Chapter 3
The simplest way to describe magic is the manipulation of a target by means thought of as impossible from a modern human's perspective. This is because no external tools are used to achieve a desired result, like lighting a fire without a lighter or candle.
The target here can be anything, ranging from the self to the world. Similarly, manipulation also has a broad range with effects ranging from unnoticeable and subtle to as visible as a sore thumb and to even natural disasters like a tsunami or hurricane.
In terms of self, mages can make themselves strong enough to lift tons of weight or run faster than a cheetah - all feats impossible for the common man. Another example, though more subtle and usually impossible to detect for any outside observer, would be how Kyosuke is a master of his own mind, able to speed up his thoughts, recall any details from memory perfectly and even work on distinct tasks without any sign of degrading efficiency.
One of the most common manipulation of self that all beings with magic demonstrate is their long lifespans. Even unconsciously, every mage's magic will keep on improving their bodies in a way they can stay fit and healthy for longer periods of time.
Usually while regular humans start showing signs of ageing in their 50's and 60's despite their best efforts, most mages remain as active in their 60's as they were in their 40's. The best mages can even live for 300 years and it is only near their death do they show a rapid deterioration in health.
The rest of the time they cannot be differentiated from regular humans with a healthy lifestyle and many can even compare to the best athletes.
As for manipulation of the world - the conventional magic seen in any fiction is the most common example. Mages can create fire, lightning, wind, water and so on with a myriad of spells. Elemental magic is the most common and basic after all.
Then above that comes magic which is more difficult to learn such as healing magic, space magic, time magic, soul magic and so on. It is far more difficult to teleport from one place to another than creating a fireball. One involves manipulation of space, something which humans cannot do with the current technology while the other involves something which any human can recreate with a matchstick.
It is clear why there would be a big difference between their difficulty.
Now, when it comes to actually doing the magic and not just staying in the theory, there are three ways one can perform them.
The first and most prevalent way is by drawing on the myths of the various gods. This method first came into being when humans prayed to the gods and received some blessing in return. This allowed the human in question to perform feats previously impossible for them.
As this method saw repeated usage, people started coming up with various ways to obtain results that they desired, instead of simply hoping that they would be lucky enough that the result is according to their wishes and they do not suffer due to the whims of a deity.
So from simple prayers humans gradually moved to complex rituals such as various ceremonies which incorporated different steps like dancing, lighting incense or different types of woods and even sacrificing animals. In most extreme cases, sacrificing intelligent beings like humans or any of the other supernatural races was not out of the question if it meant more power would be received.
After the practice of writing spread for a long time and the emergence of early science, this method finally resulted in the creation of magic circles, that is, instead of using spoken words and movements to do magic, people started using written words to do the same.
A big advantage of this method is that a beginner can first learn the various symbols that are used in their magic system and then start on practical applications. This is far easier than jumping into the deep end by trying to do magic from the get go.
Different religions use different symbols representing their gods. But the gods are as feared as they are respected, so caution and reverence are both needed in equal measure when dealing with them. If you draw power from a god who is not willing, then a backlash is guaranteed if the drain is noticed by them.
Drawing small amount of power is usually not noticed by the gods. But for a faction which trains their members in a single category of magic, it is best to choose a god who is willing to lend their strength.
And there are many such gods. After all, lending their power means that the mages are worshipping the gods in question in a way, so it's a win-win for everyone.
But gods are not the only beings from whom mages can derive power. There are various spirits that exist in the world which, although not as powerful as the gods, are connected to the world in such a way that mages can draw power from them.
A major advantage of this is that you can draw power from more than one spirit at once. For example, in Japan, instead of drawing on Amaterasu's Authorities related to the sun, most mages focus on the various spirits in nature related to the sun.
Unlike the gods, in most cases these spirits are not sentient. And even if they are, they are not intelligent enough to actually comprehend what is happening and retaliate in anyway to stop it. To put it simply, it is like drawing water from a river. Since the river cannot really think, it will not take offense at the act.
The second method of doing magic is to rely on one's innate abilities. The various supernatural races all have some sort of power they can use which originates from themselves. They don't have to rely on any external help if the magic is related to this power, like the light powers of the angels and fallen angels and the various Clan Traits of the Pillar Devils.
Although humans do not have any set innate abilities, if they are lucky then they might be born with one. But these are in the minority and mostly happen to those who have traces of divinity in their blood.
There is a category of gods known as Mother Earth Goddesses. When any of them is killed as a Heretic God, they can choose to not return to the Domain of Immortality and instead continue on Earth as a Divine Ancestor.
A divine ancestor is stronger than most mortals but still a step beneath Heretic Gods and Campione. Descendents of these divine ancestors have a high chance of manifesting innate abilities. The same goes for the descendents of the Campione as well.
In very rare cases, as in rarer than even a Campione being born, a god might bless a woman and it would result in a demigod. These demigods are the hardest existences to predict when it comes to divining their birth.
Because gods do not have children like humans - they do not have sex and only mix a ton of divine power into the mother's mana - the birth of a demigod is even harder to predict than Campione.
