"Gods, I'm so bored…"
A young Ryuuto could be found wandering the outer regions of the Kingdom of Rustcottmo, having managed to sneak out of the castle and into the forests surrounding the Kingdom. A thoughtful expression appeared on the youth's face. "Didn't mom say she taught people here?" He quickly brightened up as he realized the quick and easy solution to solve his boredom problem. "I'll visit mom's school!"
The young nine-year-old grinned widely before rushing off into said forest, his red and yellow-green eyes shining with enthusiasm. He was about to take a step into the faint green barrier surrounding his mother's Magic School, when the floor suddenly disappeared below him and he fell.
Fell, fell, fell, fell, fell, fell into the blackest of voids.
Ryu awoke with a start, placing a hand over his chest and taking panicked, deep breaths to calm his racing heart. A mixture of fear and confusion in his eyes, unknowing of what to do in this situation. He never had dreams of that kind before… though it seemed he was back in Rustcottmo in said dream. 'As long as these themes don't repeat too often, I can just write it off as a nightmare.' Ryu swallowed down his worries. Eventually, he looked up as he realized he wasn't alone. In fact, there were two maids currently fretting over him and his condition.
"Sir, sir, calm down. You're safe here." One of them said.
"Sir, sir, be at ease. No one can hurt you here." The other one said. At that, Ryu grumbled slightly under his breath.
"Kinda hard for me to believe anything like that anymore since my life has essentially become one massive death flag." He muttered sofly, before glancing up at the two maids again, who seemed to have switched from fretting over his condition to simply watching over him with a wary look in their eyes. Ryu then collapsed back onto the plush bed he was apparently given, staring aimlessly at a highly decorated ceiling before raising his previously burnt right arm; taking note of his current state of dress, as he was now wearing a light-blue sleeping robe. Anyways, his arm seems to have healed overnight, with most of the soreness effectively negated. That was good for him. He then put his arm back down. "Where exactly am I?" He asked the maids, his mind slowly taking in his surroundings and the appearance of the maids, all for future analysis. The whole Elsa situation made him super paranoid.
"You are in the House of Margrave Roswaal L. Mathers. Miss Emilia brought you here." The blue-haired maid to his left answered, before bowing slightly. "I'm Rem." Then she pointed to the pink one to his right. "And that is my sister, Ram."
"It's nice to meet you, Sir." The pink one also bowed slightly, as Ryu immediately waved around his hands in a panic to try and stop what he saw as unnecessary bowing.
"No need to bow to me, I'm just another guy." He tried to get them to stop, which thankfully worked, but only so they could counter his response.
"But you are a guest in House Mathers. It is our duty to show respect to those invited into our house." Rem and Ram said simultaneously, causing Ryu to be both creeped out and fascinated by the current turn of events. He then sighed.
"Fine. I suppose you are just doing your job…" Ryu muttered, before trying to gaze into the maid's souls and being mildly surprised by their Auras. They were a bit stronger than he was, at least without his Soul Magic taken into account. 'This world certainly has some strong anomalies.' He blinked. 'Wait, is that…'
Something was wrong with Ram's aura. Her magic was unstable, broken. Something was missing from her magical aura, something critical. Only problem was he didn't know what it was, and without information, he couldn't determine if he could heal the issue. 'Am I really worrying over the health and safety of strangers…?'
"Yes, yes, you are. But you shouldn't be surprised, considering Monsters were once strangers to you and you helped them with their problems." Ryushi commented. The Dark Spirit had a point there, Ryu supposed.
"Where's Emilia?" Ryu eventually asked the maids. "Is she doing alright?"
"Emilia-sama is doing well." Was the only response he received, causing him to sigh. Guess that was the best answer he was going to get out of these maids. He placed his hand on his chest yet again, drawing out his soul and staring at it. Everything seemed to be in order. Sure, his soul was definitely not as bright and powerful as it used to be, and there was now a black outline of Austin's power around it, but other than that his soul seemed to be fully healed. It took a few moments to realize the maids by his side were trying to speak to him again.
"Oh, sorry. I got a bit distracted. What did you say?" He laughed nervously, a faint blush of embarrassment going over his cheeks. The pink maid shook her head in what was probably annoyance. Not that he blamed her, he sometimes understood how he could be… frustrating.
"That object in your hand. What exactly is it?" He glanced at his soul and then at the maids, sensing genuine curiosity from them. Ryuuto then chuckled in amusement. This really would be interesting, if something so simple as the summoning of your own soul would surprise and awe the inhabitants of this world.
"It's my soul." At their incredulous expression, he only laughed. "I'm quite serious about that. Where I came from, magic was mostly, if not entirely drawn from the caster's own soul."
"Surely that would bring harm to your lifespan?" Rem asked, causing him to shake his head negative.
"I don't feel like explaining everything at once, but I will say that even if you drain all your Magic from your soul, you'll still be alive. Just much weaker than you should be." That wasn't an exaggeration either. In fact, he was underplaying how critical it was to make sure you didn't lose all your Soul's Magic, since that could lead to the loss of the user's trait. And with that, mixing both those situations was actually a death sentence.
"And what exactly were you doing with your soul there, sir?"
"Yes, what was the reason you drew out your soul?"
Wow, okay. This repeating language was going to get old quick. He decided that he should finish this now. "I was just making sure my soul wasn't injured. Say, where're my actual clothes?"
"They were in need of a cleaning. We'll have them returned to you soon, sir." The maids bowed and left, for the time being, leaving Ryu to his thoughts.
...What had he gotten himself wrapped up into this time?
RE: DETERMINED
Act 2, Chapter 01 - Trapped in Respite (休息に閉じ込められた)
'Alright, checking in! Austin, you still here?' Ryu asked, wanting to make sure that the Hate Origin didn't wander off and cause blind chaos elsewhere.
"Yeah, yeah. I'm still here," Austin's voice rumbled in his mind. "Not like I can really leave anyways, not without your permission." Austin still sounded somewhat tired, which was emphasized when Ryu heard an almost bestial yawn in his head. "Seriously though, what the actual hell did you get yourself into last night? It seemed pretty serious."
'That's what I aim to find out.' The confused other-worlder got up from the bed he was resting on and left the room. He aimlessly wandered around the massive mansion before stumbling upon a door that felt… off. His gaze hardening slightly, he walked over to said door and opened it… to find a massive library?! "Uhhh… uber-big library. Okay then."
