It is a nice day here.
The birds are singing.
The flowers are blooming.
Children are running around playing in the nearby park.
Me? I am carrying a box around.
An old lady who lives near the orphanage was needing help carrying some new furniture, I offered myself of course.
Yeah, it has been a week already since I was discharged from the Hospital and ever since arriving here I spent my time doing some odd jobs and practicing my magecraft.
In a single week I was able to create a reputation of helping whoever needs in exchange for some pocket money. A necessary sacrifice, as I I will need the money to advance a bit more on my magecraft.
Setting the box down near the lady's garage I reach for my forehead before wiping a bit of sweat.
Usually, this kind of work would be no issue for me, but I have decided to use these acts of manual labor as training.
Using a runic sequence known as Batna Sik(ᛒᚨᛏᚾᚨ ᛊᛁᚲ) to better my results.
By inscribing it on the body before training I can enhance my natural growth, while improving my base characteristics all around. It also helps me stay enthusiastic towards the activity I am doing and ensure my health.
Because of that, using it while doing any sort of activity is great for me, any kind of effort I do will always bring out results! Well, at least at the beginning. It's obvious that these runes will lose effect as your body's progress start reaching a higher level.
"Young Niko!" The old lady arrives waving her arm. "I believe these were all of them."
"Oh, that's great ma'am!" I say with a smile, showing how relieved I am. " I was going to go back to the orphanage soon, and would feel bad at leaving without finishing this.
She laughs. "That's true! Well, I hope you can wait a few more minutes, I am going to get you something." She quickly goes back to her house, before coming back with a small envelope.
"Here, as a thanks for your help." She puts the envelope on my hand. "I know you helped me without asking anything but I would feel bad if I didn't give you something for your help. And you're getting some money right? I hope this can help you!"
I grab the envelope and decide to open it right here, my eyes widening in shock.
"3000 yen?!" I screem-whisper at her, truly shocked. That may not look like much for most people, but for me a orphan with no way to get money? With this I just doubled my savings! I barely got 200 yen per job, yet this lady just gave me 3000 for something so simple!
"I-I can't even express how happy I am ma'am!" Usually most of my expressions are false, it's hard to truly be happy considering my current situation, with the whole deal of a Magus probably looking for me and everything. But this? It may not look like much but it truly helps me, so I couldn't help but feel joy at this.
"It's nothing really!" She gives me a small laugh. "You helped me so much this last week, this is the minimum I could do for you! And I may not know why you're saving so much money but I hope it helps you." She finishes giving me a warm look.
"Don't worry, It will!"
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Once I went to the orphanage to eat lunch alongside the other kids I asked the matron if I could leave for the day.
The matron is a fairly young woman being in her late twenties or early thirties, not the age you would expect someone whose life revolves around the orphanage. She has light brown hair and amber eyes, her skin is a bit dark looking like she is constantly tanned but she just isn't fully japanese having a foreigner mother from what I learned.
It seems that she became a matron at this orphanage after finding out she couldn't have children, but she truly wanted to experience being a mother, so she volunteered when she was in her early adult year. She ended up loving taking care of these children and once the old matron finally retired, she took her place.
We actually have a nice understanding among ourselves. I am older than all the other children here, well much older actually. Despite people calling me 'Young Niko' I am not a child, I am actually thirteen! ...and a bit short. The average height for a japanese boy my age should be about 1.6 meters, yet I am mere 1.4 meters tall, ridiculously short for my age. I don't remember anything from my old life, but I feel like being short during my youth was something that I felt back then as well.
Because of my age, I am given far more freedom than the other orphans, being allowed to leave when I want as long as I return before dusk, having my own room and a few other benefits. The only thing I need to do is help the matron take care of the kids, which while annoying is not hard. Japanese kids are basicaly taught respect since birth, so as long as you teach them well they will behave nicely.
"Wanting to leave again today Niko?" The matron raises an eyebrow, amused. "Well, today there is not much to do, the kids are behaving well and you have already washed the dishes of lunch. So you can go, just remember from coming back before nightfall!"
I nod at her them do a small salute to show I got it. "See ya matron!" I begin leaving.
As I get a bit of distance from her she suddenly says. "Didn't I tell you to call me Masumi-Nee-Chan?!"
I begin to run a bit, then spin to quickly look at her. "Dream of it matron!" Heh, she hates when I call her that, all the kids call her 'Haha'(mommy) yet I insist in calling her matron. Why? Her frustrated face when I call her is hilariously!
Well, having left that place I went to a bazar, hoping to buy some second-hand products. I have a bit of money now, but that doesn't allow me to spend it carelessly.
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Arriving at the shopping district I look for the Bazar, finding it near the center area in there.
Entering the store I am greeted by one of the shop's employee. He asks if I need enything, and I tell him that I will take a look first.
My purpose here is rather simple: Find books about japanese religious practices.
