The eastern shore of Fujiishima seemed like a different country from the rest of the city due to its weather. The summer heat from the city's limits was relentlessly blown away by the cool winds coming from the "Great Divide", a gargantuan body of water that divided the east and western hemisphere. All year round, the almost violent gales pounded on the cliffs of the mountains that shielded the city.
Even at sun's height, Seijurou had to wear a hoodie over his gakuran. He stared towards the vast ocean under Orca's statue as he waited for Chizuru to finish her archery practice.
"Mama, what should I do?..", whispered Seijurou to the air, hoping that his mother answered. But she never did answer ever since. It was more of "what would my mother do in my situation". It was common sense, actually. Although this special place used to get Seijurou's thoughts in line, he would eventually come up with a suitable conclusion.
However, it had been a while since he got an answer, at least ever since Erida Masako died.
"She says you train again..", a perky voice suddenly spoke from the background.
Seijurou looked back to see who it was and blushed with his nose slightly bleeding. "Kinjou! The wind! Pull down your skirt!"
Satsuki panicked and squealed in embarrassment as she instinctively sat down with her eyes closed. "Hey! Don't look! I won't be able to marry now.."
"And why are you even thinking about that?..", asked Seijurou as he began to compose himself from the little incident. He paused for a moment before he spoke. "What are you doing here? Don't you have council duties?"
"Nah.. we were dismissed early by Yanagi-senpai. And you? Were you talking to Masako-sensei?"
It never failed to amaze Seijurou on how perceptive Satsuki is. She almost always acted childishly, but surprisingly, her mind worked like she had been alive for so long. It was also most likely the case with her always giggling at Seijurou's expressions since she was usually on point in reading his thoughts.
"She said you train, didn't she?..", Satsuki added.
"It's you who's saying that, not her..", Seijurou replied blankly, but Satsuki just laughed. "Without Mama, I don't think I can. That's why I decided to train in my oyaji's workshop instead."
"But you still have me."
Staring at Satsuki with her pleasant smile brought a tingling sensation under Seijurou's skin. He blushed again and turned away in embarrassment.
"See.. I knew it!..", stated Satsuki cheerfully.
"Eh? Knew what?..", asked Seijurou.
"That you want to spend time and train with me."
With that, Seijurou flushed madly, a complete contrast from the supposed reaction to the cold easterly wind. "Will you stop saying such petty things?!"
But Satsuki just kept laughing at him. Teasing Seijurou had always been something that Satsuki loved doing ever since they were younger. His cold and stoic demeanor challenged her to shatter it even before. Although almost always successful, the death of Erida Masako made it an even more daunting task.
Seijurou used to be very passionate about sword fighting before. He would often hangout in the dojo even after Satsuki finished her extra training. While waiting for his mother, he would do his homework and study in the corner. But his mother never taught him to use a sword, although she promised him some day.
All the Swordmaiden taught her son was to study hard and pass school with flying colors. When it came to combat, she only taught him how to defend himself and others. Eventually, one thing led to another, and Seijurou became the best of what he learned.
It all stopped when Erida Masako, the Swordmaiden, vanished in the battle to stop the "Abyssal Calamity". Although his son, Seijurou, never stopped getting good grades in academics, he ceased to go to the dojo and lost all interest in fighting.
Even if Seijurou never knew, Satsuki was deeply hurt with what had happened to him. But the damage caused by the loss of his mother and master to his well-being got Satsuki to decide to just put up with it with a smile. Being very concerned with his emotional state, her and Chizuru would take turns to accompany him to lift his spirits up. However some days, she would reflect and realize how tiring it could be, but it would not do any good if she forced him. Besides, being hard on him and being bullish was never her personality.
Though something reemerged in Seijurou the other day. And it got Satsuki really excited that she bailed out of a Round Table meeting to look for Seijurou.
"The other day, in practical class..", uttered Satsuki as they both stared at the ocean together. "What did Hayama-sensei tell you?"
Seijurou hesitated, but he still budged guardedly. "He just asked me if I already decided on my build since I did quite well in the activity."
"Quite well?! You and Chizu-chan won the freakin' game!..", Satsuki happily exclaimed. "Come on, tell me more. You were awesome. Surely, you talked a lot!"
Seijurou just smiled gently at Satsuki. "Well he did ask me if I hurt myself since I was literally on fire."