"Yes, and like any library, I'd like a little bit of peace and quiet I suppose." A young female voice said, causing him to nearly jump in fright. His head snapped over to look over at a young girl with a lavish-looking, long-sleeved red dress and a red cape. But what he also noticed was her hair, which was not only a golden blonde, but several feet long with a drill-like style.
"Uh… Forgive me, I did not know this was your library." Ryu awkwardly said, bowing his head to the girl in apology. Normally he'd be confused about something like this, but he felt something ancient and powerful about this girl. He learned the hard way back home, that he should never judge a book based off its cover. Or in this case, underestimate someone because of their looks.
"Hmph. You have some manners, I suppose." The girl huffed, closing the book in her hand as she stood up from where she sat and walked over to him. "Hold still."
"What do you mea-" Ryu was cut off as she placed her hand on his stomach and he felt something be drained from his soul rapidly. Wait, was she trying to steal his soul magic? If she was, that meant… oh crap-
A massive amount of crimson light shone over the library, blinding both the girl and Ryu. He hissed as he rubbed at his eyes. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR, BLONDIE?!"
"You should be the one giving Betty answers, I suppose! What did you do to me?!" The blond screeched as she rubbed at her own eyes.
"I DID NOTHING!" Ryu immediately retorted as his sight eventually returned. "YOU'RE the one who decided to take my Magic without warning! Trying to drain something infinite is just going to overwhelm you with said infinity!"
"Infinity?! Betty sees you are truly a freak, in fact!" The self-proclaimed Betty glared at him viciously, as Ryuuto returned the favor. "How does one even have 'infinite' Mana?!"
"You decided to drain from my Soul! Unlike your typical Mana, Soul magic is much more plentiful as long as you continue embodying the thing your soul is! You drained my Determination, which is effectively infinite until I lose the will to keep pushing on!" Ryu shot back, before blinking. "Damnit." He facepalmed, not noticing the surprised look on the girl's face.
"You just gave away our weakness. Way to go, bud." Austin dully said, unimpressed with his host. Ryuuto promptly told the dark being to shut up, before taking a deep breath to calm down.
"Listen, I think we started off on the wrong foot. Let's retry." He put his hand out, smiling at the drill-haired girl. "Name's Ryu, and I'm a new guest here. Sorry about the whole barging in and giving you magical backlash thing."
Betty stared at the offered hand for a few moments, before hesitantly taking it. "You may call me Betty, I suppose." She muttered, before Ryu's smile widened. This time, he slowly released his magic into her, albeit this time without any trait linked to it. Colorless magic, or Mana in this world's terms, he supposed. Betty's expressions shifted to one of surprise for a brief moment, before the handshake ended. "I see. So you're adept at controlling your 'Soul magic' when you need it, I suppose."
"When you're trained to lead an entire country of civilians and Mages, it's expected," Ryu muttered, before looking around the library whilst Betty went back to sit down on her stepladder. "This is a pretty big library. Do you just… live here?"
"Indeed. I don't leave this library very much, I suppose. Now can you please be quiet? I'd like to be able to read in silence." The girl waved him off as she opened up her book again. "Grab a book or leave. I don't care." Ryu shrugged and boredly walked around the library, eventually drawing out a book about magic and looking over the unintelligible text. Well, this would be annoying. He had free-reign to read these books with Betty's permission, but he was illiterate in this world. Of course. He returned the book to its place before walking over to the door.
"I'm heading out for the time being, Betty! Hopefully, you'll see me tomorrow!" He waved to the girl before leaving. Betty looked up from her book momentarily, her blue eyes staring at the door.
"That energy… are you really… them? Father?" She whispered softly, her small hands trailing across the blank pages of her Gospel.
Ryu had returned to his room when he noticed his clothes were already there, neatly folded on a nearby desk with a note next to it. "Huh. So the maids brought me my actual clothes while I was gone." He hummed before swiftly changing back into his more comfortable, real clothes. Though now that he had lost a lot of his power, that also meant his natural defenses had dropped. Sure, he was able to help in the fight against Elsa, but even still… without the massive boost he gained from being at peak Determination, he felt vulnerable. 'I should really think about investing in armor or reinforced clothing or something like that.'
"Look, Rem, our guest has finally returned."
"Yes, dear sister, it seems he has returned from his disappearing act." Ryu sighed at that, turning to the pink and blue twins.
"Hello again, Rem. Ram. Did you require something of me?" He asked, as the maids looked at each other for a moment.
"Miss Emilia was looking for you. Our Lord and Master Roswaal has returned. He wishes to meet you." Well, that was one way to grab the teen's attention.
It didn't take long for the twin maids to lead him to the dining room, where Emilia already sat. He glanced to the side and saw his new acquaintance, Betty, also sitting at the dining table. "I thought you didn't leave the Library much, Betty?" He asked the youthful-looking girl, who only hummed in response before speaking up a moment later.
"A great Spirit like me doesn't have to explain myself to a human, I suppose," Betty said in her usual haughty tone, causing Ryu to shake his head in a mixture of amusement and exasperation. He could already see what kind of person she was just after being around her for less than an hour.
"Whatever you say, Betty." He chuckled before walking over to Emilia with a smile. "Nice day out, isn't it, Emi?"
"It is, but… why'd you call me 'Emi'?" Emilia blinked, causing Ryu to blankly stare at the half-Elf for a moment.
"It's a nickname. A sort of epithet you give to people or things you're familiar with, usually used as a substitute for their actual name." He explained, causing a spark of recognition to enter the girl's eyes.
"Ohhh! Like how you prefer that we call you Ryu instead of your actual full name?" She questioned, with Ryu nodding in response. He had no idea why someone didn't know what a nickname was, but he was fine with teaching others about them or whatever. It was then that Puck emerged.
"Hiya Ryu! Hope you were able to rest well last night! That arm injury of yours seemed pretty serious! You saved Emilia's life and got her insignia back, so I'm in your debt." The small cat that Ryu found absurdly adorable floated over to the teen and landed in his hands. "If there's anything I can do for you, just let me know!"
Ryu chuckled softly as he petted the small Spirit, just as he liked to do whenever a cute and fluffy creature was in his presence. "I'll make sure to keep that in mind, Puck." Puck then nodded and floated over to Betty, who immediately perked up as she spun away with the Spirit, causing him to chuckle.
