The sun shines right into my eyes, I stir and turn away just to get five more minutes of sleep. Ugh… What time is it even? Eh, it wasn't Precious who woke me up so I guess it's too early for school. Wait, darnit, today is a very special day. Now when I remember about it I won't be able to sleep anyway.

I sit down with still closed eyes and rub my face to get rid of sleepiness. The day promises to be a good one - birds are singing, sun is shining and…

Wait.

There's no birds in the area where I live.

I open my eyes and take a good look around. Forest. Yep, a lot of maple trees. I never saw maples in the mamodo world before. Wait, how did I even got here?

I mentally go through my memories. Damn, I can't afford another amnesia! There's bits and pieces of the past and I hustle to puzzle them all together to make a full picture.

Alright, ugh, shoot, it's hard. Woke up in the morning yesterday, sister was very nervous. She told me I've 'passed'..., then everything happened so fast - someone handed me a purple colored book, said something about tournament rules and then-

…

Can't remember.

Wait. I've passed? Could it be-

I quickly get up and levitate myself above the ground. There, not far away - a small town. From my point of view I see only human-like mamodo… No, not mamodo. Humans!

I made it! I'm in the HUMAN WORLD!

I punch the air in my wild triumph but then I notice one little, minor, almost invisible at first glance problem.

I'm 20 ft. above the ground and I am, myself, not a human. I thought that if I get to the human world I'd automatically regain my old body, or my old memories, or something, anything!

Nothing. My past is clean like a sheet of paper and I am still Zofis.

I slowly float down to the ground. Great. Just fantastic. Right when I thought that I had an ultimate solution to all of my problems, my life laughed right into my face and took the carpet right under my feet.

What am I supposed to do now? Compete in the tournament? Get myself killed by other participants?

I sigh and sit down on the ground. Perhaps, if I stay on Earth for long enough, I'll get my memories back if I see a familiar place? I reach my fingers down to fidget with blades of grass but instead my hand knocks something over. I take a look. A purple, no, magenta colored book with weird symbols on the cover lays innocently right near the place of my awakening.

Why did they give it to me anyway? Did they give it to everyone? Is that a rule book? No, it's too thick for that… I pick the book up and open it.

From what I see, this book is a Spellbook. But not only that - It's also somewhat of a battle manual, a guide and, by the looks of it, an object that lets me stay in the human world. All in one. Turns out, there's no magic in the human world, therefore I can't use my verbal spells here (Which is good, means other mamodos can't use them as well!) but if I find a human partner, who can read the book like it's written in their native language, I'll be able to use my spells again (Which is bad, because it means other mamodos can do that too!). It doesn't specify how, nor does it specify how I'll be able to find my special, one of a kind, 'human partner' in a world filled with billions of humans!

(Are they except I just go from town to town and ask random strangers if they could read my book or not? Looks like only hardcore extroverts can become the next mamodo monarch, sorry introverts!)

One more thing about the book - My presence in the Human world is bound by it. If it gets destroyed or burned I'll be sent back home. I can't destroy or burn it myself, nor can my human partner. Other mamodos have the exact same books. The goal of this tournament is to burn your opponents books and be the last one standing.

Hm, competitive, but not deadly.

For some reason I can't read the other half of the book. The ink in them is red and words contain symbols I've never seen in my life. Also a bit of a mystery - can't remember my own spells.

Well, at least telekinesis is working… To make sure I pick a stick from the ground.

Huh?

It… doesn't move? But I could levitate myself just a mere minute ago! I use telekinesis on myself once more and… I can do that. So why can't I hold a stupid stick?!

I try to pick a book to throw away in frustration… Except my telekinesis doesn't work again. I can't pick up my own book! wait… Does that mean I can't pick other mamodos books also?

