The Odyssey for the Yōkai [Job; Vincent Gauss]

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Chapter I: Vincent the Elementalist

Vincent awoke with a headache. He looked around and saw that there were stars in the sky from behind his cage. The last thing I remember... I was walking into Lennys. Then... I was transported here I suppose. I had heard that people were disappearing around Fiore, but I never expected I would be taken as well. He felt as though the world around him was moving and, upon turning around, he figured out why. There was a red-skinned brute carrying him inside a barred cage that was only just big enough to fit him. The cage was on its back and strapped onto the monster via crudely crafted leather straps fastened horizontally between the bars. "Hey, are you the one who captured me?" he said, hoping it spoke a language he could understand. It responded to him with a huff. I suppose this... demon... isn't the talking type. No matter. I'll simply wait and see where it's taking me before I make my escape. He looked outside his prison and saw that the demon was traveling up a dirt path. Behind the monster he could see another just like it carrying another caged individual on its back. Behind that red-skinned beast, another, and another, and another. There seemed to be ten in total each sporting the same small cage with individuals, presumably of Fioren origin, inside.

The wizard looked down to see that his usual clothing and armaments were replaced with effectively brown rags. No materials... that's not a problem. Eventually, Vincent could see a fortress up ahead that looked straight out of ancient Midi. He noticed a distortion effect in the air around the fortress before his eyes widened in realization. An anti-magic field! I need to act quickly! he thought as kicked the door to his cage that was shut tight. He kicked again and again, to no avail. With a sigh, he grabbed the bars with his hands, closed his eyes, and sent electricity coursing through the entire cage. The strength of the shock was enough to get the attention of the brute on which he was caged. It let out a roar of pain before stopping and setting the cage down so that Vincent was finally upright instead of lying at an angle. Figuring that the mage was more trouble than it was worth, the large monster grabbed a large metal club from its side and swung it hard at the cage, sending it flying towards the forest to north of the path.

Vincent did not expect this reaction from the brute and braced himself as the metal cylinder flew into trees and eventually rolled onto the edge of a steep face. Oh I don't think this is going to end well... were his last thoughts before the steel cage teetered right off the edge of the cliff. When he awoke his eyes immediately locked with an inquisitive woman who caused him to jump in place, causing the woman to jump backwards as well. A fox tail? Furry ears? She's no human... was his first thought before sitting up and looking around. Feeling threatened, Vincent let all of his magical power flow externally, creating powerful magical aura to surround him. The kitsune, acknowledging his power, stood and bowed to him. "And impressive display of magical power, for a human. I have chosen a form more suitable to you and have been chosen to speak on behalf of my pack." He simply nodded before looking around. The Crystal Swan wizard was in the middle of a clearing in the forest with what appeared to be brilliant ghosts of large multi-tailed foxes around him. A supernatural entity who acts condescendingly towards 'mere' humans. Why doesn't this surprise me? "Thank you for not harming me while I was unconscious."

WC: 632/14000

Chapter II: Naomi the Kitsune

"Don't thank me yet, human; we might very well simply devour that great essence with which teased us. So, we want to consume your essence and you want to to live, so how about we make a game out of it. A magic user with a keenness of mind should be able to see through illusions and see what truly is, isn't that right?" He nodded slowly, squinting his eyes at the kitsune. She smiled mischievously. "Then if you can pick out which of these is the real me, then we'll leave you be. Does that sound fair?" Not like I have much of a choice in the matter. "Yes. I'll agree to those terms, for what that's worth." Without another word, the kitsune created forty nine other, identical, projections of herself spread evenly around Vincent. Then, they began to spin around him in an attempt to confuse his judgement until slowing down and stopping at a final position.

"That's a lot of projections you've cast. They look corporeal too; I'm impressed. Must take quite a bit of magic to sustain them, though." All of the projections responded in unison: "Thank you. The approval of a mage means little to me, but I appreciate the compliment. Good luck finding the real one - they all have identical copies of my magical pool too." Vincent smiled at her. "Still... one to forty nine are good odds. Don't you think you could do a little better?" "What? Do you have a death wish? Very well...." The kitsune proceeded to continue making copies until one thousand identical copies stood around the clearing in which he awoke. "Ah, that's much better." With that, Vincent sat and crossed his legs. He patiently waited until the kitsune spoke. "Well? How long are you going to keep me in suspense?" she said impatiently. "Every being that uses magic has a finite amount of magical power. Some may regenerate this magical power somehow, but so long as the magic expended is greater than that regenerated, one will experience a net loss in their pool of available magic power."

As he explained this rather trivial fact about magic users, the kitsune's face began to glow a bright red. She'd been had and, what's worse, she knew it. He had successfully goaded her into performing a great feat of magic that even she couldn't sustain easily for an extended period of time. "I don't think I could perform a projection to such a degree, let alone sustain it for as long as you have. Thankfully, I can take my time to 'think' about which one of these is the real one." The wizard smiled after putting emphasis and physical air quotes on the word think. After about ten minutes of silence, the kitsune yielded and all but one of the thousand projections disappeared. "Alright, you're more wily than I gave you credit for. Next time I need to limit the amount of 'thinking' time I give to my prey." All of the ghostly foxes began to take a similar form to the girl before him and got closer. He had now truly earned their respect as a fellow trickster.

"Now that we've gotten that out of the way, I'm free to go right?" he asked to confirm that he was free to go. "Yes, but wait a second. Before you go I feel compelled to ask if you know of our kind: the Yōkai." Vincent's eyes widened in surprise. "You mean you're a Yōkai. As in the very same Yōkai from Midian folklore?" "The very same. The world you're currently in is called Nazo and when we Yōkai typically enter Earthland we do so via a portal that takes us to the land you call Midi. We typically don't go to Earthland, though it seems as though those of us that have traveled there have been remembered." How fascinating. To think the beasts of Midian legend were actually a kind of being from a faraway land. I wonder if she'll tell me more about them. Vincent was only vaguely familiar with the legends, but now that he was reminded he saw all of the similarities between the beings around him and the kitsune.

"That means that you and your pack are kitsune? The trickster spirits who are proficient in illusion magic?" She nodded. She could be lying... but the similarities are too numerous to ignore. I'll proceed assuming she's telling me the truth. Vincent reached for his black drawstring back to pull out his notebook, but he found himself grasping at empty air. Oh right... The wizard didn't know where his items currently were, but that was fine. Requip magic could be surprisingly convenient. Without moving, he unequipped his entire wardrobe from wherever it was carelessly tossed to place it back in his pocket dimension before requipping it so that he was back in his proper wizard's robes that he had acquired from the Academy when he visited Pergrande. Vincent once again reached for his drawstring bag and this time successfully produced a sketchbook and pencil. "Please, I would like to know as much as you can about your kind. Back in Earthland I'm somewhat of a scholar, so I do not wish to squander such a rare opportunity to learn about what I previously believed to be fiction."

Since he expressed a genuine interest in the Yōkai, the kitsune would happily oblige. Over the course of the next few hours, Vincent would sketch detailed drawings of the different types of Yōkai in his sketchbook as well as write out a detailed entry for each until the kitsune decided she'd had enough. "I hope that was enough to sate your curiosity, scholar of Earthland. Is there anything else you'd like to know?" "Yes, there is actually. Do you know anything about the disappearance of Fiorens and their imprisonment in that fortress nearby?" "Hm... I may, though I doubt you will like the answer. In short, an Inugami lord who lives in a town far to the east of here has been corralling your kind as a source of sustenance. His town has had successive unlucky hunting seasons and thus the lord reached out to other Yōkai lords to assist him in his plan to create a universal bank of meals for any town to utilize in case of emergencies. Some agreed to help, some did not, though the ones that did typically go after non-mages or weak mages due to their comparative helplessness and inexperience."

