Chapter 25: Delphic

The next day, at 2 o'clock sharp, Hit walked into Riveria's study. It had been embarrassingly difficult to find, located away from the manor for some godforsaken reason. The room was rather spacious, containing several desks and chairs, and an open space covered in singe marks. Bookcases were oddly sparse, restricted to the point furthest away from any singes, and were protected by a glass barrier. Vials of colourful liquid adorned some shelves, mostly green in colour.

Hit sweatdropped. 'Just how dangerous is this place to need so many healing potions? And why is someone's imprint on the singed floor?'

Moving on, Hit meandered towards the source of intermittent scribbling sounds. Riveria sat writing notes in an ornate notebook, completely focused on the task. Green locks of hair snaked their way past her pointed ears and touched upon a pair of small glasses, held by the elf's dainty nose. Unexpectedly, Riveria was not alone. Hit crossed his arms. "I thought this would be private."

Riveria stiffened a little, before placing her pen into its holder. "Ah, Mr Hit. Forgive me, I was lost in thought. It's good to see you."

Hit tapped a foot, not looking very impressed. Riveria tilted her head, in mock innocence.

"Is there an issue, Mr Hit? You were invited to my private lesson. In fact, I did specify for you to "meet us" at 2 o' clock. Do not worry, this is Lefiya Viridis, my pupil. Any words spoken here will not leave the room, I assure you." The shrewd elf wanted her protégée to learn from Hit as well. In addition, Lefiya could sometimes gleam magical information that she herself could not.

Hit directed his attention to the unwanted guest, who jumped a little. Her straw-coloured hair ruffled up for what must have been the hundredth time. Lefiya shrunk under his gaze and spoke in a quiet voice. "Ah...um...H-Hello...Don't mind me..."

Hit clicked his tongue and sat down. 'Scheming elf... Whatever, this twig doesn't seem to be of great importance.' "Let's just begin the session"

Riveria closed her notebook with a snap and placed her hands on her lap. "Excellent. Firstly, I congratulate you on gaining your first magic. I must say, we're quite interested in learning how exactly you taught yourself. Does it involve generating energy?"

Hit's eye twitched at the oddly specific question. 'Guess I can't just skip past that part. Why did I have to open my fat mouth...'

"This will take some time. Be sure to listen closely, as I'm only going to explain the process once."

Like satellite dishes, the two elves' ears swivelled into position, and the two women gained determined... and hungry... expressions.

With that, Hit began...

...

…

…

Beautifully braided hair flopped in loose bundles, and clean robes were terribly creased. Riveria felt like she was an ignorant child again. "But how did you sense this 'energy' in the FIRST PLACE!? What does any of... this ... mean!?"

The quiet discussion had quickly devolved into desperate pleas, as Riveria simply could not understand what was in front of her, waving her hands over the piece of paper like it was an alien artifact. Hit had, oh so kindly, drawn an impossibly ornate magic circle, embedded with foreign symbols and mind-numbing mathematical formulae, supposedly to help them understand his point of view. Unfortunately, the document only served to vex the poor elves.

Hit rubbed his forehead, dejectedly. This is not how he expected the conversation to go. At least the tables had been turned, he supposed. "All I can tell you, is that I could sense, and draw upon, a magical energy reserve after precise meditation and visualisation techniques. Your own literature contains hints to this, describing means to control and mould an energy of some kind. From these instructions, anyone capable of using magic can reverse engineer the energy and generate it themselves. Once a person possesses the energy, they can create a spell of their own design. I honestly don't know what more you want from me..."

*Ping*

Crystalline spectacles plummeted from Riveria's nose as she gaped at the boy. Reverse engineer!? How could anyone reverse engineer magic itself!?

"Crazy. Completely insane. Am I losing my mind!?...Lefiya? LEFIYA!?"

Riveria's eyes bulged at her pupil, who swayed back and forth, looking at the sheet in front of them, longingly. "Wheee... all the pretty numbers are dancing... hihihi..."

Hit huffed and raised his hands. "Alright, that's enough. I see now that I made a terrible mistake. Let me start over and explain it more simply..."

'I guess these people really are stupid.'

