Magic
He was almost knocked out by the embrace of his aunt.
'FILTHY WHORE! UNATTACH YOURSELF FROM THIS IMP AT ONCE-'
Ignoring the oncoming tirade only he could hear, Leon focused on returning the hug. He could feel his aunt's subtle shaking, likely the result of her silent crying made evident by the growing puddle of tears flowing on his broad shoulders.
"Oh gods! I was so worried the past three days! And when the military informed me of your condition yesterday- sniffle- I came running! What on EARTH were you thinking going into a gate!"
She ran her hands through his hair, checking all over his body for any new wounds. Knowing she wouldn't stop until it became uncomfortable, Leon began to console her. "Aunty Io, it's okay! I'm okay, really. You don't have to worry about me at all, I swear."
She wiped her tears, and looked at him with a mixed look. Worry, disappointment, anger, and thankfulness all baked into one glare that meant she had already made the quick flip to mama-hen mode. "Is that what you call all this?" she gestured to the high tech machinery monitoring his condition.
Leon smiled, "Actually, you're not far off."
"???"
He dropped the bomb: "Aunty, I have a Stem. A D-rank one."
Her emotions in the past minute had made so many 90º turns that this 180º one completely stunned her. "A-are you joking with me? Leonidas Mourningstar, if this is a joke, so help me gods-"
"I'm serious!" he said, "An actual World Military technician confirmed it herself!' he smiled. "I swear upon my most handsome visage," he said jokingly, making an over-the-top bow to emphasize.
Io was overjoyed, bringing him into another soul-crushing hug. 'How the hell can this frail woman produce so much- cough- power?!?'
"Wait, Leon, this means… next week-!"
Leon nodded, happy seeing how overjoyed his aunt was. She of all people knew best, maybe better than Leon himself, how much he had sacrificed over the years. So many nights she spent silently hating herself at how she couldn't protect her little Leon.
After her sister and brother in law died, she had taken care of Leon. At this point, he was practically her son, and to see him come home nearly every day more bloodied and broken than the last, all just to turn right around and work? All the while continuing to excel academically?
It was hell– worse than that– but she had to put up with it. If not for her sister, for Leon.
Who would have expected that one week, the two of them were on the verge of starving, but the next, he would be going to Military Academy!
"Aunty Io, since you're here, could you help me get out? They wouldn't let me leave early without a parent or guardian signing the waiver…"
"Leave early? Why would you do that?"
"Didn't I tell you? I'm perfectly fine! Better than ever, even. I'm just wasting my time here if I stay."
She sighed, 'He really does seem fine…'
Recognizing her indecision, Leon pulled out the big guns, "Pretty please~~~~"
"Y-you…
"Sigh, okay, fine. But no school the rest of this week! No work either! I want you in tip-top shape on Monday, you hear me?"
Leon shot up and saluted stiffly, "YES MA'AM! LOUD AND CLEAR!"
"Heeheehee~"
.
.
.
After requesting early leave, the doctor taking care of Leon did one last check up before concluding he was safe to leave. A few papers later, and promises that all the expenses were paid for, he was finally let go.
'Much better, that gown was not comfortable in the slightest,' Leon said after getting a fresh pair of clothes on.
"E-excuse me?"
"Hmm?"
Leon turned around, just about to exit the building. The young nurse that had accidentally seen his exposed top-half was fidgeting in front of a gaggle of other nurses, all whispering and smiling among themselves. Io smiled and shook her head.
"C-c-could y-you… g-give me your n-numbEr! Hiccup!"
Her face was beet red, much to Leon's confusion. 'Do they need it to check up? Can't they do that with aunt Io? Hmmm… AHAH! She needs my home phone number! Aunty must have forgotten.'
Satisfied with his incorrect deduction, Leon wrote his home phone number down on the poor girl's paper. "...t-thanks~" she squeaked out.
"No problem," Leon smiled. Blindingly so (at least to the nurse), since the pitiful nurse nearly jumped out of her skin, opting to scurry away behind her peers before she actually did so.
If Leon were paying attention, he would have noticed that both Io and Beelzebub were making hilariously similar expressions. ''Poor/pitiful girl/insect~'' they both thought, oddly empathetic from Beelzebub, completely natural from Io.
Once outside of the hospital, Leon found that they were in an entirely foreign part of the city to him. Even his home district 97 would have been considered the size of a small city on pre-Zeno War Earth, so it wasn't surprising there was a place in Tera 1 he hadn't been to.
"Follow me, we're taking the inter-district tram back to '97," Io said. "When we get back, I've also got a surprise for you~"
.
.
.
The trip back was quite long, 9 hours to be exact, since they had to take the cheapest train out. Mind you, that thing moves at 300 miles per hour, but that only puts into perspective how large the megacity that was Tera 1 was.
