~NRK~
He growled in their gym, hulking arms throbbing with veins as another member of his Guild laid unconscious before him.
NOT ENOUGH! IT WASN'T ENOUGH!
The burning sensation on his chest was an eternal reminder, an irritating reminder of how he'd LOST!
"WHO ELSE?!" Dong-Su roared at the others, the destroyed area thrumming with his voice. "I'M NOT DONE YET!"
Thomas frowned from the entrance as his secretary sighed.
"It's fine, I mean it, the moment this gets too far," the blonde man's eyes narrowed ever so slightly. "I'll handle it."
"If… If you say so, sir, but we know how he is," the blonde woman frowned. "And this situation is unprecedented, who knows how far he'll go?"
Thomas considered her words. "As long as he doesn't cause trouble, we're fine," he figured. "But keep one of your 'birds' on him."
"Understood."
~NRK~
Meanwhile, in Tokyo, Obito hummed as they were escorted past the front desk into the S-Rank Gym proper.
"Goto Ryuji, yes?" He greeted the strict-looking man. "Japan's Strongest, I can say it's an honor," Obito said politely.
"Hmph, is this how you enter the graces of others?" Ryuji asked with a raised brow. "Quite compliant for someone of our station."
"Quite the opposite, it's good to maintain relations across countries, God knows the day will come where we're all going to be needed."
"Hmm."
Jin-Ho was awed by the Japanese man, his eyes trailing its blade. 'It radiates a presence all on its own,' he thought as he knocked on Jin-Woo's forearm. "That weapon's crazy," he whispered.
The [Player's] eyes went to it.
And what he saw alarmed him.
{Item: Magnet Holder Sheath}
{Item Class: A}
{Type: Sheath}
{-Iron Draw: Grants an increase to draw techiques}
{Item: Raging Banner}
{Item Class: A}
{Type: Tassel}
{-Flowing Strength: Grants an increase to arm speed}
{Item: Blade of Storms}
{Item Class: A}
{Type: Odachi}
{A WEAPON FORGED WITH THE BLESSING OF A HIGH-PRIEST.
-Blade of Awakening: Infusing one's spirit allows the user to use the power of storms}
His eyes widened. 'It's composed of different bits of enchanted equipment?!'
Was this the norm for Japan? Such a holistic set of weaponry?
"It's ridiculous," he muttered as Jin-Ho nodded rapidly. "But that means they're no joke, even the freaking sheath is enchanted."
The Tank's jaw dropped while their original 'greeter's' eyes snapped to him. 'Are his eyes that fine?' Hanekawa was shocked by his sheer strength of observation.
Japan was a rather different country when it came to equipment and skills. Focusing more on the 'greater whole' of a Hunter, their weapons.
Having 'Holistic Weapons' was something that Ryuji had spearheaded five years in his tenure as an S-Rank and that'd been taken-up by only two other Hunters of their country to actual effect.
Reaching the gym's actual training area, Obito raised a brow at the quartet who sat beside the entrance seiza-style.
"Come on, let's start," Ryuji ordered as they stood.
Wearing similar attire to their Guild Master, Obito was soon 'confronted' by the shortest of them.
"So, you're that weirdo," she said with no shortage of confusion as she tilted side to side to observe him. 'His magic's ridiculous,' and she didn't mean in amount.
There was something odd about him and that left her senses frayed so she turned her head to the other tw-What?
Her eyes slowly widened as Jin-Woo raised a brow at her.
'Who the hell is this?' W-Was someone else from the S-Ranks in Korea supposed to be here?
She didn't remember this… One?!
'No, t-there's no way,' her face controlled itself, smile kind and welcoming even if her mind was in a tizzy.
How had there been another S-Rank in Obito's family?
Jin-Woo observed her. "She's… Um, Akata Shinzu?" He tried.
Obito looked amused as Ryuji's raised a brow while Kanae laughed.
"Akari Shimizu," Obito corrected.
Jin-Woo sweatdropped. "I'm no good with names, sorry," he apologized.
Akari, snapping out of her mental diatribe, blinked.
Akari was an average-height young woman with large light brown eyes and light orange-brown hair that she wore in two buns with neck-length hair strands hanging on either side.
With a large taller-than-her yellow greataxe with a cross-like blade with gray blade edges, she really did not look like the doctor she supposedly was.
"Oh, r-right, you're his family member," she pointed at him and then Obito. "Right?"
"Yep, he's my uncle," Jin-Woo said proudly as Akari's eyes trained on Obito.
'If he can truly bring someone up to S-Rank,' she considered. 'He'd be ridiculously potent in any country,' Akari had already looked them all up.
Uchiha Obito, Sung Jin-Woo, Yoo Jin-Ho.
Sung Jin-Ah, Gina Acollete, Sung Il-Hwan.
Lee Joo-Hee and even Han Song-Yi, she'd read all their records, accomplishments, skill sets, new equipment, and more.
And all of that information alone made her sure of the fact that Obito Uchiha, the most recent S-Rank of Korea, had the ability to raise the magic power of others.
And seeing as Sung Jin-Woo had originally been someone with the most pathetic score of '10' and now made her feel like he was an S-Rank? Well, she could tell you that trying to gain the Mage's favor was paramount to being the greatest around.
'But Ryuji can never know,' she thought with a groan. 'If he heard of this, he'd turn this situation into the world's most annoying dick-measuring contest,' and then they'd get involved and it'd be completely counter-productive!
"So, you're our newest 'co-worker'?" Kanae smirked in amusement.
Obito raised a brow at this woman. 'Definitely just a step behind Ryuji,' he thought.
Kanae, or Kanae Tawata, was a woman of above-average height, fair skin, long pitch-black hair with a hime cut, red eyes, and purple lipstick. Having a blade holstered on her back, she was another Fighter of the group.
Speaking of which. "Nice to meetcha," Ken grinned as Kanae chuckled.
"I think we should introduce ourselves, first," Kanae began, gesturing to the grinning man. "This is Ken Tanaka, another Fighter of the Draw Sword Guild."
Ken, as you'd have it, was a tall broad-chested man with slightly tan skin, a muscular build, sharp short brown hair, small brown eyes, and a large number of scars.
One of which sat on his face and 'crossed' it below his right eye.
He was the only real 'brawler' of his Guild's S-Ranks, a man who had no weapons and fought with his bare hands.
"Pleased to meet you, Ken-kun," Obito said as the man looked more excited. "He reminds me of a couple people I know," he sweatdropped as Akari snorted.
"He is a big puppy for fights, how'd you know?" She asked as Ken sputtered. "Oh, calm down, my big strong doggy, it's a compliment."
"What part?!"
She teased him as Obito shook his head with amusement. "I can tell, they're rather close," he observed as Kanae smirked.
"They are," she snickered. "You already met our Healer, Akari Shimizu, and our Guild Master, Goto Ryuji," Kanae nodded. "I am 'Tawata Kanae', the pseudo-Vice Guild Master behind him and our co-Guild Master. Finally, meet your biggest fan," she grinned as their last member flinched, red in the face. "Kei Koto-kun~."
"P-Please stop that," Kei groaned as Obito smiled for him.
"Pleased to meet you, Kei-kun," he chuckled.
He was tall, being almost an inch taller than Obito & Jin-Woo, with fair skin, short white hair in a bowl cut, and sharp blue eyes.
Wearing some form of apparatus over his mouth and nose, he looked away from Obito before looking back.
"Ahem, pleased to meet you, my senpai in Mage-dom," he began, getting a surprised look from the Uchiha.
"You're incredibly polite," he complimented as Kei looked down again.
"He's our newest member as of two years but Kei-kun has proven to be quite the wizard," Kanae praised as he looked more embarrassed. "Yep, indeed, he's rather good at setting a standard."
"Mmmm," Kei grumbled as Obito smiled.
"I understand, I suppose now we should introduce ourselves," he said, gesturing to the cross-armed Jin-Woo and sheepish Jin-Ho. "Meet two of my proteges, my nephew, Sung Jin-Woo," the [Player] shot them a wave. "And my most recent student, Yoo Jin-Ho."
"Pleased to make your acquaintance," the wealthy boy smiled with a bow before realizing they couldn't understand him. "U-Um-"
"It's fine," Hanekawa reminded him as he perked up. "I relayed it already."
"Oh, um, thank you."
