Blackout

Greetings, everyone. As all of you may or may not know, the Second Tempest Contest is officially over. I've written this series in order to participate in it. Now that it's over, I would like to put this series on hiatus until further notice. This is due to the fact that I still have two other series which were put on hold in favor of writing this one. I wish to conclude them before returning to this series. Thank you for your patience and understanding.

Jin’s POV
   Jin caught Rei-san’s fist easily enough. She’s fast, but no faster than an average demon.

   “Rei-chan, stop that right now!” Kubo quickly orders.

   Rei-san immediately stands still like a statue.

   “She meant you no harm, Silver Wolf-san. Can you please let her go?” Kubo pleads.

   Jin let goes of her hand. Both Sergeant Wakaba and Kubo collectively let out a sigh of relief.

   “I’m really sorry for what she did.” Kubo says to Jin while bowing to him repeatedly. “Come on Rei-chan, you apologize too!”

   Rei-san proceeds to bow to Jin as well.

   “My deepest apologies for my rude behaviour earlier.” she tells him.

   “It’s fine. You were just trying to protect Kubo-san.”

   “Um, she’s not going to be charged for assault or anything, right?” Kubo asks Sergeant Wakaba fearfully.

   “Don’t worry, that’s not going to happen. I’m not that rigid. Besides, Silver Wolf is right. She was just trying to protect you.”

   Kubo hangs his head in shame.

   “I’m such a useless failure of a man to be protected by a girl…” he mutters.

   “Don’t brood about it too much. I’m not dissing maids or anything, but that’s their job right?” Jin makes an attempt to comfort him.

   “He’s right, master. I’m always ready to put my life on the line if it would mean your survival.” Rei-san adds.

   “Um, thanks Rei-chan.”

   “Well, I believe that you gentlemen still have some unfinished business to talk about. Meanwhile, I shall bring Rei-san over to the room next door.” Sergeant Wakaba tells Jin and Kubo.

   Kubo looks at her blankly.

   “We do?” he asks.

   Jin clears his throat loudly. Thankfully, Kubo is sharp enough to notice that hint.

   “Right, sure we do. Um, please follow Sergeant Wakaba, Rei-chan.” Kubo instructs Rei-san.

   Rei-san curtsies gracefully at Kubo.

   “I shall await you next door.” she tells him.

   “Um, yeah. See you later, Rei-chan.”

   Kubo and Jin kept quiet until the two women have left the room.

   “You wanted to seal off my power without her around, weren’t you?” Kubo asks Jin once the coast is clear.

   “Actually, that’s probably a bad idea.”

   Kubo stares at him.

   “W-Why’s that?”

   “The thing is, you’re the second ability user I know who was born after being injected with the content of the syringe. I’m pretty sure that the number will increase in the future. Sooner or later, the entire Japan or even the world will be full of people just like you.”

   “And then what? They’ll try to take over the government and rule the world or something?”

   “Let’s face it, the possibility is always there.”

   “But, I want no part of that!”

   “I’m sure you don’t, but those other ability users don’t know that, or they won’t care.”

   “I can prove it to them when I have my power sealed off, right?”

   “I’m not sure about that. There might be one or two of these ability user who can steal the ability of others whether it’s sealed off or not.”

   “You can’t be serious…” he whimpers.

   “Well, this is just my speculation, but it’s really hard to say. All I know is that once you got aboard this ship, it’s wise if you don’t abandon it halfway, for yourself or Rei-san.”

   That got a gasp out of him.

   “Wait, Rei-chan too?”

   “Of course. Didn’t I tell you just now? She’s your familiar.”

   “But, I can just, I don’t know, unsummon her or, or, um, erase the contract we formed or something!”

   “It’s too late for that. Remember the mana thread that’s connecting the two of you?”

   “Um, please don’t tell me that I’m somehow supplying mana to her, and now there’s mana inside her body too.”

   Man, it really helps that Kubo is an anime nerd. Thanks to that, it doesn’t require Jin much effort to explain things to him.

   “That’s right.”

   Kubo buries his face in his hands and sobs. “You can’t be serious…”

   “So there you have it. Do you still want to have your power sealed?”

   Kubo shakes his head. “No. If your speculation is correct, it’s already too late. I’ve doomed myself, and more importantly Rei-chan, the moment I took that syringe.”

   “Pretty much.”

