Sunset. Nature's way of telling us it's about time we headed home. Coincidentally, this was also the time Henry and Ramaze's training montage seems to have finally ended. Though a seven-hour training session seems a little excessive in my books, double since it was only after the first two hours did he let the boy change out of the filth and water clogged clothes.

But who am I to judge, since, for all I know this could be some sort of training exercise to help the trainees fight better in water clogged situations.

Well enough pondering on that subject for the day, since Henry and Ramaze are rapidly approaching the coach from the desolate area that they had created one mile out. Plus, I say Henry and Ramaze but it's more Ramaze pulling Henry along like a disobedient child; though in this case there's more screaming involved.

A few seconds later and Ramaze drops of the sweaty scarred looking Henry, now complete with Chinese white robe. And the ever stoical armoured man himself dropping wood onto the floor, though this time, it seems that due to the lack of pre-planned firewood he seems to of located it from a different. Most likely an interspacial device, but were said device is located, I haven't the faintness clue.

Henry, on the other hand, doesn't seem to really care from what sources the firewood has appeared. Only seeming to care about his dinner, which incidentally, due to the shortage of animals via gassing, is a week old boar I barbequed. For research obviously.

Ramaze meanwhile was getting comfortable in his favourite spot in the coach's driving seat while Henry stacked the dozen or so wood together. I believe that this is the perfect time to begin the experiment.

So, gliding over to the boy I begun to state my intentions to him. “Henry! Since you've been doing so well with Ramaze's training lately, I was thinking it was about time we continued our training as well.” His response, however, annoyed me since the indifferent expression seemed as if he didn't care in the slightest.

Turning back to his growing pile of wood he answered my question in an equally indifferent tone. “Teacher, I have had a long day with Ramaze. So whatever new monster that you've managed to concoct since the battle with the green thing, can we please save it for a later date as I am starving.”

Ah, he thinks I'm offering him the chance to kill monstrous beasts. Well, better give him the good news then. “Don't worry about the Goblins, for now, Henry. Instead, I'm going to continue what we started about a week ago.” Mentioning the date seemed to have given Henry some clarification. Though wide-eyed surprise isn't what I expected.

“Teach, listen. For the love of Saint Alona! I have had a really long day. Can we not leave the torture exercises for another day.” He finished with an almost pleading look on his face. Honestly, this kid really knows how to misunderstands things.

“Henry. Neither your mental or physical state of being is in danger, and neither do I intend to go delving in your body today.” That brings some relief to his eyes, Thank Sol. Otherwise, at the rate this is going, he's going to think I'm evil or something. “Let's get started then I'd like to finish before it gets too late.”

While I direct Henry to finish building the campfire; minus the fire, I began to get the relative information I needed, which I would then transfer to Henry. Since talking about it loudly around Ramaze was probably a bad idea. Nevertheless, the formation spell I settle on is the common fireball, and there's a good target to practice on as well. Which Henry so kindly built.

“Now what?”

“Now you need to empty your mind so I can transfer the information to you. Oh, don't look at me like that, transferring data and delving are two different things.” The brat's lucky I don't use my teacher's training method. We ended up going through a lot of rope and forest that day.

While I remembered my old training days Henry had managed to calm down and collect himself. Seeing this I took it as a sign to proceed with the transferring of information over bit by bit. Although this method does take longer, it's got a better guarantee that Henry's head doesn't explode. Plus seeing his face going through a variety of emotion as he digests each segment does give me a better estimate on how easier he'll understand it.

And seeing mostly scrunched up face doesn't give me the best impression.

A few minutes later and the transfer gives leaves me with a bemused and pondering subject. Great. Though I better bring him back to reality or we'll be here all night. “Listen up Henry! You probably have no idea about what you just been given or how it works, but after I demonstrate to you how the technique works, then it should become real easy for yourself to grasp.”

Opening his eyes and resuming an indifferent expression his replies back to me. “Actually teacher, I've already got a pretty good understanding of how the formation works.” What? “The problem is that when I use my own hand technique, the Qi I use is all chaotic since it wishes to get out of my body, thus allowing me to deliver the attack.” … Hasn't he only been learning about this stuff for a week? When did he create this hypothesis? “But looking through the information you've given me, this technique requires me to 'tame' the Qi in my body and forcibly stuff it into a formation, where it will then stay with the other 'tame' Qi and once released into the wild stay together in a unit and not only help each other but also not escape the formation entirely.”

“Ok.” I'm not sure what to say. I'm quite stunned actually. Chaotic mana? I'd call him a fool if I was back home, but seeing one of the resident practitioners describe their mana as chaotic is too weird. Especially since back home the mana was perfectly fine. The most bemusing part is the fact that I can't feel any sort of this chaotic feeling from the mana, for me, it's just the same old peaceful mana. Anything thing to add to my investigation list since chaotic mana is just too weird.

