Chapter 11: The Most Human Wizard Ever.

The last thing I remember were Marino's swords piercing my body.

There were about twelve of them. Twelve wind swords that destroyed the internal organs that were in their path.

She really wasn't kidding when she said that everything in the world could be her sword.

But I was alive. At least that's how I felt at the moment, even though I knew I had been drilled deep enough to be mistaken for an old oil extraction area.

Even greater than my surprise at feeling alive was what I saw.

I was in Tecmetriun, in the middle of the residential area in the vicinity of my old home. The day was cloudy, and I could easily tell that the weather forecast would indicate a storm.

-What is this? I died and ended up in hell?

It was strange to say this about the place that had been my home for the past week. But given that Techmetriun was a city with about ten million humans who despise wizards, I couldn't find a better term.

-If it weren't for the circumstances we're in, I'd say it's a pretty interesting place.

I am surprised by what I have just heard, for as I check my surroundings, I see no one.

I look to my left, and see a boy. I would say that by the looks of him, he would be around 12 years old. I could only identify him as a boy thanks to his clothes, which were a light blue shirt and black shorts. His smooth facial features, coupled with his square face, curved brown eyes, and brown hair that went past shoulder length by one finger, made it possible to mistake him for a girl.

-Hello, Keyner Blake.

I look at the boy for a few seconds and then back to the scene, this time going the other way.

-Can you not be such a bastard as to ignore me?

The boy started tugging on my left sleeve, while shouting with a tone of disappointment.

-I fainted and now I'm having delusions because of my powers? Or did I really die and now I'm in hell?

-You really hate clichés, don't you?

I let out a sigh, and start to pay attention to the boy.

-I have a few questions. Did I die? Who are you? If this really is an afterlife, is there soup?

-The last question I certainly didn't expect. But you didn't die.

He had his hands on the back of his head as he spoke. And as he started to walk, I assumed that I should follow him.

-And my name is Quill Fox.

He finally speaks his name at the moment our walk is interrupted, that is when we finally arrive in some kind of park.

I am surprised by the revelation of his identity, since...

-Wait... Are you the Mastrea of lightning?

-Exactly! And first of all I'd like to have you-

Quill's speech was interrupted by me just as I punched him right in the face.

-A little further to the side and I would have broken your nose.

Although my main form of combat is fencing with pistols, Cless made sure I finished martial arts. It's not my specialty, because I know that in mano a mano I wouldn't stand a chance against Naila, for example.

-What were you thinking?

he complained as he got up from the floor and cleaned the cut I made on his mouth with my punch.

-I'm just showing a little of my gratitude to the guy who had the audacity to make me enjoy life only until I was 22.

That's right. I was in front of the wizard who forced a pact with me and ended up setting a five-year timer until I died. And I wasn't satisfied with just that one punch.

-I... -Well, apologizing isn't going to make the pact undone. But still, I'm sorry for using you for my selfish plans.

-...

We continued walking until we were closer to the park. Until I gained a clearer sense of where I was.

I see two children practicing fencing. One had black skin, which appeared to be a tan, with dark brown eyes and black hair thrown back, but not just black, for it was black and shiny like mica. This boy was accompanied by a girl with a triangular face and blue eyes, with long caramel-colored hair with black tips. I could bet they were in their twenties.

No, it was not a bet. I was sure, since I lived through it.

-Say Quill. What is the point of showing me these memories?

-I'm a little surprised that you're not breathless with surprise.

-I've had my fill of surprises this past week.

-I wonder...

There was me and Marino. We were practicing my fencing, because I wanted to take the entrance test for the AWA. I knew that my skills were pathetic at the time, so I was only going to take the exam when I was 15.

Apparently the training was over, as I had handed the swords I was using to Marino, while she picked up bottles of water and isotonic for us. After five minutes, Marino nodded in the direction I was standing.

I knew it was impossible to interact with my own memories, so I look back to find out who Marino was addressing with his waving.

It was three other children. One, with white hair, green eyes, and a subtly saucy look. The other, with curly black hair, which together with his red eyes, gave an intimidating appearance. Finally, there was a girl, who had wavy dark brown hair and a round face, who had a sharp look, as cute as it could be.

