Ryuga sat on a piece of log with his eyes fixated on the blue-eyed girl. His hands absentmindedly rubbed the fluffy fur of the pink fox, who seemed to be sleeping with one eye open.
This girl, Manaka, seemed to cause the fox to remain overly cautious about her presence. However, Ryuga shared a different sentiment. His eyes flickered with amusement.
"So, what is it you want from me? Surely it's not to stop me from training," Ryuga questioned, his tone carrying a hint of curiosity.
Manaka's interest was piqued; she glossed over Ryuga's body; his arms had a fair amount of muscle, and his tight shirt revealed some of his growing abs.
Could physical training allow beastly howls to erupt all manners of the week? It seemed ludicrous. The moment Manaka locked eyes with Ryuga, she knew he was not a Magus at all, considering how potent his magical energy was.
Even now, it was constantly being discharged like sparks from a recently cut wire!
"My curiosity has gotten the best of me, compelling me to seek out the mysterious figure causing such a ruckus for a week."
"Ha! A little girl has more guts than those wimpy monks?" Ryuga raised his head as he began to laugh. Even his fox companion began to cackle.
"Anyway," Ryuga adopted a serious gaze. His eyes seemed to pierce through Manaka like a sharp blade. "I can sense something about you. You clearly possess some power, unlike those foolish monks."
"Oh? You have a very sharp sense if you can feel my mana," Manaka was trying to hide her magical presence so she wouldn't alert any of the Tohsakas, the rulers of these lands.
"Mana? As in those fancy magic tricks?"
"Are you not aware of your very own mana? That could explain why the entire area is reeking with it."
Ryuga looked at the fox for a moment before raising his gaze back to Manaka. He couldn't feel any deceit from her words, or presence for that matter.
"You're telling me such a power exists?" Ryuga wanted confirmation, but his voice was unshaken, and his fingers twitched.
"Yes, but the correct term would be Magecraft. Only a select few individuals can truly wield True Magic," Manaka elaborated, her eyes carefully scanning for any changes in Ryuga's demeanor.
Ryuga remained silent, creating an eerie atmosphere as he let the news sink into his core. This new world worked on magic tricks.
Magic tricks, of all things.
The thought of that sounded extremely funny to him, but at the same time, it could explain a lot of the supposed metamorphosis L-Drago is going through.
Was his Bey absorbing the mana in the air? It was just a theory, but it seemed more factual than anything else.
However, Ryuga's mind drifted to the possibilities of learning this power. He could attain more power here and shatter through his limitations. The hungry glint in his eyes didn't go unnoticed by Manaka, whose lips curved as if she won the jackpot.
"Interesting, very interesting," Ryuga muttered, his mind seemingly moving on to how to harness the supposed mana coursing through him and, by extension, L-Drago.
"You seem knowledgeable on this, and you even came here to greet me. I suppose you want something?"
"Indeed,"
"What is it?"
"You."
In a space where time and space can be convoluted, with a mesmerizing blue background with red highlights, a simple throne floated aimlessly in the center.
A man, seemingly in his mid-sixties to early seventies, sat comfortably on the throne. His crimson pupils flickered like a firefly in the clutches of darkness. He wore a stylish black tuxedo with golden highlights and a black cape with a gold outline. He possessed elderly white hair slicked back and a white beard and sideburns.
His eyes were keenly drawn to his book or grimoire. Curious, his right hand rubbed his chin as he scanned a page. The page, normally full of words and scripts, rapidly twisted and disappeared as if contemplating a heavy choice.
"This world-line is constantly changing," The red-eyed man said to no one but himself. Despite the situation, his tone wasn't full of worry but eager excitement!
"A new variable, perhaps?" The man flipped the page, and his eyes shrunk. "Amazing! This world has completely changed due to this variable."
You may have guessed it already, but the person in question is, indeed, Zelretch, the trickster to some and an aspiring figure to most.
"Hmm, Shirou Emiya, normally one to become a Hero Of Justice in some worlds, has become…OH! That's quite a dramatic change."
Zeltrech flipped the page again, and his eyes sparked with a child-like glee.
"Could this mean the return of…" Zeltrech suddenly adopted a serious attitude. "This new variable may just be able to defeat that. She would meet that child in most worlds, but what if I…yes, that's perfect."
"HAHAHA!" With a boisterous laugh escaping his lips, Zelretch continued to flip through the pages; the once boring and dull script there previously was now filled with an intriguing story, one Zelretch felt he might be able to fit himself in.
As Ryuga held the pink fox in his hands, he couldn't resist the urge to rub his nose. The hair on his neck bristled with a foreboding feeling.
Ryuga decided to take Manaka's deal, which led to him walking alongside her at the moment. He wasn't going to let such a golden opportunity slip past him.
The deal was quite simple. Ryuga would entertain Manaka with the choices he'll eventually make, in exchange, she'll help him learn about Magecraft.
It was a simple trade-off, one that would benefit both of them. One sought entertainment, while the other pursued power; both usually aligned with one another, making it easy for both parties.
Although Ryuga would normally scoff at the thought of entertaining others, a change of pace wouldn't hurt anyone.
As the two silent Individuals walked, they saw a brown, twin-tailed-haired girl dressed in school uniform. She looked to be around 6 or 7, but the moment they walked past one another, Ryuga couldn't help but rub his nose again.
He didn't know what was happening all of a sudden, but he didn't like it at all.
"That girl…" Manaka murmured.
"It's just a little girl," Ryuga dismissed, although his nose began to itch ever since he walked past said girl.
"You're right, she's not important," Manaka agreed with a nod, though a hidden spark hid in her aquamarine eyes.
…
After another fifteen minutes of walking, Manaka and Ryuga arrived at the Sajyou Fuyuki Compound. It was a standard Japanese house, which tells how serious the consequences of interloping Magi could face when found by the owners of these lands.
Walking inside, Ryuga immediately took off his shoes, considering it was a sign of respect, and so far, Ryuga respected the girl who invited him there.
"Sister, you're back…"
"Yes, Ayaka," Manaka patted Ayaka's head softly.
Ryuga looked at the exchange for a moment and nodded approvingly.
"It's good to look over your family."
Ayaka stumbled back as she saw the teenager a few feet behind his sister. She felt the strong and oppressive aura radiating from him, almost making her want to faint.
"Oh, she's quite strong enough to resist, better than those monks, at least, hahaha!" Ryuga complimented Ayaka's willpower with a laugh.
"Please don't patronize my sister," Manaka sighed, resisting the urge to faint, but she kept a brave facade.
"Alright, I'll play along now; teach me some magic tricks!"
AN: Zelretch schemes again. I wanted to add some plot points before I forget to do them, so I'll be planning those ahead to make it smoother when I start them.
I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.
BlankSlate00 - Yeah, Kirei is an interesting character, but with Ryuga's existence, seeing their dynamic will be interesting.