Jiji no. 8

Infused With Kohns

Holder clenched the handle of his sword tightly. He knew Balel would attack him with no hesitation, for he was more powerful than him. And so, it happened. The fast streak of a shadow had appeared in front of Holder. He wasn’t even prepared for that. He had not followed the movement of the A-class soldier. All he just realized, is that he was just standing a few feet away of him, and then with a snap, a boom, a tick of the clock, Balel was at his front.

The good thing about this, however, is that Holder was able to move his body. He shielded his Jiji sword when Balel was about to attack them. The sound of the clashing metal crashed through the air as they fight. It swooshed into the whole surrounding as if it was just a normal clashing-of-a-metal sound. But surely, it wasn’t. It was more than that.

“Seriously! Please have mercy on me, Balel!” Holder said as he blocked every fast slashes of Katana being thrown by Balel.

“What mercy? You can even block all of my attacks as if you have already mastered the arts of swords!” Balel countered.

“Man, this was just a movement made of instinct! A trust of gut!”

“Then I envy your gut,” said Balel, still continuing to s***h his Katana.

And then, Holder saw how Balel’s smile formed into something more evil. He has been smiling as he exchange blows to him. But this time, Holder had to jump and back-off as he realized that balel was about to do something unexplainable towards this fight.

“What? Why are you backing out?” Balel asked, teasing Holder.

“I don’t trust your smile.”

And then Balel laughed. “I tried to hide my intent, but then you still felt it? Incredible.”

He placed his sword up, near his head, being held by two of his arms. The tip of the sword was pointed towards Holder. And then, from the bright aura he has been showing together with his smile, it turned into dangers of blank and dark. The air in the surrounding suddenly shifted into heavy atmosphere. Holder felt as if there was a storm brewing in the arena. The gloom and the darkness was coming coming from Balel. He can feel it. Is this what his father has been telling him?

When he was a child, and his father was alive, he once told what is the secret of being a knight.

He said; “Son, if you really want to become like me someday, then you have to release the majic in you?”

“The majic in me?” the young Holder asked.

“Yes, son. Every human has the ability to wield and control a majicule. The only thing is, only few people know how, because they have been keeping it as a secret.”

“You mean, Papa, the majicule in us? The energy we have in our body?”

“And the majicule in the whole surrounding.”

“Can we control it?”

“Yes, Son. Though you just have to learn a technique. A fascinating technique.”

“What technique was it, Papa?” Holder, young and ignorant, curiously asked.

“A summoning technique. When you are old, I will tell you more what is that technique about.”

“If only there is a potion that could make me grow old faster,” Holder said. His face drooped in sadness.

“Youth is a blessing, Son. Cherish it.”

“But then, Papa, why do I have t release the Majic in me if I want to be a Knight?”

“Because that will serve as your power. It will be the way how you would defend yourself and how you would give pride to the Kingdom.”

“It sounds cool!”

His father again, laughed, and then scuffled the hair of Holder.

Holder came back from reverie when General Balfor started talking. He even almost forgot that the general was watching them and assessing Holder’s abillity. He was just focused towards fighting Balel.

“Holder, can you see it?” the General asked.

Holder looked at him with confusion.

“Look at Balel. Can you see something in him?”

Holder shifted his gaze towards Balel.

“No, General. I can’t see anything aside from his frightening face,” Holder said warily.

“Then focused the majicule in the center of your eyes,” the general commanded.

“Huh?” Holder was confused.

“You have been somehow trained by Nameless about Kohn summoning, wasn’t it?”

Holder answered, “Yes General, I do.”

“Do you know to where does Kohn summoning is used for, and why it was being taught towards you?”

“I…” Holder hesitated. “I don’t know.”

“Well that is because it was my job to tell where it could be used.”

“Then where will it be used, General?”

The General walked towards Balel. The A-class warrior, despite the long conversation that Holder and General Balfor had done, still remained his position. Balel was looking as if he was a stone statue. But… the dark intent in him was still recognizable. Holder cannot never ignore it.

“As Balel stand here, do you feel something that he was showing?”

“I—I do. A gloom and killing intent.”

“If you were to summon a Kohn, what do you think would you summon to make this kind of aura?”

“A Kohn? U-ugh, a mixture of Kohn of rage and Kohn of sadness, I think?”

The general smiled. “Fascinating,” he said.

“Then that means Balel was summoning Kohns of sadness and rage to make that aura?”

“Partially, Holder. And it was not just an aura. It was a power. Balel knew the secret of the majicules, and he is using and controlling it at his will to make a powerful attack.”

“My father told me about it. But he did not tell me all of the things in regards about it,” Holder said.

“Then it should be not hard to explain.” General Balfor disappeared beside Balel. He then appeared beside Holder. “Tell me, Holder, to where do Kohns was made?”

“Power of the nature. It can be summoned through emotions,” Holder answered.

“And what do Kohns releases?”

Holder’s eyes bulged. He looked at some of the few purple butterflies flying on the arena. And then he also looked on the dusts that they have been releasing from fluttering of their wings.

“Majicules. They are releasing majicules.”

“Precisely. Do you now realize the art that Balel was using?”

“I—I think so. If we can summon Kohns, and can control it, then we can control its majicules too.”

“Clever,” said the General. “Now, if we can control the Kohns inside us, then we can control the Majicules they posses.”

Holder nodded.

“Then if so, you can use it to be your power,” the General continued. “Now, summon the majicules inside you, and place it in your eyes. You will see how powerful your opponent is.”

Without hesitation, Holder did what the General wants him to do. In fact, he was not sure of what he will do. He had no idea how to summon the majicules from the Kohns. No enough instruction even by the general on how to use it, or how to summon those majic dusts that resides in him. But somehow, he knew he know how. There was an extreme concentration that erupted at Holder’s presence. General Balfor had to step back from that powerful concentration.

Holder then touched every emotions that was residing in his gut. He touched every Kohns that was waiting to be summoned. Somehow, he managed to talk to them. He communicated with his hidden power. He then felt a sandy sensation onto his gut. Or perhaps, a sparkling sensation all chaotic in his chest. It was somehow mixed. There were cold sparkles, hot and raging, there were heavy, and others were light. He concentrated more. And then he organized all of that sandy sparkles in him. He knew it was the majicules from the Kohns.

“You don’t want to put all of the majic dusts in your eyes, Holder. You would be blind.”

Holder grabbed pinches of majic dusts in his chest. He grabbed several ounces from each kind. And then it travelled towards his eyes. Holder’s eyes glowed. At first, it was in mixture of colors. And then a permanent gold. From that, he saw how frightening Balel’s power is.

He looked at the dark steam escaping from Balel’s body. Or was it a smoke? It was as if his body was burning. But he knew it was just his powers. And then the dark smoke (or steam) travelled upwards, on the sky. On the open portion of the arena. Earlier, it was just in peaceful blue. And then now, it was raging in black smoke. As if a dark storm.

“Holy gods, please help me,” Holder unconsciously told.

“That is what majicules can do, Holder. It was a powerful weapon.” With the hint of General Balfor’s voice, Holder sensed how proud he is towards his son. And then he looked at Holder. “Being a Sankt Vessel user, you must learn the mastery of the art of majic, Holder. It would help you a lot in many situations.”

Holder remained his eyes towards Balel. The A-class soldier was fascinating. He can become a Knight, actually. But then, as he look at Balel, a smile was notable on his face.

As if fired up, he said, “I think I can defeat Balel.”