One day all would be normal and the next thing you know some woman in your town has been blessed with a child and you are neighbours with a demigod. At least Campione can be predicted by the movements of Heretic Gods.
These demigods are basically invincible against anyone not a Heretic God or Campione. A few of the oldest magic lineages descend from such demigods. The most prominent example in Japan were the First Emperor's descendents, with Emperor Jinmu being a demigod. Though that line is extinct today, during their golden days they had an iron grip over Japan.
A niche category are people who might use divine materials in a ritual and as a result obtain some abilities. Though this is also very rare since most of the time the one performing the ritual would become greedy for more and end up dead due to an overload of power.
A divine beast is a being formed from myths which is not strong enough to become a god. So basically anything from the myths which is not a god can be said to be a divine beast.
These divine beasts are the most common source of divine materials and can be found in a large quantity in the depths of the Netherworld. These can range from being strong enough to match a Campione or Heretic God for a while to being weak enough that a group of elite mages can take one down.
Lastly, some people might be so proficient at a category of magic that they may be capable of manipulating their mana without the use of a magic circle, thus eliminating the need of an intermediary to draw on. If such people have children with partners with equal achievements in magic, after a few generations the children born will be able to do magic instinctively.
But such feats are only possible for those who are the absolute best because manipulating mana without magic circles is not a small task. It requires a lot of talent, a lot of hard work and a familiarity of magic which can only come from a long time of practice and research.
Only an Authority can change the world by willing it. That should tell enough about the difficulty of doing magic just by willing it, even if the effect is in no way comparable to that of an Authority.
The third and the newest method is an evolved form of the first method. Instead of drawing on the power of the supernatural beings, mages make more use of the world itself. Basically, you write an equation which takes mana in account and how it affects the world, how it interacts with the laws of physics and any other factors specific to that particular spell.
This is similar to a machine running on electricity. It's just that you are the one who has to assemble the machine and keep on improving and modifying it as time goes on.
If the formula is successful then magic is performed without relying on external factors. Needless to say, this method is very difficult because doing the calculations necessary is not for everyone - just as not everyone can do postgraduate or even PhD and ace them.
This is definitely the way of casting magic from DxD. Kyosuke remembers that human magic relied on calculations in DxD canon.
But because it makes one completely independent of a third party reliance, there are many organizations over the world who focus solely on this. Very few proponents of this approach even theorize that this might be the breakthrough needed for mages to gradually surpass the current limits and reach the level of divine beasts and even Campione in the far future.
Though the major mage associations and factions all scoff at the notion. The amount of calculations needed for that would be astronomical. And this is excluding the fact divinity does not follow any rules.
For a method which requires every factor possible be calculated, it all breaks down the moment something which cannot be calculated comes into the picture.
But that is not to say this approach is considered useless by the major factions. Since it has advantages of its own, they incorporate those advantages into their existing approach.
This gives rise to the most popular method among the major factions in current times - combining calculations with ancient mysticism. The aim becomes reducing the reliance on a third party as much as possible without making the spell so difficult that it defeats the purpose of changing the established way of doing magic.
None of the groups which last for centuries are fools. Their trump cards, which are usually grimoires which have an Authority sealed in them or high quality divine materials which have been process to be able to summon strong divine beasts, all rely on the old methods of magic.
Throwing it all away is madness. But trying to improve the spells used by all of their members is doable. It is also something that should be done.
The lesson on all this was quite interesting and all, but there was one point which Kyosuke instantly picked up on - which is as The Gamer, he does not need all those equations and calculations to do magic.
For him, magic is a matter of willing some phenomenon into existence hard enough. That is how he learned [Telekinesis, [Mana Bullet] and [Mana Shield].
Or if he cannot will anything into happening, which is the case more than 99 percent of the time, he has to keep repeating an action. Eventually he will learn some related Skill as his powers let him improve in the task and go beyond.
This second way is how he learned the various Mind Magics he knows like [Occlumency, [Parallel Processing] and [Thought Acceleration].
Fortunately he did not show off any spell without thinking, so no one knows he is capable of magic in a way only a demigod or someone with a lineage the world would consider noble might be. And with him lacking even a drop of divinity, it would be very suspicious if he starts throwing around magic without any formal training.
At the very least he has to show that he underwent tough training to achieve his proficiency. Otherwise it will only raise questions which will make things needlessly complicated and annoying for him.
After the initial lessons, Kyosuke soon joined others who were new like him in magic theory. Seeing real children of his age and even younger being so serious was an experience. Those responsible for running the Institute were without mercy and did not hesitate in manipulating them psychologically.
They never did anything physical to get the children in line, but then that was not truly needed. The sterile environment of complete white was very effective in making the children quiet and well behaved. Everything was white, from the bed to walls and their personal rooms and classrooms.
Even the clothes they were provided were all white. Kyosuke half expected the food to be white as well, but thankfully that did not happen.
Still, such an environment was enough to chip away at the emotions of those who joined it at a young age. And those who actually grew up there from birth? They weren't any different from a robot in Kyosuke's opinion - no emotion, no desires, nothing. Just obedient robots who followed each order to their full capabilities.
