concerns away. ¡°I¡¯m sure the students would have this thing in hand without our direct involvement. Remember, we haven¡¯t involved with the student council in this matter yet.¡±

Part 4. James¡¯s answer of the question what is battle magic?

The battle magic refers to the use of magic in single combat, or during the war. Spells in battle magic are concerned with either damaging the opponent, or defending the user. However, battle magic during a war, or even a high-level duel can be more than these two basic things. Transmutation and conjuration can be used to take advantage of materials available in the area, or just create them yourself. Animation can be used to make non-living things move, adding a whole new variable to combat. As a general rule, it is difficult to categorize what is, and isn¡¯t battle magic, because wide varieties of magical disciplines can be used for fighting other mages. (End.) Chapter 52 Chapter 52.

Part 1.

It is the end of the year, and everyone is waiting for the results. In the meantime, James and Hatori have been working on a sparring yantra, their first project outside of the creative projects book. It helped Hatori to distract himself from the events of a few days ago, while James gets to build things. Hatori has learned that his quiet friend just loves to take things apart and put them back up again, or just build things from scratch. ¡°Are you ready?¡± asked James, ready to start their yantra. Hatori is ready with the spells on his lips. ¡°Yep. Start this thing.¡± James flips the switch, and the yantra leapt at Hatori. Though it did attack him, it did not try to spar with him within the ground. After he fired a few Stinger spells on it, which it batted aside, the yantra escaped outside. ¡°Oh.¡± They said together. That was undefined behavior if there ever was one. They can already hear other students getting attacked; the squeals of surprise and anger are audible within their training ground. Raven and Josh entered the ground, then, sporting terrified expressions on their faces. ¡°Guys. You won¡¯t believe what¡¯s going on outside.¡± they said. ¡°A yantra has gone rogue; it attacking the students.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Not only that, but some out-of-commissioned yantras have joined it, and they are tormenting the first- and second-year students alike.¡± Added Josh. James and Hatori look at each other. ¡°What went wrong?¡± they wonder. ¡°Wait, you are responsible for this?¡± asked Raven in a menacing tone. ¡°What? Of course not.¡± Denied Hatori smoothly. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare deny it like that!¡± While Raven and Hatori are arguing, Josh checks the schematics. ¡°Guys, you forgot to close this brace here.¡± He showed the runes to Hatori and James. ¡°That explains it.¡± Said Hatori, after examining the mistakes. ¡°The scopes have meshed together here.¡± ¡°Can you fix this or not?¡± Asked Raven. ¡°I can solve this issue. I just need time to interface with the runes, and cut their power off.¡± He said. ¡°You can do that?¡± asked Hatori in amazement. ¡°Of course. But mostly because we built that yantra. It doesn¡¯t work if you don¡¯t know the runes, or don¡¯t have the original schematics.¡± ¡°But what can we do about the rampage in the meantime?¡± asked Josh. ¡°I¡¯ll go fight them.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°My hands are itching for a while anyway.¡± He gives a disturbing grin, and leaves the ground. ¡°Let¡¯s go handle the other students.¡± Suggested Josh. ¡°Who knows what he might do to them if they got in his way?¡± ¡°With his recent mood, anything is possible.¡± Muttered Raven while leaving Josh. ¡°Let¡¯s find Shin if we can. We¡¯ll need his help as well.¡±

Part 2.

Hatori finds the yantras, who are kicking and tormenting the younger students. Strangely enough, they have not tried to invade the dorms of older students. Hatori can hear Raven, Josh, and Shin behind him, trying to keep the students away from him. as he fires his opening salvo of Slicer spells, the students who were trapped, and didn¡¯t have a way out escaped. The yantras turn on him furiously. Hatori is thankful that these can¡¯t speak. He doubts he can face their cutting words. For now, a battle rages between them and Hatori, where he holds nothing back. It helps that these aren¡¯t strong like Swaraj, nor do they have his level of experience. Surprise isn¡¯t on their side, but numbers are certainly. So Hatori doesn¡¯t underestimate them. As he untangles himself from three yantras who got him by outnumbering him, (he receives a painful blow to his stomach) Hatori laments his lack of wide destructive spells. Those would have been great right now for controlling the crowd of his enemies. He can¡¯t hear anyone else in this part of the area. ¡®Looks like everyone ran away.¡¯ He doesn¡¯t know how long he must fight, for all this evasion and skirmishes are starting to tire him out. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. He thanked his lucky stars when all the yantras go inactive, and just fall to the ground, except for the ones which were already on the ground in pieces, sliced up by him earlier. He doesn¡¯t have a chance to breathe easily, though, as Josh and Shin¡¯s voices reach him. ¡°Hatori, run!¡± He senses a crowd of students coming after them. ¡°Let¡¯s hide in our room.¡± They decide. After closing the door quickly, he asked them out. ¡°What was that? Why were they so angry?¡± ¡°Because this idiot,¡± Raven thumps Josh in the back, ¡°Spilled everything.¡± ¡°That explains it.¡± said Hatori. But even in their room, they are not safe. After getting tired of pounding their door, the enraged students wait for them outside. ¡°They have to come out eventually. Then, we¡¯ll get them.¡± they heard them speak many such declarations. ¡°What can we do?¡± asked Shin. ¡°I don¡¯t want to be trapped here forever.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Raven thinks. ¡°I have an idea.¡± As the crowd hunkers down to wait, the door opens. They glare at the slowly opening door, spells ready on their lips. But instead of a terrified kid, they saw a yantra marching out of the room, ready to fight. At first sight, they all fled. People who were behind in the crowd got trampled in the process. The yantra turns around, and goes back inside. James then turns it off. ¡°I do think it would be good for us to stay here for a while.¡± said Hatori. ¡°No joke.¡± Shin wanted to say something else, but changed his mind at the last moment. ¡°Hope that they won¡¯t mob us during dinner.¡±

Part 3.

The day of the result arrives. The rankings are shown for everyone to see and gawk at, which is just added salt to the wound in Hatori¡¯s opinion. Granted, he and his friends, along with Daphne and Avinash¡¯s group have all the top positions, so they don¡¯t have to worry about their low-scores being made public. ¡°Who is at the number one spot?¡± he asked Josh, too lazy to check for himself. ¡°Avinash.¡± He responds. Aside from a twitch of surprise, Hatori doesn¡¯t react much. So, what if he is above him in the ranks? More interesting is, why is he hearing some sobs coming from nearby? ¡°Who¡¯s crying?¡± he asked Raven, too lazy to check for himself. ¡°Mira.¡± Responded Raven, too lazy to use more words than necessary. ¡®That explains everything.¡¯ She isn¡¯t among the top ten, or even the top twenty. She is among the top thirty, though. ¡®If I were at her place, I would have been celebrating.¡¯ Hatori has never given much importance to studies, which has gotten him a lot of flak from his mother. ¡®Huh. haven¡¯t thought about them for a while.¡¯ He decides to ask Zeko whether he can talk to his parents or not.

Part 4.

Today is the day when all the students are leaving the Academy, at least from the first to third years. Students above them are actually preparing for their apprenticeships, and for the various competitions they are going to participate in. ¡°Say,¡± James tried to speak confidently. ¡° you guys visit each other in the summer?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Said Josh and Raven. ¡°Hatori probably will come to the castle.¡± ¡°You¡¯re invited to Zeko¡¯s house, of course.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But wouldn¡¯t he be mad?¡± they asked. ¡°Nah. I¡¯m sure he won¡¯t mind.¡± He spoke. ¡®And if he does, we¡¯re going to have problems.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m not sure whether I would be able to come or not.¡± Said Shin sadly. ¡°I can¡¯t afford to travel.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll think of something.¡± Assures Josh. ¡°You are of course, invited as well, James.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll like to see the castle from inside, won¡¯t you?¡± ¡°I would love to.¡± He replied, his worries being eased. As the ships which brought them here land to pick them up, they all say good byes to each other, and board them. They have to be separated, since all the ships are taking students in different areas. Hatori wonders whether Zeko will be there to pick him up or not. (End.) Chapter 53 Chapter 53.

Part 1.

After disembarking from the ship which dropped him near Fernandes city, Josh sees his older brother on the landing spot. ¡°Hey there. Look who got taller when I wasn¡¯t looking?¡± he said with a smile. ¡°George junior.¡± Josh embraces him, something which he would never dare to do in front of his father. George junior Fernandes has the softer features of his mother, and the bulky body of his father. He is about ten years older than Josh. Despite the age difference, both brothers get along with each other well. George junior went on his apprenticeship five years ago, when Josh was barely above his thighs. But now, he reaches his stomach. Clearly, though, he has a lot of growing up to do to reach his brother¡¯s height. But he doesn¡¯t wish to reach his height. He wants to surpass him, in every way. ¡®Maybe then my father will acknowledge me.¡¯ he thinks. The house isn¡¯t very far from the landing spot, so both brothers walk to their home. In the way, Josh sees how easily his brother meets with people, exchanging greetings and nods with them. This actually comes to him as well, but he isn¡¯t nowhere near popular enough that people would greet him by his name after his long stays in the Castle, or his recent return from the Academy. Though Josh acknowledges that he doesn¡¯t live here much, so they are not familiar with him. Reaching their home, Josh finds himself a dinner with his father and mother. His mother doesn¡¯t speak much. In all his years, they haven¡¯t exchanged any words beyond stilted greetings. ¡°So, how did you perform in the Academy?¡± asked George the first question. George junior winced. He knows this won¡¯t go well. ¡°I was among the top ten.¡± Said Josh proudly. ¡°Top ten? Not number one?¡± asked George. Josh hangs his head in shame. How could he compete against brilliant people like Avinash, Raven, and Hatori? All three of them ranked above him. James and Shin do rank below him, but only by a number. He has no doubt that they can leave him behind next year. ¡°Did you make political connections at least?¡± asked George. ¡°Yes. Tons of them.¡± replied Josh. Granted, a lot of them are not going to be worth much at this early in his time there, but he just knows they will come useful in the future. ¡°Well, you¡¯re doing good in something.¡± Nodded George. He then receives a sarcastic glare from his older son, after which he realizes what he has done. George junior has a real gift of expressing himself through his eyes. After finishing his food, he leaves, leaving both of his boys to exchange words between them, all the while cursing himself for blowing up another opportunity for making a meaningful connection with his younger son.

Part 2.

Magpie Arora has gotten a lot of things from his fifteen years-long military career. Combat expertise, physical fitness, a sharp mind which can see conspiracies coming from a far, and the sense of punctual time. That¡¯s why he was there when the ship landed right on time to pick up his son, while some parents didn¡¯t even arrive on time. His wife is currently out to shop, for a special feast will be cooked today in celebration of their son concluding his first year in the Academy without dying or getting crippled permanently. Their home is very orderly, with things rarely moved from their fixed place. Ever since Raven befriended Fernandes¡¯s boy, he does live with him in the Castle, since this is where he is performing his duty, and can keep an eye on him. But now, things are different. He must stay home longer. ¡°So, how was your year, son?¡± He asked, sitting in a straight-back chair. He likes those chairs because they help in keeping your back straight, without causing discomfort. He will not end up as a hunched-up old man. Relaxing in his own straight-back chair, Raven replies with a sigh. ¡°Chaotic.¡± ¡°How so?¡± Magpie leans forward in interest. ¡°You know, Josh is always doing stuff in his own way. But the biggest reason was Hatori. He spent pretty much the entire year hiding from everyone.¡± Explains Raven. ¡°Hmm. likely because of the aggressive recruitment schemes.¡± The elder Arora shakes his head. He never understands those nobles. If they only had some kindness in their bones, then they might understand that force and power cannot get them everything. ¡°Also, I helped out Suresh, the champion of this year¡¯s chess tournament.¡± Said Raven, swelling with the feeling of proudness. ¡°Well done, son.¡± Praised Magpie. ¡°Now, keep developing your strategic talents.¡± He wanted to actually tell him that he would make for a great general one day; but he strangled those words in his throat. Their class means they will never have such an honor, even if they serve the throne for thousand years loyally. ¡°Be careful, son.¡± Advises Magpie. ¡°You have made some dangerous connections. You will be pulled into chaos, whether you like it or not.¡± Moving on to the lighter topic, Magpie notices the improved physique of his son. ¡°I do notice you are physically fit, and your magic feels stronger.¡± ¡°Yeah, I worked on it a lot.¡± Raven gets a faraway expression on his face, which he usually gets when he is planning something for the future. ¡°But this isn¡¯t enough. I have to become stronger, much stronger.¡± Magpie nodded with approval. He can get behind that feeling.

Part 3.

Shin meets with Mr. Swami, the head of his orphanage. No one came to pick him up. But he isn¡¯t bothered by it, since the orphanage teaches them all to be independent. He can¡¯t help the pang of jealousy he experiences seeing other kids picked up by their parents, though. He, of course, never looked at them for too long. He did that as a child once, and received one horrific beating as a result. He has learned his lesson since. He is showing Mr. Swami the broken pieces of his foci, a staff in the style of a music conductor¡¯s baton. ¡°How did you manage to break your foci in your first year?¡± asked Mr. Swami. ¡°Well, an older student attacked me and my friend. He broke it in the process.¡± explained Shin. Sighing, Mr. Swami picks up the broken pieces. ¡°It can¡¯t be repaired. We can give you another foci, though it won¡¯t be elaborate as this one.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. I¡¯ll work with it.¡± said Shin. He is not bothered by not getting other foci like his old one. He knows Mr. Swami won¡¯t waste money on him like that. Besides, he realizes how foci are overrated. Hatori has taught him that. ¡®I¡¯ll follow his path. By the time I leave from the other side, I won¡¯t need one.¡¯ he thinks to himself. That, of course, would mean he has taken out one expensive item of magic from his future. Judging from how the first year went, Shin suspects there will be more chaos in the future, meaning more chances of damaging his focie. But if he doesn¡¯t have one, and relies on himself, he won¡¯t have to worry about it.

Part 4.

Much like Shin, James has no one to pick him up. And unlike his friends, his home isn¡¯t located near the landing spot either, which personally feels like adding insult to injury. But the real salt in the wound is receiving the greeting from Lucie and Eva when he actually arrives home, before even meeting his father. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. ¡°So, finally managed to crawl home, I see.¡± Said Lucie. Ever since Swaraj¡¯s loss to Hatori, she has been in a state of mind which can delicately be called nasty. ¡°This is my home.¡± Retaliated James. These sisters have been trying to bully him since his childhood. But he has never bowed to them. ¡°Imagine what a mother would say,¡± added Eva. She is seven years old, but James knows that no normal seven-year-old would think of blackmailing someone in such a sweet voice. ¡°Go tell her. I don¡¯t care.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the thing.¡± Lucie stepped closer to him, glairing down upon him. ¡°You will meet her. She has ordered it. and do change your sweaty clothes before doing so, you smell.¡± For a moment, James s furious glair made her scared. But when he quietly walks away, she smirks in triumph. As long as he knows his place, he will never dare to retaliate against her. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we punish him for talking to us this way?¡± asked Eva. ¡°No point. Speaking to mother is punishment enough.¡± After changing his clothes and taking an extra-long shower just to piss off Shakuntala, James goes to meet her. It burns him to see her sitting in his father¡¯s study, and changing its design as if she owns it. But unlike her daughters, James knows that mouthing off to her will not end up in anything good for him. Every fiber of his being hates to do so; but he bows down before her, and touches her feet. She pats his head and murmurs some useless blessings. ¡°So, I hear you befriended Zeko¡¯s boy.¡± In the noble circle, Hatori has acquired that name for refusing every time they have tried to recruit him. James remains quiet. He knows it isn¡¯t a question. ¡°Perhaps that is the sole good thing you have done this year. Don¡¯t expect any praise for your academic record, for it is expected that someone of your birth will be on top by default.¡± She leans forward. ¡°You only get praise for something which you can do on your own, instead of relying on your superior blood.¡± James wishes to call out her on her contradictory statements, but remains quiet. ¡°Do try to educate him in our proper ways when you meet him again. Go now.¡± She orders. With a loud bang, he closes the door of the study. Shakuntala smiles. She can¡¯t harm the boy fatally in this house, but she can punish him and make his life miserable. But she decides not to do that for just slamming the door open. After all, given the temper so legendary in his family, the boy has remarkable control. That would be rewarded, by not giving him any punishment. James finally goes to meet his father. Lucie and Eva waited outside of the study, perhaps to rub even more salt in the wound. But they decided to back off after seeing his expression. Entering the room, the smell of alcohol immediately assaulted his nose. His father is asleep on the bed, surrounded by empty bottles. ¡°Dad?¡± he said softly. That was enough to wake him up. Even in his stupor, Jimmy looks around the room for threats, before relaxing. ¡°Welcome back, son.¡± He says, motioning him to come closer. Though it was nice that the man came out of his alcoholic high to talk to him, James really hates this house. ¡®Why did I come back here?¡¯

Part 5.

Hatori leaves the ship. His friends were going to different areas, so they had to split up. This is the first time in his life he has traveled alone. Carrying his shrunken trunk on one arm, he senses Zeko nearby. Now that he has gotten magical sensing down, he realizes how much power Zeko contains. He feels as if he is looking down upon the endless depths of a sea, which could swallow him at any moment, but it is kept in check by its own will. Instead of waiting for Zeko to notice him, Hatori goes to him directly. ¡°Hello master Zeko.¡± He greets him. ¡°Don¡¯t be so formal, boy.¡± He says, noticing the increase in height. ¡®Looks like those potions are working well.¡¯ He thought. ¡°Let¡¯s go to the car. My place is far from here.¡± Hatori followed behind him, still carrying his trunk. Meanwhile, Zeko thinks about the changes he has already noticed in his students from a few moments in his company. And he isn¡¯t referring to physical changes. Instead, he is thinking of how he moves differently, how he observes the environment around him, and overall, how he has the feeling of a soldier who is gaining experience slowly, having fought in his first conflict and taken a life. Though he laments that a child has to resort to such methods, a savage part of Zeko enjoys it. ¡®Call me low-class, will you? My student is better than ten of your over-privileged brats.¡¯ Of course, he already knows about the killings Hatori has already done. He is actually surprised that the count is so low. Given the aggressive recruitment drive, he expected more people to die in the whole conflict. ¡°Master Zeko?¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I want to ask for something.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± Zeko opens the door of his car. ¡°I want to talk to my parents. And I wish to invite my friends over the summer.¡± Hatori didn¡¯t put a question mark on his tone at the end. ¡°And here I thought you would ask for some expensive toy.¡± Zeko shakes his head. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with that. You can talk to your parents once we get home, and you can invite your friends after a month or so.¡± When they reach Zeko¡¯s house, Hatori is blocked from entering by another shadow. Without so much as a warning, it fires the Stinger spell at him. but Hatori batted those aside, and retaliates with Slicer, cutting the shadow in half, after which both parts dissolved. Deep within the basement, the central yantra notices the development, and ups the difficulty accordingly.

Part 6.

The professors have gathered within the mess hall. No students are present here, even those who are still in the Academy, working on various projects. This is an exclusive event, hosted by Corvus at the end of each year. Currently, there is an argument going on between Dhiraj and Bali, which broke out after the professors discussed which student deserves special favors from them next year onward. When Dhiraj said Hatori¡¯s name, Bali opposed it. ¡°Don¡¯t you remember? I told you that boy is using dangerous methods!¡± Bali slams his hand on the table between them. ¡°Such recklessness cannot be allowed!¡± ¡°And I ask again, are you more upset that he humiliated you in your class? Put aside your ego.¡± Said Dhiraj, unaffected by the outburst of Bali. ¡°This isn¡¯t about that anymore.¡± Said Bali, breathing deeply to calm himself. ¡°He even killed an older student, and we all have our suspicions regarding another death on his hands.¡± ¡°Again, I fail to understand this.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Are you bothered by him killing someone? Or are you bothered by the killings of a student belonging to a high-class family? I expected better from you.¡± Dhiraj glared at Bali. ¡°We all know how fragile the rules are for protecting children from older students in this Academy.¡± Corvus raised an eyebrow. He didn¡¯t expect a professor to say it so boldly. He then forgets about it, thinking about how a professor useless will be furious that he isn¡¯t invited to this event. ¡°Then you¡¯re not going to budge from this?¡± asked Amarjit. ¡°No. That boy deserves support, especially since he has shown his talents this year. Surviving an older student just makes it even better. I will support him next year onward; your agreement isn¡¯t a factor.¡± Having said his peace, Dhiraj pores himself the drink of his choice, and ignores the other professors, like he usually does. (End.) Chapter 54 Chapter 54.

Part 1.

On the breakfast next day, Hatori is talking to Zeko. From the conversation, it is clear that it is not going to be a vacation spent lazing around the house, for they were both discussing Hatori¡¯s training. ¡°So, you must have ended up in some combat situations. Tell me, do you know what you lack?¡± asked Zeko. He often posed this question to his advanced students to get them in the habit of self-examination. Sadly, not many of them take it to heart. It wouldn¡¯t surprise him that some of them actually lost the habit once they were out of his clutches. Maybe he should get them back for remedial tor¡ªtraining. After thinking about his experiences in single combat, Hatori thinks he will get the power to fight on his own eventually with age and experience. But he also remembers his fight with the rogue yantras, and how difficult it was to control the crowd of enemies. ¡°I think I need some destructive spells.¡± he replies. ¡°Sigh¡­ Every boy of your age eventually wants to learn those things.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Hear me out.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I faced a crowd of rogue yantras¡ª¡± ¡°Why did they go rogue?¡± asked Zeko. Ignoring the question, Hatori continues on. ¡°¡ªand I¡¯ve noticed how hard it is to handle a crowd of enemies, especially when you¡¯re facing them alone. I think spells which do cause wide and destructive effects, or effect the large area around me will be useful in that situation.¡± ¡°Your logic is sound.¡± Zeko agreed with this assessment. ¡°But the problem is, most such spells either require advance knowledge in manipulation of magic, because these are custom spells created by mages for themselves. There are very few general spells like you want. The other problem is, you need elemental manipulation for this, which can be dangerous at your age. Hell, it can be dangerous at my age.¡± ¡°The spell you used¡­¡± said Hatori. ¡°What?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°I remember the spell which you used during my kidnapping two years ago.¡± Zeko winced. He hoped that the boy would forget that incident. ¡°You used a custom spell to destroy the house, didn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. Though I¡¯m surprised you remember so much.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°You did follow my list of recommended books, right?¡± At Hatori¡¯s nod, Zeko continues. ¡°Now, I will teach you elemental manipulation. I told you to make your body strong for that specifically.¡± ¡°But before you can do that, you have another difficult task ahead of you.¡± said Zeko. Hatori gets a bad feeling. Those words never meant anything good; he just knew that instinctually.

Part 2.

After his post-breakfast workout, Hatori is missing his sparring with yantras. The house isn¡¯t attacking him for some reason, so he goes to the ring-like room created in this house for sparring. According to Zeko, this room can take a lot of destructive spells, and no damage would show up outside. in short, a perfect place for training the spell-casting in the house. But Hatori finds Zeko in the room. ¡°Ah, good of you to come here by yourself. Saves me the effort to hunt you down.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I will be sparring with you, just like how Neshma used to do.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t have an easy time with me like you did with her.¡± Neshma is the former student of Zeko, who was hired by him to be the sparring partner for Hatori to improve his combat skills. They never got along because of her brutal training, and thinking that Hatori was just some brat. Not to mention, she never paid him a single compliment during his entire training with her. ¡°Now, begin!¡± orders Zeko, who immediately batts aside the Slicers and Stingers, which came his way after his order. ¡°That isn¡¯t the only way. If the spells are slow enough, you can literally just move out of their way.¡± He said while the relentless assault on Hatori is going on. Demonstrating the practical example, instead of batting aside the spells, he sidestepped out of the way of those spells, which harmlessly splashed on the walls of the room. Then, he launched his own Stingers and Slicers. He feels like he is literally arguing with children when he casts these spells, since he has not casted such beginner spells for years. Hatori tries to copy him, but he fails to dodge all of them. To protect his body from getting sliced in half, he uses the basic shield which he learned in the Academy to protect himself. But as a result of that, he is pinned now. When Zeko stops casting the Slicers, he lets go of the shield, takes the hard-hitting Stingers as acceptable damage, and tries to retaliate. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. When he fails to do that, he once more tries to sidestep the spells coming his way despite the pain of the Stinger spells he took earlier. Hatori is thankful that they aren¡¯t the poison variety; he is certain that Zeko knew that variation, and could have easily used them to make his life harder. After an hour of sparring, Hatori is groaning on the ground, unable to move. He can¡¯t sidestep, let alone get up from his position. The only thing which he can do is flop on the ground like a waterless fish, or roll like a broken log. ¡°I think it is enough for today. We will spar like this at least three days a week. Come in the garden after lunch for your elemental training.¡± Without saying anything more, Zeko leaves the room. Though he is impressed at how long Hatori lasted. A year ago, a session like him would have hospitalized him. Moving out of the way of the yantras making their way into the room. He is sure he will be back on his feet in no time. But he won¡¯t be ready to spar today, or even tomorrow. That is why, three days every week limit. But once he shows improvement, he will increase the limit.

Part 3.

Making his way to the garden, Hatori is groggy from the food, and the treatment the yantras have given him after his spar with Zeko to bring his strength back up. He is strictly instructed not to use his magic in combat, though meditation is fine. He is still waiting for the house to attack him, though it hasn¡¯t happened. But he must not drop his guard. In the garden, they both sit in the shade with their legs crossed, and Zeko begins his instructions. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about elemental magic. This type of magic allows you to manipulate the elements around you within your environment. Fire, lightning, earth, wind, and water are the elements. But it goes deeper than that.¡± ¡°If you get skilled enough with a particular element, you can actually go deeper. For example, a skilled wind manipulator can change the number of gasses present within the air. This can have devastating effects. Or an earth user could manipulate the minerals. Of course, elemental manipulation is not limited to that. you can actually create artificial elements as well and use them, but that requires much more skill than you currently have.¡± ¡°For now, you will start by feeling the flames of the candle.¡± Zeko lights the candle in question, ¡°And try to make it rise and fall with your breath.¡± ¡°Why not lightning?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°That will come later.¡± said Zeko. ¡°A question. are some people aligned towards certain elements?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°no. It all comes down to how well they handle the complicated bits related to that element. They have the chance to potentially learn all the elements in the world, but no one has enough time or patience to do that.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Now, perform the task I have assigned you.¡± Hatori reaches out to the candle, trying to feel the flame with his magic as Zeko instructed. Meanwhile, Zeko busies himself with his notebook. For a change, though, he doesn¡¯t sound like he is busy researching magic. Instead, he looks to be doing accounting. The narrator is afraid of that subject; therefore, it won¡¯t be described here.

Part 4.

As if the spar today wasn¡¯t humiliating enough, Hatori has to do fire training. He much prefers lightning over fire. But that isn¡¯t the problem right now. ¡°You¡¯re leaving me with a babysitter?¡± ¡°Yes. She will take care of you in my absence.¡± Said Zeko. An order has come for Zeko from Porus, so he has to leave immediately. The matter is not important to Hatori, because it is probably outside of his control and understanding. But he can take care of himself. ¡°But I can take care of myself; you can leave me here alone.¡± ¡°No, you need some human company boy.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°But, but¡­¡± ¡°But nothing. I¡¯m leaving tomorrow. The babysitter will come in the morning. In my absence, don¡¯t neglect your training.¡± Hatori just shakes his head. He hasn¡¯t gotten along with babysitters before in his home, and he suspects things will be the same here tomorrow. Speaking of which, Zeko still hasn¡¯t made him talk to his parents. As if reading his mind, Zeko said. ¡°Once I come back, I¡¯ll make you talk with your parents; that will be the first thing I¡¯ll do.¡± ¡®So that is something.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. (End.) Chapter 55 Chapter 55.

Part 1.

Zeko is leaving, and Hatori is watching him pack his bag. ¡°You sure you don¡¯t want to change your mind?¡± He asked. ¡°I don¡¯t need a babysitter.¡± He tries to convince him one last time. ¡°You know my answer.¡± smiled Zeko. His apprentice doesn¡¯t give up easily, that¡¯s for sure. ¡°She is coming.¡± A knock comes on the door, and Zeko opens it. ¡°Ekta, welcome.¡± He greets the girl. Hatori doesn¡¯t get any sense of power from this woman. ¡°No problem Mr. Zeko, I¡¯m always ready to help,¡± she said in a sweet voice. Hatori hated her on the spot. Judging from her voice she could be anywhere from 18 to 20, and yet unlike all the adult mages he has met, such as Porus and Zeko, or the professors in the Academy, they all give a dangerous feeling. And yet, Hatori feels as if this woman might have age on her side; but in actuality, she is even weaker than him. To live under the control of someone weaker than him chafes at Hatori. ¡°Food and everything is already prepared. You just need to give him. He mostly trains by himself, do watch out, he might end up overdoing it.¡± Zeko gives the final instructions, while Ekta nods attentively. ¡°Now, I¡¯m off. I¡¯ll come back soon.¡± He said to Hatori and left. Ekta continues to smile. When she is sure that Zeko has left, the smile disappears from her face. ¡°All right, you spoiled brat. Go to your room!¡± she orders Hatori. ¡°But it is time for my breakfast.¡± He reminded her in a calm and measured tone. ¡°Go to your room; you can afford to miss one meal.¡± She spoke. ¡°Don¡¯t even think of coming out of there, you hear me?¡± ¡°But my training¡ª¡± protests Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m sure you just lied to Master Zeko about it. You shouldn¡¯t trick an old man like this. Imagine how furious he¡¯ll be when I tell him you didn¡¯t train and just lazed around in his absence.¡± She makes tutting noises. Angry and now hungry, Hatori goes back to his room. She gives off the feeling of weakness, but he is unwilling to try violence on her. During lunchtime, he sneaks into the kitchen. He senses Ekta and finds her right behind him. ¡°You think you can trick me, can¡¯t you?¡± she whispers. Grabbing him by his collar, she drags him out of the kitchen. She initially expected a lightweight child, whom she could easily throw out of the kitchen. But Hatori proves to be heavier than she expected. ¡°You don¡¯t need more food. You¡¯re already so heavy!¡± ¡°But food is important for my training!¡± said Hatori, easily untangling himself from her grip. ¡°You don¡¯t need it. You don¡¯t need any of it. You don¡¯t deserve it.¡± She ranted. ¡°If you were a normal boy, then you would have been thrown into a corner just like any other disabled child. But since you¡¯re trained by Zeko, you think you¡¯re some hotshot, don¡¯t you? Well, forget the food. You won¡¯t even get any water. and those potions? I don¡¯t even know where they are.¡± She sits at the table, where lunch is waiting, already prepared by the yantras. ¡°I¡¯m gonna eat all of this, and won¡¯t even give you a single crumb. Now, get lost!¡± she snarls. Disappointed, Hatori walks away. Looks like this is going to be a miserable time.

Part 2.

The central yantra watched everything happening in its house. Zeko may own this property, but it runs everything here, with or without him. no outsider is going to come here, and boss one of the members of its house. As a result, with a unanimous agreement, all the yantras make their way to Ekta, ready to throw her out. from common household items possessed by spirits, to shadows of the training module, and even the medical team came to show their support. But they all halted in their tracks when they see Hatori confronting their unwanted guest.

Part 3.

Hatori, after staying in his room without food and water for a whole day, has enough of this. There¡¯s a time for being nice and being considerate, and there¡¯s a time for showing who is the boss. And in this house, Hatori may not be the boss. But he also knows that Ekta isn¡¯t one either. Feeling at Ekta at the dinner table, Hatori marched up to her. ¡°Enough. You won¡¯t eat any more food for free.¡± He said to her. ¡°Oh yeah? and who will stop me?¡± she asked, not concerned in the slightest. ¡°I will.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You? a fucking brat like you? You¡¯re not even big enough to be a piece of shit yet.¡± Ekta gets up, ready to teach this brat a lesson. She brings her dainty little broach to cast a spell on Hatori, and he can¡¯t believe how slow it seems. ¡®An adult mage like this doesn¡¯t deserve to be in charge over me.¡¯ he thinks. A volley of Slicer spells comes her way, and Ekta manages to get out in time, just losing a few of her hair. She looks at Hatori in shock. She didn¡¯t expect him to cast such a spell on her. Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! ¡°How did you graduate from the Academy?¡± He asked, casting Stinger spells at her. Even though she tormented him all day long, he shows her enough mercy to not hit her with the poisoned variety. ¡°You¡­ fucking¡­ bastard!¡± She groans from the ground. The Stinger spells hit her legs, and made her fall to the ground. ¡°My charms were enough to convince professors to let me pass.¡± She said, trying to cast another spell. But she only produces some fizzles and sparks. ¡°That is an insult to the lightning element.¡± Whispered Hatori, and renews his assault. He doesn¡¯t understand exactly what kind of charms she used. But clearly, they are not enough to defeat him. ¡°Let me go brat!¡± she demanded. ¡°Please let me go kid.¡± She begged, having enough of the Stinger spells for a life time. ¡°I promise to leave this house immediately!¡± Hatori doesn¡¯t relent, so she tries to appeal to him again. ¡°I won¡¯t tell your master anything bad about you. I will return the money he paid me.¡± Seeing the door, she tries to leave, having seen that the appeals of sympathy are not getting anywhere. How can a child be so merciless? But before she could go to the door and run for her freedom, the yantras blocked her way. She tries to run pass them, but the shadows ready the Slicer spells of their own. She realizes that she will die if she tries to escape. So she just sat down, and prayed for all this to stop. Sensing her near the floor, Hatori comes closer. It seems she has given up completely. ¡°Do you give up?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes.¡± A shadow comes to Hatori, and hands him a collar. ¡°What am I supposed to do with it?¡± He asked. ¡°Put it on her.¡± Said one of the medical yantra. ¡°This is what happens to outsiders when they lose in this house.¡± ¡°No, stay away from me. Don¡¯t you dare!¡± She tries to scoot away, and resists. She tries to use her physical strength against Hatori, but again, the child proves to be stronger than her. Finally putting the collar on her neck, it automatically tied itself. ¡°This symbolizes your loss to this house.¡± Said another medical yantra. ¡°Only master Zeko can remove this.¡± ¡°Time for punishment.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What?¡± She asked. The day is just getting worse and worse for her. Hatori asks for a towel from yantras, and after he gets it, he twists it and makes a whip out of it. ¡°Now, you will do what I say.¡± He said to Ekta. ¡°Make fish noises!¡± He hits her back with the whip. She made fish noises. ¡°Cow noises! Horse noises! Twitter like a bird!¡± And she did Twitter like a bird, without the use of hashtags, so her Twittering did not go viral. ¡°And now, leave for your room. Don¡¯t come out, you hear me?¡± orders Hatori, swinging the whip threateningly. ¡°Yes, I understand.¡± She spoke. ¡®I got away lightly.¡¯ She thinks. She would never dare to torment a child in her life again. Meanwhile, Hatori leaves for his dinner, while yantras disperse, ready to do their task again.

Part 4.

Two days later, Zeko returns. He hopes that everything will be well, given how much Hatori was against having a babysitter. He opens the door, to see Hatori doing his candle exercises, which he often does after lunch. He breaks his concentration, and greets Zeko. ¡°Welcome master Zeko.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Everything went well?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Answers Hatori. ¡°Where is Ekta?¡± he asked, not seeing the girl anywhere. ¡°Oy. Come here at once!¡± He whips the air. Zeko didn¡¯t see the whip made of a towel resting near Hatori. The door of the guestroom opens, and Ekta comes running out. ¡°Yes master.¡± When she sees Zeko, she starts to weep in joy. ¡°Greet the master of this house.¡± Commanded Hatori. ¡°Ekta greets you, master Zeko.¡± She said from her position on the floor, having fallen down due to sheer joy. ¡°Looks like you have a hard time.¡± said Zeko. Seeing the innocent child with empty demonic eyeholes, Ekta hurries to assure Zeko. ¡°No, not at all. Master Hatori is very calm and a good boy. I didn¡¯t have any trouble handling him.¡± ¡°Very well. You can have this remaining pay of yours, as I promised.¡± Zeko hands her the money. ¡°And I¡¯ll take this thing off.¡± ¡°But master, I trained her.¡± Whines Hatori. ¡°You don¡¯t need to come here again.¡± Said Zeko, ignoring Hatori entirely. When she leaves, Hatori asks. ¡°She was terrible. Why did you pay her?¡± Sighing, Zeko asked. ¡°Tell me. What happened in my absence first.¡± When he hears everything that happens, Zeko is amused. ¡°In any other situation, I would be furious on your behalf. But I kind of feel sorry for that girl that she ended up going against you.¡± He spoke. ¡°As for pay, a deal is a deal. I told her to stay with you in this house for two days, and she did that, unwillingly though it may be.¡± ¡°And you were right boy, you don¡¯t need a babysitter. I won¡¯t hire any of them in the future.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Good.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Because it takes too much time and energy to train them.¡± Zeko roars with laughter. (End.) Chapter 56 Chapter 56.

Part 1.

In the night, Zeko hands Hatori a mirror, through which he gets to talk with his parents. They are both surprised at how much he has changed, from his voice to his hardened face. Though he did not tell them anything about the two students he killed this year. After showing them some new tricks he has picked up, he ends the call. ¡°Feel better?¡± asked Zeko, entering the room. ¡°Yeah, a little.¡± Said Hatori. Zeko left Hatori alone because he didn¡¯t want to loom over the boy while he talked with his mother and father. Having no parents himself, Zeko doesn¡¯t get the attachment, but he understands it is important all the same.

Part 2.

After today¡¯s sparring in the morning, Zeko is teaching Hatori a new spell. but before he starts to do that, he has some other things to tell his apprentice. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t rely on yantras to fix you all the time.¡± Said Zeko to Hatori, sitting in the training room instead of the garden. Since the spell is going to be destructive, he thinks it is best he teaches it here. ¡°But what should I do?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Go to the pool.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°It is located behind the big door near the bathroom.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°You will have to defeat its guardian to use it though.¡± Hatori makes a note to check that out later. ¡°Now, show me how your fire training is coming along.¡± he orders Hatori. Focusing on the nearby burning candle, Hatori makes the flame rise and fall with his breathing. ¡°Good. You¡¯re learning this quickly. all those meditation sessions are paying off.¡± Zeko drives the point mercilessly. ¡°Soon, we will move on to producing the element in question. but for now, focus on this new spell I¡¯m about to teach you,¡± instructed Zeko, getting up from his position. Going to the center of the room, he conjures a boulder. ¡°This is a basic blasting spell, called¡­ Blast. Truly, the art of describing the use just by the name alone should be learned from the original creator of this spell.¡± ¡°You perform it like this.¡± Zeko extends his hand in front of him, palm facing outward. His hand shook slightly, as a sphere comes out of his palm. It goes to the boulder like a bullet, and after the collision, explodes with a ferocious explosion, breaking the boulder into pieces, while shaking the room in the process. After he is done demonstrating the spell, Zeko takes his seat once more. ¡°The spell works by containing the energy within a spherical shape. When it collides with anything, the energy is released, resulting in a huge blast. This is like a water balloon. Throw it with sufficient force, and it explodes, splashing the water everywhere.¡± Explains Zeko. ¡°Now, practice this spell.¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. He then takes out his notebook and lets Hatori try the Blast spell on his own. If he fails to perform it now, he will then provide further instructions.

Part 3.

Elsewhere, Dhanraj is receiving the news about his father from the healer of his family. ¡°So, in recent times, he has shown improvement. He might wake up soon.¡± Said the woman. ¡°Very well. Keep it secret.¡± He orders and dismisses her. This is going to be one big headache now. He has gotten used to the power, and he thinks he can take the family in the right direction. Mainly, don¡¯t fight the king and his rule, and just keep increasing their influence. Eventually, someone from the Joshis will be selected as a king, or someone close to the king. But his father won¡¯t listen. Yograj would demand his power back as soon as he wakes up, and try to start from where he left off last time. and Dhanraj can see it ending in disaster, exactly like the last time. As for the boy touted to be at the center of all this? Dhanraj has stopped paying him any attention. Even though he heard about the very public killing of Swaraj. But he is not bothered by that either. The Academy is a brutal place. And if a ten-year-old can kill you, then you don¡¯t deserve any consideration. That¡¯s why he has ignored that branch entirely, even though they¡¯ve been hounding him to take revenge upon the boy.

Part 4.

In the current news of the country, visuals of police beating up youth under their remand are going viral among the public. Taking advantage of this, many noble families are condemning Porus, as if he locked those kids up, and beat them up. This is just a chess game of public relations. His usual brute force methods won¡¯t work here. So, he gives this task to his prime minister, Amarnath Varma, to handle. He knows how to do public relations well, while he and General Sundar watch from the sidelines.

Part 5.

Hatori is waiting for his friends to arrive. His birthday has gone by recently, so this will be a late birthday party for him. Back in the Academy, his friends celebrated their birthdays. Though it was pretty low-key, what with the time taken by their training and exams. But before he can look forward to meeting everyone, he has to survive this spar against Zeko. He doesn¡¯t feel he is improving anymore, and Zeko isn¡¯t forthcoming exactly during this period. Once more, he is on the floor, exhausted, unable to even touch Zeko. He has ended up many times in this position since he began his vacation. As Zeko leaves, Hatori tries to drag himself to his feet. But two shadows attacked him at that moment. They have gotten really difficult since he returned from Academy, not only are they stronger, but they also attack him in pairs of at least two. Unable to defend himself or damage them in his exhausted state, Hatori passes out when they choke him with his shirt. (End.) Chapter 57 Chapter 57.

Part 1.

Hatori regains consciousness and gets up from the floor. His body doesn¡¯t feel stiff, and there is no bruise on his neck. The medic yantras worked on him when he was unconscious, judging from the smell of potions in the room. He decides to track down the pool about which Zeko was talking and see what is so special about it. He takes a right after reaching the door of the bathroom and finds himself in an open and sunny place. There is no roof here, and only a massive door. He thinks whether he should open it or not, but, Hatori decides he might as well open the door since he has come far. This much effort is a lot for a lazy child like him. Despite its size, the door opens smoothly, without too much noise. Hatori senses a lot of water in this place, and he feels it gets deeper the further you get. But he doesn¡¯t feel anything special besides that. Before he can step into the water, a voice stops him. ¡°Halt!¡± A tall man appears before Hatori, stopping him in his tracks. Before his height, Hatori looked like a small fly. Though his magic sensing doesn¡¯t give him a sense of color unless he is looking for it, if Hatori could see, he would see the color of the skin of this tall man is blue from head to toe. But where did this man come from? Aside from Zeko and himself, Hatori hasn¡¯t found anyone else living in this house. ¡°You cannot enter the water without my permission.¡± He said. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I am Yaksha. And I guard this body of water. You can¡¯t enter it unless you satisfy my conditions.¡± He explains. ¡°I thought you guys were just stories.¡± Said Hatori, remembering reading the stories of yakshas in his textbooks back in his home dimension. ¡°We are not stories.¡± Said Yaksha. He seems more patient than the ones in the stories. ¡°We generally decide to keep it to ourselves.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Said Hatori. He wishes to live a life like that one day. ¡°But what is so special about this water? Why master Zeko has told you to guard it?¡± ¡°What makes you think that your master has told me to guard it?¡± asked Yaksha. ¡°Because he will never keep this pool on his property otherwise. He would have thrown you out, or died trying.¡± Yaksha laughed after hearing this. ¡°How do you know that he would behave like this?¡± He asked. ¡°Because that is what I would do.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And though we are not each other¡¯s copies, I do see similarities between Master Zeko and me.¡± The Yaksha is having the time of his life. Most of Zeko¡¯s students are terrified, or too subservient to talk to him so openly. ¡°To answer your question, this water is imbued with special alchemical properties, which help in recovery and healing. One dip in the water of this pool, and your body regains its prime shape.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t sense anything special in the water. does my magic sensing lack something?¡± wonders Hatori. ¡°No. You just haven¡¯t trained your elemental magic to that level yet. Now, if you wish to use this pool, you must defeat me in combat. Are you ready for that?¡± asked Yaksha. With that question, his tone shifted from relaxed and laid-back to dangerous. ¡°Am I allowed to challenge you if I fail today?¡± asked Hatori before saying anything else. If this is a once-in-a-lifetime chance, he doesn¡¯t want to waste it. ¡°You may challenge me in the future if you fail today.¡± Hatori brings out his staff, and the Yaksha takes it as a sign of aggression. He attacks Hatori with a whip of water, the force of which throws Hatori to the side. Who knew that getting whipped from water hurts so much? He¡¯s glad that it wasn¡¯t a blade, though. His life would have been over otherwise. Hatori retaliates with Slicer, aiming right at the midsection of Yaksha. Due to his size, Hatori has no trouble targeting him. The spells do connect, but they don¡¯t have the same effect as he hoped for. Instead of slicing him in half, the spells only made a mark on his body. Instead of a whip, a fist of water descends on Hatori¡¯s head. ¡°You will have to try harder than this to beat me, child!¡± He roared, and Hatori feels like he heard a river prepare for combat with that roar. His basic shield stops the impact of the water fist, but its momentum still throws Hatori across the room, making him collide with the door. Holding his head after that impact, he retaliates with Poison Stingers, which all connect. But that still didn¡¯t have much of an impact. But Hatori decides to wait for them to take effect. In the meantime, he keeps the Yaksha busy with Slicers and Piercing spells, targeting his midsection and knees. Instead of a water-shaped attack though, the Yaksha surrounds Hatori¡¯s head with water, drowning him while standing outside of the water. His arms were restrained by chains of water, which do not give a sign of how much Hatori strains to free them. He feels like he is bound with a sponge. Gurgling, he focuses magic on his throat without even thinking about it and fires the Blast spell from his mouth. The sphere hits Yaksha right in his face, and as a result of his surprise, he loses control over the water surrounding Hatori¡¯s head and the chains restraining his arms. All that water splashes on the ground harmlessly. Coffing the water out of his mouth, and nose, Hatori straightens. ¡°I didn¡¯t know I could do that.¡± which just goes to show how useful fociless magic is. Taking advantage of the distracted state of Yaksha, Hatori launches himself at him, attacking him physically. Though he can¡¯t move him because of his size and bulk, Hatori¡¯s rudimentary training with the flames of the candles allows him to summon a small flame. This is the first time he is doing this, just following the instincts of his magic. The flame lands where no man wishes to be on fire, and the Yaksha howls before falling into the water. Yeah, I can understand why he did that. Hatori throws many spheres of Blast into the pool, splashing water everywhere, and causing havoc within the water. The element of Yaksha has become his enemy, as the Blast spell is proving to be much more devastating in the water than in the ground. After raining down five Blast spells on the pool in succession, Hatori waits for the Yaksha to get out of the water, preparing for the final Blast spell. This is all the energy he has left now. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. Slowly, he gets out of the water. ¡°I give up.¡± He said in a haggard voice. ¡°Please stop blasting me.¡± ¡°Phew.¡± Hatori breathed and released the Blast spell ready to be launched on his palm. ¡°I can use the pool now, right?¡± He asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Confirmed Yaksha, and then he just disappeared. No sign of him. no magic use, no splash of water, nothing. He was there one moment, talking to him, and gone the very next moment. Hatori entertains the possibility of getting tricked, but given his exhausted, wet clothes, and water everywhere, both of which were dry when he entered this room, the only water being in the pool, he discards the possibility. Shaking his head, he removes his wet clothes. He¡¯ll change them later in his room after relaxing in the pool.

Part 2.

James is packing his bag for the trip to the castle. From there, Josh¡¯s uncle will drop them to Zeko¡¯s house, where they can meet with Hatori. ¡°You can¡¯t go anywhere without my permission.¡± Unfortunately, Eva has gotten in her head that James is her servant, and she can command him to not go anywhere without her permission. James knows that when other younger kids like their older siblings or cousins, they behave like this. But when the kid in question calls you their servant, it is pretty obvious what they are thinking, no matter the age. James will fry anyone in a vat of oil who defends Eva through the ¡°She¡¯s just young¡± argument. ¡°If you won¡¯t listen, I¡¯ll tell you how you are a disobedient servant, and she¡¯ll punish you for it!¡± She threatens him. ¡°Learn to speak properly before commanding me.¡± Said James. ¡°And go ahead. Complain to your mother. I don¡¯t care.¡± Ignoring the spoiled brat, James continues his packing. Judging from her footsteps, she will go to Shakuntala, who is sitting in the office which belongs to his father. The near thought caused rage within him; he bent his comb without realizing it. He listens to the ever-loudening cries of Eva. He deduces that Shakuntala refused her request to stop him. ¡®Of course, she did. She thinks of manipulating Hatori through me.¡¯ thinks James. ¡®I won¡¯t let that happen. I must teach him about family politics as soon as I can.¡¯ Done with his packing, James quickly leaves with a family servant generously provided by Shakuntala. The man will go to the King¡¯s Castle with him, and will then return. James has no intention of returning home for the rest of the summer.

Part 3.

Shin leaves the orphanage for the castle. He has some money with him, but no adult to travel with him on the airship. At least the warden is coming with him to the landing zone to drop him off. Once the ship lands in the City of Throne, Shin will have to make his way to the castle and hope that they won¡¯t throw him out. If that happens, he could spend his time outside, but that would be inconvenient.

Part 4.

Raven and Josh are excited to see the house of Zeko. From Hatori¡¯s description, it sounds like a massive place, perfect for exploring and having lots of fun. The fact they get to spend time there with their other friends from Academy is a bonus. ¡°Say, do you think Zeko will be furious with us if we cause too much racket in his house?¡± wonders Raven. ¡°Nah, he doesn¡¯t seem the type to flip out just because of some noise.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Though I¡¯m surprised that he did allow Hatori to invite us.¡± ¡°He must care for him,¡± said Raven. Though they don¡¯t mind the workouts anymore since the Academy has changed them a little, they still don¡¯t look forward to the intense training of Zeko. They just know that Hatori will drag them into it, just out of spite. Once James arrives, they welcome him. ¡°Master James, I must take my leave now.¡± Said the man who came with him. ¡°You may.¡± Said James. ¡°Tell my father that I arrived here safely.¡± ¡°Will do that, sir.¡± With those parting words, the man leaves. About an hour or so of chatting later, Shin arrives. ¡°Hey, guys.¡± He greets them enthusiastically. ¡°Yo!¡± Josh greeted him back with an equal amount of energy. ¡°I was worried that I would be thrown out of the castle,¡± he said to them. ¡°Nah, it hasn¡¯t happened under Porus yet.¡± Said Josh. ¡°And even if that happened, we would help you. right?¡± ¡°Right.¡± Said Raven and James, though the latter wonders, what he could do in that situation. ¡°Ready to go kids?¡± asked Josh¡¯s uncle. ¡°Yep!¡± nodded Josh. They all pile up in the personal flier of Josh¡¯s uncle and leave. The flier is more like a magical dimension¡¯s version of a helicopter. This narrator is very jealous at this moment.

Part 5.

¡°And the worst part about it is that he just kept blasting me underwater!¡± said Yaksha, reporting about Hatori¡¯s combat earlier in the day. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you let him win though.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Getting blasted underwater is hardly a thing that can defeat you.¡± ¡°True.¡± Nodded the spirit. ¡°But consider this. He doesn¡¯t have much knowledge of magic, not enough to defeat me on an equal footing. I also don¡¯t have any balls, about which he doesn¡¯t know, because he doesn¡¯t know about spirits yet. It was the best thing that I lost to him just by using a quarter of my power.¡± ¡°He¡¯s coming.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°We¡¯ll talk later.¡± The Yaksha disappears, as Hatori opens the door. ¡°So, I hear you got access to the pool.¡± He said to Hatori. ¡°Already know about it, huh?¡± said Hatori, nothing is hidden in this house from Zeko. ¡°Important places like that are guarded by spirits in this house. Such as the library.¡± Said Zeko with a hinting tone. ¡°I¡¯ll try my luck later there.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®Smart.¡¯ Thinks Zeko. ¡®No need to get overconfident, boy.¡¯ thinks Zeko, taking a sip of his tea. Both of them wait for Hatori¡¯s friends to arrive. He is too anxious to sit in one place. (End.) Chapter 58 Chapter 58.

Part 1.

Henry drops the kids at Zeko¡¯s house, where they see Hatori sitting in the shade of a tree, his legs crossed. Leaving them to meet with Hatori, Henry goes to talk with Zeko. As they come closer, Hatori smiles and gets up from the ground. ¡°Hello.¡± He greeted them cheerfully. They returned his greeting with an equal number of cheers. When he was sitting with Zeko, he had enough of his fidgeting. So, he kicked him out and sent him to the garden to relax. ¡°They will come boy, don¡¯t be so nervous.¡± He told Hatori while sending him to the garden. ¡°Alright, boys,¡± said Henry, coming out of the house. ¡°Master Zeko will bring you to the castle in fifteen days or so. Until then, enjoy.¡± He waved goodbye, and the kids waved back. ¡°Let me show you the place.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°This is the garden. I usually practice magic here, and relax as well.¡± ¡°Yeah, the place is pretty relaxing.¡± Said Raven. He would love to play chess here. Hatori takes them inside while firing two Slicers at the shadows, coming to attack him. The sudden violence startled them, but Hatori didn¡¯t even take notice of that. ¡°This is the hall, and my room is just beyond it.¡± He spoke. ¡°There¡¯s the training room, master Zeko said that I should practice dangerous and destructive spells here instead of destroying his garden.¡± They all chuckled at that. Josh is surprised at Zeko¡¯s house. Despite just serving as a trainer for the military and tutoring students on the side, he can afford, this house is surprising to him. ¡°Can¡¯t believe you live in such a big house.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Since you are the only two, you pretty much get the free reign, right?¡± Hatori opens his mouth to answer, but he suddenly stops walking to the way of his room. Two yantras come out, and they try to take Hatori with the freshly washed clothes. Hatori¡¯s retaliation with Slicers and Piercers leaves them in a heap, while the clothes go on in the drier by themselves. Resuming his walk as if nothing had happened while the yantras repair themselves behind him, he answers Raven¡¯s question. ¡°You would be right. But the house is very dangerous. I won¡¯t venture out to unknown areas for now.¡± He spoke. ¡°Outside is pretty safe, though, you don¡¯t get attacked there. It helps that Zeko has put down massive wards to keep outsiders and dangerous people out,¡± said Hatori. ¡°But you can only do that when the area belongs to you,¡± said James. ¡°Yeah, but this whole area belongs to Zeko.¡± Said Hatori. James and Josh stumble after hearing this statement. This whole area plus this house, all adds up to the territory of a small family or clan, if they are lucky. There will be countless attempts of taking it over or attacks and raids. And yet, no one does that with Zeko. ¡®Just what is he?¡¯ They all wonder. Though seeing the house is nice and all, Hatori¡¯s friends are worried about the attacks going on at any given moment on him. They do know of the training module since they have already suffered the effects of it twice when they tried to wake him up. once in the castle, and once in the Academy. But they never realized how brutal this is. They also realize that Hatori is using more magic every day compared to them, even without doing the practical work of the Academy. What¡¯s more, he is getting attacked by multiple¡­ things. Yantras and shadow-like things are creeping them out. and despite being outnumbered, Hatori faces them all without flinching. ¡°Looks like he has gotten used to this.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Said James. His own life is miserable, but this is no way to live in his opinion. At night, when they go to sleep in his room, they are worried about getting attacked in their sleep. They decided to bring this matter up with Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± He assured them. ¡°You guys are the guests; they will never touch you,¡± he said, firing a Slicer which whizzes by Josh¡¯s ear and slices a shadow behind him. All four of them laugh nervously, and try to go to sleep. Much to their surprise, they have a relaxing deep sleep despite their fears.

Part 2.

Hatori got yesterday off from training, after his fight with Yaksha the day before, and the arrival of his friends the same day. Zeko saw fit to give him that whole day to rest and run around with his friends. But today, training resumes. All the boys are gathered to see Hatori spar against Zeko. And combat terrifies them. Zeko is so powerful, and yet Hatori fights with such ferocity, that he must win; even though he loses, he does not lose his heart in trying. They know that Zeko goes easy on him, but the fact that Hatori lasts so long against him is awe-inspiring for them. Later, Josh asks Hatori about this in the garden. ¡°You don¡¯t get sick of losing to him?¡± asked Josh. ¡°It is not about winning.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It is more about getting familiar with facing opponents stronger than you and getting familiar with the magic he has taught me. also, stamina.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Said Zeko, appearing out of the house and startling the children. ¡°You understood that without my saying. Looks like you¡¯re getting perceptive, boy.¡± ¡°I learned from the best.¡± Smiled Hatori. ¡°Good use of Blast spell today. Remember, loud sounds and explosions are effective against a single opponent as well since it loses their focus and makes them startle.¡± Zeko takes his seat in the shade and lights the candle. ¡°From next week, you will light the candle by yourself.¡± He said. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Raven. ¡°He¡¯s practicing elemental magic.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Working with the flames with his breath.¡± ¡°Um¡­ should we be hearing?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°This is basic stuff. Even if you tell anyone, it won¡¯t affect me in the slightest.¡± They watch the flames rise and fall with Hatori¡¯s breathing. First, lasting against Zeko in a dual. Then, facing attacks all day long. And then, the elemental magic. No wonder Hatori is leaving them behind. All four boys thought that they wished to equal him or surpass him. But one question remains. How can they do that? They don¡¯t have a master like Zeko with them. James and Josh come from rich families, but they realize that this problem cannot be solved by money. If you come across this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry kids,¡± said Zeko, bringing the boys out of their thoughts. ¡°You¡¯ll find a solution.¡± ¡°You knew what we were thinking?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Of course.¡± Said Zeko, looking at the bells in Shin¡¯s hair. ¡°The same feeling, I used to have when I saw someone strong and powerful in my younger days.¡± Explains Zeko. ¡°But there is another part to this. You are his closest friend; you have to become strong if you wish to help him in the future. Because trust me, kids, he¡¯s gonna need all the help he can get.¡± Hatori was lost in his meditation, so he ignored this entire conversation.

Part 3.

Hatori leaves the house. Zeko is amazed that after all the training he did, he still has enough energy to go out for a walk. ¡°Why do the children have all the energy?¡± he grumbles, while looking for mistakes in his wards and spells. ¡°So, I met Nandan here.¡± Hatori is telling them how he met Nandan. ¡°Cool. Didn¡¯t Knew he comes from a farming family.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Yeah, he helped me a lot. Without him, I still would have been trapped outside,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, because of the shadow.¡± Josh wanted to ask about that, but James interrupted him. ¡°Listen you guys, I think you should know some things.¡± He spoke. ¡°My aunt was going to try to manipulate Hatori through me.¡± ¡°Wait, isn¡¯t your aunt Shakuntala Mathis?¡± asked Josh. ¡°I¡¯ve heard some nasty things about her. My father always goes on a tirade at the mere mention of her.¡± ¡°That¡¯s because she deserves that reputation.¡± Said James. ¡°I think we should teach Hatori about family politics, so he won¡¯t be taken advantage of.¡± ¡°I do know some basic things already,¡± said Hatori. ¡°For example, how they had centuries of magical knowledge, which allowed them to spread their influence, and get rich and powerful. But that¡¯s about it. I don¡¯t know how to work with this info, or how to defend myself from them or gain an advantage for myself.¡± ¡°If you know the basic stuff,¡± said Josh, ¡°Then our job is easier. Just come to me or James if you¡¯ve got any questions. You know what? Just come to me. He is way too antisocial.¡± ¡°I resent that,¡± said James, and everyone laughed. Coming back from the walk, Raven and Hatori are playing chess after dinner. During the game, the shadows attack him, so he grabs his captured pawns and punches the shadows by putting them between his knuckles. Then, Josh remembers his question, which he meant to ask earlier. ¡°Say, what are these shadows?¡± asked Josh. ¡°I get the yantras, but they don¡¯t seem to be any kind of enchanted thing to me.¡± ¡°They are spirits.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°At least I think they are.¡± ¡°What do you mean you think they are?¡± said Shin. ¡°Well, various parts of this house are defended by spirits.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That is why I avoid going on other floors, because you have to beat them before you can gain access to that area, and they can be quite strong.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t believe you,¡± said Raven. ¡°But I¡¯m telling the truth.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I fought a Yaksha the day you guys arrived.¡± ¡°But Yakshas are just stories!¡± exclaimed Josh. Looking at the board, Hatori offers a draw. ¡°Let¡¯s go and see it,¡± he said after Raven accepts the offer. Going to the bathroom and then taking the right, Hatori shows them the door. Opening it, they see the pool about which he was talking. ¡°I don¡¯t see any Yaksha¡ª¡± ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± A large blue man who looks like he is made of water entirely comes out of the pool. ¡°You brought me sacrifices? No one has done that for hundreds of years!¡± ¡°They are my friends.¡± Said Hatori quickly. ¡°That is even better!¡± The Yaksha rumbles like a waterfall. ¡°Friendship is the most beautiful thing in this world!¡± He laughed like the waves on the bank of a river. Though they are not trained in magical sensing, a huge oversight, in this narrator¡¯s opinion, all four boys can sense the power coming from this man. ¡°You beat him?¡± Josh choked out. ¡°He was using very little of his strength.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Oh?¡± Said Yaksha. ¡°You didn¡¯t realize that before.¡± ¡°I was happy for my win.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But I realized later that you could have killed me in the very first blow.¡± ¡°True.¡± Confirms the spirit. ¡°Just one water blade and your body would have been carved up. no amount of alchemical water would be able to fix you afterward.¡± ¡°Are they interested in fighting me?¡± asked Yaksha. ¡°I will even let them fight with me all together. You can even join them; they look like they need help.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll pass.¡± Squeaked Shin. ¡°How disappointing.¡± Said Yaksha. ¡°You keep a poor company of friends Hatori. I am very disappointed.¡± The Yaksha starts to disappear. ¡°Whatever. They can use the pool if they want. They are guests here, after all.¡± ¡°Can we go to sleep already?¡± asked James, having had enough of this terror and humiliation already. ¡°Yes, let¡¯s go back.¡± Said Hatori. He completely ignored the words of the Yaksha. His friends are his friends, end of the argument. No spirit is going to tell him otherwise. But all four boys got their pride savaged badly today by this spirit.

Part 4.

Along with his friends, Hatori watches as Shyam takes the chickens into their new place. Zeko has a chicken farm, which he shifts periodically. ¡°Master Zeko, why are we shifting the farm?¡± asked Hatori, carrying the boards for building the Koop for the chickens. ¡°Because, that helps in recovering the health of the soil through their¡­ ahem, you get the point.¡± Hatori gets the point, but it looks like Zeko forgot the word. ¡°But you can use magic for that, can¡¯t you?¡± He asked. ¡°True, but there¡¯s no reason to discard the natural process for that.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Take the roads, for example. We build them by using water-absorbent material, which transfers the water to the ground. We can also manipulate the weather, but does that mean we just make rain or summer whenever we want? of course not. Magic is best used when enhancing natural processes when it comes to farming; otherwise, disastrous things can happen.¡± ¡°We¡¯re done with packing eggs!¡± Shin called out ahead of them. ¡°Good. Go take a rest.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Go with them.¡± He takes the boards from Hatori and dismisses him. (End.) Chapter 59 Chapter 59.

Part 1.

¡°Today, I will teach you about magical pressure.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°This is often used for intimidating your opponent, for if you are stronger than them magickly, then they will have trouble casting spells under your pressure. If the difference is too large, you can crush them with your magical pressure alone.¡± ¡°I think I remember something.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Didn¡¯t Porus use something like this when I was summoned?¡± ¡°I wasn¡¯t there.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°But he likely did.¡± ¡°Yep. He did.¡± Said Josh from the side. ¡°Now, here''s how it feels when this pressure is focused on you.¡± Then Zeko uncoils his magic, and Hatori feels as if he is getting crushed by something from all sides. He always knew that mages like Zeko and Porus were very strong since they often gave the feeling of concealing their power behind a dam. But to experience it is an entirely different matter. He smiled. He remembers how he sensed Ekta¡¯s magic, and how it didn¡¯t have any depth at all, hidden or otherwise. Which means he was right in judging her power. ¡°Now, for this, you will have to focus on whom you wish to bring down your pressure on, and then focus your magic on them,¡± said Zeko. ¡°But how can I practice this?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Won¡¯t I need a partner for this?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Smiled Zeko. ¡°But not to worry. The training module will help you with this. Each time you get attacked from now on, you will not only have to work under the magical pressure of your attacker. But you will have to apply yourself to counter that and apply your pressure to them. good luck.¡± Hatori focuses on the small growing tree nearby and tries to bring down the pressure on it. But nothing happens. ¡°Good luck, he says.¡± He muttered. He looks at his friends. ¡°Hey, why don¡¯t you guys let me practice on you¡ª¡± they start to run away. ¡°Oy! Come back! What kind of friends are you?¡± Hatori chases after them, while Zeko chortles with laughter.

Part 2.

James observes as Hatori is attacked by a group of yantras and a shadow. The two yantras attack Hatori, while the shadow is applying magical pressure to slow him down from a distance. Nearby, Raven is taking notes of the strategies used by both sides, and James is imagining tinkering with these yantras. Zeko¡¯s house is full of all sorts of wonderful yantras, and he wishes to take them apart and build them back up again. But of course, these yantras are more likely to dismantle him if he tried anything without Zeko¡¯s permission, guest or not. ¡°Can¡¯t help but watch you, kid.¡± Said Zeko, sitting near him. ¡°What?¡± James is surprised at his sudden appearance. The man moves way too silently. ¡°You like yantras, don¡¯t you?¡± He asked. ¡°Hatori told me about how you two tinkered with them in the Academy.¡± ¡°I like to understand how things work.¡± Said James. Watching all these yantras going around doing housework and attacking his friend makes his hand itch to take them apart. ¡°tell you what, I¡¯ll give you some non-functioning ones. I doubt you have seen their variety; they don¡¯t build these models anymore.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Once you go back to the castle, you can get the basic sets of yantras to work with them.¡± ¡°I thank you for your generosity.¡± Said James. ¡°No need to be so formal, kid.¡± Said Zeko with a chuckle.

Part 3.

Hatori is about to begin his training, this time trying to light a candle. ¡°Master Zeko, how will I protect myself from getting burned?¡± He asked. ¡°The training you¡¯re doing now will protect you from getting burned by the flames of a candle, or even a campfire.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°However, if someone has greater elemental knowledge than you or just simply more raw magical power, then you can be overwhelmed.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Does that mean he can touch the flames?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Flames aren¡¯t objects.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°But yes, if he touched one, he won¡¯t get burned. Though he will feel its warmth.¡± ¡°That¡¯s a relief. I don¡¯t want to get burned.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Elemental magic is quite dangerous if you don¡¯t perform it correctly. You can have stones within your body, get burnt from the inside out, get filled with water, or you can end up electrocuting yourself.¡± Said Zeko, horrifying the children with each new danger. ¡°But if you train it well, you can get protection against that element.¡± Hatori thinks about asking about the lightning element, but he decides not to push for it now. Right now, he should focus on what he has to do currently, and he did exactly that. But lighting a candle is proving to be hard. His flame is either too small, so the candle doesn¡¯t burn, or it''s too large, melting the candle into a slag. But he remembers his meditation sessions, how he made the flame rise and fall with his breathing. After a few more tries, and concentrating with the same focus as the meditation, Hatori manages to light the candle. ¡°Good job.¡± Praised Zeko. ¡°Now, light ten more without losing control.¡± The celebration stops after hearing that.

Part 4.

In the night, all the boys are discussing Zeko and the lack of a family around him. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying you haven¡¯t seen anyone come here from his family? Not even for once?¡± asked Josh. ¡°No.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We¡¯re the only ones who live in the house, and aside from interacting with Nandan¡¯s family who helps him run his farm, Porus, or that one time with Daphne¡¯s family, I haven¡¯t seen him interacting with anyone else.¡± ¡°Ooooooohhhhhhh! So that¡¯s how you know Daphne.¡± Shin said in a teasing tone, but it goes over Hatori¡¯s head. ¡°Yeah, we had dinner at her house.¡± This causes grins to appear on all four faces. ¡°He even made me prepare with forks, knives, and all that devilish stuff.¡± Josh laughed after hearing that. ¡°Anyway, getting back to the point, he also lacks a surname.¡± ¡°Meaning, he is like me.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Someone with no name, or a family.¡± ¡°About that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Mind clearing this up for me?¡± ¡°I¡¯m an orphan.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I don¡¯t have a family; thus, no surname.¡± ¡°Not even a made-up one?¡± asked Hatori, since often orphans receive surnames randomly in his world if their names and surnames are unknown. ¡°The families would kill him for using their names.¡± Said James. ¡°Yeah, didn¡¯t you know about that?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Me being an orphan, I mean.¡± ¡°I did suspect something since having no last name is kind of strange here.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I know there are some places where it is not a big deal, but still. You guys need to understand that I did not grow up here. I don¡¯t get a lot of the things, aside from the combat and the bit of magic I¡¯m learning.¡± ¡°And I didn¡¯t say it so openly because we¡¯re despised everywhere.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Granted, due to my musical services, I¡¯m seen as somewhat valuable. But you can be certain that if I was living with someone else in the Academy, they would have made me sleep on the floor.¡± ¡°Or protest if you¡¯re given a seat.¡± Said Hatori, remembering Avinash¡¯s get together. ¡°Yeah.¡±

Part 5.

Zeko is leaving with five children today for the castle. ¡°Be ready boys; we will be camping along the way.¡± He said. ¡°Oh joy¡­¡± said Hatori. ¡°You don¡¯t sound happy.¡± Asked Josh. ¡°Aren¡¯t you excited about camping? I know I am.¡± ¡°Good for you,¡± said Hatori with a painful smile. While his friends think of a pleasant peaceful camping trip, Hatori knows what Zeko means by camping along the way. He did the same thing when they went for dinner at Daphne¡¯s house, making him and Neshma do all the work, while he just relaxed in the car. How wrong they all are. At least, he¡¯ll get to have some fun at their expense. They just don¡¯t know what is waiting for them. They will never forget this trip. (End.) Chapter 60 Chapter 60.

Part 1.

Hatori and his friends are putting up their tents provided by Zeko. Instead of sleeping in the car, they will all sleep outside in those tents, while the fire burns outside. Now they all realize what Zeko meant by camping. ¡°At least I provided you kids with a tent.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°My own master made me collect everything from the forest, and build my camp by myself! I had to collect water, food, and wood for the fire by myself. You kids have it so easy.¡± And he went on and on in the same fashion for quite a while. After some time, the kids treated it as background noise, preferring to talk with each other instead. They are currently telling each other about their experiences with babysitters. ¡°And since I live in the castle, I didn''t had any babysitters since I was five.¡± Finished Josh. ¡°I do remember that the maids often took care of me, though.¡± ¡°Dad hired a military brat once,¡± said Raven. ¡°Needless to say, the mother was very displeased.¡± ¡°I never had one.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Though I think that people in the orphanage could use some, we caused a lot of problems¡±. ¡°I had Lucie.¡± Said James, ¡°Enough said.¡± Hatori shuttered. ¡°Truly, someone has a deep hatred for you out there.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t I know it?¡± said James. Pulling the cloth of the tent, Hatori begins his tale. ¡°Zeko hired one for me recently. I never got along with my previous ones, so I knew how this would go as well.¡± Five minutes later, Josh, and for once, James, are bent over in laughter, having dropped the wood after listening to Hatori¡¯s recount. Meanwhile, Raven and Shin give each other a look. ¡°Doesn¡¯t he know what he did?¡± whispered Shin. ¡°Your friend is clueless.¡± Said Raven. He is fully aware of what Shin is talking about. Why does he know that? Because he saw something which he really shouldn¡¯t have. Truly, curiosity can be so dangerous sometimes.

Part 2.

Arriving at the castle, the group ends up seeing Avinash right at the entrance. ¡°Well, well, well. look what we have here.¡± He said. ¡°You already know us.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°True, and that has to be the most unfortunate thing in my life,¡± he said in a mocking tone. Hatori tries to remain civil with Avinash since he helped in the Academy when he needed to get away from older students. But if he continues to press his buttons like that, he might not be able to hold himself back. ¡°What, are you worried that you won¡¯t have the free reign of the castle, since we¡¯re back now?¡± asked Josh. ¡°As if. This castle belongs to me. I¡¯m the future king! This country belongs to me. You belong to me as well!¡± ¡°That does it.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Hatori Eagle does not belong to anyone!¡± he declared and attacked Avinash. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. He wrestles him down to the ground. Helpless before his physical might, Avinash is overturned and receives a camel clutch right on the entranceway. While the wannabe king is busy declaring his vengeance, the people in the castle get the feeling that their lives are going to take a turn for the chaos for no reason.

Part 3.

Leaving Hatori to deal with Avinash, all four boys walk into the castle. Raven and Josh are used to living here, but for Shin and James, it is still a novel experience. ¡°So, are you leaving?¡± asked Josh to James. ¡°No.¡± He replied. ¡°I will leave for the Academy with you guys.¡± Why go back to the miserable home, when there are yantras to be created? Shin is also not leaving. No one has raised a fuss about his presence here, so he decides to stay quiet and enjoy it as long as he can. After they all settle down, Hatori and James begin to tinker with the yantras, after acquiring the basic set for experimenting. This is like the building blocks, where you get some drawn ideas to build stuff. But both these boys have no interest in creating basic ready-made things; they surpassed that level in the Academy last year. They wish to build their things, and they decide to start from where they left off the last time. Meaning, they tried to create another set of combat yantras. Unlike their previous attempts, this time they were very successful in building them. But they are not happy with just building two or three. ¡°Hey James, let¡¯s build an army of these. What do you say?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°¡­¡± The smile was the answer. For now, they''re only focused on combat. They will later develop specialized ones, for an army cannot survive on simplistic soldiers. Unfortunately for them, they made a mistake due to the large quantity of the yantras they tried to create at once. The army goes rogue, leaving their room, and attacking the people in the castle. Unlike in the Academy though, these were adult mages. A few toys are not going to represent a threat to them. So, their army was dismantled quickly. Thankfully, before they could be destroyed, they sent retrieving yantras to get the parts back and rebuild them again. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be great if we could create yantras to carve a large number of other yantras?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°There won¡¯t be the same mistake then, since we won¡¯t be so spread thin.¡± ¡°¡­!¡± James smiled once more.

Part 4.

¡°We heard what happened.¡± Said Sagar. ¡°I hope your back is okay,¡± said Akshat. ¡°Shut up!¡± Avinash held his back. ¡°We¡¯re not gathered here to talk about my back pain. We are here for revenge!¡± ¡°And what kind of revenge is it going to be?¡± asked Sagar. Smiling, Avinash reveals the same kind of set that Hatori and James are using in the other corner of the living quarters of the castle. ¡°You didn¡¯t,¡± said Akshat, breathless from the sheer possibilities. ¡°Oh yes, I did.¡± Said Avinash with relish. ¡°I declare war.¡± ¡°Victory to Your Majesty!¡± declared both Sagar and Akshat. (End.) Chapter 61 Chapter 61.

Part 1.

James and Hatori are experimenting with a vehicle yantra, they are trying to make it move it by itself, and dodge the obstacles in its way while driving. So far, they are not getting the results they want. ¡°Maybe the reflection-based array has a problem.¡± Said James, looking at the schematics. ¡°Maybe using something like the Radar spell would help?¡± suggested Hatori. ¡°Though I¡¯m not sure how to implement that. The current set of runes is not enough for that.¡± ¡°How unfortunate.¡± Said James. James has learned one thing during this time. Hatori is a great source of ideas, and he usually knows what he¡¯s talking about when it comes to practical implementation of the ideas, whether they be his own, or coming from someone else. James, on the other hand, has trouble understanding and implementing ideas of someone else, but he can prepare and find mistakes in the schematics. But through Hatori, he is slowly improving on the practical side as well. Truly, their team is most wonderful. Which is why, it is so unfortunate that their work is interrupted so harshly. For their experiments, James and Hatori have taken over an empty room, which seems to be not in use for a long time. Adults don¡¯t frequent this part of the castle as well, so that is a bonus. But now, the door is suddenly thrown open, and an army of yantras marches inside, trampling over their work. ¡°Victory is ours!¡± declared Avinash, and the army attacked. Hatori tries to fight off the army, but even with the support of James, they fail to defeat the yantras; plus, they also have to deal with Avinash and his two friends. Realizing that they won¡¯t get anywhere by fighting here, James and Hatori bale out of their makeshift lab. Hatori clears the path, while James runs outside, carrying their schematics. Once James is in the clear, Hatori also runs away, though he left a pile of sliced and in some cases smoking yantras in his wake. Standing in the middle of the empty room, Avinash declares his victory. ¡°Victory is ours!¡± His friends cheered him on. ¡°Hatori Eagle is now an outlaw. Anyone who helps him is the enemy of the state!¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that¡¯s going too far?¡± asked Akshat. ¡°Nonsense!¡± He dismisses the objection. ¡°I¡¯m the king, so I make the rules.¡± ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t think it works like that.¡± said Sagar. The argument continues for a long time.

Part 2.

Hatori and James tell the entire incident to Josh, Raven and Shin. Both of them were miffed that their place was taken away like that, not to mention all the work which got trampled by that army in the process. ¡°I want revenge.¡± Declared Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ll be happy to get the room back if not for revenge.¡± ¡°Both of them are tied together.¡± Said Shin drily. ¡°Until you don¡¯t have a solution to the numbers problem, you¡¯re not taking back your lab.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Interesting that you mention it.¡± said Hatori. James smiled. ¡°I still do have all those basic combat yantras in my room.¡± ¡°I thought you dismantled them.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Weren¡¯t you getting yelled at by everyone because of them last time?¡± ¡°Zeko didn¡¯t care. So, I hid a few of them.¡± said Hatori. ¡°I will never dismantle something which I created.¡± Said James, showing more emotion than usual. ¡°Well, if we do have an army of our own, it only means we can counter the army of Avinash.¡± Said Raven. ¡°We still do need to take care of those three.¡± ¡°Easy.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I can easily take two of them on.¡± ¡°Woah now, no need to jump in the fire like that, even though you have some protection against it.¡± Said Josh. Someone needs to bring Hatori down a peg or two. He¡¯s getting overconfident in his combat skills. Unless he receives a beating from someone around their age, he won¡¯t come down. ¡®I won¡¯t volunteer, of course; I have more important things to do than puncture his ego.¡¯ ¡°Okay,¡± Hatori calms down a little. ¡°But we still outnumber them.¡± ¡°True.¡± Said Raven.¡± Tell you what, put the yantras under my command, and I¡¯ll clear the path to Avinash. Then you can take him out.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t we need to map out the location or something?¡± asked Shin. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. ¡°It¡¯s a room.¡± Said Raven. ¡°There¡¯s not much mapping you can do beyond that. Similarly, Avinash won¡¯t have much of a defense there anyway. He has only that army to guard the door.¡± Done planning, all five of them march to the room, and as Raven engages the army with his own, Hatori kicks open the door. Fierce combat breaks out from both sides, culminating in a duel between Avinash and Hatori, since he was the only one remaining from his side. He didn¡¯t want to win this duel; he just wished to escape like his friends did. Fortunately for him, he gets a chance to do that. evading the yantras after him sent by Raven, he runs away. ¡°Cool.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Look at these new schematics.¡± ¡°Give it here.¡± Said James, snatching the papers away. ¡°Looks like they were planning to improve their army.¡± He said after taking a look. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t let that happen.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We must improve our army as well!¡± ¡°Right. And we¡¯ll help you so you won¡¯t create another rogue army. You guys have a habit of doing that.¡± said Shin. ¡°If only they would fight with the same ferocity when they are in and under our control¡­¡± lamented Hatori and James.

Part 3.

On the run, Akshit and Sagar ask Avinash what he is going to do next. ¡°Why, retaliate of course! It won¡¯t do if the king just admitted the defeat, now, would it?¡± Stopping in his running, he nearly collides with a girl. ¡°Oy! Watch where you¡¯re going!¡± she orders. ¡°Oh yeah? This is my castle. I can go wherever I want!¡± said Avinash in return. ¡°But I heard you were giving up or something.¡± Said the girl. ¡°No.¡± said Avinash. ¡°You know, I never gave up, Maria.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± After Maria hears the entire incident, and having a long laugh, she says, ¡°I¡¯ll help you. You¡¯ll need someone like me to counter Raven.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± asked Sagar. ¡°Yes. Don¡¯t underestimate him. That entire assault was planned by him, and the rest of them just followed that plan.¡± Said Maria. ¡°Welcome aboard.¡± Said Avinash with a smile.

Part 4.

Several days of wars later, the matter reaches the court. ¡°Your majesty, you must stop this children¡¯s game. This castle is no place for such games.¡± said the petitioner. ¡°I don¡¯t see any problems. If they can¡¯t play here, where can they?¡± asked Porus. ¡°Anyway, what did they do which caused you to come here with a petition?¡± ¡°They took several visiting young family members as hostages for their silly game!¡± said the man, unable to express his incredulity at such an absurd event. ¡°So, you¡¯re telling me, that several older mages were taken hostage by a bunch of kids?¡± asked Porus. ¡°Remind me, how did they graduate from the Academy? Maybe I should talk to Corvus and inform him that the quality of his graduates is slipping.¡± Everyone suddenly sported horrified looks on the court. ¡°Amarnath, has their game disrupted normal operations?¡± asked Porus. ¡°No, your majesty.¡± Said Amarnath. ¡°The children stay away from the court, and people who are involved in it. They don¡¯t even bother the castle¡¯s workers, only other kids, or in their opinion, ¡°Adults who are not serving any purpose in this castle¡±¡± Chuckling at the description of what the children think, Porus speaks. ¡°I repeat, this goes to show that older mages are getting softer. Your petition is denied. It is very shameful to complain here when you¡¯re unable to defend yourselves.¡± The petitioner walks away in disappointment. Unusually for the court, they support Porus by one-hundred percent in his decision for a change. ¡°Next item in the list?¡±

Part 5.

The war got intense, as both sides took hostages at one time. Maria joined Avinash¡¯s side for a while, and she even dueled with Hatori once. But then she had to leave with her father, and Avinash was facing Hatori¡¯s group with his own outnumbered group again. This war actually proved to be beneficial for Hatori. Not only did he get tons of combat experience, but he even started to use the fire element in fights, producing flames to burn things. Sadly, still no fireballs or fiery explosions. However, this comes to an end, as the children have to leave for their second year in the Academy. As they boarded the ships, (Avinash and Hatori¡¯s group boarded different ships) people in the castles ringed bells, banged drums, and sang in happiness. Finally, their lives in the castle can return to normal. (End.) Chapter 62 Chapter 62.

Part 1.

Landing from the ships, the students are directed by people who do work in the Academy, but are not professors. As a result, they rarely get any attention. In my opinion, it is a gross injustice, and the author should fix it pronto. Instead of going through the wilderness, where the professors hoped some students would eliminate themselves kindly from the gene pool, the second-year students are taken to carriages to take them to the Academy. This is much more pleasant compared to the journey of the previous year. And let me assure you, those carriages are not pulled by invisible horses. Children these days, believing everything written in books. Don¡¯t you know that books can lie to you? ¡°Hmm.¡± Said Hatori, examining the carriage. ¡°I think it needs some modifications.¡± ¡°What kind of modifications?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Why, it should have fiery wheels, a storm brewing above, and horses made of lightning should pull it.¡± He described the modification. ¡°And of course, when we disembark, there should be a thin curling mist as we slowly walk out of it.¡± ¡°I think you¡¯re mad.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I think it¡¯s a great idea.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I think it is horribly impractical.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I think it¡¯ll be an interesting project.¡± Said James. ¡°What do you say, we should appropriate some carriages? and do the modifications.¡± ¡°What? Have some scruples!¡± said Josh. ¡°What are those?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Are they tasty?¡± ¡°How did I end up with immoral friends?¡± lamented Josh, while everyone laughed. ¡°Dude, you¡¯re pretty immoral yourself.¡± Reminded Raven. ¡°Remember¡ª¡± he begins to remind Josh of his embarrassing and immoral moments. ¡°I can¡¯t hear you!¡± said Josh covering his ears. They all arrive by the time of dinner. Marching up to the mess hall, because they are all hungry, and according to the info they have, they will get their schedules there, they enter the mess hall. Much like their previous year, the first-year students haven¡¯t arrived yet. Taking the empty table for themselves, Hatori and his friends have a lot going on in their minds for this year. Josh wishes to actually build his network; as Hatori told him, he is good with people. Josh also wishes to improve himself in magic and become strong like his friend sitting near him. Raven, James, and Shin also Have Hatori as a target to reach. Meanwhile, Hatori wishes to take himself to beyond his current level. He must become strong; he won¡¯t let anyone torment him like they did the previous year. They did not talk because they were hungry, and they didn¡¯t have the time to talk because they left as soon as they received their schedules. No need to give the warden any trouble; they are perfectly capable of taking over a room, and are willing to fight for it if necessary. Once the room is theirs, Josh asks Hatori a question. ¡°So, do you have any books from Zeko this year?¡± Josh is already looking for the advantage. If they can get the books recommended by Zeko, their task of becoming strong will be a lot easier. ¡°Not this time.¡± Said Hatori, putting his trunk in the rack. ¡°I had already asked him before we left. He said I should focus on improving my elemental magic, and keep working on what I know already.¡± Josh is disappointed to hear that. ¡°But if you need it, I can give you the list which he gave me the previous year. I still have it.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You won¡¯t have any competition for these books. Students rarely take them out of the library.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Thanks.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Not a problem.¡± Said Hatori, done with settling his trunk. ¡°Besides, he might not have assigned anything to me. but this doesn¡¯t mean I can¡¯t learn new things on my own.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Agreed Shin. He is looking to incorporate more of his musical talent into his magic this year. He will need some specialized books for that. After that, they look at their schedules. ¡°Oh hey, we have different classes each day.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Good. I don¡¯t think I can take the previous year¡¯s schedule. It was tiring!¡± said Raven. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Potions and combat are split across two days. Why does transmutation have only one day?¡± wonders Shin. ¡°Whatever.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m going to follow the plan of self-study.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I already have taken a look at the books of this year. I know what they¡¯ll cover. I¡¯ve marked the difficult things for which I may need to be present in class, but otherwise¡ª¡± ¡°You¡¯ll skip, yes, we know.¡± Said everyone together. ¡°Good thing is, this actually gives us more free time.¡± Said Raven. ¡°We¡¯ll need to utilize that time properly for us, for both training and rest.¡±

Part 2.

Next day in the first class of the potions of this year, professor Dhiraj is telling them about the potions they will be brewing this year. ¡°As you can see, the potions listed here are quite difficult.¡± He spoke. Here are some of the potions on the list. Blasting potion, which Hatori already brewed last year; brightness potion, which also was brewed by Hatori last year; the hydrating potion is new, as the potion to cure the cold. ¡°The cold-curing potion is quite tough. If you make a mistake, you can end up creating a poison instead. I do hope my slave will be able to instruct you properly.¡± ¡°Better than you.¡± Said Sultan. ¡°Unlike you, I¡¯ve been more of a professor for these kids than you.¡± ¡°You take that back!¡± screamed Dhiraj. ¡°Aww, make me.¡± The children watch this argument, wondering, when will they start on these potions.

Part 3.

Hatori is out to check out his secret training ground, which he found last year. So, this is a perfect time to discuss how to surpass him. his friends wouldn¡¯t mind discussing this in front of him, but apparently, they are thinking that that would be rude and might offend Hatori. ¡°Okay, so I found the methods he learned last year, and they are brutal.¡± Said Shin. ¡°No wonder he needed to take off from classes. He would have dropped dead. Not to mention he wouldn¡¯t have enough time anyway.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But that kind of training requires the use of nutrition potions, and a carefully monitored diet.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Otherwise, our bodies will collapse instead of becoming strong.¡± ¡°I can brew these potions,¡± said James.¡± Provided you can get the ingredients. I¡­ can¡¯t do it for the whole group, not for the long term.¡± James is hesitant in saying that he must rely on Mathis for actually getting any money for his own. ¡°But the school is not likely to give us the ingredients.¡± Said Shin. ¡°They are not rare, but they are specialized. They would rather keep them in reserve for older students.¡± ¡°I can buy the ingredients.¡± Said Josh, and the door to their room opens and Hatori comes back from his inspection. ¡°Who is buying what now?¡± he asked, sitting on his bed. ¡°We were talking about a training regime of our own,¡± said Josh. ¡°But we don¡¯t have anyone to buy the ingredients for the nutrition potions. James has agreed to brew them for us.¡± ¡°I can buy them for you guys.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What?¡± They all said it together. ¡°Yeah, Zeko has been giving me pocket money since I became his apprentice. I didn¡¯t have any chance to spend it, so why not now? I¡¯m sure at least for this year, I can help you guys.¡± Explains Hatori. ¡°Wow. Didn¡¯t think Zeko was so generous.¡± Said Raven. ¡°He really is, once you get to know him. except for the training part. He is ruthless when it comes to that.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Speaking of which, you guys better follow the regime and become strong, or else I¡¯ll be very displeased.¡± Hatori uses some magical pressure on them unconsciously. ¡°Message received.¡± Said Josh nervously.

Part 4.

¡°Today, we will learn about weapons which are commonly used as foci.¡± Said Bali in his first combat class of the year. ¡°Now, there are some exotic weapons, but most of the time, you¡¯ll see knives, swords, bow and arrows, and spears as foci.¡± ¡°Maces were used in the past heavily.¡± Bali lifts one from the rack to demonstrate the weapon in question. ¡°But as you can see, it is heavy and unwieldy. Aside from exercise equipment, and for some idiots who insist on using them in the weapon duels, they have largely fallen out of use.¡± (End.) Chapter 63 Chapter 63.

Part 1.

¡°You got the overview of the wars in the magekind¡¯s history last year. This year, we will delve deeper into some of those wars, starting with the first-ever worldwide conflict after this dimension was created.¡± Explains Professor Amrita, changing the monitor''s images with a flick of her wrist. The monitor shows various mages in the newly created magical dimension. ¡°This dimension was created after many years of hard labor. But once it was finished, it didn¡¯t take much time until the mages started to display the same tendencies as the kings of the other side, that being occupying and dominating a large swath of the population. Names are very important as an identity, so the ambitious people of that time wanted to name this dimension after themselves, or with the names with which they thought of it.¡± The scene changes to devastating battles. ¡°Over time, people abandoned the ambition to name the world, and the conflict devolved into a series of civil wars, where mages fought to name the part of the land where they lived.¡± The images shift to Subcontinent. ¡°In our case, we failed to agree on a name, despite the wars, and thus we call this land Subcontinent, which is a literal description of it.¡± she finishes the lecture. ¡°Now, please do write an essay on these five figures who participated in the name wars.¡± The five names glow on the screen. ¡°Once we¡¯re done with that, we¡¯ll talk about the attempts at creating large empires in the Mage Dimension.¡±

Part 2.

Hatori is coming from his room after changing his clothes and having a shower. Today is a humid day; the training made him quite sweaty. As soon as he is out of the section for the second-year students, he is surrounded by the first-year students. ¡°Ooooohhh. Look isn¡¯t he the hero?¡± said one of them. ¡°Yeah, summoned like the one from Chronicles of a demon mage!¡± said another one. ¡°I¡¯m not a hero!¡± denied Hatori, blushing from all this attention. ¡°He even denies it!¡± said another first-year. Hatori counts, and he finds a total of five firsties surrounding him. ¡°I¡¯m not a hero. Though I would like to read Chronicles of a Demon Mage. It sounds like an interesting story.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, you should read it. but we¡¯re not here to recommend books to you.¡± Said the first boy who spoke to Hatori. ¡°We¡¯re here to introduce our friend Suraj. He can¡¯t see just like you.¡± ¡°Where is he?¡± asked Hatori, keeping his interest at a minimum. Each time he has met other blind people, he has not gotten along with them in his world. A boy walks up to their group slowly. ¡°There he is.¡± ¡°Hello.¡± He greeted him shily. Moving to the boy, Hatori grabs his hand and shakes it while returning his greeting. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± he said. ¡°Wow. You just knew he extended his hand, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked the first boy. ¡°Anyway, my name is Govind, I¡¯m his cousin.¡± ¡°Yep. I¡¯ve gotten quite good at tracking things.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, but I can barely work with the Radar spell,¡± said Suraj sadly. ¡°Not to worry, you¡¯ll improve soon enough.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, you are free to meet with me whenever you want. Now, I must leave for my evening magical training. Master Zeko will not be pleased if I neglect my training.¡± ¡°The life of a hero is tough.¡± Said a firstie. ¡°I¡¯m not a hero!¡± Denies Hatori hotly, firing a Stinger after the fleeing firsties, who were also towing a confused Suraj with them.

Part 3.

Raven is playing chess with Suresh, the champion of the previous year¡¯s school tournament. Raven helped him in preparation, though it was a small amount of help in his opinion. ¡°Good move.¡± Said Suresh, after analyzing the board. ¡°This is why I kept you as my sparring partner. Speaking of which, you will do that for me this year, wouldn¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Said Raven, while Suresh makes his move. ¡°I¡¯ll be leaving with my master soon enough. All sixth-year students have to do that unless they are lucky enough to get an apprenticeship from professors.¡± Said Suresh, responding to Raven¡¯s move. ¡°But I¡¯ll be back for this year¡¯s championship in the twelfth month.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll wait for you.¡± Said Raven, making his next move. ¡°I learn a lot from you whenever I play with you.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Said Suresh. ¡°But don¡¯t always learn, apply things you¡¯ve learned. You have the chance of becoming a champion one day, you should prepare for it. You¡¯ll be able to participate in the competition once you¡¯re in the fourth year.¡± This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Raven smiled. ¡°And what, you plan to remain champion until then?¡± ¡°Hah! I plan to hang on to this title until I¡¯m no longer eligible to defend it. By that point, I¡¯ll graduate, one of the rare students who went undefeated.¡± ¡°Dream on.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I¡¯ll have that title one day.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± said Suresh, putting Raven in check.

Part 4.

Hatori¡¯s friends are trying to perform their spells without foci, and before this, they were doing a physical workout. Before that, they were meditating. And before all of that, they were sparring with each other, after doing some warm-up exercises. ¡°How can he do this every day?¡± asked Shin, trying to transmute the needle into a matchstick. ¡°This is exhausting!¡± ¡°Likely because he doesn¡¯t have any other options.¡± Said Josh, levitating rocks in front of him. ¡°Remember, we know why he was called to this world.¡± ¡°Yes, for some undefined purpose.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I swear, I honestly think that they¡¯ve made a huge mistake.¡± ¡°Why is that?¡± asked Josh. ¡°They won¡¯t be able to control Hatori, not the nobles, not Porus and his supporters. He¡¯ll do what he wants, on his terms.¡± Said Raven. ¡°But Porus is so strong.¡± Said Josh. ¡°We¡¯ve seen his strength from close ever since we were children.¡± ¡°We¡¯re still children.¡± Said James drily. ¡°I meant younger!¡± clarified Josh. ¡°This isn¡¯t about strength.¡± Said Raven. ¡°It¡¯s about the personality of people.¡± ¡°Oh, I get it. They do something happily as long as they decide to do the thing by themselves.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Sort of like you can bring the horse to the water, but you can¡¯t make it drink.¡± ¡°Yes, exactly that,¡± said Raven. After their training is done, they all leave with their nutrition potions for dinner, where Hatori is already waiting. Since his friends are behind him in terms of the training they¡¯re doing right now, Hatori has to do his training by himself. He is still focusing on elemental magic; more specifically the fire element. Still no fireball. But he has gotten good enough to produce raw flames and uses the element to keep his body warm. After the dinner is done, Corvus has an announcement, so he gets up from the table. The silence spreads in the mess hall, for no one wishes to anger Corvus by interrupting him. ¡°I do hope you¡¯re nourished. The news I¡¯m about to tell you is going to be very exciting and energy-consuming.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°Aside from the various activities we run each year for everyone, there is a special activity for the second year this time.¡± The second-year student''s exchange looks between them, while the older students crow silently. Let those spoiled children suffer. ¡°You will go out in the forests near the Academy, in groups of five. Each team will have a ribbon in these six colors.¡± Corvus shows the ribbons in the colors of black, blue, red, yellow, green, and white. ¡°Whichever team collects a complete set of these ribbons will be the winner of this small competition. Combat will be allowed, and if some of you shuffle off the mortal coil, rest is assured: none of us will shed a single tear. That is all.¡± ¡°Dammit.¡± Cursed Raven. ¡°We¡¯re going to be divided, I just know it.¡± ¡°Well, I won¡¯t go easy on you guys.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Though I promise not to hurt you too badly.¡± ¡°As if.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m the strongest out of all of us. You¡¯ll have to worry about facing me.¡± ¡°Such arrogance!¡± said Josh, never the one to take the taunting lying down. ¡°The competition hasn¡¯t even started, and they¡¯re already at each other¡¯s throats.¡± James shakes his head.

Omake: The escape from the job.

The narrator is out here, trying to get a better job. That author is too demanding; Therefore, he feels that he needs to switch. After explaining his skills, it is time to learn about the responsibilities and the pay. The Interviewer: Since you have shown some developer-related skills, we will hire you as a developer. But you will also have to handle the sales. Your time will be divided between these two responsibilities. What is your salary expectation? Narrator: What is your range? The Interviewer: We are a startup¡ª ¡®That phrase never means anything good.¡¯ thought Narrator. The Interviewer: Therefore, we can only offer you 10000. The Narrator barely kept his temper in check. They want him to do the job of two people, with the pay of half a job. Why the world has to be filled with such scumbags? Author: Everything went well? Narrator: Shut up. Just give me the next chapter. (End.) Chapter 64 Chapter 64.

Part 1.

Professor Bali and another, unfamiliar professor are distributing maps and ribbons to the teams. ¡°Who is that, professor?¡± asked Hatori, when his team¡¯s turn came up. ¡°He is a professor mad¡ª¡± ¡°Angry! I¡¯m an angry professor!¡± Said the mad professor. ¡°I said I¡¯m angry!¡± ¡°His name is Krodhatma; he teaches runes. You¡¯ll get that subject next year.¡± Said Bali, giving the kids pitying looks. ¡°Interesting.¡± Said Hatori. Professor Angry comes out of his fog. ¡°You think so?¡± He said, looking at Hatori. ¡°Have you already tried some?¡± ¡°I have.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Some of them were disastrous, to say the least.¡± Avinash remembers the wars in the castle. ¡°Hah! Do you see that Bali? That is a true sign of a runemaster!¡± ¡°Whatever. Take this map of the forest. You must reach the black tower once you collect all the colors. Your ribbon is black.¡± Said Bali. ¡°Black tower?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Why does a school need a tower in the middle of a forest?¡± Annoyed, Bali replied. ¡°They perform rituals there. For now, they have loaned us the tower. Now leave, and quit wasting everyone¡¯s time!¡± ¡°Someone needs a hot drink.¡± Muttered Hatori, while walking away. Bali grumbled while Krodhatma laughed. ¡°That boy knows how to get on your nerves.¡± ¡°Next!¡± Bali wants to get away from this responsibility quickly. ¡°Um, professor?¡± asked a student. ¡°What are we supposed to do for the food in the forest?¡± ¡°Forage the food yourself.¡± Replied Bali. ¡°But we don¡¯t know how to do that.¡± protested another student. ¡°Tough luck. What were you doing in your first year, then? Did you think of checking out the library? No? Did you ever think of studying up on things different from your classes? No? Then forget it. You have no hope of being a mage. This Academy encourages self-study, but clearly, we¡¯re failing to spread that message!¡± ranted Krodhatma, while the students scurried away to avoid his rebukes. ¡°Maybe it would have been better if we didn¡¯t put restrictions on harming younger students.¡± Lamented Krodhatma. ¡°Maybe we wouldn¡¯t have to do this handholding otherwise.¡± ¡°Talk to Corvus about it.¡± Said Bali. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of it either.¡±

Part 2.

Much like Raven predicted, the whole group is separated. Raven considers himself lucky that he did not end up in the team of some noble child. Those would have made his life much harder than it had to be. Already, going to the forest is hard enough. He doesn¡¯t need some spoiled child with him in the way. ¡°Alright.¡± He said after reading the map, he is happy to see that his teammates are listening to him. ¡°I¡¯ve taken a look at the map. Here¡¯s what we should do¡ª¡± he then begins to tell his plan, changing it according to the feedback of his teammates. Shin is not lucky enough, though. He has ended up in a team where two of the members are from high families, and due to his orphan status, he has been given the status of a pack mule. He must carry their stuff, and not get in the way. He is allowed to entertain them with his music if they need it. So, he listens to their planning session, while standing away from them, already feeling terrible without his friends. He realizes how much his life has improved ever since he met his four friends. The pain of isolation is much less when people give you attention, and consider you their equal. James is in a similar situation, tuning his yantras to the side, while his team planned. He claimed to them openly that he is no good when it comes to planning strategies, but he can provide them with a numbers advantage. So, they left him alone with his yantras. Josh is not the only noble child on his team, but through cajoling, bribes, and threats, he has effectively taken over the leadership of his team. ¡°So, what¡¯s our plan?¡± asked the female member of his team. Josh realizes how large he is compared to his whole team. ¡°Well, we¡¯ll take all the ribbons we can, and then use them as bargains.¡± He spoke. ¡°That should give us an advantage in trades.¡± While his friends are working with their teams, or in Shin¡¯s case, hoping to get rid of them, Hatori is with Avinash. They both are on the same teams. ¡°Okay, let¡¯s get the first thing out of the way.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Are we going to have problems?¡± ¡°No,¡± replied Hatori. ¡°As long as you listen when we tell you you¡¯re making a bad decision, I¡¯m fine with you as a leader.¡± ¡°Him?¡± Said Kalidas, ¡°Why should he be the leader? I should be the leader.¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± Said Tulsi. ¡°I should be the leader.¡± She spoke. ¡°As if. None of you deserve that position. I should be the leader.¡± Said Praduman. ¡°And you¡¯ll lose just like you lost that duel to me last year.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°About that. I need a rematch¡ª¡± ¡°Besides, I do think Avinash would be a great leader. I support him.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We can solve this matter by dueling, of course.¡± They are all from the same class, so they saw how handily Hatori beat Praduman last year. So, they have no interest in fighting him. judging by his eager look, it won¡¯t end up good for them. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m fine.¡± Said Kalidas. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯m fine with it as well.¡± nodded Tulsi. ¡°Good. Then our objective is to complete our set as fast as possible, and then go for the tower. Any questions?¡± When no one said anything, Avinash walked into the forest. ¡°Then come, our victory is waiting for us.¡± They all followed him, thinking this brat talked like a king. ¡®Maybe I should bring him down a peg or two.¡¯ thinks Hatori.

Part 3.

¡°Halt!¡± Said the voice of a girl. James and his team have to stop, as Maria appears along with her team. They thought they had them surrounded, and the numbers would be equal since every team has five members. But Maria takes a step back in shock when she sees all those yantras with James. James¡¯s team decided to sacrifice stealth for numbers. ¡°Show me your ribbons,¡± said Maria. ¡°If they are different colors, then we fight.¡± ¡°And if they¡¯re not?¡± asked Mohit, the leader of James¡¯s team. ¡°Then we ally.¡± Answered Maria. ¡°What do you think?¡± Mohit asks his team. ¡°I think you should take the deal.¡± Said James. ¡°She is a good strategist. We can use her help.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Fine then.¡± Turning to Maria, Mohit speaks. ¡°We¡¯ll show the ribbons to each other on a count of three. Ready?¡± ¡°One, two, three!¡± they show the ribbons, and both ribbons are blue. ¡°Well then.¡± Said Maria, pocketing the ribbon of her team. ¡°Welcome to this alliance.¡± ¡°It will be profitable for us, I¡¯m sure.¡± Said Mohit, pocketing his ribbon.

Part 4.

Avinash¡¯s team is having a problem. ¡°I refuse to put up a camp, that is beneath me,¡± said Tulsi. ¡°I refuse to forage for food. That is a servant¡¯s job.¡± Said Kalidas. ¡°I refuse to be awake in the night; a warrior needs his sleep.¡± Said Praduman. Correction. Avinash¡¯s team is having lots of problems. The troublesome three just refuse to do any task assigned to them, either calling it below their station or just lazing around, ignoring Avinash. ¡°What am I supposed to do?¡± he said with his head in his hands. ¡°Giving up so easily?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I thought you wanted to become the king. Well? Do you think Porus would let them walk all over himself like this? Would you let them walk over you?¡± ¡°You are a dangerous guy, you know that?¡± mumbled Avinash. ¡°Whispering in my ear like that. but you know what?¡± He gets up and assumes a confident posture. ¡°I like what you¡¯ve just said.¡± ¡°Listen up, you damned burden on mage kind!¡± He roared, startling the troublesome three. ¡°Do you know that in the rules, there¡¯s no penalty for kicking out your teammates?¡± ¡°What? That is impossible.¡± They said together. ¡°How will you manage without us?¡± asked Tulsi. ¡°Like I¡¯m doing right now.¡± Fires back Avinash. ¡°You have done nothing. I told you to scout out the area for our competitors. You refused. I told you to prepare a base for us; you refused. I am done dealing with you, you hear me?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be able to manage it alone,¡± said Praduman. ¡°Are you so confident?¡± asked Avinash, glaring at Praduman. ¡°I¡¯m sure I and Hatori have enough fighting skills to take out any team. We will also manage to survive among both of us.¡± ¡°Then what do you want us to do?¡± asked Kalidas. ¡°Contribute.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Listen to me, call me out if you think I¡¯m doing something wrong, and work with us, instead of against us. I want to win this, and if you get in my way, I¡¯ll drown you in the nearby stream myself.¡± Avinash said those words with such certainty that they all believed him; he will do that. ¡°Okay, I¡¯ll go put up camp.¡± Said Kalidas. ¡°I¡¯ll go gather the firewood.¡± Said Praduman. ¡°I¡¯ll also keep the watch.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go scout the area for more teams.¡± Said Tulsi, walking away. ¡°Is there a way for us to know the color of the ribbon of our opponents?¡± wonders Avinash. ¡°You should not worry about it.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We should take all the ribbons we can. Even if we get the same colors, those will be useful as bargaining chips later.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Said Avinash. Tulsi returns fifteen minutes later. ¡°There¡¯s a team nearby; they¡¯re not guarding themselves at all.¡± She reported. ¡°Call the two.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°It is time for our first battle.¡± Avinash and Hatori work on trapping the team, while Tulsi and Kalidaas provide them with backup. Praduman watches out for other teams. True, using underhanded tactics like these is beneath a warrior, but he recognizes that a warrior should not be inflexible. Besides, watching out for threats is better than participating in deceit, in his opinion. When the team comes near the tree where Avinash and Hatori are hiding, they are ambushed. They did not stand a chance. ¡°Tell me, which one of you has the ribbon?¡± asked Hatori pleasantly. ¡°If you refuse to tell me, I¡¯ll drown you in this very stream.¡± Shaken badly from this attack, they gave up their ribbons easily. ¡°Good.¡± Hatori shows the white ribbon together with their original ribbon. ¡°Now, say goodbye.¡± He prepares a Slicer spell to cut their heads, while Tulsi, Praduman, and Kalidas watch in horror. ¡°Easy now.¡± Said Avinash, putting down Hatori¡¯s arm. ¡°I know a better way to get rid of them.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°They¡¯ll follow us for revenge.¡± ¡°No, they won¡¯t,¡± said Avinash, knocking out the five helpless kids in front of him. He then hangs them upside down from the tree, from which they sprang to ambush them, and burns their map. ¡°With this gone, they won¡¯t have any way to track us. They¡¯ll be lost.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Said Hatori, and followed after Avinash to their half-prepared base. After helping Kalidas put up the camp, and lighting the fire, since none of them know how to do that yet, Hatori leaves and comes back with a rabbit. ¡°Hey guys, look what I found.¡± Tulsi draws away in horror, while Avinash¡¯s arms shake from watching the dead animal in Hatori¡¯s arms. ¡°Zeko did teach me about lighting a fire and putting up a camp, but he didn¡¯t tell me how to clean up the prey.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll help you with that,¡± said Praduman with a sigh. Really, why was everyone behaving like Hatori killed some human? This isn¡¯t their classroom where they are protected. Though saying kids are protected in Academy is a bad joke in Praduman¡¯s opinion. For dinner, everyone gets a piece of meat and some fruits which were found by Avinash, and Avinash and Hatori have the first watch. ¡°Did the killing change you so much?¡± asked Avinash over the fire. ¡°Are you disturbed by today¡¯s events?¡± asked Hatori in return. Not waiting for an answer, he continues. ¡°It probably did. But let me tell you, ending a life is a miserable experience. Not only do you feel bad, but people cringe away from you as well, no matter the reason.¡± ¡°You guys are very lucky that you did not have to kill anyone in your lives yet.¡± Said Hatori. Though Avinash feels a lot of things for Hatori, rage for his disrespect, respect for his strength, and pragmatism, here¡¯s a new feeling. Pity.

Part 5.

Let¡¯s take a look at the other teams. Shin¡¯s fortunes haven¡¯t improved any; he still has to carry the things of his team like a pack mule. He is scared to protest this treatment. Raven¡¯s team is doing well, having established a base, though they have not gotten any ribbons on their first day. The alliance of Maria and James is doing well, overwhelming the two teams, and acquiring ribbons for themselves. Those teams were carrying multiple ribbons, so they had a lottery of sorts. Now, aside from having ribbons to complete their colors, they have one ribbon to use as a bargaining chip. Josh also found a team with multiple ribbons. When he asked for their ribbon, which his team didn¡¯t have, he beat them up and took that ribbon anyway. sparing the remaining ribbons they had, he offered them to join him, to which they agreed after getting thrashed by his team. (End.) Chapter 65 Chapter 65.

Part 1.

The war for ribbons was brutal. For four days, every team campaigned to gain ribbons and complete their colors, or regain the ribbons which they had lost. A few teams have given extraordinary performances. Raven for example. Leading his team like a well-oiled army, he led them to victory after victory, amassing a large collection of ribbons, completing his set in the process. He even had some skirmishes with Avinash¡¯s team, but that did not result in anything substantial, apart from exchanging a few spells, and then running away. James rampaged into the forest with his yantras, and whenever a mechanical sound of a walking yantra is heard, not a peep is heard from the other teams. Under the supervision and strategies of Maria, both teams have done well and completed their sets. Josh, after completing his own set, exchanges the remaining ribbons with other teams in exchange for them joining his group. His group continues to get larger and larger, and with each new team, they all get closer to their goal of completing their sets. Shin, however, is having a miserable time. His team hasn¡¯t managed to complete their set and lost the ribbons they got, including their original one. Though they don¡¯t dare to bully him directly anymore, after witnessing his fighting skills. If it weren¡¯t for him, they all would have been in very big trouble at this point. no one has any lethal magic against them, but Shin does not fancy himself getting wounded in this forest and being on the tender mercies of these idiots. He can¡¯t be nice to them, not even in his thoughts.

Part 2.

Professor Bali and Krodhatma are surprised by the latest development. As Josh¡¯s group continues to get larger and larger, they debate about the entire phenomenon. ¡°You¡¯re mad if you predicted that.¡± Said Bali. ¡°These kids should be chomping to get at each other¡¯s throats!¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad. I¡¯m angry! Angry! You hear me?¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°And you seem to not understand human nature.¡± ¡°Care to say that again?¡± Bali brings out his sword foci. ¡°You see everyone through the shallow lens of your personality and experiences.¡± Said Krodhatma, bringing out his foci, a stick riddled with all sorts of strange-looking symbols. ¡°I will be happy to help you get past this limitation of yours.¡± And thus, begins a great academic magical debate. Just a normal day in the Academy.

Part 3.

¡°So, we have completed our set.¡± Said Avinash, showing off the collected ribbons with a flourish. ¡°Now, what do you think, should we go to the tower directly?¡± Praduman and Hatori exchange a look. ¡°No.¡± Said Hatori, when it was clear that Praduman was not about to speak. ¡°Going there like this would be dangerous.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Avinash. He wishes to get out of this forest; he has enough of it already. But Hatori has no problem in adjusting to it, given he slept outside last year, and a few days here on his training ground. Though the ground provides him protection from the elements. ¡°Because there will be a lot of teams there waiting to ambush.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you¡¯re scared to face them?¡± said Kalidas. ¡°I can take on a team. But not an army.¡± Said Hatori in a serious tone, causing the smile on Kalidas¡¯s face to disappear. As if waiting for this moment, a large group suddenly stops before their camp. Avinash and company grew paler with each new team they counted; in total there were at least thirty members, meaning six teams had joined each other. This massive group has just stopped before them. But Hatori isn¡¯t worried. He recognizes the familiar signature even in the crowd. ¡°Well,¡± said Josh. ¡° is good to find you here, Hatori. I thought you''d be long gone by now.¡± Hatori chuckles at him, while Avinash asks a question. ¡°Fernandes, what do you want?¡± ¡°Nothing. We need a ribbon to complete the final set of our group. Do you have a blue ribbon?¡± He asked. ¡°If you give that to us, you can join us, and we will all make our way to the tower.¡± ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± asked Tulsi with false bravado. ¡°Then we¡¯ll take it by force, of course. No hard feelings.¡± Said Josh to Hatori. ¡°Not from me either.¡± Said Hatori in reply. ¡°I wish to discuss this with my team.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°By all means.¡± Josh backed down. ¡°Should we give in to their demand?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°We don¡¯t have much of an option.¡± Said Kalidas. For once, they were all in agreement. ¡°Do we have a blue ribbon?¡± asked Avinash. Tulsi looks for it since she is the one who is carrying the ribbons. Avinash did that to satisfy her ego. Who knew being a leader would be so hard? ¡°We do have one,¡± she confirms. ¡°Then we¡¯ll take the deal.¡± Said Avinash, taking the ribbon from her. ¡°Come to enforce me.¡± He said to Hatori. ¡°And the rest of you, be ready to flee with our set.¡± This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. At their nods, Avinash goes to Josh with the ribbon in hand. ¡°We accept your deal.¡± He said, ¡°Take the ribbon.¡± ¡°Awesome!¡± Said Josh happily. ¡°Now listen to everyone. Hatori is my friend, and I treat him well. He has a good head on his shoulder, so listen to him.¡± ¡°Also, this Avinash is also good, though he sometimes gets over in his head. Call Hatori to deal with him when he gets like that.¡± Avinash burns to retaliate, but he keeps his mouth shut despite the laughter. The group starts a formation, where the leaders of the teams were in front of Josh, and the center, all the ribbon holders were guarded by the strongest fighters they had. Though most of them don¡¯t compare in magical strength, Hatori finds one interesting boy. It seems from the flow of his magic; he has done the same meditation exercises as Hatori has. ¡°My friend Josh tells me I should be more outgoing.¡± Said Hatori to the boy. ¡°So let me introduce myself. I¡¯m Hatori Eagle.¡± He extends his hand. The hand was received. Hatori notes how soft the hands of this boy are. ¡°Zhuge Liang.¡± He said with a smile. ¡°Have heard a lot about you from your friend.¡± ¡°Most of it is good, I hope?¡± said Hatori with a smile of his own. ¡°Indeed.¡± Confirms Liang. ¡°You¡¯re not from around here, from Subcontinent, I mean.¡± Asked Hatori. ¡°No, I came here with my father. He is an ambassador in your king¡¯s court. I¡¯m originally from Zhongguo.¡± Said Liang. ¡°Much like Maria.¡± ¡°Interesting that you mention her specifically.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Of course, I saw her in your company once or twice, usually yelling at you.¡± Hatori scowls at the very thought. ¡° I assumed she had told you about her.¡± ¡°Yes, she did.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though she doesn¡¯t speak the Subcontinental as clearly as you do.¡± ¡°Why thank you!¡± He spoke. ¡°I always have been good with languages, human, or runic.¡± ¡°You should come and meet with me then; I¡¯m also interested in runes a lot.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though a lot of my tests end up going wrong.¡± ¡°But that¡¯s the beauty of it.¡± Said Liang. ¡°When it works, you know you''ve accomplished something.¡± Their conversation is interrupted by a voice. ¡°Halt! surrender your ribbons, and¡ª¡± the voice trails off in the middle of its sentence. Shin looks at the large group in front of him. Ambushing them would be a horrible idea. And yet, his stupid team expects him to handle them all by himself, while they cower in the shadows. ¡°Shin?¡± Said Josh. ¡°You look terrible. What happened to you?¡± Hatori wanted to meet Shin, but he stayed at his place. After all, friends are not friends in this whole exercise. ¡°Nothing, I¡­¡± he trails off, before mustering enough strength to utter the words which he has been wanting to say for days. ¡°Can I leave my team and join you?¡± Furious cries of ¡°Traitor!¡± comes from the trees around them. ¡°Don¡¯t need a ribbon. Just take me with you. I had enough of them.¡± begged Shin, getting more and more desperate. ¡°Of course, you can come with us,¡± said Josh. ¡°You don¡¯t even need to ask for it.¡± ¡°But it could be a plan.¡± Caution some students. ¡°They can ambush us while he makes us our guard lower.¡± ¡°No, that won¡¯t happen.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Just stay with me, and don¡¯t give them any reason to doubt, alright?¡± Breathing a sigh of relief, Shin nods in agreement.

Part 4.

After the whole exercise is done, the different teams show different reactions. The teams are ranked on how many ribbons they collected overall, how fast they completed their set, and whether they lost their ribbons after completing their set, and whether they regained them or not, and how much time they took to come to the tower after completing their sets. The alliances end up throwing a wrench in the whole equation, since by helping each other, the teams end up improving their overall rankings. Every team in Josh¡¯s group is on top, while Maria and James¡¯s teams are second. Raven¡¯s team is the only one which is single team that operated alone, did not form any alliance, and yet remained among the top fifty. Shin¡¯s team is the very last, and currently, they are giving him grief for it. ¡°Whatever.¡± They concluded their verbal beatdown. ¡°We shouldn¡¯t have expected a reject to do anything.¡± ¡°Me? A reject?¡± Said Shin, finally fed up. ¡°You morons didn¡¯t do anything. You just lazed around and turned me into your slave. No wonder you lost; you refused to listen to my advice!¡± ¡°You dare talk back to us?¡± They bring out their foci. ¡°Yes!¡± Without even taking out his focus, Shin lays them all out with a Knockback spell. ¡°Be lucky that I didn¡¯t use anything more dangerous. Hatori would have killed you already.¡± They all shook from the fear on the floor. If his Knockback spell is so strong, they can¡¯t imagine how strong he is overall compared to them. He could have killed them in the forest, and hidden their bodies; no one would have asked any questions. Shin didn¡¯t care for his former teammates. It would be too soon if he saw them any time soon. Right now, he just wants to go to the room, take a long nap, play something on his harp, eat some food, go back to sleep again, and forget this whole nightmare ever happened. (End.) Chapter 66 Chapter 66.

Part 1.

After the event was over, Hatori spent his time mastering elemental magic. He tried to cast the basic fire spells, but apart from a few sparks, he failed to achieve anything substantial. Looks like throwing fireballs left and right while cackling evilly is going to be harder than he thought. But when Nandan dueled with Tufan last year, they made the elemental magic look so easy. The time of the festival, which is celebrated in the final month of the year in the Academy, every year comes and goes, and nothing interesting or impressive happened this year, unlike the duel of the previous year. Though Raven ended up helping Suresh with his championship this year as well. Right now, it is the time after the festival. Everyone is worried about their upcoming tests and exams, but Hatori and his friends are relaxed. They are busy following their course. Hatori is returning from another failed session of elemental magic, where he sees Suraj being bullied by a bunch of second-year students. Remembering the feeling of helplessness, Hatori decides to help him. ¡°You should pick someone of your size.¡± He said, stepping in their way, appearing out of nowhere. Their faces pale in recognition. The students who made their name in the color event this year as the entire stint in the forest is dubbed as have developed a terrifying reputation among their year. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± Said one of the bullies. ¡°We¡¯ll just leave now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s right.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°He¡¯s way too nice, but if you would have bullied me, I would have come after you in your sleep. Not that I need to do that. I¡¯m the strongest in the second year; no one can beat me.¡± It was as if Hatori called out luck itself when he uttered those words, not realizing what kind of misfortune was headed his way. Right at that moment, Ishwar is on his way to his master, walking by the kids nearby. But those words stopped him cold in his tracks. He looked around to see whether anyone else had heard those words or not. When he sees only himself and the kids there, he stomps up to them, and stands in front of Hatori, pushing the bullies aside. ¡°You should be careful of what you say. Someone might take offense to that,¡± he said to Hatori. ¡°Oh yeah?¡± Hatori refuses to be intimidated by this older student. ¡°And who¡¯re you to tell me that?¡± ¡°Ishwar Chandravanshi, at your service.¡± He did a mock bow. ¡°Listen, no one tells me what I should or should not say. Besides, the words I have just spoken are the fact. No one can deny that.¡± said Hatori. Ishwar looks at this stubborn boy in front of him. Just a year ago, he was running around, trying to dodge the Swaraj and his boys. Though Ishwar is leaving with his master today for his apprenticeship, after enjoying the festival, he can¡¯t leave this boy as he is now. He needs to teach him a lesson in humility. ¡°Then do you claim that you can even take on older students like me? a sixth year? Is that it?¡± asked Ishwar. ¡°Yes, I can take you. But I¡¯m not just gonna take you. I will defeat you!¡± said Hatori. ¡°Words of challenge, boy.¡± Said Ishwar, and he puts his magical pressure on Hatori, trying to ground him. But Hatori has trained under the terrifying pressure of Zeko. No sixth year is ever going to bring him down, no matter how strong they might be. Hatori counters with his magical pressure, driving Ishwar away from himself in this magical arm wrestling. Ishwar is surprised at this, but he is not worried. After all, he has more ways to bring down his opponent than his pressure. But he decides to play defense in this fight; he wishes to see what Zeko¡¯s student will do next. Once he gets rid of his magical pressure to a suitable extent, Hatori fires Poison Stingers and Piercers. He even added some Slicers for good measure. But all those spells just bounced off Ishwar¡¯s clothes. Clucking his tongue, Ishwar retaliates with a wind spell, throwing Hatori to the ground with the force of the air. ¡°For all your strength, you lack in spell variety.¡± He spoke. Hatori gets up from the ground, feeling as if the air itself punched him in the stomach. He walks closer to Ishwar; when he doesn¡¯t react, he grabs his arm and tries to apply a hold on him. But Ishwar did not budge in the slightest. His skin feels like rubber in Hatori¡¯s hands. Hatori casts a Slicer on his head, but the spell bounces off his skin. ¡®Even his skin? What is this guy?¡¯ thinks Hatori. But he didn¡¯t have much time to think, for Ishwar picks him up, and throws him to the ground with a lot of force. ¡®Now I understand what Josh felt when we fought last year.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. He still does not want to give up, so he gets up and tries to burn Ishwar with his still-developing flames. ¡°That is ridiculous!¡± The air itself picked up Hatori and slammed him to the ground. ¡°You should learn by this point that you¡¯re outclassed, boy. You only killed Swaraj because he wasn¡¯t in his right mind. He would have destroyed you otherwise.¡± Said Ishwar. ¡°Now, take him away from here.¡± He orders the kids who are watching this fight. The second-year students have respect for Hatori. Not many survive after challenging an older student. His performance was impressive to them. They took him to his room. As Ishwar is walking away, Hatori thought that he would throw a potion at him. But he decides that he lost this time, fair and square. No need to invite more trouble on himself.

Part 2.

Hatori didn¡¯t get injured much after that fight; aside from a few bruises and scrapes which are easily healed with a potion, his ego took the real damage. Ain¡¯t no potion which can heal that. Right now, he is sulking on the ground while his friends try to console him. ¡°At least you survived an older student. isn¡¯t that good enough?¡± asked Josh. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. ¡°Besides, that is a great way to know how far we have to go.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Incentive to train more, in my opinion.¡± ¡°Shut up! You guys are weaklings, who would be destroyed in seconds. You have no right to console me!¡± what the hell? Kid, this is going too far in this narrator¡¯s opinion. ¡°What? You picked a fight; you lost the fight. Don¡¯t take it out on us!¡± said Shin, while others nod in agreement. ¡°And what will you do if I do take it out on you, huh?¡± Said Hatori, getting up from the ground. ¡°You guys can¡¯t beat me even if you join each other. What will you do then?¡± ¡°Careful now.¡± Said James. ¡°We have trained seriously this year, and we¡¯re not as weak as you think we are.¡± ¡°Big words.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°No way you¡¯re stronger than me.¡± ¡°That is it! Let¡¯s teach him a lesson.¡± Said Josh, and it seems this boy is a glutton for punishment today. Hatori is confident that he can take them out easily. He uses the Blast spell to separate them, but Raven kicked that spell back at him. After scrambling to get away from that spell, Hatori ends up right in the way of Josh, who moved his club-like foci like a hammer, and the air hits him in the face. ¡°Elemental magic!¡± he said in shock from the ground, spitting the blood to the side. ¡°No. but I¡¯m not telling you this.¡± Said Josh, moving to him to deliver another blow. Hatori rolls to the side, where James made some grasping motions, and Hatori feels as if he is getting strangled. He is proud to see that James is not using any foci now; if he wasn¡¯t using this on him, Hatori would have felt prouder. He continues to try to struggle out of it, but Raven is ready with his spells to get at him, while Shin is playing a theme on his harp. Due to the music, silk appears around Hatori¡¯s body, and his body is covered and his hands and legs are bound by it. ¡°Wow. You''ve completed that spell already?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Yeah, but I do need to shorten casting time,¡± said Shin. ¡°What do you have to say for yourself?¡± asked Raven. ¡°You got lucky!¡± screamed Hatori, trying to get out of the silk. But the silk was strong; it did not budge in the slightest. ¡°I say we leave him here like this for a day or so; let¡¯s see whether he changes his mind then or not.¡± Said James. ¡°Good idea.¡± Said Raven. They walk away, as Hatori screams behind them. Though they wanted to turn back and admit that they were just joking, they did no such thing. Their friend needs a lesson. He should respect them. until he learns that lesson, he must suffer alone. Bound and unable to move, Hatori has only his thoughts to accompany him on the silent ground. He thinks about what he has done to get to this point, why are these things happening to him? What he has done to deserve this? He goes backward to analyze the day. He understands that insulting his friends wasn¡¯t a good thing when they were only trying to cheer him up. but why did Ishwar fight him? ¡°You should be careful of what you say. Someone might take offense to that.¡± Ishwar¡¯s words come back to Hatori. He sounded like he was trying to warn him. ¡®Mages are proud. They don¡¯t like to be challenged.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. ¡®If some other older student would have heard my bragging, what would they have done?¡¯ An image of Hatori lying in bloody pieces while his friends were crying over his death came to his mind. ¡®I understand now. I have to be careful from now on, I can¡¯t just go brag around. Only the strong deserve to do that.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. ¡®And I will never insult my friends again.¡¯ The next day, all four make their way to Hatori. ¡°Well?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Well, what, untie me already.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t you know the magic words for that?¡± said Raven with a smirk, quite proud of his pun. ¡°I¡­¡± Hatori tries to say, but the words die in his throat. ¡°Yeeeeesssssss?¡± said all four of them. ¡°I¡­¡± he choked before he could complete his sentence. Taking a deep breath, he decides he will say what he wants to say without stopping in the middle. ¡°I¡¯m sorry.¡± He utters the words. ¡°I should have never insulted you. You guys are the best friends a guy can ask for.¡± The silk comes off. ¡°Right words.¡± Said everyone. ¡°Though please forgive us for being so harsh.¡± Said James. ¡°Nah, what¡¯s a little beating among friends?¡± said Hatori.

Part 3.

It has been two months since Hatori received a beating from Ishwar and his friends. Ishwar is nowhere to be found in the Academy ever since that day. But Hatori decides that he will pay him back one day for the favor he did him with interest. For now, they all look at their results. James is happy, his ranks have improved a little. But he still dreads the commentary of Shakuntala. Hatori doesn¡¯t care. According to Zeko, as long as he is doing well, he doesn¡¯t care about his rank. Though if it falls too low, then he might decide to take an interest. Hatori decides that he will never give him that chance. And just like that, a normal year comes to an end. Hatori is glad that he has not killed anyone at the end of his exams this year. A strangled cry of outrage interrupts his thinking. ¡°How? I can expect that to happen once, anyone can have a fluke. But twice?¡± ¡°Looks like Mira is not happy with her rank.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Who cares?¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Daphne tells me she is never happy. She didn¡¯t want to bunk with her this year as a result.¡± ¡°Come to think of it, everyone who bunked with her last year said the same thing.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Anyway, you guys are coming this year to visit me as well, right?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Of course!¡± They all said it together. This year, they have to do a lot of things. Many new things to learn, and perfecting old things they have learned, cause more havoc with their yantras; but before they can do any of that, they wish to slack off for a few days. Then, it is back to working with magic. (End.) Chapter 67 Chapter 67.

Part 1.

Josh is welcomed by his father and brother. Unlike their previous meeting, George tries to be nice, without saying anything upsetting. ¡°So, how was this year?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, it was great. Much less chaotic than the previous year.¡± Said Josh. ¡°It helped that no one tried to kill Hatori, so we didn¡¯t get caught in the crossfire.¡± ¡°Always a good thing.¡± Said George. ¡°You should take peace wherever you can, son. It is important to relax.¡± Not understanding why his workaholic father was singing a different tune, Josh smiled and nodded. Forget understanding. He just knows this won¡¯t last long. He¡¯ll go back to his default setting. Best enjoy his good mood as long as it lasts. Once it is over, run back to the castle. That is what Josh has planned.

Part 2.

Raven is telling about his year in the Academy to his mother and father. ¡°I do think this year was easier than the first year.¡± He said while enjoying the fruits sliced by his mother. ¡°The first year is always hard.¡± Agreed with Magpie. ¡°Did you make any new friends?¡± asked Panshi, mother of Raven, here on screen, for the first time. ¡°Not many. With everything, I feel like this year just went by too fast.¡± He spoke. ¡°No matter.¡± Said Magpie, thumping Raven¡¯s back. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll make more friends yet.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t act like your namesake, dear.¡± Said Panshi. ¡°What? Of course not. But what could be more valuable and glorious than collecting friends?¡±

Part 3.

As soon as James entered the house, Lucie took him to her room and has been grilling him on Hatori¡¯s weaknesses for two hours, not letting him have a shower, or even change his clothes. James is very disturbed by this constant interest in his friend. ¡°Come now,¡± said Lucie. ¡°You¡¯ve been around him for at least two years now. You mean to tell me that you don¡¯t know any weakness of his?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t.¡± Said James. ¡°And even if I knew, I wouldn¡¯t tell you.¡± He pushed Eva out of his way, and marched out of the room, ignoring the threats to tell their mother behind him. Though this year sailed smoothly, James has a feeling that it wouldn¡¯t be the same in the upcoming year. Opening the door to his father¡¯s room, James banished thoughts about the future for now. ¡°Dad?¡± he said softly to the figure sprawled on the bed in a stupor. Opening his eyes, Jimmy Flora greets his son, recognizing him through his alcoholic stupor. ¡°Hi, son.¡± James walks to his bed and sits next to him. ¡°So, how was your year?¡± While James talked about the year in the Academy to his father, he hoped that he would stop consuming so much alcohol. His health is fine, but that one thing has become a slow poison to him, allowing vultures like Mathis to take over their house.

Part 4.

Shin is surrounded by the younger children of the orphanage; they are delighted to hear the stories from the Academy. ¡°So, you fought your scarry friend?¡± asked one six-year-old, referring to Hatori. Chuckling at the given name to Hatori, Shin describes how he tied Hatori in silk. ¡°And when everything was said and done, he looked like a silk doll.¡± The children laughed after hearing that. Shin hopes that Hatori will never meet them later in life, or else he¡¯ll tear his hide anew.

Part 5.

Hatori walks close to the house. Zeko has already gone inside. He feels as if someone is humiliating him, but he has no way of getting back at them. For now, though, he is more worried about a threat in front of the house. Shadows and spirits usually threaten him, denying him entrance into the house, until he defeats them. And he was right. Just when he was about to reach the door, a tall statue blocked his path by breathing fire at him. He had to scramble out of the way in a hurry because he was not expecting that. looks like he won¡¯t be dealing in Piercers and Slicers this time. Staying out of the range of the fire of this statue, Hatori fires Piercers and Slicers at this statue. But much like the skin of Ishwar, they did not have any effect on it, failing to damage the wood. How this wooden statue doesn¡¯t burn itself with its fire is beyond Hatori, because he doesn¡¯t have the time to think about it. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. Firing a Blast spell, Hatori gets closer to the statue, hoping that the attack would have dazed the statue. But this does not affect the statue, aside from a few scratches on it from the rubble. He¡¯ll apologize to Zeko for tearing up his porch later. The tactic backfires, however, as the statue kicks Hatori right on his stomach, sending him flying with a loud thwack! It also sent a fireball after him as a salt on the wound, since Hatori doesn¡¯t know a fireball spell yet. Falling to the ground, he rolled out of the way of the fireball in a hurry, cradling his stomach. Unable to think of anything, and sitting on the ground with his throbbing midsection, Hatori thinks of what could he do. The statue seems impossible, like a computer in chess, hellbent on winning at any cost. It prepares another fireball to lop at him, which Hatori had to avoid, even though he didn¡¯t want to move at all from the pain in his belly. Elemental magic seems the only remaining option. But he only knows how to produce some flames, not any specific spells. He won¡¯t be able to damage the statue like that. Dodging another fireball, Hatori decides to copy the statue in mid-battle and tries to learn the fireball from it. He focuses on sensing the flow of magic as it performs the fireball, and the specific movements the statue does before firing the spell. Dropping his foci, he copies the movement and tries to mimic the flow of magic. but the statue was faster, and it disrupted his concentration. Scrambling out of the way, Hatori thinks to himself. ¡®It would have been better if I could conjure up some oil. Few flames, and a nice crispy burning statue.¡¯ But since he doesn¡¯t know how to conjure oil, Hatori mimics the fireball spell once more. He gets the spell, but he loses control of it just as quickly. The fireball explodes on his face, singeing his hair, and another fireball from the statue lands too close for his comfort. At least he can claim confidentially that the statue has failed to burn him so far, and the only damage he has is that kick and his spell exploding on his face. This is nothing to be happy about though. Hatori knows that if the statue gets any hits on him, he¡¯ll be finished. Zeko will get only his half-burned body then. But he doesn¡¯t want to die; he has so many things to do. The world won¡¯t cry itself; it needs a terror like him. So, he focuses once more on his fireball, and this time, not only did the spell work faster than before, he even lobbed it at the statue¡¯s wooden face, making a direct hit. But that was not enough to burn the statue. Maybe get some smoke out of it, turn the face black, but not burn it, and make it disappear from Hatori¡¯s miserable life. He goes closer, taking the risk of nearly getting burned and kicked, and throws more fireballs at it, until its body finally catches fire with a loud crackle of wood. As the statue begins to fall, it nearly burns Hatori once again from its burning body. But it disappears before it could do anything more than make some hot coals fall on his head, and the door is open for Hatori to enter the house. Hatori walks in, hoping for a shower, and a peaceful sleep. He doesn¡¯t feel like dealing with the shadows and spirits of the house right now. Though he does get his wish for a peaceful sleep, he wouldn¡¯t have slept so soundly if he knew what was happening in the basement at the same time. ¡°That went well, didn¡¯t you think?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Yes, though the child nearly lost his life several times.¡± replied central yantra. ¡°His disregard for danger is rather worrying. ¡°But I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll develop it soon enough.¡± ¡°Yeah, now we can attack him with elemental magic!¡± said one spirit. ¡°Yes, I¡¯ve been waiting to come out. I need to test that boy. Hehehehehe!¡± said another spirit. ¡°Now that he has mastered the fire element to a suitable level, I can teach him more destructive spells,¡± said Zeko. ¡°Just be sure to not burn down any more cities.¡± Reminded central yantras. ¡°I doubt you would be able to afford the fine now, due to inflation.¡± Zeko shuttered. ¡°Banish those evil things from this house!¡± Other sentient yantras and spirits from the house howled in agreement. Inflation has no place in their lives unless it is the inflation of their power, magical, or financial. (End.) Chapter 68 Chapter 68.

Part 1.

¡°This year,¡± said Krishna Menon, meeting with Surbha in her office. ¡°We will break that boy.¡± ¡°And I will help you as much as I can.¡± She spoke. ¡°But tell me, why didn¡¯t you do anything this year?¡± ¡°I was busy observing him,¡± replied Krishna. ¡°Honestly, for all the brouhaha surrounding Zeko, I would have expected him to train him better than this.¡± ¡°Meaning?¡± asked Surbha. ¡°Meaning that, he should be a monster. He should be beyond Piercers and Slicers already.¡± Clarifies Krishna. ¡°But I do hear he is performing elemental magic already.¡± Said Surbha, talking about what she has heard from the rumor mill. ¡°Mere baseless claims.¡± Said Krishna. ¡°During my observations, not once did he use elemental magic. Any child can produce some sparks when distressed, but we don¡¯t call it elemental magic, now, do we?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Nodded Surbha. ¡°Honestly, the boy is nothing special. If it weren¡¯t for that prophecy, we could have ignored him. but we can¡¯t let him be a pawn of Porus.¡±

Part 2.

Corvus doesn¡¯t even have to spy on a professor useless and deputy idiot to see what they are planning. ¡®This¡¯ll be a test for your boy, Porus.¡¯ He thinks to himself. ¡®If he can survive this year, he¡¯ll be stronger for it.¡¯ Aside from that, he plans to make his moves to slowly crush the resistance which has developed against him over time in the Academy. He abhors the actions he has to take sometimes as a headmaster. He should be pursuing esoteric magic, not playing politics. But as much as he hates it, he can¡¯t deny that academia is not driven by actual research. Instead, it is driven by literal cutthroat politics, which would give mages outside of the academic circle a pause, should they learn of it.

Part 3.

At Zeko¡¯s house, Hatori is learning advanced (more like intermediate) fire magic from a gleeful Zeko, who now gets to use some of his advance tor¡ªtraining methods on his student, who seems to be getting stronger and stronger day by day. ¡°Fireball to the left! Fireball to the right! Fireball behind you! fireball above you! fireball to the ground! Fireball above you!¡± and the instructions continue in this random fashion. Hatori is balancing on a thin wall that Zeko raised in his yard by earth magic, while there¡¯s a pool of water around the wall on which he is balancing. Zeko is giving him instructions from afar, and Hatori has to execute them without losing his balance. Which is not easy. He nearly fell into the water below while trying to throw a fireball behind him. All the while, Zeko tells him to go faster. He decides to fall into the water deliberately, and stays underwater, holding his breath. Zeko calls him. ¡°That kind of joke won¡¯t work on me, kid!¡± said Zeko. When there was still no reaction from the water, he went to check. Seeing his chance, Hatori leaps at Zeko, trying to pull him underwater. He is like a shark trying to punish this puny human who dares to torment him. Unfortunately, this human is Moby Dick in humanoid disguise, so the shark has bitten more than it could chew. In a swirl of water, Zeko throws Hatori out of the pool. He lands on the dry ground under a mango tree with a loud splat. The fruits above fell on him in a cartoonish style, adding insult to injury. Zeko chortles with laughter after seeing this. ¡°You¡¯re lucky that they weren¡¯t coconuts. Hahahahaha!¡± He laughed heartily, unable to contain his mirth. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation. Getting out of the pile of mangos, Hatori gets up gingerly. Those mangos are not ripened yet, and they left bruises on him. ¡°Go get healed in the pool.¡± Commanded Zeko. ¡°After you¡¯re done with that, we¡¯ll do some more fire meditation.¡± With a nod, Hatori makes his way to the pool, where the Yaksha is roaring with laughter, sounding like a waterfall in the process after hearing the entire incident. ¡°Stop laughing! This is supposed to be a pool of healing!¡± ¡°You are getting healed.¡± Points out the water spirit, after laughing to his heart¡¯s content. ¡°Yeah, but you¡¯re damaging my pride.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Then I¡¯m doing a service to your future self.¡± Said the spirit. ¡°Pride always gets in the way of pragmatism, kid. Never forget it.¡± Absorbing the lesson, since he still remembers how he was defeated by his friends after underestimating them, he gets out of the pool and starts to dress up. He gets attacked while putting on his pants. He shuffled aside, barely avoiding the fireball which came from behind him. Turning around, he sees a shadow, preparing more fireballs to throw at him. But Hatori retaliates with his fireballs, hiding a Piercer behind them. The shadow fails to see the spell coming and gets its throat pierced as a result. It disappears in a woosh of smoke after that. The battles in the house have gotten tougher since his return. The yantras, spirits, and shadows, are all using elemental magic against him. As a result, Hatori has to be more careful, since he won¡¯t just be bruised if he made a mistake, or is knocked out. horrible burns await him if he misses an attack.

Part 4.

In court, Porus has tuned out the treasury minister. The man has been rambling about tax collections for the last two hours, and his patience has finally run out. Besides, Amarnath has effectively taken over for him anyway, so he is just sitting in his chair, waiting for the meeting to end already. ¡®Why did I become a king again?¡¯ He thinks. ¡®Ah yes, because I thought I could change the world. How stupid I was.¡¯ He remembers the carefree days of his childhood and the wonderful days of his apprenticeship under Corvus. They traveled a lot and saw a lot of the world. They worked on many alchemic projects together, finding breakthroughs, which are still in use to this day. Corvus has gotten distant from him ever since he became the headmaster of the Academy. Though he is also responsible for doing the same after acquiring the throne. ¡®Maybe I should write an emotional letter to pull at the strings of his heart?¡¯ He smiled at the thought. Corvus doesn¡¯t have any strings in his heart to pull at. Speaking of letters, the royal courier appears to be running into the court, disrupting the meeting. ¡°Your majesty, an important letter has arrived!¡± said the woman breathlessly. ¡°Do you remember anything about receiving any such letters?¡± asked the king to Amarnath, while the general, ever the paranoid, checks the letter for traps. ¡°I don¡¯t recall any important letters arriving today.¡± Said the secretary. ¡°It is clear, your majesty.¡± Said the general, handing the letter to Porus. Opening the letter, he smiled. ¡°My son is returning.¡± He announced to the court. The court starts to buzz. ¡°He¡¯ll be arriving here in a week.¡± ¡°Congratulations to your majesty!¡± said everyone on the court. Overlooking their insincerity this time, Porus inclines his head in thanks. ¡°Of course, this is an occasion for celebration. After all, he hasn¡¯t been here for the last twenty years. So, prepare the castle for his arrival.¡± ¡°It will be done.¡± Said Amarnath. And if anyone caused any problems during the preparations, Amarnath will make them disappear, this he promised to himself. (End.) Chapter 69 Chapter 69.

Part 1.

¡°Now, we¡¯ve previously learned about wards and enchantment; but I haven¡¯t taught you about them in deep detail yet.¡± Said Zeko. They are in the garden, where Hatori is receiving his daily lectures after his morning physical workout. ¡°Wards essentially are magical spells, laid across a large area. They are often used for securing the perimeter using methods like directly harming or attacking the intruder, hiding the area in question from sight, or any other means of observation.¡± Said Zeko, while etching a rune on the ground. ¡°Of course, it should be obvious to you that runes play a heavy role in the wards.¡± With the touch of a finger, Zeko supplies power to the rune in the ground, where Hatori feels something has happened. But what, he couldn¡¯t say exactly. ¡°Noticed that, haven¡¯t you?¡± Said Zeko after watching Hatori¡¯s reaction. ¡°Wards can be sensed. Mages do train to detect them, but given the magic-sensing training you¡¯ve gone through, it¡¯ll be easier for you to pick up. Of course, there are ways to hide the magic of a ward, making it hard to make sense. But it is impossible to construct a ward that cannot be sensed. It is like fire. When you burn something, you produce smoke and light. There¡¯s no way to hide it. wards are the same way.¡± ¡°Now, enchantments are similar to wards, but they are a little bit different than wards.¡± Said Zeko, bringing out a twig. ¡°For example, wards always need an anchor. That is where all the spells are laid. You can even have multiple anchors, but usually, for maximum power and reliability, one single anchor is used.¡± Zeko shook his head. He should remain on point. no need to confuse his apprentice. ¡°Getting back to the enchantments, they can be put on a small object, without the use of the runes. As a result, they erode faster than wards. But there are ways to permanently enchant an object.¡± Zeko runs his finger on the twig in his hand, and Hatori senses his magic at work, doing something with the twig, covering it completely. ¡°Now, I¡¯ve enchanted this twig to resist fire. Try burning it with your fireball.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°You should put it down.¡± Said Hatori, fireball ready in his hand. Silently applauding for not reaching for his Foci, Zeko laughed. ¡°Boy, you are very far from hitting me or harming me. Now, do as I say.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Hatori throws the fireball at the twig in Zeko¡¯s hand. The flames did not go anywhere near Zeko¡¯s clothes. They touched his fingers, which were holding the piece of wood, and splashed away like water, leaving the twig unharmed. Hatori tries to overwhelm whatever protection Zeko has imparted to the wood, but he fails to burn it. ¡°Do you need to power it constantly?¡± asked after a few seconds of silence. ¡°No.¡± Zeko puts the twig on the ground. ¡°Now, try again.¡± Despite his tries, Hatori fails to light the twig on fire. ¡°You won¡¯t be able to burn that wood as long as my enchantment is intact.¡± Said Zeko, picking up the twig. ¡°Is it hot?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Not at all. Remember, protection from fire. Meaning it cannot get hotter than room temperature.¡± Said Zeko, handing the twig to Hatori. He lops his fireball at the twig, still in Hatori¡¯s hands. With a startled yelp, he drops the twig on the ground, where it starts to sizzle and smoke, and catches fire. ¡°Now, the enchantment wasn¡¯t able to stand up to my fire element. It got overwhelmed, and the wood paid the price.¡± ¡°Now, I did say that runes are not heavily used with enchantments, but this does not mean that they are not used with enchantments at all. They are used but for some specific purposes. Take, for example, your staff. The runes carved on it are designed to channel the magic and support the enchantments which do let you use it as a foci. Trying to channel your magic through an ordinary wood will result in nothing, though sometimes it can explode.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Explode?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°How could wood explode?¡± ¡°Magic can be unpredictable. Sometimes, it displays undefined behavior.¡± Hatori shivers. He is reminded of all those potholes from his programming class, where a single blunder could result in an hour-long debugging session. No wonder most eight-year-olds at his school didn¡¯t have an interest in that class. ¡°Now, there are special wards, called boundary fields. But we will talk about them at some other time. for now, focus on sensing the wards and enchantments spread in this house for your practice.¡± Instructed Zeko. Once Hatori is good with that, he¡¯ll teach him how to break them. if he expresses a deeper interest in that, he can always send him to Blake¡¯s house to get some additional training.

Part 2.

After a whole day of training, Hatori goes for a bath. This is summertime, and Zeko allows him to take a bath in the evenings after his physical workouts. Not that he ever refuses from taking a bath in the evenings; he just doesn¡¯t like the chance of catching a cold by bathing in the evening in colder weather. He can be so fussy sometimes. Hatori decides to go to the pool this time. The Yaksha said that he can use it whenever he wants, now that he has defeated him. So Hatori decides to take that offer. So, for the first time, he goes to the pool without an injury, just to take a normal bath. Entering the room, he finds the water spirit floating in the pool. ¡°Hey there, boy.¡± He greeted Hatori. ¡°Here for a bath? You don¡¯t seem injured to me.¡± Removing his clothes, Hatori puts them on the side. ¡°I¡¯m not sure if I should do this or not. I mean, you did say this pool is for healing¡ª¡± ¡°Just get in already.¡± Said Yaksha, dragging Hatori with a tendril of water and dunking him in the pool. ¡°I never said you can¡¯t enjoy this pool.¡± Floating in the pool beside the spirit, Hatori asks him a question. ¡°Say, is Yaksha your name?¡± ¡°What? No! That¡¯ll be just like naming a human. I just never told you my name.¡± explained the spirit. ¡°Does Zeko know your name then?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes. And he won¡¯t tell you.¡± Said Yaksha. ¡°How did he learn your name?¡± asked Hatori. The spirit goes quiet. ¡°Well?¡± Hatori pokes at the watery body. ¡°He beat me up.¡± The spirit mumbles. ¡°What?¡± said Hatori, not hearing the words properly. The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°He beat the name out of me, okay?¡± yelled the Yaksha, not keen on sharing the experience. He usually doesn¡¯t mind talking about his battles, even if he loses. But the loss to Zeko was embarrassing to say the least, especially since he lost to a heavy-fire user. If this gets out, he¡¯ll be a laughingstock among the Yaksha community worldwide. Not realizing the state of the spirit, Hatori goes out of the pool to dry himself. ¡°Hey, I forgot to show you this last time. but I can throw fireballs now.¡± Said Hatori, conjuring a fireball as an example. ¡°Indeed?¡± Said the water spirit, intrigued. Most human mages don¡¯t master an element in their worthless lives, let alone start to use it at such a young age. ¡°Yeah, Zeko promised to teach me more fire spells.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I can¡¯t wait until I can make the world burn¡ªI mean, my enemies. I don¡¯t want to burn the world at all.¡± ¡°Riiiiiight.¡± Said the water spirit. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try your hand at water element?¡± ¡°I mean, should I?¡± asked Hatori with hesitation. ¡°Why not? You¡¯ve already got experience with one element. Besides, you got me, I¡¯ll help you. You¡¯ll master the water in no time. Then you can drown the world.¡± They both laugh evilly. Assuming the lotus pose while floating on top of the water, the Yaksha begins to teach. ¡°Now, let¡¯s start with the difference between fire and water. Fire, at its most basic level, is just the reaction of chemicals, more specifically, the reaction of various gasses. It needs fuel to start this reaction. No fuel? No fire.¡± ¡°But I can bring up fireballs in my palm, without burning myself.¡± Pointed out Hatori, conjuring a fireball in his palm to punctuate his point. ¡°True. But you don¡¯t realize this; this fire is using your magic as fuel.¡± Said the Yaksha. ¡°Now, moving on, unlike fire, water does not need to be conjured. It is already there, and thus, you can focus your energy on manipulating it for your purposes. However, this does not mean that you can¡¯t create water from elemental magic. Watch this as an example.¡± Said Yaksha. A stream of water comes from the side of the gate to enter this room, a completely dry place. ¡°Also notice, water can be just as destructive as fire. It has a different style, though.¡± ¡°Tsunamis,¡± muttered Hatori. ¡°Exactly. Now, try to sense the water of this pool. It is already quite magical (heh) due to my presence, so it should be easy. Once you get this down, then we can start on moving the water, without physically splashing it.¡±

Part 3.

Zeko told Hatori that he must leave on a trip. ¡°But my friends are coming here.¡± He reminds him. ¡°Not to worry kid. Shyam will be here to watch over you.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Now, don¡¯t torment him; this trip will take a while. okay?¡± ¡°Do you think I can torment anyone?¡± asked Hatori with an innocent face. ¡°Yes.¡± Said Zeko, without even thinking about it. Shyam Durve is the father of Nandan, and Hatori knows that he will be better than any babysitter Zeko could hire. The best part about him is that he leaves them alone, though Hatori does not doubt that he is keeping an eye on them. His friends are not worried about security, since not once have they been menaced in Zeko¡¯s house. Though, as always, it is disconcerting to see Hatori get attacked, especially since now elemental magic is involved, and wards are being used. They may not be the target, but they can¡¯t help but think that one of them will be caught in the crossfire one day. ¡°And I searched everywhere, but I didn¡¯t find anything.¡± Said Josh. They are currently relaxing in Hatori¡¯s room after dinner, while Mr. Durve has gone to sleep. Josh is telling them about how he searched for books about elemental magic books in his library but did not find any. ¡°I think they are protected.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Maybe hide them behind some wards, and the kids won¡¯t find them.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Though I¡¯m sure the castle has those books, and they are not hidden either.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Then we¡¯ll start on it when we get back to the castle.¡± ¡°In the meantime, I can teach you about the fociless magic. What do you say?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Sure.¡± They all nod. ¡°But before that, I need my beauty sleep.¡± Said Shin, making them laugh. The next morning, he starts to teach them the basics of fociless magic. ¡°Now, the important thing is to remember that fociless magic requires concentration. So, you will have to meditate, a lot.¡± Said Hatori with an evil grin, already imagining the sour faces of his friends. ¡°Aside from the torment, this is necessary to make closer contact with your magic, and not let some third party, like a foci, for example, do the dealing between you and your magic.¡± He is proud of that example. Hatori has come up with that example on the spot. ¡°I think I remember reading about this once.¡± Said James. ¡°Isn¡¯t it about the practice of meditating, until you find the stream, which symbolizes the magic within you?¡± ¡°I found the ocean.¡± Said Hatori, shocking them badly. ¡°No way,¡± said Josh. ¡°I did, complete with gull sounds, and sand.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Whatever.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I¡¯m sure I can find an entire planet.¡± ¡°Yeah, at least learn to focus first.¡± Said Hattori, and they all start to meditate, while Hatori does his practice of launching fireballs. Good thing that the entire garden is enchanted with protection against fire. There would be a problem otherwise. Meditating on fire is no fun, in the personal experience of this narrator.

Part 4.

It is a normal day in the court, when suddenly, a completely unknown mage walks in, followed by the soldiers of the king. ¡°Halt! You will be dealt with lethally if you do not stop now.¡± ¡°Porus, the king of Subcontinent, I Bhavar, archmage, challenge you for your throne.¡± Said the mage. His declaration stopped the soldiers in their tracks. A challenge for the throne means that things are out of their hands now. ¡°I accept.¡± Said Porus. ¡°We will meet one week from now, in the royal arena.¡± Said Porus. Porus has the option to decide the time and place since he is the one who is getting challenged. ¡®It is way too convenient. My son decides to come back, and this challenge. Could they be related?¡¯ wonders the king. As for the challenger, he is not worried about him in the slightest. He might call himself an archmage, but there are only three of them in this country at this time. No other mage has proven himself or herself so far to receive that rank. (End.) Chapter 70 Chapter 70.

Part 1.

Porus is worried. If his son somehow ends up in the hands of his opponents, his performance could suffer. Not to mention, the throne would not like his hesitancy. Thus, he took steps to secure him. He sent Zeko to pick him up and take him to his house. With all the protection there, coupled with Zeko¡¯s presence there, his boy will be safe as he possibly could be. After making the long trip, and another long return trip, Zeko arrives at his home. He is happy to see the house is still standing, and Durve is not chained like the previous babysitter. Though given the difference between them, Durve would have punished Hatori hard if he dared to be impetuous with him, unlike the babysitter he hired, he is not a pushover. ¡°How¡¯re you doing, boy?¡± asked Zeko, looks like he arrived just in time for breakfast. ¡°Zeko,¡± greets Shyam with a nod. ¡°I hope the kids didn¡¯t bother you too much?¡± asked Zeko, taking his seat. ¡°Of course not; they were perfectly fine.¡± Said Durve. ¡°Now, with your permission, I must leave.¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°As for you kids, I¡¯ve got a special guest to introduce to you today.¡± Zeko gestures to the man sitting with him, who looks like he is in his mid-thirties. His friends think he looks familiar, while Hatori thinks his magic feels familiar, yet different. ¡°Meet Doom Ketu, son of Porus.¡± Zeko introduces the man. ¡°You can call me Ketu for short.¡± Said Doom Ketu. Now the children realize, why he feels or looks familiar. Even his voice sounds like Porus, though much softer compared to the king. ¡°Are you a prince then?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Oh sorcery no,¡± Laughed Ketu. ¡°I¡¯m just the son of our current king. We don¡¯t have princes or princesses on Subcontinent, for which I¡¯m thankful.¡± ¡°Ah yes,¡± said Hatori. ¡°You use what you call the tiger system. Challenge the king, and if you win, the throne is yours.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°This does not mean that family members have not claimed the throne in the past. They just defeated the former king, and claimed it.¡± ¡°Though that is very rare.¡± Added Ketu. ¡°But we haven¡¯t seen you before.¡± Asked Josh. ¡°I mean, I¡¯ve spent most of my life in the castle, but we haven¡¯t seen you there, not even for once.¡± ¡°Because I left the country as soon as I graduated from the Academy seventeen years ago.¡± Said Ketu. ¡°I¡¯ve returned because I kind of had enough of the traveling, but I won¡¯t stay here for long. My feet start to itch if I stay in one place for too long.¡± Hatori and Josh think that there is more to this than what Ketu is telling them, but they do not wish to pry deeper. Sometimes, it is best not to reveal the secrets of others. ¡°Speaking of challenges for the throne, there is one tonight.¡± Said Zeko, surprising the kids. ¡°We¡¯ll watch it together.¡± ¡®How convenient. Son of the king appears, and a challenge that very day.¡¯ thinks Raven to himself. ¡°But how will we see the duel?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Why, on television of course.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Television? You have a television, and you didn¡¯t tell me?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I didn¡¯t want you to laze around all day long. Besides, that room is under the control of the spirit of entertainment; you can defeat it and watch the TV all you want.¡± Hatori just shook his head.

Part 2.

Ketu has spent a day with Hatori and his friends, and they are now watching the duel on television. The spirit has permitted them to watch it for now, temporarily. During his day, Ketu observed one thing. How much does Hatori get attacked? He is aware of training modules, but for the first time, he is seeing a child of Hatori¡¯s age go through them. What¡¯s more, with elemental magic no less! It is a wonder that the house and surrounding area is not destroyed already. Of course, being a guest, he keeps these thoughts to himself. No need to anger Zeko. He suspects not even being the son of the current king will save him from his wrath, if he pisses him off. On television, the announcer is introducing the challengers. ¡°To my left, the current reigning! And defending! King of the subcontinent, Porus!¡± The crowd cheered. The nobles may not like Porus, but the public adores him. ¡°To my right, the challenger! The self-proclaimed archmage, Bhavar!¡± The response was lukewarm, and outright frosty in certain sections of the audience. ¡°Greetings citizens, it is me, Surendra Sharma, coming to you live from the royal arena located at the City of Throne. Both men have been introduced, and the crowd does not seem to favor the challenger in the slightest.¡± Said the commentator. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°He¡¯s the father of Samudra, right?¡± asked Hatori to James, since he is familiar with the families. ¡°Yes.¡± Confirms James. ¡°Now, the rules are simple.¡± The rules appear on the screen, and Surendra reads them out loud. ¡°Both duelers will fight to death or incapacitation. No magic is restricted. If you can use it to kill your opponent, then use it. there is no time limit for this duel either.¡± ¡°Now, begin!¡± said the announcer in the arena, and the fight begins. Clapping Hatori on his shoulder, Zeko speaks to Hatori. ¡°Feel free to ask me if you don¡¯t understand something, alright?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± nodded Hatori.

Part 3.

In the ring, the duelists exchange some elemental attacks. From all the water he is using, Porus thinks that Bhavar is a heavy water user. Which is apt for his name, since his name means whirlpool. He is also impressed that Bhavar doesn¡¯t need a source of water nearby, conjuring up all the water for his attack by himself. However, this is not enough to defeat him. Porus turns all the water coming his way into steam, only getting hit by enough water to make his clothes wet. Bhavar was expecting the king to be carried away in his torrent, but that did not happen. This calls for a new strategy. Porus do not give Bhavar any chances. He conjures oil, and with a flick of his wrist, with just a small flame, lights him on fire before he could surround himself with a shield of water. Despite his injuries, Bhavar is in good condition for a man who was just lit on fire. He surrounded his body with a thin film of ice, which melted when he was lit on fire. The only injuries he has are due to boiling water, and some flames which did manage to get past his protection. But this is not enough to stop him. This time, Porus is the one who does not have enough time to react. The king expected to finish his opponent with his last move; his survival is unexpected. So, he fails to react when Bhavar slams his foot to the ground and shackles Porus with chains made of rock to the rising pillar from the earth. He brings out a candle, some salt, and sealed purified water from his clothes, and puts them all in the middle of a circle which he drew from the salt. Porus watches along with the audience, as they did not expect a ritual right in the middle of the battle.

Part 4.

¡°This is taking time, right?¡± asked Hatori, remaining quiet so far. ¡°Yes, all the rituals take time. You will learn about them this year.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°But Porus should be able to stop him, shouldn¡¯t he?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Usually. But rituals are unpredictable when they are interrupted in the middle. That and Dad doesn¡¯t feel any threat from it.¡± Said Ketu. He is sure that a mere ritual is not enough to defeat his father.

Part 5.

Once the ritual is completed, a spirit appears in a swirl of water, a cloud-shaped monster, who attacks the shackled king. Porus breaks out of the chains, and the pillar is destroyed by the attack of the water spirit. Then, Porus shows that he is no slouch with water either, fighting with the spirit head-to-head with its element, overwhelming it with waves of liquid, destroying the cloud shape, and dispelling the spirit. Bhavar watches all of this happening with a shocked expression. ¡°How did you do that?¡± he asked, unable to contain the question. ¡°Simple.¡± Answers the king. ¡°The spirit lacked experience in battle. Maybe give it a hundred years or so, then it might defeat me. But now? It does not stand a chance. Much like you.¡± Bhavar tries to get out of sight to avoid the next coming attack, but he does not have a chance. With a swish of his rod, Porus changes the ratio of hydrogen and oxygen, and once more, lights a fire with a small flame. But this time, on a much bigger scale. The whole ring is on fire this time, and nothing remains of his opponent beyond the ashes. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, Porus has successfully defended his reign!¡± Along with that announcement, trumpets are played in the arena, and soon a whole orchestra is playing in the stadium in the celebration.

Part 6.

The children sit in quietly after watching that battle. This duel was on an entirely next level to what they watched last year when they had the chance to watch Nandan duel in the Academy. Compared to this, Toofan and Nandan come off as amateurs. Then, they begin to discuss it excitedly, telling each other which was the best part. ¡°I especially liked beating the water spirit with its element.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That showed his complete dominance.¡± But Ketu is disturbed to see this behavior. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t they be horrified by the death they just saw?¡± he asked Zeko. ¡°We live in a brutal world.¡± He answers. ¡°These children are the reflection of that. A mage should not be concerned about death, because using magic is dangerous. It can backfire at any time.¡± (End.) Chapter 71 Chapter 71.

Part 1.

The next morning, Zeko is training Hatori. While Hatori is doing his physical workout, Zeko is meeting with his friends. He¡¯s currently telling them about how he can¡¯t take them to the castle for now. ¡°That boy needs to train harder. I can¡¯t do it in the castle. I can arrange for you to be dropped there, but I can¡¯t take you there myself yet.¡± ¡°For how long?¡± asked Josh. ¡°For the entire summer.¡± Said Zeko. They all huddle together for a moment, and after a quick discussion with lots of gestures, Raven comes forward. ¡°We don¡¯t mind living here, as long as you don¡¯t have a problem with us.¡± ¡°You can stay here. I don¡¯t mind.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Then give us some basic texts on elemental magic; we can¡¯t just sit here and do nothing.¡± Raven bargained. ¡°Deal.¡± Agreed with Zeko. It is not like those are some secret texts, which need to be protected. They just talk about how to train an element at a basic level. He would have given them those texts if they asked for them, but this is also fine. Looks like these children are learning that nothing in this world is given for free. Everything has a price. Dhoom Ketu had already left, with the king''s secret agents coming to pick him up in the night. He will be directly taken to the castle, where he will stay as long as he lives in the country. In the afternoon, Zeko is teaching Hatori more spells using the fire element. ¡°For now, you¡¯ve used the basic shielding spell. But elements can be used as shields. Observe this for example.¡± Zeko puts his hand forward, with his palm open, and fingers spread out. Fire comes out of his body, and congeals in front of his body in the form of a wall. ¡°Of course, this spell can be modified, to protect from all directions, like this.¡± The wall circles Zeko, putting him in the center of the fire. ¡°Of course, this can be dangerous. You can run out of oxygen if you stay in the middle of this fire for too long. This is not a problem in the open area like this garden, but you will suffer this problem in an enclosed area.¡± ¡°But the advantages are also good. Nothing can reach you if your flames are strong enough, for they will be destroyed by the fire before it reaches your body. You can also use it as part of your offense, but how to do that, I¡¯ll leave for you to figure that out.¡± said Zeko. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t I practice this in the enforced room?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°What if the garden caught fire?¡± ¡°Your flames are still not enough to overwhelm my enchantments, remember?¡± reminded Zeko. ¡°Now don¡¯t worry about small things like fire. Just practice.¡± Hatori shook his head. ¡®Who calls a fire a small thing?¡¯ ignoring Zeko¡¯s comment, he tries to remember the flow of magic when Zeko performed that spell. Using his hand, just like Zeko, he focused on the fire. But apart from a sputtering flame and some smoke, nothing appeared. No wall, no shield of fire around him, nothing. ¡°Try using both of your hands.¡± Advised Zeko. ¡°Once you gain enough control, then you can try to bring the shield up with just one hand.¡± ¡°And you couldn¡¯t tell me this before because¡­¡± trails off Hatori. ¡°Because it is amusing for me to see you blunder around. An old man has to get his fun somehow.¡± Said Zeko. Of course, casting the Fire Wall spell would be easier with a foci. But Zeko won¡¯t allow that. Ever since Hatori trained with the fociless magic with the help of the book, which Zeko recommended, he has gotten even more insistent on learning every spell without a foci. Nowadays, Hatori often forgets to reach for it.

Part 2.

This is the first court Porus is holding after the duel. The king does not rest, for the country needs him (sometimes her). When he enters the courtroom, there is a suffocating silence, because the duel has just reminded everyone how strong Porus still is. Time has not affected him yet. The silence is broken by the chants of ¡°Hail, your majesty! May you reign for a long time.¡± Porus is happy to see that he still has some supporters. Lately, he only sees enemies in every corner, trying to manipulate him, or trying to subvert his power. but looks like his performance has helped him in revitalizing his supporters, and even gained some new ones. He can tell with some unhappy faces, though, that even though they may congratulate him on his victory, they are fuming internally. You get good at sensing the real intentions of people after holding the position of a king for hundreds of years. Various ambassadors have come to congratulate him, especially from the Nihon, and Zhongguo, countries with whom the Subcontinent has good relations. ¡°Begin the court.¡± He orders. ¡°What is the first issue we need to discuss today?¡± Then, the day turns into just another normal day on the court. Ketu watches all of this happening from the crowd, dressed as a normal courtier so no one would recognize him. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Part 3.

While his friends are busy learning elemental magic for themselves, Hatori is learning runes from Zeko. But this time, he is sharing his techniques, so this lesson is being conducted in the enforced room, while his friends practice in the garden or outside of the house. Hatori thinks for a moment about whether everyone resents him for forcing them to play catch-up all the time. but he dismisses the thought; for Zeko would not like his wandering attention while he is teaching him. ¡°Now, so far, the runes you¡¯ve been using are pretty standard. But these aren¡¯t the only runes in the world; often various mages invent their system of runes, which is passed down from master to apprentice. My runic system is also this way, but I haven¡¯t taught it to anyone; you will be the first one to learn about it. and of course, it is just so much superior to other runic systems.¡± Bragged Zeko. ¡°Please teach me this superior runic system.¡± Said Hatori drily. ¡°Of course.¡± Nodded Zeko. He shouldn¡¯t behave like that in front of his students. What kind of impression will he get? ¡°Now, this is the standard rune.¡± Zeko moves his finger in the air in the shape of one of the standard runes, and the symbol appears in the air floating in front of him. Hatori touches it to confirm whether what he is sensing is true or not. ¡°And this is my design, my runic system.¡± Zeko does the same thing again, but the rune which appears in the air is different this time. comparing them side by side, Hatori gets the differences between them. He translates the rune to his programming experience, which he has been doing so far. Not that anyone else calls them any differently; here, the runes which are curly braces are curly braces in the magic world as well. but while a standard rune script is filled with braces to keep the various parts separate from each other, Zeko¡¯s rune is just a parenthesis; more specifically, an opening parenthesis. ¡°Now, here are the advantages of my runic system. First, it is easier to work with direct magic through it, and a second advantage is that you can create new whole systems by the use of it. Think of runes creating more runes, which accomplish a specific result. Third, you can bend it in whichever way you like, allowing you to create new and custom symbols, which you will need in the future to perform complex tasks, like creating a yantra with true sentience. like we have in our basement.¡± Explained Zeko. ¡°It would be just like a yantra creating more yantras.¡± Said Hatori, while imagining how the entire thing would work. ¡°Exactly.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Now, the system is simple; you will understand it in no time. However, modifying it for your own needs, all the while making sure that you don¡¯t shoot yourself in the foot will be the real challenge. But we¡¯ll deal with that when we get there.¡± ¡°A question.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°How do you keep it a secret? I mean, if someone were to read your script, they will understand it if they analyze it carefully enough.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°There¡¯s no such system which can keep itself hidden. However, even if someone were to understand my system, running my scripts won¡¯t be so easy. Besides, remember what I said about creating whole new systems with this one system? It also applies to it. I can modify it. You might understand the old version, but you will never get a complete understanding of what I can do now.¡± ¡°That is what you do with your notes, right?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Now, now, you should not ask such personal questions. Practice the first few runes, you will need them since it is new to you,¡± said Zeko, avoiding the question. After that training, Hatori goes to the pool to practice with the water. He has gotten good enough with it to move the water in shapes, right now, he is moving the water in the shapes of the new runes he has learned today. The Yaksha watches him, and he speaks suddenly. ¡°You should start to learn about how to conjure water. the training will be useless to you otherwise, without a source of water nearby.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that is going to be easy.¡± Said Hatori. He feels he is swamped with new things all the time, and he needs some breaks. But of course, people trying to kill him or make him join them (with force if necessary) means he cannot have any breaks. If only his parents could see him now, he is turning into a workaholic. He used to be so lazy back in his home, especially during the summertime. While the Yaksha explains the theoretical process of conjuring the water, the spirit carefully made sure that he did not divulge that Josh came to the pool to practice the water element as well. At first, he didn¡¯t give a damn about what a human child wants¡­ ¡°Please don¡¯t tell anyone, but I need your help. please train me, wahhhhhh!¡± sobbed Josh. ¡°Okay okay, stop with the waterworks. I¡¯ll help you. get off me already!¡± Let¡¯s just say that the water spirit was convinced by Josh¡¯s charms. (End.) Chapter 72 Chapter 72.

Part 1.

While Hatori is practicing with his newly learned runes from Zeko, the master who taught him those runes is taking a look at the list of courses for this year. When the students reach the third year, they get to choose subjects upon their interests, which are often recommended to them by professors after looking at their performance for the previous two years. They also get their protection lifted, meaning if someone from the older student wishes to target them, they are free to do so. Personally, Zeko never understood the meaning of that. A third year is just as defenseless against an older and more experienced mage as a first year, since they won¡¯t get to utilize their magical knowledge against the attacking older mage. Exceptions being his students. Hatori himself has proven to be strong enough to take out older students, although by tricks. But surviving by itself is a win, no matter how you do it. One day, he will get so strong that he won¡¯t need any tricks to use to kill his opponents. Until then, he must continue to train and improve himself. ¡°Tell me, boy, what subjects do you want this year?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Choose them carefully, because you will be stuck with them until your fifth year.¡± ¡°What are the options?¡± Asked Hatori, while he wove a symbol of fire in the air, and flames appeared. He tried to do that with standard runes; but no matter the modifications, the flames refused to appear. Zeko decided not to point out that he will need to add some other runes to make a single flame appear in the standard runes. Let him figure that out for himself. ¡°You¡¯re options are: potions, runes, magical combat, the study of extraterrestrial races, the study of animals, transmutation and conjuring, ritual magic, history, and math.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll drop the magical combat. That class is horribly behind compared to what you already have taught me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t say that anywhere near your professor can hear you, unless you got me around to protect you.¡± Said Zeko, and they both chuckled. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll also drop history. It just doesn¡¯t interest me like it does Raven and Josh.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Okay. what else?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°I¡¯m not sure about studies of animals and extraterrestrial races. I think I¡¯ll go with math, potions, runes, and ritual magic,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Just one above the required three. You are getting lazy, kid.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°No, I think I¡¯m using my time efficiently. Why waste time on something which doesn¡¯t help me, and which I can always learn later?¡± asked Hatori. , And how will you learn about say, animals, those races, or history?¡± asked Zeko, putting the list down. He¡¯ll put the letter to the teleporter later for sending it to the school. ¡°I can always learn about the animals by studying them in the library and observing them. The same for races, though if they are intelligent, then I can learn more about them by having actual conversations with them instead of listening to lectures about them.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And history is a wide subject. I can always pick a book about a particular period or some certain event.¡± ¡°Whatever works for you kid.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Now, in the runes class, do keep my runic system secret. Don¡¯t tell anyone about that. You¡¯ve got experience with runes already, so you will always be ahead of the class. But it doesn¡¯t mean you won¡¯t get to learn new things. Listen to your professor, alright?¡± Hatori nodded and went back to his experiments. The big advantage of learning to weave runes in the air is that he can experiment without using paper or wood with their effects. Though he still cannot create a fully functioning script without using a material object.

Part 2.

It has been two months, and the children have worked hard. Now it is time for them to go to the castle once more. Zeko is telling them about the formal dinner party hosted there by Ketu this year. ¡°Once we go there, we will go to the party held by Dhoom Ketu. After that, you boys will go to the Academy.¡± ¡°Wait, will it be a formal occasion?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes. Why did you ask?¡± answered Zeko. Shuttering, Hatori mumbles, ¡°Nothing.¡± He has no interest in repeating his formal dining experiences. Someone like Daphne won¡¯t be here this time; he had to follow all sorts of useless rules there. He does not look forward to it. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, this time, things will be easier. This won¡¯t be a formal style of Albion. Instead, it¡¯ll be Subcontinental style.¡± Said Zeko, trying to assure Hatori. Hatori smiled. ¡°Yeah, less annoying utensils for sure.¡± ¡°Of course, you¡¯ll also have other kids; you¡¯ll enjoy it, I¡¯m sure.¡± Said Zeko. Though Hatori didn¡¯t know, his friends also shuttered after hearing about the formal event, except for Josh. He shakes his head. He does not understand why his friends have such a hard time with formal events. Usually, he just dressed pretty and took naps. No one took notice either, and he always woke up at the right time to eat dinner. The utensils are not a problem for him either. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°Before we go back, we all have something to show you. right guys?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Yep. Since you brought up the topic, why don¡¯t you go first?¡± said Shin. ¡°Sure. Can I get some water, please?¡± he requested from Zeko. ¡°Of course.¡± A yantra brings up a glass of water to Josh. ¡°See.¡± Josh stabs his foci at the water in the glass, and it starts to move, congealing into various shapes. ¡°But that isn¡¯t all.¡± He cupped his hands, and the water was lifted from the glass entirely; it started to revolve around his body in the shape of a globe. ¡°Now, it is my turn.¡± Raven brings out his foci in the shape of a wooden sword. After a slash, he throws a fireball, which whizzes past Hatori¡¯s ears. ¡°Naturally, I can do this without it either.¡± Putting his foci away, he throws another fireball, which passes by Hatori¡¯s other ear. ¡°Are you holding a grudge or something?¡± he asked, and everyone started to laugh. ¡°I¡¯ll go next.¡± Said James. Moving his newly bought foci, which looks like a surgeon¡¯s knife, James points it to the ground, and the small stones on the ground change their shape. Putting his foci away, he makes some hand movements, and stomps on the ground, and once more, the stones responded. ¡°Interesting. You learned the hand sign methods, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked Zeko. At James¡¯s nod, he continues. ¡°Once you master it, try to perform spells using just one hand. It¡¯ll improve your control.¡± James takes the advice gratefully. They¡¯ve all learned that Zeko doesn¡¯t mind sharing his knowledge with them, even though they are not his students. ¡°Finally, my turn.¡± Said Shin. With a flourish, he brings out his foci. His original foci were destroyed, so he now uses a normal-looking staff. None of his friends have ever given him grief over it, though. With a swishing movement, they all feel the breeze ruffling their hair. Putting his staff away, he puts his palm forward, and another breeze ruffles their hair and clothes. ¡°The wind element. Believe it or not, it is the hardest element to learn, for unlike fire, earth, or water, it can¡¯t be seen. How can you manipulate something when you can¡¯t see it? good on you kid. Work on it, and you¡¯ll have a powerful weapon in your hands, since wind is everywhere, all the time.¡± Hatori is happy for his friends, as they all get in the car. But he has one thought on his mind. Why didn¡¯t anyone pick up the lightning? ¡®No matter. Once we go to the Academy, I¡¯ll pick that element, and make it my own.¡¯ For some reason, the clouds appeared out of nowhere, covering the sun, and thunder shook them up.

Part 3.

Just as Zeko told them, the party has a formal dinner at the end. Ketu took some time out to meet the kids. ¡°So, how are you doing?¡± ¡°Good.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We¡¯re about to leave for the Academy the next day.¡± ¡°Yes, do rest up for that properly, would you?¡± He said, and then left, drawn into other conversations. Many people are vying for his attention. ¡°I couldn¡¯t be like him.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I would have lost patience with people a long time ago.¡± ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re not involved in royalty.¡± Said Zhuge Liang. Maria and Liang are here as well, along with Avinash. Though they don¡¯t see any other kids from their class. Hatori met Liang the previous year when they teamed up for an event and ended up being part of a large army of Josh. Since the dinner is a traditional subcontinental affair, all the guests are seated on the floor, with low tables in front of them, while the staff of the castle goes from person to person to serve them food. Though there are spoons, Hatori is happy that there is no need to use forks or knives. Knives are for cutting things, not eating. And a fork is a useless thing, not fit to exist. ¡°So, I hear you¡¯ve learned Shogi from Maria.¡± Asked Liang. ¡°Yeah, but he needs to practice more.¡± Said Maria. Hatori is sitting between them, while his friends are spread throughout the room. ¡°I¡¯m sure I''ll be better than you one day.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We¡¯ll see that,¡± said Maria, the competition always fires her up. ¡°Why don¡¯t you teach me how to play go?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°What makes you think that I know that game?¡± asked Liang. ¡°You¡¯re name.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You see, Nihan is a country in the normal dimension, though with a different name. Maria is actually from that country, and she knows Shogi.¡± ¡°And since Zhongguo is also in your world, where Go is played, you thought I knew that game.¡± Liang completed Hatori¡¯s thoughts for him. ¡°Yes. Though the idea of Go not existing in this world didn¡¯t occur to me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°It does exist,¡± said Liang. ¡°And I¡¯ll be happy to teach it to you.¡± ¡°You could have just said yes,¡± asked Maria. ¡°Why did you question him so much?¡± ¡°Because I wanted to see whether he''d get annoyed or not.¡± Said Liang. ¡°You¡¯re picking up on your father¡¯s bad habits.¡± Said Maria. Among the ambassadors, Liang¡¯s father is famous for testing the patience of people who are either dealing with him or the students who wish to learn the art of diplomacy from him. ¡°That is a compliment. I thank you for that.¡± (End.) Chapter 73 Chapter 73.

Part 1.

Once the children were sent to the academy, the residents of the castle breathed a sigh of relief. The kids didn¡¯t have any chance of causing chaos this year; they also thanked Zeko for taking them and keeping them at his house for the entire vacation. ¡°Surely, they can¡¯t be that bad?¡± asked Ketu. How much chaos can children cause anyway? ¡°Your majesty, you weren¡¯t here. They went to war with each other, and considered the castle itself as their territory.¡± Explained one man, who works in one of the civil departments of the government. ¡°Yes, I remember. They even took hostages.¡± Remembers the woman. ¡°That is interesting.¡± Said Ketu. Looks like the mages here have gotten used to the comfort of the castle. While adult mages don¡¯t kill children most of the time, actions like these are usually retaliated upon with swift discipline, instead of quaking in fear. His father needs to know about this. He has been long enough here that he probably doesn¡¯t realize the signs, but he stays outside of the country most of the time. So, he can see the slow rot that is spreading. Still, hearing about those incidents amused him a lot.

Part 2.

After a pleasant ride on automated carriages, they all arrive at the time of dinner, much like the previous year. ¡°Do you think some invisible horses pull those carriages?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Nah, that¡¯ll be inefficient.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Yep. Much better to enchant the carriages to move on their own.¡± Said Raven. ¡°How sad.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I would have loved to spook those horses.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Josh. ¡°You know what? I don¡¯t want to know.¡± ¡°You¡¯re getting smarter.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Sometimes, it is not worth knowing things.¡± They get their schedules, and the group immediately leaves, not waiting for the assigned room. Once more they take over a random empty dorm for all five of them, and then they open their schedules. Hatori has only four subjects, so he has the shortest schedule. Raven and Shin have the longest schedules, while Josh and James are somewhere in the middle. ¡°Why must everything take so long?¡± asked Hatori to himself. ¡°You have the shortest schedule, and you¡¯re still complaining?¡± said Raven. ¡°Yeah, but it wouldn¡¯t be fun if I didn¡¯t complain.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Besides, I¡¯m not mad like you.¡± ¡°Well, excuse me for trying to achieve something.¡± Muttered Raven. ¡°Besides, you end up not attending most of the classes anyway. You don¡¯t have anything to complain about.¡± Said Josh. ¡°There¡¯s a music class in this miserable school?¡± Hatori said in a surprised tone. ¡°What, you thought they didn¡¯t offer that?¡± asked Shin, the taker of the said music class. ¡°It wasn¡¯t recommended to us.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Its all about the taler made recommendations.¡± Said Raven. ¡°The school collects info about us, and then makes the list according to that info.¡± ¡°That is distressing. My enemies know about me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°What enemies?¡± asked James, done with reading his schedule. ¡°Anything and everything outside of this room. Potentially, even in this room.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there are no enemies here.¡± Assures Josh. ¡°If anyone tries to harm you here, we won¡¯t sit quietly.¡± ¡°Indeed. We¡¯ll protest, very hard.¡± Said Raven. Hatori shakes his head. A protest will not save his life. ¡°I¡¯m off to the library. I need to find something.¡± He leaves the room. The lightning element won¡¯t come to him by itself.

Part 3.

The transmutation class is the first class for Hatori. Professor Amarjit enters, and the students go quiet. ¡°Alright class, let¡¯s cover what we will be learning this year.¡± Said Amarjit, looking around at his much shorter class. The forking of paths in the third year always leaves him with fewer students to deal with, which means he can deal with them on more of a personal level. This is important, lest the students annihilate themselves this year to manipulate the matter around them. ¡°Now, this year, we will cover the transmutation of living matter to nonliving matter, and vice versa. Which will allow you to do this.¡± He turned his desk into a crocodile, which hissed at the students before it was returned to its original state of being a desk. ¡°Now, apart from that, we will move on to conjuring up this year. And our very first lesson is going to be about it,¡± said Amarjit. He brings out his notes. He knows this material by heart since he is the master of this art. But he still likes to keep references all the same, especially the general questions which the students ask him every time. ¡°The conjuring refers to the process of bringing something which does not exist, beyond an ethereal idea in your mind, into this real physical world. This involves the creation of matter, which we will cover this year. This is related to the physical laws of this world, which we manipulate with magic to achieve effects which are normally not possible.¡± ¡°Like creating things out of thin air?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes.¡± Said Amarjit, chuckling with the kids at the quip. ¡°Now, conjuring is good, but it has one big problem. Mainly, if you conjure up some item, it tends to break down and disappear over time. The solution to this problem is to put more energy into conjuring the item in question, but this kind of energy can make you quite weak, especially at your age. For now, we won¡¯t focus on doing permanent conjuration, but we will cover it in the future.¡± ¡°Can you give us any examples, professor?¡± asked a student. ¡°Certainly.¡± Amarjit shows them his empty hand. ¡°You see, there is nothing on my palm. It is empty. I assume Professor Bali taught you how to reveal invisibility?¡± At their nods, he continues. ¡°Then I suggest you cast some revealing spells on my palm, to check that I¡¯m not lying to you.¡± Several revealing spells later, Amarjit moves to the next part of his example. ¡°Now that we have established that my palm is decidedly empty, see this.¡± Hatori senses what is happening before the result can be seen. Where there was an empty palm of their professor in front of them, there was a needle that was coming into existence slowly. ¡°Of course, needles are hardly interesting. So, here¡¯s another example.¡± This time, the process was completed quite fast. In no time, there is an empty glass on Amarjit¡¯s desk. ¡°Once you get good enough, you can even conjure up living matter, like this.¡± He conjures a rat, which starts running around the class, causing a lot of shrieking and squealing from everyone. Hatori sits alone calmly in the chaos, unaffected by the rat, even though it scampered up to his desk, and tried to pounce on him. He just sent it flying with a Knockback spell. No need to waste energy on a creature that he suspects is going to not live for too long anyway. Professor Amarjit confirms Hatori¡¯s thoughts. ¡°The living conjurations break down the quickest. Only sorcerers have conjured permanent living conjurations so far, but their methods of madness cannot be taught, as you will learn about them later.¡±

Part 4.

The classroom of magical rituals is different. There¡¯s some smell of incense burning in the room, and the class does not have desks. Instead, all the students sit on mats after removing their shoes at the entrance. ¡°Welcome to class. I am Professor Mantar. I will be teaching you ritual magic.¡± The professor introduced himself. Hatori is amused to hear his voice. The guy sounds like a monk who is here to impart his knowledge. But judging from the assigned book for this class, there won¡¯t be any peace or nirvana in this class. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Now, do any of you have any previous understanding of rituals?¡± he asked, but the students shook their heads. ¡°Not to worry. By the time we¡¯re done with our first lesson, you will be good enough with general theory, at least. Here is what we will cover this year. What exactly are rituals, what different types of rituals are there, what are the items needed in rituals, and what runes and symbols are used in rituals? Those are very important. If you somehow ended up not taking runes with this class, you will have a very hard time, I¡¯m afraid.¡± Said professor Mantar. ¡®Jokes on you. I already have that class!¡¯ screamed Hatori in his head, while the other students screamed exactly the opposite. ¡°Today, we will learn about what exactly are the rituals. So, let¡¯s begin. Please do open page nine of your books; there are some illustrations there, which will help you in understanding my explanations.¡± A few seconds of page ruffling later, the professor starts his lecture. ¡°Rituals essentially are the use of magic to achieve the effects which are not possible with standard magic. the components of other magical disciplines are also important in this branch of magic, since potions, runes, and even math are important.¡± While the professor lectures, the children look at the drawings in their book, which display all the things that Professor Mantar has just told them are in use. ¡°Rituals often require their place, for the effects of other kinds of magic can pollute them, and can give you disastrous and unpredictable results. Rituals should not be interrupted, for it can result in a disastrous and unpredictable result for the one who was performing the ritual, and the one who interrupted it. I cannot stress this enough; do not take rituals lightly, because even a small mistake can result in an accident or your death.¡± Professor Mantar points out around the classroom. ¡°The dangers, I¡¯ve just told you all, are the reason why this classroom is underground. Now, let¡¯s see what kind of rituals are done in the world. The first is the summoning ritual; we have an example of it when our king defended his claim to the throne, where his opponent summoned a water spirit to fight the king. But we have a live example, right in our class.¡± As soon as he said those words, all eyes turned to Hatori. He gets a prickly sensation on his body, and his hand''s ich to attack, to respond with overwhelming violence, to make them turn away, to make them look away from him. ¡°Then, there are fertility rituals, for both crops and the humans.¡± The illustrations caused the whole class to blush, while Professor Mantar continues without a care. ¡°Then, there are combat rituals. These are all wide topics, so this year you will only get an overview of them. Next year, should any of you survive, we will dig deeper into them. But of course, these aren¡¯t the only rituals; but these are sufficient for you for now. We will be performing some practical magic in this class, so be ready for that.¡±

Part 5.

After that, the final class for the day is runes. The class of rituals and potions is put on alternate days. Arriving in class, they find Professor Krodhatma waiting for them, already in class. ¡°Welcome children, to the runes. This class will teach you to use the magic of symbols, and how important it is in the development and research of magic. not to mention, how necessary it is for the rituals, which I presume you¡¯ve just returned from, judging from the incense smell coming from your clothes.¡± The children laughed at this observation. When Hatori met Professor Krodhatma last year, he seems irate all the time, as if the world has wronged him personally. Though he seems calm now, Hatori senses his magic boiling deep within. This calm fa?ade is nothing more than a cover to hide the rage within. When Hatori hears about what they will be covering this year, he is disappointed. He already knows the basics of runes; he does not need a primer on them anymore. the standard script just doesn¡¯t look as great as it once did, since Zeko taught him his rune script. As the class was being let out for the final time of the day, the professor approached Hatori. ¡°How is my favorite student doing?¡± he said, favoring Hatori with a smile. ¡°Good.¡± Hatori is uncomfortable with this blatant favoritism. ¡°Now, I already know you have experience with runes, so I won¡¯t bore you with these plebian beginner projects. You can look forward to special projects for you, specially designed for you by me. I warn you, though, they won¡¯t be easy.¡± ¡°I look forward to them, professor.¡± Said Hatori with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s the attitude.¡± Then, someone muttered the forbidden word. ¡°He must be mad.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not mad. I am angry! Professor angry is what I¡¯m called, you understand?¡± His magic fills the classroom, promising pain and destruction. The students flee, while Hatori moves calmly. These people get spooked so easily. Which is probably why Zeko is not teaching them. They would be nothing more than a gibbering mess if he taught them.

Part 6.

In the library, Hatori is reading about the lightning element. Though it has only been one day since he arrived at the Academy, he is already reading up on this element and plans to start training to use it. The element seems difficult to use. Much like water or fire, lightning doesn¡¯t exist by itself. But producing it and controlling it seems harder than those two. ¡°I like students who learn things on their own.¡± Said professor Dhiraj, taking a seat in front of Hatori. ¡°Professor.¡± Greeted Hatori. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you came to the library.¡± ¡°While it is true that we have our sources of books built in our living areas, sometimes, we need certain books or articles which are available here. No need to increase our already unwieldy book collections in that case. Wouldn¡¯t you agree?¡± said Professor Dhiraj. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Said Hatori with a nod. It makes sense when you think about it. ¡°Now, I see you¡¯re looking at the lightning element. It is a difficult element to master since you need to know the laws of electricity, how it works and reacts, and how to bend it to your will. The last part is the hardest to master.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°You know a lot about it, professor.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m a master of this element.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°I suppose with potions and lightning, I can catch the lightning in the bottle.¡± He said with an amused grin. ¡°I don¡¯t know about any bottles, but I want to learn this element.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Good. You will have to be stubborn if you wish to learn this element. I can teach you the basic things about it, what do you say?¡± offered Dhiraj. ¡°No problem professor.¡± Said Hatori. After all, this would make his life much easier. How could he refuse such an offer? ¡°Though we¡¯ll need to have those lessons on weekends. I suspect we won¡¯t have time otherwise.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°I will see you this weekend then.¡± ¡°Thank you, Professor Dhiraj.¡± Said Hatori, and Dhiraj walks away. This does not mean that he just left the text he was reading on the lightning element. Hatori continues to study it, making sure to come back to it once he gets his first lesson from the professor of potions. ¡®And then, I¡¯ll find out why I¡¯m so attracted to this element.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. It hasn¡¯t escaped his notice that lightning seems to play a prominent role in his magic. When his magic was awakened, he talked with lightning; that¡¯s what he felt like. When Ramya bothered him, he shocked her by accident. Come to think of it, he hasn¡¯t seen her ever since. ¡®I don¡¯t have time to find out what she is doing.¡¯ Hatori shakes his head to get rid of the distracting thoughts. For now, learning the lightning element, and making it his own is the most important. Then, he can have his unique element among his friends. (End.) Chapter 74 Chapter 74.

Part 1.

It has been a month since the new year started for the Academy, and Krishna Menon has observed Hatori secretly. He is trying to find leverage on the boy, which he can use to either subdue him or bring him to heel. Both of which refer to absolute control over him. If he did that, then his father wouldn¡¯t be able to call him a useless lout. He¡¯ll murder his father, take his place as the family head, and bring the Menon family to new heights. All of which would be done with the weapon called Hatori. He¡¯ll be fed potions, taught destructive spells, kept in absolute control, and unleashed on enemies whenever needed. The boy won¡¯t last in this role, of course; he gives him twenty years tops. But that would be enough time to establish the Menon family as the rulers and destroy the authority of the throne. Once that happens, they¡¯ll use Hatori as a living bomb, his magic primed to explode at their command, causing widespread devastation to their enemies, should they go against them. But before any of that could be done, he needs to find a weakness. At first, he thought of Suraj, the blind boy who seems to hang around Hatori. Naturally, he should make for a good hostage. But why add a human variable? He has a safer idea instead. ¡°Ah, just the group I was looking for.¡± He said, finding five students he was looking for. ¡°Professor. Did you need something from us?¡± asked Sonia, one of the students. ¡°Indeed. I want you to do the following¡­¡±

Part 2.

A month before this insidious plan was hatched, Hatori is enjoying himself. Though it is hard to adjust to living life without constant attacks, he likes the time he gets to spend in the Academy. He gets to refine his talents, and of course, learn new things on his own. Sometimes, the things he learns go out of control, such as the flying yantra which he made with James and Josh, who got involved since they needed to confirm various mathematical things to make sure that their yantra would fly. Fly it did, but it immediately went out of control. The remote with which it was supposed to be controlled went up in smoke, and several students got an impromptu haircut with the wings of that yantra, which exploded right before colliding with a tree. Coffing from the smoke, Hatori wheezes. ¡°Do you have the schematic?¡± ¡°I do have those.¡± Wheezes James, already thinking about the potential bugs. And now he thinks he has spent too much time with Hatori. His strange vocabulary is affecting his own. ¡°Hey guys, look, a nest on the tree.¡± Points Shin. ¡°Oh yeah, good thing it didn¡¯t collide with it,¡± said Josh. ¡°Wait, is there something on the ground?¡± said Raven, looking for the shrieks which were coming from the dried leaves below the tree. ¡°A chick of the crow.¡± Said James, picking the bird up. ¡°Likely panicked from all that noise and smoke.¡± ¡°Can I hold it?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Sure. And just so you know, his gender is male.¡± Said James. ¡°How did you know that?¡± asked all four of them. ¡°The voice. Even as a baby, you can hear the difference between male and female, assuming you know what to hear for.¡± Said James. ¡°Cool.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Ima raises him.¡± ¡°What?¡± They all look at Hatori at this sudden declaration. ¡°Do you have time to do that? with your training and everything?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure I can manage it,¡± said Hatori. ¡°But how will you teach him to fly?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Hmm. a good challenge.¡± Hatori strokes his chin in thought. ¡°I know, why not use a yantra?¡± ¡°I am listening.¡± Said James, getting interested. ¡°We¡¯ll design a yantra which can feed this guy, and do crow things.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What crow things?¡± asked Josh with amusement. ¡°Fly, for one thing.¡± Responded Hatori. ¡°Truly, you have a wealth of aviation knowledge.¡± Said Josh sarcastically. ¡°Don¡¯t listen to him. I¡¯ll take good care of you.¡± The chick shifted in Hatori¡¯s hands. It has calmed down by now, and it is no longer scared. ¡°But what caused it to fall from its nest?¡± Then, Hatori hears a familiar voice. A voice that he hates. A voice that every poet can¡¯t help but like, and write verses upon verses in praise for it. ¡°That explains it,¡± he said with a dark tone, as if ready to burn whatever was in the nest right at this moment. ¡°A Koel.¡± Said James. ¡°Any particular reason for such dislike for this bird?¡± Hatori thinks for a moment. ¡°No,¡± he said, not wanting to explain anything. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s design that yantra.¡± Said James. ¡°While we work on that, you three will take care of him.¡± ¡°What? Why should I¡ª¡± Josh¡¯s complaints are silenced by the glare of James. ¡°You will take care of it. Do you understand?¡± he asked, glaring at all three of them together. ¡°Yes, we understand.¡± Said Raven, even performing a salute taught to him by his father. ¡°Good.¡± Then, Hatori and James leave for the secret ground. The secret ground is a place that Hatori found in his first year when he needed someplace to train in peace without getting threatened or observed. Later, his friends also started to use it. Nowadays, the place is filled with things, with yantras, notes, schematics, broken parts of yantras, and tons of other things. This is because the place is entirely immune to the elements outside; they can sleep here out in the open in the rain, without getting wet. ¡°What should we name him?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Since Hatori is the one raising him, I think he should be the one to name him,¡± said Raven. ¡°Makes sense.¡± Said Josh, watching Shin make faces at the chick. ¡°You¡¯re gonna scare him like that,¡± said Josh. ¡°No, I¡¯m not, your face is scarier!¡± said Shin. ¡°You take that back!¡± roared Josh. Raven snatches the chick, as both Josh and Shin start to brawl with each other. ¡°Ignore them. Let¡¯s feed you something.¡± Hatori decides to use the runic script taught to him by Zeko. James couldn¡¯t help him there, so he just worked on the schematic, and the behavioral part. Remarkably, they were done designing the crow yantra in just a day. Now, it is time to test it. Sending it flying to the chick with some food, they watch from afar its behavior, and the reaction of the chick. The baby bird seemed uncomfortable at first, but it got used to the presence of yantra slowly and considered it normal. ¡°Have you planned to name him?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Hmm. haven¡¯t thought about it.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What do you say to the name Karasu?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that? It sounds like something out of Nihon.¡± Said Shin. ¡°It is. It was the name of a puppet in the show I used to watch.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What kind of puppet?¡± asked Josh with amusement. ¡°You know, a weapon.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You saw some strange things, my friend.¡± Said Raven. A month passes, and Karasu is getting used to his new life. He has also tried to fly, though it didn¡¯t result in much. Luckily, the crow yantra was there to catch him. but Hatori is certain it¡¯ll learn to fly quickly. But happy events do not last in the world for too long. One day, when he comes back from his training and attends a rune class, Hatori finds Karasu missing, and a letter in the nest. The crow yantra is lying nearby, broken into pieces. The letter said to come to the observatory mountain, alone. The observatory mountain is where astronomy-related work is performed. This mountain has a corrected height to put various instruments on it to observe the celestial bodies of space. The mountain is modified to add cliffs and branches over the years, making it look like a large rock-shaped tree as a result. Hatori is going into one such cliff, one of the small branches of the tree. The letter had no sense of magic, meaning there was no way to track his movements. Maybe he should have brought someone with him. but it is too late to think about that. The cawing of Karasu brought him to the right place. Five students surround him as soon as he comes into the clearing, where Karasu is held in the grip of a girl two years older than him. With a haughty tone, she begins to speak. Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°Hatori Eagle. It is good that you¡¯ve come here. Goes to show you can follow instructions with the right incentive.¡± She spoke. ¡°What the hell do you want?¡± He has heard Zeko use that word. He surmised that it was not supposed to be used in polite company; but this isn¡¯t polite company by any stretch of the imagination, in his opinion. ¡°I think you already know.¡± Speaks a male student behind him. The girl silences him with a glare. Sonia doesn¡¯t like it when someone tries to undermine her. Once this task is over, she will punish that impudent brat heavily. ¡°What my friend tried to say was that you should realize your place, accept your fate, and heel to the families. We are the ones who run this country, not Porus and his throne or his lackeys.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t join you,¡± said Hatori with a furious expression. ¡°Looks like a demonstration is in order.¡± With the snap of a finger, Hatori finds himself cut from his magical senses. He couldn¡¯t judge anything; he is blind like he used to be before he learned magic. ¡°Boys, go wild on him.¡± Hatori expected an attack, but instead, he hears the pain of Karasu, as it is tossed from one student to another. From their laughs, the girl seems to be the only female in this group. Hatori tries to target them, but he can¡¯t hit them at all. Not to mention, they can use Karasu as a shield. The feathers are plucked from his body, and he is tossed back to Sonia, barely alive. ¡°Now, here¡¯s the price for refusal.¡± Sonia puts Karasu under her shoes, and stomps on him with a crunch, ending his life. Then, they attacked him. Hatori used some of the potions he was carrying with him to put them on backfoot and then retaliates with elemental magic. He burns one student to death with the Fire Blast, the variation of the Blast spell which Zeko taught him. Another student gets burned, when he tries to get closer, and Hatori uses the firewall. Inside his Firewall, he tosses a potion that reacts explosively with fire, which explodes, and some of its drops land on Sonia¡¯s face, who is watching this battle with horror. How can just a third-year be so strong? His fire magic should not be strong enough to burn them. Ignoring her screams as her face gets burned, Hatori accurately pinpoints the footsteps of the remaining two students, and he burns both of them with a Flamethrower spell. He had trouble using this spell before since it is very energy intensive. But now, in his rage, the fire element seems to be clicking right in his brain, allowing him to perform any spell. But since his magical senses are blocked, Hatori doesn¡¯t realize that a fuming Sonia is coming from behind him. He drops his Firewall just in time for her to pick him up with difficulty, and push him down to the cliff. For a third year, Hatori is surprisingly bulky. He manages to hold on to some rocks, but his grip is slipping away. ¡°You ruined my face. If you survived this fall, I¡¯ll torment you for the rest of your life, you hear me?¡± screamed Sonia. Hatori opens his mouth, and casts the Flamethrower spell once more, burning Sonia right where she stands. Coming down from his fog of anger, he smells the burning flesh on the mountain. He gagged on this smell, before rallying himself and pushing the bile down. He needs to think of a way down this cliff, without getting hurt. But his hands get sweaty, and he loses his grip. He starts to fall to the ground, and his fingers start to bleed when he tries to find some purchase to hang on. In his panic, he casts the levitation spell on himself, the very first magical trick he ever learned. This brings him to the ground safely, but the wind buffeted him, turning him upside down. He lands head-first to the ground and lies there delirious from pain and concussion.

Part 3.

Half an hour later, Krishna Menon comes into the observatory and walks to the cliff, where he instructs the five students to keep Hatori. But instead of finding five students and one prisoner, he found only ashes and half-burned bodies. None of them survived, and there is no sign of Hatori. ¡®Clearly, he used the fire element. But how could he overwhelm their protections so easily?¡¯ He thinks. ¡®How can a child of a lesser breed do so much damage?¡¯ ¡®No matter. I¡¯ll just move on to my second plan.¡¯ He smiled. Walking into the office of deputy headmistress Surbha, Krishna takes a chair. ¡°Tell me, do you have the module for the forest?¡± ¡°I do, but why do you need it?¡± she asked. ¡°I believe it is time to punish an unruly child.¡± He tells her his plan. ¡°Are you certain?¡± she asked once again. ¡°Yes, I am certain. Now, please activate the module, and just watch the show tomorrow during breakfast.¡± He then leaves with a jump in his step.

Part 4.

After Hatori wakes up, he manages to walk to the secret ground, where his friends find him. They take him to healer slaughter, who immediately sedates him to treat the concussion. ¡°Let him sleep. Once he is awake, he¡¯ll be as good as new.¡± Said the healer. ¡°He suffered a concussion, and some magical strain.¡± But healer Slaughter does not know how much Hatori is suffering emotionally. Once he wakes up and leaves the hospital, he tells them everything. None of them could believe it. the sheer cruelty is impossible for them to process. After crying, Hatori goes to an uneasy sleep, while his friends discuss this latest incident. ¡°One thing is clear to me.¡± Said Raven. ¡°We¡¯ve been ignoring the families, just because they haven¡¯t threatened us personally.¡± ¡°Yes, but Hatori doesn¡¯t have a moment¡¯s peace. He got kidnapped, twice, the hazing the first year, and now this.¡± Said Josh. ¡°You guys need to consider another angle.¡± Said James. ¡°If they need a hostage, we could be used there as well.¡± That grim declaration didn¡¯t make their situation any better. The next day, on breakfast, things are about to get worse. Hatori didn¡¯t want to eat anything, but his friends dragged him to breakfast, claiming to grieve on an empty stomach was no way to grieve. As soon as he enters the mess hall, Krishna Menon gets up from his table and implements his new plan. ¡°Dear students,¡± he spoke, silencing everyone. ¡°There¡¯s a dangerous student among us. He has been slowly killing sires of powerful families since his first year. He is a threat to our way of life, for he has no respect for magic. Do you think such a student deserves to live among us and study with us?¡± ¡°No!¡± came the emphatic reply. ¡°Then, I call the motion. According to the laws of the student council, you have the power to vote. Should we banish this student?¡± the votes for the yes were outnumbered by the votes which opposed this. ¡°Good. Hatori Eagle, you are banished to the forest for an indeterminate amount of time. You may not go home even during vacation. That is your punishment. You will not take anything more than your foci, and the clothes you are wearing. Go and leave the grounds of the Academy, immediately. Or else, we will remove you with force.¡± Hatori goes out without saying anything, with his shoulders slumped, and tears flowing down his cheeks, a picture of defeat. ¡°Krishna, you¡¯re taking advantage of the laws. Students have always fought and killed in this Academy; it didn¡¯t seem to bother you then. Why now?¡± asked Amrita, the professor of history. Other professors have also raised similar objections. ¡°The students decided for themselves, remember? None of us can do anything about it.¡± he looked at Corvus while saying the last part, a deliberate taunt for the headmaster.

Part 5.

Maria and Liang lamented their position. Since they are kids of the diplomats, they are forbidden from interfering in the internal matters of the students here, which also includes one student versus some professors and most of the students. ¡°You know, I¡¯m not going to become a diplomat.¡± Said Maria. ¡°What is the point of that position, when you can¡¯t help someone when they are the victim of a false accusation right in front of you?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Agreed Liang. ¡°Though Hatori is our friend, I would have felt it necessary to help anyone who was stuck in that unfortunate situation.¡± (End.) Chapter 75 Chapter 75.

Part 1.

Josh is furious. The reason for his anger? How quickly things have gone normal after the events of a few days ago when his friend was banished like a criminal for defending himself. Granted, it caused a huge uproar among the students for a while, but things simmered quickly enough. Now, that is just general outrage with the public. But he is angrier with his friends, for actually taking the attitude of the school. When he brought this point up with them, they all replied with virtually the same thing: ¡°What can we do?¡± ¡°How can you say that?¡± He asked them, turning to Raven, he continues. ¡°Didn¡¯t you say that we can¡¯t afford to ignore this anymore?¡± He rounded on James. ¡°And what about you? You said we could be used as hostages. Where is that forethought and planning now?¡± ¡°I was just offering my observations.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Besides, it is not like we have a solution. Do you think they''d cancel the banishment if we asked the other students?¡± ¡°No one will listen to us.¡± Said James. ¡°Didn¡¯t you notice? Students below the fourth year weren¡¯t allowed to vote.¡± ¡°A deliberate way to exclude people.¡± Said Shin bitterly. ¡°They say that a student council exists for the students, and yet they don¡¯t count the first three years.¡± ¡°Okay, I can accept that. but not one of you thought of visiting him, did you?¡± he asked. They all turned their eyes away. ¡°I can¡¯t believe you call yourselves his friends. That is no way to treat him; we should visit him.¡± ¡°I completely agree.¡± Said Daphne, who walked up to the group with her friends and Maria and Liang. Suraj was also with them. Josh notes that the boy seems to be adapting very well to the life of the Academy. He also thinks it was a bad idea to argue right in the middle of the ground. ¡°I do think we should visit him as a group. If nothing else, that should cheer him up.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Liang. ¡°In the forest, having some companions is the best thing. It can cheer you up.¡± ¡°Where¡¯s Avinash?¡± asked Raven, not seeing him anywhere in the group. ¡°He hasn¡¯t left his room much ever since that day.¡± Said Ravina, ¡°That is what I¡¯ve heard.¡± ¡°Whatever. If he wants to come, he is welcome. Otherwise, we¡¯ll go without him.¡± said Josh. Everyone agreed. ¡°But when should we go?¡± asked Maria. ¡°Whenever we like.¡± Said Josh. ¡°If you¡¯re worried about classes, then maybe you shouldn¡¯t think of going into the forest.¡± Raven drags him away. ¡°Please forgive him. He is¡­¡± he trailed off. ¡°Nah, he is right.¡± Said Maria. ¡°Today is too late. We¡¯ll go in the afternoon to visit him, even if we have to bunk our classes.¡±

Part 2.

A seven-year-old child is assigned some homework, to write an essay on Koel birds. This child is, of course, Hatori when he was young. When he brought the essay up after writing it on his computer and printing it the next day, it caused huge outrage. Instead of writing the assigned essay from the book, which was expected, he wrote his thoughts about Koels, which were less than charitable. But all the reasons that he wrote for not liking the birds were presented with sources, which he searched for yesterday. In summary, the essay stated these reasons for not liking Koels: they are admired by humans for their voice; poets write about them all the time, which ends up in the school books, and Hatori doesn¡¯t like to study those poems; the said poets insult crows for their voices, even though they are intelligent birds; and Koel places its eggs on other bird¡¯s nest, and when they hatch, the chicks push the original chicks and remaining eggs out. This essay hurt the sentiment of the language teacher, and as a result, she cut his marks for that essay. His father tried to convince her, but she did not listen. The matter reached the principal of the school, who concluded that the essay contained nothing offensive; and the question did not state that the essays must strictly be written from the books assigned by the school. Thus, Hatori got his marks, but the teacher never talked to him and refused to even grade him properly, something for which she got fired later. After the whole incident, Hatori sits in his room, feeling ich on his neck, as if someone is targeting him for an attack. With a start, he wakes up from the dream and retaliates with a fireball. He just took a small nap, and his half-constructed camp was surrounded by spirits. Separating the spirits with a Fire Blast, he burns a few of them with Flamethrower. For a moment, he wonders how a spirit can be burned, but he discards the thought, as more attacks come his way. As long as he can make them disappear, he doesn¡¯t care about anything else. The remaining spirits regroup and rush at him. Hatori retaliates with more fire spells, regretting his lack of transmutation knowledge. He would have loved to do something like turn the ground swampy; at least it would have gotten rid of the spirits on the ground. This forest is part of the wider habitat, where all sorts of creatures from around the world are held, and studied in their natural environment. But this particular part of the forest is isolated, for the creatures got out of control here, and it was sealed off for the students. Apparently, not for the banished students. The animals haven¡¯t caused Hatori any trouble; they appear very rarely, anyway. Spirits and shadows, however, have caused tons of problems. This is much more brutal than the module running in Zeko¡¯s house; at least that one scales in difficulty with his skills. But here, there¡¯s no scaling whatsoever. He always gets attacked by large groups of spirits and shadows, which move so fast that they feel like smoke to him. He feels like this module is not for training anyone. Instead, it is a quiet way of killing someone, and we call it training. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Some of them possess trees, and Hatori had to survive many attempts at strangling by vines. In the few days Hatori has spent here, he has only been able to construct his camp halfway. Each time he starts on something, he gets attacked, and sometimes, a part that he constructed before falls apart in the battle. Many times, he cried in his sleep. People say that children should not face any difficulties beyond them, but he often feels like he is playing the game of life in a hard setting by default ever since birth, while others get to cruise along with easy or beginner difficulty. At least his skill with magic seems to be improving fast. He can think of starting with advanced topics already since he has gotten a lot of insights from these battles. He¡¯ll start with transmutation and his continuous improvement with lightning. And then wing things from there. Of course, this leaves a very bitter taste in his mouth, since he couldn¡¯t forget the death of Karasu. He didn¡¯t even get a chance of coming to grips with his death, that he was banished. Each time he thinks of that little chick, a pit of anger burns in his stomach. It is always burning, but its flairs into an inferno when he thinks about Karasu. Hatori hears some crunching footsteps, and before his senses can catch up, he lobs multiple fireballs at the sound. He then realizes that it¡¯s just his friends. Fortunately, all four of his friends were familiar with his paranoia, so when they dove out of the way, this serves as a signal for others. Liang drags Suraj down with him, while the fireballs sale over their head. Fortunately, they landed where there was nothing to burn; otherwise, they could have been looking at a forest fire. ¡°We come to meet you by bunking our classes, and that¡¯s how you greet us?¡± Said Shin from under James. ¡°And get off me already.¡± He hurls him off him and gets up with bells in his hair tingling. ¡°Yeah, sorry about that.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°This place is worse than Zeko¡¯s house.¡± All four of them shivered. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me, right?¡± Said Raven. ¡°And you¡¯ve managed to survive here already for four days?¡± ¡°What¡¯s the module?¡± asked Maria. One quick explanation later, they also realize the graveness of the situation. But lacking the same direct experience as the four boys who had lived at Zeko¡¯s house, they did not show much horror through their body language. ¡°Suraj,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Nice to see you. but you shouldn¡¯t come here, aside from the spirits; there are dangerous animals here.¡± ¡°How do you know that there are dangerous animals here?¡± asked Suraj. ¡°I didn¡¯t hear anything or sense anything on our way here.¡± ¡°That in itself is a sign.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°A forest is full of sounds, whether it is bugs or birds chirping, or some animals making noises. But nothing like that here, aside from trees and leaves making a sound.¡± ¡°That is indeed scary.¡± Said Liang. ¡°Though why not go to a safer place?¡± He asked. ¡°It is not like they can tell you where to go.¡± ¡°They can.¡± Said Hatori sadly. ¡°I tried camping in some safer areas, the forest outside of this dangerous place. But the students attacked me there, and I had to run here.¡± ¡°That is just cruelty. You¡¯re already banished, and they dare to attack you like this?¡± raged Maria. ¡°At least you guys came to meet me.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Hello, Daphne, Ravina. I hope we could have met in some better place.¡± ¡°Yeah, me too.¡± They said together. ¡°The idea of coming here to meet you was hers,¡± said Suraj. ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You know, you can ask us anything. Anything you need, we will bring it to you here.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Not much.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Just bring me books from the library, and come to meet with me once in a while,¡± said Hatori.

Part 3.

Avinash is depressed. How can he show his face to anyone? He just sat in silence, while a great injustice was done right in front of him. Porus would have turned the entire hall into a pile of ash to prove his point. How can he call himself the future king, the one who will defeat Porus, and start the new age of magic, when he can¡¯t even defend his sort of friend from injustice? ¡°Sulking is no way to become a king.¡± Said Tom, his muscular friend. Tom comes from the same background as Shin, an orphan, though they have different orphanages. Though his other two friends come from high families, Avinash is grateful that they do not mind including Tom in their group. Partly because he is just so good at fighting, and partly because he sees certain solutions which they do not consider due to their experiences. And partly, he likes the boy, because, unlike his two other friends, he is the only one who has enough guts to drag him out of his room to cure his depression. ¡°Don¡¯t sulk. Instead, learn from this. Why were you forced to sit in silence?¡± he asked. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t have any power, magical or political.¡± Avinash doesn¡¯t like to admit this, but that is what it is. ¡°The magical power will come to you.¡± Said Tom. ¡°Work on your political power. You won¡¯t become king alone, or just by the help of the three of us. You¡¯ll need more people.¡± Said Tom. ¡°Once you¡¯ve got political power, then you can stop injustices like that one from happening again.¡±

Part 4.

Professor Krodhatma is teaching how to write the common words of a normal language in runes. ¡°And now, we will write synonyms for anger. Irate, rage, furious¡ª¡± ¡°Mad.¡± One student couldn¡¯t resist speaking that out loud. The rest of the class glairs at him, while the professor begins to rage. ¡°NO. Not Mad, angry! Angry is what is angry, do you hear me? No madness here, Only Anger and Angry Runes! ¡°The class was let out early. But that is nothing new when it comes to Krodhatma. Other professors are often amazed that students never fail the rune exams, despite how many times he has to let out classes early due to their anger problems. (End.) Chapter 76 Chapter 76.

Part 1.

It has been two weeks since Hatori¡¯s banishment, and Raven is making his weekly deliveries of things to him. The first week, he delivered clothes, and the second week, he is delivering the lightning spells. His friend is looking more and more like a barbarian, with tattered clothes, and unkempt hair, not to mention acquiring scars from the fights with the shadows and spirits. He doesn¡¯t seem to have suffered any serious injuries so far, aside from bruises and scrapes. ¡°Wow. Looks like you haven¡¯t bathed in months.¡± He said, taking a seat outside of the now-completed camp. The entire thing looks like it will fall apart at any moment, but Hatori is not exactly known for his woodwork. Currently, he is roasting some fish on the fire outside. The location is marked with a recent battle; no doubt the spirits and shadows attacked him before his arrival. ¡°I don¡¯t have easy access to the shower now.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®Even his voice sounds warned out.¡¯ Said Raven. Apart from exhaustion, his voice has not seen much use these past two weeks. There¡¯s no one to talk to in this forest, apart from a few visits from his friends. ¡°Anyway, I brought the spells you wanted. The library didn¡¯t allow me to take the books out, so I copied them using a spell,¡± said Raven, handing the small books to Hatori. These books contain basic lightning spells and their inner details. None of them are more than fifty pages long, and most of the pages are taken up by images. Raven is amazed, though, that even in his bad condition, Hatori wishes to improve himself. ¡®Looks like I''ve got another reason to push myself hard.¡¯ Thinks Raven. After all, if Hatori can think of improving himself out here in the wilderness, then he doesn¡¯t have an excuse. ¡°How¡¯s everyone doing?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Oh, you know. The usual.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Josh is pissed. Yesterday, he nearly busted the head of this other boy from a different group, the same year as us, by the way.¡± ¡°Want the fish?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m still learning to cook.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll try your cooking in a proper kitchen, thanks.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Fair enough.¡± Said Hatori, taking a bite from the fish. ¡°Hmm. This one seems to have cooked nicely. I think I should find some local plants to spice things up. What do you say?¡± ¡°Just be careful of poison.¡± Sighed Raven. Since he doesn¡¯t have anyone to talk to, Hatori turns chatty when someone visits him. They don¡¯t mind, since he doesn¡¯t talk about annoying topics, like homework, for example. Instead, he mostly asks about how things are going in their lives, and how he is adjusting to this murderous place. ¡°I¡¯ll bring you books about eatable plants in this area. Next time.¡± Said Raven. ¡°And yes, I won¡¯t forget the rune books you¡¯ve asked for.¡± ¡°Thanks, man,¡± said Hatori, not sure what else he could say. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it.¡± Raven then walks away, leaving Hatori alone to face the forest. Each time he comes here, it gets harder to leave. Hatori takes a look at the spells. Raven wouldn¡¯t be able to copy these books if they were not in the public domain. How amusing that mages have copyright. ¡®I wonder how they enforce it?¡¯ Getting rid of the distracting thought with a shake of his head, Hatori focuses on his plan. Improve his magic, learn lightning element spells, learn runes, find a way into the academy, invade it, and take revenge. Though how will he exactly invade the Academy and take revenge while being outnumbered, he has not thought about it yet.

Part 2.

Hatori is sneaking in the night to the Academy. the one advantage of magic sense is that he can sense things around him without moving his head, which means no one would look at him suspiciously for swiveling his head this or that way. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. Sneaking into the Academy can be dangerous. For all he knows, there might be some wards to keep out banished students like him, the only one in the last twenty years. But he must test it all the same; after all, it is also possible that there are no such wards. Putting himself directly in harm''s way is the only way to test it. So he continues to move and finally reaches the grounds. When he steps on the ground, nothing happens. He tries moving forward, ready to run should something attack him or if someone sees him, but nothing happens. Hatori wanted to test it further by actually going inside, but he decides not to risk it. Besides, if something was supposed to happen to him, it would have happened to him already. So he goes back to his camp, where he will get some uneasy sleep. As long as the module in the forest is active, he won¡¯t get an easy sleep. He did not know that Corvus was observing him from his office. It is true, there are wards to keep the banished students out. But they come under his authority. No amount of democratic process can force him. The only way to do that is to fight him to death. But the Academy won¡¯t survive that anyway. Democracy does not exist in the mage world. Only a strong rule here, and he is the strongest of them all.

Part 3.

Suraj comes to visit Hatori. ¡°I see you¡¯re getting brave.¡± Praised Hatori. ¡°You can¡¯t call it brave when everything runs from you.¡± Said Suraj. ¡°The spirits observe everyone who comes here, but only attack you.¡± ¡°Just my luck.¡± Said Hatori, biting the apple which Suraj brought him. He also brought him some other things to eat besides fruits. ¡°You know, I haven¡¯t eaten something this good in a while. thanks for that.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± With a loud explosion, several spirits came into the camp. ¡°I think you should leave now.¡± Said Hatori. Thankfully, Suraj listens, and leaves without arguing. After he cleaned the spirits, Hatori leaves for a walk. During his wandering, he comes across a bee hive. Some wasps came there, and Hatori expected them to attack the bee hive. But instead, they just exchanged a few things between them and then left. This baffles Hatori. Shouldn¡¯t they be trying to kill each other? ¡°Normally, yes.¡± Said a voice in his head. Hatori looks around, looks like living alone is getting to him. ¡°But we have evolved, a side effect of the experiments done on us.¡± Not a hallucination then. ¡°Who are you?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Why can¡¯t I sense you?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m hidden deep within my hive.¡± Said the voice. ¡°I¡¯m the queen of this hive.¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Said Hatori. Though he does not dare go any closer. ¡°You seem like someone new. If you need some help, feel free to ask. We will try to perform that task for you, for a price.¡± Said the queen. ¡°Well, I do have some ideas.¡± Said Hatori. He shares the said ideas. ¡°Hmm. It can be done, not a problem. But you must bring me juices from the flowers around here. You are bigger than us. I suspect you can speed up the process of collection for us.¡± Said the queen. ¡°Deal!¡± said Hatori. ¡°I believe this is the start of a beautiful business relationship, as you humans like to say.¡± Hatori laughs after hearing that. Now, he must know how exactly this queen is speaking in his head directly, without even coming out. He is sure that the entire conversation was between her and him, and no one else heard a thing. The plan he has concocted is a test run. If everything turns out well, he might have a chance of pulling off the invasion of the Academy, and forcing them to reverse his banishment, despite the numbers advantage. (End.) Chapter 77 Chapter 77.

Part 1.

It is a peaceful weekend. Birds are chirping, the rain has recently stopped, so the temperature is quite pleasant, and the glare of the sun is not very harsh. A soft breeze ruffles people¡¯s hair, and puppies are loved everywhere. I did not get paid enough to narrate this. Some couples are even out on the ground, strolling around the stream, or resting (read: flirting) under the trees. This peace is disrupted by a horrible sound which is enough to evoke primal fear in any creature who is smart enough to recognize the incoming danger. However, the students on the ground couldn¡¯t rise from their peaceful fog fast enough. A cloud of bees comes, and a stampede starts to get away quickly. Suddenly, the sun has left the sky, the breeze seems not so soft anymore, and innocent puppies are kicked everywhere. And I¡¯m paid a lot to narrate this. The students do remember that they are mages, and no bug is going to threaten them. As soon as they take out their foci, and begin to cast spells, the bees leave for the forest from the other side of the ground. The paranoid ones suggested that this must be someone¡¯s plan, but the normal people dismissed it as nothing more than a freak occurrence. Though they do give sympathy to those unlucky ones who received the sting of the bees.

Part 2.

Hatori halls the bucket in which he collected the juices of the flowers from nearby. The queen gave him the list of flowers, the juice of which she wanted in advance. He didn¡¯t have any problems finding those flowers, since the list was transferred to his mind directly. He still doesn¡¯t understand how exactly this entire thing works. The colony seems to be buzzing quite actively today. As he stops on the edge, maintaining his usual distance, the queen greets him. ¡°I see you¡¯ve collected more juice than I asked for.¡± For a moment Hatori thought about asking how did she know that, she couldn¡¯t have calculated that with just a glance, from wherever she is in the hive (most likely in the very center) but he instead decides to ask a different question. ¡°Is there something special going on today?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes indeed. Quite perceptive of you to pick it up just by the sounds of our wings.¡± Said the queen. ¡°The wasp queen is here to sign a new business deal with me. She will join us in a few moments.¡± A few moments later, the wasp queen joins the conversation. ¡°Ah, thanks for connecting me to the conversation,¡± Hatori notes the difference in the voice of both queens. ¡°Anyway, can we conclude our deal?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Of course. You¡¯ve collected what I wanted, and you got what you wanted.¡± Said the queen. ¡°Is there anything else?¡± ¡°Well, I was thinking. I could collect more juice for you, but I need your soldiers again.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That is why you collected more juice, didn¡¯t you? It is true, you humans are quite good at business.¡± Said the bee queen. ¡°Very well, I accept this arrangement.¡± ¡°Yes, and we would like to be a part of this arrangement as well.¡± said the wasp queen. ¡°Okay. Do tell me what other items you need. I suspect you don¡¯t need this flower juice.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though I warn you, this could be dangerous. Your soldiers can die.¡± ¡°That is fine.¡± Said both queens. ¡°We accept that danger each time we send them outside anyway. Besides, a colony cannot grow without risks.¡± After the new deal was struck, Hatori walked away clutching his head. Having this mind conversation thing with two queens simultaneously can be quite painful. In the night, Hatori sneaks into the Academy, where most students are busy stuffing their faces in the mess hall, while he has to make do with whatever he could get in the forest. Tamping down on his resentment, he is dismayed to find that some students have decided to forget the food and study their subjects in the library. Luckily, no one looks at him in the library carefully enough, due to the low light which is usually present in the room, and due to the general busyness of everyone else. Hatori finds some body modification runes. These were supposed to be taught to them by their fourth and fifth years in conjunction with the rituals which went with them. But Hatori does not have time to follow the standard curriculum. He needs power, and he needs it now. The queens have agreed to supply soldiers for him to experiment upon since the loss of a few hundred wasps or bees is no big deal to them. the colony produces thousands of them by every day, given the season of monsoon going on right now. Copying the booklets, Hatori finds some texts on earth elements just for good measure. All the works were in public, so no nasty effects struck him for copying these texts. Sneaking out of the library, he goes to his room and finds the new set of clothes. These are the last pair of clothes he has. Once they are gone, he might need to contact Zeko for help. He is not certain whether the Academy will interfere if he decides to help him or not. Sneaking out of the Academy, he cut close. Everyone has eaten dinner, and they are now looking forward to walks or other things which people do after eating dinner. Hatori never understood the point of making a group, and then going for a walk, chatting about mindless things. ¡®Give me time. They¡¯ll have a lot to chat about.¡¯ He promised himself. He takes a look at the notes. Maybe he could have asked Raven to bring him these, but this operation did two things. First, it let him know that he can come and go into the Academy whenever he pleases; and second, there are no effects for going there. ¡®I¡¯ll find the kitchen next time.¡¯

Part 3.

Shin has made himself part of the underground delivery business. For now, he is nothing more than a delivery boy. But he plans to gain influence through this position slowly and take over the entire operation. Currently, he is going to find out why exactly one of the people in charge has called for him since they do not meet directly. Lucky for him, today is the day of the Sun, so he won¡¯t have to worry about skipping his classes or his training for this meeting. Not that classes are that important, apart from the music one. Hatori has turned them into such bad kids. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website. ¡°Yo boss!¡± he said, opening the door of this room, which is currently in use by the older student of the syndicate, who has generously given this place for the current meeting. ¡°You?¡± said Josh. ¡°You?¡± said Shin. ¡°So, you¡¯re the guy in charge, huh?¡± Said Shin, taking a seat. His sensing is not as good as Hatori''s, but he doesn¡¯t sense anyone else in the room. ¡°Yeah. A big order arrived, someone wants some modification potions urgently.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Probably some power-hungry maniac.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Maybe. But we don¡¯t care about that. if you do this successfully, and me vouching for you¡­¡± said Josh. ¡°Hmm. I like the way you think. Should I leave immediately?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Yes. Do be careful, the contents are very dangerous.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Got it,¡± said Shin. Arriving outside of the ground ten minutes early, Shin waits. He has lost the fear of the outside by going to meet Hatori repeatedly. Not to mention, witnessing brutal attacks which are somehow worse than Zeko¡¯s house. It also helps that he has grown strong, and crippling some older bullies does the confidence wonder. Footsteps crunch on the dirt, and Shin is ready with his foci, and a song on his lips. The music lessons serve him well should the situation devolve. ¡°Hatori?¡± he blurted out. ¡°I see your senses have improved.¡± Said Hatori, coming into sight. ¡°So, you¡¯re the client?¡± asked Shin. ¡°And you are the delivery guy.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Here are the plants I promised to pay with.¡± He brings out a large sack of plants collected from the forest. Potions enthusiasts will pay with actual gold to get their hands on those ingredients; murder is also on the table. Though trying to murder Hatori won¡¯t end well. Shin hasn¡¯t seen him for a while, since Raven is the one going to the forest most of the time. He described their friend as looking more and more wilder with each visit, but it has to be seen to be believed. Though his hair seems to be fine, not unkempt as Raven described. ¡°You don¡¯t know how to sow, do you?¡± asked Shin. ¡°I tried, but I nearly punctured my thumb.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°The needle was perfect though.¡± ¡°Yeah, don¡¯t do that. You might get an infection out there. I¡¯ll give you some sowing spells.¡± Said Shin. ¡°And yeah, here¡¯s your delivery. Nice to do business with you.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°If your business needs a goon, drop me a call.¡± With those final words, Hatori departs. Shin also understands what Raven talked about, when he tells them it gets harder and harder to leave him behind to the mercy of that desolate forest. Needless to say, he did not appreciate the feeling. Getting back from the delivery, he presents an idea to Josh. ¡°What do you think about causing a massacre in some safer areas?¡± ¡°To provide Hatori with a safe place, I assume.¡± Said Josh. ¡°It could work. But did you consider one thing?¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Do you think Hatori will come to safer areas?¡± asked Josh. ¡°He likes to polish his skill by putting himself in dangerous situations. And that place is as dangerous as it can get without the older students or the professors.¡± ¡°But¡­¡± Shin wanted to protest, but the words died on his tongue. ¡°Look, I¡¯m sure he has a plan to come back and overturn this banishment.¡± Said Josh. ¡°And when he needs our help, he¡¯ll tell us. Until then, we can only help him indirectly.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to like this, though,¡± said Shin. ¡°Yeah, me neither.¡± Josh agreed with Shin.

Part 4.

Aside from visiting Hatori in the forest, Raven has slowly formed a group of his own with students like himself who are not cursed like Shin, but who are not from the upper families. Currently, it is mostly of Suraj and his friends from the lower classes, and the Singh twins and some other students of the same years as them, just from different sections. For now, this might not look much, but Raven is slowly collecting his pieces. They will serve him well in future conflicts. Of course, occasionally Maria and Liang also meet with this group, but they never associate with them in public. ¡®This sounds like a badly written story with kids doing politics.¡¯ He sighed in his head, while Ranveer made his next move on the board, while Bhavani and Suraj ran around trying to tag each other. Ranveer is proving to be quite a strategist, challenging Raven not only on the board but beyond that as well, proving his talent does not lie only in solving chess problems. He can use those brain muscles to solve real-world problems. Raven personally considers making the Singh twins join this group as a big scoop. The Singhs are a disjointed group, fierce like the lions, after which they are named, and equally brutal. Many times in the past, they have proven to be stronger than upper families, despite not being rich like them.

Part 5.

Elsewhere, a telepathic conversation is taking place nearby Hatori¡¯s camp. if someone were to come at this moment and see the current scene, they will see a snake hanging from a tree, while an elephant looks with focus at the snake without moving. ¡®You observed him. didn¡¯t you?¡¯ asked the elephant. ¡®Of course.¡¯ The snake sways in the wind. ¡®I do think we should approach him. he already dealt with the wasps and bees.¡¯ Both of them shivered. Never would they get greedy for honey. ¡®And if he proves untrustworthy, I can always gore him with my tusks.¡¯ Said the elephant while lumbering away. ¡®Such a brutal man. no class at all.¡¯ muttered the snake. Their entire conversation is mental, for they do not have the right vocal cords to communicate these complex thoughts, not to mention, shrieking and hissing at each other, is so old fashion. Only humans with a lack of imagination can describe snakes hissing these days. After all, a snake does more than just hiss. (End.) Chapter 78 Chapter 78.

Part 1.

Josh comes to Hatori with food. Suraj has told them that Hatori likes the food from the Academy, likely because he has nothing better to eat in the forest. Of course, they all took this advice and started to bring him food. Suraj is a good boy. They should watch out for him more in the dangerous corridors of the Academy. ¡°Yo.¡± Said Josh. ¡°How¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°Just carving.¡± Said Hatori, reading from a book. ¡°Do I smell something good?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Josh hands him the food. ¡°Sorry, could only bring you some boiled eggs.¡± ¡°Not a problem.¡± Said Hatori. Josh knows that while his friend looks calm, he is very angry from the inside. One would think, what does it matter, after all, thousands of birds die every day. But they don¡¯t die under the boot of cruel humans, squashed right in front of you, while you¡¯re unable to help. That is why they recite in their heads over and over again. As for his friends, when he decides to strike out, they will be by his side. They won¡¯t just sit back, and see him getting kicked around, like they did during his banishment. ¡°So. Tell me something. Have you cried?¡± asked Josh. ¡°What?¡± Hatori stopped chewing the egg for a moment. He then resumes eating. ¡°I don¡¯t know what you¡¯re talking about. I haven¡¯t cried since I was first brought here.¡± ¡°No, I mean, have you grieved properly?¡± asked Josh. Swallowing his egg, Hatori sits unmoving for a moment, and then tears leak from the corner of his eye sockets. ¡°No. I haven¡¯t.¡± He then finds himself suddenly enveloped in a hug by Josh, where he cries for a few moments. After a few minutes, though, he resumes his previous calm state. ¡°I won¡¯t cry much yet. The day that professor useless pays the price for this plan, then I¡¯ll cry to my heart¡¯s content.¡± ¡°How do you know it was him?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Convenient.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Five students came and kidnapped Karasu. I kill them, and the very next day, I¡¯m banished for presenting a danger to students, while in reality, they are a danger to themselves. My kill count is very low compared to older students.¡± ¡°Yeah, and most of them are no doubt killing students of low birth at any moment.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Exactly. So, I think he was behind it. I had this entire month and a half to think about this. And I do think I¡¯m right.¡± ¡°Yes, I also think you¡¯re right. Just be careful, you¡¯re about to fight a professor.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ll go now,¡± said Josh, getting up. ¡°Once you get back, I¡¯ll duel you. I¡¯ll prove that I¡¯m stronger than you.¡± ¡°Keep telling yourself that,¡± said Hatori with a chuckle.

Part 2.

In the evening, Hatori is trying to conjure up water. If he can bring fire before using fire-related spells, then he fails to see why he can¡¯t do the same for water. Currently, the process is proving to be very difficult. The water doesn¡¯t last long, and if he succeeds in conjuring permanent water, it exhausts him badly. He thought of actually extracting water from the air, but apparently, it is harder than conjuring¡­ go figure. Once more he moves his foci to conjure water, but footsteps interrupt him. Judging from the sound, these aren¡¯t spirits coming to attack him. They usually sneak up on him, with only the slight rustling of the leaves to give them away. He senses the magic and finds out it is Avinash. ¡°Well, look who showed up,¡± said Hatori, putting his foci next to him. ¡°Yeah, I thought you''d say that,¡± said Avinash. Hatori didn¡¯t expect to hear that. maybe a snide remark, but not quiet acceptance. ¡°Hmm. What is up with you? Usually, you are full of fire.¡± ¡°What¡¯s the point of that?¡± He takes the seat in front of Hatori, sitting cross-legged just like him. ¡°I claim to be the future king. And yet, I sat quietly as a mouse, just watching what happened to you.¡± ¡°To be honest, everyone did that.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And the reality is, I would have done the same things. We are still kids, believe it or not, just twelve years old, who are stuck playing adult games.¡± ¡°But it shook me up badly.¡± Confessed Avinash. ¡°Then do something about it.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You will face even more difficulties in your life in the future, king, or not. If you crumble like that, then what¡¯s the point of living?¡± ¡°How do you live with this humiliation then?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Revenge.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Once that is done, I¡¯ll find another reason to live. You don¡¯t need one sole reason in your life; life is long. You should change your goals accordingly.¡± Avinash chuckles. ¡°Look at you, advising like a sage.¡± ¡°What do you know, I even live in a forest.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Listen, just visit me once in a while. I need some human ragdoll to beat every once in a while.¡± ¡°As if. You will be the one who will be beaten like a rag doll.¡± Looks like the fire has returned. As Avinash leaves, Hatori goes back to his water conjuration. He goes back within himself to examine his magic, wishing for no more interruptions. He sees his magic twisting and contorting, while he tries to conjure the water. The ocean within him also seems angry at the way he is trying to perform this bit of magic, though Hatori thinks it is more of a sign of his frustration. So far, he has conjured the water with foci; the place around him is wet as a result. ¡®Maybe I should try to do it without my staff? Let¡¯s see how hard it is.¡¯ Hatori immediately starts to work on this new idea. He has no fear of getting attacked in his unconscious state. The spirits seems to not want him dead; for they do attack him in his sleep; but they never harm him in his unconscious state. Unusually, the magic seems to flow naturally, instead of twisting and contorting; and his ocean seems calm, instead of twisting currents of water. He manages to conjure water, lots of water. He soon loses control over it and ends up causing a small flood. He decides to not practice this magic near his camp; only luck has saved his camp from getting waterlogged. After drying himself, he goes to sleep. Conjuring his hard. Maybe he will try transmutation once he is awake; the combat applications of that art are countless. ¡®My magic seems to be responding better without my staff. I need to test this further.¡¯ But for now, it is time for sleep.

Part 3.

The snake sneaks up into the camp, an easy task given there is no protection to bar him from entering. Besides, the snakes are hard to stop anyway, once they decide to get in. The sooner stupid humans learn, the better. Now, he must find out whether this human is smart enough to recognize what kind of opportunity he is getting or not. ¡®Looks like he¡¯s awake, judging by his breathing patterns.¡¯ The snake doesn¡¯t have to get close to recognizing the breathing pattern of Hatori. ¡®Yo! How are you doing?¡¯ greeted the snake mentally. ¡°Fine.¡± Mumbled Hatori, not wanting to move more than necessary. That water-conjuring training was more exhausting than he thought. He suddenly loses the fog of sleep and recognizes a big scaly thing in his camp, right below his makeshift bed. Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHHH!¡± he screamed, while an isolated part of his brain noted he needs to learn some softening spells to make his bed more comfortable. Surprised by the sudden noise, the snake shrieked equally loudly, though mentally. Out loud, he hissed, and half of his body suddenly shot up. sensing this sudden action on the snake¡¯s part, Hatori shrieks even more in fear, whereas the snake calms down. ¡®So, am I bigger than you? Since you¡¯re so scared of me?¡¯ he asked. ¡°Probably.¡± Said Hatori, realizing that the snake is just like those wasps and bees. ¡®Also, you can communicate without flapping your lips, you know.¡¯ He spoke. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do that yet.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®Don¡¯t worry. You¡¯ll learn soon enough.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®By the way, what a nice place you have there, nice, cozy, warm.¡¯ ¡°Why are you here?¡± asked Hatori, taking the lotus position on his makeshift bed. Calling it a bed is an insult to proper beds. It is a wonder that it hasn¡¯t fallen apart already. ¡®Ah yes, to business.¡¯ The snake assumes a serious pose, complete with a rigid form. ¡®I and my associate wish to help you. We¡¯ve heard about your sinister plans regarding that strange place for young and old humans alike. We wish to help you, for we have our grudges against them.¡¯ ¡°Okay?¡± Hatori doesn¡¯t know what to make of this. ¡®Of course, we will also offer ourselves as subjects, should you wish to improve us with magic.¡¯ said the snake. ¡°Interesting.¡± Before Hatori could say anything else, he senses a large form coming to his camp, and the said form barrels down on the camp, breaking the front portion entirely. Hatori recognizes the familiar shriek; he has heard it a lot on Animal Planet back home. Usually, when this shriek is heard by humans, it is a signal for future pain. The snake is yelling at the elephant, however. ¡®Things were proceeding nicely before you decided to blunder up here, you inconsiderate brute!¡¯ ¡®I will test this fucking human.¡¯ Said the elephant. ¡®Now, survive against me!¡¯ ¡°Ga!¡± Hatori moves out of the way. His camp is destroyed entirely. ¡°There goes my entire camp,¡± he said sadly. ¡®You have more important things to worry about, weakling.¡¯ Said the elephant, trying to swat Hatori with his trunk. Working on his instincts, he shoots up some water at the trunk, causing the elephant to cough, while the snake laughed in amusement. ¡®You¡¯re lucky it wasn¡¯t a fire. We would be looking at an elephant with a burned trunk otherwise!¡¯ ¡®You asshole. You¡¯ll pay for that, you hear me, you fucking¡ª¡¯ The elephant¡¯s cursing is stopped by the awful-smelling potion held under its trunk by Hatori. ¡®Oh, my fucking god, what the hell is that, it is just not done, you cunt!¡¯ The snake couldn¡¯t stop laughing. ¡®Have you got enough? The human isn¡¯t even using any magic at this point.¡¯ ¡®Fine.¡¯ Grumbled the elephant. ¡®But I¡¯ll remember that smell, mock my words, you¡¯re fucked, you hear me?¡¯ ¡°Whatever.¡± Said Hatori, too exhausted to care. ¡°Please, let me sleep, and we can discuss this later.¡± He then realizes that his camp is destroyed. ¡°Dammit.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t worry, take a nap under those trees. We will guard you.¡¯ said the snake. ¡®Sure. Whatever.¡¯ Said the elephant, and goes to graze on the grass nearby.

Part 4.

After taking a nap, Hatori goes to show the elephant and snake the modified wasps and bees. ¡°As you can see,¡± he casts a Slicer on one soldier. ¡°They have some magic resistance.¡± ¡®Yeah, but that alone won¡¯t do shit.¡¯ Said the elephant. ¡°True. But remember, their real power is in a group. Imagine, a large group of these, resistant to magic, able to utilize some spells for themselves. They will be a great force.¡± Hatori explains his vision. ¡®That is a powerful force indeed.¡¯ Said snake. ¡®We barely survived them previously. We won¡¯t survive the entire hive with such powers.¡¯ ¡®Yes.¡¯ Said the elephant with a grim tone. ¡°Yeah, but only these few soldiers have these special properties. Not the entire hive. Not to mention, this is just some basic modification. I could do more with runes and rituals, but they require time to prepare, not to mention, I will have to carve every single one of them.¡± Hatori explains the difficulties. ¡°Coupled with my training, I don¡¯t have enough time, and have too many things to do.¡± ¡®The challenge of life.¡¯ Commiserated snake. ¡°I do have some ingredients. I will immediately start brewing these potions, once everything goes well.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Until then, you will have to wait for your modifications.¡± ¡®Don¡¯t worry, we can wait.¡¯ Said snake and Hatori left. The soldiers go back to their hive, while the elephant and snake discuss the possibility and the terror. ¡®imagine if those aunts got something like that.¡¯ said the snake. ¡®Don¡¯t fucking mention it. don¡¯t even think about it. somethings are way too pants-shitting terrifying in this world.¡¯ Sneaking into the Academy, Hatori finds Sultan and Professor Dhiraj in their lab, packing their equipment, while some potions are left to simmer overnight. ¡°I know you¡¯re there, boy. I can sense you.¡± Hatori becomes visible. ¡°Corvus has not put up the wards to keep you out,¡± said Dhiraj. ¡°How did you know it was me specifically?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Magic.¡± Sultan snickers at that response. ¡°More specifically, the magic of the lightning element. You are practicing that, aren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But I¡¯m here to brew these potions.¡± He hands the list to the professor. ¡°Can I use your lab again?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to ask.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Though be warned, these potions are exceptionally difficult to brew. I suggest you talk to your friends to deliver them; you won¡¯t be able to brew them by yourself here.¡± ¡°Thought so.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Do be careful.¡± Said Sultan, after taking a look at the list. ¡°Self-modification and rituals of power can be quite dangerous, especially at your age. There¡¯s a reason why they are not taught at your age.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But we also understand you don¡¯t have a choice.¡± Added Dhiraj. ¡°Just be careful; it would hurt Krodhatma to lose a student like you.¡±

Part 5.

Speaking of Krodhatma, he is dreaming about his banishment two months ago. It reminds him of his alienation from academia, due to coming from a low-birth background. His theory of runes is never accepted, and people express doubt about his abilities, calling him a thief for ripping off the works of other, proper mages from proper families. People often think that he is angry because his runes don¡¯t work on the first try. Far from it. He is furious that someone who could excel in the language of symbols, and who has developed several theories to advance the field further, is constantly mocked. He is even allowed to teach here because Corvus believes in his talent. These events have turned him into a bitter man, who descents into ranting at the nearest mention of the word of madness related to himself. ¡°I¡¯m not mad. I¡¯m angry!¡± he mutters in his sleep. If it weren¡¯t for Dhiraj and his potions, his life would have ended a long time ago. Let¡¯s leave this tormented man to his sleep, shall we? (End.) Chapter 79 Chapter 79.

Part 1.

Hatori is working on the modification of the bee soldiers, recently done with the wasps. He had to explain to the wasp queen that her soldiers had reached the limits of the modifications he could offer and that she should consider using those soldiers in the general operations of her hive to see their performance. Currently, he is working on the bees to make them element-resistant. While it is true that you can¡¯t exactly make someone resistant to a rock bashing their head, it is possible to increase the tolerance of fire or electrocution. Done with carving the rune on the soldier¡¯s body, while the rest of the buzz in anticipation, Hatori motions the soldier to move at some distance. He will now try to light the soldier on fire. The Fireball has no effect, and the wet wings from the water dried up quickly enough. He then tries the lightning spell, a small nameless spell, to produce some shocks. The spell causes the soldier to fall to the ground hard, suffering the effects of electrocution. When he is modifying them, Hatori feels like a mad scientist. But when his experiments fail, he has to justify to his guilty conscience that they offered themselves. At least his recovery runes are working fine, as the soldier is up much too quickly for a bee that just got electrocuted. It also doesn¡¯t help that the soldiers themselves don¡¯t seem to mind; they have an almost careless disregard for their lives. They do not see themselves as expendable, though, instead seeing themselves as material for the bridge to the future, which will be built with their bodies. When he hears talk like that, Hatori feels depressed and goes into his camp to sulk. Meanwhile, the queens are having a conversation nearby. The wasp queen has shifted her hive near to the bees. This would have resulted in a war normally, but these are not normal bugs. They are successfully managing to distribute resources among their hives; thus, they do not see any reason to conflict with each other. It also helps that Hatori is giving them a study supply of flowers, allowing them to produce more honey. Now they have even started to supply it to other bees and wasps. ¡®I say this has turned into a profitable venture; wouldn¡¯t you say?¡¯ asked the bee queen. ¡®Indeed.¡¯ Agreed with the wasp queen. ¡®Though I worry for the human boy. He seems unable to accept our way of life, constantly worrying about the soldiers.¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll come around sooner or later. Humans are very adaptable.¡¯ Said the bee queen. ¡®He¡¯ll recognize that those soldiers and servants have one escape. And that is death.¡¯ ¡®That stands true for us as well.¡¯ reminded the wasp queen. ¡®I never said that it didn¡¯t.¡¯ Both queens buzzed in amusement. The snake and the elephant, the two new additions to the revenge coalition, watch the performance of the bees. ¡®You¡¯ve improved them even further. They weren¡¯t resistant to the elements before, just slightly faster and with more stamina.¡¯ ¡®I argue that is way too fucking much already.¡¯ Said the elephant. ¡®I mean, we should get a fair chance of running away, shouldn¡¯t we?¡¯ Hatori ignored the banter between the two. ¡°You two, you never told me why you wanted to help me.¡± ¡®And I¡¯m still not going to.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®But I fucking will.¡¯ Said the elephant. ¡®I remember how a bunch of young mages tampered with the fruits. When my mother bit into one of them, it exploded in her mouth. She was shocked so badly that she just went into a river, and died there. Later, I got captured by one of your professors who studies us. She left me in this forest with other wild elephants like myself. Soon, I established that I have the biggest dick around here, so I will rule. But I never forgot what happened to my mother.¡¯ ¡°I¡¯m just like those mages, you know.¡± Said Hatori, gathering his sharp instruments for cleaning. ¡®I know. But I don¡¯t care. You¡¯re not the one who killed my mother.¡¯ Said the elephant. ¡®And before you say it, yes, I know that those shit factories in there didn¡¯t do that either. But it makes no difference to me. My anger will be felt!¡¯ ¡®See, that is why I don¡¯t want to talk about my revenge. It turns into this melodramatic talk.¡¯ Said the snake, bored with the topic. ¡®Come here, and I¡¯ll show you melodramatic, spineless fuck!¡¯ roared the elephant, and went after the snake. Hatori sighed. One of these days, the elephant would end up squashing the snake by mistake. He¡¯ll be very sorry, or very happy that day. Hatori still hasn¡¯t got a good enough read upon his large questionable comrade to understand which one is more likely. They do seem to be friends of sorts, but sometimes, there¡¯s real venom in their spats. Poor kid, let me tell you. Most real friendships are like that. ¡®Whatever.¡¯ He thinks, done gathering his things. ¡®Once the potions are ready, I¡¯ll be ready to perform the ritual of power. that should allow them to cast spells, and I hopefully won¡¯t have to carve every single one of them, unless they request specific special modifications.''

Part 2.

James is working on his projects. Apart from taking care of the potions of Hatori, he is working on the optical designs for yantras, trying to understand how the vision works in those magical machines, and how it differs from human vision. This sometimes crosses the path with advanced subjects like alchemy, so he often comes to ask Professor Dhiraj some questions. ¡°Professor, tears do the job of cleaning the eyes, usually in humans. But what about yantras?¡± asked James. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Usually, the eyes of a yantra are quite, shall I say, stiff.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Not to mention, the yantras you¡¯ve worked with so far do not require advanced vision.¡± Chimed Sultan. ¡°Get back to work, slave!¡± roared Dhiraj. ¡°Do it yourself. I¡¯m not your slave!¡± fired back the apprentice. ¡°Getting back to the point.¡± Dhiraj ignores the humph of the Sultan. ¡°You might need some alchemic liquid to clean the optical organs in advance yantras.¡± However, he doesn¡¯t only need alchemic knowledge. ¡°Professor, what would be the best runes for vision-related work?¡± he asked Krodhatma. ¡°These are some angry! Runes you can use.¡± Said the angry professor. While he gives the list to James, he goes to Dhiraj. ¡°What is up with that boy? He¡¯s asking too many strange questions.¡± ¡°Indeed. His obsession with vision is also strange.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Do you two know why a third year came to me and asked me about planting yantra eyes into humans?¡± asked Healer Slaughter, joining both professors in Dhiraj¡¯s office. ¡°We¡¯ll find out soon enough.¡± Said Dhiraj cryptically. The door opens, and James sees all three adults sitting in one place. ¡°So, mind explaining why you are asking so many vision-related questions to all three of us?¡± asked Slaughter. ¡°We don¡¯t mind answering those questions.¡± Added Dhiraj. James sighed. ¡°Let me explain.¡± And he did a lot of explaining. Complete with a presentation of figures and progress he has achieved so far, and of course, the entire reason for doing this. ¡°Hmm.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°I haven¡¯t worked on something interesting for a while; tell you what kid, I¡¯ll help you out here.¡± ¡°Yeah, same for us. What do you say?¡± asked Dhiraj to Krodhatma. ¡°Of course. Though my limit is the symbol.¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°Anything more than that, you will have to rely on these two.¡±

Part 3.

Hatori is meditating, trying to sense the snake, who is coiled outside of the magic-suppressing barrier. From what Hatori has learned of such buriers (including how to put them), they work on some specific frequencies, which results in the blockage of magical sensing. They fail to block magic use; those buriers are insanely hard to put. One twelve-year-old who is dabbling in a dozen things is not going to put them up by himself. The snake is singing outside, (he has a good voice, but the songs are annoying), and Hatori is trying to match the frequency of the barrier. According to the technique he has read, to break a sensing barrier you must match the frequency of your magic to the barrier, and it¡¯ll shatter like the glass broken from the sound vibration. Though the task sounds simple, it is anything but. The singing is not helping; the cold weather is making him shiver, and as if listening to his complaints, the sky decided to add rain and thunder to it as well. However, this isn¡¯t any normal storm, which would pitter off after raining for a bit. This one is a destructive storm, and it proves it by first breaking the burier by tossing the stones bearing the runes to create the burier aside, and then nearly tossing Hatori, and making him drenched from head to toe in just a few seconds of rain. Hatori tries to run to his camp, but it didn¡¯t survive. It completely collapsed, as if the elephant had decided to stomp in there. Speaking of which, the large mammal is calling out to both snake and him. ¡®I know a place. Hurry up, or else you¡¯ll be drenched more than the sun!¡¯ Hatori doesn¡¯t want to make sense of that statement right now. The elephant brings them to a cave, which is sealed off from the effects outside, and it is big enough to accommodate them all. The snake slides off Hatori¡¯s shoulders, having hitched a ride on him for faster travel. Crawling through a storm is not recommended, if any snakes are reading this. ¡°Thanks, elephant.¡± Said Hatori, before removing his clothes, and falling asleep. His clothes are also destroyed in the camp, not that he had many, to begin with. ¡®Don¡¯t mention it.¡¯ said the animal gruffly, before leaving the human to his rest. If it weren¡¯t for the elephant, Hatori would be running around, trying to find shelter from the storm. ¡®If it weren¡¯t for some bozos, I would still be happily living in my home.¡¯ That was the last thought before Hatori falls asleep. The snake and the elephant discuss the human sleeping a few paces away from them. Since they talk mentally, they don¡¯t need to make any noise. Just another advantage of telepathy. ¡®The boy looks what¡¯s the word¡­ ah yes. Haggard.¡¯ The elephant grunted. ¡®Of course, he looks like that. Humans are fragile, especially young humans.¡¯

Part 4.

¡°And that is how we form a sentence in runes. Notice how one symbol connects to the other? This is how you form a sentence like ¡®I¡¯m angry¡¯.¡± Professor Krodhatma is teaching his runes class for the fifth year. ¡°I¡¯ve been mad. Very very mad.¡± Said one student, while trying to write down that sentence. Suddenly, he realizes what he has just said out loud, and he looks up from his notebook to see the whole class glaring at him. ¡°I¡¯m not mad. I¡¯m angry! Very, very, very, very, very, angry!¡± The class had to flee in haste, as the professor started to fire spells in his madness. ¡°Anger!¡± A voice brings him down from his fog. ¡°Professor, your delivery is here.¡± Said Shin, walking up to him with bells jingling, and handing him a box. ¡°Ahem. Thank you,¡± he said, paid for the delivery, and Shin left. His plan to take over the underground world of the school is proceeding smoothly, as he has moved up from student to professor recently. (End.) Chapter 80 Chapter 80.

Part 1.

Hatori wakes up in the cave. A few seconds of panicking later, he realizes why he is in this new place. Judging from the temperature, the sun is out, and the storm has passed. His clothes are dried, and he wears them quickly, even though they need a thorough wash. The fog of sleep slowly disappears as he performs this activity, though he quickly has to react when a vine comes out of nowhere, and wraps around his throat. The Slicer didn¡¯t do a damn thing (and now he is slowly starting to speak like the elephant in his head; he has no doubt he¡¯ll start speaking like that out loud one day as well.) Producing flames from his mouth, he burns the vine into ashes and falls to the ground, trying to regain his breath. A bruise is forming on his neck. Meanwhile, the snake and the elephant watch the entire incident. ¡®What an unfortunate life.¡¯ Said snake. ¡®Tell me about it. no peace before sleep, no fucking peace after sleep, and probably no peace during the sleep either.¡¯ Said the elephant. ¡°I need to get my clothes situation fixed.¡± He muttered. Wearing his current clothes is not good. Rashes will start appearing soon otherwise. ¡®About that, we recovered the bag which contained your clothes.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®Here you go.¡¯ Said the elephant, putting the bag down from his back. ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ll need a bath. We¡¯ll then move on to the next problem we have, which is how to get you inside the Academy.¡± ¡®Sure.¡¯ Said the elephant. Coming back from his bath in a river, Hatori watches his yantras work to extract the flowers juices, while also planting new flowers. He is glad that he thought of automating that process. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to collect so much juice for the queens otherwise. ¡®Now, if I can automate the process of carving runes¡­¡¯ he shakes his head. ¡®One problem at a time, Hatori.¡¯ ¡®So, what¡¯s the plan to get us inside?¡¯ asked the snake, while Hatori devours a fish and some vegetables which he found in the wild. ¡°Honestly? No plan at all.¡± The snake hits the ground with his head, while the elephant couldn¡¯t believe his ears. ¡°Although, I¡¯m thinking of teleporting you inside. The only problem is, teleporting can only be done with small things, and not living ones at that,¡± said Hatori. ¡®So what? Do you honestly expect to take this brute and me inside while being invisible?¡¯ asked the snake. ¡®We¡¯ll be detected long before we could do anything.¡¯ ¡°But that would be the only plan we have if teleportation doesn¡¯t work out,¡± said Hatori. ¡®And how do you plan to test that?¡¯ asked the elephant. ¡°I¡¯ll steal a teleporter from the Academy. I¡¯ll dismantle it, and see whether it can be improved to accomplish our purpose or not.¡± Said Hatori. After that conversation in the morning, Hatori goes to steal the teleporter from the Academy. This teleporter is used to deliver letters and notes at large distances, but the size and weight of the objects are limited. He comes with his invisibility spell wrapped around himself, expecting the teleporter to be secured, with several people watching over it. Instead, he finds it sitting on a desk, with no one else in the room. ¡®Well, waste not, want not.¡¯ He thought while taking the device with himself. He made sure to put the invisible spell on it as well, it wouldn¡¯t do if someone saw a floating teleporter. Keeping two invisibility spells is a challenge, especially since he can only drop them once he is inside the forest. But if he has gotten anything out of this whole experience, that is endurance. He managed to not drop the spell; and once he plants it in the cave, which is his temporary camp, the snake and elephant come close to observe the device.

Part 2.

The news is quickly spread in the Academy that the teleporter has disappeared. This is huge news since this means the letters are effectively stuck until a new teleporter is installed in place of the old one. ¡°But how could it just disappear like that?¡± asked Josh. ¡°I don¡¯t think it disappeared.¡± Said Raven. ¡°You think it was stolen.¡± Said James. ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Raven. ¡°And I think I know who stole it.¡± ¡°Hatori.¡± Said James. ¡°What? No way,¡± said Shin. ¡°Who has the guts to do that then?¡± asked Raven. ¡°The portal wasn¡¯t secure. There was no detection of any magic, which is because you won¡¯t detect a basic spell. I do think he stole the portal.¡± That conversation is now behind James, forgotten. But when he is with some older students, collecting some ingredients in the forest, he sees some yantras collecting juice from the flowers. ¡°Looks like someone needs a lot of juice.¡± Said one older student. Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Is that normal?¡± asked James. ¡°You mean using yantras for collecting things? Certainly. Though when you need specialized ingredients, then you need people like us. the yantras cannot hunt a dangerous animal for its parts; now can they?¡± said the fifth-year student. ¡®I don¡¯t know. Zeko probably had some yantras who could hunt animals and humans alike.¡¯ Thought James. But those yantras are not just collecting juice from the flowers, or trees. They are planting seeds for the new trees. This is ignored by older students since they moved further before they could see that. One of them calls out to James. ¡°You can watch them some other time, you know?¡± James tosses his bag to the guy who called him. ¡°Take it. I¡¯ll get back on my own.¡± He said and then walks away deeper into the forest. This is the same area where Hatori is living. They did not come here to collect anything, for Professor Dhiraj warned them this was a dangerous area. But things are different, it seems. The animals which were hidden before, now seem free. James has seen more animals now, than he saw when he came to visit Hatori. He also finds some strange areas, where some yantras were working on the small bees. This fascinated him. They seem to be carving runes directly on the bodies of these bees, which is a precise and delicate operation. The body of a bee is very small; the runes are even smaller. There¡¯s no room for mistake; the right force has to be applied, or else you¡¯ll skewer the bug. Walking even further, James finds a scene of overwhelming violence, as Hatori is spearing the final spirit with transmuted ground, turning it into a land full of iron spikes. The pieces of the dismantled teleporter are scattered nearby, whereas an elephant and a snake hung from the tree and grazed on the grass, respectively. A pad is put on a branch of a tree, to which Hatori goes back. He repeatedly looks at the dismantled teleporter and back to his pad, instructing the dictation pen to write something, and sometimes doing some rune designs by hand. ¡°What¡¯re you trying to do?¡± asked James. Hatori is not surprised. He sensed James watching him during the fight. ¡°I¡¯m trying to understand how this thing works, and how can I teleport bigger things, and living ones if need be.¡± James picks up one piece. ¡°What have you found so far?¡± he asked, examining the runes himself. ¡°It seems that the circular design itself is a rune of sorts, whereas the body provides the anchor.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°The other side gets specific instructions, and it recompiles the object sent from the other side.¡± ¡°Have you thought of using a place as an anchor?¡± asked James. ¡°This will potentially increase the mass of an object you¡¯re trying to send.¡± ¡°Hmm. like a ritual circle.¡± Said Hatori out loud. ¡°But I''d rather not break things down before sending them to the other side. Bigger things can be complicated.¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± Said James. ¡°Why not create a window? You can sort of pass through it, without being broken down, and getting collected on the other side.¡± ¡°That could work.¡± Hatori scratches some runes on the ground with a stick. ¡°Anyway, you continue what you¡¯re doing. I need to go back. See you later.¡± said James. ¡°See you later,¡± said Hatori distractedly.

Part 3.

Dhiraj caps the potions he was brewing. This concludes the supply for Krodhatma for the next six months, apart from certain complications. Each time he thinks of how things came to this, he gets sad. Slaughter, he, and Krodhatma attended the Academy together, since they were of the same age. But Krodhatma didn¡¯t come from a powerful or acceptable background like them. Getting rejected by academia didn¡¯t help his friend, since the lifetime of abuse has made him believe that if he could prove his worth, the hire families would stop looking down upon him, and allow him to join the academic circle, letting him perform his research in peace. But that didn¡¯t happen. What happened twenty years ago fills Dhiraj with so much anger, which he never experienced in his 53 years of life. His friend''s entire family was murdered, while the guilty got away easily. They even came to laugh at his face. Thus, a thoughtful boy who was interested in the language of symbols is turned into this raging machine, getting older before his time. The fifties are a great time for mages. If you survive this long, your power is exponential at this stage of life from all the struggles, not to mention, you¡¯ve got the next 150 years to look forward to as well. You can even marry and have children at this age. But his friend won¡¯t live to see his hundredth year. (End.) Chapter 81 Chapter 81.

Part 1.

Hatori has done a lot in the last month. He worked on his lightning and earth elements, experimented like a mad scientist on the animals, stole a teleporter, dismantled it, built a new one after learning from the old one (as well as several insights from James), and built a factory of sorts to carve runes on the animals. Usually, the entire process of self-modification goes like this: carve some runes, bathe in some potion solution, rest and recover, and observe the results. At first, Hatori didn¡¯t have the potions. But now, he has a good enough supply of them, enough to create a fountain of sorts, where he converted a large pond into a fountain of solution of potions. It also helps that it is the rainy season, so ponds are easy to come by. The potion solution is important, for it not only helps in healing and making sure your carving doesn¡¯t turn into fresh infections, but it helps in recovery as well. Otherwise, you will be weak like a freshly born baby after a self-modification ritual. The ritual doesn¡¯t require any special conditions, like specific places for the sun or moon, or the weather. Those rituals are done for specific purposes, like the ritual for enhancing your ears; it is done during a storm, where the wind matches a specific speed. if the speed gets any lower, the ritual won¡¯t work. All the animals got these general modifications: increased endurance, an automatic shield of sorts around their bodies, and resistance to magic. The last one does not give them complete immunity from magical spells, though it provides greater protection. A fire spell will only scorch them, for example, whereas it would have burned them previously. All of this combined with shield and endurance, and learning to cast some attacking spells, turned this small force into a terrifying one. The spellcasting wasn¡¯t taught to them by Hatori. It all came naturally to them. soldiers of the wasps and bees firing Stinger spells in large amounts, the elephant manipulating earth and fire, while some wasps and bees also learned the fire element by themselves. The snake is the surprising one; not only he learned the element of water (using it with his poison with devastating effect) he also learned to fly. Hatori has no idea of how he did that. Hatori rebuilt his destroyed camp with his burgeoning skills with the earth element, building an underground camp that is much sturdier than the previous one, where he is discussing the next step of their plan. ¡°I think I should test the teleporter.¡± He is saying this. ¡°After all, I built it, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡®And I think this is a shitty idea.¡¯ Said elephant. ¡®I have to agree with this brute on this one.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®You should let those soldiers try it.¡¯ ¡°But¡­¡± ¡®But nothing!¡¯ the reptile and the mammal shut him down. Now they were waiting, as some bee soldiers were hovering above the circle, while Hatori tries to put the right coordinates into the magical symbols in front of him. He used Zeko¡¯s runic system, which made the process a lot easier, since the system can understand his intent, and suggests adjustments accordingly, all the while showing him the effects of those adjustments live, without even executing the teleporting process. The circle is very large, to accommodate the likes of the elephant and his herd , and other large animals. Even now, various animals are showing up to get the modifications, on which his yantras are working hard. He will have to check to make sure they are performing well despite the heavy use. Once he is done inputting the coordinates to the nearby trees, a window opens right in front of the ten soldiers. Without an ounce of hesitation, they flew through the shimmering window, appearing to be where Hatori wanted to send them. ¡°Everything is working fine.¡± He announced too much cheering and buzzing, after testing the portal a few more times. ¡®How will you see what¡¯s going on in the Academy, though? if you¡¯re stuck operating this thing here?¡¯ asked the snake. ¡°There¡¯s a timer on it.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ll set the timer; the window will open. It also has a duration, and it¡¯ll stay open for that long. You guys can come through it, while I¡¯ll get a front seat to watch everything.¡± ¡®Excellent.¡¯ Said the elephant, swatting a tree nearby in his excitement. ¡®I wish to see this in action.¡¯ ¡°Well, let¡¯s do a small-scale test, what do you say?¡± asked Hatori. ¡®Sure, go ahead.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡°But how will you watch it from here?¡± asked Hatori, setting up the portal. ¡®We¡¯ll pick the images right out of your head.¡¯ Said the elephant. Hatori stopped in the middle of his work. ¡°That is concerning. I need a way to stop this from happening.¡± He said, going back to setting up the portal. There won¡¯t be a peaceful dinner this night. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

Part 2.

Everyone is enjoying their dinner. Within the hubbub of conversation and clinking cutlery, tons of schemes are being hatched. Just a normal end to a normal day in the Academy. By this time, everyone has forgotten the banishment scene from two and a half months ago, but some people still do remember it. This is why you find Raven, Josh, James, and Shin sitting quietly at their table. Ever since their friend was banished, things haven¡¯t been the same. It is not helped by the fact that they have all different classes now, and they don¡¯t have the time to hang out with each other as much as they used to. However, the buzz of conversation doesn¡¯t last long, as a buzz of an entirely different nature replaces it slowly. Bees appear in the mess hall out of nowhere, rampaging among the students. They avoided the professors, swerving in the air whenever they were about to get in contact with them, but students are mercilessly targeted. The professors observe how the bees are unaffected by magic, and, much to their horror, are using magic themselves. They are firing Stingers in such large amounts that it is not possible to defend against them. A few students got hit each time. When the professors get up from their tables to investigate, the bees disappear just as quickly as they come. However, the shrieks of the stung students replaced the silence left by the bees, as their stings started to feel like they were on fire. Someone was observing the events in the mess hall from outside. Hatori found a perch where he sat during the entire run, sensing what was going on in the hall. It is not as perfect as seeing the mayhem through your eyes, but it is the next best thing. The use of magic inside told him everything which he wanted to know. But when students and professors came outside to see what was going on, hoping to find the bees to study them, he escaped from the crowd. they were in no condition to find him anyway, panicked as they were. Animals using magic in the wild is nothing new to professors, but never have they seen the use of magic on such a large scale, and with such polish. The bees were like an army that drilled a lot for this operation. They wanted to find out whether this was a natural development, or if someone was behind it. Getting back to the forest, he observes the teleporter and the soldiers. He programmed the teleporter to pull the soldiers immediately back when the professors got into action. Everyone who got teleported from this circle, had a magical rope of sorts attached to them. This can be used to teleport them out of there immediately, or if certain conditions are met. All of this is designed by the runic system which Zeko taught Hatori, which is proving to be invaluable over and over again. Hatori feels he might hit the limits of the system, before he might need to modify it and add certain things for himself, personalizing it in the process. While he worked on the teleporter and checked on the soldiers, the elephant, and the snake watched the memories. ¡®I do think it was a success, wouldn¡¯t you say?¡¯ ¡®It fucking was.¡¯ Said the elephant. ¡®They weren''t ready at all.¡¯ ¡°They might prepare for the future, though,¡± said Hatori. ¡®I doubt it.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®Your species seems to drop their guard if they feel secure.¡¯ Hatori would like to defend humanity, but he couldn¡¯t find a counter-argument to the snake.

Part 3.

Avinash calls a meeting of selected students from their year. Most of Hatori¡¯s classmates attend this meeting, including both male and female twins, Daphne along with Ravina, and of course, Hatori and his friends. ¡°So, you all saw what happened today. What do you think it was?¡± he asked. ¡°A freak occurrence?¡± offered Shin. ¡°Hmm. possible.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Maybe an experiment has gone wrong?¡± offered Josh, while looking at James. James glairs back in response. His experiments do not go wrong; they just take time to adjust and get the actual result. ¡°Maybe someone brought in bees as a part of some elaborate plot?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°There was a plot, but no one from the school brought these bees.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Hatori was the one who was behind the chaos.¡± ¡°Any proof?¡± asked Raven. ¡°This.¡± He shows them one dead soldier. ¡°This thing is modified. Look at the carvings on his body.¡± They all got close; they had to use the microscopes for observing the runes on the body of this bee. ¡°Is that even possible?¡± asked Josh and James. ¡°Certainly.¡± Said James. ¡°There¡¯s no reason why other creatures cannot be modified with magic as humans modify themselves.¡± ¡°So, what does this mean, anyway?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°We can look forward to more attacks,¡± said Raven. (End.) Chapter 82 Chapter 82.

Part 1.

