Magic of Arteria Volume 1. Reunion Arc

Chapter Three

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An awkward situation. That was the situation we got ourselves into the moment we entered the elevator. No one dared to ask, I was confused as to what had happened. After a few seconds of absolute silence, I took up the courage to ask.

 

“What had happened back there?”

 

Looking at me with a strange face, Yui and Alina both sighed at the same time. I was confused, why did they sigh. Is there something I didn’t understand, was there something I missed on the way? Nothing made sense.

 

“Don’t mind my Elder Sister. She is just clueless over everything about her,” Alina said while giggling as Yui shook her head.

 

“I can tell at first glance; it seems like she is as dense as the wall on this elevator. Oh well, enough about that, do you two have anywhere you want to see?” Yui asked.

 

What do you mean I am dense? I clearly understand how this world works better than the two of you! Or so I wished to say to them but I’d probably get laughed at, had I spoken those words. Ignoring the dense part, I replied to her question.

 

“There isn’t any place we have in mind? Do you have any suggestions, Mrs. Tour Guide?” 

 

In response, she looked at her glass wristwatch on the right wrist before shaking her head all of a sudden as she suggested. “It seems like the entrance ceremony will be starting soon, how about we head to the auditorium instead?”

 

“Ah, I forgot about the entrance ceremony. Wasn’t it supposed to start an hour ago, was there some kind of delay that caused it to move?” I asked.

 

“Well, in a way, there was a delay. The principal was supposed to arrive a few minutes before the ceremony was delayed by traffic. From what I was told, she should be arriving within ten minutes from now,” she replied.

 

A second after she answered, the door to the elevator opened, revealing a large garden. A truly magnificent garden probably twice or even four times better than the one in our house with every kind of flower you can think of planted.

 

Walking out of the elevator, a cold breeze swept past us as we walked down the brick pathway towards the stage at the far distance.

 

“It seems like we have arrived, this is the auditorium floor. It is mostly used for school events such as the entrance ceremony. It is a very special place from what I was told, and you can rarely enter this place unless there is an event happening,” Yui said.

 

“If this is supposed to be the auditorium, then why would they stop people from entering the place? Is there something special about this place?” Alina asked while walking beside me.

 

True, why would it be called the auditorium floor if people can’t enter it? She did say this place was a special one, but for what reason?

 

Kneeling beside a pink-rose flower, Yui looked at the two of us, answering the questions inside our mind. “It’s because this garden is also called the Garden of the Beginning, the only kind of its kind in the entire world.”

 

After she answered, another voice spoke from behind. A voice that was familiar to me, one that was enough to make my entire body tremble in fear. It sounded gentle, harmless. But to the people who know her, it sounded like a monster.

 

“Not only that, but this garden contains a sapling of the first mana or what we call, the mana of the beginning.”

 

Turning around, a beautiful brown-haired, pink-eyed woman stood there with a smile. She shrouded in a terrifying aura that seemed calm from the outside. A single stare from her eyes brought fear onto your heart. My body trembled from seeing her.

 

The woman who is feared by the very top of every country and organization. The Great Sage, Althea. A woman who appeared out of nowhere ten years ago, and rose to the very top of the world with only her wisdom and power. The woman is who also forced out everyone who was teaching me because she wished to teach me herself.

 

“What’s wrong, little Angelica? It seems like you are still afraid of me, come on. Have you been practicing my spells well?” she asked in a gentle tone.

 

Her way of speaking may sound gentle to others but to me, it was like a sharp sword pointing directly at me. My body trembled, kneeling onto the floor as my face drowned in sweat. My limbs went numb, but my voice never dared not come out.

 

“Of course! I would never abandon my training, teacher!” I answered.

 

Hearing my reply, she smiled all of a sudden. A smile that was somewhat, proud. She looked satisfied; did I answer her question properly?

 

“Good girl, how about you show me how far you have trained. I will hand you pointers after.” She said while waving her hand.