Now, one might wonder just why such a place would be so dreary? Instead of a place to learn the most popular method of magic in modern era, the Modern Magic Research Institute seemed more like a shady place which studied taboo magic which could not be shown in public.
The reason was very stupid and Kyosuke almost exploded in anger when he first heard it.
Japan is ruled by a single Mage Association known as the History Compilation Committee on the supernatural side. They also have a lot of control over the political and financial side of things in the regular world since the Committee has existed for many centuries and all that time has allowed them to consolidate their rule.
And this Committee is further ruled by various clans - something which Kyosuke was not surprised by. In a fantasy setting, the concept of clans or families or houses having a long history existing as the ruling class is quite common. Powerful people have children with other powerful people and after a few generations the family has a hold on a lot of power and resources.
The same is true for the most prominent clans of Japan.
There are the Founding Clans of Sayanomiya, Seishuinn, Renjou and Kuhoutsuka which gathered together and established the Committee in the beginning. They also have the largest number of Hime Miko - descendents of divine ancestors who have strong affinity for magic relating to spirits.
What is even crazier is that sometimes they will manifest powerful innate abilities like Divine Possession, which allows a god or spirit to bestow the miko with power, or Spirit Vision, which allows the miko to connect to the Memories of the Void, the name used for the Akashic Recordsin this world.
Kyosuke was quite shocked that someone could be born with the power to browse all the information of the world whether past, present or future. Let alone many someone's. It is facts like these which tell why humans cannot move away from the divine fully if their descendents can be born with such cheats with a high probability.
It is also telling how despite having a Root equivalent of the Type Moon franchise and despite many people being able to access it in history, no mage has ever surpassed a Campione in power levels. So no overpowered True Magic awaits Kyosuke if he tries to go down this path.
Anyways, aside from the Hime Miko, the Founding Clans also have the oldest repository of Japanese Magic. They have perfected their training routines over a long period of time, so they can churn out a steady military power in terms of mages and magic items useful in combat.
And because their members have been practicing magic for centuries and marrying people who are also good at magic, their descendents have high talent for magic. At least it is much greater than what can be found among the common people.
Kyosuke does not remember anything concrete about these clans, so they are very likely from the Campione! anime.
After the Founding Clans are the Guardian Clans of Himejima, Douman, Kushihashi, Shinra and Nakiri. Now these Kyosuke recognizes from DxD. These clans all have a Guardian Beast which are just the Sacred Beasts they had in DxD canon.
In this world, the Sacred Beasts are actually divine beasts, though they are not on the upper spectrum of their range of strength. These clans are just a step below the Founding Clans in strength.
There are some more clans apart from those mentioned above but those are not in the same league as those nine.
Now, the Guardian Clans are as bigoted and prejudiced here as they were in DxD. Simply put, they don't tolerate anything not originating from the Shinto beliefs and so are very much against the modern method of casting magic.
So because of this an institute which learns modern magic officially is placed in an awkward state. Five of the most powerful clans don't want the Institute to exist while the remaining four only treat it as a perfunctory place so they don't fall behind other factions in this aspect.
Hence the harsh and almost inhuman methods of the Institute. The Director - Professor Atsuomi Ayanokoji, someone from anotheranime that Kyosuke recognized - is an ordinary mage when it comes to talent. He is very good at politics, but since he is not a part of any major clan he cannot really climb to the top of Japan.
And so that is where the Institute comes in. The Director wants to increase his powerbase using this Institute since political power is very fragile before someone who can just kill any underlings you send if they are not of a certain quality.
Obviously the last part is not something any of the instructors have ever said to the children. Kyosuke deduced all that and more by seeing the interactions among the staff.
Though the good news is that the Institute has many different groups in the management and they are not united. This meant that Kyosuke had no reason to completely hide his talent. As long as he shows enough talent and work ethic, someone will definitely recruit him to their side.
And that is fine with Kyosuke. He is not someone who has such an ego that working under people he will surpass and leave in the dust in a few years will be unbearable. As long as he gets what he wants and he is not double crossed, Kyosuke is willing to cooperate with others.
People mostly do business by looking at the current situation. Who will consider a little kid as an equal with promises of this kid becoming a Paladin or Grand Mage in future? Only a fool will think like that.
So each day Kyosuke went through the schedule set for him without complaint. He completed the beginner's magic theory in a month and went through the related texts in another month, completing what amounted to 2-3 years of work in a mere 2 months.
Naturally that made him a genius on the same level as Kiyotaka Ayanokoji, the son of the Director who was raised in the Institute from birth and was the record holder for every test he participated in.
Honestly, the way that guy could decimate teenagers at the age of 6 reminded Kyosuke of characters like Itachi Uchiha and Kakashi Hatake from Naruto. All child prodigies who were not limited by age and who all had suffered in their childhood.
But with the addition of Kyosuke to the Institute, Kiyotaka no longer remained the record holder. Although the two of them were under constant pressure by the comparison between them, life was still better than it would have been had they been alone as an unmatched prodigy.
xxx
In a pure white hall, two people were standing opposite each other. Well, kid is a more accurate word to describe one of them.