Currently the only type of magecraft I can use -excluding the most basic like reinforcement- is Rune magecraft, and while they're quite versatile I lack at the moment proper knowledge to use them to their maximum. Needing to draw the runes and activate them by speaking their 'name'. Not only speaking them reduce their overall power but having to draw them on solid matter to initiate a spell is counterproductive. That is to say, I have no combat power currently. Sure, I can set basic Bounded Fields using my runes and reinforce my body but if anyone who is not a normal person appears? I am completely and utterly fucked.
So, in order to solve this issue I plan to understand better japanese practices and try to apply them to my own magecraft. Sure it won't be the most effective thing out there as it is just a badly done replica but will at least help me until I find a way to get actual magecraft training.
Looking through the book I find some that do revolve around Japanese religious Practice but clearly won't actually help me accomplish anything.
That is until now. These are second hand book so the customers actually can take a look before buying them, and this one in specific brought my attention. 'The Tantra of Tachiwaka-Ryū', usually most would see this and immediately associate it with some sort of pornografic literature but by doing a bit of fast read I could see some truly interesting things. In specific the book's mention of opened meridians truly caught my attention. In japan and other coutries from the far-east this is a way of naming magic circuits, and looking more closely I could see somethings that resemble certain spell's uses.
This may be just a ridiculous coincidence, but this looks like some sort of beginner's guide to a certain practice of magecraft. And looking upon the name and some of the books explanations I could speculate this as a book from the Shingon Tachikawa School.
Not much is mentioned about this school in the nasuverse, at best we have some information about it from Fate/Extra but nothing that really helps me here.
It's supposedly a branch from Shingon Vajrayana Buddhism, also considered heretical amoung practitioners from this doctrine. Its foundational doctrine and technique is something aobut reaching enlightenment by the union of male and female, which is why this book even has tantric arts on it.
But what makes this something viable to me is their figure of idolatry: Dakiniten.
Dakiniten is in the amalgamate of Japanese gods revered in the Dakini. But this branch in specif has a interesting view about such figure, usually they would associate it with Vairocana and a few other gods, but this sect sees Vairocana and Amaterasu Oomikami as the same figure.
And that is what interest me! Being able to use Amaterasu as a figure of power is amazing, and unlike those practicioner not only can I use her mythological figure but because I actually know how she is I should have a higher connection to her, allowing me to use this branch of magecraft with far more power even in my current state. And to make matters better I can use this to try replicating Tamamo-no-mae's cursed talismans to aid me, having seen them in both Fate/Extra and Extella I can visualise them in a way that helps me focus on the spell execution.
So, once my decision of buying this book was made I went looking for another specific one. In this case a book to learn siddhan from.
Siddhan is an ancient variant of the Sanskrit writing, it's popularly used in japan for the making of mantras and rituals. It's also the writting Tamamo-no-mae uses for her talismans, so having knowledge about it will surely help in my learning. The magecraft book even mentions it a bit so it's a good initiative if I want to specialise in this magecraft path.
Having gotten what I wanted from this shop I went to the cashier. And to avoid problems I begin focusing magical energy at my index finger to write a rune at the air, creating a small bounded field that focus in blocking someone's perception to something.
ᛁ (Isa) to create psychological block at the idea I am getting a book I shouldn't be getting and ᛈ (Perthro) to turn the idea of it being improper into an uncertainty.
ᛁᛈ (Ip).
I had to do that because the The Tantra of Tachiwaka-Ryū is a book with clear adult concepts, and I obviosly am not an adult.
In the end I spent only 2700 yen, which should be around 18 dollars... I think, inflation is a thing after all.
Having gotten what I wanted and the sun getting closer to drop I decided I should get back home.
I then feel a small pain at my hand, like a prickle at my skin.
Three faint red marks on the back of my hand.
"Oh fuck." Wide eyed, staring at my hand I couldn't help but say.
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Pov.???
Saitama, ???.
In an old room, with countless magical sequences surrounding it a man awaits while sitting at his desk, smoking an odd brand of cigarettes.
Entering the room, an white haired man begins grinning madly at the sitting man.
"It has been done. The ritual will fully initiate soon." The white haired man begins chuckling.
"Good, thanks for your help Caster." He then releases a small puff of smoke from his mouth.
"To think your family had such a treasure at their hands yet never used, it's truly bizarre, luckily you knew better master." The man, now named Caster, said gleefully to the man.
"Hmph, of course they didn't!" He slams his hand at the table."Bunch of cowards, who cares about the Association?! We have a functional path to the Root but held back at using it just because our ancestor told us not to! Who cares about a dead woman's word?!"
He then sighs, calming himself down.
"Apologies for this display, Caster. But just remembering my family's foolishness I can't help but lose my temper."
Caster merely laughs. "Haha, no problem master, I can understand your anger well."
The man allows a small smile to grace his face. "I was truly fortunate to have met you Caster." His face then turn serious. "What about that item?"
If before Caster had a mad grin now his face was now disturbing to even look at. "Yes, we have the catalyst. Your servant will be surely the strongest of the war!"
The man begins laughing maniacally.
"HAHAHAHAHAHHAHAHAHHA"
"YES, LET THE HOLY GRAIL... no, LET THE WAXING MOON RITUAL BEGIN!