"My my, what an ocuuuuurrence!" An overly flamboyant voice called out from behind Ryuuto, giving him mad Mettaton EX vibes. He turned around to see… a clown. He looked over at Emilia to check if she was seeing what he saw, and then looked back at the tall clown.
"What." He blankly said, as his mind crashed from the fact he could actually sense some rather potent magic from this man. Not only that, but this man's soul was Ancient with a capital A! He wore an extravagant purple outfit, with a purple and red cape. He also wore makeup, just like a clown would, with blue hair and heterochromatic eyes akin to his own. But the most concerning part was how his danger senses were going haywire, every instinct telling him this man was potential danger. The man continued as if he didn't hear Ryu.
"It's so raaaare to see you out and about Beatrice, much less diiiiining with us!" The man said. "I am quite thrilled to see you and I do so value a chance for us to spend time together." Betty glared at the man in response.
"Betty was only here to see Pucky, I suppose," She said in a biting tone, before returning to spending time with the cat-like Spirit. Ryu, meanwhile, yeeted himself to Emilia's side.
"Okay, who's the clown?" He asked the half-Elf.
"What clo- ohh, no, he's not a clown, he's-" Emilia was cut off by the clown-like man.
"Now, now, Emilia-sama. I can haaandle introducing myself to our esteemed gueeest." Said the man, as he looked Ryuuto right in the eye. "Greetings, Ryutense-dono. I am Roswaal L. Mathers, the lord of this manor. I am pleaaaased to make your acquaintance."
"...The lord is a clown. Y'know what? Fine. Sure. Let's roll with that." Austin groaned in an exasperated tone, as Ryu could feel the Hate Origin's pain and emotions. He hated this situation and the absurdity of it all as much as he did. Still, he had to show respect to the Lord of this Manor he was in.
"Apologies, Lord Roswaal. I simply did not know it was you." He apologized as he bowed slightly in respect. The taller man simply laughed.
"Ah, no need to bow to me, Ryutensei-dono. You are an important figure to Lugnica now, after all." Ryuuto looked up at the man as he heard that, slowly getting up in confusion.
"I… beg your pardon?" Roswaal only smiled and motioned for Ryu to sit at the dining table as he sat down himself. The Soul of Peace reluctantly obliged, still confused and inwardly wary of the man, especially with how powerful he was. "What do you mean by that, Lord Roswaal?"
"Ahh, before that, let us eaaaat!~" Roswaal motioned to the prepared food in front of them, a charismatic yet still somewhat disturbing smile on his face. Yeah, Ryu was getting major MTT vibes from Roswaal, in addition to the dangerous ones. "We shouldn't discuss on empty stomachs, should we?"
Ryu sighed and did so, eating the food in front of him half-heartedly. It's not like it was bad or anything, far from it. It's just he preferred his world's cooking somewhat more, especially with how magic was intertwined with the food there. Eventually, Roswaal broke the silence. "So, Ryutensei-dono, do you know exactly what you've gotten yourself into recently?" Everyone's gazes snapped to the holder of Determination, who sighed as he put down his spoon.
"Somewhat. I do understand that there's some crisis in this country from rumors, but beyond that, nothing." He glanced at his partially-healed arm, where he conjured his flames, and pushed some Hate essence through the insides of it to make sure there was no lasting internal damage. "What exactly have I gotten myself into, Lord Roswaal."
"According to Emilia-sama, you and the Sword Saint saved her life from a deadly assassin~ and retrieved her insignia." At that Ryu nodded. That was what happened. "But that's not what caught my attention. Emilia-sama claimed that her insignia activated when in your hands. I want to test those claims."
"You don't believe her?" Ryu raised a curious eyebrow. Roswaal's facial expression shifted into one Ryuuto was all-too-familiar with: 'humor me'. Ryuuto sighed, looking at Emilia, who in turn pulled out her insignia and put it on the table. Taking a deep breath, Ryu grabbed the insignia and watched as the ruby-red stone in the middle shone in his hands.
"My my, so it is true!" At Ryuuto's questioning gaze, Roswaal smiled widely. "Well, my dear boy, you must be thinking: 'what could he possibly mean by that?'" ...He never wanted to hear Roswaal call him 'his dear boy' ever again. "It's simple! That is 100%, absolute proof that you are the final candidate to be the 42nd Ruler of Lugnica, running alongside Emilia here!"
Immediately, Ryu groaned and put his head in his hands. "I thought I was done with the royal stuff but noooo, I get looped into a royal election. I just have the worst luck." He complained, as Roswaal's smile turned into one of amusement.
"Tell me, Ryu-sama," Roswaal began, changing his honorifics for the Prince once it was clear he was truly a Royal Candidate, "How did you find yourself in Lugnica?" Roswaal asked, as Ryu stopped his complaining momentarily to look at the man.
"...I was in a fight. With my older brother. It was devastating, and shattered the Isolation Barrier around the Lost Isles… while simultaneously destroying them. When I woke up, I was in Lugnica, with only the Gold in my pockets and the clothes on my back to come along with me. And my Soul Magic of course." Roswaal's interest increased dramatically at that, a strange gleam in his eyes that he couldn't quite place.
"Goooold, you say? And what do you mean by 'Soul Magic?~'"
"Yep. Gold. Just a bunch of solid, pure Gold coins. A relic from my home." He drew out the pouch of Gold, with exactly 490 coins inside of it and slid it over to Roswaal. "I have quite a bit in there, so you can take some to see if I could get it exchanged for Lugnican currency if you'd like, and keep some for yourself."
"How generous, but I honestly won't need any money. I will make sure to find out if we can have these exchanged later, though!~" Roswaal took the bag, with Ryu allowing it because he didn't sense any lies from the man on that front. "And, again, what is Soul Magic?"
"Exactly what it sounds like. Magic drawn from your Soul. There are 6 common, or 'Main' traits that go with them, with people only being able to use the Magic of that said trait. The six go as follow: Patience, Bravery, Integrity, Perseverance, Kindness, and Justice. They have specific colors to go with them, that are visible on the user's soul. Patience is Cyan. Bravery is Orange. Integrity is Blue. Perseverance is Purple. Kindness is Green. And finally, Justice is Yellow." Ryuuto explained, leaning back in his seat slightly. "There are 'Hybrid' souls in existence, but they're pretty rare. I'd say there'd be less than 4 or 5 at a time per village or community."