   “But, what am I to do? I can’t fight to save even myself, much less Rei-chan!” Kubo exclaims.

   “Weren’t you listening? Rei-san is your familiar. She’s the one who’s doing the fighting for you.”

   “No way. I won’t be able to forgive myself if Rei-chan got hurt just to protect me.” Kubo says stubbornly.

   “Again, that’s impossible. You can act cool all you want, but it won’t change the fact that she’ll be the one who’s in the front line when a fight begins.” Jin tells him bluntly.

   Kubo’s expression brightens up all of a sudden.

   “Hold on. Since I’m supplying mana to her, does that mean that I can strengthen her by giving her more mana?”

   “I’m glad that you caught on. Yes, you can in fact do that. And that’s not all. You have a decent amount of mana inside you. That allows you to use plenty of spells and support Rei-san.”

   “That’s great! I don’t have to be reliant on her all the time, then!”

   “Well, don’t get too optimistic. You probably know how mages and summoners work. They work as support. Unless you have a crazy amount of mana like me, you’ll need someone to protect you.”

   “Still, it’s better to just stand there and let Rei-chan do all the work.”

   He pauses.

   “I have a new dilemma, though.”

   “Which is?”

   “If I need to receive training to learn spells, I would have to work less, or even stop working altogether. I can’t afford to do that, I have bills to pay.”

   Jin shrugs.

   “You could offer yourself and work for the government.” he suggests. “That’s how I’m getting by.”

   “You can do that? How much are you getting paid, exactly?”

   Jin told him. Kubo gasps loudly at the answer.

   “That much?”

   “Well, it’s probably going to be a different case for you. Still, it won’t hurt to try, right?”

   “I-I guess. If I managed to get even a fraction of that amount, I don’t have to worry about food and rent anymore.”

   “Aren’t you forgetting something really important?”

   “What?”

   “Rei-san herself.”

   Kubo gasps again.

   “That’s right. Unlike me, she has a proper life.” he groans. “What have I done to her?”

   “It’s too late to feel remorseful. If you’re really sorry for what you did, become stronger. As a direct result from that, she’ll become stronger to. Forget about your pride. Staying alive comes first.” Jin advises.

   Kubo nods solemnly in agreement.

   Sergeant Wakaba returned to the room after another minute has passed.

   “Nice timing, Sergeant Wakaba.” Jin tells her.

   “...I hate it when you word your sentence like that. Usually, nothing good comes out of it.”

   “Now you’re just being mean. Besides, I’m not the one who has something to tell you. Kubo-san here is.”

   She turns her neck to look at the bookstore employee.

   “Well, you see…”

   Kubo repeated the most important part of the conversation him and Jin had while she was absent.

   “So, you want to work as a civil servant just like Silver Wolf here?” she asks to make sure.

   “Yes. Is that possible?”

   “I’m not sure. For one thing, you’re completely inexperienced in this-”

   “So you might end up in a random lab to become a lab rat instead.” Jin predicts.

   Sergeant Wakaba glares at him. He slowly averts his eyes.

   “However, I’ll do my best to convince my superior to have you hired. And don’t worry about the nonsense he said.” she ends her sentence without dropping her glare.

   “I understand. I just hope that things will go well. So, what now?”

   “That depends. Do the two of you have anything to do after this?” Jin asks.

   “No. Both of us took a day off from our work.”

   “In that case, I guess this is a good time as any to start your training.”

   “Haven’t you forgotten that you’re already training someone before you got interrupted?” Sergeant Wakaba reminds Jin.

   “Don’t worry, sergeant. I remember her well enough.”

   “Wait, there’s another person like me here?” Kubo asks.

   “Didn’t I tell you? You’re the second ability user I know who was born after being injected with the content of the syringe. The first one is beginning her training today.”

   “Um, is she scary?”

   “You probably know her as Hanya Mask.”

   Kubo’s face goes pale at once.

   “H-H-H-H-H-Her? You can’t be serious!” he stutters.

   “Oh, don’t be that scared. She’s more or less tame now.” Jin assures him.

   A pause.

   “I think. Maybe.”

   “That’s not very reassuring!” Kubo accuses.

   “Oh, relax. I’m here, aren’t I? When worse comes to worst, I’ll help you subdue her.”

   “Do you think it’s wise to let them know about their true identity?” Sergeant Wakaba asks Jin.