This was a rather arrogant opinion from Hit; however, this level of mathematical knowledge wasn't too rare across his multiverse. How could sentient life, thousands of years ahead of ours, develop such technological marvels without it? Intergalactic travel, not to mention inter-universal travel, would be impossible.

Riveria huffed and gritted her teeth, very much offended at her own ineptitude. "P-please proceed, Hit."

It seems that formalities and honorifics went out the window in this stressful situation.

...

...

"Ok... ok...! I'm beginning to grasp this. Once you remove the... 'energy'... component it becomes comprehensible. Riveria looked at the much simpler notes, far more calmly; although, the word 'energy' was spat out rather venomously. "Such an esoteric magic... this equation revolves around time, you said? Is it linked to your skill? I simply cannot understand how you would otherwise know of its intricacies so deeply..."

Hit froze abruptly, but managed to bluff his way out. "Hm? How would that work, precisely? Adventurers have no control over their skills, and mine merely involves slipping to where I want to be..."

Riveria's cheeks heated up, embarrassed at what she now believed to be a silly question. "I see...Yes, of course, skills and magic are very rarely related. Forgive me, truly; this is not the impression I wanted to convey. I must look quite foolish." Riveria bowed her head, not bothering to adjust the strands of hair that flopped down. She had not felt so useless in decades. Lefiya had recovered and looked quite saddened at her teacher's state.

On the other hand, Hit was elated by this outcome. If these mages barely managed to gleam anything about his abilities; whereas, he snuck off with all their knowledge, it'd be the best trade deal in the history of trade deals. Also, Hit supposed that he should not be too harsh on them. "We obviously have incredibly distinct approaches to the use of magic. As long as we both learn something today, we can consider this meeting a success."

Riveria smiled lightly and readjusted her hair. "Yes, you're absolutely correct. Thank you, Mr Hit. Now, let me teach you about our magic. Although, I doubt it will be of much use to you...

...

Hit had not been left behind during Riveria's explanation, which hurt the elf's pride a little. Much of the lesson was already known to him, such as difference between congenital and acquired magic; ignis fatuus (when magic self-destructs due to lack of control); mind down... Novel terms included spell keys: words that the mage could recite to alter the effect of the magic (e.g.: a word to trigger the explosion of homing projectiles). Magic slots became progressively harder to unlock, with some mages being restricted to one or two, no matter how many grimoires they used. However, there were still some topics that were hard to grasp. "Hold on... you cannot move while chanting? Simply being able to fight while singing is considered a high-level technique?" He nearly snickered at the ridiculousness of such a limitation.

Riveria's ears waved about at the comment. "Yes, concurrent chanting is likened to priming a bomb with both hands, while fighting at the same time. The chance of failing a chant, or being unable to control the magic power, is quite high. And it isn't singing, Mr Hit, it is a complex assembly of words that together form a tapestry, known as a spell."

Hit was not too impressed; it sounded like a waste of time. "Uh-huh, so why exactly does chantless magic, such as mine, exist. It renders chanting obsolete."

Riveria's brows curved a little in annoyance, cross at the slight against complex magic. "Chanting renders magic more adaptable and powerful. The longer the chant, the more powerful the spell. Chant magic also tends to act on a larger scale, and for a longer duration."

Hit had to admit, it would be quite useful to adjust the parameters of spells in that fashion. Still, he was quite glad to have created a chantless spell. Either it worked, or it didn't. Hit had resolved to use magic as more of a support role, so chanting would not be of much use to him. "Fine, I accept there are some advantages. Although, I'd lose my mind if had to repeat several verses every time I wanted to use [Time Lag]."

Lefiya had grown much more relaxed over the course of their interaction, and giggled a little at Hit's comment, fully understanding how annoying it was to learn spell verses.

Hit realised that the elves hadn't actually provided any specific examples to spells during their explanation. "Speaking of which, what spells do you two know? You already know about my [Time Lag]."

Riveria smiled at Hit, mischievously. "It isn't exactly a secret, Mr Hit... Haven't you been discussing these topics with your peers?"

Hit huffed and tapped his fingers on the table. Obviously, he hadn't bothered with that nonsense.

