I triggered the technique. Koku Shundo!
"Hmph. You're an absurdly fast learner," Evangeline grumbled, though her tone held a hint of pride. "It's almost boring to teach you."
Ignoring her mock complaint, I landed, pivoted, and triggered the move again. And again. And again. My movements became a blur as I zipped through the air.
"That's enough! Get down here, you idiot!"
"Whoa!?"
Caught up in the thrill of mastering the movement, I hadn't noticed Evangeline aiming at me. A single bolt of ice—a Magic Archer arrow—streaked toward me from below. I used a final burst of Koku Shundo to evade it before touching down beside her and Chachamaru.
Meanwhile, I noticed Chachazero was hanging around Ayaka and Chizuru, offering surprisingly pointed advice on their magic. Perhaps the little doll was more nurturing than she let on.
"Was that really necessary? If that had hit me, it wouldn't have been a joke."
"Please. We both know you weren't going to let it hit you. Regardless, it's only been a few minutes, but it seems you've mastered the basics. You can use it at will now?"
"Yeah. I've got the hang of it. Thanks."
I offered a brief word of gratitude to the visibly bored vampire. She was likely frustrated that I didn't struggle more, but between my "reincarnation bonus" for magic and the natural physical specs of the Axel Almar body, my proficiency in combat arts was off the charts.
"You can 'use' it, yes, but your mastery is still green," she warned. "A true master handles the 'entry' and 'exit'—the activation and cessation of the movement—with seamless fluidity. As you are now, any opponent worth their salt will read your trajectory with ease."
"Right. So it's a matter of refinement through practice."
There was a world of difference between being able to perform a move and truly mastering it. To Evangeline, my Shundo was likely still a blunt instrument.
"Though, I suppose..." Evangeline let out a wry chuckle. "Combined with that chantless physical reinforcement of yours, most opponents won't stand a chance regardless."
I nodded inwardly. The "Spirit Commands" weren't a technology of this world; most mages had no frame of reference to counter them. Perhaps someone of Takahata's caliber could adapt on the fly, but for anyone else, it was an invisible edge.
"Well, enough about Koku Shundo. You wanted to use the library?"
"Yeah. One can never have too many cards to play."
"Hmph. Your greed is commendable. I like that about you. You may use the study as you wish. You know the way?"
"I've used it enough times by now."
Leaving her with that, I headed into the castle.
"...'Fire Spirit Summoning,' huh?"
I was tucked away in Evangeline's library, scanning a tome on pyromancy. One spell in particular had caught my eye.
The spell allowed the user to temporarily summon and command a Salamandra—or "Salamander," to use the more common term. Unlike the summoning spells listed in my own skill window, which required a contract or the subjugation of the spirit through force, this seemed to be a more fluid, temporary manifestation of the element.
"This looks useful."
According to the book, it was even possible to shape the Salamander into a sort of "clone" or proxy. Its versatility made it a worthwhile addition to my repertoire.
"Wait... what's this?"
My eyes caught on a different spine. The title read: The Magic of Darkness.
Shadows and Darkness. They were similar, yet distinct. I wondered if the techniques for mana control or shadow manipulation described within could be applied to my own Shadow-Stitch arts. Curious, I pulled the book from the shelf.
"The Magic of Darkness... an innate skill created by the Trueblood Vampire known as the 'Dark Evangel'..." I paused. "What?"
A sense of discord hit me just from the opening lines. The "Dark Evangel" was, without question, Evangeline herself. Had she developed an entire branch of dark magic? No—I recalled her skill list. She had both Magic (Dark) and Dark Magic. The former likely referred to the standard "Darkness Arrows" she used frequently, while the latter—the one in this book—was something else entirely.
Intrigued, I read on, but I soon found myself closing the book. The content was maddeningly vague. Since Evangeline was the only person capable of using it, the text was a mountain of speculation piled upon conjecture.
"At the very least, the principle of 'absorbing offensive spells into one's own body' seems correct..."
But why would anyone do that? Offensive magic existed to harm a target. To turn it upon oneself was, by definition, self-destruction.
"There's a secret to it. Something hidden in the mechanics of the darkness..."
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