"So you're telling us that you were the one who caused that storm to appear?! Right after you opened your inner eye, too? Goddamn, Reed you're a monster."
"And you've been holed up inside the bottom of the challenge zone for the last two weeks because Violett threw you in there? I don't know what to tell you, bud..."
"...."
I fiercely struggled as I held my tears from coming out because Astrid and Ophelia were here too. Cool guys don't cry, alright. They bitterly hold in their feelings and shrug off the pain.
But they didn't seem to care, even after I told them about my hardships. These girls looked unconcerned about what I'd gone through and looked at me as if I had wronged them somehow. I was the victim here, but here they were looking as if I were a criminal.
"So you've been shacking up with that woman since we've arrived, huh. Sounds like you've been enjoying yourself, Reed. Must be nice having her attend to your every need."
"You've been complaining about the training you've gone through, but I don't think we've ever heard you direct your criticisms towards her. As if you've been secretly enjoying her company all along, am I right?"
The ladies doth protest too much, methinks. The way they're directing their questions implies something I'd rather not contemplate, thank you very much.
...The way they're looking is sort of cute, but also a bit frightening. These two were no joke when it came to their fighting prowess. Given enough time, these two noble ladies would surely become fearsome adversaries in their own right.
I do not doubt in my mind that they both have enough potential to give Violett a run for her money, as long they didn't die. One of them was granddaughter to one of the most famous Anima shapers in the north.
The other had the blood of all four royal families in her veins. Only God knew what she'd turn into if she was allowed to grow up into maturity.
It'd do me some good to get into their good graces; after all, they were good girls at heart. I felt a bit embarrassed at the thought of them being... jealous because of Violett's actions.
Keeping the peace was the best option, but that meant throwing Violett under the bus. Nothing I could do about that, right? It is what it is...
"Now, now. I'm not staying with her because I want to; she won't let me leave. She told me the way I'd be able to leave is if I beat her in a fight. You gotta cut me some slack here, I'm a prisoner through and through."
"That sounds just about right, considering Violett's personality. Don't be too harsh on him, ladies. Especially you, Ophelia, you know full well how she can be when she finds a new toy..."
Ooooh! Nice save, Astor! I desperately needed that backup. Wingmen still existed in this world... Thank god.
Reed's eyes sparkled as he subtly gave Astor a look of thanks. Chivalry might have died long ago, but the concept of brotherhood hadn't.
"Yeah, I guess you're right. She's always done whatever she wanted, even through force. That's why she's so..." Ophelia's face twisted up the more she thought about it until Horatio patted her on the back and broke her train of thought.
It seemed that all three of them had their unpleasant histories with the Winter Princess.
Well, I couldn't deny that Violett was overbearing and passionate. I suppose that was just her innate nature; a tyrant who smothered everything she loved until it died or ended up hating her.
"So what have you guys been up to while I was in prison? Loafing about with a drink in your hand? Enjoying the easy life down here by the beach?"
"N-No, not really. We've all been spending our time practice our skills while you've been gone. Astrid even set a new record for the fastest kill for the expert-level combat trial. Horatio's been dominating the damage records for the strongest attacks since he's awoken his inner eye."
Ah, really... It seems like you've all put progressing wonderfully while I've been gone. But it's pretty damn clear that isn't wasn't the only thing that you've been doing since you arrived here.
When you'd all get so tanned, hmm? You're telling me you got that sun-kissed skin inside your training chambers? How strange...
Traitors! You've ditched me again, you sons of bitches! You and I are through... We'll set this in court!
"Come on, bud. At least you're not in the dungeons anymore, right? Just make up a couple of excuses and come out. Or just sneak out at night and we'll take you to the civilian sector in the Reef, hehe..."
"Civilian sector? There's something like that in the Reef? I thought this was a training facility for contenders."
"It is you fool. But have you never considered how such a massive structure like the Reef is kept up and running? The Reef is more than a training facility for contenders; it's also the heart of the North ."
"Even after it was de-weaponized, we still kept the Reef's core operational for civilian use. The core powers all of the North singlehandedly; cables run across from this place to every city in the empire. It requires a lot of technicians, engineers, and workers to keep it running."
"Perhaps only the likes of the Goddess would be capable of running the Reef alone, but for weaklings like us, we need a small army to barely keep it online."
"That's why the Reef has its own population; an entire city exists in here for the workers and their families. The city of Raku, one of the North's great treasures. It's even said that you can buy anything here as long as you've got the money, heh."
Astor wrapped his arm around Reed's shoulder and whispered, "One of my cousins lives here and he told me that if I ever stopped by he'd show me around town. Take us to all 'interesting' places, if you catch my drift..."
"I think we need a special boy's night out to learn about Raku's rich 'culture', don't you think?"
Astrid and Ophelia looked at Astor as if he was the lowest scum in the world. They had a rough idea of the kind of filth Astor was whispering in Reed's ear.
Their eyes spoke volumes; they seemed to say, "We dare you to go out with that cockroach, see what we'll do to you."
...It's hard pleasing these ladies, man. Can't a guy fool around a bit here and there? I wanna these places of 'culture,' too.
After catching up with them, I headed back to the villa to turn in for the day. I also had some burning questions I needed answering about Anima skills.
