Sakura POV 1st person

-

That was… stressful. I didn't expect that girl to know so much about me. I ended up losing control of the situation.

*Sigh!*

'Yato, do you know something about that girl?'

Maybe Yato could give me satisfactory answers. If only I could know something, that would put me in an advantageous position.

'And why should I tell you?'

'Hehh?!'

Argh! Why does he keep playing hard? It shouldn't be difficult to find information about her.

'She knows a lot about me. I need information that can guarantee me an advantage.'

'So you think she will betray the agreement, huh.'

'It's good to be prepared.'

'Well, you won't find anything even if you look.'

'Why?'

'This girl has never done anything that could harm her plans. The most she did was get rid of people trying to kill her.'

'Doesn't that mean she had people killed?!'

'Yes, but this is common among powerful families. You know very well that your family is stained with blood.'

'...I know.'

My family had already murdered people considered dangerous or troublesome. I was a child and didn't understand these matters, but now it's different. All the people who got in the way of the Kanami family mysteriously disappeared, and it wasn't until years later that I understood why. I didn't know how to react to all this. My mind had gone blank.

Chiyo Onee-chan told me, "The world will always be hostile to those who desire power. Greed and human desires don't allow sharing. The world is like that. There's no way to change it."

'I lost?'

'You lost. You lost at the moment you showed anxiety and nervousness. From that moment, she was able to dominate the negotiation.'

'But she knew-'

'She did not know.'

'What?! She said she knew about Sky Corporation being independent of the Kanami family.'

'Sakura, she never claimed she knew about this. She knew you owned Sky Corporation, but she didn't know about the company is independent.'

'So she was lying all along?!'

I couldn't believe what I was hearing. The whole time… was she lying to me?! But at no time did I feel like she was lying.

'No. She suspected that Sky Corporation was independent, but she wasn't sure. She made a hunch to see her reaction, and you showed anxiety, fear, and confusion. It was easy for her to know the answer due to your reactions during the negotiation.'

What the hell?! Was I in the palm of her hand the whole time?!

'However, there is a good side to all of this.'

'Good side?'

'You got a great ally.'

'Huh?'

I was confused, because I didn't know if I could trust that girl. She looks too dangerous.

'She won't betray you. Don't worry. Besides, it's a great opportunity for you to make friends. After all, it's hard to be lonely.'

Damn you! I know you're making fun of me! Do you think I can't make friends? I would have a million friends if I wanted to!

'…Hmph!'

-

I got home in a few seconds. Chiyo-Onee-chan was working, so I was alone.

'Hm, I'd better train a little.'

The new training room is fantastic. My power has increased a lot in a short time.

【Do you want to access the training room?】

'Yea.'

My vision blurred for a moment when I appeared in the training room. The training room is a blank space that I can edit at will. I just think of a specific decoration, and everything happens the way I want it, very conveniently.

One of the main functions of the training room is to improve my learning ability. I can also create enemies to improve my combat skills.  

'Well, I should finish my books on the basics.'

I picked up my books and started reading. I thought there would be nothing relevant, but I found something interesting at the end of the book.

"Superior Elements?! Also, what is Magic Arrays?"

I was excited, as I didn't expect to find something like this. Unfortunately, the book did not delve into these two themes, only small quotes.

'I need to find more books!'

"System, I've already finished reading the books on the basic elements. Help me find useful books on the higher elements and magical matrices."

【Request accepted】

The system screen appeared in front of me, showing the price of the books. The two books together cost more than a thousand points. Well, it's understandable, but I like to save my points.

'System-kun, why don't you give me a discount?'

【...】

'Come on. I accept anything…'

I made the expression of a child who has had his candy stolen.

【*Sigh!*】

-

"Higher elemental magic and magic arrays…"

I picked up the two books with a smile on my face. 30% off was all I got after making the face of a kid who's had his candy stolen.

I'm not sure which one to read first. I'm inclined to see the book on the magic arrays, because it's something totally new to me.

'Well, I'd better test my mastery of the basics first.'

I reached out my hand and created a sphere of each element. Air, fire, earth, and water. Yes, I have mastered the four basic elements. A proud smile hovered over my face.

'Yato, how is Keiichi?'