On one side was a young man who looked in his early twenties. With white hair and cold blue eyes, he looked like his fact was sculpted from ice. This was Natsuo Todoroki, a pitiful young man who grew up in the Institute because his father forced him to join it.
On his opposite side, about 10 meters away, stood Kyosuke. Compared to Natsuo, he was really small and did not even reach his waist. It was not surprising since he is still only 8 years old.
Both of them were dressed in the Institute's training clothes - a pure white t-shirt along with pants of the same colour. They were gathered for Kyosuke's practical evaluation in magic.
The hall they were in was one of the sturdier training areas in the Institute. There was an observation room at one side of the wall. From there, many of the management members were watching the field.
It had been 2 years since Kyosuke had joined the Institute. With his progress till now, it was decided that he would be put in a personal program. Hence the spar about to happen.
The power levels of this world roughly comprise of four categories excluding Heretic Gods and Campione. These categories are based on the power of the spells they can cast, though there are individuals who might be stronger than their rank determines because their skills are not geared towards large scale destruction.
The weakest are the common mages. They are people trained in magic and are the lowest levels in any faction. The best of them can cast magic that can kill large animals like elephants and bring down a two story building in one hit. In DxD terminology, they are the low class beings.
Above them are the elite mages. They form the main force of any faction. They can bring down a large building of more than 12 floors in one hit. In DxD terminology, they are middle class beings.
Above elite mages are the Great Knights or Great Mages. There is no difference between the two titles and it really depends on the wielder's fancy most of the time. Every mage in this world knows how to wield a weapon because glass cannons die very quickly.
Physical strength is paramount if you want to escape a catastrophe of divine caliber because more often than not such beings can lock down the space in their vicinity. This makes teleportation impossible in 99 percent of the cases.
The Great Knights are the backone of any faction. They can erase a large skyscraper of more than 50 floors in one hit. If left unchecked, they can even raze a city to the ground in around one hour. They can do this even under attack from the best non-magical army of the world.
Most beings can only reach this level in their lives with a lot of hard work. It does not matter how long one has lived, if they do not have the required potential or have not trained themselves to the bone, they cannot reach this level.
These are the high class beings in DxD terms. And the high class here is high class in strength, not just status like how all Pillar Devils are considered in their faction when they become 12 years old.
Lastly, above Great Knights are the Paladins or Grand Mages. These are the peak of the supernatural world which those without divinity can reach. They can wipe out a city in one hit, tank a nuclear explosion and destroy a country in a conflict if no one of equal strength is present to keep them occupied.
Natsuo was an elite mage of the Institute who specialized in ice magic. He was considered someone with a lot of potential because of his strength at such a young age. After all, most of the management at the Institute is only at this level.
The reason why Kyosuke was facing someone like that is because Kyosuke is also an elite mage. As for the reason why he showed such monstrous potential? Well, Kiyotaka is also an elite mage, so it's obvious Kyosuke would not fall behind.
The advantage of the Institute is that it provides systematic training to Kyosuke which is more beneficial in the early stages. It is better than learning things by fighting monsters and figuring everything out by himself.
But if there an upside to something, then there must be some downsides as well. Although Kyosuke got the best training possible and became stronger continuously in the last 2 years, there was a big issue.
Namely the fact that he could not learn what the instructors at the Institute did not know. Kyosuke could not enter the Dungeons with the constant surveillance everyone was under. If he disappears and reappears, it will be noticed without fail.
He has zero knowledge about wards and barriers, so he cannot fool those responsible. This meant that he could not learn all those rare Skills in the Shop and surpass everyone else easily now that he has a solid foundation in the basics of what magic the rest of the world knows.
Fortunately his mind magics did not require further knowledge and just needed him to practice them constantly to level up. So he had them as an additional insurance at least.
But not all is lost. The stronger members of the Institute can go out on missions after they have proven their strength. There is a demand for mages for all sorts of tasks. From hunting malicious spirits, stray devils, rogue yokai, mages, exorcists to collecting intelligence on magical sources detected in the country - all of these require trained mages to complete.
And if a mage is confident enough in their strength, they can even enter the Netherworld in search of magic materials and to obtain more field experience. The saying of danger and opportunity co-existing together describes the Netherworld aptly.
It is a very dangerous place with unpredictable terrains that can even kill Great Knights if they are not careful. And even if you can survive against the harsh environment, that still leaves those who inhabit it. From strong spirits to divine beasts, there is no shortage of city destroyers in the Netherworld.
If you are particularly unlucky, you may even come across a Heretic God who has retreated there after rampaging across Earth unhindered and becoming bored of bringing mindless destruction.
The last scenario will definitely end in death for anyone who is not a god or godslayer. Or it might result in a new godslayer being born. Who knows? In this world, one can never be sure what will happen with a 100 percent guarantee.
But the resources that can be obtained from the Netherworld are equally as valuable. Different places have different concentration and type of mana which results in some beneficial environments that can range from healing to improving magic practice.
In other words it's the perfect place for one to slip away from any observers for a few hours easily. And if there is a mishap and you end up lost somewhere deeper? Why, it might even take months for a Paladin to make their way back.
