Atop the train, which was the Phoenix Flight guild base, Sieg sat and studied Davi, who had taken his place. From a distance, he watched, making sure to never be too close to Davi.
After being healed up, Davi now stood out in the field of junk, staring down both Ragna and Falco. Ragna had his arms folded, looking Davi up and down, while Falco looked annoyed.
"Go ahead and show it off already," Falco ordered.
Ragna gave a nod. "I'm also curious. You said you learned something new? Begin when you're ready."
"Right." Davi took a deep breath. Slowly, his mana began to surround him, a blue aura crackling into existence. It coated over his body, ready to defend or boost him. It kept rising, getting bigger and bigger. "Here I go!"
All at once, Davi raised his mana to its maximum. When a mage would use mana to reinforce their body, they got to pick how much they wanted to pour in. Just like with an attack, Davi decided to use everything. In no time at all, he burnt through his mana reserves, and his legs buckled, nearly giving out as a wave of exhaustion hit him. He was out of mana.
Falco made a face. "Seriously? That's it? You just did a basic reinforcement of your body? That's nothing special? That wasn't even a Mana Skin or an advanced technique either. That's your big move-"
"Falco." Ragna's eyes narrowed slightly, and then he gave a smirk. "Let him cook."
Davi inhaled and moved his hands together as if he were praying. At first, he had thought that Old Bird's Flapping Wings allowed him to draw in the mana that he used up; however, that wasn't true. The reality was that the breathing technique drew in all particles of mana that were in the air, and it would then shove that raw mana into his Core, and it was his Core that would transform it back into his mana.
The same thing would happen to someone else if they were to be given mana. The Core inside of the body would take energy and convert it into the user's mana.
So, in other words, if Ken Yuan were to take her mana, it would be hot and intense, like fire, but she could then give that mana to Olivia, forcing it into Olivia's body, and the mana would naturally seek her Core and attempt to merge with it. Olivia's Core would then transform that foreign mana into her body's natural mana.
Old Bird's Flapping Wings was able to absorb any particle of mana that was in the air, and then, when it entered his body, his Core would subdue and control it, shifting it into shadow mana that his Shadow Core could use. That was only if the raw mana reached his Core, however.
As Davi absorbed the energy, he also used Way of Self Iron at the same time. Just as in the past, he felt the clash happen within him, only this time he was ready for it. Davi held his hand out and forced the energy to be directed out of his body. The Vow he created before kicked in, and an orb of spiraling energy formed in his palm.
It was slightly larger than a softball, forged from black and white mana that swirled together, causing a hissing sound in the air. It began to bubble and heat up, and Davi could tell it was on the verge of exploding, so he jammed it into the ground just in time for it to burst.
The dual-colored orb erupted, unleashing a blast that tore into the beach, drilling a hole in the ground and heating the sand to the point that it turned to glass. Blood dripped down Davi's arm, and he winced, pulling it out of the jagged crater he created. The limb was bruised, especially around the wrist and hand, but it wasn't broken.
Ragna and Falco stood to the side, looking down into the crater that Davi's attack formed. It wasn't particularly big or all that deep, but to be caused by an attack that wasn't even a spell was impressive. It was also half haphazardly thrown together and not at full power.
When Davi had used Old Bird, he allowed half the energy to reach his Core, then used Way of Iron to create the orb, and so it was only half as strong as it could be. He had also used the mana his Core absorbed to strengthen the arm holding the orb, which was how it didn't break this time.
"What was that?" Ragna helped Davi out of the crater and began to look over his damaged arm.
"It is something I figured out I can do." Davi winced in pain as Ragna checked his arm over. "Way of Self Iron is a move I have that allows me to absorb an outside force and direct it outside of my body through an attack. It can only absorb kinetic energy normally; however, I figured out it can also grab raw mana, which I'm able to pull in thanks to Old Bird's Flapping Wings."