"My my, this does sound interesting. How would one access their Soul's inner Magic then, Ryutensei-sama?" Roswaal motioned for Ryu to take the stage, as the teen sighed and got up.
"I need a volunteer for this." He said, as Roswaal then looked at Ram. The pink-haired maid walked forward, stating that she would be acting on Roswaal's behalf. Probably to make sure he wasn't lying or trying to do anything shady. He took a deep breath. "Alright. Stay still, this will be a bit weird."
"Wait, what do you mean by weir-" Ram was cut off by the bright orange light that surfaced on her chest, just above her breasts. It soon manifested into an orange heart, that she caught in her hands. "Is that actually my soul?" The maid asked, staring at the object in her hands. "It looks so… fragile."
"That's because, on the first surfacing, they are. Your Soul Magic will be weak at first, but the more you use it, the stronger both you and your Soul will become. Your soul is Bravery, which means you can conjure up a Spear of Bravery, as well as the Flames of Bravery." Ryu's expression shifted into one deep in thought. "I recently got back my Bravery trait to a safe Stage last night, so I could teach you how to use your trait. And teach anyone else about their traits, but it'd be best if I did that when I'm physically able to show you how the Magic works."
"How curioooous! How truly marvelous! So, you can teach anyone to use this Soul Magic?" At Ryu's nod, Roswaal clapped. "Truly, a gift from lands far off! Mister Ryutensei, I am willing to assist you in the election, as I have a feeling Emilia would love to do the same. But there is a problem…"
"I'm technically a faction of my own. A rival." Ryuuto said knowingly, sitting down as Ram continued to marvel over her soul with her sister. He almost smiled at the sight before looking at Roswaal again. "How about this. I propose an alliance. You give me shelter, and I give you my help in unlocking the Soul Magic of those in Emilia's faction."
Roswaal hummed as he thought it over for a few moments. "That is tempting. May I add something to that? In the case you win the election, you will marry Emilia and make her your Queen."
"...And in the case she wins?" He asked almost hesitantly.
"Well, she wins. That's about it." Roswaal smiled knowingly. Ryuuto was almost going to call him out on the unfairness of that deal, but he then went silent. Technically, he was at a disadvantage from a political standpoint. He already used his Soul Magic card, and it's not like he had anything else to pull out of his back pocket. Giving away pieces of Austin's power was beyond dangerous, and he did not feel like revealing his trump card known as Determination just yet. After a while, his eyes glinted with power, as he smirked.
"If I remember correctly Roswaal, the insignia I helped retrieve signifies someone as a candidate for the throne of this Country, right? And I helped not only retrieve it, but saved Miss Emilia's life. Surely I should be repaid in turn for at least one of those things?" At that Roswaal's smile actually grew genuine, as if he expected that. He was waiting for him to say something like that. He wanted this.
"Of course, of course! Possible rival or not, you have helped me a tremendous amount! I will grant you one request, then!" Roswaal allowed, as Ryu grinned.
"I honestly don't care about the throne much. But I do care about Emilia's safety, since she's my friend and one of my only allies in this new world. What I want, is to be able to stay by her side, whether she wins or not. I want to be able to protect what little friends I have left." Roswaal, after a few moments, nodded as he stood up. Ryu did so as well, as they met in the middle and shook hands upon these new terms. An alliance was formed.
Rem didn't know what to think of the new guest in their house. He had a strange fashion sense, and his hair was something new to her, snow-white with a streak of red going through it. But that wasn't what truly caught her attention. It was his powers and the aura around him. At first, she was skeptical of the existence of 'Soul Magic' and thought him to be a spy for another camp. But then Miss Emilia's insignia shone for him, signifying them as a rival to Miss Emilia's candidacy. But then, he revealed his Soul Magic, drawing out a strange orange heart from her sister. This was just all too confusing for her. As she led Ryutensei back to his room, she was able to smell something off about him and his aura. It wasn't a Witch's Miasma, or at least, she didn't smell much of one around him. It was minuscule, barely noticeable, and equal to the amount she expected from someone who had a bad encounter with a Witch Cultist.
No, while it wasn't a Witch's Miasma, there was something very wrong about this Aura. it was simultaneously soothing and maddening. It was as if there was a blanket of comfort surrounded her, yet she couldn't ignore the pitch-black Aura intermingled into his pale-green one. She didn't even notice that she was staring until he asked her if there was something on his face. After reassuring him that nothing was wrong, she opened the door to his room and bowed. "If you ever need something, Mister Ryutensei, just look for me or my sister."
"Please, Rem. Just call me Ryu." The young man smiled at her brightly. "Hey, how about I see what trait you've got? Maybe I can train you?" Rem was extremely hesitant, but eventually, she relented as she was curious as to what trait she had compared to her sister. After a few moments, she put her hand out as Ryu took it in his own. He closed his eyes, as a faint light manifested above Rem's chest just as it did with Ram. This time, it was a green color. When Ryu opened his eyes, they widened for a fraction of a second before he smiled sadly.
"What's wrong? This is… Kindness, right?" Rem asked, wondering why the young Mage had a sad smile on his face.
"Kindness… yes, you'd be right on that. It's kind of a rare trait, though. Not many people devote themselves to being kind after all, especially after they hear of the real world. I… always admired Kindness souls, since they embodied the best of the world, of humanity and all other sentient races." He shook his head. "Anyways. Abilities. Kindness is quite interesting, as they have two support abilities. Shield Creation and Healing. It's kinda obvious. I should be able to help you on the Shield parts, but without my own Kindness' return, I won't be able to give you the full training session on Healing."
"Shields and Healing…? That sounds very similar to Water magic…" Rem muttered, getting the other teen's attention as he began to question her about the specifics of what he called 'Magic from this side of the world'. "If you want someone to teach you the basics, then you could either ask Beatrice, Puck, or Roswaal-sama."
"I thank you for that information, Rem. Good night, and sleep well." The young candidate softly smiled. "Whenever you or your sister would like to begin learning about your traits, just tell me. I'm always happy to spread the teachings of my homeland." And with that the duo separated, leaving Rem with her glowing green heart in her hands.
'Kindness, huh?' She thought to herself, before leaving.
_(DREAM/SOULSCAPE)_
When Ryu awoke again, it was in his soulscape. He turned to see Austin, in a vaguely humanoid form, and Ryushi sitting at a table; seemingly waiting for him. He walked over to them and sat at the table, before looking right at it. "Is… is this mahogany? Damnit, Ryushi, I thought we were done with that obsession!"