Hearing that made Satsuki laugh out loud. "I could just imagine sensei's funny face when you told him that you have an unnaturally strong resistance to magic."
But it was actually Hayama who realized that Seijurou had some defense against offensive spells. And it was most especially so to fire.
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"The reason why you were able to control the amplitude of the spells you casted besides fire..", Hayama said to Seijurou after the activity the other day. ".. is your natural resistance to it. It's like a blow torch. You're pushing flammable energy into a very small hole. And it's precisely the reason why you don't get burned."
Seijurou nodded in agreement. "Yes sensei. And I just realized it.. That's why I didn't set the amplitude on my last spell."
"Amusing..", Hayama held his chin with his fingers as if he was assessing the outcome more. "How did you get this much magic resistance in you?"
"My mom used to train me by shooting me with spells. I guess I just leveled that up early on."
Based on what Seijurou said, individual skills also level up on their own through experience points (EXPs), besides having the "Player Characters" increase their overall levels. Hayama then realized that most of Seijurou's EXPs, even if he still had a relatively low level in general, were gained through defensive abilities.
"So, did you get to decide on your build?..", going back to the present, Satsuki asked. "The preliminaries are next week already, you know."
"I think so..", Seijurou replied unsurely. "A Craftsman build, or somewhere along the lines."
For the first time in Seijurou's life, Satsuki gave him a blank stare that shouted "boring" all over the place.
"What?..", Seijurou reluctantly asked. "I am good at making things. Apprenticing in a workshop or an apothecary does count as a quest."
Satsuki smiled at him once more before immediately looking out to sea. It was as if she was also asking Seijurou's mother for some answers. She thought that maybe the key to Seijurou's heart was somewhere beyond the sparkling ocean.
The sea breeze softly caressed Satsuki's auburn hair revealing her gleaming blue eyes that seem to have drifted far away. Rarely did Seijurou see her dwell that deep in her thoughts. But one thing was for certain at that very moment. He never knew she could be that beautiful.
"Erida-kun..", whispered Satsuki as she continued to look beyond the horizon. "Answer me honestly. Are you afraid to hold a weapon because of your mother?"
Without a moment's hesitation, he answered. "I am."
"Then, I'll be your weapon, Erida Seijurou-kun."
Wide eyed, Seijurou stared at Satsuki in astonishment. He was actually waiting for her to look at him and give him that childlike smile, but she did not. Instead, she kept looking head on and unblinking against the rays of the sun. It was like she was having a stare down with the heavenly body. She was dead serious.
"Kinjou..", almost whispering, Seijurou called Satsuki. It finally got her to look at him. "That's actually the first time you called me by my name."
A whack towards Seijurou's head came out of nowhere from Satsuki.
"Well, that's also a first..", added Seijurou as he massaged a growing lump on his head.
Satsuki turned as red as her hair. "I'm sorry, Erida-kun! I got carried away. So sorry! But please don't say such embarrassing things.."
Even if there was a form of irritation on Seijurou's part, such an adorable face could have never been unforgiven by him. "Fine, but I'm not sure if I could fight alongside you. After all, Mama's gone, and I don't have a master to complete my training."
"Hmm, you know what they say..", answered Satsuki, suddenly looking like a professor with her pointer up in the sky. "You are your own master."
"And who told you that?"
"Boy's Love."
Seijurou almost made a backflip upon hearing the manga title's name, which caused Satsuki to laugh out loud again. As annoying as she could be, there really wasn't any prolonged moment of seriousness when it comes to Kinjou Satsuki. But for some reason, he enjoyed her company in that moment more than any time they had before.
Thinking about his mother, Erida Masako the Swordmaiden, it had been so long since Seijurou talked about her with anyone. The feeling of dead weight disintegrating inside him might have been because of Satsuki hitting the right spots. For him, the sudden loss of his mother was all about losing passion, unbearable longing, and broken promises. However, Satsuki's words may have mended that gap. And it kept resounding in his thoughts.
"Are you waiting for Chizu-chan?..", asked Satsuki while she stood up. Strangely, asking that question felt like something pinched her heart.
"Yeah, I think they're almost done..", replied Seijurou. "Why don't we all walk home together?"
But Satsuki ignored Seijurou's question. "I've decided then. You, Erida Seijurou will be my battle partner from now on. My sword is yours. Bye, bye!"
Weirdly enough, that little pinch in Satsuki's chest was starting to hurt more. However, she was still able to giggle and smile pleasantly at Seijurou while she turned around to say goodbye for the day.
