I've seen Zara's sparring matches before, and I know they're not timid. So, expecting a potentially dangerous environment, I properly donned my physical enhancements and magic armor before teleporting to Nina's old nest where I left Zara and Alara. Still, I wasn't prepared for the scene I walked into.
Shortly after arriving, I make several strange observations. First, there are no visible people around. Second, lightning and fireballs are flying wildly. Third, and in response to the first two points, I check the area with magic sense and detect three invisible presences in the immediate area.
The first two presences, recognizable as Zara and Alara, are the sources of the fireballs and lightning. They seem to be directing attacks at the third presence, but their aim is uncharacteristically poor. From magic sense, I can tell that the third presence is about a 4 ½ power level. Unnervingly, though, it's not registering as any species I've met before. More importantly, it doesn't have a clear spell class, so it either can't use magic or...it's like me.
As I'm getting ready to ask what the hell is going on, an intense beam of white light originates from the third presence and flashes towards Zara, barely missing her. It scorches through some of the trees past her and leaves them burning.
What the shit!? Was that a laser beam? If so, that's not good...I can rule out this entity being magic-less. I can't afford to be a passive observer anymore…this is obviously not a friendly sparring match, and that could have killed Zara if it connected.
"Zara! Alara! Get behind me!" (Mizuki)
As I call out, they both run over to me quickly as they drop their invisibility spells. I summon a forcefield around the third presence and imbue it with the additional property of reflecting all radiation – I don't want any more laser beams aimed at us. The result is a giant white sphere.
I turn to Zara and Alara to see their sweaty and relieved faces.
"They're trapped in that big white sphere now, so don't worry. Are you both okay? What is going on here?" (Mizuki)
They both nod furiously.
"We're okay, but I sure am glad to see you, Mizuki! I don't think we would have lasted much longer. A strange woman accosted us about being in Nina's nest, and Nina's absence. When we tried to explain, she didn't believe us, and it devolved into the fight you witnessed. Her abilities were…concerning." (Alara)
"Indeed. She could disappear at will, track our movements while we were invisible, and our attacks went right through her as if she weren't there. Lightning, fireballs, my sword…none of it affected her. The most troubling thing was…I couldn't sense her, even when she was visible. No smell, no sound…nothing." (Zara)
Their words make my blood run cold, and I'm sure the shock flashes across my face. If none of those attacks affected this mystery woman…
I quickly reactivate magic sense and probe for the third presence – it's no longer in my containment spell! Without a moment's hesitation, I teleport Alara and Zara back to the mansion without me, and I probe the environment for the mysterious presence...THERE!
It's a few meters away from me, stationary. I turn quickly to face the familiar but unknown presence – it's still invisible, but it's not moving. I stare directly at the center of its magic signature.
"I'm not particularly forgiving towards people who try to hurt my friends. Fortunately for you, I also dislike killing mysterious invisible people without meeting them. So, I'm going to give you one chance – show yourself and explain everything right now, or else…" (Mizuki)
I wait a few seconds, and the woman in question doesn't show herself, but she still doesn't move either. Is she thinking over my half-assed threat? If so, I'll give her a little push.
"If you're wondering whether it's worth being afraid of my threat, I'll save you the trouble. At the very least, I've learned that you don't have a physical body I can attack – I'm guessing you're one of these spirits I've heard about. While I don't know exactly what you're made of, I know you have magic. So, I'll take it away to weaken you, then start experimenting with different attacks until I find something that works." (Mizuki)
The effect is almost immediate…a mid-20s looking woman materializes in front of me. She has dark blue hair, white skin, and bright blue eyes, and her whole body has a holographic appearance to it. Most importantly, she looks absolutely terrified. Normally that would bother me, but until I know what I'm dealing with, I'm all for her having a healthy fear of me.
I direct a menacing glare at her.
"That's a good start. Now, tell me who and what you are." (Mizuki)
The woman nods furiously.
"I'm Y-Yona, Tchar'jee! You are w-wise indeed, I'm w-what the people of this p-planet call a G-Greater S-Spirit!" (Yona)
Oh wow…a Greater Spirit? No wonder Zara and Alara were so outmatched. I think Azazel implied that they're like the second strongest race on the planet. Even this random one has almost three times as much magic power as Ilina, the strongest non-dragon I've ever met.
Also, she said people of 'this planet'…does that mean she wasn't born here? I don't know how long Greater Spirits live.
Finally, what's with this excessive flattery and 'chargie' nonsense?
I continue glaring at her.
