章節 630: Collision : Awakening
Vahn was truly awed by how strong Fenrir had become, especially considering she was still 'only' Level 5. With few exceptions, there wouldn't be anyone able to defeat her within the Danmachi record and, if not for the fact that they weren't fighting to the death, Vahn would have already lost three times at this point. She hadn't used her claws, teeth, or skills like [Severing Claws] throughout the entire fight, each something that would simply overwhelm his current defensive capabilities. There was also the fact she had her [Hroovitnir], which Vahn could see was a self-created 'ultimate' ability that she was holding onto. He suspected that, if she used it from the beginning, the fight would have immediately ended...
However, Vahn wasn't going to back down and, now that things had reached this point, his own blood was burning with more than just excitement. Because of the amount of damage he had taken, Vahn's scales had small cracks located all over, each allowing wisps of crimson flames to break through the skin. The ice around him hadn't melted, but instead instantly evaporated in an ever-expanding circle as his jade-green eyes transitioned into a vermillion color. His previously black pupils now emitted a golden light which, when observed closely, looked like the cores of stars. The previously golden aura around his body turned a vermillion-gold as Vahn kicked against the ground, launching himself towards Fenrir with enough momentum to create three conal shockwaves, shattering the molten ground below in the process.
Fenrir's hair was standing on end as she immediately fled towards the sky, showing an excited smile on her face as she evaded her Master's attack. All of her senses were screaming for her to stay away from him and she had been taught to always trust her instincts. Where she had previously stood, her Master simply passed through the icy pillar as if it had been an illusion, dissipating the magic power within the ice in an instant. The battlefield she had created to give her an advantage was slowly breaking down as the world around them began to burn everywhere her Master moved. Twisting her body in the air, Fenri brought her paws together like she was praying, shouting, "Master, give me strength! Come to me, spirits, heed Fenrir's call! Drown, Freeze, I don't care! Go go go~!"
Vahn had smashed into the ground nearly 200m away from where he launched himself, sinking into the molten earth that was created when he came into contact with it. Strangely, he felt like a fish in the water and could move through the liquid stone as if it was his natural environment. When he came to the surface of the small pool he had created, however, Vahn's eyes widened greatly because the entire sky had become a frigid blue in the time he had been submerged. Fenrir was 'standing' in the air with her paws spread wide, a vibrant blue emanating from her body that spread out for more than a kilometer. A massive blue magic circle came into existence behind her body, showing the visage of a wolf with chains and spears emerging from its periphery...
At the same time as Fenrir brought her paws forward, Vahn raised both hands and created a pillar of fire more than 8m in diameter that shot towards Fenrir with seemingly unstoppable momentum. Fenrir didn't back down at all as the vibrant blue within the air 'collapsed' towards Vahn and the flame pillar in an instant, causing a massive explosion of steam that caused Vahn to smash further into the ground, even though the flame pillar itself wasn't stopped. The 'magma' around his body actually began to freeze over as a secondary explosion occurred, this time tearing Vahn's body apart and burying him deep into the ground below...
On the surface, Fenrir saw the flame pillar continuing towards her, bringing her paws together as several magic circles formed in the air, shouting, "Reflexio~! Reflexio~! Reflexio~! Reflexio~!" over and over again. Each magic circle created an icy blue barrier that fought against the seemingly unstoppable pillar of flame until it smashed into Fenrir's body, which she resisted by curling up into a small shape and crossing her arms. The thick blue aura protected her body and caused an explosion to occur at the very moment the pillar came into contact with her, fortunately knocking her out of the trajectory of the flames. It was very painful, but Fenrir avoided any major injuries except for the fact her fur was brackish and burnt all over her body...
Though he had been severely injured, Vahn's regeneration with his vermillion bird form was incredibly fast, causing his missing left arm to reform after only a few seconds. The terrain around him began to rapidly heat up, dispersing the incredible volume of ice elemental energy that was still trying to collapse in on him. He didn't know it, but there was a pillar of ice above the ground that was 30m wide and more than 100m tall, shaped like an explosion that had been frozen in time. With the intense heat from his body, however, the pillar began to crack as a vermillion light emerged from the bottom. By the time he came into contact with the pillar itself, it exploded outwards as a result of the drastic change in temperature.
