Kenshi: Grasp the Heavens (RE-UPLOAD)

by Seereni

A young boy joins the Loki Familia through a display of his skills. His past unknown, his reasons unsaid, there is only one desire that drives him into the dangers of the Dungeon and the world's: "With this sword...I will grasp the Heavens..." But...how will he fare...? Fic is Rated M by me, the author, and for good reasons. OC-Centric, slighly AU and certainly not for everyone.

21. Chapter 19, Declaration

Ey.

I'm back with slightly improved Chapter 19.

Let's party, dare I say.

Hope you enjoy.

Kay bye.

XXX

The ride had been long and nigh constant with only two stops at roadside inns to stay over the night and allow the horses to rest before taking to the road again.

Fuzen had never been in a carriage before.

Nor did he know horse-riding, for that matter.

His School's financial status had never been good so the most he knew of horses and riding was simply by observing from afar.

Even his ride to the west had been by way of a ship, straight to Meren and then the last few kilometres to Orario he had walked.

Thus, while he did notice a strange feeling while making his way over the sea to the west, he had partly blamed that feeling to it being a first-time thing.

Now however, he understood.

That he had motion sick and hated wobbly means of transportation.

Following the first few hours after leaving Orario with his new...associates, a constant frown found it's place on his face and said frown was directed at none other than the weasel sweating bullets in front of him.

Arms and legs crossed, he had been staring at the man for the past three days without pause. If stares alone could kill, that man would have died a couple thousand times by now, and the weasel knew it.

In any other circumstances, seeing a man over two meters in height afraid and sweating in fear at a boy who did not even properly reach puberty would have been hilarious.

Even the man himself would have found it so.

But he saw exactly what Fuzen was.

A god-damned fricking monster! The man told the other men who escorted him and Fuzen to their destination and who occupied the other two carriages during their stay at the first inn.

He thought Fuzen did not hear him.

He was, again wrong.

The weasel had tried to ease the mood with his greasy tactics: trying to make small talk happen, asking questions about Fuzen's past, praising his swords, he had tried it all.

However no response came and Fuzen simply continued to stare at him.

An hour.

Two hours.

Half a day.

One whole day.

And by now, three whole days.

Even when in his room at the inn, the man could not sleep.

He felt Fuzen's piercing eyes upon him, from the right and left, from above and below. Whatever he lay on his side or back or even when he covered himself with the blanket and pillow, he felt the hazel eyes upon him piercing into his very soul.

He was exhausted, both physically from the long ride as well as mentally from the boy's stare haunting his very dreams. It was even physically visible: dark circles around his sunken eyes, twitching muscles, heavy breathing, eyes that searched for an escape…

At one point he even tried to ride in another carriage with the guards. Fuzen held the others at sword-point and told them to get out as he took a seat opposite of the man.

He would not leave the weasel's side and allow him to rest.

Even though he choose to accompany the man back to his country, his acts had been dishonourable.

Heinous.

Disgusting.

And lastly, unforgivable.

Fuzen was not going to let him rest at all, for he wanted to see the man suffer for his crimes.

And he was doing just that, punishing him during the whole ride. Little by little, he noticed the man slowly crumble away.

And he gave a mental nod to this.

Unknown even to him, despite it having happened multiple times in his life by now, there was one thing Fuzen was just as good at as sword-fighting.

Something so common in children of his age yet multiplied to the extreme by a hundredfold in his case.

Holding grudges.

He held an immense subconscious grudge against the man with whom he shook hands and even though they had shared a ride for over two days now, this grudge did not subside in the least.

Fuzen wanted to cut him down...yet he couldn't.

And so he stared like a predator upon his prey which he could unfortunately not attack and rip apart.

Today was the third day of their journey, and the sun was high on the sky. The group of ten had left their last inn at first light, thus roughly six or seven hours had passed.

Some six hours of uninterrupted staring.

Then slowly, the wobbly feeling began to die out, the carriage's wheels no longer jumping up and down from the countless holes and stones found on the country roads.

This could only mean one thing.

"Ahh, spare me!" The man shouted as Fuzen got up from his seat, his hands quickly raised to protect his head.

"Hmpf. You can change your underwear later. We are here." Fuzen replied, pulling the carriage's window down and peaking through the gap at the road ahead. Their vehicle had just passed a forest and was now riding along a wide, well-cared for road where puddles and fist-sized stones where no longer present.

Then slowly the road began to have a slight elevation as it went up and up, towards the tip of the highest hill ahead.

Hmm...This hill will do, I think. Depending on how good the view is. I'll have to scout it out later.

Though the way forward was obscured by the mound of earth Fuzen could make out roofs of incredibly tall structures in the distances. Some were sharp and pointy, others were round and flat at the top. Most interesting of all, however, was a gigantic round structure through which a wide opening cut through the middle of it's half-circled dome, a likewise gigantic...lens made of glass perturbing from within the structure and pointing at the sky.

"…? You, weasel. What is that structure over there? The one with the glass lens?"

"H-Huh? O-Oh, that's the Observatorio. An observatory used by our Professors to chart the sky and stars."

"...So it's important?"

"Y-Yes! J-Just like her Majesty invests a lot of money into the Observatorio, the knowledge gained from it is essential and pricey."

I see…

Before long the carriage had arrived at the top of the hill and from there the city ahead was finally visible.

Unlike the towns back in his home country which were mostly constructed out of wood, Fuzen noticed a common trait shared by the western cities, and that was the stone used in their construction in large and uncountable amounts.

Though not as grand and tall as Orario's, the city before him was surrounded by a wall of stone at least a couple of meters in width, sturdy and well taken care of. However, seeing how most of the city was visible from his location atop a hill, Fuzen doubted it had any real practical use behind it's construction, as the city was placed in a slight valley.

Thus, any invader who could amass enough men and siege equipment could position catapults and trebuchets around the very hill they were riding on and lay siege to the city in the valley below.

Few people who had never seen war were aware of the fact, however most wars were less filled with action than what grand tales spoke of.

Instead, a very efficient tactic could be used if one was trying to capture a city or fortress which had walls protecting it from direct assault: positioning your army at a safe distance and starving the enemies out.

This served more reasons than just keeping one's troops alive.

Whatever easy to capture or not, a fortified location had more worth the more of it's strategically important structures were left standing after capture. Thus, starving the enemies behind their walls was the sound strategy any good military leader would take, boring and dull as it was.

Fuzen himself fought in a war, having once been trapped in a city while the lord of another province suddenly popped up over the horizon and laid siege to it.

One and a half months of waiting had proven quite unproductive to him at the time and so he escaped in the midst of night when the time was right. It had neither been his war nor his business, however he had helped with defending the main gate while the attacking lord's army attacked, if for no other reason than the crude wooden palisade acting as a wall assuring his safety.

Over the span of those six weeks Fuzen had cut down eighty-four men, sons and fathers alike. He managed to cut off even the head of a captain, though with his mediocre skills and low Level back then it had proven no easy fight.

Samurai were too much even for him at the time.

He had almost died, in fact.

The only reason he survived was thanks to the sunlight reflecting off the tip of a spear, blinding the Captain's right eye for a single second, a second Fuzen used to jump up from his position and plunge his sword into the man's neck.

Shameful as it was to live thanks to luck alone, Fuzen accepted the win.

Few things go according to plan and honour in the madness that is war, after all.

Even so, his feat had been great enough for the defending lord to seek him out and offer him a position at his court.

He had obviously declined the offer.

Yet it had not been because of his goal, which he did not yet have at the time. He simply did not wish to offer his allegiance to a lord who would die.

Obviously enough a while after his daring escape at night Fuzen heard rumours of that very town finally succumbing to the relentless attack and it's lord being executed. His two thousand men had no chance to win against the attacking eleven thousand once the main gate had been breached.

Waste of time as it was, those six weeks had taught Fuzen many things about war and siege.

Thus he narrowed his eyes upon looking down at the city, taking in it's structure and layout.

Peculiar enough, this city was both easy to starve out as well as to siege by means of war engines.

They can't be this dumb. This was built like this for a reason. Probably. Fuzen shook his head and pushed the thought out of his mind. No matter. It's not my role to advise them on their defensive strengths and weaknesses.

Rising towers, strange dome-like stone buildings, wide streets giving the city the form of a spider's web, and on the far end of it's walls, a magnificent castle with it's own ring of walls.

Fuzen had once taken the elevator up the Babel Tower to it's middle Floors and got a good view of Orario from there. Truly, the Dungeon City had been the largest city he had laid his eyes upon until then. However, for all it's glory and reputation, it was nonetheless an independent city, belonging to no nation.

The city before him was not as grand as Orario but even so it spread out far wider than even Orario itself, it's surface almost taking over the horizon.

This was his destination, and the beginning of a new Chapter in his life.

Al-Dale, capital city of the Kingdom of Altena, and the Queen's seat of power.

The very monarch he was about to meet, face to face.

...Another chapter in my journey...Mhm. Let's do this...

XXX

Everything went on, same as usual.