However, if this is the case then, that'll mean that the techniques I possess shouldn't be able to be used by anyone in this world. Unless they either possess a unique relationship with the actual mana itself or are at a high enough level that they can suppress they own mana and simultaneous the outside mana as well. It's a shame that I never collected or studied low-level chants since I would of like to see how the wild outside mana interacts with the formation of a forming spell.

Still, though, science needs its experiments one way or another. “Can you still try to emulate the formation at least. Or will the untamed mana be too much pressure?”

“There's no need to worry, Ramaze has trained me enough so that I can dissipate the Qi I amass into the surrounding area in case this whole thing doesn't work out.” Come on Henry at least give this experiment some optimism, otherwise, we've already failed before we've begun.

Even with my mental badgering Henry still wields and indifferent attitude towards the whole thing. Deciding to get this over as fast as possible I summon the fireball formation in front of Henry and have it hover in front of him. Henry takes this opportunity to look at every inch and angle of the formation, making sure he doesn't miss out on any important details.

After a few minutes, he returns to his seated positions and nods for me to continue. Since I've picked a small formation I'm able to control how the overall formation acts. So I slow down the whole thing, making sure to linger on the important aspects during the activation sequence. I especially make sure to let Henry look around the entire point at which the formation launches the fireball, so as to give him a better chance of understanding how the mana works in conjunction with each other to complete and release the spell embedded within it.

This last bit take's Henry another ten minutes. So at least he's taking this seriously, even if not in the best of faith. After he's thoughtlessly worked his way through all the nooks and crannies, he once again nods and I activates the formation sending a head's sized fireball into the air, where I safely detonate it in the sky; since I don't want the plain's to turn into a raging inferno.

Allowing Henry time to digest the information he's received from the formation, I begin to start focusing on Henry's internal mana supply. Ready to catch what may happen.

Half an hour later and with darkness already upon us Henry finally opens his eyes and begins to move his mana. The start seems promising since the mana in Henry all congregate towards his hand which he has most likely deemed to be his central focus point. However, for this experiment, the movement of his mana seems to of been the only successful part.

As soon as Henry attempted to form the mana into a resemblance of a formation the mana at the central point begun to act up. problem number one was that the mana he had herded towards each other would fragment as soon as he gave his attention towards another group elsewhere in the central point. So Henry attempted to subjugate the mana with pressure to make it easier to rope them together.

Once again, however, this just seemed to agitate the mana inside Henry, which attempted to escape Henry's central point by either charging at his body to escape, or for a minority, which was attempting to escape back inside Henry's body.

This was a bit of a problem and seeing the mana getting progressively out of control and Henry struggling to contain the mana which was attempting to invade back inside his body, I was becoming doubtful of his ability to dissipate the unruly mana and was about to step in.

Just as I was about to bring my vision back to the real world, I noticed a faint strand out mana emitting from Ramaze's direction which surrounded Henry's hand and actual started to pacify the mana into submission. Strangely enough, the mana attempting to break though Henry body, upon feeling the new mana outside seemed to be visible scared and cowed back, almost as if they were actually fearful of this new interloper. Further analysis showed the mana further back seemed to also cower back as well, not because of Ramaze's mana, but due to seeing how the other mana was reacting.

However, while I was looking at the mana Henry took this opportunity to dissipate the uncontrollable mana from his body. Although this was sudden I still managed to look at the new found free mana and how once free they quickly become peaceful but also begun to migrate as far from Ramaze mana source.

Strange indeed. But let's see how Henry's doing. Coming out of my focus Henry's face is looking as if he's just down a heavy exercise, very red face and sweat running all over his body. Seems as if the unruly mana was more dangerous than I had first imagined. Henry on his part seemed to feel my stare and without waiting for me begun the conversation. “So the mana was a bit more dangerous than I had first anticipated. I honestly though the worst thing they'd do would be to try and escape. Never had I anticipated that they'd try to re-enter my body. But thankfully I got some assistance.” At least he seems fine now, he's even looking a bit relieved as well.

“As long as your fine that's the most important part. Besides after that test you've got to be hungry for that Boar right now.” This produces a tired grin from the boy. Seems today's training with me and Ramaze has really taken its toll on him. Ending with those thoughts I light the campfire with a fireball spell while the Boar is thrown to Henry's side, curtsy of Ramaze.

As Henry starts setting about cooking the Boar, he turns to my general direction and says, “After I've cooked this Boar teach there's a story I want to tell you. It's an old one as well. One I've just only remembered because of that strange technique you used on me.” To this world most of my techniques would be strange. But a story based upon one, this can't just be a coincidence.