Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Journeys We Make

Close Encounters Of The Past Tense Kind

"What did you do to that guy? Knowing you, I'd have probably better put him out of his misery..." Endo looked to Mana with a glint of respectful fear in him. The swordsman's look wandered from sticking to Mana's own pair of eyes, almost as if he feared getting trapped in an illusion as well.

"I burned out most of his memories. Without the baggage of what caused him to choose the world of assassination, I'm hoping that Roe-san will make better decisions in life." Mana replied.

"You didn't enter his mind before doing it as you did with me. It wasn't a precision fry this time. You just grabbed hold of his brain matter and started going to town on it. Even freaked me out a little." Skaven said.

"I will admit, Mana, it's not that I am objecting to it as the man tried to kill all of us, but your use of Magician's Touch would have seriously damaged his mental capacity and would have left his nervous system in tatters too. Not only is it unclear what exactly remains of his mind at this point, but he also will never have the reflexes and swiftness to compete with ninja." Shige pointed out. "Though... I suspect that was a part of your plan too."

"If Roe makes better choices in the next chapter of his life, he won't need his fighting skills anymore." Mana began feeling a little like her companions were attacking her for disabling her opponent. This felt so ironic since all the remaining Stars would have chosen to just kill the man when given the chance.

"And if he doesn't... He'll be walking right into his death." Damisan concluded the unspoken part of Mana's response. "With his reflexes and motor skills devastated, he'll have the ability to bully civilians around but even a genin will take him down."

"What is this all about? Are you trying to make me feel guilty about defusing the situation? I've always taken every option that will leave my opponent alive, nothing's changed in that regard." Mana looked back at her friends, challenging one of them to speak up and tell her the problem they had with her actions right to her face. No one stepped up.

"To change the topic somewhat, that was incredible roleplaying skills. Your clones simulated a conversation between us and made it believable." Shige commended Mana's skill in deception. "I will admit, had I not seen my own image in there, I'd have bought into it too."

"Yeah, it's a little creepy how well Mana knew all of us..." Damisan pointed out. With his mask busted up, the handicapped ninja wore a bag of linen cloth wrapped over his head with tears for sight, breathing, and speech. Because the level of his eyes was so uneven, the positioning of the eyeholes looked quite random.

"I for one think she exaggerated with me but... Yes, well done, I suppose." Endo crossed his arms and looked away with a grumpy pout.

"And that jutsu you used against the big cats. Blazing Soul, was it? That's one of your newer ones, right?" Shige-H wondered. "I sensed something special in it, it's not just your average Fire Release technique."

"Yeah. I'm at my limit trying to make Shura Release work. I've begun experimenting with different elemental combinations for my Advanced Bloodline. Blazing Soul is an early version of what I'd imagine Wind and Fire Release working like." Mana shrugged.

"I could really use a place to resupply. The marsh is becoming rarer and the forests are getting thicker, the ground here is harder. Maybe there's a supply shop somewhere nearby?" Damisan crossed his fingers, hoping.

Damisan's call wasn't that far from the truth. The thickening woods served as a barrier between the Grass Country bogs and civilization. Soon enough the patches of cut-out forests became more apparent and roads active with occasional rumbling caravans came into view. The Stars descended from the tree level and rested their dashing thighs by just walking their way alongside the road until they reached the next larger settlement or a different type of development.