Vahn had never felt so tired in his entire life and he didn't even know how he was able to pull himself out of the crater his battle with Fenrir had caused. More than a pool, the molten terrain now formed a lake with him at the center. Fenrir was currently very far away, opening up a great distance between him since her instincts had been firing danger signals. Though not nearly as fast as Vahn, Fenrir had steam coming from her body as her fur regrew and became a pristine midnight blue once again. She had a giant grin on her face, displaying the numerous sharp fangs that had grown as a result of her excitement. The fact her Master had been able to stand up after her 'ultimate' attack made Fenrir giddy and she knew this wasn't even the limit of his strength!
The wispy, fire-like, feathers on Vahn's body began to dissipate as a strange energy he had never felt before began to lift his body towards the sky. Because of his fatigue, Vahn didn't even know how he was able to move around at all, almost like his body was automatically acting in self-preservation. He couldn't even sense his own source energy directly, almost like he was surrounded by a hazy barrier that prevented his perception from communicating with it. If not for the fact the familiar chill was ever-present in his mind, Vahn would have thought he was dreaming. Curling up into the fetal position, while floating high in the sky, Vahn felt a throbbing sensation around his heart as the 'eternal flame' in his chest shrunk into a ball, almost like it was trying to protect itself...
Suddenly, Eva appeared behind Vahn and chopped the back of his neck, robbing him of his consciousness as he fell towards the ground below. She looked at her hand, which had become numb even though she protected it with her magic power, muttering, "How much power is sleeping inside of that body of your's..." Whatever Vahn was about to do, Eva knew it would have been more than the space would be able to handle, meaning the orb would have likely been destroyed. Since he didn't seem to be in control, Eva knew he wouldn't be able to seal her away and would potentially even lose everything within the orb in the process. Her body trembled as she imagined what would have happened if she allowed the fight to continue, feeling a sour sensation in the bridge of her nose as moisture began spreading through her eyes...
Just as Vahn was able to slam into the ground below, Eva appeared beneath him and caught his limp body, muttering, "Stupid...idiot...you promised..." After realizing what had nearly happened, Eva felt both scared and angry at the same time, wanting to punish Vahn but simultaneously just wanting to hug him tightly so he didn't just disappear on her. Terra and Fenrir approached at this point, seeing Eva cradling Vahn's body with tears in her eyes, understanding things had taken a bad turn. Fenrir's ears flopped down pitifully as she said, "I'm sorry, Eva...", even though she wasn't entirely sure what happened. As for Terra, her smile had faded and she simply looked at her sleeping Master in awe...
As a True Dragon, Terra was attuned to the energy the produced, feeling a kinship with other dragons while simultaneously wanting to 'compete' with them. When Vahn curled up into a ball, Terra felt like her blood had been completely suppressed and it was almost like she was observing the birth of a far more powerful Dragon than herself. Her heart had trembled greatly and, though she already loved her Master, Terra felt 'compelled' to give her everything to Vahn at that moment. There was even a pressure in her lower body, accompanied by an aching feeling that made her tightly clench her fists to stop their trembling. For a brief moment, she had even considered attacking Eva for having the 'audacity' to strike her Master...
---
Vahn felt himself floating in an endless black void, a feeling he had become very familiar with over the last year since it seemed to happen rather often. As usual, he spread out his domain and felt four presences surrounding his body, opening his eyes to see Báihǔ, Xuánwǔ, the Vermillion Bird, and the Azure Dragon. This time, Vahn was face-to-face with the Vermillion bird and he felt incredibly close to it compared to the previous times he had entered this space. Even the Azure Dragon had a glistening and expectant look in its eyes, almost as if it was looking forward to something. Vahn just smiled as he casually reached out and stroked the massive bird's head, allowing it to nestle against him in an affectionate manner.
Before his battle with Fenrir, Vahn's awakening of his Vermillion Bird form had been at 86% so it was very obvious he had reached the requirements to finally access the form through giving it a name. This made him very happy because, even using that form for a very short period of time, there was almost nothing that could fight him. Thus, while stroking the surprisingly smooth feathers of the Vermillion Bird, Vahn opened his mouth as a single powerful word resonated through space, "Zhūquè..." The moment the word left his lips, the Vermillion Bird, now Zhūquè, began to produce a large amount of flames as it raised its head and released a cry that sounded like 'nature' itself...