So Kyosuke's goal is to become strong enough to be allowed trips to the Netherworld unsupervised. He can grab a few things to show that he earnestly searched around and then he can spend the rest of his time in the Dungeons.
As a bonus, he won't have to waste time on mundane things like school and homework like he would have to if he was not a member of the Institute. Although he will not be able to enter as frequently as he did when he was 5, he can take longer trips instead.
So here he is, about to face an elite mage and win.
The two look at each other with a serious gaze. Kyosuke is 100 percent confident of winning, but being careless is a good way to lose even in such a situation. Even if [Observe] shows that the level gap between them is large, he will not act dismissive of his opponent.
After all, he is not immune to the magic Natsuo can bring to the fight.
And Natsuo also does not dare to underestimate Kyosuke. Just these 2 years were enough to spread the rumours that a crazy kid had joined the Institute, one who is a genius and obssessed with training. So no, Natsuo knows perfectly well that he might lose this fight.
From their observation room, the people look down with attention. Having a second prodigy beyond compare, one who is so without any rituals or training from birth, means he attracts a lot of attention.
"Begin."
An electronic voice sounded without warning. Real life does not have countdowns, so the fight began like it would most of the time out in the field - abruptly and without warning.
The temperature in the hall dropped instantly to near freezing point as the two mages started transforming the battlefield to their advantage.
Natsuo hoped that it would slow down Kyosuke because he has had less time to learn and practice magic. Adapting oneself to the side effects of their magic is a time consuming matter, so he would be right in most cases.
But like always, there are exceptions. [Gamer's Body] shortens the time needed for Kyosuke to adapt to any phenomenon by a very drastic margin. He already has the Skill [Ice Damage Resistance]. It's level is not high enough that he is immune to stronger spells of that category but it is sufficient enough that he can handle even lower temperatures than Natsuo.
Kyosuke sent a dozen ice shards flying at Natsuo at a speed any normal human would have been skewered before they could react. But a blue dome sprang around Natsuo and protected him.
The defensive barrier was the better choice than conjuring more ice. It protected Natsuo from all attacks, including those from angles he might miss.
When the ground behind him exploded in a shower of ice shards, he did not look back. Instead he kept his focus on his opponent before him and concentrated, expertly ignoring the crashing sounds coming from the attacks hitting his barrier uselessly.
His decision was correct since it was just a distraction by Kyosuke as he hadn't put much strength in those attacks.
Several magic circles came into existence outside the barrier. Half of them sent blue energy beams at Kyosuke while the rest started on creating some shikigami.
Mana Strike is a standard modern spell. It is very basic and can be modified to send projectile attacks in the form of bullets if you want continuous fire or as a beam if you want a single strong attack. It can also be modified by various attributes, so everyone at the Institute knows it.
Just a single beam from Natsuo is enough to turn a large house into a popsickle. So they acted as the main attack while buying time for the shikigami to form.
A shikigami is a construct of magic with limited capabilities of reasoning to carry out predetermined tasks. They are usually created with just magic power like how Natsuo is doing if the environment is favourable. But most of the time mages will use one or two materials as well, simplifying the process and getting a stronger result.
It is a very popular spell all over the world and is known by different names in different areas. The Europeans call them lesser summons while the Africans call them spirit manifestation.
Their power depends on the amount of magic power used, the proficiency of the mage regarding that particular shikigami and the quality and quantity of any materials used.
Since Natsuo was only using his magic power and the surrounding cold, the shikigami weren't a big threat. Although they blended in well with the ice all around, they did not escape Kyosuke's notice.
Seeing the attacks heading his way, Kyosuke did not move from his position. Not because he could not, but rather sticking to one place and fighting was better suited to his current frame. In the limited area of the training hall, trying to kite a mage as proficient in long range magic as Natsuo is a waste of time.
His legs will need mana to cover as much distance as an ordinary adult, which will only use up precious mental calculations and mana. Although it means nothing to him with his Mind Magics, it is necessary to not cultivate such habits.
It is not significant now, but when he encounters someone at his level then such habits will work to his detriment.
So he conjured some magic circles of his own. They were the same shade of blue as Natsuo, but the symbols were a lot more dense when compared to the latter's. If Natsuo's magic circle was an A4 sheet and the magic circles were in font size 20, then Kyosuke's symbols were in size 10 or even 8.
His magic circles were more complex and refined, so one of them could match 2 or 3 of his opponent's as they retaliated with ice beams of his own. In two volleys, he had overwhelmed the spells coming his way and accurately sniped the shikigami inching forward using them as a cover.
None of Natsuo's attacks came close to reaching him.
The collision between the attacks resulted in blur sparks flying all over the area haphazardly, creating chunks of ice randomly across the hall. A strong wind was also blowing, sending ice particles into the air and making the trajectory of all attacks unpredictable.
Visibility was low, but Kyosuke kept track of Natsuo using the reflections across the pieces of ice. He smirked at what he found.
Natsuo was keeping up an illusion using ice magic while trying to circle around him. Since coming from the back was both obvious and too time consuming, he was trying to reach Kyosuke at an angle. He will have the advantage in close quarters and they both know it.