Oh no… I've been nerfed. My telekinesis is useless if I can't use it to hold weapons or immobilize my opponents. Still wonder why I can hold myself. Perhaps it's because I'm a magical creature in a magical world? But that book is also magical…

Is it possible that I'd still be able to use telekinesis against my enemies? To think about it, they're magical beings just like me. They shouldn't be immune to my telekinesis… But running head-first into the first found mamodo just to check that theory sounds like a horrible idea.

Perhaps… I can't fully rely on my telekinesis. Not this time. My main magical powers were cut short too. If someone finds me before I find my partner I'll surely lose the fight, no matter if my opponents already have their spells or not.

Well, because Plan A (aka Get to the human world as fast as possible and regain your memories and/or body) has failed, time to form Plan B. I need to travel to as many places as possible to find familiarity that could help me jig my memories. To do that I need to survive as long as possible and to do that I need to cast spells and to do that… I need to find my human partner.

Alright, Plan B is formed - step 1. Find my human partner!

… But where to find them?

I didn't even know I was in France this entire time. I might be wrong but all the labels and shop names are written in French (Can't read French… If only I could). I have to travel on the rooftops to not get spotted by people. It would be very uncomfortable to explain myself if someone sees me. Although I do look relatively human, my eyes and skin tone give me a very alien look.

I fly from one roof to another. The idea of simply 'being in this world as long as possible' sounds ridiculous but I honestly have nothing better to think of. All I know about my previous life is that I was a dumb but brave individual who, presumably, really loved cats… And who fell off a bridge.

I even started to forget how this bridge used to look like. Was it big, was it small? Was it made out of wood or metal? See, that's what I'm talking about - the longer I wait the more and more of my, already very scarce, memories of my previous life get erased.

Eh, enough of that. I need to think about how I can find my human partner. Walking on the street, asking everyone to take a look inside the book doesn't sound good - I'll probably scare everyone off. No, I need something different, something crafty, a cunning plan…

… Or I could just throw my book at random people, hoping they'll catch it before it collides with their faces.

Sounds even worse than asking people personally - what if I accidently kill my human?!

No, that won't do! I need something else.

What if I sneakily put my book in someone's bag and then wait until they find out that they have a brand new item in their possession? Yeah, that one sounds a lot better.

Or, at least, it sounded better.

First dozen of humans didn't even take a peek inside the book, others threw it away almost instantly and, oh, I don't even want to think about the guy who almost destroyed my book by blowing embers from his cigarette all over the pages! (It still smells bad)

In other words - the plan was good only on paper.

I sigh and slide down the wall onto the ground. It's getting dark. I don't need to sleep but I do feel tired. Totally not going to take a nap in the dark alleyway… I'm just taking a small break.

Too bad some jerks outside don't know that I'm here and that I want at least ten minutes of silence! They laugh at something but I don't care!

Enough, I've had a horrible day and now I desperately need to pour all my frustration at someone else!

I grab my stupid book, walk to the end of the alleyway and just throw it at the first guy I see. The book hits it terget right in the head, leaving a red spot (Oh, perhaps, too much force… Eh, can't care much). Two men turn around trying to locate where the book came from.

Oh, how unfortunate that they see me. My face hardly looks anything friendly right now, I can feel my pupils shrink, turning into those cat-like red eyes.

Don't even need to say anything - they ran away with screams in a heartbeat. Good!

I give out my tenth tired sigh today and go to pick up my book. Almost sad it didn't break but, oh well, life goes on I guess.

Aw shoot… The guy's face was harder than rock - there's a small dent in the cover now. I need to keep my anger in check next time.

"Oh gosh…" I freeze, turning my head to the owner of the voice. Well, shoot. I didn't know there was someone else… It's a young woman with short chestnut hair. Well, that's what I get for acting like a total idiot.

"Listen, sorry I've ruined your friend's fun but I was really tired and you guys were loud. Didn't mean to hit him THAT hard, heh" I try to apologize. Damn, I'm bad at it.

"No, it's," She hesitates. Oh, right, I still look like a nightmare, aren't I? I calm myself down from my adrenaline rush. Here, let's hope that balck eyes work better than red ones. "They weren't my friends."

