A Week Later - Great Britain
The sound of ice cracking and forming echoed through the training grounds behind the de Montfort estate.
CRACK
A massive ice wall erupted from the ground three meters tall, two meters thick, crystalline and solid.
Lavinia stood in the center of the yard, breathing hard, hands raised, her eyes focused.
The ice doll meanwhile is behind her connected to Lavinia will.
"Again!" Vivienne called from the side.
Lavinia nodded, took a breath, and focused.
She thrust her hand forward.
WHOOSH
A lance of ice formed from her palm, streaking through the air and slamming into a wooden target a few meters away.
The target froze solid instantly, ice spreading across its surface like crystalline veins.
"Good!" Vivienne said. "Now the next one!"
Lavinia turned, aimed at another target, and fired.
Another ice lance,and Another direct hit.
The target shattered from the impact, frozen fragments scattering across the ground.
Lavinia smiled, her confidence growing.
I'm getting better.
I can feel it.
She raised both hands this time, focusing harder.
The air around her grew cold visibly cold, frost began forming on the grass beneath her feet.
Then
CRACKCRACKCRACK
Multiple ice spikes erupted from the ground in a wide arc, each one sharp and deadly, all aimed at different targets.
Every single one hit.
Vivienne watched, arms crossed, a proud smile on her face.
Impressive.
Very impressive.
Lavinia's talent particularly on magic was remarkable perhaps even rivaling Michael's or Edward's in some capacity.
She still is lacking in some areas, of course.
But having a Longinus,one of the thirteen most powerful Sacred Gears in existence is more than covered those gaps.
The raw power at her disposal was extraordinary.
And she was learning to wield it with increasing precision.
Lavinia meanwhile turned her attention to the air itself.
She begin concentrating again, and reaching out with her will.
which the moisture in the air began to freeze as tiny ice crystals formed, suspended mid-air, glittering in the sunlight.
Then more moisture started to freeze.
And more.
Until a shimmering cloud of frozen particles float above the training ground.
Vivienne's eyes widened slightly.
She's freezing the air itself.
That's impressive and somewhat advanced for a child,who's only been training for atleast a week.
"Alright, Lavinia," Vivienne called gently.
"That's enough for today. You did very well."
Lavinia released her focus, and the ice crystals dissipated, melting harmlessly into the air.
She lowered her hands, breathing hard, sweat dripping down her face despite the cold she'd been generating.
"How... how did I do?" she asked, looking at Vivienne hopefully.
Vivienne walked over and placed a hand on her shoulder, and then patted her head.
"You did excellent, sweetheart. Your progress is very remarkable." Vivienne replied smiling.
Lavinia beamed.
"Really?"
"Really." Vivienne smiled warmly. "Though I do have one suggestion."
"What is it?" Lavinia asked while tilting her head in confusion.
"Try to increase your creativity when using your Sacred Gear. You're very good at making it do direct attacks ice walls, spikes, lances. But try to think about other applications, like maybe creating or using absolute demise to be more defensive or environmental control. The more versatile you are, the stronger you'll be... and the more likelier to protect the people you love and cared for."
Vivienne explained, since she knows that Lavinia is still emotionally and mentally stunted by her previous treatment of her relatives, and very much is still traumatized a bit by Glenda attempt to kidnapped her. And probably want to improve herself.
Still how could you do such an evil thing Glenda, nonetheless to an innocent child, Vivienne thought.
Lavinia nodded seriously, absorbing the advice. Wanting to prove herself.
"I'll work on that, Grandma."
"Good girl."
-------------
Later - French Language Study
-------------
Lavinia sat at a table in Grandma and Grandpa library, a French textbook open in front of her, repeating the words in the text carefully.
"Bonjour... merci... s'il vous plaît..."
Her tutor a kind, middle-aged woman named Madame Rousseau sat across from her, smiling encouragingly to Lavinia.
"Very good, Lavinia," Madame Rousseau said. "Your pronunciation is excellent."
