Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of What Defines Us

Appetizer for War

The feeling of weightlessness, so ethereal that it was strange to even describe it as a "feeling" as its consciousness was a matter of great debate, was all Mana could sense as she plummeted down from above. Something big, blazing and explosive had hit her while she was scouting the battlefield below her. She had never experienced war before, she has read plenty about it but now had Mana's mind and eyes been conscious she'd think she's experiencing the feeling of war first hand.

The feeling of powerlessness, the roaring, confusing whirlpool of madness shedding blood all around. The sensation of fear, for one's own life and those of one's friends and loyal companions. There was no control in war, about as much of it there as there was in madness. Madness couldn't have been controlled, contained or studied. It started, it ran its course and it ended – it was like a force of nature. No one was safe, everyone died. That was war.

Mana's eyes snapped open, open from shock, a thought so small and insignificant, so spark-like that it was generous to even describe it as a thought. Once the magician's eyes were wide open, the thought grew into a smoldering blaze of fear. In war, people died. In her world there could have been no war, no one was supposed to die. Mana couldn't force her world into being, she couldn't force the people to stop killing and accept her ideals. She could only make them change themselves through example.

The magician clutched as she slammed into the ground. She could feel her bones leeching off of what remained of her massive, for her age and rank, chakra pool. At this point it cost less chakra to plummet to the ground, clutching to minimize the damage and chakra consumed by forceful augmentation of her body subconsciously as it was damaged, than to do anything else. War was economy, counting one's resources, calculating if after firing this shot one could still wage war for as long as it was waged or if death would be one's only option.

An uneasy feeling made Mana look behind her, sprawled on the ground and wide open for an attack, an Imarizu was ready to punch her right between her eyes with his bladed knuckle duster. Knowing how intensely coated with chakra those things were – Mana's fleeting chakra resources would offer no resistance. She's as good as dead! A blade came out from the Imarizu's back, all the way through his abdomen making the tanned man spit out blood on Mana's face as the dangerous invasion of her personal space was abruptly ended when a Demon used his signature chained gauntlet to pierce through the Imarizu's gut and pull him back to him, away from Mana.

War was decisions. Planning before the battle and then planning during the battle when none of the plans worked out. All those little thoughts and decisions one made when all of their plans failed. Those golden thoughts made in a moment's notice that made one be the winner and preferably a living one. Being a winner was not what Mana wanted, she wanted to be a hero. If dying would've made her a hero she was fine with that. But dying in this battlefield would not make her a hero, she'd only be another name, another file shredded in the Administration, one of dozens that hypothetical day. That didn't sit with Mana. Feeling burning infection in her knees and elbows, bleeding all over the rocky beach Mana stood on her feet, stumbling like a baby deer during its first time on its feet.

She needed to bring this in front of him, she had a way to resolve anything – her new way. It was about time she broke through the ranks and walked up to that man. It was about time she offered him a way to win on her terms. That was her way, the new way. This was no more the time to hold back, no more the time to preserve her chakra. Mana wondered if she had enough chakra for her Sweet Lullaby Jutsu, most likely not, even if she used it the Imarizu would simply maim themselves and escape it. Neither the Demonlings nor the Imarizu looked too feeble in the face of pain...

The shrieking and crunchy sound of insects swarming behind her alarmed Mana as she noticed Yanagi's barrier of his living symbiotic partners protecting her from the returning Imarizu. Likely the ex-criminal had already dispatched of his opponent. In his current state, beaten and bleeding profusely Mana could take him. There was no time! She needed to stand in front of Inomame, she did not yet know what she'd say to him but... Heroes needed the right thing to say. Always! That was something Mana was yet to learn.