Hatori is fighting with spirits. Now he has gotten good enough with this that he can even carry on a conversation, which he is currently doing. In the opinion of this narrator, talking while fighting is a stupid idea; you shouldn¡¯t do that, kids. ¡®So, when will you modify my friends?¡¯ asked the snake. ¡®And my gang.¡¯ Added the elephant. ¡°Just send them to the pond already. I thought you did that,¡± said Hatori, while clapping his hand, and generating a loud sound of thunder. ¡®I told you we should have done that already.¡¯ Said the snake. The elephant grumbled. ¡®Anyway, can you add further modifications?¡¯ asked the snake. ¡°No, not now.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What I¡¯ve done is a limit to my knowledge. Maybe next year I could add some other things. You can think of tons of new things in the meantime.¡± ¡®Makes sense.¡± Said the snake, hissing in surprise by sensing the vibration in the ground. The earth element plays havoc with his senses. After nailing the final spirit with a metal shard to the ground, Hatori is done with dealing with them. His transmutation is coming along nicely, judging by how quickly he turned the rock behind the spirit into metal. Then, he just made the spirit stumble with the earth element and bam! You got one impaled spirit. That didn¡¯t last long, though, as it disappeared into the smoke. ¡°I should learn the wind element to deal with those flying spirits.¡± Muttered Hatori while walking away. ¡®Why the hell do you need that?¡¯ asked the elephant. ¡®You can already use fire and lightning to deal with them.¡¯ ¡°True, but I would like to upset their flight. I suspect I also will get a lot of range to attack them in the sky if they try to run from me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Do you have enough time to do that?¡¯ asked the snake. ¡°No. too many things, not enough time,¡± said Hatori. ¡®Where are you going anyway?¡± asked the elephant. ¡°I¡¯m going to find the Academy¡¯s kitchen. My body cannot sustain itself on the food I scrounge up here, if it weren¡¯t for my friends delivering nutrition potions every day, I would have collapsed a long time ago.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®Those smelly stinking piles of goo are nutritious?¡¯ said the elephant in surprise. ¡°Yes.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®And I suppose the food is not up to the standard here?¡¯ mocked the snake. ¡°The problem is not the food here; the problem is me. I don¡¯t know how to plan a nutritious diet.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®Fine. Do come back safely.¡± Said the snake. ¡®Or else we won¡¯t save you.¡¯ said the elephant. ¡®That¡¯s a lie. Don¡¯t believe him.¡¯ said the snake. ¡®No, I never lied.¡¯ Said the elephant. Leaving the two arguing creatures behind, Hatori sneaks into the Academy. At this point, he has learned that older students don¡¯t have enough magical sensing training, not enough to sense someone¡¯s magic to pick out an invisible third-year from the crowd. He looks around, where exactly could the kitchen be? Students are not told about it at all, and it is not on any map of the school either. Which means only the staff knows about it. But the mess hall is always in use since students and professors alike often eat at different times according to their work. Some of them work at night, so naturally they need food at that time. But since it gets delivered there quietly, the kitchen must be close to the mess hall itself. Hanging around the hall for an hour doesn¡¯t reveal anything, aside from making Hatori think that the food is teleported there. Which wouldn¡¯t surprise him. Walking away from the mess hall, Hatori detects a faint smell of food in the air; more specifically, the food is cooking somewhere. ¡®Where is this smell coming from?¡¯ He turns around in a circle, trying to find the source. He then considers a path which he and his year-mates never take; and even among adults, it is rarely used. So, he decides to go there. The smell gets stronger and stronger, while the path itself goes downward like a slide. He finds what he is looking for. ¡°Now, roast that chapati carefully, don¡¯t use too much ghee! Prepare the potatoes already, and where is the gravy I told you to ready?¡± Comes a near-constant voice from inside. It sounds very evil and dangerous. Like if you do not follow the orders, the voice will cook you alive instead. Also, for some reason, the voice sounds inhuman to Hatori¡¯s ears. ¡®Maybe these are sentient yantras?¡¯ he thought. He opens the door to the kitchen, dropping his spell in the process. He closes the door just as quickly. It wouldn¡¯t do if someone saw him inside, now, would it? Even though no one is there according to his magical sensing. But paranoia has served him well so far, and Hatori is not willing to abandon it yet. The activity inside stops. This isn¡¯t the first time a student has found this place, though this one is the youngest. Usually, a bout of overwhelming violence follows, making the student in question think whether they hallucinated in this place after getting drunk, and the injuries can be explained by a drunken fight. But things have to be different with this younger student. Hatori senses the layout of the kitchen and its occupants. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen Yantras like you yet.¡± He spoke. They are all quite short, and the tallest among them comes up to his chest. However, he gets a sense of physical and magical strength from them, not to mention, they do not feel like a yantra, an artificial sentient lifeform. ¡°Yantra? Yantra? How dare you call us a machine?¡± Said the one who was doing the yelling earlier. ¡°We are dwarves. I am Khansama, and these are my people, who work for this school, preparing food for the humans every day." ¡°Dwarves?¡± said Hatori. ¡°Of course!¡± Said the Khansama. ¡°Haven¡¯t you learned about us on an extraterrestrial course already?¡± ¡°No. I didn¡¯t take that course.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it. the nerve of the humans!¡± Said Khansama, slamming his hand to the counter where he was sitting. ¡°This kind of ignorance cannot be tolerated!¡± ¡°Then give me knowledge.¡± Said Hatori, silencing the tirade immediately. ¡°Ahem. Of course. Rest of you, back to work. No need to gawk!¡± Said Khansama. ¡°Now, on this planet, humans are the dominant race, for better or for worse. But this isn¡¯t true outside. Goblins, Orcs, we, the Dwarves, and those damned, insolent, arrogant Elves are a few of the powerful races.¡± ¡°But I thought you were fictional.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Nonsense.¡± Said the Dwarf. ¡°I am here talking to you, aren¡¯t I?¡± ¡°So, does that mean Dragons also exist?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Well¡­ yes. But let me tell you, kid, you wouldn¡¯t want to bother them. They are very private creatures, and they despise anyone who interferes in their business.¡± Said Khansama. ¡°Sounds like my kind of reptile.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Although I appreciate this info, I am not here to learn about what is going on outside of my planet.¡± ¡°Why are you here then?¡± asked the Dwarf. ¡°I need nutritious food.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Hmm. Probably because you¡¯re on a demanding path of magic. I hear it is insanely difficult to manage without it. but why should we give it to you?¡± asked the Dwarf. ¡°After all, we make food for the students already, who are you to march here, and demand special service from us?¡± ¡°Because I was banished unfairly.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And Krishna Menon will pay the price for that!¡± Hatori¡¯s control slips for a moment, and a pan goes flying. ¡°Krishna Menon, you say?¡± said the Dwarf. ¡°Yes. You know of him?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Grumbled Khansama. ¡°That bastard tried to cut our pay. Thankfully, your headmaster realized the idiocy and stopped it right there. Fine, we hate him enough to help you. but you must entertain me.¡± ¡°In what way?¡± asked Hatori, wearily, readying his magic for a battle. ¡°Grappler!¡± called Khansama. ¡°Yes boss!¡± said a hefty Dwarf. ¡°You¡¯re up.¡± Grappler takes his position in the center of the kitchen, while Khansama explains to Hatori what he wants from him. ¡°You will fight him hand-to-hand, with no magic. don¡¯t use gouging or kicking below the belt. if you did that, we¡¯ll flay you alive, you hear me?¡± ¡°Crystal.¡± Sighed Hatori. There was no signal for starting the fight. Both of them circled each other in the kitchen, while the rest of the Dwarves cheered on from the sidelines, work forgotten for the moment. Grappler is shorter than Hatori, and even shorter than Khansama. And yet, he is physically strong enough to lift an adult easily, much less a twelve-year-old. Hatori decides that he won¡¯t attack. He will let his opponent come to him instead. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. After a while, Grappler did exactly that, coming at him with explosive speed. Hatori caught him in the middle, however, his lessons from the physical magic book coming now useful. But this isn¡¯t a spar; things could turn deadly. So Hatori paws over Grappler¡¯s body, looking for a grip. But the Dwarf proves to be slippery. When he tried to get away, Hatori sweeps his leg and entangles his legs with his own. He then tries to get at his neck, but a punch right in the face stopped that. He was then picked up, and thrown across the kitchen, while the crowd cheered the Dwarf. ¡®Getting thrown on a marble floor hurts.¡¯ Noted Hatori, ignoring the pain and spitting the blood aside. The Dwarf is thundering towards him, and soon enough he is on top of him. This time, he tries to find a grip, a hand, a leg, or even another leg. Hatori defended quite well for someone who is not very experienced in this position. He usually dominates anyone who gets in a physical fight with him, since mages do not pay attention to their physical strength. But here, he has no such advantage. Grappler is stronger than him. However, he dropped his guard and left his neck unprotected. What¡¯s more, he gave Hatori access to it, when he tried to lock the legs of this tall human, by turning around and presenting Hatori with his back. Letting the Dwarf sit on his legs, Hatori sits up, and wraps his both arms around the neck of Grappler, bringing him to the ground with him, while maintaining the choke. He did not let go until Boss Dwarf stopped the fight. ¡°Enough. The child has won. Grappler won¡¯t be escaping this choke any time soon.¡± Indeed, the struggles of the Dwarf were going fainter and fainter, before Khansama announced the end of the fight, and Hatori had to release his neck. ¡°Heal him,¡± orders Khansama. Hatori thought Khansama was referring to Grappler, but a wave of magic comes at him. his magic rises in response since he unconsciously thought it was a threat. Since it felt like the magic of those spirits who attacked him in Zeko¡¯s house and the forest. But the wave of magic calms him down, soothes his body, and leaves him with a feeling of peace. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re getting old.¡± Mocked Khansama. ¡°Looks like that boss, but my cooking is still top-notch.¡± Said Grappler proudly. ¡°Yes. Now get back to work!¡± said the boss, while everyone goes back to their tasks quickly. ¡°You did well, kid, you beat the former champion of Dwarven unarmed combat. There¡¯s a reason why he¡¯s named Grappler.¡± Said Khansama. ¡°And don¡¯t worry, we will deliver the nutritious food to you in the forest.¡± ¡°How will you find me?¡± asked Hatori, dusting his clothes. ¡°Leave that to us,¡± said Khansama.

Part 2.

Raven is playing shogi with Maria. Much to her fury, Raven always wins their chess matches, and now that he has gotten experienced in shogi as well, she seems to be losing to him in that game as well. ¡®Maybe I should challenge him in Go next?¡¯ she thinks while making her move. Raven is not thinking about the game he is playing right now. Instead, he is thinking of what kind of chaos Hatori will cause next. ¡®The time for the festival is coming. Would he make his move then?¡¯ he thought, while responding to Maria¡¯s move. ¡®I do hope that Professor Useless will overturn that banishment, at least for the festival.¡¯ He thought. ¡®Ah, who am I kidding? You can¡¯t straighten a dog¡¯s tail.¡¯

Part 3.

The dog¡¯s tail, I mean, Krishna Menon is thinking about Hatori. ¡°What do you think? Has the forest broken his spirit by now?¡± he asked Surbha. ¡°Well, no one has seen him outside of that area.¡± Said Surbha. They have a way to monitor Hatori¡¯s life, to check whether he is alive or dead. But beyond that, they are not tracking anything else. ¡°For all we know, he might be badly injured.¡± Said Surbha. ¡°You worry too much.¡± Said Krishna. ¡°I¡¯ll let him suffer for a while more, and then check on him. Let¡¯s see whether he learns to sing a different tune or not.¡±

Part 4.

Hatori comes back from the kitchen to see the aftermath of the war. Trees are toppled, fires are raging, and the ground is leveled. ¡°What happened here?¡± he asked in shock. ¡®Oh, nothing much.¡± Said the snake, crawling out of the surviving trees. ¡®Some of our associates thought that they could dislodge us from leadership after gaining their new powers.¡¯ ¡®But don¡¯t worry, they¡¯ve learned their lessons. I have the biggest dick, and they¡¯ll always be under me.¡¯ said the elephant. Hatori takes a moment to process this. ¡°You guys are going to help me plant new trees here.¡± ¡®Aww, come on, that is boring.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®I the mighty elephant plant no trees!¡¯ declared the elephant, with his trunk in the air. The lightning sparks around Hatori, as he brings full pressure of his magic to bare down upon the two creatures. ¡°You will help me in planting new trees, and that is final!¡± ¡®Okay, whatever you say, my lord.¡¯ They said together. Privately, they didn¡¯t think it was such a big matter. Hatori has already increased the fruity trees in the forest since he often plants the seeds after eating the fruits. So if they toppled a few trees, that shouldn¡¯t be such a big matter. But whatever, if it makes him feel happy, then they¡¯ll plant trees for him. ¡°Anyway, the situation with my nutritious food is sorted out. but I need to know, can I talk to other creatures like I do with you?¡± he asked. ¡®Yeah, sure.¡± Said the snake. ¡®Though remember, outside of this area, you won¡¯t find intelligent creatures like us.¡¯ ¡®The method is simple. We send our thoughts to you; your mind receives them like a radio, and then those are parsed into your languages. That is how we communicate among ourselves.¡¯ Explained the elephant. ¡°And lifting memories out of my mind bit?¡± asked Hatori. ¡®Well, if you¡¯re receiving something, then you¡¯re also sending something out. We use that to get access to your memories.¡¯ said the snake. ¡°Anyway to defend against it?¡± asked Hatori. ¡®You will have to focus on your thoughts. First, try to communicate this way with us. Once you get that part down, then you can understand how thoughts are being sent and received. Then, you will have an idea of how to conceal them.¡¯ explained the elephant. ¡°Great.¡± Said Hatori. He can already hear Zeko crowing about meditation. ¡®Oh well, I¡¯m living like a sage in a forest. Might as well meditate like one.¡¯ thought Hatori.

Part 5.

¡°Ug. Sometimes, I wonder why I even bothered taking so many classes. Hatori had the right idea.¡± Said Josh while entering the dorm, complaining about his work. ¡°Yeah right.¡± Said Raven. ¡°At least you don¡¯t need to write essays on every damn thing.¡± ¡°At least you don¡¯t need to prove everything.¡± Said Josh, not happy with Raven¡¯s language. ¡°Oh, give me a break. Aside from math, you don¡¯t have any hard classes. I¡¯m handling history and math, so I also got proofs, just so you know. Shin is learning about music, so he has his own thing going on. James is handling potions and runes, which are a headache together. What are you doing?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Handling magical combat.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I don¡¯t know, why you are so triggered with just a harmless thing, I said.¡± ¡°Harmless? Harmless? Our friend is trapped outside in a forest, and you dare to complain about your classwork and call it a harmless thing?¡± said Raven, getting face-to-face with Josh. ¡°What does that have to do with anything?¡± asked Josh. ¡°I¡¯m also sad that he got banished. But maybe he deserved it. Maybe he¡¯ll learn not to be so stubborn.¡± ¡°And learn to take punches like you, like a coward?¡± said Raven. ¡°How dare you call me a coward?¡± said Josh, cocking his hand back for a punch, all the magic being forgotten in his anger. ¡°Well, answer me this then. Why haven¡¯t you visited him once?¡± asked Raven. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me and James, he would have gone mad in that forest. I go there to deliver his potions every day, but I haven¡¯t seen you do anything.¡± Josh punched Raven in his face. ¡°Then why don¡¯t you bring this up with Shin and James?¡± asked Josh, ¡°They don¡¯t go there either.¡± Raven tripped Josh, making him hit the ground when he tried to move forward in the room. ¡°Because unlike you, they go whenever they have time. You, on the other hand, have only been there once or twice.¡± Shin and James watch the entire argument from the side, unable to stop it from developing into a brawl. Both boys were left with bruises from this fight; they will be feeling its effect for several days, both physically and mentally. (End.) Chapter 83. Chapter 83.

Part 1.

After learning about telepathy, and how he can communicate with other animals as well, Hatori decides that the best training to gain control over his this newly found ability is to actively use it, aside from all those meditation sessions. He has been attacked so much that sitting still has become a struggle since the slightest change in the wind''s direction is enough to spook him into action. Laughter from the snake and the elephant is not appreciated when that happens. Currently, he is outside of the Academy, near the ground, where he is observing the nest of the crows. Just a few meters distance, he found the egg of Karasu nearly three months ago. To see whether he can actively communicate using telepathy or not, he sits under a tree with his legs crossed and thinks of the thoughts he wishes to communicate with the crows above him. ¡®testing, testing, can you hear me!¡¯ The crows are startled, but none of them leave the nest. One of them comes down, and pecks at Hatori¡¯s cheek, disrupting his focus. ¡®We can hear you, alright. No need to be so loud.¡¯ Hatori blushes in embarrassment. ¡®Is that the right volume?¡¯ he thought, like he would think usually, without thinking about loudness, or explicitly focusing on one single thought. ¡®Good. you¡¯ll learn.¡¯ Said the crow. ¡®Usually, the humans who do study us take a long time to learn this way of communicating; sometimes they go their entire lives without realizing that this way of talking with us exists.¡¯ Hatori noted how this crow sounded to his telepathic ears. ¡®Are you a female?¡¯ he asked bluntly. ¡®Of course, silly.¡¯ She pecks his cheek once more, gently this time. ¡®Though it should be added that even if you communicate with the crows outside of this place, you won¡¯t find them as articulate as us.¡¯ She explains further. ¡®I suspect that is because they never get the practice.¡¯ ¡®I suppose leaving this area is also hard since it is an isolated dimension and all.¡¯ Said Hatori. ¡®You don¡¯t know half of it. This dimension is huge, with every possible habitat, created by some of the most brilliant humans to do tests and of course, teach other humans.¡¯ Said the female crow. This conversation is interrupted, as the crows above suddenly go into action. They targeted a Koel which was found nearby. Hatori walks in the same direction to observe what is happening, while the female crow sits on his shoulder, pointing him in the right direction. Telepathy helps with coordination as well. The Koel was found sneaking into a nest, after which the crows above Hatori¡¯s head immediately started to pursue it, ruthlessly bringing it down. while other crows go into the nest and bring out the eggs carefully. The female on Hatori¡¯s shoulder explains the entire situation to him. ¡®Those damnable singers, they hide their eggs among our own, and then they push out our eggs when they hatch. We do keep an eye on them, but it is hard to protect every nest.¡¯ Said the female crow. ¡®Maybe I can help?¡¯ asked Hatori. ¡®What can you do?¡¯ asked the crow in return. ¡®I can create some wards around certain trees; they should protect the nests from the Koels. I won¡¯t be able to do that for every tree, though.¡¯ said Hatori. ¡®That is fine. Let me discuss it with the flock.¡¯ she said while flying from his shoulder. After the whole matter is resolved, and once they go back to their original nests, the discussion of Hatori¡¯s proposal begins, while he sits underneath the tree. The discussion sounded quite formal and sophisticated at first, but it soon devolved into name-cawing, beak fighting, and hurling objects in the nest at each other. Some of them fall outside, and Hatori manages to avoid them barely. Jewels, pieces of rocks, sticks, and broken glass were included in the list of those things which fell outside. The female crow comes flying down and sits on Hatori¡¯s shoulder once more. ¡®The parliament has decided. We accept your proposal.¡¯ ¡®You call that parliament?¡¯ asked Hatori, going inside the forest to retrieve his tools. ¡®Of course. I saw how humans conduct themselves in a similar setting, throwing chairs at each other. At least our things are harmless.¡¯ Said the crow proudly. Hatori decides not to argue. He brought his notes of basic wards, and designs, an excluding ward to keep the Koels out of the trees selected by the crows. Two hours later, he was done. ¡®So, what do you want in the return of this service?¡¯ asked the female crow. ¡®Well, not much. I prefer to form a long-lasting friendship.¡¯ He spoke. ¡®Yes, that will happen in time. But seriously, what do you want in return?¡¯ she asked again. Hatori thinks of what he wanted to discuss with James. Wouldn¡¯t it be convenient to send him a message, and call him outside, instead of risking it by sneaking inside of the Academy? ¡®I can get your thoughts, you know. The idea is smart. Write the message, I¡¯ll give it to a youngling.¡¯ ¡®And here I thought I was hiding my thoughts.¡¯ Said Hatori, writing a message on an empty paper of his notebook. He tears the page and gives it to the young crow, whom the female crow called. The crow takes the paper in his claws, and, after getting a rough sense of the magic of James, flies away. ¡®I hope his grip won¡¯t slip.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. ¡®Don¡¯t worry. The distance is not long; it won¡¯t happen.¡¯ Said the female crow. ¡®If the distance were to be long, I would have taken the message, my self-tied around my leg. As for your thoughts, don¡¯t worry. Spend some time around other animals, and you¡¯ll get good at keeping your actual thoughts to yourself.¡¯

Part 2.

James and Shin do not spend much time in their room lately, ever since the brawl between Raven and Josh. The hostility is too much to bear all the time, so James got lost in his world, much like how he did in his own home. ¡®What a miserable life. Can¡¯t I get any peace? The moment I got good friends, they started to fight.¡¯ The cawing of a crow disrupted James s thoughts. A crow inside the school is very unusual. It presents him with a page, (more like dropping the page on his head), and flies away. Reading the message, James smiles and walks outside. ¡®This should be promising.¡¯ He finds Hatori waiting for him, sitting on a rock with his arms crossed. ¡°I see you¡¯ve got a new way of delivering messages.¡± He said, by way of greeting. ¡°Could use some politeness.¡± ¡°I think the excitement got to him. After all, he was a young one.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°This is why I¡¯ve called you here.¡± Hatori gives a set of pages to James. ¡°You do realize that it¡¯ll require a ritual, right?¡± asked James. ¡°Yeah.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What do you think about a modification to the yantra?¡± ¡°Hmm. That is fine, I don¡¯t see any problems with it. Say, why don¡¯t you let me work on the Yantra modification, and you focus on the ritual and the runes for it?¡± asked James. ¡°Also, do consult Professor Mantar, and Krodhatma before you do anything else.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Come with me. I¡¯ll give you the Yantra immediately.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said James, walking into the forest with Hatori. Leaving the yantra and the schematics to James, Hatori leaves to sneak inside the Academy to talk with the professors. This will take a while.

Part 3.

After the classes are over, Hatori finds Dhiraj and Krodhatma together. When he explains his idea to them, Krodhatma asked to check his runes. ¡°These seem fine boy, though clearly, you can reduce this curve, and get more energy out of it.¡± Hatori nods at the change and implements the suggestion of Krodhatma. ¡°You won¡¯t need potions anymore, since it is already there, even diluted. Once you perform the ritual, the potency of water should remain constant, it won¡¯t add any extra effects if you use more potions.¡± Explained Dhiraj, when Hatori asked whether he should brew more potions for his task or not. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°You should go to Mantar now, he¡¯ll refine your ritual process.¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can still find him in his classroom. He always takes time to clean the room every day.¡± Hatori does exactly that, feeling like a video game character, running around to accomplish a side quest. ¡°Professor Mantar?¡± he asked hesitatingly. ¡°Ah Hatori, come in, come in,¡± said the professor. ¡°Don¡¯t be afraid, I won¡¯t report you.¡± Hatori breathed easier after hearing that. ¡°I planned a project. I got the potions and rune part done, but I need your help with rituals.¡± ¡°What kind of help?¡± asked Mantar, interested despite himself. After all, what else could a twelve-year-old cook up? but he has learned that he should not underestimate children. ¡°Here, you can look at this.¡± Said Hatori, handing him his notes. ¡°Oh, my.¡± Said Mantar, genuinely surprised to see everything laid out so cleanly in front of him. ¡°You¡¯ve got the runes right; the ritual would go like this. Once the evening hits, you must get in the circle right in the center of it, then cast these spells.¡± The professor teaches him the five spells. ¡°You must cast each of these fifty times. and do not stop in the middle; your effort will fizzle out otherwise.¡± Hatori smiled. The professor told him exactly what he thought of himself, confirming his theory of the ritual. ¡°If you successfully manage to complete this ritual, and show me the water, I¡¯ll give you an automatic pass in my class, no strings attached.¡± Hatori is even more happy to hear that. This means no more droll exams to sit through. No matter how interesting is the subject. But the exams are still boring as hell. ¡®And now I¡¯m thinking like that damned elephant.¡¯ He winced. ¡®I have such bad company. I used to be a calm and well-mannered child.¡¯ He lamented.

Part 4.

Every year since he started at the Academy, Shin has partaken in the musical acts during the festival, a month-long event held in the Academy. But this year, he is not feeling the motivation, evident from the strings of notes he is playing on his violin. Aimless notes, musical gibberish, which doesn¡¯t mean anything at all, and most important of all, does not sound good to the ear. He realizes how great the festival has been to him. He wouldn¡¯t have learned the violin, otherwise, a wonderful instrument that he could not afford to purchase. ¡®I wonder, what would Hatori do in this situation?¡¯ he thinks. ¡°Don¡¯t give up so easily. Try harder!¡± said the imaginary Hatori. Shin picks up the violin once more. Maybe if not the violin, then trying another instrument will give him his motivation back. He hasn¡¯t tried his hand at piano for a while.

Part 5.

It is night by the time Hatori returns. He arranges things for the ritual tomorrow. He must wait until the evening of tomorrow to complete it. the snake and elephant help him in preparation, after planting trees as they promised him after they destroyed a portion of the forest in their fight with other animals. Hatori¡¯s plan is simple. He wants to turn that pond into a permanent fixture of this forest, where animals can come. get modified with runes, submerge in the water imbued by the properties of strengthening potions, which help in the ritual of modification. Currently, the water is depleted, both in volume and potency. But once this ritual is complete, the volume will remain constant, and the properties will remain for a long time without Hatori having to do anything explicitly. However, this is a huge project for a third-year mage. And despite the knowledge he has amassed, these two tasks of modifying animals, and turning the pond into a permanent oasis have strained all the knowledge he has so far. Once everything on place, Hatori draws a new circle and puts the runes in order. He did not use the standard script which he showed to Krodhatma. Instead, he is using the runic script taught to him by Zeko, since things are easier with it. ¡®What now?¡¯ asked the elephant. ¡®Nothing but to wait.¡¯ He replied telepathically. Ever since he learned of telepathy and started to communicate with the crows, his conversation skills are improving fast. He was screaming in the morning today, and now he can put his thoughts succinctly. Though he still has trouble hiding his feelings. After having a nice sleep in the night, and resting all day long, Hatori is ready for the ritual. He gives final instructions to the elephant and the snake, who are outside of the circle, keeping eyes (and other senses) on everything. ¡®Keep everything out, including the spirits. I won¡¯t be able to defend myself while I¡¯m casting these spells.¡¯ Explaining that, Hatori removes his clothes, as they can interfere with the casting of magic he is about to do since they are filled with enchantments. He also removes the neckless which he got in his first year from healer slaughter. He doesn¡¯t even notice its presence anymore, soon, he won¡¯t need to wear it. Feeling light after removing the weight of increasing neckless, Hatori meditates while the time to cast the five spells shown to him by Professor Mantar comes closer and closer. He practiced these spells in the morning, and he went through the motions an hour before he started the ritual. ¡®I can¡¯t make a mistake here.¡¯ The time is right, and his instincts are screaming at him to begin casting. He starts with the fire spell. All five spells are elemental, and there¡¯s no particular order. He chose fire because Hatori learned it first, and he is most familiar with it as a result. As he is casting the fire spell for the fiftieth time, there¡¯s some commotion outside of the circle. The spirits had come in droves, trying to get into the circle. Instead of a group of five or ten, there are hundreds of them gathered outside, trying to get passed the snakes, elephants, and bees. But the animals outnumber them, and they are unable to reach Hatori. But Hatori is only aware of this conflict superficially since he is busy casting his spells. He moved from fire to water, then earth and lightning. Then comes the turn of the wind, a spell that causes a small breeze. It might not be very powerful, but it is sufficient for this ritual. But he casts the spell slowly, as he is not familiar with the wind element at all, having gotten no chance to learn or practice it before, unlike the four elements of earth, fire, water, and lightning. After he casts the fiftieth spell, the power is suddenly drained out of him, and the pond starts to ripple. The water gets cleaner and starts to rise, while the earth moves, and Hatori senses the pond turning into a lake, as it gains in depth, width, and volume of water. The spirits breach the protection of creatures, but Hatori is too weak to defend himself. The spells were not very energy intensive, but the ritual sapped his energy. But this amount of energy is not enough. The ritual searches for more power, and finds it in a deep basement underground, where the module of the forest is located. While the spirits are about to get their non-existing hands-on Hatori¡¯s neck and strangle him. the ritual takes all the power of the module located below the forest, which gets destroyed in the process. But no one is there in the basement, so the destruction is missed entirely. After this, the ritual has enough power to further expand the lake, deepen it further, and increase its width. The water rises in waves, and with one final wave, which splashes Hatori, the ritual is done, and the magic dissipates, leaving silence in the forest. The elephant picks up an exhausted Hatori with his trunk. ¡®Let¡¯s take you to your camp; you deserve some rest.¡¯ He did not curse in the slightest. Other animals disperse, while the snake goes with the elephant. The spirits disappeared out of nowhere; they suspect they might come back to attack Hatori in the night. This wasn¡¯t the usual assault; they seemed angry this time. But they won¡¯t find Hatori defenseless. These two creatures will be there to defend him. The ritual has done something to them as well. They can sense greater magic within themselves as well, ready to be unleashed whenever they want. (End.) Chapter 84. Chapter 84.

Part 1.

James returns from handing over the yantra which he built to Hatori. After realizing how big the project was, he effectively bullied Hatori and took over the yantra part, so he could focus on the ritual. The yantra is a sentient one, the first one James ever built, which will protect the ritual sight, clean it up, and manage its general upkeep. But that is not what is on the mind of James right now. Currently, he is thinking about the reasons to avoid going back to the room. Shin walks to him, who seems to be distracted. ¡°I can¡¯t take it anymore!¡± he said when he saw James. ¡°What?¡± Shin is very emotional out of them, so James has trouble understanding why he is being so loud. ¡°The fight. No peace in the dorm, no peace outside, it is just maddening!¡± he clarified. On that, James agrees and understands why Shin is being so loud. ¡°But what can we do about it?¡± asked James, the default response after hearing a problem. Hatori understands this tendency of his, while other people who are just looking to vent get frustrated by it. ¡°Not everything needs a solution.¡± Said Shin. ¡®Maybe you shouldn¡¯t cry to me then.¡¯ He thought grumpily. ¡°What can we do about it?¡± Asked Shin with an exhausting disappointing sigh, which only comes after realizing the size of the problem. ¡°What can we do about it?¡± he repeated. ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s talk to them separately, and then compare notes. We¡¯ll try to come up with a solution after that.¡± suggested Shin. ¡°Brilliant.¡± Said James. Now, this is his kind of solution. No emotional screaming, no winging it; instead proper planning, observation, and then action.

Part 2.

Whereas Hatori is preparing for the ritual in the forest at this time by repeatedly practicing the elemental spells taught to him by Professor Mantar, Shin is talking with Raven. They have a nice chemistry Shin feels, since they are kind of the same, looked down upon by everyone else for their birth. ¡°So, Suresh hasn¡¯t come yet?¡± asked Shin. Each year during the month-long festival, various events are organized in the Academy. one of which is the chess championship. Suresh is the boy who has won it for the last two years, and he often used Raven as a sparring partner, where he utilized his openings against Raven, and see how he responds. ¡°No, not yet.¡± Said Raven. ¡°But I¡¯m already studying the games of the other champions; they are very insightful. I¡¯m sure they would come in useful when I start to play for the championship from next year onward.¡± The championship can only be contested among players who are fourth year and above, so Raven is looking forward to the next year. ¡°Great. But I don¡¯t see Josh here.¡± Shin tries to bring up the topic for which he is here, the part of the library where historical records of the students are stored here, who have participated in the events either for the school or by the school. ¡°Probably still lazing around in the room.¡± Said Raven with a harsh tone. ¡°Say, you guys are friends from childhood, right?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Well, yeah, but I do think that friendship is now over.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Why?¡± asked Shin. ¡°I¡¯m not prying, but as someone in my position, I don¡¯t get to make friends aside from you guys.¡± Raven shakes his head. ¡°You¡¯re fine. I don¡¯t mind. The problem with Josh is that he thinks of himself all the time. When it comes to proving that he is a friend, he cowers away. I mean, people have been calling me his servant ever since I was five, and not once has he had the guts to correct them. Do I want a friend like that?¡± This time, Shin is the one who shakes his head, jingling the bells in his hair. ¡°I don¡¯t know man, all I know is that one impulsive blind boy pulled me along with you, and I¡¯ve yet to look back.¡± Said Shin. ¡°It would be sad to see the group splinter like that.¡±

Part 3.

Implementing the plan immediately, James goes to Josh, finding him in the room, reading a book on economics. ¡°Does that interest you?¡± A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Yeah, not only the math but the human behavior.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Did you know that actually, math is pretty bad at predicting human behavior, or any behavior in general?¡± ¡°Interesting.¡± Said James. ¡°Yeah, just because someone might behave in a certain way statistically, it is not certain that they will continue to display that same behavior all the time.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I do need to cross-reference economics with anthropology. According to this author, who is an expert in both disciplines, both of them can use each other to learn more things about human behavior.¡± ¡°Great. Do you think chess players like Raven can analyze people?¡± asked James. ¡°I highly doubt that.¡± scoffed Josh. ¡°Chess is a great game, but it does not encapsulate life completely. I learned this word from this book, by the way,¡± said Josh, turning the page. ¡°You¡¯ve been friends with him since childhood, haven¡¯t you?¡± Said James. ¡°How is it to have a friend for so long?¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t have a friend before I take it?¡± asked Josh. James nodded, unwilling to spill his lonely childhood. ¡°The thing is, when you know someone for so long, you start to learn everything about them, good and bad.¡± ¡°So what is good about Raven?¡± asked James, ¡°And what is bad?¡± ¡°Good things. Hmm. I think he is intelligent, and has some ambitious goals. I think living around Hatori has exacerbated the ambition. But he doesn¡¯t realize that he lives in a dangerous world. He is mostly angry with me because I never stood up for him, or he thinks that way.¡± said Josh. ¡°But the matter is not that simple. You come from a noble family; you know how things are. Our cousins, brothers, sisters, everyone is looking for weaknesses to pounce on. If I defended him, you know what would happen.¡± Said Josh. ¡°So you think Raven shouldn¡¯t be ambitious?¡± asked James. ¡°Not exactly. But he should curb them some.¡± Said Josh. ¡°What about Hatori? Do you think that he should have folded easily when the families demanded that he abandon Porus¡¯s side?¡± asked James. ¡°No.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I was angry, and I shouldn¡¯t have said that. if he were to fold easily, we wouldn¡¯t be here discussing this thing, since he would be nothing more than a weapon for the families.¡± James excused himself after that conversation, leaving Josh alone with his book. He meets with Shin on the ground near the stream, underneath a large oak tree. ¡°Any luck?¡± he asked. ¡°No. you?¡± asked Shin. ¡°The same. It¡¯ll be harder than we thought.¡± Said James.

Part 4.

Hatori wakes up, still feeling exhausted. He finds the snake and the elephant nearby. ¡°What happened?¡± He groaned. The last thing he remembers was the ritual draining his magic, and the spirits going crazy. ¡®Typical human behavior.¡¯ Said the elephant from outside the camp. ¡®Do you feel fine now?¡¯ asked the snake, ignoring the snarky elephant. ¡°I feel weak. I don¡¯t think I should go out today.¡± He said in a trembling voice. ¡®Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯re here.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®We¡¯ll take care of you.¡¯ ¡°How did the ritual go?¡± Asked Hatori, after the snake gave him some dried meat to eat. ¡°Did I blow it up?¡± ¡® no!¡¯ Said the elephant. ¡®It worked fine, and now that the entire sight is filled with more creatures, they¡¯re all lined up there to get modified.¡¯ ¡®These are the ones who didn¡¯t learn about it the first time.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®Of course, the wasp and bee queens are running the whole thing. They¡¯ve promised to share the profit with you.¡¯ ¡°That¡¯s fine. Wait, profit?¡± asked Hatori. ¡®Yeah, while they do not charge for using the lake, they do charge for lodging and nesting.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡°Those two are scary.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®And now you get it.¡¯ said the elephant. ¡°What happened to the spirits?¡± asked Hatori. ¡®Well, they all went up in smoke after the ritual was done. They haven¡¯t shown up ever since. I think your ritual destroyed what kept them anchored here, so they left the forest entirely.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡°You¡¯re getting good at the theory.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°If I ever built a library, I¡¯ll put you in charge.¡± ¡®And what about me?¡¯ asked the elephant. ¡°You can be the scary guard.¡± Mumbled Hatori, falling asleep already. (End.) Chapter 85 Chapter 85.

Part 1.

¡®I say we should attack!¡¯ said the elephant, punctuating his point with a trumpeting cry of elephants. ¡®And I think we should wait.¡¯ Said Hatori calmly, without speaking, though he can¡¯t help but move his lips. Talking with telepathy is a challenge, but he will soon stop moving his lips as well. The man and the beast are arguing about when they should attack. The festival has already started two days ago, and Hatori has recovered from the ritual he performed the previous week, giving this forest a lake where animals can dip into after getting carved with runes, and then hold the power which nature never intended to give them. as they argue, the bees, wasps, and various herds are getting modified in the background. ¡®You¡¯re unwilling to attack because you can¡¯t get rid of your fucking attachment to the damn festival!¡¯ accused the elephant. ¡®That isn¡¯t true.¡¯ Said Hatori. ¡®Then clarify for us?¡¯ asked the snake, sprawled on the rocks nearby, taking the rare sunbath in winter. Winter is very harsh for a reptile, so he takes whatever chance he can get to get warm. ¡®If we attack now, they¡¯ll expect that. but if we wait until the final day of the year without making a move, right when the next year is about to start¡­¡¯ ¡®Oh, I get it.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®They won¡¯t expect that. They would be busy partying.¡¯ ¡®Exactly.¡¯ Said Hatori. ¡®Fine.¡¯ Said the elephant, rumbling away to cool his temper. This is good since Hatori hears footsteps near his camp, and he goes there to see who is coming. While he rebuilt his camp underground with the use of the earth element, he also kept a wooden camp above the ground to welcome guests if they ever showed up. No need to show people his actual camp, since it can prove to be a good place to hide. He now needs to learn some hiding wards to truly hide it. Once again, too many things, very little time. He sees it as the twins Ranveer and Bhavani Singh, some of his associates outside of his usual group. They were carrying a bag with them which made him curious. But Hatori is willing to wait since he arrived at the camp before them, and by the time they get there, they find him sitting in the sun with his legs crossed. ¡°Wow. You look like a warlord or something.¡± Said Bhavani. ¡°Complete with camp and weathered appearance.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have an army, though.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Not that I would get an army. I doubt anyone would work with me, given the danger around me.¡± ¡°Nah, I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll find some crazies.¡± Said Ranveer, dropping the bag. He fishes inside and brings out a folded carpet. ¡°We¡¯re going to have a picnic here.¡± ¡°Interesting choice of place.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, I prefer to be called a sage instead of a warlord. It makes people less uncomfortable.¡± ¡°I suppose that means you won¡¯t be eating the food we¡¯ve brought, oh, mighty sage?¡± asked Bhavani, taking out the food. ¡°Sharing is caring.¡± Said Hattori. ¡°If you do not perform this, I shall curse you.¡± They all laughed after that statement.

Part 2.

Sangita is the professor of music at the Academy, and she is currently overseeing Shin¡¯s practice. ¡°Good.¡± She complimented once Shin was done finishing playing the final note. ¡°Now, time for the vocal exercises.¡± She starts to play various notes on her violin, and Shin tries to match them. All the notes were in his usual vocal range because she does not want to damage the voice of Shin by making him sing on higher notes. This does not mean she won¡¯t make him practice those, but the usual singing on higher or lower notes than the normal range of a person¡¯s voice can damage the voice. she does not make her students sing on high notes. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Now, you do have the sheet of the song which we¡¯re about to play this year, don¡¯t you?¡± she asked next. ¡°Yes, mam.¡± Agreed Shin. ¡°Good. Practice that every day, you¡¯ve done well in the past years without a teacher. I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll do wonderful this year as well.¡± she said with a smile. ¡°Of course.¡± Said Shin with a smile. Initially, he didn¡¯t want to do anything this year at the festival. Especially when Josh and Raven are having their ongoing spat, and Hatori is still trapped outside. When he shared these concerns with Professor Sangita, instead of berating him, she understood. ¡°I won¡¯t say whether you should perform this year or not; that is your own decision. But I can give you this piece of advice. Life will always throw hurdles in your way, if you just give up, and drop your art, then you will never be successful at it.¡± she told him. Therefore, despite his misgivings, he decided to perform this year. It will be a violin solo this year, with no band to support him. But Shin is not afraid of performing alone on stage. He is sad that his friend won¡¯t be there to see and hear his performance. While Shin is practicing with the music sheet, Professor Sangita considers his talent. She considers him a diamond in the rough, and despite his birth status, she feels if Shin could harness his talent properly, no social prejudice could stop him.

Part 3.

Raven finds James on a secret ground found by Hatori. He sees the boy working on a circuit of sorts, though he doesn¡¯t know what exactly it is. ¡°What are you working on?¡± he asked. ¡°A visual circuit.¡± Said James. ¡°This is what is inside of the yantras which let them see.¡± ¡°So you¡¯re planning to create some sort of yantra or something?¡± asked Raven. ¡°No.¡± Said James, putting the circuit down. ¡°The reason is¡­¡± He told him everything, about his project, and how the professors and healer slaughter are helping him, as well as his reasons for doing this thing. ¡°Don¡¯t tell anyone though.¡± he finished. ¡°Of course, you¡¯re secret is safe with me,¡± said Raven with a smile.

Part 4.

Much like the twins, someone else also had the idea of having a picnic at Hatori¡¯s camp. ¡°Hey guys,¡± said Liang. ¡°room for one more?¡± he asked. ¡°Sure, come, sit with us,¡± said Bhavani. ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice how quiet the forest is. Have the spirits attacked you recently?¡± he asked, unpacking his food. As they all get the delicacies of his country, Hatori answers. ¡°The spirits have not attacked me for days.¡± He said while chewing the food. ¡°I think they left the forest.¡± ¡°Probably their anchor is destroyed.¡± Said Liang. ¡°You seem to know about spirits.¡± Said Ranveer. ¡°A little.¡± Said Liang. ¡°Father says that you shouldn¡¯t deal with them until you¡¯re strong and experienced. Spirits are not to be underestimated.¡± ¡°Your dad sounds smart.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°He is.¡± Said Liang. ¡°I haven¡¯t managed to beat him in Go yet. Speaking of which,¡± he brings out the board. ¡°Want to play?¡± ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± said Hatori, shifting in front of Liang. The board is put down in the middle, and the game begins. The twins are on the other two sides of the board, watching the moves of both players. They haven¡¯t seen a game like this one, so they are fascinated by it. After an hour-long game, Liang and the twins bid Hatori farewell. ¡®Wait for the end of the year boys, you won¡¯t believe how I¡¯m going to start the next year.¡¯ (End.) Chapter 86 Chapter 86.

Part 1.

Hatori is working with the crows. The birds have quickly picked up advanced magical tricks aside from telepathy, though none of them have chosen any modification. According to that one female crow whom Hatori met for the first time while trying out his telepathy, there¡¯s a fierce debate in the parliament about the modification and its ethics, and the young crows are getting impatient already since they have a long list of the things which they want for themselves. Currently, Hatori is trying to levitate himself while meditating for maximum focus. The crow watching over him is charged with protecting him if he falls, to make sure he doesn¡¯t get injured. Each time he falls through, there is raucous laughter at his expense, in the form of loud cawing. The other crows are enjoying this show. Ignoring their mocking, Hatori focuses on levitation. Once he gets this down, he will then try to move himself in the air. He is hoping to crack the secrets of flying. He sneaked inside the library to find out about it. Though mages did experiment with flying objects, there is no record of a mage flying by himself. Not even a mention of a mad sorcerer doing that. He decides to give it a try. Even if it fails, it should build his instincts enough that if he ever ends up in a falling situation as he did on the mountain where Karasu was killed, he can levitate himself to the ground safely. The practice is going well, especially after the first few tries. He is slowly getting the hang of it. But it is disrupted by Liang and Maria¡¯s arrival. Hatori lands on the ground with a wump when Maria calls him. ¡°Oy barbarian. Welcome your friends!¡± the crows laughed even harder in response. While other animals get startled by their friends, the crows did not do that. They ruffled their feathers and went slightly higher on the trees, but they did not leave the area; instead, they quietly observed these two new humans. Hatori does not doubt that the parliament will hear about this. Rubbing his butt, he looks at the two in his camp. ¡°Yo. What brought you here?¡± he asked. ¡°Nothing much.¡± Said Liang. ¡°We kind of got sick of the loudness, so came here for some peace.¡± ¡°Maybe I should open a silent spa.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Come here, and enjoy the silence. But pay first, lest we use you to fertilize our giant trees.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you¡¯ll attract any customers with that attitude,¡± said Liang. ¡°Enough of business.¡± Said Maria, slamming the shogi board in front of Hatori. ¡°Play with me.¡± ¡°Okayyy¡­¡± said Hatori, arranging the pieces on his end. ¡°What happened to Raven?¡± ¡°He¡¯s too busy being a punching bag of a champion.¡± Said Maria. ¡°I miss my home, and this is the closest thing I got to it. so, play with me.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Not gonna lie, I also miss home.¡± Said Liang. Hatori tilts his head. He tries to remember the last time he missed his home. Not the home in the magical world. But the real home from where he was brought here. He is under no illusion that the house of Zeko is a temporary place for him to live. If the mage decides he has enough of him, he can kick him out at any time, apprentice or not. ¡°By the way, do you know that your name is misspelled?¡± Said Maria, making the first move of the game. ¡°It is supposed to be Hattori, with an extra t in it.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Said Hatori, making a move of his own. ¡°My dad made that mistake in the registration, and it has stuck that way since. I¡¯ve no interest in correcting it either. One less letter means less writing.¡± ¡°Lazy boy.¡± Said Maria, capturing Hatori¡¯s piece.

Part 2.

Nandan Durve is a young duelist from Subcontinent, who is making his reputation known internationally. At the age of fifteen, he defeated nineteen-year-old mages and has risen among the top hundred under twenty duelists in the world. He also likes to get away from his training time-to-time and enjoy the festival at the Academy. Sometimes, he misses it because of competition, but this year, he managed to get here on time. In Hatori¡¯s first year, he got to enjoy the company of ambitious kids and fought in the dueling tournament that year to select who would go on to participate in an international tournament on the school¡¯s behalf. ¡°Hey boy,¡± he sees James. ¡°How¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°I would like to say good,¡± said James. ¡°But I can¡¯t lie to you.¡± ¡°What happened?¡± asked Nandan, realizing that this year hasn¡¯t gone well for these boys from James¡¯s tone. James tells him everything. How Hatori¡¯s pet was murdered, how he was banished, and how Raven and Josh are fighting, and how they have yet to make up. ¡°I¡¯m getting fed up with them.¡± He concluded. It feels good to tell all of that to someone. ¡°Hmm.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Tell you what, if they don¡¯t make up, then you have the right to beat them, especially if this is giving you grief personally.¡± ¡°Now, where exactly is Hatori?¡± asked Nandan, wanting to meet him. James takes him there, but he leaves quickly. Maria and Liang welcome Nandan into the camp. ¡°You know, you must have gotten tougher since the last time we fought to have survived this forest.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°This was the forbidden zone, and the students were discouraged from entering here due to the fatalities.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t imagine why.¡± Said Hatori, happy to see Nandan. ¡°I like it here. I think I¡¯m gonna make it my permanent home.¡± ¡°Whatever you do, you should know that I have your back.¡± Said Nandan with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m glad for that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll come to talk with you later. I do have some friends to see as well,¡± said Nandan, and left. ¡°It is getting late.¡± Said Liang. ¡°We should be going as well.¡± ¡°Feel free to come here any time you like.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Sure.¡± Said Maria. ¡°Hopefully, you¡¯ll play a better game next time,¡± said Maria, and leaves with Liang. Hatori lost their shogi match today. ¡®In my defense, I was tired from trying to levitate myself.¡¯ But he did not say that out loud. No need to tell them his secrets. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡®That tall boy.¡¯ Comes the voice of the elephant in Hatori¡¯s head. ¡®He looks like a tough bastard.¡¯ ¡®He is tough.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®You should avoid him. not only is he my friend, but I''d rather not test what kind of new tricks he has picked.¡¯ ¡®Indeed.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®He looks like he is built for fights, from the feel of his magic to his body.¡¯ The entire conversation happened without the participants ever coming close to each other. The advantages of telepathy continue to increase. Hatori has also gotten used to hiding his thoughts better, which seems to please the snake. ¡®Broadcasting your intent is no way to hunt prey.¡¯ He says it all the time.

Part 3.

James is having some trouble with his project. It is hard enough to come up with schematics, but to carve the runes, while keeping the mathematical formulas in mind, and adjusting the whole thing in real time is impossible. If Hatori were to be here, he could have given the rune carving part to him, he is insanely good with that. But since he is not here, he must ask for subpar help. ¡®Better bury such thoughts deep within. It is not polite to say these things out loud.¡¯ He thinks to himself. He finds Raven and Josh in the room, turned away from each other. The tension was palpable as if another brawl was about to break out between them. But James has no time for that. ¡°I need your help, both of you.¡± He throws the rune schematics to Raven and hands the mathematical formulas to Josh. ¡°Please help me with these. I can¡¯t do them alone.¡± ¡°I refuse to work with him,¡± said Josh. ¡°Same here.¡± Said Raven. ¡°You know why I¡¯m doing this,¡± said James to Raven. ¡°Can¡¯t you put your grudge aside for a moment?¡± ¡°No. him first.¡± Raven insisted. ¡°Tell you what, if they don¡¯t make up, then you have the right to beat them, especially if this is giving you grief personally.¡± Nandan¡¯s words came to James earlier today. ¡®They are causing a delay to my project. This is certainly giving me grief.¡¯ So he attacks Raven and Josh, but both boys fail to defend themselves from sheer surprise. He bucked their beds by the earth element, making them sprawl on the floor. He does not give them any chance to recover, battering them with Stinger spells. But Raven and Josh did not stay quiet for long. They transmute their pillows into iron balls and then throw them at James. While it does allow them to breathe for a moment, since James had to dodge, they fail to regain initiative. James reveals that he is not just good with earth elements, as he conjures water, and sends all that water to Josh and Raven, who got swept outside of the room and got slammed hard to the floor. He further demonstrated his mastery of the element by turning the water into ice and pelting them with hailstones. Shivering and now bruised, Raven and Josh look at James with frightened expressions as he comes out of their soaked room. ¡°Will you listen to me now?¡± He is holding the diagrams and schematics which he gave to them earlier in his hands. Then, they notice how he hasn¡¯t used his foci so far. They shudder at the thought. He would have ended them right then and there with a foci. But that still doesn¡¯t make them willing to stop fighting. They try to run, to escape the wrathful James, who is roaring and coming after them. They have never seen him raise his volume, but now he is stampeding towards them like a bull. Their path to escape is blocked by Shin. He is waiting for them with his staff in his hand, ready to cast spells. ¡°Hey there, boys.¡± He said to them. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re in quite a trouble.¡± As James gets to them and begins to fight with Raven and Josh physically, he laughs as the bells in his hair jingle with his laughter. After they are all exhausted, Raven tells why he was angry at Josh. ¡°I¡¯m not your servant.¡± he said to him. ¡°I can tolerate that people are calling me that, but what pissed me more was what you said regarding Hatori. You have no right to say that for him.¡± Of course, Josh has his reasons. ¡°But you should understand my position as well. Do you honestly think that I can pick fights with everyone just for you?¡± He replied. ¡°Though I shouldn¡¯t have said that in regards to Hatori. I¡¯ll say sorry to him.¡± ¡°Enough of this soppy drama. Help me already.¡± Said James, who is happy with the resolution, but now wants to get back to his project. They listen to him quickly, lest they provoke his anger once more. They have to watch out for his rage from now on. ¡°I¡¯ll clean the room.¡± Said Shin, and goes to fix the room. It needs a nice drying, and everything has to be put back in its place.

Part 4.

In the forest, Hatori is working with the lightning element in his underground camp. He has neglected the other elements such as water and earth so far for this element, working exclusively with lightning. At first, it was very hard to work with it. Making electricity appear was harder than fire, but when he got good enough with it, he started to experiment with its flow. When electricity flows in his body, it doesn¡¯t harm him. It lets him think faster, but it also exhausts him. if he can think of a way to use his energy better, he can take advantage of this. ¡®Now, I just need to refine this element in battle. Then I¡¯m set. After that, wind will be the only element I¡¯ll need to master.¡¯ He thinks. Walking outside, he sees that the bee and wasp queens have shifted into his camp with their hive. The time of the attack is getting closer and closer; the festival will end in an hour, as the new year hits. These queens will take care of the portal from the other side, and Hatori explains one final time what they must do. ¡°In addition, you will return here once you¡¯re shield has run out automatically.¡± He finishes the explanation. No one minded the explanation, since the nerves were running high. None of the creatures thought that they would be able to go toe-to-toe with mages. ¡®But our magical resistance is high; why can¡¯t we fight without our shields?¡¯ complains the snake. ¡°Because I won¡¯t let you die.¡± Said Hatori out loud. And thus, they all wait for the clock to hit zero. The new year will be opened with a bang. (End.) Chapter 87 Chapter 87.

Part 1.

It is time for the new year¡¯s celebration. Whether in the magical dimension or the normal world, the human population worldwide is celebrating the new year, as the clocks in their parts of the world hit zero o¡¯clock. At the Academy of Institute of Magecraft and Sorcery, the students have stuffed themselves with the food, danced to their heart¡¯s content, and they are now counting the final countdown to zero o¡¯clock, as the fireworks heat up. As soon as they reach zero, with impeccable timing, the fireworks all go up in the sky, and everyone screams ¡°Happy new year!¡± However, the celebration is disrupted by a louder explosion, which drowns out the fireworks. It was as if someone cast an amplified Blast spell right in the middle of the party. The professors and students are recovering from the explosion, when suddenly, a swarm of wasps and bees appear in the midst of them, followed by elephants who declared their arrival with a loud horn. As if this wasn¡¯t enough, rhinos and snakes also followed, as well as one hippo. He looked out of place since everyone had their group among the animals. The appearance of these animals out of nowhere caused panic among the students, unable to adjust to the sudden shift in mood. Just a few moments ago, they were celebrating, and now this hoard has appeared out of nowhere and is now attacking them indiscriminately. The students remembered how a swarm of bees actually appeared in the mess hall a few months ago but disappeared quickly when the professors got in action. They thought if they could hold for long enough, the professors would get involved, and these animals would run or die. But nothing like that happened. The professors got involved, and the animals did not run at all. Instead, they closed their ranks like an army, facing professors and students alike, trampling and goring anyone who gets in their way. As the magic started to fly, the animals responded with their magic, further baffling everyone there. Animals are never observed to use magic in such a large group or variety, since there are multiple species here. Usually, these species will never get along with each other. But here, they are working together for a common goal, though what exactly that goal is unknown. The students find that their spells are not having any effects. The animals have magic resistance, so they ignored the effects of their spells, but even professors are struggling to damage these animals. They are shrugging off whatever they could throw at them. The professors cannot use their more destructive spells, for students and their colleagues can end up in the crossfire. The mages are known to hold on to grudges for a long period; they do not wish to make more enemies. Already, various students have taken advantage of this chaos to settle their score with their enemies with the judicial application of a spell in the back or friendly fire, using a destructive spell to target an animal, where someone also ended up getting caught in the effect of that spell.

Part 2.

Hatori¡¯s friends are enjoying this night, though they are not partaking in the activities with the same enthusiasm as others. Having a banished friend puts a damper on the mood, and even though months have passed since that banishment, they are decidedly not over it yet. What this narrator wouldn¡¯t give to have friends like these on his side¡­ Getting back to the story, when they saw the attacking animals, they abandoned the open area, got close to each other, and were joined by Nandan. ¡°Just stay with me, and make sure no one takes potshots at me. I¡¯ll protect you,¡± he said to them. Just when they were about to make their way outside of the grand hall, where this party is held, they see Hatori walking out of the cloud of the swarm, looking at ease around the bugs. They change their direction wordlessly and start to make their way to him. Not only do they need to ask him about this chaos, but they realize he¡¯ll need their protection as soon as other students see him here. Though he doesn¡¯t seem to be having any trouble navigating in this chaos. Likely, his magical senses have developed a lot, and that crow on his shoulder is also gesturing and nudging his head from time to time. The animals seem to avoid them entirely, as a snake who was waiting to strike suddenly stopped midway as he saw them. The reptile then attacked other students, putting multiple students in his coils, and squeezed until their bones cracked. Ignoring the brutality around them, they steadily make their way to Hatori, who seems to be moving in a certain direction. At least bees are not causing havoc there, so it is easier to reach there. It is hard to see things around you when wasps and bees are clouding your vision, and everyone is running around like headless chickens. This is an absurd example; headless chickens don¡¯t run unless necromancy is used on them.

Part 3.

Ishwar Chandravanshi was part of the plot of persuading Hatori to the family¡¯s side before Swaraaj blew it up. He then humbled Hatori last year, when he heard him bragging. Currently, he finds himself against a magically resistant hippo, who seems to have laid out a professor nearby, as young students hide behind him. The hippo suddenly turns around and leaves him, but Ishwar didn¡¯t have a chance of breathing a sigh of relief. He was grabbed from behind, and his head was bashed into a table multiple times. Once the attacker was done with him, they dropped him to the floor with his brain dizzy, and his head bloody. ¡°Call it a payback.¡± Said Hatori, and he then walks away. ¡°Ug. Kids these days. No respect for their elders.¡± He muttered dazedly. ¡°Should we go after him?¡± asked Bhanu, his loyal underling. ¡°Nah, leave him be. Instead, plot a way out of this mess. I don¡¯t want to see it until the end.¡± Said Ishwar. Hatori feels as if a heavy load is lifted from his shoulders. No one can get away with humiliating him. However, his feelings of elation don¡¯t last long, as his friends surround him with his classmates, clambering at him at once. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± ¡°Why are you doing this?¡± ¡°Stop this chaos at once!¡± Now, ordering him like that is going too far. So, he silences them with his magical pressure, rooting them on their spots. ¡°You¡¯ll get answers to your questions, but do not dare to order me around. You hear me?¡± he said, with lightning crackling around his head. ¡°Raven, Josh, James, Shin, feel free to join me if you like, this new year celebration is wonderful,¡± he said with a disturbing smile. His friends agreed to join him, and Nandan went along for the ride. Maybe if they are with him, then they can keep him from causing even more chaos.

Part 4.

Each year during the festival, experts from Subcontinent as well as abroad come to the Academy to deliver lectures and talks, and participate in conventions. This year is no different. Currently, a group of Albion, Zhongguo, and Nihon are observing the chaos around them, safe within their bubble laid down by the only subcontinent mage among them. Most experts don¡¯t stick around for the year-end celebration, but these four stayed. The stories alone are going to buy them beers in their meetings for years to come. ¡°Do you see that boy?¡± asked old man Lee, the expert from Zhongguo. ¡°That boy modified those animals. It is evident by how they listen to him.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Henry the Horrid. ¡°He didn¡¯t even use any blood magic.¡± ¡°He did use some runes.¡± Said Munshi, the only expert from the subcontinent. ¡°Interesting choice. I think the boy has a talent for soul manipulation. What do you think, gentlemen?¡± ¡°I also see a sign of a ritual. Custom, no doubt.¡± Said Ryoko, the only female expert in the group from Nihon. ¡°I must say, this is a delight to watch.¡± Said the old man Lee, while noting what he has been able to gleam so far. ¡°I¡¯ve never seen animals modified like this before.¡± ¡°They were lucky.¡± Said Henry. ¡°I would have sicked an entire army of undead animals with even more dangerous animals.¡± Said Henry. ¡°Yes, that is why you¡¯re never invited to parties.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°You take that back!¡± Said Henry. ¡°I¡¯m the spirit of the parties, people love me.¡± ¡°Lies. You¡¯re delusional.¡± While they bicker, Ryoko comes close to Lee and whispers to him. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°Did you notice how they are casting destructive magic?¡± She asked. ¡°It is not instincts. They are in full control.¡± ¡°Hmm. It is terrifying.¡± Said Lee. ¡°I do believe we need to be careful with our experiments from now on. Though I do hope this bunch won¡¯t cause a problem, I would hate to kill such specimens.¡± ¡°Me too. I wish to observe them in the wild.¡± Said Ryoko. Let¡¯s try to understand why these experts are so interested. What Hatori has done is possible, but it takes long, and the results are inconclusive. These people, as a result, discarded the possibility of modifying themselves and others with runes alone, going the route of soul magic and blood magic along with rituals. But Hatori is showing them a way that they have completely written off and never had any interest in pursuing. The fact that they do not have to wait for months to see results, and they are seeing everything live with a front seat is a bonus.

Part 5.

Hatori is thankful for the crow on his shoulder. He has saved him from professors who wish to detain him, and teachers and pets who are helping them. ¡®Looks like my kill count has risen recently.¡¯ He senses more threats but only finds the cooling bodies of the students who tried to capture him. The area is riddled with the sign of elemental magic, as Hatori has to rely on it heavily for fighting these older students. He has found that they are not resistant to lightning elements, unlike fire. The earth element is also a nice surprise since people rarely expect the ground under their feet to buck wildly and throw them off their balance. Hatori took advantage of this ruthlessly and dispatched everyone who attacked him. However, he notices the unrest within himself. He would be exhausted after a fight right before his banishment. But now, he is not feeling any strain, aside from slight sweating, which he suspects is because of those flaming tables nearby. He had the pleasure of throwing one student who was protecting everyone from his attack on them. The screams were satisfying. Disturbed with his thoughts, Hatori decides he will examine his feelings later, as he avoids more students. Most of the swarm of bees and wasps is now gone. It was quickly routed once their numbers started to fall. But they left their impact. Many students are experiencing the poison of their sting, delivered through the dangerous variety of Stinger spells. While Hatori knows the Poison Stinger, the wasps, and bees use a much more dangerous version of it, more painful too, judging from the howls coming from around him. The elephants, rhinos, and snakes took longer to defeat, but they are also sent back into the forest once their shield runs out. Hatori is happy to see that no animal got captured. However, he senses the hippo who has outlasted everyone, preparing for a dangerous spell. He shook from its force; after sensing it, and forgetting about the students coming after him, he runs to find shelter. Hatori is not the only one who has sensed the danger. Some professors rallied students, and tried to stop the beast in the middle of his charge; but the elephant, the sole member of his herd, kept them off his back. Once the spell is ready, he opens his mouth. Aside from the big teeth, if anyone would have peaked in the hippo''s mouth, they would have seen a multicolor light swirling around in the form of a ball. With a whoosh of breath, he fires that spell, which explodes after connecting with a wall. After that, both mammals disappear, leaving behind a destroyed grand hall, with a ruined wall, a roof with a gigantic hole in it, and an equally large crater in the ground.

Part 6.

While everyone is getting out of their shelters after that huge explosion. Professor useless¡­ I mean, Professor Krishna Menon and deputy headmistress Surbha are trying to convince Corvus to punish Hatori for humiliating them in front of the foreign mages. ¡°Look at this destruction he has caused.¡± Said Krishna with theatrics. Corvus is not even listening clearly, he is sitting with his chin in his hand with a board look. ¡°I fail to see what he has done wrong.¡± He said, not even lifting his face to say those words. ¡°Look around you!¡± screeched Krishna Menon. ¡°He destroyed the grand hall, caused a lot of students'' injuries, killed even more of them, and you¡¯re asking what he has done?¡± ¡°Headmaster, the boy has gone too far.¡± Said Surbha, with much better control than Krishna. ¡°Honestly, if I gave a damn about deaths, I would have fixed it a long time ago.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°Ever since the inception of this Academy three thousand years ago, we have allowed students to compete with each other, with the understanding that this may result in casualties. You took advantage of that during your own Academy days, if I remember correctly. So why are you protesting so much now? The boy has done what the Academy encourages anyway. Besides, he is banished, remember? I can hardly do anything worse than that.¡± ¡°Headmaster,¡± chimed Professor Dhiraj, ¡°At least ask the boy why he has done this; there has to be a reason for such huge damage to the school¡¯s property.¡± ¡°Finally, an intelligent suggestion. I think I¡¯ll increase your salary, Dhiraj.¡± Said Corvus. He straightens himself, and with a wave of a hand, drags Hatori from his hiding spot in front of the professors. As the professors and the experts from the outside watch, Corvus asks Hatori. ¡°Well, boy? Do you have a reason for damaging my grand hall?¡± ¡°I was banished wrongfully.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I did not deserve it. I want it overturned.¡± ¡°You deserve it!¡± snarled Krishna, trying to reach for the boy. Corvus stopped it with a burier, though. He backed off, he does not wish to cross the headmaster. ¡°You deserve worse than banishment!¡± ¡°Corvus, may I ask the boy, what was his crime that he was banished?¡± asked old man Lee. ¡°Certainly.¡± Said Corvus. He has no problem with that question. Feeling this older mage look at him, Hatori considers, what should he do. Zeko has not taught him ways to greet older unknown mages yet. ¡°Well, boy? Please answer my question. I do not wish to repeat myself.¡± ¡°I was banished for killing students sent after me by a professor useless.¡± Said Hatori. Lee chuckled. ¡°Who is this professor useless?¡± he asked. ¡°Him.¡± Hatori points to Krishna Menon, who is gritting his teeth, unable to do anything. He can¡¯t touch the boy in front of Corvus. ¡°How dare you? This is a matter between us; you shouldn¡¯t bring a foreigner in the middle of it!¡± said Krishna Menon. ¡°Much like how you shouldn¡¯t have brought my pet crow in the middle of it?¡± asked Hatori, moving his face to get eyes to the to-to-empty eye sockets with Krishna. ¡°Forgive me for speaking in the middle, senior Lee, headmaster. But I think we should stop this farce already.¡± Said Bali, sporting some injuries. He couldn¡¯t help but tangle with some of those elephants. They provided him with one hell of a workout. ¡°That banishment is worthless, since the boy is here anyway, and we all know those reasons to banish him were dubious anyway.¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do that. The students voted for it!¡± said Krishna. ¡°You caused this problem by scheming with the students in the first place. Besides, I do believe that voting was rigged. Why did you not allow first to fourth-year students to vote?¡± asked Bali. ¡°Besides, remember, I let the student council exist on my Wim.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°I¡¯m not bound by their rules. I can decide to turn all of you into dust, and you will be helpless to stop me. so do keep that in mind while making future decisions.¡± Said Corvus. Everyone in the hall is hearing this entire conversation; the students who are part of, or are involved with the student council shiver after hearing those words. It sounded like a very pointed warning to them. ¡°I also think this banishment should be overturned.¡± Said Amrita. ¡°Mostly because I do not want that boy to grow up with a grudge against us.¡± Amrita¡¯s point gets a lot of support from other professors. ¡°Besides, why should we care about a professor who doesn¡¯t even do anything here?¡± asked Dhiraj. ¡°You don¡¯t help in the maintenance of this institute; you do not teach, and you¡¯re not a researcher either. So why should we listen to you?¡± ¡°All the right questions.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°Remind me, why do I tolerate you again?¡± ¡°The deal!¡± Krishna puts those words out with a lot of loathing. ¡°Ah yes, the deal. Though you have not kept your part, I think. Should I make it public then?¡± Krishna remains quiet. ¡°No?¡± still no answer. ¡°That¡¯s what I thought. I Corvus, headmaster of Magecraft and Sorcery Academy, hereby overturn the banishment of one Hatori eagle. Welcome back, student.¡± ¡°Thank you, headmaster.¡± Said Hatori, clasping his hands as a sign of respect. (End.) Chapter 88 Chapter 88.

Part 1.

After his banishment was overturned, Hatori slept an easy sleep for the first time in months. There¡¯s nothing like a soft bed and a hot meal to relax a boy after months of struggling in a forest. Though the spirits disappeared in the middle of this month and did not attack him day and night as they did before, a forest is never a comfortable place. However, Hatori has not forgotten what this forest has given him. Currently, he is sitting with the snake, the elephant, and the hidden wasp and bee queens nearby, conversing with them telepathically. ¡®I can¡¯t thank you guys enough, you helped me a lot. I¡¯m sorry to have used you like that, though.¡¯ ¡®You shouldn¡¯t be.¡¯ Said the elephant. ¡®Now, the students were afraid of those damnable spirits, so they never ventured here. But now, they have an entirely new fucking reason to be terrified of this place.¡¯ He shrieked, and other elephants nearby responded in kind. ¡®Besides,¡¯ said the snake. ¡®It is not like we didn¡¯t use you. Remember, if you didn¡¯t have deals with us, you would have a hard time here. So in the end, everything worked out well. So, stop fretting.¡¯ ¡°Sure.¡± He couldn¡¯t help but say it out loud. ¡®But I won¡¯t forget what you¡¯ve done for me.¡¯ ¡®Will you leave your yantras with us?¡¯ asked the bee queen. ¡®Sure. Tell me if you have any problems with them. I¡¯ll repair them for you. contact the crows if you can¡¯t reach me yourself.¡¯ He gets up. ¡®Now, I have to leave.¡¯ ¡®Of course, don¡¯t forget to visit us.¡¯ said the snake, slapping Hatori with his tail as a goodbye. The queens are in a conversation of their own. ¡®That boy is going to have a troubled life.¡¯ Said the bee queen. ¡®Yes, judging from the events we¡¯ve gleaned from his head.¡¯ Agreed with the wasp queen. ¡®Though it was annoying how quickly he picked up, on how to guard his thoughts. It became harder to predict him.¡¯ The bee queen buzzed deep within her hive. ¡®I wouldn¡¯t consider it too bad, that boy did right by us. Business or not, he looked out for our safety. Not one creature died in this operation.¡¯

Part 2.

While Hatori is dealing with the creatures he brought to invade the Academy, his class is discussing what he has just done. ¡°I saw him commanding those beasts.¡± Described Maya, one of the female twins. ¡°He looked like an animal himself, though remarkably under control.¡± ¡°I also saw him meeting with those four boys.¡± Said Praduman, ¡°I thought he would display some softness, and drop his guard. But he did none of those things.¡± On the side, Avinash is listening to these reactions. ¡°What else do you expect?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°He was driven at a corner by Krishna Menon. It is a miracle that he didn¡¯t decide on a wholesale slaughter; we all would have been dead otherwise.¡± ¡°I think he won¡¯t do it.¡± Said Suraj, the only second-year present there. ¡°I don¡¯t think he is completely lost in his anger.¡±

Part 3.

James and Shin are currently spilling the beans on the fight between Raven and Josh, while the two stand in a corner, feeling foolish. ¡°Glad to know that I¡¯m not the only idiot here.¡± Said Hatori after the whole incident was relayed to him. ¡°But Josh, tell me. Do you honestly think I should give in to those families, after how things have gone down?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Just so you know, when Joshis kidnapped me for the second time, no less, they pretty much told me to be a puppet. Is that what you want for me?¡± ¡°No.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I was wrong to say those things.¡± ¡°True.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But you know, if you ever feel that I¡¯m putting you in danger, any of you, you should run away, abandon me. Life around me will never be easy or comfortable, and you will end up as a target.¡± ¡°Will you do the same thing for us?¡± asked Raven. ¡°No,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Then we won¡¯t abandon you either.¡± Said Josh. ¡°My family can disown me for all I care about. But I¡¯m not leaving your side.¡± Josh hesitated at the disowned part, but Hatori understands. It is not easy to abandon your family. James, on the other hand, is sure that he won¡¯t even think about it. His family is not much of a family for a long time, wealth, power, influence, or the love between family members, everything is missing. He has not experienced any of that since he was born, so unlike Josh, he doesn¡¯t have any difficulty imagining a life without the Flora family. At least, Shakuntala won¡¯t influence him that way. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Now, I¡¯m more interested in James here.¡± Said Hatori, clapping him on the shoulder. ¡°Beating these two out of nowhere looks like you¡¯ve gotten strong.¡± ¡°Not only that, he conjured water, right in this very room.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I had to clean up after the fight, though, you guys are lucky that beds and pillows didn¡¯t get wet.¡± ¡°Already conjuring water, eh?¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I still have trouble with it,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I don¡¯t conjure it. I just change the ratio of gasses, and I get tons of water easily that way.¡± Said James. ¡°You already know the ratio, I assume?¡± ¡°Oxygen and hydrogen.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yes, I know about it. Maybe I should give it a try.¡±

Part 4.

In his office, Corvus tests the function to sign his name automatically on documents that he approves of. A Yantra looking like the skeleton version of himself rests on a desk loaded with paperwork, ready to sort the documents. This yantra knows everything about his personality, so it can approve of the things which he would, and reject the things which he would. If there is not enough clarity, Yantra will send the paperwork to him. ¡®Now, to test the function.¡¯ The function is simple. It tests its signature and verifies that it is him. If the signature matches, it returns true. Otherwise, false. Signature(¡°Corvus¡±); True. ¡®Everything is running smoothly, then.¡¯ He thinks, and leaves the yantra to do its work. While walking to his room, he considers the coming events in the future. Now that Krishna has been publicly Shamed, he will try something to regain that influence that he thought he had, but never held in reality. Once he goes too far, he can dispose of him. His deputy headmistress has to be taken out soon. Initially, the position used to be for someone who was the direct successor of a headmaster. But now, it is the position of a puppet, who is trying to undermine the position of the headmaster or headmistress. The Academy has had no proper deputy headmaster or headmistress for over a thousand years. Of course, Hatori plays a role in this. He hates using children for these games, but the world doesn¡¯t give a damn about what you like or dislike. ¡®I hope that boy will survive at the end.¡¯ Because if he survives, he will be stronger and wiser, because of these experiences. He finds a letter in his room from Porus. He laughed in amusement after reading that letter. The king is complaining like a child that he doesn¡¯t hang out with him enough. ¡°Well, we do have time now.¡± He said to no one and leaves to spend some time with his old apprentice.

Part 5.

Krishna Menon is also planning in his office. That damnable brute of a headmaster dared to call him useless in public in front of everyone, and even that lout Dhiraj questioned his position here. As if he of superior blood needs to justify himself to the rabbles. Hatori is beyond the families, of that, he is sure. ¡®Looks like there is nothing else but to kill the boy.¡¯ he thought. But the grinding season has just started. The students won¡¯t help him during this time, too busy with their exams. But next year is always an option. He is sure that the king and the headmaster are somehow helping Hatori; he wouldn¡¯t be able to bring a beast army right into the school otherwise, and he certainly has no skills to modify them. But when he tries to kill him next year, they won¡¯t be able to save him.

Part 6.

Hatori meets the head dwarf Khansama. ¡°So, now that you are in, do you still want to proceed with the plans of tormenting that pay-cutting bastard?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course.¡± Said Hatori, not batting a non-existing eye at the use of bad language. He has been desensitized to it by living around the cursing elephant. ¡°Nothing has changed; proceed as normal. And if anyone else tries to interfere with your pay, tell me.¡± ¡°What will you do to them?¡± asked the dwarf. ¡°Simple. Take their life. They can¡¯t cut your pay if they are dead, can they?¡± asked Hatori with a grin, sure that his logic was unbeatable. (End.) Chapter 89 Chapter 89.

Part 1.

For these past few months, Krishna Menon has been tormented. His things are moved just enough that he ends up banging into them, creating bruised shins in the process. His clothes are washed with a soap which has hardened them; now he can give papercuts with the sleeve of his shirts; most of those cuts were to himself. And most important of all, someone tampered with his fruit, because of which he is right now in the care of healer Slaughter, while Corvus has come to watch in the guise of a caring headmaster. but they both know it is gloating. Every day during his breakfast, Krishna takes a fruit, either an apple or a banana. Today, though, when he bit into his apple, the fruit pieces were transmuted into blades, lacerating his mouth in the process. ¡°Uhhhhhh!¡± he tried to say. ¡°Of course, I won¡¯t cut your pay. After all, it would be bad form.¡± Said Corvus. ¡®No, you idiot! Punish that impudent brat!¡¯ He screamed in his head. But of course, Corvus couldn¡¯t hear his thoughts. So, he tried to communicate with his hands but failed miserably. After all, someone in his position wouldn¡¯t do something impolite and useless as a hand sign. ¡°As amusing as it is to see you flail around, I must get back to work. Healer Slaughter will release you when you¡¯re better. Right, Slaughter?¡± asked Corvus with a smile. ¡°Yes, of course, headmaster.¡± Said the healer with a smile. Krishna feels he is trapped between two crocodiles.

Part 2.

Hatori is followed by crows everywhere. In class, in the secret ground, and even in their dorms, those birds are always there. Though only one crow appears in the room at any given time. Hatori has also heard that other birds in the surrounding area are also considering joining this avion group, currently consisting of only crows for now. ¡°Dude, those are creepy as hell,¡± said Shin, finding no other way to say what he is feeling, falling back on the language of the streets. ¡°Well, I like them.¡± said Hatori, ¡°So get used to them.¡± ¡°An eagle being followed around by crows.¡± Said Raven with a chuckle. ¡°Trust me, the joke occurred to me long before you said it,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, but those eyes are observing us,¡± said Josh. ¡°It is creepy.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t go to sleep if someone is seeing me like that,¡± said Shin. ¡°I would,¡± said Hatori. ¡°It is good to know someone is watching out for me while I rest.¡± ¡°Indeed. It is good to know that someone is watching out for you like that,¡± said James in agreement. ¡°Both of you are mad.¡± Said Josh. ¡°You must be madder than us, for hanging around us, then.¡± Said Hatori. In other news, professor Krodhatma is happy to see the results of Hatori¡¯s work on the fountain he created. ¡°Good rune work.¡± He spoke. ¡°Though I suspect you do not know every single detail, do you?¡± ¡°No professor.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I mostly focused on things I needed, and discarded the rest.¡± ¡°This is the same thing engineers sometimes do to organize their tasks.¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°Of course, this doesn''t mean you shouldn¡¯t look into deeper details, or Find some room for improvement.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll use a better approach if I had to do this same task again.¡± Agreed Hatori. The school is still not free from the terrors of the creatures, since new animals are getting their modifications, and they often end up wanting to test themselves against the mages. Hatori grants their wishes by teleporting them, though he refuses to give access to the Academy to them completely. Stolen story; please report. Hatori and James are back with their experiments, causing additional terror. Having separated this year caused them to slip their schedule, but they are recovering nicely, and they are finding that sometimes it is good to take a break to generate new ideas. Hatori got the ward sensing down. He already has been practicing it, but since he was away from the school, where wards are everywhere, it restricted his practice. After that, he finds a ward in their room, where some older students hid some books. ¡°These books were here the whole time?¡± said Josh with outrage. ¡°Look at the positions.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Hmm. Why would anyone waste money on books with women without clothes?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Never mind.¡± Said Raven, taking the books away. ¡°Don¡¯t damage them.¡± Said Shin. ¡°We can sell those for a nice profit.¡± ¡°Are you serious?¡± asked Josh. ¡°You want to spread that filth?¡± ¡°I can¡¯t help but notice that you are taking glances at the said filth.¡± Said James. ¡°Shut up!¡± said Josh. ¡°Filth or not, money is money. You don¡¯t let it go to waste.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Find a buyer.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Let¡¯s see whether I can find some more treasures like this one.¡± ¡°Why not build a yantra to do that for you?¡± asked James. ¡°You won¡¯t have to walk around the school then.¡± ¡°I know I kept you around me for a reason,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Of course, if you find any more of such¡­ interesting material, I¡¯m sure students will pay a lot for that,¡± said Shin. ¡°I¡¯m so glad that we could create a business already,¡± said Hatori. ¡°We¡¯ll decide the profit margins later.¡± ¡°What about us?¡± asked Josh. ¡°What about you?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Count me out.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Unless you find some good tactics related to war or chess, I¡¯m not interested.¡± ¡°Give me anything related to politics or math.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Fine. But we will sell those once you¡¯re done copying them,¡± said Hatori.

Part 3.

Hatori is with Avinash; the boy is looking at his rank. ¡°For once, you¡¯ve taken a hit.¡± He spoke. Hatori has done wonderfully in runes and rituals, but he has taken a hit in math since a forest is hardly a place to practice your equations. Potions is slightly better, overall; his score is better than he expected. He thought his score would be trash this year. ¡°Well, given how things worked out this year, I¡¯d say it is a wonderful score,¡± he said in reply. ¡°How?¡± shrieked Mira. ¡°How can this barbarian who was thrown out of school for most of the year, score better than me?¡± ¡°Because I¡¯m better than you,¡± said Hatori, unwilling to let that barbarian comment slide. Mira gives a wordless snarl and leaps at Hatori to attack him, bringing out her foci. Hatori slaps her hand, and her foci clatter away. He then shocks her with his touch, throwing her on the ground while her body is wracked with electricity. ¡°I¡¯ll let you go this time. But remember, I¡¯m a barbarian for a reason.¡± His body sparks. ¡°Next time, you¡¯ll be dead, no scores to worry about in the afterlife, eh?¡± When they were leaving, the professors, and the students who were working on some research with the professors celebrated with drums, songs, and bells. ¡°This sounds familiar. Are they celebrating us leaving?¡± asked Hattori, remembering how the castle celebrated their leave a year earlier. ¡°Probably.¡± Said James. While planning to relax for a few days, they promise to gather at Zeko¡¯s house. Hatori prepares himself for a battle, since each year he had to defeat a strong shadow to enter the house, whereas the four boys plan for other improvements they can do this year. They must improve and become strong. Their enemies are growing, after all. (End.) Chapter 90 Chapter 90.

Part 1.

Shin is talking about his time at the Academy. The younger orphans are terrified by the stories of this year and yet fascinated by the animal rampages. ¡°This all concluded with a hippo of all things firing a massive spell which left a crater in the middle of the hall.¡± Concludes Shin. ¡°Well, this Hatori sounds like a wise guy.¡± Said an older orphan. He is not old enough to join the Academy yet. ¡°Yeah, you should not let people walk all over you.¡± said another kid. Though Shin agrees with them privately, he resented the rest of the world for putting orphans like them on the fringe of society, forcing them to become brutal from a young age, while kids with families get to live sheltered lives. He doesn¡¯t like to dwell upon it much, so he shakes his head to clear his thoughts, jingling his bells in the process, and brings out his harp. ¡°Enough of depressing topics. Who wants to hear some music? You¡¯re free to sing if you can follow the tune.¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± said all the kids.

Part 2.

As Raven recounts his year, Magpie wonders about the implications of this. As a lifelong military man himself, he can see what Hatori has done. But he can also see the result of this; the situation reeks of nastiness. ¡°You know son, I usually do not mind your friends. You must decide what kind of people you want around you.¡± He spoke. ¡°But I believe living around Hatori could be dangerous for you.¡± Raven wanted to argue this point, but no words came to him. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that you should break your friendship with him. Just be careful, that¡¯s all, and avoid him if possible.¡± Raven still does not have any reply for his father. True, living around Hatori will be dangerous from this year onward. But he is still disgruntled by the idea of abandoning him. So what, he got in danger, and so he should run? That leaves a bad taste in his mouth. He also thinks that one day, when he will need some help, he might find himself alone because of this. After all, no one helps people who run at the first sign of danger.

Part 3.

James didn¡¯t even get to remove his shoes before he was dragged into his father¡¯s study, where Shakuntala sits like an emperor, and Lucie starts to interrogate him. ¡°So, did you have anything to do with it?¡± asked Lucie, unable to control her emotions. ¡°Do with what?¡± asked James. He has a pretty good idea of what she is talking about. But he is not inclined to give her an honest answer. ¡°The rampage in the Academy!¡± said Lucie, she loses control over her magic, and the windows rattle with her voice. ¡°Oh, that. Yeah, I think I did help with it. It wasn¡¯t much, but it was satisfying. The problems my friend presents to me, they are fascinating. I doubt someone like you will understand.¡± Said James. Lucie grabs his collar. ¡°Many of the high families died in that debacle. Have you no sympathy for them?¡± she gritted her teeth. ¡°No.¡± Said James. ¡°Unhand me, now.¡± He orders. ¡°And what will you do if I don¡¯t?¡± She grinned. ¡°We run this house; you should know that.¡± Shakuntala¡¯s stoic expression cracks after hearing those words of Lucie. James smiles, he knows why that is. ¡°What?¡± Lucie is suddenly dragged away by the air itself, and ethereal hands of magic pin her to the ground. ¡°You might think you have the command of this house,¡± said James. ¡°But you won¡¯t as long as a Flora lives.¡± He said, walking towards her. ¡°Maybe I should drag your sister here to witness this. She is getting rather uppity recently.¡± ¡°Enough.¡± Said Shakuntala. ¡°Leave her be, we won¡¯t bother you anymore.¡± James smiled. ¡°Of course, you won¡¯t, dear aunt.¡± Said James. ¡°Just remember, you know what would happen if the last two living Floras died.¡± With that parting shot, he goes to meet his father. ¡®Let¡¯s hope he is sober.¡¯

Part 4.

Josh is telling his brother about his fight with Raven. ¡°So, you got triggered because you got called out for your laziness?¡± asked the said brother. Josh hung his head in shame. George Junior grabs his chin and raises his face. ¡°Listen, little brother, when you¡¯re friends call out you on something, then that means they are your true friends. You do not fight them.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Said George Senior. ¡°That is a fast way to lose your friends. Your friends are nice that they forgave you. A disrespect like that would have resulted in a fight in my day.¡± For a change, Josh is happy with his father¡¯s lecture. He promises to listen to his friends from now on and control his anger when they call him out on his bad habits.

Part 5.

Zeko is asleep. He is watching his school days like a third-party observer, unable to do anything. He hates these dreams because they remind him of how things ended so bitterly. The dream starts slowly, with the start of his school, and slowly making friends. But as the years go by, the images come and go faster and faster, until he finds himself fast-ranged from most of the class of his time, and his closest friend in prison. Dreams like these are the reason why Zeko does not like to be in his house alone when Hatori is in school. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. He wakes up, and looks at the sealing, unwilling to get out of bed. But Hatori is coming from the Academy today, and he must pick him up. A young boy coming from a hostile environment like the Academy should not be left alone, though he noted that his own house is not any less hostile. ¡®But at least there is only unconsciousness here, not death.¡¯ He thought while getting ready to pick up Hatori. Putting on his black clothes (he despises bright clothing) and combing through his hair, he is ready to leave. Picking up Hatori, he listens to the chatter about his day. But quickly, he realizes that it is not going to be a normal recount like every previous year so far. ¡°So, you were banished?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, I was so scared. I didn¡¯t know what to do.¡± Said Hatori, remembering the feeling. ¡°I didn¡¯t even have any chance of taking my clothes with me. My friends discretely supplied me with them throughout the year.¡± ¡°No wonder your clothes are a mess.¡± Said Zeko. At his comment, Hatori picks at his tattered shirt. It is a miracle, it is still wearable at this point. ¡°So, did the students decide to banish you themselves?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°No.¡± Said Hatori, his expression getting darkened. ¡°I knew the professor, useless, was behind him.¡± ¡°You mean Krishna Menon.¡± Asked Zeko. ¡°Yeah, him,¡± said Hatori. Zeko silently clenches his fists. Performing some homicide seems like a good idea right now. ¡°What did Corvus do?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Nothing. He wasn¡¯t allowed to interfere.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I would have loved to help you out, kid, but the Academy has a strict no-interference policy; not even entitled nobles dare to cross that line.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°I thought so.¡± Said Hatori. Hatori was ready for an enemy when they reached home. ¡°Halt! You must defeat me, boy, if you wish to enter this house.¡± But a fire-breathing gorilla was not one of them. Hatori thinks it is a gorilla since it seems to have a tail, covered with fir, and it is very large. the fire alignment is very clear from the smoke coming out of its mouth. ¡°Is he ready for it?¡± asked Zeko. He thought his student would take a while before he could handle the sentient spirit. The Yaksha is not counted. He held back his power. ¡°Yes, master, he is ready.¡± ¡°Very well, I will watch this fight from the outside,¡± said Zeko, conjuring up a comfortable chair to sit in. ¡°Well boy?¡± asked the gorilla. ¡°Which spell will you use? Stinger? Slicer? Or maybe Knockback?¡± Hatori responds with Fire Blast, singeing the gorilla in the process, and sending it flying. But the ape wasn¡¯t helpless. As soon as he lands (He sounds like a mail) he springs back up, and retaliates with a flame breath, nearly burning Hatori where he stood. Another flame breath comes for Hatori, but he manages to create an earth wall in front of him, one of the few earth-related spells he could perform reliably. Not wanting to remain on defense for too long, he retaliates with some lightning spells, which the lumbering ape fails to dodge. Judging from the roar of pain, the lightning has done its job. But Hatori does not get the chance of capitalizing on this, since a literal wall of fire is coming his way, and he has to abandon his shelter in a hurry. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you could use the Firewall shield like that,¡± he muttered. ¡°There are many things you don¡¯t know, boy.¡± Said the gorilla, right behind him. He punches him right on his back with a burning fist, sending Hatori flying into the ruins of his earth wall. The rock was hot, and he scrambled out of the rubble quickly, only to find the foot of a gorilla descending on his head, and it was on fire. ¡®Doesn¡¯t this guy do anything without fire?¡¯ he thought while rolling out of the way. Disappointed that the child evaded him, the ape looks to the sky, and fires jets of flames from his mouth into the sky. Soon enough, all around Hatori, fire starts to rain down. It is the scene right out of a nightmare, as the boy tries to avoid the fire, losing his clothes in the process, having shed them when they started to burn when their enchantment was overwhelmed. In the smoke, the ape tries to find the boy. He is just as blind in the smoke as anyone else, and the smell is also not good in the smoke. But Hatori has no such problems. To his senses, the gorilla looms large. Since the ape is taking a while to find him, Hatori charges a lightning spell, and fires right at the face of the gorilla, sending the electricity down its gullet. Hatori follows up with a fire spell, but the gorilla grabs the Fire Blast in his palm and tries to wrestle control from Hatori. A struggle ensued, during which the Fire Blast swelled into an ever larger sphere, until it finally detonated, shaking, and blackening the ground for hundreds of meters. The gorilla is in no shape to get up, and puffs away in smoke, while Hatori is carried inside by Zeko. He managed to get up despite his burns before the gorilla disappeared in the smoke. In his book, that is a win, though a hard-fought one. the yantra in the basement agrees and turns off the module for a while. Dunking Hatori in the pool of Yaksha to heal him, Zeko runs his hand through his head. ¡°I¡¯m proud of you, boy. You did well.¡± (End.) Chapter 91 Chapter 91.

Part 1.

After his fight yesterday, Hatori is healed up since Zeko dunked him in the pool of Yaksha, which has magical properties to accelerate healing in its water. The pool is located deep in the house, and it is guarded by Yaksha, a water elemental spirit. Hatori still has no clue about these spirits and shadows, what they are, where they come from, and why the mages tolerate them. In his understanding of humanity, humans annihilate anything which they fear or do not understand. ¡°Rise and shine!¡± said Zeko, entering his room. Stretching his jaws with a yawn, he greets his master. ¡°Good morning master Zeko. Did I win the fight yesterday?¡± ¡°Of course, you won.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°But you were pretty out of it by the end. I think you were running on autopilot.¡± ¡°I was. I don¡¯t remember being brought into the house at all.¡± Said Hatori. He is not surprised by the autopilot phrase. Mages do have flying ships, so they probably call people who fly those ships pilots. Naturally, if you automate the process, you will get an autopilot. ¡®I must find a ship. I¡¯ll dismantle their autopilot system to see how it works.¡¯ He thought, grinning at the possibility. ¡°Come On, it is time for breakfast.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°And brush your teeth.¡± ¡°I always brush my teeth. I¡¯m thirteen!¡± he grumbled. Zeko hid a smile. It is so fun to tease students, especially when they hit their teenage years. Though Hatori is the one who has lived with him, and trained under him for the longest. He hasn¡¯t complained much so far, but then again, he does not have any other options. He knows that, and that''s why his complaining is minimal. ¡®But I¡¯ll change that in the next few years.¡¯ He grinned while imagining Hatori cursing his name until he was old and dying. ¡®All in the name of good ¡ªI mean training.¡¯ He must not slip into his thoughts. At breakfast, Zeko is giving his thoughts about the battle of yesterday. ¡°I noticed that you have learned the lightning element. I couldn¡¯t teach you because I¡¯m not good at that element. If you would have damaged yourself, I wouldn¡¯t be able to help you. But I am good with fire; so, I taught you that one. I must add though, that it is rare to see the use of multiple elements at your age.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Professor Dhiraj helped me in learning the lightning element.¡± ¡°And I¡¯m glad he did. You could have electrocuted your own heart otherwise.¡± Hatori pales after hearing that. ¡°Though I notice that aside from the fire element, the rest of your elements lack the hard-hitting spells.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have much practice with earth, though I built an underground camp with that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Indeed?¡± said Zeko. ¡°Well, I got some help. but I dig the whole for it,¡± said Hatori. Zeko just smiled. Hatori ignored him and continues. ¡°And I couldn¡¯t study up on lightning spells much because I had to sneak everywhere. By the time everything got sorted, I didn¡¯t have enough time.¡± ¡°No matter. I¡¯m sure you will learn good spells in the future.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Now, this year, I will focus on training you in manners, that you should use while meeting with older or more influential mages. And apart from that, the use of transmutation and animation in battle. Your fight would have been so much easier yesterday if you would have used it properly. But before then?¡± He suddenly attacked Hatori, trying to stab him with a fork, which he conjured so fast that Hatori thought he was hiding it in his sleeve. Overturning his chair, Hatori avoids the stabbing attempt, as well as the spells coming his way cast from the fork. Despite the unusual foci, the spells do not lack in force, as various cutleries and frames attest to. Hatori has no interest in suffering a hit this early in the morning. ¡°Good. Your dodging is up to the standard.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°I would have to bring it up otherwise. I was looking forward to it, truth be told.¡± He had a whole plan of attacking out of nowhere and screaming ¡°Dodge!¡± at the top of his lungs to train the dodging skills of his pupil. Guess he won¡¯t get to do that anymore. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll train you in the transmutation and animation for the battle, and manners. It will take a long time, so be ready.¡± The manners and etiquette lessons were enough to test his patience. He suspects Hatori might explode from sheer frustration by the end of his vacation. For now, Hatori gets to relax, but Zeko laments that he never has enough time to train him properly. If he had more time, his banishment would be so much easier to endure. ¡®I wonder what exactly is animation?¡¯ thought Hatori. This is new for him. But he reserves his questions until when training starts. It is time to relax. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Part 2.

Ramesh Tandan is the president of the student council. This body was created a hundred years ago by students who wanted to reach out to the administrators of the Academy. However, it got corrupted fairly quickly and became a tool for the students from the high families. Ever since it has been used to squash any rebellious thoughts among the students of the lower cast, the most recent example being against Hatori Eagle. Ramesh is in his eighth year, a tall and handsome boy of seventeen; he has all the hallmarks of a noble. He has kept this position since his fifth year, and he will leave the position of president next year when he graduates. Currently, he is meeting Santosh Dhakad, a recent addition to the council. Professor Krishna Menon has been on Hatori¡¯s case, and since the banishment card failed to yield any result, he wishes to take out the boy. Ramesh has thought of giving this responsibility to Santosh to prove himself. If he can¡¯t take out a fourth year despite being a sixth-year student, he does not deserve to be on the council. Santosh greets him by bowing and clasping his hands, as befits his position. ¡°Rise.¡± He commanded. ¡°I have called you for a special task.¡± He spoke. ¡°Professor Krishna Menon wants that blind boy taken out, or subdued. If you manage to do this, your influence in the council will increase, and you will have my support.¡± Santosh smiles. ¡°I will not fail you, sir.¡± He spoke. ¡°May I leave to plan?¡± Ramesh smiles in return. ¡°Of course.¡± Santosh leaves the room and relaxes his body. Meeting the president can be so tense sometimes. If he manages to do this right, he will take full advantage of this, and bid for becoming the next president.

Part 3.

James is restricted by Shakuntala in his own house. ¡°Grab the boy!¡± Correction: James was restricted by Shakuntala in his own house. He was not allowed to leave for the castle this year. But he didn¡¯t like to obey someone when they did not own his house. James escaped the house with the clothes on his back, but the local goons are pursuing him with Lucie on their heels. When he realizes that he won¡¯t be leaving without a fight, he stops running and turns around. He opens with an earthquake, shaking the buildings nearby, and disrupting the footing of his pursuers. He laughed after seeing Lucie fall face-first after the ground started to shake. ¡®Serves her right to run after me in high heels.¡¯ Focusing on the goons, he continues his ground attack. Focusing as they came close to him, several arms came out of the ground and grabbed their legs. He did another earthquake, and the buildings nearby fell on his pursuers. He felt guilty for doing property damage like this, but he quickly got over it, as Lucie is on top of him. Though she opens with an acid spell, which turns anything it touches into acid, she fails to follow up on that. Lucie is not used to the violence, since she has always made someone else do that for her. After all, the lady is not supposed to dirty her hands. But James has spent three years around a guy who is often in violent situations and has also trained with four strong mages constantly. Lucie is no match for him. He doesn¡¯t give her a chance to use another spell, she looked painfully slow in casting after going against duelers like Shin and Hatori. He extracts water from the air, and soon enough has a swirling whirlpool on the top of his head. All this water is directed at Lucie, and it hits her right in her face. She cracks her head in the street with the force of water, and she is carried beyond the rubble of the fallen building. Not caring about her condition, James starts to run. He does not doubt that more goons would come after him if he waited too long. Patting his pocket, he is happy to have brought enough money to pay for the trip to the City of Throne.

Part 4.

Hatori has started to befriend the crows around the property of Zeko. It is a slow process since these crows are not as smart as the crows around the Academy. But he is slowly winning their trust. He has also gotten a chick to raise when he found an empty nest, and after waiting for hours, no crow returned in it. Zeko doesn¡¯t mind him raising the chick, as long as he takes care of and cleans after it. The crows use images instead of a proper language telepathically here, which is harder to understand. But Hatori is sure that he will get used to it soon enough, and the younger crows will pick up the language from him. already they have started to use some words. Also, some of them just love showing off the area around where they fly, the things they observe, and even their less than charitable thoughts about the humans they encounter, or how they just love pestering other animals, such as repeatedly pecking at a dog¡¯s tail which is double the size of a crow. (End.) Chapter 92 Chapter 92.

Part 1.

Munshi has sent Zeko a letter. He was the mage who advised him in Hatori¡¯s early training, and he was also present during Hatori¡¯s beastly invasion. The letter talks about it in detail. Munshi was impressed with what Hatori managed to do despite lacking the resources. He would have written him sooner, but the time of a necromancer is always in short supply, so he didn¡¯t have a chance to write earlier. Though Zeko is happy that he got a first-hand account of his student''s exploits, he scoffed in his head. ¡®Typical Munshi. You didn¡¯t have much time in the Academy days either.¡¯ Controlling his bitterness, Zeko puts the letter in a secret compartment of his desk, where he has saved all correspondence with his friends. A letter signed by Kalicharan peaks out in the pile, but Zeko shuts it quickly rather than look at that letter.

Part 2.

Corvus is reading a report by Professor Prakriti, the professor of zoology at the Academy. Corvus gave her the task of monitoring the modified animals in the forest where Hatori tampered with them, and to give him a report about them to know whether he might need to take some action to safeguard the school from those beasts. According to her report, these beasts do not present a threat to the school altogether, but in her recommendation, students should not be allowed to explore that forest by themselves. This miffs Corvus. In his opinion, if the students think that they can take the dangers of the world, then it is not his problem if they die. More people are to be used as fertilizer in his opinion. Besides, the Academy is already famous for its danger. People might think that Hatori caused a massive amount of damage by his invasion, but the reality is that that damage wasn¡¯t even a fraction of what academic politics does every year. Most people are insulated from it, so they never realize it. But Corvus brightens after thinking of a loophole. He can forbid the students from going into the forest, but he doesn¡¯t have to put any buriers there. If they still managed to wander into this dangerous zone and got killed for it, then it is not his problem. He signed on to the proposal happily afterward. He feels like his master is laughing at his deathly existence, seeing him do the paperwork like this. But the old man is lucky. He would have made him do all the paperwork if he was alive. Suddenly, the laughter halts with choked horror.

Part 3.

Hatori is trying to animate a rock. He has been at this task for hours already, ever since Zeko finished telling him what exactly animation is. One thing it certainly is not, and that is creating wonderful stories through drawn characters. He is also thinking, why does almost every new magic trick he learns start with rocks? Newly awakened magic? levitate rock. Transmutation? Work with rocks and other materials. Learning Earth Element? Learn to bring out rocks from the ground. Trying to learn conjuration? Conjure rocks. Learning animation? Animate a rock. As the rock fails to move, Hatori remembers Zeko¡¯s words. ¡°Animation allows us to impart movement to non-living objects, through enchantments and without using runes. This can be quite useful in battle.¡± Hatori has used those enchantments with his runic system to understand how exactly they work. You do need to understand how runes allow yantras to move; otherwise, you could end up getting lost in the confusing mess of symbols. Luckily for him, Hatori already knew about these runes. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Though it is taking time, the animation is coming to him slowly. Sensing the rock''s left and right repeatedly, Hatori thinks to himself. ¡®First this rock. Then, the whole building. Imagine the destruction I could cause with this.¡¯ He imagined himself on a tall building or a statue, which was moving around and causing havoc. The magic doesn¡¯t seem to affect it, for he has already carved runes on it to defend it from attacking spells. He couldn¡¯t help but let out an evil chuckle.

Part 4.

Ramesh likes to loom over anyone who is working for him, to make them feel his presence known, and to make sure that they understand who is the boss. Currently, he is looming over Santosh, who is working despite that, on a list. ¡°What are you working on?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯m thinking about the weaknesses of Hatori.¡± Said Santosh. ¡°From emotional attachments to weaknesses in his fighting skills, it is all here.¡± ¡°Have you thought of a plan after making this list?¡± asked Ramesh. ¡°Yes. I think we won¡¯t be using the emotional attachment part. People behave irrationally and unpredictably if you threaten someone else. Instead, threaten them personally.¡± Said Santosh. ¡°But he is not a weakling.¡± Reminds Ramesh. ¡°I know.¡± Said Santosh. ¡°But for all his training under Zeko, and his fighting experiences, there are bound to be some weakness we can take advantage of.¡± Clapping him on his shoulder, Ramesh says some words of encouragement. ¡°Continue on this. I¡¯m sure you will come up with a great plan.¡± So far, he is pleased with Santosh¡¯s initiative. Whether he succeeds or not will depend on his skill and his good fortune.

Part 5.

Zeko is reading the news, while Hatori is reading a book that Raven brought him by copying it from the library of the Academy. It is a book about finding nutritious food in the forest. Not only does it talk about animals that are safe to eat, but it talks about plants, fruits, and vegetables which can be found in the wilderness. It also talks about cooking these things, if the reader is lucky enough to have a fire. Clucking his tongue, Zeko throws the newspaper down on the floor in disgust. ¡°I couldn¡¯t believe it. To burn someone¡¯s home like that, and they get away? More like you let them!¡± Hatori has never seen Zeko rant like that. So he directs the reading spell to the newspaper to read the news for himself. He is surprised when he hears the text. ¡°Yesterday, a second-year Academy student comes home, and finds his entire home burned to the ground by a high family.¡± Read the news. ¡°The boy named Suraj, a blind mage, couldn¡¯t believe what had happened to him. his mother couldn¡¯t do anything but sob, too traumatized for words, while his father lies in hospital, who received burns while saving the younger children from the fire.¡± ¡°The only crime of this family was to walk on the newly made road. The perpetrators of this violent attack believe that a noble high-cast person deserves to walk first on a newly built road.¡± ¡°Suraj¡­¡± said Hatori, unable to say anything else. ¡°You know the boy?¡± asked Zeko, having heard Hatori. ¡°Yeah. He is set to enter his third year this year. He can¡¯t see, just like me.¡± said Hatori. Zeko watches his student. It seems he does not know how to react to this terrible news. The reality is, no one at any age knows how to react to news like this. A home is a private sanctuary, a safe place from the chaos and brutality of the world outside. The only place where you can lie down in peace and have a rest. Getting this sanctuary violated in this brutal fashion can shake anyone, and no child ever forgets an event like this one. (End.) Chapter 93 Chapter 93.

Part 1.

Today is a special day. Hatori¡¯s neckless which puts more resistance on his body while moving, is going to be removed. Hatori acquired this neckless despite the protests of healer Slaughter when he was in his first year of Academy. and according to Zeko, he does not need it anymore. Unhooking it from his neck, Hatori puts the neckless aside, feeling like a bird, ready to fly at any moment. ¡°Now, the other important thing.¡± Said Zeko with a grin. That halted Hatori¡¯s imaginary flight. That grin never means anything good. ¡°We will spar today. So, brat, dodge!¡± Zeko casts a Fire Blast spell, and Hatori scrambles out of the way of the flames. He realizes how easy it is to move now. He quickly turns around and casts his spells, though none of them are fire spells. He has no interest in challenging Zeko on his terms. Then, Zeko reveals his second element. ¡°Did you think I was only good with fire?¡± he said, while a wave of water comes at Hatori. ¡°That is unfair.¡± He protested while avoiding the water. ¡°They are supposed to be opposite elements; you can¡¯t have them both.¡± ¡°Look who¡¯s saying that?¡± Said Zeko, slamming Hatori down with a wind spell. ¡°There¡¯s no limit to a mage, except time.¡± After that spar was over, Zeko gave Hatori new clothes. ¡°These clothes will incorporate the same thing as the neckless, but it¡¯ll be harder. You will feel like you¡¯re moving through molasses instead of air.¡± ¡°Is that necessary?¡± asked Hatori, not keen on this resistance training. ¡°Of course, it is. You can¡¯t let your body become weak. It¡¯ll keep you strong without making you do tons of pushups and squats, and will give you a speed advantage when you remove them.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Now, I have left some space for you to put your enchantments; you are good enough to do that. Make sure you use it wisely.¡± Wearing the new pants and shirt with the resistant enchantment, Hatori sits down to modify the rest of his clothes. His entire wardrobe from the Academy has to be replaced, and some of the clothes which he did not take with him do not fit him anymore. Though Zeko said that the clothes could be expanded, he has no interest in doing that. Instead, he bought him these new clothes. He puts some fire and lightning protection enchantments on these new clothes. ¡°Next time, temperature control. I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be useful.¡± Just imagine, everyone around him sweating or shivering, and yet he is the only one who is comfortable. Wouldn¡¯t that be something to lord over everyone else?

Part 2.

It is a tradition by this point that Hatori¡¯s friends spend their vacation at Zeko¡¯s house. The owner of the house doesn¡¯t mind, since these kids are very driven, and they are always looking to learn new things and share knowledge, and of course, they don¡¯t bother him either. It is always important to have guests who do not bother you much. But there is another reason. Zeko wants Hatori to have friends who would stand with him when he needs them. Because in the future, he will face big problems which he won¡¯t be able to solve by himself. True. Someone might think that Zeko would be angry that his four closest friends didn¡¯t stand up against his banishment. But Zeko is not angry at them for that. It is not easy to stand up against public opinion; and besides, they did help him by keeping him company, and supplying him with notes and food when he needed those. If they would have completely abandoned him, then he would have never let them enter his house. He won¡¯t let Hatori suffer as he did, just in the name of human company. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. His thoughts of these kids and their relationship is interrupted by Josh. ¡°Sir, you won¡¯t believe what I saw today.¡± ¡°Try me. I¡¯ve seen everything in the world.¡± Smiled Zeko. ¡°Well, I was sparring with Hatori today in the morning, and he just didn¡¯t give anything away.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Elaborate.¡± Said Zeko, now interested in this development. Josh takes his time to think of the right words. Zeko waits for him. ¡°You know how when someone moves, they give tells? Like when you go to punch someone, your body reveals what you¡¯re gonna do? But Hatori didn¡¯t have those tells at all. It was really hard to judge what kind of spells he was gonna cast next as a result, especially when he wasn¡¯t using his foci.¡± ¡°Hmm. probably because fociless magic doesn¡¯t have much movement unless you talk about hand signs, which your friend James uses.¡± Said Zeko. Zeko didn¡¯t notice anything like that. Because at his level, tells do not matter much. You can cast fociless magic without moving, and yet your flow of magic will give your intentions away. Still, this is worth investigating further; it can be potentially useful in many situations.

Part 3.

Shin is teaching Hatori about the wind element. Despite trying, and accumulating theoretical knowledge of this element, Hatori still has trouble with it. Sometimes, he can produce a breeze; but that, too, is unpredictable, and uncertain. In short, the undefined behavior, as his teacher back on the non-magical side used to call it. Since Shin is the actual user of the element, Hatori is following his advice of him, ignoring the theory he has learned. ¡°Go with the flow, bro,¡± he said to him. ¡°That isn¡¯t helping.¡± He sighed, unwilling to give up. ¡°Maybe I¡¯m not cut out for teaching people.¡± Mused Shin. ¡°Nah, maybe you have a bad student,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Probably.¡± Smiled Shin. ¡°Would you mind if I played something here?¡± ¡°Go ahead. At least I¡¯ll get to hear some good music.¡± Said Hatori. Hatori is always ready to enjoy the music of his friend.

Part 4.

Suraj is practicing the fociless magic. He has seen Hatori and his friends do this a lot, and he has picked up the basics from them. His family is unlikely to pay him any attention to his developing talent, given how they are still shaken up from their house getting burned down over a petty matter. ¡®I understand what Hatori feels sometimes now.¡¯ He thinks to himself, having heard the rants of another blind mage more than once, about the bigoted nature of humans. But that understanding did not bring any relief, or wipe the tears of his mother. Suraj admires his father for staying strong in this situation. The man has shed no tears and has remained the pillar of the family. ¡®But I bet he would like to sit down and cry for himself sometimes.¡¯ Thinks Suraj. The official stance is that the people responsible for this crime are at large, and the police are unable to catch them. It is likely, though, they are hiding nearby, and the law is too chicken to catch them. At least they got some support, as the local administrator of the area has given them enough money to rebuild their house. But this memory will always stay in his head, when Suraj came home, to find that there was no more home to be had, his mother crying, and his younger brother and sister huddled outside, distraught. (End.) Chapter 94 Chapter 94.

Part 1.

After Zeko bought him the necessary things for the next school year, Hatori goes back to the castle. Josh and Raven do their shopping after arriving here, while Shin and James receive their things through a courier. In the case of James, his parents settled everything for him before their family was struck with tragedy, so he won¡¯t have to rely on the mercy of others for his school stuff. ¡®I bet Shakuntala is fuming because she¡¯s unable to punish me.¡¯ he thought while looking at his new clothes. He already has clothes that do expand with his growing height, but they have their limit, and they will get worn out due to his training. Getting new clothes is important as a result. While James is inspecting the things which are delivered to him, Hatori runs into Porus. The king was just returning from his afternoon tea session. ¡°Good afternoon, Hatori.¡± Said Porus in a greeting. ¡°Good afternoon, your majesty.¡± Said Hatori, with a salute taught to him by Zeko in these past few months. ¡°I see your master is teaching you military etiquette.¡± Said Porus. ¡°Yeah, he thinks I¡¯m unable to handle anything more serious than this.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°True. But I don¡¯t think you have much of a future in the army if you ask me,¡± said Porus. ¡°Why is that?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because you won¡¯t take orders. You will always question them, and even refuse to follow them if you don¡¯t like them personally.¡± Said Porus, having reached his office. ¡°The military breaks you and molds you anew. But I don¡¯t think you can be molded into anything new.¡± Resting a hand on Hatori¡¯s shoulder, he continues. ¡°But you don¡¯t need to get into the army to service a nation.¡± He smiled. ¡°You¡¯ve gotten tall boy; soon, you will surpass me in height.¡± With that comment, the king goes inside his office, leaving Hatori standing outside, thinking about his words.

Part 2.

The travel to school was uneventful. You can only be excited about flying ships and self-driving carriages when you get to fly and ride those every year. However, when Hatori tries to step inside the school¡¯s grounds, he is sent flying, as if one of those statues he has faced in the past at Zeko¡¯s house has suddenly appeared here, and punched him. ¡°Hatori!¡± said his friends in concern. They are right to be concerned, for getting thrown out of the ground is just the start. Lightning congeals in the shape of a whip, and Hatori is whipped repeatedly by it, though he refuses to let out more than a grunt. Besides, getting shocked is making it hard to scream for him. Once the whipping stops, he lies on the ground shuttering. His clothes protected him from the worst of the shocks, but getting electrocuted before he could even start his year in school is not on his to-do list. The laughter of the other students is not making things easier for him. ¡°Hahahahahaha! This is the guy who invaded the festival last year? Pathetic!¡± He gets up, looking like a possessed man. He brings his hands together, and then spreads them apart, bringing flames into existence. Those flames are not hindered by whatever ward is stopping Hatori from entering, and the students realize that they are in the range of this destructive spell. A stampede starts, and the ground is emptied quickly. Still, some students failed to escape at the right time; their groans of pain echoed on the ground. Taking a deep breath to control his anger, he speaks. ¡°You guys should leave without me. I¡¯ll come inside once I break this ward.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°You sure about that?¡± asked James. ¡°Yeah. Go on without me,¡± said Hatori. His friends listen to him and leave him standing outside. He tries to find the weakness in this ward and finds it pretty quickly. It was put here in haste; it shouldn¡¯t have been this easy to break it. He listens to his paranoid instincts, and senses for the more wards around him, but finds nothing, aside from the wards of the Academy itself, which silently hum with power.

Part 3.

In the crowd, Santosh observed the behavior of Hatori. When the stampede started, he was the only one who was calmly leaving. He got it for what he came here for. ¡®Quite prideful, quick to anger. I can use this.¡¯ He thinks, quietly adjusting his plans.

Part 4.

Hatori joins his friends, and after quickly stuffing some food down (he was hungry) he tells them about the ward. ¡°It was easy to break. Probably created hastily.¡± ¡°Yeah, but who would do that?¡± said Raven. ¡°This is just a continuation of the last year. Probably someone from the student council.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°No doubt egged on by the useless professor.¡± ¡°SSSHHHHH. Do you want everyone to hear you?¡± said Josh. ¡°Yes, I do.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°This is a war. Why hide it?¡± ¡°speaking of war, I think you guys should not live around me. maybe find a different room¡ª¡± Raven cut Hatori off in the middle. ¡°What am I hearing?¡± He spoke. ¡°You think we¡¯ll leave you just because some council is threatening you, is that it?¡± ¡°Look, I get that we couldn¡¯t help you much last year.¡± Said Josh. ¡°But it won¡¯t be like that this time. we will support you, no matter who is coming after you.¡± ¡°So, forget the talk of different rooms, and just enjoy the time we have together.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I¡¯ve learned to play a new melody. I¡¯ll play for you all once we¡¯re in our room.¡± ¡°And of course, you will bunk and live with us, whether you like it or not.¡± Said James, cracking his knuckles. ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s not brawl in here.¡± Said Hatori, not wanting to face James right in the mess hall. He has learned in his summer vacation that James has gotten strong; no wonder that he trounced Raven and Josh together, despite being outnumbered.

Part 5.

Unknown to these five boys, someone was observing them while they were having their conversation. Neha Desai is a sixteen-year-old seventh-year student, who has survived the Academy by cunning and through her looks. But now, she finds that the future is looming over her, and it does not look promising. She is the middle sister among her siblings, just another daughter to be married off to the family¡¯s advantage. She won¡¯t have any control over her life after she graduates. Not unless she manages to entrap some young rich boy with a weak will. She looked around at various tables until she looked at Hatori¡¯s group. She discarded Josh immediately; his father is terrifying. The other three are not good options either, as one of them is low-class, the other one is without a name, and Hatori is a disaster in the making. Just look at the rampage last year, he destroyed the festival for his own selfish needs. But James fits her criteria. Relatively influential family, weak will, and no one to control the family fortune. She is sure that if she could align herself with the Mathis matriarch, and take control of James, she could set herself up for a comfortable high lifestyle. The Flora family is currently run by the Mathis family since James¡¯s father married the woman of that family. But after some events about which no one is sure, the family fortune dipped, and Mathis took over. James¡¯s mother disappeared, and his father stopped appearing in public. ¡®Looks like I¡¯ve got my prey.¡¯ She thinks with a wide smile. (End.) Chapter 95 Chapter 95.

Part 1.

¡°This year,¡± said the professor in the ritual class in the morning. ¡°We will cover some rituals which are different from the ones which we covered the last year. This will include dance-related rituals, rituals related to combat, and of course, some rituals related to modifications.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s start with the first ritual.¡± With a wave of his hand, a picture appears on the projector. In this image, two mages are bound in chains. A chain that appears to be made of steel is wrapped around their waist, and another chain that also seems to be made of steel is linking them, going from one chain to another. ¡°What you see on your projectors is the chain duel. This is a very harsh form of dueling, only utilized for the enemies. As you can see, running away is impossible; and therefore it is used for solving grudges.¡± ¡°This duel begins when one mage challenges another with the mention of a chain duel. The chains appear immediately, and once the other mage accepts the challenge, they are bound by these chains. Death is the only way out of this duel, though, in some circumstances, the duel has ended without a fatality.¡± ¡°Professor, who judges the winning and losing?¡± asked one student. ¡°It is currently unknown. It is theorized that magic itself does the judgment; however, this theory does not have wide acceptance. Some people have hypothesized that some other entity beyond humans sends these chains, and judges the duel; but so far, there is no evidence to suggest the validity of this claim either. It is difficult to test what is true or not true since chain duels are very rare. In the four-thousand-long history of our mage world, only 100 of them have taken place so far, which is very low given all the wars and duels which have taken place over the years.¡±

Part 2.

¡°Today,¡± said Professor Dhiraj in the potions class. ¡°I have a dangerous potion for you. my slave¡ª¡± ¡°Apprentice!¡± screamed Sultan. ¡°My slave,¡± said Dhiraj, with more force to his words. ¡°Will display a potion to you, and I will explain its dangerous effects; for he does not have the right knowledge to explain it properly.¡± ¡°Like hell.¡± Said Sultan, bringing out an orange-colored potion. ¡°I have all the knowledge to explain this potion.¡± ¡°This potion is one of the most dangerous potions you have encountered yet.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°It can bewitch your mind, and take away your control over your feelings. While other options can be used for controlling behavior, this one is especially dangerous. If you use it and are caught, then not only will you suffer the loss of reputation, but you might also end up dead. Not even having the status of a noble will save you from this fate.¡± Said Dhiraj, looking at the students from noble families. ¡°This potion, of course, is called a love potion.¡± Said Sultan, none of his fake anger was present. ¡°If you drink this potion, you will end up in love with the giver of this potion, whether you like them or not.¡± ¡°However, this potion must be given repeatedly, since its effects wear off in 24 hours.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Professor,¡± asked Daphne, ¡°How exactly does this potion work for a specific person?¡± ¡°You mean, how can the drinker end up loving a specific person, instead of the first person they might see?¡± At her nod, Dhiraj continues. ¡°Because it contains the strand of that person¡¯s hair.¡± Dhiraj slices a strand of his hair and puts it in the orange liquid. ¡°Notice how the shade of the orange changes once the hair is added.¡± Said Sultan. ¡°Going from orange to dark orange.¡± ¡°This year,¡± said vaporizing the potion. ¡°You will learn how to brew cures for potions like these.¡±

Part 3.

¡°This year in the runes, we will talk about the runes which are used in body modification and the significant role of blood in drawing runes.¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°Starting with blood.¡± ¡°So, blood, aside from superstition, is useful for drawing runes, for it is imbued with magic. This means that the runes drawn with it would work better. However, it does not work with old blood. If you draw blood to carve some runes with it, you better do it quickly before it starts to dry. Also, if you use your blood for your modifications, then the results will be better for you because the chances of your body rejecting these modifications will be reduced.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°That would be mad if that happened.¡± Said one student. Immediately, she receives the death glairs from the entire class, as the professor loses his cool, and everyone starts running. ¡°No, that would be angry! Not mad, but angry, you hear me!¡±

Part 4.

As Hatori comes out of class, avoiding the rage of Professor Krodhatma, he is ambushed by some fifth-year and sixth-year students. He is not terrified of this as he once was, and he returned their spells with gusto. His friends try to follow him, but they are lost in the crowd, which seems to be panicking at this sudden combat. ¡®How soft these people are. How come Zeko said the Academy is dangerous for everyone? So far, it is dangerous for only me.¡¯ thought Hatori. Moving out of the confines of the corridor, Hatori comes running into the open ground, where Santosh is waiting for him. He expected a struggling fourth year, who is herded to this ground, but instead, he found his minions struggling to keep up with him. ¡®Looks like that display of power yesterday wasn¡¯t for a show.¡¯ he thinks. ¡°Well, well. Look at what we have here. A young boy getting bullied by these older students.¡± Said Santosh. ¡°If you promise to accept me as your superior, I¡¯ll stop them, and save you.¡± ¡°Save yourself.¡± Mutters Hatori and Santosh find themselves in the center of a web of lightning; his protective clothing saves him from the shock, but his face was exposed, so he suffered the shocks there. After he gets over his dizziness, he sees that most of the fifth years are unconscious or dismembered, while the sixth years are at the end of their ropes. ¡°How, how could he be so strong?¡± says Santosh to himself. He then motions to activate the ward which they laid here earlier to the students hidden around, who have not participated in the direct fight. As soon as he did that, a loud keening sound assaulted everyone¡¯s ears. Most students who were watching this fight ran away, but Hatori, who is in the center of this deafening sound attack, is unable to think straight, let alone run. When some older students try to fire spells at him, he does retaliate on autopilot, setting one mail on fire, and electrocuting one girl to unconsciousness. He is unable to handle the pain for too long, though, and loses consciousness a few seconds later. Santosh motions for the deactivation of the ward, and he goes to pick Hatori up with some of his minions. Everyone will be rewarded today for their stellar performance in bringing down this monster. But before they can pick up Hatori, another sound starts to echo in the ground, that is the cawing of the crows. A large flock descends on the ground, using magic to attack the group. They destroyed the ward and the students who were hidden and were responsible for putting it up in the first place. They made Santosh and his minions back off with some spells of their own, while another group of the flock levitates Hatori and quickly disappears into the sky. ¡°Dammit!¡± Santosh shakes off the crows, but his Blasting spells didn¡¯t harm them. the flock disappears as quickly as it came. For a moment, Santosh stands like a statue. But then, he leaves with everyone, picking the wounded in the way, and leaving the dead ones behind. He must come up with a new plan and must track Hatori down. ¡®I can¡¯t underestimate him again.¡¯

Part 5.

This time, Josh is not planning to sit quietly, while Hatori deals with his problems alone. He waits for Santosh to return inside the Academy, having seen the battle on the ground, and the group has to leave because of the sound. Now, they wait for the enemies, ready to ambush them. But when Santosh returns with many wounded in the toe, he does not have Hatori with him. ¡°Did he kill him?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Let¡¯s find out.¡± Said Shin, remaining calm. Josh admires that since he is panicking quietly inside. They go outside, and even though there are marks of a recent struggle there and some dead bodies (ignore them) Hatori is not there either. ¡°Where could he have gone?¡± said Josh. ¡°We could have sent some yantras to search, but James is missing.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Wait, he has been missing since the morning, right after breakfast.¡± Said Shin. ¡°He didn¡¯t talk to us at lunchtime either.¡± Said Raven. ¡°We¡¯ll deal with that later. For now, let¡¯s focus on finding Hatori.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Right.¡± Shin and Raven agree. (End.) Chapter 96 Chapter 96.

Part 1.

Hatori wakes up slowly. His ears have recovered from the sound attack very quickly, which is sort of unusual. ¡®Is magic involved somehow?¡¯ he thought. But his ears are still tender. He is surrounded by crows, who start to caw when they sense that he has woken up. Their cacophony makes him wince, but he smiles all the same. ¡®Thank you, my feathered friends, for saving me.¡¯ He broadcast his thoughts. The female crow whom he met last year lands on his shoulder. ¡®What do you plan to do now?¡¯ ¡®I¡¯m not sure. I can¡¯t go back to the academy. I¡¯m in no condition to face all my enemies.¡¯ Case and point, when Hatori tries to stand up, he stumbles and falls to the ground once again. At least he fell on the soft leaves which the crows prepared for him while he was unconscious. ¡®I¡¯m alive. And I¡¯ll make them regret every second of the pain they¡¯ve caused me.¡¯

Part 2.

Ramesh looks at Santosh, amused. Looks like his pride and self-confidence have taken a hammering recently. ¡°I did warn you, didn¡¯t I?¡± Said Ramesh. ¡°You should have known that even a professor wants him taken out.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve made a mistake, yes.¡± Said Santosh. ¡°But I won¡¯t repeat it. Even now, students under me are tracking him down in the forest. I won¡¯t leave him alone. sooner or later, his resistance will break, and then we¡¯ll kill him.¡± ¡°Good.¡± Said Ramesh, impressed despite Santosh¡¯s recent failure. ¡°You will need to be relentless to take him out. Remember, he is the student of Zeko, and he has trained under him the longest.¡± ¡°Yes, president.¡± Said Santosh, and leaves. ¡®Let¡¯s see whether you can wipe this stain of failure or not.¡¯ Thinks Ramesh. He might need to consider some other applicants for the position on the council if Santosh fails. He wouldn¡¯t have failed so badly if he didn¡¯t forget the rampage last year at the festival. Truly, Ramesh is puzzled at how quickly everyone has forgotten about that in the Academy. One grind session and one vacation later, they all forget how the school was invaded, even in the presence of powerful mages. True, these mages wouldn¡¯t interfere in student conflicts. But to do that despite their presence takes balls. And an enemy that is gutsy cannot be underestimated.

Part 3.

A day before breakfast, an older girl comes to James. ¡°So, you¡¯re James Flora, right? You are quite famous among older girls for your smartness.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Said James, not at all thrilled with her interruption. He was thinking about several projects he was planning to build by himself, and with Hatori, and this girl interrupted his thoughts. Though if she is interested, she is welcome to join. He would be happy that someone else cares to build things with him, aside from Hatori. ¡°Of course, I do think you deserve a reward. Why don¡¯t you eat these sweets?¡± She hands him some sweets. ¡°I prepared these myself.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Said James again. If he would have looked at the item in his hand, he would have seen the dark orange color of it. but alas, he did not. ¡°High, I¡¯m Neha Desai. Nice to meet you.¡± She whispers in a breathy tone which causes an immediate reaction among the boys. James, after getting under the effects of her potion plus puberty, is no different. Ever since, James has spent maximum time with Neha, except for his classes. When he gets to his dorm, Raven is waiting for him. ¡°Where were you?¡± He sees James combing his hair, and changing his clothes. ¡°And where are you going?¡± ¡°On a date.¡± Shin, who was drinking juice that is good for his throat started to cough and splutter when a girl calls from outside. ¡°James dear, are you ready?¡± she called. Raven goes outside, while Shin is still hacking and coughing. ¡°I am ready.¡± He comes out right behind Raven. ¡°These must be your friends.¡± Neha looked at Raven, evaluating him to see whether he could pose a threat or not. ¡°Nice to meet you mam.¡± Said Raven with politeness. Neha giggles. ¡°Don¡¯t call me mam. I feel old. Just call me Neha, okay?¡± she smiles, deeming Raven to be no threat to her plans. This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°Of course, Neha. Please do take care of our friend.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Of course. Don¡¯t worry.¡± She spoke. ¡®I¡¯ll take care of him, alright.¡¯ She thinks. When they go away hand-in-hand, Raven looks like that seen. Shin comes out, glaring at Raven furiously. ¡°Seriously? You couldn¡¯t say anything more than that? Something is wrong, I tell you.¡± ¡°I think you are right. But what do you think it would have accomplished if we just confronted her like that?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Then what do you suggest?¡± asked Shin, starting to walk with Raven. ¡°We¡¯ll observe them from far. Do you remember the lesson about the love potion? I suspect it is something similar.¡± Said Raven. ¡°If only Josh and Hatori were here¡­¡± ¡°They are not here. We must do what we can.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Yes, you¡¯re right.¡± Mutters Raven, while watching the mismatched couple. He wouldn¡¯t have a problem if this didn¡¯t come so suddenly. People don¡¯t go on dates so easily, especially older girls with younger boys who are just starting to crack their voices. This screams conspiracy.

Part 4.

Hatori is resting, since his body is still not over the struggle of yesterday. Aside from his abused ears, there are other superficial injuries, which alone won¡¯t cause any problems, but together, are proving to be difficult to deal with. Hatori doesn¡¯t like to feel pain. Which is quite normal for once in this narrator¡¯s opinion. But this resting doesn¡¯t last long. ¡°There he is.¡± Said a female voice. ¡°Get him.¡± commanded the voice. A group of eight students comes within range of his sensing, and they all start to attack him. Rolling to avoid their spells, Hatori finds himself once more on the run. He left the crows in the morning because he knew something like this could happen. And he would rather not be witnesses to what happened to Karasu on a large scale. They already helped him enough as it is. Going invisible, Hatori tries to sneak off. But one of the students senses him. ¡°There he is.¡± Says the boy and Hatori feels the magic wash off him. His invisibility is stripped, and he is visible to everyone. ¡°You can¡¯t trick infrared vision by just bending light.¡± ¡®Is that even a thing?¡¯ He screamed in his mind and started to run once more. He hates to fight like this. He is not running all the time, but Hatori can¡¯t afford to exchange spells with these students. He must say though, these are much better at chasing and combat than the students he has encountered so far. Finding himself near a stream, Hatori stops breathing, having reached his limits. His injuries have also flared up, not to mention acquiring some new ones. He hasn¡¯t changed his clothes since yesterday either. ¡®Why do these things happen to me?¡¯ ¡°Now, prepare the sound ward.¡± Said the female voice. ¡®Not that again.¡¯ Hatori targets the warders, not letting them put the ward. But he won¡¯t be able to stop them forever. However, this stalemate is broken by the sudden noise of rushing water, which overwhelmed the gentle sound of the stream nearby. All eight students have to spread out the massive wave of water coming their way, and even then, they are swept by it. On the top of the wave, Hatori senses Josh standing and posing like a hero. ¡°When you need my help, I come crashing down!¡± He gives a hand to Hatori and takes him on the watery ride. ¡°I didn¡¯t know you''d get so good with water,¡± said Hatori. ¡°There are many things you don¡¯t know, my friend.¡± Said Josh. The students regroup and try to attack them. But Josh uses the overwhelming force of water, using it as a shield to absorb their attacks, and using it to retaliate. He even called for more water from the nearby stream to attack them, creating a massive squid made of water, thrashing the eight students with its tentacles. It grabbed four of them, it slammed them repeatedly on the ground, crunching their bones, and opening their skulls. The remaining four students attack this elemental monster, after which it explodes, repeatedly. ¡°Bomb, bomb, bomb, water bomb, I¡¯ve never seen that before.¡± Said Hatori with each explosion. By the end of it, all eight students were dead, but Josh seems to be not happy with it. ¡°Why must we kill each other? Why can¡¯t we practice magic in peace together?¡± he asked, releasing his wave, which flooded the nearby area. ¡°I don¡¯t know, my friend.¡± Said Hatori. He has thought of this question repeatedly but hasn¡¯t arrived at an answer yet. (End.) Chapter 97 Chapter 97.

Part 1.

Shin and Raven have come back after discretely spying on James and his date. Whatever guilt they may have felt for this action is immediately quashed by his return, talking about the girl all the time. ¡°Man, Neha is so beautiful. I never thought that a girl like her would pay attention to me.¡± Shin grunted in response. ¡°She has some interesting stories. I come off as boring compared to her. But still, she asked me on a date. Neha is wonderful.¡± Raven grunted. ¡°Neha is so intelligent.¡± Raven and Shin had enough of this, so they excuse themselves and leave to walk outside. Though they did not leave the dorm section entirely. They wanted to see whether James would come out of the room or not. ¡°Neha this, Neha that, what happened to him?¡± said Shin. James used to be a rather silent calculative guy, interested in the things with which he was tinkering. He was happy that he had another spirit in his fellow tinkerer Hatori, even though they caused problems now and then, it was clear that James was much happier with his experiments than anything else. But now? Now he can¡¯t even go two sentences without mentioning his new ¡°love¡± Neha. ¡°He called her intelligent. I doubt she has even a fraction of his intelligence.¡± ¡°Maybe. But certainly, enough to give him a love potion.¡± Said Shin. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Raven thinks about their problems. Josh hasn¡¯t returned ever since he went to find Hatori. James has been besotted, and they are left to solve all these problems by themselves while living in a hostile environment. After all, two low-class boys like them would be prime targets in the divided Academy. ¡°We need to fix our problems quickly,¡± mutters Raven. ¡°But where do we start?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Good question. I¡¯ll tell you when I know myself.¡± He answered.

Part 2.

Santosh hears about how one group got killed while pursuing Hatori. He is not affected by this failure, however. First, it was only one group. He has more of them running around in the forest to track him. Second, he has just sent his weapon, a bloodthirsty student Gulam. Gulam is a student whom he subjugated in his second year after defeating him. He was known for his rising combat prowess, but he came from the lower class, and Santosh didn¡¯t like that. So, he ambushed him, brutalized him, and after a strict diet of mind-altering potions, he turned him into his loyal dog, a living weapon who attacks his command. Through his strength, he has risen in the Academy, dispatching the students who got in his way with the use of his living weapon; and now he is about to be in the council. He changed the original name of his living weapon to Gulam, meaning slave; for that is what he is. One might wonder how exactly Gulam passed his exams in the Academy; the answer lies in his dealings with professors. Corvus will blow his top if he ever hears of this, heads will roll literally. That is why, Santosh keeps it a secret. Corvus hasn¡¯t caught up yet, sometimes he wonders whether he deserves the position of headmaster or not. ¡®Just one dead blind boy and I will be on the council.¡¯ Thinks Santosh. ¡®Then I¡¯ll take out that smiling bastard, and take the position of president.¡¯ Feeling good about his future, he finds Suraj walking from his recent class. He stops him by putting his hand over his shoulder and turns him around. ¡°Strip.¡± He commanded. ¡°No,¡± responds Suraj, and tries to wriggle out of his grip. Grinding his body, Santosh tries to remove his clothes, but Suraj responds with a slamming viol of an acidic potion that Hatori gave him to use in these exact situations. Santosh is unable to avoid this, and as he clutches his face and rolls on the floor in pain, Suraj runs as fast as he could. He is not Hatori, who can take on multiple opponents with more experience than him. but he is good at running. He resists the urge to cry. Wasn¡¯t that enough that they burned his home, now he must suffer through this as well.

Part 3.

Just when they thought they could relax, Hatori and Josh have to run once more. ¡°I¡¯m not enjoying this, just so you know.¡± Said Josh, trying to keep his nerves together. ¡°Neither do I,¡± said Hatori, having the nerves of steel. Thankfully, the chase has to stop once they end up in the forest where Hatori camped last time. As soon as they enter, the animals become active. The initial response is curious, and once Hatori is recognized, they leave them alone. But the chasers do not have such an easy time. the entire animal population is hostile to them, and they are all outnumbered and outgunned in the magic department. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. While most of the chasers stop at the edge of the forest, Gulam runs inside, uncaring of the danger. ¡°Hey, wait!¡± ¡°Forget it.¡± sighed another student. ¡°He won¡¯t listen to anyone.¡± ¡°Sometimes, I wonder. Why must we serve highborn people like this?¡± said another student. ¡°SSSHHHH. Be quiet. The trees do have ears, you know.¡± Shushed their leader. Gulam ends up in the ritual circle which Hatori created last year. Thinking that the enemy is hiding in the water, he pounds the water with some spells, but only a crocodile comes out. Roaring like a gorilla, Gulam is grabbed by the reptile, and after throwing him around like a ragdoll, the crocodile goes underwater to rest, leaving a half-dead Gulam on the bank of this artificial lake. The students at the edge of the forest are shaken by the screams that they hear, as the mad unfortunate soul is tortured by an unknown creature. ¡°That is it. Death is preferable to this.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Said everyone, even the leader. Josh is also shaken up by the screams, but Hatori is unconcerned. They made their way to Hatori¡¯s camp last year. ¡°It is all gone.¡± Said Josh in disappointment. ¡°Only on the surface.¡± Said Hatori cryptically. He shows Josh the underground entrance, where Josh backs off when he finds a whole group of hissing snakes so close to his face. ¡®Who dares to enter here?¡¯ asked the snake which scared Josh. ¡®This is our domain. Begone!¡¯ said another snake telepathically. ¡®This is my camp. I created this last year.¡¯ Said Hatori. ¡®You will give me my place, either peacefully, or in pieces.¡¯ ¡®Foolish human. You don¡¯t stand a chance!¡¯ They lunge at him, but Hatori throws them back with his magical pressure alone. Josh watched all of this happening with open-mouthed shock. Despite being exhausted and injured, Hatori is not scared at all. ¡®Honestly, you guys can be so foolish sometimes.¡¯ Another snake uncurls from the corner. Josh thought it was the part of the walls. ¡®How are you, my friend?¡¯ ¡®Good. Will you please let us rest here?¡¯ asked Hatori. ¡®It is your place. You do not need to ask permission.¡¯ Said the snake, named snake. This is kind of getting confusing for this narrator. ¡®As for you, you will respect him, for he has given us our strength.¡¯ Said the snake to the other snakes, after which they all quietly slither out of the camp. ¡®Where will we find such a Batcheler pad?¡¯ complains one. ¡®I know a place.¡¯ Said another. Josh does not hear this exchange, and he is still concerned that this large snake has decided to stay while others have left. But Hatori doesn¡¯t seem to mind. ¡°Come in. I need to clean up this place, and make some plans.¡± ¡°Tell you what, I¡¯ll find some food.¡± Said Josh, and leaves after Hatori¡¯s nod.

Part 4.

Ramesh watches the wounded Santosh with distaste. Given how quickly he was brought to the school hospital, his wounds won¡¯t be scarring. He remembers how Hatori did the same thing, but since the Joshi family is a virtual pariah, their sire didn¡¯t receive the attention on time. But things are different with Santosh. ¡®But to think he thought of violating someone like that.¡¯ thinks Ramesh in disgust. ¡®I¡¯ll kill him once he dispatches Hatori.¡¯ ¡®But I can¡¯t allow the unwashed masses to get too uppity.¡¯ An hour later, a decree comes from the student council. From now on, the students of the low class won¡¯t be allowed to sit on the tables and chairs in the presence of the highborn students, and this will apply even in the classes.

Part 5.

Hatori is considering several plans to modify that ritual circle. The problem of specially prepared potions won¡¯t bother him, since the water of the lake is imbued with those properties already. But he has to choose the modifications to be done to him and the right symbols for those modifications. It gives him a strong reminder of the programming he used to do back home. Nearby, a small puppy watches the symbols float around Hatori, fascinated by the phenomenon. Hatori doesn¡¯t have peace for much longer, though, as Gulam manages to find him. Bleeding severely and despite several bones being broken, he attacks Hatori, disregarding his safety. In his pitiful state, he is no match for Hatori, even though he is not in his best shape. In his rush, he meets a face full of flames and gets burned alive. Listening to screams, Josh comes running. ¡°Seriously, can¡¯t you do anything without getting in danger?¡± he asked. ¡°No, step back!¡± said Hatori, as Josh stepped in on one of his unfinished symbols. Quickly discarding his work, Hatori runs to him and quickly catches Josh¡¯s lifeless body in his arms. ¡°Dammit.¡± Cursed Hatori. Meanwhile, Josh finds himself in an unfamiliar environment. His sense of smell seems to have increased; there is more hair on his body, and why does he have four legs instead of two? and what¡¯s up with the tail? (End.) Chapter 98 Chapter 98.

Part 1.

Hatori is confused. By all means, Josh¡¯s body is fine, and there is no sign of injury on him, physically or magically. And yet, he is like a living corpse, with a heartbeat that is slowing every minute. Taking a deep breath to calm himself, Hatori thinks about a solution to this problem. Panicking will not help his friend. He idly notices the snake coming out of the underground camp, and then an idea strikes him. Though it is risky, he has no other choice. ¡®I need your venom.¡¯ He said, reaching for the head of the snake. ¡®Why?¡¯ asked the snake, rising at this sudden movement of Hatori. ¡®Because I need to slow down my friend¡¯s body¡¯s system until I can take him to a healer.¡¯ Said Hatori. ¡®But my venom won¡¯t do that. It is deadly for humans.¡¯ Said the snake. ¡®I do know the other snake who can help you though.¡¯ ¡®Please call him here; the matter is urgent.¡¯ Said Hatori. Thankfully, the snake in question is nearby and didn¡¯t mind giving the venom in return for a rat. In an ideal condition, Hatori would have made a potion with this venom. But now, he has no time. So, he asks the snake to bite Josh¡¯s body and inject a small amount of venom into his body, since he lacks the needles here. True, he could conjure up one; but in his current state, the conjuration wouldn¡¯t work properly. This puts Josh¡¯s body into a sleep state, with a nice helping of Hatori¡¯s magic, and Hatori picks up his friend and goes invisible. ¡®Let¡¯s hope no one will find me in this state. I won¡¯t be able to defend myself.¡¯ ¡®Don¡¯t worry. We¡¯ll keep the pursuers off your back.¡¯ Said the snake, before Hatori left. ¡®Looks like that reptile has managed to distract them.¡¯ thought Hatori, as he sneaks inside the Academy, and finds healer Slaughter in the hospital section. Though it is true that suddenly seeing a massive army of snakes coming at you is scary. the reality is that most of the group surrounding the forest is sitting still ever since they heard the screams of Gulam. Their nerves are shattered. Healer Slaughter senses someone entering his office. The door opening and closing by itself was a big indicator, and of course, just like any healer, he is good at sensing the magic of others, since it is necessary to sense the fluctuations of magic during any healing process. ¡°Greetings healer Slaughter.¡± Said Hatori, saluting with one hand. ¡°I need your help.¡± ¡°I can see that.¡± He responded drily. ¡°Put the patient on the bed.¡± Hatori does exactly that. ¡°What happened to him?¡± he asked, running some diagnostic magic over Josh. ¡°He stepped into an incomplete symbol of my runes, and suddenly ended up like this, like a living corpse.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You don¡¯t know how write you are, boy. though why do I find this venom in his blood?¡± he asked, fixing Hatori with a glare. ¡°Because I needed to slow his reaction. The goons of the student council are after me. I didn¡¯t know whether I could bring Josh to you on time.¡± said Hatori. ¡°That was risky. I hope you realized that.¡± said the healer. ¡°I know.¡± Said Hatori, not happy with the choices he had during that time. ¡°No matter. I can keep him alive, but until you manage to find his soul, you won¡¯t be able to fix him,¡± said Slaughter. ¡°And I suspect souls are beyond you, no matter how advanced you might be for your age.¡± Hatori just sighed. Truth is, he sometimes gets the feeling that he is barely managing to keep up with magic learning, what with people coming at him constantly. Fighting and studying at the same time is not recommended in his opinion. ¡°I¡¯ll try to find him all the same.¡± Said Hatori, and he starts to leave. ¡°Where are you going boy?¡± asked Slaughter. ¡°You need help as well.¡± ¡°But I need to go back.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Sit down, boy, or else I¡¯ll make you.¡± said the healer. Hatori has no interest in crossing an adult mage, so he complies with the order.

Part 2.

By this point, Josh has realized what has happened. He howled in sadness. What else could he do? He has changed his body with a dog, more specifically with a puppy. He still cannot believe what has happened to him. He got angry at Hatori. ¡®Couldn¡¯t he have warned me in time?¡¯ But then he remembers that he did try to warn, and he did not look where he was stepping into. He should know better, having lived around Hattori and James for close to four years now. He hears the stampede of paws coming closer, and before long, a large group of huge, black, furry dogs surrounds him. They bark, looking for danger, before realizing that there is none. Some of them cuff the pup for calling them like that. But Josh is too confused to retaliate. The consciousness at the back of his head takes over then, and the real puppy apologizes for calling them like that here, saving both of them from more beatings.

Part 3.

Shin and Raven come back to their dorms and decide that they won¡¯t go outside today anymore. James is missing, probably with his new girlfriend, but after the day of humiliation they had, they are not in any condition to find him, or think about the solution to that problem. ¡°When I was a kid, my father told me that I would never experience something like that, how times are changing, and how this class and cast structure will one day disappear. Looks like he was wrong.¡± Raged Raven. Shin has never seen him so angry before. ¡°But what can we do? Who is going to listen to us?¡± He asked, having thought about these topics his entire life. After all, his position is even lower than Raven''s. ¡°People don¡¯t realize that we outnumber them.¡± He gets a crafty gleam in his eye. ¡°But it is time to remind them.¡± An hour later, a meeting of the low-class and students with no family names is called outside of the fourth-year dorms. Surprisingly, more students showed up than Raven expected, and everyone has to stand since there are no seats there. But they do not mind. Maybe this son of a soldier has a solution to their latest problem? The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.¡°tell me. Do you enjoy the day we had today?¡± he asked, getting an emphatic ¡°No!¡± for an answer. ¡°Do you want to have more days like this one, for the entire time you are here?¡± he asked next, getting another ¡°No!¡± in answer. ¡°Are you tired of getting crushed by someone else¡¯s heels?¡± he asked, getting a positive ¡°Yes!¡± in answer. ¡°Then it is time to rebel.¡± He said, making eye contact with as many students as he could. ¡°Rebel? Is that why you called us here? We skipped our dinner for this?¡± asked one female student. ¡°Well, if you want to wash their feet, sit and sleep on the floor, leave a path for them, and always keep your gaze lower, then you are free to go to your precious dinner. But I¡¯m not. I''d rather die than live a life like this. Are you with me?¡± Raven expected more angry responses, resisting the idea of rebellion. But the students are fired up with his speech, and they respond with an energetic ¡°Yes!¡± ¡°Then listen. Many students have not shown up here today. Try to turn them on our side discretely. If they cannot be persuaded, then consider them hostile.¡± With a woosh, Raven is covered head-to-toe in flames. ¡°And if any of you betray me, I swear I¡¯ll burn you alive.¡± ¡°Was that threat necessary?¡± asked Shin after everyone leaves. ¡°Yes, it was. Many of them will be tempted to sell us out. Then they should know the consequences of that.¡± he said. ¡°Never thought your connections were so large. I¡¯m impressed.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I never thought that either. I just kept in contact with most low-class students. I never thought it would pay off like this. Let¡¯s hope we can keep the momentum going, and teach the council a lesson.¡± Said Raven, already waiting for the next day. Tomorrow is going to be a chaotic and interesting day.

Part 4.

Hatori got his aches and burns healed by Slaughter. Though the healer wanted to keep him inside to monitor him for a while, he let him go since he knew that the student council wouldn¡¯t hesitate in invading the hospital, and he could not put other patients there in danger. Now back to his full strength, Hatori sneaks inside the forbidden forest and tries to sense any sign of Josh, but finds nothing. Also, the forbidden forest is such a corny name in this narrator¡¯s opinion. It just goes to show how unimaginative the author is. Why are you even reading this story again? Hatori goes to the lake, where he sees the yantra modifying itself. Whatever parts it lacked, it was created from the resources available in the area, and Hatori, during his hour-long observation, sees the yantra performing some conjuration. Not just any conjuration, but permanent ones, judging by the energy it is putting into those conjurations. ¡®It is behaving like a living organism.¡¯ Hatori gets a confirmation of it, as the yantra consumes some soil, and extracts some minerals. ¡®Not even I know half of the things it is doing.¡¯ ¡®I need to modify the circle, and the modifications it can do. I need to refine the water to use it for humans.¡¯ He thinks, but before he can go and take the sample of the water and take it in the circle, a crocodile interrupts him. ¡®Humans are not welcome. This is my area.¡¯ ¡°What is up with creatures claiming my creations as their own? First the camp. and now this?¡± Complains Hatori. This is just like back in his home dimension, where an inventor creates some new and great thing, and some asshole takes credit for it. And no, he is not sorry for the word ¡°asshole.¡± Credit stealers are the worst people humanity has to offer; in Hatori¡¯s opinion, they should be eliminated like the parasites they are. ¡®Humans are not welcome!¡¯ hissed the crocodile, and lunged at Hatori, and Hatori responded with a blasting spell right on his face. The spell doesn¡¯t do anything beyond dazing the reptile, so Hatori resorts to Fire Blast. ¡®Ah, what a wonderful feeling.¡¯ Sighed the crocodile, like he was relaxing in some spring or something. ¡®I mean, you¡¯re dead, human!¡¯ He remembers what he is supposed to do. The fire has increased his speed. Hatori decides to take advantage of the water present here, and a watery beast in the shape of a crocodile comes out of the lake, hammering the real crocodile. It barely managed to avoid getting swept away in the flow of water, once the crocodile-shaped water exploded, a trick which Hatori recently picked up from Josh. ¡°Fine, just know that you are in for a lot of pain.¡± Said Hatori in a low tone, as his hands started to spark. It should be noted that this entire battle is being fought without foci since his staff is still underground in his camp. Maybe walking around without a focus is a bad idea when goons are after you, but in Hatori¡¯s case, he does not rely on it so much. So, he doesn¡¯t need it. ¡®If I continue like this, I probably will never need it in the future.¡¯ Thought Hatori, though, keeping his thoughts protected. No point in letting the opponent who can use telepathy what is going on in his head during a battle. The crocodile is confused. It is proving to be hard to predict the movements of this human. The crocodile has no worries, though, because the human rather foolishly jumps into the water of the lake. ¡®You shouldn¡¯t pick a fight with a crocodile in the water!¡¯ The crocodile prepares to drown Hatori, preparing a large amount of destructive water magic in his mouth. But the magic fizzles out, and the reptile ends up coughing out a lot of water, as it gets electrocuted. First, it was a simple shock. But then, it turned into a rain of electricity, as bolts of current fell on his body repeatedly. Then Hatori sends the crocodile flying with a blasting spell, not using any elements this time. ¡°Have enough yet?¡± he asked. ¡®What are these shiny things I see?¡¯ asked the dazed reptile, clearly out of it. Leaving the dazed reptile to his ramblings, Hatori observes the circle, bringing out its runes in front of him with a motion. ¡®I will need to think of a peaceful place to perfect everything.¡¯ He thought. ¡®Also, the list of modifications. I will add even those which I am not planning to do for now. They will come in handy in the future.¡¯ Hatori calls some crows and tells them to look out for anything unusual, and he leaves to find another place to find a circle for humans. The current circle is specifically designed for animals; it won¡¯t work for humans. Though the lake itself is fine, it will work for anyone. (End.) Chapter 99 Chapter 99.

Part 1.

Josh waits at the very end of the line for the food, while other bigger dogs eat the stomach-churning food. He has found himself at the bottom of the social ladder in this group, which is a new and unwanted experience for him. While the consciousness of the puppy cowers, Josh decides that he will take the food for himself, whether he has to fight or not. Hatori would do the same. ¡°You have to fight if you want something in this world.¡± Said the imaginary Hatori in his head. Attacking the other puppies, and dogs who are just leaving their puppyhood, Josh pushes them aside. A snarling fight breaks out, where Josh has to struggle to hold on to the piece of meat for himself, while others try to push him back and try to steal his food. But after a lot of fighting and barking, they realize that he won¡¯t give in. so they decide to leave to secure more pieces for themselves, while Josh fades back to the mind of this puppy, letting him eat in peace.

Part 2.

The crows haven¡¯t found any sign of Josh yet, and the forest is still surrounded. Looks like the students who were hidden previously have regained their nerves, and are now prowling in the open, waiting for him to come out of this place. Whereas the snake reports something unusual when Hatori asks about the elephant, whom he has not seen, his return to the wilderness. ¡®He has gone mad.¡¯ Said the snake, while Hatori draws some symbols on leaves with magic since he lacks paper. Whatever symbols he can test through the runic system Zeko has taught him, he must draw them on the leaves to preserve them, lest he forgets them. ¡®Ever since the season between winter and the warm season, most of the male elephants have gone mad.¡¯ Said the snake. The snake follows him, as Hatori goes to the sight of the lake to check something. The crocodile comes out to keep a watch; he has been like that ever since Hatori defeated him. Sometimes, Hatori even brings him fish as a gesture of goodwill among them. A rumbling noise interrupts his examination of the ritual circle and the lake; however, it is followed by a shriek. ¡®How dare you come into my fucking territory? I¡¯ll turn you into a blood stain, you hear me?¡¯ ¡°Oh boy.¡± Said Hatori, as the elephant approached him. The snake was talking about this just a few minutes ago, and now he is charging him. He seems to have acquired new modifications; his joints are better enforced, and he also seems to have learned new tricks. His tusks blaze with fire, something which he could not do before. Hatori senses some scars on his body as well, which are the signs of the battles he has gone through. The snake quickly disappears into the trees, since he has no interest in getting trampled by this crazy beast. Hatori dodges to the other side, but the elephant does a quick pivot and comes after him. A normal elephant won¡¯t be able to do such a quick turnaround, but since his joints and muscles are stronger than a normal elephant, he can do this. Hatori tries the Poison Stinger, trying to bring him to his senses by inflicting some pain on him. The poison won¡¯t harm him, since it is not enough to bring down someone like his size. But the elephant is not affected, and the spell is just washed over him, leaving no damage at all. Hatori then tries the lightning element, since a shock seems to be a better and safer way to disable someone who is raging. Besides, Hatori has not enough raw power to bring down someone like this raging beast. He can duel with mages, but this is out of the range for his abilities. ¡®Or is it?¡¯ Thinks Hatori, transmuting the fallen trees into a chain. Manipulating it like a string, Hatori wraps the chain around the elephant, and channels electricity through the transmuted metal. Despite his shrieks of pain, the elephant breaks those chains, actually goes on two hind legs, and comes crashing down with his front two hooves glowing green with earth magic. When he crashes down, the entire area for miles shakes and Hatori is sent popping in the air from the shockwave. When the elephant sees that his enemy has survived, he jumps after Hatori, this time all four hooves glowing with destructive earth magic. From his position on the ground, Hatori watches his end come towards him. But then, he feels as if he has lost control over his body. He spreads his hands out, gathers electricity around his palm, and brings it all together with a clap. It sounded like thunder from the sky, and the elephant is sent flying right into the lake, flooding the nearby area since the water got displaced by his body, which is still sparked by electricity. Hatori snaps back into focus, not sure what just happened to him. But he can already sense the magical signatures of the council¡¯s goons coming here, so he runs out of there. By the time they reached the lake, the elephant had recovered completely and snapped out of his lust fog. Together with the snake, he effectively stopped the students from pursuing the fleeing Hatori, while they had an unheard conversation with each other. ¡®Truly, you mammals are so inferior. A snake will never lose himself in lust like you do.¡¯ Said the reptile, constricting some students after changing his size, and getting larger. ¡®As if. At least we feel a passion. Lust, fighting, fucking, that is all part of it!¡¯ the elephant shrieks in the sky, shaking everything by the sound of his voice. Hatori sneaks outside of the forest. Most students are looking at what happened at the sight of this battle. Hatori wasn¡¯t hit by the elephant directly, but he did take a pummeling when he was sent flying after the ground itself exploded. If the beast would have hit him directly, he would have died then and there. However, a second group of students finds him, and they start to pursue him. But they couldn¡¯t chase him for too long, since he disappeared into the ground. By the time they get there, they only see a rusty closed gate. ¡°Do you think he went inside there?¡± asked a girl. ¡°I don¡¯t think so. He wouldn¡¯t be able to open it so quickly.¡± Said another girl. ¡°Let¡¯s keep looking.¡± Inside of the secret ground, Hatori breathes in relief. But he can¡¯t stay here forever. What if they decide to open the door and check this place out? He goes behind the oak tree to hide. He has never been here yet, because he has no interest in exploring this place so deeply. The grassy area was good for sparring, and the rocky platform was good enough to sleep on. As soon as he steps here, the ground collapses under him. ¡®Not again!¡¯ he thought. But he didn¡¯t fall too far. He stumbles from the fall and finds himself in a tunnel. Thinking this is better than waiting for his chasers, he goes inside of that tunnel. Judging from the smell of this place, no one has come here in ages. Hatori refrains from touching anything, even the walls. ¡®There might be traps here.¡¯ He thinks. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The tunnel ends in a room, where Hatori jumps in surprise, for as soon as he stepped inside, he heard a voice. ¡°Welcome. You have found one of my labs; this one is located at Magecraft Institute. I am Samay, the sorcerer who researched about time.¡± ¡°Okay?¡± said Hatori. ¡°By the time you may find this place, I am likely dead, or not in this world. There are some features that you can use for yourself. After all, this lab is not useful for me anymore, but it might serve you well.¡± said the voice. Hatori thinks of what possible uses this place could be for someone like him, a mage in training. ¡°While this room itself is good enough, there is another room, which you will find after walking in the tunnel through which you found this room. That room has features allowing you to subvert the time itself. You can go inside that room, and if someone from outside sees you, they will see you coming inside and coming outside in just barely a second. Whereas you can spend days inside.¡± Said the recording. Hatori thinks this will be a wonderful place for completing his rune work in peace. He then realizes that he lost his leaves in the forest. ¡®But no matter. Even if I age inside, I can get an advantage through this.¡¯ He thinks. As if reading his mind, the recording continues. ¡°The room does not affect the aging process. Surprisingly, time is not responsible for aging. If you are a mage worth your magic, you will know that time is not the same on our planet, let alone on other planets. If a human is put on another planet, they will age just like they would on Earth. So if you think that you will age inside of the room, turning into an old man before the world even realizes it, then forget it. The flow of time does not work inside that room. You will not understand the specifics without knowing more about time, though, for it is a very hard subject. I should know, I have spent my entire life researching it.¡± Hatori¡¯s face has a large smile breaking out on his face. ¡®Looks like I have found a treasure.¡¯ He thought.

Part 3.

Today is a strange day for the professors. For the students fought more than listening to their lectures. When the low-class students without a family name refused to comply with the orders of the council, the highborn students retaliated with violence. This resulted in organized retaliation by the low-class students, who banded together, and the high-class students realized how badly outnumbered they were. The fighting stopped after the professors interfered, but only for some time, as the tensions flared up quickly. the professors ended up playing the mediators all day long as a result. The council, furious by this display of resistance, has gathered the low-class students outside of the event hall, and after making them do push-ups, squats, and various other humiliating tasks, is now ordering them to remove their clothes, and parade naked to the mess hall. Raven motions to attack the crowd; it is now time to make their move. The council, having dropped their guard since the rabble was cooperating so far, was unable to deal with this sudden violence, especially since the older students led the attack, and students who support Avinash also got involved. Though the council itself managed to avoid any injury, some of their aids and supporters were wounded and dead after this brutal war. In the mess hall, Raven stands up on a table. ¡°This isn¡¯t over yet, do not relax. They will come back to fight us; they will not take this lying down.¡± He declared from his makeshift stage. ¡°Get down already. I want to eat. And no one uses that table.¡± Said one student, and everyone laughed, flushed from their victory. Getting down from the table, Raven looks around at the students who are for the first time, feeling free. ¡®If only I could get all of my friends here, I could celebrate with them, then.¡¯

Part 4.

As Neha touches his body, which would be inappropriate in any other situation, James smiles and does not mind. After all, she is his love. Or is she? If you were to look inside of the world created by the brain of James, you will find the real personality being trapped in a room, while this phony personality is in the driver¡¯s seat. All the while this girl who is clearly out to manipulate him, gets bolder and bolder every day. One of these days, James won¡¯t be surprised if he ends up in bed with her. The sheer thought is horrifying, but it is not enough to break him out of this room where he is trapped. ¡®Stop fawning over her, can¡¯t you see she is not in love with you?¡¯ He tries to say with his fake personality. But of course, these words which are communicated at the speed of thought, fail to reach the said fake personality. How can you talk with someone who has ears, but refuses to listen? James should have thought of this. He lives with a perpetually paranoid Hatori, he should have been more vigilant when this unknown girl suddenly showed up with sweets for him as if she knew him for years. But he fails to see the trap coming, and he is paying the price for that now. He notices the problems of lower-class students, with which Raven and Shin are no doubt involved in his lucid moments before the potion is pushed down his throat, and he gets his connection with the outside world severed once again. He would like to help them, but he can¡¯t do anything from here. ¡®Raven, Josh, Hatori, someone, please help me!¡¯ He screams, but no one listens, for the words never get passed the area of his brain which controls his speech.

Part 5.

The alpha of Josh¡¯s dog group observes the young puppy. His youngest has recently shown some feistiness in him. Which is good, for he will need it in this cruel world. Willingness to fight means better chances of survival and more chances of potential revenge against the humans who abandoned them so cruelly. If you¡¯re wondering what kind of dog breed this is, then it is what you would call a Tibetan hound in the normal dimension. These dogs were brought into this country because rich people liked them. But once the fad ran out, and they grew too big to handle, they were all left on the streets to fend for themselves. A few of them were brought into the Academy by the students of the noble families, but they were abandoned in the forest. This breed is known for their loyalty, and needless to say, they did not take this abandonment very well. The alpha is one of the last ones who remembers how it was to live with a human, to show his loyalty to the two-legged traitors. But these young ones do not know this. He has made sure that the only loyalty they would ever have is with each other, and not to a human. And it looks like the future is in the right paws, especially if even the youngest pups are showing such potential to grow. He howled in happiness, imagining humans running away from them in fear in the darkness of the night. (End.) Chapter 100 Chapter 100.

Part 1.

Taking advantage of this time-stopping room, Hatori sits, which feels like days, but in reality, are just a second outside, designing the runes for modification. Finally, he can work on that in peace. There is not much special stuff he can do for now. But he can improve his stamina and physical strength, which indirectly will make his magic more powerful. Other than that, some sensory improvements, like better hearing than he already has, and defense against loud sounds, which has been a weakness of his since his childhood. ¡®I¡¯m not sure whether this will let me face stronger mages, but I do think it is a good start. In particular, the sensory improvement bit is worth pursuing in the future.¡¯ Theoretically, Hatori can take notes from the library, and use this room to improve himself for as long as he wants. But the room has some really bad effects when he lives inside of it for too long, which is surprising when he thinks about it. ¡®I never thought I would run from isolation.¡¯ He thinks since he enjoys his alone time. But alone time is different than closing himself inside a room for days¡¯ worth of time. no matter how little time passes in the world outside, you still feel as if you have spent days without human contact. ¡®Curse the sociability. Why can¡¯t I be like a cold machine working with its calculations to take out its enemies?¡¯ Done with his designs, now it is time to test these runes. Symbols from the hearing improving section appear on his ears, where the runes take immediate effect. Hatori has to focus to keep them there, but he can test these runes this way. ¡®Truly, Zeko handed me a mine of gold when he taught me his runic system.¡¯ Done with marveling at the awesomeness of Zeko¡¯s runic system, Hatori shakes his head. He can think about personalizing this system for himself later. ¡°Now, I need to test the volume defenses.¡± He said out loud because he needs to use his throat once in a while, lest it becomes weak from disuse. Folding his notes carefully, he walks out of the room to find the perfect guy who could help him in testing those defenses.

Part 2.

The professors have gathered in Corvus¡¯s office, and, unlike their weekly or monthly meetings (which are held on a smaller scale compared to the annual meeting which is held at the beginning of every year) this isn¡¯t a peaceful occasion where a bunch of Academics are putting their thoughts forward. No, this is just an endless litany of complaints. ¡°Headmaster, you must do something about those unruly students.¡± Said one female professor. ¡®Maybe I should have done something about you when I took over.¡¯ He thought after hearing this woman. ¡°Headmaster, they interrupt my classes.¡± Said another professor. ¡®Maybe you are not fit to teach?¡¯ he thinks after hearing this man¡¯s complain. ¡°Headmaster, they pick fights in the classrooms!¡± ¡°Headmaster¡­¡± ¡°Headmaster¡­¡± ¡°Headmaster!¡± said one professor very loudly. ¡°What?¡± thundered Corvus, silencing everyone. ¡°I mean, what can we do to solve this issue?¡± said the loud woman, after measuring her tone. ¡°Headmaster, that Arora boy is behind this. He dragged one student out of my class for voicing his thoughts about low-class students.¡± Said Amrita, the professor of history. Corvus massages his head. These aren¡¯t the idiots like Krishna Menon whom he can dismiss or bully. These issues are real concerns, no matter how vexing they might be. ¡°Maybe we should bring equality among students?¡± he suggested. ¡®Now that I think about it, what exactly is that useless moron up to?¡¯ thinks Corvus. ¡°Maybe you have a point.¡± Said the professors. ¡°It would certainly make teaching them easier.¡± Corvus was expecting outrage, but this is a welcome surprise. ¡°But what about their parents?¡± asked Bali. ¡°They¡¯ll complain.¡± ¡°Who do we teach, the kids or their parents?¡± asked Amelia. ¡°If they are so outraged, they are free to send their kids outside of the Subcontinent.¡± ¡°Point.¡± agreed Bali. ¡°We should have never allowed the council to go out of control.¡± Said Dhiraj. This statement caused a lot of hem-hawing, and uncomfortable shifting in the room. Such bluntness is unexpected. ¡°I say we let them fight, and teach those who want to learn.¡± Said the woman who screamed just a few moments ago. ¡°I mean, it is not our responsibility to drag them into our classes kicking and screaming, if they want to play politics and revolution at their ages.¡± ¡°True. True.¡± Said everyone. ¡°I believe this is the best solution.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°Ignore the fighting and attacks, and teach those who are willing to listen to your lectures. Otherwise, use this time to relax or recharge your batteries. Let it be known that I Corvus, the headmaster, am a generous employer.¡± Everyone shook their heads. Corvus will continue to praise himself for a while now, so they ignore him and start to share the gossip to pass the time, or in the case of Dhiraj who is not inclined to participate in such activities, enjoy the wonderful tea.

Part 3.

While Hatori was initially out to find Shin to test his hearing sensory defenses, he remembers that he will have to prepare his body for the modification, before he can carve those runes on himself. The preparation usually requires physical fitness, a relaxed mind, and rest before the ritual to make sure that the performer of the ritual won¡¯t run out of magic in the middle. for it can have disastrous and dangerous consequences. So, sneaking inside of the library (the only place where the students haven¡¯t chased him yet) he brings out the notes which do have the requirements of body modification, and how to fulfill them. Since he already knows about the rituals, having taken the class for two years (though attended it in person very little) and having performed one last year, Hatori is confident that by the time he can fulfill the requirements in just two months or so. ¡®Amusing. Once again, it will be the time of the festival.¡¯ He smiled. ¡®Maybe they should get used to me crashing the party every year from now.¡¯ After all, why should they have all the fun, while he suffers due to their politics? ¡®If I ever survive to my adulthood, I will boil the politicians alive if they ever bothered me.¡¯ Going to the dwarves, he shared what has happened to him so far, and what he is planning to do about it. ¡°That is good kid,¡± said Khansama, the head of the dwarves who cook for the Academy. ¡°Never take anything lying down, because then it¡¯ll cause your enemies to whip you even more.¡± ¡°I assume you will need the food arrangement from the last year?¡± asked the head dwarf. ¡°Yeah, can you provide me with that kind of food?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Sure. Just tell us the place and time.¡± ¡®Now, to find Shin. Come to think of it, it seems the school is going through some unrest. I hope they are safe.¡¯ Thinks Hatori, sneaking out of the kitchen of the dwarves.

Part 4.

The attitude of this young pup-start is not appreciated. The older dogs which have been at this for a while, thought that they would be able to climb the ladder in their group, or maybe leave with a sizable following to form their group. But the youngest brother can upset all of this. As a result, they surround him one day, to tell him where he belongs in the group. (In case it is not obvious, that is at the bottom.) But this isn¡¯t a normal puppy. He is possessed by a human (a very unwilling arrangement) and the human refuses to bow down. While the young puppy cowers from his older brothers and sisters, since their body language implies physical violence, Josh pushes him at the back of their shared minds and prepares to fight them. The first attack results in the oldest dog among the puppies being sent flying, as one movement of his tail moves the water of the nearby hole, which hits him on his snout like a hammer. Josh takes the initiative, deciding to attack them instead of waiting for them to make their moves. As he rushes them with swirling water around his body, they abandon their hope of teaching him any lessons and run after turning their tails. But Josh is not willing to let them go so easily. a lesson has to be taught. He slams into one sister, throwing her and trampling her on the ground (and leaving her wet and destroying her carefully groomed fir.) while two brothers running in front of him receive a full blast of remaining water on their behind. One of them slams his head on a tree and is knocked out, and the other one is groggy. Josh is on top of him, and wrestles him to the ground, putting his teeth on his throat. Taking the signs of whimpers coming from below as his win, Josh snarls at the older pup a few more times and walks away.

Part 5.

Though Daphne¡¯s father has repeatedly told her not to get involved in the school¡¯s drama, since they are from Albia, and looked at with distrust. Daphne couldn¡¯t ignore the current events going on right now, since Ravina is heavily involved with them. What with being a girl from a low-class background, it was bound to be that way. Unlike the boys, the girls are not fighting so heavily among themselves, at least when it comes to ambushes in the corridor. This gives Raven a nice way to spy on his enemies, because the high-class girls cannot shut up about the plans of their boyfriends, and those boyfriends cannot keep their tongue in control when they are around them. ¡®I¡¯ll make sure if I ever liked a girl, she is not a blabbermouth.¡¯ He thinks to himself. ¡®Now, where exactly has Shin disappeared off to?¡¯ He looks around for him but does not find him anywhere.

Part 6.

Shin was returning from his music class, which is the only class that has continued in the school uninterrupted. Mostly because the students of that subject do not like to exclude anyone if they have musical talent, and they ruthlessly oust anyone who displays the usual characteristics of a noble family''s arrogance. This is exactly why Shin was so easily accepted by the various groups over the years for performing at the festival. Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. Just when he was thinking about resting some since he had a free period, he was dragged by his collar, and any attempt at getting rid of that grip proved to be ineffectual. The bells in his hair jingle, and he is dragged to the secret ground, which makes him realize that this must be someone from their group. He kicked himself silently for forgetting that he could sense magic, and recognize his kidnapper. He then finds himself going through a tunnel, and after going through several rooms, he finds himself in this strange plane room, where Hatori sits in front of him on the floor. ¡°Did you need to drag me like that here?¡± he asked eventually. ¡°You need to get paranoid.¡± Said Hatori, making Shin wince from his rather harsh voice. ¡®Looks like he is not getting to talk with anyone much.¡¯ he observes. ¡°Why have you brought me here? What is this place.¡± He asked. ¡°Usually, I would say that we don¡¯t have time. but in this case, we have a lot of time,¡± said Hatori, and proceeded to explain what he was going through, what happened with Josh, how he found this room, and the properties of this room. ¡°That¡­ Is¡­ Awesome!¡± trilled Shin. ¡°This is a treasure, you know that?¡± ¡°I know. But I haven¡¯t scouted the entire place. There are some books, but I think there are traps in them. I feel pretty strong enchantments on them.¡± said Hatori. ¡°So that¡¯s why there were so many closed doors.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Also, I hear that the business of ahem. Finding old and rare magazines has taken a nose dive, ever since we stopped finding those.¡± ¡°I love to do that since it was making us good money. But I can¡¯t step inside the Academy openly; the council would stop at nothing to kill me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, I need you to test my defense against sound-based attacks,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Already planning to fix that weakness, I see.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Only a fool lets the same attack work against him twice.¡± Said Hatori. His violins are still slung over his shoulder, so Shin brings it out. ¡°Mind if I use this?¡± ¡°Go ahead. Don¡¯t worry about the damage. I must refine my defenses; I cannot let any weaknesses remain.¡± Said Hatori, and sits down in a meditative pose to observe the performance of his symbols, making changes on the fly as Shin tries various sound-related techniques to confuse or cripple him.

Part 7.

James feels the lucidity coming to him slowly. Neha is in her room right now, so he takes this moment to write a note for Raven. Feeling the effects of the potion, he continues to write, even though his hands shake at this rebellion. When Neha comes to get him for their ¡°daily activities¡± like romantic walks on the ground, he collects flowers for her and follows her around like a lost puppy. James wanted to respond with violence. It would be so easy to take her head off. Just one fociless spell and his problem would be dead. But he is unable to do this. And soon enough, after consuming the breakfast which she brought for him, James is under her control once more. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for me, you would look like a thin rail. You should eat better, love.¡± She spoke. James hates every moment with her, and every bite of his food makes him want to throw up.

Part 8.

Later, Raven finds a piece of paper sitting on James¡¯s bed. This is surprising since even after getting enthralled by a girl, James has remained neat, just like Josh. He also does not sense any magic from the paper, so he picks it up and reads what is written on it. Crumpling the note, he rips it and lights the pieces on fire. ¡®I would love to help you out, friend, but I¡¯m stretched thin. Fighting the council, and keeping the lower-class students is eating all my time. Josh and Hatori are out of contact, and even Shin has gone missing.¡¯ Raven resists the urge to cry. There are too many things for him to handle. But it looks like one thing will be off his plate, and he won¡¯t be alone for too long. He listens as the familiar jingle of the bells gets closer, and Shin comes inside the room. ¡°Hatori is right, sensing people in advance is fun.¡± He says, giving him a strong hug. ¡°O¡­kay? I was with Hatori. He found this awesome place.¡± He whispers about the place, not giving much details. The walls have ears, after all. But Raven gets the gist, and a wide smile stretches on his face. ¡°And you say he is letting us have free reign over that place?¡± ¡°Yep,¡± confirms Shin. ¡°He is too generous for his good. I must disabuse him of that,¡± mutters Raven. ¡°You and your big words.¡± Said Shin. ¡°But there is another concerning news.¡± Shin tells him about what happened to Josh. ¡°So that¡¯s why he is out of contact. Well, until Hatori can find him, let his body remain with healer Slaughter. I¡¯m sure he can guard him better than us.¡± ¡°Besides, I doubt that the dogs of the council would dare to go against him.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I dig some info about the guy since you told me to find out more things about the staff. Needless to say, there is a reason why he is called Slaughter.¡±

Part 9.

After Shin leaves, Hatori has to rest to recover from everything he has put him through. Right under his nose, his friends are improving. ¡®I can¡¯t see them progress because I get isolated with them as soon as the year starts. The story of the past two years.¡¯ He grumbles. He also wanted to test how healing runes are performing, since Hatori expects that sooner or later, somehow his defenses will be breached. When that happens, and if he survives, he must heal his ears, and bring them back to optimum condition. Naturally, this works best while sleeping. After the relaxing sleep (looks like he is getting used to this room) Hatori consumes two bananas, which the dwarves left outside for him. After that, he completes the final set of runes. ¡®Once I have more time, I¡¯ll enhance my other senses. I think smell would be the next natural step.¡¯ He thinks. Giving final touches to his runes, he folds the notes carefully (he has learned the value of paper the last two years) he meditates with the lightning element. Hatori enjoys letting this element run in his body. He feels like his body¡¯s functions work better as the bioelectricity runs in his body, according to notes he has read on the element. It is fine if you use your energy reserves to produce this electricity, but if you try to import it from outside, it can disrupt the careful balance of your body, resulting in nasty shocks that can end up killing you. He would like to work on the wind element. The room is perfect for this; there are no sudden gusts to disrupt his focus. But that element just refuses to come to him, and this upsets Hatori. ¡°What did I do to you? Why has the wind forsaken me?¡± ¡°Because you¡¯re a drama queen.¡± Comes the voice of Raven. It sounded odd, coming from a different time flow. He enters the room. ¡°Hmm. The place looks nice, though I don¡¯t think we can expand it much.¡± ¡°Not unless you want everything to horribly implode on us.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I don¡¯t mind the dangers usually, but I''d rather not play with one of the least understood forces of the universe.¡± ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Do you know that some people even call time an illusion?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°And I¡¯m sure they have their reasons. Anyway, Shin said you¡¯ve given us the free run of this place. Is that true?¡± asked Raven, sitting in front of Hatori on the floor, since there are no chairs in the room. ¡°Yep. But don¡¯t bring the sixth person, unless necessary. I leave that up to you when that is since you usually have a better judgment for these things.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Sure. So, Josh lost his soul, huh? I¡¯m gonna be honest with you, given what kind of experiments you guys do. I thought you and James would be the ones who would have an accident like that.¡± said Raven. ¡°It was my fault. I shouldn¡¯t have been experimenting then.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You haven¡¯t talked about James much; I didn¡¯t even sense him much when I went to find Shin. Is he okay?¡± Raven takes a moment to think about this. Should he tell him the truth? But Hatori already has his problems. He decides that he will not tell him, and deal with the consequences later. He usually hates doing things this way, but he doesn¡¯t have any other choice. ¡°He is fine. Misses you terribly.¡± Said Raven. ¡°There has not been much going on, since the school is going through a revolution of sorts.¡± ¡°Shin has told me about it.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I would have helped you if I wasn¡¯t trapped outside.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about a thing. Just find Josh, ask us for help, if you need us, I¡¯ll be coming here from time to time to form some plans.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori, sensing as Raven leaves. This is so odd to feel as if the person in question has disappeared from reality entirely.

Part 10.

The last few weeks have been rough on Santosh. After his assault on Suraj backfired, the council tried to tamp the spirit of the lower class down. But the rest of the highborn students have distanced themselves from him. On top of that, Hatori is still alive, running around out of their control. And despite his best efforts, he is unable to find him. Santosh thinks about these things, as he goes with the council in the forest. After the urging of Krishna Menon, Ramesh has given orders to the rest of the council members to go into the forest, and find Hatori. While they did not find Hatori, they did find his circle. ¡°So, this is where he prepared that army of beasts.¡± Said one girl. ¡°He must come back here sooner or later,¡± said Santosh. ¡°What makes you think that?¡± asked a boy with a sneer. ¡°Because he won¡¯t be able to face us without modifying himself. And the only place where he can do that is here.¡± Said Santosh. ¡°Then we will surround this place.¡± Said another girl, the second oldest member of the council. ¡°We won¡¯t let him reach this circle.¡± Nearby, one puppy hears this entire conversation. Naturally, feeling no threat from the creature, they ignore the dog completely. But this is no ordinary puppy. Josh sneaks into the Academy. ¡®I must find my friends; they must know about this.¡¯ (End.) Chapter 101 Chapter 101.

Part 1.

Raven is thinking about what kind of secrets are still hidden in plain sight, just as same as Hatori¡¯s lair. It is a proper lair by this point, with a ground, a secret tunnel, and an underground lab. Raven always calls that place Hatori¡¯s lair, because he may have allowed them to use it, but he believes it rightfully belongs to him since he found it first. Then, he sees a puppy coming at him. this is nothing new, students do keep pets here. Though none of them are mad enough to call them something familiar like those Albions do. Shaking his head to get rid of the distracting thoughts, Raven observes the puppy, as it halts in front of him. he has not seen this species of dog among the pets. ¡®Could it be a wild one?¡¯ he thinks, after all, animals do not need Hatori to sneak inside all the time. The puppy starts to move its tail and paws, which reminds Raven of a human who is trying to communicate with gestures. ¡®Someone who recently learned to do that.¡¯ he thinks. Not understanding what exactly the puppy wants, Raven walks away. But the dog follows him, barking at him for his attention. He tries to evade the dog since kicking it and making it run off is not on his daily to-do list. ¡®I can¡¯t be that evil.¡¯ He decides. When he realizes that the dog won¡¯t leave him alone no matter what, Raven starts to run, trying to leave him behind. But the puppy manages to keep up with him. ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s take you to someone else. Let him decide what to do with you.¡± Raven starts to levitate the puppy, despite its protests, and he goes back to Hatori¡¯s lair. ¡®He has lived in the forest and dealt with animals before. Let him figure out what is going on here.¡¯ The barking of the puppy quietens down as Raven brings him to the secret ground, and it completely halts when he goes inside the tunnel. Opening the room of the frozen time, he sees Shin and Hatori working with sound magic, where Hatori is the lab rat for Shin¡¯s spells. though he doesn¡¯t seem to be suffering anything. ¡°Oh hey, what brought you back so quickly?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Ug.¡± Raven stumbles. ¡°Could you stop that ruckus for a moment?¡± he asked Shin. ¡°Sure.¡± He said, putting down his violin. ¡°But what¡¯s with the puppy? I didn¡¯t know you had a pet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t he just keeps following me around.¡± Said Raven. ¡°How do you know it is a he? It could be a she, you know.¡± Said Shin. ¡®I¡¯m a male, you ignorant morons!¡¯ comes a familiar voice in Hatori¡¯s head. He suddenly sits up and summons the puppy right in his lap. ¡°Josh?¡± he says. ¡®Of course, it is me. wait, you can hear me?¡¯ he asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Hatori. ¡°You mean to say that Josh is that puppy?¡± asked Raven and Shin. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Hatori. A moment of silence later, Raven and Shin roar with laughter. ¡°Ahahahahahahahahahahaha!¡± ¡®Stop laughing!¡¯ screamed Josh, while he growled outside. ¡°This isn¡¯t a laughing matter. We have to find a way to get his¡­ ug. Soul back in his body.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Do you have problems with souls eh buddy?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Yeah, it is an immaterial concept, untestable and unknowable. I hate everything like that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Like it or not, the soul is the closest thing that we have.¡± Said Raven. ¡°True. But first, I¡¯m sorry my friend, I shouldn¡¯t have been experimenting then.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®Nah, having seen what you have gone through when you were exiled last year, I can¡¯t blame you.¡¯ said Josh. ¡®But I¡¯m not here to get an apology here. I¡¯m here to inform you.¡¯ ¡®About what?¡¯ asked Hatori telepathically. ¡®The council has gone to the lake and circle; they have surrounded that place. They are waiting for you to go back there.¡¯ Said Josh. Hatori gets the images with his explanation. ¡®Looks like my mind can project images even without having eyes when it comes to telepathy.¡¯ But this isn¡¯t the time to think about it. ¡°Oy, why have you gone silent like that?¡± asked Shin. ¡°The council is waiting for me in an ambush in the forest.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And I guess you have to go back there?¡± asked Raven. ¡°I do.¡± Said Hatori, though he does not elaborate on why. ¡°Okay, we need a multistep plan to deal with our enemies. But first, I think I should tell you what happened with James.¡± Said Raven. ¡°You didn¡¯t tell him?¡± shrilled Shin. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to stress him.¡± he defended himself. After a ten-minute-long explanation, and telling them about the note James left for him, Raven waits for Hatori¡¯s reaction. ¡°I suspected something. James would have come to me sooner or later,¡± said Hatori. ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡± asked Raven. ¡°I am, not at you. but at that girl.¡± Said Hatori, sounding very calm to his ears. ¡°Okay, so here¡¯s what I have come up with. First, drag James, detox him, and second, mount an attack on the council. You in the forest, and we in the school.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Bonus if we can get the power structure of the council.¡± ¡°James won¡¯t come quietly though.¡± Hatori pointed out. ¡°We can handle the girl ourselves. We need you to handle James.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Exactly.¡± Raven nodded, glad that Shin caught on to his plan so quickly. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Though if I can enhance myself, fighting the council, and taking care of James would be easier.¡± ¡°So that is why you want to go back to the forest.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Yes. I don¡¯t think I would get a huge power boost, but I¡¯m sure I can take out some of the council members. Enough to gut their power structure, as you put it.¡± said Hatori. ¡°How can we get you inside of the forest without their notice though?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Just getting inside of the forest won¡¯t do.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I must appear right in the circle, with runes ready. The ritual is already ready, I just need to trigger it.¡± Hatori looks down at Josh. ¡®I think you can help us.¡¯ ¡®Really?¡¯ asked Josh, unable to stop from waving his tail. ¡®Just do this.¡¯ Hatori shares the workings of the portal and the coordinates from the ground to the circle. ¡®Can you do that?¡¯ ¡®Of course.¡¯ He immediately leaves the room. ¡°Where is he going?¡± asked Raven. ¡°To find me a way into the circle.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I think I had to perform this ritual earlier than I thought.¡± ¡°You should wait if you need to. You shouldn¡¯t push it if you need more time to prepare.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I will have all the time,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Just do me a favor. Come here in six hours or so. I will be ready in that time.¡± ¡°Okay.¡± sighed Raven, not wanting to argue about the specifics. ¡°What about his body?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. Once our enemies are taken care of, I will work with Slaughter to transfer him back inside.¡± Said Hatori.

Part 2.

¡°Do you plan to continue this foolishness?¡± asked Ramesh, after opening the door, and looking at the fourth-year student inside. ¡°You can¡¯t stop me,¡± said Avinash, sitting like a king with his back straight on the chair, with no fear on his face. ¡°Fine then. We¡¯ll keep you here until you come to your senses.¡± Said the president of the council, before closing the door with a loud bang. ¡®Hmhmhmhm. Looks like someone lost control.¡¯ He thought with a smirk. Avinash is put on a reminder by the student council. his status is huge, given his father is the prime minister, and his family background, since Varma is a very powerful, though somewhat splintered family. Someone of his birth aligning with the rabbles is a puzzle for the student council. but for Avinash, it is simple. ¡®These idiots are keeping us anchored in this backward society. I refuse to let it stand where it is right now. Porus did not give in to the social pressures, and I won¡¯t either.¡¯ The council cannot harm him. The thought didn¡¯t even occur to them. though they have kept him arrested inside of this room, they can¡¯t keep him here forever. However, given their operations on the forest, and keeping Avinash under guard, the resources of the council are stretched thin. The bulk of their members are in the forest, while a few of them are guarding the room of Avinash where he is restrained. Rest is trying to keep a lid on this rebellion. ¡°Why can¡¯t you be like us?¡± asked Ramesh when Avinash was brought here first. ¡°You have every privilege. Why do you align with these backward barbarians?¡± Though Avinash remained silent, he knew the answer to this question. aside from playing politics to become the king in the future (he takes this ambition very seriously) he built up a following of younger kids, no matter their background. He did that by offering them help whenever they needed it, not shying away from directly involving himself, even if it was something mundane as offering his help with homework. During this time, he saw how the kids from the lower families, or kids without a family are the same, have the same fears, likes, and dislikes, and are at the edge of society, through no fault of their own. He felt empathy for them. after that, his motives changed. Initially, he only helped them to improve his image, so they would accept him as their king in the future. But now? He genuinely wants to help them. that is why he jumped on the chance when Raven rebelled. When his followers saw that he was helping this crazy revolution, they wanted to be part of it. soon, it spread to the other, older students, and they joined this struggle, regardless of their background. ¡®This is something which you will never understand.¡¯ He thinks while imagining the face of the president of the council. ¡®That Raven is a one-smart guy. I¡¯ll make him my general once I get the throne.¡¯

Part 3.

Josh comes inside of the forest, where he sees that the council members who were at the lake near the circle, are now outside of the forest, having been driven out by the other animals. He can sense that by seeing their haggard and tired faces, and by smelling blood on them. ¡®Looks like they got injured.¡¯ He also gets to hear a small conversation. ¡°How could those animals be so strong? We teamed up, and yet they nearly killed us.¡± ¡°No wonder they caused such a ruckus last year.¡± As Josh gets inside the forest, he is ambushed by the dogs of his group. This time, there are older dogs with young ones, but Josh doesn¡¯t have time to deal with them. Josh looks for the water element nearby but finds nothing. So, he decides he will use the next best thing. He waved his tail, and created other bigger dogs out of mud, which leapt on his attackers. After this, he joins his paws and produces enough water around his body that he barreled through them, and arrives at the lake. He goes at the teleporter and suddenly finds a large beast looking down upon him. He looks up¡­ up¡­ up¡­ and finally realizes that he is looking at an elephant, who is displeased by his presence. Josh quickly inputs the coordinates, before the large animal can squash him.

Part 4.

Raven knocks on the door and comes inside. ¡°Hatori, it is time,¡± he said. ¡°Sure.¡± He comes out, with hair grown beyond his shoulders, and he seems to have put up a lot of muscle in just a few hours. ¡®That is just awesome. You have to see it to believe it.¡¯ Hatori talked with the Dwarves and got a month¡¯s worth of food, which he brought inside. After that, he followed the exercises for preparing his body for this ritual, eating only the food described in the notes, and only doing the training which is described on those pages. While outside only six hours have passed, and Hatori has spent nearly three months, which is more time than he needed. He goes to the ground, and the supporters of the council immediately spot him. They are taken aback by his wild appearance, but before they can attack him, he disappears.

Part 5.

The elephant was about to crush the puppy for daring to tamper with the creation of his friend, but his hoof was stopped before it could crush the dog. He recognizes the smell. ¡®Wow. You¡¯ve gotten strong.¡¯ ¡®Still not strong enough to beat you directly. I need your help, my friend.¡± Asked Hatori, going to the circle. He planned to create a circle for himself, but he had no time now. ¡®Of course. Don¡¯t worry, no one can touch you as long as we¡¯re guarding you.¡¯ With a shriek, he calls his horde, and after listening to that, other animals also come out near the lake.

Part 6.

¡°My lord,¡± said a fifth-year student, ¡°I can sense him. he has returned.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°How could he do that? We didn¡¯t even sense him entering through the possible paths.¡± Said the sixth year in the command of the group. ¡°No matter. Let¡¯s go inside, tonight, we will kill him.¡± The fifth-year sensor considers whether it is too late to rebel or not, maybe he should have listened to his cousin, and have shown some backbone. Maybe he wouldn¡¯t be facing a forest full of monsters.

Part 7.

Hatori is lying on the circle without clothes, while the yantra starts to carve on his body. ¡®Next time, I¡¯ll give the water some pain-killing properties.¡¯ He thinks while feeling the throb of each symbol. He couldn¡¯t sense what was going on outside of the circle, but he could judge from the noise. ¡°Hatori, you coward, come out and face us!¡± That, and the challenges. Looks like that bastard who ambushed him first is also here. ¡®Probably to get his pound of flesh.¡¯ The council members did not expect to face a literal army of creatures, as they were blocked hundreds of meters away from the lake. They couldn¡¯t face a bunch of elephants before, and they are not interested in trying their luck against these many creatures. Their path of running is also blocked by a swarm of wasps and bees. Looks like the forest won¡¯t let them leave alive. They know that Hatori is at the center of this army, protected by them. so, they are left with no other option but to hurl insults at him, hoping that he will be susceptible to the problem of ego, and will come out to face them. ¡°Hatori, you were called here to be a hero, is that how a hero behaves?¡± said one council member. The rest of them looked at her, which sounded more like a gentle chiding than the deep words that would slice at the very heart of their enemy. Santosh decides to step up to the plate and demonstrate how it is done. ¡°Hatori, I like that blind friend of yours.¡± He licked his lips. ¡°Maybe I should bring him here? Maybe you would love to hear his screams of pleasure?¡± The rest of the council members look at Santosh in disgust. ¡°Hatori, if there is any bravery in your ancestor¡¯s blood, then come out here, and face us!¡± Now, that was a good one. ¡°Hatori, if you have drunk the milk of your mother¡¯s breast, then come out here, and face us!¡± The council members began to clap after that one. Hatori could care less whether someone wants to question his ancestry or call him a coward. For now, he is experiencing pain which makes him wish he could curl up, and die. He considers himself lucky that he is only experiencing this pain on his shoulders and head, specifically around his ears. With each new symbol that is carved on his body, the magic rushes from his body to make that symbol execute its operation. Hatori cannot stop this process, even if he wants to. The magic will rush out of him, no matter how hard he tries to hold on to it to soothe his pain. He controls his breathing since that is the only thing that is keeping him from curling up from the pain, as his hearing is lost completely. This is normal, he expected this when his hearing was about to be improved, and defenses against sound-related attacks were put on his ears. He compared it with a driver¡¯s update, where the hardware disconnects for a moment when the new drivers are installed, and then comes back online. Still, it is no easy task to remain calm in this state. Hatori gets an idea of what it would be like to become completely blind and deaf. He feels like a brain trapped in a human-shaped prison, thrashing to get out of it, but there is no way out. truly, death is preferable to living like this. this does not last for long, however, as once the symbols are carved, and the final bit of magic is pulled into them, his ears come back with a pop, and his hearing sounds so much sharper than before. ¡®I must ask Shin to test the limits of the sound defenses once again.¡¯ He thinks in the haze of pain. The symbols of strength are also completed on his shoulders, and after experiencing an empty feeling when all the magic is drawn from his body, it comes back with a vengeance, flowing within him, healing his wounds, making his body stronger, and the ocean which he always finds when he pictures the flow of magic within his body surges wildly. Sitting up, he roars in the sky, silencing the insults and the roaring and baying of the animals. It sounded like the clouds themselves descended on the ground, and the lightning itself was very close to them. he sees the blood on the ground, and he suddenly gets the idea of improving the circle with that. ¡®Why bother creating a new one? This one works just fine.¡¯ He thinks, as he brings the image of this circle in front of him, and manipulates the symbols, adding and removing them to optimize it, adding the pain-killing properties to the water, and adding other modifications like better runes for joint enforcements for the creatures. Summoning his clothes from the nearby tree, he quickly wears them and gets the hell out of the circle. He senses the buildup of magic, similar to the one that he sensed when he performed a ritual here for the first time. but the magic is coming for him. As he runs through the crowd of beasts, the magic hits his body like the wind during bad weather, and it overloads his magic reserves. The council members who came to attack him were thrown around from the explosion of it. the lake roiled, as new properties are added to its water, and the circle becomes shiny, and a platform appears where there was nothing but ground previously. ¡®I didn¡¯t intend this effect at all.¡¯ Shaking his head, this is not the time to think about it. ¡°So, what were you saying? Do I dare to face you or not? Is that it?¡± He attacked the council members with bolts of lightning. ¡®I must create my spells.¡¯ he takes a mental note. At first, they were confident that they could handle him. but when they find that their protection is not good enough to stand up to his attacks, they start running, and Hatori starts chasing them. it was a rare event, where a fourth-year student chases the fifth, sixth-, and seventh-year students, who are running in terror. Hatori slaughters the sixth-year council members entirely, all of them are killed by just one hit. Whether it was a bolt of lightning, a fireball, or just an iron spike driven through their heads, they all died in just a hit. ¡°Why do you run now? You were quite bold just a few moments ago. Weren¡¯t you saying that I dared to face you or not? Well, here I am, and you¡¯re running away!¡± he killed the seventh-year leader of this group, as soon as they all arrived on the Academy grounds. Seeing the council in such terror, as well as their numbers reduced, while they get chased by a wild boy in a frenzy broke the spirit of the rest of the student population, and they start to run in fear as well. ¡°Where do you think you¡¯re going?¡± he drags Santosh with the summoning spell to himself, and grabs his neck, and despite the height difference between them, he hoists him up in the air. ¡°What were you saying? You were going to violate my friend, huh?¡± ¡°I¡­. I¡­¡± choked the boy, but Hatori was not in the mood to listen. ¡°Well, how about this?¡± he runs thousands of volts of current through his body and listens to his screams with a crazed expression on his face. This brutality scared the students even further. While Hatori was occupied with Santosh, the rest of the council ran inside of their council offices, and hid under their desks, gibbering in terror. They have fought and killed people in the past, but this kind of brutality they have never expected or seen before. Only warlords from history textbooks seem to have this kind of brutality, but they are not ready to face it in real life. After Hatori throws the charred body of Santosh away like yesterday¡¯s trash, he moves inside of the Academy. he heard from Raven about the schedule of the president of this dubious council, and he knows where he will be at this time. barging into the classroom, and ignoring the cry of the professor ¡°Not again!¡± he drags the president with his collar, while the older student is helpless in his grip. He is terrified by what is happening to him. his magic has frozen up as a result, and he can¡¯t seem to get any of his protections to work. ¡°You think you¡¯re so high and mighty that you can always make decisions in your office, and the rest of us will watch?¡± ¡°You can¡¯t do this!¡± blurts Ramesh, uncaring of his reputation. ¡°I¡¯m the president of the council, and my family is¡ª¡± Slap! ¡°Do I look like I care what your family does?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You banished me last year, you tried to kill me this year, all while remaining the good little teacher¡¯s pet. Well, don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure you can get the full marks in the afterlife, after all, I¡¯ll send your favorite teacher to you soon.¡± Hatori prepares the Fire Blast, ready to blow the president into bloody pieces. ¡°I¡¯m the sire of a powerful family¡ª¡± Slap! ¡°I¡¯m the president of this school, I run this school!¡± Slap! ¡°Seriously, this is just getting sad.¡± He then drops the spell on Ramesh¡¯s body, which explodes into burning pieces, making everyone who was the witness to this brutal execution. Hatori senses and hears around. ¡®There is another target.¡¯ Everyone runs and hides in their room. The classes are canceled for the school students because they refuse to come out of their rooms. This did not affect the college-level students or the older apprentices.

Part 8.

The whole school is in shock, since an eighth-year student dying by a fourth-year student is a big deal, especially if that student is the president of the student council, Neha is unconcerned with these developments. She has James wrapped around her finger, and she plans to enjoy some time off since the classes are canceled. However, Shin and Raven, two of James¡¯s friends show up. ¡°Oh, it¡¯s you guys¡ª¡± she said with distaste barely hidden in her tone, but she found herself attacked by these two boys. Nearby, James tries to come to help her, but the wild-looking blind boy stops him. They begin to fight, while Shin trills, and binds her with a rope. ¡°Hands tied behind your back. I saw that pose in a magazine.¡± ¡°Forget the magazines, you have the detox potion?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Of course, the other vials are in the room. He¡¯ll need several doses.¡± Neha tries to scream, but Shin conjures up a hankey and shoves it in her mouth. ¡°I hear you high-class ladies like that.¡± Raven just sighed. He looks at the performance of James in the fight nearby. He is looking like the shadow of the boy who fought him and Josh together just a year ago. He is unable to keep up with a battle-crazed Hatori, who easily manages to dodge his sloppy spells. he also doesn¡¯t use any elemental magic, which would have given Hatori some trouble. But Hatori is also running on adrenalin by this point, and his recently closed wounds open and start to bleed. They did not have enough time to stabilize. His shirt is drenched with blood, and the blood also drips from his ears. Despite that, Hatori manages to knock out James, not using any magic, instead applying a choke hold after wrestling him down to the floor. ¡°We¡¯ll take it from here.¡± Said Raven. He doesn¡¯t want Hatori to kill James in his battle craze. ¡°Here, let me levitate him.¡± Shin makes some motion from his hands, and James starts levitating. They take him to healer Slaughter, while Raven comments on Shin¡¯s fociless magic. ¡°You seem to be doing quite well at the fociless magic.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t have a choice. My foci were destroyed in an ambush.¡± Said Shin. As their voices get more and more distant, Hatori looks at Neha. She is terrified by him, even with his head covered in blood, he looks ready to take on multiple opponents. Neha manages to get her hand free and frees herself after getting out her foci. She tries to pursue the boys since her future is getting away right in front of her eyes. But a blood-crazed psychopath stops her in the middle of her tracks. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± he asked. ¡°Do you honestly think you will get out of here without suffering, after poisoning and taking the will of my friend away?¡± ¡®How is he so eloquent in his state?¡¯ she thinks. ¡°Come now. I¡¯m a girl, you¡¯re a boy. a crazed one at that. what do you think if I called some gentlemen here to save myself from you? you¡¯ll get a public beating.¡± ¡°Call them!¡± shouts Hatori while snapping his finger. Neha starts to burn, while Hatori turns his back to her, waiting to see who will show up after hearing her screams.

Part 9.

It is the time of the night, and the whole room is awake. James is furious, he nearly upturned the entire room, throwing the beds and pillows everywhere with his magic, in his anger. The anger quickly gave away to tears, as he felt disgusted towards himself. ¡°There, we¡¯re all here for you,¡± said Raven. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Said Hatori from his other side. Shin is playing some soothing tunes on his violin, hoping that this will help their friend calm down. James feels violated, and they all suspect that this entire incident will haunt him for a long time. They can do nothing but hold him as he cries, they must ensure that he knows that they all are here for him.(End.) Chapter 102 Chapter 102.

Part 1.

Hatori is happy with the increase in his power. the magic suddenly overloading his reserves was unexpected, but his body seems to be adapting well to the additional power. but next time, he resolves to check his runes carefully and research the rituals better, he can¡¯t ignore unpredictable things like that, if he wants to continue his life without the pain or a crippling injury. He, however, does not get to test the new limits of his power, because he finds himself running a fever the next day. ¡°Yikes!¡± said Shin, after taking his hands off his forehead. ¡°You can cook eggs on his forehead.¡± ¡°Is he that hot?¡± asked Raven. Shin grinned. ¡°No, please not another bad joke.¡± Said Raven, realizing what that grin meant. ¡°Yeah, he is that hot.¡± Said Shin, still sporting the same grin. The grin quickly disappears, however. ¡°I think we should take him to the healer Slaughter.¡± ¡°Good idea.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I can¡¯t go there yet,¡± said Hatori, ¡°I need to help Josh.¡± ¡°Less talking, more resting.¡± Said Raven, while he levitated Hatori, and Shin kept guard. After his rampage last day, they are sure that someone will try to take advantage of this weakness. But they are foolish if they think they will find a weakened Hatori. ¡°You should come with us; we can use more protection.¡± Said Raven to James. ¡°I don¡¯t want to go outside,¡± he said with a quiet voice. ¡°Will you be fine here alone?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about me. take him to Slaughter.¡± Said James, looking at a wall, as if it holds the answers to all of his problems. They both leave with a sigh. Arriving at the hospital, healer Slaughter checks the temperature. ¡°It is a good thing you brought him to me. this kind of temperature can be fatal if left unchecked.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°What is wrong with him?¡± asked Raven. Slaughter looks at the result of his diagnostic spells, as well as the carved symbols around Hatori¡¯s ears. He opens his shirt, checks his shoulder, and finds more symbols. ¡°Only your friend can tell me that. you boys should leave for now, I won¡¯t be able to talk with him until he is rested.¡± ¡°Just call us if you need us for anything.¡± Said Raven. Slaughter smiled. ¡°Of course.¡± He dismisses them. ¡®The only reason why I may need you is to give you, his body.¡¯ He thinks, but refrains from saying this out loud. Two hours later, Hatori wakes up, and after drinking some water, Slaughter starts to question him. ¡°So, mind telling me what happened to you?¡± ¡°The story is long; I think you know most of it,¡± said Hatori with a croak. Slaughter gives him more water to drink. ¡°True. But were you really that desperate? Using modification ritual like that?¡± he asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t have any other choice.¡± Said Hatori softly, unable to speak any louder. ¡°That is fine. But when did you rest last time?¡± asked Slaughter, ¡°Did you decide to test the limits of your power, after just a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± Hatori nodded. ¡°I can¡¯t remember. Probably the last time I was in my home. Ever since I was brought into this world, I¡¯ve been playing catch-up, and now every year, a war-like situation. I don¡¯t think I have rested much.¡± Slaughter sighed. ¡°Damn you Zeko, you infected another one,¡± he muttered. ¡°Damn you Porus, for bending to their demands.¡± After a few more choice words about the king and his apprentice, Slaughter decides to give Hatori his orders. ¡°Your body is strained, along with your magic. due to the sudden increase in power, you have experienced, the balance has been disrupted. Your body and magic are fighting each other, and this fever is the result of it.¡± explained Slaughter. ¡°You are to rest, do not strain your mind, body, or your magic. do you understand? This can take a long time to heal. Follow my instructions, or else suffer.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°How long?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I can¡¯t say. For all I know, this can fix itself in a few days, or it can take weeks or months.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°I don¡¯t have weeks or months.¡± Protested Hatori. ¡°Tough luck. Your magic and body demand it.¡± he gets up from his chair near the bedside. ¡°Now, one of the students who is learning healing will take care of you. do not worry, they won¡¯t attack you.¡± This did not assure Hatori in the slightest. ¡°And if you need me, I¡¯m always nearby.¡± With that cryptic statement, Slaughter walks away.

Part 2.

Despite the orders of the doctor, Hatori created the runes which he thinks can help in transferring Josh¡¯s soul/consciousness back to his body. Raven came there to take those runes from him. ¡°Be sure to check this with Professor Krodhatma, he will easily find any mistakes.¡± ¡°Why not ask for his help directly?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Because I don¡¯t think professors would help us. it is one thing to help out from dangers from outside, but I don¡¯t think they will help us with our internal problems. And I do think this will be classified as an internal problem.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I don¡¯t like to use these words, but that is fucked up,¡± said Raven. ¡°I know.¡± Said Hatori, falling to his pillows, unable to sit any longer. Not wanting to keep Hatori up any more than necessary, not to mention what Slaughter may decide to do to him for bothering his patient, Raven leaves the hospital and goes to Professor Krodhatma. ¡°What is up boy? I don¡¯t remember you from my classes.¡± ¡°I do not take runes sir, but I¡¯m a friend of Hatori.¡± Said Raven. ¡°During his experiment, one boy lost his soul, and possessed an animal, and we want to bring him back to his original body.¡± ¡°Hmm. that could be a tricky operation. Do you have the runes with you?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, here they are.¡± Said Raven, handing over the notes. ¡°These are correct, though I do see some sloppy mistakes.¡± Mutters the professor, correcting some runes. ¡°Looks like someone wrote these runes feverishly overnight. That is a dangerous thing to do. It is a good thing you brought these runes to me.¡± taking the now corrected runes, Raven thanks the angry professor. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Krodhatma, dismissing Raven from his empty classroom. ¡®Nothing can be hidden from him. Just by looking at the runes, he judged the condition of Hatori when he wrote those runes.¡¯ Said Raven, marveling at the knowledge of the professor. ¡®He also seems to be very calm. Why do people call him angry?¡¯ thinks Raven. ¡°I¡¯m not mad, I¡¯m angry! Angry is what I am, you hear me?¡± raged the professor in the empty classroom. Raven starts running. ¡®Can he hear thoughts?¡¯ he thinks.

Part 3.

After Hatori, James is the one who is most knowledgeable about runes and rituals. But he is not in a good state of mind. Though they understand why is he like that, Shin and Raven have no other option but to ask for his help. Luckily for them, he seems to not mind helping them. ¡°Sure, let¡¯s leave already.¡± He said, taking the notes with him, and going inside of the forest, while Shin brings the body of Josh. ¡®At least that¡¯ll give me something to do to distract myself, and the memories.¡¯ he shivered. Why can¡¯t he forget the last few months? James creates an impromptu circle because the one created by Hatori is for the modifications, not for transferring souls or consciousness. Shin puts Josh¡¯s body inside and checks his pulse. ¡°His pulse is dropping. Let¡¯s begin.¡± Ignoring the hurrying around him, James checks the notes and confirms whether the circle is drawn correctly, and whether all the runes are correctly drawn or not, and only after confirming all these checks, he nods. ¡°Channel the magic.¡± They focus and start to channel their magic through the circle, while the puppy with Josh¡¯s consciousness inside is sitting nearby in a circle of his own. After minutes which felt like hours due to the drain on their magic, the circle glows softly, and the drain on their magic stops. They look at Josh¡¯s body to see any sign of their success. It starts to twitch slowly, and then with an explosive movement, Josh sits up. ¡°I think it¡¯ll take time to get used to being a human again.¡± He croaked. They all celebrated, throwing their hands on his shoulder, and taking turns to hug him. The puppy nearby watches this, and walks away, vowing to be like this human, and become an alpha of his group. Josh wanted to call out to him, but he refrained from doing so. Let the dog have some peace, for now, he will come to meet him later. Josh is unable to walk, so Raven levitates him to the hospital since James and Shin are too tired to do that. ¡°Looks like you are better than all of us in stamina.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± said Josh. ¡°I¡¯ve fallen behind horribly, I will have to catch up with you guys.¡± ¡°But first, some rest and recovery. Your muscles are weak. If you strain yourself badly, you can end up in a worse shape than Hatori.¡± Said James. ¡°Yeah, not interested in that,¡± said Josh. ¡°We should be glad though, without magic, instead of weeks, it would have taken months.¡± Said Raven. ¡°All hail mighty magic.¡± they all intone.

Part 4.

Krishna Menon is in shock. They experienced a dark day two days ago when Hatori went on a rampage. Whereas he ran from them for two months, he returned two days ago and demolished the council. not only did they lose a lot of council members and their supporters, but they also lost their leader, and their enemy has established a fear in the younger student population¡¯s heart. Though fear is usually not desirable, it certainly has its uses. He is with the remainder of the council, trying to support them. These kids have left him disappointed, but considering what happened just two days ago, they deserve an adult¡¯s caring presence. It also helps that they seem to have one final plan. If it continues like this, he will kill Hatori himself, and spend the rest of his days running, sure that he has saved his society from the scourge of Porus. How exactly the throne has tolerated him for so long is beyond him. The man is destroying the country with his every decision. ¡°So, what have you planned next?¡± he asked. There is no leader among them. but a girl is chosen as a spokesperson, who explains their plan to him. ¡°We just need him to be sick, something which he is right now.¡± ¡°Once we get access to his room, we can execute this plan.¡± She finished her explanation. ¡°Hmm. I look forward to this.¡± Chuckled Krishna Menon. Part 6. Hatori finds himself in the garden of Zeko. He remembers falling asleep in the hospital of the Academy, so his sudden appearance here is puzzling to him until he recognizes that he is dreaming. the details clued him in. First, the door to the main hall of the house is missing, second, though the trees do rustle with the air, no birds are chirping nearby, which is always the case, even if there are some explosions when Hatori miscasts a spell. there aren¡¯t any crows here either, who seem to have made a nest on the large coconut tree in the garden, after Hatori befriended them. The third and final clue is that two people who sound like him from their voices, and feel like they have his magical signature are having a loud argument. ¡°Why can¡¯t you remember what to say?¡± said one of them. ¡°I coached you for hours. I spent hours writing that speech!¡± ¡°Come now.¡± Said the second one, ¡°You know that when you need to inspire people, you do not speak with written words. Besides, I succeeded in the task, didn¡¯t I?¡± ¡°Yes, after making a fool out of yourself. The media is going to have a field day with your speech, they will find all the mistakes you made.¡± Said the first one. Hatori the original thinks about it. when did he give a speech? When did he try to inspire people? When did the media hear his speech, and run it on the television and internet? this does not make any sense. ¡°Why can¡¯t you learn to live with the control?¡± asked the first Hatori. ¡°Why can¡¯t you just go with the flow?¡± asked the second Hatori in return. ¡°We have a chance of breaking this stalemate.¡± Said the first Hatori, after growling and glaring at the second Hatori for several seconds, who returned the favor by doing the same. ¡°Yes, we do have the chance to get a third opinion.¡± He said with a smile. Hatori the original shivers. ¡®Maybe I should start running?¡¯ he thinks. But both of the Hatoris appear at each side of him, the controlling one at his right, and the free-flowing one at his left. ¡°So, what do you think is better? control, right? An absolute control over everything. You know how things are gonna turn out in every situation, and you know the exact right thing to say to people when you enter a room. The absolute control is the best, right?¡± ¡°Bullshit! What is the point of living a life like that? you¡¯re playing a game on a god mode. It is no fun, no challenge in it. no one will ever challenge your thoughts; you will never consider the new angles as a result. I refuse to live in a boring world like that.¡± said the Hatori to his left. ¡°You¡¯re thinking will doom us to a life of chaos!¡± crackled the voice of Hatori at his right. ¡°I rather live the life of that chaos then. A universe at its maximum entropy. Observing the chaos, to see whether some brains do appear in that chaos or not, that would be wonderful.¡± Said the Hatori to his left in a dreamy tone. ¡°You even lost your point.¡± said the right Hatori, sounding disappointed in his counterpart. ¡°Why don¡¯t you two fight?¡± asked Hatori the original. ¡°If both of you are as same as me, then you should like that. besides, I like to see myself duel the other me.¡± ¡°That is an intriguing idea.¡± Said the Hatori to his right. ¡°I will crush this unruly beast, and bring him to heel, and show him the power of control.¡± ¡°I will destroy your order, and show you the beauty of chaos.¡± Said the Hatori to his left, sounding like a roiling storm. A large throne appears in the garden, where the original Hatori sits, and prepares to watch this battle. ¡°Hmm. Something is not right here.¡± He said out loud. ¡°What is it?¡± asked both Hatoris together. Hatori clambers down from his throne and sits on the floor of the garden. ¡°Now, that is the best spot to watch this battle.¡± Hatori summons a leaf in his hand. ¡°Now, I will toss this in the air. once it hits the ground, begin the duel. Okay?¡± ¡°Okay.¡± said both of the Hatoris, looking at their counterpart with smiles on their faces. The leaf is tossed in the air, and it touches the ground right in the middle of these two Hatoris. The fight begins, with the controlling Hatori launching some probing attacks with fireballs, while the free-flowing Hatori bends his body backward, and lets those fireballs sail over his body. But the controlling Hatori is not frustrated by this response. ¡°I knew you would do this.¡± He said and slammed his foot on the ground. The ground shakes, and the free-flowing Hatori starts to sink. ¡°You think you¡¯re the only one with earth magic?¡± he asked. The original Hatori senses the flow of magic, and it reminds him of something. But what, he cannot remember. The free-flowing Hatori spreads his arms wide as if offering a hug to the controlling Hatori. The ground splits with an explosion, and he gets free from the earth which was trying to swallow him. he then retaliates with transmutation, turning the rocks flying from that explosion into large crows, which went to fight the controlling Hatori. He thought he could easily deal with them, but they used spells. and whether he destroyed them by himself, or they ran out of magic, they exploded with a loud blast near him. Several of them come together, and explode right above his head, rattling him badly, and showering him with the rocks that returned to their original state once these crows died. The original Hatori observes how easily the free-flowing Hatori turned the rock into living matter, a feat that he thought would take years for him to perform. The controlling Hatori responds by lighting the garden on fire and directing that fire at the free-flowing Hatori. ¡°Witness the triumph of humanity, control over the flames itself which have shaped the civilization itself!¡± The free-flowing Hatori is seemingly consumed in this blaze, but this fire is drowned by a waterfall. The original Hatori¡¯s place remained dry, but everything else drowned in several feet of water. for a moment, the original Hatori thinks about the impossibility of this event, since his place is below the water, and it should have been drowned, but he does not get to contemplate this for too long, as the controlling Hatori responds by damming the water, and trying to drown the free-flowing Hatori in the magic made dam. ¡°Observe, the control over the water, giving foundation to the civilization itself!¡± ¡°Observe,¡± said the free-flowing Hatori from his watery prison, ¡°How the water cannot be contained in a measly dam.¡± He produces more water, and the original Hatori realizes that he is not creating this from air. instead, he is conjuring it. The magical boundaries created by the controlling Hatori are overwhelmed, and collapse, and the control freak is swept away in the resulting wave. He slams his head on the garden wall, and the free-flowing Hatori takes advantage of this moment to conjure a knife and launch it at the controlling Hatori. But he is not worried. Instead, he conjures something which gives him protection and the means of attack at the same time. ¡°Do you see these?¡± he jingles the chains which he just conjured to block the knife. ¡°This becomes an ultimate sign of control when I pair it with something else.¡± His hands spark, as he made this statement. The chains were sneaking deep beneath the ground, and they suddenly appeared from right behind the free-flowing Hatori, entangling him completely. The controlling Hatori channels lightning through them, shocking the imprisoned enemy, and making him writhe in pain from those shocks. He looked like a puppet dancing with the use of strings, and controlling Hatori who had the strings in his hands. ¡°No chain is strong enough to bind the will of a human.¡± He gets up, and staggers with another shock. But he avoids falling to the ground once more. Proving his words true, he breaks those chains and goes up in the sky. The controlling Hatori is carried within the air, as the free-flowing Hatori rises higher and higher, while the original Hatori watches this in awe. Ever since he fell from a mountain last year, and levitated himself to the ground, he has been trying to find a way to repeat the same feet, thinking it will allow him the chance to fly. And now, his counterpart is displaying the same capability. True, it is just a dream, but everything must start in a dream somewhere, right? ¡°You think you can control lightning? Boy, how wrong you are.¡± His voice crackles, as he gathers lightning around him in the sky, looking like a god glaring down upon the mortals. ¡®But his lightning is not the same as I or that other counterpart of mine use.¡¯ It seems to be a more dangerous and powerful version of the lightning element. ¡®This can¡¯t be. Have I missed something? I will have to read the lightning manuals once more when I¡¯m awake.¡¯ ¡°You like to show off the power of control and civilization, don¡¯t you? Then witness the power, which the civilization has not managed to tame yet, and the mere sound of it is enough to make people hide under their beds!¡± With the sound of thunder, the controlling Hatori is stricken with lightning. Despite taking an attack like that directly, he lands on the ground alive, though in no condition to battle. ¡°I have won, didn¡¯t I?¡± he asked the original Hatori. ¡°No.¡± he shook his head. ¡°I have won.¡± ¡°What?¡± they both said/groaned. ¡°I see that control is important, but sometimes, just letting go of that control, and going with the flow is also necessary. I can never have all the answers, therefore I cannot remain in control all the time. I have to accept that.¡± he said, and both Hatoris disappeared, and Hatori found himself floating in the ocean of his magic, feeling at peace with himself. He is not sure how long this feeling will last, so he decides to bask in it as much as he can.

Part 8.

While Hatori snores peacefully, the intruder disappears quietly, their job done.

Part 9: History of magic, the rise of Porus.

Taken from the history textbook. Porus is the current king of the Subcontinent. He was initially born into a middling family, which was delighted to have a powerful child like him since they saw him as their ticket to the top of the social ladder. Other powerful mages have served this purpose in the past, so this was nothing new. During the fifth year of his Academy, he ends up the apprentice of one Corvus Black, the apprenticeship lasted for a long time. during this apprenticeship, Porus learned combat magic and alchemy from Corvus. He challenged for the throne at the age of fifty, defeating King Saransh, and acquiring the throne. However, the family had a tense relationship with their golden child, who chafed under their control. But now he was the king, so their attempts to control him got desperate. When he finally had enough of this, he denounced his last name and broke all ties from them. The other noble families didn¡¯t like someone of Porus¡¯s status holding the most powerful position in the Subcontinent. So, they ran various political and military campaigns, which all met with failures, due to his newly appointed general Sundar, and prime minister Amarnath Varma. Both of them got their positions after Porus culled the previous administration, which was slowly rotting the very foundation of the nation with nepotism. When this culling was protested, Porus put the whole matter in open in front of the nation, showing them how the previous general put his own family in charge, how they were incompetent at their jobs, and how they were slowly hollowing out the military by mothballing its equipment, and poor standard of training. When all of this was revealed, this caused a huge backlash from the families of these former administrators, not just the common public, but the noble families themselves. However, this did not endear Porus to them. the majority of the noble families still hated Porus, because, unlike the previous king, he wasn¡¯t plied or bought so easily. It also doesn¡¯t help that he pays attention to domestic affairs, which the last four kings did not do. Unless there was a threat from outside, these kings did not take an interest in anything else and left the government on autopilot. this comes to a head in a conspiracy thirty years ago, when mercenaries were hired to kill Porus when he was just meeting his newborn son. The king survives, but his wife died in the attack, and that resulted in the terrifying ten years, where Porus ran roughshod over the families, beheadings were a common thing, and many people were annihilated or left the country entirely. Despite this, the king has ruled for over fifty years, longer than any king of the past 500 years, and he has remained popular with the public, even though the majority of the noble families still hate him or oppose him. (End.) Chapter 103 Chapter 103.

Part 1.

After that strange dream two months ago, Hatori felt better for some reason. the feeling of peace did not last when he woke up, but it still lingered, and it made his recovery process very pleasant. It also helped that Nirmala apologized for her mistakes. ¡°I don¡¯t know, whether I¡¯m qualified to become a healer or not if I keep making mistakes like that.¡± she confided in him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Hatori to her. ¡°Everyone has those days.¡± What else could he say to someone who is openly admitting their mistakes to him? Today is the first day of the festival, and healer Slaughter has deemed him fit enough to live outside of the hospital now. He is cheerily making his way to the breakfast, planning to slowly get back into his routine, since the only magic he has done for the past two months is theory which he wrote for his homework. He was only allowed to do that after Slaughter observed his stir-craziness, where he repeatedly drew one rune for hours on end. He let him do his homework after that, or even read an entertaining book to pass the time. Of course, there is another reason to feel good. the council has been gutted effectively, judging from the gossip shared by Raven and Shin, their control is nonexistent at this point. ¡®Now, the only problem is that useless professor who is a thorn in my side. Once I get rid of him, my stay in the Academy should become much more pleasant.¡¯ He thinks. James has also come to visit him in the hospital, and though he seems to be getting on just fine, Hatori gets the feeling that he needs help, something which he is not getting here for some reason. Josh has returned to his former self and has thrown himself into training, trying to catch up with his friends. He goes to the forest to meet with that puppy who is growing into a large dog over time. So of course, there are many reasons for Hatori to be happy. When he enters the mess hall and senses around for his friends, a voice boomed in the hall. Hatori is glad that his defenses are still working. While everyone is hearing a loud voice, he is hearing this loud voice on a normal volume. He does not have long to celebrate about his success though, as the words of the announcement finally penetrate his brain. ¡°Today is the first day of the festival. And therefore, the council has created this documentary for you.¡± said the student responsible for this announcement. ¡°This documentary is concerning a certain blind kid who was summoned here, who is also among us as of this moment. This documentary should explain to you why does he not belong with us.¡± The students are not impressed by the council¡¯s performance recently, so they do not have much hope in this documentary to convince them of anything. But still, the mess hall goes quiet all the same, as a voice starts to narrate this documentary. The students who are responsible for creating this documentary are sitting with Krishna Menon, their names roll first as the credit, and someone cast some spell which focused a spotlight on them as their name came onto the screen. ¡°This boy was born to a normal family in the mundane dimension, a world that mage kind left when they got tired of their demands. His father is a lawyer, and his mother is a housewife. Everything was going well, but one day, they realized something. Their child was running into things. Of course, having no education in the manners, children born outside of noble families do that quite often, nothing new there. But the eyes of the child were also changing.¡± A close-up of Hatori¡¯s eyes is shown, where his eye appears to be reflecting light, like a cat¡¯s eye. ¡°At first, this cancer started in one eye, but then it also developed in the other eye.¡± Said the voice, as Hatori as a baby is shown, with squinty eyes. On a side note, most of the girls squealed at how cute he looked as a baby. ¡°An operation is performed by the inferior healers of this mundane world, and both of the eyes are removed. If this were to happen in our world, we would have cured this problem with magic, saving the child¡¯s eye in the process.¡± the narrator fails to notice that most people have forgotten about magic in the mundane dimension, and mages are not exactly offering their services. As a result, in the opinion of this professional narrator, this guy should be fired, and should not receive any salary at all for the poor job. ¡°After this, the problem of educating the child comes up, where various people suggested specialized schools for the child, which do cater the need of teaching the disabled children, as they are called in the mundane dimension.¡± Hatori is shown at the age of five, when he is left at a boarding school, despite his cries of protest. Scenes of arguments between the parents are also shown, where the father is skeptical of these schools, but the mother is insisting on putting him in a boarding school. Though the father is concerned about his child¡¯s safety, he has no other choice but to listen to his wife. ¡°One thing is universal, that is the care of their children by parents. We are glad to observe this even in the barbaric mundane dimension.¡± This story is stopped for a second to point out that hypocrisy has its limits. We will now return you to your regularly scheduled story. ¡°Once the child was enrolled in this specialized school, we can see that he does not have a good time. the staff is bad, the food is bad, and other children are not any better either.¡± Said the narrator of this documentary. ¡°However, this child also displays some barbaric characteristics, as these two incidents show.¡± Hatori is trying to resist an older man among the staff, who is trying to remove his clothes. Later, he told about this to his father, when he got home because the school does not let children talk with their families once they are there. Karan is furious after hearing this. When he talks to Rita about this, she is initially shocked, but she still wants to keep him there. ¡°This¡¯ll make him tough and independent.¡± ¡°Yes, what a wonderful way to toughen our child, letting other people assault him. I see these cases daily in the court. And I¡¯ll be damned if my kid goes through this, you hear me? I¡¯m taking him out.¡± Rita could not argue against this decision. Josh watches along with hundreds of students with their clenched fists, how Hatori is surrounded by the older boys who are in their teenage years, who are trying to do the same thing that the man did. Though this five-year-old child is trying to resist as best as he could, he is outmuscled and outnumbered. ¡°You think you¡¯re so great just because you come from a rich family, huh? now strip!¡± this statement is punctuated with a loud slap, as Karan arrives at this moment to pick him up. the principal tries to convince him to not file a case, but he does not budge. ¡°I don¡¯t care how much money I have to spend. I will destroy you for selling us a false dream.¡± He said to the principal before leaving. The students are getting increasingly furious at the narration. It does not match the reality of the situation that they were seeing on their screen. ¡°So even at that small age, he continue to resist, fight, and even bite people like an animal. No wonder he has rampaged throughout our school.¡± ¡°After this, they home-school the boy and put him in a normal school next year. Where he proves to be quite advanced in certain subjects for his age.¡± Hatori is shown with older students in the computer programming class. ¡°This doesn¡¯t last long, however. For during the April of year 4018, or 2018 as they like to call it, this child was summoned into our world, right before his eighth birthday.¡± Concludes the documentary. As the documentary ends, the students erupt in a tsunami of outrage, however, one student is not interested in just yelling or showing his displeasure with his words alone. that student being Hatori, the subject of the documentary. He launches a bolt of lightning at the student seated near him who appeared in the credit, but the bolt is stopped by Krishna Menon with a shield that sounds like the gong of a bell. Looking at his furious expression, they all bale out of there quickly, leaving Krishna to deal with a furious Hatori. But they do not get to run away so easily. Josh, Raven, Shin, and James pursue them to the outside of the hall, and all the while James laughs like an unhinged lunatic. He finally has an excuse to show his anger and beat some people to a bloody pulp. ¡°Tom, come with me. we¡¯re leaving.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°To pursue the people who made that film?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°We¡¯re coming with you. I do think you will need numbers to box them in,¡± said Patel. The Singh twins also move to help them out, going after Hatori¡¯s group. Krishna Menon sits unmoving for a moment, shocked by the sheer power of just one bolt of lightning. It is a good thing that he brought this nonconductive shield to save himself and the members of the council responsible for the documentary, they would have been fried certainly, even with their protections. Speaking of them, they did a wonderful job with this documentary. ¡°Do you see this beast?¡± he gets up, and his words echo with an amplifying spell. ¡°Look at his barbaric anger. He does not belong with us, we should throw this cursed child away!¡± Krishna Menon prides himself on reading the situation of a room. that is how he has survived and built up his power up to this point. but this time, he fails to judge the situation properly, as the students are not happy with his declaration, and they are letting him know loudly. ¡°You think he is a beast? The poor guy needs our help more than anything!¡± said several students. ¡°Maybe we should throw you out, you don¡¯t even teach here. You got the post of a professor just because you¡¯re a noble!¡± said the students from lower-class families. ¡°Krishna Menon, I challenge you to a chain duel,¡± said Hatori, silencing everyone. In response, a chain appears around his waist, and the other end of that chain clatters in front of Krishna. Corvus watches all of this happening. ¡®I wonder whether he will take the bate or not.¡¯ He thinks. The professor smiled. The boy has given himself to him on a silver platter. Duels are dangerous, and if he kills him, there won¡¯t be any questions because he challenged him in the open. He is completely confident of his victory. The boy might become a strong mage in the future, but just because he hits hard now does not mean he will manage to beat him. ¡°I accept.¡± He said, and the chain snaked around his waist, binding both combatants with each other. ¡°Dhiraj, what is the boy doing?¡± asked Krodhatma, worried. ¡°Indeed. Does he know what he has done?¡± asked Professor Mantar. Professor Bali, Amelia, Amrita, and Amarjit also raise similar concerns. ¡°He will be fine.¡± Replied the potions master. ¡°Just you see.¡± The duel starts, and Krishna Menon starts first. ¡°I do not have much chance to teach boy, but I believe I could be a great dueling instructor than that brute Bali.¡± He said while opening with non-elemental spells. These spells have unknown properties, and Hatori prefers to dodge them rather than face them ahead. He observes how the floor and wall behind him are sizzling after these spells land on them. ¡°Vitriol boy, acidic spells. if one of these lands on you, your body will melt inside out,¡± said Krishna, while casting more such spells at his opponent. He might be able to dodge a few of them, but he can¡¯t avoid all of them since they are both bound with chains. Noticeably, Hatori has done all the movement so far, while Krishna has not moved beyond a few steps here and there. Hatori finally returns the attack with fireballs, but despite hitting Krishna Menon in his face, they do nothing. ¡°Foolish boy. I have built elemental protections right in my body. You¡¯ve modified yourself didn¡¯t you?¡± he said, utilizing his magical pressure. ¡°You should have known this!¡± he slams his staff to the ground, and Hatori falls to the ground as a result. As Krishna starts to walk closer to him, Hatori attacks him with earth magic, slamming his staff on the ground. Cracks start to snake across the distance, and soon reach the position of Krishna, stopping him on his track for a moment. But he walked right over those cracks, and they did nothing. ¡°Did you know that you can enchant your footwear to save yourself from earth magic?¡± he asked, after coming close to him. ¡°Of course, you didn¡¯t know that. your master Zeko taught you in a hurry it seems.¡± Hatori smiled. The cracks exploded when flames escaped his fingers, though everyone thought they came from his staff. The cracks were full of gunpowder, which he actually learned to transmute, and then conjure right under the nose of Slaughter. What could he say? He was bored. This was a massive explosion, and Krishna Menon was sent flying. The chain around his waist heated up, burning his skin, and it also stopped him from going too far from Hatori. The students watching this duel have to find some quick cover from the heat, while Corvus laments about his damaged mess hall. ¡°Don¡¯t they know how expensive it is to repair the school?¡± he raged. ¡°Completely agree with you, sir.¡± Said Dhiraj, given how he was the one who directly overlooked the repairing of the grand hall when Hatori damaged it in his rampage last year. Luckily, he didn¡¯t have to pay the contractors out of his pocket. ¡°You¡­ you wretched child!¡± he roared, attacking with wild abandon, not even caring that some of his spells hit the students nearby. But Hatori went out of his way to shield them. He did not know why he did that. Maybe something inside of him didn¡¯t enjoy someone else suffering in his battle, or maybe this was the result of that strange dream. He would have let them die if he was like that control freak from his dream. ¡°What is it boy?¡± asked Krishna. ¡°Have you suddenly awakened your empathy for these miserable Children?¡± ¡°This is bullshit.¡± Said Bali. ¡°Blood Freezing spell, Acid spell, they are easily countered, and any shield can block them. no self-respecting mage would ever use such easily countered spells in a battle.¡± ¡°The only reason why he is getting away with those spells is that Hatori himself has never faced them, and likely doesn¡¯t know how easily they are countered.¡± Said Amarjit, agreeing with Bali. Hatori whips his staff, and the rubble from the explosion earlier is transformed into shards of crystal, with a gust of wind, he sends them to his opponent. But this attack is also easily neutralized. ¡°What is up boy? looks like you¡¯re getting tired.¡± Said Krishna Menon. He makes some motions with his staff, and Hatori¡¯s staff flies out of his hand, and Krishna catches it. ¡°Do you know that it is an ultimate insult for a mage to lose their foci like this?¡± said Krishna Menon. ¡°No it is not,¡± said Professor Amrita. ¡°It was never an insult historically, nor in current times.¡± ¡°Shut up, you whore!¡± he yelled at her. ¡°You should open your mouth for one thing only.¡± He chided her, before burning Hatori¡¯s foci. ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do now boy?¡± asked Krishna, once more walking closer to him. ¡°The chain hasn¡¯t gone yet. Looks like this is your final day on this planet.¡± ¡°Ooohhhh. I lost my staff, Ooohhh, That insult cut me deep. Whatever shall I do?¡± Hatori finally spoke in this battle, halting Krishna on his track by his words alone. ¡°What?¡± said Krishna Menon. This confidence does not compute. The boy should be a nervous wreck by now, begging for his life. And yet here he is, taunting him. Hatori casts the Lightning Bolt spell, which causes the clothes of Krishna Menon to burn. But the professor is not quiet, he retaliates with spells, including the fire spells in his attacks this time. Hatori runs the lightning through his body and watches the reaction of Krishna Menon in slow motion. He runs circles around him, actually dominating him in the exchange of spells. When Krishna manages to counter his attacks with the Firewall, Hatori transmutes the broken legs of the tables into snakes, which restrain the professor. When he manages to get rid of those snakes, he finds himself drowning even though he is not in water, since Hatori combined the wind and water elements, and created a bubble around his head filled with water. when he pops the bubble and is bent over for breath, Hatori conjures some iron spikes, and launches them at Krishna Menon, and some of them do find their mark, stabbing his shoulder and leg. ¡°Do you see how he is using the lightning?¡± asked Krodhatma. ¡°I never thought he would reach this stage so quickly.¡± ¡°Me neither. It was just the last year when I instructed him,¡± said Dhiraj. ¡°I think I should point him in some advanced direction, he seems to be stuck at his current level of elemental magic.¡± ¡°I think he is spread thin.¡± Said Bali. ¡°There is a reason why most mages do not go for multiple elements, it is just too hard to train and develop spells for them.¡± By this point, Krishna is unable to keep up with Hatori. He thought he knew combat, but this is madness. The boy is running around, and since he is bound to him, he is dragged with him whether he likes it or not. Gasping on the ground, he flops like a fish out of water, struggling to stay alive. It is just not a matter of the energy of the brat. He seems to be responding with his every attack with a snap, where was this speed in the early battle? Krishna, finding himself on the backfoot, realizes that most of the destructive spells he used to know has been now forgotten, or they do not come to him as easily as they once did. He was never given to direct combat anyway, letting someone else handle that, while he did the political side. ¡°Pathetic!¡± thunders Hatori, and streams the electricity through the chain binding them. the lightning shocks his opponent badly but does not harm him in the slightest. ¡°You call yourself a professor, and yet look at you. even the weakest professor would have killed me by now.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true!¡± said several professors from the sidelines. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. Hatori saunters up to his prone opponent, and after jabbing his finger through his wounds, draws a rune on his forehead, while he is unable to stop him in the slightest, given how badly out of breath he is even after several minutes of inactivity. The periodic electric shocks are not doing his recovery any favors either. ¡°This is a lightning rod rune.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m about to perform a dangerous spell, if it backfires, all the electricity will go to you directly. If the rune is overpowered, then some surrounding people may get shocked, but it wouldn¡¯t be fatal¡­ probably.¡± This causes immediate conjuring of rubber protection. Hatori thinks about why doesn¡¯t anyone protect themselves against lightning with rubber, before focusing on the task. He digs deep within himself and tries to emulate the flow of magic that he saw as his free-flowing self in his dream, all the while continuously streaming lightning through his body. Finding the flow, he then claps, and then separates his hands, finding two kinds of lightning on his hands. He still hasn¡¯t read about this, because Slaughter confiscated lightning manuals which Raven tried to smuggle inside of the hospital. he notices the feeling of lightning on his left hand, which is very different and stronger compared to his right hand. He changed the flow, and his right hand has now the same feeling as his left hand. Hatori then looks up and claps, and with the sound, the nearby windows shatter, and Krishna Menon howls in pain. This is worse than anything he has ever experienced. Every single nerve of his body came alive with electricity, and he felt as if he had spent thousands of years nonstop in this hell without a break. Once the spell ends, instead of a handsome man in his thirties, there is only a husk left, which looks like has lived for centuries, and is about to croak any time now. The rune which Hatori drew on his forehead held on for longer than he thought it would, before getting overwhelmed and distorted, and then finally getting erased. Once that happened, the students nearby did suffer some shocks, though nothing crippling. However, this was different than usual lightning, they could tell, and they were glad that they didn¡¯t have to suffer anything like Professor Useless did. Looks like that taunt is true in more ways than one. The chain disappears, signifying the end of the duel. Professor Mantar recorded this entire duel, for he witnessed a chain duel live, and he even observed the rarer phenomenon of both combatants surviving. Though one of them looks near to his death. ¡®That bastard was right. Going with the flow works.¡¯ Said Hatori with a smirk.

Part 2.

The eight sixth-year council members are running from four fourth-year kids. Looks like running from younger mages is their destiny at this point. the only advantage they have is their numbers, they are sure that these crazy kids won¡¯t be able to capture or kill them. Despite facing two-on-one odds, Hatori¡¯s friends dominated the battles. These council members have it so easy. Hatori¡¯s friends, aside from training with each other, also go and train at Zeko¡¯s house every summer, and have faced a lot of danger this year. These council members did nothing but sit on their chairs, and hatched plots, and let someone else handle the combat for them. They barely manage to run away by spreading out, and they run into Avinash¡¯s group, followed by the Singh twins. After the battle gets destructive in the mess hall (they can hear the explosions even outside) the escaping students decide to help them, while the supporters of the council quietly slink away, realizing their numbers disadvantage. Thus, all these eight students are dragged into the mess hall after getting maimed by James (even numbers lost their legs and odd one their hands) where they get to witness what happened with the professor who supported them so much. James levitated all eight of them by himself, and he dropped them on the feet of a recently victorious Hatori. ¡°I don¡¯t see a scratch on you,¡± said Raven. ¡°How could someone so unfit scratch me? even Josh is better than him,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m working on it, okay?¡± said Josh, knowing about his poor cardio. ¡°What¡¯re you going to do about them?¡± asked James. ¡°I think we should use them as guinea pigs for our experiments.¡± ¡°Tempting. But I want to know, how did you extract my memories? if you answer me, I might decide to be merciful.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°My friends can attest that unlike you noble bastards, I always follow my word, once I give it.¡± ¡°He¡¯s not lying.¡± Said Raven, remembering how Hatori dragged them to train with him when they all lived in the castle. ¡°We used a memory-capturing spell.¡± said one of them, and received seven glairs as a result. ¡°Be quiet, you fool!¡± said one of them. ¡°That spell lets us find specific memories, and then we can capture it on a device.¡± He continues, not listening to his companions, who are gagged by Shin. ¡°I cannot explain anything further, I¡¯m willing to give you the notes of the spell.¡± ¡°Give me the notes.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Take the notes from him James, and kill him.¡± Right in the middle of handing over the notes after casting the spell, and printing the formula on several pages, the student protested. ¡°You said you will be merciful!¡± ¡°I am.¡± James decapitates him. ¡°As for the rest of you, burn.¡± Hatori conjures the oil and lights them on fire. After witnessing all of these events, everyone¡¯s hunger died a cruel death. ¡®I should have used the oil conjuring in the battle. Next time.¡¯ thinks Hatori. While James is unaffected by this execution, Josh, Shin, and Raven are very disturbed by it. though they refrain from saying anything for the moment. The things they have learned about their friend are shocking enough as it is. ¡°Also, don¡¯t worry James, we will find other guinea pigs.¡± Said Hatori, looking around at the students leaving the mess hall. ¡°I¡¯m sure some of them will move against us sooner or later. better attack first rather than let them make their move.¡± This caused a stampede, suddenly no one wanted to be in the close vicinity of Hatori, even the younger students.

Part 3.

Corvus has called this meeting. ¡°Now that the thorn in my side is out, it is time that I clean the house.¡± He said to the professors. ¡°What?¡± asked some of them, while others kept their mouths shut. ¡°I¡¯m glad you asked. Menon''s family made a deal with me that I must make their useless son a professor here, doesn¡¯t matter whether he teaches or not. And in return, they will not impeach me, or try to take over the operations of this Academy.¡± said Corvus. ¡°But that is impossible. Even if they try, the only ones who can impeach you are the mages of the Magecraft and Sorcery Institute.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°I see you¡¯ve read the regulations.¡± Said Corvus with a smile. ¡°He is right. They didn¡¯t know that. but as they say, keep your enemies closer and all. I wanted to curtail their moves to try to influence the education of this school, something which again, the Institute protects us from. But remember, it is not a complete protection. He sent reports denouncing me every time, but I changed those reports, telling them that I gave up when he argued with me, though I left all the cursing he did at me.¡± ¡°Have you gathered us here to tell this?¡± asked Krodhatma, surly from being forced to participate in a meeting. ¡°Yes and no. first, I do want you to know that I did that, and I haven¡¯t lost my grip on this institute of learning. Second, I have to tell you about a fraud.¡± Said Corvus, getting serious at the end, all the traces of humor vanish from his face. ¡°A fraud?¡± asked most professors, while some remained silent, and a few of them did some uncomfortable shifting as if they wanted to be at any other place but this office. ¡°Yes, a fraud. Have you seen the student named Gulam? A lad full of potential who was enslaved by that terrible brat Santosh?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes? What of it?¡± asked Bali. ¡°He wasn¡¯t mentally fit to pass his exams after he was tortured, and subjugated. But clearly, he continued to pass his exams up to his sixth year, even though he got middling grades, it was impossible for him since he was nothing but a bloodthirsty beast after his enslavement.¡± ¡°But this means someone¡­ oh.¡± Said Amarjit, realizing why they were all gathered here. They sense the pull of magic, and four professors are singled out. ¡°How ironic. Looks like you fraudsters believe in equal presentation.¡± Said Corvus, after seeing two male and two female professors. ¡°Did you honestly think that you would escape from me after doing that under my nose?¡± he asked with a mild tone. When they fail to answer, Corvus gets up from his chair, and looms over them, since he is taller than them all. ¡°Do you know the punishment for a fraud like this?¡± he asked. ¡°Death.¡± Said Dhiraj with finality in his tone. ¡°Anyone who compromises our institute of learning like this deserves death.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°You should read the regulations more often, looks like you all have faulty memories. going against me? fine. Academic politics? Fine. Conspiracies against each other? Fine. But when you interfere with the operation of this school, that is where you cross the line, and now you must pay the price.¡± ¡°That is outrageous!¡± said one of the male professors. ¡°That boy would have never passed otherwise, so what if we helped out a bit?¡± When Corvus did not do anything to this professor who spoke out against him, the remaining three of them also started to complain. ¡°Besides, he was a low-class boy, he would have never passed the exams anyway.¡± ¡°Do you listen to yourselves!¡± thundered Corvus. ¡°That boy was one of the brightest kids of that batch. Some noble brat destroyed him. if you would have reported that to me, I could have helped him in recovering his mental faculties. But you did no such thing, and allowed the abuse to continue!¡± ¡°Whatever. I don¡¯t want to argue with you. the punishment is death, prepare to die!¡± he said, and several chains came out of the floor to capture the professors. But they spread out and evaded the chains. ¡°We should have done this a long time ago.¡± Said one of the female professors. The entire room is filled with poisonous gas, which is then transmuted into hydrogen. One professor focuses on hydrogen in the standing area of Corvus, and one of them lights that on fire. Corvus is consumed in a searing blaze, but when the smoke clears, he stands there unharmed, not even his hair is singed. Forget his hair, his clothes didn¡¯t suffer any effects either, while the professors who were not attacked directly got their clothes blackened from the fire. Corvus raises his hand and clenches his fist. ¡°When my students are showing initiative, how can I remain behind?¡± he said casually as if he wasn¡¯t lit on fire just a few moments ago. The professor who lit the fire is ripped apart by this small gesture. ¡°I used the air present within his body. It was a simple matter of inflating everything quickly and turning it into an internal storm of sorts. This only works when there is a strong disparity between the two mages.¡± Lectures Corvus, as if teaching a class. When the professors tried to flee, he breathed, and bolts of lightning came out of his mouth, which homed into the fleeing opponents, while Corvus did not move in the slightest. ¡°As you can see, when you attain the higher level of understanding of magic, your entire body becomes a conduit of it.¡± he lectured to the professors, who were all rooted on their spot. Some of them snap out of the horror of this moment and start taking notes. Lessons like these cannot be ignored after all, even if your colleagues are dying in front of you. One of the professors dies from the shock of one of the bolts, and another one is ripped apart by the animated furniture. They will never look at their chairs the same way again. The final professor who is trying to fight off the transmuted table which turned into a crocodile, all the while he is trapped in a swamp (because Corvus is an asshole) pleads with the deputy headmistress. ¡°Deputy headmistress, help us, please stop this monster. He will destroy everything, he and his student are taking apart our powerful families bit by bit, please stop him!¡± his pleading stopped when the crocodile caught him in its jaws and started to roll quite fast, ripping the unfortunate man into bloody chunks. Surbha watches this from her place in the crowd, not moving an inch. She is thinking of retiring to an island and writing poetry for the rest of her life. ¡®In fact, what is stopping me from doing that?¡¯ she thought. ¡°Headmaster, I resign. I will give you the letter shortly.¡± She said, hoping she wouldn¡¯t die here in this office, which looks so normal now, no sign of blood at all. ¡°Of course. You have 24 hours to hand over that letter. If you change your mind then, you are free to come to me then.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°Know this though, that I know why you were sent here as well. the only reason I¡¯m sparing you is that you did not compromise this institute in any way.¡± She nodded in understanding. She may have schemed against him, but she never manipulated the exams to pass a student. she dodged a bullet there. If she had listened to her more ambitious former colleagues, she wouldn¡¯t be standing here alive right now.

Part 4.

The festival is still going on, but it is under the terror of Hatori. He used crows to spy on the students and marked the council supporters. There are a few of them still left, and just as he predicted, they do plan to move against him in a misguided hope that if they take him out, the council will return to their glory days. In reality, that is very unlikely. The professor who backed them is now gone, and they don¡¯t have the support of the majority of the students or a stable leadership. Hatori considers them to be a very near check. The council has a problem while there are very few of them remaining, no new members are applying. The noble faction is mostly hiding in their dorms, talking about their glory days when they used to control the students, while the students who did not support anything of the sort, even if they come from noble families, walk freely outside, enjoying the festival as much as they could. Hatori notices how Liang and Maria have not approached him this year even a little. ¡®Looks like they faced harsh discipline back home for providing me support openly.¡¯ He thought. But one thing is bothering him. ¡°Josh, tell me why there are so many students in the school, given how many I have killed in the past, and how they do kill each other as well?¡± Josh stops his running on the secret ground to answer this question. ¡°Because the Academy brings every student they can to learn the magic here. After some of the sorcerers came from poor backgrounds, they decided that the potential chance of another sorcerer appearing from non-noble families, or among the orphans cannot be ignored. Couple that with students from the countries around us also coming here, that makes it a pretty big number.¡± ¡°There¡¯s a reason why we haven¡¯t met with everyone here.¡± Said Raven, who was meditating nearby with the fire element, as Josh went back to his running. ¡°It is impossible to know everyone, or meet everyone. There are what, ten or so sections in our year?¡± he said, trailing off at the end. ¡°Yeah, but they only reached that number recently. When our batch started, the number of sections was higher.¡± Said Shin. ¡°A lot of them didn¡¯t make it then.¡± Said James. ¡°Looks like that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I probably didn¡¯t help it either.¡±

Part 5.

Hatori gives the students he has managed to capture so far to James. He has kept them in the room of frozen time. ¡°That is perfect.¡± He immediately starts to draw some runes on one of them, using the same runic system as Hatori does, after he learned it from Zeko. ¡°How do you know this dialect?¡± he asked. ¡°This dialect is often discovered, then lost, and rediscovered in the magekind¡¯s history. It is very powerful and very personalizable, probably that¡¯s why. most recently it was discovered by Corvus.¡± Said James. Hatori smiled. Though Zeko told him not to share the knowledge of this runic system with anyone, since James has already discovered it, Hatori thinks that point is moot. Besides, they can do a lot of things by pooling their knowledge and experience together. James is most interested in understanding the human vision and the functions of an eye, and how to copy that in the symbolic form. Lucky that he has such a highly expressive language, and the test subjects to observe. Not much happened in the remainder of this year. They did exams, got their results, and are now ready to leave. But the remaining three boys are pretty horrified by the human experimentation of Hatori and James. ¡°Don¡¯t you have a single kind bone in your bodies?¡± asked Josh. ¡°No,¡± said Hatori flatly. ¡°Besides, you do have to do human experimentation sooner or later. and they offered themselves.¡± ¡°How?¡± asked Raven. ¡°By conspiring against us,¡± said James. ¡°I can¡¯t argue with that,¡± said Raven with a sigh. ¡°I just want you to know that I do not like this.¡± Said Josh, poking Hatori¡¯s chest. ¡°Your dislike has been noted and ignored.¡± He responded with a smirk. ¡°Ug!¡± Josh turns away in a huff. Why is he surrounded by crazies? ¡°You¡¯ll thank me when you have to modify yourself next year.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Chances of any of you dying because of this are very low, since you got me and my experience in your corner.¡± ¡°Not to mention, test subjects.¡± Said James. ¡°About that, what¡¯re you going to do about them for the vacation time?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Simple. They are in a half-dead state, stuck in a room of frozen time. there¡¯s a yantra with ample supply of that potion to keep them like that, it will administer the dose regularly.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It was so tough to program the time in it since the outside measures do not work in that room,¡± said James. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me.¡± lamented Hatori. Time sucks. Programming time sucks even more. (End.) Chapter 104 Chapter 104.

Part 1.

Yograj is showing signs of improvement, according to the report of the family doctor who is monitoring him. maybe two years ago, Dhanraj would have been worried about it, since he used to be so insecure. But now, he has effectively taken over the family, and despite the isolation enforced on them, he has successfully kept them afloat. He has also amassed enough force that if his father turns violent, he can be put down if necessary. However, he would prefer if he cooperates with him since he can use his experience in politics in the future. Also, stay away from Porus and Zeko. Just one tangle with them ended so disastrously, let other families handle them. Dhanraj prefers to stay on the sidelines, and just keep printing money rather than fight the king directly. ¡®If only father would have thought like that, things would have been so much better for us.¡¯ he thought.

Part 2.

Zeko did not come to pick Hatori up this time. but he remembers the way, and his sense is strong enough that he can navigate to the house. However, he is wondering why he was not there to pick him up like he did for the previous year. He didn¡¯t even send someone else or write about this in a letter to inform him. Stopping at the gate of the house, he waits for an enemy to appear. Each time he has returned from the Academy, he has faced a spirit at the entrance to gain entry into the house. He has not lost yet, except for that one time when Nandan helped him, and he does not plan to lose this time either. No spirit is going to stop him from entering the house. but there is a difference. He hears footsteps from the house. Maybe Zeko is coming? ¡®No. these footsteps sound much lighter than Zeko¡¯s.¡¯ the door opens, and Hatori is confused. ¡°Surprised!¡± said the strange boy in his own voice. he then processes what his senses are telling him. ¡°You¡¯re¡­ me?¡± he asked. ¡°Of course.¡± He opens his arms for a hug. ¡°Your senses are not lying to you. now, give me a hug.¡± Hatori evades the attack, he knew what was coming his way with that gesture. ¡°I see you do not have your foci with you. such a shame.¡± Said the other Hatori. ¡°Why? Not like I need it,¡± he said, casting the Stinger spell to prod the defense of this imposter Hatori. ¡°True, we don¡¯t need it,¡± he said and cast the Fireball spell. he then breathes and uses the wind element to enhance the fire. Hatori comes out of that storm unscathed. ¡°Just pure wind element, a gust of air,¡± he said. ¡°Not very good with it are you?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t need to be.¡± Said the imposter Hatori. ¡°Because I also have other skills.¡± ¡°Probably stolen from me.¡± mutters the original Hatori. ¡°Oh, come off that high horse.¡± Said the imposter. ¡°I¡¯m a created copy of you, built by observing all the battles you¡¯ve had in this house. Each shadow, each spirit you fought, it was recorded and analyzed, improved, and helped in creating me.¡± ¡°That is unfair. I did not consent to this!¡± said Hatori, launching conjured iron spikes at his imposter. This is becoming his favorite trick since mages rarely have defenses against the villosity of an iron spike coming their way. his imposter is no different, rather than take the attack directly, he moves out of the way. Though some of them grazed his body, and did some light damage. Not as much as Hatori expected, but he drew the first blood in this duel. ¡°Consent? You are talking about consent? You wanted to be a programmer. You would have done the same data collection on your users for the company, and if their data got leaked? Then who cares? You still got paid. Right?¡± said the imposter, raising his arms, and moving like he was doing a dance. In response, the ground rises, and Hatori receives an uppercut from the earth itself, sending him flying in response. Spitting the blood to the side, he raises his palm in front of him with his fingers spread apart, and electricity starts to flow from his palm to the tips of his fingers. This is then fired as a continuous bolt at his imposter, who is unable to dodge this many bolts and finds himself paralyzed on the ground. ¡°Probably. But using that argument for your own existence is flimsy. Did you honestly think I would be affected by it?¡± Hatori punctuated his question with an iron spike to the knee of his opponent. Aside from a grunt, his clone did not show any sign of pain. ¡°Kill me, why don¡¯t you. that is what you have done ever since you¡¯ve arrived in this world. tell me, what would Mother think about us now? What would father think that his son is a killer?¡± Hatori has not thought about that in a long time. while his previous argument didn¡¯t affect him, this one did. The clone seized the advantage, and decided that some more verbal beatdown was in order. ¡°Forget about our parents. Do you think that Zeko will like to house a monster in his house for long? They are using us as a weapon! Sooner or later, he¡¯ll kick you out. you¡¯ve got no family, no money, no property. You¡¯ll be worse than Shin!¡± The imposter Hatori wasn¡¯t just talking. He couldn¡¯t stand up, but while talking he was preparing a massive cloud of electricity in the sky. Hatori realizes it too late. ¡®At least it is not as bad as the one I used on that useless professor.¡¯ Was his last thought, before he was struck by lightning. He ran his own lightning through his body to lessen the impact, but that still did not save him from the shock completely. After his muscles stopped cooperating with him, he fell to the ground. Once the spell runs out, he gets up with jittery legs and impales his clone with an iron spike through his head. Watching him disappear, Hatori thinks about his words. ¡®He¡¯s right. I cannot rely on Zeko¡¯s generosity forever. I must start amassing money as soon as I can, so if he kicks me out, I won¡¯t be left floundering.¡¯ He thinks, before entering the house, and finally passing out. Zeko watched the entire battle from the house. ¡°Did you really need to say all those things to him?¡± he asked to the ball of light on his shoulder. ¡°I didn¡¯t go to pick him up this year, that¡¯ll fuel his paranoia against me.¡± ¡°Honestly master, if your student is so weak as to fall for some words during a battle, then he does not deserve to be trained by you.¡± said the central yantra. Zeko sighed. The yantra does have a point, but during the heed of battle, it is not possible to keep your emotions under control all the time. he picks up Hatori and takes him to the pool of healing at the back of his house. Those lightning burns won¡¯t heal themselves. ¡®Be happy kid, from now on, you won¡¯t need to face anything to gain entry into this house.¡¯ He looks at Hatori with a smile.

Part 3.

James comes back home, already expecting trouble. Lucie graduated from the Academy last year, but that doesn¡¯t mean anything, since the entire Mathis has an obsession with this house for some reason. Shakuntala and her two daughters like to run the operations of both families from this house. ¡°Lucie, he is here!¡± screamed Eva, the younger sister of Lucie. Though the younger sister has joined the Academy, she stays away from James and his group there. Though she acts as a tattletale for Shakuntala and reports everything that is going on in the Academy. ¡®No doubt she reported everything that happened this year. Let¡¯s see what Lucie wants from me.¡¯ thinks James. ¡°Look who is here. A guy friends with a beast who didn¡¯t even spare his professors.¡± She said, moving to slap him. but James grabbed her and threw her to the ground. ¡°A weakling like you have no right to strike at me,¡± he said, glaring down at her. ¡°You dare to touch me? this is all because of that crippled mad boy. Mother! Tell James that he should not associate with that blind boy anymore!¡± said Lucie. ¡°Tut tut, you¡¯re a graduated student, and yet you call your mother like that?¡± said James, not impressed. ¡°Pathetic! You guys don¡¯t deserve to stain the house of Flora with your presence!¡± ¡°And what will you do about that, boy?¡± asked Shakuntala, coming to the gate to see what is happening here. James has no chance to go much after he gets free from that potion. He is grateful that his friends freed him from that prison, and he learned something about himself during that whole experience. He is way too passive. The world won¡¯t leave him alone, just because he wants nothing more than to create things, doesn¡¯t mean that the world or people of that world are going to respect him, and leave him alone. Which leaves only other options. ¡°Gurg!¡± screamed Eva, as a bubble surrounded her, filled with water. James picked up this trick from Hatori. ¡°What¡¯re you doing? Release her, at once!¡± orders Shakuntala. Violence is the only option he has to make sure that people will leave him alone, and won¡¯t bother him for their own gain. It also helps that he enjoys inflicting violence. ¡°Maybe if I heated the water¡­¡± Eva starts to thrash, as the water gets boiling hot, and she has breathed in that hot water. ¡°Stop it, stop it you mad boy, what do you want?¡± ¡°Leave. Leave this house, and never come back. Or else, I¡¯ll kill both of your daughters, right here and now.¡± Declared James. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll leave.¡± Said Shakuntala. She grabbed Lucie and started to leave, without even packing anything. If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. James releases the water, which spills all over Eva, which causes her to scream even more. She is levitated by Lucie. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I let weaklings like them walk all over me for this long.¡± He muttered. The family hadn¡¯t gone so far, they heard everything. Lucie wanted to turn around and retaliate, but Shakuntala grabbed her and continued to walk outside of the Flora house. ¡°We can¡¯t face him. he has gone mad; the wards are on his side.¡± She said to Lucie. James has no doubt that Shakuntala will come back with ward breakers later, and attack him for what he has done. But he does not plan to live here anyway. he comes inside, and after levitating his father who is in his alcoholic stupor, and putting the house under lockdown, he runs out of town. ¡®Let¡¯s hope I can reach the castle before my aunt¡¯s goons catch up to me.¡¯ he thought. At the airship, people asked about his father, and he answered that he was in no condition to handle himself, so he had to take him for treatment for his sickness. James also has a project waiting for him in the castle, if he manages to get there safely. Suraj has agreed to be the prototype for his project, on which he has been working for over a year now. Healer Slaughter will be there to monitor everything. All in all, it promises to be an exciting time.

Part 4.

George Fernandes is a happy father. His son has told him what has happened this year, and he even tangled with the council, which seems to be in a pretty bad state. Looks like his boy is finally growing a spine. ¡°So, what do you plan to do this coming year?¡± he asked. ¡°Pardon?¡± asked Josh, not understanding the question. ¡°Do you plan to capitalize on the weakness of the council or not?¡± asked his brother from the other side of the room in a bored tone. ¡°Indeed.¡± Nods George, that was his question exactly. ¡°Do I need to do anything?¡± wonders Josh. ¡°I have seen you complain more than once about the unfairness in the world,¡± said George. ¡°This is your chance to finally fix that.¡± ¡®Or at least try.¡¯ He added in his head. He is perfectly aware that many people have tried and failed to fix the world. He still sees indecision on the face of his boy, so he decides to clear the situation for him. ¡°Listen, son, when a situation like this occurs, two kinds of people have a chance. First are the opportunists, I don¡¯t think I need to explain to you what they are.¡± Josh nods, so George continues. ¡°Then there are people like you, who want to change something. You finally have a chance to do that. If you can get into the council this year, you will have a chance to fix the unfairness about which you have complained so much.¡± ¡°Can I think about this? I don¡¯t think I should take that decision in a hurry.¡± Asked Josh. ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me anything.¡± Said George. ¡°Just decide that for yourself. If you need advice, you got your brother and me to help you here. Just don¡¯t go to your mother. That woman lacks any political knowledge.¡± ¡°Maybe because she is too straight and narrow?¡± thinks George Junior. ¡°She probably doesn¡¯t see some angles as us.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t say that anywhere near her!¡± said George. ¡°She will skin your hide.¡± ¡°Also, you should invite your friend Hatori here once. I think I should meet him now.¡± Said George. Josh shivers. His father and Hatori in one room, that sure promises to be an explosive meeting. His father is a combat nut, he probably would enjoy challenging Hatori in a battle of some kind. ¡°I want to meet him as well,¡± said George Junior. ¡°I want to see what is he like in the person. I have heard his praise from you a lot brother.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m sure we can invite him¡­¡± Josh trailed off. He wanted to say ¡°never¡±, but he can¡¯t deny that he wants to show off his home to his friend. ¡®Let¡¯s just hope Father won¡¯t mind the other three.¡¯ He glares at George. ¡®If he does, well, he will have to deal with me then.¡¯ ¡°Is that a challenge son? Let¡¯s do an arm-wrestling match. I see you¡¯re getting bulky like me.¡± said George, putting his arm forward. ¡°He takes after you, father.¡± Said George Junior. ¡°Yes, he¡¯ll be a proper man, not a pretty boy like you,¡± said George senior. ¡°I¡¯m not a pretty boy!¡± protested George Junior with a red face. True, he hasn¡¯t gained the bulky build of his father, instead having the delicate build of his mother. But he is not any weaker for it. And girls seem to like him. ¡°Prove it,¡± said George senior. ¡°I¡¯ll handle both of you boys. If you can make my arm lower, then I¡¯ll stop calling you a pretty boy for a whole month.¡± ¡°Deal!¡± said George Junior, jumping to help Josh immediately.

Part 5.

Raven¡¯s parents are surprised. Their son has led a literal uprising in the school this year. The methodic way he executed every plan despite the lack of resources reminds Magpie of the generals whom he studied in his school days because he always had an interest in the historical wars and the tactics and strategies employed in those wars. Looks like that love is carried to his son. ¡°Should we stop him? it is one thing to challenge the dominance of nobles in the Academy, but outside he will be in trouble.¡± Asked the mother in concern. ¡°I think we shouldn¡¯t stop him. if we stop him now, we will strangle his potential. I think we should support him.¡± said Magpie. ¡°But what if he¡ª¡± ¡°Listen, my dear, we can raise children. But we can¡¯t direct them. we cannot keep him safe forever. Let him make his own decisions.¡± Said Magpie.

Part 6.

¡°We¡¯ll miss you.¡± said the younger kids. ¡°You tell the best stories.¡± Said the girl. ¡°Your music was fun.¡± Said one boy. ¡°It was fun to listen about the Academy.¡± said an older boy, who will be starting in the Academy next year. ¡°I¡¯ll miss you guys too.¡± Said Shin. He is leaving the orphanage. He could stay here for two more years, but at the age of sixteen, he¡¯ll be kicked out. better to leave with the head held high than kicked out on the street in his opinion. Shin knocks on the office of the lady who runs this orphanage. ¡°Leaving already?¡± she asked. ¡°Yep. Just wanted to say goodbye.¡± He spoke. ¡°Usually, we have to remove the kids as they get older unless they are adopted. Rarely do they leave on their own, like you are doing. I wish you the best of luck for your future.¡± She spoke. ¡°Do come here to visit once in a while, the children adore you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Nodded Shin. He won¡¯t be going to Zeko¡¯s house this year. He actually signed up to be the backup player of piano for a band, about which his music teacher in the Academy told him. he will be touring with them for the rest of the vacation, so he won¡¯t have enough time to spend with his friends. He has already written a letter about that to everyone, though one fear still lingers at the back of his head. ¡®I do hope they won¡¯t forget me.¡¯

Part 7.

History of Corvus Black, taken from the book The Influential Mages of the Subcontinent, Last 100 Years. Corvus is a member of the Black family, born 155 years ago in the islands of the Subcontinent. The Black family was once a merchant powerhouse in the Subcontinent, handling the business of transport from the sea. The family was also known for naming their members with bird names, as Corvus is the assigned name of the common raven family of birds, large birds known for their intelligence. Though Corvus wasn¡¯t known for his raw power as a child, he was known for his intelligence, already knowing six languages at the age of nine, and having an intense interest in math. He was also known for not speaking much, which concerned his parents. He later told them that he doesn¡¯t like to speak if it doesn¡¯t serve a purpose. In short, he abhorred the small talk. In the Academy, he became an apprentice to the so-called Star Maker, a master of alchemy and physical laws of the world, which govern the stars specifically. However, this apprenticeship does not have a happy ending, as they end up fighting regarding their views of children. Star Maker saw them as nothing more than tools for his experiment, while Corvus saw them as talents to be nurtured. This resulted in a destructive duel between them, in which Star Maker died, unable to compete with the energy and youth of Corvus. Later, Corvus utilized his alchemic knowledge, writing papers on subjects like immortality, something which fascinates the mage kind, theoretical knowledge about celestial objects like stars, and the effects of gravity on them, and even theoretical space travel. The last one he wrote after taking apart the Elven ship that crashed on Earth, which actually angered the Elves. After he was done with research, he wanted to teach. So, he became the professor of astronomy at the Mage Craft and Sorcery Academy, and later when the former headmaster retired, he succeeded him. During this time, he took young Porus under his wing, taught him his secrets, and became one of those few mages who can say that they trained a king. He has a great relationship with his own apprentice, unlike his own master. It is likely because they both agree on a lot of issues, though it is known that they also disagree on certain matters and when that happens, you should count your lucky stars if you are present for one of these debates. Because you will not see an intellectual sparring like this anywhere else in the world. Despite his age, Corvus has remained in the top ten of the strongest mages of the country, having only dropped to the third recently. But remember this, dear reader, mages are secretive. It is difficult to assess the full strength of a mage. Chapter 105 Chapter 105.

Part 1.

Hatori feels great after sleeping in the morning. After his battle with his clone, Zeko has allowed him two days of rest, because he was badly exhausted, and needed some time to relax. He also talked about some letter sent by Slaughter, but Hatori ignored it as the muttering of an old man. ¡°Did you sleep well?¡± he asked, once Hatori arrived for his late breakfast. ¡°Yeah. I do think I¡¯m done resting though,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I miss my routine already.¡± Zeko laughed. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, you can resume your routine properly tomorrow. As for today, I do have plans to give you some lectures on some things that I didn¡¯t have time to cover last year.¡±. Chomping on his apple, Hatori thinks about the new magic he might learn this year. The previous year was transmutation and animation, something which he still has trouble in his battle. It just doesn¡¯t come to him so naturally. ¡°I hear that you dueled a professor this year?¡± asked Zeko. Hatori decides to finish his juice before replying. ¡°Yeah, he had it coming.¡± ¡°That was a dangerous and foolish move.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°You¡¯ve now shown your strength, strong people will come after you now.¡± ¡°Hardly.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I remember listening to the running commentary of the other professors. They knew that he was weak, even though he was holding the position of professor.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That still doesn¡¯t change a thing. A child beating an adult mage is big news, you need to be prepared for the attention that no doubt will come your way this year.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Anyway, I hear that you also tangled with the council?¡± For a moment, Hatori¡¯s control slipped, and the room was filled with the smell of ozone. ¡°They got hold of my memories, and exposed everything about me in front of everyone.¡± He said after controlling his magic. ¡°I do hope you¡¯re not planning to forgive them or anything.¡± Asked Zeko mildly. ¡°Of course not.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I will stamp them out this year completely.¡± ¡°Good. don¡¯t underestimate them though. Even a dead snake has poison after all.¡± Said Zeko. Hatori remembers the snake from the forest, his reptilian friend. ¡°This year, I¡¯ll teach you about shrinking or enlarging objects, and seals.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Now, changing the size of an object requires us to take a detour to the physical laws. You are aware everything is made of matter?¡± at Hatori¡¯s nod, Zeko continues. ¡°Good. when we shrink the object, we reduce its matter. When we enlarge it, we add matter to it. of course, there is a simple spell to do that, but you should know that it can be dangerous. You can wipe out an entire city if you miscast this spell.¡± Hatori takes a moment to think about it. at any given time, and at any given moment, thousands of mages are casting this spell. meaning, Hatori could be in the range of their miscast spell. meaning, he could be wiped out, through no fault of his own. His paranoia is in overdrive, which makes Zeko laugh. ¡°Just kidding brat. Do you honestly think everyone would use something so dangerous widely?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes, yes I think that,¡± he said, Hatori has learned that mages do not fear death at all. He on the other hand, likes his life, thank you very much. ¡°Point. but this spell has been perfectly made safe over hundreds of years of research. You don¡¯t need to worry about the explosion of pure energy wiping anything out. just a warning. If you ever meet someone who is researching about matter, do not mess with them. they often develop some of the most destructive and dangerous spells. granted, some of them do need teams to cast those spells, but they won¡¯t have any trouble in fighting you on a small scale.¡± Explained Zeko. ¡°Got it,¡± said Hatori. Though he plans to not fight directly with such an opponent. Underhanded tactics do exist for a reason, after all. Zeko shows Hatori the spell by performing it on different objects. A spoon was enlarged before it was brought back to its original size, the plate was made smaller, and the table was shrunken along with the fruits still present on it. Hatori thinks a bunch of oranges and apples reduced to the size of a pea is hilarious. ¡°Of course, if you eat them, you won¡¯t feel like you have eaten a full apple. Because that is exactly what has happened. The matter has been removed from them, but it is possible to bring them to their original size, as you just saw.¡± Said Zeko bringing the table to its original size. ¡°However, this spell has limitations. It doesn¡¯t work on humans or animals. But it is great for non-living things, including eatable things. This can allow you to take more supplies with you with less weight.¡± Said Zeko. ¡®This would have been so useful in the last two years.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. ¡°Now, the seals compliment this spell in my personal opinion.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°These are runic symbols that allow you to store something inside of them. just like the normal runes, you can draw them anywhere. From a small paper to even your own body.¡± Zeko rolls his sleeve, exposing his wrist. ¡°Here, touch this.¡± Zeko shows him the rune drawn on his wrist. ¡°This is an example of a seal on my own body. I can carry things inside of it, without feeling its weight, or carry it by hand.¡± ¡°What happens to the things if the seal is destroyed?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Good question. in the case of paper or any other object, such as a rock, once the seal is gone, the objects it contains also get destroyed. But in the case of the seals on someone¡¯s body, as long as the person is alive, they can retrieve those objects, even if the seal is gone.¡± Explained Zeko. ¡°Naturally, you won¡¯t be able to store large amounts of things just yet. But as you learn more about them, you will be able to store large amounts of material in even smaller seals.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Now, try to draw a basic storage seal on this paper, and once done, put one of these rocks inside of it.¡± Zeko conjures several small stones and gives them to Hatori. ¡°Once you¡¯re successful in drawing the storage seal, shrink the paper.¡±

Part 2.

George senior observes as both of his boys are dueling in the garden. His eldest is quite good with fire, as he is, while his youngest is good with water, as his mother is. currently, Josh is trapped in a corner, while his brother is wielding a chain of fire, which has boxed him, denying him movement. ¡°What will you do now, brother? You can¡¯t exactly use water, there is none here.¡± He taunted with a smirk. ¡°Don¡¯t be so sure.¡± Mumbles Josh, as the fire comes closer and closer, while he stands, focusing on something. ¡®Why is he not using his foci?¡¯ wonders George Senior, while George the Junior is ready to hear the sweet words of ¡°I give up!¡± from his brother, signifying his victory. But as the flames got closer and closer, Josh did not utter any such words. If anything, George Junior is surprised by the massive amount of water that suddenly appears around his brother, swirling like a whirlpool in the air. Smirking, Josh releases this massive amount of water, and the resulting wave snuffs out the whip of fire. George Junior is carried outside of the garden by the force of the water, while a woman screams from inside. ¡°What did you do to my garden!¡± Leaving his brother to suffer alone, Josh leaves, since George Junior is still dazed enough that he can¡¯t run. George senior also makes a run for it. As far as he is concerned, it was the children¡¯s fault, he wasn¡¯t even there when whatever that was happened. Though he fears his wife¡¯s wrath, George Senior is happy to see the difference between his teenage son, and the grumpy boy he used to be. Of course, he is also proud of his growing power. ¡®He conjured that much water without a foci. No wonder that he faced the council. he says that Hatori does magic without foci, maybe there is a point in the madness of Zeko.¡¯ Because Zeko is the only one among the modern mages who insist that fociless magic has any point. Meanwhile, the older brother is suffering the wrath of his mother alone. his father and younger brother have abandoned him. ¡®Traitors!¡¯ he screamed in his head. He expected that from his father, but not from Josh. It is surprising to see this rather ruthless side of his brother. ¡®Of course, given a chance, I would abandon him to the tender mercies of mother, and run myself.¡¯ He smiled at the thought. ¡°What are you smiling at? You destroyed my garden!¡± said the woman, pulling his ear. The smile dies and is replaced by a pleading expression.