But Kyosuke did not attack his real position and kept exchanging spells with the illusion he had left while slowly increasing the ice around him and making it seem like he was trying to create a fortification as a defense.
He did not know any barrier which could defend from all sides, so it was a natural alternative. With his mastery over ice magic, he can use it to defend and attack. Hence Natsuo did not think there was anything wrong.
Both of them rapidly increased their pace. Drawing out a fight needlessly is forbidden. This rule has been drilled into every member's head, so they were working to finish this as soon as possible.
When Natsuo was close enough, he paused for a moment and started readying magic power to give himself a physical boost. Due to being so close to Kyosuke, he had to be careful lest the spell be sensed by Kyosuke.
Kyosuke waited and when Natsuo was at the point where cancelling the spell would be more harmful than going through with it, he made his move.
The crackle of electricity made Natsuo's eyes widen in surprise. Though his training showed and he moved past it quickly. Instead of panicking and cancelling the spell, he rushed it. That way he at least obtained some durability before throwing up a shield and dodged further delay from a spell mishap.
A few sparks managed to get close enough that they were inside the area covered by the shield. He grit his teeth and prepared to push through, but was shocked when those few sparks completely paralyzed him.
This should not be possible. He tried to move but failed miserably.
Those few sparks should not have been enough to paralyse him. It felt like he was hit with a major spell and not just a few errant strikes. The increased durability was not enough to shrug it off and he almost toppled over right there.
Up in the observation room, those watching were also caught off guard.
The Director look at the unexpected twist with interest. The rest of the faculty were also whispering.
The sound of a cough made the room turn to a beautiful woman in a red dress. "It's an inherent trait of his." Maya explained. She had been the one who had kept the closest eye on Kyosuke from the beginning, so she knew all about his current capabilities.
"It was something discovered after he had managed to learn all the basic elemental spells. When used by him, ice and lightning spells have a greater chance of inflicting freezing and paralysis respectively than other mages. It is a rather significant difference as well. So when he found about this, he started focusing on these two areas specially."
The others listened and sent envious glances at Kyosuke in the hall. He was near Natsuo and was about to end the fight- and the fight was over by a small lightning strike from him.
Having such inherent traits is a cause for joy. It means that the mage in question has an incredible affinity for the magics in question. It means that casting magic aligned with the trait will cost less andbe more effective.
Such people go far and push the boundaries of magic if they stick to these specialities. They can also improve existing spells used by other mages. This, naturally, increases the quality of a faction's magical knowledge and improves strength in a long term manner.
Basically someone like that, if nurtured properly, is guaranteed to be good investment. The fact Kyosuke has mastered two types of magic at such a young age just shows that he is not a shooting star that will stop shinning as time passes.
That is what the Institute higher ups think. But the truth is that Kyosuke has no such trait or affinity. It's just that as he increases the level of ice and lightning spells, the chances of inflicting their respective Status Conditions also increases.
It would be the same for other areas of magic as well with such conditions. Or even any other Skills in general. For example, if Kyosuke wants then he can reach a state where he would be able to poison anyone or anything if the corresponding Skill is of a high enough level.
After the initial hubbub, the observation area fell silent. Many glances were thrown between Maya and Ayanokouji.
"And when was this discovered?" He asked lightly.
"Not too long ago. He had just filled it in and then jumped to apply for the evaluation." Maya answered with a polite smile.
Logically the news should have been brought to Ayanokouji swiftly. He was the highest ranked in terms of authority after all. But Kyosuke is considered someone in Maya's camp since he spends the little time he can squeeze out buttering her up in hopes it might be useful.
And Maya's group is the second strongest in the Institute. She herself has a clan behind her. It is not at all comparable to the Committee Clans, the ones which rule Japan.
The Yotsuba are on the lower side of the middle level in the hierarchy. But recently they have been making progress in terms of power. Since Maya is a member of the Institute, it means her clan is not old fashioned.
Combined with their willingness to step in the normal world via companies and completing requests involving magic for the mundane wealthy people, they are amassing influence at a lower level in recent years.
They are not the only ones though. The Committee Clans turn a blind eye to this because unless something drastic happens, like the Committee Clans getting gutted by a god or godslayer or an alliance of Paladins, the newer clans can never hope to become strong enough to threaten those at the top.
The accumulation of multiple centuries is nothing to scoff at. You need only look at how the old companies in the regular world involved in oil, automobiles and manufacturing are able to amass influence over the multiple generations they have existed.
Multiply that several times with the people having personal power in the form of magic and you get any old clan of Japan.
Maya kept smiling and acted like nothing was wrong. Ayanokouji did not bother with grabbing on the topic. They all knew the situation and this small power play was not really important when it comes to the bigger picture.
Ayanokouji has his son in his group, no matter how much Kiyotaka just wants to up and disappear from the Institute. Just that familial connection is enough to give him authority over Kiyotaka, and the Director is fine with that.
In fact, he has no plans to get Kyosuke on his side. Initially he had wanted to get someone under him teach the second prodigy of the Institute, but then he changed his mind. Now he wants to use Kyosuke as a whetstone and show Kiyotaka that those who suppress their talents are bound to be surpassed by those who don't.