"You're a big deal from where you're from, huh?" Ken asked as Obito translated. "... O-Oh crap, have we been speaking Japanese this entire time?!"
Akari snickered at him. "It's obvious," she smirked as the Uchiha chuckled.
"It's fine, I mean it. Jin-Ho?"
"O-Oh, well, I suppose," the heir said as Obito translated. "I don't really think about it. Right now!" He declared with a fistpump and eyes full of fire. "I'm following hyung and shuushuu!"
The Mage looked sheepish at this translation, Hanekawa looking amused as she nodded to her fellow Japanese. "Yes, he is saying all of that," she grinned.
Kanae looked amused. "Alright, well, I'm glad we got the introductions out of the way, Ryuji's probably all set-up," she said as Jin-Woo's eyes never left the man who'd taken to the middle of the gym.
Ryuji Goto hadn't stopped walking from the moment they'd entered before taking his seat and focusing in on his spiritual power.
The growing presence had seemingly been ignored before Jin-Woo took a deep breath, eyes closed.
Kanae, Akari, Ken, and Kei's eyes widened at that thrumming 'pulse' that filled the air, a hazy glow that moved past them towards Ryuji.
That magical aura parted around the swordsman, the S-Rank not even acknowledging its presence.
Glowing icy blues opened to stare at that undisturbed Hunter. 'Really ignoring me, huh?' Surely, they were on a similar playing field, at least, energy-wise. 'Likely, he's looking down on me, physically,' which was fair.
His power doubled.
But MAN did he not like being ignored.
Ryuji Goto's eyes slowly opened as those powerful eyes locked onto him. 'A dog before the lion,' he thought, standing up. "Are you trying to stir some trouble, young man?"
Obito simply crossed his arms as his words flowed into Jin-Woo's ears.
"I can't just leave my uncle to be approached so… Easily," the Sung man declared as Ryuji's eyes narrowed, Hanekawa's jaw dropping at this gumption. "Not without taking a look at it, myself," Jin-Woo said.
His eyes went to his familial Mage, Obito's gaze locking with his before he nodded and gestured.
"Go and expand your horizons… Actually," he pulled a Low-Level Spirit Core out of his spatial pocket.
It was carved into by magic casually before Obito pressed it to Jin-Woo's glove.
It interwove itself, alarming the Draw Sword Guild, before Jin-Woo's eyes closed as he smirked.
"Oh, so this is Japanese," Jin-Woo's grin was sly and amused, his eyes opening as he walked towards the surprised Ryuji. "Ojii-chan, you're truly something different."
'Instant enchantment?!' Kei's eyes widened in shock, pupils snapping to Obito as the older Mage did the same for Jin-Ho's watch.
"T-This is so convenient!" Jin-Ho said in awe.
"Y-You can understand us?" Hanekawa asked.
His eyes shone with awe. "Yep!"
Okay, this had officially become the most RIDICULOUS of 'targets'.
'If we could get him on our roster,' t-the sheer quality of life improvements would be enormous!
"You can just gift languages?" Kanae asked in shock as Obito shrugged.
"I've been getting pretty good at smithing as of late, my own brand of it being quite conceptual," he smirked at her as the swordswoman looked down in thought.
"... So, let me just be upfront, are you interested in joining our Guild?"
"N-Nee-chan?" Kei looked alarmed by this straightforwardness.
"Look, the Chairman's idea was good, really it was… But don't think that'd work," Kanae shrugged. "I think it's better to just be upfront. So, my question?" She turned to Obito.
"Sadly, that's not something I'm interested in," Obito answered kindly & politely as she wore an exasperated smile. "My life and family is in Korea, it's honestly not like I'd say this would never have happened but you got to me too late."
"Damn," the woman shrugged before looking sheepish. "W-Well, um, what's that say about a little international fraternizing?"
Akari's jaw dropped as Ken laughed.
Kei raised a finger. "Nee-ch-"
"I mean, what's so bad about that?"
"N-Nee-chan-"
"You, me, brunettes over the sea," Kanae took her shot. "What'd ya say?"
Kei's hand found his face as Jin-Ho cleared his throat.
"Um, ma'am, he's engaged," the young man said.
Kanae's entire being turned to stone as Akari held her sides with a laugh.
"K-Kei-kun, why didn't you say anything?!" The embarrassed S-Rank squealed.
"I-I was trying," he said weakly as Ken wore a sly grin.
"Yep, ya just didn't listen," he teased as Kanae's head mechanically turned to the smiling Obito while Hanekawa covered her mouth in shock.
"I'm flattered," the oldest among them said with that smile that left her wilting. "But my student is right," he pulled off a glove to show his ring. "I'm engaged."
Kanae groaned.
And then there was an explosion behind the four S-Ranks, the group blinking before they turned their heads to see what had happened.
"They've started," Obito observed as powerful winds shot past them before clashes of shockwaves shot down the side and up a wall. "And, physically, it seems that they're rather even."
Jin-Woo's knife came down on the swordsman's head before he found that apparition fading away as a dangerous aura spilled past his back.
He jumped, turning his body in the air as that powerful white shockwave shattered the ground below.
Landing, he sucked in a breath as Ryuji's eyes gained an ominous glow.
[Sprint Lv.2]
The Shadow Lord vanished in an air-bursting blur as Ryuji stood in a loose stance, simply looking at where the other man had vanished.
Only for his sword-arm to swing out at his side, a heavy torrent of spiritual power rebuffing Jin-Woo before the summoner landed several yards away in a crouch.
'It changes how his energy works,' the [Player] thought before circling him. 'I didn't even know that some enchantments or Skills could do that,' or was that wrong?
Remembering [Terrain's] abilities, it was kind of the same but that was another 'way' to use energy.
The Blade of Storms actually affected Ryuji's spiritual power and how it came out.
He became a blur that Ryuji frowned at.
'He's faster than even Kanae, perhaps even… Ippei,' how?
Where had this person come from? Ryuji knew about all of Obito Uchiha's family members.
The youngest of them, his niece, who'd recently awakened to great healing power.
Il-Hwan Sung, his brother-in-law, who was apparently not on the current roster.
His indisposed sister which, in all honesty, from the very depths of his heart, Ryuji felt sympathy for.
And even the man's fiancee, a woman who'd been showing some surprising increase in ability, apparently.
Yet, he'd also known that the man's weakest relative, his nephew, the supposed E-Rank Hunter, shouldn't have been anything but an afterthought. He was surrounded by people FAR greater than him and yet had the nerve to try and challenge him, Japan's Strongest.
And he wasn't defeated yet.
The Goto man's body thrummed. 'Korea's hiding its powerful members,' he cursed in his head as phantoms shot in on him from his strafing opponent. 'But he's the one who has a hand in it,' Ryuji's sheathed weapon came up.
Then he brought it down, a burst of spiritual power that rampaged like a hurricane and destroyed any attempt to attack him.
Sung Jin-Woo was noted as of late to have magical powers, the young man's former 'Fighter' status long since dispelled as many titled him a 'Mage'.
A Mage who used dual knives, a Mage who couldn't attack with shadows but could summon beings from them.
A Mage who currently had greater speed than his second-in-command with similar levels of strength.
'That Mage's training methods must be ridiculously potent.'
He lunged at his side before locking his sheath with a pair of knives, Jin-Woo's glowing gaze locking with his own.
They engaged in a series of side-stepping clashes that trailed towards the gym walls before erupting against their surfaces.
And the clashes continued, over and over and over again.
Jin-Woo frowned as he brought his right dagger down while his left hand reached behind him.
He dispelled his Ursine King Dagger and retrieved Rasaka's-
There was a feeling of being analyzed before his eyes widened and he focused his all on his offense, his single dagger his entire focus as Ryuji kept him to the wall with more torrents of spirit energy.
A bead of sweat fell down his cheek. 'Shit, I can't retrieve another dagger?' Ryuji Goto's attacks…
He beat out his own swinging speed. It should have been something he payed attention to, no? The man had been doing it the entire time.
Their strengths were even, their senses the same, but there was still a set of advantages that the S-Rank had that the [Player] didn't.
He had far more experience as a weapon-user, as a sword-user, than Jin-Woo did. Even with [Advanced Dagger Arts Lv.3], the younger man was barely keeping up… With TWO weapons.
And now he had only one.