Jack Eldryn, Caius Fort and Naila Ketley.

I don't remember what we talked about, since I was too tired. I only remember that Caius was exchanging ideas about swords with Jack and Marino got into a good fight with Naila for stealing candy from her during the last office hours.

-I'm going to ask you one more time, Quill. What is the point of showing me these memories?

Quill was more attentive to my memories than I was. My shout made him wake up and look at me with a less relaxed face than before.

-This is not my doing. I am only in your memories because the pact was interfered with.

-What do you mean "interfered with"?

Quill cleared his throat with a cough as he pointed to his arms. Finished with his stretching, he speaks again:

-Marino's last attack severed part of my bond with you. In this case, it removed the Arcane Art I had conjured in you.

-Art... what?

I was sick of hearing "Arcane". Whether in relation to magic or technology, this name was in everything. But it meant that both magic and technology were interconnected to a single source or mechanism, so I should study this further.

And here we go with a Keyner who thinks that five years is enough to discover the three secrets of the world.

-It was not at all complicated what I conjured up. The unfriendly healing factor you received was a result of that, but now that Marino has practically killed you, you have lost it.

My mind goes back to the last moment of the fight against Marino. She had proved that everything that exists in this world could be her sword. And that by turning the very air around me into her weapons, impaling me about 12 times.

-Does this mean that... I am no longer connected to you?

-Not exactly. You still have access to the manipulation of lightning magic, and your life span hasn't been extended because of it. However...

-Stop the suspense or the next one to get a beating will be you.

I had my patience at a very low level. After watching for a few seconds, Quill lets out a sigh and walks back.

-Don't rush things so fast.

I follow him again, until we get back to the residential area and stop at a familiar house.

Quill opens the door to the house, and my level of familiarity with the place is only further confirmed. The house had a first floor and an upper floor, and was crafted in dark gray and white.

The only reason the place was not the same as my present day house was that the kitchen wall did not have a hole in it.

Looking into the kitchen, the dining table was full. Me, Jack, Caius, Naila, Marino, and also...

...Shun and Iris Blake. My parents.

Shun was a serious looking man. Gray hair swept to the left, an inverted triangular face, and a beard. Iris was a woman who liked to play. She had short hair thrown back that barely covered her neck, but was the same color as mine. She had medium brown eyes like my father's, and a square face with soft features. The funny thing about this couple was that they were the same height.

We were having dinner. I remember that this day was the first time I had a meal alone, and it was a success. Marino and Jack, when I told them about it, were pretending to be sick just to spite me. But that was over quickly when I told them that I was not going to give them dessert.

It was a beautiful evening. It would have been perfect if Cless had come too, but he refused. He would have loved the scene of Naila throwing pots at Marino for having his pudding stolen.

However, those were just memories.

I also end up seeing Marino and my parents talking about something in particular. When I questioned what it was, they said it was about a readjustment in my training frequency and the like, but today I have a better idea of what it was really about.

-Do you hate your parents?

I was surprised by Quill's voice, as it woke me up and reminded me that I was not alone there.

In fact, I had reason to hate my parents. Hiding the fact that I am a wizard, hiding the truth about my brother's disappearance and using me as a key for Yurion and Morello to infiltrate Tecmetriun was a disgrace.

But still...

-I don't regret their deaths, but I can't hate them.

-Isn't that rather contradictory?

-They were great parents, except for the lies. They supported me, even though it was for their own benefit. But if there's one thing that, whether intentional or not, I thank them for, it's that I let them cultivate friendships with Jack, Caius and Naila. I can't imagine what it would be like if I knew I was a wizard. I wouldn't be able to get my head around them enough to interact with them, I guess. It's hard to explain.

-...

-If I had to give an example of something good they did, it would be that they allowed me to live as a human.

-You have a simpler mind than I imagined. But that must be on your human side.

This last comment irritated me a little, as funny as I found it too.

-What about humanity?

-I... I just want to survive.

When I answered this, I remembered the whole fight against those soldiers and the explosion of anger I felt.

I didn't need to ask about that. It was intuitive to know that wizards take pleasure in killing humans. But what I felt was not just part of my nature.