Seijurou sighed in frustration. "But I'm no good. I'll only drag you down. I haven't really trained for so long. Wait! Kinjou!"
But she never looked back. Satsuki's eyes were filled with tears that threatened to fall as she walked away. For her, it was best if she hid it from Seijurou.
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The sound of rustling leaves caused by the occasional summer breeze emanated throughout Fujiishiima Sentai Gakuen's campus grounds. It was already late in the afternoon, and the once bright sun began to take on a reddish hue. Lusher grass seemingly took over the baseball field's eroded soil as students trained for the summer activities. However, something else that was not baseball was set up.
"This is starting to get boring, Nagaoka-sensei..", said Chizuru after hitting another bull's eye with her arrow.
"Then why don't you try multiple arrows at once to shoot multiple targets?..", suggested Captain Nagaoka, a Fujiishima commander and teacher who specializes in ranging. "Who knows? Maybe you can copy my 'Star Shower' someday."
Chizuru pouted and stared at her coach blankly. "Aren't you expecting a little too much from me? But whatever. Bring it on, sensei."
Nagaoka laughed at his apprentice's enthusiasm. "I like your energy, Taneda! But it's getting late. And I think someone's waiting for you over there."
As soon as Chizuru followed where Nagaoka was pointing, she realized that Seijurou had been waiting for her all this time. And as she remembered making him promise to wait for her all the time before they went home, she immediately panicked.
Chizuru jolted and ran towards Seijurou on the sidelines. "Thanks, Nagaoka-sensei! See you tomorrow!"
"Alright, take care!..", Nagaoka waved at Chizuru, who never looked back. He shook his head as he thought of his apprentice's youthful energy. He whispered to himself. "It's like a scene from the theatre where the star runs towards her real life lover after a show. Ahh.. to be young again."
"And that's Nagaoka-senchou for you whenever we practice, brat!..", added Nagaoka, but Chizuru still ignored him as she went to Seijurou.
Pretty soon, the baseball and the football fields started to clear up. Half an hour passed five in the afternoon was still relatively bright. However, training coaches still dismissed their students before that. The day and night cycle could be very drastic once the sun hides beneath the horizon especially for those who had to walk far.
"I told you to remind me if I was taking too long, baka-jurou..", remarked Chizuru with an awkwardly ironic expression as they walked home. Clearly, she was suppressing a smile with a frown.
"It really amazes me how you turn an apology for being late upside down..", bluntly replied Seijurou, which caused Chizuru to whack him. "But it's fine. Kinjou kept me company under Orca's statue."
"Really? She didn't have council duties?..", Chizuru asked with a surprised expression. "She rarely has time these days since her duel."
"But she left abruptly. As usual."
"Probably has a date with Jax, you know."
Seijurou nodded with a half smile. It was now his turn to mask himself with that ironic expression, but it was more of him suppressing a grimace.
"And by the way..", Chizuru said out of the blue. "Hayama-sensei approved of me forming a group with Toho and Jax for the preliminaries."
Even if the mention of Jax's name irritated him, Seijurou could not deny one fact. "Good for you. Seems like you just formed the strongest team in the first years."
"You're trying to sound like Hayama-sensei so you could hide your anger. I know you, Seijurou..", stated Chizuru blankly. But moments later, her expression lit up. "Come on, I did that to watch Jax closely so he wont pick on you anymore. You know what they say, keep your friends close.. and keep your enemies closer."
"Don't tell me you got that from 'Boy's Love'..", answered Seijurou, which got Chizuru to whack him again. "But it's true. Jax is the strongest warrior in class since Kinjou is an Heiress who already belongs to a professional questing team. Toho is the most adept mage.. and you are the best ranged one. Your combination makes perfect sense."
The two walked in silence for a while. Even as an enormous Ostremu went past them, they did not flinch while avoiding each other's gazes. The takoyaki vendor owner waved a greeting, and they waved back. But still, they did not acknowledge each other.
Seijurou is Chizuru's oldest friend and likewise, the other way around. In fact, their houses had always been almost next to each other. Ever since the both of them learned how to walk, they already played with each other and shared each other's toys. However, such awkwardness only warranted one thing. Either of the two felt that they wronged the other in some way.
"Chizuru..", Seijurou called after turning a corner. It instantly got Chizuru's attention.
