Chapter 6: Shield

"Bastards! Getaway from him!..", a furious Chizuru yelled as the baseball she threw hit one of Jax's thugs on the head, knocking the brute down almost unconscious. Swiftly, she rushed towards the other one with a knee to the chest followed by a roundhouse kick towards Jax. But Jax blocked it right when it almost hit his face.

"Can I help you, Taneda-chan?..", asked Jax politely while Chizuru's foot was still threatening to strike his head with his forearm block. "You really are a wild one sometimes."

"Really, Jax?! Stooping as low as beating Seijurou with the three of you?!..", Chizuru exclaimed without budging with her blocked kick. She glanced at the grimacing Seijurou for a moment. He was squirming in pain on the floor. Then, she shifted her attention back to Jax. "You really are a coward, after all."

Jax's two thugs eventually stood up and threatened Chizuru, but Jax immediately stopped them. "Guys, we beat anyone who gets in my way, but never a woman. Got that?"

The two lackeys just nodded and backed away the moment Jax commanded them. And then, Jax looked away and blushed with a little nosebleed. "Uhh.. Taneda-chan. You can put your foot down. I can see some white and blue stripes there."

"Hey!..", a flustered Chizuru immediately dropped her leg and held her skirt down. "Who told you to look?!"

Hiding his unexpected slight embarrassment, Jax just walked away. He gestured to his subordinates, eventually making them follow. "That's enough for today. I hope he learned his lesson."

"Assholes..", Chizuru stared at them with disdain as they disappeared from the alleyway. She then crouched down to check on Seijurou with her "console command". To her shock, Seijurou's HP was left with less than half. "Baka-jurou.. idiot. Stupid. I don't get why you don't fight back."

After checking on her bruised friend, Chizuru looked at him and sobbed. It was the first time he was beaten by Jax, but the incident itself was not news anymore. Ever since middle school, she often found Seijurou bullied by their classmates because of his social awkwardness. And she always had to come to the rescue. 

"Seriously.. you know, you're getting heavier..", Chizuru cried as she carried Seijurou with a piggyback. 

While they walked home, Chizuru lamented more on Seijurou's social misfortunes. It worried her to death to just leave him for a moment, knowing something worse might happen. She knew very well that he was a kindhearted person, but others usually mistake him for someone brutally blunt, coldly stoic, horribly rude, and uncontrollably tackless. It only took a few minutes of delay from her archery practice for Seijurou to be almost beaten to death. 

"From now on, you wait for me before you get home..", Chizuru cried out again while she carried Seijurou home. "Satsu-chan has Round Table duties now, so you come with me, understand?"

"I wonder..", Seijurou mumbled almost unconsciously. After a rough beatdown, his senses went back and forth from being conscious as he rested on Chizuru's back. "Why don't I hurt anyone?"

The starry sky began to reveal itself under a purple blanket while the two carried on to their homes. The cool breeze was beginning to caress them again as the heat of the day diminished. It was supposed to be a comfortable feeling to be carried, but all Seijurou felt was pain. With the remainder of his strength, he glanced towards the beauty of the heavens, only to be reminded of the cruel reality by Chizuru's sobs. 

And then, Seijurou drifted back to darkness as he rested his head on his friend's shoulder. 

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"Mama, look!..", a very excited seven year old Seijurou called to his mother. 

Masako was just finishing up her report when her son showed her some unpolished moves with a kendo stick. A bead of sweat rolled down on her head as she smiled awkwardly. "Wow! That's great, Seijurou. Where'd you learn that?"

It was a late midwinter afternoon. There were no stars trying to unveil itself out of the thick gray blanket of clouds. The winds were howling, and it seemed that snow was about to fall soon. Masako and Seijurou stayed inside of the dojo even after hours of being done with class. It was incredibly freezing outside. 

"From your fight the other day. It was awesome!..", replied Seijurou as he swung the sword-like stick again. 

The disappointment of letting her child see her true capabilities was almost unbearable that it was painful to force a smile. Masako was the most skilled with a sword in her generation, however she never wanted to fight. She detested the violence of the true nature of war ever since childhood. 

But the necessity of Masako's battle awareness was indeed a reality. The world needs heroes all the time. With it is the risk of harm. And unknowingly, she was beginning to pass it on to her son. 

