Aaaaaaah I'm so sorry! (extreme japanese apologizing)

This chapter ended up taking a bit longer than expected, sorry!

We're finally getting to the good parts. Aka, angstfest.

P.S. that SGDS chapter is gonna come any day now…

This first scene is set before the first wave, back in Rurorona (that's how I've seen it spelled in the LNs) Village.

The window slammed shut, the breeze that was blowing in now halted. My teacher walked back to his desk.

"Now Ariete, this is a special demonstration here for you. Since you have an affinity with fire magic, you'll do well to learn this." He whispered a quick chant, and a flame summoned at his fingertips, so tiny one could mistake it for a half-blown out candle.

"This is a Faust flame. If I push a bit of mana in, it'll get bigger." The muscles in his arm tightened, and the flame started to resemble an orange.

"However, if I now pull mana from it, it will lessen." His arm slackened, but his eyes furrowed in concentration. The flame became a tiny dot, barely visible as more than a speck floating above his finger.

"Wow!" I said in wonder. I quickly summoned my own flame. "Faust Flame."

I felt a faint flowing feeling from my chest towards my finger. I pushed, trying to force the flow to go faster. Nothing happened.

"Try tightening at the end." He said.

The end? Does he mean my fingertips? I squeezing the flow there. The flow seemed to pool for a second, then began flowing out at a much faster rate.

"Wow!" The flame in my hand grew a bit.

"Now try this time, loosening your core, the walls around your mana," he said.

I reached around inside and tried to relax in my chest. The effect was immediate. The small flame grew to a ball in my hand.

I marveled at the discovery. "And to cut the flow, you know what to do."

I closed the vein letting out my mana and the flame ceased.

We experimented together, trying out different places from which I constricted the flow. It seemed that mana flowing out faster and uncontrolled made the flame larger, physically.

I heard the tolling of a bell, my signal to leave. I dashed to pack my things.

"Bye, Seatto-Sensei!" I called. He waved to me, and I left the mansion.

There were only three of us, studying in the local lord's estate, learning magic and such. The status magic we had told me of my mediocre stores of mana and the supposed exceptional talent I had in shaping and using that mana.

I didn't get what they meant by that, but all I know is I can pick up spells better than the others, even if they can cast theirs over and over again.

It was a short walk back to the village, and I entered my home.

"I'm back!" I called out. There was padding, and from the other room Raphtalia came.

"Ariete! Did you learn anything new?" She collided with my side, nearly toppling me in a hug. Learning magic had given me a few levels, so I was slightly taller than her, no more than a few inches.

"Yeah, dummy. Of course I learned something. Why else would I go there every day?" We giggled.

"So what did you learn?" Mother walked in, a grin and specks of flour on her face.

"Look!"

I gently pushed Raphtalia away and stood in the middle of the room.

"Faust Flame."

The flame burst to life, and I maneuvered it to my palm. I focused on the mana pore, and the flame grew a bit bigger.

Raphtalia leaned in towards me to get a better look. As her face came close to my hand, I pushed out the mana in my core. She yelped as the fire flared up.

"Hey!"

I laughed. "Your fault for getting too close." She gave me a pout which only made me laugh harder.

After dinner, we sat by the fireplace. Raphtalia sat leaning against my shoulder and I leaned on Father's.

"Daddy, why does Ariete get to go to Seatto-sama's mansion and I don't?" Raphtalia asked.

"Well, Ariete's gifted. She has more magical ability than you. You'll find something non-magical to do, I'm sure." He said.

I thought about his words. "Daddy, does that mean Raphtalia won't ever get to use magic?" I asked. If she couldn't, she'd be missing out on such a… magical experience.

"She could eventually learn, yes. But I think Raphtalia would be happier and better suited to continuing your Mother's line of work as a hunter."

Raphtalia stuck out her tongue at him. "I don't wanna spend all day skinning stinky animals!"

We laughed together.

Studies went well the next day, and I waited in the hall for my personal lesson.

Each of the four kids Seatto-sensei picked had a 1-hour session with him. Mine was always last so usually, I chatted with the others.

