Chapter 01: Goal
*Water Splash SFX*
While I was slumbering, I felt being soaked by water followed by a sensation of coldness that woke me up. I raised my upper body and sat on the bed as I rub my eyes with both of my hands.
With the cold water splashed on me unable to remove my sleepiness, I started to speak in a drowsy tone. "How dangerous, Mr. Amawaka. What if I catch a common cold with your method of rousing someone from their rest?"
I opened my eyes to see a young man holding a steel bucket. He is wearing a black long-sleeved polo, white jeans, and indoor sandals. His black hair was long that its ends reached his neck, and there is yellow lock of his hair standing upright on his head. Below his black eyes were eye bags that would suggest overwork or lack of sleep. He is Seigen Amawaka, an Exorcist who apparently found me and took me to this place, the Hinatsuki Dormitory.
"You sure do have the guts to oversleep while everyone is already training, rotten brat. To top it off-" (Seigen)
"Mr. Amawaka, I have finished reading The Republic. I want to ask you for the return of the book to the local library, while you are at it, please borrow Utopia and The Prince for me. I'm still reading Leviathan so it will stay here until its return date." (Rokuro)
Several veins on Mr. Amawaka's forehead were visible.
A few moments later…
After Mr. Amawaka smacked me on the head, I took a bath, cleaned my mouth, and worn a new set of clothes.
I'm currently seated inside a classroom within this Hinatsuki Dormitory. There are eighteen residents in this dormitory with the similar age as mine. We are exorcist cadets in training.
While I'm in the middle of pondering my thoughts, I was interrupted by the sound of the door opening.
Mr. Amawaka entered the classroom with someone. That someone is a boy that must be the same age group as me. He is wearing green tuxedo that is children-sized and his left eye was hidden by a rectangular white eye-patch.
"I'm going to introduce a new friend. This is Yuto Ijika, play nice together." (Seigen)
"Nice to meet you. Umm…I come from an ancient and honorable family lineage of skilled exorcists for generations. Therefore, I've already completed all the lectures and trainings that everyone is taking right now." Yuto Ijika smiles at us and continues. "I have no plans to lower my level as the likes of you, nor do I intend to get along with anyone. But it's nice to meet you."
Mr. Ijika expression and tone might be amiable and cheerful, but his words contain a condescending feeling to it.
"There you have it. Rokuro, from now on, you and Ijika will share the same room." (Seigen)
I can only internally sigh as of this moment. I ended up being stuck with a troublesome fellow.
Classes were resumed after Mr. Ijika's introduction. I have missed the morning training regimen since I have overslept, but it wasn't a matter that requires my attention. Even though I didn't come from a family like Mr. Ijika that can give me a head start, last year, I already mastered the fundamentals that is generally required to veteran exorcists. Attending class is just a formality for me.
"Um…uh…" I heard murmurs on my left side. Seated beside me was a girl wearing a black blouse, checkered skirt, and a checkered Bennett hat. She has a bob cut brown hair and her eyes are metallic brown in color. I remember that her name is Ami Nagose.
"How may I help you, Ms. Nagose?" (Rokuro)
"Rokuro-kun…do you have time after class?" She is facing me, but her gaze is focused on the floor.
"For what purpose?" (Rokuro)
"I want to get better, so I…want to ask for your help." (Ami)
"Okay, I will help you." (Rokuro)
"I understand…you are busy and I can't trouble you…wait…huh…? Rokuro-kun?" She paused for a moment before looking straight to my face.
"Your response is contradictory to mine. Shouldn't you be speaking words of gratitude for me as of this moment?" (Rokuro)
"T-t-thank you, Rokuro-kun!" The anxious expression on her face was replaced by a cheerful one. Her smile with addition to the blush on her face makes a good combination. In addition, the tone and emotion when she spoke has a joyful sensation which I felt from her.
So cute.
"Go to the field ahead of me, Ms. Nagose. I will be following you as soon as I got my belongings from my room." (Rokuro)
"Understood!" Unlike her quivering and soft tone earlier, she is now speaking cheerfully for some reason.
Ami exits the classroom while skipping as she hums a happy melody.
I went to my room to get some talismans, my umbrella, and my three thermal containers. Before I went to the field, I filled the containers with water and ice cubes and I also took four melon breads from the kitchen.
