Standing before me were two men dressed like wizards straight out of a storybook. Physically, they looked to be about the same age as me—well, my real age, not the child's body I was currently inhabiting.
But what was that just now? A spear of light? No, that wasn't it. Judging by the acrid, scorched scent hanging in the air, it was fire. A flamethrower? Hardly. These two, standing there with those smug, condescending sneers, didn't look like they were carrying that kind of hardware. And what did they say? Summoning? They were talking as if magic were a living, breathing reality.
"What... what was that?"
Chizuru's voice was a frail whisper as her gaze darted between the strangers and me.
"See? Ditching that tedious guard duty at Library Island was the right call, wasn't it?" one of the men remarked, his tone dripping with boredom.
"Yeah," the other replied, his eyes roaming over the girls. "To think we'd hook two such high-quality prizes in one go."
"But first..."
"Yeah. We deal with the brat. He's got a strange air about him, way too composed for a kid. And then there's that bizarre slime. He's clearly a summoner, but I've never heard of anyone using a summoning art without a chant. At the very least, his skill with spirits is higher than mine."
"In that case, we snap the kid's limbs and gag him so he can't finish an incantation. Then we take the two females to go. Sound like a plan?"
They were casually discussing our fates, and it was clear their intentions were anything but peaceful. From the sounds of it, they planned to kidnap Chizuru and Ayaka while "securing" me.
"Now see here!" Ayaka barked, her voice remarkably steady despite the situation. "I have heard quite enough of your insolence! Do you truly believe such villainy will be permitted?"
She stepped forward to confront them. I could see her legs trembling beneath her skirt; she was suppressing her terror. She was doing it to protect me—to protect a child.
"Heh. Hey, can I have the feisty one? I've always enjoyed breaking women like her."
"Fine by me. Then I'll take the one with the bigger chest."
"Settled. Now, about that brat..."
"Right. Let's get the unpleasantness out of the way."
Ignoring Ayaka entirely, they leveled their staves at me.
"Ral Kil Sam—Shadow Spear of the Fifth!"
"Atai Simi Lakri—Magic Archer, Three Flaming Arrows!"
As the incantations left their lips, a spear-like object erupted from one man's shadow, while three arrows of pure fire manifested behind the other.
"Tch! Accel!"
I didn't hesitate. I scooped up Chizuru, who was still frozen in shock with her hand in mine, and in the same motion, I lunged for Ayaka, who had stepped out to face them. I snatched her up and leaped backward.
Thanks to the Accel spirit command and my own enhanced physical capabilities, the spells whistled through the empty air where we had stood a heartbeat before.
"What the—? This kid... he's fast. Is he using a War Song? Or is that Shundou?"
"No, there was no time for a chant, so it's not a Song. Must be Shundou... but to use it that smoothly at his age? We'd better not underestimate him."
I set the girls down and stepped in front of them, shielding them with my body.
"A-Axel? What just happened? Who are you...?"
"Ayaka, that can wait," Chizuru interrupted, her voice sharp with pragmatism. "We have to figure out how to get out of this. They don't look like they're going to let us walk away. Axel... can you do something?"
"Hard to say. They're using combat techniques I've never seen. At this rate... No. Wait."
"Axel?"
Ignoring Chizuru's bewildered voice, I focused my will and forced a Status Window to manifest over the two men. Just as I suspected, their skills were listed clearly. The man on the right possessed Magic (Shadow) and Magic (Summoning). The man on the left had Magic (Fire).
So they really were wizards. My mind raced through possibilities. I knew of mecha series that blended magic—Demonbane came to mind—but this was definitely Japan, not Arkham City. Was I in the world of a manga or anime I didn't recognize?
"Well, I'll manage," I said, my voice dropping an octave. "I'll make sure the two of you stay safe. That's a promise."
These two had been nothing but kind to me, a complete stranger. I had no intention of abandoning my benefactors. I didn't know the politics of this world yet, but it was clearly a place where mages existed. For a moment, I wondered if this was the Fate universe, but I didn't recall a "Scholarship City" existing there.
"If he can use Shundou, we need to pin him down first," one of the mages muttered. "I'll bind him; you finish him off."
"Got it. Watch out for that silent summoning."
They were speaking loud enough for me to hear, either out of sheer arrogance or the certainty that I wouldn't abandon the girls to run away. Either way, the moment they showed me their Status Windows, their fates were sealed. Their skills weren't the kind you could learn with PP; they were innate, categorized the same way my Telekinesis was.
That meant my slime could absorb them. It meant I could make their power mine.
Doing so would kill them, of course. But listening to them, it was clear they were criminals—the type who killed without a second thought. I wouldn't lose sleep over it.
My plan was set. They were going to try and bind me before delivering a finishing blow. I would simply use that opening against them.
While keeping an eye on them, I commanded my slime to thin itself out to the width of a hair and spread across the ground. A rift to my Spatial Hangar opened beside me, but in the darkness of the night, they didn't notice a thing.
"You two... things are about to get a bit gruesome. Could you close your eyes for a second?" I asked, my gaze fixed on the mages.
"Axel, but—"
"Ayaka," Chizuru said firmly. "Let's trust him. You know what would have happened to us if he wasn't here, right?"
"...Very well. Axel, we place our lives in your hands."
Though she hesitated, Ayaka yielded to Chizuru's logic. Honestly, it was hard to believe these two were only middle-schoolers.
"Hah! 'Gruesome'? The brat's got a vivid imagination. Sounds like he knows exactly what's coming for him."
"Close your eyes all you want, it won't change your fate or the girls'. Here we go!"
