Natsuki Subaru the Sage
Chapter 4 Insurmountable Foe
A horrific shriek is heard throughout the entire tower. Even a certain half elf uses her shadow hands to cover her ears. If it wasn't because her beloved was here she would have destroyed this tower by now due to the annoying screams of despair coming from a certain depraved book. With a puff she continues observing what is happening with slight joy at her eyes at always seeing her beloved.
Subaru and Shaula are both about to leak blood out of their nearly busted ear drums when a certain someone has had enough and locates the source of the discordance each of them are suffering from. An open tome that is convulsing as if it is a human on their last death throes.
The black haired boy approaches the book and starts stomping on it in order to get it to shut up, but the wails just increase in number and agony. Finally, with no better solutions Subaru yells:
'Can you SHUT UP! You are literally bursting our ear drums with your insane wailing."
Here the book stops screaming like a banshee and slowly the cacophony reduces in size until all is completely silent. Both Subaru and Shaula exchange glances and approach the book with caution. Tripping over an Ochaco Uraraka (MHA) figurine and launching it across the room where it's head broke. Causing the book to sob some more.
"Listen I am sorry I burned those depraved doushinji bu-."
Subaru gets interrupted by a sharp rebuke from an infuriated book:
"You call yourself a man from Japan, a fellow Otaku brother, one that can succeed my heritage and bring peace and prosperity to this twisted world. However, you are no better than the barbarians that burned down the library of Alexandria. I am ashamed to have placed my hopes on you, may you perish in this tower an-."
"Oi! I am just a seventeen year old shut in NEET! I have maintained my purity with all my will power and because of your cursed collection all my efforts went down the drain!" Subaru interrupts the book with a cry of anguish of his own as he gets on his knees and curses, for he has been tainted and shall never be the same.
"There, there master. While Shaula is a tad disappointed they are gone, we need to move ahead yes? Lots of exciting things await us after all!" Exclaims the brown haired airhead as she tries to motivate a sad Subaru.
Here the boy composes himself as he sighs and looks around at this magnificent haven of all things weeb. He shakes his head because he knows that he shall not stay here for long, one cannot eat manga after all. So the boy dusts himself off, picks up the second tome of the book and proceeds to sit down on a comfortable sofa which in front is something similar to an IMAX projector in size.
Subaru begins reading from the book:
"I should just incinerate myself so that you will be lost, confused, and isolated from the world for your crimes against humanity! I dare say that if it was not for my contract with Sate-."
Here the book gets interrupted as it seems like invisible hands start beating it up, like an unfair fight one suffers from high school bullies. Subaru just watches in a little shock and is definitely not smirking. Nope, not at all. That would be a little immature for the boy after all.
After the beating you can almost hear a silver bell like laugh as it fades away and the book is revealed to almost be panting for air. Subaru straightens the edges and continues reading:
"That was not pleasant, not one bit. Ahem, let's continue your lesson despite your treacherous deeds. This volume of my dashing self will simply instruct you on your affinity to what magic you are. Among some minor details."
Subaru is finally ecstatic at the opportunity to learn a way to perhaps prevail in this seemingly harsh world full of monsters and other god like entities. Our young hero ponders some thoughts to himself:
"Hmm, this is good! I hope it can at least be an attack type spell, or something that can give me the ability to cast fire or ice! Very well let us see what this depraved book has to share with me."
Natsuki Subaru leans forward in eagerness and reads what else the book has unveiled in the meantime:
"Place your hand on this blank page, then close your eyes, steady your breathing and see if you can feel a slight resonance in your 'gate'. It is the organ that allows everyone in this world to perform magic. Furthermore, some individuals can store a near limitless amount of mana, what we call magic in our world. Others cannot even hold a drop. We shall test and see your capacity. Get ready Natsuki Subaru to find out what your affinity is!"
The fierce eyed boy braces himself and slowly breathes as he puts his right palm flat on a blank page of the book. After what seems like eons he feels something resonating deeply with his core. A dark pulse echoes through his mind and when he opens his mind It seems like the lights have visibly dimmed, only to return back to normal momentarily.