That was the one thought that crossed Loki's mind as she sat out on the balcony of a cáfe she frequented in the city's centre overlooking the busy people going on with their lives down below.

She was here alone, no Child to accompany her.

Finn was going on his business as Captain as always, something she ought to help him with.

Later, that is.

Riveria was busy teaching the Familia's mages her craft in preparation for the next expedition.

Gareth was checking out how the progress on their weapons and equipment was going along.

Bete, for him Loki had a special mission: sniff around who messed with the schedule of their orders as well as who stole from them. Despite his grumpy old-man persona, the man was good at this sort of work.

Aki and Raul were also tasked with helping him.

As for everyone else, they were either training, relaxing, taking on jobs or trying to mentally prepare themselves for what was to come, the next big expedition.

Everything went on, same as usual.

Except Loki was short one swordsman.

And she wasn't exactly happy about it.

Getting bored of the view and it's static flow Loki gulped down the coffee she had ordered, then paid and got out of the shop. Coffee wouldn't exactly cut it for her.

She needed something stronger.

She wanted alcohol.

And she knew just the place for that. It was still midday, but granted, she was a Goddess and not an Adventurer. Entry would not be a problem.

As such Loki made her way towards a well-known pub, her steps slow and unmotivated. Her Familia had existed for twenty-six years now, since her descent into the lower world. Over those two and a half decades she had lost children to Monsters and humans alike.

Just a couple of years ago, during the Evilus attack on Orario she had lost many of her children to the suicidal fanatics who threw themselves at Adventurers, bombs strapped to their bodies.

Loss was nothing new to her.

It was still painful when it happened, but it was not anything new.

However, the boy left her Familia on his own account, out of his own free will. This was new to her, for never before had anyone else left her Familia to join another. He was the first to do so and Loki was not sure how to feel about it.

At the very least, she knew she wasn't feeling happy about it.

Even now, the events of that night four days ago were vibrant in her mind...

…

The door opened and closed countless times already, the puffing of her children the only constant within the chaos as they brought reports from across the town before hurrying off to the next location. Finn was seated to her right, going through the many reports pouring in just like her. Loki didn't knew who it was, but whoever messed up with their orders sure had a lot of balls.

When I find them...The thought crossed Loki's mind as the irritation began to build up. Not even other large Familia in Orario would have the guts to attack them in this way.

"...I can't find a pattern." Finn stated, shuffling another report to the side. "Some goods stolen, some destroyed, some bought off with five times what we offered at the last moment...Whoever did this, they attacked us on multiple fronts at once. They want to...buy time? Surely no one is stupid enough to think we won't get to the bottom of this, but…"

"...Guess we gotta delay our expedition, then?" It was a rhetorical question for Loki already knew the answer.

"No point in trying to reach a new Floor half-prepared." The Pallum gave a nod, his eyes still scanning the reports and looking for any little clue he might have skipped. "That would be suicidal."

"...Damn."

"Yeah. We will only delay it by the bare minimum, until we have everything we need. But we already planned it all out with the Guild and the other large Familia...Sigh…This will affect our reputation in the eyes of the other Familia in town."

"We need help to crack this."

"Yeah, that's what I was thinking." Her Captain nodded. "Ganesha and Hermes Familia. If anyone can help us find out who did this faster, it's them."

She didn't hate neither of the two Gods, however she couldn't state she would ask for their help happily without lying.

However, her pride was the least important matter now. "...Gotcha. I'll ask them."

"Thanks. I'll count on you-"

The door opened again, yet this time it was not hasty but rather slow. Loki turned her gaze towards the new occupant of the room. The first thing she noticed was the worrying look on the dragonoid's face, and she knew more trouble would follow.

"Loki-sama." Raiju greeted with a slight bow of his head and torso, a rare sight indeed. "Your assistance is required."

"Ahh, can this wait, Raiju? I'm kinda busy-"

Raiju went down on one knee, his head bowed even lower than before. This was not a request: it was a plead. "It is urgent."

Finn looked over towards her, one eyebrow raised. Suspicious, to say the least. The dragon never behaved like this. "...Is it about Fuzen?"

"Yes, Loki-sama."

"Understood. Let's go." She stood up, needing no further details. "I'll leave things here to you, Finn."

"...Mhm."

She follow Raiju and his hasty pace outside where the magical familiar transformed into his medium form and took her to Fuzen via means of flying. A couple of months ago, such a sight would have been the talk of the city at the very least, or a frightful experience for the civilians at worst.

But that was no longer the case.

The dragon's existence was known to all of Orario and he was often sighted, be it in his small, medium or humanoid form through the city, running errands at his Master's behest.

Orario was, if nothing else, very good at adapting to changes within it's walls, strange as said changes might be in origin.

Before long the duo had arrived at a rather secluded and abandoned part of town, the kind of district only good for nothings would gather to do shady deals.

Once Raiju touched the ground he transformed back into his humanoid form and led Loki through the maze of alleys, and as she followed the red-haired Goddess began to smell it.

A scent that was hard to mistake for anything else here in the lower world.

The smell of blood, thick in the air.

"...Ah. You are here." From across the courtyard Fuzen greeted Loki as he turned to look in her direction. He was simply waiting, sitting on the stairs leading to the door inside the abandoned building behind him. "I have been waiting for you, Loki-sama." The boy said as he stood up.

"I see. So, uhh...What's with all the bodies? Party gone wrong?" Loki asked a moment later as she jumped over the corpse of a man fried to death, his body still letting out a strong scent of smoke.

"Just a display of dominance. They are no longer required." The boy have a small shrug of his shoulders. "Pay them no mind."

"...Aha, ok. Then...what's so urgent? Never saw Raiju so serious til now."

"There is a matter I need your help with." Fuzen replied, taking off his jacket and leaving it on the stairs.

Loki could think of two reasons why the boy began to undress, and seeing how he was probably too young for the second thought that sprang to her mind, it had to be the first one.

She sighed, long and deep, rubbing the bridge of her nose. "Do you have to?"

"Yes. It is what I desire."

"...Was there something wrong with my treatment?" She asked, arms crossed.

"...I do not have a solid reply to that, for I have little experience to use as comparison. You were a good Deity, in your own peculiar way. I expected much worse when I first set foot in Orario. Decadence and depravity, among others. But...such things I could not find within your Familia. From a sole progressive viewpoint, I would say Loki Familia does many things right. You were fair to me."

"...Then why?"

"…? Ah, you believe the reason for my request is related to you in any way. It is not. Rest assured."

"Hm?"

"I simply...found a better way to grasp the Heavens. That is all there is to it. Nothing more, nothing less."

"...I understand." Loki nodded after a long moment, her eyes now fully opened. "Or at least, I think I do."

"Mhm. That is all I could ask for." Fuzen then took off his shirt, his upper body bare. Turning around he took a sitting posture, pulling his hair over his shoulder to free his back. "Then, I hereby ask to be allowed leave from the Loki Familia."

"...Can I change your mind, in any way?"

"No."

"I...see. Very well, then. Don't have my needle, tho."

"You may borrow my sword. Also, a request, if I may. I heard Deities can remove someone from their Familia without actually removing the Falna. In order for my connection with Raiju to be kept, may I ask for you to go with that procedure?"

"Sure, sure." Loki waved and grabbed Fuzen's sword, using the sharp tip to pierce her finger, letting the drop of blood fall onto the boy's back. "Say, what about your debt to Tsubaki for the swords, and your contract with Amid?"

"My new...acquaintances have agreed to pay off my debt at my request and I have already asked Teasanare-sama about my contract a while ago. I can break it off at any time, apparently. I will do so first thing in the morning, before I leave town."

Loki's eyes shot wide open. "You're leaving?"

"Yes."

"Where to?"

"...Alas, that is for me alone to know." He replied, making his intentions at secrecy quite clear to his now former Goddess.

"...Ok. It's done." Loki voiced, having finished the process of freeing up the Falna, allowing it to be overridden by whichever Deity Fuzen would join next.

"Much appreciated. Raiju will accompany you back to the Mansion, as he still has to pick up some of my things before my departure. I will also personally visit the Guild tomorrow morning to clear everything about me leaving the Familia, so please do not worry about that matter."

"Ok."

"Mhm. Hey. Let's go." Fuzen turned to face the shadows to his right and from within their shroud of darkness the form of an approaching man began to take form. He was tall, very much so in fact, yet the first thing Loki noticed about his before even his height was the visible fear and anxiety on his face, laid bare with no try at masking them.

"Y-Yes."

"Was that enough for you?"

"A-Ah, yes. Her Majes-...The others will approve of this." He nodded in quick succession.

"Mhm. Let's go. Walk up front, two steps, no sudden movements."

The man nodded quickly and made to leave the courtyard as Fuzen walked behind him, relaxed yet ready to draw his sword at a moment's notice. Going by this display, Loki could hardly see the man as Fuzen's acquaintance. If anything, he gave off the impression of being a prisoner allowed only minimal freedom.

"...Hey, Fuzen."

"Hm? What is it, Loki-sama?"

"Won't you at least say goodbye to the others?"