Violett was naturally delighted to answer my questions as she sat right next to me, too close for comfort. This woman continually violated my personal space and left me feeling uneasy and vulnerable.
I have no tolerance for this sort of thing, so it's still embarrassing having her this close. Ah, she smells nice... Goddamnit, I need to focus.
"So, what would you like to ask me? My three sizes, perhaps? I can answer any question you want~"
"N-No, I had some questions about shaping Anima. I was wondering why the storm I summoned appeared in the residential zone, and not where I was. Why did it appear so far away?"
"Aww, that was your question? That's an easy question. It's probably because you didn't consciously define where it was supposed to appear when you created it. So your subconsciousness took over during the creation process."
"Listen, when you use Anima, you need to have a clear picture of what you're going to create. The weight, velocity, shape, effects, and composition all matter in the creation process. You need to have a perfect mental image of what you want to will into existence, or else your subconscious will take over to fill the gaps for you.
"Sure, it's nice having your subconscious act as a backup, but your creation will suffer a loss in rank as a result. That's why we have to practice so much; we engrave our Anima skills into our minds until they become like a conditioned reflex."
"There's no time to think about an Anima skill in the middle of a fight. All it takes is a single second to die out there."
Her cold words sent a chill down my spine. Her eyes had this ferocity I'd never seen before. If looks could kill, I'd already been dead.
Violett noticed that she had accidentally let a bit of her killing intent leak out and quickly retracted it when she saw me sweating bullets. She immediately apologized by stuffing my face in her chest, for the nth time today.
This woman and her goddamned... wonderful bosom. Every. Damn. Time.
"In any case, that's the gist of it; you most likely called for a storm, but didn't properly visualize it above you. You probably thought of the sky and some stormy clouds and that's what exactly happened. The closest area that fit those conditions was the island; that's why popped up there instead of the challenge zone. You need a clearly defined image."
"But make no mistake, Reed, what you did should have been impossible for you at this stage. Although weak and incomplete, the storm you summoned is something that only an experienced Anima should be to do. You've only reached the 'inner eye' stage, so you can imagine my surprise when I found out that you were one who created the storm."
Crap, I might have done something I shouldn't have. She probably thinks better of me now; I hope she won't make life harder for me because of this. The last thing I want is for her to raise the difficulty of my training like the old man did...
"It's probably a bit early for me tell you this, but you're a special case. You'd learn about this in the future anyway, so it's not too big of crime for me to explain."
"There are four major milestones for those who possess an Alma and practice the art of shaping Anima. Each one represents a qualitative leap in a person's understanding of Anima."
"The first step is opening one's 'inner eye' - thus allowing an individual to perceive the Alma around them. Pretty basic; that's why it's simply called the inner eye stage. This where you are, or rather, should be. "
"The second step is to become able to defy the laws of the universe in a limited capacity - People who reach this stage are described as being able to 'call the wind and summon the rain.'"
"They can invoke their will to create large-scale phenomena unlike those in the inner eye stage who can only create small-scale effects. As such, the second stage is simply referred to as 'Calling the Wind.'"
"The storm you created is something that only an expert who can 'call the wind' should have been to do. You're genuinely shocking, you know. Even I wasn't able to do that when I first opened my inner eye; it's an extremely good thing no one else witnessed what you did. God forbid if someone spread the news of what you did today."
"Otherwise, every expert from all the four empires might have come to recruit you today. Even if it meant making an enemy of the North and of Instructor Axtorius..."
I felt my soul almost break when I heard her explain what had almost happened today.
Shit, shit, shit! I nearly signed my own death warrant today! Fuck, I promised myself I'd be low-key from now! Why does this keep happening!
"It seems you understand your predicament now, considering the look on your face. Thankfully, there weren't any conquerors around because the residential zone is a private space."
"Continuing on, the third stage is characterized by complete mastery over of laws of the universe - people who reach this stage are said to be 'Halfway to Heaven.' This where I'm at in regards to my skills Anima in shaping Anima."
"People at this stage can complete defy the pull of gravity, warp spacetime to their will, and even stop the river of time depending on how talented they are. These abilities sound familiar, hmm? Most conquerors are at this stage, and very few ever succeed in making it to the last milestone..."
"The last milestone and stage are referred to as 'Childhood's End.' It's pretty self-explanatory. A person's skill in Anima manipulation has allowed them to peer into the inner workings of the universe. These legendary experts are capable of manipulating incredibly arcane concepts like karma, luck, and fate itself. They can twist the cause and effect with their will alone, turning light into dark; that which is sacred and holy into evil and impure...
"The four great sovereigns are all beings that have reached Childhood's End. They're all capable of peering into the great mysteries of this world, which why most of them have gone into seclusion other than the King of Flowers."
"So is that the peak of Anima mastery, Childhood's End? Being able to glimpse at the secrets of the world? Doesn't sound very exciting, to be honest..."
Violett giggled and said, "Well, legends say that the Goddess had an unimaginable connection with Anima itself, to the point that she could do anything. In that regard, you could count the Goddess as being a stage higher than even the sovereigns! But she was a unique existence, something that we could never aspire to be like..."
"..."
A unique existence... why do I feel that's wrong? I don't get it.
The more I think about her, the more I find myself longing to see that wheat field again...
What an odd feeling. I felt...homesick.