"But you don't have to pretend to praise me. I know my form sucks, Mama..", added Seijurou, which almost caused Masako to flip backwards with her son's bluntness. "Yours was far more awesome, way faster, super stronger!"

Masako giggled then. "Okay, okay, Seijurou. I think I know where this is going."

"I want to start joining your classes, Mama. I'm already old enough."

"No you're not. You're just seven..", answered Masako with a smile to Seijurou's disappointment. "But I guess you can start training if.."

Seijurou's eyes sparkled while an enormous grin began to form on his face. 

Keeping the smile on as she went to the other end of the dojo, Masako went towards an old treasure box the size of a small cart. When she opened it, she carried out a black silver shield half her height. It seemed heavy with the metallic owl head design in the middle and its wings covering its trapezoidal perimeter. She then presented it to her son.

"If you can move around with this..", Masako said while gesturing towards the shield. 

"Eh?!..", Seijurou reacted in confusion. "That's not a sword, Mama! I can't hurt my enemies with that."

"That's precisely the point, Seijurou..", Masako replied with a somewhat lecturing vibe. "Fighting isn't just about hurting your enemy. I'm going to train you how to not get hurt first."

That was the last time Seijurou ever held something that resembled a sword. 

The smell of burned coconut milk brought Seijurou back to the pain of his present. He was lying on his bed and all bandaged up. Feeling that his injuries were dissipating fast, he thought someone might have given him an HP regeneration potion. "But it's still painful as fuck."

And then, Seijurou suddenly remembered as he slowly stood up. "Where's Chizuru?"

After that, Seijurou went downstairs to his father. It actually made him wonder how long he was out. But the odor coming from the kitchen distracted him more. "Oyaji! You put the milk too early again."

"Oh? Seijurou! You're up already..", remarked Kajiya as he continued cooking helplessly. "How're you feeling?"

"Fine, I guess..", Seijurou replied as he seemed to search for something. "How long was I sleeping? Where's Chizuru?"

"She left about an hour ago."

"So, I was gone for an hour..", almost whispering, Seijurou said and sighed in near frustration after. "How was she when she left?"

"Chizu-chan was really worried about you..", Kajiya said to his son while he served their overcooked curry for dinner. "But I told her that you're tougher than you look. Not a lot of people get out alive from that kind of beating."

It made Seijurou smirk a little for a while. He knew that his father was worrying about him, but his dad never made it obvious. After all, it was not the first time he went home beaten up that much. And of course, Kajiya used to be together with someone who had enemies from around the world. 

However, there was some truth in that toughness Kajiya was saying. It was the thick shell that covered Seijurou's world. No matter how brutal the beatdown was, that never was enough to break it.

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Summer nights in Jihon usually had this lingering thickness in the air, but it was never enough to suppress the cooler wind that blew through it. It was most especially so if spring season just ended. That right amount of mixture was ample enough to make Seijurou sleep soundly, which he needed to recover fast. 

Because it was going to be another exceptionally tough and physically demanding day.

However blissful his sleep was, Seijurou still had a rough morning, all thanks to one special friend. He woke up to the sound of a pleading but strangely bubbly voice.

"Ohayou, Erida-kun! I need a super duper big favor..", said Satsuki through Seijurou's "console command". "I'm desperate.. can you help me with my 'console command'? It seems to have some sort of malfunction. You're good with this stuff, right? Can you come here at my place? Please.."

"Kinjou? How the hell did you get my 'console command' to answer your call?..", asked Seijurou in his first thing in the morning confusion.

"I did..", Kajiya said to his son out of nowhere while he walked back out of the room. "It won't stop ringing since half an hour ago."

Seijurou sighed heavily while he got out of bed. The pain from the cuts and bruises from yesterday's incident was still there. It was not as bad, but a very visible covered up injury hovered over his right eye. Going to Satsuki's place was already a drag to begin with. He thought what more could possibly happen if she saw him in that state. 

Refusing Satsuki's plea was Seijurou's plan to begin with. However, there was this underlying tone in Satsuki's voice whenever she asked favors that he could not resist. Every single time, his mother's voice resounded in his thoughts. 'From now on, she's under your protection, Seijurou.'

"Fine! I'll be there in a bit..", Seijurou, though unwillingly, responded to Satsuki's delight. 

