(Written while listening to: "Humankind" by David Kushner on YouTube)
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[Prayer Room of Incandescent Cathedral]{5 months later}
"Night" has descended upon Incandescent Keep. Not really, but it was technically a "nighttime".
The golden dome was shining brilliantly above the Keep ever since it was raised 5 months ago.
The only tiny difference was that it was now fully covered from the outside by ugly black tendrils swarming over it like if they were looking for even a smallest gap within its defenses.
Thankfully, the dome was actually a full sphere, so it also covered the underground, cutting off any possibility of circumventing it. Though it also cut off any way of escape for the people inside.
Speaking of which.
The number of people alive inside was slowly dwindling.
It started with some people succumbing to grief/stress/madness. Luckily, Incandescent had enough food stocked to feed everyone even for another few years if needed.
But the oppressive presence of malevolent demi-diety, finally fully unleashing its suffocating Will upon them was too much to bear for most humans…- especially those who already suffered losses during The Carnival.
Whenever someone died, they got transformed into a weakened version of Cursed being's minion.
When it happened for the first time, 2 months into the siege, Laito was quite nearby, so he followed the Knights who rushed to put it down before it managed to kill anyone else.
It looked quite grotesque.
Body and limbs shaped like a one of a hound. It's head: like a swelled and malformed head of a hog with razor sharp mandibles. It had no skin nor fur. Covered fully in insect-like chitinous armor with openings on its back from which large wings of a fly were buzzing, attempting to take flight.
It took 8 Masters working in unison to slay it. They had a full backup of their own cohorts in doing that. And Laito's.
One could think that mere Dormant wouldn't be of any help…- and they would be absolutely correct!
But for the entire past few months all Laito was doing was studying the mysterious Book he received from Gandeon.
"Atra skölir kveykva, vardi thornessar varden!" He invoked a small part of a certain chapter from said book, which described a spell. In fact, the entire Book looked more and more like a spellbook the more he read it.
Surprisingly, the World reacted to his command. A thin protective film of visible static covered the bodies of the fighting Knights without harming them.
On the other hand, the monster was instantly shocked the moment it attacked the Knight closest to it. It wasn't lethal, nor did it do any actual damage, but it did stunned the Beast slightly for a split-second, which allowed surrounding Knights to capitalize on the opening.
The feat, unfortunately, didn't come without its price. Though again, the price wasn't as big as anyone would expect.
As soon as Laito spoke these Words he was hit with a relatively strong headache. Still, quite a small payment for bending the World to his will with just talking.
Too bad he wasn't able yet to use S-WORD's enchantment to further improve these effects.
He grinned to himself, while slightly retreating.
'Now we are talking! Maybe I'm definitely not Star and Stripe's level yet…- but we are definitely heading there!...- some day, far into the future. Maybe.' Laito thought through his headache.
He definitely lacked her versatility that's for sure. "Liduen abr Vurd" only contained vocabulary connected somehow to mystical manners of protection, with usage of elements related to Storm, like wind or lightning.
Regardless, it was a huge improvement in comparison to being completely powerless like he was before.
Unfortunately it took it until much longer until he managed to fully comprehend and actually use this Sorcery to its full potential. And even then, he couldn't.
"Liduen abr Vurd" is written in the language of the divine. From what he deciphered its effects were supposed to be able to affect all beings regardless of their inherent "level of existence", but for that it needed a certain type of "fuel" to power it. Said fuel wasn't Essence. Neither it was Will, as confirmed by Gandeon when Laito asked him.
So Laito just kept researching the Book.
After 3 more months after that event, he was at his wit's end.
'How…- much longer… this is going to take.'
He wondered whether the main point of his trial was enduring the passage of time while life in his "real world" was just passing by him.
He was so desperate that he started to get creative with searching for possible ways to end this trial.
Yet, every time he got met with disappointment. It also affected his reputation within the Keep.
With how much he was skulking around, barely interacting with anyone(with the exception of occasional training with few selective Knights, like Gandeon, Fang, Gastac, Marigold, or Jenna... his favourite spar partner was Hunk though), constantly busy with reading his Book in some random secluded corners he get to be known as "Lurking Knight"... or just a "Creep" if someone was less polite.
Laito didn't care. He was well acquainted with being called a creep behind his back, considering his looks, in spans of both his life's. It was nothing new.
Although he was pleasantly surprised that any unsightly comments towards him were coming solely from discontented civilians and were promptly shut down by any Knight when noticed.
Within the Order itself, Laito was considered a true hero...- in their own casual way.
Which was kinda funny, since that was exactly what Laito promised to become in front of his dad, just before he got where he was.
Be careful what you wish for…- and stuff.
Anyways.
As long as he successfully completed the First Nightmare it would all turn out perfectly fine.
That is why he was currently sitting at the War Council desk within the Cathedral's main Prayer Room.
He was desperate for ideas. Laito's current one was…-
...-To write some letters. Seven of them, to be precise.
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[3,5 years left until MHA plot beginning]
[Chapter End] The story is not over yet
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Author notes:
I just realized that I should probably mention that by "MHA plot beginning" that's mentioned at the end of every chapter I mean: the day of "U.A entrance exam" that Laito wanted to attend (It's the same one that Deku would go to in the OG). Just sayin.