Part 3.

¡°You will need to create your own spells now. You can¡¯t use the ready-made spells all the time kid, use the runic system I¡¯ve taught you, as well as the knowledge you have acquired so far to perform this task.¡± Said Zeko. ¡®Easier said than done.¡¯ Grumbled Hatori in his head. Besides, coming up with spells to create on your own is not easy. ¡®Maybe I should look at some spells, and see whether I can modify them or not. That should give me an idea of how to do this.¡¯ Happy with his plan, Hatori goes to the library. He once feared this place, since Zeko told him that the spirit of knowledge is very strong and very grumpy. Given his level at that time, he had no interest in challenging a strong spirit like that then. He barely survived against the Yaksha, and that was when he was holding back. But now, things are different. He is strong. He has modified himself and gained a boost in power. he can take on any spirit, and though the victory is not certain, his chance of coming out of that battle alive has increased. Entering the library, Hatori has to stop on his track. A floating book has stopped him from progressing any further. ¡°Stop right there. You must¡ª¡± ¡°Defeat you before I can get the knowledge I seek¡­ or something like that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Huh. and I worked so hard on that line. Anyway, you¡¯re right, you must beat me to go inside, or use the facilities of this library.¡± Said the floating book. It is convenient to speak since it has a mouth on its front cover. ¡°Okay, but a question. a book, really?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Well, a book is universally attached to knowledge. That is why they are so feared, and looked at with distrust by those who are less enlightened.¡± Said the book. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°You should know that the challenge I will present you won¡¯t be physical in nature. Violence will not serve you here.¡± Said the book. ¡°What kind of challenge then?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Just so you know, I don¡¯t consider solving puzzles or answering trivial questions the real sign of intelligence.¡± ¡°Indeed? Then what is intelligence to you?¡± asked the book. ¡°The real intelligence is adaptation. Adaptation becomes easier with learning and experience. But adaptation requires another skill, the skill of careful consideration. If you apply your experiences from the past without taking some time to understand the situation you¡¯re in, you¡¯re not intelligent, you¡¯re just a parrot who remembers specific phrases but can¡¯t use them to form elaborate sentences.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But remembering facts is considered to be the sign of intelligence.¡± Countered the book. ¡°What do you say to that?¡± ¡°True. But the problem is, it is not about how much or how many things someone can remember. It is about how they used that knowledge to solve their problems, by carefully removing the bits you don¡¯t need, and adding other bits from your completely unrelated experiences.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What about emotions?¡± asked the book. ¡°People always say that someone who does not experience emotions is very intelligent. What do you say to that?¡± ¡°Complete hogwash.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Intelligent people feel emotions, they feel happiness, sadness, and also anger. But the thing is, they just prefer to keep the stimulating world away from them because it makes thinking hard for them.¡± using his magic, Hatori brings two mirrors in the air. ¡°Among these mirrors, one is outgoing and prefers the physical world. other is inward-looking, and prefers their home or a library, where they can pursue their interest in piece.¡± The second mirror gets cloudy slowly, while the other mirror gets brighter. ¡°That is what happens to them when they get stimulated from the world. whereas when the stimulation goes down,¡± the first mirror gets cloudy, and the other mirror gets brighter. ¡°That is what happens between them.¡± ¡°I noticed that you did not call the first mirror average person, or some such.¡± Said the spirit. ¡°Because while it is true that intelligent people do prefer low stimulation, that is not always universal.¡± Said Hatori. The book¡¯s cover crinkles in a smile. ¡°Did you know that we were just battling now? I think I¡¯ll let you access the library.¡± ¡°Thanks. I didn¡¯t know. I was waiting for you to attack in truth.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Too much paranoia.¡± Said the book. ¡°You can relax here, no shadows or spirits will attack you here. Also, please do come and talk to me every once in a while, I like to know you a little better.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori. Though he is confused. Why would a spirit want to know him better? As the book disappears, he moves into the library. Though it is not as big as the library in the castle, or the gigantic library of the Academy, Zeko¡¯s personal library is quite big. ¡®Looks like he has amassed quite a collection over the years.¡¯ Thinks Hatori, while looking for the books or manuals with spells noted down in them, so he can modify them for practice. In his search, he comes across something else. The schematics of a yantra that can detect poison or other dangerous substances in food and drink. Remembering what happened with James this year, Hatori thinks this is a useful yantra. ¡®But why hasn¡¯t anyone created something like this? I think they can sell a lot of those if they wanted to.¡¯ The paranoid mages would pay a fortune to have a yantra like this because this would mean no one could give them poison or mind-altering substances. but he has not seen any yantras like this one, not on Zeko, and not at the Academy. Flipping through the notes, he is surprised at the author. ¡°Master Zeko?¡± taking the schematics outside, he shows them to Zeko. ¡°Did you work on this?¡± Taking the notebook in his hands, he looked at it for quite a while before replying. ¡°I worked on it as a joint project with my friends when I was in the fifth year of Academy,¡± he said. ¡°Who were these friends of yours?¡± asked Hatori curiously. Zeko replies after several seconds of silence. ¡°I rather not talk about that. but you¡¯re free to use these notes. Give it a try with James. Let¡¯s see whether you two can do it or not.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll show him this when he comes here.¡± Said Hatori.

Part 4.

James observes as Slaughter tests the Suraj¡¯s response. He first showed him his fingers, made him count those, followed by showing him different shades of colors, showing him some letters under different amounts of light (he didn¡¯t need to read those, since he doesn¡¯t know how to read), and finally, showing him a mirror. James has seen these tests multiple times in these past few days, and in each of them, his artificial eyes have performed well. planting them was easy. They just removed Suraj¡¯s eyeballs, put them in the empty eye sockets, and after a few minutes or so, they interfaced with his brain. Then, they have to test him for any abnormality, which so far seems to come back negative. James is also interested to see how well he adapts to his sudden gain in vision, after living without it in his life so far. In the other room, James¡¯s father is recovering from alcohol withdrawal. Apparently, he was put in the alcoholic haze as much as possible, which they learned after Slaughter did a blood test, and learned the symptoms from James. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. True, alcohol does cause some loss of memory, and some emotional instability, but literal withdrawal like that is unusual. he should have expressed some anger, or maybe some times of lucidity when he didn¡¯t drink.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°I think it is the result of some alcoholic potions. Add them to the food, and if the person is already dealing with alcoholism, they won¡¯t even notice a thing. You can keep them in a drunk state, even without an alcoholic drink.¡± So now, he must go through the painful process of withdrawal. Once he is in a good enough state to talk, he will try to get some answers out of him. Until then, he will keep monitoring Suraj. Watching him smile while looking at the simplest things in the world makes James happy. ¡®And next, it is your turn, my friend.¡¯ Thinks James. ¡°Please do make him walk while using his vision, I believe that would improve his coordination.¡± Said Slaughter on the first day. Ever since, James has taken him to walk outside of the castle every day. He never leaves him alone. the castle is full of nobles, someone might decide to harm him for being here. Once Raven and Josh come back here, things will get easier. ¡®I must make sure that his family follows the instructions correctly, he must get used to his vision before the Academy starts.¡¯ James knows that Suraj won¡¯t learn to read and right overnight. But he must be comfortable with his vision by the time of the Academy. He also knows that when he leaves for Zeko¡¯s house, Suraj must go home, for the castle is not a safe place for him, without anyone there to defend him. ¡®If only he would find a violent bone in his body, maybe then he would start taking his defense lessons from us seriously.¡¯ Thinks James.

Part 5.

Hatori is enjoying the evening with his friends. ¡°So, I¡¯ve noticed that you¡¯re not getting attacked much,¡± asked Josh. ¡°What are you talking about? I think you¡¯ve just gotten used to living here.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°At least I won¡¯t have to face a monster when I come back from Academy this year.¡± ¡°What? You never told us about that,¡± said Raven. ¡°We never talk about that in the past.¡± Said Hatori. Josh looks around. ¡°Anyone misses Shin?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± all three answer. ¡°Our group is not complete without him. I miss his jingling bells.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I found them annoying.¡± Said James, making everyone chuckle. ¡°Do you know that he spent hours putting the bells on the top of his head like that until he learned a spell to do that?¡± ¡°I can imagine.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Too bad, we never got the chance to make fun of him for that.¡± ¡°Spending time in a bathroom like a girl.¡± Said Hatori, making everyone laugh. ¡°Come with me brat, we need to have a talk.¡± Said Zeko, coming in the garden to call him. ¡°What kind of talk?¡± asked Hatori, as he followed Zeko inside. ¡°Why, the talk of reproduction, of course.¡± He said, and Hatori¡¯s face turned white from fear. ¡°Now, I won¡¯t use any visuals for this, they are likely to be lost on you. I hate the phrases like ¡°When a man and a woman love each other¡±. So here¡¯s the complete version of it, with no sugar coating at all.¡± Ten minutes later¡­ ¡°And of course, there are magical implications of this as well, such as the fertility rituals. I¡¯ll leave that for your professor to cover this year. Apart from that, some nutbars also use sex to establish magical dominance, especially during the moment of climax.¡± Said Zeko. Outside, his friends sit rooted in their spots, unmoving. ¡°Should¡­¡± Josh tries to say, but can¡¯t go beyond the first word. He decides to try again. ¡°Should we help him?¡± ¡°Nah. let him suffer.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Some battles must be fought alone.¡± They look at James. They are aware of his family situation, so they are thinking about what kind of talk he has. ¡°My aunt gave the talk to me when I was eight.¡± Said James. ¡°Trust me, what Hatori is going through is nothing.¡± Raven and Josh shiver. ¡°Isn¡¯t she mad enough to call someone to give you a practice?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Unfortunately. Luckily, my father experienced some lucidity at that time, and put a pause on that,¡± said James. ¡®Probably after that, his diet was made intense.¡¯ Thinks James. A few months later after this traumatic event, Hatori is ready to leave for the Academy once more. He will stamp out the council this year, but he is sure that they will cook something for him this year as well. ¡®I won¡¯t go spells blazing at first. But at the slightest chance of weakness, I¡¯ll pounce, and get the submission!¡¯ Meanwhile, his friends have made their own list of the improvements they want for themselves this year. Hatori offered them the lake and the circle he had, but they refused. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, we rather like to do it ourselves. We won¡¯t get the complete experience as a result.¡± Said James. ¡°Sure. We¡¯ll abuse that time room though,¡± said Josh, before his mouth was covered by Raven. ¡°Be quiet, even airships have ears!¡± he said to him. Chapter 106 Chapter 106.

Part 1.

Hatori and his friends are currently are in their way to the Academy, sitting in one carriage. They are hearing about Shin¡¯s tour. The boy in question is very happy to tell them. After all, why wouldn¡¯t anyone enjoy bragging about going on a tour? ¡°You went to the City of Salt?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Yeah, people were happy to see us there. I was an unfamiliar face, but they welcomed me all the same.¡± Said Shin. The City of Salt is an entrance to the Subcontinent, where business dealings happen, and of course, a lot of the stars of the mage world buy their houses there. ¡°After that, the final leg was around the Flooded Planes, and then we got back.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Flooded planes? That is a strange name,¡± said Hatori. Shaking his head, he says the next thing in his mind. ¡°I do hope the band treated you well?¡± ¡°Oh, they did. However, they did regret that they didn¡¯t have an empty place for me. but at least I got some contacts, maybe they¡¯ll recommend me to someone else?¡± said Shin, thinking about his future. ¡°Probably. But we missed you. didn¡¯t we?¡± said Raven. ¡°Yeah, especially your bells.¡± Said Hatori, pulling one of them. ¡°Oy, don¡¯t touch that!¡± said Shin, trying to avoid Hatori, nearly falling from the carriage. Those words, that they all missed him, they mean a lot to him. ¡®Maybe I¡¯m not the odd one out in this group. Maybe I should abandon my insecurities.¡¯ He thought. But that is easier said than done.

Part 2.

Hatori¡¯s magic surged as they stepped inside of the ground, but nothing happened. He was expecting something violent to happen, just like the previous year, but it seems that his bitch slaps over the last two years have finally started to have an effect. ¡®That damned elephant. He has corrupted me. I didn¡¯t used to curse like this.¡¯ He thought. ¡°Hey guys!¡± comes the voice of Suraj. ¡°Wow, so that is what you guys look like.¡± ¡°Yeah well¡ªwhat?¡± Raven picks up his face and looks at the focused eyes, which do seem to blink at him. ¡°You can see now?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± he confirms. ¡°James built these for me.¡± ¡°You didn¡¯t tell us it was complete,¡± Raven asked James. ¡°The topic never came up. how are they performing so far? Any trouble?¡± he asked. ¡°No, no trouble.¡± Said Suraj. ¡°You¡¯re in the fourth year this year.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ll get to use these eyes properly.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Suraj, now walking with them to the mess hall. ¡°Classes start in the daytime for the fourth year and up. you get to sleep more.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Says the guy who has the shortest schedule among us, and barely attends his classes.¡± Grumbles Josh. ¡°You forgot one important fact.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And that is?¡± asked Josh. ¡°I still manage to pass, and get higher marks than you,¡± said Hatori with a smirk. ¡°You¡­ you!¡± Josh fires Stinger spells at Hatori, as he starts to run while laughing. ¡°I thought he¡¯d be furious.¡± Said James. ¡°I was expecting him to ask why didn¡¯t I create the eyes for him.¡± ¡°Nah, he isn¡¯t like that,¡± said Raven, following Hatori and Josh at a sedate pace. ¡°True. Hatori is unlikely to be jealous of someone like this guy.¡± Shin puts Suraj in a headlock. ¡°Hey, let go!¡± he tries to extract himself from Shin¡¯s grip, while the older boy just drags him along.

Part 3.

The ritual class is first in the afternoon this year. ¡°Welcome students, we will cover some really unique rituals this year, so sit down tight.¡± Said Professor Mantar, welcoming the class. He then starts to tell them what they will start covering this year. ¡°We will focus on the fertility rituals this year, what those entail, and of course, the advantages and disadvantages of them.¡± Many students blushed when naked men and women were shown on the board. ¡°I do assume that you have received the talk, if you haven¡¯t, then you are free to come to me after this class is over, and I will give you one.¡± None of them plan to take him up on his offer. ¡°We will also start looking at the modifications which you can do to your body, which will lay down the life-long foundation for you. Be careful class, for this can put your future in danger by crippling you, or killing you. I don¡¯t think you need to worry about any future once you are dead.¡± This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Many students chuckled at this grim joke. Hatori already has done modifications to himself and others. he has more experience with it than his classmates. This year, he will only focus on the things that he does not know about modification and just read up on the theory of fertility rituals. It is not like anyone would be doing a practical on them. Oh, you poor ignorant boy. you just don¡¯t know what goes on around you.

Part 4.

The potions class is now called the alchemy class. ¡°Welcome class, this year, we will learn alchemy. It is the discipline of creating or the interaction between chemicals.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°And this is very important to understand since even our own bodies are running alchemic processes to keep us alive at any given time,¡± said Sultan. ¡°Indeed. As my slave¡ª¡± ¡°Apprentice!¡± ¡°¡ªpointed out, our bodies are running alchemic processes, but so are our brains. But of course, this discipline will also teach you to manipulate your environment. You will be able to conjure better, for example.¡± ¡°And it will also serve those who are battle crazy among us,¡± said Sultan, looking at Hatori and then Avinash. ¡°I¡¯m not battle crazy!¡± they said together.

Part 5.

Josh looks around, and he sees hesitancy among the students. The council was supposed to be their representative, to serve as a bridge between them and the professors, and other authorities of the Academy. but after getting corrupted from its original purpose, it is struggling to survive. And the normal students are paying the price for it. the words of his father ring in his ears. Should he take any action? Should he try his hand at politics? Does he have a stomach for it? most important of all, is it necessary? Josh does not have answers to all of his questions. but he does have the answer to the very last one. the council is planning something this year as well, though details are rather hard to come by. His sources, the students used as lackeys or gophers by the council members always manage to get the deep details of their plans. But this one is kept tightly among them, and it is proving to be hard to pry out of their lips. ¡°Raven, James, what should I do?¡± he asked both of his friends when he saw them in the room. he tells them his thoughts. ¡°Politics is not my strong suit.¡± Said James. ¡°But I believe if you can do it, and feel strongly about it, then go for it. you will have my support, whatever I can do for you, I¡¯ll do it.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Besides, if we don¡¯t take advantage of this, then someone else will. We should not let that happen.¡± ¡°Then listen to what I¡¯ve planned so far.¡± Said Josh, beginning to share the plans he has formed so far with Raven. True to Josh¡¯s expectations, Raven starts to point out the problems he missed, and he helps him refine the strategy that he can use to make his initial move.

Part 6.

Bala is one of the younger students who did not believe in the rampages of Hatori. Mostly because during his first year, he was asleep in his room, since the New Year party is not exactly mandatory to attend, and the second time, he missed the duel because he was busy trying to do his homework frantically since he lazed around most of the year then. But now, he has the chance. His friends, Rupesh and Dinesh, also do not believe in the stories told by other students. ¡°Can you believe that? hippos and elephants casting magic?¡± said Dinesh. ¡°Yeah, and a student defeating a professor in a duel.¡± Said Rupesh. They do not know why did professor useless disappeared, but they are certain that Hatori has nothing to do with that. ¡°Is the letter ready?¡± asked Bala. ¡°Yep. We just need to post it,¡± said Dinesh. ¡°Then tomorrow, we¡¯ll make history. We will destroy this fantom of Academy!¡± said Bala. ¡°Did you read the latest chapter of The Wonderful Mage and his Amazing Friends?¡± asked Rupesh, because the dialogs sound familiar. ¡°Yeah. it was awesome!¡±

Part 7.

There is no president of the council yet, they do not have enough members to choose the successor of Ramesh. And as long as Hatori lives, they will never have enough members. ¡°Is the potion ready?¡± asked Jagdish, the temporary leader of the council. ¡°Yes, we merely need to bottle it, and use it on our target.¡± Said the girl brewing the said potion. ¡°Then tomorrow, we will eliminate the scourge upon this Academy, and make history!¡± he declared. Once this potion is used, Hatori will be forgotten, and they can resume their operation, and rebuild the council in their image. Chapter 107 Chapter 107.

Part 1.

While ambition is good, executing a plan to achieve that ambition is harder. Josh is thinking about what could he do to subvert the council. ¡°Any ideas?¡± he asked Raven. ¡°Well, what have you got?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Not much. so far, I¡¯m thinking of just going out in the public, and letting the students know that there is someone alternative to the council,¡± said Josh. ¡°And of course, slowly tell them about the plans we discussed earlier.¡± ¡°Hmm. and what do you think would be the best way to communicate that?¡± asked Raven. ¡°I doubt anyone will appreciate you giving a speech in the middle of classes.¡± ¡°True.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I don¡¯t want to do a speech anyway, I think the first announcement should be in a controlled environment, so we can plan according to the reactions we get.¡± ¡°I think I should give an interview to the school newspaper. It¡¯ll reach everyone, and we will get a relatively controlled environment.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Yes, no one will throw eggs at you if you screw up your speech.¡± Said Raven. ¡°That too.¡± Laughed Josh. ¡°But you should know that once you start, you won¡¯t be able to stop. There will be tons of opponents who will come out to bash you,¡± warns Raven. Josh smiles, reminding Raven of Hatori before a duel. ¡°I accept the challenge.¡± He spoke. Raven is happy to see his friend be motivated so much. ¡®Let¡¯s hope he¡¯ll succeed, and the public won¡¯t grind him down. It¡¯ll shatter his heart.¡¯

Part 2.

Hatori finds a letter outside of the secret ground¡¯s entrance. No one tries to open this strange rusty gate, but coming close to it is nothing new. Hatori often has to time his exit to make sure no one sees him opening or closing the gate. Although he is suspicious that at least someone has seen him coming out of the ground on the other side, for some strange reason, they have not made it known. Seeing a piece of paper stuck to the gate made Hatori think that there was some strange rune that would activate if he touched the paper. His magic surged, and an explosion took place, attracting the attention of the students who were on the ground. When they saw that it was Hatori, and nothing else was happening, they lost their interest. The letter survived the explosion, though Hatori does not sense any sign of magic on it. He opens the letter and reads it. his smile widens with each paragraph he reads. Burning the letter into ashes, he grinned. ¡®Someone thinks they are a challenge to me, and my reputation is overrated? This should be fun. This better be good, or else they¡¯ll suffer a lot before dying.¡¯ He thought. No one gets to make fun of him or walk over him. ever since his memories were stolen and shown to everyone, Hatori takes challenges to his dominance very seriously. ¡®Come to think of it, those students I captured last year were really helpful.¡¯ He thinks while walking away. Studying them allowed James and Hatori to understand enough of the alchemic processes in humans that they were able to answer all the questions in the surprise test of Professor Dhiraj, who for some reason decided to test them, even though the class had only been started for a week at this point. Carving runes on them also allowed Hatori and James to understand the flaws in their various designs. ¡®Likely, he will use this knowledge to improve himself this year.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. James is the only one who has that kind of knowledge besides Hatori. His remaining three friends are rather squeamish about human experimentation, even though it is happening around them constantly. After all, do they honestly think that the professors teaching them don¡¯t do that in their free time?

Part 3.

In the room of frozen time, James is working with the schematics given to him by Hatori. This is an incomplete project by Zeko and his friends from their school days, a yantra to detect poison or foreign substances in food and drinks. ¡®This would have come useful last year.¡¯ Thinks James. While the theory is mostly right, Zeko and his friends never built a practical prototype to test it. as a result, they never solved the flaws in their schematics. But James has experience in building practical yantras, he is slowly refining this yantra¡¯s theory. Soon, they will have a working prototype. In the other news, James is thinking of proposing the name change for this room. frozen time implies that time does not move here. But it does move, given how it passes outside. which means that the name has to be changed. He¡¯ll talk about that with Hatori. For now, he goes outside to train Suraj. He is helping him train his reflexes, but it is proving to be hard. The boy does not take his training seriously. True, it will take time to get used to having eyes suddenly, and it also will take time to build hand-eye coordination. However, the process is slowed down when the user of the eyes is uninterested in improving them. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ll tell Hatori to do something about it.¡¯ thinks James. But before throwing Suraj in the maw of the tiger, James does want to give it a try. Maybe he will realize the importance of what he is trying to teach him before he has to take drastic measures? James can only hope for that.

Part 4.

Hatori arrives at the location of the challenge. He picked up Shin who was returning from his music lessons. Their entire group has acquired a reputation for skipping classes since they rarely attend classes, or are the only ones which interest them. when he told Shin about that letter, he was interested to see who exactly could it be. ¡°Maybe someone from the council.¡± he thought out loud. ¡°I doubt it,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Now, be quiet. Here they come.¡± A bunch of third-years arrive and look around. Hatori is not certain why they are there. Maybe they are brought here as an audience? But when one of them opened his mouth, it clued him in why they were here. ¡°No one is here, I think they got scared of you Bala.¡± Said the boy. judging from the flow of his magic, he is an average one, not very strong, but not a weakling either. ¡°Of course they got scared.¡± said another boy. ¡°Who dares to face Bala? Not even the blind menace has the guts to do that.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Said the final boy, Hatori presumes this one is named Bala. ¡°No one dares to face me, for they know that all those stories are exactly that, stories.¡± ¡°Stories have a bit of truth in them, you know.¡± Said Hatori, standing beneath the tree, covered with the shadow of the massive tree. ¡°Who¡¯s there? Come out here!¡± said all three. ¡°They sound spooked.¡± Said Shin, though given his tone is not that threatening compared to Hatori, the kids are not scared of his voice. still, having two unseen mages here is making them uncomfortable. Hatori walks out from his position under the tree, and the kids are spooked by his appearance even more. Given his size, his thick muscles and neck, and his empty eye sockets, Hatori does look very scary. The scary factor is increased by the slowly setting sun, making him look even scarier like some monster coming out as the sun starts to set. Compared to him, Shin looks like an angel. Though given his different colored eyes, and his strange hair covered by bells, there is some spooky factor to him as well. ¡°Which of you was foolish enough to send that letter, hmm?¡± asked Hatori. He punctuated his question with his magical pressure, making the kids hit the ground. ¡°Pathetic. Master Zeko subjected me to stronger pressure than this, and even then, I didn¡¯t flop to the ground like that.¡± ¡°Come now, they are just kids. Spair them,¡± said Shin. ¡°Yeah, please spare us.¡± said all three of them. Before Hatori could say anything in response, he detects several magical signatures coming in the open, and one of them tosses something at him. Shin hums and a shield surrounds Hatori, and a viol of potion explodes on it. not a drop lands on Hatori, but Shin gets splashed by the potion, and he slowly starts to disappear. The pressure grinding them to the earth suddenly disappears, and the three kids witness the beast come out as the sun fully sets. Ten older students start to run, and Hatori starts to chase them. he kills them one by one. But by the time he was done with them, he wondered why he got so angry. He senses more threats in the surrounding area, and finding nothing, he leaves. ¡®I remember they attacked me. but why did I get so angry? Did they harm someone? But those three kids are not injured at all.¡¯ Shaking his head, he motions them to follow him. ¡°If you don¡¯t want to be left outside in the night, follow me,¡± he said to them and started to walk to the Academy at a brisk pace. Bala and his friends have trouble keeping up with him, but they breathe a sigh of relief when they enter the Academy. Hatori leaves them to their own devices, and he looks for his four friends. ¡®Raven, James, and Josh. But who is the fourth one?¡¯ he tries to remember, but his mind slides over the name as if it is covered in oil, and the memory is impossible to grip.

Part 5.

Before we can serve you this special interview today, we would like to make a note of something. The ranks of the council have depleted even further, as Jagdish the de facto leader, and his followers were found dead with other council members. They were all killed with electric shocks or in some cases iron spikes through their heads. Nearby, a shattered viol of potion was found, but the killer is unknown at this point. Though accusations at Hatori Eagle can indeed be leveled, we should remember that elements of lightning and fire, and conjuring iron spikes are not his monopoly. Duelers display these tactics in every competition, and our prestigious Academy does have an impressive dueling seen, underground or above the ground. In light of these latest developments, we encourage you to read this interview even more carefully. Now, the interview. Interview of Josh Fernandes, written by Nidhi Parmar. Josh Fernandes is the son of George Fernandes, the holder of the Fernandes City. His family is the most powerful one in the region of Saptasindhu and often ranks among the top families of the Subcontinent. His father was an accomplished dueler in his younger days, and his older brother is already helping with the family business after his graduation. He is friends with the notorious Hatori Eagle, who has feuded with the nobility ever since he arrived in the Academy, with Shin, the music sensation, considered to be a prodigy by the music circle of the Academy, Raven, the son of a common soldier who has been seen in the company of our current chess champion, and James Flora, son of the previously influential Flora family, known for his experiments which do go out of control, and rampage in the school. But how is Josh himself in person? First, he is very tall for his age. Despite having a body that seems perfect for intimidation, his lips are often curled up in a smile. His face is very expressive, often changing according to his mood. And though his size may suggest a tough and heavy voice, his voice is actually very light and pleasant to the ears. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. During this interview, I asked Josh many questions. Some of them were difficult enough that he couldn¡¯t answer them. but he admitted that quite honestly, often saying he is always willing to learn and improve himself, and if need be, use the talent of the people, since it is impossible for one person to know everything. Nidhi: So, tell us a little about yourself? Josh: You¡¯re not holding back, are you? this has to be the toughest thing. Describing yourself is not easy. But here¡¯s a good try. I¡¯m Josh Fernandes, a guy who likes math, and a little bit of music, who also likes to observe society, and who sometimes has to be kicked so he would stop being lazy. Nidhi: So, you wish to embark on a political journey ¨Cmore on that later¡ªbut what made you realize that you wanted to do that, despite your laziness? Josh: Mostly because of two things. First, I saw how students in power just abused their privilege, while in reality their positions were created to help the students, not to degrade them or abuse them. it was certainly not given to them to be the lack of a dubious professor. Second, my father and Raven and James, my good friends, encouraged me that I could do this. And what better time than this, when the council is basically non-existent? My father told me that if not me, then someone else would take advantage of this power vacuum. Nidhi: You are known to be a guy who seems to know everything going on at the school. Do you think that will come in useful in your bid for power? Josh: Quite honestly? I¡¯m not sure about that. yeah, I suppose I could use that to know the general mood of the student population and all, but more than knowing what is going on, I think I have to tell people what I am going to do. Be active instead of reactive, basically. Nidhi: Now, let¡¯s start with the real purpose of this interview. Why do you wish to go against the council? Josh: as I¡¯ve said before, the council was created so the students will have an organized body that can talk with the professors and the other authorities of the school, instead of being tamped down by their authority. I won¡¯t go into the history of why that happened, the events were quite brutal and will take long to describe, but that council only existed on paper. I mean you can notice their activities for the hundred years of their existence. Never once did they fulfill their purpose. When I was coming here, my father told me that I should go to the council if there is a problem which I cannot solve by myself. Imagine my surprise as I saw that same council supporting a dubious professor two years ago, banishing a student just because they felt threatened by him. Nidhi: Was the threat real or imagined? Josh: At first, it was imagined. The reasons I think you all know, unclear and unknown elven prophecy, being a summoned child, being trained by Porus and all. But they turned Hatori into a threat when they used force to coerce him, trying to make him heel to their authority. After that, the threat turned into a real one, and things just kept getting spiraling out of control. Professor Krishna didn¡¯t help any either. Nidhi: Some people are going to accuse you that this is just a ploy of Hatori to discredit the Council. how do you respond to that? Josh: Hatori does not need me to be his mouthpiece. And trust me, if he wanted the council to be gone, he wouldn¡¯t have left any stragglers alive. After all, they did violate his privacy. Your newspaper did a piece on that if I remember correctly. Nidhi: So, what are your plans? Josh: first, make sure that the students have a body that they can trust. For all the machinations going on among us, they can come to us, and receive the help they deserve. Second, no distinction between the status of a student. it does not matter what is your birth. If you need help? then you should be provided that help, unconditionally. Nidhi: You have big plans. But do you think you have the necessary support? You might have the connection, but Avinash Varma is liked in the school more than you. What do you say to that? Josh: Hmm. well, I think I can gain the support. And if Avinash thinks he can do better than me, then he is also free to throw his hat in the ring. I don¡¯t have any problem with it. Nidhi: What about your friends? Do you think that your friendship will hurt your career? Especially since you are heavily associated with Hatori Eagle, himself a controversial figure in the school? Josh: I don¡¯t think so. Let¡¯s be honest here, we are all mages. Scheming is in the blood. We all have shady friends, and at least I can say honestly that my friends are less shady than some other people I know. I do think though given their own respective backgrounds; my friends are going to help me in understanding the general diverse problems of the students better than anyone else. Nidhi: What do you plan to do differently from the council? do you plan to take over the weakened organization, or create a new one? Josh: As the things stand right now, the council has to go. I plan to create a new council. where the president won¡¯t be chosen by the council members, instead the students will choose the president. That president will appoint the council members. While there are some other details to it, the basic process is like that. Nidhi: You do not have any experience in running an organization. Do you think you will be successful, despite that inexperience? Josh: Well, this is a school, right? What better time to gain experience? Besides, I do think I couldn¡¯t do worse than the people who have already tried. Nidhi: Some of your ideas will not be accepted by the students of the noble families. How do you plan to appease them? Josh: To be honest, given my associations, they are never going to like me. but luckily, they are outnumbered in the school. And their base of power, the old council is unable to stop me from executing my plan. Nidhi: You¡¯ve repeatedly mentioned students other than the noble background. You come from a noble family. Do you not think that you trying to help them is condescending? Josh: No. especially since unlike someone else, I won¡¯t repeatedly remind them of that. I won¡¯t say to them something like, ¡°Hey, what a poor guy. here¡¯s some help. remember that a noble guy like me helped you. do not ever forget this.¡± Nidhi: as my last question, do you think that the new system you plan to create won¡¯t be corrupted in the future like our current council? Josh: That is impossible to predict. Besides, I do think every system has an expiry date. maybe a hundred years from now, my system will need to be replaced. However, I do plan to build several ways to safeguard from corruption and personal interests, checking the power of the individual students. I also think that the worst thing would be not to try.

Part 6.

¡°Wait, we have a newspaper in our school?¡± asked Hatori with an incredulous tone. ¡°Yeah, you would know if you actually pay attention to outside of your experiments and battles.¡± Said Raven. Hatori takes a moment to think about it. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m good where I am.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Speaking of experiments, we have a new item to show to you guys.¡± They all start to edge towards the door, as James brings out a ring. ¡°A ring?¡± said Josh, coming close to see it. While James explains the function of the ring, Hatori starts to read the interview with Josh. Judging from what he heard on his way to the room, this interview is proving to be quite popular. Given how the council hasn¡¯t reacted, they likely haven¡¯t recovered. ¡®Me killing some of their members two days ago didn¡¯t help either probably.¡¯ He thought. He still does not know what came over him, and why did he slaughter them in his rage. True, knowing the reason wouldn¡¯t have changed his mind, he would have still killed them all. But knowing the reason would have made it so much better. ¡°So, this ring is the project of Zeko and his friends, which they left incomplete. This yantra detects poison and other harmful substances in the food and drink. This would have been really useful.¡± James muttered the last part. He is still not over everything that happened to him last year. Distracting himself seems to help, so he shakes his head and continues. ¡°The yantra knows what is healthy for the humans and what is not, and if it encounters unknown materials, it tests with the model of the human programmed in it. it takes a while to give its results. Anyway, if it is harmful, it¡¯ll vibrate, and project the info in front of your eyes for only you to see, and no one else can see that. and if everything is good, then its color remains green, and the words ¡°Everything good here¡± flash in front of your eyes.¡± ¡°Quite a cutting piece of magetech.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Let¡¯s test it.¡± James goes out to see the results of the tests. ¡°You are coming?¡± He asks Hatori. ¡°Nah, tell me the results later,¡± he said, still reading the article. Outside, James tells them how they can give the yantra any shape they like, from a ring to an earring, to a neckless, before his voice disappears completely.

Part 7.

As the potion splashed on him, Shin cursed himself for the foolishness. He should have covered them both, he easily could have done that. he prepared for the pain, but that pain never came. Instead, he slowly sees his hands turn into these wispy clouds, which are just like his hands. As Hatori is done expressing his rage, he tries to draw attention to his problem. ¡°Um, buddy? A little help here?¡± Hatori turns around, but he behaves like he can¡¯t hear him. he looks like he is trying to remember something hard, but can¡¯t seem to grasp at the memory. Shin knows that if he had eyes, he would have looked right through him like he wasn¡¯t even there. When he orders those three kids to come with him, Shin tries to pursue after him. ¡°Oy, don¡¯t leave me like this, listen dammit!¡± he tries to slap Hatori, but his arms passed right through him, and he did not notice anything strange. Not even a shiver. Shin runs his hands through his hair. He realizes his bells are also missing. ¡°Noooooooooo!¡± he screamed. Going inside the Academy, he looked at himself in the mirror of his dorm room, where he saw nothing, even though he danced in front of it. when he went for dinner, he couldn¡¯t eat properly, it was as if the food itself didn¡¯t want to come to his hands or mouth. He had to slurp like a degenerate as a result, and even then, he was unable to eat a full meal. Even in a crowded place like the mess hall, no one noticed him, even when he bumped into people. Granted, since he passed through them it is hard to notice him, but Shin does not care about their difficulty. He walks into math class taken by Josh the next day. He writes his name on the blackboard, but the professor whips it out with absent-minded ease. No one even looked at this strange occurrence, ¡®Can¡¯t they see a floating chalk right in front of them?¡¯ He wrote another phrase on the board. ¡°Josh, look at me, I¡¯m Shin.¡± Still, no reaction. ¡°Josh, you son of a bitch, look at me!¡± wrote Shin, hoping that leaving out his name, and including curses would affect Josh¡¯s sensibility, and maybe he might notice him then. But that didn¡¯t happen either. Dejected, Shin floated out of the class. Later, as James and Hatori explain the yantra, he sulks on his bed. No one can see him or hear him. they do not remember him. This is his personal nightmare. Ever since he got involved with this group, he felt included, like he belonged with some people. But now? Even that is robbed from him. The world suddenly seems a large and lonely place to Shin, a place which is also very hostile to him. Chapter 108 Chapter 108.

Part 1.

After his interview, Josh is swamped with public attention. Suddenly, every student wants to meet him or get seen with him. though his friends worry that someone might take advantage of his rather generous attention which he seems to be giving everyone, Josh is handling himself very well. As his latest admirers leave, (a bunch of first-year students), Hatori approaches him. ¡°A moment of your time, mister future president?¡± he said with a smile. Josh and Hatori start to walk to their dorm. ¡°I¡¯m not a president yet.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Nice try to flatter me though. you might get good at this.¡± ¡°You sure? I can only flatter someone whom I know, I can¡¯t do that with someone else, especially if I dislike the person in question,¡± said Hatori. He cannot fake his emotions. ¡°Hmm. well, that is why you are not built for this thing my friend.¡± Said Josh. ¡°You¡¯re even speaking like a politician,¡± said Hatori, ¡°Or some elder statesman.¡± ¡°Looks like the effects have already started.¡± Said Josh with a shiver. Flopping down to his bed, he enjoys a moment of relaxation, where people are not demanding his attention. Most of the students who do want to be seen with him are mostly trying to shine their own reputation. But here, in this very room, no one demands anything from him. he can be himself here. ¡°Did you mean what you said in the interview?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Every single word.¡± Said Josh with a yawn. ¡°I do think that reporter was right. You should stay away from me, if you¡¯re seen with me or around me, it could damage your efforts.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And I¡¯ll tell you what I told her. Every politician has shady connections.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Besides, if I need someone good with violence, who will I call?¡± ¡°Right, right. Call me if you need a brute.¡± Said Hatori, and Josh chuckled in response, before starting to snore. Hatori leaves him to his nap while scratching some runes on his notebook. He might not be able to write anything with a pen, but he can write runes by himself.

Part 2.

Raven and Josh are working with their modification ritual, adding the improvements that they want to do with their bodies. Hatori has already gone through this process last year, and James probably has his ritual ready and is just waiting to refine it further. While they work, James and Hatori are working on the yantras to detect poison. These yantras have proven to be quite popular among the students. Hatori wishes to automate the process of creating them though, freeing himself and James of the responsibility to create them. Since it takes time to create every single Yantra, they are taking limited orders, and already there is a backlog of it. at least the money they are making by selling these yantras is well worth their time. As these four teenagers work on their respective tasks, they feel as if someone is missing from this room of frozen time as if there used to be a fifth member in their group, but they do not know why he (or she?) is not here, or indeed, whether they existed in the first place or not.

Part 3.

Shin is having a miserable time. his friends can¡¯t remember him, he can¡¯t eat properly, and he is reduced to living like a ghost. ¡°Notice me, you damned bastard!¡± he cursed at Raven, but passed through his body, with no effect or acknowledgment from the other boy. ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± Said a girl from behind him. Shin turns around quite fast. He might have turned into a ghost, but he has not lost his reflexes built up living and training with Hatori. ¡°Who are you?¡± he questioned. ¡°Lavanya.¡± She spoke. ¡°My family name is not important, because everyone is dead.¡± ¡°What?¡± Shin is too confused. He should be happy that he can talk to someone finally. But this girl is scaring him. ¡°They are all dead because I was turned into the same thing as you 300 years ago.¡± Shin wilts after hearing that. living like that for 300 years, like an immortal ghost? That sounds like hell. ¡°What do I do?¡± he muttered, rocking in the huddled position on the ground. ¡°What do I do?¡± Lavanya watches him with pity in her eyes. She has gone through the same thing, and she perfectly understands the emotions of this boy.

Part 4.

Today¡¯s news is just as interesting as the day when Josh gave his interview. The council has challenged him to a debate, calling him not fit to run any organization, and saying that this debate will expose him for what he is, and that being: an opportunist who has no interests of the students at heart. It was speculated that the challenge would be ignored, but Josh surprisingly accepted. This debate will be held in the mess hall right after dinner today.

Part 5.

Raven is going through his ritual of modifying his body. They are using this secret ground, right above the lab of the Samay the sorcerer. They do not wish to perform any rituals in the room of frozen time, since it can have unpredictable effects. ¡°Undefined behavior¡±, as Hatori likes to call it. This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He prepares the circle, and after removing his clothes, lies in that circle. His enchanted knife hovers, ready to carve the runes on his body. Aside from the modifications to make his body stronger, Raven has mostly focused on improving his mental stamina. Being able to think for long periods without getting exhausted or losing focus is important to him. Of course, as time goes by, he will add even more modifications to his body in the future.

Part 6.

While Raven is going through his ritual above (Hatori can sense the build-up of magic, even from the room of frozen time), Hatori is thinking about flying. He was meditating while thinking about this and sank deep into a meditative state. He was thinking whether he could use some runes to actually fly since levitating himself has not resulted in much. he can levitate in one place, but when he tries to move, he comes down with a crash. Thankfully, the crows saved him each time he performed this experiment. He would be in the hospital otherwise. Without even realizing it, Hatori starts to levitate and move in the circle in the room. he comes out of his deep trans, and his magic calms down. He comes back to the ground, landing on his feet. Going to his notebook, he notes down how he felt in this state, and writes some other modifications he plans to do this year. He wants to enforce his joints, and some theoretical experiments in extracting more energy from the food he eats. Aside from that, he wants to start creating his own spells. he has been hearing and reading about how mages create their own spells after a point, and now he wishes to do that for himself this year.

Part 7.

Since Raven and Hatori are busy with their own things, James is providing moral support for Josh in this debate. The large crowd of students remained behind to observe this debate after the dinner. Unknown to them, two more people were observing this debate, though no one could see, hear, or acknowledge them in any way, shape, or form. Those being Shin and Lavanya. They watch from the crowd, unseen and unheard, as Murli from the council¡¯s side comes to duel with Josh in the war of words. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, we all have busy schedules, and we are all waiting to get into our beds and sleep. Therefore, I will not take much of your time. I am here because someone actually wishes to dismantle this student body that has served you for more than 100 years faithfully. He wishes to hand over the control to the lower class¡ª¡± The outrage forces Murli from talking any further, and Josh seizes the initiative. ¡°As you just saw, this is the organization which claims to serve you faithfully. Its foundation is rotten. It should not be allowed to exist anymore, lest more students suffer under its boot!¡± said Josh. ¡°And then what? Let someone like you give the control in the hands of the lower cast and class?¡± replied Murli furiously. ¡°Do you think that they are smart enough to make such decisions?¡± ¡°Well, at least they are smart enough to throw out anyone who actually makes the rules like the ones which you made last year. Remember? Not allowing you to sit on the tables? Not allowing you to sleep on beds? Not allowing you to sit on the chairs during the class, just because you are not rich like them?¡± the crowd is whipped into a frenzy since the students do remember how they were humiliated. ¡°Remember how you were threatened to, and nearly forced to march naked?¡± Murli¡¯s face goes white from fear by seeing the response of the crowd. he came with a written speech, prepared to leave with his success, having put down this rebellion, or the talk of forming the new council. ¡°What about you?¡± he said hoarsely. ¡°Where were you during all of that? for all you wish to help the lower class, you were missing during that time. what do you say to that?¡± he asked, finally regaining his color. ¡°Come now. You should know that I was in the hospital for most of that time. you can check the records; I doubt healer Slaughter will accept any alteration to those.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I was unable to even move, let alone talk. I only learned of these events later, after I recovered, as my friends told me of their struggle.¡± ¡°But what¡¯s the guarantee that you won¡¯t break down in the line of duty again?¡± asked Murli. ¡°Weak people with weak constituents should not take important responsibilities!¡± ¡°But that is where you are mistaken.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Remember what I said in my interview? I plan to hold an election. You can vote for the president of whom you approve of. And it doesn¡¯t necessarily have to be me. maybe someone more qualified than me is among you, who is ready to take charge. Therefore, I move that we vote to decide this. Should this council be removed, and my system be implemented?¡± ¡°Outrageous!¡± shrilled Murli. ¡°You cannot do this.¡± ¡°But I can. your own rules allow me to do that. only Corvus can reverse the decision, and I doubt he would. so, raise the hand, and vote!¡± said Josh. Just like two years ago, when Hatori was banished, students raised their hands. But this time, against the council which has been effectively ruling them for a century. ¡°The results speak for themselves. The overwhelming majority wants you out. disband the council immediately!¡± said Josh, and the students repeated his cry. As Lavanya and Shin walk out with other students, she leans close to him. ¡°Your friend is passionate and good with the crowd. I haven¡¯t seen something like that before in my 300 years of haunting this school.¡± ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll get his way then.¡± Smiled Shin. He might not be remembered, but he will always cheer for his friends. Chapter 109 Chapter 109.

Part 1.

Hatori is reading the manual on advance manipulation of lightning elements. He is referencing something for the spell creation. However, he is lost in the sidenote about a sorcerer who could turn into lightning from the usual physical body, and can turn back into his human form. ¡®That is worth to strive for.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. Taking note of the info that he wanted to reference, Hatori carved some symbols on the nearby board. He won¡¯t try to turn himself into a being made of lightning. He doesn¡¯t even know how to put a spell together yet, he can¡¯t think of how to keep himself together in that state, instead of dispersing like the normal electricity. All of which he did while levitating instead of walking around. He is trying to get used to moving in the air as much as he can. Hatori has searched for this in three of the libraries he has access to, those being Zeko¡¯s, the library of the castle, and the giant archive of the Academy. but he has not found anything that could explain his magic acting on its own. There are some unclear and some obscure mentions of it, but nothing concrete to understand himself and his magic. ¡®Oh well, I¡¯ll just keep listening to it. it hasn¡¯t led me into trouble so far.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. The symbols start to flow around him, as Hatori tries to form his new spell together. He occasionally touched the board to see a symbol and made adjustments to the symbols floating around him. The door of the room of frozen time opens, and Josh enters. ¡°Hey, how¡¯re you doing?¡± he walked through a symbol, destabilizing the spell. both of them suffered shocks, and after getting up from the ground, Hatori flies after Josh. ¡°Can¡¯t you knock before entering a room? let me teach you a lesson which you¡¯ll never forget.¡± Said Hatori, chasing Josh who is also floating to escape him. Both of them have turned into ghosts, though they are quite visible to the people around them. they are capable of going through the walls and doors but are unable to touch the ground for some reason.

Part 2.

Raven looks at his board, trying to solve this puzzle. his opening game is very strong, but he needs to improve his middlegame and endgame. So, he is practicing to find the checkmates. He fully plans to beat Suresh this year and take that championship for himself. Though trying to find the right move in a puzzle may stress out some people, Raven enjoys this activity. It is relaxing to look at the board, play some moves, and counter that move to find the right move to checkmate the king of the opponent. Before this, he used his connections which he formed last year to help out Josh with his election, telling the students that they should vote for him. Raven does not consider himself to be a popular student. but ever since the events of last year, where he effectively united the students of the lower class against the now-former council¡¯s policies, they have started to look up to him, especially the younger students. So far, Josh is the one who has announced his intention to fight in this election. But Raven is certain that soon enough other people will start throwing their hats in the ring. ¡®It¡¯ll devolve into a battle royale. A multi-people chess game.¡¯ But that is not his battle. He can only play a supporting role. Josh must struggle, and find victory by himself. However, the battle over the board is his own, and no one can help him there. ¡®Except Hatori. I should ask him to be my sparring partner.¡¯ Though he is certain Hatori won¡¯t refuse, if he does, he has ways to make him ¡°Obey¡± this request. That is the hallmark of a true strategist, never approach a problem with one plan or solution in mind.

Part 3.

¡°I¡¯m gonna stab you¡­¡± sang the mad boy behind him, as Josh enters through a wall, and still fails to lose Hatori from his tail. It wasn¡¯t even his fault. Why must he always experiment with dangerous things? ¡°I¡¯m gonna stab you¡­¡± sang Hatori, as they appear in a bathroom where several girls are showering, causing them to shriek in surprise. Josh gaped in open-mouthed shock, the sight before him was beyond his wildest dreams. ¡°It¡¯ll be quick and over: I¡¯m gonna stab you¡­¡± sang Hatori, ignoring the heavenly sight before him, and causing Josh to flee. ¡°Boys, they just don¡¯t have any shame.¡± Said one of the girls. ¡°I don¡¯t think it was planned.¡± Said another girl. ¡°Did you notice how the second one didn¡¯t pay any attention to us?¡± the girls have miserable faces. ¡°Aren¡¯t we beautiful enough?¡± they cried together. ¡°It will be full of blood: I¡¯m gonna stab you¡­¡± sang Hatori, as Josh appeared in their dorm, where Raven scattered all of his pieces on the board from surprise. Watching the two ghosts disappearing from the room, he grumbled. ¡°Now I must set up the position once again.¡± ¡°I promise it will be full of pain,¡± sings Hatori. It would be a wonderful experience to listen to his voice if he was not chasing him with murder in his mind. They enter into professor¡¯s quarters, where professors Amelia and Amrita are talking about some things. Due to his terror, it all sounds gibberish to Josh¡¯s ears. ¡°I¡¯m gonna stab you!¡± declared Hatori, nearly catching his prey. As they both leave through the wall and Josh¡¯s cry for help disappears from the room, both of them look at each other. ¡°It is your influence. They learned this madness from you.¡± accused Amrita. ¡°Me? More like they learned that from you.¡± Josh hears the sound of a fistfight breaking out behind him, but he has no time to look behind and check. For Hatori is still on his tail. ¡°I promise you will scream blood: I¡¯m gonna stab you¡­¡± trilled Hatori. ¡°Oh my.¡± Said Corvus, as these two ghostly figures come through his office, and leave through the other side. ¡°That was strange.¡± He ignored the occurrence completely and went back to the work of snoozing. After all, he is quite old. He might retire in the next five years. The keyword is might. His boy Porus needs his support as long as he can provide him, lest the termites take over the country. How long the goat¡¯s mother can pray? Josh is caught in the secret ground. At this same place underground, their chase began. But James who was not there before they came out of the tunnel at first is now here, and he is watching the spectacle. ¡°Help me, for the love of magic, help me!¡± he said, as Hatori twists his arms, and prepares to stab him with a conjured knife. James wonders what could he do. He then applied an array to reverse the state of these two, and it worked. Both of them are now back in their original body. Hatori drops the knife, as he finally remembers what happened a month ago, and he remembers Shin. Josh also goes through the shock of suddenly remembering Shin, and James is puzzled as to why they are standing like two statues displaying some ancient grappling maneuver. They try to hold on to his memory, but it soon escapes from the grasp of their brains. However, Hatori and Josh remember enough to know that they have a fifth friend, and he is in trouble. ¡°We need to help him,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Agreed.¡± Said Josh, and they both go out of the ground with a new purpose. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. James left them to their devices; he needed to modify himself as quickly as possible. He adds some more runes to protect his mind from getting altered. He will never let someone else take control of him like the last year. The work on that detection yantra helped a lot to come up with these runes. Of course, this is just another way that Yantra has helped them, aside from its sales. James creates another circle near the one that was created by Raven a few weeks ago. Removing his clothes, he lies down in that circle, and the knife hovers, ready to carve the new symbols on his body.

Part 4.

Josh and Hatori devise an idea to gain the attention of their fifth friend. They wrote a simple letter and left it on the fifth bed of their room, which has remained untouched and unacknowledged ever since his disappearance. But these two boys see signs all around the room of living with a fifth person, whose name they cannot remember. Shin comes into the room. true, none of them know that he exists, and he doesn¡¯t feel the comfort of his bed. But he rather sleep here than anywhere else. It gives him the feeling of peace to sleep here, which he does not get anywhere else in the school. He finds a note resting on his bed. Looks like everything associated with him is also suffering the neglect. But this note is a new thing. He reads it, and with some effort, writes his response on the other side of the page. He mentions the potion which left him in this state, the name of which he learned from Lavanya. ¡°I didn¡¯t have anything else to do, so I found out what caused me to end up like this.¡± She said when Shin asked how does she know about this potion.

Part 5.

Hatori focuses on his palm, and his hand jerks as if he fired a gun. The stream of electricity connects to the wall, where it disperses harmlessly. This is his first spell, now completed. He decided to name it Thunder Shock. It delivers a stream of current to his opponent¡¯s body and has a small chance of paralysis. Hatori has trouble understanding how exactly the electricity causes paralysis, but he plans to create more spells, so he is sure he will be able to incorporate it in future spells. Going deeper into the room, where the effects of slowed time are more evident, Hatori brings out an enemy student. he uses his new spell on him, making his body spasm from the electricity. ¡°Hmm. a fine spell, though I must test it with shields, and with protected clothing.¡± He mutters, banishing the tortured student back to the deeper part of the room, where five of them are kept to perform such experiments. ¡®It is really sad that I wasn¡¯t strong enough or lucky enough to find this place. Instead of killing all those students, I could have used them for my experiments, especially since people are not inclined to pick fights with me now.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. Hatori then levitates to the table at the center of the room, where he looks at the notes he has collected about the ghostly state which he experienced yesterday. Some other mages have also achieved this state, and this is actually recorded and documented. not the process itself of course, but the properties of the state. They call it the neutrino state, and mages who achieve this form can go through any object, doesn¡¯t matter whether it is magically enchanted or not. As a result, they are very difficult to capture. Hatori, having been kidnapped twice in his life, likes being hard to capture. So, he remembers how the symbols twisted yesterday, and experiments in creating this state again. During this process, he realizes slowly that he does not need to carve these symbols on his body with a knife. They can appear on his body automatically, (he smirked when he thought of that phrase), and in fact, this applies to any new symbol he wishes to use for himself, no matter the effect. even the older symbols can be updated without the use of a sharp object, something which Hatori appreciates. The ritual of carving these symbols can be quite painful. Hatori is snapped out of his deep contemplation with a knock at the door. ¡°Hatori, are you ready or not? we have to go to Professor Dhiraj now.¡± Said Josh. Touching the ground which felt like hours, Hatori walks to the door. ¡®I must practice daily intensive walking, lest I become lazy, and fly and levitate all the time.¡¯ he thinks and opens the door.

Part 6.

Dhiraj is just getting done with the classes. Today was a relatively calm day in the class, no one managed to bungle up their potions. His apprentice (that lazy bastard) has left him to clean the room, saying that he never cleans after himself. As if he, the master should clean the class. Apprentices are supposed to clean, dammit. The door opens, and Josh and Hatori march in. ¡°Professor, we need your help,¡± said Josh. ¡°What now?¡± he asked, unable to keep the bite out of his voice. ¡°Do you know this potion?¡± asked Josh, giving him the note. His face gets suddenly serious, and all the tiredness is gone. ¡°Where did you find this potion?¡± he asked. ¡°We have a reason to believe that a person whom we know has been subjected to this potion recently.¡± Said Hatori. Josh wanted to keep this hidden, but Hatori persuaded him to tell the truth to the professor. Besides, he thinks this way, they will get more honest answers out of Dhiraj. Finding his chair, Dhiraj drops down with a sigh. ¡°I would like to call it a bluff, or a bad joke, but I cannot do that when this potion is involved,¡± he said. ¡°The Time Stopping Potion, created by Samay the sorcerer, has been a headache for the alchemy community for over a thousand years. Because instead of freezing the time itself, it makes anyone who gets splashed with this potion disappear, and the world itself starts to ignore their presence. They do not age, and are trapped in an immortal existence, forever doomed to live their lives as ghosts.¡± ¡°That is horrifying.¡± Said both the teens. ¡°That is nothing. You take astronomy, right Fernandes?¡± At Josh¡¯s nod, Dhiraj continues. ¡°You should know that the sun is getting brighter, and one day when it starts to expand, what will happen to our planet?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± said Josh, not liking where this is going. Hatori can follow this logic, only because he watched all those shows about stars and their lives on Discovery back when he was a kid. (He is not a kid anymore, he is a teen now, thank you.) ¡°People affected by this potion still won¡¯t die.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Our entire planet is going to hell, and they still won¡¯t die.¡± ¡°But that is billions of years.¡± Said Josh, unable to imagine living that long, trapped in that ghostly form. He was a ghost yesterday, and he is sick of it in just a few hours. ¡°That isn¡¯t all. When the stars start to go out, trillions of years later, these people will still live, unable to interact with the world. though maybe by that point, some of them might come up with a solution to their problem.¡± ¡°You were right professor; this is indeed a hellish life.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though I want to know, how does anyone know about the effects of this potion? I mean, you can hardly test it.¡± ¡°Because one mad sorcerer was willing to test it, and document its effects. Thankfully, he wasn¡¯t mad enough to use it on people, just on some objects. He tried to reverse the effects, but he failed.¡± Explained the professor. ¡°Thanks for your time, professor.¡± Said both boys and then left. Dhiraj wished them luck. If a person is suffering from this potion, they will need all the luck they can get. Chapter 110 Chapter 110.

Part 1.

¡°So, what you¡¯re telling me is that this potion is the reason why people can literally disappear, and exist in a form of an unobservable form of a ghost for all eternity?¡± asked James, after Josh and Hatori were done sharing what they¡¯ve learned from professor Dhiraj. ¡°Yeah. I was surprised when he mentioned the sorcerer, Samay. We got lucked out here since we are literally discussing this issue in his own underground lab.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, but what are the chances that he left anything about that potion here?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Chances are not good honestly.¡± Said Josh. ¡°But this is the only place associated with him we have access to.¡± James looks at those locked doors. They still haven¡¯t gone through this place, and catalog what has been left behind by a sorcerer. ¡°I¡¯ll check this place for clues. Since I¡¯m done with my modification, I do have enough time to do that,¡± said James. ¡°You two should leave, you have your own challenges to face, a tournament for you, and an election for you,¡± said James, pointing to Raven and Josh respectively. ¡°I¡¯ll come with you to sense for any traps.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though I do warn you, as good as my sensing is, the traps of a sorcerer may prove to be beyond my senses, we might not see them coming until we have triggered them.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, but better if you¡¯re with him.¡± said Josh, ¡°Going at this task alone sounds foolish to me.¡± As Josh and Raven leave, James opens the first room. they were surprised at how the room didn¡¯t have any dust. Given how long these rooms have been closed for, they should be covered with layers of dust. Hatori senses for anything magical in the room but finds nothing. However, the entire room is stacked with documents. ¡°They are not made of human skins.¡± He observed, touching one notebook, which seemed to be made of paper, while the majority of the work in the room was written on the leaves. ¡°What, did you expect everything to be written in human or animal skin?¡± asked James, bringing a stack, and reading through it. ¡°For some reason, yeah,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Just give me the organized pile, and keep anything related to that potion in a separate pile. I¡¯ll shrink them both. we can do it faster this way since you are much faster at reading than me.¡± suggests Hatori. ¡°Sure.¡± Said James, giving him the first pile, which Hatori shrinks. All of the info they might find here is useful, and even if it isn¡¯t, they wish to preserve it all the same. They go to the next room, where Hatori comes with James¡¯s levitating instead of walking. James is surprised at this feat of magic, since anyone who moves while levitating ends up falling. He wanted to ask about it, but it was not the right time to do this. Hatori¡¯s flying has gotten good enough that he can go for more distance, and hover for longer periods. at first, this used to exhaust him, but now, he can keep this up for hours. His control over other spells has also improved, about which Zeko will be pleased no doubt. Hatori considers the modifications he did to himself last night. He had not done the joint enforcement until the last night, because he was looking to do the ritual in the same way as the last year. And given he has not visited the forest this year¡­ he was able to sink into the same state last night, where he could modify the runes on his body without further carvings, and can even add more runes. He added the runes to turn into the ghostly state on his body, added the joint enforcing runes, and optimized the older rune for better performance. ¡°Did you know that we can actually change our runes, and even add new runes without going through a second ritual?¡± he asked James, who was reading the latest pile of the documents. Even the shrunken pile has started to increase, and the info related to the potion is still not much. ¡°That is surprising.¡± Said James. ¡°This hasn¡¯t been documented, probably because no one used this dialect of runes to modify their body. I doubt I could do that though,¡± he said. ¡°At least give it a try.¡± Suggests Hatori, to which James nodded. ¡®Why does he keep hovering like a flighty spirit though?¡¯ thinks James, ignoring the thought, and going back to finding more references to this potion. As they have gotten deeper into the lab, they have found more mentions of that potion or things related to it. James is sure they will find something soon enough.

Part 2.

Raven forced Josh to design his ritual since he has been neglecting that due to his campaign. Politics does not appeal to all four of them, but their friend likes it and even thrives on the attention. ¡®Strange, who is the fourth one again? Me, James, Hatori, and who else?¡¯ he thinks. While Josh designs his ritual, Raven has taken over his businesses and his campaign. True to his prediction, many candidates have appeared, but Raven is surprised after seeing Avinash¡¯s name is missing from the new candidates. He thought he would be the first one to try and fight in this election. Josh walks into the room. ¡°Done already?¡± asked Raven. ¡°For the most part. I need some rest before I can find any mistakes.¡± He said, dropping in his bed. ¡°I¡¯ll run our businesses until you are done with your campaign.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Sure.¡± Josh yawned, planning to take a nap. Looks like Hatori and James still are trying to find the info on that potion. Until they do that, it is best to rest some. They cannot afford to ignore their businesses of finding questionable magazines or artifacts hidden in the old wards of the school, or their poison detection yantras. Those are making them money enough that even the adults have to sit up and take notice.

Part 3.

¡°Why do you need to find this potion?¡± asked James, the pile had grown very large, and Hatori was glad for the shrinking spell. they would have never managed to catalog it otherwise. ¡°Because our fifth friend, whom I can¡¯t remember by name, is the victim of this potion.¡± Said Hatori. This sounds odd to James. According to the description of this potion, all the memories of the victim of this potion should disappear. But Hatori and Josh seem to remember at least one victim. How is that possible? ¡®Who cares? I¡¯m just glad I¡¯m getting to see this massive library. This Samay guy has dabbled in a lot of topics, from alchemy to shape-shifting, probably because he thought he had infinite time.¡¯ thinks James. ¡®But where did he disappear to?¡¯ ¡°Do you know what records say about Samay?¡± asked James. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Not much. he seems to have disappeared around 1000 years ago. Strangely enough, no battle or fight is recorded in which he could have died. It sounds like he just packed his bags one day, and left the planet entirely.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That is not as odd as you might think. Remember, we do have extraterrestrial species.¡± Said James. ¡°True. But we only got in contact with them recently. There are no mentions of anyone from outside of Earth 1000 years ago.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Do you think he is still alive?¡± asked James. ¡°Let¡¯s just hope he decides not to come back here if he is. I doubt he will be amused at the sacking of his library.¡± Said Hatori.

Part 4.

The girls have gathered for their weekly girl talk. The author is a reclusive male, so he is not certain whether a ritual like this exists for real or not. but it is popular in fiction, therefore he is putting it here. In this girl talk, Daphne and her friends are talking about the boys in their class, which has been reduced in size a lot since their first year. A lot of people have met some ahem. Unfortunate ends, and the student count has reduced as a result. But other events are happening in the Academy, such as the elections, in which a girl has proven to be a strong rival to Josh. Though Daphne doesn¡¯t like her personally. ¡°So, which boy do you like, huh?¡± Daphne snaps out of her reverie. ¡°What? Oh.¡± She takes a moment to think about it. ¡°Hatori¡ª¡± ¡°Seriously?¡± say all the girls together. ¡°Daphne, that boy is like an animal. Calm one moment, and on a rampage on the very next moment.¡± Said Jaya, one of the girls. ¡°Yeah, but could you blame him? The events of the last two years didn¡¯t leave him much choice. Besides, we¡¯re nearly two months into this year, and he hasn¡¯t caused any chaos.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°I have to agree with you there.¡± Said Maya, one of the twins. ¡°If anything, Josh has caused more chaos this year.¡± Said Chaya, the second twin. ¡°I prefer Josh¡¯s chaos over Hatori¡¯s,¡± said Ramya. ¡°Less violence and blood.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of him either, but I really like to fight him one day.¡± Said Ravina, with a dangerous smile. ¡°Maybe he¡¯ll give me a challenge.¡± ¡°More like he¡¯ll destroy you,¡± said Daphne. ¡°You take that back!¡± screamed Ravina. ¡°Make me.¡± the girl''s talk devolves into a brawl, and once more the author is unsure whether this could happen in real life or not.

Part 5.

After dusting off his entire library, James and Hatori found the only good info about this potion available in Samay¡¯s journals. So, they discarded the rest of the notebooks and other things they had collected so far, and they looked at his journals. But there are a lot of journals, and they won¡¯t be able to go through them in a short amount of time. unless they go to a room where time is slow or frozen. That is what they did. They went into the room of frozen time, where they read the journal entries, and took turns to avoid the madness of doing the same task in an isolated room. when James read the entries, Hatori worked out or took naps. When Hatori read the entries, James did no workouts and slept like a log. After they go through most of the journal entries available here, they finally find what they are looking for. The sorcerer expresses regret at the creation of this potion, since another mage stole the formula (which itself is actually incomplete), and used it against his enemies. But Samay has a way of bringing back anyone, though he does not explain why is he immune to the potion entirely, and how he achieved that immunity. ¡°There are two formulas here. First is to bring back one person, and second is to cancel the effects worldwide, and nullify the effects of this potion forever.¡± Said James. ¡°But you read the note, right? It is incomplete.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I can complete it,¡± said James with complete confidence. ¡°Well, good luck. We at least have a lot of time in this room. do tell me if you need anything, I¡¯ll get it for you.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Sure.¡± Said James distractedly.

Part 6.

The reporters of the school¡¯s newspaper are getting a lot of work due to this election. Kangana, the rival of Josh, has used the newspaper to spread her message, much like how Josh did. Despite her words being not as passionate as Josh¡¯s, she seems to be gaining the attention of the students all the same. However, this has caused a war of sorts among the reporters, presenting the points of their favorite candidate, and other reporters countering their points. Take the newspaper for today as an example. The reporter gushes over Kangana and her promises. And yet, in the very next article, the second reporter pokes holes in her promises, calling them false and unrealistic. In particular, he has used the promise to improve student marks to counter this claim, explaining that no amount of student politics will ever affect the marks. This is in the hands of the Academy itself, and Corvus will never agree to give easy marks and cheapen the education value that way. The newspaper also says that the voting will begin in a week since the professors do want this election to be concluded by the eleventh month.

Part 7.

James is working to complete the formula to cancel the effect of the Time Stopping potion worldwide, while Hatori has trained with his ghostly transformation. Given how much time they have compared to the world outside, Hatori is often amazed at the wonderful way this room offers him to cheat, and get ahead in his training. He wouldn¡¯t have been able to perfect his transformation so quickly outside, it would have taken two or three weeks at least. but now, he has practiced with it as if he has used it for weeks. He turns into a cloud of smoke and then congeals into his human form while being able to go across walls and other physical objects in his ghostly form. ¡°Hatori, the formula is done.¡± Said James, sounding worn out. Hatori goes to him, congealing into his human form. James is unable to keep himself awake anymore and falls asleep right on the table. Hatori levitates him and takes him outside of the room, where he conjures a futon to rest his friend. He watches over him while sinking into a nap himself, but his senses remain active, looking out for any threats.

Part 8: The alchemic class, the body.

¡°Tell me, students. What is this?¡± asked Dhiraj. ¡°A corpse. You finally snapped, and murdered someone?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°No mister Avinash, I did no such thing.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°This is a fully functional body, created through alchemy. However, as you can see, it has no consciousness, therefore it appears like a corpse.¡± ¡°Pay attention.¡± Said Sultan. ¡°Just creating the skin alone is a difficult task.¡± The formulas and ratios create the skin scroll on the board, and the students note them down furiously. Chapter 111 Chapter 111.

Part 1.

James is back to his full strength. It is a good thing that he could recover in the room in peace since time is very fast compared to the world outside here. When they come out with the potion formula, Hatori and James have spent a month in the room, while outside only a day passed. ¡®This room has to be one hell of a cheat device. This makes me wonder. Why did the sorcerer leave it here?¡¯ thinks Hatori. ¡°Hey guys, you look haggard. What happened?¡± asked Josh. ¡°We found the formula,¡± said James, ¡°But I need some time to rest, preferably sunbathing.¡± Josh agrees, both of his friends look pale like they have not seen the sun for days. Taking the formula from James, he leaves to show it to Dhiraj, leaving James to relax. Hatori didn¡¯t wish to relax since he still had enough energy, he just looked a little bit pale, so he came with Josh to see the professor. ¡°Hey professor,¡± said Josh, ¡°I think we have the formula.¡± Josh hands over the note. Hatori sees a corpse in the room and immediately jumps to a conclusion. ¡°You got sick of Sultan, and murdered him!¡± he said with horror. ¡°What? No,¡± said Dhiraj. ¡°This is just an alchemically created body which I used for the class today. Something which you will know if you ever bother to attend the class.¡± He grumbled. ¡°Who murdered who now?¡± asked Sultan, coming out from the lab. ¡°Nothing.¡± Said Hatori with a straight face. ¡°No one murdered anyone.¡± ¡°Hmm. the formula seems right, but we cannot say anything without testing it. did the sorcerer note the details?¡± asked Dhiraj. ¡°No. there was only this incomplete formula, which apparently can nullify the effects of this potion permanently. James says he has completed it.¡± explains Hatori. ¡°Normally, I would explode with rage here, but truly, the formula has no problem. We have to brew it to know whether it works or not. my slave will help you in brewing this potion.¡± Said Dhiraj, not asking for the opinion of Sultan. ¡°Only because the potion is unique, not because you order me.¡± he made it clear. ¡°When should we brew it?¡± thinks Josh. ¡°Wait for tomorrow.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I think the person in question should be there so we can observe the effects immediately.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Said Josh. They agreed to brew the potion tomorrow.

Part 2.

Hatori left the letter on the fifth bed, telling the person to be in Professor Dhiraj¡¯s lab at three in the afternoon. ¡°Okay. but how do we confirm that they are here?¡± asked Sultan. Chalk starts to hover, which only Josh and Hatori can see. ¡°Where is it?¡± asked Sultan, unable to see the object hovering right in front of him. ¡°Let¡¯s say we have the confirmation, shall we? And let¡¯s begin the brewing. I hope you two are ready to prepare the ingredients.¡± Said Sultan with a smirk. They follow the formula, heating the potion, adding the ingredients to the simmering liquid, letting it cool down, and preparing more ingredients in the meantime. Josh and Hatori learn why Sultan was smirking, their arms started to ache after hours of chopping, grinding, pealing, and other preparations they had to make with the ingredients. But their effort paid off, and the potion was ready after a grueling seven hours of brewing. ¡°You think that is difficult? There are potions which can take days to brew.¡± Said Sultan. ¡°Yeah, not interested in those.¡± Said Hatori, and Josh agreed. ¡°How will it take effect?¡± asked Josh. ¡°According to the formula, it should start steaming, and spread around the world through magic,¡± said Sultan. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That is because it is magic,¡± said Sultan, as the potion begins to steam. The steam touches Shin, and he pops into existence, and the memories related to him hit everyone as if someone opened a dam in their head. Hatori and Josh stagger from these memories. coupled with their exhaustion, they are not ready to see a girl appear with Shin. Hatori, ever the paranoid, prepares a spell to attack her, but Shin manages to stop him. ¡°Stop, she is not a threat,¡± he said to them, coming in front of her protectively. ¡°Whatever, I¡¯ll deal with it tomorrow.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Huh. I didn¡¯t expect the reunion to be this dull.¡± Said Sultan, as the boys leave for their dorm. But the girl was stopped by Sultan. ¡°You should come with me miss, professor Dhiraj will like to see you.¡± said Sultan, ¡®And Slaughter, probably.¡¯ He added in his head. He is disturbed by her look, the girl looks no more than twelve years old, but she gives him a look like she is his great-great-grandmother. Thankfully, Professor Dhiraj and healer Slaughter take the matter into their own hands, relieving Sultan from looking after this strange girl.

Part 3.

After one and a half months of wild campaigning, the time of the results is here. This moment is producing the same tension as the results of the exams produce, except that only a few students, who participated in the elections are feeling this tension. Professor Bali is put in charge of making sure that the voting process is fair, and that there is no funny business during the counting. The professor is likely to kill any student who tries to cheat the system since Corvus very publicly told him to do so. Therefore, the chances of cheating are very low. ¡°Alright, quiet down. Here are the results!¡± the board which usually shows the rankings of the students at the end of the year is showing the candidates, who are ranked according to the amount of votes they have received from the students. Josh is at the top with seventy percent of the votes, while Kangana is at the second rank, with only twenty percent of the votes. the gap between the second and first ranks is huge, and this gets even bigger with the third rank and beyond. However, Josh¡¯s supporters started to celebrate, and their candidate won quite strongly. As Professor Bali leaves, considering his duty to be done, Josh assumes the office of the president, which has sat empty since last year when Hatori killed Ramesh in front of everyone. The next day in the newspaper, everyone gets to see who he has chosen for the membership in his council. the readers are not surprised to see students coming from lower families or even nameless ones. However, they are surprised to see even noble students, represented by Avinash. ¡°I have been given this responsibility for a reason, not because I come from a noble background.¡± Said Avinash when questioned about his position in the council. ¡°I fully intend to fulfill my responsibilities.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. Hatori throws the paper aside. ¡°Well, he is already good at producing empty word salads.¡± He muttered in disgust. ¡°Now now, don¡¯t be so harsh.¡± Said Shin, ¡°That is part and parcel of the job. Besides, I thought he would refuse since he wouldn¡¯t want to serve under anyone. The king does not serve anyone or some other bullshit.¡± ¡°I thought that too. But Josh has an even harder challenge in front of him. juggling all these different personalities in the council, and running it without splintering into another chaotic situation.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I doubt the professors would tolerate that. they are likely to finish the idea of students doing politics entirely.¡± Said James. ¡°That is a possibility.¡± Agreed Raven. ¡°How is Lavanya doing, by the way?¡± asked Hatori to Shin. ¡°Oh, she is doing fine. It is hard to adjust in this new environment, she is very unlikely to get along with the girls of her own age.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Probably. She may not look it, but she is much older and more experienced than them,¡± said Raven. ¡°I hear that the professors tested her on various subjects.¡± Said James. ¡°Did you know about the result?¡± he asked Shin since he is the one who has remained in contact with the girl. ¡°Oh, she did good. apparently, attending classes for 300 years can turn you into a topper.¡± Said Shin with a smile. ¡°Or a most boring person in the world, with a dead soul, who has nothing when it comes to imagination.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°She isn¡¯t like that.¡± protested Shin. ¡°I¡¯ll decide that for myself when she decides to talk to us,¡± said Hatori. Lavanya has not made any contact with Shin¡¯s friends. This actually caused a lot of grumblings by Raven and Josh, but to antisocial guys like James and Hatori, it doesn¡¯t make much difference. That girl will talk to them when she is ready, or she will never talk to them. whatever she decides to do, it doesn¡¯t make any difference in their own world. Professor Dhiraj has told them that the news of people appearing out of nowhere is coming from various parts of the world, and so far, 300 people have appeared from various eras and times. the historian mages are hounding these people since not only do they come from specific periods, but they have witnessed a lot of events happening directly, or have seen its impact. But the boys decided to keep it among themselves that they were the ones who were involved with this nullification of the potion. It works as well, Professor Dhiraj has tested it on some lifeless objects already. He is hesitant to test it on living people or animals, deeming it to be too cruel, even by mage standards.

Part 4.

¡°Man president, you are really working hard.¡± Said a head coming out of the wall. ¡°Here¡¯s some coffee for you.¡± a hand comes out, and gives a cup full of coffee to Josh. ¡°Yeah, thanks Hatori, looks like the previous council was ignoring a lot of the issues, which I have to handle.¡± Said a bleary-eyed Josh. He sips the coffee and chokes after realizing he is talking to a head in a wall. ¡°What¡­¡± he wheezed, ¡°What happened to you?¡± ¡°Oh, nothing. I just acquired a new ability to turn into a ghostly form, and go across the objects.¡± Said Hatori, coming out of the wall, and the smoky cloud congeals into the humanoid form of his friend, who just hovers above the ground. He moves from near the wall to next to him, looking like he is walking in the air. though Josh observes he is not moving his legs. ¡°You¡¯re flying. How?¡± ¡°Oh, I¡¯ve been working on this since the last year.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°This isn¡¯t the effect of a spell or some runes. This is just pure magic applied.¡± ¡°Ug. That entire thing never made sense to me,¡± said Josh. ¡°Besides, flying is illegal, the airship companies outlawed it years ago.¡± ¡°Do you think I give a damn?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Language!¡± chastised Josh. ¡°Is that a way to talk to the president, huh?¡± ¡°If the president is my friend, then yes.¡± Said Hatori. Josh throws the empty cup at Hatori, which he dodges by smoothly shifting his position in the air. ¡°I do think it helped that I spend a lot of time with crows. Maybe my magic picked something from them,¡± said Hatori, ignoring the shattered cup behind him. ¡°Dammit, now I must clean.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Language!¡± mimics Hatori. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t you start now.¡± He spoke. ¡°Well, here¡¯s some help for you.¡± without even turning around, the shattered pieces of the cup disappear. ¡°You¡¯ve learned the Vanishing spell I see.¡± Said Josh. ¡°It was very hard. All the time my instincts were screaming at me that I could end up leveling the whole school by a mistake.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But nothing happened when my spell failed.¡± ¡°Of course, nothing happened. This is one of those spells that have safety built into it over the years, much like the shrinking spell,¡± said Josh. ¡°By the way, I heard you raged a lot today, nearly taking the head off of Praduman.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Come now, it wasn¡¯t rage, it was just friendly competition. Which do get a little out of hand when he actually dares to use the things which he learned against me last year.¡± Said Hatori darkly. He is still sore over how the previous council showed all his memories to the students. ¡°Look, you have to calm down. Your anger is not healthy. You need help.¡± said Josh. ¡°I don¡¯t need any help,¡± said Hatori, using the three dees: deny, deny, deny. ¡°I knew you would say that. therefore, we have decided to take the matters into our own hands.¡± Said Josh. Hatori shivers. ¡°What did you morons do?¡± he asked, not liking where this is going.

Part 5.

Kangana lost the election, but she is not broken up about it. she is pragmatic enough to acknowledge that Josh is just better than her when it comes to manipulating the public¡¯s emotions. She also shouldn¡¯t have listened to her advisers, who actually told her that unrealistic promises do work. She got a lot of flak for promising better marks while knowing fully well that is something not in her hands. But she has learned a lot from this entire experience. And she is sure that it will only going to help her in the future. She opens the newspaper, and skipping headlines about her public appearances (she is not vain enough to read about herself all the time unless she needs to know about the public perception of her), she sees an ad. ¡°Help wanted!¡± screamed the banner. ¡°Are you good with public relations? Can you handle difficult clients? Do you know how to control your anger? Then Hatori Eagle needs a person just like you! Please contact Shin for further details.¡± Said the ad. ¡®Well, looks like another chance to show my talents has come so soon already.¡¯ She smiled. Chapter 112 Chapter 112.

Part 1.

Hatori turns his empty eye sockets to a first-year student, if he could have eyes, he would be glaring at the girl. ¡°Now now, that is no way to deal with your younger peers.¡± Said Kangana. She turns to the girl, and asks in a sweet voice, ¡°You are sorry right?¡± ¡°¡ªYeah, I¡¯m sorry. I should look where I¡¯m going.¡± She spoke. ¡°¡­¡± Hatori just walks away. Kangana goes after him. ¡°That is no way to make friends, you should accept the apologies of people!¡± she said, managing to keep up with his long stride, despite the difference in height among them. During the lunch, Hatori sees Avinash. He wanted to exchange some words of war with him since he often responds with such fire, which makes it a joy to bother him. ¡°Soooo! I hear some people are too big to talk to us,¡± he said to Raven who is sitting next to him, while showing his middle finger to Avinash. Avinash opens his mouth to retaliate, but Kangana comes out of nowhere. ¡°That is no way to control your anger. You should not taunt people, they will retaliate, and it¡¯ll turn into a brawl!¡± she said, taking the empty place on the table. ¡°Eat more calcium, the calcium deficiency can make you cranky!¡± said Kangana, adding small fishes that are apparently full of calcium. His friends watch, and yet, fail to react properly. That being, help him in killing this girl and bury her body somewhere, or perform a necromantic ritual on her to take over her soul. Surely there are ways to do that in a magical world? ¡°Eat with a smile, such a grumpy face won¡¯t make you gain control over your anger.¡± She chided. ¡®Ending your existence will give me a lot of control over my anger!¡¯ thinks Hatori, as the lightning starts to spark, and zap some people. Ignoring the chatter of Kangana, something about always keeping control over his magic, and not harming other people, Hatori enters the class of Professor Krodhatma. The professor is surprised to see his most brilliant student here, since he does not need any formal instructions, just a few directions every now and then. The girl who came after him is even more peculiar. Is she stalking him? She is not part of his class, so he is certain that she has no business being here. Hatori is hoping that he could get rid of this girl in the class, surely, she will have to leave him alone here? she must have her own classes, right? But apparently, he was wrong. Kangana followed him in the class and poked and prodded him to pay attention to the professor. Hatori already knows the stuff the professor is covering in this class, and unlike certain students who seem to be barely keeping up, he just like every year since he joined this class, is already ahead of them. Some students have other things in mind, however. The guy sitting behind Hatori creates a paper ball and throws it across. It hits Hatori, and in his anger, he turns it into a needle and throws it back. ¡°Ga! My eye! Are you mad?¡± The temperature goes down in the class, and everyone prepares to run. However, after chastising Hatori and the boy (and sending him outside to get his injury healed), Krodhatma continues the class as if nothing happened. But the students who were observing him were certain that professor Krodhatma flinched after hearing that word. ¡°You see, you should be more like your professor. You shouldn¡¯t turn mad at the slightest provocation; you could end up hurting a lot of people like that guy who just left. Other people will get mad at you then.¡± Said Kangana. The volcano cannot be restrained anymore. the lava has climbed to the maximum limit. Unable to contain his anger, professor Krodhatma explodes. ¡°I¡¯m not mad, I¡¯m angry, you hear me? angry, angry, angry, angry, angry! This is the class of angry runes, not mad runes! It is what I have written on the board, there is no grammatical difference either.¡± With a smirk, Hatori manages to ditch Kangana in the chaos, who watches this rampage with open-mouthed shock, unable to deal with the sudden violence happening around her, as the professor tries to murder the students, while other students use spells, cheap shots, and plain old trampling to get out of the way of Krodhatma. However, this is not enough to make her leave him alone. ¡°Why won¡¯t you leave me already?¡± he asked. ¡°I¡¯ll kill you and bury you somewhere, you hear me?¡± he said to her at the dinner. ¡°Here, you need some more calcium. Maybe I should talk to healer Slaughter, and get you some calcium pills?¡± she wonders out loud. This girl is not afraid of him. The threats are useless against her unless he follows them. he could not follow up on his threats because she was only thinking of his well-being if he killed her, what would people think about him? he might be a villain, but there are lines he is not willing to cross. ¡®But I just might decide to cross them if she continues to push me like this.¡¯ He thinks while glaring at his friends. He is furious at them, why did they need to give that ad? The next day, the circus begins again. ¡°Should we stop this?¡± asked Raven in concern. ¡°No, that is for his own good,¡± said Shin. ¡°He needs to be more sociable.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I miss my partner, there are so many experiments pending because of this.¡± Said James. ¡°No!¡± said all three, ¡°You nearly destroyed our hideout and the time room with your last experiment.¡± Said Josh. ¡°SHHHH, there is no such thing as a time room,¡± said Shin with a whisper. ¡°Yeah, sorry.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Look, no amount of anger control will save you if you expose that place from Hatori.¡± Said Raven. While Shin and Raven explain that Hatori found that place, and he lets them use it because he trusts them, James is unable to watch the suffering of his friend any further. Hatori is the way he is, no amount of training is going to change that, otherwise Zeko would have already tried it. but maybe he should tell him that he should keep his secrets to himself, his advice of trying to modify the runes without carving them, or adding new ones again, without carving, helped him a lot. He merely needs to think of an idea, test it, and just apply it to his body now. James is happy that Hatori shared that with him.

Part 2.

Shin is going through his own modification ritual. Due to his ahem, existence crisis, he was left behind. As a result, Hatori and James helped him out in designing his ritual and the rune work. But the modifications are entirely his own. aside from a few physical improvements to make his body strong (though he won¡¯t be competing with Josh or Hatori in a head-to-head physical fight), most of his improvements were in improving his vocals, specifically giving him a microphone right on his throat which he can on and off at will, allowing him to sing at his usual notes, without going hire, and spreading his voice as far as he could. Apart from this, due to his improving shape-shifting abilities, he has transmuted the tops of his hair into bells, instead of attaching them every morning. ¡®Imagine the surprise when I duel Hatori. I wish to test the illusive properties of these bells against his audio defenses.¡¯ He thinks while coming out of the ground. He needs to take a dip in a tub in which the healing and soothing potions are mixed in. Carving runes on the body can be a painful and bloody task, after which some cleaning is in order. At least there is no chance of infections since the wounds do close up quickly after the ritual. he finds Lavanya outside of the ground. She still has not made any connections beyond him. ¡°I can never understand how you and your friends can stand that place.¡± She said, falling in step with him. ¡°I never went inside after the second time. the whole place gives strange vibes.¡± ¡°Huh. never felt that,¡± said Shin, not mentioning the tunnel, or the room located underground. They may have gone through some traumatic events together, but Shin has learned over fourteen years of orphan life that you do not give your secrets so easily to anyone.

Part 3.

when Kangana is not looking, Hatori escapes by taking his ghostly form. Smoothly coming out of a wall, he senses her in the corridor, and not finding her, congeals into his human form. ¡°Waa!¡± screamed a voice spooked. ¡°Am I that scary?¡± asked Hatori, with his cracking fourteen-year-old voice, trying to sound gruff. ¡°More like startled me,¡± said Ranveer, who is the spooked one. ¡°You look like a prisoner who just escaped the jail.¡± Commented Ranveer. ¡°You don¡¯t even know the half of it.¡± Hatori wanted to cry, but the tears won¡¯t come. ¡°I think we should leave this place.¡± Said Hatori, sensing Kangana coming close. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. Grabbing Ranveer, he ran in the opposite direction and ended up right in the steps of Corvus¡¯s office. ¡°Why must I run with you? I¡¯m not a prisoner.¡± ¡°Because you talked with a prisoner, therefore you are guilty.¡± Said Hatori with a smirk. ¡°Whatever. Do you have a partner for this year¡¯s events?¡± he asked. ¡°Partner, for what?¡± he asked. the only partner he ever had was for dueling practice. ¡°You don¡¯t know? there are some parties which you can attend with a partner this year. they hold them every year, but for fourth years and below are not allowed, it escaped you.¡± said Ranveer. ¡®That, and the council hounding you.¡¯ he added in his head. ¡°Hmm. never thought about it, in fact, I¡¯ve only heard about that from you,¡± said Hatori. ¡°That is surprising, even James knows about it,¡± said Ranveer. Hatori has a sour look on his face. ¡°Those bastards, they stuck me with a crazy girl!¡± he exploded. ¡°Easy now. I¡¯m taking him to those events, by the way,¡± said Ranveer. ¡°Who, James?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yeah,¡± he observed Hatori for a reaction. ¡°Already have a partner huh? I¡¯ll see who can I find, or whether I should find someone or not,¡± said Hatori. Ranveer relaxes, looks like there won¡¯t be any trouble coming from Hatori. ¡°So, there you are.¡± Said a demonic voice. Hatori tries to escape, but Kangana grabs him. ¡°Did he express any anger at you?¡± she asked Ranveer. ¡°No, we were just talking.¡± He answered, remembering the girl from the elections. She was the opponent of Josh. ¡®But what is she doing with Hatori? Is this some kind of revenge for her loss?¡¯ he thinks. ¡°Oh good, I¡¯m making progress with him. soon, he will have full control over his anger.¡± She smiles and drags Hatori with her. His face begged for help, but Ranveer remained rooted in his spot, unable to move. ¡®Somehow, I think I¡¯m better if I do not get involved.¡¯ He thought. ¡°Hey brother!¡± said Bhavani, coming skipping, and halting in front of him. ¡°What was the deal with that girl and Hatori?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. But I suggest we stay away.¡± Said Ranveer to his twin. ¡°Okay. father sent us new clothes; you should come with me to try them,¡± he said. ¡°Sure.¡± He said, leaving with his brother, and hoping that Hatori would come out of whatever this is alive. he likes the boy, there are very few people who can have such calm and deep conversations with him. His brother is sadly not on the list. He is too fiery and passionate for that.

Part 4.

¡°So,¡± said the girl, ¡°Given his history of assaulting the students, and targeting young female mages, we do not want him coming here during the convention in the festival, and we want Corvus to block him from coming here.¡± finishes the female student. ¡°Okay, the president and I will put this point in front of him,¡± said Avinash, while Tom looms in the background, taking his role of security guard very seriously. Some students have expressed their dislike of the new council and their preference to returning the old way. the president has taken this threat seriously, therefore every council member has at least one fighter with them. since Avinash himself is no slouch in magical fighting, he feels safe enough with Tom and doesn¡¯t feel the need for having multiple guards. ¡°Just for curiosity¡¯s sake, why do you not express similar sentiments against Professor Krodhatma?¡± asked Avinash, drumming his fingers on the arms of his chair. ¡°Because he never preyed on young girls, and for all his rages, not one student ever died by his hands. If anything, during the stampede, other students are likely to kill each other than get killed by his hands.¡± Said the girl. ¡°And before you say that his classes often end in a stampede, they have no one but themselves to blame. There is a board outside of his classroom, explaining that the word which triggers him should not be used in his presence. If they cannot remember that, then magic has no need for them.¡± ¡°I suspect Corvus will appreciate this attitude,¡± said Avinash. The female student nodded and left. Avinash sighed. This work is proving to be exhausting. He was hoping to get rid of his stress by raging at Hatori during lunch, but that weird girl just killed his mood. ¡°Boss, the president is coming here.¡± rumbled Tom. The boy has such a deep voice already, despite being a few months younger than him. ¡°I told you not to call me boss.¡± He spoke. ¡°Of course, boss.¡± Said Tom with a smirk. Josh comes in then. ¡°So, anything for me?¡± he asked, taking the chair. ¡°I thought I was supposed to come to you,¡± said Avinash, after he finished telling the complaints of that girl to Josh. ¡°Well, I was outside of the office, and you are the only one remaining who didn¡¯t come during the evening meeting, so I decided to come here myself.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I was held up by that girl.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°It¡¯s fine, I¡¯m not holding this over you,¡± he said. ¡°Did you imagine that¡¯ll be so tiring?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°No. but this is a small price to pay to see my vision come into reality.¡± Said Josh. ¡°A fair student body which is not a puppet of the professors or the nobility.¡±

Part 5.

the festival is set to start in a few weeks, and there is a frantic search for partners among the students fifth year and beyond. Hatori is untouched by this chaos, working to develop his spells. he finally got bored of lightning spells, so he decided to use his knowledge, and develop some non-elemental spells. the time to do this he has to request from Kangana politely. All the while thinking the ways of murdering her in various horrifying ways, he asked with a pleasant expression to let him develop some spells alone, and surprisingly, she agreed. However, he is still not going to be nicer to people. Let someone else handle the diplomacy. ¡°But your never-ending streak of violence and hate is going to one day tie your own rope!¡± said the voice of Kangana in Hatori¡¯s head. ¡®Then so be it.¡¯ he replied. ¡°Hatori, are you done?¡± asked Shin from the tunnel. ¡°We should leave, we¡¯ve got some new areas to search for.¡± ¡°Coming.¡± Said Hatori, packing his notes. searching the old antiques and selling them, as well as the poison detection yantras are giving Hatori a lot of money, but he is fully aware that it is not a fortune on which he can call himself independent from Zeko.

Part 6.

¡°Did you find any boy?¡± asked Daphne to Ravina. ¡°No. what about you?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°Me neither.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Maybe in your case, you like girls?¡± she teased. ¡°Hmm. haven¡¯t thought about that,¡± said Ravina. ¡°But I¡¯m sure you will pick a boy.¡± ¡°Right. But the choice seems not good in my opinion.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Maybe except for a certain blind boy.¡± ¡°Really? Him? you can have anyone, but you pick him? That guy is a monster.¡± Said Ravina. ¡°You know what? I¡¯m definitely picking him up. let¡¯s see whether he is really a monster or not.¡± said Daphne. ¡°Fine.¡± Said Ravina. ¡®But I¡¯ll be sure to keep an eye on you.¡¯ she thinks, cancelling any plans to find a partner. Looks like she has to sacrifice for her friend.

Part 7: the first contact.

Though stories of Elves, Goblins, Dwarves, Trolls, and Fae are quite old, having been told on both sides by magic users and non-magic users, everyone thought that these were nothing but myths. until one Elven ship crashed on the magical dimension side of the earth, where they got the first confirmation. The ship landed on the outskirts of the Academy, where the entrance to the dimension where the Academy is located. Zeko found the ship and dismantled it, and many people got angry at him for doing that. however, the Elves were not bothered by this at all. During this temporary stay, the Elf princess left a prophecy that is tightly controlled by the kings of the Subcontinent, no one knows about the exact words or the conditions of this prediction, aside from its existence. The contact grew enough that Dwarves, the second race to come in contact with humans, are employed on Earth by mages for various tasks, though mostly they worked as cooks, instead of mining, unlike the stories about them. however, according to some Dwarves, they used to do both of these things, but they have left them behind by this point. they have good enough technology to mine for them, so they do not have any reason to do that by themselves. This caused the historians to think, how come they know stories about these creatures when they only got in contact with them about 80 or so years ago? Some historians theorize that they used to be in contact with some old human tribes, and over time their stories were passed down to their generation and got corrupted into the modern-day stories as we know them. Elves have not spoken or made any contact with humans ever since their first crash-landing, and Dwarves do not care about how humans portray them in their local stories. The thoughts of other races are currently unknown. Chapter 113 Chapter 113.

Part 1.

The time of the festival is today. Today is the first day of the twelfth month, and the entire month-long minivacation for the students will start tonight with a loud bang, after a string of month-long events like conventions and competitions, it will be concluded with fireworks on the final night of the year to start the new year. Hatori has also learned that you can also find a master'' for the two-year-long apprenticeship offered by the Academy, which is mandatory for every student. this time is used to learn a new discipline and handle its responsibilities out there in the real world. it is essentially like an internship process, where you have to work and travel with your teacher and work with them for two years. And who told him all of this? Why Kangana of course! The girl who is making plans for him in this festival. ¡°There will be a lot of public attention on you this year, not only because you are popular as a hero¡ª¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a hero!¡± denied Hatori. ¡°¡ªBut because of your stunts for the last two years.¡± She said, without missing a beat. ¡°Also, you are a powerful mage. Power attracts people, so you better get used to it and learn to handle yourself in those situations. This will be a perfect time to practice your social skills. Do not lose your temper, got it?¡± said Kangana, with her hair starting to flame. ¡°Your hair is on fire.¡± Said Hatori. She blushed. ¡°Sorry, that happens to me when I get too passionate.¡± She spoke. The flames left her hair unharmed. ¡®Looks like she has good fire resistance.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. He rules out fire element spells against her when they end up in a fight. and given how she has been such a pain in the backside for him, it is only a matter of time before he explodes on her. As for impressing a mage to take him on as his apprentice? Hatori is not bothered about that. ¡®I¡¯m not gonna cozy up to some egoistic old man. if need be, I¡¯ll ask the professors, I¡¯m sure they won¡¯t mind taking another apprentice, given how they handle multiple apprentices.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. He has already shortlisted a list of professors to approach. Krodhatma is on top, followed by Dhiraj, and Bali is his last resort. ¡®I¡¯m sure I¡¯ll learn a lot about living with a person who hates me if I end up his apprentice.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. ¡®But why does Kangana call me a powerful mage? Surely some students are better than me, and have more future potential than me?¡¯

Part 2.

Looks like everyone has paired up. Hatori is sensing the partners of his friends, while he also is hearing some grumblings about himself, for actually being with two girls. Shin has come with Lavanya, which is not surprising. Though she is still rather cold towards them, these two have grown close to each other, spending a lot of time together. James is with Ranveer, which doesn''t surprise him. He already knew this when Ranveer told him about it when Hatori was trying to flee from Kangana. Hatori didn¡¯t think about it much. it is James¡¯s choice after all. Raven is with Ramya. ¡°What?¡± he muttered, too surprised to keep his control. Ramya Dhawan is the daughter of General Sundar, with whom Hatori had some altercations a few years ago. However aside from her attempt of giving him an itchy potion in the name of healing him during his first year in the Academy, Hatori has not heard about her, nor has he got in contact with her. The girl also kept her distance from him, which suited Hatori just fine. However, the next pairing is even more surprising. Josh is with Kangana. But this time, he managed to control himself. ¡®Weren¡¯t they fighting a battle just a few months ago?¡¯ wonders Hatori. ¡®Whatever. It is not like everyone is going to spend their entire lives with each other, just because they came to this party with them.¡¯ thinks Hatori. However, this pairing is proof that the world has gone mad, and nothing makes sense now. The opening event of the festival started with dinner and some music, and the music was quite loud. Daphne, the girl with whom Hatori has paired up offers some food to Hatori, which the boy enjoys. ¡°Hmm. quite delicious.¡± He said to her. ¡°What?¡± she screamed, unable to hear the reply of Hatori due to the loud music. Hatori remembers that the music may sound normal level to him, but it is quite loud. ¡®She can¡¯t hear me.¡¯ he realizes. ¡®But I don¡¯t want to scream just to be heard.¡¯ He thought of blasting the stage, and lighting the speakers on fire, but decided it would be going too far. ¡®I must practice restraint this year.¡¯ He thinks to himself. He then starts to modify his runes, and they get updated. His voice cancels the volume of the music entirely and reaches Daphne¡¯s ears clearly. ¡°It was delicious.¡± He said to her, sounding way too calm in this loud environment. He also protected himself from the sounds, the music did not thump on his chest as it once did. ¡®It is good that I took care of that problem. Ears are not the only parts which are vulnerable to the effects of loud sound.¡¯ He thought. ¡°Do you want something else?¡± she asked. ¡°No. let me bring something for you,¡± he said, summoning a glass, and poring the juice for her, displaying his ability to handle the liquid by putting it in the glass without using anything, and making it fly from the large bowls right over the heads of everyone. Daphne watches this in awe, while Ravina sits at the same table, glowering at Hatori. ¡®Show-off.¡¯ She thinks. that the entire display was unnecessary in her opinion. ¡®Everyone knows he can do fociless magic, he didn¡¯t have to show it off like that.¡¯ She has come as a chaperone to watch out for Daphne since her friend is clearly not able to think logically in the presence of this monster. But people have confused her for another date of Hatori, which causes her to glare at them until they find that they have to be somewhere else. She is not a second fiddle to anyone, least of all to Daphne, and certainly not a second date for Hatori.

Part 3.

While Hatori is meeting and handling the students and other mages who are here on a visit nicely (it also helps that Daphne is helping him out wherever she can), someone is watching them. this is Murli, the person who was a member of the old council, who debated with Josh and lost badly. Going into a public debate was the worst blunder he ever made, and this destroyed the council. ¡®And now, the unclean thing even has the foreign witch.¡¯ He thinks while eying Daphne. ¡®True, she¡¯s quite younger than me, but that hasn¡¯t stopped me before.¡¯ The girls were afraid of him back then, nobility or not, none of them ever said anything about his advances. True, the Academy is protected against that kind of activity inside, especially if it is nonconsensual, but outside, well¡­ accidents do happen. Having taken multiple glasses of an alcoholic drink (even though it is not allowed for the students), he got the confidence boost needed to approach Hatori. The buzz made him forget how this boy dueled and killed a professor right in this very hall last year. though if you look now, you will not find any traces of that battle in the grand hall. ¡°So, basically that sounds like a durable structure, built to stand for a long amount of time.¡± said an older student, talking about the runes with him. ¡°Interesting. I can already see the implications for the use in warding.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though, have you encountered the dialect which is said to be like a living organism?¡± ¡°Oh, I have.¡± Said the female student who came with this guy. ¡°Though I haven¡¯t seen it used much¡ª¡± ¡°Hey now.¡± Said Murli, grabbing the face of Daphne. ¡°Why are you spending time with this unclean low-class beast? Come with me.¡± he tries to kiss her, but she resists him. Getting angry, he grabs her arms and tries to drag her with him, but Hatori¡¯s voice stops him. ¡°I think you should leave her alone,¡± he said mildly, trying to defuse this situation, just like Kangana taught him. That tone made Murli furious. He turns around, and slaps Hatori, sending the apple juice in his hand flying everywhere. ¡°You just stay quiet, you hear me? she¡¯s just a foreign witch, I¡¯ll use her like a whore, and then she can come to you. until then, stay quiet!¡± he spits on Hatori. ¡°Though I doubt she will ever come back to you. You¡¯re nothing but an orphan, lifted from the streets by the king to make us the proper noble people look bad.¡± He spits on Hatori for the second time, and it lands on his cheek. Every word Kangana has told him over the past month is coming back to him now, how respect can be earned, how violence is not the only option, and how he must control his rage. ¡®Clearly, she was wrong.¡¯ He said, uncoiling his magic, and rooting Murli on his spot. ¡®Violence is the only way to gain any security. Fear is what I need, not respect.¡¯ The two male and female students flee, as Hatori attacks Murli with a Thundershock, who tries to use Daphne as a shield, but she slips his sloppy grip. His drunken mind is not fast enough to handle two things, those being keeping a hold of Daphne and using her as a shield, and keeping track of Hatori¡¯s next move simultaneously. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°You will regret this, boy! I was the first choice to become the president, and you will learn today why!¡± he retaliates with a fire spell, which fails and blows up on his face, making him stagger. ¡°I can see that,¡± said Hatori, wiping at the two spots where spit landed on him. ¡°Here¡¯s a thing that your precious professor taught me. guess he wasn¡¯t as useless as I thought he was.¡± Said Hatori. He uses Thunder Shock again, but the properties of the spell change. It resembled the transmutation spell of Blood-to-Acid which Krishna Menon used on Hatori last year. this bypasses Murli¡¯s protection against lightning, and since the boy has no resistance to that element (because he does not practice it), he gets a nasty shock. This sudden bit of pain is too much for his buzzed mind to handle, and he falls to the ground, unable to make his body move. Hatori advances on him, pinning him to the ground with chains that he just conjured, which are tied to a metal pipe that is buried in the ground halfway. No matter how much Murli tries to get out, the chains do not relent. Some students come to help him out, but the chains whip in a frenzy, attacking the students, and leaving them with bruises. ¡®Zeko was right. Animation is useful.¡¯ thinks Hatori as he looks down upon this pathetic worm who dares to assault his friend right in front of him. The elemental magic would have taken too much energy if he tried to conjure chains of fire, not to mention, kill his enemy before he could enact his next step. His magic is screaming for him to perform this act as soon as he can, but Kangana¡¯s voice interrupts him. ¡°Hatori, stop. He didn¡¯t mean it,¡± said Kangana. She has not seen the exchange between them, or what happened. So, she assumed that Hatori got angry at this boy for no reason at all. The students who witnessed Murli¡¯s actions, and heard his words look at Kangana, but she ignores them and grabs Hatori physically when it becomes clear to her that he is not going to listen to her. ¡°Get off me!¡± he screamed and backhanded her. She is sent flying and lands on a table, and ends up getting buried in the wreckage of wood, steel, and plates. Now that the distraction is over, Hatori grabs Murli¡¯s face. The buzz has faded now, and the terror is the only thing that is left in his brain. Hatori tries to put his fingers in his mouth, but he closes his jaws tightly. He regretted that he didn¡¯t do that a little bit later, he could have bitten his hand and made him let go and then escape from these chains. Hatori shocks him with raw lightning and makes him unclamp his jaws. He rips his teeth off with the sheer power of his fingers and then brings out his tongue. Murli tries to make Hatori¡¯s grip slip his tongue, all the while screaming with his bloody mouth for help, but soon his screams are silenced, as his tongue starts to free. He felt pinpricks on his tongue, and after that nothing. Hatori crushes this frozen organ, causing him to scream one final time. ¡°All of you remember this scene.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ll make your life a miserable hell if you ever bother my friends. If you have a problem with me, then that is fine. But never dare to threaten someone close to me.¡± said Hatori, spreading his magical pressure in the room. while Porus could have easily brought everyone to their knees, Hatori cannot do that yet when he spreads the pressure like that. but it is good enough to send a warning. His mood is now soured, so Hatori left for a shower. He has to clean himself off before he can forget that someone spat on him. ¡®I¡¯ll talk to Daphne once I¡¯m cleaned up.¡¯ he thinks, he leaves her near Ravina, who quickly embraces the shocked girl. ¡°Do take care of her, I need a shower. I¡¯ll talk to her after that,¡± he said to Ravina, before spinning on his heel, and walking out of the grand hall. Ravina is happy to see Hatori defend Daphne. His words ensured that they knew that he was furious that his friend was threatened like this. Though his need to get a shower was a bit odd, she didn¡¯t think about it much. After all, he was spat upon twice. The festivities resume once more, with an undercurrent of tension, which is heightened when Hatori comes back, wearing a fresh set of clothes. Gone are his clothes for this party, he is back to his usual normal blue-colored shirt, and black pants. She is unnerved at how easily he joined the festivities once more, coming to talk with Daphne as if nothing happened. ¡®His mood switch is terrifying. At least it is good for Daphne, she needs to forget that entire incident.¡¯ That is exactly why Ravina did not talk with Hatori about the incident earlier or his mood shift. Let her friend feel normal for now. ¡®And maybe, I should admit that I judged him too soon.¡¯ Thinks Ravina.

Part 3.

As soon as Josh saw Kangana grabbing Hatori physically in his rage, he just knew things wouldn¡¯t end well for her. After his prediction came true, he helped her out of the wreckage of the table and handed her a glass of orange juice. ¡°Here, drink this.¡± He said to her, giving her the glass. She gives him the glass back, which Josh sent to the place where all the used plates, glasses, and spoons are gathered for the Dwarves to take and clean. Given the violence she experienced a few moments ago, seeing Josh perform that bit of magic without a foci is not as shocking to her. Josh has talked to some other students to find out what happened, especially tracking down the pair who were talking with Hatori and Daphne before the fight broke out. he then talked to Ravina, and they all told him the same thing. ¡°You screwed up,¡± he said to Kangana seriously. ¡°I did, didn¡¯t I?¡± she said after taking a seat. ¡°And he was doing so well too.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not talking about Hatori here,¡± said Josh. ¡°You made an assumption and a wrong one at that.¡± Josh proceeds to tell her what he has learned. With each new detail, the girl grows paler and paler. ¡°By old sorcerers, no wonder that he was furious.¡± Said Kangana. ¡°And here I thought he was just raging as usual.¡± She shakes her head. ¡°Look, you¡¯ve done a good job with him, I see how he deals and talks with people outside of his friend circle now. But sometimes, the diplomatic ways you favor do not work.¡± Said Josh, ¡°As you have seen today.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Raven, sitting in front of Josh. ¡°And given his frustration, Hatori would have exploded in violence sooner or later,¡± he said. ¡°Sorry for eavesdropping on you guys.¡± He apologized. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it,¡± said Josh. ¡°Look, you¡¯re a good trainer. Clearly, you got a feel for this. Maybe you should pursue this further, go into mind healing or something. But just realize that everyone has limits.¡± Kangana smiles. ¡°True. Maybe I do have a knack for this, certainly more than politics.¡± ¡°On that, we can agree.¡± Said Josh, being gracious to his defeated rival.

Part 4.

Porus paces in the garden, enjoying the fresh rain in the night, and chirping of the insects. The festival will be kicking off in the Academy right now, some of his good memories come from this period. He used to be an idealistic kid, enjoying the time with his friends. ¡®I used to think what a beautiful place the world is.¡¯ thinks the king. ¡®Though I suppose it is still a beautiful place, except for the humans who inhabit it.¡¯ ¡®It is your responsibility to leave it better for the future generation.¡¯ Reminds the consciousness at the back of his head. ¡®Improve the world so the future generation can thrive, that is what a king does.¡¯ ¡®Haven¡¯t I done that for the last fifty years already?¡¯ thinks Porus, but the voice does not reply. ¡®Am I failing in my task?¡¯ The voice offers no answer to his question. no criticism, no guidance for improvement. This makes Porus wish for the warm embrace of his mother, or to be a small kid, so he can just rest in her lap. However, he then remembers how the same woman threw him out so cruelly, just because he did not put his family in top positions after becoming a king. Porus banishes all of his thoughts and decides to enjoy this night. He will not let the past make his mood sour.

Part 5.

Munshi arrives in the Academy, this time the mages who accompanied him two years ago are not with him. he thought of holding a convention, but decided not to do that. he doubts he will get any students interested in his craft that way, and become his apprentice. The older students might take an interest, but they already practice discipline, so there is no point in wasting his time explaining the details of necromancy or blood magic to them. Much like all the qualified masters who come here to visit, Munshi has access to the scores and ranks of the students of the last four years, who are now in their fifth year and are ready to become the intern-apprentice to a mage. But these scores do not tell the complete picture. Necromancy is a dangerous profession, where you have to adapt to the changing circumstances, for the spirits go out of control, and cause havoc all the time. they have to be good with symbols, and of course, the combat. But none of these students stand out. ¡®Wait, one student is consistently passing the rune class on top, and he also seems to be possessing a high ability of combat.¡¯ But he seems to have dropped the combat class. Munshi checks the name. ¡®Hatori, apprentice of Zeko. That explains it. he doesn¡¯t need classroom instructions to fight anyone.¡¯ He decides to pursue this boy further, and talk with other professors, and see what they say about him before making any decision. Chapter 114 Chapter 114.

Part 1.

It is the second day of the festival, and Daphne and Ravina are still around Hatori. ¡°You girls should stay away from me,¡± he said to them. ¡°It is dangerous to be around me, I always get attacked, or end up in trouble.¡± He struck the pose of a solum hero, forever doomed to be alone. ¡°Through no fault of my own, I always end up in violent incidents. I do not think it is safe for you to be around me,¡± said Hatori, trying to deepen his voice to sound even more tragic. ¡°Yeah right.¡± Said Ravina. ¡°We¡¯re not buying that act. You enjoy the violence.¡± The tragic atmosphere deflates, and Hatori laughs. ¡°How do you know that?¡± ¡°Because when you¡¯re in a fight, you always have a joyful expression. We saw that last year when you dueled Professor Useless.¡± Said Daphne. Ravina and Hatori have still not pressed her to talk to them about the events of yesterday. They want to make sure that she comes to them on her own. ¡°That is just a lie. I am a tragic¡ªvillain, who always has to face the unfairness of society. I do not enjoy violence. I am a peace-loving boy!¡± said Hatori. ¡°Hey, thanks for the sandwich.¡± Said Shin, taking Hatori¡¯s plate. ¡°Get back here you sandwich-thieving bastard!¡± he roared and chased after Shin. ¡°Tragic villain?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°Well, he hates being a hero.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Bastard got away from me,¡± muttered Hatori. It does not occur to him that a gentleman does not use language like that in the presence of two ladies. ¡°Weren¡¯t you a peace-loving boy?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t fight over a sandwich.¡± ¡°What? To fight over a sandwich is the right of the man, since ancient times, duels have taken place for sandwiches. Of course, you wouldn¡¯t know, because girls usually stay away from duels.¡± Said Hatori, conveniently ignoring all the girls who attacked him, and died by his hands as a result. ¡°We can defend ourselves in a fight,¡± said Ravina. ¡°Prove it,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Fine. I challenge you to a duel.¡± She said to him, while Daphne looked at her in concern. Hatori was about to accept, and even invite Daphne to participate to give them some chance of winning. But Josh comes and drags him off. ¡°Come here, we have a meeting.¡± He said to him.

Part 2.

¡°Nandan, how¡¯re you doing?¡± asked Hatori, recognizing his signature as soon as he entered the room. Nandan is in the visitor¡¯s room, where he is with his master. ¡°So, you will graduate next year huh?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yep. Though it isn¡¯t much of a change, I barely stay here as it is,¡± said Nandan. ¡°Dimitri makes me work hard.¡± Nandan observes the change in the boys. Josh looks more confident, Shin seems to have lost his awkwardness around his friends, James seems to be more comfortable talking, and Hatori has grown so strong. The boy has grown in height and muscles. ¡®Just Look at that thick neck!¡¯ Nandan itched to wrestle with him. but he sees that one of them is missing. ¡°Where is Raven?¡± he asked. ¡°He is preparing for his chess tournament. He wishes to defeat Suresh, the champion for the last four years.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Yeah, he is in the same year as you are.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Ah, I have heard of him. haven¡¯t had much contact with him though,¡± said Nandan. ¡°Makes sense, both of you are in different fields.¡± Said James. ¡°Guys, I was told you are all here,¡± said Kangana. ¡°Yeah, what¡¯s up?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Can I talk to Hatori for a moment?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure.¡± He walks out with her, ignoring the snicker of Nandan. ¡°If he loses his focus, and gets involved with girls, he will never become stronger than me,¡± said Nandan. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him the bad news then.¡± Said Shin. ¡°He is involved with not just one girl, but two of them.¡± ¡°What a greedy bastard!¡± laughed Nandan, unconcerned for the younger boys around him. they are fourteen, they have likely heard these words and used them themselves.

Part 3.

Kangana brings him to the empty part of the ground, near the stream, underneath the large oak tree. ¡°I wanted to apologize to you,¡± she said to him. ¡°I didn¡¯t know why you got angry, and I just assumed.¡± ¡°Assumed that I went on a rampage just because?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes.¡± She spoke. ¡°Also, I do think I pushed you too much.¡± ¡°Okay, I accept your apology, especially since you do recognize your mistake. And I¡¯m also sorry for hitting you,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I should not strike the people who are trying to help me.¡± Kangana is happy to hear that. looks like her work is paying off. She probably would have been more successful if she gave him his own space once in a while, instead of hounding him to do things in a ¡°Right¡± way. ¡°Josh thinks I should pursue the mental healer¡¯s path. Do you think he is right?¡± she asked, as they left this isolated spot. ¡°Well, sure. Just remember, it probably won¡¯t be easy. You will encounter people who are much more difficult to handle than me.¡± he said in a joking tone.

Part 4.

It is the second week of the month, and some families have come to meet the fifth-year students. For a lot of the adults, it is a flashback to their childhood years when they studied in the Academy. however, Shin watches all of this happening, just observing the interaction between the children and their families. This is something which he will never have. Hatori is with him as well. ¡°I wish I could invite my parents here,¡± he said while seeing the meeting of Josh and Raven¡¯s families. Hatori is about to offer some commentary after listening to Josh laughing at his brother¡¯s joke, but he senses a familiar signature of magic, and his head whips up so fast that he cracks his neck. Shin winced after hearing that, it sounded painful. ¡°How¡¯re you doing, boy?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°I see you know I was coming here. good, you have not lost your observation skills.¡± ¡°I do not want to go through the remedial training.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It has been years since I have come here,¡± he said to his student. ¡°I wish to see how you behave in this environment. Please don¡¯t mind me as I watch you.¡± ¡°O¡­kay?¡± said Hatori. ¡°Of course, there¡¯s another thing.¡± Zeko brings out the mirror which Hatori uses for talking with his parents. ¡°I think we should go into your dorms for this.¡± ¡°True.¡± Said Hatori. Shin thought that he would remain alone, observing people, but Hatori grabbed him and dragged him with him to the dorm. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a private call?¡± he asked. ¡°You are invited.¡± Said Hatori. The call starts, and Karan picks it up. ¡°Hatori? Is that you?¡± he asked, having not seen his son for a long time. ¡°You look strong son, just look at those muscles!¡± he said. ¡°Who are you talking to?¡± asked Rita, she gave a gasp of surprise when she saw Hatori. ¡°Wow. No wonder you were so excited. He looks strong and healthy.¡± ¡°Well, it is all the result of Master Zeko¡¯s efforts.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Also, I have a new friend. He is Shin, he is great with music.¡± ¡°Indeed?¡± asked Karan. ¡°I remember you never enjoyed the classes we put you on.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t have any problem with the classes. It was performing in front of the relatives.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I do see the boy has a stylish look.¡± Said Rita. ¡°With that hairstyle, he could do well with any bands around here.¡± Hatori nudges Shin to say something. ¡°Hello sir, mam.¡± He said, too nervous to say anything else. ¡°Sir?¡± asked Karan. ¡°Mam?¡± said Rita. ¡°What a way to make us feel old.¡± They said together. ¡°So, what, you¡¯re not exactly young, Dad.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What? You are lucky that I¡¯m not there to show you my strength, you whippersnapper.¡± Said Karan. ¡°Anyway, doesn¡¯t this friend of yours have his own family to meet with? Zeko clued us in before he came there.¡± ¡°He is an orphan dad.¡± Said Hatori bluntly. ¡°Hmm. I see.¡± Said Rita. ¡°But I do think he has gained a brother, don¡¯t you think, dear?¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Of course.¡± Said Karan. ¡°And if he ever gives you trouble, just call me. I¡¯ll be happy to straighten him for you,¡± said Rita with a smile. ¡°Mother!¡± said Hatori with a blush. ¡°Thanks. This means a lot to me,¡± said Shin, choked with emotions. He is grateful that Hatori made him part of this experience, and how easily his parents accepted him. ¡°Talk to you later, son.¡± Said Karan. ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori. And then, the call ends.

Part 5.

As usual, Hatori has a limit to how much he can tolerate the loud festive environment. Therefore, he decides to spend some time in the forest to relax. He already spied on the location with the help of the crows, who told him that nothing chaotic was happening right now. Watching him go out, Maria Asato, Zhuge Liang, the Singh twins, and the shadow twins also decide to tag with him. They brought food with them and decided to have a picnic at the old side of Hatori¡¯s camp. the snake and elephant greeted him telepathically, apparently, they were in range, but not visible. while Hatori, Liang, and Maria have a three-way Go tournament with each other, the Singh twins and the shadow twins are passing the time with the dogs who have shown up. these are the same dogs among whom Josh ended up when he possessed the body of a puppy. That puppy seems to have grown strong and has formed his own group. Currently, though, he is making pathetic faces at the girls to beg for food from them. a tactic that seems to be very successful. ¡°So cute!¡± they squeal. ¡°Yeah, wait until he opens his mouth.¡± The dog gives a glair to Hatori. ¡®Don¡¯t spoil my fun, human!¡¯ he communicated clearly. ¡®Looks like you have developed your abilities.¡¯ thinks Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t glare at the dogs like that.¡± chided Maya, ¡°They will get scared of you.¡± Apparently, Hatori¡¯s face is scary. After an enjoyable picnic, they go back to the Academy. the shadow twins are discussing the theme of their family, where every generation is named according to a certain theme. In their generation, it is the shadow and illusion. ¡°But our older brother is named Savera, after the morning.¡± ¡°Strange. Why would anyone enjoy getting named after a hated time?¡± asked Bhavani. ¡°I completely agree¡ª¡± Hatori stiffens in reaction to sensing something coming at them, and a strange thing nearly tramples them all. He attacks this strange thing with lightning, using Thundershock. But it does not have any effect at all. ¡°A yantra made of rubber. That I have not seen before.¡± Mutters Hatori, while conjuring chains to restrict its movements. That worked for a while, but the yantra contorted its body and slipped through the chains. It then attacks, expanding its arms, and catching Hatori in a bearhug. While it may look amusing, getting squeezed like that is no fun. If it weren¡¯t for his modified stronger body, Hatori would have been crushed already. He escapes by pouring flames from his body. The rubber starts to smoke, and the yantra has to let go of him. Hatori takes advantage of this, and slams his foot down, turning earth into a soft swampy ground. The Yantra starts to sink. It tries to get out, but Hatori transmutes the swamp into cement, trapping half of this strange yantra¡¯s body. Hatori then lights it on fire after conjuring some oil. This does not destroy the yantra, and it comes out of the smoke, charred in some places, but still moving. It extracted itself from the cement through brute force. Liang and the Singh twins prepare to attack, getting out of their shock at this sudden attack. but before they can do that, the clapping sound starts to echo in the clearing. ¡°Looks like your fight or flight response is just fight and fight,¡± said Munshi, jumping from the tree where he watched the small skirmish. ¡°I do notice that you didn¡¯t use much variety, some elemental spells, some raw elemental magic, and transmutation.¡± Hatori said nothing. ¡°You have potential boy, do seek me out before this festival is over.¡± Said Munshi, slowly disappearing in front of their eyes after delivering his final words. Hatori tries to sense him, but his signature has disappeared entirely. ¡°That was a clear invitation of apprenticeship as I¡¯ve ever seen.¡± Said Liang. ¡°You can¡¯t be serious. The guy attacked us!¡± said Chaya. ¡°Not us, just Hatori.¡± Points out Maria. ¡°That yantra could have come after any of us, and due to our shock, we wouldn¡¯t have been able to react. But it did not, and fought just Hatori.¡± ¡°She¡¯s right.¡± Said Ranveer. ¡°That guy was only interested in you.¡± ¡°But why me though?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Only he can answer that,¡± said Liang. ¡°Let¡¯s get back inside, there¡¯s no point standing around, and arguing about his motivations.¡± ¡°Right.¡± They all said together.

Part 6.

Zeko is hunting, trying to pin down the magical signature of his prey. While he does not rely on magical sensing as heavily as his student, he is no slouch on it either. He finds Munshi coming from his own quarter and nearly takes his head off with a Piercer spell. ¡°Oohhh. Such hostility.¡± He said, not worried about the threat to his life. ¡°Any particular reason for it?¡± ¡°I heard what kind of stunt you pulled off yesterday.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Do you honestly think I¡¯ll let you go so easily after you threaten my student¡¯s life?¡± ¡°He is going to be my student as well you know.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°In fact, I helped you out when you were just starting to train him. so why are you behaving this way?¡± Zeko said nothing. ¡°Is that about the Sanjay incident?¡± Zeko growled. ¡°Whether you like it or not, that boy has potential. And you have done a wonderful job of bringing it out. but you have hit your limits, haven¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Only he can decide whether he wishes to learn from you or not,¡± said Zeko. ¡°I don¡¯t have any problem with that,¡± said Munshi. ¡°I won¡¯t try to influence him, just introduce him to my field. Rest is up to him.¡± Zeko shakes his head, throwing his hair every which way. ¡®That is the best I¡¯m gonna get.¡¯ He thinks, before spinning on his heel and walking away at a brisk pace. ¡®I¡¯m sorry my friend, but I won¡¯t be the statue who will take punches because of your regret and guilt.¡¯ Said Munshi.

Part 7.

It is the final match with Suresh. After Raven has defeated everyone, and qualified for the championship match, he has to fight Suresh in a series of matches. Whoever wins five matches will be the winner, and draws do not count. As a result, they have been playing each other for five days straight, during this time, they have four games which have results and six draws. So far, Raven and Suresh have won two games each. Whoever wins the fifth match will be the winner. This grueling match has sapped the energy of both players; however, they are not willing to give up. after the game in the morning ended up in a draw, they are playing a new match after dinner, and it is still going strong with twelve in the night. for four hours straight, both of them have tried to maneuver around each other, trying to achieve victory, and the end game has come finally. Suresh has only two rooks and a bishop left, along with two pawns, while Raven¡¯s queen is still in the game, along with one rook one knight, and just one pawn. Raven advances the remaining pawn, since it is close to the final square, and there is no piece to obstruct it. Suresh threatens to check his king, but Raven defends, and after waiting for his turn, advances the pawn once again. Suresh brings the rook to his corner, he will capture the pawn as soon as it is advanced, even if it gets promoted to a queen. Raven advances his knight to protect the pawn, while Suresh moves his remaining rook. Suresh forgot to keep his bishop guarded, and Raven captures it with his remaining rook, Suresh advances a pawn to threaten Raven¡¯s king. But he moves it aside before the pawn can reach him, and on his next turn, puts Suresh¡¯s king in check. Raven calculates that if his pawn gets captured even after the promotion, and his knight takes the rook, he will still have a check on Suresh. So, he did exactly that, and the game played out exactly as he thought it would. In the final few moves, Suresh¡¯s king is boxed in by Raven¡¯s knight, rook, and queen, and he resigns. Raven has become the new chess champion of the school. However, he is too tired to celebrate. He takes the trophy to his dorm and shambles to his bed like a zombie. Chapter 115 Chapter 115.

Part 1.

Raven wakes up the next day, quite late in the morning. Since no classes are going on right now, he can sleep for a long time. true, classes for the students in the fourth year start in the afternoon, but the students still have to wake up early to get ready on time for them. Since the classes start late, they end even later, and coupled with assignments and other things, the students do end up going to sleep late at night. so, it all evens out. Of course, then there are violent conspiracies going on against each other every night. though according to what Raven has heard from other professors, their generation is much less violent than the students who came before them. ¡®What happened last night?¡¯ the only thing which Raven remembers is the crushing exhaustion, and inability to think of anything else. But then, the memories start to come back, he remembers the match he had yesterday with Suresh. He faced him all week long, and the champion did not relent in the slightest. He pushed him to his breaking point. ¡®But did I win?¡¯ removing the curtains of his bed, he finds all his friends clapping. He sees the trophy resting near his bed. ¡°Good job you did there.¡± Said Hatori, giving him a hug. James, Josh, and Shin also piled on top of him, making him laugh. ¡°You deserve it,¡± said Suresh, who is also in the room. ¡°I¡¯m really glad that I lost to a worthy opponent.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not angry?¡± asked Raven, taking the glass of water from James since his mouth was dry. ¡°Angry? Why would I be angry? I lost, you won. Fair and square. You deserve that trophy.¡± Said Suresh. ¡°Of course, it¡¯ll be interesting to see whether you can keep it as long as I did or not.¡± ¡°I will graduate undefeated.¡± Said Raven. ¡°We¡¯ll see.¡± He smiled, shook hands with Raven, and then left.

Part 2.

After they were done celebrating with Raven for his victory yesterday, Hatori leaves to find that strange guy who attacked him in the forest with that yantra. Hatori is sure that he can find him in the visitor¡¯s quarters. He just has to pin his signature down. Which didn¡¯t prove to be that hard, meaning that he wished to be found. ¡°Enjoying the sunbath I see.¡± Said Hatori, coming up from behind. The man is startled. ¡°Need to put a bell on you,¡± he muttered. Looks like the boy has picked up the bad habits of his master. ¡°Now,¡± said Hatori, taking a seat near him, ¡°Why did you attack me with that strange yantra?¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a yantra.¡± Said the older man. ¡°It was a spirit.¡± ¡°A spirit?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, but before we can proceed any further, let¡¯s introduce ourselves to each other. What do you say?¡± at Hatori¡¯s nod, he proceeds to introduce himself. ¡°I am Munshi, the premier necromancer, and practitioner of soul magic, and an expert in blood magic. the only one who can rival me in the blood magic is Professor Krodhatma.¡± ¡°Probably because blood magic uses symbols drawn in blood.¡± Said Hatori. He then introduces himself. ¡°I am Hatori Eagle. I have no expertise at all, and I often struggle to understand magic. therefore, I only learn enough to make it work.¡± Munshi smiled at that description. ¡°Believe it or not boy, most mages are like that. especially the ones who have to practice their art in the real world.¡± ¡°What are the uses of necromancy?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Tons. The officers of law request the services of a necromancer to find out the information about a crime all the time, in certain cases, souls have been summoned to question directly. However, it is not easy to do that.¡± said Munshi. ¡°That all seems to be related.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Souls, blood, necromancy.¡± ¡°And you wouldn¡¯t be wrong to think that way. I wish to offer my knowledge to you, for I think you have the potential to learn it quite well,¡± explained Munshi. ¡°You see, it is not just dealing with blood or souls. You oftentimes have to deal with spirits, and these deals can turn violent at the drop of a hat. And I have seen your capacity for violence twice. A few days ago, when you fought my spirit, and two years ago when you led an army of beasts right inside of this school.¡± Hatori remembers how many times he has fought with spirits, but how little he understands about them. he wanted to read about them, but given his schedule, he does not have the luxury to just learn about a theoretical topic. But here, he seems to have a chance to learn about them, and even use them for his own gain in the future. ¡°What about the payment? I do not have enough money to pay for this training.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Not to worry. The Academy will pay me,¡± said Munshi. ¡®Or I can teach you without the pay, I¡¯m not exactly struggling for money. But you don¡¯t need to know that.¡¯ ¡°Okay. what will the training entail?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°The process you mean?¡± asked Munshi. At Hatori¡¯s nod, he explains. ¡°We¡¯ll travel around, solving cases. You will learn the theory from me, and then apply that theory to the cases on which we¡¯re working. It¡¯ll be sort of on-the-job learning.¡± ¡°Okay, consider me sold.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Is there a specific phrase I must say to become your apprentice?¡± ¡°No. you¡¯ve read too many books. You have given your consent, your guardian will be informed, and we can start the training when the next year of the Academy begins.¡± Explained Munshi.

Part 3.

Josh understands people, much better than his friends. that is why his social life is much larger than his friends. Shin could compete with him, but his orphan status often gets in his way. though slowly, he has started to come out of the stigma of his birth. His understanding of people, as well as having first-hand experience with the issues they are facing led to his victory in the elections. His brother was surprised to see how he changed the system which has been standing for a hundred years. But Josh also understands math, in some cases, much better than people. Therefore, he is going to Amelia Davis, to talk about his coming next two years. He knocked on the door. ¡°Enter!¡± comes the voice from inside. ¡°Professor, may I talk to you?¡± he asked, coming to stand in front of her desk. ¡°Certainly. Please take a seat.¡± She motions Josh to sit down. She idly notices how this student of hers towers over her even while seated. ¡°What do you wish to discuss with me?¡± she asked. ¡°I wanted to know whether you have a spot open for the apprenticeship?¡± he asked. ¡°I know that you are working with five students already.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I would have any trouble in accommodating another student, judging from your performance so far.¡± She spoke. ¡°Now, whether you can handle the workload or not, that is something you have to decide.¡± ¡°You mean my position of president and the workload of the course with you?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Precisely.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°I¡¯m willing to handle the workload, mam, I don¡¯t think I would have any conflict with my position with this course.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Then join me next year,¡± she said. ¡°But before you can do that, you must give a test.¡± Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡°A test?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Yes. Are you willing to give it now?¡± she asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Said Josh. Josh solved the test in an hour, which was the time limit. However, some of the questions do not make sense. ¡°I see you have left certain questions.¡± Said Amelia, going over Josh¡¯s work. ¡°To be honest professor, they sound like gibberish to me,¡± said Josh. Amelia smiled. ¡°And that is exactly what they are.¡± She spoke. ¡°This is how I check the students for prerequisites. However, in my opinion, you do not need any prior preparation before joining the intensive class next year,¡± said Amelia. ¡°Understand this Mister Fernandes, you will not get such easy problems in that class. If you fail to hate me by the time the year ends, then I have failed to teach you properly.¡± ¡°Challenge accepted, professor.¡± Said Josh with a wide grin.

Part 4.

Sangita, the professor of music is watching Shin¡¯s performance. The audience is spellbound by his performance, and there is no magic here. his natural music is so good that the simplest theme can force the audience to sit up and take notice. His understanding of scales and notes, and his ear for music are also well-refined. ¡®However, there is always room for improvement.¡¯ She thinks as the performance is over, and the boy comes down from the stage. This isn¡¯t his first performance this year, but it will be the last one for the year. Shin has done all this year, played piano in the group, did vocal performances, and of course, played violin. Overall, he considers this year to be a success, because instead of playing support, he also got to be the lead player in various musical acts. He is glad to see the professor clapping for him. She has treated him well, even though she has come from a noble background. ¡®But then again, I have not seen her discriminating among her students like that before.¡¯ ¡°Wonderful performance.¡± She spoke. ¡°Though I think you could have used some low-pitched notes in the middle.¡± Shin accepts the advice with a nod. ¡°I¡¯ll do that next time,¡± he said. ¡°Good. A good musician is the one who is always learning. Now, you have learned a lot from me, and I have enjoyed teaching you. but next year, I¡¯m leaving on a tour of sorts to prepare a book on the latest changes across the music of the Subcontinent. I would like it if you tag along with me as my apprentice.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± smiled Shin. ¡°I do get to read your book in advance, right?¡± ¡°Of course. Do forgive the mistakes, I¡¯m a musician first, writer second.¡± Shin chuckled at her joke.

Part 5.

Though Hatori is happy to meet the parents of his friends, he is getting haggard by all these meetings. Although it is amusing to see what a character some of these parents are. Liang¡¯s father is a completely serious guy, though he seems to be hiding a cutting sense of humor behind that veneer of seriousness. Maria¡¯s father is bombastic and energetic, much like his daughter. He also loves challenges. Clearly, Maria has taken after her father. Then, he met David Blake, the father of Daphne, and Lohar, the father of Ravina. ¡°My, you have grown up boy!¡± said David, remembering the rather sheltered boy who came for dinner at their house. ¡°Clearly master Zeko has trained you well.¡± The boy has filled out nicely, just look at those arms and that neck. ¡°Thank you, sir.¡± Said Hatori, not sure what else to say. ¡°I hear you like wrestling.¡± Asked Lohar. ¡°May I ask who leaked that info?¡± asked Hatori with a dangerous expression. ¡°Don¡¯t worry boy, things do get around.¡± Said Lohar. ¡°I love a bout of grappling after a hard day¡¯s work in the shop. Though you are still too young to fight with me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t underestimate him, father,¡± said Ravina. ¡°He killed a professor last year.¡± ¡°Ba! So, he killed a useless professor. He should challenge a real man like me!¡± Lohar thumped his chest. ¡°Ignore him,¡± said David. ¡°I hear that you two are getting close.¡± Said David, and Hatori gets the feeling that he has traveled in a dangerous area. ¡°Maybe she should answer this question?¡± he said, diverting the danger to Daphne, while he gets ready to run. ¡°Well, he is not so brazen like the other boys of the class.¡± Said Daphne. ¡®That answer doesn¡¯t lessen the danger for me, girl!¡¯ screamed Hatori in his head. David looks at Hatori with a keener eye. ¡°Hmm. well, we¡¯ll decide that when we meet your mother.¡± He said to Daphne. ¡®Why do I feel as if that entire exchange took place above my head, and I don¡¯t even get a say in it?¡¯ wonders Hatori, while keeping his face straight. Sensing the table laden with drinks nearby, Hatori excuses himself. He needs to water his throat after this stressful meeting. ¡°Please excuse me,¡± he said, and leaves the table. ¡°Hatori, wait!¡± screamed James, attracting the attention of everyone. But it is too late. Hatori has drank the alcohol reserved for the adults. ¡°Why isn¡¯t there a line to protect the children?¡± asked some people. But Hatori doesn¡¯t care for any lines. He smiled and declared. ¡°The beast within, awaken!¡± he tossed some people aside. ¡°Hatori stop!¡± his friends try to stop him. ¡°Get out of my way, the enlightenment is coming to me,¡± he tells them politely. But when they fail to listen, he decides to give it one last try. ¡°Get out of my way, for I am the heavenly magic!¡± No one listened, so he just threw them aside physically, and left the hall, flooring some people with his magical pressure. he left a crowd to pick itself up. ¡°The boy has personality; I¡¯ll give you that,¡± said David. ¡°I thought he was this bland guy with no expression. But I was wrong.¡± ¡°You should see him during the combat.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Of course, if you wish to bring the real emotions out of a man, then put him in combat! The understanding that he will gain after fighting his fellow humans cannot be earned with words!¡± said Lohar, while Ravina hoped that her father would shut up already.

Part 6.

¡°What happened now?¡± asked Kangana, watching people pick themselves up from the ground after Hatori left. ¡°He drank some alcohol by mistake.¡± Said James. ¡°I tried to warn him, but it was too late.¡± ¡°That is strange. Alcohol doesn¡¯t produce that kind of reaction.¡± Said Kangana. No one replied. ¡°Right guys?¡± still no reply. ¡°Right?¡± she is getting desperate. But the problem is, no one has drunk alcohol yet, so none of these teens can answer her question. Luckily, Nandan comes in for the rescue. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, mages do get a reaction like this sometimes,¡± he said. ¡°You should watch coach Dimitri when he gets drunk.¡±

Part 7.

Zeko, Munshi, and Corvus watch Hatori¡¯s spectacular leave. Zeko and Munshi are not sure why Corvus is spending time with them, but they are not willing to ask any questions about it to him directly. ¡°Hmm. Looks like the filters of that boy are functioning oddly.¡± ¡°Huh. I thought it was normal to behave that way,¡± said Zeko. ¡°No, this is unusual behavior.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°You would think it normal, given your own¡­ ahem. Escapades.¡± ¡°But my filters are strong enough that alcohol doesn¡¯t affect me anymore,¡± said Zeko. ¡°I think he has no filters for alcohol at all.¡± ¡°A possibility.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°You should rectify this as soon as possible. A mage should not let his mind be unprotected against substances.¡± Chapter 116 Chapter 116.

Part 1.

¡®Ug! What happened with me last night?¡¯ thinks Hatori. He feels as if several elephant herds, led by the elephant called elephant (without capitalization), stomped on his head all night. ¡®Why am I here in the underground lab?¡¯ he wonders. Hopefully, his friends were the ones who brought him here. ¡®And if I came here by myself, then I hope no one saw me entering the ground.¡¯ Though the entrance and the ground are enchanted with some magic which makes everyone ignore the presence of this entire area, Hatori thinks no amount of enchantment will protect this place if he were to be seen entering and leaving. His friends always make themselves invisible before leaving the ground nowadays. Hatori shambles to the box in the corner and opens it. inside there are many bottles of water, always kept at an optimum temperature, not extremely cold, but not too warm either. He brings out one bottle and empties it in one breath. Finally, after sating his thirst, he puts the empty bottle on top of the box. ¡®That project nearly killed us.¡¯ remembers Hatori. They nearly froze themselves while creating this fridge. ¡®I wonder whether anyone would buy this back home or not, given it doesn¡¯t use any electricity?¡¯ He then finds some papers on the table. ¡®Runes?¡¯ he looks through them. his headache has lessened, but it is not gone completely yet. So, it took Hatori a while to process what he was reading. ¡°Awesome!¡± he couldn¡¯t help but shout. This entire array is designed to protect his body during flying from air and of course the bugs and the temperature high in the sky. There are some other runes to use his skin and hair as sensory organs. ¡®I remember now.¡¯ Hatori is struck by the memories of the last night. ¡®James said something about alcohol. Judging from the reaction, I think I drank some wine or something. I know people in stories complain about hangovers, but really it is very painful. I will never drink again.¡¯ He decides to himself. ¡°I did that while drunk, I understand that. but why did I have to use a standard script? It¡¯ll take hours to sort this mess, and bring it to the proper script.¡± Grumbles Hatori. If he could, he would have strangled his drunken self. He is perfectly aware of how irrational that sounds, but he doesn¡¯t care about being rational right now.

Part 2.

Hatori feels great after brushing his teeth and taking a bath. It is surprising what fresh breath and a bath can do for a person. The festival is over, and he missed the New Year¡¯s welcome. He doesn¡¯t care about that. however, he is more interested in what he did before leaving the party. ¡°Really? I said that?¡± he asked, unable to believe that he called himself the heavenly magic. ¡°Yeah, you did.¡± Said Shin, who is relishing in telling him the details. ¡°Then you floored people with your magical pressure, and ran away.¡± ¡°Wait, I floored multiple people?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°If I could do that while drunk, I should really work on it, I should be able to do that easily when I¡¯m sober.¡± He muttered. His friends are not sure what to say after hearing that. ¡°Anyway, happy birthday James,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m sorry I don¡¯t have a gift for you, unlike the previous years.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine.¡± Said James. ¡°Just do me a favor instead.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Suraj. He is not taking his potential seriously; he seems to have gotten lazy after gaining his sight. No matter what I do, I can¡¯t seem to motivate him to improve. Can you do something about it?¡± asked James. ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°In fact, I¡¯ll get on it immediately.¡± ¡°What about the classes?¡± asked Josh. ¡°What about the classes?¡± asked Hatori in return. ¡°Figures.¡± They all laugh, as Hatori leaves. ¡°Anyway, it is fitting that you have the first birthday. Among us, you are more like an old man.¡± taunted Josh. ¡°Get back here you!¡± said James, chasing Josh. ¡°I¡¯ll show you to call me old!¡± ¡°Need some popcorn?¡± offers Shin. ¡°Don¡¯t mind if I do.¡± Said Raven, taking a fist full of the snack, and enjoying the show.

Part 3.

Hatori is waiting for Suraj. He has learned his schedule from James, and according to the schedule, he should be coming through this way after his class, since this is the shortest way to his dorm. The twins Chaya and Maya are also passing the time with him since their classes are at night. no better time to do astronomy after all. ¡°So, wait, I get that you are named after a theme. But why your brother is named after morning, and you two after shadow and illusion? I don¡¯t get it.¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Huh. we never thought about that either.¡± Said Maya. ¡°We like our names, so we never asked,¡± said Chaya. ¡°So, what are the names of your mother and father, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± while he talked, Hatori sensed Suraj entering his range. ¡°Father is Dinkar, which is the synonym of Sun if I¡¯m right,¡± asked Maya. ¡°Yeah. mother is named Chanda, which is based on the moon.¡± Said Chaya. ¡°Sun and moon together. How romantic.¡± Said Hatori with a sour expression, making the girls laugh. Their laughter suddenly stops, as he explodes in a flurry of action. He got in front of Suraj, and with just one motion, cast the sleep spell taught to him by James. He caught the boy in his arms before he could hit the ground. ¡°What¡¯re you gonna do to him?¡± asked Maya in a tremulous voice. ¡°Not much. just a trip of sorts.¡± He said, starting to hover in the air. ¡°Don¡¯t worry girls, he¡¯ll come back intact. Maybe a little bit scared, but not a scratch on him, promise!¡± he extended his pinky finger in their direction, and then Hatori floated away with Suraj in his arms. ¡°When did he learn to fly?¡± asked Chaya. ¡°The better question is, why did he learn to fly?¡± asked Maya. In their opinion, flying through magic by yourself doesn¡¯t offer anything advantageous.

Part 4.

Suraj wakes up. he is groggy, and he still keeps his eyes closed. Nearby, he hears a person breathing. ¡°Awake, are you?¡± he recognizes Hatori¡¯s voice. He doesn¡¯t have a chance to answer this question, as various animals come thundering toward them. ¡°I suggest we run.¡± Said Hatori. Suraj gets up, and stumbles after him, only to find that the older boy is hovering over his shoulder. ¡°If you run this slow, then you¡¯ll be trampled by these out-of-control buffalos.¡± He spoke. Suraj starts to run faster. ¡°Can¡¯t you deal with them?¡± he huffs out. ¡°No can do.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m still suffering from a hangover you see, I¡¯m likely to kill you by mistake in this state.¡± Said Hatori. The buffalos get closer, mooing in delight. Looks like they get to stomp some humans to bloody pulp today. ¡°I hear you have gotten good with earth magic,¡± said Hatori. ¡°So what?¡± asked Suraj. ¡®Why isn¡¯t he making me fly with him?¡¯ ¡°Use it,¡± said Hatori. ¡°How?¡± asked Suraj. Hatori shakes his head. ¡°They won¡¯t be stomping after you if they are stuck in a swamp.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to perform that spell!¡± screeched Suraj. ¡°Sigh, here¡¯s how you do it.¡± Hatori shows him his motions and stomps the foot in the air. ¡°Do the same thing.¡± ¡°That won¡¯t work, I don¡¯t have my foci!¡± he continues to screech. ¡°Then I guess both of us are going to be trampled. I¡¯ll make your afterlife hell for getting me killed like this.¡± Said Hatori. Suraj stops running and does as Hatori shows him. though it took more magic than normal, the entire area in the hundred-meter range is turned into a swamp, and the herd is stopped on its track, for the track has become treacherous to stampede. ¡°This is our time to run.¡± Advised Hatori. Suraj decides that he will scream at this floating bastard later. at this moment, he wishes to use every curse he knows to let Hatori know how much he is furious with him, but he decides that can come later. they stop near a river, where Hatori sighs as if remembering a time long passed. ¡°Ah, the jamun tree.¡± He goes to touch the tree. ¡°It has grown so large, I planted its seed when I was brought here as a first year, and we camped at some distance.¡± He was about to shake the tree for some fruits but then remembered that they do not grow in winter. ¡°A girl targeted me for revenge, but Shin and I plotted to turn her plan back at her.¡± He smiled. The plan was simple and went without a hitch. The previously calm river is now filled with water spirits, spirits which are attacking Suraj. Hatori¡¯s prattling on about his first year is not doing him any favors. ¡°Help me, you bastard, help me!¡± but Hatori ignores his cries for help, and continues to prattle on about the strongest water spirit he ever faced. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I think he (the spirit identifies as he), let me win.¡± He said while Suraj dealt with the attacking spirits with fociless magic. he is not used to the demands of that magic, and he is exhausted quickly as a result. But the spirits are not interested in him for some reason, and they disappear into the depths of the river. ¡°Hmm. never thought that the river was so deep.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Good thing none of us decided to swim in it.¡± By the time of evening arrives, Suraj is exhausted. After the spirits left, a monkey showed up, who for some reason decided that Suraj was his mortal enemy. Wrestling with that monkey ensued, and Hatori was not impressed with Suraj¡¯s technique or his fitness. Hatori had to distract the monkey with bananas before the animal let go of Suraj. Strangely, the animal did not bite or scratch him in any way. Then the crows descended on them, and Suraj prepared to fight once again. But one of them just came to Hatori, croaked at him a few times, and then left. Hatori smiled as if he understood what the bird said, and then they started their long trek back to the Academy. ¡°My hangover is done; I¡¯ll protect you from any attacks from now on.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But what was the purpose?¡± he asked. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Hatori in a clueless tone. ¡°Don¡¯t kid with me. you brought me here for a reason. I want to know why.¡± said Suraj. ¡°You want to know huh?¡± asked Hatori. At Suraj¡¯s nod, he asked once again. ¡°You sure you want to know?¡± ¡°Yes, I want to know dammit!¡± he said furiously, with flames dancing in his eyes. ¡°Then listen.¡± Said Hatori with a hard tone. The anger goes out of Suraj with that tone. ¡°My friend James gave you a gift, a gift which I craved for my entire life. A gift that I still crave, but keep that desire hidden deep within me, buried in my heart to make sure that it does not bother me, or make it impossible for me to live my life because that gift is out of reach for me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°And of course, I refer to the gift of sight.¡± He whirls on Suraj. ¡°And you haven¡¯t used it properly yet. True, we all know it¡¯ll take time for you to adapt, but in the meantime, you could do so many things, get out, see the world, or improve your reflexes. But what do you do? You do nothing. You are wasting this gift.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Do you know that despite his blindness, the Suraj of a year ago can run circles around you, without even getting tired? You have regressed instead of progressing. And that is why I did what I did today. And quite honestly, if you fail to learn anything from today¡¯s experiences, and from my lecture, then I wash my hands off you, and will recommend the same to James.¡± Suraj shrunk on himself with each word of Hatori. They cut deep and made him realize the bitterness within Hatori. Some might argue that James didn¡¯t design eyes for Suraj, so Hatori has no right to speak to him that way. but it is also true that through his efforts, he regained his eyes. And for whatever reason, the same thing did not work for Hatori. But Hatori never said that he is jealous of him, or he wants to make him blind like him again. ¡®He is angry that I¡¯m not using these eyes as well as I could.¡¯ Thinks Suraj. ¡®This isn¡¯t just about training though, is it? I really haven¡¯t stepped out of my comfort zone to see what the world has to offer me, now that I have sight.¡¯ ¡°Hatori, I¡¯m sorry.¡± Said Suraj. ¡°I was scared. I didn¡¯t want to face the world, I just wanted to curl up and forget everything. the conflict between you and the council didn¡¯t help any, did you know that they used to monitor other disabled mage students to make sure they do not turn out like you?¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t know that,¡± said Hatori. ¡®And even if I knew, I couldn¡¯t have done anything for them.¡¯ this reminds Hatori that the next time he starts a conflict, he should secure the people about whom he cares. Suraj does fall in that category. ¡°Anyway, just use your sight, it was given to you for a reason, is what I¡¯m asking. Don¡¯t hide in your room and sleep all day. Read a book once you get down the reading. Go see the world, and just develop enough fighting skills to get you out of a pinch, I know you don¡¯t enjoy combat much.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, will do.¡± Said Suraj. ¡°Then let me give you a lift.¡± Said Hatori with a smirk. ¡°A lift? Wait, I¡¯m scared of heights, wahhhhh!¡± Hatori grabbed Suraj in a bearhug, and flew away, leaving Suraj¡¯s screams of protest in his wake.

Part 5.

Hatori senses various people gathered on the ground. ¡°Tell me, why are they gathered like that?¡± he asked Suraj. ¡°Well, it seems Josh and his council are surrounded by some people.¡± Said Suraj, not afraid anymore after hours of flying in the air. ¡°Hey guys!¡± said Hatori, and lands in the middle of them. ¡°How¡¯re you doing?¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be doing so good, once we establish the new council. you will be punished for humiliating us like that!¡± declared the girl, whom Hatori presumed was the leader. ¡°Josh, what should we do if a dog without teeth bites us?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Get an injection without a needle.¡± He replied. They all started to laugh. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare to mock us, we will kill you, and establish the old regime back!¡± screamed the girl in a shrill tone. Despite his protection against loud sounds, Hatori gets a headache from hearing her talk. Hatori senses James standing outside of the circle. ¡°Catch!¡± he tosses Suraj like a sack of potatoes, but James manages to catch him. Josh kept the radical elements distracted, while the council members took the younger students to safety. Once Hatori was free, however, things were over quickly. the water surged from the nearby stream, and they were all hit by fists made out of water, hitting them with the full power of the force of a wave. Hatori was about to follow up with another attack and kill the broken and bleeding radicals since they were unable to handle this first attack, but Josh stopped him. ¡°Let them live.¡± He spoke. ¡°But remember this. If you ever threaten the relative peace of this school again, no one will save you from him.¡± he points to Hatori. They then walk inside, leaving the radical members broken and groaning from pain.

Part 6.

Zeko comes back to the house. The party was nice and all, but his days of socializing are behind him. he is reaching his hundred years already, not to mention, the Academy brought so many painful memories. especially after meeting Munshi. Hatori has agreed to be his student for two years, and he doesn¡¯t blame the boy. he does not know the history between them. ¡®And I won¡¯t tell him either, it could compromise his chance of learning from him.¡¯ But Zeko is not certain whether Munshi will take care of him properly or not. the nobles are certain to make their move, if he got hurt while tangling with a spirit, how will he keep him safe while moving from place to place as the job demands it? ¡®Spirits are dangerous. The boy has spent a lot of time around them, but he just does not understand how dangerous it could be to deal with them.¡¯ thinks Zeko. Bringing out the whine of his choice, he pores it in the glass. ¡®I¡¯m not looking forward to it.¡¯ he said after taking a small sip. No point in wasting a perfectly good drink by gulping it down quickly.

Part 7.

Hatori is practicing with Shin. ¡°How about this?¡± asked Shin, disappearing completely. ¡°Can you sense my magic signature?¡± ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°But I can sense the vibration of the air,¡± he said, accurately pointing his finger in Shin¡¯s direction, and moving the finger as the boy moved and changed his position. ¡°Wow. Let¡¯s have some sound testing, what do you say?¡± asked Shin, beginning to sing, while Hatori tested his newly modified hair and skin to test for any vulnerability. It seems that the feature of turning this sensing off and on again is working fine, and the automatic defenses which do activate after a certain threshold of vibration is crossed are also working. His hair does have some dummy symbols which Hatori plans to replace with real symbols later. he has some special plans for his hair. While doing this in a public place like the ground is not a problem for some, (it is a public place after all), Mira is not happy with the distraction. She came here for peace and quiet to study for the coming exams. The ruckus caused by the boys is not helping her. She glares at them furiously and leaves in a huff. In this narrator¡¯s opinion, it is foolish to expect peace and quiet in a public place. But then again, it has been four years since he crossed his teenage years, so he does not understand what goes on in the confused heads of those teens anymore. Chapter 117 Chapter 117.

Part 1.

Shin is teaching Hatori piano. He has nothing better to do since all the homework is done, and for a change, Hatori has no new project to work on. Besides, Hatori always wanted to learn piano, but he just didn¡¯t because his relatives back home always demanded that he play something for them. he forgot the few lessons he got after years of not touching the instrument, but Shin is proving to be a good teacher. It is all coming back to him. ¡°Now, just practice playing that repeatedly. Once you are familiar with this portion, we¡¯ll touch on new keys.¡± Said Shin. The lesson is taking place outside of the music room, where the instruments are kept when not in use. Hatori has made a deal with Shin that once he is done with the piano, he will teach him other instruments. In particular, the violin. Shin agreed to the deal because teaching someone often means going over the basics, and it¡¯ll help in his own improvement. Besides, Hatori is not a bad student. he just needs directions, and he practices on his own without his prompting.

Part 2.

Mira couldn¡¯t study. The noise of the repetitive piano practice kept bothering her in her dorm. She decides to confront the reason for her distraction in the mess hall the next day. ¡°You have to distract others, don¡¯t you?¡± she pounced on Hatori as soon as he entered for breakfast. ¡°Just because you don¡¯t study doesn¡¯t mean we¡¯re wasting our time!¡± she jabbed a finger at him. ¡°Everyone is working hard to pass their exams, and yet you are causing distractions. Maybe this is how you passed for all these years!¡± she accused. ¡°Those are some heavy accusations.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Besides, why you are the only one who is complaining to me? why don¡¯t they say anything to me?¡± Hatori looks around in the mess hall, turning his face this or that way. ¡°Nah, you¡¯re not distracting us.¡± said an older student. ¡°Of course, they don¡¯t say anything to you. they are too scared of your violent anger, and your friendship with the president.¡± She screamed. ¡®Why can¡¯t this girl talk in a normal volume?¡¯ wonders Hatori. ¡®It was a good idea to protect my ears against abuses like this.¡¯ He once more looks around the mess hall. ¡°No, we¡¯re not scared of you either. We don¡¯t give a damn about your friendship with Josh either.¡± Said a girl. ¡°True true. That guy has to be one of the fairest people I know.¡± Said another student. ¡°Besides, I don''t think you¡¯ll listen to us if we told you that you are distracting us.¡± said another, younger student. ¡°Of course, I will listen.¡± Said Hatori. Mira screeched in fury and attacked Hatori. ¡°Woe there, stop being a cat will ya?¡± said Hatori, restraining Mira by easily turning her around, and grabbing her arms. If she continues to behave like this, he can pull at her arms, maybe some pain will make her regain the lost reasoning. And if not, breaking her arms is always an option. Hatori is not exactly known for his mercy. However, he has gotten good enough to restrain himself after training with Kangana. Besides, Mira is no danger to him. She is so furious that she has forgotten any magic she knows, and she is so weak that she can¡¯t fight with him physically. When she does not stop moving, Hatori pulls at her arms, making her wince in pain. ¡°Maybe instead of being jealous of my rank, you should improve yourself positively, instead of looking at everyone as your competition.¡± Hatori¡¯s words prove to be more devastating than any magical spell. she immediately goes limp after hearing those words. Hatori releases her arms and looks around. ¡®Surely she has some friends who will come to take her away from me, and maybe give me some glairs for good measure?¡¯ thinks Hatori. But no one came. Instead, Daphne shows up with Ravina. ¡°We¡¯ll take her, and drop her to her dorm.¡± She said and gathered the distraught girl into her arms and walked away. Hatori was expecting some glairs from Daphne, and some cutting parting words from Ravina, but they just left, without saying anything to him. he puts the matter out of his mind. He has acted far more mercifully than he used to act in the past. Anyone who attacked him like that would be a bloody smear on the ground, and if not, then Hatori won¡¯t rest until they are.

Part 3.

As he leaves the mess hall after breakfast, Hatori congratulates himself for controlling himself so well. Kangana must praise him for his performance. He will hound her until she does. As he plots the ways to get some praise, a conversation attracts his attention. ¡°Yeah, but does he honestly have any talent?¡± asked the boy. ¡°Professor Sangita just fawns over him.¡± ¡°Maybe she is using him as a you know¡­¡± the second boy whistles. ¡°Damn. With an orphan?¡± said the first boy, unaware that Hatori had snuck closer to them. ¡°Of course, that is what they are good for.¡± The second boy choked as he was suddenly grabbed from behind, and his shirt started to strangle him. ¡°Maybe you should think, before insulting a talented person!¡± said Hatori, shocking the first boy, while the second one hung from his grip unconscious. ¡°Seriously, you can¡¯t go anywhere without fighting?¡± asked Josh. ¡°What did they do?¡± Hatori explains the entire conversation to Josh. ¡°Certainly they are talking about Shin. Please give me a minute.¡± Said Josh. He goes to the second boy whom Hatori dropped carelessly when Josh arrived, and the president kicks him twice. He then went to the gibbering first boy, who was still not over his shock and kicked him a few times as well. ¡°Now, let¡¯s go to the dorms. I have some important work to do.¡± ¡°Sure. I have some sleeping to do.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Lazy!¡± accused Josh. ¡°Well, why waste time being awake when you have nothing to do?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You can do some exercises?¡± he offered. ¡°Already done with my routine.¡± Said Hatori. The two boys are left behind in their terrified state. ¡°Do you know that your eye sockets are pointing sideways?¡± asked Josh. ¡°What? No, they aren¡¯t!¡± denied Hatori.

Part 4.

James is brewing a shape-shifting potion. While natural shape-shifters like Shin can shift their appearance and shape easily, someone who is not born with that talent needs some extra help every now and then. ¡®Granted, Shin is not interested in exploring that talent. Music is his passion after all.¡¯ James does not begrudge him that. human lifespan is not long enough to master all the fields that require deep knowledge. Shape-shifting and music are two such fields. The first one requires a deep knowledge of the human body, and some knowledge of animal bodies as well. whereas the latter requires the understanding of the sound, and sometimes even crosses over with psychology. After all, how else are you going to find out why certain notes have a certain effect on the human mind? While James is going through his thoughts, as the potion simmers down, Hatori enters the room of frozen time. ¡°Hey James, do you have something interesting? Josh is hounding me for being lazy.¡± Said Hatori. It doesn¡¯t take long for James to realize that it was a bad idea to brew the potion so close to the door of the room, as Hatori accidentally kicks the cauldron, and ends up spilling some potion on himself. ¡°Hot, hot, hot, hot!¡± he danced as the potion landed on him. It has not cooled down completely yet. Hatori¡¯s shape starts to change. He now resembles Nandan, with wide vacant eyes. ¡°Please stay still.¡± Said James, and took a sample for it. ¡®Looks like the curse is still affecting him.¡¯ he thinks. ¡°You look good. but I suggest you leave before I decide to boil you alive.¡± ¡°AH!¡± Hatori runs out of the room and closes the door after himself. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡®How thoughtful of him.¡¯ James cleans the floor and finds that he still has enough potion left for his use.

Part 5.

Hatori comes to Josh and claps him on the shoulder. Josh is shocked to see this unknown guy be so friendly with him. ¡°So, you are that famous Hatori¡¯s friend, aren¡¯t you?¡± he asked. ¡°He sounds like a handsome guy.¡± ¡°Handsome? The guy who trains all day long, sweats a lot, spends a lot of time in the darkness developing spells, barely pays any attention to his appearance, and screams and rages a lot sounds handsome to you?¡± asked Shin, who is with Josh, and is observing this new guy. The features of this guy shift, and the reality gets exposed. ¡°You bastards, that¡¯s what you think of me?¡± he starts to chase them, while Raven decides he will not interfere for his own sanity. ¡°Hmm. looks like he has some talent.¡± Said James, who arrived at the ground when Hatori regained his original appearance. ¡°He shifted to his natural appearance before the effects of the potion ran out.¡± ¡°Whatever. Shouldn¡¯t¡¯ you help them?¡± asked Raven, while making no move to do the same. ¡°I have better things to do than help people who can¡¯t keep their real feelings inside.¡± Said James. ¡°That does not paint us in the greatest of pictures you know.¡± Said Raven. ¡°None of us hate Hatori, but that doesn¡¯t mean we have to praise him all the time,¡± said James. After he is done teaching Josh and Shin a lesson (hitting them with a wet handkerchief repeatedly), Hatori hears the same thing from James as he told Raven. ¡°I don¡¯t think I can pursue it though,¡± he said. ¡°I¡¯m swamped with other fields of magic already.¡±

Part 6.

Mira watches the ranks. Once more, she is outdone by Hatori. But this time, her rage is missing, which is always there when she sees this result every year. Daphne is the reason for that. when she dropped her in the dorms, she told him that she was going to destroy herself if she continued to compete with everyone like that. ¡°And besides,¡± she continues. ¡°You have a chance of actually doing something better than just compete. You can learn simply from whoever you choose as your master the next year. use this time well, and no specter of Hatori will ever haunt you.¡± She then left her alone, to make her decision. ¡®After all, I am the only one who can make decisions for myself.¡¯ She thinks. ¡®And she is right, I shouldn¡¯t compete with others. I should study for myself, not for someone else¡¯s praise.¡¯

Part 7.

The students have a last party for the fifth year. Most of them will not be coming back to the Academy as regulars for the next two years, and so this is a sort of send-off party held for them by other students after the exams are over. Hatori is talking with Josh. ¡°So, you will remain in the Academy?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, I probably help out Professor Amelia with her lessons for younger students.¡± Said Josh. ¡°It is surprising how much of her lectures were prepared by her intern apprentices.¡± ¡°Well, it is not easy to prepare the lessons and do research by herself.¡± Said Raven, as Hatori left to find something to drink. ¡°Oh¡­ fuck.¡± Cursed Raven. ¡°What?¡± asked Josh, shocked by this sudden bout of cursing. ¡°The beast within, awakens!¡± boomed Hatori¡¯s voice. ¡°Oh.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Fuck indeed.¡± Hatori summons Daphne to himself and catches her in midair. ¡°Wanna dance with me?¡± he looks down at her shocked face with a smirk. Getting over her shock, she smiled and nodded. Hatori goes to the center of the hall. He listens to the music, but he doesn¡¯t enjoy what he is listening to. He blasts the stage and sends the music band flying. ¡°Shin, handle the music will ya?¡± he said and put down Daphne gently. ¡°Sure!¡± agrees Shin, and the music which was first slow, is now suddenly energetic and fast-paced. The next day, Hatori wakes up with a headache. But this time, he is not confused about his state. ¡®I need to build an alcohol filter, and probably a sensor.¡¯ He notes. He is in the hall, passed out with other students who got exhausted from dancing and partying all night. Hatori finds some orange juice, which seems to be good enough to drink according to the yantra around his neck. The poison-detecting yantra which he built with James is distributed to all his friends and a lot of the student population. He likes the yantra in the form of a neckless since it is not immediately noticeable since Hatori keeps it hidden in his clothes. He is about to pick up the glass, but Avinash and Hatori land their hands at the same time. Avinash was expecting a fight in the morning, but Hatori let go of the glass and took another one. ¡°So, I hear you¡¯re leaving with the necromancer Munshi. Nice choice, by the way, he is truly the best necromancer in this country.¡± Said Avinash, as Hatori gulped the juice, and refilled the glass. ¡°What about you?¡± he asked after drinking his second refill. ¡°Oh, I¡¯m leaving for farming.¡± Said Avinash. Hatori considers himself lucky that he is not drinking anything right now, he would have spat that out in shock. ¡°Farming?¡± he wheezed. ¡°Of course.¡± Said Avinash, like nothing was wrong with his decision. ¡°Besides farming, my master is also good with politics. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll share his pearls of wisdom with me.¡± ¡°Yeah, good luck for the farming.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And do me a favor, and don¡¯t talk like that all the time. dumb people like me get confused when you use big words.¡± Avinash chuckled. ¡°You mean empty word salad?¡± he asked. ¡°I heard that when you said after my first speech when I joined the council.¡± ¡°Yeah, and I don¡¯t regret saying that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Who will take your position by the way?¡± ¡°Josh will decide.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°I have given him some recommendations, but he will pick on his own.¡±

Part 8: James¡¯s answer to the question, what is a sorcerer?

The mages who attain legendary status in the magical world are often given the title of sorcerer. However, this is not just a historical given title. To understand this, let¡¯s go through the ranking of the mages. Untrained mages, such as young kids do not have any ranks. A kid who has gone through the pre-academy level of education is at least D-rank, while a student up to their fifth year can be considered C-rank. Average adult mages are B-rank and mages who are stronger than normal are A-rank. Ruffly speaking, 1 mage out of 10000 has the chance to attain this rank. Then there are S-rank mages, called archmagi¡¯s. Only 1 out of 100 million have the chance to attain this kind of power. at this time, currently, reigning king Porus, and headmaster of the Academy Corvus Black are archmagi in the Subcontinent, while Zeko, General Sundar, and Necromancer Munshi are said to be archmagi, but they never proved themselves in a battle or performed any feet which are worthy of this rank. Now, a sorcerer is a very different thing. It is not just a rank. A sorcerer is effectively a god in living flesh for the mages, for they can perform strange and impossible feats, breaking the established understanding of the magic. It is theorized that, unlike normal mages, a sorcerer is effectively a source of magic for himself, meaning that if you cut off the flow of magic from around them, it still will not affect them. this kind of power is the reason why they can bend and twist the universe to their whims, which is not possible for a normal mage to do. Trying to copy them may result in death. Sorcerers indicate their potential from a very early age. They are stronger than the children around them and understand and grasp the magic much quicker. However, their personalities are also very different. They mature very quickly, but this isn¡¯t completely true. While they mature quickly in terms of understanding the magic, their emotional maturity is less than sound. Examining the sorcerers from the past reveals how fragile their egos are, and how easy it is to provoke their temper. There has been no sorcerer in the last thousand years, ever since Samay the sorcerer disappeared mysteriously. Therefore, we have not studied a sorcerer with our current understanding of magic and society. Chapter 118 Chapter 118.

Part 1.

Unlike the previous year, when Hatori had to come back to the home by himself, Zeko is there to pick him up this year, ready to take him home as soon as the airship lands. When they do come back, Hatori was expecting some attack at the entrance, but that did not happen. He is happy to not fight as soon as he gets back from the Academy because it is very tiring to travel and then fight at the end of it. However, Hatori senses a familiar signature in the house. ¡°Shin, how did you get here before me?¡± he asked, taking the seat in front of him. ¡°My airship left before yours.¡± He answered, working on some sheets. ¡°There aren¡¯t any openings in the bands this year, so I¡¯m working for Zeko as his helper during this vacation.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think you need it anyway,¡± said Hatori, getting up. he still has to get changed into his more relaxing clothes. ¡°After all, you will be going on a tour with Professor Sangita.¡± ¡°True.¡± He spoke. ¡°Master Zeko, there are some errors in the records, I have marked them with red colors, but I don¡¯t know how to solve them.¡± ¡°Leave it for the accountant.¡± Answered Zeko from the other side of the house.

Part 2.

James meets with his father in the City of Throne, where they are living with temporary arrangements because they cannot go back to their home. James has heard how Shakuntala has tried to obtain the home legally. But when that failed, she thought of some other means, for example, threatening Jimmy, James¡¯s father, to put the house in her name. But Jimmy declared that he was not safe, and demanded protection for himself through legal channels, and as a result, he got a temporary apartment for himself in the city, which came with protective wards installed, and some mages from the police keeping an eye on the apartment. James has this place to call his home for now, but he does wish to return to his real home one day, without the fear of someone attacking or threatening him. ¡°How was the year my boy?¡± he asked, once James changed his clothes, and ate something. ¡°Mostly normal, surprisingly.¡± Said James. ¡°Indeed? From what you told me, you and your friends always end up facing some danger or another.¡± Jimmy remembers how James told him the story of his life, as he worked to get regain his sobriety. ¡°My friend became the president of the council,¡± said James. ¡°Apart from that, nothing like the previous years.¡± ¡°Well, that is good,¡± said Jimmy. He regrets how he has missed most of his son¡¯s life, by living in a haze. He still shutters after remembering the events of fifteen years ago. ¡°I wanted to come to you in the Academy, but apparently, I am not recovered enough to go outside for prolonged periods.¡± ¡°Not a problem father.¡± Said James. ¡°I do have some questions though.¡± ¡°And they are?¡± asked Jimmy, looking like the mirror image of his son as he started to frown, knowing what was coming his way. ¡°What happened to mother?¡± asked James. ¡°I talked to healer Slaughter. He said your food was tampered with. Why?¡± The man sighed, leaning back in his chair. He runs his hands through his hair, already thinning despite him being in his forties, which is way too young for a mage to go through hair loss. ¡°I won¡¯t tell you everything completely. Not because you are not ready or other such tripe. But because I can¡¯t deal with those memories.¡± James nods, and his father continues. ¡°Your mother did some research on teleportation. She had a breakthrough, where she found a way to send not just humans, but other objects, larger in size, or greater in volume to any location. Your aunt found out about this, and she demanded that we put the research in her name, because her sister was the one who found this breakthrough.¡± Jimmy controls himself. He cannot end up like a blubbering moron in front of his son. ¡°When your mother refused, your aunt smeared our name, but when that failed to make us bend to her whims, she attacked us on the very night of your birth. She killed her after tormenting her savagely for hours, and I hid the research.¡± Jimmy didn¡¯t want to tell everything to James, but the dam was now broken. He cannot stop himself from telling everything. ¡°I hid the research while you cried in my arms, and secured it by blood magic. all the while your mother was tormented in the very same house. I wanted to save her so badly, but not only was I outnumbered, but I have you to think about. She then took over the house, as I slowly sank into depression, and started to drink heavily. Taking advantage of this, they put sedating potions in my food. Whenever I had some lucid moments, I tried to escape this haze, but nothing ever worked, and I was back to where I started, lost in the haze of alcohol, watching everything go by me disinterested.¡± Drained of his energy after recounting these events, Jimmy sags in his chair. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon. ¡°Your aunt kept me alive, trying to find the research, but I never revealed anything to her.¡± Said Jimmy after James gave him a glass of water. ¡°And here we are today, trapped outside of our own home.¡± James wanted to do a lot of things after hearing all of that from his father. Raging would be quite obvious, plotting to kill Shakuntala would be the next best thing. But for now, he decides to do nothing of the sort. He has just returned from the Academy; he needs to rest. Besides, he doubts some quick plotting will end his aunt easily. ¡®I can¡¯t help but notice how both of us are tormented by mind-altering potions by women.¡¯ Thinks James.

Part 3.

Magpie is in shock. He could not believe what he had just heard. ¡°Could you repeat that son?¡± ¡°I applied for the internship with General Sundar,¡± Raven repeated. ¡°Are you certain about that son?¡± asked Magpie. ¡°Look, I have some other options as well,¡± said Raven. ¡°Besides, the general himself wanted some new interns from the Academy, and he specifically requested sixth years to apply.¡± ¡°Well, let¡¯s just hope he will select you. how many people applied?¡± asked Magpie. ¡°Not many, surprisingly.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I talked to other students about it, and they said that none of them are interested in military life.¡± ¡°Figures.¡± Said Magpie. ¡°The general would snap them up like a twig. What about you? do you think you are up to the task?¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have applied otherwise.¡± Said Raven.

Part 4.

As Josh arrives, his older brother blows a horn. ¡°Welcome the president!¡± he whooped in delight. Josh straightens up and starts to march like an important person. ¡°Thank you. Thank you for this wonderful welcome.¡± He nodded like a dignified statesman. ¡°I hear you got the overwhelming success.¡± Said George. ¡°Good job you did there. I didn¡¯t get to go to the Academy, so I have decided to invite your friends here. thought you should know that.¡± ¡°Hmm. maybe I¡¯ll duel that Hatori fellow. He looks strong.¡± Said George Junior. Josh is not thinking about any duels though. ¡®This is a disaster! Father will insult Shin, and Hatori will get mad, and it¡¯ll turn into a brawl!¡¯ he thought, panicking inside. ¡®Maybe Zeko will refuse?¡¯ he thinks hopefully.

Part 5.

Zeko picks up the letter of Fernandes, checking the seal for its authenticity. Once that is confirmed, he opens the letter. He puts it down after reading it. ¡®Interesting.¡¯ He thinks. ¡®What kind of security might be present there?¡¯ he considers the answer to this question. ¡®It is Fernandes we¡¯re talking about here. I should remain nearby, that man can be so lacking sometimes.¡¯ ¡°Boy! Get ready, we¡¯re leaving for a trip.¡± Said Zeko, using the old-fashioned method of communicating, screaming at the top of his lungs so he could be heard anywhere in the house. ¡°Fine!¡± replies Hatori. ¡®Let¡¯s hope it is not another formal occasion.¡¯ He thinks. he doubts anything could be so pleasant as the dinner he had at Daphne¡¯s house all those years ago. But there is still time for that trip. Hatori decides to do his packing later and goes out of the house. He has been wanting to test this for months now. He calls the crows to himself and starts to fly with them. the younger crows who are recently born, all exclaim in excitement, as they have never seen a human fly before. ¡®The experiment was a success.¡¯ He notices how the wind does not bother him, and how he can change his direction effortlessly just by thinking about it. despite getting the cold air, his body has remained warm. ¡®That feature is working just as expected.¡¯ He lands near the house after his flight, waving goodbye to the departing crows. Nearby, Shin is fighting a smoky-looking piece of suit, using musical notes to attack and defend. Hatori does not interfere, since he wants to see how Shin handles himself in the battle. Once the suit was surrounded by a vine and got soaked with water, it fell to the ground limply. ¡°Did you make a mistake in its enchantment?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yeah, enchanting with music can be so finicky sometimes.¡± Says Shin. ¡°One wrong note and disaster happens. Where will I get a suit now? That was the only one I had.¡± ¡°You can borrow some of mine.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Master Zeko bought a lot of those for me, but I never had to wear most of them.¡± ¡°Thanks. I do want to be in good clothes when we visit Josh.¡± Said Shin.

Part 7.

Porus reads the letter from his son. The boy has gone out with another woman. ¡®When will he settle down?¡¯ also, the city-states of Yunan are about to fight each other again. ¡®Tell me something new.¡¯ Honestly, they fight so much that he is surprised that they have any time to develop their people. His son speculates that this war has started to cover up the massive debts the cities are in. ¡®I¡¯m glad that there¡¯s no foolishness like this going on here.¡¯ ¡°Your majesty, it is time to resume the court.¡± Said Amarnath, entering the room. ¡®Then again, we have our brand of stupidity.¡¯ He thinks while leaving with his prime minister. Chapter 119 Chapter 119.

Part 1.

Avinash arrives in the castle. though his family does have a house outside of the castle, since his father is stuck working here most of the time, he lives here as well. at the dinner, Amarnath asks the question that every parent asks after their kids return from school: ¡°So, how was the year?¡± ¡°Quite simple, actually. Especially compared to the previous year,¡± explained Avinash, taking a small bite of Kaju Katli. He loves eating this sweet dish as a dessert. He is a very lucky kid in this narrator¡¯s opinion. ¡°Ah yes, you caused a lot of uproar among the high families when you chose to support the protest of the lower-class students.¡± Said Amarnath. ¡°You never said anything to me.¡± said Avinash, ¡°If you have any trouble because of me¡ª¡± ¡°Parish the thought.¡± Said Amarnath. ¡°Remember, I did not get the second most powerful position in this country, by listening to entitled people to complain, and submitting before their complaints.¡± Avinash feels a fierce pride in his father. Not that there is anything new in this feeling, he has seen closely how he conducts himself, and Avinash has tried to follow in his footsteps. ¡°I do hear that you are working under the Fernandes¡¯s boy. this is actually surprising to me. I thought you hated being under someone else¡¯s thumb?¡± ¡°He¡¯s not that bad.¡± Said Avinash in the defense of his president. ¡°I liked his cause, so I supported him. besides, this way I get to see how exactly the experience of working within the administration before becoming the almighty boss of everyone.¡± Avinash grinned widely. ¡°But honestly, as soon as you become part of some system, the attitude of the people changes so quickly. They complain and curse at you all the time!¡± Amarnath chuckled after hearing that. ¡®Porus complains of the same thing all the time.¡¯ he thought. He asked the next question in his mind to distract his son from the soul-crushing task of running a place. ¡°So, I also hear that you¡¯re going to be working at a farm?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± asked Avinash, not sure where this is going. ¡°Look, I have never coddled you son. But I do think farming is going to be straining for you in mind and body.¡± Said Amarnath. ¡°Oh. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯m willing to do the manual work no problem.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Especially if I get to learn the tactics of politics from an old player of the game. Josh has shown me the importance of those this year.¡± ¡®This is surprising.¡¯ Amarnath wipes a tear from his eye. ¡®Kids grow up so fast these days.¡¯ He thought after listening to how mature his son was regarding his future.

Part 2.

Hatori and Yaksha the water spirit (whose real name Hatori still doesn¡¯t know), are listening to the excellent violin performance of Shin, clapping when the music is over. ¡°Did you ever thought of picking up some other string-based instrument?¡± ¡°Not yet. I never have enough time to master all of them,¡± he said. ¡°You kids should get ready; we¡¯ll leave in an hour.¡± Said Zeko. As Zeko leaves to get ready himself, Shin is having second thoughts. ¡°Maybe I shouldn¡¯t go there. His entire family is rich, while I¡¯m no one.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you worry about a thing.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°No one will say anything to you.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± he tries to say. ¡°No one will say a damn thing to you there.¡± Said Hatori once again. ¡°Now, let¡¯s get ready before Master Zeko gets angry at us for wasting time.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Said Shin. He might fear what may happen in Fernandes City, but he rather not face an angry Zeko, who is currently employing him. angering someone like that is a recipe for disaster.

Part 3.

Raven and James observe the Fernandes City. The city seems to be a major spot for farming and marketing, typical of the Sapta Sindhu region. ¡°The fields are beautiful, aren¡¯t they?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Indeed.¡± Agreed James. He feels a pang of jealousy since Flora''s family was once a major supplier of fruits, but now their business is in tatters. ¡°Can you believe that Hatori might get to travel like this for whole two years?¡± he asked James. ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll always get to visit nice cities like this one all the time though,¡± said James. ¡°Speaking of traveling, you actually might get to do a lot of it as well, since you might need to go with the general.¡± ¡°I doubt he¡¯ll take me on the field.¡± Said Raven. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll stay in the Academy, just like Josh.¡± Said James. ¡°After all, I can learn from healer Slaughter all I want without going anywhere.¡± ¡°Best of both worlds, eh?¡± said Raven. ¡°Learn what you like, and don¡¯t need to go anywhere?¡± ¡°Exactly. I hate traveling.¡± Said James. ¡°Learning about the human body, however, is fascinating. How to fix it, how to break it, it is all so interesting.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure it is,¡± said Raven, but offers no further comments, since they arrive at the home of Josh. ¡°Hey you guys, had a nice trip?¡± asked Josh as he welcomed them. ¡°Yeah, surprisingly, our first traveling alone went well,¡± said Raven. ¡°Though my mother was freaked out I think.¡± ¡°Probably thinking how her baby boy will survive the harsh world,¡± said James blandly. It took a moment for Raven to process the joke, he then gave James a sour look. ¡°Ha, ha, so funny.¡± He couldn¡¯t retaliate here. but he will look for a suitable revenge in the future.

Part 4.

¡°This city which you see now is just not a simple farming town or a market hub. It actually is the center point for the economy of this entire region.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°This is the reason why people wish to capture it for themselves. Whoever has this city, always becomes rich.¡± ¡°I doubt that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Keeping military to protect this entire city must be expensive.¡± He said. ¡°Can we not discuss the military, please?¡± asked Shin, sick of listening to military and economic talks during the entire trip. ¡°Fine.¡± Said Hatori and Zeko grumpily. When they arrive at Josh¡¯s house, Shin is intimidated by its size. He has never seen such a large place just for a family. Having this large property for his own use is mindboggling for him. Hatori is not impressed by it much. true, it is larger than Zeko¡¯s house, and it is probably more lavishly decorated, about which his magical sensing does not reveal anything. But it just lacks that homely feeling Zeko¡¯s house has. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡®Or maybe I¡¯ve just grown used to the constant attacks.¡¯ thinks Hatori. True, he was not attacked when he got back from the Academy. but the shadows and spirits resumed their usual mischief with him. The author did not bother to show that here to save page count. It is important to save trees, after all. ¡°Hey guys,¡± welcomed Josh. He is subdued while welcoming this pair. ¡°Ah, Hatori, about whom I have heard so much.¡± said a large man with a baritone. ¡°Hatori, meet my father, George Fernandes, the most powerful man in this region.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± said Hatori, extending his hand, after sensing the older man is doing the same. Once the handshake is over though, Hatori is hit by George¡¯s magical pressure. ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡± He chuckled, trying to make Hatori kneel on the ground. However, Hatori refuses to bend to the pressure and even uses his own pressure to counter the attack of the older mage. ¡®What¡¯s this? Have I already reached my limits? Pathetic!¡¯ he berated himself. He releases his pressure on Hatori, and a smile crosses over his face. ¡°I¡¯m glad that my son has such strong friends,¡± said George. ¡°I always believe that if you have strong people supporting you, you can achieve anything.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°However, these people must have the spine for that to happen.¡± ¡°Naturally,¡± George observes this boy. though his empty eye sockets might look scary, his overall looks are quite handsome. Coupled with the body which is sculpted by the hard training of Zeko, the boy is quite appealing to the eye. ¡®Just look at that thick neck, and those broad shoulders!¡¯ he thinks to himself. ¡®He is not just strong in body, but strong in magic as well.¡¯ While his father is busy thinking, Josh introduces his friends to his mother and brother. ¡°He¡¯s George Junior.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Interesting. I can imagine the name conflicts.¡± Said James. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m just called Junior in the family.¡± Said George Junior. while the rest of them move on, George Junior comes to Shin, who is trying to do his best to disappear into the background. ¡°You were ready to attack, weren¡¯t you?¡± he asked him. ¡°When my father put Hatori under his magical pressure.¡± ¡°If he didn¡¯t relent, then yes.¡± Said Shin. ¡°It wasn¡¯t just you,¡± said Junior. ¡°Even my brother was ready to lunge at him. I¡¯m glad you are so protective of each other. It is rare to have friends like you among the mages.¡± While Junior is talking with Shin, and Josh is introducing his friends to his mother, George remembers someone after looking at Shin. ¡®He looks familiar, but I can¡¯t remember why. the boy is a nameless one, isn¡¯t he? Then why does he remind me of someone nasty?¡¯ Hatori is happy to meet Maria Fernandes, Josh¡¯s mother. ¡°Do you know that we have a Maria in our year as well?¡± he said to her. ¡°Indeed? What is she like?¡± she asked. ¡°Firey.¡± Said Hatori, the best word he could think of to describe the girl. The woman chuckles at his one-word description. Hatori also sees that, unlike George Senior, she is a gentlewoman, but the man does not dare act brashly before her. ¡®She must be strong enough to put him in his place then.¡¯ He thought with a smirk. ¡°I think I should excuse myself.¡± Said Zeko, and tried to walk out. he has dropped Shin and Hatori, and he will come back to get them. but staying over to observe the familial atmosphere is asking too much in his opinion. ¡°Where are you going so fast?¡± asked George. ¡°Let¡¯s have a drink. I¡¯ve opened a vintage bottle, just for you.¡± Zeko wanted to leave, but he could not after such an open offer to stay. ¡°Come, let¡¯s leave the kids to their devices, and talk in my study.¡± George takes Zeko to his office room, while the older mage feels so strange being treated this way by the younger man.

Part 5.

Josh and his older brother are showing them around the city, where the topic of dueling has come up. while walking in the park, they discuss the dueling. ¡°Okay, I can believe that you guys are good duelists. But I refuse to believe that this lazy guy is that good.¡± ¡°Remember who sent you outside of the garden last year, soaking wet?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Ah yes.¡± George¡¯s face hardens. ¡°You then abandoned me on the tender mercy of mother.¡± Josh starts to run, and his older brother starts to chase him. ¡°Get back here, you traitor, you deserve all the punishments I can think of!¡± ¡°There goes the plan of seeing the city any further.¡± Mutters Shin. ¡°Nah, this is actually a better show,¡± said James. ¡°Help me, for love of magic, help me!¡± asked Josh, trying to escape the grip of his brothers, while cursing his friends for just watching standing around, and not helping him.

Part 7.

Surendra Sharma opens the meeting. ¡°Okay. the meeting officially starts. Now, any new ideas?¡± He has gotten sick of these meetings. The topic is the same old same old, how to bring Hatori around their way of thinking. However, nothing has resulted in all these years, especially when Yograj went and destroyed any chance they may had with the young child. No matter how much he appealed to them that they should cajole the boy to their side, and not threaten him, his pleas went unheard. Sure enough, another brute-force approach is suggested. ¡°I think we should send our paid¡­ retrievers, after the boy,¡± suggests Shakuntala. ¡®You must be fucking mad, you damn cunt!¡¯ he thought, unable to stop cursing the woman. It isn¡¯t enough that she is dealing with problems with her own family, now she wishes to invite more trouble for herself and them as well. ¡°I do not support this.¡± Said Rao. ¡°Me neither.¡± Said George. ¡°It is quite obvious by this point that the situation is out of our hands. It is foolish to think that we can change the boy. it would be much better to just befriend him.¡± ¡°Befriend him? Are you mad? He¡¯s just a young boy!¡± the meeting devolves, and after getting enough of it, Surendra ends the meeting. Both of his sons watched that circus. ¡°Father, I don¡¯t think that is a good idea.¡± Said Surendra Junior. ¡°I agree with brother here,¡± said Samudra. ¡°Zeko is a well-known strong mage, but Munshi, that necromancer is not so easily crossed either. There is a reason why he is the best necromancer in this country.¡± ¡°I know,¡± said their father, grabbing his head. ¡°I know. But I doubt they are going to listen. I can¡¯t believe that those brutes George and Praduman Rao are the most reasonable ones in this case.¡± Chapter 120 Chapter 120.

Part 1.

James and Hatori have found a pair of broken mirrors, the same ones Hatori uses to talk with his parents. They are experimenting with it, and trying to understand how do they work. ¡°So, this and this part are responsible for actually carrying the voice and visual feed to the other mirror, and this part is responsible for processing it.¡± James points out the runes responsible for these tasks. ¡°Hmm. that is a problem. Notice how they only work within the pairs?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, but I do think we can remove that part, and replace it with a generic one. that should let us call to any mirror.¡± Said James. ¡°We¡¯ll think about how that works later. for now, let¡¯s try to get the basic version to work.¡± ¡°Fine. But tell me, why are we using mirrors for this?¡± asked Hatori, as he moved to another room to test whether their modification worked or not. ¡°Because mages like being fancy.¡± Said James. ¡°Now, I¡¯ll call you, and we¡¯ll see whether our generic interface works or not.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± said James to the mirror. ¡°Can you hear me?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, loud and clear.¡± Said Hatori from another room. ¡°I assume you can hear me fine as well?¡± ¡°Yes. Go to Zeko, and show him. ask him whether he can see me or not.¡± said James. ¡°Yeah, everything is looking clear here,¡± said Zeko, when Hatori asked him to confirm. ¡°Good,¡± said James, disconnecting the call. Hatori comes back, and they plan on how can they make other mirrors connect with each other without the pairing. ¡°I think we can use numbers.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Assign every mirror a unique numeric identity, and use that to connect with each other.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll need a way to input numbers then.¡± Said James. Hatori and James pool their money together and buy five new mirrors. What they needed to do could not be done with the old mirrors they had already, so they needed some new mirrors. Hatori carves some runes on the mirror, which represent numbers 1 to 9, and 0. After that, they assigned a five-number long identity to each new mirror, and put these identities in their generic interface. After testing them, they share these mirrors among themselves. ¡°This is a really basic idea.¡± Said Hatori to Raven, who was curious about this new thing. ¡°For now, there are no special features besides calling or receiving calls.¡± ¡°But it is still awesome!¡± said Shin. ¡°Yeah, we can talk with each other any time we like.¡± Said Josh. ¡°It¡¯ll be a nice test to see the range as well,¡± said James. James and Josh will be in the Academy, while Shin and Hatori will be on the move with their teachers. Raven will be in the castle, where his application has been accepted by the general. They all pack these mirrors before leaving Zeko¡¯s house. Hatori has to take another mirror with him, to make sure that Zeko can communicate with him if need be. Soon, Munshi arrives to pick up Hatori, and they leave. Zeko watches all of this worried, and feeling uneasy. ¡®Dammit, get a hold of yourself. You¡¯re not some worrying nanny!¡¯ he berates himself.

Part 2.

Avinash arrives at the farm of Kishore Nanda, where he is welcomed by a man with a stocky build. ¡°Welcome. You must be Avinash, right?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Said Avinash, looking around. The farm is located outside of any city and town, the largest human settlement is ten miles away from here. the owner of this farm has a very soft voice, despite his strong build. He notices the pen for larger animals and the hen houses. There are multiple of those. ¡°Now, as much as I would like to offer you some time to relax, I really cannot do that. there is some work which has to be done immediately.¡± Avinash notices that the man is not lying, he is looking like he has recently returned from the field, and he is ready to go back there again. ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Good. I do have some change of clothes for you. do not work in your normal clothes, because trust me, you will never be able to wear them back again.¡± Said Kishore with a smile. Kishore observes the boy, as he comes back after changing his clothes. he expected a soft-looking kid, who had not done a day of hard work in his life. And to some extent, he got exactly what he expected. But Kishore did not expect Avinash to have such developed muscles. ¡®It seems that the boy practices daily dueling.¡¯ He thinks. Dueling or not, he was expecting to handle a lot of tantrums. Kids who volunteer to learn from him often have a hard time, in a way, he is just as famous for his hard work and no-nonsense approach as Zeko. Many times, Avinash opened his mouth to say presumably that the work was below him since Kishore had forbidden him from using any magic. but the words never escaped his lips. Kishore approves of this. It is very important to keep your real thoughts hidden, instead of letting them come out through action or words. Once Avinash cleans up, Kishore is waiting for him with the news of today. ¡°I do hope you¡¯re not tired, I was hoping to go through these events with you,¡± he said, pointing to the paper cuttings he has with him. ¡°I¡¯m not tired yet.¡± Avinash smiled, he finally got what he came here for.

Part 3.

Raven enters the office of General Sundar, saluting just like his father taught him. salute must be perfect when you meet the general, his father drilled in his head repeatedly. Raven expected to find other people in the office, even though the general actually gave him this time, but the boy is surprised to find himself alone here with the general. As Raven saluted him, Sundar¡¯s hand shot up immediately in the salute of his own, without a conscious thought. ¡°Welcome mister Raven. You do not have a military rank yet, so I cannot yell at you yet.¡± Joked Sundar. ¡°I see your father has prepared you well before this meeting.¡± ¡°To be honest sir,¡± said Raven, ¡°I¡¯ve been seeing him saluting since my childhood. So, it didn¡¯t take a lot of practice to get this down.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Said the general. He then picks up Raven¡¯s records from his desk. ¡°Tell me, boy, why do you wish to intern under me? your scores in other subjects are good enough, you could easily have gone in the Academic background. Though I do notice you are the champion of chess for the Academy, which you won after defeating the older and more experienced player.¡± ¡°Because this interests me, sir.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Whereas going through an academic career, and not applying that knowledge sounds dreadful to me.¡± The general chuckled after hearing that reply. He puts down the papers in his hands and leans back in his chair. ¡°Well then. Here¡¯s your first lesson. You are good with tactics, so you will be tempted to rely on them during a dangerous situation. However, during a war, tactics alone will not help you.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Raven listens, but the point does not make sense to him. After all, you do need tactics to win a battle. Sundar can understand Raven¡¯s thoughts just by seeing his expression, so he elaborates his point. ¡°Let me put this other way. amateurs look at tactics, and experts look at logistics.¡± The general continues driving his point. ¡°You see, tactics can only be successfully executed when your soldiers are not hungry, and wounds are healed. There are two specific advantages of better logistics. Supplies of weapons, troops, food, and medicine, and of course, bringing out the wounded soldiers. the first advantage is quite obvious, better movement of materials. However, the second advantage is indirect. If you can move the wounded soldiers out of the battlefield, they can survive, and potentially come back, and add their experience.¡± Explained general. ¡°Then their experiences can be carried to another battle, or we can put them in charge of other units.¡± Said Raven, finally starting to understand the point of Sundar. ¡°Indeed.¡± Smiled the general. ¡®He seems to understand the theoretical point. I¡¯ll give him a practical challenge to solve later.¡¯ he thinks.

Part 4.

¡°Now, finding the unknown value has two steps.¡± Said Josh to the first-year students listening to his lecture. ¡°For example, let¡¯s find the value of x. when you have something like x = 12 / 3. If you divide 12 with 3, you get 4. Then it becomes 4 = 12 / 3. It makes sense, because you can multiply 4 by 3, and you will get 12.¡± Explained Josh. ¡°Now, get used to this x guy. It is going to appear a lot in your future mathematical journey.¡± The students laughed after hearing that. Josh is happy that his first lecture went so well. he never thought that explaining math to people could be so scary. It is one thing to explain the solution to a friend, but it is an entirely different matter to explain to some unknown people, who may or may not be looking for the slightest weaknesses. The professor has tasked him with explaining to the first-year students some math because she believes you do not understand anything unless you can explain that to others clearly and concisely. Josh cannot dispute this claim, since he is forced to go over the basic stuff that he learned so long ago, and he is getting to improve his foundation even further.

Part 5.

Professor Amrita is feeling sad. Raven was her most promising student, and she was hoping that he would intern with her. She was looking forward to training him further. She does not resent him apprenticing under the general. There was a huge talk about this among the staff. Some of the professors thought that he had no chance to get selected by Sundar, dismissing his win in the chess competitions as nothing. After all, just because you do well over the board, does not mean you are good enough to perform in the real world as well. But Amrita disagreed. In her opinion, real world or on a board of a strategy game, you do need some real intellectual abilities to perform well. She is certain Raven will do well, no matter what the general throws his way. ¡°Professor, I have organized the documents by date, just as you requested.¡± Said Mira. In the meantime, she has her own intern to look after. ¡°Good. now, are you prepared to debate about the currency wars?¡± ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Said Mira, fired up for the verbal battle.

Part 6.

Elsewhere at the same time in the Academy, James is receiving an explanation of the human body from Slaughter. ¡°In short, the human body is a machine in this world, run by the most complicated processor in this world.¡± ¡°There are many ways to break and fix this system, and you will learn all about it from me. hahahahahahaha!¡± cackles Slaughter. James understands why he is named Slaughter. Surely that laughter warrants that name? James also remembers his failure. He built a pair of artificial eyes for Hatori, which did not work because of a decaying curse. As soon as the eyeballs were implanted in his sockets, they started to decay. No one knows where this curse came from, and how to break it. Hearing how grateful Hatori was despite his failure made James even worse about his failure, though, of course, he never told Hatori that. ¡®At least I could offer him some mind protection runes to protect his mind.¡¯ He thought. He developed an extensive collection of defenses to protect his mind from external threats. He couldn¡¯t let it remain open anymore, especially since he was subjected to a vile potion two years ago which imprisoned him within his own head. He still suffers from nightmares because of it.

Part 7.

Hatori sits in the self-driving car of Munshi. He wonders whether he can start a war back in his dimension with this car among the companies or not. he has to abandon any thoughts about starting corporate wars, as Munshi begins to lecture him. ¡°While you will notice these differences as we tackle different cases, let me explain the difference between souls and spirits.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Souls only exist among the living creatures, humans and animals alike. Whereas spirits are born from the chaos of the uncontrolled magic of the world. when a creature dies, the soul disperses in the universe, like water disperses in the sea. However, if the will is strong, the soul can remain together, and this is how ghosts are formed.¡± ¡°So, what exactly is the soul?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°How it is formed in living creatures, and what stops other objects like a rock, or this car from having it?¡± ¡°Those are very deep questions. In a way, the entire field of necromancy is trying to answer them ever since we learned about them,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Okay, aside from researching spirits and souls, what else does a necromancer do?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Well, we try to solve cases, where ghosts are causing problems, take care of troublesome spirits, and investigate crimes. While a lot of people think that we can just summon the soul of a dead person, things are never that easy. A lot of the time, we have to use the blood magic, and try to find what happened with that person in their last moment.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°In short, necromancy does not solve every case.¡± ¡°What about spirits?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You said they form from the chaos of the uncontrolled magic. does that mean they can form anywhere? Even outside of this planet, and even potentially on other planets?¡± ¡°You are fortunate that I have a definite answer to this question,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Yes, spirits can form anywhere, and even on other planets. However, you can¡¯t summon a spirit from the other corner of the universe. It requires too much energy. You can use that energy much better instead of calling a spirit from the other side of the universe, which may or may not be strong enough to help you out.¡± ¡°Having said that, it is much easier, and common, to summon a spirit across from the world,¡± said Munshi. Chapter 121 Chapter 121.

Part 1.

Hatori wakes up in Munshi¡¯s car, and he is reminded of the first trip in this world when Zeko took him to his house from the castle. the experience is similar as well, sleeping and waking up in a moving car. ¡®Good thing that I¡¯m good at sleeping in a moving vehicle. Life would have been much harder for me otherwise.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. During the breakfast, Munshi explains where they are going. ¡°There is a case in The City of Bhoj, and that is where we¡¯re going right now. we will arrive there shortly.¡± He spoke. ¡°Is there any info about what is the problem?¡± asked Hatori, biting his egg. ¡°Unfortunately, no,¡± said Munshi. ¡°They have contacted me in quite a hurry, so no time to explain much. it is my advice that unless you have a lot of experience, always avoid such cases. It can be dangerous for you.¡± he explained. Munshi continues, and Hatori listens to him while enjoying the remaining part of his egg. He does not leave half of the egg like so many people do. Wasting food like that is not cool in his opinion. ¡°While our time is rather short, I do expect you to use the knowledge I have given you so far. Consider this case a sort of quiz. I won¡¯t ask you anything which I have not taught you, and most of the practical side will be handled by me. however, this won¡¯t remain the same forever. I do plan to let you operate on your own by the end of this year.¡± Hatori nods. He brings out the notes he has made about the spirits and souls after listening to Munshi¡¯s lecture, and goes over them, occasionally asking for clarification. He considers asking about blood magic but refrains from doing so for now. ¡®I¡¯ll wait for a while before I push for that. who knows, he might end up teaching me that without me asking for it.¡¯

Part 2.

Dhanraj is checking on his father. This is a routine that he has performed dutifully ever since Yograj got injured while fighting against Zeko six years ago. They kidnapped Hatori when he was returning after taking his exam, but the child escaped and Zeko found him. The king was displeased, and he isolated the Joshi family from all political and economic activities, though they have slowly started to get back up on their feet, and Dhanraj even hopes that one day they can persuade Porus to reverse his decision. He halts on his track after seeing his father sitting on his bed. The sight does not compute. For six years now, he has seen Yograj on the bed, unmoving. But now, he is awake, and looking right at him. The older man motions him to come closer. The speech has not returned to him yet, and Dhanraj calls the family healer. Days of therapy follow, after which Yograj is good enough to slowly walk within the house, and regain his speech. ¡°I see you have handled the family affairs nicely in my absence.¡± He noted, looking at the rebuilt house, and new wards. ¡°You can take back the control.¡± Said Dhanraj. Maybe he would have fought if his father had woken up five years ago, but now he has enough of dealing with the family politics. ¡°No,¡± he said. ¡°You are doing well. I do not wish to take control from you. now, tell me, what happened with the boy?¡± ¡°He has grown strong. In his first year, he killed Vanraj.¡± Explained Dhanraj. ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± said Yograj. ¡°Your cousin was a hot-headed fool.¡± Said Yograj, using his sharp tongue to its fullest. ¡°Can¡¯t deny that.¡± agreed Dhanraj. ¡°Apart from the mayhem he caused in the Academy, the boy is apprenticing under Munshi now.¡± ¡°Hmm. a fine choice.¡± Nodded Yograj. ¡°What about our noble friends?¡± Yograj spat the words. ¡°I doubt they are sitting silently after their failures.¡± ¡°They are not,¡± said Dhanraj. ¡°From what I¡¯ve heard, Sharma appealed the same thing, use persuasion instead of force, while they are thinking of sending more of the rented goons after him.¡± ¡°I admit, I didn¡¯t see value in his approach then, but Surendra was right.¡± This surprises Dhanraj. ¡°Why such a surprised face? I am capable of learning from my mistakes.¡± ¡°I also believe they will face a lot of problems. Munshi won¡¯t let the boy die. And if somehow, they do manage to kill him, then it would be best if we are not in this country.¡± Said Yograj. ¡°Mount Porus will explode, just like it did 20 years ago when they killed his wife by mistake.¡± ¡°Were you not part of that plot?¡± asked Dhanraj. ¡°Give me some credit, son.¡± Yograj chuckled. ¡°I was, and still am an impulsive man. but I was never foolish enough to kill the wife of the strongest mage in the country, and then expect to survive just because I am wealthy.¡±

Part 3.

The city of Bhoj is a large city, located in the central area of the Subcontinent. It is settled near a large lake, which is a big tourist spot, and it is also the political center for the entire central area of the Subcontinent. Hatori and Munshi arrive at the family which called them here. Hatori thinks they are welcomed by the oldest members of the family, an assumption that is proven right. He listens and takes notes as Munshi talks with them. there are six members in this house, Vijay Rathore and his wife Joti, two siblings Tej and Tina, and the younger brothers of both Joti and Vijay. ¡°Some strange events are happening in our house, we¡¯re not sure what to do, or how to handle them. someone from my circle recommended that I consult with you, that is why I have called you,¡± explained Vijay. ¡°What kind of events?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°Three days ago,¡± he begins to recount, ¡°When I returned to the house, there was no one inside. And yet, I heard noises, as if someone was moving inside. When I went to investigate, an empty glass from the table flew at me. I did not sense any magic, nor did our wards respond to this hostile bit of magic.¡± ¡°My wife was scratched when she was bathing today,¡± Joti points to the scratches to her face, and Vijay continues. ¡°My brother and brother-in-law were nearly drowned in the pond of our garden, and my youngest son was pushed off the stairs.¡± ¡°I realize that you mentioned your wards not reacting. Was that the case every single time?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°Yes. Nothing was detected, even when I ran a manual scan of the house.¡± Said Vijay. Munshi brings out some lockets. ¡°I suggest you give these to everyone. They are generic protections, but they will keep you safe until we pin down what is going on here, and who and what is the cause of it,¡± said Munshi. Hatori shifts, he can sense the power coming off from those lockets. As the couple accepts the lockets and wears two of them, Munshi and Hatori both stiffen, as they sense a hostile will nearby, observing them. Hatori slowly turns to the direction where he senses the hostility, and only finds a young girl. ¡°That is my daughter, Tina.¡± Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. Munshi nods. ¡°I will be nearby if you need to call me urgently.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Do not remove these lockets in any circumstances. Do you understand?¡± They nod and give a locket to their daughter, who walks reluctantly to her mother when she calls to her. Hatori gets the impression that she wanted to throw that locket away, but couldn¡¯t bring herself to do that in front of them. They come back to their car, and Hatori refers to his notes which he took during their conversation. ¡°Your dictation pen is useful, boy, recording the conversation is very important during these cases.¡± Explained Munshi. ¡°Judging from what we have heard from them, what do you think is the cause of these strange events?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°A spirit? Perhaps a newly born one, since you said they are often chaotic when they are born at first?¡± said Hatori. ¡°You are disregarding ghosts.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Remember, the human souls which are strong enough to remain together even after their death can possess people, and also cause these events.¡± Hatori hums, thinking what they sensed as soon as Munshi brought out the lockets. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Munshi. ¡°It is not a bad case as I was expecting. Though I do warn you, cases of human souls are always nasty.¡± ¡°Right.¡± Nods Hatori, getting sleepy. ¡°How are they able to afford your fee though?¡± Munshi laughed. ¡°Believe it or not kid, my charging rates are quite flexible.¡± Hatori doesn¡¯t understand. Shaking his head, he excuses himself, it is nighttime already. He should sleep since the next day promises to be important. They will further investigate the family. A runic array comes in front of him, showing him a way to improve himself. However, he is not able to make heads or tails of it, or why exactly did it appear on its own. Though he is not sure about the effects of these new runes, his instincts are telling him that he should use them. so, he okays these runes, and his body starts to heat up. Only in the morning, he realizes that his immune system has been changed. But how exactly has it changed, only James or Slaughter can tell him. ¡®I should avoid any more of such improvements until I meet them.¡¯ he decides.

Part 4.

The next morning, Munshi and Hatori observe the family from a distance. ¡°So, who do you think is possessed, boy?¡± ¡°First, is it confirmed it is a possession problem?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Hmm. good question. Yes, it is confirmed. Nothing else can explain it. the soul can easily influence things in the house, and no one would be the wiser.¡± Explains Munshi. ¡°In that case, I think that girl Tina is possessed.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Here are the reasons: first, she is the only one who didn¡¯t have a violent event, second, since she is a child, no one will suspect her, third, when you gave the lockets to them yesterday, we both sensed hostilities. Later when that strange and violent magical presence disappeared, I sensed her from the same location. The fourth and final reason is, I do not sense the enchanted lockets you gave to them yesterday. She is wearing a different locket entirely, but she is hiding that with her clothes.¡± When Hatori was done, Munshi started to clap slowly. ¡°Wonderfully done. Looks like you do have some talent.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk with Vijay. Remain quiet, do not speak in the middle. These situations can be wonderfully violent due to the emotions involved.¡± Hatori does as Munshi instructs him. though he is ready to blast his way out of the house if the situation gets violent. the wards are not powerful enough here to contain him, judging from what he has sensed them so far. Tina is summoned by her father, and when he sees the locket missing, he has no other choice but to believe what Munshi has told him. The girl tries to attack them, but her magic is not enough to overpower two adult mages, possession or not. Hatori couldn¡¯t help, since all his spells are violent, and not designed to restrain someone. Therefore, he just takes notes of how Munshi calls the soul out of Tina. He was expecting lots of chanting, and dramatic events, but nothing of the sort happened. Munshi just used some water and said a few words, and despite the girl bucking wildly, the soul came out of her. Hatori has to avoid taking notes in a hurry, since the ghost lunged at him, trying to possess him. however, the runes to protect his mind which James helped him in creating came useful, and the ghost was kicked out of his body without any help from outside. after that, it dispersed in sparks. ¡°Ug!¡± he holds his head in his hands. The runes helped him out a lot, but he can see where he can improve them. ¡®I¡¯ll start by making sure they don¡¯t cause so much pressure in my head.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. His headache does not abate until Munshi gives him a potion to cure it. As they are leaving in the car, the mage assesses the performance of Hatori. ¡°You did better than I thought you would for your first case.¡± He spoke. ¡°Though I do think next time, you should wear some protection so an incident like today¡¯s never happens again. Zeko will have my hide if you die on me, boy.¡± Hatori chuckles. ¡°Also, I do think I have to start you on blood magic soon, your runes are good enough already. Be ready boy, this is something going to be gross.¡±

Part 5.

Josh gets the proceeds of the recent auction. Who would have thought old porn magazines could be so popular? They have been running this business since their third year, and it is still going strong. At least he can say that this isn¡¯t the only thing that they do. James and Hatori¡¯s yantra to detect poison are also proving to be popular, especially since new students come every year, and people do want to buy another one after breaking the old one, or other reasons. One might wonder how he gets enough time to handle his classes, teach younger years, be the president, and do his homework? The answer is that he has yantras to do most of the calculations. However, he does learn to do things by hand, to check for mistakes and inaccuracies. He only has to teach younger years once or twice a week, and he can delegate the work to younger members of the council. besides, this year has been rather peaceful and easy. ¡®Better not say that out loud.¡¯ He thinks, and hopes that he did not ruin this peaceful year by thinking about it.

Part 6.

Avinash is handling the animals of the farm, while Kishore Nanda is lecturing him about the carrot and stick approach. ¡°The important thing is when you say something like you will do something in some other reaction, for example, not give the dogs walks until they behave, or you¡¯ll invade a country if your demands are not met, you better be ready to follow them up. because if you don¡¯t, then people will call your bluff, and will never respect you.¡± ¡°Why did you use the invasion example?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°No particular reason,¡± said Kishore with a secretive smile. Chapter 122 Chapter 122.

Part 1.

As the car drives automatically, and several companies rage for not being able to perfect that technology yet, Munshi is pacing back and forth, explaining the blood magic to Hatori. ¡°Generally, blood magic basically refers to symbols drawn with blood, or sacrifice of blood for a ritual or a spell. simply, wherever blood is used for magic, it can be called blood magic.¡± ¡°I suspect it as wider applications then?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, though the use of blood makes people squeamish, so generally, you won¡¯t see it being used.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°But what is so great about blood?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I mean I know why it is necessary for living people, to transfer oxygen and nutrients throughout the body. But what is so great about it that it is used in magic?¡± ¡°Because it can channel magic very well,¡± said Munshi. ¡°You see, magic is flowing through all of us. our own energy reserves allow us to use that, and when you use blood to perform a bit of magic, it channels it well, because it is already doing that in your body.¡± ¡°You mean to carry the magic throughout the whole body?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Indeed.¡± Smiled Munshi. ¡°However, bear in mind that the blood must be fresh for this. Old and dried blood is useless for this. However, once you draw a rune with fresh blood, that rune will outperform any rune drawn with conventional ink. Only carvings can compete with blood.¡± ¡°But carving takes time,¡± said Hatori, being familiar with the process of carving runes in the wood. This is how Zeko has taught him, and even though they use runes written on ink during his classes, carving is the way he understands the runes. ¡°Exactly. Not to mention, it takes precision along with force. Whereas drawing or writing requires much less force, and you can create runes with better precision as a result. Blood is just another part of that.¡± explained Munshi. ¡°Okay. what about the blood itself? Does it have any significance on magic being performed, depending on whose blood is being used? Like human blood, animal blood, your own blood, or say, an enemy¡¯s blood?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Hm. Generally, blood is blood, there¡¯s not much difference to it. unless you are performing a ritual. In that case, different kinds of blood can give you different results.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°For example, if you are working against someone whom you consider your enemy, then their blood will help you in any ritual which you may perform against them.¡± ¡°Then there is magic entanglement. This refers to the use of magic through the blood of someone, to perform any kind of effect on them. this can happen because their magic is still to some extent, linked with their blood. That link gets broken after a while, this is one of the reasons why most of the time we just see memories of a dead person, and not resurrect their soul.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Anyway, getting back to the point, resurrecting the soul and magic entanglement are two different things. One is related to bringing back the dead, and the other is concerned with performing magic on living.¡± ¡°This does not need blood always. Even something like hair can work.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°You mean anyone can perform magic on me just by my hair?¡± asked Hatori, horrified by the possibility. To someone who is so paranoid, this is a nightmare. ¡°There is a way to break the link.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Here¡¯s how. You have to be good at focusing and exploring your magic. meditation is needed for this.¡± ¡°Why do I hear Zeko laughing?¡± muttered Hatori. ¡°Once you start to focus, you will be able to find these links, and then you can sever them. I personally do that every night,¡± said Munshi. ¡°It will take some time, but you will get good enough to do that with practice. For now, let¡¯s move on to the final lesson of the day, ghosts.¡± ¡°Ghosts are of two kinds. First are like recorded memories. these are impressions left behind by the dead person. Second are the consciously aware ghosts, which can take independent actions, like the one which we saw in The City of Bhoj.¡± Explained Munshi. ¡°You need to understand that ghosts are not like souls. Souls are basically the original dead person, just without a physical body. Ghosts are incomplete, however, and they seek to complete themselves, by either consuming the magic of others or by possession. They do not have any other purpose aside from this.¡± ¡°Now, note down the magic spells that can work on ghosts specifically.¡± Said Munshi, and Hatori started to take notes.

Part 2.

Bali, the professor of combat in the Academy of Magecraft and Sorcery is sparring with his apprentices. Praduman and Daphne are both trying to hit him, but their spells are easily batted aside by the professor. Daphne was awed when she saw him do that for the first time because she had seen Hatori doing that during his battles. Seeing a professor do that brought the point home how strong her friend is. Bali is surprised by Daphne¡¯s performance so far. She appears to be the typical girl from an Albion family, meaning looks elegant, and avoids combat at all costs. Fighting is for those barbaric men, not for the refined ladies. Bali shook his head. His time in the Albion land was a strange one. But she is nothing like that. She never abandoned his class, always attended his lessons, and she is now apprenticing with him as well. ¡®Unlike that no-it-all brat Hatori.¡¯ Once more, the professor shakes his head to clear his thoughts. Why focus on the students who disrespect him? he rather put the energy on the ones who listen to him, and are willing to learn from him. and Daphne is one of those students. Each year he gets a lot of boys who want to either go to the military or become duelists in the future. While nothing is stopping the girls from participating in the same activities, Bali has learned that females are not so combat-inclined, unlike the majority of the men. But Daphne has a competitive spirit, one of the rare female students who has it, and despite the physical workout necessary to stay in this internship, she is not quitting. Instead, she is giving the boys a run for their money. Bali enjoys using her name to kick the ass of the lazy boys to motivate them. ¡°If a girl can do better than you, and you have no will to try and surpass her, then you don¡¯t belong in this class!¡± he roared at them daily. Daphne manages to tag Bali with a spell, his distracted thoughts gave her enough time to do that. ¡°Good job, Miss Blake.¡± He complimented her. The spell hit hard, but it failed to leave a mark due to his protective clothing. ¡°I think we should conclude this lesson. Please come by tomorrow for the daily run in the morning.¡± ¡°Of course, professor.¡± Said Praduman and Daphne together.

Part 3.

Ravina carves the runes on the wooden board. She has heard other students complaining about why Professor Krodhatma does not let them just write down the runes, and how he makes them carve on the wood all the time. but she does not mind, the activity itself is quite relaxing to her. This also results in the completion of her homework, and the professor being happy with her. Some students tried to slander her reputation with unsavory rumors, due to their jealousy of her work, but some quick brutal violence took care of that. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. As she goes to the office of Krodhatma to submit the work (he said the students should complete this as soon as possible, and submit the work in his office), she observes the projects of the previous students. All throughout the office, the professor has put the most interesting projects of his students on display, with their names given right below the cases where they are being displayed. One name surprised her, however. ¡°Welcome, Miss Lohar.¡± He motions her to take a seat. ¡°You¡¯re done with the work I see.¡± He checks her work. ¡°I don¡¯t see any problems with it, you can relax for now, I won¡¯t give any more work until next week.¡± ¡°Thanks, professor.¡± Said Ravina gratefully. She needs the time to absorb the knowledge she has gained. She once more glanced at Hatori¡¯s name. ¡®Why is his name here? he is not even attending this apprenticeship!¡¯ she thinks. ¡°I see Hatori¡¯s project has caught your eye.¡± Said Krodhatma, tapping his table and bringing the runes of Hatori¡¯s project into focus. ¡°Do you see the purpose of these symbols?¡± he asked softly. Ravina tried to make sense of these runes. She cannot make the heads or tails of them. ¡°I can¡¯t,¡± she said with a frustrated tone. ¡°I don¡¯t understand where they start or end.¡± ¡°These are the runes for the ritual that he created to modify the animals that invaded this school nearly three years ago.¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°He used these same runes as the base to modify himself later. truly, that boy has been the most promising student to have joined my class in the past five years or so.¡± ¡°He did that by himself?¡± Ravina could not believe what she was hearing. ¡°Yes, he did.¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°Aside from making me review his work, he didn¡¯t take much help from me.¡± ¡°Then why didn¡¯t he join your class?¡± asked Ravina, puzzled. ¡°Because he did not need it,¡± said Krodhatma. ¡°That boy does not need any guidance. The only thing he needs is some ideas and some pointers to accomplish those ideas. Rest, he can do that by himself.¡± Ravina wonders whether she is wasting her time in this class. But the professor¡¯s next word brings her out of her thoughts. ¡°Do not worry Miss Lohar. While symbols may come to Hatori naturally, you have your own gift. You are persistent, and you will make a wonderful teacher, should you decide to share your knowledge one day. Whereas Hatori will struggle to explain the runes to anyone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not gonna lie, sir, I needed to hear that,¡± she said with a smile. The professor chuckled in response. As Ravina walks out of Krodhatma¡¯s office, she thinks about her father¡¯s reaction. ¡®He would be shocked to see me working on runes.¡¯ She thought. Her father is aware of her rather tomboy nature, and her habit of responding with physical violence.

Part 4.

Lavinya follows the instructions of the Sultan and adds the ingredients upon his prompting. She took the potions for her sixth-year apprenticeship, to understand the art which altered her life so much. For 300 years, she existed as a ghost, and when she regained her physical existence, she found herself in a new age, and no family of her own. All the people whom she knew are now dead, she is effectively an orphan. She thought of connecting with the descendants of her relatives, but given their rather lukewarm response after her first few attempts, she quickly abandoned that idea. Now, if she can stop herself from coming off as cold to others, she might say she has started to rebuild some semblance of normalcy. But until she succeeds in that, she has potions to master. Professor Dhiraj is happy to teach her since she has attended the classes for 300 years, meaning she has seen the beginners learn and fail for 300 years. He does not have to supervise her, unlike the apprentices he gets every year.

Part 5.

Shin and Sangita come off the stage, done performing their act for the day. ¡°Did you hear that noise?¡± she asked Shin, once they were in their room. ¡°Did you sense their happiness?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Answered Shin with a wide grin. ¡°I felt that.¡± ¡°This entire area was devastated by a flood. Some might argue what is the point of holding a concert here?¡± said Sangita. ¡°But people need happiness. And if we can make them forget their misery for a while, then I believe we have succeeded in our purpose.¡± Shin¡¯s lips curl up in a smirk. ¡°And we didn¡¯t have to perform any spell for that either.¡± ¡°Exactly.¡± She agreed. ¡°Now, this is a new place, if you want to explore it, go ahead. Don¡¯t go far though, and do not pick any fights. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Said Shin. He changed his clothes and ran outside of the hotel. Outside though, he found destruction. He never realized how destructive water can be. ¡®I will never make fun of Josh. What if he decided to do this?¡¯ he thought. Shin is horrified to see how helpless humans are before nature¡¯s fury, even with magic.

Part 6.

Hatori goes over his notes of spirit magic. souls and spirits have different frequencies, and unless spells are performed at that frequency, it won¡¯t affect them. so far, Hatori has managed to perform spells like Stinger, Slice, and Blaster at this frequency. The last one caused a lot of destruction in the car, so Munshi forbade Hatori from practicing inside ever since. The problem is not just the different frequencies. Souls and spirits do not have the same frequency, meaning, anyone who is dealing with them has to learn both these different frequencies. Aside from the basic spells, Hatori is having trouble performing the elemental magic or conjuring at this frequency. He folds his notes up neatly and assumes a meditative pose. He tries to take his magic at the frequency of spirits. Once he has managed to get this frequency down, he will try the soul frequency. That one is harder to achieve anyway. he misses the room of frozen time. he could have made so much progress with that room in a short amount of time.

Part 7.

3000 years ago, when the Magecraft and Sorcery Institute was creating its network of schools across the world, many people tried taking control of these academies, and the Subcontinent was no different. King Dushiant, the second king of the Subcontinent, tried to take over the Academy with the support of the then-noble families of the time. To do this, they sent their people inside the school, who brutalized and beat up the students and staff alike. During this time, the Academy did not have defenses to face this attack. however, Saraswati, the then-head of the Academy united the staff, and they resisted the invasion any further. Once the Institute learned of this incident, they sent their own mages to help out Saraswati and drove the people of the king and the noble families. The relationship between the Academy and the throne was strained for many years after this, but by this point, the academies throughout the world were given adequate defenses to weather any such invasions from authorities around the world. the Institute also proved its power in the next few wars, and afterward, they all decided that interfering with their operations was a bad idea, especially since these mages were, and still are, responsible for keeping their dimension stable. Chapter 123 Chapter 123.

Part 1.

Hatori is carving the runes on a small object, which is a small black orb in the shape of an eye. He is really glad for the carver Zeko bought him, for it can carve on anything. From wood to even gold and silver. ¡®Imagine the outrage if I carved some useless markings on some jewelry. That¡¯ll teach them.¡¯ grinning at this amusing thought, he continued to carve the symbols. This is challenging, because the surface is small, and the symbols are even smaller. Ideally, he would have taken the help of a yantra, but traveling with Munshi does not give him any such luxuries. Therefore, he must test and carve these runes by himself. He learned the particulars of how the vision of yantras works from James, and his friend also shared his notes for creating the artificial eyes for Suraj. The eyes created by James are affected by a curse in Hatori¡¯s body, about which he still does not have a clue. So, he thinks that he might be able to get past that curse through artificial eyes, which are not made of flesh and blood. ¡®I should be horrified by a curse in my body about which I don¡¯t know a thing. But I just can¡¯t bring myself to care about it.¡¯ thinks Hatori. He should be unable to sleep, as long as that curse is in his body, given his well-trained paranoia. But it hasn¡¯t left any effects other than blindness on him. he is not willing to spend his time on something about which no one knows a thing. He is not going to offer himself as a lab rat either. The car stops suddenly, and Hatori¡¯s thoughts and his carving come to a halt. Something floats from the bridge in front of them and orders Munshi to lower the windows. ¡°You cannot cross this bridge!¡± said the floating thing.

Part 2.

Raven is trying to come up with tactics for some scenarios. According to General Sundar, this is part of his internship, and truth be told, Raven came here for this exact purpose. However, some of these scenarios sound ludicrous. There is one where the entire world is against the Subcontinent, which Raven finds hard to believe. The world does not turn against a country, united against it. a war with the non-magical humans from another dimension. And then there are conflicts with Dwarves, Goblins, and most important of all, Elves. ¡°Sir, what is the use of this exercise?¡± Raven asked the general. ¡°Simple really.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°You see, it passes the time. soldiers have to spend their energy somewhere, otherwise they get nervous.¡± Raven thinks that some soldiers outside of the general¡¯s office would like to deny that. ¡°Then there is this possibility: any of them can come true. Believe it or not, we do have plans if a conflict with space races breaks out. especially the Elves. Ever since they landed here on this world, all the leaders are united in one thing: they cannot be trusted.¡± ¡°Makes sense.¡± Mutters Raven. ¡°Though they have not made any moves towards our planet, and they have never returned here either.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± agreed Sundar. ¡°But no one knows the future. So now, exercise that brain of yours, and prepare some plans, how bad they may be, and get used to the feeling that no general is ever prepared completely.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think I¡¯ll ever have to worry about that,¡± said Raven seriously. ¡°I¡¯m not going to be a general.¡± ¡°That is not for you to decide.¡± Said Sundar with an iron tone, and Raven decided not to argue anymore.

Part 3.

A student shows up in Slaughter¡¯s office. ¡°Sir, can you help me?¡± he asked. Slaughter looked up from the newspaper and cringed inwardly after looking at his face. ¡°Nothing seems to work.¡± Said the boy, the anguish clear in his tone. ¡®I¡¯m really glad that I¡¯m past that age, and without suffering from this problem too much.¡¯ not letting show his internal thoughts on his face, Slaughter nodded. he picks up his staff which is leaning to his chair, and casts a cooling spell to provide some relief to the boy. ¡°James, come here.¡± ¡°Yes sir?¡± Slaughter was startled by the sudden appearance of James, but again, he did not let that show up. ¡°Tell me. what should be the treatment for this problem?¡± asked the healer, pointing to the pimples on the face of their patient. ¡°Hmm. I think the skin-cleaning potion to clear out the oil, and another potion to moisturize the skin.¡± Said James. ¡°Also, something to repair the damage, though it is escaping my memory currently.¡± ¡°Right. The potion to clear out the marks.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°Here, use these daily, and keep your face clean. Alright? Do come here after a week, we would like to check the progress.¡± ¡°Thanks, sir.¡± Said the boy, breathing a sigh of relief. ¡°These potions are pretty standard, but everyone likes to brand them with their name,¡± grumbled Slaughter, closing his potion¡¯s drawer. ¡°As for you,¡± he turns to James. ¡°You do need to learn why these small problems appear, and how to solve them. you won¡¯t understand how the human body works otherwise. Do you understand?¡± ¡°Yes sir, I understand.¡± Said James. ¡°Good. now, I¡¯ll give you the recipe for the potions which we¡¯ve just assigned. Try to brew them.¡± said Slaughter.

Part 4.

Shin and Sangita are in the crowd, observing the other performances. After all, it is vital to pay attention to others, who knows, it might end up inspiring you. the author who does not pay me enough to narrate this approves of this attitude for some reason. These jolly events have to be stopped, however, as a bell started to ring, and an announcement started to boom over the city. ¡°Attention everyone, the water is approaching the city once more. Please evacuate peacefully. Repeat, the water is approaching the city. Please evacuate peacefully.¡± People who do live here started to follow the instructions very calmly. Whereas outsiders are having trouble in keeping the control. ¡°It is quite sad; an entire school will be caught in the flood this time.¡± said one man near Shin. ¡°Yeah, but those kids will survive¡­ right?¡± said the other man. ¡°That is what we can hope for.¡± By the time Sangita looks for Shin, the boy seems to have disappeared in the chaos. She also learned that many people wouldn¡¯t be able to evacuate, and would be caught in the fury of water approaching the city, but since Shin was missing, she could not bring herself to care about that. the water was at the edge of the city, but just then, people started to hear violin notes. They looked around for this mad person who was still playing music at this time and found Shin standing in the tallest building, playing violin, and to the amazement of the people, he halted the water right at their gate. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. However, he won¡¯t be able to do that for too long. Already the water is forming a wall, and by every minute, the size of that wall is increasing, as more water is added to it from behind. but people inside of the city took advantage of this small window and evacuated everyone successfully. As the strain of holding the flood becomes too much, Shin plays some final notes and starts to run. Just in time, an airship dropped a rope ladder for him, and he made his escape. On the deck of the ship, he found a furious Sangita. ¡°Are you out of your mind boy?¡± she shook with the rage. Then she hugged him. ¡°You did a good thing today. Don¡¯t repeat it again. You hear me?¡± ¡°I won¡¯t. sorry to worry you, professor.¡± He said to her.

Part 5.

¡°You have to pay me for crossing this bridge.¡± Said the spirit, floating outside of the car¡¯s window. ¡°Or else, I¡¯ll drown you in the river below!¡± ¡°But I already pay taxes.¡± Protested Munshi. ¡°doesn¡¯t matter. That money doesn¡¯t reach me.¡± said the spirit. ¡°Why would a spirit need money?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Shut up boy!¡± Hatori thinks judging from the voice, the spirit must be female. ¡®Or maybe it does not recognize itself with a gender.¡¯ He thinks. ¡°Wait a minute.¡± Said the spirit. ¡°I smell that damned Yaksha on you boy.¡± ¡°Is that a problem?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, he spurned my love. I cannot let that insult be unanswered. Now, prepare to die!¡± said the spirit, and tried to enter the car. but Munshi¡¯s wards stop her (it?) from entering. Never backing down from a fight, Hatori goes out, despite the cautioning of Munshi, and starts to fight with the spirit. He used the lightning leash to restrain it, but the spirit broke through the electrified chain very easily. ¡°Hmm. I do need more practice.¡± He said to himself, as water started to approach him. ¡°So, are you male, female, or something different?¡± asked Hatori, now hovering above the water. ¡°Female, you damned hairless ape!¡± she is getting frustrated since Hatori is dodging her in the air. ¡°Stay still!¡± ¡°No,¡± he said and dropped a Blast spell on her. That sent her flying, but Hatori was sure that the spirit would return to attack him again. Having more time on his hand allowed him to conjure up chains, which snared the spirit when she came out of the water to attack Hatori once more. He channeled lightning through the chain, shocking the spirit badly. ¡°How? How can you damage me so much?¡± she asked, her ethereal body spasming from the shocks delivered by Hatori. ¡°Because I improve as I fight,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Boy, look behind!¡± came the warning of Munshi, and Hatori sensed a massive wave of water descending upon him. Hatori just flew out of the range of that wave, but the bridge was destroyed by the water. ¡®There¡¯s no point in fighting now.¡¯ thinks Hatori, and flies inside of the car, dripping water everywhere. He may have avoided the crushing wave, but he still got splashed. ¡°Let¡¯s find another route.¡± Sighed Munshi. ¡°And do change your clothes.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said Hatori. Once he comes out after changing his clothes, Munshi starts to lecture him. ¡°Maybe try to be more patient with spirits next time?¡± he said to Hatori. ¡°Though I do acknowledge that there was no way to reason with that one.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I just wanted to try myself against a spirit who is not holding back.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°When I fought Yaksha, he just allowed me to hit him, and held back a lot.¡± ¡°True. And I do think you did well,¡± said Munshi. ¡°I think you could have used some of your more damaging spells.¡± ¡°I tried, but I just couldn¡¯t match the frequency in the middle of the battle.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I need more practice before I can do that in a fight.¡± ¡°Well, you will get good, just give it time. don¡¯t rush into things.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°So, where are we going exactly?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°To Madras.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Some murders are happening there, and the police think those are not done by humans.¡±

Part 6.

As they leave the city, Shin gets a hero¡¯s send-off. Everyone cheered his name and waved to him as he left with Professor Sangita. ¡°I wasn¡¯t lying when I said you did a good job.¡± She said to him. ¡°But I was also very serious when I said do not do something like this again.¡± Said Sangita. ¡°That water wave could have crushed you.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Said Shin. ¡°But I couldn¡¯t let those kids end up in that either.¡± ¡°True, that is exactly why I say you did a good deed.¡± Said Sangita. ¡°But you do not need to recklessly put yourself in the way of danger to do that. remember, there are more ways to help people.¡± ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Now, once we¡¯re on the ship, we¡¯ll practice the recital.¡± ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Nodded Shin. ¡®I wonder whether Hatori feels the same way as if this is his duty to nod and say yes whenever Zeko tells him something.¡¯ Thinks Shin, the bells in his hair jingling with each step.

Part 7. The currency wars.

After the first king took over the charge of the Subcontinent, he had a problem in his hand. Mainly, everyone seems to be using their own currencies in their own areas, and aside from gold and silver, none of them had any standard to it. not to mention, not accepting the currency of another area. Also, not everyone could afford the gold and silver to trade in, aside from rich families. Therefore, the king proposed a standardized currency, backed by the throne, which would be accepted throughout the country. However, the noble families were not willing to accept this one currency, seeing this as a threat to their operations. However, the king had massive forces on his side, and he sent military forces wherever the families did not obey this decree. This is when people learned what he meant by currency backed by the power of the throne. This was a long and arduous task, but the king completed it, and people are still reaping the benefits of his efforts to this day. Initially, they used coins, but after seeing the revolution of paper money in the normal dimension, they switched to the notes. This actually made it easier for the country to create more notes, since they did not have to work with metals. However, the coins are still in use, but they are not manufactured. Here are the notes in use today: copper, the lowest valued note, silver, higher than copper, and gold, the highest valued note. Mages never developed a system to define which note is equivalent to which note in the non-magical dimension, because they never needed to do that. trade between these two dimensions rarely takes place. And whenever that happens, bars of gold are used instead of their own currencies. Chapter 124 Chapter 124.

Part 1.

Josh and James meet in the underground lab of Samay the sorcerer. At one point, this was a permanent place for Hatori and James, ever since Hatori discovered it. however, things have changed since. They have been separated, and now have responsibilities, which do take a lot of their time. which is somewhat ironic, given the room located behind the door, which could let them have almost unlimited time, given how slowly it passes inside if they can tolerate the maddening effects of long isolation. But the reality is, they can¡¯t. not even Hatori and James, who are the most introverted in their group can stay there for too long. Josh drinks the tea that James managed to bring here. Hatori introduced them to the Dwarves working in the kitchen, and the staff agreed to supply them with food and drinks as they needed it outside of the school-related facilities, for a price of course. Josh and James often have to help them out by collecting gossip, the Dwarves love that for some reason. ¡°You look like a president sitting like that with the cup in your hand.¡± Said James. ¡°I am the president.¡± Said Josh, putting the cup down. ¡°Tell me, we used to have so much time, what happened?¡± ¡°Responsibilities.¡± Said James. ¡°That, and we¡¯re growing up.¡± ¡°But I don¡¯t wanna.¡± Whined Josh. ¡°Also, what is this thing responsibility thing which you speak of? It sounds horrifying!¡± While Josh is unable to hide his revulsion for becoming a responsible and productive member of society, James hides the same fear behind an impassive expression. ¡°Truly, growing up is one of the injustices of the world,¡± he said solemnly, and Josh nodded in agreement.

Part 2.

Munshi and Hatori arrive in Madras. Hatori has never been here before, and everyone seems to speak a different language locally. But they do seem to talk in the standard language, which Hatori didn¡¯t know was a standard language, given how he basically has the same language being used in his house back in his own dimension. He assumes his role of observer, as Munshi talks with the police officers. ¡°So, what have you gathered so far?¡± asked Munshi, getting straight to the point after accepting a glass of water. ¡°Well, it seems that the killer is targeting the police force itself.¡± Said the inspector. ¡°Either former officers who are now retired, or the families of the officers.¡± Munshi thinks about what he has just heard. Judging from this information, he can eliminate ghosts entirely. Ghosts cannot perform this bit of complex operation, given how they lack the necessary mental capacity to create plans. However, a soul is an entirely different matter. ¡®Or, it could be a human.¡¯ He thought, deciding not to jump to conclusions just yet. ¡°Do you have a blood sample of the victim?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°The fresher, the better.¡± ¡°We do have a sample of the victim who died two days ago.¡± Said the inspector. While Munshi gets the sample of blood, Hatori thinks that the inspector could use some sleep. He sounds tired. ¡°Now, pay attention.¡± Said Munshi to Hatori. ¡°Resurrecting the soul is not possible always, due to the reasons I¡¯ve explained to you already. But watching the last memories is very easy with blood. It can be done with old blood as well, but that takes more energy, and the details can be blurry.¡± Said Munshi. Munshi draws some runes, which judging from Hatori¡¯s quick skimming, seems to be about retrieval of information. He put the blood at the center of the array he had drawn on the ground and then channeled some magic to activate the runes. Hatori senses the officers watching them from some distance. They have to do this task outside of the station, which makes sense. No one likes their floor being drawn upon, not to mention the potential of blowing up the station if anything goes wrong. Though Hatori does not think Munshi would make such a mistake. He has managed to live this long in this profession. It has to count for something. The memories start to play right in front of them as if they have an invisible TV screen right in front of them. Hatori does not understand what is going on though, aside from hearing the screams of the man, who sounds positively terrified. He did get some impressions, however, both the magic of the dead man and the attacker. ¡°Did you manage to sense the magic?¡± asked Munshi after they were done watching the grisly scene. ¡°Yes. But I don¡¯t have anything good for the other presence.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It is hard to put down.¡± ¡®He can already sense so deeply.¡¯ Thinks Munshi. ¡°That can happen. Now, it could be a human, using some sort of unknown magical device or a spell, or a soul, maybe a spirit. I¡¯ve got nothing concrete.¡± Explained Munshi to the officers. ¡°You will stay here for now, right sir?¡± asked the inspector. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I do not run in the middle of a case.¡± Said Munshi with a chuckle. As Hatori leaves with Munshi, he shares what he felt. ¡°I don¡¯t think that the other magic I felt was human.¡± He said to the necromancer walking next to him. ¡°It didn¡¯t have the right feel.¡± ¡°You might be right. But we can¡¯t prove it yet, and to solve a case, that is very important.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Still, what you do feel has some importance. Do wear all the protections I have given you.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Said Hatori, fiddling with the locket under his shirt, which is just one protection Munshi has given him to keep him safe from spirits and souls.

Part 3.

After they return to Munshi¡¯s car (no need to get a room when you have a home on wheels), Hatori thinks no more about the memories he watched with Munshi, nor the screams of a tortured man. he instead tested his runes and continued the process of carving them in the eyeball-shaped orbs he had conjured, and during this repetitive process, he remembers how Munshi didn¡¯t use to like it when he worked on his own projects in his free time. He told him not to do that on the way here. however, Hatori could not stay put and went stir-crazy. During one such bout of craziness, he nearly blew up the car. After that, Munshi allowed him to do whatever he wanted during his free time, as long as it did not interfere with his studies under him. he may or may not have cursed Zeko¡¯s name for creating such a monster. Hatori couldn¡¯t remember that clearly, he had sunk way too deep in the sleep to remember the exact words of Munshi. he ends up in a strange world, where his own body is feeling strange to him. he realizes that it is a dream. He recognizes the voice of his father talking with an old man, and just like every other dream, Hatori seems to have eyes in this one as well. ¡°You should really leave that boy.¡± the old man was saying. ¡°There¡¯s no point in raising him.¡± ¡®Why this dream?¡¯ he thought in disappointment. His father never hid the reality of what their relatives thought of him, how they wanted him to disown Hatori after he was diagnosed with cancer. His grandfather was the most vocal about it, and when his father refused, he basically kicked out his parents with just the clothes on their backs. Hatori has never met his paternal grandfather, and for whatever reason, this conversation is taking place in the hall of his house back in the dimension where magic is considered a myth, instead of the house of his grandfather, which he also has not seen. The voice of his grandfather is the mixture of all the voices of old men Hatori has heard in his life, because again, he has never met his grandfather, nor heard his voice because he does not keep contact with their family. ¡°How can you say that?¡± Karan clenched his fists. ¡°You¡¯ve just read the report, and you¡¯re already talking like this?¡± ¡°Come now.¡± said the old man. ¡°You should know that children come and go. Abandon him anywhere, the boy is young. He won¡¯t be able to speak anything.¡± Watching the furious expression of Karan, the old man suggests another idea. ¡°Okay, if you are bothered by it, then just leave him an orphanage. He¡¯ll leave a comfortable life there until the cancer claims him.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± roared Karan. ¡°I¡¯m not abandoning him, and that is final!¡± ¡°You¡¯re a fool if you don¡¯t do that!¡± roared the old man with equal ferocity. ¡°That boy will ruin you, socially, mentally, and financially. Why can¡¯t you see that?¡± ¡°Well, you are also a drain on my finances as well,¡± said Karan with a nasty tone. ¡°Maybe I should kick you out while I¡¯m at it.¡± ¡°You!¡± rage twisted the expression of the old man, but he continued. ¡°Don¡¯t you understand? You can just leave him, and try for another child in five years. no one will remember this.¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I will.¡± Said Karan. ¡°Then get lost! I¡¯ve got no place for a crippled child in my home.¡± said the old man. ¡°Fine.¡± Holding on to the unshed tears, Karan left with Rita. It is a testament to the wounds of this confrontation that Hatori still does not know the name of his paternal grandfather. As Hatori watches his mother and father leaving the house, Hatori feels something observing him at the edge of his awareness. the dream ends, and he wakes up. but he does not find anything near him, despite trying to sense the whole car, aside from Munshi who is still snoring, there is nothing here with them.

Part 4.

Sitting in his office, watching his Yantra signing or discarding the paperwork, Corvus performs a mental exercise. He thinks of who can replace him if he were to retire tomorrow out of nowhere. This is something he has been considering more and more, as each year passes. After all, with every new year, the time of his impending retirement is getting closer. One day, it won¡¯t be just a thought or a fun exercise. Instead, it will be a reality. Of course, he has no plans to retire this year, or even next five years. But after that? well, plans have to be made. A successor has to be chosen, and it is very important to train them to resist people trying to take advantage of the power vacuum. The saddest part is, among the current crop of staff, no one comes to mind to take over his position. ¡®Sometimes, I really fear for the future.¡¯ He thinks to himself. He gets up from his chair and goes to the kitchen to fix himself a cup of tea.

Part 5.

Raven is going through some negotiations with General Sundar. Bajrang, the older brother of Nandan is also with them. the general is going over the points of military negotiations with Raven. ¡°Normally, the military does not do negotiations. This is the responsibility of political people and with good reason. they are willing to compromise, while we are not. aggression is what we show, and demand the total submission from the other party. An attitude like that is not appreciated in a negotiation. However, surrender is an entirely different matter.¡± ¡°Of course, if the politicians manage to fuck things up, then the military has to clean up their mess.¡± Said general. ¡°And no, I¡¯m not apologizing for cursing in front of a miner.¡± Said Sundar to Bajrang. ¡°I didn¡¯t say anything.¡± Said Bajrang with a smirk. ¡°But you were thinking it.¡± said the general.

Part 6.

Hatori has been kicked out of the car. Apparently, Munshi subscribes to the philosophy of Zeko that boys should not stay indoors for too long. So, since Hatori wasn¡¯t contributing to the case (things are beyond him), Munshi told him to go out and talk with the locals. It should be noted that Hatori has no interest in talking with locals, or even nonlocals. He prefers to sleep rather than socialize with people. ¡®Better stop thinking about that. Kangana might come here and decide to torment me.¡¯ thinks Hatori. After sitting around in the park, working on his runes, Hatori goes out for lunch. He found some street food, and he also met two girls named Saroja and Niti, who are a year older than him and are out here with their professor of healing, completing their apprenticeship under her. ¡°My friend James is really lucky.¡± Said Hatori, eating his curry. ¡°He gets to do his internship in Academy.¡± ¡°Yeah, I like traveling, but moving so much can be exhausting.¡± Said Saroja. ¡°Though we also get to see so many sights.¡± Said Niti. ¡°I doubt we¡¯ll get that chance once we¡¯re adults.¡± ¡°I could do without the sight-seeing.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Oh, come on, don¡¯t be so glum.¡± They said together, trying to cheer him up. Hatori smiled in response. He pays for his food, and Hatori comes back to these two girls. They¡¯ve got some really interesting stories to tell, and Hatori is very much interested in these stories. Mostly because how many times can you meet a traveling group of healers who are going across the country? The nice day is interrupted, when an older boy, who looks like he has recently graduated from the Academy blocks Hatori¡¯s path, as he is leaving. The sun will start to set soon, and Hatori has no interest in remaining outside during the evening, especially with the savage attacks going on right now. he is confident in his fighting skills, but Hatori is not interested in picking up trouble. ¡°Go back.¡± Said the boy. ¡°What?¡± asked Hatori. He may not like picking up trouble, but the trouble seems to have decided to pick him up. ¡°Go back.¡± Said the boy with an insistent tone. ¡°Necromancers are not needed here. Do you think you¡¯re so great? Better than the police officers we¡¯ve got?¡± ¡°Last I checked, the officers themselves called my master.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That doesn¡¯t matter! We don¡¯t need you. if you won¡¯t leave, then I¡¯ll make you leave, by force!¡± the boy rushed at Hatori, but the younger boy easily moved out of his way. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t pick fights, especially with him,¡± said Niti with worry in her voice. ¡°He¡¯s a son of a police officer, known for his cruelty.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Said Hatori, easily dodging the older boy once again. ¡°You!¡± he then brings out his foci, and tries to cast a spell, but Hatori¡¯s magical pressure freezes him on the spot. Hatori walks close to him, and the older teen notices how this younger boy is taller and looks to be heavier than him. With a small push, Hatori makes him fall on his back, pinning him to the ground with his magical pressure. ¡°Are you done fighting?¡± he asked. The older boy gritted his teeth, but couldn¡¯t reply due to the pressure of Hatori¡¯s magic. the girls nearby watch this happening, unable to look away. Hatori has just subdued a graduate of the Academy right in front of them despite being three years younger than him. The magical pressure suddenly disappears from the older teen, as Hatori senses something coming at them quite fast. A raging cloud comes at them, and attacks the grounded teen. Hatori uses some spells to make the cloudy form back off, so the thing turns its attention to him. Hatori keeps attacking the cloud, but it always tries to get at the older boy. Hatori realizes that he must be the target, so he tries to hold the ground as much as he can. ¡°You guys should run.¡± He suggests to the girls and the boy. However, the cloud uses Hatori¡¯s favorite element against him, the lightning shocked him badly, easily overwhelming his defenses and his resistance, leaving his body with jitters. The cloud tries to get at the older boy, who is trying to back away, scared out of his mind, but Hatori puts an earth wall in front of him. ¡°You won¡¯t get at him so easily!¡± He declared. A face appears on the cloud, glaring at Hatori in fury. The girls are terrified to see this happening. But before it could do anything further, Munshi arrives, and the cloud disappears as quickly as it came. ¡°What happened here?¡± asked Munshi. Hatori tries to answer, but the jitters are making it hard to speak. the adrenalin of the fight is wearing off, and his body is now telling him about the damage. ¡°Let me help you,¡± said Niti, supporting Hatori. ¡°Please stay still.¡± Said Saroja, casting a spell to provide Hatori some relief from the effects of the electricity. ¡°Is he okay?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°He suffered a shock, but his lightning resistance seems to be good. he¡¯ll recover, he just needs some rest.¡± Explained Niti. ¡°Very well,¡± said Munshi. ¡°I think you should let me take care of him; I¡¯ll drop you to wherever your master is staying once he is safe at my car. Is that fine with you?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said the girls. They do not want to be alone as the sun has started to set, especially after witnessing what just happened.

Part 7.

The Subcontinent is no stranger to the female rule. much of this can be attributed to mages not exactly being able to discriminate against women because magic is a great equalizer. Another reason is that once this dimension was created, the history of mages and non-mages split effectively, and mages developed their own society through their own struggles. One such struggle was what do you call the female ruler? This challenge appeared when Indrani, the first-ever female ascended to the throne after defeating and killing the previous king. At first, people thought of calling her a queen, but others were not in support of this idea. After many debates, during which many rooms were burned to the ground, it was decided that the ruler would be called a king, no matter their gender, and whatever gender-related pronouns they had would still apply. Therefore, the king was addressed as ¡°Her Majesty¡± in the court. Chapter 125 Chapter 125.

Part 1.

At the dinner, Hatori explains what happened there. He is thankful for the quick healing that the girls provided. Magic is convenient like that, he must admit. ¡°So, you¡¯re saying that the soul attacked you?¡± asked Munshi, skipping the whole thing about the fight, and Hatori¡¯s non-violent handling of it. ¡°Not all of us,¡± said Hatori. ¡°It seems to be targeting that older boy who picked the fight with me. It only attacked me because I was defending him, and ignored the girls and the people nearby entirely.¡± ¡°Hmm. that seems like a vengeful soul.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Remember how souls retain their complete memories of their lives, and how they are like a person without a body? this means they remember the wrongs done to them as well, and often try to take revenge against the people who have wronged them while they were alive.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t they alive, sir?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I suppose you could say that,¡± said Munshi. ¡°But not like a human. A living breathing body.¡± ¡°Is there a way to track this soul?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Leave that to me,¡± said Munshi. ¡°I¡¯ll teach you the basics of tracking the souls later, this one is too dangerous for you to handle alone. you likely won¡¯t encounter it again, but just in case, be ready to fight.¡± Instructed Munshi. ¡°Yessir!¡± salutes Hatori.

Part 2.

Dhanush is shaken up by the events of today. He didn¡¯t expect to end up facing that dangerous soul when he went to kick out that apprentice. ¡®He saved me, despite that.¡¯ he thought. ¡®Not just saved me, he was strong. He could have injured me very badly. How is he so strong, despite being four years younger than me? I¡¯m a graduate student, dammit!¡¯ ¡®And that soul, why did it target me?¡¯ Dhanush may not be experienced with souls, but he can deduce that much at least from the short encounter. ¡°You look shaken up, son.¡± Said his father. ¡°Understandable, given what happened.¡± His father puts his massive hands around him. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry my son; I won¡¯t let anyone harm you.¡± He assured him. ¡°Thank you, dad.¡± He spoke. ¡°You should try to sleep. You look exhausted.¡± Dhanush decides to listen to his father, go to his room to sleep, and forget this day entirely. Vikram watched his son leave. He has seen how people can end up shaken by their first violent encounter. And as much as he would like to say things get easier, he knows that is not true. He has been retired for five years now, and he still gets nightmares about some of the cases, especially the unsolved ones. As he leaves the house, and ensures all the wards are working properly, he remembers how his senior officer said the same thing to him when he joined the police force as a fresh graduate. ¡°Unsolved cases are a bane of an officer. They keep you awake in the night, and not even the retirement is an escape from them.¡± Arriving at the car, he knocks the window. Munshi opens the door, without moving from his seat. Hatori is asleep nearby. With a wave of his staff, Munshi creates a sound burier around his student to make sure he is not disturbed by the impending conversation. ¡°I was expecting you.¡± He said, putting his staff in a grabbing range. ¡°Then you should know why I¡¯m here,¡± said Vikram. ¡°Back off the case.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Munshi. When Vikram fails to answer, Munshi continues. ¡°You should know that you will be the next target.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t understand.¡± Said Vikram. ¡°But I do think you do understand.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°I know all about you, and what you did ten years ago. There¡¯s a reason why you had to take an early retirement.¡± Vikram¡¯s face remains impassive. ¡°I do warn you. stay away from my student.¡± said Munshi. ¡°I won¡¯t lay a finger on him,¡± said Vikram. ¡°He saved my son. Whatever spat they may have, I will never harm him.¡± ¡°That is good,¡± said Munshi. ¡°I¡¯m not going to back off. So, I suggest you leave, your son needs you I believe.¡± Not wanting to show his worry, Vikram stands up from his seat and leaves as if he is not in a hurry. Once he was out of the sight of Munshi, he picked up his pace and arrived at his house. He checked up on Dhanush, and seeing him asleep peacefully, he decided to catch some shut-eye for himself.

Part 3.

The next day, after Hatori has his breakfast, Munshi tells him to go out. ¡°Wait, shouldn¡¯t I stay here, given how you¡¯ve said I should avoid this dangerous soul?¡± ¡°Yes. Do you have the locket I gave you?¡± he asked. Hatori brings out the locket, which is hanging from a string, hidden behind his shirt. ¡°Here, let me replace it,¡± said Munshi, untying the previous locket, and tying the new one to the string. ¡°This one will keep you protected from the souls. It won¡¯t provide better protection against the spirits, so be careful.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I do think that you should also deactivate your air resistance.¡± Said Munshi, startling Hatori. He has been doing that for so long that he doesn¡¯t even think about it. ¡°Why?¡± he asked, wanting to know the reason. ¡°Because it will give you the necessary boost to evade the soul if you ever come in contact with it again.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°I suppose you could argue that you don¡¯t need that boost, but better safe than sorry, in my opinion.¡± ¡°I get that,¡± said Hatori, mentally tracing the symbols, and deactivating the air resistance around him. Immediately, his body felt lighter, and with a skip in his step, he left the car. Munshi watched him go away. In any other case, Munshi would have kept Hatori inside. But he is trained by Zeko. If he puts the habit of running away at the first sign of danger in his student, Zeko will never forgive him for it. their friendship is already strained as it is.

Part 4.

Hatori didn¡¯t have the same interest in exploring this city as he did yesterday. Besides, he is never been the kind of guy who enjoys traveling much. limited amount is fine, but overindulgence is not. though he did walk around, and did his usual physical exercises with his air resistance off. He had to work harder to get some sweat out, and now he is sating his appetite for food. He is eating another curry, different from the one he ate yesterday, which is of course, delicious. He paused in the middle of the enjoyment of his midday meal, as a familiar magical signature approached him. As this signature walked into his line of sight, Hatori already knew that this was the same boy as yesterday, who picked a fight with him yesterday. ¡°I see you¡¯re enjoying the curries. I¡¯m proud of the curries of my city.¡± He said, puffing up in pride. ¡°Yes. They are delicious and wonderful.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Even the veg ones.¡± Taking the final spoonful of curry from his plate, Hatori goes to deposit the plate in the recycle bin. He was amused when he learned of its existence, after all, a computer has the same thing. The pang for his life back at home does not hit as hard as it used to, but he still misses it. the boy followed him, as he went to the counter to pay for his lunch. ¡°Do you want something from me?¡± he asked, once he was outside of the shop. ¡°Well, if you think I want revenge, then you¡¯re wrong.¡± Hatori relaxed after hearing that, but he did not drop his guard. ¡°You are very strong, much stronger than anyone I know. I really respect you as a result.¡± ¡°Thanks for the compliment.¡± Said Hatori. He wanted to point out how lucky this guy was, if he were to be in the same faze as two years ago, he would have killed him in cold blood, and never thought about him again. ¡®Looks like Kangana changed me in more ways than I thought.¡¯ He thinks to himself. ¡°I realize that I never introduced myself. I¡¯m Dhanush Prabhakar.¡± He extended his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Hatori Eagle.¡± Said Hatori, shaking hands with Dhanush. Though Niti and Saroja are not here today, (they were busy tending to some patients), Hatori does remember what they said about Dhanush. ¡°So, your father was a police officer?¡± he asked, not mentioning the cruel reputation about which they also told him. ¡°Oh yeah. I¡¯ve grown up around the force.¡± He spoke. ¡°In fact, let¡¯s go to the station, for a tour.¡± Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t we cause a disruption?¡± asked Hatori, easily changing tracks to go to the station. ¡°Not really. We¡¯ll just sit there; the officers know me there. We¡¯ll observe the daily proceedings.¡± Said Dhanush. Just as Dhanush said, they spent time in the station, while Dhanush provided the running commentary on the people coming and going there. ¡°That is Officer Sharma, he is very strict, which shouldn¡¯t surprise you, he is from the Sharma clan, after all. The young man with him is Officer Shetty, he joined just the previous year. I pity the guy since he got paired up with Sharma.¡± He spoke. Apparently, Sharma heard him and gave him an impressive glare. ¡°Just wait, you¡¯re set to take the exams next year. once you¡¯re here, then we¡¯ll see whether you eat your words or not,¡± he said to Dhanush, before leaving. Dhanush smiled. ¡°I like to think that is his way of saying that he will look out for me.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t sound like that to me, but whatever seems right to you,¡± said Hatori. He suddenly stiffens, as he senses the soul nearby. ¡°We should run.¡± He spoke. Before Dhanush could say anything, the police station gets its front walls blasted into rubble, only the hastily created shield of magic by Hatori saved them from any serious injury. The officers tried to come to get them out of there, but the soul attacked them and made them back off. Hatori senses its magical flow, it is doing something, but he senses no threatening magic coming to them. However, as the visuals start to shift in front of his eyes, Hatori realizes that the soul is using some illusion. He was about to try to break it, but Dhanush¡¯s words stopped him from doing so. ¡°That is me, ten years ago.¡± He spoke. ¡°The other boy is Prasad, he was my classmate, but I never saw him after that day.¡± The scene is from the school, as the children got their results. Prasad has come first in his class, while Dhanush has remained in third place. ¡°Father wasn¡¯t happy about that,¡± remembers Dhanush. The illusion shifted, and the face of a nine-year-old boy appeared in front of them, looking battered. ¡°And he took it out on me.¡± Dhanush takes a step back from the sheer venom in the tone. ¡®Why do I get the feeling that I¡¯m not going to enjoy what¡¯s coming next?¡¯ thinks Hatori. The face disappears from their vision, instead, they witness Vikram arriving in the hut of Prasad¡¯s family, and taking the boy, calling him a thief. His family protested, calling him innocent, but he did not listen to their words. He brings the boy to the lockup, ties him to the chain, and starts to slap him around. ¡°You think you can beat my son, and take the place which rightfully belongs to him?¡± he slaps him so hard that the chair falls to the ground. Prasad is tied to the chair, so he has no way to defend himself or move his hands or legs. ¡°You must have cheated, I¡¯m sure of it. no way a low-class boy like you can beat him in exams!¡± he kicked Prasad so hard that he was sent flying to the other side of the lockup, still trapped in the chair. As he brings out a stick, he transmutes the chair into a hanger, on which Prasad is hanging upside down. ¡°Just because you got in the school, you think you can take the place of your betters?¡± he started to beat him with the stick, as the body of the kid swung, still suspended by his legs to the hanger. He conjures a needle in his hand, and with a final thwack, as Prasad¡¯s body comes back to him, he stabs him with the needle. ¡°This is the punishment for cheaters, you hear me?¡± Vikram puts a whole in the lockup, conjures some salt water, and fills the whole with it. Releasing him from the hangar, he throws Prasad into the salt water. ¡°Everything is burning, everything is burning!¡± he screamed. ¡°Mom, Dad, save me, save me!¡± he screamed. ¡°This is the pain you¡¯ve caused today. Now, suffer!¡± said Vikram, walking out of the lockup. As the illusion ends, Dhanush stares at the empty air, horrified by what he saw. He always knew that his father did have a bit of a cruel streak. But this went beyond cruel, and the worst part is, that he lived for ten years without even knowing about it. he always thought that his father sustained some injury in the line of duty, that is why he retired. But clearly, this wasn¡¯t the case. He buried the incident, by using his high status, and retired early. A cloud appears in front of Hatori and Dhanush. The officers nearby are unconscious, having been knocked out by the soul when the two teens were trapped in the illusion. The cloud takes the shape of Prasad and the vengeful soul glairs at Dhanush. ¡°When I kill you, he will feel the pain worse than my own.¡± He said, still sounding like a nine-year-old. As the face lunges towards Dhanush, Hatori brings out his foci with a flick of his wrist from the storage runes carved on his hands. With a burst of water, Hatori throws the soul back. He barely managed to keep the frequency correct, or the water would have just passed through the soul like it wasn¡¯t even there. ¡°You. you always get in the way.¡± said the soul of Prasad. ¡°Now, you die!¡± Massive pieces of rubble come at Hatori, trying to crush his head. But Hatori uses a shield from his one hand, and with a twirl of his staff, he transmuted the pieces of rubble into metal bars. He then sent them back at the soul, now enchanted to affect the soul. The soul did not expect that and got pinned to the ground as a result, but it escaped by burrowing underground. Dhanush watched this fight, he was terrified yesterday. He is still terrified now, but he can observe the events. During their casual walk, Dhanush didn¡¯t realize how big Hatori was, but now he seemed to fill this battlefield with his imposing magical and physical presence. The soul tries to get at him from below ground, but one stomp by Hatori¡¯s feet brings it out. Dhanush is also amazed to watch how little Hatori needs his foci. If anything, the staff seems to slow him down. He graduated last year from the Academy, but since he took his apprenticeship under a detective, he wasn¡¯t there to see Hatori¡¯s magical feet. He also did not return for his last year, deciding to continue his apprenticeship under the detective. Hatori is getting tired of this battle. He still has tons of stamina and physical strength, but keeping someone safe is exhausting. Only his resistance training has kept him ahead of the soul so far. As he shields Dhanush from another attack of the soul (he seems to display his intelligence by constantly changing his location, and keeping close to Hatori), several chains come from the ground and bind the soul. The chains squeeze, and with a scream of rage, the soul pops like a balloon. The chains disappear in the sleaves of Munshi, who has just arrived. ¡°You have the worst luck, boy,¡± said Munshi to Hatori. Hatori just nodded and said nothing. The rest of the proceedings are a blur to Hatori. He was asked to give some statements, during which Munshi coached him on what to say. After that, they leave in Munshi¡¯s car, probably to solve another case. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that Vikram got away.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Is there no justice in this world?¡± ¡°There is no justice.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Never was, and never will be. You will learn this truth, as you progress as a necromancer.¡± ¡°At least his son seems to be different than him,¡± said Hatori. Dhanush and Hatori talked one final time. Hatori told him to keep his fociless abilities a secret. His staff was originally burned down by Krishna Menon two years ago, but Zeko bought him a new one. before he came with Munshi, he gave him strict instructions to use it at all times and to keep his fociless abilities secret. Luckily, the older teen agreed without a fuss. As Hatori lies down to sleep, he knows that he will remember this case for all the wrong reasons.

Part 5: creation of flooded plains.

2000 years ago, near the Kamarupa region, two sorcerers fought in a duel. The reason for their duel is unknown, but the effects of their fight are still available for everyone to see to this day. Their magic was so destructive that it collapsed the mountains and plateaus which were located nearby, and the river Brahmaputra flooded the flat area. Ever since, this entire area has been known as Flooded Plains, a large flat land flooded by the river, divided into five smaller plains. A lab is located nearby, which mostly focuses on the research for harnessing energy. These plains provide a good source of water, and as a result, farming has seen a boom in this area after that duel. As for the sorcerers responsible for the creation of this area? No one knows what happened to them. Chapter 126 Chapter 126.

Part 1.

It has been two days since the violent case that Hatori had to handle in Madras. Now, he is on the road once more with Munshi, going somewhere else. The scream of Prasad has not left his mind yet, he suspects that he will be haunted by the memory for a long while. ¡®Unless I collect even more traumatizing memories.¡¯ he thought cynically. During the breakfast, he asked Munshi a question. ¡°So, what were those chains which came out of your sleeves?¡± ¡°It is just a personalized spell,¡± said Munshi. ¡°You will notice that while there are general spells which students like you learn early in their magical journey, how you personalize the magic, and make it your own reveals how much potential you have.¡± Hatori nods after hearing that. ¡°Where are we going?¡± he asked next. ¡°To Flooded Plains.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°There is a spirit causing problems there, agitating the animals, and disrupting the research going on there.¡± ¡°That is remarkably clear. Usually, we have to find out whether the problem is caused by a spirit, soul, or not related to necromancy after getting there, judging from the two cases I have seen.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, that is unfortunate.¡± Munshi agreed. ¡°But in this case, the mages who did call us there are quite smart themselves. They likely asked a local necromancer before calling us. the spirit must be quite strong for them.¡± ¡°Now, time for your daily lecture.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Today, we¡¯ll talk about souls becoming spirits. That can happen, but it is rare, and the soul loses human memories and personality entirely. It is essentially reborn, and it naturally gains new powers and properties as a result.¡± ¡°Is there anything special about them?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°No. aside from being reborn into a spirit from a soul, they have nothing special.¡± Said Munshi.

Part 2.

Shakuntala has called this meeting. She represents the Mathis family, and some other powerful clans and families have shown up, but Surendra, Praduman, and George are missing. This does not surprise her. What surprises her is the absence of Joshis. She thought they would be chomping at the bits to get at the king, but apparently, not. They all are getting frustrated. no mercenary is willing to work for them, to kidnap or kill Hatori. They are not willing to go against Munshi, the mere mention of his name is enough to make them refuse. No amount of money and threats have worked, and they couldn¡¯t even tell them half-info. They tried that, and it didn¡¯t work. Now, the mercenaries have started to avoid them entirely. ¡°Does anyone have anything new to share?¡± asked Shakuntala. She is tired from not getting the results she wants, and the battle with her brother-in-law. ¡®Curse you sister and your offspring!¡¯ she raged in her head. The silence was the answer enough. However, it is broken by someone who has been ignored in these meetings so far. ¡°May I suggest something?¡± asked the man. Shakuntala takes the notice of him. She remembers that his name is Manoj, and he is of the Sharma clan, and in charge of one of the 36 branches. However, she could not remember anything about him beyond that. but given the lack of ideas, she is willing to hear him out. so, she nods at him to continue. ¡°I have an idea.¡± He spoke. ¡°I will perform a ritual next year. it¡¯ll give us a weapon so powerful, that not even the king would be able to stand up to it.¡± this caused a buzz among them. ¡°A mere disabled boy won¡¯t be a challenge for us then.¡± ¡°Do you even listen to what you say?¡± asked the Shukla representative. Shakuntala privately agreed with the woman, but she refrained from commenting. She wanted to hear how Manoj responded. ¡°Not at all.¡± He spoke. ¡°You see, I¡¯ve found something wonderful near Sindapur.¡± Said Manoj with a smile. ¡°The time is approaching to wake it up. besides, whether you help me or not, I do plan to go ahead with this plan.¡± Shakuntala is intrigued. She knows that this man is a necromancer, who once competed with Munshi. ¡®If he can compete with Munshi, then he must have something worthwhile in his sleeves, right?¡¯ she thought, trying to convince herself.

Part 3.

Daphne is running in the morning. She has been doing this for weeks, ever since she started this year. ignoring the looks of other girls, who consider her a madwoman, she continues to run. Running is not the only thing she does. She also swims weekly and does some strength exercises as well. She has seen Hatori do the same things, and the results can be easily seen in his magic. ¡®Let them mock me.¡¯ she thinks. ¡®Once I win that dueling trophy, none of them will dare to raise their voices against me.¡¯ bolstered by that thought, she goes for a shower, and breakfast. After all, Professor Bali tests their endurance every day. She needs to eat properly if she wishes to survive his classes. Meaning, no dieting for her. Not that she needs it.

Part 4.

Arriving on the Flooded Plains, Hatori once more plays his role of being an observer, as Munshi talks with the mages who called them here. ¡°The animals have been disrupting our projects, the rune work, the rituals, the shapes for those rituals, they just come in, and cause havoc everywhere.¡± Explained the man. ¡°And I presume this is all done by a spirit, as you told me when you called me to come here?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°Exactly. We have a retired necromancer living here, he confirmed that for us. but he is not strong enough in his own words, to actually make this spirit run away.¡± Said the man. ¡°Very well,¡± said Munshi. ¡°I¡¯ll track this spirit for you,¡± said Munshi, and walked to his car. Hatori follows him there. ¡°Let¡¯s have a race boy,¡± said Munshi. ¡°I¡¯ve covered how to track the spirits in the previous lessons. Time to practice that. I¡¯ll go slow, just for your sake.¡± ¡°Sure, whatever.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®Why do these old people feel the need to challenge young ones like me?¡¯ As Hatori goes to the forest, he feels the air resistance, which he activated once more after the previous case was concluded. ¡®I should be ready to deactivate it again if the situation turns violent.¡¯ Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Though he does not get any feeling of danger from the area, Hatori reserves his judgment until he encounters the spirit.

Part 5.

Shin is hearing some music from Hatori¡¯s world. Sangita managed to bring this in, but Shin did not want to ask how. Everyone has their secrets, and as an orphan, you learn to not ask questions. ¡°That is just hilarious.¡± Said Shin. The music didn¡¯t make sense to him. The lyrics are nonsensical, the drum beat sounds like they are beaten with a hammer. ¡°Why there is so much filler in it?¡± asked Shin, as if filler is a dirty word. ¡°Well, this is what happens when you let money corrupt the music.¡± Said Sangita. Shin just sighed. ¡®Here we go again.¡¯ He thinks. the professor just loves to rant about how money corrupts the art, and how people never express themselves as best as they could through their art, just because of money. ¡°You see, music is seen as a way to get popular, and of course, make lots of money. There are some truly shady practices going on, exploiting the artists and all, which actually helped me in avoiding that happening to me here,¡± said Sangita. ¡°And yes, money corrupts the art.¡± ¡°But isn¡¯t everything about money?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Not everything,¡± said Sangita. ¡°I can make tons of money, if I compromise with my art. But I won¡¯t, because that won¡¯t let me sleep at night. let me tell you, sleeping peacefully in the night is much better than any money you could get.¡± Shin disagrees. The one who has money is the one who gets to sleep in peace at night, for they actually have a warm place. Unlike him, who has to find a job, and room and board every summer. Luckily, Zeko is kind enough to provide him both, but he has learned to not rely on other¡¯s generosity. Sooner or later, his kindness will run out, and where will he be? ¡®Therefore, I must find a way to make enough money to buy my own property.¡¯ He thinks.

Part 6.

Hatori has never seen so much water in one place before. Not to mention, experienced the humidness. He is currently deep within the forest, and he is seeing the tall trees. ¡®So, this is the sort of place Bear Grylls went to.¡¯ Thinks Hatori, remembering how much he enjoyed the show at first, and how pissed he got with the reruns. He hears some telepathic conversation taking place nearby. Looks like the creatures have not learned to hide their thoughts yet. He sneaks closer and decides to announce himself. ¡®I can hear you; you know.¡¯ Cats are startled, glaring at him after pausing their conversation. ¡®Why are you here, human?¡¯ asked the one to Hatori¡¯s left. ¡®I¡¯m here to find that spirit which is causing the agitation among the animals.¡¯ Said Hatori. ¡®As if. We are not agitated just because some wispy ball of energy tells us to!¡¯ said the cat to Hatori¡¯s right. ¡®We¡¯re furious because you humans are flooding our nests and dens!¡¯ Hatori takes a moment to think of the best reply. ¡®Well, that is upsetting.¡¯ Said Hatori. ¡®Would you stop attacking the humans who live here, if I ask them to stop flooding your homes?¡¯ Hatori knows it is not exactly the home, but the cats understand the meaning all the same. ¡®We might think about that.¡¯ ¡®Indeed. Though I doubt that a young cub like you can do that.¡¯ said the cat to Hatori¡¯s left. ¡®No harm in trying, right?¡¯ asked Hatori. ¡°What are you doing here?¡± screamed a voice from the trees. the owner of the voice comes out, hovering in the air. ¡®They weren¡¯t lying. He does look like a wispy ball of energy.¡¯ Thinks Hatori, being careful to not broadcast his thoughts to everyone. ¡°Trying to play a diplomat.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Oh yeah? we don¡¯t want your diplomacy. We want to kick you humans out, and we will do it!¡± declared the spirit. ¡®He does not speak for us.¡¯ said the cats together. ¡°We will burn your settlements down if we have to, to cure the infection of the hairless two-legged apes!¡± said the spirit, rising higher and higher with his words. ¡®Seriously, we¡¯re not with him.¡¯ said twittered some birds from the trees, without using any hashtags. The cats nodded in agreement. Hatori breathed. ¡°What a childish spirit.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°When I met Yaksha, I thought spirits were awesome. But there has been one letdown after another recently.¡± He said, steadily moving his feet. ¡°I¡¯ll show you childish!¡± the spirit rushed at him, and Hatori channeled his magic in the circle drawn in front of him. The spirit wanted to stop, but could not help but fly right into Hatori¡¯s trap. Now it is trapped there, unable to fly any higher than Hatori¡¯s head, and unable to move beyond the circle. ¡°What, what have you done to me, human?¡± it screamed. ¡°Just restricted you,¡± said Hatori with a yawn. He is getting tired of this humidity. ¡®Will you keep an eye on him?¡¯ he asked the cats. ¡®Sure.¡¯ They spoke. ¡®I¡¯ll get my master, make sure that nothing breaks that circle.¡¯ He tells them and leaves to bring Munshi here. After bringing the older mage to the location, Munshi smiled widely. ¡°What a beautifully drawn circle.¡± He spoke. The spirit was threatened by Munshi, and it didn¡¯t want any piece of the necromancer. So, it decides not to cause any trouble. Hatori told them about the floods, and the mages decided that they would take their project somewhere else. ¡°I see you have learned to restrain with a circle. Now, I¡¯ll teach you other shapes to attack and defend.¡± Said Munshi. Hatori groaned. He never liked geometry, even the addition of magic is not enough to make him change his opinion.

Part 7. How the throne was inherited once.