The mornings in Seijurou's neighborhood were a little different in the month of June. Compared to the time around the beginning of the first term, citizens were already active at least an hour in advance in the day. With the sun rising much earlier, most PCs adjusted their respective wake up calls.

"But it's most probably the heat..", Seijurou thought as he dragged himself to the Kinjous' residence. Fortunately for him, it is still along the way going to school. 

Seijurou never visited Satsuki's home often. It was most probably the fact that it was the other way around since Satsuki trained in his mother's dojo. The very few times that he had business with the Kinjous just left him with very vague memories. Otherwise, ever since his mother died, he had never been there. 

All Seijurou could remember about Satsuki's parents was very little, partly because of his apathetic nature towards the world. Satsuki's mother was a taller and much refined talkative version of her who kept serving him food and soda. But a deep curiosity awakened in him when he remembered her father. 

Satsuki's dad was a short man with half his face covered in a ninja mask. Apparently, Seijurou remembered that he serves as a "Shinobi" directly under Jihon's "Server", or "Shogun". Satsuki said before that she has never seen her father's entire face up to the point she learned how to determine through his eyes if he's smiling.

"I wonder how they are now..", mumbled Seijurou as he arrived at the Kinjous' residence. He then proceeded to enter the open guest room. "Pardon the intrusion."

He eventually found Satsuki seated by the dining table. She was already dressed up for school and was also playing with her "console command". She was smiling and giggling to herself. There was nothing out of the usual. 

An enormous smile engulfed Satsuki's face the moment she saw Seijurou. "Erida-kun! You're here!"

"Kinjou..", Seijurou's face went dark and blank the moment he realized he may have been pranked again. "What's wrong with your console? It seems to be working fine."

"Oh..", Satsuki replied before she giggled awkwardly. Cold sweat started to appear on her forehead as she saw Seijurou's slightly angered expression. "I figured it out.."

"You should've told me at once!..", yelled Seijurou, which caused Satsuki to close her eyes as if she was about to get hit by something. "I'm leaving! I'll be late for class!"

"Wait. Let's go together..", was supposed to be what Satsuki said, but Seijurou left too fast. In the end, she just laughed out loud and let it go. "Sheesh.. he really is quite a handful."

After that, Satsuki stared at the two Ramen bowls she prepared earlier in the morning. 

"What a waste. I woke up early for this..", she thought as she moved the other bowl closer to her. "Well, I guess I'll eat both then. I was slightly hoping for that anyway. Itadakimasu!"

She also realized that Seijurou got into trouble again with his appearance. She sighed in between her chewing. "It only took one day to leave him alone.. and that happened again."

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Later on that day, Chizuru checked on Seijurou's wounds and prepared to replace the bandaging. Some of their classmates were stealing glances, and the others were murmuring among themselves with their seatmates. Satsuki was at the far end near the window again, just giggling at how Seijurou blushed. 

"Do we really have to do it here?..", asked Seijurou, which got Chizuru blushing as well. 

"Phrasing, baka-jurou! Phrasing!..", Chizuru exclaimed as she continued to replace the coverings over Seijurou's eye. 

But Seijurou sprayed more blood through his nose with Chizuru's response. 

Chizuru panicked. "What are you doing?! You can't lose any more blood!"

"And whose fault is it?! I wasn't even thinking about that!..", Seijurou also exclaimed after.

Suddenly, Hayama entered the classroom, making everyone silent instantly as they stood up to greet him. "Before we begin today's activity outside, let's have a review with basic magic spells. You may take your seat."

Hayama proceeded to stand in the middle after that. He held his hands in front of him, close to his chest as if he was holding an invisible ball. "Erida-san, what's this gesture symbolizing?"

Seijurou stood. "A 'magic download', sensei."

"Correct. Take your seat..", acknowledged Hayama, making Seijurou sit down. Then, with the same hand sign, he inverted it. "What about this? A clue.. it seems like I'm offering my heart and soul. Takenori Shizune."

A female classmate stood at the opposite side. "Upload. A 'magic upload', sensei."

"Great. You may take your seat. Though it would not be advised to use magic uploads except for last resort tactics. And why is that, Morisaki-san?"

"Because it also uses up SPs to make up for the insufficiency of MPs?"

