I felt a bright light shine against my eyelids. A gentle breeze rustling the leaves, undermining the rather tranquil atmosphere I had going for me. Wait! We are still at combat…
To recap, I managed to best him in one on one duel. But, I only won because we had the same level of magic and I could use Non-physical magic to boost. She opened her eyes, a gentle breeze cooling the air of the rather hot afternoon. She lay under the shade of a tree.
Right, I passed out. She moved her fingers about, moved her hands before sitting up. I may have overused my Non-physical magic, but, at least I didn't damaged any of my nodes.
"Oh, So you are awake, Anemone?!"
Two pieces broke from her right bracelet before they transformed to blades. A voice that she couldn't recognized had just called to her. She knew not how he knew her name yet, he uttered it all the same. She projected them forward, aiming them directly at his throat. He moved his head slightly, dodging them by a hair.
Crap! She exclaimed inwardly, trying to mask the anxiety seething beneath her calm expression. I may not have damaged my nodes, but my magic efficiency has definitely waned. "Who might you be?!"
"You need not be startled, Ane."
Ane? Since when are we that?
The sipping sun that made it past the leaves shimmered against his emerald eyes. His softened gaze appeared more frightening to her than anything she had ever witnessed before. Probably because even as he smiled, blood still stained his beige coat. Not something for a time long past, but, a fresh stain. One that appeared to be but an hour old.
"How is your arm by the way? You bled quite a bit? I got worried."
She looked to her injured arm which was once pierced by the talons of an owl. I am bandaged up…did he treat me? No, right now…his guard is down. I will strike…
The blades quickly turned before propelling themselves to him once more. He didn't flinch for even a moment. They suddenly stopped, missing him by what appeared to be a strand of hair.
"Are you done with your little test?" he declared before continuing with his walk toward her.
"Why didn't you try to dodge? I could have hit you and cut your head clean off." The blades blitz past him and returned to her side.
"I knew you would never hit me. You are much too strategic for that." I am glad she stopped when she did. If she had proceeded any further, she would have noticed just how little I trust her. It helps that my coats collar covers all the way to my chin. It covered the Crystalis I had coating my neck rather nicely. It's durable enough to take a hit from someone with magic equivalent to D-rank. So her E-rank level magic poses no threat to me.
"You say that like you know me," she said, watching her blades revert to bracelet pieces and then join her bracelets.
"I happened to watch the fight you had with that sound user last night. That was quite the showing."
"If you really watched that fight, shouldn't you have dodged my attack? Anyone who probably saw that would be weary of me. Your argument makes no sense."
He chuckled before adding, "Correct that is. In soothe, I recall you from my childhood. Seeing that fight was quite the treat. You have improved greatly."
"Right?" haltingly she added. Her gaze steadily fixed on him. Something about the vibe she got from him felt off. Was she simply paranoid? Something is definitely up. I am not trying to sense his spiritual vibrations. But, for some reason I can. He has an incredible presence. That much I am sure of.
"While we are on the subject, I understand that we have only met twice, but, would you be so inclined as to get married to me ?"
"Huh?"
"Wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait, wait. Hear me out. You are really pretty. You have a good brain to boost. I got turned on from just watching your fight."
"That's a rather unsettling thing to say. Sorry but I am already spoken for. My parents wanted me to become a knight so knighthood will probably end up becoming my spouse." She looked up at him as he had gotten closer. His build is lean. Same as Kano and Walter. I am sure he is balanced in every department. Speed, power and agility.
A light smirk met his lips when he said, "So what you are telling me is that you have no one at the moment. I am glad, that means I still have a chance."
"What are you talking about? I just said I am already spoken for."
"True, you may have said that. But, I know you. Even when you were a child, you showed a bit more genius than expected from a child. Even now, you have not changed in the least. You lean toward strategy and I am almost certain that was why you could not behead me. You saw a use for me. Primarily because I did not look to kill you.
So I am certain something can become of this. If I prove my worth to you, I can sway your favor toward me. You are, after all, wired to have a highly efficient mind."
Anemone clenched her fists, her calm façade shattering, exposing a slight anxiety that lay behind that calm expression. I don't know who he is…but for some reason, I feel really guilty. I feel as though he saw right through me. Why is that so frustrating?
"Your name, What's your name?" she inquired.
"Name….just call me Alexander. Or darling if you'd like. I am not picky….just not honey. Honey though tasty, is much too sweet to the point where people tire from it."
"Alexander then. My name is Anemone." Alright Alexander, I will take the jab at me earlier as a challenge. For some reason, you are reminding of that guard. And, I just want to make you lose.
"I know what your name is…what your mother's was too. And, that of your father as well. I was…I mean still am Leila Lilith or as she was called LL's student. You do not have to fret." I have heard a lot of stories from her. Most of which pertained to you. She was quite reminiscent before she met an untimely demise at the hands of an assassin. LL was a perplexing individual. He then walked passed her.
~
I knew the trial was bound to a headache one way or the other, but, I wasn't expecting this. It has been two days since then and I suppose this has become a real partnership of sorts. Originally, my plan was to rendezvous with Walter and Kano but I don't think that will be possible for a while. I was planning to guess where they ended up and estimate where they'd end up. But, since I was out for half a day, I can't tell anymore.
I could use enhanced sensory perception….but that won't work. This world will overload me with data on how this world's fabrication works. That information isn't friendly. It shows me how this world transcends yet, exists within both the third and fourth dimensions.
If I was to break this down using how my prime visualization ability works, the theory would kind of be like this. Imagine the existence of two axes, call them plains if you would. There is the real plain and the imaginary plain. These plains intersect at a single point, call it the point of origin or divinity itself. The Gamma series of magic.