Riveria stifled a giggle with a cough. "Then I shall begin. Thanks to my chant connection, I can technically cast nine spells. «Vas Windheim» is split into three levels: «Wynn Fimbulvetr» (an extreme cold magic); «Rae Laevateinn» (a wide area annihilation magic); and «Vas Windheim», the pinnacle of my attack magic. It is a super long chant magic that can negate a difference in levels. I also possess the healing magic, «Van Alheim», which is split into «Fil Eldis», «Luna Aldis», and «Van Alheim», which possess increasingly potent healing capabilities, at the expense of increased mind usage. Finally, «Via Shilheim» acts as our familia's strongest defensive magic, and is split into «Liv Ilusio»; «Veil Breath» (a spell that increases the target's resistance to both magical and physical attacks, and heals them slightly); and «Via Shilheim», a spell that creates a barrier that completely negates physical and magical attacks. By condensing the chant length, I can alter the strength and properties of each of my magics, to generate novel ones. That is what chant connection can ultimately achieve. Do you still believe that chanting is pointless?"

Hit's eyes widened, eliciting a proud look from the royal elf. Hit quickly regained his cold exterior, although was quite shocked on the inside. 'I suppose they both have their merits... Her Fairy anthem skill drastically increases the power of spells based on their chant length. «Vas Windheim» must be ridiculously destructive, also empowered by her other skill, Alf Regina.'

Riveria picked up Hit's original piece of paper, eyes narrowing at the strange object. "Interestingly, «Wynn Fimbulvetr» is said to be able to freeze the time of those affected by it. Perhaps our spells are somewhat alike..."

Hit's curiosity was very much peaked. Were some aspects of her magic circle similar to his? "That is quite the coincidence... May I see its magic circle?"

Riveria smiled bitterly at the boy. "Unlike you, I cannot simply design such a complex diagram in minutes. Particularly, when chant magic is far more intricate. I will prepare a page for you and deliver it in the coming days."

Hit nodded at the executive, pleased. He'd be able to perform much deeper analysis without any prying eyes. "That is acceptable."

He then turned to the short girl, who had not spoken yet, apart from her brief greeting. Hit wasn't expecting too much, but knowledge was always useful.

Lefiya performed her usual awkward shuffling, dropping a pencil on the floor. "M...me? Well... my magic isn't too amazing, compared to Lady Riveria's. I can cast fire attack magic, «Fusillade Fallarica», a tracking magic called «Arcs Ray», and I can summon any other elf magic using «Elf Ring»...

Hit became even more surprised than after Riveria's explanation. «Elf Ring» was a ridiculous useful spell. Furthermore, the youngling had already unlocked three spell slots!

"Not amazing? Are you hearing yourself? With enough training, and your «Elf Ring», you could become the greatest mage on the planet."

..

Any mage from Hit's original multiverse would, sadly, be able to obliterate them both quite easily. Riveria could potentially hinder them, if she could actually buy enough time for her cumbersome chanting. A "paparapapa!" from the wizard Babibi could brainwash the girls, or teleport the small fries to a planet without an atmosphere; and a magic touch from monster carrot would transform the elves into tasty carrots.

..

Lefiya gained a flustered expression, whilst Riveria smiled and looked at Hit, approvingly. "G-greatest!? There's no way I could surpass Lady Riveria! ...A-at least not for a very, very long time".

Riveria nodded proudly at her overly nervous student. For Lefiya, it was almost like being praised for her magic was far more difficult to deal with, than battling any monster. "Hit speaks the truth, thousand elf. Not to mention how you're one of the youngest level threes."

Hit took back his prior disrespect. This elf was far more powerful than she seemed. "Truly?"

Lefiya scratched the back of her head, quite embarrassed. At least it was better than her getting a big head.

Hit also recognised the danger she posed to any elf trying to keep their magic a secret. He did not know what the activation conditions were; however, if someone took his magic, he'd be absolutely furious. "Too bad I'm not an elf, tiny, or you would be able to steal my magic."

Lefiya's red cheeks grew even more pink, this time due to outrage. "H-Hey! I haven't stolen anyone's magic!"

It was a particularly sore point, as it was difficult for Lefiya to make friends with any other elves, who were too afraid of someone taking their magic. Thankfully, she had recently made a new acquaintance: Filvis Challia.

Riveria acted as the usual mother figure and rescued her pupil. "Now, now. Lefiya does not steal spells, she makes sure to ask the bearer beforehand. Do you have any further questions for us, Mr Hit?"