"Okay, Yona, why did you attack my friends?" (Mizuki)
"I was s-searching for Goddess Nedonera, but instead I found that wolf-kin and elf. When I asked them where she was, and what they were doing here, they told me some preposterous story about being friends with her! Elder Dragons like my Goddess would never do such a thing, so I intended to punish them for trespassing on such holy ground without permission! I now realize the truth, though – you have slain Goddess Nedonera and taken her nest as your own! I beg of you, forgive me for my insolence, Tchar'jee!" (Yona)
As she responds, Yona rushes forward and kneels on the ground, then bows fearfully.
Where the hell should I even start with that word vomit? Also, this worship-adjacent behavior is so not going to work for me. Most importantly, it's…unnerving…that she already thinks I could kill Nina. That feels like trouble.
I sigh deeply and hang my head, then begin rubbing my temples.
"Yona, first off, please don't kneel to me like that, and you can call me Mizuki. Second, I did not kill Nina, the one you call Goddess Nedonera…I'm her mate. What Zara and Alara, the wolf-kin and elf, told you is true. Nina gave them permission to train here, and we're all friends." (Mizuki)
Yona thankfully stands up, but her eyes are wide in shock.
"I could not possibly use your name like that, Tchar'jee! Please don't ask so much of me! Is what you say true, though, is my Goddess still alive and mated to you!?" (Yona)
I fight the urge to roll my eyes at Yona. I…think I'm tired of dealing with this alone.
[Hey Nina, can I bring you to me? I could use some assistance here.] (Mizuki)
I sense curiosity from Nina.
[Fufufu…of course! I do so love it when you need me, Mizuki. Bring me whenever you're ready.] (Nina)
Ohhhh, I bet she's going to regret that.
I reach out through our connection and teleport her in front of me. Seeing me, Nina flashes a beautiful smile and leaps over to wrap me in a hug. She plants an uncomfortably passionate kiss on me, then pulls away grinning.
"Mmm…now, what did you need your mate's help with, Mizuki? Fufufu…it's not often I get such requests from you!" (Nina)
Still a little dazed from the kiss, I gesture behind her towards Yona, who is staring at us with her holographic mouth wide open.
Nina gives me a puzzled look, then turns around to face Yona. I sense a rush of annoyance from Nina in response. Oh yeah, they're totally acquainted. Looks like Nina finds her company as enjoyable as I do.
"Goddess Nedonera, so it's true, you are mated to Tchar'jee! This is wondrous news!" (Yona)
Without responding to Yona, Nina turns back to me with an exhausted expression.
[Mizuki, what is the meaning of this?] (Nina)
I shrug back at Nina.
[The hell if I know! She was looking for you and I showed up as she was attacking Zara and Alara – they were sparring here. When I threatened her, she started calling me that name and refuses to stop. She also accused me of killing you. So, I brought you here to prove otherwise…and I didn't want to suffer alone!] (Mizuki)
Nina rolls her eyes at me, but she just turns back towards Yona. At that moment, I remember something concerning.
"Yona, earlier you accused me of killing Nina. I'm curious…why do you think I could do that? Most people consider it impossible for other creatures to defeat Elder Dragons." (Mizuki)
Yona gives me a puzzled expression.
"Tchar'jee, surely you jest? Even I can see that, while my Goddess towers above any Greater Spirit, your magic power is incomparably greater. To think that she could stand against you would be like declaring that the embers of a fire could outshine the sun." (Yona)
Her poetic nonsense aside…it seems my fears were justified. She really can sense my magic power level. I don't want to jump to conclusions, but…the implications of that are not good for anyone. I'm not aware of any spells that create that laser beam she used or that allow you to gauge someone's magic power level without touching them.
"I see…thank you, Yona. Could you tell me about that spell you used to attack my wolf-kin friend, Zara? The white light that also burns…how did you do it? I'm not mad, just curious." (Mizuki)
Yona becomes confused, then nervous. Eventually, though, she responds.
"To do what you describe, I merely spread my magic in the sky above me to collect all the sun's light and warmth, then focused it together towards the wolf-kin girl. However, I feel certain that you already know this…you also surrounded me with your magic and blocked out the sun's light. I confess, Tchar'jee, I am confused by this test of yours." (Yona)
I feel my heart sink…she knows how magic really works. Just from that description, I can tell that she knows magic is a separate and manipulatable source of energy, that it can be willed to interact with different aspects of the natural world, and that incantations are unnecessary. She's a walking violation of Azazel's rules.
"I see…how long have you known how to use magic like that? Specifically, Yona, how long have you known that magic is something you can manipulate and send to other places outside yourself?" (Mizuki)
Is this somehow my fault? If not, was it just a coincidence? Does Azazel know about it? Will he expect me to...deal with it?
To my surprise, Yona just shakes her head in confusion.