   “No. At least, not now. I think it’s better if their identity are kept a secret from each other. Is it possible foryou to head out and get Kubo-san and Rei-san masks to cover up their face?”

   “I’ll go find some at once. And I’ll get one for Hanya Mask, just in case she didn’t bring her real mask.”

   “Please stay here with Rei-san until Sergeant Wakaba is back. After you’ve been disguised, follow her to the training room.” Jin tells Kubo.

   “Got it.”

   When Jin got back to the training room, Date Jr is still swinging her sledgehammer. She’s sweating profusely, and she’s panting quite a lot. Even so, she’s not stopping at all.

   “I still have 20 more to go.” she reports.

   “Good. Take a break after you’re done. Also, be prepared to meet a new classmate.”

   She stops her swinging at once.

   “A new classmate, you say? Does that mean that you found another ability user like me?”

   “Sure did. To be more precise, he turned himself in.”

   “But, if he’s joining me for training, it would mean that you don’t have any plans on sealing off his power, correct?”

   “No.”

   Jin told her the same thing she told Kubo.

   “...and so, he might or might not end up to be your colleague.” he says to her after he was done.

   “I see. Hopefully, that person is trustworthy.”

   “Well, I’ve talked to him for a bit. He’s kind of decent, if you ask me. Then again, he was probably acting. In any case, be cautious around him.”

   “Understood.”

   “By the way, did you bring your mask?”

   “As a matter of fact, I did.”

   “Good. Put it on while you’re having a break. As I told him, I think it’s best if the two of you don’t know each other’s true identity.”

   “Got it.”

   As Jin has instructed, Date Jr goes to her bag and takes out her mask before putting it on. She then sits on the ground while sitting cross-legged. Based on her breathing, Jin assumes that she’s meditating.

   After more than twenty minutes of uncomfortable silence, Kubo and Rei-san finally come into the training room. Kubo is wearing a plain black mask that covers the top half of his face. As for Rei-san, she’s wearing a white one that has feathers on it. Upon hearing them coming in, Date Jr. gets up from where she’s sitting in order to greet them.

   “Before I begin the introduction, have you thought up of a code name?” Jin asks Kubo.

   “Mine is Maid Master.” Kubo replies rather embarrassingly.

   “...Seriously?”

   “Please cut me some slack! I couldn’t come up with a better one, okay?”

   “As for me, I’m Reina.” Rei-san answers.

   “Okay, then. Maid Master and Reina meet Hanya Mask. Hanya Mask, meet Maid Master and Reina.”

   Kubo and Date Jr. nod at each other, with the former nervously and the latter indifferently. As for Rei-san, she does her usual curtsy.

   “I hope we can get along.” Kubo says to Date Jr..

   “...Likewise.”

   Even with her mask on, Jin could tell that she’s being disapproving of Kubo. The only reason she’s not lecturing him is probably because Jin told her about Rei-san’s over-protectiveness.

   Jin shudders with cringe after he was done with the introduction.

   “Please be sure to get a better code name for yourself before it’s known to the world.” he pleads Kubo.

   “I’ll try my best.”

   Kubo freezes.

   “...Wait, did you say the world?”

   “Naturally. You’ll be introduced once your employment has become official so that the public will know who you are. Both you and Reina.”

   Kubo starts to freak out.

   “B-But I’m an introvert! I’m scared of crowds! There’s no way I can introduce myself in front of a large group of people without passing out!” he stutters.

   “No one’s asking you to. I didn’t bother to show up when the PM was introducing me either.”

   “But, that’s because, um, no offense, it’s you. I doubt they’ll let me skip out on my own introduction.”

   “Just don’t worry about it too much and focus on changing your code name. And more importantly, towards becoming stronger. Right, enough talk. Let’s begin your training.”

   Jin begins by giving them a quick lesson on spells.

   “The spells I learned are all categorized into Level 1 to 10. the higher the level, the more mana and time are required to cast them. Level 1 Spells usually take less than a minute to cast, while a Level 10 one might take hours, depending on what you’re casting.” he tells the three of them.

   “Do you need any incantation in order to cast them?” Kubo asks.

   “You do. You can mutter them out loud, or you can write them with your fingers. That said, I recommend using only the former method when you’re still a beginner.”

   “So, we have to memorize all of the incantations?”

   “Naturally. For the ones you’ll be using, anyway. No point learning those that you won’t have enough mana for, or those that you won’t need.”