"You're right, I don't like the sound of that, but from what you've told me the Inugami are easy to persuade. I'll just travel to the town in the far east and convince him to stop this." "It could work. If the head of the operation decides to halt it, then the other lords would certainly follow in his stead. Still, the path to the east is treacherous. Fragile humans like yourself stand no chance. I can simply send you home now if you wish." Vincent shook his head. He had to stop the abductions. "Very well. If you insist on risking your life then accept this little trinket. It will lead you to your destination and, once you've accomplished your mission, it will take you back home." What the kitsune gave Vincent was a black beaded necklace made out of some unknown foreign material with a fox charm on the front. "Thank you, but aren't you a group of mischievous spirits? Why are you being so helpful?" "You listen well. You're suspicion is wise, but the truth is that has been a long time since a mage outsmarted us and an even longer time since one has taken such an deep, genuine interest in our kind. Let's call it a token of appreciation" With that, Vincent began to confidently east, influenced by some unseen force. He was sure that this was the necklace's magic. "I am Vincent, by the way." he said, turning his body back towards the kitsune that had helped him. "And I am Naomi. Goodbye, Vincent. Hopefully we will meet again someday." The white haired wizard nodded happily before turning his head, and his focus, to the path before him. It would be a dangerous one, no doubt, but he was used to danger at this point. A constantly present and very real danger to his life was something he accepted from the day he began to study magic. One who is willing to lose nothing will stand to gain nothing; only those who are willing to lose their most precious possessions stand a chance to fulfill their wishes. This was the first lesson of the Academy. A lesson Vincent holds dear.

WC: 2082/14000

Chapter III: Itsuki the Bakeneko

"Oh and one more thing, the necklace can return you to our pack, if you so wish. We have a bond now, Vincent of Earthland." He turned around but saw that all of the kitsune had vanished. Good to know. Thank you, Naomi. Led by the power of the kitsune, Vincent walked along a dirt path leading that eventually forked. The path to his left led to a mountain region that would no doubt be as dangerous as the mountains were tall. To path to his right wasn't any more promising; there was a cave further along the road which was pitch black and gave him a bad feeling. To make matters worse, the necklace let him know that either path would be fine, meaning that it was up to him which of these two paths to take. I'll take my chances in the cave. It should be a straight route, at the very least. With that decision made, Vincent walked forward only to bump into an invisible force field. It was like walking into a wall.

"Agh! What? A force field? Here? I wonder who put it up." "That would be my handiwork, thank you. If you want to pass then you must become my servant, at least temporarily." Vincent's eyes wandered down to the source of the voice. It was a cat standing on its hind legs. This fits what Naomi described as a bakeneko. Quickly, the cat climbed the wooden post that read "mountain" on a protruding wooden arrow point left and "cave" on a similar arrow on the right. These were intelligent creatures that Vincent viewed as separate from mindless, arrogant beasts that poured out of Sin back in Earthland. As such, his views towards humans and other intelligent forms of life extended to them. He would feel repulsed hurting them if they posed no threat to him and would therefore play along if it would bring him closer to his goal.

"Okay, I do not mind being your bidding, for a time. What do you need from me?" The cat grinned and clapped its front paws together. "Ah perfect, a human servant who knows his proper place! But one who lacks manners!" The cat spoke with energy and punctuated its last exclamation by quickly scratching Vincent on the cheek with a sharp claw before he could react. He's fast. The speed at which the cat moved was unprecedented. "Don't look so surprised, servant. I showed mercy on you because you have obviously never had the honor of serving my kind, but you will henceforth refer to me as master every time you finish addressing me for as long as you serve me. Is that clear?" I feel like he's serious.... Such a strange desire. The Crystal Swan wizard closed his eyes and nodded. Another scratch landed right underneath the last. "You will also answer when I have prompted you! Once again, have I been clear?"

The white haired wizard sighed, only to receive a third scratch on his cheek underneath the other two for his being dismissive. Maybe incapacitating him might've been preferable... "Yes, I understand, master." "Good servant! You humans learn quickly! Now, down to business. I have misplaced a very important item in a nearby village to the south. While I could easily retrieve this item, it's not befitting of a bakeneko of renown such as I. I have been waiting for a worthy vassal to fetch this item for me. The village has long since been abandoned due to attacks from Oni. Two of the strongest Oni in the village guard a temple at the northernmost part of the settlement. The Oni are brutes with giant kanabos, so I don't recommend fighting them head on. Good luck, my servant!" With that, Vincent's master shoo'd him off with both paws.

Now, Vincent found himself traveling back up the dirt path until he came across an offshoot dirt road on his left. He could see some buildings up head, but it was too far to really tell. I wonder if all bakeneko or even all Yōkai are as condescending and egotistical as that bakeneko.  To demand that I call him master... ridiculous. He's lucky that I don't like picking fights, otherwise he would be waking up concussed... The wizard arrived at the northern gate of the village which was, unfortunately, locked from the inside. To be expected, I suppose. With his hand held out, Vincent requipped his Wand of Wind so that he may simply fly over the locked gate, only to find that there was a magical barrier erected over the large, red colored wooden walls which enclosed the village. He sighed and flew back to the ground before putting his wand into a small leather case on the left side of his hip.

The explorer made his way around the circular walls to the southern gate where he found two Oni standing guard. They both responded to his presence slowly. All of their movements were sluggish and their minds weren't much better either. These were the same creatures that the Inugami lord what having carry non-mages and weak mages from Fiore into that fortress, no doubt about it. Vincent shrugged and tried simply walking past the two guards who were staring at him, though they blocked him with their giant two handed hammers. "No one can come in. Leave" the one to the right of the gate piped up. What was that about Oni again? I think it was that their mental faculties were sub par. "Okay, but before I go I want you both to answer this simple question: what gets wetter the more it dries?" Both of them lifted their spiked bats and placed them on their shoulders while Vincent simply walked through as they pondered this question.

You never forget the riddles you hear as a child he thought happily before spotting a patrol of Oni. The wizard slipped into the alleys between two abandoned houses. I just need to keep quiet and out of sight until I get to the temple in the northern part of the village. Shockingly enough, the mage managed to do just that until he came across a torii in front of a stoned path into the temple. Two larger Oni stood guard similarly to the guards at the gate. He thought of a good riddle and approached the two. Without warning, they both struck down at the ground with their kanabos in unison. Vincent, caught of guard, was blasted backwards through the air. Thanks to his current wand he was able to use this propulsion to his advantage and flew up and then over the two aggressive Oni and into the temple. The interior of the sacred place was completely destroyed with only a small black box on the most prominent shrine.

As much as he would like to investigate what had happened, Vincent knew that the Oni wouldn't dawdle now that someone had breached the place they were meant to protect. He grabbed the black box and flew out the way he came, narrowly avoiding incredible swings by the twin demons. The wizard sped up and flew out the south gate and back up the path to the crossroads, hearing the excitement of the Oni at the entrance as they came up with the wrong answer to his riddle. They stopped chasing him after he was outside the village, so he decided to go back to walking in order to conserve his magical power. Eventually, the wizard once again stood before his feline master and presented him with the black box he had snatched from the temple. "Oh yes! This is perfect! You got it without much hassle, I take it?" "Yes master." Vincent's response was quick. He wanted to avoid another scratch. "And you remembered your manners! My my it's like you humans were made to serve! Unfortunately, though, a deal's a deal and I must let you pass. What kind of master would I be if I didn't reward my servants for a task well done?" The magical barrier was dropped and the Crystal Swan mage was allowed to pass. "Thank you master." "I will allow you to continue about your business, but remember you're still my servant. You will be representing me in everything you do, so do not do something that would reflect poorly on me and remember your lord's name: Itsuki. You had better return, for a servant's work is never done. That is a command." "Of course, until we meet again master."