"All my life, Tchar'jee…that is the nature of a Greater Spirit. We are beings of pure magic, so we are keenly aware of it from the time we come into existence. For us to not know how magic moves and is influenced by our desires…it would be like Goddess Nedonera not knowing where her tail is." (Yona)
I hear Nina snort at the mention of losing her own tail. Putting aside that hilarious analogy...that's, unexpected. If all Greater Spirits understand magic like this intrinsically, then why the hell would Azazel bring them here? This just raises so many more questions.
Also, if Greater Spirits are made of pure magic…that raises its own set of questions. Would me dispersing Yona's magic have killed her? How does a being of pure magic exist and think? What's their lifecycle like?
Nina seems to sense my rising trepidation, and I see a concerned look from her.
[Mizuki, what's the matter? You seem troubled.] (Nina)
[Well, Yona and all other Greater Spirits understand magic in a way that seems like a violation of Azazel's rules. So, I'm just trying to figure out how much of a problem this may be for us.] (Mizuki)
Nina gives a surprised look, then nods slightly. I turn my attention back to Yona…I need more information to figure out how aware of them Azazel may be.
"Yona, earlier you said something that made me wonder…were you born on a different planet? I don't know how long Greater Spirits live, or when the first ones were brought to Azura." (Mizuki)
Yona nods politely.
"Yes, your deduction is correct. None of us were 'born' here, as you say. Instead, we were brought from another planet long ago, even before the Elder Dragons. Greater Spirits live an indefinite amount of time." (Yona)
So, Azazel clearly brought them here knowing full well what their magical abilities are…why did he do it? It doesn't make any sense.
"Uhm…this may seem like a strange question Yona, but what was it like when Azazel brought you here? Did he ask you any questions first? Did he give you any warnings? Did he mention why he was bringing you here?" (Mizuki)
Yona turns thoughtful for several moments, then looks back to me and nods.
"Hmm…actually, he asked us strange questions like you did. All the different ways we knew how to use our magic, and how we learned to use our magic. He even showed us some strange demonstrations and asked us to replicate them, but none of us could. The only warnings I remember were to not destroy too much life on the planet, and to not tell any other races about how we use magic. All he said about why he wanted us here was that we were anomalies." (Yona)
I nod at Yona appreciatively…I might know what Azazel was thinking. Those questions sound like he was gauging how extensive their knowledge of natural theory is, and how prone to expanding it is.
I'm guessing that he determined that their knowledge was rudimentary enough to not be a danger, and that they lacked the capacity to sufficiently improve it on their own. So, even though they have a clearer understanding of magic, they can't ever use it on a catastrophic scale.
He must have also trusted that they wouldn't spread their knowledge of magic fundamentals. Given that they still seem minimally destructive, and Azazel's preferred magic theory prevails amongst the other races, I'd say his assessment was spot-on in both cases.
The part I find most interesting is why he was willing to risk it at all. He called them anomalies, but that could mean anything. Still, I wonder…Azazel said that all carbon-based life in the universe is some god-modified variation of a single long-lost natural ancestor. But the Greater Spirits aren't carbon-based lifeforms – the fact that Yona passed through my forcefield means she's not composed of matter.
Could they have evolved naturally? That certainly sounds like something Azazel would take a risk over. I look back at Yona and smile encouragingly, and she seems relieved.
"Thanks, Yona, that's a huge help. If it's not too personal, do you mind telling me how Greater Spirits are born?" (Mizuki)
Yona's face turns bitter for a moment, then she nods reluctantly. Is that…too personal? I said she didn't have to answer, so I don't get the attitude.
"On our home planet, there were special large crystals – Origin Shards. There were only ever five found, and as far as we know they'd been around since the beginning of that world. Over very long periods of time, intense magic would accumulate in them. If a Greater Spirit focused their will on a sufficient level of magic inside an Origin Shard, another Greater Spirit could take form." (Yona)
Origin Shards, huh? The fact that they could concentrate magic at all is remarkable. As far as I have been able to tell, magic doesn't intrinsically interact with anything else, not even itself, until you will its properties to change.
I suspect that magic might still be influenced by spacetime curvature, the same way light is, but I'm not sure. The effects would be very hard to test on a small scale, so I can't really confirm my suspicion.
Magic theory aside, doesn't her description of how Greater Spirits are born create a chicken and egg problem?
"Yona, you say that a Greater Spirit has to focus their will on the magic inside these Origin Shards to create another Greater Spirit. If that's the case, though, then how was the first Greater Spirit born?" (Mizuki)
"There were also humans on our home planet. The first ever Greater Spirit, Nierdu, told us that he saw a human man staring at the Origin Shard when he came into existence. We believe that the human stumbled across the Origin Shard, and he unknowingly influenced the magic inside it with his will." (Yona)
That sure as hell sounds like a naturally evolving race to me…no wonder Azazel was interested in them. Why did they agree to come here, though? I don't think there are Origin Shards on Azura, and the fact that no new Greater Spirits have been born here is consistent with that. If they can't reproduce, isn't that a huge issue for them?