I was curious about his progress.

'Hm, he's having a hard time.'

'Hard time?'

'A demon from the abyss has invaded his world.'

'Demon?! So these beings really exist...'

'Yes, they exist. Although not exactly as it is described in the mythological books.'

'Huh? Aren't they giant beings with horns and obsidian-colored bodies?"

Well, that's how demons are portrayed in my world.

'Although there are demons with that description, most of them have a humanoid form. And they are not evil.'

Yato's last statement made me curious. Aren't demons portrayed as merciless and bloodthirsty beings?

'Just like the human race, demons also possess greed, love, hate, sadness, and happiness. They are not beings that only think about killing, they just have a more aggressive nature. You find evil everywhere, Sakura. Heaven, Hell, or Tartarus. As long as people are thinking differently, there will be disagreements and, consequently, wars. Well, that's how it should be.'

I didn't know what to say as I listened to Yato's philosophical explanation. I was confused. All of this was so new to me. There are good and bad humans, so there must be good and bad demons too, right?

'Well, unfortunately, the demon he encountered is of a species that evolves through killing.'

'So he had the bad luck to meet an evil demon, huh. Why don't you do something about it? It would be awful if something happened to him.'

I didn't know him well enough to consider him a friend, but I don't want to see him dead. 

'I'm no one's nanny. He has to deal with his own problems.'

'You look like a villain now.'

'Really?'

Well, I knew I couldn't convince him, so I decided to forget about it. I hope Keiichi can handle this.

'You talked about the abyss. What is it?'

'An existential plan.'

'Existential plan? Doesn't it stay in our universe?'

'No.'

'How the hell did a demon from such a distant place end up in Keiichi's world?! Can this thing get here?!'

I thought my world was a safe place, but the thought that a demon could stop in my world made me shiver.

'An artifact. The middle-and superior layers of the abyss are inaccessible to people as weak as those cultivators, but the lower layer is different. They can access the lower layer through some artifacts. However, it is surprising that there was one on Keiichi's planet. A rather unpleasant coincidence for him.'

I didn't know what those "layers" were, but I could understand what Yato was saying. Well, this subject is problematic, so I decided to read my books.

'I suppose the higher elements are more powerful than the base elements?'

'The higher rating is due to difficulty. The power depends solely on the user in most situations.'

'I see.'

Leaving the elements aside, I picked up the book that talked about magic arrays.

'Magic arrays are magic circles composed of arcane symbols. Each symbol has a certain function and causes a certain effect.’

I found it fascinating.

'Exactly. Magic Arrays is basically 'programmed magic'. It is an advanced form of magic. It is extremely useful, but difficult to master.'

'Well, I understand how it works in theory, but how does it work in practice?'

'I'll do a little demonstration.'

I looked at Yato, who had appeared in front of me. I was surprised to see him wearing such casual clothes. In fantasy books, divine beings convey an air of grandeur and sovereignty, but Yato looked like a carefree teenager. Well, a rather unusual teenager, given his appearance.

"Pay attention. Magic is a principle that breaks some natural laws, but that doesn't mean a mage can break those certain laws. Check this out."

"What are you doing?!"

I was confused about seeing Yato create two dark beings. Then he created a barrier of light.

"These beings are called Nightwalkers. They are beings belonging to the lower layer of the abyss."

"Why did you create them?"

"They will set an example. You see, one of them demonstrates hostile intentions toward us."

One of the nightwalkers took a weapon from his body and tried to attack Sakura, but the light barrier prevented him from approaching.

"Isn't that a common barrier?"

I was confused. The light barrier seemed very sturdy, but nothing more.

"Do you think? Tell me, what would you do if you needed one of the nightwalkers to get through the barrier?"

"Huh… I would cut a small hole in the barrier." I thought the answer would be simple, but when Yato opened a hole in the barrier, the Nightwalker broke through and appeared in front of me.

I barely had time to think when the nightwalker's blade tried to slash my neck. I thought I was going to die, but the nightwalker suddenly disappeared.

…

"What was this?!" My breathing was heavy. I never thought the Nightwalker would attack me so suddenly. The hostile nightwalker's speed was far superior to the friendly one.

  "Well, that's what would happen if you broke through the barrier."