Unlike most of the rulers in the world, if anyone wishes to become the king in the Subcontinent, they must beat the previous king in a duel. This means that inheritance is not possible, and dynasties cannot be created. You cannot game the system. If you try to duel your father, and he gives up for you, and then you sit on the throne, nasty things can happen to you. That device is known to take vengeance. However, there was a case when the throne of the Subcontinent was inherited. 1500 years ago, King Vishala was approaching the end of his reign, having ruled for fifty years already. His youngest son challenged him for the throne, and beat him, and became the king. And this is how King Rehan became the only king to ever inherit the throne. He did not suffer any consequences, for their duel was not a fake one. you can hardly fake the death of your father, after all. Chapter 127 Chapter 127.

Part 1.

As the car continues to run on the road, Munshi explains the uses of other shapes. ¡°As you have seen, the circle shape is used for containment. But other drawn shapes can also be used for dealing with souls and apparitions. For example, a triangle can be used to attack them, a square can work as a shield, and of course, a pentagram can be used for summoning.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°This is by no means a complete list, other shapes have other purposes, even the strange and irregular ones. But for now, we will focus on these four during our lessons.¡± Finished Munshi. Hatori finished taking the notes from this latest lecture. He marveled at how good this dictation pen has proven to be, he wouldn¡¯t have been able to write otherwise. He also liked that, unlike the cars in his world, Munshi and Zeko¡¯s cars do not let their passengers feel the effects of travel. If it weren¡¯t for the design and his knowledge that he was moving, Hatori could have sworn that he was in a house, not a moving vehicle. ¡°Sir, I wanted to ask something about the soul we¡¯ve dealt with in the previous case.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Ask away.¡± Said Munshi, hoping that the boy was not suffering from nightmares. He has heard what kind of things he has heard or seen, no wonder he was so angry when Vikram got away scot-free once again. ¡°The soul actually showed me its memories. is that possible?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°It is. remember, we retrieve memories of a dead person through blood. So, it is certainly possible that the soul can show its memories to you.¡± said Munshi. ¡°And what about resurrecting the souls?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You¡¯re not ready for it yet.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Aww.¡± Pouted Hatori. Munshi is amused to see such a childish response from his usually serious student.

Part 2.

James is looking at the enlarged picture of a virus, while Slaughter explains how the viruses work. ¡°The biggest problem in dealing with viruses and bacteria is that they never remain the same. Potions that worked before do not work as the same, and even spells have to be modified,¡± said Slaughter, replacing the picture with another virus. ¡°The magic, though allowing us to fight these diseases, also throws a wrench in this war. For it can make predicting the potential variants of a virus harder, and in some cases, outright impossible.¡± Said Slaughter, once more changing the picture. ¡°This is why it is a war. And unlike other wars, this one has no end.¡± ¡°That sounds dreadful.¡± Said James. ¡°It is, especially since the people outside of the medical field do not understand these problems at all. They insult us and even try to use these unpredictable microbes in their silly spats. As a result, the medical forces guard the most dangerous viruses and bacteria, to make sure they do not fall in the hands of mad mages.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°Forces?¡± asked James. ¡°Yes, the healers trained as fighters and warders, and only answer to the Institute of Magic which is responsible for creating this Academy. I also served in those forces.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°That is surprising.¡± Said James. ¡°How do you think I got my name of Slaughter?¡± the healer grinned. ¡°After a while, I decided to change my name legally.¡±

Part 3.

Porus receives the application of the Joshi family, asking to remove the isolation sanctions imposed on them for defying the king for close to eight years. Porus is surprised to read that letter. Words such as humbly, request, and please were used in this letter, whereas previously, all the interaction the king had with this family was full of bluster from their side. ¡®Nice word optimization.¡¯ Thinks Porus. ¡®Clearly, they¡¯ve worked hard on this letter.¡¯ He thinks about it seriously. He considers whether he should make them squirm a little bit more or not, but decides against it. ¡®No need to antagonize them. I have enough enemies as it is.¡¯ he thought. Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. ¡®I will invite them back to the court, and call it a grace period. If they manage to not fuck this up for two years, then that grace period will end. Otherwise, it¡¯ll give me another chance to kick them down a mountain.¡¯ thought Porus smiling at the thought. Summoning the paper and the pen, he started to write his response.

Part 4.

Josh sighed in relief. The final meeting of the day is done. Who could have thought organizing the festival could be so stressful? He had to deal with every club and work with the professors to provide them rooms and places according to their needs, so they could organize their competitions and events. things like chess, shogi, and Go are easily handled, since they can all work with a few large halls. But dueling is a trouble to handle since there are tons of variety in there. one-on-one, two-on-two, and squad battles with five-on-five. These all need different areas. Then he had to work with the conventions, though thankfully, the professors handled the bulk of the responsibilities for that. but now, all of that is done. Now, they just need to wait for the twelfth month, and the festival will begin. He will get to meet his friends and get some downtime. He believes he deserves it after a year of managing the student population.

Part 5.

¡°Now, remember, sometimes notes have to be mismatched.¡± Said Sangita. ¡°When I sing Higher, you sing lower. However, this and this part means that we have to sing at the same notes, do you understand?¡± she asked. ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Said Shin. Then, they start to sing. Shin is preparing to give a performance with Sangita. This will be for the first time he is giving a performance with an older person, but not playing a support. Instead, he will be performing as the equal on the stage. When he first heard about this, he was quite tense. But the practice has removed his tension from him. After this performance is done, he will prepare for his own performance at the festival this year. he has an excellent record of performing there ever since his first year, and he is intent on keeping that streak going this year as well.

Part 6.

¡°So, where are we going?¡± asked Hatori, when he realized that they had been traveling for several days, without a stop. ¡°To the Academy,¡± said Munshi. ¡°I¡¯ll drop you there for the festival. I do think you can use that time; you¡¯ve gotten in a bleaker mood I feel.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have a bleak mood.¡± Denied Hatori. ¡°It does feel pretty bleak to me,¡± said Munshi. Aside from the three cases Hatori has handled directly, he has done nothing but study up on the theory. He did go to court with Munshi at once, but that was when he decided that it was one time too many. ¡®How could Munshi and Dad tolerate going there over and over again?¡¯ Needless to say, the teen has not enjoyed going to the court and has no plans to go there again. ¡®At least I¡¯ll get to relax here.¡¯ he thought. After a while, this constant traveling has started to wear on him. he does not know how Munshi can handle this grind.

Part 7: empires in the past.

Much like the non-magic-using world, the mage dimension has multiple empires in its rather short history. However, this does not mean that history proceeded the same way as it did in the non-magical world. During the Roman Empire era, and during the Middle Ages, people living in the region of the Roman Empire, and the Spanish, British, and French empires also tried to copy the success of their non-magical counterparts in the magical world. However, they ran into a problem. Mainly, the countries in their way to form these empires were much better prepared and had tons of magical knowledge to actually resist their invasion. This was especially evident in Asia and Africa, two continents that were actually colonized in the non-magical world. Asian and African countries already spent a lot of time-fighting each other, but by the time these invaders arrived, they were largely at peace. But they were not out of practice. this means that the Europe of the magical dimension is not the same continent as it is in the non-magical world, given how they never had a chance to colonize other continents and use their resources for their own development. Chapter 128 Chapter 128.

Part 1.

Munshi drops Hatori in the Academy. ¡°You won¡¯t stay this year?¡± he asked. ¡°No.¡± said the necromancer. ¡°I¡¯m going home to relax.¡± Seeing the surprised face of Hatori, he explained. ¡°I do have a home you know, despite traveling around the country.¡± ¡°Huh. good relaxing.¡± Wished Hatori, and he then went inside the school, while Munshi caught a ship to fly outside of this area and start his journey home. As Hatori arrives in the dorms of James and Josh, he finds that all of his friends are already there. they greet him, and he greets them back. Shin observes the haggard expression of Hatori. ¡°Looks like necromancy proved to be harder than you thought.¡± ¡°Not that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°It is just cases.¡± ¡°Cases?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Yeah, it is like detective work.¡± Explained Hatori. ¡°Except Munshi and I deal with souls and spirits. And some of these cases are just horrifying.¡± He proceeds to tell them about the case that he had in Madras. Usually, Hatori would never talk about this to anyone, but everyone in this room has his complete confidence. ¡°What a jerk.¡± Said Josh, disgusted to hear everything that Vikram did. ¡°He should be in prison, not free.¡± ¡°True.¡± They all said in agreement. ¡°Also, please do not share this with anyone.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Of course.¡± They all said. ¡°So, you¡¯re bunking along?¡± asked Hatori to James. ¡°Yes.¡± Said James. ¡°We got this entire room to ourselves. Apparently, given how most students are out, there is enough space for the older years.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t forget, the natural culling of the classes also plays a role.¡± Reminded Raven. ¡°Our own class has shrunk a lot since our first year.¡± ¡°To be honest though,¡± said Josh. ¡°The school violence has been quite low in my reign.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Probably because of this guy.¡± Shin punched Hatori in the arm. ¡°As long as they retain the memories of his rampages, they probably would keep a tight leash on their conspiracies.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t put too much hope on that,¡± said James. ¡°Just give them some time. they¡¯ll be back to their usual tricks.¡± ¡°Why so cynical?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Because that is the truth.¡± Said James. ¡°No, you¡¯re just a sourpuss.¡± Said Shin. James didn¡¯t like to hear that about himself. So, he lunged at Shin to grab him, but the boy evaded his grip. Ignoring the game of cat and mouse going on around them, Josh, Raven, and Hatori talk about their experiences this year.

Part 2.

Hatori comes out to see the Academy. it seems the same thing is happening, people coming back, and meeting with their friends. ¡®I¡¯m growing way too fast. Help!¡¯ screamed Hatori in his head. He then sensed two familiar magical signatures, so he directly followed them. grabbing the shoulders of the boy, he turned him around. ¡°Haven¡¯t seen you for a while.¡± he grinned at Liang. ¡°You too.¡± They shake hands. ¡°Hey, Maria, look who I¡¯ve got with me,¡± said Liang. ¡°Hatori.¡± Said Maria, shaking hands with Hatori. Liang slapped his back. ¡°You should kiss the hand of a lady, you know.¡± ¡°Nah, not interested.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What?¡± said Maria in outrage. ¡°You just keep getting taller and taller, aren¡¯t you?¡± said Liang, comparing their heights. ¡°Come to think of it, our president is becoming a giant himself. He is even taller than you are.¡± ¡°I met him earlier. I saw that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°He is nowhere near strong as me though.¡± ¡°Pride comes before the fall.¡± Said Maria. ¡°Is it pride though if it is truth?¡± asked Hatori in return. ¡°His muscles are soft. Besides, politics does turn you weak if you ask me.¡± ¡°No comment.¡± Said both the teens. ¡°Anyway, what¡¯re you two doing?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Nothing much. I¡¯m studying the animals with Professor Prakriti.¡± Said Liang. ¡°Great Zhuge Liang, the animal expert.¡± Said Hatori with a smirk. ¡°What, is that wrong?¡± asked Liang, not understanding the reason for that smirk. ¡°Oh no, you¡¯re good.¡± Hatori pats his shoulder. ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I¡¯m studying astronomy.¡± Said Maria. ¡°You are?¡± said Hatori with surprise in his tone. ¡°But I thought you need patience for that.¡± ¡°I am patient!¡± said Maria, once more getting furious at Hatori. Hatori just smiled. It is too easy to make the girl angry. He walked around with these two for most of the day and then left for dinner with his friends.

Part 3.

At the dinner, Hatori realizes something. ¡°You guys, I¡¯ve realized something.¡± He said to his four friends. ¡°Nandan just graduated, we won¡¯t get to see him this year.¡± ¡°Oh yeah,¡± said Raven. ¡°I forgot about that.¡± ¡°Careful now, you¡¯ll need that memory this year,¡± said Shin. ¡°Shut it!¡± said Raven. ¡°I¡¯m not a fan of dueling that much,¡± said James, ¡°But I enjoyed listening to his experiences.¡± ¡°Yeah, the guy has gone to multiple countries, we won¡¯t get to travel the fraction of it,¡± said Josh. While Hatori is drinking his sugarcane juice, he senses a familiar signature coming closer to them. Shin whistles. ¡°Ooooh. Daphne has filled out nicely.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Josh. ¡°She is participating in the dueling tournament this year.¡± ¡°Yep. And even with muscles, she looks good,¡± said Shin. ¡°I really don¡¯t want to hear this.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Why?¡± asked Daphne, having heard their comments. ¡°Does that bother you that a girl could compete with you?¡± Hatori spluttered for a moment, before taking a deep breath and trying to respond clearly. ¡°Not really. But I¡¯m not interested in the description of someone¡¯s attractiveness.¡± ¡°So. Am I not attractive?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°That is a loaded question,¡± whispered Shin to Josh. ¡°Not at all.¡± Said Hatori with a straight face. Taking the empty seat, Daphne starts to eat with them. ¡°I was surprised though,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I didn¡¯t think you would be someone who might compete in dueling. I thought Ravina would be the one.¡± ¡°She is taking runes.¡± Said Daphne. Hatori has his mouth opened in shock. ¡°She, takes runes? What the hell is going on in this world? Daphne in dueling, Maria in astronomy, and Ravina in runes? The world doesn¡¯t make any sense.¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°At least you¡¯re a necromancer.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Why did you choose that field anyway?¡± ¡°Because I wanted to raise the army of dead, and concord the world,¡± replied Hatori. ¡°And what will you do after conquering the world?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°Easy. Turn it into the glass floor. No more humans to bother me. I¡¯m sure the planet would thank me.¡± said Hatori. ¡°It wouldn¡¯t. you would turn it into a glass floor, after all.¡± Said James. ¡°But imagine, a planet-size piece of glass, revolving around the sun, the most unique planet in the universe!¡± Hatori summons some more juice into his glass and continues to rant about this topic. After a while, everyone started to ignore him and started to talk about some other topics.

Part 4.

After the dinner, Hatori is showing his runes, which have gone through some modifications. ¡°It seems they have done something to my immune system.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Said James. ¡°Have you felt any effects?¡± he asked. ¡°Well, not really. I¡¯ve not gotten any sickness in recent times though,¡± said Hatori. ¡°That doesn¡¯t mean a thing.¡± Said James. ¡°You might just go through a faze where you don¡¯t get sick, and once it is over, might suffer from a crippling cold or something.¡± Hatori shuttered at James¡¯s theory. ¡°Please don¡¯t say that.¡± ¡°Let¡¯s talk with Slaughter about this.¡± Said James. The next day, they go to the healer. James is happy that he has something else to do beyond treating colds and pimples. Slaughter performs some diagnosing spells and looks at the results. ¡°It seems your immune system has been modified. Did you do that yourself?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You are lucky that you¡¯re not my student. I would have killed you on the spot for performing such a reckless bit of modification without consulting me.¡± said the healer. ¡°Now, let¡¯s test this.¡± ¡°Test it how?¡± asked Hatori, not wanting where this is going. ¡°Why of course, through old-fashion experimentation!¡± said the healer, bringing out a viol. ¡°Drink this, and then I will perform some diagnosing spells on you again, to check the response.¡± Hatori follows the instructions, hoping this won¡¯t kill or cripple him. Slaughter waves his staff around, making Hatori dodge at one point since he nearly hit him. ¡°Hmm. it seems your immune system has taken an aggressive approach. Anything foreign is exploded on the spot, and if something unknown arrives, it is deeply analyzed, then exploded or expelled, depending upon the danger. It also seems to be taking more energy to operate, though you won¡¯t be noticing the effects yet.¡± ¡°Would normal medicines work on him then?¡± asked James. ¡°Of course they will. Remember, magical medicines have been created to work with modified mages as well. and an immune system like this, though rare, is not exactly impossible to find in the world.¡± said Slaughter. ¡°Though I do suggest that if you ever suffer some serious illness or injury in the future, you take some specialized potions, created by a healer to accommodate your own immune system, rather than the generic solutions.¡±

Part 5.

Shin is meeting with Lavanya. Though their meetings are usually pleasant, this one is not. ¡°Why didn¡¯t you come with me to the dinner last night?¡± he asked bluntly. ¡°Because I didn¡¯t want to.¡± She replied, also bluntly. ¡°Is this about my friends again?¡± asked Shin. He does remember how she called them not good for him, and especially Hatori a disabled brute. He has not told them about that, but Shin didn¡¯t talk to her for a month after she said those things, until she apologized. ¡°Look, I understand why you¡¯re so withdrawn.¡± Said Shin. ¡°But you¡¯re not helping anyone, least of all yourself, by cutting yourself off like this.¡± ¡°But, but how can I?¡± she started to cry. ¡°They are not the people I knew, nor do they follow the values I grew up with.¡± Shin hugs her. ¡°I know. But as cruel as it may sound, you have to live within this world, there is no way for you to go back.¡± He said to her, trying to console her.

Part 6.

While Hatori is happy to meet with his friends and classmates, he is not interested in getting involved in the large crowd. so, he is eating his ice cream in the corner, not bothering anyone. His mother would throw such a fit if she saw him eating ice cream in the winter. Avinash had other plans though. he summoned the ice cream from Hatori¡¯s hand. ¡°Oooohhhhh, the baby lost the ice cream. It was so easy, like taking candy from a baby¡¯s hand.¡± Hatori summoned the cold desert back into his hands. ¡°I doubt it.¡± he takes another bite and waits for the headache to pass. ¡°Babies have strong grips; it is not easy to take anything from them.¡± ¡°Oh, come on now, how hard could it be? Just go to a baby, snatch whatever they have, and go away. There¡¯s nothing they can do beyond crying.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Yeah, but that crying could summon their parents, and then you will be for one hell of a beating.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re only talking about the babies themselves here,¡± argued Avinash. ¡°There is only one way to solve this debate.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Through experimentation. We just need a baby.¡± ¡°Now, where will we get a baby though?¡± wonders Avinash.

Part 7: Why mages have such clear records of their history.

There are many reasons why history can be unclear. Records are destroyed or lost or are written to give some false praise for one ruler or another. However, the mage kind has a very clear history, stretching back 4000 years, when the dimension was created. The reason for this is The Institute of Magecraft and Sorcery. The institute employs historians who exclusively work for the organization, and given their neutrality, and living in the current times, often have access to the people who were part of some historical events, such as talking with the soldiers and generals of a war, and interviewing the survivors of a disaster. The Institute recognizes the sensitivity of some information, therefore it releases it after 100 or 500 years have passed, depending upon the severity and impact of the events. some paranoid mages may think of spying attempts by the institute, indirectly and without knowing. However, the institute is completely neutral. No one has broken through their information vaults for 4000 years, and anyone who tries to do so is met with overwhelming violence. Chapter 129 Chapter 129.

Part 1.

Hatori checks the orb. After finding nothing wrong with it, he puts it down and picks up the second orb. Confirming that both these eyeball-shaped metal orbs are perfect, he runs out of the room of frozen time, drags James with him to the room, and shows him the eyes. ¡°So, what do you think? I used your research on the vision, and used the runes you came up with on these two eyeballs.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Do you see anything wrong with them?¡± ¡°What¡¯s that part?¡± asked James, pointing to the runes carved at the inner parts of the eyeballs. ¡°Oh, these are for the retina.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°My own retina was removed, so I had to come up with its alternative.¡± ¡°Hmm,¡± said James, examining the orbs further. ¡°I don¡¯t see anything wrong with these. But steel, really?¡± ¡°Well, this was the easiest I could conjure. Not to mention, it was very easy to carve these runes on this material.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Did you know I tried diamond? But that didn¡¯t work, the shape was never the right one.¡± James looked at his friend strangely. ¡°Only you would try to use the literal diamonds as your eyes.¡± He spoke. ¡°Anyway, why not copper? Given your heavy use of lightning, it might work best for you.¡± Hatori thinks for a moment. ¡°Would you believe me if I said that I totally forgot about that?¡± asked Hatori with a grin. ¡°Sure.¡± Said James. ¡°Anyway, I wanted to get this thing working, not bother with the metals, their conductivity, and corrosiveness¡­¡± James waited, he knew that Hatori would get it eventually. ¡°¡­fuck.¡± ¡°Yeah. but you could always try new materials, it is not like you¡¯re lacking in time,¡± said James. ¡°But quite honestly, I¡¯m sick of these things. I want to try them already.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Truly, conjuring iron spikes to stab people is much easier than carving runes, and conjuring right materials.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, when do you plan to try them? As far as I¡¯ve seen them, you won¡¯t need to be operated to plant these ones.¡± Said James. ¡°Yeah, I designed an interface to sync with my brain.¡± Said Hatori, picking up both of the steel eyeballs. ¡°And to answer your question, right now!¡± he jammed both of the eyeballs in his empty eye sockets, and they sank within the sockets, easily fitting in there. Hatori winced, as the eyes dug deeper, and properly got fixed within his eye sockets. But this pain was nothing, compared to the shock that he experienced after the sudden return of his vision. The neural pathways, degraded from disuse over the years, suddenly wake up with a jolt, and Hatori gets to see after nearly fourteen years. ¡°Ug!¡± he is unable to handle this at once, as he is getting a sense of vertigo. James makes him sit down on a chair near the table on which the eyeballs were resting just a few moments ago and check up on him. ¡°Hmm.¡± he shows Hatori his finger, making him follow it. ¡°It is working fine, but it will take longer for you to adapt to this than Suraj.¡± James conjures another chair and puts Hatori on it. he starts to float the chair behind him. ¡°Where are we going?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°To Slaughter.¡± Said James. The healer was not pleased with the reckless behavior of these two boys. ¡°Honestly you two, you should have come to me before trying anything like this.¡± ¡°He seems to be suffering from a shock.¡± Explained James. ¡°Of course he is.¡± said the healer. ¡°It will take a while for him to get used to this vision. Which is working fine by the way, though these eyes do look a bit scary.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t care.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I get to see the terrified faces of my enemies. Ug!¡± another wave of vertigo strikes him, as he moves his head to observe this room. ¡°For now, you won¡¯t be seeing any terrifying faces.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°I suggest you practice walking with help, before actually going out in public.¡± Though Slaughter was not happy with it, James took Hatori inside of the room of frozen time and made him practice moving on his own inside, helping him out. ¡°I can¡¯t let you go out in this weakened state.¡± That was his reason.

Part 2.

Judging Hatori to be good enough to move on his own, James leaves him alone. he seemed to come back in a few minutes, but Hatori felt like he was alone in there for days. He, of course, used this time to work on his adjustment to his vision. The attacks of vertigo seem to have reduced after the rehabilitation of James. Speaking of James, he brought Raven, Shin, and Josh with him. Raven actually came here after leaving his preparation in the middle. ¡°So, what is that which you want to show us?¡± he asked, he shut his mouth after seeing the steely eyes in Hatori¡¯s sockets. The sight did not compute at first. They are used to seeing their friend with empty eye sockets, so it takes some time for them to process this new sight. ¡°Wow. You guys look so ugly.¡± And just like that, the moment of shock was over. ¡°How dare you call my esteem self ugly?¡± asked Shin, offended on the behalf of his looks. He puts a lot of care into his appearance. ¡°Easily. At least those bells look pretty on your hair.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Of course, this is just an initial observation. I still need more data to form what is commonly thought of as pretty or ugly.¡± ¡°Thanks for the compliment. I¡¯m still not taking you on dates.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± His voice cracked at the final word, and tears started to fall from his eyes. They have seen Hatori cry only once when Karasu was murdered. But these tears are of happiness. ¡°I never thought I would see your faces!¡± he managed to choke out. they all hugged him, providing the emotional support. After a few minutes of sniffling, Hatori composes himself. ¡°So, I deduce that you plan to use this room to adapt to these eyes before you leave with Munshi?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Yeah, I have to work on a lot of things. My daily physical workout, my hand-and-eye coordination, my reflexes, I think I¡¯ll kick learning to read and write down the street for the future.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Makes sense. Those will take time,¡± said Josh. ¡°But you know what is the good thing? I won¡¯t have to relearn how to carve runes.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Oh yeah, you always use touch or magic for that,¡± said Shin. ¡°Also, I think I¡¯ll challenge the champion here for a match in the future.¡± Said Hatori, clapping Raven on the shoulder. ¡°I think I would like to see how I measure up against him now after this latest enhancement.¡± ¡°Challenge accepted.¡± Smiled Raven.

Part 3.

During the dinner a few days ago, Daphne asked Hatori to come and watch her duel. Of course, he couldn¡¯t refuse. So, Josh brought him there, since he still is having trouble adjusting to the pace of the world with his vision. Josh is there mostly as an observer, to keep an eye on him, and make sure that he has support if he is struck by the vertigo again. This is unlikely to happen, as Hatori has told them, given how he has not experienced that for several days yesterday in the room of frozen time. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°So, her opponent would also be a girl?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°No,¡± said Josh. ¡°There is no separate division for duelers based on their genders. This is the same for other magical sports as well, and of course, board games like chess and shogi.¡± ¡°Though it is very rare to see girls in dueling.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Of course it is,¡± said Hatori, ¡°They are not nearly aggressive enough. That¡¯s why it is harder for them to compete with boys.¡± ¡°Keep talking like that, and you¡¯ll get beat up by a girl.¡± Said Josh.

Part 4.

Daphne walks out to the arena, feeling the sun on her face, and the murmur of the crowd watching from the stands. She remembers what she knows about her opponent. ¡®Aditya Dutt prefers to exchange heavy spells with his opponents, and then take advantage of their exhaustion.¡¯ Her brain supplied the info. ¡°Today is the final match of the Academic Dueling championship!¡± said the announcer. ¡°On my left, we have Daphne Blake, a surprise entrance, who has done wonderful in her first tournament, and come to this final!¡± the crowd cheered. ¡°On my right, we have Aditya Dutt, who is not a stranger to the dueling scene in the school. Give it all for both these competitors!¡± the crowd responded with claps and cheers. ¡°Now, begin!¡± Just as Daphne expected, Aditya started with heavy spells, trying to incapacitate or exhaust her from the very early in the fight. Daphne blocked his initial spell of fire with a shield, side-stepped the wave of sand coming her way, and jumped over the non-elemental spells coming at her legs. As Aditya pauses to start his next chain, Daphne retaliates with her own spells, making him lose his footing with a small earthquake, then motioning her staff to pummel him with rocks, most of which he failed to dodge. He glared at her with his mouth bloody and started his chain again. After two more chains, he is starting to huff, and Daphne is getting better at their exchanges. Until he collapses, and Daphne pins his legs with a conjured metal sheet and summons his foci to her. ¡°And the winner is Daphne Blake!¡± The crowd cheered, especially the girls. Daphne waved in response; she was certain to feel the exhaustion later.

Part 5.

Hatori remembers the duel which Nandan fought during his first year. Nandan pinned the arms of his opponent with an iron spike to the opposite wall. But this duel, despite the heavy exchanges of the spells, ended quite normally, and both duelers walked away with minor scrapes and burns, which are easily healed with a potion. Hatori goes to congratulate Daphne. ¡°Good fight.¡± he shook hands with her, and left quickly. He is feeling strange. Seeing her sweat-streaked, just coming out of a fight has done something. He has to run out of here before he embarrasses himself. Josh is coming after him, telling him to slow down. He collides with someone and ends up on the ground. ¡°I told you to slow down.¡± Said Josh, finally catching up with Hatori. ¡°Ug.¡± Said Avinash from the ground. ¡°And I was having such a nice time.¡± he then looked at Hatori. ¡°Wait a minute, you remember the experiment, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Oh, I kind of forgot about that,¡± said Hatori, getting up from the floor. ¡°Sorry.¡± He lends a hand to Avinash. ¡°Figures.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°I knew you couldn¡¯t be trusted with the responsibility, so I already found a professor. Let¡¯s go talk to her, she has a baby.¡± Professor Jyoti looked at these three boys strangely. Josh is wondering why is he dragged along, but it seems he cannot escape. ¡°So, you want me to give my son to you, so you can test how hard it is to snatch candy from a baby?¡± ¡°Yes professor.¡± Said Hatori and Avinash. ¡°I¡¯m being dragged here against my will.¡± Muttered Josh. ¡°Hmm. okay, but you must do this under my supervision.¡± They agreed. But then, another argument broke out. Jyoti and Josh watch, as Avinaash and Hatori argue. ¡°I will be the villain.¡± ¡°No, I will be the villain.¡± ¡°Look, I lack morals, as well as eyes. I also look scary, the near sight of me is enough to make kids cry. I should be the villain.¡± Said Hatori, not revealing the fact that he had regained his sight. Before they left to watch the duel, Shin cast an illusion on Hatori¡¯s eyes, making them look as if he still had empty eye sockets. ¡°As if. I wish to be the king of this country, which is an ambition. Ambition is evil; therefore, I should be the villain.¡± ¡°Why not play rock-paper-scissors?¡± suggested Josh. ¡°Fine.¡± They both nodded. ¡°Rock-paper-scissors, one, two, three!¡± Hatori one, for Rock Beats Scissors. ¡°That doesn¡¯t make any sense. Scissors should cut the rock.¡± Sulked Avinash. The time is right. The baby had just woken up from his nap, and the candy was in his hand. Hatori tried to snatch it away, but the baby did not give up. he used all the possible ways to protect his precious candy, something which he does not know what it is for he has not eaten one yet. But this person is trying to take this from him, so it must be important. He used a strong grip, cuteness, tears, and throwing the tantrum, and in the end, he made Hatori back off. ¡°Hmph! You give up so easily.¡± Avinash goes to try his luck, and finds out how right Hatori was. It is not easy to snatch anything from a baby.

Part 6.

As the festival comes to an end, Hatori is meeting up with his friends. Raven is going out with another trophy in his name, having successfully defended his championship. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be wonderful if we could take this room with us?¡± said Hatori. ¡°Hmm. I thought of that, but the runic script running this thing is very old.¡± Said James. ¡°And to be honest, I¡¯m not confident enough to try and copy that yet.¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯ll help you in translation, just study up on the old runic scriptures.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Sure.¡± Said James, not minding the additional task. After all, this will allow them to essentially take advantage of this room, even outside of the Academy. they will graduate in three years; they will have to do this before then.

Part 7.

Manoj collects the blood from the corpse of a long-dead mage. ¡°Isn¡¯t that wonderful that they preserved the body? this makes things so much easier.¡± He said to no one. he likes to talk with himself when he is alone. ¡°The time of ritual is coming close. Within the next three months, I shall have a weapon to make everyone kneel before me.¡± he starts to chuckle at the very thought, rubbing his hands while imagining everyone bowing down to him. Chapter 130 Chapter 130.

Part 1.

Hatori evades the whips of fire coming his way while sending some iron spikes at the spirit. He believes that the conjuration was performed at the right frequency, so these spikes could hit this spirit. and he was right. The spirit was hit, but it did not suffer much damage. Instead of whips of fire this time, a cloud of fire descends upon him, heating everything in the surrounding area. They are still in the mountainous area, a little far from the entrance to the expanded dimension where the Academy is located. This area is known for cold and snow, but that is not what Hatori is experiencing right now, as he shields himself with a square-shaped symbol from the fire. The spell ends, and Hatori is left standing in the melted water, sweating from the heat, his face and hair singed, but no damage to his body. He lets go of the shield with a sigh, while Munshi observes him from some distance. This entire fight is an exercise against a summoned spirit, called here to test Hatori by Munshi. ¡°He seems to be good for your standards.¡± Said the spirit. ¡°Though I don¡¯t think he can go on any longer.¡± ¡°True. I have already paid the price for your services, feel free to leave whenever you want,¡± said Munshi to the spirit. ¡°Cool.¡± The apparition flies away. ¡°Come inside Hatori, you need a change of clothes and a shower.¡± Said Munshi. Once Hatori is cleaned up, he comes out to see a table set in front of him with food. ¡°Eat, while I tell you about summoning spirits.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°But first, tell me, have you done anything about your visual impairment?¡± ¡°Yeah, how did you know?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°By observing your movements.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°I am hoping you are not suffering from any adaptation problems?¡± ¡°Not really. I¡¯ve gotten most of my reflexes good enough, and I¡¯m quite used to moving around. Crowded places are still a challenge though, and I can¡¯t seem to remember the faces properly.¡± Explained Hatori. ¡°And I also assume that you¡¯re hiding your eyes?¡± asked Munshi, given how he does not see anything but empty eye sockets on his student. ¡°Yeah.¡± Hatori ends the illusion, showing Munshi the steel eyes. ¡°Good. keep them hidden, do not reveal them until it is necessary.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Of course.¡± Said Hatori. He already planned to do that; he did not need Munshi to tell him that. ¡°Now, let¡¯s talk about summoning the spirits. Pentagrams are heavily involved in the process. and summoning a local spirit is very easy, compared to a spirit located at some long distance. If you have a specific spirit in mind, then you can modify the ritual accordingly, but the ritual can take more power if the spirit which you seek is located far away.¡± Explained Munshi, as Hatori bit an apple. ¡°While the ritual is not difficult, you need to be careful while summoning the spirit. nothing is free in this world, and a spirit won¡¯t help you just because you summoned it. they usually demand a price, which is often included within the ritual itself.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°However, some spirits are dangerous and malicious. Proper price or not, they can and do attack their summoners, and even kill them.¡± ¡°That sounds dangerous.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Weakened from a ritual, and then facing a dangerous spirit.¡± ¡°It is dangerous. Therefore, be very careful while doing a summoning. Unless you are an experienced necromancer like myself, you should always have other necromancers ready to back you up if you need their help.¡± said Munshi. ¡°This would minimize the chances of you dying by the nonexisting hands of a spirit.¡± Munshi was proud of that joke, no matter how frosty Hatori¡¯s face looked.

Part 2.

James reads about the old runic styles used in magic. just like the standard runes now, every mage who used these old runic scriptures gave them their own personal styles. However, James does not care about any of that. the main purpose is to copy the runes of the room of frozen time and translate them into the highly adaptive runic style that he and Hatori use. someone might argue, why not use the runes as they are? But James does not fancy setting up such an inflexible structure. It cannot be moved. It cannot be improved upon. It just lies there, unchanging. ¡®Not unchanging. More like slowly decaying.¡¯ He thinks. From what he has researched so far, the old runic styles have one thing in common. Their wards decayed very fast, once the rot started. And there is no way to stop or halt the process. The wards of Samay¡¯s lab and the frozen time room are exceptionally well made for surviving this long. Otherwise, they would have disappeared a long time ago. Though it is tough for James to manage his internship with Slaughter and research these runes, he is managing to cope. It is well worth it after all, as he gets a reminder of it each time, he uses the frozen time room to rest and recover. ¡®I¡¯ll talk with Hatori, and we¡¯ll see whether we can truly make the time stop or not.¡¯ he thinks. ¡®It¡¯ll be like going in one second, and coming out the other, and no more time has passed beyond a second.¡¯

Part 3.

After the enjoyment of the festival, Josh is back with his internship under Professor Amelia, and his work as school president. Speaking of which, he is currently listening to a report from Suraj about an incident that happened today. ¡°So that is your report?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Yes.¡± Nodded Suraj. ¡°Three young students were beaten by ten older ones,¡± Suraj nods, ¡°All of them were at least fifth year while the students who received the beating are first or second years,¡± another nod. ¡°And they all targeted them specifically because they are outperforming the noble students?¡± one final nod. The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Honestly, just assign them the punishments we came up with.¡± Said Josh. ¡°And if they complain, then tough luck. I do not tolerate this kind of behavior.¡± ¡°Right!¡± said Suraj. ¡°Then I¡¯ll tell the others the same.¡± He then leaves. Josh hoped that his coup last year would help in stemming such incidents. But it seems that he is failing to stop them completely. While no one cares if a student is attacked in the Academy, since you have to defend yourself here, the younger students are kept off-limits up to the third year. not to mention, beating someone on ten-on-three odds, Hatori might be able to take on such odds, but not everyone is strong like him. ¡®And mad enough to slaughter them all if angered.¡¯ Thinks Josh. Sometimes, he is scared of Hatori.

Part 4.

Raven puts this trophy with the previous trophies he won. He has managed to defend his championship once again, and he plans to continue to hold on to it until he graduates. ¡°So, you will need a proper knife, not the ones which are used in the kitchen, a big bottle for water, tough enchanted clothing, and dry fruits for an emergency. Of course, an enchanted bag to carry these things with you,¡± said Magpie, helping Raven in packing. General Sundar is sending him with some soldiers to observe something and take notes. Raven knows that it is just an exercise, the general already knows the things which he is about to see. But he plans to do this seriously. It is a good thing that he has his father to help him out with packing, given his long experience in the army. Speaking of which, he should thank him for helping him out. ¡°Thanks dad, I probably would have packed some useless things without you,¡± said Raven. Magpie runs his hand over Raven¡¯s hair. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry son; I¡¯ve given you everything which you may need. However, don¡¯t forget, the most important tool is here.¡± he taps his head. ¡°Of course.¡± Smiled Raven.

Part 5.

Shin has a performance coming up, where according to professor Sangita, he has to perform in front of the king Porus himself. Naturally, this is the kind of audience that can cause anxiety to anyone. Shin decided to get rid of his anxiety by practicing. The only problem is, he is currently unable to use this method to cope. ¡°But, but,¡± he tried to argue, as Sangita dragged him out, and took his instruments away. ¡°But nothing.¡± She said firmly. ¡°You will burn yourself out if you continue like this. Go out, meet with people, or just walk in the parks in gardens. Go to sleep. I don¡¯t care. But for the next two days, you are not playing or singing. You hear me?¡± ¡°Yes, mam.¡± Said Shin with a meek tone. Thus, he found himself walking in the park of this small town where they are currently staying to practice for the big concert, pacing aimlessly. He noticed how a lot of things in the world have beats, some of them which he never gets to hear in the standard music. ¡®She can take my instruments, but she cannot turn off my mind.¡¯ He thinks, imagining how someone may create an orchestra from the sounds of people walking, or the sounds of various vehicles and their horns.

Part 6.

After his battle with that summoned local spirit a few days ago, Hatori is once more on the road with Munshi. ¡°So, where are we going?¡± asked Hatori. He feels like he asks that a lot. ¡°To Sindapur. There are some hauntings there,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Aren¡¯t there always?¡± muttered Hatori. ¡°You are learning, boy,¡± said Munshi. ¡°There are always hauntings. Anyway, a family has requested our services. They are about to have a marriage in their house, and they are hoping that we can solve this issue before the entire thing gets canceled.¡± ¡°Marriage.¡± Said Hatori. He has never thought about that topic. As a kid, it was the excuse to go and eat good food offered by someone for free. But he always hated the loud music, and the smoky rituals, where a priest who has gone hoarse by screaming and all the smoke constantly chants the godly names. ¡°By gods, I always hated that,¡± mutters Hatori. ¡°You should be careful with that,¡± said Munshi seriously, having heard the comment of his student. ¡°With what?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Using the word god or gods.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Huh. speaking of which, I have never heard mages use such phrases. It is always by magic or something along those lines.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°There¡¯s a reason for that,¡± said Munshi. ¡°We live in a world where we can summon a spirit or even souls. You can unknowingly perform a ritual on someone who very well might be God by our standards. And just imagine what could happen to you if they don¡¯t like you or this world?¡± ¡°Point.¡± agreed Hatori. ¡°But how can you unknowingly perform a ritual?¡± ¡°Because sometimes, words can have power,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Mind you, not all the time. but in some cases. Besides, rituals are often built with a condition, which if it is satisfied, can fulfill the ritual. It is like entering into a contract without knowing that you signed one, or knowing the terms and conditions.¡± Hatori remembers his father complaining about the people who signed contracts without reading them, apparently, the internet made this problem worse. ¡°I¡¯ll be careful then.¡± He spoke. He has no interest in calling a god-like being to this planet. He wishes to make the world cry; how can he do that when it is destroyed?

Part 7.

Unknown to Hatori, aside from the hauntings going on within a family, there is something else waiting for him there as well. Manoj Sharma watches the events proceeding, as people who agree with him and support him in the Sharma clan start the ritual. ¡°This will be a long process,¡± he said to himself, ¡°But the fruits of this labor would be just as delicious.¡± He cannot control his smile when he thinks about how people will react once he has this weapon under his control. They will scream, they will beg, but one thing is certain. ¡°They will all be under my heel.¡± Chapter 131 Chapter 131.

Part 1.

Hatori and Munshi arrive in Sindapur. The family who called them has a massive house, Hatori assumes they must be the richest people in the city if not one of the richest. He takes the role of an observer, as Munshi asks his starting questions to begin his investigation. They are about to marry their son to another powerful and rich family, but due to the hauntings they have experienced, the proceedings have been stalled. Hatori is silently horrified to know how long the series of events before the wedding are, and how long the wedding itself is. it seems that you can change the world, but you can¡¯t change the time-wasting things that humans do to torment each other. ¡°So, what kind of events have you experienced so far?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°It was quite normal things at first. Chandeliers fell on us for example, which we thought resulted from rusting. It couldn¡¯t be happening so fast, but logically speaking, it was the most obvious thing we could think of.¡± Said Sannaphulla, the patriarch of the family. ¡°Later, things got more violent. the doors started to move on their own, without any air and nearly bashed my face in. Shashtadeva, my son, was nearly pushed down some stairs, he managed to avoid the major damage however, aside from a bad case of jitters afterward.¡± ¡°Any other thing?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°Other family members have also experienced the same things, and our rituals were also disrupted by a phantom. That was when we realized that we can¡¯t deal with whatever this is alone. there are not many necromancers in this area, so we decided to call you on the recommendation of my in-laws.¡± Explained Sannaphulla. ¡°Did this phantom ever target someone specifically? Or the mayhem is general?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°The in-laws have not suffered any direct effects, aside from being scared off. However, me and my family have suffered a lot of such events, where we felt like someone was trying to kill us,¡± said Sannaphulla. As the patriarch reveals more details, Hatori notes them down. Munshi continues to ask them more questions in the same vein, after which he gives them some enchanted lockets to protect against a soul because all of these things are caused by a soul in his judgment. They then withdraw to plan to track down this soul without disrupting the proceedings of the wedding.

Part 2.

Manoj watches, as the preserved body is lowered in the pentagram. Then, the process of summoning the soul that used to inhabit this body begins. ¡°It will take a long time,¡± he said to himself, as the necromancers of his clan performed the ritual, ¡°But it will be well worth it.¡± He could not believe the stupidity of some people. Kishore Nanda, that political guy who used to advise the king back in the old days, and Munshi as well as other necromancers also protested when people started to preserve the bodies, knowing full well how they could be used. But of course, the families overruled them in this matter, before the matter ever reached Porus. And now, he is going to use their own stupidity against them. ¡°I should destroy all the bodies of powerful mages from the past once I¡¯m done with this, lest I become a victim to my own scheme,¡± he said to no one.

Part 3.

As the events proceed, after everyone receives the lockets to protect them from a soul from Munshi, Hatori asks a question. ¡°Master, is there a possibility that we could feel a chill or something like that from the presence of a soul or a spirit?¡± ¡°Not generally.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Just because of their presence, the temperature will not go down, until they actively utilize their magic to modify it. spirits are known to do that.¡± Hatori nods at that explanation. ¡°But why do a lot of people describe the effects of a soul or spirit magic as chilling?¡± ¡°Likely because of the emotional distress.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°A heavenly home can turn into a prison cell in bad circumstances.¡± Hatori watches the family going through rearranging their home, as the in-laws are about to come here, and the pre-wedding events are about to begin once more. Munshi and Hatori both stand guard, observe the people to keep them safe, and watch out for the soul.

Part 4.

Samudra was enjoying his nice vacation time. it is so tiring sometimes, traveling the world, and researching the different styles of magic and the cultures associated with them. not to mention, he was also on the list of commentators of dueling tournaments, which meant more traveling. He refuses to be those lazy commentators who watch from a comfortable studio, and never go to the ground. This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. However, his vacation time is interrupted when he hears what is happening in the Sindapur, and therefore, he crashes open his father¡¯s room. ¡°Dad, you need to see this.¡± ¡°Samudra, how many times have I told you¡ª¡± ¡°Lecture later. read this first.¡± Said Samudra, cutting his father off. Surendra grabs the note, and as he reads further and further, his face gets paler and paler. ¡°We need to stop this. I knew something was wrong when Manoj disappeared from the monthly meetings. I should have known.¡± ¡°Get your brother. We¡¯re going to stop this.¡± Orders Surendra. Samudra goes out to speak with his older brother. Looks like his father is going with all the firepower he can get. The matter certainly deserves that consideration.

Part 5.

Suraj comes to Josh, carrying a massive stack of reports in his arms. Josh wishes to stop him, but he is frozen by seeing this massive stack of papers, which is dumped on his desk by Suraj. ¡°So, these are the issues I¡¯ve solved this week. Administered the punishment which you assigned in the case of assaulting those three younger students, talked with professors about extra classes for struggling students, and dealt with some confiscated material.¡± ¡°Good. Good,¡± said Josh. ¡°Continue like this, and you just might end up taking this position once I graduate.¡± ¡°About that,¡± said Suraj in a hesitating tone. ¡°Do you think I¡¯m going on the right path? I know that Hatori and James were upset with me when I didn¡¯t improve physically, but¡­¡± ¡°They were upset because you were not working with the exercises to adapt to your vision.¡± Said Josh. ¡°As for physical strength, just forget it. Hatori lives in a different world compared to us. violence is a big part of it. there is a need for brutes like him in this world, but once he is done wreaking havoc, people like us come, and fix the mess.¡± ¡°I doubt he will be amused to hear that description.¡± Said Suraj drily. ¡°Not really. He actually calls himself a brute, while offering me his services when I fought the elections last year,¡± said Josh.

Part 6.

No strange incidents happened today. In the night, as they are about to go to sleep, Hatori asks a question to Munshi. ¡°Master, how do you find time for personal cases like this one? given you often end up helping police, one might think that you will always be working for the government or something.¡± ¡°You would be right if I had so many cases from law enforcement.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Except, that I don¡¯t. most of the time, necromancers are not invited there, not someone like me anyway. so, if I actually relied on them for my income I would be broke and would end up on the streets.¡± ¡°So basically, the way you are now,¡± said Hatori, unable to resist that jibe. ¡°Hush you,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Anyway, this is why I have so much time to handle these cases.¡± ¡°But wait, you didn¡¯t say that necromancers are legally required to investigate a case?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, but the keyword is legal. You see, we necromancers are hated for bringing out dirty secrets, so inviting some local necromancer who is easily bribed is just a legal requirement. But if someone invites me, then cases get serious, because I cannot be bribed or intimidated.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Also, if a necromancer ever finds out that another necromancer is actually taking bribes, they are required to kill them in a duel.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Isn¡¯t that extreme?¡± said Hatori. ¡°No,¡± said Munshi. Hatori decides that he has enough of this talk, and falls asleep.

Part 7: Why magekind has not gone to space yet.

The non-magical humans have been fascinated with space, either interested to explore it or colonize it for generations. They have even gone to the Moon and come back, and Mars has been designated as the next target, and the planet shutters from the incoming infestation. It asked for help from Jupiter, but that bully planet refused to help out¡­ the jerk. Anyway, given the access to magic, and how easily it violates the physics, one would think that mages would have gone to space a long ago. But that is not the case. They are not interested in going outside of the planet, mostly because whatever they want, they can produce here in their world with magic, whereas non-magical humans look at space for potential resources for their civilization in the future. This does not mean that some mages on an individual level have not tried to go to the space. If any sorcerer survives long enough, they end up leaving the planet. The last sorcerer named Samay is said to have left the planet, but there is no proof of it. No sorcerer has ever returned once leaving planet Earth, so this also scares the mage society, causing them to think that going to space is a risky venture best left to those mad sorcerers. Chapter 132 Chapter 132.

Part 1.

It has been a week since Hatori and Munshi arrived in Sindapur, and the soul has been not seen by either of them. this does not mean that they are shirking their duty. The necromancer and his student are standing guard over the house, observing things, looking for the slightest chance of danger. By bending the light around his body, Hatori is spending his time among the people, invisible to them. he has recently learned to silence his footsteps as well, for that extra advantage. He could not help but think how useful this bit of magic would have been, back when he had to flee from his attackers in the early days of his academic learning. His recently regained eyesight, due to the eyeballs implanted in his scull made of steel, coupled with his sensory abilities, gives him all the tools to monitor the house, the people coming and going from inside and outside, and any strange activity. Though sensing people from a distance is good, eyesight is also better for getting visual confirmation. For example, observing that bit of window curtain, trying to strangle a child. While remembering his early days, Hatori reveals himself and cuts the curtain. The leaves outside flutter in the wind, and a face appears and gives him an impressive glair to him from the outside of the window. Then, it gets inside and tries to attack the children. They screamed as children are known to do at the sign of danger, but Hatori took charge here. ¡°Go, run now!¡± he ordered, drawing a circle on the ground. ¡°Tell anyone that I need Munshi on the third floor in this very room. go quickly!¡± Hatori restrains the soul, as the children quickly scamper out of the dangerous place. His circle holds on for a moment, but it fails to restrain the soul. ¡°Dammit, I drew a wrong circle.¡± He muttered, after sensing the frequency of its magic. it is good to imprison the spirits, but not the souls. His circle is broken. Hatori prepares for combat, but the soul just looks at him consideringly and then disappears in the thin air. ¡°I gotta learn to do that myself, one of these days.¡± He watched at the empty spot where a face was glaring at him before. Now that he thinks about it, judging from his rather limited experience with faces, it kind of looked womanly. ¡®I should not judge so quickly. What if the soul used to be a man with a womanly face? And what if it is just a trick?¡¯ he thinks, listening to the footsteps of Munshi, who logically has come alone. After all, why would he bring people who have no experience in dealing with souls? ¡°Report.¡± He demanded. ¡°The soul used the window curtain to strangle one of the children, I cut it. it then came from outside and tried to attack them directly. I stopped it, however, and told the children to run, and told them to get you here as soon as possible.¡± Explained Hatori. ¡°But I drew the wrong circle, it was meant for spirits instead of souls in my panic. The soul broke through and then escaped. Sorry about that.¡± added Hatori at the end, feeling shame at such a stupid mistake. And Munshi drilled him in those circles so often too! ¡°Don¡¯t worry about the circle.¡± Said Munshi. Many people make mistakes while panicking, he won¡¯t hold it against his student. ¡°Tell me though, were they wearing any protection lockets?¡± he asked. if they were, then that soul should not have been able to attack them like it did. ¡°No, they weren¡¯t,¡± said Hatori. ¡°And I know that I¡¯m not good with remembering faces yet,¡± he looked around in panic, just to make sure no one else was listening to this conversation. After finding and sensing no one, Hatori continues. ¡°But those children looked unfamiliar like they had just arrived here. they are likely one of the guests.¡± Munshi thinks about what could he do to solve this problem. He won¡¯t be able to enchant so many lockets, as more guests are likely to come. ¡°I will enchant the lockets as fast as I can,¡± he settled on, ¡°And you will guard the house. Do watch out for the children especially.¡± ¡°Put me on the babysitter duty, why don¡¯t you?¡± he couldn¡¯t help but mutter. ¡°None of the sass.¡± Said Munshi strictly. Hatori nodded. at least these children do have an excuse to get protected. None of them have gone to the Academy yet, since they are too young for that. meaning, none of them have any experience in combat or getting out of tight situations.

Part 2.

Sannaphulla walks into the room, where Munshi is staying. There are a lot of lockets hanging by a thread, which is levitating in front of the necromancer. He is hard at work to design even more lockets to protect the guests. ¡°Master Munshi, I am here to thank you for protecting the children of my guests.¡± ¡°No need to thank me. it is part of my job.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Besides, it wasn¡¯t me entirely. My apprentice was the one who saved those children.¡± ¡°Indeed?¡± asked Sannaphulla. He initially dismissed the boy, what with his lack of eyeballs and everything. but it seems he is more than just a glorified note-taker for the necromancer. ¡°Indeed.¡± Confirms Munshi. ¡°I have told him to keep an eye on the events going on in the house, while I enchant more lockets to protect the guests.¡± The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°I will make sure that the boy has the full rain of the house, we shall not obstruct him in his duties in any way,¡± said Sannaphulla. ¡°Good. remember, we are here to protect you. and we can only do so until you allow us to. Otherwise, no number of observations and magical protection is going to save you from the threat that you face.¡± Said Munshi. The patriarch nodded. he will remember the words of the necromancer, as he goes to his room to catch some sleep. The proceedings of marriage are tiring but necessary.

Part 3.

Shin is practicing his percussion. He is good with violin and piano, but percussion is not something that he does often. He knows this won¡¯t be his specialty, but he practices with it enough to understand how it works and prevent the boredom from striking him and turning his brain into a rusty machine. Besides, he has nothing else to do. That concert in front of Porus has yet to happen, and Professor Sangita is busy doing a conference with other music mages of the Subcontinent.

Part 4.

Surendra Sharma, along with his sons Samudra and Surendra Junior arrived near Sindapur, but they were too late. The ritual has progressed too far to stop it now. if they interfere now, it could level this entire area judging by the power Surendra sensed coming from the ritual sight. The Sharmas present here already did not take kindly to their sudden arrival. They attacked them and drove them further and further from the sight of ritual, and now they are camping just on the borders of the Sindapur. ¡°You know, when they describe someone hiding in a camp, it sounds more glorious in the books.¡± Complained Surendra junior. ¡°Get over it, son.¡± Said Surendra. ¡°Remember the purpose which brought us here.¡± ¡°Yeah, but we¡¯re not doing anything. I think it would be better to ask for help from the city itself.¡± Said Surendra Junior. ¡°I doubt they would help us,¡± argued Surendra. ¡°Besides, think what would they say about the clan?¡± ¡°Father, you cannot be serious.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°This thing is going to blow up in the public, no matter which way you handle it. you cannot think of the reputation right now, after all, you can¡¯t have much of a reputation when you¡¯re dead.¡± ¡°What?¡± said Surendra. ¡°How can you be so certain?¡± ¡°Because I checked the guy buried here,¡± said Samudra. ¡°A real piece of work. If they manage to revive him under their control, it¡¯ll spell doom for us all. We will need Porus here to deal with him, preferably with Zeko, Sundar, and headmaster Corvus to deal with this guy.¡± ¡°He was that strong?¡± asked Surendra Junior. ¡°Unfortunately for us, he was.¡± Said Samudra. The father and the sons look at each other with worry. Maybe coming here with such haste was a bad move. Maybe, they should have talked with someone before they did that, but now they are trapped.

Part 5.

James is given a task to write an assignment, to explain the reasons for mages having a long lifespan compared to non-magical people. For this, he researched in the library and asked for some cells of non-magical people. Slaughter gave him those, and James stimulated those cells with magic, and without magic. the cells stimulated in the magical environment lived longer and made healthy copies longer. As for how exactly Slaughter got these cells? James decides not to ask about that. ¡®Who knows what kind of horrific secret may come out? I already have enough issues in my life as it is.¡¯ he thinks while remembering how the case with his father and his aunt is proceeding.

Part 6.

Hatori has to remove his invisibility spell when one of the children whom he saved a day before collides with him. ¡°Hey, show us some awesome bit of magic!¡± he demanded. Then he turned to them, and then the entire group followed him around. Hatori felt like a mother duck, followed everywhere by her ducklings. The groom Shashtadeva was amused to see this spectacle. ¡°I must say kid, you are quite strong for your age.¡± He said to Hatori during his free time. ¡°I¡¯m a senior myself, so I know the power you¡¯ve hidden within you.¡± ¡°Thanks¡ª¡± Hatori has to halt this dialog, as he hears the scream. The bride is thrown from the floor above, but Hatori stops her from hitting the ground by levitating her just in time. The same face as the previous day comes to glair at him, and attacks Hatori with some wind spells. Hatori is horrified to see the damage that a compressed ball of air can do. However, he retaliates with his lightning spells, and the soul has to run off. ¡°Are you okay mam?¡± he asked the bride, not knowing her name, and not interested to learn it either. ¡°Yeah, just fine.¡± Said the woman. ¡°I removed the locket just for a moment, and that thing pounced on me.¡± Shashtadeva shook his head. He chides her for taking off the locket. Ignoring the couple, Hatori tries to sense the soul. It has managed to hide itself from him. ¡®Is it mimicking the magic of other people?¡¯ he thinks, since chameleons use the same strategy to hide in the forests by changing their colors, Hatori thinks it must be possible to do something similar with magic to hide from magical means of finding someone out. Chapter 133 Chapter 133.

Part 1.

Hatori is listening to Munshi and Sannaphulla talk. The man is concerned with the latest event. Though he is thankful that Hatori managed to save the bride, (again, Hatori has no interest in learning her name), he is concerned by the safety of other people. He cannot endanger people just because of his pride. So, he is thinking of calling off the marriage. ¡°I will be sad to let go of this relationship; the family is good. not once they have pressured me for anything.¡± Said Sannaphulla. ¡°But I just cannot put people in danger.¡± While Munshi tries to convince Sannaphulla to not make such hasty decisions, due to social stigma, reputation, and people talking behind his back, Hatori is thinking of something else. He does not care about the social problems that may arise for this family if they cancel this marriage. As the conversation between Munshi and Sannaphulla pauses, Hatori takes his chance. ¡°My apologies sir,¡± begins Hatori, ¡°But may I ask a question?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Said Sannaphulla. The boy has done a lot, answering his questions is the least he can do, especially if his questions can help him in solving this crisis. ¡°Was there any event in your family¡¯s past due to which the soul is bothering you?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Come to think of it, I want to know the same thing.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Although I would have phrased it much less bluntly than my student.¡± ¡°There is no polite way to ask such questions.¡± Said Sannaphulla. ¡°To answer this question, there was an event. It took place before my birth. My older sister fell in love with a man of a lower class, but my father didn¡¯t like that at all. He murdered both of them, and my sister was pregnant. I learned of this from other relatives.¡± Hatori shook his head. ¡°Talk about bad karma points.¡± He muttered. ¡°Is your father still alive?¡± Letting the sarcastic remark slide, Sannaphulla answers. ¡°Yes, he will also attend the wedding ceremony, should it take place.¡± ¡°Master,¡± said Hatori, turning to Munshi, ¡°Isn¡¯t there a way to trick the soul, and bring it out in the open?¡± Munshi strokes his chin in thought. ¡°There might be a way. though we will need your father¡¯s magical signature for that.¡± ¡°I can provide that for you,¡± said Sannaphulla. ¡°Good. now, follow my instructions Hatori, and we will create a dummy to trick this soul and bring it out in the open.¡± Said Munshi.

Part 2.

The day of the wedding is getting closer. Just three days later, the couple will circle around the fire in the ritual. The guests have started to arrive in ever-increasing numbers, and Hatori decides that he will never get married. The dummy with Sannaphulla¡¯s father¡¯s magical signature is moving among the guests, who are told that they should ignore its presence. It looks as close as the man would look like, due to the magic of Munshi. Though Hatori did learn how to create a dummy like this, he still does not understand how can it move, or look like the person in question, all be it a very disturbing duplicate. Hatori senses the soul nearby, able to sense its presence. It is probably observing this dummy. The real man is also present, though hidden from sight, and covered with dangerous wards to keep him safe from any attack of the soul. Hatori and Munshi are both waiting for the soul to make its move. Their wait pays off, as it appears in its favorite form, an angry face within the dust cloud. Sannaphulla and his father witness, as both necromancers get in the action, Hatori fighting the soul, and preventing it from fleeing, and Munshi trying to disperse it. the guests are surprised, but given what kind of magic is being thrown around, they stay away in the corner and let the necromancers do the work. Hatori refrains from using most of his destructive magic, using only lightning element. True, it does leave some scorch marks, but he figures some marks are better than a flooded or burning house. As one of Hatori¡¯s chains trapped the soul, one of the spells Munshi hits it directly, and after giving a hateful snarl at the protected old man, the soul disappears in the cloud. ¡°Phew. I don¡¯t sense it anymore.¡± ¡°The soul is gone.¡± Munshi pats Hatori on the shoulder. ¡°Good job on keeping the destruction to a minimum.¡± He praised. ¡°Now, you should go and rest, while I talk with our client.¡± Hatori was leaving outside, but Ashtadeva stopped him. he gave him an entire room to Hatori to rest, and told everyone that no one was to bother him. Hatori decides to take advantage of this and decides to go to sleep. It is not like he gets to sleep outside of the car. He has gotten no proper sleep ever since they arrived here, due to keeping watch on the house.

Part 3.

Sundar meets Raven after he returns from his assignment. ¡°So, how was the experience, boy?¡± he asked him directly. ¡°It was, horrible!¡± said Raven, thinking that honesty is the best policy in this case. ¡°You said that rioters were the ones who destroyed that city like that?¡± ¡°Yes, and they were from that city.¡± Said the general. ¡°But why would someone do that?¡± said Raven. ¡°Destroy their own city?¡± ¡°You can contemplate that in your free time. but as long as you¡¯re working, it is not your responsibility to reason why. only how. How you can stop them? how can you stop the same thing from happening again? How can you make an example out of them?¡± said the general. ¡°Remember, Raven. Running a country means doing a lot of despicable things, much of which the public never learns. Can you believe that some supposed intellectuals think that the military is entirely unnecessary? Can you believe what would happen to the country if they get their way?¡± ¡°I think that is where the idealism has gone too far, sir.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Exactly. But you see, these are not exactly idealists. These are the same people who would demand protection from us when a crisis hits them. they just like to pretend otherwise.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°But we can debate these fools at some other time. for now, your lesson is that the aftermath of a battle can be far uglier than the battle itself. Always remember that.¡± ¡°Will do sir.¡± Said Raven with a salute.

Part 4.

A day later, Hatori and Munshi leave Sannaphulla and his house behind, having done the duty for which they were called. However, the car has to stop outside, as a bunch of people surround them, carrying a coffin on their shoulders. ¡°Well, well. it is my good luck to find you here, spares me the effort to hunt you down.¡± Said a pale-looking man, clearly a leader. Hatori deduces that by how he stands apart from everyone, the grunt work of carrying the coffin is done by other people, and how everyone is silent, while he speaks. ¡°Manoj.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Get the hell out of my way.¡± Hatori has never heard such contempt from Munshi. ¡°On the contrary. You are the one who will get out of my way. men, open the coffin!¡± said Manoj. The coffin is lowered to the ground and opened. From the coffin, a person suddenly walks out, a man who looks like he was asleep just a moment ago. Judging by his looks, he looks to be in his thirties and built like a human-shaped tank. Hatori sensed his magic and realized how much power was hidden within him. Manoj laughed, going crazy after seeing Munshi¡¯s face. ¡°Recognize him, don¡¯t you?¡± he asked in a mocking tone. ¡°Your student seems to be unfamiliar with him. Why don¡¯t you educate him?¡± ¡°A battle mage.¡± Growled Munshi. ¡°I cannot believe it. you were stupid enough to resurrect him of all people?¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°It doesn¡¯t feel like a soul.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Because it is not. this is a complete resurrection. He called the soul, and put that soul in this restored body.¡± said Munshi. ¡°Because otherwise, the body would have turned into ash by now.¡± sneered Munshi. Manoj laughed. ¡°Of course, you are correct. How wonderful that people preserved his body, in a near-perfect state too!¡± ¡°But his soul seems to be incomplete.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°More like damaged and missing pieces.¡± ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter, he is under my control!¡± said Manoj. ¡°With this, I¡¯ll kill that Porus, you, this boy, Sundar, Zeko, and that monster Corvus. And then there won¡¯t be anyone left to oppose me.¡± ¡°Okay, would anyone explain to me who this mage is, and why is he this strong?¡± asked Hatori, unconcerned with the threat to his life. Munshi sighed. ¡°His name is Anantayudha. He is a battle mage. I¡¯ll explain what that means later.¡± ¡°If you survived, that is.¡± gloated Manoj. ¡°Kill him!¡± he points to the master-student pair, and the battle mage moves to follow the orders. Anantayudha raised his finger, and Hatori sensed the massive buildup of magic. he grabs a shocked Munshi, and physically lifts him, and after undoing his air resistance, avoids the destructive spell. Hatori puts Munshi to the ground. ¡°Are you okay?¡± he asked. ¡°Fine. Just shocked.¡± Said the necromancer. ¡°Watch out!¡± Munshi shields them with another spell, as a wave of fire comes in their way, the same spell as before. The temperature inside of the shield increases, but they survive being burned alive. Another fire spell comes at their way, but Hatori is ready this time, using his own fire spell. he cursed his over-focus on lightning spells, because of which he did not create any custom fire spells for himself. Despite that, his Fireball spell clashes with the wave of fire, and holds its own against the spell of the battle mage. Anantayudha seems to get a tiny smile on his expressionless face after witnessing that. his mind is slowly getting rid of the rust, and decides that this opponent warrants the use of his entire hand. A destructive cloud of fire starts to brew right over their heads, and Hatori decides that this is the best time to run. He looks at Munshi, and they both realize that they have the same idea. Turning invisible, they start to run, and the cloud descends upon their position. In a loud explosion, the entire area is leveled, all the trees start to burn, and the land is scorched badly. But Manoj did not smell the burning flesh of his opponents, nor did he see anybody. ¡°Search them!¡± he orders, and his people spread out everywhere. ¡°You won¡¯t escape me this time, Munshi!¡± he roared. Nearby, Munshi¡¯s car remains undamaged, but a little bit scorched by the fire. But Munshi is not thinking about his car right now. the sheer amount of power in just a few spells that the undead mage demonstrated, terrified him. he has not experienced this fear since his childhood. He doesn¡¯t like it one bit. They sneak far away quickly enough that Manoj¡¯s men couldn¡¯t find them immediately. As they continue to walk invisibly with their footsteps silent, they see a camp in front of them. there are three men in that camp, and Munshi recognizes Surendra. They end their invisibility spell, and the sharmas get alerted, ready to respond with violence. But Surendra recognized Munshi, and Samudra recognized Hatori. ¡°Soooo! Room for two more?¡± asked Munshi. After they are invited to the camp of Sharmas, they learn what has happened. ¡°Fuck them!¡± said Munshi, Hatori is surprised to hear him curse, but ignores it entirely. ¡°No seriously, fuck them. the necromancers have been telling people about this very danger for years, and now we¡¯re the ones with our necks on the chopping block. I¡¯m tempted to let that idiot cousin of yours rampage, to teach them a lesson.¡± ¡°Come now, that is no way to solve this problem.¡± Said Surendra. Nearby, Samudra is talking with Hattori, while his brother observes. This kid is the one about whom Samudra has talked a lot to him, ever since his fifth year, when he met him first time. the boy looks physically strong, and his height for his age is nothing to sneeze at either. But his magic doesn¡¯t seem that impressive. But then again, Surendra Junior is not much of a sensor. ¡°Man, oh man. I am impressed by how much you¡¯ve grown, literally and figuratively. You will start towering over all of us soon.¡± He smiled, clapping Hatori on his shoulder. ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°So, you¡¯ve been in this camp for a while, right?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± sighed Samudra. ¡°Any ideas to deal with this zombie?¡± ¡°Sadly, no,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Even Master Munshi was terrified of this mage. I had to physically haul him out of the way of his spells.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll pay to see that,¡± smirked Samudra. ¡°An older mage manhandled by a young whippersnapper like you.¡±

Part 5.

Manoj is happy to see Munshi scurrying away like a rat, trying to avoid him. ¡°But sooner or later, I¡¯ll find you, and then crush you beneath my foot!¡± he slammed his foot to the ground for emphasis. He always gloated his necromantic talent, causing Manoj to suffer the loss of business. It never occurred to him that he was not good, and lacking in people skills as well. To him, Munshi is the sole reason for his loss of reputation, and becoming a laughing stock. ¡°At least I do have this branch of the clan under my control.¡± He muttered. ¡°But soon, I¡¯ll have the entire Sharma clan under my heel, followed by this country.¡± Does he dare to dream of ruling the world? ¡°Nah, why borrow extra trouble? I¡¯ll control this miserable land. It is large enough¡­ for now,¡± he smirked. ¡°But who has seen the future?¡±

Part 6.

¡°So, in short, the longer it is, the harder it is to retrieve memories,¡± said Hatori. ¡°And these memories are the building blocks to form a soul.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°In our enemy¡¯s case, they likely used a long ritual, the ones which can be done by multiple mages for a long period.¡± ¡°Now, here is how you see the condition of a soul.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°You have to focus the magic into your eyes and bring it to the frequency of the souls. Once you do that, you will be able to see the condition of a soul. Damaged souls often have their memories missing. Which turned out to be good for us, if Anantayudha were to gain his full memories back, Manoj wouldn¡¯t be able to control him, and we all would die.¡± ¡°Okay, thanks for the impromptu lesson.¡± Said Surendra. ¡°But can we do anything about this monster?¡± Living in the wilderness, being hunted from place to place has sapped his patience. He would have never dared to talk with Munshi like that otherwise. ¡°We cannot fight like this. We¡¯re outnumbered, that mage can take out all of us, plus the minions of Manoj and that idiot himself, I don¡¯t think our odds are good enough.¡± They all deflate in disappointment.

Part 7: battle mages.

Battle mages are defined by one thing: an intense will to fight. their body, their magic, and their behavior, all of this revolves around fighting. They show these characteristics from an early age, and it is often advised that if a family has a battle mage child, they do not try to curb their will to compete, for they will resent them for it, and they can, and will, destroy them in the future for this. However, if treated with love and caring, battle mages do form attachments. Most battle mages die around the age of 30, their growing magic, and will to fight others make it impossible for them to live long. However, some of them do live long, the specific example is Anantayudha. He lived for 500 years, a freakishly long amount of time, even by mage standards. He was only killed because he got cornered, and age and the toll of all the battles he fought in his life finally caught up with him. Chapter 134 Chapter 134.

Part 1.

The discussions raged until the sun started to set, after which they all decided to sleep. having this situation suddenly thrust upon them, Munshi and Hatori never thought about keeping watch in the night. the sharmas however, have no excuse. They¡¯ve been at this for a month now, and even they did not suggest a night watch schedule. But Zeko¡¯s training came useful. Hatori sensed some people getting closer, and it was enough to rouse him from his light sleep. ¡°Wake up!¡± he ordered with the flair of his magic, rousing everyone in the camp. ¡°We have company.¡± Both Surendra and Munshi have a difficult time adjusting to sleep and sudden hostility. But Hatori is used to it, and judging how fast he got ready to fight, so is Samudra. ¡°There they are,¡± said a voice outside of the camp. ¡°Burn the camp!¡± Drowsy or not, those words were enough to make Munshi and Surendra escape the camp in haste, while Samudra shields them with a shield of water, swirling around them. when he releases the shield, the liquid disappears. ¡°I gotta learn to do that,¡± said Hatori quietly. His plans of learning a new spell in the future disappear from his mind, as he sees the coffin being lowered by the men. ¡°Our luck can¡¯t be that bad, can it?¡± said Hatori. ¡°What is the chance that this team has the coffin with them, and actually finds us?¡± But this is the world of entertainment for some sadistic people. Therefore, the luck is that bad. Anantayudha walks out of the coffin, and attacks all five of them. ¡°Give me a minute, and I¡¯ll prepare our escape.¡± Said Munshi. He kneels to the ground, drawing a pentagram with runes inside of that pentagram. Surendra and his son without a word, stall the other thugs, while Samudra and Hatori try to contain the battle mage. ¡°How is he throwing so much elemental magic around?¡± asked Samudra, guarding Hatori with another shield of water against Anantayudha¡¯s fire spells. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Said Hatori, retaliating with lightning spells, which made the battle mage spasm when they hit. ¡°Just be glad he is not using transmutation and conjuration, or some other horrific custom spell.¡± as Hatori said this, Anantayudha started to use some wind spells, though it was weak enough to only make them stumble a little. But this caused his fire spells to get more violent, and have more range to them. Hatori tries to bind him with chains, but they are melted before they ever reach him. Hatori¡¯s transmuted animals, which he created from the rocks and broken trees were also destroyed, and the iron spikes failed to penetrate his skin. However, Samudra¡¯s spell, which conjures liquid acid, did the trick. The acid started to eat the skin of Anantayudha before the battle mage purged the acid from his body. nearby, the father and son team was not playing defensively. They were out for blood and were reducing the numbers of their enemies with brutal efficiency. Munshi completes all the runes and activates the pentagram by channeling his magic through it. Hatori and Samudra have a chance. Anantayudha is distracted by that acid, so they join up, and through their combined effort, turn the entire area into an impromptu swamp, upsetting the footing of everyone who was not prepared for it. with a loud bang, Hatori sees the return of their scorched car. Samudra fires a blood-transmuting spell, which converts the blood into ice, and while Anantayudha deals with this new problem, they all pile inside of the car. As they all drive away, Hatori remembers the chains he saw wrapped around Anantayudha¡¯s soul.

Part 2.

As they fled in the car, Samudra and Hatori were laughing. ¡°That was certainly a doozy of a battle!¡± said Samudra, feeling pumped up after escaping the danger. ¡°Hell yeah!¡± agreed Hatori, similarly pumped up. Meanwhile, Samudra¡¯s brother and father were lamenting their fortune. ¡°You too, stop enjoying this. We¡¯re in danger, how can you behave like this?¡± said Surendra Junior. Normally, Hatori would have responded with some sarcastic or toxic remark, but he refrains from doing so here since he does not know these two. ¡°Easily.¡± Said Samudra, saying the word that Hatori could not. ¡°And you, you managed to take him not once, but twice. Maybe you¡¯re a battle mage as well!¡± said Surendra Junior in an accusatory tone. ¡°Is that supposed to be an insult?¡± asked Hatori in an inquiring tone. ¡°Oh, just ignore him.¡± Samudra puts his brother in a headlock. ¡°He is salty because he hasn¡¯t gotten a proper bubble bath in a while.¡± ¡°Hey, let go!¡± struggled Surendra Junior. Ignoring the brothers, Hatori turns to Munshi. ¡°Master, Anantayudha¡¯s soul was wrapped in chains.¡± He said to the necromancer. ¡°Or at least they looked like the chains to me,¡± he added after a second later. ¡°Those chains symbolize the control over him,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Remember, symbolism matters in magic, you should know it better than anyone else, given your studies in the runes.¡± ¡°Thanks for that info.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But also, just like you described, his soul looked patchy, as if some parts were missing.¡± ¡°Again, the missing memories,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Remember, should he regain his full consciousness, no one can control him at that point. the only consolation is that he will give a very painful and drawn-out death to Manoj first before killing all of us,¡± said Munshi, unable to stop from expressing his less-than-charitable thoughts about their enemy. ¡°Hmm.¡± Hatori rests his chin on his fist. ¡°Maybe we still have a chance. If we can somehow suppress his soul¡­ the magic to weaken the souls should work on him, right? then I can battle him, and you can disperse his soul.¡± ¡°You? battle that monster?¡± said Surendra junior, having escaped Samudra¡¯s headlock. ¡°You¡¯re just a fifteen-year-old boy. there is no way you can face him.¡± ¡°Just a few moments ago, you admitted that I faced him twice.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And remember, I¡¯ll have Master Munshi with me to help me out.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± Suddenly, it was difficult to breathe in that car. ¡°I have no place for doubters around me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°You are free to quiver in your boots, but either we take the chance, or let this rampage continue.¡± ¡°My student is correct.¡± Said Munshi, as they entered the city. ¡°But I will need time and a place to construct the proper wards. It is not possible to do this while on the run.¡±

Part 3.

Sannaphulla cursed his bad luck. Just when his son got married, despite all the hauntings and attempts of murder by the soul of his dead sister, the city of Sindapur suffers an attack, in which all the law enforcements are taken out, and everyone has to suffer under this rogue branch of Sharma clan. He is out to buy some food for the family, as he still has a lot of people staying at his house, and he is hassled by the new goons in town. ¡°Leave me!¡± he runs to avoid them, cursing his bad fitness, and lack of fighting skills. His father might be a detestable man, but he was right. he has gotten soft after years of politics. he got cornered, and these men looked like they would extract a heavy punishment for making them run like that. ¡°We told you to hand over your stuff, but now, you¡¯ll suffer a beating!¡± said the leader, coming close to him. just when he was about to throw the first punch of the beating, a car stopped near them, and several people came out. Sannaphulla was able to see the familiar glimpse of a tall boy lacking eyeballs, and this made him relax. The help has arrived. the boy slams his foot to the ground, shaking the earth, and upsetting the footing of Sannaphulla¡¯s attackers. They turn around to check out this new threat, but Hatori conjures his chains and binds them all. Surendra and his son come to pick up Sannaphulla, while Samudra helps Hatori in fighting these men. Though Hatori is strong, leaving a young boy like him to fight these older men does not sit right with him. besides, their screams as their blood slowly turns acidic, and starts to dissolve their body from the inside out made him grin. ¡°Looks like that spell was a total success.¡± ¡°Remind me not to piss you off in the future.¡± Said Hatori, after watching the horrifying scene. ¡°Nah, I won¡¯t use that against you. it would not be nice.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°I¡¯ll give you a humane death.¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll do the same.¡± Said Hatori with a grin. they all pile up in the car, leaving the dead or dying attackers of Sannaphulla behind them. and the discussion begins again. ¡°Getting back to the point,¡± said Surendra senior, resuming his point before it was disrupted by this impromptu rescue mission, ¡°I think I can construct some safe wards for you, but again, it will take time. we¡¯ll also need to scout the proper place.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have time,¡± said Surendra junior, the discussion has calmed him down. ¡°Besides, the moment we stop, that battle mage would be sent after us.¡± ¡°If I may?¡± asked Sannaphulla, entering himself into the discussion. After everyone nodded, he continued. ¡°I assume you need some place to work on something?¡± they nodded. ¡°And I also assume that you need that place to be secure, so these goons cannot bother you?¡± he asked, ignoring the battle mage term for now. Once more everyone gave him a nod. ¡°Then why not use my home?¡± he offered. This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. ¡°No,¡± said Munshi and Hatori together. ¡°You already have a newly married couple in your house, they likely didn¡¯t manage to leave before everything exploded in this city.¡± this time, it is Sannaphulla¡¯s turn to nod. ¡°I am unwilling to put them in danger, just because of our own ends.¡± ¡°Honestly master, you have helped me out a lot, you and your student,¡± said Sannaphulla. ¡°This is the least I could do. And if I get to drive off these goons from my city, so much better.¡± ¡°Sir, if I may point out something?¡± asked Hatori. When Sannaphulla turns to him, Hatori continues. ¡°I¡¯m a student of Zeko.¡± Said Hatori, trying to communicate the implications of his words. ¡°You mean that boy?¡± Sannaphulla stopped himself from continuing. He understood where exactly Hatori was taking this conversation. ¡°Yes, the summoned child.¡± Confirms Hatori. ¡°This¡¯ll end up spreading the word that you helped me out. do you really want to paint a target on your back?¡± Sannaphulla relaxed and leaned back in his seat. ¡°So be it,¡± he said to Hatori. ¡°Well, if you insist, we won¡¯t refuse,¡± said Munshi. ¡°You two,¡± he said to Samudra and Hatori, ¡°Do keep everyone safe in the house. you are the best fighters we¡¯ve got.¡± ¡°Understood,¡± said Samudra and Hatori. they go to Sannaphulla¡¯s house, and Munshi is given a room. Samudra and Hatori are on guard duty, while Surendra senior and junior are backups. ¡°So, I heard you and Munshi talking about the mage breaking through his chain, or regaining his consciousness. Mind explaining that?¡± asked Samudra. ¡°Well, he is like drowsy right now, like after waking up from a long sleep,¡± said Hatori. ¡°The chains on his soul are muffling his thoughts, and keep him under control of the guy who summoned him.¡± ¡°Just call him Manoj, we won¡¯t be offended on his behalf.¡± Said Surendra Junior from the corner. Hatori ignores that comment entirely and continues. ¡°What master fears is that if this guy regains his full consciousness, none of us can stop him, and he¡¯ll wreck anyone who gets in his way. he thinks Porus,?Zeko, Corvus, and Sundar have to team up to defeat him.¡± ¡°I never realized during all that running what a big issue this is,¡± said Surendra senior. ¡°This could end up becoming a huge national problem.¡±

Part 4.

it took three days of constant work, but Munshi has the necessary burier enchantment with him to suppress the soul of Anantayudha. They counted their lucky stars that during this time, the house of Sannaphulla was ignored by the invading sharmas, and no one came to threaten them or fight them. ¡°Now,¡± said Munshi, ¡°How do we get that battle mage to the choosing of our place?¡± asked Munshi, unable to think of any good ideas due to his exhaustion. ¡°I think we should use you as abate,¡± said Hatori. ¡°You should taunt Manoj, he won¡¯t be able to resist responding, and then we will get what we want.¡± ¡°Yes, but first, we¡¯ll have to go outside of this house.¡± Said Surendra senior. ¡°I suggest that you leave the fighting to me and Surendra this time¡ª¡± ¡°You are Surendra.¡± Said Hatori and Samudra together. ¡°¡ªSo, you can save your energy.¡± Finished Samudra¡¯s father, ignoring the petty joke entirely. ¡°So, what,¡± said Munshi, ¡°Go to the center of the city, and taunt Manoj?¡± ¡°Yep.¡± Said Hatori, as they all nodded. the plan has come together, now it is just a matter of implementing it. according to their plan, they go to the center of the city, and with a magical spell to amplify his voice, Munshi begins to taunt Manoj. ¡°Hey dumbass, this is me, Munshi! The number one necromancer in the Subcontinent. While you don¡¯t even have the rank of second anymore, how far did you fall? Tenth? Hundredth?¡± tried Munshi. ¡°Try harder.¡± Encouraged Hatori, the start is promising. ¡°I bet you passed your exams, by sucking off your master, there is no way you managed to clear the exams otherwise!¡± declared Munshi. This wasn¡¯t true. Munshi respected Manoj¡¯s talent once, but their years of bitter rivalry, and the sour personality of the man put any chance of a friendship on a funeral pyre before it could ever bloom. By this point, the public has started to gather, and Munshi is on a roll. ¡°Listen you dumbass, your girlfriend left you because I screwed her! She liked it, for a change! I didn¡¯t also need a consolation position in a clan, I¡¯m already richer than you through my own efforts!¡± ¡°I never thought he had it in him,¡± whispered Hatori to Samudra. The young man just grinned, enjoying this show. ¡°And unlike you, I even have a promising student, the boy is sure to take my legacy to new heights, while you just toil, in obscurity, and need the help of a long-dead mage!¡± the previous words were used for riling him up, if Manoj hears them, this time, Munshi used all the contempt he has for the other necromancer to deliver this insult. ¡°Silence!¡± roared Manoj, walking to their location with his grunts, who as always, carried the coffin with them. ¡°You will rue the day when you decided to insult me in a public square!¡± Anantayudha is released from his coffin, and Munshi smiles like the cat who caught the mouse. ¡®My student is truly a genius. His plan worked perfectly. Now, let¡¯s see whether he can bring this to its conclusion or not.¡¯ he thought while activating the burier. As soon as he was released from the coffin, Anantayudha rushed at Munshi. As a result, it was pretty easy to trap him in this burier. Outside, Manoj shakes his fists angrily, while Surendra and Surendra, along with Samudra, guard Munshi, who cannot move while keeping this burier up. Hatori takes a breath to calm himself and prepares for the battle to come. ¡°Kill the boy, and kill this wretched man next!¡± ordered Manoj. That order started the battle, as Anantayudha tried to burn Hatori. ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t you have anything else to start with?¡± ¡°But this is my favorite method.¡± Spoke Anantayudha, sounding like a suave of a man. Hatori is shocked enough that he can¡¯t defend himself from the next spell, and he is sent flying from the explosion. He gets up and observes the soul of Anantayudha. The chains have broken. Likely the result of the burier. ¡°Oh, we did not see that coming.¡± ¡°Yes, you didn¡¯t.¡± said the battle mage, and attacked Hatori once more. ¡°Do you know that fire and wind are not the only specialties I have?¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Hatori, not liking where this is going. The ground started to rumble, and it exploded. Rocks were coming from below, and fire was raining from the skies. The rocks that do reach the sky come down upon Hatori, flaming and nearly melted. ¡°I¡¯m having fun.¡± Smiled Anantayudha. ¡°Looks like the younger generation of this era is much stronger than my time.¡± ¡°Hatori, kill him quickly, he is regaining his awareness fast!¡± urged Munshi. ¡®Easier said than done.¡¯ He thought. He learned the basic method to disperse the soul, but it requires him to get closer. He managed to close the distance, but it wasn¡¯t enough. His spell didn¡¯t land correctly. ¡°You didn¡¯t form the spell correctly, boy!¡± said Munshi. ¡®How can I do that when only hours ago you taught me this?¡¯ he thinks while jumping away to dodge more of the flaming tar raining down upon the ground. The city officials will never forgive him for this. Hatori decides to fight the earth with the earth and wrestles for control of the ground with Anantayudha. The mage is still not himself, so he can snatch the control over the earth element. He then turns the entire area in the burier into a swamp, followed by pinning the undead mage under massive boulders. Hatori knew that he would manage to break out of this combination soon enough, so he targets Anantayudha and hits him with the spell to disperse his soul. This time, his spell landed perfectly, and the body went limp for a moment before the lips of Anantayudha started to move again. ¡°What a regret. I was looking forward to test myself against this generation.¡± His body goes limp, and the burier comes down. ¡°No, nononononononono!¡± screamed Manoj, running to the body of Anantayudha. If he could get the body, he could try this again. But Hatori burns the corpse, causing Manoj to glare at him hatefully. ¡°You¡¯ll regret that, boy!¡± he launches his own spell, but Munshi blocks it. Then, the necromancer retaliates with his own spell, destroying the bones of Manoj¡¯s chest, and crushing his heart with a squelch. However, the man instead of hitting the ground dead, smiles and looks at Munshi with a taunting smile. ¡°I have become an immortal!¡± He attacks the sharmas, but Samudra guards them with a shield of his own. Then, they all attack him together. Realizing that most of his men are dead, and he won¡¯t be able to fight them all, Manoj decides to flee. ¡°Remember this Munshi, I will return, and make your life a living hell!¡± he declared, before running away. ¡°Should we go after him?¡± asked Surendra senior. ¡°No, let him go,¡± said Munshi. ¡°We are all tired, we won¡¯t be able to chase him down and kill him in our current state.¡± He told them. ¡°Just be on your guard, do inform me if you hear anything unusual around the country.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± Said all three sharmas. ¡°Thank you, Master Munshi, for helping us,¡± said Surendra the senior. ¡°Without you, who knows how far this problem could have devolved.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Munshi, thinking the same thing. ¡°Let¡¯s go to Sannaphulla¡¯s house boy, we then will go to Zeko¡¯s house from there.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± Said Hatori, walking after Munshi tiredly. chapter 135 Chapter 135.

Part 1.

A car stops outside of a large house, which is actually even larger inside than it looks from the outside. nearby is a farm, where fruits and vegetables are being grown. This is, of course, Zeko¡¯s house. Munshi is here to drop Hatori off, as the year has completed. Granted, it is a bit early, but given the cases they have solved, the things he has managed to teach the boy, and how they barely prevented a monster from the past from returning just a few days ago, Munshi thinks that the boy could use some rest. ¡°Now, before you leave,¡± said Munshi, deciding to share some final words with his student. ¡°Remember that the vacation this year will be shorter, I¡¯ll be here in a month and a half to take you with me. so don¡¯t get too comfortable.¡± ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Also, read this.¡± Said Munshi, giving Hatori a notebook. ¡°I have written down ways to efficiently extract memories from the blood, it takes less energy. And of course, instructions to resurrect a soul. Do practice these things during your vacation, consider it a summer homework.¡± Hatori gave him a contemptible look. Words like homework and vacation should not go with each other. And yet, here he is, suffering the unholy combination. ¡°When will you teach me to raise an army of dead?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You can learn that in your time,¡± said Munshi, walking to his car. ¡°Just like how I did.¡± He murmured the last part. Hatori didn¡¯t hear those words, because he was already inside of the house by the point he said that.

Part 2.

¡°So, what you¡¯re saying that there won¡¯t be any exams this year?¡± said Josh, walking with James to their dorms. James asked about the exams to Slaughter, the same thing which he explained to Josh. ¡°Yeah. it is up to our mentors to grade us,¡± said James. ¡°Cool.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Meaning I don¡¯t have to be below Raven, you, and Hatori in the ranking board.¡± Smirked Josh. ¡°Don¡¯t be so happy.¡± Said James. ¡°Those will be back for our final year.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± cursed Josh. He believes cursing is a sign of an unrefined person, despite his friends resorting to cursing more and more as they grow. But he believes that it is warranted in this case. James laughed at his reaction, causing him to chase after the boy. no one can laugh at him and get away with it.

Part 3.

The king listens, as the final notes trail off. The boy with bells in his hair played well. ¡®If I remember correctly, he is friends with Hatori, isn¡¯t he?¡¯ he thought. ¡®Speaking of which, I have not spoken with the boy in a long time. maybe I should check up on him.¡¯ Everyone gave a standing ovation after this wonderful performance. Porus is no different. The king enjoyed coming to this event. He got to see something different than his castle, and people in their natural environment. None of the pomp which they displayed when they came to his court. ¡®If only I could see more of this,¡¯ he thought. ¡®There is very little of my own country I have known or visited.¡¯ He thinks about the responsibilities that keep him bound to one city. But he is a king, isn¡¯t he? Shouldn¡¯t he be free to survey his domain? Visit the places, and observe the lives of the people who live under his rules? To see whether his plans and policies have made any difference to their lives? Or whether they have reached them in the first place or not? ¡®Really, there is no reason for me to put this off.¡¯ Thinks Porus, as he leaves with other guests, after the event. ¡®I¡¯ll talk about this with Amarnath. Let¡¯s see whether it is possible for me to get a tour or not.¡¯ he smiled at the thought. Maybe he will manage to control his urge to murder after this tour. Though he does not make any promises.

Part 4.

¡°You¡¯ve done so well,¡± said Sangita. ¡°It was easy for anyone to realize how nervous you were, but you handled it so well.¡± ¡°I could have done it better,¡± said Shin. ¡°Now now, none of that,¡± said Sangita, lightly slapping his arm. ¡°You should realize that as a creative person, this feeling will haunt you all the time. but learning to quiet that voice will allow you to produce your best work in peace. So do not let this negativity affect your music, is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes, professor.¡± Said Shin with a grin. ¡°Besides, we¡¯re at the end of our first year anyway. I will give you your results later,¡± said Sangita. ¡°Use this time to relax and recharge your batteries. Okay?¡± ¡°Will do that, professor.¡± Said Shin, while thinking it was time to contact Zeko again.

Part 5.

¡°These are the reports you requested, sir.¡± Said Raven, carrying the stack in his arms. ¡°Where should I put them?¡± ¡°Put them in the archive of the year 4000.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Always put the papers where they belong, that is a good habit.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Said Raven, sorting the reports by month. The general likes the archive being organized. As he performs this task, the general decides to ask him a question. The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°Tell me, Raven,¡± said Sundar, ¡°Why does a soldier fight?¡± Raven thinks about it. fame? Glory? None of those seem right answers, at least to someone who is not mad about those two things. Money is not a good answer again, since there are a lot more things which a person can do, which would be less demanding on their mind and body, less dangerous, and make more money from those activities. Protecting someone might be the right answer, but Raven hesitates to give this answer. Everyone has someone they like to protect (discounting sociopaths), but that does not mean everyone ends up in the military. Maybe a certain kind of madness, which only a few possess? ¡°If you cannot think of a reason,¡± said Sundar, ¡°Then go to your family. Relax. Spend time with your parents and friends. and that will provide the answer for you,¡± suggested Sundar. ¡°I understand sir, thank you,¡± said Raven. ¡°Good,¡± said Sundar. ¡°Now, the final lesson before this year ends.¡± Raven sits on the chair in front of the general, having put those reports in their right place, ready to listen to whatever wisdom Sundar is going to give him today. ¡°Military does not have any place for politics. However, humans are what they are, it is not possible to avoid it completely. Egos have to be satisfied, popularity has to be considered, and above all, competency has to be considered before putting a person in charge. That is a difficult task for a general.¡± ¡°I understand, sir,¡± said Raven, ¡°But why are you telling me this?¡± The general does not answer and dismisses him. ¡®You will get it one day, kid.¡¯ He thought once he was alone in the archive room.

Part 6.

Jimmy waits for his son to return. He has made great strides in recovering this year, as his current activity of running on the treadmill shows. (Yes, even mages have those.) he will never regain his former fitness, but what he has managed to salvage after his life was wrecked sixteen years ago seems pretty impressive to him. ¡®Unfortunately, it seems I won¡¯t be able to give James a proper stable house.¡¯ He regretted this failure. The lawyers have told him that the evidence is quite strong, and his claim to the house is undisputed. The only problem they have right now is the research. ¡®To hell with that research.¡¯ He thought. ¡®Giving James a stable house is more important. Sorry, dear.¡¯ He apologized to his late wife. But he really does not care about that research anymore. if Shakuntala wants it, she can have it. but that house belongs to him. Once he has all these things in order, he will slowly teach James to manage the businesses of their family and improve their financial condition. That should put the Flora family on the path to recovery.

Part 7: Where does the magic come from?

Scholars have debated this for years, as it is clear that magic has been used by humans ever since they evolved into their current form. However, despite the theories given over the last 5000 years or so, none of them have managed to find solid proof of any of those theories. They, however, also have not managed to disprove them, aside from a few crackpot ones. One disproven theory is about the magical cores, which states that every mage has a core in their chest, which allows them to perform magic. the size of the core determines the power of that mage. However, this theory was disproven, when people who never performed any supernatural tricks were taught magic late in their lives, and successfully pulled them off. True, their experience never compared to someone who used magic since childhood, but the fact that they learned magic later in life disproved this theory. One reason why this theory was so easy to disprove is that it argues that not every human has these magical cores. However, people who are known to not have mages in their families, or never performed any magic themselves learned magic, and used it successfully. This means that the cores were not true. Another way to disprove this theory was to cut up human corpses, and again, no cores were found in the chest, or at any other body part. After the creation of the magical dimension, these experiments stopped, since mankind isolated themselves from non-magic-using humans, and they cannot do such experiments anymore. Later, other theories arose, such as magic being connected with a larger entity, and everyone drawing power from that entity. Some even theorized that the magic was conscious. These theories cannot be proven, but there is no way to disprove them either. Despite that, some general things have been found out about humans who use magic. First, they use the energy of their body to perform their magic. genetics do play a role in determining the power of a mage, however, training is the more important variable in this equation, since a genetically powerful, but lazy mage is still weaker than a fully trained mage who constantly improves his magic and body, and is genetically does not have any advantage. The body plays an important role as well, as a mage who has a fit body is usually able to perform more powerful feats of magic, as opposed to the unfit mage, and for longer duration as well. Zeko, who has trained many young kids, as well as soldiers, remarked the following: ¡°Using magic in a weak body is like trying to conduct electricity through a material of poor quality. You are likely to burn yourself from inside out.¡± Chapter 136 Chapter 136.

Part 1.

¡°So, I drew a circle to restrain this soul, but I didn¡¯t use the right frequency.¡± Hatori was saying, telling Zeko about the experiences of this year. ¡°That caused the soul to flee.¡± ¡°Mistakes can happen.¡± Said Zeko, ¡°Especially when you are using something new. That is why I always made you practice anything new I teach you in spars with me before in a real battle.¡± ¡°Yeah. but thankfully, that soul didn¡¯t evade us for much long, as we used a dummy to draw it out, and then I fought it while Munshi drew a circle to capture it, and then disperse it,¡± said Hatori, finishing his recount of his final case. The incident with Anantayudha does not count, that whole trouble was unrelated with any official case. ¡°Then you ended up fighting a resurrected battle mage?¡± asked Zeko, having heard about that from other people. Apparently, Surendra told his circle, the word reached Fernandes, and he told the people in the king¡¯s circle, including Zeko. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Hatori. ¡°But it was pretty horrific to see what kind of events lead to these people dying, and becoming a vengeful soul.¡± Hatori puts the glass down, feeling very somber. He feels sad whenever he thinks about this topic. ¡°Alas. That is the cruelty of the world,¡± said Zeko. ¡°But I suspect your experience in combat was useful?¡± ¡°More than you realize.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Even though I fought mostly souls and spirits, the training was still useful. though I don¡¯t think I would have come out alive if I faced that battle mage at the peak of his power.¡± ¡°No one could.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°But you¡¯ve been fighting spirits since I brought you here, so that was nothing new to you.¡± ¡°I know, but they let me hit them,¡± said Hatori. ¡°These ones, however, didn¡¯t want to get hit, nor did they want to let me win easily.¡± ¡°Of course they don¡¯t. souls wish to survive, while spirits do not wish to tarnish their reputation with a loss. I suspect that Yaksha would be roaring with laughter when you tell him about that female spirit you encountered.¡± Said Zeko with amusement. ¡°Probably.¡± said Hatori, grinning himself while remembering that spirit who tried to stop them on a bridge. ¡°Anyway, the most tiring part was the travel. I don¡¯t think I can handle it for the rest of my life. I rather have a stable lab where I can run some experiments at any given time instead of traveling all the time.¡± ¡°But you have chosen a profession which does require traveling.¡± Reminded Zeko. Hatori gets a frozen look on his face. ¡°I¡¯ve made a great mistake.¡± He said with horror, making Zeko roar with laughter.

Part 2.

¡°I¡¯m home, mother, father.¡± Said Josh, greeting them both. ¡°Where is George?¡± ¡°I am right here, son.¡± Said George senior. ¡°Since when did you start to call your father by his name? I think you need some disciplinary action.¡± ¡°You very well know who I was referring to.¡± Said Josh in a frosty tone. This tone has served him well during his two years as president of the Academy. ¡°I know, I was just joking.¡± Said George senior. ¡°Your father¡¯s humor is not the best one,¡± said Maria, giving Josh some coffee. ¡°Your brother is out; he is currently meeting with all our business managers.¡± She said, ignoring the stink eye from her husband. ¡®It appears that the brother has reached the final stage of the grooming process.¡¯ thinks Josh. He has been handling more responsibilities recently, taking the load of the family business on his own shoulders. His father is preparing for an early retirement, while George Junior gets ready to run the businesses of the Fernandes family, which have been left vague because the author cannot bother to come up with business ideas¡­ ahem. Ignore that train of thought, lest I get a pay-cut, again. ¡°So, how was your year?¡± asked Maria. George suddenly becomes attentive; he wishes to hear this as well. ¡°Tiring, and boring.¡± Said Josh. ¡°No secret conspiracies, no plot to overthrow anyone or kill anyone, aside from the usual natural causes.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Enjoy this time, son.¡± Said George. ¡°Because soon enough, when things get interesting once again, you will wish for this time.¡± ¡°That sounds ominous.¡± Said Josh, not liking it one bit.

Part 3.

Shin wrote a letter to Zeko, requesting to live in his house and, in return, do whatever chores or work he assigns. Zeko accepted, but he never let slip that he had developed a soft spot for the boy. his experiences seem to mirror his own so much, that it is not even funny. Hatori was happy to see him there, though he quickly realized that there wouldn¡¯t be much free time for them to talk, as Shin immediately started to help out the Durve family on Zeko¡¯s farm. ¡°I never thought you would be able to work on a farm.¡± Said Hatori, when Shin returned from his day¡¯s work. ¡°After all, you always liked to keep yourself clean, while farming is not the sort of work that you can do without getting dirty.¡± ¡°True.¡± Nodded Shin, the bells in his hair jingling. ¡°But you gotta do what you gotta do.¡± ¡°Man, I underestimated you,¡± said Hatori. ¡°That is good. means no one looks at me as a threat,¡± said Shin. ¡°It is important to live a peaceful life.¡± Hatori agreed, but he resented how he never had that chance. ¡°Anyway, do you have any good traveling stories?¡± Shin smiled. ¡°Boy, I have tons of them to tell you. starting with my heroics.¡± He then begins to recount his year to Hatori, and Hatori listens, silently dispatching the shadows that do come to attack him. By this point, Shin is used to this, so the flow of his stories never gets disrupted.

Part 4.

James climbs the stairs to his and his father¡¯s apartment. They cannot go back to their family home yet, ever since James escaped with his father from that house, his aunt is monitoring that place. James has no doubt that if they were to return there, they would disappear, and it would be called a tragedy, and the entire thing would be swept under the rug by Shakuntala. ¡°Dad?¡± he enters the house and sees his father sitting in the hall. ¡°High son.¡± Said Jimmy, looking up from the book he was reading. ¡°Wow, you look better than before.¡± Said James, observing how his father had lost the jerkiness in his limbs, and his sickly pale face had regained some healthy glow. Still, the decade and a half of forced alcoholism shows its shadows. Jimmy smiled. ¡°I know right? I¡¯ve even started to regain the stamina which I used to have. That is, of course, the result of eating better and sleeping better.¡± ¡°Now, if some of my friends would learn that,¡± said James. ¡°To be honest, you are also a workaholic son, you just need something to inspire you,¡± said Jimmy. Their conversation is disrupted, as someone knocks at the door. ¡°Hey Jimmy, can I come in?¡± ¡°Sure, come inside.¡± He called. James observes this tall man who has just arrived in the house. ¡°Meet Kamal, he¡¯s a friend of mine since our school days.¡± Said Jimmy. ¡°Is he your son?¡± asked Kamal. ¡°Yep.¡± Nodded Jimmy. ¡°Man, he looks just like you. though he is much more reserved.¡± Said Kamal. ¡°Of course he is¡ª¡± ¡°Which means he won¡¯t be pulling off any foolish stunts like you,¡± said Kamal, interrupting Jimmy in the middle. ¡°What kind of foolish stunts?¡± asked James curiously. ¡°Well¡ª¡± This time, it was Jimmy¡¯s turn to interrupt. ¡°Why don¡¯t you go and take a nap, son? You must be tired with the traveling!¡± said Jimmy, wishing that James would take the bait, and leave the room. ¡°Sure. Wake me up in two hours or so.¡± He silently left a monitoring ward. Friend or not, he does not trust people so easily. ¡°You have a one paranoid son.¡± Remarked Kamal, the ward did not escape his notice. ¡°Of course, though he likely would have tried to use a better ward if he knew that you are a squad commander in the army.¡± Said Jimmy. ¡°Probably.¡± Agreed Kamal. Kamal has been coming to visit Jimmy, ever since he learned that he has been living in the city. This has helped him in his recovery. It was pretty maddening to see a boy who was so full of life reduced to a husk like that, but Kamal was happy to see the recovery right in front of his eyes. ¡°So, got any girls interested in you?¡± asked Jimmy. ¡°Not really. Military career does not leave much chance for romance.¡± Said Kamal. ¡°There are women in the military, I thought you would have melted one of those frozen hearts by now,¡± said Jimmy. ¡°Yeah, no. those are dangerous ones. You don¡¯t have any idea what they do to their husbands just because of a small spat.¡± ¡°Quite frankly, I¡¯ve got no interest in learning that,¡± said Jimmy, he has enough horror in his life thank you. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

Part 5.

Amarnath returns to his office, having heard out the new idea of the king. Porus usually listens to Amarnath, since he feels that he is too brutish to manage the public. However, the idea the king has come up with this time, Amarnath thinks he should have been the one to think of it. Letting Porus tour the country, allowing him to meet people, and go to the remote areas of the Subcontinent, letting people know who exactly is their leader, that is the sort of thing which is his responsibility. But since he did not think of it, he is determined to make it as successful as he can. ¡°Father?¡± walked in Avinash, freshly showered judging by his hair. ¡°You look like you¡¯ve spent a lot of time under the son.¡± Said Amarnath, after looking at the tanned face of his son. ¡°Yes, I did exactly that,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Believe it or not, I wasn¡¯t planting crops though. I was just chasing the chickens.¡± ¡°Chickens?¡± asked Amarnath. ¡°Yes, chickens.¡± Said Avinash with a straight face.

Part 6.

Zeko dodged the spells coming his way. the lightning scorched the floor of the sparring room, while the old mage retaliated with his own spells. his apprentice has grown so much. it feels like only yesterday when he wasn¡¯t even able to make him move from his place. Now, he is dodging his attacks, and he is making him work. Thankfully, Zeko is happy to know that he is not huffing. Getting out of shape would be an insult which he cannot tolerate, after all the lectures he gave to the people trained under him. More spells come his way, but Zeko easily shields himself from those and makes a motion to stop the spar. ¡°It seems you¡¯re not having any problems in adapting to your vision.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Honestly, you¡¯ve adapted to it much quicker than anyone else.¡± Hatori smiled but did not talk about the room of frozen time, which helped him in adapting. ¡°Also, continue to keep your eyes hidden as you have been doing now. no need to let other people know about this. Let them underestimate you.¡± ¡°Yes, master.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What about your runes?¡± asked Zeko, as they walked out of the room. ¡°Same as before. I never needed eyes for those anyway,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Good. Good.¡± nodded Zeko. ¡°Do try to improve your reading and writing though, it is much faster to write by hand or read by yourself than make some enchanted pens do it by talking to it, or make some spell read the text to you.¡± ¡°I¡¯m working on it, but I just don¡¯t have enough time,¡± complained Hatori. Zeko laughed. ¡°Hahahaha! Get used to this boy!¡± he slaps him on his back, making Hatori stumble. ¡®I would have all the time in the world if I could get that room to work outside of the Academy.¡¯ Thinks Hatori.

Part 7.

Shakuntala has heard what took place at Sindapur. Naturally, it is not possible to hide a thing like this, since someone is bound to blab, then other people will also blab to more people, and it quickly devolves from there. but whatever the events were, it did not provide her with any peace. The plan of Manoj failed, and her brother-in-law and his cursed progeny are still a thorn in her side. At least that entire thing made her realize why mercenaries are not willing to go after the boy. it is one thing to kill him and think about the anger of the king and his master since it will take a while for the news to reach them. but the boy himself is dangerous, how else could someone of his age go against a battle mage, and come out without losing a limb? Even at their weakest, the battle mages are still stronger than any normal mage. Hatori should have been dead, along with his necromancer master. But they survived. The battle with Jimmy continues, which just adds to her stress. ¡®Really sis, how could you share that all-important research with him, but not me? we were family, related by blood, weren¡¯t we?¡¯ ¡°Looks like you need some help,¡± said Manoj, walking right into her study. ¡°How did you get here?¡± she asked, not liking this blatant violation of her privacy. ¡°Easily. Your wards are pathetic. They cannot stand up to someone like me.¡± said Manoj. Shakuntala looked at the man. he looks like a walking corpse. Judging by his words though, he has gotten out of that whole mess which he created, unscathed. ¡°What do you mean by help?¡± ¡°Exactly what I said.¡± Said Manoj. ¡°Just help me out a little. Give me some resources, and I¡¯ll create a chimera. We¡¯ll attack the capitol, kill the king, and I¡¯ll reward everyone who joined me and helped me.¡± ¡°Including me?¡± asked Shakuntala. ¡°Including you.¡± nodded Manoj. ¡°Fine. But do not use my name,¡± said Shakuntala. ¡°Of course!¡± he smiled. As he walks away, Shakuntala hopes she is not making another mistake. Chapter 137 Chapter 137.

Part 1.

Hatori is observing the memories of a dead crow, acquired through her blood. It was an old crow that recently died, which given how brutal things can be in nature, is a remarkable thing. He saw her sharing her knowledge with younger crows, which actually delighted Hatori. ¡®No wonder they are thriving in the world.¡¯ he smiled. He always liked crows. So, what if they don¡¯t have the sweetest of cries? They are smart, and that is what matters. The process of acquiring the memories from the blood is not that hard. You just need to draw the shape of a human head in the ground, put the blood in the center, channel magic through it, and you can observe the memories from a first-person point-of-view. Of course, before doing any of this, he asked the permission of the crows nearby. They did not mind, but Hatori decided to be polite. These birds can be vengeful. Once Zeko destroyed one of their nests, they harassed him for months, until Hatori returned, and helped him in reconciling with the corvids. They have decided to forgive him on a probationary basis. if he did something like that again, no amount of Hatori¡¯s begging could save Zeko from their torment. Knowing all of this, Hatori did not want to offend them. Meanwhile, Shin is observing all of this happening nearby. Hatori is surrounded by crows, and with that weird head shape on the ground, plus that blood, it all makes him look like a proper evil necromancer mage. it is enough to freak him out. he thought Hatori would be over his love for the crows, but apparently, he was wrong. Some of the crows turn his way as if sensing his thoughts. The bells jingle on his head, as he flinched. ¡°Awesome crows¡­¡± he chuckled nervously, ¡°Very intelligent and wise.¡± He smiled, but it came off as a grimace. But at least those crows did turn around. Hatori gets up from his kneeling position. ¡°What¡¯s up with your scared look?¡± he asked, coming out of the memory. ¡°Nothing.¡± Said Shin, cursing his cracking tone. ¡°Sure.¡± Hatori didn¡¯t believe this tough guy''s act but decided to let it go. ¡°Let¡¯s go eat lunch already. I¡¯m starving.¡± ¡®How can you eat anything after observing the life of a crow?¡¯ Thinks Shin, following Hatori.

Part 2.

James comes to Zeko¡¯s house. He will be staying here until Hatori leaves, which according to what the boy has told him, will be sooner than all of them. ¡°So, your vacation will end before us,¡± said James, his lips curling in a smile. ¡°The guy who had the lightest workload in the school had the shortest vacation during the apprenticeship. Fitting I say, karma even.¡± Hatori ignores the ribbing and shows James some runes. ¡°I¡¯ve seen these runes in the books given to me by Munshi, or I have come up with them myself. As you can see, all of them are related to souls and spirits. I was wondering whether we can use them in a Yantra or not?¡± ¡°Hmm.¡± thinks James, looking at the floating runes around him. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen anything like that before. I¡¯ll have to do some testing before I can give you a definite answer.¡± ¡°That¡¯s fair.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I wonder what kind of effect these runes will have on a human, or perhaps an alchemically created body?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know. Also, I resent you for passing that class without even showing up more than ten times during the entire year,¡± said James. The alchemic processes going on in a living body are mindboggling, and understanding them can be such a pain. ¡°Well, it helps that I wasn¡¯t pursuing a perfect score in that one,¡± said Hatori. ¡°That¡¯s bullshit. You were among the top ten even in that class.¡± Said James. ¡°So what? You were at the first spot. I fail to see why you are so furious about this.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Because I attended the class. And yet, you still managed to get to the third spot. How?¡± asked James, exasperated that Hatori was not getting his point. ¡°Talent. Truly, I am a genius of unparalleled intellect, who only appears every thousand years, who grows in height and muscles when transformed, and has a terrible temper, and has green energy as my aura¡­ I think I¡¯ve gotten sidetracked.¡± Said Hatori, realizing that he was not describing a genius anymore. ¡°Quite.¡± Agreed James.

Part 3.

Now that he has some free time, Shin is considering some more modifications for himself. This time, something more beyond the music, as he needs to enhance himself physically. It won¡¯t do to live with a monster like Hatori and stay physically weak. Who else would remind him of his place then, and puncture his ego? But working with the runes is not an easy task, and cutting yourself open each time for modifying yourself is even harder, not to mention, painful. It also carries a risk. What if he made a wrong carve ? This is the sort of problem which a surgent should worry about, not a musician. ¡®How come Hatori doesn¡¯t have any problem with this?¡¯ Shin has not seen Hatori modifying himself, ever since he did his first few modifications in his fifth year, a full year before any of them. but he also modified the animals, something which none of them have ever done or attempted. Shin shook his head. This isn¡¯t the time to remember the glorious invasion. Come to think of it, Josh did Hatori a disservice by making him train under Kangana and turning him rather mellow. Or maybe this is his natural response after most of his enemies are gone? Whatever the case, Shin does miss that violent, and dangerous Hatori who can scheme for months just out of spite. ¡®Maybe I should ask him for help with this. He certainly has something in his sleeves, that¡¯s why James and he do not have to resort to cutting themselves open when modifying himself.¡¯ He thinks. deciding this is the best action he can take, Shin approaches Hatori in the evening, right before the dinner. Predictably, James is also there. As Shin gets closer, he hears their conversation. Something about souls, physical bodies, their medical implications, and what it means to resurrect a soul. It all went over his head. Such technical magic is beyond him, and Shin has no problem admitting that. ¡°Hey you guys,¡± he said, attracting their attention, ¡°Can you help me out here?¡± ¡°With what?¡± asked James. ¡°Well, I seem to be having a problem in modifying myself. The rune work has gotten complicated, and I really don¡¯t want to cut myself open for each small modification.¡± James opens his mouth. ¡°And don¡¯t give me the tripe about how you don¡¯t have a solution for this problem. I know that you guys haven¡¯t cut yourselves since your first few modifications.¡± James closes his mouth. What could he say to that? Hatori and James exchange a look. For a moment, Hatori enjoys that feeling of being able to do that with a person in the first place. He then turns to Shin. ¡°We use a different rune dialect, which lets us modify ourselves on the run, without cutting ourselves open. It is shorter, and it also lets us test some small rune functions before we even use them.¡± Hatori provides a small example to Shin. He summons a small floating symbol for fire. After channeling his magic through it, a flame appears in the air, which dissipates after a while. ¡°The runes look different, so it¡¯ll take you a while to get used to them. but that is the only solution to this problem you have.¡± ¡°Is there a manual for this?¡± asked Shin. ¡°I do have one,¡± said James. ¡°I used that to learn it myself, and I took notes. I¡¯ll lend you those notes.¡± ¡°In my case, it is restricted. Zeko will have my hide if I share his stuff with anyone, even you guys.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We understand.¡± Said James and Shin together. Mages take their secrets very seriously and guard them ruthlessly. Once Shin has the manual from James, he starts to read it. The runes are difficult to understand. Everything is reversed in this dialect compared to the standard runic script, and it gives him a headache to understand all the symbols. But he is determined to get this down, especially since it will free him from cutting himself. Though Hatori did warn him that he still has to go through this process one last time, a sort of bootstrapping process, as he called it. Shin would have just called it a starting process because strapping boots has nothing to do with this. Sometimes, Hatori uses the strangest of terms.

Part 4.

During the dinner, Hatori asks a question. ¡°Master Zeko, I¡¯ve faced all the elemental spirits, except lightning. Isn¡¯t there one in the house?¡± ¡°Why don¡¯t you try searching for it?¡± said Zeko with a smile. That smile implied that there was one. so Hatori goes to search for that spirit in the morning. First, he met with Yaksha. ¡°Good, you¡¯ve become strong. I would like to spar with you someday.¡± Said the water spirit. ¡°Yeah, thanks. Did you know that I met some girl who was really angry at you?¡± asked Hatori. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. the spirit which was bubbling in happiness after seeing Hatori suddenly goes quiet. ¡°Can¡¯t imagine why. I haven¡¯t met spirits of the opposite or same gender for a while. you see, I really don¡¯t get along with other spirits, specifically, spirits outside of this house.¡± It is clear to Hatori that Yaksha is evading the question. not interested in digging into the love life of the water spirit, Hatori asks a question. ¡°We can spar one day; I¡¯ve learned some magic to deal with unruly spirits that I¡¯m itching to try on you. but before that, tell me, isn¡¯t there a lightning spirit in this house?¡± ¡°Hmm. there is one.¡± said the Yaksha. ¡°Though I suggest you talk to the spirit of information if you want to know where that spirit might be.¡± So Hatori goes to the library, where he meets with the spirit of information. Thankfully, unlike the year before, the spirit is not interested in asking any trivia or philosophical questions this time. after exchanging some pleasantries, Hatori asked the question for which he had come here in the first place. ¡°So, is there a lightning spirit in this house?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Of course there is.¡± said the librarian spirit. ¡°If you want to see it, go to the basement. I assume you know the way down?¡± ¡°Yeah, though I¡¯ve rarely gone down there,¡± said Hattori, before he left for the basement. Hatori reaches the basement, where the central yantra which runs everything in this house hums quietly. ¡°Well, well. look who showed up. you¡¯ve grown a lot since the last time I saw you.¡± said the central yantra. This is a lie, since he observed the boy all the time in the past, and still continues to do so, monitoring his progress every time Hatori enters this house. ¡°Yeah, I haven¡¯t come down here for a while,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Word through the electric wires is that you¡¯re looking for me?¡± asked the central yantra. ¡°Not you, the lightning spirit.¡± corrected Hatori. ¡°As I said, for me.¡± said the central yantra. ¡°You are the lightning spirit,¡± said Hatori a few seconds later. ¡°And you finally get it. I assume you want a fight?¡± asked the yantra. ¡°Not really. I haven¡¯t warmed up; it is too early in the morning.¡± The yantra ignored the words of Hatori entirely and morphed into a square-shaped box into a floating plane with three guns in front of it. The three guns fired three different spells, which had different ranges. But all of them were lightning spells. Hatori dodged and sidestepped the first two, but shielded the final one, because its range was long, and the yantra was spreading it in an arc to hit him after the first two spells fell short of their target. Hatori thought that the only threat would be the spells, but the yantra proved him wrong quickly. it closed range with him blazingly fast and electrocuted him by touching him. despite the shocks, Hatori grabbed its body, and threw it against a wall, hoping to damage it by brute force. It clatters to the ground, but it flies up once again, a little bit warbly at first, but quickly stabilizing itself. The spirit then changed the size of its body from a toy plane to a full-size combat plane, ready to bring mayhem to its enemies. Hatori has to use the flight to get out of the way of its spells. but moving in the air opened him to more attack since the Yantra has more experience in the air battle. However, it gave Hatori a chance to move to attack, instead of reacting and defending. The Fire Blast heated the body of the yantra, but it did nothing more aside from making it wobble in the air. the basement is proving to be a short ground for their battle, so Hatori flies through the stairs, takes advantage of the yantra¡¯s design, and blows one of its wings as it slowly turns to pursue him in the enclosed area. This did not slow down the central yantra, and it pursued him to the outside, and they began to battle outside of the house, right above it to be more specific. Hatori¡¯s conjured chains didn¡¯t have an anchor, despite the right frequency of the magic, so they proved to be useless. Instead, it gave the spirit two very fast weapons to batter Hatori with. One of the chains struck Hatori¡¯s face, and another struck his belly. Hatori spat the blood in his mouth to the side, and in retaliation to all of this damage, destroyed the two guns, while taking another spell, which stunned him due to the current running through his body. The chains struck him a few more times, before he vanished them, undoing the conjuring. ¡°How do you keep shocking me so hard despite my resistance?¡± asked Hatori, after stabilizing his flight after that beating. ¡°Because of the positive lightning. You should really learn to use it. properly.¡± Chided the spirit, before firing another spell from its single remaining gun. Hatori batted the spell aside, and his right arm hung limply as a result of the shock. But his left hand was fine, so he used that, pointing his palm to the spirit, he battered it with the water spells. while the majority of the water ended up raining down upon the ground, enough of it stuck to the yantra¡¯s body, which Hatori then turned into ice. The gun got jammed, the wings spun slower than before, and a ball of lightning knocked the Yantra, crashing it to the ground with a loud explosion. When he was sure that the spirit had conceded, he landed on the ground, where he found an impressed Zeko and an annoyed Shin. ¡°Why did you have to disrupt my sleep?¡± he asked, hiding his concern for his bloody friend behind his biting words. ¡°Sorry.¡± Said Hatori. He tried to smile, but his face was swelling, it hurt to even move his lips. the murder of crows hovers above them, cawing loudly. Judging by the feelings he is sensing, Hatori thinks they are impressed with him. ¡°You¡¯ve done wonderfully. I¡¯ve never seen a mage fly and battle like this before.¡± ¡°Because mages do not fly.¡± Said Shin, reminding Zeko of the fact. ¡°I¡¯m not sure how he does that, but he better keep it a secret, lest they decide to cut him open in a lab.¡± ¡°Point.¡± nodded Zeko. ¡°But still, it was wonderful. I think I¡¯ll have to get a new module for you, to train your air battle reflexes.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± That was the only thing Hatori could say. ¡°But that is for later.¡± he runs a spell over Hatori, healing the minor bruises and cuts. ¡°For now, you need a bath in the pool of the Yaksha.¡±

Part 5.

Porus crumples the letter in his hands. ¡°Pray tell, why am I learning about this now?¡± he asked. It seems that Fernandes, Zeeko, and their circle knew about the incident in the Sindapur. But they decided to inform him later. ¡°The official excuse is because you were busy. The unofficial excuse is that the people who dealt with this issue barely got out of there alive, and Zeko himself learned of it later. I couldn¡¯t exactly give you a letter like this outside of the castle.¡± explained Amarnath. ¡°Magic dammit, this is why I actually supported the necromancers when they wanted to legalize the burning of the corpses.¡± Porus continues to curse for the next five minutes. After he was done blowing his steam, he gave new orders, for which Amarnath had been waiting patiently so far. ¡°Ensure that all the strong mages from the past have their graves protected and watched all the time, and I¡¯m bringing this issue to the court once again. Judging by Fernandes and Sharmas knowing this, it is probably an open secret by this point.¡± ¡°Of course, sir.¡± Nodded Amarnath, noting the orders down. ¡°Let¡¯s hope we can legalize the burning this time.¡± Porus knew that he was hoping for the impossible, but hope was all he has.

Part 6.

Munshi and Jimmy are here to pick up James and Hatori respectively. ¡°See you later, guys.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You too!¡± waved Shin, while James just nodded. Shin will remain here until Sangita calls him once again. Raven and Josh have not shown up this year, due to their own schedules. Hatori brought a young crow with him this time. he was pushed out of his nest, and he decided to bring it up. Munshi does not have any problem with that, as long as Hatori can take care of the young chick. The necromancer was more interested in knowing whether Hatori succeeded in the tasks that he assigned him or not. ¡°So, did you summon a soul?¡± asked Munshi, once they were on the road. ¡°Yeah, it was tiring. Much more tiring than just observing memories,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, you¡¯ll get powerful enough in the future to summon a soul, at least the recently deceased one. Bringing someone like that battle mage, however, is out of reach for everyone.¡± Said Munshi.

Part 7: A book of the most influential necromancers of the last century, Munshi.

Munshi was born into the Rao family, where he was overshadowed by Praduman Rao, the current head of the family due to his blindness. Munshi was exiled later from the family when he refused to abandon his association with Zeko and his group. However, despite that, it did not affect his work. His contributions to the necromancy are celebrated worldwide, in particular, his optimization of the circle for summoning spirits, his regular contributions to the researching of the souls and spirits, and the articles that he writes in the necromancy monthly. Chapter 138 Chapter 138.

Part 1.

Hatori and Munshi are discussing the souls and spirits, as they drive to their yet unknown destination. Hatori does not have any rune project to occupy him, so he is feeling antsy. But this discussion is helping him distract from that itch in his hands. Currently, the debate is going on about the differences between souls and spirits. ¡°Look, souls are born after someone¡¯s death, and spirits are born from the chaos of the magic. but aside from the birthing process, there is no difference between them. both of them can use magic, and both of them can also think like humans as well. so, I don¡¯t think there is any difference between them.¡± ¡°You forgot the different frequencies they have.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Also, while the intelligence level of spirits can vary, they are independent for the most part. They are not slaves to their past, unlike souls. Or have you learned nothing from the cases we have solved together so far?¡± counters Munshi. ¡°I don¡¯t think it is that simple.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Spirits can be like that as well, remember that water spirit which tried to kill me the year before? I do think that spirits can be much stronger than the souls.¡± A lightbulb goes on in his head, and Hatori decides to ask the question in his mind. ¡°So, is there a way to make a contract with a soul?¡± ¡°¡­Yes.¡± Said Munshi, reluctant to talk about this topic.

Part 2.

Today is the first day of the fifth month of the year 4024. It is the birthday of Hatori, but he is not here this year. ¡°Poor guy didn¡¯t even get to celebrate his own birthday.¡± ¡°True.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°But the world doesn¡¯t care about anyone¡¯s birthday.¡± Though Shin did not speak out loud, he did think to himself that the world is not that uncaring. People who live in that world are the ones who are like that. He had the same arguments with Professor Sangita, back when he was with her. Speaking of whom, she will be here to pick him up soon enough as well, so he must be ready. She is putting the effort to come here and take him with her, so Shin cannot cause her any delays due to his own unpreparedness.

Part 3.

The plans for Porus¡¯s tour are now drawn, but the king has made it clear that he won¡¯t take a huge army with him. A small group of mages is fine. Amarnath has no problems with it, especially since Porus is strong enough to deal with any problems. Besides, no one is foolish enough to attack him directly. ¡°In addition, I will not travel grandly.¡± Said the king. ¡°I wish to observe people in the natural environment. If they know that I¡¯m coming, they will present me with an idea and a false environment. I¡¯m not here to see that.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Amarnath has also no problems with this wish. After all, the purpose of the visit is to check whether the throne still has reach in the entire country or not, or the control has started to wither under their noses? ¡°Maybe it would be better if I travel alone¡ª¡± tried to say Porus. ¡°No,¡± said Amarnath. ¡°Traveling normally? Fine. Traveling without guards? Okay. but going alone as a king? that¡¯s going a step too far.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± tried to argue Porus. ¡°No.¡± denied Amarnath, refusing to listen to any arguments. ¡°Maybe¡ª¡± Porus is getting desperate. ¡°Nothing.¡± Said Amarnath. ¡°But I¡ª¡± How could this happen to him? his own prime minister is bullying him! ¡°Will listen to your wise and intelligent prime minister, and will call Zeko to accompany you during your travel.¡± Said Amarnath, with a firm tone. ¡°¡­Fine.¡± Grumbled the king. In Yunan, Doom Ketu is reading this entire incident in a letter, where Porus is complaining about how his own prime minister is bullying him. ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± he roared with laughter, slapping his knee with each new line.

Part 4.

James is spending the remaining time he has on his vacation with his father. Though his time is not as free as he would like it to be, since Slaughter has assigned him some books, which are proving to be quite dense. Truly, people who can read tons of academic textbooks without yawning, and do remember the subject matter have to be commended for their patience. There are only two broad subjects. First, the human anatomy, the use of external alchemy and its effects on the human body, and its usual day-to-day processes. Getting bored of the reading, James decides to take a walk in the city to relax his mind. His father is currently out, meeting with his lawyers. This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. He walked into the market, which was just getting ready to go, as evening is the time when most customers come during the summer season due to the heat. James manages to keep himself cool by enchanting his clothes, a trick that he picked up from Hatori. As he was browsing the shops, a group of floating heads attacked him. spells came out of their mouths, and James had to scramble out of the way of their spells to save himself. He does not have the same experience as Hatori in fighting the spirits, but still, James managed to keep them away from him, conjuring a rock snake that pummeled the spirits by firing rocks from its own mouth, collapsing into dirt once it ran out of the energy. Several people rushed at him to help out, as a teenage boy getting attacked by spirits in the broad daylight is rarely seen or observed. The police arrive and clear the crowd. ¡°Are you okay, boy?¡± asked an officer. Despite his heart beating loudly, James answered calmly. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± He then describes the entire incident when they asked what happened, and why did those spirits attack him. James wanted none of this, he just wanted to relax. Is it too much to ask for?

Part 5.

Amarnath is seeing Avinash off. He is not worried about his son traveling alone, he is old enough for that, and there are enough protection and enchanted items on him that he can take care of himself if anyone dares to attack him. besides, if he does not let him travel alone now, then when will he get used to it? He is just worried about one thing. ¡°Isn¡¯t that rather soon for you to go?¡± asked Amarnath. ¡°I mean, did you get enough rest here?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry father,¡± said Avinash. ¡°I got plenty of rest. Besides, I rather not make Kishore wait.¡± ¡°Well, hope this year goes well for you son.¡± Said Amarnath, summoning a bottle of mango juice, and poring it in the two conjured glasses. ¡°Cheers!¡± they clinked their glasses, before gulping the juice down, and then Amarnath watches, as his son leaves.

Part 6.

Hatori completes the pentagram on the floor of the moving car and then channels magic. he waits and waits, and waits some more, but nothing appears. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°We¡¯re moving.¡± Said Munshi from the other side of the car, looking for a hotel to eat. Cooking in the car is a dangerous business, unless you have a properly warded kitchen. Which he does not. mostly because he does not know how to cook. ¡°Yeah, that makes sense.¡± Hatori erased the pentagram and then asked Munshi a question. ¡°So, where are we going?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to Keralam.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Or should I say, we¡¯re going to a town in the Keralam. It is a big region.¡± The next day, as they continue to move, Hatori sees a huge forest on both sides of the road. However, unlike the normal forest, all these trees have an unusual feature. They have visibly large fruits and flowers hanging on their branch, and the trees are larger in size for their species. Hatori does not think that banana trees can grow so large. ¡°Master, why exactly we are going to this town?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because the household is suffering through a haunting there,¡± said Munshi. ¡°This will be a solo case for you, but don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll give you all the help you want should you need it without judgment.¡± ¡°Not sure about that. you do score me at the end of the year, after all.¡± Said Hatori, making Munshi chuckle. ¡°What is up with these trees and this forest?¡± ¡°This is a very fertile land.¡± He said, looking at the large trees himself. ¡°About a hundred and fifty years ago, a fertility ritual backfired here. the forest took over the area as a result, and the people were driven out of there due to the relentless growth. Now they live at the corners of it and pick fruits. They jealously guard this forest, often killing poachers if they ever get their hands on them.¡± ¡°That sounds awesome.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°If I was in their place, I would have used the corpses as a fertilizer.¡±

Part 7: The First King.

Samraat was the first king of the Subcontinent. He took the power after a thousand years of chaos 3000 years ago. During this time, the Subcontinent was going through upheaval, because there had been no ruler or rulers to keep things under control ever since the mage dimension was created. After the throne was enchanted, and the capitol was chosen, several candidates were chosen through a system, that had a mark appear on their hand as a sign of their candidacy. There were ten of them. they lead their personal armies against each other, and after this brutal tournament, Samraat was the only survivor. And this is how the first king of the Subcontinent was crowned. Chapter 139 Chapter 139.

Part 1.

Hatori approaches the house. This is his first solo assignment, so he has to talk to the client by himself and handle every detail which Munshi usually does. The necromancer is with him to make sure to provide help if necessary, and to ensure that Hatori won¡¯t be run off by this family in a mistaken belief that he is some sham kid out to scam them with Munshi¡¯s name. He knocks at the door with his sweaty palms, and a woman opens it. ¡°Yes?¡± she asked, Hatori noted that her voice was very high-pitched. If it weren¡¯t for her looks, he might have mistaken her for an old teenage girl. ¡°I¡¯m Hatori Eagle, and this is my master, Munshi.¡± Introduced Hatori. ¡°We received a letter from you about certain events in your house, which you want us to investigate. Is that correct, miss?¡± ¡°Aabha.¡± Said the woman with a smile. ¡°And yes, we did send that letter. Please do come in.¡± ¡°Thank you very much,¡± said Hatori, falling on the polite lessons that his mother drilled into him from a very early age. Now that he has thought about her, maybe he should talk to her in his free time. Soon enough, the entire family is seated at a table. Munshi and Hatori on one side, and the Nair family on the other side. Devakaran, the husband of Aabha was the one who sent the letter to Munshi requesting his help, their kid, who looks like he is no older than seven sits in the middle of his parents. ¡°Now,¡± said Hatori, bringing out his notebook, ¡°Please describe the kind of incidents you have gone through, do not leave any details out. even the smallest of the details can be important.¡± Devakaran is not sure what to make of this. The necromancer is quiet, but this boy is talking with them, noting things down with a dictation pen. But he is not speaking any words. Maybe some enchantment? But he decides not to worry about that. ¡°I believe you should go first, dear.¡± He prompted his wife to share her experiences. ¡°It was quite odd. We all heard noises at first,¡± she said, and Hatori noted the details, ¡°But we didn¡¯t think of it much at first. But then, the voices got increasingly specific, we could not call them normal day-to-day noises of animals or things in or around our house. Then, one day, while my husband was at work, I was attacked with a flying teacup, which shattered on my forehead. I needed immediate healing assistance to fix the damage.¡± Hatori noted that, unlike his world, there is no sign of that injury on her head. No mark, no scar at all. ¡°Then the other day, when my husband was just preparing to leave for work, I took a bath. But I felt as if someone came from behind me, and started to strangle me.¡± it was clear to Hatori from her tone that Aabha was unsettled to recall this incident. ¡°Just to be clear, the noises are heard by all of you?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes,¡± they all answer together. ¡°But the teacup shattering on my forehead, and the strangling are unique to me.¡± clarified Aabha. ¡°What about you, sir?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Only one incident for me,¡± said Devakaran. ¡°A pen flew from the table and nearly stabbed me in my throat. I later checked it for enchantments, and it had a sharpening one on it, which none of us know how to put on an object.¡± ¡°Mom¡ª¡± the kid tried to speak, but the parents shushed him. ¡°Son, grown-ups are talking right now,¡± said Devakaran. Hatori thinks that if his father ever spoke to him like that, he would have left the room immediately, consequences be damned. But it is unlikely that they will let him speak with the kid. And he even told them that even the smallest of details can be important. Despite that, they are not letting their son share anything with him. ¡®Well, that¡¯s their problem¡­ for now.¡¯ he thought. If things continue like this, it could end up becoming his own problem in the future. ¡°In the letter,¡± said Hatori, ignoring the entire incident, ¡°You also mentioned some sighting of a strange apparition. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Nodded Devakaran. ¡°We have all seen a ghastly person in this house observing us.¡±

Part 2.

Shin is leaving. Professor Sangita will be here in an hour to pick him up. ¡°Do take these items with you,¡± said Zeko, giving him some enchanted rings, ¡°They might become useful.¡± Hatori doesn¡¯t like to wear anything like a ring. This makes it harder for Zeko to enchant proper items for him. But Shin does not have the same dislike. ¡°Of course, be careful, and listen to your master.¡± ¡°Yes, master Zeko.¡± Said Shin. He does not know why everyone calls him master. But Shin doesn¡¯t want to think too deeply about it, so decides to roll with it. besides, given how many years he knows the old mage, it is kind of late to call him anything else. As he leaves for the airport, Shin feels odd. No one has done something like that for him, even his orphanage staff, who treated him with much warmth, did not treat him like this. He is not sure how to react.

Part 3.

After questioning them, Hatori decides to take a tour of the house. He senses the signs of a soul but does not know where it is coming from. He is unable to pinpoint its location. He considered the basement, but it was locked, not that it would stop a soul, much less Hatori himself. After all, he can easily blow up the doors and walls in his way. The point is, the basement is locked, and has remained so before they purchased this house. ¡°Do you know the history of this house?¡± asked Hatori, turning to Devakaran. They are currently standing on the roof, as the sun has started to set. Devakaran thinks for a moment. ¡°The house was built by another banker 130 years ago, and the only thing which I know about him is that he met a violent end. Ever since, this house has passed from one owner to another, until we came along.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t that strike you as odd?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Not at all.¡± Said Devakaran. ¡°We needed a good house, and we actually found this one, which is double the size of the house we were thinking to buy, and at a much cheaper rate. Now I¡¯m getting the idea why it was sold so cheap to us.¡± Hatori strokes his chin deep in the thought of something. After a while, he speaks once more. ¡°Maybe this could be the soul of that banker? He probably didn¡¯t want anyone else living in his house, since the soul may consider it to be its property, even after the death.¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°That would be believable if the person whom we saw in the form of an apparition was a man. but despite the unclear features to recognize the person, we are certain that this phantom is a woman.¡± Said Devakaran. ¡°That disproves my theory then.¡± Said Hatori. Once they go down from the roof, Hatori talks with Munshi. ¡°Master,¡± he said to him. ¡°Could you find out more about that banker who built this house 130 years ago? In the meantime, I will keep an eye on this place.¡± He whispered to him. ¡°Sure.¡± He agreed. ¡°In the meantime,¡± said Munshi a little louder, ¡°You should all wear these lockets. They will keep you safe from a soul. Do not remove them under any circumstances, even outside of the home. souls can, and do follow their victims, after all.¡± ¡°But sir,¡± said Aabha, ¡°We¡¯re worried about Dhruv.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry mam,¡± said Hatori, ¡°I will keep an eye on him. I have experience in looking after the kids.¡± He said with a smile, remembering the case a few months ago when he kept a bunch of kids safe from a vengeful soul. ¡°Do not worry.¡± Said Munshi to the couple. ¡°I have all the confidence in my student. he can keep your child safe.¡± the parents look more assured after hearing those words from Munshi.

Part 4.

James has left for the Academy today, recalled by the healer Slaughter. ¡®Who names themselves Slaughter, while working as a healer?¡¯ he thought. But the bigger mystery is who attacked James in the broad daylight, using spirits of all things. This might be a mystery for the authorities, but Jimmy knows who did that. ¡®I may not have a proof, but I know you did that, Shakuntala. But tough luck. James is not here anymore. and you can¡¯t reach him in the Academy.¡¯ smiled Jimmy with a nasty edge to it. This does two things. it gives maximum safety to James while allowing him to continue his education while putting salt on the wounds of Shakuntala. If he were a lesser person, he might even try to shove her face into this failure. But Jimmy won¡¯t do that. not only it is uncouth, but any communication with a party against whom you have filed a lawsuit can end up biting you in the future. Therefore, he must contain his gloating to himself.

Part 5.

Slaughter watches, as James works on repairing the broken bones of an arm of a student who freshly got out of a duel, and managed to reach the infirmary. Slaughter is making James perform this task to make sure he has not forgotten anything over the summer. ¡°Done sir,¡± said James. ¡°She might have trouble in moving her arm for a few days though.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± Said Slaughter, and dismissed the girl. So far, James is coming along wonderfully. ¡®If things continue like this until the end of this year, I will offer him a permanent apprenticeship under me.¡¯ thinks Slaughter. After all, talent like that does not come so very often.

Part 6.

¡°Here, have half of my biscuits.¡± Said Dhruv, sharing the pack of the biscuits with Hatori. ¡°Thanks, but you really don¡¯t need to share with me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Nah, I had much fun listening to your stories.¡± Said the kid, bouncing on his bed while remembering Hatori¡¯s adventure. Hatori of course, made sure to include all the violence he has experienced, for the proper mage upbringing requires a hefty amount of horror and violence. ¡°So, you led a bunch of animals in the school, what happened after that?¡± ¡°A lot of trampling.¡± Said Hatori, biting the biscuit with a crunch. ¡°They fail to learn their lesson though, hunting me the very next year.¡± ¡°What did you do then?¡± asked Dhruv. ¡°Crashed the New Year party, dueled the professor, and destroyed him. I haven¡¯t heard of him ever since.¡± Said Hatori. In hindsight, he should have killed him then and there, it would have meant one less enemy. But alas, he couldn¡¯t kill him after the duel was over. Though he doubts anyone would have minded if he did. Accidents do happen, after all. Looking outside, Hatori sees it is dark. ¡°Isn¡¯t that time for your sleep?¡± asked Hatori. On cue, Aabha opens the door. ¡°Now, give the young man a rest, it is time for your sleep.¡± said the mother to Dhruv. ¡°I¡¯ll be off then.¡± He said to her and left the room quickly. He has been given the room closest to the child, so he can reach him in the case of an attack. the child looks up to him, which is something Hatori never experiences often. Usually, they are crying about his looks, or asking for forgiveness after ticking him off. ¡°Please let me go, don¡¯t hurt me!¡± a few rare times. But admiration is a rare phenomenon for Hatori. Aside from Suraj, (who lost whatever respect he may had for Hatori after his harsh lesson two years ago), and the kids whom he met in that marriage case, no one ever admires Hatori. ¡®But all things considered, I¡¯m handling it well.¡¯ he thinks, falling asleep while sensing something observing him at the edge of his awareness. Later in the night, Dhruv wakes up and goes down to get some water from the kitchen. He is grabbed from behind and dangled over the stairs. The hand gripping his collar loses its grip, and he goes down. But he is levitated to the floor, and witnesses Hatori firing off several spells to a fleeting figure. The soul escaped, and the parents came to check on them. ¡°Are you okay?¡± they asked. surprisingly, the question was aimed at both of them. ¡°y¡ªyeah,¡± confirms Dhruv, shaken up. ¡°He saved me.¡± ¡°What about you, son?¡± asked Devakaran. ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± Said Hatori, looking in the direction where the soul fled. ¡°The soul fled, however; I am sorry about that.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t be.¡± Said Devakaran. ¡°Why don¡¯t we all sleep in the hall? I think it would be much better,¡± suggested Devakaran. Hatori¡¯s first instinct was to deny this offer, but looking at the trembling Dhruv, he agreed. Luckily for them, no new incidents happened that day. The next day, Dhruv got a scolding for removing his locket. Hatori winced, but at least he had an excuse for being a child. The bride in the case of Sindapur didn¡¯t have any such excuse.

Part 7: the currency wars.

Once Samraat was on the throne, he had another challenge in front of him. That being, how can he make sure that everyone trades on the same level? He introduced the currency, backed by the power of the throne, and replaced the gold and other materials. This was met with opposition by the people who were well-established in the then-current system, who felt threatened by this move of the king. the conflicts that resulted from this opposition are referred to as currency wars. Chapter 140 Chapter 140.

Part 1.

The next morning, Munshi hears the incident of the last night. ¡°The kid is safe for now; he is in the school.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°And I do have some info which you asked for.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Hatori, he did not expect the necromancer to dig things up so quickly. Munshi smiled. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this for a long time, you know.¡± He spoke. ¡°Anyway, this house was built by a banker, but there is an interesting history about him. he had a maid working for him, who died in this very house.¡± ¡°How?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°The cause of death I mean.¡± ¡°Never revealed. I believe it was never recorded.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°But I talked with some old locals and studied the local newspapers of that time. people suspected that he had a fair with her, and once she got pregnant, he killed her.¡± ¡°Pretty clear reason, for so called ¡°Unclear¡± reason of death.¡± Remarked Hatori sarcastically. ¡°I presume this is the actual truth?¡± ¡°I believe you presume correctly.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°What happened to the banker?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°This one is clear.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°About a year later, he jumped from the roof of this house, and died.¡± ¡°Just to be certain, we both think that he killed the maid, even though there is no official proof of it?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, I am pretty sure about it,¡± said Munshi. Later, when Dhruv comes back from school, Hatori tells Devakaran and Aabha what he has learned from Munshi. Once more, the necromancer remains quiet, letting Hatori do the talking. ¡°In short, I believe this is the soul of this maid who wishes to take vengeance for her death since she is still angry.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t believe it,¡± said Devakaran. ¡°How could something like that happen here? it is a respectful area and has remained so for hundreds of years. No self-respecting mage would do a crime like this.¡± Hatori is annoyed. ¡°Sir, is that your bias? After all, the man was a banker himself.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Besides, you really shouldn¡¯t disregard the facts we have gathered for you in your service, just because you don¡¯t like them.¡± Devakaran kept his cool. The boy is correct, but he cannot admit that out loud. ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. but I cannot believe that man killed the maid. It must be something else.¡± ¡°What about you, Miss?¡± Hatori turned to Aabha, just to gauge her reaction. ¡°I also agree with my husband.¡± She spoke. ¡®Typical wife.¡¯ Thinks Hatori, but does not let his thoughts show up on his face. ¡°Honestly, whether you believe or not does not change the fact that you have an incredibly dangerous vengeful soul in your house.¡± Devakaran opens his mouth to retaliate, but Dhruv speaks up before he can. ¡°Do you have pictures?¡± he asked. ¡°Honestly son, this is not the time¡ª¡± tried to say Devakaran. ¡°Of that maid and the banker, you mean?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes.¡± Confirms the boy. The parents could not do anything to Hatori. But they can get harsh with Dhruv for ignoring them like that. ¡°Dhruv, this is no way to behave!¡± said Aabha in a hard tone. Hatori turns to Munshi, and the necromancer gives him the pictures. He shows those pictures to the child, and Dhruv points to the picture, recognition clear on his face. Even Hatori could see that, despite his lack of experience in recognizing the difference of expression on the human faces. ¡°I saw this man, and this woman.¡± Said Dhruv, hugging himself, remembering a scary memory, no doubt. ¡°What? When?¡± all the outrage is gone, Devakaran turns to his son and asks. ¡°About a week after we shifted in this house when mom had a teacup shatter on her forehead.¡± Said Dhruv. ¡°They were arguing on the second floor near the stairs, and this man pushed her. I was scared, I thought it was mom. I climbed the stairs and reached the spot, but no one was there.¡± ¡°But why didn¡¯t you tell us?¡± asked Aabha, horrified by the recount. Hatori resisted to give them a sarcastic look. ¡°Because you never listened. Every time I tried to tell you, you put a finger on my lips.¡± It seems both of the parents realized their mistake. After they apologize to their son and promise to listen to him (which Hatori thinks they may never manage to fulfill), he brings them back to their original point. ¡°I brought this info to you because I wanted to know. Is there a spot which this soul can use for its retreat?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Nothing specific comes to mind.¡± Said Devakaran. ¡°Maybe the basement?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Why do you think it could be the basement?¡± asked the banker. ¡°Because, as you have said, it is still locked, and has remained so before you ever arrived in this house. You have not opened it still, so it would be the perfect place.¡± Explained Hatori. ¡°Also, remember, souls do not need to worry about doors or walls.¡± ¡°What should we do then? Open the basement?¡± asked Aabha. ¡°In my opinion,¡± said Munshi, finally deciding to speak, ¡°It would be the best. The soul will not expect an attack on its retreating area.¡± Both of the parents nod, and they go to open the basement. ¡°I suggest you leave this house once you open this door.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Not only for your own safety but for your child¡¯s safety as well.¡± ¡°Yes, we understand.¡± Said Devakaran seriously. As quickly as he opens this door, he will run out of this house. While the banker finds the right key and opens the lock, Hatori speaks with Munshi. ¡°Will you have my back in this battle, master?¡± he asked. Munshi rests a hand on his shoulder. ¡°I will always have your back. Do not worry.¡± Assured the necromancer. True to the instructions, Devakaran left in a hurry after opening the door, and Munshi and Hatori slowly descended the flight of stairs to the basement.

Part 2.

Porus has left the capital. Zeko is with him as his guard, and Amarnath is confident that together, they can handle anything. Not that there would be anyone foolish enough to try anything with them. (And if they were, these two can sever them from the gene pool). Porus has not told anyone in the court about this, aside from announcing that yes, he is having a tour, and no, the schedule won¡¯t be shared with anyone, and no, there won¡¯t be any suggestions or reconsiderations. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. They would have thrown a tantrum, so Porus didn¡¯t bother with it. Both of them are in Zeko¡¯s car, driving outside of the capitol. The king is observing the small town where they have stopped for the night. ¡°Tell me, does Hatori know that you have taken pictures of him, and have plastered it all over your car in hidden spells?¡± ¡°Your funeral.¡± Declared Zeko, coming out of the car. ¡°Also, no, there are no pictures.¡± ¡°Right, right,¡± said Porus, also leaving the car. His apprentice can be so touchy sometimes. They arrive in a small hotel, where once their food arrives, Zeko checks it for poison. Hatori has shared the yantra to do that with Zeko, and it has made it so much easier. Still, he ran some basic spells himself, to make sure that the kids didn¡¯t overlook something. Finding nothing, he declares the food to be safe. ¡°The food is safe to eat, your majesty may begin to eat the food of the commoners.¡± He said sarcastically. ¡°That¡¯s not funny.¡± Said Porus, mixing the curry with rice. After eating, they go back in the car, which will continue to drive to their destination overnight, while these two mages take naps alternatively. The hotel owner never recognized the king, although he did consider that second man somewhat familiar. Zeko is a known sight, of course, having come with Hatori and other people many times to his hotel before.

Part 3.

Done with his practice of the day, Shin is relaxing and flexing his fingers. Playing an instrument for a long period can be painful sometimes. ¡°You have learned much from me regarding music,¡± Sangita was saying to him, ¡°But you should know that there is another side to this than playing or singing. And that is, of course, negotiation.¡± Shin looked at her, the bells on his head jingling with the movement of his head. ¡°Spells can be performed with music; indeed, the music theory has helped in the development of the magic. however, concerts, and albums, are the primary ways to make money as a musician, besides becoming an educator and a researcher like me. and I believe you know better than anyone else that when there is money involved, you should never give an inch. For other people will try to take a mile.¡± ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you keep this information to yourself then, mam?¡± asked Shin. ¡°After all, I could end up becoming your competitor one day.¡± Sangita smiled, the amusement clear on her face. ¡°You still have a way to go before you can do that. and besides, I really don¡¯t like to think of my own students as my competitors. I rather nurture you with all the knowledge I¡¯ve got, rather than worry about some of you putting me out of a job in the future. And if you can surpass me, so much better!¡± Shin shook his head. His instructor can be so strange sometimes. He knows that this kind of attitude is not widely accepted among the mages. Some of them rather strangle the children to remove their competition.

Part 4.

Raven is not happy with his summer vacation this year. he didn¡¯t get to go to Zeko¡¯s house to meet with Hatori and others this year, and now, he is returning to his internship under the general. The general told him to find a reason to pick up weapons and join the military. He kind of implied that spending time with family and friends can help with that. but he did spend time with family, but not friends. Raven is uninterested in finding out about his cousins, he never got along with them anyway. Josh is still at his home, soon enough going back to the Academy, James has already returned there. and Hatori and Shin have also left. ¡®I must make sure that the general does not find out about my thoughts.¡¯ Thinks Raven. No need to broadcast his unhappiness to everyone.

Part 5.

The musty smell of the basement assaulted Hatori¡¯s nose, as they completed their descent through the stairs. This was a very spacious area, good for moving around. Meaning, nothing can box him in a corner easily. Munshi is just behind him, overlooking his shoulder. The necromancer is certain that after this year is over, he won¡¯t be able to do this anymore though. his students is growing at a frightening rate. Hatori suddenly goes stiff, as a wave of malicious magic hits him, and he observes a skeleton coming out of the ground. The bony monster was much bigger than it had any right to be. Surely women didn¡¯t grow this tall in the past? Hatori also regreted regaining his eyesight for the first time. being blind spared him a lot of the horror. ¡°You.¡± shrieked the skeleton. ¡°You¡¯re protecting that banker. he¡¯s reborn, I¡¯ll kill him for murdering me and my unborn child. But before that, I¡¯ll kill you for getting in my way!¡± The eloquence of the soul ran out, and bristles of a broom came at Hatori, which he blocked with a hasty shield. These weren¡¯t any normal bristles, they were like iron spikes, and any one of them could pierce his body. Hatori thinks for a moment whether this is karma or something since he uses iron spikes himself in his fights a lot. But he denies that after a while. there is no way this soul is out here to punish him for brutally stabbing people with conjured iron spikes. While these thoughts go on at the back of his head, he conjures the chains, and manages to snare the skeleton in those. Hatori noted that the skeleton lacked fighting experience, probably due to lacking interaction with the world outside. he carefully aimed, and fired the spell to disperse the soul. The skeleton disappears with a shriek. Munshi moved behind him, and Hatori whirled around, spells ready to attack. but he recognized his teacher in time. ¡°Easy now, let me handle everything else.¡± Hatori decides this is a good idea. His wildly beating heart is not likely going to stop any time soon. The soul was gone. The purpose of their arrival was fulfilled, the payment was received, and Munshi and Hatori left this house behind. Hatori waved back when Dhruv waved goodbye to him. Chapter 141 Chapter 141.

Part 1.

Manoj looks at the bloody scene, his own creation. He came into this orphanage, slaughtered everyone present, and took their blood. ¡°Once I combine these samples with some animal blood, I will successfully create the chimera.¡± He said to himself. ¡°Then I¡¯ll attack the City of Throne, and rule the world!¡± he cackled at the very thought. ¡°It is well that Shakuntala doesn¡¯t know about this. She would have complained so much otherwise. Idiots. They want power and backstab each other at the drop of a hat. And yet, a little bit of dirty work turns their stomach.¡± He gave a grin. ¡°Once I¡¯m done killing the king, I¡¯ll kill her too. Weaklings like her have no place in my world.¡±

Part 2.

After the last case, Hatori does not have a new case to handle solo. Most of the cases are the old ones, which are handled by Munshi, given that they require going to the courts of various regions, Hatori is glad to be away from them, and that they are not his responsibility. He did not sit idly during his free time, however. He researched some more, reading up on the theory to handle the positive lightning, and also made some headway to his lightning form. Still, turning his entire body into lightning is far in the future. During his experimentations with his neutrino state, Munshi walked in. ¡°The hell is wrong with you, boy?¡± ¡°Nothing.¡± Said Hatori, realizing that this was the first time the necromancer had seen him like this. ¡°Dammit, go back to normal!¡± he hits him with a Stinger spell, but the spell just goes through Hatori, and does nothing to him. ¡°What?¡± said Munshi, being too surprised to say anything else. Hatori smiled. ¡°Nothing can hurt me in this state.¡± He sang, and his singing gave a headache to this narrator and the author. Munshi tried more spells, and all of them had the same effect. none of them touched him. though he refrained from trying some of the more powerful spells. ¡°It seems you operate on an entirely different frequency.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Spells designed for hitting spirits and souls will not work on you.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that good?¡± asked Hatori, resuming his normal form. ¡°Normally, yes.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°But there are things which you may not realize about this form. Only use it during an emergency.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± Said Hatori. After this conversation, a letter arrives. ¡°Hmm. looks like your free time is over, boy.¡± ¡°A case?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Munshi, handing the letter to Hatori. ¡°Guess I better prepare to travel.¡± He spoke. ¡°Be sure to take all the items I¡¯ve given you, in addition to whatever Zeko has given to you,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Of course.¡± Said Hatori. He would like to say that he doesn¡¯t need their help, but he is not stupid enough to do that, even if he is in the full swing of his teenage hood.

Part 3.

Shin is reading the notes given to him by Hatori to learn his runic dialect. He actually went to the local library, when Sangita stopped in a city to take a break. He found some more runic dialects. Most of them were similar to the standard dialects, but others were different. For example, there was this one dialect that actually used whitespace entirely, or this other dialect, which used spaces to delimit the blocks. Shin didn¡¯t like either of those. ¡®I think I¡¯ll stick with what Hatori gave me. reading these is even more of a headache than those parentheses.¡¯ He thought, putting the notes down, and deciding to go to sleep.

Part 4.

James puts the book down. He is finally done with learning about the old runic dialects used by Samay the sorcerer for creating the room of frozen time. he is unlikely to learn anything new. The only thing that is left is to translate those runes and try to take the room with them to the world outside and abuse its advantages horribly. Josh walks in just in time to see him surrounded by the books about the runes. They are sharing the dorms once more, so seeing James surrounded by the books is nothing new. But most of the time, those are about medical knowledge, but this time, things are different. ¡°I must admit, handling two things like this is impressive.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Yeah. It has to be like this if we wish to take that room with us,¡± said James. ¡°True. True.¡± Josh agreed with James. ¡°Besides, you are also handling two things, your internship, and your work as a president.¡± Reminded James. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Again, true.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Do you remember the days when we used to get four months of vacation?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± muttered James. ¡°The saddest part is, I think our days of rest and relaxing are now done. We¡¯re unlikely to get any vacation, no matter how much we wish for it.¡± Josh would like to deny this reality, but unfortunately, he has no reality-cancelling powers.

Part 5.

Raven is attending a press conference with General Sundar, where he is explaining to the reporters what the military is doing to counteract the insurgents. Raven went to observe one such place just last year, but he is appalled to see how they are making light of that entire situation. The general wanted to teach him how to interact with civilian sources of information, to make sure that the right message was sent to the sheep. But what Raven is seeing now is just a circus. He doesn¡¯t understand what he could learn from watching this, aside from keeping his tongue tied, and witnessing the entire thing without a complaint.

Part 6.

Hatori is dropped in the City of Spices, where the client has called them. They are lucky that they were still in the Keralam region when they got the letter. Hatori thinks for all his patience with traveling, even Munshi would have been annoyed at that repeat trip. He goes to the tea shop, where the clients are waiting for him. Munshi walks in with him, and once Hatori is seated, he leaves him alone. however, once he takes a look, Hatori does not find the other person, while the letter clearly mentions two people. ¡°Are you Vankat?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I am.¡± Said the man. he is about four years older than Hatori, judging by his looks. ¡°I was the one who sent that letter.¡± ¡°You mentioned that your friend is tormented by a spirit?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Vankat. ¡°We live here, and we¡¯re also trying to find work in this same area because we don¡¯t wish to leave. But one day, Veera, my friend mentioned in the letter, started to act strangely. He stopped eating properly, he doesn¡¯t seem to get enough sleep, and has increasingly become gaunt.¡± ¡°You are certain that a spirit is involved?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes. I saw that with my own eyes. A spirit comes in the night, it beats him up, takes his blood, and then leaves.¡± Said Vankat. ¡°Has he told you about this before you looked in the night at the spirit?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°No. he is tight-lipped about it,¡± said Venkat. ¡°Hmm. tell you what, let¡¯s wait at your friend¡¯s place for the night,¡± said Hatori. ¡°We live in the same place; it should not be a trouble.¡± Said Vankat. They live in the same building. Venkat goes to Veera¡¯s room and asks to meet with him. ¡°So, would you like to tell me why does a spirit comes to you every night?¡± ¡°There is no spirit!¡± Veera refused to talk with them any further and pushed them out. ¡°I expected that.¡± sighed Hatori. They can do nothing else, so Hatori waits in the night for that spirit to come. According to Venkat, it comes every night at the same time. that should make it predictable. And true to what Venkat said, it comes at that time. but this time, before it could lay a spiritual hand on Veera, who is huddled in the corner of his room, shaking, Hatori puts himself in the middle. ¡°You dare to interfere, trifling human?¡± said the spirit, and with a snap of its long fingers, seals the magic in the area. Hatori is surprised. He has not faced many situations where the opponent has sealed the magic. mostly because it also makes them weaker. Thankfully, it seems his eyes are still functioning. ¡°Now, die!¡± the spirit rushed at him. Hatori grabs the overextended hand and slams the spirit face-first to the ground. ¡°This may have worked on any other person. But it is your misfortune that you picked a fight from me.¡± He then began to dismantle the spirit, using all those holds that he learned in his first year, breaking and snapping the bones. ¡°Really, a spirit like you has no business existing. Now, die!¡± he stomps on its head, and the spirit explodes, throwing Hatori to the ground. He gets up, feeling the flow of magic in the area restored. ¡°So that is how a spirit dies, huh?¡±

Part 7.

Porus arrives in the city. But instead of people bustling, and living their lives, what he found is a quiet terror. Apparently, several people have been killed violently, and it all began in an orphanage. ¡°What do you think, should we check this out?¡± asked Porus, after walking around the city with Zeko in the disguise of a tourist. ¡°Why not?¡± said Zeko. ¡°You do have some items to deal with souls and spirits, right?¡± ¡°Yes, Munshi gave me those.¡± Said Porus. ¡°Good,¡± said Zeko with a distasteful look on his face. ¡°Then let¡¯s check out that orphanage first.¡± Chapter 142 Chapter 142.

Part 1.

Munshi picked up Hatori next day. He asked about how the case went. ¡°It was the strangest thing, even by spirit standards.¡± ¡°How so?¡± asked Munshi. ¡°Well, there was this spirit, which was tormenting a guy, his friend actually wrote the letter to you, requesting help,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I think the spirit was doing something with his magic. I realized that later.¡± ¡°Yes, some spirits do prey on humans for their magic, often using fear for the right response,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Probably that.¡± agreed Hatori. ¡°Anyway, the confrontation turned violent, as I tried to save Veera, the guy who was tormented by that spirit. it blocked the flow of magic around me, though it didn¡¯t affect me much.¡± ¡°That takes a while. if you had used any spells, you would have run out of energy sooner or later,¡± said Munshi. ¡°But given your pool of stamina, it would have taken a while.¡± ¡°I didn¡¯t use any magic though,¡± said Hatori. ¡°The spirit attacked me physically, and I decided that this would be an excellent time to use Master Zeko¡¯s hand-to-hand combat training. I broke all the limbs of that spirit and stomped on its head, and it exploded after that.¡± ¡°You were lucky that spirit wasn¡¯t as strong as the Yaksha in Zeko¡¯s house, otherwise you¡¯ve been nothing more than a bloody paste on the ground.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Spirits often die with a magical explosion.¡± ¡°Figures.¡± Said Hatori. Nothing can be simple with these things. ¡°Anyway, after that, I had a good night¡¯s sleep, they were nice enough to host me in their room.¡± ¡°Hmm. all and all, a good performance, I¡¯ll say. Just be careful while killing a spirit next time,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll be careful.¡± Said Hatori. In the meantime, Munshi will try to ignore that Zeko¡¯s madness about hand-to-hand combat can be useful in necromancy. No need to tell him about this incident, the man already has an inflated head. No need to make it bigger.

Part 2.

Nandan walks out of the stadium, having just received the gold medal at a ceremony. The medal is still bouncing on his chest with each step, while a towering man walks beside him. soon enough, the crowd will start to leave, but these two wish to leave before they can be mobbed by the fans. Just a few hours ago, Nandan defeated his opponent, securing the first rank in this competition. This will raise his rank. Once he becomes the number one contender, he can challenge the current world champion of dueling. Until then, he must give strong performances in the competitions like this one. Nandan is sure that he will achieve his dream, how could he fail when he has such a wonderful master to teach him? Dimitri Popov is a competitor himself, having competed in the dueling tournaments for over forty years. he made it clear that he was looking for a student recently, Nandan applied, and he impressed the man so much that he agreed to teach him. ¡°I do hope you¡¯re happy now?¡± despite his size, Dimitri has a jolly voice, which often puts people at ease. However, his voice hides how deadly he can be. ¡°Of course!¡± Nandan smirked. ¡°This will teach that idiot Roland to make fun of me.¡± ¡°Hahahahaha!¡± laughed Dimitri. ¡°Continue like that, and you will never run out of the crowd to watch your match. remember, a good champion should sell tickets, just by his presence alone.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not there yet.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Don¡¯t you worry, you¡¯ll get there,¡± assured Dimitri. ¡°I¡¯m thinking of taking a retirement myself. This will free me, and you can train under me full-time.¡± ¡°Retirement?¡± Nandan is surprised to hear this. ¡°Isn¡¯t that a bit early?¡± As they enter their hotel, and start to climb the stairs (disdaining the lift), Dimitri laughs after hearing Nandan¡¯s words. ¡°Early you say? I¡¯ve been dueling professionally since I was twenty, discounting the school competitions. During this time, I made my body a terrifying force, optimizing it for maximum power and recovery when hurt. But magic or not, that kind of wearing and tearing takes a toll, and I have started to approach my limits.¡± ¡°I never thought about that,¡± said Nandan. ¡°Of course you didn¡¯t. you¡¯re nineteen, you¡¯ve got a whole world ahead of you. but take heed when I say this. Annalyse the records of great duelists. You will notice how they start to have losses at the end of their careers, bulk of their losses come during that time. but they cannot let go of their fame and continue to go down in that arena and get thrashed repeatedly. Some of the duelists who are just ten years older than I am, (meaning they are in their seventies), can¡¯t even walk properly. I have no intention to end up like them.¡± ¡°Huh,¡± said Nandan, considering his coach¡¯s words, as they reached their room. ¡°I think I should retire on top then; old age is hard as it is. no need to destroy my body before getting there.¡± ¡°Smart man!¡± said Dimitri, slapping Nandan¡¯s back hard and making him stumble. Old and damaged or not, that man is still very strong. ¡°Of course, I will still train you. In fact, I will be able to train you better since I will have more time on my hands.¡± ¡°Thanks for that,¡± said Nandan, starting to pack his bags. They will be leaving in an hour or so. ¡°When I do win that championship belt, I want you to be on my side.¡± ¡°And I plan to be.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Now, I do want to tell you about this offer of a coaching position at a school.¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± asked Nandan. He has no problem with that, after all, he can train wherever he might be. If Dimitri wishes to provide some coaching to school students, then Nandan won¡¯t get in his way. the man must make some money, somehow. ¡°Indeed. You¡¯ll be surprised which school it is.¡± smiled Dimitri.

Part 3.

As they come back after investigating the orphanage, Zeko has some ideas about who could be after these murders. More people have disappeared in a nearby forest, and when they went to check that out, they were treated by the same grisly scene of blood and corpses. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. Porus is unsettled by witnessing the destruction of an orphanage. Ever since the king came into power, he has tried to improve the foster care for children without families. The previous king was the same way, and orphans like Zeko are an example of their efforts paying off. But these murders of children and staff are making Porus uneasy. Zeko thinks that they might need Munshi if they plan to dig this further, but he decides to suggest that later when the king is in a less broody mood.

Part 4.

¡°So, where are we going next?¡± asked Hatori, after a day of traveling since his last case. ¡°We¡¯re going to the City of Tools. The Blake family has called me to update their wards to protect them from spirits and souls.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Huh. this is the first time I¡¯ve heard about someone using these wards. Judging by the cases I¡¯ve seen so far, most of our cases wouldn¡¯t have taken place if they had those wards to start with.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Sadly, clients like that are rare.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°On the upside, they pay well.¡± ¡°Always an important thing.¡± Nodded Hatori. ¡°Also, this will be a great chance to teach you how to put these wards in a practical setting. So be ready for that,¡± said Munshi. ¡°Sure. Just to be certain, the man who sent you that letter is called David, right?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°How did you know?¡± asked Munshi, pretty much confirming the name without saying anything. ¡°Because this isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯m going to that city, or that house.¡± Said Hatori.

Part 5.

the local necromancers are about to retrieve the memories of the dead victims. Porus is present for this, and Zeko is surprised that his presence in this city is still kept a secret. ¡°The memories will be jumbled because the blood has mixed with other victims. However, this will still give us a clear picture of what happened at that orphanage.¡± Said the woman, who is the local necromancer of this area. She activates the runic array to get the memories, and they all hunker down to observe the events as they happen. they witness the perfectly normal lives going on, until someone who looked like he was half dead already showed up, and started to kill them without saying anything. ¡°The description matches.¡± Said Zeko, after the entire gruesome presentation was over. ¡°It is him. I suggest we inform Munshi immediately.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Said Porus.

Part 6.

Hatori works on the wards. He tunes them up for the right frequencies to keep the souls and spirits out. Munshi has told him not to touch anything advance than this since he could end up bringing down the whole system by his tampering. He has no interest in doing anything of the sort, so he follows his teacher¡¯s instructions. It didn¡¯t take him long to complete this task. Runes are heavily involved with this tuning process, and though he had to use the standard runes, Hatori still got done with it quickly enough. David, who is a warder himself, observes him working nearby. Hatori has arrived in this house for the second time, and both times Rita and David have treated him well. the first time when he was here nearly eight years ago, he was a young kid, who was terrified of formal dinner. He went through a kidnapping, and the mercenary Neshma also came with Zeko and him. ¡®Speaking of her, I should ask about her to master Zeko. How is she doing these days?¡¯ he thinks. He gets up from the ground and pops his back. ¡®Work like this is not good for the back or knees.¡¯ He grumbled in his head. His grumbling is interrupted when he sees a trophy resting in the cabinet in front of him. he completely ignored it when he arrived, but now, he cannot overlook the name. ¡°Daphne won that trophy the previous year in the dueling competition in the Academy,¡± said David, looking at the trophy just like him. Judging by his tone, Hatori concludes that he is proud of his daughter¡¯s achievement. Hatori also notices that the hostility the man displayed in the Academy is also missing. ¡®Maybe he was in a bad mood?¡¯ he thought. Shaking his head to clear his thoughts, he asked a question. ¡°I thought that you wouldn¡¯t like that. Daphne participating in dueling, I mean.¡± David snorted a laugh. ¡°Why, because it is un-lady-like?¡± he asked. at Hatori¡¯s nod, he continues. ¡°I don¡¯t have a problem with it as long as she can handle it. besides, girl or not, the world is a dangerous place. I cannot shelter her forever. If she wishes to pick some skills that can help her in defending against threats in the future, then who am I to get in her way?¡± ¡°How pragmatic of you,¡± said Hatori. He wished that more people would think this way.

Part 7: Subcontinent versus other countries in a war.

There have been multiple world wars ever since the mage dimension was created. But not all wars are world wars. The Subcontinent has also participated in the wars against the countries from the neighborhood, most often with Zhongguo. Both of these countries govern a very large territory, but on both sides, greedy people like to expand their land further than the current limits. Resulting in territorial wars and disputes. However, this has changed recently. For over 500 years, both of these countries have remained at peace with each other. However, the paranoid heads do not agree with the people who say that things will continue to improve. They believe that the situation can devolve into a conflict at the slightest misstep, or when the king changes. Therefore, the army must remain in the top condition. General Sundar is a firm supporter of this camp and has lashed out at those who wish to defang the military forces more than once. ¡°If you didn¡¯t have us to protect you, you wouldn¡¯t be alive to take such foolish decisions in the first place.¡± Were his words. Chapter 143 Chapter 143.

Part 1.

Porus is leaving the city with Zeko. He would like to oversee the investigation of all those deaths, but he still has his tour to complete, and Munshi has been called here. there is nothing else for him to do here. ¡°Where to now?¡± asked Zeko, once they were on the road. ¡°To the City of Salt. I wish to see how things are going there,¡± said Porus. ¡®Especially, ever since that idiot was taken out by the general.¡¯

Part 2.

Munshi arrives in this town, just as Porus left. He missed the king by a few hours. However, this is an emergency, there is no time for him to rest. He immediately demanded to see the memories gathered by the necromancers, and they obliged his request. ¡°What do you think, master?¡± asked the woman who collected this memory. She called Munshi ¡°master¡± in deference to his skill. He looked at the empty screen where he just saw the stored memories. ¡°I believe he is planning to create a chimera.¡± The woman paled. ¡°It cannot be. He will never manage to control it!¡± ¡°It still wouldn¡¯t stop him,¡± said Munshi in a grave tone. He witnessed the madness of Manoj with his own eyes, and of course, he nearly died because of his scheme. Unlike the people who were not there to see what he did, he completely understands what he is capable of doing. If he can resurrect a battle mage from the past, then he is also capable of creating a chimera, whether he can control it or not is irrelevant to him. ¡°The important thing for us to consider is, where will he attack?¡± he said to the woman before he left to get some sleep. It is unlikely he will get any sleep after what he has learned today, but he must rest. He cannot face the coming challenges while being tired.

Part 3.

Raven carries a letter for General Sundar. He does not know of its contents, but he carries it as if his life depended upon it. which it might very well be. If he ever lost the letter or opened it, his lower-class status will ensure that he will be executed, the miner status be damned. So far, he has done all the tasks assigned by Sundar on time. therefore, he did not appreciate some older boys who were also working in the military as interns and apprentices barring his way, causing him to get delayed. Raven tried to sidestep them, but they moved and blocked his path again. ¡°I see you¡¯re getting up in the eyes of the general. You low-class dog!¡± said the boy to Raven¡¯s right. ¡°We don¡¯t like that. you don¡¯t deserve that kind of attention from him.¡± Raven wanted to retaliate, but he kept himself in check. ¡°What¡¯s that you¡¯re carrying?¡± asked the boy blocking his path. ¡°Give it here!¡± he tries to snatch the letter from Raven¡¯s hand. As the hand gets closer, he thinks what could he do about this. He remembers how the general told him that sometimes, violence is the only option. And this looks to be that kind of situation. So, he snatched his hand away, and in the same motion, kicked the boy in the balls, while pocketing the letter. He shouldn¡¯t have been carrying it in the open anyway. as his enemy falls down to the ground, rocking back and forth with a loud scream, the two remaining older boys attack Raven. They come from both of his sides, making escape impossible. But Raven has trained with Hatori for years. this is nothing to him. he blasted one of them with magic, sending him flying, where he collided with the wall with a loud crunch, and kicked the knee of the other boy, making it snap. ¡°Have fun with that,¡± he said as his parting shot, before running to Sundar¡¯s office and delivering the letter. The general opens the note. ¡°Things would be much better if there was a way to send this kind of info without using papers, and with added tight security.¡± Grumbled the general. ¡°I don¡¯t think that is possible sir, the tight security I mean.¡± Said Raven, not a sign on his body language of the struggle that he faced just a few moments ago.

Part 4.

Shakuntala sighs, sinking into her comfortable chair. But once she sensed that someone was in the room with her, she became alert and looked around for the threat. She found Manoj sitting on the visitor¡¯s chair, looking at her in amusement. The man is clearly delighted to once more have broken through her security, despite the latest improvements. ¡°Why are you here?¡± she asked, not in the mood to exchange pleasantries with him. ¡°High Manoj, how¡¯re you doing? I¡¯m doing just fine.¡± He said sarcastically. He is unfazed by her glair. ¡°To answer your question, I¡¯m ready with my plan. This time, the target will be the City of Throne itself, since Porus has left it for his little tour.¡± Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. The tour is not a secret anymore among the noble families. They would have liked it if the king warned them in advance, or indeed, never left the City of Throne, since it makes it hard to conspire against each other and him when the man is there to observe. But there is nothing they can do about it, aside from hosting him generously whenever he comes into their strongholds. ¡°Fine. But you lead the operation.¡± Said Shakuntala, still keen on making sure that she is covered if this backfired on them. ¡°Of course, I have no problem with that,¡± he said, and after one last smirk, left her study. Shakuntala leaves and five minutes later, she needs to improve her security once again.

Part 5.

Today, dueling broke out in the medical wards. Slaughter was so furious that he got involved, and threw the foolish students out, inflicting some injuries on them as punishment. He told them not to come to the infirmary for the rest of the year, even if they were dying. James witnessed all of this, and he had a question. ¡°Sir, I know that we don¡¯t have anything like an oath to stop us from violence. But shouldn¡¯t a healer be gentler?¡± he asked. ¡°Normally, I¡¯ll agree with you,¡± said Slaughter, answering the question calmly. The boy asked a valid question, after all. ¡°But remember, just because you¡¯re a healer, does not mean that you can be pushed around by others. In defense of yourself, your loved ones, and your patience, you must perform great and violent acts too. These must be so memorable that no one will ever dare to cross you again, by mere mention of your name they should run. Do you understand, boy?¡± ¡°I understand.¡± Said James, though he was lost when thinking about what kind of great and violent acts could he perform to scare people. Maybe he should ask Hatori about this? He has a great imagination when it comes to violence. ¡°You better. remember, I¡¯m not named Slaughter because of my good manners or my impeccable medical knowledge.¡± James snorted. Slaughter does not have good manners. Only a select few can tolerate him at the best of times.

Part 6.

Hatori gets down from the bus. Apparently, even the mage dimension has those. Munshi is gone off, being called for something. He left in a hurry after dropping Hatori to a town and buying him a ticket for an airship. he then told him to investigate this entire case on his own, since he won¡¯t be able to help him out this time. Traveling on his own is always a novel experience for Hatori, so many people, and so many sights to see and observe. It is even more delightful ever since Hatori regained his sight. However, this is still not enough to make him a permanent traveler. He still wishes to have a place to settle down, where he can pursue his interests with minimum interaction with the world outside. He arrives at an office, which seems to be an official building for a company, judging by the boards outside, describing their various services. ¡°Excuse me,¡± he said to the receptionist, attracting her attention. ¡°Can I meet mister¡ª¡± he takes a look at the letter for the name, ¡°Herik?¡± ¡°May I know who this is?¡± she asked in return. ¡°I¡¯m Hatori Eagle. I was sent here by Master Munshi.¡± Explained Hatori. After a minute of waiting, Hatori was quickly ushered inside the room, where a short man greeted him and shook his hand. ¡°I¡¯m Herik, and this is my son, Henish,¡± Hatori noted how the son is taller than the father, but still not very tall. He already towers over both of them. Once seated, Hatori brings out the letter. ¡°Did you send this letter?¡± ¡°Indeed, we did.¡± Said Herik. ¡°Master Munshi cannot come, he has been recalled on an urgent mission. However, he sent me to deal with whatever problem you are having.¡± Said Hatori, priming his magic for defense in the case they took this news as an insult. They exchanged a look before Herik spoke. ¡°Will you be able to solve our problem?¡± ¡°Well, I¡¯m still an apprentice, but I have faced several souls and spirits in direct combat, and have directly helped master Munshi in solving many cases.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Well, at least we can share the problem with him,¡± said Henish. ¡°Yes, of course.¡± Agreed Herik. One does not disrespect the apprentice of a powerful and respected mage like Munshi. Besides, the boy must have some talent, otherwise the necromancer would have never sent him here alone. ¡°As I mentioned in the letter, we recently purchased a house, which we wish to turn into a hotel. However, strange events are happening there, our workers got injured, we heard singing, sounds of someone walking, doors closing on their own, and other things like that,¡± said Herik. ¡°This halted our plan of turning that house into a hotel, and we wish to know why these things are happening.¡± ¡°Hmm. it can be for many reasons. perhaps a spirit, perhaps a soul. But whatever the case, I cannot say anything more before visiting the house myself.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Very well. I will take you there.¡± Herik called his receptionist and canceled all the appointments of the day. He then left with Hatori and his son. Chapter 144 Chapter 144.

Part 1.

Porus arrives in the City of Salt. He observes the recovery of the city after a mage calling himself Avatar of Magic caused problems almost eight years ago. The name of the city is now seems to be a misnomer, it does not produce as much salt as it once did. The Gujjar region has taken over that industry entirely. Porus is thinking of renaming the city to reflect its proper function, but he then realizes how people will throw a tantrum just because he is the one doing that. ¡®Better let them realize that the city is producing less and less salt, and let them rename it themselves.¡¯ Smiled Porus. ¡®And if they failed to do that, well then. I can¡¯t be held responsible for that, now, can I?¡¯ Then, a wonderful smell attracts the king¡¯s attention. ¡°What is that, Zeko?¡± he asked, pointing to the counter where a curry was being served with a roll of bread. ¡°I believe it is called pav Bhaji.¡± Answered Zeko. ¡°Really, don¡¯t tell me you have not eaten it yet?¡± At an embarrassed smile of the king, Zeko started to grumble about the monarchs who didn¡¯t know the pleasures of the world. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s go and eat the lunch there.¡± Porus followed Zeko happily. Looks like he will get to taste a new dish today.

Part 2.

Avinash runs after the chickens who escaped from their coop. before this, he was tending to the vegetables. Before that, he was feeding the chickens. And the first thing in the morning, he released the cows on the fields. As the long list of tasks runs through his head, he catches up with the violent birds and puts them back in their coop. tomorrow, he will collect the eggs, and shift them to a new area. He trudges back inside and checks up on Kishore. ¡°Here, drink this.¡± He gave him some soup while changing the wet cloth on his head. ¡°You really shouldn¡¯t take over like that,¡± said Kishore, after taking some gulps of the soup. ¡°I should be able to manage it¡ª¡± ¡°No. remember, you taught me that we should always be ready to handle extra responsibilities? I¡¯m following that lesson until you get better.¡± said Avinash. After bullying the old man to sleep, he left the room. In the evening, it will be time to give him his potions and his pills. Until then, he has nothing else to do aside from waiting for the cows. ¡®Or more like put them inside.¡¯ He sighed. Kishore fell ill about three days ago, and Avinash has taken over the responsibilities of running the farm. True, he is not doing a perfect job like the old man would, but he likes to think that until he gets better, he is handling things nicely. One might wonder why is he bothering to do this. The answer is simple. The man has treated him well. true, he made him do some hard physical labor, but he treated him well and shared his knowledge with him without any reservations. Taking care of his farm until his health improves is the least he could do. ¡®I wonder how he managed things in the past whenever he got ill?¡¯ he thought. Then, another thought appears in his head. ¡®The better question is, why is someone of his knowledge and political experience working on this farm, unacknowledged by the rest of the public?¡¯ Avinash has no answer to this. He is not willing to ask this question either, not until the health of Kishore improves.

Part 3.

During his lunch in his office, General Sundar stops Raven and tells him to have lunch with him. The general likes to eat his meals alone, despite the work preventing that. he is well known for his dislike of the person who interrupts his rare meals which he gets to eat alone. but inviting someone, and someone like Raven to be more specific is unheard of. But Raven knows that this is not to praise him. he has been thinking about how long will it take for the matter to reach the general, and looks like it is time to receive the lashes, all be it verbally. ¡°So, I hear you had an interesting incident yesterday.¡± Said Sundar, while taking a bite of his sandwich. ¡°Even injured three boys, two of them without using any magic, imagine that!¡± ¡°They tried to snatch your letter from me,¡± said Raven. After hearing that, the general put down the other slice of his sandwich without biting it. the complainers were very careful it seems to not mention that tidbit. ¡°I know what they were trying to do. Would you have taken the beating if they didn¡¯t try to snatch the letter from you?¡± Raven considers the question for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± He said honestly. ¡°Maybe a few bruises wouldn¡¯t be that bad if I can avoid trouble¡ª¡± Raven halted as Sundar slammed his fist on his table, rattling his plate. ¡°Never do that, you hear me? never!¡± he looked at Raven seriously. ¡°Do not ever tolerate bullies. And for all we wish to create tough men and women in the military, we wish to do that with systematic training, not through abuse and hazing. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Saluted Raven. ¡°Better. now, tell me. what made you think it would be a good idea to damage them like that?¡± asked Sundar. ¡°Two things. first, I remembered your lesson that sometimes, violence cannot be avoided. Second, I wanted to put the fear of me in their hearts.¡± Smiled Raven, remembering the screams and sobs. Looks like his Hatori is showing up. ¡°Anyway, it may sound disrespectful, but I¡¯m not apologizing.¡± The general looked at Raven unmoving for several seconds, making him sweat. ¡°You¡¯re not in trouble. And I will never make you apologize for taking care of bullies. I will send you outside of the castle for a few days though.¡± Raven relaxed. Getting sent outside of the castle isn¡¯t that bad when all things considered.

Part 4.

Josh is checking the tests of the younger years. he is bored with this task. There are only so much of people forgetting the operator precedency, and failing to solve the equation one person can tolerate. This actually gave him more respect for Professor Amelia. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you didn¡¯t rage at us in the class,¡± he said to her, marking another question as wrong, ¡°We probably made such mistakes.¡± Amelia laughed. ¡°Well, some of you did, some of you didn¡¯t. did you know that your friend Hatori actually provided commentary on his papers?¡± ¡°He did what?¡± asked Josh, not sure whether he heard her right or not. there is no point in providing any kind of commentary on a math test. ¡°Oh yes, it was very amusing to read. He did that with all of his subjects, and he got really popular in the staffroom as a result.¡± She shared. ¡°Some of the more memorable bits are framed in the staffroom.¡± ¡°And you still gave him marks?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Of course I did.¡± Said Amelia Davis. ¡°His answers were correct, after all. Besides, a little bit of sarcastic commentary doesn¡¯t hurt anyone, and he never crossed a line. In fact, he made sure that he didn¡¯t use any word related to anger while answering his rune exams, and of course, while providing his usual commentary. There is a reason why Professor Krodhatma likes him so much.¡± ¡°Make sense. I would also like anyone who didn¡¯t raise my blood pressure.¡± Said Josh, marking another question, but the answer was right this time.

Part 5.

¡°Now that you have mastered playing piano and violin, and have some knowledge of other instruments as well, it is time that you learn how to create your original composition.¡± Sangita was saying, pacing back and forth as Shin listened to her lecture. ¡°We will make heavy use of music notation during this part of your education; I do hope you are keeping up with it,¡± said Sangita. At Shin¡¯s nod, she continues her lecture. ¡°First, we have to create a draft for our harmony and melody, after that, arrangement of instruments, followed by the finalization process, during which your composed music will be recorded, or written down in the music notation form. Once you are done refining it, you have created your composition.¡± Explained Sangita. ¡°That seems pretty rigid.¡± Said Shin after writing the steps down. ¡°From a first glance, it may look like that. but you will have to experiment a lot and play things by ear to get everything down. I personally use this method where I think of an arrangement, play it, then note it down in the music notation form, and then refine it. so, as you gain experience, you can make changes to this process according to your needs.¡± Said Sangita. As the lecture continues, Shin thinks about how can he start applying himself and creating some original music that he can call his own. He is thinking of something small and simple for his first try, but trying to come up with an idea is proving to be harder than he expected. Coming up with spells is much easier compared with this.

Part 6.

Hatori is going into the house with Herik and Henish. Ever since he became the necromancer-in-training, he has visited multiple haunted houses, so he has gotten used to going inside of them. nothing intimidates him anymore. not the immaculate look (despite being haunted, these houses are always attractive), not the size, and not the abandoned and eerie feeling. However, the people with him do not have such strong stomachs, judging by their slow footsteps, and their bodies flinching at the slightest of the sound. It is clear for anyone without the eyes (and for those who gained eyes later), that Herik and Henish do not wish to be here. He sensed something coming at them, and he called out. ¡°Get behind me, now!¡± a shield springs up in front of them, as the father and son listen to Hatori, while he blocks a snarling face coming at them. ¡®Or not a face, but a full torso of a woman.¡¯ Amended Hatori, while blasting the phantom away. The soul goes flying, and Hatori turns around. ¡°I got my confirmation. I suggest we leave.¡± Both of them obliged Hatori, as they ran in front of him, while Hatori remained behind to cover their backs. Once they come out of the house, Herik speaks with Hatori. ¡°What did you get?¡± he asked anxiously, not interested in going inside even if Hatori asked to. He will refuse to point blank. ¡°I wanted to confirm whether there was something there or not. second, I wanted to confirm if something was there, then what exactly was it, a soul or a spirit,¡± said Hatori. ¡°It is a soul, just in case you wanted to know.¡± ¡°We didn¡¯t,¡± said Henish. ¡°Can you do anything about that thing?¡± ¡°Give me some time,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ll give you an answer tomorrow. It is a pretty powerful soul after all. And I don¡¯t have Master Munshi with me. I cannot take any chances, if the battle takes a wrong turn, that soul could leave the house, and come after you two.¡± ¡°What? Why!¡± asked both of them together. ¡°I do not claim to understand how the mind of a soul functions.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But again, remember this isn¡¯t the first time I¡¯ve dealt with this situation.¡± ¡°Yeah, but you don¡¯t have your master with you,¡± said Herik. He didn¡¯t say that to insult Hatori, he was just worried for the boy. he rather leave the house if it meant not putting this young man in danger on his behalf. ¡°That is true. But you don¡¯t know, Master Munshi takes a very hands-off approach.¡± Smiled Hatori. He plans his next move. Hatori has to find out the history of that house, and hope to find something about that soul which he can use to weaken it. since Munshi is not with him this time, Hatori has to find out this information on his own.

Part 7.

Nearby, a fire is burning, while Manoj the mad Sharma is using it to smelt his weapon. ¡°Add some sugar and some fat. Put some souls, and get the control!¡± he sings to himself. He combined the souls of animals and humans he collected so far, and watches as they take shape. ¡°Once I¡¯ve got this, I¡¯ll destroy that damned throne. And this time, nothing would get in my way, not Munshi, not Porus, not their little pawn, and certainly not my own weapon!¡± He is still salty about that battle mage rebelling against his control. If Hatori hadn¡¯t burned the body, he would have resurrected him again and punished him most severely for his failure. ¡°But why think of the past failures? Instead, look at the future success! My product will be the most disruptive, I¡¯ll drive my competitors out of the market, and complete my monopoly. Hahahahahahahahaaha!¡± Chapter 145 Chapter 145.

Part 1.

Hatori looks at the records of the house he has collected in frustration. He has not managed to find out anything beyond that the house was built 350 years ago, and it has passed from owner-to-owner ever since. There aren¡¯t any people alive from that time, so he cannot consult them either. ¡®I just know that Master Munshi would have been able to find out something concrete by now.¡¯ he thinks to himself. At least his client appears to be patient. Ever since they left that house with the soul on their heels, both the father and the son haven¡¯t bothered Hatori much, even though he promised them that he would have something for them today. He sadly has to disappoint them. Hatori cannot decide which is the worst. Herik¡¯s complete understanding, or his hope that he would get angry at him for not giving the results fast enough.

Part 2.

Kishore is feeling better, so Avinash has allowed him to walk around. However, he is still not letting him run the farm like he used to. The man is puzzled by this behavior. Usually, whoever comes to learn from him never cares about his farm, often deriding it as useless work, something on which he is wasting his talents. And yet here he has seen the son of the prime minister himself helping him out, while he was unable to work. ¡®I should thank the boy.¡¯ he thinks, as Avinash walks in with his lunch. ¡°Thank you,¡± he said, as he put the plate in front of him. ¡°Not for this lunch alone, but for all you have done for me.¡± he began to eat. ¡°You don¡¯t have to thank me. You shared your knowledge with me, that is the least I could do for you,¡± said Avinash, a bit embarrassed at the praise. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind me asking, why are you attached to this farm so much?¡± asked Avinash, unable to hold himself back from this question. ¡°Not that you have to answer.¡± He said hurriedly. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t answer anyone else, but for you, I¡¯ll make an exception.¡± Smiled Kishore, swallowing the rice. ¡°I used to be an adviser on the court, but I don¡¯t come from a powerful family. No one listened to me, and even the king ignored my warnings when I told him that the families were using him as a puppet.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think Porus will do that, sir.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°My apologies. I was referring to the previous king.¡± clarified Kishore. ¡°When it was clear to me that there was no money, no name, and no respect for me in my capacity as an adviser, I decided to leave. I bought this farm, and aside from providing some commentary for a newspaper on the events going on at any given time, I left the world of politics entirely.¡± Kishore drinks the warm water and puts the glass down. He then continues. ¡°Besides, for all the hardship here, I rather work here than slave away for someone else¡¯s profit.¡±

Part 3.

surveying the house to sense the activity of the soul, Hatori observes an old man going inside. There are no wards or guards to stop anyone from entering, though the inner parts of the house are locked. The man comes out. Hatori noted that his hands are now empty, whereas he was carrying something with him previously. Now interested in knowing why this man went into the house and came out without any visible sign of getting attacked by the soul, Hatori tried to reach him. he decided that he wouldn¡¯t call him, because that might motivate him to run. So, he walked. But he failed to reach him despite his brisk pace. disappointed, Hatori decides to go back to the room provided by Herik for a sleep. he will ask the local people about that man tomorrow. He has memorized his face. Though describing him might present a challenge, Hatori is sure that he will manage to find this old man and get some answers out of him, with force if necessary.

Part 4.

¡°In short,¡± said General Sundar, ¡°You suspect this Manoj Sharma will attack the city?¡± ¡°Indeed. With a chimera.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°It is a combination of various human and animal souls, which are freshly slaughtered to create this beast.¡± Explained Munshi. ¡°Didn¡¯t the Yunans try creating a beast like that in the past?¡± asked Sundar, ¡°To use as a weapon?¡± ¡°Yes. However, the combinations proved to be volatile, and not good for use in a war. However, this necromantic monster is the prototype of that weapon.¡± Said Munshi. He was about to continue, but they heard explosions outside, and someone rushed into General Sundar¡¯s office. ¡°Sir!¡± salutes the woman. ¡°There is a man with a strange creature attacking the city. Our spells are not working on it, and he demands our immediate surrender.¡± The general sighed. He didn¡¯t get enough time to plan a response. Munshi and Sundar go out, where they hear Manoj yelling at the top of his lungs, using a spell to amplify his voice. ¡°If you surrender to me, I promise I will spare your lives. I will do right by you, unlike that useless king who does not deserve to run this country!¡± While he said this, his beast kept attacking the general public, while the soldiers tried to defend the civilians. This chimera has the body of a dog, the tail of a scorpion, human-like arms and legs, and horns on its face. Truly, it is just as ugly to look as it sounds in its description. ¡°What do we do now?¡± asked Sundar, having seen how the best spells of the military mages are harmlessly passing through this beast. ¡°Let me face this thing.¡± Said Munshi, already moving to fight the chimera. ¡°You make sure that people don¡¯t get trampled in our fight.¡± Sundar nodded. ¡°Listen up!¡± he said, his powerful voice drowning Manoj¡¯s hypocritical declarations, ¡°All soldiers, clear out the civilians immediately! I repeat, clear the civilians immediately! And prepare to protect the castle!¡± Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Manoj, annoyed at this interruption, tried to scream louder, but the cheers of the soldiers drowned him out once again. The mere presence of General Sundar raised their confidence through the roof.

Part 5.

Hatori once more waits in the night, as the old man goes into the house, and comes out once again. But Hatori picked the right location this time. he was closer; therefore, he was easily able to pounce at the correct moment. The man tried to run, but Hatori didn¡¯t let him go much farther. Soon, he was panting at Hatori¡¯s feet, unable to match the stamina of Hatori. ¡°Kids these days, have no respect for their elders.¡± Said the man, once recovered enough. ¡°Respect is earned by your deeds, not by age. If you answer my questions, then you will have my respect.¡± Replied Hatori. ¡°And what makes you think I will answer any question you have¡ª¡± the man paled, as a lightning bolt crashed several feet before his head, giving him a nasty shock. ¡°Will you talk now?¡± asked Hatori, ready with more bolts if the man proves to be uncooperative. ¡°What do you want to know?¡± he asked, sitting up gingerly, expecting another violent attack from Hatori, but the boy did nothing. ¡°I want to know about the history of that house. And why do you go inside every night, and come out without getting attacked.¡± Said Hatori. The old man pretended to think, but Hatori realized that he was stalling. So, he gave him a mild shock. ¡°I won¡¯t let you go until you answer me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Fine, fine, I¡¯ll tell you what I know.¡± Said the man. once he was seated once more on the ground after the latest shock given to him by Hatori, he began to recount his tail. ¡°When I was around your age, I fell in love with a girl.¡± He said, but Hatori interrupted him. ¡°I¡¯m not interested in your past romances.¡± Said Hatori, with his fingers sparking. ¡°It is related, dammit!¡± he cursed. Hatori subsides and listens once more. ¡°Anyway, the girl whom I liked lived in that house. One day, I approached her and spoke with her. She talked normally, and I was delighted to know that she was just as wonderful as I imagined her to be.¡± Hatori is getting annoyed. He doesn¡¯t understand where this is going. The man doesn¡¯t seem to be preparing any magical trap, his senses would inform him if he was. Not knowing what is going on in his captor¡¯s head, the man continues. ¡°Later, I learned that the brother of that girl is trying to control her, he even called a necromancer. Back then, I didn¡¯t know what the necromancers do, so I believed her. Furious, I went into that house with my friends and attacked them all. A storm came then, and we all got thrown out of the house. My friends, and that family along with the necromancer, all died. That girl revealed that she is a soul. She explained how she built this house 350 years ago, and when at the end of her life, she refused to sell this house, she was poisoned. Ever since she has killed every owner of this house. She threatened me, explaining to me that I cannot leave this area ever.¡± ¡°Hilarious.¡± Said Hatori with a grin. ¡°You went to trap her in your love, but became her captive instead.¡± ¡°This isn¡¯t funny. I know you were hired by that new family who purchased that house recently. She will¡ª¡± a growling voice interrupts them. ¡°I will kill these new owners, and you as well if you get in my way, boy!¡± declared the same face Hatori saw in the house from the shadows, before disappearing. The man started to tremble on the ground, but Hatori shooed him off.

Part 6.

As everyone evacuated the immediate area, Munshi began his battle with the chimera. Luckily, unlike the battle mage, he can fight this monster, using all the large-scale magic he knows. He lit the beast on fire, crushed Manoj¡¯s legs, and cut the chimera into multiple pieces, which dissolved after this bit of damage. Munshi noted Idly that unlike Hatori, he didn¡¯t flood or lit the city on fire. Granted, a few buildings got destroyed, but that was bound to happen when you face a soul monster. He looks for Manoj, but that necromancer is floating away, unable to move his leg. ¡°I will come back for my revenge, just you wait!¡± he seethed, before flying away. ¡°Everything fine, Munshi?¡± asked Sundar. ¡°Yes, though the cause of all this mayhem escaped, and I don¡¯t have the strength to pursue him.¡± said the necromancer, drained from his battle with the chimera. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. for now, rest, and leave the restoration to others.¡± said the general, taking Munshi inside of the castle.

Part 7.

Hatori creates a ward to isolate the soul in the day, making sure it cannot come out. he then used Herik¡¯s blood in the evening to trick the soul into coming out, having seen this trick by Munshi once already. Thankfully, he didn¡¯t have to create a full Yantra, just some blood was enough to mimic the magic of Herik. Herik and his son watch, as the battle rages inside of the burier. Though the soul is unable to harm Hatori, its attacks are vicious and numerous. The slightest mistake by the boy could end up in a grievous injury. But they didn¡¯t know that Hatori trained under Zeko, in the battle, he did not lose a step. Not when he is fully rested, and fighting with a clear mind. As he used some lightning-charged spells to damage the soul, ripping some chunks out of it, Hatori used the spell to disperse the souls as the final spell of his volley, destroying the soul. But he left himself open for attack, and at the last moment, the brutal blast of magic hits him directly. Once the burier collapses, Henish runs and picks up Hatori. ¡°Let¡¯s go home,¡± said Herik, seeing an unconscious Hatori. ¡°We¡¯ll let him rest for the night.¡± Henish nodded, making Hatori float behind him as they trudged back home. Chapter 146 Chapter 146.

Part 1.

Hatori wakes up from his deep slumber. The bed is unfamiliar, and he imagined his groggy brain starting up with a whirring sound, kind of like how his computer used to do back home. he listens to people moving and talking beyond this room, and smells some food cooking as well. the door opened, and he twitched. He has gotten control over his instincts, otherwise he would have attacked Henish, who has just come to check up on him. Still, he has not learned to sleep completely relaxed. Hatori still needs to find that sweet spot between debilitating violence and complete relaxation, deeming the people around him no threat. ¡°Ah, you¡¯re awake. Good,¡± said Henish after seeing Hatori sitting on the bed. ¡°What happened with the soul?¡± he croaked. Henish answers while handing Hatori a glass of water. ¡°Oh, you manage to deal with it. it really did a number on you before it disappeared in a bright light though,¡± he explained. ¡°I wasn¡¯t ready for that. master Munshi will be so disappointed.¡± Said Hatori, putting his face in his hands. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it, the important thing is to survive. After all, what doesn¡¯t kill you makes you stronger, as my grandfather used to say.¡± Smiled Henish. ¡°Speaking of Munshi, you should know what happened.¡± ¡°Can I at least brush my teeth before getting any bad news?¡± asked Hatori, having deduced the kind of thing he should learn from Henish¡¯s tone. ¡°Sure, sure.¡± Agreed the young man. Once Hatori was done with his morning ablutions, he sat at the breakfast table, having a very late breakfast. Herik and Henish have told him all about what happened at the City of Throne, but clearly, they still don¡¯t know all the facts. ¡°By the way,¡± he said to them after hearing the news, ¡°I must thank you for taking care of me.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a trouble. Don¡¯t even mention it,¡± said Herik, dismissing the entire matter with a wave. ¡°I assume you will be traveling back to your master?¡± ¡°Indeed. But first, I think I¡¯ll contact him.¡± Hatori brings out the mirror. Herik wanted to ask about the different design but refrained from asking for now. ¡°Yes?¡± asked Munshi, picking up the call. ¡°I assume everything went well?¡± ¡°Yeah, except for one hitch at the end. The soul knocked me out before I dispersed it. mister Herik is nice enough to let me rest in his house, however.¡± Once more, the man called out it wasn¡¯t trouble from the other room. ¡°What happened? I¡¯m hearing some really strange news here.¡± ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that in person. I suggest you leave for the Academy from there, there is only a week left until the winter festival starts. I wouldn¡¯t be able to pick you up and drop you there.¡± said Munshi. ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori. Putting the mirror in his expanded pocket, he turns to Henish. ¡°I think it is time to leave. I hope you won¡¯t have any trouble with souls in the future.¡± ¡°Me too. Once was enough honestly.¡± Said Henish, escorting Hatori to the entrance of their house. ¡°Will you be fine traveling to the airport by yourself?¡± ¡°Sure, I¡¯ve done that before.¡± Smiled Hatori. he shook hands with Henish, and then left after hailing a bus. As he clambers up in the vehicle, he is glad that the mages are pragmatic enough to borrow ideas from his own world. he doesn¡¯t wish to live in a fantasy world where horses and carts are the best mode of traveling. Hatori would have destroyed that world out of sheer spite, after learning all the magic he could, of course.

Part 2.

Sangita is speaking with the students in the Academy over the mirror. They are discussing who could be the conductor for their orchestral performance this year. ¡°How about Varun?¡± she suggested. ¡°No.¡± said one student. ¡°He¡¯s too brash, and he just never listens.¡± ¡°Hmm. Tobias?¡± she suggested. ¡°Mam, he is a good player, but a lousy conductor.¡± Said one female student. ¡°How about Indrani?¡± suggested Sangita, running out of the names as each one is rejected. ¡°I think she could use some more experience.¡± Said the male student. ¡°In particular, she needs to get rid of her stage fright first.¡± ¡°Professor,¡± enters Shin. He sees that she is currently busy. ¡°I¡¯ll come later.¡± ¡°Wait, is that Shin?¡± asked the male student. ¡°Sujeet, is that you?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Yep.¡± Said the boy. ¡°Professor, if you don¡¯t mind, we¡¯ll have him.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Shin, shouldn¡¯t they tell him first about why they want him? ¡°I suppose it could work.¡± Said Sangita. ¡°I do recall that he did some conducting before.¡± ¡°In my first year,¡± said Shin, finally understanding. ¡°Excellent.¡± Said Sujeet. ¡°We¡¯ll also help you out with your own solo performance. So, does everyone agree? Can we finalize Shin as our conductor?¡± ¡°Yes!¡± was the united reply. Shin excuses himself. Looks like he will need to be ready to work a lot this year at the festival. ¡®But then again, I¡¯ll get to shine as well.¡¯ he smiled at the thought, putting his composition notes on the table. He will give those to Professor Sangita when she is free from the call.

Part 3.

James moves from cauldron to cauldron, as several potions are being brewed simultaneously. A yantra prompts him whenever a potion needs some attention, his own creation of which he was proud. He wouldn¡¯t be managing to handle so many potions at once with such ease otherwise. Each year, right before the festival, Slaughter makes all the apprentice interns in their second year brew these potions. There is a great need for them to cure sore throats, so people can continue screaming (Hatori hates that activity), and of course, to make sure that accidents do not happen when students decide to remove their clothes. James blasted Slaughter for sharing that particular detail. He is not interested in knowing what his fellow students do during the festival, thank you very much. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.

Part 4.

The general watches Raven with a pile of paperwork, he is sorting them by hand due to the sensitivity of the documents to the magic. someone decided to write them with ink that could burst into fire if anyone used magic on them. currently, the process of copying them to safer alternatives is going on, but the important question is, why is his intern working on them? Unable to take the rustling of the papers, he gets up from his chair, and starts to loom over Raven and his papers. ¡°Why aren¡¯t you at the Academy already?¡± asked Sundar with his best Zeko imitation. The man has some truly great ideas to put the fear of magic on people. ¡°I¡¯ve got work to do.¡± Said Raven, still working on the sorting, answering the question of the general distractedly. Sundar¡¯s eye starts to twitch. ¡®Who does he think he is, to ignore me like that?¡¯ the general swats Raven so hard at the side of his head that he falls to the side in a heap. ¡°Leave that work, and go to the Academy, that¡¯s an order!¡± Getting up from the floor, Raven salutes. ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± he marches out of the room, apparently whatever fog was clouding his brain has lifted. The general also walked out, intending to assign this work to someone who would not pile this on Raven once more when he gets back. ¡®I swear, I¡¯m surrounded by the lazy idiots. I¡¯m glad that the city didn¡¯t take much damage. Otherwise, these incompetent fools would be running around like headless chickens.¡¯

Part 5.

Hatori arrives at the Academy. he considers himself lucky that flying to your destination takes very little time in a country. As for going inside of the dimension where the Academy is located? It is a piece of cake for him. he knows the roads by now. he decides to take a flight to practice his flying skills, landing at the gates of the Academy, where students are walking and relaxing on the ground, just like they are doing all the time. unless someone like Hatori Eagle is rampaging, then they run for the safety of their dorms. ¡®It is such a shame that I never targeted the dorms with my attacks.¡¯ thinks Hatori, sad that he missed this opportunity to torment more people. But all thoughts of tormenting everyone fled from his mind, when he saw the familiar face of Avinash. He looks warned out. ¡®Looks like farming was difficult this year.¡¯ he thought with amusement while approaching Avinash. ¡°Sooooo!¡± said Avinash, having seen Hatori coming towards him, ¡°Took you long enough to come here.¡± ¡°I was busy with a case.¡± Said Hatori, walking with Avinash, who decided to take a seat underneath a tree. Hatori sits down next to him. ¡°What kind of case?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Nothing much, just an old soul. It was petty enough to injure me before I dispersed it. I learned a lot from that soul.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Like?¡± asked Avinash, expecting the answer to be something horrible. ¡°You should always leave one last attack at your opponent, even if you are about to die. If you injure them, then they¡¯ll remember you. if you injure them in a permanent manner, they will curse your name for the rest of their life.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It is a great lesson which that soul taught me.¡± ¡°Figures.¡± Said Avinash, unwilling to say more than that. ¡°What about you?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Was farming too tough?¡± he taunted. ¡°Yeah, Kishore got ill, so I had to deal with everything on my own. Once he got better, my duties were reduced, but then I had to catch up on everything I missed this year, plus my usual duties. It was exhausting.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Better you than me,¡± said Hatori with a smirk. Avinash punched him in the face.

Part 6.

In the president¡¯s office, Josh is thinking. He has drawn up some plans. They are approaching the end of their schooling with every new year; the next year will be their last one. he wishes to do something unique in the festival as a result, to have some really good memories. If he has learned anything from holding the position of the student present of the Academy, then it has to be that adult life is a soul-crushing boring hell. he wishes to have some good memories once they start to suffer through that hell. maybe that will prevent their madness. Josh wanted to do some sort of drama, where he could involve every one of his friends. but aside from this starting idea, he has nothing concrete. ¡®Hatori is here already.¡¯ He thought, regretting that he couldn¡¯t go and meet him immediately. ¡®I¡¯ll ask him about some ideas later.¡¯

Part 7.

Porus is leaving the Fernandes City. The next destination is Keralam. He is looking forward to visiting that region. He has heard and seen a lot of good things about that area, so it is bound to be great. The king has enjoyed his tour. Sure, there was that ugly business of the strange murders, and the culprit even attacked the capitol. Even though Porus regrets not being there to defend his city, he is still continuing on this tour. Besides, the general is strong enough to repel any other attack. it is very important for Porus that he sees people in their natural environment, observes their lives, and experiences the things that can only be experienced locally. This will give him a tether to the sanity, some strength to continue on with the politics, of which he has been increasingly fed of recently. ¡®Too bad I can¡¯t just retire. There are not any good candidates to replace me, there would be a bloody civil war.¡¯ He sighed. So, for his own peace of mind, he must continue on touring his own country. Chapter 147 Chapter 147.

Part 1.

¡°So, you want something like theatrical drama?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yeah, but I can¡¯t seem to get anything else beyond that,¡± said Josh. ¡°Hmm,¡± said Hatori, considering the problem. Josh wants to do some sort of drama or theatrical presentation this year, but he has no idea beyond what he wishes to do. Josh is hoping that Hatori will be able to suggest some good ideas to him, but Hatori is also puzzled. Drama is not exactly his strong suit. But then, Hatori remembers something. People beat each other, giving long speeches as if they were kings and presidents of their respective countries, a crazy crowd, an equally crazy pair of commentators, and every matter, small or big being settled in a ring. Yes, this seems to be a perfect solution to this problem. Josh watches the growing smile of Hatori, worried that his friend might come up with some crazy thing. ¡°What do you say to wrestling?¡± Josh puts his face on his hands. ¡°I don¡¯t want any fighting.¡± He said, his voice muffled due to his palms covering his mouth. ¡°I¡¯m not talking about fighting.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What we¡¯re gonna do is use some crazy unrealistic move which never works in a fight. it will be fake. It will be huge. And it will be entertaining!¡± declared Hatori, getting in the spirit of the idea. ¡°Ah, that does have some potential.¡± Smiled Josh. Perhaps he was too quick to judge his friend. Then Hatori began to describe other roles. ¡°It won¡¯t do if there are just two fighters. We¡¯ll need a commentator, preferably two of them. an announcer to announce our names as we enter the ring.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And of course, we¡¯ll need to decide which one of us will play the role of a villain.¡± Before Josh could say anything, Professor Prakriti came. ¡°Mister Hatori, come with me.¡± she grabbed Hatori¡¯s arm and dragged him with her. Hatori is so shocked that he can¡¯t do anything to extract himself from her grip.

Part 2.

Raven arrives. He is late in Josh¡¯s opinion, but given his haggard look, he decides not to give him grief about it. ¡°If you were just a few minutes early, you would have met Hatori,¡± said Josh. ¡°Yeah? Where is he?¡± asked Raven, as they both walk to the dorms of Josh and James. ¡°Professor Prakriti came and dragged him with her.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t know why she did that. he is here for a day, and a majority of his time was spent with me and James. I don¡¯t think he could come up with anything which would bother her specifically.¡± Raven, despite his tired state of mind, does plan to keep the championship trophy with him this year as well. but for now, he needs rest. Seeing that Raven is nodding off while standing up, Josh ushers him to his own bed, covers him with blankets, and leaves him to sleep.

Part 3.

Professor Prakriti takes Hatori to the forest, where she makes him watch all the animals going around their daily business. They are clearly modified, for dogs do not use elemental magic (or any kind of magic) normally, and the birds do not use cutting blades of wind. Hatori didn¡¯t even think that the wind could cut, or it can take the shape of a blade. The crows have increased in numbers, and the chick on his shoulder (who is surely going to be a fully grown crow any day now judging by the increased weight), is delighted to see so many new crows. ¡®Why don¡¯t you meet them?¡¯ he suggested telepathically. ¡®I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll be happy to show you around.¡¯ ¡®You sure about that?¡¯ asked Karasu the second. ¡®Of course.¡¯ Said Hatori with an encouraging tone. The professor ignores the crow on Hatori¡¯s shoulder suddenly taking a flight and disappearing among the crows of this forest. ¡°Do you see what you did?¡± ¡°Did what, professor?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You cannot be this clueless!¡± she thundered. ¡°All these animals are newly born. They have received all the abilities of their parents, resulting in new and different combinations of magic, without any kind of magical modification!¡± Hatori notices how the crows have monopolized the tall trees. he also gets two familiar greetings from the elephant and the snake, who are nearby but decide not to come and greet him in person, instead of giving him a mental brush as a sort of telepathic hello. ¡°Did you know this would happen when you modified those animals for your invasion force?¡± asked Prakriti, bringing Hatori out of his mind. ¡°No professor, I didn¡¯t know.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Clearly though, these animals have prospered, so I fail to see why you are so angry.¡± Professor Prakriti gives Hatori a dark glair and then leaves in a huff. Hatori ignores her childish behavior. It is a fact of life that some adults do behave like kids, and there is nothing you can do about it. no point in feeling angry at the children in adult bodies, after all. Once Hatori is certain that the professor is truly gone, and is not discretely observing him, he goes to the lake. He remembers his days when he camped out here like a warlord, planning his glorious invasion. He showed those students who controlled the Academy to not mess with him. and this lake and that Yantra helped him along the way. speaking of that Yantra, it clearly has evolved. Hatori believes there is nothing of the original remaining in that yantra, beyond some opcodes. Everything has changed, from its body to its runes. The lake is similar, some of the abilities it has Hatori never did give it originally, such as the ones that allow elephants to perform acrobatic maneuvers in combat, despite their size and weight. While Hatori didn¡¯t¡¯ know that his modifications would be carried over to the next generation at that time, it is clear how that happened. The entire forest seems to be part of this system, which constantly changes as Hatori observes it. quite frankly, the entire thing is out of his hands, and it is glorious to observe.

Part 4.

Hatori came back, but Professor Prakriti was not with him. Josh didn¡¯t want to ask. Besides, in the happiness of being together with all four of his closest friends, he has no interest in knowing what happened with Hatori. besides, he looks to be fine, if he were to be in trouble though, he wouldn¡¯t be laughing so openly. ¡°Hatori, shouldn¡¯t we tell them what your idea is?¡± asked Josh. ¡°You mean for his drama thing?¡± asked James. ¡°Exactly.¡± Said Josh. Hatori explains, and five minutes later, they all get the basic idea. ¡°I was thinking that you three should also play some roles in this. Shin could play the announcer, and Raven and James can play commentators.¡± ¡°You mean I get to insult you two openly without any repercussions?¡± asked Raven with a smile. ¡°I¡¯m in.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Said James with the same smile as Raven. ¡°Now that¡¯s settled,¡± said Josh, ignoring the looks of happiness on James and Raven¡¯s faces, he asked the next important question. ¡°We need to decide who will be the villain and the hero.¡± ¡°Of course, I¡¯ll be the villain.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I have the right credentials for it as well! I invaded the school, gutted the order of the Academy, and caused all sorts of problems in the process. I should be the villain!¡± concluded Hatori. ¡°First,¡± said Raven, ¡°You didn¡¯t do the gutting alone.¡± ¡°Second, we totally supported you during the invasion.¡± Said James. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. ¡°And third, I should be the villain!¡± said Josh. ¡°I have the right credentials as well!¡± Hatori groaned at Josh stealing his words. ¡°I ruthlessly took advantage of the gutted order, manipulated the emotional masses, and became a tyrannical president, who has been tormenting the students ever since!¡± he concluded. ¡°Oh yeah? what was the last evil thing did you do?¡± asked Hatori, not impressed. ¡°Several of them. I auctioned ancient porn, which is still going on by the way, we¡¯re making an awesome profit on it, I overwork my staff constantly, and just yesterday, I groped some girls, taking advantage of my presidential powers to get away with it!¡± said Josh, daring Hatori to equal him in the villainy department. ¡°As if!¡± sneered Hatori. ¡°Kangana will castrate you if you ever groped a girl. The staff member will rebel and replace you in a heartbeat if you overwork them for no reason. and auctioning porn? It was mine and Shin¡¯s idea, and our business. We only brought you in because we didn¡¯t have anyone else at that time!¡± said Hatori. ¡°Okay, enough.¡± Said Raven, getting a headache from all this arguing. ¡°Let¡¯s do a toss. Whoever wins the toss will play the villain. Why you want to be the villain is beyond me. I thought everyone wanted to be a hero.¡± Grumbled Raven, bringing out a copper coin. ¡°It''s fun being evil.¡± Said Josh and Hatori together. With a snarl, Raven throws the coin to the floor. ¡°Face is Hatori, and crown is Josh.¡± He announced as the coin rolled on its side. The coin landed with its crown side up. ¡°Hatori wins. He will be the villain.¡± Seeing Josh¡¯s whiny expression, Raven thundered. ¡°No whining!¡± ¡°Fine.¡± He sulked. He decides that he will go in the game for himself. He will not follow the script. This will be the revenge of the shooters, baby!

Part 5.

After the entire plan for their ¡°Wrestling drama¡± is hashed out, Hatori leaves for a walk. The ground is covered with snow this year, which is a rare occurrence. During his seven years in this school, he has rarely seen the snowfall of this level. He spied Daphne also walking in the snow, Ravina nowhere to be seen. Hatori makes his way to her, the snow crunching under his feet. He idly considers designing some enchantments for better balance for all kinds of surfaces. Fighting on slippery snow does not sound funny to him. ¡°Hello.¡± He greeted her from behind. She turned around, ready to lash out, but stopped in time when she saw who greeted her. Hatori approves of this reaction. ¡°Hello.¡± She returns the greeting. ¡°I was at your house this year,¡± said Hatori, falling in step with her, ¡°And imagine my surprise when I saw the trophy.¡± ¡°Dad has still put it right in the front, where anyone could see it, right?¡± she asked. ¡°Yep.¡± Said Hatori with a smirk. ¡°His pride and joy, winning duels and taking names.¡± The smirk got wider as Daphne blushed. ¡°I told him to remove the trophy after a while,¡± she muttered. ¡°I think he doesn¡¯t get tired of gloating.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°He talked a lot while I worked on the spirit wards.¡± He carefully left that out so that he also didn¡¯t get tired of listening to him. ¡°What about this year then?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Any competitions?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Daphne. ¡°Professor Bali took us to forests around the Academy instead, making us practice our survival skills there. he carefully excluded one forest in particular.¡± ¡°He¡¯s smarter than I thought then.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Most of you won¡¯t come out of there alive if you provoked the denizens of that forest.¡± ¡°That is quite a bold claim.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Of course, do you know who turned them that way?¡± Hatori puffed up self-importantly. ¡°But my own gloating aside, Professor Bali was right to take you there. wilderness is perfect for practicing combat. Nothing cares about your status there, if you are weak, then your food. And if you are not weak, then you are hunting for food.¡± ¡°Isn¡¯t that a rather brutal outlook?¡± asked Daphne, ¡°After all, didn¡¯t civilization itself come out of the wilderness? Shouldn¡¯t that mean it is possible to live there without violence everywhere?¡± ¡°Well, you don¡¯t see violence all the time,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Also, these are very philosophical topics. I never thought about them.¡± ¡°I think you need them more than anyone.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Who knows, you might turn this entire world into a glass floor.¡± The only reply Hatori has for her is a wide smile.

Part 6.

Corvus is meeting with the professors. Currently, he is listening to the conclusion of her report about Hatori¡¯s experiment. ¡°In short, the boy has no idea what he did.¡± She spoke. ¡°This is nothing unusual,¡± said Krodhatma, the resident rune expert. ¡°There is no way to predict these things. there is a reason why we do not encourage experimenting with animals with runes and rituals.¡± ¡°Maybe we should scare the boy, put the fear of magic in him. else, he might decide to do this again.¡± Said Prakriti. ¡°When I spoke with him, he didn¡¯t sound horrified or expressed his regrets. He was unfazed. This is a dangerous behavior which has to be curbed.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think this is a wise course of action. And before you accuse me of favoritism, understand why,¡± said Krodhatma, glaring at several professors who opened their mouths to say the same thing. ¡°We, through our own machinations,¡± he looked at Corvus while saying this, ¡°Cornered the boy so much so that he was thrown out of this school on flimsy charges. He had no way to appeal, no one to fight for him. that¡¯s why he resorted to that experiment; consequences be damned. And if we now try to scare him, it¡¯ll just enforce in his mind that we¡¯re not to be trusted, and this will spread to other students. Professors can take any action at flimsy charges, banish students to the forest with nothing more than the clothes on their backs, and leave no room to appeal such harsh punishments.¡± Prakriti sighed. ¡°When you put it like that¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°Besides,¡± continued Krodhatma, ¡°He is much more experienced since then and has become more powerful as well. whatever we do will not scare him. however, it will express to him that we are hostile towards him, something which we should not do.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°We won¡¯t take any action against Hatori Eagle. However, we will continue to monitor the animals. Who knows, maybe we might achieve some breakthroughs of our own?¡± everyone smiled at Corvus¡¯s hopeful tone.

Part 7: the role of generals.

The generals in the Subcontinent¡¯s military have many important roles. On one level, they must direct the military operations, and on another level, they must interact with the civilian side of the government. The generals are always appointed by the king, who chooses the general from the crop of experienced military officers available at the time of their rule. due to this, the generals never allow the same kind of political structure as it is present on the civilian side. Meaning, that a soldier who comes from a lower-class family can hope to have the same prospects as a soldier from a high-class family. This structure is enforced in the military harshly. As a result, many people who do not get any choice in employment due to their birth often end up in the military, where they can have hope for some social mobility. The generals also play an important role. And that is to keep the brute force of a mage king in check. Due to the harsh way the kings are chosen in the Subcontinent, only the strongest of the mages have any chance of getting the chance to sit on the throne. However, the generals keep them in check, and in the past, often challenged them and removed them from the throne. Though a general taking the throne from the king is a rare event, it has only happened twice. Chapter 148 Chapter 148.

Part 1.

Before Josh and Hatori can have their match, some things have to be done to set it up. first, the ring has to be created. James worked on the enchantment on the wooden boards, creating the enchantments according to Hatori¡¯s specifications. ¡°It has to be bouncy, but not too much. we don¡¯t want to end up three meters up in the air!¡± he explained to James. Then, they needed some stylized clothes. Shin was the one who procured the clothes for them, which Josh and Hatori enchanted to protect themselves from injuries during the match. indeed, these enchantments do not provide 100 percent protection, but some protection is better than none. Besides, it would be criminal to not take advantage of magic before they go into the ring to protect themselves. Then, the remaining tasks were to create posters and make announcements to build up this match. Hatori enjoyed the grumblings of people, as Shin took his role of an announcer like a duck to water, disrupting the peaceful meal time of everyone. The posters were stuck everywhere, even in the girl¡¯s lavatory. Hatori doesn¡¯t want to know how those posters got there. if he doesn¡¯t know, he cannot get in trouble. Finally, the day of the match arrives. Behind the curtains, Josh and Hatori prepare to give the performance of their lifetime, as this is the only chance which they have to do something like this in their lives.

Part 2.

The crowd roared, as Raven and James sat in an improvised commentary box. Most of the students have no idea what¡¯s going on here, but judging from this elaborate setup, they are expecting to have a good time. ¡°Welcome, welcome everyone, to this important exhibition match. today, two fighters who have made their names across the world will collide in this very ring, and beat each other into a bloody pulp, just for your own sick enjoyment!¡± said Raven, warming up to his role of a sarcastic commentator. ¡°On one side, we have Josh, a lumbering giant,¡± a picture of Josh appears on the screen, who is very much not a giant. Tall for his age? Certainly. But not a giant. ¡°Known for his brute force, this man has destroyed his competition and has won hundreds of championships!¡± said James, concluding the introduction of Josh. ¡°On the other side, we have Hatori Eagle, who is no slouch in the height department either,¡± another picture is shown, of a boy who is just a few inches shorter than Josh, the camera focusing on his two missing eyeballs. ¡°This man is known for his dirty tactics, the cowardly begging, and no duplicitous way is too low for him, as long as he can get a victory.¡± The crowd booed the figure on the screen. Raven is furious, but he reminds himself that this is not true, it is all fake.

Part 3.

¡°Welcome ladies and gentlemen, to the main event of the evening!¡± announced Shin. The sun was shining brightly outside, and of course, this was the only event which is taking place currently. ¡°Introducing first,¡± Josh walks to the ring from the curtains, ¡°Weighing at 120 kilograms, Josh Fernandes!¡± Josh glared at Shin. He is nowhere near that heavy. his real weight is seventy kilograms, which he feels is normal for a 16-year-old who stands around 181 centimeters, or 5 feet 11 inches, for those of you who cannot calculate. ¡°And, introducing his opponent, weighing at 100 kilograms, Hatori Eagle!¡± Hatori also glared at Shin, as he threw the curtains aside, and walked in the ring. His weight is 65 kilograms, which he feels is normal for a guy of his size and age, being just two inches shorter than Josh. Both fighters take their corners, and the bell rings, signaling the start of the competition. ¡°The match begins, both fighters have locked their arms to test their strength.¡± Said Raven. ¡°And it seems Josh has the advantage, he has managed to push Hatori to the ground!¡± said James, playing the role of an excitable announcer perfectly. ¡°But remember, Hatori has a strong submission game. He might be not on the top, but this won¡¯t stop him for too long,¡± said Raven. True to his prediction, Hatori gets out of the pin attempt by bridging and nearly turning his body on the head, and dislodging Josh from his top position. He then scrambled with him, trying to grab his leg, then his arm, failing in both, he grabbed his head. ¡°Hatori tries to crank the neck, but Josh is defending well,¡± said James. ¡°True, but he is not relenting on his attacks. how long can Josh defend?¡± asked Raven. Abandoning his attempts of cranking the neck of Josh, Hatori works on his arm, pulling it behind him, and torquing it with both hands. ¡°And here it goes. Will we see an arm snapping tonight folks?¡± asked James, while the sun continues to remind everyone of its brightness. The star is enjoying this farce it seems. Hatori didn¡¯t have a proper grip, so Josh managed to extract his arm from his grip. Both of them reset to a standing position. Instead of a test of strength, Hatori tries to take Josh down, but fails. Josh scoops him up and dumps him to the ground with a large thud, the crowd gave a cheer as he did so. He then tries to stomp on him, trying to pin him with one foot to his chest. But Hatori rolls away. Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± said Raven, watching Hatori attacking Josh¡¯s knee when the referee Yantra was conveniently looking away. ¡°What a dirty tactic. He deserves the disqualification!¡± ¡°But what will these people think then? They want a proper match!¡± argued James. ¡°But they are not getting that anyway,¡± said Raven, as Hatori rolled Josh over, trying to pin him. But the larger fighter defends himself, so Hatori switches to his legs, trying to break them with a hold. Despite the booing of the crowd, the hold is perfectly legal. But given what he did just a minute ago, Hatori is not exactly loved by the fans right now. As Josh gets away, he gets a frustrated look on his face. When Josh comes to attack him, Hatori just puts him against the rope and strikes him with closed fists, a blatant violation of the rules. ¡°What bullshit. That yantra is clearly created by Hatori,¡± said James. ¡°I didn¡¯t leave my preparation to watch this farce!¡± condemned Raven. Despite this beating, Josh is in high spirits, sure of his victory. Just to piss off Hatori, he poses in the ring, delighting the crowd, and angering Hatori. taking advantage of his angry fog, Josh tackles him, lifts him up, and after spinning him around a few times, drops him headfirst to the ground. Quickly putting his shoulders to the ground, the yantra slaps the ring three times, as Josh pins Hatori. ¡°One, two, three!¡± the commentators counted along with the crowd. the bell rings, and Shin comes to announce the winner. ¡°The winner of the match, Josh Fernandes!¡± the loud music starts to play, which gets cut off in the middle, right when it was building up to a good part. ¡°What¡¯s this? What could he possibly say after his despicable acts in that ring today?¡± asked James. ¡°Maybe some songs of sadness for losing?¡± suggested Raven. But Hatori has nothing in mind. ¡°You think you¡¯re so good? well, guess what. You¡¯re bloody, while I¡¯m still pristine and clean. So, you can celebrate with these degenerate whores, but mark my words, they will leave you when you stop paying them!¡± with his nonsensical rant over, Hatori drops the magic amplifier, and escapes through the angry crowd, causing a riot in the process.

Part 4.

Avinash leaves as the riot begins. He is disgusted by this entire farcical event. He thought that Hatori had respect for his fighting skills, but he was cheapening them by participating in this circus. In this narrator¡¯s opinion, this kid needs to learn the important lesson of food on the table. You must perform in a circus if need be if you do not wish to go hungry. The narrator is confident that Avinash will learn it soon enough.

Part 5.

Porus was initially planning to go to Keralam, but he changed his mind in the middle. Instead, he is enjoying himself in the mountainous regions, looking at the beautiful scenery of ice and snow peddles flying through the air in the frigid air of the winter season. ¡°Zeko, since I¡¯m already here, what do you say if we go to the Academy as well?¡± he asked with a hopeful smile. ¡°Why not?¡± agreed Zeko. ¡°It¡¯ll be interesting to see their reactions.¡± ¡°Yes indeed.¡± Said Porus. ¡°And maybe Corvus will stop complaining that I don¡¯t visit him anymore.¡± They decide to attend the final day of the winter festival. Until that day arrives, the king decides to explore this area further.

Part 6.

Manoj is furious. After he got injured by Munshi, he realized that the necromancer had poisoned his soul. He could not maintain his physical form anymore. thus, he finds himself flying around as a furious wraith, not knowing what is going on in the world. This continues until he finally regains enough of his strength to possess a pig and try to find a way out of his current predicament.

Part 7.

Nandan enters the grounds of the Academy with Dimitri. ¡°If they ask me about my experience, I¡¯ll tell them about all the teaching roles I have served. If they ask me about my successful students,¡± he looked at Nandan, ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I would have to convince them much in that department.¡± He continues to mutter in this fashion, as they go inside of the school. ¡°Relax master,¡± said Nandan, ¡°You¡¯ve got this.¡± ¡°You think so?¡± asked Dimitri, not sure. ¡°Of course! Remember, they haven¡¯t got a coach for the last ten years,¡± said Nandan. ¡°And suddenly someone like you comes here, they won¡¯t let you go, I promise you that.¡± While Nandan cannot predict that with 100 percent assurance, it is important to give his master some confidence. Really, the man has been nervous about this interview ever since they arrived in the Subcontinent. On one hand, it is amusing to see this feared dueler behaving like that. but on the other hand, Nandan does not want his confidence issues to botch the interview for him. Chapter 149 Chapter 149.

Part 1.

Shin conducts the orchestra. This isn¡¯t the first time he has done this, but in the last six years or so, he has gotten used to being the center of attention. But here he is now, directing people from the background. Not that he minds doing this. After all, he already did his own performance. Sangita was so proud¡­

Part 2.

Meanwhile, a quiet battle is taking place in one of the many rooms reserved for various events. over the board, both players observe the changing situation and make their moves accordingly. Raven has played this guy eight times in the last two days, and so far, he is leading by four to zero. But this is a grueling match, which continues on until one player wins all five matches, draws not counting. As Raven makes his move, he wonders whether he should drop out of this competition next year or not. but then again, he wouldn¡¯t be able to look himself in the mirror if he did that. Losing and then retiring is one thing. Retiring undefeated is an awesome dream, since Raven has no interest in being a professional chess player, since there is no profession for it outside of the school anyway. but just leaving and not playing? That is unacceptable to him.

Part 3.

Ravina is working on a matrix of runes, trying to create a ward to hide something. Only the person who put the ward will know where the thing in question is, but anyone else will never see it, even if it is in front of their eyes. Footsteps sound behind her, as someone enters the rune classroom. She ignores them since it is probably someone from the class, here to work on their own project. She continues to ignore them, even when this person starts to loom over her, and very clearly is taking a peek at her work. ¡°You¡¯re making a mistake, you know.¡± Ravina recognized this voice. she turns around, and gives a glair to Hatori, taken aback at his height. What is up with the boys shooting up like a weed these days? ¡°What do you mean?¡± she hoped her tone implied proper hostility. Her work is exemplary, the professor said so! Hatori puts his finger on the paper on which she was drawing these runes and traces a line. ¡°You should curve this one. you¡¯ll use less space, and get better results for less power. all around a better result.¡± Ravina looked at the thing blankly. For a moment, the thought does not compute. But then, she realizes that Hatori easily found a mistake in her work, the work on which she put hours, and just by a look. Looks like Professor Krodhatma was right, he truly has a knack for runes. This does not stop her from taking out her foci and launching Stinger spells at him. Hatori runs while batting aside most of the Stinger spells with his hands. he believes he can take her on a fight, but has no interest in doing so. He is here to enjoy himself, not pick fights.

Part 4.

Corvus is taking the interview of Dimitri. The headmaster can easily tell that this man is nervous, though he hides it well. nearby, a clock ticks loudly, which Corvus always uses to cause anxiety among the new candidates. How can he learn whether they can handle the stress or not otherwise? Teaching children is a stressful job, especially when they are trying to murder each other, and there is a very real threat of getting caught in the middle. A former duelist shouldn¡¯t have any trouble handling a few unruly students. ¡°So, you¡¯ve dueling for forty years, but what kind of teaching experience do you have?¡± he asked. ¡°Aside from my current apprentice,¡± said Dimitri, ¡°I have coached previously in the past. Though those were professional duelists younger than me.¡± ¡°So, you already have experience of teaching a small team, and an apprentice.¡± At Dimitri¡¯s nod, Corvus continues. ¡°But can you teach a larger class? I¡¯m asking because I would like you to take over the position of professor of combat, if need be, in the future.¡± ¡°I can handle it no problem.¡± Said Dimitri confidently. This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. ¡°Very well,¡± said Corvus after this interview, ¡°I would like you to start the next year. I do plan to win that competition, and shut some faces.¡± Said Corvus with a nasty smile. Five minutes later after Dimitry left, the door opened, and various spells flew at Corvus. He easily batted them aside, and a flock of black ravens assaulted the attacker. But these ravens are all destroyed by a flying large reptilian creature, who burns them all from the flames of his mouth. ¡°Ah, finally decided to visit an old man, have you?¡± said Corvus. ¡°As if. That display proves you¡¯re not as feeble as you like to pretend.¡± Said Porus, walking into the room and taking the seat which is recently vacated by Dimitri. Getting annoyed at the ticking of the clock, the king tries to destroy it, but Corvus shields the clock. ¡°So, you are here for the festival?¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Porus. He observes Zeko poking his head in the room. he dismisses him silently, while Corvus watches the entire interaction quietly. ¡°That man takes his duties seriously.¡± Said Corvus, approval in his voice. ¡°Too seriously in my opinion.¡± Said Porus sullenly. ¡°One would think that he would remember that I am his master, but know. He orders me around, for my own protection!¡± ¡°Quit complaining. He is not exactly wrong.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°Besides, I do remember you had a delicate constitution.¡± ¡°No, I don¡¯t!¡± Denied the king.

Part 6.

¡°Do you know that Ravina ranted to me about you for the last hour?¡± asked Daphne, taking a seat near Hatori, who is alone currently. ¡°Huh,¡± he said. ¡°I couldn¡¯t imagine why,¡± he smirked. ¡°I think you totally know why. that smirk gives you away.¡± She pointed out. Hatori¡¯s face was like a stone. ¡°What smirk?¡± he asked with a wooden tone. ¡°Right.¡± she shook her head. ¡°Anyway, why don¡¯t you come with me outside today? There are some interesting things which we haven¡¯t seen yet.¡± ¡°Outside?¡± asked Hatori, getting up. ¡°I thought everything was in the Academy.¡± ¡°Well, they do set things up for older students outside as well, mostly stalls and other things like that. but younger students are not allowed there, since animals seem to do wander in due to the smell of food.¡± Explained Daphne. ¡°I thought it would be a turn-off for people.¡± Said Hatori, as he observed the large crowd, walking around, admiring the fountains created by magic, and enjoying the various dishes offered by the stalls. ¡°Yeah, but those are just animals. It¡¯s not like we let them eat directly from the stall.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Besides, ever since your stunt, they have gotten really smart about it. now they just stuck around until the end, and then rush at the stalls when everyone goes inside for the new year countdown.¡± This was a novel experience for Hatori. he hadn¡¯t spent this much time around a girl before, he had read or seen these things in the novels and movies, but never experienced them himself. So, he felt like a fish out of water. but he likes to think he maintained himself nicely here since he is not given to blathering or stuttering before a girl. The nice food, which tasted just as good as it smelled was a bonus.

Part 7.

Hatori is surprised to see the king at the festival. He goes to talk with him, picking his moment since he is not surrounded by anyone. ¡°How long was it when you attended this festival last time?¡± he asked. Porus observes Hatori. the boy is growing quite nicely, he is very different from the average kid whom they summoned eight years ago. Now, he is physically strong, and has gotten quite tall, and are those a pair of artificial eyes? Anyone else will miss them, but it is not easy to hide something like that from Porus. Still, he decides not to say anything about them. every mage is entitled to their secrets after all. ¡°Quite a long time ago.¡± Said Porus. ¡°It is a reminder of what I lost, and can never regain again.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t scare me like that sir,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I often get terrified when I think of my future as it is.¡± The king smiled. ¡°Anyway,¡± said Hatori, ¡°I¡¯m quite a privileged kid since I can talk to you so frankly.¡± ¡°On the contrary, anyone can come and speak to me frankly.¡± Said Porus. ¡°I don¡¯t eat their heads, as much as people like to believe that.¡± ¡°But they are terrified of your position.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It is very intimidating to talk to someone who runs an entire country, in particular, if you live in that very country.¡± Chapter 150 Chapter 150.

Part 1.

Munshi picks up Hatori the next day after the New Year¡¯s party ends. The king has left already with Zeko. Though James and Hatori wanted to map the runes of the frozen time room, they did not do that this year. they didn¡¯t want to work on runes, instead, they were looking forward to having fun with their friends. ¡°I promise, I¡¯ll work on it from now on. I already got the ancient runes down, now only the translating process remains.¡± He said to him in the morning, before Hatori left. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back here next year. we can do it then, don¡¯t try to take it on alone. this project is big enough that it¡¯ll need both of us working on it.¡± Hatori said to him. he didn¡¯t want James to burn himself out while working alone on translating those runes. James already managed to map out the wards of the ground, something which he shared with Hatori. meaning they can create a location that is safe from anyone and also gets ignored by everyone, no matter what goes on in there. During this festival, Hatori finds some more abandoned ancient stuff, gives that to Josh, and is certain that he will get a good price for it, Hatori leaves with Munshi, while Shin also leaves with Sangita.

Part 2.

Manoj wanted to howl, but he could not do so. Currently, he is possessing a dog. He had to leave the body of the pig in a hurry since Kishore Nanda was about to butcher it, and though Manoj is certain that he can survive, he has no interest in going through a butchering experience. Speaking of Kishore, the man proves to be another headache for him. he is a treasure trove of information, right at his hand (paw) reach, but he cannot get at him. The wards are too strong. Who would have thought that this farmer would be paranoid enough to actually have spirit and soul protection wards? So, he is now thinking of attacking him from outside, trying to cause a riot among the animals near the farm, and trying to possess Kishore in the ensuing chaos. But this plan also failed. The animals are stubborn here, they do not yield to him. Even this dog only fell to his soul because it is old and at the end of his life. If this dog were to be younger, he could have devoured his soul by now. But luckily for Manoj, he has discovered a graveyard nearby, where tons of old mages are buried. He wagged his tell as his mouth stretched in a doggy grin. ¡®Maybe my luck will finally take a turn for the better.¡¯ he howled in joy.

Part 3.

In the car, Hatori is receiving a lesson about how the flavors of spirits can change depending on the location. ¡°In general,¡± said Munshi, ¡°Near the ocean or rivers, you will find spirits which heavily use water. mountains will have both earth and wind users and lightning and fire spirits are rare because they can only be found near a volcano or in a cloud.¡± ¡°In a cloud?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Of course. Where else you can get natural lightning?¡± asked Munshi. Hatori has some ideas, involving many dangerous runes, but decides not to mention them. ¡°However, these are not the only changes you can observe in the spirits as you go from place to place. Depending upon countries, you can also observe changes. In Asia for example, the island of Nihon is a hotbed of activity for the spirits, many strange and unusual variety of spirits are found there. whereas in Albion, the spirits generally take over a house and maintain and guard it ruthlessly.¡± Stolen story; please report. ¡°How ruthlessly?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°They don¡¯t have any cleaning services. The spirits drive them out,¡± said Munshi. ¡°That sounds pretty extreme.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It is indeed. It is also frightening since they try to be so helpful. I¡¯m not as paranoid as you or Zeko, but it is off-putting to me as well.¡± said Munshi, remembering his days spent in Albion dealing with the spirits who always wanted to help him.

Part 4.

¡°As you see sir,¡± said the man, showing off his factory which grounds the spices before packing them up. ¡°It is very important to clear everything before the process of grounding can start, as the supply of spices can have things like dust, rocks, and even sticks and branches.¡± ¡°Impressive. But I don¡¯t think you can ground every spice?¡± asked Porus. ¡°Of course not. some spices have to be turned into a powder form, some of them have to be half-roasted, and of course, some of them we offer without any changes, aside from drying them. such as in the cases of chilies.¡± Explained the manager, taking the king to another area. Porus is enjoying his stay in the Keralam. The people have welcomed him with such open arms, and they even let him plant some new coconut trees as well! people would have thrown such a hissy fit back in the castle if he actually dared to do that by hand. Come to think of it, the castle is lacking in the coconut trees. maybe he should get one for himself? The castle is not exactly lacking in the water department, being located near a large water source and all. But spices are just one part of it. this entire area is an agricultural powerhouse, and the people who live here have worked relentlessly to make it one of the most profitable regions of the Subcontinent.

Part 5.

¡°You all will be going to the northeastern region,¡± said Sundar, pacing back and forth. ¡°It is an important mission since that area is very large, and divided. It is important that people there are kept in contact with the throne, lest they start to consider themselves separate from us. be respectful to the mages there, and be ready to get beheaded if you start a war there.¡± Everyone chuckled at the joke of the general, though they knew the seriousness of the situation at the back of their minds. ¡°My intern-apprentice Raven will also be going to you in this mission. Give the kid all the difficult jobs, but above all, educate him in dealing with people from the military side.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± saluted the leader of the squad. ¡°Though I must ask, isn¡¯t it rather dangerous to send him on such a mission?¡± he asked. ¡°If not now, then never.¡± Said the general. Raven left after preparing his supplies, and he is currently reading the small pamphlet he has received about the northeastern region. The area is a very large territory, where there are very few noble families. According to the pamphlet, in the early days of the Subcontinent, the mage families tried to make their way into this area as well, but the different tribal mages who lived there resisted their encroachment. when the first king Samarat took the throne, he didn¡¯t want to deal with another war, as he was already dealing with currency wars and the noble families who refused to accept him as the rightful king. therefore, he proposed a deal with these tribal mages. They will get to live as they have been so far, but they must send their kids to the Academy, and must not trade with outsiders. Aside from that, the throne will not interfere in their internal matters. Ever since, every few years, the military and politicians often go to this area to visit these mages to remind them of their presence, and to make sure that Zhongguo is not making some moves to seduce these people to their side. Chapter 151 Chapter 151.

Part 1.

A car is going through the road, with one man walking inside, collecting various items, while the vehicle drives automatically. This is, of course, Munshi¡¯s car. The necromancer has dropped Hatori and is going to Kishore Nanda¡¯s farm. About a month later after he picked up Hatori from the Academy, he got a letter from the farmer. He explained the undead assaults going on at his farm. Munshi recognized who was behind these attacks at once. At first, he wanted to take Hatori with him there, but he decides that he will be able to deal with this problem better alone. despite the experience Hatori has acquired, he is still not ready to face an experienced necromancer like Manoj alone. Not that Hatori is free during this time. he has his own case to solve.

Part 2.

Hatori makes himself comfortable in the airship. he is going to the northern region of the Subcontinent, specifically, the capital of that area. Some noble family is having some necromantic troubles, and since Munshi already has a case, Hatori is going to his place. He is apprehensive about dealing with a noble family alone since Hatori does not exactly get along with the high society. but Munshi told him that there would be some people there to look out for him. so, he should focus on his case, and leave everything to these people. Predictably, when he asked about these mysterious people, Munshi failed to answer who they were. Munshi also told Hatori before he left that they had not shared much in the letter. He told Hatori that noble families could be like that, so he would have to lean hard on them if he wished to get anything out of them.

Part 3.

James is working with healer Slaughter. Outside, there is a huge line of students, waiting to receive their potions, while inside of the infirmary, several students groan in pain and discomfort. An epidemic has broken out in the Academy, and all the healers and their students are working hard to tackle this problem. Seeing the exhaustion of James, Slaughter walks to him and puts a hand over his shoulder. ¡°Enough kid, let¡¯s take a break.¡± ¡°But sir¡ª¡± James protested, there is still work to be done. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, there are other healers here as well,¡± said Slaughter, and sat down with James for a moment. While they drink their tea to soothe their nerves, Slaughter begins to talk with James. ¡°This is the first time you have experienced a problem of this scale.¡± James nodded, and Slaughter continued. ¡°This is always a test. The stupidity of people, and then their panic. Remember though, always take it as a challenge. Do not let it overwhelm you, because then you won¡¯t be able to save any lives.¡± ¡°I understand, sir. Thank you,¡± said James gratefully. He is glad to hear those words, however odd they may be.

Part 4.

While James works with healer Slaughter, in the president¡¯s office, Josh is dealing with the cause of this epidemic. ¡°You knew it was against the rules, and yet you did it all the same. Sneaking a pet inside, unvaccinated no less!¡± Josh resisted his urge to slam his fist down upon his desk. Unfortunately, the person sitting in front of him does not seem to care at all. The boy sneered at Josh. ¡°So, what if I did? My father¡ª¡± ¡®Fuck it.¡¯ thought Josh, and with the pressure of his magic, he throws the boy to the floor. ¡°Listen, Tarun, I¡¯m tired of arguing with you. Do you think I give a damn about your father and his position? Well, think again.¡± Josh gets up from his chair and looms over a cowering Tarun. ¡°You made a mistake. Your pet will be returned to your home, and you will wear the mark of shame as long as you study here for endangering the students here, do you understand?¡± Right now, Tarun feels like a gorilla is looking down upon him, ready to crush him beneath his feet for showing the slightest resistance. ¡°But my father will¡ª¡± he tries to say. ¡°Will do nothing.¡± Said Josh, walking back to his chair. ¡°I don¡¯t care whether he comes barging in here, kills your dog, punishes you, or something else entirely. But one thing I know certainly. That you won¡¯t get away by using his name under my rule.¡± said Josh with finality.

Part 5.

Raven sits down in the camp, tired from all the walking he had to do while carrying heavy bags of supplies. True to the instruction of the general, the soldiers are not giving him any easy time, making him carry the same load as them. though he notices that they do let him rest more. Probably because he is still young. The reason for this walking? They are lost. the map was forgotten before they came here, and while they did manage to meet with the tribes, they had no idea of how to find their way back to the capital of this region, which would allow them to go to the castle from there. Just like the other three nights, arguing ensues in the camp. ¡°What? That is not the right path.¡± ¡°How can you say it so confidently?¡± ¡°There was no river!¡± ¡°You speak as if you have traversed this path on foot!¡± Raven sidles up to the squad leader and asks to speak with him. at his nod, he asks. ¡°Why can¡¯t we ask locals to show us the way?¡± he whispered quietly. But not quietly enough. The soldiers near him hear his words, and they decide to let him know why. ¡°What? How dare you suggest such a thing?¡± said the woman. ¡°We are the mighty soldiers of our king. we do not get lost, and certainly never ask for help from tribal locals!¡± This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°Indeed. Imagine the humiliation!¡± added a man. ¡°I thought the military was supposed to be pragmatic. That¡¯s what the general taught me so far.¡± Said Raven. Several soldiers opened their mouths but then closed them. ¡°Say it.¡± he smiled at their discomfort. ¡°Why don¡¯t you say that you think that the general is an office-bound idiot?¡± They winced at those words. How did this kid read their mind? ¡°As things stand now, we¡¯re already going through a humiliation. Other squads are probably reporting as we speak. we are the only ones who are missing. There is no sign of a conflict in this region, so the general is going to draw the right conclusion anyway.¡± Raven turns to the leader, who is listening to these arguments with rapt attention. He is happy to hear something different than the bickering he has been hearing for the last three days. ¡°Sir,¡± continues Raven, ¡°I know that I¡¯m not a proper soldier yet, but I do think we should abandon our pride for now. we can think of humiliation once we actually get back in the castle and report to the general. Because if the general sends a search squad, and they find us like this, our humiliation will increase by ten times!¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± said the leader. ¡°Darshan, go speak with the natives. We¡¯ll find our way back to the capitol. Once we get back, we¡¯ll think about how to repair our reputation.¡± The soldiers grumble and decide to make their beds. There is more walking to be done tomorrow.

Part 6.

Avinash and Kishore are holed up on the farm. The wards have stopped the undead from invading the farm, but it has also trapped them here. they are not lacking in food for now, but sooner or later, they will run out. None of them are necromancers, so they do not fancy their chances against an undead squad. Just like every other day, Avinash goes to handle the animals. Provide fodder to the cows, feed the chickens, and of course, keep them inside, and not let them cross the wards of the farm. While he is doing this, he has to ignore the looming presence of the rotting corpses, which are waiting for him to step just one toe out of the line to pounce on him. As he is walking inside after these chores, he hears the noise of a car. Soon, the walking corpses are attacked from behind with whips of fire and eye-searing blasts of fire, turning the bodies into ash. Munshi walks in, his feet crunching on the bones of the undead. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t they restore themselves?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it wasn¡¯t the normal fire.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Is Kishore inside?¡± at Avinash¡¯s nod, Munshi moves inside of the farm. The farmer comes to meet him, looking haggard. ¡°Could you provide some details of what is going on here?¡± asked Munshi, getting straight to the point. ¡°Well, it was a bloody strange thing. At first, the animals went wild. Then after everything calms down for a while, suddenly these rotting walking corpses show up, forcing us to live here.¡± he said. ¡°Beyond that, I don¡¯t know. But I certainly know where these corpses came from. A graveyard is located nearby, and I have spoken to the villagers about it on multiple occasions to remove it and burn the corpses. But they refused every time, the magic damned idiots.¡± ¡®He must be using that graveyard as a base of his operation then.¡¯ Thinks Munshi. ¡°Well, you will get rid of these corpses one way or another.¡± Said Munshi with a smile.

Part 6.

Hatori arrives at the home of the Yadav family. The entire area seems to have a gloomy feeling. There is no carefree talking, no sound of laughter, not a feeling that he expects to get from a family. ¡®The noble families do have emotions, don¡¯t they? Or did they eat those in the name of politics and ambitions?¡¯ he thought to himself, as he was led to meet with the family head. Niraj Yadav looks to be a man of average height, a mage who appears to be middle-aged, but with mages, it is hard to tell. Hatori is still having trouble getting used to visual interactions with humans, so he is not going to judge someone¡¯s age. ¡°You are Munshi¡¯s student, correct?¡± asked Niraj, once Hatori took a sit in front of him. ¡°I received a letter from him, explaining why he is sending you.¡± ¡®That explains it.¡¯ Hatori nods. ¡°Yes sir, I am his student,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Now, will you tell me what is going on here? you didn¡¯t describe anything in the letter.¡± Said Hatori, deciding to get to the point. ¡®The boy looks to be experienced. I cannot disregard him.¡¯ thinks Niraj. ¡°There have been various incidents, where I feel some people got possessed or got violently attacked.¡± He said, while not giving any specific details. ¡®Master was right. these noble people are hard to deal with. Still, I can think of various things, I¡¯ve built up a nice collection after solving some cases.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. ¡°That sounds like a soul. Spirits do not possess humans. If you don¡¯t mind me asking, is there some violent history in your family for which a soul might try to take revenge on you? this seems to be the common pattern I have observed in the cases I have solved on my own.¡± Said Hatori, when Niraj looked at him strangely for that question. ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of.¡± Said Niraj. ¡°If my ancestor pissed off someone and didn¡¯t tell us, I cannot discard that possibility.¡± ¡°Okay. it will take me some time to observe this house and capture this soul or spirit that is causing problems. Until then, please do inform me if anything strange happens.¡± Said Hatori, taking his leave. He decides to investigate the history of this family on his own, just in case the head is not sharing with him. Chapter 152 Chapter 152.

Part 1.

Shikhar is one of the retired military officers about whom Munshi told Hatori. he is currently bunking at his house while investigating this case. Hatori is not certain why Munshi knows some retired military people, but he decides that that is a meaningless question right now. ¡°Sir,¡± he asked instead, ¡°Do you know whether the Yadav family has some sort of dark event in their past? I asked Niraj about it, but he didn¡¯t reveal anything, and denied the possibility.¡± Shikhar puts his spoon down, swallows his breakfast, and then answers. ¡°Not that I¡¯m aware of. True, the family is rather uptight, but that is given since they have recently ascended to the status of a noble family. I suspect that there isn¡¯t much of a past of their family either, or at least they didn¡¯t keep any records.¡± ¡°Huh. this makes it difficult to track the problem.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Or maybe, I¡¯m too bullish on this pattern of some old soul trying to take vengeance?¡± ¡°Could be.¡± Said Shikhar. ¡°What I can suggest is that you take things as they appear, and do not make too many assumptions.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll remember that,¡± said Hatori. After breakfast, he leaves the home of Shikhar, to keep an eye on the house of the Yadav family.

Part 2.

Kritika Yadav is an ambitious woman. Having graduated from the Academy recently (her father won¡¯t let her drop out of the school); she now looks for an easy life. Her plan is simple. Seduce a man, and then take over slowly. In short, nothing new in this narrator¡¯s opinion. Her target is the Hatori Eagle. She was the student during his time, so she knows what kind of power he has within him. if she could bind him to her, she would be set. She would have tamed someone whom most of the noble families failed to tame. All of them will kneel before her with Hatori on her side. The boy comes, speaks with her father, and then leaves his office. She goes to him and decides to introduce herself to him. ¡°Hi,¡± she gave her best smile, ¡°I¡¯m Kritika. What were you talking to my father about?¡± she asked innocently. ¡°Classified.¡± Said Hatori with a distracted tone, trying to sense around for a soul. ¡°I am his daughter, you know. He does not hide anything from me.¡± she puts her hands on her hips and looks at Hatori with a challenging glare. ¡°I¡¯m sure he doesn¡¯t,¡± said Hatori, humoring her so she would leave him alone. somehow, he believes it won¡¯t end well for him if he turns the daughter of his client into so much fertilizer for the ground. ¡®That could have gone better.¡¯ thinks Kritika. But she is not willing to give up. while Hatori continues to investigate, she continues to stick around him. Whenever he looks around, she is there. ¡®Wasn¡¯t he used to be blind? He is moving awfully smoothly for a blind boy.¡¯ she thinks, but then disregards the query entirely. It is none of her business. The important point is to show up whenever he looks around, even if Hatori is just asking for a glass of water. The murderous look Hatori gives her every time goes over her head entirely. The soul could be anywhere right now, and this woman keeps bothering him. ¡®If the soul is hearing me, please turn up and make an example out of her.¡¯ Nothing happened. ¡®Really? No takers? I promise to go easy on you if you do that.¡¯ he thought as loudly as he could. Still, when he opened his eyes, still hidden under the illusion of missing eyeballs, the only thing that treated him was the smiling face of Kritika. ¡®Why the hell do I even remember her name?¡¯ he thought in annoyance.

Part 3.

Late in the night, Munshi sneaks inside of the nearby graveyard. He sensed the soul of Manoj Sharma inside the cemetery, so he worked silently and created a ward to restrict him and trap him within this area. ¡®I should make sure that he won¡¯t be able to escape just by possessing some animal or human.¡¯ Thinks Munshi at the last minute. With a final rune, the ward is complete, and the necromancer charges it. even if Manoj tries to stop it, he won¡¯t be able to do it. the ward is now done, and he cannot escape this graveyard. Satisfied with his work, Munshi returns to the farm. He will now try to think of something to deal with him permanently. He has had enough of this cat-and-mouse game. ¡®Maybe I should think of using some different frequencies on him?¡¯ he thinks. ¡°You¡¯re done?¡± asked Kishore, once he got back. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve trapped the necromancer causing the trouble in the graveyard. He won¡¯t be escaping it. however, I still need time to think of a way to deal with him completely.¡± Said Munshi. ¡°Until then, I¡¯ll need to stay on your farm. Will that be fine?¡± ¡°Just don¡¯t disrupt the normal operations.¡± Said the farmer.

Part 4.

Manoj left the old dog. The animal served him faithfully. Now he must find some other animal, or preferably, a weak human to possess, and use as a body. he was quite proud of using the properties of a soul to smelt a body for himself and turn himself immortal that way. until that pesky Munshi destroyed it, turning him into a ghost who has to flee from host to host just to survive. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Garrrraraarara!¡± all the thoughts of Munshi and his peskiness fled from his thoughts when Manoj suffered a nasty shock. He tries to leave the graveyard and suffers another shock. ¡°Garrrrrr!¡± ¡®How?¡¯ he looks at the ward restricting him after he regained his senses. ¡®How did he erect this ward? When did he come here in the first place?¡¯ Manoj is certain that Munshi has arrived here. he has learned of his presence and his ongoing activities here. ¡®Dammit, I don¡¯t want to face him alone. but I can¡¯t escape this ward either! Too bad I can¡¯t contact Shakuntala; she would be dead useful right now.¡¯ he thought about his own pun. ¡®Heh!¡¯

Part 5.

The squad leader of the lost and found squad, as they are being mocked, concludes his report, and Sundar staples his fingers. ¡°This is rather concerning. People shouldn¡¯t forget their maps.¡± He spoke. ¡°Maybe the standards have fallen? Maybe I should ask Zeko to return?¡± For a second, every soldier in the city has a look of abject terror on their faces, before they regain control over themselves. ¡°I don¡¯t think we need such drastic measures.¡± Said the squad leader, trying to sound calm and composed. ¡°How was the boy? did he perform well? gave you any trouble?¡± asked Sundar, ignoring the pancaking his brief thought had caused. ¡°Oh, he was wonderful.¡± Said the leader. ¡°He was arguing against the grown soldiers, and he did not waver in the slightest. Though I think that confidence came from the fact that he knew he was right.¡± ¡°I suppose the other soldiers didn¡¯t take it well?¡± asked Sundar. ¡°Not relevant.¡± Said the leader. ¡°Sir, if it weren¡¯t for him, we probably would be still wandering around those mountains and forests, while some search squads try to find us.¡± ¡°What makes you think I¡¯ll send a search squad?¡± asked Sundar with a stoic expression. ¡°I mean, that is to say¡­¡± seeing the ever-widening smile of the general, the leader composes himself. ¡°What I¡¯m trying to say is that boy has right instincts.¡± ¡°Indeed. But it seems we¡¯re lacking in pragmatism. I don¡¯t like it.¡± said Sundar. ¡°You don¡¯t need to worry about it though. Take a day off. Dismissed.¡± The squad leader leaves, happy to leave the general¡¯s office. He is certain that whatever the general has thought, they are not going to like it one bit.

Part 6.

Kritika is getting frustrated. seduction is so easy in the novels. The girl appears, shows her charms (and some naked skin), and the boy is all over her, wrapped around her little finger. But Hatori is proving to be not that kind of boy. ¡®Does he swing the other way?¡¯ she thinks. ¡®No. I¡¯ve seen him with the Blake and that Nihongan girl. There is no way he swings the other way.¡¯ she thinks. She decides to ask for some tips from her cousins. According to them, she needs to get in physical contact with him, use a perfume that would excite him, and continue what she is doing so far. She follows those instructions. She starts to use a different perfume and starts to touch Hatori. a little touch there, a little glance there. ¡°Thanks for the water.¡± he hands over the glass to her, their fingertips touching in the process. ¡°No problem.¡± She flashed a smile at him. As Kritika leaves, Hatori thinks what a miserable assignment this is. the summer is approaching, and while he tries to sense for a soul in the glaring sun (and sometimes shivering in the night), this girl continues to haunt him. For a moment, he entertains the thought that she might be the soul, trying to torment him subtly, before dismissing the thought. As the sun sets, he sees a man leave the house, and Hatori follows him. Kritika tags along, and the loud clip-clop of her high-heels gives Hatori¡¯s position away. The man starts to run, and Hatori gives chase, while Kritika struggles to keep up. Hatori halts, however, once he hears a buzzing noise coming closer. A cloud of bees descends on the man and stings him to death. Hatori senses the aspiration watching this event nearby, and sends some conjured chains with lightning running through them to ensnare it, but it manages to avoid those chains. ¡°Who are you fighting?¡± asked Kritika, out of breath and her feet killing her. Hatori¡¯s attention is split, and the soul disappears. ¡°Dammit!¡± he cursed quietly. ¡°What?¡± asked Kritika. Hatori ignores the woman. ¡®At least it is confirmed it is a soul.¡¯ He thinks. Going back to Niraj, he explains what happened. ¡°Is that why Kritika has blisters on her feet?¡± he asked. ¡®Really? You are concerned with blisters when a man who works here in your house died?¡¯ thought Hatori, but does not let it show over his face. ¡°Yes.¡± He fishes over his bag and brings out the lockets. ¡°Give these to everyone in the house. Do not remove them in any condition, they will protect you from the souls.¡± Hatori has finally learned to enchant these lockets. He practices by enchanting one locket for the soul and one for the spirits every day. He has amassed a nice collection of them, something which is becoming useful right now. ¡°Also, try not to leave the house alone.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± nodded Niraj, taking the locket, and wearing one himself, before leaving to distribute them among his household and servants. Chapter 153 Chapter 153.

Part 1.

Kritika is shaken up badly from the events of yesterday. After all, in her immaculately perfect life, she has never seen a gruesome death like the one she saw yesterday. Even in the Academy, she actually managed to avoid the conspiracies and the bloodshed that usually goes on there. It disturbs her how easily Hatori is handling this. No jitters, no doubt, no reaction about the death he saw yesterday. He just shows up in the morning, and observes the house, looking out for that strange thing which she only glanced at, before it escaped his attempt to capture it. Hatori is going around, sensing the presence of that soul, while also monitoring anyone who removes their locket. Thankfully, they seem to be following his instructions for now, having someone die by getting stung to death by bees can be quite encouraging after all. ¡®Now, if this bitch would stop following me around, I will be able to hunt this soul in peace.¡¯ He thinks to himself. ¡®Maybe talking to her will work? After all, isn¡¯t that what Kangana said? Clear communication and all that crap.¡¯ He thought. Liking this idea, and hoping that humankind has not devolved yet, Hatori speaks with Kritika. ¡°Listen, you should leave me alone. I¡¯m trying to hunt a dangerous soul here. you saw what happened the other day, didn¡¯t you? you should not be around me; I won¡¯t be able to protect you.¡± There. Hatori thinks this is a nice enough summary. She should be able to understand this and leave him to do his work in peace. ¡°What are you talking about? You need to be protected. You¡¯re young. You can¡¯t fight that thing if it appeared?¡± Hatori suffers a blue screen of death in his mind for a total of two seconds. He then marches to Niraj¡¯s office and opens the door. ¡°Sir, we need to talk. I realize that I sound petulant, but please tell your daughter to stop following me around.¡± ¡°Daddy,¡± Hatori winced after hearing that word. It signifies that the person is totally spoiled rotten, and the adult figure is going to be useless when it comes to containing their behavior. ¡°He needs protection. He just doesn¡¯t realize it, since he is so full of confidence due to all the things he has learned.¡± She smiled sweetly. ¡°Aren¡¯t I doing a good thing?¡± ¡°Ye¡­ yes.¡± Said Niraj, after some hesitation. He looks at Hatori with an expression, ¡®Well, what could we do?¡¯ ¡°Sir, if she gets injured, I refuse to take responsibility.¡± Hatori turns around and walks out, not even waiting for Niraj¡¯s reply.

Part 2.

Munshi has come up with a plan to finally get rid of Manoj. The plan is simple, something like this they have already used on Anantayudha. Put Manoj in a cage, and then murder the hell out of him. For this purpose, he created a special cage, which is currently in pieces. More specifically, each rune-carved stone is a piece of that cage. Munshi merely needs to throw these stones in a particular pattern, and the prison will spring up on its own. He idly runs his fingers across the runes he has carved, feeling the crisscrossing symbols with the tips of his fingers. He may have gotten the artificial vision, but he still draws the runes by touch. ¡®Next thing, calling my battle spirit.¡¯ he thought to himself. With his knees creaking, he draws a summoning circle on the floor of the room he is provided on the floor and then channels the magic through it. ¡®I¡¯m getting too old for this. I don¡¯t think those calcium potions are going to keep my knees strong for long.¡¯ An eye-searing beam of light congeals over the circle, and a woman gracefully lands on the ground. ¡°Wow, you look older than I saw you last time.¡± were her words of greeting. ¡°Chandramukhi.¡± He sighed. He met her when he was in the third year of his necromancy, having just accepted the permanent apprenticeship from his master. He made fun of her name, calling her arrogant for calling herself moon-face. Who does that? She took offense to that, and it took everything Munshi knew at that time to survive her wrath. Later, she helped him out during some cases, tagging along with him. later, they created a contract, where Munshi could summon her if he required some firepower. He didn¡¯t have time or resources, or else he would have called her to face Anantayudha a year before, instead of letting Hatori face him alone. truth to be told, that sudden attack and the resurrection of a battle mage left him rattled. He made so many poor decisions at that time, which are quite clear in hindsight. ¡°Chandramukhi.¡± She mimics his voice. ¡°What kind of greeting is that? you must be really bothered to call me, and not even greet me properly.¡± She smiles fiercely. ¡°I hope that challenge is worth my time.¡±

Part 3.

After he left in such a huff, he expected two things. either Niraj would listen to him or would come down upon him like a ton of conjured bricks, and tell him to leave. But much to Hatori¡¯s surprise, nothing of the sort happened. Kritika is nowhere to be seen, so he continues his exploration of the house, to find some hiding places for that soul. He finds a door that is locked pretty tight. Judging by the dust around this area, no one has come to this room for a long time. the door also has some bars outside, which further intrigues Hatori. ¡°Excuse me, may I ask why this room is closed?¡± Hatori asked one of the servants. ¡°We don¡¯t know.¡± Answered the woman. ¡°The room has been like this for years.¡± ¡°Will you open it if I ask?¡± he asked. ¡°No!¡± exclaimed the woman. ¡°The master will not be pleased.¡± ¡°But this is necessary. How else am I supposed to solve his problem?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him,¡± she said. ¡°He will decide.¡± ¡°Fine by me,¡± said Hatori, deciding to go with her to explain the situation to Niraj. He was initially unwilling to open the room, but Niraj conceded after Hatori argued, and explained the reasons clearly and concisely. He comes, and using the master key of the house, opens this old room. The scene inside was shocking, to say the least. there was a pile of bones inside, the person in question clearly died in this room, and no one knew of this during the entire time. ¡°Did you know about this?¡± asked Hatori, unfazed. If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°No. this house has been in our position for the last ten years, we didn¡¯t know about this at all.¡± Said Niraj, after composing himself. Hatori spies a diary nearby. He summons it to his hands after sensing for some enchantments, and finding none. ¡°Interesting. Apparently, these are the bones of the brother of the owner of this house. He was into some seriously fucked up shit.¡± They were shocked to hear such foul language, so Hatori gives the diary to Niraj and he paled after reading everything. ¡°Fucked up indeed.¡± He sighed and gave the diary to the next man. In the window, Hatori gets a reflection of an abnormal face, which looks like a human but is not human at the same time. he turns around and sees the soul at the door. ¡°I will sacrifice you all, and reclaim this house!¡± it tries to run, but Hatori was faster. Several lightning spikes came in the path of this soul, and it howled in pain when a few of them found their mark. The soul retaliated with a blast of magic, rotting the wooden columns of the nearby support, and this part of the room crashed upon them. Niraj shields everyone, while Hatori continues to battle the soul. He has trapped the soul in his chains, and he is trying to hit it with the dispersing spell. nearby, Kritika watches the entire battle from the protection of her father. The game of cat and mouse ends when the spell of Hatori finally ends. However, the final spell of this soul still continues after it disperses, and hits Hatori in the gut, throwing him in the wreckage of the destroyed room. ¡°Ug!¡± he groaned while being trapped under rotten wood. Niraj and the servants lift the wreckage off of him in a hurry and carry him to a room despite his protests.

Part 4.

Munshi and Chandramukhi arrive at the graveyard in the night, Avinash is sent by Kishore to help out the necromancer. The boy wonders what could he do in this situation? He is not good with anything related to necromancy. Fighting and some runes are the only skills he can offer. He is pragmatic enough to admit that he could equal Hatori in the fighting department, but he cannot compete with him when it comes to runes. ¡°Where is he?¡± whispered Chandramukhi, Munshi motioned in the direction where he sensed the soul of Manoj. It is in a weakened state, which is good. it should make their job easier here. Scattering the stones with a spell, Munshi attacks Manoj. The necromancer in the soul-form is startled badly, and tries to escape, but soon realizes that he is trapped in a cage. This is just humiliating. First that ward, and now this cage. Due to his ghostly existence, he can¡¯t even scream abuse at Munshi. But he still has enough strength to animate the remaining dead. ¡°Go, kill him,¡± said Munshi, as he saw the corpses breaking out of the ground. ¡°Now, look sharp boy, and use fire spells. and remember this lesson. A corpse which is turned into ash is the best.¡± Munshi and Avinash fight the undead with their backs to each other. Avinash used the whips of fire to keep the corpses away, while Munshi used the blasts of strong fire to turn them into ash. Avinash¡¯s attacks provided him time to charge these spells. seeing his undead army being dispatched so handily is giving Manoj a panic attack. he would be frothing from the mouth if he had a physical body. ¡°Hi there.¡± he shrieked; he knew that this spirit was not to be messed with. But there is no way for him to escape. He tries to fly around the cage, but the spirit corners him. ¡°Stop moving, would you?¡± she said, and after grabbing him, takes a bite from his head with a loud crunch. ¡°Ug. Bitter melon. But at least the vitality is good.¡± she smirked. Turning the final corpse into ash, Munshi senses around for more threats. He will do another sweep in the daytime to find any remaining corpses. But for now, he dismantles the ward and the cage, and leaves with Avinash and Chandramukhi, looking forward to a good night¡¯s sleep.

Part 5.

The next day, Hatori speaks with Munshi, telling him everything that happened yesterday. ¡°So, you managed to disperse the soul?¡± ¡°Yeah, but I should have used a shield. Its last spell struck me. the damage wasn¡¯t that bad, but they didn¡¯t let me go.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ve got something to tell you as well,¡± said Munshi. ¡°We¡¯ll talk about that when we meet.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said Hatori, putting the mirror down. There isn¡¯t any dangerous news, so he knows that this time, it wouldn¡¯t be something like the City of Throne being attacked. Hatori heard some words outside, and they attracted his attention. He stops to listen in the middle of his packing, then continues to listen while he gets done packing his things. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve got no interest in him.¡± said the voice of Kritika. ¡°I mean have you seen his face? If you see those creepy missing eyes in the dark, you¡¯ll get scared. I¡¯ll just seduce him, and dump him later.¡± The door opens, and Hatori walks out. the people to whom Kritika was talking paled after seeing Hatori, while Kritika switched her haughty expression to a loving one. ¡°Hi there. are you okay now?¡± she asked, care dripping from her tone. ¡°You know, your plan didn¡¯t have a chance of succeeding.¡± Said Hatori, pointing to his ears when she looked at him blankly. ¡°I hated your constant presence around me. besides, I¡¯m done with this case. So, continue to be delusional, it is none of my business.¡± He then walked away, leaving Kritika standing with her mouth agaped behind him. he spoke with Niraj, and then took his leave. ¡®I must be careful of the girls from now on. I cannot let them manipulate me through their charms.¡¯ He thought. In a way, this mission was educational for Hatori.

Part 6.

Porus is back in the City of Throne. He has toured enough for now; it is time to focus on some matters that are waiting for his attention. Trade agreements, negotiations, political appearances, all of these have to be managed. Though there are still some locations that he wishes to visit, he decides to do that during his second tour. After all, who says he can go on a tour only once? He has a massive list of places that he still wants to visit. Zeko has left for his house. The time for vacation is close, and he wishes to be in the house for Hatori¡¯s return. The king is happy that his student is acting like a mother hen. He needs some emotional attachments in his life, which are not about his job or his obligations. Though the king does acknowledge that Hatori was an obligation at first, the boy has clearly grown on Zeko. Chapter 154 Chapter 154.

Part 1.

Josh sighed in contentment, as the year was coming to an end. He is looking forward to the vacation, where he will do nothing but run around, eat, sleep, and cause havoc. The year was normal for the most part (having Hatori be not in the Academy is good for normalcy it seems), though that epidemic caused a lot of problems in the end. The students of the council proposed initially that they should appease the noble side, let Tarun off with a warning, and not punish him severely. But Josh immediately got flashbacks of the previous regime, and he put his foot down. Punishments are not for commoners alone, if you made a mistake, then be ready to suffer the consequences, the noble status be damned. Though the council was shocked initially, in the end, they agreed with him, deciding to stand behind him. Josh is happy to see that because he wishes to establish that an elected president will not pander to nobles just for their support. If they don¡¯t like it, then the elections are next year, after which it won¡¯t be his problem anymore. they are free to choose a toothless puppet of a president if they like. Though personally, Josh is hoping that things won¡¯t come to that. he and his friends suffered a lot before they created this system. It should at least last for a few years before it inevitably starts to break down. So, he is hoping that they won¡¯t bungle it up. As for math, it would be too soon if he saw an equation. True, he likes math, but there is a limit to it. besides, life didn¡¯t begin and end with math. Life is the one that found math. Therefore, Josh feels that he does not have to enslave himself to numbers. But just give him a break, and he will be ready to solve new problems.