Fuzen stopped and turned around, his hazel eyes meeting Loki's bright red ones. The Goddess could neither see nor feel any hesitation within the boy. Confidence, on the other hand, oozed out of his body and posture, confidence in both his decisions and his next words. "I never once in my life said goodbye in the real sense of the word. I will not begin now. Besides, would anyone even care about such a superficial gesture from me, considering my past actions?"

And so, following the tall man into the darkness of night, Fuzen disappeared from Loki's sight and before long his steps faded away as well, no trace of his presence left except Raiju.

"...Well. Take care, too."

…

…

...

A couple of days passed since he left the Familia.

It all happened quickly, too. By next morning after Raiju grabbed Fuzen's possessions from the Mansion the boy was gone, having informed the Guild about his leave from Loki Familia at first light.

A few of the others, mainly the second Group members and Tiona rushed to find him there after finding out about everything, but the guild employees said he stepped inside a carriage after his report and made for the city gates one hour before their arrivals.

And just like that, he was gone.

No dramatic reasons, no goodbyes, no words, no nothing.

One day he was there, being a productive member of the Familia and the next moment he vanished.

That was simply just like him, Loki thought to herself.

Those who spent the most time with him in the Familia were shocked at the sudden turn of events, but they accepted it.

Many of them had already lost comrades to the dangers of the Dungeons and were thus aware of how quickly a person could be out of the picture.

A few, however, were still hung up on this, mainly Aki and Tiona.

Aki had, after all, tried the most to reach out to the boy while he was part of the Second Group. She was also the one person who talked to him the most casually out of everyone.

As for Tiona...If Loki had to guess, she was probably irritated at having failed to make the boy smile even once since he joined. The Amazon was a cheerful person whose personality rubbed off on most people. Fuzen had been one of the few on whom this did not work up until the end.

Lastly, though she did a great job at hiding it, Ais herself seemed a bit...dejected about his departure.

Why, Loki could not say.

Fuzen himself was not exactly subtle about his dislike for her following Ais's mistake of trying to steal his sword style a while ago. Maybe she had planned something which involved the eastern swordsman as well? Loki could only speculate about the Sword Princesses thoughts.

Still...it's all weird…

Though it wasn't exactly a Deity's forte, most of them could decipher a human's honesty with something akin to what mortals called gut feeling. Loki had not felt any lie when questioning Fuzen if he was sure about leaving the Familia. Yet at the same time, she could not understand why there were so many bodies back where she met him last.

A show of dominance, he had called it.

But why was it needed?

The boy honestly intended to join his new acquaintances, yet he felt the need for a show of dominance.

That was unlike him.

Yes, he also asked to be allowed a duel when asking to join her Familia, but that was different.

It had been a show of his skills, nothing else.

...This is all shady. Got a bad feeling about it. And lastly…

Loki had arrived at her destination, the Hostess of Fertility.

Yet before she climbed on the couple steps towards the entrance she looked to her left at the Tower of Babel in the distance, it's very top to be precise. For the last couple of days that had been the location of a certain individual who didn't climb down at all even when asked by the Guild and Ganesha Familia, instead simply starring at the sky above him without pause.

...His presence here gotta be linked to all this. Only question remaining is: what's Fuzen thinking?...Geez, the Trickster Goddess unable to read the plan of her former Child. Some would laugh at this…There's also the lastwords Fuzen left for me, which I don't understand either...Sigh...

She shrugged and stepped inside the pub, going straight to her usual lone place at the counter. Maybe she could better understand the last message of the boy if she was in a slight different state of mind. "Mama Mia, I'm thirsty! Gimme something good!"

"Got cash on you?" The dwarf woman asked.

"O-Of course, of course! Just pour that liquor already~!"

"...Sigh...I'll put it on your tab."

"Haha, thanks! Booze, gimme the booze~"

Yet before the Goddess could get her much awaited alcohol a person approached her from behind and tapped her shoulder. "Hm? What's up?"

Chloe didn't reply immediately, taking a moment to gaze at the floor below her, shame visible on her feline features. A moment later she grabbed her skirt with both hands and lifted her head, slit eyes looking into red ones. "Can I...talk to you? Privately?"

"Oh? Something up?"

"It's about the cute treasure in your Familia."

Cute treasure? What's she on about-…? Ohhh….

Surprise showed on Loki's face as Fuzen was brought up, for the Goddess could not understand what sot of information the slightly perverted waitress could have on the boy. Nonetheless, she shook the surprise away and stood up from her chair, placing a bag of Valis she had on her on the counter in front of Mama Mia. "For the time of your employee."

"Pay for the drink before that...Sigh...Use the back room."

"Thanks. Now...What's this about my former swordsman you wanted to talk about?"

XXX

He walked on, head held high as a soft and kind smile curved his lips.

Below him his boots stepped on a soft and purple carpet, long enough to cover the whole distance from the carved stone doors all the way to the other end of the long and spacious room.

Slender braziers half enclosing each of the six ivory columns lit up the lower levels of the throne hall and painted the hall a range of yellows and oranges in a harmonic rhythm. The carved symmetric patterns on the askew ceiling danced in the flickering light while human-shaped stone effigies look down upon the porcelain floor of this luxurious hall, each sculpted in majestic postures highlighting openness, arms spread wide as if to give each visitor the feeling of acceptance and welcoming.

Thick, stained glass windows enclosed by curtains coloured the same royal purple as the banners hanging from each of the six columns covered the sides of the room, each with a different symbol resembling magic circles within their vibrant centre.

A striking throne of marble sat below a grand chandelier and was adjoined by four similar but undecorated seats for those closest to the monarch, only the throne on a slightly elevated dais over the other four to highlight the throne's rightful owner's status over all others within the expansive chamber.

To both the left and right of the long carpet were six knights, all wearing impeccable full-plate white armour while standing perfectly still, one hand on their hip while the other held a long halberd.

The boy slowly passed them all as he approached the elevated throne, then finally took a knee an appropriate distance away from the steps leading to the dais, his head bowed respectfully.

"Fuzen Katsumi, Disciple and appointed Successor of the Lighting Sword Style and former Adventurer of the Loki Familia greets her Majesty and is honoured to be received within her Throne Room." Fuzen greeted, the smile never leaving his lips.

Now he simply waited to be allowed to lift his head.

"I am the Queen of Altena, Maelia Lucia Sestia ad Regis." The sweet voice replied, an air of superiority half-hidden in her tone. "I welcome you to my kingdom. You may raise your head."

"Thank you, your Majesty. I am most grateful." Fuzen slowly lifted his head making sure to gaze upon the floor one second longer before looking at the monarch in front of him.

Clad in royal blue robes befitting of a ruler with golden lapped seams and polished ruby in place of buttons, the Queen most certainly looked every part as majestic as someone of the blue blood line of the first Queen of Altena should look.

Her sitting posture was also relaxed yet dominating at the same time, not allowing for any second-thoughts to appear regarding to whom the room belonged to. Upon her head of long, flowing red hair sat a highly decorated silver tiara, many gems adorning it's curved shaped yet only the rare, purple diamond fixed within the centre of the tiara truly drawing the eyes towards it.

As someone who used both Ki and Mind Fuzen needed but a single moment to feel the magical touch upon the priceless gemstone. The tiara was not simply a sign of her status, it was also some sort of magical item. What purpose it was crafted for, however, Fuzen could not say.

Overall the Queen indeed made a strong impression on the young swordsman for she truly looked and behaved, as well as spoke, as any monarch of her prestige should. If there was one single flaw Fuzen could think of, however, it was her age.

She was young.

Only a couple of years older than him, at best.

Maybe thirteen or fourteen, at best.

And this made her look like someone who tried to fit inside shoes yet too large for her.

"Allow me to introduce." The Queen voiced, raising her hand towards her right at the closest of the two thrones on that side and thus on the man sitting on it. "This is our Kingdom of Altena's Secretary, Castius Ludovicus Demipho ad Regis."

The man to her right was the very definition of stoic, his face betraying not one single emotions. He was roughly in his mid or late twenties as far as Fuzen could tell, with fiery red hair cut short and forest green eyes, not unlike the Queen besides him.

Brother to the Queen, if the name was not enough of a hint.

"I hope your journey from Orario to our kingdom was a pleasant one." Castius said, Fuzen hardly sensing any sort of honesty in his words.

It didn't matter.

"Indeed it was, my Lord. Lord Cicero, the Treasurer, has been good company to me. Above all however, the honour I felt at being invited to Altena by none other than it's revered Queen…" Fuzen closed his eyes, hand placed on his heart as his smile grew twice in length compared to a moment ago. "No words could describe it. It alone was enough to make the passage of time during my journey here irrelevant."

"...I am impressed." The man replied, a single eyebrow raised the tiniest bit upwards. "With all respect to the honourable Adventurers of Orario and you yourself, I was not expecting such...politeness, from one who lived within the Dungeon City."

"I understand, my Lord." Fuzen nodded in agreement, his smile never faltering. "Certainly, your thoughts are not without their foundation, that I know myself. However it is my personal opinion that it is not only a requirement, but also the duty of commoners to show absolute courtesy to those who are many times their superiors."