"Yes?..", almost blushing in embarrassment on how instantaneous her reply was, she glanced at Seijurou quickly and looked down.
"I'm not mad at you for joining with him. I just don't like the moron..", Seijurou sighed, but moments later, he brightened up. "I'm actually really happy that you get to showcase yourself with the ace team of our class.. so don't worry about it."
Chizuru remained looking downward as she approached Seijurou. She was hiding a huge smile on her face while she nudged her best friend with her shoulder.
Overtaking him, Chizuru stopped and looked back without containing that pleasant smirk on her. "What're you walking so slow for, baka-jurou? Let's go home!"
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The sound of the first bell brought Seijurou back to the present as he contemplated on the events of the previous day. He was about half asleep early in the morning due to his classmates' constant murmuring about next week's preliminaries. For someone who kept reading manga and light novels late at night, the constant mix of conversations and gossip sounded like a lullaby.
But everyone was excited. It was the day when the preliminaries' bracketing was decided. With Taneda Chizuru, Xi Jae-jin "Jax" and Toho Kazuma forming a team, it would be expected for them to win it all.
"The preliminaries next week isn't your usual exam where you read and write and earn scores..", Hayama, out of nowhere, announced while he proceeded to the middle of the room. "First, you kids need to form a team of two or more, or what you call a 'party'. What is a 'party' again?"
A classmate raised his hand and answered. "The basic functional battle unit, sensei."
"Correct. Next, based on the number of members, what are the different types of parties called?"
Another one raised her hand and answered. "A partnership has two members. 'Trinity' with three, while a quad has four. Beyond that is just simply called a party of five, or six, or so on."
The word "partnership" dominated Seijurou's thoughts the moment he heard it. Somehow, the voice of Satsuki from the previous day resounded in his head.
'We are battle partners.'
'I will be your weapon.'
It made absolutely no sense to Seijurou since Satsuki was exempted in this activity anyway. But at the back of his head, the world that he knew of was about to make another nonsensical twist.
"Erida-san..", Hayama called. "Of the number of members in a party, which one is considered the most efficient?"
"That would be the 'trinity', sensei..", Seijurou coolly answered.
"And why is that?"
Seijurou thought that this man was obviously pushing him towards the edge. "One member would have trouble getting outnumbered. Four or more could get a member to compromise and get in the way. With three, you get the best of all worlds, sensei. A melee warrior, a long ranged shooter, and one knowledgeable in magic."
Hayama nodded in agreement. "Great answer. Brilliant. But it's such a shame that you chose to be alone on this."
Before he was even allowed to defend himself, Seijurou lost his chance when Hayama continued to lecture the class. "Remember, it's called a 'trinity' because the three of you have to act as one. Do not try to overshadow others. Understand?"
"Hai! Sensei!..", the class responded as they gathered into groups of three. They mostly talked about their strengths and planned different strategies around them. But based on Seijurou's observation, no one even bothered to point out their weaknesses.
"Here are your draw lots..", Hayama handed them over to the students as they went towards him. "Always take note of the scheduled time of your bouts and enemies."
However, Seijurou did not take a draw. "I'm alone. I'm the class alchemist."
"Oh? Then you're the armorer with some enhancements, right?..", Hayama asked.
"Maybe.."
"Well you're probably going to miss out a lot of the summer fun, but apprenticing in crafting isn't so bad since it could get you a decent job in the future."
And then, Hayama shifted his attention to the combatants. "One more thing, winning the preliminaries doesn't necessarily give you a decent quest.. but it would be of big help. What we're actually looking for are specific skill sets that could be practical in the long run. So.. good luck, everyone."
After hammering on a sword for a few minutes, Seijurou packed his things up and went to the "Underforge", a smithing workshop underneath the "Octagon". "I guess I'm off too, sensei."
However, Hayama stopped him. "Don't forget this."
Hayama handed Seijurou a draw. "I already told you, I'm not fighting."
"Who says you aren't?..", peeking from the side of the classroom door, Satsuki let off a childish grin. "I know that this is just an optional activity for me.. but I really wanna try going into battle with my partner."
Translation Notes:
Takoyaki - or "octopus balls" is a ball-shaped Japanese snack or appetizer made of a wheat flour-based batter and cooked in a special molded pan. It is typically filled with minced or diced octopus, tempura scraps, pickled ginger, and green onion.
Honorifics Guide:
Senchou – means captain. One's way of addressing a captain by a subordinate.