WC: 3508/14000

Chapter IV: Akari the Tsuchigumo

Vincent proceeded along the path to the cave, leaving Itsuki to his business while he continued on his quest to the village of the east. From outside, Vincent swore that he could hear a woman singing from inside the cave. Unnerving as it was, the warrior mage knew that the cave was the best route to take and thus walked forward to be shrouded in darkness. When inside, he held up his hand and summoned a floating orb of light that illuminated the cave around him. The ceiling was high and the walls were far apart; stalactites of different sizes clung to the top of the cave with water slowly dripping down into shallow pools on the floor of the cave. When the water struck the pools from so high up, a splashing sound was created which filled the cave. Spider webs could be seen strung between the stalactites which were further apart as well as higher up against the walls of the cave. Skittering could be heard and then heard again due to the echoing effect of the cave.

I don't like this one bit. I'm usually not so nervous in dark places nor around little spiders, but there's something off about this cave. Maybe I'm being overly paranoid because of the unfamiliar surroundings, but something tells me that the paranoia is somewhat justified. Talking divine foxes, red skinned ogres, and an odd looking talking cat. So peculiar, even by Fioren standards. Most of these Yōkai are proficient in illusions, so I really have to watch where I step very carefully. Upon finishing that last thought, Vincent came to a complete stop and looked down at the ground in front of him. There was something wrong with it; it was as an image of the original ground drawn where the rock and dirt should have been, but was shifted slightly to the left. Good thing for my paranoia. I suppose it's time I start calling my paranoia a healthy caution. I don't know what would have happened if I stepped into that trap. Wait... when did the singing stop?

Before Vincent could think on the woman's singing, the ground crumbled beneath him. He let out of a yell of surprise as he fell faster and faster until landing in something... bouncy? The brief moment of panic was replaced by relief and then anxiety the moment he realized that he was stuck in a sticky white substance. Webs? Oh no... Oh yes, he knew that for a spider web of such size and strength to exist, a spider of similar qualities must be waiting in  the shadows beyond the edge of the trap. Vincent's light orb was on its way back to its master before getting caught in a smaller web and being devoured by an unseen threat. "Oh ho ho~ Such delicious essence. I've gotten a nice taste for you, dear mage, and I would like to continue to the main course~" The voice was definitely a female one, but its source was undetermined. The wizard currently lay in the darkness of the hole inside the cave, stuck to a web and waiting for the setter of the trap to reveal herself.

"I'm surprised that you managed to spot my primary trap. Usually you humans are way too eager to get through dark places and end up falling prey to a lack of care. But you~ You managed to spot the first trap that I set and for that I am impressed. Unfortunately, I am a very clever girl and figured that if my first trap didn't ensnare my prey, then they would be so proud of themselves for spotting it that they wouldn't notice the second right below them. My my how you humans are so predictable~" Vincent tried to focus on the source of the voice, but came up with nothing. All he could say for certain was that the voice was getting closer and closer to him with each complete thought. There was something sick about the way she explained herself, sadistic even. "You're so calm. Frozen in fear I take it? You humans typically either scream and cry and try your best to wiggle free or you just simply close your eyes and accept your death. I prefer the former. I love to see prey that tries to struggle against a fate that was sealed the minute they were caught in my web~"

"You're too close." Vincent said, a smirk on his face as he caused his own body to shine as bright as the sun. The source of the voice was right over head chest, her eight legs quickly skittering away from the source of the light as she hissed sharply while photo receptors in her eyes were flooded. He was still trapped, but it was still a minor victory over his captor. He dimmed the light down to simply illuminate the large hemisphere shaped cavern at the bottom of the cylindrical tunnel which connected the cave proper to this more... artificially created area. "My my how unexpected~ What an underhanded trick, I love it~ Pretending to be scared stiff you sure had me fooled! Maybe you'll be the fun kind of prey after all; if you struggle I'll let you live just a while longer~" "I think I'll pass up that generous offer. I just want to be set free and, if you aren't willing to bargain, then I'll simply have to leave using my magical ability." He said this calmly.

Vincent didn't want to fight, but his back was just about literally pushed up against a wall. "My my it seems you don't realize the situation you're in~ How sad. You're going to die here. I will eat you piece by piece until I am full and then give the rest of you to my many children. I'm sure a mage with as keen an eye as yourself saw where my children have been resting. Now, you can either struggle and scream until you tire and your voice gives out to prolong your pathetic little life a bit longer or you may simply sit still and wait for death. I won't lie, both will be quite agonizing deaths, though you have only yourself to blame for your carelessness." The wizard tired of the arrogance of spider human hybrid. Yes, once he got a good look at his captor, Vincent saw that this particular tsuchigumo had the body of a spider with the upper half of a beautiful woman fused on top of the aforementioned piece of anatomy.

Her skin was pale and her hair was long and snow white. Vincent was beginning to feel weak and the feeling was getting stronger very quickly. Oh no... the webs... "Ah yes, that expression, you've figured it out. Sharp mind you've got there~ Yes, my feast has already begun. My webs are particularly effective at trapping magical creatures such as yourself. Each strand drains away a small amount of mana, though when you've got thousands of threads.... Suffice to say you can drain most creatures instantly. The larger the mana supply the longer it takes, but eventually they're all drained dry." The tsuchigumo smiled at him. "I'll leave you with just enough magic power so that you're conscious~ Once you're in this weakened state you won't be able to stop me from giving you a little bite." Vincent wasn't paying attention to her at this point and was instead focusing on keeping his own magical power from being drained by the threads. He only managed to slow them down.

Consciousness fading... I can't believe this is how I'm going to die. Trapped like a fly in the web of a demoness. This is not a death befitting of a dog much less an archmage. "Oh, don't look so sad~ You're only a human. A pure blooded human at that. Be happy you made it this far. You humans are so fragile and don't contain any kind of worrisome strength tucked away like some of the other races of beings. Just accept this terrible death, your journey is almost over." So fragile... she's right. Even so... Vincent closed his eyes. I still have business here... and... "And I won't simply allow myself to die at the hands of an insect!" Vincent screamed this last phrase at the top of his lungs much to the amusement of the tsuchigumo. She clapped her hands together and laughed at his struggle. She skittered over to him so that he was breathing on his neck. "This is going to be quite painful~ You put on a nice show little boy, but you're going to pay for calling me an insect~"

Once she finished her threat she bit into his neck to inject her venom into his blood. The pain was unbearable. Vincent screamed as loud as he could and the spider merely stood back to watch him write in agony. "You'll struggle and struggle until your voice is hoarse and your heart simply gives out from the pain and stress~ Now who was the insect again?" The white haired wizard merely continued his cries of anguish. "That's what I thought~" He could hear his heartbeat in his ears. It was thumping hard and was getting faster and faster. His vision blurred and he could feel a small heat in his chest. The heat grew and grew until it was a raging inferno. The white haired wizard's lips curled upwards as his screams gave way to a laughter. "What? Why are you laughing? Why have you stopped singing that beautiful song!" "Ha...haha. Is that how it is? I guess I'm not dying here after all. Well, monster, when a powerful mage is under such a great deal of stress one of a few things can happen. The mage can die normally which is what was in store for me or... the mage can undergo a kind of magical transformation. Of course, this is all merely speculative at best due to the kind of stress we're talking about, but I've heard stories in the Academy. I never believed them since they seemed to fantastical. What are the odds that a mage would exceed all of their limits in a time where they are most vulnerable? That said... I suppose now that it must be the mage's magical power itself trying to defend its host by whatever means it can. Back in the Academy we called it a mage's... Awakening."

