Tales of a Ninja Magician: Of Journeys We Make

Let the War Game Begin

Tutor Mauma pressed his hand against the field while the recruits that weren't supposed to participate in the war game lined around it in a square formation. Lines of symbols and sealing glyphs extended from where Mauma had placed his hand all across the field, forming complex, web-like patterns around larger, central sealing glyphs that gleamed with intense light.

"H-Hey... I'm standing on prosthetic legs, you know!" Damisan muttered reflecting on the trembling ground that gave rise to a varied battlefield that split the field into multiple diverse areas that intermingled by their meeting spots. It was tough to see the entire thing due to the trees and different formations, manmade and otherwise clogging up the view but it was a suitable environment to host something like a war game.

"Why is he lumped in with us?" Mana pointed her thumb at Araki Endo. "If memory serves, he's opposed to being in the same room as us, as he's making it painfully obvious every time he is around us."

"Yeah, about that..." Shige-H chuckled with nervous laughter, dragging her hand over her fur coat collar and scratching the back of her neck. "You won't believe it when I tell you..."

"Recruits!" tutor Mauma yelled out with a stern voice that put a swift end to the small talk and minute negotiations that were taking place. "This battlefield is split into four parts. Your objective is to utilize the four objectives inside to win the war game. Only the successful completion of all four objectives will stop the war game. These aren't normal war game rules because there are four members on each team instead of five so you would be smart to take note of it."

"I won't believe what?" Mana leaned in closer to Shige-H, breaking her stiff and straightened out stance in the process.

"Now's really not the time, I'll tell you later..." Shige-H waved her hand in dismissal, looking relieved to have an excuse to play it off.

"First – there is an informant dummy inside of the makeshift prison building located inside of this complex. Inside of the dummy there is a B-Rank seal placed guarding a scroll with information inside it. It will tell you the password that needs to be used to open up a mailbox in the village street part of the complex. Inside that mailbox there will be a tool that, used in conjunction with a tool hidden inside a construction site part of the complex, will help you in retrieving the final object from the underground laboratory tunnels that extend beneath this complex. I hope you've got that memorized because I will not repeat it, ready or not, the war game begins now!"

Araki Endo twirled his double-blade sword, slipping the sheathes over each side off onto the ground as he passed it between his hands. Shige-H flickered away in a puff of smoke with the apt use of the Body Flicker technique while Damisan corrected the cylinder covering up his face, turning to Mana.

"We should really flee and make a plan, I think..." he muttered as if all hope to win this war game was already lost.

"We do, I had hoped to find out what the heck Shige-H was so secretive about..." Mana sighed. As the wind ruffled the collar of her shit and her blazer, tipped her hat to the side, it dispersed an illusionary body double comprised of flower petals, making Damisan jump up and make a hasty retreat.

"M-Mana! You should have warned me you've replaced yourself!" Damisan yelled out, fleeing into the woods surrounding the starting area with impressive leaps that only someone with artificial and well-crafted prosthetics could muster up. Not only that but the Land of Wind native zipped and rode steel wire that he managed to apply gently enough not to cut through the tree branches he used for support.

"They fled, cowards!" Baiso punched his open palm with a beastly growl.

"Of course, they fled, they're putting a plan together in who will tackle which objective," Shogito nodded while stroking his chin deep in thought.