As a bonus, it also lets him keep tabs more easily on those who would be opposed to him gaining absolute influence over the Institute.
He looked at Maya and a select few calmly, though inwardly he was extremely angry. The Institute was his magnum opus. He was the one who had established it from scratch. He was the one who had to endure the disdain and mockery of the Guardian Clans when he had taken the idea to the Committee.
How dare anyone else thing they can waltz in and pluck the fruits of his labour? When he was the one who had poured decades of his life in this venture, bowing and pleasing those old fossils stuck in their outdated views?
If only he was a powerful Paladin. No one would be having second thoughts then. But alas, he himself has mediocre talent. Barely becoming a Great Knight was the most he could do and that was more than two decades ago. Then he got busy with the Institute and time flew by before he could get back into training his magic again.
But now any further improvement feels impossible. He hasn't improved by much in the last decade and seeing how there hasn't been a single Paladin coming from the Institute has been weighing on his mind a lot.
So as he watched Kyosuke easily defeat Natsuo and then glace at the observation room briefly, which was actually hidden quite well and should not have been found by a mere child no matter how prodigious, Director Ayanokouji only became more firm on training Kiyotaka.
Those with talents will always surpass those without. That is the lesson he has learned from his life and the reason why he has been working harder than his peers for such a long time.
He will never allow his greatest creation to spit on his efforts, nor will he let anyone else share in his success without putting in the effort he has. Poor Kiyotaka will be the one who will bear the brunt if his father's mania in the coming years. Though it won't be too brutal since the Director will be busy with a few projects to improve his personal strength too.
No one brought up any topic which could devolve into Institute politics. They all watched Kyosuke as he walked into the observation room. He was not winded at all by the fight and did not bother to put up an act to the contrary.
Anyways, people know how much he trains everyday. They just have to digest the fact that hearing and reading cannot compare to actually seeing the results of that training in action.
A few of the adults felt annoyed that this kid could most probably beat them as he was now. The rest were not sure what to feel since he would surpass most of them in a few years at his current growth.
"Well done Kyosuke Sachi. You won against one of the best elite mages of the Institute. Your streak of breaking all records is still going strong." Ayanokouji praised him without mincing his words. Facts are facts and he will at least never blind himself to them.
"Thank you Director. It's just the result of my hard work till now." Kyosuke gave a short bow and accepted the praise modestly. He did not act arrogant or excited about the highest ranked management being impressed.
For all intents it seemed like what he had done wasn't something to stay hung up over. A few of the oldest members nodded inwardly at that.
He is unbelievably strong for his age but he still has a long way to go. Not letting any success get to his head impressed these old guys who don't treat anyone under their tutelage as people.
Without preamble, Ayanokouji got straight to the point seeing as Kyosuke was not interested in small talk either.
"You have proved that letting you stay in the general program is a waste of time for both you and the instructors. Congratulations, you will be starting a personal curriculum from tomorrow onwards. It will be designed based on your performance till now and what we decide is best for you."
He paused but there was no objection. Kyosuke only gave a short nod to indicate his understanding. He never expected to become independent overnight. Besides, magic is magic. He can push any category to heights never before seen, so he doesn't mind letting them decide what he can and cannot learn for now.
"Now, all those who have a personal curriculum can suggest areas they are interested in." He looked at him intently, trying to read his expression. "If you have any suggestions, you can speak them now."
Kyosuke was a little surprised. But since they are asking, it's not a big deal.
"I am interested in healing and barrier magic."
Ayanokouji raised an eyebrow. "Any particular reason why those two subjects?" He sounded interested. This was also a test to see if he had the mental maturity to keep up with his magic prowess.
Making decisions in the heat of battle is different from deciding what you want to learn in your life. The latter is similar to high school students choosing their university streams.
It will be as impactful on his life as a battle to the death. But how he approaches one of them cannot be copied and pasted to the other. He has to think from a different angle.
"Barrier magic is vital to anyone involved with the supernatural. Just the fact you can create barriers to keep the mundane people away from a location is a must. Then it can be used to go undetected among the mundane population and avoid the hassle which can be avoided. Also, I don't have any spells specific for defense, so it will cover one of my major shortcoming."
That was the response he had spent a few nights thinking up. Judging by how no one refuted any of the points he rattled off, they should be correct.
"As for healing magic…I want to increase the intensity of my training further. Knowling when to stop so it doesn't become detrimental will be good. I can also heal any accidents by myself if needed."
Now that was completely unexpected. No one could keep a straight face when they heard he wanted to increase his training willingly. He was so serious he was willing to learn healing magic, one of the hardest category of magic out there just for more training.
"...I see." Ayanokouji said after a few long seconds of silence. "Both are good choices. In fact, barrier magic is a mandatory subject when you reach a certain level of proficiency, so its clear you have put a lot of thought in this."
There was some more small talk and then Kyosuke was dismissed. The adults exchanged some incredulous glances before one of the oldest member shook his head and sighed.
"Kids these days. They think they can rush through everything."
Many showed agreement with their expressions but no one responded in a way the conversation might continue. Since there was nothing else to do or talk, they started leaving in small groups.