Just as he said those words, five identical swords took form above the monster ready to strike. Vincent was in awe of his awakened power. Was it some kind of make magic? Before he could strike a decisive blow, though, the swords disappeared and Vincent passed out. The last thing he heard was the monster's laugh. Even with my Awakening I still couldn't find the strength to strike the last blow... I must have been weaker... than... I... thought...

WC: 5335/14000

Chapter V: Vincent's Dream

Vincent stood in front of himself. I'm dreaming... is that right? I suppose I'm not dead after all. I wish I could wake up and see what happened to my body. This wasn't the first time the mage had become aware that he was dreaming during the dream itself. His clone gave it away, though, even if he hadn't dreamed lucidly before. That wasn't the kind of mage that he was; Vincent was an elementalist not a summoner. Still, something seemed odd about the clone. It wasn't so much a summon as it was another him. If he didn't know better, he would think it was the real article which was an obvious contradiction. Maybe I shouldn't think so much on a dream.... Dreams are always nothing but nonsense Once he finished that thought, his copy requipped a spell book and spoke an incantation. The wizard couldn't hear what his copy had said, but he did instinctively attempt to requip the same spell book and cast the same spell to counter his clone's move. Instead of his spell book coming to his hand, though, he merely spoke the words of the incantation to the air.

His copy's blight washed over him. The white haired scholar felt the pain of the darkness eating at his chest as he stared into his own eyes. And this is the price of dreaming lucidly... you're aware of everything. The pain was nothing compared to what he had felt earlier at the hands of the demoness, but it was still quite unwelcome. "Why didn't my magic work?" he asked, though he got no response. He stumbled backwards with the blackness engulfing the rest of his body; Vincent's blood dripped to the pages below from his mouth. The Crystal Swan explorer fell back and lay with his eyes towards the void of a sky. He turned his head to the left and got a good look of his dream realm. The ground was littered with torn up pages from countless spell books as far as the eye could see. There were piles of magical history textbooks that were fueling raging fires scattered around. In time, Vincent would come to understand that this dream did indeed have significance and was not merely a fevered reaction of his brain to the trauma he experienced at the hands of the tsuchigumo.

This dream was a representation of the mage's use of scholarly pursuits as a means to rebel against the Kingdom that had forsaken him; it represented the rage he felt towards Pergrande for casting out not only him, but all others who were gifted with the power of magic. Outwardly Vincent was always a calm, confident, and prepared mage who could never be caught off guard or by surprise. He had his own goals which he would distinguish from dreams due to the fact that he felt as though he could actually accomplish them. In spite of these powerful motivating factors, though, Vincent's internal landscape was literally ablaze. He would never admit it to anyone, especially not himself, but he knew that the selection of elemental channeling through various mediums was not the proper selection. Unbeknownst to even those closest to him, the white haired wizard of Crystal Swan was hitting a wall that he could not overcome with his own magical progression.

This wall was insurmountable not because Vincent didn't possess the ability, but rather because he made a mistake in his youth. He insisted on learning elemental magic even when there was another kind that he knew suit him far better. The reason for rejecting this more natural fit, though, was pure wrath - plain and simple. He felt angry that the magic that was a most perfect fit was so intertwined with the nation that he had come to despise. These feelings were so buried inside of his mind that he didn't realize the degree to which they had festered until seeing his dreamscape. A fire raged inside his mind and chaos reigned upon the once orderly library of his spirit. Vincent had never forgotten this mistake, but he did forget about his hatred until now. When he felt his magic Awakening, he knew that it wasn't his elemental magic that was being strengthened.... No, it was that magic which was most naturally compatible to him, a magic which involved close quarters combat.

In working to master elemental magic Vincent was unable to completely erase the trace of the most perfect magic for him, hence the few spell weapons and armors he had. I remember now.... I never forgot about the mistake, but I did forget about what magic best suited me. After all these years I would have to revisit what I believed to be an inconsequential decision. It's as if fate itself has forced me to reconsider my decision... what would Elvira think of me in such a sorry state? He couldn't help but think of his teammate in this trying time. She would probably think him pathetic in this state; perhaps the card mage would even cease their business partnership. The thought scared him. He did not want to be seen as weak, cowardly, or unsure by anyone. Especially not the ones he cared about. In a world steeped with chaos Vincent swore that he would be a beacon of order for those drowning to anchor themselves. He would continue this ruse until it killed him.

WC: 6240/14000

Chapter VI: Sora the Tengu

Vincent awoke from his toxin fueled fever dream sharply, sitting up quickly and opening his eyes to get a good look of his surroundings. I'm in some kind of... exquisite looking room? he thought, getting his bearings. "Excellent. You're awake. I'm going to be honest - I didn't think that you would awaken after the kind of venom that Akari injected into you. It's quite potent and I cannot think of anyone who has ever survived being bitten by her. You're a tenacious one." Te familar voice came from the entrance to the room. The wizard found himself to be laying in what appeared to be the room of a mansion. There were two large windows to a garden with curtains drawn for privacy's sake. A large bed made for two people was pressed against the west wall of the rectangular room and a well crafted wooden table was against the wall opposite the bed. A dimly lit chandelier hung overhead to keep the room out of darkness. The white haired mage was currently sweating up something fierce; he was nervous and tried to requip a spell book to no avail. Vincent couldn't use his magic. "Lord Itsuki... what happened? Why am I alive? Well, how might be the better question. What happened in that cave?" "Lord Itsuki... I do like the sound of that, my servant! I will tell you what you wish to know." Without hesitation, Itsuki the bakeneko began to recount the events of exactly one week ago.

Vincent lay unconscious, still letting out screams of pain in his sleep due to the potent toxin in his bloodstream. Akari simply sat against a wall and enjoyed the show he was providing until a booming voice echoed inside the cave. "That's enough, Akari!" "Itsuki... what an unpleasant surprise. What business do you have entering my home uninvited?" "That's Lord Itsuki to you, queen of spiders. I was worried for my servant's safety - rightly so, it seems. I demand that you release him this instant." "Your servant? This boy? What good could he possibly offer you?" Akari was visibly distressed at the thought of having to release her prey and would try to cling onto him for as long as she could. "That business is none of yours. You will release him to me and we will be on our way. This is the will of a lord, unless you want to defy me, that is." Akari shook her head. She knew better than to get into a fight with a lord. Even if she could physically outmatch Itsuki, there was no way she could hide from the warriors that would come looking for him. Itsuki smiled as the small cat disappeared from sight and quickly cut the mage out of the web in a single breath. The cat shape shifted into a hawk and grabbed the unconscious explorer by the back of his shirt and flew him all the way back to his village.

"I am in your debt, Lord Itsuki." Vincent thanked the heavens above for not incapacitating this peculiar cat and instead playing along with becoming its servant. "I still need your services, my faithful servant. So long as this remains true, I will not allow you to come to harm if I should help me. You should, though, be more careful. The work of a lord is quite taxing and I often won't be able to come to your aid. You were just fortunate enough to fall prey very close to where we met. I know of your journey to meet with the Inugami Lord, so take the northern exit from my village until the road turns east and you shall be back on your way." The wizard nodded. I suppose Itsuki wasn't so bad after all, even if he is a little weird. He seems like a kind hearted master, for whatever that's worth. That said... what of my magic? How am I ever going to continue being a wizard without it? I can still feel my large magic power reserves... but I just can't access them! It's so frustrating! Vincent could feel the rage boiling inside of him. This rage was long since hidden from even him, but now it was at the forefront of his mind and caught inside his throat. He let out a loud scream of frustration that shocked Itsuki, causing him to jump back. Vincent held his hand up and tried his hardest to use his magical power, causing the room to quake and the curtains to blow in the invisible breeze created by the wizard's power.