Secretary Castius nodded slightly, the glint in his eyes changing upon hearing the words. The Queen herself said nothing but the corner of her lips moved slowly upwards.

"...And this, honoured guest, is the Patron Deity of Altena, Lady Hecate." The Queen moved her hand to the left, to the throne on which an alluring woman of incredible perfect proportions was seated. Her hair was like the reflection of the moonless night sky, long and dark with locks like waves while her eyes were like shining onyxes, reflecting back the boundless knowledge and wisdom only a Deity could hope to gather in their lifetime.

A simple berry-blue robe embraced her pale, almost snow-white skin yet the simplicity of the cloth only enhanced her natural beauty and Fuzen could understand that be it simple or sophisticated, no piece of cloth could hope to alter her beauty for the worse. Had he not already known what the Goddess represented he would have certainly mistaken her for a Goddess of Beauty.

"...Lady Hecate, Patron Deity of Magic." Fuzen voiced as his expression hardened into a display of pure awe and respect, both his palms touching the carpet before his forehead did the same. "I am honoured to finally be in your presence, my Lady."

"Hmm?" The dark-haired Goddess, surprised at the prostrating boy before her, looked to the Queen and Secretary unsure what was going on. A glance from Castius later she understood, and pushed her body forward, both hand resting on her knee. "Please, rise, young one."

"As you wish, my Lady."

"Taking your words into consideration, I take it you were looking forward to meeting me. Why is that so, young one?"

"...Why you ask, my Lady?" Fuzen asked in return, confusion laid bare for all to see on his expression. "I have the spark of Magic within myself. Does that not make me your subject, my revered Lady?"

Now fully aware of what he meant, Hecate smiled as her head tilted the slightest bit to the side. "Of course it does, young one. All whom are blessed by Magic are my precious Children, whatever they bear my Falna or not."

A smile took over Fuzen's expression, the joy at the kind words reflected in his eyes. "I am overjoyed to hear you say so, my Lady!"

"Hmhm. How is Loki, dear?"

"Loki-sama is in good health and spirit, my Lady. If this information is of any help, she always makes sure that her wine storage is never lacking in diversity."

"Hmhm, that does sound like Loki, yes."

"Now that introductions are out of the way, please rise to your feet." The Queen voiced. "You have already succeeded in impressing us with your commendable grasp on etiquette, so let us talk now."

"As Your Majesty wishes." Fuzen nodded in return, slowly and gracefully rising to his feet, neither too forcefully nor too slowly.

Just right.

"Then, please excuse my lack of knowledge, but how may we address a swordsman of the East?"

"I believe that whatever you choose to call me will be appropriate, Your Majesty."

"Oh? How so?"

"Because you cannot be wrong in your judgment, for such is the birth right of her Majesty."

The Queen gave a silent nod to the uttered words. "If only more people would understand this…" Her eyes looked to her right side for a single moment yet Fuzen did not miss this slip of composure. "...Castius, eastern swordsmen are similar to our own Knights, are they not?"

"Indeed, your Majesty. I believe your line of thought to be correct."

"Then, would it be appropriate to address you as Sir Katsumi from now on?"

"I would be honoured to be called such by one as prestigious as yourself, Your Majesty."

"Very well then, Sir Katsumi. I assume you are aware of the reason behind my invitation asking for your presence within my court?"

"Indeed I am, your Majesty." The boy nodded. "Lord Cicero has informed me of the reason in detail. However, just in order to clear any misunderstandings one of limited education as myself might fall to, I would like to confirm it again. You wish me to pledge my loyalty to you and join your personal group of hand-picked mages, thus making me your subject and answerable only to Your Majesty's command. Am I correct in my understanding, Your Majesty?"

"Plainly put, yes. That is my desire, Sir Katsumi." The Queen nodded with a smirk on her cherry pink lips. "To be completely honest, Sir Katsumi, you are currently the talk of all Magic Circles within Altena, and probably the world at large, as well."

"I am aware of this, Your Majesty. Blessed is the only word I could think of, to have been granted a Magic as strong and rare as mine." He looked to his side, to the alluring Goddess. "Perhaps my revered Lady is to be thanked for this turn of events?"

"I simply represent Magic, young one, I do not manage it's sparks and within whom it chooses to appear." The Goddess replied.

"I apologize for my lack of knowledge, my revered Lady, and I thank you for illuminating me on this subject."

"Think nothing of it, dear."

"Back to the matter at hand, Sir Katsumi, what say you about my offer at a place by my side?"

"Yes, Your Majesty. All I can reply with is: does this offer even need questioning? I am more than aware that Your Majesty does not extend this chance to just anyone, and I am personally overjoyed to fit the criteria Your Majesty uses for the select few ones. I needed little time to come to a decision."

"Then, you agree to pledge your loyalty to me?" The Queen asked.

"Indeed I do, Your Majesty...In due time, that is." Came the reply accompanied by a smirk laid bare for all to see.

Confused and less than happy about the vague answer, the Queen leaned back into her throne, eyes narrowed at the boy."...And what does that mean, Sir Katsumi?"

"I mean no disrespect, Your Majesty. I am fully prepared to pledge myself to you. However, all loose ends must first be dealt with before I can do so."

"...Go on."

"Yes. As you may know, I am a Disciple of the Lighting Sword Style from the Far East. While I have no intention of boring Your Majesty with this fact for long, I wish for you to understand that I have many enemies, Disciples and Masters alike from other Schools. Such is the nature of the Long Conflict, after all."

"Long Conflict?"

"It is a...tradition, Your Majesty. Martial Schools in the Far East, as well as the Martial Schools from the empires and kingdoms surrounding it are forever locked in a never-ending battle for supremacy."

"I have heard of this." Secretary Castius nodded. "It is a tradition hundreds of years old, if I recall. Contestants polish their skills for their whole life in order to reach martial perfection, if I am not mistaken."

"You are correct, my Lord. Such is the way towards power for those who choose to walk the path of the blade."

"Sounds very ferocious." The Queen voiced.

"Not necessarily, Your Majesty. Death is not required for one to be counted victorious. Victory over a rival Martial Style in combat by means of higher skills is enough."

"Then, how many wins does Sir Katsumi have in this Long Conflict?"

"Thirty-five out of thirty-five, Your Majesty." Fuzen replied. "The Relics of all whom I challenged have been claimed for the Lighting Sword Style."

"Relics?"

"A Martial School's symbol, if you will, Your Majesty. Usually a weapon used by the founder of said School. Putting it on the line is the sole requirement for challenging a rival School, for both the challenger and the challenged. With that said, thirty-five Relics have been claimed by me personally."

"...This is truly interesting to listen to, Sir Katsumi..." Fuzen felt the Queen's dishonesty in her words, the girl hardly caring about such matters. "...but how does this link with your inability to pledge your loyalty to me right here and now?"

"It is a matter of attention, your Majesty." He replied immediately. "All know that I was a member of the Loki Familia. And though I have already reported my leave from said Familia at Orario's Guild, potential challengers coming to Orario from afar might not be aware of this fact nor check for it's authenticity."

"So you desire to make public your new allegiance to me?" The Queen inquired.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I am aware that it is insolent of me to ask for favours before I truly bend the knee to you...however this is the one I ask kindness for." Again he lowered his head, hand placed over his heart in a humble display. "Once it is done, my sword as well as my Magic will be at your complete disposal."

"...Very well. How do you wish to proceed with this, Sir Katsumi?"

Receiving the words of agreement he came here for, Fuzen allowed his smile to slowly spread across his face. Everything had played out exactly as he imagined it would with only slight alterations from his initial expectations born out of the mental gymnastics he engaged in during his trip to Altena.

Truly, such an understanding monarch...

Truly, such luck he had…

Truly, he could not ask for anything more…

"Oh, I do not wish to needlessly waste Your Majesty's precious time, so I have a simple proposition on how to proceed, if I may…" The monarch before him nodded, and Fuzen thanked her before proceeding. "Indeed, the process itself shall take less than three minutes, this I guarantee to you. I simply need Your Majesty's help with the preparations, if you would be so kind…"

XXX

Viper's nest.

Wherever he might have gone off to, Loki could only think of Fuzen's circumstances as willingly going into the viper's nest. That is what she grasped after her talk with the cat waitress from the Hostess of Fertility.

Why exactly he would go down this path, she could truly not comprehend.

Loki knew that the young boy was smart, perhaps a bit too smart for his age and that he should have realized the dangers. This was not something a single person could handle, it needed unity.

Whoever had been after him, they were good.

No traces of their involvement were left behind and the cat waitress didn't manage to extract any informations from the scouts, either. All Loki knew for sure was their great interest in Fuzen, however that hardly helped her in narrowing their identity down.

After all, who wasn't interested in the boy?

His low Level and lack of personal renown aside, he was the user of rare Magic unlike any other. Loki could think of dozens of interested parties, and those were only the ones located in Orario.

Dozens more could be found outside the city's walls.

And all that stood between the young boy and those who would do nigh anything to get their sticky hands on him was the power and renown of the Loki Familia.