'You removed your advantage,' Ryuji thought, spiritual presence forming around them and never allowing a single of the younger man's moves to 'leave' his sight. 'It's been shown that you can store and retrieve from your shadows, you employ Mage-like summons, fighter-like power, and Assassin-like evasions,' but the swordsman had already defeated the likes of that.
In droves, in armies, in matches before the very Prime Minister to own his title as 'the Strongest' in Japan.
The number of opponents he'd faced up to this point even before the emergence of Gates was beyond anything his boy had faced.
Where strength was equal, he held experience.
Where speed was against him, the S-Rank had invasive pressure.
Where WEAPONS were involved, Ryuji Goto did NOT lose.
"He's losing?" Jin-Ho looked alarmed. "B-But he's so strong!"
"Sure but strength is relative," Ken said, arms crossed. "Let's put it this way, Ryuji over there, hell, everyone here is maybe 'strong' but there's more to it."
"Speed, power, durability," Kanae counted off. "Sure, those are all NICE but people ignore the minutiae."
"Experience, practice, number of opponents," Kei offered helpfully.
"And just that their bodies are built differently," Akari explained.
"Built… Different?" Jin-Ho looked pensive.
"It's all true, Jin-Ho," Obito said. "Jin-Woo's body is perfect, it's at its best state, but there's no specialization. He has the body to contend with anyone here but that's where the 'differences' show," he explained. "Ryuji Goto has slightly longer arms, his ability to control his body is better due to his years as a fighter and the training he pursued even after Awakening. Notice, not one has Jin-Woo's blades had gotten close to his neck."
The heir's eyes snapped to the combatants and they widened at his friend's difficulty with one dagger.
"Woo usually uses more than one dagger and that creates a world of difference but that difference, to Ryuji-san, is only a matching difference and that also means that he has a weakness that he must overcome. Woo's retrieving of his daggers from his shadow isn't instant, none of his moves are despite how fast he is, and when that comes into play against someone built for instant attacks-"
"They're a potential weak point," Kanae whined. "D-Dammit, he's smart, too," she grumbled as Akari snickered. "Hmph, Ryuji-san has been a Iaijutsu master long before the Gates emerged at the age of 24, ten years alongside superpowers only made him a bigger monster."
"Full Spirit Form: Nichirin," Obito reiterated. "It's the culmination of his draw techniques and equipment, he's known to have one of the best reactions in all of Asia."
"S-So, how does he win?" Jin-Ho asked.
"He doesn't," Kei said before looking mindful. "Not to say that your comrade isn't strong, he surprisingly is," he added generously.
The one known as Sung Jin-Woo was strong, scarily so.
Wasn't this the man noted to be an E-Rank almost half a year ago? What kind of explosive growth had he gone through to reach this point.
'Actually, he doesn't look like a kid anymore,' that'd been something Kei felt some kinship with.
He, too, had hit a growth spurt in the past from being a scrawny boy to a scrawny man before being helped to reach his lithe body-type.
So, he got it but that'd been over years of training.
Sung Jin-Woo looked like someone who'd become a model within a year even with his uncle's help.
"Kei-kun's right, Woo-kun has gone through quite the evolution in not just strength but speed, power, skill, and energy," Akari noted 'casually', her eyes going to Obito.
The Mage wore an amused smile. "Indeed, training him has helped me see him flourish greatly," Obito said. "But you all aren't completely right, despite my words, Jin-Woo does have the right tools to beat Ryuji Goto."
Their eyes went to him.
"Ahem, Obito-san, that seems rather mindless," Hanekawa huffed.
"It seems so, I'm sure," Obito chuckled as Jin-Ho looked at him. "But it's the truth, despite everything, Jin-Woo isn't done yet."
The continued explosive clashes rang out as the [Player's] disadvantage remained but he hadn't lost.
He was still fighting.
"Woo has a powerful stubbornness, one borne from a life of previously being incredibly weak but wanting to be strong. He's absorbed my teachings, gained great power, discovered more about himself, and hasn't finished growing. He may not beat Ryuji Goto or he might but let's not pretend he's not ten years his junior."
That caused their eyes to snap back to the sweating, straining, and grinning Shadow Lord.
Ryuji's growing annoyance throughout it all was also easy to see, alongside his own beads of sweat.
"And let's not pretend that Ryuji Goto is some unmovable god, he is still human," Obito smirked as 'that' came into play.
Ryuji made one hasty misstep, an hook-like swing of his sheathed blade that came for the younger man's head.
Only for that trained young man's body to coil into his guard, his dagger floating in the air by some impossible invisible grasp.
Sung Jin-Woo's wound form unleashed, his foot screeching between Ryuji's legs, his body dropping down, and his right side unwinding into a vicious backhand.
It hit dead center on Ryuji's chest.
And the S-Rank went flying into an opposing gym wall, his 'landing' forming a crater around him and shattering that well-made reinforced stone and steel.
The [Player] gasped for air as his tense body shifted up and down, clothes full of sweat, skin slick, and his eyes glowing with life.
"Aniki did it!" Jin-Ho cheered as the others of the Draw Sword Guild's jaws dropped.
"He didn't just learn some dagger-work," Obito chuckled. "He's quite an avid breaker of 'systems' and learned more than enough physicality to found his own opportunities, after all," he wore a sly smirk. "Ryuji Goto is still mostly a swordsman, my nephew is far more varied than that."
'He tricked him,' Akari realized, eyes wide. 'By pretending to solely be someone who used daggers-'
'-He made him drop his guard,' Ken thought nervously. 'And since Ryuji didn't think much of him to begin with…'
"Oh shit," Kanae said with a nervous grin. "Um, okay, he's strong, I get it! We seriously need to go in there and stop anything else from happening!"
Jin-Ho blinked.
And found his side missing a mentor, several of an alarmed Jin-Woo's Shadows diced, and a screeching shriek of an empowered blade fighting against a high-revolution bundle of spatial thread.
He breathed.
And then the user of the former found a second fist to his chest within the span of ten seconds.
The 'drop site', this time, erupted into a crackle of lightning, force, and protectiveness.
Jin-Woo hit his rear with a long groaning breath. "H-Hey there, ojii-chan," he said with a relieved sigh. "Thanks."
"No problem," Obito responded as his threads formed beneath the [Player] and lifted him up in a quickly-formed black skeletal hand. "Now, Ryuji-san might be feeling different."
The swirling torrent of spiritual energy that was sucked-in towards that single point shrouded by dust, debris, and ozone dispelled any visual blocks to reveal the S-Rank-in-question looking pissed.
"Whoa, Ryuji, wait!" Came the blurring forms of the man's guild members, their bodies prepped and in between the two sides in a second. "Don't do it, sir, it's not worth it!" Kanae pleaded.
"Yeah, this isn't going to get us anywhere," Akari said even as she felt a bit of sweat slide down her nape. 'He's not gonna be easy to placate, he's full-on Demon Mode,' she just wanted to see if they could get some training ideas, dammit!
This was not the plan!
"Ryuji-sama, please, you're a far better man than this!" Kei tried to negotiate. "It was just a spar, you're still incredibly powerful, it doesn't have to come to unregistered blows!"
The torrent began to slow.
"Yeah!" Ken grinned. "Besides, you're pissed? Bring that shit to me," he looked excited. "Ain't gonna have you hold back now, you're pissed-pissed, time to see what that's about!"
The torrent dispelled, leaving behind a deeply-inhaling S-Rank whose eyes lost their furious glow but retained an annoyed glint.
"Tsk, you're not beating me, Ken," the swordsman scoffed as the others looked relieved. "..." Ryuji's eyes went to the two 'Mages'. "You proved to be somewhat worth my time but no more," Ryuji resheathed his blade before leaving. "I've learned enough."
Watching him depart let the tension drop, Jin-Ho sliding to a stop beside uncle and nephew with his shield in hand.
"Okay, um, glad that's not gonna head places," he said with a look of relief, putting the shield back inside his Spirit Belt, alarming the Japanese group. "Oh! Yes, that is part of ojii-chan's charm!" He hit a kneel and present the sweatdropping Obito in fabulous fashion.
Jin-Woo laughed.
~NRK~
Getting to their reserved quarters had the three stepping into a large high-rise hotel room with an amazing view of Tokyo.
"Here you go," Kanae said. "I hope these next four days go well."
"It should, I'm sure Ryuji-san is calm enough to just let this go," Obito responded.