"Ariete, how can you so easily get all this?" Lilika cried in frustration. For a while now she'd been trying to replicate what I had done yesterday. Sparks flew between her hands, but she hadn't been able to refine her mana flow. I could feel magic leaking off her.

"Just focus on the flow of mana. Can you feel it?" I said.

She concentrated for a minute.

"Yeah, I feel it."

"Now where is it coming from?"

"My heart."

"Try relaxing your chest a bit."

She tried this a few times, and on the third, the sparks she was making turned to full arcs of lightning. She cheered.

"Thanks, Ariete!"

Soon, she went in for her lesson and I was left alone.

It wasn't long before I got bored out of my mind. I glanced at the clock.

50 minutes remained.

I walked over to a window and looked out at the forest. There wasn't much to do, other than stare.

I sighed.

Seatto-sensei should make something for us to do. I hate idling. It's a waste of time, literally. He should make us do training.

Training…

I can do training on my own!

"I am one of the chosen mages of Rurorona Village and I command the source of power! Generate a flame! Tsuvait Flame!"

Starting from a spark, a large ball of fire formed in my hand. It was about the size of a large grapefruit, and bright enough to make a warm glow clash with the sunlight along the walls.

I condensed it, using some spare mana to compress the flame. It grew hot in my hand as wisps of heat singed my palm. Dammit, I forgot to put up my shielding. Faust flames usually can't harm their user in any way, but other magic flames can harm the user if they don't coat their hand in a cheap but useful covering.

I put up the covering, cursing under my breath as the lingering heat still burned. I continued condensing the flame until it became a solid ball of heat.

"Alright, now a target…"

I decided against the forest since the fire could spread to the mansion. The mansion itself was out of the question. I looked for a lake along the hall, but there wasn't one. Ah, too bad I'll have to hold back a bit.

I constricted the mana flow and the ball shrunk. If I toss it into the air, it should fizzle out before reaching anything.

I leaned out the window, checking for anything that could get hit by my ball. Nothing.

I wound up and threw it with all of my power. After 5 seconds of flying, I released the magic barrier I had contained it in.

I watched as the small ball erupted, growing into a mini-inferno above the forest, continuing its flight. I worried for a moment it would strike the trees, but it soared upwards.

It began to flicker and soon began shrinking. I sighed in satisfaction. That was a good one, even if I felt a little tired.

I checked the time again.

I'd only passed 20 minutes.

I groaned.

Why couldn't time just pass faster? It's hell waiting for my turn.

I glanced back outside with a pout.

Oh.

Oh no.

I dashed for the classroom door, which slammed open before i got there.

"Seatto-sensei! What's going on? Please tell me it wasn't to-"

"Ariete. Grab your family and run. Now."

His flat tone shocked me, but I understood and ran.

My legs pumped harder as the purple sky swirled with portals. Hearing awful laughter, I ducked into a bush. A group of goblins ran past in full armor.

"I hear a human's breath." One of them said.

I covered my mouth. They can smell humans?

I heard sniffing, and a bit of rustling. A grotesque, green face popped through.

"Hiya, girlie!" He laughed, his foul breath violating my nostrils.

I threw a punch, but the only thing it did was create a dull ache in my knuckles. I bolted from the bush, running in the forest parallel to the road. Loud cracks and grunts came from behind me. They seemed to be breaking everything I passed over, and they weren't far from breaking me too. I decided to take a risk.

"I am one of the chosen mages of Rururona village and I am the one who controls the power. Summon a flame to disperse these beings! Tsuvait Flame!" As soon as the fire formed, I pumped it full with mana. The goblins seemed to be making too much of a racket of their own to notice my chant or my fireball.

The fireball grew to the point i had to support it with both of my hands. I held it until I saw a ray of light break through the trees.

"Take this, you monsters!" I yelled. I twisted and threw the ball, releasing the barrier as soon as it left my hands. Then I leapt from the forest.

I made it out, a puff of smoke coming from behind me. Smoke rose from the trees, but I didn't look back. Instead I looked at the horrors in front of me.

