The Second Archive

***

'I am outside but it seems like my Magic powers are still sealed. I guess that means I can't use them as long as I'm on school grounds.'

Arata continued walking around the perimeter.

As he looked up towards the top of the building...

'Whether it's a Barrier Pillar or Barrier Core, neither should have any problem functioning from that clock tower.'

[Exactly. The higher up, the larger the area a barrier should be able to encase. That clock tower seems to be worth a shot.]

After circling the perimeter a while longer, Arata found several stairs which went to the top of the building.

'Hopefully that Linchpin isn't rigged with traps.'

***

'Doesn't seem like there are any.'

Arata surveyed his surroundings as he landed on solid ground.

A white Pavilion was erected of what should probably have been a breathtaking garden. Right now, it was simply a former shadow of it. Cracks ran long and the pillars felt like they would give way any time.

In the center of that Pavilion, was a black cube floating in the air.

'That should be the Barrier Linchpin.'

However, things obviously wouldn't prove to be easy.

A bunch of black miasma started overflowing and rising from the depths of the ground.

Without warning, one of the Demons opened it's mouth and spat out a black liquid at Arata.

Arata astutely grasped the flow of attack as he evaded. He managed to make it in time as the liquid landed on the ground, causing a hissing noise in the process.

'It's corrosive? Don't they seem stronger than before?'

--What exactly was [Killing Intent]?

*Ton* Kicking the ground lightly but with acceleration that ran in contrast with that lightness, Arata quickly closed the distance as he plunged the sword right into the stomach of the Demon.

The body clung to the ground with a splat, ceasing to function.

*SHUU* Another shot of corrosive black liquid was fired, splitting through the air.

As if he had already sensed the incoming attack, Arata's body quickly evaded, dodging the liquid with paper-thin difference.

The next moment, he came approaching the second enemy with an unstoppable downward slash.

Plop!

Fixing his grip on the katana, Arata slashed back to the Demon that was approaching him from behind.

*GIN!* *GIN!*

Sparks scattered as Arata's katana intercepted a sword clad in black miasma. He softly redirected his opponents simple downswing with an Instant positioning. Just like that, he sidestepped the creature's stance and promptly slashed diagonally as he received a slight feedback.

The blade bisected the head of the Demon and it's body parts slowly melted away into the ground.

Finally, Arata made his way towards the black cube as he raised the katana overhead.

With a simple downward swing, the katana made contact with the cube. However, instead of destroying the cube, the katana was rebounded and Arata was forced several steps back.

Instantly, the black cube started to morph, as though it was trying to assume a certain form. Very soon, the cube had transformed into a human-like appearance.

'Isn't that...'

Although it had no face, Arata could clearly make out the figure in front of him. The exact same body shape and height...

Yes, the cube had transformed into a copy of Arata, except that it possessed the swarthy pigmentation of the Demons.

Without warning, the fake copy stepped in before Arata sharply and it's left arm disappeared in a blur.

The movement of swinging a weapon was easy to understand visually. Compared to that, this left jab that straightforwardly and unerringly flew from a stance where the fist was already lifted and prepared was completely like a needle that came flying.

When his copy's left jab flew, Arata evaded his body to the left side exactly at the same time.

Next, a right straight came flying at the direction Arata moved his whole body at. It was the same straightforward movement, but if the jab before was like a needle than this time it was a cannon.

Arata who moved his body to the left avoided his body to the right side this time as if he was bounced by an unseen spring.

To intercept Arata who slide his whole body to the right as it was, a left hook came flying as if it was taking a big detour from the outside.

Even while his whole body was sliding to the right, he lifted his right arm that could move freely until the right side of his face to guard and blocked the hook that was going to gouge his face.

Kazuki instantly took some distance as he picked up the Katana that was lying on the ground.

Likewise, his copy also fashioned out a katana that was made of the same substance as it's body.

The distance between the two vanished. The copy, who appeared in front of his eyes slashed up with it's blade diagonally.

That single blow was seen through by Arata with his acute sense but right when he was trying to block--His copy's katana distorted like jelly and it's trajectory changed.

Arata read the trajectory wrongly, but he managed to clash his own blade against that irregular slash.

*GIIN!* Such sound rang out and the situation entered a sword-locking contest. But, the previous miss made his strength control become slightly disarrayed and his copy didn't overlook that miss.

Matching the bearing of strength, the copy immediately parried Arata's blade.

Having his sword parried away, Arata's stance became disordered and the copy wasted no time and reversed it's blade, slashing in a side sweep.

He forcefully held out his disordered stance and forcibly averted his upper body.

He avoided the slash...

--Just when he thought so, his copy's blade noticeably lengthened.

The side sweeping blow was aimed at his chest and Arata instantly leaped back with his reinforced strength, regrouping by taking distance.

His copy took a certain stance with it's katana lowered and relaxed. From that stance, it filled the distance between them with a radical acceleration.

Arata attempted to repel the blow that once again came with divine speed. Just before their blades clashed, his copy's blade distorted once again.

This time, Arata was not led astray by that--He calculated precisely with his enhanced perception the distortion of the blade added with the opponent's movement and met their blades with each other. This time, the sword locking contest was brought about with an even standing.

*PAAN!* His copy's figure vanished together with such a sound.

*PAAN!* *PAAN!* Such sounds rang out consecutively--

--Right after that, his copy slashed at him from behind...

But Arata unhesitatingly turned back at his diagonal right.

His copy's surprise attack slash was blocked by Arata.

This time, Arata was the one that didn't overlook that opening. He broke his copy's stance and then, he reversed his blade and slashed at it diagonally.