"That's remarkable…I can see why Azazel was so interested in your people. Although, I can't help but wonder…why would you agree to come to this planet, Yona? I'm guessing there are no Origin Shards here, so your people can't ever grow in number. I can't imagine anything on your home planet being enough of a danger to you to warrant fleeing either." (Mizuki)
A bitter expression returns to Yona's face, more intense than before. This time, it doesn't go away. She nods her acknowledgement, then speaks with a tone that's a mix of anguish and rage.
"The Origin Shards were defiled by the humans of our planet. It seems that they learned of their ability to store large amounts of magic, and eventually they began breaking them into pieces to use for their own purposes. After we realized what they were doing, we tried our best to stop them, but our superior magical abilities couldn't overcome their numbers. Eventually…all five Origin Shards…" (Yona)
Yona trails off emotionally and remains silent for a moment. So, that's how it is…they lost their ability to reproduce on their home planet.
Yona seems to collect herself and continues with her story.
"We spent millennia searching our home planet for another Origin Shard to no avail. When Azazel eventually visited our planet and made his offer to come here, our people were divided. Some felt that we could still find one if we kept looking, and they couldn't overcome their attachment to our home world. Others, like me, felt that there could be Origin Shards on Azura that Azazel didn't know about, and that we'd at least be away from the humans who destroyed our people's future if there weren't. So, some of us came here." (Yona)
That's devastating. For any other race…they'd have gone extinct by now. Fortunately, they don't age, get sick, or take damage from normal attacks. Still, it can't feel good knowing that you'll never meet new members of your own race.
Speaking of which, there are supposed to be unintelligent spirits on Azura – I think Azazel called them minor spirits. Yona makes it sound like the Origin Shards only produced the Greater Spirits, so where did the minor spirits come from? Maybe the Greater Spirits could reproduce that way.
"I'm sorry about that Yona…I can only imagine how your people must feel. I'm under the impression that there are similar entities on Azura called minor spirits. I haven't heard you mention them, so how are you related? Would it be possible to create Greater Spirits the same way that minor spirits come into existence?" (Mizuki)
Yona shakes her head sadly.
"Minor spirits are our…failures. Some of us thought that if we could accumulate enough magic like the Origin Shards did, and focus our will on it, that we could create new Greater Spirits that way. Unfortunately, making intense enough accumulations of magic is so taxing that they only have a tiny fraction of our magic power. So, the spirits formed from these accumulations – minor spirits – lack enough total magic to be intelligent. They are also...unstable." (Yona)
Jeez…the Greater Spirits went full mad scientist to solve their reproduction issue, huh? Wait a second, though, she just dropped an interesting piece of information casually.
I give Yona a puzzled expression.
"What do you mean by that? That they don't have enough magic to be intelligent?" (Mizuki)
Yona looks surprised that I'm asking.
"A spirit's intelligence also increases with its magic power level. That's why the strongest Greater Spirits are also our leaders. It's also why we worship Goddess Nedonera. We are aware that, for other races, wisdom is not related to magic power. Still, magic is so fundamental to our being that we revere those with as much as yourselves." (Yona)
Holy shit…that description…it makes spirits seem like magic-based neural networks – magic A.I. That would explain the other things I've heard. The more magic, i.e. the larger the neural network, the smarter the spirit.
It also sounds like, for a spirit to form, the magic needs to accumulate at a minimum density before being activated by someone's will…whatever that means. Maybe the density requirement is so that the individual particles of magic are in enough proximity to communicate effectively? Since magic doesn't interact with itself naturally, perhaps the 'will activation' just initializes the magic's communication network?
If so, all they need is more magic! Even if I can only accumulate less than a percent of my magic power to those specifications, the resulting spirit should have at least as much magic as Yona here. It's worth a shot, right?
I smile at Yona excitedly, and she gives me a look that's a mix of confusion and nervousness.
"Well, Yona, it sounds like all you need is more magic. I have plenty to spare, so how about I make this large, dense magic accumulation that you need. Then, you can handle the will focusing part, and we may be able to create a new Greater Spirit! What do you say?" (Mizuki)
After my offer, I give Yona a confident smile to let my point sink in. However, she doesn't react how I expect…she just smiles sadly and shakes her head.
"I'm thankful for your generosity, Tchar'jee, but that won't work." (Yona)
Uhm…what? Why wouldn't it? It seems consistent with everything I've heard so far.
I narrow my eyes at Yona skeptically.
"How do you know it won't work? I'm not aware of anyone else who could do that." (Mizuki)
I know that sounds more than a little conceited, but…come on! I was proud of that deduction, so I'd like to know why she's so sure it's wrong.