"Oh. Well, did you at least catch a joke they were cackling about?" I try to resolve tension with humor.

"Those two men were laughing at my clothes…" She's very uncomfortable. I can see that even without my 'heart' magic. . . I can't do anything right, am I?

"Well then, they totally deserved that book throw. So glad I don't need to apologize to them too! I see nothing wrong with your fashion sense… Maybe it's because I'm not a fashion diva myself." Although, I think I see the problem - her clothes look poor, pathed up in few places. Huh, were they laughing at her because of her looking cheap?.. I should've hit the second guy too.

She looks at me weirdly, almost astonished, then she gives out a laugh. I guess I missed the joke or she's just crazy.

"Sorry, I'm just a bit tense, that's all" Hm, alright, so she is a little bit crazy. "My name is Koko, by the way. Haven't seen you in this town before…"

"Zofis. I'm not local. You may even call me a tourist." I shrug. I tap into her heart with my powers, just out of curiosity. She appears to be a kind-hearted person. She's not perfect but she tries her best, especially with the situation life puts her in. "I've been trying to find someone very important to me in this town but… I'm not sure they're even here."

"Hm? Who are you searching for?" She sounds ready to help. Even to a total stranger who scared her for dear life moments ago. Woah, she really is something.

Hm… I wonder…

"Hey, Koko, might I ask you something?" I held out my book to her. "Can you read anything from this book? Find a word or two?"

Koko looks confused but she obliges with a nod. She takes a book from my hands and opens it. My heart freezes, could she be the one I've been searching for? Could it be my luck?

She flips a page, then another one, then a dozen others. Guess I was wrong. There's no way I'll be able to find my human partner so quickly.

"I'm sorry Zofis, I don't think I can read-" She suddenly stops as she flips through another page. I can't help but freeze as well. Oh? "Ha, wait, I think I can read that one!"

I float a bit from the ground in anticipation.

"Tell me what you see!" I ask, hardly containing joy.

"It says… The First Spell is… Random? Rabomu?... No wait, I think I got it, it's-

|RADOM|

As soon as she utters those words I feel a tingling sensation in my left hand, as if there is a spring inside me ready to jump out of my hand… I have half a moment to recognise the sensation and throw my arm up into the air.

A small energy sphere flies out of my hand, far above into the air. Both me and Koko look at it with awe and shock.

Radom…? That was Zofis' first spell in his dairy…

I glance at Koko. Why did she say the spell but I was the one who used it after all?.. Can't I cast the spell on my own, even after they've been discovered by human?

I look back into the sky. The energy ball seems to stop gathering speed and now stops completely. Oh… oh no.

Well, time to check THAT theory! I raise my hand and use the spell. Nothing comes out of my hand. Well, alright, next plan.

"Koko, can you say the spell once more?" She looks down at me with a questionable expression. Oh, right, I owe her an explanation about everything. "I'll explain to you everything later but for now - can you say the spell once more? The sphere that you shot into the sky is falling down. I'm afraid if it hits the ground it'll blow up but we might hit it in the air with a second spell."

Poor girl, she still looks so puzzled and confused, although there's a tingle of determination in her eyes as well. She takes her eyes to the book and casts the spell once more.

|RADOM|

My hand launches another sphere into the air. Me and Koko watch as the spells collide, creating a bright explosion high up in the dusk sky.

Koko slowly turns her eyes from the fading explosion to me. Yep, I'll have to explain that to her.

"Alright, I know you want answers about what the heck just happened but may we first go somewhere more private? I'm sure there'll be police here soon and the talk we're about to have is private. Don't worry, I'll answer all of your questions!" She thinks for a second before giving a slow nob.

"I live not far away from here… you better not be lying about answering my questions, because I have a lot of them."

Her house is comfy. Small, minimalistic, not in the best shape but still very homey. She leaves the book on the table and ventures to the kitchen.