"Good. Take your seat..", said Hayama, though he seemed unsatisfied. "However, uploads have another function. It also amplifies the spell itself. 

"Remember, a spell's amplitude can be adjusted from one to ninety nine. That's why in 'spell incantations', we recite the number after which type of spell is used.

"However, some spells have lower 'maximum amplitude ceilings' than others like 'candle light'."

The class laughed a little as the teacher mentioned the low level spell. 

"What's funny?..", Hayama asked, which got everyone's attention. "Any spell is useful like the one I mentioned.. especially if you're alone in a dark cave and afraid of ghosts."

The classroom was engulfed with more laughter this time. Even Seijurou managed a smirk with his sensei's slight jest. 

"Download Ho No Jumon (Fire Spell) one.. Candlelight..", Hayama recited while doing the "Download Hand Gesture". After that, he pointed a finger up, and a small flame appeared on it. "Take note of the order of incantations when you weave spells. The 'Action'.. Download or Upload first.. then the 'Type' of spell and 'Amplitude'. I used a fire spell set at level one. Lastly, the 'Name' of the spell."

After that, Hayama extinguished the small flame and walked slightly towards the windows. He then faced the class once more and gave them a smug look. 

"Now, observe the difference..", continued Hayama while he made the inverted form of the previous hand sign. "Upload Ho No Jumon one.. Candlelight!"

The moment Hayama held his pointer up, a blaze appeared above it. The entire class gasped in surprise as it burned fiercely above their teacher's finger. 

"That's no candlelight!..", a classmate shouted. "It's a bonfire!"

"Ow! So hot!..", another one said. 

And then, Hayama extinguished it as he found his entire class moving away from him. "With that, I guess you can banish ghosts in that same cave."

The students took a moment of shock and awe. "Eh?!"

"Another pointer.. think of downloads as spells coming from the magical energy around you..", added Hayama. "Then, your MPs are basically a form of currency used in exchange for that. 

"Uploads, however, are means of using magical energy within you to amplify the spell.. which actually makes sense since Stamina Points are considered magical energy within PCs for performing certain actions.

"Now that I know most of you have listened to my previous lectures, I'd like to see all of you weave the 'downloaded candlelight' yourselves."

One by one, each of Seijurou's classmates performed the spell. Some were so small and some were a bit larger. Satsuki did it almost as perfectly as their teacher's. Chizuru, who sat beside him, made a good one as well. It made him nervous. 

Seijurou stared at his hands as he slowly made the download sign. "Can I do this?..", he asked himself. A surge of some sort of invisible force began to fill him up the moment he completed the gesture. Nerve wracked, he recited the incantation. "Download Ho No Jumon one.."

However the moment he said the amplitude level, a powerful blaze engulfed Seijurou's hands. 

"Erida! Set the amplitude..", Hayama said as he approached Seijurou.

"I can't, sensei. I tried..", Seijurou desperately responded. 

"Chanting the amplitude isn't just about saying it. You have to feel it in your thoughts to set its level."

"I can't!"

"Clap your hands together to cancel the spell."

"I tried that too, sensei! It's out of control!"

Out of nowhere, pressurized water hit Seijurou's hands to extinguish the flame. As the vapor cleared, Hayama was seen holding out his palm like he just casted a spell. 

"No incantation..", Seijurou said in shock and astonishment.

"As I've said, feel it in your thoughts..", Hayama replied with a loud voice for everyone to hear. "Through mastery.. spells will require less magic points, or SPs if you feel bolder.. and lower amplitude levels but having the same effect.

"Likewise, incantations can be lessened too up to a point where the entire chant isn't needed to be recited anymore."

Hayama gave Seijurou a scrutinizing look as he walked towards the front. It may have seemed that he was disappointed, but in reality, his thoughts spoke differently. 

"What is up with those flames?..", Hayama thought. Although almost impressed, the boy still managed to fail the drill. He knew that Seijurou had always been having trouble with battle skills, including magic. "No, he just couldn't control it."

"Now..", out loud this time, Hayama addressed the class. "Let's begin the activity and head outside before you kids burn FSG."

"Otaku..", Jax coughed up to tease Seijurou. 

Muffled laughter resounded in the room as the students prepared to leave. Seijurou however, did not care at all as usual. 

