Don't Touch Our Kids
Jake watched Raon climb onto the sparring ground and ran his tongue across his lips.
Finally.
The tedious, grinding hours had crawled by, and the most important moment of the day had arrived.
A low hum stirred in his chest. Careful not to let Rimer beside him notice, he slowly rotated the mana circle bound to his heart.
I have to hide magic inside magic.
He needed to layer the spells so the orc could carve a fatal wound into Raon.
He was preparing the incantations in his mind when Rimer stepped closer.
"Mage."
"That kid is the strongest one here. Bring out the strongest orc you've got."
"Understood."
Jake's mouth sagged as he nodded.
Lucky.
Being told outright to strengthen it made using the magic he'd hidden far more convenient. He barely swallowed a smile as he began the chant.
"Summon Monster."
Jake raised his hand and called forth the orc Karun had given him from the Dulan Mountains.
The ground shuddered with a deep, rolling rumble. From the magic circle etched into the earth, the largest orc yet heaved itself into the open.
Tusks jutted from its mouth all the way to its earlobes. Even swollen, its muscles were taut with coiled elasticity, and its eyes were savage enough to chew a human alive.
"KRAAAAH!"
The roar drained the color from every trainee's face.
"Oh, that's a fairly strong-looking orc."
Rimer noticed nothing unusual and nodded as if the beast pleased him.
"Then I'll apply the enhancement magic."
"Ah, go ahead."
"Strength. Endurance."
While the physical enhancement spells settled over the orc, Jake planted the Berserker magic he had prepared in advance deep into its body.
Berserker magic raised a target's physical abilities by more than half again. On top of that, this was an orc that had survived in the Dulan Mountains. It was not a creature any mere trainee could handle.
A beast that vicious would take off one of Raon's arms before an instructor could even intervene.
Jake flicked his wrist, draped the orc in an illusion that made it look human, and nodded.
"Prepare for the spar."
Raon nodded and began to loosen his shoulders. The instant he did, Jake triggered the Berserker magic he had buried in the orc's flesh.
All Physical Abilities +150%
"KUOOOOH!"
The orc's muscles ballooned. The magic circle holding it shattered with a crash.
"KRAAAAH!"
The beast shrieked and charged the nearest target — Raon.
It launched itself off haunches swollen like balloons, kicking the earth apart. Extreme killing intent rolled off it in a wave, thick with the will to kill the boy in a single breath.
Yes!
Raon hadn't even drawn his sword. He was crushed beneath the orc's murderous pressure. At the very least, one arm was guaranteed to fly.
Jake watched with rapture flooding his eyes as the orc brought its blade down.
A red line — no. A golden line, lit as if by sunset, split the dim air.
"Ghk..."
The orc's body locked. Its head dropped to the ground with a dull, final thud.
"Wh-what?!"
What the hell?!
An orc from the Dulan Mountains. He had stacked every enhancement spell he possessed and detonated a Berserker incantation that boosted every ability by half again.
Raon had cut that monster down with a single stroke. No hesitation. No fear. No clumsiness. It was a perfect cut, as if he were already a swordsman who had stepped into a true realm.
It did not fit the situation at all, but the thought even crossed Jake's mind that it was beautiful.
A low, crushing pressure rolled out from beyond the collapsing carcass. Jake's eyes met Raon Zieghart's, and his heart plummeted at the two pupils burning scarlet.
"Urgh!"
He toppled backward without realizing it, clutching his throat. He could not breathe under the presence a young trainee was radiating. It felt as if the lungs had vanished from his chest.
A m-monster...
He scrambled backward on his rear. The vicious killing intent cut off just before he wet himself.
"Ahh..."
The killing intent was gone. The terror was not. Jake's hands shook violently as Rimer came up beside him.
"Looks like the mage is quite exhausted. Well, you've been summoning monsters all day."
Rimer grinned and helped him to his feet.
"Still, there's one left. And she's absolutely bursting with motivation. Hang in there just one more time."
His finger pointed at Runaan, who stood waiting before the training ground.
"Y-y-yes, sir."
Jake nodded, his jaw quivering. He felt as if he could do anything, so long as he never had to meet Raon Zieghart's eyes again.