"I have some green tea and crackers, It's not a banquet but would you like some?" I'm surprised by her hospitality. I also just now noticed that I haven't been eating for the whole day.

"Mhm, yeah, sounds nice. I'll gladly have a cup." I take a look around the room. It appears to be both the living room and her bedroom (although, her bed is just a sleep bag). There's a very small amount of decor, but what she does have looks modest. A frame or two with a photo of a family member or a friend (I presume), a one-sheet paper calendar, slightly cracked mirror. Yep, that girl is broke, alright.

Koko enters the room with a plastic tray that contains two cups of steaming liquid and a bag of freshly opened crackers. I thank her and take my cup.

"So," She starts our very important conversation. "Just what the heck was that? All of it? The book, the explosion… you?"

I take a sip of my tea. Taste is rich but there's no sugar.

"That's the easy part - it was magic. The book you read was a magic book that contains magical spells." Like talking about the weather.

"Magic?" She puts her cup down. Yeah, good idea, she does look like she was ready to drop it.

"Yeah. Alright, guess I have to start from myself. As I already told you - my name is Zofis and I am a magical being from another dimension!"

"... Like a demon?"

"Eh, we call ourselves Mamodo. Who you see before you is just a small portion of madness mamodo actually are. We all have different shapes, sizes, looks. Some are cute and some look like they've crawled from pits of oblivion on monday's morning." I take another sip. This tea is actually not bad!

"So… uh… Why are you here?"

"Every one thousand years, one hundred mamodo kids enter the human world to participate in a battle to decide the next mamodo king. Don't ask me why - I have limited knowledge myself." I reach for the book and open it on the first page. "During the fight we are forced to team up with a special, one of a kind human who can read our books and cast our spells. We can't cast them ourselves, you see (Guess it was too boring for the guy who made those rules).

Another sip. Maybe I just haven't had tea in a while… in a lifetime even.

"This book," I tap at the pages. "Is not only a Spellbook but also a crucial detail in the battle for the title of new king. If it gets burned or destroyed in any other way I'll be sent back home. Other mamodos have the same books as mine. Our main goal in this battle is to burn as many books as possible and become the last mamodo in the human world."

" So… You're here to fight to become the next monarch?"

"Well…" Can I tell her the truth? Am I even able at this point? She's already pretty shaken with all the 'Mamodo Battle'... Nah, better keep it as secretive as possible, at least for now.

"No. Not really. I'm here for my own reasons. I'm searching for something very important to me."

"What exactly are you searching for?"

"It's… personal." Ah… The tea is done. I glance at her, silently asking with my eyes for more. It must've worked because she sighs and pushes her own cup to me (insert happy mamodo noises).

"Okay. I think I understand. So you want me to help you out? Since I can cast your spells."

"You don't have to. Of course it'd make my life much easier if I had you by my side but…" Yeah, it feels wrong to drag someone so kind into a fight that is not their own… In a way, she reminds me of Kolulu. And I'd hate to see Kolulu participate in a fight."I understand if you don't want to! Burning other folks' books sounds easy but in reality it might get messy. You might even get targeted as the Bookkeeper. It might get very dangerous as more and more mamodo will try to burn my own book."

She looks conflicted. Perhaps I didn't need to tell her about the dangers of mamodo battle but… Eh, what's done is done.

"I'm sorry but I refuse." Yeah, just like that.

"It's alright. I still have time before all mamodos found their own Bookkeepers and started rampanging against each other. So, not a big deal." I smile at her and gulp the content of the cup in one go. Uhh, hot!.. It still good.

"Uh… Before I go and wanish from your life forever… Can I ask for another cup of tea? Back in the mamodo world we don't have drinks like that!"

Koko laughs but nods. She takes the cups and leaves to the kitchen.

It's a shame I didn't get a human partner… But at least I got some high class green tea!

[hi author here

looks like koko won't be zofis' friend eh?...

or is she? *dramatic_music mp3*

idk stay tuned to find out i guess]