As if incited by it's cry, Báihǔ and Xuánwǔ both released their own roars while the Azure Dragon watched from the side, eyes glimmering with a competitive light as it released a roar that seemed like it could even shatter the space around them. Vahn felt the four energies from the sacred beasts resonate through his body and, though he wasn't sure why, felt compelled to turn his head towards the black void above and release a 'silent' roar that completely silenced all four of them. Before he could make sense of what was happening, Vahn opened his eyes and sat up, sweat covering his body as he looked around at his surroundings.
The moment Vahn turned his head towards the presence at his right, a pale blur passed through the periphery of his vision before a loud 'smack' sounded in the room. His cheek felt very hot and, though it was somewhat painful, Vahn was more concerned about the teary-eyed vampire to worry about the fact she just slapped him. He didn't understand what was happening but knew he had likely made a mistake, bringing Eva into his embrace, saying, "Eva, I'm sorry..." while stroking her long blond hair. Eva buried her head into his chest and began weakly pounding against his chest with her fists as she said, "You almost threw everything away! You stupid jerk...!"
Vahn tried to make sense of what Eva meant, doing his best to recall the events before he passed out. All he knew was that there was a powerful force emerging from his body and, given Eva's reaction, Vahn suspected it was probably enough to completely destabilize the orb. If he had completed that transformation, everything they had planned would have collapsed. He wouldn't have been able to learn the Magic Erebea and, worst of all, Vahn wouldn't have been able to seal Eva away in his soul. Because he wouldn't have been able to maintain that form for even an instant, Vahn would have simply destroyed the space without accomplishing anything except breaking his promise with Eva...
Hugging Eva's trembling body as tightly as he could, Vahn also began to cry as he muttered, "Eva, I'm so sorry...I'll never lose control like that again...please don't cry..." Vahn couldn't even imagine how he would have been able to cope with the loss of Eva, someone he owed an endless debt of gratitude towards. If not for the orb, he never would have been able to keep his promise with Hephaestus so quickly, nor would he have been able to learn [Shundo], create Fenrir, or having her train them in magic. Eva was the 'key' to his happiness and Vahn wanted to repay his debts to her in the future, regardless of how difficult the fight against the Mage of the Beginning would be.
For the better part of an hour, Vahn did his best to console Eva until she had managed to calm down enough to explain what had happened. According to her, though his power hadn't increased a lot, the energy coming from his body had a very strong influence of space. If he had completed the transformation, the collapse of the orb would have been accelerated greatly, potentially even breaking down the instant he transformed. Eva had stepped in to stop him the moment she realized what was happening, fortunately preventing the worst from happening.
Now, more than ever before, Eva wanted Vahn to take his training seriously because there was no way of knowing what other incidents might occur to threaten the space. She was even tempted to give him the Magia Erebia scroll directly, explaining all the benefits and potential detriments of learning it. If he managed to pass the trial, which was very likely given the constitution of his body, Vahn's magic power would undergo a fundamental change and he would be able to absorb foreign magical power into his body, fueling his Magia Erebea further. Since he had an omni-elemental affinity, Vahn would be able to push the skill to an extreme that even Eva wouldn't have been able to manage since her own elemental affinities were restricted.
The biggest 'detriment' was the fact that the skill eroded a person's mind and, if they lacked the willpower, it would eventually turn them into a mindless monster that wrought destruction on everything around them. Since it also granted immortality, Vahn would potentially become an unstoppable force that eventually destroyed the entire world. Fortunately, with his [Will of the Emperor], Vahn wasn't worried about such an occurrence since his will wasn't so easily swayed. He also suspected the detriments of Magia Erebea wouldn't affect him at all because his blood would undoubtedly filter out the corruptive energy completely, meaning the version of the skill he learned would be 'perfect'. Eva also agreed with this but still cautioned him about the trial itself, explaining, "When you activate the scroll, you'll have to face the darkness within your heart. I can't tell you what the conditions for success are, as you'll never be able to 'understand' the skill without facing it on your own. If you can't succeed before your body breaks down and turns into a monster, you'll end up dying and having your soul torn apart in the process..."