Lavinia smiled shyly. "Um...Thank you madam..."
The tutor flipped to the next page. "Now, let's try some basic sentences."
Lavinia nodded and focused.
Because Lavinia was Italian,for Lavinia learning French came more easily than it might have otherwise.
Considering both languages were romance languages, they were also descended from latin, and shared a similar grammar structures, vocabulary roots, and pronunciation patterns. Words that sounded similar often meant similar things. Not to mention grammar rules overlapped. While there were some problems for her to learn and It wasn't easy, but it was definitely easier than it would have been for, say, an English or German speaker.
Madame Rousseau was impressed.
"You're picking this up remarkably fast," she said. "You've only been studying for a few days, and you're already grasping basic words and sentence structures."
Lavinia smiled, a warm feeling blooming in her chest.
Yay I'm doing well,and I'm learning quickly.
And grandma and madame Rousseau praised me.
-----
Lunchtime
-----
Lavinia sat at the dining table, happily eating the meal Grandpa Edgar had prepared stuffed roasted chicken with vegetables, fresh bread, mashed potato ,chocolate pudding, Tea, and a side of fruit.
Grandpa's cooking is really good.
She took another bite, savoring the flavors of her meal.
Life had changed so much in the past week for her.
A week ago, she'd been alone,scared, lonely. Living with relatives who barely tolerated her.
Now?
Now she had a family.
Grandma Vivienne, who taught her magic and treated her with kindness and patience.
Grandpa Edgar, who cooked for her and told her stories about knights and battles.
And soon she'd have Michael's family too.
She also will get to see Michael again. The first person who believed her about the ice doll.
Which she imagine on playing with him, talking to him, going on trips with Michael and his parents. Be near someone who understood and cared for her.
I'm so happy.
She smiled to herself, taking another bite of the chicken.
She'd also started attending a local school just for a few months, to keep up with her education and make some friends before the move to France.
She'd made a few friends already nice kids who didn't know about magic or Sacred Gears or any of the scary things she'd been through.
They just saw her as Lavinia.
A normal girl.
It was... nice.
Even if she knew she'd have to leave them soon.
But I'll make new friends in France.
And I'll have Michael.
She finished her meal, set down her fork, and looked around the dining room.
The Warmth of the room, the safety she felt ,and the peace, make it clear she's at home.
After lunch, she went upstairs to her room.
On her bed, sitting against the pillow, was the blue cat plushie Michael had won for her at the arcade.
Mochi.
She picked it up and hugged it tightly.
"I'll see you soon, Michael," she whispered to the plushie. "I promise."
And for the first time in a long time, she felt truly, genuinely hopeful about what the future holds, compared to when her parents died. And her moving around with her relatives.
With Michael
-----------
(Michael's POV)
I sat crosslegged on my bedroom floor, hands raised, focusing intently.
As a giant flame flickered above my right palm,and a giant sphere of water hovered above my left.
Okay.
Hold them steady.
Don't let them collapse.
I maintained the spells for ten seconds, then twenty, then thirty.
The flame wavered.
The water sphere wobbled.
Damn.
I released both spells, and they dissipated.
I exhaled, wiping sweat from my forehead.
Still not perfect.
But better.
I'd been training magic almost every day specifically elemental magic, since it was some of the easiest magic to learn and practice.
Mainly Fire, earth, lightning,water, air, ice all relatively straightforward in terms of visualization and energy manipulation.
Not too complicated. Not requiring any advanced magical theory or complex formulas.
And I could practice most of them inside the house. Most of them.
Earth magic and Lightning was the exception.
Creating stone spikes or manipulating dirt indoors was a terrible idea unless I wanted Mom to kill me for destroying the floor or accidentally frying the electronics or causing a fire.
So I practiced earth and lightning magic outside when I had the chance.
But fire, water, air, ice? Those I could manage indoors with some caution.