"You're correct, no one person could do as you've offered. However, several centuries ago, all the Greater Spirits on Azura worked together to achieve something similar. We each accumulated as much sufficiently intense magic as we could, then combined it all before focusing our will on it." (Yona)
That's a clever idea. I raise my eyebrows at Yona.
"And? What happened?" (Mizuki)
Yona grimaces.
"It worked…in a way. An intelligent spirit was born that had as much magic power as me. However, he was unstable, like the minor spirits, and he died relatively quickly. His death was…unsettling…and the method we used to create him has been forbidden by our people ever since." (Yona)
So, I'm missing something. It's not just the amount of magic…what else, though? What could be fundamentally different between that synthetic spirit and Yona? She said he was 'unstable', but that's not exactly informative.
My thoughts are interrupted by a pained thought message from Nina, who is staring at me with dead eyes.
[Mizuki, this is sooo boring…when can we go back home? This is very sad for the spirits, but it doesn't seem like we can do anything. Wouldn't our time be better spent playing air hockey?] (Nina)
I…surely that dragon doesn't need me to explain to her why that's rude, right? Still, I guess she's not really helping here. Might as well let her spend her time some other way.
I sigh deeply.
[I'd like to stay and get more information about this. I'll send you home without me, though, and you can go back to what you were doing. When I send you back, tell Zara and Alara that everything is fine. Also, if you run into Alto, let me know so that I can bring her here. She may be more interested in what we've learned.] (Mizuki)
Nina shrugs at me and nods, then I teleport her back to the mansion without me. Seeing Nina suddenly disappear, Yona yelps in surprise and looks at me fearfully.
"Tchar'jee, what happened to Goddess Nedonera!?" (Yona)
I make a placating gesture at her and smile reassuringly. Then, I sit down on the ground – I'm going to be here a while.
"Relax, Yona, Nina is fine. She had other matters she needs to attend to, so I sent her back to where she came from. I have more questions for you, so I'm going to stay." (Mizuki)
Yona just stares at me with a dumbfounded expression for several seconds, then shakes her head in exasperation.
"You just s-sent her away…instantly? You're truly a Tchar'jee." (Yona)
Why is she surprised by that? I brought Nina here just as suddenly. Also, I have really been avoiding derailing this conversation, but...I can't take it anymore.
"Yona, why do you keep calling me that? What the hell does that word mean?" (Mizuki)
She gives me a confused look.
"Tchar'jee? That is what you are. A being who makes a mockery of reason – an Absurd One. I can't even properly compare your magic power to other beings on this planet, so Tchar'jee is the only appropriate description for you." (Yona)
Nina is strong, and she gets called 'Goddess', but I have a little too much magic and suddenly I'm an 'Absurd One'!? I, for one, am offended.
On the other hand, I don't want to be called 'God Mizuki' either. Why can't she just use my name? It's so unfair.
I shake my head in exasperation and sigh deeply. It's probably best to move on…this would just be a waste of time to address with Yona. I can feel it.
"Never mind that, I guess. A moment ago, you said that the minor spirits and the intelligent spirit you created were all 'unstable'…what did you mean by that? How exactly did they differ from you?" (Mizuki)
"Well, they could not maintain their form, of course. Greater Spirits cast spells with the magic we're made of, and even if it drains most of our power, we can recover fully. However, the spirits we made lost magic power over time, and they couldn't replenish themselves after casting spells." (Yona)
Hmm…it sounds like their composition was fundamentally different. Maybe there was something else included in the Origin Shards' creation process, like the magic being organized a certain way or imbued with trace amounts of non-magic particles.
Yona seems to constantly reorganize the magic within herself and change its properties for spells and movement, so I doubt that the first hypothesis is valid. In that case, Yona could be made of trace amounts of something that allows magic to stably accumulate…like a scaffold. I wonder…
"Yona, you're made of pure magic, right?" (Mizuki)
"Of course, as I said." (Yona)
"If that's the case, why can't you just grow more powerful by taking more magic into yourself? When you use magic for spells, you're replacing it from the environment over time. What happens if you try to pull in more magic when you're already at full power?" (Mizuki)
Yona looks at me like I'm insane, then becomes confused.
"I'm…not sure. If I were to pull in more magic the way you describe…it feels out of control, like the magic is not a part of me. It would slip away over time. My being cannot contain more magic than it has." (Yona)
Bingo…I think we have a winner. If there is some other particle acting as a scaffold for Yona's magic, and its absence is the cause of the instability in the synthetic spirits, her description makes sense. There would be no room for extra magic on her existing scaffold, and it would behave like the magic in those synthetic beings – unstable, dissipating over time.