When Vahn learned that the matter was related to his soul, he actually started laughing until Eva smacked him on the head a few times with a flushed expression, shouting, "I'm being serious here, Vahn!" This time, Eva didn't hold back her strength and Vahn was certain he would have had a concussion if he wasn't a spiritual body. Rubbing the top of his head, Vahn explained, "I can't really explain the reason, just know that my soul won't be torn apart even if I fail the trial. If you had the ability to see souls, you would understand that the structure of mine is a little unique...so, I guess there really isn't any danger to me learning the scroll at all?"
Eva just stared at Vahn with an incredulous expression because she could see that he was telling the truth, meaning all of her 'worries' were 'wasted'. She suddenly felt very aggrieved as a pouty expression appeared on her face, complete with teary-eyes and a mild blush. As if compelled by a force beyond her understanding, Eva began to weakly beat Vahn as she loosed all her pent up frustrations on him. Vahn shielded his head and bore the brunt of her 'assault' until she eventually just pinned him down, tearing at his tunic as she said, "It's time for your punishment!" with a flustered expression on her face. Immediately thereafter, Eva began to diffuse an almost 'intolerably' stimulating energy into Vahn's body as she 'punished' him for making her worry so much, seemingly unnecessarily...
---
Fenrir and Terra were sitting in the castle's courtyard meditating, both becoming alert when they heard their Master cry out. Fenrir's ears became erect as she turned her head towards the castle, scarlet eyes glowing before she began pouting. Terra's pointed ears also 'wiggled' up and down as she listened to the 'cries' of her Master, likely being punished by Eva. Seeing Fenrir's reaction, Terra began to laugh, drawing the attention of the scarlet-eyed wolf as she said, "I'm certain you can get Master to treat you like an 'adult' if you stopped pretending, Fenrir~." Fenrir snorted through her nose, averting her eyes from Terra as she muttered, "I'm not like you, you lewd dragon...I'll protect Master, both body and mind, even if it gets difficult at times..."
Hearing Fenrir call her a 'lewd dragon', Terra furrowed her brows slightly but didn't say anything since she knew the reason behind Fenrir's words. After getting close with Eva, Terra had eventually convinced Eva to allow her access to the 'secret' area in the castle. She had also managed to get Fenrir to come along as Eva embarrassedly introduced them to her art gallery. They were already accustomed to all the naked portraits and statues of Vahn, but the 'art' within the secret gallery was far more 'intense'. Eva had been wanting to be 'together' with Vahn for well over 1500 years at this point so many of her desires had been given form through her paintings and statues...
This wouldn't have been too bad, as it was quite 'exciting' to behold, but Eva had also been researching automatons, marionettes, and control magic. She had created an exact replica of Vahn, down to the fine details, and it was paired together with an exact replica of herself. Eva had trouble imagining things properly within her own mind, so she created two 'dolls' that were able to serve as 'inspiration'. She had been very embarrassed to reveal her secret to Terra and Fenrir but, after seeing they were both 'excited' by the existence of the Vahn-doll, she opened up to them a lot more and began disclosing her various fantasies. At the time, though she was just trying to tease Eva, Terra asked if she could borrow the Vahn doll for 'practice', causing both Eva and Fenrir to blush deeply. Ever since then, whenever Fenrir was upset with Terra, she would always call her a 'lewd dragon' and had never entered the secret gallery again...at least not when Eva and Terra were around...
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Fenrir's Dominance','Awaken, Vermillion Flame Chicken','Lewd Dragon...')
(A/N: To all the people showing their support in the comments section, I am truly grateful. Things are very tense in my own family so it's comforting to see that the fanbase is so encouraging. Some of you seem to be worried that I'm still writing, but know that this is somewhat therapeutic for me and allows my mind to focus on happier thoughts for a brief moment. I feel like, if I only focus on sad thing, it would be much harder to cope. As stated, I will keep publishing at least one chapter since that is a promise I made long ago, one that I'm not willing to break presently. Truly, thank you for the support, as some of you have gone much further than is necessary to help me out during these trying times, especially T. Hughes, G. Bishop, and P. Wallbom. I can't really express my gratitude fully for everything you have done, but I would ask that you all add me on the Discord so we can at least talk about the future direction of the novel together...anyways, take care, everyone. And, once again, thank you...this is all so much easier with support, even from people I've never met.)