Hit remembered that elves apparently were known to use magic innately. Shouldn't they already know how to generate the required energy? Are they just pretending not to know? "Yes, I was wondering how magic operates for elves. I read that a falna is not required for you."

Riveria nodded her head, although was not too enthusiastic about the topic. "You are correct. To be precise, Flare Burn is an elven magic developed by us prior to the falna, although very few of us use it nowadays, since it is inferior to magic used by the blessed. In fact, I am one of the only practitioners in Orario, who has undertaken the necessary rituals, passed down through generations. The overly long chants, also make it rather unsuited for battle within the dungeon."

Hit nodded at her, satisfied by the explanation. 'Rituals passed on through the generations? I guess even they don't know the intricacies of the system... if their magic is inferior, then why did that elf view humans as a lesser race?'

This strange magical offshoot reminded Hit of just how different elves were compared to the other races... and how they may perceive others. Hit interlocked his fingers and adopted a serious look. "Next question. Do you view other races as beneath you?"

Riveria's brows shot up in surprise at the sudden accusation. "No, I do not. Why do you ask?"

Hit slumped a little in relief. "I had a... disagreement... with an elf who particularly enjoyed preying on 'inferior' humans."

Riveria seemed to age as she breathed out, heavily. "I cannot deny that some of our race view themselves as superior. It's a belief that is instilled into us at birth, in the forest. We're doing the best we can to break the cycle, here in Orario. It pains me to admit that even I had a superiority complex when I first joined the familia, feeling natural enmity towards Finn and Gareth. I now understand how foolish I was."

Hit was glad to finally have confirmation that not all elves shared that terrible belief, and tasked himself with sorting out the next mystery. "Back to my magic, there is still something that is hindering me..."

Riveria's eyes shone again, glad to be dragged away from her thoughts of the Alf's Royal Forest and her controlling father.

"…When I first unlocked my [Time Lag], I received a deafening ringing or singing sound in my head, like a hive of bees had suddenly materialised there. Not to mention the odd balls of light that flew about the place. I managed to mostly suppress the nuisances, through meditation; however, there is still an eery feeling and nagging buzzing whenever I do anything related to magic. Do you have any idea what this could be?"

The two elves sat stunned, looking at Hit as if he were a mythical figure. Riveria chose to explain Hit's unusual condition. "What you just described... sounds like you have been contacted by spirits, or greater spirits.

Hit recognised the name, first mentioned by Ais. According to the quiet girl, they could help people in some manner. Riveria gathered herself and pushed through her shock.

"...These beings can empower individuals with the use of contracts, should you prove yourself worthy. More mundane members of their race: gnomes; undines; sylphs; and salamanders, roam the world like we do. More powerful ones can bestow a power of some kind, usually involving a specific element. However, I have never heard of time spirits..."

The grassy haired elf looked pensive, thinking back to her own experiences. "It takes quite a lengthy time to form a contract with spirits, depending on your affinity. All elves share a certain kinship with them, potentially shortening this. I myself can communicate with them on a basic level. Unfortunately, nearly all greater spirits have perished, at least those that we know of. I suggest that you attempt contacting them again, when you're stronger; you shouldn't allow this rare opportunity to pass. However, you were correct to protect yourself initially; a spirit's blessing comes with serious risks for those who are not ready. Reduced lifespan is one of many blights that can arise from their power."

Hit gave her a noncommittal look, nonplussed. "I'm getting along just fine on my own, and I don't need any more pests bothering me. As you said, I can worry about them later."

'Hm. A lenghy time, even for an elf? Lefiya is apparently quite young for a level three, but is she young for her race? How much time has it taken for Riveria to gain such powerful magic, and a connection to spirits? Also, how does their age affect this universe's apparent cycle of reincarnation, I read about. Are elves always destined to reincarnate as elves? It's all so foreign compared to my previous universe.'

Hit looked Riveria up and down, unable to pinpoint her age. The elf in question looked rather perplexed at the sudden interest. Lefiya had taken to reading a book, sipping from a glass. "How old are you?"

Riveria froze.

Lefiya spat out her drink, flooding the table. "E-EEEEHHH?!"