 

A second after her wave, the scenery around us transformed into an arena. Alina and Yui both sat at the spectator area, with faces that seemed to not comprehend what had happened. I, on the other hand, was no longer kneeling on the ground.

 

“You are free to release your limiters for this one. I will only be using half of my powers for this session. The goal for today is to place at least a single scratch on my scythe. Should you fail, all your businesses will be handed over to me for a whole week and you will be placed under seclusion that week. Do you understand?” Her voice echoed around the arena.

 

The brown-haired woman stood at the distance in front of me. Holding a large angelic white scythe on her hand. The scythe was twice as tall as her. Its blade shone brightly as she stared down at me with a smile.

 

 “I understand,” I replied while attempting to keep my heart calm. I grabbed a syringe filled with blue fluids from my handbag and injected it directly onto my right forearm. The shock shook my entire sight. My feet turned cold as my hands were like ice.

 

I endured the painful bite of the syringe as I waited for all of the fluids to enter my body. A temporary limiter for the dangerous spells within my body, that was what the fluids were. Two seconds later, the syringe was empty. Useless now, I threw it behind me along with my handbag.

 

I moved my hand up in the air, grabbing at the empty space within. The temperatures within the arena dropped like being caught up in an avalanche. It became Antarctica within a second and Neptune after a minute.

 

The air which I grabbed now crystallized in the shape of a sword. A blue crystal sword, translucent. It didn’t look sharp but instead, fragile. To the people who know of it, however, it was a sword that could battle greater powers. It shone brightly, like an angel descending from the heavens. Its light covered the entire arena for a second as I grabbed it with my hand.

 

All of a sudden, a deep, threatening sensation came from behind as a whisper entered my ears. “Why are you using the crystal sword instead of the scythe, are you looking down on me?”

 

The voice was hers. I trembled for a second but regained myself as I mustered my courage to reply.

 

“I am not looking down on you, it’s the opposite. I am taking you on seriously. Only a sword can take your scythe head-on.” I said before a chuckle echoed inside the arena. The white fog that covered the area dispersed, revealing the woman’s figure at her original position.

 

Left knee forward, right knee backward. Scythe pointing backward, her eyes stared at me with excitement. It was her stance, or rather, her daughter’s stance. Hope, the stance she taught. It is a position where you bet everything in a single strike, a flawless strike to be exact.

 

As her student, I know there was nothing that could avoid her strike, especially in this stance. I was already trapped with no other techniques to use. I followed her stance, moving my left foot forward, right foot bent backward. I placed my hand above my shoulder, with the sword pointing directly at her.

 

The way of this stance is to distribute all your strength into your weapon, injecting it with specks of mana. From the book her daughter, Alisha wrote: “Calmly breath, listen in to the sounds of the jungle, to the sounds of the world. Place more trust into yourself, your sword, and fight.”

 

“As expected of my student, you never disappoint me. To be able to comprehend what my daughter meant and turn it into your own is commendable but let us see how far you can go.” She said while throwing a coin up in the air.

 

My heart beat fast, as I placed all my attention into the woman in front of me. My ears listened to the sounds of the earth, the cold breeze sweeping past my ears. The sound of melting ice, and the dripping of water. They were all surreal sounds, interrupted by a metallic clang. The metallic clang that signified the start of the end.

 

Letting the restrains of my body free, I dashed through the solidified air in front of me as time slowed down. It was like I was traveling through time, no one moved other than me. I had just kept running… running and running towards the brown-haired woman.

 

Step by step, the sounds of ice being stomped entered my ears. The water dripping from the ice pillars were all frozen in time as I ran towards the woman, holding my sword with determination, believing in the single strike.

 

After a few seconds of running, the brown-haired girl who was restrained by time appeared in front of me with her scythe up in the air. Smiling down upon me, like the grim reaper she was. I never stopped believing in my sword. I stopped my feet and pushed my arm to its limit as the sword flew towards the blade of her scythe.