He forced his ragged breathing into something like a rhythm and prepared the final summon.
"Runaan. You okay? Think you can do this?"
"Yes."
At Rimer's question, Runaan nodded firmly and climbed onto the training ground.
The floor was soaked with blood, but her gaze no longer wavered the way it had before. She looked straight ahead with purple eyes that held no fear.
"Please prepare."
"Y-yes, sir."
Jake raised his violently trembling hands and summoned an orc. Intermediate mage or not, even terrified, he laid the enhancement magic on properly.
"Then I'll — I'll begin."
He cast the last illusion that made the beast appear human, then released the magic circle restraining it.
"KRAAAAH!"
The orc charged. In the same breath, Runaan drew her sword.
A clear ring split the air. Faint blue energy rose, and silver mist filled the space between them.
"KROOOH!"
Frost that froze the skin spread outward, but it could not catch the orc's feet. The beast came on anyway, coated in rime.
"Mm."
Runaan pursed her lips slightly and stepped through her footwork. She slid left and right as if on ice, slipping past the falling axe.
"KIIAAH!"
Even as its hide froze, the orc would not retreat. It kept swinging with the resolve to die together.
"Nnh."
Runaan could not bring herself to extend her blade. She only evaded. Still, the frost pouring from her sword never stopped, and the orc was already more than half encased in ice.
Raon clicked his tongue, watching her give ground as if fleeing, exhaling nothing but frost.
Still not resolved, then.
Since stepping onto the training ground, Runaan had not thrown a single strike. She only ran, and froze, and ran again.
Too kind.
The reason she had fallen under Syria's brainwashing was simple.
Because she was kind.
She knew what death was, even at her age, so she feared blood, and she could not bring herself to wound the orc.
It was a completely different grain from his previous life, when he would kill anyone to survive.
Because of her cold face and colder eyes, people mistook Runaan for haughty. She was the opposite.
It seeps out of her swordsmanship itself.
The reason she never put cold into her blade during spars, scattering frost through the air instead, was to subdue her opponent without hurting them.
The most tender-hearted, kindest person in this Fifth Training Ground was Runaan. Syria had wrapped chains around that kind child's heart and used her.
Runaan.
Thinking about it now, the reason she had approached him first at the training hall might not have been to copy his methods at all. She might simply have felt sorry for him, standing there alone.
"Lady Runaan!"
"Just cut it down!"
"Runaan!"
The instructor and the trainees shouted her name, but she only blocked the axe, unable to attack, only fleeing.
"Ugh..."
She had poured too much aura into the frost. Her movements slowed by degrees. The orc, even with most of its body frozen, swung harder, its eyes gone wilder still.
Raon clicked his tongue and stood. She could not simply freeze the thing to death. She had to finish it herself, or Syria's brainwashing would never break.
"Runaan!"
For the first time, the head that had answered no one turned.
He smiled and told her nothing would happen. Runaan's wavering gaze locked still. Her purple pupils radiated a deep silver light, like an untrodden snowfield.
Raon felt the darkness that had lingered in her eyes scatter like dust.
"KYAAAH!"
The instant the orc brought its axe down on her unmoving head, a silver trajectory surged through the air.
A sharp crack. A blade flashing silver split the axe haft and drove straight through the orc's heart.
"Guhhh..."
The madness in its eyes snuffed out like a candle. It toppled backward.
Hot blood gushed from the heart that had not fully frozen. Runaan's hands were soaked in it. Her expression was calm.
She turned and looked at him. She nodded, as if to ask how she had done. He nodded back.
"She's broken free."
Yeah.
Raon smirked. There was no fear on Runaan's face now.
Instead she wore a smile that looked clean, as if a weight had lifted from her chest.
It would take a little more time. But Syria's darkness had been thoroughly swept away. The brainwashing that thing had built would no longer consume her.
I know that better than anyone.
He had lived most of his previous life under brainwashing. Of that, he was certain.
"Uwah..."
"Wh-what was that?"
"What did Raon even say to make her change like that?"
"S-scary."
The trainees' mouths hung open as they stared at Runaan, who had dropped an orc with a single frozen stroke, and at Raon, who had made her that way.