I'd also been working on levitation and telekinesis,and after a lot of trial and error and finally identifying the specific areas I was struggling with (mental focus, energy distribution, visualization precision,and controlling it) I'd managed to get them working.
Finally.
I could now levitate small objects like books, cups, toys, utensils and move them through the air with reasonable control, and not launching it into the sky.
Not perfect control, but functional.
A huge progress, if i say so.
The downside?
I was exhausted.
Like, constantly, and I'm not kidding.
Every time I trained, I pushed myself until my magical energy reserves were nearly depleted, and then I'd collapse into bed.
And more often than not, I'd wake up to find Jeanne in my room having let herself in because apparently my parents just let her do that now greeting me with a cheerful
"hey, Mickey!"
She's basically moved in at this point.
Not officially, but... basically.
Still, despite the exhaustion, I could feel my proficiency improving.
I was able to cast multiple spells in quick succession now without fumbling.
My control was smoother. My energy flow more efficient.
But there was a problem.
Mana consumption.
Every spell I cast took a chunk of my magical energy from what i observe, while it's now bigger than when i was learning magic, where instead of 2 spells to basically make me faint, it would require a dozen or more.
But it's still hugely inefficient,and as a scientist i dislike inefficiency in some cases.
Right now, I was just brute-forcing it from.....my understanding.
Pouring energy into spells without fully optimising the process.
Like a Gasoline being given to a 20th century combustion engine. When there's a modern engine.
I need to find a way to increase efficiency. While i did found some, like making my fire spell more potent by sucking in nearby oxygen through a small wind spell by targeting the specific oxygen molecules and it was successful... Too success ( I may have gotten myself choked or suffocating by forgetting that i do still need oxygen), and while it did really helped me reduce my mana consumption it wasn't good enough.
I still need to use less energy for the same output.
Some thought i had was through mathematical formulas? Considering it's has some calculations or Magical equations, another idea was optimizing my magic circle designs.
And those require knowledge from someone who's an expert about it, I'd need to ask someone more experienced
And that obvious candidate was Dad.
Which Dad had returned from his "business trip" a few days ago.
When he walked through the door, looking tired but uninjured ( i think), Mom had hugged him tightly and asked if everything went well.
"Perfectly fine," Dad had said. "Just a... minor issue that needed handling."
Then, later, when I asked him what the trip was actually about, he'd casually dropped while drinking wine :
"Oh, I fought a dragon."
And then showed me one of it's teeth.
I'd stared at him.
A dragon.
He fought a dragon.
And he said it like he was talking about grocery shopping.
"You... fought a dragon," I'd repeated slowly.
"Yup. Evil dragon causing problems near a town. Had to take care of it."
"And you... won."
"Obviously." He'd grinned. "I'm still here, aren't I?"
I'd blinked.
Dad meanwhile continued to do his usual activities of watching tv or going to the basement.
Okay, so Dad is apparently way more badass than I gave him credit for.
Honestly, if someone had asked me to describe my father before that conversation, I would've said:
•Submissive but loving and caring husband (Mom clearly wears the pants in this relationship)
• Ex-skirt chaser (according to Grandma and Grandpa's stories)
• Person with weird taste in food (escargot, seriously?)
Generally easygoing,goofy and non-threatening
But "Talented Magician "?
That was NOT on the list.
Though, to be fair, Grandma had told me Dad was a talented magician and that I should ask him for help with magic training.
Guess she wasn't exaggerating.
So yeah.
I needed to talk to Dad about optimizing my mana usage.
Because apparently, he knew what he was doing.
And so i decided to do that.
I stood up, stretched, and headed downstairs.
Dad was in the living room, sitting on the couch with a glass of wine (as usual), watching some documentary about ancient Rome.
"Hey, Dad."
He looked up and Asked. "Hey, Michael. Done with training?" While drinking some wine.
"For now." I sat down next to him. "Can I ask you something about magic?"
"Sure. What's up?"