"I hope so, trust me, our boss is… Well, he's got a 'streak' in him a mile wide but he can be talked down. I'm sure Ken-kun is gonna get the beating of a lifetime for this but he enjoys it so," she shrugged. "Now, with today's match squared away… What's the plan?"
"You mean the whole training thing."
"Well, yeah? You want those Spirit Cores and we've got those Spirit Cores."
"That's right," Jin-Woo blinked, long-since clean from the gym showers. "I forgot that's why we're here."
Kanae nodded. "So, really, the big thing is what are ya trading in 'training'?" She asked.
"Hmm, well, let me ask some questions," Obito said, gesturing to a large table by the windows.
Closing the door and getting seated around it, he pulled out the files he'd been given on Kei.
"So, let me begin by giving you the basics of it. By subjecting individuals to powerful magical environments, we can train them," he explained.
She blinked in surprise. "I mean, that makes sense, kind of. Kei's been pretty clear about having senses through his ice," Kanae told them. "But, surely, there's a limit."
"I sadly don't know," Obito explained. "Everyone I've used this on has a wide range of power between them, hell, this still works on Liu and he's a National-Ranked Hunter."
She felt some sweat fall from her brow. 'That's right,' she remembered.
This bastard was FRIENDS with a NATIONAL-RANKED HUNTER!
Oi vey, life just loved throwing such madness around, didn't it?
"So, I can't believe it has to do with power so much as effects."
"So, like, heavy spatial environments," Jin-Woo offered. "That's your threads' bread-and-butter, ojii-chan, that's probably it."
"True but how does this account for the Draw Sword Guild? If they're trading for this, it has to be useful."
"Why not find someone with a similar skill?" Jin-Ho offered. "I doubt anyone would not want to help out your guild, ma'am," he said.
"That's not wrong," Kanae cupped her chin. "Still, it'd be for the best to see if Kei can't do it, he's a strong man, maybe it'll become apparent tomorrow."
~NRK~
The next day, they were actually in the Draw Sword Guild's dojo.
With the visiting trio wearing matching black shitagi & hakama compared to their Japanese counterparts' blue shitagi and hakama, they all sat within the dojo as Obito tried to help Kei copy his idea.
Between the two sides, a small ice crystal sat before releasing circulating frosty 'stars' around it.
Kei did his best to focus as he held out his hand towards his creation. "Is it supposed to be so… Difficult?" He released a strained breath before more circulating frost appeared.
"Let's see how much you can lower it," Obito said, using a remote thermostat for the crystal.
As the reading dropped more and more, Kei released a groan before he 'let go' and dropped his hand.
Obito observed the magical readings as a minute passed before he nodded. "It's slowly going away but that's better than the last hour," he told Kei as the masked man rubbed his wrist.
"I-Is that so?" He asked. "To be able to do this, read that reading, and do it for your students," Kei's eyes went to Jin-Ho and Jin-Woo.
The two bore familiar black bands on their exposed wrists and ankles, one more large band around their torsos.
"Y-Your focus is something else."
"Of course, this is another way to make yourself stronger," Obito smiled. "Efficiency. Kei-kun, you use up too much magic despite having so much mana," he explained to the alarmed man.
"He does? I guess having another Mage sense it out makes sense," Akari said. "Still it's been an hour, is he ready?"
"I suppose it's time to tell. Akari-kun, please activate your aura."
The Healer nodded before closing her eyes, setting her fists on her lap, and breathing in.
The air thrummed as she released a powerful but contained aura.
"It's so interesting, how did you all find the same Runestones?" Jin-Ho asked Hanekawa, the translator looking thoughtful.
"I wouldn't know, Jin-Ho-san, I wasn't around when this happened," she explained.
"So, you guys did find Runestones, didn't you?" Jin-Woo asked. "I've read up on a couple of your battles, you all can use spirit energy alongside magic power."
"Mostly true," Kanae nodded. "We all gained 'Spirit Arts' but that's it, the only one who holds true power over his spirit is Ryuji-sama. For us, we can imbue specialized techniques with our powers but that's it, he can alter it at his very command."
"Actually, ojii-chan," Jin-Woo nudged Obito. "What about learning that?" He whispered as they all observed Kei's magic.
The hybrid blinked at the idea. "... Not now," he whispered back as Kei began to allow his magic to form cuffs on Akari's wrists. "In private," Obito said.
The [Player] understood, really.
Ignoring that Ryuji wasn't here, revealing that he could use spiritual power to a bunch of the Draw Sword Guild was a bad idea. Who knew the type of temperament they'd get from that before getting the Spirit Cores?
So, they kept their piece as they watched Akari's face.
"Anything?" Obito asked her.
"Well… I feel like my magic's getting harder to maintain, yeah," the Healer nodded, eyes still closed. "My control is breaking apart."
"Really?" Jin-Ho blinked. "For us, it feels like our energy is being pushed down on, like it's being forced into a tight ball."
"I'm guessing that the effects different per magic-type," Kei considered with a deep inhale.
Obito raised a brow at him. "Kei-kun? Question, do you need that apparatus for something deep?" He asked.
"No, I just have a painful sense for the magic of others," the ice-user admitted, rubbing the back of his head with a sigh. "It's not… I get horribly sick…"
"So, wait, maybe ojii-chan could help you!" Jin-Ho grinned as all eyes went to Obito's nod.
"I might be able to. Tell me, is it from the nose? Or does your skin have a reaction?" The oldest among them said as he pulled out a thick bandage.
Kei looked at him in shock and hope. "I-It's just breathing it in, it's not helpful in daily life."
"Alright, hold your breath and take off that mask, we'll see if I can help."
The younger Mage flinched, swallowing nervously as he took said deep breath before shaky hands removed his mask.
His face was normal, not even a hint out of place, and so Obito quickly used a string to attach the bandage over his nose.
"Alright," the Uchiha said, gesturing for him to breathe. "Take it slow."
Kei looked worried before he released his held breath, mask in hand at a moment's notice before he… He breathed.
Kei Koto breathed in a large breath with clenched-shut eyes as he waited for the revulsion to hit.
He waited and waited and waited… Before it didn't come.
His eyes snapped open in shock as he took several experimentally quick breaths, eyes looking down at his mask in shock, mind trying to rationalize how he was breathing without it.
Obito smiled as Jin-Woo smirked. "Uncle's got a special talent as a smith for those Spirit Cores," the younger brunette said. "It's why we need them, he wants to help his sister who's my mom," he admitted wholeheartedly.
Kanae's eyes snapped to him, eyes wide before they softened. "I get that," she said.
"T-This is normal air?" Kei said in trembling shock as his magic doubled in ability.
"W-Whoa?!" Akari shivered as it did, the group looking at her in surprise. "T-Turn it off, my magic is freezing over here!"
"Huh?"
"... Ah, your magic's been stifled by your own condition," Obito said. "For Mages, magic is like our very blood, it's also boosted by how much we interact with the world around us, Kei-kun," he explained. "You're actually breathing natural air, air filled with mana, air that's always been filtered before now."
The white-haired man froze before sitting-up ramrod straight and bowing to him.
"THANK YOU!" The younger Mage said with all his heart, head to the ground. "I-I never imagined being able to breathe normally e-ever again, I-"
"Kei-kun, it's fine," Obito pat his shoulder, smiling for the unbelievably happy man. "I'm glad to help, especially because it's something I can do. I actually did this for another, a woman in my Guild," Kei looked at him bug-eyed as Kanae laughed. "Yes, I think you have it worse than her because you're a Mage, she's a Fighter and usually she just needs to cover her mouth with a napkin every now and then."
"So, being a magic man made it worse for 'im?" Ken said in surprise as Akari groaned in relief, body relieved of its icy burdens. "I mean, I'm glad he's got that going for him now, that's just surprising."
"It's honestly the best explanation and more to my point, as Mages, we interact with the world differently than most," Obito reiterated. "Kei-kun hasn't been able to live normally because of that."
"S-Still, what if it comes off?" Kei asked, suddenly worried.
"It won't, that bandage is made of damage-resistant scales. I came to that same conclusion and finished that over the past two weeks. Sweat, water, a bit of fire, thunder, and so on, it's pretty durable, just don't, ya know?"
"I-I do, Obito-sensei!"
The Uchiha sweatdropped as Kanae snickered. "Yes, well, let's get back to the training, alright?"
