"Have you completely recovered?" Kayden asked.
"Yes, but I'm struggling with my research on magical objects. I can't understand how they work." Marduk said while still focused on his last creation.
"It works, but I have a feeling it lacks something. It is up to the norm with this crystal size but…" Marduk started to mumble while analyzing the sword.
"Hmm, ok. Now hear me out for a second. I want you to meet somebody, can you follow me?"
"What is going on?"
"I will explain on the way there."
Half an hour later, they were in front of the entrance to the forest.
"So you want me to meet this Lord? And to learn Fusion magic from him?" Marduk asked Kayden.
"Yes he is a very strong magical beast, I'm sure you will learn a lot from him."
"That, I will establish myself."
"As demanding as ever, uh. You cheeky brat." Kayden said while stroking Marduk's hair.
"Oh here he comes."
A large Raiju came out of the forest.
'Oh he is indeed very strong, not as strong as the old man but for sure I can't beat him right now.' Marduk thought.
"How are you doing, Kayden?" Lord asked.
"I'm well and sorry about your horn. I completely forgot last time."
"Oh don't worry it will heal with time, or next time a tempest comes. And nice to meet you, Marduk. I'm sorry for the problem I caused last time."
"Don't worry, the old man already explained everything on our way here. I have a bad feeling about a god wanting to kill me, but I can't do anything about it for now."
"Well then if you already know everything it will be easier for you to accept me as your teacher."
"Who said that? I want to see what you are capable of before accepting you as a teacher."
"Oh, you are a cheeky one. Alright, I will show you."
The crackling sound of lightning magic filled the air as Lord started to flash from one place to another with incredible speed. Marduk barely managed to keep up with him when they reached an opening in the vegetation of the forest.
Then a loud thunder blasted from Lord's body, as a large explosion erased the whole area and with it a large portion of forest.
"What do you think?" Lord proudly asked the small child.
"Your lightning magic expertise is indeed deep and incredible, with only wind magic I couldn't keep up. Ok you have the capabilities to teach, let's go." Marduk said with a hint of excitement in his voice.
"Bye old man, I will see you in a year. I will stay with Lord to learn magic and to observe the daily life of a high level magic beast."
"A year!? Wait, wait, wait. What should I tell the others when they come asking me where you are?! Also, I needed to talk to you about something."
"Can't it wait?"
"Well let's just say you need to be back for your birthday, at the latest."
"That's settled then, but I don't want to be disturbed by anyone in those months, can you arrange that?"
"Of course, considering we have already prepared what we need to pass the winter."
"Well then, see you, old man. I will bring Zarke with me, so you don't have to worry about him."
"Alright then, see you cheeky brat, where could you have taken this trait from I really can't imagine."
Both Lord and Marduk scoffed at Kayden's words.
The next day, in the forest Lord was analyzing Marduk's Fusion magic.
"So you can use wind, earth and metal magic?"
"I can also use dimensional magic to some extent."
"Oh, oh. Dimensional magic isn't at all easy to use."
"I learned it to better understand how to make magical objects work and since I have a couple of dimensional magic crystals…"
"Oh those are really rare. I have a collection of human magical objects. Maybe one day I will show it to you. So you know how to use these types of magic?"
"Well yes, but as a human I don't have restrictions on magic types like you and other magical beasts."
"Well that's a downside of our evolution based life. But you learned all this alone, didn't you? Indeed, you are an extremely talented and intelligent boy, but your magic control is too unrefined for difficult types of magic or to activate more than one type of magic at time."
"What do you mean?"
"Well, even if it is outstanding, your understanding of magic is self tought, so you are missing all the fundamentals of magic. For instance, your control is severely lacking, you are able to cast one type of magic at a time and only basic spells."
"That's right, even if I can use dimensional magic, I'm able to only cast basic level spells. So we will start from magic control?"
"Yes I will teach you a way to better refine your mana's pattern and how to move your mana in an efficient and stable way. Then we will teach you how to 'twist' magic types the way you desire."
"What do you mean with 'twist' magic types?"
"You will see. It's not something you can understand just watching like you did with fusion magic. Now let's start."
In the meantime, in the land of gods, a beautiful woman with silver hair and a blindfold covering her eyes was sitting at a round table reading a book while sipping on a cup of tea.
"They already started to interfere, again. But this time it will be different."
"Sister, what have you seen?"
"Eunos, I didn't notice you there. How are you?"
