The Third Party - Chapter 98

3rd Person’s POV (12 yrs., 9 months)

“Greetings matriarch, I apologize for the commotion from earlier, how do you do?” said Ken, bowing ever so respectfully followed by the other two.

Many times have they have visited the matriarch of the Birds animal beasts, but this situation right here is not of favorable position, for the two that is, they could say that the majestic animal beast before them could be called a distant cousin of theirs.

They may not be able to access human form but their strength is still on par with the Avian guardians, especially with the addition of the technique Ken introduced them.

Who could argue with the guy when one day he walked away from the class and just cultivated for the rest of the day, came tomorrow, the guy frantically busied himself for over more than a week visiting the domains of the animal beasts.

Each one of them were only informed another week later when they had one of their visits.

“I’m good and well Ken, thank you for asking.” said the majestic bird, whose countenance from before turned docile, that was really what she needed for this little guy to apologize for his mishap from earlier..

Quite genuine as well.

Ken gave a wide smile, giving a bow once again, a quiet understanding they both established from that mere interaction.

“If you don’t mind me asking, why does my friend frequently visit this place?” there it is, the question that both siblings dreaded, seriously, this person right here doesn’t take a second to rest easy.

But who can blame them when their friend is in this kind of state, they would react in a similar fashion as well if they were in Ken’s situation, just subtle on the approach.

The aggressiveness he portrays in his inquiries are haunting. The matriarch takes a small peek on the other small guy her little human referred to. She never knew that this time would come when others had noticed what they were apparently doing here.

“Long story, but I think this memory ball can help.” with a gentle twist of her wing, a ball made of white, small for her size, but just right for her human friend, appeared.

“Thank you matriarch.” replied Ken, receiving the memory.

“You’re welcome little one.” she gave a nod to the little avians before excusing herself and continuing her monitor of her people, she already knows that the purpose of that little interaction with the human was not of pure visit.

Reading certain types of emotions and intentions are not that hard for their kind, or for any animal beasts per say, so she left to give those kids the time for them to converse.

If she could call that long haired boy a kid despite the childish features.

“I know this is an invasion of both of your privacy.” staring at the memory floating atop his right palm. “But we all know that no matter what kind of situation, I’ll have my questions asked.” he sighed.

“I’m sorry, seeing those people agitated me, furthermore, you both were taking a long time to let us know.” Ken put forth the ball to his forehead allowing the memory to quickly dissolve into his brain, playing out certain scenarios that happened in this place.

For Ken, the memory exploration took about more than one minute, but on the surface, it took only a second before his countenance was back to normal. A frown adorned his face once again.

“So this was what is going on.” Ken looked directly into Icarus, activated both glow and other mana sensoring skills he has, combined into one, and there he sees, both on Icarus’s brain and heart, a strong concentration of mana was found.

“A constitution of a spell that I am not familiar with.” annoyance crept into his face, making his expression more menacing for the two, distress assaulting both siblings from the current situation.

Under any circumstances, no one should cause others great discomfort, as what was taught by their friend here, unless it’s something intentional or not, but if it’s something deep sitted and life threatening, then they could just expect that things won’t be easy for them.

It had already not been easy for them siblings and for their family, this matter at hand was something they did not expect to happen to Icarus, thus they could only ever come to find help from others who are experts in this field.

But so far, none was able to relieve them of their worries, they did not want to bother anyone.

“We’re sorry, we didn’t want to bother you or anyone at the village with our personal matters, even though from time to time we’d share it to you and the others.” said Riyah, gaze down, the disappointment she felt almost coming off as visible.

Icarus can’t help but grit his teeth, it’s because of this situation he is in that he kept hurting the people around him, especially his twin. Hands forming into fists on his side, refusing to look at his sister’s face.

Ken deactivated his techniques and softly sighed, his aggression from before ceasing, replaced by a calm countenance.

“I’m not gonna go start with accusing you guys of not sharing the whole picture to us, and I understand that it’s not something anyone should share to someone whom they are not that close with.” He paused, trying to find the words to say.

Imposing and guilt tripping would do nothing in this situation, or any words that may come off as him doing his friends a favor.

“I would really like it if the situation you both are in does not involve those bastardous bunch, but I guess that would just be in my wildest dreams.” Icarus snorted, while a small smile crept itself on Riyah’s face.

“Yeah.” replied Icarus, the tense atmosphere easing up a bit. Ken exaggerated a groan, bending down slightly with his head held back in an aggrieved manner, before taking a deep breath, and letting it all out aggressively.

“Okay…” thought stuck in his throat, imposing his ideas is out of discussion, now he could only sigh dramatically in front of his friends, bending his body in weird angles, as if he’s a clay melting under the intense heat of the sun.

The other two, are having the time of their lives, or so it feels similar to one, watching their friend argue with himself, stopping short in between every word he wanted to say.

Oddly enough, they felt a sense of relief from Ken’s reaction, is it because he didn’t treat them differently despite knowing the whole truth, or is it just because Ken’s reaction is so bizarre that it’s neither offending or too much.

Or maybe it’s the kind of reaction they were hoping for but different to what they expected. Oh, wait, now he’s rolling on the ground. Before both siblings could stop the guy from soiling his clothes, the guy abruptly stopped and jerked his head up.

In one quick motion, he got up from his spread out state, pushing his body near his legs, and pushed himself upwards, a click of his fingers and a spell that would slowly clean off the dirt on his shirt and pants activated.

“Let’s go, I’ve got what I wanted, we still have classes to finish.” Somehow… those words did not bring discomfort or frustration.

A small smile caressing Riyah’s face, while Icarus’ softens. Before both startling from the sudden lightness of their bodies.