I proceeded to the field and seen Ms. Nagose. She is now wearing a green jogging pants, green jacket, underneath the jacket is a white T-shirt, and a red cap on the top of her head.
"I apologies for the wait. Shall we get started?" I placed the melon breads and thermal containers on the ground, then, I opened my umbrella to shield myself from the afternoon sun.
"Yes, Rokuro-kun!" (Ami)
I attached a talisman behind Ms. Nagose and started chanting. "Reproach hath broken my heart; and I am full of heaviness: and I looked for some to take pity, but there was none; and for comforters, but I found none."
<
"So heavy…what is this…Rokuro-kun…?" Ms. Nagose grimaces at the sudden phenomenon that is currently occurring to her.
"Psalm 69:20 utilizes gravity. I'm using it to weigh you down. The cadets here are performing physical training regimen, but if you were to ask me, that is insufficient. This place is a possible target for Impurities, since it is a logical decision to take down the exorcist cadets before their potential is actualized." (Rokuro)
"Is that possible? Impurities is incapable of thought." Ms. Nagose is now able to adapt to the heaviness as she is standing straight and speaking comfortably. I thought it will take her several minutes to adapt, but here we are. Despite looking so timid, she might be firm and undaunted. So cute.
"Indeed, that is what is taught to us. However, the teachings of the adults are not the be-all and end-all. There are still things that are unknown to them, and they can't fully prove that Impurities are incapable of developing intelligence and sentience. If Impurities are born from the malice of humanity, doesn't that mean they have the potential to perform malice that humanity is capable of doing? And the atrocities done by humanity is not exclusive to mindless slaughter, it also involved elaborate schemes and a sinister train of thought." (Rokuro)
"But Impurities can't enter our world." (Ami)
"There's no need for the Impurities to do the deed themselves. They can just coerce or persuade exorcists who enter Magano to do it." (Rokuro)
"Eh?! But the exorcists are fighting to protect us! There's no way they will betray us." (Ami)
"Exorcists are humans before they are exorcists. Humans can be swayed by temptations such as the bestowal of greater power, or they can be forced to do actions under threats such as taking one of their comrades as hostages. As the Latin saying goes, homo homini lupus est, man is a wolf to another man. Well, that would be enough side talk and focus on the main agenda. I will bring down the gravity further down." (Rokuro)
Ms. Nagose falls down to the ground when I increased the effects of Psalm 69:20. "Ah!" She used her hands and knees as support to prevent falling face-first.
I turned my back from Ms. Nagose and started gathering pebbles. I gathered fifty pebbles. I took out a talisman from my pocket and placed it above the small pile of pebbles.
"Let those who turn away from divine blessing be struck down by divine arrows." (Rokuro)
<
The pebbles were covered by spiritual energy and started to float. When they have hovered in the air, it is noticeable that some kind of dust has fallen from the pebbles.
Facing Ms. Nagose, I aimed near her head and fired one Void Rendering Magic Bullet. It hit the ground where Ms. Nagose is looking leaving a small hole on it.
"Gah?!" The sudden fire gave the extra push that enabled Ms. Nagose to stand up once more. She was startled and her face has paled, probably due to shock.
"We will start with this course. While you are under the effects of Psalm 69:20, you will need to dodge these forty-nine Void Rendering Magic Bullets." (Rokuro)
"Wait-" Ms. Nagose was about to say something, but I started firing without listening to her.
Sensing that Void Rendering Magic Bullets are a lethal danger to her, Ms. Nagose started dodging like her life depends on it. Oh wait, if she didn't dodge, she will really die since the force of my Void Rendering Magic Bullets can pierce through human bone and flesh.
After a few minutes, I ran out of Void Rendering Magic Bullets and I already cancelled the effects of Psalm 69:20 on Ms. Nagose. Right now, she is now lying on the ground breathing heavily as she perspires buckets of sweat. I waited for some time to pass to let Ms. Nagose recover shortly.
I crouched down beside Ms. Nagose with a thermal container at hand. "How was it, Ms. Nagose? Are you able to fully relish on the feeling of life and death?"
"You went…overboard…Rokuro-kun…" (Ami)
Still, for Ms. Nagose to perform this well is unexpected. Normally, a Void Rendering Magic Bullet is propelled by spiritual energy alone that its effectiveness depends on the spiritual energy that you put on it. However, I see that as half-hearted approach and thus revised it to suit my standards.