Black Miasma gushed out from it's chest as his copy stumbled back.

[Master, the barrier is dissolving. We should be able to leave this place soon.]

Arata felt the change in him. He could finally activate his Magic again.

Distorted, wriggled....the Demons that Arata had defeated earlier overflowed from the cracks in the ground and started to converge towards his copy.

They were simultaneously gathering, and their body muddily clung to each other and combined, turning into one huge body. It was so huge that he needed to look up.

It was like a huge lump of black decaying meat. Black protrusions stuck out from it's body and it possessed several heads and two gigantic arms. It's body was an irregular fusion of multiple Demons, a complicated and bizarre phenomenon.

Several tentacles shot out from it's body but Arata managed to slice them apart...however, one tentacle managed to bypass and his katana was flung away in order to defend against.

[Master, looks like we have no choice but to defeat this thing in front us.]

'Yeah.'

"Access Magus Mode."

From the mouth of one of it's head, a fireball was spat out. However, Arata had already leaped up midway into the air; the ground where he was just at was empty as he landed softly back on the ground.

It was at that moment...

[The Second Archive has been unlocked.]

[Please choose carefully.]

• [Luxuria (Vanitas, Abies, Everlasting, Terminus, Fall) ]

• [Superbia (Imperium, Justitia, Verum, Arbite, Caritas, Amore, Mission, Idea) ]

• [Acedia]

• [Ira]

• [Avarita]

• [Invidia (Spero, Perfectus, Expecto, Ridic) ]

'To think I would get to unlock a second Archive here. But, it seems several Archives are impossible for me to master at the moment.'

Arata didn't know what triggered this event but he was finally going to get his second Archive.

[Master, have you already decided?]

"That's right."

Arata had already decided a while back which Archive and Thema he wanted to learn next. The book he found in the library had some detailed explanation of the Seven Archives and when Arata came across one of them, he realized that this Archive was perfectly suited with his current [Gula] Archive as well. Fortunately, he could learn this Archive.

[Very well then.]

Arata closed his eyes as he felt a sudden change in the Magic Energy flowing within him.

After a short moment, he opened his eyes.

"Reconnecting to the Luxuria Archive..."

"Execute Thema!"

A vast amount of magic overflowed and started swirling around Arata.

[Process 1 (Comprehension) has been cleared. Process 2 (Deconstruction) has been cleared. Process 3 (Reconstruction) has been cleared.]

[Realize!]

From choosing the Archive to learning the magic spell, this entire process only took him several seconds. Because he had knowledge of the Archive from the book, he could bypass several process and learn the new spell almost instantaneously.

A modern weapon that boasted immense strength and fired projectiles that traveled faster than the speed of sound. The weapon was about thirty-five centimetres long.

A silver plated revolver manifested in his hand.

Back in his world, a gun was practically useless against Monsters that appeared in the Dungeon. However, this revolver was made through 'Outer Alchemy'.

The 'Thema' which Arata had chosen was 'Abies' and the Magic he gained from that was 'Outer Alchemy', which, by using the theory of equivalent exchange as his basis, allowed him to create weapons and materialize them from scratch. However, the bigger and more powerful the weapon was, the more Magic and soul he had to exchange to process this Magic, and, if he couldn't control it, he would become a Demon as well. A risk that applied to this particular Magic.

Unlike a normal gun which shot out normal bullets, this weapon of his shot out bullets made up of pure magic energy.

Furthermore--

[Conception]

Hieroglyphics, just like the one which appeared on his body, started to appear on the revolver.

[Mantra Enchant] was not only a Magic that could empower one's body, but objects as well.

"Let's settle it with this."

Mana started gathering near the new gun's muzzle and once the clump of mana reached critical mass, it started emitting sparks. Arata focused even more magic as he pulled the trigger.

The air trembled and a blast of pure magic shot straight through the Demon's chest.

The light emitted blinded the surroundings.

The blast was so quiet that you could have heard a pin drop in the room as the Demon started to fade away into particles.

Arata walked towards the katana as he picked it up. Even though he could now create weapons, this katana was the one which enabled him to survive so far.

[Barrier Linchpin destroyed. Quest has been completed.]

The next moment, the same circle as before lit up beneath Arata, illuminating the surroundings again.

The circle flared up in a brilliant explosion of light...

Any trace of existence from before had disappeared as the light began to fade.

***

Two silhouettes could be seen a slight distance away just as the magic circle flared up and Arata was transported away.

Just from looking at their appearance, one could tell that they were both females.

"Hou...so that is the Magic King Candidate of another world. To think he managed to unlock a second Archive at that moment. However, he is still too immature to be truly called a King. The Magic King Element inside him has only just began to manifest."

"A Paladin Class against a Magic King Candidate. Do you think you can win him?"

"I am not that interested in fighting him...yet. Besides, us Paladins, we try not to interfere too much in the affairs of the world."

One of the girl raised her hand as a blue orb materialized above it. Letters started to manifest on the orb as the girl examined it.

"I have gotten the coordinates. It seems this world of his is pretty far away..."

"The easiest way to kill a Magic King would be to destroy the Magic King Element residing inside him. And normally, the most efficient way to do so, is to have a Magic King from another world to do it. It seems 'He' is finally waking up from his slumber as well. What a coincidence."

"You mean 'He' is starting to awaken? That is impossible. 'He' should have been sealed in that library. The seal shouldn't be broken so easily."

"The Cosmic balance between worlds has been broken...the presence of another Magic King has triggered an unnecessary response."

"To think that such a thing would happen..."

***

"A Genuine Magic King...what do you think will happen when two Magic Kings meet? There can only be one True Magic King in existence for every world after all."