"I'm having trouble with mana efficiency. Every time I cast a spell, it takes a lot of energy. And I run out fast. Is there a way to... optimize it? Use less energy for the same result?"
Dad set down his wine glass and turned to face me properly, his expression shifting to something more serious more instructor like. With his fingers on his lip.
"Good question," he said. "And yes, there absolutely is." While pointing his finger.
He leaned forward slightly.
"Right now, from my guess you're probably just pouring raw energy into your spells without thinking too much about how that energy is being used. Which is fine for a beginner you're learning the basics, building your foundation. Though you also likely tried to make it more efficient, but now you've hit a road block and need my help on to optimise it "
...
Holy shit
What the hell, how did dad guess that correctly.
Is he some of kind mind reader.
I nodded. "Yeah, that's exactly what I'm doing." While not showing a shocked face.
"Okay. So here's the thing magic circles aren't just for show. As grandma probably explained they're frameworks,and the structure for your intent and the channel for your energy enters and to give a result."
He gestured, and a simple magic circle appeared above his hand clean, precise, elegant.
"A well-designed magic circle minimizes energy waste. It directs the flow efficiently, reduces leakage, and maximizes output."
The circle spun fast but elegant,and then soon another magic circle appeared this time.
"If your magic circle is sloppy or poorly designed, you're wasting energy. It's like... trying to fill a bucket with holes in it. Sure, you'll eventually fill it, but you're losing water the whole time."
The second magic circle is wobbly, and somewhat unstable. And it looks like to could shatter at any moment.
I leaned closer, studying the circle.
That makes sense.
It's like optimizing code in programming.
Clean, efficient design = less resource waste. (Most of the time)
"So," I said, "I need to refine my magic circles?"
"Exactly." Dad smiled. "And there are other techniques too breathing exercises to improve energy recovery, mental exercises to improve focus and reduce strain, even physical conditioning to increase your overall capacity."
He paused.
"But the biggest factor? Practice. Keep practicing the more you use magic, the more efficient you naturally become. Your body and mind learns. It will eventually becomes second nature."
I nodded slowly, absorbing the information.
"Got it. So... keep practicing, but also work on refining my technique."
"Exactly."
Dad ruffled my hair. "You're doing great, by the way. Grandma told me how fast you're progressing. I'm proud of you."
I felt a warm feeling in my chest.
"Thanks, Dad."
"Anytime."
He picked up his wine glass again. "Now, if you want, I can show you some exercises to improve your efficiency. We can start tomorrow."
I grinned. "Yeah. I'd like that."
"Good." He smiled. "It's about time I taught my son some real magic."
-------
The Next Day
-------
(Michael's POV)
Dad stood in front of me in the backyard, arms crossed, looking unusually serious.
"Alright, Michael," he said. "Before we start training, there's something I need to explain to you. Something important."
I nodded. "Okay."
"Grandma already explained some basics about magic to you, right?"
"Yeah. Energy manipulation, intent, control, magic circles stuff like that."
"Good." Dad paused. "But did she explain the history of magic? How modern magic systems came to be?"
I shook my head. "No. I was planning to check if she wrote about it in the notebook she gave me, but I haven't gotten to that part yet."
"Alright. Then let me give you a quick overview."
He then gestured, and a simple magic circle appeared in the air just for demonstration.
"Most of the magic that magicians use today most, not all is based on a system created by the Great Merlin."
Pardon... Merlin the Perverted old man ?
Or is he like the Merlin from fate or something.
I blinked. "Merlin? Like, the Merlin?"
"The one and only." Dad smirked. "Though, for the record, he was also a massive pervert."
I tried really hard not to laugh, on dad's mind is similar to mine.
Merlin the legendary magician,but also one of the most perverted person in arthurian legend.
Of course he would be here.
But also...Wait. Merlin created a magic system?