 

Time moved slow, slow enough that I could see the movement of the sword as it flew through the air like a missile. Thick clouds of air surrounded it, slowly moving away from the sword before time sped up once again. The force flew my body back, clearing the entire width of the arena.

 

A loud explosion echoed within the dome as crystal shards flew everywhere. Hitting the wall, I spat out seeming liters of blood. I stared at the clouds of dust in the distance. They slowly dissipated only to reveal the brown-haired woman standing like a stone with her scythe pointing down to the ground.

 

I felt disappointed, I was supposed to trust my sword. But I couldn’t betray my heart as it cracked inside. The scythe was untouched, it looked brand new.

 

“Ah, I failed once again. All my hard work has gone to waste.” I said while looking up at the skies before the sound of metal cracking entered my ears, surprising me greatly. I looked at the woman who was standing at the center of the arena.

 

Her scythe which should have been untouched, all of a sudden has a tiny crack on its tip. It was only the tip, but that was something significant to me. It wasn’t a scratch, but a crack.

 

“You surprised me, my little child. To be able to put a crack on what should be the strongest weapon this world is no small feat.” She said.

 

Walking towards me, her eyes looked different. They weren’t terrifying anymore. They felt warm. It was a feeling that I wasn’t accustomed to. Like when Mom hugged me to sleep one sickly day. It was like I was staring at my biological mother now.

 

As she walked towards me, the scenery behind her returned to normal. She looked gorgeous with her white dress fluttering around. The flower garden was the perfect background for her. It made her look like an angel.

 

“Calmly breath, listen in to the sounds of the jungle, to the sounds of the world. Place more trust into yourself, your sword, and fight. It seems like my teacher has the greatest daughter in the universe, huh?” I said with a disappointed feeling inside.

 

I wasn’t supposed to be disappointed; I should be proud. I passed her test for the first time, but what is this disappointing feeling. Is this inferiority? Why should I feel inferior to her? I am not her sister, there is no reason for me to be disappointed. I don’t know who she is or what she looked like but why do I feel inferior?

 

All of a sudden, two screams filled with worry entered my ears as two silhouettes jumped towards me. Both girls and beauties at that.

 

“Elder Sister, are you alright?” a brittle-sounding voice asked from my right.

 

“Angelica, are you alright?” a gentle voice came from my left side.

 

Sitting on the dirty floor beside me, the two of them, Alina and Yui, looked at me with teary eyes. Pure eyes of worry. An intense feeling struck my heart as I stared at the two girls who were watching me intensely. Unconsciously, I grabbed both of them and hugged them tightly.

 

“I am fine. Thank you for worrying.” I answered before the two of them snuggled up to me like kittens. The brown-haired Great Sage’s face suddenly appeared in front of me. The look she gave us was one filled with nostalgia. 

 

“What, you want a hug as well, come here!” I jokingly said. But to my surprise, she kneeled beside me and kissed my forehead with eyes that of a mother, causing the mysterious nostalgic feeling to overlap together with a tingling one.

 

“It’s nearly time for people to begin flooding the area. The three of you stand up else my magic won’t be able to clean up your wonderful dresses.” With a smile, she spoke. We all nodded to her words, standing up from the dirt. A bubble enclosed around. Then magically, the dirt on our clothes to vanish. 

 

“Before your mana recovers, quickly inject yourself with the limiter. You still don’t have enough power to control those spells inside your body.” The Great Sage demanded. A syringe mysteriously appeared on her hand.

 

“Don’t worry about the blue-haired girl, I will explain to her about your powers. Quickly take it before the others arrive.” She said while forcing the syringe onto my hand. I nodded to her words, taking up the syringe in my hand. With a deep breath, I injected it directly into my heart, causing my entire body to turn numb. I slowly fell on the ground, only to be caught in my beloved little sister’s arms.