That day, when Kyosuke went to sleep, he was very pleased by the day's work. He had successfully obtained more room for movement and he can focus on two magics on his priority list from this point on.
Barrier magic is necessary for more than just hiding the supernatural from the mundane public. Personally Kyosuke couldn't care less whether the current status quo continues or not. Though he can admit that the reveal of magic will plunge the world into chaos for a long period.
He can already imagine it. First will come the hysteria from the knowledge of just how many dangers lurk in the corners, hidden away from plain sight of humans. These are mostly the malicious yokai, devils, fallen angels and spirits in the non-human category. Filth like that cares not how many humans die or suffer so long as it is for their amusement.
But the human category is also not small. There are common people who stumble on some magic tome and decide to just sacrifice others for power. Typically this starts from small animals and the high of easy and corrupting power ensures that it reaches human sacrifice sooner or later.
Mostly sooner.
Then there are the exorcists of the Church. Stray or not, those filth will be quick to target those they deem heretic. Fortunately the Church and the angels are not doing good in the current world.
In the 15thCentury, a Campione emerged in England who was aligned with the Church. He was the sole godslayer of the time and consequently Western Europe turned into the Church's backyard. No other faction could stay in power and all the factions labelled pagan by the Church, like the Norse, Celts and so on had to stay holed up in their respective dimensions.
This continued on till the 17thCentury. Then another Campione was born in Europe, this time on the opposite end in the Balkans. Romania to be specific.
Sasha Dejanstahl Voban, known today as Marquis Voban and the First Campione. Unlike the one before him, he was not interested in creating a faction and spreading his influence. All he cared about was hunting strong prey.
Since the two godslayers were at a distance that news about them could reach the other, it was inevitable they would clash. And between those two it was a fight to the death because none of them could bear to enter an alliance with an equal.
Considering Voban is still alive and known as the First Campione, it should be obvious what the result of the clash was. After that, the Church lost many people. They had a godslayer hunting them down to turn their best members into his undead servants and the other factions stepped out to hunt the weaker members who were running to hide fruitlessly.
Considering all this many would argue that malicious humans who are capable of magic are worse than the beasts that are obvious at a glance. After all, it is hard to guard against someone who looks ordinary until they bring out a light saber and gun the moment the word heretic is used. Or those who might suddenly knife you in the back because a suspicious magic tome said so.
When the supernatural is revealed, after the initial hysteria and panic, war will start. Since all sorts of gods exist, common people will definitely pray to them for protection. But because many gods have complex identities and might belong to multiple pantheons, it will result in a mess of different sides.
Lastly will come the godslayers who will definitely have a lot of appeal. At least the established mage associations will never fully submit to any god. A god cannot protect them against a godslayer without coming to fight in person.
But this will then turn the god Heretic and after the Campione is killed, the Heretic God will become as big of a problem they came to solve. So most mages support Campione because they can be satisfied by various sacrifices.
But the reveal is many years in the future. Though Kyosuke believes it is inevitable since after technology reaches a certain level, smart people will start connecting the dots about the various mysterious and freak phenomenon that occurs around the world.
There is only so much the 'experts' can do to convince the people that a sudden hurricane or drought or thunderstorm is a very rare phenomenon that occurs once a hundred years. Not when such 'natural anomalies' increase in numbers as gods and godslayers increase.
The current world already has six Campione, so the number of strange and unexplained disasters is not small if someone is inclined to curate them.
Not to mention the conspiracy theorists who might already be discussing about some secrets the governments around the world are hiding from them on the internet.
So in the tumultuous times to come, barrier magic will be necessary for safeguarding homes and various safe houses and keeping them hidden. The same goes for healing magic. Reliable and secure healthcare will definitely be in demand when things are going up in flames.
And when it comes to the short term benefits, healing magic is a prerequisite for what Kyosuke wants to achieve. In his free time, he likes to peruse the Shop on ideas he could use while in the Institute.
He cannot experiment to learn new Skills. That will just bring suspicion on him. He also cannot learn any new knowledge just by looking at the titles and general summary which lack all the most vital information.
But what he can do is look at the various training aides and see if their effects can be replicated by him.
One of them is the gravity training chamber from Dragon Ball franchise. Saiyans can become stronger continuously by training in increasingly harsh environments and this applies to Kyosuke as well.
But a major thing about this training is that gravity affects the body externally and internally. So if Kyosuke is not careful, he might suffer internal injuries. Although he will heal from them because of [Gamer's Body, it will attract attention of the wrong kind.
Questions like 'How can he heal without knowing any needed spells? He hasn't touched healing magic a bit.' or 'This recovery ability is insane. How can he heal from such wounds in an unbelievably short time?' will emerge.
It will definitely be more troublesome than just learning how to heal. Besides, after Kyosuke leaves the Institute and starts fighting in the Dungeons at higher levels, he will need a means to heal then.
Relying on potions dropped from monsters like he did as a kid is not sustainable. Not to mention how inefficient it is, he cannot exactly drink potions in the middle of a battle, right?
That is a guaranteed way to die, fooling around in a fight like that.