Once they were back Io handed Leon a small box. "It isn't much, but it's all I could afford. Happy belated birthday, my little devil~" Io said, embracing him in another bear hug. "Ah~ when did you get so tall? My baby boy is growing…"
He had grown multiple centimeters since absorbing the Stem.
Leon returned the hug happily, though he was a little worried. "Aunty… you and I both know you can't afford gifts, especially this– if it is what I think it is."
"Nonsense! Besides, you'll need it if you're planning on joining the big leagues. I'll make due without you mooching off me~" she joked. "Go on, open it!"
Leon did, already understanding what it was. A watch. 'Quite the antique, if I do say so myself. This is an old-ass watch, off brand too. Not that I can complain.'
He put it on-
Prick
Surprising him, the watch seemed to take a blood sample of him. Its holographic screen lit up with text.
| Registering owner of Penumbra W.A.T.C.H model 2 id 18330201-a12… processing biometrics… Leonidas Mourningstar registered as owner and sole operator of Penumbra W.A.T.C.H model 2 id 18330201-a12. Welcome. |
Leon thanked his aunt profusely. If only he had the money he would have gotten from the raid, this week would have been one of his best in a while. Who knew it would be on his birthday week too? He usually got the worst beatings then.
The night ended with a relatively extravagant real home cooked steak dinner (roughly 500 calories of one, but oh well).
Finally in the confines of his room, Leon turned to Beelzebub. 'In four days' time, I have an examination,' Leon explained. 'I will pass it easily, but that's not what I'm worried about. It's what comes the day after.
'When I receive the invitation to the Military Academy, my race's most prestigious institution, I will be at an extreme time disadvantage– time spent with my Strand, that is.'
'What does that matter to a demon? Soon, this filthy planet will be under our rule, and soon! Soon, we will bring the entire Galactic Federation to its knees!'
'It matters to me. I don't know if you can read more than my thoughts, but if you could, you'd know that I'm not exactly in the best… situation… in general. The Military Academy isn't just a place where I'll get 3 full meals a day plus housing, I'll be able to compete with the next generation of soldiers all the way to the top.'
Beelzebub wasn't stupid. That last fact alone meant it really was the best place for him right now. While his tutelage would get Leon far, nothing trumps real life experience in combat.
'Now that you're convinced, let's start with that [Eternal Flame] magic you told me about.
'Naturally,' Beelzebub agreed. 'The [Eternal Flame] is both the life force, and main tool for war us demons have. If you are to become a proper demon, you will have to master this power to the fullest. Though, be careful. If you overuse the flame before it can refill your reserves, you will die. Do not disobey me on this, Imp.'
Leon obviously agreed. Dying wasn't something he was willing to let happen.
Transforming into a demon, Leon listened to Beelzebub's explanation. Understanding Leon was no idiot, he held nothing back.
'The [Eternal Flame] is an essence that burns within the bodies of all demonkind. Using human terms, it is the heart AND the blood of a demon. As an Imp, you will only be able to utilize a portion of its potential. In this state, its closest comparison is fire. Unlike fire, its properties are far more deep and complex.
'Not only does heat increase its deadliness, but as a demon grows and evolves, its overall potency, efficiency, and destructive power will make leaps and bounds. Imp, call forth your eternal flame.'
Closing his eyes and blocking out the mounting murderous feeling his demon form gave him, Leon began to draw on the [Eternal Flame] flowing through his entire body. Slowly but surely, a small flame lit in the palm of his hand.
It was a deep crimson color, almost hard to see. The dim light it emitted was almost… soothing to Leon.
'Good, now, in order to manipulate it, you will need to first learn the basic seals. You can snuff out the flame.' Beelzebub flew close to Leon's face, 'Pay close attention to my hands, Imp.'
Almost too fast for Leon to pick up, Beelzebub's hands formed 66 different hand signs. Again, he did it, but slower. One last time, he slowed the formation of each "seal" to a crawl, allowing Leon to burn the movements into his brain, so to speak.
'The action of forming each seal moves your [Eternal Flame] in specific and predictable ways. Combinations of these seals will result in the casting of a spell. In the future, once you master a spell's [Eternal Flame] flow, you will be able to shorten the number of seals, potentially circumventing them altogether.'
'Interesting,' Leon thought. 'That's a unique way of spellcasting. I've heard of some individuals doing something similar, but the most common way humans cast spells is through formulas.'
'Irrelevant,' Beelzebub scoffed. 'Perform those seals until your body draws cold. That is how you will know you are close to expending all of your [Eternal Flame]. Once you do, we will continue with our training in the Royal Demonic Art of the Body.'
'Understood.'