My Void Rendering Magic Bullet changes the shape of the material I will use as bullets. For example, I turned the shape of pebbles into a gun bullet shape, which is the reason why dust fell of the bullets since I scraped and polished the pebbles into gun bullets with my spiritual energy. When it comes to firing the Void Rendering Magic Bullet, I will make the bullet spin, instead of just propelling it with spiritual energy.
Technique is meant to be utilized in order to produce a great force by utilizing a small amount of power. If you add technique in a move that uses a great amount of power, it will be possible for someone to produce an unstoppable force.
I applied the principle of a gun mechanism into an exorcist technique to multiply the force it can produce.
Earlier, I intended to kill Ms. Nagose, yet, she survived. Not only that, she did it while she is under the effect of Psalm 69:20 that slowed down her speed making dodging very difficult. She was able to dodge my Void Rendering Magic Bullets because she knew beforehand where the bullets will go and move in advance to dodge it. It is not a calculation, instinct, nor prediction. She was able to see the trajectory of bullets clearly and react quickly. Her kinetic vision and reaction speed must be very exceptional.
She is still a child, but she can perform up to this level. One can only imagine what she can when she grows up.
"Good work, Ms. Nagose. Once you recover for a bit, sit down and hydrate yourself." I placed the thermal container near Ms. Nagose.
Ms. Nagose's breathing has stabilized and she was able to sit up. She opened the thermal container and drinks water little by little and closed the container after she was done drinking.
"How well did I do, Rokuro-kun?" (Ami)
I opened the pack of a melon bread and handed it to Ms. Nagose and she held it with both hands. "Neither good or bad. You have performed on a barely passable level and there are rooms for improvement, Ms. Nagose."
"I-I see…I'm glad that was the result…" Ms. Nagose heaves a sigh of relief and smiles.
This is unusual. Normally, anyone who experienced what Ms. Nagose went through would have been enraged with me as a reaction, which is a matter of course since they almost died. However, Ms. Nagose seemed to be happy despite what happened to her.
Her happiness was not from the elation of overcoming a difficult task, nor it belongs to the kind that relishes one the thrill of being on the brink of life and death. It was something different, and it was not happiness that is connected from conflict or fighting.
What made her happy during this short training session? This question has now just is bugging me out.
"Um, Rokuro-kun, can I ask you something to you?" (Ami)
"Go ahead." (Rokuro)
"What was that spell earlier? It didn't look like what our teachers taught us and your chant was in English. It was named Psalm 69:20, right?" (Ami)
"Psalm 69:20 is a spell I made on an experimental whim. The chant for Psalm 69:20, just as its name suggests is from a verse in the Christian Bible." (Rokuro)
"Is it possible to do it like that?" (Ami)
"I wonder about that as well and tried to do it that resulted to the creation of an exorcism spell which I named Psalm 69:20." (Rokuro)
"As I thought, you are amazing, Rokuro-kun. You might be able to accomplish anything you set your mind on." (Ami)
"In that case, you are amazing as well, Ms. Nagose. Accomplishing the goal that you set for yourself is something that anyone can do…" A sudden realization stricken me.
Ah, I see the reason why Ms. Nagose was able to be happy despite coming close to dying. She as happy because she was able to take a step forward towards her goal. Her goal doesn't lie on the battlefield. For her battlefield is just an obstacle in her path to her goal.
"Rokuro-kun?" (Ami)
"Forgive me for dozing off. By the way, do you something mind that you want to accomplish, Ms. Nagose? Something like a dream or goal." (Rokuro)
Ms. Nagose averts her gaze from me, avoiding eye contact with me. Her face was immediately flushed red and she was twiddling her index fingers. "It's…a secret." Ms. Nagose answered in a low and whispering tone.
"In that case, I won't probe any further." I stood up and placed my hand above Ms. Nagose's head touching her cap. "I will be going, but one last thing. Well done for today, Ms. Nagose."
Ms. Nagose lowered her head that made my unable to see her facial expression. "Thank you…very much…"
For some reason, Ms. Nagose is tightening her grip on the melon bread that it was torn apart.
I closed the umbrella I was holding started walking to head to my room, leaving Ms. Nagose by herself in the field.