"And what is Old Bird's Flapping Wings?" Ragna questioned.
"It's a breathing and movement technique. It lets me draw in mana and pull it back into my body after I've already emptied my Core, which allows me to restore it to full."
"Fascinating." Ragna let go of Davi's arm and rubbed his chin. "Can you use Old Bird's Flapping Wings any time? Couldn't you use it as you're using mana to replace it and have an unlimited amount?"
Davi shook his head. "No. At least I haven't figured out how to do that yet. Each use puts pressure on the body that needs to die down; otherwise, it'll build up and cause a wave of pain to hit you. It's like stacking weights on top of yourself. I can only use it three times so far. It also requires my Core to be completely drained of mana. Using it while I still have energy in the tank causes it to not work, so I can't just take small doses either."
"That's a shame." Ragna gave a nod as if he understood. "Even the best moves have a weakness or drawback. So, when you combined them, it created that explosive orb?"
"Yeah. By draining my Core, it enters a state in which it naturally seeks any available energy. I can then draw that energy into my body through Old Bird's Flapping Wings. When used in tandem with Way of Self Iron, it halts the energy in my body so it does not reach my Core. I can direct it outward as I do with Self Iron, and it causes that explosive-like effect, which I managed to control through the form of a Vow."
"Sounds like a Mana Strike," Falco stated.
"A Mana Strike?" Davi gave a confused look. "I've heard about it, and you mentioned it before, but what is it? Is it like a Mana Step?"
"Not exactly." Ragna tugged on his mustache. "Mana itself lacks an element or property. It is raw, untamed energy. When our Core takes in mana, it converts it into a type of mana we can use. Every person has their own kind of mana, and that energy is created by filtering raw mana into their Core. Spells use transformed mana from our Cores. Mana Step, Mana Skin, and Mana Strike, as well as a few others, don't use our unique energy, though."
"They don't?"
Ragna shook his head. "It's not something you should be able to do until your Core levels up. When you reach a Core that is Grade E1, you gain a new control over your mana. You learn how to take your mana out of yourself and basically convert it back into its original state. Primal, or chaotic, mana. Others call this pure mana. This mana is what is used to perform a Mana Step, which allows us to bend and distort space without saying a spell name. Mana Strike is sort of like Step, but focused all in on an attack. We coat our fists or weapons in this chaotic mana and strike out with it. It collapses space and causes a great amount of damage, though it's also hard to pull off. Want to see?"
"Sure?"
Ragna stepped toward a pile of junk and brought his fist back. He took a deep breath, and his aura began to seep out. It resembled various flowers and appeared to be blooming. Suddenly, it faded away, becoming a dark black color just like when a mage would use Core Masks, and that black aura formed around his fist. The aura grew smaller and smaller until it was skin-tight around Ragna's arm, and the limb looked as if it were made out of pure energy.
That was when he struck.
The attack blasted out at a speed that defied the laws of physics. The air twisted and compressed, and suddenly the wall of trash exploded and was vaporized, twisting away and flying back.
Steam poured off Ragna's fist, and he blew on it as the aura died down. "Looks like I still got it."
The wall of scrap had been large, being a mini hill, and yet it and everything behind it, all the way to the ocean, was simply gone. The sand before Ragna had been converted into glass, and the water was split in two, stretching out as far as the eye could see.
"That's a Mana Strike." Falco snorted when he saw Davi's stunned look.
"Why don't mages always use that?"
"Because it's freaking hard to pull off," Falco grunted. "Mana Strikes also vary in power and rely on the user. Our Core naturally converts all mana into our body's energy type, which is called unique mana, and it's the mana you sense when you determine who a person is, so to create primal mana, which is raw, unfiltered mana, we need to reverse that process, and it can be hard. You only need a bit for a Mana Step, so something like that is simple, but gathering enough to coat your arm or weapon in it requires a deep focus, which most mages won't have in the middle of combat. Not to mention, it also requires good timing; otherwise, the mana might just fade away. My Mana Strike is a lot less impressive. It's not bad to use since it can pierce through a Mana Skin, but my flames are typically better, so I rely on them more."