The power and renown the boy willingly choose to detach himself from.

Had she made a mistake somewhere along the way? Loki had questioned herself this after the conversation with the cat waitress. She believed to have done everything right in securing her former Familia member after his Magic manifested.

It was her duty to keep pesky hidden dangers away from her hard-working children, after all.

Taking Fuzen with her to banquets, visiting the parties affected by Raiju's manifestation personally, visiting Royman of the Guild unexpectedly to have a chat with him...She had done this and much, much more, all with a single reason in mind.

To send a message.

He is mine.

Hands off him.

If you don't, there will be hell to pay.

Harsh as it may sound to an outsider one could put a specific amount of worth on individuals blessed with a Falna. While the individual's Level also played a role in determining their worth, it was not as big a critique as Skills, Abilities and Magic.

For example, Lefiya was a Level 3 Mage however because of the rare and highly versatile nature of her Magic, she was in actuality worth more than a whole group of Level 4's with no distinguishable Skill or Abilities.

Likewise, though both of them were Level 5, Tiona was in reality worth more than her twin sister Tione, simply because of the slight difference in their Skills, Backdraft and Intense Heat.

Tione's Backdraft increased her power exceptionally high in a pinch, while Tiona's Intense Heat increased the strength of all abilities exceptionally high, likewise in a pinch.

Overall, they had the same trigger and the same power-up effect however it was easy to see that Tione's Skill was the weaker version of the two.

Thus, her younger twin theoretically had more worth than her.

With all that in mind Fuzen's ranking would be top-tier, for his Magic allowed him to be half the strength of any one Familia he choose to join.

That was simply how strong Ikazuchi Jigen Bussei was.

It was also the reason why, for a short time, Loki Familia's strength overwhelmed Freya Familia's. The King Ottar was a Level 7 individual and he alone could take on Loki Familia's three Level 6 Executives with good chances of winning.

However, Fuzen's Magic turned the table in any such theoretical scenario.

Even Finn himself had stated so after witnessing Raiju's abilities in the Dungeon. He was still growing and Fuzen's lack of magical training also impaired Raiju from reaching his full potential. Lastly, Fuzen's rather low Magic stat was also a massive drawback.

Yet even with all that said, Raiju had the potential to become a natural catastrophe.

A force of nature against which humanity could do little to stop it but hope and pray.

That was Fuzen's true worth and the reason why Loki was ready to pick a fight with anyone who would try to steal him from her forcefully.

Or better said, had been ready to do so.

...God-damn it, Fuzen. What are you thinking? Even if you are strong, throwing yourself into danger like that...Why couldn't you trust me more?

The red-haired Goddess wasn't even sure why she continued to worry so much about the boy. He was out of her Familia, by his own will and desire.

That was the end of their relationship.

She should just forget about it and focus on the rest of the Familia…

…

…

…

Loki sighed, leaning back into the bench located in her Mansion's garden."...Yeah, right. When I'll learn to do so."

She was short one swordsman, and she was not happy about it.

It had been a pretence at willingness to leave.

She couldn't be one hundred percent sure but taking everything into consideration, both the cat waitress report on suspicious individuals stalking Fuzen as well as the events that happened on the exact day he asked to be removed from the Familia…

In some way, shape or form, Fuzen had been forced, either by himself or by the mysterious third party, to leave her Familia and follow them.

Naturally, Loki was well aware of the boy's desire to leave her Familia anyway. His relation with Ais as well as what he told Riveria in their conversations pointed to this.

But it wasn't supposed to happen like this.

And that's what pissed her off.

Loki...loved the lower world.

She also loved her Children, though she rarely showed it openly. Both were unpredictable and interesting to observe.

It was also no secret that Loki's favourite was Ais Wallenstein. She saw no shame in admitting it: all Deities had their favourites, individuals who clicked the most to them.

Ais was special in more than one way: she was beautiful, strong, talented and determined but also air-headed and cute. Everything a Deity could ask for in a Child.

On the other hand, Fuzen was more or less the exact opposite.

He was cute thanks to his age, yes, but he was also stubborn, crude, distant, tactless and if provoked even just involuntarily like Ais had done, he could and would turn cruel and cold.

Despite all this he was still a capable fighter, displaying mind-bogglingly levels of skills, techniques and expertise.

The fact he could take on Level 4 as well as Level 5 individuals and win without fail despite being only Level 2 himself was more than enough proof of this.

However, to Loki none of this were the reasons why the boy became her second favourite child.

Not his talent, not his Skills, not even his extremely powerful Magic were the reasons.

It was his drive.

Deities were unchanging entities.

Their immortality gave them a unique and incomprehensible view on all matters, so alien in nature mortals could not hope to understand it in ten lifetimes. However, these perks were what made all Deities predictable to other Deities.

On the other hands, mortals were short-lived and highly unpredictable.

They were born, grew up, matured and changed and then died.

However, in the short and miniscule timespan they called their life mortals could develop the most unpredictable mindsets, views and personalities. They could also take on paths which they walked until their last breath, or they could walk ten different paths and master none of them.

They could also strive for the most ridiculous goals or spend their whole lives day-dreaming without achieving anything.

Indeed, mortals were so very interesting Loki could spend the rest of eternity in the Lower World observing them.

Yet even if she were to do so, the Goddess had little doubt she would ever again encounter an individual with as much drive as Fuzen Katsumi.

Grasping the Heavens...In actuality, no one knew what exactly Fuzen meant by it, Loki included.

Was he trying to become a hero worthy of a timeless legend?

Or perhaps become a swordsman of such renown he would be on everyone's lips for centuries to come?

Upon first joining her Familia he said he wanted to grasp the Heavens with his sword.

Maybe his goal was to make his Sword Style the strongest of them all?

...No, Loki doubted it.

He was smart, he would not spend time on a goal which could crumble away. After all, those Disciples yet to come were not guaranteed to be as determined as him.

He also said he wanted to rise above Gods.

Was exactly did that mean?

As a Deity herself, Loki could confidently say that there was no higher existence than that of the Gods.

Though he made his goal known no one could decipher what it meant. Whatever it was, the boy threw himself at this goal, running head first towards it no matter the dangers and hardships he would encounter on the way, not flinching for a single moment in his journey towards grasping it.

And once again, Loki failed to understand him.

In her many years living in the Lower World as well as from her time observing it from Heaven, she came to understand five main branches of a human's drive, five ways it could split towards.

Those were: the Drive to Acquire, the Drive to Bond, the Drive to Learn, the Drive to Defend and the Drive to Feel.

She doubted he was motivated by the drive to acquire, as it was driven by the desire to collect material things, or acquire influence, or both.

Finn was a good example of this path: he desired to a Hero to his people, thus he strived for influence and renown.

The Drive to Bond was the main factor behind people getting into relationships: the desire to be loved and feel valued by others.

Again this hardly sounded like something Fuzen would be motivated by. He was too young to care about others in that way and any attempts at getting closer to him were met with annoyance. It's a waste of time and it's in the way of my goal, he more or less replied to any such attempts.

The Drive to Learn was a desire to satisfy one's curiosity. It was the main drive of scholars and intellectuals, however it also applied when, for example, a strong individual wished to know his limits.

Overall it sounded like Fuzen's main drive, but...it wasn't.

He wasn't curious about his limits. He accepted them, after all, and pushed on.

The Drive to Defend was a desire to protect oneself, one's loved ones as well as one's property and belongings.

Upon hearing Fuzen state he was the only Disciple of his Sword Style, Loki initially believed this was his main Drive. But if it was, then why was he fighting so recklessly, so...suicidal?

To protect, one needs to stay alive. He most certainly did not fight with that in mind.

Lastly, the Drive to Feel, a desire for emotional experiences like pleasure, excitement and happiness.

Sad as it was in Loki's mind, Fuzen had the least need for this drive. He was disciplined and minimalist and he mentioned how he was taught to keep his emotions in check. Thus, this couldn't be it, either.

And so despite being able to guess what kind of drive any and all of her children were motivated by, Loki found herself unable to do so with a simple, young boy.

All she knew was that his drive was bottomless.

And one's drive was one's humanity laid bare, their desire to reach their life's goal made manifest.

As such, Loki could say that from among the countless individuals she had observed throughout her long life Fuzen's drive was truly and without fail, the greatest of them all.

From among billions of humans whom both existed and had existed in the past, he was the most human.

And she absolutely loved him for it.

An insignificant ant jumping up and down with the desire to reach the Heavens and jumping higher and higher after each try.

The truest nature of humanity, which he embodied in it's complete form.

Ridiculous.

Idiotic.

Absurd.

Meaningless.

And yet, absolutely adorable.

Loki throw her head back, gazing upon the clear blue sky for a single long moment before jumping to her feet, her eyes half-open. "...I want him back. He's mine."

She couldn't force him, of course.

But if the boy had indeed been forced to leave by some third party, she would make them pay.

Everything else after that would be up to Fuzen.

Now all she could do was wait for the moment when his last message to her would start to make some sense and then work from there.