This space exists at that point. Normally, physical magic only affects things that exist on the physical plain and Non-physical, those on the imaginary one. Since these intersect, it affects both plains simultaneously, the real(physical bodies) and the imaginary(spiritual bodies). That's why it can trap us here.
Since it exists at a single point, that space is far too small to harbor these many things. That's where transcendence comes in. That point exists in three dimensional space, but since it is too small, it creates what I will just call negative space. We exist on the real plain, but this space is forcing us to exist on the imaginary one.
Imagine looking at a mirror, you are reflected into it. But imagine if the image produced becomes the real you. That makes that virtual space real in every sense. That's as far as space goes. But I analyzed something else, the existence of the fourth dimension, time. At first glance, you would think it's moving the way it did in the real world. But, it only appears that way as our bodies and consciousness has acknowledged this imaginary plain as being a real one.
In truth, the time is moving in a forward-backward state. For each second projected forward, we are projected a few seconds back. This is contrary to how time is moving in the real world. If we contrast the two, it means that if its one second both in the real world and here, the real world will register a second more but we will be projected back meaning our time will go to the negatives. And then, we have to gain another second before being thrown into the negatives. This is ensuring that time flows much slower than it is in the real world. This is giving me a headache just thinking about it.
The frustrating part is the fact that my prime visualization exists at this same point of origin and actively monitors number sequences both to the negatives and positives of both plains. That means, to me, every time I try to sense anything through it, I see the whole point. Its almost as if I am seeing things a whole dimension above where it exists. When this happens, I can't help but analyze it which is mentally taxing. My physical body isn't meant to take that kind of strain. This makes me visualize the whole space so I can't find anything specific. Sigh, Magic theory is such a pain. But, since I can visualize this space so accurately, I can use distortion to project it on a different point on the plains. The only problem is, I don't have enough magic for that.
If I want to use my unique ability in here, I have to make my prime visualization exist at a point smaller than the point of origin. If that can happen, I will be able to use all my abilities.
For the time being, I will stand by Alexander before I have to try and defeat him.
Alexander let out a sigh before saying, "You are thinking about trying something stupid, aren't you?"
"What gave you that idea?" she retorted, fatuously, as though in jest.
"You were deep in thought, then sighed. Seems whatever you had planned won't work out in the least."
"It will…just need to work out a minor detail." I can't believe this is all it will amount to. After I forced myself to endure pain for three hours too. That analysis won't help me much. Unless I can shrink my prime visualization to be smaller than the point of origin.
"So you did have something in mind…It better not be a plan to backstab me."
"Please, if I had to stab something, I would go for the throat."
"Right."
~
It has been three weeks since the trial began. No incidences occurred so nothing to report. The trial has reached a standstill. I can offer an explanation as to why. The three months time period is meant to encourage duels as when as any other form of monitor-able combat. The system is designed to ensure that this is the case.
When the original break happened, the large crowds were forced to clash while scattering. Once safe, the next step is to recuperate. Throughout this time frame, distant battles occurred here and there but rarely anything of note worth capability. But, three weeks in, things are bound to step up again. After all, you can fight someone and still have enough time to recover before the trial is over.
Those who bid their time will earn the greatest results, but that only applies if there is still prey to hunt. The longer the trial persists, the more only stronger competitors will be left. If that case enacts itself as reality, people of lower magic like myself will enviably fall. While there is still time, I have to reach the 1000 point mark.
Alexander will help me turn that into reality. I know that I can't trust him, something about him feels off. His gaze only ever softens when he sees me use my knowledge to exploit any weakness or opening. A few days ago, we encountered an eagle bystier and only when I outplayed it did he so much as take my efforts into consideration. It's almost as if he seeks out a side of me, the strategically brilliant me. The one who can go to whatever lengths to win.
I hate to disappoint him but I am nothing at all like that. After all, only a fool will passionately walk to their death.
Anemone was fishing. Trouser folded, as she walked through the stream. Nothing like a little fish to start your day. Living in the forest was a choice she chose to make. The abundance of life was definitely essential to her survival.
"Ane!..." Alexander shouted, drawing closer and closer to the stream. "So you were fishing…That's fine I guess."
"What do you want Alexander? The fish won't catch themselves." She stopped.
"Why didn't you just use your blades? They would save you a lot of trouble."
"I would rather not waste my magic. So what is it?"
"I am sure you have realized it by now, but, the quiet is dying down. Combat is bound to continue again."
"I noticed…north west from where I am standing. There is someone, they have been actively closing in on me." She walked out of the stream.
"For someone being targeted, you are much too calm."
"Well, naturally." She went to put on her shoes. His magic level is roughly E, same as mine. I can be able to earn a few more points.
Alexander began releasing a beige-brownish aura before it dissipated. Alexander was a member of the earth class. Possessing kin mastery over projectile magic. With that, he successfully cornered the area. "They will slip now. But was it safe to let them get that close. There was only 20m between you two."
"well, I needed him somewhere where my spirit Zephyr art could finish him in a single strike. That was realistically the distance I was looking for. I even propagated my blades in preparation, that's why I wasn't using them to hunt." I have gotten a little used to this space. I can sense things up to 50m radius from me. "If you want his points, you can take them."
"How kind? I am not buying it. He might turn out to be a sibling of mine."
"What are you talking about? Alexander. You said that you were an only child." She stood up before looking to the sky. "I am just more concerned about him." He is incredibly strong. Easily the strongest I have met so far.
At the top of the tallest tree, he stood. His black coat blowing against the wind.
"So how long was he up there?"
"Roughly, two minutes…"
Before she could finish talking, a yellow light came crashing down. Burying Alexander and forcing dust to raise from the impact. He couldn't so much as react. Anemone stood in awe as she wondered what that was…such terrifying speed.