That's... actually huge, considering the fact arthurian legend is here, and that meant that
Excalibur, Caliburn, Avalon exist here. Wait doesn't that mean fae also exists.... Holy shit that's gotta be scary. Not to mention albion,and ddraig could exist here,and also Vortegern.
Dad continued. "Merlin's magic system is somewhat interesting it's mostly based on knowledge and calculations. You need to understand what you're doing the theory, the formula, the structure and then calculate the exact energy flow, parameters, and effects. It might be hard for you to understand but basically it's require you to constantly count"
He let the magic circle spin slowly.
"In some ways, it's incredibly powerful,precise,reliable,and If you do the math correctly, you get consistent results every time."
He paused.
"But it also has a huge flaw."
I tilted my head. "What flaw?"
Dad looked at me seriously.
"Michael, what do you think is the most common way a magician gets killed? If it requires you to count constantly."
I blinked.
Okay.
Dad's asking a five-year-old about how people die.
That's... normal for this family, I guess. But considering the fact i had known death in my previous life when i was 4.
I thought about it.
If magic requires calculations and preparation...then the weakness would be if the focus is broken or they can't make it ready then the easiest way to kill a magician was-
"Surprise attacks?" I said.
Dad snapped his fingers. "Correct."
He gestured again, and the magic circle dissolved.
"Merlin's system requires time and focus. You need to calculate,visualize,and structure the spell. And if you're in the middle of that process and someone hits you bam. You're done."
He made a cutting motion with his hand.
"The magic system is, in a way, predictable. If your opponent knows you're using calculation-based magic, they know you need time. So they will rush you,and then overwhelm you. Don't give you space to think."
That makes sense.
It's like trying to solve a math problem while someone's punching you in the face.
You obviously don't want to get punch.
And trying to do it while not dodging will not gonna work.
Dad crossed his arms. "There are ways around it, of course. Someone can have Pre-prepared spells, proximity spells,defensive arrays, faster calculation methods. But the fundamental weakness remains."
He paused.
"Thankfully, the magic system we use isn't Merlin's. Well...not fully."
I perked up. "What do you mean?"
I paused since then what magic system are we using ?.
"The magic system our family uses is unique. Considering it was created by one of our ancestors."
An ancestor?
Who?
I immediately begin thinking of different people and famous figures and immediately narrowed down to multiple people.
Dad smiled. "The person was a female,who learned from Merlin himself,and studied under him for a long time. But she noticed the flaws in his system and decided to create her own."
I felt a jolt of realization.
Wait.
Someone who studied under Merlin,and a female, and she was able to create their own magic system So surpassing Merlin, that leaves only one person fitting that description.
"Nimue," I said quietly.
Dad's eyes widened slightly in surprise. "You know about Nimue?"
Shit.
I wasn't supposed to know that.
Five-year-olds don't know obscure Arthurian legends.
I quickly backtracked. "Uh... Grandma mentioned her once. Briefly."
Please buy it.
Please buy it.
Dad nodded slowly. "Ah. Yeah, that makes sense. Grandma does like her history."
Thank God.
He continued. "Yes. Nimue one of Merlin's only students. Possibly the only true student he ever had. And the only magician to be said the most powerful female magician to ever exist and the person who surpassed Merlin in magic itself,a student surpassing her mentor."
Dad gestured, and another magic circle appeared but this one was different.
It's More fluid like, less rigid, and It didn't have the same structure, and the magic circle are very... how do i say it alive, compared to the mathematical one.
"Nimue noticed the problem with Merlin's system and asked him for permission to experiment. To create something new."
The circle spun, shifting shapes slightly.
"And she succeeded, and surpassed Merlin in it's development. "
He looked at me. "Our family's magic system or Nimue's magic system doesn't require full calculations for most spells. You still need knowledge and intent, yes. But you don't have to sit there doing mental math every time you want to cast something."
Oh.
That's why Grandma's magic always felt more... intuitive.
"Advanced spells still require some calculations," Dad added. "Teleportation across the globe, Advanced spatial manipulation, high-level enchantments, spells with a timerand many other those need precision and math. But for most everyday magic? You just do it."