Loki could only speculate at this time, but she guessed Raiju's presence within Orario had something to do with it...

XXX

It was done.

After his explanation on how to proceed the Queen had agreed to help Fuzen and Lady Hecate was tasked with making his wish possible.

Indeed, Fuzen had not lied: the process would take less than three minutes.

However, time was needed.

One day, to be precise.

And so, the Queen had tasked a royal attendee to show Fuzen around the capital and get him used to his soon-to-be new lifestyle.

Though not as advanced or busy as Orario itself, Al-Dale was gigantic in size and the people lived good lives, if a bit uneventful. The marketplace was not lacking in variety of goods and the city's architecture was, in actuality, much more elegant and clean than Orario's sometimes chaotic architectural facade.

And though it had not exactly met Fuzen's expectations of a magic-driven kingdom, Magic was indeed a part integrated in society: street-lights which floated over the streets, automatically glowing only when the sun began to set, bridges which split in two when sensing approaching ships sailing on the only river flowing through the capital, carriages which were powered by Magic Stones alone without the need for horses, labourers working in construction being issued magically augmented suits which increased their physical strength, called exo-suits and much more.

Wherever he looked Fuzen noticed Magic being integrated in people's life, from work to art and culture. Apparently, there were carnivals and celebrations held annually where the Queen had the magically gifted show off their Magic to the people.

However, Fuzen had also asked to be guided to the institutions for which Altena was known for.

The Magus Scholaris, translated as Magic Academy, where the magically-gifted youth went to receive their education and be taught the secrets of Magic.

A gigantic tower, easily the highest building in the city, located on the north-east side of town. It was hundreds of years old but kept in pristine conditions by the Professors of the Academy. It was also probably the only location Fuzen regretted visiting as the magically obsessed First Professor more or less jumped on him and began rapping questions without end in sight, all inquiring about Raiju.

Fuzen had no desire to come off as rude, however after ten or so questions answered he gabbed his attendee and hauled ass as fast as he could.

Then came the Magicus Investigatio, the Magic Research, a state-funded organization located within a castle just as large as the Queen's on the southern part of the capital, working directly for the her Majesty with the task of researching Magic and finding new ways of using it.

However, this was not all.

It was here that the Mages practiced their Magic and it was here that the select few ones capable of doing so created Grimoires, one of the kingdom's way of assuring a stable flow of money.

Lastly, it was here that all known spells of Altena's citizens were catalogued and stored along with their user and said user's family tree. The Head Researcher politely refused to answer the question but Fuzen could imagine why this was all needed: selective breeding.

Altena was a kingdom built on Magic, and researching said Magic was engraved in it's history.

Naturally, any individual who had the spark of Magic within them was of great interest to the obsessed royal family. If he had to guess, Fuzen imagined that in order to make up for the lack of individuals who could awaken Magic the royal family gave the order for compatibility between individuals to be researched and then for said compatible individuals to be...persuaded into mixing their blood, with the hope that the magical spark would awaken within the next generation.

Has it been going on for long, and was it even working?

Fuzen didn't know.

He also didn't care.

It was not why he had come here.

His smile unwavering he followed his guide to the building that first drew his attention: the weirdly-shaped Observatorio, where connections between astrological signs like celestial bodies movements and positions and Magic as as unseen force were researched.

As far as he understood from his attendee's explanation this was also one of the costliest institutions and only the brightest minds within the kingdom were allowed to work here.

It was here that he finally understood that the mathematics Riveria wanted to teach him could actually be put to productive use. It didn't impress him enough, however, to stop him from running away once the Astrologers there began to explain said mathematics in detail.

Besides that he also had a look at companies where Magic Items were made, the capital's biggest alchemy laboratory and much, much more.

Before he knew it the shroud of night began to engulf the skies and the attendee suggested they head back to the castle, where a room was assigned to Fuzen until a permanent residence could be prepared for him after his pledge of loyalty come tomorrow.

Once inside the carriage Fuzen looked out of the window, focusing his mind.

It has proven hard, but not impossible.

Did you see it?

Yes.

Do you understand?

Yes. Are you sure about this? There will be no way back afterwards.

Yes... Fuzen gave a small nod to no one in particular and silently awaited his arrival at the castle.

A third of an hour later they arrived and Fuzen followed the attendee guiding his to his room. His initial plan was to go there and meditate to mentally preparing himself for tomorrow. However, his hearing being as keen as it was, he picked up on it while walking through one of the many empty hallways of the castle.

"Wait." He voiced to his guide. "What is in that direction?" He inquired, pointing towards where he heard the familiar sound.

"Hm? Oh, that would be the courtyard."

"Lead me there."

"…? Very well, Sir Katsumi."

Not a minute later the two arrived at the courtyard and as expected, someone was training there with a sword, it's blade's sharp sound as it cut through the wind impossible to mistake for anything else to Fuzen.

"…? Sir Katsumi." Secretary Castius addressed as he lowered his sabre, a slight frown appearing on his hardened features. "Should you not rest for tomorrow?"

"Indeed, my Lord." Fuzen replied with a deep bow. "I was just on my way to my room. However, my curiosity got the better of me as I heard my Lord's blade being utilized here in the courtyard. My apologies if I have disturbed your training session, my Lord."

"...Not at all. May I say this is even a lucky turn of events. Care for a duel, Sir Katsumi?" Castius asked, raising his blade towards Fuzen.

The boy gasped in shock, quickly bowing to the older man. "Forgive me, my Lord, but I could never forgive myself if I were to disrespect you with my mediocre skills!"

"...It was I who requested said duel, was it not? I would not extend such an offer to someone I thought so little of. You do have thirty-five wins under your belt, do you not? Come, let us partake in the art of dueling."

"...T-Then, if my Lord insists...I shall accept."

"Splendid." Castius nodded, signalling to one of the knights guarding the far entrance into the castle to bring another sabre. The order was executed fast and soon Fuzen held the sabre in his hand, five steps away from the older man. "I have to warn you, however: I am Level 3."

"Ohh, as expected of my Lord!" Fuzen praised with a clap of his hands despite already knowing this.

Apparently, the monarch of Altena was chosen not by age or gender, but rather by their Magic.

Though Castius was the first born of three siblings and twice as old as the young Queen, he never managed to awaken any sort of Magic within himself while the Queen gained her first Spell at the age of nine and the second Spell one year ago.

Thus, as far as his attendee told him, the Secretary decided to hone all his other skills, chief among them his swordsmanship.

"I shall try to hold back. Then, are you ready?"

"Y-Yes, my Lord!"

"Here I come!"

Castius dashed forward, bringing his sabre horizontally from the right, Fuzen widening his eyes at the attack and ducking low just a moment before the blade could touch his neck. The Secretary tsked then jumped backwards to avoid any strikes Fuzen might attempt from his low position.

However, once he put some distance between them, Castius noticed Fuzen flat on his butt and frowned at the disgraceful display before him.

He understood that the boy did not avoid his attack: he simply fell down from the fear.

Tsk, some thirty-five wins you have, barbarian...You have nothing besides your lucky Magic!

Fuzen pushed himself back to his feet with his free hand then hastily took his stance again, the tip of the sabre pointed at the Secretary. Castius sighed, no longer motivated for the duel. Nonetheless he jumped forward again, bringing his sabre down from above. Again, he noticed the boy's eyes widening in fear before he quickly rolled to the side, avoiding the strike then jumping at Castius himself.

The Secretary blocked the forward slash and pushed the blade back, his greater physical strength pushing the boy backwards as well.

He was wide open, a perfect chance to strike.

Castius jumped towards Fuzen, sword at the ready. From his unstable position Fuzen tried to strike Castius from his left, mostly just desperately waving his sword in an attempted to keep Castius away.

Hmpf, I'll counter that attack and end this charade right here and-!

Death.

Castius's eyes shot wide open as he felt the flesh on his neck being cleanly cut open, his blood gushing forward as a feeling of absolute coldness spread through his entire being, bile and blood alike filling his lungs.

He couldn't breath.

It was excruciating painfully.

He didn't want to experience a single more moment of it.

Air!

Air!

Air!

I want to breath!

Make it stop!

He flung his sabre around, feeling the blade hit something just as he fell butt-first backwards, free hand tightly clutching his neck as sweat build up on his face and body, the veins on his face bulging out even as the colour faded from his cheeks.

And yet, he felt no blood gushing out even as the pain still persisted.

Within moments he realized he was not cut as he removed the hand from the neck and looked at it, the pain disappearing within moments as well.

Castius swallowed an incredible amount of thick spit then inhaled and exhaled, repeating the process a couple of times.

He could breath.

Thank the Heavens, Ican breath…

"Are you alright, my Lord?!" Castius looked up, noticing the worry on the boy's face as he looked confused at his sudden fall to the ground. On closer inspection he also noticed the boy clutching a bloody right hand.

"...I-I'm alright." Castius assured, quickly getting back to his feet. "What happened?"