After the short lecture, the class split into male and female groups to go to their locker rooms. Changing into their standard shorts and shirt physical education uniforms is a must when having practical classes. With that, they proceeded to the area where the teacher designated them to be.

The scent of sunblock overpowered whatever stench the students' sweat gave off. It was almost in the middle of the day, they were in the middle of a roofless Soccer field, and the summer sun scorched them. A rather unpleasant feeling it was, but all that would be gone very soon due to what their homeroom adviser had prepared for them. 

"Before we begin..", Hayama announced. "Kinjou-san, please stand beside me. There's no need for you to join this activity."

"Eh?!?..", the class reacted in disbelief. Even Satsuki looked like she wanted to join. 

"This activity is about teaming up with your seatmates..", Hayama said, which made everyone look at their partners. 

"Great..", said Chizuru sarcastically.

"Sorry..", Seijurou apologized as he smiled awkwardly. 

"The number of students in your class is odd..", continued Hayama-sensei. "That's why I pulled Kinjou-san out. And besides, she's more than capable of doing this drill. She'll however, assist me with the activity's analysis."

Satsuki just smiled as she simply waved to her classmates. It seemed to have cleared the small tension. 

"This activity's your chance to display all you've learned from my practical class..", Hayama continued once again. "As you can see, the summer break is near, and we need to begin assessing your capabilities so we can assign quests."

Excited mumbling was heard among the class. The June to August break is usually the time for students to showcase their talents in sports fests and interclass duels. After that, they will be sent to quests, mostly minor ones, but sometimes, major. It would be the first time for everyone except Satsuki. 

"Rules of the game..", Hayama's voice resounded to get their attention as he showed a rubber ball. "Simple.. eliminate everyone by hitting them with this ball inside the confines of this field. Be creative with your abilities.

"The ball must hit the ground after contact for that to be considered as an elimination. Person to person body contact is not allowed, thus causing the offenders elimination. 

"Once a partner is eliminated, the other is done too. Last pair standing wins."

Chizuru sighed deeply as she stared blankly at her partner. "My chances of getting a good quest is dissolving before my eyes."

"Now that's cruel..", Seijurou shot back. "I only look forward to crafting quests or artifact hunts.. but this is a school examination."

Still looking disappointed, Chizuru scowled at Seijurou. "Whatever the hell that means, baka-jurou! I'm still doomed.."

"It means I'll do my best, and I'll protect you..", Seijurou declared. 

The seriousness in his tone made Chizuru blush a little. The last time she saw him like that was when the Swordmaiden was still alive. Something woke up in him that day. 

"Besides, this is the perfect opportunity to pay someone back..", Seijurou added. "Let's just play with this nonsense."

The pairs took their positions in the field as Hayama placed the ball in the middle of the center circle. Their teacher then took his whistle out of his pocket. "This is like dodgeball.. only that everyone's against each other. I call this game 'Rumball'.."

"Lame..", one of the students said from the far end, which caused everyone to laugh. 

"Who said that?!..", Hayama exclaimed, but he could not pinpoint who. "Insolent brat.. anyway, let's begin."

The moment Hayama blew his whistle, Jax dashed instantaneously towards the ball and grabbed it. And within a split second, he threw it towards Seijurou. 

"I knew it..", thought Seijurou. "Of course this moron's going after me."

It did hit, but it was more like Seijurou deflecting the ball upwards, so he could catch it easily. The moment he caught it, he immediately passed it to Chizuru, to her surprise or more to everyone's surprise. 

"Huh?..", reacted Hayama. "What the hell just happened?"

Satsuki again, just giggled as Chizuru stared at the ball in her hands.

Translation Notes:

Kendo - a Jihonian (Japanese) combat sport which descends from swordsmanship.

Ohayou - means "good morning" in the ancient language (Japanese).

Shinobi - a male ninja.

Server - another term for "head of state" in Jihon and the rest of the nations.

Shogun - another term for the leader of a feudal type of government.

Itadakimasu - means "I humbly receive" in the ancient language (Japanese). It's the traditional way of giving thanks for the food.

That "nosebleed" expression - a nod to shonen mangaka, in which a character gets overly excited by perverted thoughts causing a nosebleed.

Ho No Jumon - means "fire spell" in the ancient language (Japanese).