I had exploded with rage. Well, given what I have been through in the past few days, I hope they will pass rag on not only my actions, but what is left of the soldiers' corpses.

Although I would do it again and on a larger scale if they tried to kill me or if...

...try to use me or trick me again.

This reminds me of what Marino did.

Not only did he betray Morello and Yurion, but he also tried to drug me. Not only that, but I am wherever I am because she killed me.

-What about Marino?

I let out a squeak of anger.

-Do I need to answer? Not only did he betray those two, but he also drugged me so that I wouldn't interfere with my parents' execution.

-What are you talking about?

Quill asks this with a very obvious look of doubt while scratching his head with one of his index fingers.

-She drugged me so that I wouldn't wake up after I caused the blackout in Tecmetriun.

-But even if she had drugged you, it would be useless. You would already be unconscious for hours thanks to the absurd amount of mana I gave you at the time of the pact.

-Wait. What the hell? Then why did she want to make it clear what she had done?

-I have no idea. That you would have to ask her directly. Maybe Yurion or Morello knows too.

-If they are still alive. Marino sent soldiers to the camp. And given that I was fighting less than five kilometers south of the camp, they must already be dealing with this problem.

-Keyner, are you dependent on compasses? The place you were fighting was west of the camp.

I have a trigger. In fact, I had headed west, and didn't get a chance to leave the battlefield I was in. But Marino had told the soldiers that the camp was to the north.

-Q. What the hell is going on?

-I don't know. Try to get the truth out of Marino.

I grab Quill by the collar of his shirt. He just replied with a cold and annoyed expression. The hostility in his gaze quickly gave me to understand that, as childish as his appearance was, he was a Mastrea.

-By the way Quill... I had no idea that Mastreas were so young.

-I'm actually about the same age as your brother would be today. Only that being inside the energy reactor of a city somehow slowed my aging. I am the only Mastrea of the last generation inclusive. All the others have died.

-My condolences- -Wait, my brother?

-Yes, thank you. He was my friend. We lived undercover in Techmetriun.

The place where we were turned completely dark. All the vision I had of my old house and the people disappeared, and I contemplated Quill and the darkness we were in.

-Our conversation ends here. This alone has already resulted in a new blackout in Techmetriun, so I have to keep up appearances and return to the unconsciousness I was before I made the pact with you.

-...

-I... again apologize for that.

-It's okay. As much as I hate this fate thing, being a Wizard means being hated by humanity...

-Do you hate humanity?

He asks that again. But in fact, I don't know a concrete answer before.

-I hate everyone who wants to kill me, use me, or deceive me, whether human or not. The same goes for anyone who wants to harm the people I love.

-And which people are we talking about?

-!

He was not wrong.

My parents, my two best friends were dead.

Naila and Marino tried to kill me. If it hadn't been for the pact, I would have been killed already.

Yurion and Morello... they saved me and said they were against the tactic of using me to spy on the AWA. But the problem is...

How far could I trust anyone? I am a wizard who lived in the human civilization. How could any of these sides have trust in me?

-I...

When I turned my gaze back to Quill, he was no longer there.

The only thing I could see was an infinite darkness. But within that darkness, I saw the last important events that I had been through.

The AWA test.

The meeting with my friends.

My declaration to Marino.

The death of my parents.

The death of Jack and Caius, the first being my fault.

My meeting with Yurion and Morello.

Finally, my last fight with Marino.

Honestly, who the hell am I and what am I doing with my life?

I don't have that much interest in humanity, although I would love to see Techmetriun catch fire.

I don't have any aversion to the wizards either, although I think it's best not to get so involved with them.

I have no hatred against Naila. She has always hated Wizards, but I would love to break her neck when I remember the scene of Jack being impaled by her.

As for Marino, what interests me is to know what is behind her actions, but I also want to punch her in the face for almost killing me.

In the midst of these thoughts, two questions come to mind:

Destroy humanity or forgive all this and start helping her as revenge against the Wizards?

I was now slumped in the middle of the darkness. However, I could see a ground, but on the ground was a symbol.

Yin and yang. The dualism between light and darkness.

Answering one of these questions would take me to one side of the circle, deciding whether my life would be dark as night or clear as a summer dawn.

...