What would this invisible scaffold particle be, though? Yona isn't even aware of it herself, so asking is pointless. Either it's a known particle from Earth physics, or yet another exotic particle like magic. Starting with non-exotic particles sounds easier…they have known properties, so I can narrow down the list and try to test for them.
The biggest hint about the particle is her gliding right through my forcefield earlier. That should have repelled any actual matter – particles with rest mass. So, any particles Yona is made of must be massless. Of the ones in the Standard Model, that leaves photons, gluons, and the still theoretical gravitons.
Photons are out – I also imbued that forcefield with the property of reflecting radiation. If it's gravitons, I'm screwed…I don't know how I'd accumulate or even test for those since they're not even proven to exist yet. Hmm…can I create a barrier that specifically repels gluons? Having Yona try to move through that would be a good test.
It's worth trying.
I've been looking away, silent and deep in thought, and Yona is just staring at me nervously. I guess I should fill her in.
"Sorry, Yona, I was lost in thought. I'm going to do a little test, so just stay there while I get things set up." (Mizuki)
Yona immediately becomes fearful again.
"T-Tchar'jee, you're not going to try and kill me, are you!? I swear, I'll never bother your friends again!" (Yona)
I stare at her blankly for a moment…where the hell did that come from?
Oh…right…she still thinks I'm deciding whether to execute her for attacking Zara and Alara, and the last time I mentioned experimenting was a threat about learning how to kill her.
Truthfully, I got totally derailed by my curiosity and forgot that I'm supposed to be deciding her punishment. I guess I need to address her initial actions before I do anything else.
There's a good chance I'd just kill her if she were human, or even if she were just a regular elf – she tried to kill my friends without real provocation. However, knowing the Greater Spirits' predicament changes things a bit.
As of right now, with no way to reproduce, they're on the slow path to extinction in this universe. I can't quite bring myself to cold-bloodedly execute one of the few ones left.
Plus, I'm not even certain that I can kill her – I'm just assuming that a complete magic drain would do the trick. If I try and fail, the wrath of the Greater Spirits might be a serious pain. It's probably best to let her slide with a stern warning for now.
I make another placating gesture towards Yona and shake my head.
"No, I'm going to let it slide this time…you were just protecting your forest. However, I'm overlooking it only this once. If any other Greater Spirits, including you, ever turn hostile towards me or my friends again, I will be killing them. So, I suggest you spread the word. Understood?" (Mizuki)
Relief washes over Yona's face and she nods furiously.
"Thank you! You have my word, Tchar'jee, I will make sure that none of my people do something so foolish again! But…uhm…if your testing is not to kill me, what did you mean?" (Yona)
I give Yona a smug smile.
"Ah, yes, I have an idea about why the spirits you made were unstable. The testing is to see if I'm correct. If I am, we should be able to make proper Greater Spirits. Just sit there for now, and I'll get started." (Mizuki)
Yona's eyes go wide in shock at my claim, but she nods her acknowledgement and remains silent. Then, she starts watching me closely. Oh well, nothing I can do about that. I turn my attention to making the gluon barrier.
I will my magic to form a square 'shield' in the space in front of me, then I imagine it starting to repel gluons. I take special care to think about the properties of gluons as I envision them – they're holding together other elementary particles that make up the protons and neutrons in atomic nuclei, and they have no rest mass.
After the spell feels 'settled', I inspect it…it's invisible. Good, that's step one – the barrier isn't interacting with visible spectrum photons.
I grab a pebble off the ground and toss it towards the invisible barrier…it bounces off as though hitting a wall. That's reassuring – there are gluons in the nuclei of the atoms that make up that rock. This barrier passes check two with flying colors. However, a regular forcefield would pass these tests so far as well…I have one last test.
Electrons – they're elementary particles themselves, devoid of gluons, but they have rest mass. While a forcefield will reflect them, they should pass right through a gluon-shield.
I collect some air inside a magic sphere and will my magic to strip all the electrons off the atoms inside, then propel them in front of me in a stream. I aim the electron beam away from the gluon-shield first, to confirm how far it will visibly go, and I see an arc of lightning extend out several meters in front of me. That'll do!
I repeat the procedure, now aimed at the gluon-shield, and the lightning...passes right through the barrier.
"Success!" (Mizuki)
I can't be certain it's a perfect gluon-shield, but passing those tests is compelling enough evidence. Time to see how it affects Yona.
I turn towards her with an excited smile, and she's just watching me with her mouth open in shock. Yeah, I guess she did just witness a whole series of confusing magic. That's...not my problem right now.
I summon a new gluon-shield between us.
"Yona, I just put a special magic barrier between the two of us…I need you to come towards me and see if you can pass through it." (Mizuki)
Yona gives me a nervous expression, but she nods obediently. She moves towards the barrier, then stops right in front of it to look at me apprehensively. Huh…I guess she can sense its location then.