~NRK~
Two hours passing had shown great progress.
Seated in a lounging area, Kei looked positively pleased as he let his mask hang from his neck and drank juice.
He'd not had such an unregulated drink in over 9 years!
"I'm glad, everything we tried sadly didn't help him," Akari told Jin-Ho with a smile. "Usually, we had to put him in an isolated room and, even then, that didn't do anything besides let him take off the mask for a bit."
"I'm glad, ojii-chan's truly kind, incredibly so, and I hope this helps relations as well," the Yoo-Jin heir said as Akari looked down a bit, smile weak and strained.
"Yeah…"
Meanwhile, with Jin-Woo, he demonstrated his skill to Kanae.
"We know some people who've got such summoning abilities but none on your level," the swordswoman admitted completely. "Are you sure you're an E-Rank?"
"It's been a long time since I've heard that," Jin-Woo smiled. "Ever since finding out what my ability truly was, I've grown far stronger. I'm likely to get my Rank re-evaluated soon enough, I just want to explore it some more."
"I can imagine, your 'Shadows', as you call them, are surprisingly powerful but that mana drain can't be nice."
"Like you wouldn't believe."
"Yo, food's up!" Ken shouted as he and Obito came in with trays. "The guy's a damn master chef, I've never had such good food in my life!" He declared with awe.
"Yep, he's very much a man of many skills," Jin-Ho chuckled. "So, after the food, we'll see Tokyo?" He grinned.
"... No, I think you guys should get those cores, first," Akari considered her answer before nodding, surprising him.
"N-Not to say we wouldn't totally be about it but… Why? I'm sure the training will be a success but I expected us to have to wait."
She shook her head. "It's fine, Ho-kun, all things considered, it's not like the actual main objective wasn't reached," she wore a grin that didn't reach her eyes. "Seriously, you guys deserve them, especially when it comes to cause."
"I'm glad you think so, I think aniki and ojii-chan really deserve to have their family together, too," he smiled a simple smile.
Akari could barely stop her own from breaking in the presence of it.
'Are we really about to hurt these people?' She thought without trying to. 'For Japan?' Suddenly, the idea was beginning to hurt.
It was really beginning to not make sense.
~NRK~
Being led to the Japanese Hunter Bureau was curious but familiar, especially when they found a legion of Black Suits, Jin-Woo's name for Federation members, in wait.
Departing a car and walking down the lined path, they entered the building before Kanae used her credentials to get them in a specialized elevator.
"One of Japan's qualities has always been about our 'all is one' mentality," Kei explained. "When it comes to materials? There's a specialized system that allows many guilds and even singular Hunters to donate materials into a large vault of sorts. It's how we could find those Spirit Cores, there are many who sell them to the Vault since they can't use them."
"That's a curious system," Jin-Ho noted. "I mean, how do you prevent, well, falsification?"
"Mana-tracking ID, it also helps those who might need those materials back get them at an express rate."
Listening to the explanation was rather interesting.
'It's all one big bag, basically,' Jin-Woo thought with a curious hum. 'Donating to humanity's cause, basically, that's rather progressive.'
Reaching the Material Floor, they moved into a large clean warehouse of goods and materials, a man pushing up a cart full of those nearly child-size Spirit Cores to them.
"There ya go. Since you're a spatial magic-type, we know you can just take them with you wherever," Akari said with interest. "I know that you're a smith and ya gotta have your secrets but, seriously, how do you do it? Those bangles of yours have been on a lot of higher-ups' mouths."
"The simplest and least problematic way to put it?" Obito began, covering all those cores with his thread and taking them into his spatial pocket. "Just use your abilities, what makes your skills, and apply them."
The quartet looked confused. "I don't get it," Ken said. "I mean, I'm pretty strong so I could probably use an enchanted hammer but is it that easy?"
"Easy? No. But you're thinking correctly, that's how you learn, experiment, and find where your power lies."
Kei looked at one of his hands, opening it up to allow a swirling frost to form.
"I wonder what that looks like for me," he said in wonder as Kanae looked at him out of the corner of her eye, her gaze going down to the ground in thought.
~NRK~
The third day saw them in the gym bright and early, Kei demonstrating his ice creation abilities' new limits.
"It's like I can use it from afar," he told Obito as he held out his hand to a far-off ice wall.
It sprouted more and more, the branching crystals forming a rigid flower.
"I-I've never been able to do that before."
"Now, you get to try more and more new things," Obito nodded. "But we need to focus, Kei-kun, concentrate on making an area of great frost and fill it with mana."
Watching from the sidelines as the older Mage helped the younger form their 'ring', Jin-Ho nodded with a smile at Ken's surprise.
At his shield's name 'frame', a border-shaped scale covering that the heir put on his equipment before it changed colors and ELEMENTS.
"T-That guy's crazy," Ken said with a dropped jaw as Kanae blinked at it.
"Wait, he made temporary enhancements? For weapons?" She asked Jin-Woo.
"Yeah though mostly for shields, it was an idea Jin-Ho came up with over the past two weeks, making mobile abilities for equipment," the Shadow Lord said before rubbing the back of his head. "Of course, it's painfully expensive, you can imagine."
"With all the specialized shapes of weapons, armor, shields, and more? Yeah, it's a nightmare."
"But that's why we came up with something a bit different, it's not perfect but we got an idea about using a slime's membrane."
"What?" Kanae froze at the mention of it, a shiver slamming down her spine.
Jin-Woo sweatdropped.
"L-Let's not talk about slimes… Please?"
"Uh, bad experiences?" He asked in amusement.
"Ugh, c-can you imagine the amount of people who come onto you with slimes as a reality?" Kanae asked flatly as he blinked owlishly.
"Wait, wha-"
"We're done!" Kei called out, cutting off that line of questioning. "Time to practice!"
~NRK~
Five hours of thorough experimentation left them all with bright minds and tired bodies.
That's why the visiting trio rested in their reserved hotel room, Obito coming in from the bathroom in some new clean clothes.
He turned his head to see Jin-Ho and Jin-Woo in a large circular couch watching the large TV in front of it. "Anything new?" Obito asked as he walked to the back of the couch.
"Nothing crazy," the [Player] said, drinking some canned tea. "Though, crazy enough? Japan has a lot more Runestones than Korea does."
"They've got so much they can sell them," Jin-Ho explained. "It's not like they're inexpensive, the cheapest we saw was a [Sense] Stone and it was for 200,000 Yen."
'Almost, what, 1800 dollars?' Obito considered that match. "Just for that? It'd probably be better to just get a Mage Hunter on a team… Then again, any non-magic-based Hunter could make use of that… What was that number?" He smirked. "And how many of them were there?"
"A-A couple but, really, ojii-chan?"
"Of course, you and Song-Yi don't have sensing skills yet," the Mage said as the heir's jaw dropped. "I have more than enough money exchanged in case I'd seen anything of note and this is interesting. Another way to get stronger, Jin-Ho, is by collections of skills. Woo would know."
"He's got a point," the Shadow Lord hummed. "Hell, look at Ryuji. Gathering Skills that compliment your style can truly up your power level," he looked at his Terrain Bangle, the 'Level 4' to it much to his satisfaction. "For example, uncle's stuff outright makes those with magic better, creating a terrain that increases magical power and range is too good and the less said about [Wrath] the better because yes."
"R-Right, I forgot," Jin-Ho looked thoughtful. "... Their readings said I was 'C-Rank'," he reminded them. "It's weird, I don't feel that different."
"You're growing," Obito said. "But not just that, Jin-Ho, your strength is something you're still comparing to our own. To Song-Yi, you're probably a total monster in endurance and strength."
"R-Really? But I'm a Tank."
"Remember, we don't know what her 'specialties' are, yet," Jin-Woo said, looking thoughtful. "She could be someone with speed-based Skills or other ones. Speaking of, did you get any?"
"Well, I've got the basic Taunt," Jin-Ho began. "I also got one called Army of Defense, it allows me to add my defense to others."
"That's an honestly powerful skill," the Sung man wondered how that would be with his Shadows. 'If all my Shadows had his extra defense, that'd be pretty scary,' curious idea for later.
"Anything else?" Obito asked.
"W-Well… There was one more," the youngest of them said. "I don't really get it, it's called Mana Retrieval," he explained, confusing them. "It's so weird, I-I can't figure out how it works besides helping me pick up Mana Crystals."