"It's not an obsession, it's a passion!" Ryushi retorted, causing Ryuuto to groan. That was one of the things about his other half that annoyed him to no end.
"Austin, ignoring the obsessions of my other half-" Ryu ignored Ryushi's cry of offense, as he stared at the inky black humanoid figure. "What did you call me here for, Aus?"
"It's quite simple, my friend. We have discovered a power inside of your soul, one that we think you'll find very useful here. Chara's old favorite ability, FILE 0." Austin replied, a smile appearing on his face. Due to being, well, still the embodiment of Hate, the smile was… creepy as all hell, for lack of a better term. But still…
"You two are serious? We have FILE 0 under our control?" At their nods, Ryu leaned back in his seat, looking at the artificial sky of his soulscape. If he had FILE 0, then he could change his stats and abilities at will as long as he visited his soulscape to do so. He focused his gaze to his side before a menu he was all too familiar with popped up in front of him. He upped his offensive and defensive values a bit, as well as spending a bit of his Determination and Austin's Hate to forcefully add a Stage to his Kindness trait for future training with the twin maids before closing the menu down and saving the changes. He looked up to the massive structure that was his soul, which pulsed with magic once, twice, and three times before settling on its calm red and yellow color again. Ryu smirked. He couldn't wait for tomorrow.
The next day, Ryuuto would be found in an empty clearing near Roswaal's mansion, practicing his Soul Magic. He had already done some training with Bravery and Kindness, and was now messing with his natural traits of Determination and Justice. He quickly switched from shooting arrows into the sky with his golden magic-manifested bow, and cutting down said arrows with his crimson sword. He was slowly getting faster and faster at it too, but there was a part of him that thought he wasn't fast enough. Strong enough.
While he did have the power of SAVEs, that was entirely dependent on his own Determination. What if something managed to block it off? Or caused him to lose his will? Even being a fraction of a second slower than his opponent could mean the difference between life and death. At that, he grit his teeth and slashed his sword into the air, a massive streak of red magic shooting into the air and destroying his arrow manifestations instantly. It was then he heard excited clapping from behind him, and turned to see Emilia with an awed look in her eyes. "That was amazing, Ryu!" She cheered as she got closer, looking at his sword and then at him. "What was that?"
"...My power. The power of the Red Soul, Determination. The strongest trait, technically. It can do a little bit of everything… because it is a little bit of everything." He explained somewhat bashfully, as he let his sword disperse along with the yellow bow on his back. Since he was caught, there was no point in trying to hide it or lying; especially if he didn't want to weaken his already weak Integrity-trait. "I didn't want to overshadow anyone, so I kinda kept it a secret. Besides, it's not like I could teach anyone about it. I'm the only one with a Red Soul here, even if I only have half." He retreated his Hate essence into his body as he drew out his red and yellow soul, showing it to Emilia. "There were two others in existence, my adoptive sisters. They're dead though… like everyone else."
"Ryu-" Once Emilia tried to speak up, she noticed how Ryu's eyes weren't filled with sadness… but acceptance. He had already accepted the harshness of this truth. He smiled at her.
"Don't feel bad for me. I got used to it. It's not like I can change the past. All I can do is look forward to the future and keep going. That's what they would have wanted from me." He looked up at the sky, before clenching his fist with a grin. "They'd want me to never give up, and always Stay Determined. And that's exactly what I'll do."
At that Emilia nodded. "Right! I'm sure they're proud of your right now, Ryu." She smiled, before speaking up again. "Oh, right! Rem told me that you were looking for a Magic teacher?" At his nod, she touched the green jewel around her neck. "Alright Puck, wake up." She said, as the cat then materialized before them.
"Good morning Emilia... " The adorable cat Spirit rubbed at his eyes. "What did you need of me?" Emilia giggled at the sight of the slightly drowsy cat, before motioning towards Ryu.
"I think Ryu'd like to cash in his favor. He wants to learn Magic. Simple enough, right?" At that, Puck seemed to have gained a bit of energy.
"You wouldn't be wrong. I could do this in my sleep." Puck turned to Ryu, as he stretched a little and smiled widely. "Good morning, Ryu! How are you?"
"Refreshed and ready to learn, Teacher!" Ryu jokingly saluted as Puck floated over, arms crossed over his fluffy chest.
"Good to hear! Now the first step to learning how to use Magic is to know about the fundamentals, how it works and how someone is able to use it." Ryu hummed.
"Don't you guys use… mana?" He questioned, as Puck nodded.
"Correct," Puck replied. "You see, unlike a Spirits Arts user like Lia here, who signs contracts with Spirits, a magic-user employs their Gate!"
"And what… exactly is a Gate, Puck?" Ryuuto asked, blinking in confusion.
"It's a pathway in your body where someone can draw in Mana and expel it outward!" Puck explained, curling his tail in a circular shape mid-explanation and inhaling/exhaling through said circle. "Everyone's Gate has a magical attribute of either fire, water, earth, or air! So the first step to teaching you how to use your Mana is to figure out the secret of your attribute!"
"And how will you do that, Teach?" Ryu raised an eyebrow, as Puck flew closer to the teen and placed his tail on his forehead.
"With my tail! Now hold still!" The spirit then began to chant for a few moments, a bright light emitted from his tail before he drew it back, a contemplative look on his face. "I've determined your attribute… but…"
"But what?" Ryu grew worried. "Don't tell me my Gate's damaged or something!"
"Oh no, no! Nothing like that! It's just… you have more affinities than I thought!" Puck laughed nervously, scratching the back of his head. Ryuuto blinked in response.
"So what? I have two attributes?"
"Try all six." Puck responded in a deadly serious tone. "In addition to the 4 mentioned before, you have Light and Dark magic under your belt. You've got a ridiculously powerful Gate, Ryu." The cat placed a paw under his chin in thought. "Maybe it has to do with your Soul Magic."
"Maybe… hey, what about you teach me based on my strongest affinities to weakest!" Ryu suggested. Puck then nodded.
"Sure. That would mean teaching you Shamak, Jiwald, and Goa in that order! Of course, we'd do it over time, don't want to cause damage to your Gate!" Puck then floated over to sit on his head. "I'll be acting as support, since this is your first time using your Gate. Lia, I recommend that you move away so you don't get your clothes messy." Ryu blinked as he saw Emilia move a few meters away. That wasn't very encouraging. But that didn't matter to him! Dark should be just a different version of his old Void Magic, just a dark emptiness that he needed to put his will over!