A cerberus was feasting on my people. My friends.

I had no mana I could use left without rendering myself immovable. I picked up a hatchet from the shed nearby.

As the cerberus closed in on a little boy, I ran up and lodged the axe into the space between it's necks. It roared. I wrenched the axe out, and nearly puked as a flood of putrid blood came spilling forth, splashing on me and the boy. He screamed.

"Get out of here!" I yelled. I put the hatchet into its leg and ran again.

Finally, I saw Raphtalia and my parents. After sprinting for so long, I stopped to rest for a moment by collapsing against the doorway.

"Seatto-sensei said to run. Now." I gasped for air, and stood. Raphtalia seemed terrified.

"Raphtalia, come on!"

She seemed to snap out of her fear at my voice, but then screamed again at the blood on my shirt. So did Mother.

"Ariete, what happened to you!?" Mom asked.

"There was a Cerberus. We need to go before it catches up."

She nodded. My father came out, his hair looking disheveled.

We ran to the edge of town, but were confronted on monsters on all sides. The townsfolk that hadn't been lucky enough to escape were all gathered on this final ledge.

The cerberus from before made booming steps towards us, and finally scooped up three adults between it's heads.

Raphtalia looked in silent terror.

I was shocked.

The adults tried to fend it off, but soon they were gobbled up in a horrific feast for the monsters.

I heard a yell from my left. A kid had been pushed off the cliff behind us. The kids used to dive here all the time.

"Quick, get the kids into the sea! The monsters can't get them there!" Someone yelled.

Soon the kids were being shoved off en masse. A few tried to cling on, but the rocks gave way.

I looked at my parents. They looked at me with sad, despairing eyes.

"We're sorry."

I screamed as they pushed me off. As I fell, I managed to get a hold of the cliff.

I pulled my head up so I could look.

And they had been eaten.

I fell.

A/N: I thought it was necessary to spend a whole chapter kind of detailing Ariete's life in the village. I didn't gloss over it like in the original Twinning this time.

I also took the time to really flesh out this new magic system I've been working on. I felt it made more sense to have mana "pathways" than just controlling the spell through chant and instinct. I like how it turned out, since combat's gonna be fun later.

And of course since it's an even chapter, an Omake! Set before the last one.

Omake: Ticklish? Never.

I had grossly miscalculated. A very, very large mistake.

This would cost me my dignity, and maybe even my life.

Please stop being so determined, Raphtalia.

"Open the door Ariete!" She shouted.

"Never! Not until you stop trying to tickle me!"

"I will never give up!"

I yelped in fear as she banged on the door.

"Seatto-sensei will get mad if you break that door!" I yelled. She pounded harder.

There was a window.

"Fine, I'll open the door on one condition."

"Really? What?" I could hear the smile through the door.

"Back away from the door, and wait ten seconds."

Fitting with her naïveté, I heard footsteps.

"1… 2… 3…" she started to count.

I dashed to the windows searching for a latch. There wasn't one. I turned around.

"5..."

I checked the next window, panic filling my stomach.

"6..."

Nothing. I crawled into the fireplace and looked up. The walls were covered with soot, but I could climb.

"8…"

I shuffled in, and began climbing with my arms to one side and my legs to the other.

"10! I'm coming!"

I heard the door slam open. I tried to be as quiet as I could.

"Where'd she go?"

I took another step up.

"What was that noise?"

Uh-oh.

"There's handprints in the soot."

I have to move, quick! I started scaling the wall as fast as I could, ignoring the ash building on my clothes and limbs.

Before I could get halfway up, she poked her head in.

"Ariete! Why are you trying to climb the fireplace!?"

"You shall never catch me alive!"

I tried to take another step, but my foot slipped.

"Aaaaaah!" I yelled as I fell down the chimney, landing and causing a cloud of soot to blow out of the fireplace, coving Raphtalia in grey ash.

"Oh you are so going to get it!" She yelled.

This is bad. Really bad.

And thus ends this sixth chronicle! I'll have the next chapter up hopefully before christmas!