Synchronizing their timing, they began their incantations again.
"Atai Simi Lakri—Seven Spirits of the Wind, become the binding chains that snare my foe! Magic Archer, Wind-Binding Arrows!"
The arrows manifested and flew. Fast. And wind? The man's status only showed Fire Magic. Perhaps the Status only showed their specialty, or perhaps this was a sub-type of fire?
It didn't matter. I stepped directly into the path of the spell, shielding Chizuru and Ayaka. The arrows struck me and immediately dissolved into spectral chains of wind, locking me in place.
"Got him! Now!"
The partner began to chant his killing blow. In that split second, a silver ripple tore through the air. The slime surged forward like a tidal wave, swallowing both men whole before they could even blink.
I manipulated the mass, dragging the struggling forms into the shadows behind the trees.
"SP Boost!"
I flooded the slime with every ounce of SP I could muster, skyrocketing its digestive efficiency. Encased in the silver mass, the men couldn't even scream. In less than a few seconds, they were erased from existence.
Suddenly... Thump-thump!
A violent surge of energy, identical to the sensation of absorbing a pilot's abilities, slammed into my system.
"Guh...!"
The sheer wrongness of the sensation forced a groan from my throat, and I doubled over, clutching my chest.
"Axel!"
Ayaka and Chizuru rushed to my side, but I could barely acknowledge them as I fought to suppress the influx of power. I managed to keep my consciousness—the shock wasn't nearly as bad as when I had absorbed Mao's Geass back in the Code Geass world. Back then, a single skill had knocked me out cold. This time, I had taken three, yet I was still standing, albeit drenched in a cold sweat.
"Oh heavens! Axel, are you alright?!"
Ayaka pulled out a handkerchief to wipe my brow while Chizuru helped me over to a nearby bench.
"Ayaka, get some water from the vending machine," Chizuru commanded.
"Right away!"
As Ayaka sprinted off, I focused entirely on stabilizing the foreign energies circulating through my veins.
"I'm going to need a very thorough explanation of what just happened," Chizuru whispered, her eyes full of worry as she dabbed at my forehead. "So you'd better get well soon."
Within a minute, Ayaka returned, her arms full of canned drinks.
"What happened to him?"
"I'm not sure," Chizuru replied. "But it's definitely because of whatever he did to those men."
"Now that you mention it... Axel told us to close our eyes, and when we opened them, they were just... gone."
"And you saw it too, didn't you, Ayaka?"
"...Yes. Based on their conversation..."
"Magic."
"Precisely. Summoning, flaming arrows, shadows turning into spears... It was like something out of a fantasy novel."
"...Yeah. Something like that," I managed to rasp out, my breathing finally beginning to steady.
"Axel! Are you feeling better?" Ayaka asked frantically.
"Yeah. Sorry for worrying you."
Chizuru's eyes narrowed slightly, a small smile playing on her lips. "My, my. Your way of speaking has certainly changed."
I froze. In my state of distress, I had dropped the childish persona. My natural, blunt tone had slipped out.
"...Well, wouldn't it be more suspicious if I kept acting like a kid after all that?" I sighed, leaning back against the bench. "Sorry. I was playing a part."
"If we hadn't seen you fight, it might have been jarring," Ayaka said, nodding earnestly. "But after seeing how gallant you were... actually, that mismatch is part of your charm, Axel!"
"I... see." She certainly was consistent.
I pulled up my own Status. There they were, newly added to the list: Magic (Fire), Magic (Shadow), and Magic (Summoning).
The absorption was a success.
However, questions remained. Why could the fire mage use wind? Perhaps in this world, a Status only reflects one's primary affinity. Or perhaps 'Wind-Binding' was a derivative of Fire? I'd have to test it later.
"Axel, would you like something cold or warm?" Chizuru asked, lining up the cans on the bench.
I pointed to the warm black tea.
"Here you go. Now then... Axel. Will you tell us what's going on?"
"Please, do not be afraid," Ayaka added fiercely. "Whatever the trouble, I and the Yukihiro Group will ensure you are protected!"
"It's not that, it's just..."
I had no idea why those men had attacked us. I had just arrived in this world; I couldn't possibly be the target. Based on their dialogue, they were just opportunistic predators who—
Wait.
"Tch! Again?!"
My Telekinesis flared, sensing a presence nearby. I stood up instantly, scanning the perimeter. Chizuru and Ayaka tensed, their faces pale, fearing the mages had returned.
But the voice that drifted from the darkness was different.
"Hoh? You noticed me from that distance?"
A young girl stepped out from the shadow of the trees. She looked to be around my current physical age, with brilliant blonde hair and an aura of overwhelming confidence.
"I felt a massive surge of prana near the barrier and came to investigate. To think I'd find you two here... Student number 21, Naba Chizuru. And number 29, Yukihiro Ayaka."
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Axel Almar
Level: 38
PP: 625
Stats: Melee: 262 | Ranged: 282 | Skill: 272 | Defense: 272 | Evasion: 302 | Hit: 322
SP: 462
Ace Bonus: SP Boost (Spend SP to increase Slime performance)
Terrain: Air: S | Ground: S | Water: S | Space: S
Spirit Commands: Accel (4), Effort (8), Focus (16), Strike (30), Zeal (32), Love (48)
Skills:
EXP Up
SP Boost (SP Up Lv.9, SP Regen, Concentration)
Telekinesis Lv.10
Attacker
Gunfight Lv.9
Infight Lv.9
Morale Limit Break
Geass (Grey)
Magic (Fire)
Magic (Shadow)
Magic (Summoning)
???
???
-------------------------------
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