"Wait, what's it actually do?" Jin-Woo asked.
"I can pick up things filled with mana, sort of?" The Tank groaned. "I can't grab other people's weapons, at least, no one with a higher rank than me," that was actually surprising. "I can grab Mana Crystals like I said but that's it, I can grab low-level mana."
Obito considered him. "And there's no benefit you gain?" He asked.
Jin-Ho looked confused before Jin-Woo got an idea.
"Jin-Ho, grab this," he raised his hand and a crystal formed. "I've had a few of these around and they're from some of the C-Ranks we did."
"Grab it?" The Tank considered it before nodding and doing so.
He held out his hand and the two magically-sensitive men's eyes glowed.
As they watched trails of mana flow towards Jin-Ho, the crystal in Jin-Woo's hand trembling.
'It's not that he just grabs things with mana.'
'He's pulling on MANA itself.'
They locked eyes as Jin-Ho groaned.
"God, that's weird, the strain is so odd," Jin-Ho said.
Never realizing that he was filled with mana.
Jin-Woo had lied earlier, this mana crystal wasn't from their C-Ranks, it was actually from the B-Rank Gate they'd done for that Banshee Skin.
And Jin-Ho had taken nearly all of it into him.
"Dammit, I don't have a stat sensor," the [Player] said.
"It's fine," Obito said as he flicked some thread at the young man's shoulder.
Jin-Ho flipped out of the couch in shock, rubbing his head in confusion. "W-What the heck was that?" He asked them, not bearing a single bruise from that bit of high-speed thread.
"Your mana levels dropped in response, how curious," the Mage grinned as Jin-Woo perked up. "Jin-Ho, I understand how your skills work now."
"Y-You do?!" He was up against the couch with big shining eyes in seconds. "What is it?!"
"You pass on defense but that's not all, Mana Retrieval RAISES your defense, you're not just passing along that, you're passing along Mana. You're supposed to drag not just attention but mana to add to your party's defenses," Obito smiled as the two younger men looked shocked. "You're truly growing into your Guild Master role."
Jin-Ho's cheeks reddened as he looked down at his hands.
"And now we have another way to train you. Jin-Ho, let's go and buy those stones now, I'm going to turn you into a 'Magic Knight'."
~NRK~
Getting them had been as easy as reserving them and going to buy them.
Absorbing the skill from that Runestone had Jin-Ho wincing at the world around him before Obito pointed at his eyes.
His Sharingan spun and Jin-Ho's mind whirled.
"Alright, let's get to training you for the next five hours," Obito grinned, confusing the Tank to all hell.
Jin-Woo's eyes widened in disbelief as a single second passed.
And Jin-Ho's mana just seemingly doubled.
The Tank gasped as he shivered back into the world of the conscious, his eyes trembling in disbelief as he looked around them in awe.
"T-This is sensing mana, it's so weird," he said.
"U-Uncle?" Jin-Woo looked shocked.
"Jin-Woo, my Sharingan are very powerful, I just turned a second for Jin-Ho into 5 hours of training," Obito told him.
The younger man's jaw dropped.
"W-When the hell was this?" He asked in disbelief.
"To be fair, I forgot I could just do this, honestly. But to add on, our lives have not been simple for a LONG time and now I also have something we can give to your mother," Obito said as Jin-Woo cupped his chin in an instant.
"Good, I wonder if we could find something else."
~NRK~
They looked through a website on Runestones, the Skills they provided, their values, and then some after returning to their room.
And realized that those things were expensive as FUCK.
"Jin-Ho, seriously, I'd appreciate it but don't," Jin-Woo said flatly at the price of one of those 'Strength' Runestones and the price on it. "It's a buff spell, people."
"But those are highly-sought after," Jin-Ho reminded him even if he closed that tab on his laptop. "Especially those that come from other Classes, Skills that you can add on aren't restricted."
That was another benefit of Runestones, they were able to be used by any class.
Ranged Skills, Magic Skills, Buffs, Debuffs, Attribute Stones, Taunt, and so on. Their rarity was likely the one 'balancing act' that kept every available Hunter from having a Google Docs' worth of Skills alongside pricing.
"Is there anything you're looking for, sir?" Jin-Ho asked. "I mean, you have the ability to teleport thanks to Cerberus," he smiled. "You've got spatial abilities, a transformation, a-and even spiritual skills."
"I also have a self-buff and terrain-based skills, there aren't many Skills I really need," Obito admitted. "Close-range, mid-range, and long-range, I can handle without additionals. Right now, what about you two?"
"I'm good, honestly," Jin-Woo said, arms folded behind his head as he laid down on the couch. "My Shadows also come with a bunch of extra stuff alongside them while I've got an array of moves on my own."
"Well, the only thing I can think I need are potentially buffs," Jin-Ho said as he closed his laptop. "Well, maybe not? You said I'd be able to better manage mana, right?" He asked Obito.
"Correct, with sensing skills and the ability to actually gather mana, you're further along than any other Class besides Healers and Mages in using magic," Obito explained. "We'll work on it after this week is over with, for now, just get used to monitoring your mana."
~NRK~
He observed that mudball from 'lands' those insignificant humans couldn't dream of reaching.
"Tsk, everytime I think of that foolish mortal I become irritated," the winged figure muttered, their many eyes on the haze surrounding that small land called 'Earth'. "... No, no, I shall not let this stand," they raised their hand towards Earth with a grin.
He constructed It, his creation gaining more additions and size as he molded it like the Master Craftsman he was.
When he 'finished', he spun his Beast with a smile.
"It should be stronger than anything he's dealt with up to this point," it'd be the most powerful thing he could recreate. "Now, where to place it…" The winged figure looked thoughtful before considering something.
He looked back into the land of 'Korea', weird name, before observing the ongoings with a growing grin.
"Oh, that's perfect, no?" He chuckled as he pointed down at the mudball and his Beast was soon 'planted' within that odd island.
Jeju Island? Humans and their weird naming conventions.
~NRK~
On Day Four, Hanakawa was honestly astonished by Jin-Ho's odd increase.
'Did they power him up somehow?' She felt like he was twice as strong as usual. 'Or is it more smithing?' Hanekawa didn't know.
She just knew that the Tank felt more powerful than he had at the start of the trip.
"Alright, things have been going good," Kanae said with a clap & grin. "Kei's meeting his idol," the white-haired Mage groaned into his hand, face red. "Akari's learning more about the world."
"Bite me," said Healer scoffed as Ken laughed.
"You got your Cores, we got our training, and Ryuji's been pretty chill, all things considered? It's gone great, guys. But the thing is," she spun her finger before pointing at Obito. "Your nephew's shown his crazy grit, your Tanky protege's progress has been noted and documented, now, all that's left is to see what you're capable of, Obito-dono."
"Alright," Obito smiled as Jin-Woo looked intrigued. "Then, how about I take on yourself, Ken-kun, and Akari-kun?" He asked.
Kanae's smile twitched as Ken gasped in awe and Akari sweatdropped.
"Hoo~? Obito-dono, are you implying something?" The swordswoman's smile dripped with poison.
"Nothing of the sort," the Mage said. "In all honesty, you all are incredibly powerful members but I want to see what a team composed with a Healer is like to face against."
"Oh, that's actually a good idea," Jin-Woo realized. 'We've never fought anyone with such a composition,' in fact, Healers weren't someone they'd even fought against.
And Akari Shimizu was a different level altogether because she was clearly strong enough to wield that seven-foot-tall axe of hers with ease.
'Well trained, disciplined, and familiar with their dynamic,' Jin-Ho thought. 'Fighting this trio would likely be on the same level as fighting Ryuji Goto,' could his mentor defeat such a combination?
"Alright," Kanae said while adjusting her coat, her Composite Weapon's sheath gripped below the guard. "Are you prepared, Obito-dono?"
Obito summoned Cerberus into his hands, the sickles gleaming in the light above as his magical presence spread at an alarming rate.
"Yes," he whispered, sclera going black as his irises burned red. "You two, step back and observe how important a Healer is," Obito warned as his fellow Koreans nodded before making distance.
Not a second too soon as magical power coiled between the four, Obito smiling as a chain wove itself into existence between his weapons.
The next breath, he slammed his foot into Ken's stomach as he dodged his punch before rolling over his shoulder, onto his back, and swinging out with both legs.