*tick*

*tick*

*tick*

A few seconds passed on a nearby clock, as no one said a word. Lefiya glanced worriedly at her teacher, expecting royal fury. The moment lasted for an eternity, until Riveria recovered. "...It is quite rude to ask a lady such a thing, Mr Hit. If you must know, I am a little over ninety."

Hit was unaffected by the shift in atmosphere and continued on as if nothing happened. "What? Is that all? You're all practically children..."

The two elves sat agape; nothing could have prepared them for Hit's reaction.

Lefiya stood up stiffly, nearly falling off her chair, and moved off in small steps, towards a faraway table. "I'm uh... Just going to leave you two to it, and... do some independent reading..." She wore a shaky smile that threatened to break.

Riveria was at a loss for words. Noone had called her a child or immature in ages. "You speak as if you are not young yourself. Why do you perceive me so? And why the sudden interest?"

Hit toyed with his paper, not expecting the question to arise such a strong reaction. "Hm... I was merely uncertain as to how long a lengthy time was to you. I have also been doing some research on various topics and found that reincarnation exists in this world…"

Hit thought back to his own universe, and it's intricate web of dimensions...

In Hit's multiverse, when someone dies, their soul passes on to the other world, where they are judged by a higher deity, such as King Yemma, in the case of Earth's afterlife. The spirit then passes on to either heaven or hell. Heaven-bound souls even get to ride on a special airplane, from an airport near King Yemma's palace, to the planet called 'heaven'. No, this is not a scientology brainwashing session, this is a Dragon Ball cosmos lore dump!

Most people enter the afterlife as spirits: nothing but cloudy whisps. Great heroes, such as Goku and his friends, are granted the privilege of keeping their physical bodies in heaven, for training purposes or, in the case of Toriyama, for relaxation. Dead warriors use half as much energy as when alive, and time passes quite languidly here, making the afterlife the perfect eternal training ground... Or torture chamber, in the case of hell.

Other planets are also present here, housing deities, such as the kais and grand kai. In addition, the celestial bureaucracy (e.g.: ogres) are tasked with running day-to-day activities in heaven and hell, guiding, or punishing when needed. Particularly evil individuals are subjected to torture by heaven's angels, another force of the bureaucracy, at least in Earth's hell. One such case was Frieza's punishment, where the angels enjoyed themselves greatly, singing and dancing for many years.

The kaioshin realm exists completely separate from all other realms, and orbits the macrocosm (containing the Afterlife, demon realm, and universe) like a moon. This plane is home to the creation gods: the supreme kais, grand supreme kais, and their assistants; and can only be accessed via high level teleportation (e.g.: kai-kai and instant transmission). Their unique vantage point allows them to monitor the universe and afterlife; however, even their eyes cannot pierce into the demon realm.

The Z fighters may have only ever entered the demon realm twice. The first time was when a young Goku travelled through the demon realm gate to rescue a princess kidnapped by a demonic martial arts master. Later, when Babidi teleported Goku, Vegeta, and Gohan to Dabura's home world, this may have been the second time mortals breached into the demon realm. Not much is known about this plane, other than that it should be avoided.

On an even greater scale, Chronoa acts as supreme kai of time and watches over the flow of time within the cosmos. She is an incredibly powerful magician, capable of freezing time, erasing timelines, and sealing entire realms in time prisons, using her Time Power Unleashed transformation.

Surprisingly, kais, supreme kais, and demon realm denizens likely arise from the same race: core people. This race resides on world core, a planet within an unknown region of the macrocosm, and its denizens are birthed from fruits of the world tree. Very rarely, a golden fruit is produced, resulting in a much more powerful core person. Around 80 core people reside on this celestial body at any time, and they spend their time living peacefully in a large castle, studying. When one of the kais or supreme kais dies, a lottery is held to choose a replacement. Only core people birthed from golden fruit can become supreme kais. Supreme kais are somehow linked to the Gods of destruction, incredibly powerful deities who destroy planets, races, or any other threats to the development of their universe. These beings are selected from mortals who show incredible potential and are trained by angels. Should a supreme kai perish, their linked God of destruction also meets their end.

It is unknown how core people become demons... Maybe they are born from a rotten fruit... Dark king Mechikabura must have been a particularly rancid one, as he became the demon realm's true ruler. Those killed by demons are unfortunately stuck forever in the land of limbo, unless resurrected somehow.