"Like all skills," Ragna began, "they require the mage knowing when and how to use them. Your orb is similar to a Mana Strike, as it doesn't require saying a spell's name, yet holds enough attack power behind it that it reaches a level similar to Row. It's impressive. Primal mana is also sometimes called chaotic mana. Our Cores naturally absorb chaos mana, which is the mana in the air, and convert it into the unique mana that shapes itself to our will. That's why you need a stronger Core to reverse this process and create chaotic mana, yet you've found a way to do it by controlling the mana in the air itself."
Falco snorted. "It's not that good. He has to blow through all his energy. At that point, just use a spell in the destruction school. It is way easier."
Davi glanced down at his hand and ignored Falco's remark. There was still so much about mana and how it worked that he didn't know. Every day, it seemed like he would discover something new. Why did mana work the way it did? How did Mages have Cores inside of them? Who created all the rules that mana had to follow?
"Do you think you and Falco could use the sphere move I showed off?"
"Not a chance." Both Falco and Ragna stated.
"Really?" Davi raised an eyebrow. "Why not?"
"I figured out how to use Way of Self Iron." Falco took a fist and punched himself a couple of times in the chest, and his beak clicked. "It wasn't that hard for a genius like me to figure it out. I renamed it to 'Right Back At You.' Just like types of schools, some forms of martial arts just aren't suited for some people, and your Old Bird's Flapping Wings isn't one I can understand, no matter how many times I see it. If a martial artist can process what they're seeing, that simply means the move isn't one for them."
"It's the same for me," Ragna admitted, letting out a sheepish chuckle. "Both those moves you showed off are strange and alien compared to my style. Perhaps if I really tried, I could learn Way of Self Iron just as Falco did, but that Old Bird one seems like an impossible thing. Absorbing mana from the air is unheard of. Not to mention, you said you're using a Vow to create that orb. Davi, you're a prodigy when it comes to Enchanting, but the rest of us in the guild aren't. Making Vows like that might sound simple to you, but it's something that is a hard-fought battle when it comes to your average mage."
"Seriously?" Davi balled his hand into a fist and unballed it. "Is it really that impressive?"
"People who don't know their own talents are the worst." Falco sighed. "Besides, even if we did have your talent and did have the power to make those orbs, I still wouldn't. It's kind of a useless power and is full of flaws. A martial art like that sucks."
"Can you even call that a martial art?" Davi rubbed the back of his neck. "Also, I think it has more uses than you realize."
"Oh yeah?" Falco looked a little intrigued. "Care to share with the rest of the class?"
"Nah." Davi gave a thumbs down. "I need to test it myself." He had a few ideas on how this weird orb could be used. He'd need to figure that out another time, though. He also wondered if it even counted as a form of martial arts. Could he use real skill with it?
As if he could read his mind, Ragna responded. "Falco brought up how your orb is similar to a Mana Strike, and in some ways, he is right, since both attacks use chaotic mana instead of unique mana, but I think your attack is also similar to the way people with Golden Cores fight. It might be worth looking into them and reading up on how they operate."
"Golden Cores? They're the ones who have the most mana, right?" Davi asked. "Those people come from Gallenth."
"Golden Core users are weird." Falco sighed. "The Golden Core was created by the Elf King, and he based it on some powerful Angel guy or something. Angels were made out of pure chaotic mana and didn't have unique mana like us mere mortals. The Golden Core is a bundle of power. Unlike a regular Core, it's far too big for its realm and seeps out, corrupting the chaotic mana around it and drawing even more in."
"What does that mean?"
"Basically, they have more mana than they know what to do with," Ragna explained. "You could take someone with a Golden Core, and they'd have more mana than every Captain combined."
"Seriously?"