"Alright Puck! I'm ready!" Ryu said in a determined tone of voice, causing the cat to smile.
"Good to hear you're just as determined as ever, Ryu. Okay, I want you to visualize the flow of mana out of your body, then I want you to expel a part of it out of your Gate, got it?" Ryu nodded once, his eyes gleaming as he prepared to use his first Spell from this new world. He closed his eyes, as he purged his mind of any excess thought. He needed darkness. Pitch black, inky darkness. The vast emptiness of the Void. Then his eyes snapped open, shining a bright purple.
"Shamak!" He called out as he put his hand out. Immediately the effects were visible as a massive jet of inky black darkness shot into the air before dispersing moments later. Puck and Ryu, who were in the center of it, blinked as they were effectively blinded. "...Okay, I think my affinity for Dark is too strong for us right now."
"Yep." Puck agreed, blinking as the cat removed the Spell's effects from both him and Ryu. "Your Gate is still strong though, so we can try again with Jiwald later. But what exactly caused that kind of reaction?" Ryu laughed sheepishly with a shrug, as he had a feeling as to why that was. Considering he was the former vessel of Corruption, the current vessel of Hate/Austin, and a former user of Void Magic… he supposed his Dark affinity was only so strong simply because of the dark connections.
"I guess there's just a lot more Mana in me than I first thought!" At that Puck shook his head in amusement, with Emilia rushing over when the jet of darkness finally dispersed.
"Are you all okay?" She worriedly asked, with the duo responding that they were fine for the most part. But even still… Ryu was worried that his excessive darkness could cause him problems with his magical attacks, at least Mana-wise.
'For the time being, I should rely on Soul Magic more than Mana. It seems far less unstable and safer in the long run.' He told himself.
Over the next few days, Ryu found himself busy alternating between teaching his new friends/hosts the ins-and-outs of Soul Magic and strengthening his control over his Gate with Puck. It was a busy schedule, but he was happy to say that the lessons were paying off, from both sides.
His progress with Jiwald and Goa had gotten to the point he could cast the magic without Puck's assistance, along with using the Heat-aspect of Fire mana to further enhance his soul's affinity for Ice Magic; and he even got better with Shamak slightly. Now he wasn't jetting out beacons of blinding darkness into the sky (which Roswaal was concerned about for a while, but the man quickly shrugged it off before Ryu could explain), and instead was releasing black energy in an aura-like fashion for a 1m radius around him. Still not what Shamak was supposed to be, but he was getting somewhere.
As for Soul Magic training…
"Now, Bravery Magic can be very destructive and can cause a lot of property damage, especially when it starts to get explosive," Ryu began to instruct Ram as Emilia and Rem watched from afar, sitting down on a blanket and drinking some tea that Ryu had brewed earlier. "So, we'll need to be very careful with how we proceed. Bravery Magic is all about emotion and confidence. Losing your train of thought, for even a moment, is dangerous; and even sometimes fatal. To start with, try summoning a small-"
"Done," Ram said passively, though there was a small smile on the pink-haired maid's face. Ryu blinked as he stared at the orange spear that had manifested in Ram's hands, an orange flame burning at the tip of the spearhead. She then shoved the spear in Ryu's face, her smile shifting into a smug smirk. "And you said this would be hard."
As the girls giggled from afar, Ryu could only laugh nervously, trying to not be afraid of Ram's rapid progress. "You really do embody the more confident aspect of Bravery," He weakly said in response to her words.
"Of course I do, Tryouu." Ah, there was one of her stupid nicknames. He was almost sure she was trying to offend him with how she mispronounced his name and gave him bad nicknames.
When it came to Rem, he had to admit she was a prodigy on her sister's level, if not greater. She was able to conjure shields of Kindness on her first day, and when he tested them out by sending attacks at her, well...
"Kindness Magic is all about protection. The will, the want to protect others and keep them safe. It applies to both the Defensive aspect as well as the Supportive aspect," Ryu instructed. "We'll start with summoning Shields first, since Healing actually requires some knowledge of magical manipulation, and Shields are quite easy to summon and manipulate."
Ryu quickly found that he could barely make a dent. It was only when he started to pull out his Sword of Determination did he finally break through.
"Primals be damned, what is your shield made of?" Ryu grunted as he summoned two Bravery Spears and began to go on the offensive, striking against Rem's green-colored shields with his flame-coated weapons.
"I thought you said it was made of Kindness Magic," Rem blinked in confusion, causing Ryu to grumble out that it was just a rhetorical question. "Ah, right, of course. My mistake."
But even still, when he did eventually get serious and began to push her back, Rem didn't seem to be backing down and kept trying. Though he did feel somewhat uncomfortable training her sometimes, as he could sense her distrust with his slowly draining reserves of Integrity.
"...Ryu-sama, I have a question for you…" Rem eventually began, getting the young Prince's attention as he shifted his gaze to her, having set aside his weapons for the day and walking off to grab himself a cup of tea. "I've noticed you've had quite the interest in the pantry, specifically our teas and baking supplies. Is anything not to your liking?"
"Nah, I'm just coming to terms with my new home not having any of my normal teas and ingredients," Ryu admitted as he turned to her. "I'm able to manage, but I miss having stuff like Golden Flower Tea."
"We do have the seeds for all the plants back home, you know that right? I can create things for you." Austin commented suddenly as Ryu went silent.
'Now you mention that, huh? Bad timing, really.' Ryu decided to continue and make up excuses as he went to see if he could get away with this. "Like, I have the seeds from my homelands, but I'm not even sure if they'd even grow here."
"We can still give it a try, though," Rem suggested. "If it will make you feel more comfortable, Ryu-sama."
"Can you please cut it off with the Sama stuff? I know I'm a Royal Candidate and all, but it just makes me uncomfortable," Ryu sighed but did smile regardless. "But still, you've got a point. No harm in trying."
And so, in the end, Ryu found himself with a nice supply of herbs and flowers. Some magical, like Golden Flowers and ice-blue Winterways. Some mundane, like rose and lotus flowers. He quickly made teas out of each flower and herb, making a nice supply of what he knew as 'healing items'. "Thanks, dad," He muttered, thinking of his Monster family and how they taught him to infuse food with magic.