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章節 631: Magic
After Eva was satisfied with Vahn's punishment, she finally relented and allowed him a momentary reprieve since they needed to focus on his training. She decided to teach him the basic theory and then move on to practical training since he would be able to fill in the blanks by studying with Terra later. Eva had long noticed that Vahn had the uncanny ability to 'copy' the magic of other people so she speculated he would learn much faster through using the spells than simply studying. Remembering when she had taught him [Shundo] in the past, Eva believed it was the best way to approach the subject after giving him a basic foundation.
Vahn was currently sitting at a wooden desk, littered with a stack of books and several parchments that Eva and Terra had written in the past. He stored most of them into his inventory, recording all the information inside, and then patiently listened to Eva's explanations. She was currently wearing a 'costume' that made her appear like a teacher, including a black blouse, short black skirt, and a white lab coat that had bothered him for a brief moment. To complement the outfit, Eva also wore a pair of black-rimmed glasses and was currently in her mature form, seemingly finding it suitable for teaching. In her hands, she held a long pointer and stood before a blackboard as she began what would become one of the most important lessons in his life...
Seeing that Vahn was paying close attention, Eva nodded before clacking her pointer against the blackboard and explaining, "Magic, though it may appear fantastical at first glance, it is more closely related to science than what stories might describe. In order to create the phenomenon known as magic, you must first have an understanding of the concepts, or laws, that you're trying to manipulate. This includes understanding the basic properties of the elements, how they are structured, and how they influence each other. Generally, having knowledge of the subject, understanding the structure of the spell, and forming an incantation, are the only necessary components for magic. Thus, it is actually possible for 'normal' people to cast magic if they express enough determination, thus increasing the basic amount of magic power within their bodies through continued use..."
Eva clacked against a second diagram, this one showing a rudimentary human body with several different symbols inside of it, "Magic power, or mana, is the energy used to influence the laws of the world and shape them into the form we refer to as magic. Generally, a person's mana is dependant on their birth, though anyone can become powerful if they are dedicated and have a proper understanding of the magic they are trying to use. Using magic can increase the amount of mana you have at your disposal, though overusing it can sometimes lead to various negative effects and can even result in the complete loss of magic power if exploited too much. The best time to develop mana is around puberty, as the body is in its developmental phase and can better adapt to the increased amounts of energy, often granting a longer lifespan..."
When she mentioned this, Eva released a sigh but didn't go into the reasons behind her reaction and simply continued, saying, "Once a person reaches physical maturity, their amount of mana will begin to plateau and it becomes increasingly difficult to gain more magic power without the use of various elixirs and magic potions. This is typically when people begin using catalysts to enhance their power, such as staves, rituals, and even sacrifices. However, this has several negatives since overreliance on such things can lead to stagnation and make further growth almost impossible. It's better to focus on increasing your understanding of the concepts that make the magic function, increasing your efficacy and control. Though it is rare, there have been cases of people using tactical class magic with the same amount of mana as some would use to cast elementary magic spells...it's just a matter of understanding the laws properly and exercising greater control over the elemental energies in the environment to enhance your spell's power."
Taking a deep breath, Eva now began to point towards each of the symbols on the body, explaining, "In general, a person typically has between 2-3 elemental affinities within their body, though they typically lean towards one of them, often neglecting the others. The basic elements are Fire, Water, Wind, Earth, Light, and Darkness. In rare instances, a person can be born with what is often referred to as an advanced elemental affinity, though such cases are around one in ten-thousand. An example of the advanced elements includes Ice, Lightning, Space, Time, Illusion, Sand, Shadow, Spirit, and Holy. Typically, a person is more attuned to casting spells of their elemental affinity, though it doesn't mean you are limited to spells of your element. For example, if you had a fire elemental affinity, fire spells may only cost half the mana as usual while water spells would typically cost twice as much..."