Part 2.

Slaughter looks at the huge poster given to the infirmary by Corvus, personally signed by him. it is a letter congratulating them on their excellent work in handling that epidemic. Slaughter has seen students and healers alike take a look at that letter multiple times, which is why he actually put it here in his office, where a lot of people come and go regularly. The medics also supported Josh¡¯s hard stance, threats like these cannot be tolerated in this school. Bringing an unvaccinated pet in a really magically concentrated environment like the Academy with a disease that mutates even faster in the presence of magic is an action of an irresponsible student, and they should be punished as such, not get away with a slap on a wrist. Slaughter is also happy with the current crop of trainee healers. In fact, speaking of which, James is coming to him. he looks at the clock. ¡®It is lunchtime already.¡¯ He gets the papers in order and then falls in step with James. ¡°Tell me, boy, why do you want to become a healer?¡± asked Slaughter. ¡°Because I wish to understand the most complicated yantra.¡± Answered James without any hesitation. ¡°The human body.¡± ¡°What you have learned so far is just a taste.¡± Said Slaughter. ¡°If you become my permanent apprentice, then you can expand upon the knowledge you have already gained.¡± James remains quiet for some moments. But when they reach the break room, he stops before him and nods. ¡°Then I accept your apprenticeship.¡± Slaughter smiled. He will gloat about this for years to come for snagging such a promising student like James for himself.

Part 3.

The general has told Raven to return to the Academy for the next year. his reasons are strange as always. ¡°I¡¯ve taught you a lot about how to handle yourself among people, but I have also taught you magic and tactics. The Academy is a perfect ground to test those. Go there, pick fights, and see how you do. This will improve your ability to think in real-time immensely.¡± ¡°Okay,¡± agreed Raven, having learned not to argue with Sundar in these past two years. ¡°I suppose it¡¯ll help me in looking for what I wish to do.¡± ¡°Why would you do that?¡± said Sundar. ¡°You will be coming back here upon your graduation.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Raven, he did not understand why would he do that. ¡°You see, I need competent men around me at all times. and I must train them from an early age. So much like Bajrang, you will come here, and work directly under me.¡± explained the general. This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°Don¡¯t I get a say on this?¡± asked Raven. ¡°No,¡± said Sundar. Raven just shook his head. If it were anyone else than General Sundar, he would give them such a tongue-lashing for speaking to him like that. but then again, who is he to refuse a career in the military? Especially since it would be working for the general Sundar himself?

Part 4.

Shin is on his way to Zeko¡¯s house. Yesterday he spoke with him, and the mage agreed to keep him employed. Shin thinks he is annoyed that he has to go in such a roundabout way to ask for a place to live, but Shin refuses to be that guy who bunks at someone¡¯s house and doesn¡¯t even do anything for them in return. He also remembered his final conversation with Sangita. ¡°Right now, many intern apprentices will receive an offer of lifetime apprenticeship from their masters. I will not extend you the same offer.¡± She said to him while preparing to leave for the Academy. ¡°Why?¡± he cursed at his cracking voice. though he did want to know why is she saying that to him. ¡°Because from what you have learned from me cannot be improved anymore,¡± she said. ¡°The only thing is for you to create your own compositions, and try to leave your mark in the world of music. I have instructed you in a lot of things, use that knowledge.¡± ¡°Of course, you are free to come to me at any time should you ever need some direction in your life.¡± She smiled while saying this. And thus, Shin finds himself alone once more, trying to find his way in life. the first step is clear to him. perform some gigs, and get enough money to purchase his own house. Zeko won¡¯t shelter him forever after all.

Part 5.

In the combat class this year, Bali mostly taught the physical techniques and group combat. Daphne remembered how Hatori fought Praduman in his first year, and how easily he managed to subdue him. professor Bali wasn¡¯t pleased with that display clearly, but he still taught them those techniques. ¡°If you ever get deprived of your magic, then you¡¯ll need these.¡± That was his only explanation. Of course, Daphne walked away with the lesson that if you can beat someone physically, then there is no need to cast any spells on them. She likes to think that Professor Bali will not approve of this lesson. ¡°I wonder what should I do this year?¡± she says out loud, hoping that doing so will reveal the answer to the question. Sadly, no answer magically (or non-magically) presented itself to her. ¡®Maybe participate in the national dueling tournament?¡¯ she thought to herself.

Part 6.

Corvus approves Dimitri¡¯s application, to teach dueling at the Academy, and to serve as a coach for the school in a school-wide competition. They did interview some other candidates, but he is just in a league of his own. Corvus is happy to say that Nandan is the reason why they got such an experienced coach since Dimitri¡¯s student is a graduate of the Subcontinental branch of the Academy. There used to be a coach for the dueling in the school, but he retired twelve years ago, and ever since the Subcontinental Academy has taken a beating in the graduate-level tournament. The headmasters of other Academies have constantly mocked Corvus as a result, mostly because the Subcontinent used to dominate the competition previously. Bali tried, but his effort was not enough. He already has his hands full, teaching classes while also preparing his intern-apprentices for other careers like military or police. He is not able to pay the same level of attention to the dueling teams as a result. Just like the previous few years, Corvus also thinks about his own successor. Once again, no good candidates present themselves, aside from Dhiraj. ¡®Maybe it is time that I start to train him to take my place. I¡¯m loathed to kick this can down to the future me.¡¯ he thought to himself.

Part 7.

Hatori considers as they move in the night, what could he do next year. it is certain to him that he won¡¯t be doing any more necromancy since he hates all this traveling. Though Munshi did offer him cases should he need it. ¡°I¡¯m not getting any younger.¡± Was his excuse. ¡®But do I wish to be a necromancer for my whole life? especially how long the mages can live for?¡¯ this is the question to which Hatori has no answer. As they arrive at Zeko¡¯s house, Hatori yawns while getting out of the car. He has not been able to sleep the whole night, since the thoughts about his future continued to bother him during the entire night. Chapter 155 Chapter 155.

Part 1.

Zeko watches Hatori. ever since the boy has returned, he has been restless. True, if someone who barely knows him will say that everything is normal, given how he performs his daily routines, and how easily he dispatches the shadows and the spirits who attack him in this house. But Zeko knew him better than this. Hatori always likes to tinker. He only rests when he is exhausted, otherwise he is doing something all the time. back when he did not know runes, he used to explore the nearby area, and after he learned runes and met James, he tinkered with symbols and the yantras. But now? he is doing none of that. having enough of this restlessness, Zeko decides to approach him and speak to him directly this morning, as soon as Hatori is done with his breakfast. ¡°Did you enjoy your breakfast?¡± he opened the conversation. ¡°Yes, it was delicious.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I particularly look forward to the mango juice, once those ripen up.¡± ¡°You and me both.¡± agreed Zeko. ¡°But I¡¯m not here to speak about the fruits we enjoy.¡± ¡°I figured.¡± Sighed Hatori. ¡°What is up with you?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°You know you can share anything with me, right?¡± ¡°I know. I¡¯m just confused. Usually, I know what I want, or need to do. But when I think about it this time, I find a blank. I don¡¯t like it.¡± said Hatori. ¡°I just don¡¯t know what I want to do in my future, beyond the school that is.¡± ¡°Ah, that is a very difficult question to answer.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°And I must say that you are lucky enough to think about it now, instead of after school is over. Many graduate students realize the horror only after they are outside of the Academy.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose I might have an answer sooner than them. if you look from this point-of-view, I am very lucky.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Glass half full or half empty, boy,¡± said Zeko. He really hates looking at things in such a way. ¡°Anyway, if you don¡¯t know, I can always send you along with Munshi.¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I have enough of traveling. Not to mention bad cases.¡± ¡°Bad cases¡ª¡± Zeko realizes that he just opened a dam. ¡°Bad cases!¡± exploded Hatori, and lightning crackled on his body. ¡°A banker who murdered his pregnant maid after having a fair with her, a father murdered his daughter just because she married someone of a lower class, and again when she was pregnant, a police officer who tortured and killed a boy just because he outperformed his son. And these are just the few cases I can remember from the top of my head!¡± he huffed after saying all of that. ¡°I don¡¯t claim to be a saint master, given how many people I have killed already, and I plan to kill plenty more in the future. But all of them have plotted against me. I never killed someone for such a stupid reason as their choice of partner for marriage.¡± Hatori finished his rant, very dejected at the end. Zeko could not offer anything in return after hearing all of that. no wonder that the boy is not interested in professional necromancy. Meanwhile, Hatori is remembering how much he used to get annoyed at people, (and still get annoyed by them), but he never killed them for simply being annoying. If he were to be like that, then he would have murdered Kangana when she was trying to train him and make him ¡°Civilized.¡±

Part 2.

James is here on the court today. It is finally his turn to serve as a witness. The author has abstracted the details of the laws of this world, for it would be unnecessary details, but this narrator thinks it was mostly because he doesn¡¯t know anything about law and the legal system. (Though he knows plenty about operating systems.) On the other corner, Shakuntala is raging silently. Manoj has proven to be useless. Much to her annoyance, that man is big or presentation and pomp, but he cannot deliver when it counts the most. If he were to have delivered on his promises, she wouldn¡¯t be receiving this humiliation today in this courtroom. She hesitates to escalate this matter, for it could end up in the Porus¡¯s court. And she wouldn¡¯t have to go there herself if she continues to present problems, her brother-in-law could and would do it on his own. ¡°The court would like to call James Mathis to the witness stand.¡± Said the announcer. Lawyers of both sides are ready to question him. ¡°Tell us about your life under your aunt¡¯s care?¡± asked the lawyer. James has already received instructions on what to say and what not to say in certain questions, but this is the one on which he is free to answer. ¡°She neglected me,¡± said James. ¡°I wasn¡¯t allowed to go out and talk to other children, I was bullied by her daughters, and she did nothing about it, and she even threatened me when I dared to step outside of the boundaries she has set.¡± ¡°What kind of threats did she use?¡± asked the lawyer once again. ¡°Throwing me outside of the house, threatening to defame me once I joined the Academy, threats like those were very common.¡± Said James. The questioning continues like this for a long time. the adults were getting uncomfortable as James revealed each detail, but James was unperturbed, even when he was cross-examined. After his part is done, James leaves the witness stand and tunes out the hearing once it reaches about the mismanagement and poor handling of the businesses of the Mathis family. James knows that he should pay attention to this matter, but he cannot bring himself to do that. given how everyone is so busy, James thinks that he won¡¯t get to go to Zeko¡¯s house this year. ironically, from the safety point of view, it would be the best place for him. no goon of her aunt will dare to attack him there.

Part 3.

Raven reclines on the lawn of his house under the shadows. he gets best of the both worlds. the sun of summer, and the cold temperature. He is currently reading a novel, which has actually not much of a deep plot, but is enjoyable all the same, judging by his chortles of laughter, and occasional thigh-slaps. He is using this time to relax. Unlike James, who has spoken to him about his regret that he might not get to go to Zeko¡¯s house this year, Raven has no such plans this year. instead, he is thinking of inviting Hatori to the castle. A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. As he turns the page, he thinks about the hearing to which James has to go today. ¡®I hope the hearing is going well for him.¡¯ he thought.

Part 4.

Shin is tuning his violin. He finally has some of his personal instruments, courtesy of Professor Sangita, who bought him a set as a parting gift. Right now, though, the violin is sounding more like a tortured cat, with occasional right notes that hint at its potential to Hatori¡¯s ears. However, it is not enough to disrupt his concentration. Mostly because he is tinkering lethargically, and with no final purpose or product in mind. ¡°Did you learn the runic script I showed you?¡± asked Hatori, his voice cracking after remaining quiet for so long. Stopping his tuning for a moment, Shin replies. ¡°Yeah, I did. Your notes were very useful.¡± he then went back to his tuning. ¡°I also redid my modifications. it was very painful, but now I can add anything just by a thought.¡± ¡°Why not go beyond that?¡± asked Hatori. he carefully did not mention anything about the runes running on their own, and modifying the mage, as this was how Hatori got his immune system modified. ¡°For example, something where you can use your instruments for general-purpose magic instead of foci.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t carry these everywhere.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Besides, it would be highly impractical I think.¡± He thought about it for a moment. ¡°Or not. I could bind some spells to a particular composition.¡± ¡°There might be a way to do that,¡± said Hatori. Shin opens his mouth. ¡°But I¡¯m way too lazy to point it out to you right now.¡± Shin closed his mouth. ¡°Do tell when you¡¯re not feeling lazy.¡± He said and then went back to the final portion of his tuning. ¡°What are you working on anyway?¡± asked Shin. ¡°I saw Munshi teleport his car to his location. I want something like that for me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Didn¡¯t you already do that with the teleporter in the school after you stole it?¡± asked Shin. ¡°I never stole a teleporter.¡± Denied Hatori. ¡°And yes, I managed to do that. but it was only for stationary location, not something which can be carried with you portably.¡±

Part 5.

Josh and George are playing a card. These cards have images of various fictional beasts on them, which have different stats abilities, and health points. Once the health is zero, that card is out. ¡°Boom.¡± Said Josh, putting an ability card down. ¡°The Fire Annihilation overwhelmed your plant; it is nothing but ash now!¡± he danced. They have played multiple rounds today, and this is Josh¡¯s first victory. So, he thinks he is entitled to some gloating. ¡°Did you forget something, brother dearest?¡± asked George Junior with a smirk. He puts the card down. ¡°Revival sprout. My plant as you called it, is now back, and is resistant to fire!¡± George laughed after seeing the incredulous face of Josh. Nearby, George Senior watches them. he remembers his own harsh childhood. His father expected a lot from him, and to fulfill those expectations, he leaned hard on him. For much of his eldest son¡¯s life and Josh¡¯s childhood, he did the same thing. This resulted in a chasm which kept growing between his sons and him. but lately, it has closed, and he wishes that it would remain closed forever. ¡®You were wrong, father.¡¯ He thought in the privacy of his mind. ¡®A harsh way is not the only way to bring up successful children who could succeed you one day, this I have learned now.¡¯ He wished that the old man was still alive so he could say this to his face.

Part 6.

As Avinash is leaving, he gets a bag from Kishore. ¡°These are fresh produce from my farm, for your father and you. you were a good student, always learned my lessons.¡± He spoke. Avinash accepted the gift. After all, accepting the gifts without fuss was one of his lessons. ¡°Now, do you remember the final lesson I taught you?¡± ¡°You cannot deal with someone effectively until you know what they want,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Bull¡¯s-eye.¡± Said Kishore. ¡°Remember this lesson, and it will serve you well.¡± Then, Avinash left the farm. He tried to convince the old man to move to the city due to his health, but he was more stubborn than his animals. He refuses to do so, and in the end, Avinash has no choice but to leave him on his farm and go back to the City of Throne. The plans for his future are clear in his head. ¡®I¡¯ll work under my father, observe the politics, and make my moves. I must also become strong magically. Once I feel the time is right, I¡¯ll challenge Porus, and take that throne from him.¡¯ he smiled at the thought. This country needs a new king, and Avinash is going to be that king.

Part 7.

Dimitri has moved into the Academy. currently, he is surveying the facilities offered by the school, and Nandan is acting as a tour guide. ¡°In general,¡± he was saying to him, ¡°We used the pit for the practice and the larger hall where a professional-sized ring is located.¡± Said Nandan, taking Dimitri to the hall. ¡°It is good.¡± said the tall man, looking at the hall. ¡°Perfect for delivering instructions and practical demonstrations, and of course, real matches.¡± He smiled widely. ¡°Yes. Though in my own days, I rarely came here, because we weren¡¯t allowed to. The older students occupied this place.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Now I realize that they were probably preparing for the undergraduate tournament.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Tell me something, are you certain you don¡¯t need a new coach?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± denied Nandan. ¡°Besides, I¡¯ve already raised my rank. I¡¯m on a break, remember? I¡¯ll help you out here to teach these kids. Should be a nice refresher for me in the basics as well.¡± ¡°And I assume you also wish to inflict some pain from the other side?¡± asked Dimitri, moving to his own living quarters. ¡°Of course.¡± Nandan has a smile which promises a lot of pain in the future. ¡°Why should they go in that arena without feeling any hardship?¡± Dimitri squeezed Nandan¡¯s shoulder. ¡°That is the right attitude. always protect the sanctity of the ring.¡± He said seriously. Nandan nodded. ¡°I will. I shall never let anyone who is not worthy step in the ring, and sully the competition of dueling by their incompetency.¡± Chapter 156 Chapter 156.

Part 1.

Hatori is speaking with his father currently, his mother is not in the house at this time. ¡°So basically, this case devolved,¡± his father is explaining, ¡°All because this guy used a bot in a game.¡± ¡°That is stupid.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But at least you don¡¯t have to deal with homicidal vengeful ghosts.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Said Karan. ¡°Instead, I have to deal with living stupid people. It is a wonder that they even remember how to breathe.¡± Zeko shook his head after listening to that conversation. He doubts any parent in usual circumstances will ever talk this way to their child. But then again, Hatori is not a normal child, and Karan is a normal parent dealing with an abnormal situation. Meanwhile, Hatori feels great that his father is willing to talk with him like an equal as if he is someone with whom Karan can speak, and Hatori will understand the issue without dumbing it down. It is also nice to hear that idiot people are on both sides. Hatori and Karan may like to present themselves as cynics, but they are idealists. When those ideals are broken, then they have nothing but lashing out at the world bitterly. Hatori has not shared the details of his adventures with his father and mother. He suspects they won¡¯t like the life-or-death situations, and he also told Zeko the same. Therefore, aside from a few things, Karan and Rita think that the worst their son has suffered is some bullying, which he has taken care of. In the case of Rita, she realizes that the only reason why Hatori has managed to deal with his bullies here is because he was older, and likely has some experience already, because of her. That conversation took place two days ago. Zeko was hoping that Hatori would lose his lethargy after speaking to his father, but that did not happen. Though he is smiling more, so at least one good thing came out of this.

Part 2.

Raven invited Hatori to the castle, but he didn¡¯t go there. Josh didn¡¯t come to the castle nor to the Zeko¡¯s house, and James and Raven accompanied each other in the City of Throne since they were the only two members of their tightly-knit group. Sometimes, Raven is surprised that no one has started unsavory rumors about them, given how they have not created a large friend circle, unlike their classmates. Hatori and Shin continue to live with Zeko, where Hatori clears the fog of laziness to give Shin some ideas of how he could use his magic with music and combine them with runes, and then the fog descends again. But at least, Shin had something to do for the rest of the summer. In this manner, the vacation ended, and these five friends made their way to the Magecraft and Sorcery Academy, as the eighth month started. ¡°I wonder what we will do this year?¡± thought Hatori out loud. ¡°I mean, we don¡¯t have anything directing us like the last two years.¡± ¡°Most students will do some independent research, or do that with some professors. You are graded for your projects at the end of the year,¡± explained Josh. ¡°Of course, some students will continue their apprenticeship.¡± ¡°Huh. why does this feel like the same as before I started the apprenticeship?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because that is how you have been treated your entire time in the Academy.¡± reminded James. ¡°Also, Josh forgot to mention that you can get recruited right out of the Academy for certain positions in the government, or for some businesses.¡± ¡°What about you two?¡± asked Hatori to Shin and Raven. ¡°I know that James and Josh are continuing their apprenticeship, but are you doing the same or something else?¡± ¡°I¡¯m continuing the apprenticeship, which will turn into a job next year,¡± said Raven. ¡°The general has ordered me to go into the Academy.¡± he elaborated when they looked at him for a clearer explanation. ¡°I would be working on my compositions instead.¡± Said Shin. ¡°It is too bad that we don¡¯t have an entertainment industry as big as the other dimension, I probably could work for some studio as a composer or sound designer.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± asked Josh. ¡°I¡¯ll just drift around,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Let¡¯s see what can I find for myself.¡± They got off the ship and walked in silence to the Academy. they entered the ground, and through the corridor, approached the gates of the mess hall. they are all looking forward to the breakfast, but the thoughts of food fly out of their heads once they enter the mess hall. All five of them clutch each other while gasping and stumbling in horror. They are finding themselves to be the oldest students here, whereas they feel like it was just yesterday when they were the youngest. Looking at the firsties is not helping in this feeling. Thankfully, once they got settled on the table of their choice, they did not feel weird because of that reaction. Because other students are going through the same thing. ¡°Remember Josh, when you were young and youthful?¡± asked Hatori, wheezing like an old man. ¡°No, the time has passed us by,¡± said Josh, wheezing the same way. ¡°Besides, my memory is not what it used to be. Things are unclear and hazy.¡± ¡°Shut up you two.¡± sighed James, causing them to break out in smiles. ¡°Looks like this one has still not lost his fire.¡± Said Josh, still wheezing. ¡°I doubt it. this one never had the fire to begin with.¡± Said Hatori, also wheezing. ¡°I¡¯ll show you fire, you bastards!¡± roared James, and jumped at Josh and Hatori. Thankfully, despite the chaos, they manage to eat their fill of breakfast, before Hatori suddenly goes stiff as if sensing something, and a second later, the magic washes over the entire hall, and Corvus gets up from his own table. ¡°Now that I have your attention, I would like to make an announcement.¡± He spoke. ¡°Every five years,¡± he continues, as the students listen to him in complete silence, ¡°A tournament is held, where the undergraduates of the various schools throughout the world fight in a dueling tournament. This is not only to show off the future talents of a particular country and region but for also bragging rights.¡± Some students chuckled after hearing this, but they went quiet to listen to the next words of Corvus. ¡°However, our Academy has struggled for the last two tournaments, having come at the second last position at the last tournament. This is partly because we do not have a coach for dueling teams, but partly because the students who are interested in dueling often look for outside assistance for improving their talents, ever since our last coach retired. But now, things are about to change.¡± Said Corvus. Some students were feeling dread, while others were excited, already anticipating what the next words of Corvus were going to be. ¡°I am delighted to announce Dimitry Popov, our dueling coach!¡± thunderous applause greeted this announcement, particularly from the students who followed the dueling scene closely. ¡°He has been involved in dueling competitions for the last forty years, and he has decided to share his considerable experience with us.¡± ¡°Headmaster, may I take it from here?¡± asked Dimitri to Corvus in a soft voice, as the students continued to applaud him. ¡°By all means.¡± Corvus sits down, and Dimitri begins to speak. ¡°If you are interested in participating in this undergraduate-level tournament, you will have to go through a selection tournament first, which will be held here in the Academy. please do put your names in the tournament if you are interested. The team will have five spots, whereas three spots will be reserved. So, you will have a chance of getting into the team, as long as you end in the top eight duelers.¡± Having explained the selection process, Dimitri sits down, and finishes his own breakfast, letting the buzz of the conversation wash over him as the students begin to discuss this latest announcement. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

Part 4.

Daphne arrived five minutes early and waited for Professor Bali to dismiss the fourth-year class. Once he does so, and the students leave, sweating from the workout he made them do, she goes to him as he is putting the exercise equipment back in its proper place. ¡°Professor,¡± she said, ¡°I thought you would be furious after Dimitri¡¯s arrival.¡± "Why would you think that?¡± he asked, directing his magic to rearrange the classroom. ¡°I thought you would see it as a challenge of sorts, you might think that the headmaster thinks that you are not good enough or something,¡± she explained her reasoning. ¡°On the contrary mis Blake.¡± Said Bali, done with his cleanup work. ¡°I¡¯ve tried coaching the student. do you remember that the headmaster stated that the last time, we reached the second last position?¡± Daphne¡¯s nods, he continues. ¡°That was the best I could do with my schedule and responsibilities of teaching everyone else. You should know this, after all, you were part of that class since it was your own year group.¡± ¡°That makes sense.¡± She spoke. ¡°But I¡¯m here for another reason. I plan to put my name in the selection tournament, will you train me?¡± ¡°Of course.¡± He said, beginning to walk out of the classroom. Daphne fell in step with the professor. ¡°You will have an advantage against most students, you already have dueling experience, and physical fitness to handle the stress. However, I warn you. there will be some students who will be beyond you.¡± ¡°Like?¡± asked Daphne, already having some idea. ¡°Like that brat Hatori,¡± said Bali. ¡°I may not like him, but there is no doubt about it. he will put his name, and he will be among the top duelists. Nothing else can be expected from the student of Zeko.¡±

Part 5.

There is a booth for those who wish to participate in the selection tournament. They need to be in their final year and write their name on a piece of paper. After putting that piece of paper on the counter, it gets flashed away, if their age and year are correct. If someone tries to undermine the system, horrible things happen to them. for example, some students found themselves dangling over the oak tree on the ground in the night by their ankles, and another group got the words ¡°We broke the rules!¡± written on their forehead, while also turning them bald. The female students, thinking that the punishments were not for them got a rude surprise, when some of them were transformed into old and decrepit women with white hair and loose skin, while others were found hanging over a wrist over the astronomy lab. Hatori is in the line with his own slip of paper in his hands. ¡°So, aren¡¯t those two coming?¡± asked Avinash from behind him. Both of them are on their best behavior because violating the cue also has punishments. So, no cutting each other on the line. ¡°You mean James and Raven? They didn¡¯t want to participate. Raven wasn¡¯t interested, I don¡¯t know why. But James I can understand. He has his hands full with working full time with Slaughter, and other things.¡± said Hatori. ¡°What about you two?¡± asked Avinash to Josh and Shin. ¡°You don¡¯t look like the kind of people who would be interested in the dueling.¡± ¡°Wel,¡± said Josh, looming in the last, and making Shin disappear in his shadow, ¡°I want to face some competition.¡± ¡°Me too.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Who knows? Maybe the battle will inspire my music.¡± ¡°A warrior musician.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Better than being a poet.¡± Several students glared at Hatori, but he ignored them. ¡°What about you? looks like only one of your friends is willing to participate in this thing, aside from you.¡± given Avinash is in line with them, Hatori automatically assumed that he was going to participate. Otherwise, there is no point in being here. ¡°Correct.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Akshat and Sagar are not suited for combat.¡± Tom snorted at the delicate way Avinash put it. ¡°Whereas this big boy is.¡± he thumped Tom on his shoulder. ¡°I won¡¯t go easy on you if we meet in the competition.¡± He told Avinash and Hatori. ¡°I would be insulted if you did, and will murder you in your sleep if you did that,¡± said Hatori and Avinash together. Several students got nervous from this talk and suddenly decided that dueling was not for them. This didn¡¯t bother Hatori in the slightest. If the people in front of him want to leave, then he will happily take their place, and get one step closer to the counter. He would like to use some violence, but that is also discouraged. He does not want to suffer any punishment; it will ruin his reputation of being a tough guy.

Part 6.

In the staffroom, Amarjit is building up the tournament. ¡°Many students will brutally try to murder each other for our entertainment.¡± ¡°Murder is not allowed.¡± Said Dimitri from the side, but Amarjit ignored him. ¡°Noble, rich, poor, everyone has the chance to make their name in the arena.¡± ¡°That part is correct.¡± Said Dimitri, but again, Amarjit ignored him. ¡°So, who will be the winners? How our team will look like? Will they get along with each other? Take all bets guys, take all bets!¡± declared Amarjit. ¡°I put my money on Josh.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°And yes, I¡¯m doing this because of favoritism. I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll be at least among the top three.¡± ¡°I bet on Avinash instead.¡± Said Amrita. ¡°The boy is strong, and is no slouch in the dueling.¡± ¡°What about you Bali?¡± asked Amarjit, when his colleague failed to speak. ¡°No comments.¡± He said with a smirk. ¡°Ooooooohhhhhhhh. He likely has someone in the tournament whom he is teaching.¡± Said Amarjit with a wide smile. ¡°What about you Dhiraj?¡± ¡°Hatori.¡± Said the professor. ¡°I agree.¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°I would also bet on the boy. with one another student.¡± ¡°Sure, go ahead.¡± Said Amarjit. ¡°Though I would like to remind you that you can¡¯t put the same bet on the second choice.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°I¡¯m sure Ravina will make it into the team.¡± ¡°She signed up?¡± asked Dhiraj. ¡°Yes, though this shouldn¡¯t come as a surprise. She may have taken runes, but that girl is a fighter.¡± Said Krodhatma. ¡°Anyone know where Dimitri went to?¡± asked Amarjit. ¡°He left when we weren¡¯t looking.¡± Said Prakriti. ¡°Huh. I wanted to make him feel welcome among us,¡± said Amarjit in disappointment. ¡°Through gambling, no doubt.¡± Said Bali. ¡°Of course! Nothing like betting money to build up a rapport with your colleagues!¡±

Part 7.

Dimitri is discussing the preparations he has made to the arena hall for the selection tournament. ¡°Since it has a standard arena, I think it would be the best place to keep the tournament there.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Corvus agreed. ¡°Everything has worked out quite fast. I believe we can start the tournament the next week.¡± ¡°Yes, it is important to select our team as quickly as possible, for they will need time to prepare and train.¡± Said Dimitri. Corvus brings out a sheet. ¡°I do think some students will be promising. Would you like to take a look?¡± ¡°No headmaster.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°I prefer to make up my mind after the tournament is halfway done.¡± ¡°As you wish.¡± Said Corvus. After all, he will be the one who is responsible for training the future team. He can make his judgments whenever he wants to. Chapter 157 Chapter 157.

Part 1.

There is not enough time to prepare for the selection tournament. It is set to begin next week, and the booth has been closed. No further applications are being accepted. While the participants are busy training, Hatori and James are busy with something else entirely. Deciding to grab the bull by the horns, Hatori and James have closed themselves in the room of frozen time, and are working to copy the runes of that room, so they can potentially create it for themselves in the future. However, working for long periods in isolation is bad, they have all learned it ever since Hatori discovered this room, and then told them about it, and they started to use it. But Hatori already nipped this problem in the bud. ¡°Josh, Shin, Raven, do come and check on us every other hour or so.¡± He spoke. Knowing how important this task is, they decided to comply with his request and did not give Hatori any snark. The process was simple. Hatori and James alternatively worked on the script, translating it from the ancient script to the runic script that they use, and when James was on the break, he slept, while Hatori worked out, practiced with magic, and of course, slept. After what they felt like months, they completed the process. two days later, James and Hatori walk out of the room and decide to put the runes they have translated in the lab. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to check for mistakes?¡± asked Josh. ¡°We¡¯ll do that when we don¡¯t feel the urge to burn everything down with a rune on it,¡± said James. ¡°Yeah, until then, we¡¯ll relax.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°True, and you have a whole year for it,¡± said Raven. ¡°I can help with that you know.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I¡¯m not as good as you two, but I can spot some easy mistakes no problem.¡± ¡°Why not? you can take a look. Don¡¯t change anything without consulting us first though.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Hot damn, but we¡¯re going to have our own portable time-freezing room. how awesome is that?¡± said Josh, pumping his arm in the air. ¡°And that is the most important thing.¡± Said James. They all smiled while imagining how they could use this knowledge in the future.

Part 2.

The Singh twins watch Hatori relaxing by the stream. Ranveer approaches him and sits down close to him. ¡°You know, we are training hard.¡± He spoke. ¡°You are?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Do you plan to fight in the tournament?¡± ¡°Of course!¡± said Bhavani from the other side of Hatori. ¡°Why else we would put our names in?¡± ¡°Right.¡± agreed Hatori. ¡°But why aren¡¯t you training?¡± asked Bhavani. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you think you can defeat us all without training.¡± ¡°Oh no. if I started to think like that, master Zeko would have my hide.¡± While both twins chuckled after hearing this, inwardly they were scared. Zeko has a reputation for being terrifying to his students after all. ¡°But I just did a project which strained me a lot. Besides, I still have a week. I¡¯ll relax for a day or two, then train for three days, and relax again before the tournament.¡± ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it be best to go in the tournament with some last-minute training?¡± asked Ranveer.

Part 3.

¡°It is very important that you decide to take a rest near the tournament.¡± Said Bali, as Daphne ran, and the professor kept up with her. ¡°Because you don¡¯t want to get in that ring while being tired. That is akin to arriving in the dueling arena half dead in a coffin.¡± Then, Daphne starts to do push-ups, while Bali continues to lecture her. ¡°While you might think that the standard dueling arena does not offer much to use in the fight, you will be wrong to assume this. Usually, there is sand on the arena to soften the falls of the fighters, and of course, you will change the area as the battle goes on.¡± Waiting for Daphne¡¯s set of push-ups to complete, Bali motions her to get up and take a dueling stance. They began to exchange spells. Bali attacks with a whip of fire, but Daphne counters it with a non-elemental spell which cancels the fire. She then motions her feathers to create dogs, which try to pile on the professor. But Bali blasted them away, damaging the ground. He then transmuted the falling rocks into metal shards, which he pushed at Daphne. But she shielded herself and responded with a blasting spell to disorient him. ¡°I see you need time to get this down.¡± Said Bali, halting the fight in the middle. ¡°The lesson I was trying to teach is that the area changes in the battle, and you should take advantage of that,¡± he explained, pointing to the broken rocks and the small crater created when he blasted the transmuted dogs away. ¡°While it is good that you do not rely on it too heavily, it is just as important that you learn to hold it on your own.¡± Said Bali. ¡°At least you have an advantage in something. You won¡¯t try to compete with someone with brute force elemental magic.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that would end well for me,¡± said Daphne, after she regained her breath. ¡°Of course. You are not a powerhouse. But you have a fine control over your magic.¡± said Bali, bringing his staff, and pointing at her again. ¡°Let¡¯s continue. And try to use the lesson I¡¯ve just taught you.¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ¡°Yes, professor.¡± She pointed her feather to him and began another exchange of spells with Bali.

Part 4.

Ravina is fighting two fifth-year students. She has not fought seriously for two years, since she took the apprenticeship of Professor Krodhatma, which she continued this year, but the professor allowed her to participate in the tournament all the same¡­ ahem. The point is, she is preparing for the selection tournament. She wants to show that girls can be just as competitive in physical sports like dueling as boys. She knows Daphne is already doing this, but she thinks Daphne is not right for this. She is not ruthless enough to send the right message. That kind of thinking is worrying in this narrator¡¯s opinion. She doesn¡¯t have a teacher like Daphne, so she has to devise her own training. She asked some fifth-year boys to serve as sparring partners because she could not find any fifth or sixth years with enough time on their hands for that. She is fighting them two-on-one, and this is helping Ravina remove the rust on the fighting parts of her brain. She believes that she will make it into the team. She does not need a teacher for that. her spirit is strong, and that is what¡¯s most important.

Part 5.

Avinash is going on against three-on-one. he is on one side, and Akshat, Tom, and Sagar are on one side. He is trying to improve his endurance. He feels that if he can handle multiple opponents one after another, it will improve his endurance, which is important in long duels. Currently, he is facing Tom, while Sagar and Akshat sit on the bench, having gone through their turn already. ¡°Don¡¯t you think it is unfair to Tom that he has to help him out while he is a contestant himself?¡± asked Akshat. ¡°We¡¯ll bring that point up after his practice is over.¡± Said Sagar. After all, he wants Avinash to win, but he also wants to see Tom¡¯s talent shine. The boy deserves that much. Once Avinash is done dispatching Tom by blasting him outside of the impromptu ring, he motions to Akshat. ¡°You¡¯re up,¡± he said, beckoning him to take his place in front of him. Akshat sighed. ¡°When will it be over?¡± he muttered. People like him and Sagar are not built for physical sports. Which is why he didn¡¯t put his name in the selection tournament. But here he is, still fighting. On top of it all, he still has to prepare the reports for his boss, who also happens to be his father.

Part 6.

Raven and James float behind Hatori. he captured them out of nowhere when they dropped their guards. It was not doing their mellow any good by getting beaten by Hatori who was not using his foci at all, and how easily he subdued them. especially, James, who thought he was able to fight Hatori on somewhat equal steps. But it turns out, it was all in his head. Once Hatori enters the secret ground above the lab of Samay the sorcerer, he lets go of the levitating spell, dropping James and Raven to the ground with a loud thump on the grass. ¡°Now that we have gathered here,¡± he ignored the muffled complaints of James and Raven, ¡°It is time that you two help out your friends.¡± ¡°What?¡± said Raven, spitting the grass from his mouth. ¡°Well, we need sparring partners.¡± He pointed to Shin, Josh, and at himself. ¡°And don¡¯t forget dummies.¡± Added Shin. ¡°And dummies.¡± Nodded Hatori. ¡°Okay, I get that,¡± said James. ¡°But why did you have to attack us like that, dressed as an eagle?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think it was an eagle. Personally, I think it was a chicken dressed as an eagle who actually started to think it was an eagle.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Josh, you¡¯ll be with me. Shin, you go with Raven. You need to fight someone who can think tactically. James, you¡¯ll serve as a healer for us.¡± said Hatori. ¡°So that¡¯s why I was brought here,¡± said James with dawning realization. ¡°Don¡¯t forget, you will also have to fight us from time to time,¡± said Josh. ¡°Sure.¡± He sits down in the grass and starts to observe the fights of his friends. He considered himself to be quite a lucky audience. Turn his head a little right, and he can see Raven and Shin. Turn his head a little left, and he can see Hatori and Josh, who are using their heavy-hitting spells already.

Part 7.

Praduman watches Hatori during the dinner. ¡®Where does he disappear to?¡¯ he thinks to himself. He has not seen Hatori practicing once. There are not many places for someone to practice in the Academy, but Hatori has been not seen in any of the usual places. not that Praduman wants to spy on him. he just wants some revenge for his defeat all those years ago, and he plans to take that vengeance in the arena. but he feels insulted that Hatori is not practicing. ¡®Unless he is practicing somewhere outside of the Academy.¡¯ he smacked his forehead. ¡°Are you Okay?¡± asked his friend. ¡°Yeah, just realized how I overlooked a thing.¡± He spoke. ¡°Happens to a lot of us when we¡¯re stressed.¡± He said to Praduman. ¡°Why don¡¯t you eat up and take a good night¡¯s sleep?¡± ¡°Great idea.¡± He dug into his meal. ¡®He is probably practicing outside of the Academy, in that mad forest or some other place like that. It is an excellent strategy. No one will ever dare to spy on him there.¡¯ Praduman is not willing to use this strategy himself. Because he is not interested in facing off the animals before the tournament and getting injured before he even gets in the ring. Chapter 158 Chapter 158.

Part 1.

James and Raven have been run ragged. All three of their friends have used them as sparring partners, and of course, they also fought each other. They wanted to get used to a large variety of fighting styles in the limited confines of an arena. Raven actually thinks that they are spying on each other, and they are fighting to get used to each other¡¯s techniques so they can meet in the tournament, and get some easy victory. But he then dismissed the thought, these meatheads are not smart enough to think like that. That, and it probably never occurred to them. Hatori for all his cynical experiences, trusts them too implicitly. ¡®Maybe I should break him of this habit? Some distrust will do him good down the road.¡¯ Raven thinks to himself. Raven then can write a tragic novel about it, how he broke the trust of his friend, and how he hates him, but he only did that to help him out. he will gladly serve as a villain to help out his friend. ¡°Too much fighting.¡± He muttered. he would have never started to think such silly thoughts otherwise. While Raven is busy in his own thoughts while lying on the grass, Shin, Josh, and Hatori are relaxing. They have trained hard for the last three days. Aside from exercises, they dueled each other a lot. They acquired bruises, their muscles got strained, and of course, mental and physical exhaustion. But James is helping them out. He is helping to relax their muscles by massage spells, and other spells to make their bruises disappear. For their exhaustion, he is using some recovery potions. Raven cannot believe the pampering these three are getting by James. However, he keeps his mouth shut, lest Hatori might decide that he needs some last-minute training after all. But he did decide to voice his next thought. ¡°You know, given how the general basically forced me into the military, I¡¯ll have to go through this next year onward as well.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± purred Hatori, feeling very relaxed on the ground. ¡°But remember, we¡¯re talking about the military here. it would be ten times worse than this.¡± ¡°You are not helping!¡± he burst out.

Part 2.

In her office, Amrita is speaking with Mira, her apprentice. ¡°This selection tournament is a great chance. During my time in this institute, nothing like this has ever taken place. Usually, the students are chosen by the coach and the headmaster for the competition and then sent to wherever it is held. But things are different this year.¡± ¡°What do you want me to do, professor?¡± asked Mira. ¡°Why, record the proceedings of course!¡± said Amrita. ¡°You have a chance to observe things as they happen and speak with the people who are involved. It would be great; if you would be able to show off this project to others in the future. A great addition to your resume, if I say so myself.¡± ¡°That is good,¡± said Mira, excited for her chance. ¡°But actually, going and talking with these aggressive competitors is kind of scary.¡± She wilted after saying that. ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± Said Amrita. ¡°But you need to do this. You can¡¯t let the aggression scare you, how else are you going to ask deep questions otherwise? And if anyone attacks you, you are free to whip them in return, competitor or not.¡± Mira smiled. ¡°I suppose I¡¯ll get practice on using some of those tormenting spells you¡¯ve shown me then.¡± ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± cheered Amrita.

Part 3.

The day of the tournament arrives. Everyone who has put their names in has gathered in the hall. about thirty or so students have put their names in this tournament, but only twelve are chosen for the tournament, after some filters were applied to get rid of the weaklings. ¡°Isn¡¯t the number a bit low?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Well, remember that the size of the class shrinks every year after the fourth year,¡± said Josh. ¡°And your rampages probably contributed to that.¡± If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ¡°I wasn¡¯t that bad.¡± Protested Hatori. he then realized what he said. ¡°Actually, on the second thought, you¡¯re right. I was quite bad. And it was awesome!¡± Hatori reveled in his evil ways. ¡°Would you quiet down? The rules are about to be explained.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Greetings to all who have come to participate in this tournament, and to those who have come to watch. I hear that the punishments at the booth discouraged some of you,¡± said Dimitri, causing a ripple of laughter among the students. ¡°That¡¯s probably another reason why the number is so low.¡± Muttered Hatori. ¡°Now, the selection process is quite simple.¡± He explained. ¡°You all will fight in a tournament, where you must face each opponent at least once. Once all the matches have been fought, the top eight will be chosen as the team to represent the Academy. the rank will be decided on your win/loss ratio. Five duelists who top this tournament will be chosen for the team, and three of them will be chosen as reserves. I do hope that you will do your best to win. And let me give you an advance warning, there is no place for slackers in my team.¡± Having said his peace, Dimitri sits down, and the blocks flash on the boards located above the ring, with names of the twelve fighters flashing on the screen. Hatori looks around at his opponents. He included Josh and Shin in this list because he does not want to go easy on them. best start to think of them as opponents, so he won¡¯t get cold feet at the thought of beating them. He recognized a lot of students. Looks like anyone who has any skill in fighting is here. Daphne is no surprise to Hatori since she won the trophy. Avinash is no surprise either, though his friend Tom if Hatori remembers correctly, is a bit of a wild card. Hatori hasn¡¯t seen the others, and if he has, he does not remember their faces, since it is just two years or so since he regained his sight. The final face Hatori saw is a surprise. ¡®Ravina, eh?¡¯ he thought. ¡®This should be amusing, to say the least.¡¯ The girl has a fiery personality. Whether she can prove it with her spells remains to be seen. Dimitri is sitting with Nandan. His student is telling him about the familiar faces. ¡°You should watch out for those three. they were good when I was here, and they have gotten better ever since, no doubt.¡± He said, looking at Hatori and his friends. ¡°It is strange to see. They are competitors, and yet stand with each other.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll separate even if the king asks them to.¡± Said Nandan with a laugh. the duelers are chosen randomly to begin the tournament. The names of Vivek and Praduman flash on the screen. Both competitors arrive at the sand-filled arena, ready to fight. ¡°Listen up!¡± said the voice of a yantra. ¡°You are not allowed to kill each other. You stop when I say stop. Is that clear?¡± at their nod, the yantra creates a blast to signal the beginning of the duel. Vivek starts out with a normal spell, trying to gage Praduman. However, the bulky boy is having none of that. he attacks him with heavy spells and overwhelms Vivek. With a blast, he is thrown out of the ring. ¡°Stop!¡± came the voice of the yantra. ¡°Praduman wins.¡± ¡°No technique at all.¡± Critiqued Dimitri. ¡°True. But his opponent wasn¡¯t any strong. It would be foolish to waste his energy in a prolonged battle with him.¡± said Nandan. ¡°Agreed.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°I must say though, not having commentary sours the experience a bit.¡± ¡°Samudra has graduated, I would have asked him otherwise.¡± Said Nandan, missing the commentary of his senior. Seeing a shaken Vivek stand up from his position on the ground, Dimitri grumbled. ¡°How did he manage to get passed the filters?¡± ¡°You should remember that these are students, not duelers.¡± Chided Nandan. ¡°The standards have to be lowered a bit.¡± Dimitri is not pleased to hear this. He hates lowering standards for anyone. He does not like it for himself, so why should others be any different? But still, Nandan is right. there are still ten more matches for that boy. maybe he will manage to impress him? but Dimitri is not holding out any hope for that. Chapter 159 Chapter 159.

Part 1.

The first match is now done. The new opponents are selected, and the names of Daphne and Shin show up on the screen. Both of them stepped up into the arena, and everyone got ready to watch this battle. Most of them are certain that this won¡¯t be a one-sided affair like the first duel, but Hatori and Raven are not so sure. Daphne observes her opponent. Whereas she is in a serious stance with her foci out, ready to cast spells at a moment¡¯s notice, Shin is in a relaxed pose. He still has those bells in his hair, and no tension on his face. ¡®Hmph. With that attitude, he will never beat me.¡¯ she thought. ¡°Begin!¡± the referee yantra declared, and the duel begins. Daphne whipped out her foci in an arc and cast her first spell. She thought it connected, and for a moment, she was horrified. She does not wish to turn Hatori¡¯s friend¡¯s blood into acid and melt him inside out. but that did not happen. The method of defense that Shin used is very interesting. He did not use any foci. His arms are still hanging by his side. He just sang one note and a shimmering shield appeared in front of him, and Daphne¡¯s spell splashed on it harmlessly. Daphne gaped in shock, and Shin took this moment to attack. He starts to play on his harp-like foci, and Daphne has to move to avoid the stones coming her way, conjured by Shin and then fired at her. She deflected some of them, hoping to harm Shin with his own conjuration, but all those stones just swerved around him. many people thought that they were enchanted, but Hatori did not sense any magic from them. ¡°How is he doing that?¡± whispered Josh. ¡°He¡¯s using wind.¡± Answered Hatori softly, to not give away his friend¡¯s secrets. Daphne prepares another spell, but Shin sees something which she fails to observe. She was standing on the edge of the ring. Therefore, a gust launches her, and Daphne finds herself outside of the ring, still wondering what¡¯s going on, while Shin is declared a winner. After the fog of the battle clears up, and she plays the moment back in her mind, Daphne realizes what she did. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t have underestimated him.¡¯ she berated herself for that mistake. Daphne takes her place on the bench, as Ravina is called to face Tom. ¡®This should be an interesting match.¡¯ she thought. ¡®Let¡¯s see whether she can come up with a way to counter his brute strength.¡¯ There is a size difference between these two, and Tom decides to show that that difference carries over to the magic. he started with hard-hitting and energy-consuming spells, but he is using them freely as if he has no concerns about his stamina. Ravina returns the fire. ¡°She is playing right into his hands,¡± predicted Raven. ¡°Yes, she is no match for him in the brute strength.¡± Josh agreed. Hatori nodded in agreement. One spell struck Ravina, breaking through her defenses, and sent her flying outside of the ring unconscious. She was about to land on her head, but Tom used a levitating spell to bring her to the ground safely. For that, he earned applause from everyone present there. Josh and Ranveer are selected next. The slow exchange between them looked like a boring battle, but Hatori spotted what Ranveer was trying to do. ¡°He is pushing him slowly to the corner, trying to box him,¡± he said to Raven. ¡°He wishes to pressure him and make some mistakes, so he can put him out of the ring.¡± Raven shook his head. He didn¡¯t see that tactic coming. He is good at planning for an army, but dueling requires an entirely different mindset. Which is why he is not competing; he is just here as a support. ¡°Do you think Josh can get out of this?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Maybe. If he recognizes what is happening on time,¡± said Hatori, once more focusing on the duel. Josh blocked the spell of Ranveer, and it caused him to take a step back. He looked behind himself for a moment and realized how close he was to the outside. by contrast, Ranveer is still in the safer position, since he is barely moving from his starting position. If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡®I need to attack him overwhelmingly.¡¯ He thought. So, he started to cast spells aggressively. But that didn¡¯t work, Ranveer has erected defenses around himself by raising walls and conjuring large boulders. ¡°If he is using the elements, then I will too.¡± He smirked, and with a large slash, flooded the ring with water. ¡°He is not winded.¡± Noted Nandan. ¡°Indeed. Most impressive for a boy of his age.¡± Agreed Dimitri. Ranveer finds himself on a backfoot this time, as the water is not just spilled across the ring. It is in the control of Josh, and he is using its overwhelming quantity and force to its fullest. It does not take long for Josh to make Ranveer step outside of his defenses, or risk drowning, and once that happens, he quickly attacks him with the flowing water, dropping him outside of the ring shivering and soaked. Surprisingly, both fighters came out mostly undamaged from this duel, aside from some bruises and cuts. ¡°I got the idea from my brother.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Remember that brawl in the garden?¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± nodded Hatori. ¡°It is good that we left him on your mother¡¯s mercy.¡± They laughed, as the next fighters were selected. The names of Avinash and Yatharth come up. Yatharth is not using conventional foci like a sword or a staff. Instead, he is using a bow of all things. Avinash does not see any arrows on him. but once the duel starts, and he pulls on the string, Avinash sees an arrow being conjured by the bow, which is coming fast his way. It exploded in the air with such force that he was thrown to the ground. Things do not get any better from there, as more such exploding arrows rained down upon him. the referee Yantra had to intervene, and James was called to treat Avinash¡¯s concussion. As the pain and dizziness slowly start to fade under James¡¯s spell, Avinash is disappointed with himself. He should not have let that foci distract him, he could have easily taken advantage of the small pause when he pulled on that bow or just ripped it out of his hands. but he did nothing of the sort. The names of Hatori and Aditya come up on the screen quite fast, since they are the only remaining fighters who have not fought today. Both of them approach the ring, ready for anything. From his stance, Hatori deduces that this guy is an experienced fighter. So, he decides that he won¡¯t play around, and finish the duel as quickly as possible. Meanwhile, Aditya knew that Hatori was a student of Zeko. He decides to poke him with small spells and see how he reacts to formulate a strategy. The duel begins, and Aditya moves to follow up on his plan. At first, things were going nicely for him. but somewhere along the line, Hatori realized what Aditya was doing. As a result, he upped the intensity, and Aditya was unable to match him in the raw magical power. this results in him waking up outside of the ring, having been knocked out by a spell. The matches are done for the day. The teens who fail to get a victory today are thinking about what could they do tomorrow to improve their odds. Ravina thinks that maybe she should focus more on her defense, while Avinash is still stewing in his disappointment, having no plan for tomorrow at all. Meanwhile, the winners of today are thinking of keeping their domination the next day.

Part 2.

Dimitri watches the students leave. Now that he has seen them fight, he has an idea of who can make the team, and who wouldn¡¯t. he is glad that he took the idea of Dhiraj to use a magical filter for this. He does not want to manage a large school-wide tournament, it would be a nightmare to plan, not to mention, how long it would take. They can¡¯t waste all their time in the selection tournament alone. he has to train the team as well, once they qualify. Chapter 160 Chapter 160.

Part 1.

The tournament resumes the next day, and the names of Vivek and Daphne show up. both go to the ring and begin to face each other. Hatori however, is not paying any attention to this match. it is a foregone conclusion in his opinion. In his first match, Vivek got overwhelmed by Praduman. That was understandable since Praduman had a lot of raw power. but Daphne does not, and he is struggling against her, meaning he is not built for dueling at all. Daphne did not have to use any elemental magic or any of her advanced tricks to beat Vivek. Just a few exchanges later, he is lying outside of the ring in a heap, unable to get up. Daphne is declared the winner, and the screen starts to move the names once again for the next duelists. Dimitri did not pay any attention during that one-sided massacre. ¡°You should pay attention, you know.¡± Chides Nandan. ¡°Correct. The next match is interesting.¡± He said, looking at the fight of Aditya and Josh. ¡°The boy moves quite quickly despite his bulk.¡± Noted Dimitri, as Josh dodges various spells of Aditya. ¡°He has spent a lot of time with Hatori. I¡¯m not surprised.¡± Said Nandan. When Dimitri looked at him for an explanation, Nandan continued. ¡°He is the kind of boy who would drag his friends through a grueling training in the morning, whether they like it or not.¡± Aditya is picked up by the arm made of ice, and he is then thrown outside of the ring. ¡°Looks like that training paid off then. That ice would have collapsed if he didn¡¯t have good control over his magic,¡± said Dimitri, as the new fighters were chosen. Praduman comes to face Ravina. Once more, Ravina finds herself staring up at the face of an opponent. ¡®What is up with up with my luck? This is the second time I¡¯m facing a physically larger boy.¡¯ she thought, as the duel started. She conjured a pile of sand, and with a swish of her staff, sent it flowing at Praduman. ¡°Hmph. You think you can win by putting sand in my eyes?¡± he asked and rushed headfirst in the sand wave. Then Ravina transmuted that sand into needles. Some of them actually reached Praduman, and he grunted in pain. But he scattered the rest by his magical pressure. However, this stopped him from rushing at Ravina like a bull. ¡°Impressive bit of strategy.¡± Praised Nandan. ¡°Too bad her opponent avoided it,¡± said Dimitri. After that impressive bit of strategy, the match devolves into a standard exchange of spells, during which Ravina finds herself coming short against Praduman, in height and magic. and this narrator is going to hell for saying this for certain. Ravina pivoted in the middle of the fight into a defensive strategy. But by then, it was too late. She was exhausted, and Praduman bulled through her defenses, and she found herself staring at a loss once again. The next match is between Ranveer and Shin. At the very start of the match, Ranveer attacked hard, which is out of character for him. but the reason is simple. He can¡¯t let Shin focus, use his instrument-like foci, or his vocal magic to attack him. As long as he is dodging and shielding from his spells, Shin won¡¯t be doing any attacking. This doesn¡¯t stop Shin from using some wind spells and doing some damage to Ranveer with the remaining needles conjured by Ravina, but it is not enough. Ranveer shook the arena, Shin lost his footing, and taking advantage of this, Ranveer blasted him outside of the ring. Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°He fought well. he would have won if he used his wind element better,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°He does rely on his music too much, doesn¡¯t he?¡± noted Nandan. ¡°It is not a bad form of magic. but there has to be some conventional magic to support it,¡± said Dimitri. The names of Hatori and Yatharth come up, and they face against each other. The duel begins, and Hatori steps aside from the blasting spell fired by the bow of Yatharth. Hatori is not behind in retaliation however, as he casts a spell that explodes the floor right in front of Yatharth, pelting him with the debris, and injuring his hand. Yatharth stumbles and another spell connects with his left arm, wrenching his bow from him. ¡°I yield.¡± He spoke. He does not wish to face Hatori without a focus. ¡°Good job he did there,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°Yes, he did not let that unusual foci throw him off his game.¡± Agreed Nandan. ¡°I meant that other boy,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°It is good he decided to quit where he was, or else Zeko¡¯s apprentice would have destroyed him.¡± ¡°Ah yes. That will be the result.¡± Agreed Nandan. ¡°But I want to see him lose his foci at least once during this tournament.¡± Yatharth shakes hands with Hatori, and the screen shows the names of the remaining duelists of the day: Tom and Avinash. The students who have come to watch the fights discuss among themselves, thinking that Tom might end up throwing this match for Avinash, since in their eyes, he is nothing but an underling to him. But as they face off, and the yantra declares the beginning of the match, they realize that Avinash is not forcing the nameless boy to throw the fight in his favor. ¡°But maybe he would give up after an exchange of spells? maybe Avinash is doing this to let him save some face.¡± Suggested various students. Hatori didn¡¯t care about such whispers. Instead, he is watching the battle in the ring. The broken and destroyed parts are transmuted, flung, and flung back. When it fails, they switch to elemental magic. the audience has to scramble for safety, as the fire magic used by both of them leaves the bounds of the arena. Avinash cannot take this heat, and it seems that his foci itself is about to catch fire. ¡°I give.¡± He declared. Instantly, the fire is distinguished by the yantra, and Tom is declared a winner. Avinash hugs him in the middle of the ring, to show his complete support. And to send a message to all those whisperers that Avinash does not need a fake match to win. ¡°That boy has a great talent for dueling.¡± Said Dimitri, as they started to leave. ¡°Though he is a little bit rough on the edges. You say he is self-taught?¡± ¡°Yeah, he is a nameless boy. no chance of receiving formal training because of that.¡± Said Nandan with a tone of regret. If given proper support, Tom would have walked the same path as he did. Who knows? They might have met in an arena someday. The day comes to an end. Avinash has still not gotten a win, and this has started to bother him. meanwhile, Ravina decides that she will fight defensively from now on, as attacking directly has not gotten her any good results. Vivek watches everyone, furious at his loss, yet he controls his tongue. At least his losses have come from some respectable people. Walking with Hatori, Shin decides that maybe he should not rely on the music so much, after analyzing his duel today. Chapter 161 Chapter 161.

Part 1.

The tournament resumes the next day. The first match is between Ranveer and Hatori. Dimitri winced at that matchup. ¡°That is not going to end well. Ranveer has a good head on his shoulder, but he is not suited to fight in the ring.¡± Nandan nodded, as the match began. The words of Dimitri are proven true, as Ranveer struggles to keep up with the brutal pace of Hatori¡¯s spell casting. He missed a step, and a transmuted snake caught his arms, and then Hatori turned that snake into cuffs, effectively restraining the arms of Ranveer. Hatori was about to continue the next part of his attack, but Ranveer decided to give up. ¡°I give up.¡± he declared, and Hatori stopped before he could cast his next spell. They both walk out of the ring, as the next fighters are selected. Hatori notes how people are getting less and less excited by his victory. ¡®You¡¯ve trained me too well, master Zeko.¡¯ He thanks Zeko in his head and takes his seat near Raven. The next match is between Vivek and Tom. As they face up against each other in the ring, Vivek smirks. ¡°Don¡¯t expect to win, your master was a weakling to let you win, nameless dog.¡± That statement caused a pin-drop silence in the arena, as it was heard by the audience, and of course, the future coach as well. Avinash is not affected by this taunt, and he is glad to see that neither is Tom. After a few seconds of silence, the outrage pores out against Vivek, as most of the students who are watching this are younger ones, who have not experienced the old regime, and in some cases, they are actually happy to be away from the control of their family in the school. Vivek as of this moment has become a representative of a bygone era, even if it is just in the Academy. he is surprised by the hostility of the crowd and takes a step back. But he then glares at Josh and Hatori, sitting in the competitor''s row. They are the cause why this nameless nobody dares to compete against him, instead of rolling over for his better. ¡°Begin the match.¡± said the yantra, and the fight started. Tom said nothing. His body language betrayed nothing of what he was thinking, and his tone did not get harsh while chanting spells. despite this, it is clear to the crowd that he is taking delight in the disparity of skill between himself and his opponent, as he could have blasted Vivek outside of the ring any time he wanted, but he has done no such thing. Vivek on the other hand, is going through a mental crisis. He did not expect this kind of resistance from Tom. ¡®How can I be so helpless against this nameless nobody?¡¯ he thought, as he ran like his life depended upon it. which might be true, as the transmuted beasts of Tom are on his heels, and would tear him apart if they catch him. He thought of walking outside of the ring. At least that way, he could claim that he let the nameless nobody win, taking pity on him. but when he was close to the line that separated the ring from the outside, he got face-to-face with Tom. Tom makes a flicking motion with his foci, and a lance of fire pierces Vivek¡¯s stomach. ¡°Gah!¡± he falls to the ground, rolling on the floor in agony. Tom cast some more spells which did less damage than the fire lance, but still continued to injure Vivek further. ¡°Vivek is in no condition to battle. Tom wins.¡± Comes the voice of the yantra. The crowd booed as Vivek was carried out of the ring by the trainee healers. ¡°That boy. I would have never accepted him into the team, even if he managed to qualify. You do not disrespect the origins of your opponent, doesn¡¯t matter if you¡¯re fighting a king or a beggar.¡± Said Dimitri, expressing his strong feelings about the misconduct he has just witnessed. ¡°I don¡¯t think he would be fighting any further in this tournament.¡± Said Nandan, not at all sorry for Vivek. There¡¯s always an agreement among the duelists to not hurt each other more than necessary, and despite the aggressive exchange of words, never disrespect each other, and cross the line. That is to make sure that no hard feelings remain after the competition is over, and it keeps the dueling circle relaxed instead of devolving into chaos. This is exactly why the students haven¡¯t been injured so badly in this tournament, until now. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. But when that agreement is broken, all bets are off. There is no restraint on the brutality which can be inflicted upon your opponent who is basically an enemy at this point. the only reason Vivek survived today was because rules are kept much safer for these kids. The next match is between Josh and Yatharth. After the emotional high of the previous match, the audience watches this one quietly. Both duelers display their elemental magic, and Josh shows that he can fight fire with fire, and water isn¡¯t the only element he knows how to use well. Yatharth ends up losing though, since he could not load the spells fast enough on his bow, and while he was busy doing that, Josh was free to attack him. though he did get scorched by the fire a little, Josh wins this match. The next dueling pair is Ravina and Avinash. They start an exchange of spells, where Ravina just blocks or dodges Avinash¡¯s attacks, and only attacks him when he makes a mistake or leaves himself open. Avinash slowly grew frustrated, and he got tired of casting so many spells to get past Ravina¡¯s shields. Once he slowed down, Ravina took advantage of this, and assaulted him with explosions, resulting in him lying outside of the ring in a heap. Hatori shook his head after that spectacle. ¡°He could have one easily if he was more mobile.¡± He muttered. ¡°Yeah,¡± agreed Raven. ¡°It is harder to shield against different angles.¡± Daphne is selected next. She is facing Aditya. ¡°This will be the rematch from two years ago.¡± He declared. ¡°Don¡¯t expect an easy win.¡± ¡°Same goes for you,¡± she answered with a smirk of her own. At first, it was the usual affair that has been seen by everyone in the duels so far: transmutation and conjuring, plus some non-elemental spells. but when they started to use alchemical spells, things started to get chaotic from there. Various acids started to melt the floor of the ring, while they changed the ratio of the gasses around them to light each other on fire, or to drown their opponent in the sudden flood of water. none of which worked, so they decide to fight fire with fire, and once more, the audience has to scramble for safety when they start to use fire magic on each other. All these things result in a dangerous mixture, from the steam of the water, and the acid, and now fire. But Daphne got the ultimate edge. ¡®I remember the formula Professor Dhiraj showed us to neutralize the fire.¡¯ And she used that same formula to craft a spell to deal with fire users. Once Aditya¡¯s fire was stamped out, it was easy for her to make him yield. The audience clapped from their safe places, while Dimitri was delighted by this performance. ¡°You see Nandan? That is how the ring may look after a championship bout.¡± ¡°Indeed,¡± Nandan observes the destruction. The Yantra fixes the ring so the next match can be done, though it is clear that for tomorrow, it will need some extensive repairs overnight. Shin and Praduman come to face each other, being the final competitors of the day. ¡®I must keep a balance.¡¯ Thought Shin. ¡®I¡¯ll just charge in, and pummel him until he gives up.¡¯ thought Praduman, since he is certain that Shin is not strong enough to face him directly. The match starts, and immediately, Shin strikes a note, halting the charge of Praduman. he is getting dizzy; it is clear from his face. The music stops, and just when Praduman is starting to regain his stride, the invisible blast of wind hammers his side and floors him. Another dizzy spell strikes him, making it impossible for him to get up, and Shin levitates him to the outside of the ring, gaining victory in the process. The matches have come to an end today. As the fighters leave with the audience to patch themselves up, they think about their performances. Avinash is bothered by how he has still not gotten a victory yet, while others have their victory streaks snapped. Ravina has gotten a win, she is hoping to maintain this performance and continue her streak. Vivek is missing, his injuries will not let him compete for at least a few days, making sure that he is out of the competition for sure. Chapter 162 Chapter 162.

Part 1.

The tournament resumes, and Avinash and Aditya are chosen to be the first duelers of the day. both come to the ring and face each other. As they begin to exchange spells, Avinash finds himself on the backfoot. The conjured iron spikes graze his body, and a blade of magic slices his chest. Avinash then receives a spell to his gut, knocking his breath out, and finds himself on the back, very close to the edge of the ring. Aditya smirked at him and made the motion to blast him out, but instead of seeing Aditya, Avinash saw Porus standing there, smirking at him. he watched as the king prepared to finish him off, much like he had done to the other challengers, and his dream starting to slip from his fingers like water. Unable to take this image, Avinash gets up, batting the blast spell aside. A section of the audience has to scramble out of the way, as their seats are shattered. Avinash then starts to take a step forward and starts another spell exchange with Aditya. Aditya is an experienced dueler, but he hesitates in casting his spells, and he is also stepping back from the approaching Avinash. That is because the expression on his opponent¡¯s face is scaring him. he has not seen this kind of madness in his life in the ring. This time, Aditya is the one who is taking damage. His hair caught fire, despite the enchanted protections on them to stop it from happening, and many spells damaged his chest, breaking his ribs, and dealing small and large cuts to his arms. And Avinash kept coming closer during the entire time. it does not take Avinash too long to corner his opponent in the ring, and Aditya then runs out of there to avoid the massive wave of fire coming at him. though he has protected his clothes and body against the fire, he is not certain he would be able to avoid crippling damage if he tried to take that spell. ¡°Avinash wins.¡± Announces the yantra and the madness disappears from Avinash, as he finally registers a victory. ¡°That was an intense match,¡± said Nandan. ¡°Agreed. Though I am worried for that boy Avinash. Going berserk like this can be very dangerous.¡± Commented Dimitri. ¡°If he makes it into the team, I have to work with him to fix this.¡± The next duelists are Ravina and Josh. Josh starts to attack from the start, but once again, Ravina just dodges or uses the shields. Despite this, she did not avoid the damage entirely, as she got hit in the stomach, and a spell left a small cut on her cheek. When Josh brings out his heavy spells with water elements, she creates a bunker in the middle of the ring with rocky walls surrounding her. They exchanged the spell fire from this position at first but did not deal any damage to each other. Josh turned the water acidic to melt through the rock, but by that point, it was too late. Ravina hid the beast she created after transmuting the rubble of the previous battles, and it pounced on Josh. He was dragged outside and lost the match. Dimitri shook his head. ¡°If only he were a little bit faster, he could have won.¡± ¡°He also needs to be more aware of his surroundings.¡± Commented Nandan, and Dimitri nodded in agreement. The names of Vivek and Shin flash on the screen. But Vivek is unable to approach. ¡°Shin wins by default since his opponent is in no condition to battle.¡± Declared the yantra. Hatori is then chosen to face Daphne, and both of them come to the ring, ready to face each other. Hatori has a grin on his face. So far, Daphne has done wonderfully, and she is bound to be quite challenging for him. he, of course, won¡¯t go soft on her, since it would be insulting to her skills. The duel begins. They try to find any weaknesses in each other¡¯s defenses, using small-scale spells on each other. When it becomes clear to both of them that this won¡¯t work, they quickly start to use heavy spells. Hatori tries to blast Daphne out of the ring, but she manages to sidestep it. the spell was powerful enough to damage the floor of the ring, and Daphne had to deal with the flying shrapnel coming her way. Hatori seizes this chance to continue attacking, bombarding her position with more spells, but Daphne does not remain passive for too long. She also retaliated with spells of her own, but most of them missed Hatori. though a few of them hit him, and judging by how he staggered after each hit, they did hit hard indeed. Daphne is annoyed after seeing that. all those spells could have floored anyone in the tournament, and yet they only made Hatori stagger a little. But she smirks, as she observes him preparing to attack her again. ¡°You should be more aware of what¡¯s going on behind you.¡± she could not resist that jibe and punctuated it by bringing her hand down. She did not use her foci for this, but the audience did not see this. Because the entire ring is then consumed in flames, as a cloud descends upon Hatori¡¯s position, and the heat becomes so unbearable that the audience has to get far from the ring. Daphne commands these flames effortlessly, she alone stands untouched within this massive inferno. This is the most destructive spell in the tournament so far, and some students are wondering whether this would be the first fatality of the tournament or not. ¡°Hahahahahahahahahaha!¡± all the speculation is silenced by that laugh, as Hatori walks out of the flames, burns clearly visible on his body. ¡°Master Zeko would have liked you as a student,¡± said Hatori. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Then, a cloud appears on the ring. But this time, it is a raincloud. But instead of water, it rained lightning, crackling and booming every time the lightning struck Daphne¡¯s position. Every strike is coordinated with Hatori¡¯s staff as if he is a conductor of an orchestra in stormy weather. Daphne could not shield against the lightning, as they would be breached. So running is the only option for her, and making sure that she does not suffer shocks too badly. Her hands have gone numb, as a result, she loses control over the fire, and the spell fades. But Hatori¡¯s lightning cloud still remains. ¡°This isn¡¯t fun anymore,¡± he muttered, though Daphne heard him clearly. ¡°Hmm. maybe I can manipulate the shape entirely?¡± The cloud starts to change its shape, and instead of a cloud, it turns into an eagle made of lightning. Daphne suddenly finds herself running faster all over the ring, as the eagle chased her much faster than the cloud. She could not run forever, and the bird caught her in its talons. She is shocked by the very touch of this shape-shifting spell and loses consciousness a few seconds later. While Hatori basks in his victory, four people are having the same thoughts. Raven, who is sitting in the audience near the competitors, James who is with the healers and retrieving Daphne, Shin, and Josh who are sitting with the competitors, all thought the same thing: ¡®Did he have to grandstand so much?¡¯ ¡°That felt like more of a flirt than a fight,¡± said Dimitri, ignoring the destruction in the ring. ¡°Well,¡± said Nandan, ¡°The distinction can be narrow sometimes.¡± The next duel is between Ranveer and Yatharth. Dimitri is disappointed to see this duel. There is nothing good or exciting about it. granted, after the performances given by Avinash, Hatori, and Daphne today, any duel would feel lackluster. But Dimitri feels that this duel would have been the same, no matter what day he watches it. Thankfully, it does not take too long for it to be over, and the next, and the final duel of the day to begin. Tom and Praduman are coming to the ring. A match between two powerhouses. ¡°If nothing else, it should be interesting to see two bulls fight each other.¡± ¡°Come now master, give them more credit.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°They are better than the bulls.¡± ¡°Yeah, at least they¡¯ve got magic,¡± said Dimitri, as the fight started. While the match between Daphne and Hatori was destructive, this one was bloody. They did not use large-scale elemental magic. instead, both of them stick to small-scale magic, such as small fireballs, or rocks. But Tom¡¯s fireballs have a more concentrated fire, and the rocks and stones that Praduman used to pelt him with felt like the bulky boy was personally bashing him with those since they did not lose their force while traveling the small distance to hit Tom. As a result of this, both duelers are injured and bloody by the end, but Tom emerges victorious, after pinning Praduman¡¯s arms to the ground with heavy chains and threatening to blast his face with a spell. As the duelers walk out with the audience, an injured Vivek glairs at Shin and Tom, while Avinash is giddy with his first win. ¡®I must continue this momentum!¡¯ he thought to himself.

Part 2.

The atmosphere in the room is hostile. Dimitri is sitting on one side, while a group of professors is sitting in front of him. Corvus is sitting in the middle, and wondering why are these people ruining his tea time. ¡°Look, I understand that you need to select the team members,¡± said Professor Mohanlal, ¡°But it does not mean that you can just make them fight all the time. you should let these kids rest.¡± ¡°Much like how you let them rest from the intrigue?¡± Dimitri shoots back. ¡°Tell me, do you have any idea of what a dueling tournament is like? Any of you?¡± he asked, getting headshakes in the process. ¡°None of you have ever participated in one. these students would be going to a different country to face schools from all over the world. there would be pressure on them, and they won¡¯t get much time to recover. They have to be good at enduring, or else they will collapse.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°I checked the last team¡¯s performances. You sent such students who cried to their parents after the very first match to call them home.¡± ¡°I understand that, but why can¡¯t you increase the duration of the tournament?¡± asked another professor. ¡°Because that will shorten the training time,¡± explained Dimitri. ¡°The team won¡¯t be set, I won¡¯t be able to help them out individually. I was hired as a coach to teach them dueling and take them in this tournament. And I won¡¯t let the soft academics ruin my stint as a coach!¡± Dimitri slammed his hand on the table, as the argument started to rage. The professors yelled at him for half an hour, but after getting their throats sore from arguing and yelling for this long, they realized that Dimitri was not going to change his mind. So, they leave in a huff. The future coach turns to the headmaster. ¡°I don¡¯t know how you handle these people.¡± He complained, rubbing his ears. ¡°Experience. That, and my reputation ensure that they would think a hundred times before raising their voice against me,¡± replied Corvus, sipping his tea. Chapter 163 Chapter 163.

Part 1.

Despite the best efforts of the professors, the tournament resumes the next day, and Dimitri is already bored. The first match is a win by default for Yatharth since he was set to face Vivek. But that boy is still injured and hasn¡¯t even shown up today, so that was a poor start in Dimitri¡¯s opinion. The retired duelist is also not impressed by the duel of Aditya and Ranveer. Aditya won due to his greater experience of dueling, but Ranveer showed some improvement, so that is something. But not enough to alleviate Dimitri¡¯s boredom. Until the third match of the day starts¡­ Ravina and Shin are facing each other. Continuing from her defensive approach, Ravina dodged and blocked the spells of Shin, and only retaliated when she could punish his mistakes. She covered her ears to make sure that the musical magic did not affect her and covered herself behind a rocky wall to get rid of his wind element. Shin shatters the rocks with his musical spell, damaging Ravina with her own defense, but in the meantime, she triggers her trap. She turns the floor underneath Shin¡¯s feet into mud, and when he starts to sink into the mud quite fast, she knocks him out by aiming a spell on his head. ¡°If only Shin knew some large-scale wind spells, Ravina would have lost,¡± said Nandan. ¡°Nice trick though, shattering the rock like that. Too bad it came too late.¡± ¡°True. Though it is hard to find or develop such spells, as the wind can be quite inaccurate at the large scale.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Still, there is no reason why he can¡¯t develop the control later. I must refine his music style though; it can be great for breaking the defenses.¡± ¡°How would you do that though? Last I checked; you didn¡¯t have any knowledge of musical magic,¡± asked Nandan. ¡°Vibration.¡± Was the simple answer of Dimitri. The next match is between Daphne and Praduman. Dimitri lost his bored expression, hoping for a good performance. Both duelists are known for their destructive potential, as Daphne has already demonstrated yesterday, and Praduman is known for his raw power. ¡°Begin!¡± declares the referee yantra, and the fight is on. Praduman starts with hard-hitting spells, which have become his specialty of sorts. He can cast these spells for a long time, and quite fast. Most people don¡¯t expect it, and only a few are capable of keeping up with him. when he starts like that, the reaction is usually defensive. But he got a nasty surprise when Daphne did not run from him, and instead counterattacked with powerful spells of her own. the audience is treated with bangs and booms, as both duelers try to explode each other into pieces or try to burn each other into ash. While it is true that Praduman can cast such spells quite fast, he cannot sustain this rate. his endurance is not that developed, and as a result, he starts to feel fatigued ten minutes later. once Daphne sensed that weakness, she summoned that same fire spell that she used against Hatori, and Praduman surrendered, not wishing to face such a spell in his exhausted state. ¡°Daphne wins!¡± announced the yantra. ¡°I don¡¯t get it. why did she face him like that?¡± asked Nandan. ¡°Granted, she did match him blow-for-blow, but still, I¡¯m sure she could have done it better.¡± ¡°Sometimes, it is important to face the opponent directly, because you won¡¯t have hidden cards, or some secret trick all the time. whatever defensive measures Daphne could have taken, Praduman would have dismantled those, and it would have been pointless to play the game of cat and mouse with him. so, she faced him directly.¡± Explained Dimitri. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original. Nandan nodded. he still has a lot to learn. Josh is facing Avinash. The match starts, and knowing how strong Avinash is, Josh starts with his water element, flooding the ring, and the surrounding area. ¡°Not this again.¡± Complained Nandan. ¡°Don¡¯t they realize how hard it is to clean it up for the next match?¡± ¡°As if you personally do the cleanup.¡± Reminded Dimitri. Avinash retaliated with fire, and for a moment, the action was hidden behind the steam. When the cloud clears, Josh is found stuck in the ice, and Avinash preparing to blast him out of the ring. He did that, and chunks of ice also rained down upon the audience. Not even waiting for the announcement of his win, he walks to his seat, not even slipping on the ice for once. ¡°Idiot.¡± Said Hatori to Raven. ¡°He relies too much on the water element.¡± ¡°True, and he could have easily controlled the ice too.¡± Agreed Raven. ¡°I¡¯m not gonna let him live this one down.¡± Said Hatori, getting up as it was his turn to fight. ¡°Me neither.¡± Agreed Raven. Tom is facing Hatori. though he is wary of him, he does not let show it up in his body language. The match starts, and Tom evades the conjured chains of Hatori. he neutralizes the lightning attacks by conjuring sheets of rubber, but Hatori attacks with fire, and they start to burn. Tom does not have enough time to enchant them against fire protection, while various people who care for nature are outraged in the audience. Tom¡¯s counter spell does not land on the target, but it lands in front of Hatori, and he is pelted by the fragments. Tom knows that Hatori tracks opponents through his ears and his magic-sensing. He can¡¯t do anything about the latter, but the former, he can overwhelm. And thus, he attacks with full force, trying to cause as much damage and noise as possible. Of course, Hatori retaliated, in some cases, their spells collided in the air, and destabilized. A large dust cloud results in the middle of the ring due to this exchange. Once the dust clears, Hatori is seen battered, full of cuts, his leg bleeding, and one side of his face starting to swell up. Tom felt great by watching this sight. Not even Daphne did this much damage to Hatori. Despite the pain in his jaw, Hatori smirks, and Tom finds himself being electrocuted. Hatori conjured some wires, and those wires were wrapped around Tom¡¯s legs. This was followed by a brutal spell to Tom¡¯s chin, and a final attack at the back of his head, knocking him out. Hatori leaves the ring to remove his shoe since it is filling up with blood from his leg. ¡°That was a bloody display.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Come to think of it, Hatori has taken the most damage in this match.¡± ¡°True. And it is not going to get any easier for him, he still has some strong competitors to face.¡± Said Dimitri. As the fighters started to leave to heal up and rest, they thought about what they do differently in their next match. Hatori is the only one who has the original winning streak, and Ravina has maintained her winning streak. Avinash has also started his own winning streak, but he is still far behind others. ¡®I must win to catch up with others.¡¯ he thought. ¡®And of course, beat him.¡¯ he smirked, as he thought about facing Hatori and beating him in a straight duel. Chapter 164 Chapter 164.

Part 1.

The tournament resumes the next day. the first match is between Ravina and Hatori. As Ravina is walking to the ring, she stops as she hears Daphne calling to her. ¡°Ravina, please don¡¯t use defense during this match.¡± ¡°Why do you care?¡± she turned around. ¡°Because we might be in this tournament, but I am your friend. And that boy will not be befuddled like your previous opponents.¡± Explained Daphne. ¡°Whatever.¡± Ravina threw her hair back, and jogged to the ring, as she got late because of this small conversation. Daphne watched her go, already knowing how this match would turn out. she knows how strong Hatori is since she has gone toe-to-toe with him. simple, bullheaded strategies will not work against him. ¡°Begin!¡± said the yantra, and the match begins. Ravina blocks the spells coming her way with shields and prepares to sidestep the follow-up attacks to get around the shields. But instead of that, Hatori uses the same spells, but these are powerful enough to break through her shields. The shields lessened the force, but Ravina was still thrown to the ground harshly. ¡°How?¡± she gets up coughing, and moves out of the way of another flurry of spells. Hatori did hear her muttered question, but he did not answer. He hates talking during the battle. He watches her construct the rock wall, which he explodes, and uses the fragments as small missiles to batter her, and he then sends a wave of lightning which shocks Ravina, which is enough to end the match since she is unable to move after taking this spell directly. Daphne shakes her head. ¡°I warned her.¡± She grumbled, as Ravina was taken to get treated for her injuries, while Hatori walked away without taking any damage. After that one-sided match, Dimitri watched the second duel of the day between Shin and Yatharth. It is more balanced, though Shin is gaining an edge. The retired duelist has seen Shin change during this very tournament, he has used his experience well. ¡®Just a few nudges and hear and there, and he¡¯ll be great.¡¯ He thinks as Shin gains a victory. He skips to his seat, happy that he got a victory. If he wishes to be chosen, then he must keep his win/loss ratio healthy. The next match is a bore for Dimitri. Vivek finally comes to the ring, and loses outright to Aditya, being no match for the experienced dueler. ¡°Honestly, if I were in the place of that boy, I would have just conceded all of my matches at this point.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think that is harsh?¡± asked Nandan, just presenting an argument. ¡°No. some people have no business in the ring. And that boy is one of them.¡± said Dimitri. Daphne is facing Tom, and Dimitri loses his boredom instantly. ¡°Seriously, it is a good thing that you¡¯re not a professor here. you would have been sacked for blatant favoritism.¡± Said Nandan with a dry tone. ¡°I am not suited for the classroom environment.¡± Said Dimitri. Nandan nodded. he has heard many tales of the destructions and nightmares Dimitri caused in his own school days. Daphne assesses her opponent. It is clear that he is very powerful, and he also has the stamina to cast the spells for a long time. but she has a feeling that Tom has the same problem as Praduman: a lot of power and magical stamina, but no physical endurance. And that is the weakness Daphne is going to exploit. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. The match starts, and Daphne cancels Tom¡¯s spells and retaliates with her own spells, forcing Tom to move. Tom thought that he would be able to counterattack once he was in a safer position, but that safer position never arrived. Daphne made him run all over the ring, all the while keeping up with him in the exchange of the spells. by the time Tom is out of breath, he has made three exhausting rounds of the ring. He is gasping for breath, and Daphne takes this chance to attack him. he is blasted out of the ring, and knocked out. By the time this duel ends, Tom and Daphne end up on the opposite sides compared to when they started. Josh is facing Praduman. As the match starts, he decides that he won¡¯t play fast and lose. Instead, he will go for the win, no matter the risk. Praduman is experiencing a hard time as a result. Josh is not using some large-scale water spells, instead, he is pummeling him with small focused blasts, and that water is clinging to his clothes, weighing him down. But Praduman is not giving up easily. He is often called a bull, so he decides that he will use this. He transmutes the rubble into a small heard, and they stampede to Josh, and he is standing on the top of one. from his position, he bombards Josh with fire spells, and the ring is covered with some light steam due to Josh¡¯s counter with water spells. Getting enough of this spectacle, Josh decides to target the bull on which Praduman is standing. He realizes too late that he did not protect his mount, and he is blasted from his position, as the bull explodes into rubble. He is then buried in ice, and Josh manipulates it to cover his mouth and head. ¡°Praduman cannot continue. Josh wins.¡± Announces the Yantra at this point. Praduman is then extracted from the ice, and taken to the healers to get treated for the cold and other injuries, while Josh leaves, feeling lighter after gaining this win. Maybe this would lessen the humiliation he suffered yesterday by Avinash. Avinash versus Ranveer is the final match of the day. Avinash is surprised by the traps of Ranveer. Who the hell conjures gunpowder in the ring, and then ignites it with a trigger in the middle of a duel? Unfortunately for Ranveer, that is not enough to defeat Avinash. As Ranveer regains feeling in his limbs after being blasted outside harshly, he is happy that he managed to give Avinash some burns to remember him by. The matches end for the day. Avinash has kept his winning streak intact. His wins and losses are tied. ¡®If I continue to win like this, then I can qualify at the top.¡¯ He thinks. Meanwhile, someone is glaring at everyone hatefully. That someone is, of course, Vivek. He is unable to take this view of him being the last, so he leaves. Tom trudges up tiredly to his room. ¡®I need to improve my physical stamina. I shouldn¡¯t have been tired so easily. Actually, why did I let her make me run all over the place in the first place?¡¯ he thinks to himself. ¡®Whatever. At least I did better than Praduman. I doubt he would have been able to complete the first round with her.¡¯ Though Tom will never reveal such thoughts to everyone, when he thinks like that, he always gets an amused smirk on his face. Chapter 165 Chapter 165.

Part 1.

The day starts with Aditya versus Yatharth. Dimitri is not interested in this match. their win/loss records are terrible. At this point, they have no hope of making it on the team. It is a shame that Yatharth was unable to deal with other mages. Dimitri has seen archers in the past in the arena. Yatharth is also an example of why it is so hard for them to actually rise up in the ranks. They are just not versatile enough. As soon as the range is shortened, they are unable to deal with fast spells. Avinash versus Vivek is a total squash in Avinash¡¯s favor. Dimitri is not clear why that boy is even here in the first place. ¡®Doesn¡¯t he have any pride?¡¯ he thought. Shin versus Hatori however, is a great match to watch for the retired duelist. Though Shin still does not have any destructive wind spells, he is causing a lot of problems with his current knowledge for Hatori. he is not letting him create streams for using the current in his lightning, and of course, cutting the fire by depriving it of oxygen. The greatest surprise, however, is when he uses his music. Though it is clear to Dimitri that Hatori has protected himself against the effects of sound through his hearing, he forgets that sound can affect a human through many means. Judging by the panic and stampede in the audience, it looks like others also forgot about this. Dimitri and Nandan are the only ones sitting peacefully in the entire arena. ¡°Urg!¡± Hatori throws up, as his chest thumps loudly. then his hair caught fire. ¡®It pours when it rains.¡¯ He grumbles in his head. His defenses are the only reason why he is managing to have a clear-thinking mind. Otherwise, he would have been running around like the others. Of course, Shin was able to find this weakness. He helped him in testing his defenses. Once he is done with this match, he must modify himself to get rid of this weakness. But for now, Hatori tries to attack Shin to end this spell, but his accuracy is badly affected. None of his attacks reached Shin. ¡®I should put him out of his misery.¡¯ Thinks Shin. One of the bells on his hair then collides with Hatori¡¯s head, and he falls to the ground knocked out. Shin then ends his spell, and the bell in his hair comes back and attaches itself to its former position. ¡°Shin wins.¡± Declared the yantra, showing the subtitles due to hearing damage in the audience. The fighters are safe, however, since the competitor¡¯s area is protected. ¡®I bet this is going to become an issue after this. I can already imagine the outrage.¡¯ He thinks, thinking of the headlines like, ¡°Why competitors are protected, but the audience is not?¡± Truth to be told, this narrator would like to know that as well. putting your audience in danger seems a bad way to advertise your sport. Josh and Daphne are face-to-face. The match starts with two spells colliding. This was followed by two conjurations, where Daphne rises in the air with the pillar below her, while Josh tries to drown her. Josh then freezes the water, and the ice explodes with a blasting spell, and Daphne has to defend herself from the fragments. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. While she was busy doing so, Josh exploded the pillar. Daphne conjured some animals to attack Josh, and Josh did the same. Josh is pinned down with the conjured dogs, and his foci are lost, so he surrenders. But the animals escape in the audience, causing more panic. ¡°This day isn¡¯t going to end well for you,¡± said Nandan, as Dimitri had his head in his hands. Why must these kids make his job harder? The excitement comes down when Ravina is facing Ranveer. This is a peaceful and normal duel, confined to the ring. Dimitri is furious, however, since Ravina is not showing any improvement after losing to Hatori despite her defensive style. He is enraged further when Ranveer loses, unable to exploit the weaknesses and opening she left for him. ¡°So much for a strategic mind.¡± He scoffed. ¡°Come on now, you said it yourself. He is not used to fighting in the ring.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Whatever.¡± Sulked the retired duelist, as Tom gained a victory of his own, putting the miserable day to an end. ¡°Please excuse me, I have to listen to a bunch of hypocritical academics complain.¡± Dimitri marches off as if he is walking to his own death. Meanwhile, Hatori has lost his winning streak. ¡®I must fill these gaps in my defenses immediately.¡¯ He looks in the audience with his eyes behind the illusion. ¡®These people won¡¯t hesitate to take advantage of it.¡¯ Shin is giddy. He has gotten one over Hatori. ¡®I must keep this streak going if I am going to qualify.¡¯

Part 2.

Mira is writing an article on the proceedings of the day, and what happened in the tournament. She is interviewing Hatori, and she is rather apprehensive about it since she did not get along with him in the past. ¡°Let¡¯s start with your performance in the tournament so far. Are you happy with it?¡± she asked. ¡°Yeah, I am. True, I have experienced a loss today, and that too a competitor which a lot of people think is quite weak. The thing is, in a tournament this long, it was bound to happen that I would lose some matches. The fact that I have won so many times is the testament to master Zeko¡¯s training.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What about the team? Do you know who can make it, and who can¡¯t?¡± she asked next. ¡°I think it is clear by this point by looking at the tournament rankings. Still, it has not ended. But some people have no chance at all by this point because they are just too behind.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°The audience was endangered multiple times in this tournament. What do you say to that?¡± she asked the final question in her list. ¡°First, that is not my responsibility. I¡¯m not running this tournament. Second, we¡¯re mages, I have been told from a very early age that we walk with death all the time. if the audience can watch us fighting in the ring, then they should not complain if they experience the fallout of those battles from time to time.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Thanks for giving me your time,¡± she said, and Hatori nodded and left. Mira breathes a sigh of relief. That went better than she expected. Chapter 166 Chapter 166.

Part 1.

Hatori, Josh, and Shin recover and train in different areas. While they could have used the room of frozen time, they agreed that it would be cheating. Therefore, they are not using that room. However, they would have used it without any hesitation if they were not competing or facing a serious threat. Hatori is in the forest. This area has changed a lot ever since he was banished here the first time. for now, he is practicing his precision with bees, striking them with controlled lightning to stun them. he is confident that no one would dare to spy on him, since students do not come here often, and the elephants are keeping watch nearby.

Dimitri watches Ravina facing Aditya. Though the boy is an experienced dueler, he does not look his best today. Dimitri is confident that he would have won otherwise because Ravina still has not changed her game. Daphne is facing Ranveer. Though he is adapting to the ring, Daphne proves to be too strong for him to beat her directly. At this point, it is clear to Dimitri that he is not going to qualify for the team. The third duel of the day was also boring for the retired duelist since Tom defeated Yatharth without too much difficulty. Dimitri remembers that he will have to improve his stamina once he makes it to the team since Tom and Hatori are pretty much qualified at this point. Speaking of Hatori, he destroyed Vivek. ¡°Wow. He practically ended him there,¡± said Nandan. ¡°Didn¡¯t think he would survive that.¡± ¡°I¡¯m surprised as you are.¡± Said Dimitri. Josh and Shin are chosen next, and the match starts. right off the bat, Josh started with small-scale water spells, trying to batter Shin with the force of water, trying to make him uncomfortable with cold water or do some damage with boiling hot water. When the latter attacks came, Shin had one thought going in his head. ¡®Maybe he is holding a grudge. I must speak to him about it later.¡¯ Since he can¡¯t use his air manipulation to do anything against the water, Shin decides to show that he can also use other elements, by retaliating with fire and using the wind to enhance those attacks. many people are surprised by this combination since it is very hard to pull off. Josh turns the water into ice, and Shin is trapped. Josh walks to him to take his foci from his hand, but one note from Shin, and the entire ice-covered ring explodes, and Josh takes a lot of damage from the fragments. He lost his foci, as the force of the explosion tossed him around. When he comes to his senses, he looks and finds it in the hands of Shin. ¡°I surrender.¡± He said immediately. Hatori shook his head. ¡®Didn¡¯t they train to use the fociless magic with me? this is not good. what if they do the same thing during the school tournament? I must speak to the coach about it.¡¯ he thinks. Dimitri claps, as he is happy with the performance of both boys. Though Josh needs to get his act together, he is going through a tough phase in this tournament. He also needs to plan better and learn to keep his guard up all the time. Praduman faces Avinash, as they are the final competitors of the day. the match starts, and Praduman attacks, using offensive spells. Avinash, never the one to back down, retaliates in the same vein, but he has better control, and more of his spells land on their target as a result. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon. Each time Praduman initiated such exchanges, he lost them, even though he did some damage to Avinash. But the damage that Avinash does to him finally mounts up, and he is unable to get up, so Avinash wins as a result. As he is taken to the healers from the ring, Praduman thinks that he has to change his bullish fighting style, he can¡¯t just attack and lose like this all the time. the problem is that it is pretty late in the tournament, and improvements like this do not come in just one day. Josh is also worried. If he keeps losing like this, then the chances of qualifying for the team will slip through his fingers. And even if he does qualify, he will be nothing more than a glorified substitute, who only fights when the main fighters of the team are not ready to compete. That is not how he wants to be in the tournament. Though he is aware of his problem, he is not certain how to solve it, since winning a duel is not like solving a math problem, where most problems have a solution.

Part 3.

This is a room near the dueling arena. Much like since the day this tournament began, the students gather here to make bets and collect on their predictions of the previous day. ¡°Alright, whoever bet on Shin winning today please come to this corner and collect your bet!¡± said one student. ¡°Whoever would like to make new bets please come here,¡± said Maria, who is with Liang. Both of them are handling the responsibility of collecting whatever bets people make. Chaya and Maya observe the activities going on in the room from the center. Already they can hear the whining and crying of the losers who refuse to pay, and of course, the ahem. Recovery from such difficult customers. ¡°So, I think Hatori and Tom going in the team is a sure thing at this point,¡± said Maya. ¡°I think we should remove this entirely, people would bet on it all the time otherwise.¡± Suggested Chaya. ¡°Did you forget sister? No more such bets are allowed. Besides, we are the only ones who bet on Tom. We¡¯re going to make tons of profit from him.¡± said Maya. ¡°Forgive me, sister. The clinking of coins causes me to forget things.¡± both twins giggle.

Part 4.

Dhiraj is handling a complaint on behalf of Corvus. The students who want greater safety for the audience have lodged a complaint to the headmaster, feeling that the tournament is unnecessarily dangerous to them. never mind that their conspiracies keep going on, which are far more dangerous. Case and point, underground betting going on at this time, where bets are collected forcefully if the gambler is not able to pay. ¡°Professor,¡± looks like the argument is coming to an end. ¡°We feel that it is important to keep the audience safe, or who else would watch the matches otherwise? This is bad for the dueling sport as well!¡± ¡°Professor,¡± said the other student. ¡°We the mages should protect ourselves. If we can¡¯t do that, then we should not go in the arena and be close to the danger!¡± ¡°Why not do some voting?¡± asked Dhiraj. ¡°Fine!¡± both boys agreed. Voting is done. After the counting, the anti-safety portion wins. But the pro-safety students are not happy with it, so they express their anger most democratically: assaulting their opponents, and breaking the chairs over their bodies. But the decision is final. They can kill each other all they want; it cannot be changed. So, leaving them to their homicidal activities, Dhiraj walks out of the meeting room, ready to report the successful closure of this complaint.

Chapter 167 Chapter 167.

Part 1.

The match between Vivek and Shin is the first one of the day. before the match even starts, Vivek looks at Shin disdainfully. ¡°Your nameless ones don¡¯t know your place. Not everyone will let you win just because they like you.¡± Vivek did the same thing with Tom when he fought against him. Tom remained silent and brutalized him. but Shin is not Tom. ¡°I suppose that is why you are the only one who has no victory to his name in this tournament? A loser like you has no right to speak with me.¡± ¡°You!¡± enraged, Vivek attacks with the most destructive spells he knew from the start. Unfortunately for him, Shin has grown up around Hatori. Some simple internal transmuting spells and modified poisoned Stingers are hardly going to impress him. Vivek witnesses how easily his spells are dealt with this nameless boy, and as if to taunt him, a small vortex of fire comes his way and he ends up finding himself outside of the ring, with his body scorched and another loss to his name. Hatori shook his head. ¡°Some fools don¡¯t learn.¡± He muttered. Raven has not come today, and Hatori is feeling a little bit lonely as a result. James is busy with the healers, and his other two friends are sitting apart from him since they are competing against one another. In his opinion, that is uncalled for. It is not like he would try to make them admit to their strategies. The next match is between Daphne and Avinash. The match starts, and the audience waits with bated breath for the next disaster coming their way. so far, things seem to be restricted to the ring, as they have a pretty standard spell exchange and a pattern of attack and defense emerges. But Dimitri notes something. ¡°Did you see that?¡± he asked Nandan. ¡°Yes. she¡¯s moving sluggishly.¡± Said Nandan, seeing the rather slowed reaction of Daphne. ¡°Looks like she is reaching her limits.¡± Said Dimitri. Daphne is trying her best to defend against Avinash¡¯s fire spells, as she is cornered in the ring, and she has no room to maneuver anymore. one wrong step, and she will be out of the match. Avinash knows this, and as a result, he uses more offensive spells to put her out of the ring. Once it becomes clear to him that she won¡¯t go so easily, he hides a fire blast spell in his normal flurry, and Daphne fails to spot it. once the stars clear from her vision, she finds herself outside of the ring, sitting on the ground and seeing a loss in front of her name. Tom and Aditya are the next pair. The duel is pretty standard. Tom wins, and Dimitri notes that he is just behind Hatori in the ranks, considering his win/loss ratio. He then remembers dealing with ratios in his younger days in his math class and regresses into trauma. Noticing the muttering, Nandan slaps him. ¡°Thanks for that,¡± he said and sat back on his chair to observe the next match. Hatori and Josh are face-to-face. The audience judges that this duel will be intense by the stair down, and made suitable distance from the ring. The match starts, and the president prepares to fight his brute. Josh came mentally prepared. He knows that Hatori won¡¯t go easy on him, and he proves it in the very first exchange of spells. Josh tries to attack him with the deadly spell he has learned recently but has not used in this tournament so far. It can turn the blood into ice and can prove to be fatal if not treated on time. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Hatori just cancels this spell, and it disappears into the whisp. ¡°How?¡± Josh couldn¡¯t help but ask. ¡°It was pretty easy. The structure of that spell is very simple. Even a mathematical idiot like me can cancel it.¡± said Hatori. ¡°But here¡¯s a challenge. Try to cancel this spell.¡± With a wave of his staff, Hatori sends a stream of lightning to Josh. Though he did receive a small shock, Josh also managed to cancel this spell. ¡°Please. I can manage such problems in my sleep. try something else.¡± Said Josh, cocky after his success. ¡°I already did.¡± Said Hatori softly. ¡°What?¡± then Josh is seized from behind, and ends up tied with the conjured chains of steel. Once solidified, this conjuration cannot be canceled like other magic. Hatori has the other end of this chain in his hand, and Josh knows what is coming next. He tries to wiggle, do something with his foci to defend himself, or extract himself from these chains, but he can¡¯t move at all, and he is helpless to defend against the current streamed in the chains by Hatori. The yantra declares Hatori the winner after it is clear that Josh is unable to extract himself from these chains and is delirious from all the shocks he has received. Once he comes to his senses, Josh stares at the word ¡°loss¡± in front of his name. his win/loss record is in tatters. He must do something rather quick if he does wish to be a main member of the team. ¡®But at this rate, it seems it would be a miracle if I even qualify as a substitute.¡¯ He thinks dejectedly. Praduman faces Ranveer. Though he won the match, he is not satisfied with this victory. ¡®I must do better than this.¡¯ He thought to himself. This tournament has not been easy for him. he once thought himself to be the strongest student of his batch, but he has been proven wrong time and time again during this entire tournament. Ravina is facing Yatharth. They start the match, as Ravina defends against the spells of Yatharth coming at her in the form of arrows. She continued to defend until she thought that he had no way to pierce her defense. Once she is certain of that, Ravina attacks. But Yatharth retaliates, as his arrow splits into multiple ones, and all of them are different spells. Ravina is unable to defend against this onslaught. She takes a lot of damage, and Yatharth is preparing another arrow like that. But before he can fire it, he is stunned by a spell of Ravina and is knocked out. ¡®The important thing is, I won.¡¯ She thinks to herself. ¡®Nothing else matters.¡¯ Hatori looks around as he leaves with other competitors. There aren¡¯t many opponents left for him. he is looking forward to facing Avinash. While others are suffering from the effects of this tournament, Hatori is still feeling fine. His recovery runes are working well, and his tough training under Zeko has also helped him. ¡®Master will be pleased once I tell him of my success.¡¯ he thinks. ¡®Though once this tournament is over, I¡¯ll go and take a long nap in the room of frozen time.¡¯ Chapter 168 Chapter 168.

Part 1.

Hatori runs to the arena and arrives just when the screen is selecting the fighters. ¡°Was I too late?¡± he asked the others. ¡°Nah, you¡¯re just in time,¡± answered Josh. ¡°Also, you¡¯re first to fight today. Congratulation.¡± Hatori just shook his head and walked to the ring. Though so far he has performed great in this tournament, and physically he is fine, but mentally he is straining to keep up. while yesterday he was happy to have won against Josh, that happiness fled away in the night, and he really did not get much sleep. He overslept slightly as a result today and arrived late in the arena. ¡®I dodged a bullet there. I would have lost if I did not show up on time.¡¯ thinks Hatori. Praduman is Hatori¡¯s opponent. He remembered that small fight he had all those years ago when Professor Bali made them fight in class. Praduman lost to Hatori, and now he wishes to take revenge for that loss. ¡®You seem to have reached your limit. You won¡¯t beat me today.¡¯ Thinks Praduman, while glaring at Hatori. ¡°Begin!¡± the referee Yantra declares the start of the match, and Praduman sends a stream of fire at Hatori, which is blocked by a wall of water. Taking advantage of the steam, Hatori conjures the chains, but Praduman manages to evade them. he then taps the ground with his staff, and the floor comes to life, and Hatori has to move constantly to avoid getting trapped in the sticky mud. Though it is a great maneuver, Praduman is unable to take advantage of this. Because despite his movement, Hatori does not stop attacking him. Hatori is moving his foci constantly to attack Praduman with the small and fast spells, while he charges his big attack behind his back, using his other hand for this. Focusing on the two spells like this is difficult, but Hatori manages to do this. Unfortunately, the water blast lands to the right of Praduman, so the damage is not what Hatori was hoping for. Still, he took advantage of this, as Praduman was flailing to get out of the explosive wave of water. Hatori turns the water into ice and prepares to blast the encased Praduman, but he surrenders before he can do that. ¡°Good fight.¡± he goes to shake hands with him, and Praduman receives this gesture. After that, he leaves to get warmed up, since getting trapped in the ice is not good for the temperature of one¡¯s body. Shin is facing Avinash. The duel so is lopsided. Shin is trying his best, but his wind element is neutralized by the stone walls of Avinash, and the sound spells do not have much of an effect due to his conjured enchanted earmuffs. He tried to do the same spell that he pulled on Hatori, but Avinash saw it coming and disrupted the spell before Shin could complete it. After that, Shin finds himself on the back foot. His defense is broken, he does not have many chances of attacking, and Avinash manages to hit him with one final spell to defeat him, gaining a victory in the process. Josh wins his match by default since Vivek has not shown up today after he lost to Shin yesterday. Though Josh is happy about this win, he is not happy with the way it has come. ¡®I should beat someone strong for this, not win by default because some idiot is too cowardly to show up.¡¯ he thought. Tom has the next match with Ranveer. In the opinion of this narrator, you should know how that one went already, so let¡¯s not waste words on it, and increase the page count. Save digital trees, people! Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Ravina and Daphne are selected next. Ravina is confident that she will win because of her defense. Sure, she lost to Hatori. but he is a freak of nature, trained by another freak of nature. In her opinion, he does not count. Daphne, on the other hand, does not look at Ravina with pity, but anger. A strong girl who is afraid of losing so much that she is putting all of her faith in just one style of dueling, and the style is not even that good. The match starts, and Ravina predictably shields against the initial volley of Daphne. But there are shield breaker spells in this volley, and once her shields are broken, Ravina is hit by the remaining spells quite hard. Daphne then summons her foci into her hands and stands tall above her, another spell ready should she refuse to give in. ¡°I surrender.¡± She said bitterly. Daphne has proven her point. She doesn¡¯t have to lord it over her like this when everyone is watching. ¡°Is it me or there was more to that fight?¡± asked Hatori to Josh. ¡°Yeah. probably. Daphne has told her multiple times not to over-rely on defense so much in front of us, remember?¡± reminds Josh. ¡°Oh yeah. I remember now,¡± muttered Hatori. He gets up with everyone, as they start to leave. He will not do any training today. As far as he¡¯s concerned, all the battles he has so far are counted as training at this point. instead, he will go take a shower, eat something, and take a long nap. Hopefully, he will have a peaceful sleep today, and he will not come late tomorrow.

Part 2.

Mira is interviewing Aditya. So far, apart from Vivek who was a no-show here as well, all the duelists have spoken openly with her, and have answered her questions calmly, even if she asked them difficult questions such as about their skill or their rank in the ongoing tournament. ¡°So, tell me, you have participated in the school tournament before. Do you plan to pursue this career beyond school?¡± she asked. ¡°Not for now. my goal is to go into law enforcement, dueling is a skill which I feel would help me in that career.¡± ¡°But the altercations are different compared to the rules-based fights in the arena. How would that help you then?¡± asked Mira. ¡°By building my instincts, and getting my body used to moving under the stress of combat. Besides, the police won¡¯t accept me as I am, there will be a training period.¡± ¡°What about your performance in this tournament?¡± Asked Mira, ¡°Are you bitter due to your losses?¡± ¡°I¡¯m not bitter. These are a fine crop of duelists, and losing to them is no shame. True, I would like to win more matches, but I am not bitter about it. but I am sad, it is clear to me by this point that I won¡¯t make it in the team.¡± Said Aditya. The interview ends, and Aditya leaves. Mira then starts to write the introduction and conclusion of this article, putting the questions and the answers of Aditya in the middle. It will be published in the school tomorrow.

Part 3.

Vivek is brooding alone in his room. his father told him how once their clan was great, dealing in gold and other luxury goods. But now they are in decline, and he brought further shame upon his name by losing to two nameless nobodies, and a crippled mage. ¡®I must regain my pride. But how?¡¯ He falls asleep thinking about this question, but no answer comes to him. Chapter 169 Chapter 169.

Part 1.

Today is the final day of the tournament. The first match is between Shin and Aditya. At the start of the match, Aditya creates a fissure on the ground, and Shin has to jump away to avoid falling inside of it. Aditya takes advantage of this and tries to hit Shin with some spells while he is in the air, but Shin makes a circular shield around himself, blocking those spells. the air starts to heat up, and Aditya is pushed around by the air. it also makes it hard to breathe or see for him. A note reaches Aditya¡¯s ears, and he finds himself buried under several rocks by the end, unable to move or defend himself. Therefore, he lost. ¡°Hmm. some earth element. Good. good.¡± praised Dimitri. Shin needs to realize that he has to diversify if he wishes to defeat his opponents in the tournaments. Shin is happy that he is ending this tournament on a winning note, but he is still not happy with his win/loss ratio. ¡®Maybe it would have been better if I took it seriously from the very beginning.¡¯ Tom and Josh are the second fighters of the day. they start by hurling conjured sharp blades at each other, which are then blocked by iron sheets, conjured to avoid the damage just in time. Dimitri is missing the commentary for the first time in this tournament after watching that exchange. Tom attacks with the flames shaped in the style of dogs, but Josh conjures a water snake, which extinguishes these flames. Taking advantage of the steam, Tom tries to maneuver behind Josh, thinking to take advantage of the poor awareness he has displayed so far in this tournament. But Josh is on him, and he turns around, and fires ice shards at Tom, some of which do hit his face and thighs. But Tom is not behind when it comes to dealing damage, he taps his staff after a stabbing motion, and Josh finds himself looking at a wave of rocks coming at him, ready to trap him. he blasts them away, but these shards are sent back by Tom, and they struck Josh¡¯s arms and his face. Josh attacks Tom with a few non-elemental spells, but it turns out to be an illusion. The real Tom is to Josh¡¯s right, and Josh is pierced by many of his conjured nails. Tom is just about to channel fire through these nails, but Josh removes them in a hurry, and the area around him gets slowly covered in his blood. Josh uses the water he has already extracted from the air and used earlier in the fight to create more ice shards. Tom is not ready for this and finds himself with similar wounds. Another piece of Ice comes from the side, and hammers Tom, knocking him out and concluding this bloody match. the healers swarm the ring to take both fighters away to get patched up. Praduman is facing Ravina. When the match started, he was expecting her to defend against his spells, like she had done from the beginning. But instead, she moved out of the way of his slow spells and counterattacked. Caught flat-footed with this response, Praduman had to defend himself hastily and move out of the way of Ravina¡¯s spell, and after that, she made him run all over the ring. Not once she relented, or let him regain his footing. Praduman is defending as best as he can, but he is unable to deal with those fast spells. he can¡¯t block all of them, and he can¡¯t outrun them. he is unable to just stand there and take it all and lash out because these spells are quite damaging. In the end, he is on the floor, gasping for breath, while Ravina is victorious. She breathes deeply. ¡®Maybe I¡¯ve gotten lazy. I have to work on my own stamina as well.¡¯ she thinks. She considers herself lucky that she got Praduman as an opponent today. His bulky form made it easy for her to exhaust him. The same thing might have worked on Josh, but that guy hangs around Hatori, he likely has better stamina than Praduman. Yatharth faces Daphne. He knows that she is a strong one, so he opens with some fire arrows from the get-go. Though the archery style is hard and impractical sometimes, Yatharth loves it for there is no other way to use elemental magic quicker than this. No swishing, slashing, flicking, or other such motions. Only fociless casting can match this, and if he remembers the events of four years ago correctly, only one person can cast fociless magic in this tournament. Daphne blocks these fire arrows with water and then counterattacks. She tries to damage Yatharth¡¯s arms to make it impossible for him to draw on his bowstring since it is not possible to draw it with one hand. But despite his rather lackluster movement, Yatharth is managing to avoid her spells. Yatharth thinks about the current position and decides that it is going nowhere. So he draws his bowstring once more and lets loose the most recent spell he has learned. He is surprised that he actually managed to cast it in a duel perfectly, though he is not confident that he can do it once more without practice. A cloud of smog descends on Daphne, impairing her vision. At first, she thought it would do this one thing only. But slowly, her movements start to become sluggish, and she feels groggy as if she has not slept for the last five days. ¡®Poison!¡¯ she thinks. Though she doesn¡¯t have a cure for this toxin in the smoke, she still has her movement. It hasn¡¯t crippled her completely yet. So, she jumps out of the smoke and attacks Yatharth again with fire spells. Yatharth was not expecting this. As a result, the string of his bow is burnt. After that, he surrenders, and healers come to the ring to pick up Daphne. ¡°Somehow, this sight looks wrong.¡± Said Hatori to Raven, who has shown up to see the final matches. ¡°Ssshhh. Your words are showing that you have regained eyes.¡± He spoke. ¡°And yeah, it looks wrong alright.¡± ¡°Eat a dick!¡± said Hatori. he does not show his blindness or sight through his speech, thank you very much. Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. Raven just smirked and ignored Hatori¡¯s curse. The next match is between Vivek and Ranveer. Once more Vivek is not in the arena, and despite being given extra time, he does not show up. ¡°Enough. Give the win to Ranveer.¡± Orders Dimitri and the Yantra follow, declaring Ranveer the winner. Then, the final names come up on the screen, and Avinash and Hatori make their way to the ring. ¡°This should be interesting. the boy has done wonderfully well in the latter half of this tournament,¡± said Dimitri, referring to Avinash¡¯s slump in the first part of the tournament. ¡°Hatori is no slouch either. He won¡¯t go down easily.¡± Said Nandan, observing the audience making distance, and huddling together on the safe points far from the ring. This behavior is expected, as both competitors are glaring daggers against each other, with unhinged smiles on their faces, and the magical pressure that is causing the floor to crack already before the match has even started. ¡°Begin!¡± declares the yantra, and two spells collide in the middle of the air. both fire blast spells explode against each other in the air, throwing intense heat everywhere, and Hatori and Avinash are ready with their next spells, with no shields or defense in mind. As far as they are concerned, there is no time to take defensive measures in this battle. More elemental spells come, both of them displaying their mastery of multiple elements. They try to predict the next spell and use the elements to cancel it. Hatori did manage to extinguish many fire spells before they reached him, but he is unable to judge all the spells on time, so he has a large burn to show on one side, while he is drenched on the other side. Avinash is in the same boat. Hatori matches him every step of the way, and he expects nothing less from him. They both pause after this elemental exchange. One side of the ring is flooded, while the other side is melting under the heat. They both are standing on the ice which they have recently used to attack each other. ¡°You¡¯re not using lightning. You¡¯ll pay for this insult.¡± Declared Avinash. ¡°You want some,¡± said Hatori, and his body started to spark. ¡°You¡¯ll get some.¡± The sparks turn into the same bird that Hatori used against Daphne, an eagle made of lightning. Avinash smirked, and conjured flames. The flames take the shape of a tiger, and these elemental conjurations start to duke it out with each other, and the audience gets a view right out of a fantasy battle. ¡°Note it down, note it down!¡± said one student. ¡°This is going to be so popular!¡± said the writer, already planning to use this visual in multiple ways in their future work. though it would have been advantageous for the eagle to take flight, and attack the flaming tiger from the skies, Hatori didn¡¯t want to use this strategy. So, both beasts fight head-to-head. One savage strike of the beak of this eagle causes the tiger to lose the flames of his side, which disappears into smoke. One of the wings of the eagle is also damaged, and it fizzles out. both spells continue to attack each other, and the eagle ends up in the mouth of the wounded tiger. ¡°Hahahahahahaha! What will you do now?¡± asked an elated Avinash. ¡°Shock you, of course.¡± Replied Hatori, sweating under the heat, as well as under the stress of maintaining this complicated spell. he breathes in relief, as he lets go of his control over lightning, and it streams over the tiger. Avinash is struck by multiple lightning bolts, and the tiger destabilizes. Hatori is caught in the explosion. When the smoke clears, Hatori is lying on the rubble of the ring, half burnt, while Avinash is spasming on the other side. Avinash gets up despite the jitters on his body, but Hatori is unable to get up. the yantra waits, and still, he does not get up. ¡°Avinash wins.¡± Announces the yantra, and Avinash then surrenders to his nerves, sitting on the floor, unable to stay on his feet anymore. Meanwhile, James comes to pick Hatori up and put him on the stretcher. ¡°Idiot.¡± He said softly. If he had taken potshots at him, instead of facing him directly, Hatori could have won this match. but then again, it is probably something about competitiveness. James does not dwell on it much. instead, he rather learns to fix these foolish people. after this match is done, the ranks are displayed on the screen. Tom, Hatori, Avinash, and Vivek are not here to see this. perhaps, he shouldn''t show up in the case of the latter. Hatori is in the first rank, he won all of his matches, except two. Tom is on the second rank because his losses are more than Hatori''s. he lost three times. Avinash has the third spot, despite his rather shaky start, and Daphne is in the fourth position. Ravina and Josh are fifth and sixth respectively, while Shin and Praduman are on the seventh and eighth spots, rounding out the team. Aditya, Yatharth, and Ranveer share the ninth, tenth, and eleventh spots, and Vivek is the last one.

Part 2.

¡°So, coach Dimitri. what do you think about your team?¡± asked Corvus while sipping his tea, and looking at the names in the top eight. ¡°It is an interesting team, to say the least. all of them have a different style of fighting. Truth be told, I cannot wait to get them started on their training.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Indeed? Why? something tells me it is not just the excitement.¡± Asked Corvus. ¡°You¡¯re correct, headmaster.¡± Nods Dimitri. ¡°While they are all interesting in their own ways, I feel some of them do need immediate training. Shin, Josh, and Praduman come to mind.¡± ¡°What about the others?¡± asked Corvus. ¡°In their cases, some pushes and nudges will be needed in the case of the girls and Avinash. Tom and Hatori can be left to their devices for the most part, apart from a few pointers here and there.¡± ¡°Well then, let¡¯s hope you enjoy your stint as a coach.¡± Smiled Corvus. ¡°Thank you, headmaster.¡± Nods Dimitri, and then leaves. Chapter 170 Chapter 170.

Part 1.

Hatori, Josh, and Shin make their way to the room of frozen time. they are looking forward to a long relaxing time after this long tournament. They did not catch any breaks, and both their bodies and brains are demanding it. Hatori opens the door, to see James setting up enchanted beds. ¡°You did that for us?¡± he asked. ¡°Whatever we would do without you, buddy.¡± Said Josh, plopping on one of the beds and giving James a cheesy smile. ¡°After everything, I think you deserve it,¡± said James simply. ¡°Besides, it was fun running diagnostics on you.¡± ¡°That is scary.¡± Said Raven from a corner, ¡°He has the complete knowledge of your bodies. I would be careful not to piss him off.¡± ¡°Not complete, but close to it,¡± said James with a smile. ¡°James, buddy, you know that I wouldn¡¯t do anything to upset you, right?¡± asked Shin with a nervous smile. His smile got more and more brittle when James failed to reply. ¡°Come on, what have I done? Please don¡¯t scare me like that.¡± James hits Raven with a Knockback spell, making him flop to the ground. ¡°Why?¡± he wheezed from this sudden attack. ¡°For stressing him,¡± said James. ¡°I don¡¯t have any problems with you guys. Just go to sleep.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Yawned Hatori. Once he hits the bed, he is out. ¡°Wow.¡± Said James. ¡°He must be more tired than I thought.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Raven, as Shin and Josh also lay down. ¡°Normally, his heart rate is quite high during sleep. but now, it is falling steadily.¡± Explained James. ¡°Yeah,¡± sighed Raven. ¡°The result of his paranoid training.¡± James said nothing. He knows about the said training, having been in the house to see it multiple times, sometimes an attack took place a few feet of distance from him. Zeko warned them that they should never get involved, or else the house would consider them hostile. So they could do nothing but watch, as their friend got attacked in his sleep, while he was eating, not to mention, fight to access everything. ¡®Maybe some mind healers should study him. hopefully, it would stop them from the lie on the couch and tell me about your problems routine.¡¯ Thinks James. ¡°You did tell them about their ranks, didn¡¯t you?¡± asked James. ¡°Yeah, I did.¡± Nodded Raven. ¡°I swear, Hatori is going to get a big head from this.¡± Looking up to see James staring at him, Raven amends his statement. ¡°An even bigger head than he already has.¡±

Part 2.

Avinash is celebrating with his friends. though he might be in the third position, he still considers it to be a great position. Tom has joined them, though he seems a little timid around him. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± he asked bluntly. Tom looks around, trying to find a way out of this conversation. But he has known Avinash for the last eight years. so he also understands that there is no way to avoid this conversation. ¡°I thought you¡¯d be furious that I am above you.¡± Avinash, Akshit, and Sagar, all shook their heads. The latter two do have some opinions about it, but Tom has been a loyal friend. They do not hold his nameless status against him. ¡°Then you think wrong.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Besides, I got the ultimate prize. I defeated Hatori.¡± Avinash¡¯s face splits with a wild grin of glee, as he recalls his moment in the ring, where Hatori was done, and he was standing over him. ¡°It was a destructive duel for sure.¡± Said Sagar, passing the drinks. They open the bottles, and the enchantment to keep the contents cool ends after that. ¡°Yeah, especially the last part. Those two elemental shapeshifting spells, those were really something.¡± Agreed Akshit, taking a sip of the juice. Their drinks are all non-alcoholic. About 200 years ago, there was a huge problem with younger students, who caused a lot of havoc after drinking alcohol, so alcohol was banned among them. later, some older academics and professors did the same thing, so alcohol is entirely banned in the Academy, though if an adult wishes to get drunk, they can do so by going outside. ¡°I didn¡¯t see that. will you show me the recordings?¡± asked Tom. ¡°Certainly. Let¡¯s gather in hour dorms this evening. It promises to be a great rewatch.¡± Said Sagar. ¡°Yeah, I want to see myself beat Hatori again.¡± Said Avinash.

Part 3.

Corvus is sitting in Dimitri¡¯s office, seeing the coach go through multiple plans, making notes, and then adjusting the said notes. ¡°Hmm. Tom and Hatori won¡¯t need much direct guidance. Good. I can give their time to Josh, Shin, and Praduman. Avinash, Ravina, and Daphne would also need a hand¡­¡± Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. Things continue in this manner for a while, and Corvus decides to leave the man to his work. He thought that he would take a break after the tournament, but he was wrong. It is a novel experience to be wrong at his age. ¡°Good day, coach.¡± ¡°Good day to you as well, headmaster.¡± Said Dimitri absent-mindedly, as Corvus left the office. ¡°Now, for the sparring sessions¡­¡± Dimitri then starts to work on the schedule for Spars, where he also includes himself and Nandan as opponents once in a while. ¡°Headmaster, may I ask other students to assist during sparring?¡± Corvus stops, and answers. ¡°Certainly. You have to choose the students yourself, however.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that, thank you,¡± replied Dimitri, making more adjustments. ¡®I¡¯ll leave him to his devices. Though if I feel that he is going overboard, I¡¯ll make him take rest, forcibly if need be.¡¯ Thinks Corvus.

Part 4.

¡°Yo! Look who we have here, the number 1 guy in the tournament!¡± Nandan claps Hatori on the shoulder. ¡°You look rested.¡± ¡°Yeah, had a great sleep,¡± said Hatori with a smirk. Nandan feels that there is more to it, but he decides not to pry. He is certain that James will not let these boys have some dangerous potions. ¡°You know, it is unfair just how fast you¡¯re growing. Look at you, already taller than me,¡± said Nandan, after observing the heights of Hatori and Josh. Both of them are taller than him already. ¡°Height alone is not enough to win the duels.¡± Said Shin sagely. ¡°True. True.¡± Agreed Nandan. Hatori wanted to retaliate with something like, ¡°It would have more weight if you had a higher rank.¡± But he refrains from saying anything. People can get upset with wording like that. Besides, whenever he tries to be his blunt self, he remembers the horrifying lessons with Kangana, and he has no interest in going through those again. ¡®The saddest part is, Josh would make me go through those, if I slip even a little. Bastard.¡¯ Thinks Hatori.

Part 5.

¡°Why so glum?¡± asked a student of Vivek¡¯s age. ¡°Go away.¡± He replied and went back to his book. He is not reading anything, but at least when he pretends, they leave him alone. but some people don¡¯t get the message. ¡°Now, now, no need to be hostile.¡± ¡°What do you want?¡± asked Vivek. ¡°I don¡¯t need your condolences.¡± ¡°Ha! You won¡¯t get anything of the sort here. now, if you were to come on the ninth rank¡­¡± he trails off. Vivek closes the book angrily and glares at the boy. ¡°What. Do. You. want?¡± he gritted out. Instead of being intimidated, he smiled after seeing this anger. ¡°Keep this anger hot, and get in contact with me once you graduate.¡± He spoke. ¡°You might get a chance of taking revenge.¡± The boy hands Vivek a note and leaves whistling. Vivek sees the name Atul on the paper, and instructions to contact this mysterious Atul. It also mentions a group, but there is no name given, and their intention is not clear either. ¡®Whatever. I¡¯ll speak with them at least once. Couldn¡¯t be worse than coming dead last.¡¯ Thinks Vivek.

Part 6.

Mira looks at the compilation of the articles and interviews she has written during this tournament. She flips through them and puts the collection down. ¡°Congratulations on a job well done. I knew you had it in you.¡± ¡°Thanks, professor.¡± Mira glowed from the praise. ¡°Maybe you should pursue this career, write articles, interview people, or become someone¡¯s biographer?¡± suggested the professor. ¡°Me?¡± asked Mira. Amrita nods, and she thinks about it. ¡°But where would I start?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯ll recommend you to the right people.¡± Said Amrita. ¡°Professor, don¡¯t you say that nepotism is bad, as history teaches us?¡± asked Mira cheekily. ¡°Ha! You might have a point. but then again, a little bit doesn¡¯t hurt, now does it?¡± said Amrita. ¡®Never mind that some people use it all the time.¡¯ she thought privately in her head.

Part 7.

While the tournament is over, the school is preparing for another battle. Josh is about to graduate, and the school needs a new president. Many students have applied for this position, and the voting will start shortly. But there is an undercurrent of tension during this entire process. many students are worried that this won¡¯t be a peaceful transfer of power, and some groups on the social hinges are already looking to take advantage of the slightest weakness in the new system to attack it and establish their own systems. So far, various students have appeared in the race for a new president. Among them is Suraj, two years behind Hatori¡¯s class, and who also regained his sight around two years ago or so. Many politically inclined students are not certain that he will win, due to his former disabled mage status. Chapter 171 Chapter 171.

Part 1.

A week later, Dimitri is done drawing the training plans for the team. During this time, he was also forced to take a break by Corvus, and Nandan was the poor chap who handled his stir-crazy master. But now, that is all in the past. Dimitri has summoned the team to his office, and he is going to explain the training schedule to them. ¡°Before I explain the training plan, let me tell you about the structure of the tournament in which you will be fighting. Each school can send five duelers each, and the other three are reserved. The winning team is decided by the number of duels won. In our case, I have chosen Hatori, Tom, Avinash, Ravina, and Daphne as our main duelers. Praduman, Josh, and Shin are in reserves. I have decided this based on your rankings.¡± Dimitri pauses for any complaints. When there were none, he continued. ¡°Here are your training plans.¡± With a push, all the students are sent their schedules. ¡°Some of you will spend a lot of time with me. others will receive suggestions. We will gather for sparring sessions every four days or so. The training will start on the day of the moon, so be there on time. dismissed.¡± Hatori walks out with his schedule clutched in his hands. he is surprised that the egos didn¡¯t go out of control. He thought Praduman would complain about being put in the reserves at least, but he too remained quiet. ¡®Looks like I misjudged him.¡¯ he thinks to himself and puts the thought out of his mind. Because it is not his problem to handle such troublesome members. Let the coach handle it.

Part 2.

Hatori, Josh, and Shin look at their schedules. ¡°Huh. this is my kind of schedule.¡± He spoke. ¡°What?¡± asked Shin and Josh, and Hatori handed over his schedule. ¡°What the¡­ lucky bastard. He is called for spars once in a while, and nothing much besides that!¡± said Josh in outrage. ¡°Yeah, and what did we get? Intensive training!¡± said Shin, equally outraged. ¡°Maybe you wouldn¡¯t have needed it, if you two didn¡¯t go lazy. I can understand Josh, he¡¯s been a lazy one since I¡¯ve known him. but in the last few years, you¡¯ve gotten just as lazy as him.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Dammit!¡± Shin is not happy to hear those words, but he is unable to refute them either. ¡°Besides, I also have to help out Tom with his control.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± said Shin, finally looking at the last item. ¡°I don¡¯t like that. why should you help him?¡± asked Josh. ¡°We¡¯re in the team, remember? If he can fight well, that would be to our advantage.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Also, that applies to you two as well. I suggest you start practicing some fociless magic. because trust me, I¡¯ll bury you if I find out that you surrender just because you lost your foci.¡± Shin and Josh shiver after hearing that threat. They are certain that Hatori won¡¯t kill them. but whatever this ¡°burying¡± is, it promises to be quite unpleasant.

Part 3.

Avinash and Tom look at their schedule and the plans Dimitri has for training them. ¡°Looks like I¡¯ve had to get busy.¡± Sighed Avinash. He is not surprised, given his performance in the tournament. At least his schedule is still light. Just some physical training, and some sparring with the coach himself. ¡°What about you, Tom?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t have to do much, aside from the sparring. Also, a session or two with Hatori to gain better control over my magic,¡± said Tom. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°That is good,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Perhaps he has the best control in our year group.¡± ¡°That is surprising.¡± Said Akshit, ¡°Given that you beat him, I thought you might not think that way.¡± ¡°I may have beaten him, but I don¡¯t deny his skills.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Pay attention to his training Tom, it will serve you well.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Nodded Tom.

Part 4.

In the evening, Dimitri has called another meeting. Raven, the Singh twins, Aditya, and Yatharth are present for this meeting. ¡°Now that you¡¯re here, let me tell you why I¡¯ve called you. I need sparring partners for the team. The headmaster has given me permission to choose the students, and I have chosen you. do you have any objections or obligations?¡± he asked. ¡°No objections.¡± Said everyone. ¡°Good. In return, I will share some of my own knowledge with you. it should serve you well, even if you do not go into professional dueling.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Thank you, coach.¡± Said everyone, and then they left.

Part 5.

James and Hatori work on the runes they have copied and translated from the room of frozen time. they are dividing them into different modules for better organization, and fixing their mistakes. ¡°I think this part goes into the wards section. What do you think?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Put it in there,¡± said James, fixing another wrong rune. Their work is not that hard, since the number of runes is less than the original script. The mistakes are far fewer as a result, and it is easier to organize them as well. ¡°So. Do you feel lonely without us? since you¡¯re gonna be all by yourself in the Academy from now on?¡± asked Hatori in a teasing tone. ¡°Not at all.¡± Said James. ¡°Besides, when you¡¯ll get hurt, you¡¯ll come to me. we can speak then, not to mention decide the right punishment for your stupidity.¡± ¡°That is a rather harsh way to put it, don¡¯t you think?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Nah, it is quite normal if you ask me,¡± said James. Hatori shakes his head. James can be quite worse than him sometimes when it comes to being blunt and brutally honest.

Part 6.

¡°Hello there.¡± said the same guy who bothered him yesterday. ¡°Why are you here again?¡± asked Vivek. ¡°Well, I talked to some people, and they are willing to accelerate things for you if you are interested in joining us,¡± he said. He gives him the letter and leaves. The letter was written as such:
Vivek, Are you tired of living under the shadows of the people who are lesser than you? Do you feel that you have to regain your lost status, and bring glory to your family and clan? Do you think that the current regime needs fixing? If you answer yes to all these questions, then reply to this letter at this address. We look forward to working with you.
The letter ends abruptly. No name is given, though there is an address, just as they mentioned in the letter. ¡®Looks like I won¡¯t have to wait for the graduation for my revenge after all.¡¯ He smirked.

Part 7.

It is dinner time. Hatori and his friends are joined by Maria and Liang. Both of them will be leaving for their respective countries after graduation, so it will become hard to meet with them in the future. ¡°It is such a shame.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I never got a chance to fight you,¡± he said to Maria. Maria never backs down from the challenge. ¡°We can do it right now if you want,¡± she smirked, ready to draw her foci at a moment¡¯s notice. ¡°No. no fighting during dinner.¡± Said Josh, killing the mood entirely. ¡°Spoilsport.¡± Mutters Hatori. Chapter 172 Chapter 172.

Part 1.

Hatori is working with Nandan. Dimitri has tasked him to work with Hatori to work out some new spell elemental or otherwise, to affect a larger area. ¡°Hm, I don¡¯t think I should use this fire spell unless I¡¯ve been given a large amount of fuel by my opponent. These conjured wires and streaming currents seem to be better, they don¡¯t require much energy to maintain either.¡± ¡°True.¡± Agreed Nandan. ¡°Why don¡¯t you try to make them work on their own? not forever, but at least for around five minutes or so. Then you can recharge the spell.¡± said Nandan, pointing to the runic formula of the spell. ¡°I¡¯ll do that. by the way, a simple fire might be out due to the energy consumption, but I really like this lava bit.¡± Said Hatori, pointing to the idea of melting the floor, and creating pits of lava. ¡°True, but it would be worthless. For a duel, you have to maintain your energy, no point in spending it. it is better to focus on those wires of yours.¡± Said Nandan. He is happy with that idea. Combining conjuration and elemental magic like this is a great idea. Maybe he might do something like that for himself as well? ¡®Though I¡¯ll stray clear of lightning, to make sure I¡¯m not violating the code of awesome brotherhood.¡¯ The code is quite simple. Unless permission is given, you are not allowed to steal the awesome techniques or ideas of your fellow brother in awesomeness. anyone found violating this code will be given a dire punishment. Meanwhile, the other competitors are going through a run. As Hatori works on improving the lightning wire spell, he hears the huffing and puffing of Praduman, Shin, and Josh, as they go for the next round once they complete their previous one. Hatori would have sympathized, but Master Zeko made him run harder, not to mention, that he got attacked a lot during his runs by the house. So, he is failing to care for their plight.

Part 2.

Later, after the run is over, and lots of water is consumed, Dimitri speaks with Shin. ¡°The way I see it, the majority of your weaknesses come from not having destructive spells using wind elements. Therefore, I have collected these spells for you, to see whether you can do something with them or not. try to develop some of your own as well.¡± said Dimitri, giving him the list of the spells. ¡°Thanks, coach.¡± Said Shin, taking the list. ¡°Also, I believe it would be an advantage for you if you combine your music with your illusion.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°I can sense that you have enchanted the bells on your head, so try to do something more with it. alright?¡± ¡°Will do, thanks, coach.¡± Said Shin, noting the things down. He will try to develop the new spells, and ask for Hatori¡¯s input for testing them. he is good with that kind of work. His runic knowledge will also come in handy for him. ¡®But I won¡¯t go directly to him. first, I¡¯ll give it a try myself.¡¯ Thinks Shin. He does not want to use Hatori as a crutch.

Part 3.

Tom finds Hatori in the forest. It is near to a dangerous and restricted location, but Tom is not worried about being called here. he watches Hatori sitting on the raised platform with his legs crossed, waiting for him. When he gets closer to him, he puts his palm down on the slab he is sitting on, and another similar slab rises from the ground. ¡°Come, take a seat.¡± He gestures to the rock. Tom braces for the uncomfortable hard rock, but he does not feel that when he sits on it. ¡°I enchanted it for softness. Why not use the magic for comfort?¡± Hatori smirked. ¡°True. Speaking of which, how can I gain greater control over mine? Actually, what does greater control even mean?¡± asked Tom. ¡°Good questions. Let¡¯s answer the second question first.¡± Said Hatori. Once more, he puts his palm on the slab, and this time, a boulder comes from the ground. Hatori then aimed his finger at this boulder, and used the Piercing spell, making a smooth hole through the rock. ¡°Do you see how smoothly I pierced it? no jagged edges, and no scratches inside either.¡± Points Hatori. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. Tom piers in the whole, and finds that Hatori is telling the truth. ¡°And of course, I did it with a very little amount of energy. This is what control means. Using the spells with their maximum capacity, with very little energy. This would increase your power, and let you cast for a longer amount of time.¡± ¡°That seems to be hard. I don¡¯t have years to practice it.¡± Tom points out a problem. ¡°True. But the international league is still several months away. We will have time to improve it enough that you will see immediate results.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Okay. but what about my first question?¡± asked Tom. ¡°Why, we meditate of course.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We have to reach for our magic, and make a connection with it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve heard about this. Don¡¯t you have to find a stream inside or something?¡± asked Tom. ¡°I found a sea.¡± Said Hatori. Tom looks at him strangely. He then shakes his head and decides to focus on how to accomplish this task. ¡°Do I have to sit like you?¡± ¡°Yes. don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll be here to keep guard.¡± Said Hatori. Tom sighed. Hatori didn¡¯t get the point that he did not wish to sit like this for a long period. the security is not a concern for him. though it does not take long for Tom to forget these concerns, as the sound of the forest, and the evening breeze is enough to calm him down. Once he reaches this state, he tries to reach for his magic, wondering what will he find.

Part 4.

The next day, Daphne observes some girls ogling the boys as they do their daily workouts. Hatori is also ogled by many girls. Daphne goes to Chaya and Maya and asks. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any shame? Looking at the boys with such evil thoughts?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Replied Chaya. ¡°Good.¡± she then starts to ogle Hatori herself. ¡°Because I don¡¯t have any shame either.¡± She smirked.

Part 5.

Unaware of the conversation taking place between the girls, Hatori leaves after his workout is done. He is surrounded by younger students who saw him during the tournament. ¡°Wow, no wonder you beat them all, you¡¯re workout is so harsh!¡± exclaimed one boy. ¡°Not all of them. I lost two matches, remember?¡± reminds Hatori. ¡°True, but all the same, it was a great performance.¡± Said Suraj. As soon as he arrives, the younger students clear a path for him. ¡°How¡¯re you doing?¡± he asked, looking Suraj up and down with his eyes hidden behind the illusion. ¡°Great. I¡¯ve got my own battle to fight, you see.¡± Said Suraj. Hatori turns to the younger students. ¡°Listen you guys, if he ever bullies you, come to me. I¡¯ve seen him here ever since he was a small and afraid kid.¡± Smirked Hatori, as he was dragged away by an embarrassed Suraj. The students watch this interaction in awe, as Suraj is considered one of the strong candidates to win the position of president this year.

Part 6.

Speaking of the elections, the race is heating up. the voting will begin this week, and the marketing as Hatori likes to call it is at its peak. Josh cannot wait for the voting to end, as he won¡¯t be the president anymore by that point. because right now, he is trying to keep things together, so the next guy won¡¯t have leftover problems to deal with. Hopefully, this will establish a precedent. He sighed and completed the final report. ¡°Once everything is done, I can focus on my dueling full-time.¡± He muttered to himself.

Part 7.

Praduman falls to his bed after dinner. The training was harsh today, and it will continue to be like this until the tournament arrives. Praduman used to think that Hatori was strong because of some secret magic of Zeko, but he now understands that he is strong because of his training. His training is no doubt tougher than theirs. No wonder he turned out to be such a monster when it comes to magical combat. At least his friends look at him in awe. One of them asked, ¡°Tell me, doesn¡¯t it bother you to team up with two nameless ones?¡± ¡°They proved themselves in the tournament.¡± He yawned. ¡°That is what matters in the end.¡± He mumbled the last bit, already falling asleep. Chapter 173 Chapter 173.

Part 1.

The dueling team has gathered for their sparring session. Dimitri trains them individually, but they also gather every four days for a sparring session. They spar with students selected by Dimitri, and against each other, and sometimes, the coach and Nandan also participate in the sparring. ¡°Today, before we begin to spar, let me explain why stamina is so important.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°If you have more stamina, you can cast spells for longer periods, and if a battle starts to stretch out, you will have an edge over your opponent if you have better stamina than them.¡± ¡°Coach, I do get that, and I also understand why you¡¯re making us train physically to increase our stamina. But doesn¡¯t the force of the spell matter?¡± asked Praduman. ¡°It does.¡± Nodded Dimitri. ¡°And this is where the control comes. Your spells should not hit hard by default, they should hit as hard as you want them to be. A normal tap is enough to kill a mosquito,¡± Hatori looks around angrily, ¡°But throwing a full punch is overkill. Not only it is unnecessary to force, but it is also slower, and it will give your opponent a chance to get away.¡± Praduman still does not look convinced. So Dimitri decides to start the sparring. ¡°Tell you what, let¡¯s start the sparring with you. Hatori, you¡¯re up. you are not allowed to attack, dodging and blocking are allowed. Do not leave the area of the ring. Is that clear?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°Clear.¡± Said Hatori and Praduman. Praduman is experiencing the same feeling when Professor Bali called him to spar against Hatori all those years ago. At least this time, everyone knows how strong he is. if he ends up in a heap by the end of this despite the restrictions on Hatori, there won¡¯t be any loss to his reputation. ¡°Begin!¡± orders Nandan. Praduman starts with some light spells, trying to get an idea of Hatori¡¯s defense. Displaying his excellent footwork, Hatori dodges all the spells, batting some of them aside. He idly notes in his mind that Dimitri never said anything about sending these spells back at Praduman, but he decides that he won¡¯t do it here. the coach is trying to impart a lesson to the other boy, Hatori should help out since he is his teammate. Seeing that his initial volley is not having an effect, Praduman resorts to the heavy spells in his arsenal, attacking him with earth spells to either crush Hatori, sink Hatori in a swamp, or turn him into a bloody bruise with a barrage of small rocks fired at his way. he shielded the last one, but the rest he avoided. Praduman is now starting to get tired. He has to move with Hatori, who is not standing still. He could not blame him for that, given the restrictions put on him by the coach. But it is still not making his job any easier. By the end of this session, Praduman is on the ground, struggling for every breath, while Hatori looks still fresh, aside from a little bit of sweat on his brow, which he quickly wiped away. ¡°You see?¡± comes the gruff voice of Dimitri. ¡°This is what happens when you lack stamina.¡± He helps Praduman up, and after his breathing normalizes a little, gives him a bottle of water. ¡°Nandan, give him a recovery potion.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°You will have to work hard to overcome this.¡± He pats Praduman on the shoulder encouragingly and helps him to the bench, where Nandan gives him the potion. After drinking this potion, Praduman speaks. ¡°Thank you, coach.¡± ¡°No problem.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Now, get ready rest of you, you have to spar as well!¡± They all line up, as they have to spar with each other continuously.

Part 2.

The voting is done, and the rankings are revealed. Suraj has gotten tough competition, but he has won, coming out on top, and becoming the new president. Josh is handing over the keys to the office to Suraj in the ceremony. ¡°May you have a peaceful term.¡± He wished him. ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Suraj. Immediately deciding that he will start working on the issues, Suraj checks for any pending issues. apart from a few which are long-term ones, he is happy to find out that Josh has left him a clean slate. ¡®I will do the same for my successor two years later.¡¯ he thought. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. ¡°Now, let¡¯s decide the position in the council,¡± he said, and everyone started to offer their suggestions. Meanwhile, Josh is happy to be relieved of his responsibility. He hopes that this system will last a long time because what they had before was nothing but a sham.

Part 3.

Hatori is sitting under the oak tree, and Tom comes to him. ¡°Aren¡¯t we doing the control training today?¡± he asked. ¡°I thought you might take a break today, given your training in the morning.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, but I¡¯ve rested since.¡± Said Tom. Hatori likes this about Tom. He could have easily called the day off, but he is still here, after his rest, ready to do some magical training. ¡°Sure. Let¡¯s start with handling multiple objects at the same time while levitating them,¡± said Hatori. He displays the example of accomplishing this feet without the use of his foci. He makes the small stones move around in a complex arc around him. ¡°Once you manage to reach this level, only practice will improve your control.¡± Explained Hatori. Hatori is not sharing his fociless magic with Tom. Some things are not for teaching others he feels, and besides, the other boy has not shown any interest in it, despite his liberal use of it right in front of him.

Part 4.

Josh comes to see Suraj in his office. ¡°So, how are you adjusting to the first day?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, good. particularly because I don¡¯t have any pending issues,¡± he explained. ¡°Yeah, I deliberately made sure that you won¡¯t have that problem.¡± Said Josh. ¡°I¡¯m not looking forward to the paperwork though,¡± said Suraj. Josh laughed. ¡°Better you than me, buddy. I¡¯ve done this for the last four years,¡± said Josh. ¡°Speaking of which, do you think that the future presidents will have a shorter run than you, like me?¡± asked Suraj. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m not worried about that,¡± said Josh. ¡°Remember, you can fight in the elections once you¡¯re a fifth year. I bet sooner or later, another person like me would show up, and take this position, and serve as just as long as me.¡±

Part 5.

Hatori is wandering around the Academy, looking at the decoration. The time of the winter festival is coming soon. ¡®It would be interesting to know how Dimitri handles that time. I doubt he will give us an entire month off.¡¯ He thought. ¡°Hey, look! He is the winner of the tournament!¡± and once more, Hatori is surrounded by the younger students. Much to his own amusement, he does not mind their company, like he used to in his younger days. ¡®Younger days. What the hell is wrong with me?¡¯ he snorts at his thoughts, feeling as if he is quite old.

Part 6.

Avinash brings the flames in his palm and then crushes them under his fist. He is improving fast, magically and physically. ¡®So this is the difference between self-training and guided training.¡¯ He thought. ¡°And then he made me levitate pebbles.¡± Tom was saying. ¡°Multiple of them?¡± asked Akshit. ¡°Yes. he said that once I reach that level, only practice will improve my control.¡± Said Tom. ¡°Did he share any secrets about fociless magic?¡± asked Sagar. ¡°No. I did not ask him either.¡± Said Tom. ¡°Good,¡± said Avinash, catching their attention. ¡°His willingness to train you this much is a sign of his generosity. We will not take advantage of him like that, we¡¯re better than this.¡± ¡°Of course!¡± all three agreed.

Part 7.

Unable to fall asleep, Hatori walks out of his dorm. He does not suffer from the bouts of sleeplessness as much as he used to, and after gaining his artificial eyes, it has reduced even further. Still, it comes back time-to-time. Hatori sees some lights flickering in certain dorms. He is not interested to know what is going on there. nearby, a student screams as he is getting attacked. The attackers are screaming about cheating in the exams or something, and Hatori decides that he wants to do nothing with it. He walks to the grounds and enjoys the cold wind on his face. He would have been terrified in his first or second years, but now, he is one of the deadliest students in this school. That is why he can enjoy this rather normal night in the Academy. ¡®I won¡¯t get to do that once I graduate. What would I do after that?¡¯ he thinks since no career comes to his mind that he would like to pursue for the rest of his life. Chapter 174 Chapter 174.

Part 1.

The festival is starting today. ¡°So, do you look forward to it?¡± asked Govind, cousin of Suraj. ¡°Nah,¡± said Hatori, wheezing like an old man. ¡°I don¡¯t have the energy like you young whippersnappers.¡± Govind looks at him, not certain who is he mocking. Before he could ask anything, Josh calls out to Hatori. ¡°Oy, we¡¯re going to the forest for a picnic. Are you coming?¡± he asked. ¡°Coming, coming!¡± said Hatori, suddenly having all the energy in the world. Govind just decided to forget the entire incident. the menace of the Academy acting so freely is freaking him out. ¡°I¡¯ll just eat some cotton candy. Yeah. that is the right course of action.¡± He then forgot everything in the sweet haze of cotton candy.

Part 2.

Most of Hatori¡¯s group is gathered here in the evening, watching the sunset, and talking about their work this year. ¡°I¡¯ve got to complete some equations which are necessary for the wards. I¡¯m done with it, but I¡¯m drawing it out because the guys in my group are assholes.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Mind your language!¡± Raven could not resist that jab, given how much Josh bothers everyone to have a clean language. ¡°They deserve it.¡± he huffed. ¡°Whatever. I¡¯m preparing for the tournament, and drawing up some hypothetical military plans. And for a change, they are not about defending.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Yeah, I doubt you¡¯ll make a lot of friends if you say that you like making plans to invade the surrounding areas.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯m working on a hypnotic spell using music, targeting sleep-deprived people.¡± ¡°That sounds like it would be useful for me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m doing my time under Slaughter.¡± Said James. ¡°Yesterday, I even helped him out with surgery.¡± ¡°Cool.¡± Said everyone, knowing how difficult the surgery can be. ¡°As for me, I¡¯m working to teleport an object.¡± Hatori said. ¡°Didn¡¯t you complete that already?¡± asked Liang. ¡°Yeah, but the previous implementation is stationary. Besides, it is more of me trying to summon that object to my location. Master Munshi did the same thing when I was with him, it helped out in escaping this mad necromancer.¡± He explained. ¡°And of course, professor Krodhatma will grade this project?¡± said Maria, knowing the answer to her question already. ¡°Naturally. He¡¯ll get easy marks from him,¡± said Liang. ¡°That is not true.¡± Denies Hatori. ¡°He does not do favoritism.¡± Everyone looks at Hatori strangely. Then they look at each other. They silently decide that yes, he is that clueless. However Professor Krodhatma does indeed take his field seriously, and he is unlikely to favor anyone, no matter how much he likes them.

Part 3.

As the professors and the students walk out of his office, Suraj slumps on his desk. Who would have thought that organizing this festival was such an exhausting task? The students have no idea of the effort which the organizers have to make every year. This reminds Suraj that he has to do this next year as well. but he then remembers how Josh managed to do this, and he was even younger than him when he started out as the president. He did this exhausting task, year after year without complaint, as a result respect for Josh in Suraj¡¯s heart increased. Energized by remembering Josh¡¯s example, Suraj straightens up and starts to work with more energy again.

Part 4.

Hatori is approaching the door to the secret ground. He wants to go underground, reach the room of frozen time, do some modifications, and work on his project for Professor Krodhatma. He hears some weird noises coming from behind the banyan tree, located right in front of the oak tree where he often sits to relax. Normally, Hatori ignores any such noises. But this time, his head turns as if it is no longer under his control, and he observes some raunchy things going on between two students. He is aware of what is going on, Zeko has given him the talk. But let¡¯s just say that he hasn¡¯t pursued any girl like that, and coming face-to-face with the practical reality is a bit jarring for him. he wills his feet to move, and they finally move. The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°Hey, Hatori!¡± calls Daphne, running to him. ¡°Why do you look like you¡¯ve just seen something horrifying?¡± she asked. She has never seen him this unsettled, not when the school turned on him, and not when he was facing her in the ring. Hatori starts to describe what he saw haltingly, and Daphne starts to laugh. Getting annoyed, Hatori moves. ¡°Hey¡­. Wait!¡± she tries to follow him, but she is unable to pursue him due to her own laughter. Who would have thought that one of the boys was such a prude? She decides to share this amusing story with Ravina. She is sure to have a laugh with it, just like her.

Part 5.

In the room of frozen time, Shin and James are with a dog. Hatori comes there, still sporting a scared look. ¡°What¡¯s up with you?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Never mind,¡± said Hatori, not wanting to talk about it. he instead brings out his notes and starts to work on the modifications he wants to do. then, Josh comes in and sees the dog. ¡°Do you recognize him?¡± asked James. ¡°Yeah, I possessed him,¡± said Josh. ¡°Yeah, be careful. The guy who trapped you inside him is still here,¡± said Shin, pointing out Hatori who is doing something with his runes. Josh looks and turns to the dog. ¡°How¡¯re you doing buddy?¡± he asked, and the dog waved his tail. ¡°I¡¯ll take it quite well.¡± He pets the dangerous-looking dog and remembers the crazy time he had in the past.

Part 6.

next day, Dimitri restarts their training. ¡°Come on coach,¡± whined Shin, ¡°Can¡¯t you give us a month off?¡± ¡°No. I won¡¯t let you unless you have something to perform at the festival itself. Maybe some of you would like to take part in another dueling tournament?¡± he asked and got negative headshakes everywhere. Only Hatori remained unmoved. ¡°Fine. I know that you have some music-related obligations. So I will let you have some time to practice and rehearse. But nothing more than a few hours, do you understand?¡± Shin nods, realizing that the coach is not going to melt by his tearful look. ¡°Besides, if you win this tournament, your name will be etched in the school¡¯s history. What¡¯s a month of festival compared to that?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°What about the other winning teams of the past?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°What happened to their trophies? Were they thrown aside or something?¡± The other students also wanted to know, so they nodded at Hatori¡¯s question. Dimitri grabs Hatori by his shoulder and marches him to the achievements hall. ¡°Look there.¡± he points to a specific section. ¡°Mahendra was the last captain who won this trophy fifty years ago for your school.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Hey, look. There is a Durve here as well!¡± said Josh. ¡°We should tell Nandan about it.¡± ¡°Yeah.¡± agreed Shin. ¡°Look, a Patel.¡± Notes Ravina. ¡°Maybe you should bring Sagar here, eh Avinash?¡± ¡°Yeah. that ought to light a fire under him,¡± said Avinash blandly. He knows Sagar well. That guy has a great sense of business, but when it comes to physical activities, he is even lazier than Josh. He is quite lucky that he tolerates his laziness. He would have ended up becoming Hatori¡¯s enemy if he met him first. Tom and Shin then look at Bhagat. he is the only captain to have no name after his first name. he must have been great to have captained a team despite this. inspired by his example, both of them decide that they will make the nameless children proud, and no one will dare to look down upon them after their performance in the tournament.

Part 7.

Raven looks at the games of the first day. he notes the moves the players made. Judging by these games, he can already tell who will go to the next round, and who will not. but the important point for him is not to judge this game, but to assess how strong the opening preparation of the players is this year. he notes the moves of the final game, playing some variations in his head. ¡®Looks like preparation is strong this year. I will have to step up my game, or I¡¯ll lose the trophy in my final year.¡¯ he thinks to himself. Raven wants to graduate as a champion, one of the few players who have done it. but the level of chess played by other players is threatening this ambition. Chapter 175 Chapter 175.

Part 1.

¡°To win a duel, you do not only have to be superior to your opponent in terms of magic, spells, stamina, and strategy, but you also have to be vicious. This is because there is no way to win a duel without damaging your competition. You can¡¯t hope to hit them with a simple spell and expect that their foci would come to you sailing in your hands, and even if they did, you¡¯ve got to be wary since there are mages who can fight fociless. In fact, some of them fight better without a foci. So, dealing damage is the only way.¡± said Dimitri. ¡°I¡¯ve seen you all compete in the selection tournament. I think Avinash, Tom, Hatori, and Daphne have this viciousness, but the other half of the team is lacking. let me illustrate this point with a duel. Avinash, Ravina, you¡¯re up.¡± the area is cleared, and both duelers get ready to fight. ¡°Begin!¡± declares Nandan, and the fight starts. Avinash and Ravina both cast spells on each other, but Avinash¡¯s spells come faster and hit much harder. The final spell which ended the duel hammered Ravina in the stomach, and she is then thrown to the ground. She lost her foci, and Avinash summons it. he starts to move his staff to cast another spell, but Nandan declares him a winner. ¡°Do you see what I¡¯ve told you? Ravina has a feisty personality. She does not give up easily. But when it comes to dueling, she does not utilize that, and that is reflected in her spells. In contrast, Avinash walks into the ring with one goal: to win and dominate your opponent. That is how you have to approach every duel. We will work on this. For now, get ready for your own spars. Ravina and Avinash are excused from the first round.¡± said Dimitri.

Part 2.

It is the middle of the festival, and the tournament is at the end. Usually, it lasts until the final week of the month, but this time, Raven has dominated his opponent so thoroughly that there is no chance of catching up to the other player. This is very disappointing for Raven. At first, he thought that the competition would be tough this year. and yet, as he makes his final move, his opponent resigns, and he manages to defend his title. When the final game is done, his name is put in the hall of fame, which is where the names of the champions are put if they defend their titles three times successfully. Even among the hall of fame, Raven has a rank of his own, because he will graduate next year, and he has not lost the title even once. Still, he is disappointed by the match. ¡°Wait, I¡¯m thinking like Hatori!¡± he realized with horror. ¡°Well, that is one way to put it,¡± said Suresh, coming to take a seat. ¡°When did you come here?¡± asked Raven. ¡°I wanted to see your final match, so I asked to be here,¡± said Suraj. ¡°Well done by the way.¡± ¡°Thanks. I¡¯m sure you were rather busy.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Not at all. I feel proud that I did not lose to a bad player. If not that, I would have the satisfaction of seeing you lose. Win/win in my opinion.¡± Said Suresh with a smirk. ¡°Whatever. You still can¡¯t beat me,¡± said Raven. ¡°If it weren¡¯t for the match you¡¯ve already played, I would have shown you your place. I¡¯ve learned new tricks,¡± said Suresh, with a gleam of competitiveness shining in his eyes. ¡°Show me those tricks some other time,¡± said Raven, and they made a silent agreement to play another match between them in the future. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Part 3.

Hatori is testing his project. After resting in the room of frozen time, he is working on the graduation project. He carved the runes to summon the object to his location, but when he activates the runes, nothing happens. A few seconds later, the stone on which he carved these runes melts, and Hatori has to shield himself from getting splashed by the molten rock. Sighing in disappointment, he walks out of the underground lab, hoping to get an idea after taking a walk in the fresh air. ¡°Yo! You look exhausted. You need this more than me.¡± said Shin, and gives the glass of sugarcane juice he had in his hand to Hatori. ¡°Thanks.¡± Hatori gulps the entire thing down. It was too late. By the time his neckless warned him that something was wrong with the juice, he had two devil-like horns on his head. ¡°You bastard, get back here!¡± he chases after Shin. ¡°Dammit!¡± he cursed, as the shorter boy manages to get away. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it much.¡± said James, who was sitting on the grass on the secret ground, ¡°Those horns will disappear in an hour or two.¡± ¡°That¡¯s better,¡± muttered Hatori. ¡°Do you have any clue of what I can do with my project?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You could look at the other teleporters, didn¡¯t you do this before? Another look won¡¯t hurt I think.¡± Suggests James. ¡°Good idea.¡± Said Hatori, and left to find a teleporter. ¡°Let¡¯s hope he won¡¯t steal and dismantle it this time,¡± mutters James.

Part 4.

Hatori couldn¡¯t find a teleporter. He spoke to Professor Krodhatma about it, and the angry professor agreed to provide him a small one later. so, he walks, enjoying the evening. Ever since he modified his body to resist the cold temperature better, he has been liking winter better. though not enough to call it his favorite weather. He notes just how many students are cuddling and kissing. Getting annoyed, he decides to hide within his room. ¡®Maybe gaining eyes wasn¡¯t such a good idea.¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡°Hatori, where are you going?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°Nowhere.¡± He lied. ¡°Whatever. Why don¡¯t you come to the food stalls with me? that¡¯ll be the last year we¡¯ll get to enjoy it.¡± she asked. ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori. The food is infinitely better than watching people cuddling all day long, thinking they are hidden from everyone¡¯s eyes, while in reality, everyone can see what they¡¯re doing.

Part 5.

Porus receives a letter from the king of Albion, inviting him to see the inter-school dueling tournament. He plans to go there, but he has to decide who to leave behind in his absence. Sundar has to be involved more than he is used to, and Amarnath has to handle the political matters. Some more people come to his mind, but he decides to discuss them with the general and his prime minister before taking any action.

Part 6.

Dimitri is enjoying the festivities. He is annoyed that the Europa Academy does not do something similar. then again, he likely wouldn¡¯t have left his training. Still, just because he likes to remain in shape, does not mean he doesn¡¯t like to enjoy the festivities from time to time. He likes the team. Their methods of using magic are very different compared to European methods. That is why he is dueling them whenever he can, to give them a chance to get familiar with other ways of casting magic. ¡®Though I think it is time to take the intensity up a notch.¡¯ He thinks as the students enjoy, unaware of the plans going on in their coach¡¯s mind. Chapter 176 Chapter 176.

Part 1.

It is the first day of the first month of the year. the festival ended last night, and the result of the celebration can be seen in the sluggish behavior of the students and the school staff alike. Though alcohol is not allowed on the school grounds, the result of a wild night of partying is the same, minus the headache. Despite this, the dueling team cannot rest. ¡°You¡¯ve made it. sadly, the challenge is just starting.¡± Said Dimitri, standing in the ring. Most of the team groaned after seeing him there. it means a sparring session with him, and Dimitri never goes easy on them. ¡°Now now, is that a way to behave when your coach is trying to get you prepared against various magic styles you¡¯ll face?¡± he asked. ¡°I won¡¯t hold back today. Come at me, together.¡± ¡°Golden chance.¡± Said Josh and Shin together, and then the attack began. The blast of wind made Dimitri stumble, but he was unaffected by the illusive song that came with it. he swished his stick, and the water sent by Josh parted before him and left him untouched. Daphne and Ravina tried using earth spells. the coach notes how well their symmetry is. it is such a shame that there are no team-based dueling competitions. While he thinks of bringing this to the international dueling conference, he jumps over their spells, and hammers them with large fist-sized stones, burying them in those stones. Shin tries to put him under another illusion, but he summoned his violin to him and then knocks him out with a spell, Josh is encased in the stone, and he is unable to do anything. Tom and Hatori attack him, putting him in the middle of their fire and lightning spells, and Dimitri has to put up more of an effort to defeat them. he notes how they are the most composed in the group. Praduman and Avinash failed to work together, and it was easy for him to take them out. As the team lays groaning on the ground, or trapped under or inside rocks, Dimitri speaks. ¡°Nandan, give them the healing potions.¡± He spoke. ¡°As for your performance, take this lesson. You won¡¯t be in the best shape all the time, but you have to do whatever you can to win. Today you were lucky. Your loss didn¡¯t amount to anything beyond a beating. But if you perform like this in the tournament, our team will be eliminated before you can say Knockback!¡± ¡°Now, here¡¯s an assignment. Go research Europa¡¯s style of magic. my different foci should give you a clue, so go study up on that, and come up with ways to deal with it, including advantages and disadvantages.¡± Said Dimitri, and then dismissed them.

Part 2.

The team trudges out of the dueling hall, having their morning ruined thoroughly. Though Hatori is not affected by it much. Dimitri is an experienced duelist, losing to him is not a big deal in his book. getting beat up the first thing in the morning is also nothing new to him. true, Zeko never duels him in the morning, but the module attacks him 24 / 7, and sometimes, Hatori fails to defend himself. But what is making him angry, however, are the comments of other students. ¡°Do you see their condition? I pity them.¡± said one girl. ¡°True. I can¡¯t decide why Daphne and Ravina would join the team. Don¡¯t they know that girls are not supposed to be looking like that?¡± said the second girl. ¡°Man. we enjoyed our sleep here, and these bozos are getting beat up in the morning. What a miserable life.¡± said a boy. ¡°Well, they are trying hard to win the league this year.¡± said the second boy, ¡°But better them than us. eh?¡± ¡°True. True.¡± Agreed the first boy. ¡°Motherfuckers!¡± roared Hatori, scaring everyone, and clearing the entire area in an instant. ¡°You think you can enjoy while we suffer, huh? you think you will celebrate, while we go out there and win the trophy for you, is that it? well, let me tell you. you won¡¯t be enjoying your life for too long.¡± Lightning sparks across Hatori¡¯s body, as he starts to laugh. ¡°But first, that damned research, then my work on the project, and then, I¡¯ll deal with you. you¡¯ll wish that you were never born. Hahahahahahahaha!¡± mutters Hatori, imagining the screams of pain and please to stop. Ravina and Daphne are disturbed. Tom and Praduman are also disturbed, but they are hiding it better. ¡°Is he¡­¡± Daphne tried to ask, as Hatori was devolving into muttering and unstable laughter even further. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it,¡± said Josh, not bothered by the state of his friend. ¡°Yeah, he gets like that sometimes,¡± said Shin. ¡°One piece of advice. Don¡¯t get in his way when he is like this.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°You won¡¯t like what he will do to you if you do.¡± Josh and Shin nod at Avinash¡¯s words. Personally, they are happy that the revenge plan is not focused on them for once. However, if Hatori asks, they will help out gladly.

Part 3.

Hatori is in the company of Raven. They are both working on their projects. The mages in Europa use one exclusive focus, called a wand. It is created with the wood of a tree, some animal parts are used as the core, and some runes are carved on the wood for channeling magic. Hatori is confused about why certain trees are preferred for the wood, and why only a few animals are used for the core parts. But he decides not to focus on that, since it is not part of the assignment. They cast magic by moving their foci in a certain manner, much like how it is done in the Subcontinent and Asia. But the similarities end there. the Europeans use these wands exclusively and do not use other foci at all. Whereas Hatori has seen many foci, from swords, and knives, to staves, or even musical instruments being used in this very school. Personally, Hatori finds this obsession with wands rather disturbing, because there are guides about how to keep the wand clean, and some of them even theorize that these wands are alive. though he is happy to note that this group of thinkers is on the fringes of society. Hatori understands one thing clearly. The mages from Europa are ill-equipped to deal with someone like him. While some of them do have proficiency with fociless magic (or wandless magic as they like to call it,) they are nowhere near his level. For Hatori, a foci is a convenient tool, and in some cases, an annoyance. But for these people, it is the only way to cast magic. ¡°So, how are you feeling after that duel?¡± asked Raven, done drawing his map. ¡°Horny.¡± He points to the horns stuck over his head. after he loses the devil-like horns that he got because of a prank by Shin, he purchases the toy horns, and they are stuck on his head whenever he is not doing something strenuous. Raven gets annoyed by that response, so he summons those horns and sends them to his bed. Hatori notes how easily Raven did this without using any foci. He doubts anyone from the Europa can replicate this foot.

Part 4.

Everyone is telling what they have found on their opponents. ¡°What about you? what do you think about it, Avinash?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°I think there are a lot of advantages for their spell casting. The magic is easier to handle, and the preciseness of the spells also increases.¡± Explained Avinash. ¡°Having said that, their reliance on their wands is their biggest weakness. You can¡¯t perform complex magic quickly either, as the motions for those spells are quite long.¡± If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡°Yeah, a long dance with a stick.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Oh? What do you think then?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°It is a crutch, nothing more.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It is true, we also use foci. But with these mages, they are limited with one focus, over-rely on it, and are virtually defenseless without their stick.¡± ¡°Do you call me defenseless as well then?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°Not you,¡± said Hatori. ¡°You¡¯ve fought internationally. So, you¡¯ve likely known about these weaknesses, and have also cured yourself of them.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Continue.¡± ¡°The thing is, if any of us lose our foci in the match, we won¡¯t have to surrender before them. even you guys, even though you haven¡¯t trained like me in the fociless magic can easily fight them without your foci.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You sound really hostile when you speak about wands.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Why is that?¡± ¡°Because I hate how people use them as a crutch. I think Corvus did the right thing by denying the wand education in this school.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It will weaken us if we ever let them spread here.¡± ¡°European mages say the same thing about Asian magic.¡± Dimitri pointed out. ¡°I don¡¯t care what they say.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Very well. I do hope you will be able to back those strong opinions during the tournament.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And if anyone tried to shove this system on me, then I¡¯ll embed their body with burning glass.¡±

Part 5.

The team comes out of the dueling hall. Dimitri has assigned them more homework on the various teams they will face in the league, and their magical traditions and practices. Hatori stops as a taunting voice comes from behind. ¡°Oh look, the laziest student has to work so hard.¡± Said Maya. ¡°Tell me, are you having trouble keeping up with your workload?¡± asked Chaya. ¡°I doubt he is having a good time, sis. He used to be such a lazy student, but now he has to work twice as hard. What a sad life.¡± they both laugh. ¡°I was always a good student, and I always had more workload than you,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Because some of us don¡¯t like to gossip all day long you know.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± asked both twins, not liking that Hatori was daring to fight against them. ¡°I hear how you¡¯ve got easy projects.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You likely completed them, and you spend the rest of your time just hanging around, or causing trouble for others.¡± Hatori looms over them. ¡°That is not going to work on me. do you understand?¡± They have trouble breathing due to his magical pressure. ¡°C¡ªCrystal.¡± Maya managed to gasp. As Hatori walks away, they look at each other. ¡°Perhaps we should not anger the bear?¡± suggested Chaya. ¡°You are right sister.¡± Maya agreed. As for Hatori, this incident just accelerated his plans. The only thing he has to do is meet with Corvus. But before then, he has to meet with Professor Krodhatma.

Part 6.

Krodhatma looks at the runes presented by Hatori. ¡°So far, they look to be correct boy. Did you use the teleporter I provided?¡± ¡°Yeah, it came in really handy.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You might want to curl this one, and maybe include this in a function of its own. but generally, it is fine.¡± Said Krodhatma, after looking at the runes some more. ¡°Now, the real test. Demonstrate to me whether this works practically or not.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Here, I will draw the receiver runes on this desk.¡± Hatori described the runes he drew on the desk. ¡°And I will now link it to this teleporter.¡± He brings out the small teleporter in the form of a small board. ¡°Now, I will channel some magic to activate this teleporter.¡± Said Hatori. After he activates it, the desk comes to its location, resting on the floor as if it were there from the beginning. ¡°Good work boy.¡± praised the professor. ¡°Thank you. I nearly lost my balls trying to bring the object safely to my location.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Indeed, it would have been an unfortunate accident.¡± Smiled Krodhatma. ¡°I do think that you should make the runes more generic, as to make them possible to use with any object.¡± ¡°I will do that professor.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It will be the second part of this project.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry if you don¡¯t complete it. you¡¯ve accomplished the main goal.¡± Said the professor. ¡°Of course. Thanks, professor, for your time,¡± said Hatori, and then excused himself. Now that he is done with his project for the day, it is time to meet with the headmaster.

Part 7.

It is the time of evening, and Corvus is relaxing in his office. Reclining in his chair, he marveled at the piece of enchantment he laid on it several years ago for maximum comfort. Of course, the chair is also designed to show how he is the dominating power in the room. the door of his office opens, and walks in a student? ¡®Now that is unexpected.¡¯ He thinks to himself. Taking a sip of his tea, he asked. ¡°What brings you here, mister Eagle?¡± Hatori looks around. Corvus has an interesting office. There is a large bookshelf full of books, and the large desk takes up the space in the center, on which a skeleton is doing the paperwork. Then there is the headmaster himself, who is relaxing in his large chair. ¡°Are you trying to compensate for something?¡± asked Hatori, ignoring the question of Corvus. Corvus coughed, as he took a sip while Hatori was asking this question. ¡°Why do you ask that?¡± he wheezed. ¡°Because everything in your office is large,¡± said Hatori. Clearing his throat, Corvus answers. ¡°To answer your question, no I¡¯m not. besides, at my age, it hardly matters, now does it?¡± ¡°True.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Have you read all those books?¡± ¡°Surprisingly, yes,¡± said Corvus. ¡°And before you ask, there are ways to manage my time. besides, I¡¯m getting more and more free time as I get older, since I¡¯m not involved in some research or intrigue.¡± ¡°That helps. Anyway, I¡¯m here for a reason,¡± said Hatori, and Corvus paid attention. ¡°I want revenge. And you can help me in gaining that.¡± ¡°Depends upon why you want the said revenge.¡± Said Corvus not committing himself to anything just yet. ¡°The dueling team is mocked by every student, we¡¯re the joke of this Academy, even though we¡¯re training hard to perform at our best and win the league. This does not sit right with me. therefore, I want revenge.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°For this, I¡¯ll make their lives just as hard as ours. And I¡¯ve got a perfect tool for it as well.¡± Hatori brings out some papers, and Corvus gets a glimpse of his younger days. ¡°I¡¯ve found this module. Why don¡¯t we give them a dose of what Master Zeko put me through? If you agree with me of course.¡± Smiled Hatori. ¡°I believe it would be an amusing end for the year.¡± agreed Corvus, taking the papers from him. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Said Hatori, getting up from his own chair. ¡°Come to think of it, this is the first time I¡¯ve spoken to you, or come into this office.¡± ¡°Any student is free to come here and speak to me,¡± said Corvus. ¡°Only if they can conquer their fears.¡± He leans forward. ¡°Tell me, mister Eagle, do you not feel fear?¡± ¡°Those who do not feel fear are idiots, or are dead.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Good evening to you, headmaster.¡± ¡°Good evening to you as well, mister Eagle.¡± Replied Corvus, watching Hatori leave. He flips through the papers and goes deep inside the office. Looks like he will get to play with the wards tonight. Chapter 177 Chapter 177.

Part 1.

the second day of the year takes a chaotic turn, as during the breakfast, various shadowy figures come in and attack the students. Corvus watches in delight, unaffected by the chaos. Even the professors are not spared. His delight turns into fury when various professors pass out even with the weakest attacks. how will they defend the Academy if they ever get attacked? Forget saving the students, they need saving. His fury turns to delight, as he observes Hatori¡¯s group. They easily dispatch their attackers, and go back to their meals, as if nothing has happened. Corvus knows there will be complaints, but he is prepared to handle them. though he activated the module because Hatori wanted revenge, he realizes now that the students and the professors alike need this additional danger to keep them on their toes. Josh bashes the shadow attacking him by levitating an abandoned chair and then dropping it over the shadow. He looks at Hatori. he knows he is responsible for this. He looks at the other three. they have the same realization. But they decide to do nothing about it. besides, it is not like they are not used to it, or they can¡¯t handle themselves in a fight. they turn to see their coach battling a large shadow, he is holding his own so far. They witness him exploding this shadow with a spell, and then going back to his meal. They also go back to their meal. They have learned their lesson. If Hatori wants revenge, you either join him or get out of the way. As for Hatori, he watches the students and staff running like headless chickens, with a sneer on his face. He observes Chaya and Maya knocked out. he will send them get well soon cards, as a reminder that they should never mess with him. ¡®I can¡¯t believe these weaklings dared to mock us.¡¯ he thought. Ignoring the shrieks and moans of terror, he goes back to his breakfast. No point in ignoring his meals because of these weaklings.

Part 2.

Dimitri is working with Ravina. Her overall understanding of dueling is good, but she does not hit as hard as she could. Whereas Praduman and Tom have the opposite problem. They put too much energy into their attacks, and thus end up losing a lot of their stamina in the spells which don¡¯t even hit their opponent. He is making her hit a sandbag with a Knockback spell, and making her call out ¡°Harder! Harder! Harder!¡± with each hit. Nearby, Tom and Avinash are sparring. Tom has improved his control, and this shows in his stamina as well. he can fight longer periods, and does the same amount of damage as he did before, but with better control. Shin is helping out Praduman with illusion, helping him recognize when he is in an illusion, and how to get out of them. Josh is doing push-ups, and Daphne is doing squats. ¡°Harder! Harder! Harder!¡± Ravina continues to practice. ¡°Stop,¡± Dimitri said to Ravina. ¡°Take a break. Where is Hatori?¡± he asked. ¡°I haven¡¯t seen him since breakfast, coach.¡± Said Josh from the floor, resting after his set of push-ups was complete. ¡°I¡¯ve seen him going to the forest.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Daphne, you¡¯re done with your workout?¡± he asked. when she nods, Dimitri continues. ¡°I¡¯m going to the forest. Help out Ravina, Okay?¡± ¡°Yes, coach.¡± Said Daphne, as Dimitri left. ¡°He won¡¯t like what he¡¯ll find there,¡± said Josh after gulping some water. ¡°I don¡¯t care.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Hatori has to deal with this on his own.¡±

Part 3.

Hatori is surveying the ground. He wants to plant a tree. He will leave the Academy in just a few months, so the tree has to be a fast-growing one. ¡°I should have done it before.¡± He laments, ¡°But I was busy with things.¡± Whatever tree he decides to put in here, has to survive through winter. He will modify it some to deal with it better. he decides to plant another Jamun tree here, much like he did in his first year. but this area is different, so it is not guaranteed to survive. Besides, where would he get a Jamun in January? ¡°The different habitats. I¡¯m sure somewhere summer is going on, and Jamun are blooming there.¡± he brings out the maps of the various habitats supported by the institute and finds the location where he needs to go. After a lengthy walk, and an unusual experience of going from winter to summer, and then coming back to winter, Hatori finally has a seed. He plants it in the ground and provides some water. he manipulated the seed itself, to develop and bloom faster than the natural counterparts. He adds some water and waits to see the results. While he is waiting, he senses the elephant approaching. ¡®How¡¯re you doing, buddy?¡¯ he asked telepathically. ¡®You¡¯ve not lost your edge. Good. some of these blooming idiots can learn a thing or two from you.¡¯ he replied. ¡®I¡¯m doing well by the way. I¡¯ve become a member of older males, to keep the young ones in line after they leave their herd.¡¯ ¡®Sounds like important work.¡¯ Said Hatori. ¡®And tiring. And the females never appreciate that, they always come to us bitching about young lads misbehaving with them or something.¡¯ Complained the animal, his trunk twitching in annoyance. ¡®By the way, I¡¯ve planted a seed here. don¡¯t stomp it, I¡¯m looking forward to its growth.¡¯ Said Hatori, and pointed to the ground where he planted the seed. ¡®I¡¯ll be careful. Now, defend yourself!¡¯ the elephant comes at Hatori screeching, ¡®I will test your skill, you fucking brat!¡¯ It is not the first time Hatori has fought the elephant. But it is always a terrifying sight to him, to see such a large animal coming at him with the magical pressure twisting the surrounding area. Hatori has to dodge out of the way, as large boulders come at him flying, conjured by the elephant. he retaliates with the conjured wires, channeling electricity through them. the elephant steps on one of these wires, and gets a nasty shock. But that is not enough to deter an animal of his size. So, he rushes Hatori once again. ¡®I can smell your fear, brat!¡¯ he screeched. ¡°What the hell?¡± the beast is now surrounded by fire. ¡°That is just great. But I know a way to bring you down.¡± Hatori makes some signs with his hands, making runes of water and clouds through his finger in the air, and water rushes from the sky. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. In under a minute, the entire area is flooded. The elephant lost his fire, and he couldn¡¯t rush Hatori so freely in the flooded ground. Hatori then channeled the current through the wires, shocking the animal, and the clouds above also discharged their load. The elephant is unable to handle this damage from above and below and loses consciousness. Hatori checks on his seed. It has already started to bloom. He suspects it will become a small plant by tomorrow. He listens to the splash of water. ¡°You came here to fight this battle?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°Not my intention. It was just a friendly brawl.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I modified this elephant several years ago, you see.¡± Dimitri blanched. Looks like those stories he heard about the boy were true. He carefully listens for the buzz to make sure he is not near a colony of bees. ¡°Why did you not come to the practice today?¡± he asked, once he was certain that he wouldn¡¯t be attacked by bees. ¡°What would be the point?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°They need your training more than I do.¡± Answered Hatori. ¡°I thought you were a member of this team.¡± said Dimitri, ¡°Why not train with them?¡± ¡°I do train with them,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I spar with them, and I even helped Tom out with his control. But anything beyond that is pointless. You know my daily workout routine, I doubt you can add anything else to improve it.¡± Dimitri acknowledged that point. ¡°Still, you should be there,¡± he argued. ¡°Look, this is how I do things. and I am not going to change just because you don¡¯t like it,¡± said Hatori. ¡°My presence is pointless there unless we¡¯re sparring. I¡¯m not going to come there and sit just because I am supposed to.¡± Dimitri nods, and leaves. He won¡¯t get through the boy right now.

Part 4.

It is evening, and as Corvus expected, there are tons of complaints coming to him from the professors. ¡°And the worst part is that our classes are disrupted!¡± said Professor Imrat. ¡°Do you think he will remove it?¡± asked Amarjit to Dhiraj. ¡°Hardly.¡± Said the alchemist. ¡°You know how he is, once he has decided something, there is nothing we can do to change his mind. Better make peace with it, like I have.¡± Amarjit sighed, as the argument continued to rage, and Corvus remained unaffected. Dhiraj is right, but handling a class is not easy during periodic attacks.

Part 5.

In the night, Bali and Dimitri are outside of the Academy, sharing a drink. ¡°I understand your feeling well, I really do.¡± Said Bali, commiserating with the coach. ¡°That boy is a big headache to deal with.¡± ¡°He didn¡¯t disrespect me; he spoke to me politely. But he just won¡¯t listen.¡± Complained Dimitri. ¡°Should I remove him from the team as a punishment?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°Don¡¯t do that,¡± said Bali. ¡°True, he is not cooperating with you. but there is no denying that he has a real talent for combat. If you remove him, you will weaken the team.¡± Dimitri sighed. ¡°You know what the worst part is? that he is right. his presence won¡¯t change a thing.¡± Admitted Dimitri. ¡°To ego bruising students.¡± Bali raises his glass. ¡°To overtrained students.¡± Dimitri clinks his glass, and then they both gulp down their drink. They won¡¯t be sleeping in their quarters tonight. As for Hatori, Bali is right. Hatori never shirks his training, he just hates attending classes where he already is familiar with the subject. Besides, they will need his talent, if he wishes to have a winning team this year. the final thing that Dimitri realized before he fell asleep is that there are no students who can replace Hatori. none of them are good with combat, and none of them have that killer instinct or ambition. He decides that he won¡¯t meddle with him as long as his skills don¡¯t atrophy, something Dimitri doubts would happen, especially after seeing that battle in the afternoon.

Part 6.

Hatori is eating his dinner with Avinash. Josh and others are already finished eating early since they have their own projects to work on. ¡°He looked very displeased when he went to look for you,¡± explains Avinash the day¡¯s events. ¡°I know. He found me in the forest.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I told him the same thing that I said to Professor Bali.¡± Avinash sighed. He knew things would go like this. ¡°Did he threaten to remove you from the team?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Huh. that is strange.¡± He said and went back to his dinner after a shrug. ¡°By the way, I think I¡¯ve gotten good with my control.¡± Tom spoke then, ¡°The coach praised me for my better use of energy during the match.¡± ¡°Good for you,¡± said Hatori, dropping his spoon, and levitating the food to his mouth, without using his arms at all. Tom and Avinash watch this spectacle with open-mouthed shock, before going back to their dinner. ¡°I see I have a lot to learn still.¡± Said Tom. Hatori replied by levitating his juice to his lips, without lifting the glass. ¡°Stop showing off already!¡± said Avinash furiously. Hatori jerked from the sudden shock, and some juice was spilled on Avinash. ¡°You invited this on your own. why did you disrupt my concentration?¡± ¡°Gaaaaaa!¡± Avinash leaped to stab Hatori with a knife, and Hatori defended himself with a conjured small shield. Tom just continues to eat in peace. No point in getting involved with the crazy on the other end of the table.

Part 7.

A meeting of noble families is taking place. Though some Sharmas are here, the head of the clan is not here. Shakuntala is here, and other people from Banerji, Chatterji, and Reddy clans are also here. ¡°Welcome, everybody. Thank you for coming here at such a short notice.¡± Said Durvesh Banerji. ¡°I have confirmed, Porus will be leaving in a few months for the league tournament. It is a perfect time for us to attack.¡± ¡°You sure?¡± asked Jeevan Reddy, ¡°He will leave competent people to guard things in his absence.¡± ¡°True.¡± Agreed Durvesh. They may hate Porus, but none of them will ever call him incompetent. ¡°But this time, we have inside help.¡± ¡°Then it is confirmed.¡± Said Shakuntala, ¡°We go to war when Porus leaves.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Then the meeting is concluded. Chapter 178 Chapter 178.

Part 1.

Hatori is running a gauntlet. He is sparring with Daphne, Ravina, and Tom, in that order. His spar with Daphne was pretty standard. During some exchange of spells, Daphne was unable to match the volume. Dimitri forbade them from using their shape-shifting elemental spells. As a result, he managed to beat Daphne. His spar with Ravina was also pretty much the same. Accept she managed to create earth golems, and enchanted them in the middle of the fight to resist magical damage. Hatori resorted to conjuring stuff, and then throwing it to damage them, and those golems collapsed. Once they were gone, Ravina was also dealt with swiftly. ¡°Now, next up, Tom.¡± Said Dimitri. The match began normally enough. But in this limited sparring, Tom proves to be an equal to Hatori. things also went in his favor since Hatori is tired from the first two spars, while Tom is starting fresh. Despite that disadvantage, Hatori fights for a long time, and Tom reaches his limits. But he is glad, since he won this match, since Hatori couldn¡¯t continue. ¡°Good job.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Next time, don¡¯t push yourself so hard. It wouldn¡¯t do you any good if you got injured before the competition itself, now would it?¡± ¡°Here,¡± Nandan pushes a viol of potion in Hatori¡¯s hands. ¡°Drink this.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± He muttered and went to the bench to rest and recover.

Part 2.

A letter arrives from the Academy for Zeko. It is, of course, written by Hatori. he opens it eagerly. The boy used to be quite withdrawn, but he has opened himself up to him as he has grown under his roof.
Master Zeko, I hope you¡¯re doing well. I participated in the selection tournament for this year¡¯s school dueling league, and I came out on top. Apart from that, my yearly project is almost done. I think Coach Dimitri is frustrated that he doesn¡¯t have much to teach me, since you have prepared me so well for the combat, and my physical conditioning is superior to my teammates. Still, I can¡¯t seem to duel the third opponent in the gauntlet sparring. I have to improve on this. Your troublesome student, Hatori.
Zeko chuckled after reading the last line. ¡°Well done boy,¡± he said to himself. ¡°You¡¯re approaching the time when you will be able to face me.¡± Although he is glad for the magical development of Hatori, and he is happy that his education is concluding as successfully as it can get, Zeko is still worried about his social life. though he does have four close friends, Hatori has not gone beyond his group for much of his school. Zeko suspects that his disability is one reason, and his childhood in an isolated environment also contributed to this behavior of his. Unfortunately for Zeko, no solution comes to his mind for this problem. This is not the kind of problem which can be solved with better training, or vicious modules. This reminds him why he never wanted to take a long-term apprentice in the first place. Though rather than an apprentice, Hatori is more like a son to him.

Part 3.

After resting from his sparring session in the morning, Hatori is in the forest. It is the time of the late afternoon, and despite the different weather, and a battle near to its spot, the tree has bloomed. It is already at Hatori¡¯s waist. He carved some small runes on its stem, mostly concerned with better use of water and sunlight, and better resistance against winter, as well as heat and drought. Hatori has protected himself well against winter, though his protections will not be tested until he goes to a cold place. His next plan is to keep his body at a comfortable temperature, regardless of the weather. He could have tested this on the habitats offered by the institute, but most of them are not easily accessible. And Hatori is unwilling to go through the academic bureaucracy for a permit. Honestly, who the hell thought it would be a good idea to combine an academic institution with bureaucracy? He remembers how Professor Prakriti was angry at him for modifying the flora and fauna. But he disregards her anger. Besides, it is already too late. As he heals the latest carving on the plant, soon to become a mighty tree any day, he expects a long life for this tree. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

Part 4.

Raven is writing the final part of his assignment. He has to describe some small plans to deal with various scenarios, ranging from very possible to highly implausible. Such as Zhongguo deciding to invade, various wars with other Asian powers, civil unrest, rebellion, to the attacks of other races like Dwarves, Goblins, or Orcs. Elves are excluded from this list, because of their secretive nature, and how very little info is available to research about them. The people who set these scenarios must have decided that it is unfair to ask the students to give possible plans to deal with Elves when even the best military and political minds on the planet have no clue about dealing with them, should they decide to take a hostile turn. Nearby, Shin is tuning his instruments, and playing out the small parts of his compositions. After all, a musician has to listen to his own music before he can play it for others. how else is he going to judge whether something sounds good or not? Shin knows that not many people will agree with his approach. But when it comes to his original music, he has decided to listen to his own music and see whether he likes it or not. if he likes it, then chances are that other people will like it as well. it is a flawed approach, he knows that. but he thinks this is the best way to create music, without worrying about whether people would like it or not. Because it is not possible to please everyone, as Professor Sangita told him many times.

Part 5.

Josh has submitted his part of the group project. He is currently finishing up the explanation of how exactly he solved these problems. ¡°Now, the distance changes, so I decided to use a variable there. when you use it, you have to measure it in real-time, since we can¡¯t know it in advance. It would also affect some other things, but the rest are constant.¡± ¡°Good. This should speed up our work.¡± Said the older student running this project. ¡°In a month, you¡¯ll have your marks. Please do explain if we ask you some questions.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Josh nodded and excused himself. Now that he is done with all his responsibilities, he can focus on dueling full-time and also have some time to relax and enjoy the Academy for the last time. because he will never have this freedom ever again in his life until he dies. ¡®What a morbid thought. I¡¯m turning into Hatori.¡¯ he thinks to himself.

Part 6.

¡°Here, hold him down while I cast the spell,¡± said Slaughter to James. James does as the healer orders, and Slaughter slowly strips the infected skin off from the arm. ¡°The potion.¡± Said Slaughter, and James handed him the vial with the bandages. ¡°Perfect.¡± He mutters, rapping the arm. ¡°Now, I will cast the numbing spell. then we will give you a sleeping potion, alright?¡± the patient nods, and Slaughter casts the numbing spell. ¡°Good. Give him the potion.¡± He said to James, and James put the viol to the lips of the man. Soon enough, the room is emptied. James has done this multiple times. the patient is not from the Academy, but instead a local from the surrounding area. This is also not strange for James. ¡°I might just let you perform some small surgery soon enough.¡± Said Slaughter, as they walked out of the room. ¡°Do you think I am ready?¡± asked James. ¡°Don¡¯t worry kid, I¡¯ll watch your back.¡± Said Slaughter. James considers it to be a comforting thing. Going into surgery without Slaughter feels like going into a war alone, and without any backup or support.

Part 7.

Hatori walks into the office of Professor Krodhatma. ¡°Professor, I am done.¡± ¡°So soon?¡± the professor opens his eyes. ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve made these generic, and also expanded the range.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Here, let me demonstrate.¡± He teleported his desk from his room. ¡°Impressive.¡± Said Krodhatma, taking a look at the new runes. ¡°Leave these with me, I¡¯ll let you know your grade soon enough.¡± ¡°Thank you, professor.¡± Said Hatori, walking out of the class, and teleporting his desk back to his room. ¡°So, it works in reverse as well, huh? quite useful,¡± mumbles Krodhatma. ¡°Maybe I should ask him whether I can use these runes for myself or not, it would make my life much easier, and perhaps, less angrier as well.¡± Chapter 179 Chapter 179.

Part 1.

The final-year students have gotten their scores, and despite knowing their personal scores, they have all gathered around the board to see their rank and compare their position with others. Hatori is here only for curiosity¡¯s sake, he doesn¡¯t care about his rank, as long as he is not at the bottom. The grades are for the project they have completed group or otherwise, and an average of the entire school time they¡¯ve had in the last eight years. Though Hatori doesn¡¯t care about his own position, other students do. One of them is Mira. She is disappointed for being unable to surpass Hatori, but she has made peace with it. besides, she is still among the top students, and that is something to be proud of. Observing various friendships being broken because of the ranks, Shin whispers to Hatori. ¡°Maybe they should not put these ranks right here? not that I care mind you.¡± ¡°Probably.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°To be honest though, if you¡¯re stupid enough to befriend someone who is going to fight you just because you scored higher than you, then you deserve everything coming your way.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t care to be honest,¡± said Shin, ¡°As long as I¡¯m not at the bottom.¡± ¡°Hahahahahaha!¡± laughed Josh, and started to push Shin around. ¡°Look at you, you¡¯re average is lower than mine! What a shame!¡± Getting annoyed by the larger boy, Shin retaliates with a punch, and a fight breaks out. ¡°Can we leave already?¡± asked Hatori, ignoring the fight going on near him. ¡°We can¡¯t go home yet.¡± Said a student. ¡°There is going to be a farewell party.¡±

Part 2.

¡°Tell me, how do I look in this outfit?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Good,¡± replied Hatori, who, it should be noted, does not have much of a fashion sense. He does, however, have a highly developed comfort sense. if the clothes are not comfortable, then they are not worth wearing, no matter how good they look. Of course, this narrator completely supports that kind of thinking. Out with jeans, in with pajamas! Your balls will thank you¡­ ahem. ¡°What about this?¡± asked Josh a few minutes later, once again changing his outfit. ¡°Fine.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°How¡¯s this?¡± asked Josh, changing his clothes for the third time. ¡°How many clothes do you have in the first place?¡± asked Hatori. Josh blushed. ¡°Ten pairs at least,¡± said Josh. ¡°Of course, these are all partywear. I would have packed more, but Mom filtered them out.¡± ¡°What are you, a girl?¡± asked Hatori. Before Josh could defend himself, Shin walked in, the bells on his head jingling. ¡°Hey guys, how do I look?¡± ¡°Great.¡± Said Hatori. When Shin goes to his bed and closes the curtains once again, Hatori glares at the closed curtains in annoyance. ¡°You lost the respect.¡± He grumbled, and walked out of the room, leaving those wanabe models to their devices. James just shook his head after watching that spectacle. He is not doing anything special, since he will stay in the Academy because of his apprenticeship to Slaughter. No point in making it special in his opinion. Instead, he rather spend some time with his friends, if they can get themselves together already.

Part 3.

Leaving Josh and Shin, Hatori finds Maria and Liang. ¡°So, when will you two be leaving?¡± he asked, taking a seat next to Maria in the event hall. ¡°After the formal party.¡± Said Liang. ¡°Why? Are you in a hurry to send us?¡± ¡°Not at all. Just a question,¡± said Hatori. ¡°By the way, here.¡± he gives them two bottles. ¡°These bottles are enchanted to hold much more than their size, you can see the runes for that at the bottom. They are filled with sugarcane juice. I hope you¡¯ll like this gift.¡± ¡°Awww, you didn¡¯t have to!¡± said Maria. ¡°The bottle is very cold. Did you enchant it for that as well?¡± ¡°Yes. it will remain at a constant temperature.¡± Said Hatori. No need to tell them that their gift is a result of his own research to do the same to his body. ¡°If you don¡¯t mind, we will gift you something when you visit us at our own places, rather than give you something here,¡± said Liang. ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori, not having any problem with it. besides, he wasn¡¯t expecting anything in return. His mother said to him it is a bad form to expect anything in return for a gift. ¡®Huh. haven¡¯t thought about that in years.¡¯ ¡°Who do we have here.¡± said some other students in their class. ¡°The top students of our year.¡± ¡°Aren¡¯t you a topper as well, Bhagat?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°True. But I¡¯m one of those people who disappear under the light of you guys.¡± Said Bhagat. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Hatori looked at him strangely. ¡°I¡¯m not some star.¡± He replied. The conversation then continued without his input. Though these are his classmates, Hatori has not spoken to them much during his entire time in this school. Apart from his four friends, he has only interacted with Avinash, Liang, and Maria. Of course, they also never approached him. Not only did everyone know by the end of the first year that he was trained by Zeko, but the hostility of the noble students in his early years also kept them away from him. By the time he established himself as a strong force on his own, the boat had sailed, and they¡¯d formed their groups. After that, there was no chance of making further social connections. Not that Hatori wanted to make any in the first place.

Part 4.

Shin is speaking with the Singh twins. ¡°So father basically told us to rent out that property, and find the renters for it. for the most part, we¡¯ve rented the apartments to the graduating students.¡± Said Bhavani. ¡°Yes, because that market is easy, and always runs hot.¡± Said Ranveer. ¡°Besides, the prices are unlikely to rise there.¡± ¡°True. I¡¯ve heard the same about that area.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Didn¡¯t know you two had apartments there.¡± ¡°Tell you what, do you need one?¡± asked Bhavani upfront. Shin takes a moment to answer. ¡°Yeah, I do. I¡¯ve found various places, but they are hesitating in renting that out to me due to my nameless status.¡± Explained Shin. Ranveer and Bhavani share a look. ¡°Why don¡¯t you stay in our apartment then?¡± asked Ranveer. ¡°Yeah, and I do think you can afford our rent until you sort out your housing situation permanently.¡± Said Bhavani. ¡°Well, wouldn¡¯t your father complain?¡± asked Shin. ¡°He gave us this task. He never said how to accomplish it,¡± said Ranveer. ¡°And besides, we don¡¯t have any problem in helping you out.¡± ¡°Thanks guys.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I¡¯ll come there after the dueling tournament.¡± ¡°What will you do after that?¡± asked Bhavani. ¡°Hmm. probably compose music professionally, and go on some tours.¡± Said Shin. ¡°That sounds rather an unstable way to make income, now that I think about it.¡± ¡°Well, nothing ventured, nothing gained I suppose.¡± Said Ranveer. Bhavani and Shin nod at that statement. Despite this, Shin is not looking forward to his life beyond school.

Part 5.

Corvus looks around at the graduating class. This batch brought the most changes in recent times and made his life a lot more exciting. Corvus has attended many farewells over the years, and they have now started to blend together in his mind. But a sense of achievement he feels after seeing another class walking out of his institute, ready to face the world, has never left him. he feels it every year, just like he felt it in his first year as a professor, and as his first year as the headmaster. But he won¡¯t remain here forever. Dhiraj has started to take over his duties slowly, and that boy is doing wonderfully. He feels peace that he will leave this institute in a capable hand. Once he takes retirement in three years or so, he will disappear from public life. His social life is non-existent at this point, all the mages of his time are dead, or dying. ¡®What a sad fate. I can¡¯t believe after everything, the only thing I can do in my old age is to hear another one of my generation is dead.¡¯

Part 6.

after the farewell starts to wind down, the team gathers around Dimitri once he calls them. ¡°In a month, we will leave for the Albion, where the league is held. Do not let your skills suffer during this time, or else I will be very displeased. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Clear!¡± answered everyone. ¡°Excellent.¡± Nodded Dimitri. ¡°We have a great chance of winning the trophy this year, but the most important is not to come at the bottom. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Clear!¡± answered everyone once again. ¡°Dismiss!¡± he waved them off. As they start to leave, Kangana comes to Hatori, right before he is about to leave the event hall. ¡°I¡¯m going into the therapy field. you were a great practice for me,¡± she said to him. ¡°Thanks.¡± Replied Hatori. ¡°Do not embarrass me in the tournament, and by misbehaving in front of the foreigners.¡± Hatori blasts her through the door and hovers over the wreckage. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I will never think of embarrassing you.¡± he then lands on the other side of the rubble and leaves the shocked and furious Kangana behind.

Part 7.

Zeko is waiting for Hatori¡¯s return. Over the years, the boy has faced many challenges to enter this house, but now he must face the final challenge. Zeko himself. ¡®I won¡¯t make it easy for you, boy.¡¯ Zeko has been looking forward to this day, ever since he started to train Hatori. ¡®Let¡¯s see how well you¡¯ve absorbed my teachings.¡¯ He lets out a great laugh, and the birds fly away in fright. Chapter 180 Chapter 180.

Part 1.

At his home, Josh is telling his father about his year. ¡°And then, the dueling tournament ended.¡± He spoke. ¡°Honestly, I did not expect Avinash to win, but he faced Hatori. I think even he respected him after that, especially since he did that without having someone like Zeko as a trainer.¡± ¡°True. That is one way to earn respect.¡± Agreed George, Josh¡¯s father. ¡°What about you, son? Aren¡¯t you disappointed by your performance?¡± Receiving a glare from his older son, George raises a hand as Josh answers. ¡°Given the performances of everyone, no,¡± said Josh. ¡°But I will certainly leave my mark when we go to face the other schools. That is the main goal in my mind.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Said George Junior, Josh¡¯s older brother. ¡°And here I thought you were no good at fighting, given how much I beat you in our brotherly fights.¡± ¡°What did you say?¡± said Josh, getting up from the table, and looming over his brother. ¡°Exactly what you heard.¡± Said George Junior, not backing down. The fight breaks out, and all three are thrown out of the house. The boys for fighting, and their father for not stopping them. ¡°I swear, you boys are adding white hair to my head.¡± ¡°Eh, that look suits you, dad.¡± Said George Junior. ¡°I look old!¡±

Part 2.

James is with his father in the City of Throne. The case against his aunt is at its last stages, and his father has put his demand that Shakuntala should back off from their house. ¡°After that, maybe we won¡¯t have to live here like this.¡± ¡°I¡¯m happy to have some moments with you,¡± said James. ¡°When will you leave, son?¡± asked Jimmy. ¡°In a few weeks. Likely after the team leaves for the league.¡± Said James. ¡°I¡¯ll be very busy after that, Slaughter is a demanding teacher.¡± ¡°Which is good.¡± said Jimmy, ¡°After all, healing people is a serious task. No place for the slackers in such an important business.¡± ¡°Right.¡± agreed James, though he hesitates to call it a business.

Part 3.

Raven is back in the castle. he greets his father. ¡°Hey dad, where¡¯s mom?¡± ¡°She¡¯s in the market, she wants to cook your favorite dish.¡± Said Magpie. ¡°Are you angry that she doesn¡¯t do that for you?¡± teased Raven. ¡°What¡¯re you talking about?¡± asked Magpie with a straight face. ¡°Besides, you should hurry up, the general has called you.¡± Suddenly becoming serious, Raven bids his father adieu for the moment and goes to meet with Sundar. ¡°You called me sir?¡± asked Raven, saluting the general upon his entry. ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°You¡¯re assigned this unit. Do show up on time this day of the moon.¡± ¡°Will do that.¡± nodded Raven, and left. Magpie hears about what the general wants from Raven. ¡°Good job son,¡± he said, ¡°You won¡¯t have to worry about employment right out of the school. Your friends won¡¯t have that luxury.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Raven, thinking of Hatori and Shin, ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± Though Magpie himself is torn about this. He never wanted his son to go into the army. True, he has served in the military for many years, and now he is among the veterans, mostly responsible for training people. But to get up to this point, he had to abandon pieces of himself slowly over the years. and he did not want this for his son. But it seems that the matter is out of his hands, now that the general has his claws in his son.

Part 4.

Shin is returning to Zeko¡¯s house with Hatori. he wants to check out the apartment of the Singh twins, but Shin decides that he will do that later. first, he needs to take a look at his finances and arrange some work for himself. Only then he can think of checking out those apartments. ¡°Halt!¡± said Hatori, before Shin could go to the door. ¡°Why?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Zeko is outside,¡± said Hatori, and then he turned to the garden. ¡°You won¡¯t get to attack me so easily.¡± ¡°Hmhmhmhmhm. Clever brat.¡± Said Zeko, walking out of the garden. ¡°You¡¯ve faced many challenges in this house, but it is time that you face the final one.¡± ¡°You,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Got it in one go.¡± Nodded Zeko. ¡°You better step aside kid, things are about to get dangerous.¡± ¡°Yeah, sure.¡± Said Shin, and quickly left the immediate area. ¡°Now, defend yourself!¡± said Zeko, sending a fire spell with flames as wide as Hatori¡¯s torso. Hatori rather than dodging this spell, blocks it with a shield of conjured water and then uses the overheated water to attack Zeko. Not expecting that attack, Zeko is hit directly by the wave, and Shin winced in sympathy. That water is steaming, Zeko is a freak for not writhing in pain despite getting burns from that water. He blows away that water with a burst of magic, and stomps his feet, sending rocks to pummel Hatori. moving his foci, he used the wind element to redirect these rocks and avoided them all. But the foci itself is yanked out of his hand. Hatori just smirked. He applied the summoning spell to the boulder behind Zeko and yanked on it. Zeko moves to sidestep it, and Hatori then levitates both foci out of Zeko¡¯s hands and throws them at Shin. The boy caught the foci and then realized what he had done. Preparing to defend himself he expected Zeko and Hatori to attack him. but they never came to him. instead, the battle continues, and Shin breathes a sigh of relief. That relief does not last long, as a shadow appears near him, and extends a hand to receive the staves. Deciding not to think about it too much, he hands the foci to the shadow, and it disappears into the house, Shin then watches the battle. While all of that was happening, Zeko and Hatori exchanged more spells. by this time, the entire area is flooded or filled with rocks and mud. A cloud of steam is in the sky, a result of the fire spells colliding with water spells. ¡°This won¡¯t get us anywhere.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You¡¯re right, boy,¡± said Zeko, and he waved his hand, and he was surrounded by the flames. The flames take the shape of a fox, which comes to attack Hatori. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Not deciding to play as well, Hatori is surrounded by sparks, and the eagle made of lightning takes shape once more. Shin sees it for the third time, and every time, he is blown away by the beauty and the strength of this spell. the fox jumps at Hatori, but the eagle gets in the way. the bird tries to grab the fox in its claws, but the animal avoids it. a race starts between these two elementals then, as they race across trying to trap each other. The eagle shredded one of the legs of the fox, and the wings were plucked out by the fox. Hatori maintains his focus, controlling the spell. he is getting annoyed. Why must he face the land animals whenever it comes to the shape-shifting elements? Though Daphne was very interesting, using the cloud itself. Hatori thinks of summoning a spirit to gain an edge, but he knows that Zeko won¡¯t give him the time for that, and since he has not formed a contract, what he might get is not guaranteed to be strong. Zeko grunts, as he continues to redirect the fox. The spell won¡¯t last too long, the damage is piling up. Hatori¡¯s eagle has also taken a lot of damage, but he is not certain how much that bird could endure. It is clear to Hatori that his spell won¡¯t last long, and the fox won¡¯t let him attack Zeko directly. So he decides that he will self-destruct his elemental monster, and that is what he did. The bird took the fox with it, and Zeko was blown away, covered with electricity. But Hatori has not come out of it unscathed, he is covered with large burns as well. Shin balks, as he sees what Zeko is doing despite the damage he has already taken. When his ears recover from the thunder-like explosion, he also hears the sound of this spell, as well as Zeko¡¯s words. ¡°Do you remember this spell, boy?¡± he asked, as he continued to feed the flames to the gun above him. ¡°How can I forget?¡± asked Hatori, still remembering the destruction it left behind, despite the protections of the Joshi family¡¯s house. But unlike Yograj, Hatori is not planning to defend using water. instead, he channels lightning to his body and takes flight. Right at that moment, Zeko fires this gun, and Hatori takes the full brunt of the impact. Though the spell continues in the sky, exploding in the clouds, Hatori comes out of it and attacks Zeko with the electricity coming out of his hands. having fired such an energy-intensive spell, Zeko is in no condition to defend and takes the spell on his head. the shock knocks him out, and then Hatori also hits the ground, unable to keep his consciousness. But before he passed out, he muttered one final thing. ¡°You lost, I won.¡± Shin sighed. He walks slowly to them, and he then levitates both the master and the student, and enters the house. He comes to the fountain. ¡°So these idiots finally decided to fight, eh?¡± asked Yaksha, as Shin deposited them in the water. ¡°Yeah.¡± he nodded, the bells on his head jingling. ¡°Can you keep an eye on them?¡± ¡°Sure. Go and take a rest boy, you look exhausted.¡± Said the spirit, making sure that the heads of both of these stupid humans were above the water. ¡°Yeah, traveling and seeing a fight can be quite tiring.¡± Said Shin with a smile, and left. He closes the door behind him softly. Half an hour later, the Yaksha speaks. ¡°So, how did he do?¡± ¡°Wonderfully.¡± Groaned Zeko. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect his shocks to hurt so much.¡± The spirit laughed, and the water bubbled with his laughter. ¡°What else did you expect? You trained him. though it seems he needs more time to recover than you.¡± ¡°Probably because he took my strongest spell head-on.¡± Said Zeko, feeling his strength slowly returning. ¡°That is no joke.¡± Said Yaksha. ¡°Maybe I should make a contract with the boy.¡± ¡°You won¡¯t be disappointed.¡± Said Zeko, feeling his burns healing slowly, and his body losing the numbness of the shocks.

Part 5.

Raven is waiting with other trainees for their sergeant to arrive, who will begin their physical training, and lead them in some practical situations. Raven already has some experience of this, but a little bit more experience doesn¡¯t hurt anyone. He looks around at the young faces, and most of them are familiar, but he is not acquainted with them. Until he finds the two twins hanging to the side. He walks to them. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you two here.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you know? Half of the army is filled with Singhs.¡± Joked Bhavani. ¡°Probably.¡± Agreed Raven. ¡°I¡¯m glad though, it would make it easier to have some familiar faces.¡± ¡°True. Though we are likely going to be separated.¡± Said Bhavani. ¡°But that is not guaranteed.¡± Reminds Ranveer. Raven senses a different magical presence in the room, and he turns around. At that moment, their sergeant arrives, and they all salute. Their training is about to begin.

Part 6.

Hatori is in the castle one month later. the dueling team has gathered here in the City of Throne, as they are about to leave for Albion, where the league will take place. But before they leave, they are celebrating the birthday of King Porus, who is reaching the age of 150. ¡°May your reign be long and prosperous.¡± Intoned Amarnath and everyone clapped. ¡®It is long, though I doubt it is prosperous.¡¯ Thinks Porus sadly. ¡°Children, are you ready to leave?¡± he asked the dueling team. ¡°Indeed.¡± They all said. ¡°The ship is about to leave. By your permission, your majesty?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°By all means. Go show them the might of the Subcontinent!¡± said Porus, and they all cheered. As the ship flies away with the eight students, and Dimitri accompanying them, Porus prepares to leave himself. He did not tell the students about his own arrival to observe their tournament.

Part 7.

Another meeting is called by Durvesh. ¡°It is confirmed, the team has left, and the king is about to leave soon.¡± ¡°Is everything in place?¡± asked one man. ¡°Do not worry, everything is ready. We just need to subdue the military and capture the various outposts. Leave the throne to me.¡± he said. The smiles break out on various faces. Looks like they will finally get rid of the troublesome throne. They will ensure that nothing of that kind ever rises again, to threaten their deserved place on the top of the world. Chapter 181 Chapter 181.

Part 1.

On the flying ship, there is a meeting going on. Unfortunately, it is not about an awesome invasion (which is never awesome), or some awesome defense. Instead, it is about a school team speaking with their coach, who is explaining the competition to them. ¡°The league is held in Albion this year. it is an island nation, known for its stuffiness, nice and proper behavior, and looking down upon the rest of Europa.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°That is not useful info.¡± Said Avinash, and the team nodded along. ¡°Anyway!¡± Dimitri is flustered for losing his cool in front of these kids. ¡°The matches will be held between five duelists from each team, and whichever team wins more duels will be the winner. Also, every team must face a school at least once.¡± ¡°Finally, some useful info.¡± Commented Hatori. ¡°Keep talking like that, and I¡¯ll make you a captain.¡± Threatened Dimitri. ¡°You¡¯re the most awesome coach. You always give good info.¡± Hatori did a quick turnaround. The team looked at Hatori in shock, and even the coach was shocked by such a quick turnaround. ¡°Anyway, our schedule is like this: first, we will face Magical Girl Academy. it is an academy that consists of female-only students. After that, we will face Vinland Academy. Followed by Kemet Academy, and then East-Asian Academy.¡± The team roared after hearing the name. only Hatori remained quiet. Looks like the Subcontinental Academy has a rivalry with the East-Asian Academy. Dimitri continued to explain the schedule after the sudden excitement passed. ¡°The final match is with the Europa Academy. Have you done research on these opponents?¡± ¡°Yes, we did.¡± They all answered. ¡°Very well. I hear by declare this meeting to be done.¡± Said Dimitri, and they all left to rest until they landed in Albion, which would happen fifteen hours later.

Part 2.

Since it is still time for the ship to reach Albion, everyone is resting and relaxing. Hatori is working on his modifications. more specifically, he is modifying his runes to let him sense the surroundings through air pressure. It won¡¯t be as good as some animals, but it will give him an additional edge. He also adds some final runes to keep his hair at the same size, no more need for getting a haircut, the amount of money Hatori has saved as a result is quite staggering. Savings aside, he also added some runes to sense through hair, like the whiskers of a cat. Once he is done, and the symbols stop floating around him, he gets up from his meditative pose and starts to stretch his body. Josh walks in after Hatori is done. ¡°Going to sleep?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯ll be the final time to relax. So, I¡¯m taking full advantage of it,¡± said Josh, and lies down on his bed. ¡°You go ahead.¡± Said Hatori. he plans to stay awake for an hour more, and then he too will go to sleep. Hatori thinks of asking Josh about his modification, and whether he needs any help with the runes for it or not, but he decides not to ask about that. they¡¯re not young, Josh probably has a good setup by this point, and he likely does not need his help to maintain it, or in adding and removing things.

Part 3.

The ship lands and the team walks out. Hatori feels the sun on his face. ¡°Wait, how come we arrived in the daytime?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Ah, we waited to land until the sunrise, to make sure you won¡¯t suffer much from the lag.¡± Explained Dimitri. ¡°So that is what took us so long.¡± Realized Josh. After all, he knows the maximum speed of this ship, it shouldn¡¯t have taken them this long to come here, even at half-speed. A man walks up to them, and asks, ¡°Are you the Subcontinental team?¡± At their nod, he continues. ¡°My name is Brent. On behalf of the king of Albion, I would like to welcome you to Londinium.¡± ¡°Thank you for your hospitality.¡± They said together, including Hatori. they made him practice. ¡°A ride is waiting for you to take you to your hotel. Please follow me.¡± said the man, and they started following him. Once they are in the car, Hatori notes the difference between the cars of Zeko and Munshi and this one. the latter two are Homes on Wheels, but this one is not. he also wonders where did they got this one. Hatori has not heard about any car manufacturing on this side of the world, despite being here for ten years. ¡°Londinium. That sounds like a tongue twister to me,¡± commented Hatori after trying the name of the city. ¡°It is one of the simplest city names in the world,¡± said Dimitri as a counter. ¡°Besides, it is not like that the cities of the Subcontinent are easier to pronounce.¡± ¡°Point.¡± agreed Hatori. Once they reach their destination, they encounter reporters, who are trying to ask them questions. ¡°Say nothing, just wave to them,¡± Dimitri whispered to them. they did as he said, and soon enough the reporters left them. They enter the hotel. While Dimitri handles the arrangements for them, the students go inside to explore things. ¡°Wow. We¡¯ve got so many rooms!¡± said Hatori. ¡°Look how big the suite is!¡± said Shin, looking at so many doors, and deciding which one to open first. ¡°Tell you what, we boys take two rooms each, and Ravina and Daphne can have a room for themselves.¡± Said Avinash, ¡°And the coach can have that room, closer to the entrance.¡± ¡°Makes sense to me,¡± said Praduman, and they all go put their stuff in their respective rooms. Hatori is bunking with Shin, while Josh is with Tom. Avinash is with Praduman, and Ravina and Daphne have a room of their own. The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. ¡°Seriously, stop it already.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Aren¡¯t you two have ever been to a hotel before?¡± ¡°Well, yeah, but none of them were so luxurious.¡± Said Hatori, checking out the bathroom. ¡°In my case, I haven¡¯t seen much luxury.¡± Said Shin, checking out the balcony. ¡°Same here,¡± said Tom. The door opens, and Dimitri walks in. ¡°I see you have settled in already.¡± He notes. ¡°Have you made the living arrangements already?¡± he asked Avinash. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ve left the room closer to the entrance for you,¡± he explained. Once the coach drops his bags in his room, he walks out and speaks to the team once more. ¡°The tournament will start two days later. in the meantime, you should relax and see the city. The time of training is passed, for now.¡± ¡°Actually, is it safe to go out like that?¡± asked Hatori. when they looked at him, he elaborates. ¡°We could get hunted by the other academies for reducing the competition.¡± ¡°A rather brutal way of thinking.¡± Said Dimitri, ¡°But you would be correct normally. But in this case, you are all protected, as long as you do not cast the first spell.¡± ¡°Cool!¡± said Josh.

Part 5.

After taking a shower, the team is out. they are looking at this new city, and what it has to offer. Hatori has one question in his mind though. ¡°Josh, how are we going to understand what people are saying here?¡± Hatori listens to the conversation around him, and the language doesn¡¯t sound like the English of his world. and even if it did, he is way out of practice with it anyway. ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about that. do you remember the potions we were given before we left?¡± ¡°Yeah?¡± said Hatori, remembering the strange-tasting potions he had to drink. ¡°Well, apart from health-related potions, they also gave us a language potion. It would make understanding foreign languages much easier. In just a few conversations, you will be fluent.¡± Explained Josh. ¡°How the hell does that even work?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t know, I remember something about activating the language-learning regions of the brain or something. Professor Dhiraj didn¡¯t cover this potion in his class.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Are the effects permanent?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yeah. the best part is, it works with other languages as well,¡± said Josh. ¡°That is awesome! Why didn¡¯t they give that potion to me earlier? It would have been so useful while I tried to learn the rune languages!¡± roared Hatori, attracting some local attention. ¡°I doubt that studying is the only thing on your mind.¡± Said Shin, knowing his friend well, and not at all bothered by the scene they were causing. ¡°Yeah, I also wanted to mock Liang while playing Go with him in Zhongguoan language.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Figures. You have a pretty one-track mind sometimes.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Yeah, I¡­ wait, where did the others go?¡± asked Hatori, noticing that Praduman, Avinash, Tom, and Shin were missing. ¡°Told you, one-track mind.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Anyway, they left to explore things on their own.¡±

Part 6.

Avinash left Hatori and his group. He wanted to see the city for himself. Besides, his chatter about the language potion annoyed him. As someone who harbors an ambition to become the king of his country one day, Avinash is delighted to visit this city. He is looking at everything, and judging how successful these things are. He wants to know whether he can implement these things when he takes over or not. One such example is the tourism. Apparently, the king uses his own castle, turning part of it into a museum, showing the history of the country, and attracting people who pay for the tour.

Part 7.

¡°Man, I totally forgot we could have lunch at our hotel.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Yeah, me too¡ªwatch it!¡± he said, colliding with a boy. ¡°You should watch¡ªnever mind. Sorry.¡± He said when he looked at the empty eye sockets of Hatori. ¡°Oy.¡± Said the companion of this boy, ¡°Aren¡¯t these from the Subcontinental team?¡± ¡°Oh yeah! Are you ready to lose this year as well?¡± the boy receives a slap on the back of his head from his friend. ¡°I mean, nice to meet you.¡± ¡°Nice to meet you too.¡± Said Daphne. Ignoring the remark about losing, Hatori asks an important question. ¡°Do you know a place where we can have lunch here?¡± he asked. ¡°Sure. Come with me.¡± said the boy. ¡°Is it wise?¡± his friend asked, as the group of Hatori, Josh, Daphne, and Ravina started to follow them. ¡°Eh, they¡¯ve got girls in their team. they can¡¯t be that bad,¡± he said. ¡°We also have girls in our team.¡± reminds the other boy. ¡°Good point.¡± said the other boy. Once they sit down, they introduce each other. ¡°I¡¯m Lewis Duval. My friend is Wolfgang Weber. we¡¯re from Gallia and Deutschland respectively.¡± ¡°France and Germany.¡± Whispers Daphne to Hatori. they are all aware of Hatori¡¯s issue in recognizing places from this world, so they give him occasional reminders. Once the subcontinental team introduces themselves, Hatori says the words that he has been itching to say ever since he learned where Lewis is from. ¡°So. Are you ready to surrender before us?¡± he asked with a smirk. ¡°Magic dammit! I never surrender. You surrender, your grandfather surrendered, but not me.¡± Lewis starts to froth from the sheer rage. ¡°I blame you for this.¡± Said Wolfgang, glaring at Hatori for triggering his friend like that. ¡°Guilty as charge.¡± Agreed Hatori, not expecting such a strong reaction. Though he is entertained all the same. Hatori needs this entertainment because the local food is a bit bland. Chapter 182 Chapter 182.

Part 1.

Hatori is walking around the city in the morning, the air feeling cool to his skin. He feels like he is flying instead of walking. This is because he turned off his wind resistance, to practice before the tournament. He wants to get used to his fluid movements before he fights in the tournament, or else he might end up overshooting himself and end up outside of the ring. That would be embarrassing, and Hatori cannot allow that to happen, not here. He did the same exercise every day before fighting in the selection tournament, so it is not new to him at this point. the city is interesting to observe in the morning. The shops are just opening now, and it is coming alive right in front of him slowly. Hatori marveled at this spectacle. He wonders why he has not seen this happening before; he then remembers how he never had much of a chance to do this. ¡®Maybe I might get to do this in my adult life?¡¯ he thinks to himself. ¡®Nah, I¡¯m not that lucky.¡¯ Therefore, he savers the vision in front of him as much as he can, because he does not think he will get another chance of doing something the same again. Later, Josh and Avinash find Hatori sitting on a chair in a public place. By this point, the afternoon son is in full swing, but despite that, it gets interrupted by the clouds every now and then. ¡°You were here the entire time? we were looking for you,¡± said Josh. ¡°Sorry. I didn¡¯t go far though,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, our mistake.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Anyway, the coach has called us. you should come.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± He got up, and all three walked to an isolated area. Hatori looks around to see that it is flat ground, and the location isn¡¯t far from their hotel. ¡°Welcome.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°This will be our practice ground. Every team has one, and this is where we will practice and spar. For now, we won¡¯t use it. however, we will start using it after the first match.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we can cut loose here,¡± said Praduman to the coach. ¡°Indeed. It is not designed for that. but it is good enough to practice.¡± said Dimitri. ¡°Walk around here, get used to it, for you will be using this place to practice.¡±

Part 2.

The team walks out of their practice ground an hour later, trying to get rid of their pre-tournament tension. But before they can restart exploring the city once again, they hear something, which attracts their attention. ¡°As you can see,¡± said one young-looking man, ¡°I have experience on my side. I announced duels in my school days, and after the regional circuit, I have even announced international duels as well!¡± ¡°True, but I have experience on my side.¡± Said an older-looking man. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this since before you were even born!¡± ¡°The viewers want a young voice!¡± ¡°No, they are familiar with my voice. they don¡¯t want me gone!¡± The argument raged on, but Josh recognized the young man. ¡°Hatori, isn¡¯t he Samudra?¡± he asked. ¡°Wait, that strange guy who advised us, and also announced duels in the school?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Yep. That is him alright.¡± Said Hatori. he is familiar with his magical signature since he actually fought alongside him once. ¡°So that is where he disappeared to.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°The school duels have never been the same since he graduated.¡± ¡°True. No arguments about that.¡± agreed the rest. ¡°Fine. Looks like we cannot come to an agreement like this.¡± Said the older man. ¡°Therefore, I, Michael Severance, challenge you to a duel. The winner will announce the international school dueling league!¡± ¡°I, Samudra Sharma, accept!¡± declared the younger man, and they growled while glaring at each other. ¡°Oh, this should be interesting.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Samudra is going to wipe out that old guy.¡± ¡°How can you say that with confidence?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Because I¡¯ve fought alongside him. he helped out in stopping an old battle mage from being resurrected fully.¡± Explained Hatori. What Hatori told them reminds everyone of an incident a few years ago, but they can¡¯t remember the specifics. they stop focusing on remembering the event and look at the duel. The foci of both mages are out. one is using a small staff with lots of swirling runes, which look like water from the distance. This is the foci of Samudra. Michael is using a foci which looks like a microphone. ¡°Now, observe, my heart-shattering attack!¡± declared Michael, and the team braced for a thunderous spell to strike. They waited for a bit longer, but nothing happened, apart from a small spark of lightning touching Samudra. ¡°That is nothing. Prepare to be drowned in my youthful voice!¡± A pathetic stream of water hits Michael, making his hair wet, and doing nothing else. ¡°That is pathetic.¡± Said Ravina. ¡°Are you sure he fought a dead battle mage with you?¡± she asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, I am entirely sure.¡± Said Hatori, unable to look away from this pitiful scene. ¡°My army of conjurations will destroy you!¡± declared Michael, and small conjurations tried to attack Samudra, but they fell apart before they could reach him. ¡°That is nothing.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°They will drown in my elemental shape-shifting spell!¡± a small cloud appears and bursts over the conjurations, flooding them away. Michael starts to huff. ¡°It seems you cannot be put away so easily.¡± ¡°Same, you¡¯re hard to put down.¡± Said Samudra, similarly winded. ¡°You weren¡¯t this pathetic when we fought Anantayudha.¡± Grumbled Hatori. ¡°Tell you what, why don¡¯t we announce the league together?¡± offered Michael. ¡°I accept that offer.¡± They stand together, back-to-back, and pose. Then they said together, ¡°In the history of the league, two announcers will announce the league, together!¡± the lightning crackled in the background with that declaration. Daphne sighed. ¡°Even the dog is bored with their antics.¡± She said, looking at a sleeping dog. ¡°Let¡¯s just go to our hotel. I¡¯m getting hungry.¡± Said Praduman. ¡°Point. it is lunchtime already.¡± Said Avinash, and then they all walked to their hotel, forgetting about this pathetic duel entirely.

Part 3.

The next day, the opening ceremony starts, and all the teams are present here. Hatori spied Lewis, and waved to him, the other boy showed him the middle finger. Avinash is decided as the team captain. He will take decisions during the matches, and also handle the public interactions. Dimitri was expecting some resistance from the team against that decision, but no one complained. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. The announcers are announcing every team, and the spotlight is focused on them until the next team is announced. After that, the spotlight moves on from them. normally, the commentators would also go over the players in the team, such as their strengths and weaknesses, but since these are unknown players, they can¡¯t do that, apart from telling the audience at home about the previous record of a particular school. As the spotlight comes their way, Avinash mutters. ¡°Do not stand out,¡± he said to them. ¡°It is not possible. The height of Josh and me will not let that happen.¡± Said Hatori. He is proven right. the girls of the Magical Girl Academy are talking about them. ¡°Do you look at those giants?¡± ¡°Yeah, I wonder what they feed them there. I hear that the Subcontinent is a barbaric place.¡± Said the other girl. Hatori and Josh chuckle after hearing their commentary, while Avinash is glaring at the girls. His place of birth is not a barbaric land, thank you very much.

Part 4.

While the teams are getting introduced outside, the monarchs are meeting inside. The stadium is part of the castle, so they can go at the field whenever they want. Porus is first, and right when he enters the meeting room, another monarch arrives. ¡°You¡¯re late, Zuo Chi, like always.¡± The face of Zuo Chi twists in a snarl. ¡°Dammit, foiled again!¡± he grumbled. ¡°Where are the others? I heard that Battya was going to be here.¡± ¡°Haven¡¯t arrived yet. Apparently, they are later than you are. Imagine that.¡± mocked Porus. ¡°I swear.¡± He slammed his fist on the desk. ¡°Honestly, can¡¯t you two not fight? it is not like we get to meet like this very often.¡± Said a cultured voice. ¡°Ah, Henry.¡± They said with a wide smile. ¡°It is good to meet you.¡± ¡°Indeed. Hope everything is going well for you two?¡± he asked, taking a seat. ¡°As well as you can hope.¡± Said Chi. ¡°I do not envy you two honestly. Such large countries to govern is not easy.¡± He smiled. ¡°Yeah right. as if Gallia is any easier.¡± Sniped Porus. ¡°I see the party has already started without us.¡± a short man enters with a tall man. ¡°Battya, my man, how¡¯re you doing?¡± asked Henry with a wide smile. ¡°Doing good. though that cheese you sent me last summer, it didn¡¯t surrender properly.¡± He said to Henry. The face of Henry flushed in anger, a caustic retort ready on his tongue, but another greeting stopped him on his track. ¡°I would like to greet you all.¡± ¡°Eh, why be so formal, Hiruma? Just relax and cut loose!¡± said Chi, with a large laugh. ¡°Certain formalities must be observed.¡± He tries to say, but Porus interrupts him. ¡°Don¡¯t believe him. he is a mean drunk.¡± They all roared with laughter, and Hiruma flushed in embarrassment. ¡°Isn¡¯t that bastard from Kemet coming?¡± asked Chi. ¡°Apparently he declined.¡± Said Albus, entering the room. ¡°He is quite old, so it is understandable.¡± ¡°What the hell?¡± all the monarchs. ¡°When did you grow your beard so much?¡± Indeed, the beard of Albus is reaching up to his waist. The hands of Porus twitch. ¡°Don¡¯t light it on fire.¡± Reminds Henry. ¡°What? Me? perish the thought.¡± Though his hands keep twitching. ¡°Seriously, don¡¯t light it on fire.¡± Said Albus. ¡°Look if you keep saying the f-word, the temptation is going to increase.¡± Said Porus. ¡°Whatever. Just come to the stadium. The ceremony will end after your arrival, and then we can start the tournament properly.¡± After gaining a nod from every one of them, he leaves the room. ¡°Did you notice that?¡± asked Porus, as soon as Albus leaves. ¡°Yeah. there is something wrong with him.¡± agreed Chi. ¡°He used to be quite a spirited guy.¡± ¡°We should keep an eye on him while we¡¯re here.¡± proposed Henry. ¡°Agreed.¡± Said all the monarchs.

Part 5.

¡°And now, ladies and gentlemen, the monarchs of the respective countries are coming. This is a special thing; this does not happen. The last time it happened was fifty years ago. Zuo Chi and Porus are the only surviving monarchs of that era.¡± Said Michael Severance. ¡°Indeed. And here comes Porus. Having celebrated his 150th birthday recently, the king looks just as strong as in his prime.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Battya is the new king of Scythia, having gained the throne after his father¡¯s death ten years ago. The country has remained stable in his rule, and he has proven to be a worthy successor so far.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Here comes Hiruma. Emperor of the Nihon. Much like this country, he rules an island nation. Quite formal man, as you can see on your screen, he is wearing the formal attire of his country.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Henry Durand is the monarch of Gallia. For the last fifteen years, he has ruled that area, and under his rule, the Gallia has risen to be one of the top economies in the continent of Europe.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Zuo Chi is the emperor of Zhongguo. He and Porus are noted to have a passionate rivalry, their letters are quite hilarious to read. But the man has proven himself to be a deserving rival of Porus, having ruled at the same time as him, and as my partner explained, these two are the only surviving monarchs who attended the International School League fifty years ago.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°And now comes Albus Alban, the king of Albion. He is the next oldest ruler after Porus and Zuo Chi. Having ruled for thirty years, he campaigned for many years for the league to be held on this island nation, and this year he succeeded.¡± Said Michael. The team from the subcontinent looks at Porus. Hatori thought they would give a speech or something, but they did nothing of the sort. Instead, the screen above the ring flashed, and the names of the two first competitors came up, those being Magical Girl Academy, and the Subcontinental Academy. ¡°Ladies and gentlemen, the first match is about to begin!¡± said Samudra and Michael together.

Part 6.

Zeko is in the castle. he is brought up as an extra muscle, to intimidate anyone who might dare to strike the city in Porus¡¯s absence. However, Zeko does not feel safe. His instincts are screaming at him, telling him that something is about to go wrong. He goes to speak with Sundar. ¡°Do you feel as anxious as me?¡± he asked when he saw that the general was awake at such a late hour. ¡°One cannot sleep in our positions.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, knowing that Zeko wouldn¡¯t come to him at such a late hour for nothing. ¡°Have you heard the rumors?¡± asked Zeko, taking a seat in front of the general. ¡°I have. But nothing concrete.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Still, the timing couldn¡¯t be worse.¡± ¡°We have to prepare.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°We cannot.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°The situation is out of our hands I feel.¡± Zeko tensed. He was not expecting the general to say those words. Because what they implied is nothing good. Chapter 183 Chapter 183.

Part 1.

The names of The Magical Girl Academy and Subcontinental Academy show up on the screen, and both teams are ordered to select their first fighters. They all huddle close to Avinash. ¡°So, who will it be?¡± asked Praduman. Avinash hums for a moment. It is the first match, and they are not certain how good the other team is. In this case, he can think of only one duelist from their team who is fit for this match. ¡°Hatori, You¡¯re up.¡± The seemingly blind boy smirks, and saunters to the ring. His opponent is Bahar. Hatori learns this because the name of her flashed on the screen along with his own name. the commentators start to talk about them. ¡°Bahar may look like a bubbly girl, but she cannot be underestimated. She was one of the top performers in the selection tournament of her Academy,¡± said Michael. ¡°On the other hand, if you think that blind boy has no chance against her, then you are mistaken. He had the first rank in the selection tournament, beating out everyone. That, and I¡¯ve seen him duel personally.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Conflict of interest?¡± teased Michael. ¡°Not at all. I¡¯ll roast him alive if he loses. Go win this match, Hatori!¡± cheered Samudra. ¡°Riiiiight.¡± Michael deadpanned. No conflict at all. Hatori notes that the referee is a human here. he considers to be a waste. A Yantra can do a better job in his opinion. ¡°Here are the rules. You can use any spell you want. you cannot go outside of the ring. You will stop when I say stop. You will win if your opponent gives up verbally, leaves the ring, or is knocked out and is unable to defend themselves. Is that clear?¡± at their nod, the referee continues. ¡°Now, shake hands.¡± ¡°No. I refuse!¡± declared Bahar. ¡°Ooooohhh! Already to an explosive start, I say.¡± Said Michael. ¡°That is true. Though what could be the reason for such a behavior, I wonder?¡± asked Samudra, as the duel started. The first exchange of the duel was very simple for Hatori. he didn¡¯t have any trouble avoiding the slow and clumsy spells of Bahar, and he managed to tag her multiple times with his own spells. the exchange ends when she falls to the ground, the wind knocked out of her from taking a hit from Hatori¡¯s spell. A new exchange starts. this time, Bahar moves, thinking to take advantage of Hatori¡¯s blindness, and the noise of the crowd. she is certain that he won¡¯t be able to track her by his ears in this noise. She balks as many spells come at her and explode above her head, throwing her to the ground once again. She gets up, furious with herself and with her opponent. She has not tagged him once. He hasn¡¯t even moved from his initial position much either. And yet she looks like she has gone through a ringer in the very early part of the match. ¡°You think you¡¯re so special? Just because you¡¯re blind and are competing in this ring?¡± The Magical Girl Academy does a facepalm. They know what¡¯s coming, and they cannot stop it from happening, since the things are out of their hands already. ¡°You¡¯re nothing but a cripple. I bet no woman would ever dare to marry you. And even if she is forced to do so, she will get scared of your face in the night!¡± Bahar smiled. She knew that the spells may not work, but the cutting words she had just said would certainly do. ¡°Are we watching another version of Vivek?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°Yeah, except this time, it is a female version of him,¡± said Shin. Daphne Glares at Bahar in fury. ¡®Who is to decide whether someone marries him or not?¡¯ she thinks silently. ¡°She pushed all the buttons.¡± Said Josh, looking at a stoic Hatori. Bahar smiles and attacks Hatori once more. Knowing that the victory is in hand. Hatori on the other hand, defended himself quite well, once more, Bahar fails to tag him. Hatori of course, is quiet because he hates talking during a battle. Unless he is having fun. Even then, he doesn¡¯t speak beyond a few exchanges of words. He retaliates, and Bahar is too shocked to react to the conjured chains. She is snared, and Hatori takes a vicious satisfaction in shocking her, and in her screams. He binds her arms behind her back and blasts her out of the ring, where she lands face-first to the ground. ¡°Winner, Hatori Eagle!¡± declares the referee. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Well, that was a one emotionally charged match, folks.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Yeah. and to be honest, I don¡¯t feel bad for Bahar at all. She had it coming.¡± Said Samudra. But in the crowd, the matter is different. Though no one is defending Bahar, people are talking about the respect for the females and the viciousness of Hatori. does he have to be so brutal? Daphne shakes her head after listening to some comments. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I¡¯m saying this, but they are morons. I bet they won¡¯t be speaking about it so much if Hatori¡¯s opponent were to be a male.¡± ¡°Ignore them,¡± said Avinash. ¡°We need to decide who to send next. I¡¯m thinking of sending either Tom or go myself.¡± ¡°I think you should send Daphne.¡± Said Hattori. ¡°Why?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°To prove that we have strong female fighters, and they don¡¯t need petty words to win.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°An excellent suggestion.¡± Said Avinash, liking this idea. ¡°Daphne, go show them!¡± ¡°I will.¡± She said and left for the ring. Daphne notes the name of her opponent. She is named Apurva, which sounds like a Subcontinental name. Daphne wonders what is she doing in the other academy then, before banishing such thoughts. It is not her job to think about it here. her job is to defeat her and take her team one step closer to victory. ¡°The match starts and both girls are trying to find holes in their opponents'' defense, and this commentator is ashamed for using such words for two honorable female competitors.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Daphne has the initiative in this match. Apurva is struggling to duel her on an equal footing, much less gain an upper hand.¡± Said Michael. The audience finds this match to be much less exciting than the previous one. true, it was one-sided, but the words of Bahar made it interesting for them. speaking of Bahar, she is sitting in the corner of her Team¡¯s bench, her head in her hands. She did not get injured in this match, but her pride took a vicious beating. ¡°Apurva is getting tired, while Daphne seems to be a machine! And the final mistake for Apurva, as she stepped into the explosive spell of Daphne, and lost consciousness. Looks like the Subcontinent is closer to another victory here.¡± said Samudra. The next two matches are skipped to save the digital pages. Save the digital trees! the final match is between Farah and Avinash, both are the captains of their respective teams. ¡°This will be interesting. A captain¡¯s duel between two mages. Will Farah manage to get a win for her team, finally?¡± asked Michael. ¡°Don¡¯t put your hopes on it. that kid is strong.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Of cour se, you would say that your blatant favoritism is unprofessional.¡± Said Michael. ¡°And your blatant opposition is not?¡± argued Samudra. The match was a short one. a few fire spells were needed, but Avinash gained a victory for his team. The entire team of The Magical Girl Academy lost, and The Subcontinental team won their first match five to zero.

Part 2.

After they return to their hotel, they all think about their day. ¡°Are all the teams going to be this easy?¡± asked Praduman. ¡°You should not underestimate them,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°The other teams will present a greater challenge.¡± ¡°I feel like they lost because they were either overconfident or didn¡¯t prepare properly.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I doubt that the other teams will be like this.¡± ¡°Correct. Which is why we will not underestimate them,¡± said Avinash. ¡°But for now, we will take a rest. Our next match is two days later, so we have time to rest and do some practice.¡±

Part 3.

The monarchs meet after the match is done. ¡°Man, I didn¡¯t know you were raising such villains. Treating the ladies like that, what are you teaching those kids?¡± asked Henry. ¡°Yeah. where¡¯s the chivalry?¡± asked Zuo Chi. ¡°They di d what they had to do.¡± Said Porus, sitting like an honorable man among them, who is doomed to be hated. The truth is, all these monarchs may tease Porus for the performance of the boys from his country. But they all know deep in their hearts that if they were in the ring, facing those girls, they wouldn¡¯t have shown any mercy either, gender be damned. Chapter 184 Chapter 184.

Part 1.

Since there is a gap of two days between their match yesterday and their next match, the Subcontinental team is working on their skills. They are not training intensely as they did in the Academy. but they are still doing light sparring, and refining their spells. Hatori brings out some boulders from the ground, and he then strikes them by lightning, turning them into rubble. He tested his spells with positive lightning because he did not want to lose control in the middle of a match. after that, he channels positive lightning in his body to get used to this intense version of the normal lightning element. While meditating with sparks around his body, Hatori thinks about his project of turning his body into lightning. He has not made much progress with it, but he is certain that one day, he will succeed. He just needs to gain more experience in magic.

Part 2.

Porus is reading a newspaper in the morning, showing the pictures from the match yesterday. It is quite an unflattering picture, with an uncaring Hatori standing in the ring, while a girl is down outside. the words are even more caustic, ignoring the entire verbal exchange that took place in the ring. ¡®What is a reason for such an article?¡¯ he wonders. ¡®Could it be linked? The strange behavior of Albus, and now this? But I could be jumping on shadows.¡¯ The other monarchs have sniffed from the very first day that Albus is not what he used to be. His behavior is too reserved and cagy. They know beyond a doubt that there is something wrong with him. but what, they have no clue. The door is knocked softly. ¡°You¡¯re majesty, may I enter?¡± asked a female voice. ¡°Please do come in,¡± said Porus, folding the paper and steepling his fingers over the table. He then observes the girl who has entered the room. True, she is in her early twenties, but given his age, she might as well be a teenager to him. ¡®Maybe I should ask Corvus about it? people in their twenties are not supposed to look like that.¡¯ he thought. ¡°Greetings from my father Your Majesty.¡± She said, and hands Porus a wrapped object. ¡°Thank you very much. give your father my regards, Amunet.¡± Said Porus, putting effort into pronouncing the names correctly. The girl smiled. ¡°Also,¡± she turns serious and the smile disappears from her face, ¡°The Succubi are planning something. That is all I have managed to dig up.¡± Porus leans back in his chair. ¡°Well¡­¡± he waits for a moment. ¡°That is not good.¡±

Part 3.

After their training is done, the team is relaxed. But Dimitri has shown them what the papers have printed about them. though he assured them that there was nothing wrong with going outside, they were unwilling to go and face the irrational public. ¡°Tell me, who wants to go out? raise your hands.¡± none of them did. ¡°That is final. We will stay here.¡± he declared. The door of their suite is knocked, and Praduman opens it. ¡°You¡ªoh. Come in.¡± ¡°Were you expecting someone else?¡± asked Lewis, entering the suite, and seeing the entire team sitting unconcerned. ¡°Given what we saw on the papers, yes,¡± said Avinash. ¡°What brings you two here?¡± he asked. ¡°Not much,¡± said Lewis. ¡°I wanted to congratulate this ice-cold bastard. He does not give any mercy, even if the opponent is a bird.¡± He praised Hatori and clapped him on the shoulder. ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Hatori, accepting these praises. ¡°I will, of course, similarly face you, unless you decide to surrender.¡± ¡°You magic damned bastard! Lewis never surrenders, you hear me?¡± the rant goes on, as Wolfgang starts to drag Lewis out of the suite. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°We will see you in our match,¡± he said and took his angry friend away from them. They all go out to see them away. ¡°I swear, you will be the one who will surrender to me¡ªcaptain!¡± Lewis salutes reflexively. ¡°What brings you here?¡± asked Avinash, coming in front, and taking a stance before his team. ¡°I am here to retrieve these two,¡± he said, pointing to Lewis and Wolfgang. ¡°I am Peter Volkov. I hope they did not give you much trouble.¡± ¡°Avinash Varma.¡± Avinash introduced himself, ¡°And no, they were perfectly fine.¡± ¡°Very well. By your leave?¡± he nods at Avinash, and they all leave. Once Peter left, Hatori spoke. ¡°He is strong. I can sense it. we might need to be careful of this guy.¡± ¡°But will he fight?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Given his power, if they are struggling for a win, he is likely to fight,¡± said Hatori.

Part 4.

Though they were not willing to go out in the day, they did walk out of their hotel at night to see the city a little bit. However, the team did not go far from their hotel, in the case of an emergency exit. As they are returning to their hotel, after a peaceful night out, they run into the Vinland team. A stare-down ensues, where they glared at each other. But Hatori got bored of this quickly, so he just sidestepped and continued to walk. After a while, his team followed behind him. ¡°That was strange.¡± Said the captain of the Vinland team.

Part 6.

Porus walks to another meeting of the monarchs. But they are not behaving like they are rulers of their respective countries. Instead, they are behaving like a bunch of retirees trying to relive their college days. Hiruma and Batya are wrestling on the ground, while Zuo Chi is watching and clapping. Henry is missing, probably out to charm some woman. ¡°There you go, there you go! Now twist his arms a little.¡± Said Zuo Chi, as Hiruma dominates a much larger Batya. Porus clears his throat, and all the activity in the room stops. Ignoring everything, he reveals what Amunet told him. ¡°The Succubi are on the move.¡± He spoke. the happy mood in the room drops. ¡°I thought we were rid of these parasites?¡± said Zuo Chi, with an undercurrent of fury in his voice. ¡°Apparently, we were mistaken.¡± Said Batya, not even doubting Porus for a moment. Because none of them will joke about it. these mages have caused trouble before their split from the other dimension, and they still cause trouble whenever they decide to interfere in the politics of their world.

Part 6.

The next day, the team is watching the match of the East Asian team. Hatori is amazed at the variety of foci they are using. He has seen swords before, but mirrors, jewels, and feathers are new to him. Of course, in his opinion, the fociless magic is still superior to all foci-based magic. During the match, they saw the Vinland team in the crowd. the captain waved, and Avinash waved back. No need to cause hostilities before the match, they will meet in the ring soon enough.

Part 7.

Peter Volkov is speaking with Lewis and Wolfgang. ¡°So what are your thoughts on the Subcontinental team?¡± he asked. ¡°Well, judging by their first match, they appear to be quite strong.¡± Said Lewis. ¡°But even if we disregard their competitors, I am unwilling to underestimate them.¡± ¡°Do you agree with him?¡± asked Peter to Wolfgang. ¡°Yes,¡± he answered simply. ¡°Though I do think they are not serious enough.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. no one is serious like you Deutsch people.¡± Said Lewis. ¡°And no one surrenders like Gallia.¡± Retorted Wolfgang hotly. Before an argument can start, Peter clears his throat. ¡°Boys, remember the topic. Tell me, how strong they are, honestly?¡± ¡°I suggest we watch their match tomorrow.¡± Suggests Lewis. ¡°We¡¯ll know everything then.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Peter. ¡°Did any team watch our match?¡± he asked next. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Said Lewis. ¡°Even if they were, they were hidden quite well in the crowd.¡± Chapter 185 Chapter 185

Part 1.

The team of Subcontinent and Vinland are gathered in the stadium, as their match is about to begin. A fighter named Hosa is sent to the ring by their opponents, and Avinash decides to send Daphne to face him. After explaining the rules, the referee asked: ¡°Shake hands!¡± they did so. ¡°Now, begin!¡± The duel starts, and the initial volley of Daphne is redirected by Hosa. She realized that he was using the wind element, so she decided to use the earth element since the ground itself could not be affected by the wind. But she needs time to set up her attacks, so she uses her conjurations to attack him. they are all blown back at her, at a remarkable display of destructive wind magic. Hosa does not give her any chances to attack. he conjures sand, and using his wind element, he assaults Daphne¡¯s position with an artificial sand storm. ¡°You should take tips from him,¡± said Hatori to Shin. ¡°I rather write a song about sand storms.¡± Replied Shin. The winds in the storm pick up the speed, and Daphne is unable to stay on the ground for too long. Eventually, she is picked up, and deposited outside of the ring, losing the match. ¡°That is a sharp reversal of the fortunes of this team. looks like they have a true challenge in front of them this time,¡± commented Michael. ¡°Indeed. But I would not count them out yet.¡± Commented Samudra, showing his bias once more. Kai is the next duelist from the Vinland team, and Avinash decides to go himself to face her. A shaken Daphne comes to the bench, where she is supported by Hatori. ¡°The match starts, and it seems Kai has dropped something to the ground.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Indeed. And it appears to be a fast-growing plant!¡± said Samudra, noting how quickly this plant grew, and how Avinash is entangled in the branches. Kai smirked. ¡°Now for the next step.¡± She muttered, and the plant started to wither. ¡°But what is the point?¡± asked both commentators. They get their answer soon enough. The withered plant went after Avinash, trying to suck his blood. Getting annoyed, Avinash casts his fire tiger spell and destroys the plant. When he turns to Kai to attack her, he realizes that she lost consciousness due to the closeness of the spell. ¡°Weak fire resistance.¡± He grumbled. He should have gone spells blazing from the very beginning, he could have defeated her far quicker. Avinash notes the tied score on the screen. ¡®At least I got a victory. That is something.¡¯ ¡°And that, ladies and gentlemen, was an example of nature-unfriendly duel. Lighting plants and trees on fire like this is not recommended.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Though I am very biased for my homeland, even I agree with this statement. Don¡¯t try this at home. or at your school. Or at your city¡ª¡± Samudra is interrupted. ¡°I think they get the point.¡± deadpanned Michael. Lakota is chosen to be the next fighter. Ravina is sent to face her. They shook hands and began the match. Hatori is amazed to see a feather being used as a foci. True, he saw it in the match of East Asian Academy¡¯s team as well, but he is getting to see it here as well, and it still amazes him. From the very beginning, Ravina decides that she will not let Lakota have any initiative. So, she attacked her relentlessly. She sent some transmuted beasts from the rubble to assault her position and tried to hit her with conjured blades. Lakota is an earth user, and much like Daphne, she is not getting any chances to set up an attack. ¡°Lakota needs to watch out, she is too close to the edge of the ring¡ªand she is out!¡± said Samudra, as Lakota was tossed outside of the ring with a spell of Ravina. ¡°That was a fast-paced duel, which ended abruptly.¡± ¡°Indeed. And both girls showed their skills, though Ravina proved to be better today.¡± Said Michael. Avinash looks at the screen. His team is leading for now, but that lead is a thin one. he needs to widen this gap if they wish to win this match. the opposing team has sent another girl, named Nova. Avinash looks at the bench and selects his own duelist. ¡°Shin, you¡¯re up,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Be careful, this team has proven to be a difficult one.¡± he cautioned. ¡°Aye, aye, captain.¡± Said Shin with a smile. That smile failed to assure Avinash. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. The match starts, and Nova attacks Shin. He struck a few notes on his violin-like foci, but they did not have any effect on her. He tried the sandstorm trick, but he needs more time with that. he managed to make Nova drop the foci, but they got a nasty surprise when she continued to fight. Avinash is kicking himself. ¡®Should have sent Hatori to face her.¡¯ He kicked himself for this. ¡®But I couldn¡¯t have known this in advance.¡¯ ¡°Listen everyone.¡± He said to them. ¡°From now on, at least two of us will scout out the competition. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes, captain.¡± They replied. Meanwhile, in the ring, Shin lost his violin, and after that, he also lost the match. once more, the match is at a tie. They need to break this tie in their favor, or else say goodbye to this match. ¡°Hatori, you¡¯re up,¡± said Avinash, as Dakota took the center stage. ¡°She is their captain, so don¡¯t expect an easy match.¡± ¡°No match is an easy one.¡± he agreed and walked to the ring. The match starts, and both duelers use elemental magic right from the get-go. Hatori¡¯s fire collides with the water of Dakota, and the ring gets covered with a light haze. ¡°Good thing that the ring is designed to keep the steam away. No need to make the audience get inconvenienced.¡± Praised Samudra. ¡°The Tough Bull Ring Designers. Designing rings and sports arenas for 300 years,¡± said Michael in a bored tone. The duel continues, and Hatori also switches to using lightning instead of fire. Dakota is suffering the effects of the lightning, having been struck by many bolts already. Her movements are jittery, and she wobbles while standing. Still, she is not out of the competition yet, as she freezes Hatori in the block of ice, and then assaults him with frigid water. ¡°That is what they call getting frozen.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Actually, that is supposed to be called getting wrecked.¡± Corrected Samudra. The ring is filled with water, and the block of melting ice comes to the surface. Hatori is out of it, and Dakota is unprepared to attack him. The current flows through her wet hair, and right into her body, and she loses consciousness due to the shock. ¡°Winner, Hatori Eagle!¡± declared the referee. ¡°Though the blind villain has won the match, he is not in a good condition.¡± Said Michael. ¡°He needs immediate treatment for frostbite, and be wrapped up in multiple blankets.¡± Commented Samudra. Hatori, while being lifted from the ring is unable to take the cold for too long, and starts to lose consciousness. But Shin plays some horrible music to keep him awake. The healers want him to stay awake, not slip into unconsciousness. On the other side, Dakota is also carried off the ring. Looks like both duelers did not come off well after this match.

Part 2.

Along with many young and old students alike, Suraj is watching the recordings of the matches. The students demanded to see these recordings, or else riot, so Suraj had to put them in the event hall for everyone to see. After seeing the first match, and hearing the words of Bahar, the students are not surprised by Hatori¡¯s reaction. Some of them even think it is quite mild. ¡°Yeah, that is mild indeed.¡± Said Mira. ¡°True. Looks like he has not forgotten my lessons.¡± Said Kangana. ¡°Though I¡¯m going to get him back for blasting me like that before he left.¡±

Part 3.

Peter waits outside of the office of Albus. He is waiting for Emmeline, who is a member of his team. but what is she doing with the king, he does not know. Not to mention some undercurrent of events going on in the city, it made him very uncomfortable. She comes out and observes Peter glaring at her. ¡°What did I do now?¡± she asked innocently. ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me,¡± said Peter, looming over her. ¡°You¡¯re planning something, and I want to know what is it.¡± The innocent expression of Emmeline shifts, and she returns the glare of Peter. ¡°And why is that?¡± she asked, not appreciating his tone. ¡°So, I can get away quickly. I¡¯ve got no interest in your machinations.¡± He said to her clearly. After hearing this, her face shifts once again into an innocent expression. ¡°Oh Peter, you don¡¯t need to worry about a thing. The simpletons like you are not going to be affected.¡± She brushed passed him, and the captain continued to glare at her. He does not like how this conversation has ended, and the hints Emmeline has dropped. Chapter 186 Chapter 186.

Part 1.

After their match yesterday, they have two days to rest and prepare. After these two days pass, the Subcontinent will face the Kemet Academy. but it appears they are having an issue already. ¡°Aaaaaahhhhh! Chooooooooo!¡± the curtains in the room flutter after that almighty sneeze. Daphne is feeding Hatori some soup. ¡°You should stay away from me,¡± he said to her. ¡°Hush now. here, drink this.¡± She spoon-fed him the remainder of the soup before another sneeze disrupted them. the lucky bastard. ¡°What do you think, coach?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Do you think he is going to recover?¡± ¡°I do not think so.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°The cold he experienced breached his body¡¯s defenses. It will take time for him to recover completely.¡± ¡°Meaning we have to face Kemet without him,¡± said Praduman. The next day, Hatori shows up to their sparring session. ¡°But coach, I can fight. aaaaaahhhhhhhhhhh! Chooooooooo!¡± a massive hole in the ground appears after this sneeze. ¡°Sure, you can. but in your state, you are a danger to your teammates. Sit this one out, that¡¯s an order.¡± Said Dimitri strictly. Hatori falls asleep after a while, watching his teammates sparring. At least the mild sunlight is warm enough for him to enjoy. Dimitri shakes his head after seeing him asleep. ¡®Look at him. and he wanted to spar in this state. That boy is too stubborn for his own good.¡¯

Part 2.

¡°Ah, chu!¡± sneezed Hatori, and scorched the table. ¡°Ah, chu!¡± sneezed Hatori, and electrocuted Josh and Avinash. ¡°What did I ever due to you?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Let him recover. Then¡­¡± Avinash trailed off. ¡°Ah, Chu!¡± more destruction follows. ¡°Honestly, you need to get out of here,¡± said Daphne. ¡°I¡¯m taking him out, maybe the sunlight will stop his bouts of sneezing.¡± ¡°Go ahead.¡± Said Dimitri. He remembers how Hatori stopped sneezing when he showed up for the sparring session in the afternoon. ¡°Do come back on time though, you do need to rest for your match after all.¡± Daphne smiled. ¡°Will do, coach.¡± She said and took Hatori before he could cause any more destruction in the suite. Due to his sickness, they couldn¡¯t walk much. the city proves to have temperamental weather, as clouds come and go, and block the sunlight. Still, Daphne spent the remainder of the afternoon with Hatori. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried that you might catch the cold?¡± he asked when they returned to their hotel in the evening, having watched the sunset in a park. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ll take care of me,¡± smirked Daphne. Hatori grinned. ¡°Do you even need to ask?¡± he said. ¡°Oh, look. Who do we have here, a harlot and her boy toy.¡± Said a girl about their age, blocking their path. Daphne sighed. ¡°ReallyAva, that is the only thing you can say to me after all these years?¡± she asked. ¡°Shut up! you think just because you¡¯re some duelist, that you¡¯re better than me?¡± she screamed shrilly, and Hatori covered his ears. Some people have no manners at all. ¡°I don¡¯t think I am better than you. I am better than you,¡± said Daphne, suddenly looming over Ava. ¡°And do you know why? because I didn¡¯t spent all my time on the knees for becoming popular.¡± Daphne pushes Ava away and leaves with Hatori. the girl stands there, not understanding what happened. Since when did Daphne become so fierce? She was supposed to be a coward who left for the barbaric lands. Not this fiery woman.

Part 3.

After taking a potion to soothe his throat, Hatori asked Daphne. ¡°So, what was that about, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡± ¡°You mean with Ava?¡± asked Daphne. At Hatori¡¯s nod, she continues. ¡°She¡¯s, my cousin. She used to bully me when I lived here, or whenever I came to visit.¡± ¡°Hmm. she got under your skin quite easily.¡± Said Hatori, remembering the exchange, and how Daphne reacted. ¡°Yeah, sorry about that.¡± she ducked her head in shame. Hatori grabs her chin and raises her face. ¡°Don¡¯t apologize for that. She deserved every word you¡¯ve said to her.¡± He spoke. ¡°Besides, you know me, I probably would have done something far worse than just insulting her if I were to be in your place.¡± Though Daphne would like to say that he is not that terrible, she has seen him get angry in person. There is a reason why no one bothered him after he dueled and crippled a professor in the Academy. As he falls asleep, Hatori starts to mutter in his sleep. ¡°No, I can¡¯t be back here, just my luck.¡± He grumbled while snoring. A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. ¡°Looks like he is suffering from some nightmares.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Yes. that is the case it seems.¡± Tom agreed They all decide to spend the night in one room to accompany Hatori.

Part 4.

Hatori is dreaming. it is a nightmare that has gone on for an entire night. he is back in his six-year-old body, and he is trapped in the school where he was abused so much. no access to magic, and no help coming from his family, it seems he will spend the rest of his life in this prison. ¡°AAAAAHHHHHHHHHHH!¡± he screamed, finally waking up. ¡°Oh, you¡¯re awake.¡± SaidRavina. ¡°Get ready, there is some breakfast for you.¡± Her voice reminds Hatori that he is not trapped in his past, and in fact, he has access to magic. to prove this, he levitates his toothbrush instead of using his hands to brush his teeth. ¡°I swear, many people are jealous of you,¡± said Ravina when she saw him do that. Spitting and washing his mouth, Hatori replied. ¡°They should be. I worked hard for this control.¡± While enjoying his breakfast, Hatori notes the missing two members. ¡°Where are Tom and Avinash?¡± ¡°They are scouting the Europa Academy. they are facing East-Asian Academy today.¡± Said Praduman. Though he has stopped suffering the bouts of sneezing, Hatori is still not feeling good enough to go out. so he is left alone in the suite, as the team has left to rest and relax outside. Hatori thinks this would be a perfect time to read a book, but he has no books to read at all. Come to think of it, he used to think about reading books all the time. but ever since he regained his sight, he has not done much reading. Not that he ever had time for it. Munshi was a demanding master, and the rune project of Professor Krodhatma was also very demanding. The door opens, and Hatori hears Shin announcing, ¡°I have returned!¡± ¡°I know. No need to shout.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Come on now, don¡¯t steal my thunder like that, do you know people are really digging my music here?¡± he said sitting near Hatori. ¡°Really?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yeah.¡± nodded Shin, remembering the reception he got. ¡°They¡¯ve not heard music like that. they say most of their music is rather bland and unimaginative.¡± ¡°Probably every local says that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°You won¡¯t hear that in Subcontinent though.¡± Shin retorted. ¡°Because we are cut from a different cloth.¡± Said Hatori. he sniffs and gets a strange smell. ¡°Okay, I know that my nose is not working properly, but is that perfume I smell on you? A girly perfume, no less?¡± ¡°Ahahaha! You see, there was this noble girl who was taken by my music. She decided that she could keep me. I refused of course, but she got really insistent.¡± Shin blushed while telling Hatori all of this. ¡°Shame. What would Lavanya think?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°She would know that I escaped the girl.¡± Said Shin. ¡°You know that I am not that kind of man.¡± ¡°Yes, I know you¡¯re not a womanizer.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Speaking of which, Raven and I used to think that you would turn out to be one,¡± said Shin. ¡°Once you get the taste that is.¡± ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten the taste.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though I can¡¯t deny your claims. But the school days are now passed, I don¡¯t think any of us have time for playing footsies.¡± ¡°True. True. I need to focus; I don¡¯t want to lose any more of my matches.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Then do so.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You might get a chance to prove yourself tomorrow. I¡¯m not fighting, so chances of you getting another duel increase a lot.¡±

Part 5.

Ava goes to her mother. She seems to be in a good mood, so it is the right time to make her pitch. ¡°Mom, Daphne is here,¡± she said to her. ¡°Why don¡¯t we invite her?¡± She says nothing else, deciding to keep her pitch simple. ¡°Hmm. why not? I¡¯m glad that you¡¯re getting over her dislike for her. We will speak to her after her match tomorrow.¡± Ava smiled widely, and went back to her room, with a skip in her step. ¡®I¡¯ll show you who is the top bitch around here, you harlot!¡¯

Part 6.

Avinash and Tom return in the evening. ¡°We already know of the East-Asian team. but the European team is strange. Just like how coach told us, they heavily depend on their sticks for their magic.¡± said Avinash. ¡°That is their key weakness.¡± Said Tom. ¡°I suggest we target their foci during our matches.¡± ¡°Good strategy.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Now, what about you, Hatori?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°He is still not competing.¡± Said Dimitri, before Hatori could say anything. ¡°I want him recovered completely, so he will not fight tomorrow.¡± Avinash sighed. ¡°We¡¯ll make do.¡± He nodded. He has to go in the match tomorrow with one piece down. He does not like it, but as someone who wants to be the king, he has to handle such situations without complaints. Chapter 187 Chapter 187.

Part 1.

Hatori reclines on the couch in the hall of the hotel suite, listening to the introductions of the various teams. He may have regained his eyesight, but he is still not interested in watching everything. why bother when the words are perfectly painting the picture? He will pay attention when the duels start. He coughed to clear his throat clear. He is feeling better by the day, but just like the coach said, he is not in a competing condition for now. so the team has left him here, and he is watching their match on the television. Hatori still does not know how the television works in the magical world. there are no wires, and Zeko has confirmed that there is no such thing as satellites either. Hatori suspects some clever bit of magic and a huge network of runes to control it, but he has not dug into this much. if he ever decides to do that, he will start by opening the television, and see how it works from inside.

Part 2.

¡°Ravina, you¡¯re up,¡± said Avinash, looking at the ring. The Kemet Academy has chosen a boy named Akila. He does not look that impressive, but Avinash knows that in the world of magic, appearances can be deceiving. He is sending Ravina deliberately to see how the team fights, to get an idea of how difficult they are going to be. Avinash suspects that the opposing captain is likely doing the same. ¡°The girl from the Subcontinent, versus the boy from the Kemet. The match starts, and so far, the spell exchanges are fairly normal.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Though it should be noted that the Kemet Academy is known for using the sunlight to a devastating effect, though Akila is not showing this specialty yet.¡± Noted Samudra. Ravina blocked some spells and then moved to attack. but her vision is distorted. She felt as if she was trapped in the middle of a desert, and yet, the ring came in from time to time. this made her confused, and a whip of sand struck her across the face, drawing blood from her cheek. The pain broke the illusion for a moment, but soon it settled over her completely. Now Ravina finds herself in the desert where the sun is shining at the peak, and a monster is coming after her. She tries to keep it away, but her spells do not have any effect, even if they strike the monster. ¡°Ravina is trapped under the illusion.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Her spells are missing Akila, though she could probably strike him if she adjusted her aim a little.¡± ¡°Those are always tricky to deal with. Ravina sends a wave of fire into the crowd, and the front row has to avoid it in haste. I love this crowd participation.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Yeah, because we are all safe up here,¡± said Samudra, feeling very smug. ¡°Indeed, we are, partner. Akila may have succeeded with his illusion, but he is not able to put Ravina away for a win. It has become a game of cat and mouse.¡± Said Michael. Ravina does some experimentation. She has some rudimentary sensing training, so she can avoid Akila¡¯s spells. but she is not able to hit him. so she tries to aim her spells a little bit off-center of this monster, and she has some success. the illusion flickered for a moment. Akila is shocked at the damage this girl has done with just one spell, but he ignores it as a fluke. But when more spells come at him, and he is not able to dodge them, he realizes that he gave her too much time to figure things out. The desert disappears, and Akila is on the floor, a bloody heap, and his foci lying beside him. ¡°Akila cannot continue, Ravina wins!¡± declares the referee. ¡°And there you go folks, Ravina has secured a victory, and the first win goes to Subcontinent.¡± Said Michael. ¡°It was a great display from both sides, and Akila did a wonderful job. If he were to be a little bit faster, he could have beaten Ravina.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Today is a strange day indeed. Such neutrality from my partner is rare.¡± Mocked Michael. After the excitement from the first match dies down, the time to choose the next duelist comes. ¡°Tom, you¡¯re up,¡± said Avinash. The other team has chosen Nakia, who does carry himself more confidently than Akila. Avinash suspects that he will be using a lot more brute force compared to Akila, and Tom is a perfect counter to this. ¡°We have seen Tom duel only once during this league. He did not fight in the last match, so there is very little data on him,¡± said Michael. ¡°I suspect this problem will be solved today. And there we go, the battle has begun with the elemental magic from the very start.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Nakia is destroying the ring with a lot of earth magic, whereas Tom is trying to chase him around with fire magic,¡± said Michael. A minute later, Nakia turns all the rubble he has created into sand. ¡°That is a clever strategy. Tom is quite fast on his feet, but he won¡¯t be able to keep up on the sand.¡± Said Michael. ¡°And here comes water to add to the trouble. Trust me, you don¡¯t want the wet sand on your body. it is very unhealthy for the groin.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°True. And you need a filter.¡± Said Michael. Tom cursed as he was hit by various spells. at this rate, he is going to be buried in the sand up to his waste. Already his movement is compromised, and his opponent is not giving him any chance to enchant his shoes. ¡®But if you think you¡¯ve won, you¡¯re wrong.¡¯ He thought, transmuting the sand into a bull, and jumping on the back of the animal. ¡°An impressive attempt by Tom to use the resources of Nakia against him,¡± said Michael. Though the bull is also sinking in the sand, Nakia is distracted by its attacks. he fails to see the conjured blades of Tom coming, and by the time he feels the pain, he realizes how late it is. after Tom is declared a winner, Nakia has to get the blades removed by a healer, who is pinning his arms to the ground. Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Cairo is the next duelist from the Kemet, and Shin is sent to face him. ¡°What kind of spectacle will these two present? And the answer is quite an amusing one,¡± said Michael. Cairo is attacking with spells, and Shin is running around, playing his violin. When Shin completes a few notes, Cairo has to stop his attacks because he is assaulted by stormy winds. Shin takes advantage of this, and plays another piece on his violin, hypnotizing Cairo. By the time the spell fades, he finds himself standing outside of the ring. He shook his fist at Shin as he was declared the winner. ¡°Idiot.¡± Said Darius, the captain of the Kemet Academy. ¡°I told him to be careful of that violin, but he didn¡¯t listen.¡± ¡°Well, that was a humiliating loss, to say the least,¡± said Samudra. ¡°Even I feel sorry for the boy. these musician mages should not be given any chances, or else you¡¯ll realize too late that you¡¯ve lost already.¡± ¡°Daphne, you¡¯re next.¡± Said Avinash, looking at the next duelist from the Kemet Academy. his name is Ramses, and once more, Avinash feels that this guy could be a threat. Daphne is a strong mage, so she should be able to handle him.

Part 3.

In the hotel room, Hatori is dancing. ¡°Ramses, the man in gauze, the man in gauze, the man in gauze!¡±

Part 4.

¡°The match starts, and already, Ramses is taking advantage of the sand from the earlier matches.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°That sand should have been cleared; it is unfair.¡± ¡°I, for one think it is a fair and balanced thing to do.¡± Said Michael, though he privately agreed with Samudra. Daphne is hit by a dense ball of sand in her midsection, followed by a whip on her face. She lost her footing, and she is slammed to the ground by the harsh winds. The sand gathered around her, and the wind carried her outside. by the time Daphne gets out of the cocoon, she finds herself outside of the ring. When she reaches the bench, her head hung in shame, she sits in a small corner and makes herself as small as possible. The team wanted to say something to her. They saw the terrified look as she got cocooned in that sand, but Avinash was leaving for the ring, where Darius was waiting for him. he patted her on the back before he left. ¡°You did fine. Don¡¯t beat yourself up,¡± he said to her before he left. Daphne shakes her head. today was a bad day for her in the ring, and she is unlikely to forget it any time soon. That sand cocoon is going to haunt her dreams for days to come. ¡°Now it is a captains¡¯ duel. Avinash from Subcontinent, and Darius from Kemet.¡± Said Samudra. The match starts, and Avinash casts some simple spells to test Darius. But the retaliation shocked him. The light coming from the sun condensed on the jewel of his staff, and a beam of light came Avinash¡¯s way, which melted the ring and turned the sand into glass. ¡°And there it is folks, the feared sun magic of the Kemet.¡± Said Michael. ¡°That one attack could have killed Avinash if it connected.¡± Avinash is not scared, however. But realizing the gravity of his situation, he casts his fire elemental shape-shifting spell, and his fire tiger makes an appearance. ¡°Woah! I¡¯m still not able to do this, what¡¯re they teaching these kids nowadays?¡± complained Samudra. ¡°I completely agree,¡± said Michael, ignoring his battle of wits with Samudra, as the tiger attacks Darius. More sun magic follows, but the flaming beast is not affected. ¡°This is something which can only be seen on the upper dueling circuits, not in school tournaments.¡± Darius fires more beams, but the tiger is not affected. ¡°It seems my attacks cannot damage your elemental spell,¡± he said to Avinash, as the fire tiger stood behind him. ¡°But that is not the only trick in my sleeve.¡± He points his staff to the sky, and more sunlight is focused by the jewel in his staff. Then, the light beams start to rain down upon the ring, causing a stampede in the front row seats among the crowd, and giving Avinash no place to hide. But Avinash defended himself by covering himself under his fire spell. ¡°That kid has some insane fire resistance.¡± Praised Michael. ¡°Anyone else would turn to ash by now.¡± Avinash is counting on the clouds to disrupt the sunlight, as that is the weather of Londinium. He felt the sun''s magic hammering against his tiger, who he used as a shield. But when the intensity started to wane, Avinash realized a cloud had come. Taking advantage of this, his tiger suddenly pounced on Darius, and Avinash grabbed his foci in the chaos. By the time Avinash ends his spell, Darius is lying in the middle of the damaged ring badly burned, and Avinash holding his staff in his hands. ¡°Darius cannot continue, Avinash wins!¡± said the referee, and cheers broke out in the crowd and as well as on the Subcontinent bench.

Part 5.

Raven is doing the night duty in the castle. the duty mostly includes some patrols, and watching the dueling tournament live when on the breaks. ¡°So, your friends with all of them?¡± asked one trainee. ¡°Yep.¡± Said Raven, feeling good about himself right now. he has gotten a lot of clout for being friends with the dueling team among the trainees. ¡°It must be something, to know the blind villain personally.¡± Remarked the other trainee. ¡°Yeah, lazier, less villain.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Unless you push his buttons.¡± ¡°Attention!¡± said the sergeant, entering the room. ¡°It is time for the other group to take your place.¡± ¡°Yesir!¡± they all salute, and file out of the room. Chapter 189 Chapter 189.

Part 1.