Despite the complexity of the system, there is no great cycle of souls within universe 7, and likely in any other of Hit's multiverses. Souls are a finite resource that spring into existence upon birth, and ultimately end up in heaven; naturally, or through redemption. Life is only a short chapter of their existence, with death being the beginning to a brand-new adventure. There is hardly ever an end to a being's existence here. Someone living within this complex system, would likely have a completely different philosophy on life and death than us. Of course, only a privileged few actually know of someone's fate after death in Hit's multiverse, such as particularly strong warriors; and savants, like master Zuno. In infinitesimally rare cases, those who judge souls, such as King Yemma, can select souls for reincarnation. In this case, the soul would be cleansed, using a soul cleansing machine, and reborn into a potentially good person. Only those who have performed particularly heroic deeds to balance out their evil deeds, or potential dangers to the otherworld, are given this privilege. This would have been Vegeta's fate, had he not been resurrected using the Dragon Balls.

On the other hand, in this new universe of gods and adventurers, souls are incredibly mobile entities, shuffled between different realms since humanity's conception. Upon death of the current host, the soul passes on to the realm of the gods, unless intercepted in the dungeon. Subsequently, they are reborn after a minimum of 1000 years. Those who die within the dungeon seem to reincarnate far more quickly. It is a taboo for Gods to enter the dungeon, due to it being the only mortal danger they possess. Were a god to die within this pit, their essence would be absorbed by the dungeon completely, never to exit again. They would not die, instead acting as a part of the 'organism' that is the dungeon. Hit wondered what would happen if he were to pass on here...

Back to the current conversation, Riveria blinked at the strange topic. "Of course, we exist in a great cycle of rebirth..."

Hit quite liked the concept, no annoying demons, or ogres. He had only lightly skimmed the subject, but had noted it down for future research material. "Yes, it's quite Interesting..."

'Is the soul of Hitch in this great cycle? I hope he can meet Mary again someday...' It was common for friends to meet one another in the otherworld of Hit's multiverse, sharing stories and greeting family members, previously only heard about in stories.

Riveria was still quite lost. Talking to Hit could sometimes be rather pleasant, infuriating, or confusing beyond measure. "Why do you ask?"

Hit settled into his chair, digesting their conversation. Unfortunately, he had only dived into the dungeon for a few hours prior to this meeting, and likely would not be going down again today. He still had to visit that smith, which would likely be unreasonably difficult, as always. "No reason... I simply remember memories from my past life, as I'm sure you do."

Hit chose not to say the unbelievable truth: that he did not originate from this realm; that his soul had travelled immeasurable distances from a world impossibly far away. His eyes had seen civilisations rise and fall, acquaintances grow old and pass on. Hit supposed that it was a white lie. Why were these people so immature though when they had the experiences of multiple lives?

Riveria sat stunned at the casual comment. It was unbelievable, souls were completely cleansed following death; it was impossible for any vestiges to remain. Hit had not learned of this, and likely would not come to the obvious conclusion, since souls in his universe were very rarely erased.

"That's... impossible. Any memories and personal features are eliminated prior to reincarnation. Obviously, I do not recall anything from my previous incarnations... Do you really remember something?"

Hit froze in horror. The idea of your soul being essentially destroyed was quite alarming; it was the absolute worst fate in his universe. And that was apparently considered normal here!? He had nearly had the privilege of experiencing erasure himself, had it not been for the grand priest.

'Cleanse a soul!? That's nothing like how death should work! I take back my positive comments on this world's reincarnation process. Well... since I was certainly destined for Hell, I'm not sure which is worse: losing your sentience or being tortured. Great, now I look insane. Today's lesson is to read a topic until the end of the chapter.'

"I did not know that... That sounds horrible. All I can remember is my fighting style, flashes of memories. Nothing more."

Riveria stared at him sternly, looking for any signs that he was lying. Hit spoke so assuredly; his very being and self-taught magic were so advanced and foreign in their design. Perhaps there was some truth to his words; it could be a system of magic, lost thousands of years ago. It would be the first time in history that a soul escaped being cleansed.

She shook her head, already quite overloaded with today's information dump. "Let's forget about that for now and do something more productive: demonstrate each other's magics. With that, our initial deal will be concluded."