Just like in the cave, five identical longswords appeared against the ceiling of the room. It took all of his focus to keep them corporeal. My mana usage when it comes to these few weapons is so inefficient! I can hardly keep them from disappearing, much less control them! At least it's something, though. I suppose my body has finally rejected elemental magic. I didn't think such a thing could happen... he thought as he got up off the bed headed for the door. He didn't tell Itsuki of the dream he had, but he remembered it fully. It was etched into his mind like a traumatic memory because, in a way, it was exactly that. Vincent knew that he could think of a solution to this magic problem of his after his business in the land of the Yōkai was concluded. Until then, he had to push forward. After thanking Itsuki once again for his hospitality, Vincent left out of the northern exit of the village and continued until the road curved east as instructed. He traveled for what seemed like hours until he noticed a murder of crows circling a village that sat right on the road on which he presently traveled. When he got close enough, one of the crows flew in front of him to block him from proceeding along the dirt road and shape shifted into a diseased looking human without black feathered wings sticking out of its back. "Hello, I am Yuuto and you... you look like food, human." The wizard from Crystal Swan was in no position to be fighting, not that he would even if he could.

"I have no quarrel if you or your family, Tengu, I merely wish to pass through here.""No quarrel? Good! Then you won't put up a fight! Just stand there and I'll make your death swift and painless." The crow demon crouched down and launched himself towards the still white haired wizard who had his eyes closed. Before the demon's clawed hand could reach Vincent's throat, however, the mage swiftly raised his knee and struck the chin of the Tengu. Its head looked straight up as it rose. Vincent grabbed the beast by its throat and slammed it into the ground. This caught the attention of the other Tengu who all flew down to surround both Vincent and his prey. They all took the same form as the one that tried to attack the wizard. The white haired mage squeezed the neck of his catch tightly, his hand not dissimilar to a vice grip. He would proceed to punch the Tengu with all of his strength over and over again until it was begging for him to stop. Instead of stopping, Vincent would continue until it was no long conscious. Anger fueled Vincent at this point in time and rage was all he could feel. His rage was being directed at the Tengu, but it was misguided. While the unconscious demon began to approach the end of his life, Vincent realized what he was doing and quickly stopped. My left hand hurts... I think I fractured it after all of that reckless punching against the face of that demon.

Vincent's left hand slightly open and he could not stop it, or himself, from shaking. Adrenaline was pumping through his blood and he was surprised he managed to regain control of himself before he did something he would regret. With his good hand, he pointed to a random Tengu that backed away from what it viewed as a vicious predator. "What is the name of the demon that I have just incapacitated?" It responded with the name Sora. The white haired mage nodded at this name. "I didn't have any quarrel with you Tengu before you challenged me, but now that you've seen what I'm capable of... leave this village alone. Leave now! Unless, of course, you want the same fate that befell Sora to come upon you as well?" The Tengu respected Vincent's command and, after grabbing their fallen comrade and thanking him for not beating Sora to death, left the village alone. The people of the village began to slowly come out one by one after the Tengu that were terrorizing then were driven away. They all appeared to be similar to lycan, but upon seeing that Vincent was human they changed their forms. The people now appeared to be like the human forms of the kitsune that he had encountered upon first entering the realm, but they were more dog-like than fox-like. So I finally get to meet the Inugami... he thought as they all came out to see him. "I have gotten rid of the Tengu that were attacking your village, I'll be on my way now." Before he could leave, though, one of the older Inugami of the village walked up to him and bowed.

"Thank you for saving our village, kind stranger. It must have been some display of strength you showed if all of the Tengu retreated rather than try to fight you head on." Vincent nodded. He inflicted more harm than he should have on that poor Tengu, though perhaps he inflicted the right amount if it was a show of strength they desired. Still, he didn't know that at the time and thus felt sickened by his actions. This is what happens when a powerful mage loses control for an instant. Despite these thoughts of his, he smiled to the Inugami. "Please, I would like to invite you to stay in our village so that we may treat your hand and throw a festival to commemorate the day that our village was saved by a kind stranger - a human!" You know... I feel like I deserve a little relaxation after the hell of the cave. My duty can wait, just for a little while, while I enjoy myself. A festival could be fun. Vincent smiled and responded to the village elder with an affirmative "Yes that sounds perfect. Thank you for having me. It's a very gracious offer that you're extending to a 'lowly human.'" "Not at all! It's the least we could do for the one who managed to drive off those blasted Tengu. Follow Yui, she will tend to your wounds. By the way, you may call me Touma."

WC: 8063/14000

Chapter VII: Yui the Inugami

"We know you humans are accustomed to seeing your own everywhere you turn, hence our collective decision to shape shift into something a bit more palatable for you. I wanted to thank you myself for what you did for our village. I never thought humans would be capable of earning the respect of Tengu so easily. You must be some warrior." Vincent shook his head. "I'm no warrior. When my opponent could no longer fight, I continued to strike until I nearly beat it to death. I lost control and became vicious, beast-like. I got lucky that the Tengu happened to see this as a show of strength and not as an insult." The village doctor and Vincent were both silent after this. She bandaged his hand with a kind of cloth that seemed to have healing properties. "Follow me." The wizard complied and he followed the Inugami to her house right next to the small medical building. "While I'm sure everyone in the village would be happy to offer you shelter while we prepare for the festival, you will be staying here as long as you're in our village. The door's always unlocked, so feel free to wander around and explore our little town." Upon being thanked for her kindness, the doctor went back to the medical building to take care of any Inugami injured by the recent Tengu attacks. The white haired wizard though to relax and thus searched for a hot spring. These were popular in Midi and the realm of the Yōkai reminded him of the nation.

It wasn't exactly the same, but he wouldn't be surprised if they shared certain customs. Sure enough, Vincent managed to find a onsen on the east side of town. He entered, showered, and entered the steaming hot water and sighed a sigh of relief. This felt quite nice. Vincent was presently sharing this hot spring with two other Inugami who seemingly knew each other and decided that it would probably be in his best interest to get acquainted with them. The two Inugami were reluctant to be so friendly with a stranger, especially a human stranger, but they were grateful to him for saving their village from the Tengu. Due to this important fact, they decided to converse with the stranger and tell him all about their village's history and its current state. The wizard found out that the village was build upon historically Tengu territory due to confusion between a Tengu lord and an Inugami lord. As such, Tengu would occasionally attack the village since they felt they had a right to it. Usually warriors were stationed in different parts of the town to drive off the crow demons, but all the warriors were out hunting or unavailable for reasons they didn't get into. Needless to say, if Vincent hadn't shown up when he did then the degree of destruction would have been quite high. In turn, Vincent explained where he came from and he told the Inugami truths about humans. They listened intently since they were only familiar with other Yōkai.

The white haired wizard may have embellished his own accomplishments in the tales he told, but he justified this by thinking that embellishment was part of the nature of storytelling. If one wanted to keep their audience enraptured then the storyteller would need to regale them with mentions of great feats. Vincent told the Inugami of human history as well as his personal history. He told them of Crystal Swan, the guild of explorers and artists, and Elvira Arcade, the card mage. Eventually they were all exchanging ridiculous stories and had a great time. As the sun set in the realm of the Yōkai, Vincent returned to Yui's home. After a long day for both of them, all he wanted to do was sleep. Surprisingly, Vincent awoke in the same place that he had fallen asleep for once. The mage, still groggy, walked into Yui's living room to find her in her kemonomimi form, most likely so that he would get startled by a lycan first thing in the morning. It was considerate. "Good morning Yui. Thank you again for having me.""Good morning to you, human. I put some meat out for you. I'm not sure what exactly you humans eat, but I figured if meat is good enough for us it's good enough for you." she said, tearing apart a piece of uncooked meat with her clawed hands. "Yeah, we eat meat, but we need to cook it or else we get sick." he said, pulling out a small scroll from his drawstring bag.