"Tchar'jee, this won't hurt me, will it?" (Yona)
Honestly…I hadn't considered that it was even possible for a spirit to feel pain. How does that work? Hmm…
"Uhm…I don't think so? You should either bounce off it or pass right through it. I can't imagine any reason it would damage you. That said, I'm dealing with something I don't fully understand…that's the whole reason for this test. So, I can't promise you anything." (Mizuki)
Yona nods and looks back towards the gluon-shield thoughtfully, then seems to make up her mind. She abruptly closes the distance to the barrier, and…
"Shit on a stick…" (Mizuki)
Yona passed through the gluon-shield like it wasn't even there.
I sigh deeply…this just got significantly harder. If my magic scaffolding theory is right, the scaffold is either gravitons or another exotic particle like magic. Honestly, given the state of Earth's graviton research, those might as well be the same thing. One way or another, this hypothetical scaffold particle is something that I don't know a way to test for or isolate.
Yona looks at me hopefully.
"Is this a good thing? I do not understand what you're doing, Tchar'jee." (Yona)
"Not exactly…if you'd been unable to pass through that barrier, I could help you. I might still be able to, but it will take more time and testing. Unfortunately, I don't have any other ideas right now. What else can you tell me about these Origin Shards?" (Mizuki)
Something about the Origin Shards must be introducing these scaffold particles. Either they're already present in the Origin Shard naturally, or they get created as magic accumulates. Any little bit of information could be relevant. Even if I don't fully understand what the particles are, I might be able to replicate their creation.
"Hmm…I…don't think I left anything out. All we know is that they accumulate magic over time, then we focus our will on them after they are finished, and a Greater Spirit comes into existence." (Yona)
She's right…that's not new information. She's very bad at providing details, I'm finding. Looks like it will be up to me to probe her with better questions until something relevant emerges.
"Okay…you said when they are finished accumulating magic. Did your people ever 'focus your will' on the Origin Shards before that? If so, what happened?" (Mizuki)
Yona looks off thoughtfully for a long time.
"No, I've never seen anyone do such a thing…such a practice was condemned on my home world. I believe that's because it was done by accident in the early days of our people, before I existed, and it produced an intelligent but unstable spirit." (Yona)
Why would you not mention that sooner, Yona!? The fact that it was possible for the Origin Shards to produce intelligent but unstable spirits is critical information! It suggests the scaffold particle isn't naturally present in the Origin Shards – it must get produced as enough magic accumulates.
So, I need more information about what things Yona and her people noticed as the Origin Shards 'finished' accumulating magic. That probably coincided with the creation of this scaffold particle.
"Yona, you make it sound like your people could be sure when the Origin Shards were 'finished' accumulating magic…how did you know?" (Mizuki)
"Oh, well we could sense the amount of magic inside them growing continuously, but eventually it would start to decrease. When we noticed that, we knew it was time!" (Yona)
Wait…decrease? That's…unlikely…does she mean it slowed down?
"Yona, when you say decrease, do you mean like it slowed down, to where the amount of magic inside wasn't growing as quickly?" (Mizuki)
Yona shakes her head confidently.
"No, Tchar'jee, I mean that we could sense how much magic the Origin Shard contains. At first, as time passed, we would sense more magic. Eventually, though, the magic we sensed was less as time passed, as though magic was being lost from the Origin Shard." (Yona)
That…doesn't make sense. If the Origin Shard just slowly leaked magic, even at a rate proportionate to the amount of magic, it still shouldn't peak and decrease like that. The same would be true if the magic, once inside the Origin Shard, was reacting with something else or even just decaying.
I assume that conservation of energy still applies, and there are just other forms of it like magic that I don't understand. If so, the only thing I can think of that would produce behavior like Yona is describing is...fundamental fusion of the magic particles after a critical density is reached.
Could that be it? Once the Origin Shard sufficiently concentrates enough magic inside itself, the magic particles fuse with one another to create a new particle that Yona's people can't sense?
There might be other factors in the Origin Shard that are necessary for the fusion. Also, the scaffold particle itself might be a later product of reacting the fused magic particles with something else in the Origin Shard. Still, those issues are testable if not solvable!
My thoughts are interrupted by a message from Nina.
[Mizuki, I have met up with Alto. You were right…she seems inexplicably interested in that annoying spirit.] (Nina)
I suppress laughter at Nina's assessment…I knew that Alto and I would be of the same mind about this situation.
[Fufufu…thanks, Nina. Let me know when Alto is ready, and I'll teleport her to me.] (Mizuki)
A few seconds go by.
[Okay, she is ready.] (Nina)
[Thanks, Nina!] (Mizuki)
Using my connection to Nina as a guide, I home in on Alto's signature and teleport her next to me. Her sudden appearance startles Yona.