"Thank the Heavens my Lord my alright…" Fuzen whispered as he sighed deeply. "As for what happened...It was your peerless victory, my Lord! You countered my attack, disarming me in a single motion! Truly, I am in awe at my Lord's prowess!" He added, clapping his hands twice before hissing in pain. "Ouch...I apologize, it seems I cannot clap despite my desire to do so."

"...It is I who needs to apologize. I failed to hold back despite my insistence of having a duel, our difference of Levels considered."

"P-Please don't, my Lord! You have nothing to apologize for! If anything, I should thank you for allowing me to witness your prowess and learn from this experience!"

"...I see." Castius nodded, wiping the sweat off his face. "Nonetheless, your wound seems to be bleeding rather profoundly. You, attendee. Accompany our guest to the doctor's office."

"Understood, my Lord."

"...Still, what was that…?"

"My Lord has such great responsibilities resting on his shoulders, perhaps the fatigue is to blame for my Lord's collapse?" Fuzen asked with a tilt of his head and Castius nodded after a moment of pondering on it.

After all, what else could it have been?

Imagining himself getting cut, by the barbarian boy and his mediocre skills of all things?

Yes, fatigued sounded right.

It had to be it.

"...Yes. I suppose you are right. I should head to my chambers. Tomorrow is a big day for Her Majesty and you as well, after all."

"Then, I wish my Lord a well-earned rest."

"Mhm. You as well." The Secretary nodded as he sheathed his sabre and made to leave the courtyard.

'Yeah, go and rest that sour face of yours, asswipe…'

"Hmm?" Castius turned around, believing to have heard something. "Did you say something, Sir Katsumi?"

Fuzen looked wide-eyed at him, then at the attendee to his side, then back to Castius, shaking his head vigorously. "N-No, my Lord." The attendee also shook his head having heard nothing himself. "I said nothing, my Lord."

"...I see. It seems I am more fatigued than I initially believed…" Castius shook his head with a sigh then left the courtyard.

All the while Fuzen watched his departure with an unwavering smile on his lips before following the attendee.

A visit at the Medic, a healing potion and a bandage later, his wound had been tended to and he made for his room. To his surprise, however, a handmaiden waited motionlessly by the door of his room, respectfully greeting him as he approached her.

"Sir Katsumi, Her Majesty has asked for you. If you will follow me…"

It was truly an unexpected turn of events but not undesired in the least.

Thus, Fuzen nodded and allowed himself to be guided by the handmaiden. They ascended the central stairs of the castle all the way to the top floor where the Queen's chambers were located, roughly a dozen knights scattered in pairs of two guarding every entry and exit point.

Walking down the wide, middle hallway, Fuzen had arrived at a large wooden double door where the handmaiden knocked a couple of times. "Your Majesty, Sir Katsumi is here." They received the reply to enter and the handmaiden opened the door for Fuzen.

Stepping inside Fuzen was assaulted by the extensive care put into the room's design: an incredible large double-bed covered in red, lustrous satin sheaths was located to the middle of the opposite wall, and between him and the bed a golden-weaved carpet laid symmetrically placed nigh as wide as half the room and almost as long as the distance between the opposite walls. To the left, six wooden cherry wooden table were placed in the far corner in a V shaped order, each full of human dolls and puppets.

On the opposite side of the tables at the opposite corner, four bookshelves of the same wood stood in the same V-shaped order, all of them filled with books of incredible thickness, an armchair and a small, round tea table near them.

On both the left and right sides of the room windows and double glass-doors were located both sides leading to the expansive balcony outside, the same style of simple red satin curtains located on both sides.

To the right a wardrobe stood next to the wall, a golden dressing screen located near it. Then to the far right, between the bed and the right wall, a square wooden table could be found, one chair on either ends of it.

The Queen was there, sitting on one of the chairs flashing a smile his way.

The handmaiden closed the door and walked past Fuzen, the boy following her a step behind.

"Sir Katsumi. Please, take a seat." The girl made a gesture towards the seat opposite of her, and Fuzen bowed, thanking her and then sitting down. "Let us talk over a cup of tea."

"I would be most honoured to engage in any dialogue of your choosing with you, Your Majesty."

"Most would, I assure you…" The Queen nodded, waiting for the handmaiden to pour their tea before sending her away. "How was your first impression of our capital of Altena, Sir Katsumi?"

"Very educative, Your Majesty. The more I learned the more I could feel Lord Castius's passion for bettering this kingdom." Fuzen replied, taking a sip of his tea, a small one that is. He expected a lengthy conversation and a parched throat could lead to his voice cracking down.

How most embarrassing that would be…

"My older brother's passion, you say?" Maelia inquired with a chuckle, her head slightly tiled backwards. "You dare say I do not involve myself in my kingdom's affairs in my face, Sir Katsumi?"

"Please, Your Majesty. We both know the mundane arts of statesmanship would be a waste of your intellect."

A single eyebrow rose in response to his words."Oh? By all means, do go on."

"Important as they are, making laws and overseeing trades as well as receiving foreign dignitaries, those tasks simply assure a country's continued current state thus making them tasks best overlooked by people of unchanging mind and perspective. However, it is my belief, and I whole-heartedly apologize if I am wrong, that Your Majesty is different and best suited for other tasks."

"...How so?" The Queen inquired, unable to keep her eyebrow from rising the slightest way upwards.

"Because Your Majesty is a visionary." Fuzen stated with an extended palm towards her. "You do not simply look in the present, but rather, you look at securing the future and the potential it holds."

Her lips twitched followed quickly by her arms crossing across her chest."...And how could you have possible come to that conclusion, in a single day of meeting me, no less?" Maelia asked, index finger tapping against her arm.

It seemed that this would prove much easier than he initially thought. Fuzen smiled, and took another sip of his tea, extending the time she would have to wait until his answer. "...It wasn't just meeting you that allowed me to understand this, Your Majesty. Rather, it was the traces you left behind that enlightened me to this truth."

"...Traces? Whatever could you mean?"

"A magic-driven Kingdom is nothing without the presence of Magic in citizens of said Kingdom, would you not agree? You have foreseen this catastrophe that may one day plague your country and have tasked the Magicus Investigatio with searching for connections between genes and their compatibility and resonance with Magic." He explained, taking yet another sip of his tea. "You wish to pave the way forward for a society of wide-spread magically gifted individuals." Fuzen stated, no longer speculating what she was after but rather stating the facts.

"…Ahem." The Queen coughed before taking a sip of her own tea, so obvious to the boy sitting opposite of her that she was not expecting such understanding from him.

"Then, there is the matter of the Observatorio, which you built from the ground up. Seeing Magic as a form of energy like gravity, unseen yet present and awaiting exploration instead of seeing it like some mysterious energy far beyond human understanding like most of the uneducated masses...And all the while, yet again having connections between it and the world outside of our own skies investigated and documented...Your Majesty, forgive me if I am stepping out of my place but your intellect and inquisitive nature are truly, without a doubt, the very definition of beautiful."

"...Ahem. Alas, nigh impossible goals to achieve when the very world works against them..."

Fuzen took a moment then tilted his head in confusion at her words."What do you mean, Your Majesty?"

"...Nothing. Think nothing of it. More importantly, I am impressed that you have discovered so much in such little time. I do not know if I should be in awe or in fear."

"Is there a reason for you to be afraid of it, Your Majesty?"

"...The very prized intellectuals of my country doubt the extend of my ambitions yet here a...guest in my court grasped them..."

Fuzen opened his lips, then closed them, before opening them again, confusion visible on his face. "...There are fools out there who doubt your intellect, Your Majesty?"

"...A discussion for another time."

"As you wish, Your Majesty. However, if I may add...many times in history have those who are inferior tried to sabotage those vastly their superiors. Perhaps it is not as much doubt, as it is jealousy they harbour towards your ambitions?"

"...Perhaps, perhaps…" Maelia muttered, taking a sip of her tea to hide the smile that was starting to creep on her face, Fuzen following her example and grasping for his cup. A couple of silent moments passed before the Queen decided to continue. "It seems Lord Cicero has fallen ill."

"Indeed. His condition began to take a turn for the worse roughly on our second day of travelling. I insisted on delaying our arrival so he can rest in a stable environment, but alas, he in turn insisted on arriving here as soon as possible. He wished to see your request fulfilled in a timely manner." Fuzen nodded, looking to the floor for a moment then back at the Queen. "He is a loyal subject."

"...Indeed he is. Still, who would have thought he would become motion sick to the extend of resting for a whole day?"

"Quite so. I hope he gets better soon. I still own him an apology."

"Oh? Why that?"

"I had a...falling out with my Familia shorty before Lord Cicero appeared before me. To my great shame, I have received his approach in...questionable ways."

"How so, Sir Katsumi?"

"I have...Ahem. I have drawn my sword at him."

"Oh my…"

"A lack of clear judgment. I wish to apologize as soon as possible…"

"...I'm sure he will get better soon."

"Yes, I hope so too…"

"…"

"…"

"If I may ask, Sir Katsumi, how come all the others we have sent to contact you have failed to deliver their message to you? We have tried to contact you for the better part of three months now."

"Yes. Lord Cicero could better explain everything to you, but to sum it up, it seems they have all been killed, Your Majesty."