As the teams walk into the ground, they are hit by the cheering of the massive crowd. more people have shown up to watch this match compared to the previous three matches, and Hatori thanks his lucky stars that he modified himself to handle this kind of noisy environment years ago. Otherwise, it may have become impossible for him to compete in the ring today. ¡°Welcome everyone, I am Michael Severance, with my partner Samudra Sharma. Today is a match between East-Asian Academy and Subcontinental Academy. both of these academies are known for their rivalry, and today, another chapter will be written on the history of their competition.¡± ¡°Indeed Michael. The Subcontinent must be pumped, and some might argue that the first shot was already fired two days ago, when Sakura, the captain of the East-Asian team, gave that explosive interview, declaring their victory before the match even started.¡± A picture of Sakura is shown on the massive screens, as Samudra talks about the article from two days ago. Hatori ignores this and decides that he doesn¡¯t care about this ancient rivalry. He will not go into the ring with a chip on his shoulder. Instead, he will go there to win, like he always does. Let other people worry about the rivalries and history. ¡°So, who will you send first?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Tom.¡± Said Avinash. The nameless boy gets up and walks to the ring. He finds Kuma waiting there. much like his name suggests, the boy is like a bear. Though he is still shorter than Tom. He is also one of those boys who ambushed Hatori and Daphne. The referee explains the rules to them, and then their duel begins. There blasting spells explode in the air, and Tom sidestepped the rocks thrown his way. he retaliates with his own conjured rocks, some of which do find their mark, judging by the grunts of pain coming from the other side of the ring. ¡°And we¡¯re already to an explosive start. Though it has to be said that Tom has handled himself very well so far.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Yes, but I doubt Kuma will go down so easily. All those muscles must reflect some magical power,¡± said Michael. Kuma proves him right just a few moments later, as the ground shifts once more, and an earth golem towers over Tom. ¡°And an earth shape-shifting spell. Compared to water or fire, this is very hard to accomplish, due to the slow speed of manipulating this much ground.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°The fact that Kuma did it so quickly suggests quite a proficiency with the element.¡± Said Michael. While the commentators are praising Kuma, Tom is kicked around the ring. It felt like getting beat up with a gorilla made of rock is beating him. he knows what gorillas look like, due to his many visits to the forest of the Academy. One of them even rampaged into the Academy when Hatori came for revenge. Though he has received a beating, Kuma has not come out unscathed. He is inside of that golem, and the damage Tom did to it is reflected in his opponent. The golem gets up on the unstable legs, as one of them is twisted by Tom¡¯s spells earlier, and lunges at him. only to receive a blast of fire right on the face, shattering the head portion of the golem entirely. The spell starts to collapse after this, and an unconscious Kuma is lying on the rubble of his own golem, while Tom is declared the winner. Tom makes his way unsteadily to the bench. The fight has been not easy for him either, and he is bleeding from the head. ¡°Go get yourself healed.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Praduman, take him there.¡± ¡°Yes, captain.¡± Said Praduman. he supports Tom with a strong hand, and takes him to the healers. The next duelist from the East-Asian Academy is a girl named Fang. ¡°Hatori, you¡¯re up,¡± said Avinash. Hatori turns to Avinash. ¡°Seriously? You¡¯re sending me to fight a girl, again?¡± he asked. ¡°Why? I thought you have no problems with that,¡± asked Avinash in return. ¡°No, but it seems I¡¯m destined to fight a girl in this tournament all the time,¡± he muttered. ¡°Who knows, maybe one of them might be involved in a conspiracy as well.¡± he joked before leaving. ¡°And here comes the blind villain. After being missing from the previous match, he returns, only to face another girl. He has completed the hattrick of facing girls.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Indeed. He must be the unluckiest boy because I doubt any boy wishes to meet a girl in the ring.¡± Said Michael. ¡°You don¡¯t know the current generation, old man,¡± said Samudra. ¡®Great. Even they are making fun of me.¡¯ grumbled Hatori. As he walks to the ring, he hears something very informative. ¡°Have you seen the impact of their spell?¡± a boy asked. ¡°Yeah, it is recorded here.¡± replied the girl. Hatori remembers watching them on the first day when all the teams were introduced. This pair must be from the European team. ¡®So, you want data from me, eh? Fine. I¡¯ll give you all the data.¡¯ He thinks. ¡°It¡¯ll be the last data you ever collect. Hahahahahahahahaha!¡± he started to laugh after finishing his thought loudly. ¡°What a weirdo.¡± Grumbled Fang under her breath. As the referee explains the rules, the commentators talk about that bout of laughter from Hatori. ¡°And here¡¯s more proof of his unstable nature. Who decided it would be a great idea to bring him to a ring?¡± asked Michael. While privately thinking about the rampage he heard about later, Samudra replied. ¡°Who else, Corvus. I doubt he cares about his nature, as long as he keeps winning.¡± Michael cannot argue with that logic. Feeling smug for shutting up his partner, Samudra watches the start of the duel. He observed Hatori attacking first, and Fang coming up with a shield, but Hatori¡¯s spell broke through the shield, and after a long and fiery explosion, Fang was lying outside of the ring, and Hatori was announced as a winner after this short match. ¡°See? More proof of his strength.¡± Said Samudra, and Michael flipped out. Hatori smirks after hearing another explosion, squeals of surprise, and comments about overload and fire. He sits on the bench, while the team quickly makes some distance from him. They do not want to get caught up in whatever he is cooking. ¡°Oy, why are you moving away like that?¡± he asked. ¡°Come closer.¡± They must be feeling ashamed of their behavior, which is why they quickly sit back close to him with sheepish expressions on their faces. ¡°You guys can be so strange sometimes.¡± He said to them. Ignoring that entire byplay, Avinash thinks about sending the next fighter. He also ignores that blast. The security will take care of it, or else they would have a bigger problem than their hands than just winning the tournament. The second fighter from the other team is Ma Liang, who is using the jewel in his hand as a focus. He decides to send Shin to face him. ¡°Shin, you¡¯re next.¡± He said to the boy, ¡°Be careful of that jewel.¡± He warned. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°I will.¡± Said Shin, taking the warning seriously. ¡°Here comes Shin. The boy is quite a musician, but his performance is rather iffy in this tournament. His style can be quite unpredictable, for his opponents and himself both.¡± said Michael. ¡°And on the other side, we¡¯ve got Ma Liang, a jewel user. This kind of magic is quite useful, as it can let you store energy in those jewels, and also enchant them to cast specific spells. the downside is that it can get very inflexible, and you cannot change those spells in the middle of a fight.¡± said Samudra. The match begins, and I decide to tell you how it goes instead of letting those two buffoons steal the spotlight which I so rightly deserve. Ma Liang was expecting Shin to cast some musical spell, and he was counting on its slow effect. but Shin surprised him by taking out his baton and retaliating with conventional spells. but he also keeps singing during the fight, which not only distracts Ma Liang but also makes him sleepy. Realizing the effects of that voice, he closes the distance with Shin and attacks him with a fire spell, which empties the jewel he has. Shoving his hand into his pocket, Liang tries to bring the next jewel to continue his attack, but he hears some bells jingling from the smoke. He sees two Shins walking out, and attacks one of them. but the spell fazed through him, and the same thing happened with the second Shin. He then heard some notes behind him, and then Ma Liang knew no more, as he slumped in Shin¡¯s arms peacefully. ¡°An interesting battle it was, over quite quickly,¡± said Samudra. ¡°Though I do think it should be a highlight of this tournament.¡± ¡°I agree. We¡¯ve not gotten an elusive performance like that so far this year,¡± said Michael. Sakura is furious after that display. ¡°Did you see that? I can¡¯t believe he fell asleep in his arms like a baby!¡± she gets up from the bench and starts to walk to the ring. ¡°None of you can do it. I¡¯ll have to get a win myself.¡± The team exchanges a look behind her back. This should be an interesting one to watch. ¡°Will this be another captain versus captain match?¡± asked Praduman, as they all saw Sakura in the ring. ¡°No,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Ravina, go fight her.¡± Ravina did not say anything. She simply leaves for the ring, and a few moments later, she is facing down Sakura. Whereas Sakura is glaring at her in anger, Ravina is calm. ¡°Now, shake hands.¡± for a moment, Ravina thought Sakura might deny that, but she did that grudgingly. ¡°Now begin!¡± Sidestepping the initial spell, Ravina attacked with her own. She thought Sakura might defend herself in some manner, but she took those spells on her face. Ravina thought she might have some way of saving herself from the damage, but the blood Sakura spat aside proved it wrong. ¡®Does she believe in her superiority that much?¡¯ thinks Ravina. Sakura attacks again, but it is not hard for Ravina to avoid her spells, after sparring so much with Hatori and Tom. True, Sakura does have the same power as them, but she lacks the focus and stamina of her teammates. She is much like Tom before he received the training to control his magic better, and physical training to improve his stamina. All the power is wasted, as none of the spells ever reach Ravina. When Sakura stops to take a breath, Ravina pounces on this chance to attack her. Ravina slams her foot to the ground, and the floor of the ring rises and buries Sakura in an avalanche. When there is no movement in the rubble, Ravina is declared the winner. The supporters of the Subcontinent went wild after that, chanting repeatedly, ¡°Eat your words!¡± while waving the article in which Sakura gave an interview and declared her team¡¯s victory. On the bench of East-Asian Academy, there is a silence for a moment. Who would decide the final player in the absence of their captain? ¡°I will go.¡± Said the boy who threatened Hatori. ¡°What makes you say that, Duri?¡± asked the others. ¡°Do you want to face them?¡± he asked. When none of them replied, he said, ¡°Thought so.¡± He gets up and leaves for the ring. The pride of his team is now resting on his shoulders. He must get at least one win to redeem his Academy. Daphne is waiting for him in the ring. The match starts, and they exchange some spells. Duri wonders how the hell this team got so strong? Just in the previous league, they were struggling to keep up. he banished these thoughts, as he conjured some bells, and started to ring them to confuse Daphne. ¡®Shin isn¡¯t the only one to use music I see.¡¯ Daphne thinks. She blasts the bells and attacks Duri, who is unprepared to counter this sudden attack. Still, he gave as good as he got before going down. But he was not able to save his team from a loss. Daphne¡¯s hand is raised in the end, and the Subcontinent wipes out the East-Asian Academy in the competition. ¡°With that victory, the Subcontinent adds another five-nil victory in their records, their second one in this year. this is extremely rare to see in the history of this league.¡± Said Michael. ¡°I wonder how the papers will react tomorrow?¡± asked Samudra with a smirk, just before the broadcast went offline. After the match, the position of the teams is as opposite as you can get. The East-Asian team left, not even speaking with the press. Whereas Avinash is surrounded by the reporters as if he is a king holding a court. The East-Asian team feels that they have no right to say anything, after their embarrassing loss and bold words before the match.

Part 2.

Later in the castle, Hiruma is wincing after the performances he saw. ¡°That Porus is going to get a bigger head after this.¡± ¡°Undeniably so.¡± Agreed Zuo Chi. ¡°It will be difficult to speak with him for the next few days.¡± Continued Hiruma. ¡°True.¡± Agreed Chi once more. ¡°But you seem unbothered by this. Why?¡± asked Hiruma. ¡°Because this is a competition between students. True, they lost this year. but in the next five years, we will send another team. and then, we will wipe the smirk off Porus¡¯s face, along with his team.¡± said Chi. ¡°And then we will make his life difficult.¡± ¡°I can drink to that,¡± said Hiruma, raising his glass, and clinking with Zuo Chi. Chapter 190 Chapter 190.

Part 1.

After the match yesterday, the team is relaxing. Shin and Josh are taking a bath, while Praduman is sunning himself. He is making the best of it, even though clouds do keep interrupting his sunning. Ravina and Daphne are in their room, doing girly things, an occasional laughter comes from the room, which scares the boys from time to time. Tom is out on the roof of the hotel they are staying in, and Avinash is reclined in the chair. Hatori is missing, probably out somewhere. The door opens, and Hatori walks in. ¡°Speak of the demon.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°What?¡± asked Hatori, not expecting those words. He is very handsome compared to a demon, thank you. ¡°Never mind.¡± He said before Avinash could reply. ¡°I was out, and I heard something. The people were talking about Succubus and Incubus. What the hell are those?¡± he asked. Dimitri decides to answer, coming out of his own room, and having taken a fresh shower. ¡°These are the mages that can manipulate your hormones.¡± He said, ¡°They can stir the desire within you, and control you through that desire.¡± Avinash dawns a look of horror, and Hatori takes a while to understand why his face is like that. ¡°How the hell? and why haven¡¯t we heard about this before?¡± ¡°A sorcerer pair experimented on this field 6000 years ago and genetically imparted that ability to a few children. The male ones are called Incubus, and they can affect females, and the female ones are called Succubus, and they can affect males.¡± Explained Dimitri. His face twists as if he has tasted something vile. ¡°They have always caused trouble whenever they have gotten active. I suggest that you take care of yourselves, they are considered dangerous, even in Europa since they caused a lot of trouble in the last great war.¡± ¡°Hmm. that is concerning.¡± Said Hatori, putting his chin on his hand. ¡°I get the feeling that there might be some of them in the Europa team. that¡¯s probably why the people were talking about it.¡± ¡°You might be correct.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Avinash, go share this info with everyone. Also, be careful while going out, if you fall under their spell, there is no telling what you might do under the throws of lust.¡± Hatori remembers the rampaging teenage elephants from the forest and agrees with Dimitri¡¯s assessment. If it weren¡¯t for the older elephants keeping an eye on things, the entire forest would have been destroyed by now. The female elephants would have left a long time ago, resulting in the complete disappearance of the elephants from that section.

Part 2.

While Avinash is having his own meeting, the monarchs are having their own meeting as well. Porus, Battya, Chi, Hiruma, and Henry are all gathered in Porus¡¯s room to discuss the latest development. For a change, it is not about making fun of each other. ¡°So, I have called you to tell you what I suspect. Whatever Albus is planning, it will come ahead in the final match.¡± he said.¡± And of course, you¡¯ve likely heard who is involved by now.¡± The monarchs consider this information. It is a very serious matter. They don¡¯t know why Albus is doing this, but they do know what it will lead to. They also know that the Subcontinent has remained undefeated so far, and coupled with this being the final match against Europa, it is a perfect stage to execute whatever plans he has. Albus is likely going to use this match as a platform to do what he wants or to make a political statement. They also have predicted to some extent what he will do, or what kind of message he wants to send back, but again, this is not something that they like. That man is going to start another great war, all because he couldn¡¯t control his lust, and some parasites took advantage of this. ¡°I can¡¯t believe it!¡± said Chi, and slams his hand on the table. ¡°I thought we were rid of the rot of these mages, and yet here they are, spreading it again.¡± ¡°Why such a temper?¡± asked Henry. ¡°Surely you don¡¯t think we have lost control already?¡± Chi gives a glare to Henry, showing his contempt. ¡°You weren¡¯t around for the last war boy. Porus and I are the only ones who know about what happened before it. the general public may think it was all about border disputes, but we are the only ones who know the real truth. Do you know why we also look down upon you Europeans so much?¡± said Chi, looming over Henry like a dragon. ¡°Because you have no defenses against them. they¡¯ve been on your land for thousands of years, and yet you still have no defenses. And then you get idiots like Albus who can¡¯t control themselves, and boom! Another disaster we have to clean up for you.¡± ¡°Calm down.¡± Said Porus, seeing Henry is about to lose his temper. ¡°Fighting each other is not going to solve this problem. We have to be ready for whatever¡¯s coming next, and be ready to extract your teams in a hurry.¡± ¡°Already done.¡± Said Hiruma. ¡°I will also offer my assistance should you need it in that task.¡± ¡°Same.¡± Said Battya.

Part 3.

After the meeting the next day, they all spent their time in the hotel. The team left for some light sparring in the morning and then returned to the hotel. Except for Hatori. he actually left the city, and he is now spending some time outside, observing the surroundings. It appears that the Albions have preserved the wild areas around their city quite well. aside from a few roads, the forests are left untouched, and that is what Hatori is seeing right now. Hatori is also not alone. he sensed someone following him ever since he separated from the team. they have not taken any hostile action yet, so he has not done anything. Besides, in his position, calling out someone can be quite dangerous. It is one thing to say something in public, but here in the wilderness, who knows what can happen? Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. Hatori then feels his alarm runes activating, which means that there has been an attempt to influence his mind, and the attempt has failed. He turns to where this feeling is coming from and sees the girl standing in the trees. even though he does not get a clear view, Hatori recognizes her as a member of the Europa team. The feeling increases even further, but it is still failing to affect him whatsoever. But he does not like this. His magic reacts, as he prepares to fight, but that woman turns around and runs away. Hatori decides that he should also go back to the hotel. There is no point in courting more danger by staying out here in the open.

Part 4.

Emmeline has been following this blind boy. She has not bothered to learn about his name, but she does know that according to the papers, he does not treat the females better. She would know, after all, her mother was the one who pushed for that article. she follows him as soon as he separates from his team. judging by how fearlessly he is moving around on his own, either his senses are excellent, or he has already modified himself in some manner to be able to see. She waits for him to relax in the forest, and then blasts him with her allure. He quickly looks up, pinpointing her location immediately. She was expecting an attack, but that did not come. She thought that he might be resisting her allure mentally, which is why he is not attacking her. So, she makes it even stronger. By this point, any man in front of her would be a drooling mess. But this boy is not. She senses his magic rising, getting ready to attack her. It is a very strong force. She has not sensed such strong magic in her life, not in a boy as the same age as her. Not wanting to face such a strong force on her own, she turned around and hightailed out of there as fast as she could. She does not care what anyone might think of her after listening to this incident. that boy is a monster, and she has no interest in facing him. let¡¯s hope that her other plan is going well. It has to, given how much money and effort she put into influencing those young men.

Part 5.

By the time Hatori arrives at the hotel with his team, there is a large crowd cursing his team and their country. They are also throwing things inside, though the hotel staff is not silent, and is threatening to activate the wards to keep them outside forcefully. This is a rather unexpected thing for Hatori. outside of the match crowds, the Albions have remained quiet and polite. ¡®I suppose the ones who stay quiet are the ones to watch out.¡¯ he thought. Bending the light around himself, Hatori turns invisible and sneaks inside. He turns visible so the receptionist can see him. Once they wave him inside, he enters the hotel, goes to their suite, and sees what the team is doing. ¡°It is a good thing you are here,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°Are you hurt?¡± ¡°No. I am fine.¡± Said Hatori, taking a seat next to Josh. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°They appeared in the afternoon, and this has been going on ever since.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Honestly, this is frightening.¡± Said Shin. ¡°It is.¡± agreed Avinash. ¡°We won¡¯t go out anymore. we will stay here inside, and let the staff deal with it. they have assured me that they are used to this, similar things have happened in the past, and they have wards to keep people out if necessary. So, we can stay here safely.¡± ¡°What about the match tomorrow?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°Nothing has changed.¡± Avinash stands up and starts to pace back and forth. ¡°We will not show any mercy or fear. In the ring, we will cut loose, and win the trophy for our school. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Clear!¡± they all chorused.

Part 6.

Albus is worried. Porus has written him an angry letter about the events going on at the hotel. He does not want to say anything to the crowd, but he also does not wish to upset the king of the Subcontinent before they are even ready. ¡°Don¡¯t worry my king.¡± said the woman sitting next to him. ¡°Let my daughter handle this. Just condemn it as you do normally as a lip service, and the rest will be handled by us.¡± she leans and kisses his neck softly. ¡°Of course,¡± he agreed. ¡°Your council is wise, Amelia.¡±

Part 7.

As Emmeline comes back after calming the crowd, she receives a glare from Peter. ¡°What did you do? More importantly, why did you do that?¡± ¡°What are you saying, captain? I have done nothing.¡± She said with an innocent expression. ¡°Don¡¯t play coy with me. I know that entire crowd was you''re doing.¡± Said Peter, barely restraining himself from grabbing and shaking her. ¡°So what? They are scared. they haven¡¯t come out yet, and they have to run to their king for protection.¡± She argues. ¡°I can¡¯t believe that I have been put on a team with such a stupid moron.¡± He grumbled. Emmeline glared at him for that remark, but Peter did not care anymore. he walked out of the room and met with the others. He meets with Thomas, Julius, Wolfgang, Lewis, and Maria. ¡°Listen. This has officially gone out of hand.¡± He said to them. ¡°We need to be ready to escape at any moment during the match tomorrow. Let Albions handle this, we don¡¯t need to get involved in this.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you think we¡¯re already involved though?¡± asked Maria. Peter shook his head. ¡°Not yet.¡± He knew it was a lie. They are involved since they are on the same team. whatever Emmeline will do, it will reflect on them. they are also involved because they are in the same country, so they can''t distance themselves from whatever is going on here. At least Peter is happy to know that most of the team is with him, and he is not surrounded by the people turned into drones by Emmeline. Chapter 191 Chapter 191.

Part 1.

The stadium is buzzing. The match is going to be exciting. The Subcontinent, losers of the previous five leagues have suddenly become strong competitors, having remained undefeated so far. Whereas Europa, their opponents have also remained undefeated, but they are also winners of the previous league, held five years ago. Both teams have faced tough competition. The highlights of which are shown on the large multiple screens. Despite that, they have remained undefeated. But today, one of them will lose their streak, and one team will lift the trophy. The stadium is houseful, both teams are ready, and the monarchs are watching from the royal box. The match is about to begin. ¡°Captains, send out your duelists!¡± said the referee. ¡°Who will you send first?¡± asked Lewis. Peter gets a vicious gleam in his eye. ¡°Emmeline, of course.¡± He spoke. From her annoyance, he gets a sense of satisfaction. ¡°Why don¡¯t you save me for the last?¡± she asked, setting her face into that innocent face. ¡°Forget it,¡± said Peter. ¡°I won¡¯t give you any chances. Go in the ring, or I¡¯ll announce you¡¯re forfeiting.¡± Emmeline grits her teeth and glares at Peter. But this time, the captain is not backing down. ¡°Fine.¡± She snapped and went to the ring. Meanwhile, for Avinash, it is not a difficult choice to make. ¡°Hatori, you¡¯re up. be careful. Don¡¯t play around much.¡± he cautioned. Hatori gives him a nod and leaves for the ring. Seeing Hatori as her opponent, Emmeline is worried. But she touches the pocket of her robe and then feels assured. Hatori is looking at the robes. He cannot understand why would anyone duel in a dress like that. it pools on the feet, flutters, and ruffles in the air. Hatori could practically use his magic to tie his opponent to their own clothes if he wanted to. But he still is not willing to underestimate Emmeline. Though he cannot sense any magic or enchantment, those clothes are likely full of protection to keep their wearers safe, no matter how ridiculous they might look. On the bench, Lewis watches Emmeline standing next to Hatori. Compared to her large opponent, she looks like a fly. ¡°I wanted to fight him,¡± he grumbled. ¡°Teach him not to make those surrender jokes.¡± The captain ignored the grumblings of Lewis. He is hoping that this will be a normal match, and whatever happens, they can go to their respective homes and countries in peace. His hopes don¡¯t last long, however. He sees the duelists shaking hands, and Hatori withdraws as if he got stabbed. ¡°¡­Fuck.¡± He cursed after seeing that. ¡°What the hell? what was that?¡± asked Michael and Samudra together. ¡°Have you seen something like this before?¡± asked Samudra. ¡°Not once in all the years of commentating on this league.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Whatever this is, it is not good.¡± The crowd, excited moments before, is now buzzing with murmurs and discussions, speculating what has just happened in front of their eyes. That handshake should be normal, but that sudden withdrawal of Hatori hints at something very sinister. But what are the implications of it, they have no idea. While others are wondering what has happened, Hatori is hearing a voice in his head. ¡®Give up. relax, let me take care of everything.¡¯ ¡°Shut up,¡± he muttered. The referee taps him on his shoulder. ¡°Do you feel okay?¡± Hatori turns at him and snarls at him wordlessly. The man takes a step back, as the illusion around Hatori¡¯s eyes is undone, and he looks at the plastic eyes on the human face. Coupled with his anger, it all looks horrifying enough to scare an adult mage. ¡®Do you not feel tired already? Why do you resist so much? come, rest in my arms. Give up this resistance, find peace in my obedience.¡¯ Said the voice. Emmeline comes to Hatori with a haughty expression, which turns into a caring one. ¡°He cannot compete, declare me the winner.¡± She demands from the referee. Hatori is driven to his knees. ¡®That bitch bypassed my protections through my blood!¡¯ he realized. ¡°Do you give up?¡± asked the referee once more. ¡°Go fuck yourself, you magic damned toady!¡± said Hatori with another snarl. ¡°I refuse to give in to that bitch.¡± Emmeline¡¯s face takes a sour expression, as the match starts. Hatori defends despite being on his knees and attacks Emmeline. One of his spells grazed her cheek and drew some blood, and with an angry snarl of her own, she summoned Hatori¡¯s staff to her. ¡°See? He can¡¯t even keep his foci in his grip. Declare me the winner.¡± She demands again. ¡°Do you give up?¡± asked the referee once more. ¡°In your dreams,¡± said Hatori. Lightning sparks around his body, and he fires many bolts from his fingers. Emmeline balks at this display. She tried to sidestep these bolts, but they were too many. She gets struck by some of them and falls to the ground. Her legs have gone numb from the electricity, and more bolts are coming her way. ¡°What¡¯s this? It seems that Hatori is more deadlier without his foci!¡± said Michael. ¡°Nothing new.¡± Said Samudra. He has seen this display once already. ¡°You speak as if you have seen him doing this before.¡± Asked Michael. ¡°I may have.¡± Said Samudra, not confirming anything. While Hatori attacks Emmeline with lightning bolts with one hand, he creates a net of electricity with his other hand. He makes a fist, and that entire net is draped over Emmeline. He used positive lightning for this, and in his state, the intense electricity has also done some damage to him. but for hearing that cheating bitch¡¯s screams, Hatori is happy to pay this price. Soon enough, she passes out, her body smoking from the shocks she has taken. And a shocked referee announced the winner. ¡°Hatori Eagle wins.¡±

Part 2.

While the crowd is divided about this victory, and the commentators are praising the performance of Hatori, the monarchs are furious. Albus is regretting to sit with them, as he feels alone in the entire box. No one is supporting him, not even a little. Isn¡¯t it geopolitics? Since when did they become so much emotionally involved? ¡°I don¡¯t care what are your reasons,¡± said Porus. ¡°You tried to poison a citizen of my country right in front of me, in a competition, while promising us their full safety. Tell me, is that also the plan of those Succubi?¡± asked Porus, not deciding to beat around the bush, and call Albus out openly. ¡°I would like to know that as well,¡± said Zuo Chi. ¡°It is one thing to have a rivalry. But such an underhanded tactic to win is not going to fly. You hear me? you are already standing on a thin sheet of ice as it is.¡± Albus has remained quiet, not responding to their accusations. Instead, he is looking at the boy who ruined his plans in an instant. The Subcontinental team is standing around him in the ring, keeping everyone away. As the matches are stalled, and the doubts of the crowd turn into confirmation, they are also beginning to get furious. The healers come and speak with Avinash. Though unwilling to trust them initially, Avinash relents after one of the healers manages to convince him to let them check out Hatori. Albus thought of taking the boy as a hostage, but he could not give any such orders in front of all the kings. They might decide to kill him then and there, and then deal with the fallout later. ¡°What should we do about the match, Your Majesty?¡± asked the referee. Due to the speakers in the box, all the kings heard his question. ¡°Offer them a draw.¡± Said Albus. Porus exchanged an incredulous look. ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± He said in a flat tone. On the ring, the referee relays the offer of a draw. ¡°What the hell? First, you cheat, then one of my members destroys you. and then you offer a draw? Get lost!¡± said Avinash, in a loud enough voice that everyone heard him in the stadium. ¡°Told you,¡± said Porus, though he is not feeling any glee from being right as he usually does. ¡°Very well,¡± said Albus. ¡°Let the match proceed.¡± Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

Part 3.

Once the news spreads that the matches are going to proceed, the crowd calms down and prepares to see more of this drama. ¡°Shin, you¡¯re up,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Don¡¯t show any mercy.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± said Shin with a grin. ¡°Fergus, go in the ring.¡± Commanded Peter. ¡°But¡ª¡± he is silenced by the glare of the captain. ¡°Fine.¡± He grumbles and goes into the ring. He perfectly knows why he has been chosen. As an Incubi, he is a perfect lam to sacrifice to calm the angry opponents. But he does not plan to go down that easy. This lam knows how to fight. ¡°Do you think it¡¯ll calm them down?¡± asked Wolfgang. ¡°Difficult to say.¡± Said Peter. ¡°I just hope that they won¡¯t try and cripple you.¡± The match starts, and Shin refuses to shake hands. Forgoing his music this time, Shin relies on his wind element. He made it difficult for Fergus to see what was going on, and after a while, the wind started to cut at his skin. Some added fire later, and a roasted Fergus is lying outside of the ring. ¡°Such a brutal combination of fire and wind is rarely seen.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Though not difficult to understand. Shin has many fire-using teammates, he is bound to pick up some tricks from them,¡± said Samudra. ¡°Ravina, you¡¯re next.¡± Said Avinash, not even waiting for the other team to choose their fighter. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you have sent me?¡± asked Daphne, after Ravina left. ¡°No. just wait and see why,¡± said Avinash, looking in the ring. The other team has sent Maria, and both girls are glaring at each other fiercely. The match starts, and Maria has to sidestep the initial barrage of spells by Ravina. She tries to gain some initiative, but Ravina is not giving her any chance. Maria comes running at her, but Ravina stomps on the ground, and the ring starts to shake. This upsets the footing of Maria, and Ravina seizes the advantage. She blasts her out of the ring, and Maria is lying outside dazed, and wondering what just happened. ¡°And there you go folks, another victory bagged by the Subcontinent. Unless the Europa Academy manages to get a draw, I don¡¯t think they are winning this match,¡± said Michael. ¡°It might prove to be difficult to get a draw from this bunch though,¡± said Samudra. ¡°Avinash is not the kind of captain who would accept such a decision.¡± ¡°Tom, you¡¯re up,¡± said Avinash, once again choosing his fighter before the other team. Wolfgang is chosen by Peter to face him. The rudimentary sensory training he has done with Hatori tells Tom that Wolfgang has a strong magical presence. But he is nothing compared to Avinash and Hatori. still, Tom is not going to underestimate him. When the match starts, he goes after Wolfgang with full force. He cuts off his way to sidestep by a lance of fire and then tries to catch Wolfgang in the whip of fire. He is demonstrating using both hands to cast spells, though, unlike Hatori, he is using foci from one hand. Still, it is another example of superior spellcasting. ¡°Seriously, what the hell is going on in the Subcontinental Academy?¡± asked Michael, seeing another spectacle of using both hands to cast spells. ¡°It is all because of the supreme headmaster. You should also stop resisting, and join his vision.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°Yeah right. in your dreams.¡± retorted Michael. Tom feels an exhilarating feeling in his gut, as he makes Wolfgang run around the ring, making him expend his energy. He finally understands why Hatori gets that disturbing grin when he is dominating someone in a duel like this. He must keep himself in peak physical shape if he wishes to feel this more often in his future life. As for Wolfgang, he is gasping on the floor, unable to keep up. he is struggling for every breath. The referee comes in the way before Tom can blast him outside. ¡°Tom wins.¡± He announces. He comes back to the bench, still sporting that same smile on his face. ¡°That was fun.¡± He declared. ¡°We saw.¡± Said Avinash, getting up. peter is making his way to the ring, and Avinash has decided to face him. ¡°Both captains making their way to the ring. Given what has happened, and the trouble his team is in, Peter is likely to fight like he is cornered.¡± Said Michael. ¡°On the other hand, Avinash is a very prideful person. He likely has not taken what happened with Hatori well. nothing else but a total victory will satisfy him today.¡± Said Samudra. From the very beginning of the match, the captains did not hold back. Just a few exchanges of spells are enough for Avinash to conclude that Hatori was right. Peter is a strong mage, and not to be underestimated. But that is true for him as well, something which the other boy would do well to remember. After poking at each other¡¯s defenses with simple spells, they quickly switch to elemental spells. As it turns out, both of them are heavy-fire users. But Peter seems to have deep alchemic knowledge, as he is using that to enhance his fire. Avinash knows the signs of that. some of them include weird smells, odd-colored smoke, and fire which seems to cling to things like a sticky substance. The ring is set on fire, and these two are standing in the middle as if nothing has happened. Peter smiles, and with a slashing motion of his staff, the ring explodes. ¡°Looks like he conjured a lot of explosive chemicals, and they reacted with fire.¡± Said Michael. ¡°The ring is gone. What do the rules say about this now?¡± asked Samudra. ¡°The match will continue, of course. But now, only verbal signs of giving up, and unconsciousness will be counted, as the ring is effectively gone.¡± Explained Michael. Peter sees Avinash picking himself up from the rubble, a little bit of dried blood on his hair, but otherwise looking fine and lucid. He makes a motion with his own staff, and the fire twists and a tiger stands behind him. Peter smiles and does the same, and a horse is standing behind him. the two spells attack each other, and the audience has to scramble out of the way to avoid getting set on fire. The tiger is attacking the horse by standing on its hind legs, swiping at the elemental horse with its claws. The horse is ramming and kicking the tiger, trying to make it fall to the ground so it can trample on it. it is taking their full concentration to maintain these spells, and Peter and Avinash are not willing to give up. As the horse shows some signs of weakness, the tiger pounced on it, and through its weight, fell it to the ground. The animal bit the neck of the horse, and the fire elemental winked out of existence. At the other end, Peter is lying unconscious, unable to get up. Avinash is declared the winner by the referee, and the crowd starts to cheer. ¡°What a tremendous end of the tournament, ladies and gentlemen. The talent we saw this year is rarely seen, and all these mages have a bright future ahead of them,¡± said Michael. ¡°Indeed. What kind of miracles will they accomplish in the coming years, we can only speculate.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°And of course, it was very fun to do this duel commentary.¡± ¡°Indeed. If anyone is willing to pay both of us fairly, we might do it again.¡± Said Michael.

Part 4.

While the matches are going on, the monarchs have not stopped grilling Albus. ¡°You must get rid of those Succubi, we will not take no for an answer.¡± Said Batya. ¡°I fully support him,¡± said Zuo Chi. ¡°And what, let you take over my domain?¡± asked Albus. ¡°Is that what they have told you?¡± asked Porus. ¡°Let me tell you something. Between me, Batya, and Chi, we run some of the largest countries in the world. we don¡¯t need your pathetic collections of islands.¡± ¡°You say that now, but you won¡¯t be saying this, once I create a world-spanning empire.¡± Declared Albus, having fed up with their grilling. ¡°So that is what it is all about.¡± Said Hiruma. ¡°You want to dominate us all.¡± ¡°Never happening.¡± Said Henry. ¡°We rather turn everything to ashes instead of submitting to you.¡± The argument raged on, and the king of Albion kept digging himself deeper and deeper. By revealing his ambitions, he successfully managed to divert the attention of the monarchs from the Succubi. By the time they realize it, it is too late. Chapter 192 Chapter 192.

Part 1.

Hatori is groggy. He finds himself in this room, having no idea how he got there. ¡®I don¡¯t drink, then why?¡¯ he thought. Then the rush of memories hits him. the crowd, the match, the poisoning attempt, and of course, his win. Thinking about that brings a smile on his face. ¡®She was terrified of me.¡¯ his smile gets wider when he remembers that face. ¡®Truly, vision is a wonderful thing.¡¯ He thinks to himself. Before this, he had never seen his enemies be terrified of him, only heard their mercy of please and whimpers of fear. But now, he gets to savor terror in full. His body is healing nicely. The toxic pheromones are already cleared from his system. The runes are constantly changing all over his body, testing these pheromones with the toxins of the past, and modifying his body to deal with these potential combinations. If someone were to see Hatori¡¯s body right now, they would be terrified to see these symbols crawling all over him like aunts. But the truth is, he is not feeling a thing from this activity. Hatori senses no one in the room. he extends his senses to the outside, and finds¡­ ¡°Lewis? what are you doing outside? come in.¡± he called. The door opens, and the boy walks in. ¡°Awake now, hm?¡± he asked, taking a chair near the bed. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± ¡°Great, actually.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°After seeing that terrified face of hers, I am going to cherish that memory.¡± ¡°Normal then.¡± Said Lewis. ¡°For a moment, I thought you would be a drooling mess who is hopelessly in love with Emmeline.¡± ¡°What? No!¡± denied Hatori. there are far better, and safer women to be considered after all. ¡°Why are you here though? And where are the others?¡± ¡°They are out to get some food.¡± Said Lewis. ¡°According to your scary captain, me and Wolfgang are trustworthy, so they are letting us keep guard while you recover.¡± ¡°Never imagined Avinash to be scary.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though he has the right idea.¡± ¡°Not scary?¡± said Lewis feeling incredulous. ¡°He grabbed me by my collar, and told me to sit and guard you or suffer the consequences!¡± ¡°I¡¯m sure he is just stressed.¡± Said Hatori. After a while, the door opens, and Hatori¡¯s team walks in. ¡°How are you feeling?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Great.¡± Said Hatori once again. ¡°He is normal.¡± Said Lewis. ¡°Apparently, he will cherish that terrified face.¡± ¡°Normal then.¡± Said everyone, breathing a sigh of relief. They don¡¯t want Hatori in love with a manipulative branch of the human species with dangerous powers. Who knows what could happen as a result of this union? ¡°Did he tell you what happened after the match?¡± asked Praduman. ¡°Oh yeah,¡± said Hatori. ¡°We won, and then the kings argued or something.¡± ¡°Something.¡± Said Avinash, tapping the arm of his chair. ¡°After an experience like this, I might not leave the Subcontinent for the next ten years. at least we try to kill each other brutally, instead of playing with puppet kings.¡± Hatori does not want to argue with Avinash. Besides, it is hardly the place to share how the powerful families tried to turn him into their puppet so they can secure the future or some such bullshit. ¡°Speaking of that, when can we return to the Subcontinent?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Tomorrow.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°After the award ceremony.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Muttered Josh. ¡°I¡¯m not thrilled to deal with this crowd anymore. they are so easily swayed.¡± ¡°Yeah, the papers are still cursing your names.¡± Said Lewis. ¡°Some of them are quite amusing. I think I will keep them as cuttings.¡± The door opens once more, and a healer enters. ¡°Are you feeling well?¡± he asked. ¡°Yes,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Though I am getting hungry.¡± ¡°That is a good sign.¡± Said the healer. He writes something on the board and then makes a copy of it with a spell. he hands over the conjured paper slip to Avinash. ¡°Feed him these food items, and do not bring anything from outside.¡± ¡°Yes. thanks for the help,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Any time.¡± said the healer with a smile. ¡°Wait, I can¡¯t eat from outside?¡± said Hatori after the healer left. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°Because the world loves balancing things out,¡± said Lewis with a gleeful expression. ¡°You torment everyone around you all the time. so now, it is your turn. Hahahahahahaha!¡± Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Dammit.¡± Hatori could not decide which was worse. The hospital food, or that grading laughter. Ten minutes later, he got his answer. The laughter is definitely the worst one. the food is surprisingly good.

Part 2.

Peter is sitting in his room, experiencing his failure by himself. The team has pretty much split apart after yesterday¡¯s match. he not only lost the trophy, but he could not stop his team from being used in a conspiracy. So, their apathy toward him is justified, he feels. At least Batya has agreed to take him home. Peter suspects most teams have done the same, as the greatest safety is with their monarch, instead of traveling alone. after the award ceremony, it would be a chaotic run, and all the teams will try to leave as fast as they can. the foreign spectators have already fled. Now it is their turn.

Part 3.

¡°I cannot believe you failed so badly.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Everything was set up correctly for you, and yet you still failed.¡± Emmeline wanted to scream. That boy is a monster. That depth of magic she sensed from him; was not just for show. he knows how to use that power for violence. She considers herself lucky enough to get out alive from the ring. But she also knows that this reality is lost upon her mother. ¡°I have made mistakes.¡± She said instead. ¡°But I know how to rectify them.¡± ¡°Oh?¡± asked Amelia, interested in the plan her daughter had come up with. ¡°They will never leave with their prize.¡± Said Emmeline, and then launched into explaining how this plan works.

Part 4.

Porus sighed in disappointment. Almost fifty years since he last left his country, and it is such a disastrous experience. He never could have thought ten years ago that Albus would make such mistakes. ¡°Why are you disappointed so much?¡± asked Chi, the only contemporary of Porus in the current crop. ¡°He brought it on himself. He should have stayed away from those mosquitos.¡± Mosquito is the right term to use for a Succubi. If they manage to get their hopeless victim trapped in their allure, they then suck them dry of their life and their magic slowly with each intercourse, while the victim is unaware of what is happening to him. ¡°That bastard is lucky that we¡¯re such a long distance apart. In the coming war, I would have invaded this place to teach him a lesson otherwise.¡± Grumbled Chi. Zuo Chi is furious. Albus has sullied these tournaments for his machinations, something which he considered sacred. True, losses and wins do happen here, but it is for the children to test themselves against the metal of each other, not for the old politicians to interfere and make them center-stage for their plans.

Part 5.

Though Porus is worried about what is going on in Albion, he does not have an idea of what is going on back home. how can he? He is not some all-knowing narrator after all. Currently, the forces are preparing to lay siege to the City of Throne. Vivek has simple orders. Terrorize the population, and make sure that they can capture the area around the castle. use of force is allowed. Vivek cannot wait to show those unworthy curs to show up and see the city in flames and under their heel. He will then enslave that musician boy, and kill the rest. Maybe keep the girls as entertainment. But why think about them? Vivek is certain that he will have more women to play with once the action starts.

Part 6.

¡°Are the supplies ready?¡± asked Sundar. ¡°Yes, they are kept guarded at all times,¡± said Bajrang. ¡°Have the people moved yet?¡± asked the general. Raven comes back with the news. ¡°They have started to move.¡± Said Raven. ¡°They were reluctant, but after they saw the army approaching, they obeyed quickly,¡± he informs Sundar. Since there were nothing but rumors about it, Sundar could not take any action. Porus is not here, so the wards of the city cannot be activated. Therefore, the general has to prepare for the siege. The training is suspended, and the boys have been notified that they will have to sink or swim in the coming times. Raven is acting as his postman once more, though the general has kept him away from the sensitive information. ¡°Good. prepare the lockdown. Keep the staff inside. Kill anyone who is spying upon us, there will not be a trial. Spread this news.¡± ¡°Yes!¡± said Bajrang and Raven together, saluting Sundar, and leaving to follow his orders. Chapter 193 Chapter 193.

Part 1.

¡°Welcome everyone, we¡¯re joining you live from the Castle Arena. I am Michael Severance, with my partner Samudra Sharma. All the teams have gathered here for the award ceremony, after the final match between Europa and Subcontinent.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Full of twists and turns, that match is among the most controversial in the League¡¯s history.¡± Said Samudra, and the clip of Hatori¡¯s sudden flinch and the withdrawal of his hand is played. ¡°Despite that, the Subcontinent has won this league handily, having no losses on their record. That is very rare to see, I hope these kids are proud of themselves.¡± Said Michael. ¡°Trust me, Michael, they are proud.¡± Said Samudra. The teams in third and second place receive their awards. This is cut by the author to save the digital pages. probably because he couldn¡¯t find any way to build up more plot in that route. You should know he is incompetent like that. ¡°And now, the winners of this year¡¯s league, the Subcontinental Academy!¡± announced the woman over the arena, while Samudra and Michael commentated on the highlights of the team¡¯s performances. Avinash is on the front, and Hatori is next to him. The rest are behind them. the crowd cheers as he lifts the trophy, showing it off by holding it aloft for everyone to admire. ¡°A demonstration of great physical strength by the Subcontinental captain, as that trophy is not exactly a light one,¡± said Michael. ¡°That is correct.¡± Said Samudra. ¡°I wonder whether he might decide to practice weightlifting with it in the future?¡± As they start to walk out, the crowd sees King Albus. Immediately, the chants of ¡°Whipped! Whipped! Whipped!¡± started to echo in the arena, and the king was too flustered to give his speech. The team of Europa is also booed by the crowd. ¡®Yes, we fucked up. no need to rub it in.¡¯ thought Peter privately.

Part 2.

They arrive at their hotel, and Avinash asks the question after putting the trophy in the middle of the suite. ¡°Alright, who knows the object storage runes here? We can¡¯t carry this by hand everywhere all the time.¡± Hatori is the only one to raise his hands. ¡°Great. Seal it in.¡± Some symbols flash over the trophy without Hatori moving from his chair, and these symbols disappear just as quickly as they appear. They saw them disappearing under his sleeves, and Avinash nodded after this was done. ¡°And now, we wait to hear about how exactly are we going to leave this country.¡± ¡°I get the feeling it won¡¯t be peaceful.¡± Muttered Hatori, but none of them heard him, as they were busy talking with each other. He is also worried since he has not seen the coach coming back from the stadium yet.

Part 3.

Albus watches dispassionately, as Dimitri is taken on a stretcher after a beating. It was their good luck that they found the coach separated from the kids in the crowd. from there, they nabbed him and brought him inside of the castle. the man did not come easily though, and even after being imprisoned and beaten, did not break. Though Albus has to abandon the plans of buying the loyalty of the coach, he succeeds in denying the kids the adult figure they need. He has made arrangements for Porus and other monarchs to send them away in grand fashion, but the team from the Subcontinent will not be leaving with their king. instead of an airship, they will leave by the sea. ¡°Go inform the children about the change of plans.¡± He said to his aid, who quickly complied with his orders.

Part 4.

¡°Bullshit!¡± exploded Josh and Praduman after the aid leaves. ¡°There is no reason for them to not let us leave with Porus.¡± Continued Josh. ¡°Though I do agree with them, I still fail to see what is so bad about going through the sea route?¡± asked Tom. ¡°They could have easily sent us with Porus, but they are keeping us separated from him, and sending us back with a slowest method of transport.¡± Explained Avinash. ¡°I suspect we might end up shipwrecked in the middle as well,¡± said Hatori, offering his own paranoid sense. ¡°Bullshit!¡± said Praduman, this time Ravina accompanied him. Hatori stared at them unamused. Though it is true he can be much more paranoid than them, a consequence of his training and upbringing, so he often takes their jokes about his paranoia in stride. But this time, he feels completely correct in his assumption, so he is not amused by their immediate denial. ¡°Damn. You¡¯re serious.¡± Said Ravina, finally realizing the situation. ¡°Of course, I am not kidding.¡± He spoke. ¡°Besides, haven¡¯t you noticed one thing? Dimitri hasn¡¯t returned yet.¡±

Part 5.

¡°What?¡± roared Porus, rattling the windows. ¡°Why are you separating my team from me? and why me only?¡± Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡°Look, do you honestly want a war over just this simple solution? I told you I don¡¯t have enough airships¡ª¡± Porus gives a wordless snarl of rage, and storms out of the office. He does not want to deal with this fool. Threatening war over mere transportation. How the hell he has remained the ruler of this country for so long? Ah yes. those mosquitos helped him. if only he and Zuo Chi could succeed in ending their existence fifty years ago, they wouldn¡¯t have this problem now. Albus feels calm after Porus leaves. He nearly loosened his bowels. Why must the man be so angry all the time? besides, his threat of war is not empty. He has a very powerful navy; he could lock the entire Subcontinent out of the world trade if he wanted to. maybe that is why Porus is so angry? That he cannot do anything about it? ¡°Whatever. Now, the final step.¡± He smiled. They thought they could get away by humiliating him, but these children will learn the final lesson of their lives: never mess with a monarch.

Part 6.

At the port where their ship is docked, there is a swarm of reporters covering their leave. Since the Subcontinental team is the final one to leave, they are getting all the attention. Away from the reporters, however, Avinash is having a conversation with Albus, while Hatori and others keep the attention of the press. ¡°Where is Dimitri?¡± he asked. ¡°Oh, he must be around.¡± Said Albus. ¡°I am sure he will join you on your ship.¡± ¡°Right. give the real answer, and be quick about it,¡± said Avinash. ¡°What? How dare you speak to me like that? For all I know, your coach may have left already, after getting tired of your disrespect.¡± Said Albus. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Said Avinash, glaring at the Albion king. ¡°I suspect you did something. He is alive, or else I¡¯ll come back with my team, and beat you so badly that not even those Succubi will be able to make you move.¡± Done with his threat, Avinash motions everyone to join him on the gangplank and leave this country already. The press, having spoken to the team at length already, takes a picture as they all climb to the ship, the trophy nowhere to be seen. All the while their king stands in the corner, trembling in fear, ignored by everyone. ¡®Why am I surrounded by monsters?¡¯ he thought to himself. ¡®Amelia is right. We have to destroy these aberrations, or they will burn the world.¡¯ He finally stops trembling once the ship leaves the dock and the team leaves his lands officially.

Part 7.

The capital of the Subcontinent is facing a siege. The general decides that he will have the heads of whoever thought that they could cut the protections since the kings are always there to raise the wards. Meanwhile, Vivek is terrified out of his skin. He thought it would be easy to beat up some low-class soldiers. what can they do, hit him with their weak magic? instead, he has to slink around in fear, as some high-level magic is thrown around so casually everywhere. One hit and he will be dead or crippled for life. He spied a young squad and attacked them. unfortunately, the battle wasn¡¯t that long, if it can be called that. That Wretch Raven beat him so easily, and now he is their prisoner. But for the most part, judging by the news, the siege is going in their favor. So, Vivek is hopeful that he will get his freedom, and extract his own pound of flesh from these inferior mages.

Part 8.

The team is on the deck, anxiously looking at the sea. Things are not looking up. the crew has refused to speak with them, and a line has been drawn between them. Hatori is waiting for something bad to happen, and when he senses a large spell, he is ready for the lurch that follows it. ¡°What¡¯s going on?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°Water is filling the ship.¡± Said Josh, looking at the deck below. ¡°I see, you kids are sharper.¡± Said the captain. ¡°But that won¡¯t help you. now, hand over the trophy.¡± ¡°In your dreams,¡± said Avinash, not willing to give up despite being outnumbered. ¡°Listen, kid,¡± said the captain, ¡°We¡¯re not some competitors in a ring here. we will kill you if you resist us.¡± Instead of replying with words, Avinash launches a stream of fire at the captain by waving his foci. Hatori, Tom, and Praduman support him, while others go down to salvage the situation below. Josh starts to freeze the water to stop the sinking, but he knows this is a temporary solution. Meanwhile, the captain is seeing Hatori racking up the body count. Already the boy has killed three of his crew, and two of them are crippled by those two boys. ¡°Dammit.¡± He moves to stop this chaos, but he gets caught up by Avinash¡¯s spell, and the fire clings to him, turning him into a chard mess. The ship gives another lurch, and the teens go down the deck, while the surviving crew members pursue them. ¡°Leave it, it is pointless.¡± Said Avinash. They barge into the emergency room and grab the raft. The crew members try to take the remaining ones, but Hatori burns them before they can go into the water. a large wave comes at the ship, and it breaks in half due to its force. None of the crew survived, but the team managed to escape on the raft. It expanded as soon as it touched the water, and now they are huddled close to each other on this small boat, having no other choice but to trust the waves to take them wherever they wish. Chapter 194 Chapter 194.

Part 1.

Sundar is reading the reports, and issuing orders. For hours, he felt like he had spoken without taking a breath, as he had to command his limited forces against the enemy and ensure the safety of the common people of the city. Now, he has taken a pause. He has directed the forces to the weakest area, and until he gets some new info, he cannot take any new action. ¡°Be ready to withdraw, Bajrang.¡± He spoke. ¡°Sir?¡± asked Bajrang, not expecting to hear those words from the general. ¡°The siege is shifting in the enemy¡¯s favor.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°We¡¯re outnumbered, and the forces outside cannot come to help us. about the only thing we can do is ensure the safety of the people. Therefore, be ready to withdraw, and be ready to live in the castle.¡± ¡°I understand sir.¡± Said Bajrang. Though he can see the distaste on the face of the general clearly, Bajrang understands why he made this decision. He commends his superior for making such a decision, and not letting his own distaste lose him the important side of keeping the people safe.

Part 2.

Durvesh looks at the map. The colors of the territories have changed as their position has improved. The green ones belong to them, the red ones are occupied by the enemy, and the yellow ones are contested. Durvesh looks at the patterns, and with a smile, gives his next orders. ¡°Prepare to push in the market section.¡± He said, pointing to the yellow territory on the map. ¡°Then, we will take over the square near the castle.¡± From that position, they will have an easier time in taking over the castle. Sundar won¡¯t expect that, he will expect some long drawn-out battle. But Durvesh does not plan to give him that.

Part 3.

¡°Fuuuuuuuck!¡± cursed Sundar, observing the attack on the market section. This is right in front of the castle. if they occupy this area, they will be able to surround them from all sides, and since Porus is missing, sooner or later, they will breach the wards. If only he had some wards which didn¡¯t require the presence of a king. fighting a prepared and competent force sucks, and fighting a prepared and competent force is a nightmare when you do not have enough defenses installed. ¡°I swear, nothing will save them from the pain I am going to unleash should I survive. There will be no talks of budget cuts for years to come!¡± snarled the general. ¡°Sir, Zeko is doing well.¡± reminds Bajrang. ¡°Maybe we should tell him to defend this area?¡± ¡°What about his current area?¡± asked Sundar. ¡°It is safe. We can divert him,¡± said Bajrang. ¡°Then do it.¡± sighed Sundar. ¡®Let¡¯s see whether I can salvage one good thing out of this or not.¡¯

Part 4.

¡°Sir, Zeko has come in the way. we can¡¯t take the square.¡± Durvesh receives this news with the seriousness it deserves. True, Zeko alone could not do much to change the fact that they are winning. But he can be a thorn in their side for a long time should they ignore him. ¡°Ignore the square.¡± Said Durvesh. ¡°Circle around, don¡¯t let him move.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± If Zeko is trapped in his position, he won¡¯t be able to stop their march to the castle. once they capture that position of power, their victory will be complete.

Part 5.

Once the invading forces reach the residential area near the castle, Raven and his squad have to face them. since they were green recruits, the invaders did not spend much manpower dealing with them. once they killed their trainers and leaders, they moved on, leaving some stragglers behind to deal with them. Vivek tries to take advantage of this chaos and tries to escape, but Raven kills him. his spell overheated the water in Vivek¡¯s body, and he died being boiled alive inside out. ¡°I am taking over the command.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Any questions?¡± No one said anything. Their entire command structure is wiped out, without establishing the chain of command. In such a case, they conclude that there is no point in arguing against it. As the stragglers come to attack them, Raven mounts a counterattack with the Singh twins, not certain whether they will be alive to tell anyone of their experience to someone. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

Part 6.

Durvesh watches the proceedings, as the camp is dismantled. They are preparing to shift to the castle. there is no resistance left. Some fighting is still going on in the city, but it all will be quelled. Once the castle is taken, it will mark the complete victory for their side, physical as well as symbolic. Naturally, this is the moment when everything started to go wrong. ¡°Sir, we¡¯re sensing a massive buildup of power!¡± said the aid. Durvesh¡¯s head snaps to the direction where his aid has pointed, and he watches in awe as an entire battalion disappears in a tower of flames. The king has returned, and he is furious. Still, Durvesh feels they have a good chance of winning here. they have come so far, so he is not willing to abandon the operation in the middle.

Part 7.

The journey did not take long for Porus. During the entire flight, he slept or meditated, trying to control his anger, as Corvus used to tell him in his younger days. Leaving those children like that left a bad taste in his mouth, particularly after they raised the name of the country so much after years of humiliation. But he could not disregard the threat of war. Albus is unstable enough to follow up on that threat, and Porus does not wish to be on his soil when he starts a war against his country. But now that he is back, he will teach him a lesson. If he thinks that the Subcontinent is going to bow to his small island nation, then he is wrong. However, his plans of vengeance halt, when he senses the chaos outside. the entire country seems to be consumed in battle. The high-level magic thrown around is potent enough to be sensed in the sky. Anyone else would have thought about what is going on here, or why is this happening. But not Porus. He knows why is this happening. He got overconfident. He left, and the damn traitors seized the chance of taking over the country. Seeing his beautiful city be tarnished with corpses, blood, and fire doesn¡¯t help his already frayed temper, so he jumps from the ship, and lands in the middle of the army. When his feet touched the ground, the entire battalion was turned into ashes in a towering pillar of flames. This is followed by a swath of destruction he leaves behind, as he moves to the castle, killing anyone who tries to stop him. Once he was inside, he thought of speaking with the general, but he then decided there was not enough time. barging into the throne room, he sits on the throne and activates the wards. The city has its wards risen, and the castle has turned into a fortress. A towering image of Porus appears in the sky, and the voice of the king comes out of this image. ¡°All invaders will die; none will be spared.¡± He said simply, not wanting to waste any more of his words on these worms. The castle starts to disassemble, and the disassembled pieces take the shape of chess pieces. There is a king, two rooks, two queens, which have seen some combat judging by their damaged state, one knight, which is also damaged much like the queens, and a bishop which does not have any damage on it. along with these pieces, there are eight pawns. These pieces attack the army, and the pawns get promoted to more powerful pieces as they kill and rampage among the enemies. More queens, knights, and rooks appear as a result of this rampage, and the blood of the murdered enemies is used to perform the ritual which results in the creation of more pawns. By the time the entire army is routed, there are a total of ten queens and eight pawns on the field, and the entire city is brimming with their magic. the fortresses and other outposts located far away also receive the message, and the reinforcements are being sent. The general barges into the throne room, and lifts the barely lucid king. ¡°Stop this already.¡± He commands him. ¡°I must leave.¡± Slurred Porus. ¡°I cannot defend myself here.¡± Sundar wanted to argue against it, but looking at the state of Porus, he agreed. ¡°Fine. Take a team with you. and leave everything with me.¡± he said. Porus smiled. He could not hear the names the general was barking, but he was certain that his general would take care of things, and would take advantage of the chance he had provided him with.

Part 8.

The nobles receive the letter of Durvesh. ¡°He said to deliver this to you.¡± said the aid, ¡°Right before he died.¡± The content of the letter is simple. The general has told them to press on the attack, as Porus will not be in any shape to fight them after his display of power. plus, the city is weakened, and if they keep a blockade, no reinforcements will reach them. ¡°In honor of General Durvesh Banerjee, we will press on!¡± ¡°We will press on!¡± agreed others. Chapter 195 Chapter 195.

Part 1.

They are carried in the waves, the raft which they managed to grab at the last moment barely carrying them. after a while of being pushed around here and there, they end up on a rock and lose their raft in the process. they have to scramble for the purchase on this rock, but once they do, they get on top of it and remain there. They have remained on this rock for eight hours, and after resting, and seeing the sun rising in the sky, they are all awake and yet remain badly shaken by yesterday¡¯s events. ¡°We need to get off this rock.¡± Hatori is arguing, ¡°We don¡¯t know how long we can stay here; the water will drown us sooner or later.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Besides, there is no food or anything for us here to survive long-term.¡± ¡°But how are we going to do this?¡± asked Praduman. ¡°We will have to conjure something.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We can¡¯t conjure a ship.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°None of us are that powerful. I doubt even Porus could do it.¡± ¡°But we don¡¯t have to get a full ship, just a raft big enough to carry us,¡± said Hatori. ¡°We can easily do that if we pool our power together.¡± ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s try this.¡± Said Avinash. They join hands, and by pooling their magic together, they try to conjure up a raft, somewhat like the one that carried them to this rock. Unfortunately, the spell fizzles out before producing any result. Hatori is disappointed. He thought this would work, and it would prove to be a way to get to some safer location than this. ¡°Don¡¯t feel bad,¡± said Avinash. ¡°It was a great suggestion. We¡¯re just shaken badly, and can¡¯t focus properly, that¡¯s why it failed.¡± ¡°Yeah, we¡¯ll try again after resting for a few hours.¡± Said Shin.

Part 2.

¡°Is he alive?¡± asked one guard. ¡°Yeah, and be quiet. He can hear you.¡± said another guard. He did not make any motion that he heard their conversation. ¡°To remain alive after that beating, they truly make them different in Scythia.¡± ¡°Yeah, they do.¡± Said the second guard. ¡°But he is about to be unmade. The king is going to kill him for resisting him.¡± They are bringing him to another room, likely to shift him to some more secure location. But he will not give them any chances. While he has been left alone, his runes worked overtime to repair his body. it is not a complete recovery, but it is good enough to escape here. with a snap, the straps come undone, and the guards turn around in alarm. But it is too late. With two precise spells, he blasts both of their hearts out, and then Dimitri starts to find his way out of this place. Anyone who gets in his way is treated as hostile and quickly eliminated, and by the time he escapes the building, it is nothing but a burning wreckage. ¡®I must find my students.¡¯ Is the only thought in his head as he leaves the trail of destruction behind. Later, King Albus comes to watch the destruction left behind and blanched in fear. ¡°Find him,¡± he said, barely choking out these words. ¡°Find him, and kill him!¡± He cannot let such a dangerous mage wander around his country, especially in such a delicate time.

Part 3.

Just as they thought, after resting for a few hours, in the middle of the day, they tried to conjure a raft for themselves to leave this rock. They have been lucky enough that the sun is not shining harshly, or it has not started to rain, because there is no place to hide from either of those things on this rock. The attempt fizzles out once again, and apart from a few sparks, there is nothing to show for their effort. Not even Avinash has to offer some words of encouragement. Disappointed by their failed effort, the entire team huddles close up and falls asleep. The cold air makes them shiver, but that is not enough to keep them awake, as they are exhausted beyond their limits. Not only they have given two solid tries to conjure a large object, but they have not recovered from the previous day¡¯s events yet, and haven¡¯t eaten for a full day by this point. all of this is enough for them to ignore the cold wind, and try to get as much sleep as they can get. Hatori wakes up, not being able to stay asleep for too long. He sensed something at the edge of his awareness. In the middle of the sea, it could be anything from an animal or a creature, to perhaps a ship passing by. Hoping it is not some kind of sea monster, he extracts himself from the embrace of Shin and Josh, and moves to the corner to see what it is. he is glad to find out that it is not some sea monster. In fact, it is a floating ship, but Hatori does not sense any human presence on it. the fact that it is not drowning despite that is a bonus in his opinion. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Hey, wake up guys!¡± he said to them. ¡°We have a chance to leave this place.¡± ¡°What up?¡± asked Avinash, not fully awake. ¡°There¡¯s a ship. Josh, come help me up already!¡± said Hatori, trying to drag the ship to their rock. Waking up with a startled yelp, Josh moves to help him. together, they manipulate the water, and through carefully directed waves, they push the ship to their rock. Once it is close enough, they admire it from close. It may not be the most luxurious ship, but currently, it might very well be the most luxurious boat. ¡°Do you think it is safe for us?¡± asked Tom. ¡°Given it is floating without humans safely, I do think so.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Besides, it is a risk we need to take if we wish to escape this rock.¡± ¡°I say we should take this ship.¡± Said Daphne, and others nodded in agreement. They pile onto the ship, and despite their added weight, it does not sink at all. Avinash scans the length for any damage, and after finding none, he breathes a sigh of relief. ¡°What are we going to do for water?¡± asked Shin, already feeling his voice croak due to the lack of water. Hatori brings up some water from the sea and filters it with some spells. though the water is still somewhat salty, it is safe for them to drink. After drinking as much as they can, they all go to sleep, and Josh who was steering the ship while Hatori filters the water for them, leaves it to float around just like it did before. Hopefully, they will not be at the bottom of the sea by the time they wake up.

Part 4.

Dimitri moved fast. He has no choice but to do so, as the men of the king are after him, and he will not be able to avoid them for too long. Acquiring a paper, he learns that the boys were sent home on a ship through sea, which sank. This did not sound right to Dimitri, as a ship in the sea when fully enchanted, can only be drowned by some sea monster, or if a battle breaks out over it. Porus has already left, so he must track down the boys himself. He stole a lot of money from the people whom he left behind dead, and though it was not enough to pay for the boat, the man gave up the vessel due to his threats. Now he must track down his team, and find a way to return them back home safely. He is not worried about anyone tracking him in the sea. True, his escape is a big matter, but the Albion king is going to have some bigger troubles in his hands. so, Dimitri is not worried about being tracked down and captured. Besides, once he crosses the Albion waters, they will have no jurisdiction over him. given the time that passed between the ship leaving and sinking, Dimitri is certain it is somewhere near the Gallia. So, he makes his way to those waters, hoping for the safety of his team.

Part 5.

The next day, the teens wake up. they have not eaten for two days, though having some water has improved the mood a little. They go around the ship but do not find any map, or any identifying information about the previous owner of this ship. ¡°Looks like we have to follow the waves blindly.¡± Sighed Avinash. ¡°Yeah, looks like that,¡± said Shin. ¡°Still, how the hell did this ship end up being abandoned?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think that is important for us to know.¡± Said Hatori, helping Tom and Josh in steering the ship. ¡°The only thing which we should be concerned about is finding some island or something.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Said Ravina. ¡°Besides, knowing the previous owners will not help us in getting out of this situation.¡±

Part 6.

Here¡¯s an overview of the reaction all over the world to the chaos currently going on in the Subcontinent. Some of the monarchs especially in Asia consider it a chance of sorts, to occupy the position of the Subcontinent, while it is weakened. Others like Zuo Chi are worried, as chaos like this can easily spread in their own borders. The rest of the world is still watching, waiting for the right moment to choose their action. The Subcontinent is rarely gripped in chaos at such a large scale, but whenever it has encountered these situations in the past, it has managed to come out better than before. So, the hopes among the allies are high, but others are actively looking for the chance to exploit. In particular, they want to show their dominance in the ocean. For if they can do that, when the Subcontinent gets out of its power struggles, it has to bend to them if they manage to grab large portions of the ocean through their navies.

Part 7.

¡°Hey, look! I see the land.¡± Said Praduman. They steer the ship towards it, and after getting close enough to make the jump, they get to the ground. To make sure that the ship does not float away, they tie it down with conjured steel chains. ¡°Now, to find some food. I am starving!¡± said Josh. Immediately, many people surround them, demanding their surrender, while the entire team is experiencing a headache. ¡°You just have to open your big mouth, don¡¯t you?¡± grumbled Hatori. Chapter 196 Chapter 196.

Part 1.

General Sundar is trapped in the castle along with some of his surviving forces. The city is still going through the siege. Though Porus¡¯s rampage cleared the invaders, a new bunch showed up before they could take advantage of the opportunity the king provided them, and they also blocked the reinforcements coming to their aid. So, the city is trapped between the general, who is also restricted in the castle, the forces of the enemy outside, and the enemy force itself is trapped by the reinforcements. This has resulted in a stalemate which has persisted so far, despite the best attempts of all sides to break it. On top of all this, the general has received the news of various regions rebelling, no doubt seeking to establish their autonomy now that the throne is weakened, and the general himself is trapped and unable to act. Sundar does not know where the king is, or where the team is he sent to track him. though he told Porus that he would get him out of the castle, he put him in the hospital rather than let him go. But despite his weak state, he disappeared, and the general has to send a squad to track him down, and bring him back if possible. At least his apprentice is doing well, even though he broke the chain of command. No one has called him out on it, particularly because there was no chain of command at that time, and they got better things to do than berating a green lad.

Part 2.

the team is facing the sailors and those in charge of this port. though these are young-looking boys, the man is not taking any chances. He cannot afford to in these times. though he did let them have a moment to deal with their headache. Looks like they have recently taken the language potion. One of them steps up, and asks in the perfect Gallian, ¡°Where are we?¡± ¡°This is a port in the Gallia.¡± Said the man in charge, not revealing anything further. ¡°You would know this if you have a map.¡± ¡°Yeah, no. we ended up here by complete accident, also because we don¡¯t have a map.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°We also have to find that ship.¡± They turn to the rickety old thing. The fact that it is above the surface is a miracle. They do get some sympathy in their salty hearts for these kids, but that is not enough to give them a long-term place to stay here. Avinash decides to get on the point. ¡°Look, you don¡¯t want us, we don¡¯t want to stay here either. Just give us a map and some supplies, and we will leave.¡± a man comes to the in charge. some hurried words are exchanged, and Hatori hears about the team, tournament, shipwrecked, and now lost. it perfectly described their situation. ¡°Tell you what, I will host you here for a day, tomorrow we will let you know.¡± so, they waited for an entire day on the island. during this time, they got some food, and a shower, which did wonders for their self-esteem. Still, they are not out of the hostile territory. Until they are back in their homes, anything and everyone is hostile as far as they are concerned. the next morning, the port in charge comes to meet Avinash. ¡°We cannot give you an airship,¡± he said, which does not come as a surprise. ¡°However, your request for supplies and a map has been approved. Your ship is also being repaired currently, and you can leave tomorrow.¡± next day, they get their ship returned, freshly stacked with supplies and a map, and also repaired. Hatori senses a familiar signature, and he then sees Lewis coming off from the ship. ¡°So, you work here now?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah. didn¡¯t expect to run into you like this here,¡± he said. ¡°Anyway, here¡¯s your ship. You are free to leave any time.¡± ¡°Great.¡± Said Avinash. They all pile up, and without thinking of how will they navigate in the sea with no experience, they all leave for the ocean. ¡°Thanks for the help. I will go easy next time on you; you can surrender to me then.¡± Said Hatori as a parting shot, leaving a mad Lewis behind.

Part 3.

Dimitri shows that he has the passport to be here. the prisoners back at Albion did not have time to unravel his storage runes before he escaped. Therefore, Dimitri is now having an easier time in moving around and requesting an audience with the king of Gallia. Given he is the coach of the recent winners of the International School Dueling League, his request is granted. He tells what has happened to him, and how he is searching for his team. The king listens to his entire account in the grim silence. ¡°That is concerning,¡± said Henry, leaning back on his throne. ¡°Albus has gone at a deep end. I fear the rest of us are going to pay the cost of his madness.¡± Dimitri opened his mouth. He does not care anything about any cost right now. he wants to find his team. The king deduced his thoughts from his face, so he smiled and said: ¡°Yes, your team did end up on one of my ports. Sadly, the matter was brought to me too late. They have already left with some supplies.¡± ¡°Then give me a boat of my own,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°I wish to track them down.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Henry. ¡°I will grant this request of yours. Just be careful, the waters are quite deceptive these days.¡± Dimitri nodded. the king is not only referring to the ocean but the world in general.

Part 4.

The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation. On the ship in the night, Hatori is working with some runes. By this point, it is not strange for them to see some symbols floating around him every now and then, and Hatori has also lost his worries about them copying his scripting style. The work he does with his runes is pretty advanced, and the scripting style he uses is pretty niche. Coupled with the securities he has built to prevent someone from copying his work, it is pretty hard for anyone to steal his work for their own. Besides, there is not much point in thinking about the scripting. Sooner or later, they are broken. Just take the example of the room of frozen time, which Hatori and James dismantled after a few trials and errors. However, Hatori thinks that it would not have been possible should the creator of that room be there to guard it. ¡°What are you doing?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Creating a storage array.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°To store this ship should we need to.¡± ¡°That is a good idea.¡± Said Avinash with approval. The path to their homeland is a long and filled with danger. It is best to secure their ship in the meantime, rather than lose it, and end up in their previous situation, trapped on some rock while they slowly die of thirst and from the lack of food.

Part 5.

The nobles meet, called by Jeevan Reddy. At this point, they are effectively under his leadership. They discuss the topic of the siege going on in the City of Throne, and the missing Porus, and a closing statement shocks all of them. ¡°I plan to invade the Academy.¡± said the woman. ¡°There she goes again, the mad Aarna.¡± Taunted one of the Sharmas. ¡°Yeah, what makes you think you can take that fortress?¡± asked Jeevan. ¡°It is not that difficult.¡± Said Aarna. ¡°Besides, we Chatterjee can be quite persistent when it comes to taking down heavily warded places. that headmaster is quite old, and once we remove him, it will mark another blow to the previous regime.¡± ¡°That sounds good in theory. But I don¡¯t think you can pull this off.¡± Said the Sharma once again. ¡°Besides, what good it would do us anyway?¡± ¡°Why, teaching the children their proper places from the very start.¡± Exclaimed Aarna. ¡°I hear that a revolution of sorts has taken place there recently, in which our noble children have been removed from their rightful place. I will fix that by taking over that place.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said Jeevan. ¡°But don¡¯t expect any assistance from us.¡± ¡°Trust me, I don¡¯t,¡± she said confidently. ¡°When I take over that place, you all will be bowing to me all the same.¡± In a huff, she leaves the meeting. The other nobles look at her leaving and exchange a look between them. She is playing with fire. It is one thing to rebel against the throne, but it is an entirely different matter to challenge the Institute, something which none of them are willing to do.

Part 6.

In the morning, they all wake up to see a boat chasing them. ¡°How the hell? I thought this sort of thing would be impossible in the sea.¡± Grumbled Ravina. ¡°Magic.¡± smiled Hatori. ¡°You shut your mouth!¡± she screamed at him. ¡°Wait, the guy looks familiar.¡± Said Josh. As the boat gets closer, they recognize who is on that boat. ¡°Dimitri.¡± Said Avinash. As the boat comes closest as it can get to the ship, they give him a rope, and Dimitri is then pulled to the ship. ¡°That was very dangerous.¡± He complained. ¡°You are here, aren¡¯t you?¡± said Avinash. A beam of light comes to the ship and disappears into Hatori¡¯s sleeves. ¡°Well, I can store the boats. I should be able to store this ship soon enough.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That is good.¡± said the coach. ¡°We need to keep our options open, given what has happened.¡± ¡°Yeah, tell us what happened to you?¡± asked Shin. Then Dimitri talks about his kidnapping, his escape, his meeting with the Gallian king, and his arrival to the sea. ¡°It proved hard, but I knew where you would go, so I kept on the same path, and caught up with you.¡± ¡°Wow. I never thought it would be possible to get angry so much,¡± said Daphne. ¡°I always knew there were new limits to my anger.¡± Said Hatori with a smile. ¡°But I think we can¡¯t express it just yet. We need to go home first.¡± ¡°Hatori is right,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°It doesn¡¯t matter what happened to me. the important thing is that I must bring you to your homes safely, fulfilling my responsibilities as a coach. Nothing else matters.¡±

Part 7.

James reads the newspaper in the morning, still hoping to get some news about his friends. but apart from the chaos gripping the country, he hears nothing about the missing dueling team. given what is going on in general, James thinks it is nothing unusual that a bunch of boys and girls have disappeared, though given their importance overall, he thinks they do deserve some articles at least, not this complete blackout. Of course, this can be explained by the invaders and noble families taking over the press. The team contains many people who are problematic for their vision. So, it is natural for them to silence any news about them. A civil war is a new experience for the Subcontinent, something which it has not gone through for a long time now. during such chaotic times, the healers in the Academy become even more valuable, as they can heal anyone who can reach them. As he puts his newspaper down, James feels the tension of the wards of the school. ¡®Looks like there won¡¯t be many people coming for quite some time.¡¯ He goes to speak with Slaughter and learns from him how to handle this situation. James is certain that the experienced man will know how to best use his current skills. Chapter 197 Chapter 197.

Part 1.

James comes out of the hospital area, only to hear a bell ringing. He still has not found Slaughter yet, and students and professors alike are lost at this new sound. None of them heard this before, so the importance of this bell was lost on them. Of course, someone decides to clear the confusion. ¡°Attention Magecraft and Sorcery Academy. I am Aarna Chatterjee, here to invade and capture this institute. Surrender and you will be spared. Resist, and you will die. Thank you.¡± ¡®Well, that is one way to clear the confusion.¡¯ Thinks James. He doubts anyone will surrender though. not as long as they got Corvus with them. He is proven right, as the professors and researchers who are always at each other¡¯s throats unite behind Corvus, and prepare to fight this invasion. A new chapter in the history of the Academy is about to be written today.

Part 2.

The team plus their coach stop at a port to get some supplies. It is important to have enough food and water during their travel, for it is hard or outright impossible to acquire both of these things in the middle of the ocean. Rather than anchor the ship, Hatori tests the completed array, and the ship disappears into his sleeve in a beam of light. ¡°Excellent.¡± He declared. Of course, he also set up a summoning array on the ship, so they could summon it to their location if they needed to. power is still an issue when it comes to that, but given how strong Hatori is compared to the average mage, it would not present a problem much. besides, he can always pool his power with someone else to pull the ship to them if need be. As they all walk around the island, while Avinash and Dimitri bargain for the supplies, they are observed by another group of people. Once they got their supplies and left for the sea, this group also piled up in their own ship and chased after them from some distance.

Part 3.

Corvus pointed and laughed at the retreating forces. He, of course, has a big reason for this. When the invasion began, the invaders had a grand old time. they destroyed things as they pleased, and younger students were fleeing from them. but soon enough, the tables are turned on them, when the professors and the older students begin to fight back. The wards of the school did not help any. There were so many of them that it would have taken months to remove all the layers, breaking these wards and fighting the students and professors at the same time proved to be impossible. One squad went into the forest to capture the animals, specifically elephants to use in future invasions. But the only thing they got was a horrific death for their trouble. When the animals came out of the forest, the invading forces broke and started to run. During this chaos, Aarna is killed, and Corvus is happy because he does not have to lift a single finger to break this force. ¡°Haw. Haw.¡± He laughed and pointed. ¡°Better luck, next time!¡± ¡°Headmaster!¡± chided Dhiraj. ¡°We do not want another invasion!¡± ¡°Ah, but that is where you are wrong, boy,¡± said Corvus. ¡°There will be a next time. and it wouldn¡¯t be an incompetent force like this one.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll get the wards ready.¡± Said Dhiraj, and left. ¡°You do that,¡± he grumbled. ¡°While I get the students to get used to their new reality.¡±

Part 4.

After leaving the port, the team and their coach just started to relax, but suddenly, they saw the ship pursuing them. ¡°Pirates.¡± Said Dimitri, recognizing the ship with a scratched-out flag. ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°We don¡¯t have any weapons, and I doubt conventional dueling will be any useful in fighting on the ocean surface.¡± ¡°You are correct.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°We have to wait and see.¡± The pirates are not interested in negotiation. They use grapple hooks to attach their ship, and through the ropes, quickly board their ship. Avinash cursed, maybe he should have asked Hatori and Josh to build some wards to protect from that. but for now, it is too late. He will do that if they get out of this alive. ¡°Pretty young bunch here.¡± said one of the pirates. ¡°Search the ship.¡± Five minutes later, the leader gets the report. He is not pleased; the ship has nothing valuable at all. ¡°Fine!¡± he snarled, ¡°Take them with us. The captain will be pleased at least.¡± After blindfolding them, they take their captives to their ship. They disengage the grapple hooks from the empty ship and present their captives to their captain. ¡°Hmm. those lads are quite useless, though I suppose I can sell them as slaves.¡± ¡°What about the girls, captain?¡± asked one of the crew. ¡°We¡¯ll keep them, of course! Now collar one of those boys. start with that one,¡± he points to Hatori. ¡°I don¡¯t like the way he is standing. He is defying my authority.¡± As the collar is brought to Hatori, he sees the runes on it. all of them are concerned with complete mental and physical domination. Hatori knew that he would never be free if this was put on him. rather than live such an existence, he prefers death. So, he flipped out. the crew member who was about to collar him is blown to pieces, while the captain is thrown from his chair. Hatori then attacked the other crew members, fighting like a berserk, using fire and lightning liberally on the ship. Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. Now free, Avinash and others take anything valuable they can find, and store them in the rune arrays on their wrists. These valuables will come in handy for trading supplies in the future, as they are kind of running out of money they carry with them. ¡°No, please, spare me. Get away from me, you monster!¡± said the captain, fearing this empty-eyeless boy who had just murdered all of his crew, and destroyed his ship. ¡°Too late.¡± Hatori stomps on his head, crushing it beneath his boot. ¡°Ghar!¡± he roared as if challenging anyone to try and enslave him. ¡°Easy now,¡± said Daphne and Josh, putting their hands on his shoulder, and calming Hatori down. ¡°Summon the ship.¡± Said Avinash, ¡°Or else we¡¯re going to drown with these pathetic sacks of meats.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said Hatori. He summons their ship to their location, and after moving to it by using grappling hooks once again, they leave the burning pirate vessel behind, leaving its dead crew to drown in the sea.

Part 5.

The noble faction meets once again, called by Jeevan Reddy. If it weren¡¯t for the throne being still out of their control, they would have tried to overthrow him. They are getting sick of his control already. ¡°So, I assume you all have heard the news?¡± he asked, once they were all seated. ¡°It is what we predicted.¡± Said the Sharma representative. ¡°Yes, we told her it was a bad idea.¡± Said another noble. ¡°Too bad she did not listen.¡± ¡°True.¡± Said Jeevan. ¡°Do you have any will to try this again?¡± ¡°Not any of us.¡± said the Sharma representative. ¡°I still have to pacify my clan. That Surendra is proving to be a thorn in my side.¡± ¡°Same here.¡± said the other noble. ¡°Though I hear a most interesting news.¡± ¡°Indeed?¡± asked Jeevan, leaning forward in interest. ¡°I hear that Durjan is making an attempt.¡± Said the noble, and delighted in the shocked expression. Jeevan composes himself after this latest news. ¡°I suppose we can say goodbye to a nomad hoard then. I don¡¯t think they will succeed either.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Said Sharma''s representative. ¡°But they can weaken the Academy for us.¡± ¡°Now, that is an idea.¡± Clapped Jeevan, and the discussion began about how to deal with a weakened institute of magecraft.

Part 6.

Raven returns from his scouting mission. ¡°Yep, no changes.¡± He reported. ¡°The blockade is still strong.¡± ¡°Very well. Tell Bajrang that he has the watch. You can go rest.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Yessir!¡± said Raven, saluting the general, and leaving to perform his final orders. They are trapped in the castle with the wards up. no one can get in, but they don¡¯t have any control over the city. They have enough food and water to survive for years. the supply is enough that they are likely to die before it will run out. But all of that is useless when Sundar is unable to exert his influence in the city and drive away the enemy. If he could launch attacks, then they would be trapped between him and the reinforcements outside, and then they could clean them up. but he cannot do that, because he cannot leave this castle unprotected. The throne must be kept safe, after all. This inactivity and lack of resources are eating the general, and he is not certain how long he can maintain his calm. But he must refrain from making a rash move. If he did that, he would lose the lives of the young men, who all trust him to make the right decisions.

Part 7.

Walking down to this underground dungeon, Shakuntala goes to one specific cell. ¡°Look at you now,¡± she said to the skinny figure on the floor. ¡°How the mighty have fallen. The most handsome boy of the school is now reduced to this.¡± ¡°We haven¡¯t been to school for almost 20 years,¡± said Jimmy. His voice is croaking, a sign that he has not given any water for a long time now. Shakuntala¡¯s face twists in fury, and she resists the urge to lash out. despite all the torments, those words have proven that Jimmy has not lost his spirit. ¡°Maybe I will take your son from the Academy, and then you will be willing to tell me where the research is, hm?¡± ¡°Research, research, research. You think nothing else. Maybe if you had tried to do something on your own, you wouldn¡¯t have to scramble for your sister¡¯s legacy like a starved dog.¡± Said Jimmy, not afraid at all. ¡°And besides, you can¡¯t touch James. Because if you could, you would have already brought him here.¡± Opening the cell door, she slaps him, and Jimmy rolls on the ground, having an imprint of Shakuntala¡¯s hand on his cheek. ¡°Where is the research, you damn cur? Where is it!¡± ¡°It is useless now.¡± he laughed, unconcerned with the pain. ¡°The boy already cracked it.¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Shakuntala. ¡°Hatori.¡± Shakuntala snarls in rage, and with a blasting spell, reduces Jimmy¡¯s head into a paste. All that effort of capturing him, imprisoning him, torturing him, it all went to waste. Shakuntala thought that as the regime changed, she would be able to get that research, as she had lost the case against Jimmy. But one crippled boy got in her way again. At first, he filled James¡¯s head with confidence, and now he even cracked something that she thought was impossible and something that she wanted for herself. ¡°No matter. No blind boy is going to get in my way. if he has cracked it, then I will pull it out of his mind, and then kill him!¡± she snarled at Jimmy¡¯s corpse and left the dungeon. She has to call the cleaning crew and send the body to her nephew. That is the least she can do to be his aunt. Chapter 198 Chapter 198.

Part 1.

¡°As I told you,¡± Corvus is saying to Dhiraj, ¡°We are going to experience another attack.¡± ¡°Yes?¡± asked Dhiraj, opening the door of his lab, not liking where this was going. ¡°Apparently, some nomad warlord has decided it would be a great idea to attack this fine institute of learning.¡± Said Corvus, taking an empty seat. ¡°Unlike our previous invader, this one is better prepared.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll inform the students.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Make them drill the safety routines.¡± ¡°Good choice.¡± Said Corvus. ¡°I¡¯ll raise the wartime wards.¡± The wartime wards are exactly what they sound like. These are lethal wards raised in the Academy during times of conflict to resist attacks from outside. given the coming invader, they need these wards, because Corvus does not want to take a chance, and hope this attacker is just as stupid as the last one. thinking like that always ends up disastrously in the world they live in.

Part 2.

The country has descended into chaos. The king has disappeared, and the law and order are not stable. Therefore, it is not a surprise that incidents like this one are taking place. These are nameless children, who just witnessed their place of residence being destroyed by the invaders. And now, they are forcefully taken to the noble who has just captured this city. Naturally, whatever plans this noble may have for them are not good for their health. ¡°Halt!¡± demands a tall man, blocking the path of the soldiers who are taking these children. ¡°Release those children, or die.¡± ¡°Who do you think you are?¡± asked the leader, before he got a closer look at the man. ¡°No way, you are dead!¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Then the attack began. Though the mysterious man regrets showing the children such violence, using high-level fire magic in front of them, and burning these soldiers alive, he feels he has no other choice but to do this to save their lives. ¡°Come, I have a safer place for you,¡± he said to them. Terrified, these children followed him, and after he left them to another home for nameless children, he disappeared. Porus is still not willing to come out to the public. However, he also recognizes that the longer he waits, the longer he has to witness such atrocities.

Part 3.

¡°Emperor,¡± said the man, entering the throne room. ¡°Ah, Feng Lei. Come. Come.¡± Welcomed Zuo Chi. ¡°What news do you bring?¡± ¡°I hear that the Subcontinent is still in the throws of their civil war, and so far, this war is not showing any signs of stopping.¡± Said Feng Lei. ¡°Hmm. so that is why Porus is off the radar.¡± Hummed Zuo Chi. ¡°Tell me, is the unrest near the mountainous region related to this?¡± ¡°Partly, but we are unable to confirm this.¡± Said Feng Lei. ¡°Though your suspicion would be correct that these two events are linked.¡± ¡°I suspect some third party.¡± Said Zuo Chi. ¡°But the problem is, who could it be? I already made sure that the Succubi cannot enter my lands. But it does not mean that they can¡¯t send their proxies to do their dirty work.¡± ¡°I will start evaluating all the foreigners and foreign-returning citizens.¡± Said Feng Lei, noting this task in his notebook. ¡°Do that. also, keep an eye on the events, things can spiral out of control before we even realize it,¡± said Zuo Chi. Feng nods at his orders and then leaves. Though he has taken all the measures he can, Zuo Chi is still not feeling secure. All his instincts are screaming at him that his measures are not good enough. But why they are not good enough, he does not know.

Part 4.

Raven returns from another scouting run and reports to General Sundar. ¡°Any change in the blockade?¡± asked Sundar, since this is the most important question for him. ¡°Sadly, no.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I did hear about the invasion of the Academy.¡± ¡°Figures. I suppose it failed?¡± asked Sundar. ¡°Yeah. but the news arrived here quite late. Some details are very unclear still.¡± Said Raven. ¡°That happens in the times such as these.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Any news about Porus?¡± ¡°Have to disappoint you there too. Not a mention of him anywhere.¡± Said Raven. The general sighed. ¡°Very well. dismissed.¡± Looks like the general will not get to leave his current position any time soon. At least the young boys are performing well, despite their inexperience. Also, the attempts of entry have been paused as the wards have stopped anyone from entering, wounding anyone who tried to do so fatally.

Part 5.

The team mourns their lost ship, watching as the wreckage floats away. After they got away from the first pirate group, they had an easier time for a while. until this other ship appeared and rammed into their own ship. After that, they got swarmed, and in no time, got captured. This group of pirates is more competent than the last one, and the captain destroys their ship before they leave. ¡°Now, I never thought I would find the Subcontinent team out on the ocean, floating alone.¡± said the captain. ¡°By the way, I am quite a fan of you boy, tossing a girl like that, only a real villain can do that.¡± Hatori does not feel any joy from this compliment. ¡°But even though I like you, it is not going to be enough to save you. the Albion or Subcontinent will give a nice ransom for you. put them in the holding cell, and we sail to Albion.¡± Ordered the captain. Once they are tossed in the cell, they huddle together. ¡°What do we do now?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Even if we somehow survive this, we don¡¯t have a ship of our own.¡± This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience. ¡°We will have to take over this one.¡± decides Hatori. ¡°Agreed.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°But how do we do that?¡± ¡°First, we need to knock out or disorient the crew. Then¡­¡± said Hatori, explaining the plan. When someone comes to check up on them, they assault this guy, and Shin escapes. After amplifying his voice, he started to sing, and the crew of the ship got drunk as if they had been consuming tons of alcohol. The captain remains unaffected, however, so he runs down to the cell himself, as he is unable to snap the crew out of their funk. ¡°Stop it, stop it I say!¡± he launches a spell at Shin, but Hatori and Dimitri appear and shield him from the spell. ¡°Step number 2.¡± Said Hatori, and Avinash joined them, while others left to kill the weakened crew. ¡°You won¡¯t succeed, you hear me?¡± said the captain, building up his magic for a destructive attack. ¡°No. you won¡¯t get away with this.¡± Said Dimitri. The captain brings a giant parrot, made of water. in response, Avinash and Hatori bring out their tiger and eagle respectively. The wood starts to burn wherever the tiger steps and the eagle leaves scorch marks wherever it collides with the interior of the ship. This starts an elemental brawl, where the captain is fighting against Hatori and Avinash, while Dimitri waits to get his chance. ¡°You idiots. Such high-level spells will overwhelm this ship, it will break apart and take us all under the sea!¡± warned the captain. ¡°We¡¯ll take that chance.¡± Said Hatori and Avinash together, and the eagle and the tiger overwhelmed the water parrot. It explodes and floods the entire area where they were fighting, putting out the fire, but nearly drowning them. Dimitri took his shot and killed the captain, and the wards on the ship unravel after his death. Dismissing their elemental spells, Hatori and Avinash, together with Dimitri run to the deck, where they warn their teammates about the impending destruction of the ship. ¡°Hurry up, we can¡¯t stay on this ship!¡± hollered Hatori and Avinash. ¡°What?¡± asked the others. ¡°Don¡¯t ask, just join me already!¡± said Hatori, bringing out Dimitri¡¯s boat from the runic array in his wrist. They all jumped into this boat, and the ship broke into the pieces behind them. They have the same bad luck with the ship as the author has with houses. The boat is carrying far beyond its capacity, so it starts to sink. Luckily for them, they are not far from an island. They beach the boat on this island, nearly flooding the beach with the water they brought in with them, and then get off of this boat in a hurry. Looks like once more, they are trapped in the middle of the sea, with no apparent way back to their home. After getting over their shock of such an abrupt crash, Dimitri recovers from this shock first and rouses others as well. ¡°We need to make a camp, we can¡¯t stay here out in the open like this.¡± Thus, they made a camp, lit some fire, and Avinash and Tom brought some fish from the sea. The island is big enough to have some resources for surviving here, but they know that they will not be surviving there for too long. The next day, Avinash proposes a way to get out of this island. ¡°We need to make a raft.¡± He said to them. ¡°We can use the boat as its base, use the wood available here to expand it, and enchant it to carry our weight and take us to some better place than this.¡± ¡°Fine. But that would require extensive woodworking.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Who here has that kind of talent?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Said Praduman. ¡°I am not an expert, but I can follow instructions.¡± ¡°That is something.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Leave the work of enchanting and protection to me, Josh, and Ravina.¡± ¡°Then we will gather food and water,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°We will need both of those things to survive in the sea.¡± ¡°True.¡± Nodded Avinash. ¡°I¡¯ll keep an eye on the sea, maybe some ship might come this way?¡± ¡°You are not serious about that, are you?¡± asked Hatori, as everyone starts to leave to work on their task. ¡°No. but we do need hope if we ever wish to get back home,¡± said Avinash. ¡°You do have the map, right?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Avinash. ¡°It is in the storage runes you gave me.¡± ¡°Good. keep it there. it is the only thing that can get us there safely.¡± Said Hatori, leaving himself to enchant the raft. Praduman and Daphne are already taking the boat apart, while Tom and Shin are working on expanding the room on the boat. Once they are done with it, Hatori, Josh, and Ravina will work on enchanting it with runes to make sure it won¡¯t drown them in the middle of nowhere. If that happened, Hatori plans to live as a vengeful soul, for he died before he lived his life to its fullest. Two days later, their project is done. Hatori enchanted it for maximum safety with his runes, while Ravina went over his runes, and Josh checked the math. Now they venture out of this island with tons of coconut water with them to find someplace close to civilization where they can get another ship. Though the map is only useful enough to show them where they are now, it is still the only way for them to find the Subcontinent. So, Avinash holds on to it, occasionally bringing it out to check their position. Though they tried their best, their raft still did not survive the harsh sea. The constant tossing around with the waves overwhelmed the enchantments, and once more, the team plus coach were screaming at the top of their lungs, holding on to their wrecked raft for their dear lives. The waves give them a final toss, and they find themselves on a rocky beach, and sound of suddenly halted conversations lets them know that they are in the company of the people. Josh opens his mouth, but Hatori covers it. ¡°Don¡¯t even say it.¡± The last time Josh opened his mouth, they got in trouble. But this time, Hatori plans not to go through that kind of experience. Though deep within his heart, he is hoping for some friendliness from these people as well. Chapter 199 Chapter 199.

Part 1.

Despite Hatori¡¯s attempt to avert the jinx, they still ended up getting detained. However, unlike their experience in Gallia, the situation is sorted out quickly. it helps that they are still considered young men, and having gone through such hardships also earned them some sympathy points, something of which Avinash took advantage of ruthlessly, presenting Daphne and Ravina front and center in the sad narrative. Gaining some newspapers, they observe the international section with some worry. ¡°A civil war?¡± they all said together, not expecting this grim news. ¡°That is bad. What the hell is going on there?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°No one knows.¡± Said Avinash, hiding his worry. ¡°Apparently, there is a news blockade going on there.¡± ¡°So, what do we do now?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Even if we get home, we might not be safe there.¡± ¡°We can worry about that once we get there,¡± said Avinash. ¡°For now, we are too far to think about it.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though I suggest you all keep an aggressive mindset. We likely have to fight once we get there.¡± ¡°He is right,¡± said Avinash in agreement. ¡°Let¡¯s see whether we can get a ship or not.¡± As Dimitri is the only adult among them, he is given the responsibility to bargain. But before they can even start the negotiation, the port is attacked. ¡°It is those damn sea nomads again!¡± In the scramble to defend the port, the entire team is forgotten. As the battle starts to heat up, they all sneak away from the port, having no interest in getting involved with this battle. Looks like they will not be going to the sea for a while. As they flee from the battle, Hatori asks. ¡°The hell was that?¡± ¡°You got a taste of Vinland.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°It is a place where various states compete for supremacy, all the while dealing with nomads. Events like these are common here.¡± ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want to live here,¡± said Hatori, and then came to a halt. The team kept running, but once they realized he was not with them anymore, they made a U-turn and came back to him. ¡°Why did you stop?¡± ¡°I sense lots of signatures.¡± He spoke. ¡°Where?¡± asked Josh. ¡°There.¡± he points in a direction. They find an airship there, and some people who are coming out of invisibility. ¡°Looks like another attack on that port.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Must be quite an important place.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We need to avoid them, or we might end up in their way.¡± ¡°Right.¡± they all hide in the woods, as the soldiers numbering in hundreds go to the port, and the sounds of battle intensify after they reach there. ¡°Do you sense anyone they may have left behind?¡± asked Shin to Hatori. ¡°No. I think they all left.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Why do you ask him that?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Crazy idea, but why don¡¯t we take that ship for ourselves?¡± asked Shin. ¡°It would make it easier for us to find some other port.¡± ¡°It is risky, but let¡¯s do it.¡± agreed Avinash. Putting the powerhouses in front, they make their way to the ship. Once Hatori confirms that there are no protection wards active, they enter the ship, and Avinash starts the procedure to fly this thing. He brings out the map, and after finding the closest port to their location, excluding their current one, points the ship in that direction, and then lets it loose in the sky. ¡°I was a law-abiding citizen before I met you kids.¡± Complained Dimitri. ¡°But ever since I met you, I broke out of a prison, threatened the royalty, stole multiple vessels and vehicles, including this one, and fought two groups of pirates.¡± ¡°I doubt that fighting pirates is illegal.¡± Said Josh. ¡°It isn¡¯t. but it has to be said.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°At this rate, I might just lose my remaining hair.¡± ¡°Nah, nothing of the sort will happen.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Remember, you have a sane student waiting for you in the form of Nandan.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Said Dimitri, brightening up after realizing that. As they fly away from the battle, the people who got their ship stolen rage behind them, shaking their fists at them, or firing some spells which fail to reach them. ¡°I would never want to run into them,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, me neither.¡± Said Avinash. About fifteen minutes of flying later, they reach close to their new port. Unfortunately, this is when they all have a terrible realization. ¡°Guys?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Do you know how to land this?¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± cursed Hatori. he is not going to die because of some soul or spirit, or some enemy mage, but because of a crash landing. ¡°Everyone, start screaming!¡± said Shin, as the ship started to go down in an uncontrollable motion. Feeling the terror of death, they all follow his instructions, screaming at the top of their lungs as the ship gets closer and closer to the ground before they are all silenced by a loud explosion. ¡°Josh, Shin, are we in the afterlife?¡± asked Hatori, sounding like he had reached nirvana. ¡°It does look like that by looking at each other.¡± Said Shin. They are all covered in the rubble of the ship, and slowly, through the groans and grunts, everyone gets out of the rubble. ¡°Oh, we¡¯re still alive,¡± said Hatori disappointed. ¡°Looks like I won¡¯t get to do a revolution in the afterlife.¡± ¡°Is everyone okay?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°Yeah.¡± they all answer. ¡°Are you guys good enough to walk?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Because our destination is still far from here.¡± Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°I think we can manage.¡± Said Daphne. So they trek through the forest, leaving the destroyed ship behind, and find themselves in a new city located near the sea. ¡°Finally, we can get another ship, and sail for home,¡± said Josh. ¡°Halt! You are all under arrest!¡± said a man, riding on a horse. ¡°You just have to open your mouth, didn¡¯t you?¡± said Hatori, as they were all put in handcuffs. None of them are in any condition to resist, besides they are all badly outnumbered.

Part 2.

The bell starts to ring once again, and this time, everyone knows what it means. Another attack is happening at the Academy, and the students remember their drills. Grabbing the younger students from wherever they may be, they quickly start to bring them into their dorms, while the professors prepare to face the attack. The invaders also took their time. unlike the previous invaders, they did not march in, expecting an easy victory. Instead, they are taking their time to get rid of the wards in their way, and making sure that their back is safe. Corvus observes all of this happening from the high perch of the mountains where astronomy classes are usually conducted, so far, he does not need to get himself involved directly. Dhiraj is handling things on his own, but how long it will last, Corvus does not know. Whenever it might be, Corvus knows that his moment will come soon, and therefore, he is saving his energy. Maybe if he could take out the leader, this entire thing would collapse? ¡®Fat chance. But I can hope.¡¯ He thinks to himself. ¡°Sir, the outer wards have been breached!¡± reports Bali. ¡°Prepare for combat.¡± Said Dhiraj. From his perch, Corvus observes the invaders coming in. All of them are rough and tough-looking bunch, but they cannot bring their full force inside, due to all the wards which still remain unbroken. Corvus does sense a strong magical signature among them, however, and he presumes that this must be their leader. A bubble of excitement appears in Corvus¡¯s stomach. He has not experienced this feeling of anticipation and fear in a long time. ¡°Get them!¡± orders the mage with a strong signature, as the men who made their way inside with him start to attack the professors. The man amplifies his voice and makes his intent clear. ¡°I am Durjan, and I intend to take the throne, using this place as my base of power. surrender and accept me as your master, or die!¡± Durjan waits to see the reaction to his announcement. About five minutes later, he got his answer. Looks like this bunch has chosen death. What is more surprising to him is that some older students are fighting along with the professors. It is such a shame that they chose to resist him. They could have formed the backbone of his new army. Durjan scans around but does not find Corvus anywhere. ¡°Where is your headmaster?¡± he said, once again amplifying his voice. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me he makes his professors and students do all the dirty work?¡± he spits aside in disgust. ¡°You will find that I do not need to resort to such measures.¡± Said Corvus from right behind Durjan. The warlord turns around and fires a spell, and Corvus deftly bats it aside. Then a duel begins. On one side, the headmaster of the Magecraft and Sorcery Institute. On the other side, the warlord Durjan, who cares nothing about this institute of learning. The professors, the students, and the men of Durjan all have to empty this area in a hurry, as the duel turns destructive. Corvus easily doused the fire of Durjan with water with some alchemical properties, and the earth''s constructs were reduced to rubble as they started to melt after coming in contact with the mist that came out of Corvus¡¯s mouth. Durjan, unable to match Corvus in the exchange of spells, twists the fire around and brings out his elemental shape-shifting spell in the form of a horse. Corvus smirks, and does the same, only the spell is a snake made entirely of water. ¡°Once you gain enough control and experience,¡± he lectures, ¡°You can make this spell take any shape. And you can do this as well.¡± he points his finger at Durjan, and a giant raven made of fire appears right above the water snake. The battle starts, and the horse is outnumbered. Durjan is unable to take this strain of battling two elemental constructs, and his horse gets weaker each time it comes in contact with the snake made of water. looks like that snake has the same alchemical properties to put out the fire. Meanwhile, the raven is assaulting his own position with blasts of fire, as to keep him moving, and unable to focus on his spell. As the horse winks out, the snake and raven both move to kill Durjan. The snake wraps around Durjan¡¯s body, crushing his spine, while the raven blasts his head off. Seeing their leader executed in such a brutal fashion breaks the spirits of the invaders, and they start to run. ¡°Hunt them, don¡¯t leave anyone alive,¡± orders Dhiraj. ¡°Understood.¡± Said Bali, and with other professors and students, he leaves to hunt them down. Corvus collapsed after this battle, and Dhiraj quickly ushered him inside of his lab before anyone could see his state. Though his magic is strong, Corvus¡¯s body is unable to handle the strain of such high-level magic, as well as the stress of the battle. He is in no condition to handle the responsibilities of the headmaster after today. ¡®Looks like my responsibilities are about to increase.¡¯ Dhiraj thought to himself. Chapter 200 Chapter 200.

Part 1.

Raven gets back into the castle and goes directly to the general to report. ¡°The Academy got invaded again.¡± He reported. ¡°But they managed to repel it once again.¡± ¡°Any news about Corvus?¡± asked the general, knowing that fighting at his age could not be good for the old mage. ¡°Not as such.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Besides, the entire thing took place a week ago.¡± The general sighed. He always gets the news last, and it is too late for him to do anything about it, given his own position. Though given how there is not any talk about Corvus, Sundar speculates that he might be injured or dead. But since there is no way to confirm this, he can only speculate. ¡°What about the areas we have taken control of?¡± asked Sundar. ¡°They are stable.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Attempts have been made to retake them from us, but they all failed.¡± ¡°Finally, some good news.¡± Said Sundar. True, it is nothing much when compared with the city. But given that he has very few forces to start with, most of which are inexperienced, taking over the areas near the castle is still an achievement in his mind. He must count it as such, to keep his own confidence up, as well as the people under him. ¡°Go take a rest.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Be ready for your patrol in a few hours.¡± ¡°Yessir!¡± said Raven, saluting the general, and then left to rest from his scouting mission.

Part 2.

¡°Very well,¡± said Dhiraj, after everyone had gathered in the office of the headmaster, leaving the chair of Corvus empty. ¡°Let us begin the council meeting. Professor Prakriti, how goes the news about this invasion?¡± ¡°It is as we planned.¡± She spoke. ¡°The news about our successful defense has spread, and the condition of Corvus is still a secret.¡± ¡°If I may add something?¡± asked Amarjit, and after getting a nod from Dhiraj, he spoke what was in his mind. ¡°Though we need to keep the condition of the headmaster secret, people are beginning to ask or speculate about his condition, since we have deliberately left out his condition.¡± ¡°That is a concern.¡± Said some other professors. ¡°I propose we choose a new headmaster.¡± Said Professor Shantanu. ¡°Yeah, right. and you consider yourself to be the best candidate for that, no doubt.¡± Said Bali. ¡°You¡ª¡± Before the situation could devolve any further, Dhiraj spreads the pressure of his magic in the room, silencing the argument. ¡°We can have that discussion later. for now, we need to stabilize things, and run day-to-day operations smoothly.¡± Dhiraj was expecting more resistance, but they agreed and calmed down. Until a new headmaster is chosen, this council will continue to run the Academy. Dhiraj is hoping to avoid the race to become the headmaster since that would end up becoming a violent war within the Academy itself, during which they would end up losing the mages who they need to defend the institute from outside attackers. A few days later, however, the situation has devolved further, and Dhiraj is unable to stop this argument from raging on again. ¡®Didn¡¯t Corvus choose me for a reason? I¡¯m the deputy headmaster for five years. Doesn¡¯t that count for something?¡¯ he thought. Just when he is about to remind them of his authority, the door is opened, and Suraj marches in, with other members of the student council in toe. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning of this?¡± asked several professors, outraged by this blatant invasion of the office. ¡°As this affects students as well as professors,¡± said Suraj, ¡°I believe we have the right to be present in such meetings. Particularly when you are discussing about the successor to our current headmaster so loudly that almost all the school can hear you.¡± ¡°Didn¡¯t you put up the silencing wards?¡± asked Bali to Krodhatma. ¡°Why should I?¡± asked the professor angry in return. Before any more objections can be raised, Dhiraj welcomes Suraj into their group. ¡°He is correct. Until the headmaster is chosen, they do have to right to be present in this meeting.¡± ¡°Fine. Then tell us boy, who is a better candidate for the successor of Corvus?¡± asked Shantanu. ¡°First, tell me. was Corvus grooming somebody for that position?¡± asked Suraj, taking the chair next to Professor Bali. ¡°He was preparing Dhiraj.¡± Said Shantanu with a grudging tone. ¡°I hear the healers say that he is about to wake up soon.¡± Said Suraj, reminding them of the update that healer Slaughter gave them this morning. ¡°Do you think he will be pleased if you went against his wishes? True, he is not as strong as he once was. But I doubt any of you would want to face his wrath. Am I right?¡± The council of professors exchanges a look among them. ¡°The boy has a point,¡± said Bali. ¡°Agreed. I would not like to face his wrath.¡± Said Prakriti. ¡°Neither do I,¡± Amarjit said. ¡°Then it is settled I think.¡± Said Bali. ¡°We will wait for Corvus to wake up, and until then, Dhiraj will be considered his successor. No more discussions will be had regarding this matter.¡± Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. After everyone nodded to that conclusion, the meeting came to an end, and both students and the professors walked out of the office. Dhiraj stayed behind to take care of some other unrelated matters. He is glad that the solution did come without violence. He wants to differentiate himself from Corvus and do the work of the headmaster without violent retributions, or raw intimidation as much as possible.

Part 3.

Hatori is getting tired of being detained all the time. it wasn¡¯t fun the first time, and it is not fun the third time either if he remembers his counting correctly. At least this time, they got released quickly, after they showed their documents. Good thing they stored them in the runic arrays supplied by him. imagine trying to explain to this bunch about their situation, they are likely to throw them in a cell and then forget about them. Once more, Avinash worked his magic, presenting the sob story to earn some sympathy for themselves. Even Dimitri helped out this time, presenting himself as someone who has not gone to his home, and as someone deeply committed to seeing these kids to their own homes, before he returns to his own country. They got a ship afterward, for which they did not ask much. Hatori did some warding and rune-related jobs to safeguard against spirits and souls, and Shin entertained the sailors with his music in return. The ship is likely useless to them, which is why they gave it to them so easily. But it is large enough for all of them, and it is sturdy enough to take them in the ocean for a long hall, which is what matters to them. it also has some weapons to defend them should they need it, though these are nowhere near strong enough to deter a military vessel should it decide to attack them. Now sitting on the deck of their new ship, and slowly making their way to the Subcontinent, Hatori gets a feeling down his spine. ¡°Our problems are not over yet.¡± He muttered. This unsettles Avinash, he has learned in recent times that Hatori tends to be right about these things, but given they have no idea of what is going to happen, he decides he will deal with the problem when it presents itself.

Part 4.

¡°The ship is sailing mam.¡± Said the captain. ¡°The boys are there and the coach is also present.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°Looks like you will get the chance to fix your mistake soon enough, daughter.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± said Emmeline. ¡°They will regret ever crossing me.¡± No one is going to survive on that ship, and they will never reach with the victory prize to their home.

Part 5.

¡°We are close to Kemet.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°We can get supplies here.¡± It has been a few days since they sailed from Vinland. They have to stop for supplies, as food and water are not exactly available in the middle of the ocean. ¡°We¡¯ll dock the ship at the coming port.¡± Said Avinash. However, this peaceful journey does not last long. A ship appears close by and quite brazenly shows off the flag of Albion. Once Avinash saw this, he knew what this meant. Cannonballs coming their way are not that surprising for him as a result, though the wards installed by Hatori deflected them in the water, where they exploded. The team gathers on the deck to see what is happening, while Hatori informs about the wards. ¡°I did not design them to take assaults like this one, they are designed to stop the boarding!¡± said Hatori. ¡°Curses.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°We have to abandon this ship again?¡± ¡°Maybe not,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°We are close to the land.¡± More cannonballs come their way but are deflected. But the wards are getting weakened, and the cannonballs are coming closer and closer to landing on the ship, and destroying them along with the deck. ¡°Josh, Ravina, prepare the ice construct.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Hatori, store the ship. Everyone else, supply the power to these two.¡± Avinash snapped out the orders. As soon as a massive ice structure is created, they all jump on it, and Hatori stores the ship in the runes carved on his wrist. Ravina and Josh focus, and they move as fast as they can to the land, arriving there with a crash. Leaving the breaking ice, they all quickly disappear beyond the seashore into the deeper desert.

Part 6.

¡°The ship disappeared mam.¡± Said the captain. ¡°I can see that,¡± said Amelia with a frosty tone. ¡°Target that ice structure.¡± ¡°Yes, mam.¡± Said the captain. Unfortunately, the iceberg created by Josh and Ravina is small enough that it keeps getting obscured by the waves, and it is also moving faster than their ship. Their attacks failed to hit it, and before long, it crashed to the land. As the ship got closer to the land, they saw various figures running away and disappearing into the desert beyond. ¡°Prepare a search party.¡± Said Emmeline. ¡°I want that team, alive.¡± ¡°Yes, mam.¡± Said the captain, lamenting his bad fortune to be trapped with these two on his ship, and surrendering his control to them. He gets the feeling that none of them will be coming out alive from that desert. Chapter 201 Chapter 201.

Part 1.

After the chaos and unrest, Dhiraj is finally chosen as the new headmaster. Corvus is lucid enough to consent to this decision, though he is in no condition to make public appearances. As soon as he took the position in the office, he disbanded the council and ordered that the classes which have been irregular at this point be resumed with their regular schedule. He then goes to the hospital, and visits Corvus. ¡°So, how the office is treating you?¡± asked Corvus, gripping Dhiraj¡¯s hand in his own hand. ¡°Quite stressful.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°I have to prepare for a civil war.¡± ¡°One might think that you won¡¯t have to deal with that, given the recent events,¡± said Corvus. Dhiraj smiled. ¡°You and I both know that is not true. Some people will do anything to get the power, even if they don¡¯t know what they will do after gaining the said power.¡± ¡°That is the truth as old as the civilization, my boy,¡± said Corvus. ¡°Also, I can call you that in open, since I¡¯m not in the office anymore.¡± ¡°Yes, I suppose you can,¡± said Dhiraj with a smile of his own. After chatting about a few more topics, which are considerably lighter than their first discussion, Dhiraj leaves. The budget is in a mess. He has to make it work this year, lest some department head come to complain to his office about their monetary problems.

Part 2.

Ravina manipulates the sand along with Daphne, and after digging a pit wide enough for all nine of them, they go inside this pit for the day. Hatori draws some runes on the sand to cool the temperature inside, and then he joins them inside as well. Trekking through the desert has been a taxing experience for all of them. nothing like this has ever happened to them, they feel that the land itself is sapping their spirit slowly. Dimitri is taking it the worst, since he is not exactly built for hot and arid climates, having grown up in the cold weather of Scythia. After their initial escape, they all have been walking the desert in the night, since it is not possible for them to travel during the day. the last of their water ran out several hours ago, and ever since the morning sun started to cook them again, they dug this pit and hid themselves under it. Hatori marvels at the ability of magic in a survival situation. A pit like this they could not have dug by hand. Avinash knows that the water situation is going to get worse sooner or later. despite being in the Kemet, they are nowhere near close to the legendary river Iaro, which actually provides a small oasis of life in this harsh land. He is envious of Hatori. the boy has not lost his composure despite the heat getting to him. Even now, he is working on some runes at the corner of the pit. Judging by his sour face, however, Josh is not happy with his friend. Avinash understands why he is angry with him. As they ran out of water, Hatori kept collecting the seeds of the nearby cactus. The plants were absolutely useless for them, as not only they were growing on the little moisture available in the night, but they were also poisonous. By all means, they are absolutely useless in their current plight. At least they don¡¯t have to worry about the food, since they have sizable portions of emergency supplies sealed within their wrists, as a precaution for this exact situation. Too bad that Hatori could not figure out a way to store water in the storage runes. as the evening comes, and they leave their pit, Hatori collects some more seeds. Josh has had enough of this, and he seizes Hatori by his shirt. ¡°What do you see in those worthless little seeds? Don¡¯t you see we¡¯re about to die in this place?¡± ¡°Why are we dying?¡± asked Hatori, very calm despite Josh¡¯s strong grip. ¡°This desert will kill us. in case you didn¡¯t notice, we don¡¯t have any water now!¡± reminds Josh, feeling like he is talking with a wall. At the back of his head, he is considering whether Hatori has gone mad or not, before ignoring that voice. the possibility does not appeal to him anyway. ¡°Oh.¡± Said Hatori, easily removing Josh¡¯s grip from his shirt. ¡°Then why didn¡¯t you say anything earlier?¡± He kneels in the sand and draws some runes. ¡°That won¡¯t work.¡± Said Ravina. Ignoring her, Hatori channels some magic, and after some rumbling, a stream comes bursting out of the ground. Avinash controls his urge to gawk and quickly replenishes their water supply, and after that, Hatori grabs and dunks Josh in the fresh cold water. ¡°Maybe this will cool your head,¡± he said to the struggling boy, effortlessly keeping him inside of the stream despite his larger size. once they quench their thirst and refill their water, the team moves on. Hatori leaves the modified seeds of the cacti behind, which quickly grow and create a thorny wall behind them. As they move towards the human settlement guided by Avinash, Hatori continues to work on some other symbols, feeling that these runes will come in handy soon enough.

Part 3.

Batya is visiting Ramses, the Pharaoh of Kemet. Along with signing a new trade deal between their two countries and renewing several old ones, Batya is telling Ramses of what happened in the tournament, and the resulting chaos around the world due to those events. ¡°What of the Subcontinent?¡± asked Ramses with a croak in his voice. ¡°The blockade continues.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°No news is coming out of there, and any attempts of penetrating that blockade have failed. None of us are willing to risk our citizens for a doomed attempt, particularly when Porus is missing, or assumed dead.¡± ¡°Such a shame.¡± Said Ramses. ¡°He was the oldest ruler after me. though I get the feeling he is not dead.¡± ¡°Yes, but he is not a ruler anymore. or else that country would not be in such chaos.¡± Said Batya. ¡°True.¡± Agreed on Ramses. In his youth, he visited the Subcontinent once. Having grown up in a desert, such a geographically diverse area was quite a shock for him to experience, particularly the cold in the north. That was the first time he saw the natural ice. Their conversation is interrupted, as the Vizier walks in. ¡°Forgiveness for interrupting this meeting my lord, but I have some urgent news.¡± Said the man, kneeling before Ramses. ¡°What is the news?¡± asked Ramses. ¡°A small Albion force has appeared on one of our ports, and they are demanding the team of Subcontinent who escaped to your land be handed to them alive. Should you not comply with this request, they are threatening some great action.¡± Said the Vizier. ¡°Action, you say? How big is their force?¡± asked the pharaoh in return. ¡°It is just one ship. Two women are in the command, and judging by their looks they are related.¡± Said the vizier. Ramses turns to Batya. ¡°Are these the women you spoke of?¡± ¡°Judging by their demands, yes,¡± said Batya. ¡°What do you intend to do?¡± ¡°A moment.¡± Said Ramses. He summons some ink and paper and begins to write. once completed, he gives the note to the vizier. ¡°Give this to the woman in charge, and tell her that no one makes demands of me on these lands.¡± ¡°Yes, my lord.¡± The vizier leaves to complete his task at once. ¡°Now. what do you suggest? What are my options?¡± asked Ramses. ¡°Either find the team and deport them, or give them to the Albion.¡± Said Batya at once. ¡°The latter is out of the question. looks like searching in the desert is in order.¡± He grumbled. Ideally, he would like to send those children with some of his own forces to their home, but given the chaos going on in the Subcontinent, this severely limits his options. Though he did send a threatening letter back in return for those demands, Ramses would prefer not to pick fights in his old age.

Part 4.

As the morning approaches, they look for another place to rest. Unless they find something, they might need to hide in another pit. But their search has to be halted, as the wind starts to pick up. Shin, who is the most sensitive to this element, then gives them the warning. ¡°Guys, a storm is coming.¡± Said Shin. As their search to hide intensified, Praduman asked. ¡°Is it the watery storm?¡± ¡°Nah, just a sandstorm.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Look, we can hide there,¡± said Ravina. She points to some large structure in the distance. As they got close, they realized it was one of the pyramids. ¡°Is it safe to go in there?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°I don¡¯t sense any magic in there,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Good enough for me in this condition. What do you think, coach?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°We have no choice.¡± Concurred Dimitri. Thus, the team enters the pyramid to avoid the sandstorm outside. they do not go any deeper than they have to, lest some unknown defenses get activated. Unfortunately for them, Hatori¡¯s face twists in horror, as he finally realizes that they have tripped up some soul-containing wards. ¡°Guys, be ready for the trouble.¡± He said, preparing to fight. ¡°Oh, to hell with it,¡± said Josh, tired from the constant running and now fighting. From above, soldiers made of rock march out, led by a withered mage. he looks like he might shatter at the slightest breeze, but he is moving around just fine. Taking a deep breath, he breathes from his mouth, and creates a wind stream inside, pushing them to the outside of the pyramid. The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. The rock soldiers attack as well. tired as they were from the entire night of walking on foot, they are still in good enough condition to fight back. And that is what they did, while Hatori and Tom faced the mage. ¡°Tell me,¡± Said Hatori, as he defended against another spell from their undead enemy, ¡°Have you ever faced a battle mage?¡± he asked Tom. ¡°Not yet.¡± Said Tom in a wary tone, not liking where this is going. ¡°Congratulation. You are now facing one. you are lucky to have someone like me.¡± said Hatori, as he sent a stream of fire to the mummy, ¡°Not only have I faced one before, but he was actually stronger than this one since he had his reasoning intact.¡± Tom and Hatori give just as good as they got, but it is clear that unless they manage to outnumber the mage, they will not win by themselves. The rock soldiers are slowly being eliminated, but it is not enough to turn the numbers in their favor. Even though its consciousness is at a basic level, the mummified battle mage is getting frustrated. he should have been able to crush these bugs, instead, they keep fighting and keep biting him. At this rate, they will destroy his body. Having enough of this, he points his staff above, and destroys the two floors above, and the roof. The rock soldiers are destroyed in the falling debris, while the living mages survive by shielding each other. still, it does not leave them in any better condition. The storm is over, but the sun is out. Hatori spied the jewel in the staff of this battle mage, and he remembers what Kemet mages can do with sunlight. ¡°Everyone, duck!¡± he said, following his own warning. A beam of focused light goes above their head, melting the rock and sand alike, and scorching their skin. Hatori remembers the way to counter this power, but all this jumping around to dodge the attacks is not giving him any chance. As the lightning eagle takes shape on his shoulder, he tosses his diary in which he has been writing all of his runes so far. ¡°Josh, Ravina, set these runes up! rest of you, help me out here!¡± said Hatori, sending the lightning eagle to attack the mummified mage. Avinash listens and sends his tiger to attack him as well, and Dimitri sends his earth bear. The rest provided support, by pinning the battle mage with cover spell fire. But even this is not enough to keep the mummy down for long, as their spells wink out after sustaining too much damage. ¡°Josh, are you done?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yeah. now channeling the magic,¡± said Josh. Normally he would like to keep some distance when he activates some unknown runes. But given their situation, he decides that whatever may happen, it wouldn¡¯t be worse than being burned alive in the sunlight. Ravina agrees, and therefore she also channels the magic with him into this array which they carved on a few of the rocks of the half-destroyed pyramid in a hurry. As the magic took hold, the sky was covered with clouds. Not just with overcast clouds, but thundering rainclouds which gave Hatori an easy source of lightning. Channeling the power of the cloud, he focuses it into his own hands, turning it into positive lightning. He runs to the frustrated battle mage, who is experiencing a breakdown of sorts as the source of sunlight is taken away from him. getting within the three meters of range, Hatori lets go of his spell, and the lightning fried the runes keeping the mummy alive. The staff is also destroyed in his attack, which makes Hatori a little sad. He would have liked to study that focus. The clouds rumble, and it starts to rain. They have stopped channeling the magic in the runes, but it seems these conjured clouds will stay here for a while. Dimitri and others collect some water during this time, and Hatori decides to rest after finding a rain-free corner. By the time of evening, the rain stops, and after enchanting their clothes and shoes to resist sand once again, they leave to travel in the desert. Hatori throws some more modified seeds of cacti, which immediately bloom into thorny plants behind them. After another night of traveling, they finally arrive at a settlement. As soon as they stepped into the town, they were detained. Knowing the possibility of this happening, Avinash told them to store everything in the runes, lest it be confiscated. Hatori gives Josh a look. ¡°What, what! I didn¡¯t even say anything this time.¡± ¡°Yeah, you didn¡¯t.¡± he agreed. They are sitting in a room, waiting for the people in charge to make a decision, and deal with this ¡°problem¡± which has landed on their lap. At least the seats are comfortable, and the room is cool enough to rest here. though Hatori refuses to drop his guard. They might need to fight out of here if they decide to imprison them or kill them. The man in charge enters, along with his lackeys. ¡°We are sending you to the capital. The almighty life-giving pharaoh will decide what to do with you,¡± he said to them. ¡°As we cannot send you to him in your current condition, we have provided fresh clothes for you. please bathe and wear those clothes before coming with us. I can give you two hours for these preparations.¡± Then he left. ¡°How nice of him.¡± deadpanned Hatori. At least the bath was nice, and the clothes were surprisingly comfortable, if a bit plain. However, Hatori does not like that they do not have any protective enchantments at all. An hour of flight later, which took place in a small ship, they landed in Cairo, the capital of Kemet. Josh turns to Avinash. ¡°Do you know how to greet a pharaoh?¡± he asked. ¡°No. I suggest we keep our mouths shut.¡± He said to him while giving Hatori a look. Hatori gives him an innocent smile, causing Avinash to give him a look full of disdain. When they arrive at the court, they see Batya there. Dimitri immediately kneels. ¡°Your majesty.¡± He said to him, putting his palm on his heart. ¡°Rise, Dimitri. We are not at my court here,¡± said Batya. ¡°Indeed.¡± Croaked the old pharaoh. ¡°It is impressive that you all survived in the desert for so long.¡± They said nothing. ¡°Well? say something!¡± ¡°We are ordered to keep our mouths shut by our captain.¡± Said Hatori. Avinash gives him a furious look; he knows that he will bungle this up for them. ¡°Your captain made the right decision, given what information he has about my country.¡± Said the pharaoh, holding on to the laughter as the boy who is presumably the captain of this bunch gives a look of fury to this blind boy. ¡°Do you know that Albions are searching for you? they have demanded all of you from me,¡± said Ramses. ¡°Your majesty,¡± said Avinash. ¡°If you decide to hand us over to them, then we will have no other choice but to fight out of here.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve got guts.¡± Praised Ramses. ¡°I see the shadow of young Porus within you. do not worry, I will never fulfill any demands of a foreigner over my land. But this presents a problem. I cannot give you any security, but I can provide you a vessel so you can venture out in the ocean to your homeland.¡± ¡°That is fine.¡± Said Avinash, ¡°We are aware of what kind of problems you might face if we continue to stay here.¡± ¡°Very well. Grand vizier, give them a sturdy vessel and supplies.¡± Said the pharaoh. ¡°Until it is prepared for you, you are free to walk around and observe my capital. Beware though, you will be observed at all times.¡± ¡°We understand.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Thank you for your generosity, your majesty.¡± ¡°Your majesty,¡± said Hatori, turning to Batya. ¡°May I request that you take our coach with you? I¡¯ve no doubt he is weary of traveling with us at this point. the Albion did not treat him kindly either, and he has not visited a hospital for the injuries they inflicted on him.¡± For a moment, Batya¡¯s face twists in fury, before settling into his normal calm expression. ¡°I will grant your request.¡± Said Batya. ¡°But¡ª¡± Dimitri tried to protest. How can he leave these kids out alone in the world, without an adult present? ¡°But nothing coach, you¡¯ve done a lot for us,¡± said Avinash. ¡°But you need to worry about your health and unchecked damage. And walking around with us is not going to do that for you.¡± Dimitri just sighed. ¡°Very well. I will be in your care, Your Majesty.¡± Said Dimitri.

Part 5.

Amelia rips the response of the pharaoh. ¡°Who does that old man think he is? he is already half-dead. He should not mess with us!¡± ¡°Maybe we should go to the capital and teach him a lesson there?¡± suggests Emmeline. ¡°That is a good idea.¡± Amelia agreed. The captain shook his head. Doesn¡¯t these two realize that they are outnumbered and are in the enemy stronghold? But if they knew that, they probably wouldn¡¯t have demanded from the pharaoh in an arrogant tone. ¡°What!¡± a shriek of rage shakes the Cairo. Amelia and Emmeline have just heard how the team has departed, and how they missed them by an hour. ¡°This is the general of the Kemet army.¡± Said a male voice, echoing in the entire city. ¡°All Albion forces must leave immediately, otherwise you will be considered hostile, and action will be taken against you.¡± the general repeats his warning twice. Gritting their teeth, the two succubi leave, since they are outnumbered, and they have the Subcontinental team to chase. but they vowed that they would come back to this place, and torch it to avenge their pride. Chapter 202 Chapter 202.

Part 1.

The nobles are meeting. They love these meetings since their rebellion has been a resounding success, even if they do have some hiccups to deal with. They divided the various areas among themselves, and are pretty much showing off during these meetings, displaying their new levels of wealth and influence, while being def to the screams of pain and suffering in their domains. The hiccups are the still uncaptured the City of Throne, and the Academy. some tribes are causing trouble here and there, but they will be dealt with soon enough. Once the last two independent places crumble, their takeover will be a complete success. ¡°Have any of you heard from Shakuntala?¡± asked Jeevan at the end of the meeting. ¡°Not as such.¡± Said the Sharma representative. ¡°She has gone quiet.¡± ¡°As long as she doesn¡¯t cause any trouble for us, I fail to see why we should worry about her.¡± Said another noble. ¡°I agree.¡± Said Jeevan. ¡°Let us meet next week to discuss even more of our successes.¡± ¡°Here. Here.¡± they all said.

Part 2.

Though the ship does not have many rooms¡­ I mean cabins, it does have a few of them, and the team is sharing. Hatori is sitting in the cabin which he is sharing with Josh, and meditating. He senses something deep within the sea, and that something also senses him in return. The creature does not appear to be hostile if anything, it sent a hello, in the form of a tentacle waving, much like how a human might do. Hatori knows about the squids and octopuses, but he has not seen them ever since he acquired his vision. So, the sight takes him by surprise, but he is not bothered by it, so he returns the greeting, making his telepathic image wave its arm. Then the squid surprises Hatori. it sent some runes, which Hatori processes as the phrase ¡°Why are you here?¡± This is something that Hatori has never done with the runes. But it is a great idea, now that he thinks about it. in the end, runes are symbols, and human language is based on symbols. So, it stands to reason that the magical runes can be used for the same purpose. ¡°We are just going to our home in a vessel.¡± The squid returns an image as a reply, waving its tentacle in a goodbye. Hatori does the same thing, and he then comes out of his cabin. That could have gone far worse for them if he angered this squid. Though Hatori does not know of its size, the fact that it can use runes is a good enough sign that it is a pretty powerful member of its species, and it will not end well for them should they mess with it in the middle of an ocean. Meanwhile, Avinash is keeping an eye on the ship pursuing them. he takes a look at the map. They have entered Asia, meaning they are getting closer and closer to their home. Avinash does not plan to give up this time. The Kemets have given them much better weapons compared to the Vinland ship they had earlier, though it is likely that the other ship could overpower them in sheer firepower. ¡°Josh, you¡¯re the most experienced water user among us,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Be ready to fight. and call Hatori for the support.¡± ¡°Yes.¡± agreed Josh, already expecting something like this. It is not like that the ship has hidden its Albion flag. But even if they kept the flag down, they would have still recognized this ship, since it forced them to go on a brutal trek of the desert. A miracle is the only reason why they survived there. The Succubi on the ship waited until they arrived in Western Asia, and then they attacked their ship. Avinash knew this would happen, so Tom and Praduman were put in charge of weapons. They managed to dish out some damage to the enemy ship, but it is not going to sink them any time soon. Hatori is sensing, and helping out with any magic thrown their way. they are close enough that the mages can cast some long-range spells, and Hatori is countering them. ¡°At this rate, we¡¯ll end up in a stalemate.¡± Grumbled Hatori. Despite the din of the battle, Avinash heard him. ¡°Josh, you¡¯re up.¡± With a nasty smile, Josh manipulates the massive quantity of water in the ocean and attacks the Albion ship. At first, it was just a few waves crashing on their prow, and disrupting their aim. But Josh then freezes the water around their own ship, and then fired these icy mistles on the enemy ship, which exploded on the deck of the Albion ship, and dismembered the mages who were casting spells on them, and it also disrupted the fire for a moment. Hatori snaps out of his trance, when he senses the squid coming on the surface, getting annoyed from all this noise. ¡°Avinash, gun for it. we have to leave, now!¡± ¡°What? They will attack us from behind!¡± he argued. ¡°They won¡¯t. now do it!¡± insisted Hatori. When a massive tentacle comes out right in front of them, Avinash understands the urgent warning of Hatori. they turned around and thanked their lucky stars for the open area, otherwise, they would not have been able to turn their ship around so quickly. and just as Hatori said, they escaped. As the battle of their sight gets further, they witness a monster coming out of the depths, and thrashing the Albion ship. The weapons do not have any effect, and the spells are reflected from its skin, which is covered with runes that glow when it is hit. Once satisfied that the annoying humans are no more, it goes down underneath the ocean, to do whatever it is doing. Hatori and Josh breathed a sigh of relief. ¡°Good thing we accelerated the ship.¡± They said together. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to get on the other side of that thing.¡± Said Daphne.

Part 3.

Amelia and Emmeline abandon the ship and its crew to their miserable fate, and take the small rafts. They still continue to pursue the ship, but now they no longer have any forces with them. whatever revenge plan they have, they must fulfill it on their own. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°Mother, they are stopping.¡± Said Emmeline. ¡°That is an interesting place to stop.¡± Said Amelia, ¡°Given their history, I would have thought they would know better than to come to this island. But apparently, I thought wrong.¡± ¡°What do we do?¡± asked Emmeline. ¡°Simple.¡± Said Amelia. ¡°We wait for them to come on the shore, and then attack. these are young boys and girls, and I doubt they will be able to face us together.¡± Though Emmeline has her doubts, she agrees with her mother. She has experienced what a monster that seemingly blind boy is, and she has no interest in facing him ever in her life. the rest of his team doesn¡¯t seem that impressive in comparison.

Part 4.

After this battle and the destruction of the Albion ship, they do not encounter any trouble. But since they are running out of supplies, they bank on an island to purchase food and water. while Avinash and Josh are dealing with their supplies, the rest of the team explores this island. Hatori is talking about why he modified those cacti with Ravina, and he suddenly chokes on his words. ¡°What? Are you okay?¡± she asked in concern. ¡°Look there.¡± he wheezed and pointed at a board. ¡°What is it there¡ªoh.¡± The board has these words clearly written upon it: ¡°Welcome to the Magical Girl Academy!¡± Running to the shore, Hatori grabs Avinash by his collar, and demands. ¡°We need to go. We can find our supplies somewhere else!¡± ¡°The hell is up with you now?¡± asked Avinash, spinning away from Hatori¡¯s grip. ¡°I¡¯m not willing to brave the sea with our dwindling supplies in the hope of finding some other place. Besides, I have already placed the order, they are completing as we speak.¡± ¡°This is Magical Girl Academy,¡± screamed Hatori. ¡°I don¡¯t want them to learn about us being here!¡± ¡°What can they do?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°They do not own this island. They have a city with males as well. why don¡¯t you go to the city and see for yourselves? If the Academy comes after you, it will be a perfect place to hide I think.¡± ¡°Mad,¡± said Hatori, as he was dragged to the city against his will. ¡°You¡¯re all mad, and I¡¯m going to pay for your madness.¡±

Part 5.

After his initial bout of uneasiness, Hatori calms down, though he remains paranoid enough. Liking the sight of some benches near some trees, he takes a seat, while other members of his team move on deeper in the city. One particular conversation attracts his attention, which is amusing and terrifying at the same time. ¡°So, that is what I think a gentleman would be like.¡± Said a girl. ¡°Nonsense.¡± Said another girl. ¡°You might like that fluffy stuff in the bed, but I rather have the man who is a tiger in the bed with me. that is the true gentleman.¡± Hatori discretely spies upon these girls. They look to be just a year younger than him. In any case, he did not expect the girls to talk about such matters, especially when they went to a girl¡¯s school. In any case, he must make sure they do not see him. As they walk past him, he sneakily gets up from the bench and tries to escape. However, his great height, which is not normal for this area, and his clearly foreign look immediately attracted the attention of these girls. ¡°Hey look, a foreign gentleman.¡± They said together. ¡°Hey, come back, we wish to speak with you.¡± they start to chase after him. During his running, Hatori finds that Praduman and Josh are escaping from a mob as well. ¡°What did you two do?¡± he asked. ¡°Not much, we won all our bets in a club.¡± Said Josh. ¡°They think we cheated.¡± In the crowd, the boys get separated again. But they all have enough of this crazy city, so they make their way to the outside. Hatori is still trapped in the city, but other team members have arrived on the shore. Where they immediately get blasted by the allure of the two Succubi waiting for them. ¡°Well, well, well. the prey finally walks into the trap. None of you will be leaving this shore alive!¡± said Emmeline, and attacked them. She targets Daphne and Ravina since they are resisting their allure the most, while the boys are unable to move or react. ¡°Why don¡¯t you help us out, boys?¡± asked Amelia in a charming voice. ¡°Go¡­ Fuck¡­ Yourself!¡± replied Avinash. ¡°Such a hard one. I love hard nuts to crack.¡± Said Amelia. As she makes her way to Avinash with a sensual predatory walk, she gets blasted with fire, which hits her directly on her face. ¡°You bitch!¡± she said to Daphne. A fast exchange of spells takes place, during which the older Succubus finds herself on the backfoot, and struggling to put away the younger girl. All those times when she seduced men on the court, and played politics, it has dulled her reflexes. The spells do not come fast enough to her, and whatever spells she still remembers are not enough to deal with Daphne. All of this culminates in her death, her half-burned body crashing on the sand. ¡°Mother!¡± said Emmeline, trying to get to her mother¡¯s aid. She was able to match Ravina better compared to her mother since she recently trained for a dueling tournament, and her reflexes have not declined yet. But when she lost her attention, this gave Ravina a chance. The sand comes up her legs, reaches her torso, and soon reaches her head. Ravina clenched her fist, and the sand started to strangle her. The last thoughts of Emmeline were about losing air and being full of panic, unable to deal with her death. The boys slowly recover from the allure, and Hatori walks out of the city. He then sees the two corpses. ¡°One crisis after another. At least this one is taken care of permanently.¡± He muttered. They throw the bodies into the sea, and after their supplies are delivered, they quickly get on their ship and leave this island. ¡°I am never returning to this place.¡± Said Praduman. ¡°What are you talking about? I had a great time,¡± said Josh, jingling the purse which was finally filled after remaining empty for so long. Hatori and Avinash exchange a look. Hatori is smug to see that Avinash agrees with Praduman. ¡°You were right.¡± he finally said after Hatori continued to look at him expectantly. Hatori sighed, and all was right in the world once again. Chapter 203 Chapter 203.

Part 1.

With the final rune on his body, James is done with his modification. This new set will help in the efficiency of his magic, allow greater healing and recovery, and will let him operate on less sleep as well. though he is unlikely to do that if he is not in any crisis. Sleeping is awesome after all. Though James only guarded the hospital, he still got some combat practice in the two invasions of the Academy this year. and if the chaos continues to persist, he is likely to get more practice. better be ready to face the dangers in that case. He then looks at the picture of his father, whom he cremated just a day earlier. His aunt sent him the body as a courtesy, igniting his rage. Though Floras used to bury their dead, after learning about Hatori¡¯s adventures with the undead, he decides that a permanent solution is in order. He hopes his father¡¯s soul will not mind. James is certain that he will get a chance to deal with his aunt. And no amount of reasoning is going to persuade him from this track of revenge. Besides, he feels it to be unfair. When she imprisoned him and killed him, that¡¯s fine. But when he tries to do the same, it is immoral and not good. in this case, he takes a page out of Hatori¡¯s book. do as you want, and deal with the consequences later. He has not spoken with Raven for over a year, since the siege has been going on for that long. His friend is trapped with the general in the castle on the other side of the country, while the remaining three of his friends still have not returned from their competition.

Part 2.

After escaping the island where Magical Girl Academy is located, and other related insanity, the team experiences some extremely bad weather. Enough that even Hatori is afraid to be in the middle of the ocean with gigantic waves. Not wanting to be drowned or end up with some disaster, the team ends up on an island, where there are no humans. Hatori stores the ship in his runes, while they wait for the weather to pass, and the sea to calm down. However, things have not improved for a month. Until then, they spent the entire time on this island. Their previous experiences helped them to cope. Hatori is surprised that despite their stressful experience, none of them have tried to murder each other so far. ¡°Looks like it is clearing up,¡± said Josh, poking his head out of the camp to see the sun shining down, and no cloud in sight. They go to check the ocean, and Josh senses the movement of the water. ¡°Yeah, it is normal now.¡± Bringing the ship out, they leave this island and resume their journey to the Subcontinent. However, disaster struck soon. When they were crossing the Zhongguo sea, a patrolling vessel attacked them. having no chance to defend against this military vessel, their ship gets destroyed. ¡°Magic dammit!¡± screamed everyone, as they end up shipwrecked at the port. As they try to calm down, they look up. ¡°Hatori, I am not seeing someone with handcuffs staring at us, right?¡± asked Josh. ¡°No, you are seeing exactly what you described.¡± Said Hatori. And then they get detained.

Part 3.

¡°Report.¡± Ordered Sundar, as Raven and Singh twins entered his office. ¡°The task is done.¡± Said Ranveer. ¡°From my understanding, the message was received quite positively.¡± ¡°I can confirm this assessment.¡± Said Raven. ¡°They are unhappy as it is, it was only a matter of time before someone voiced their concerns. Once we did that, they were quite supportive of us.¡± The general sent these three to the city to scout the situation and observe the mood of the people. They have done this for a while, and today, Sundar made his next move. He plans to fan the flames of the anger of the people living under the siege and take advantage of their support to launch some gorilla-style campaigns to harass the blockade. Hopefully, this would weaken them enough that they will manage to break out of their current situation. He sent Raven specifically since he knew that the boy comes from the bottom half of society, and the people are likely to listen to him more compared to someone from a noble family or a rich one. and thus, Raven has become quite an important part of his plans as a result. ¡°But whether they will assist us or not is still unclear.¡± Said Bhavani. ¡°People can be finicky like that.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Which is why this will be a long process to keep them angry at the other side. Remind them how things were under Porus¡¯s rain, and how this siege is putting them behind years.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± The three salute, and leave once dismissed.

Part 4.

¡°Look, we¡¯re extremely sorry for shooting at you like this.¡± Said the soldier who is releasing them, ¡°We should have confirmed who you are, and your purpose. It was a lapse in our judgment.¡± They all feel guilty for nearly killing these young men and women, and their guilt increases tenfold after hearing of their experiences. ¡°Look, that is fine.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Just let us go, the only goal we have is reaching our home, nothing more.¡± ¡°Yeah, can¡¯t do that. sorry.¡± Said another soldier. ¡°You see, we have to get the approval to release you. we have already filled the necessary forms, I¡¯m sure we will get the orders any day now.¡± The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°To let us go, or kill us, or maybe keep us as prisoners?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Can¡¯t say. That is the wonder of executive powers!¡± they all laugh, but Hatori could see the loathing in their eyes. ¡°Anyway, how are things in Zhongguo?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°I hear about some blockade in my home country, but what about you?¡± ¡°Oh, things are boiling here alright.¡± Said the soldier who released their handcuffs. ¡°The damn eunuchs are causing problems once again, riots, rebellions, unrest, that kind of stuff.¡± ¡°Yeah, I hear that the emperor got fed up with them, and torched the entire bunch a few days ago.¡± Said the second soldier. ¡°That explains the military forces on the port.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°You finally get it!¡± they laugh again.

Part 5.

The letter sent by the soldiers travels the chain of command. In theory, even the lowest bureaucrat who received this letter has the authority to let them go, but given the hot mess that could land on their lap if they mishandled this affair, they did the next best thing. Pass the buck to the person higher than them, and claim they are more qualified to make a decision. After that, they went home. But the person above them also thought the same way. and thus, this letter is passed around, always ending up on someone higher than the previous position, until it finally ends up on the top. ¡°Why the hell are you bothering me with this letter?¡± asked the emperor Zuo Chi. ¡°The port in charge should have let them go yesterday already!¡± ¡°They are unsure of its political implications perhaps?¡± suggested Feng Lei. ¡°Right. just send the kids to the border.¡± Said the emperor. ¡°Through land or through sea?¡± asked the guy who delivered the letter to the emperor. Zuo Chi glared. ¡°Through land. Drop them at the border, and then leave them be. If they managed to travel this long without supervision, they can certainly manage in their own homeland.¡± ¡°Yes, emperor. At once emperor.¡± The delivery guy bows repeatedly until he is out of the throne room. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I am in charge of such dullards. Tell me Lei, where did I go wrong?¡± asked Chi. ¡°You didn¡¯t. such as the life of an emperor.¡± Replied Lei at once. ¡°You cheeky bastard.¡± Grumbled Zuo Chi. This reminds him, that Porus still has not done anything. Chi does not know whether he is alive to do anything or not. truth be told, he would like to help him out, but the politics at home is tying his hands. ¡°Lei, remind me if I am about to commit the mistake of giving more power to my family or the eunuchs.¡± Said Chi. ¡°Yes, emperor.¡± Said Lei, obedient as always. He is never letting that damn harem and those eunuchs run things ever again. Good thing he torched them all. They can¡¯t even call him a murderer, after all, it was an accident, the entire castle burned to the ground because of one oil lamp. The fact that he got rid of various nagging problems is a bonus. Though he married for political reasons, he always remembers his first wife. They had an understanding between them, and she often served the role that Lei himself serves now. not sexually, of course, he is not interested in that with a man. but the advisory role they both have played in his life has allowed him to rule for this long. Too bad his wife became the victim of the court politics.

Part 6.

¡°Good news!¡± said the soldier who released the team, ¡°Your orders are here.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not going down without fighting!¡± said Hatori, magic already swirling around him. ¡°You¡¯re free to go!¡± said the second soldier. ¡°Oh.¡± The magic dies around Hatori¡¯s body. ¡°Though the emperor has told us to drop you through the land on the Subcontinent border. Do you have your documents with you?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Avinash, answering for them. ¡°Good. then off we go!¡± said the second soldier. ¡°Wait, you are coming with us?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°Yep. Emperor¡¯s orders, you know.¡± Said both soldiers together. As they take an airship to the mountainous region close to the Subcontinent, and then travel on foot, Avinash remarks to Hatori. ¡°We have changed sea travel to trekking.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not happy in either case.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I want an underground lab, I am tired of this traveling.¡± His frustration is evident by the few stray sparks around his body. Unfortunately for him, Avinash thinks Hatori is unlikely to get this underground lab. Avinash also knows that the boy likely is aware of this. Dread pools up in their belly, as they get closer to the Subcontinent. What will they find there? what is happening there, and why there is an information blockade? They are all about to find out. it is no longer some distant goal. It is about to happen, right now, as their documents are being processed.

Part 7.

Porus calls for another drink and reclines in his chair. This is one of the few inns that has escaped fighting, and thus it has gained a lot of people¡¯s patronage recently. Normally, he would be speaking with the other patrons, to hold a pseudo court here in the evening. But today, he is not speaking with anyone. He goes over his plan in his head. he wishes to make his enemies get overconfident, draw them to one place, and then finish them off in one swift maneuver. But he will not be able to draw them if he continues to remain hidden. He has recovered from his battle completely by now, and he feels it is the right time to appear here and there in public and make all the nobles gun for him. Once they are at his preferred place, he will finish them off, take his throne again, and end this chaos. Until then, he hopes that the people will hold out for a little bit longer. Chapter 204 Chapter 204.

Part 1.

Once they are dropped on the border, and their documents are processed, they go through the wilderness, trying to find their way back to their home cities. The military outpost that processed their documents refused to help them. However, when asked for a reason, they were rather cagy and revealed nothing. Avinash was miffed after their response. He expected better treatment in his home country, but clearly, something had happened. This area is not densely populated, but this absence of people, and tense military means something is happening here. They arrived in a small town, and when they were eating lunch, the place got attacked. ¡°You did not pay the existence tax. Prepare to be destroyed!¡± ¡°The hell?¡± asked Avinash, after they fought out of that place. ¡°Since when is there a tax for existing?¡± ¡°There they are, grab them!¡± some men come after them, as a bunch of kids leaving their initial forces crippled or dead is not something that they can tolerate. ¡°Dammit. We can¡¯t keep fighting them,¡± said Daphne. ¡°Pss, come here.¡± said a young boy in a valley. Avinash turns to Hatori. he shakes his head in the negative. He does not sense any trap there. besides, they don¡¯t have many options. So, they follow this young boy, and the forces chasing them run past them without looking at the valley to their left. The boy brings them to a camp outside of the city, where they meet the elders of this tribal group. ¡°Are you kids okay? you¡¯re not harmed, are you?¡± ¡°Not yet.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°But what is going on here?¡± ¡°The king has been missing.¡± Said another elder. ¡°The City of Throne is facing a siege for over a year. how do you not know this?¡± ¡°We were outside of the country.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We went there for the dueling tournament.¡± ¡°Ah, the young team. It was quite a performance you gave us.¡± said the elder. ¡°Feels like a lifetime ago.¡± Said Praduman. ¡°Yeah, and some of us never got a chance to fight,¡± complained Josh. ¡°At least not as much as we would like to.¡± ¡°The king was also there.¡± said the first elder. ¡°Things went horrible when he left. The noble families seized that chance, and attacked the unprepared city.¡± ¡°When he returned,¡± continues the second elder, ¡°He wiped out the attacking force but then got weak as a result. No one knows where he is ever since.¡± ¡°But Sundar should have taken control of the city by now,¡± said Avinash. ¡°He probably lacks resources.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°The reinforcement couldn¡¯t get to him, as the siege is cutting them off from the outside world.¡± ¡°Correct boy.¡± said the second elder. ¡°You should be careful; these nobles are very cruel. They drove us off from our land, and we have been hiding ever since.¡± Revealed the second elder. As they walk out of the camp, they are lost. they are not certain what to do. ¡°I think we should either go to the City of Throne, or to the Academy.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Because from the Academy, you can contact your parents, and go to your homes if possible. From City of Throne, we can actually contribute something.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Besides, Raven is likely there.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Shin and Josh together. ¡°I think going there is a dangerous option.¡± Said Praduman. ¡°I¡¯m not willing to do that.¡± ¡°That is fine.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°You are free to go to the Academy. but I am going to the city.¡± ¡°Me as well,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re also coming,¡± said Josh and Shin. ¡°Me too,¡± said Tom. ¡°Then that leaves us three,¡± said Ravina. ¡°Guess we will see you if you survive.¡± ¡°Yeah, if we survive.¡± Said Avinash. Though they wanted to leave, Avinash and others helped arrange transport to the Academy. once their three friends are on the ship, they think of how to go to the City of Throne. Ravina, Daphne, and Praduman are not going to have any trouble. They will be safe in the Academy. not only that but arranging an airship to the Academy was quite easy. ¡°I am not happy to leave them like this.¡± Said Daphne, once they were on their way. ¡°It is no place for people of our age.¡± ¡°The decision is their own, remember?¡± said Ravina. ¡°Besides, they are all quite cunning. I¡¯m sure they will be fine.¡± Said Praduman. though on the privacy of his mind, he agrees with Daphne¡¯s assessment. Because going to the city is going to be a challenge in itself. Entering it would be another challenge.

Part 2.

Though they wanted to go to the City of Throne, they did not fancy their chance against an army by their fivesome. Hatori suggests that they should go to Zeko for help, and the other four agreed. In the middle of their way, they got attacked a bunch more times, which usually resulted in them running from the town. But one attack actually proved quite profitable for them. After dispatching the force sent after them from the previous town, they take over the car which remained intact after the fight, and inside they find a map of the Subcontinent. This made their journey much smoother. Unfortunately, when they arrive at Zeko¡¯s house, he is not there. Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions. ¡°Young master.¡± Greeted the main yantra. ¡°Master Zeko has not been here for months.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± cursed Hatori. ¡°We could really use his help.¡± ¡°Though he is not here, I suggest that you and your friends rest before leaving. I believe you can use some relaxation.¡± Said the main yantra. ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said Josh. ¡°We¡¯ve been traveling for a year now. We¡¯ll rest here for a day or two, and then leave for the city.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± said the remaining four. Still, Hatori has a question that refuses to leave him alone. where could Zeko have gone in such a chaotic time?

Part 3.

An old man walks out of a camp. the horrible screams of men come from behind him, as the camp burns with them inside. They thought they could mess with him, and get away with it, now that the king is missing. How horribly wrong they were. This man is, of course, Zeko. He was sent by the general to find the king. so far, apart from finding some rumors, he has not seen or heard from Porus. The rumors have turned into reality recently, as various sightings of him culminate with the destruction of the armies of the noble families. Still, the king is managing to be one step ahead of Zeko, and he always arrives later, by the time the king has already left. Personally, Zeko would like to wait for his apprentice and his friends or assist the general in retaking the city. But he is stuck tracking an old man. this fact does not improve his mood any, and he takes out his anger on any mage from the opposite side who is stupid enough to mess with him.

Part 4.

Josh finds a map of the City of Throne on the dinner table, where Zeko marked some portions of the city with a spot of green ink. ¡°What do you think this means?¡± ¡°I can only deduce.¡± Said Hatori, ¡°But I think there might be possible points where someone can sneak inside.¡± ¡°Perhaps a small force, maybe someone like us?¡± suggested Avinash. ¡°But that is only a deduction.¡± Said Shin. ¡°It could mean something entirely else. Do you want to take a chance on that?¡± ¡°Why not?¡± said Hatori. he stopped from saying the next phrase. Bad things can happen if something like ¡°What could go wrong?¡± is uttered in the current chaotic times. That was two days ago. Now, they have snuck inside of the city. Hatori¡¯s deduction was correct. Though they thought of why exactly didn¡¯t they find these weaknesses and plugged them in, Hatori discarded such thoughts. The carelessness of an enemy is a gain for them. Hatori is noting the wards. Some of them are quite interesting. He might use them once he gets his own place. ¡°Wait, don¡¯t step there!¡± his warning comes too late. One step of the Shin, and the alarms start to blare in the city.

Part 5.

Amarnath moves through the castle, people having to get out of his way quite fast since he is in a hurry. He knocks on the door of Sundar¡¯s office, and the general calls him in. ¡°General.¡± He greets him, very impatient. ¡°Prime minister.¡± Greeted Sundar in return, and noticed the impatience of Amarnath. ¡°What brings you to me today?¡± ¡°Avinash is here, in the city.¡± He spoke. ¡°So?¡± asked Sundar. He then processes what he hears. ¡°What? Alive?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± confirms Amarnath. ¡°How do you know this?¡± asked the general. ¡°This ring is tied with the wards.¡± Said Amarnath. ¡°Whenever someone of my blood is close to me, it informs me.¡± ¡°Hmm. I suppose his friends might be with him?¡± asked Sundar. ¡°Can¡¯t say. It only lets me know about his presence.¡± Said Amarnath. ¡°In any case, I think we need that kid, or those kids here,¡± said Sundar. ¡°They might have some valuable information for us.¡± ¡°But lowering the wards can be dangerous.¡± Said Amarnath. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure no one from the enemy side gets in.¡± Though the prime minister is unsure of how the general is going to pull this off, he decides to put his trust in him. Since he can do nothing but wait, he leaves the general to plan alone and deal with his anxiety in his own office where he will not get in the way of others.

Part 6.

The crowd is in hot pursuit. Judging by the spells and the shouts, Hatori is their preferred target. They see him as a supporter of Porus and a symbol of the previous regime, and they want him alive. They arrive at the castle, where the general is waiting with his forces. The enemy soldiers who chased them here in the crowd thought they could now enter, but they got fried. The wards are not lowered for them. the civilian crowd backs off, while the soldiers get closer to the group. A fight breaks out, where these five boys are facing the fully trained soldiers. but they are not backing down. However, they are weakening slowly, while the numbers keep increasing. The general cannot help them, he cannot leave his position. Hatori creates a blast of fire to gain some space, and launches many lightning bolts from his one hand, killing some soldiers, while he makes a motion to Avinash and others to get close to him. Once they do this, he blasts them, sending them inside of the castle flying, while he is put in the chains. ¡°Hatori you bastard!¡± cursed Josh, unable to look away. His friend was chained up like a rabid animal, and carried away. Chapter 205 Chapter 205.

Part 1.

After they arrive in the Academy, they find out about the two invasions, and about the new headmaster. ¡°Professor Dhiraj¡ªI mean headmaster.¡± Greeted Praduman. ¡°You can call me professor.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°I still get called to teach alchemy you know.¡± Then, they explain what happened after the tournament, and how they journeyed half a world to get back home, only to find out about the chaos. After that, they presented the trophy Hatori handed them before they parted ways. With all the deserving pomp, their trophy is put in the achievement¡¯s hall. As all eight got their pictures placed along with the trophy, the three students wrote their families. Until they get a response, the Academy has agreed to host them.

Part 2.

Though the majority of the noble families rebelled, some did not. Fernandes family is one such family. Along with some branches of the Sharma, Singh clan, and Raos, Fernandes refused to join this alliance. Partly, because George knows what would follow if they win. Tons of backstabbing and another round of civil war. Partly, he also knows what would follow if they lose: complete destruction, loss of status, or even exile. And partly, because George does not want to do anything with them. the noble families that are part of the rebellion remind him of his father¡¯s brutalist attitude, something which he inflicted on his own children as well, and nearly destroyed their relationship with them. he does not want to do anything with such a poisonous bunch. Though the rebel faction does not like this snub, they cannot do anything about it. Raos and Fernandes have strong territories, with adequate resources to defend them. Sharmas are already fighting among themselves, so they cannot interfere in that conflict. And messing with the Singh clan which is spread all over the country is like messing with an ant colony, something which no one wants to do. They are already having so much trouble with the City of Throne and a rogue king, they do not want to deal with a highly militarized clan that could make their lives difficult in ways they could never think of. While contemplating this, he reads the letter of Josh. George gets some idea of what his youngest son has dealt with so far, though a mere letter is not enough to sate his curiosity. He must sit with him, and learn what happened with him. if he needs help after such traumatic events, then listening to Josh is the least he could do for him. He also learns about their plan to go to the City of Throne with the boy trained by Zeko, and Amarnath¡¯s boy. which means it is time that he enters this conflict fully. He gets up from his comfortable chair and speaks with his son in the garden. ¡°Father.¡± Greets George Junior. ¡°Son.¡± The senior acknowledges the greeting. ¡°Prepare our forces.¡± George Junior has a wide smile on his face after hearing those words. ¡°At once. I assume we are going to the City of Throne?¡± ¡°You assume correctly.¡± The Junior notes that his father has a similar smile.

Part 3.

The rebellious faction has announced the capture of Hatori, printing his face on the newspaper, and showing his face on the posters everywhere, touting him as a symbol of the previous regime. They claim that during his childhood, they tried to recruit him, but he rebuffed them and crippled or killed their children. How he is an outsider whom they offered kindness, and yet got rejected, and how he was nothing but a bullied and an abnormal child in his world. Zeko puts the paper down in disgust. Hatori has told him all the events that happened to him in the Academy. Zeko knows that their version is false, but whether the public will believe it or not is difficult to say. He wanted to abandon his mission and help out his students. but tracking Porus is important as well. Porus, Hatori, Porus, Hatori, Porus¡­ Hatori¡­ ¡°GRA!¡± the silence of the night is punctured by a cry of frustrated rage from Zeko.

Part 4.

It is the third day for Hatori. he was brought here in this room, and put here in this cell. He has not seen or made any contact with the outside world, though some people come to take pictures, get terrified, and then leave. Remembering his days in Yograj¡¯s prison when he was nine, Hatori made a counter which would let him the days if he is ever trapped in a cell in his life. which is why he has been able to keep track of the days. ¡®I think the next update will be to keep track of the time. why bother looking at clocks, when you know the correct time always?¡¯ he thinks to himself. The cell door opens, and some guards show up. really, calling them guards is an insult to real prison guards. These are nothing but young men who found no employment in the previous regime and are now enjoying their lives since they consider themselves to be part of the faction that is actually keeping society under its boots. ¡°Look at you now. so helpless. You¡¯re not a rampaging scary boy anymore.¡± said one of them. ¡°So, you graduated in recent times. what a shame I shared the school with a failure like you,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Mind your language.¡± Then the beating began. This is nothing new for Hatori. they have tried to scare him and break his spirit by hunger and beating, but none of that succeeded. They wanted him scared to show the masses how they broke him. but his continued resistance is putting a wrench in that plan. Once they are done beating him, Hatori is bloody on the ground, laughing at their puzzled expressions. ¡°You will never scare me. The only reason why you even dare to come here is because I¡¯m tied like this.¡± He makes a motion, and the chains on his arms jingle. ¡°Shut up!¡± the guard who spoke and taunted him at the start punches Hatori. For Hatori, it is nothing but another bruise, but for the guard, this proves to be a curse. When he split the skin on Hatori¡¯s cheek, some blood got on his fist as well. despite his magic being sealed, Hatori managed to use this drop of blood and make a withering rune. The guard screamed, as the hand with which he punched Hatori shriveled in front of his eyes, and then turned into dust. they all quickly leave the cell, closing the doors behind him. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings. Hatori continues to laugh, and despite the distance, his words manage to pierce their confidence. ¡°Run, run you cowards. You can only hide behind your noble blood. In reality, you fear strong mages like me. so run, for that is the only thing which is keeping you alive. hahahahahahaha!¡±

Part 5.

The magic thrums around him, as Avinash paces back and forth in the castle. Tom tried to console him, but he was not happy ever since he read the paper in the morning. He is also angry at Hatori. they could have got in, he did not need to play this heroic role. He ignores the rational voice at the back of his head telling him that they were badly outnumbered, and none of them will be here if Hatori didn¡¯t blast them inside. He hates being trapped in this castle. he hates what they are saying about Hatori. Avinash has a lot of opinions on Hatori, but he never douted his loyalty. He does not deserve the words they have printed about him. But most important of all, he hates being trapped in this castle. ¡°Can¡¯t we do something?¡± he finally asked, unable to contain himself. ¡°No.¡± said Sundar.¡± The blockade is still going on, and we barely maintain our control in the surrounding area of the castle.¡± explained the general. This does not please Avinash, but he sits down and tries to calm himself. Such restlessness will not help him in the coming time. ¡°General!¡± said Bajrang. ¡°I have some urgent news.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Sundar. ¡°The forces of the enemy are facing an attack by the Fernandes. In the chaos, one of them managed to give me this message.¡± Explained Bajrang, and handed over the letter. The general reads the letter, and Avinash decides to ask. ¡°Is it classified?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Sundar. ¡°But you finally may get a chance to help out your friend.¡± ¡°How so?¡± asked all the boys, suddenly full of energy. ¡°We¡¯ll sneak a small force through the gap your father provided us,¡± Sundar nodded at Josh, ¡°And attack the proceedings during the trial, and retrieve your friend.¡± ¡°Okay, it is not a nice thing to do, but I must ask: is it worth it?¡± asked Ranveer. ¡°It is. Hatori is a strong mage. and we could use all the power we can get in our current state.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Besides, rescuing him will send a message to our enemies that we are not as helpless as they think we are.¡±

Part 6.

Hatori is brought to the court. Outside of the building, a show takes place where the scene is being telecasted live on the television, and newspaper reporters are furiously taking pictures. They have not healed him before bringing him out here, so the injuries are clear to see on the visible parts of his body. The guards are quite professional in their handling of him. Hatori thought they might take some last-minute liberties with him, but they did nothing of the sort. He suspects that these are the old guards, who actually are prison guards, and are likely doing this before the rebellion. Come to think of it, no one has dared to attack him in his cell, ever since he destroyed the hand of that young guard. If Hatori had known earlier that the only thing required to get some peace from these annoyances is a little bit of violence, he would have done something far worse, to make sure they leave him alone. ¡®Oh well, lessons for the next time.¡¯ thinks Hatori. They bring him inside and make him sit on the chair reserved for the accused. Hatori breathed a sigh of relief when the chair failed to pull something magical off when he sat on it. he does not want more chains on him, nor does he want to tell the truth just because of a magical device either. Despite his father serving in the profession of law, Hatori has no interest or patience for the subject. But even he knows how quickly things are moving. The judge is also likely biased against him, as the noble families will never let a neutral judge preside over this case. ¡°Here is the list of his crimes.¡± Hatori tunes in, interested to know what they are accusing him of. ¡°He killed children of several prominent noble families, even though they went to him in peace. He menaced the school with animals when he was punished for this crime. He crippled his professor for life. he also shamed the nation in the dueling tournament last year, by disrespectfully treating a female competitor.¡± ¡°What does the accused have to say?¡± asked the judge. ¡°Not guilty.¡± Said Hatori simply. ¡°Please elaborate.¡± Asked the judge. ¡°The noble children never came to me in peace. Their negotiation skills sucked, the only thing they did was threaten me to join their side or suffer the consequences. Maybe teach your children how to negotiate instead of blaming me?¡± suggested Hatori. It was not received well. the order had to be restored in the court before he could continue further. ¡°My punishment was unfair, the machination of a useless professor who only managed to get there because his family made some sort of deal with the headmaster. He never taught any subject, nor did any research. He does not deserve to be called a professor, but professor useless is a great title, so¡­¡± he trailed off, and once again the order has to be restored in the court. ¡°I crippled him because I was tired of his scheme.¡± Continued Hatori, feeling he was on a roll. ¡°And as for the last one, I¡¯m not apologizing.¡± ¡°It is clear to this court that the accused is not only unwilling to recognize his crimes, but is also belligerent. Therefore, the court gives him five years in the Black Water Prison.¡± The judge bangs his gavel. As soon as he did that, the building is shaken by an explosion, and forces with the insignia of the military which serves the throne appear, and attack everyone to distract them, while some of them try to reach Hatori. Hatori could not do anything in his current state. His magic is sealed, and already, he is surrounded by the guards. Surprisingly, these are female guards. They carry him outside and respond with ruthless violence whenever they are attacked. Hatori is put on a van, and they then take him to the airship which will transport him to the prison. Meanwhile, in the court, corpses of both sides litter the building, and the survivors escape to report their failure to the general Sundar. Chapter 206 Chapter 206.

Part 1.

The nobles led by Jeevan Reddy meet with some outsiders. While these outsiders have been useful in rebelling against the throne, most nobles do not know about them, apart from Jeevan, the Sharma Representative, and now dead Aarna and General Banerjee. ¡°How goes the progress?¡± asked the woman. ¡°It goes well,¡± said Jeevan. ¡°Apart from a few holdouts, our takeover is complete.¡± ¡°We need to pacify the population though.¡± Said the Sharma representative. ¡°Wonderful.¡± Said the man who came with this woman. ¡°Once the other regions complete their progress at your level, be certain that you will be given high positions for your swift work.¡± ¡°We are honored.¡± Both of them said together. However, in reality, none of them are interested in taking some hire position. The Subcontinent is a rich land, and they have no interest in going outside of it for some empty position that looks great at first glance, but in reality, is nothing. Once Jeevan and the Sharma representative leave, the man turns to the woman. ¡°Have you prepared the forces?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± she nodded. ¡°After Amelia¡¯s death, I had to complete her tasks, but our forces are ready. Once these morons are done, we will take them by surprise.¡± ¡°Indeed. They probably have the same plan for us though.¡± said the man. ¡°I could feel that they are not interested in any hire position.¡± ¡°Why would they? It is a good place.¡± Said the woman. ¡°If you know how to use your resources properly.¡± As they start to leave, these two Succubi feel that the world of strong mages is finally ending. Once the nobles around the world are under their control, and monsters like Porus and Zuo Chi are removed from power, no one can resist them. then, it will be the turn of the other side.

Part 2.

¡°You seem upset.¡± Said Slaughter, taking a seat near James. ¡°Mind sharing what¡¯s eating you?¡± James gives him the newspaper. Where Slaughter sees the picture of Hatori, smirking in the ring, while a girl is outside unconscious. He remembers this picture being shown on the papers from a year ago. But the headline is different this time. Another picture of Hatori is shown, this time in chains, and being led to a van, right outside the court. The paper is calling this a justice served too late after many children lost their lives to this monster. ¡°I was with him the entire time,¡± said James, and Slaughter looked up from the paper. ¡°Whatever he might be, he never went out of his way to attack anyone, or threaten someone with his powers.¡± ¡°Do you think they care about the truth?¡± asked Slaughter. ¡°No. they don¡¯t,¡± said James. ¡°But I feel bad, I should be there, helping him out.¡± ¡°Stay here for now,¡± suggests Slaughter. ¡°Your talents are not suited for warfare, no matter how good you might be at inflicting violence. You will get a chance to help your friend sooner or later. do you know why?¡± asked Slaughter. ¡°Why?¡± asked James in return. ¡°Because he will need a long treatment to recover from the prison he is sent to,¡± said Slaughter.

Part 3.

While tracking the king, Zeko hears about the imprisonment of Hatori. ¡°Sending him to Black Water Prison of all things. killing him would be a kindness.¡± He grumbled. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± he burns the paper. ¡°I have enough of this. I¡¯ll return to Sundar and rescue my student. the king can return when he wants to.¡± Zeko then gets in his car and leaves for the City of Throne to meet with General Sundar, and report his unwillingness to continue on this mission. Nearby, once Zeko leaves, Porus steps out of the trees, breathing a sigh of relief. His student is outstanding. he dogged him every step of the way, and if it weren¡¯t for the constant chaos around him, he would have tracked him down. Though he is concerned about Hatori being sent to that dreaded prison. He tried to end that prison, but surprisingly, the nobles resisted. He thought at least on this one issue, they would agree with him. how wrong he was.

Part 4.

After they put him in the van, they took him to the airship. unlike his previous experiences of flying in an airship, Hatori is restricted in his movement, and they keep an eye on him during the entire flight. The guards did not speak to him, nor to each other in his presence. From the airship, they bring him to the prison. As they were about to land, Hatori is brought from his room where he was kept, and he observes his place of imprisonment. It is an island in the middle of the ocean, but unlike the islands he has seen in his travels about a few months ago, this island has a sinister feeling. Not only Hatori senses no natural life on it, but the magic itself is suffocating around this island. The steam just adds to the sinisterness of the island, as hot water meets the cool water from the wider ocean. Hatori does not know where it is coming from, because he is not sensing any volcano nearby. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. As the guards leave after transferring him to the guards of the prison, the warden comes to see this new prisoner. He is the youngest prisoner on this island, and by his looks, he looks like any young man who graduated the school recently. But he knows the reality of this boy. ¡°You will pay for killing Swaraj, mark my words.¡± Muttered the warden. But that will come later. for now, Hatori is thrown into a cell with another prisoner, and the door of the cell closes behind him with finality. For a moment, Hatori contemplates his life. son of a lawyer and a housewife, a blind child who ends up in another world, which is a much more brutal counterpart of the world where he grew up, and now, he is in prison. At least his cellmate is not interested in speaking to him. Hatori doesn¡¯t have any energy to talk either. He just knows that if he ever leaves this place, this helplessness and this depression will follow him for a long time. The sleep was not easy for Hatori. the prison is humid to an uncomfortable degree, and he is still chained. He has not eaten anything for two days, and the last time he drank any water was yesterday. The door opens, and the guards roughly halls him from the floor. ¡°The warden wants to see you, kid.¡± The other prisoner stirs after hearing those words. ¡°Good luck, kid.¡± He croaked. ¡°You will need it.¡± The guards said nothing in reply to this wish of luck and took Hatori to the center of the prison. ¡°Just so you know, every prisoner on this island can hear us.¡± said the warden. ¡°I am Shravan Joshi, the warden of this prison.¡± He then grabs Hatori¡¯s face, digging his fingers under his jaw. ¡°And you are the youngest prisoner in this prison, and the killer of my son.¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Hatori, not remembering anyone who looked like him. The warden strikes him in the face. ¡°Swaraj. You killed him. and you don¡¯t even have the decency to remember!¡± Hatori straightened his face and then said. ¡°Still doesn¡¯t ring a bell.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Shravan. ¡°Guards, tie him to the post.¡± Hatori¡¯s arms are straightened, and along with his legs, he is tied to the post. The chains are restraining his arms and legs, as they are bound to the metal bars on both ends. ¡°Now, suffer!¡± The warden brings out his foci. It is a Europa-style focus, a wand which looks dainty. Hatori feels he would accidentally end up snapping it in half, rather than use it to cast magic. a whip of fire comes from the wand and hits Hatori on his back. Despite making a grunt, he did not scream. The warden strikes him again, and another grunt comes out, a longer one this time. the warden strikes him for the third time, and Hatori screams. Every prisoner shutters, as Hatori is struck seven more times, and screams like an animal. The guards watch this happening with impassive expressions, as the smell of burning flesh starts to spread around them. As the warden smirks at Hatori who is writhing in pain in his bonds, his wands disappear in his sleeve. ¡°This is just a start. You will experience this pain until you die!¡± ¡°No, you die!¡± said Hatori, in a maddened state. His magic surged and overwhelms the seals put on him, destroying the chains, and injuring his legs and wrists with the broken steel. He attacks the warden, shocking him with streaming electricity, and the warden is the one who screams like an animal this time. But the punishment earlier takes its toll. The guards get him off from Shravan, and he is bound and sealed again. Now looking at Hatori fearfully, the warden says with a trembling voice: ¡°Put him in an isolated cell. No one is to speak with him, understand?¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± The guards take Hatori to follow their boss¡¯s orders.

Part 5.

Avinash is dejected by this latest failure. ¡°Wow. Haven¡¯t seen you this low.¡± Said Raven, when he saw him alone, Raven decided to speak with him. ¡°The situation is like that,¡± said Avinash. ¡°I wanted to be a king. and during the last year, I got a chance to test my leadership as well. but I never thought it would end up like this.¡± ¡°What are you saying?¡± asked Raven. ¡°It has not ended. Not by a long shot. we are all here, aren¡¯t we?¡± ¡°How can you say this with such confidence?¡± Avinash shoots back, ¡°Your childhood friend is in the worst prison this country has to offer. And you still talk like that?¡± For a moment, Raven¡¯s face twists, and the expression of absolute anger comes on his face. But just after a second, his face smooths into his usual placid expression. ¡°He won¡¯t stay there forever.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°You see,¡± said Raven, ¡°It is pointless to think about helping Hatori. we need a powerful base if we wish to bring him out of there. and we must make our way to that goal.¡± ¡°And how would we do this?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Simple.¡± Said Raven. ¡°The general has some help. already our influence is spreading. We might not be able to drive out the invaders, but we can still carve out half of the city for us. Once we do that, it would be easier to spring Hatori out of his prison.¡± ¡°And what role do I get to play in all of this?¡± asked Avinash. Raven leans forward, and after a minute later, he leaves a smiling Avinash behind. Chapter 207 Chapter 207.

Part 1.

Wandering through the city, Zeko observes the battle going on. He remembers his younger days when he did something similar to make a name for himself. Many nobles died from his hand, for which they hate him to this day. at least those who survived and remember. Surprisingly for him, Zeko sees that the invaders are being forced out, and the blockade is being crushed. The forces run outside, only to fall into the hands of the reinforcements who have been waiting for over a year for this exact moment. Judging from some uniforms and logos, the general has gotten some help from Raos, Singhs, and Fernandes. Grabbing one civilian, Zeko lifts him by his neck and puts him against a wall. ¡°Mind telling me why are you fighting?¡± he asked, after loosening his grip. The man recognized him and paled. ¡°Because the general promised to give some food to us from the reserves, we have run out of food, and the invaders won¡¯t let us get any from outside!¡± said the man quickly. ¡°Very well. off you go.¡± Said Zeko, patting him on the back. The man breathes a sigh of relief, once Zeko leaves. It must be his lucky day, not only he is helping in freeing his city, but he survived the bloody silver fox. Truly, this must be his good karma paying off. Then, the building on which Zeko planted him by grabbing his neck collapsed, and a metal rod impaled his chest. Of course, Zeko did not see any of that. he walks to the castle and enters brazenly. The soldiers dared to stop him, but once they looked at his face, they backed off. Walking to the general¡¯s office, he opens the door to see the general with his two apprentices, the Singh twins, Amarnath¡¯s boy, and Hatori¡¯s friends. the absence of his student then hits him hard, and without even invitation, he enters the office and takes a chair. ¡°Zeko, reporting. I¡¯ve aborted the mission to find and convince Porus to return.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°In my judgment, we have bigger things to worry about now.¡± Though Sundar is not happy with his decision, he accepts it all the same. Besides, the man is not wrong. ¡°Very well. Do you know what is happening here?¡± ¡°I do have some idea.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°You¡¯re driving the enemy forces out with civilian help and using the forces of the noble families on our side.¡± ¡°An apt summary.¡± Said the general. ¡°Although my apprentices were the ones who came up with the idea of involving the civilians directly by offering them food.¡± ¡°It is the best strategy.¡± Said Bajrang. ¡°It lets them know that we care about them.¡± ¡°It also exploits their resentment against the enemy, since they did not let them get any food from outside,¡± said Raven. ¡°Excellent.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°What is the next step?¡± ¡°Why,¡± said the Avinash for the first time, ¡°To hold the city of course.¡±

Part 2.

In the Academy, Corvus is observing how things are going under his successor Dhiraj. He planned his retirement to be a great event, where he would give some great speeches, and insult some people dead or alive for the last time. unfortunately, it ended up being nothing more than a wheeze from a hospital bed, confirming Dhiraj to be his successor. He is still stationed in the Academy since Dhiraj feels they need all the strong mages they can get. Corvus may not be as strong as he once was, but his reputation alone is enough to strike some fear in the hearts of the enemy. He is also staying in the Academy because he can pursue whatever interests him at any given moment. ¡°Headmas¡ªProfessor Corvus, how can you take things so lightly in such chaotic times?¡± Asked Professor Bali one day. ¡°Well, it is your generation¡¯s problem to solve this chaos. I can give you help when you need it, but do not expect me to be grim all the time,¡± he said in reply. ¡°Besides, I do think after leading this institute for around 100 years, some lightness is needed in my life, don¡¯t you think?¡± After that, no one raised a fuss when he worked with the alchemy researchers. Or when they turned water pink. Or when he brought some animals from the forest where that boy did his magic to study. Though some of them escaped his captivity. Though if anyone asked, he would say that the females make the most delightful noises when they see a swarm of rats coming their way. and this narrator can confirm, that despite being not female, the author does the same.

Part 3.

How many years it has been? He was a young man of 25 when he was brought here for the first time. he does not even remember his age now properly, having no way to calculate time in his cell. No sound comes here. there is only his breathing, and his own footsteps to let him know that yes, his hearing is still intact. A small light that comes from the shafts through which his food and water come, also lets him know that yes, his sight is still intact. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Occasional coughs and attempts to talk with himself also let him know that his throat still works. but none of this is enough to let him know how long he has been trapped here. Other cells have remained empty ever since he arrived here, there have been no prisoners who have been sent to this hell to suffer along with him. quite sad now that he considers it, he would have liked some company. But one day (or is it a night,) this changes. He hears footsteps that are not his. He hears voices which is not his. For the first time since he was put here, he hears the gates of this section opening with a squeal, and for the first time, he sees humans ever since he was brought here. What kind of prisoner this will be? He wonders. Will he be too mad to speak with him? how old will he be? How long would it take for this new sufferer to go mad from this isolation? He is shocked to see the age of this prisoner. He looks like a child. What crimes did he commit to be thrown here? why is he covered in blood? Why is he unconscious? He shifts, and attracts some attention from the guards, and after their faces pale in fear, they run quickly back where they came from. ¡®Heh. Still got it.¡¯ he thought in his head. Hatori wakes up a few hours later. his back and legs are still on fire, and the pain continues to make him miserable. Still, he did not cry out. he will not give them the satisfaction. Despite his magic being sealed, he can still sense his surrounding area. Surprisingly, he does sense a magical signature, but he is in no condition to speak. ¡°Ah, the child awakes.¡± Croaked the voice. ¡°Who are you, child?¡± Hatori tries to answer, but the pain won¡¯t let him. ¡°No matter. Rest and you can answer me later. until then, remember my name: Kalicharan.¡± Hatori drifts back to unconsciousness. He does not know why that name sounds so familiar, and he does not care to find out right now.

Part 4.

Once Zeko returned, he helped out in the retaking of the city. The invaders are already dealing with the reinforcements, plus the forces of the general, and Zeko continues to cause problems for them. But it was Raven who delivered the crushing blow to them. leaving the general and Zeko to distract the greater army, he snuck behind the enemy lines with the Singh twins and Bajrang and destroyed their supplies. They then opened a path from inside, and the camp was overrun by their soldiers quickly, and the generals of the invading side died in the battle. Once Raven takes charge of the prisoners, he reports to General Sundar about his success. ¡°Sir, the operation was a total success,¡± he said, with the twins posing behind him. ¡°Excellent.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°They have started to surrender. We should secure the borders of the city. Best not let anyone inside if we can help it.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Father would agree with you.¡±

Part 5.

Praduman is sparring with James. He has not gone home yet, because he has been offered a position as an assistant to Professor Bali, which he decided to take. Their spar takes a strange turn when James decides to test out his new modifications. his arms twist into metallic-looking blades, which send cutting blades of wind at Praduman. on the top of James¡¯s head, a gun appears which twists around to track the target, and fires explosives at Praduman. Once their spar is done, Praduman walks to James. ¡°I am very disturbed with the changes you have done to yourself.¡± ¡°That is good,¡± said James with a smile. ¡°It means they are working as they are supposed to.¡±

Part 6.

The general receives a piece of news. Apparently, the sudden loss of the City of Throne is disturbing for the rebelling families. Therefore, they decided to send their forces from all sides to ¡°Crush him.¡± those were the exact words they used. They are also carrying signs that clearly state, ¡°This time, we come for the throne.¡± ¡°Hahahahahahaha!¡± Raven burst out laughing when he heard this last bit. ¡°Aren¡¯t you worried?¡± asked the general. ¡°We face a much bigger number this time.¡± ¡°They want the throne; they will never win.¡± Said Raven. ¡°It is time to apply the lessons Professor Amrita taught us.¡± ¡°What?¡± asked the general. What do the history lessons have to do with this? ¡°Listen.¡± Said Raven. As he finishes his plan, both Bajrang and Sundar are shocked by this. But given how the odds are not exactly with them, they agree to this play. ¡°Just understand something.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°If this fails, it will be your head on the chopping block.¡± ¡°It always has been.¡± Said Raven. The general winced after hearing that. looks like Raven still carries a chip on his shoulder due to his social class. chapter 208 Chapter 208.

Part 1.

Ritual master Vasu is preparing to perform the ritual ordered by the general. He has put gold, money, pictures of attractive males and females, and a replica of the throne as well in the middle of a square. All these objects represent potential things that a person may covet for themselves. Once all the runes are drawn, the magic is channeled, a cloud rises from the square, and disappears in the sky. Good thing they performed this ritual in the garden, they would have become the victims otherwise since the cloud would not have any place to escape. ¡°So, that was the ritual of lust?¡± asked Raven, ignoring a burst of laughter from Avinash. ¡°Yes,¡± said Vasu. ¡°Too bad your friend is not here to witness it, I hear from Professor Krodhatma and Mantar that he is quite good with rituals.¡± ¡°Yes, though lust doesn¡¯t seem to affect him,¡± said Raven. ¡°Really?¡± asked Vasu, surprised by this revelation. ¡°He has been around many females, he is living with a rich mage, he spent time around the throne. But none of these seem to attract him,¡± explained Raven. ¡°Maybe his priorities are different? It is only a matter of time a lust is found after all.¡± Said Vasu. Avinash bursts out laughing once again, but Raven slaps him and explains his plan. He stopped laughing after listening to the plan of Raven and sported a horrified look. He avoided becoming a victim. Good thing he stayed inside, just like the ritual master instructed them all.

Part 2.

There is a discussion going on in the headmaster¡¯s office in the Academy. for a change, this discussion does not involve powerplays between the professors. The discussion is about how to run the next year in this chaotic time, as they have faced two invasions in the past year. How can they bring students here? how can they safely send them back? What if their ships got attacked somewhere in the middle? What if some radicle students dared to sabotage this entire system? Such questions are being debated in this discussion. ¡°Look,¡± said Professor Shantanu, ¡°It is clear that the most dangerous part is bringing and sending the students. If we secure that part, then we will have an easier time in solving our remaining problems.¡± ¡°I agree with Professor Shantanu.¡± Said Dhiraj, surprising the professor greatly. He thought given their history, the headmaster would never do that. ¡°The security is important during the transport. Please suggest any methods you can think of.¡± ¡°The obvious thing would be to give the ship defenses.¡± Said Bali. ¡°And I argue that will require weapons.¡± ¡°Okay, that is a good suggestion,¡± said Professor Sultan, ¡°But I do think we should place some of our combat-oriented members on those ships.¡± ¡°Do we have enough people for that though?¡± asked Professor Emelia. ¡°Of course we do.¡± Said Bali. ¡°Besides, the older students are no slouch when it comes to combat, they have proven this already.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Dhiraj. ¡°We will put some combat specialists on the ships, and give them necessary weapons to defend. Anything else?¡± ¡°We need to give a strong message.¡± Said Corvus, who remained silent during the meeting so far, and thus was ignored by everyone. ¡°Let them know that if any Academy ship is attacked anywhere in the country, they will get a swift and crushing response from the Institute.¡± ¡°I agree with this message.¡± Said Bali. ¡°If we do not project such strength, then we will be considered weak, and all of our measures will be fruitless.¡± ¡°Well then. I shall leave the task of crafting a suitable message to you, Professor Bali. Do try to keep the cursing at a minimum.¡± Said Dhiraj, making everyone laugh.

Part 3.

Hatori has been awake for a while now. He is still experiencing the pain, though his healing runes slowly work to repair the damage, despite his sealed magic. coupled with the pain and a psychotic prisoner across the cell, Hatori is not certain whether staying awake is worth it or not. At least he is willing to give him all the info he could ever want. ¡°This isolated cell was created for the prisoners who committed the most horrific of the crimes.¡± Said Kalicharan. ¡°But nowadays, I am the only relic of that real purpose. Judging by your story, it has become a place to put the prisoners with whom the warden is too terrified to deal with.¡± ¡°I¡¯m gonna kill that bastard when I get out of this.¡± Said Hatori, remembering the brutality of his punishment. ¡°You¡¯re not going out of here, kid.¡± Said Kalicharan. ¡°I¡¯ve been here for a long time now, and I have not found a way to access my magic, nor a way out of this. I suspect if they ever realize that we¡¯re speaking with each other, they will find a way to stop that too.¡± Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ¡°And I suppose this prison is also impossible to break out of as well?¡± said Hatori with a sarcastic tone. Unfortunately, the sarcasm is entirely lost on Kalicharan. ¡°You are of course, correct. It is an artificial island created with magically modified steel. It floats in the middle of the ocean, and the surrounding waters are always kept at boiling-hot levels. For a prisoner, the sea is the easiest way, but it is just another trap. The air is impossible. None of us have any access to airships, nor we can build them in our cells.¡± ¡°I could have flown away.¡± Said Hatori with a mutter. ¡°Ha! Good luck with that. I tried that in my youth, and the only thing which I got was two broken legs.¡± Said Kalicharan. ¡°I¡¯ve faced master Zeko and the lightning spirit in his house in the air. I can fly.¡± Said Hatori. For a moment, Kalicharan remains silent. if Hatori was able to see him in his cell, he would see his face scrunched up in an absolute rage, before he calmed down. ¡°I still don¡¯t believe you. And I will continue to not believe you until you prove me wrong.¡± Hatori remains silent. he has had enough of talking. Another bout of sleep is coming at him, and he feels that his body needs it desperately. ¡°Looks like you¡¯re about to sleep again, kid. Let me tell you the tales of my youth to ease you to sleep then...¡± The psychotic experiments and murders Kalicharan did in his youth are quite disturbing to hear, but that is the only thing Hatori has in his current state. So he is lulled into sleep, and Kalicharan mutters the one final thing after hearing the soft snores of the kid across his cell. ¡°The saddest part is, those crimes were not the reason I was put here,¡± he grumbled. It has to be a bad joke. How can he be trapped here with a student of Zeko? Isn¡¯t that enough that he spent such a long time in isolation already?

Part 4.

The armies arrive, and camp outside of the city. They are trying to scare the people and the general with their size. But Sundar is not impressed. They are so disorganized, that he wouldn¡¯t have needed his apprentice¡¯s plan to take them apart, should he have the necessary forces. And that is the real issue. He does not have the necessary forces. True, he has combined his forces with Raos, Singhs, and Fernandes family, as well as his reinforcements which remained waiting for a year during the siege. But they are still outnumbered while facing this army. While the night was normal for these forces, in the morning, they slowly started to devolve into chaos. Anyone who is in charge of any kind is struck by a sudden lust for getting the throne, and this massive army starts to tear itself apart in front of their eyes. The survivors move into the city, where they fight until they reach the castle, and the remaining survivors die right at the doorstep of the castle. Once it is confirmed that there is only one survivor, the doors open, and he is welcomed inside of the castle. they all made him feel welcome, and they pretended as if they had already accepted him as their king. He is taken to the throneroom, and Sundar starts to read from a script that Raven gave him. ¡°As the general of this land, I must ask. Are you ready to serve the nation?¡± ¡°Yes, I am.¡± Said the man, feeling quite important. He is also impatient to claim the throne, but he understands that certain formalities have to be observed. ¡°Very well. then you may claim the throne.¡± Said Sundar. Striding to the throne like a king, the surviving general sits on it and assumes the posture of a king. he was expecting them to kneel before him, but when they failed to do this, he demanded: ¡°Why are you not kneeling?¡± ¡°Because we won¡¯t have to,¡± answered Sundar. ¡°What¡¯s the meaning¡ª¡± his words are cut off, as multiple chains come out of the throne, and bound his body to it. then, the throne started to consume his body while he was still alive. His screams are silenced, as everyone watches this horrific scene in front of them. while he is disturbed, Raven is also thinking one other thing. It is disappointing that his plan worked so well. he expected more from these people. ¡®Is that how Hatori feels?¡¯ he wonders in his thoughts.

Part 5.

The men and women, who are running the project to get rid of the current rulers and strong mages, and establish their own order receive the news of what is going on in the Subcontinent with grim silence. After their success, they did not expect such a huge setback. ¡°It seems we need to bring these civil wars and tensions on the world stage.¡± Suggests one woman. ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± asked one Incubus. ¡°Why not turn this into world war?¡± she asked. ¡°It would be easy to do. Though we might need to sacrifice Albion for this.¡± ¡°So? Do it.¡± said another man, who is not an incubus. ¡°It is a small thing to sacrifice that island for capturing the world and bring it under our thumb.¡± ¡°Well then, I¡¯ll start working on it,¡± she said. Chapter 209 Chapter 209.

Part 1.

A new prisoner is brought to the Black Water Prison. Unlike the previous new prison, his arrival did not get much attention, and the warden never came out of his room to see the transfer. Once the guards put him in a cell, he quickly befriends his cellmate, as well as other prisoners who are in the neighboring cells. ¡°So, essentially, you are just like us.¡± ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked the young man. ¡°You wrote music against the new regime, and you were put here. we also dared to go against the powerful people, and then most of us were put here as the punishment.¡± Explained his cellmate. ¡°Yeah, most of us would be closer to political prisoners rather than criminals.¡± Said one prisoner from the neighboring cell. ¡°Though I must say, it is unusual to see two young prisoners back-to-back. Things must be quite bad outside for this to happen.¡± ¡°Yeah, I suppose we might see a lot of young blood here.¡± agreed his cellmate. ¡°By the way, where is the warden? I haven¡¯t seen him for the entire day.¡± asked the new prisoner. ¡°Oh him.¡± said the cellmate with distaste clear in his tone. ¡°He is still terrified, probably hiding under his bed.¡± A roar of laughter ripples across the cells. The new prisoner looks confused, so his cellmate decides to explain. ¡°You see, last month, they brought up this new guy, about your age. He was blind, I suspect he lost his eyes in some accidents because he did not have any eyeballs. The warden seemed to have a grudge against this guy, and he whipped him with flames. But the man went mad, and somehow broke through the chains, and savaged the warden.¡± ¡°I suspect the bastard would have died if the man wasn¡¯t weakened with those whips.¡± Said another prisoner across from their cell. ¡°I don¡¯t believe in gods,¡± said their neighbor, ¡°But the day this bastard dies, I¡¯ll start worshiping one.¡± ¡°Here! Here!¡± agreed the other prisoners. In their cheering, they did not notice the pale look of the young prisoner, which slowly shifts into an expression of absolute rage, before smoothing down to his normal calm smile.

Part 2.

¡°General,¡± reports Bajrang. ¡°The prisoners have agreed to serve under you.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Put them in the front.¡± Bajrang hesitated. ¡°Think of it like this: they would have done the same with us,¡± said Sundar. ¡°At least we are not enslaving them or beating them.¡± ¡°Yes sir, at once.¡± Said Bajrang before leaving. After the leadership slaughtered itself to oblivion, the soldiers were routed easily. Some of them tried to resist by forming their own groups, but they were no match for the organized forces of the general Sundar. It also did not help in their case that the citizens of the City of Throne did not want them anywhere near them, so they refused to help them in any manner. So now, he is using the soldiers who surrendered as his own, breaking them apart, putting them in the units where his own forces outnumber them, and sending them on the most dangerous operations. The latter are not many, since Sundar is just consolidating his position currently. He has seen his second apprentice in the company of his schoolmates, often scheming together. It all screams to him ¡°Here be trouble.¡± But as long as they do not sabotage his operations, he left them to their own devices, because he cannot keep an eye on Raven all the time. Shin, the strange boy who often entertained the soldiers with his music, and put bells on his hair for some reason has gone missing recently. Sundar suspects it is part of their scheme, but he does not inquire about it either, since again, he has a lot of things on his plate. For example, worrying about which foreign power might decide to take a shot at them, after sensing their weakness. Judging by the chaos going on in Europa with Albion¡¯s aggressive actions against Gallia, this entire thing could devolve into another world war, something for which the general feels too old and weary.

Part 3.

Hatori is retelling his experiences of fighting the dead, as well as his conflicts with Manoj Sharma. ¡°Oh, that prick is still alive?¡± ¡°Not anymore,¡± said Hatori. ¡°He was in this ghostly condition, but he died later.¡± Hatori did not mention that Munshi was the one who killed him. He has realized that the mention of Munshi or Zeko is for some reason not liked by Kalicharan. ¡°Anyway, this guy caused a lot of trouble. Resurrecting a battle mage, who almost fully returned and killed everyone; and causing havoc with the dead, terrorizing a lot of people.¡± ¡°Ha! That¡¯s nothing. I defeated entire armies. I used to animate the fallen corpses, and when enemy soldiers died, they were added to my undead army. I literally buried them with the dead. Hahahahahahaha!¡± laughed Kalicharan, he is always happy to remember the destruction and chaos he caused. ¡°Why though?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°If you were so talented, then why did you do such things?¡± ¡°Well, when I graduated,¡± said Kalicharan, ¡°I worked as a mercenary since unlike Munshi, no one was willing to hire me to handle any sensitive matters. After a while, I got fed up with it. so, I became a rogue mage, creating a lab in the desert of the western Subcontinent, killed whoever got in my way, and cracked many secrets of the souls and spirits.¡± ¡°I assume your lab was filled with the sounds of screams?¡± asked Hatori in sarcasm. ¡°Not really.¡± He spoke. ¡°You see, souls are quite willing to perform experiments if you give them what they want. often, they want revenge.¡± Hatori shutters, while remembering dealing with some vengeful souls. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. anyway, that¡¯s why you were put here, for causing chaos, and unethical experiments?¡± ¡°There is no such thing as ethics.¡± Said Kalicharan. ¡°Besides, the people who enforce such ideas have no right to speak about it, because they created their family fortunes by doing experiments of the same kind, and built their family fortunes on the pain of others. at least in my case, I didn¡¯t cause any additional pain to someone.¡± ¡°Then why were you put here?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because some idiot fool with a complex landed me here on the false murder charges! At least punish me for the murders I did, but I am suffering here because someone thought I killed a person, while in reality, I did no such thing!¡± Hatori decides that he has had enough of digging into Kalicharan¡¯s past. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

Part 4.

Shin wakes up in the night and observes his cellmate being asleep despite the heat in their cell. All around him, he hears the noises of snores and sleep talk, something which he never expected in a prison. Come to think of it, the guards should have interrupted their conversation, shouldn¡¯t they? ¡®Looks like they are uninterested in the job.¡¯ He thinks. He managed to channel enough magic to unseal a sheet of paper with some runes written on it. he activates them by putting his finger on these symbols, and his magic is unsealed, and he basks in the moment. Just one day has been torture for him to live with sealed magic, and Hatori has been doing that for weeks! Not to mention, the torture, and no medical treatment. ¡®Let¡¯s just hope he will be sane when I find him.¡¯ thinks Shin, knowing that such experiences can break people. He sensed the magic in the bar. He does not find anything, so he twists them around and makes enough room for himself to leave. He returns the bars of the cell to normal after he reaches outside of the cell. No alarm sounds, and Shin senses for more magical traps. Hatori taught him how to sense magic in the first year of their Academy. in a sense, he prepared him for this task. Well, sensing or not, Shin would still have come to save his friend. Besides, given how freely he shared his knowledge with them, it probably didn¡¯t occur to Hatori that the sensing skill could be used to save his life in the future. Walking in the complete silence of the prison, Shin finds that there are no guards who are patrolling. They are all asleep, just like the prisoners in their cells. ¡®Looks like this place destroys whatever spirit people have.¡¯ Thinks Shin. It took a while, and a lot of fear that he might be caught, but Shin found the isolated section. Opening the door softly, he peers inside. There are only two cells that are occupied. The rest have skeletons of prisoners long dead. Both prisoners are asleep, and Shin confirms that one of them is Hatori. ¡®He does not look good.¡¯ he observes, as Hatori is sleeping on his stomach, due to the burns on his back, which are visible to Shin due to his tattered uniform. ¡®Why have they kept the cuffs on him?¡¯ He looks at the other prisoner, and he is also chained. Judging by his bony structure and rather unhealthy-looking skin, he has been here for a long time. ¡®Don¡¯t worry buddy, I¡¯ll get you out of this.¡¯ Shin closes the door behind him. For a moment, the eyes of Kalicharan flutter open. He thought there was someone in the isolated section outside of their cell, looking at him. dismissing it as another nightmare conjured by his mind, he goes back to sleep. Finding the office of the warden was easy for Shin. The entire door is so gaudy, that no one could miss it in this drab place. Opening it as silently as possible, Shin puts an illusion on the warden to keep him asleep. ¡®This ought to teach you a lesson or two.¡¯ he could not stop his snickering. The illusion locks the body of the warden, while repeatedly showing him what he fears the most. Currently, he is watching and experiencing the same terror that he experienced a few weeks ago at the hands of Hatori while being unable to move at all. Shin finds a paper, and after writing a short note, he teleports it to Raven. He waited for alarms to sound, but again, nothing happened. Sneering at the warden for the last time, he sneaks back into his cell and shifts into the young man who was brought here yesterday and falls asleep. Now that his magic is no longer sealed, he can keep himself cool, and rest until the moment of action arrives.

Part 5.

Hatori and Kalicharan are discussing body modifications, the kinds they have seen, and the ones that they would like to try. Of course, they never revealed their own modifications, no mage would reveal that kind of info, not even when the king asks for it. ¡°I would like to add some way to heal me faster when my magic is sealed.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Because I suspect it is the sort of thing which would come in handy sooner or later.¡± ¡°True. Just take a look at your current condition.¡± Said Kalicharan. He wanted to talk to Hatori about the feeling he got yesterday, but he did not do so. He still thinks he is dreaming, and he rather not lose respect in the boy¡¯s eyes by talking about his nightmares. He is grateful to him though, for letting him know when there is a day and when there is a night. It can do wonders for the health just to know those two little things. ¡°Well, it is not like your magic is outside of your reach.¡± Said Kalicharan. ¡°You just need to reach for it. though I warn you, be ready to struggle. It is like getting barely a trickle, whereas it was a roaring river previously.¡± ¡°Or an ocean.¡± Said Hatori. For a moment, Kalicharan is shocked, but he quickly composes himself. ¡°That too. Still, that struggle has helped me in preserving my sanity. Even a little touch of magic is enough to make sure that I won¡¯t kill myself in my madness.¡± Hatori assumes a cross-legged position, despite his back protesting loudly. if he could get some magic out of his reserves, then he might be able to heal those burns quicker. Not that his runes have done a bad job. Given the amount of magic available to them, they have healed him enough that he could at least sit, and stop bleeding. He cannot sleep on his back though, because his burns have not healed completely.

Part 6.

¡®I should have seen this coming.¡¯ Thinks Zuo Chi. A rebellion against him started, shortly after the Subcontinental team left. The worst part was that his own people turned on him, and after declaring that he lost the mandate of heaven, the emperor was imprisoned. His adviser Feng Lei was executed, and today is his turn. ¡°As you requested,¡± said the leader of the Rebels, ¡°I have gathered everyone. Now, drink poison, and die with honor, or die while cowering under the blade of a sword.¡± Zuo Chi smiled. ¡°Thank you for fulfilling my request.¡± He picked up the glass of the poisoned wine and drank it all in one breath. ¡°But you won¡¯t get to see the fruits of your labor.¡± ¡°What?¡± The magic starts to build up within the emperor. ¡®I got too old and reactionary, that is why I failed to see this rebellion coming. But I knew I would end up like this since most of my predecessors have ended up with the same fate.¡¯ He thinks for the last time. ¡®But I won¡¯t let them take over after my death. They will die with me.¡¯ And then he exploded, destroying the surrounding area, killing the leaders of this rebellion, and their soldiers outside. they tried to run, but before he drank the wine, he activated the wards, so none of them could escape. ¡®Damn you Porus, you outlived me.¡¯ Was the last thought of Zuo Chi, the former emperor of Zhongguo. Chapter 210 Chapter 210.

Part 1.

After hearing that a letter has arrived for him, James goes to receive it. after reading it, he burns it to ashes, shocking the people in the room. ¡°Did he just burn his mail?¡± ¡°Maybe there was something in that letter which angered him?¡± While the students suspect something foul, in reality, James gets some good news. Looks like there is going to be a prison break soon, and he has been ordered by Raven to remain on standby since they will likely need a healer. He then leaves to speak with Slaughter. He will have to leave the Academy in two days.

Part 2.

After receiving the letter from Shin, Raven calls Josh, Tom, Avinash, and the Singh twins, to hammer out their plan with the information given by Shin. In particular, he is worried about Hatori¡¯s health, so he discusses what they can do to move him quickly while dealing with other prisoners and guards. ¡°I say we play a message.¡± Said Bhavani. ¡°Support us, and we¡¯ll help you, go against us, and be thrown into the boiling waters.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Said Ranveer. ¡°That ought to get us some support from the prisoners.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll work with Shin to extract Hatori,¡± said Tom. ¡°I will look out for their safety.¡± ¡°Good. while the rest of us will handle the guards. I have managed to recruit some soldiers for this cause, but remember, we still will be outnumbered there, once we arrive.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Be careful, and make sure that none of us end up in that same prison.¡± ¡°That would be a disaster.¡± Said Josh. After the conclusion of this meeting, Raven goes to meet with General Sundar. He will share the details of his plan with him, and then ask to leave. He is doing this as a gesture of politeness. Whether the general agrees or not, Raven will be leaving to save his friend.

Part 3.

Shin waits after sending the letter. He is certain that he will know when the assault at the prison starts. Raven will keep the warden and the guards distracted, and Shin will extract Hatori. That was the general plan they agreed upon. It has likely been refined further after his letter. ¡°Ha!¡± laughed another prisoner in the cell right next to them. ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you are still not traumatized. That guy does not spare the fresh new meat.¡± ¡°That is a lie!¡± denied Shin¡¯s cellmate hotly. ¡°Well, I wouldn¡¯t mind much if he was a female.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Come to think of it, aren¡¯t there potions or rituals for that?¡± ¡°Never!¡± said the cellmate, making distance between himself and Shin, ¡°I¡¯m a manly man, part of the manly men club. I will never turn myself to another gender!¡± ¡°Speaking of manly men,¡± said Shin, changing the point, ¡°What do you guys say to a riot?¡± Several prisoners started to bang their bars, and the clamor startles the guards. After a few harsh words, the noise died down. ¡°Just say the word kid.¡± Said one old prisoner. ¡°Yeah, we¡¯re always ready to break some bones. Even if we have to pay a price for that later.¡± said the cellmate. Shin has been building his rapport with other prisoners to ensure that they will help him out when needed. So far, he has not lost the game, and accidentally revealed the plan to them, something for which he is proud. This was his biggest worry while coming here. he is not like Raven, who can make strategies, and execute them no matter how many steps they take.

Part 4.

Shravan Joshi walks out of his room. after being cooped up in there for months, he is finally coming out after the beating Hatori gave him. he could not step outside before, due to the fear, and the humiliation he experienced that day. How can a crippled boy be so strong? ¡®The expression of absolute loathing he had for me that day¡­¡¯ he shutters remembering Hatori¡¯s face. As the prisoners see him walking among their cells, they jeered after seeing him. ¡°Oh look, who returned. The man who had to tie a young man to a post before he dared to beat him up.¡± This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°That proved to be useless. He got savaged in the end.¡± Said the cellmate of the previous prisoner. ¡°Go back to your room. it is your good fortune that you have not met me outside. I would have destroyed you otherwise, you gutless man!¡± said another prisoner, banging on the cell. He is the victim of the same treatment Hatori got about two weeks ago. Shravan scowled at these comments. How dare they mock him? Just when he was about to teach them a lesson, the prison shook. His heart lurched in his chest, thinking that the island was drowning due to some magical failure. When he failed to drown, he composed himself. Only to lose it again, as all the cell doors open, and the prisoners get a look of surprise, before getting unsettling grins on their faces. Their magic is back, and their targets are right there, standing with clueless expressions. As outside forces make their way into the holding area, Shin grabs a guard and hoists him up in the air for everyone to see. ¡°Hey everyone, give me a riot!¡± ¡°Riot!¡± they chorused, and a brutal slugfest began between the guards and the prisoners.

Part 5.

Hatori is meditating in his cell. Ever since he reached for his magic, his burns have healed up completely, despite his magic being sealed. He is now levitating in the air with his legs crossed, focusing on this task completely. He can do this very easily now, given all the training he has gone through. But now that his magic is sealed up, it is proving to be a challenge once again. He is contemplating the training method of deliberately sealing his magic, and making things difficult for himself to get even stronger. But whether it would work or not, he must discuss it with Zeko. He would not want to do crippling damage to himself in the name of training after all. Meanwhile, across from his cell, Kalicharan watches this happening with a dumbfounded expression. ¡®Looks like that boy wasn¡¯t kidding when he said he could fly.¡¯ He thought. The prison gives a lurch, and the chains on Hatori¡¯s body snap. His magic returns, and the door of his cell open with a loud squealing noise. He lands on his feet and sees that the same thing has happened with Kalicharan. Hatori smiled. He knows what has happened. Of course, sensing some familiar signatures on this steel island also helps. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Kalicharan. He is unable to believe the flow of magic going through his body uninterrupted after many decades of being sealed. Hatori comes into his cell, and Kalicharan realizes how giant of a man he is. he grabs him under his shoulder, and hoists him on his feet. ¡°I hope you can walk.¡± Though Kalicharan is still in disbelief at the sudden turn of his fortune, he can hobble along with Hatori to the entrance of the isolated area.

Part 6.

The prisoners are beating and torturing Shravan and the guards, who tormented them for years. meanwhile, a message is playing on the loop. ¡°All the prisoners, please board the ship. Pledge your support to the king and the throne, or else you will be left behind or thrown into the water.¡± Shin navigates his way around in the chaos, looking for Hatori. he has already come out of his cell, that much Shin has been able to sense. He lets his magical sensing guide him, and he finds him with an old man, stumbling in the chaos. He grabs his shoulder, and points in a direction. As they move to the ship parked on the island, Shin is glad that Hatori did not attack him in the sudden bout of paranoia.

Part 7.

¡°Everything is ready, sir.¡± Said one soldier. He was with Raven, among the new trainees. Which is why he brought him here on this mission. ¡°Our objective is secure, the prisoners are on board, and the traitors have been thrown to the sea or have been left on the island.¡± As they started to fly, Raven orders. ¡°End the illusion of the ship, and drown the damn thing.¡± ¡°At once, sir.¡± Said the soldier. Some buttons are pressed, and after a large explosion, the island starts to drown. The ship can be seen flying away, while the guards and the prisoners who did not pledge their support holler for them to come back. Their screams turn into pleas for help, which then turn into screams of pain, as the boiling water consumes the prison entirely. the steel island took everyone present on it, no one survived or escaped aside from the people in the ship. Chapter 211 Chapter 211.

Part 1.

Hatori is brought to the castle. the ship lands, and the prisoner¡¯s start to get off of the ship. They are still under the careful eye of the military. He is taken to the healing room, where James gives him some potions to recover from his poor nutrition, while others are also being evaluated for their health and for their loyalty. ¡°Some of them seem to have a lot of knowledge about where some secrets are buried.¡± Said Sundar to Raven, rubbing his hands. ¡°I cannot wait to use this knowledge.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t push them too far.¡± Said Raven. ¡°You will need a deft hand to deal with them.¡± ¡°Of course.¡± Agreed the general. For now, the prisoners who agreed to come are reaffirming their loyalty to the general and the throne, and also getting updates of what has happened since they were put in prison. Some of them have to take a seat to absorb the new information. Kalicharan has disappeared. But for now, no one is looking for him. though Shin would like to ask about the old man who was with Hatori, he could not do so since Hatori himself is asleep, and under the care of James. James is keeping guard over him. he does not let anyone disturb Hatori¡¯s recovery. Not even the general dared to defy his orders, once he glared at him furiously.

Part 2.

The news of the destruction of the Black Water Prison is spread by the general, and it reaches far and wide. It also reached Porus, who is glad to hear it. That prison had political prisoners who got in the crosshairs of noble families. As a result, they were put there to keep them from revealing their darkest secrets. Porus visited the place once. Though the king was in awe of keeping an island of steel floating in the sea for years, he never liked the general atmosphere of the prison and the miserable faces of the guards and the prisoners alike. But now that atrocity is gone, he can rest easy. He goes back to writing graffiti on the wall of a pub visited by the nobles, questioning their intelligence, since they have confirmed that he is alive, and yet, failed to catch him. he also calls them out near the City of Throne, in the hope that they would show up there, and he would be able to slaughter them all once they arrive there at once.

Part 3.

The general is pressing to his advantage. He is coordinating with other military bases in the country, and now that he is free from the siege, he is laying the ¡°smackdown¡± on the enemy, in the words of Shin. ¡°General!¡± said Bajrang and Raven, walking into his office. ¡°What is it now?¡± he asked, already knowing he would not like what he was about to hear. This much is clear from their expressions. Also, he did not whine. Anyone who says otherwise will receive a swift and painful death. Bajrang is the first one to speak. ¡°We have received the news of the death of the emperor Zuo Chi.¡± He spoke. ¡°Well, damn.¡± Said the general. ¡°All the old and powerful mages are dying slowly.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Raven, thinking about it for a moment. ¡°Anyway, that isn¡¯t the only news.¡± ¡°I know. What¡¯s the next piece of news?¡± asked the general. ¡°The rebels, after being outclassed by us due to the info we got from some of the prisoners, fled into the Pashtun territory.¡± Said Raven. For a moment, Sundar sits like a statue after hearing this news. Raven and Bajrang know what kind of news they have delivered, so they wait for him to absorb this bit of information. The Pashtun territory is in the middle of Iran and the Subcontinent. It is a land-locked area, and it has influences from both sides. Despite being a small territory compared to the two Asian powers on both ends; this territory has remained free for two reasons. First, they have the luck on their side. Whoever decides to wage war in this territory suffers from bad luck and is locked in a long conflict, which ends in nothing. Some mages believe it is due to some curse laid down by a long-forgotten sorcerer. This curse affects whoever decides to invade and occupy this area. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. The second is because of the tribes who live there. they have fortified this area with magic, and they often take advantage of the mountains in this region to hide themselves from whoever dares to invade them, despite not having a large and advanced military, they have managed to keep this area protected from outsiders. The Subcontinent hasn¡¯t tried to invade them, aside from a few conflicts in which people from both sides participated independently, not involving the entirety of their countries, as a result, they have a much warmer relationship with the Subcontinent. The tribes have a council of elders, where every tribe has one elder in the council. long ago, they made an agreement with this council that whatever conflict is going on in the Subcontinent, they will not bring it into their homes. But now this agreement, which has stood for almost a thousand years is broken. ¡°Fuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuuu¡ª¡± Raven and Bajrang walk out of the office. ¡°Let¡¯s leave him. he¡¯ll cool off after a while,¡± said Bajrang. ¡°Yeah, you¡¯re right,¡± said Raven. He is still thinking about what the general said. All the powerful mages who have been on top of this world for a while are dropping one by one. ¡®Am I looking too much into this? Maybe they got old and weakened as a result, couldn¡¯t that be the real reason?¡¯ he thought, while ignoring the curses coming from the office of Sundar.

Part 4.

Zeko is keeping a guard over Hatori. James has trusted him with this responsibility since he knows that if anyone tries something, they will never find the body. He observes the boy who used to be such a small kid but now has grown into this giant. Seriously, there is not much room on the bed left due to his great body. he has not seen him for almost one-and-half years, and now when he sees him, he is recovering from being sent to prison and tormented. ¡®This should have not happened.¡¯ He thinks, disappointed with himself. In hindsight, the general, the Porus, the prime minister, and himself, all failed to see this brewing issue. The demands to summon the child, the constant budding heads with the king, blatant kidnapping attempts to suborn Hatori to their side, all those events prove that they seeded the initiative to the enemy, and now they are paying the price. ¡®I wonder how much he has changed?¡¯ thinks Zeko. ¡®I must wait for him to wake up to find out.¡¯ Hatori shifts on the bed, and then goes back to sleep, while Zeko watches over him. ¡®Children grow so fast these days.¡¯

Part 5.

The news of Zuo Chi¡¯s death spreads. The details are hard to come by, though the papers are saying one thing in general: the emperor killed himself. Porus mourns the death of his friend. ¡®Looks like I am the only one remaining.¡¯ He thought to himself. When Porus took the throne, Pharaoh Ramses had already ruled for twenty years. apart from him, a great change took place during that time. but now, all of his contemporaries are lost, and he is the only survivor of his generation of rulers. For a moment, he thought there might be some great conspiracy behind this, before dismissing the thought. He has more important things to do than chase smoke.

Part 6.

The group meets in a hotel which easily will get seven stars in the world of the reader of this story. At this point, they need just some mysterious eye as their symbol, and they can call themselves the Illuminati. Why the author does not call them is beyond this narrator. ¡°Our operations in the Subcontinent have collapsed entirely.¡± said the Succubi woman. ¡°Curses. I thought they would be more reliable than this.¡± Grumbled the Incubi man. ¡°No matter.¡± Said the human noble present in the meeting. ¡°We still have a chance.¡± ¡°How so?¡± they ask, leaning forward to hear this. ¡°Our puppets have decided to flee to the Pashtun land.¡± His smirk widens as they realize the implications. ¡°Looks like we get to start a bigger fire this time.¡± said the Succubi woman with a sensual smirk. They decide to leave Zhongguo alone since it is already experiencing chaos. They do not need to mettle there to make things worse than they already are. Thus, another productive meeting comes to an end, and this group feels that they are this much closer to destroying the strong mages of this world and establishing their dominance over everyone. Chapter 212 Chapter 212.

Part 1.

Hatori wakes up from sleep. he does not realize how tired he is. The constant traveling, then his horrific experience in the prison, it all took a toll on him. it is a good thing they brought him out of there when they did, or else he would have collapsed without even realizing what was wrong with him. ¡°Hey guys.¡± He smiled, seeing everyone gathered near his bed. ¡°The sleeping beauty finally wakes up,¡± said Shin. ¡°How do you feel?¡± ¡°I¡¯m supposed to ask that,¡± said James. ¡°A little bit tired.¡± He answered with a yawn. ¡°Hello, master Zeko.¡± Hatori greets Zeko when he sees him sitting near the bed. ¡°Looks like you¡¯ve had one hell of an adventure kid.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Yeah, though it did not end well. until now,¡± he smirked. ¡°Nothing like a prison to remind you of the importance of a soft bed.¡± ¡°There! There!¡± said Josh. ¡°I suppose so.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°I would like to spar with you once you recover.¡± ¡°Sure. Why not?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Not for several days.¡± Said James strictly. ¡°You are not allowed to strain yourself physically or mentally for at least this week. Then you can slowly ramp up to your previous intensity. I will monitor you carefully of course.¡± ¡°You¡¯ve become bossier.¡± Said Hatori, sulking at the orders given to him by James. ¡°I have to be. People are not interested in fixing themselves perfectly before they break themselves again.¡± Grumbled James. ¡°Looks like your time was quite traumatic in the Academy,¡± said Shin. ¡°You have no idea.¡± Said James, reminded of silly injuries and backfired spells. The door opens, and Kalicharan walks in. ¡°Hey kid, here are some fruits for you.¡± said the old man, slowly walking to his bed, and depositing the fruits there. ¡°I hear you are supposed to bring those when someone is recovering.¡± ¡°I¡¯m glad you are just as awkward as me,¡± said Hatori with a smirk. ¡°Honestly, why do such rituals exist? Isn¡¯t that enough to show we care through our aloof actions?¡± grumbled Kalicharan. Kalicharan feels an itch on his neck, and he turns around. Only to get face-to-face with a glaring Zeko. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving.¡± He said with a frosty tone. ¡°Enough.¡± Said James with authority. ¡°Hatori needs rest. All of you, out now.¡± he turns to Hatori. ¡°And you, eat something and go back to sleep.¡± ¡°But I¡ª¡± Hatori tries to argue. ¡°But nothing!¡± Thundered James, while everyone left quietly. They do not wish to provoke James¡¯s wrath.

Part 2.

After a few weeks past since the nobles led by Jeevan Reddy fled to Pashtun lands, the general receives a letter. The letter was delivered by Bajrang, who received it moments ago. Given it has the seal of the council of Pashtun, he decides to take this letter straight to Sundar. The general receives the letter. The letter is written by the Pashtun council, and it has the signatures of all the elders at the bottom. In this letter, the elders describe their situation. The nobles came to their land, and once they got over their shock of losing so suddenly, they started to boss the tribes around, trying to forcefully recruit them for their war. The tribes tried to deal with them diplomatically, but each day, they got worse and worse. When they refused to bow to them and did not follow through with their wishes, they attacked them. the tribes fled to the mountains, while the nobles scattered, unable to deal with their defenses or enter the fortified City of Pashtun, the only city in this area. Now, they are reaching out to Sundar to get some help to remove these pests from their lands, as they call these foreigners. ¡°What is it, sir? Is it classified?¡± asked Bajrang. ¡°Not at all.¡± Said Sundar, putting the letter on the table. ¡°My predictions are coming true, that is all. Summon our military commanders, and fetch Raven as well.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Said Bajrang, leaving to fulfill the orders of the general. After everyone arrives, the general presents the letter of the Pashtun council. ¡°What do you think?¡± he asked, after they read the letter. ¡°I believe they have a point to ask us in solving this problem.¡± ¡°But how will we do that?¡± asked Rani, one of the military commanders. ¡°We can¡¯t just send a force there.¡± ¡°We need a better solution. I doubt we can do that by sitting here.¡± said another military commander. You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. Raven listens to their arguments going back and forth, not commenting on anything. He does not have enough seniority to say anything here. besides, the general is handling everything nicely, he does not need him to cause problems for him by opening his mouth and causing trouble with other leaders. ¡°Very well,¡± said Sundar, after all the discussions were done. ¡°I will leave for the Pashtun territory. I will take some veterans, as well as my young apprentice and the Singh twins with me.¡± ¡°General,¡± asked Rani, ¡°Who will lead the military in your absence?¡± ¡°Zeko will.¡± Replied Sundar. Rani leaned back in her chair. The important question has been answered for her, and she has no problem with Zeko¡¯s leadership. Once the general is ready to leave, Avinash comes to send him off. ¡°Remember kid, listen to your father. He knows more about running a country than you.¡± said the general. ¡°I will.¡± Said Avinash. He has the heavy responsibility of keeping everything together on a day-by-day basis. but he has Zeko and his father to rely upon. Still, it is not an easy task, especially at his age. ¡°I will be very displeased if you manage to lose any territory we have gained.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t lose anything.¡± Said Avinash, trying to assure the general. ¡°Good.¡± with that final word, Sundar walks into the airship and leaves the castle. Avinash sighed. He has a lot of work ahead of him. ¡°Let¡¯s find Zeko first.¡±

Part 3.

Zeko is outside of Hatori¡¯s room. he has now recovered enough to get back to his training, regain his strength, and follow the routine that Zeko has instilled into him since the very beginning. Currently, he is resting after lunch, speaking with Kalicharan. Which is why he is standing outside of his room, instead of going inside. ¡®How? Doesn¡¯t he know what he did?¡¯ he shook his head at this irrational thought. Of course, Hatori does not know. He never told him, and, likely, Kalicharan has not told him either. Still, it bothers him that Kalicharan is close to Hatori. they are currently discussing the effectiveness of an undead army, something which Munshi never did with Hatori. according to Hatori, he knows the theory, but he never performed it on a large scale. Though he wanted to kill Kalicharan, he could not do so. The general has forbidden him from doing so after he swore loyalty to the throne. Some footsteps sound behind him, and Zeko turns around to see Avinash coming his way. ¡°Sir, the general has left.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°He has assigned you to be the substitute in his place.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Zeko, deciding to leave the matter of Kalicharan for the moment. ¡°Any pending issues I need to look over?¡± ¡°I do think we need to secure some areas. I prefer if you would take a look at those.¡± Said Avinash, as they walked to the office where his father was also waiting.

Part 4.

Jeevan Reddy gets the news that the general is coming to the City of Pashtun. He looks around at the camp. just a few months ago, they were close to ruling the entire country. But now, they are camped here like refugees. ¡°That damn Surendra.¡± Muttered the Sharma, one of his daily curses against Surendra for driving him out of the country. ¡°Forget what happened.¡± Said Jeevan. ¡°We have a golden chance to deprive them of Sundar.¡± ¡°How?¡± they all lean forward, interested in regaining their lost fortune. ¡°We simply need to surround that area. The wards have to be lowered sooner or later. once that happens, we will attack, and kill the general.¡± Said Jeevan. ¡°But what about his guards?¡± asked the Sharma. ¡°Besides, that general will not be easy to take down either.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said Jeevan. ¡°I will go there myself. I will also take our strongest mages to overwhelm them.¡±

Part 5.

The group does another meeting. ¡°The general has left for the Pashtun land.¡± Said the Incubi. ¡°I believe they are going to team up with the tribes to drive out the nobles who fled there.¡± ¡°Justice. How did you get this info?¡± asked the Succubi. ¡°Never used our names. Have you forgotten?¡± he rebukes the Succubi. ¡°Anyway, news travels fast when things like these are taking place, as there is no way to hide such proceedings.¡± ¡°So, what do we do? Sit back and observe how things go in the Pashtun?¡± asked the human man. ¡°Exactly.¡± Said Justice the Incubi. ¡°I get the feeling that this will give us another chance to cause chaos, and maybe draw out Porus and kill him.¡± Chapter 213 Chapter 213.

Part 1.

Hatori is now feeling good enough that he decides he should contribute something. Normally, he would be thinking about getting a job, but currently, it is not possible to do that. the territories are getting exchanged, and due to the threats of attacks on both sides, the economy has stopped. Meaning, there are no jobs for graduates like Hatori. Luckily, given his skills in combat and necromancy, the army has seen fit to deploy him, once he made an application. He is stationed with Kalicharan, to stop some out-of-control souls in an area that was a recent battlefield. When Zeko heard about this, he was not happy, but given he is serving as a general currently, he could not raise a fuss. This constant bottling up of what he really thinks about Kalicharan getting involved with his student is slowly eating him up from the inside. Still, he could not say anything to anyone. Of course, Hatori is unaware of this. He knows there are some reasons why Zeko doesn¡¯t like Kalicharan. He chalked it up to his past as a prisoner. But until Zeko says anything to him, Hatori does not mind associating with this crazy necromancer. After they clear out the souls, they come back to the outpost to report it. ¡°We¡¯re done mam,¡± said Hatori, ¡°The souls are now cleared.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± said the commander at the outpost. She looks at some other pending tasks. ¡°Go rest, and please take a look at the spirit wards later. some soldiers are complaining about that.¡± ¡°Of course, mam.¡± Said Hatori. he then leaves with Kalicharan. ¡°Kids these days.¡± Complained Kalicharan. ¡°Making their elders work like that. what is the world coming to?¡± Of course, given his time in the isolation cell and imprisonment for so long, Kalicharan is not in the best of the shapes. So, he does have some reasons to complain. ¡°Just the signs of the time,¡± said Hatori in a grim tone. The jovial expression on Kalicharan¡¯s face drops. ¡°Correct, boy.¡± he agreed with Hatori.

Part 2.

The general arrives with his guards, both the veterans and the green ones like Raven and the Singh twins. They are seated on a circular table, where the general has Raven and the twins in his corner, and the elders are sitting on the other side. There are only three of them, and the others are the apprentices and assistants. ¡°Welcome general,¡± said one of the elders. ¡°I am Amu, and these are elders Angar and Amil with me. the tribe council has chosen three of us to speak with you, as we realize that you will not be able to speak with us all.¡± ¡°Greetings elders.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°I am Sundar, general of the military of the Subcontinent. I thank you for your hospitality to me and my guards and apprentices.¡± After acknowledging their greetings and opening words, the elders decide to get straight to the point. ¡°As you have likely learned from our letter, some people came from the Subcontinent, trying to hide and find shelter. After some time passed, however, they started to order us. conflicts broke out among them, as the tribes did not take it well that these outsiders were daring to order them around.¡± Said Amu. ¡°Therefore, we thought it would be prudent to ask for your assistance to help in quelling this problem.¡± ¡®In other words, you caused this problem, now solve this for us.¡¯ thought the general. He could not blame them for thinking that way. because there should have been a blockade on the borders around the country to prevent this exact situation. However, the general did not have enough resources, even if some noble families aligned with him. The military is torn in two, as some of the soldiers and commanders joined the other side. Besides, the Subcontinent has huge borders. Trying to keep them secure, or keep a blockade on them is a logistical nightmare at the best of times, it is outright impossible to do so during a civil war. ¡°I have some solutions for this problem. I would like to present them to you for your evaluation.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Certainly.¡± Said Angar. ¡°The first, and the obvious solution will be to send a force of hit mages to hunt these trespassers in your land.¡± Said Sundar. He expected them to deny this suggestion, and he is proven right. ¡°How are we to trust you that you will not do the same as these trespassers have done?¡± asked Amil in return. ¡°You have to rely on my word.¡± Said Sundar. ¡°Forgive us general,¡± said Angar, ¡°But these are not the times where you can rely on someone¡¯s words alone.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Sundar. ¡°I suggest that we create a joint task force of your tribes and some of my own people. Together, we can hunt these intruders. You won¡¯t have to rely on my words alone for this.¡± ¡°That suggestion is appealing.¡± Said Angar. ¡°I concur with elder Angar.¡± Said Amu. ¡°We do need to create the structure of the force though.¡± points out Amil. ¡°Who would command who? And will your people listen to us, should we offer our guidance?¡± ¡°They will, if they want to get out of this mission alive,¡± said Sundar. ¡°I am well aware that this land is a dangerous place, and it is best to listen to the tribes if you wish to avoid the danger.¡± Raven watched in awe, as the general and the elder argued among themselves for structuring this force. He has never seen Sundar speak so diplomatically. Usually, he gives orders, and if they are not followed, swift punishment is in order. If the general is dealing with the politicians, he usually tries to bully them into thinking his way, with the king being the only exception. But here he is, exchanging words with the elders, remaining calm even if they shot down some of his suggestions. Perhaps he does not mind it too much, because he is not operating in his own country, and the elders do have better suggestions in return anyway. Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. As the meeting is about to be adjourned, Raven senses the security wards going down. He tensed, and the elders were suddenly surrounded by their guards, and the general is also surrounded by his own guards. For a moment, both sides look at each other distrustfully, before the wall of the room is blown, and men wearing the insignias of various families come to attack them.

Part 3.

Jeevan Reddy comes with his men and waits as they start to bring down the wards. They are hiding under cloaking spells from the forces of the general and the tribes who are keeping guard over this complex. But once their leaders are dead, they will have to kneel in front of him. ¡°The wards are gone sir,¡± reported the leader of the ward-breaking squad. ¡°The final ward is ready to be brought down, whenever you order.¡± ¡°They will leave for lunch in a few hours. Bring the ward down then.¡± Said Jeevan. That will be the most dramatic moment to strike, as the successful meeting and arguing with each other will exhaust them. they will drop their guard, and then Jeevan can swoop in and kill them all. Just according to his instructions, the ward is taken down in the afternoon, and they move to attack. the outer forces are kept busy with the larger force which decloaked in front of them, while a squad of the most powerful mages on his side moves with him to attack the general and the elders. They break through the wall and halt the glaring contest between the elders and the general. ¡®Shit. There are only three of them here.¡¯ he cursed while moving to attack them all the same. ¡®I must hunt them down later. first, it is the turn of the general.¡¯ More of his forces come through the broken wall. They distract the elders, while Jeevan and his men separate the general from his own guards, and box him in from all sides. Sundar is a very strong mage, but he is outnumbered and caught off guard. Still, he managed to reduce two of his mages into a bloody pulp. ¡®Make that three.¡¯ counted Jeevan in his head, barely keeping himself alive in the fight. The general is fighting like a maddened bull, trampling anyone who gets in his way. though his own men are falling like flies, the wounds on the general keep increasing. Elsewhere, the elders are also dealing with his forces. Elder Angar proves his name correct, as he wields fire with a destructive proficiency, turning his attackers into ashes. He is providing the way for Raven and Singh twins to reach the general. But as they get closer, the general motions them to stay back. Still, their momentum is strong. Raven gets close enough for the general to write some orders with a blood-stained dictation pen, and throw the paper to Raven. After taking a quick look at the orders he has received, Raven dithers for a moment, before making a firm decision and telling everyone to back off. ¡°What do you mean back off?¡± argued Bhavani. ¡°We¡¯re so close to him already!¡± ¡°His orders.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Besides, none of us will want to get caught in whatever he is planning to do.¡± ¡°Listen to him, boys.¡± Said Angar, burning another man to death. Much to his surprise, the scream proves that the enemy was a woman this time. after composing himself, he continues. ¡°He is your general for a reason. he knows what he is doing.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± said Bhavani, moving to the exit with his twin, Raven, and elder Angar. Once they leave, the general initiates the self-destruct sequence, the runes for which are carved on his chest. Jeevan is unable to deal with him, so he runs away while leaving his men to die in the final attack of Sundar. The building starts to crumble, but Elder Amil manages to leave it on time, bringing the body of Elder Amu with him. ¡°He saved my life,¡± said Amu. ¡°I would have died in there if he didn¡¯t throw me out at the right moment.¡± ¡°How did you find the body?¡± asked Angar, looking at the oldest member of the council, now dead. ¡°Where I landed after Sundar threw me outside,¡± said Amil. ¡°They were planning to take his body with them, but I secured it.¡± Raven grew a little bit tense, as they turned to them. the three young men are the only survivors from their side now, and they cannot predict how these elders will react after this. ¡°Come with us young men,¡± said Angar. ¡°We owe a great debt to your leader. you must return to your land, and give them the agreement formed between us and your general.¡± ¡°Yes, elder.¡± Said Raven, unable to feel or do anything at this moment. As they started to walk away, while the sounds of fighting grew distant, Raven looked at the destroyed building one final time. ¡°Do not worry young man,¡± said Amil. ¡°We will retrieve the body of the general later.¡± ¡°If it survived.¡± Went unsaid. Since there had been a death in the council, the nobles hiding in the Pashtun land thought they would be able to take advantage of this moment and take over this area. But the council proved to be strong and rebuffed their attempt. The council sent Raven and Singh twins back to the Subcontinent, with the agreement to which Sundar and the three elders agreed, and with the news of the death of the general.

Part 4.

The group learns about the death of Sundar, and the restart of the civil war in the Subcontinent once more. ¡°Honestly,¡± said Justice, ¡°How can that area give us so much trouble?¡± ¡°No matter.¡± Said the Succubi. ¡°They have suffered another setback. Our own pawns are waiting with their large forces in the Pashtun land. They will not be able to deal with the civil war, and the upset tribes at the same time.¡± ¡°You might have a point.¡± said the human. ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think we should prepare just in case?¡± ¡°Nah,¡± said Justice with a shake of his head. ¡°I want to see how this plays out. besides, we have to worry about Scythia. We need to interfere there directly. Light a fire under them, as they say.¡± Chapter 214 Chapter 214.

Part 1.

¡°You had one job, boy!¡± said the colonel. ¡°How can you abandon your superior officer like that?¡± Raven feels like a criminal, standing in front of the furious judges. The high-ranking military officers are all looking at him, their gaze drilling into him, and making him question his decision at every level. The Singh twins watch this happening, not saying anything. ¡°Do you have any idea what kind of negative impact we have suffered after the loss of General Sundar?¡± asked Colonel Sukh Lal. ¡°You¡¯ve doomed us boy, we were winning.¡± ¡°Enough Colonel.¡± Said Rani, having enough of this one-sided berating. They are not here to criticize the young man, they are here to listen to what happened, and whether the general has any final orders. ¡°I believe we should at least listen to the account of these young men, given they are the only survivors of this disaster.¡± ¡°Fine then.¡± Said Sukh Lal, calming down. ¡°Begin the recounting, we don¡¯t have the entire day.¡± ¡°The general met the tribes on the scheduled time,¡± said Raven, speaking clearly and without a wobble in his voice despite the teardown he had just received. ¡°The council selected three elders to speak with him. They declined the suggestion of a hunting force but agreed to a joint task force. Just when they were done hashing out the details of the command structures, the wards fell, and we got attacked by Jeevan Reddy and his forces.¡± ¡°Where were the guards during this time?¡± asked Rani. ¡°The room was breached.¡± Said Raven. ¡°More enemy forces came from the broken wall, and the general was pinned at a corner, with Jeevan Reddy and his men attacking him constantly. other soldiers died, while Elder Angar cleared a path for us to reach the general. When we got close enough, he already decided on a course, and after telling us to back off, he wrote these hasty orders to us.¡± Raven shows the paper. ¡°I protested this decision,¡± said Bhavani, when questioned about this, ¡°But the general was firm, and in the heed of the battle, we did not have much of a choice. Raven decided to leave, and we followed his orders.¡± ¡°Once we came out with the two surviving elders, the entire building collapsed after the general self-destructed. Elder Amu died, and the council had to decide who would fill that position.¡± Said Raven. ¡°They agreed to the general''s talks with them, and sent us back with the news.¡± ¡°That agreement, do you have it with you?¡± asked Sukh Lal. ¡°Here it is,¡± said Raven, handing over the papers. He also handed them the final orders of the general. ¡°Did they find the body?¡± asked Rani. ¡°No. there was no trace of him,¡± said Raven. After looking at the note written by the general, the colonel has a sad expression on his face. ¡°I am not used to apologizing, but I am sorry young man, you do not deserve my anger.¡± ¡°It is fine colonel, I understand.¡± Said Raven. Once they were dismissed, Rani and Sukh Lal began to discuss whether they could follow through with this agreement anymore or not, given the loss of Sundar they had suffered, since they would have to spare their soldiers to perform this operation.

Part 2.

Despite the losses suffered here and there, the center remains secure. Thus, the military command structure remains also intact, even though the head is missing. Raven is planning to solve this problem. Despite his young age, he took the day-to-day responsibilities of running the military. Rani and Sukh Lal are helping him out since no one is willing to take this position, even though three weeks have gone by since Sundar¡¯s death. Since these two are not willing to take the position, they do not mind Raven taking the position of the general unofficially despite his young age. ¡°So, why did you call us here?¡± asked Avinash, entering the empty throne room, along with Hatori, Kalicharan, and Zeko. ¡°It is high time you put your words where your mouth is.¡± this wording puts Avinash off his footing. ¡°As long as I¡¯ve known you, you have been saying that you will sit one day on this chair. Well? go find Porus. Take these three as guards with you. challenge him, and beat him. because we need a king badly, and if you cannot do this now, you won¡¯t be doing this ever.¡± Suddenly, Raven starts to loom over Avinash, despite not moving from his position. The room starts to look bigger than it is in reality. ¡°So, what¡¯s it gonna be?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said Avinash, shaking his head, and clearing the hallucination. ¡°I¡¯ll beat him, you just watch.¡± He stormed out of the throne room, leaving the two old men, and Hatori and Raven inside. ¡°Will you two be fine?¡± ¡°You¡¯ve told us to guard him. We¡¯ll do that,¡± said Zeko. ¡®Even though I don¡¯t like it.¡¯ went unsaid. ¡°Same here,¡± said Kalicharan. ¡°Besides, if we go out of control, I¡¯m sure this brat will slap some sense into us.¡± he pats Hatori on the shoulder, having to stretch his arms to do this due to the height difference between them. ¡°Good,¡± said Raven. ¡°Why are you sending us on this chase?¡± asked Zeko, after Hatori and Kalicharan walked out. ¡°Because Porus has likely learned about the death of my master.¡± Said Raven. ¡°I¡¯m hoping he will be willing to come out in the open and realize how dire the situation is for all of us.¡±

Part 3.

Hatori¡¯s group is resting on Kishore¡¯s farm. While trying to find Porus, they found this farm in the way, and Avinash wanted to meet his old master. ¡°Be careful student,¡± said Kishore to Avinash. ¡°Porus will not go down easily, despite his age.¡± ¡°I¡¯m aware.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°But you do not deserve the throne if you cannot defeat a strong opponent.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Said Kishore. The farm shook, and the old man suddenly got an alarmed expression on his face. ¡°Boy,¡± said Kishore to Hatori. ¡°The wards inform me that some people are attacking this place.¡± The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.¡°Dammit.¡± Cursed Avinash. ¡°Why do you worry?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I don¡¯t sense a number large enough that they can threaten us.¡± The group comes out, and Kishore curses in rage. ¡°That bastard Nitin, he is doing this to get my land.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry, they won¡¯t succeed.¡± Said Avinash. The spell exchange began. The enemy tried to take the wards down, while they attacked from inside, protected behind the wards. But it is clear to them this won¡¯t work. Avinash goes into the chicken coop and brings them out. he performs a spell on them, turning them into giant birds, who attack the enemy. The savagery on display gives Hatori a pause for a moment. ¡°How are they not scared?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because they are male chickens,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Maybe if they were smaller.¡± Still, it is not enough to stop this attack. so Hatori works with Kalicharan, and together, they animate the fallen corpses. Kishore is disgusted to see this, remembering the same thing happening about five years ago. The boy fought against the menace of the undead back then, and now he is using them as a weapon. What the world is coming to? After the slaughter, Hatori and Kalicharan burn the corpses outside, while Zeko, Avinash, and Kishore go inside to rest and recover. Avinash takes the paper and reads the front-page news. ¡°Looks like we found Porus.¡±

Part 4.

Two days before the attack on Kishore¡¯s farm, Porus got a newspaper. He is amazed at these agencies. even during a civil war, they continue to report. True, some of them are threatened by the victors on both sides, but they usually find a way to let the public know whatever they are writing is under duress. ¡°Let¡¯s see here.¡± he muttered while courting the danger by sitting under a coconut tree, ¡°General Sundar dies in Pashtun territory, on a mission to secure peace.¡± The king moves on to the next headline, before what he just read finally hits him. he turns the page back, and starts to read. The paper covered what the general was doing there, the talks with the Pashtun elders, the attack during the meeting, and his death. They also printed the picture of Raven, calling him an unlucky apprentice to have lost his master at such a young age. Porus loses all strength in his hands, and the paper falls to the ground, it is then carried by the wind at some distance before it gets flattened against another tree. Though no one is here to listen to his words, he still tries to say something. Despite his best tries, he could not speak a word, his throat, and his tongue refused to cooperate with him. However, he can realize one thing in his head. ¡®My games cost me a friend this time.¡¯ he thought. Porus thought that the general would be there when he returned, destroyed his enemies, and sat on the throne until one challenger could finally defeat him and end his miserable reign. But now, he feels alone. his master is likely living the final years of his life, Zuo Chi who ascended along with him to the throne of his country is also dead, and now, his general is also dead. Porus goes into the town and barges into the office of a reporter closest to him. ¡°Do you know who I am?¡± he asked, sparks occasionally flying from his clothes. ¡°King Porus.¡± Said the reporter in a mild tone. ¡°Why have you barged into my office?¡± ¡°I wish to reveal a challenge. And I have chosen you to reveal that. cease with your professional rivalry, and let every paper in the country publish this.¡± Said Porus. Summoning the pen into his hands with magic, the reporter asked. ¡°And what is this challenge?¡± ¡°I have enough of this civil war. If you want a piece of me, then come and get it. I will be waiting near the Flooded Plains. None of you will leave alive by the time I¡¯m done with you.¡± he said. ¡°That¡¯s it.¡± The reporter did as the king asked. after that, Porus takes a ship and lands near to the Flooded Plains. It has been 24 hours ever since he revealed himself to the public after he defended the city two years ago. So far, none of his enemies have shown up. though he got another piece of news, which actually confirmed that his step was correct. Reading another newspaper, he learns that various Asian powers are trying to take advantage of this civil war, muscling in the businesses that traditionally have been done by the Subcontinent. After the death of Sundar, they got even more brazen, but his sudden return has put them on a cautious watch. Two days have passed after Porus received the news of Sundar¡¯s death. Now he is surrounded by the reporters, demanding answers from him, while he does say nothing but the challenge he stated in the news. To keep his calm, Porus focuses on the sound of flowing water in the nearby stream. As the press got more insistent, and some nobles were standing at some distance, unwilling to come any closer, Porus thought that maybe this was a bad idea. However, his thoughts are disrupted, when a blasting spell right above their heads attracts their attention, and Avinash walks into the line of cameras with his three guards.

Part 5.

¡°Porus revealed himself.¡± Justice was saying to the gathering of his group, as always, consisting of an Incubi, which he happens to be himself, a human man, and a Succubi woman. He often wonders whether the bitch sitting across from him ever tried to put her claws into the man sitting to his right, but the answer seems to be always no. ¡°It is a good and bad thing for us. we can finally get rid of him.¡± ¡°True. But I prefer doing nothing.¡± Said the man, ¡°Look what he said. He basically invited all of his enemies, and gave an open invitation to kill him.¡± ¡°Too bad Jeevan is still stuck on Pashtun lands. We could have used him right now,¡± she said. ¡°Never mind.¡± Said the human. ¡°Either way, Porus is finished. He knows it, which is why he threw down this challenge.¡± ¡°So, more wait and see then?¡± asked Justice to confirm. ¡°For now.¡± said the human. ¡°Though if Porus dies without getting a new king, it will be an ideal time for us to make our move.¡± ¡°I say getting a new and inexperienced king will be just as good as time as any.¡± Argued the Succubi. ¡°Correct.¡± Said Justice. ¡°We¡¯ll wait for now, and attack if Porus dies without getting his successor, or a new king is crowned.¡± Chapter 215 Chapter 215.

Part 1.

Hatori has a pinched expression after that blast. They have walked into an explosive situation. The king is surrounded by the reporters, and some nobles are nearby, screaming for his blood, though not getting any closer. And now, Avinash has added fuel to the fire with such a bold announcement of his arrival. The king is happy that the team survived, but he senses that things are different between them. the guarded expression of his apprentice Zeko is also an indication of this. Many reporters look at Avinash but decide to back off. He already cast one spell to give them a warning, they do not wish to get in the middle of his path when he has such a determined face. ¡°Porus, king of Subcontinent,¡± said Avinash, ¡°I challenge you to a duel for the throne as a prize. Fight me!¡± Some people cheered, while others started to curse Avinash. ¡°You¡¯re a young welp, you have no right to get involved in these matters!¡± screamed one local lord, who got his leg promptly broken by Kalicharan, because he got too close. ¡°Why you!¡± Zeko looked at him furiously. ¡°He got too close!¡± justified Kalicharan. ¡°We¡¯re supposed to guard him, remember?¡± Zeko puts on a stoic expression once more and looks at the crowd more carefully. He might hate the man, but he cannot deny that Kalicharan is right. if he was in his proper state of mind, Zeko would have done something similar, since in a lot of situations they do behave the same way. The nobles continue to jeer and boo Porus, while the king has to make a decision. Actually, there is no decision. Avinash is older than his legal age of maturity. Meaning, that his challenge has to be accepted by the king, he cannot back out. but he did not want to fight the boy in a situation like this. ¡®Just like how I did not want to lose Sundar.¡¯ Porus shook his head after thinking that. ¡°I, Porus, king of Subcontinent, accept your challenge.¡± The reporters immediately hightailed out of the area, and Avinash and Porus started to glare. They wait until Kalicharan and Zeko create a burier to keep them safe. Once the burier is erected, Hatori walks to them. ¡°We¡¯ll need to act fast once the fight is over.¡± He whispered to Kalicharan and Zeko. ¡°I do not trust this crowd.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry boy,¡± said Zeko. ¡°Just keep an eye out for an escape. Leave the rest to us.¡± ¡°Same here,¡± said Kalicharan. And thus, Hatori sits down after extracting a large boulder from the ground, assuming a lotus position to watch the duel, as Porus and Avinash look at each other with hostility clear on their face. The king summons a leaf from the ground and shows it to Avinash. ¡°Once this leaf hits the ground, we will begin.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Avinash, keeping the eye on the leaf, as it made an arc in the air, and then landed on the ground softly. As soon as it touched the ground, the duel began with a loud bang! The crowd cheered, as Avinash and Porus began to exchange spells. the stream of fire is blocked by Avinash with a swirling shield of water, and that same water is used to attack the king, which is now scalding hot. Showing his grasp of alchemy, the king split the water into two gasses. Avinash also knows enough about alchemy to take advantage of this. A small spark from him, and the entire cloud of hydrogen and oxygen explodes, and Porus is burned badly as a result. If he had not coated himself with alchemic water to put out the fire, he would have been burned alive by that one move. Now realizing how deadly Avinash is, the king infuses his fire with alchemical properties as well, and as a result, the fire becomes very clingy, like a psycho-ex. Avinash has to discard his shirt, and create a bubble around his head to avoid breathing in that oily smoke. He is certain it is bad news. Good thing he came prepared with this bubble enchantment to filter the air, which he put on the locket around his neck. But while he defended himself, the king is not sitting idly. He transmuted the twigs and leaves in the area that survived the fiery attacks into vicious-looking birds, and then this flock then assaults Avinash. Hatori winced after looking at these ugly birds. He will have words with Porus if he survived this conflict one way or another, for transmuting these hideous examples of bird species. There is no beauty in them at all. Avinash shot a few of them before they could reach them, but upon being hit, they exploded in even more of this oily fire. Avinash decides to mutate the rubble around him into his own birds and sends the flock to battle the king. explosions fill the sky, as both flocks try to take out each other. In the end, Avinash has one more bird than Porus. ¡°Looks like I have numbers on my side.¡± He smirked. ¡°Think again.¡± Said Porus. Avinash is attacked from behind by a surviving bird, which explodes on him. luckily, his clothes protected him from the worst of the damage, but his hair was sizzling, while his skin was burned when it got exposed to the fire. While Avinash is busy dealing with his burns, the king conjures some plastic soldiers and animates them to attack Avinash. While fending these attacks, Avinash conjures flying discs that decapitate these soldiers. before the plastic can dissolve because the king did not put much energy into it, Avinash appropriates it for himself and transmutes it into more birds. But these birds did not attack the king directly. Instead, they went above his head, and the enchantment inside of them was triggered. They are melted inside out, and the king is battered with the molten rain of plastic. Judging by the howls of Porus, Hatori imagines it to be a very painful ordeal. Seizing the advantage, Avinash brings out his ultimate conjuration: his fire-tiger. Seeing the beast standing behind him, Porus breathes and channels his magic to heal the smallest of his injuries and soothe the ones temporarily that cannot be healed yet. And then, he conjures his own elemental spell: an elephant made of earth. Porus looks down upon the challenger from the top of the back of this elephant. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°While I can change this spell into many forms, I am very partial to this one.¡± said the king with a grin. ¡°Prepare yourself, boy, you are about to receive the beating of your life.¡± ¡°Bring it!¡± said Avinash. The tiger is not as strong as the elephant. but its heat is enough to damage the rocky surface and melt it to slow down the giant elemental construct. The king kept his word. Avinash received a beating like he had never received before. The elephant nearly trampled him and tossed him in the air with its trunk, where Porus nearly took off his head. the tiger repeatedly got under this construct, and attacked it from below, but it is not enough to take it down. Despite this, Avinash is not willing to give up, even though some of the bones in his body are broken, and others are likely out of place by this point by the repeated jarring impacts of the trunk of this elephant. As the elephant came to trample him again, the tiger got underneath it and attacked its belly once again. This time, with a groan, the entire construct collapsed. Porus hits the ground back first, not having enough strength to keep himself on his feet. The tiger disappears and reappears behind Avinash, while he pinned the king to the ground with a massive pile of stone. ¡°I win old man,¡± said Avinash, walking to the trapped king with unsteady feet. ¡°I outlasted you.¡± ¡°You¡­ win.¡± With that final gasp, the king acknowledged his defeat and lost consciousness. The burier disappears with that acknowledgment, and just like Hatori predicted, the crowd moves in, the spells already flying from the hoard. But Zeko and Kalicharan contain them, while Hatori secures both Porus and Avinash. It is rare for a king to survive the duel for the throne. Taking Porus will be useful since they can mine his experience later to give them an edge to themselves. Zeko and Kalicharan had to fight their way during their entire walk to the port, where Hatori took Porus and Avinash inside the ship. Once that was done, the two old mages jumped onto the ship as it began to fly, and they escaped the angry crowd who still launched many spells at them despite their ship being in the sky and out of their range.

Part 2.

As everyone is focused on the duel, another attack is going on in the City of Throne. Some rogue military soldiers have teamed up and attacked them when they had their guards lowered. Raven is kicking himself for that oversight, but there is nothing he can do about it, apart from fighting it and making sure that the city does not face another siege. They will lose the goodwill of people which they have managed to earn so far. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t sulk so much,¡± said Josh, giving him a plate filled with sliced fruits. ¡°Eat up. you will need this energy to defend the city.¡± ¡°Thanks.¡± Said Raven, lifting one of the slices and taking a bite of the juicy fruit. ¡°Here¡¯s the map you asked for.¡± Said Shin, entering the room and giving the map to Raven, on which he has marked the enemy positions. ¡°Did you tell him about his sulking?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Josh. ¡°Good.¡± nodded Shin. ¡°You can¡¯t do everything yourself.¡± ¡°Thanks for looking out for me,¡± said Raven, touched by this care of his friends. The mirror that Hatori built for them all those years ago to communicate starts to vibrate, and Raven picks up the call. ¡°Yo. How¡¯s it going?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Not much.¡± answered Josh, ¡°Just facing another attack.¡± ¡°Damn.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, good news. We have a new king. Avinash won.¡± They all cheered after hearing this. ¡°We are coming to the castle, Porus has survived,¡± Hatori informs them. ¡°Both of them need medical attention.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll inform James.¡± Said Raven.

Part 3.

¡°Sir, everyone is in position.¡± Informs the soldier. ¡°We need your orders.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± he said, ¡°We move in an hour.¡± ¡°Yes sir.¡± Said the soldier, and then left. The conversation Subhash had with Rani all those years ago pierced him deeply. When Zeko visited them in that bar with that kid, and Rani called the military a weapon who did not ask any question, he made up his mind that given the slightest chance, he would rebel, and establish himself as the controller, rather than be controlled. He never joined the rebelling nobles, because he saw it as exchanging one master with another. And judging by how things have gone for them, Subhash considers it to be a smart decision. Speaking of Rani, it seems she has done well for herself. Becoming among the top officers of the military. ¡°I¡¯ll offer her to join my side once I get the throne.¡± He decides. ¡°Or else, she will die, just like the others.¡± Given the civil war, it was easy for Subhash to find disaffected soldiers from both sides. After gathering this bunch, he remained in hiding, until he sensed his chance. Now that the king is missing, the general is dead, and his position is taken by his inexperienced apprentice, this is a perfect time to strike. He will become the new king and will answer to no one afterward.

Part 4.

the group receives the information about Avinash¡¯s victory. ¡°The young man protected the new king, while Zeko and some unknown necromancer cleared the path.¡± ¡°In short, they fail to kill him.¡± deduced the Succubi. ¡°True.¡± Said the Incubi. ¡°What about Porus?¡± asked the human. ¡°It is inconclusive. He was alive at the end of the duel, but his current condition is unknown. He could have died by now for all we know.¡± Said Justice. ¡°We have to operate on the assumption that he is still alive.¡± said the human. ¡°You are right.¡± said the Incubi and Succubi together. ¡°This will be troublesome.¡± Continued the Incubi. ¡°That much experience in the corner of the new king will be to their advantage.¡± ¡°But we have already made our move.¡± Reminds the human. ¡°They might have Porus, but he is not what he used to be. This young king will not be able to handle what is coming his way.¡± Chapter 216 Chapter 216.

Part 1.

Their ship has to do an emergency landing since Raven informed them that the city has been lost. James was brought there, and Raven along with Bajrang came to meet the new king on Kishore¡¯s farm. Though Kishore is not ready for their arrival, he is still accommodating them. Avinash has recovered somewhat to meet Raven, but Porus is still not ready to talk or stay awake for too long. The battle took a toll on his body, and his old age is slowing his recovery despite his modifications working to heal his body along with James¡¯s treatment. ¡°Before we can make a plan to retake the city,¡± said Hatori, ¡°I believe we should choose the next general officially.¡± ¡°The boy is right,¡± said Zeko. ¡°We can¡¯t operate like this forever.¡± ¡°I want Raven to have that position.¡± Said Avinash, enjoying the high of the potions given to him to soothe his pain and repair his bones. ¡°Are you aware of the political implications¡ª¡± tried to say Zeko, but Avinash interrupted him. ¡°I am well aware.¡± He said, descending from the cloud of his high for a moment. ¡°But he is well qualified, and he can serve our forces for a long time to come.¡± ¡°Still, don¡¯t you think we should ask the experienced people in the line?¡± asked Raven. ¡°None of them will agree.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°How can you say this with such confidence?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because none of them want to handle the civil war, and get painted in a bad light in the history should they fail to contain this.¡± Explained Zeko. ¡°See?¡± said Avinash. ¡°Even more of a reason for you to become my general.¡± ¡°But what about apprentices of Sundar?¡± asked Raven. ¡°I¡¯m sure he had some who are even older than Bajrang. Speaking of whom, why haven¡¯t you said anything yet?¡± ¡°Because I don¡¯t want this position either.¡± Said Bajrang. ¡°I can¡¯t speak for the older apprentices, but when it comes to me, I am good at keeping things running, or in administrative tasks. But I feel no shame in saying that when it comes to strategizing for war, you are much better than me. I believe as you gain more experience, you will become a great general. Just remember to listen to some sensible advice from time to time.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Said Raven. ¡°And I accept the position of a general.¡± ¡°General Raven.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Has a nice ring to it.¡± ¡°My father will be so shocked.¡± Said Raven. Magpie, Raven¡¯s father, did not want him to join the military, because he thought that he would be stuck as a common soldier for the rest of his life. but now, he will no longer have that fear. Of course, Raven has a big challenge. He must establish the dominance of the throne, and win the trust of the older veterans to make sure they will not cause any problems for him. ¡°Now that has been decided,¡± said Bajrang, ¡°How are we going to take the city? We need some forces for this.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Raven. ¡°Wasn¡¯t Sindapur asked for some help?¡± ¡°They did.¡± Said Bajrang. ¡°Then send Josh and Singh twins there with some of our forces. that should be enough to help that city.¡± Said Raven, and Bajrang noted this down. ¡°If you need help there, contact with Sannaphulla. I¡¯m sure he will be able to help you out,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Good,¡± said Raven. ¡°I¡¯m sending you with Shin to the City of Hills.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because that city is an important military base, and we can¡¯t let the enemy take root in there,¡± said Raven. ¡°Not that, I¡¯m asking why are you sending me? you know that I am not a soldier.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°They will never listen to me.¡± Raven gets a hard look on his face. ¡°Then make them. we are not drowning in the commanders, remember? Make them obey you, and I¡¯m sure you will retake that fortress city for us. because you are not half bad when it comes to forming strategies yourself.¡± ¡°Once these two are healed,¡± said Raven, looking at Avinash, ¡°We can then focus on retaking the City of Throne.¡±

Part 2.

Zeko burns from the rage, as he sees Hatori discussing some more necromantic tactics with Kalicharan, as the old man is wishing him luck for his mission, while Shin and Hatori prepare to leave for the City of Hills. Unable to contain his anger any longer, he roughly grabs Kalicharan and lifts him in the air. ¡°Stay away from my student!¡± snarled Zeko. ¡°Make me!¡± replied Kalicharan, twisting his body abnormally, and kicking Zeko on his face to make him release his grip. ¡°You!¡± Hatori gets in the way of Zeko before he can attack Kalicharan any further. ¡°Master, what are you doing?¡± he asked, hoping to calm Zeko down. ¡°That is your fault as well!¡± said Zeko, attacking Hatori with flames, which he easily blocked with a shield. ¡°You should know better than associating with his kind!¡± ¡°What in the hell do you mean?¡± asked Hatori, replying with his own spells of water, to contain Zeko¡¯s flames, and hoping to get some sense into him by hitting him with the freezing cold water. ¡°You damn well know what I¡¯m talking about boy!¡± snarled Zeko, attacking Hatori with even more fury. ¡°He is a murderer. Or why do you think he was put in that prison?¡± ¡°You take that back!¡± said Kalicharan from the side, having been tossed there earlier by the magic of the student and the master. The prison has left him permanently weakened. If he were to be in his prime, he would have never needed Hatori¡¯s help in dealing with Zeko. ¡°I suffered through that hell because you are the only one who believes that!¡± ¡°You lie!¡± said Zeko, sending the flames to attack Kalicharan. ¡°You killed Sanjaya because you were jealous of him.¡± ¡°As if.¡± Said Kalicharan. ¡°You know the truth; you just can¡¯t accept it.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Said Zeko, showing some signs of calming down. ¡°I forbid you to speak with Hatori any further.¡± A conjured chain wraps around Zeko and pulls him to the ground. He is shocked senseless through the chain, before Hatori walks in front of him. ¡°You might be my master, but you have no right to give me an order like this. Especially because of your own past with this man.¡± ¡°You¡ª¡± Zeko tries to argue, but Hatori interrupts him. ¡°I¡¯m an adult, dammit!¡± said Hatori. ¡°And I will not let anyone else control what I can or cannot do, even if I end up ruining myself.¡± Leaving Zeko bound in the chains, Hatori leaves the destroyed, and burning camp. Kalicharan drags Zeko outside, groaning all the while. Leaving Zeko bound, Kalicharan sits on the ground, putting his back to the flames. ¡°You never read the letter.¡± He said sadly. ¡°It is one thing that you sent me to that hell. but you didn¡¯t even read what I had to say. Why?¡± he started to cry. ¡°Were you blinded by your rage so much?¡± Zeko did not answer.

Part 3.

Dhiraj and Corvus drink tea in Dhiraj¡¯s office, formerly known as Corvus¡¯s office. The office has remained the same, though instead of having visuals of battle magic, visuals of a potion lab adorn the room. Corvus is proud of Dhiraj. He has handled the responsibilities of a headmaster very well, even though the position came to him on short notice. He has made sure that there aren¡¯t any rats in the institute who can cause unrest, and cause further uneasiness in the students. Four years have gone by since Hatori and his class graduated, and the new batch of students who came into the Academy after they have remained silent, having been affected by the wars going on outside of the Magecraft and Sorcery Institute. And thus, they are lacking in the fire which the students before them used to have. Of course, not all of them are like that. there are a bunch in this batch as well, who do appear to be promising. But assessing these things in advance is not easy, that much Corvus has learned in his experience of running the Academy for over a hundred years. Still, the man sitting across from him appears to be worried. Never someone to beat around the bush much, Corvus decides to ask directly. ¡°What is bothering you, professor?¡± ¡°The students.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°I¡¯m worried that some of them might cause problems for us.¡± ¡°How so?¡± asked Corvus. ¡°This is mostly about the older students.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°I think some of them might try to cause unrest or chaos to soften us from inside for another invasion.¡± ¡°Do you think you do not have this situation under control?¡± asked Corvus. When Dhiraj did not answer, Corvus continued. ¡°Some things cannot be controlled. You have to deal with these problems as they come. Trust your instincts, that is the only advice I can give you.¡± If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Thank you, Professor Corvus.¡± Smiled Dhiraj. ¡°Your council is valuable to me.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t rely on it too much,¡± said Corvus, putting his empty cup on the table. ¡°The time of my generation has passed. There is a new king on the throne. Sundar is dead. Now, younger folks like you have to manage this country.¡± As he leaves the headmaster¡¯s office, Corvus makes one final thought, which he cannot say to Dhiraj. ¡®Let¡¯s just hope you will not trip on some skeleton left behind by us.¡¯

Part 4.

After Hatori left with Zeko, Kalicharan, and Avinash, Subhash¡¯s forces rolled into the city and took over easily because no one in charge could defend it properly. The military forces allied with the throne left the city to regroup outside, and Subhash went into the castle. amazingly enough, no wards stopped him either, though certain portions of the building were still restricted for him. He would have liked to see the offices of the prime minister and the general, to see whether they have anything alarming for him or not. but it seems he cannot visit any offices, even for the smallest of positions. This infuriates him, but he consoles himself by telling himself that he will get the throne, and once he is sitting on that chair, no one will dare to restrict anything from him. He has not taken the throne yet. He hears that the kid of the prime minister has beaten Porus. There is a new king, and Subhash will sit on the throne in front of him. As he imagines this scene of despair, his enemies wait outside of the city, ready to attack him.

Part 5.

Inside the camp, Porus, Zeko, and Raven are planning the attack. outside, Avinash is giving a rousing speech to their forces. He is sparing no effort to show them that he is a leader on whom they can put their trust. They have a lot of firepower with them, but they need precise force in this instant. Laying waste to the city will not help their cause in the slightest, and the public will get angry with them. they will lose all the goodwill they have built by helping them out so far. After they agree on their plans, Porus decides to ask a question. ¡°Why are you putting me in these safe positions?¡± ¡°Because you have not recovered completely.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Also, remember master, you are not what you used to be.¡± Said Zeko, reminding the king of his age. ¡°Dammit.¡± Cursed Porus. ¡°It wasn¡¯t that long when I could take you on my knee for that comment.¡± ¡°I doubt you will catch me now,¡± said Zeko with a smirk. ¡°Focus,¡± said Raven, bringing them back to their sense. ¡°Our enemy is in the castle. the general died without giving anyone access to the wards, so they have remained inert. This is one of the reasons why Subhash managed to just walk in and take over the city.¡± ¡°Once Avinash is in the city, he will be able to activate the wards.¡± Said Porus. ¡°I¡¯ll tell him how.¡± ¡°That¡¯s one problem solved.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Then we will have to hunt enemy forces in the city, we can¡¯t let them escape among the homes of the people.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said Porus. ¡°Those homes are also protected by the wards. Any hostile force cannot enter them.¡± ¡°Any other surprises we should be thinking of?¡± asked Zeko. ¡°Apart from some other party attacking us in the middle of our campaign, no.¡± Said Raven. ¡°For that possibility, I will leave some forces to guard our backs.¡± ¡°Then we go to war. It has been a long time since I invaded a place.¡± Said Zeko with a smirk.

Part 6.

As Hatori and Shin arrive with their orders, what Hatori suspects becomes true: the soldiers are openly declaring that they do not see him as their leader. ¡°Why?¡± he asked simply. ¡°Because you are not from the military.¡± Said one soldier. ¡°Also, because you have not gone through our tough training.¡± Said the current commander, named Badri. ¡°Hmm. Remind me to tell Zeko about you,¡± said Hatori, causing instant silence in the clearing where they were discussing this issue. Shin marveled at this reply, all the while keeping an eye on a potential attack with others. unlike Hatori, the soldiers don¡¯t seem to mind him at all, especially since he sang some military songs for them after their arrival. ¡°You may be Zeko¡¯s apprentice, but it does not mean you can violet the chain of command because some new general said so.¡± Said Badri, trying to look himself big in front of Hatori, since he cannot loom over him due to their great height difference. ¡°You will not take my position just because you are friends with the general, and are taller than me.¡± ¡°Fine. I do remember your magical signature. You were my senior in the Academy.¡± said Hatori. his magic surged, and Badri was blasted to the ground and landed hard enough to make a crater. ¡°Looks like I need to remind you why everyone was terrified of me.¡± And thus, a magical beating began. No one came to help Badri, as they did not feel it necessary. As far as they are concerned, this is the issue among the top brass. Of course, Shin is another reason. while Hatori is beating Badri senselessly, he is easily making several boulders hover over their head with a smile. ¡°Please don¡¯t move. I might slip. These explode, you know.¡± There is no way they are going to move after that silent threat. They all take notes in the back of their minds to use a similar tactic in the future. It is remarkably effective, as they are learning currently. ¡°Do you yield the command to me?¡± asked Hatori, twisting Badri¡¯s arms behind him. ¡°Never!¡± he declared. With a snap! Sound, his defiance turns into screams of pain. ¡°I can cripple this arm permanently you know. There is a chance that the healers can fix you, and you will be ready to return back to the field in a few days. But if you insist¡­¡± Hatori starts to pull the broken arm further, but before he could cripple the limb permanently, Badri hollers out. ¡°I give, I give, I give! You can have the command, release my arm now, you miserable wretch!¡± Cursed Badri. ¡°Very well,¡± said Hatori, getting off Badri, and releasing his arms. ¡°Officers, report to me. healers, look after Badri. Badri, report to me once you are healed. Do not think of defying me again, because I swear, they will never find your ashes.¡± ¡°Fine, fine!¡± yelled Badri, as the healers took him away to fix his broken arm, while Hatori went to the camp and learned about this area. Shin follows after him, he notes how they are getting wary looks from everyone now, compared to their disdain before.

Part 7.

The City of Hills is a strong holdout for the nobles. It is surrounded by mountains, and a river flows behind the city, which is the only gap in its natural defenses. As a result, the military made a base here, to house the king should the City of Throne ever be destroyed. But currently, the fleeing rebels have set up their base here. they have not managed to breach the base, but they have camped in the mountains, and they have made the lives of the people in the city, and the forces trying to retake this area a difficult one. Varsha Sharma is the noble who has taken over this area. After her cousin, Surendra defeated the rebels, the Sharmas who went against him scattered throughout the country. Varsha saw that this fortress-like city was undefended, so she took over this area to secure herself. With her son Rajat, she has kept a strong grip on the mountains of the city ever since, depriving the people of the supplies and contact necessary to sustain themselves in this mountainous location. ¡°Mam!¡± said one of her personal soldiers. ¡°We have gotten reports that Hatori Eagle is in the area.¡± Rajat is alarmed to hear this news. ¡°What do you think he might be here for?¡± she questioned the soldier. ¡°My best estimation is that he is here to retake this city. But he won¡¯t succeed. He has no military experience, he might be a strong mage, but he will not win this battle against us.¡± said the soldier. ¡°Very well. call the commanders. We will capture Hatori, and execute him. This should give us a chance to expand beyond these mountains, and also increase our credibility.¡± Said Varsha. The soldiers leave to perform her orders. Rajat knows that his mother does not know the real danger of that boy. indeed, he never came in contact with Hatori directly, but he knows what happened with Swaraj Joshi. He attended his meeting about threatening the boy to join their side, and how badly that backfired. He was there when Hatori led an army of animals to invade the school and made the headmaster turn over his exile. But he does not dare to raise his doubts to his mother. The woman is crazy. He might end up with his head mounted outside as a warning or something. Chapter 217 Chapter 217.

Part 1.

Hatori is reading about the defenses of the city. The front of the town has a road, which cuts through a mountain. since the city is located above this road, anyone who approaches this city will be seen from afar. The sides are covered with mountains as well, on which mages are situated to crush any army that comes through the road. There is a river at the back of this city, but since it is not easy to take a large force through the narrow stream, no one thinks of attacking from that side. The road comes from the west. The mountains are located in the north and south of the city, while the river is in the east. But Hatori imagines them as front, back, and sides. putting the map down, Hatori walks outside the camp and summons a crow to his side by calling out to the bird. He agreed to perform Hatori¡¯s task, for which he got an advance payment in some food, and he will get more food once he returns to take to his nest for his mate and chicks. An hour later, Hatori is waiting outside of his camp, sitting on a rock which he extracted from the ground, and softened by a cushioning spell. Badri and other squad leaders are staring at him because he is supposed to start today¡¯s discussion. But until now, he has not spoken a single word to them. after waiting for Hatori to speak for fifteen minutes, Badri¡¯s patience runs out. ¡°Do you have a plan? Or do you plan to waste our time here?¡± he exploded. The crow seems to have a perfect sense of timing. As Badri explodes, he flies over his head and lands on Hatori¡¯s arms. After realizing that the bird is not a threat, they silently put their foci down. Hatori learns from the crow that his attack from the road is expected, but the river is undefended entirely. This information brings a smile to his lips, and Hatori gives enough food for the mate of this bird and his chicks, just like he promised. ¡°Listen now. this is what we will do.¡± He spoke to them, explaining his plan. ¡°Are you certain?¡± questioned one female squad leader. ¡°Those areas are quite harsh to climb.¡± ¡°I know. And I also know that you will need some distractions, which the other attacks will provide. Your squad is necessary if we are to remove those mages from the mountains at the sides.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Without their removal, we will never succeed.¡± ¡°What do you want to do once we reach the city?¡± asked Badri. He knows the answer in his heart. The nobles will be spared despite what they did since that is what happens in the wars most of the time. Badri has no expectation that Hatori will be doing anything different. ¡°Accept anyone who surrenders.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And if they resist?¡± asked Badri. He knows that those nobles will never cooperate with them. ¡°Kill them,¡± said Hatori. That sudden declaration shocked them. ¡°Even if they are nobles?¡± asked one squad leader. ¡°Didn¡¯t you hear me?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Kill anyone who does not cooperate with you, regardless of who they are, and what status they hold in the society.¡± ¡°Sir, yes sir!¡± they said saluting Hatori. ¡°Badri, you will lead the other attack,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Why me?¡± asked the former commander, though none of the malice he had felt towards him when he arrived at first. ¡°Because I need someone who is experienced in such engagements in the middle of it, not someone who would panic.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Take Shin with you. his illusions will help you.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± agreed Badri.

Part 2.

Varsha waits for an attack with her general and her commanders. From what she knows of Hatori, the boy will come at them spells blazing, with no thoughts of his safety. Given he is trained by that brute Zeko, nothing else should be expected from him. But they have been waiting for the attack for a long time now, and so far, there is nothing to suggest that they are coming to attack them. until they finally see a large force coming at them from the road in the middle of the afternoon. ¡°I thought he ran away.¡± Scoffed Varsha. ¡°Maybe that would have been the wise choice.¡± ¡°The mages on the mountain are beginning to attack.¡± informs the general. Despite these large spells coming at them, the force did not stop. Instead, some of them stopped, and after pooling their power together, shielded the army. Some spells did get through this shield, but largely, they arrived at the doorstep of this city without suffering too much damage. Hatori, who was leading them at first, is now behind. He is observing the fight, which is going their way. the attacks from the mountain have stopped coming, looks like his plan is working so far. There are many cries of this or that guy challenging him for a single duel, but Hatori does not budge from his place, and neither his soldiers are entertaining any thoughts of fighting a single duel. They are fighting like an army should, with force, without consideration of fairness, and with swift brutality. The only thing they have in their mind is a victory and a complete takeover of this city. This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

Part 3.

On the mountain, there is a massacre taking place. While the fighting is fierce on the ground below, here, the mages who were focused on the large army below have been caught off guard, and the force that scaled up from behind them is disposing of them. after their work is done, they exchange a signal from both mountains and wait for further orders. For now, they will hold this position and will ensure that the enemy cannot take it, and establish their strong position by attacking from this high place.

Part 4.

Varsha burns from anger after seeing her forces lose to this inferior boy of inferior birth. ¡°Why isn¡¯t he responding to the challenges of duel?¡± she asked. ¡°Mother, if I may?¡± asked Rajat. At her nod, he continues. ¡°He will never accept any challenge until he thinks that the other party is worthy of his time. you must send out our strongest mage, only then Hatori will fight him.¡± ¡°General, you are the strongest duelist we have. You must face that boy, and bring me his head!¡± said Varsha. ¡°As you command.¡± Said the general, and left to face Hatori. Again, he hears a challenge to duel him, but this time, the challenge is from the general himself. Hatori smiled and accepted the challenge. Given he is the general of the enemy, Hatori expected great difficulty in killing this man. But the man proves to be quite weak. Either he has gotten too experienced in fighting, or the credibility of this man is questionable. After Hatori cuts the head of the general, and mounts it on a pike, and shows it in the air, the fighting pauses for a while. Only to pick up in intensity, as Varsha watches in horror. Her general was killed in a few seconds. As if this is not enough, she gets more bad news. ¡°Mam, we are getting attacked from behind!¡±

Part 5.

Badri waits in the river, the boats under his command being hidden by Shin¡¯s illusions. The fighting is fierce, and they have remained undetected so far. Though they could not see the battle from here, they did see the head when Hatori waved it in the air. the mirror in Shin¡¯s hand starts to vibrate, and Badri smiles. It is time to attack. silently, without exchanging any words, they banked on the river and left their boats. They then started to attack the unprepared enemy from behind, taking over their supplies, and starting to hunt them in the city to route them out completely. Shin watches over the prisoners who are sleeping under his spell. he considers himself to be a witness of a great battle today. Though there are no heroes or no stories of valor here, even then he is certain that this will be written in history. Because not every day does some inexperienced commander take a city from the enemy.