He snapped his fingers, and a small flame appeared above his palm.
"No calculations. Just your intent and control."
That's so much better.
"And," Dad continued, "this system gives us a major advantage: creativity."
He extinguished the flame.
"Merlin's system is rigid. You follow the formula, you'll get the result. Our system? Is more flexible. You can experiment spells,and Ccombine effects,and create custom spells."
He paused.
"Though, fair warning some spells are illegal or prohibited by various magical organization."
I raised an eyebrow. "Like what?"
"Mind control,soul manipulation, certain types of curses. Anything involving human experimentation or sacrifice."
Yeah, that makes sense.
Those are all horrifying.
"Anyway," Dad said, "the point is our system is different. And I'm going to teach you how to use it properly."
"Okay." I nodded. "Can you show me an example? Of a magic circle design you made?"
Dad smiled. "Sure."
He raised his hand, and a complex magic circle appeared it was multi-layered, with rotating inner rings and intricate patterns. And some parts moving around clockwork.
"This is one of mine. Custom-designed."
I stared at it, trying to analyze the structure.
It's... really complicated.
But also cool?
"This spell," Dad said, "for example combines the fire and wind magic to create a superheated air blade that vibrate so fast that it could Cut through most materials and even if it was destroyed by an attack,the destruction of the spell would create a shockwaves, very efficient."
That's cool.
"Though, full disclosure," Dad added, scratching his head sheepishly, "I don't fully understand how it works."
I blinked. "...What?"
"I mean, I know it works, and I know the general principles. But the exact mechanics? The deep theory?" He shrugged. "No idea, so you'll have to somewhat experiment"
...
How.
How do you create a spell without understanding how it works?
That's like writing a computer program that functions perfectly but you have no idea why. But considering that is the experience of most programmers. Wait does that mean dad is a spaghettified wizard.
But then I remembered what Grandma had said.
Dad's talented.
Really talented.
He's probably one of those people who just... intuitively gets it.
Like a human calculator who can solve complex math problems in their head without showing their work.
They just... know.
I sighed internally.
Of course Dad's that type of magician.
Talented but can't explain how he does it.
Great.
Just great.
"Anyway," Dad said, dismissing the magic circle, "that's enough theory for now. Let's start with some practical exercises."
I nodded. "Alright. Let's do it."
---
Michael's POV
Dad continued his explanation, gesturing as he spoke.
"Now, about magic circles there are ways to disrupt or destroy someone else's spells. It's not easy, but it's possible."
I listened intently.
"You can use a counter spell, a spell specifically designed to cancel or neutralize another spell. Or you can use anti-magic rare, but it exists. Some people also have natural resistance or abilities that suppress magic."
He paused, muttering.
" Facing that was stupidly annoying "
Then continued
"You can also use a high amount of holy energy. Since Holy power has ome property that may disrupts most magical constructs, especially ones based on demonic or dark magic."
That makes sense.
Holy versus unholy.
"And then," Dad said, his expression turning more serious, "there's the really advanced stuff. Reading someone's magic formula mid-cast and creating an opposite equation to cancel it out."
I blinked. "Wait, that's possible?"
"Theoretically, yes. Practically? Super rare. You'd need to be able to analyze complex magical structures in real-time, understand the underlying formula, and construct a perfect counter all in seconds."
That's insane.
That's like debugging someone else's code while they're still writing it.
"But," Dad added, "that's something I'll explain when you're older. It's advanced theory, and not something you need to worry about right now. And they're very rare"
I nodded. "Got it."
Dad clapped his hands together. "Alright, today, I'm going to teach you some practical spells. Mental enhancement for focus and processing speed. Physical enhancement for strength, speed, reflexes. And a stamina boost spell."
I perked up. "That sounds useful."
Dad continued. "Let's start with some basics you already know. Levitation, for example is simple enough. Though making yourself float takes more practice and control."
