After some hurried investigation, it was discovered that someone or something was siphoning the entirety of the Kū element away from Japan. Studies in the modern era determined that the Kū element was being siphoned from the entirety of the planet, to some untraceable location.
Certainly not a location on this planet anyway.
As there was nothing they could do (Apparently the only way to retrieve the stolen magic was with the stolen magic. 'How useless is that?' Saito had thought to himself when he found that titbit in the Archives) the mystics of Japan had borrowed heavily from the continent, mostly China, to replace the previously ubiquitous Kū element. Of course, this had meant adopting some of the philosophical elements of Wu Xing and Feng Shui into their own magic, but both the Ministry and the Black Stars had maintained the usual pragmatism in regards to religion and nothing had come of it, so it fell to the backs of everyone's mind.
Saito walked to the centre of the room and stood waiting. Tsubaki in turn walked onto the small Seiman design on the floor and ran through a series of handsigns.
"Ten no Ten-za, Ikikaeru! (Heavenly Translocator, come back to life!)" Tsubaki commanded. Beneath him, the Seiman glowed blue with the power of his magic.
At the same time, a small Seiman appeared in red around Saito, who clapped his hands twice and spoke a command as he focussed on his destination.
"Tensō! (Transfer!)" He ordered. Acting on his will, the magic plucked the location he wanted to appear at from his mind and then flowed into the spells laid into the five pillars, which also began glowing in their respective colours, except the pillar representing Kū.
In a flash of light, Saito was gone from the Academy.
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Courtyard, Tristain Academy for Magic, Halkaginia
A crowd of second year students stood with their wands out and awaited their turn to perform the summoning spell. Approximately half of their number had already summoned their Familiars.
Guiche, Montmorency's boyfriend, had summoned an Earth mole he proudly named Verðandi. It was quite suited for him, because his primary element was earth and he was skilled in Earth magic to the point his runic name was 'la Médaille de Bronze' (The Bronze).
Kirche, to Louise's irritation, had summoned a Fire Salamander she named Flame. Again, it was suited for her; because of her runic name 'l'Ardent' (The Ardent) and her primary affinity was Fire magic.
Montmorency had summoned a frog. Yes. An orange frog. She called Robin. Her primary affinity was water, so again; it made sense.
Tabitha had scored the jackpot in Louise's opinion; by summoning a blue wind Rhine Dragon, she called Silpheed. Tabitha was skilled in three elements: Wind, Water and Ice, so it was easy to see that her power had sought a being that complemented all three at once.
"Now then." Professor Jean Colbert spoke as he stood from examining Kirche's Salamander, "Has everyone summoned their Familiar?"
The busty redhead smirked cruelly as she said, "The Zero hasn't."
Immediately, all eyes turned to Louise, who shrank back slightly at the attention concentrated on her.
"What's the matter Zero, all bark and no bite after your little boasting session the other day?" Kirche taunted her, a slight vicious edge in her voice. "Oh, that's right -all that will happen is yet another explosion and nothing else!"
"Enough, Miss Zerbst." Colbert ordered before turning to Louise. "Now, Miss Vallière. Kindly begin the spell if you please."
Louise nodded before taking a breath. 'You can do this.' she told herself firmly. Releasing her breath, she raised her wand and channelled her willpower into it.
She ground her teeth together and narrowed her eyes. She would not fail, because it was not a choice. She had staked the last of her pride as a Noble and a Mage on this spell and she had to win. There were no ifs ands or buts about it.
"My name is Louise Françoise 'le Blanc' de la Vallière. Pentagon of the Five Elemental Magics, Heed my summoning... and bring forth...my Familiar!"
An immense cloud of pulverised dirt, accompanied by a 'BOOM' immediately followed the slight flash from Louise's wand.
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Kiyomizu Temple, Kyoto, Japan
Saito opened his eyes to find himself in a Monk's cell, exactly as he had envisioned. He stealthily opened the door and peered out. The coast was clear. He opened the door fully and stepped out into the corridor checking both directions before setting off towards the back entrance.
'Looks like Tsubaki-sempai's warning has made me ever so slightly jumpy.' Saito though wryly as he cautiously negotiated his way past an open door to what seemed like a dining hall. Strictly speaking, Saito didn't have to sneak through the temple. He could walk through it as if he belonged there because he was technically a government employee.
The Imperial Government mind you, but government nevertheless.
He breathed a sigh of relief as he slipped out the rear entrance of the temple and started walking down the hill towards Kyoto-proper. Saito stopped abruptly when he saw a giant floating blue ball of light floating just outside of the temple's Kekkai barrier.
All temples and shrines possessed a spiritual barrier that protected the inhabitants and workers from magical attack, as well as being magically scryed and the occasional rogue demon attack. The fact that this magical -it had to be magical as ordinary people couldn't see it- ball of light was floating outside the barrier's boundary meant it was one of the three.
'Well, an attacking spell would be battering at the barrier and I don't recall a demon that's gone rogue that looked like that.' Saito considered. 'So that leaves a scrying spell. Except, what kind of idiot would make a spell intended for observation so large and easy to see? It defeats the entire purpose of the spell if someone sees the manifestation and dispels it.'
Saito thought for a moment, and then shrugged. If it was just a scrying spell, then it couldn't harm him. If it was a spell attacking the temple, all he had to do was avoid walking out right in front of the thing. And if it were a rogue demon…well, he'd burn that bridge if he came to it.
Saito deliberately moved away from the ball and exited the barrier a couple of meters away from the mysterious spell. He was in the middle of congratulating himself on avoiding the spell when something unexpected happened.
A crowd of monks in training slammed into Saito, crying out a chant as they struck themselves on the head with a fan, "DESIRES BE GONE, DESIRES BE GONE, DESIRES BE GONE!"
Saito was sent flying by the mass of running monks and landed bang-slap in the middle of the spell he had been trying to avoid. When he hit it, it felt like he had landed in a vat of treacle. He tried to fight his way out of it, but it felt like he was held in the hand of a giant. He was utterly unable to break free from the spell no matter how much he struggled.
With one last cry of frustrated anger, Hiiraga Saito vanished from his world, to where? Only the caster of the spell knew.
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Courtyard, Tristain magic Academy, Halkaginia
Coughing and spluttering, the second years gazed at the sight of Louis's latest explosion. It had been a big one this time, about a meter square and with the amount of dirt in the air; it was as if something had struck the ground at an incredible speed.
"Itai! Imaimashī bōsō saishi-tachi no gunshū! (OW! That damn out of control crowd of monks!)" came a voice from the cloud. Mr Colbert looked at Louise.
"Looks like you succeeded Miss Vallière." He remarked as he prepared to cast a light wind spell to remove the lingering cloud of dirt obscuring her familiar from sight.
"Sei Yo Ta!" Colbert called, slamming his stave on the ground and a gust of wind drove the cloud away, revealing Louise's Familiar. The pinkette looked on eagerly, anxious to see her Familiar for the first time.