 

Combing my disordered hair with her fingers, she whispered into my ears: “You did well, Elder Sister. I am proud of you; I love you so much.”

 

Hearing her silvery voice and seductive words. The warmth inside my heart grew, as I unconsciously hugged her tightly.

 

 “I love you too my most adorable little sister…” I whispered back before a loud cough came from behind me. Yui stood there with frowned eyebrows.

 

“Let’s quickly head there before the other students take up all the seats,” I suggested. Alina nodded in response and carried me to our seats at the very front just as dozens of students mysteriously came running out from several elevators surrounding us.

 

And soon after that, started the entrance ceremony with the Great Sage, Althea handing out her speech towards all the students after the principal; followed by Yui who was always staring at me with a blushed red face as she handed out her speech.

 

An hour later, the entrance ceremony ended on a  good note. In summary, the entrance ceremony only went into details about the policies in the school, what to do and not to do, what we will be learning in the school, and the introduction of the staff in the school. Followed by the speech of Althea which was composed of a washed down version of her understanding of Magic.

 

According to her, she will only teach the full understanding of Magic to me since she doesn’t trust the people “in this world” which made me confused about her true identity. Though, I ignored it once again as brainstorming about it would only lead to more questions.

 

After the entrance ceremony, the three of us went to our room on the second floor of the building where we were greeted by a total of twenty students. They were all quite popular. Some were idols while others are heirs or heiress to their families lineages.

 

We decided to sit at the three seats near the window. Alina sat in front of me and Yui to my right. After a few moments of idling there, a black-haired young-looking woman entered the room with her pink eyes staring directly at me.

 

“It seems like everyone is already here, well then! Let me introduce myself, I am Minami Miyoko. Your teacher for the next four years, and also the headteacher of the Theoretical Magic class.” The black-haired woman spoke in a thunderous voice, causing everyone to sit down on their seats, surprised.

 

Minami Miyoko, isn’t she the one who is called the Night Child by everyone in the military for her overwhelming talent in Theoretical Magic? How is she assigned as a teacher here? It’s almost impossible to hire her just to teach students.

 

All of a sudden, while I was in thought. The black-haired woman pointed at me, “Brown-haired girl near the window, please introduce yourself first, followed by the blue-haired girl beside her and from there on,”

 

Surprised from the sudden callout, I stood up abruptly before introducing myself elegantly: “Good morning to everyone, I am Angelica Arteria—18 years old from the Arteria family, I hope to be friends with all of you!” Showing a bright smile to the twenty students around causing all of them mysteriously blush.

 

“It seems like you have a lot of students who have a crush on you here. Now, please sit down.” She giggled before looking at Yui as she introduced herself. This took nearly two hours before the last student finished.

 

Afterward, the black-haired woman sat down on her table with a sigh, waving her hands towards us with both eyes closed.

“Class is dismissed, everyone may head home now.”

 

Everyone immediately stood up and ran out of the room with happy faces, like children. Together with Yui and Alina, the three of us left the room with me in the center as we discussed our next location.

 

“How about we head to the newly formed Fubuki Restaurant down streets? I heard the restaurant offers dishes that are way above the standards for a normal restaurant.” Yui suggested with saliva dripping on her mouth.

 

“That is fine with me. I’m hungry too.” I said as I looked at Alina who also nodded.

 

“Well then, let’s go! I will pay for the dishes, don’t worry about overspending!” I cheered. Loud praises came from the two of them as we walked towards the elevator. That’s when a weird feeling filtered in behind me.

 

Turning around, I looked around before shaking it off. So, I quickly ran up to the two of them who had already entered the elevator. Strange, I could have sworn someone was following me. Standing beside the two of them, I pondered.

 

I stared at the elevator door as it slowly closes before noticing a peach-haired woman standing at the far end of the hall. With tears in her eyes, she mouthed the words, “Love you,” sending chills down my spine. I remembered her, that same peach-haired woman who was still trapped inside my heart, Kayla.