I approached the ground, and I knew it wasn't just curiosity.

Magic was calling me, and making me choose one of two paths.

Choosing to destroy humanity would take me into darkness, while choosing to forgive would take me into the light. The path of a true Wizard's nature and the path of someone who was once human.

I make my choice. And so my mind plunges back into silence and darkness.

I wake up on the floor of the battlefield. The ground was bathed in red from my blood, but I was fine.

As I stand up, I realize that my body is unharmed. As I examine my chest, which in theory should house my destroyed heart, I pick up a playing card.

A playing card, that even though it was bathed in blood, a message was legible.

"You owe me this one more".

I thought Yurion was an expert at murder. But he does everything very well.

I drop the playing card and grab my gunblades to defend Marino's attacks. It seems that she was analyzing me, because her attack patterns were not the same as they were moments ago.

She was trying to slash me with her double-bladed swords at the same speed that I was doing a block with my blades and complementing it with a shot. However, the shots were not imbued with mana.

Marino kicks me in the stomach taking advantage of an opening in my guard. I am thrown backwards, but with my feet dragging on the ground and generating friction.

I don't have time to catch my breath, as several wind swords come my way. Since my bullets are not as effective as before, I am left to intercept the wind swords with my blades.

There were several, more than the first attack. And I could not just dodge them, for they could attack me from behind.

Without imbuing mana into my gunblades, I intercepted the swords two by two. I received some grazing wounds, but I wouldn't let that complicate what I had to do.

To get answers out of Marino.

When the wind swords ran out, Marino kicked the ground so that the reaction on her body threw her in my direction. Using this to her advantage, she strikes a double blow with her swords.

I block using my gunblades, already preparing myself for what was about to happen.

The impact of Marino's swords destroys my gunblades. Several pieces are scattered through the air. I knew this was going to happen, so I prepared myself to dodge an upward slash that Marino gave.

I take a few steps backward as I dodge several of Marino's attacks. She begins to use martial arts to try to knock me off balance, using kicks and punches. Only she was not that expert, her patterns being easily readable. At least one thing I excel at.

She lost patience and drew her swords. By delivering blows that resembled punctures, I get an opening.

Using the backs of my hands, I pushed on the sides of Marino's swords, through the handle. This left the front of his body exposed, thus allowing me to punch the wound in his chest.

efore that could happen, a stone sword came out of the ground, almost piercing my hand. Before I could pick it up, Marino picks it up, moves away from me, and throws it in my direction.

I put out my palm, and just as the sword was about to touch it, I released my mana, destroying the sword.

My hand was filled with lightning. But they were no longer purple and yellow rays like before.

It was black and white lightning.

The rays began to fade, leaving room only for two auras: one white and bright, and the other black and dark.

-Uya, so you have made a choice. What do you have to show me?

-I'll ask first. What is it?

-If you're interested to know...

Marino, who before was in a relaxed tone of voice, makes a serious face, going on guard with his two swords.

-try to get the answers off my tongue.

She cuts an X-shaped slash, forming days of mana swords. The swords rotate, forming a sphere of multiple attacks coming at me.

However, all I had to do was block.

With my block, a curtain of dust is raised. The impact of the block threw me back a little, but I was not hurt. I couldn't waste this chance that Yurion gave me.

The curtain finally lowers, and Marino was looking at me, still on guard.

-Keyner... What are you?

That's right. A few moments ago, I had to choose two paths.

If she asked me, probably every wizard has to do this at some point.

A path of darkness where I would wish for the death of humanity and use what I have left of life to accomplish it. That would be the path of a Wizard's nature.

Or a path of light, the nature of a human. On that path, I would ignore these conflicts, or even fight for the good of humanity.

Two opposite paths, where probably the first was the most attractive for any wizard.

But my choice was...

-I am Keyner Blake, one who walks through the dualism of existence, of good and evil, of life and death. But mostly, between light and darkness.

I felt as if I was being welcomed and rejected by the world.

I felt cold and hot. And at the same time I felt confident and uncertain.

Various opposing feelings covered my body, just as I felt that I could feel nothing.

My choice was a third one: to live in the middle of these realities, to be in the balance of these two opposites.

In this way, the Wizard of Dualism was born.