He stared at the bottled teas lining the shelves, each marked with a magic-infused tag that kept them fresh and at the right temperatures constantly, along with giving info, the name, and the recipe. For example, Winter Jade Tea, made from Winterway flower leaves; needed to be kept at cold temperatures for max efficiency.
Sea Tea: Gerson's secret Sea Tea recipe, taught to me by Gerson in my Underground adventures. A powerful energy drink that is healthy for both body and soul and increases the speed of the user while healing them slightly. (Heals 10 HP, Increases SPEED and restores energy for 24 hours)
Golden Flower Tea: Asgore's secret tea blend, made especially by him using Golden Flowers. A surprisingly delicious blend with a sweet aftertaste (or at least in my opinion), gives the user temporary Fire Magic capabilities. (+Fire Magic/1Hr)
Piccadilly Blend Tea: If you walk down Piccadilly with a poppy or a lily... Don your top hat and take a trip to town with this Piccadilly Blend, inspired by my friend Austin's long history of expertise. Bringing together the best of British and Eastern tea tradition, we (Austin & Ryu) have blended a classic loose leaf black tea with floral flavors of rose, strawberry, and lotus, luxuriantly layered with colorful cornflowers petals. Radiant, fragrant, and subtly sweet, it's a beautiful brew for afternoon tea – don't forget the three-tiered cake stand… (Restores All HP)
Goldburn Tea: A special blend inspired by Justice Magic and infused with Justice magic essence. Made by Goldburn flower leaves, this tea is somewhat bitter but heals the user and gives them Justice Magic (or enhances it if they already have it). (Heals 10 HP, +Justice Magic/1Hr)
Winter Jade Tea: A special blend inspired by Patience Magic and infused with Patience magic essence. Made by Winterway flower leaves, this tea is very sweet; overwhelmingly so, but heals the user and gives them Patience Magic (or enhances it if they already have it) as well as giving them better reaction times. (Heals 10 HP, +Patience Magic/1Hr, Reaction Time +150%)
Honest Echo: A special blend of tea made of Echo Flowers and infused with Integrity magic essence. This tea has a milky aftertaste, but is otherwise a delicately delicious blend that gives the user Integrity Magic (or enhances it if they already have it) and allows them to recall past events better, along with giving them the ability to detect lies. (Heals 10 HP, +Integrity Magic/1Hr, Memory Recall +100%, Lie Detection +100%)
Lightvalean Tea: An unstable tea that is still a work in progress, made of Lightvalean flower leaves and infused with Determination essence. This tea has a slightly bitter taste to it, though it does fade away and leave a sweet aftertaste while healing the user and giving them a limited amount of Determination to enhance them (or enhances pre-existing DT). (Heals 20 HP, +Determination essence [Indefinite until used up], Natural Regeneration +50%) - Warning, Do Not Drink Without Permission
Lilac Blade Tea: A special blend inspired by Perseverance Magic and infused with Perseverance magic essence. Made by Lavender flower leaves, this tea has a very light yet minty taste but heals the user and gives them Perseverance Magic (or enhances it if they already have it) as well as giving them Anti-Healing properties to their attacks and stronger will to hold onto life in critical moments. (Heals 15 HP, +Perseverance Magic/1Hr, Anti-Heal +100%, Life +20%).
Viridescent Healer: A special blend inspired by Kindness Magic and infused with Kindness magic essence. Made by Viridescent Milian flower leaves, this tea has a vaguely sour aftertaste but heals the user greatly and gives them Kindness Magic (or enhances it if they already have it) as well as giving them Healing magic and greater defense. (Heals 50 HP, +Kindness Magic/1Hr, +Healing Magic/2Hr, DEF +20).
Golden Fire Tea: Like the sun, Golden Fire is a source of vibrancy and warmth. It's very spicy, caffeine-free, and especially tasty as a latte. At the heart of this herbal tea is turmeric—a sought-after ingredient. Turmeric is characterized by its magnificent yellow coloring and anti-inflammatory properties that are enhanced by ground black peppercorn. Cinnamon and cloves add subtle sweetness, while honeybush fills out the blend with more body. Good for the stomach, Golden Fire adds a burst of unexpected pleasantness to any day. (Heals 15 HP, Temperature Magic Immunity/1Hr)
"This is a good supply," Ryu smiled with his hands on his hips, proud of his work. "I still will need proper supplies to get my other goodies up to speed, but this is a start."
"I've been meaning to ask, what even is 'HP'?" Emilia asked as she walked into the kitchen, with Ryu perking up and looking in her direction with a cheerful smile.
"Oh, just a term used back in my homeland," He shrugged. "It's short for Health Points. The more HP you have, the more durable and harder to kill you are. The more HP something restores, the better it can heal wounds and such; both physical and soul-related damage."
"So, this Picadilly Blend…" Emilia hummed as she picked out the tea, looking over the glass bottle containing the liquid. "Can restore any wound?" At his nod, Emilia smiled widely. "This stuff could be really popular in the Capital, Ryu! You should really think of selling some!"
"Maybe," Ryu hummed as he turned back to the kitchen and opened a book labeled 'Magical Foods: A Cookbook and Guide'. He read over the passage that detailed the process of making his favorite dish, Butterscotch Cinnamon Pie, and frowned. "Of course, we'll need to make some butterscotch beforehand… and I'll need to get back into shape with using Dreemurr Fire magic to ensure the perfect heat…"
"Ryu…? Is something wrong?" Emilia questioned, worried when she saw her friend frown. Ryu looked up and returned to smiling.
"Nah, everything's good! Just getting back into the baking mood!" He responded easily, before straightening up and stretching a bit. "Hey, Emi, can you tell Rem and Ram they can take a break from making lunch today? I'll be handling it."
Emilia nodded. "Right! I'm sure whatever you'll make will turn out great, Ryu!" She encouraged, before walking off to find the twin maids. Ryu sighed.
"I hope so. I haven't cooked in a long time, since the Underground's freedom and my subsequent coma…" Ryu muttered, a little doubtful of his own skills, before a more determined expression settled on his face. "Doesn't matter! I'll make the perfect lunch!"
"Betty wonders if you'll ever keep it down, I suppose." Ryu blinked as he looked to the side and saw the small blonde Spirit standing next to him, with Puck resting in her arms. "Pucky has fallen asleep, and Betty doesn't want you to wake him up, so keep it down."
"Right, sorry," Ryu apologized with a slight bow of his head, a faint smile on his face. "You need anything else from me, Betty?"
