章 22: The Answer Lies With Emi
Back at the library, Nagisa scoured through the records to find anything remotely useful in increasing his mana output and speed. Nagisa sat at his old spot, all the way in the back of the library. Just as the bubble was about to fully cover and ensure privacy, Chisa managed to sneak in at the very last second.
"Do you mind if I join you?" She grinned.
"Not at all," Nagisa replied back.
The two of them quietly researched what they could find and after about an hour in Nagisa furiously scratched his head in utmost frustration to vent.
"None of this helps me whatsoever! Just practice? It will take time? Nothing comes easy! Like… how are these books even allowed to be printed and put into a library?!" Nagisa slammed the desk and Chisa looked at him.
"You know most people keep their training methods a secret? The upper class, nobles and royal families do not benefit at all from sharing. Whereas the people stemming from lower classes keep it a secret, since it is the one thing that sets them apart? Somewhat it makes all sense…" Chisa piled on, and it did make sense.
Although it was not the answer Nagisa initially had sought out to receive.
Nagisa closed his eyes to scramble his thoughts, and Chisa chose to stare quietly until he opened them with a grin. He pushed the tapped the crystal button and the surrounding bubble dispersed.
"I will be back in a second!" Nagisa turned his head and disappeared into the rafts.
If Nagisa remembered correctly there was something that he had already read and it was exactly what he needed. He returned with a much familiar book and slammed it on the desktop to cause a reaction out of Chisa.
"Werebeasts?" Chisa was puzzled.
"Yeah!" Nagisa answered enthusiastically.
He opened up the book and scrolled to the important section about their anatomy and abilities. Quick innate reactions with high mobility speed, heightened senses. This was the section he needed!
"Are you planning on training Emi to train yourself?" Chisa put on a more scolding kind of voice.
"What is wrong with that plan?" Nagisa was now confused instead.
"Have you met her? Her timid character?" Now she was scolding Nagisa.
"You are right…" Nagisa closed the book with both hands and wrapped things up, "Let's head home, shall we?" He added.
"Does that mean dinner?" Chisa beamed.
"No!" Nagisa firmly denied her.
"Why not?!" She pleaded Nagisa for dinner and he sighed loudly, surrendering to her obsessive and gluttonous needs.
Back at the apartment they sought out to have a quiet dinner and barely discussed things. Emi managed to read the room and kept her thoughts to herself until Chisa had taken her leave.
"Did you not win today?" Emi worryingly asked and tugged away at Nagisa's shirt while he was doing the dishes.
Nagisa finished the final plate and dried his hands before turning around.
"I will get him next time, do not worry about it," Nagisa grinned back at Emi.
"Now how about we both go out for a walk?" Nagisa asked and Emi's eyes immediately began to sparkle.
After all, Emi had been locked in his room all this time. Finally she would have the opportunity to venture outside and stretch her legs while breathing in some fresh air coming from the surrounding garden.
Nagisa took the North-Eastern path to walk all the way around the herb garden, and slightly into the forest. The sun was already setting and Emi walked closer to Nagisa, slightly frightened.
"Does the dark scare you?" Nagisa asked and she nodded.
"I find it soothing, however you have nothing to worry about, I am here for you," Nagisa patted her head.
The moon began to shine and they reached an open area in the forest where it shone down on a small river and a large rock besides it. Nagisa took out two boxes he hid away in his backpack.
"Let's have a small night-time snack, shall we?" He gently looked at Emi.
Nagisa put down a blanket and both of them gazed at the stars. They talked about the star constellations, the topic and food did their job in calming Emi down.
Once Emi was calm, Nagisa resumed a more serious expression and looked at her intently for a second.
"Emi, can you fight or do any kind of combat?" Nagisa inquired.
Emi turned around and met his gaze, and knew she had to answer it as it seemed important to Nagisa.
"Mm," she nodded.
"What kind?" Nagisa asked.
She immediately stood up to demonstrate.