While his elemental magic no longer worked, Vincent was still able to cast incantations from previously prepared scrolls. He did so and the raw meat before him was cooked to perfection. Vincent sat on his legs due to the table being so close to the floor, picked up the meat with his hands, and began to eat it. This process of cooking the meat intrigued the doctor and she looked intently at his meal. The white haired wizard raised his eyebrow and offered a piece of it to her which she graciously accepted. "This... this is delicious! That was fire magic you used, was it not? Are you going to have me believe that applying fire to food is all you have to do in order to improve its taste to such a degree?!" Vincent nodded. I suppose that they must not get sick from eating raw meat or else they would know that. The fire magic dries up all of the sustaining essence of the meal, I will admit, but the taste almost more than makes up for the lack of nutritional benefits! "I'm glad you liked it Yui. It'll be something to keep in mind after I leave. When exactly is this festival going to happen?" "Oh the preparations will take another week. Be patient, we Inugami pride ourselves in our festivities." Another week? Am I willing to wait that long? Well... I suppose that I'll never get another opportunity like this again. At least not any time soon. Alright, I'll stay.

For the next week Vincent stayed in the Inugami village and got close to many of the people who lived in it. He assisted Yui in the medical building as best he could, but without proper knowledge of Inugami anatomy he was only useful in taking inventory and restocking supplies such as medicines and other supplies. He went along with the hunters of the village and assisted in bringing back prey, strengthening his ability with a bow and arrow due to the fact that his current magic simply wasn't cooperating. He helped the blacksmith by telling him of the different methods that the Earthland blacksmiths of the Pergrande Kingdom used in order to turn ordinary blades into masterworks. Finally, the day of the festival came and Vincent found himself being fitted by a tailor. "I have to admit that the form of you humans is quite useful. Our true form is very useful when it comes to hunting beasts, but your forms are much better for just about everything else. Hands to craft are just about the most useful thing I can think of. I believe that we Yōkai may have been inspired to organize villages the way we have by the villages that the few of us who have traveled to your realm saw. It's much better than simply traveling in packs and constantly moving throughout our lives - that much is certain. As a means of thanks, we've adopted some of the traditions of the land you call Midi."

Vincent figured as much. How interesting that the Yōkai that the Midians talk about in their legends also take from the Midians due to their comparatively more convenient way of life. Very interesting indeed. The wizard soon found himself dressed in a striped blue yukata with a pair of odd wooden sandals that Yui called geta. "What do you think? Not such a bad approximation of what we've seen in the human world, is it?" Vincent smiled and shook his head. "Yes, you Inugami have faithfully recreated traditional Midian clothing. Call me impressed." Yui, too, wore a yukata. Hers had a floral pattern and what colored black except for the flowers, which were white. "You look quite nice this evening, Yui." She smiled at him and returned the sentiment. The moon outside was full and the light added to the light of red paper lamps spread throughout the town in order to give the village a certain magical look that Vincent could never do justice with mere descriptions. That said, he took out his sketchbook and began to draw the scenery before him. He was getting much better at sketching and figured that he would probably qualify as an artist at some point. Still, his art was exclusive to the creatures he knew of as well as landscapes - nothing more. The entire town was gathered at the center and, once everyone was present, the village elder stood upon a raised wooden stage to address the crowd.

"Welcome everyone to the first festival we have ever thrown in honor of a human. If you would be so kind, please join me on the stage Vincent." The wizard clumsily walked up the wooden stairs of the stage and made his way to the side of the village elder. Walking in these geta feels so odd. How do the people of Midi do it? "As you all know by now, this is the human who rescued our village without so much as being asked and his name is Vincent Gauss of Earthland!" The elder paused after introducing Vincent and the people of the town began to clap and cheer. They were really a grateful bunch. "As long as this village stands, we will celebrate this heroic mage and the land from which he comes every year in honor of the kindness and bravery. He simply could have waited and lounged for the entirety of his stay, but instead he made himself useful to us even when he did not have to! That speaks volumes of his character and thus we will celebrate the day our village was saved by a noble human on this day every year!" Once again, the crowd erupted into a cheer. "Let's make sure that Vincent remembers us fondly as he travels to our lord in the village to the east!" For the last time, the crowd burst out into cheers. This time, though, it was much louder than usual. The white haired mage could feel the wooden platform quake in the presence of the energy.

The festival was one that Vincent would never forget for as long as he lived. He wasn't sure if anyone were going to believe him, but the night was truly magical. The wizard and his female Inugami companion traveled the entire village to visit stalls of exotic foods taken from Midi and stored for just such an occasion. This would be the first time that many Inugami tried food such as fried octopus and kebabs of cooked meat. Not only would Vincent remember the festival, everyone in the village would as well. It's fitting that they acquired food from Earthland to serve in the festival to celebrate a human from there. "And just after I told you about cooking meat, too. Your festival organizers managed to figure it out themselves too, apparently, but were saving it for the right time." Yui laughed at that. "Yes, it's quite a coincidence. Are you fine walking in those geta?" Vincent nodded. "They're a bit awkward, if I'm honest. I'm not from Midi myself so I'm not used to them, but I think I'm getting the hang of it." Yui nodded. That's when Vincent heard the high pitched tone. Don't tell me that they really managed to figure out... A loud bang in the air kept him from finishing the thought. The answer was obvious. The Inugami figured out how to operate basic fireworks and thus they illuminated the sky with colorful lights. "It's truly breathtaking. I really appreciate all the work you all went through.""It's like I said: we pride ourselves in our festivities. If they don't take your breath away then we've failed."

The festival continued for the entire night, and then the entire day. It wrapped up at the sunset of the day following the night. Exhausted, Vincent lay still on the small bedding provided to him in Yui's home. "I can't remember the last time I enjoyed myself so much, Yui. Thanks for accompanying me." The Inugami responded that she was happy to do it and that she didn't think humans could be so interesting. Vincent swiftly fell asleep after a short exchange with his host. In the morning, he donned his typical mage's robes and boots, putting the yukata and geta into his black drawstring back since he couldn't send them to his requip dimension. He thanked Yui and she gave him a small memento to remember her and her village by. It was a small ring made from the fallen tooth of an Inugami. The ring was supposed to be a charm of good luck as well as a symbol of good will between the mage and the Inugami. Without another word, Vincent left to the large village in the horizon. His quest was coming to an end and he felt as though that a final trial of sorts awaited him in the palace of the Inugami lord.

WC: 10326/14000

Chapter VIII: Lord Ozai and the Three Paths

Vincent found himself staring the Inugami lord right in his lycan-like eyes. "I hear you've been on quite a journey to find me, young mage. I am the Inugami lord Ozai." The wizard nodded. "I have indeed, lord Ozai. I have a request for you. I would like to you halt this plan of yours of taking humans from my land and imprisoning them here in case you need to consume them. I want your word and I want all of the other lords participating in this action to cease as well." "Okay. Your wish will be granted." The explorer from Crystal Swan was, at this point, quite confused. "What? So easily? You don't mind that a human has come to your home to demand something of you, a lord?" "Not at all, young mage. I have heard of your exploits around the land on your trip here and you have more than shown the worth of humans. I thought they were merely fragile animals, but you have proven otherwise. Therefore, I don't mind granting your request, champion of Earthland." Stunned, Vincent smiled. There would be no final trial, no obstacle to overcome. This was simply the end. "Had I caught wind of you slaying any one of my kind, then I wouldn't have been so eager to agree, but.... I'm honestly amazed. You humans have always had this reputation of mindless violence and aggression tied to you, but you're obviously different."