Looking at Vahn, Eva showed a smile before saying, "There are also three exceptionally rare types of individuals, including one 'legendary' level existence. These include people that have Neutral, Omni-Elemental, and Anti-Magic affinities. Those with Neutral affinities have no great strengths, but they also suffer no loss in the efficacy of magic, making them very versatile from a young age, often become great mages later in life. As for those with an Omni-Elemental affinity, they are much the same but strangely have almost the opposite happen...though they are able to use any kind of magic, the efficacy is somewhat skewed because there is also no natural limiter in place to prevent excess mana consumption. Those with Anti-Magic affinities are in an even worse situation, however, as they generally can't use anything other than enhancement spells. However, they are often immune to most ranged magic, making many Anti-Magic specialists pick up the role of a 'Knight' instead of a Mage..."
When she got to this point, Eva paused for a bit, allowing her mind to wander as she said, "As for the so-called 'legendary' existences, they are people that don't seem to have any elemental affinity at all, yet are able to use unique magics such as Taming, Summoning, Sealing, and even advanced forms of Psychic abilities. Most of these people don't even need to use magic spells to make use of their abilities, making them closer to an innate ability given to them at birth than actual magic. Though scholars have studied why these anomalies take place, they have yet to truly unlock the principle behind such existences. Fortunately, these studies have also advanced our understanding of magic in general, leading to many sub-fields of magic that make use of the aforementioned skills..."
As if to demonstrate, Eva lifted her index finger and twirled it around, causing several of the books in the room to dance around in the air. Most of the 'advanced' magics required the user to have some basic psychokinetic abilities, thus Eva was easily able to control multiple objects using just her mind. Seeing Vahn's 'innocent' look, filled with intrigue and awe, Eva smiled and said, "I once encountered a so-called demon hunter that specialized in psychokinesis, unable to make use of any other form of magic. However, they were able to control more than a thousand wooden swords that had been inscribed with runes..." Eva released a sigh when she remembered the battle that had only ended when she managed to pierce the rather honest looking youth through the heart.
Flicking her wrist, Eva stacked the books neatly on the table before saying, "When discussing how to form magic, there are several things to consider but the most important thing is that you have an understanding of the phenomenon you're trying to create. Other than that, we have what is referred to as a Rite, which are the methods and procedures required to successfully accomplish magic. These include the Spells themselves, which can be broken down into 'named', 'unnamed', and 'ritual' spells. Names spells are often what is referred to as 'fixed' magic, meaning you're working from a predesignated image, chant, and structure. This type of magic is generally very powerful, as the variables defining the spell have been developed over a very long period of time, but they generally lack versatility. When first learning magic, this is what most apprentice mages would learn but it could easily become a crutch that prevents further growth if you're over-reliant on them..."
Tapping her chin, Eva tilted her head in a somewhat adorable manner as she said, "Most of the magic used by Fenrir falls into the category of named spells, as her talent towards magic is somewhat lacking. However, she makes up for it with an incredible talent for physical enhancement, though I'm certain you already noticed that yourself, ufufufu~." Eva recalled Vahn getting tossed around like a ragdoll and couldn't help but release a peal of playful laughter at her young lover's expense. Vahn scratched the back of his head and commented, "Yeah, she really sent me flying a few times...if she used her claws, I probably would have been a goner from the very beginning."
Eva nodded her head, grateful that Vahn wasn't the 'arrogant' type that tried to make excuses as it would make him much easier to teach. Since many of their lessons would be 'practical', he would probably be on the receiving end of a beating quite a lot in the near future. Smiling, this time without explaining why, Eva continued her explanation, "Unnamed spells are, as you might guess, spells that have no name, thus having no fixed image, chant, or structure. Most unnamed spells are simply a Mage making use of 'words' to create a phenomenon, oftentimes impromptu and entirely reliant on their mental image. This is the type of magic that Terra specializes in, and the type I've seen you make use of in the past..."
Thinking about the best way to demonstrate an unnamed spell, Eva had an entertaining thought as she pointed towards Vahn and said, "Spirits of the wind, leave this boy bereft of clothing~." As her words finished, Vahn felt a 'tugging' sensation as all of his clothes 'exploded' from his body as if they had been made of worn cloth. He ended up sitting completely naked as Eva laughed in a somewhat seductive manner, explaining, "As long as you have a basic understanding of magic, form your intent into the proper grammatical structure, and visualize the phenomenon you want to produce, you can literally make any kind of magic. For most Mages, the majority of the magic they use in their daily lives is unnamed magic. If you polish such skills to the extreme, they become named magic, however, such as Fenrir's [Hroovitnir]."