Kanae flew back with a raised guard as Akari brought his kicks to a dead halt.
Obito smirked as she pushed off the ground with her weapon as a vault, legs coming for his face before a chain wound itself around her limb.
Only for Obito to dodge as Ken's form vanished from beneath him, the Mage pulling his body to the side to dodge the punch from behind.
Landing in a crouch saved him from a cut to the neck as a coat floated out behind him.
Kanae's form was just wound, it was crouched, the two at the same eye-level as her spirit soared and mixed with her magic.
He jumped up, turning upside-down as the focused woman followed.
Her eyes shimmered as she swung-Before choking on his knee to her neck.
Kanae's attack carved into a nearby wall before Obito sent her careen into the gym floor with a heavy 'CRASH', the man kicking up in the air on his snapping threads.
'We didn't know he could use his thread like that,' Akari thought before her eyes widened as he pulled on his ridiculous long chai-
She flew towards him but her grip remained solid, her weapon coming around as she spun into his pull.
'Definitely an S-Rank,' Obito thought as he spied Ken's charging form behind his flying comrade. 'They have a plan.'
When Akari came in close, Obito vanished and reappeared behind the grinning Ken.
"You're not that surprising," the facing-ahead man said as he pushed off the floor.
Just in time for a large arcing slash of magic to pass underneath from Kanae's dust cloud.
'They can sense each other!' The Mage realized before Obito pulled on Akari who came flying down.
The magic slash hit his shin before being shattered by a trio of spinning fiery threads.
'He can use fire-skills,' Kanae thought, kneeling within her crater. 'What kind of benefit do those offer?'
Obito raised his foot, Ken turning on a dime to attack him before there was a yell and he found a body on his back.
His head turn-
"Ken-kun, no-!"
Obito's foot shot out as thread erupted at the bottom of his heel.
The two went flying, slamming into the gym's walls with explosions of dust in their wakes.
The Mage hopped over a low-slashing blade before throwing his body back into a flip from its high-slashing follow-up.
Kanae released a breath as Obito landed, her body coiling with magic before she rushed him.
His sickles flew to his hands.
The two's weapons met in the middle in a flashing clash before Obito swung down with the second only to be deflected by her katana's sheath.
"Oh?"
"Heh!"
She pushed him back, each swing of her blade seemingly coming back to her sheath without an opening.
'Her blade's enchanted,' Obito thought as he swung down with both sickles.
She widened her stance and braced up with her sheath, all in one hand.
The blow cratered the ground beneath her feet… And gave her all the time to use her reared-back blade.
Obito saw it coming for his midsection and chuckled.
Kanae's eyes widened at the presence against her back, body completely at his mercy.
Jin-Woo wore an apologetic smirk as Obito slammed the entirety of his right side into Kanae's back, the Mage's body covered in snapping threads.
She hit the far wall with an explosion of flames and electricity before Obito kicked back and then out.
The falling Akari winced as she found herself hitting the same crater as Kanae.
"Oh, she's scary," Obito said, confusing Jin-Woo and Jin-Ho before the two brunettes' jaws dropped at Kanae and Akari rushing the Uchiha with a healing glow around them.
"She got hit to get close to her leader," Jin-Woo was honestly impressed, downright awed, at such teamwork and thinking. "She's truly the epitome of a Healer, that's crazy!" He laughed as Kei smiled, proud.
"Akari-chan has always been rather rough-and-tumble," he nodded as Obito was besieged by all three S-Ranks once more. "But, make no mistake, she's incredibly smart and knows how to take advantage of her trained & flexible body."
"That's truly incredible, I didn't expect her to have a Tank's instincts," Jin-Ho admitted.
The fighting continued, powerful shockwaves and surging artes used in tandem to push Obito to the wall.
The Mage crouched low, a red astral horn forming on his noggin, his body glowing a powerful red, and his sickles crossed over his chest.
"Oh, he's using that move," Jin-Ho said.
"Huh?" Kei looked at him, confused. "What move? His magic… I-It does feel different… Actually, it's so condensed," he stared at the Uchi-
As he appeared behind the charging members of the Draw Sword Guild.
The trio flinched before tumbling into a trio of bouncing slides.
Obito held out his hand to them.
And then they exploded into massive balls of fire.
"Wait, what?"
"He learned how to make fire with his threads," Jin-Woo explained. "Usually, he can only make electricity attacks but he figured out how to do this and it added more defense & offense to his skill set."
It showed as the fires were dispersed to reveal a gasping Akari on her hands and knees, her teammates getting up from a pair of kneels cloaked in her healing spell.
"He's truly pushing them back," Kei said in awe. "To make Akari expend so much healing, he must have hurt them greatly."
"I seriously hope this isn't going to strain things," Jin-Ho admitted.
"No, quite honestly, it's only fair," the S-Rank Mage rubbed the back of his head. "And it also proves that they are strong, he has to bring out half his potential to even harm them… B-But is he going to do his true move?" He asked excitedly.
Jin-Woo smirked. "You mean One-Horn Oni?"
"Yes! That skill is one of the very definitions of amazing! Its effects are so fascinating," Kei grinned. "For one, he's constantly circulating mana! From what I could look up, this spell causes great strain but he's not losing any advantage and even bolsters his bodily speed, durability, power, and skills!"
The [Player] grew amused. 'Uncle seriously got a BIG fan,' he chuckled. "That's curious, I did notice that his mana stays in 'rotation'," he twitched his fingers as Kei nodded. "But not a bit leaks out… I think I should figure out something similar."
"Yes, your abilities are also quite curious. Did you get Summoning Magic or did you have it originally?"
"Originally. What about you?"
Obito smiled as his body was quickly covered by a veil of pitch black, demonic power spilling out from the seams with his back to the trio. 'So, using demonic power is truly a step up,' but it was different.
With the time between his fight with Dong-Su and now, Obito had truly leapt into learning how this body of his worked.
And what he found had truly made him into a 'different being', the very fact that he was half-human now being something only he, Jin-Woo, Gina, and Il-Hwan truly knew.
The Mage's right arm swung back and repelled Kanae's slash, the sight of moving thread alarming her.
'Isn't that too dangerous?!' She thought as she landed in a low crouch, Ken's dropkicking form coming overhead to slam into Obito's crossed arms, the Mage thrown off his feet before he recovered with ease.
The next second, there was a surge of heat as Kanae found something swinging out into her side.
She choked as Obito's leg sent her flying before he flipped up into a handstand and swung out again.
Ken's straight and hook hit the air before a foot nailed him in the cheek.
Obito threw his entire body into that kick and brought the brawler into the wall.
'They're truly amazing,' he thought, kipping up onto his feet and dodging a floor-splitting axe before Akari found him snaked around her. "But the difference in experience is large."
His hands chopped into the sides of her neck and had her body locking up, the Uchiha wrapping her up in thread as Ken left the wall with a roar of challenge.
Only for the floor to engulf him in a Woven Beast, a large clamping maw of steel-like toughness that shot up the roof with a powerful explosion.
Kanae hissed on one knee. 'I guess this only makes sense,' an amazingly painful amount.
Obito Uchiha was a Mage after all… And he'd been fighting them purely on their playing field before now.
'Throw in magic and suddenly we're not doing so hot,' God, she was crying over here!
Give her some hot Mage action, dammit!
"Do you yield?" Obito asked her, the swordswoman's teammates groaning in their restraints. "Kanae Tawata?"
She found her breath.
The air surged around her, shooting up in a flaring tower of magic as she stood on solid feet.
"In any other situation, yeah, I would be," she grinned as her stance widened, body enveloped by a swirling of red that coiled around her feet and caused her uniform to tighten. "But I ain't even hit ya with my best technique!" The thrumming energy tripled in intensity.
'Spirit Artes, high magic power, and grand control,' Obito's Sharingan copied it all, the flow of her powers moving about the woman's body in a contained cyclone that filled every inch of her being. "Very well," he whispered as his form enlarged as thread spun around him in a black and red ball of-
Kanae's eyes widened as the feeling alone carved into the ground surrounding them, that impossibly tall figure within that hazy ball of power looking back at her with those powerful red eyes.
Her body coiled it all together as she grinned a warrior's smile.
It was a 'blink and you'll miss it' moment.
Not one of the three on the sidelines did, they watched with awe and bated breaths as crimson red met crimson red.