Part 6.

The soldiers and the top brass are happy with Hatori, as they enter the city, and capture the base. they are happy that they will not have to deal with some glory-seeking nutjob who wants glorious charges, and has no care for the soldiers under his command. In the evening, the prisoners are brought to Hatori. the woman, who is the leader apparently has not lost her smug look all day long. Before Hatori could say anything to these prisoners, she spoke first. ¡°Release us, oh mighty commander. Keeping nobles imprisoned like this is unbecoming of you,¡± she said to Hatori, while Rajat watched this happening in dread. ¡°Why? So you can do this again?¡± asked Hatori, not impressed by the flattery. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll give you another reason. you may have been victorious today, but someone of your blood cannot hope to beat us, your superiors.¡± Said Varsha, all semblance of the civility gone. ¡°So, release us, and maybe I¡¯ll ask that you be given mercy when you are facing my noble brethren in the future.¡± ¡°I couldn¡¯t care less.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Either you all will give me your total supplication, or I¡¯ll kill you. that is what my general wants, and that is what he will get.¡± ¡°Surely you jest? You will never dare to lay a hand on a noble one¡ª¡± Hatori has enough. To demonstrate his point, he pierces one of the noble prisoners¡¯ heads with bolt of lightning, who is standing right next to Varsha. ¡°Do you still doubt me?¡± asked Hatori. not waiting for her reply, he killed another prisoner. Then another. Then another. Then another. Soon enough, Varsha and her son are the only nobles alive among the prisoners. The rest are the soldiers and some civilians who attacked the soldiers during the fighting. ¡°Now, should I kill you next?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Or maybe him?¡± Varsha has a horrified look on her face. She never thought that she would ever see a monster like this one in her life. ¡°Answer me!¡± demands Hatori. ¡°Please spare me and my son,¡± she said, bowing her head in supplication. ¡°We will do what you ask.¡± ¡°Should I accept this?¡± asked Hatori, looking at Shin and Badri. ¡°Well, she did surrender.¡± Said Badri. ¡°I say spare her. if she causes trouble, we can kill her without even saying anything to her.¡± ¡°Fare enough.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Rejoice, whoever you are.¡± Hatori did not bother to learn her name or any of the people he had just killed. ¡°You get to live with your son.¡± ¡°Take them to the prisoner¡¯s quarter. Badri, can you handle these remaining ones? I have to write a report for the general.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Certainly.¡± Said Badri. Chapter 218 Chapter 218.

Part 1.

Raven receives the report of Hatori. it is an interesting read, to say the least. it starts like no military report will ever do. Still, Raven forgave this since Hatori is not a military-trained person, something which he reminded Raven of before he left to capture the City of Hills.
Yo! I arrived with Shin, and the commander was not ready to yield to my authority. He is a senior from our Academy days. Still, we have never come in contact with him. After showing him who is the boss around here, I formulated a plan. I sent a force to distract the enemy from the front, while a secret force attacked from the river behind the city. The mountains were scaled to capture the mages who were bombarding us with grand spells to cause panic among us. during this time, a lot of dueling challenges came my way, but I ignored them all since I was here for a war, not a duel. I did accept the challenge, however, when the other side sent their general. Either I am overtrained, or these people have fools on their side who overvalue their skills. The general went down in seconds, and this is when the force from the river attacked the city. After we took the city, the noble bitch was acting quite haughty. To teach her a lesson, I executed all the people with ¡°superior blood¡±, and then asked her whether she would cooperate or not. unfortunately for me, she agreed, and I have now transferred her to the prisoner¡¯s camp about which Badri informed me. Anyway, this is how things went on my end. Hope you are satisfied with my performance. Looking forward to further orders, -Hatori.
¡°Don¡¯t you think we made a mistake sending him there?¡± asked Josh, when he read the report. ¡°Nah, he did what was required of him,¡± said Raven. He formulated new orders for Hatori and sent those. For now, he has ordered Hatori to stay there and take over the surrounding area if he can. whereas Raven leaves to check up on the siege going on at this moment, the second one that the City of Throne has experienced in the last three years. ¡°How are the things here?¡± asked Raven. Last night, they were here late at night, and Avinash and Raven both were dismissed by Zeko to get some rest. ¡°Not much has changed.¡± Said Zeko. He has not taken the advice of resting, and unlike Hatori, none of them have the guts to say that to his face. ¡°The position has remained the same.¡± ¡°Why are we not pushing the attack?¡± asked Raven. He does see a possibility of entering this city, and squashing the enemy. ¡°Because we have to watch out for the wards.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°We have the king with us,¡± said Raven. ¡°Those wards will do nothing. I believe we should push on.¡± ¡°Do you say that as a general?¡± asked Zeko, glaring at Raven, and putting his magical pressure on him. ¡°Yes,¡± said Raven, doing the same thing. The pressure suddenly lifted, and Zeko smiled. ¡°Very well general. We push on. Just let me call my master.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Raven in a dull tone. He never thought he would have to stand up against Zeko like this.

Part 2.

Subhash is getting desperate. Things started out so well for him. he basically rolled into this city without any resistance. But now, he has been surrounded, his forces have taken a beating, the population is out for his blood, and he has no access to the food storage of the castle. This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. His forces are also close to mutinying against him since they are tired of facing the civilians on one end, and forces of the new king on the other end. They know that he is failing, and they don¡¯t want to go down with him. he resent all of them, since they were so quick to throw their fortunes with him. and now faced with some difficulty, they are abandoning him when he needs them the most. Large explosions shake the city, and no one comes to inform Subhash of what is going on. He goes outside of the castle, to see Porus, Avinash, the new king, Zeko, and the new general, whose name Subhash does not know gunning for him. ¡®They must have seen me outside.¡¯ he thought, running inside of the castle. Still, he has one last card to play. The previous king and his successor enter the castle, and immediately, the wards start to hum in response. They arrive in the throne room, to see Subhash standing before the throne. ¡°You may have gotten one over me, but you will not beat me. Watch me, as I take this throne in front of you,¡± after saying that, he sits on the throne. For a moment, nothing happens. But then, two arms come out of the chair. These arms restrain Subhash, and slowly, in front of their eyes, he is absorbed into the throne screaming for help all the while. not even his clothes or his shriveled body remains as proof that he dared to sit on this throne without beating the previous king. ¡°I saw that coming.¡± Proclaimed Raven. ¡°Anyway, it is time that our new king takes his rightful place.¡± ¡°Indeed.¡± Echoed Porus and Zeko. Without hesitating despite witnessing the grisly scene moments before, Avinash takes the throne. The city breathes a sigh of relief. In almost three years, there is a king in the city. Later, he goes out of the castle to make a speech, to show the people the face of their new king. the work for Avinash has just begun.

Part 3.

Hattori shared the new orders of Raven with Shin. ¡°Honestly, does he think that I¡¯m some great general or something? Take the surrounding area my ass.¡± ¡°No need to get angry.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I¡¯m sure we¡¯ll get some success.¡± ¡°Yeah, but I am not built for this.¡± Said Hatori. Shin plays him a song to make Hatori asleep and tells Badri that no one should disturb him for a while. ¡°Sure.¡± Badri agreed. ¡°By the way, I get the feeling that I¡¯ve seen you before.¡± ¡°Where?¡± asked Shin. ¡°That is the thing. I don¡¯t know where.¡± Said Badri. ¡°Others have said the same thing to me,¡± said Shin. ¡°I suggest you ignore it for a while,¡± said Badri. ¡°Yeah,¡± nodded Shin. ¡°Right.¡±

Part 4.

Alan walks down the corridor of the hotel where they meet. He is furious with the latest developments. ¡®Is that why Amelia died at the hands of those monsters?¡¯ he thought to himself. Amelia liked him, because, unlike other humans, he was able to resist her allure. He liked her because she was able to keep up with him. together, they formed this group to rid the world of the strong mages, and make this world their playground. But they keep running into obstacle after obstacle. ¡°Have you got the news?¡± asked Alan, getting down to the point directly. ¡°What?¡± asked the Incubi and Succubi together. ¡°The new king has taken the throne. Those nobles are now useless to us,¡± said Allan in disgust. Justice is unable to contain himself and slams his hand down on the table in the middle of them. ¡°Dammit.¡± ¡°Looks like we have to rely on those outside powers to cause trouble for them.¡± said the Succubi. ¡°I don¡¯t trust those either.¡± Said Alan. ¡°At this rate, we have to reveal ourselves.¡± ¡°We are not ready for that!¡± countered the Succubi. ¡°We have no choice!¡± said Alan with the same level of heat. The argument raged on, while Justice kept watching them, saying nothing. Chapter 219 Chapter 219.

Part 1.

Hatori is poring over the map of this area. For a moment, he marveled at this moment, since he never thought he would be able to do something like that in his childhood. Come to think of it, now that he keeps his eyes in the open, maybe it is time to redesign them for an intimidating look. The plastic eyeballs are not cutting it anymore. He goes back to the map, marking various locations. Raven has ordered him to take over the nearby areas. These are not controlled by nobles. Instead, they have gotten in their heads that since the nobles and the king are busy against each other, they can do whatever, including raising their own army. Raven wants to end this threat before it develops, so he has ordered all the commanders located under their control to do one thing: bring the local powers to heel by any means necessary. His location is pretty solid, so there is no chance of getting attacked. ¡®Better stop thinking like that. In fact, it is time that I improve the defenses of the city.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. ¡°Boss!¡± Badri salutes him. Hatori has no official military rank, so they have decided to call him boss. No one asked for his thoughts, and by the time Hatori thought of doing something about it, the matter was out of his hands. Shin has been recalled, so Hatori lost whatever support he could have gained from him. Not that he would help him. this is the sort of thing that Shin would find amusing. ¡®Come to think of it, I would too if I didn¡¯t have this position.¡¯ He thought. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± asked Hatori, looking up. ¡°There is a girl.¡± Badri looks at him with a strange look. ¡°Whatever you are thinking, it is wrong.¡± Said Hatori. v ¡°Ha!¡± laughed Badri. ¡°Anyway, the name of the woman is Mira. She is here as an official who would record the events in this region. Given you are the one in charge, she wants to be around you to observe things and record them.¡± Hatori has a disgruntled expression on his face. ¡°Is that necessary?¡± Badri gains a serious look on his face. ¡°Boss, understand that these documents will serve as the sources for the future history books. You are not in any position to refuse.¡± ¡°You at least checked her?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Of course!¡± said Badri. ¡°We¡¯re not amateurs you know.¡± Badri poked Hatori on his shoulder. ¡°Very funny.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Fine, send her in,¡± he said with a sigh. Badri smirked. ¡®Figures. He knew that she was outside. I would have never come to him like this otherwise.¡¯

Part 2.

Pashchim is an old and wily mage, who is in charge of the western mountains near the City of Hills. As he is the most powerful among the local mages who sprang up after the civil war started, the others flock to him and often look to him for an answer during a crisis. Even if they plan to backstab each other in the back once the threat has been dealt with. It is actually considered polite to do so, as it is considered business as usual. Dakshin is a middle-aged man, who has taken over the southern mountains. He often contends with Pashchim for taking over the new areas, as he is the most powerful one in the area. Pooravi is a woman who has a lab in the eastern mountains and has a small population under her control, consisting of the people living in that area. She is the weakest among them, despite that, due to her necromancy, they do not dare to tread on her territory lightly. They have all gathered here after facing and getting trounced by the boy in charge, who has recently arrived in the City of Hills, slaughtered the nobles, and is basically running the operations ever since. The boy uses deceiving tactics, employing the soldiers and illusions ruthlessly. His attacks are coordinated strangely, and they are unable to deal with him. his soldiers are even worse. They do not respond to the one-on-one duels. Anyone who cries out for the challenge died, and they took their head as an example. ¡°That Hatori, he is a bully!¡± declared Pashchim. ¡°Look how he fights. He subjected one of my mountain towns to a brutal siege, keeping them deprived of supplies until they surrendered!¡± ¡°That is nothing.¡± Said Dakshin. ¡°He destroyed my outpost, and he is slowly creeping into my territory.¡± ¡°I thought he would be scared of my necromancy. Instead, he sent my own undead after me,¡± said Pooravi, shuttering after remembering that encounter. ¡°Look, it is clear that we cannot take this monster by ourselves.¡± Said Pashchim. ¡°What do you say to an alliance?¡± ¡°Agreed!¡± said Dakshin and Pooravi quickly. They cannot wait to drive out Hatori. ¡°That city is defended,¡± said Dakshin. ¡°But there is a massive hole. I suggest we take advantage of this.¡± ¡°Devious!¡± said Pashchim, rubbing his hand. ¡°Our enemy is doing the same, so we should do the same to him. I like it!¡±

Part 3.

Hatori is receiving positive news from all fronts. So far, he has pushed the enemy hard and reclaimed a lot of the mountains under their control. If they do nothing, he will cut them, and bleed them dry of their territory. It helps that he has delegated this task to the competent people recommended by Badri since Hatori does not fancy his chances of handling all the invasions by himself. He decides that his job is to keep the city secure, now that he has captured it. They do have experienced people and a large force, so invading the surrounding areas can be handled by others rather than Hatori putting his nose where it can be bitten. Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡®Speaking of keeping the city, I should implement my new plan.¡¯ He thought to himself and called a meeting. Badri and other high-level officers who are not invading the three fronts arrive after his call. Deciding to cut to the point straight, Hatori tells them his plan. ¡°Would the people go for it?¡± asked Badri. ¡°Their consent is not needed. This is war, remember?¡± Hatori reminds them. True to Badri¡¯s prediction, people did complain of cannons being put on the walls and tall buildings. But the new guy in charge is not listening to them at all. Huffing in indignation, they continue to live their lives, putting up with this madness. They hope that this mad guy will be replaced soon, and some sensible person will be put in charge here, who will see that the city is quite safe with its natural defenses. When Hatori heard all of this, he had a great belly laugh. ¡°These morons were living under the heel of the enemy just a month ago. And now that we retook this city, they think they are safe!¡± he exclaimed. ¡°How the hell are these people alive to reproduce?¡± ¡°Political connections.¡± Answered Badri with distaste clear in his tone. ¡°Dammit!¡± cursed Hatori. Politics makes him mad enough that he sometimes thinks that it would be best if he decides to live outside of the civilization. But he then remembers that he will not have any facilities that a city has to offer, and then he has to rethink that plan. Squeaking some rats is worth putting up with if he does not have to go out in the open when nature calls, and mosquitos. Hatori snarls for no apparent reason, and Badri takes a step back. He does not want to get in the way of his superior when he is mad. He remembers the carnage from the school days quite clearly, as well as the beating he gave him about a month ago when Hatori showed up for the first time. thankfully for Badri, the moment of madness is quickly gone.

Part 4.

A few days later, in the middle of the night, several airships appear in the sky. The mages stationed in the mountains immediately sounded the alarm, as those ships were dropping some objects from the air which turned out to be bombs prepared through some explosive potions. However, this assault could not last for too long. The cannons stationed on the buildings and mountains began to target these ships, shooting them down from the air. other cannons that were put near the river also sank the boats coming to attack the city. Hatori who is suddenly awakened from the explosions comes out to see the situation. However, things are under control, so the night shift tucked him under the blanket and told him to go back to sleep. They did not listen to him when he tried to argue. The next morning, Hatori meets with the people who protested the defenses that he installed, and he shows them the effectiveness of his strategies. ¡°I swear.¡± He finished. ¡°If you ever tried to complain like brats again, I¡¯ll just leave with my forces, and let you suffer just like you did under that woman. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± was a very dejected reply. ¡°Sir.¡± Said Badri, interrupting the tearing down going on. ¡°Those three are here to see you.¡± ¡°You let them in?¡± asked Hatori, leaving with Badri. ¡°Of course not. but given they said that they came here in peace, we didn¡¯t have much choice.¡± Said Badri. Hatori arrives to see an old man, a middle-aged guy, and a woman. ¡°So, you three. what do you want?¡± he asked bluntly. Badri winced. His superior is not a diplomatic person, that is for certain. He makes a mental note to make sure he does not handle anything of the sort outside of their territory. ¡°We are here to surrender to you. We acknowledge the throne¡¯s control over our territories and this region.¡± Said the old man. ¡°However, we have some demands.¡± Said the middle-aged man. ¡°Demands?¡± said Hatori, before they could continue. ¡°You don¡¯t have any demands. You were beaten by my forces completely. Your attack last night also failed spectacularly. You don¡¯t get to have any demands. The general demands the total submission, and that is what you will do.¡± Electricity surrounds Hatori¡¯s body, as he gets agitated by this conversation. ¡°And if we don¡¯t?¡± asked the woman, intimidated, but not showing it. They are beaten by a young man, that is humiliating enough. They do not need to humiliate themselves any further by showing fear before him. ¡°Then I¡¯ll just march into your territories, and slaughter everyone, including children and pets. And I will continue to do this, until you come to your senses, or you die in battle.¡± Said Hatori. Hearing his casual tone, Pashchim, Dakshin, and Purvi all pale. They have not seen someone so young talking about the genocide so casually. ¡°We¡ª¡± coughed Pashchim. ¡°We accept our total defeat, and hereby submit to you totally.¡± He sighed. ¡°See now, was it that hard?¡± asked Hatori with a smile. ¡°Just, just leave us alone for a while here,¡± asked Dakshin. ¡°As you wish.¡± Said Hatori, and left with Badri. As they close the door, they hear the sounds of weeping starting to come from the room. In the night, Mira notes the conversation of Hatori with the soldiers. ¡°Boss, would you have really killed everyone if they did not surrender to you? would you really make us do something like that?¡± asked one soldier. ¡°Of course not,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I would do it myself.¡± ¡°Are you a sick bastard or something?¡± asked Badri. ¡°Not at all. I do not derive any pleasure from killing.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But I don¡¯t want the blame of the slaughter to fall upon you. soldiers fight to protect, not to slaughter.¡± ¡°All this talk of killing is too grim.¡± Said one veteran. ¡°Let¡¯s drink to our victory instead!¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± they all cheered, while Mira continued to note the reaction to Hatori¡¯s statement, and gave her own thoughts on what he said, and why he said it. Chapter 220 Chapter 220.

Part 1.

Victoria notes the expression of Justice and Alan. Both of them are unhappy with what is going on in the world. true, they expected their project of bending the world to their whims to be hard, but they did not expect such difficulties when they started. Victoria looks at her brother. ¡°Looks like things are not working out,¡± she told him. ¡°What do you expect?¡± answered Justice. ¡°Despite fanning the flames, nothing seems to work. It is as if someone is fighting against us. perhaps, this very world?¡± ¡°The world has no consciousness.¡± Reminds Alan. He was one of those mages who worked on that proof in recent times. The theory states that the planet on which humans have evolved is more than just rocks and water. it has its own mind. Despite attempts to find this mind in different eras, the theory has remained a theory, with no proof. They even consulted with Dwarves, the closest race to the humans, even they did not have any records about this. Not on their own world, and the worlds outside. ¡°Guess we have to use Albus once again.¡± Grumbled Victoria. Now that Emmeline is dead, the responsibility of keeping him under control falls on Victoria, something which the Succubi does not like to remember. She would rather remember the persecution against her, constantly fanned by Pours and the late Zuo Chi. The hoard which was supposed to bow down to them hunted them like rogue animals, and they barely survived after arriving on the continent of Europa. Mostly because the rulers saw their plight, and felt sorry for them. which turned out to be a mistake, as they soon learned during the previous mage war. As a result of these experiences, she might have thought of killing Alan once their plan was complete, but over the years, the man has proved himself. She has developed a soft spot for him. now that Emmeline is dead, maybe she could enjoy him for herself? ¡°Given that the Zhongguo¡¯s civil war has remained contained in their border, that is the only choice we have.¡± Said Alan. ¡°Did anyone claim to be the new emperor?¡± asked Justice. ¡°Not from the old line. There will be a new dynasty, I ensured of it when I killed anyone related to Zuo Chi.¡± Said Alan. ¡°Fine. We¡¯ll wait for them to get their shit together.¡± Said Victoria. ¡°Meanwhile, I¡¯ll go manipulate an old fool.¡±

Part 2.

James has returned to the Academy. Now that Hatori is out, and his healing services are not required, he feels that he can do the best from here. there are still people coming here, who need a healer. The war has just increased their numbers. ¡°James,¡± said Ramya, ¡°The fire damage is all healed up. I¡¯ve assigned these potions. Can you check them for me?¡± James glanced at the list. ¡°Those are right potions.¡± He confirms. Of course, working with the daughter of the late general is a surprise. In his absence, she took some of his own duties.

Part 3.

The sounds of hammers hitting the metal fill the room, while Ravina carves the runes on the recently finished equipment. Due to the war, they have a lot of orders for weapons and armor. When she started her apprenticeship under Professor Krodhatma, she did not expect to use it like this. But Ravina considers herself luckier than Daphne. Her father has locked her in the house. It is one thing to fight in the duels, but he refuses to let her out during the war. ¡®I should visit her when I have the time.¡¯ thinks Ravina. ¡°Are you done with your enchantments?¡± asked her father. ¡°Yes, just a few more.¡± Said Ravina, carving the runes, and making sure she was not sloppy with her work. ¡°Take some time off, girl.¡± Said Lohar. ¡°It would not do you any good if you work when you are tired.¡± ¡°I suppose you are worried about the complaints you might need to handle?¡± Ravina said in reply. ¡°Maybe.¡± Said Lohar, going back to his work. Realizing that her father is not going to say anything beyond that, Ravina goes back to her carving and enchantment.

Part 4.

There¡¯s a problem in front of Avinash. Now that they are solidifying their position, they are facing the mages from the lower class who took the power in the chaos. But now that they have the power, they are unwilling to give it up, and live under the heals of the upper-class mages. Naturally, the upper class demands their position back. This quickly devolves into another violent situation, and Raven and Avinash have to handle this as well, apart from some warlords who refuse to give up, and some occasional naval invasions. Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. Avinash has an idea while discussing the problem with Raven. ¡°What if we give them someone who represents them in a way?¡± ¡°What do you have in mind?¡± asked Raven. Avinash explains his plan, and Raven nods. ¡°It might work. Though I wouldn¡¯t put my hopes on it.¡± ¡°I know. Just recall Shin for now. We¡¯ll think about the rest later.¡± said Avinash. Once Shin returns, he is told why he has been recalled. ¡°Are you sure I am the right guy for this?¡± Asked Shin. ¡°I¡¯m not exactly their representative. I am even lower than them.¡± ¡°Maybe.¡± Said Raven, though it burns him from inside to admit that. ¡°But that seems to be the only solution for us.¡± Shin sighed. ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll try my best.¡± Shin is sent to the troubled area, to speak with the people. Raven is hoping that he will be able to solve this peacefully. However, just like Shin feared, his words fall on def years. though not for the reasons he thought. Rather than disliking him for being a nameless orphan who is even lower than them on the social ladder, they don¡¯t want to listen to him because they consider him as a mouthpiece of the throne and high-class image. Avinash¡¯s idea was great in theory, but it failed in the practical test. The sad fact is, that even though they are not willing to listen to him, they do treat him nicely. ¡°Don¡¯t be disappointed boy,¡± said the old man with whom he has been speaking in the official capacity. ¡°We all have to do the jobs on which we are likely to fail.¡± ¡°Speaking from experience?¡± quipped Shin. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t you know it?¡± said the old man with a riley smirk of his own. Suddenly, loud noises come to them. ¡°Dammit. They are back again.¡± ¡°Who?¡± asked Shin. ¡°The men of the families. Since we did not listen to them nicely, they have been trying to use force against us. they threatened to take our children last time, guess they are back to fulfill their threat.¡± explained the old man. Shin gets up and brings out his violin. Though Raven tells him not to get involved in any violent situation, he decides to follow what he thinks is right. he will think what to say to the general later. ¡®The old man was right.¡¯ he thought, looking at the sobbing families, and the children being taken away with force. He plays some notes, which causes the forces of the high-class families to go into a stupor. ¡°You should run while you can,¡± he suggested to the children. They go to their parents, and then the real battle begins. On one side, the conventional magic. on the other side, emotion, and music. Waves of fire are countered by snakes made of water. The steam was cleared up with the wind. More fire was countered by depriving it of the oxygen, after which Shin choked the breathing of the enemy group, and played a loud note which was amplified by his wind powers. they are all knocked out with their ears bleeding. ¡®Can¡¯t wait to try this on Hatori.¡¯ he grinned in delight. The people cheered him. After this display, they no longer consider him a mere mouthpiece. Though they are still proving to be stubborn, they will hopefully see that cooperating with the throne is in their best interest. For the king will not tolerate their tantrum for too long. As Shin prepares to go back to Avinash, the old man comes to him. ¡°Tell him that we support the king, and look forward to his long and glorious reign.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll let him know.¡± Said Shin with a smile. Waving goodbye to the old man, he leaves for the City of Throne.

Part 5.

While Shin is busy dealing with his own task, Raven is making his own preparations. The king has assigned him a mission, and he will be going to the northeast for the second time. The tribes there are fighting with the families who fled to that part. Now those tribes are requesting the king to put these invaders out of their land since the king is finally present on the throne. Avinash decides to keep Zeko around and send Raven to deal with this with some of his forces to accompany him. Raven takes this as a test. ¡®I¡¯ll see whether I deserve the hat of Master Sundar or not after this.¡¯ He thinks to himself.

Part 6.

In the camp of the nobles who are invading the northeast, Suresh receives the news of Raven¡¯s arrival. He cursed explosively, before leaving to meet with the commanders and his employers. Preparing for an attack, he puts everyone on alert. ¡°Why are you panicking? He is some jumped-up low-class brat.¡± ¡°He is a general for a reason,¡± said Suresh, barely keeping his anger in check. If it weren¡¯t for the money, he would have left these people to die in this area. ¡°We cannot underestimate him.¡± ¡°Feh.¡± Said the young noble. ¡°I¡¯m sure he¡¯ll go back with his tail tucked sooner or later.¡± Chapter 221 Chapter 221.

Part 1.

Suresh waited in an alert state the entire night, expecting an attack. but no attack came. Mithun, his employer, had enough of this, so he ordered everyone to go back to their camps and have some sleep. much to Suresh¡¯s annoyance, he did not leave any guards to keep an eye on things. ¡°At least leave some guards, they will sound the alarm in the case of attack.¡± he raises this point. ¡°Honestly boy, shut up,¡± said Mithun. ¡°The fact that we still keep you employed is an example of our generosity, despite your repeated failures and paranoia.¡± Suresh wanted to fire back with ¡°What failures?¡± because so far, all the land they have managed to secure in this region from the tribes is because of him. Once again, he regrets his life and looks like he will die, and even then, he will be cursed and remain unappreciated by these noble pricks.

Part 2.

Raven is taking note of the activity going on in the enemy camp. ¡°General, when are we going to attack?¡± In the night, Raven did not attack. he wanted them to be relaxed. But now that he has achieved his purpose, he feels it is the right time. ¡°Right now. prepare the forces.¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± said the officer. As they prepare to raid the camp, Raven realizes that for all his great tactical mind, Suresh is surrounded by idiots. And he plans to take full advantage of this. Sending a force from the front, he reserves the larger force to attack from behind. Once the attack started, the plan continued to go well for them. the enemy is running around like a headless chicken. In the chaos, there are some challenges and call-outs to fight in a duel, but Raven gives his soldiers strict instructions to ignore such challenges. He found the father and son team running behind their camp, preparing to escape. The victory was just in hand until Suresh appeared. ¡°What are you doing, people? Do you think you can conquer any land with such a weak will? Stand up and fight!¡± His hasty rousing speech is enough. The tide turns against Raven. Not wanting to get involved in a dangerous battle with the camp wards being active, he sounds retreat. Raven arrives in his camp with empty hands, though he still has a smile on his lips.

Part 3.

After Raven¡¯s assault in the day, they are all spooked. They are listening to Suresh as if he is their lord and savior. But Suresh knows that this will not last long. Durgesh, the son of his employer Mithun will soon enough forget this and will start to order him around as if he is his personal goon, hired to beat up anyone he orders him to beat. ¡°Now, you all need to understand. Our opponent has one goal in mind: the death or capture of our two noble sirs.¡± Said Suresh, hating every word. ¡°Therefore, it is imperative that their camp is guarded, and it is ready to be moved at a moment¡¯s notice. For now, we will keep the camp at the center. If an attack happens, take them outside of the battle zone. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Yes sir!¡± said the soldiers of the Mithun¡¯s forces. Then Suresh hunkers down to wait for the next move of Raven. ¡®I wonder what will you do now? I¡¯ll annihilate you if you attack again.¡¯ Suresh thinks to himself.

Part 4.

The situation has become a stalemate. Raven hates it whenever that happens. However, unlike in chess, real life does offer a way to break this stalemate eventually. This requires patience, but the people around him are agitated. After their raid a few days ago, they are impatient to do this again. ¡°General,¡± asked one of the tribal chiefs. ¡°Don¡¯t you have any plan of attack?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Said Raven. ¡°But I believe we need to capture an important piece before we can attack.¡± For a moment, the chief looks confused. But then, the light suddenly dawns upon his mind. ¡°I get it now. I¡¯ll make the preparations.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Raven. ¡°You do that now. meanwhile, do you have any men who can perform some sneaky operations?¡± ¡°Of course. I¡¯ll send you the list immediately.¡± Said the chief, and then left.

Part 5.

The next morning, Suresh wakes up. he did not have an easy sleep in the night. and now, he is woken up by the alarms and shouts. Apparently, someone has left some graffiti on the borders of their camp, with no one being any wiser. Suresh goes out to see what exactly is so alarming about it, only to see his own name in the message. The message said this: ¡°Remember the days when you needed the help of the general to retain your championship? How can you forget this gesture of friendship?¡± Suresh looks at the soldiers and takes a step back. Their eyes contain suspicion, which was not there yesterday. One of them comes forward and decides to ask directly. ¡°Commander, is that true? That you and the new general were friends?¡± ¡°Yes.¡± this started a murmur. Suresh could not lie, because this will come out eventually. ¡°But a mere school friendship is not enough to stop me, and the same goes for all of you as well.¡± This assures them, and they all do their duty without any complaints for the rest of the day. You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version. Until the next message appears the next morning, and once again, they fail to catch the writer of this graffiti. In the opinion of this humble narrator, I hope they do pay them well for this job, given the danger of being captured, plus torture and death. This time, the message said, ¡°You only retained your championship with the help of the general.¡± This bothered Suresh, and in a moment of fury, he erased that message. ¡°What are you all looking at? Go to your work!¡± he snarled. All the soldiers scurry out of his presence, while Suresh looks at the tent cloth where the message was smeared. The words hurt him deeply this time, as it is something that he often thought about, and now it has become a thorn in his heart. He feels like someone has mercilessly pushed on that thorn deeper, knowing its effects. The situation reaches the ears of Mithun, but for now, through the black art of persuasion and business talks, Suresh has managed to buy himself some time. unfortunately, he was wrong. Since the message hurt him deeply enough that he wanted to take some action, he sketched out a plan with the officers of the forces of Mithun. But that entire plan is sketched out in the graffiti the next day, including the possible branches and different steps they could have taken to execute the attack. Once again, this reaches the ears of Mithun. But this time, he did not speak with Suresh. His son, Durgesh says to him: ¡°Father, leave this mercenary alone. he cannot match the general, and his loyalty is also suspect. Let¡¯s just move the camp overnight, and leave him to face the attack of the general which is surely coming.¡± ¡°You are right, my son. We should do exactly as you say.¡± He agreed with Durgesh. Thus, the camp is moved overnight, and Suresh does not know that he has been abandoned by his employer. When Suresh wakes up the next morning, he sees the deserted camp. They did leave some grunts behind, but the larger force has left. When asked, the grunts replied that the lord in his infinite wisdom decided to move the camp in the night, and a sleeping spell was put on Suresh to make sure he would not wake up during the movement. ¡®It¡¯ll be a terrible thing if we got attacked right now.¡¯ he thought. And then, the earth heaved and the flames sprang up. the camp started to burn, and the grunts were slaughtered. Feeling like he is moving while observing someone else, Suresh somehow avoids getting captured. As the only survivor of that skirmish, Suresh reached another camp. only to find the flag of the throne fluttering in the entrance. He sneaked away. He repeated this on a few other camps, but the final one caught him in the act. He barely avoided getting captured, again. Now bleeding and tired, Suresh finds the camp of Mithun. Only to see the sneering face of Durgesh at the entrance. ¡°Get lost, dog!¡± he snarled at him. ¡°Go call your father.¡± Persisted Suresh. ¡°I said get lost!¡± repeated Durgesh. The spells start to fly at him, and Suresh has to run from his employer. Truly, there is no such thing as a reward for loyalty. Once the new king was placed on the throne, and the army of the throne started to retake the lost territories under their control, many mercenaries switched sides. They even got better pay on the other side. But Suresh did not do this, because he already received the payment for his services from Mithun. But this, this is too much. ¡°I hope you die in a ditch somewhere, you noble prick!¡± he roared to the sky. The blood gushed out from his mouth, and he lost consciousness. Several hours later, he wakes up in an unfamiliar place. It feels too good where he is lying, so he does not move. But when he opens his eyes, he sees Raven. Now grown up, and gone through the hardships of life, he does not resemble that kid he used to know all those years ago, who was so unsure of his place in society. That version of Raven would have never thought of becoming the general even in his wildest dreams. ¡°Well, well, well. look who is awake?¡± said Raven. ¡°Have enough of running around?¡± Suresh does not answer. ¡°If my platoon didn¡¯t find you at the right time, you would have died in the storm last night.¡± ¡°Last night?¡± croaked Suresh, and Raven gave him some water to drink. ¡°Yeah. it was pretty bad. Our camp got flooded, but we got the new pumps to keep the water out.¡± said Raven. Meaning, that he has been here for a full day at least, and not once his previous employer thought of him after all the service he gave him. ¡°Let me ask you a very important question.¡± Suresh feels the pressure in the tent increasing. ¡°Do you surrender now?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± he said, putting the glass of water on the floor. ¡°I surrender.¡± The pressure disappears as quickly as it came. ¡°Excellent! Get well soon, we require your talents.¡± Said Raven, before walking out. Suresh wanted to call out to him and ask him what he meant by that, but he was still tired. So, he goes back to sleep.

Part 6.

Avinash is reading the report of Raven. He is wincing at the brutal tactic used by Raven against Suresh. ¡®And he was worried about Hatori going wild. Talk about hypocrisy.¡¯ He thinks to himself. He makes a note to check up on Suresh later, as Raven is planning to review his performance and make sure he is completely loyal to their side before letting him work in their military. Avinash does not mind, since they can use some new blood, given that death and destruction have claimed the lives of many experienced people in the last three years or so. Chapter 222 Chapter 222.

Part 1.

It has been five years since Avinash took the throne from Porus, and became the king. ever since he has worked hard to quash the civil unrest going on in his country. His efforts paid off; the Subcontinent stabilized after the constant chaos of the civil war which lasted for four years. There are still a few pockets of resistance, but they are nearing their collapse as well. Porus, Zeko, Raven, and Suresh, all worked hard on the military front to fight the civil war, while Josh, Akshat, and Sagar worked hard on the political front. Suresh has become the alternative to Raven. Whenever Raven is busy dealing with some matter, Avinash can send the older man to Raven¡¯s place. After his trial period concluded, he proved himself to be a valuable asset. Unlike his previous employer, the king made sure that he was properly rewarded for his services, and he felt that his work was appreciated, just like Master Kishore taught him all those years ago. After the stabilization, comes rebuilding. The infrastructure of the country has been wrecked. True, there are still some bastions of prosperity, but a majority of the country requires a massive rebuilding project. To acquire the necessary money for this, Avinash plundered the families who rebelled, since they had enough wealth to run a smaller country. Some of his political advisers on the court were not happy with this decision, but he felt that he made the right call. If they are going to rebel at the drop of a hat, then they do not deserve any consideration from him. They have lost against him, so now he will use their resources as he sees fit. Isn¡¯t this the rule by which all the noble families operate? Now that the country is working on rebuilding itself, and the rebellion has been squashed, Avinash needs to look out for threats from outside. with the help of the Albion navy, the other Asian powers are harassing them. due to the size of their country, they cannot go to war with them directly. But it has become a nuisance to deal with them. not to mention, the increasingly chaotic Zhongguo constantly encroaching upon their territory. They still do not have an emperor after Zuo Chi killed himself, along with all the people who could have replaced him. ¡°So, here¡¯s the problem.¡± Concludes Avinash, after explaining all the issues he thinks they need to solve. ¡°What do you think we should do?¡± ¡°I suggest we reallocate our resources.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Also, we need to fight with overwhelming force to show that we are not weak and divided anymore.¡± ¡°What kind of reallocation are you suggesting?¡± asked the king. ¡°I think we should put Zeko and Porus in the front line, along with myself and Hatori. we need to move him from his position anyway. The reputation of Zeko and Porus still carries weight, so it will be helpful to us if they are seen with us.¡± said Raven. ¡°I think we should negotiate first.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Given the tensions with Albion, I don¡¯t think we can afford to pick more fights.¡± ¡°I agree.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Which is exactly why I suggested to have Zeko and Porus on board. They will be helpful to us in any negotiation. But I do think we have to make those aggressive moves I suggested.¡± ¡°I think we will do both,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Make the necessary preparations.¡± After saying this, he leaves for the court, which is about to begin shortly.

Part 2.

While Avinash is planning with his generals, Ramya is returning from the Academy for her vacation. Apart from Slaughter and James, she is the top healer there, but even she gets tired of the constant pressure. She was hoping to find some relaxing time. instead, she found some mysterious letters written by her mother. She takes a peek at them, and what she learns suitably horrifies her. How can the wife of the former general think of collaborating with the enemy? She went to Avinash with this, and his response did not surprise her. Anupama is put on house arrest, with strict security to make sure no one can access her. Avinash would have put her in prison, but he has great respect for the late general Sundar, so he is refraining from doing so. Cursing in annoyance, Ramya laments her lost vacation. This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

Part 3.

Shakuntala meets with her informant. ¡°So, do you have the news for me?¡± she asked. ¡°Indeed.¡± Said the masked man. ¡°The undercurrent of unrest is certainly there.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± She smiled. ¡°Do you have a way to contact them for me?¡± ¡°Of course. Though I remind you it will cost you. it is a different service I offer.¡± Said the masked man. ¡°I¡¯ll pay.¡± Said Shakuntala, dismissing his concerns. ¡°Get in contact with them for me.¡± The man leaves without answering her. But Shakuntala is not angry. She will succeed where others failed. She will invade the Academy, and destroy her nephew. As a bonus, she will sit on top of the position of headmaster, and control the next generation of this country. Not even the new king will be able to stop her.

Part 4.

Hatori is packing his bags. Over the last few years, he has turned this area into a peaceful one. after those three powerful mages surrendered to him, there were not many enemies left. Now, it is time to leave, and hopefully, make sure that Raven won¡¯t give him another position like this one. after giving charge to Badri, who was the previous commander of this area, Hatori leaves for the City of Throne. He has done his work, so he is not worried about anything. He has also given his plans to Badri, and he is certain that the man will execute them when the need arises. Having worked with him, Badri is sure to recognize the need for those plans in the future should he need them. Getting off the airship, Hatori goes straight to the castle. The last time he was here, the city was in chaos. But now, the city has returned to its previous state of peace, though some construction projects are going on to repair the damage that it took during that time. even the castle is getting modified. As he arrives at the court, he comes to face-to-face with his friends for the first time in five years. Josh has grown taller than him, given how huge he looks in his chair. That is saying something since Hatori is not exactly a small person either. Avinash has also grown taller, though he has remained shorter than him. Raven perhaps is the shortest person in the room, though even he has touched the six-foot mark. ¡°How the hell do you still not have facial hair?¡± They asked as a first thing. ¡°I modified myself for that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I do have some small ones on my jaw and I do have a small mustache. But no hair on my chin, because it was getting tiring to take care of every time,¡± said Hatori. ¡°But you look so odd!¡± said Avinash, unable to let go of this point. ¡°Eh. Doesn¡¯t bother me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, we¡¯ve recalled you because we need your power,¡± said Avinash. Then, Raven begins to explain the plan they have come up with to Hatori. once he is caught up on the details, he comments. ¡°I¡¯m glad that you finally realize that I¡¯m a brute. Tell me what to kill, and I¡¯m happy. Position of leadership does not suit me.¡± Raven and Josh exchange some coins, while Avinash and Hatori continue to speak, and subtly size each other up. both of them knew that Hatori thinks of himself as a brute, but Josh was the only one who thought he would say it out loud like this. A few days later, Hatori finds himself stationed on a ship. Porus and Josh are negotiating with Malays, while he and Zeko are the backup firepower. Raven is on the shore at some distance, ready to send the larger naval force should they need the backup. Hatori protested this decision earlier because he did not have much experience in combat over the sea. But Raven said that he would handle himself just fine. Given that Zeko also thinks the same way, he agreed to this. At least he is not seasick. That would have been bad.

Part 5.

Suresh watches from his camp, as another excursion force from Zhongguo retreats after fighting with him. it is a difficult prospect to fight in these mountains, but given they have thousands of years of fortifications, Suresh can hold on to his advantage, when it is combined with the higher altitude. However, one group surrenders. When Suresh goes to see them, one of them reveals something interesting and potentially dangerous enough that Suresh does not know how to deal with it. So, he decides to write a letter. He has come up with the best solution in this situation: kick the problem upstairs, and let someone else deal with it. Chapter 223 Chapter 223.

Part 1.

Avinash reads the report of Suresh. It took a while to reach him since it had to go through proper channels and travel at such a long distance. But now it is in his hands, and he is unsure what to do. Raven is not here, and Zeko and Porus are also not here. so he goes to his father and explains the whole situation to him. ¡°Well,¡± said Amarnath. ¡°You can at least listen to the man. there is no harm in that.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right.¡± agreed Avinash. He then leaves to arrange for the prisoner named Meng Hao to be transferred to the City of Throne, where he can meet him. For now, he keeps this away from the court. He will bring this before them, once he has an idea of what Hao has to say for himself. Transported through an airship, Meng Hao arrives in the city, where Avinash is ready to meet him. The man looks unremarkable. If it weren¡¯t for the power that Avinash senses coiled within his body, he would have thought of him as nothing but a common researcher from an academy. but the man is quite shrouded, unlike his appearance would suggest. ¡°So,¡± said Avinash. ¡°You are the man who wishes to become the new emperor, and claim the Dragon Throne?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Meng Hao bluntly. ¡°And unlike other warlords who are vying for the same thing, I do have the necessary resources to get there.¡± ¡°And yet, you have not done it until now,¡± said Avinash. ¡°They have managed to keep me away from the capital.¡± Grumbled Hao. ¡°I was working on it, making some deals within their circle that I crashed in your area. Your soldiers picked me up after the latest incursion from the Zhongguo failed.¡± ¡°Speaking of that,¡± said Avinash, suddenly increasing the pressure on Meng Hao, ¡°What if you are involved with it? what if you never stop those once we help you?¡± Meng Hao resisted the pressure, even though his magic was sealed. He glared right in the eyes of Avinash and said to him. ¡°I have no intention of overlooking the help you might provide. Besides, it is in our best interest to cooperate with each other, rather than fight.¡± The pressure disappears from Meng Hao¡¯s body, and he starts to breathe easier. ¡°Very well. I too desire a peaceful relation, somewhat like what Porus had with Zuo Chi.¡± ¡°Then you will help me?¡± asked Hao. ¡°Not so fast. Do you have a plan for defeating your enemies? I will not put my bets on a fool who charges recklessly.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Yes. the economy has taken a bad hit during the entire civil war. The public is restless. Using my resources, I plan to help them and win their support. From there, I will ruin the other warlords, and then take the throne for myself.¡± Said Meng Hao. ¡°I even have a five-point plan for this.¡± He said, fishing out the said plan from his pocket. ¡°Interesting.¡± Said Avinash, after looking over the plan. ¡°I will help you, just arrange a meeting with your supporters. We must coordinate with them if you wish to take the throne.¡± Meng Hao smiled. ¡°It is the start of a beautiful friendship.¡± He said, extending his hand. Avinash shook the hand while listening to the knife being sharpened in the future.

Part 2.

On the ship where Hatori is stationed, not much is happening. Josh is on the Malay ship with Porus and Zeko as his backups, negotiating with a guy about whom Hatori cares nothing. His friends have gotten involved in politics quite deeply, but he plans to stay away from it as much as possible. ¡®Why do I get the feeling that I am going to fail at this?¡¯ he thinks to himself, before shaking his head and restarting his story. He is regaling the sailors with his stories from the time when as a part of the Subcontinental team, they were lost in the world and tried to get back to the Subcontinent through the sea. Some of the sailors are shaking their heads at the bad decisions they keep making, while others are sympathizing with them. The sea is not a great place to lose your way, especially if you are nineteen. Just when Hatori was done with telling them how exactly they dealt with the pharaoh of Kemet, who is now dead and acquired another ship for themselves, a large wave collides with their ship, and everyone has to watch out for their footing to make sure they do not fall. The wave does not collapse. Unlike other waves of water, it remained collected and came to collide with their ship once again. A face appears from the water and smiles at them. ¡°Dammit! Everyone, prepare the crafts. We don¡¯t have anyone to deal with this guy.¡± said the captain. ¡°Yeah, you do.¡± Said Hatori, and much to their amazement, flies in the air. From his position in the air, he bombards the wave with fire magic. but it does not have any effect. but it catches the attention of the mage who is controlling this massive volume of water. ¡°You will have to do better than this boy, mere flames are not enough to destroy me, especially when I have an endless supply of water!¡± said the mage, while sending a tendril of water after Hatori to capture him. Avoiding that tendril, Hatori decides another tactic. He freezes the water around the wave, and slowly starts to freeze the water which is making up this wave. The face twists in a grimace, as he did not expect to deal with someone who has knowledge of multiple elements under their belt. Heating up the water, he melts the eyes. Hatori cursed, as a fist of water punched his gut when he got too close while thinking that his enemy was weakened and close to a finish. Another arm of water comes to catch him, but Hatori avoids it. ¡°Pesky fly! You will not escape Bujang for too long!¡± declares the mage inside of the water wave, and goes after Hatori. ¡°Talking in the third person is a sign of madness.¡± Said Hatori from the sky, while freezing more water around Bujang. True, he melts through the ice, but Hatori can create very thick layers of ice, given the amount of water available. While Bujang cannot attack him while he is dealing with the ice, and trying to prevent himself from being frozen. As if the problems for Bujang are not enough, he finally takes some damage in the fight for the first time, when Hatori uses lightning. ¡°Garg!¡± he howled in agony, as the saltwater around him conducted the electricity to his body, and bypassed his measures. ¡°Here¡¯s another shock for you,¡± said Hatori with a nasty grin, as he prepared a positive lightning shot. The screams of pain echo all over the sea, as Bujang is fried from the electricity. The wave starts to collapse, and Hatori starts to return to the ship. ¡°Should have used lightning from the beginning.¡± He muttered. But Bujang was not dead. He will die shortly, as he will sink underwater, and his fried body will not let him control the water. but with his final remaining breath, he redirected the tendril of water at Hatori who stopped paying attention to him, and after yanking him from the air, threw the man into a large wave in a random direction. The waves push at Hatori, and the ship is lost. he senses some land nearby, so after controlling the chaotic water around him, Hatori crashes on this small island with a large splash of water. After drying himself in the sun, he wonders to himself. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me I am lost at the sea once again?¡± he grumbled to himself. The worst thing is that he has no one to accompany him this time. Fortunately for Hatori, the ship on which he was stationed arrives there, and rescues him from that island. ¡°Good job you did there.¡± said the captain. ¡°Do not do it again.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori, ¡°I¡¯ve got no interest in getting lost in the sea again.¡± ¡°Wise.¡± Agreed the captain. ¡°However, it was a good thing you saved us there. Those Malays probably meant to twist our arms in the negotiation by attacking us like that.¡± Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work! Hatori agreed with that assessment of the captain. In his room in the night, he smiles, as his body sparks with lightning. While he was alone on that island, he meditated. Maybe it was all the salt coating his body, but he was able to channel lightning through his whole body. from his legs to his arms, to even his brain and heart. While he is not close to turning himself into lightning like the sorcerer who is considered to be the greatest master of the element could do, he is one step closer to his goal.

Part 3.

Josh is drinking some tea to calm his nerves. Akshit is with him, trying to console him. ¡°As Sagar would say, you win some, you lose some.¡± He said to Josh. ¡°He is right. but it sucks when others try to bully you, even though you are trying to establish peace.¡± Muttered Josh. ¡°Come now. did you expect anything else?¡± asked Akshit. ¡°Get over it. this is not a school where things are fair.¡± ¡°I know.¡± Said Josh.

Part 4.

Awang is sitting with the general Atiputera. They are feeling quite certain that the Subcontinent will concede to their demands. The threat of old Porus, and past his prime Zeko is not enough to scare them. ¡°Do you think we should start making plans for when they admit to our demands?¡± asked Awang. ¡°Not yet.¡± Said the general. ¡°Victory is almost in our grasp. But until we get it, we should not celebrate it.¡± ¡°Wise of you general.¡± Said Awang. ¡°What would I do without your guidance?¡± he smirked. ¡°You cheeky disrespectful--!¡± suddenly, one aid comes in, with a panicked look on his face. He whispers in the ears of Atiputera, and then the general sports the same look. ¡°What happened?¡± asked Awang, losing all the playfulness in his tone. ¡°One man took out Bujang.¡± Said the general. ¡°You cannot be serious.¡± Said Awang. ¡°The guy who single-handedly sank whole navel groups is taken out by a man?¡± ¡°It is true.¡± Said the general. ¡°They have retrieved his body.¡± Awang goes with the general to pay respect to the legendary mage from their land. After his body is wrapped in the flag, and put in the airship to his home, where the last rights will be performed, the general and Awang look at each other. ¡°Who was it?¡± he asked in a daze. ¡°Apparently, it was all Zeko¡¯s student¡¯s doing.¡± Said the general. ¡°Can we take revenge?¡± asked Awang. ¡°What will be the point? it won¡¯t bring my friend back.¡± Said Atiputera sadly. ¡°Besides, those Albions are circling around us like vultures. They might be promising to help us now, but they are bound to fight with us sooner or later. If they want to suppress this continent, they will have to contend with our navy. I¡¯m sure they know about it.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll go agree to the demands of the Subcontinent then.¡± Sighed Awang.

Part 5.

Once Josh is done with his tea, his teleporter device activates. Letters one after another start to come out, until Josh is buried up to his waist in all those letters. When Akshit saw this, he could not help but roar with laughter. ¡°Shut up, and get me out of here!¡± said Josh, trying to move, but unable to do so because of the weight of the papers he is trapped under. ¡°Well, at least they admit to our demands.¡± Said Akshit, helping out Josh. ¡°Yeah,¡± said Josh. ¡°I wonder what changed their mind?¡±

Part 6.

Justice, Victoria, and Alan meet once again, feeling dejected. ¡°Honestly, why do we even bother? Each and every effort we have tried so far has been thwarted by that damn country.¡± Said Victoria, getting frustrated by their lack of success. ¡°I agree with her.¡± Said Alan. ¡°It is getting out of hand. Albus is proving to be quite useless.¡± Justice considers what his colleagues have said. If Alan is also losing his patience, then things are getting quite dire. ¡°There is only one plan that remains for us.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± they ask, leaning forward in interest. ¡°Draw the king out, and then assassinate him,¡± said Justice. ¡°They were fighting each other and running around like headless chickens when Porus was not on the throne. If we kill the young king¡­¡± ¡°Then they will be plunged into chaos. The peace is quite fragile after all.¡± Said Alan. ¡°Exactly.¡± Said Justice. ¡°Now, how to do it?¡± The discussion continues long into the night. but the author decided to drop it because he did not wish to increase his page count. Saving the digital trees is quite important after all. Besides, a larger chapter takes up more space on the server.

Part 7.

Meng Hao arranges a meeting with Avinash and his supporters. They are going to speak over the long-distance mirror. The minister of Economics, Sagar Patel is serving as a representative of the court, and apart from him, Avinash and Meng Hao are the only ones in the room. outside, Tom is guarding the room, and making sure that no one enters without permission. Avinash has given him blanket permission to come and tell him if a problem beyond his authority arises. ¡°Greetings King Avinash.¡± Said an old-looking man. ¡°I am Li Chen. Together with me are two more supporters of Meng Hao, those being Liu Bao, and Dong Tuna.¡± Avinash barely held his laughter together. Thankfully, his expression is not easily seen clearly over the mirror. But Meng Hao is giving him a side glance. He perfectly knows what is going on in the mind of this young king. ¡°First of all, we would like to know.¡± Said Chen. ¡°Is Meng Hao kept as a prisoner?¡± ¡°No,¡± said Avinash. ¡°I think you will believe his words better than my own, however.¡± ¡°I am not imprisoned.¡± Said Hao. ¡°The king would have never agreed to speak with you otherwise.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Said Chen. ¡°Meng Hao has also told me of what you have discussed. If you would share the details with us?¡± Avinash agreed. Meng Hao filled in the details, and Sagar listened to make sure he would not insert something to which they had not agreed upon previously. ¡°Very well. since you wish to know of our resources, let me tell you.¡± Then the old man launches into the explanation of how large their army is, their economy, and the area they occupy. ¡°What seems to me, is that you need to break the stronghold over the capital. Otherwise, all your resources are useless.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°I offer my assistance for this, but the rest will be up to you.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Dong Tuna. ¡°But what kind of assistance will this be including?¡± The discussions continue in this manner. Avinash refuses to commit anything before Raven returns, and he discusses the military portion of this. But a draft of an agreement is hashed out during this meeting. They also made an agreement on which date to send Meng Hao back to them.

Part 8.

It is time for the winter festival now. under the guise of various experts and visiting faculties, several people successfully sneaked inside. The only thing which now they have to do is to get in contact with the students who are sympathetic to their cause and recruit them for their task. The Academy will not be able to take this attack from inside, as even some professors have joined their side.

Part 9.

The time of Hatori on the ship comes to an end. Josh and Akshit have returned to the land, and with their negotiations done, their job is also done. As soon as he makes it to the land, Hatori gets a mirror call from Raven. ¡°Listen. You have another important assignment.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You need to prepare and go to Deutschland with the king.¡± ¡°Dammit. Back to that cursed continent.¡± Grumbled Hatori. ¡°Yeah, keep quiet about it,¡± said Raven. ¡°I will. But will the king? he had the same experiences as me there.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Leave that for him to decide. You must guard him; I smell foul play here,¡± said Raven. ¡°On that, we both agree.¡± Said Hatori, turning off the mirror. Chapter 224 Chapter 224.

Part 1.

Hatori arrives in the capital since this is where Avinash will be leaving for the Doichland. Speaking of which, he corners Raven for the details, because beyond his job as a bodyguard, he does not know anything else. ¡°Apparently,¡± Raven answers, ¡°Albus and other European kings have called a meeting to stop the hostilities at the international level. Naturally, the prick is going to be there, along with Batya and other monarchs.¡± ¡°This sounds suspicious.¡± These are Hatori¡¯s first words after listening to this explanation. ¡°Oy you two!¡± said Raven, calling out to Shin and Josh. ¡°I win the bet.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± they said together. ¡°Can you not be paranoid?¡± asked Josh. Shin gets serious. ¡°I can¡¯t blame him. That continent is cursed I tell you.¡± ¡°Finally! Someone gets it!¡± said Hatori. Of course, given Shin was with him when they were sailing around in the sea to find a way back home, it is understandable that he will understand Hatori¡¯s paranoia. ¡°Let¡¯s hope we won¡¯t have a crazy bitch after us this time.¡± ¡°That is a false hope.¡± Said Shin. ¡°The hell man? you need to be upbeat to counter his cynicism!¡± said Josh. ¡°I leave that job to you. remember, I am not going with him. you are.¡± Said Shin, reminding Josh. Josh acquires a face of horror after realizing this. While he is having his moment, Hatori asks who else is going. ¡°Myself, Zeko, you, and Josh,¡± Raven answers. ¡®Hmm. he has covered his side well. Me and master Zeko as his guards, and Josh and Raven representing the military and political sides.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. ¡®Still, the whole thing is feeling wrong to me. why do they suddenly care about stopping the hostilities?¡¯ Getting over his thoughts, Hatori asks Shin. ¡°And where are you going?¡± ¡°To Zhongguo with Suresh.¡± Said Shin. Then Hatori learns about Meng Hao, and his faction, and how Avinash has decided to support him. ¡°Are you certain he is not making a blunder with this?¡± ¡°Look, having an unstable neighbor is not in our interest. If we have someone on the throne who is soft towards us is only to our advantage.¡± Said Josh, having gotten over his horror. ¡°Whatever. It is your job to make sure we don¡¯t end up in another war, given you are involved deep within the politics. Me and Shin are still outsiders.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You don¡¯t have to be so blunt about it,¡± said Josh. ¡°No, he is right,¡± said Shin. ¡°We will help you guys¡¯ in whatever way we can, but at the end of the day, handling the military or diplomacy is your job, not ours.¡± ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s continue this discussion on the ship. The king is calling us,¡± said Raven. ¡°He dares to call me like a slave, I¡¯ll put him in the camel clutch one of these days to remind him,¡± grumbled Hatori.

Part 2.

In the Academy, the last few hours of the Winter Festival are in full swing. The students and professors are partying, while the headmaster is watching all of this happening from the sidelines. Dhiraj never liked getting involved in the rowdy fun, but he also never stopped others from having it. Corvus is also sitting with him, enjoying some alcohol. Dhiraj cannot drink, for he has to remain sober, but the old man has no such restrictions. His constant smiles sent his way show how he finds this to be amusing since he is not stuck with responsibility for a change. But then, a conflict breaks out in the party. This is normal since teenagers lose their emotional control so easily. But the problem is that the conflict is between professors and researchers. The spells are lethal, and soon, it spreads everywhere. Dhiraj¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°An attack.¡± he leaps into the action, while activating the wards to keep the larger force out, while he coordinates with other professors to send the students inside of their dorms, while the other members of the staff prepare to fight. However, some professors reveal their colors, when they start to attack their own sides. Dhiraj also gets reports of violence in the dorms. He quickly realizes that the students have been turned. ¡°Alert, treat any hostile student as an enemy. Disable them if you can, and if not, kill them,¡± he said the last part grimly. He is fully aware that this will not reflect positively on him. but for now, he cannot worry about the future. He must save the people of this institute from this attack of the outsiders.

Part 3.

Suresh arrives with Shin and meets with Dong Tuna and Li Chen. They were not attacked, and the old man explains that the area belongs to them, that is why. if they were to come from a different direction, then it is likely that their airship would have been attacked. Meng Hao also arrives with them. Suresh and Shin watch the welcome party for him, and the rousing speech which he gave to his people. Then, they get down to the business. ¡°First, do you have any allies close to capital who won¡¯t stab you in the back?¡± asked Suresh. ¡°Yes, there is a list of them,¡± said Liu Bao. ¡°Here¡¯s the map, so you can know about their area.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Suresh. ¡°I believe we should secure their cooperation, and until then, we should avoid any conflicts.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Tuna. ¡°We can attack right now.¡± ¡°Because you need to take over certain choke points before you can capture the capital.¡± Said Suresh, pointing to some areas on the map. ¡°True, you can attack your rivals, but this will not accomplish anything.¡± ¡°I agree with this young man,¡± said Chen. ¡°So far, we have tried attacking, but we do end up losing our captured territories. I believe we should listen to him.¡± ¡°Whatever you say, elder.¡± Said Dong Tuna, and sat down without arguing any further. Suresh and Shin were expecting some hostility, but the faction of Meng Hao turned out to be quite professional. They listen to the suggestions offered by Suresh, but they also do not hesitate to shoot some of them down. Given they understand this area better than him, Suresh does not mind. While these discussions are taking place, Shin is entertaining the people outside with his music. He has struck a friendship with an Erhu player, and both of them are playing their respective instruments. Their performance is improvised, and both of them are looking to see who will slip his rhythm first.

Part 4.

After arriving in the Doichland, they experience one thing. ¡°Cold, so fucking cold!¡± said Josh, trembling and shivering. ¡°What are you talking about? The weather is fine.¡± Said Zeko. ¡°Kids these days, they are so weak.¡± ¡°I am not a weak kid master.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Of course not. I trained you,¡± said Zeko in reply. Of course, these two do not feel any cold, since they have modified their body to remain at the constant temperature no matter the environment. Raven and Avinash come out with enchanted clothes, and Josh has to go inside the airship and come back with changed clothes to protect himself from the winter. They are staying in a hotel, where they meet Lewis. Hatori was the first one to call him out. ¡°Oy. Are you here to surrender before us?¡± ¡°Damit! Why the hell are you here?¡± he roared, leaping at Hatori. ¡°Wow. You¡¯ve changed.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Of course, your majesty.¡± Said Lewis, saluting the king. ¡°Don¡¯t salute him. his ego is out of control already.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Shut up!¡± said Avinash while gritting his teeth. ¡°I assume you have come here with Henry?¡± ¡°Yes. speaking of which, you guys should meet me later,¡± said Lewis. the sudden shift in his tone catches Hatori¡¯s attention. ¡°Why?¡± asked Hatori, dropping his jovial manner. ¡°I can¡¯t speak here. but it is very important.¡± Said Lewis, and then walked away. ¡°Great. Conspiracies already.¡± Grumbled Avinash. ¡°Let¡¯s have some rest before I go butt heads with other monarchs.¡± ¡°You mean morons?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Shut up!¡± said Avinash, looking around in panic to make sure no one heard that. at this rate, Hatori is going to start a war, and everyone will gang upon them because of their hatred against him. Seeing his behavior, Hatori scoffs. ¡°You are a king, aren¡¯t you? why are you unsettled so easily? How will you speak with those older kings who have more experience than you?¡± ¡°You are right. thanks for reminding me,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Any time,¡± said Hatori. Later in the afternoon, the meeting of the kings has begun. And already, it has devolved into a fight they are arguing like rabid dogs. ¡°I called this meeting to establish peace, and this king of grassland and frozen mountains is undoing my efforts!¡± ¡°Peace? Peace? The guy who assisted Malays against us is calling for peace? Maybe you should look in the mirror every now and then.¡± Said Avinash in the defense of Batya. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. The arguments continue on, while the Kaiser watches this happening, bored with the proceedings. He knows that none of them will come to an agreement, and whatever Albus is doing is for his secret puppet masters. To pass his time, the emperor looks at the bodyguards. While some of them are looking like statues, standing behind their respective kings, the others are chatting among their group. That blind-looking boy is speaking with the older man, and the Kaiser can hear their conversation clearly since they are close to him, and they are not concealing their voice. ¡°Being a guard is so boring.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I thought it would be fun to look menacing in the background, but I was wrong.¡± ¡°Alas, we have to do things which are not amusing in life,¡± said Zeko, which is wise advice from the old man in the humble opinion of the emperor. The young king from the Subcontinent is also interesting to observe. A lot of them thought that they would be able to bully him due to his inexperience, but he has proven all of them wrong. He has the same fire that the old Porus did. In contrast, the Pharoh of Kemet, having ascended the throne in the last five years or so is looking unsure. There is no confidence in him, even though he likely received training to handle such situations. ¡®This reminds me. I should keep an eye on my potential successors. I wouldn¡¯t want a weakling to ruin everything after me.¡¯ thought the emperor.

Part 5.

Porus receives the news of what is going on in the Academy. while during the previous invasions, the Academy did not need help, the king was not in any position to provide any help, even if he wanted to. But things are different now. Porus is not a king anymore, but he has been given the responsibility of looking after the country while Avinash is out in the Doichland. And while it does operate independently, the Academy is situated on the land of this country. Which makes it his responsibility to make sure it continues to operate without any hindrance. So, he calls the Singh twins. ¡°I am giving you two a small force from our elite mages from the military. Go to the Institute Magecraft and Sorcery Academy, and drive out the enemy present there. also, rescue anyone who requires your help.¡± orders Porus. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty!¡± said the twins, and then left. ¡®Hopefully, they will not be too late by the time they arrive there.¡¯ thinks Porus to himself.

Part 6.

Due to the violence in the dorms, the younger students are trapped outside and are becoming the victims of the conflict. These students are not equipped to handle a battle like this and the high-level magic being thrown around. Seeing them in danger, Professor Bali and Krodhatma come to their aid. ¡°Professor!¡± they said, glad to see them. ¡°Don¡¯t worry children, your path will be clear soon.¡± Said Bali. ¡°Leave the fight to me.¡± said Krodhatma, ¡°You take them to the dorms, and try to put out the fire there.¡± ¡°Are you sure?¡± asked Bali. ¡°Do not question me, boy!¡± said Krodhatma. ¡°As if. You are nothing but a crippled old man. we don¡¯t have to fear you.¡± said one of the traitors. ¡°And that is your biggest mistake.¡± Said Krodhatma. The symbols start to spin on his body, and some of them appear in the air as well. Symbols for water and fire burn and drown his enemies, while symbols of earth react in unpredictable ways when they are stepped on. Sometimes, spikes come from the ground and impale the person who stepped on a particular symbol, and other times they start to sink in the ground until they are buried alive. But the professor of runes has to stay in one place to control these runes. Couple with his weak body, he cannot move around in the battle. Therefore, he took the damage from the spells coming his way, while the runes on his body worked overtime to heal the damage he was taking. Once Bali takes all the students inside, Krodhatma falls to the ground. Wary after fighting him, the enemy professors come close to him to see whether he is truly dying or not. once they confirm, one of them kicks his head. ¡°I always wanted your position, but you took it away from me. you mad dog.¡± ¡°I am angry, not mad.¡± Declared Krodhatma, and then self-destructed, taking out all the enemy professors. Despite his best try, Krodhatma could not cover Bali completely. However, Bali is enough to handle these small flies by himself. But the professor of combat went berserk when he felt the magic of Krodhatma disappear from his senses. It could mean only one thing, that his colleague has died. Letting his death fuel his rage, he cleared the path to the dorms and brought the students there safely. Afterward, he also dealt harshly with the students who were fighting with other students in the dorms, breaking their limbs, crippling them, and then tying them with chains for the remainder of the battle.

Part 7.

After the meeting concludes, Hatori, Josh, and Raven go out to meet with Lewis at a caf¨¦. Avinash is with Zeko. They had to explain to him that if he came around in open so casually, then it would make the job of guarding him much harder. So, they left him with Zeko at their hotel. While the three are busy ordering the food and drinks of their liking, Hatori is working on the privacy array. Once done, he activates it. anyone who tries to listen or spy upon them will get meaningless babble. ¡°Alright.¡± Said Hatori, leaning back in his chair, and sipping his sweet coffee. ¡°Now tell us why you¡¯ve called us here.¡± ¡°Really? No more jokes?¡± glared Lewis. ¡°Not the time,¡± said Hatori in reply. Lewis sighed. ¡°Unfortunately, you are correct.¡± He said while taking out an envelope. ¡°Here, read this.¡± The envelope contains some reading material along with pictures of three people. Two men, and one woman. The reading material describes how these three meet, and their connection. There are some possible reasons for their meeting, but one reason is confirmed. They wish to replace all the strong mages by either killing them or bringing them under their heel and ruling the world with an iron fist. ¡°This seems suspicious. Are you certain this is genuine?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Given that Peter died in the process of acquiring this information, it better be.¡± Said Lewis. ¡°As you have probably guessed, their plans are just like the Incubi and Succubi, just on a larger scale.¡± ¡°This does explain certain things,¡± said Josh. ¡°For example, the sudden rebellion in the Zhongguo.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right. some discontent is normal, but what happened there, and how quickly it happened, it certainly reeks of conspiracy.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Same goes for the rebellion in the Subcontinent.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°There is no way those nobles would have moved against Porus otherwise.¡± ¡°This brings another question,¡± said Raven. ¡°Does Batya know? Given Peter was the citizen of his land?¡± ¡°He does. Apart from him, Henry also knows. And Now you guys. The list has been kept small, to make sure that this is kept private.¡± said Lewis. ¡°The meeting will resume the next day,¡± said Raven. ¡°We will have to be careful. If Albus is their piece, and he called this meeting, then there has to be some purpose for it.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Probably attack, and remove all the strong monarchs at once.¡± ¡°But the emperor?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Is one of their targets.¡± Said Lewis. ¡°He cannot be controlled. Unlike Albus, he has a very strong will.¡± ¡°Dammit. We will be feeling Hatori-level paranoia tomorrow.¡± Grumbled Josh. ¡°That is the only way to get out of here in one piece.¡± Hatori smiled after hearing that quantity. An entire quantity named after him sounds nice, and amusing at the same time.

Part 8.

The meeting restarted the next day, and after keeping calm for almost half an hour, which was surprising to Hatori, they began to fight once again. Albus was trying to get some concessions out of others, using the threat of his powerful navy. But others are not budging, and they are reminding him that they can cripple his navy if he dares to act too lofty with their Airforce. Hatori always used to think that politicians never talk in straight words. But it appears that is only true with the common public. When they are alone, and cannot be observed, they show a remarkable level of straightforwardness. Or maybe these are a degenerate bunch, who are unable to play those games with each other. A spike of magic causes Hatori to react. Other guards also reacted with him, having sensed the threat. Guarding their monarchs, they prepare to escape this area. However, all the routes of escape are blocked, and these masked mages then begin to attack them. Leaping out of his chair, Raven grabs his chair, and bashes the head of one masked enemy, while pushing Avinash to Zeko and Hatori. he saw the general dying under his watch. He will not let that happen to the king. he observes Hatori and Zeko leading Avinash away and breathes a sigh of relief. With Josh, he follows behind them. Chapter 225 Chapter 225.

Part 1.

Dhiraj is facing one of the heavy hitters among the invaders. He does not know who he is, but judging by his looks, he is from outside of the Subcontinent. Likely from central Asia. Wherever he might be from, by supporting this invasion, he has made himself the enemy of Dhiraj Bishnoi, the headmaster of this fine institute of learning. This man seems to be an expert in animation. He is turning the objects around him into walking weapons, as tables and chairs are modified into gruesome-looking creatures that go on to attack others and Dhiraj. But these creatures are no match for Dhiraj¡¯s spells, as he liquifies them before they even reach him. Manipulating this liquid plastic, Dhiraj tries to strangle his enemy, but he proves to be quite nimble. However, Dhiraj is certain of his victory. It is his area, and the wards are on his side. Speaking of which, they finally start to show their effects, as the movement of the invaders is slowing down, while some of them are falling to illusions crafted by the wards. In their stupor, they attack each other, and the staff and the senior students take advantage of this and begin to slaughter them. Dhiraj¡¯s foe is also affected, but the illusions have no effect on him. But Dhiraj is not worried. He brings out a viol and breaks it. Rather than letting the potion fall to the ground, Dhiraj manipulates it and creates small globules of it. When they make contact with his enemy, the potion starts to melt through his skin. Once it enters the eyes, ears, nose, and mouth of this unknown man, Dhiraj wins because there is no way to heal the damage. Cutting the head with a Slicer spell, Dhiraj turns to Corvus. However, it seems that the old mage has involved himself in a battle of his own, with someone who looks around to be the same age as Corvus. Whatever the case, he seems to be handling himself right now, so Dhiraj shifts his focus to other areas. If Corvus needs help, he will ask for it.

Part 2.

As the invasion begins, Corvus is annoyed. Why must they interrupt his retirement time? He is quite happy enjoying his days drinking tea and checking the manuscripts of the books about alchemy. And yet, some idiots keep interrupting him. ¡°What¡¯s this?¡± he muttered, sensing a familiar presence that he had not felt for a long time. ¡°Well well well. Look who crawled out of their hole?¡± he mocked. ¡°Corvus!¡± roared the old man, who cleared his path with a wave of magic once he saw the former headmaster and heard his mocking words. ¡°Your tongue is still too sharp for your own good.¡± ¡°Shalva Shastri. You tried beating me in my scores, but you failed. You tried taking the position of the headmaster, but you failed. You challenged me to a duel and lost. And it took you this long to crawl out of your home. You do not deserve any consideration from me.¡± said Corvus, with lightning sparking around his body. ¡°You. you were always like this. But today, I will end you!¡± said Shalva, and attacked Corvus with fire. The fire was easily quenched with the water, while Corvus seized the initiative by using the earth element. Shalva has to jump away, as the ground beneath his feet turns into quicksand, which nearly swallows him. However, he did not sit quietly or go on defense. He also attacked, encasing Corvus in a hunk of rock. ¡°You dare to use the earth element, you should know that I am the master of this element hahahahahaha!¡± laughed Shalva, as he prepared to crush Corvus into a pulp. ¡°You get excited so easily.¡± Sighed Corvus. His body releases a strange chemical, which melts the rock covering his body. He then attacks Shalva with fire, nearly burning him then and there. Though he avoided the larger stream of fire, Shalva got burned badly. Taking advantage of this, Corvus prepares to finish him. ¡°You will regret it, mark my words.¡± He said as Corvus burned him alive. Proving his words correct, a massive spell is triggered after his death, which prepares to destroy everyone present here. Realizing that there is no time to ask for any help, Corvus smothers this spell with his own magic. Once the spell completes, Corvus gets all the life sapped out of him, and he falls down dead.

Part 3.

The retreat of the monarch goes well in the Doichland. Hatori and Zeko have secured Avinash¡¯s exit, while Josh and Raven follow behind them. As the door opens, they see more attackers coming in, but Hatori and Zeko are not worried about it. They can take them on. But this is exactly when Albus stabbed Henry in the back. This quickly devolves into chaos, as various monarchs nearly started to fight then and there. The Albions and these masked attackers started to come after Avinash, and the confidence of Hatori and Zeko took a huge blow. There is a limit to how many people they can fight at once after all. Still, despite being pinned in the middle of the angry monarchs, and the attackers, Hatori and Zeko try their best to keep Avinash out of harm¡¯s way. Josh and Raven provide support, but they are all overstretched since the Albion guards are also attacking them from behind. Hoping for any help in this situation is futile, but they try to get out of there as best as they can. Hatori thought of using his shape-shifting spell, but he realized that it is not going to be useful here since the spell was likely going to damage others as well. Of course, Avinash is free to cast his own spell, and the tiger made of fire starts to prowl around him, burning anyone who comes too close to the king. One of the masked mages attacked the wall of the room, and the side where the Subcontinent group was trapped started to collapse. Zeko tries to stabilize it by using the earth element, but he loses focus from the battle. Hatori was not able to keep an eye on him, and as a result, he saw him die slowly, as the spells of their enemies got passed his defense and damaged his body. Zeko does not fall before he stabilizes the area, and Avinash quickly summons his body and seals it inside the runes on his wrist. Hatori loses himself in his fury. However, he did not roar or make an angry statement. Instead, using the blood that is flowing in the room freely, he paints the runes for necromancy. The bodies that were dead suddenly have crimson sparks appearing on them, and the corpses get up and start to attack the masked mages. Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings. Others are horrified by this, but they are unable to stop this from happening. Masked or not, Hatori¡¯s ritual consumes all the corpses, and suddenly, the masked mages are outnumbered by the corpses. As they die, they are also added to the number of these walking corpses. Realizing that the tables have turned, they try to retreat, but the undead army chases them. Not letting them escape, these corpses slaughter them all, as they run to the entrance of the castle of the Kaiser. ¡°Enough, boy! Let one of them live. We will need one of them to question!¡± said Batya. The corpses lose the spark they gained, and then they fall down dead, lifeless as before. Hours later, the kings are arguing once again. Some of them demand the head of Hatori for his stunt, among them is the pharaoh and to a lesser extent, Kaiser. He does not want the man dead, but at least some token punishment to show that this kind of thing is not acceptable. Albus is missing from the meeting, as he is imprisoned by the emperor. The Albion guards he brought with him are now dead as well, therefore the country has no presence left in this discussion. ¡°That boy, he violated the corpses of our men and women! He should be punished for it, for an uncontrolled necromancer like him is a danger to society!¡± said the pharaoh, slamming the hand on the table. ¡°Is that so? Well, let me tell you. This man has thwarted two plans of a dangerous necromancer, one of which involved a dead battle mage. And besides, how are you speaking now? You were so quiet before. Given that you were hiding under the table, you hardly have any room to speak.¡± said Avinash. ¡°Even so,¡± said the Kaiser, ¡°His actions cannot be excused so easily.¡± ¡°And what about your own actions?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°For a supposed secure place, how many of your mages were found behind that mask? This was a serious lapse from you. But you don¡¯t say anything about it.¡± The Kaiser is furious with that remark, but he refrains from saying anything. He does not have the hire ground here to chastise the young king, even though his words are too sharp to endure. ¡°Ahem. If I may?¡± asked Henry. He has survived the killing attempt by Albus due to his protective enchanted clothes. His guards quickly secured him afterward, so Albus did not get a second chance. ¡°Of course.¡± They agreed to listen to him. Henry brings out the envelopes that Hatori, Josh, and Raven have already seen, and told Avinash about. ¡°I believe you should read this information.¡± This, of course, caused even more outrage among them. ¡°Some secret group is manipulating us?¡± said the Pharoh. ¡°It does make sense. My grandfather did warn me about this after all.¡± ¡°The captain of the previous tournament, Peter Volkov acquired this information. He died in the process, so we should be thankful to him,¡± said Batya. ¡°But the question is, what do we do now? That the evidence is true there is no question about it. What Albus did today is the biggest proof of that.¡± said Kaiser. ¡°Speaking of whom, what do you plan to do with him?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°I cannot let him stay here for too long.¡± said the emperor. ¡°I will send him back because I cannot keep him imprisoned here forever.¡± ¡°I get it,¡± said Avinash with a sour expression. He does not have to like it, however. ¡°I suggest one plan. For now, we should go back to our own lands, and control the chaos going on there. we should also stop fighting among ourselves, and coordinate to hunt these three and their supporters.¡± Said Henry. ¡°I agree with this plan.¡± Said the Pharaoh. ¡°Me too.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Let¡¯s hope that Zhongguo will have it together, we could use their support in this endeavor.¡±

Part 5.

Suresh is reading the reports of their operation. So far, the war has gone in their favor. Apart from advising, he has not taken part in this war directly, since it would reflect badly upon their group if a foreign general fought for them directly. The choke points to the capital were not defended well, which was a serious oversight. The defense of the warlord who took over that area, only arrived there recently, so he did not have much time in setting up the defenses. While Suresh is reading this report, his guards are dealing with the assassins who came after him. he is not concerned about these amateurs. Ever since he became a mercenary and then joined the forces of the king, he has encountered some truly dangerous assassins. Compared to them, these three are nothing. ¡°General,¡± said Liu Bao. ¡°The boss has sent me to get you. We are about to march into the capital, and he wants you to be by his side since you have supported him so much.¡± ¡°Do you think I should go there?¡± asked Suresh bluntly. ¡°I do not see any harm in it. it will be a signal that the relations between our nations will be warm.¡± Said Liu Bao. ¡°Very well. after you, minister.¡± Said Suresh. However, when he arrives and looks at the situation, Suresh suspects a trap. The capital is empty of any defense force. They should not be able to march in so easily. Sidling close to the emperor-to-be, he whispers so only he can hear him. ¡°I suspect a trap. You need to be careful here.¡± Meng Hao did not give any indication that he heard Suresh. Though he calls Dong Tuna, and whispers some instructions to him. the general then leaves in a hurry to accomplish his assigned task. Suresh is proven right. When they got inside of the capital, the city was lit on fire. But Meng Hao rallied his forces, and they put out the fire. Meanwhile, Dong Tuna is busy catching the forces of the enemy who caused that fire and killing them. Despite their best attempt, they are unable to save the city from taking some damage. Half of the capital has burned down, but despite this, Meng Hao takes the throne and becomes the new emperor of the Zhongguo. Suresh, along with his other supporters congratulates him while thinking of his home. He would like to go back as soon as he can, thank you.

Part 6.

The invaders have been driven away. The funeral for the lost professors and students is currently going on, and among them, is the funeral of Corvus, which is attended by Dhiraj personally. As the funeral pyre begins to burn, Professor Bali comes to observe it. Looking at the thoughtful expression of the headmaster, he decides to ask. ¡°What are you thinking?¡± ¡°We can¡¯t be reactionaries anymore.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°Otherwise, this will keep happening to us.¡± ¡°Then what can we do? We are an institute of learning. Not war, remember?¡± asked Bali. ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°But I will find a way.¡± He will also make sure that the legacy of Corvus is not tarnished by politics, and that he gets all the honors he deserves. Chapter 226 Chapter 226.

Part 1.

After the meetings of the monarchs were done, they left for the Subcontinent. Hatori is getting paranoid, he is constantly looking for threats. All the training that Zeko gave him is making him go into overdrive, the death of his master is not doing his mental state any favors either. ¡°Halt!¡± he declared before they stepped inside of the airship. Hatori senses around for any threats, including inside of the airship. Unable to feel anything inside, he goes in there to investigate. ¡°Stay outside until I say so.¡± Entering the airship, Hatori does not find anything unusual. He analyzed the runes as well, for which he used his recently developed rune analyzer which works on any item that has runes carved on it, including an airship. Finding nothing out of the place, he finally beckons his friends and the king inside. ¡°Everything is clear.¡± He said, not sounding happy. Avinash understands this feeling. The last time they visited this continent, they did not have an easy time while leaving. Though there are no attacks or adventures through the sea, they are still going with a gloomy feeling. Zeko could have lived for many more years, but his life is cut short. At least by the mage standards. Porus will be devastated. His student died before him. For the rest of this trip, Raven and Josh try to keep Hatori together, to make sure he does not attack anyone out of a sense of paranoia. They cannot wait to go back to their country. They feel at least they are under control of the things there, even though horrible things do happen to people in the Subcontinent as well.

Part 2.

After Avinash arrives, and the funeral for Zeko is done, Porus tells Avinash about the invasion of the Academy and the death of Corvus, the former headmaster. Though none of them were close to the former headmaster, they still felt bad after listening to his death. It seems they are getting the news of someone''s death all the time nowadays. Suresh is also sent back to the Subcontinent. With full honors given to him by the emperor, he enters the court of his king, and hands over the letter by emperor Hao to Avinash. It is usually a word salad, something something good relations, something something friendship, etc. etc. ¡°In short, we can safely say that you were successful in helping his faction?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Yes, Your Majesty.¡± Said Suresh. ¡°Though I did not participate in any conflict directly.¡± ¡°Good,¡± said Avinash. ¡°I always believe that people have to fight for themselves, or else they will always feel as if their pride is trampled.¡± Suresh shares some of his experiences in Zhongguo. It was a unique geographic area where he got to see a conflict and participate in the planning process. This information is important for the military; therefore, Raven is noting his observations down. Later, they will analyze these observations in more detail to come up with their own plans, should they ever get into a conflict with Zhongguo in the future. After Suresh is done, Avinash gives him some days off. Raven leaves to speak with him further, and Avinash shares what he learned in the Doichland with Porus and other important people in his government, such as his ministers Akshit and Sagar, and of course, the old king. ¡°I always had some suspicions, especially when in the last twenty years of my reign the noble families started to act up. That also included the forced summoning of Hatori. they twisted my arm to perform the ritual, or they threatened to do it themselves.¡± Said Porus. ¡°I could not let that happen, because such a child growing under their control and influence would be disastrous for the country. Not to mention, the boy would have a rather sad childhood.¡± ¡°That would have been bad indeed.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Hatori is not an easy person to deal with most of the time. I imagine he would have been far worse if he were to grow up under their control.¡± Though their venture with Zhongguo was successful, Avinash is not feeling any joy. The death of Zeko, the invasion of the Academy, and the death of a prominent mage like Corvus put a damper on the mood.

Part 3.

Meng Hao felt that it was in his best interest to hunt down the people who conspired against Zuo Chi. After all, that previous emperor was a dragon among men, which would not be a wrong phrase to describe the late emperor. However, if they can corner him, and force him to commit suicide, then he must do something about them before they can move against him. But the things he has learned from the interrogation of these people are presenting quite a conundrum for him. ¡°What should I do, Liu Bao?¡± ¡°Given the help they provided, giving them this information is the least you could do.¡± Said Bao. ¡°Besides, it concerns them mostly. We do not have any advantage in keeping it to ourselves.¡± ¡°Very well. Let¡¯s write a letter, shall we?¡± said the emperor, while the royal ink and royal paper were being brought to his royal desk, while he waited with his royal pen in hand.

Part 4.

The monarchs are meeting through a group mirror call. They resume their discussion. ¡°So, did you let Albus go?¡± asked Avinash to the Doichland emperor. ¡°Yes. he is free.¡± Said the Kaiser. ¡°Though I suspect that he will not have an easier time in his country.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Said Henry. ¡°I believe we can all agree on one thing. Albion is a center for this group.¡± ¡°That might be true,¡± said Avinash, ¡°But judging by the latest information I got, they have footholds in our territories.¡± ¡°Can this source be trusted?¡± asked Batya. ¡°Given it is by the new dragon emperor, it better be.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Besides, they could have never coordinated those civil wars and chaotic unrests otherwise.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Said everyone. ¡°But what can we do to solve this problem? I do think we need to bring this group out in the open.¡± Said the Kaiser. ¡°Before we can do that, we need to remove their sleeping agents from our lands.¡± Said Batya. ¡°I believe we can do all of this, but we might need to take some losses.¡± Said Henry. ¡°I suggest we concede some strategic battles with them, while we work on removing their people from our government and military.¡± ¡°That is a good plan.¡± Avinash Agreed with Henry. ¡°Though I feel I should point out that we can¡¯t let it go too far, or else this might backfire on us. The losses have to be small enough that we can manage them, and handle the situation before it goes out of control for us.¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°The young king is correct.¡± Said the Kaiser. ¡°I believe we should do another call once we have taken some suitable steps.¡± ¡°Agreed.¡± They all said and disconnected the call. Hatori listened to the entire conversation, remaining out of view of the mirror¡¯s video feed. ¡°Do you think they will be able to take the necessary steps?¡± he asked Avinash. ¡°What if their trusted people are part of this conspiracy?¡± ¡°Then they will have to decide for themselves. I know what I would do.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Go speak with Porus, he has expressed his willingness to talk with you.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°Not at this moment.¡± Said Avinash. Hatori goes to meet with Porus. He has still not come to terms with the death of Zeko completely. The fact that he has to work with the king on this mysterious conspiracy which seems to be moving them towards another worldwide conflict also does not give him enough time to do this. Hopefully, Porus will have something important for him, he is not in the mood to listen about the good old days, or how sorry he was to summon him in this dimension. Hatori has gotten over it a long time ago. ¡°Your majesty, you wanted to see me?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m not a king anymore. You should address me by my name,¡± said Porus. ¡°That¡­ might be harder to do.¡± Said Hatori, because he will have to break a lifetime of habit. ¡°True. Though please try it.¡± requested the former king. ¡°But the reason why I called you is because I feel you are not over your master¡¯s death.¡± Hatori takes a seat before the king, while they both enjoy some tea and the cool breezes in the garden. ¡°About that, you are right.¡± ¡°It was difficult for me. I thought that tough bastard would outlive me.¡± Said Porus, sipping his tea. ¡°And here we are. He is dead, while I am still alive.¡± ¡°Things never happen the way we think.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°If I were to be living in the previous dimension, I probably would be some struggling disabled adult, who is not able to find a job or something, who is also getting crushed beneath his failed ambitions.¡± ¡°That is depressing to consider.¡± Said Porus. ¡°Having said that, every human should have an ambition. Even if it is a small one. I never agreed with the philosophy of being happy with what you got.¡± ¡°Some might argue that this is the path to misery.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What do they know? Have they tried it?¡± said Porus. ¡°There were many strong mages in my generation. Some of them were prodigies, and some people even thought that one of them might become a modern-day sorcerer. And here we are. I am the most famous, while others languish in obscurity. I would have never gotten here if I was happy with being a small-time alchemist, disappearing under Corvus¡¯s shadow.¡± ¡°Speaking of whom,¡± said Hatori, ¡°Aren¡¯t you sad about his death?¡± ¡°Believe me, I am.¡± Said Porus. ¡°But I can make peace with his death because of two reasons. First, he lived a long and fulfilling life. Second, he died the way he would have liked. Corvus would not be happy to live as a helpless old man, who is sick in his bed and needs help to move. Come to think of it, I am the same way.¡± ¡°I suppose the same thing is true for Master Zeko.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And of course, me as well.¡± Porus and Hatori take a sip of their tea together. ¡°In the end, what I wanted to say to you is, don¡¯t let his death keep you down. He would not like it. If you wish to honor his memory, then do not mope in sadness for too long.¡± ¡°I won¡¯t.¡± agreed Hatori. ¡°Instead, maybe I might find someone in the future to torment by his training methods.¡± said Hatori with a smile. ¡°That¡¯s the spirit!¡± said the former king, thumping Hatori on his back.

Part 5.

Dhiraj had to send a report of the damages they took in this invasion. After this, the Magecraft and Sorcery Institute replied that they needed to inspect the dimensional foundation of the Academy, to make sure that these battles did not upset the runes which created this pocket dimension. Dhiraj wanted to refuse this inspection, but other professors convinced him that this was necessary, and those runes had not been inspected in a really long time anyway. So, he should let them run this inspection, since it would kill two birds with one stone. They will get the inspection which would come in the future anyway, and the Institute will be satisfied that the Academy is suitable to operate independently without their oversight. Dhiraj was expecting some overbearing old man, but instead, he got a woman by the name of Mina, who was about the same age as himself, if not younger. She did not try to boss him around. Instead, she runs the inspection quietly, checks the wards, and then goes out to investigate the wider dimension beyond the school. After they were done with this work, Dhiraj invited her to have some tea with him in his office. Never the one to hold back his words, he said what he was thinking in his mind quite bluntly. ¡°I must admit, I was expecting you to pull the rank, and boss me around.¡± Mina laughed. ¡°That is not our goal, headmaster. We want the academies to operate on their own because we cannot keep an eye on them all the time. Not to mention, it will consume our resources which could be put to some other use.¡± ¡°Then you are here to help me, is what you mean?¡± asked Dhiraj. ¡°Quite right,¡± said Mina. ¡°Your dimension is stable, though some runes need updating. I will send a rune expert to update these runes, it should optimize the performance. The school will need less power to run on as a result.¡± ¡°That is good,¡± said Dhiraj. His next words would have been about how he would like Krodhatma to observe this work, but those words died in his throat. His friend is no more, and he cannot do any such work.

Part 6.

Alan, Justice, and Victoria meet at a hotel in Albion. Given what has happened, someone from Albion going outside of the country is looked at with suspicion, so they have decided to stay here instead of going to mainland Europa. Though they failed to kill the young king of the Subcontinent or any other monarch, they did take out some strong mages. And among them is the silver bloody fox, Zeko. Still, they are tired of their repeated failures, so Alan decides to say what they are all thinking. ¡°It is time we replace Albus with another puppet. Choose wisely though.¡± said the man, ¡°We can¡¯t have someone incompetent as him once again.¡± ¡°He is right,¡± said Justice. ¡°After his humiliation in Doichland, the public has no confidence in him. It is a perfect time to replace him.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said Victoria. ¡°But first, we need to prepare a list.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll do that,¡± said Justice. ¡°I¡¯ll work on what we must do after we have our new puppet on the throne.¡± Said Alan. ¡°Give me the name, and I¡¯ll weave my magic around them,¡± said Victoria. Having decided their roles, they end this meeting. Chapter 227 Chapter 227.

Part 1.

Munshi uses a modified fire spell to burn the souls. During the time of war, the necromancers have to deal with rogue souls, since they increase in the number due to all the battles. Nearby, Kalicharan is powering the ward which is keeping these souls contained and is not letting them scatter like flies. Due to his time in prison, Kalicharan is no longer able to fight directly as he used to be in his prime. Though he has been free for almost six years by this point, the long isolation has left its mark, which is unlikely to heal in his remaining lifespan. In their own way, they are also morning Zeko. Though after their argument, Kalicharan and Zeko made up, they did not speak to each other much because Zeko was busy with his own responsibilities. Now that he is dead, they feel even more lonelier. ¡°To think we are the only survivors of our little group.¡± Said Kalicharan. ¡°It is truly a sad fact.¡± Agreed Munshi, now done exterminating those souls. ¡°How is the brat doing?¡± asked Kalicharan. ¡°He is busy. He would have been quite useful. he would have taken out these bunch by himself, no ward needed.¡± Said Munshi in a proud tone. ¡°Given his knowledge of runes and combat, there is no question about it,¡± said Kalicharan, getting up from his crouched position with a crack in his knees. He then stretched his arms and cracked his spine. As they leave, they hope that Hatori will be fine. He is serving the same purpose as his master: being the muscle for the throne. They hope that he will not suffer the same end as Zeko as well.

Part 2.

Avinash attends the meeting of the monarchs. Much like other kings and emperors, he thought this would be their usual affair. But the news given by Henry shatters any such illusions they might have held. ¡°Albus has been replaced,¡± said Henry, ¡°The new king, by the name of Gordon, is aggressively attacking the surrounding area, especially Gallia.¡± ¡°Who the hell is Gordon?¡± asked Meng Hao, who also started to attend these meetings. ¡°He is a complete unknown. Albus was quietly shuffled off, and he took the throne without much fanfare.¡± Said Henry. ¡°What about the people?¡± asked Batya. ¡°I doubt they would accept someone completely unknown just like that.¡± ¡°Their voices are likely suppressed ruthlessly.¡± Said Meng Hao. ¡°Am I right?¡± ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Confirms Henry. ¡°How goes the operation strategic losses?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°I hate that name.¡± grumbled the pharaoh. ¡°There have been no activities on my end, so I have nothing to report.¡± ¡°We have conceded some navel battles, where we abandoned our positions and ran.¡± Said Henry. ¡°I believe most of the action is still focused around Europa, so none of us have to report much,¡± said Batya. ¡°Correct.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°However, the process of making a list of the traitors is going well on my end.¡± ¡°I¡¯ve already started to clear them up.¡± said the pharaoh. ¡°My grandfather was old; therefore, they were able to sneak under his watch. But not on mine.¡± ¡°What about the Kaiser? Why isn¡¯t he showing up today?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°He is sick.¡± Said Henry. ¡°Given his age, it doesn¡¯t surprise me.¡± ¡°Could he be the weak link?¡± asked Meng Hao. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. That man is very smart. Already he has started to prepare his successor.¡± Assures Henry. Meng Hao wanted to say some more things about this topic, but for now, he decided to back down. ¡°I think we should meet once again when we have cleared our courts of the traitors.¡± Said Meng Hao instead. ¡°Agreed.¡± They all agreed, and the meeting came to an end.

Part 3.

Now that he has some free time, Shin is busy tracking the rumors about himself. He has heard many times from others that he looks familiar, so he has asked some people about this. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. Unfortunately, their answers are not revealing anything, apart from leading him on the goose chases across the country. At this rate, he might have to abandon his search. Still, he wants to know what are his roots. Where does he come from? Who is Shin, really?

Part 4.

Hatori is working on the runes, while a battle is going on around him. This is the final pocket of resistance, now cornered in the mountains near the Pashtun territories. Both sides are using rituals, where multiple mages are working together to cast massive spells on each other. The mountains shake from the explosion, and some of the mages are buried under the falling rocks. Now done with his runes, Hatori throws the paper on which he drew the symbols at the spells of the opposing side. Once the paper made contact, the spell fizzled out. The survivors tried to put up some physical resistance against the forces of the throne but failed due to their exhaustion and the superior strength of the military soldiers. As the survivors are rounded up, Hatori gets a mirror call from the king. ¡°Yeah?¡± he said, gathering his supplies which he used to write those runes. ¡°Are you done?¡± at Hatori¡¯s nod, Avinash continues. ¡°Let someone else handle the remaining tasks, I need you here.¡± ¡°Oy, Ramfal!¡± said Hatori, calling out to the leading officer. ¡°There¡¯s a call from the king. Listen to his orders.¡± ¡°Wait, I am coming!¡± said Ramfal.

Part 5.

Karan sighed. Another day is gone. He has taken an early retirement, being unable to tolerate the bullshit of the politics and the cases which came his way as a result. The reason for his depressive funk is that Hatori has not spoken to them for years. He is worried about him. The world he has disappeared to is a dangerous one. Who knows what kind of problems he might get into while being there? Strangely enough, not even Zeko has spoken to them for a while. Usually, he is willing to speak with them so openly about them, and shares the achievements of their child with clear pride, even though they are unable to comprehend those achievements.

Part 6.

Arriving in the throne room, Hatori hears why Avinash has called him. Apparently, Albion has a new king, and this guy is strutting around like some hot stuff. Meanwhile, Avinash is done with the list of the traitors who might be working with this mysterious group who is manipulating things from the shadows, their latest act replacing the king of Albion. Suresh, Raven, and Josh are also here to see the list. ¡°For now, it is suspected that this group will reveal itself soon. Therefore, we will need to prepare a strong force of mages. Hatori, I give you the responsibility to prepare this force. Tom will hunt these traitors. Any questions?¡± he asked. ¡°No. though I think I should keep things prime and ready once they reveal themselves.¡± Said Raven. ¡°You will need military support for fighting them, given they have the resources of a nation by their side.¡± ¡°That is true. Make whatever preparations you need. Give your responsibilities to Suresh in the meantime.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Okay, but what about me?¡± asked Josh. ¡°You will be the ambassador from our side.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Cool.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Of course, I will speak like one when the moment arrives. Don¡¯t worry.¡± ¡°It wasn¡¯t a worry in the first place.¡± Said Suresh in a bland tone, and they all chuckled.

Part 7.

Justice, Victoria, and Alan meet once again. Unlike their previous meeting, this time they are meeting in the palace of the king. Unlike their recent meetings, they have smiles on their faces. ¡°Looks like things are going our way,¡± said Victoria. ¡°Indeed. I think it is time to reveal ourselves. What do you think?¡± asked Justice. ¡°Agreed. However, we have to be cautious. This is the most sensitive stage for us.¡± said Alan. ¡°How wise of you,¡± said Justice, agreeing with Alan. ¡°Let¡¯s use that puppet of ours to prepare our grand opening.¡± Suggested Victoria and the other two agreed. Chapter 228 Chapter 228.

Part 1.

Before they could reveal themselves, the group wanted to ensure they continued to dominate the fields of politics and battle. To this end, they used the resources of Albion, particularly its navy to win victories for them. Though they successfully took over some areas near Africa by force, they were rather less successful in influencing the kings and rulers around the world. They feel that they have stretched this as long as possible, and now they are ready to reveal themselves to the world. ¡°Prepare a worldwide broadcast.¡± Said Alan. ¡°Make sure that both of you appear immaculate.¡± ¡°No need to tell us, mister emotionless.¡± Grumbled Victoria.

Part 2.

Hatori is meeting with Dhiraj. Professor Kroadhatma has left some project notes for him, so he comes to take those from time to time. The wily professor did not want Hatori to blow through the material, so he set conditions that only if Hatori satisfied some conditions, then he be able to see the next notes. He has also overlooked the ward maintenance done by the Magecraft and Sorcery Institute to the wards of the Academy. While he is speaking with the headmaster, the television is playing some music in the background. However, the music is interrupted by some static, and suddenly, two men and one woman appear on the screen. Dhiraj is lost for a moment as to what is going on, but Hatori knows what is going on. After all, for the last two years, he has been preparing the assault force to fight these people. His responsibility was to select strong mages with combat talent, and then train with them. Speaking of the time, he is 27 now. ¡®Huh. I¡¯ll reach thirty in just three years.¡¯ thinks Hatori. One of the men begins to speak on the screen. ¡°Greetings people of this world.¡± their words are being translated into multiple languages around the world in real-time. ¡°We are the sacred group established by the Sorcerer Lilith. For thousands of years, we have operated in secret to manipulate the world, all to break the tyranny of the strong mages who have no idea of how to lead this world, and purge the other dimension of the magicless people and take it over for ourselves.¡± ¡°We are now revealing ourselves to you, consider yourself witness to the next age, which is starting right now.¡± said the woman. ¡°Any who resist against us will be destroyed. We have already killed most of the strong mages of the past, so most of you have no chance of going against us. If you submit to us, we will be merciful to you, so think before you challenge us or decide to go against us.¡± said the final man who has not spoken until now. The speech continues in this manner, praising the nobles who have helped them, and inviting more of them to fight by their side to establish themselves in this new world. However, Hatori has had enough of listening to this. After excusing himself from the presence of the headmaster, Hatori leaves for the castle at the City of Throne.

Part 3.

There is a flurry of activity around the world, as the reveal of this group and their goals is taking place. Raven is part of these activities as well, as he prepares to move his forces to Europa. ¡°How¡¯s it going?¡± asked Hatori, looming in the room. ¡°When are we leaving?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. We leave soon. Are the combat nutbars ready?¡± asked Raven. ¡°Sure, they are.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°We¡¯ll leave when you order.¡± ¡°Wait for an hour or so.¡± Said Raven. Hatori nods and leaves Raven to his devices. The bulk of the fighting will be taking place in Europa, and this time, Hatori plans to be someone who inflicts damage and makes people run, rather than someone who is scared or is getting injured. He also realizes something while he waits. That continent just loves getting hammered with brutal wars. But given the history of Asia, Hatori cannot say about it much.

Part 4.

Multiple forces start to converge on Europa, with only one goal in mind: capture Albion and destroy this group entirely. Battles immediately broke out on multiple fronts, as the territories that were taken over by Albion earlier resisted this advance. But the numbers were not on their side, so losses started to mount up. While the operation looked smooth from the outside, in reality, everyone had to work hard in the background. Ambassadors like Josh and other ministers represented their respective kings, and they had to work hard in smoothing over the issues that stemmed from the historical animosities of the past. Meanwhile, the generals coordinated with their combat mages, where people like Hatori were put in their own special groups. If an area refuses to cooperate with them, then they are cut loose. This usually results in a destroyed area left behind, and the cities and towns are left in ruin in their wake. Hatori is certain that historically, this action will not be looked upon kindly.

Part 5.

This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Just when they are done with their announcement, and start to walk to the king¡¯s throne room, they start to hear the reports of multiple battles breaking out on various fronts, and how they are losing rapidly. Paling after listening to these grim reports, they look at each other. ¡°Did we move too soon?¡± asked Victoria. ¡°We should have never exposed ourselves.¡± Realizes Justice. ¡°Whatever. We must deal with this threat. Prepare our own responses.¡± Said Alan, still cool as ever. His words give them strength, and they make their way to the throne room to prepare for this war.

Part 6.

It took them three weeks to get to Albion. Once they arrived there, the trio lost the situation. Though the nation does have a strong navy, it cannot do anything when the enemy forces are already on its land. It was Raven¡¯s idea to use the airships for this, while their united navy kept the Albion navy busy with skirmishes. The people, who were not pleased with Albus or the new king, quickly aligned with the foreign forces, and the supporters of this group were hunted. They had a smooth progress until they arrived in the capital Londinium. Londinium is an ancient city. Therefore, it also has some old protections, which cannot be breached so easily. As a result, they have to lay siege on this city and force the enemy to come out. Outside, on the borders of the city, Hatori is with Tom and other assault mages, remembering his time when he came to this city as a competitor. Though he is an invader now, it does not give him any pleasure. The enemy has decided to hold up in the city, and a battle is going on at the border of the city to keep the invaders out. The ritual magic of Albion is quite strong, but Hatori and other mages working with him can nullify that advantage. As the battle comes to an end, they are still no closer to entering the city. ¡°Did you hear what they did on the other side?¡± asked Tom. ¡°Some people were fleeing through the river, and they attacked them. Their own civilians.¡± ¡°Doesn¡¯t surprise me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°They are losing, so they are going to lash out like this.¡± ¡°Yes. Anyway, the general has called you. he said that I should take your position while you speak with them,¡± said Tom. Hatori grunted, while getting up from his seat, and left to meet with Raven. ¡°Use this if they toss more large spells at you,¡± he said while giving Tom a paper with various symbols drawn on it. Hatori comes to the camp of generals, where Raven is discussing with the generals what can they do to end this siege in their favor. So far, apart from arguing in circles, these generals have not done anything. ¡°Look, maybe if we block the river, that would cut the supply of water. Maybe then they would think of surrendering?¡± said one general from Zhongguo. ¡°Honestly,¡± said Hatori, having fed up with this line of thinking, ¡°You guys are thinking in the wrong direction.¡± Ignoring the glares of the older generals, Hatori continues. ¡°You heard their speech. They are out here to take over the world. they will never surrender, even if they are the last people in the city.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Couple with the ancient defenses they have, they can potentially sit there for years.¡± ¡°Then what do you suggest?¡± asked Raven, before some other general could explode at Hatori, and Hatori lashed out in return. ¡°We cannot dismantle their defenses, nor we can send a team to capture their king.¡± ¡°We will have to hammer the city so hard that they would be killed in the process. and do it again if the noble families supporting them do not relent.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Once we do make some examples, their resistance will be broken, and they will surrender.¡± ¡°What you propose is not impossible.¡± Said a general from Kemet. ¡°But that kind of magic takes a long time to set up and prepare. How can we do this while suffering attacks from the city?¡± ¡°Not to mention, will you really kill all those civilians?¡± asked another general. ¡°You weren¡¯t squeamish about ordering us to ruin the cities before we arrived here. Tell me general, do you not think that we destroyed all those strongholds without killing the civilians?¡± asked Hatori in return. ¡°As for preparing that magic, I merely need the help of James and Josh. Together, we can create such a spell.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± said a general from Doichland. ¡°We will give you time. Setup your own camp, and prepare this spell.¡± ¡°Very well,¡± said Hatori to the generals. ¡°You could always help out the fleeing civilians. I hear they massacred a group at the border while some families were fleeing through the river.¡± After saying that, Hatori leaves to find Josh and James. Though James was busy with his healing work, he agreed with Hatori. Once they found Josh, they set a boundary field to slow the time down and then got to work. They could not stop the time outright, due to the short amount of time they had to draw the runes for this boundary, but it is more than enough for their current use.

Part 7.

While Hatori leaves, an attack happens. Some soldiers sneaked inside the camp and attacked Tom and other mages. Though they drove them out, Tom got injured in the process. Tom had to be sedated to keep him down as he was being healed. Because otherwise, he was not able to stay still and remained anxious about what was going on in his absence. The soldiers of the Albion failed to break the siege, but they weakened this side for their future use. Chapter 229 Chapter 229.

Part 1.

Now that they are inside the ward which has slowed the time down for them, Josh and James turn to Hatori. ¡°Alright. Tell us how exactly do you plan to solve this problem? Do you have a magical solution to breach those wards?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Well, the solution is magical.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though it is not breaching. It is more like destroying.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t joke about this Hatori!¡± said Josh furiously. ¡°You know how serious this matter is.¡± ¡°So?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°You think you have a better solution? You need to remove your political glasses and see the situation for what it really is. You cannot negotiate with these people. No number of concessions will change their mind. The only thing which we can do is to cause so much damage that they will be crippled effectively.¡± ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said James. ¡°As a healer, I should say that all life is precious. But it does not mean I should let the people who endanger others live, to satisfy my morals.¡± ¡°Fine. What is your plan?¡± repeated Josh. ¡°Simple.¡± Said Hatori. he brought out the staff that he acquired all those years ago from Kemet. ¡°I¡¯ve cracked the secret to focus the sunlight like that ancient mage did. Unfortunately, it requires a lengthy ritual, which also needs advanced preparation. That preparation is the reason why you two are here.¡± ¡°What is our task?¡± asked James. ¡°James has to make sure that the runes I create are free from any mistakes. Just one wrong rune, and we could end up vaporizing ourselves. Josh must make sure that the mathematical equations make sense, or else we might end up using more power than we need. This entire island would be melted into slag if we do not pay attention to those.¡± ¡°No pressure or anything.¡± Sighed Josh. ¡°What are we waiting for? Let¡¯s start already. How much time do we have in here?¡± ¡°Probably four days by my calculation. By the time we go outside, twelve hours would have passed.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°No time to waste then. Did you bring any food?¡± asked James, already looking over the runes of Hatori. Hatori nods. ¡°Water as well,¡± he muttered distractedly, drawing more runes on the paper.

Part 2.

While James, Josh, and Hatori are busy with their work, things continue to proceed outside. While the politicians and diplomats continue their attempt to establish some negotiation to stop this madness, there are attempts to break through the siege from all sides. When these attempts fail, the enemy soldiers call out for a duel, which no one can answer because Tom and Hatori are not there. In fact, due to their missing combat mages, they are having trouble maintaining a tight hold on this side. And the enemy has detected this weakness. As a result, they are experiencing the most attempts to break out from their side compared to anywhere else. All the while, the refugees continue to come out of the city, though only ten people out of a hundred come out alive. Most of them are children since the parents sacrificed themselves to throw their children out of the city, where they are usually picked up by the allied military and taken to some safe area. ¡°Dammit. What can we do? Tom has still not recovered. At this rate, we might lose our hold here.¡± grumbled one commander. ¡°Why not send me?¡± asked Shin. ¡°What? You?¡± he asked in disbelief. ¡°You might be a great musician, but I doubt you will be able to take these people in a duel.¡± ¡°You might not know this, but I did participate in the last inter-school dueling league.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Besides, I have improved a lot since then. I am sure I can at least buy you some time if nothing else.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± agreed the commander. ¡°Go and face them.¡±

Part 3.

Gordon observes from the castle, as one particular road is becoming a hotbed of activity. The two combat mages who were in charge there have suddenly disappeared, so many attempts to break out from there, and end this siege are currently going on there. When they fail, challenges and heckling follow, which is not drawing a response from the other side. Gordon considers his misfortune that after becoming the king, he has to see his city like this, at the mercy of outsiders. But he was born into a noble family. The world bends to their whims, and this is no different. He is certain that they will come out on top, despite the difficulties they are facing. He also observes a young man taking the battlefield. He replies to their taunts: ¡°No need to come at me one-by-one. all ten of you can come at me once.¡± Said Shin. ¡°As if we would stoop so low as to fight a nameless one. Begone!¡± said the leader of the mages who is constantly calling out for the dueling challenges. ¡°Nah, I think you are afraid of losing to a nameless one like me,¡± said Shin with a smirk. That was enough to anger them, and they all charged at him. Gordon shook his head. They all fell for his taunting. The young man disappears, and a note is played from somewhere unknown. The effect of this note is obvious. The attacking spells of two of the mages turn on them, and the man and the woman annihilate each other by their own hands. The bells tingle, and the vision gets hazy. The screen of the king goes static, though does not lose the video completely. Several notes are played rapidly, and three of the enemy mages are cut down by the sharp wind, creating a guizer of blood, as the pieces of their body fall to the ground. Another note is played, and this time, the surviving mages start to bleed from their ears. The speaker of the television which the king is using to watch this also blown up, and the TV catches fire afterwards.

Part 4.

Now that they have lost their hearing, it is easier for Shin to target them. Playing a slow rumbling note, he moves the earth, and several columns of rock punch above the ground, while four of the mages are impaled on them. It is a rather brutal sight, as these four mages hang from these pillars, screaming in agony, which shortly ends as they die from blood loss and their vital organs being damaged. The final survivor tries to escape. He is familiar with the earth element; therefore, he can sense what is coming at him from the ground. Now, he sinks into the earth, trying to escape through the ground and get away as fast as possible. Shin beats his feet to the ground in a rhythm, which starts to shake the surrounding area. He would like to sing some songs about shaking and breaking the ground, but unfortunately, he is not a great writer of songs, even though composing the music comes to him naturally. Soon enough, the smashed and destroyed body of the final challenger is spat out of the ground, and humming in contentment, Shin returns to his camp while the bells in his hair jingle with each of his steps. After this display, no one tries to challenge them for a duel, and the attempts to break through this side also stop for a while. However, they never stopped completely, as they started to try several hours later. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

Part 5.

While Gordon is busy watching the exploits of Shin, the trio are discussing what to do about this siege. ¡°We are experiencing resistance from the city; many people are trying to flee. Only our soldiers are keeping them inside.¡± Reported Alan. ¡°We can¡¯t let them flee.¡± Said Victoria. ¡°It would undermine our authority. Not to mention, send the message that we are weak.¡± ¡°I hear some people have died in the escaping attempts.¡± Asked Justice. At Alan¡¯s nod, he continues. ¡°Then I believe it is time to make this the official stance: kill anyone who is trying to leave Londinium.¡± Though Alan is aware of the repercussions of this policy, he is also aware that they are in the middle of a war. Such policies have to be implemented. ¡°I¡¯ll inform the officers in charge.¡± He said and then left the room. ¡°I get the feeling that he didn¡¯t like your suggestion.¡± Said Victoria. ¡°He shouldn¡¯t. but he is a pragmatic man, he will not waver from our mission.¡± Said Justice confidently.

Part 6.

The Albions who switched sides with the allied forces watch, as a massacre is taking place right in front of them. At first, the soldiers were rather restrained, willing to let go of the children at least. But now, they have abandoned that little empathy as well. They go to request aid from the monarchs, who start to discuss this matter. ¡°To be honest, I do feel we should help out these people. We don¡¯t want them to resent us for the rest of their lives.¡± Said the pharaoh. ¡°But where would we get the manpower for this?¡± asked Batya. ¡°We are not lacking in it, remember?¡± reminds Avinash. ¡°I do think we can contribute some of our reserves for this operation.¡± ¡°That is fine.¡± Said the Kaiser. Turning to the Albion representative, he continues. ¡°But do not expect us to go inside of the city and perform a rescue operation and risk triggering those wards. As long as the king is inside, we cannot capture the city, so that is the best help we can give you.¡± Though the Albion felt bitter for being given such terms, they accepted them nonetheless, since they did not have any other choice.

Part 7.

Twelve hours later, Hatori comes out with Josh and James, ready with his solution. He explains to the monarchs how it works. ¡°Basically, we use these ready-made runes to amplify the sunlight to such an extent that it becomes a destructive beam. Since it will be done from the skies, the target area could be very large, and the potential for destruction will also be large.¡± ¡°That is fine. But shouldn¡¯t you test it first?¡± pointed out Avinash. ¡°I knew you would say this. The runes which I have prepared for the city cannot be reused, the amplified light is so strong that it burns through those runes as well. However, I have prepared a smaller array. I do think we should test it somewhere else though.¡± said Hatori, showing them a much smaller collection of runes. Even though the test array is smaller, it still does not make sense to them. Maybe someone who is a rune expert might understand it, but as things are now, it is not possible to make someone study it. The monarchs fly out of the area in an airship with their guards and Hatori, where he performs the ritual to activate the test array. He hands one part of the array to the guards and tells them to stand in a particular direction, while he stands in the center. He channels magic, and immediately, the light gets too bright for them to see. The island below has been turned into a molten slab floating in the sea. The water that was caught in this spell was also turned into steam, and more steam continued to rise as the ocean tried to cool this island, while the water in the surrounding area also started to cool down. The paper on which Hatori drew the runes fizzles into nothing, as they turn their airship around, and go back to the siege side of Londinium. They all remain quiet after witnessing the destruction. Privately, they all feel threatened by such a spell in the hands of just one mage, but given it clearly requires very specific instructions to execute, as well as multiple people to perform the ritual, is the only reason they are not trying to murder Hatori out of paranoia. Not that Hatori would go down easily, he is prepared for that possibility. Not to mention, Avinash will not sit idly as Hatori gets attacked. Satisfied with the test, the rulers make an announcement to the enemy hold up in the Londinium. ¡°King Gordon, the allied forces advise you to surrender. Or else, prepare to suffer a city-wide destructive spell. For your people, and your nation, surrender wisely, and hand over the conspirators who started this war.¡± This announcement is repeated multiple times, and yet no response has come from the city, apart from the public which is fleeing in the increasing number. Half of the city has already gotten empty, though not all the people escaped alive.

Part 8.

Another meeting is called in the castle, this time, King Gordon is also part of the discussion. ¡°Do you think they really have some city-destroying spell?¡± asked Justice. ¡°Doubt it,¡± said Gordon. ¡°Those spells are extremely difficult to pull off, and that hodgepodge bunch is unlikely to perform those rituals in front of everyone¡¯s view because of the fear of losing their secrets.¡± ¡°In short, we can stop worrying about it?¡± asked Alan. ¡°Exactly.¡± Said the king confidently. After this discussion, they stopped thinking about that threat, even though it is being repeated every few hours, and focused on stopping the people who are slipping through their fingers.

Part 9.

They waited until the next day, hoping that their warning would have some effect. But a week passed by, and there have been no talks between the two sides, much less talks of surrender. Avinash finally has enough of this. ¡°How long are we going to keep warning them? They are not listening. This is just prolonging the siege.¡± He said to the monarchs. ¡°You should cultivate your patience, young king.¡± said the pharaoh. ¡°Thousands of lives are at stake here.¡± ¡°Thousands of lives.¡± Mocked Avinash. ¡°You were too happy when we killed thousands of soldiers to secure your borders. So don¡¯t lecture me here.¡± ¡°Why you!¡ª¡± said the pharaoh, stung by that reply. ¡°I agree with the king.¡± said the Kaiser. ¡°It is clear at this point they will not surrender. The ruler who is willing to slaughter his own people is not worthy to speak with us anyway.¡± ¡°Then what, do we use that terrible spell?¡± asked Meng Hao. ¡°Indeed.¡± Confirms the emperor. ¡°Call the man. It is time that he performs that spell.¡± An hour later, Hatori is summoned. Due to the size of the target, he needed thirty people who had to stand in various areas surrounding Londinium. Of course, Hatori has to be in the center to activate the runes, and they have to maintain perfect coordination despite the distance. Otherwise, the spell would just not work. Hatori has secured the spell, so if it does not work for some reason, the worst thing it could do is just not work, rather than kill them in a burst of solar light. As Hatori channels the magic, the runes pull on it across the city. The sky gets too bright to look at, the heat suddenly gets unbearable, and in a few moments, the entire city of Londinium has turned into a molten slag. Chapter 230 Chapter 230.

Part 1.

After witnessing the destructive effects of Hatori¡¯s spell on Londinium, everyone is left in awe. Nothing is left in that city, and all the ancient wards are annihilated. Seeing the fear on everyone¡¯s faces, Avinash took that moment to announce that any splinter group who dared to fight against them would get this spell on their turf as well. That was two years ago, and the king is glad he did not have to resort to that terrible spell again. Truth be told, he felt that such a dangerous spell should not be outside of his control. But Hatori can be trusted. He might behave strangely in front of him, but he will not use that spell against his own country¡­ as long as they do not give him a reason to. Besides, it takes too many people to execute. So suffering a sunburst out of nowhere is not a possibility Avinash has to worry about. After the pocket resistance was crushed, and the nobles who supported those three were killed, the fifth magical war ended. The alliance formed during that war is still going strong, but Avinash is under no illusion that it will continue like this forever. Akshit has settled as his prime minister, while Sagar also handles another ministerial department as well. Josh has been the diplomat, while Raven and Suresh are serving as generals under Avinash. ¡°We are only thirty, and yet, I feel as if we¡¯ve lived a lifetime.¡± He said to Akshit. ¡°I don¡¯t feel it that way. true, there have been a lot of challenges, but we still have a lot to look forward to.¡± Said Akshit. ¡°Yes. and one of which is to attend a funeral.¡± Said the king, preparing to leave with his prime minister. Porus died yesterday. The years of ruling, duels, political and magical struggles, and fighting in two wars have finally caught up with him. he never surpassed the age of his master Corvus, who also died while defending the Academy. After Avinash gives his speech, which is broadcasted all over the country, the funeral pyre is then lit. Porus explicitly stated in his will that his body should be burned, rather than be enshrined somewhere, which could be used by some mad necromancer later to resurrect him.

Part 2.

Mira is giving the last touches to the annals of the war she was asked to write. As the funeral for Porus is concluded, she comes to speak with Hatori, who agrees to speak with her for one final interview. ¡°What made you use that final spell? What was your thought process behind that?¡± she asked as her first question. ¡°My thinking went like this: these are people with the delusions of world domination, even if they rule over a mountain of corpses, they will not stop fighting. Therefore, one final attack has to be done to annihilate them and their defenses.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It took me a while to convince the others of this, but as the resistance went on, and the siege continued, they finally saw the things my way.¡± ¡°What about the civilians you ended up killing?¡± asked Mira. ¡°During that entire time of ten years, when these bastards started the civil war here by egging on the nobles, and caused the chaos elsewhere, how many civilians died? How many lost their home and families? No one considers that. besides, the question never came up when we were steamrolling the enemy forces while we were on our way to Albion.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I regret the loss. But I do not think that the blame falls squarely upon my shoulders. Europeans knew the dangers of such groups. They should have kept a tighter grasp on them, but they did not. so I argue that they share the bulk of the blame.¡± ¡°What about the damage to the environment? The city has started to cool off, but it is unlivable to this day. not to mention, the destructive effect your spell had on the river.¡± Asked Mira. ¡°I did not expect that one to be honest,¡± said Hatori. ¡°I thought most of the energy would be gone since it would be expended in overwhelming the wards, but it still had enough energy to vaporize the water, melt the river bed, and boil the distant water that was coming closer to the city. But remember, this was during a war. I would have never destroyed a city and a river just because I did not feel good in the morning.¡± Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Well, you¡¯ve been remarkably open. Thanks for giving me your time. do you have any words for Porus?¡± She asked. ¡°I feel sad for him. he spent so much time trying to keep the peace, and yet failed in such a brutal manner. One by one, he lost everyone close to him. let us hope that our current king will not face this situation in the future.¡± Said Hatori.

Part 3.

Now that the war is over, Shin is leaving to find some clues about his origins which he has painstakingly gathered over the years. Lavanya is accompanying him on this journey. ¡°So, how long do you have?¡± he asked. ¡°Three weeks.¡± She said. ¡°After that, I have to go back since the classes will start.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t you need the time to prepare the material for the classes?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Nah, I¡¯m already done with that,¡± she replied. Lavanya has gotten the position of a professor in the Academy. Her subject is history. Professor Bhagwati has now left full-time teaching, instead, she is helping out with the information they have collected about the last war, and inspecting some of the sights of the battles throughout the world. Given that she spent 300 years as a ghost in the school, Lavanya did not have much trouble cracking the interview for the position. She was scared at first, about whether she would be able to handle the teaching responsibility or not, but by this point, she had been doing this for two years. Now she is confident enough to teach and handle the younger years at least. This is why she has to leave Shin in three weeks. Whether they find anything or not. ¡°What about you? You can¡¯t just run around the country.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said Shin. ¡°I¡¯ve gotten some composing deals for certain shows. I¡¯ve got work lined up for me.¡± ¡°That is good. in our day, we despised people who did not work.¡± Said Lavanya. ¡°Of course, grandmother.¡± Mocked Shin. ¡°What did you say?¡± Shin laughed, and Lavanya chased after him.

Part 4.

It is lunchtime in the hospital of the Academy, and James is eating with the older healers. After Slaughter, he is handling the responsibilities of the head healer, but there has been a shortage over the last few years. ¡°Look. The thing is, we need healers, fast. If we lower the entry burier, we will be able to fill our current requirement, and then we can raise that burier back up again.¡± Argued one man. ¡°That is a slippery slope, and you know it,¡± James replied. ¡°Besides, it will reflect badly upon us if we let subpar people handle the lives of other mages. This will cause a problem, not fix one.¡± ¡°But¡ª¡± they tried to say. ¡°But nothing. Slaughter trusted me with this responsibility. And I am not going to disappoint him.¡± said James with conviction. ¡°If you are not fine with that, then you can replace me, and find someone willing to lower the burier. But I will not do it.¡± Done with his lunch, James walks away. He thought given their experience, they would understand his point. But apparently, not. They are only thinking in the short term. Lowering the entry barrier will have devastating consequences, and once lowered, that barrier will remain at that level forever.

Part 5.

¡°My mother is pushing me to get married already.¡± Said Raven, already feeling the buzz of the drink. ¡°Honestly, I don¡¯t have the time or the interest.¡± ¡°Haha.¡± Laughed Suresh, also feeling the buzz. ¡°I don¡¯t have to worry about it since I already fulfilled that will.¡± ¡°You poor hopeless fool.¡± Said Raven with pity. ¡°The next thing they will demand is the children.¡± Suresh has a horrified face. ¡°Nooooooo!¡± he said drunkenly and passed out. Raven carries him to his bed and then leaves for his own room. The generals are enjoying their downtime as much as they can because they know that this peace will not last forever. So they want to enjoy it as much as they can. Chapter 231 Chapter 231.

Part 1.

Hatori is going to Zeko¡¯s house. ¡®Though I suppose I can call it my house now.¡¯ He thinks since the old man has left the massive property to him. On the way, he encounters some people who are tied up, while a shadow keeps a watch over them. ¡°What happened with them? They look injured.¡± A yantra comes forward. ¡°They tried to invade the property master.¡± Explains the magic machine. ¡°We apprehended them.¡± ¡°Good. I¡¯m in a good mood. Send them to the authorities.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°At once master.¡± Said the yantra, and then the shadow and the yantra left with the prisoners. They are gagged to make sure they remain silent and do not cause any inconvenience. ¡®It¡¯ll take me a while to get used to this.¡¯ Thought Hatori, as he was addressed as ¡°The young master¡± by the yantras of the house previously. When he opens the door and does not sense Zeko¡¯s signature, the loss hits him even harder. ¡°Dammit.¡± He cursed. He is not here to feel sappy. He can feel that in his sleep during his nightmares. After putting his stuff down, and taking a bath, Hatori decides to go to sleep. he will decide what to do next tomorrow. He feels tired after arriving here, even though the journey was a comfortable one. As he sinks into a deeper sleep, once more he starts to see the destruction he caused in the Londinium city.

Part 2.

Akshit does not want to remain a minister for too long, so Josh is given the responsibility of handling the economy. Avinash is certain given his mathematical background; he will do fine in this position. He will find someone else to play the foreign minister. However, the positions at the court have yet to be filled. The war has ravaged the families just as it did the rest of the country. But there is a hot debate going on right now, about denying the seats of the rebellious families. ¡°I do not think they deserve to be in this court,¡± Said Henry Fernandes, the oldest surviving member of the court, ¡°Given how easily they struck at us, they are worse than the poisonous snakes.¡± ¡°Is that so?¡± said a man from the Banerjee family. ¡°What about Joshis then? They also rebelled, long before the civil war even started!¡± ¡°They reaffirmed their Loyalty!¡± replied Surendra Junior, who had taken over the seat after his uncle died. Though he might have to leave, as his father is about to give the position of the head to him. ¡°Which is exactly why they are here, sitting with us.¡± The representative of the Joshi family remained quiet, as the argument raged on. Dhanraj has specifically told him that he should remain quiet. Though they have managed to earn the trust of the previous and current king, what they did before can still come back to haunt them, especially since Hatori has become a prominent mage, as well as a trustee of the new king. After hours of arguing, Avinash dismisses the court at lunchtime. ¡°We will meet tomorrow, and speak about this issue again. Hopefully, you will have your heads cooled off by then.¡± With that cutting remark, he leaves the court, and others follow behind him.

Part 3.

Lavanya has left, but Shin is still tracking the information about his past. He is currently talking with some people at a tea stall, who are remarkably open with what they do know. ¡°In short,¡± one woman is saying, ¡°We do think we have seen someone with different-colored eyes just like you, but we are not certain when or where.¡± ¡°You should stop asking such questions.¡± Said a man from a corner, trying to act menacing. ¡°Too many questions can be dangerous in this country.¡± Shin is not affected. He has grown up with Hatori, a guy who is ten times more menacing than this man in his sleep. ¡°Is that so? Why don¡¯t you come here and make me shut up then?¡± he said with a smile. The man gets up from his chair and brings out his foci. But Shin tapped the table in front of him in a rhythm, and the man was slammed to the ground with a large thud, feeling as if the wind itself punched him. Other locals watch, as Shin moves to the fallen man, and grabbing his flailing arms, effortlessly breaks it. He might not be as good as Hatori when it comes to fighting physically, but he has picked up some tricks from him over the years. ¡°Are you willing to talk now?¡± asked Shin, once the man stopped howling in pain. ¡°I can break the other one if you are not.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll talk! I¡¯ll talk! Please don¡¯t hurt me!¡± he sobbed. ¡°Pathetic. Just one arm is broken, and you are crying like a bitch. In the war, we took so much damage, and not one of us cried even for once.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Now, speak.¡± he yanked on the broken arm for the good measure. ¡°There is a lab in the mountain, it belonged to a musical mage just like you. His name was Narayan, and I used to work with him. When his career was done, he opened that lab and kidnapped some women who were pregnant. He did some experiments with the fetus, but none of them gave birth to a living child. But it turns out, that one woman managed to run away, and she jumped in a well when we found her. But when we brought her corpse to the lab, she already gave birth to the child, but we never found what happened to the child and where he or she went.¡± Explained the man. ¡°Where is this lab?¡± asked Shin, ignoring the whispering locals. ¡°Here, it is just near the hill.¡± The man points to a map that is hanging on the door of the stall. ¡°Very well. I¡¯ll let you live for telling me this.¡± With a savage blow to his head, Shin knocked the man out and left the stall after paying his bill. The lab was not that difficult to find. It was dusty, and not much was there. But he did find some pictures of Narayan, and the women he kidnapped. One of them has similar features as Shin, but there is no name to go with the photo. He leaves the lab and finds the well in which she jumped inside. Shin goes back to the lab, and takes the photos with him. he still has no name for his mother, but at least he has an idea of how he was born. Though finding out the horrific circumstances in which his mother died leaves him with a depressive feeling. ¡®Nothing you can do about it boy,¡¯ he councils himself as he leaves. ¡®Use this sadness to create the best compositions the likes of which will not be forgotten for the generations to come.¡¯

Part 4.

Hatori returns to the capital. He decides that to get out of his depressive funk, he has to leave the house. His 29th birthday just passed recently, though, unlike his younger days, he does not feel any joy when his day of birth arrives. It is like any other day, not any different. A line of floating yantras trails after him. These yantras have different shapes instead of being humanoid. He is delivering them to a construction site, where the process of rebuilding is still going on. After the civil war, and the fifth world war, the entire world seems to be in the process of repairing itself. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. His yantras are in large demand, as well as his runes to convert solar power to electricity. The power infrastructure is more than five hundred years old at this point, and since there is reconstruction going on in the country, Avinash decided this is a good time to update it as well. Though Hatori is not involved in that directly, even though he does supply the runes to acquire the power and convert the power to electricity. Other people have a larger responsibility to handle the runes for supplying the power, and storing the power when it is not in use. Done with his latest delivery, Hatori walks inside the castle. He is thinking of creating a delivery yantra to handle the deliveries for him since doing it by himself all the time is boring. ¡®It will need security as well; I cannot let the expensive equipment out in the public unprotected.¡¯ No one dared to bar his walk to the king¡¯s personal office. By now, they are familiar with his face, and the magic sensors have already confirmed that it is him, not some shape-shifted bastard who is out to assassinate the king. After the last one, the security has been beefed up. They need to protect the castle from blood and other bodily fluids. The king is not merciful to those who try to kill him. Hatori opens the door and sees Avinash holding his head in his hands. ¡°Wow. Was not expecting to see that.¡± ¡°Great. Another headache.¡± Grumbled the king. ¡°What? And here I thought I should check up on you like any friend should.¡± Harrumphed Hatori. ¡°Sorry. The process of constructing the new court is giving me a headache. I don¡¯t want to let the rebellious families in once again, but I also don¡¯t want the allied families to have too much power. if I let them have that kind of power they held previously, it will invite another disaster.¡± Explained Avinash. ¡°So? Take your time,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Why are you worried so much?¡± ¡°Because they refuse to accept any solutions I offer them!¡± yelled the king out of frustration. Hatori sneered, while anyone else would have been shaking or running out of the room. ¡°You are the king, aren¡¯t you? They should listen to you. Not the other way around.¡± ¡°But shouldn¡¯t I operate on the principals of give and take? I don¡¯t think I should rule with an iron fist all the time.¡± counters Avinash. ¡°Nor should you,¡± said Hatori. ¡°But they are not going to listen to you unless you assert yourself. Besides, you can¡¯t do an exchange when the other side is not willing to do so. It is the same thing as that siege in the Londinium.¡± ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± said Avinash after a moment of thinking. ¡°They are still arguing. Tell you what, come with me, and let me prove that I am an assertive king.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori, following Avinash to the courtroom. They arrive unnoticed, as everyone is still busy arguing. Sagar saw Avinash, and the looming form of Hatori right behind him. he realized nothing good was about to happen. He tries to ward off whatever Avinash is about to do, but Avinash puts his finger to his lips, telling him to remain quiet through that sign. Without using a focus, Avinash creates a huge explosion of fire in the middle of the room, causing alarm and panic in the arguing nobles. ¡°Listen you blue-blooded babies. Daddy is here to control you.¡± They are horrified by such wording used by a king. ¡°I have decided that I have enough of this argument. I still have to pick out the ministers for various regions, as well as diplomats to various allied countries. We can decide on your issues afterward. Make no mistake. I will be changing the current system, to make sure that a family cannot cause a civil war again. If you don¡¯t like it? You are free to find your fortunes elsewhere. The court is adjourned.¡± Spinning on his heel, he walked out of the court, where Sagar ran up to catch up with him and a laughing Hatori. ¡°You. you are a bad influence on him.¡± he chastised Hatori. ¡°Maybe. But you can¡¯t deny that was a wonderful display.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°¡®Daddy is here to control you.¡¯ what the hell made you say that?¡± asked Hatori, still chuckling. ¡°If they act like children, then they will be treated as such.¡± Said Avinash. By now, even Sagar is laughing. ¡°Can¡¯t argue with that.¡±

Part 5.

Nandan and Dimitri are preparing to leave for the latest league tournament. After the war ended, the dueling tournaments began once more. Nandan served as a guard for Porus after the former king lost to Avinash, and now, he is ready to take the dueling world by storm. ¡°I thought your fire would be lost by now,¡± said Dimitri. ¡°Never!¡± declared Nandan. ¡°Besides, you only retired in your late 60s. I have a lot of time on my hands.¡± ¡°What will you do after you become the champion?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°I¡¯ll challenge Hatori and others,¡± said Nandan. ¡°They should prove to be a great challenge for me.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°Though given I trained those boys, I have no doubt on their skills.¡± ¡°The war has taught me that there is a lot of talent that never reaches the ring.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Fighting them will give me practice, and I should be able to beat any contender to my title.¡± ¡°Good plan.¡± Said the coach. ¡°Well, let¡¯s go. The ship might fly without us if we got any later.¡± ¡°What? Nooooo!¡± Nandan and Dimitri run as if their life depends upon it.

Part 6.

Hatori is going back to his house. ¡°In a few days, I would like to go back and see how things are at my home,¡± he said to Avinash. ¡°The first thing I have to check is whether my parents are still alive or not.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± said Avinash, remembering something. ¡°The effect which blocked you from crossing the dimensional burier has worn off.¡± ¡°Yes. I actually checked it for myself.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°It must have been a powerful summoning ritual to have left an effect on me in its aftermath, which lasted for so long.¡± ¡°Do you think you proved the prophecy correct?¡± asked Avinash in curiosity. ¡°I don¡¯t like to think about it much,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Let other people decide. As far as I¡¯m concerned, whoever is trying to predict the future is a fool.¡± ¡°Agree with you there,¡± said Avinash. ¡°None of us could have thought that the spats between the king and the families would turn into such a large mess.¡± ¡°Speaking of our younger days, I can¡¯t help but notice that for all our fights, we do spend a lot of time together as adults.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Probably because you¡¯ve matured. It was difficult to have a conversation with you back then.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Look who¡¯s saying that.¡± countered Hatori. he was about to say something more, but he sensed something. Avinash and Hatori get up together to investigate, coming out of the castle. A ship has landed on the outskirts of the city, but they can sense the magical wards present on that ship in the castle. The people aboard that ship also have an impressive magical presence, though nothing special by their standards. ¡°Sir,¡± said one of the soldiers. ¡°There is a ship on the outskirts of the city. It appears to be alien in design, and it resembles the Elven ship that landed on that same spot about a hundred years ago.¡± ¡°Dammit!¡± cursed Avinash. ¡°What new trouble is this?¡± Chapter 232 Chapter 232.

Part 1.

Sunil, one of the ambassadors of the Subcontinent is sent to welcome the guests from the stars. ¡°Welcome, esteemed guests, we are fortunate that you chose this land for your arrival. May I know who you are?¡± he asked. ¡°This is Princess Amara of the Starleaf family, her father rules the Elven empire. I am her guard, Orion Swiftblade. The purpose of our visit is to see how much this planet has changed since we found it.¡± said the larger Elf. The ambassador was terrified. The last time, there were only common Elves, according to the records. But this time, there is a royal visitor. There is only one thing he could do in this situation. That is to stroke their egos, faun over them, and then lead them to the king. He sent one aid with a message to Avinash, who was waiting in the castle for the Elves to arrive. He does not let any annoyance show on his face for this schedule disruption. The message of the aid, however, breaks his stoic fa?ade. ¡°Your majesty, Ambassador Sunil has told me that you have to be respectful to the visitors, as this time, a royal princess is among them.¡± said the aid. ¡°Who does he think he is?¡± the unfortunate aid trembles from the sudden wrath of the king. ¡°I am a leader of this land. I might treat a visitor equally, but I will not bow to anyone.¡± ¡°Easy their tiger.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Leave the poor messenger. Besides, the long-eared visitors are here.¡± ¡°Fine. I suggest you escape, there might be fireworks.¡± Said Avinash to the aid. The young man, grateful for this advice from the king, quickly scampers away from the throne room. While Avinash reclines on his throne, while a fire burns on his left. Of course, that fire is usually not present. But when a visitor arrives, the kings often pull off such theatrics. Hatori wonders what other elements could be used for this purpose. ¡®Lightning can be used to give off some sparks, there could be a fountain for the water, and the air movement in the room could change depending on the king''s mood, but I am not sure how the earth element could be used for this.¡¯ ¡°Welcome, Princess Amara, her guard Orion. I am king of the Subcontinent, Avinash. I do hope you have rested well after your journey.¡± He said, while inclining his head to show respect, but not bowing before them. ¡°Greetings from the Elven kingdom, young king.¡± said the princess. ¡°I see you are working hard on your land.¡± ¡°There was a war recently.¡± Said Sunil. Avinash glared at him for revealing that info, but the man continued. ¡°We have to repair our infrastructure after the conclusion of that war.¡± ¡°That is a hard thing to do I hear.¡± Said Orion. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t know, since we have not gotten in a war for over 2000 years.¡± ¡°Impressive.¡± Said Avinash, not believing this to be the truth for a moment. ¡°Unfortunately, we cannot live without killing each other.¡± ¡°Such a shame. We thought your species had potential, despite your short lives.¡± Said the princess. ¡°Who is this man? He almost matches us in the height.¡± The princess is 213 centimeters tall, or seven feet tall for those plebians who don¡¯t use the metric system. Hatori is just three or so inches shorter than her, while Orion is even taller than Amara. Avinash opens his mouth, but Sunil jumps in before the king can speak. ¡°He is Hatori Eagle. He is the man the Elves who landed here last time prophesized.¡± Now, Avinash is glaring at him openly, but still, he continues to speak. ¡°He proved himself in the last war, which means that the Elven prophecy all those years ago was true.¡± Sunil turns around and blanched in fear after seeing a furious king. He goes quiet afterward. ¡°But that prophecy was not true.¡± Said the princess, looking at her nails. ¡°What do you mean?¡± asked Avinash with a frosty tone. How could he keep himself under control after hearing that? Hatori was summoned, and for years the family politics revolved around this prophecy. In fact, the rebellion and the civil war have their roots in that damn prophecy. But now, Avinash is hearing that the entire thing was false. ¡°It is beneath us to take assistance from the lower races. The Elves who crashed on your planet had nothing to repay you, so they gave you some false words about the future. Lower races always take them so seriously after all. Didn¡¯t you realize it?¡± asked the princess, looking at the king. ¡°My predecessor did. Unfortunately, his subjects did not,¡± said Avinash, not letting his anger show up in his tone. ¡°Whatever. I am not here to see who believed the lies and who did not. I am here for one purpose only.¡± Said Amara. ¡°Your total submission.¡± There was silence in the throne room, but everyone felt the pressure build-up, and suddenly, Avinash exploded. ¡°Yeah right. Some long-eared bitch is going to demand my submission. I treat you with respect as my guest, and this is how you behave? Maybe Elves are lower than us, for all your talk about being a superior race.¡± ¡°How dare you, you impudent little worm!¡± retorted the princess. ¡°Just one ship. One ship is enough to destroy your entire planet, and no one will even remember your civilization. You should know your place. If you surrender to me, I will protect you from other races and Elves. That is to your advantage.¡± ¡°No, it is not,¡± said Avinash. ¡°We already have good relations with Dwarves, and unlike you, they came here to work with us, rather than dominate us. So, your entire argument is false. No race will come here to fight us either, for we have nothing to offer them. The only reason why you want our submission is so you can use us for your own purposes. Perhaps grunts in a possible coup?¡± Avinash counters her claims. ¡°I think we should all calm down, and listen to the proposal.¡± Said Sunil. ¡°It is worth considering, I am certain that the princess will help us in uplifting ourselves.¡± ¡°I cannot believe this,¡± Hatori speaks finally, having remained quiet so far. ¡°An outsider tells your king that he should submit to her, and your first response is to tell him he should consider it? I do not think any monarch will bow to you here princess, no matter how tantalizing your offers are.¡± ¡°You should remain quiet boy,¡± said Orion. ¡°You have no standing to speak. We Elves live for thousands of years, and even a kid is enough to take you out with one spell. Don¡¯t think so highly of yourself just because you have done well in some war of a backwater world.¡± ¡°I like to see you try.¡± Said Hatori, not scared in the slightest. He hears Zeko cheering him, but that is probably in his head. ¡°Tell you what.¡± Said the princess. ¡°I will prove to you that we Elves are superior to you not in just magic, but in physical strength as well. What do you say to a little competition? Hand-to-hand fight, but no magic allowed.¡± ¡°This is not necessary princess. He is just a young man, full of confidence. He is no match for you¡ª¡± Sunil is interrupted in the middle. ¡°Shut up already.¡± Said Avinash, tired of his constant pandering. How did this guy become an ambassador is a mystery to Avinash. ¡°The competition will take place.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Prepare the ring. You might need to wait for an hour or two,¡± said Avinash to the princess and she shook her head in reply. ¡°No need.¡± Said Orion. ¡°We have our own custom ring. Let us go outside, the entire thing will be set in a moment.¡± ¡°And it will not offer any of us an advantage either.¡± Added Amara. ¡°Fine. Let¡¯s go to the grounds.¡± Said Avinash, getting up from the throne. The flames fold into his body before disappearing entirely. Hatori walks with them, not feeling any tension. He is certain that he will be the winner of this competition. There is no way this princess is going to beat him. He won''t allow it. Not after her attitude, and certainly not after learning the truth about that damned prophecy. Part 2. The ring is set. There is not much of a crowd to see this fight. Avinash is here to watch from Hatori¡¯s side, with a nervous Sunil by his side, while Orion watches from the other side. ¡°Whoever gives up, or gets their shoulders pinned to the ground loses. Is that acceptable to you?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Sure.¡± Nodded Amara. Hatori waited for her to come at him, and she did with full confidence that she would be able to dominate him. But Amara finds after locking up with Hatori that despite his shorter height, he is not weaker than her. For Hatori, it is time to assess his opponent. When he first saw the Elves, he thought that their big and gangly limbs were not very powerful. As the princess locks up with him, he is proven right. he takes advantage of his strength and overpowers her to the ground. She was surprised when she was thrown to the ground. She scrambled quickly, to make sure that Hatori could not pin her, but Hatori was on top of her shortly, making her carry his weight. Hatori is certain that not even Orion will be able to fight with him, he is well trained while these Elves do not have the necessary power in their bodies to challenge him. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. Hatori goes for her neck, trying to grab it and crank it. But the princess manages to evade his grip. He shifts his focus and tries to get her leg. He gets a grip of her ankle, and he tries to twist her ankle, but she kicks him away. Taking this breathing room to get up from the ground, Amara looks at Hatori with some fear. She has never been dominated so severely by someone in wrestling so badly. And why is that human so heavy? Why is his grip so strong? She does not have much time to answer these questions, as Hatori comes at her once again. This time, he easily controls her. He is not assessing or playing with her anymore. Grabbing her flailing arms, Hatori turns her around, he grabs her left hand with his right one. Grasping at his right hand¡¯s wrist, he stretches Amara¡¯s arm, and her arm is broken with a loud crack. Having not felt such pain before, the princess screams. ¡°You!¡± Orion has his face red with anger, and he is about to cast a spell. But Hatori slams Amara on her face and then cranks her neck from her back. ¡°You should be careful there. One jerk and her neck will snap. My grip is shaky as it is.¡± the princes try to dislodge Hatori from her back, but due to his weight and his grip on her neck, she is not able to move, let alone breathe. The pain in her broken arm is not doing her any favors either. ¡°Release her, now!¡± ordered Orion. ¡°I will. But only if you promise to leave this planet, and never come back. Also, stop charging that spell. It is making me nervous. My hands start to shake when I get nervous.¡± Said Hatori, yanking on Amara¡¯s neck for good measure. ¡°Fine. We will leave your filthy world. I won¡¯t cast any spell upon you either. Now get off her!¡± roared Orion. ¡°Very well.¡± biting his lip, Hatori gets a drop of blood. Using that drop, he draws a symbol over Amara¡¯s forehead. He has memorized this symbol, so he does not have to look at it to draw it, as a result, he was able to draw it even when her forehead was not visible to him. With a final channel of magic, the symbol disappears, and Hatori gets off Amara¡¯s back. Orion enters the ring to lift her. ¡°What was that? What did you do?¡± he shook from his fury, but he remembered that he could not cast a spell. ¡°Oh, nothing much. If any Elf kills me, she¡¯ll die. That is all.¡± Said Hatori. Giving a wordless snarl of rage, Orion stomps back to the ship, carrying the injured princess. Avinash keeps an eye on them until they fly away, and disappear in the sky.

Part 3.

After the Elves leave, Avinash returns to his throne room. Only to get his peace disrupted once again, as Sunil explodes on Hatori. ¡°You silly boy. You nearly got us all killed! You have no idea what you¡¯ve just done, they are going to return, and destroy us all!¡± ¡°So what?¡± Asked Hatori. ¡°Will you let any advanced Alien species rule this planet just because they are stronger than us? We might as well abolish all the systems we¡¯ve built to govern ourselves and lick the boots of the Elves!¡± ¡°Fine then. At least that way, we can survive!¡± argued Sunil. ¡°You don¡¯t get it, do you? Once you submit to someone, you will always find that you will go from one master to another, and no improvements occur for you. therefore, bowing and submitting is not an option.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I agree with him,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Besides, who do you work for. This nation or the Elves?¡± Sunil leaps in rage and attacks Avinash. ¡°Curse you two. Ever since you two have grown up, you¡¯ve always caused trouble. You don¡¯t deserve to be the king!¡± he casts a spell to explode the head of Avinash. But Avinash turns him into ash with a wordless snarl of rage. ¡°I can¡¯t believe I have such simpering fools in my government.¡± He kicks the ashes of the former ambassador. ¡°You should not have anyone working for you who would bow before someone, just because they think they are stronger.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Correct. Looks like a vetting process in order.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°You know what? Let¡¯s implement the changes I have in mind for the court as well. I had enough of stalling for time.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Now you are behaving like a king.¡±

Part 4.

Shin returns from his long trip. He thought of speaking with his friends, but they were distracted. They did not even see him entering the room, though from Hatori¡¯s twitch, he realizes that he at least took notice. Suresh, Raven, Josh, Avinash, Hatori, and Suraj who is a newcomer to this table are discussing. Careful listening to the points made by Avinash makes him realize that Shin is witnessing the change in the court. On the side, Prime Minister Akshit is taking notes of the good ideas. ¡°In short, let them elect their representative, let them come to the court, and this is where they can put the matters of their respective areas.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°But you won¡¯t be able to get everyone, and I doubt these representatives will be able to pay attention to the city or town level.¡± Pointed out Josh. ¡°We can use the governors for that,¡± said Suresh. ¡°It¡¯s not like they have to come to the king for every small issue.¡± ¡°Yes, but then they should be chosen as well,¡± said Josh. ¡°That is fine. But you will also have to make rules about the elections. How long their term is going to be, and rules for barring someone from fighting in the election as well.¡± said Hatori. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want the local goons fighting in your election, now, would you?¡± ¡°That is true. We will also have to make sure that the people who have strong financial backing don¡¯t dominate completely.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Something tells me that implementing all of this is not going to be easy. Especially when you abolish the private forces.¡± ¡°But I support that idea.¡± Said Akshit. ¡°If these families are so afraid of each other, then maybe they should shift from their current residence.¡± ¡°Correct. This will also crush any possibilities of rebellion in the future.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not worried about a mad king taking over and causing problems, I expect that the generals will take care of that problem like they did in the past.¡± Shin has had enough of listening to this. He sneaks out and decides to go to his house. He will rest there for a while, prepare for his concert, and then leave for the said concert. Let his friends handle the politics.

Part 5.

Daphne is in the City of Throne. She comes here to meet Hatori, but he is still busy arguing with the clique of the king. She never took him to be a political type. Ravina also came with her, since both of them needed a break from their usual life. Daphne remained confined in her home for most of the war since her father did not want her to participate in it. Though this kept her protected, it did not do her any favor when it came to her state of mind. If it weren¡¯t for Ravina¡¯s support and the gradual loosening of the controls by her father, she would have never been able to travel, let alone come to a thriving city. ¡°So. How should we corner him?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°Well, he likes to pretend that he is clueless. But he is not. I do think we have to be straightforward with him all the same.¡± Said Ravina. ¡°He doesn¡¯t like to talk in riddles anyway.¡± ¡°True. If only he were to be as smart as us,¡± said Daphne. Both of them have come here to speak with Hatori and corner him in some matter. What matters is unknown to this narrator, as the author is not revealing it despite repeated prodding.

Part 6.

Hatori sighed. That planning session got long. But at least it got done. He will not participate in this any further. Let others take care of the implementations. His job of pointing out the mistakes as an outsider is now done. ¡®First, let¡¯s go to the other side, and see how things are there. Second, find a reclusive lab, and spend the remainder of my life conducting horrific experiments that would appall anyone who has the slightest bit of humanity remaining.¡¯ He has not been to the other side ever since he was brought here. For 22 years, he has remained in this world. But now, he is returning home for the first time. Hatori can only hope that everything will go well when he gets there. It is not like reports of war and destruction have trickled to this dimension. ¡®I¡¯m sure everything is fine. I won¡¯t find the world on fire when I get there.¡¯ But before he could do any of that, he had to go through two women. ¡°Hey there handsome.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Going somewhere?¡± Said Ravina, already charging a spell. ¡°Dammit.¡± Hatori cursed his luck. ¡°Oh well, nothing like two-on-one dueling to relieve some stress.¡± He decides. Chapter 233 Chapter 233.

Part 1.

Karan Eagle is a retired lawyer. He is currently at his house, which is in a posh area. Actually, this is false. That used to be true about thirty years ago. But now, it is nothing but dusty abandoned houses, the owners have moved out a long time ago. It is no longer the great area it once used to be, and it is not where anyone wishes to buy a home anymore. But Karan and his wife have this one home, and they are unwilling to leave it. Besides, despite the general depressed atmosphere of the location, it is a safe place to live. Crime is still low in this area since the houses are abandoned, but not left for anyone to squat. Any thief would likely find their fortune elsewhere since this area has nothing to give them. Karan¡¯s wife Rita is sick, and she is currently admitted to a hospital. He is here to take a bath and get some fresh clothes. Afterward, he will leave. No one is watching Rita at this moment in the hospital. Their relatives do not speak with them, and he does not speak with them in return. If their son were to be here, he would be thirty by now. he most certainly would have helped them; Karan is certain of it. Even though he knows many examples of children abandoning their parents in their old age. ¡®Probably because they raised them with lots of expectations, and not enough love.¡¯ Those are his thoughts regarding this matter. He stops, as a large man is sitting on his porch. He does not remember leaving a chair out, and the man has his back towards him, so he cannot judge him. though given the size of the chair, he can imagine that the man must be quite big. ¡°You took long enough.¡± Said the man. He doesn¡¯t have a deep booming voice like his size would suggest. But it is still not a high-pitch one. ¡°I don¡¯t remember inviting any guests.¡± Said Karan, bringing his walking stick in a fighting stance. ¡°No need to be hostile.¡± Said the man, getting up from his chair and turning around. Karan is scared of the size difference between them, he looks almost a foot taller than him, probably more. He looks up and looks at the familiar face and the empty eye sockets. ¡°So. You¡¯ve returned.¡± Said Karan, still not relaxing from his aggressive stance. ¡°Do you have to be so dramatic? ¡®So. You¡¯ve returned.¡¯¡± Hatori mimics his voice, delivering the dialog in the style of a television show. ¡°Wasn¡¯t trying to be one,¡± said Karan. ¡°Do you plan to stand there all day long? Or are you coming inside, son?¡± Relaxing, he goes to the door and unlocks it with his key. He is not interested in installing a smart home. Too many horror stories. A lock might be possible to break, but at least it requires that someone gets there physically, rather than open the damn door from some remote location. ¡°Where is the mother?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°In the hospital,¡± he said, putting the lock on the table. ¡°I was about to return there before you showed up, after a shower and taking some new clothes.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you if you don¡¯t mind?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t. Just wait here,¡± said Karan. Hatori sat in the hall, feeling like a stranger in his home while his father washed the clothes, packed some new ones, and got a shower. Once Karan is ready, he comes out. ¡°Now we are ready to leave.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Let me give you a lift.¡± ¡°A lift?¡± said Karan. Finding himself floating in the air, and still gaining in the height, Karan screams. ¡°Let me down!¡± ¡°Can¡¯t do.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°This flight cannot be stopped once it starts.¡± ¡°Damn you son, my heart is going to give at this rate!¡± complained Karan. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll resurrect you,¡± smirked Hatori. ¡°That better be a joke.¡± Grumbled Karan. They land in front of the hospital, while Karan wonders how no one saw them. ¡°Simple illusion. It keeps them distracted, and keeps us invisible.¡± ¡°I would appreciate my car here though,¡± said Karan. ¡°What if you have to leave suddenly?¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said Hatori. Suddenly, a collection of strange symbols appears before them, and the car appears right in front of them as if it were parked there from the beginning. ¡°I¡¯ll go park it in the proper place.¡± Sighed Karan. After he was done parking, Karan then took Hatori to the room where Rita was admitted.

Part 2.

The nobles are powerless to resist the changes Avinash is planning to bring. Despite their grumbles and complaints, they are unable to stop him from appropriating their personal forces and enacting the changes to bring the representatives to the courts. The last point hurts them the most. They do not want to lose their inherited seats, but they cannot go against his wishes. Reclining in his comfy chair, Avinash sighs in contentment. ¡®Once These changes start, they will gather enough momentum that they will not be stopped, even if I were to die somehow.¡¯ He hears footsteps outside of his office, and the door opens. ¡°Hey there, your majesty. Why are you brooding alone here?¡± ¡°Who says I¡¯m brooding? Hatori is the one who broods. Not me.¡± said Avinash. ¡°Weren¡¯t you busy with some highly sensitive cases?¡± he asked in return. ¡°Well, I am done with those. I have some time off. James was nice enough to let me have it when I asked him for it.¡± said Ramya. ¡°He is handling the responsibilities of Slaughter quite well.¡± ¡°He has big shoes to fill, much like most of us,¡± said Avinash. ¡°I suppose it was easier to grant you free time since it is vacation time.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Said Ramya. ¡°Then prepare to do your duty.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it.¡± smiled Avinash. ¡°What do you say, shall we break in this room? I¡¯m sure Porus will be displeased.¡± ¡°As if. He probably used this room with his own wife a lot.¡± Said Ramya. ¡°Good thing I replaced the furniture.¡± Said Avinash in disgust. ¡°I¡¯m sure the next king will feel the same way,¡± said Ramya, now sitting on his lap.

Part 3.

Shin is practicing on the porch of his apartment, while his neighborhood is in chaos. ¡°What kind of way is this to make people run off? If you don¡¯t like our services, then just tell us!¡± said one delivery man. ¡°You never come to spend time with me. You are always busy with work!¡± screamed a woman. ¡°That work pays for your lavish lifestyle!¡± retorted the man. The fight continues, as the noises of pots and pans being thrown around come out of the house. Shin ignored all of this and continued to play on his violin. However, there is one voice he cannot ignore. ¡°I¡¯m home,¡± said Lavanya, coming back from the Academy. Snapping out of his fog, Shin replies. ¡°Welcome back. Have your vacations begun already?¡± ¡°They started yesterday. I told you that, didn¡¯t I?¡± asked Lavanya, removing her shoes. ¡°I forgot.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Probably because of your upcoming concert.¡± She spoke. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Yeah. But you see, I¡¯ve got some other important things coming up,¡± said Shin. ¡°Oh?¡± asked Lavanya, as she went inside, while Shin was behind her. ¡°Yes. and they are much closer than my concert.¡± He whispers in her ear. Dammit, get me out of here. I don¡¯t want to narrate this chapter anymore!

Part 4.

James is flipping through the applicants. Much like every year, they have gotten a lot of applications from the students to learn healing. However, none of them are good enough that James might think of taking them as his apprentice. However, he did endorse other healers who have expressed a wish to teach this year. He recommended the students who are most suited for their field. As for James, he is looking for someone who perhaps has the same level of madness as himself when it comes to understanding life, and the processes that enable it. He knows at the back of his mind that he may never find someone like that. So, he has lowered the expectation of someone who might be able to take his position one day. Done with this task, he gets up and goes to the headmaster¡¯s office. ¡°Professor.¡± ¡°James.¡± Said Dhiraj, nodding at him in greeting. ¡°What brings you here?¡± ¡°I wish to take some days off.¡± He spoke. ¡°Here¡¯s my application, I¡¯ll return in three weeks later.¡± ¡°That is fine.¡± Said Dhiraj. ¡°We are unlikely to run into any problems in your absence. I must say, you have created a great support structure in the medical department.¡± ¡°Thanks. Let¡¯s see how long it lasts.¡± Said James. ¡°Indeed.¡± Dhiraj agreed with James. Both of them know that no matter how great something might be, it never lasts forever.

Part 5.

Josh is enjoying his time as the minister of economics, or the minister of evil and bullshit, as Hatori calls it. No matter what Hatori says, Josh is enjoying himself. Besides, he knows that his friend does not really mean it. Because he said that only once. The best part is, that he gets to use his interpersonal skills which are better than any of his friends, and his knowledge of math simultaneously. Hatori calls it a terrifying combination, and Josh agrees with him there. ¡°You are now settled, a minister at such a young age. When are you going to get married?¡± asked his mother. ¡°And give me lots of grandchildren.¡± She whispered under her breath. ¡°Seriously? That is the only thing you care about, isn¡¯t it?¡± asked Josh. ¡°Well, your brother lives quite far away, he rarely visits. So¡­¡± she trailed off. ¡°Not for now,¡± said Josh. ¡°Are you going to break a poor woman¡¯s heart like that?¡± she asked, looking at him tearfully for the full effect. ¡°Mom!¡± complained Josh, feeling as if he was still ten, and he was unable to refuse his mother in any way.

Part 6.

Hatori sees the woman in the bed. She looks fragile and thin. She is so different than what he remembers. When they entered, she opened her eyes. ¡°You¡¯ve returned. Who is this man?¡± even her voice sounds fragile. ¡°Hatori,¡± said Karan, without any tact. Hatori looks around. He does not hear any beep, nor any machines are hooked to his mother. Because this would have been a perfect time to hear the increasingly faster beeps of a machine. ¡°Let me see him,¡± said Rita. The fact that Karan might be lying to her never crossed her mind, for she knows that he will never lie about this. ¡°You¡¯ve grown tall. Much like your grandfather.¡± Said Rita. ¡°Though you¡¯ve surpassed him with a large margin.¡± ¡°Can¡¯t say.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Never met the man.¡± Karan wanted to say ¡°And you are better for it.¡± but he refrained from saying those words. ¡°Don¡¯t you have anything to fix your vision in that strange world?¡± asked Rita, after looking at Hatori¡¯s empty eye sockets. ¡°They do. In fact, I did design my own eyes. I keep them covered with an illusion.¡± Said Hatori. he lifts the illusion, and his parents look at his artificial eyes. ¡°They certainly look different.¡± Said Karan diplomatically. ¡°I know. I¡¯ll have fun scaring the children in the neighborhood.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°They would come to find their ball, but then they would see this extremely tall man with eyes made of plastic. Their screams will be wonderful to hear¡ª¡± ¡°Speaking of children,¡± said Rita, halting Hatori¡¯s description of a plan to scare the children. ¡°You do plan to have those in the future, right? You do have an interest in the women, right?¡± ¡°If you swing the other way, we won¡¯t judge.¡± Added Karan helpfully. ¡°I don¡¯t swing the other way,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Besides, is that what you want to talk about? We haven¡¯t met face-to-face for 22 years!¡± ¡°Yes,¡± they said together. Hatori slumps in his chair. ¡°I¡¯ll bring Daphne and Ravina with me next time,¡± he said to them. ¡°Two of them?¡± asked Rita and Karan. ¡°Well yeah. You asked for female friends, right? Those are the only ones. Others are busy, and one is in Nihon¡ªI mean Japan of that dimension.¡± Explained Hatori. ¡°I know.¡± Said Karan. He also gave Hatori a strange look. He then looks at his wife, and then they both shake their heads. Their expression clearly said ¡®What a clueless boy we have.¡¯ Hatori then gets up. ¡°I have to leave for now. Don¡¯t worry, I will return in the evening.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°With the female friends?¡± asked Karan. ¡°Not with them,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Bringing them here will be trouble. Maybe once you are at home.¡± ¡°The doctor said that I can leave in four days.¡± Added Rita. ¡°Excellent. I¡¯ll bring them then.¡± Said Hatori. ¡®Also educate them to make sure they don¡¯t talk about the war and my bloody past.¡¯ He thought in his head. Karan takes a seat near Rita. ¡°Well, I suppose I¡¯ll just read the news until then.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you still have a newspaper?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°No, we have clearly moved beyond that. not enough trees left you see.¡± Said Hatori¡¯s father, as he left the room. As he crosses over to the magical dimension, he is attacked by five assassins. ¡°Seriously? You guys are nothing but flies.¡± He dismantles their magic-sealing burier, while casually lighting two of them on fire. The other one dies, as thousands of volts are streamed through his body. Others are impaled by the rising rocks. ¡°I thought creating a city-destroying spell would make sure I would never deal with something like this. I was clearly wrong. This is the fifth time. And you guys weren¡¯t even good enough like the first four groups.¡± The impaled assassin gurgles, just about to die. ¡°Yeah, I know. Very foolish of you to take that contract. Never mind. I¡¯ll send your heads to your clients, just like I did with the previous four groups. I will even make sure that your bodies cannot be used in a necromantic ritual. Aren¡¯t I nice?¡± The assassin twitches and then dies. Hatori collects their heads and then sends them with his delivery yantras to some locations. Those heads will explode once delivered, while the headless corpses are burned by him. he was serious when he said that he would make sure that their bodies cannot be used in a necromantic ritual. He then goes to meet Ravina and Daphne and tells them about the meeting coming their way in four days. Chapter 234 Chapter 234.

Part 1.

Hatori barged into Avinash¡¯s office as if he were the king, not him. ¡°You should tone down that ego of yours. It can be quite dangerous to act cocky in my presence.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± He brushed off his warning. Besides, he never dares to act like that when the king has an audience. ¡°Do you know that I¡¯ve been attacked multiple times in your empire? You should do something about that.¡± ¡°What? Again? When was it?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°Just when I crossed the portal yesterday. I had to inform my father that I would not be returning since a deadline was looming.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Ah yes, the power project. They asked you to optimize the power-transferring runes.¡± Remembers Avinash. ¡°Exactly. I improved the old design by 30 percent, but I couldn¡¯t do anything further since the time was up.¡± Said Hatori, disappointed. ¡°Wait. You improved the design by 30 percent, and you are sad that you did not get to improve it any further?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°I know. Professor Krodhatma will be so disappointed.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, I narrowed the problem. It is in the conversion process. But I need to test some ideas.¡± ¡°You know what? Give your notes to the researchers. Let them do that.¡± said Avinash. ¡°Getting back to the point, what did you do to your assassins?¡± ¡°Why, murdered them in return of course.¡± Said Hatori with a smirk. ¡°What else did they expect when they attacked me? I also sent their heads back, just like the previous times. Though this time, I added a little surprise.¡± ¡°What surprise?¡± asked Avinash, cursing himself a moment later for even asking such a question. ¡°Why, added some explosion spell on those heads. I would have thought five families would have come to complain to you by now,¡± said Hatori. ¡°By the way, I do offer this service as well. If you want the same thing done to your assassins, I¡¯ll do that for you. I won¡¯t even charge you anything for it. How about it? Aren¡¯t I a dutiful and loyal subject?¡± ¡°Yeah, sure. When I get any assassins reaching me, I¡¯ll call for you,¡± said Avinash. ¡°No one came to complain, probably because they don¡¯t want to implicate themselves.¡± ¡°That is sad. I was hoping to use that chance to do a survey¡­ raid¡­ attack. Attack is what I mean.¡± ¡°See, this is why you suck at politics. When you lie, you should glare back into your opponent¡¯s eyes with confidence, even if they look at you in disbelief.¡± Instructed Avinash. ¡°But I have you to do that,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Whatever. Just leave one of the killers alive next time, I am trying to clean such elements from the country anyway. No civilized country has paid killers. Unless the government and that means me, pay them.¡± said Avinash. ¡°At least you have some awareness. I would have called you out otherwise.¡± Said Hattori, getting up from the chair. Avinash sighed, watching him go away. He feels that more than any general, Hatori is the one who will keep him on the line if he ever loses himself, and the power gets in his head. He counts himself lucky that Hatori never had any ambitions to become a king, or else he might not be sitting on the throne at all.

Part 2.

Due to the war, the dueling tournaments were suspended across the world. Many fighters could not travel or died in the war. But now, things are picking up again. And Nandan is on top. Coming out of the ring, covered in blood, he lifts the trophy. He has fulfilled his dream. He is the dueling champion of the world. His opponent is being carried out of the arena, and the crowd is booing him. Apparently, the dislike of the Subcontinent by the Europeans is still strong after the destruction of the Londinium. But Nandan does not care about that. He hugs his coach, gives him the trophy, and then allows the medics to take him away for the treatment of his injuries as well. Later, Dimitri and Nandan are packing up their things in their shared hotel room. Once they were ready, they went back to the Subcontinent. Nandan shows off the trophy to his parents, and his father puts it in the middle of his house, along with the medals Bajrang has been awarded for his military service. Then, Nandan goes to bid goodbye to his coach, as he is leaving for Scythia. ¡°What will you do next?¡± asked Dimitri. ¡°Simple. I¡¯ll rest for a while, then challenge Hatori. Let¡¯s see Where he is comparing to me.¡± said Nandan. ¡°Be careful. That boy¡ªman, is dangerous.¡± Said Dimitri. He had to correct himself in the middle, Hatori is not a boy anymore. ¡°Of course he is. he has been trained by the likes of you and Zeko.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Indeed. I will come back in two months to whip you in shape for your title defense. Until then.¡± Said Dimitri. ¡°Until then.¡± Said Nandan, nodding back to him.

Part 3.

Hatori is on the ground of the castle, about to leave. But suddenly, two women blocked his path. ¡°Oh. Hello Ravina, hello Daphne, did you need something from me?¡± ¡°Yes. we need to speak with you on a serious topic.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Do you need help on some project? Perhaps the urge to travel the world has struck you? I do have the funds for that, though I don¡¯t think we should travel in the current environment. Maybe on the other side? I¡¯ll ask Josh to arrange fake documents for us. There are a lot of those on the other side.¡± Both women looked at each other and then looked at Hatori. ¡°You or me?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°Go ahead. You are more direct than me anyway,¡± said Daphne. ¡°Yes,¡± said Ravina, and looked up to Hatori. It is good that she is taller than most women, otherwise, she would have gotten neck problems by constantly looking up at this guy in front of her. ¡°Both of us have decided that it is the correct time to settle down.¡± ¡°And we have chosen you as the male partner.¡± Said Daphne, continuing where Ravina left off. Hatori looks around and then turns around. ¡°I think we should have this conversation somewhere else.¡± The women agreed and followed him inside the castle. As soon as they get inside the room, Hatori locks the door behind them. ¡°Wow. Complete ignorance at first, and now locking the door behind us. He moves quickly.¡± said Ravina sarcastically. ¡°Why me?¡± asked Hatori bluntly, ignoring the jibe of Ravina. ¡°You do know what kind of reputation I have, right? I¡¯ll always have enemies as long as I live, and you two will have to deal with them as well.¡± The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. ¡°We know.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°You should know by now that we are not weaklings either, even though we did not participate in the war directly.¡± Hatori shakes his head. Looks like Daphne is still bitter about that. ¡°True. But what about your families? I doubt they would agree to such a relationship.¡± ¡°We are two adult women.¡± Reminds Ravina. ¡°We are free to choose. They have no say in this.¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°And besides, you are a strong mage, who has proven himself. I doubt they would mind.¡± ¡°This is so strange.¡± Muttered Hatori. ¡°Since when have two women proposed to one guy at the same time?¡± ¡°When the guy is a clueless idiot.¡± Said Ravina. ¡°Did you know that in the school, everyone thought that you swung the other way?¡± ¡°First my parents, and now you too?¡± grumbled Hatori. ¡°Well, when a man never shows any interest in the females around him, what else are people supposed to think?¡± said Daphne. Hatori collapses on the chair. ¡°Maybe he never had time?¡± he offered. ¡°Remember that I was a pariah in the early days of the Academy, and by the time I grew strong enough to change that, I was on the trip with Munshi. And then the dueling tournament, and then that scary trip back to the Subcontinent¡­¡± Hatori trails off. This list could continue for a long time. ¡°Besides, I do think we went on a date, sort of?¡± said Hatori. ¡°Yeah, those don¡¯t count. We were just enjoying the company of each other.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°True. That was a relaxing time,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Doesn¡¯t this anger you?¡± he asked Ravina. ¡°Do you think I would have come with her if it angered me?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°Anyway, due to your odd friendship with Maria, a lot of us thought that you two might have something going on.¡± ¡°That was until she was caught with another boy,¡± said Daphne. ¡°It was quite a scandal. The fiery yet proper Nihongan snogging with a boy among the trees.¡± Hatori tries to remember, but he does not remember any such incident. Seeing his clueless face, Ravina tells him. ¡°This was during your internship with Munshi.¡± ¡°That explains it,¡± he said with a snap of his finger, producing some sparks. ¡°Then we thought you might be having a quiet affair with James.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Clearly, you two had a lot of free time,¡± said Hatori drily. ¡°Anyway, just be ready. I¡¯ve met both of your parents and in a few days, I will take you with me to meet mine.¡± Said Hatori. he smirked when the women had unsettled faces. ¡°Sure.¡± Said Daphne, giving him a shaky nod. ¡°We will be ready.¡± Said Ravina, not sounding that confident. As they leave, Hatori looks at the picture of Zeko in the room. ¡°What have I gotten myself into, master?¡± he asked the picture. The photo failed to answer.

Part 4.

Amara looks at her father, the king. She is kneeling in embarrassment, though she has told him the entire incident without flinching. Embarrassed or not, she could not show any weakness in front of him. ¡°Your majesty,¡± said Orion, ¡°Those primitive people need to learn a lesson.¡± ¡°Why?¡± asked Alarion Starleaf. ¡°You challenged them and then lost. Why should I do anything in the response?¡± ¡°That human, I believe used some kind of trick to beat me. Our best fighters could not beat me,¡± said Amara confidently. ¡°Because they had my orders to lose to you.¡± said the king. His words drew the immediate reaction from Amara, as she looked at him in shock. ¡°In reality, you are not good enough to beat even the worst of them.¡± ¡°But why?¡± she asked, hating herself for sounding like a whining child. ¡°Because I was tired of your tantrums.¡± Said Alarion bluntly. ¡°Do not bother the humans. You have embarrassed our race enough as it is.¡± Amara goes away in shame.

Part 5.

Hatori returns four days later, helping his father in taking his mother home. ¡°I would have come earlier, but I was heled up.¡± ¡°I am sure that the king has important work for you,¡± said Karan. ¡°Well, I could ignore him if I wanted to. I don¡¯t depend on him for my salary.¡± Said Hatori. Coming inside the house, Hatori helps lay his mother in the hall. It is the best place to keep her since it is accessible from anywhere in the house. ¡°Are you comfortable now?¡± he asked her. ¡°Very.¡± Said Rita. ¡°If only you could enchant the hospital bed.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Hatori with a grin. ¡°Hold on, I have to bring your medicines here.¡± While he collects everything, Hatori speaks with Karan. ¡°Why is this area so decrepit? I don¡¯t remember things being this bad in my childhood.¡± ¡°Just the result of the usual neglect.¡± Said Karan. ¡°It also doesn¡¯t help that most of the old folks have left, and the economy has turned to crap.¡± ¡°At least the pollution is still low here,¡± said Rita. ¡°That reminds me, I do need to install some filters.¡± Said Hatori. A small tiger appears in the room and then disappears. ¡°Dammit.¡± ¡°What is it?¡± asked Karan. ¡°Probably Avinash wants to discuss something.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You call him by name?¡± asked Karan. ¡°Given I bullied him in our younger days, I don¡¯t think there is anything wrong with it,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, I¡¯ll go for now, and next time, I¡¯ll bring two people to meet you.¡± ¡°Which two people?¡± asked Karan, glaring at Hatori. ¡°Two people.¡± Said Hatori. he then opened the door, and flew away before Karan could ask anything else. ¡°I am worried.¡± Said Karan. ¡°I don¡¯t think our blood pressure is going to stay low.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry dear, I am sure he knows what he is doing.¡± Said Rita.

Part 6.

Hatori hears about how the news of the Elven ship visiting Earth has spread around the galaxy. Various races are now contacting Avinash and other monarchs, and the Dwarves and Goblins have offered new business deals for them. ¡°What do you think it is all about?¡± asked the king. ¡°Mostly observation.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°The visit of the Elves is just an excuse. They wanted to see how are we doing after our latest war.¡± ¡°That is disconcerting, to be honest,¡± said Avinash. ¡°They are also offering their advanced magic tech, but they are not willing to share how it is built.¡± ¡°I suggest you let them do the services like they have been so far.¡± Said Josh. ¡°Yes.¡± agreed Hatori. ¡°And invest in the research and development on a large scale. That is the only way we can compete with these races.¡± ¡°We should adapt the other side¡¯s model.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Fund some large-scale projects, and then use the research for other things.¡± ¡°We will proceed with that plan.¡± Avinash agreed with Raven. ¡°The next decade is going to be important for us, so I want all of you to be on your toes.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said everyone. ¡°We will make sure everything goes smoothly.¡± Said Hatori. Chapter 235 Chapter 235.

Part 1.

After speaking with Avinash, Hatori returns to his house, which he still thinks of as ¡°Zeko¡¯s house¡± sometimes. His master has left him this property, though Hatori is not certain why he did that. Surely, he must have known some other, and more qualified people who deserved it, but since that was Zeko¡¯s last will, he agreed to take the house. Besides, he likes the large property, and no one ever came to dispute this property transfer. Hatori stopped on his way to the house, sensing a familiar presence. Nandan walks out of the fields, which are freshly planted with beans and potatoes. Nandan is the son of Shyam Durve, who handles the farm for Zeko, which now belongs to Hatori. Not having much knowledge of farming, Hatori agreed to the change of crops when Shyam suggested. Apart from that, their fruit trees are producing as usual. ¡°Well, well, well. Look who is here. The City Destroyer himself!¡± said Nandan, glaring at Hatori. ¡°Why are you acting so dramatic?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Haven¡¯t you got the news?¡± asked Nandan, pointing to something behind him. Hatori¡¯s eyes widen, when he sees the diamond-studded trophy hovering behind Nandan¡¯s back. ¡°You won the championship?¡± he asked with a grin, happy for his senior. ¡°I did.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Looks like you were busy.¡± Said Nandan, waving his hand, and sending the trophy back to his house through a teleporting spell. ¡°I was.¡± Hatori agreed with Nandan. ¡°I never thought that my life would be this dull.¡± ¡°Let me change that,¡± said Nandan, bringing out his staff. ¡°There are many mages who never participate in the official dueling tournament. You are one of them, and I will test myself against you.¡± ¡°Fine. Answer a few questions before we begin to fight, would you?¡± said Hatori. ¡°Ask away.¡± Nandan agreed to answer Hatori¡¯s questions. ¡°Where is Dimitri?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I don¡¯t sense him anywhere.¡± ¡°He has left for his home. He will be back in two months or so.¡± Said Nandan. ¡°Did you ever resented us for getting captured, and getting your coach stranded?¡± asked Hatori, preparing his first spell. ¡°Never. I would be a petty man if I did that,¡± said Nandan seriously, shielding himself with water against Hatori¡¯s fire. While Nandan was shielding himself, a cloud appeared above his head and started to rain down the lightning bolts. The champion had to get out of the way to avoid them, and the land was scarred by the repeated lightning strikes. Nandan did not remain on defense for too long, retaliating with his own wave of water, conjuring it without any water source nearby. The wave swept Hatori away, but the water stopped at an invisible boundary near the farm. The wards are installed there by Zeko, and modified by Hatori to stop any harm to the crops. Hatori freezes the water around him, and despite being trapped in the ice, retaliates against an incoming Nandan. Sending him flying with a gust of wind which punched the champion, Hatori blasted the ice around his body and sent the shards to Nandan. Nandan shivered and grunted in pain, as many ice shards struck his airborne body. Stabbing his staff in the direction of Hatori before he fell to the ground, Nandan caused the upheaval of the ground, and many rocks pummeled Hatori¡¯s body, while the earth tossed him around like a rag doll. Hatori is unable to find his feet, so he slowly starts to hover and then flies into the sky. Nandan is not worried by his flight, he has many ways to bring him down from the skies. But before he can think of using the wind spells to slam Hatori to the ground, he is snared in chains, and he is lifted into the sky himself. Nandan thought that Hatori would channel electricity through these chains, as it was his old trick. But instead, Hatori conjures another cloud, which bombards Nandan with multiple lightning strikes. When he regained his consciousness, and his hearing, Nandan felt pain throughout his body, while he was buried in the ground. Hatori¡¯s soft footsteps feel like thunder to his tenderized ears. ¡°Consider yourself lucky. I redirected most of the lightning. If you would have survived that last attack, I would have used the positive lightning.¡± He said to him. ¡°Dammit. When did that kid surpass me?¡± asked Nandan in a feeble tone. ¡°When you helped him for the first time, so he will not have to spend the night outside in the rain.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Let¡¯s take you home.¡± Hatori notices the damage to the area, and some people peeking through their windows nearby. He listened to their whispers and winced. They are talking, thinking as if the war has restarted. He knows that the matter will reach Avinash, and he will get a tongue-lashing. But he doesn¡¯t care about that. The fight was great. Dropping Nandan at his house, and after explaining to Mister Shyam why is he in such bad shape, Hatori comes back to the house.

Part 2.

As Hatori predicted, the news of the duel does reach Avinash. ¡°And the worst part is, they started to fight right there, without even any consideration!¡± wailed the man. ¡°There, there. I will give him a tongue-lashing.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°He will be coming to the event held for the war veterans, I¡¯ll let him know what a great mistake he committed.¡± ¡°Thank you, your majesty.¡± Said the man, going away sniffing and wiping his tears. Avinash shakes his head. People can¡¯t even tolerate some explosions these days. The damage was already repaired by Hatori¡¯s yantras, which were mostly on his property anyway. No farms or houses were harmed, and yet they felt it necessary to come to him and complain. Still, he cannot let powerful mages fight among themselves whenever they like. He must caution Nandan and Hatori both for this and also others. If they are feeling frisky, then go fight somewhere isolated, like an island for example. No one would come to complain to him from there.

Part 3.

Hatori is relaxing in the pool of Yaksha. Though he is not injured, the water of the pool is good for the body and has a soothing effect on the muscles. This is important, given Hatori¡¯s demanding regime of training, which he still continues to do. Many people think that he should relax, but he scoffed at their suggestion. The war might be over, but he could still end up in a tangle of his own. Besides, magic is a demanding discipline. It should be respected, and it rewards those who work hard. Hatori also has learned the name of Yaksha, which happens to be Yaksha. He learned this when the control of Zeko¡¯s property was transferred to him. ¡°That is so strange,¡± he said to the spirit. ¡°It is like calling a human ¡®Human¡¯.¡± ¡°Well, I didn¡¯t have anyone who could advise me on a name.¡± said the watery spirit. ¡°Are you going for the veteran¡¯s event?¡± ¡°Unfortunately.¡± Sighed Hatori. ¡°When will I get my isolated lab?¡± This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. ¡°At this rate, probably never.¡± Said the spirit. Hatori splashed some water at him in response, but the spirit just laughed, which sounded like the flow of a stream. As he got ready to leave, Hatori worked hard to make himself look presentable. He refuses to wear anything resembling a tie, the very suggestion is treated with the hostility it deserves. Instead, he is going with a simple blue shirt, black pants, and blue shoes. That is the limited knowledge he has about the clothes, so he prefers to wear dull and subdued colors. He has no bag with him since he carries everything in the runes in his arms. Recently, he expanded his limits, and if certain experiments yielded positive results, he would expand the limits even further. ¡°Bye now,¡± said Yaksha, coming out of his pool to escort Hatori to the doors. ¡°Bye.¡± Said Hatori, waving back to the spirit. He then sored away and continued to fly until he reached the airport. Landing in an out-of-the-way spot, Hatori goes inside the ship and takes his booked seat. He would have taken this trip in a car, but the City of Throne is far, and he will never reach it in time with a car.

Part 3.

Josh is at the party, meeting with people, and exchanging words with them. Hatori is a bit late, though he does arrive after fifteen minutes. His towering form can be easily seen in the crowd, much like himself, since he is even taller than him. One advantage of such a big height is that people clear your way quite quickly. Therefore, Josh can reach Hatori first and greet him. ¡°You¡¯re late.¡± He said by the way of the greeting. ¡°Rood. You do know how far is my home.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Yes, why don¡¯t you settle in the castle then?¡± asked Raven, appearing to Hatori¡¯s right. ¡°Because I don¡¯t want to,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Drop the topic, or I¡¯ll turn this into my kind of party.¡± ¡°You mean full of mayhem and death.¡± Said Shin. ¡°You have a violin. Are you giving a performance today?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Yes, I am,¡± Shin said. Before they can talk further, they are all surrounded by a crowd who wish to speak with Hatori. With Josh by his side, Hatori greets and speaks a few words with everyone, but their attempt to curry favor from him is annoying him to no end. It is not clear to see this from his expression, but Josh can easily see this in his body language. He is constantly twitching his hands as if restraining himself from casting a spell after speaking with someone. Though Hatori relaxes when he speaks with a magical expert of some kind. Though Josh is aware that these experts are just as dangerous as politicians, and Hatori is not a stranger to this fact, he is still amazed by how relaxed Hatori is when talking to them. Josh could not stay by Hatori¡¯s side all the time; he had his own politicking to do. As much as Hatori may hate it, he excels at this kind of work.

Part 5.

Much like other mages of their Academy days, Kangana is also attending this party. Though she saw Hatori¡¯s arrival and felt satisfaction in how he handled the public since she was the one who trained him, back when she was inexperienced, she did not see him anymore. He appeared near the tables loaded with food and disappeared once again. She sensed around and found a familiar magical signature. She may not be as good as Hatori in sensing magic, but she has developed her ability during the war. Ignoring the ward, Kangana enters in the small area, where Hatori is eating alone. ¡°What a sad sight.¡± She said, looking down upon him with her arms crossed. ¡°There is a lively crowd out there, and yet here you are, sitting here in isolation.¡± Hatori didn¡¯t say anything until he was done chewing. ¡°You do know that I have my limits regarding such events, right?¡± he asked her. At her nod, he continues. ¡°Well, when people try to get yantras off of me for cheap, that is where the limit is. I might be willing to do this for cheap for my friends and for the king, but not for them.¡± ¡°You¡¯re not a businessman,¡± said Kangana, shaking her head. ¡°I never said that I was one,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Neither was Zeko, even though he handled his accounting books by himself.¡± ¡°Fine. Not a businessman. But why can¡¯t you eat with your friends?¡± asked Kangana. ¡°I think everyone is spread out. I doubt they would like me to brood on their table.¡± Grumbled Hatori. ¡°Josh will immediately jump on my case.¡± ¡°No, he won¡¯t,¡± said Kangana. ¡°Seriously, get up from here. We are all busy adults; we don¡¯t have time to socialize like we used to. It is no time for you to hide like this.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°You are lucky that I listen to you.¡± ¡°Trust me, I count my lucky stars for that every day.¡± said Kangana. She is under no illusion that if Hatori flips out in rage, then she will not be able to stop him. She would be akin to roadkill, nothing more than that.

Part 6.

Hatori is taking a drunk Raven to his room. After the party, most guests are smashed and are in no condition to travel. Therefore, they are staying in the castle. Hatori and James are a few of the mages who actually modify their bodies to resist the effects of the alcohol, and after seeing everyone¡¯s state, Hatori is glad for it. ¡°And I send them all to their death.¡± Sobbed Raven. ¡°I couldn¡¯t even save Master Sundar. Others must hate me for it.¡± Turns out, behind the strategist, lies this sad man, who is still not over the war. ¡°Easy there,¡± said Hatori, trying to console Raven as best as he could. ¡°No one blames you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t leave me,¡± said Raven, grasping Hatori¡¯s hands, as he was put in the bed by him. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I won¡¯t,¡± he said to him. ¡®Until you fall asleep that is.¡¯ he added in his head. He is glad for his modifications. he will never have to give up his mental control, and he also gets to enjoy the unique taste of alcohol. Truly, not many people understand this luxury. Plus, no liver damage at all, and no waking up with a headache in the morning either. ¡®You all are going to regret this party the next day.¡¯ smirked Hatori, as Raven finally went to sleep. ¡®Let¡¯s hope the nightmares won¡¯t bother you tonight.¡¯

Part 7.

That party was held 20 years ago. Since then, the mage dimension has remained largely peaceful, and Hatori¡¯s life has changed a lot. Apart from creating yantras, and doing research on the runes, he has played a huge role in upgrading the electricity supply of the Subcontinent. Though unlike others, he never had a particular job, or one single work. He brought Ravina and Daphne to meet his parents, and he thought they were shocked at first. After all, a man bringing two women to meet his family is unheard of. But both women get along with his mother, and whenever they talk, Hatori and Karan hide in a room, cowering with each burst of laughter. Meeting them brought his mother a new life. She managed to live for ten years after that but passed away when Hatori reached his fortieth birthday. His father also died two years later. Now, Hatori is here, ready to use the house of his childhood to spread the influence of magic in this world. Chapter 236 Chapter 236.

Part 1.

As he returns to his childhood home, Daphne and Ravina also come with him. Their children follow in their footsteps. Given that Hatori is fifty years old by this point, some might consider that he actually had children very late in his life. But by the standard of magi, he and his partners are at the correct age. If they like, they can have more children later. Besides, Hatori does not look fifty. His training has kept him young. ¡°Alright, listen up!¡± he said, and all the children lined up with his command. ¡°I am out to inspect the nearby area, and then I have a meeting. Do not bother your mothers, and do not wander off. Magic is nothing but a fairytale here. If you are caught, they will burn you alive. Is that clear?¡± ¡°Clear!¡± said the children, suitably terrified. ¡°Hatori!¡± said Daphne. ¡°You can¡¯t threaten the children like that!¡± ¡°I just did.¡± He smirked and disappeared. Daphne shakes her head. ¡°I do hope he won¡¯t scar them for life,¡± she grumbled to Ravina, while the children explored the house. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. He hasn¡¯t done that,¡± said Ravina. ¡°Yet.¡± ¡°You fail to console me,¡± said Daphne drily. ¡°Hey, I found the room of our grandfather!¡± the rest of the children rush to that room after hearing that. Sushima is the eldest child of Hatori. Usually, it takes both of his mothers to keep him under control. he is always causing trouble, he either bothers his younger siblings, pulling pranks on them, enraging them enough that they gang up on him and come after him, or tries to tamper with the runes he has learned already. Though he does like to make fun of his siblings, he is protective of them as well. The warning from his father sounded serious. He is certain that no one will burn them for using magic outside, but just in case, he decides to take this seriously and prevent his siblings from leaving. ¡°Look, so many books!¡± ¡°Grandfather was a lawyer.¡± Said Sushima. ¡°I hear they have to read a lot.¡± ¡°Boring.¡± They all grumbled. They go out on the porch to see the surrounding area. It is a rather desolate area, with abandoned houses, and only a few people visible here and there. Sushima could not believe that his father spent his childhood in such an area. The house of their grandfather is nice, but everything else around it is not in the best shape. ¡®It must be a great area though.¡¯ he thinks. His thoughts are interrupted by his mother calling to him. Apparently, it is lunchtime. Deciding that it is none of his concern, Sushima goes to the dining room to receive lunch from their mothers.

Part 2.

Hatori arrives at the office of the mayor. In India, the mayor of a city is not that powerful, but given what Hatori wants to do, it is a perfect position to target. Low enough that no one will take notice, and high enough that it has some authority in the city. Naturally, if he tries to meet the politician through an appointment, he will be laughed out of the office by the receptionist. But he used magic to get around this problem. He found out the time when the man was alone in his office, and after making himself invisible, he arrived in the office. He senses around for any magic just in case, before putting some spells to guard against potential intrusion in the meeting he is about to have. To start the meeting, he barged into the room loudly, startling the politician, and for the maximum shock, Hatori made himself visible just when the mayor almost composed himself. Finding his rather tall form with abnormal-looking eyes standing in his office glaring down upon him is stressing the man out, the fact that Hatori summoned a chair from nowhere and sat down also increased his shock. Hatori looks at the available chairs in the office for the guests. They are not very comfortable, not to mention, no spinning features either. Besides, a man of his size does need a big chair to comfortably sit down. ¡°Hello there.¡± smiled Hatori. After all, a smile is meant to put people at ease, so they will do what you want them to do. That is of course, when the smile is not like a monster who is about to eat you alive. ¡°Hello.¡± Gasped the man. He has no other choice. This guy snuck into his office, and no one stopped him. The alarm is not working, and all his methods to summon the security have failed. The only thing he can now hope is that this demon will spare his life. ¡°Excellent! You are already exchanging greetings with me. We are to a great start, don¡¯t you think?¡± said Hatori, still keeping his dangerous smile. ¡°Ye¡ªyes.¡± said the mayor, not sure where this is going. ¡°Good.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°The next step,¡± he suddenly summoned a small booklet, ¡°Is to introduce each other. That is simple enough. Ahem. My name is Hatori Eagle, I am an S-rank mage, currently serving King Avinash in various capacities, along with having a side business of supplying machines.¡± Hatori would have used the word yantra, but he changed at the last moment. These people will not understand it here. Yantra is nothing but an obscure Sanskrit word here, used to refer to the strange charms that would bring you good luck, but does nothing aside from taking money from the superstitious fools. ¡°O--- okay?¡± the mayor is not sure how to react with this info. Who is Avinash, he is the king of where? He has never heard about any king in India. And what is the S-rank? ¡°You are supposed to introduce yourself.¡± Said Hatori. Now, the mayor was getting angry. But he decides to humor this strange man. ¡°I am Naresh Saini, the mayor of this city.¡± He puffed up, trying to look threatening from his chair. Given the size difference between them, he only managed to amuse Hatori. ¡°Good. now, we can proceed to the next point in the list.¡± Said Hatori, flipping the page. ¡°I believe a demonstration is in order.¡± He makes himself invisible. ¡°I am a mage; I have powers of magic. I can bend the reality to my will.¡± Hatori turns the desk of the mayor into a crocodile, and the man has to jump away with a yelp. ¡°I can assure you; these are not hallucinations.¡± Said Hatori, appearing behind the mayor, and helping him to sit down in his chair once his desk is turned into a normal wooden desk. ¡°Where are you from?¡± asked Naresh, after regaining his composure. ¡°I have never heard about this king of yours.¡± ¡°We live in a different dimension.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Initially, we used to live here, but the mages got annoyed with the constant wars, so they decided to create a copy of Earth. Of course, then they decided to have their own war. In fact, there have been five world wars so far, and the fifth one was concluded twenty years ago. I was a participant in that one.¡± ¡°What are you. A demon? A Jinn¡ª¡± Hatori¡¯s laughter stopped Naresh from asking any further questions. ¡°I am sorry, it is so amusing to hear those questions. No. I am a human. Didn¡¯t you hear me? Mages were living in this world. They are humans with magical powers.¡± said Hatori. ¡°Then what, don¡¯t tell me only a select few can use this power?¡± asked Naresh. This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report. ¡°No. Though you need training if you want to learn how to use it,¡± said Hatori. ¡°In fact, I used to live in this world. However, due to some infuriating circumstances, I was teleported to the other side. I lived there for twenty years, before returning here twenty years ago.¡± ¡°Okay, fine.¡± Said Naresh. ¡°But what do you want from me?¡± Hatori smiled. ¡°We reached this point sooner than I thought.¡± He spoke. ¡°I want you to put this entire area under me.¡± Hatori gives him the map, where his house is located, and the area he wants is surrounded by a red circle. ¡°That is just a slum.¡± Said Naresh. ¡°I have been trying to do something with that area, but it has resulted in nothing. To think it was such a posh location fifty years ago.¡± He then turns to Hatori. ¡°What will I get in return?¡± the cunning of a politician has returned to Naresh¡¯s eyes, and he is no longer as afraid as he once was. After all, exchanges, demands, and favors, he understands this way of life. ¡°Why, I will help you in reaching beyond this city.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t tell me that you have the ambitions of remaining a mayor your entire life? Don¡¯t you want to go beyond this?¡± ¡°I do.¡± Said Naresh. ¡°But how? You know what, never mind. I don¡¯t want to know. Just tell me. Can you help me in the coming elections?¡± ¡°Yes,¡± said Hatori. ¡°That is easily done. First, we will make a list of your opponents, and then I will murder them one by one¡ª¡± ¡°No!¡± the mayor denied hotly. ¡°Not that way. I want to win by votes, do you understand?¡± ¡°Oh. Fine. In that case, you have to follow this plan.¡± Said Hatori, giving him a list. ¡°Ignore whatever your party instructs you. You have to put yourself in the front of public, present yourself as a leader, even if you have to undermine someone.¡± ¡°What if they come after me?¡± asked Naresh. ¡°Then I¡¯ll protect you,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Here. Wear this ring all the time. It will shield you from the bullets. This is, of course, the most basic protection. I will give you more of such items if you agree to deal with me to protect you from not only physical assaults but magic as well.¡± Hatori will never give him any item that could protect Naresh from himself. He conveniently left that out. ¡°Then we have a deal.¡± Said Naresh. ¡°This entire area I will put under you. In return, give me a win during this election, and help me reach beyond this city.¡± ¡°Then it is a deal. Nice to meet you, Naresh Saini.¡± Said Hatori, getting up from his chair and making it disappear. ¡°Nice to meet you as well, Hatori Eagle.¡± Both of them eyed each other like two sharks circling each other before Hatori turned around and left the office. He also took down those spells used to stop people from paying any attention to what was going on in the office and interrupt Hatori¡¯s discussion with the mayor. By the time Hatori got back, the kids and his partners were both gone. The area is under his control, though the documentation for it will take some time. But he can start with something he has been putting off for a while. Making a circle, he channels some magic into it. A floating spirit appears in this circle, which looks like his father, and his mother from certain angles. ¡°So. How long since you were formed here?¡± he asked this spirit. ¡°I believe it has been close to thirty years at least.¡± the spirit answered. ¡°Though I wasn¡¯t powerful enough to fully manifest, or exert my will.¡± ¡°Until now,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Until now.¡± agreed the spirit. ¡°Tell you what, I will connect you with the wards around here, and then you can anchor yourself through them. In return, I want you to manage everything for me. Is that acceptable?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I am the spirit of this house.¡± Said the spirit. ¡°It is my purpose to serve my master. What is your command?¡± ¡°Well, for now, I want you to take over everything, and automate everything. Rest we can discuss later.¡± ¡°Very well.¡± the spirit disbursed after this conversation, and Hatori checked off another item from his list. Once he gets everything set up, he will give complete access to the spirit. It will serve the same purpose the central yantra serves in his own house in the mage world.

Part 3.

¡°Overall,¡± said Josh, concluding his report, ¡°We are doing fine, and the manufacturing has improved. Though we do have to pay attention to the services.¡± ¡°Excellent.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Do you have anything to add, Raven?¡± ¡°Not much.¡± said the general. ¡°There are a few pockets of resistance. They have gotten bolder in the last five years, but for now, I can keep them down.¡± ¡°Keep them contained. We are interacting with the other races more; we can¡¯t have them causing us trouble.¡± Said the king. ¡°Don¡¯t worry.¡± Said Raven. ¡°Between me and Suresh, we have everything under control.¡± ¡°Good. meanwhile, I¡¯ve heard from Hatori. he has taken the first step for our plan.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Apparently, it has gone well.¡± Josh has a horrified expression. ¡°Let¡¯s hope he didn¡¯t murder someone.¡± ¡°Not for now,¡± said Avinash. ¡°Apparently, the politician was unusually easy to deal with. He didn¡¯t have to use any threats.¡± ¡°I would have loved to see that live.¡± Smirked Raven. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t,¡± said Josh.

Part 4.

Shin receives a letter from Daphne. She has invited him and Lavanya to see Hatori¡¯s renovated house in the other world. He does have time since he is done with his tour, and he also has no project to work with either. ¡°Lavanya, do you have time?¡± he asked. ¡°Why?¡± Shin gives her the letter as an answer to her question. After reading it, she replies. ¡°Yes, I do have some time. I think we should go.¡± ¡°Good. I haven¡¯t seen his world that much,¡± said Shin. ¡°I doubt you will be allowed to explore.¡± Said Lavanya. ¡°Eh, just try to stop me,¡± he said with a smirk.

Part 5.

With the final rune, Hatori channels the magic. The new dimension comes into existence. It is filled with huge landmasses, as well as oceans. It is anchored in the area of Hatori¡¯s home and the surrounding area. Currently, the oceans and the land are empty. But soon, it will be filled with flora and fauna. Especially fauna. ¡®This should be interesting. I can¡¯t wait to populate the area.¡¯ Thinks Hatori. ¡®Especially with prehistoric creatures.¡¯ The wards alert him to someone entering the area, and Hatori goes to the door to greet the mayor. The politician has come here to meet him secretly. ¡°You do have the plan, don¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Yes. I¡¯ve already implemented some of it. though some people are angry with me, they are saying that I am wasting the city¡¯s budget.¡± Explained Naresh. ¡°Ignore them,¡± said Hatori. ¡°They will be quiet when you win.¡± ¡°Sure. I am already doing better in the poles.¡± Said Naresh, quite happy to see those results. ¡°True. But don¡¯t get overconfident. Also, don¡¯t rely on poles too much. Voters don¡¯t reveal their true feelings in them anyway.¡± said Hatori. ¡°You¡¯re right. I¡¯ll go and implement the next step.¡± Said the mayor. ¡°I think it is highlighting my achievements, and doing big events to win their approval.¡± ¡°You are going in the right direction.¡± Said Hatori, and bid him goodbye. Chapter 237 Chapter 237.

Part 1.

Shin is watching the nearby slum, while one house is standing pristine, as if the nearby progress of time has never touched it. ¡°I can¡¯t think of what you want with this entire area.¡± ¡°Come with me,¡± said Hatori, leaving his partners with Lavanya and their children to mingle, while he takes Shin at the back of the house. They then enter into a room, which turns out to be a portal. They are then deposited into a different dimension, where various habitations are in the process of forming. ¡°This is exactly why I needed this entire area. The whole thing is anchored here. Many current and previous habitats are being created here currently, and once they are complete, I will put both plants and animals in them.¡± said Hatori. ¡°How much did it cost you?¡± asked Shin. ¡°Not much,¡± said Hatori. ¡°The mayor was happy to take the permanently conjured gold. The families who owned these properties were happy to get rid of them since they had been trying to sell their houses for years. In fact, some of them got a better deal than what they were expecting.¡± ¡°Of course. Though for us, it is not a matter of overpaying.¡± Said Shin. ¡°What you are doing here, is going to give you massive returns. Though not financially.¡± ¡°True. Though I do have plans to get those returns as well, selling the nearby area is not one of them,¡± said Hatori.

Part 2.

Naresh is enjoying his victory. His opponents dismissed him. and despite the early poles favoring him, he was consistently shown losing by the end of the elections. However, the strategy which Hatori provided him worked in his favor. He toned down the bombastic promotion once he realized that it was not working. Instead, he actually went in public to meet with them as a normal person, without his guards or causing massive traffic jams. He strategically opened his low-key moments, such as going grocery shopping, giving the people another way to connect with him. All of that paid off, and he has secured his office. The party is considering promoting him to the position of member of parliament in the future, which would be a huge step forward for him and his ambitions. A commotion outside of his office attracts his attention. He gets up and goes out to see what is happening there. He blanched when he saw that his security was trying to throw out Hatori, though they were clearly failing to budge him, even though they outnumbered him. ¡°Stop!¡± he orders. ¡°Stop, I say. He is a welcome man. Let him come inside.¡± ¡°Sorry sir,¡± said the guards, ¡°We didn¡¯t know.¡± ¡°That is fine.¡± Said Hatori with a smile. ¡°It is good that your security is so dedicated. You should reward them.¡± ¡°I will.¡± Said Naresh, ushering Hatori inside of his office. ¡°Here, have some sweets, to celebrate my victory.¡± ¡°Likewise.¡± Said Hatori, giving him a pack of sweets which he brought for Naresh. ¡°Congratulations, you have done quite well,¡± said Hatori, after eating a piece of sweet given to him by the mayor. ¡°All because of you,¡± he said. ¡°Nah, I just gave you ideas. You did the rest.¡± Said Hatori. He was not the one to come up with those ideas. Josh created the entire plan, and Hatori merely delivered it to him. ¡°But don¡¯t be too happy. Remember the goals I discussed with you? You need to reach for a hire position. That is the way we will both get what we want.¡± ¡°That is correct. I look forward to our future.¡± Said Naresh. ¡°So am I,¡± said Hatori. he then took his leave from the newly won mayor, and left for his house once again.

Part 3.

Sushima is smiling. He cannot get enough of the complaints and whining coming from the other side of the ground. His father told the teachers that he should not be given any leniency, or else he would get a big head. That conversation got leaked among the students, and the young bullies decided that it would be a great idea to teach a lesson or two to the son of the City Destroyer. After all, if they establish their fear within his heart now, he will never mess with them when they reach the Academy. Ignoring their attempts to make him angry, he increased their bubble of anger until it finally burst. In front of the entire school, they attacked him and beat him up physically. While they did receive punishments from the teachers, Sushima wanted to take his own revenge. He carefully observed their schedule, and after ambushing them one by one, he removed their clothes and hung them upside down in the tall trees of their school ground. Unlike them, he was not stupid enough to attack them in public, so even though they claimed that he was the one who attacked them, no one believed their word. After all, he was beaten by them in public a few days ago. Why would he do that? No matter what the adults think. The kids know that Sushima is behind this, and from now on, they look at him with fear. ¡®Mission accomplished.¡¯ He smirked to himself. ¡®I shouldn¡¯t boast too much though. If mother and father learned about this¡­¡¯ he shivered. The lecture would be long and painful.

Part 4.

By the time Hatori returns, everyone else is gone. But there is a new guest in his house. ¡°So. How do you like it?¡± asked Hatori to James, who was surveying the nearby area. ¡°It will be a terrifying experience to approach this area once you get done with all the wards.¡± Said James. ¡°That is the plan.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But I am not here to show you this. Come inside, I have a surprise that I am sure you will enjoy.¡± ¡°Really?¡± asked James, going inside with Hatori. Once again, Hatori goes into the room after which he is teleported to his newly created dimension. James is impressed by looking at the habitats. ¡°Looks like some of them are close to completing.¡± He said after looking at and comparing their progress. ¡°Yeah. The areas around rivers and oceans are easy, though anything beyond gets difficult. But still, it all will be worth it.¡± said Hatori. ¡°The only step will be to actually bring life samples, both micro and macro.¡± Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. ¡°Do you plan to send some of the plants and animal parts as ingredients?¡± asked James. ¡°Sure, why not?¡± agreed Hatori. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll give you a friendly discount. Don¡¯t share that with others though.¡± ¡°Never.¡± Said James. Hatori and James both go out of the house and arrive at the portal to the Mage Dimension. After that, they both go their separate ways. Hatori goes to his house in the Mage world, thinking whether he could merge the two houses across dimensions. While he does not mind having one house on each side to live in, eventually, he would like to have one specific base of operation, that happens to be his place of living as well. That is of course, especially after the kids have grown. He is just beginning to imagine the kind of trouble they would cause once grown up, that he is suddenly attacked. ¡°What the hell, Altan?¡± asked Hatori, shielding himself with a spell that created a dome around him and protected him from the spells of the man standing in front of him. Altan is the new head of the Institute of Magecraft and Sorcery, and he is aware of their plans. Unfortunately, he is attacking Hatori, and he does not know why is he doing that. At least he is not doing this on his property. The damage could be extensive. Not that it would survive for long if the fight goes on longer. ¡°I must test your resolve.¡± He said and continued to attack, breaching Hatori¡¯s shield. Hatori retaliated with his own spells, and Altan shielded himself as well. Showing his proficiency with the fociless magic, Altan shields with one hand, and attacks with the other hand. Of course, Hatori is no slouch in this field either. He cast spells to move and shake the ground, and Altan lost his footing. But he has bigger trouble coming from the ground. Mainly, the rock that is climbing over his legs slowly, rooting him on the spot. Hatori smirked and blasted him into the sky with a combined wind and lightning spell, and Altan had to shield himself with both hands to avoid blowing into pieces from that spell. Once he crashes to the ground, he shatters the rock covering his lower half and glares at Hatori. ¡°It is clear to me that your resolve is strong. Very well, I will help you with your operations as much as I can,¡± he said. Hatori blasted him once again, this time sending him flying far enough that he was nothing but a twinkle in the sky. ¡°How is that for a resolve, you asshole?¡± Later, when Kalicharan visits him, Hatori tells him the entire incident. ¡°Hahahahahaha! Even after you surpassed the module, you can¡¯t get a break.¡± The old man is quite amused. Hatori ignores the laughter at his expense and asks him the question for which he spoke to him a few days ago. ¡°Are you willing to help me out with the project? It has been a while since you asked for some time to think about it.¡± Kalicharan stops laughing and rubs his hands eagerly. ¡°Of course. Besides, I don¡¯t have anything better to do anyway.¡± Munshi has retired from being an active necromancer. He has gone to the Academy to become an adviser there. But Kalicharan did not like the Academic life, the ruthless backstabbing, and politics. So, he has decided to not go there, even though he was offered the position of a professor. ¡°I am sure your project will keep me engaged.¡± Said Kalicharan. ¡°I do need that, or my mind will decline even faster than it is already.¡± ¡°The time in the isolation did a number on you, didn¡¯t it?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°The same can be said for you as well,¡± said Kalicharan. ¡°I know you still get nightmares about it.¡± ¡°Ravina told you this, didn¡¯t she?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°She is a kind woman, looking out for your interest. Though why would she come to me is baffling.¡± Said Kalicharan. ¡°Probably because she thought that given our similar experiences, we might be able to support each other.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Women.¡± They both said together. ¡°They have a strange way of thinking.¡± ¡°Speaking of which, where are they now?¡± asked Kalicharan. ¡°They have taken their kids to meet their grandparents.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I need to go and meet them in the City of Tools.¡± ¡°Then don¡¯t let me keep you,¡± said Kalicharan. ¡°Not so fast.¡± Said Hatori. he summons some notes, and puts them on the table. ¡°I would like it if you take a look through these, and point out the flaws and mistakes.¡± ¡°Already starting with the task?¡± asked Kalicharan. ¡°Fine. I don¡¯t have anything to do better.¡± he sits down, while Hatori leaves. In reality, Hatori wanted him to stay here a bit longer. Living in his condition alone is not good for his health. ¡®Look who is thinking like that. the reality is, I might end up living like him in my own old age.¡¯ Shaking his head at this rather depressing thought, Hatori leaves for the City of Tools. When Hatori arrives, he has to give an explanation to Daphne. ¡°Sorry dear,¡± he said with a sheepish smile. ¡°I had to meet with a politician, show off to Shin and James, and then I got attacked near our house by Altan.¡± ¡°Please tell me you did not murder the head of the institute?¡± asked Daphne, the anger from his lateness forgotten. ¡°Nah, he is still alive,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Anyway, then Kalicharan showed up.¡± ¡°Okay, fine. You have a busy week. but you should pay more attention to your family, your children need you at this stage of their lives.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Of course.¡± Said Hatori. Once Daphne leaves, David gives Hatori a sympathetic look. ¡°Such as the life of a man,¡± he said to Hatori. ¡°To get squished between the family and work.¡± Hatori agreed with David. ¡°Anyway, thanks for inviting us.¡± ¡°Not a problem son.¡± Said David. ¡°Though one thing I don¡¯t understand. Why do you treat me so well?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Because you treat my daughter well,¡± said David. ¡°And of course, because you are rich, and might become even richer in the future.¡± ¡°Dad, enough with the greediness! What would your grandchildren think?¡± asked Daphne, having overheard David¡¯s last comment. ¡°What, that their grandfather is so wise?¡± asked David with a smirk. ¡°No!¡± then a new lecture starts, about how money is not everything, and how children should not be brought up with such values. Chapter 238 Chapter 238.

Part 1.

Hatori¡¯s personal project is done. He also has established a great relationship with Naresh, who plans to move beyond this city. It is now time for him to take the next step in their plan, and that is to establish a school to teach magic in the area. Hatori fixed a meeting with the mayor and explained his intentions. ¡°Wouldn¡¯t it cause an uproar?¡± was his first thought after listening to this proposal. ¡°Normally, you would be correct.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°But we will not start big. At first, it will be a small effort, and later on, we will scale this further. Of course, I do think the general population will be a little bit apprehensive, but if we take this slowly, they won¡¯t cause a fuss.¡± ¡°What about the teachers though?¡± asked Naresh. ¡°Forgive me for being so blunt, but you do not strike me as someone who would have the patience to teach adults, much less children.¡± Hatori smiled. ¡°You are correct. But that is the important thing. There are qualified people on the other side, who are good at teaching. They will be the ones who will teach the students here, not me. I¡¯ll be the face of the overall operations, nothing beyond that.¡± ¡°And you would want my endorsement sooner or later?¡± asked Naresh, expecting to hear ¡°Yes¡± in the response to his question. ¡°That is true. But again, not much of a big event. We want this to spread among the people naturally, rather than force it upon them. Besides, I¡¯ve looked. There are some magic schools in the world already.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What? Where!¡± said Naresh, now alarmed. If other countries are already using magic, then they need to up their game. ¡°Relax.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Those are nothing but a bunch of cults or just meditation classes. But They will not remain like this for too long. I imagine in the next hundred or so years, they will be contacted, and other countries of the Mage Dimension will take over these schools, and use them to start their own operations.¡± ¡°But we won¡¯t be using a cult.¡± Said Naresh, warming up to the idea. ¡°We will be using a newly established school, where actual credible people will teach. Is that correct?¡± ¡°Correct.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Very well. I will send you a list of potential locations for this school, you choose which one you think is the best.¡± Said Naresh. ¡°I look forward to cutting the ribbon. I bet none of my peers ever opened something like this.¡± ¡°And they probably won¡¯t,¡± said Hatori. ¡°Remember, this entire approach is resting upon your shoulder. We have not approached anyone else so far.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯m sure our efforts will go far.¡± Said Naresh, and escorted Hatori when he got up to leave. After Hatori is done speaking with the mayor, he goes to the Mage dimension and meets with Altan there. ¡°So, the school is about to start. We just need to find a location.¡± He finishes his description of the meeting he had with Naresh. ¡°That is fine. We will have to find some good people to teach there since the Academy is unlikely to give you their professors.¡± Said Altan. ¡°Also, given the environment there, I don¡¯t think these first-time students should be exposed to them.¡± ¡°That is correct.¡± Then Hatori starts to think, and slowly, his face dawns a horrified expression. ¡°I have to interview people?¡± ¡°Hahahaha! No. I know that the only rejection you¡¯ll give is murder. Don¡¯t worry, I¡¯ll put my people on this task. You just handle the running of the school and the politics.¡± Said Altan, amused to see Hatori so scared. ¡°Yeah, that is good to hear.¡± Said Hatori.

Part 2.

It is nighttime, but Avinash is still awake. He is reading the report of Hatori. One thing he can say for certain. Hatori takes his reports seriously. There was a violent incident a few years ago when he crippled one of his fellow researchers when they made a sloppy report, and then refused to apologize and correct it. This report, however, is not about any simple research project. It is about their plans to supercharge their growth, and rather than go to the future one step at a time, rush into it head first. Avinash wants to establish his country¡¯s presence on the other side for many reasons. First, it will give them a backup if a war gets too destructive. Second, the technological developments there can give a much-needed boost to magical research, which would help them to slowly close the gap with other races. Then maybe, they could prevent what Elves did to them in the future. As a response to learning that the entire prophecy was false, Avinash has closed any research into this area, having concluded that predicting the future is best done through data and observations rather than mysterious prophecies. He is surprised at how well Hatori has managed this. He does not handle politics well. And yet, he has managed their political contact very well. Enough that they are just about to open a new school, once the location is selected. Putting the report down, Avinash goes through the scenarios that can go wrong for them at this stage. ¡®Things don¡¯t work out so easily. I¡¯m waiting for the other shoe to drop. This Naresh can also cause us a lot of problems if he decides that we cannot fulfill his ambitions, or we are not giving him his due.¡¯ This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it

Part 3.

Sushima and his sister Daphne Junior are out in the city, seeing the world from the other side. They have never seen such a huge population before, because, in the Mage Dimension, the magic-using humans do a wonderful job of controlling their population by killing each other. When they come back home, they also see some more examples of the technology from the non-magical side. Sushima and Daphne are both impressed by the computers and their capabilities. ¡°This could actually help us in the runes. Don¡¯t you think?¡± asked Sushima. ¡°Also, math.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°No more asking Uncle Josh to help us out.¡± ¡°That too.¡± Said Sushima. ¡°Though the device itself seems very complicated to build. I wonder whether we can build it through magical means?¡± They also get exposed to the human-enhancing capabilities that the decade of 2060 has to offer, but Daphne has an uneasy feeling when she sees the cyborgs for the first time. ¡°They are more yantras¡ªI mean machines than humans!¡± she exclaimed. ¡°Well, look at it this way,¡± said Sushima. ¡°They don¡¯t have magic to enhance themselves, so that is how they do it.¡± ¡°But still, where does the machine start, and human end?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°Doesn¡¯t matter.¡± Said Sushima. ¡°It is only the will that matters.¡± ¡°Now you¡¯re talking like dad.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Of course, I am. Father is wise. You clearly have to do a lot of growing up before you can recognize his wisdom.¡± Said Sushima wisely. ¡°Grow up? The short boy is telling me to grow up?¡± said Daphne, launching herself at Sushima.

Part 4.

Hatori is walking in his created dimension with Kalicharan. They are both taking notes on the revived plants and animals. They are all placed in their natural habitat, and Hatori is interested to see how will they evolve when given time over the years. ¡°Did you include the geological movements here?¡± asked Kalicharan. ¡°Yes. if things don¡¯t change and provide challenges, then they won¡¯t evolve.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Even still, the world will keep a record of them, and unless all the possibilities are exhausted, it will introduce them once again.¡± ¡°This is going to be a wet dream for many people, you know that right?¡± asked Kalicharan. ¡°I mean just look at this. I never thought I would be adding something like this to my resume.¡± ¡°Whatever.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Most people won¡¯t get access to this area. You are one of the few exceptions.¡± ¡°So harsh. If they learned of this place, they will try to take it from you,¡± warned Kalicharan. Hatori smiled. ¡°They are welcome to try.¡± Hatori walks out of the room where the teleporter to this dimension is located, and then Kalicharan leaves for his own home in the Mage Dimension. Hatori is done with his daily tasks, and Daphne and Ravina are busy with children. ¡®Looks like Sushima and Daphne are fighting once again.¡¯ Ignoring the commotion, he sets some runes to slow the time down. These are not as good as the room that was discovered by him in the Academy, but they are still enough to let him have some extra time on his hands to enjoy his favorite things. Such as all the anime Hatori never got to watch, and all the anime he watched previously, but is now watching with his own eyes. Not to mention, the games. Though given how wild the developers have gotten in the current era, Hatori mostly sticks to the older games. He plays these games on a recreated hardware, which took him a lot of research to do. It is probably not legal to play these games this way, but Hatori is amused at the thought of someone trying to drag him into the court for this offense. As he finishes the final fight in the BlazBlue Centralfiction and watches the final scenes of the story, Hatori starts to cry, and at this very moment, Ravina finds him. ¡°Oh, how cute. A grown man is crying over a story.¡± She mocked. ¡°Why don¡¯t you wipe those tears, and play with the children instead?¡± ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll go do that,¡± said Hatori, wiping the tears away, and dismantling the runes to slow the time. Maybe it is time that he introduces Sushima to the glory of BlazBlue?

Part 5.

Hatori and Ravina are entertaining Sushima and Daphne Junior outside, while Daphne is inside with Garuda, who is the youngest child of the family. ¡°Mom?¡± he asked. ¡°Did you ever meet Zeko?¡± ¡°Why do you ask?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°His pictures are everywhere, and he was close to Dad.¡± Said Garuda. ¡°Look, even in this second house, he has the pictures of him, right with grandma and grandpa.¡± ¡°I met him once or twice.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Though you must ask your father about him. I did not speak to him much.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll ask Dad.¡± Said Garuda. Looking at the clock, he compares the positions in his head and judges the time. ¡°Isn¡¯t it time for the dinner?¡± ¡°It is. Why don¡¯t you call your father and mother inside?¡± asked Daphne. ¡°I¡¯ll get them,¡± he said, before leaving. Daphne has never met Zeko, but her father was close to him, and so was her partner. He served as a second father for Hatori, who raised and trained him in the magical world. Though some of his methods were downright horrifying. Daphne and Ravina did not recognize this until they became mothers. Hatori was confused when they told him that he could not use the full power of the module for their children. Not that they minded, they do have to teach their children to protect themselves. But they do not have to use the methods of an S-rank mage or his equally dangerous student. Chapter 239 Chapter 239.

Part 1.

Hatori received the potential locations for the school a year ago. He wanted to select the best location, which would not play into the common tropes associated with magic. Those are mysterious places, difficult to approach and give a sense of danger. While he would like the students to have a healthy respect for magic and the dangers it presents, for now, Hatori wants it to be approachable. Meaning, that the school must look modern. None of that ancient castle bullshit. It must be safe, for the people have different expectations regarding the danger of education on the other side. Of course, it must also be located in a place where there is a lot of population because no one will come to learn in some building out of nowhere. And thus, he chooses one of the areas in the center of the city. The property was quickly acquired, and after a quick demolition, a new building was created. Naresh was amazed to see how fast the construction was with magic. If they would have skipped the setting of the wards, they would have been done even quicker. But Hatori wanted the safety-related wards installed, and everything to be operational from day one. The mayor also agreed with his thinking, since presenting a half-complete school will not give them the best reputation in the minds of the public. Now that the school is complete, Naresh inspects it, while the opening ceremony is about to start in the ceremonial hall. ¡°It looks bigger than the size of the land.¡± He observed. ¡°It is,¡± said Hatori. ¡°We expanded the size through magic. While the building is taking the same space as you allotted us, it is much bigger inside compared to outside.¡± Before this opening ceremony, they did some promotion, inviting the children and adults alike to learn within this school. The fee was very low, so a lot of people showed up. After Naresh gives his speech and cuts the ribbon, the politician takes his leave, and Hatori takes center stage. His huge height, strange-looking eyes, and rather confident posture immediately cause the murmurs. The fact that he is the founder of this school is also causing people to look at him. ¡°Welcome. Welcome everyone, to this fine institute of learning. You are its very first students. In a way, you are all going to be the part of its history, the most important part that is its beginning.¡± Hatori notes their reaction. So far, they are listening to him with rapt attention. ¡°I am Hatori Eagle, and I was the one who approached our mayor with the idea of opening this school. Let me give you some examples of the feet you will be able to accomplish after going through our training.¡± Hatori shows them his empty palms, and after they all realize it is empty, he conjures a cup of water and takes a drink from it. ¡°Delicious.¡± This made everyone chuckle. ¡°Of course, you also will be able to do this.¡± He focused on the nearby chair, and it turned into a futon. Originally, he wanted to do another animal transformation, but after seeing the alarm of the mayor in their first meeting, he decides not to use that example. That way, the audience will not panic. ¡°Of course, these are just a few possibilities before you. But before you can start performing this kind of magic, you have to learn how to wield it, control it, and the mental focus necessary for the previous two tasks. In this learning journey, you will be assisted by these professors.¡± Said Hatori, pointing to them one by one. ¡°Professor Kedareshwari will teach you meditation and mental focus. Professor Raman will teach you how to accomplish basic feats of magic, once you learn the focus. This would involve basic tasks like levitating small objects, changing their colors, and other such simple examples. Professor Varun will teach you the advanced portions of the magic, once you master the focus and basics. For now, most of your classes are going to be with Professor Kedarishwari and her assistants, so you can learn the proper focus. Other two professors will take notes, and refine the curriculum for the future by observing your progress. I wish you all the luck in your journey, and I hope you will enjoy learning what this new discipline has to offer you.¡± said Hatori, walking off the stage with the applause of the audience. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. The speech went better than he hoped, and now they are all going into their first classes. He will walk around invisibly to observe their progress and see how the professors adapt to this different environment and different way of life. After ten minutes of waiting, Hatori determines that everyone must be in their flow by now. So, he walks outside of the different classrooms while being invisible to observe the reactions. So far, people are still treating this to be some new technology or new innovation, rather than an ancient force that Humanity has used for a long time now. The adults and kids are meditating, and various parents are discussing that they will bring their children here, so they can acquire better focus. Even if they don¡¯t end up becoming great magicians. At that last remark, Hatori winced and nearly barged into the class to tell how they were not mere magicians. They do not perform tricks for a circle. They have the power to alter the rules of the universe itself at their fingertips. But he restrains himself, while a voice in his head which sounds like Zeko congratulates him for his improved patience. Hatori is certain that all these assumptions will be broken once they start to utilize magic for themselves.

Part 2.

Avinash gets another report from Hatori about the start of the school. The opening was successful, and there were no problems encountered. The king breathes a sigh of relief. The results of this school will start to show up in five years, after that, Avinash plans to open the trade with the other side. Together with their technological achievements, he wants to keep the local threats in check, and also increase their standing among the galactic races, so the bullshit Elves pulled off with them will never happen again. But until then, they all must wait patiently.

Part 3.

After a few days, Hatori goes to meet Naresh. The first week of the school has gone without any trouble, so he wanted to speak with the mayor about this. Naresh is happy to hear about the successful first week. ¡°But I wanted to ask, aren¡¯t there any stresses from your side?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Maybe some political pressure, some unhappy elements?¡± ¡°Maybe in some other state or city. But not here,¡± said Naresh. ¡°This area never had too many conservative elements to begin with. And besides, even if there was some, I am more than capable of handling it. What we have discussed and planned; a few gray hairs are nothing in comparison.¡± ¡°Indeed. Though I¡¯ll let you know, you won¡¯t look good with gray hair.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Ha! The technology has progressed you know. We can maintain the lush color of our hair for a long time now.¡± said the mayor, running a hand through his head. ¡°Hail the mighty technology.¡± Said Hatori.

Part 4.

Sushima is meditating, trying to speak with the crow in his lap telepathically. He is determined to master this trick. He has seen how useful this can be with his father, and he wants to master this before his time in the Academy starts, which would be a year from now. His father has prepared him well to face any challenges in the advanced school of magic. He repeatedly warned him that due to his exploits, he would be targeted, so he must be ready to face that. His siblings will start showing up after him in the Academy as well, so he must look after them as well since they would also become targets. Given how he tends to cause havoc and chaos wherever he goes, his mothers are always surprised at how calm Sushima can be sometimes. Of course, this piece is disrupted as his younger siblings stomp in the room, startling him, and making the crow caw in panic until Sushima calmed him down. Putting the chick on his perch, he goes after them. ¡°Can¡¯t a guy train in peace!¡± he fired fociless Stingers at them, much to his annoyance, all of them were dodged. ¡°How will you survive in the Academy with such a poor aim?¡± that remark from Daphne just angered him more, so he goes after his sister with vengeance. ¡°I¡¯ll show you my aim alright.¡± He muttered, aiming at her hair, and turning them into white. ¡°Whaaaaat!¡± Daphne screeched, and this time, Sushima was the one who was fleeing. Chapter 240 Chapter 240.

Part 1.

It has been six months since the school started. Hatori has left the school operation to the people in charge. Still, he observes the activities going on in the school from time to time. He always ensures that he is invisible when he comes to the school, to not disturb the ongoing classes. It is fun to spy upon the professors and students alike and note the progress of the students. The children are taking their time, but the adults are progressing much faster. According to the professors, that is because adults are used to learning things, and due to their greater experience, they can pick things up much faster. Children can also get distracted easily, preventing them from picking up the concepts taught in the class. Done with his spying, Hatori goes to the ground to see how it is after six months of activity. It is not destroyed yet. ¡®That is promising.¡¯ He thought to himself. ¡®Just give them a few years. I¡¯m sure they¡¯ll manage to burn this down.¡¯ By that point, he will officially be out of the loop in the operation of the school, so it will no longer be his problem.

Part 2.

Avinash is meeting up with a Dwarf representative by the name of Advantageous Dealer, referred to as Dealer for short. The king is always amused at the names of the Dwarves, they perfectly describe their talents and responsibilities. According to what he has learned, these names can change once they take on some new responsibilities. Avinash thinks that it must be a nightmare to manage people changing their names all the time, but since he is not responsible for handling this, he does not care. As far as he is concerned, that is the problem of Dwarves. Avinash is meeting with Dealer to see how exactly the races view them after the war, ever since they have started on their latest development. ¡°In short,¡± Dealer concludes her observation, ¡°Your development is lopsided, and your species is divided. Unless you can fix these two problems, you will never be taken seriously. It will also keep you open to the threats from outside since one race or another could always come and support some of you, and pit you against yourselves.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about the division, but I can certainly do something about the development, with the added caveat that too only in my own country.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. These problems take generations to solve. You don¡¯t need to worry about them so much as of yet.¡± Said Dealer. ¡°Just focus on laying the groundwork for the future generations.¡± ¡°That, I can do.¡± Smiled the king. ¡°That was a pleasant meeting, let¡¯s sit down again sometime.¡± ¡°With pleasure.¡± Smiled Dealer. As Avinash escorts Dealer out of his office, he observes various noble family representatives waiting outside. Once the Dwarf is gone, they start to bombard him with their words. ¡°Your majesty, you should not favor these outsiders so much.¡± ¡°You should expel them, and restore our powers!¡± ¡°They have no right to be here, much less on the entire world.¡± ¡°Shut up!¡± said Avinash, silencing them. ¡°At least you have enough tact to not say these things in the presence of that diplomat.¡± ¡°But they are increasingly encroaching upon our territories. We have even lost our businesses to them.¡± pointed out one noble. ¡°Not to mention, your policies of election have also caused us to lose our chance to put some measures against their incursion.¡± ¡°Do you even listen to what you are saying?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°It is all about your power, your losses, your profit. Weren¡¯t you the ones who were sucking up to the Elves on your knees? Wasn¡¯t that the reason why you believed in their prophecy, plunging us into the fifth war? Wasn¡¯t that enough for you?¡± This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. The arguments raged on for a long time, but once the king had enough of them, he threw them out, unwilling to entertain them any longer. As they leave, he says one final thing to them. ¡°Remember. I won¡¯t compromise like the kings in the past. Either you are with me, or against me. Remember that.¡± he said, flaring his magic, and making them run even faster.

Part 3.

Young Garuda is starting his first year of school, his older sister Daphne, and his brother Sushima are already among the older years. Sushima will leave for the Academy by the next year, while Daphne will leave the year after next. Meanwhile, he has a long time before he gets to the Academy, so he is not worried about that time much. As Daphne and Ravina come back after dropping him off, they discuss their youngest child. ¡°Do you think he might have some trouble?¡± asked Ravina. ¡°I don¡¯t think so.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°I am sure his brother and sister will look after him.¡± ¡°That is true.¡± Agreed Ravina. ¡°It worries me a little, he is rather quiet compared to his siblings.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it too much. I think he will get out of his shell eventually. The school does that to the children.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°I do hope he will not turn out to be bad with directions. Remember how Sushima got lost while coming back from school on his first day?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t remind me,¡± said Ravina. ¡°Hatori had to fly around sensing his signature before he found him.¡± ¡°I thought he would be furious with us, but he never said a word.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°I¡¯m sure if he was angry, he would let us know.¡± Said Ravina with a smile. ¡°Yes. he can¡¯t hide his emotions at all.¡± Agreed Daphne.

Part 4.

James is reading the reports after some tests were performed on the students of the new school on the other side. The tests were not intrusive, they were performed to check whether the students faced any health complications or not, and what kind of changes occurred within their mind and body after they started to receive training in magic. So far, it appears that aging has slowed down, and the health of the brain is improving among adults. But until they get someone who fully awakens their magic, they cannot say for certain whether all of these are because of magic, since meditation and general socializing can also show some beneficial effects.

Part 5.

Naresh is browsing the internet. The school is becoming a hot topic now, and some people are giving their conspiracies like this is some new government program to create super soldiers. ¡®Well, they are half right at least.¡¯ he thought. Some old conservatives are subtly calling for a ban over this school, much like the cyborg technology, but it is 2061. No one is listening to them at this point. ¡®Still, I think I should put my propaganda team on this. Can¡¯t have them causing trouble at this stage.¡¯ He thinks, and calls his private associates who manage the narrative for him.

Part 6.

During lunchtime, Hatori is surrounded by the younger kids. They are speaking to him, without being scared. He is having flashbacks to his childhood, where he hoped that the children of his own age would speak to him, but that did not happen. Now that he is a cynical man, he is receiving the attention that he always craved in his childhood. As lunchtime ends, and the children leave, professor Kedareshwari leaves with a final remark. ¡°For a mage who has a ruthless reputation, you get along with children quite well.¡± ¡°Of course I do. Why else do you think I have three of them?¡± he fired back. The woman chuckled and left with the children. Chapter 241 Chapter 241.

Part 1.

Hatori is observing the adaptation of the animals to their habitats. So far, for being resurrected creatures, they are not showing any unusual signs. Given that they live in their original environment, Hatori does not expect them to die out suddenly. However, the environments in his dimension are not static. They are also changing constantly. The entire project was very interesting for Hatori. The world is like an operating system, while the various habitats are like virtual environments. Each time a change occurs in a species, the system saves it and shifts it into its own environment. That way, Hatori can observe all the branches of evolution, even if some of them are dead ends. ¡®Looks like everything is working fine. I don¡¯t see any errors in the logs.¡¯ He thinks. ¡®Now to make sure those raptors don¡¯t escape too outside, again.¡¯ The city nearly had multiple raptors arriving at it, but Hatori worked hard to make sure that they didn¡¯t escape into the real world. Those creatures are evolving at a fast pace, and their intelligence is also increasing very fast. ¡®At this rate, I might need some way to accommodate them if they reach the human level intelligence. But that is quite far away.¡¯ After he was done with his observations, Hatori worked on adding new habitats, and new species of that era. So far, he has gotten a lot of animals from the dinosaur era and before, but now, he wants to add the animals after the end of the domination of the dinosaurs. He comes out of the teleporter and then goes to his room. Unknown to Hatori, the spirit of the house is observing him. The spirit observes how Hatori is designing some runes. The spirit does not understand what the purpose of these runes is, nor it does care to understand. Its function is simple: guard over this house, and help out its members. After two hours of constant work with the strange symbols, Hatori then goes to another room in the house. This one was newly created after the house was expanded. This room is in an isolated part of the house, and once the door is closed, the person inside is cut off from the outside world. Only the spirit of the house has access to this room after the door is closed. Hatori sits down in this room right in the center and starts to channel lightning throughout his body in various ways. The flow of current is so strong that the enforced tiles of the floor and roof are scorched by it. The damage is superficial, it is nothing for the spirit of this house. It can fix it with a snap of its fingers. After a final burst of lightning, Hatori¡¯s body stops sparking, and he comes out of the room. He starts to walk towards his lab once again with some purpose, but the spirit has enough. Manifesting itself in front of the master of this house, the spirit gives Hatori an impressive glare. ¡°What are you doing?¡± ¡°Some yantras are waiting for delivery. I need to go over the enchantments.¡± Answered Hatori, while thinking why exactly the spirit of the house was questioning him in this way. ¡°No. you are not doing any such thing.¡± It commanded. ¡°What?¡± asked Hatori in surprise. ¡°You are going to take a break.¡± It declared. ¡°But¡ª¡± Hatori tries to argue. ¡°But nothing.¡± The spirit teleports him outside of the house and closes the door on his face. ¡°Come back when you are relaxed, and can think of something else besides work.¡± Said the spirit from inside. Hatori looks at the door, confused. On one hand, he could easily overpower the spirit, and get his way. But on the other hand, he does not wish to do that. Brute force is not an answer to every time someone defies you. Besides, the spirit has good intentions, Though Hatori does not know how exactly he can relax. ¡°Dad?¡± asked Sushima, coming from outside. ¡°What are you doing outside?¡± ¡°I¡¯ve been kicked out by the spirit,¡± said Hatori. Sushima finds this funny, but he cannot laugh. His father is sporting a rather confused look on his face, he has never seen him like this before. ¡°Why? Has it decided to go rogue?¡± ¡°No. it wants me to relax.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Then go do that,¡± said Sushima. ¡°I mean, if I can spend time with my friends over the summer, then surely you have some people you can hang out with?¡± ¡°That is an excellent suggestion.¡± Smiled Hatori. After ruffling his hair, Hatori leaves. ¡°Looks like it is time that I remind some old friends that I am not dead.¡±

Part 2.

Sushima meets with his mothers and shares the strange experience he had with his father in the afternoon. ¡°He decided to meet with his friends. He was very excited about it. Though I don¡¯t know why he was so confused.¡± ¡°He gets like that sometimes,¡± said Ravina. ¡°He likes to work.¡± ¡°Yes. it is our responsibility to remind him that there are other concerns when he drowns in his work.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°You did a good job. I think you deserve some extra sweets; don¡¯t you think?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Ravina. Sushima is happy that he got a compliment. But he is not a good boy. ¡®Looks like I need to cause some problems to make sure they don¡¯t think too good of me.¡¯ he starts to plot the latest chaos in his mind, all the while enjoying the sweets given to him by his mothers.

Part 3.

Ajay sighs in tiredness. Another day of teaching is over. Another day is done, where he has to teach the students how to generate the code. Most of them don¡¯t even understand what is coming out of their commands. After the companies lost their shit in the mid-20s, what with their practices of paying peanuts for entry-level jobs, where the skill has to be senior level or mid-level, this caused a bubble. The older developers did not have time to train their juniors, and the juniors moved on to other places, leaving the IT field entirely. The senior developers then retired or left their jobs after being burned out, this resulted in a complete collapse of the industry, as generations worth of knowledge was lost. They are still reeling from the impacts of that bad decade to this day. When AI came to the scene, it changed the entire field. Now it was possible to generate the code, but since people of that time knew the code, they were able to debug that code. But now, every day Ajay hears about problematic code where no one knows how to fix the security holes. As a result, teachers like him are highly valued, since they were the last generation who actually typed the code, and knew what they were doing. But every year, Ajay finds himself more and more disconnected. Coupled with his responsibilities as the principal of the school, the burden of work is overbearing. ¡®Just one more year, and then I¡¯ll leave.¡¯ He says to himself, but he has repeated this phrase multiple times in the last ten years. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Sir,¡± said his secretary. ¡°There is someone here to see you.¡± ¡°The meeting times are over.¡± He said in reply. ¡°Are they a parent of some student?¡± ¡°Not at all.¡± Said a deep voice. Ajay looks up, to see his secretary being covered in the shadow of a large man, who has to duck to get inside of the room. ¡°Sir, I told you to wait.¡± Said the secretary, turning around and giving this large man a glare. ¡°It¡¯s fine, let him come in.¡± Said Ajay. ¡°Since he is already inside, might as well hear him.¡± ¡°Fine.¡± She snapped and started to leave. ¡°Why don¡¯t you take an off early today?¡± said Ajay. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything scheduled for the remainder of the day.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll leave in an hour. I need to process some student complaints.¡± She sighed and then left the office. Ajay then motions this large man to come and take a chair in front of his desk. He looked down on those chairs and sneered. ¡°Not good for my size.¡± He grumbled. However, Ajay was alarmed to see a chair coming into existence. There is no way this man was carrying such a large spinning chair on him, and Ajay knows that he has no such chair in his office or anywhere in the school. Maybe spinning ones, but not such big ones. ¡°Now, that is what I call a proper chair.¡± Smiled the man. ¡°You¡¯ve done wonderfully for yourself. It took me a while to track you down though.¡± ¡°Is that so? And why did you do that?¡± asked Ajay. ¡°Because you have yet to beat me in a fighting game.¡± Said the man. ¡°What does that supposed to mean?¡± he asked. The man looks a little bit familiar, but Ajay does not remember meeting a man who is around six foot nine inches tall and has these artificial-looking eyes. ¡°You have forgotten me.¡± said the man. ¡°I am Hatori. Do you remember now?¡± Ajay¡¯s eyes widen after hearing that name. ¡°No way,¡± he said. ¡°You can¡¯t be him.¡± ¡°I am.¡± Said Hatori. he then begins to recount all the memories he has of his school days, and Ajay has to admit that no one else knows these things apart from himself, some other friends from his childhood, and Hatori. ¡°But where did you disappear to? We searched for so long. Your parents were never the same after you disappeared.¡± Asked Ajay. ¡°Long story.¡± Said Hatori. he gives him an explanation about magic, but does not tell him about the war, or how exactly he ended up in that dimension. Ajay has no other choice but to believe him, since he saw him conjuring up a chair just a few minutes ago. ¡°Anyway, I hear you are teaching programming now.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t get me started on that. the entire field has been destroyed.¡± Said Ajay. ¡°I never realized what was going on during our childhood. It only hit me when I entered the industry.¡± ¡°Tough.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°And you still persist with teaching. Why?¡± ¡°Why not? It¡¯s not like I¡¯ll do that for too long anyway. I¡¯m in my fifties already, I don¡¯t have the energy I once used to have.¡± Said Ajay. ¡°True. What do you say to learning a few of my tricks?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°I¡¯m sure it¡¯ll be a great challenge. It will keep you on your toes during your old age.¡± ¡°So funny.¡± Said Ajay. ¡°How the hell do you look like you are so young? If it weren¡¯t for your height, I would say you are in your mid-twenties.¡± ¡°Magic,¡± smirked Hatori. ¡°Dammit.¡± Cursed Ajay. ¡°You know what? Screw it. I need a drink. Are you coming?¡± ¡°Yeah fine.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°I suppose I have to drop you at your house once you are drunk enough.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t drink that much,¡± said Ajay, getting the keys to his office. After informing his secretary, he leaves the school. ¡°Why is the city so desolate?¡± asked Hatori. ¡°Oh, nothing. The majority of the people now work from their houses, so they don¡¯t feel the need to come to a city like this one,¡± said Ajay. ¡°Still, things are not that bad. Though property market has still not recovered after the bubble burst.¡± ¡°Looks like you had some crazy times,¡± said Hatori. ¡®Though I bet they were not as bloody as my time.¡¯ ¡°You have no idea.¡± Said Ajay. ¡°The same can be said in my case. You have no idea what I¡¯ve gone through.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Hopefully, it won¡¯t be forced cyberization.¡± Said Ajay, pointing to Hatori¡¯s artificial-looking eyes. ¡°Oh no. These are designed by me,¡± said Hatori. ¡°How?¡± asked Ajay. ¡°Magic,¡± smirked Hatori. ¡°You¡¯re gonna troll me all day long, aren¡¯t you?¡± asked Ajay in reply. ¡°You got it!¡± smiled Hatori. ¡°You haven¡¯t changed much.¡± ¡°The same is true for you. you are still a workaholic.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Look who¡¯s saying that. I remember how you used to drown yourself in the studies.¡± Ajay fired back. ¡°Well, that was because the code was interesting. Everything else I ignored.¡±

Part 4.

While Hatori is busy meeting his old friend, some developments are happening in the Subcontinent of the Mage Dimension. While some parts have not changed much, the other parts have changed a lot. The grip of the noble families is now broken. Every area has to send a representative to the king¡¯s court, and these members are elected by the public. While some nobles have managed to be elected, most of them have found themselves unable to adapt to these changes. The latest elections are now beginning, and Ishwar Chandravanshi is preparing to fight in these elections for the first time.

Part 5.

The events are proceeding in the court of Avinash. His plans of linking up with the other side are going well, so he decided that it is time that they actually try to form a greater understanding of that world. Starting with Zhongguo. Avinash chose that because the Subcontinent of the other side has some tensions with Zhongguo. So, if they can understand them better, they will be ready to react if anything unusual happens. For this purpose, they decide to read the novel Romance of the Three Kingdoms. While a novel may not give them a proper understanding of the Zhongguo of that side even if it is based on real events, Avinash thinks it is still going to give them an idea of how the people think. At first, the novel caused a huge debate in the court. It was about whether Zhuge Liang was a mage or not. The Zhuge Liang who is the ambassador to the Subcontinent disputes this. ¡°I think he was good at predicting things. But he was not a mage. I can¡¯t cause havoc like he did.¡± He spoke. ¡°Maybe you are not trying hard enough?¡± taunted Maria, another ambassador. Before the argument could erupt, Avinash distracts them. ¡°Anyway, let¡¯s go to the end. There aren¡¯t many chapters left.¡± The ending was one hammer blow after another. So many characters died one after another, and the main characters and their descendants never achieved their goal. This caused the entire court to cry. Meanwhile, some young girls and boys, tasked with serving the court quietly sneak away. They could not believe that the people in charge of this country had such soft hearts. Chapter 242 Chapter 242.

Part 1.

Hatori comes into the castle. The matter of Avinash and his cabinet crying after reading a novel has reached his ears. He cannot wait to use this against the others. This is the sort of thing that can be milked for a long time. Hatori enters the office of the king and greets him. ¡°Soooo! You¡¯re apparently getting popular among the young girls for being emotional. How did that happen?¡± ¡°Dammit! I thought they would forget about it already.¡± Grumbled Avinash. ¡°I do hope you are not planning to rob some cradles.¡± Said Hatori, giving him a suspicious glare. ¡°I am not abusing my position to have sex with young girls of the castle,¡± replied Avinash with a dry tone. ¡°What brings you here? I don¡¯t think that the news about my emotional moment is enough to bring you here.¡± ¡°You are correct. The school has completed its first year successfully. The adults are ready to awaken their magic, while the children are adapting nicely. I do think we should take this chance, and introduce them to some disciplines.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°That is good news.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°How many of them plan to return for the next year though?¡± ¡°Ninety percent of them,¡± said Hatori. ¡°The older adults are most happy; our training is improving their health.¡± ¡°Excellent. I do think we should wait for them to awaken their magic before we introduce them to some disciplines. What do you think?¡± asked Avinash. ¡°That is a good idea. However, I do think we should start on the awakening process since the new students coming this year will have an example of what they can do in the future.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Hmm. that is a good idea. We do need to give people enough incentive to stick with the training.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°Have you talked to the professors about this?¡± ¡°I have. They are ready to make the next step.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Good then. I wait for the next step.¡± Said Avinash. After exchanging a few more pleasantries, Hatori leaves for his house in the next dimension. Hatori returns, to find that Naresh is waiting for him outside of his house. ¡°Were you waiting for long?¡± he asked while inviting him inside. ¡°Not that long.¡± Replied Naresh. ¡°I am here for a specific reason though.¡± ¡°I figured.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°What is it?¡± he asked, as tea appears for the mayor on the table. Naresh has gotten used to magic, so he is not startled. ¡°The party has decided that it is the right time to move me in the parliament. I plan to make my name there, and hopefully, I will manage to be a face for the prime ministerial candidate in the next one.¡± ¡°That is an excellent news.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Though I get the feeling that you are not here to tell me just that.¡± ¡°Does the magic give you mind-reading powers?¡± asked Naresh. ¡°Fortunately, not,¡± said Hatori. Breathing a sigh of relief, Naresh explains. ¡°I wish to learn magic. Can you teach me?¡± ¡°There was a reason why I chose professors for my school rather than teach myself.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Besides, do you have any time in your schedule?¡± ¡°I¡¯ll make some.¡± Said Naresh. ¡°I don¡¯t need to be an expert. I just want to learn enough that I can get a feel for it. I don¡¯t think I can master it at this stage of my life anyway.¡± ¡°Well, I suppose I will put a personal trainer on your case. Don¡¯t bully them too much though,¡± said Hatori. ¡°The thought never crossed my mind.¡± Smiled Naresh. ¡°Do you want me to tell you when exactly the move is happening?¡± ¡°You don¡¯t need to tell me all the details.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Just work as you are now, and tell me if you encounter any problems.¡± ¡°Will do.¡± After that, the politician took his leave.

Part 2.

Sushima is going into the Academy for his second year. Daphne Junior will join him next year. For now, though, he is enjoying his time, while thinking that his father also walked the same path once. He even found the jamun tree, still there, just like Hatori told him. ¡®Maybe I should leave a mark as well?¡¯ thinks Sushima. ¡®The tree will work best. Also, it has to be giant. I have to surpass my father after all.¡¯ He smirked with that thought. Whether he succeeds or not does not matter to him. His father is an unsurpassable mountain to him. If he continues to try to climb this mountain, he will surely reach some great heights of his own, even if he fails to surpass Hatori completely. ¡®Ambitions are nice, but I would like if I have some friends who will cheer for me.¡¯ he thinks while looking around. Though he is walking alongside other kids of his age, he is still feeling alone in the crowd. Unlike his father in his first year, Sushima has not made any good friends who will stick by him thick and thin.

Part 3.

¡°It is an insult to all the folks who helped to build this country!¡± said one noble, pacing back and forth, while others listened to him and cheered him on. ¡°That king and his dogs have ruined us! People who have no business being in charge are running things, and we have even been ousted from the mainstream economy!¡± Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings. ¡°Arjun is correct.¡± Said a noblewoman. ¡°Just look at their plans. They will soon kick us out of our own generational lands!¡± ¡°We cannot let this stand.¡± Said another noble. ¡°We must do something about it.¡± said another. ¡°If only we could turn the time back¡­¡± mused one noble lady. The noblewoman who supported Arjun smirked. ¡°I have a plan regarding that,¡± she said. ¡°What is it?¡± asked Arjun. ¡°Are you going to share something from your secret books, Lakshmi Chauhan?¡± ¡°Not exactly.¡± Said Lakshmi. ¡°I plan to use the ritual of Samay the sorcerer. He completed the ritual, but for some strange reason, he did not execute it.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think we should play with this.¡± Said another noble. ¡°Meddling with time is a dangerous proposition.¡± ¡°Of course, you will say that, Jayraj.¡± Said an old man. ¡°You haven¡¯t suffered like us.¡± ¡°Suffered? Who are you kidding? The only reason why you all gather here yearly is because you are miffed that you can¡¯t beat up your servants like you used to. Your businesses are doing fine, the king has no plans to take your lands, and some of you have even managed to be chosen by the public for the representative council.¡± said Jayraj. ¡°How dare you?¡± said the old man. ¡°Do you have any idea what we have lost? You weren¡¯t there to see the time before the war. Our glory eclipsed the king himself!¡± ¡°You are diluted fools.¡± Said Jayraj. ¡°None of you ever eclipsed Porus. He didn¡¯t even see you as a challenge. I¡¯ve seen the records of that time. Most of you were sitting quietly, as he ran the country as he saw fit.¡± ¡°If it displeases you so much, then leave.¡± Said Arjun. After Jayraj leaves in a huff, he turns to Lakshmi. ¡°Now, what kind of materials do you need for this ritual?¡± ¡°Mostly bones of the ancient animals, and some bark of the old trees,¡± said Lakshmi. ¡°But those materials are not easy to come by.¡± ¡°I can get you those materials.¡± said the old man. ¡°Though it will take time.¡± ¡°We are in your debt, Raghunandan sir.¡± Said Arjun. ¡°Once the ritual is completed, we will make sure that you have a prominent position in the new order.¡± ¡°See to it,¡± said Raghunandan. ¡°Now, if you would excuse me, I have some people to speak to. Those materials will not gather by themselves after all.¡±

Part 4.

Garuda and his older sister are having a hot debate with their father. The topic is simple: the kids think they have better shows during their time compared to Hatori¡¯s childhood. ¡°You don¡¯t understand.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Back then, there was this show called Death Note, which was very deep. It felt like I was watching two people playing chess with each other while trying to achieve their own goals. You have nothing like that anymore. The only thing you have is endless comedy and merchandising.¡± ¡°Okay, fine.¡± Said Daphne. ¡°Prove it. Let us watch some shows of your time, and then we will see what is better.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± said Hatori, while the father and daughter glared at each other. Though a lot of the anime and other shows of his childhood are in strange positions when it comes to licensing, it does not matter to Hatori at all who owns them. With a bit of magic and some modifications to an old computer, Hatori managed to access the shows licensed or unlicensed on one platform. Unlike his previous day, he spent the entire day watching these old shows with his kids, all the while some developments continued to happen around the world.

Part 5.

Technology has progressed far enough that some people are living in facilities like the space station of the early 21st century, except on a smaller scale. These stations orbit around the planet, and occasional deliveries of supplies are made to them. While most of them are doing research of some kind, some of them have become a safe haven for the outcasted cyborgs. These are the humans who through artificial technology enhanced themselves, and were shunned by society for it. Most of them are youth, who were previously disabled, having some kind of body-related problems. Some of them are perfectly normal people, who see nothing wrong with enhancing themselves through machines even further. One such rogue group is led by a woman named Cyborg Devi. This woman is currently reading about the newly opened school in an old and decrepit city that used to be part of the economic boom in the early part of the century. She is alarmed to see the feats achieved by the students of this school. For now, they are not that impressive, but she can calculate what this means for the world. ¡°Looks like my plans have to be executed earlier than I thought.¡± She muttered. The federal elections are coming up in a few years. ¡°This will be the perfect time to strike.¡±

Part 6.

Meng Hao reads the spy report. It is about the Zhongguo of the other side, which is strangely enough called ¡°China¡± by the outsiders. He has no one to disturb him while he reads the report because he has already taken care of the problems his concubines and his wife can cause him, as well as the families. Needless to say, a lot of people were displeased and had to exit their mortal coils through the liberal application of executions. He is also certain that Avinash is doing something similar for his own country. ¡®I wonder what will he offer them in exchange, once he takes that final step?¡¯ Chapter 243 Chapter 243.

Part 1.

Sushima is having a wonderful time. The professors are different, since many of the teachers from his father¡¯s time have now retired, or moved on. But the rest is the same as he described to him. He had fun last year when he got here, and he plans to do the same this year as well. Though he does feel somewhat isolated in his dorms because the children with him do not speak with each other, he did not feel bored once, because this is a wonderful place to explore. Until his exploration is halted by some pests. ¡°Look what we have here.¡± said a boy who looked like he was in his third year. ¡°A firstie all by himself.¡± Said another boy. Sushima is annoyed. He is a second-year, dammit! ¡°You should not walk alone here kid.¡± Said the final boy. ¡°Horrible things can happen to you otherwise.¡± They glare at Sushima, and to his surprise, hit him with his magical pressure. But this is nothing compared to the module he has trained with, or his father. In fact, his father gives out more magical pressure in his sleep than most mages. So, this attempt does not scare him in the slightest. ¡°Pathetic.¡± Said a girl, walking towards them. She appears to be a first-year student as well, but she is not afraid of these third-year students at all. ¡°Three older students trying to scare a first-year. How the standards have fallen.¡± Sushima disagrees with her. He is not a first-year, nor he is scared of them. He is not intimidated in the slightest. These students already know how to use the magical pressure, which tells him that if provided the drive, they can excel quite fast. They turn to her, and after sneering in her direction, they turn around and walk away. ¡°Dammit. Why must she show up?¡± ¡°Beating up a girl is no fun.¡± ¡°I thought we¡¯d get a real fight from that boy. But that moron ruined everything for us.¡± The girl turns red in anger and starts to go after them, but Sushima stops her. ¡°Leave them be.¡± He said to her. ¡°They will give us more chances to beat them up.¡± ¡°Fine!¡± she said with a snarl. The girl introduces herself. ¡°I¡¯m Mina. Who are you?¡± ¡°Sushima.¡± He said with a smile, not revealing his last name yet. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Though they talked for a while, Sushima was not certain whether he made a friend or not. After all, one day of polite talking does not mean someone is your friend.

Part 2.

Naresh is done with his weekly lessons with Hatori. So far, he has meditated and awakened his magic. Though he cannot perform any impressive tricks. For now, he is sticking with lifting rocks and producing lights. This training has helped him in keeping his temper in check. The elections are near. While other politicians are making a fool of themselves, Naresh is the only one who is serious and has an impact on the public. His reputation has increased enough that other people fighting in their own areas often request him to come and appear with them to enhance their reputation. Of course, the mayor cannot help but brag about it. ¡°Keep talking like that, and people won¡¯t vote for you.¡± ¡°Oy. Don¡¯t scare me like that.¡± Said Naresh, shuttering from the possibility. ¡°I¡¯ll be humble.¡± ¡°You will have to be.¡± Said Hatori. ¡°Of course, when you need to ham up, I¡¯m sure you can decide that better than me. I¡¯m not a politician after all.¡± ¡°Which is a good thing.¡± Said Naresh. ¡°If you became a politician, there will be a lot of bloodshed.¡± Hatori chuckled. Naresh does not know how true it is.

Part 3.

Avinash gets another progress report from the School of Magic on the other dimension. Hatori recommends that they should expose the children to wider magical disciplines, and the professors agree with his assessment. Thus, the king calls his inner circle for a meeting to discuss their next step. Suraj, Josh, Suresh, and Akshit showed up for the meeting. Raven is missing, because he is visiting some outposts to check their qualities. He explains the recommendations of Hatori, and they all agree with him that it is the right time to expose the children to a wider variety of magic. ¡°The question is, we need a rather safe way to introduce the wider varieties of magic,¡± said Avinash. ¡°We cannot expose them to the violent or dangerous forms of magic yet. As a result, we have limited options. So, what can we do in this situation? What are your suggestions?¡± ¡°I think we should send Shin there,¡± said Suraj. ¡°Let him hold a concert there. That way, we can show them that we have the same arts and creativity as they do, and what is possible with magic, and how even music can be combined with it.¡± ¡°Makes sense,¡± said Suresh. ¡°Very well. I think you should speak to Shin about this project, Josh.¡± Said Avinash. ¡°I¡¯ll go and talk to him,¡± said Josh. ¡°Anything else?¡± ¡°We will send a delegation of professors with him,¡± said Avinash. ¡°We will need to hire new teachers anyway.¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Sure.¡± The meeting comes to an end. In the evening, Josh goes to Shin¡¯s house and explains everything to him. ¡°So, we want you to do this concert, and introduce them to the wider varieties of magic. This is to ease them up before they find out the violent and dangerous side of magic.¡± ¡°Sure.¡± Said Shin. ¡°Though let me warn you, they won¡¯t be pleased when they find out the destructive side of the magic.¡± ¡°Eh. It¡¯s not like they don¡¯t have their own problems with their technology.¡± Said Josh. ¡°So will you do it?¡± ¡°Yeah, why not?¡± said Shin. ¡°Just give me the date, and I will be there.¡±

Part 4.

A man in his mid-twenties is showing the surrounding area with his camera outside of the school. There is a microphone hanging from his neck, a design that has somehow become popular in recent times. ¡°As you can see,¡± he says, while focusing the camera on the gate of the school, and showing the board, ¡°This does look like a normal school. Massive ground, parking space, and children are roaming freely. But the rumors about this school are quite interesting. And today, I will find out more about these rumors. How much is truth? How much is fabrication? Is the government doing some kind of secret experiment? This and more, we will find out today.¡± The man goes to the gate, but he is immediately stopped by the guards. ¡°Sir, please reveal the purpose of your visit.¡± One of them asked. ¡°I am Sanjay. I am the local reporter of this area, and I wish to cover this newly opened school.¡± He explained. ¡°Please wait.¡± Said one of the guards. They have a quick discussion with someone inside, who communicates with them through some earpiece, and the guard nods a few times. ¡°You can enter, but please do not disturb the children. You can observe the classes, but you are not allowed to interfere in any capacity. Is that clear?¡± ¡°What about the teachers?¡± asked Sanjay. ¡°You can talk to them if they are not taking a class.¡± Said the guard. ¡°Very well. Thank you for giving me the permission.¡± Said Sanjay. The guards nod, and go back to their post, while the reporter gets inside of the school. ¡°As you just saw, the security is pretty serious here. Which is good, given that the children are present here in a large number. Though again, in normal schools, we do not see this level of security either. Still, they have given me a broad level of access, despite the restrictions. I will try to give you a picture of what is going on in this school through the access I have been provided.¡± Sanjay speaks with the staff, and some children demonstrate what they are learning. He also speaks with the adults, and to them, he asks the question, ¡°How are you performing these magical feats, as you like to call them? Is this some kind of secret government project?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know.¡± Said the old man. ¡°All I know is that my health has taken a better turn, and somehow, my memory has also improved. Whatever it is, it has helped me out in my old age.¡± Sanjay could not ask more questions, because there was an announcement. The remaining classes for the day are canceled, and the students are going into an event hall to attend somebody. Since no one stopped him from going there or asked him to turn off the camera, Sanjay followed the flow of people and showed everything going on live. A man with bells in his hair comes on the stage, carrying a violin with him. he starts to introduce himself. ¡°Hello, students! I am Shin, a musician, and also a mage. I am also friends with the creator of this school, though I am clearly cooler. So, who here is willing to listen to some awesome music?¡± ¡°Yeah!¡± cheered everyone, and encouraged the performance with a clap. After Shin gives his performances, he demonstrates some applications of music with magic. The children and adults alike watch and observe everything in awe, and in the end, an announcement is given about various magical disciplines, and how the school will start to provide training in these disciplines. After this event is done, Sanjay walks around, to see everyone socializing. ¡°This is the founder of this school. His picture is placed on the entrance, and as you can see, he is surrounded by the children. They are not afraid of his large height, and dangerous-looking eyes.¡± Said Sanjay. ¡°Let¡¯s see whether I can speak with him or not.¡± Seeing a break in the conversation, Sanjay calls to this large man. ¡°Excuse me, sir, may I speak to you for a moment?¡± ¡°Certainly. I have not seen you here before. Who are you?¡± asked the man. ¡°I am Sanjay.¡± He introduces himself. ¡°I run a local channel and report on what is going on in this area. I came here to cover your school today. May I know your name?¡± ¡°I am Hatori Eagle.¡± Said the large man. ¡°Though I helped in finding this school, I am not involved in the running or day-to-day operations.¡± ¡°I have seen some wonderful things here,¡± said Sanjay. ¡°But I do not think I can speak to you here about your school in detail today. Would you agree to an interview with me?¡± ¡°Why not? Give me the date. I will be there.¡± Said Hatori, feeling as if he is echoing Shin for some reason. ¡°Thank you, sir, I look forward to speaking with you.¡± Chapter 244 Chapter 244.

Part 1.

Avinash is waiting for the interview to begin. For the time being, the waiting music is playing on the live stream, and the host has not appeared yet. Raven is along with him, and he is also waiting to hear about this interview. "Do you think he can handle himself?" Asked Raven. "Have faith in him." Said Avinash. "He is not prone to blow his casket as much as he used to be. Besides, he is not stressed, nor is anyone trying to hunt him down. So, I am certain he will handle this perfectly." "Yes, but what about the public attention?" Asked Raven. "Well, I''m sure he will find a way to avoid that." Said Avinash. He is hoping privately that after this interview, Hatori will not appear in front of the public, as he is unlikely to deal with them politely. They need to give off a good impression. His entire vision to drag his country into an age of advancement and make them strong enough to deal with the galactic races relies upon combining the technology of the other side, and the magic from this side. ''I should make preparations to meet a delegation from there. What kind of speech would work best, I wonder?''

Part 2.

Sanjay checks for any technical difficulties. Once he is sure that nothing is wrong, he finally appears on the screen. The waiting music stops playing, and he starts to speak. "Greetings everyone, I am your host, Sanjay. Today with me is a special guest." The camera focuses on Hatori. "His name is Hatori Eagle, the founder of the school which has been on trend recently. I visited the school about seven days ago, where I met him. I asked him for a conversation, and he agreed to it. You can watch my entire report on this link." A link flashes on the screen, and then it is pinned to the side. "Thank you for coming here." "My pleasure." Said Hatori. "Now, before we begin about your school, I would like to start with you. Who are you, and how did you end up learning magic?" Asked Sanjay, while privately thinking that about a few days ago, he never thought of asking such a question. "I am Hatori Eagle. As for how I ended up learning magic, it''s a long tale." Said Hatori. Realizing that he has to be more precise, Sanjay asks the next question. "How old were you when you began your training?" "I was eight." Said Hatori with a smile. "Unlike other children, I did not grow up with magic, so I had to do a lot of preparation before I could use it." "Why didn''t you grow up with magic?" Asked Sanjay. "Because I am from this dimension originally." Said Hatori. "A mishap caused me to appear on the magical dimension, and I was trapped there until I reached the age of thirty." "You''ve said that you have to do preparations before you start to learn magic. Does that mean it is dangerous before prior preparation?" "It is. This is why in the school we have prepared an entire prerequisite curriculum to prepare the students to keep them safe. Those lessons are a result of my experiences and careful research." "And meditation and physical exercises are a part of this training?" Asked Sanjay. "It is a huge part of it." Hatori agreed. "A weak mind or body cannot handle the sudden shock of magic to the system. It will cause the entire thing to overheat and shut down, much like a computer system which has suffered some kind of unrecoverable error." Sanjay sports a traumatizing look for a second. "Don''t remind me." He joked. "Tell me, how was life in that other world?" "Chaotic. My appearance was not expected, and I had to compete with the people who had the knowledge of magic on an instinctual level. However, I had a great teacher. It is because of him that I have a greater mastery of magic, even better than a native." "Can you talk about him a little?" Asked Sanjay. "Well, he was strict. Now, before your mind starts to run with your imagination, he never laid a hand on me." ''Besides the spars.'' Thought Hatori, but no one needed to know that. "He demanded effort and excellence. Since I was so young, he served the role of a parent for me there. If I have to compare him with someone, then I would compare him with the character of Begger So from the Drunken Master film of 1978." "I have not watched that film." Said Sanjay. "You are missing a lot then. I watched that film when I was 7, and it was one of the few films which left an impression on me." Said Hatori. "Speaking of your school, why did you decide to open such a school?" Asked Sanjay. For a moment, Hatori thinks of giving a response like "Because I wanted to bring the enlightenment of magic to you plebians." But decided against it. "Because when I returned to this dimension, I saw how much the technology has progressed in my absence. While it is true that I have been here for twenty years now, you do not understand how progress feels until you get to see the changes and feel them yourself. And I feel like magic, combined with technology can bring great changes in the world. Naturally, you need to train the kids, as they are the ones who would come up with those interesting and world-changing combinations." There. that should make Avinash happy. He gave a diplomatic and serious answer and planted the idea in the public consciousness. "Yes, but your school does not train kids. When I was there, I saw many people of different age groups, from people in their twenties and thirties to elderly people in their 60s. One of the ladies I spoke to was in her 70s." said Sanjay in response. "Correct. It is partly because we want the adults to be comfortable with magic as well. After all, it is their kids and grandkids who would be coming to our school to learn from us. Surprisingly, it seems to have become a health club of sorts for the adults." "Good thing you''ve reminded me of their health. The elderly people reported how well they felt after this training. Even if they have not started to learn magic yet, their health shows definite signs of improvement." Sanjay noted. "My friend did research on this. This kind of training, meditation, and exercise have a great effect on the body. If these adults awaken their magic, these effects are amplified. However, even though it is not my area of research, I can point out that the social gathering also serves as a factor in the improvement in their health." "You do research? In what area?" Asked Sanjay. "Runes. It is the language of magic. It gives us the ability to manipulate magic through symbols, much like how we control computers. Surprisingly, my classes in programming in my younger days helped me out a lot." Said Hatori. He did not talk about yantras. Those are a strange subject, especially since people are trying to crack the sentient machines, and failing at it for years. Let them stumble onto the topic by themselves. Also, his battle magic. The research to turn himself into lightning. Or the body modifications. Clearly, Hatori is not telling everything in this interview. I am sure that the readers are smart enough to understand this, but I do not understand why the author is making me read this out loud. "So, can you explain what exactly is magic? I mean we know that physics describes the physical laws of the universe. But what about magic?" Asked Sanjay. "If physics describes the laws of the universe to you, then magic is a way to manipulate and alter them. Of course, once you gain mastery of the subject, you can go beyond mere tricks, much like how physics plays a huge role in the development of technology, which gives you benefits like say, telecasting this interview all over the world." Said Hatori. "Is it only possible for a select few people to learn magic? My visit did not provide me any clue in this regard, and I am sorry, but the only references we have are the works of fantastical nature." Asked Sanjay. "In those, often magic is only available to a select few, or it cannot be learned by everyone." The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "That is probably because the authors want to limit the ability and the spread of it. It also gives the magic users some interesting traits which won''t be shared by other characters, like say, the warriors." Said Hatori. "In reality, there is no such limitation. Your mastery may differ, but everyone can learn magic. Of course, much like a high school course on physics and math, not everyone will be a master of these subjects. But some of them will gain this mastery, and will then become scientists and engineers. Others may pursue subjects like history, and they will become historians and social commentators. But they all have gone through these subjects on some level, especially math. You don''t have to be a complete expert in math to calculate the expenses of your house. Though taxes may require more effort depending on the regulation." "Again, please don''t remind me." Said Sanjay with a pained voice. "But then why don''t people of this world know magic? Why do we only have some old fantastical tales?" "Because the mages, (that is what we call ourselves) left this dimension about 4000 years ago. Afterward, the interactions became fewer and fewer, the historical records were lost, misinterpreted, or altered, and certain sects arose which discouraged digging into this subject. As a result, people forgot, and it became nothing but fancy stories. Judging by the records I have looked at, these people who discouraged people from learning about magic seem to have developed a rudimentary ability of magic on their own. Add a bit of charisma, and you have a perfect formula to create a profit." "You keep referring to these two worlds as dimensions. You never call them a world. Why is that?" Asked Sanjay. "Because they are not worlds. Mages created a dimension that is anchored to this planet. It is essentially a copy of Earth where we live. Naturally, the history and culture are very different, but these are two identical planets divided by a curtain. Are you familiar with the myths about Genies?" "Somewhat." Said Sanjay. "According to what I have learned, they are described as beings who live in the same world as us, but there is a curtain between them and us. Similarly, there are these twin planets, one is a copy of the original, and there is a curtain between them. However, it is possible to cross this curtain and enter another dimension. Unless you are blocked like I was." "Well, that is a lot to digest. I hope this interview was fun and instructive for you, my readers. Any final remarks?" Asked Sanjay to Hatori. "Sure. Just come to my school, see for yourself how we teach, and get involved. That is all." "Well then, thank you, Hatori, for coming here. I hope your venture is successful. I hope to see what kind of fruits it bears." The screen fades to black, and the live interview comes to an end.

Part 3.

"I think he did it well,¡± said Raven. Avinash burst out laughing. "You didn''t have faith in him!" He laughed some more. "Shut up, your majesty." Said Raven in a sarcastic tone. "We both know that Hatori is not a public person." "I know." Said Avinash, "But I also know that he has learned a lot since the end of the war. I also noticed how he let slip our plans though. Do you think it was accidental?" "He is not good with politics." Said Raven. "But I am certain that was on purpose. I don''t think it is a problem though. This should soften the public opinion in our favor when we make official contact." "Speaking of which, I suppose I should make some preparations for it." Said Avinash. "Why bother? It is not like you can predict how the meeting will go." Asked Raven. "I know. But what kind of king I would be if I didn¡¯t make some plans? Besides, even if we don''t use those plans, we can keep them on record for future use." Said Avinash. Raven shuttered. "It is this exact thinking that we have to build several rooms full of records about some future plans. You kings never learn it." "Stop grumbling and get to work. Or else I''ll dock your pay." "You wouldn''t!"

Part 4.

In her office, Sapna Chaudhary turns off her computer. When her secretary informed her that she must watch this interview, she thought it would be nothing but usual nonsense. But this looks to be serious. She did some investigation before this interview started, and the school seems to be legit. However, the implications are still not clear to her. ''I didn''t think I would have to deal with something like this when I took this position.'' As if paying off the past debt that has accumulated is not enough, now this problem has also landed on her lap. ''Though is it a problem really?'' She calls her home minister, who is responsible for internal security, and her minister of foreign affairs, who is responsible for dealing with foreign powers. Salman and Palani quickly make their way to her office. They are surprised by her sudden call, as their leader is not given to impulsiveness. She explains the situation to both of the ministers and shows the reports collected by the intelligence gathering agencies. "What do you think?" "Well, clearly we can''t ignore this for too long. I suggest we make contact." Said Salman. "Do we know where this Hatori lives?" "That is your job to find out." Said Sapna. "Find him, and then make contact." "Sure." Said Salman. "It worries me that they can just walk into the country without our knowing. When you speak to him, make sure to put this point across." Said Sapna to Palani. "I will." After both of the ministers leave, she breathes a sigh of relief. She is glad that the parliament is not in session currently. The opposition would have chewed her out otherwise over this issue. Not that she wouldn¡¯t do the same.

Part 5.