"I heard of your encounter with the kitsune and how you managed to outsmart their representative. Few Yōkai are capable of such a thing, so a human doing it is unprecedented. I heard of your assistance of the Bakeneko Lord Itsuki and how you selflessly put yourself in danger and served a complete stranger instead of forcing your way passed. I heard of your encounter with Akari the spider queen and how through your sheer force of will you managed to survive her poison injected directly into your veins. I heard of your encounter in the Inugami village bordering this one and how you spared the life of a Tengu despite it threatening your own. Last but not least, I heard of your desire to help even when no one has asked it of you. You assisted the village neighboring this one not once, but numerous times even though they were going to throw you a festival. Not a single time did you kill any of my kind, even when they deserved it. Your wit, tenacity, selflessness, humility, and desire to help others of a different kind is why I am happy to grant your request. Even after that, I am in your debt, human. You have single handedly shown me that humans are not to be looked down upon as savage beasts to be used, but rather as capable of great feats of character." Vincent smiled and touched his necklace. He disappeared in a flash and ended up in a Midian village with people staring at him. One by one, individuals from the fortress began to appear in the same town. This is going to take some explaining to the local Samurai...

Before he knew it, Vincent was on a vessel used specifically by the Magic Council in times of emergency. It was a massive ship and he was granted access to the nice cabin for his diplomacy and good work in figuring out what happened to the Fiorens. The Magic Council would forgive the Yōkai this one time due to the fact that most of the individuals abducted couldn't recall a thing, but they made it clear that they would be willing to go to war if it happened again. The Crystal Swan mage couldn't help but wonder how things might have been different if he has incapacitated lord Itsuki or if his awakened magical power actually managed to kill Akari the spider queen before he passed out or if he couldn't stop himself from beating the Tengu to death. Or... even worse... if he simply killed all of the Yōkai he saw due to a misattribution of his "beast" significance to them. He fell asleep in a cot since the boat ride was going to take long enough. He dreamed of these possibilities.

"I have indeed, lord Ozai. I have a request for you. I would like to you halt this plan of yours of taking humans from my land and imprisoning them here in case you need to consume them. I want your word and I want all of the other lords participating in this action to cease as well.""I have no qualms in granting your wish if you can prove to me your worth in a battle. I heard of your slaughter of Akari the spider queen. It was completely justified due to her threatening your life, but even so... what kind of lord would I be if I didn't test the one who had the blood of my kind on his hands?" Vincent expected a trial like this might be waiting for him and prepared himself. Without magic, this trial would be difficult, but not impossible. Lord Ozai transformed quite gruesomely into his true form and did not hesitate to leap at Vincent who stood a few meters from his throne. The wizard lept to the side and pumped magical energy into his legs to strengthen them beyond what he would normally be capable of. Then, he twisted his body and landed a roundhouse kick on lord Ozai's skull which sent the Inugami flying into of the study pillars located in the ornately decorated room. A cloud of dust and debris was sent up into the air and from inside the lord leapt at him. Vincent, unable to react to the surprise attack, had the claws of the lord sink deeply into his shoulders. "I take it as greatly offensive if a mage doesn't reveal his magic to me, young human."

The white haired wizard shook his head. "I can't reveal my magic to you. This is not because I'm holding back, but rather because my magic has simply stopped responding to my commands" he informed the lord whose head was inches from his own. "And you still agreed to a duel. That is some dedication, champion of Earthland, but I'm afraid that your duty will drag you to your grave." After the last word was said, the lord turned his head to the side and tried to wrap his sharp teeth around Vincent's neck. "I might be a lord, but I still can't help but toy with my prey if they're sufficiently weak." His maw closed around the helpless mage's throat slowly so that he could feel each individual tooth piercing flesh. Vincent felt the pain, but focused on his magical power. Once again, a flame burned in his chest and blazed into an inferno. The eyes of the lord widened and he jumped away. "What was that?! Did you lie about your magical power?! I felt a great impending doom standing around you, but how can that be if I was in a position to tear your throat out?!" Vincent shook his shoulders. "Is... is this the power that you used to strike down Akari?" Vincent nodded. In a flash, he disappeared and reappeared behind lord Ozai.

The lord turned quickly and jumped backwards. "My reflexes far surpass your magical ability, you mage. You'll have to..." Vincent smiled. He knew that the Inugami would retreat from his approach, so he left a gift where he once stood. In the place of the white haired mage was a single floating sword that he commanded to pierce the back of lord Ozai. Blood began to come out of the Inugami's mouth. "I remember now.... You might be human, but your wits are more akin to a kitsune than one of your kind. You knew that my reaction speed was simply superior to your movement speed... that's why you don't have a weapon in your hands." Vincent nodded. The lord knew of his strategy. "Color me impressed, wizard. You look and move like prey, but you're really a predator. Very well, I will not free your kind, but you are free to return to our land and try to convince me to change my mind again. Farewell." With wide eyes, Vincent was back in Midi screaming "no" at the top of his lungs. He had failed in his mission even though he defeated lord Ozai in his final trial. I need to go back... I need to try again... I can't just leave those people there stranded!

"I have come to take your head, lord Ozai! How dare you take humans from our world to be used as food!" Vincent was furious and blasted open the gates of the throne room with a great ball of fire. Lord Ozai was already in his true form and pounced on the wizard without a word. "You humans are the real monsters. We are doing the world a great service by corralling you vicious beasts and keeping you from your senseless slaughters. Oh yes, I've heard of your "work" at the fortress. You slaughtered every single one of the guards, you struck down a pack of kitsune, you dispatched both a queen and a lord, and you burned down a village of Inugami during an attack by Tengu. You're unforgivable and I will be the one to execute you for your crimes here! His rage was all that fueled him. The fire inside his head raged and he had completely given into his feelings towards his regrets and his land of origin. "Beasts will kill if left unchecked. I simply did what anyone would do and put the dangerous animals down!" Vincent summoned his Wand of Light and his book: Herbology 101 in addition to his Staff of Blaze which was already out. All three of these spell weapons floated above him. Vincent channeled a new spell he had been working on, Black Lightning, and cast it at lord Ozai to get him off. The lord had tears in his eyes as a result of the death Vincent had left in his wake.

In contrast, Vincent had fire in his eyes. He was brought here against his will and almost imprisoned for crimes he didn't commit. This so-called "lord" saw him and other humans as nothing more than food and there was nothing that could change his mind. So, Vincent did what he felt he had to in order to get here. I'm going to make him pay for what he has done to me and the people of Fiore. He's going to pay! I'm going to make him pay! The wizard felt his magical power building up in his chest and explode outward. Lord Ozai was already weakened by the mage's powerful lightning spell, but he was not done. Vincent held his hand out and cast another spell, Black Blight, which sent a quick air of death towards the lord. Black Blight got a direct hit and left the lycan-like Yōkai writing in agony. The battle was over, but Vincent was not done. "Do you want to know what you monsters put me through? I've never experienced such pain before coming here and I would like to share the feeling with you since a quick death is too good for you demons." The wizard pulled out a syringe filled with the same venom that had been injected into him by Akari. Ozai begged and pleaded for mercy, but Vincent did not respond. Despite his best efforts to change his shape, Ozai couldn't find the energy necessary to transform. Vincent injected the lycan in his neck with the syringe and pushed the plunger down.