"Sister, aren't you going to tell me what you have seen? Don't you trust me?"
"Not this time Eunos, I do trust you, but do you remember what happened with Zarke?"
"Yes, you are right. Ah, have you heard of Garus?"
"Yeah, he will probably sleep for a couple of years to heal from the injuries he sustained."
"Ahahahaha, what a fool he is. When he wakes up he will have to deal with me."
"Don't be lenient. Remember your role."
"Ugh sister, you are always talking about roles. I will, don't worry."
"Eunos, you are the goddess of law and equity. You have to carry out your work properly or you will be punished!"
"And who will punish me? We are gods, we are absolute and immortal. What can happen to me?"
"..."
"Alright I'm going, bye bye Fortis."
"You will be punished like all the other selfish beings. That's your fate. I can't wait to meet you, Marduk van Licht or shall I say Marduk Griffith."
Three months went by and Marduk's training was carrying on without hitches.
"Your magic control is way smoother now, Marduk."
"It's all thanks to your teachings, Lord."
In those months Marduk and Lord had become way closer and so they had decided to call each other by their names. Lord came up with this idea because magic beasts don't have the concept of honorifics, so he told Marduk to drop them.
"A couple of days and you will be ready."
"Ready for what?"
"To go ahead with the training and learn the 'twist'."
"At last! I can't wait."
"You really are a strange kid…"
"..."
"You don't show any emotion apart from learning and growing stronger."
"And you haven't seen me when I fight. They say my smile is frightening."
"Shall we see this smile?"
"What do you mean? You want to fight me?"
"Well it will help with your training and I can judge your capabilities better this way."
"Are you serious? I have been waiting from the very start for this! Don't pull your punches."
"Well, if you insist."
A creepy smile appeared on Marduk's face as he stretched his muscles before the big fight.
"Oh wow. It is indeed something else, that smile. Are you perhaps a savage?"
"Oh, now you are comparing me to a savage that lives in the north?"
"Well I met one, long ago, and he was as excited as you to fight me. He was an expert of martial arts on par with Kayden."
"Interesting, I would like to meet him."
"And fight him, right? Did you realize you just licked your upper lip?"
"Really? Well that's the effect strong people have on me."
"You really are the grandchild of that woman." Lord whispered.
"What did you say?!"
"I said let's start!"
To announce the start of the fight a loud thunder roared in the silent forest.
Marduk felt like a lot of eyes were watching him from that moment, but he didn't have time to check them out. Indeed a flash of lightning flew by his ear as if trying to catch his attention.
Lord was already closing the gap between them, at an incredible speed.
'Is he going for close combat because I am a kid? It seems that the old man hasn't told him.'
A green pattern appeared on Marduk's sculpted body as he activated wind magic, to boost his agility.
'Oh, the effect is much stronger now that I refined my magic control and my mana's pattern.'
While thinking that, Marduk started moving to use the sixth form of his seven winds' technique.
Another roar broke the silence in the forest as the wind started to move taking the shape of a lion, this time full body and as large as Lord. Marduk's proficiency was nearly maximized with this technique, making it possible for him to shape the lion however he wanted.
Lord was baffled by the sudden action of his disciple, this second of distraction was fatal. The lion rapidly leaped in front of the Raiju, and following Marduk's movement landed a blow on Lord's face, making him stumble back a little.
"Wait! Wait! Wait! You know martial arts?! And you are so proficient at your young age? What are you? How can you have this many talents?"
"Well, what can I say? I was kissed by the blindfolded goddess."
"Tch. Ok you win this round but we should try again, next time you will not be allowed to attack using martial arts but only fusion magic."
"I can't use fusion magic outside my body… I still can't use aura."
"Aura? Is it that energy that martial artists of the very high rank can use?"
"Yeah, well to be precise, it is the art of extending your senses and existence outside your own body to interfere with the outside world. To use it you need to have a strong body and mind, that's why you need to be at least a very high rak martial artist."
"So you say that if you could use aura you could use fusion magic as if it was bend magic?!"
"Well theoretically, yes. Infusing aura with your own mana you would be able to do it."
"That's crazy, you know? It goes against the rules of the world!"
"Who says that? We are the ones who make rules for the world, the world has no consciousness, those rules are meaningless. Besides, there are no rules which are unbreakable."
"Well anyway that's your problem, find your own way to attack me."
"Well that's unfair."
As if he was deaf, Lord lept towards Marduk once more, giving start to a new battle between teacher and disciple.