He grinned sheepishly. " Actually when I was little, I tried to levitate myself and ended up stuck in the chimney."
I stared at him.
...
Oh.
That explains THAT incident.
The one Grandma mentioned, on Dad got stuck in a chimney,because he tried to fly like Rudolph and his friends,but ended up becoming Santa Claus who got stuck jumping into chimney.
I tried not to laugh.
Dad cleared his throat. "Anyway, show me what you can do, use some elemental spells."
I nodded and stepped back.
I focused, raised my hand, and began casting.
Immediately a spike of ice formed in the air, hovering for a moment before dissipating.
Then a giant flame appeared around me.
As a crackle of electricity arced between my fingers and burst out. Meanwhile small chunk of stone rose from the ground. And a gust of air swirled around me,and then a soft, glowing orb materialized, illuminating the area.
I released all the spells and looked at Dad.
He nodded, looking impressed. "Good. You've got a solid grasp on the basic elements."
Then he tilted his head. " But you haven't learned plant magic yet?"
I shook my head. "I'm focusing on the core elements first. I'll get to plant magic later."
"Fair enough."
Dad walked around me, assessing. "Alright. Now do it again but this time, follow my suggestions."
He gave me some adjustments how to position my magic circles, how to channel energy more efficiently, how to visualize the effects more clearly.
I tried again.
And immediately the ice spikes appeared fastr and even thicker.
The flame burned brighter, more stable,and was spinning around me.
The electricity crackled with more intensity,as it's spread around my arm.
Wow.
That's... way easier.
Like night and day.
I looked at Dad in surprise. "That felt way better."
He grinned. "Told you. Small adjustments make a big difference."
I thought for a moment, then asked, "Dad, how many custom magic circles do you have? And combo spells? And unique spells you made yourself?"
Dad scratched his chin, thinking. "Let's see... custom magic circles? Six. Combo spells? About a dozen i think. Original spells I designed from scratch? Six."
Six original spells.
A dozen combos.
That's... a lot.
"Want to see one?" he asked.
"Hell yeah."
He smirked and raised his hand toward the sky.
A magic circle appeared large, complex, multi-layered. Which isn't this the magic circle that he had explained previously.
"This is something called Superheated Air Blade, as i mentioned before "
He spoke a short incantation, smooth and practiced.
The magic circle immediately pulsed.
And a wave of heat erupted from it, and a blade of compressed, superheated vibrating air shot upward, slicing through the sky with a high-pitched shriek.
The air itself seemed to burn,as it's flies higher and higher.
And the fire turned blue.
...
Blue fire, isn't that over 1,400 degrees Celsius!
Dad just casually created a blade of air hot enough to melt steel.
I jawdropped.
" Here's another custom spell, I made. " Meanwhile Dad begin making another spell, nor noticing my shocked.
And a giant water sphere appeared,and suddenly inside the water sphere it's begins to boil,well some part of it as some part seem to freeze.
"Now for your information this is a spell i made, a long time ago, the concept might be hard for you to understand but basically these spell is called the triple point trap. A spell that allows me to make the water boil, Evaporate,and freeze."
I stared, mouth slightly open.
Okay.
Dad's OP.
Like, actually OP.
Also what the hell triple point trap, Isn't
Triple point the state where due to the pressure,and temperature difference, the effect is what dad just showed.
What the hell is my dad.
Using physics to create a spell, not to mention isn't that basically a torture spell,what the hell!?
He's not just an ex-skirt chaser.
He's a legitimate genius combat magician.
Holy shit.
Dad dismissed the spell and turned back to me, looking pleased. "Incantations help, by the way. They're not strictly necessary, but they give a small power boost and help with focus. Though in public, you might want to skip them keeps things subtle."
Meanwhile i nodded slowly, still processing what I'd just seen.
"That's all for today," Dad said, stretching. "Good work, Michael."
He walked over to the patio table, grabbed his wine glass, and took a long sip.