  Yato explained after teleporting the Nightwalker.

"So… what am I supposed to do?"

It would be simple if I could use spatial manipulation, but I can't.

"You could solve this situation by changing the shape of the barrier, leaving only the hostile Nightwalker trapped, but that won't work in all situations. The most practical way would be to use spatial manipulation to teleport the friendly Nightwalker to the other side of the barrier, but also there is another solution."

The second Nightwalker continued to watch the situation with confusion in his eyes. He approached the barrier and passed through it without any problems.

"What?! How did he get through the barrier?"

"He is not hostile to us. I created this barrier and set a law that prevented hostile creatures from approaching. However, to do this, you need to manipulate laws, so there is a simpler way."

Magic circles surrounded the barrier. I imagined that Yato was creating a magic array.

"Now, I have created a magic array that prevents hostile creatures from crossing the barrier. Although the effect is similar, the method is different. The first barrier is composed of a law that I created myself, but the second had its law created by something else."

"Hold on. Are you saying that the magic array is ​​responsible for creating the law?"

"Think of it like a computer. The magic array is ​​like a sequence of commands. You 'type the commands', and the 'computer' executes them. It's a simpler way to perform certain actions."

"This is… amazing! So there is a 'magic system' that assists mages. So how do spells work? Are they different from normal magic?"

"The spell definition is broad, but it works similarly to Magic arrays . A spell is like a 'copy and paste'. In a magic matrix, you still have to choose the 'commands', but a spell is different. 'commands' of a spell are already pre-defined."

Yato created a fireball in his palm.

"I created this fireball using mana. I can set its potency, size, temperature, etc."

That's the kind of magic I use.

"Now look at this."

Yato created another fireball, but this time there were magic circles in his hand.

"This is a spell called 'fireball'. Well, it creates a fireball, but with stats pre-set by the spell creator. The temperature, size, and potency are already pre-set, and you can only change that altering the spell itself. There are many so-called 'fireball' spells, so your thoughts define which ones to use."

Yato created several fireballs using spells. Some were larger, some were warmer, etc.

"I see. So spell users are more limited?"

It didn't seem like a good deal to me. The way I use magic feels more… free? Sorcery users seem more limited.

"Yes. In most cases, spell users are more restricted. However, a spell also involves creating magical matrices, so sorcerers generally have a greater knowledge of matrices. Remember, every sorcerer is a mage, but not every mage is a sorcerer."

"What happens when a low-level sorcerer tries to use a high-level spell?"

"Usually they lose consciousness or die."

"Heh?!"

I was in shock at Yato's words. This sorcery business seemed very risky indeed.

"Regardless of the method, any form of magic requires mana. High level spells require a lot of mana to activate, so a low level sorcerer would die from excessive mana drain." 

"I see…" In other words, the sorcerer still needs to know which 'commands' he wants to 'execute'. After all, it's impossible to do magic without knowing magic.

So even for a sorcerer, knowledge was still necessary.

"Magic arrays is not just 'copy and paste'. Watch carefully."

Yato created a red magic circle. It appeared to be a magical array of fire. "You see?" 

"What is this? Symbols?" After paying attention to the magic circle, I could notice different symbols, Hundreds of symbols. 

"These symbols are needed to create the Magic arrays . These symbols are the 'commands', also called arcane language. Each symbol has a meaning, a certain effect. This matrix is ​​basic, so it only contains a few hundred symbols. To create this matrix, it would be necessary to know each of these symbols."

So, magic arrays are basically a language.

"What's the point of sorcery?"

"Ease. It's easier for you to use a time-stopping spell than to learn to stop time."

Yato snapped his fingers, and time froze. The Nightwalkers went still.

"No matter how many times I see it, it's still amazing," I muttered.

"I used time manipulation to stop time, so I can set how long time will stop, range, etc."

Time returned to normal after Yato's speech.

"If time is stopped by a spell, the range and duration will be defined by the spell. So even if a sorcerer has temporal spells, it won't be as problematic as a mage who knows temporal manipulation."

My eyes were glowing at the new information.

"Well, we're done here. You can read the books if you want to know more."

Yato disappeared.

…

'Why do you always disappear like that? Baka.'