   “What kind of spells do we need for now?” Date Jr. asks.

   “Most of the Level 1 Spells. They include spells that strengthen your body, gives you the power of clairvoyance and other useful stuff. The strengthen spell is especially important for you and Reina, since the two of you are fighters. I’ll teach the incantation to the two of you right after we’re done with this.”

   “What about me, then?” Kubo asks.

   “As I told you, your mana pool is quite decent. And you’re a supporter who stays at the back. As such, you’ll be learning mostly supporting and offensive spells. For today, though, you’ll be learning on how to channel your mana and give them to Reina.”

   Jin begins the lesson with teaching the three of them on how to channel mana. If they fail, they can’t cast spells properly.

   “Unlike casting spells, channeling mana is all about concentration. Tap into your mana, and try to bring them out.”

   “That’s not really a good explanation.” Kubo complains.

   “My bad. That’s how I was taught, and that’s how I had been doing it.”

   “Wasn’t there any spell books that give you pointers?”

   “There were, but I don’t really get along well with books, particularly when I didn’t need their instruction in the first place.”

   The three of them close their eyes and try their best on the channeling. Jin activates his Eye of Truth to check on them. Nothing happens for the first ten minutes. And then, Jin sees mana flowing through Date Jr.’s body.

   “Well done, you’ve succeeded.” he tells her.

   She slowly opens her eyes and looks at her body.

   “I don’t feel any different.” she informs.

   “That’s because you’re just channeling the mana. Trust me, you’ll feel the difference when you start to use spells.”

   Rei-san is the next to succeed. However, she can’t do it for long since she doesn’t have lots of mana inside her yet.

   “Come on, Maid Master. Reina needs your mana so that she could continue.” Jin tells Kubo.

   “Easy for you to say…” the anime nerd wheezes.

   “Don’t become nervous. Don’t think too hard either. His barely comprehensible advise actually works to our favor since it doesn’t demand too much from us.” Date Jr. advises.

   “Just think of it as if you’re breathing, master. Instead of carbon dioxide, you exhale mana.” Rei-san adds.

   “Don’t think too much, treat it like I’m breathing…”

   After an agonizing hour later, he finally succeeds.

   “Well, time to move onto lesson two.” Jin says.

   He directs Kubo on how to transfer some of his mana to Rei-san.

   “That’s it. It’s better to start it slow now that there’s no urgency. A little bit at a time will do. And that’s too much in one go.”

   Kubo hurriedly retracts some.

   “One question. What will happen if I ended up giving too much?” he asks.

   “Reina will get mana-poisoned. She will start to experience severe headache, feels like vomiting, and generally sick to her soul. If it got really serious, she might die.”

   Kubo gulps audibly.

   “Which is why you should be careful, real careful. Make sure to practice this frequently unless you want Reina gone.”

   “No, I don’t want that! I’ll make sure to practice!”

   Jin moves on to the two girls.

   “For the two of you, a Level 1 Spell called Strengthen. It’s one of the most basic spell you can learn, and it’s also one of the most useful. Not only can it make you stronger, but you can make other stronger by touching them after casting the spell.”

   He tells them the incantation for Strengthen so that they could practice.

   Date Jr. looks at her right fist.

   “I have become stronger.” she reports.

   “So have I.” Rei-san agrees.

   “By the way, Reina. Do you have any experience in using weapons?” Jin asks the maid.

   “As a matter of fact, I do. I’m learning kendo under a famous master.”

   “Do you now? What dan are you?”

   “The 6th.”

   “Out of 8? That’s pretty impressive. Hold on, I’ll try to find you something.”

   Jin accesses his Vault and search for a weapon that might be useful to Rei-san. Hmm, he can’t give away Ashrune, no matter how much he finds it redundant. There must be something around here-ah, there’s one.

   He hands her a scimitar. Its blade is made from a metal that’s lighter than a feather.

   “This is Balaraw, a sword that allows its user to move really quickly.” he explains. “Mind, only do that for three minutes straight if you’re not used to it.”

   She accepts the scimitar and bows at him gratefully.

   “I thank you for the gift.”

   “Think nothing of it. We’re allies after all. Now then, let’s move onto teaching you Vault, the spell I just used. This is even more useful than Strengthen since you can store tons of things in it.”

   By the time all of them have mastered Vault, it has gotten quite late. Jin declares today’s lesson to be over and dismisses the class.