Subaru takes his hand off the book as he pants and is sweating slightly, his eyes are slightly unfocused as he hears a ringing in his ears. Shaula proceeds to grab a towel from a rack and cleans the sweat off his face. She opens a mini fridge by the streamer desk and hands him a cold bottle water. He doesn't even question these random things from his homeland anymore and gulps it all down in one sitting.
Feeling slightly refreshed, the trembling in his hands subsided and he glances at the book for more knowledge:
This is interesting, I had some inklings of doubt, however they have been confirmed. I can tell that your affinity is YIN magic. One of the rarest affinities in this world indeed. Why it is also the affinity of a certain silver haired lass. Hmmm, well then do you have any questions Subaru?"
After pondering for a while he indeed has several questions, while Shaula is leaning back on her streamer chair snoring lightly, he proceeds to ask them:
"Okay so you say I have the affinity of yin, meaning there are other affinities correct?
The book rustles and opens up by itself to another page revealing some more details:
"Yin, Yang, Fire, Water, Earth, and Wind. Are the six affinities that Od Laguna has bestowed upon this world. Some remarkable individuals can have multiple affinities, while the rest will just specialize in one affinity. Of course even with an affinity and a gate if you lack talent then you will be mediocre or never being able to use your powers. I dare say your talents are subpar, it will take a lot of effort to even make you a useful decoy."
"Wait decoy? What did yo-."
Anyway, it is good fortune that you have that affinity, I won't get into the details of the others since we are running out of time. Suffice to say, that yin magic can be considered what we call de-buffs in video games. Furthermore, there are several spells that can increase the gravity in a target to make them heavier and allowing you to dodge their attacks. Also, there is a spell which you can use to decrease your weight, making you more nimble and harder to reach. Allowing you to perform increased jumps."
The news makes Subaru overjoyed and he cannot wait to test them as he exclaims to the book:
"Please teach me how to perform those spells! I won't even burn you as I had planned!"
"Such insolence from a mere child! Hmph, I have truly fallen to have to give counsel to someone as yourself. However, I refuse unless you do one thing!" Replies the book smugly as it's pages flutter.
The black haired youth is desperate for knowledge on how to triumph in this world, he craves it, needs it, desires it with all his soul. He shall not accept no for an answer, the downfall of men is always avarice as well as pride. With determination Natsuki Subaru asks the questions to which the book knows he will heed all, and any orders:
"Please tell me the condition, I will do anything to learn what can better help me in this world." Pleads The black haired boy with passion, he knows by now that there are things he cannot for the life of him best. He is in a world full of scary individuals waiting to rip his soul and he shall not give up. Yet, what the book tells him is something that sounds simple however devastating at the same time:
"Survive the second trial, survive Reid Astrea, and I shall gift you with the last bits of knowledge you shall need to be able to handle this insane world." The book intones and it's pages seem to flutter in the shape of a Cheshire grin, one that knows exactly how the results will pan out. One who does not mind if the individual in front of him suffers, or dies for his foolish choices. After all, what is death to one that can repeat?
As Subaru's face turns grim and Shaula who didn't understand a thing leaps up in joy at seeing her master being determined, so do the wheels of fate turn for the unforgettable encounter that Natsuki Subaru will soon face.
Author's Notes:
This is just the first part of the chapter I plan to release this week for all of you, hopefully by Friday or less you shall have the second part. I normally never release such short chapters, however my work schedule has increased as of late due to forming my own company. I really, am terribly sorry it took this long to release an actual update of this chapter. But fret not, next chapter or continuation Subaru and Shaula are leaving this tower for good and meeting familiar faces to us, yet unknown to them. Thank you so much my diehard fans that still ask the questions of updates.
By now all of you should hopefully know that I am an author that writes multiple fics, I may have set aside this one for an unforgivable two months yet I have a passion to explore other options. Fret not, the second part of this chapter is already under development at longer than this one. However due to the work load I have I may not give it out as soon as I thought. Anyway thank you for my rambling and expect part 2 shortly.
It was an honest herculean effort to get back to writing this after so long, and I do apologize. Thank you for reading.