It's only fair was his only thought as he walked to the throne of the Inugami lord and sat down to watch his prey scream and writhe in agony just as he had in the spider's web. He thought back to his encounter with her and how easily she was dispatched by a couple of his awakened spells after she injected him with her venom. The Inugami would not be undergoing a similar awakening because his body would simply fall to the massive amounts of stress put upon it by the venom. Lord Ozai dragged himself out of his palace and was horrified at what he saw. His entire village was ablaze and his citizens were screaming. He couldn't help but blame himself for angering the humans despite knowing what horrible acts they were capable of committing with the most basic of rationalizations. Still... he didn't know the full extent of their evil until he was too late. Soon, lord Ozai's heart would give out due to the venom in his system and Vincent would be left sitting in the throne of the Inugami lord. Once the fires died down he would search go searching for survivors of the tragedy that the had orchestrated. An eye for an eye. This is what happens when you indiscriminately take humans from their home and use them as food... one of them takes revenge.

WC: 12515/14000

Chapter IX: Vincent the Knight of Space

After his two dreams, Vincent found himself in his mind's realm once again. The piles of books were still burning and the floor was still covered with torn pages. He knew why his magical power was refusing to be converted into elemental energy - he needed to face the mistake he had made and correct it. Vincent held his arm out and summoned a rapier after a bit of focusing. Then, he summoned an identical copy of the rapier in his left hand. Four more copes appeared over his head and his clone materialized. It seemed happy. With a sigh, Vincent told his copy that he was right and, after thanking him, commanded the four floating rapiers to pierce his other. The flames continued to rage, but Vincent had taken the first step to repairing his library. He was awoken by a Rune Knight who told him that he would be escorted to Era in order to brief the Magic Council on what exactly happened. "Of course, I was planning on heading there first thing in the morning anyways to do exactly that. It's good to be home." The Crystal Swan wizard found himself sitting across from the Rune Knight on a train to Era. He stared out into the rolling fields and hills of Fiore and wondered if he could ever bring himself to return to that place. I think I might just go back without having a reason.... Yui did say that she would be happy to provide me housing again if I ever wanted to return to that village. I just might take her up on that offer. Eventually, the train arrived in Era and Vincent once again found himself in front of the Magic Council.

Before he had a chance to explain himself to the Council they congratulated him on yet another job well done. Vincent had worked on the behalf of the Magic Council before and this little situation only gave him more clout with them as well as the people of Fiore. Whether he liked it or not, Vincent was becoming a mage of some renown. He sighed and recounted his events from the very beginning about how he was simply out for a nightly breakfast at a Hargeon Town restaurant by the name of Lennys and found himself caged. He told them of how he escaped from the red skinned demons and how he was ambushed by a pack of kitsune. Despite the Magic Council's confusion due to well known Midi folklore, they allowed him to continue. He told the Magic Council that he outwitted the kitsune and that, in return, their representative provided him with a necklace that allowed him to transport to and from the realm of the Yōkai. The Council asked to inspect the necklace more closely, but Vincent denied them. They respected the wishes of the reliable mage whom had just saved countless Fiorens from the mysterious realm separate from the rest of Nazo. Vincent continued and told them of the Yōkai lords and their plans for the Fiorens, much to the disgust of the Council members. He explained that they viewed humans as simply violent beasts no differently to how magi viewed the beasts of Sin.

After the Council's begrudging acknowledgement of this as a legitimate view due to the few interactions the Yōkai have ha with humans, Vincent continued his tale. He told them of his magical awakening at the hands of a sadistic half-spider half-human hybrid, though he admitted that she was probably just taking a human appearance. They were intrigued by this so-called "magical awakening," but allowed him to finish his tale without interruption. Vincent finished his story by telling the Council of the generosity of the Inugami lord. The Magic Council was quite impressed by the end of Vincent's story and asked if he could stay and show them the result of his magical awakening so that they may better gauge his usefulness as a valued asset to them. He warned them that he hadn't quite recovered yet, but still decided to put on a show. I should probably try my best to impress the Magic Council. The time may come where I need them to know of my strength. I can't hold anything back! The white haired wizard's magic exploded out in the Council's sanctum in which Vincent stood at the center. All of the air around him shook in the wake of Vincent's released power. He felt the same as he did while trapped in Akari's web. Ten, then twenty, then fifty, then a hundred, and then a thousand swords floated in the air above him. All at once they all struck the ground around him in a circle.

Then, something unexpected happened. The entire sanctum of the Magic Council looked exactly like the realm in his dream. There were books fueling fires and torn pages as far as the eye could see. He had transformed the space around him to be what the realm in his mind looked like. A flash a pain ran through Vincent's body and the projection from his mind faded back into the sanctum. One of the members of the Council helped him up and took him to the building's infirmary. "You should know better than to overexert yourself magically, Mr. Gauss. That said, you put on quite a show for us. I was under the impression that you were an elementalist." "I was never a true elementalist, only a pretender. My true magical affinity lies with a special kind of requip, though I never wanted to use it on account of my history with the Pergrande Kingdom as well as pressure from my peers while learning how to use magic. Weapon magic was seen as a 'dirty' sort of magic as opposed to the 'purer' elemental ones." "Thankfully we don't have such a view here in Fiore. All magics are viewed the same as a mage's expression of will. It's been a while since I've seen a mage project so well, though. That's true talent if I've ever seen it Mr. Gauss. I recommend you hone your true talents." Vincent nodded before laying down on one of the infirmary beds and taking a long, well deserved rest.

The Magic Council paid him for his for his duties in the realm of the Yōkai and he was off to the Serene Cliff. Once there, he removed his shirt and ran towards the edge of the cliff. This is now dangerous due to the fact that I no longer have control over the elements... but even so I feel like I have to do this, irrational action. He smoothly dove into the water below and began to swim and think about the events that transpired. Vincent was no longer as desperately in need of jewels as he once was and his old magical ability was no longer viable to defend himself. The only option that the white haired explorer from Crystal Swan had was to master the magic that was activated during his awakening, the magic that he should have been focusing on from the very start of his studies. If my magic was fake, are my interests? Do I really care about the path of the scholar? Vincent felt as though he needed to ask this question to himself, even if the answer was obvious. Despite his using of knowledge and the pursuit of the scholar as a means to rebel from his warrior origins, he was very much still passionate about magic. His love for the subject was not false, but his disdain for the path of the warrior was. Vincent could no longer lie to himself that he preferred to use the 'purer' elemental magics over that of a close-combat battle mage no matter how much he despised the Pergrande Kingdom.

And I can't keep lying to myself about my true hatred of the Pergrande Kingdom. I'm fond of their honor in battle and I admire their strength, but the monarchy is rotten to the core... I wonder if I could do anything about that though, or if I even should... Vincent wondered what kind of path he would embark upon should he act on this absolute hatred towards the Kingdom's ruling power. Is this how legal mages become dark if they are completely psychopathic? I would believe it... still. Even if I did want to do anything to sabotage the rule of the Pergrande Kingdom I would need to become more powerful than their strongest paladins; I would need to master the path of the warrior which I have so neglected to this point. I suppose it's only fitting. Wait... why am I even considering taking unilateral action against the Kingdom - that would most certainly lead to a war between our nations at the very worst, or at the very best I would be exiled from both. If there was every a cost too great, that would be it... not to mention how many people could be injured if I even miscalculate the slightest part of a plan.... That said, I need to get stronger anyways. Once again Vincent was back to lying to himself. He knew why he was getting stronger and it wasn't for any noble reason on the path of the scholar. There were no secrets beyond his grasp, not anymore. Vincent was going to travel the path of the warrior to the bitter end.

WC: 14091/14000