< Nature's Call >
Emi's entire body began emitting a clear and light green color. It was if she had siphoned nature's magic and encoated herself with it, the glow was mild and very gentle.
< Nature's Lust >
Both her hands and feet began forming enchanted claws outwards and looked like knuckles. Nagisa deduced that by the glow of her abilities she was already around Stage-2. He walked up to pat her head.
"Did I do good?" Emi asked.
"You did great like always," Nagisa smiled and then took a step backwards.
He unsheathed his wooden sword and it alarmed Emi a bit.
"Nothing to worry about, I want to test your abilities, so how about we do some light training?"
Emi nodded once more, but still appeared a bit afraid and hesitant.
"Do not worry about hitting me, I can take quite a bit of damage," Nagisa patted his arm, "I am strong, remember," he laughed.
"Now charge and show me what you got! Remember this is all for your own good," And Nagisa meant it.
The training could benefit both of them if he was right about this. A werebeast had keen senses and rapid speed. Nagisa was dying to try out his Arcane Awakening and see if he could get a read on her.
< Enshrouding Wind > & < Enshrouding Cloak >
< Arcane Awakening > & < Arcane Coating >
Nagisa made way with his own enchantments before Emi who was already charging managed to reach him. The two of them lightly sparred and Nagisa felt it was odd that all of his readings of Emi were too perfect and easy to read.
"You are not fully serious, are you?" Nagisa realized.
Emi shyly looked away.
"There is no point to this, unless I know how strong you really are," Nagisa gently hunched over and grabbed both of her shoulders.
"Do not hold back, give it your all," Nagisa got back up.
"But at this rate… I will hurt you…" Emi hushly spoke.
"I doubt it, unless you give it your all," Nagisa smiled.
Emi's eyes became more serious and her eye color changed to red. Nagisa gulped, was this not something he read before? Eye color changing being unique to certain werebeasts.
Emi began charging again, redirecting her knuckles-shaped claws towards his chest.
"Good," Nagisa thought.
It somehow seemed he could still read her despite her speed being increased more than two-fold. However when Emi reached in front and Nagisa went in to deflect the attack, his sides got slashed.
His shield already began to heavily diminish and there was a deeply inflicted three-lined scarred wound by his right waist.
"Okay, that is enough," Nagisa felt his waist sting.
Nagisa called it after realizing he could not react to her speed at all.
Then his back got sliced. Emi was already behind him and struck Nagisa with her other hand. She then leg sweeped with her right foot and pierced through the back of his left thigh.
Nagisa's shield broke and he fell over, coughing up blood.
"Emi, that is enough…" Nagisa tried to speak, however he was struck again on his back.
The pain began to overwhelm him and Emi slowly stood in front and was ready to cut his throat.
"Emi, what has gotten into you, do you not know who I am?" Nagisa cried out hard enough for it to appeal to the real Emi who was somehow underneath it all.
Her eyes turned back to her sapphired-colored ones and tears began to form.
"I am so sorry," Emi started to sob immediately and hugged Nagisa.
Nagisa was relieved, another second or two and he was definitely a goner.
"It is okay… everything is back to normal now," Nagisa stroked her hair slowly downwards and she calmed down after a while.
The two of them discussed what happened and Nagisa got the gist of it. If Emi ever gets too focused or enraged, a certain frenzy occurs, enhancing her abilities and takes away all of her reasoning. Her speed definitely outmatched Miyuki's by that point.
"From now on, we will train every day for you to be able to control yourself and when you are in a frenzy, okay?" Nagisa suggested.
Emi agreed without any further complaints. She realized herself how important it was not to hurt those around her, especially Nagisa.
"Oh and keep this a secret from Chisa, okay?" Nagisa reached out with his pinky.
"Mm!" Emi reached out with her own and they crossed pinkies to promise in keeping it a secret.
Nagisa genuinely smiled, things began to look up. If he could somehow train his beloved Emi, not only could she grow stronger, but so could he.
It was time for them to take their relationship to the next level and better themselves, in order to overcome both of their pasts.
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