Vahn picked a new pair of clothes and changed into them, also understanding Eva's clothing magic was likely an unnamed spell that had been converted into a named spell. However, he was currently feeling that Eva had been getting a little carried away and wanted to see if he could make use of his own unnamed magic. With a smile on his face, Vahn pointed to Eva and caused her to tense up as he said, "Let this cheeky vampire experience a just retribution~." As he spoke, Vahn tried imagining Eva's clothes bursting apart in a similar manner but she immediately held up her hand and formed a complex magic circle before his spell took effect. However, they were both surprised when Eva's clothes burst apart regardless as formless energy passed straight through her barrier...
Not only did Eva's clothes burst apart, turning into particulates of mana, but her forms itself also flashed with a magical light as she stood there completely naked and in her original form. Her face alternated between being flushed and pale before she flared her hand, creating a new outfit for herself before holding her fingers to her chin, contemplating what just happened. After more than a minute, she turned her deep blue eyes back to Vahn and said, "I believe, just like your ability to name things, you are also able to use 'command' magic. It's the only thing that should have allowed you to break through my counterspell...you didn't simply manipulate the elemental energies in the air, but the structure of spells currently active on my body. It's almost like using a very powerful version of [Dispel Magic]..."
After thinking about it, Eva focused her mind and adopted a series expression as an icy blue aura shrouded her body, indicative of her activating an advanced form of [Cantus Bellax], known as [Vis Maxima]. Vahn could feel an incredible pressure weighing on his body as Eva turned her cold eyes towards him and said, "Break my magic..." in a very serious tone. Vahn fought the pressure he was feeling by channeling his [Will of the Emperor], pushing back against Eva's aura as he said, "Let this magic spell break apart into nothingness..." At the same time, Vahn imagined the aura around Eva's body dispersing, once against sending formless energy toward her body.
Eva focused her eyes and felt the 'wave' pass straight through her defenses, almost causing her magic power to destabilize even though her own control far exceeded Vahn's. Fortunately, she was able to resist it by keeping her calm and regulating the flow of mana once again, nonetheless impressed by Vahn's 'ridiculous' capabilities. With an appraising gaze, Eva asked, "Do you have experience using this type of magic...?" The only way she could imagine Vahn being able to disperse another person's magic so easily was if he had practiced it several times in the past. If he was truly able to do it instinctually, he really would be the monster between them...
Vahn had noticed Eva's aura fluctuate and was surprised she actually managed to resist it, almost being caught off guard by her question. When he thought about the answer, Vahn tilted his head slightly before nodding as he said, "Back in the real world, I've been practicing breaking down and manipulating the structure of other people's magic. Since I'm able to understand the language inherent in magic circles, I've even been able to change the form and function of some of the spells I've seen..." Hearing Vahn's words, Eva was both shocked and relieved. Since he claimed to have been practicing it, Eva imagined Vahn had put a great deal of effort into it as he had the type of personality to focus on things he was practicing. However, hearing that he was able to restructure another person's magic circle was somewhat terrifying since it was one of the most potentially devastating abilities a Mage could have...
Dispersing her aura, Eva released a sigh and said, "I'd like to inquire more about that in the future, but we simply don't have the time. When you meet my real self, however, I'll be expecting you to demonstrate that ability to the fullest...hmmm." Eva wondered if, one day in the far future, their roles as Master and Student would be reversed. Strangely, she didn't really find the idea of learning magic from Vahn to be that bad so Eva just smiled before continuing her earlier explanation, "Well, you seem to have a knack for unnamed magic, so we'll move on to the last type of Spell, known as Ritual Spells. Most ritual spells fall into the category of advanced and 'great' magic, as they typically require large formations that consist of several people. You have to take into consideration everything, including the structure of the land, the alignment of the planets, even the location of leylines and the affinities of the people carrying out the ritual. Generally, such spells are used to create powerful defensive formations since it is very difficult to use them offensively as most cities and towns would have means to counter such attempts..."