"Ahh! Tchar'jee, do you know this woman!?" (Yona)
Alto seems completely unfazed by Yona's reaction, and immediately walks toward her excitedly.
"Hi, my name is Alto! I'm a friend of Mizuki! Are you the Greater Spirit I've been hearing about? Yona?" (Alto)
Yona looks at me in bewilderment, obviously asking for confirmation. I just smile and nod, and that seems to relax her. Yona bows at Alto respectfully.
"I am honored that you have heard of me! Nice to meet you Alto, friend of Tchar'jee!" (Yona)
Alto turns to me for the first time, wearing a puzzled expression.
"Uhm…I didn't realize that you two had grown so close, Mizuki. Even I don't have pet names for you…not ones I use to your face at least. Am I being replaced by Yona as your best friend?" (Alto)
Wait…what was that about Alto's pet names for me?
Yona's face lights up excitedly and she looks at me.
"Tchar'jee, is this true!? Am I now your best friend!?" (Yona)
Alto, very clearly aware that this is not the case, is making a pitiful attempt to stifle her laughter. Yona is just staring at me with stars in her eyes.
I sigh deeply and shake my head.
"No, Yona, Alto just has an inflated sense of her own comedic value – she's still my best friend. If you keep being this polite, though, I think you could be one of my friends." (Mizuki)
Yona seems briefly dejected by the rebuttal, but she perks up when I mention being friends again.
"This is most humbling news, Tchar'jee! I will endeavor to do so, thank you!" (Yona)
Alto smirks and shakes her head in amusement.
"Well, my allegedly poor jokes aside…what is she calling you that for? Yona, what does that name mean?" (Alto)
Oh god…I know how this is about to play out, but I can't interject fast enough. It's like watching a car crash in slow motion.
"Oh! I believe the most appropriate alternative phrasing would be…Absurd One, or…Being of Absurdity." (Yona)
Alto glances between Yona and me with a dumbfounded expression for a moment, then begins laughing hysterically. When she eventually calms down enough to talk…
"Oh, Mizuki, that's a perfect name for you! Fufufu…you really are absurd to your core! We should change that to your official name as the leader of our little party!" (Alto)
I present my most unamused expression to Alto.
"Permission denied, Alto." (Mizuki)
Alto raises her eyebrows at me, like 'as if, dude'. I sigh deeply…she's so not going to let that nickname go.
"So, Alto, did you just come here to derail the conversation, or did you want to know all the interesting things I've learned without you? It's not too late for me to send you back and continue on my own!" (Mizuki)
Alto's eyes turn frantic as she snaps her head towards me.
"Hey, Mizuki, don't be so vindictive! I was just joking around! I'm done now, though, I swear. You can tell me everything I missed…don't leave out any details!" (Alto)
I smirk at Alto's satisfyingly compliant attitude shift, but I don't rub it in for too long. I spend the next several minutes explaining what's transpired since we parted ways earlier. When it comes to my internal thoughts about the underlying science, I convey them to Alto privately with thought messages.
She hasn't learned any real particle physics from me, and she can't ask questions privately for clarification, so I suspect there are holes in her final understanding. Still, she seems to glean the general state of things regarding Yona and the other Greater Spirits.
When I'm done, she wears a serious expression. She looks at Yona and nods sympathetically.
"Well, Yona, I'm very sorry to hear about the plight of your people…I can't imagine the resentment and despair you must have felt. For what it's worth, we're going to work together to try and solve this. Given what I've heard, and knowing Mizuki, it's only a matter of time before we succeed!" (Alto)
I feel myself tense up, and I glare at Alto. Why the hell is she making promises like that!? You never assume anything in research, you damn elf! Don't give Yona false hope!
The cat is out of the bag, though…Yona's face lights up excitedly.
"Very well, I will entrust this matter to you, Tchar'jee…the Greater Spirits will be forever indebted if you succeed!" (Yona)
I groan internally…great, now Alto's done it. I smile at Yona and nod, unsure how else to respond. However, I notice that it's getting late.
"Alto, I think we need to go now…I have that other obligation tonight. I promise, we'll research this further as soon as we can. Yona, it's time for us to take our leave, but I'll return eventually…you have my word. I shouldn't have any trouble finding you if we learn something important." (Mizuki)
Yona just nods politely.
"I understand, Tchar'jee, I look forward to your return. Please give Goddess Nedonera my best wishes!" (Yona)
Alto gives me a confused expression after Yona's use of the word 'goddess'.
[Don't even ask…] (Mizuki)
Alto smirks at my exhaustion-rich thought message.
This day has been one emotional curveball after another, and I'm not even done yet. Worse still, when I consider the next few days…
My troubles are only going to increase from here on.