"Killed? By whom?"

"Some female assassin, as far as Lord Cicero managed to dig out."

"...But why?"

"If only I could answer you, Your Majesty. If I am to speculate...mayhaps competition?"

"Competition, you say?"

"Yes. I believe Your Majesty was not the only one interested in contacting me."

"...That would explain it, yes." She nodded with a sigh. "I suppose all I can do is wait for Lord Cicero to wake up so that we can go over the details of these happenings."

"A sound idea, Your Majesty. I doubt those who failed to contact me before you are going to be happy about their missed chance."

"Mhm…But let us worry about them when the time comes. Sir Katsumi, tomorrow you pledge your loyalty to me, yet I still do not know how to reward you for it."

"Ah, you need not worry, Your Majesty. My reward will be taken care of by Lord Cicero. We have already discussed it."

"Oh? And what is the amount of this reward?" Maelia asked, bringing the cup of tea to her lips…

"Ah, yes. Three and a half billion Valis, Your Majesty."

...and just somehow managing to not spit the tea back out. "...It seems Lord Cicero has taken much liberty in what he extended…" She stated as her eyes narrowed, staring at the cup in her hand.

Fuzen simply smiled at her reaction, leaning back into his seat. "I can summon an obedient Dragon." He stated bluntly. "I believe that alone is said Dragon's worth his weight in Magic Stones. Would you not agree, Your Majesty?"

"Quite so, quite so...A shame you cannot display this incredible summoning for me to see…"

"I apologize. As I have stated before, I was required to leave him in Orario to act as my representative and the representative of the Lighting Sword Style until my new allegiance is made known. Once it is done, he will embark on his journey here. At the latest you will meet him at the end of the week."

"...I look forward to it. Sentient Magic is truly unheard of, in all of history."

"Haha, it can be quite a handful, Your Majesty, I assure you. Though he will listen to me without fail having free will makes him a handful when out of combat."

"A small price to pay for incredible Magic, I daresay."

"Indeed, Your Majesty. Indeed..."

"Quite the interesting conversation, Sir Katsumi. I look forward to doing this again after your pledge tomorrow. However, it is getting late now…"

"Then I shall let you rest now, Your Majesty." He nodded, standing up and bowing to her before making for the door. Just before opening it, however, he turned around to face her once more. "Again, I thank you for the many opportunities you have offered me, from joining you to having a private conversation like this. I know to value them, Your Majesty- No, my Queen."

Maelia did little to show her satisfaction at the words he spoke. "I am glad to hear it, Sir Katsumi. May you rest well."

"You as well, Your Majesty." Fuzen bowed again then left the room, closing the door behind him.

It went roughly just as he expected it to go.

Everything fell in place.

Now all he had to do was mediate, go to sleep, and tomorrow everything would change…

XXX

The whole world was spinning as soon as he opened his eyes, and his head felt like exploding.

"...Argh...Where am I…?" Cicero whispered as he grabbed his head.

He slowly opened his eyes again and looked around.

A few moments later, he realized he was in his room, back at the castle.

Had they already arrived?

How?

When?

Groaning he slowly got up from his bed and poured himself a glass of water, the liquid almost making him barf as he took a sip of it.

Was he sick?

He couldn't remember getting sick.

He hardly remembered anything.

Dragging his feet himself across the room Cicero arrived at the door and opened it, the little creak painfully echoing inside his skull.

"...Ah, Lord Cicero. You are awake." The guard outside his room greeted him.

"...What happened?"

"You don't remember, my Lord? It seems you feel sick upon arrival. Motion sickness, the Doctors called it, my Lord."

What? I've never been sick from travelling before…

"...When...when did I arrive?"

"Yesterday, my Lord, alongside the guest from Orario."

"Guest…? What guest-?"

The demon child.

He forgot about the demon child.

That cold, inhuman creature and his demonic Magic.

"Where is he!?"

"The guest? He is with the Queen at the moment, my Lord, ready to make his pledge."

"What pledge?!"

"Ah, yes. It seems like this was his only request for pledging his allegiance. Something like…" The guard explained and with each word, Cicero's eyes widened in shock and fear.

Why would he ask for something like that?

What could he gain from it?

What exactly-…?

…

…

…

Oh no…

"Stop him…"

"My Lord?"

"Stop him! We have to stop him! Go! Stop this!"

"M-My Lord? W-What-?" Cicero pushed the guard aside, sprinting past him as fast as he could.

It couldn't be allowed to happen.

"STOP!"

They had to stop him, then kill that child.

XXX

"...It is done." The alluring Goddess voiced, stepping away from the floating, frameless mirror. "You may begin."

"Mhm. Are you ready, Sir Katsumi?" The Queen asked, looking to her side at the young boy. Currently they were on the castle terrace, overlooking the city before them.

Some people had gathered in a crowd but most had stayed at home. They would witness it anyway, so there was little point in being present.

"Yes, Your Majesty. I shall step in right after you."

"Very well. Then I shall begin." Maelia nodded, walking up to the mirror coughing once to clear her throat. "I am the Queen of Altena, Maelia Lucia Sestia ad Regis, and this is a short broadcast regarding the newest member of Altena's Princeps Circulus, the renowned First Circle of the most talented mages within our borders. With me I have none other than the very Paragon of magical might, the individual within whom sentient living Magic awoke, a feat never before achieved in the history of Magic. Please, step forward." The Queen then stepped to the side and Fuzen filled her place before the mirror.

He quickly closed his eyes, switching his sight to his second pair of eyes.

Quite so, he saw his face levitating in the middle of Orario's plaza, wide enough for all to see and hear.

This meant he could proceed with the next step without worry.

...Is the sound being transmitted as well?

Yes, my Master.

Good.

He opened his eyes and smiled, looking at his own reflection in the mirror before him with unflinching determination. "...I am Fuzen Katsumi, Disciple of the Lighting Sword Style and it's appointed Successor as well as the former Adventurer known as Kenshi of the Loki Familia...and I hereby declare war on the Kingdom of Altena."

XXX

"...Well...That's fucked up…" The werewolf in the room said, just as shocked at what he had heard being broadcasted to Orario as anyone else within his group.

"...So...I haven't heard wrong, right? He actually did it?" The Amazon asked, needing a second longer to process what she had just witnessed than her companions.

"No, you haven't heard wrong." The Pallum sighed, his smile for once absent from his lips. "Unfortunately, none of us did...Hey, this is no joking matter."

"Buhahahahaha!"

"Hey…"

"Ahahahahahahaha!"

"Loki...get it together…"

Loki paid it no mind and simply continued rolling on the ground, feeling like her Arcanum was going to kick in any moment now to save her from dying of her laughter. "He did it! Ahahaha! He actually did it! Hahaha! He's totally messed up in the head!"

"...He's dead meat." The werewolf replied.

"But he's not! Don't you see, Bete?! Ahaha! He played his cards so well he already won! They can literally do nothing against him!"

"...What do you mean?" The golden haired girl asked, confused at her Goddess's words.

"Ahahaha...haha...Ha...I'll tell you guys later." The Goddess waved the question away, rising to her feet. "I gotta go my part now~"

"...Part?"

"That boy had Raiju give me one last message before he left Orario."

"...And what that's?" Finn inquired.

"Hehehe...Truly, he played us all, even me. His whole plan worked flawlessly. His message from five days ago is testimony of this…"

"Hm?"

"His message was: Keep it rolling until the end." Loki said as she slowly pointed at the broadcasted message high above in the air.

Finn chewed the new information and slowly but surely he began to understand why Loki was so impressed by what he had done. "...Oh...Damn…"

Before he had even left Orario Fuzen somehow knew how this whole ordeal would play out and he tricked everyone into playing in the palm of his hand, the Queen, Hecate and Loki alike.

XXX

Yeah, that's pretty much it.

(Just gonna leave the AN from the original version here, to clarify some things.)

You might have some questions now.

- Why didn't the weasel (Cicero) warn his compatriots of Fuzen being crazy?

Because Fuzen used his Ki to make him sick over the duration of the three day journey so that the weasel couldn't flap his gums.

- How?

Think of it like a curse or something. Ki is energy, so if you passively charge an individual with more Ki than they can handle over multiple days they will get very sick, very fast.

This was shown in the beginning where the weasel had trouble sleeping and kept seeing Fuzen stare at him. All effects of this process.

- Secondly, why is Raiju not with Fuzen?

It's also part of Fuzen's plan. It will be revealed why exactly in the next Chapter.

-Thirdly, how come Fuzen can act and behave like that despite being, ya know, a fricking kid?

I'll answer that with another question: did you know that psychopaths are extremely talented at being charming, producing fake emotions they might not even fully comprehend themselves, know how to spot weaknesses in other people and use said weaknesses to manipulate them, and lastly, are extremely good actors?

It's not even something I pulled out of my ass, those are all traits researchers found within most psychopaths in studies and so on. ( I do go through a lot of research for this fic, you know?)

So yeah...there's your answer.

Not much else to say, honestly.

So...Yep.

That's about it.

Kay bye.