"...Betty was wondering if you'd give me some of that Winter Jade Tea, I suppose," Betty admitted with a slight pout and blush on her cheeks. Ryu grinned widely in response. "What's with that look, I suppose?!"
"Sorry, sorry. Just happy you've come out of your shell and asked me for some. I've noticed you looking at it for a while," Ryu softly laughed, grabbing one of the bottles of blue-tinted liquid and pouring it into a cup. "Want anything for Puck?"
"Betty thought you should already know that, didn't he ask you for tea before?" Betty replied, causing Ryu to hum and grab a bottle of Golden Fire Tea. With her tea now acquired, Beatrice set off, but not without thanking Ryu and bringing a smile to his face.
"Now… how do I make a good Legendary Hero?" Ryu asked his cookbook, as it magically turned to another page. At the ingredients and instructions shown, Ryu groaned. "I'm doomed…"
By the time Ryu was done, he had made himself enough Legendary Heroes for everyone… and drained about half of his Soul Magic and HP in making them. But despite how he felt like a walking corpse with bags under his eyes, he also felt proud, staring at the sword-shaped sandwiches. "Lunch is ready." He hummed as he used his magic to telekinetically grab the plates and walked into the dining room, surprising everyone there as he placed down plates in front of them. "And served." He bowed, before collapsing onto the floor; much to everyone's shock.
Emilia caught him quickly as Rem sighed, already able to tell what was wrong with him. "He's overdone it, infused too much of his own magic into the food. I'll go grab some Viridescent tea." She said before walking out of the dining room and returning with a bottle of tea, uncapping it and pouring it into Ryu's mouth. The Prince immediately jumped to action and grinned.
"Well, Rem wasn't wrong, I suppose! But I'm up and ready to go!"
"Ryu-sama, just sit down." Roswaal sighed, causing Ryu to clammer up and apologize to the owner of the house, quickly taking a seat and watching everyone eat lunch. Well, they all seemed happy with what he made, even if Betty and Ram were experts at hiding how they felt about… basically, anything he made or did.
'Whatever it takes…' Ryu's eyes narrowed slightly as he looked down at his own plate, grabbing his sandwich. 'These people are my new friends. I will protect them, even if I couldn't protect the others.'
It was then he noticed a golden star manifest above his plate, invisible to all but him as it reflected in his eyes. He grabbed it without hesitation as a black screen appeared above it.
*Despite all the misfortune, you stay strong and push forward with your One Dream.
*The happiness of your friends and the sight of their carefree natures empower you.
*You are filled with… DETERMINATION.
*File Saved.
Later that night, Roswaal sat alone in his office, looking out to the moon with a serene expression on his face. "And so, it begins. I grow ever closer to my dreams by the day," He smiled as he thought of his teacher, his reason to continue existing. "All I need is for the boy to side with me, become like me, as my Gospel dictates… But even still…" Roswaal paused as he heard the door to his office open, with Ram entering. "Ah, Ram, have any news on our guest?"
"He is adapting well to his new environments," Ram reported as she walked up to the clown-like Margrave. "There are times he will stand around and stare aimlessly, but other than that, he seems stable enough."
"And any chances that he could be a threat to any of us?" Roswaal asked, putting up a façade of a concerned Margrave.
"Miniscule, at the moment. He is too kind to fake it, and despite the aura surrounding him, he bears no ill-will to any of us," Ram said, as she eventually sat in the Margrave's lap, looking outside and staring at the gardens where Emilia and Ryu stood, the Prince now training his fellow Candidate's own soul magic. "The chances aren't zero, but are too small to worry about beyond normal precautions."
"Then, for now, we will leave them be," Roswaal hummed. His yellow and blue eyes narrowed, a ring of dark colors swirling around his irises, like a twisted rainbow. "I wonder…"
Was this his Ryu? 'Aicenfall-sama used to call himself Ryu, and it was used as a nickname by Sensei and Seven…' It was possible, and because of that possibility, Roswaal was now intrigued. Invested in Ryu's journey far more than before. "Please, Ryu, show me… your true potential."
Emilia was a wildcard, Ryu quickly discovered. Reason? She was one of the rare Hybrid souls he told the others about. A mixture of Integrity and Patience. Due to not having access to either of those traits at the moment, he had to be a bit more hands-on when teaching her how those specific Magics were utilized. It took about 3 days, but she managed to get a hold over the Integrity half of her Magic, able to summon up platforms to use for jump boosts as well as summon her own weapon; a blue rapier of Integrity. He was very proud of her progress. He was thinking of using some more of his Determination and Hate to acquire both Integrity and Patience, up them both two stages so he could give better lessons to Emilia, as at the moment, she had surpassed Stages 2 and 3. Sure, he could use some of his tea to get the traits, but even then his teas only gave Stage 1 traits for a temporary period of time.
But until then, he would just make sure she knew how to use her rapier properly, by allowing her to try attacking him as he pretended to be an enemy for her to fight. "Too shallow!" He barked as he easily countered her strikes. Emilia jumped back and tried to go in for a rapid string of stabs, but Ryu twirled his sword and deflected all of them with ease; before shifting his grip and knocking the blade away. "Too slow! Try again!"
"Ryu, can I just take a break? My arm's starting to get a bit tired!" Emilia asked, as Ryu went silent for a moment. He then smiled and dispelled his sword, reaching behind him and grabbing two bottles of Sea Tea using his telekinesis. "How do you even do that?" Emilia smiled as she watched him pour the eternally-kept fresh tea into cups.
"The telekinesis is related to Integrity magic. A mutation skill, if you will. Each trait has something like it, some are known. Some aren't. Bravery, for example, has Explosive Flames as a variant. Integrity has either Telekinesis or Teleportation. Patience has Time Manipulation." Ryu explained, passing her a cup as Emilia gratefully took a sip of her tea.
"And what about Determination? Do you know what your 'mutation' skill is?" She asked as Ryu hummed, seeing no issue in telling Emilia. She was a trusted friend.
"Oh, that's simple. It's called Res-"
A chill crept up his back as the hairs on his body rose up, a cold feeling surrounding him as black mist began to flood his vision. He found himself unable to move as the mist began to condense, time freezing all around him, and the mist shaping into the form of a hand. The hand reached out, and...
RE: DETERMINED
Act 2, Chapter 01 - Trapped in Respite (休息に閉じ込められた) - END