Hit got up and stretched, cracking his neck. "Fine by me." He reached into his coat pocket and picked out a small magic stone: the first one he had acquired in this world. Technically, it was illegal to keep it, since he had killed the monster prior to joining a familia. He handed the pebble out to a confused Riveria. "I doubt you'll volunteer as a test subject, so I'll perform my magic on this stone."

Riveria thought for a moment, but her eyes twinkled when she spied something behind Hit.

"I have a better idea... Lefiya! Would you be so kind as to come over here?"

Lefiya startled, knocking over some writing utensils, and ran up to the two older adventurers. "I-I'm here! What do you need, Lady Riveria?"

Riveria interlocked her hands, giving her quite an authoritative look. "I would like you to help us test Hit's spell, [Time Lag]. A living target will be far more interesting."

Hit returned the stone to his pocket and looked at the incredibly fidgety girl, wondering why Riveria had refused his suggestion. 'She must want to test my magic on her guinea pig, to learn as much as possible from my demonstration.'

The young elf sweated bullets and attempted to interrupt her teacher; however, Riveria spoke first. Elven custom demanded that Riveria should be allowed to finish her piece. "Now, I'm sure that Mr Hit can vouch for the safety of this spell..." The elf looked at Hit for confirmation.

Hit thought back to the times he had used the technique in this world. Unfortunately, Hit had neglected to test its long-term effects, instantly killing any monster under its effect... except for that Ligerfang. '...the tiger didn't evolve because of my alien magic... did it?'

He looked the girl over. She really was quite small. "...Most likely."

'It's not exactly my priority that opponents live full lives after I'm done with them.'

This brief comment had the expected effect, and Lefiya's cheeks puffed up; tears strained to fall from her red eyes. "T-that didn't sound very convincing! Lady Riveria, I don't th..."

Hit interrupted her escape. "The effect is temporary and can be deactivated at any time. You're not the first living thing I have used this technique on. Just do as I say, and you'll be fine. Jump up for me, and I'll activate the spell."

Lefiya gathered herself and stood at the ready. "O-ok, if you're sure, Mr Hit."

She tensed her legs and sprung upwards, nearly striking the roof.

As soon as the elf's feet left the ground, Hit brought his hands together in the appropriate formation. Purple wisps flickered about his body and the world froze when his test subject reached her apex. Purple aura gathered around Lefiya as the spell activated, during Hit's time skip, ensnaring the brave girl. Hit deactivated his skill and put his hands away, turning towards a pleased Riveria.

The elf's eyes were glued to her pupil, who was floating downwards at a gentle pace. Her frilly clothes waved about gently as the air caressed them.

"Fascinating... I saw glimpses of it during your spar with Tiona, but your magic really is incredible. You could even use it to negate damage inflicted by a high fall... As expected, there is no visible magic circle, which proves that you designed the spell yourself… Can you accelerate her fall, or slow the descent further?"

Hit shook his head, disappointed it wasn't the case. "No, unfortunately, I can only activate or deactivate the effect. As I said, I still need to fine tune it. And... Magic circle? I thought those were only useful for designing spells..."

A tick mark appeared on Riveria's head. "They are not used for designing spells, Mr Hit, they arise naturally. You seem to be the only individual capable of reverse engineering magic. No, a magic circle merely materialises when someone's magic ability is boosted by the developmental ability, Mage. Although, Airmid Teasanare does not possess the ability, and yet her spells generate magic circles. There is still so much we don't know..."

Lefiya finally dropped to Earth and Hit deactivated his mental link to the spell. "W-wow! That was so strange! It's like I was falling through custard. I could barely recognise anything around me... That was pretty fun, Mr Hit!" The spry elf ran over to her notebook, scribbling down a flurry of notes.

Riveria smiled at her charge, before walking off towards the door. She passed Hit along the way, smirking at him. "It seems that we had nothing to worry about. Now, we will require a much larger arena for my demonstration. Please follow me."

Hit rolled his eyes at the boastful elf and followed after her. The two mages exited the room and headed towards the training grounds. The thump of the door startled poor Lefiya, who scampered after them.

Author's Notes

Toriyama really did make such an amazing afterlife. There's nothing else quite like it…