Burren and Marta were looking over too, their pupils trembling with surprise.
"Wh-what on earth did you say to her?"
Dorian hurried over with his eyes wide as saucers.
"Nothing much."
Raon smirked and shook his head.
"She did it herself."
He tossed out a suitable answer and looked up at the platform. Jake, meeting his eyes, gasped and stumbled backward.
Alright then.
Now it was time to plant terror in that one. Deep enough that he would never even think of touching them again.
A thin, needle-sharp presence began to gather toward the platform — and Rimer cut in.
"You don't look well. Let's wrap this up."
He grinned and helped Jake to his feet.
"Tsk."
Raon clicked his tongue and let the killing intent dissolve.
It's not over yet.
He had not driven the fear all the way into Jake's soul. That much should keep the man from coming at them again or getting any stupid ideas — but it was a shame he hadn't gotten to watch him wet himself.
"Everyone did well."
Rimer grinned, still supporting Jake.
"Honestly, this wasn't an easy session. But you all did better than I expected."
He gave the whole ground a thumbs-up.
"Today's experience will be a huge help when you go into real combat. Once you've drawn your sword, never hesitate. Your hesitation will lead to a comrade's death. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
The trainees straightened their backs and answered with spirit.
"Good volume. I think we could actually send you on a mission now."
"Oh!"
"A-a mission?"
"Really?"
The children's faces lit up at the word.
"That's right. We'll start preparing slowly. That's it for today's training. And lastly — a round of applause for Mage Jake, who worked so hard today!"
"Thank you!"
Listening to the trainees' applause, Rimer led Jake out of the training ground.
"Urgh..."
Jake left the Fifth Training Ground leaning on Rimer. He had wanted to walk on his own, but the shock of Raon's killing intent had left no strength in his limbs.
"Looks like you overdid it."
As if he knew nothing at all, Rimer supported him gently and steered him toward the Magic Tower.
"Haa..."
The cool breeze kept hitting his face, and his mind gradually crawled back into place.
"I-I'm fine now. I'll go alone from here."
Jake stopped near the Third Training Ground, where the combat units trained. He had to go to the Heavy Martial Palace and report today's failure.
"Ah, is that so. Understood."
Rimer nodded and sat him down on a nearby chair.
"Thank you for your help."
Jake bowed his head from where he sat. And when he lifted it again, he realized something had changed.
The wind that had been blowing hard enough to flap his clothes a moment ago could no longer be felt at all. The wind had, quite literally, vanished.
And right in front of him, a killing intent so vicious it raised the hair on his arms bloomed into the still air.
He did not want to look. A strange force rose anyway and forced his head up.
He was there.
The monster who, decades ago, had exploded with madness at Glenn Zieghart's side. The Mad Sword of Zieghart was looking down at him with bright yellow eyes.
"Ah — ah..."
His throat clenched shut. His nose started bleeding on its own. He could not so much as twitch a finger.
I heard he'd collapsed...
He had heard that Zieghart's Mad Sword had become a wreck after his dantian was destroyed. That was not true. The monster may have weakened. It had not disappeared.
"Go and deliver this."
Jake's teeth chattered at the ice in Rimer's voice.
The wind was not blowing at all, yet blood burst from Jake's cheek, and the skin on his arms split open with a dry crack. His body was being carved by killing intent alone.
"Urgh!"
This man had known everything. He had known — and he had simply watched to see how far it would go.
"Ah — ah..."
It felt as if his heart had stopped. Terror left him unable to do anything at all.
A dense green wind surged up from the earth beneath Rimer's feet.
"Huk!"
Jake squeezed his eyes shut in the violent gale and thought of his end. There was no pain.
When he cracked his eyes open at the returning breeze, Rimer was gone. The killing intent he had left behind still hung in the air.
"Haaah! M-master and disciple — they're all monsters. Monsters..."
Jake dropped to his knees. Water streamed from his eyes, his nose, his mouth. His pupils darted left and right without end, like a man who had lost his mind.
"Urghhh!"
Contrary to Raon's disappointment, terror had been driven deep and thick into Jake's soul.