"Moshen."
And then the wall opposite them crunched in all at once as He stood with his back to the blade-swung Kanae, the woman's Skill cut off in full before she hit her feet.
"You're amazing, Kanae-san," Obito said, that orb dispersing to reveal the normal-looking man within. "Thank you for your time," he bowed to the trio as he let down a groaning Ken and the whining Akari, the Healer helped by a series of kind bands on her limbs.
She slowly walked over as the trio on the sidelines ran up to them.
"All good?" Jin-Woo asked the embarrassed Healer as Obito carried her comrades to them, gently laying them out to reveal their torn-up-Whoa. "Uh-oh," he held his face as Jin-Ho and Kei looked away with red cheeks.
Obito covered Kanae's torn-up clothes in an instant, eyes focusing slowly on the facepalming Akari. "Sorry," he said, eyes covered by a quickly-woven blindfold.
"Oh, man," Akari whined.
~NRK~
Kanae covered her face as Obito cooked in the kitchen, Kei, Jin-Woo, and Jin-Ho looking away from her recently-dressed state.
"Apologies, again," the Mage in the kitchen said to them.
Ken cleared his throat as Akari wore a weak smile.
No one spoke for the entirety of dinner.
~NRK~
The final day, Friday, they simply walked around Tokyo and looked at the views.
"Hmm," Jin-Ho looked around, a bag of sweets in his arms. "I'm honestly surprised by how much the people respect you all," he said politely.
The time it'd taken for them to walk here, the people had bowed as one and/or offered sweets.
Like these delicious mochi!
Eating one of the sweets had him smiling as they talked about the state of things.
"Wait, what?" Jin-Woo blinked, Jin-Ho looking slackjawed as Obito frowned. "Jeju Island?" That place?
"Yes, from what the higher-ups say, there's been a bit of trouble as of late," Akari told them as they walked up some temple steps. "Sights of Ants have been seen on a far-coast of Japan," she frowned as they stopped atop a large hill.
"W-What?!" The Tank looked horrified as the Shadow Lord frowned.
"That's not good," Jin-Woo kissed his teeth. "In fact, that means those things are evolving at such a high pace things are gonna get bad," his mind was set.
"Hmm…" Obito looked thoughtful as he looked over this amazing view of Tokyo. "... I don't think it'll be that bad," he smiled, confusing the entirety of them. "In fact, the coming Raid will likely be the best opportunity to finally reconquer Jeju Island," the S-Rank Mage smirked.
"Uncle… I mean, it's likely gonna be easier with you around," the man's nephew chuckled as Jin-Ho looked alarmed at them.
"Y-You guys, Jeju's serious!" The Tank said.
"And I'm going to level it alongside Jin-Woo, Jong-In, and whoever else can use Fire Magic," Obito said simply like he was solving 2+2. "My fight with Dong-Su should show I have more than enough high-scale attacks but that's not everything," the Mage added. "The principles of my thread are very potent alongside fire and I'm sure we could collectively cover Jeju Island in magic power and thread."
The Draw Sword Guild members' eyes widened at the Uchiha's grin.
"H-Hey, easy, there's, uh, no need for that," Kanae said even as a bead of sweat fell down her cheek. 'Oh shit, he's serious,' which made this whole situation very problematic.
"We should probably practice one of these days, though," Obito said. "Best to do it with the knowledge in us-"
There was a large shuddering sound, one that all on the hill were quite familiar with.
Their eyes went down the hill to see a large glowing blue portal of mana, a powerful one, that had them blinking in surprise.
"A Gate?" Jin-Ho gawked. "I-I mean, well… Yeah," he said lamely.
"No, this should be fun," Obito said as he walked down to it. "Let's go and see how much of my words are real, yes?" He told them as Jin-Woo grinned beside him, Jin-Ho hurrying after the two.
"Guys, wait up!"
Watching them go, Kanae's eyes went flat before she hurried down. "Let's see how good he really is!" She ordered as her teammates gave chase.
~NRK~
Stepping through the Gate had come with a few surprises.
One, it was a Field-Type, how fortuitous.
Two, it was in a world of sand as far as the eye could see.
"Oh, this is a bit annoying," Akari frowned. "While I have my doubts, you guys can't just run into here, this is gonna take time."
Obito looked out over the sands, eyes glowing before his Terrain spread out from his transformed feet.
"No, in fact," he smirked as his body thrummed with red. "This might be perfect."
His domain of power gained that powerful hue before sand turned into a wasteland.
The Japanese Hunters' throats constricted as the heat remained the same but the land changed.
I-It changed into a hellish scape that had dancing Shadows moving around it at the very breath of their master.
Jin-Ho's jaw dropped along with them. "G-Guys?!" He looked awed, stars in his eyes.
"One moment, Jin-Ho, the boss should be coming out soon," Obito smiled. "After all, it must hate cement."
There was a rumble throughout burning buildings, canyons, and 'city'.
One that came from far away, a large spiky-furred multi-eyed wyrm with a tan hide, a brown underside, and a large number of gnarly horns.
"Nephew?"
"Mage Infantry, Arise."
Three of his Shadows, his trio of 'Mages', formed as Obito held out his hand.
Half the landscape transformed into thread, all the cords, the wire, and the spatial material tying down that A-Rank Boss with some difficulty before it roared, the air above it filling with powerful currents.
"Fire!" Jin-Woo ordered as his Shadows released their fireballs down a long trio of formed cords.
As the flames reached it, Obito held up a handsign, a familiar one.
"Katsu."
~NRK~
Leaving the Gate had the Draw Sword Guild looking… Well?
They were shitting BRICKS.
Meanwhile, Jin-Woo grinned at his two new levels and materials he kept for Obito's work while Jin-Ho's jaw hadn't picked itself up from the floor.
Obito smiled. "Now, imagine all of that with an S-Rank Fire Mage," he chuckled.
Their pale skin hadn't changed. In fact, they got paler.
"Oh shit," Ken said.
"?!" Akari seemed frozen in time.
"..." Kei was awed.
"O-Obito-kun, buddy, baby," Kanae grinned weakly at him. "Never use that in a city, please, we're ALL weak to fire."
Obito sweatdropped. "I'm not trying to do anything like that," he said sheepishly.
~NRK~
Watching their plane go had not filled Ryuji Goto with confidence.
Especially after seeing Akari's video of the… Of the demonstration.
The Japanese Hunter Bureau Chairman looked catatonic as Ryuji grimaced at the table.
"I…" The forever proud swordsman looked horribly hesitant at that moment.
With just the work of two Mages, nay, a Mage, a man of confusing Class, and the former's SMITHING successes… They'd decimated a small city.
That wasn't hyperbole, that was some exaggeration, that wasn't even a bit of fear confusing them.
They'd leveled a mile of land in ONE MOVE.
And ignoring the ease at which said duo had done it? This wasn"t good, no, this was very bad.
"I believe the plan needs to find itself in the grave," Kanae stressed nervously. "I-It'd probably be a good idea to not do what we were planning to do, Ryuji-sama, Chairman-dono."
The Bureau man fainted.
"Y-Yeah, that seems fair."
~NRK~
Getting back to Korea had them teleporting to the apartment and going inside.
Where they found Joo-Hee and Jin-Ah messing with Terrain Bangles that formed a concentrated circle of glowing healing magic.
"What are you girls doing?" Jin-Woo asked.
"Trying out what we can do with shuushuu's bangles," Jin-Ah grinned. "Everything go well?"
"Yep," the older sibling said as he came over and dropped into the couch beside Joo-Hee, his girlfriend smiling at him. "Shuushuu will likely be working on those Cores immediately."
"Of course," Obito said. "But a little rest won't kill me, best to find some food."
"Oh, right, we finished our concepting," Joo-Hee smiled. "O-Our clothes are finished in design."
"Oh yeah?" Jin-Ho asked from behind Jin-Ah's seat, the youngest Sung grinning.
"Yep! We went for a 'unified front' kind of bunch of uniforms. We'll get it to shuushuu as soon as he's done with the cores."
"I got four of them so that means I can use two for Kyung-Hye's body first. I want to make sure she can handle them properly," Obito said as he went to the kitchen and put on some eggs, cheese, and tomatoes. "I'll have to look into some medical books, Anh."
"I'll be here!" The to-be doctor grinned.
~NRK Out~