“There is no time to lose!” said Ken pointing at the direction of the village, before a laso of light caught the sibling’s arms and dragged with Ken flying once again. The matriarch watching the three people at the distance, her once vast field’s disturbance returning to normal.

Minutes later the group was back once again to their normal class, the commotion from earlier resolved with a memory spell to anyone curious about what had happened, Ken’s too lazy to explain, and that method is very useful, so why not.

This afternoon is their magic practicum, wherein they let the masters once again tap into their mana pool to check whether their progress is running smoothly. With the additional masters on the roster, there wasn’t much of a hassle for the former three since all of them are capable of the said method of checking.

All eleven were evenly spread out of the field -even though it’s very big-, with the sole purpose of Ken saying that there is a need to extend their mana in a wide area around them during the check-up.

“Why?” asked Allen.

“I want to try ‘Mana Domains’.” that glint of determination in his eyes ever so visible even though he just said that in a monotous voice. “Mana Zones would be a much preferable title though, but eh… it still works.” a tap on his chin and a shrug on his shoulders right after.

Effectively destroying that mature aura. Allen doesn’t know how to feel, should he be inspired or slap his forehead? He sighed. The method mentioned was a technique magic users apply on different situations, defensively, or offensively, and many more.

The method was once introduced to them a couple weeks ago, and now they have been given the permission to execute such a move, with the guidance of the other masters of course.

The two positioning themselves8 on the area they chose, which was opposite one another. The eleven students assumed a squatting position, the masters behind them, placing both hands on the head and on their backs.

Namely, Klein, Ras, Ulysses, Kilean, Abel, Rena, Oldin, Kara, Mira, and Nazir, the other three were left to the side to observe how the situation will go, Master Dawn was present as well, since most of the time she doesn’t come to the field, only the students coming to her.

It would be much preferable to place the other hand on the stomach where the meridians are located, but the students will need to be in a laying position, so they’d just go ahead with this.

The fluctuation of mana occurred. Everything was calm, for the intrusion of mana of the masters had lessened the violent effect of the backlash from using such method. Previously it had damaged the student’s body when they tried the method the first time.

Good thing it was just Ken who suffered the backlash since he was the one to instigate it, after a few days of groaning in bed and coming up with dozens of answers to the problem, he came with the method of interconnectivity.

That is by using natural mana on the surroundings to access the other person’s mana pool in their meridians, Ken made it possible that control and invisibility was applied to the spell executed by their Masters thus allowing their Masters consciousness to access their mana pools.

The process at first was uncomfortable for the others, but slowly they eased into the process and now here they are calmly closed their eyes both student and Master on the mana pool of their student.

Oldin who was the one examining the mana pool of Ken can’t help but stare at that one spot at the center, a slight consciousness caressing his eyes before vanishing and returning to its ordinary state.

He’ll have to discuss that thing with the others as soon as they are finished.

“We’re all good, you’ve done a great job steadily growing the strength of your mana.” praised Oldin to the youth beside him.

“Thank you Master.” replied Ken, with a bow and a joyous smile, both leaving Ken’s mana pool a few seconds later. All twenty of them opened their eyes, and with a nod by Klein, each master stepped backwards from the corresponding student that they were assisting.

“Begin Mana Domain.” at his command, mana fluctuations around the students occurred. Sending waves after waves of violent mana torrents around them. Eyes closed, foreheads furrowed, hands clenched.

This was their first time executing such a technique, even with the assistance of their masters nearby, the process was still very difficult to pull off.

“Ken, why are you not starting.” asked Oldin, since the student before him was changing gazes left and right. Ken chuckled a bit, and bowed, standing up from his squat position.

“I wanted to see their domains first before I make my own Master.” He replied respectfully, Oldin raised a brow, but relaxing right after.

If there’s one thing he had determined the kind of person this kid was, that he goes with his own ways, and no one could ever try to change his mind.

One by one, different shades of sphere like objects formed around every single student present in the area, some barely reaching the height of the trees, and others, reaching just a little bit further.

Ken smiled at the colorful and elemental infused domains his friends made, particularly those ones filled with elements forming in mid-air as an after effect of their still lacking control of their magic.

“Elemental Magic: Mana Domain.” just as the other students had gradually calmed down from the intense focus and will they had to exert, a presence much stronger than theirs made itself known. They all looked in one direction.

Ken was floating in the air, eyes closed, as if feeling in the moment the situation he is in, his domain, larger than most of them, filled with dots upon dots of blinking lights and black spots, filling the sphere like area with the impression of a galaxy present before them.

But just as the domain appeared, the next five seconds it slowly subsided, not knowing that they were staring for long, the other’s domain subsided as well, even thought it felt like it lasted a longer time.

Those lights… they were just so beautiful, coupled with Ken’s ethereal looking form, with that silver hair, and white complexion, clad in a beautiful suit-

Wait, Ken doesn’t have a milky white skin, he’s just brown, and who said he’s wearing a suit, look at him now, he’s clad in nothing but training clothing. Such were the chaotic thoughts of his peers and others who chose to entertain such thought.

Klein looking at every single reaction his students currently has, he can’t help but release a deep sigh. Even with him being a teacher, he knows when admiration is blatantly visible, and another thing coupled into the mix.

Worry creeping up his thoughts, mocking him dearly. He looked at the newly arrived Avian soldiers with their employers -if that was the term to be used since they had just arrived earlier-, a blank expression plastered on his face.

That scenario earlier, he was certain it’ll start a commotion. He’s looking at the shocked faces of the soldiers. Should it be a good thing that those stuck up children did not witness the whole ordeal?

Or not…

He sighed once again. Inwardly.

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