Of course,he went back to the wine.
----
Later
----
We were sitting outside, relaxing after training.
Dad looked at me. "So, did you understand everything I explained?"
I nodded. "Yeah. It made sense i think"
"Good." He smiled. "You're picking this up fast. I'm proud of you."
"Thanks, Dad."
Wow dad turned out to be a cool person
Considering he's a -
But Then
"EDWARD."
Mom's voice rang out from inside the house.
Oh no.
That tone.
Dad's face went pale.
"Why," Mom continued, her voice sharp, "did I find a receipt for several high-end wine bottles? I told you not to buy any more wine for now."
Dad stood up slowly, looking like a man facing his execution.
Mom appeared in the doorway, holding a receipt, her expression... dangerous.
Dad immediately dropped to his knees.
"I'm sorry!" he said desperately. "I'm so sorry! Please forgive me! I promise I won't do it again! Don't put me on the couch!"
"I wasn't thinking about making you sleep on the couch," Mom said calmly, arms crossed.
"But now that you mention it..."
"No! Please! Not the couch!" Edward panicked.
"That would be a good idea."
She turned and walked back inside.
Dad scrambled to his feet and chased after her. "Wait! Giulia! Honey! Please!"
The door closed behind them.
I sat there, processing what I'd just witnessed.
...
Dad's a badass combat magician who can kill dragons and create custom spells.
But he's still completely whipped by Mom.
I smiled to myself.
But hey.
At least they're happy.
And Dad's even if he's French is not going to cheat,and mom's will never cheat as well.
They're genuinely in love,and happily married.
And considering that in France at least in my past life, french people had a reputation for infidelity being somewhat... normalized.
With around 5/10 and 4/10 woman admitting to cheating is horrifying,not to mention paternity/DNA test being banned, and is a crime, due to it potentially breaking too many families.
And considering the amount of marriages or relationship i witness in my past life ending up divorce or being an abusive relationship.
Yeah this is a good family,i mean considering 50% of marriage ended in divorce is no joke.
But this world seems similar in a lot of ways.
Maybe that's still a thing here.
But not with Mom and Dad.
They're solid, a loving and caring couple.
I leaned back in my chair, staring at the sky.
Dad's OP.
Mom's terrifying.
And I'm stuck in the middle.
What a family.....but i love them very much.
( Edward luckily was able to convince Giulia not to make him sleep on the couch, dude's really good convincing his wife)
---------
Well i guess Edward unknowingly leave a mark about Michael view of him.... For a few seconds,but hey that's what's a human is we're going to have our upside and our downsides.
Also don't worry Edward wil have his moment again with out anything funny that break his coolness.
Next is Nimue, due to the fact arthurian legend in DXD being too murky and unknown,i have decided to basically use different arthurian legends as reference.
I'm still trying to write about it for future plot, with the only thing that is fully clear is that Nimue is a different person with the lady of the lake, but are best friends, and was originally somewhat a good friend for Arthur and had helped him during his journey,and had clashed with different people including Vortigern and Morgan herself. Though eventually she became a semi-enemy for Arthur particularly his descendants/knight due to her killing/imprisoning merlin, Arthur most important advisor and basically allowing the kingdom to perish.
One idea that i had for Arthur and Vortigern was that they were the first users of boosted gearand divine dividing or something like that, though it could be also be the first humans to made a deal with them.
also Arthur was neutral in Nimue action, considering he had known about Merlin love for Nimue, but also know that Nimue has no interest in Merlin.
Also for information it's likely that magic circle structure is very important for magician,so it's likely some of the magic circle are hidden to prevent anyone from getting and copying the spell structure. Basically a coder hiding their source code,not to let anyone take his coding.
So that's why that some magic circle appears different or weird, also the reason why Nimue magic system, isn't widespread is due to Nimue gatekeeping it.
Ok I'll see ya in the next chapter 👋
- AgentByteGOC