Roswaal's Invitation
"So if that Bernie agrees to teach me, does that mean I can learn spatial magic?"
Originally, Subaru had hoped to use legendary destructive magic or overwhelmingly powerful magic that could cause cataclysmic changes to the world, but the reality was magic that only inflicted negative status effects on enemies.
Dissatisfied, Subaru asked with hopeful eyes.
"That's not possible. You have no talent for magic. If I am a ten, then you're at most a three. By numbers, if you concentrate on training magic for twenty years, maybe you could become a super second-rate magic user, but that's the limit.
In other words, you don't have the aptitude to learn the strongest derived magic of the Yin attribute — spatial magic."
"Another unpleasant truth! There are no gods or Buddhas in this world! Spending half a lifetime and still not reaching first-rate level? But I still want to experience and learn magic, so please, tell me, what should I do?"
Subaru drastically lowered his expectations for magic.
But no matter how hard he tried, words like 'effort' and 'perseverance' had long been crossed out of Subaru's dictionary.
Yet the fleeting spark of hope was not so easy to extinguish, so he still wanted to realize his dream of magic.
"That kind of thing requires a foundation, but if you want a simple experience, that's possible — you see."
"How so?"
Subaru, struck hard, who had been slumped on the sofa, sat up excitedly and asked.
"If you want to try using Yin attribute magic, I can assist you.
You'll use the mana inside your body, but the magic will be cast through me.
However, there is a certain level of danger, so if you want to experience it, it's best to tell them beforehand — after all, I don't want to face an enraged Sword Saint. What do you say?"
"That goes without saying — I want to do it! I was born a man, and I must live like a man!"
Clenching his fists, Subaru shouted bravely.
Born a man, without pursuing romance, was no different from being dead.
Since arriving in this other world, Subaru was showing the highest standard of manliness in this scene.
.
.
.
"If it seems dangerous, I'll stop immediately."
After this warning, Reinhild, who influenced magic performance, left the garden. Before Subaru stood a man exuding a decadent vibe. His long black robe was stained with grass, his hair a common brown, and he had what's called dead fish eyes. He was the strongest Yin attribute magician, "Black" — Bernie.
Subaru's bright and shining future was shut off, and the life of a DEBUFF-specialized magic user was about to begin.
"What a pain. Anyway, I'll let you experience some simple Yin magic first. The veil will block your vision, is that okay?"
"Alright, then the veil it is."
"—Huh?"
Bernie waved his hand, and Subaru's vision was suddenly swallowed by darkness.
In the blink of an eye, the scene before him was completely covered in pitch black.
Subaru couldn't help but cry out, but even his voice didn't reach his own ears.
The darkness created wasn't just visual — it isolated all contact with the outside world. Feeling isolated from the world, Subaru shivered down his spine.
"Okay, it's over."
Hearing the applause, Subaru realized he had returned to reality.
"Subaru, are you okay? You're sweating so much."
"I-I'm fine, just a little numb… That was the veil? It's underestimated, but its effect is undeniable, right?"
When his vision returned, he saw Reinhild looking worried for him.
After some playful words, Subaru rubbed his eyelids to confirm there was no change there.
"It depends on the opponent's strength. Subaru can last a lifetime, but Lady Reinhild only about half a second."
"That thought is terrifying!! Don't say a lifetime, even a day would make me too scared to handle it. Don't mess around!"
"Whether it's effective or not, can I use that magic I just saw? Hurry, hurry, I want to try! I really want to try!"
"Understood. Then Lady Reinhild…"
"Be careful. At least make sure Phyllis can heal him."
"Is it really that dangerous?!"
Reinhild, with a slightly nervous expression, stepped back.
The expression of this invincible girl made Subaru's heart inexplicably tense.
"Don't worry, cases like fragmentation are rare, and the one using magic will be me. As I said earlier, is that okay?"
Bernie said confidently and placed his hand on Subaru's head.
Subaru hesitated a moment but quickly smiled and nodded.
Despite the continuous worries, he couldn't go against his curiosity.
Seeing Subaru's nod as agreement, Bernie nodded firmly as well.
In the next moment, Subaru felt heat spread through his entire body.
Something different from blood surged inside — this invisible rampant flow was mana.
Subaru knew Bernie was using his fingers to direct the flow of energy inside his body.
"Subaru, start imagining. Now, the flow of mana inside you will be controlled through me according to your will. Some mana will be pushed out of your body through the gate. Just imagine — a black cloud."
"Imagine, huh? Leave it to me, I'm best at delusions."
Twisting Bernie's words cleverly, Subaru started imagining the energy inside him restlessly moving.
He pictured the gate at the center of his body, the gate opening heavily, letting the energy overflow outward.
Once outside, the energy would manifest according to Subaru's will —
"Huh?"
At the last step, Bernie suddenly showed a surprised expression, followed by the sound of whistling wind.
Bernie's rough hand left Subaru's head and was replaced by a soft one.
—Although there was no fragmentation, the result was still a big failure.
"Subaru's gate won't cooperate, so the mana ignores the user's intent and just rushes out from inside."
"Am I soy sauce without a lid or something? Also, since mana equals life force, does using magic once kill me?"
Subaru asked confused by Bernie's words.
"Not that bad. Maybe using magic once will make you lie down for half a day. Using it repeatedly might damage your gate. In your current state, what you want to achieve can only be done by someone like Lady Emilia — an Spirit User. She doesn't use magic but spirit arts, though the principle is almost the same."
Roswaal came to Subaru's side and said.
"What's the difference between a magic user and a spirit user?"
Subaru tilted his head and asked.
"A magic user uses the mana inside their body to cast magic, while a spirit user uses mana from the atmosphere to perform spells. Simply put, whether or not the gate is involved. The aptitude of a magic user depends on the size and number of their gates, but spirit users don't care about that since they use external mana. Still, the effects caused by both are basically the same."
Roswaal said with a smile.
"I see, magic users absorb mana from outside through the gate and then use the accumulated mana inside to cast magic. Spirit users can ignore this process, so for someone like me with gate problems, spirit arts would be a good choice."
After understanding Roswaal's words, Subaru had another question.
"Hm? Wait, that means spirit users are way too powerful, right? Magic users have fuel stored inside, but spirit users have external fuel entrusted to them, so they can use as much as they want. Fighting is pointless."
"You understand quickly, but it's not that simple.
The mana in the atmosphere isn't unlimited.
If you were a magician, you could fight Reinhild a bit, but a spirit user would have to lie down and give up.
The power of spells spirit users use also depends on the spirits they contract with.
It's already rare to have the aptitude to contract with a spirit, and even fewer powerful spirits exist. So it's hard to say which is better."
"But if you contract with a powerful spirit, you get instant strength, right?"
"Yes. And Subaru, our family has a great spirit called 'The Pinnacle of the Yin System.' She not only knows all Yin magic but keeps expanding its possibilities.
Bernie's Random Gate was originally developed by her.
Now she's invented many powerful Yin magics: spatial transfer, time freezing, spatial rift, existence fixation, and more.
She's an extraordinary existence.
As a favor, I can help you.
With my help, if you truly bond with her for a few years, you might be able to sign a contract with her. How about coming to my humble home?"