Naresh comes to Hatori''s house. "I saw the interview. Good job on that." "Well, I had some training to handle it back in school. I was not a friendly person back then." Said Hatori. "Eh, happens to us all. So, an interesting news from my end: our chief minister is dead, and his seat is empty. There are by-elections are about to happen, and I have a lot of support in that area." Explained Naresh. "I am thinking of fighting from there." "Go ahead." Said Hatori. "You will probably need to fight for the chance within the party though. But if you win, you can get the position of a state minister. Do not settle for any ministry, only best will do..." Hatori then realized something. "You already know that, don''t you?" Naresh laughed. "Of course. I''ve been doing this for a long time now. Just leave it to me." Said Naresh, clapping his hands. "Don''t you need financial support or something?" Asked Hatori. "Not this time. Though when I do go for the position of an MP, I will need some help." Said Naresh. "Just say the word." Said Hatori. "We are getting closer to your dream after all." "Sure. And I know how to return the favor when I get there." They both smile at each other like hungry sharks, before Naresh leaves Hatori''s home.

Part 6.

Unknown to everyone, this interview was also watched in space. Salima, the leader of the Cyborg Core, a group of extremists smiled after watching this conversation. The idea this man offers looks interesting. judging by the trending videos and articles, the school is no hokes. But she needs to investigate the potential possible with this new force in the game. But she has to wait before making any moves. She needs to activate her agents on the ground and make them observe and learn from the school. Only then she can formulate a plan to incorporate this into the technology running their bodies. Once that happens, she will show the stupid flesh and blood humans how wrong they were to throw people like her out. "Connor." She calls to her second in command. "Tell our agents to observe this school. If possible, infiltrate and learn from there as well." "Yes, mam." Said Connor, and then left to accomplish the task given to him. After that, Salima settles back in her chair and waits for more information to come to her. Chapter 245 Chapter 245.

Part 1.

Naresh is going to Hatori''s house. After the mage took over the area, it became impossible to drive to his door and go to the house that way. Naresh has to put the car somewhere near the area, and then go to the house on foot. Normally, when he comes into the area, he can directly go to the house where Hatori is usually found. If he is not there, one of those strange magical robots will inform him that he will come there shortly. But this time, the small pathway in the middle of the large trees is glowing. As Naresh clears the path, the path stops glowing behind him. Figuring this is Hatori''s way to guide him, he follows along the shining pathway. He arrives at the house from a different direction. The door opens by itself. It is an indicator that Hatori is present within the house, and he is free to enter. As Naresh enters the house, Hatori''s voice comes from inside. "I''ll come to the hall shortly." "Sure." Said Naresh, and settled to wait. A platter of biscuits and tea appears in front of him. Creepy factor aside, Hatori knows how to treat his guests. Some of his political juniors can learn from him in this regard. Even an enemy should be well treated as a guest. It is a good PR hit. "So, what brings you here?" Asked Hatori, coming out from the depths of the house. Naresh is not interested in what he is doing. He is happy with the small grasp he has over magic. It is so easy to navigate in the dark, no more searching for a phone for a flashlight. "Well, to bring you some good news. I''ve won, and even got a Ministry of Agriculture." He said proudly. "Well well well. Look who is a minister?" Said Hatori, padding Naresh on the shoulder. "Good job." "Thanks. I must admit, I am not used to such a warm gesture. Even my victory celebration was a pretty standard and distant affair." He confessed. "That is quite sad. Even I have some close friendships. The fact that people in power like you don''t have any is quite concerning." Said Hatori. "I know. By the way, what was up with that glowing pathway?" Asked Naresh. "Oh, you know, planted some new trees with experimental properties. Can''t have you accidentally walk on them now Can I? You could be in danger!" Said Hatori. "Speaking of plantation, I remember from my childhood, that dealing with farmers was quite a problem. Is it the same now?" "Come on. We are in the 2060s! Whatever you remember from the 2010s is not valid anymore." Said Naresh with a straight face. When Hatori gives him an unimpressed look, he quickly crumbles. "Okay, things have actually gotten worse. We have managed to keep the yields high, but due to rising temperatures, increasingly salty land, and rapidly declining water sources, we are having a lot of issues. Do you know that the entire region of Punjab is slowly turning into a desert? I am not even kidding when I say this. That whole region is so dry now, you won''t even recognize it." "Hmm. Quite a conundrum." Said Hatori. "Don''t you have the same problems?" Asked Naresh curiously. "Not at all, no." Said Hatori. "Remind me to take you to the magical dimension. You''ll be surprised." "Sure. But before that, I also have another piece of news. My victory wasn''t the only reason why I am here. The upper brass has contacted me. They want you to come to Delhi and conduct a meeting." Said Naresh. "I''m not going there." Naresh reels back from this flat denial by Hatori. "Why? This will be a golden chance for you to make a move. The elections are in two and a half years¡¯ time. It is a perfect chance!" "Well, I am a very powerful mage representing my king. I can''t just go to a city like a common bureaucrat who is summoned to a foreign leader''s office. She must send a proper invitation, accounting for the unusual circumstances of course." Explained Hatori. Naresh rubs his temples. "How are you doing a politician thing while telling me all this time that you suck at it? Were you lying?" Seeing Hatori''s amused face, Naresh shakes his head. "Of course you weren''t. Okay, consider me as a representative of my country, and this is an unofficial invitation for an unofficial meeting. Is that good enough?" He asked, while privately hoping it would satisfy the mage. Naresh is not certain what else he could do if he is not. "Well, since it is you, I think this will suffice. Don''t get used to this though." Said Hatori, getting up from his chair and casting a huge shadow over the politician. "I won''t come running every time she calls me. I am not a functionary in her government. I must score this point strongly." "Just don''t blow up your chance." Said Naresh, not showing any outward signs of intimidation. "Of course not. Seriously though, congratulations on your win. Let''s hope you''ll become an MP soon, and then a Prime Minister." "Will you make an exception for me then?" Asked Naresh, also getting up while making this joke. "Why not?" Asked Hatori. "I wouldn''t mind doing that." Once again, as Hatori escorts him out, they both give each other dangerous looks, like two hunters very close to achieving their goals, while thinking about which one will make the first betrayal.

Part 2.

The prime minister and her two ministers from the cabinet prepare for Hatori''s arrival. Today is the day when they agreed to a meeting, and they are all anxious regarding this meeting. But they are all experienced politicians, so they are hiding it well. The guards and receptionists are given pictures and a description of Hatori, and they have strict instructions to not stop him when he comes to visit them. He is a guest, and he should be treated as such. But for their safety, security forces will be positioned outside of the room where this meeting is about to take place. The door opens, and they see this tall man with empty eye sockets standing there. He has to duck to get inside. "Can I come in?" He asked with a smile. "You already came in." Said Sapna, unable to stop herself. "Oops." Said Hatori, deciding to go outside and do the whole thing again. "No need," Said Sapna, already figuring out what he was thinking. "Just come and take your seat." "The hell?" Hatori said, looking at the cheap quality of the chair provided for him. "Do you not know that a person of my size is not going to fit in that?" The lady and the men present across Hatori exchange a look. "No matter. Here''s an easy fix." The chair changes the shape in front of them. It is completely transformed right in front of them. From a cheap plastic chair, it turns into a high cushioned chair which allows Hatori to loom over them. "Ah, that''s better. You should provide proper chairs for your guests you know. This powerplay thing is not exactly good manners. What is this, trying to loom over me, giving me an unfit chair? Is that how you behave with guests?" "I can''t believe it. How are you chastising us like that? We are the most powerful people in this country!" Said one of the men. Out of nowhere, a book appears in Hatori''s hand. They were surprised once again, but they refrained from pushing the alarm and calling the security inside. "Here it is. When two nations are about to do a meeting, the leaders on both sides usually start on an equal footing. Unless their alliance is unequal. In that case, some humiliation may follow. However, it is possible to make a mistake when doing a first meeting, as it is not possible to assess someone when you have no information about them." Hatori reads from the book. "I believe that is exactly what has happened here. Don''t you think?" "Quite." Said the lady. "Let me introduce myself. I am Sapna Chaudhary, the Prime Minister of The Republic of India." "Hatori Eagle. S-rank archmage, representing king Avinash. Nice to meet you." Said Hatori, making the book disappear, and shaking hands with the woman. After he was done greeting her, he interrupted her before she could introduce two of her colleagues. "By the way, I do remember hearing the name of a singer by that same name during my childhood." "I get that a lot." Said Sapna with a smile. "There is no relation between me and her, though I am from the same state. This is my Home Minister, Salman Khan." Hatori started to shake. The trio are concerned with this sudden reaction until they realize he is laughing. He falls from his chair while roaring with laughter. "This... This... I can''t believe this!" "What, is my name that funny?" Asked Salman, not appreciating this amused reaction based on his name. Given that the prime minister and Palani are giving him amused looks as well is not helping any. He knows what is coming next. ''Just my luck to run into someone like him.'' He grumbled in his mind. Hatori gets up from the ground. "Given what kind of movies I was tortured with by the actor of your name, I do think I can laugh as much as I want." Turning to Sapna, Hatori then continues. "I do hope you don''t let him drive. He might decide that a footpath is a road or something." "He is forbidden from driving, yes." Said Sapna, without missing a beat. "Also, the other colleague of mine is Palani. He is the minister of Foreign Affairs." "Do you happen to be from the south?" Asked Hatori. "Yes. Why?" Asked Palani curiously. "Because I was tormented by their movies as well. I mean come on!" When Palani gives him a frosty look, Hatori continues. "Get over it. The comedy was the only good thing about those." Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "If we can start with the real purpose of the meeting?" Asked Sapna. Hatori suddenly looks at her with a snap, and she continues despite his sudden serious look. "I want to know: Why are you making contact with us? Why now of all time?" "Those are pretty heavy questions." Said Hatori. "As I said in that interview, our goal is to merge the technology from here, and magic from our side. That is the primary goal. As for why, well... The future of our race may depend upon it." "What do you mean?" Asked Salman. "There are races within this galaxy besides us. They are more advanced than us, and they have been in contact with the magical dimension for about a hundred years. Recently, there was an incident that made the king realize that we need to get on their level or beyond, or else we will be exploited or our world may end up becoming a slave. Mind you, in that case, this side will not be spared." "Forgive me, but it is very difficult to believe." Said Palani. "We have been searching for life in space for close to a hundred years as well, and we have not found any sign or indication of what you are referring to." "Because you lack the knowledge of magic. Do you think that your devices can catch and decode those strange signals? Besides. I turned this chair into its current form. What makes you think that there aren''t other races in the galaxy? There will be stronger proofs given to you when you decide to meet with the king officially." Said Hatori. "And what if we refuse?" Asked Palani, while Sapna and Salman watched without saying anything. "Then some other country will have a lead." Said Hatori with a shrug. "Don''t think that someone else will not have the same idea as we have. Say, China for example?" Palani leans back in shock, and Hatori continues to press his point. "Exactly. Our world may have a different history for more than 4000 years, but certain old countries are still there. They can make contact, and they could start on the same trajectory as what we''re trying to do. There has been a leadership change recently, so the chances of that happening are quite high. Whereas before, these ideas would have been dismissed outright." "Very well." Said Sapna, injecting herself back into the conversation. "The benefits you talk about, are they exclusive to you? Or are they mutual?" "Mutual." Said Hatori. "I''ve been here for twenty years. I know what challenges you are facing. We can easily help you gain energy independence. Just think about it, no more need for importing lithium or oil. We can also help you out with your water situation, and your farming will see improvements as well. And those are some easy ones. Later on, we can have technologies which we can use for ourselves, such as the combination of computing and magic, and eventually bringing this into the military." "Are you authorized to make such deals?" Asked Palani. "No. I am just here to make contact." Said Hatori. "Why you specifically? Why not someone else?" Asked Palani. If it turns out that they only have this guy, then it would be easy for them to figure out that the party they are dealing with is quite weak. The posturing will not work then. "Because I am the most familiar with this world and this country in particular." Said Hatori. "Your references to the older pop culture. It was to prove this point, wasn''t it?" Asked the Prime Minister. "Exactly. I assume you already have my birth records?" Asked Hatori. "We do." Said Salman. "It was not that difficult. Having said this, I have a concern of my own." Salman leans forward. "I do not like That someone like you can just come into our backyard whenever they like. This does not make us feel secure." For a moment, Hatori thinks of telling them how unsafe they actually are. But he refrains from antagonizing them. ''Dammit, why Josh isn''t here? He can handle this diplomacy crap much better than me.'' "It is not as easy as you might think." Said Hatori. "I got special circumstances, since I was born here, and my parents used to live here. But any mage who wishes to cross over cannot come just because they feel like it. Security is pretty tight. They are checked whenever they come here and go back. Besides, the majority of the time they show up here to observe what is going on here, or what new bit of tech has come in which they can copy. For example, the cars are quite a hit there." Hatori explained. He did not mention that these cars are essentially homes on wheels. "I suppose if this deal goes through, we can have a measure from our end as well. Speaking of which, you do plan to train more mages for this side as well?" Asked Palani. "My school is doing exactly that. For the time being, it is best that you let us handle the training. Once a sufficient amount of knowledge has been transferred, then you can open other schools under your own schemes and designs." Said Hatori. "Very well. Do you two have any remaining questions?" Asked Sapna. In reality, they both want to ask why Hatori is working with a politician from an opposite party, but they decide that for now, it is not a good time to ask this question. "None for now." Said Palani and Salman together. "Then I call this meeting to an end. Would you like to come and have lunch with us?" Asked Sapna. In Hatori''s hands, the same book appears once again. This time he did not read what was written there. But he smiles and nods. "I would be delighted to." "Let me guess. Eating together is a social activity, and it plays an important role in diplomacy?" Asked Palani, as they go out of the office. "How did you know?" Asked Hatori. "Do you have secret mind-reading powers?" "I wish." He chuckled.

Part 3.

Avinash is speaking to Hatori over the mirror. "So, you handled it well, despite their provocations?" "Well, apart from that moment in the beginning, yes. They really should have provided a proper chair for me." Grumbled Hatori. "The main concerns for them are the security issues, and how uncomfortable they are with our sudden arrival. They are also going to discuss control measures with you." "This is going to be such a mess. They would need new laws, and their police would need to be retrained. They would also need to wait before they can actually recruit officers among them." Pointed out Raven. "This is a problem on their end. Are they willing to meet me or not, this is the main question." Said Avinash. "Don''t worry. They are willing to meet you." Hatori confirmed. "Bring your delegation once we have the date and all the logistics are sorted out." "Good. I have picked up who I want to take, and no, Raven, you are not one of them. I don''t want the militaries involved just yet." Said Avinash. "Didn''t expect it either." Said Raven. "How long do you think they will take to invite me?" Asked Avinash. "She will try to turn this into a big event. After the hype is at its peak, that is when she will call me, and give us a date. Be ready for a big event." Hatori warned. "Don''t worry. I can handle it just fine." Said Avinash.

Part 4.

True to what Hatori told Avinash in their virtual meeting, it took a while for the date to be confirmed. In the meantime, through the news, this upcoming event is hyped up. magic has become quite a sensational idea within the public imagination, and everyone within the country as well as the rest of the world is looking forward to the time when the Prime Minister and the king of magic side meet for the first time. The day finally arrives, and Hatori is there to observe the party. He sees that Avinash has brought Josh and Akshit with him, and there are other mages with him who run various businesses. He remembers them because he has dealt with them in the past, as he is a primary supplier of yantras and has done some large-scale enchantment projects for them in the past. "Today," Said Sapna in front of the cameras, "I welcome Avinash Varma, the king of the Magical Subcontinent." Everyone clapped at this declaration except for Hatori, who was hidden under an invisibility spell. He wants no part of this. As far as he is concerned, his role is done. However, Josh is more than familiar with his tricks. So, he dragged him in front of the cameras all the same, and then Sapna jumped on the chance. "And their delegate, The Archmage, Hatori Eagle." More clapping ensues. After that, everyone goes into the hall of the reserved hotel where all of this is taking place. The delegates spread out, and so the reporters do the same. Hatori sneaks away in the chaos. ''I''ll taste those starters. And then I''ll leave.'' Unable to contain himself any longer, he picks up one of the kebabs and takes a bite of it. "Mmm. Delicious." Said Naresh right next to him. "Yep. Starters are the best." Said Hatori. "Are you leaving soon?" Asked Naresh, while he starts to walk away from the table where the starters are put. When Hatori gives him a nod, he continues. "Why don''t you share a drink with me before going?" "Sure." Said Hatori, not seeing anything wrong with it. After his drink is done, and a few photos are taken, Hatori leaves. This party is annoying him already. He thought that these people would have a better choice in music, but apparently not. He rather listen to those songs composed a hundred years ago than this trash with garbled and nonsensical lyrics. Chapter 246 Chapter 246.

Part 1.

Sapna is looking at the results of the party''s pole survey. Unlike the surveys shown to the public which usually peddled the narrative of how strong the party in power is, this one is authentic and displays real results, as much as a survey can be trusted that is. The introduction to magic is being received well, though there is some trouble with some charlatans pretending to be the avatar of one God or another, causing problems with their claims over magic. It is horrifying how quickly people fall for this shit, even in the 2060s. Her approval rating is doing well, and the entire deal with Avinash is also doing well in certain circles. However, the merchant houses are worried about how this might impact their profits, as they do not have any stake in this game at all currently. Normally, Sapna agrees with their concern, but for once she is happy with this situation. Their nonexistent claim over magical solutions in the economy means that for once she has a free hand in making policies, and doesn''t have to deal with their whining or lobbying. Speaking of whining, she has another problem on her hands. Write when she thought she was done with the day''s tasks, a group of five shows up at her office. They do have an appointment, but she deliberately gave them a time late in the night, hoping that they would be discouraged. That is how she deals with her political allies who are inconvenient. She thought it would work on this group as well, but apparently, they are quite motivated. The group consists of five men. Two of them are bureaucrats, their names being Akhil Malani and Aseem Sharma. Unlike the other bureaucrats, these two are quite motivated and abhor laziness. They also have their sense of idealism still intact, even though they have been in the service for twenty years at this point. The other three men are scientists employed by universities across the country, and they have also contributed in various ways to one think tank or another over some time. They have actual experience to show, having helped in implementing some newer policies to combat the changes in the environment. They are Raj Parulekar, who is the most senior among them, and the other two of them are Ravi Nayar and Arun Kumar, who are about the same age and have the same amount of experience. "So, what brings you gentlemen to me?" Asked Sapna. "Hurry up and leave already." Was went unsaid. "We saw the implementation of magic in the Chandigarh on the power grid, and are all impressed by it." Said Akhil. "We want to try this new... Thing, to solve some long-standing problems as well." "And what those problems might be?" Asked Sapna, already having an idea of what they would ask for. "The problem of plastic in the Indian Ocean, of course." Said Aseem. "That island needs to go." "It is quite ugly, I admit. But it is not like it is the only one." Said Sapna. "Besides, you''ve tried solving this issue before. It did not end well." "Yes." Said Raj, taking over the conversation. "But this time, we are certain. From what we understand magic, it could help us turn around this situation in our favor entirely." The arguments raged on for an hour like this. The group of these five men was not willing to budge, and Sapna didn''t want them to divert one of the magical experts offered by the king to this project. Having finally enough of this, she huffs and tells them to leave. "You can go to Hatori. I''ll give you his address. Go talk to him. Don''t come back crying to me when he doesn¡¯t help you though." Realizing that is all they are going to get, they all leave her office after wishing her a good night, in a tone as if they were not arguing for the past hour with her. ''I hope he''ll kick them out. Even a flat refusal will be okay by me.'' She thinks, before leaving the office. She is going to sleep and forget about this entire incident.

Part 2.

Hatori is relaxing in his house. He got back after taking his children on a trip, where only four of them were going. Apparently, their mothers were worried about their safety, since Hatori didn''t have the sense to keep the children safe or something. ''Showed them. They enjoyed the trip to Nihon.'' He thought smugly. Garuda impressed him the most. Though he is quiet compared to his siblings, he is adjusting to the dangerous environment of the Academy. Granted, having his older brother and sister also helps, but it can only take you so far. Hatori was amused to hear the complaints of Sushima. Apparently, he had trouble making friends, while Garuda, despite being a quiet and shy one among the trio, made friends easily in his first year. His reverie is interrupted by a message. He motions for the message to appear in front of him. It appears in the fiery letters in front of him, just to be dramatic. Hatori acquired the most powerful computer available in the market currently, and after some enchantments and giving it access to the spirit of the house, it is operating like the central yantra back home. This gave Hatori the ability to handle emails and other communications. It also meant that Naresh wouldn¡¯t come and bother him for every simple thing. Not that he visits him very often. Hatori is thankful for it. Dealing with him is quite tense. But this time, this message is from the Prime Minister. Apparently, she sent a "group of idealist idiots" his way. She didn''t realize what it meant, but now she is sober in the morning, she is warning him in advance. Hatori''s first instinct was to send a scathing reply, but then he realized that as a dual citizen of the magical Subcontinent and India, he needed to keep his temper in check. "How annoying. I''ll wait for them then." He sighed. Being an adult is tough. He can''t blow people and expect someone like Zeko to smooth things over for him. Or they give the excuse of how they are tormenting him or something, or how their recruiting strategies suck. He still gives the noble families grief about that. The spirit appears in front of him. "Understood." "What do you mean?" Asked Hatori. He has not given any orders yet. "I know some guests are coming. I will make preparations." Said the spirit. "But--" Hatori tries to argue. "But nothing. You just sit and relax; I''ll take care of everything." Then the spirit of the house disappears. "Just like mother." Sighed Hatori. The group showed up in the afternoon. They are shaken by the journey to the house. That creepy forest, all those voices telling them to return, has savaged their confidence. And yet here they are, sitting in front of Hatori, ready with whatever demand they have. "Alright, gentlemen. Tell me, why are you here? The mail by the Prime Minister was really vague." Asked Hatori, once they were all seated, and they introduced each other. The author chose to skip that part to save digital trees. "We are witnessing the adaptation of magic into various projects. All five of us have served in various capacities to create different policies. And we wanted to discuss with you some possibilities." Said Aseem. "Okay?" Said Hatori, who doesn''t get why they have to be so vague. "Do you have a specific issue in mind? Because if you want to discuss magic in general, then I''m afraid that you won''t get much of an idea." "Well, we do. Tell me," Raj leans forward a little. "Can magic help us with the problem of recycling?" "Of course." Said Hatori. "It is an easy application of transmutation." "What is transmutation?" Asked Ravi. "The process of turning one material into a different material." Said Hatori. "Including nonliving to living and vice versa." "What?" They all asked in surprise. Hatori motions and the table turns into a snake, and all the empty plates and cups resting on the table turn into small birds. With another motion of Hatori, everything turns normal, like nothing has happened before. "Mind you, it is very difficult to turn a living being into a nonliving object. Too much energy. It is pointless to perform that task, even for the strongest of mages." "We''re only interested in the nonliving matter though." Said Arun, regaining his composure quickly. "We want to turn all the waste material which we can''t recycle into something else." "Why can''t you recycle properly? I seem to remember it was huge back in my childhood." Looking at their confused looks, Hatori clarifies. "Around 2017." "Ah yes. It was considered promising, but it also takes a lot of energy, and it really doesn''t solve the pollution problem." Said Akhil. "Not to mention, some materials cannot be recycled at all." "The rise of technology has also added to this problem." Added Arun. "The electronic waste contains batteries, and these batteries cannot be recycled, even though they are spent." "In that case, transmutation can help you. However, if you want to implement that on a large scale, then you need to consult someone else. Maybe my old professor Amarjit can help you? He is free, and often complains about not having anything to do in his free time." Said Hatori. "Yes, we would like that. But we also want to discuss with you something else." Said Aseem, bringing out the map. "This is the Indian Ocean, and the red marks around India are the plastic islands." "The hell? I heard about one when I was young. And it wasn''t even around India, if I remember correctly. How the hell did you manage to create multiple of those?" Hatori then changed his mind quickly. "Don''t answer that. Didn''t you try to solve this on your own?" "Well, we couldn''t recycle in the middle of the sea. Too much energy would be needed for that." Said Raj. "We tried creating a bacterium that could eat and digest plastic, and turn it into nature-friendly material, kind of like the Earthworm. But that whole thing backfired on us," explained Ravi. "Did that create some kind of epidemic?" Asked Hatori. "No." That was all they said. "Okay. What exactly do you have in mind?" Asked Hatori. "I can easily turn this pile of garbage into whatever you want by myself. But if you want to implement some kind of automated solution, then it will take a while. Also, scaling would take time. Again, you are better off talking with Professor Amarjit." "Do you think we could turn it into some kind of natural fertilizer for the ocean?" Asked Arun. "Also, do you have a way of creating some kind of isolated place where we can restart the coral reef system?" Asked Aseem. "Sure. Pick a suitable area, and we''ll start on that." Hatori agreed. "But again, I''m only going to help you in the testing phase. I can''t help you in the entirety of the project." "That is fine. Just get us in contact with interested people, we would be happy with that." Said Raj. "Also, I will keep that transmuted material for myself. I need it." Said Hatori. They looked at each other and agreed. Losing some material is nothing when the entire planet is filled with the garbage of the past century. Once the five men leave, Hatori contacts Professor Amarjit, who is retired from the Academy now and tells him the entire situation. He agrees to help them and comes to this side so he can speak with the five men by himself. Hatori showed them the transmutation of the several islands, and what it would look like. He also helped them create some acid-free water zones for the corals. It was a few hours of rune work for him, to design the whole system in his own runic language, and then translate it into the standard system. He then took the material to his own dimension and used it to fertilize his own ocean systems which were getting stagnant recently.

Part 3.

When the news of the success of Raj and his colleagues reaches Sapna, she is annoyed. ''How the hell did that unfriendly bastard agree to help them?'' After Hatori helped them set up the prototypes of their projects, transmuted the island of garbage, and took the material for himself, they started to work with Amarjit and created a system to filter out such particles from the water entirely. They then go a step beyond and filter out all the toxic elements they can, both in the rivers and in the ocean. The whole thing became a business for them, where the ownership was divided between the seven of them. Amarjit made them agree to bring Hatori on board because, given his advanced age, he is the only one who would be able to help them out in the event of his passing, due to his expertise in the runes and magic in general. Hatori agreed to it, because he wouldn''t have to get involved, and it is essentially free money for very little effort on his part. Sapna quickly capitalized on it, taking credit for starting them on this path and easing the hurdles in their way. "That bitch! Who does she think she is?" Complained Aseem to Hatori. "Keep your temper in check. She will make things very difficult for us if she is upset. It wouldn''t impact me, but it will kill this venture of ours." Said Hatori. They agreed with his advice and brought her to the opening ceremony, where she cut the ribbon, and started the first machine. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. Soon, the time of elections approached and passed, and Hatori lived under a rock for the most part during those times. Apparently, Naresh has also managed to become the Chief Minister in the state elections. He sent him his favorite sweets as a congratulatory gift. What these people do now, is none of his concern. Hatori is out to shop after the results are declared, and crying a river worth of tears and loud celebrations are over. He wants to buy something for Sushima. "Well done, my boy!" Said Hatori with a proud smile, as the elemental spirit disappeared in smoke. Sushima has just beaten his first elemental spirit, that being the spirit of fire. He nearly passed out, but Hatori was there to catch him. He then dropped him in the pool of Yaksha so he could recover, and told Ravina and Daphne that he was going out to buy a reward for him. At first, Hatori thought that he could just take him to some favorite place of his to eat or spend time. But then, the boy surprised him even further by showing the first signs of developing flight. Hatori had to do it on his own, but Sushima had his guidance. So, it is not so strange that he is developing these skills so quickly. But flight is a special thing to crack, and it will take him some more time before he can fly at will like Hatori. For starting on this path this early, Hatori decides that he deserves something special. So, now he is here in the market on the other side, trying to decide what is the best gift for his son. ''I must do the same for Daphne and Garuda.'' Thinks Hatori to himself. Can''t have them feel jealous. Jealousy is the cause of power struggles in the family. And he will not have his kids fight among themselves for something so stupid. He will encourage them to gain the skills of their parents and develop something of their own so they won''t fight for every scrap in the future. ''Hmm. He''s insisting on getting a computer for a while now.'' Thinks Hatori, after walking to a computer shop. ''Maybe one of those which he can play with?'' So Hatori buys a computer that is not strong but would allow Sushima to play with the hardware and software, including enchantments. He stores this small machine in the storage runes on his wrist and then leaves the shop. However, as soon as he takes a step outside of the shop, Hatori hears a large explosion. Due to the modifications he did to protect himself against loud sounds, Hatori is not overwhelmed by it. "Dammit. Is some idiot starting another bullshit celebration?" He grumbled. But it is clear to him that it is no mere celebration. It is a full-fledged attack. The police present on the ground informed the stations nearby, and a large force quickly came to take people to safety and tackle the attackers. While they are succeeding in the first task, they are badly failing at the second. At first, Hatori thinks it is none of his business. He might be a citizen here, but he has no rank to speak of, and no reputation either. So, he decides that he will let the police handle it. Until he observes the attackers use the magitech. The police are unprepared to handle this, and the four attackers are overwhelming them quickly. Deciding that things will not end well if he does not interfere, Hatori appears in the middle of the fight in a storm of fire. "Halt! Go back, civilian!" Instructed the officer. "Civilian?" Said Hatori, bringing a golden shield to protect himself and the officers from the blast of magic sent their way with a gun. "Tell me, can a civilian do this?" The officers recognized him. "Sir, you are not authorized to fight here." They tried to argue. A few more blasts come their way. These are smaller than the one from which Hatori shielded them. He redirected these to the sky, where they explode harmlessly. "Your toys are useless here. Go and help the public." When they refuse to leave, and Hatori senses the buildup of that big gun once again, he adds magical pressure to his voice and orders them again. "Go now!" They quickly scramble out of the way to avoid this big blast, and Hatori sends it to the sky as well, where it glows brightly. It overpowers the lights from the city for a moment before the energy of the blast runs out. Hatori sensed, and it appeared there was no one left in the market. There are a large number of people still fleeing from ground zero, but his immediate surroundings are absolutely empty. "Well then. let''s see how you stand up to me." He said, not selling the smaller blast. He made another show of taking the larger blast, which also failed to harm him. "Pathetic." With a fiery blast of his own, the large gun explodes and the metal melts due to the intensity of the fire. It also took out one of the attackers. The other three attackers spread out and tried to escape, but Hatori didn''t allow them. Appearing in front of one of them, he claps him on the shoulder like an old pal. But this was a concussive spell that sent them flying into a snack shop. The wall breaks and the attacker gurgles and dies, unable to stand the impact of this spell. While Hatori was doing this, two of the attackers regrouped, and they boxed him in between them. In their effort to take Hatori out, they did a lot of damage to the shops but failed to kill him. "Enough of this." Hatori flicks his hand to the sky, and the man firing at him from the front is carried to the sky and explodes. The other one tries to hide behind a car, and when Hatori comes, he blasts the car to hurt him. But the mage just sent the energy back at him, overwhelming him and killing him on the spot. "Boring. Didn''t even need an elemental spell. Well, apart from taking out that gun." Hatori notes to himself. He needed to take out that big gun because it clearly had range. And if they escaped with it, they could do a lot of damage in the city. Hatori hears the crackling of the flames and smells the smoke. He extends his hands over his head, and between them, a bubble appears containing water. This water is alchemically modified to take out the fire faster than the regular water. He used this to put out the various fires, and then the police showed up.

Part 4.

Hatori is attending an online conference. Naresh is by his side, having achieved the position of Chief Minister in the recent state elections right before the national elections. Since he was the only mage available at the place of attack, he was invited here. "Many people have complained about the property damage." She is saying to Hatori. "Why did you get involved anyway? Couldn¡¯t you let the police handle it?" "Your officers would have died." Said Hatori, without any sugarcoating. "Those attackers were using magically modified technology. The police were flailing helplessly, they didn''t know how to deal with this attack. If I didn''t step in, people would have died, instead of just getting away with some light injuries." "Mam," Said one of the staff members. "Most of the property damage was done by the attackers, it is clear by looking at the video footages of various CCTV cameras which remained intact." "Fine, we can put the blame on them." Said Sapna. "Salman, do you have any info about the group?" "I do." He spoke. "A chip was found after analyzing the bodies of the attackers. It is a group of rogue cyborgs, led by Salima." "Who?" Asked Naresh and Hatori together. "An international criminal." Explained the Home Minister. "About thirty years ago, she attacked and stole a space station. Ever since she has coordinated terrorist cyborg activity from there. Many countries tried to take her down, but the station has been modified. It is a fortress in space now, equipped with weapons and trained cyborgs. The group operates by taking advantage of the discrimination against cyborgs in society and usually makes them do their bidding on the ground. Such as this attack we have just witnessed." "How exactly did they get the magitech?" Asked Sapna. "Don''t tell me your school is somehow involved in this, Hatori?" "Sure. Put the blame on me." Said Hatori, citizenship be damned. "The students of my school can barely do the illumination spell. A few of them have managed to go beyond, but we don''t have any access to the magitech you are developing with the advice of the military. If a leak has happened, then it is you who is responsible. This is why I told Raven not to get involved in it." "General Raven." Said Sapna frostily. "I have known the guy since I was seven. I''ll call him whatever I want." Said Hatori. "It is impossible!" Said Salman, unable to take this insult. "There is no way someone in the military would leak this tech to the enemy." "It is quite easy." Said Hatori. "Just target some old engineer, lay a honey trap for him or her, and boom. All your plans are in the enemy''s hands." Said Hatori. He is on a roll, and not about to stop any time soon. Naresh is enjoying the show too much to stop him anyway. The Prime Minister and her toadies need to be taken down a peg or two. "You don''t even need to do that. Just bribe some bureaucrat. I''m sure they''ll happily sell you if they could get away with it." "Oooooh!" Said Naresh, unable to stop himself from reacting to that last burn. ''I''ll use that in the future.'' He makes a mental note. While Salman is muted from the conversation of his continuous ranting, Sapna decides to close the meeting the only way she can. "We will coordinate with you. We need to plan protections, and look into what kind of things have been leaked." "Sure." That was all Hatori said before the screen went blank. "Do you think I went overboard a little?" Asked Hatori, as they leave the office of the Chief Minister. "Nah, she deserved it. That Salman is a fool. Bribery is the easiest angle to consider and investigate. If he thinks no one would do something like that, then he doesn''t deserve his position. How else is he going to keep the country safe from internal threats?" Said Naresh. "Anyway, I''ll need to coordinate with the MPs of my party. We are going to use this in the parliament." "Don''t tell me. You do what you want. I suspect she is going to come crying to us once again." Grumbled Hatori. "Probably." Said Naresh, agreeing with Hatori.

Part 5.

Sapna wasn''t the only one who got to see the fight of Hatori. Salima also acquired the footage, and she is watching how easily this tall man is dismantling the four cyborgs who served as a pawn for her. ''I thought he was all talk, but there is clear skill behind the brutish appearance.'' She thinks to herself. This means that the school this man is running, will soon pose a threat to her. It also means that other mages are also a threat to her plans. Even if they are not as skilled as Hatori, they will still cause problems for her in the future. "Connor." She called to her second in command. "Prepare the bombs." "Yes, mam." He nodded. "Where should our target be?" "Hit them where it serves as a warning. I want to keep the Delhi untouched for a little while longer." She instructed. "It will be done." Said Connor, as he has permission to choose the target for himself. ''Let''s see how you handle this, magic boy.'' Thinks Salima.

Part 6.

Hatori steps out of the portal between the dimensions. After all the trouble was sorted out, he went back and gave the computer he bought to Sushima. He waited around for a while, hoping that maybe the Prime Minister might come to him with something, but since she did not, he decided to get on with his own life. However, when he comes back, he hears the news. "Breaking news! Half of Bhopal, the capital of a state in central India has just disappeared. A bomb was dropped on the city, and it has destroyed the capital." "Well, fuck." Said Hatori. It appears that the audit was unsuccessful. They did not figure out that their bombs were also gone. Hatori didn''t even know that they were developing something like that. The only thing he knew of were those elemental guns and some enchanted bullets. A few days later, the government contacts Hatori on the recommendation of Avinash. They want to install the wards to protect against the bombs of their own making, and they want him to help them. "Sure, I''ll do that. But the country is huge. I can''t go everywhere." He points out. "Don''t worry," Said one of the experts who is also working for the government on the orders of the king, "We''ll handle those. Just help us with the design, and supervise the installation process as much as you can." However, the bad news didn''t stop. While Hatori is busy with the task of protecting the cities, the cabinet comes out for a conference with the Prime Minister. They want to assure the public that everything is going to be fine in these chaotic times and that they do not need to fear. However, the cyborgs take a chance, and another bomb blast takes place. This was a suicide attack, which ended up killing the entire cabinet present there, as well as the journalists and other important officials. Chapter 247 Chapter 247.

Part 1.

After the devastating attack where the entire cabinet died, the country is paralyzed. The reason being, the complete absence of a government. Even in this chaotic time, people tried to take advantage of this large vacuum, so they had to be crushed, and a new cabinet needed to be constructed immediately. A new Prime Minister was announced, and after all these preparations were done, another emergency demand was made from Avinash to give them warders so they could protect their cities from this threat. Hatori, along with these new warders (as well as the old ones), is working overtime to put the protective enchantments and buriers over the cities, as well as the fields to nullify the bombs so they won''t explode. "Fuck." He cursed, as he sensed the bomb coming towards them from the sky. "Sir, we don''t have much time." Said the junior mage working with him. "What do we do? We can''t evacuate people so quickly." "Simple." Said Hatori with a smirk. "We don''t." In reality, he is not certain of this idea. But he must project confidence. If he as a leader falters, then what would happen to his subordinates? "Step back. I am about to construct a rune script of my own." He spoke. They quickly retreat. They have no intention of getting caught up in whatever Hatori is planning. The glowing symbols appear in the air around him, and he quickly configures them in the formation to create the teleportation script. The runes then fly up and surround the bomb which is right above their heads, and it disappears in front of their eyes like it was never there. "What happened?" Asked the young man. "I teleported the bomb to space. Looks like it worked." Said Hatori. "Now, hurry up. We still need to complete the wards of this city." "Yessir!" Said the people working under him.

Part 2.

"The attack is foiled, mam." Reported Connor. "Curses!" Salima slammed her hand on the arm of the chair. "Any damage?" "None whatsoever." Said Connor. "He teleported the bomb, for the lack of a better word. We realized it only when we saw the news of some satellites being taken out in the explosion." Salima is at a loss for words. It is finally dawning on her that she is not dealing with a normal force. True, she also has some knowledge of magic, but the true potential of this new force is not understood. Given that there is an entire world consisting of people who know how to use this force, it makes her worry. Even if they are not as skilled as this Hatori, the fact that they exist in such large numbers is concerning to her. It is also likely that they have their own nasty secrets which are not known yet. After all, they are trying to establish a connection with the government here. They won''t show their nasty side yet. "Activate our agents on the ground." She orders. "Kill the mages." Maybe the ground operations will succeed where these bombs failed? "At once mam." Said Connor. A few hours later, she is raging once more. "They are all taken out." That was all Connor said. They are not taken out by mages, no. It was the military of India that got in the way. Those agents never reached their targets.

Part 3.

After the latest attacks, Hatori is attending a meeting. Avinash told him to be in that meeting. There were some conflicts, as other officials wanted him to continue the work of supervising the wards, but Hatori decided that someone else could handle this. Besides, the mage who is working within his group is also good with rune work. Hatori is certain he can handle his absence. The fact that he has not gotten any pesky emergency calls yet is proof of it. "The teleported bomb destroyed some satellite equipment. Other countries are demanding compensation from us." The new Prime Minister Ankit Kisana is explaining to Avinash. "However, given the amount of people who would have died if that bomb landed on the city, we can keep them away for a while." "Shouldn''t they, I don''t know, back off? I mean your entire leadership got slaughtered." Asked Avinash, ignoring the point that if he and his entire group running the country died, the same thing would happen in the Subcontinent, from inside as well as outside. "The world doesn''t work that way, unfortunately." Grumbled Ankit. "In any case, do not worry. We won''t let any problems come in Mister Hatori''s way." "Good." Said Avinash. "He is my trusted mage; it would be quite sad if something stopped him from performing his work." "We cannot let this proceed like this though." Said Kartik, the minister of defense. He is also handling the home ministry because there is no one to take that position yet. So, Kartik is stuck handling both external and internal security. "We need to hunt these cyborgs down, and bring them to justice." "How?" Asked Naresh, the first Chief Minister to speak. "I recall that the previous honorable Home Minister told us that the group is operating out of a space station which is equipped with weapons, and never stays in one place. How can we mount an attack on such a thing?" "Indeed." Kartik agreed. "Some skirmishes have taken place in space, but nobody has succeeded in a large-scale military operation. The logistics are difficult to handle, and you need precise timing." "Can you describe the issues in greater detail?" Asked Hatori, finally deciding to speak. ''Also, why Raven or Suresh are not attending this meeting?'' He thought but decided not to ask Avinash this question for now. "It mostly boils down to the station orbiting around the planet, so we need precise timing to launch and board. They will see us coming, and since they have weapons, any boarding attempt will be thwarted before it can even start." Explained Kartik. Hatori looked at Avinash, and the king nods at him through the screen. "How about if you could appear out of nowhere, instead of boarding from a military ship?" "How?" Everyone asked. Hatori spreads his arms. "Magic." Kartik shakes his head. "We all walked into that one." "Do you have such a method?" Asked Ankit. "We do. But for this, we only need to know the precise location of the station, and where it will be present by the time we perform the spell to teleport. As long as I have those coordinates, I can take us there directly. However, there are limitations. Mainly the amount of weight. I can''t take an army with me." Explained Hatori. "We can give you those coordinates." Said the general Vansh. "It is not like that station was ever hidden. It is the weapons present on board that are the problem. That is why no one ever attempted to take it back." While Hatori continues the plotting, Avinash knows that he will end up in the middle of the combat. He does not like the prospect of Hatori being left alone in the world in case he is incapacitated. ''I will send Raven and James there as soon as this meeting is done.'' He decides. ''Those two should keep him safe if anything bad happens.'' Hatori has taken the position of Zeko. The king considers him very important, A heavyweight like him cannot be lost, it will weaken the country. "Then it is final." Said Hatori. "I will teleport us to the coordinates of that station with a small force. I will participate in the battle, and we will take out this group." The meeting comes to an end by the mutual agreement of everyone.

Part 4.

Hatori prepares to teleport. The military would be coming after him, once he has landed on the station. At first, he was about to teleport with a small force, but they had to reconsider this idea. The general quickly realized that his troops were not used to fighting alongside a magic user, so they killed the idea. The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. Instead, Hatori will land at the station, and then the military will follow after him. After making minor adjustments to the runes floating around him, He teleports right in front of the station. Immediately, the weapons begin to fire at him. Hatori counts his lucky star for these weapons are not enchanted with magic yet. He wouldn''t be able to shield himself so easily otherwise. The weapons failed to stop his landing. The cyborg forces on the station start to target him, but they are unprepared. They did not think that their fortress would be invaded like this. They are not ready to guard against him. They are not alert enough. Hatori uses a spell, and fire comes out of his mouth like a flamethrower. All the cyborgs in his way turn to ash, though the fighters behind who are furthest from him suffer less impact. Walking through the screams and groans of pain, Hatori levitates and bashes their head to the roof, and keeps one shield around his body to keep himself protected by the fire. Hatori sensed around and found a surprisingly high number of people living in this small place. But they are not coming out to face him anymore. A giant gate opens, and a woman walks out. Judging by her haughty expression, and the sudden shift in the mood he sensed in the people who are hiding from him, Hatori deduces that this must be the leader of this group. "You dare to invade my station, and expect to get away with it?" Said Salima. "Shut up." Said Hatori. He is not in any mood to banter with her. Besides, those dialogs got old during the war 23 years ago. Casting a Fireblast, Hatori expects to see the woman in ashes. But she surprised him. He sensed her using magic, and by the time the fire went out, he saw the glow of a shield disappear as well. "I won''t be so easily taken out." She said and sent a wave after him. It came out of her arm, which opened like the barrel of a gun. Hatori steps aside. "Plasma." He recognized the superheated wave. "It is damaging your own station, more than my own attacks." "Never mind." Said Salima. She does not care about it one way or another. She could easily hijack another station if this one is destroyed. As long as she could kill this man. He has given her a golden opportunity. She will not let this slip through her fingers. He is on her territory now. He will not escape alive. Her hair shifts and a small gun comes out of her head. "You would get along with James just fine." Said Hatori before she fired. "If you weren''t such a bitch." Hatori avoided the direct impact of this enchanted cannon blast with his shield, but he was still sent flying. Much to Salima''s annoyance, he lands on his feet. "I don''t know who this James is. But I will break him when I am done with you." She approaches Hatori, but his own hair shifts, and comes at her like the quills of a porcupine who has a spring-loaded system to fire these quills at his enemy. Salima is unable to avoid this sudden attack, and many of the thorns pierce her skin. "I won''t let another crazy bitch close to him." Said Hatori. He punched the air, and a fist made of lightning descended on her, sending her flying. What happened to James is a sore subject among Hatori''s group of friends. They don''t talk about it. Then how dare this woman say such a thing? Hatori disregards the logical part of his mind, which reminds him that she does not know anything. He should keep his temper in check. But he is done playing. Animating the broken debris of the station, he attacks her. The lightning attack has messed up her internal systems. Salima is not able to react and gets pierced by the blades coming at her. She has not felt this helpless ever since she became a cyborg. Finally, she can generate a burier to protect herself against Hatori''s onslaught, but this burier also fizzles out. "What have you done to me?" She asked, unable to get up from the ground. Hatori gives her a smile full of cruelty. "Why, give you a shock of course! How about another one?" He prepares another spell to rain down lightning upon Salima, but Connor gets in the way. "Not so quick!" He blasts Hatori and manages to stagger him. It upsets his spell, and it fizzles out with a few stray sparks in the air. "You are going to die." Hatori casts a lightning bolt spell, the simplest one he learned while learning to control lightning elements for the first time. Connor avoids it with his hair left standing due to fear. He is certain that he will die if this attack hits him. He flicks a button, and Hatori falls, as the floor suddenly disappears beneath him. "Mam, we should leave. The military is outside, they will try to capture you." "Shut up!" Salima said to Connor. "I am not leaving without killing this man. I will sacrifice every one of you if I have to, so I can kill him." "What?" Connor is shocked by hearing such words. "Oh, don''t be shocked. Do you honestly think I cared about any of you? You were nothing but pawns for me. If you did your job better, I wouldn''t be in this situation." Hatori comes flying out of the hole where Connor dropped him. "Nice trick. Prepare to die!" The lightning bolt hits Connor directly, and he falls to the ground as well. The artificial system within his body is unable to handle this sudden shock. But it appears Salima has recovered. Hatori turns around and gets ready to fight her. She comes close to him, but he just kicks her away. He kept doing that until she realized that she could not get closer to him. So, she decides to fire the cannon on her head directly. Hatori is unable to shield this time and goes flying, colliding with a wall. The wave of plasma heats up the wall, and carries him outside, where he is just a few meters away from the space. Salima starts to walk outside. She will finish this man, and then deal with the military. "Maybe I will let this station be destroyed, and find a new and better one? In any case, I will be certain to get competent soldiers next time." She grumbled to herself. "You are not going anywhere, you bitch!" Said Connor with a venomous tone. "I believed in you. I thought you would give us equality, but I was wrong. No matter. I will self-destruct this station, and take you along with me!" "You traitorous bastard!" She turns around to stop him. She cursed, Connor has all the control and the access to perform this operation from anywhere. a terminal comes out of the wall, and he begins to type. With an energy blade, she cuts off his head. But his body continued typing and hit enter. "Initiating self-destruct sequence." Announced an electronic voice over the speaker of the station. "Shit!" Kicking the dead body of Connor a few times, Salima starts to run outside. Only to get a face full of lightning once again from a recovered Hatori. He is burned badly, but his runes are working to heal him. He prepares another spell, but the pain of the burns is making his vision hazy. He is unable to focus, and Salima can crawl closer to him. She drags him to the ground, where Hatori hits his head on the metal floor. She then gouges his eyes out. "What''s this? Artificial eyes? So, you are like us then. Too bad you are not working with me." She says with a shaky voice. "I''m not anyone''s pawn." Hatori blasts her. But she also managed to blast him with the cannon on her head, and this time, Hatori was in the space. The lightning strike killed her, but the station lost control. It is entering the atmosphere, and if it falls on the planet itself, it is going to kill a lot of people. Hatori floats, trying to keep his concentration. He comes up with another rune script to teleport this station away, while the military craft comes closer to him. He has no particular coordinates in mind. He wants the exploding station to stay away from the planet. So, he just pushed it towards the space. His effort is successful, but it takes all the energy he has. Finally, with a pop, the station goes away into the space, and Hatori loses consciousness. The runes on his body, unable to draw upon Hatori''s reserves, start to extract the ambient magic present around him. They surround his body completely, and instead of a falling rock, Hatori''s body stabilizes and starts to descend in a controlled manner. Chapter 248 Chapter 248.

Part 1.

The military craft which was at some distance from the station observed Hatori. They tried to approach closer, hoping that they could get the injured mage on board. But the station disappeared, and then Hatori started to fall down. The craft gave chase but was unable to keep up. In the mist, Hatori suddenly disappeared. Though they could not get to him on time, the computer tracked Hatori''s trajectory and gave an estimate of where he could have ended up. Captain Vikram and his squad were given the responsibility to track Hatori down. If He''s alive, so much better. If not, then they want to keep his body out of the hands of other forces. It is not clear whether someone might manage to crack some secret of his and come back to haunt them. Hatori has ended up in Central Asia, a region that is known for its troublesome past, as well as present. Thankfully, the area he has ended up in is friendly to them, so retrieving him should not be an issue. Unless someone managed to get there before them. They also have brought a mage with them. Vikram is freaked out by him. He is way too calm. The general said that he was a doctor, but no doctor had ever given him this kind of feeling. Though Vikram and his squad are wary of him, the mage, named James Flora, has not given them any reason. He is perfectly polite and doesn''t argue when Vikram gives out orders. The squad lands along with James. "He is here, we don''t have to go too far." Said James. "Good to know." Said Vikram, deciding not to question how he knows that. The mission is important, he can ask questions later. If he gets a chance that is. "Men, on guard!" They trek in the mountainous terrain with the guidance of James, who makes sure they do not lose their target, and go further from Hatori. Once they arrive, they see that Hatori is lying in the snow. His body is surrounded by a strange glow. "Is he alive?" Asked Vikram. There was no information about this strange glow in the mission briefing. "He is." Said James. He brings out his staff, and waves it around, confirming the status of Hatori. "He is fine, but we need to take him out of here." "Well, what are we waiting for?" Said Vikram. He stands back, as his men help James in moving Hatori. "Usually, I would just levitate him. But in his current state, my magic might interfere with his protections. That glow you see is what has kept him alive so far." Explained James. "Very well." Said Vikram, keeping a look out for any threat. Just when he thought that they were going to get away peacefully, another force arrived on the scene. Vikram recognized the uniform. "Of course. The Elite Core is here." He said in disgust. They dismount from the helicopter, and the leader comes to Vikram. "Leave that corpse here." "Not a corpse. And last I checked; you don''t have the authorization to be here." Replied Vikram frostily. "What are you gonna do? These godless barbarians aren''t gonna help you." Said the man. Just then, several helicopters appeared, and they started to drop soldiers. "You do not have the authority. Leave!" Replied the commander in an accented English. The leader of the Elite Core looks in the sky. Those helicopters are not leaving. Much to his annoyance, he also knows that with the soldiers present on the ground, and the weapons present on board, they outmatch him and his forces. In any other situation, these people wouldn''t be a match for his military. But this is a covert operation. He shook his head and decided the course of action. "Men, we''re leaving." "Sir!" Replied his soldier, and they went back where they came from. "Should we give chase?" Asked the commander to Vikram. "No need. Our objective is fulfilled. Thanks for the assistance." Said the captain. "No problem." While this was going on, Hatori was loaded in the helicopter in which Vikram and his squad arrived at this area. Once they take flight, the forces of the region escort them, until they leave their airspace. Vikram breathes a sigh of relief once they land and he steps outside of the helicopter and breathes the air of his own country.

Part 2.

Hatori is having strange dreams. They often have an ethereal quality, and they change quite often. Sometimes, he is a CEO who is emotionlessly watching the stock price of his company rise, all the while planning the purge of those pesky shareholders. Other times, he is a Kung Fu master, who is causing havoc all around the world. Sometimes he goes back to his school days, where Daphne and Ravina are upset at him, and his entire dream turns into a romance drama, which horrifies him, and other times it takes the form of a nightmare where he is the weapon of the nobles, who destroys anything and anyone at their command. Once these distressing dreams are over, Hatori finds himself observing the output within his mental space. The command line interface is constantly running, and showing the processes going on within his body. Here''s a small sample of the output: Initiating the blood replenishing process... Unable to find enough nutrients for the process. Using ambient magic to fulfill the need... Done. Regenerating skin... Checking to find the nutrients... Nutrients found. It is still not sufficient; potions are recommended once the system wakes up. Making up with ambient magic once again. Done. On and on it went, describing the repairs and what was needed for them. Hatori surmised that he could get the nutrients because he was likely in a hospital. This hospital must be a normal one, otherwise his healing process would go much more smoothly, and his repair system wouldn''t need to resort to ambient magic. The problem is that ambient magic can be quite unstable, and slow. His body is still using magic to repair itself, whereas it is supposed to be resting. Getting bored of watching the scrolling output, Hatori falls into a meditative trans. He finally wakes up and realizes that he is fully awake now. He still feels weak. Too weak to open his eyes. Which is why he can''t see. He tries to make his eyes open, but can¡¯t do so. In fact, he feels no movement within his eye sockets whatsoever. Panicking for a moment, Hatori doesn''t realize what is going on. But he then remembers what that woman did to him. ''She gouged my eyes out.'' He remembers. ''Too bad she died. I would teach her a lesson. I bet she would never dare to attack someone''s eyes again once I was done with her. Oh well.'' He thinks to himself. Hatori senses two magical signatures within the room with him. One is James, but the other one is faint and difficult to assess. "He is awake." Said James to the other person. "How do you feel? Can you talk?" Asked James. "Yes." rasped Hatori. James gives him water without asking. "How long?" Asked Hatori, unable to complete the sentence. But James understood what he was asking. "About a month. I''ve been looking after you." Explained James. "Who else is here?" Asked Hatori, feeling good enough to sit up slowly. "General Vansh here." Said the other man. "You fell off in some snowy mountains in Central Asia. We brought you here after we found you. This is a military hospital, and Doctor James has been looking after you." "You probably want to know what happened there?" Asked Hatori. "Not really. Just give me a written report, and I''ll speak to you over the phone. For now, tell me. Are you good enough to be moved?" Asked Vansh. "What? Don''t tell me you are already tired of me?" Asked Hatori. "Not at all." Chuckled the general. "We do not have the right knowledge or equipment to handle a mage. I believe if you can move, then you will have a better recovery under the supervision of Doctor James." Hatori thinks about pointing out that he is already under the supervision of James. But he still remembers how the healing utility kept recommending a steady diet of potions to bring his health up to its former state. James is probably not able to brew and bring the supply of the potions here regularly. There is still a lot of caginess from the magical side, some secrets have not been given away yet. The general is giving Hatori an easy out. "Sure. I''m good enough. Though I can''t walk for long distances yet." He informed them. "That is okay. I think you are in good enough shape that you can be levitated." Said James. After all the arrangements were made, Hatori was shifted to his home from the military hospital. General Vansh breathed a sigh of relief. He can finally reassign the troops guarding this location somewhere else, and forget about the politicians giving him a headache about Hatori. Good thing that the hospital itself was never revealed to the media. He might order his first massacre in sheer rage. A man can only take so much of pestering.

Part 3.

After Hatori is shifted to his home in India, he participates in a meeting with Avinash. James is with him, while Avinash is in the castle with Raven who recently has returned to Subcontinent from India. This meeting is held by the king to know what exactly happened, as Avinash does not have a clear picture. There was a lot of chaos on the other side of the curtain, and it became difficult to make sense of what was going on exactly after the mission began and Hatori was teleported. "So, how are you feeling?" Asked Avinash. "A little tired." Said Hatori. "But I''m sure I''ll get back to my former self soon enough. Also, it feels awkward to not have air resistance around me." "You did turn that off during the fight, didn''t you?" Asked James. "I did. I wouldn''t have been able to dodge those waves of plasma otherwise." Explained Hatori. "I don''t think it is a good idea to turn it on again. My body is still not recovered fully." "Correct." Said James. "If you would have insisted on that, then I would have to sedate you." "I assume you sent James here?" Asked Hatori. "Yes." Confirmed Avinash. "Him and Raven. I wanted to make sure that in case you got incapacitated, you can be brought back safely." "Hmm. Good call." Said Raven. "There was some trouble while the forces tried to retrieve you. You nearly got kidnapped." "Not again!" Said Hatori. "Don''t worry. We wouldn''t have allowed it." Said Avinash, having known how Hatori got kidnapped twice, and as a result, his distaste for it. "Tell me about the fight. What went on there? The reports are confusing and nonsensical." Asked Avinash. "Well, the teleportation was successful. I landed on the space station and began to clear the enemy forces. But the leader proved to be difficult. She modified herself with magic, and she went completely mad when she couldn¡¯t beat me. She started to destroy her own base, had an argument with her own second-in-command, and that man decided to blow up the station." Explained Hatori. "I couldn''t avoid her plasma wave; I suppose I got careless. Taking advantage of this, she got close to me and extracted my eyes, and crushed them. And pushed me outside with another wave of plasma." "His body was badly burned." Added James. "If it weren''t for his healing runes, he probably would have died then and there." Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. "Anyway, the problem was that the exploding station was about to enter the atmosphere, and its pieces would have done a lot of damage. Normally, I wouldn''t care, but I just knew that someone would complain. So, I teleported it away. I managed to do it because I didn''t have to make it go far, just far enough that it wouldn''t explode in the atmosphere. This exhausted me, and then I lost consciousness." Hatori finished his recounting. "How do you know that man who exploded the station, he was second-in-command?" Asked Raven. "Because he had the authority to give the command. Besides, he also had the similar modifications as the leader." Hatori gave his reasoning. "Sad about your eyes." Said Avinash. "You can design a replacement I assume?" "Yep. Just give me some time." Said Hatori. "There are some things though." Said James. "Your runes were behaving strangely when we retrieved you." "Good thing you brought this up." Said Hatori. "I observed that they were using a lot of ambient magic. I didn''t design them to do it. It appears that they automatically implemented this functionality on their own. Not only that, I also suspect that they made sure that I didn''t fall like a rock. What is even more interesting is that these modifications are permanent." "Well, I suppose we can go over that. I didn''t want to discuss this in the hospital." Said James. "Good thing. There might be listening devices or something." Said Hatori, his paranoia is as strong as ever. "Well, get healed up, and then come to me. I think you''ve spent long enough there. Besides, the three galactic races are coming to our planet. I want you to be here when they do." Said Avinash. Hatori wanted to ask why they were coming, but he was struck by the sudden bout of sleep. "Sure." Was all he could say, before James disconnected the call, and left him alone in his room to rest.

Part 4.

Once Hatori was good enough to walk he shifted to his house in the Subcontinent. His children are all home, and he wants to spend some time with them. Normally, he is more than capable of keeping up with them. But he is still not completely recovered. He is full of energy in the morning, but by the time of afternoon, he starts to feel tired. He takes a nap during that time and feels normal in the evening. "How long?" Hatori asked James, feeling horrified at his condition. James understands what his friend is feeling. Ever since his childhood, Hatori has been a physically and mentally active person. He is always doing one thing or another. Either doing his fitness regime ingrained within him by Zeko or doing one experiment after another. So, this sudden halt to his activities is naturally concerning to him. Not even the war put a stop to Hatori. In fact, he was even more active during that time, since he had to be present on many fronts, fulfilling whatever responsibilities Raven and Avinash asked of him. "Be patient." Said James. "I''m already a patient!" Replied Hatori. "I''ll let go of that horrible pun. The potions are taking effect already. Just wait for a month, and you will be back to your normal self." Said James, and then left for the Academy. Who knows what kind of chaos is brewing in his absence? He needs to find a successor for the position of chief medic in the Academy. Luckily for Hatori, his children are not given to roughhousing. True, Sushima does cause chaos every now and then, but it is more or less done with yantras and their applications. Maybe it would be better to call them misapplications. Hatori and James used to do the same thing during their younger days, but this boy alone has taken what they used to do to the next level. Daphne Junior has beaten the fire elemental this year as well. Seeing that Sushima getting a computer and him being happy forced her to perform at the same level as her brother, even though she is not a combative one like him. "I''ll go look for a gift for her as well." Said Hatori to Daphne. "I do hope I won''t end up fighting some other dangerous criminal this time." "Don''t worry. I doubt that would happen." Said Daphne. "Though I do want to discuss with you something." "What?" Asked Hatori. He looked in the room and didn''t find Ravina around. ''They probably planned this in advance.'' He realized. "I want another baby!" She exclaimed. "What?" Said Hatori. But he then assumes a feeble posture and starts to talk in a croaking voice. "Silly old woman. Why would you have a thought like this at this age?" "Oh, quit acting. It might work on a magicless person, but you do know we live longer and our prime period is very long," said Daphne, not falling for Hatori''s act. "See? This is why women should not be educated." He grumbled. "Whatever." Said Daphne, ignoring Hatori''s jokes. "I do think it is time to complete the quartet." Hatori listens to an argument coming from outside of the room. Looks like Sushima is showing off again, and Junior is angry at him. Garuda is probably annoyed at them for disrupting his peace. A few seconds later, the yelps and the pleas of mercy prove Hatori write. "They are so predictive; I don''t even have to be present there to know what they are doing." He told Daphne. "You sure you want another chaotic hellion around?" He asked her seriously, with none of the humor from the earlier present in his tone. "Yes." Said Daphne. "Well then. Let me recover, and then I''ll start the hammering process." Said Hatori.

Part 5.

A month later, Munshi and Kalicharan are relaxing in their house. They are both retired now and apart from a few bits and pieces of work they do for consulting purposes, they are not active either in the profession of necromancy or within academia. They are reading the news about the three galactic races of Dwarves, Goblins, and Orcs coming to their world for some event or another, where the king is welcoming them. Afterward, during the festivities, a scholarly debate started, which resulted in the entire hall being burned to the ground. Both of them are happy to note that the galactic races behave just like them when it comes to scholarly pursuits. However, their relaxing is interrupted, when they sense a large buildup of magic. "Dammit, who is fucking around in the neighborhood again?" Kalicharan doesn''t like it when his peace is disrupted. "Let''s check out. I bet it is those new renters." Said Munshi to his friend. "Fine. we''ll teach them a lesson or two. You don''t screw around with that level of magic in a residential area." Grumbled Kalicharan. "Not even I was stupid enough to do that during my younger days." "Yes. Which is saying something. Your stupidity level was quite high." Said Munshi. They continue to argue about their younger days, and who was stupider, until they track the magic down to the home. "See? I was right!" Said Kalicharan. "Though how a bunch of renters manage to afford guards is beyond me." As Kalicharan pointed to the house, several mages stepped in front of them. These are clearly trained to fight, and they are given the responsibility to stop anyone from coming inside. "Halt! Go back, or we''ll use force!" "Listen, lads," Said Munshi, trying the diplomacy. "It is a residential area. We sensed the large buildup of magic, whatever you are doing, it is not safe to do it in this area. Please halt whatever is going on inside. We are both experienced necromancers, we will help you in handling the disrupted ritual." "Didn''t you hear me old man? Back off!" "Listen you pipsqueak." Said Kalicharan, having enough of this disrespect. "We were enjoying our retired life; it is you who are causing us trouble. Either let us go inside, or suffer the consequences!" "What? How dare you threaten us? Men! Teach them a lesson!" A fight breaks out. Munshi stands back and lets Kalicharan work out his aggression. They are not a match for him. Adding Munshi to this fight would be overkill. The entire team, consisting of ten mages surround them, and they all start to cast spells on Kalicharan. The old man just laughed and reversed many of those spells. "See that Munshi? I am not bad with math anymore!" He laughed. "I see." Said Munshi, observing the dodging enemy group, as well as shocked men whose spell backfired on their faces. What Kalicharan did was simple. He reversed the mathematical properties of these spells. That is, if they were using positive values, they turned negative, and vice versa. This resulted in the opposite effect, where the spells either affected the caster or simply backfired. It is akin to a bomb being exploded in their hands. Kalicharan then cast another spell, and this time a red light came out of his foci. It struck the leader of these men, who was talking so boldly a few moments ago. His skin starts to rot, and he dies and turns into an undead in control of Kalicharan. This corpse then starts to murder its former colleagues, and they are unable to handle this attack. The number of corpses grew under Kalicharan until all ten of the guards were slaughtered. He lets go of their control, and they all dissolve into liquid. "Ain''t no resurrection for you." He said to the pool of liquid. As they started to go inside, the buildup of magic reached its peak. "We are too late." Said Kalicharan. "Step closer." Said Munshi, and he shielded himself and his friend as they were both launched away from the house which was destroyed in a large explosion.

Part 6.

The trio of Lakshmi Chauhan, Raghunandan, and Arjun Reddy prepare for the ritual. It took them a while, but they have gathered all the ingredients necessary for the ritual. They went on a long quest... Hold on. Ahem. They did not go on a quest. Why would they? They are noble ones. People go on quests for them. Not the other way around. They hired a bunch of mercenaries for this job and killed them when they asked for their pay. Standard operating procedure for any noble magical merchant house. The ritual requires precise rune work, and the ingredients have to be mixed within the solution resting at the center of the circle. They chant all the spells necessary, and then the entire structure is charged up with magic. A circle appears in the air, right above the runes, and it starts to spin counter-clockwise. It creates a vortex, and they all step inside. Expecting that they would end up back in time, right before the reign of Porus began, they are surprised when nothing of the sort happened. They crossed the vortex, and they are still standing in the same room where they have performed the ritual. They now look quite silly, as the vortex spins behind them, while they look at each other in confusion. "What''s going on?" Asked Arjun. The vortex is still spinning. It is getting faster and faster, and it has started to generate a lot of magical energy. Arjun, who is the sensor among the trio is starting to get worried. "Looks like there is someone outside, trying to get in." Said Raghunandan, as the sounds of a battle going outside reached their ears. "Forget that." Said Lakshmi. "There is no info about this phenomenon. We need to leave this place--" Her sentence is interrupted, as the magical pressure grows exponentially in the room. all three of them are brought to their knees. Soon enough, they end up on their backs, unable to get up. The circle starts to expand, and then everything goes dark. Chapter 249 Chapter 249.

Part 1.

It is not often that she thinks of her home, or even yearns to visit it. In reality, she considers it a backwater world which she was lucky to escape. Granted, there have been many like her, and she even ran into other sorcerers from her home planet. But it still remains the world of savages, who are only concerned with immediate material positions, unaware or uncaring of how small they are in the grand scheme of things. Not that she is any bigger, but she made her mission to learn and gain power that way. However, when the three galactic races decided to hold their festive gathering in her own home world, she just had to be there to see what was going on. She had attended one such gathering when she escaped into the wider universe when she was completely new to the universe outside of her home planet. And now, the same gathering is taking place on Earth. This gathering has no particular name. It is just a collection of festivities that are held every hundred years, where Dwarves, Orcs, and Goblins participate in academic debates, competitions, and open markets. The trio of races did that to solidify their alliance. Earlier, Elves used to participate in this gathering as well, but they later decided that such plebian events were not worthy of their presence. This is another reason why Elves have a tense relationship with the three races. They saw it as an insult in a long line of other insults, so they decided that they would invest in other small and upcoming races to lift them up and increase their alliance. They expect to see the results of this within some time, where they would expand their alliance, and overpower the Elves that way. When that day comes, they will isolate them in their own corner, and soon the Elves will be forgotten in the galactic memory. Or that''s what Samay has managed to gather during her time running around the universe. Samay is surprised to see the changes though. It appears that the magic side is making contact with the other side once again. The world curtain that keeps the two sides apart is admittedly a great piece of magic, a unique beauty that she has never come across anywhere else. This is another reason why Samay considers her world filled with savages. A long-term project on which countless mages worked for a thousand years, and created a curtain that essentially divided two sides, and made the copy of an entire planet. One would think that a species with this level of achievement under their belt would go strength to strength, and will be a galactic power in no time. But that did not happen. Because they are too busy killing each other. Most of the infrastructure seems to be new as well, which means they most likely had a war recently. Which proves her point. As if to agree with her, some people start performing a ritual, the ripples of which reach her. "Looks like I have to fix my mess." She said to herself. Leaving that ritual lying around was a mistake, it is clear to her now.

Part 2.

The alliance of three races chooses a different world every 100 years. That is because they want to establish themselves as partners to the rising races and take them in their fold directly or indirectly, so they can expand their reach to isolate and eventually overpower Elves. The Elves are helpful in this endeavor, as they are happily letting them do this while breaking contact with everyone else, and pretty much leaving the larger galaxy to its own devices. In the organized carnival, everyone mingles, and some alien dishes are also brought to Earth for demonstration purposes. They were all tested to make sure that they were safe for human consumption. However, the spices used within these dishes are of different intensity. It is generally left to the consumer whether they want to try it or not. So far, the response seems to be positive, and some mages involved in the food business are discussing how they can create combined dishes. Avinash is getting the report about how things are generally proceeding. Though he is not happy about the incident in the debate hall, (fixing fire damage is expensive), he is generally happy that his country is chosen as a leader in this event. It is because the Subcontinent has positive relations with Goblins, Orcs, and Dwarves, while the rest of the world is less open to them. ''I must take steps to soothe some feathers. I wouldn''t want to be ganged up on by ignored world powers.'' Avinash Thinks to himself. Hatori, who is now fully recovered, is with him in the castle. He is enjoying the festivities in his own way. He is dressed as a fantastic mage, complete with fluttering robes and a hat. The look is spoiled by his lack of a beard. Avinash himself is dressed as a gaudy fantasy king, with shiny gold and silver all over his body. Their strange dressing aside, the work has remained the same. Hatori is given the responsibility of the wards, as he is the best rune expert in the country. Even his best runes are not good enough to stop the fire from a hot debate from spreading and burning down an entire hall. "Sir!" Said the police inspector who had just appeared in the office. "We have an urgent report for you." "What is it?" Asked Avinash. "Another fire accident?" "No. Some people were performing a ritual. It backfired, and the whole thing imploded." Explained the man. "Here''s the report." "What the hell?" Said Hatori, when he was handed the report. "They performed this in a residential area. Who is the idiot?" "Wouldn''t you do the same?" Asked Avinash. "No. I am not that irresponsible." Said Hatori. "How do you know that the area is residential?" Asked the inspector. "Because this is where Munshi and Kalicharan live... Dammit. Those two probably got involved in this somehow." Realized Hatori. "Tell you what, go and investigate this place. Report back to me what you''ve found." Said Avinash. "Sure." Said Hatori, and left with the inspector. They arrive at the location, to find that the house has become a ruin, and near a pool of strange liquid, Hatori found Munshi and Kalicharan. They are both unconscious and seem to be suffering from the overuse of their magic. "Did you find anything?" Asked the police inspector. "Not much." Said Hatori. "I have never seen a ritual of this kind. The runes haven''t survived either, and there are no bodies of the people responsible for the ritual." "Maybe that liquid has the clue?" Asked the inspector. "Not really. Those are dead guards, liquified by Kalicharan. He does that to prevent necromantic resurrection." Explained Hatori. "Let''s take both of them with us. Maybe they can tell us something?" Said the officer. They both wake up in the infirmary of the castle. What they told them was quite concerning.

Part 3.

Naresh Saini is the new Prime Minister of India. After that whole fiasco with Salima was sorted out, and the cyborg terrorists were hunted down and eliminated, people started to call out to the government to not keep holding on to their emergency powers. They wanted an election, and they wanted them now. They are lucky, as they got their wish. Naresh contested within the race, and since there was a power vacuum, he took advantage of it as much as he could. Ultimately, the party had to make him the candidate for the position, and he finally had the chair that he never thought he would hold. However, much like his predecessors, he doesn''t have much time to enjoy this feeling of victory. Soon enough, a crisis is on hand. "Sir, the time is not working." "What?" Asked Naresh. "Just reset your clock. Why are you reporting this to me?" "Sir, you misunderstand me. The time is not working. No clock is working. Phones, computers, satellites, even the mechanical clocks have stopped working." "That''s strange." Said Naresh. He brings out his phone and checks the time. It is incomprehensible to him. The number keeps shifting, and the phone doesn''t know when it is A.M. Or P.M. Before he could think more about this, he had to leave for his scheduled meeting with Avinash. Several long-term projects are still going on, and the king and the government of India regularly discuss them in meetings. "Do you know," said Naresh as a first thing, "Time is not working?" "What?" Asked Avinash. Naresh feels like the king is echoing him. He elaborated further and explained the situation. "For now, I don''t know what is the fallout going to be as a result of this." "That is strange." Avinash waves a small stick, and glares at the numbers in the air. "They don''t make any sense." ''That goes the magical avenue.'' Naresh thinks. He was hoping that the magic side might know about what was going on. If they are responsible, even better. He could shift the blame easily. But since the king is unaware, he can''t do that. "It is the second strange report I''ve got today." Grumbled Avinash. "I wonder what else?" He then remembers he is still in the meeting. "Do you mind if we schedule this later?" "Sure." Said Naresh. It is a crisis situation. Even he wouldn''t want to pretend everything is normal and go on his day as if nothing is wrong.

Part 4.

Avinash is just sorting through the reports he has gotten, that his secretary opens the door of his office. "Sir, the three diplomats are here to see you." "Show them in." He spoke. These are three diplomats of Goblins, Dwarves, and Orcs. The Dwarf is named Diplomat to Earth, simply shortened as Diplomat. The Dwarves are named based on their profession. When they change professions, their name is also changed accordingly. Avinash thinks this would be chaotic and difficult to keep track of, as people would be changing names all the time. But the short humanoid race is not having any problems with it, so he doesn''t bother thinking about it. It is not his problem anyway. The Goblin diplomat is named Diamond Fist, Avinash dubs him Diamond for short in his head. Apparently, he was quite a boxer in his young days and was named for his punching strength. However, he clarified to the king that the name was given to him during his childhood when he had no such accomplishments under his belt. The Orc is named Wardrum. He was part of a musical band, before he retired, and took the position of a diplomat. He gets along with Shin quite nicely. Their concert together was quite popular. "What can I do for you, gentle beings?" Asked Avinash. "You are learning." Smirked Diplomat. "We have noticed some issues you are having." Said Wardrum. "Maybe timekeeping issues?" "Dammit." Cursed the king. "So even you are affected?" "Not so much." Said Diamond Fist. "We can still tune our clocks to our home systems. Things are working fine there. The problem is limited to this system, and potentially, this region of the galaxy." "Let us get to the point." Said Diplomat, deciding that a direct approach is the way to go. But before he can continue, the door is opened, and the large form of Hatori walks in. "Still nothing. The runes are burned out, and the magic is not making any sense." He said to Avinash. He then noticed the people present in the room. "Hey." He said by the way of greeting. Stolen novel; please report. Avinash puts his face in his hands, while the trio greets Hatori, not affected by his sudden entrance. "You are working to figure out what is going on I assume?" Asked Diamond. "What? How do you know?" He asked. "I thought you guys were here for something else." "The ritual is connected with the time problems you are having." Said Diplomat. "You won''t recognize it, because you have never experienced something like this before." Said Wardrum. "Your majesty, let me say this as simply as possible. Someone tried to turn back the time, and what you are witnessing is the result of it." "How do you know?" Asked Hatori. "Maybe it could be something entirely else." "We have records of this happening before," explained Diamond. "I asked for those when we saw what is going on here. The pattern is the same. someone tries to turn back time, fails, the time is thrown into chaos, and that entire world or region disappears." "What do you mean by ''Disappears''?" Asked Avinash, in an alarmed tone. "Exactly what I said. The universe is an active system. It hates anomalies. Trying to reverse time is exactly the sort of thing that throws things out of order. The problem keeps growing, and to stop this growing cancer, it wipes out the entire infected region. Unless you keep the records of that place and the people living there, you won''t even know what happened there." Explained Diamond. Avinash is enraged at this. His entire world could end up disappearing because of a few idiots, and he can''t even do anything about it. He is wondering what can he do. He doubts anyone would have a solution to this problem. It is too big for them to solve. He doesn''t even know whether they have enough time to come up with a solution or not. Meanwhile, Hatori is sensing something in the room. While he keeps an ear on the conversation going on in the room, his larger attention is occupied by the presence within the room. It is faint. It feels like something he can only see out of the corner of his eye. When he tries to look, the presence disappears. He specifically designed his new eyes, this time made of gold, to visually help him detect hidden presences, along with his magical sensing abilities. But it appears whoever is with them in the room cannot be found so easily. ''Time to bring them out.'' Said Hatori with a nasty smirk. He gets up from his chair, and before anyone knows anything, flames are raining down upon the corner at the size of a fist. "What the hell?" Avinash is alarmed at this behavior of Hatori. "Don''t tell me you are having a breakdown? Stop it!" "You can''t hide from me." Muttered Hatori, as the presence shifted to another corner, and the entire place was bombarded with lightning. "Stop it damn you. You are destroying my office!" Said Avinash, getting up to put a stop to Hatori''s madness himself. The diplomats observe all of this happening quietly. "Okay, okay. You win." A woman appears in a shimmering light, standing in the wreckage of the wall where she was hiding. "You got me. I didn¡¯t realize anyone would manage to find me in this world. Looks like I''m slipping." Avinash covers the entire room with his magical pressure. "Who are you?" He asked in his menacing voice. He is done. He is not in any mood to handle more surprises. "Oh king, don''t be such a kid." Said the woman. "Is that any way to treat elders? Back when I was alive..." She looks around at everyone''s faces. "What?" "The elders I respect are a few. Most of them are dead, two of them are in the infirmary." Said Hatori. "In fact, I murdered a lot of old mages during the war." "Dammit, don''t say it out loud!" Said Avinash. He doesn''t need a PR disaster like that right now. "Also, pretty big talk coming from a woman who looks to be in her twenties." "So?" She points to Hatori. "He looks the same too!" "He is a known quantity-- You know what? Enough of this. Tell us who you are, and then we can talk further." Ordered Avinash. "Also how did you manage to breach his security." Said Hatori. He then turns to Avinash. "Their heads will roll, I promise." "Now now, no need to threaten those poor guards. They are good, but they can''t handle a sorcerer, now can they?" She said, finally deciding to walk out of the destroyed wreckage. Hatori, not liking her moving closer to the king, prepares several spells to attack her. But with a wave of her hand, all of them just fizzle out. "Enough of that. Let me introduce myself. I am Samay." Hatori goes rigid, while Avinash doesn''t recognize the name. The trio of diplomats looked at her and pointed toward her. "It is your fault." They said in unison. "Maybe?" She said with a smirk. Her smirk falters when they continue to glare at her. "You seem to recognize her name. Care to enlighten us?" Asked Avinash to Hatori. "I came across her name in the Academy." Said Hatori. "Though there was no picture of her. In fact, I even thought she was a male, because of her name." "We do have her pictures." Said Diamond. He brings out a device with a screen, and after tapping on it, a picture appears. It is identical to the woman who is standing before them, though her clothing is different. "Wow. I remember that party. It was wild!" "Whatever. Why a sorcerer is in my castle?" Asked Avinash. "Well, to be honest, that time-turning ritual was my design. I abandoned the research when I realized how impractical it was. It appears some people managed to get their hands on my notes." She explained. "Do you have a way to fix it?" Asked Avinash. "Yes and no." Replied Samay. Avinash conjures a chair for her, and she sits down. The room starts to repair itself. "I mean I can''t do it for you. But there might be a way that you can fix this mess." "Fine. What is it?" Asked Avinash. "And how long do we have?" Asked Hatori. "Hmm. by my calculation, about a hundred years, give or take." She spoke. "Make no mistake. You might think it is long enough to fix your problem. But you may realize that it is actually not enough time." "Is this some kind of long ritual?" Asked Hatori. "No. It is no ritual at all. What you need to do is to go back in time, and collect the splinters. Once you bring them back, I can join those for you, and it will fix up the stream nicely." Explained Samay. "But time travel is dangerous. The people who performed the ritual, look at the damage they did. If we try to go back..." Hatori trails off. "Realized that haven''t you? You have a sharp brain." complimented Samay. "The thing is, it is already damaged. If you attempt something like this now, especially with a sorcerer by your side, you will succeed. Having said that, it will be a long and arduous journey. And I can''t send an entire army. The maximum limit is eight. I suggest you choose the strongest fighters; they will end up in a lot of situations where they would need to fight." "I already have one in the room." Said Avinash. "Go collect others." He orders Hatori. "Fine." Hatori leaves the room, slamming the door behind him. "What is up with him?" Asked Wardrum. "His partner is pregnant." Explained Avinash. "Ooooohhhh!" they all understand. Samay shook her head. Mortals can be so strange sometimes. As someone who has existed as an immortal, she does not understand what is the fascination with the children. But she then also has to conclude her thoughts. It is the only way for these people to continue their legacies.

Part 5.

Hatori is sitting in the cushioned chair. It also spins and has wheels too, but none of that interests him right now. Instead, he is thinking about what he has to do next. After that meeting with Avinash, he leaves to find James, Josh, and Shin. He had to convince them to come with him in this long-term assignment. Shin and Josh agreed to do so reluctantly, but it was not difficult to convince James. He recently left the position of the head healer this year, so he has free time. He also has no family to worry about, so it was easy to convince him. Shin and Josh though, do have families. Lavanya was giving him such an impressive glare for asking her husband to go on a deadly mission. Of course, Hatori was not someone who backed down, so he returned her glare with equal ferocity. Who does she think she is? She is not the only one who is worried about her family. They don''t have any choice. Either they do this, or they all get erased in their lifetime. One might think, why are they all so worried? It is not like they are experiencing the creeping effects of time. They are not burdened by the old age yet. Mages have a longer period of prime, and given that Hatori is still going with the exercise regime given to him by Zeko without slowing down, he can easily handle any combat situation. His recent fight with the leader of cyborg terrorists is proof of that. So, the worry is not that they are getting older. The problem is that they have other responsibilities. Hatori has a child coming, and so far, he has managed to raise his children well, with a lot of help from Daphne and Ravina. But he is not willing to abandon them and let them live a life without a father. Not that he feels he is a good parent or anything. He would be a terrible parent if he had to raise these children by himself. "Dammit, master. Is that why you never bothered to get married or something?" He said to the picture of Zeko. "Well, it is your own fault." Replied the imaginary Zeko. "You have a responsibility towards your king, your country, and your people. Why are you thinking about yourself?" Hatori shakes his head. The real Zeko has never expressed any such sentiments. "What people? The idiots who performed these rituals, putting everyone in danger? What king? He''ll be replaced in the future. I doubt anyone would even remember him. What country? You all brought me here by force." "You fool!" Now the imaginary Zeko is behaving like the real one. "Forget those things. If you don''t do this, then your children will be erased! They won''t have a future, because the universe will purge you all like a bad infection!" "Maybe it would be better that way." Grumbled Hatori. "No, it won''t be better." said two people who are not imaginary. Daphne and Ravina have entered the room, and it appears they have heard him talk to the imaginary Zeko. Even though they listened to one side of this conversation, they got the gist of it. They are smart like that. "Don''t you worry. We''ll handle everything in your absence." Said Daphne. "Besides, I''ll be here. I''m sure I can keep her protected while she coos over the child." Said Ravina. "What should we name the child though? Do you have anything in mind?" Asked Daphne. "Hmm. How about Sadhri?" Suggested Ravina. "What if it is a boy?" Asked Daphne. "Ahim." Said Hatori. "Well, that was quick. We weren''t able to decide the names so fast previously." Said Daphne. "Experience." Said Ravina and Hatori together. As both women chatter about the coming child, Hatori feels a little bit better. He''ll come back, and if his children slacked off in his absence, he will whip them back in shape in no time. He smiled at the thought. He also feels like the imaginary Zeko is laughing at the thought as well. Chapter 250 Chapter 250.

Part 1.

Suresh is glaring at Avinash. Nearby, Raven and Hatori are watching this spectacle, while Avinash is glaring back with equal ferocity. "Why won''t you let me go? Do you think I am not a good enough fighter?" He asked. "Not at all," replied Avinash. "You are a great fighter. And you are even better at strategies." "Then why?" He asked once again. "Because I need a general dammit!" Said Avinash, getting fed up with his tantrum. "When I decided to have two generals, that was the plan from the beginning. It was useful for many problems we have faced in the past. Who will watch over the borders, if both of my generals are gone? I can''t do it on my own." "He is right." Replied Hatori. "Besides, in case we die, you will still remain alive. None of that scrambling when General Sundar died to find a new general." "That was not fun." Grumbled Raven. "Not to mention, half of the officers were after my hide when I came back, and the general did not." "Okay, fine. That reason makes sense. But tell me, why are you taking Munshi and Kalicharan with you? I am certain you can find younger fighters. Hell, say the word, I will put an entire roster of combat mages in front of you." Said Suresh. "They are strong and experienced mages. Both of them have seen a lot of chaos, and they have a deep knowledge of necromancy between them. I think they are perfect to balance out our team." Replied Avinash. "I am not convinced." Said Suresh, turning to Hatori. "Why don''t you say anything? Aren''t you their student? Don''t you want them to live out their final years in peace?" "Honestly, you are talking as if they are going to fall apart with a light breeze or something." Said Hatori. "True, they got overwhelmed by the backlash of that ritual, but surely you don''t hold that against them? I don''t think anyone else would have come out of that without a scratch. Their health is also fine, I am certain they can keep up with us." "Listen to yourself talking for a moment. They won''t come back from this trip. I still think we should have someone younger in their place." Said Suresh. "Why don''t you try to convince them then?" Asked Hatori. "They are coming with us, one way or the other. Best to take them with us safely, rather than let them try some unsafe half-cooked ritual." Suresh has enough, so he walks out, and closes the door of Avinash''s office with a loud "Bang!" "He''ll get over it." Said Avinash. "Just be ready. The ritual will take place soon. And if you find any of those bastards in the past who caused this mess, show them no mercy." "I won''t." Said Hatori with a feral smile. "Can''t say about him. He has a soft heart." He said while looking at Raven. "I''ll show you soft, you bastard!" He tries to grab him, but Hatori escapes, and they run outside of the room. "Once a kid, always a kid." Sighed Avinash. Why must he watch over these children? But then, he realized that he was the same age as them. He is horrified by this realization. ''Am I becoming old in my thoughts?''

Part 2.

Sushima is enjoying a glass of sugarcane juice. He is also avoiding the attacks, and the attempts to knock him out by a shadowy figure. He is amused by the reaction of other students when they come to the Academy for the first time and encounter these wraith-like beings who constantly test them on their reactions. Having grown up in a house where such a thing is a common occurrence, he is unfazed by it. He seems to have attracted a group of young kids who see him as their leader as a result, though why they think that way is beyond him. After he is done drinking, Sushima enchants the glass and throws it at the incoming spirit. The glass explodes, and the figure disappears in a cloud of smoke. He has yet to get knocked out after he had a conversation with his father when he came to pick up Uncle James. "Did you notice the problem with time?" Hatori asked him. "Everyone noticed that dad." Replied Sushima. "Professor Venkat was especially upset. He doubted me for some reason. I can''t imagine why." Hatori shook his head. He must remain on point. This is not the time to get distracted by the amusing pranks of his son. Though he supposed that those pranks are amusing to only him, as he can deal with the antics of his son easily, others, having led a pathetic life of ease and comfort, are unable to do so. "I need to go on a mission to fix this mess." Said Hatori. He is deliberately choosing to not share all the details. Those are not important. "Your uncles are coming with me as well. But the only problem is that it will take a long time." "How long?" Asked Sushima, glad that his voice did not waver while he asked this question. "I don''t know." Said Hatori. "Even bigger problem is that you have a young sibling coming." Sushima gets a distasteful look on his face. "No need to share the details. I already know. Are you worried about us?" He asked. "Quite." Said Hatori. "Your mothers are fine; they are also great fighters. But they lack a certain sense of paranoia. You do remember your childhood, don''t you?" "It is not a sort of thing you forget." Said Sushima. Though his reply was sarcastic, Sushima knew what Hatori was referring to. There were many attempts on his life when he was young. However, by the time he reached the age of school, those attempts stopped. His younger siblings never suffered something like this, as the people who were angry with Hatori left their mortal coils, became too weak and ineffective to do an assassination, or just decided to cool off. In the absence of his father, given the chaotic situation with time all over the world, it is likely that such people will rise again. "You, however, do. You have all the right instincts. Which is why I am leaving you with the responsibility. If you graduate before my return, or in case of my death, you need to look out for your siblings and mothers. Please do that for me, son." Hatori whispered the last part softly, not liking what he was asking the child to do. "Don''t you worry father." Answered Sushima. "I will take care of everything. I won''t let anything bad happen to anyone. Besides, I do have a lot of support. Both of my mothers and all of my siblings are a great force together. In fact, I''ll train the youngest one, just like you did with us. No, even better." Hatori pats the head of Sushima and ruffles his hair. "I''m proud of you kid, and I''m really sorry." "Don''t be." Said Sushima. "It is nothing." While it is true that what Hatori has asked him to do is truly a heavy responsibility, Sushima understands why his father was torn about this. He didn''t have much of a childhood, and he worked hard to ensure that his children would have one. But this sudden problem is taking that away from him. But unlike Hatori, Sushima also has a supportive family on his side. He is not going to be alone. After that conversation, he started to take his combat training more seriously, reminding the older faculty of his father, while dragging his younger siblings to do the same. Daphne complained, but Garuda came along quietly. He seems to understand what his older brother is trying to do.

Part 3.

If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. Shin is ready to leave. He has his trusty violin with him, modified and enchanted by Hatori and Josh. It is the sturdiest instrument he has with him, perfect for combat situations. He also has other foci in the form of a conductor''s baton, similar to the one he carried in his childhood. As he is ready to leave, Lavanya comes to him. "Are you sure that you want to go and participate in this madness?" She asked him. "I don''t want to lose you." "I get it. But they are about to start the ritual, I need to be there." He said in reply. "Besides, I rather do something to solve this problem instead of just sit around and wait for someone else to do it for me. I will come back, mark my words." Lavanya gets out of his way silently. Shin sighed. Lavanya spent 300 years as a twelve-year-old girl, who was stuck in a ghostly state, unable to interact with the world. It was the result of a potion, and Shin also became the victim of this potion. Thankfully, with some help from Professor Dhiraj, his friends managed to get him out of that state, and the same happened with Lavanya and other people throughout the world. It was in the headlines for a long time, as many people of the past suddenly appeared in the current time. Lavanya never liked his friends. Apparently, they put him in danger all the time. He tried to make her trust them, but it never worked. Shin also tried to make her less clingy, but it also has not worked. However, it did work when she was busy raising their girl, who is currently in the Academy. ''Hmm. Now that is a plan. But only when I come back.'' He decides. She had a loud argument with Hatori. She said a lot of words that he never thought she would use against his friends. Anyone else would be nothing but bloody mist, but Hatori did nothing. In her fog of anger, she did not realize what kind of pressure his friend was exerting on the environment around him to keep control over his temper. After Hatori left, Shin told her how upset he was with her. ''But for all her faults, I love her. And I meant it when I said this: I will return alive.''

Part 4.

Hatori arrived in the room where everyone had gathered. Samay is here along with the king, while the eight selected mages who are chosen to go in the past are also present in the room. Munshi and Kalicharan are together, whispering to each other. They look normal to Hatori. James, Shin, Raven, and Josh are together, so he joins them. Tom is standing alone, so Hatori waves to him and tells him to join them, instead of standing alone awkwardly. Tom is chosen for his fighting skills, having served as a personal guard for Avinash for many years at this point. Their lives are going to depend on each other. So Hatori thinks there should be no awkwardness between them. "Is everyone here?" Asked Samay. "Yes." They all replied. "Good. Now, listen and observe carefully. There was a time-traveling ritual performed on this world. It shouldn''t have worked, but unfortunately, it did." She left out the part where she is responsible for the working ritual. Hatori and Avinash already know. It is likely that others also know about it as well. No need to increase her humiliation any further. "The Universe doesn''t like it when that happens. So, the time in this local area of the universe is broken. It has splintered into pieces, and judging by the damage I have assessed, it has broken into five splinters. These splinters look like this." A shimmering image comes in front of everyone, and once it solidifies, they all see a broken crown in front of them. "Now, get ready. I am going to teach you the spell to track these splinters." Said Samay. Once the spell is demonstrated, they all start to practice it. While everyone is busy practicing the spell, Hatori memorizes how the crown feels. "Would I sense the same thing when I go in the past to retrieve this fragment?" He asked the sorcerer, while everyone was busy practicing around them. "You truly have sharp senses." She said, repeating her compliment from their first meeting. "It is indeed the same feeling. Focus on it boy, it might come useful." "Boy?" Asked Hatori, having not addressed like that ever since Zeko died. "Of course. Compared to me, you are a boy." "Hmm. I forgot you are actually a hag." Replied Hatori. Samay chuckles in amusement. Those words feel like music to her. It has been a long time since anyone has dared to sass at her like that. Besides, once you reach a certain age, the age-related beauty standards truly stop mattering to you.

Part 5.

After the meeting is concluded, and everyone has practiced the spell to their satisfaction, they all go to the ritual room of the castle. Samay performs the ritual, and they all disappear in a spinning vortex. Avinash expected it to spin counterclockwise, but in reality, it is spinning clockwise. He watches them as all of them disappear one by one. Avinash has to make a lot of hard decisions as a king. It is part and parcel of the life as a leader. During the Fifth Magical War, many people died due to his decisions. But this is different. This feels like he should be with them, not sitting here in safety. However how long it is going to remain safe is also questionable. Samay has given them a hundred years, and after that, this entire region of the galaxy will disappear as if nothing existed here. As the woman walks out of the room, he glares after her. She has refused to share the details of the ritual she has just performed. He goes after her, to give her a piece of his mind, but then a young man comes to him running urgently. "Sir, I''ve been trying to find the general Suresh. I have the latest reports from the western borders." "Show me the reports." He ordered, quickly dawning the mantle of the king smoothly. After he looks at that report, he dismisses the clerk. "Suresh," He comes into the office of the general and puts the reports on the table. "Look at this." "Already?" Said the general, after reading those reports. "Don''t you worry, I''ll take care of this." "Be careful. We don''t want to capture any territory beyond our borders. Just protect what we have, and reclaim what we have lost." Said Avinash. "It will be exactly as you command."

Part 6.

The word spreads about the misfired time-traveling ritual in the galaxy. Many races are observing this event, as it has never happened in modern recorded history, especially when they get to observe it. The word naturally reaches the Elves. Princess Starlief, who was humiliated on Earth by the hands of that brute, decides that it is a perfect excuse to wipe out this species. After all, their stupidity is putting an entire region of the galaxy in danger. What if they spread out in the wider galaxy? So, several Elven warships are sent to make sure that the job is done thoroughly, and no troublesome survivors are left who might end up causing trouble in the future in their misguided attempt at revenge. However, these ships encounter a blockade. The trio of races did not like the Elves taking such measures. True, Humans have put themselves in this position, but whether they get wiped out or not is not for Elves to decide. When Starlief gets the reports about the blockade, she cannot do anything besides raging. Her father won''t let her go to war with these uncivilized worms. As a result, a stand-off begins right outside of the solar system where Earth is located, while the inhabitants are completely unaware of it. For now. Chapter 251 Chapter 251.

Part 1.

While others are amazed and terrified of the void they are going through, Hatori observes it. He poked and prodded it with his magic. It does not feel like space. He was in space back when he faced that cyborg woman. It did not feel like this. It is entirely different. It feels like a fabric, through which they are traveling. That is the best way he can describe it in words. The spell to track the fragments is cast. Immediately, they get five results. Four of them are quite distant, and one of them is moving. However, the fifth one is closer to them. "Let''s go after the closest one first." Suggested Raven, and everyone agreed with him. To enter a specific era of time, Samay taught them another spell. Shin casts this spell, and a portal opens. They all enter this portal, and they land in an ancient country. "Dammit. Why do we have to end up in a public place?" Said Hatori, as various people looked at them. It is quite understandable. After all, how often do you see some strange people appearing out of nowhere in the middle of your city? "Don''t kill them." Said Raven casually, as they started to move. "Have faith in me." Said Hatori. "We do have faith in you." Said Josh. "Faith that you will destroy this entire city if given a chance." "Come on now. I''ve changed, honest!" When they continue to not believe him, Hatori turns to Tom. "You believe me, right?" "Well," he said, trying to come up with an eloquent answer. Deciding not to fight against his nature, he said what was in his mind. "Do tell me if you need help in destruction." "See? He is honest, unlike you." Said Josh. "You should learn from him." "Master Munshi, Kalicharan, you do believe me, right?" Asked Hatori, hoping that these two old men would side with him. "I''ll believe you if you let me turn the corpses into an army. Those will be useful for our battles." Replied Kalicharan. "We are here." Said Munshi, sensing the fragment nearby. He points to the man who is exiting a bar. "He has the fragment." The man in question immediately realized that this strange group was after him. What gave them away? You might be asking. Well, maybe their sudden movement towards him? Perhaps the magical pressure they started to exert upon him? Or maybe, when they started to run after him when he started to flee? Whatever the reason might be, their target is fleeing, and these eight individuals start to give chase. The locals get out of their way in a hurry. Two of them are absolute giants (Josh and Hatori,) while other men are abnormally tall (James, Raven, and Tom,) while the remaining three are still tall compared to them. The ferocity of their spells is also unseen, especially in the middle of the city. The men of the king are nowhere to be found, as they are the only ones who can contend with this group. The chase continues to the outskirts of the city, where the target uses a spell to overwhelm their sense of sight (Hatori avoided that due to having modified his eyes to make sure this does not happen to him,) and after using an invisible spell, he sneaks away. Hatori sensed the fragment getting away from them further and further, while his friends were healed up by James. "He went to the wilderness." Said Hatori, pointing to the direction where their target had sneaked away. "Follow me, I can still sense the fragment." "Even the location?" Asked Munshi. At Hatori''s nod, the old man is impressed. "I can sense the fragment, but I cannot pinpoint the location. Looks like my senses are getting dull."

Part 2.

Kushim is experiencing a feeling that he usually feels when the court of the king is involved. And that feeling is the feeling of annoyance. At first, it was about those stupid laws. "Can''t experiment on this, that, and those too!" Then something about taxes (he forgot what exactly they wanted from him. The whole thing made him board and glazed his mind until the entire lecture and threat was over.) After getting annoyed by these troubles, he shifted his base to the wilderness. He found a nice cave about which no one would complain, installed some repelling wards, added some extra security for preventing other mages from thieving his research, and went on enjoying his days. Until some strange beast showed up in the middle of his hunt. He might be a mage, but he cannot conjure food out of thin air. Not something eatable at least. He murdered the monster and took the broken piece of crown it had in its hand. At first, Kushim thought it might be some kind of broken treasure of a king, but as he learned later, it was nothing like that. He tried to analyze it and only got weird and confusing results. Deciding that he will deal with this later, he goes to one of the bars to have a drink or two. Money is something that he can conjure, and what is more, he can conjure permanent coins. Until the king learns about this and makes some other law forbidding this, Kushim plans to abuse this system as much as possible. He ignored the lectures of other mages about inflation, the economy, and money printing bullshit. Those idiots need to get their heads out of the cloud. And keep whatever they are smoking away from him. Clearly, it is not doing their brains any favors. Unfortunately, his good time is disrupted. Much like everyone else, he also was gawking at the sudden appearance of these strange men. They were dressed differently, and they were talking in a language that none of them could understand. But one thing was clear to Kushim: these were all mages. Not just any mages, but powerful ones. Usually, such a group is never formed. But when it is formed, it means trouble for other mages and the public in the surrounding area. Kushim was proven right when they started to come after him. They tried to box him in, but he had enough experience in avoiding the men of the king. Besides, while some seem to be experts in the art of fighting and bullying in this group, others appeared to be out of shape. They were getting in each other¡¯s way, and it gave Kushim a chance to get away. However, they did not relent. In a peak of foolishness, he cast the first spell. In hindsight, it was a bad idea. It is always better if the enemy casts the first spell. It gives you moral high ground, as well as ample chances of proclaiming your innocence, no matter how brutally you respond. Kushim also regretted his decision, because while they might have failed to box him in and prevent his escape and failed miserably at the task, the entire group changed into a monstrous team of strong mages who were working well together when the spells started to fly. It took everything he had to escape and trick them into the outskirts of the city to get away from them. He retreated to his lab in the cave, intending to doze off for the remainder of the day and forget this entire day ever happened. "They appear to be after this fragment." He muttered to himself in the cave. "What is so special about it?" When he thinks about the results of his analysis, he gets a headache. It did not make any sense to him, even after having several shots of his favorite brew. "Whatever. I am certain they won''t find me here." Kushim stumbles, as the cave shook from a blast outside. His wards held on, but barely. "Spoke too soon." He switched to the scoping spell to see what was going on outside. The man with the golden eyes is screaming, and attacking him. He does not understand what he is saying, but he can understand the sentiment. It is probably something to the effect, "Come out and give us what we want, or else!" Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. Others are trying to calm him. "Calm down man," said Josh. "We have him now. He Can''t run from here." "Calm down? Because of this idiot, I had to trek through this humid forest. Come out and give me what I want, or else I will destroy your lab!" Said Hatori, firing another blast from his palm. Kushim finally realized what exactly was the terrifying thing he had been ignoring. The man with the golden eyes is not using any foci at all. He blanched at this implication and immediately put his energy into making sure that the wards did not fall apart. He stepped outside of the cave to confront these people, but it appears they are not in the talking mood. As soon as they saw him, they began to cast spells, none of which were elemental. All of them are to restrain him and prevent him from running, but he is swift at avoiding them. Except for the man with the golden eyes. He is the only one who is casting lethal spells at him. Kushim retreats inside once again, but he balks at how easily his wards are taken apart. "I gave you a chance." Said the man with the golden eyes. "But you did not listen." Kushim is sent flying, and things go hazy for a moment. He is aware that the fragment is taken from him, but he is unable to do anything about it. He regains his awareness, only to watch the group walking outside of the cave, not even bothering to look at the other research he has lying around, to which they don''t pay any attention at all. He got up to go after them and give them a piece of his mind, but he stopped outside to see them disappear into a strange portal. Portals are an insanely difficult bit of magic, requiring too much energy and an entire team of mages to work day and night to send one object to another location. But these people did it so easily. Not only that, but they did it to themselves. They appeared out of a portal, and they disappeared into one. Deciding that he is not going to bother about people who are so above his level, Kushim prepares to escape. The men of the king are here, and they want some answers. After putting his lab on lockdown, Kushim escapes on an enchanted carpet. "See you losers later." He waved at them, while they fired arrows at him which failed to reach their target.

Part 3.

Josh was trying to place the man they had encountered. He finally remembered who he was. "I think he was Kushim." "Who is Kushim?" Asked Shin. "Isn''t that the first sorcerer?" Asked Raven. "I do remember he looked different in the pictures." "Probably because that picture was drawn later." Said Josh. "I think this was before he became a sorcerer, and left the planet later on." "Any records of him from the galaxy?" Asked Munshi. "Not any I know of." Said Josh. "Either he is dead, or he likes his isolation like Hatori." "He certainly had right instincts." Said Hatori, the lover of Isolation. "No one else could have avoided us like that unless they have encountered a lot of problems in their life where they needed to escape in a hurry." "But that is not enough to become a sorcerer, right?" Asked Tom. "I mean if you are constantly running away all the time, sooner or later you will end up in a corner." "I don''t think running away is the only thing." Said Hatori. "I think strife is one thing that would constantly push you until you reach a level beyond everyone." "Of course, you''ll think that way." Said Shin. "I am certain there are some peaceful ways as well." "Besides," Continued Hatori, ignoring Shin entirely, "There is always a chance that he might have something up his sleeve. We didn''t corner him hard enough. Remember, even I used to run all the time in the early years of my Academy." They all shook their heads. Their early school years were not fun. They rather not remember them. Most adults recall their school years fondly, but they don''t. Not even Avinash is fond of that time, even though his time was relatively peaceful. "Do you think he might remember this encounter?" Asked Shin. "I rather not have some sorcerer coming after me because of how harshly Hatori treated him." "He won''t." Said Hatori. "Once all the fragments are gathered, the events will be wiped out, and the timeline will be in order. We will remember this of course, since we will be the ones living after the disaster. It won''t alter the past or something like that. If only it did that though..." Hatori trailed off. Good thing Samay told him when he talked to her about this topic. It made sure Hatori did not end up forming some misconceptions. They all get a faraway look. There are a lot of events they all would like to change. But events of the past are set in stone. Trying to change them is a disaster, like the one they are trying to fix right now.

Part 4.

While the group of Hatori is busy gathering the broken fragments of the time, life goes on in the current time. People are coping with the broken and dysfunctional time, and both sides are having difficulties due to it. Luckily, the day and night order has remained the same. In India, there is some trouble. It has been long enough that police have mages in their ranks. But the problem is that the criminals do too. As a result, magical battles between these two groups frequently break out. The criminals and police both have an understanding of the destructive potential of magic on the other side. But this understanding is still lacking in India, so the battles are much more violent and destructive. Naresh and Avinash also had a nasty argument. "It is your problem; you are the one to blame! We are all suffering because of you." "Is that so?" asked Avinash with a furious tone. "You were singing such a different tone back then. Why did you come crawling to us when your entire cabinet was killed? Why didn''t you initiate the hunt for the cyborg criminals by yourself then?" Naresh leaves the meeting in a huff. Avinash knows that bringing up that whole incident was a low blow, but he has gotten tired of the Prime Minister constantly putting the blame on him and the magical side for everything bad that is going on in his country, even though they have nothing to do with it. Except for the broken time problem. Avinash cannot wriggle out of it, even if he wants to. Not that anyone knows that the whole thing started from his country. He has kept this hidden from everyone. He would be hemmed in from both sides if that information got leaked. As if this was not enough, when the news of the blockade came out after it was observed from the other side, it started a whole new wave of panic. "Well, looks like the alien cat is out of the bag." Said Suresh, when he heard about it. "Damn, pointy-eared bitches! They are cursed I tell you. Nothing has gone well ever since they landed on this world." Ranted Avinash. The whole Fifth War is their fault, as far as he is concerned. The lying worms. Thankfully, the trio of races consisting of Dwarves, Goblins, and Orcs were ready to interact with the other side and sort out this trouble. Though they refused to contact with the normal people. If only they had a hundred years more. By then, magitech would be advanced enough, he would be retired, and others would take care of these problems for themselves. They at least would be able to impose themselves in the surrounding space territory of their solar system, instead of relying on the tender mercies of other races. But now, no one can do a thing. Not even the other side, even though they have much more advanced space technology. They couldn''t even handle one rogue group in the sphere of Earth, trying to perform a military operation outside of the solar system is a joke that does not sound funny to anyone. So, sitting and waiting is the only option they have left, they are all hoping that this entire incident will soon be over like a bad nightmare. Chapter 252 Chapter 252.

Part 1.

Garuda is walking to the gate of their home on the magical dimension. His siblings Daphne Junior and Sushima are watching from inside the house from a window. They have already beaten their first elemental spirits. Daphne has beaten her second one, and Sushima has just dealt with the third one. He will face the final spirit the next year. It is Garuda''s turn to face his first elemental spirit. They want to see how their unshakeable younger brother handles this challenge. Right when he is about to take his final few steps to the house''s door, a gorilla appears in a woosh of flames. "So, you''re the one." He said, getting ready to face the spirit. "Let''s get it done." The spirit responded by bombarding the young mage with fireballs. How dare he act so lofty in front of him? Not even his father was so arrogant. Garuda brings up a water shield and then attacks the spirit with the same water. The water suppressed the fire of the spirit quickly. No matter what he tries, the flames will not come out. The spirit disappears into smoke, and Garuda walks to the door. Every step he takes makes a sound of sloshing, as the entire area has been filled with the water he has conjured to beat that spirit. "What''re you looking at?" He asked, looking at his older brother and sister. "Ahim is waiting. Stop looking at me with open mouths." "Sure." They snap out of the shock, and they follow him. First, they will get a shower, and after that, they will play with their youngest sibling. They are surprised at how quickly Garuda dispatched his first spirit. But soon enough, Sushima is over his shock. "You do know what will happen to you now?" He asked him. "I know. I''ll get a stronger response from the module running in this house." Replied Garuda. "Don''t you worry, I will face it, just like I face everything." "I meant I can duel with you with my full strength." Said Sushima. "Right. Just like you did last time. You needed Daphne''s help, if I recall correctly." Replied Garuda without missing a beat. "I was sick! And that moron of a professor forced me to duel you!" Retorted Sushima. "Didn''t he get fired or something?" Asked Daphne. "Oh yeah. You weren''t in the hall then. Headmaster Dhiraj laid into him in front of everyone." As Sushima continued to recount the entire incident, Garuda relaxed. Leaving them to talk, he goes to his room and enters the bathroom. He likes his life the way it is. And if anyone tries to disrupt it, he''ll deal with them. ''I hope you are doing good father.'' He thinks to himself. Though he won''t say it out loud, he misses Hatori. However, confessing such a thing in front of someone like Sushima will impact his cool credentials, so he remains quiet.

Part 2.

Once more, Hatori is sensing the time fragments while floating in this void. One is already with them, and he is carrying it in the seal present on his wrist. One is nearby, towards which they are approaching rapidly. But the most distant one has gotten closer. Hatori remembered that he sensed this fragment moving earlier. What is even stranger is that it seems to be moving along with another fragment. This could mean only one thing. ''Someone is carrying one fragment, and they already have another one.'' Before he could share his thoughts with others, they arrived at the period where their second fragment was located. They land in a thick forest, and Munshi notes how he does not sense any humans at all. "Do you sense the fragment?" Asked Josh to Hatori. Before h e could answer that, they heard something. It is a sound the likes of which they have never heard before. It rattles their bones and leaves them with a feeling of dread. This deep vibrating sound, no animal in their knowledge makes such a sound. "The fragment is coming our way." Answered Hatori. "What?" Even though his brain has not caught up with the problem yet, Josh scatters along with everyone, as a huge blast turns their former location into a crater. Once the dust clears, they see the huge beast. It is at least fifteen meters long and six meters tall. It has two pillar-like hind legs supporting the huge body, while the arms are a bit shorter. Hatori saw the banana-sized sharp teeth within the mouth of this monster, and then the fragment which is their goal attracted his attention. It is stuck in the crown-like crest on its head. The monster did not wait for them to regain their feet. It breathed once more and bombarded them with more fire attacks. "Homing spells? This is interesting." Said Hatori, batting several spells away, where they landed in the bushes but did not cause a huge fire. ''Interesting.'' James attacked it with various spells, and Hatori did the same. This time, Hatori is not finding things to be that interesting. "Magic resistance?" He conjures up several iron spikes and sends those flying to the monster, but they fail to pierce its skin. Hatori tried to target its mouth or eyes, but it appeared that the beast was smarter than he thought at first. "Shielding?" ''Alright. Time for drastic measures.'' Once the constant blasts of a military spell stop, Hatori motions Raven to get back. "Tom, Shin, with me!" Both of them appear by his side. Tom and Hatori cast fire spells, and Shin enhanced those with his wind. A firestorm is created on the spot, and the monster is engulfed in the towering flames. This time, the trees do catch fire. But Hatori is not happy. "Did that do it?" Asked Josh. "No, it didn''t." Said Munshi, having sensed what Hatori had sensed as well. Hatori prepares to attack the monster with a lightning spell, deciding to use positive lightning just for good measure. But several flaming trees came his way, and the monster sent him flying by using one of those flaming trees. His spell fizzles out, and others scatter in different directions.

Part 3.

Hatori lands in a river. That beast got him good. ''Never thought I would end up meeting a T-Rex like this.'' He thought to himself. When he surfaced from the water, he looked at the maw of another beast. It does not take him long to recognize it as some kind of prehistoric crocodile. "I have taken one beating for today, thank you." He said to the beast, as lightning started to buzz around him. "I am not going to take another." A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation. The blast of lightning stunned the beast, and then Hatori sent it flying. "Nostalgia. Too bad that Elephant and Snake are both dead." Said Hatori to himself. Apparently, despite his modifications and their advanced use of magic, they still ended up dying. Granted, they both died in a battle. But still. From the bank of the river, he surveys the surroundings. It is a prehistoric area with dense forest which would make any property developer drool. They cannot tolerate any form of greenery. His father fought against them a lot and ranted about them until his death. Hatori shakes his head to clear the distracting thoughts. ''Looks like I was hit harder than I thought.'' It is a period many kids fantasize about. But none of them understand the real danger of this time. Everything is stronger and bigger than him. And most important of all, they all want to kill him. ''I can''t interpret their mind signals like I do with animals of my time.'' Thinks Hatori, rising in the air. He crossed his legs and started to go towards the location where he was sensing his friends. He stays in the air to avoid the dangers on land. He is certain he won''t encounter any big predators in the sky. ''Of course, it won''t work. It would be like going back in time and reading the first few bits of Fortran or Lisp code. Prehistoric Lisp or Fortran code.'' Not that Hatori has much time to play with programming, what with spending time with his kids, fighting terrorists, and keeping on top of political idiots.

Part 4.

Josh, along with Munshi and Kalicharan went in the other direction, while Raven, James, Shin, and Tom went somewhere else. Their group was smaller, so the beast targeted Josh and his group first. They can still not harm this beast. Just when Josh was considering splitting further, the three of them were nearly killed by the stomp of the beast which caused a huge fissure to appear which nearly swallowed them. "We can''t keep splitting up, this thing will kill us all!" He said to Munshi and Kalicharan when they finally got a break. "You''re right. But how are we going to join?" Asked Munshi. Josh looks at the reason for their current break. Tom and Raven had a brilliant idea to attack the monster from behind. But Raven is hammered by its tail, and just like Hatori, he took flight. Luckily for him, James caught him and took him away from the battle. Tom nearly survived being cleaved in half by the blade of energy which extended from the powerful tail of this monster, while Shin is looking from far helplessly. Josh blanched in fear when he looked at the massive blast of fire in the mouth of this monster, aimed right at the location of James and Raven. Deciding that he can''t let his friends die, he brings a huge wave of water. He would prefer to have a river nearby, but for the time being, this conjured water will do. The wave hits the monster and fails to shake it. But it accomplished its intended purpose of distracting it. Now, it focuses on Josh, who is pelting it with large blasts of water. Soon enough, the entire area starts to flood due to the water conjured by Josh. The hot water didn''t have much of an effect. So, Josh started to use increasingly colder water. This appears to slow down the monster. Taking advantage of this, Josh freezes it, turning it into a huge ice statue. Unfortunately, it is not enough. The raw power of the monster is enough to break out of the ice. Shin, who is watching this battle, decides to test out a theory he has been thinking about, ever since he heard the growl of this monster for the first time. He starts to play a melody to confuse and disorient an opponent. He didn''t have to amplify it. Even from this distance, the animal can hear it. It tries to turn around and silence this pesky noise, but the ground has turned soft, and due to the cold bath, its large size, and Shin''s music, it is unable to turn around quickly. Josh takes advantage of this, and once again froze it solid. This time, it is unable to break out of the ice. A flying Hatori appears and takes the fragment from the crest of the monster. Hatori had to go up in the air to avoid the headbutt that the T-Rex tried to give him. He has no interest in getting hit by the reptile once again. Having collected their prize, they all quickly huddle together. James levitated the injured Raven, and the spell to leave this era and appear in the middle of the void between periods is cast. As the beast watches them, they all disappear just like they appeared. He breaks out of the ice covering his body. The cold is unforgiving. He has never experienced something like this before. Not even during the winter and rainy seasons. He starts to run the fire magic throughout his body to warm himself. While he is in the middle of this, several smaller creatures show up. With a contemptible grumble, he swiped them away with its thick tail. Those strangers with two legs may have gotten the better of him today, but these small flies will not. He is still the king of this region and will remain so until he dies.

Part 5.

Garuda is playing with Ahim. He is six months old and has started to walk already. He hates it when anyone picks him up, which he lets them know by loudly crying and wiggling to get out of their grip. "He is just like his father and grandfather in that way." Remarked Daphne. "Not surprised." Said Ravina. "Though which grandfather are you referring to?" David and Karan, after they met, hit it off nicely. The man seems to have found a magical counterpart of himself. Those two were the only ones who could stop Hatori, and make him reconsider his actions, apart from Daphne and Ravina without violence. Zeko was the only one who could do that, but after their death, these two women were the only ones who could stop him. Not even his friends and the king could stop him when he decided to take action. "I think he has the traits of both. Too bad they are not here to see him." Said Daphne, missing her father. "Do you think Hatori would resurrect their souls if we ask him to?" Asked Ravina. "The better question is, should we even ask him?" Asked Daphne in return. "True. Stupid idea." Chapter 253 Chapter 253.

Part 1.

Once they leave the period where they faced the T-Rex, Hatori shares the information about the moving fragments. Those two fragments are now getting closer to the third fragment, towards which they are also approaching. But given the distance, they do not know what to do about this situation. So far, they have decided to do nothing. "Are you certain about this?" Hatori asked James, who is operating on an injured Raven. "This could be a potential enemy who might reach there before we arrive." "I am certain that we will arrive there first." He answered. "What about the fragments? Did you give one to Shin as we planned?" "Yeah. He has it." Said Hatori. "He is keeping it safe." "Good. Now leave me alone. I need to nurse him back to health before we reach our target." Said James. Hatori agrees and leaves James with his work. He floats away and listens to Shin explain how exactly he made that musical attack work at the end of the battle. Hatori stops nearby to listen to this explanation, he was not in the battle when that happened. "Given how low the growl of that beast was, I figured it could communicate using low frequencies. I took advantage of this, and started to play a tune at the same frequency, which caused it to get confused, and gave you that chance." Said Shin. "Mind you, this is nothing new. I''ve tried that with dogs before." "You monster!" Accused Josh. "Well, how else was I supposed to know whether it would work?" Said Shin in his defense. "You monster!" Said Josh, not convinced by the reasoning of his friend. Leaving the two of them to bicker, Hatori comes to a halt right next to Tom. "Hey man, what are you thinking about?" Hatori asked Tom, having seen him with an expression of deep thinking on his face. "Nothing much. I was thinking that beast we encountered, could be a perfect training partner for the soldiers." Said Tom. "Apparently, their quality is falling. Avinash keeps complaining about that." "Not just him." Said Hatori, looking at Raven who is now testing out his body with various stretches under the supervision of James. "But we don''t have anything like that in our time." Said Tom. "Not even in the forests of Academy. Not that they would let us use the animals there for that purpose. Maybe if we could have some giant spiders?" "It would be perfect. Not only those would be deadly, but they would strike fear in their hearts. A perfect recipe for training soldiers." Hatori agreed with the suggestion. "But there is one problem with that. We can''t have a spider of that size. It will collapse under its own weight." Tom shrugged. He doesn''t know about anything else. "But don''t worry, I''ll think of something. If everything works out correctly, then the sample of that species should appear in my own artificial system." Said Hatori. "I''m sure I could lend a few to train the soldiers." "What I am more interested in, however," Continued Hatori, "Is how exactly those trees fail to burn? I have never seen something like that. I don''t think that beast enchanted those to resist fire." "Those trees were using magic." Said Munshi. "Don''t you need sentience for that?" Asked Kalicharan. "They can feel pain, can''t they? That is enough sentience I believe." Said Hatori. "True that. But I have not seen something like that. Sure, there are some passive effects, and there can be especially enchanted trees too. But outright resist fire damage, that is something new." Said Kalicharan. "Maybe this ability was lost over the years?" Offered Tom. "Possible." Said Hatori. "In which case, I know what I must do. Just enchant a few plants, and then do some selective breeding. A few generations of that, and voila! I would have magical trees and plants of my own." "We have arrived." Said James to Hatori. He is done healing Raven. He said that to partly inform his friend, and partly to give relief to Josh and Shin who are horrified by Hatori''s plans. "Also, do give me a few samples when you have the whole thing worked out." The horror increased in others. James shrugged. Why should he overlook such a chance? Hatori''s experiments are usually great for increasing his own knowledge. "Will do." Hatori agreed.

Part 2.

After coming out of the portal, they are struck by the cold wind. When they observe the surrounding area, they see nothing but flat ground and grass everywhere. "Where are we?" Asked Hatori. "It is the western part of the Eurasian Steppe." Said Raven. "According to the spell, our target is to the east." "Correct." Said Hatori and Munshi, having sensed the fragment in the same direction. So, they start to walk in that direction. "You know something, the places we have seen so far would be perfect to turn on a historian." Said Hatori. "What, are you turned on by history?" Asked Shin. "Didn''t know that about you." "Not me. But someone else. Someone who is excited when they see historic events happening right in front of their eyes." Said Hatori. "Do you know someone like that?" Asked Josh. "Yep. I''m talking about Daphne." Said Hatori. "When I get back, she would be so jealous, and turned on..." "Shut up. We don''t want to listen to the gory details." Said Tom. "Do you not think it is unfair that we have to walk like this?" Asked James. "We are mages, aren''t we? Shouldn''t we have an impressive way of arriving somewhere?" "I already do." Replied Hatori, hovering in the air just for a moment. "The only reason I walk the ground is because the rest of you can''t keep up with me." "Was he this insufferable during the training trip with you as well?" Asked Raven to Munshi. "Not at all. He was quite easy to handle. Just tinkered with the runes in his free time." Explained Munshi. "Of course, he also had a steady hand. He was quite helpful in preparations for me." "Luckily for us, the fragment is not far." Said Kalicharan, nodding at a group at some distance from them. They are sitting in a circle near a fire, chanting some spells in a complicated rhythm. "We better stop this." Said Hatori, turning serious. "There is some insane buildup of magic happening here." "Dammit. Is that a ritual in progress?" Asked Kalicharan. "Not yet. It is the perfect time to interrupt this. Any later, and we would have a problem in our hands." Said Munshi, agreeing with the assessment of his student. "Well then. You were complaining about the entrance, weren''t you?" Said Josh, as he conjured water, and it started to swirl around them. "Let me give you one impressive entrance." Hatori jumped on the large wave of water conjured by Josh, while others followed behind slowly. They have no interest in playing games at this stage. Hatori is not worried about this, as he has already done this once during his Academy days with Josh. The chanting is disrupted, as a monstrous wave of water comes at the group. Due to the water, the fire goes out, and the area is filled with water up to their ankles. A battle starts, where Hatori swiftly decapitates the man in front of him while trying to pursue the one with the fragment. Others also arrive, and the fight is taken over by others. Munshi and Hatori try to pin their target down, but in the chaos of the battle he flees from them. After the slaughter is complete, Hatori points to the direction where their target has fled. "He is unable to stop us from sensing that fragment. We should go after him." "Perfect." Said Munshi. "But before, let me do this." He burned down the sight of this disrupted ritual. As they walked away, he looked at the questioning gaze of everyone. "What? That was necessary. Hatori, explain them." "That was a summoning ritual." Said Hatori. "If I understand correctly, it had global... No. Universal scope." He realized why Munshi did what he did. "Though I doubt it is truly universal. You can''t pull something across the universe, no matter how good your ritual is." "Do you remember why we don''t say or mention words like ''God'' or ''Gods''?" Asked Munshi. "Yeah. Because you might end up completing the chanting of summoning by accident, and no one would know how to handle the thing which appears." Explained Hatori. "Quite honestly, I found it strange as a kid. But it makes sense to me now." "This would have done the same thing." Said Munshi. "The only difference is that it wouldn''t have been accidental." "Do we have any records of this happening?" Josh asked Raven. "None in particular. Remember, even the magic users transferred their knowledge orally in the pre-literacy age. Besides, records of our own interference will be erased, remember?" Reminded Raven. "True that. Just to be certain though, we should check things up when we get back." Said Josh. "Good idea." Raven agreed.

Part 3.

"Chief! Chief!" Several men run into the camp of the chief. A well-built man responded to their urgent call. "What is it?" He asked. "Do you know that idiot priest whom we kicked out? He was performing a strange ritual with a dangerous object. Suddenly, a group of strange men comes out of the void nearby and assaults him and his men. His men died, but he fled with that strange object." Reported one of the men. "Please don''t tell me he managed to anger the old gods?" He considers the matter for a moment. "Make preparations. Evacuate this land immediately. We''ll leave and settle somewhere else. Meanwhile, if you are an able fighter and understand rituals, come with me. We will investigate this." Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators! "Are you certain?" Said an old man, sitting next to the chief. "This could be dangerous for you." "I have to take that chance. I am the strongest among us. I can''t run from the first sign of danger." He answered. "Very well." The old man gets up. "I will help in the evacuation. I will caution you against unnecessary dangers. There is no shame in fleeing before gods after all." "Noted." Said the chief. Together with his men, he leaves to find out what exactly is going on in his territory, while behind him the camp is being dismantled. The group led by the chief comes to the sight of the location, riding on the horses. They notice how the entire area is filled with water and blood, and the bodies of the dead forces are lying nearby. "Are there any from that strange other group?" Asked the chief. "No. Just the men of that exiled priest." "Chief, I have found some footmarks. We should pursue them." Said one of the men who is a scout. "Very well." They follow in their footsteps, still riding their horses. Soon enough, they come across the walking group of Hatori and his friends. They are shocked by the appearance of this group. In height and build, some of them are absolute monsters. Others are of their size, but even they would be the tallest members of their tribes if they were a part of it. Their clothing is also strange, and the sense of magic coming from these people is something that the chief has never experienced before. "Halt! State your business." He ordered them. They all clutched their heads. Thinking this might be a hostile action, the chief prepares to order the charge. But the strange conversation stopped him before he could order that. "Why do things have to be so painful?" Complained the shorter member of the group, the one with bells in his hair. "Pain and suffering are the fundamental truth of life. Better make peace with it." Replied the second-tallest man with artificial-looking eyes. Even though these people are unknown, the chief agreed with the man. "I say it one more time: Stop, and state your business." "We have no business with you." Said one of the old men. Fitting, these must be the elders of the group. "Once we have gotten our prey? Is that the right word?" Asked the old man to another member of this group, the one with a rigid posture. "Correct. It is close enough in this language anyway." He replied in an unknown tongue. "We will leave once we have our prey." Said the old man once again. "That is an insufficient answer. We will now use force against you." Replied the chief. They started charging, and the tallest man in the group complained. "Can''t we ever have peace in this world?" "Peace is a lie, cooked up by weaklings." Replied the man with artificial eyes. Even though he blasted him and his men back, causing panic within the horses, the chief marveled at the wisdom of this guy. ''He must be trained as a leader by the elders.'' He concluded in his head. "Forget about them." Said Hatori, ignoring the oncoming second charge of the horse riders. "I have tracked him down. Come with me." "Sure." They all quickly abandon this fight and go in the direction where Hatori is running. "Men, after them!" Ordered the chief. Hatori and company arrived at the location of their target. Behind them, they also hear the stomping of the horses. The chief and his men are probably coming after them. However, instead of finding their single target, they run headfirst into an army of undead. "How the hell does he have so many people? Wasn''t this era supposed to be low in population?" Complained Hatori. "Kalicharan and I will deal with the army. You handle the ritual." Said Munshi. "It is already in progress. So be careful this time." "Oh, I completely ignored that." Said Hatori, moving to stop the ritual. Using earth magic to move the ground, the mage with the fragment is tossed on his back. Hatori summoned the fragment to himself, and then he started to deal with the unraveling ritual. "Seriously, he fled from us just a few hours ago. How did he do all of this in such a short amount of time?" "Probably had prior preparation." Said James, who is attacking the mage who formerly had the fragment, and who is trying to get to Hatori and restart the ritual. Shin and Josh are looking for other threats. The spectacle is chaotic enough that the chief and his men have stopped at some distance, unwilling to approach the hoard of undead. Even though the two elders are clearing them rapidly. Once the final walking corpse is turned into ash, Hatori releases the pent-up energy in the sky. After that, they quickly huddled together and teleported away with the fragment. "What now, chief?" Asked one of the horse riders. "What else? We will leave this land. It is tainted. We can''t live here anymore."

Part 4.

As soon as they entered the void between the time, Hatori sensed the enemy getting closer. His magic started to coil in preparation like a snake getting ready to strike. Meanwhile, Josh and Raven are having a discussion about their last battle. "Doesn''t matter." Said Josh. "Even if there was a disaster of a magical kind, I bet it does not have anything to do with us. After all, it is all going to be wiped out." "Much like you worms." A deep and malicious voice said in the void, scaring everyone. However, Hatori did not react in fear. He was ready to strike, and thus he unleashed a fire blast as wide as his torso in the direction of that voice. "Learn your place!" Said the monster, exposing himself. He retaliates against Hatori, who easily floats away from his attacks. "Do you know this guy?" Asked Raven. "Yeah, it''s Arjun Reddy." Grumbled Josh. "Guess it wasn''t enough for him to constantly cause problems for us. He and his followers probably caused this disaster." "Thank you for saying this." Said Kalicharan with a smile. While Hatori is a battle machine, others are not. They need rest after their latest fight. They give it their all but are unable to handle Arjun in his monstrous form. Hatori then steps in. Easily swatting his spells aside, Hatori deals a huge amount of damage to the monster with one lightning spell. "Insolent brat! You are the cause of all of this. Now Die!" "What?" Hatori Realized it too late what was coming his way. It is not a spell. It is a curse with time-related property, as much as he can tell in the heat of the battle. The curse strikes true to its mark, and Hatori starts to rot away. But two of the fragments stored within his wrists react with this curse, and instead of rotting Hatori, Hatori is transformed into a baby. "All the easier to kill you. I will squash you under my foot like a bug you are!" Arjun moves to do exactly that, but others get in front of him. "You brat with no name. Have another rotting curse!" But Shin also has a fragment on him. It also reacts badly, and he is thrown into some unknown time after a broken portal opens and he goes through it. Josh makes a quick calculation to understand where exactly he has gone, and then he starts to defend Hatori. "Since you care about him so much, why don''t you follow him?" This time Arjun opens the portal and blasts Josh and Raven into it before he closes it. Their final spells do land on him, but he brushed them aside with ease. James tries to follow them, but he is punched into another portal. "How is he opening portals so quickly?" Asked Tom. "That is not the time to ask that question, lad." Said Munshi. "Open a portal yourself, and take Hatori with you." "Yes sir." Said Tom sadly. The two necromancers distract the beast for a while, but it does not take long for Arjun to murder them both. They are unable to cope with the damage he caused them, and they simply do not have enough energy to fight him after their slaughter of the undead army in the previous time. Tom is opening up a portal, and he quickly summoned baby Hatori to him. Meanwhile, Arjun starts to howl in pain, as Munshi has put a curse on him before he dies. Still, despite the blinding pain in his body, he appears behind Tom and grabs him in a bear hug. He is angry that Hatori is not in his grip. He squeezed Tom until his bones started to crack, and his organs were scrambled, after which he tossed him aside. His body starts to burn automatically, a defensive measure everyone has taken after the last war to make sure that no one can resurrect them, or use them as an undead slave after the last war. Arjun howls in pain. Hatori has gotten away from him, while the three fragments that were just in his reach previously are now far from him. He opens another portal before the pain-causing curse of Munshi flairs up once again, knocking him out completely.

Part 5.

Somewhere in the void, far from the small galaxy and the small rock that is called Earth by its inhabitants, A figure is bound in a field. But this field fizzles out, and this man with artificial eyes is surprised. "!" But he starts to laugh, once he realizes what exactly is happening. Several guards are put around this area to make sure no accidents happen. But these guards are slack in their security, for the prison is created by the gods themselves. How can it break? And yet, exactly that has happened. They are not ready to react in time, as they are all slaughtered one by one. No one is here to listen to their screams of pain or their pleas for mercy. All the while, the man with the artificial eyes smiled in glee. Chapter 254 Chapter 254.

Part 1.

In an ancient forest of some unknown era, the howls of a beast echo throughout the land. This howl is so fierce and loud that it causes all the animals to abandon the area immediately. The birds flew away, while a stampede started among the animals of the land to flee from this beast as soon as they could. They did not know that this howl was not of some animal who was laying claim to this territory. Instead, it is the painful scream of Arjun Reddy, who does not belong to this era. It does not matter how much he screams and roars, the pain does not go away. He was the part of the trio who wanted to turn back the time, so they could regain their lost glory and get rid of the king who dared to trample on them. Along with the king and his men, they wanted to kill that cursed blind boy, to make sure he could not cause the damage he did to them, and they were the ones who emerged victorious in the Fifth Magical War. Once they did that, they would get rid of the king, and form a council of noble families to govern the countries. That way, they would never have to worry about someone threatening their way of life ever again. Unfortunately, the ritual they did to turn the time back did not work. Instead of turning the time back, and bringing them into the past, it created a vortex that sucked them in. They do not know what happened afterward. By the time Arjun woke up, he was changed. Instead of a handsome man of noble lineage, he was now a humanoid beast with fir throughout his body and extremely muscular limbs. His magic also became stronger. He continues to have this form in his present state, where he is writhing in pain on the ground of this forest. He was not the only one to twist into this primitive humanoid monster. His other noble allies suffered the same fate. When he met one of them, he realized that the time itself had splintered. He knew of this possibility because unlike them, he studied the notes of Samay the sorcerer, who created the ritual which they used in the first place. He also worked out the theoretical spell which allows one to travel between various eras, and that is how he met and murdered one of his old allies, and acquired the first fragment of time. He repeated the same process to acquire the second time fragment. Both of his victims were not ready for him, as they did not know that it is possible to travel between times like this, or even how to track these fragments. Arjun counted his lucky stars, as he ran into the group of people who turned the rightful world order on its head. Here, it was time to take revenge and acquire the remaining time fragments. Once he had all five of them, he surmised that he could take the entire timestream under his control, and everything would be according to his desires, the past, the present, and the future. But this plan fell apart. They all looked tired, and they were not able to match his beastly form and its power. However, that cursed blind boy, was still challenging him. With one lightning blast, he nearly killed him in the void. However, it was clear that even he was tired. So, he decided to use something he learned after studying the fragments he had acquired. He developed a curse of rotting, which works according to the principles of time. The life form that experiences this curse experiences an accelerated rate of rotting as if they have lived for hundreds of years within seconds. But something strange happened. The runes on that boy''s body started to glow. He was then turned into a baby, which is the opposite of what the curse was supposed to accomplish. Still, it was no problem for him. Whether he turns him into dust or squashes him like a helpless baby. Either way, he would kill him, and get rid of the thorn on his side permanently. But his pesky friends jumped in the way and started to defend him. He managed to throw the others into various eras of time. Rest, he murdered. But He made a critical mistake. He underestimated that exiled noble Munshi. This is not surprising to him. After all, noble blood is noble blood, exiled or not. Before that old necromancer died, he put a curse on him which torments him by using his magic against him. Now, all the fragments are scattered throughout time, and he must track them once again. "If only this unceasing pain stop!" It appears that the curse listened to him. He gets some relief time before the pain starts once again. Taking advantage of this, he began to gather the necessary energy to perform a spell of purging. Hopefully, this would give him enough strength to pursue his enemies and get those fragments from them. Once he has accomplished this task, he can get rid of this curse in peace. He will have an entire eternity to find a solution after all. He is certain he will manage to recognize the properties of this curse and remove it completely.

Part 2.

Iteru is a long river. The locals are not interested in finding out how long exactly, but they do know how long it is. Many historical events have taken place on the banks of this river, but today, none of that concerned the people in this local area. Because you see, a child is crying. Now, that is nothing unusual. Children are akin to noisy furniture, as someone who was considered a wise person once said. The fact that this person was a sellout to one secret agency or another is a different matter. People don''t like kings spying upon them, you see. Ah yes, the crying child. That is nothing unusual, as I''ve said before. Unless this happens to be a baby, crying near the river while the sun is shining harshly upon him. People took the boy inside quickly, concerned with the baby''s life. Though the boy does not look like them, they are still moved by his plight. It is an abandoned child, that sort of thing is enough to move most people. Unless you are a sociopath or have reached nirvana. Now, they would have taken care of the boy until they could find his parents. But the problem with that plan is that he has strange glowing symbols on his body. Strange glowing symbols, signify only one thing. "This boy is the child of those otherworldly people." Said one of the old men. "We cannot keep him here. Children like him invite trouble upon common folks like us." "But we can''t leave him to die either." Said another old man. "What if one of his parents came here in search of him, and got angry at us? We don''t want that kind of trouble either." "So, what can we do?" Asked one of the younger men. "Why, give him to the illustrious lord. Go in a group. Take the baby with you. Explain everything clearly to him, and then return. He will handle everything." Instructed the first old man. "Sure." Said the young men, and shrugged. What else they can do? When these men show up on the doorstep of the local mage, the servant informs him of the situation. Annoyed that he must leave his work, he goes to meet with them. Upon seeing him, one of the men starts to praise him immediately. "Oh, lord illustrious, knowledgeable in healing arts, learned in the ways of building, representative of the great merciful one--" "Just stop, and tell me what is up that you have to interrupt my writing?" Said the mage. He doesn''t like the praise for the great merciful one, aka Pharaoh. Aka that inbred bastard who constantly annoys him with every problem of his. Aka, that person about whom he does not like to think. "Oh, great Imhotep, we found this child on the bank of the river, crying alone. His parents were nowhere in sight, and we brought him to our village to shield him from the harsh sun. But we saw that he had strange glowing symbols on his body, so our elders surmised that he must have been touched by the otherworldly forces. As a result, we have brought him here, for none of us can deal with such forces, and you are an expert in these matters." Explained one of the men, still using that singing formal tone, despite his instructions not to do so. Sometimes, Imhotep wonders whether they are doing this on purpose to annoy him. To see how far they can push him. But he shook his head. These people are terrified of magic. They would never dare such a thing. Their terror of him is the cause of why they speak to him the way they do. Imhotep also sensed magic in the baby. Far more magic than any baby should possess. "Very well, leave the child with me. You may go, and do and live your daily lives in peace." He instructed them. The people leave, satisfied that the mage will take care of the child. Later in his study room, he tries to make sense of the runes on the body of this child. They do not make sense to him. He has never seen symbols like these. He cannot even start guessing what they do individually, let alone this complex system that is actively working even now. However, something even more alarming happened. The nearby palette starts to move on its own. Imhotep can sense this source of movement, and the source leads him back to the baby. He is making the palette move on its own, and writing something on the papyrus. Thankfully, he seems to be using empty papyrus, instead of writing over his carefully prepared notes. The palette kept writing for the next five minutes, after which it came to a stop. The boy is tired. Though his magical potential seems great, it is clear that channeling it like this has exhausted him. Which is not a surprising thing. His body is still undeveloped. ''I must stop him from doing this again. He could do permanent damage to himself if he keeps repeating that.'' Expecting nothing but a child''s doodling, Imhotep goes to throw the used papyrus. But he is surprised to see the detailed runes on the papyrus. And unlike the runes on the body of this boy, Imhotep understands these runes completely. These runes are an instruction to perform some kind of ritual. Imhotep never thought that instructions could be given this way. He is not certain whether the ritual described in these runes is even possible. The boy gives him an expected look, after he recovers, and sees him go over the papyrus. He felt like he was taunting him. "Can you do it or not?" He imagined the words in his head. Deciding that he will not be bested by a child, Imhotep gathers some items. These are not difficult to gather. Mostly, these are things related to growing up. Nutritional food, books and writing materials, toys, adult clothing, and other such items that someone might use during different stages of their life. He then painted the runes described in the ritual and put the boy in the middle. It is disconcerting to see him so calm. He is not making any moves. Any other baby would be squirming or crying by now, making a mess of this ritual. But he is lying there in the middle of the runes calmly. Imhotep channels the magic, and after a crackle of lightning, he finds himself with a monster of a man instead of a baby. After his paranoia is done, he starts to bark at this human-looking monster. "Who are you? What''s your name?" He asked him, ready for any hostile action. He ignored the growing smell of ozone in his lab. "Ha... Ha..." The man seems to be unable to speak. "Ha..." He tried one more time, but he couldn''t say a single word. His expression goes vacant, indicating that he has lost consciousness. Grumbling to himself, Imhotep levitated him out of his lab. "Too tired to say a single word, eh?" He said to the large man, who was now asleep on a futon which Imhotep had to enlarge for his size. Noting for a moment how strange his eyes look; he then leaves for his lab. He opened the windows so that the smell of ozone would stop because of some fresh air, and settled down to wait.

Part 3.

When Josh and Raven regained their senses, they got attacked. However, they soon realized that it was just a hoard of fleeing soldiers. Then, the army shows up, from which the hoard was fleeing. Given their foreign looks, the duo got attacked as well, so they had to run away and find shelter in the cave in an isolated valley. "Where exactly are we?" Asked Josh. "Zhongguo." Replied Raven. "Long before any emperor." "Just our luck. We have to end up in the most violent and craziest of places." Grumbled Josh. "There is no point in complaining about this." Said Raven, keeping his cool. "We need to recover our strength. We don''t know what happened after we were thrown here. We need to go back and investigate." "I took a note of where Shin was thrown." Said Josh. "I should be able to track him at least." "Later." Said Raven, yawning. "Sleep first, then tracking later." Josh is too tired to argue. So, they both enchant the cave for some comfort and then go to sleep. Once they wake up, they are stiff from sleeping on the rocky floor. But Josh starts to work on the tracker to find Shin. Raven leaves to find some food, leaving Josh alone in the cave. They do not know where others might be. Their only hope is to find Shin, and then hope that they can find others from there. ''Once we''re all gathered, that bastard is going to die.'' Declared Raven in his mind.

Part 4.

James is alone. It takes a while to sink that. There are no humans in this era, let alone his friends. This is worse than his childhood. At least he had some human contact during that time, even though he hated the said human contact. But in this frozen era of Earth, there is no human presence. They have not evolved yet. But James doesn''t care about that. His sole purpose is to find his friends and kill Arjun Reddy. Unlike the beast they faced to retrieve the fragment of time, the animals in this era don''t seem to know how to utilize magic actively for their use. Therefore, it is easy for James to keep them away, and take over a cave. Once he is rested, he shrugs and opens the portal to the void between time. He has nothing else to do here. He decided to wait there in the void until someone showed up. Maybe he could get a drop on Arjun Reddy, gather all the fragments, and then regain all his lost friends. ''Don''t waste your time in fantasies.'' He scolded himself. ''Just be patient. I will have my chance.'' Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Part 5.

Shin was not that badly injured when he ended up in this unknown era. It took him a while to understand, but judging by the geography, he has ended up in... "Albion." He sighed. "Why?" It is long before the domination of humans on this island. Currently, there is a struggle going on between the local spirits which are called Faeries, and humans. Shin remembers this from a small amount of reading he did about this place before he left with his team for the dueling tournament during his teenage years. These Faeries consider humans as unsophisticated barbarians, who are no match for them. Though Shin remembered reading they lost this struggle, and the land came under human control. But reading something, and seeing that same thing live is a very different thing. These faeries are not able to match humans at all. When he arrived at this time, they tried to put some kind of headwear on him to control him. But that did not end well for them. The matter quickly escalated, as various faeries tried to subdue him. Shin also responded with all the violence he could muster. And he can muster a lot of it. After all, living with a maniac like Hatori can give someone like him a lot of ideas. And thus, he walked out of their city, while it burned behind him. He posed for a moment, while the flames reached the sky, imagining himself as looking quite a cool person. After that, he waited around, just regaining his breath. Once he was rested enough, he appeared in the void, where James immediately homed on his location. "Do you know where others are?" He asked him. "No. I don''t." Said Shin sadly. "No matter. We''ll wait for them here." He said, not losing hope yet. Shin draws some strength from the determination of James, and settles down in the void with him, hoping to see his friends again and murder an ugly-looking bastard.

Part 6.

It took him a while, but Josh completed the tracking spell. Once that is done, they leave the cave and appear in the void after casting the spell to go between time. Then, Shin and James appear before them, having homed in on their location immediately as soon as they appeared. "Dammit! All the effort to track you, and it went to waste!" Raged Josh. "Shouldn''t you be happy that they are both safe?" Asked Raven. "I know, but I was so worried." Complained Josh. "Do you have the third fragment?" Asked Raven. "I do." Shin confirmed. "Good. Then we only need to find Hatori. Can your spell track him, Josh?" Asked Raven. "No. I don''t know where he has ended up. We can''t find him like this." He replied. "Then we have no other choice but to wait for him." Said Raven. "Don''t worry. He''ll make it." Said Shin. "Let''s hope he will come as an adult." Said Josh. "I won''t change his diapers." "Such a spoiled brat you are." Rebuked James. "Oh yeah?" A fistfight breaks out right in the middle of the void, while Raven shakes his head. He feels like he is back in his school days. As an adult, he lived and worked in a different place from his friends. As a result, he forgot how chaotic they can be when they get together like this.

Part 7.

Imhotep goes to check on that monster of a man. When he passed out in exhaustion, Imhotep put him in one of the rooms in his house. He did not leave him just like that though. He put several containment wards to keep him there, and he also put several alarms to inform him when he wakes up, or if he managed to escape the room. That is standard mage security 101. He does not understand why other mages frown upon him for this. "Idiots. They are going to die one day due to their carelessness." He grumbled while entering the room. "Probably." A deep voice agreed. Imhotep nearly cast a spell then and there, but he then saw the source of the voice. The large man is sitting on the futon with his legs stretched out in front of him without a care. He is now looking at him with those strange unnatural eyes of his. "Who are you?" Asked Imhotep without any preamble. He wanted to ask several more questions but stopped himself from doing so. Hatori could tell that just by looking at his face. He has gotten used to recognizing expressions over the years. Having said that, he still fails to guess the mood of a person just by seeing their face. It is rare, but it happens sometimes. "I am Hatori Eagle." He introduced himself, deciding to fold his legs and sit in the cross-legged position. "You are not from around here. How did you end up here?" Imhotep asked the next question. "Right." Hatori then launched into the recount of his journey, the time-related problem in the future, and how exactly he ended up here. "Wait, so that sorcerer is a woman?" Asked Imhotep. "Yep. I was surprised as well." Said Hatori. "Also, how come you are not doubting me? Magic is magic, but time traveling is one of those things that causes people to raise their eyebrows a little." "I don''t know. I just saw a baby turn into a monster of a man a day ago." Said Imhotep sarcastically. "Fair enough." Said Hatori. "Do you plan to remove those wards? I am not hostile towards you. Also, I forgot. Who are you?" Imhotep starts to put those wards down. "Imhotep." Hatori sports an amused look after hearing that name. "So, my name is funny in the future, is that it?" He asked Hatori in a frosty tone. "Not at all." Said Hatori, still smiling. "It is just, that there are a lot of stories about you. And well, some of them are pretty wild, to say the least." "Like?" He asked as they started to leave the room. "Like when you fell in love with a princess, and they turned you into a mummy as a punishment alive." Hatori continued to speak for a while, and Imhotep shook his head. "The future is horrifying. How soon are you going to leave, so you won''t corrupt my time?" He asked him. "Before you answer that, shouldn''t I be worried about receiving knowledge from the future like this?" "Not at all. Once the time is fixed, this entire event will be erased. You won''t remember me. We have never met in history after all." Replied Hatori. "I can''t say I am pleased about that." Said Imhotep. Future knowledge is one thing, but he remembers meeting this man. Getting his personal history erased like that does not please him in the slightest. "There is nothing I can do about it." Said Hatori. "To answer your second question, I will leave as soon as I have eaten something." "Sure. I''m not certain you will like the food though." Said Imhotep. "That is fine. I am not a harsh critic of food." Said Hatori. "Unless you are an Albion." He added. "...Right." Said Imhotep, deciding not to ask about what exactly an Albion is. Once Hatori has eaten, he brings out a vial by rubbing his wrist. "A healing potion?" "Right. My body needs it to absorb the nutrients and use the magic to repair itself faster." Said Hatori. "So, is that what your runes are?" Imhotep asked while Hatori drank the potion. "Exactly. They tend to be pretty active when they are trying to keep me alive." Explained Hatori. "Usually it spooks people, or so I''ve been told." "Sir," said the house servant. "The men of the Pharaoh are here to see you. They are demanding to see the child." "And that is my cue to leave." Said Hatori. "Thanks for the help." "No problem." Said Imhotep, glad that the problem is leaving on its own. He saw Hatori disappear into a strange void which terrified him, to be honest. He then told the men that the child was gone, and his parents came and took him away. Disappointed, they left his home. ''They will be back again, I know. I can''t wait for that clone Earth project to be completed. I am sure the magic users will live there in peace, unbothered by the inbred kings, and doing research to their heart''s content.''

Part 8.

When Hatori appeared in the void, James sensed him immediately. "Guys, get ready. He is here." "Yep," Shin confirmed. Raven and Josh did not need to confirm who they were talking about. The expression on the faces of James and Shin let them know that Hatori has made it successfully. Hatori sensed four magical signatures coming at him fast. He is unable to react, as they all collide with him. Then Josh and Shin grabbed him in a hug. Their grip is so strong that his bones start to creak. "Guys... Stop it already!" He asked them. "Sure. Sure." Said Josh, backing away and patting him on the back. Shin did the same, and then James cast some diagnostic spells on Hatori to check his health. While he was doing that, Hatori told them what happened to Tom and Munshi. "Tom would have made it," He was saying, as James was done with his final analysis. "But he needed to guard me. He couldn''t protect me. I saw him getting crushed in the grip of Arjun Reddy before the portal was closed." "Do you know what is the worst thing about this? I saw all of that happening, and I couldn''t do a single thing. My second master died right in front of me, which is just Zeko all over again. Kalicharan and Munshi had a good fight, but they both died. And then Tom as well, all because I was unable to act." "Well, you can act now." Said James, snapping Hatori out of his moping. "Your health is perfect. So, we need to think about what we should do next. First, tell me, you do have the fragments with you?" "Yep. Both of them are here." He tapped his left wrist. "Excellent." Said Raven. "Last time, we were not ready. But this time, we are ready and rested. We are going to strike at that bastard and take the final two fragments from him. Are you with me?" "Aye! Aye!" Said all four of his friends. "Good. Now, I have a wonderful plan. But someone has to act as a bate." Said Raven. "I volunteer." Said Shin and Hatori together. Then they look at each other. "Don''t worry. Shin is perfect." Said Raven. "We will use you as a bate. We will go in the time where our target is, and then..."

Part 9.

Arjun is unable to go to the void. He is not willing to go there and ends up making an emergency exit when the pain starts once again. The purging spell was of limited help. Without knowing the exact curse, he cannot do more than simple pain relief, and general healing. However, it appears that his luck is taking a turn once again. He can sense three-time fragments. He stretched out his senses and sensed only one magical signature. "Could it be?" He said to himself, a habit he must get rid of once he is surrounded by people once again. He walked at the distance where he sensed the three fragments. There, he finds that nameless boy with bells in his hair waiting for him. "Well well well. Look who is here?" He mocked him. "Indeed." Said another voice. "The dog smelled the meat, and came here to get slaughtered." Said Raven. "You, how dare you? You two are not my match. That cursed boy is not with you. Without him, you can''t beat me. You have left these fragments out here in the open for me. I will give you an easy death for this favor." He moves to attack them, but a massive bolt of lightning strikes him down when he moves to cast a spell. Hatori lands from the air like a god, ready to smite the beast. "You are going to die." He said to him. More bolts came his way, and Arjun had to do a lot of rolling and crawling to avoid those. Still, he is unable to avoid the lightning completely. The entire area caught fire, as some of the bolts landed on the tree and they started to burn. In the smoke, Arjun managed to get away. He fled into the thick forest, thinking himself to be safe. He goes back to the place where he came from. But in the middle of his way, he starts to hear the sound of rushing water. "That''s strange. I don''t remember crossing a river in my way." And then, he is struck with the full force of the Tsunami created by Josh. Then, Hatori appears once again above him, and his soaked body is electrocuted once again. This time, Hatori used positive lightning. Arjun is so stunned that he drowns in the water which has flooded this forest. Everything is drowning in the water which is up to the waste of an average man. When Arjun resurfaced, he regained some of his breath. He has enough of this. These men are strong. They are not mere boys. He got one over them when they were tired and not prepared for him. But they are now ready for him. If he continues to fight them like this, then he is going to die before he can accomplish any of his goals. So, he took his chance to flee once more. Only two things stopped him and caused him to drown once again in the water. One, the curse of Munshi starts to act up again. "No, this is the worst time!" Screamed Arjun. The second is the torturous music of Shin which starts to echo in the forest. It struck him even worse, as the vibrations were amplified in the water. Hatori lands on the surface of the water, looking at the bubbles as Arjun screams underwater. Grabbing him by his hair, he pulls him out roughly. He takes the fragments from him, which is a simple matter. He breaks the runes Arjun is using to contain the two fragments he has while the human-turned-monster is hanging limply in his grip. He tossed these two fragments to Shin, who gave them to Raven. The general is still standing where he appeared, he has not moved a single step. He is watching everything as the steps of his plan are completed one by one. ''Now, the final step.'' He thinks to himself. "Hatori, kill him! Don''t bother torturing him." He ordered. This is a critical moment. If Hatori decided not to kill Arjun, and torture him some more, it might give him some chance of stealing two fragments they have just acquired from him. It would put this entire plan in jeopardy. Raven''s voice snapped Arjun out of his pain-fueled fog. He starts to struggle in Hatori''s grip. But Hatori grabbed him by his neck and lifted him high as if he were offering a sacrifice to the soul of his dead master. With a loud snap, he breaks the neck of Arjun Reddy, who immediately goes limp. He then tossed him in the air and turned his body into ash with an eye-searing boom. The ashes land in the water, while Raven smiles as if he has just delivered a grand checkmate to someone. "Let''s leave guys," Said Hatori, "I have had enough of this." "Sure." Said James, who was waiting in the forest as a backup in case Arjun managed to flee there. "Let''s go home." Chapter 255 Chapter 255.

Part 1.

While the mission of gathering the time fragments was going on, the world of the present time was proceeding as well as it could in the strange circumstances everyone has found themselves in. While there was still a standoff going on right outside of their solar system, there was another standoff going on right at home. This standoff was between the magical government of the Subcontinent and the government of India. Naresh, unable to handle the chaos, often blames the magic users for anything and everything. At the same time, he constantly demanded things from Avinash. "Enough! You can''t keep my people safe, and you have the gall to demand more from me? My experts nearly got lynched in your country. Fix that, and then we can talk!" Ever since Avinash exploded in the last meeting with the Prime Minister, there have been no meetings between the two heads of their respective sides. Whatever plans they had formed in the past are now stuck in a state of incompletion. While all of this was happening, there was chaos in the Zhongguo on both sides. The introduction of magic did not go well there. The country is going through one of the violent fazes for which it is so famous. The magical side is not doing any better. Emperor Hao''s tax policies are backfiring on him. As a result, there is another rebellion going on there. "Keep an eye on the border there." Instructed Avinash to Suresh, when he got the news. "Refrain from getting involved. It appears most people have forgotten that we helped him to get the throne there. Which is good for us. We don''t want any chaos in our hands because they resent us." An advisory was issued by the Department of Foreign Relations. All citizens of the Subcontinent are instructed to leave the country. The situation could devolve further at any moment. They may not be able to get out if it gets worse. Years pass like this, and elections come and go in India. Naresh lost them quite badly. The new Prime Minister is trying to fix the relations with his neighbors and Subcontinent. Most of his time is spent on that, as opposed to starting new things or taking joint projects to the next level. Ever since his loss, Naresh has not been seen in public. It is unknown what he is doing these days. Avinash does not bother thinking about him. He has more important things to worry about, such as making sure that the chaos of Zhongguo does not spread into his borders.

Part 2.

Avinash is on guard. A portal opens right in the middle of the courtroom, disrupting the hearing going on currently. Five figures walk out of that portal, looking tired and warned out. The portal disappears, and they get a clear look at these people: This is the group of Hatori and his friends, who were sent to retrieve the time fragments. "Raven?" Asked Avinash. He is not sure how he should talk to these people. Tom is missing, and so are Munshi and Kalicharan. It is clear that this long mission has taken its toll on them. "Our mission is done, Your Majesty." Said the general with a salute. "You completed this sooner than I thought." Said an echoing voice of a woman. It is difficult to pinpoint the location of the voice of this woman, but Hatori blasted the seating section where a group of elderly mages had to leave their chairs in a hurry. Samay appears in the dust, unharmed. "Why do you always have to be so hostile?" She asked Hatori. "Why do you have to play coy always?" He asked her in return, not in the mood to play one of her games. "Whatever." She turns to Avinash, ignoring Hatori entirely. "Your majesty, tell him to give me the fragments if you want your problem to be fixed. Otherwise, I''m leaving." She said, pouting like a child. "Hatori, give her the fragments." Ordered Avinash. "Fine." He brought them out and tossed them to her. Shin brings out the two he has and hands those to her respectfully in contrast to Hatori. The woman disappeared for a few hours. After she returns, she finds a celebration happening in the courtroom. The court session has been dismissed early, and Avinash is plastered with alcohol with others. Hatori is the only sober one in the crowd. He has a drink of his own in his hand, but it is clear to Samay that his body is not letting the alcohol reach his blood. It is broken before it happens. Thus, no matter how much he drinks, he will never experience the intoxication effects of the alcohol. For a moment, she considers what a sad and paranoid life this mortal must have led to do this to himself. Even she is not mad enough to not enjoy some intoxication once in a while. And here''s a mortal who cannot put his guard down, and refuses to surrender his mind to anything. She walks to him. Samay knows that he has already sensed her. Others waved to her deliriously, and she returned the gesture. "Well done." She clapped him on his shoulder. "Your solar system and the several other systems in the surrounding area are now safe. You won''t be erased any longer by the universe. Your future is secure... Except from yourselves." Hatori had looked outside of the window. The strange-looking sky has disappeared. Once he saw that, he cast a spell to tell the date and time, and it worked perfectly as it used to. "You just had to include that jibe at the end, didn''t you?" "Of course." Said the sorcerer. "You can''t deny that I am telling the truth." "Whatever." Said Hatori. "I don''t care anymore. Let them kill each other in the future. I''ll disappear into the mountains or something. Let them figure out how to fix their problems for a change." He then smirked. "At least they won''t have some stupid horseshit like a prophecy hanging over their heads. Lucky bastards." Samay shook her head. ''If only you knew.'' She said, looking upwards. Her gaze is focused on the roof of the castle for an onlooker. But only Samay knows what exactly she is looking at.

Part 3.

Once the time problems were sorted out, the king of Elves ordered that the fleet currently outside of the Earth''s solar system back off. Princess Amara couldn''t do much about it. Her father is the supreme ruler of Elves. Once he gives an order, everyone must obey, No matter what. Besides, he is not pleased with her ever since she got beaten on Earth by that brute and acted arrogantly in front of him. When the fleet backed off, the trio of races consisting of Dwarves, Goblins, and Orcs breathed a sigh of relief. They do not want a war with Elves right now. Economic warfare is one thing since they do not have to exchange blows with Elves. They can handle it easily, given their resources and connections. The isolation of Elves also helps them in this endeavor. But direct fight is not something they want. However, one thing is clear: their plan to find and help out other races in the galaxy is a good one. Earth has demonstrated its potential that in a short amount of time, it will be able to keep up with them and reach their level. Unlike Elves, they are not pursuing an isolationist policy either. If they can keep this momentum together, and make sure that they don''t destroy themselves in their own petty fights in the future, they can be a strong ally and an economic partner in the future. The alliance has no hurry when it comes to that. Time in the galactic politics moves very slowly. Besides, certain things cannot be moved in a hurry, or else it would end up spoiling the entire game.

Part 4.

After the celebrations were over, Hatori left. He didn''t tell anyone. He saw Josh looking at him while he was leaving. Hatori is certain that Josh will inform others. Some might think "Isn''t it disrespectful to leave like that in the presence of a king?" To which Hatori has only one answer: "Leave before I carbonize you." Besides, he wants to look at how exactly his project is doing. He then needs to meet with his family, make sure that the younger kid recognizes him as awesome, and undo whatever morals his mothers have installed within him in his absence. So far, he only knows that the kid in question is a boy, which means Daphne named him Ahim. ''I''ll confirm that later.'' How did he get this information? The answer is that the house spirit told him when he arrived. "Welcome back, master Hatori." It greeted him when he entered. "I assume your trip went well?" "As well as it could." He answered while the scene of three deaths flashed in front of his eyes. "Congratulations master, you have a boy." Informed the spirit. "Indeed?" asked Hatori, moving to the back, and entering the room containing the portal to his dimension where artificial life is evolving on the copy of Earth without planet Earth. The entire thing is an experiment where Hatori has animated and revived various creatures from the past. These creatures are then put into this world, where they start to live like normal. Once they evolve, they branch out in their own containment zone, which is isolated from the others. Several species have reached a dead end when it comes to evolution, and these are archived, and they no longer live in this dimension. Records are kept of how they reached this dead end. "Everything is running smoothly," Hatori muttered, looking at the logs in the form of various runes. "Not any errors at all." So far, dinosaurs haven''t appeared in this world. "But given that impressive specimen we faced in the past, maybe I should bring them here in their own branch?" He quickly checked whether the system could handle this or not. When he got the positive answer, he got a wide smile on his face. "Looks like some sample stealing in order." After he leaves this artificial world, he arrives in the room where the portal is contained, where the spirit of the house gives him new information. "Sorry master, I forgot to inform you. There is a new Prime Minister. Naresh Saini lost the last election." "That''s interesting. What is he doing ever since?" Asked Hatori, exiting the room. "It is unknown. The former Prime Minister has not been seen in public. He is likely inactive in politics." "Does he live in the same place as before?" Asked Hatori. "It is true. He had a home allotted to him in Delhi, but he lives in his private residence in this very town." The spirit shows him the map where the location of the house of Naresh is highlighted. "I collected this information by tracing the records." Explained the spirit. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there. "Excellent." Said Hatori, leaving the house. "I''ll go and meet him. Do not share this capability with anyone else." Instructed Hatori. "Understood." Said the spirit of the house, and then it went quiet. Naresh is a former Prime Minister. Therefore, he has a tight security detail for himself. Now that magic is firmly entrenched in the Republic of India, he also has mages in his security detail. Despite this, Hatori is not scared. When he appeared, the mages recognized him and left his path open. Others were not convinced of his identity, but they couldn''t stop him from entering. In the end, a loud argument breaks out between the security personnel. "Unprofessional behavior." His words quieted them at once. "I''ll Tell Raven that the quality of his men is slipping." After saying that, and smirking at the expression of dread on their faces, Hatori opens the door and enters the house. Naresh is sitting alone in the hall, looking at a picture. He looked at Hatori when he entered, and then he went back to looking at the picture. When he was done looking at it, he greeted Hatori. "So, you''re back." He spoke. "The time is normal now. I expect everything went well?" Hatori enlarged a chair for himself and sat in front of Naresh. "If nearly dying multiple times is considered good, then yes. It went well." "Oh?" Asked the old man. Hatori told him some of the things he encountered in the past. "I get the feeling that several historians will give an arm or a leg, maybe their firstborn children to go in the past and witness the things you have." "They are welcome to it," Hatori said. "I am happy in my current time." Naresh laughed. "Look at me," he said to Hatori. "I feel like I haven''t laughed in ages. What happened? Where did I go wrong?" "You need to give me more details." Said Hatori. "It has been only a few hours since I have returned. I am not all-knowing after all." This time, it was Naresh''s turn to launch into a story, where he explained everything. How he was furious at mages for causing this problem of time, Avinash not admitting anything, the increasing pressure on him, due to which he made some anti-magic policies, and the worsening relations with the surrounding countries, all of which led to his loss. "I don''t understand people in power." Said Hatori. "That is strange. You are a powerful person." Said Naresh. "That is my personal power. It is not tied to any institution." Said Hatori. "The way I see it, you had a chaotic country in hand, but you couldn''t handle it. You needed something to blame, a target where people could express their frustration. You found an easy way to do it: blame magic users." Naresh didn''t say anything in his defense. "I won''t claim to tell you whether your decisions were right or wrong. But I will tell you this: when I approached you, you were a calm and collected man who looked at everything from all angles, and only then you would make a decision. Furthermore, you had the will to do good in you, and you believed that if you got the highest position in the country, you could do the best in that position. But you lost both of these things. It is not clear to me whether you have won that election even if you kept your cool or not. But you won''t be this glum old man sitting here." "I can''t deny that." Naresh agreed with Hatori''s assessment. He has no problem agreeing with him. He is not here to criticize every decision of his. That entire assessment was personal, and it was about his own attributes. "Well, let''s hope you have a wonderful time. Write a book or something." Said Hatori. "That is the best way to use your time I think." "Who would read it though?" Asked Naresh. "Dude, you are the former Prime Minister of this country. You climbed to that chair from the very bottom. That alone gives you a lot of readers. Besides, if it is truthful and uncensored, I''ll read it." Said Hatori. "Will you write the forward for me?" Asked Naresh. "Why not? I''ll do it." Said Hatori. "Then it is done." Said Naresh, feeling more like his old self. "I''ll start typing. I''ll let you know when it is done." "Don''t die before completing it." Said Hatori, getting up and changing the chair to its normal size. "I think that applies to you more than me." He replied. Chuckling at his retort, Hatori leaves the hall and sees that his comment had an effect. The security is behaving like they should. He then took flight and disappeared in front of them. He chuckled at their awed looks. Whenever he dealt with Naresh in the past, Hatori was grateful that the man was not a mage himself. His threat level would skyrocket as a result, and he wouldn''t be able to deal with him as a result. ''I am sure he felt the same way about me.'' But now that he is not active in politics, Hatori didn''t get that same feeling of danger from him. ''It is the oddest thing. Maybe it is my paranoia? Nah, I think he was truly dangerous with the power to back it up. Even if it was not magic.''

Part 5.

Hatori is sitting alone in his study. Previously, this place was occupied by Zeko. Hatori was not one of those curious children from fiction, who are overly nosy and pilfer through everything. Besides, he had other things to worry about, such as making sure he was not knocked unconscious due to the training module''s unpredictable attacks. After he was done with his business on the other side, he came to his home on the magical side. He spoke with Ravina and Daphne. ''Those two are way too perceptive. They immediately sensed my mood, that I was not in much of a mood to celebrate or talk.'' Hatori didn''t feel good about his rather lethargic behavior towards them. ''They don''t deserve it.'' He thinks to himself, while a glass appears in his hands and a bottle opens up. It contains the extracted coconut water, freshly planted by Nandan. The former champion sent him this bottle as a gift upon his return. Taking a sip, he contemplates how long it has been. ''I just feel too much time has passed me by. Not because of this latest escapade. But just in general. Is this what old people feel? Is this how you felt, master Zeko, father?'' He looked at the pictures on the wall to his right. King Porus, proudly smirked with the crown on his head. Zeko, looked dangerous, and yet proud of himself, when he came back from his training trip with Munshi. Kalicharan has a crafty smile on his face, the shadow of his long imprisonment still visible on his face. Munshi, the calm and composed one, who does not reveal much through his expression or body language. Karan and Rita, Hatori''s parents, holding their hands together, while looking down upon the young Sushima. None of these people are alive now. None of them died peacefully, apart from Hatori''s parents. Porus suffered a lot during his last moments. His body was too broken, and his brilliant mind was overwhelmed by the constant pain. Rita passed away soon after Sushima was born, and Karan died a few years later. Apart from these three, Zeko, Kalicharan, and Munshi all died in battle. No adult from his childhood is alive now, someone whom he used to look up to, or someone who raised him. He takes another sip of the coconut water. "Well done boy," said the picture of Zeko. "Stay away from any substance which may dull your mind." "Do not become a drunkard." Thundered the picture of Karan. "I''m sure our boy won''t go down that path." Said Rita. Hatori snaps out of this mental state when he hears the footsteps of Sushima. He sensed him before he opened the door. "Dad?" He has a large stack of files in his arms. "Don''t you want to look through these?" He asked him. "Not at all." Said Hatori, motioning him to come inside, and sit with him. "I am sure you''ve done a good job in my absence." Sushima ran the business of supplying yantras and enchantments in Hatori''s absence. Judging by the glances he took at the accounts; the boy is doing well. Though there are a lot of necromancy-related requests he had to refuse since he doesn''t have that kind of talent. "Well, I suppose your trust is not unwarranted. Older clients think that I am easier to deal with compared to you." He said with a smile. "Don''t let them walk over you." Said Hatori. "I don''t. It''s just, that I don''t have the reputation of city destroyer yet." Explained Sushima. "Where is Ahim?" Asked Hatori. "In the Academy." Said Sushima. Normally, he would have made a sarcastic remark about how the drink is affecting Hatori even without any alcohol, but his father is clearly out of it. He is finding it difficult to adjust to the time. ''Well then. Looks like an invasion is in order.'' Hatori smiled. "Dad, don''t kidnap Ahim from the Academy." Sushima tries to stop the impending disaster. "Don''t be silly son, you can''t kidnap your own kid." Said Hatori. Done with his drink, Hatori launched the glass away, which passed by Sushima''s ear, all the while making a whizzing sound. He then gets up and walks out, while Sushima tries to persuade him from his chosen path.

Part 6.

In the City of Thrones, the king of the Subcontinent is in a dark mood. Hatori will understand why he is like that. Avinash is drinking an alcoholic drink, unlike Hatori. He is looking at the picture of Tom. As the elders of his generation passed away one by one, Avinash came to rely upon the people of his own generation to run this country. But they are also dying out one by one. ''To think that there is another plotting against me already.'' He grumbled in his head. "These people never learn!" He feels like a tiger tied to the anthill, and despite burning the ants who try to bite him, they never learn their lesson. He is starting to feel tired. "Is this how you felt, Porus?" He looked at the picture of his predecessor. No one is willing to come and challenge him. In fact, no one has the potential to beat him in the younger generation. At this rate, Avinash will die as a king, and the ensuing power struggle will cause another civil war among the candidates to acquire the throne. "At least it will be a rules-based one." He said to the picture. It is the feature of the throne. If a ruling king dies, several candidates are listed as potential kings. These candidates then wage wars among themselves, and the winner becomes the new king. In this war, they are not allowed to massacre the civilian population, doing so has the hefty penalty of a cruel death. Which makes sense, you can''t murder the people whom you want to govern... For the most part. The picture failed to answer or agree with Avinash. Getting disappointed, he leaves his office and decides to have a good sleep. Maybe when he is rested, he will feel better and less depressed. Chapter 256 Chapter 256.

Part 1.

On his way to the Academy of Magecraft and sorcery, Hatori stops in the City of Throne. "Greetings there, your majesty." He said sarcastically, walking in the office of Avinash. "I''m certain that paperwork is treating you well." "Shut up!" Replied Avinash, tossing the pen to Hatori''s head. However, it stopped before it could hit him. Just to show off, Hatori makes the pen float back to Avinash. The king snatched it out of the air, grumbling about the bastards showing off around him. Not wanting to tell what exactly Hatori plans to do in the Academy, he decides to pick a subject after Avinash is done grumbling at him. "You do know I can make a Yantra for you right? It''ll be good enough to do the routine work at least. You can pay attention to the critical stuff that way." Avinash glared at Hatori while fire sparked around his body, nearly burning the stack of papers on his table. "Why didn''t you suggest this idea earlier?" "Well, it only occurred to me right now." Hatori put up his hands. "I swear though, if you want, I will work on it immediately." "Do so. And while you''re at it, bring me a new computer." Said Avinash. "Sure. Sure. Do you want it enchanted as well?" Asked Hatori. "Yes." Said Avinash. "Well then. This should keep me busy for a while after I''m done with my round to the Academy." Said Hatori. Avinash pretended to not hear the last part. "Do you know what else I''ve got?" "What? More secrets to make my life easier, that you are sharing only now?" Asked Avinash. "Not exactly." Said Hatori. Hatori makes a motion, and the entire office is sealed off. No sound would go outside, though sound from outside can reach their ears. "I looked into those time fragments while they were in my possession." Said Hatori, immediately grabbing Avinash''s attention. "Apparently, time is not exactly tied with rotting, but it does have properties to stop it. You do know what this means, don''t you?" "Aging." Realized Avinash. "It can be stopped." "Not just stopped." Said Hatori. "We can stay in the prime of our lives. I doubt any sorcerer achieved immortality that way, apart from that bitch." "You mean Samay?" Asked Avinash. "I dare not use her name. She might appear right here otherwise." Said Hatori. "With you, she''ll probably do that. She loves to get a rise out of you." Said Avinash. "Exactly that." Said Hatori. "This could offer us a lot of benefits. I''m sure I don''t need to tell you those." "Of course. Though how exactly are you going to find out that your theory has any ground, or it even works properly?" Asked Avinash. "Well, it does work. I was turned into a baby." Said Hatori. "Granted, it resulted in three brutal murders nearby, but it happened because the fragments reacted badly with a rotting curse. I had my memories and mental faculties intact, though my magic was significantly weakened. Which is why I couldn''t do much about those said murders." "It''s okay man, it happens." Replied Avinash. Normally, on any other occasion, Avinash would be making fun of Hatori for being turned into a baby. He would be lamenting his bad fortune that he was not there to witness it. But since Tom, Munshi, and Kalicharan died shortly afterward while Hatori was watching, unable to do anything for them, Avinash considers that kind of joking unfunny. It is a prime example of a joke made in bad taste. "Okay. So, it works. But you will still need testing of the concept. How are you going to do that?" Asked Avinash. "Why, do it on me of course!" Said Hatori. Avinash''s magic surged to restrain Hatori immediately. Hatori brings up his own magical pressure to keep him rooted in his chair to make sure he won''t make any sudden rash moves. "Understand this: This will be some harmless runes. Either they will work, or else they will be complete duds. I am not putting myself in danger." Avinash stopped struggling. "Fine." He is not happy with those assurances, but given how good Hatori is with runes and enchantment, he will take his words for the time being. "Do report to me how your experiments go." "Sure. Sure." Hatori nodded. "Though remember this: I can only give you general steps. How you adapt it is up to you." "I''ll figure it out myself." Said Avinash. "What do you think about an immortal king? Do you think I should stay on this throne should I achieve something like this?" The presence of the Throne at the back of his mind resisted this idea fiercely. Avinash ignored the tantrum of this object to hear what exactly Hatori had to say on the matter. "Well, it would be quite an unfortunate thing." Answered Hatori. "How so?" Asked Avinash, feeling the Throne itself also calming down with the answer of his archmage. "Given you are immortal, there is no one who would be able to beat you for the position of the king. This will happen because your fighting experience will be too much for anyone to surpass, no matter how much they train and struggle against you. You are an immortal. They can''t kill you. So, the whole struggle becomes a moot point." Said Hatori. "Ignoring the fact that yes, it might be possible to kill an immortal being. But I feel that only other immortal sorcerer can accomplish this task." "You''re right." Avinash agreed with the assessment of Hatori. "But things are not limited to just that. Since you can''t be beaten, you will remain the king. Over time, people will take your presence for granted. Any and all problems will be put on you, and society will start to stagnate. No new ideas will come, because there won''t be any chaos. People will used to this one-track running of the kingdom. This will result in a slow rot for the society. While you may remain in the prime of your life, your kingdom will suffer for it greatly. Therefore, an immortal king is a bad idea." "Good." That is all Avinash said. Hatori doesn''t know what exactly the king has decided for himself. But he doesn''t care. He can do what he wants to do. It is not Hatori''s responsibility to tell him everything. "Where is Raven?" Hatori asked instead, removing that spell to conceal sound. "I cannot sense him in the castle." "Oh, he is supervising something on the steppes." Replied Avinash.

Part 2.

Raven is waiting for the report by the investigating team. He brought a group of magic analysts and historians to the steppes to make sure that their incursion into the past did not result in some unforeseen consequences. Given their recent luck, he cannot dismiss the possibility. He discussed this with Tom, but the poor guy was murdered. Raven is alive however, so the responsibility falls upon him to make sure that they do not end up getting caught with their pants down. Ideally, Raven would like to see the same location on the other side. Given the political unrest going on in that region, he must avoid any operation there. ''Besides, despite being a copy, everything was similar here before mages started to live in this dimension permanently.'' To make sure that he does not end up in some other location by mistake, Raven compared the coordinates from the ancient time. Despite the area going through some changes (mainly being divided into multiple nations), it hasn''t changed much geographically. So, he is certain that the location is correct. "Sir," Said one of the investigators. "We have found nothing of the sort that you indicated. Apart from the traces of the old battles and natural disasters, we''ve got nothing here." "Very well." Said the general. "We have completed our mission here. Move out." "Sir!" Replied the soldiers. They quickly go back to the city and move into their ship. Once the final meeting is done, Raven also joins them. Then they leave this area, not wanting to overstay their welcome.

Part 3.

Hatori arrives at the Academy. He is certain that he has been detected, given that he is not a student here anymore. He admired the set of wards and fields he set when he was asked to improve the security. They are uniquely visible to him since he was the one who set those defenses due to how new they are compared to the old wards. No one comes to stop him as he goes to the office of the headmaster. He opens the door brazenly, only to see a new face behind the desk. "You have ten seconds to explain yourself." He said, preparing his magic to attack this person. "Dhiraj retired." Said the new man in a bland tone. "Stop this and take a chair already. I knew you would come here." "Huh." Said Hatori, taking the chair in front of the new head. "Didn''t think you would end up here, eh Malang?" "Well, apparently they liked my research enough that I was offered this position." He replied. Malang is older than Hatori, though he was there when he attended the school here. Therefore, he also remembers the rampages he caused. They have also worked with each other on some research. Hatori was the secondary author of one of the papers he wrote about necromancy. He needed someone who could handle the practical side so he could handle writing and keep his focus on the theory. The reason why Hatori was initially hostile was due to seeing a new face behind the desk which was occupied by Dhiraj for forty years by now. His paranoid brain reacted, deeming this to be a threat. Luckily, he is good at controlling himself in these situations now. Unless the other party reacts with violence first. In that case, he won''t leave anyone alive to ask questions. He won''t even consider asking any questions. "How did you know I was coming?" Asked Hatori, taking a sip of the tea offered by Malang. "Your son studies here. When I was informed that you had returned, I knew you would want to meet him. Of course, given the inconsiderate bastard you are, you didn''t even send me a letter to inform me." Grumbled Malang. "Now now, what sort of language is that for a head of the institute of education? What kind of example are you presenting to the students?" Asked Hatori, trying to present himself as an overbearing concerned parent. "You''re the one to ask me that question? Really? Seriously?" "You have a point there." Hatori acknowledged with a nod. "So can I take him for a few days?" He asked. "Sure. Would you like to know how is he doing?" Asked Malang. "Sure. How do you know though? I remember Corvus and Dhiraj both kept their distance. I don''t think they had detailed info on every student." Asked Hatori. "I do have a file. They also did one." Replied Malang. With a wave of his hand, he summoned the said file. "You have improved." Said Hatori, watching him handle the file without his foci. "He is good in combat and math. He seems to have a secondary interest in history. His enchantment work is exceptional, he can take apart any malicious enchantment with ease." Said Malang from the file. "His rune work is not that good though, especially compared to his brothers." "That''s fine." Said Hatori. "Not every child can be the same. You would know it better than me." "Yeah." Said Malang, dismissing the file. "What happened to Dhiraj? Where is he?" Asked Hatori, nearly done with his tea. "He is writing a book. Apart from guest lectures here and there, he is living out his retirement." Said Malang. "Good for him." Said Hatori, getting up. "I wonder whether I would get something like that or not?" "I''ll call your son here now--" "No need." Said Hatori with a wave, opening the door and walking out. "I''ll get him myself." "Dammit!" Malang reacted quickly and informed the security yantras about the incoming mage, and not to get in his way. "Let''s hope that my warning will reach the professors in time." He thinks for a moment about the carnage if that does not happen, and how he would have to replace several faculty members. The thought filled him with sadness. But then he remembers how many of them cause problems for him, and then his mood is brightening up. Maybe they would be foolish enough to incur the wrath of Hatori, and then he could get rid of them cleanly, without fingers being pointed at him? After all, how can he hope to stop an S-rank mage? Though that defense would only be good enough for posturing. He did not get this position solely because of his research after all. Hatori is lost in memories. He walked these same corridors once. Back then, half of his time was spent being scared out of his mind because of the students who were after him. It appears the module is still active, judging by the screams coming from the ground. That module was activated by Corvus when Hatori was fed up with the mocking of others, as they worked hard for their dueling tournament while they all relaxed. He looked at the schedule for this year and found out what class he is attending right now. As he gets closer, he hears a male voice lecturing. Without any permission, he enters the class and immediately homed in on Ahim who is sitting in front. "Excuse me, sir," said the professor, not trying to show the fear before this giant man. "You can''t enter this class like this. You are disturbing my students." "Ahim, come with me." Said Hatori. "I have a trip planned for you." Several flames appear above Hatori''s head, and a paper comes out of it. He grabbed this paper while ignoring the awe of other kids. "Look, even the headmaster has approved your leave." He showed the paper to the kid. "Ahem. You should show that to me." Said the professor. "Do I have any choice?" Asked Ahim. "No." Said Hatori with a smile. He then grabbed him and levitated out of the class. Hatori flies away while the professor screams in the background.

Part 4.

Ahim ends up dropped into this strange forest where this giant man has brought him. It appears to be the dimension his eldest brother told him about. "I''m surprised, you took flying quite well." Said the giant man. "Of course. What other choice did I have? You basically kidnapped me right in front of everyone Dad." The last word came out with a little bit of hesitation. Ahim has not met his father yet. He has only referred to him in the abstract or heard about him from others. This is his first meeting with him after growing up. It is turning out exactly as his older brother Garuda predicted. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. "Come on, son. You can''t kidnap your own kid. Besides, let them try and see what happens!" Said Hatori. Several trees shook nearby due to the force of his declaration. "Besides, I met the headmaster before taking you with me. I''m sure everything will be fine." Said Hatori. "I am still not certain." Said Ahim. "Think of it like this: Whatever may happen in the future, it is my problem. Not yours. So, relax already." Said Hatori, padding his shoulder. "Why did you bring me here anyway?" Asked Ahim, as Hatori started to walk too somewhere. He also started to walk with him since he did not want to get lost in this strange place. He may never be found. Hatori looks at him sadly. "I feel like you were born just yesterday." Said Hatori with a serious tone. "When I left for that mission, you were so young, I feel like I''ve missed your childhood. It doesn''t feel right to me. I was there for your brothers and sister, but I was not there for you." "It''s okay Dad," Said Ahim, feeling like the word came out a little bit easier this time. "You don''t need to feel bad." "But look at you now! I saw you as a baby, and now you are a first year!" Hatori wipes an imaginary tear from his face. "Kids grow up so fast these days. You might want to slow down a little, or else you''ll get old before me." Despite feeling several emotions, Ahim managed to give him a dry look. "I don''t think I''ll get old just yet. Sushima is first in line." "True that." Said Hatori. "But there is another reason why I brought you here with me." "What?" As asked Ahim, suddenly all those emotions he was feeling a moment ago start to evaporate, and he gets a feeling of dread within his heart. "I need to teach you properly. Your mothers and siblings have no doubt filled your head with strange notions of how this world works. Guess what? They are wrong." Said Hatori. "Is this about your paranoia?" Asked Ahim. "Not paranoia when things keep happening in the world and I have to react to them. This time trouble was the latest example of it. Before that, it was some terrorists. Before that, there was a whole war. Before that, it was my early Academy days. And it all started with a series of kidnappings." Said Hatori. "Series?" Ahim asked, not getting what his father was trying to tell him. "I was summoned to the magical side. That was the first one. I was younger than you and didn''t have a clue of what I was about to get into. I was kidnapped twice from the castle. Those are the kidnappings I am talking about." Hatori grabs him by his shoulder and looks his son in the eyes. "If you don''t prepare yourself, then you won''t survive. That is what I''m going to teach you. Don''t get me wrong, your mothers and siblings have no doubt taught you a lot. But they think that the world is a nice and peaceful place, and given their rich status, they won''t encounter any problems. But they are all so wrong that I can''t even tell you how wrong they are." "How do you know this?" Asked Ahim. "You weren''t here for the last ten years!" Hatori winced at that statement. It feels like an accusation. "Exactly." He sighed. "Despite my warnings, that idiot on the throne ignored those parasites and looked at what happened. If we didn''t leave to fix the time, our entire planet would have been wiped out of existence." "But, what can I do? It''s not like I can face powerful mages like you." Said Ahim. "True. Not yet. Certainly not before you fulfill your critically missing milestones. It is not too late though. Once you start out on the path, I am gently guiding you towards, you will be a powerful mage in your own right. No one will dare to mess with you then." Said Hatori. "This doesn''t feel like gentle guiding! Besides, Sushima is teaching me all of that anyway." Replied Ahim. "That is good." Hatori smiled. "But it is not enough." To prove his point, Hatori stops. Ahim also stops, looking at his father. Hatori considered for a moment before he started to frown. Ahim suddenly felt as if an entire house had been put on his head. "Move." Said Hatori. "I... Can''t." Said Ahim, unable to move a muscle. The pressure suddenly disappears. "That was the same level of pressure master Zeko put on me. It was not his full power, and neither it is mine. I could have beheaded you with one spell then and there." Ahim starts to look at Hatori with fear. "But don''t worry, that is exactly what I''m going to fix. I have put on some time dilation. We have a long time. Not only you''ll get better, but we''ll spend lots of time bonding as a father and son, just like this book recommends." Hatori waves a book which seems to be warned out. "I swear. It was the best investment I made when Sushima was born. The lessons are quite good. I even managed to adapt them to raise Daphne Junior." "O... Kay?" Ahim doesn''t get that. Why would you need a book to raise children? "This is insane! That''s not training!" Said Ahim, while fleeing a group of mammoths. "Oh, come off it. You''re not in any danger." Said Hatori, hovering above him like an unhelpful spirit while he observed the mammoths. They seem to be evolving further since humans are not out to hunt them and they are not stuck on some island, inbreeding among themselves. "I swear, if I could, I''ll make you regret this!" Said Ahim, using a volley of fireballs on these mammoths. This caused the forest to catch on fire, giving him the chance he needed to flee from these giant creatures. For the past several days (Ahim forgot the count), he has been on a grueling training regimen. Hatori is teaching him various spells. To make sure he understands those spells and can use them in high-pressure situations, he often drops him in the middle of the wild creatures. He is constantly hovering over him, managing to keep up with him while he runs around trying to avoid getting torn apart. At night, Ahim hears stories from Hatori about his exploits or something from his favorite manga series. Ever since the trade started with the other side, those are proving to be quite popular in the Subcontinent. Hatori tells him about the older manga of his time. He taught him how to handle the fire in the camp, collecting the wood for it, how to light it, how to control it with or without magic, and how to cook food on it. Though he did let him handle some of the parts, Hatori never let him handle the fire alone. He allowed him to gather the wood by himself. Ahim noticed that no attack happened in the night. He is certain that Hatori is the reason behind it. Despite his fury over this training regiment, Ahim is Cherishing these moments with Hattori. He is certain that no other boy from his class is spending this kind of quality time with their parents. During his recount of his experience in the Academy so far, Ahim tells Hatori how it has become a less violent place. "On one hand, good. On the other hand, I suppose we''ll see a drop in quality for a few years. If they drop that module, the quality will dip further. I''m also annoyed. Why couldn''t they do that when I was attending?" "They were more insane than you and that''s saying something." Said Ahim in a dry tone. "Well done my son." Said Hatori, making his voice artificially boom. "For six months, you have survived in this forest, demonstrating your adaptability and willingness to survive. You are a true Human, willing to slaughter anyone and anything that gets in your way. Now, here''s a final challenge for you. Remember what I have taught you, it will serve you well." "Why do you have to talk like that? It doesn''t suit you." Said Ahim. "What exactly is this final challenge anyway?" He sighed when he saw that the entrance to the gate (which he presumed led out of there) was blocked by a shadow. "Admittedly, it doesn''t sound good without music to accompany it. Maybe I could ask Shin to help with a spell for some background music?" "Only you would think about doing something like that." Grumbled Ahim. The shadow attacked him, and he was sent flying with the blast. He attacks it in return, but his spells do not affect the spirit. "What?" The ground shook and Ahim had to jump. "What the hell? I could have died in the crater!" He said, looking at the crater filled with rocks. "How do I deal with this dad?" "Don''t give up so quickly." Said Hatori. "Sense like I taught you." Ahim doesn''t have to focus to sense magic anymore. He vowed to learn it quickly after Hatori put a blindfold around his head and dropped him in the middle of termites and ant colonies. He also knew this quickly because he was horrified by living like this. He cannot fathom that his father lived like this at his age. He noticed the change in Hatori''s magic and the small ember landing on the spirit. It had an immediate effect. It is behaving like the person who has grabbed a cup that is too hot. "Now you try." Ahim tries the way his father has shown him, though his first few spells do not work. But once he has a stronger understanding of that change, he sensed in Hatori, that he can land consistent spells. He watched that spirit disappear after a nasty volley of fireballs landed on it after Ahim cornered it. "That''s for nearly taking my head off with that tree!" After his celebration, Ahim loses consciousness. Before he could land face-first on the ground, Hatori caught him. He gave some of his magic to the spirit. It has recently taken form. For the payment of Hatori''s energy, it agreed to help him out with the training of his son. "Well done kid. Let''s take you out from here." Once Hatori leaves, all the damage is repaired automatically. The time dilation stops working, and the dimension resumes its usual operation. Hatori took Ahim to the Academy after he recovered. This time, he is sitting on Hatori''s shoulder while they fly to the Academy. "Do you see that tree? I planted it when I first arrived here. I can''t believe it survived to this day." "Yeah. There are more thorny trees there too. Garuda and Sushima had too much fun planting those." Said Ahim. Hatori pats him on the shoulder before leaving. "You did good. But don''t expect me to lighten up on you. More challenges are coming your way. So, stay sharp." Ahim gives him a nod, after which Hatori disappears into the sky.

Part 5.

Avinash is hearing the report of Raven. Things went smoothly in the steppe; nothing had changed from their incursion in the past. Raven and his team arrived there and left without any incident. In short, this was a boring mission that went according to the plan. Unfortunately, this doesn''t last long. "Your majesty!" Said the clerk, running into the office and yelling in an urgent tone. "What?" Asked Avinash. "Hatori... He..." The young man was huffing and was not able to speak properly. "Relax." Said Raven, causing him to straighten up. "Now tell us what happened." "Archmage Hatori appeared in a restaurant. He ate up a lot of food." Said the clerk. "I fail to see why this is a concern?" Asked Avinash. "But my king, he did not pay up. When the staff demanded the payment, he beat them up and left the entire place as a ruin!" Waled the man. "The owner is outside complaining about it." "That''s out of character. In fact, Hatori doesn''t go out to restaurants in general unless Daphne or Ravina force him to go." Pointed out Raven. "Yeah. He is not a public person like that. If it was a tea stall or a snack shop, maybe then. Could it be an imposter?" Asked Avinash. "Doesn''t make sense. Maybe it might fool some people, but no imposter is going to beat up the security of a restaurant." Raven turns to the clerk. "Is this restaurant a luxurious one?" "Yes. It is the same one where the new prime minister was hosted when he came here." Said the clerk. "Definitely no imposter then." Said Raven. That restaurant has a very high security. No imposter is going to fool them. "Your majesty!" Barged another man into the office. "What?" Asked Avinash, giving him an irritated glair. He is a king; you can''t just barge into his office. The man smiled nervously at first, realizing what he had just done. But his nervousness disappears when he realizes why exactly is he here in the first place. "My king, there was a stampede in the concert of Shin. I was in charge of the security there." "What happened?" Asked Avinash. The concerts of Shin are not known for stampedes. Maybe some noise pollution by all those screaming people, but not stampedes. "Someone who looked like him appeared on the stage while he was performing. He started to sing with the strangest of lyrics, and then the whole stadium was lit on fire. We managed to put out the fire, but he got away in the chaos." Explained the man. "I don''t think anyone can fake his abilities either." Said Raven. "Shin has a unique talent. Not many are like him in this country, let alone the world." "That''s true." Said Avinash. "Could it be some jealous rival of his?" Before Raven could answer, the door opens and a woman from the finance ministry walks in. "Your majesty, is that a bad time?" She asked, seeing the crowded office. "What is it?" Asked Avinash, already dreading what she has to say by the looks of her face. "Minister Josh was seen beating up several factory workers. Apparently, they were not efficient enough. The whole thing was seen by a reporter. For now, I''ve managed to stop the paper from printing anything, but I don''t think I can stop them from doing that for too long." "That is strange." Said Avinash. "I know Josh is not on this side. He is in India to meet his opposite for some joint plans we have." "Did he use any high-level magic?" Asked Raven. "Nothing of the sort. He just conjured up a stick and started to beat everyone." Explained the woman. "Your majesty!" Said Suresh, entering the office and saluting the king. "What now?" Avinash asked, knowing that his second general wouldn''t come here just because he felt like it. "Raven blew up one of our barracks. He has not been seen since." Suresh noticed who exactly was sitting near Avinash. "Oh." "Exactly. I''ve been here for the past two hours." Said Raven. "When did that happen?" Asked Avinash. "One and a half hours ago. I just got the report, and then I came here to report to you." Explained Suresh. "Not him then." Said Avinash. The door opens, and Hatori walks in. "Hey, so I had a wonderful time with my son--" He notices the crowd in the office. "What''s going on?" He asked. Chapter 257 Chapter 257.

Part 1.

Hatori looked at the crowd present in Avinash''s office. The crowd looked back at him. "I think I''ll come back later, " he said to them before turning around and preparing to leave. "Stop." Said Avinash. "I have some questions for you." "Can''t this wait?" Hatori asked in annoyance, turning around to face the king once again. "No," said Avinash. "Some person who looked like you have caused some problems." "What kind of problems?" Asked Hatori. "He appeared at a high-end restaurant. After ordering and consuming a large amount of food, he did not pay up. The staff demanded the payment. Refusing to pay, he beat them and caused property damage. The restaurant is the same one where I took you along while representatives from the other side came here." Avinash added the last part to remind Hatori. The guy is out of the loop for a long time now. "You know that I don''t go to such places." Said Hatori. "When did that happen?" "About one and a half hours ago." Said the clerk. When Hatori''s attention is turned on him, he starts to tremble. How can the king talk to this monster so casually? ''Perhaps because he is one himself.'' He concluded in his head. Though he did not voice his thoughts, the other clerks present in the office agreed with him. It is one thing to complain to the king about him. It is an entirely different matter to face Hatori directly. "I just got out of that artificial world I am experimenting with. I went to the Academy and dropped Ahim there. Then I took a ship and came here. I have the tickets still with me." Said Hatori, bringing out the tickets he had purchased. "Give those to him." Said Avinash, referring to the clerk who brought the complaint about Hatori. "Sure." The clerk kept his composure while Hatori gave him the tickets. "Why didn''t you fly?" Asked Raven. "Surely you could make such distance easily." "It would take longer," replied Hatori. "It is not easy to fly at high speeds without tearing my body apart. Also, it is very cold in the sky. I have ways to handle this problem, but it is not something I want to experience if I can help it." While Raven and Hatori talk, gradually involving Suresh in the conversation as well, Avinash dismisses the clerks. The problem is out of their hands now. He needs some peace of mind to think about this problem. These clerks hanging around looking at him anxiously is not going to give him the peace he seeks to solve this problem. He ordered that the restaurant owner be paid immediately for whatever damages he had suffered. He also ordered Minister Josh to report to him immediately, along with James and Shin. The clerks leave to carry out these orders. They all waited until Josh, Shin, and James arrived. Luckily, they were not far so they arrived quickly. Upon their arrival, Avinash explained what was going on. "Now, you need to tell me for legal reasons: did you do any of this? Or do you have any alibis?" Asked Avinash once he was done explaining. "Well, I just heard about this." Shrugged James. "When you called me, I left the house and came here." "I didn''t do it." Explained Josh. "I had to conclude the meeting with the other side quickly and then I came here after your order." "I think in Shin''s case we can safely say that he doesn''t need to explain himself." Pointed out Hatori. "After all, he was seen on the stage with his duplicate." "Right. You have the closest encounter with your doppelganger. Mind telling me what happened?" Asked Avinash. "I can''t tell you much. The guy looked like me. His magic also felt like me, yet it was also somewhat different. I ended his musical spell and tried to capture him, but due to the stampede he got away in the chaos." Explained Shin. "Do you know how strong this person was?" Asked Hatori. "Not that strong." Said Shin. "How can you say this so confidently?" Asked Suresh. "Because even if a mage suppresses their magic, there is a certain depth to their magic which cannot be hidden. Hatori feels the same way to me. This duplicate of mine did not have any such depth." Explained Shin. "He is right." Confirmed Hatori. "I have sensed this kind of depth from Porus and Zeko in the past." Given Hatori is the best sensor in the castle, none of them doubt his word. "Well, at least we can say confidently that we don''t have some strong nutcase running around. Even if it is just one duplicate." "Don''t rule out the possibility of someone slandering our names by using our faces." Reminded Raven. "That too." Avinash agreed. "We need to find a way to identify these people. I can''t let them run around and impersonate officials of my government." While others are busy discussing the idea of finding these people responsible for impersonating them, Hatori feels a tingle. He is familiar with this sensation. He felt the same way when he encountered that sorcerer ten years ago before he had to leave for that mission to fix the time. He turns around, and blasts a curtain, making it flutter in the disturbed air. "Hatori, what the hell?" Asked Avinash, displeased with this action of his archmage. But then he hears a chuckle. He knows this voice. He hoped that he wouldn''t have to meet her again for the rest of his lifetime. "Not again." He put his head on his hands, unable to deal with these issues which kept popping up before he could even fix them. A woman walks out of that wall as if she was not attacked a few moments ago. She looked around and chuckled at Hatori''s disgruntled expression. "I was trying to hide myself this time. It took you a while, but you found me. Good job, boy. It appears your previous instances of sensing me was not a fluke." "Why are you here?" Asked Avinash, straightening himself and looking down upon the sorcerer. He knows that her appearance means trouble, so he is playing the role of the king to its fullest. Ideally, he would like to be sitting on his throne, but for the time being he has to work with what he has. "The problems you have heard about are not mere impersonations. These aren''t people out to damage your reputation either. This is an unconventional problem, the likes of which you have never faced before." Explained Samay, not intimidated by the glairs of Hatori and Avinash. Her confidence is not misplaced. She is a sorcerer. She could kill them all if she wishes to and they won''t be able to do anything about it. "Explain." Asked Avinash. "These are actual people. Not doppelgangers. They are different versions of yourselves. They are just as real as you are." She explained, not bothering to get into the theory of reality being an illusion or not, how much it is true or false, and whether it has any impact on their lives or not. Those discussions are not for the current occasion. "This can''t be!" Exclaimed Suresh, unable to hold his tongue. "Whether you believe or not is not my concern. This is a real threat hanging over you. For the time being, these alternate versions of yourselves are quite weak. But soon someone might come, someone stronger. Someone who might decide to challenge for the throne, for example." Said Samay. There was a silence in the room. "Why is this happening?" Asked Avinash. "Because the reality is melding." Said Samay. "You see, the universe has multiple realities. These are possibilities. Essentially these are versions of one event. These possibilities create more possibilities. Some of them exist for a long time, others get destroyed quite quickly." "Shouldn''t we notice something when that happens?" Asked Josh. "Why would you? You have no memories of that happening. You seamlessly exist with the consequences of your decisions. That is true for every lifeform in the universe unless you reach a certain level, and unlock certain secrets." Answered Samay. "Anyway, this time, the possibilities are melding. They are running to each other. This is why you see multiple versions of the same people in one reality." Explained Samay. "It is just like a corrupted drive." Sighed Hatori. "The data of the files and folders runs into each other until it ends up an incomprehensible mess." This kind of statement would have confused everyone twenty years ago. But now they are familiar with the computers enough that they have some understanding of what Hatori is saying. "Is this happening on this planet alone?" Asked Avinash. "No. This is happening everywhere in the universe." Said Samay. "Are we responsible for this somehow?" Asked Raven. "Like that ritual last time?" "No. You have nothing to do with this." As soon as Samay said this, the entire castle was shaken by the fury of Avinash. "I fail to see what we can do here. It is not like we have any knowledge or understanding of the concepts you have just thrown at us. Why don''t you go to those advanced races? Maybe they can do something." Avinash said with a sneer on his face. "We need to prepare for an engagement." Said Suresh. "He''s right. It won''t surprise me if we are blamed for this too." Raven agreed with Suresh. "We need to prepare a defense strategy." "Come now, wipe that sneer off of your face. This kind of tantrum is unbecoming of a king." Said Samay. "And the reason why I have come here is because I think we can do something about it. We won''t even need to involve those other races as you have said. Besides, you will reach a new understanding of how things work. It will help you a lot in your future." "You go do that," Said Hatori, getting up from his chair. "I must leave. Good luck fixing reality." Hatori knows that if he stays here any longer, he will be roped into this madness. He wants no part of it. Let them figure out how to fix the damn problem on their own. There might be sorcerers who can do that together. Why do they need mere mortals like them anyway? As far as he is concerned, let them try. Meanwhile, he will enjoy the remaining time with his family. If the universe survives, then great. If it doesn''t? Then so be it. But he refuses to get involved in this any further. Despite feeling the glares of everyone on his back, Hatori reached the door of the office. He was just about to open it but he failed to do so. When he touched the door, he was launched backward and slammed back-first on the floor. Samay appears where he is standing, her back to the door of the office. "The hell are you doing?" Asked Hatori, standing to his full height and glaring down at the small woman. "Do you think you can get away so easily? You must come with me. You are involved in this, whether you like it or not." Said Samay, with none of the playfulness present in her body or tone. "It is none of my concern." Hatori shot back. "Let someone else figure it out. Why do you need us anyway? Aren''t you a sorcerer? Why can''t you figure the solution out for yourselves? Now, step aside." "I can''t believe it!" Said the sorcerer, unable to contain her fury. She cannot believe this man is another version of that person. How did he turn out like this? He had a fire ten years ago. Surely that one jaunt through time did not change him that much? "I can''t believe it." She repeated again, this time with a sigh of disappointment. The magical pressure is gone from the room. "I did not expect those words from you of all people." "You talk as if you know me." Replied Hatori. "You know nothing. I''ve been living on the edge since I was seven. I am tired of it. Tired of all the fighting and constantly looking behind my back. Tired of cleaning up the mess of other people. Now, let me leave already! Let the universe be destroyed. I''ll just enjoy my time with my children until it lasts. Then it will be over. Good riddance, I say." Samay doesn''t get where this stubbornness is coming from. But now she has an idea of sorts after listening to those words. Not a complete one, but something is better than nothing. She is dealing with mortals. They cannot understand the scale of time like she can. To her, the lifespan of Hatori and everyone in this room is not even a blink of an eye. Their struggles, their triumphs, their failures, they don''t matter. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. But she was also a mortal once. Unlike those sorcerers who forgot what it was like to live as a mortal, Samay never did. Not completely at least. What Hatori is feeling is the burden of time. It happens to everyone. Whether you call it a midlife crisis or something else, it happens to everyone at different stages of their lives. Whether it is a teenager who reached adulthood, or the adult reaching their fifties. They always feel the pressure of time. ''I must rekindle his fire.'' Thinks Samay. ''But how?'' She rewinds the time to observe Hatori''s life to see what she could use. His life plays out in front of her eyes like a movie. ''Impressive. He was not kidding that he has been fighting for a long time.'' She thinks to herself. All of this is happening at a speed so fast that anyone else''s brain would be melting because they are unable to process this information so quickly. It also happened without anyone in the room realizing what was going on. If they were sorcerers like her, maybe then they could do something about it. But since they are not, they cannot figure out what she is doing. After making her observation, she has the perfect answer to Hatori. "Zeko will be disappointed." She said to him. "I don''t think he raised a coward who runs from his problems." Hatori''s magic rises to attack Samay, who is still standing before the door smiling like a lunatic. It was difficult to breathe in the room because of Hatori''s magical pressure. His friends were certain that he would attack Samay, and then the sorcerer would obliterate him. They are hoping that his pragmatism will win over his fury. Much to Samay''s surprise, Hatori got himself under control, and the magical pressure disappeared from the room. Hatori starts to walk to the door, while everyone is fixed to their spot unable to look away. Hatori plans to just reach the door over her head. Once it is open, he will leave. There is nothing she can do about it once he is out. It is not like she will pursue him across the world, right? But before he could reach the door, Samay launched him back with a spell, and once again Hatori was slammed to the floor back-first. This time, the sorcerer did not stop. She kept attacking him, while Hatori defended himself from this onslaught of spells on the ground. Hatori did not stay on defense for too long. He managed to turn one of the spells of Samay, causing it to go in reverse. She stopped this spell with one finger. Several spells of Hatori follow, where much to everyone''s surprise, Samay was the one who took damage. An enchanted blade running on the soul frequency sliced her across her cheek. She had to move her head at the right time to avoid taking this blade right on her face. The fire burned a little of her dress. It failed to cling to her clothes due to the sorcerer taking some defensive measures. She failed to see the hunk of rock coming at her head before it hit her hard, slamming her on the door. Hatori was hoping that this would forcefully break the door, but that did not happen. Samay gets up, shaking her head. "Well done. You''ve damaged me." She wiped the blood from her face. "Why don''t you listen to me now? You should come with me and understand your role." "No. Shut up!" Replied Hatori. He retaliates once again. This time, the exchange of spells went to the illusions. Hatori is dealing with those, while Samay strengthens the field in the room. She will need it to be strong to handle what she is about to do. Hatori breaks the illusions. He uses lightning as a distraction. Taking advantage of the crackle and thunder, he sets up a field of runes to restrain a chaotic soul. Hatori is hoping that this will work. Given the amount of damage he did to her with the soul frequency, He has some solid idea of how this will go. But his field of runes is disrupted before it can be completed. The magic goes crazy. Samay starts to use it as a magical arm-wrestling contest with Hatori. They both try to twist this ambient magic for their purposes. Hatori wills some chains into reality and these chains try to bind Samay. But before they get close, these chains are broken apart. Several snakes appear near Hatori due to the will of Samay. They are able to restrain Hatori. After that, they started to deliver shocks to him. He screamed and was launched back after these snakes exploded. While Hatori is regaining his breath, Avinash gets up to interfere in the fight. Josh, James, Raven, and Shin also follow, but Samay sends them back to their chairs with one motion of her hand. They are forcefully put back into their seats and are unable to get up again. "Be quiet. Just watch the show." She said to them with a smirk on her face, with no sign of the injury she suffered. Hatori gets up, winded from the shock. The ambient magic has dissipated now. "The hell? Since when did the snakes start to behave like that?" Hatori tried to hide the jitter in his body. He failed. That dose of lightning was quite strong. It passed through his natural resistance and protections like it was nothing. "Why, it''s a secret. A magical secret." Replied Samay. "Do you give up now?" "Never!" Replied Hatori. A flash of lightning results in a crackle of thunder above his head while fire swirls around his feet. Samay is smiling in triumph now. That reply was full of fire, not the depression of the mage in front of her. ''I must end it quickly now.'' She thought to herself, looking at the runes visible on Hatori''s body working to repair the damage he has taken. A bombardment of lightning did nothing to Samay. "Did you think you can fight with a sorcerer? True, I let you have those hits out of pity. But it ends now." Though she said this as a taunt, it is also true that Hatori was able to do more damage than most mortals. He is perfect for this task. "I don''t give pity to anyone," Hatori said in answer. The swirling fire and crackling lightning turned into two eagles, while their audience gasped in shock. "He is handling both!" Said Shin in shock. "He is not having any trouble either." Said Raven. "Look at the movements of those conjurations. They are perfectly controlled." The elemental conjurations fly to attack their target. Samay makes a show of shielding herself and acting as if it is bothering her. "Just kidding." She said a few moments later. The conjurations lose their shape, and Hatori''s control is taken from him. The lightning and fire he created turned against him, and he suffered shocks and burns at the same time. The end of this fight comes when a spell hammers Hatori''s head. He is knocked out after taking that spell. Hatori was unable to dodge or block due to the ongoing assault of fire and lightning on his body. The sorcerer appears before the knocked-out Hatori''s body. She picked up the large man as if he weighed nothing. After waving at everyone, she disappears into a portal. After she is gone, they can move again. The field of protection ends in the room. "Go check for the damages." Ordered Avinash. The five mages present within the room quickly leave to follow his orders. "Nothing is damaged. Everything is okay, aside from that curtain." Explained Raven a few moments later. Avinash is glad that the sorcerer made sure that his castle did not end up a smoking crater. But he is also furious that she kidnapped his archmage right in front of his eyes. But She is a sorcerer. He cannot fight against her, not when there is a crisis going on. "Here''s what we will do. We will coordinate a hunt for these duplicates. Raven and Josh must assist me in this hunt. Suresh will keep an eye on other activities. We will remain in this castle to make sure we don''t get accused of things that we have not done. Any questions?" Asked Avinash. "None for now." Said Raven. "Good. Shin, James, you can leave. don''t leave the castle though." Avinash said to them. Once they leave, he starts to plot with Raven, Josh, and Suresh to see how exactly they can coordinate this hunt, and who will be perfect for the roster of fighters. Because he is certain: there will be fights.

Part 2.

He appeared from the void in this place. "What a tranquil area." He said after looking at the lush forests and gently flowing streams. "It is enough to make me give up everything and settle down in peace." He couldn''t contain his laughter. Settling down peacefully is the last thing on his mind. "How can I do that? There is a magma of anger within my heart suppressed for millions of years." He spoke. Some might consider that he is talking to these trees. Others might think that he is speaking to himself. But in reality, he is talking to the guards he can sense who all start to converge on his location as soon as he appears there. "Leave." Said a monk, walking out of the forest. "This place is not for mortals." "Mortals?" Said the man, throwing his head back and laughing as if he had heard a good joke. "Do you not know why you were put here?" "We are put here to keep guard over the jewel." Said another monk. "The gods thought in their wisdom that it needed protection. But we have not seen any problem in a million years." "How sad. Looks like my memory is lost." Said the man sadly. "Would you like a lesson to remember me?" He asked like a teacher offering some remedial lessons. "Begone!" Ordered the leader of the monks, unwilling to tolerate this disrespect. "But I haven''t talked to anyone in such a long time. Won''t you console me? Isn''t what the monks supposed to do?" He asked, not intimidated by the monks in the slightest. "Fine. We will console your soul once you are dead." The group prepares to attack him. Their spells converge on his location. He did not move or make any motion to defend himself. Once the explosions stop, the forest stands peaceful once again. Thinking that they had killed this intruder, the monks started to turn around and leave for their temple. But then they started to hear the sound of humming. The trees mutated and started to belch fire. The entire forest caught the fire. The monks try to fight these twisted monsters, but they are consumed. While the screams of pain, rage, and helplessness echo in the chaos, the man continues to hum to his heart''s content. Once every guard is killed, he throws his hand down. The entire forest turns into ashes. The ash that crunched under his footsteps is the only sign of a forest present in this area. Soon this ash will also disappear in the breeze. "Ah, I haven''t sung like that in a long time. Good times. Of course," he said to himself, entering the destroyed temple. "I did not suffer a sneezing fit is also something worth remembering." He arrived in the room where his prize was located. There is an indication of once great protection being present in this room, but he destroyed those during that battle. The monks got lazy and forgot about him. "Too bad. I was looking forward to a challenge." In the middle of this room rests a giant jewel. It is not made of any material known to humankind. Its size is enough to make anyone salivate. "Once I''m done killing those termites, I will crash a diamond of this size on a planet. Let''s see whether an economy survives after that or not." Chuckling at his future plans, he touched this jewel to store it in his artificial dimension to store it and take ownership of it like he used to have once upon a time. But his mere touch shattered it into hundreds of pieces. An alarm sounded which only he could hear. "Is that so?" He said to the empty air. "Very well. I look forward to playing this game. Your entire hive is not going to survive. Just a friendly warning. Hahahahahahaha!" Chapter 258 Chapter 258.

Part 1.

Hatori wakes up in this unfamiliar place. Judging by what he can hear, it appears to be a room. He is lying on a comfortable surface. He opens his eyes to see where exactly he is. As soon as he opens his eyes, he finds that Samay is looking at him with a grin. She is sitting on a chair near the bed where she has put him. There is a book she has in her lap, which she dismisses after marking the page she has finished reading. "Ah, what a wonderful romance novel." She said to Hatori. "Granted, the characters are all absolute idiots. But what else can you expect from Albion? I mean come on." When Hatori failed to answer, Samay continued. "Then, of course, there is a matter of ghost. Though I think it was the madness more than anything else. Seriously, rich people need therapy." "You are also rich." Replied Hatori, having sat up while Samay provided commentary on the book. However Hatori has a suspicion that the book she is talking about is the one she has finished reading. Not the one she was reading just now. "You would think that, wouldn''t you?" Asked Samay. If only these mortals knew the troubles of an immortal sorcerer. "Tell me. Did you have a good sleep?" She asked Hatori after Hatori failed to say anything for several moments. It did not occur to her that he was busy drinking some water. "As well as a man could get after getting a thorough beating." Answered Hatori after he was done gulping all the water from the large glass. "Of course, dreaming to beat and murder a woman also helped. I couldn''t even begin to guess why I had such a dream which persisted during the entirety of my sleep." The sorcerer laughed. Any other man would find that laugh attractive. If that man happened to be a writer (or worse a poet), he would call this laughter gentle, musical, and other such terms to indicate the beauty of this action. Of course, Hatori is not a writer (unless it is runes or programming), nor he is a poet (he wants to murder those bastards by wounding them and dunking them in salt water). Hatori is also aware of the danger lurking behind the carefree personality of this sorcerer. So he is not tricked by her actions. "Not many people have the balls to threaten me like that nowadays." She said, after recovering from her bout of amusement. "Points for creativity though. You did well trying to threaten me indirectly. Though clearly, you need more practice." The entire room had a light atmosphere when Samay was amused. But it turned into a dark and broody one when she turned serious. She looked at Hatori and asked him. "How far are you into your time runes?" "What time runes are you talking about?" Asked Hatori instantly. "There is no such thing as time runes." Samay gave Hatori a look that screamed, "Really?" "Dammit, there are no such runes!" Said Hatori, and yet the look persisted. Hatori doesn''t want to share his modifications. Mages often keep such secrets to themselves. This is to ensure their safety. If someone has the understanding of how exactly your body modifications work, they can disrupt the entire system which can result in their death. Asking someone as paranoid as Hatori to reveal his secrets of his body modification is to basically tell him to undress, bind his arms and legs, plug his ears, cover his eyes, seal his magic, and submit to an intrusive search. The problem is further compounded by the fact that Samay is a sorcerer. Not just any sorcerer, but one who specializes in time magic. Sharing his secrets with her is even more dangerous because she won''t need to do any intrusive searching. Merely knowing what he has done to himself is enough for her to take him apart. Not that she can''t do it already, as that brawl in the castle proved. "You should not forget that I was the one who sent you in the past to retrieve those time fragments. There is no way you didn''t analyze them and make something out of them. Now, tell me already." Said Samay. "Or else I''ll beat it out of you." For a moment, Hatori entertains the possibility of telling the sorcerer to do her worse. But he decides that he has picked his fight with her once already. He''ll wait for a while before he challenges her again. "I have begun to develop a template of a runic system to give me restorative properties. This should let me recover in the battle, even if I suffer fatal wounds. The runes are supposed to store my ideal condition, and restore me to that state when I am injured." Explained Hatori. "Unfortunately, it takes too much energy. I can''t fight after it is triggered." "See? Was it so hard?" She asked with a smile. "I knew that you did some modifications to yourself. You can''t hide that from me, given my expertise in time. I also wanted you to explain in your own words to know how clear are your concepts." Samay is impressed with how much Hatori has managed to gleam by just having studied those time fragments. By her estimation, he did not possess those fragments for too long. Still, he managed to learn a lot. That is something to be applauded where he cannot hear. No need to give him a large ego. "That is good and all, but you need to do better." She said to Hatori, her thoughts not reflecting on her face or her body language. "You need to come up with a modification that would let you regenerate in real time." "I would love to." Said Hatori. "But you know, there is something which I lack. The time. I just don''t have enough time." Apart from the time issue, Hatori is also worried about the reason why a sorcerer like her is in such a hurry. ''Why does this matter to her so much? Shouldn''t she be unconcerned by whatever happens to the mortal flies? Isn''t that how immortals are supposed to react? Or maybe I have read too many stories.'' Hatori thought. Samay laughed after hearing that. "Don''t you know who you are talking to boy? In fact, do you even know where you are exactly?" She spreads her arms as if to encompass the entire place where she has kept Hatori. "You have all the time in the world. This is an improved version of the Room of Frozen Time. You can work here without worrying about what is going on outside." "Fine!" He said to her with a crackle of lightning in his voice. "There''s another thing I need to do the work. Quiet." "Fine. I see where I''m not wanted. Just ring the bell when you are done, you ungrateful cur." Samay leaves in a huff after pointing to the bell which was previously ignored by Hatori. He shook his head. ''In my defense, I just woke up, and she dumped this task on me right after.'' Deciding that he has nothing better to do, Hatori starts to work on the task. Immediately after his decision, the runes start to float around him. Hatori tries to reason out the task, and the runes change accordingly. He wants to bring his body to the ideal condition upon taking damage. He wants to do that in real-time so he can take advantage of it in a battle. The problem is in the energy usage. It takes too much energy to restore his body to its perfect state. When he is unable to reason it out by thinking in terms of magic, Hatori starts to think like a programmer. ''Suppose I am dealing with a file and the text present within it. If I want to do some processing on that text, it would be best to read everything into the memory. But that would take a lot more memory. But if I try to do the same processing line-by-line, it would require a lot more processing and energy in terms of electricity.'' Hatori shook his head. He never thought about how his programs needed to be efficient in terms of electricity usage. ''What if I could keep the state of my body in the memory? But do I have that much memory? I know I am not dealing with a computer here. Theoretically, I should have enough space.'' Hatori winced at the glow of the runes. When he started to think about the memory within his body, the runes started to glow and change. "This is..." Hatori smiled. "This should work perfectly well. The only thing is to deal with the pain!" He roared, as his entire body started to feel like it was on fire while the glowing runes disappeared one by one. He is unable to tolerate the pain when the runes reach his head. A deep and complicated script spreads throughout his body while Hatori rolls on the floor, howling in pain so loudly that his screams reach Samay. "Looks like things are going well." Said the sorcerer. She listened to the screams for a moment before returning to her book once again with a smile. After all, she wants to read what exactly happens to the young boy Oliver. After feeling the burning pain which felt like days (probably was that long given the time shenanigans going on this house), the pain disappears. Hatori gets up from the floor and conjures a mirror. He observed his body from various angles. Previously, his entire body had several thin lines, indicating his modifications he has done to himself over the years. But now, there are no such lines on Hatori''s body. However, he can still feel those runes, even if there is no visual indication of their presence. With a mere thought, the symbols appear around him once again. These floating runes are essentially the source code of the operating system known as Hatori Eagle. The system had a long and painful update recently, and now it is asking for a status report. Hatori watched the test suite running. With the spreading green marks, his smile grew. "Success! Total success! Grand success!" He then deflated. "If only Master Zeko was here, he would be delighted in this achievement of mine. If not him, then Kalicharan and Master Munshi, if those two were here, they would understand what exactly I have done. They would be so furious with me right now..." Then Samay returns. "I heard your screams." She told Hatori. "I came here once you stopped screaming. What happened?" "Well, don''t you have any manners? Don''t you know what to do when a man has been screaming for days?" Asked Hatori, not answering her question. Samay just laughed, and with a motion conjured a table laden with food and drinks. "Is that safe to eat?" "What do you take me for brat? You should realize by now that conjuring eatable food for a sorcerer is a child''s play." Hatori shrugged. "Guess if it disappears or returns to its original state if it is transmuted food, we''ll know what a bad sorcerer you are. I''ll die happy." Samay watched Hatori as he started to drink the juice on the table. He puts down the glass and takes the plate of banana chips. "I have done it. I have regeneration in real-time." He explained after eating a chip or two. "How so?" Asked Samay. "Earlier, I was using an inefficient method of restoring myself. It took too much time and energy to perform. I needed a place where I could store the information which makes me... Me. I chose my soul for that." "What?" Samay blanched. Hatori is amused to see the reaction. "It is the only place where I could place the anchor. You know that for a field or a ward, there is a need for a strong anchor? It is the same here. Besides, I needed another place to store the data, different than my brain for this operation. My soul was the best place for it." "What about the anchor though? What if it is displaced or tampered with? You have training in necromancy. You know how dangerous it could be." Asked Samay. ''How does she know that?'' Hatori thought. ''I didn''t tell her.'' He answered her question. "I know. Which is why I sealed my soul. It cannot go out of the container that is my body. Not unless the seal is broken. To do that, you have to subdue me. After that, you need to get used to the complex and nonstandard system I use and then pry its secrets. Then you will have to break that seal while it is fighting against you. The smallest mistake would result in an explosion which would destroy everything within ten kilometers. I would regenerate from that explosion, the system would reset, and even if you managed to subdue me again, you would have to start from the beginning." "That is fine and all, but why were you screaming so much?" Asked Samay. "Do you have any idea how painful it is when these new and old runes alike sink into your body and are literally carved onto your very being? Good thing everything worked out. I could have gone insane from the pain otherwise." Said Hatori. "Alright. Now we need to test it." Said Samay. "No need for that. I have an extensive suite of tests. Those tests informed me that everything is running well." Said Hatori. "That is fine. But we need to know how well you will perform in the real conditions, as opposed to a simulation." Said Samay. Hatori does not like where this is going. "And how are we going to do that?" He asked her. Samay dismissed the table of snacks. And then she cut off Hatori''s head. The bed where Hatori was sitting was covered with the spraying blood from his neck, and his head fell and bounced on the bed. A moment later, Hatori''s head on the bed returns to his neck. With a wet pop, it was attached to his torso once again. "What the hell, woman! That hurt! What is wrong with you!" "Hmm. I was expecting you to grow a new head." Said Samay, noting that Hatori''s neck does not have any scar or indication of his recent beheading. "Well, if the part is undamaged, it takes less effort to reattach it compared to growing a new one." Explained Hatori. "How about I turn your head to ashes this time?" Asked Samay. Hatori moves to defend himself, but he still loses his head. Once more, the blood spread from his neck. This time, it all fell on the floor due to Hatori''s sudden movement before his head got cut off. Ashes of Hatori''s head fall on the floor, as the sorcerer burns it before it can reach the floor. Within the same amount of time as before, a new head grew on Hatori''s neck. Once that happens, Hatori gives her an impressive glair which would terrify anyone else due to his artificial-looking eyes. The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. "Stop doing that!" Roared Hatori, lunging at her. The sorcerer avoids his lunge at her, taking advantage of her small size. She wonders whether she could cause him more trouble if they were in some kind of public place. After all, a giant man lunging at a small woman like that is a cause of concern, even if that woman is a sorcerer and is capable of defending herself. ''Something to try later.'' she thought, while cutting Hatori''s head once again, and avoiding the blood. She turned the torso to ashes this time. She notes how quickly a new one is reformed on the floor with the head that she just removed. ''It appears his system is adjusting itself to this onslaught. His rate of regeneration is improving.'' Samay thought to herself. "What would happen if there is no body part left of you at all?" "What?" As soon as Hatori says that, his entire body is atomized by the sorcerer. There is no head or torso anymore. There was no spray of blood either. One moment, Hatori was standing there, but in the very next moment, he was gone as if he was never there. With a crackle of thunder, his body appears again, restored to its previous state. He turned to her. "I swear. I will be taking revenge for this, just wait." "Is that so?" Samay laughed charmingly. She then teleported him to a volcano and dropped him in the lava. "Gah! What the hell is wrong with you, you mad woman!" Screamed Hatori. His body was repairing the damage, but it was fruitless. The lava is burning through the repairs quickly. No normal person would have survived this, mage or not. But Hatori is still alive, even though he is in a lot of pain. "Just adjust your modifications so the lava doesn''t hurt you." Said Samay lecturing Hatori as if he is a simple child, not familiar with the ways of the world. Hatori screamed and focused to do as she said. He did the same thing while he was doing his modifications. He found his system of runes is more responsive now, but he has no mental capacity to understand or test why it is that way. The runes cover his body quickly and disappear under his skin once again. A moment later, his body stopped burning. He swims through lava as if it was water, not molten stone while the suite of test runs in the background of his mind. Once everything was green, he flew from the lava and stood before the sorcerer. A moment later, a new set of clothes appeared on his body, the previous ones were destroyed in the lava. "Now, now, you should know that I am no prude like the women of Earth. I don''t mind looking when a man offers himself up like that." Said Samay to Hatori with a wink. "Whatever. Was dropping me in lava necessary?" He asked her while thinking about modifying Ravina and Daphne so they could go after Samay and tear her to shreds. It is unlikely that they will succeed. But there is no reason why he cannot imagine that happening. "Strictly speaking, no. But it brought me a lot of amusement." Said Samay. "You bitch!" Hatori bombarded the place where Samay was standing with fire, but nothing happened to her. She extends her index finger and Hatori is beaten to the ground by her own fire assault. "You need to prepare a blueprint for your other friends." She said to him once he stopped struggling. She noted how her fire failed to burn him as much as she was expecting. ''Looks like that change he made in lava is quite something.'' "Are you going to do the same with them?" Asked Hatori. "I will. Unlike you, they will snap. Their wills are not strong enough like you, except for the king. But they must endure if you wish to survive what is coming next. Don''t worry. I have a way to fix their sanity." Said Samay with a smile, thinking this would also enrage Hatori. "Good. They are getting lazy nowadays. They need something to give them some motivation. I will need some time to prepare a general blueprint though." Said Hatori. From the look of his face, Samay knows that he already has some idea of how to do it. "Don''t worry," She teleports both of them to the house where she brought Hatori after his first beating by her hands. "You can work here." The room where she tortured Hatori is now clean. It has no sign that nothing short of multiple murders have taken place within its walls. "You will also receive some extra training from me." Said Samay. "I won''t be training you how to combat. You are good at that. But you need to learn enough so you can deal with immortals on your own." "You mean other sorcerers?" Asked Hatori, while sketching something on the diary he retrieved from the storage runes on his wrist... ''They are not there anymore. Hmm. Maybe I should think of preparing a proper pocket dimension for storing my things.'' "Yes. Currently, despite what you have done to yourself, you are no match for an immortal. You are a strong punching bag, nothing more." Said Samay. "Well then. Teach me how to punch back then." Said Hatori, dismissing his diary which disappeared again. "It is not like I have any lack of time here. Am I right?" "Correct." Then Samay attacked Hatori again. While she points out how he needs to pick up the weaknesses of immortals, the patterns she has observed, how incapacitation is better than outright killing because killing an immortal mage is very difficult, and crippling them long enough so you can do your task is better, Hatori sketched out a blueprint for his friends. He absorbed her lessons, and all the while she tried to understand: Why is he so cheerful about leaving his friends to her tender mercies? Ah, silly woman. She has been immortal for so long that she has forgotten that humans are vindictive creatures. ''Why should I suffer alone?'' Is motivation enough for Hatori. Besides, he was not lying that they had gotten complacent. They will need to pick themselves up and work hard. Whatever problem has landed on their lap this time is a serious one, if a sorcerer is taking so much personal interest in preparing them.

Part 2.

It has been a day since Hatori got kidnapped right in front of Avinash and others. There have been more sightings of similar-looking people, but due to the early action of the king, the situation is mostly under control. It does not last long. Soon, the sightings start to happen in India. At this point, the government requested their aid to control this threat, since there have been some violent incidents taking place on their side. His agreement was the only thing necessary from the magical side. Once he agreed, the officials on both sides started to work together to ensure that no more violent incidents took place. While the court was running, Samay appears with Hatori in the middle. After the security as well as the paranoid members of the court realized who they were, they quickly calmed down. Hatori took note of the people ready to attack him barring the security. These people have a well-honed sense of paranoia. He approves of their way of thinking: kill first, ask later. He also considers them the real threat. Which is why he is taking note of them. "Are there any further urgent issues?" Asked the king once everyone calmed down. "None in particular." Said a senior member of the court. "Very well. I dismissed the court early today. We will reconvene tomorrow." Once everyone leaves, Avinash goes to his office, while Samay and Hatori follow him. Once the door of his office was closed, he asked Hatori. "So, how are you doing?" He noticed how relaxed Hatori was acting, compared to his jittery behavior and constant attempts to run away. "Doing just fine." Said Hatori. For a moment, he considers telling Avinash about how he died multiple times. But he then decided that someone like Josh would find out and then would likely escape the same fate. So he keeps that to himself. The door opened, and Josh, Raven, James, Shin, and Suresh all walked in. "Hey man, are you well?" Asked Josh. "Yep. Nothing like fighting a sorcerer to put your head right, let me tell you." Said Hatori. "He''s back to normal." Concluded Raven. Only Hatori would think that fighting a sorcerer is a good therapy. "But why did she take you?" Asked Shin. "She is here, you know." While others are startled by her voice, Shin knows that Samay is present with them in the room. "I know. But given that you beat up my friend, I am not inclined to acknowledge you." Shin said in reply. "To answer your question, she wanted to train me in something." Said Hatori. "I hope that the training went well." Said Josh. "And it was not painful." He added later. "Not at all." Said Hatori, lying through his teeth. Raven and Avinash are concerned. Normally, Hatori is quite bad at lying. They can pick it up when he tries to lie to them. But this time, they are unable to make a clear decision whether he is telling them a lie or a truth. "I also prepared a blueprint." Said Hatori. "Here, take a look at this." Hatori brings out the template he had prepared earlier, and puts it on the table for everyone to see. "What... What is this?" Asked Suresh. "Don''t worry. Just some ways to make sure that whatever damage you take in the battle is healed and your body regenerates in real-time." Said Hatori. "Having said that, before you think of ordering something like that for your soldiers, you might want to look at the power requirements, as well as the pre-existing conditions necessary to implement something like this. Not every mage can put these modifications on themselves and get those advantages. Most of them will die." "Is it safe for us though?" Asked Shin. "Absolutely. Having said that, this is just a blueprint. You have to adapt it for your own modifications." Explained Hatori. Hatori looked at James. ''He should have no trouble at all. Rest will take a little bit longer.'' Thinks Hatori. "You also need to go through the same training." Said Samay. "Otherwise, you won''t be able to take full advantage of these modifications to yourselves. Now, who would like to volunteer?" A minute of silence later, Samay speaks once more. "Really? Looks like I have to beat another one to take with me." "I volunteer." Said Avinash with a sigh. "No!" Said Suresh and Raven together. "We are dealing with a crisis situation. We can''t risk you!" "Well, you should have spoken sooner then." Said Avinash with a tone of chastisement. "I am ready to go when you are." While this drama between the king and his loyal general is taking place, Hatori is cursing in his head. Avinash will be able to take this training. He won''t be able to have any fun at his expense when he returns. ''This won''t do. This won''t do at all!'' Watching Josh who is going through the blueprint, Hatori gets an idea. Josh feels as if he is the prey, and a dangerous predator is watching him. He turns around, but he is not quick enough. Hatori grabbed him by his collar, and despite Josh being taller and heavier than him, easily lifted him from his chair. "Why don''t you take him with you?" Asked Hatori. "He needs some remedial training anyway. He is losing his instincts." "Dammit, let go of me!" Josh is unable to do anything, besides waving his arms and legs in the air which has no impact on Hatori. "Here. Catch!" Hatori then tossed Josh to Samay. "No!" He protested. The sorcerer grabbed him and disappeared, and silence descended in the office of the king once again. While others are still in shock, Hatori turns to Avinash. "Be ready to go with her." Said Hatori seriously. "Whatever is happening is likely dangerous. A sorcerer wouldn''t be taking such a direct interest otherwise." "Trust me, the seriousness of the situation is not lost on me." Said Avinash. "Let Josh return. I will be ready to go next time."

Part 3.

The city of salt was a chaotic mess fifty years ago. Some mage calling himself Avatar decided to take over with his cult. King Porus sent his general to quell this uprising, and General Sundar killed the leader of the cult in a duel. The city also experienced some chaos during the last war. It is not surprising: it is one of the financial centers of the Subcontinent. But since the end of the last war, the city has remained peaceful, minus the assassinations and cutthroat competition of the businesses. This changed suddenly. A portal opens right in the middle of the square, halting the traffic immediately. A man with a crown on the top of his head walks out of this portal. People are shocked to see him. The police arrived there immediately. "Halt! Surrender yourself, immediately!" Ordered the officer. "Oh?" Said the man, looking at the officer. "You have to identify yourself." Explained the officer. "Fools!" With that one word, he blew everyone away. "Don''t you recognize me? How can you forget me so? Haven''t I ruled you all for more than 100 years?" "No." Said another officer. This one is in charge of this city, and he has the power to back it up. He demonstrates that by countering the magical pressure of this hostile man. "Porus died more than twenty years ago. He wasn''t ruling when he died, just to be clear. You are not him." Said the officer in charge. "Very well. No matter. I will establish my dominance once again, and will show you who is the real boss." While the city is wracked with the battle, an urgent report is sent to the castle. This is the kind of threat that the police force present in the city is not equipped to handle. They need some heavy hitters to fight this guy. Chapter 259 Chapter 259.

Part 1.

"Sir, I have urgent news from the City of Salt." said the aid, giving the report to Avinash. The king handed the report to Suresh. "That is concerning." Said the general. "He is not someone we can afford to ignore." The door of the office opens, and Hatori arrives there with James and Shin to accompany him. He is going stir-crazy being cooped up in the castle. The latter two are trying to keep his attention to ensure that Hatori does not end up escaping. Raven is currently not with them in the castle. Before this news arrived, Samay appeared and took him with her. Josh is still with her and has not returned yet. Hatori has an idea of why it is taking him so long to return, but he has not told anyone. "Porus." Said Avinash, before anyone could ask him. "An alternative version of him." "Fuck." Shin cursed. "Is he as strong as ours was?" "Debatable. But either way, the forces in the City of Salt are unable to handle him." Explained Avinash. "Maybe I should go there myself?" Hatori has a brilliant idea. He will go there, and handle this problem. This way, he will get to go out of the castle and get rid of his boredom. ''I must make sure that he does not suspect me though. Or else, he won''t let me go.'' He thinks in his head. Hatori shook his head. "Bad idea. You are needed here to coordinate everything. Besides, what would happen if some powerful mage decided to attack and cause problems here? Who will deal with them?" "Point. Are you volunteering then?" Asked Avinash. "Sure, why not?" Said Hatori, making it look as if it was Avinash''s idea all along. "Hmm. But it doesn''t seem right to send you alone. Especially since we have alternates running around. It is an identity crisis." Said Avinash. "True. In that case, send Suresh with me in the official capacity. That should be enough." Said Hatori. "Sure. Are you up for it, general?" Asked Avinash. "Absolutely." Agreed Suresh. This way, he would get to go out on official orders, and he couldn''t even be accused of insubordination. "Very well. You may leave in an hour. Make your preparations, any version of Porus cannot be taken lightly." Warned Avinash. Before Hatori could leave, Avinash called and said to him. "And one more thing. You are quite bad at manipulation, Hatori. Your face revealed all. Still good arguments. There''s hope for you yet." He said with a smirk. "Keep talking like that, and you might need hope for yourself, your majesty." Hatori fired back and left the office. Avinash chortled in amusement. "See? That''s more like it!"

Part 2.

Hatori arrived in the City of Salt with Suresh. They hear about the evacuations while Suresh is getting the report from the soldiers already present outside of the city. "He is not going out of his way to attack us. When we were evacuating people, he let us do that in peace." Explained the soldier. "The fight broke out when the police tried to arrest him." "Has he made any demands?" Asked Suresh. "Apart from trying to order us around, he has made no demands." After listening to that report, Suresh and Hatori go to the city. Immediately, Hatori looked up a building, where their target was observing them. Hatori noticed his looks and compared them with the Porus he knew. This alternate Porus looks younger, but his power is not the same as the Porus Hatori knew. "You." He addressed Suresh, his voice easily reaching them. "By your bearing, you are a soldier. Given their deference to you, you are the general." He then looked at Hatori. "The way you move and carry yourself reminds me of my former student. Have you come here to join me?" "No," said Suresh in reply. "We are here to explain it to you. This is not your world. We have a king here already. But you can join us until we figure out a way to send you back from where you came here." "Fool! How dare you defy me!" A massive wave of fire descended upon their Position, but Hatori grabbed Suresh and hurled him away. The general was nimble enough to land on his feet, just in time to see Hatori rip that wave apart and send it back to its creator. He is grateful for Hatori''s quick reaction. While he can fight, Suresh is a tactician, not a frontline fighter. He is out of his depth here. "You think you can beat me?" Asked Porus, walking out of the flames. He jumps and lands before Hatori. "There is no way you can face me." Hatori knows the trick. Porus used it during a duel that was televised during his childhood. He had a thin film of water around his body which kept him protected from fire. It appears that this Porus has the same trick. ''Judging by the steam, it appears he has used more water though.'' Hatori analyzed in his head, not responding to the words of the alternate in front of him. The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. "Now, burn!" Porus struck the ground with his staff, and it exploded with fire. Hatori responded by conjuring a massive wave of water. The water has the alchemic properties to ensure it can take out fire. The wave struck the surprised alternate, and Hatori froze it into a massive block of ice. The block of ice explodes, and the alternate Porus descends upon Hatori again. "I can counter any trick you throw my way!" "Maybe." Said Hatori, finally responding to the alternate. "But can you fly?" "What?" Porus realizes that he is standing within touching distance of Hatori. The man gave him an uppercut, and he was sent flying into the sky. Hatori used that punch to deliver the concussive spell which sent Porus flying. "Even in the sky, you can''t escape me." Several bolts of lightning struck Porus. He was dizzy due to all these attacks. He found Hatori floating right above him. He appears to be flying. His motion in the sky was too controlled for anything else. He dismissed it as nothing more than the conjuration of his mind. "Now, disappear." Said Hatori, covering the alternate with several runes. The runes struck and covered his entire body. And with a large explosion, the entire body of Porus the alternate turns into ash. Hatori lands to watch the falling ash. A moment later, when nothing happened, he concluded in his mind that this alternate is no immortal with regeneration. "Is it over?" Asked Suresh, walking up to him. "Yeah." Sighed Hatori. "Let''s go back to the castle. We don''t want more identity crisis in our names." "Right." Said Suresh, agreeing with Hatori''s suggestion.

Part 3.

When Hatori and Suresh return to the castle, they learn that Samay showed up and took Shin and James with her. She has also brought back Josh and Raven and is now taking Avinash with her. "Did they encounter any problems in the template I prepared?" Asked Hatori. "No. You did a good job with it." She said to him. "Now my king, are you ready to go?" She pronounced Avinash''s title in a sarcastic tone. "In a moment. Josh, Raven, are you ready to handle some responsibilities in my absence?" He asked them. "Yes." They answered together. "Very well. Josh, I give you all the responsibility to handle all the political developments. Raven, you will handle the military matters. Do not leave the castle for combat. Let Suresh handle it. You are not ready yet. Give your changes time to settle down." He ordered. "Understood." Said Raven. "Now, I am ready to go." Said Avinash to the sorcerer. "Excellent. Let''s go, time is running short." Having given his final orders, Avinash disappears in a swirl with Samay. "I am worried for his safety." Said Suresh to Hatori. "Those too are unusually silent. Can he handle this?" "Don''t worry. He wouldn''t be the king otherwise." Hatori assured the general. "Besides, I think they are just tired. Although I will speak with them just in case." "You do that. I have some matters to deal with." He said to Hatori and left the office. Hatori also started to walk out, and Josh and Raven fell in step with him. "Sooooo. How was the training?" He asked with a grin. "I''m going to murder you if it is the last thing I do." Declared Josh. "You will die trying." Said Hatori in reply. He then turned to Raven. "Anyway, Suresh is worried about you. Go talk to him, make sure he is not anxious on your behalf." "Will do." Said Raven. "Also, I''m leaving the castle." He said to both of them. They immediately glared at him. "As soon as the king is gone, you start to violate his orders?" "Orders, shmorders. Besides, I have some important work to do. I am not shirking my responsibilities here." Explained Hatori. "What is that work?" Asked Josh. "I need to speak with Sushima." He said to them. "He needs to be prepared." Their glare softens into a look of understanding. "Why don''t you call him here in the castle? You can speak to him here." "Sure. But I will still end up leaving, though I won''t go out of the city." Said Hatori. "That is fine. As long as we can keep tabs on you, it doesn''t matter what you do in your free time. If you leave the city though, it will be troublesome to prove that you did not do something." Said Raven. "Don''t remind me." Grumbled Hatori. "I do not trash restaurants, thank you very much." "Well, unless you are attacked there. You turned that entire place in Zhongguo into a smoking crater, remember?" Reminded Josh. "I have some memory loss. Symptom of my old age you see. What are you talking about lad?" Said Hatori, wheezing like an old man. "As a matter of fact, I am unable to walk properly." He said this while continuing to walk with a straight posture. "You liar!" Josh called after him, while Hatori left for his room to call Sushima. Chapter 260 Chapter 260.

Part 1.

Avinash controls the lava within the volcano. The sorcerer dumped him into this volcano by teleporting him there without warning. His body repaired itself immediately, and soon afterward he modified his body even further so it stopped damaging him. The task was easier due to his natural mastery over fire. He molds the lava, turning it into a tiger made entirely of magma. He rode this tiger out of the volcano and looked at a clapping Samay. "Well done! No wonder you are the king. You have mastered the art of theatrics." She said to him. "Of course. A king merely doesn''t need to be powerful. He should exercise that power, and demonstrate it on every chance he gets." He smirked at the thought. ''Too bad Porus is not here to see me now.'' He shook his head to focus himself. "Anyway, you need to clear the situation for us. This reality melding is not a trivial problem. There is no way a sorcerer would take interest in it otherwise." "Haven''t I told you already though?" Asked Samay. "That the problem is happening? Yes. But who or what is causing it, and who will be our opponents that you are making our preparations in such haste, you need to share that info with us." Explained Avinash. Samay smiled. "Sure. You all are ready anyway. I will tell you everything once you gather in the castle." "Speaking of which, tell me. How exactly did Hatori do? I can''t imagine he took it well, being dumped into a volcano like this." Asked Avinash. "Well, he threw a hissy fit, to say the least." She said in reply. "Heh. I knew it." Avinash chuckled, and let the tiger made of magma dissolve. "What about others? Are they recovering well? Won''t they have a relapse of this training?" "They will remember the pain, but they won''t relapse. I accelerated their time so they could recover from the trauma of nearly getting killed repeatedly. Hatori and you are the only ones who did not need any help." Said Samay. "Figures. He might have thrown a hissy fit, but that guy is the only one who can compete with me when it comes to the matter of having a strong will." Said Avinash.

Part 2.

Hatori arrived at his home, where Sushima served him some coconut juice. "What the hell? Since when did you start to act like that? This is my home; I can take the juice myself." "Yeah, but you barely stay here. It doesn''t count. I am the man of this house now!" Declared Sushima. "Is that so, you young welp? How dare you overreach your position? Looks like a spanking lesson is in order." Said Hatori, while taking the large gulps of the coconut juice. "Dad, brother, stop acting like an anime father and son duo." Said Garuda from the other room. "That routine stopped being funny years ago." "Really? Then who was it reading some old manga instead of doing their work yesterday, hmm?" Asked Sushima. There was a strange quiet from the next room. "I thought so." He said loud enough to make sure that the voice reached Garuda. Hatori hears the growling of his son from the next room. "Really? Don''t tell me he is so easily distracted?" "He isn''t. He had just some free time. I collected that info to put him in his place to control his snobbery." Explained Sushima. "I see. So, how goes the business?" Asked Hatori. "Oh, it is going well. Most of our competitors are out, and survivors are acting like a bunch of pissants. It is truly a wonderful situation." Said Sushima with relish. "Don''t you think that is rather excessive?" Asked Hatori. "Come on Dad, you might be happy freelancing. But I am not." Said Sushima. "Fine. Fine. Having your own ambitions is good. Just make sure that you don''t lose yourself in the process." Said Hatori with caution. Sushima nodded. Then Hatori continues. "Anyway, I am here for a very important reason." "I see. I knew something was afoot. The king has locked everyone in the castle. There was a huge outcry about you causing problems until it was all cleared up." Said Sushima. "I know. I also recently picked up a fight with a sorcerer, and well, let''s just say it was quite a humbling experience." Said Hatori. Sushima'' looked at Hatori with wide eyes. "Why are you telling me this? I won''t let you murder me!" "What? No! What the hell is wrong with you? You are my son. I think I can share anything with you, even if I lose." Said Hatori. "Oh, it''s okay then." Said Sushima, calming down. "Besides, that whole incident resulted in a wonderful thing." Said Hatori, summoning the runic template he prepared in the home of Samay. "This is..." Said Sushima, looking at the floating symbols in front of him. He cannot make sense of them entirely. But he can tell the purpose of this framework. "I see you understood the usage of this framework. I suggest you use it for yourself, and prepare your siblings and make them also implement it on themselves as well." "Is the matter so serious?" Asked Sushima. Hatori hears two footsteps coming towards the room. "Yes. I want you to be able to take care of yourselves in case I am not around. You are already doing it, but extra measures do not hurt. Especially since Ahim is so young." The door opens, and Ravina and Daphne enter the room. "So. You think you won''t be around. Is that it? And when were you going to tell us?" "I am not going anywhere. But dying is a real possibility." Said Hatori in reply. "As if. Speak clearly, what exactly is happening?" Demanded Ravina. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. "Even I don''t have all the information. But it has to do with the duplicates of people appearing all over the world and causing problems." Said Hatori. "And you think you will be dragged into it?" Asked Daphne. "Unfortunately, I have been dragged into it already." Said Hatori. "No! Refuse. Don''t you have enough already? Can''t the king find someone else for this?" Asked Ravina. "That option is not on the table anymore." Said Hatori. "Besides, why are you angry? You can also use this template for yourselves as well." He pointed to the symbols still floating in front of them. "Looks like we need to keep you here by force. That is the only way to keep you safe now." Said Daphne. Then, both of them attacked Hatori. Sushima hightailed out of the room, as he wanted no part of it. The security of the house is activated, and they are all teleported into the sparring room to spare the rest of the house the damage. Once they are teleported to this room, Ravina and Daphne cut loose. They attacked Hatori with the combination of fire and wind, which he easily deflected. They bombarded his position with massive boulders, which he shattered in the air, and sent back in the return fire. Several steel chains sneak from behind to restrain him, But Hatori melted them all with the use of his own fire. He then took the initiative, appearing close to Ravina. He grabbed her head and channeled enough current through her body to lay her out for the rest of the fight. Daphne, having seen this, protected herself from the enchanted rubber. But that enchantment was overwhelmed, and she too lost consciousness. Once they regained consciousness, they saw Hatori sitting near them. "Have you gotten it out of your system?" He asked them. "There is no way we lost to you so badly." Said Daphne. "That is bullshit, that is what it is." Said Ravina. "Well then. Change it." Once again, the template Hatori prepared appears before them. "Use this for yourselves, and pick up the intensity of your training. That would be one less thing for me to worry about." Having pacified his partners, Hatori leaves the house. Before he left, he instructed all of them. "Do not share this with anyone else. There is no telling what other sorcerers might do, not to mention the mages who will happily kill you all if they could get even one rune from that framework."

Part 3.

They have never faced something like this before, which is saying something. They have been involved in conflict of some kind since their childhood, and none of their experiences compare to getting killed repeatedly and yet coming back to life. Or is it nearly dying and then being healed up to their prime condition? Shin is not sure which one is it. But whatever it is, it is deeply painful and damaging to their spirit. Having death is a soothing option. There is an end to the suffering. After a certain threshold has been crossed, a person will turn off... Permanently. But when you don''t have that option, you are essentially trapped, doomed to experience the tortuous pain without any end. "Does this happen to him?" Asked Shin, knowing that James was awake. He is helping him by playing some relaxing music so he can go to sleep properly. It also helps that the activity also helps him in getting back control over his nerves. "Absolutely." Said James with a croaking voice, having just woken up. Shin hands him some water, which he gulps down gratefully. "Why didn''t he tell us?" "When would he do that? Besides, you do know what he is like." Said James. "Probably thought that we could do with the same suffering." Shin sighed. "Josh didn''t help it either." Grumbled James. "Why couldn''t he keep his mouth shut?" "Tell you what. I think we owe both of them a beating once we get out of here. What do you say?" Asked Shin. "I think you have a wonderful suggestion." Said James with a grin. "If we survive what is coming next, we might also try our luck on that bitch as well." "For that, you''ll need to get in the line." Said Shin. "As if. You can deal with her once I am done with her." Said James. "No, I will be the first!" Said Shin. "Cutting in the line is impolite." Said James. When Samay walked in, she saw a fistfight breaking out between the two of them.

Part 4.

The being paid attention to this insignificant rock once again, remembering how he crippled a child to ensure that the universe will not be thrown into chaos should he achieve his full potential. Despite his attempts to control the chaos, that is exactly what has happened. The foolish mortals on this rock have no idea of what is going on in the rest of the universe. Various powerful souls are appearing from other realities, and at most of the places they appear, no one is ready to handle their sudden attack. Just while he was beginning to gleam what goes on this planet, and how the chaos is being handled there, the planet goes obscure. It is as if he was watching the events of this small world on a television, and the signal stopped coming to the device, causing the screen to go blank. ''It appears these ants are moving to challenge the might of gods once again.'' He thought in annoyance. He is angry that every time he puts it in the council, his proposal of killing all the sorcerers has been rejected. He then looked at the collection of reality fragments. ''Looks like that wretch is collecting them quite fast.'' He observed. ''I won''t interfere for now. I will see how it turns out. Once the situation reaches a critical point, I will strike. With one blow, I will clean the universe of these ants and weaklings pretending to be gods.'' ''I, Ordo, will ensure that the child remains asleep forever, and the domination of gods is permanent.'' Chapter 261 Chapter 261.

Part 1.

Back home, a meeting was called by Sushima. Daphne Junior was worried for a second that it might be about the family business. While she has some ownership of the company run by her eldest brother, her involvement is minimal. She wants to carve out her own way, rather than rely on her father and brothers. Ahim is also brought to the home, for the second time in a month. Luckily, it was just for a day, so the headmaster didn''t mind. This time, his sudden return from the Academy is quite normal. Instead of being grabbed right out of the class, his brother Garuda was waiting for him at the gate of the school after he got permission to leave. "Alright. Garuda already knows why I''ve called this meeting. But for the sake of you two, I''ll repeat it all the same." Said Sushima. "Father has gotten involved in something way beyond us, like usual. But this time, he has given us something to take care of ourselves. He was quite serious that we implement this as soon as possible." "And that is?" Asked Daphne in sarcasm. "And where is he?" "He returned to the castle." Said Garuda. "All important people are kept there to ensure no one could accuse them of something which they did not do." "Getting back to the point. Dad prepared a template of immortality. He showed it to me while he was here. While it requires some training for us to become strong, overall, it will help us in surviving anything this world could throw at us." Said Sushima. "That means real-time regeneration." "So, what. Are we going to be Cell now?" Asked Daphne. She would have said Majin Buu, but that one is way too ridiculous. Even with magic, it is impossible to imagine a being like that in their world. "Quite." Said Sushima. "That is bullshit! Are you sure he was not hallucinating? He has not been the same since he returned after fixing time." Said Daphne, slamming her hand on the table. "Look at it for yourself." With a wave of his hand, the template appears for everyone to see. The runes do not make sense for Ahim. His head starts to hurt after just one glance. He is unable to understand these runes. But Daphne, despite not being an expert like her brothers, understood it completely. "The power requirements are high, but nothing out of the ordinary for us." She said after looking at the floating template for a while. "It must be quite serious if he shared that with us." "Moms are preparing currently to raise their power in the time room." Said Sushima. "I suggest we do the same once they are done." "It will be long and will require a lot of effort, but it will be fine in the end." Said Garuda. Then the three older siblings turn to the youngest one in the room. "Why are you looking at me like that?" He asked fearfully. "We''re gonna train you." Said Garuda, putting an arm around his shoulder. "A lot!" Said Sushima, doing the same from the other side. Ahim whimpered. "I''m not even out of the Academy yet!" He protested. "Doesn''t matter. It is clear at this point that school is not going to be helpful for you in the future." Said Sushima. "Therefore, it is our job to ensure that you can take care of yourself in the coming time." Said Garuda seriously. "But that will come later. Until then, you can enjoy your time. Alright?" Said Sushima, patting his back and trying to assure his youngest brother. "Okay." Said Ahim. He is not comfortable, but he knows two important things. His family means well, and he must not tell anyone about this. Garuda''s repeated warnings before the meeting began helped with the former, and the latter doesn''t require any gesture to confirm.

Part 2.

Avinash arrives together with Shin and James. Once the news spread of his return, the team gathers in his office. After what they went through, they would have liked to have some rest and relaxation. It is true that they recovered well in the home of the sorcerer, and that she did not torment them any further after their modification and training were done. But it is one thing to relax in isolation, instead of resting with friends and family. Avinash, being the king, has no chance of taking a break. Though the charter of the country does state that the court can send him on a break, it has not been used during his reign so far. Shin and James, though having the luxury of taking a day off, (or several days off), also cannot go on a vacation due to this emergency which has landed on their lap. Once it is determined that nothing worth his attention has taken place in his absence, Avinash asked a question to Samay who also returned with them in the castle. "So. Mind giving us a detailed explanation of what is going on and why?" He asked her. "Certainly. You see, the universe operates on possibilities. Every action you take is a possibility that is realized, and it cannot be changed. Trying to go back in time will result in the fiasco from ten years ago." They all nodded, having fixed that mess themselves. "Just like the time, the reality is kept together in the form of this jewel." Samay brings up an image in the middle of the table where everyone is sitting with a snap of her finger. "The problem is, this jewel is now broken." The image shatters in front of their eyes, turning into small shards in front of them. These shards are scattered all over the place, presumably at very long distances. "Now that the linchpin is shattered, the reality is going haywire. All the possibilities that were kept different from each other are now bleeding into each other, resulting in the situation where people from other realities come here and vice versa. But this won''t remain like that forever. Soon, even deeper melding will start to happen, and at that point, it is unknown what may happen. There are theories, ranging from a great reset that would wipe out everything and start from zero to large-scale struggles between the same figures from different possibilities, to corrupt spirits causing havoc and destroying life across the universe. But all these theories have one thing in common: none of this is good." "I feel that the theory about corrupted spirits is the most plausible one." Said Hatori. "It is just like the data in the computer getting corrupted due to some kind of crash. Everything has now mashed into other things, and it is impossible to untangle this mess." In his younger days, the mages present in the office wouldn''t have understood what Hatori was saying. But since their interaction with the other side increased, they do understand what a computer is, so what he said to them made some sense, even though none of them knew or understood how computers work at a deep level. "You might be correct. But we need to make sure that we don''t get there. We will gather these fragments and recreate the jewel, solving this problem. But you will face people who are also searching for these fragments for their own ends, which is why I prepared you and trained you so hard. I will now teach you how to track these fragments." Said Samay. "It can be done from anywhere?" Asked Hatori, once it was his turn to learn from the sorcerer. "Sure. But remember, you have to go to the place where it is to retrieve the shard." She said to him. "That is fine and all," said Avinash, while Shin and Hatori practiced the method of tracking that Samay had shared with them. "But how are we going to be there?" "Don''t worry, I will take you with me." Said Samay. Avinash doesn''t like this. The only traveling option is an untrustworthy sorcerer, who might end up betraying them. If she does not betray them, she could always end up injured or taken as a prisoner by someone stronger and wiser than her. In which case, they will be stuck fending for themselves. "I don''t even understand why this complicated system even exists." Said Hatori. "It all appears as if someone created this. It smells like an ancient conspiracy theory to me." While he was whispering this comment to Shin, Samay heard him all the same. She lets out a soft chuckle to herself. ''You don''t know how close you are without even trying.'' After the tracking practice is done, Josh, Shin, James, Raven, and Hatori leave to find the first fragment with Samay, while Avinash is left in the castle to manage the country. ''Judging by the events going on around us, I feel like being the king of a small piece of land is nothing in the grand scheme of things.'' He thought once everyone was gone.

Part 3.

The mysterious man, whom the author has not revealed in the interest of keeping this story alive, keeping his identity secret even from the grand and illustrious narrator, is currently enjoying himself. Life is good. He slaughtered the guardians, starts on a quest on which he was making good progress, and he is drinking a milkshake in nice sunny weather. The fact that the sun is too close to the planet on which he is currently present does not bother him in the slightest, nor the thick atmosphere of the planet is troubling him. This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience. He has collected 89 of the shards, and now he needs to find eleven more, and then, he will be golden. The only thing afterward would be to teach those parasites calling themselves gods a lesson and free the sleeping consciousness. It is the least he can do for the help it provided him in the past. During his quest, he encountered many challenges: divine beings, sorcerers, and horrific monsters who played with magic and went too far. But he killed them all and acquired the shards as a price. His senses start to tingle. Many realities away, something interesting is happening. Quickly gulping down his cold beverage, he opens the portal and appears in reality which makes his senses tingle. "Oh?" He sees the five men with one sorcerer on the planet below, appearing for the shard also present on the planet. He was planning to acquire it and blow the planet up just because, but after sensing the strange magical signature of that second-tallest man with artificial-looking eyes, he refrained from doing so. "Quite an interesting magical signature he has. Doesn''t he? Almost same as my own, and yet so different." He noted. He crossed his legs, and after sinching with the rotation of the planet around the star, he started to observe the events going on in the world below.

Part 4.

The group of six appears in reality. A stray thought in Hatori''s head makes him think that is an awesome name for a dangerous and deadly group before he starts to focus on the task at hand. "The shard is nearby; I can sense it. Though it seems to be retrieved by someone." He reported. "In which direction?" Asked Raven. "To the east." Said Hatori. They move in that direction. Hatori marvels at how smoothly the transportation to this reality was handled by Samay. He was thinking that she would just punch through the fabric like a brute. But there is a true finesse to her technique, despite her unusually energetic personality. "Looks like things did not go well for this version of Earth." Said Josh, observing the destroyed city through which they were walking. They have not encountered any people yet, though he can sense some people hiding nearby. "That is because the world has ended." Said a gruff voice from a roof right above them. "I thought he was further." Said Raven in surprise. "Well, you didn''t ask me for the exact distance." Said Hatori. "Next time, report that!" Said James, as they all scattered to avoid the wave of fire coming their way. It is true that at this point, they can probably tank it and get away. But why show off needlessly? "Impressive." Said the man, jumping from the roof and landing on the ground with a crash. "I have not seen such a well-coordinated group in a long time." "He has the fragment. Let me handle him." Said Hatori, after looking at the face of this man. The face of Zeko. "Sure, go ahead." Said Raven. "Everyone else, ensure that we don''t have any interruptions." "You got it!" Said Shin. The face of this man is the same as the one of his master. Though it is quite old and warned down. Zeko despite his advanced age was quite a muscular man, but this alternate looks like he has seen better days. Though the density of his magic is as strong as ever. "Any chance you will give what we want in peace?" Asked Hatori, for the sake of his master. "No." He said with a trembling voice. Then he attacked. Another wave of fire comes his way, which Hatori counters with a giant wave of water. "Show off." Grumbled Josh. "Well, maybe you will be able to do it one day if you train hard enough." Said Hatori, while countering the fist-size fireballs raining down upon him with the alchemical water which snuffed out the fire. He moved to attack then, causing the clouds to rumble. In a flash of lightning, he reduced the alternate Zeko into a chard corpse, and the fragment was ready for their taking. "I''ll take it if you don''t mind." Said a voice from the sky. The clouds disperse, while another mage descends from the sky like an angel. He lands before them softly and claps after looking at Hatori. "That was an entertaining performance." He said to him as a compliment. "Too bad you have run in with me. The curtain of your show is about to fall." Hatori was annoyed. The alternate Zeko died too easily. Granted, he has leveled up since his childhood, but that man was in such a pathetic state that it made him sad to think about his original master. He was likely trying to understand the secrets of the fragment to undo whatever had happened to this world. Then comes in this asshole, arrogantly crashing the moment. "He... He..." Shin is too shocked to say what is so clear in front of his eyes. "You. Why are you here?" Asked Samay, snapping out of her shock. "Why, don''t be like that now. Don''t you remember my performance? I can still remember our fun moments." He said to Samay with a grin. "In fact, given my long imprisonment, I think you can help me get rid of this dry spell. What do you say?" "As if!" Said Samay, denying his advances. "Oh, come on. I doubt you''ve found any man besides me who could satisfy you and stay alive." He said, his grin not faltering in the slightest despite the rejection. "Maybe I''ve found one." Said Samay, appearing before Hatori and caressing his arm softly. "I am romantically involved." He said to her in a frosty tone. "Hahahaha! No wonder you think he is worthy. He is me after all, one of the strongest alternates I''ve encountered of myself." Said the man. "Although, clearly he is quite wise. You really should stay away from such women who might decide to behead you after the screwing is done." Hatori looked at this alternative of himself. "Really?" "Like a mantis." He said to him, making Hatori shutter. While everyone else does not understand what exactly he means, Hatori knows that female mantis eat their male partner after they are done mating. "Whatever." He snapped out of his horror. "I can''t let you take that fragment." "Well then." The alternate Hatori shifts from his relaxed posture and attacks them without any warning. Hatori is surprised by the massive buildup of magic, so he quickly prepares a shield. The entire city shakes from the impact. "I know that I didn''t put much power into it, but damn. It has been a while since someone survived my opening attack." He said confidently. "Let''s see whether you can handle this¡ª" The shield breaks apart and turns into another spell. The volley of spells assaulted the alternate, but he walked out of it without suffering any harm. "Looks like I need to teach you a lesson, a lesson only an older brother can teach." "What?" Hatori does not have much time to contemplate the strange words of his alternate. The ground under him turns into a massive pile of gunpowder. With a small spark, the pile exploded. Hatori was sent flying, and the alternate provided him another push with a strong gust of wind to send him twinkling in the sky. If this were an anime, the entire event would have been concluded with a "ding!" sound. "Dust this bitch!" Raven took the command, and they attacked the alternate Hatori. He avoided the massive wave created by Josh and James. When the alternate Hatori looked up, it felt like all the water was falling at him in a shapeless deluge. He escaped underground, only for the water to seep in and pursue him further. After crossing a large distance, the wave is left behind. He surfaced to see the entire city drowning in the distance. He does not have much time to think about it, as a beautiful and haunting melody starts to play. He was disoriented for a moment before he canceled the illusion. But this was enough time for the wave to crash at him again, this time consisting of boiling water. While his friends are dealing with the alternate on the ground, Hatori is hovering in the atmosphere. "Idiot. He sent me to the worst place possible for him." He chuckled, as he started to gather the lightning around him. He then honed into the position of his enemy, and with the speed of a lightning strike, he crashed down upon his position with a loud crackle of thunder. The nearby water evaporated by the intensity of the heat, and there was a strong smell of ozone in the area. Hatori looks to the side after this attack, where Raven and James are regenerating, while Josh is keeping them protected. Shin extracted himself from the land where he was forcefully embedded after his second illusion on the alternate failed. Hatori sensed his enemy getting back up. "Well done." He said, with his face nothing but the regenerating bone. "You''ve done more damage to me than anyone else has managed to do in a million years." After his regeneration is completed, the alternate continues. "I''ll deal with you later. For the time being, have this shard." He tossed it to Hatori. "But when I come back to take it, none of you will survive, not even that hot babe." He looked at Samay while he was saying this. ''I''ll find that next fragment. For the time being, I can afford to leave these kids alone. Maybe they will gather a few, sparing me the trouble of fighting every idiot who thinks he can take me on.'' Thought the alternate Hatori, before he disappeared in front of their eyes. Chapter 262 Chapter 262.

Part 1.

The group of our heroes appears in a world that is not hospitable for life. The temperature of the planet is so high that even iron would melt. But given that they are immortals, they did not die after appearing on this planet. However, the temperature was not comfortable by any means. "Stop complaining." Said Samay. "You are immortal beings now. Act like it." "Yes, grandma." Replied Hatori. Samay would have said something in reply, but they were assaulted by fire mistles. The explosion was so violent that it would have killed anyone else. "That doesn''t make sense. There is no oxygen on this planet." Said Josh. "Trifling immortals. Someone so great as I do not need such pesky elements to burn you into ashes." Another wave of fire comes their way, which was countered by the alchemic water which put it out. The water soon turned into vapor due to the natural temperature of the planet. The spirit prepared another attack, but it sensed one of these mortals appearing behind it. It turned around as quickly as it could, and the face of Hatori was the last thing it saw before it was blasted apart. The fragment of the spirit is then taken up by the group, adding another one to their tally. As they leave this planet, and appear on another reality on a different planet to track down their third fragment, a new discussion begins, which is about the alternate of Hatori. "Why is this other Hatori so strong?" Asked Josh. "That first alternate who did dine and dash wasn''t that tough." "He was toying with us during that whole fight." Said James. "You guys worry too much." Said Raven. "As far as I''m concerned, that is just an example of where we need to be, now that we face immortals. That spirit might be weak, but we won''t find weaklings all the time." "Was he truly a million years old?" Asked Shin in curiosity, unable to fathom living for such a long time. "He is." Confirmed Samay. "Though for most of his long existence, he has been stuck in a prison." They were waiting for Samay to say more, but she didn''t. When they continued to look at her in expectation, she averted her gaze. They were annoyed with her evasiveness. They are going to face that alternate again, and they need all the info they can get on him so they can beat him. But if Samay refuses to talk, Hatori decides that he will have some entertainment at her expense. "Let him be a million years old. Clearly, he is not that wise, given he actually tried to get it on with her in the past, and tried again in front of us." Said Hatori. "Even if he lives for a billion years, he will never be as smart as me. I will never make such a mistake." "You!" Samay blasted Hatori into the sky, sending him flying with a twinkle in the sky. "Worth it!" He screamed while he was blasted away.

Part 2.

Hatori the alternate appears in the reality from where he got the distressed call. Let''s ignore the fact that this guy is communicating across realities, whereas my phone doesn''t even work in my neighborhood for the time being. Upon his arrival, he found the broken pieces of his yantras, whom he calls his minions. "Boss," Said one of the magical machines which happens to be in a good enough condition to talk. "He went that way." With a fizzle, the Yantra stopped working. With a sigh, his sleeves expanded, and all the broken machines disappeared. "I''ll fix you up, don''t worry." He said to them. They are in no condition to listen to him or understand him. But it is a matter of principle. He is not heartless like those gods. He teleports and appears before the man who shattered all his yantras. He leveled a punch at him, which was blocked. "Oh?" He looked at this man. He is quite tall and has a regal appearance. He looks like one of those who were in the group of his own alternate. "Is there any chance we can resolve this peacefully? With me having that fragment?" He added the last part. "No." Replied the alternate. The struggle began, where they started to beat each other up like Shonen fighters, instead of mages. Their blows were hard enough to shake the nearby trees. Just one punch would be enough to wipe out entire families. Realizing that the physical combat was not going anywhere, the alternate made his distance from Hatori and quickly brought out some yantras. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. "No wonder you beat them. You have an army of your own." Said Hatori. "They were quite a challenge." He said in reply. These yantras are not sentient like his own, but Hatori had to hit them quite hard to get them out of his way. Meanwhile, the alternate acquired the shard of reality. Just when he is about to leave reality, Hatori teleports in front of him, and their struggle starts anew. This time, it was a proper magical struggle. Their magic twisted the nearby forest. The trees came to life, and tried to strangle one of them, while other trees got in their ways. The rest of them were bathed in the glow of an unnatural fire. Hatori managed to take advantage of the distraction of his opponent and punched him from behind. He was surprised by the artificial body of his opponent. "What the hell?" The body turned sharp, and his hand was sliced off cleanly. This was not enough to make him scream, however. Compared to the pain he has suffered in the past; this is nothing but a dull ache that disappeared quickly when his hand grew back. He watched his shard disappear before he shrugged. ''I don''t need to worry about it just yet. There are a few unaccounted ones. I''ll gather the rest, and then hunt them down.'' He smiled. "Or kill them one by one, if they come after me." He said out loud before he left the tainted forest.

Part 3: The Alternate story.

Getting summoned at the tender age of seven years and eleven months wasn''t enough. After he arrived in this strange world, he was kidnapped right out of the castle. All the promises of the king turned out to be false. He was hoping to live long enough to escape from this helpless position he had ended up in. If he knew what was in his future, Hatori would have wished for death then and there. He was not a human being. He was a property: a weapon to be used against the king and other families, whenever his owners wished. For this purpose, they trained him. The training was brutal. There was no sympathy from the trainers. After crying many times, his tears dried up. Children in the same family, either of his own age or younger also treated him like their slave. Should he step out of the line, his entire body would suffer as if it was dumped in the scalding oil at the maximum temperature. It is truly a terrible thing that magic could heal this damage as if nothing happened to him. He never had any control over anything: what to eat, when to eat, when to wake up, when to go to sleep, what subjects should he study, what kind of potions he should be fed, everything was decided by his owners. Until he reached the Academy. There, to ensure that Corvus won''t raise hell for them, his mind was not wiped. Therefore, he took all the chances he could to escape from this hell, fleeing into the grand forests and other habitats in the Magecraft and Sorcery Institute. Fortune did not favor him. It never favored him anyway. It made it clear that it hated him by giving him a curse which robbed him of his eyes when he was not even old enough to speak. His ritual to purge the runes which kept him at the mercy of his owners failed every time, and shortly afterward he was retrieved. What followed was more pain, during which he would scream his throat bloody raw. And still, it won''t be enough to stop it. But every time, it would be worth it. Maybe they would get fed up with him, and kill him to end his suffering. Hatori wanted to apprentice under a mage who was the master of the lightning element. But he was denied. Instead, he ended up under the heel of some witless clerk, who had only one thing to keep him on line: the pain. So, he used and abused it as much as he could. The only reason why he actually survived Hatori''s murder attempts was because the pain was so sudden and crippling that Hatori couldn''t do anything while the runes were active. Still didn''t save his wife from him. "Bitch should have known better." Was his only answer, before his world disappeared into pain once again. This doesn''t last long. Some half-resurrected battle mage accidentally murdered that clerk. He was fighting, and one of the stray spells landed on the house of that clerk. Hatori survived. That cruel training finally pays off for something. But his master did not survive. "No. Not my master, my slaver." He concluded, after taking this golden chance and fleeing and disappearing underground. Hatori succeeded in purging the runes from him, though the ritual got out of control and destroyed the entire city for some reason. He didn''t care for the people who died in the blast. What mattered to him was that he was now free. And it is now time for sweet, sweet revenge.