Seeing that Vahn was back to 'behaving', Eva nodded her head before gesticulating with her hands and striking a pose, saying, "One of the most important components to successfully casting magic is what is referred to as a decisive pose. You should have seen Fenrir casting her spells previously, typically forming a pose and guiding the magic with gestures. That is simply one part of it, however, as a Decisive Pose typically consists of Signs, Gestures, and Steps. Some of the most basic magic from the ancient past had been inspired by dance and this tradition has carried forward into the present. By moving your body in a specific manner, it helps you form the image of the spell, sometimes even allowing you to skip the chant by making familiar gestures in accordance with muscle memory..."
To demonstrate, Eva raised her hand with a cold look in her eyes, this time causing a dozen spears of ice to form around her body that caused the entire room's temperature to drop several degrees. With a wave of her hand, all of the spears completely vanished as she said, "I've used my magic spells tens-of-thousands of times, which is why I can skip the chants for most of them. However, doing so often makes the spells much weaker and you should always take the opportunity to chant if it is provided..." When she was finished speaking, Eva opened her hand and caused several layers of magic circles to appear in the air, magnifying their size so Vahn could see better.
After Vahn's eyes finished moving around the magic circle and turned back to her, Eva explained, "The last part of a spell can be considered one of the most important parts, which is what Mages refer to as forming a Ward. Though thousands of years of study, Mages were able to learn that geometric symbols were able to influence the laws of the world when enough understanding of the laws had been reached. These basic geometric sequences were the first Wards, which were later enhanced to form Magic Arrays and Magic Circles. A Magic Array comes to form by mathematically creating a shape where the set distance in every direction is equal. This balance, when formed 'perfectly', creates a powerful ward against evil and is the core for most formation and barriers. As for Magic Circles, they are much the same but are more focused on 'containing' rather than 'repelling'. As you've noticed, most Magic Circles are often balanced in a very specific sequence that allows the structure of the spell to form its shape. The purpose of a Magic Circle is often to contain the elemental energies that are absorbed from the atmosphere and prevent them from dispersing, meaning proper understanding of Magic Circles is the key to casting powerful magic without wasting your internal mana..."
As Eva spoke, her Magic Circle did something almost 'incomprehensible' by normal standards as the internal structure was being modified in real time. Originally, there was a triple-layer magic circle with three 'points' that comprised the structure. It quickly transitioned into a Magic Circle with four points as Eva explained, "The number of points in a magic circle generally required the internal logic and understanding of the governing laws to be far more complex in order to maintain the balance. For someone to be recognized as an apprentice mage, they need to be able to form a magic circle with three 'points', or 'cores'. Intermediate magics typically have four points, with more advanced spells having five. As for the limit, there is none as far as ritual magic is concerned, though most individual magic would cap out at nine points. Anything above that gets into the realm of the gods and very few people ever reach that point..."
Understanding the question on Vahn's mind, Eva raised her chin slightly and puffed out her rather diminutive chest as she said, "I'm able to create magic circles with twelve points using short chants and have been able to reach fifteen points with full chants~." Though she didn't understand the metric Vahn used, being an existence at the peak of Tier 5 easily put Eva above the realm of the Divine. Vahn was still very impressed, giving an almost reverential look to Eva that made the petite girl puff out her nonexistent assets even further. She seemed to have completely forgotten that Vahn broke her transformation and was proudly flaunting something that didn't exist. Vahn, however, just smiled appreciatively before saying in an honest tone, "You're amazing, Eva..."
(A/N: Alternate Titles: 'Eva-sensei's Guidance','Oh, oh, it's magic, you know?','Eva OP')
(A/N: Once again, thank you all for the support you have shown for me and my family. I'd also like to extend a special thanks to C. Crabtree for going far beyond the normal scope and showing a level of support that honestly brought me to silence for several minutes. Truly, thank you, all of you. I'll start trying to pick up the release rate at the beginning of the next week, but I don't imagine it will be back to normal for a few weeks. Stay safe everyone, and take care of yourselves just as you've all been encouraging me to do the same. Just as Vahn mentions in the story, we're all stronger together and difficult situations are much easier to cope with when you have the moral and emotional support of others <3)
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