Ragna nodded. "They're powerful. When we want to use mana, we have to coat our fists in it or reverse our unique mana into chaotic mana to perform a mana strike. This is because our mana can not survive outside of our body, that far away from us. It's why we can't simply point and shoot orbs of energy at people. If we want to do that, we have to cast a spell, which converts and transforms our bodies' unique mana into something else. At that point, the mana is something else. Golden Core users do not have this issue. They have so much mana that they can fire it out like bullets without even saying a spell. Simply by pointing a finger, they can riddle you with holes before you've even said a spell name. That's what makes them so dangerous."
"That and the massive ass suits they power," Falco grunted. "We're lucky Golden Core users are so rare; otherwise, we'd have a serious problem on our hands."
Davi frowned. He had at one point wondered if he had a Golden Core. It seemed like his mother wanted to create a being that had every power source, yet from the sounds of it, he did not have the final Core that was needed to complete the main set. A shame, as having a Golden Core sounds like it would be very useful.
"Thank you both." Davi folded his arms and gave a bow of his head to the two men. "You've both given me a lot to think about. I'm going to try to refine and figure some things out. I feel like there is something I'm missing. Creating that orb made me see how easily some things can combine and work. I'd like to explore that path a bit more."
"Well, while we're here," Falco announced his spell and created a sword of flame. He pointed the saber at Davi. "How about we go a few rounds?"
"Seriously?" Davi's eye twitched as he began to draw Storymaker.
Ragna let out a booming laugh and cracked his knuckles. "How about you both try to take me out!"
And with that, another sparring match began.
***
Meanwhile, in the captain's personal room, Laerton sat down on her La-Z-Boy and nursed a can of beer. Her eyes lazily stared at Olivia and Ken, who both stood before her. Behind the two women, Pock struggled to stand in the cluttered room.
Olivia looked around with a soft frown on her face. "No offense, this place is kind of a dump… Like, even worse than the actual dump."
The captain's room was filled with junk; clothes were piled up, weapons lined the walls on various shelves, and trash was scattered everywhere. Hundreds of cans were also stacked on top of each other, and the place reeked of sadness, cheap beer, and smoke. It wasn't the kind of place the captain of a guild should be spending her time, yet this was Laerton's home.
"Offense taken." Laerton took a swig from her can and let out a burp.
"You're gross," Ken said flatly.
"And you're a pervert."
"Am not!"
Laerton let out a laugh and took another swig. "So, why the hell do you want to go to the Shining Sentinels base?" Olivia flinched when the captain's eyes landed on her. The tone the drunk woman gave off was suddenly a serious one.
Olivia gulped but managed to force out an answer. "My friend, his name is Bruno. He's in that guild. I can't get ahold of him, but I want to speak with him badly. His father, our father, was one of the victims in the attack…"
Laerton rubbed her chin. "And to do that, you need to go to their base?"
"Yeah." Olivia nodded. "He won't respond to my texts or calls. Please. I want to make sure my brother is okay. I'll do anything."
"Anything?" Laerton's eyes lit up, and Olivia felt a shiver creep down her spine.
"Y-Yes. Against my better judgment, I'll do anything."
Laerton let out a chuckle. "Good, good. Sure. Why not then?"
"Really? You'll let me go?" Olivia asked, a little shocked.
Laerton stood up and tossed her can to a corner of the room. She stretched and let out a yawn. "Sure. I need to speak with someone there on a matter anyway. Pock, why don't you take us to their base?"
"You sure?" Pock looked suddenly nervous. "The last I heard, they're trying to deal with the Holy Saint. They might not like us walking in?"
"Doesn't matter." Laerton shook her head and gave a grin that made the other three people in the room flinch. "I want to have a little talk with their little Captain. He and I have a lot of things to discuss. Namely, about why he dared to keep my new recruits from me for so long."
The Captain was in a mood. One that meant someone was going to have to face her wrath.