Enhancement Magic

Yoruhi sat across from the old man on the table and held out his short wimpy arms. He was nervous at first, but when the man revealed his frail arm, he began to feel a bit more confident.

“I see that smile on you,” Ezekiel said, “most people have it at first when they try to arm wrestle me, but they quickly find their confidence curbed.”

He gripped Yoruhi’s arm on the table.

“If you can move my arm by even a mere centimeter, I shall call it your win.”

One centimeter should be easy, Yoruhi thought, but when he pressed his arm forward it felt like he was pushing against a concrete wall. Eh?

A glow had started to emanate out from the old man’s arms. Yoruhi knew that he would be using Enhancement Magic, but it couldn’t have been that strong right?

Yoruhi pressed harder and harder against the man, but to no avail.

“You may use your second arm if you like,” Ezekiel said with a toothy grin.

Sneering at him, Yoruhi used both arms to try to anchor the old man’s downwards, but even that made no progress. After a few seconds of trying and failing, Yoruhi finally let go, too exhausted to continue.

“Now do you see the strength of properly trained Enhancement Magic?” Ezekiel asked. “A lot of people underestimate it because it’s the easiest one to learn. It is oftentimes also the first magic that a person is capable of wielding, but that doesn’t make it the weakest. When properly trained, every magic style has an advantage over the other. It all comes down to the wielder.”

Yoruhi massaged his aching muscles.

“It’s all on the wielder huh…” he murmured, thinking about how hard he’s been trying but failing to consistently use magic. “So it’s really just me… Maybe I’m not capable of wielding magic at this age like you guys think I am.”

The old man tilted his head.

“Oh? And why do you say that?”

“Because I’ve been trying to use Enhancement Magic consistently for a few weeks now. If I can’t even get the hang of the easiest magic style, how can I even think about being able to use the rest? I can’t even form a single element yet either.”

Ezekiel thought for a moment before standing up. He then pulled back the white robes he was wearing, revealing the rest of his arm. It was dotted with blackened skin, and looked strained and battle hardened, even though there was barely any meat on it to hold any muscles.

“You see this arm?” he asked, “you haven’t seen many enhancers yet, but I can promise you that most enhancers are meatier than this. That doesn’t make them any stronger than me though, because there are only a few that are better than me at enhancement magic.”

“So what’s your point?”

“My point is that that’s not what I meant when I said that it all comes down to the wielder. You interpreted it as it all comes down to the wielder’s capability to wield magic, but what I meant was that it actually comes down to the wielder’s affinity towards a certain magic style. And it might not seem obvious at first what you’re good at. Like for me. I was born with a muscle deficiency, so do you think that I thought enhancing was what I was going to be good at at first?

Failing to learn one magic style does not mean you’ll fail to learn the rest, even if it is the first one you’re picking up. Yes, Enhancing is the easiest one to learn… for most people that is, and we tend to have a bad habit of assuming that we're always in the majority when that’s not always the case.

The truth is, there will always exist exceptions. Exceptions like you and me: an enhancer with flimsy arms and a child who touched an Attunement Crystal without fainting. You’re special, but don’t let that get into your head. If you don’t appreciate what was given to you, you will never be satisfied with yourself. You have to be able to realize and work with what you’re given.

Magic requires an understanding of magicules and where they exist. Some people like me are better at detecting the magicules inside their body compared to the magicules in the air. Those people will tend to find enhancing easier to learn than compared to ‘open’ magic styles like casting. So even though you did manage to do enhancement first, you might actually be a better fit for another style of magic.”

Ezekiel pat Yoruhi on the shoulder and said, “in other words, I might not be the best first teacher for you after all.”

He then let out a hearty laugh.

Yoruhi stared at his arms, taking in his teacher’s words before trying once more to concentrate on the magicules inside him.

“Feel anything yet, young man?” Ezekiel asked upon noticed Yoruhi attempting something. “If not then perhaps Arien has something worth teaching.”

Yoruhi shook his head no, but then looked up at him.

“You say that as if you’ve been a bad teacher,” Yoruhi said. “Our magic styles may not have been compatible, but you’ve been a great help. I feel a lot more confident in myself now thanks to you.”

“Haha!” he chuckled. “I’m just glad you’re not such a bad kid. It would be pretty scary if an evil person was the one who had infinite mana.”

He gave Yoruhi a good slap on the back.

This adult is a good adult, he thought. If only I had someone like him back then…

“Now then, young man,” he said, “I believe that Arien should be done setting up her little training ground. Why don’t you scurry on over there while I go rest my old bones?”

⋆✦-∞-⟡-∞-✦⋆

Arien was in fact not done setting up her mysterious training ground, and so Yoruhi sat alone on the fourth floor of the dojo to wait for her to finish.

Ezekiel and Cedric had gone upstairs where they had been assigned temporary housing during their stay, and unfortunately for Ezekiel. instead of getting a chance to rest, he was being pestered by the boy for record purposes.

Yoruhi looked down below at the class in session. There were a few kids at the dojo today, and he saw Hayate holding some kind of kendo-style tournament. At the center of the arena was Ryuji, who was dueling a kid just slightly older than him.

His opponent charged at him, but Ryuji readied his guard and carefully deflected the attack before landing a quick strike on the boy’s shoulder blade.

“His fighting stance has improved a lot since he first came here,” Tatsuko’s voice suddenly said.

Yoruhi looked around the place, trying to find where her voice was coming from, but saw no one.

Suddenly, a dark feather dropped on his head, and he looked up to see Tatsuko hanging upside down from the fifth floor with Fukuro resting on top of her outstretched arms. She giggled upon seeing Yoruhi looking up.

“You look stupid with that feather on,” she laughed.

Yoruhi brushed it off, and stared at her pet owl who also looked like it was laughing.

“What are you doing up there anyway?” he asked. “Isn’t that dangerous?”

“Not according to my teacher. Right Vivian?”

“That’s right,” a deep female voice said, and from the shadows he made out another figure hanging upside down alongside Tatsuko. Instead of hanging over the railing like his sister however, she clung onto the ceiling with only a single toe. “You don’t have to worry about your sister getting hurt. I’ll be watching her carefully.”

Creepy… he thought upon seeing Tatsuko’s mentor for the first time. But her hold onto the ceiling… that must be the work of some Enhancement Magic right?

A loud cheer echoed out from the dojo below, and Yoruhi looked down to see everyone commemorating Ryuji.

“But I agree with Tatsuko,” Vivian continued, “Your friend over there seems to be an excellent swordsman. As a retired adventurer, I can see a bright future in him if he takes that path.”

“Ooh ooh, what about me, teacher?” Tatsuko excitedly said, “do you think I will make a great adventurer?”

“Your little bird has recovered excellently from her little injury. A proper assassin requires a proper scout, and you have a fine one on your shoulders.”

Tatsuko gasped excitedly, “so does that mean I will? You hear that Yoruhi?! Vivian thinks I’ll make an awesome assassi—”

Her voice cut off as she slipped from the railing, but Vivian managed to catch her in time.

“But for now, let’s try not to slip too easily,” Vivian said, “a good assassin is able to hold her ground.”

“Yes, teacher!” Tatsuko shouted, her voice trembling with fear as she gripped onto Vivian’s arms. Fukuro flapped her wings around her, worried for her friend.

“Yoruhi!” Arien’s voice suddenly called out, “my super awesome training grounds have finished setting up!”

“Coming!” Yoruhi shouted before scurrying off, not wanting to see the silly spectacle that was his sister.