Itsuki opened his spellbook and flipped through the pages, searching for new spells.

Akeru: Anything good in there?

Itsuki: Sort of…it looks like the highest here is a Grade 3.

Akeru: Hang on…didn’t your Magica say you could do a Grade 2 spell? Why would you be able to do Grade 3 without mastering a Grade 2?

Itsuki looked down a bit.

Itsuki: I only…managed it once, I’m afraid. The other kids when I was younger would bully me day by day…and then one day, they tried to beat up another kid, a girl. I got frustrated, and I…couldn’t see. I must have let out some dark magic or something; I don’t remember saying a phrase or spell name.

Akeru: I see…maybe you will learn it through that book?

Itsuki: Maybe…anyways, let’s see here…

He kept looking through the pages, making mental notes on what he wanted to try.

Itsuki: There aren’t that many in this book, to be honest… I see the evolved version of the two spells I know, plus three that I haven’t tried or even heard of.

Akeru: Well, let’s try them then, c’mon!

She got up from her bed and dragged him outside and out of the city. Itsuki looked nervous as she stood on the side, watching him.

Itsuki: Alright, let’s try this…Chill!

Itsuki held out his palm again and focused his magic on creating a small ice shard that shot out.

Itsuki: I did it!

Akeru: Not like that would do much damage…

Itsuki: Then let’s try… Soila!

He held out his palm still and, this time created floating rocks around his hand that shot forward.

Akeru: Slightly better, I guess…could have just thrown a rock at someone. What is the third spell?

Itsuki: It’s uhm…D-Dim!

A small cloud of darkness surrounded him and started to choke him. Akeru ran to his side and panicked, but the cloud eventually vanished. Finally, he fell to his knees and was catching his breath.

Akeru: Are you alright?! What did you cast?!

Itsuki: I…I don’t know…exactly…

Itsuki gets up as he sees something heading towards them: a huge black bull with crimson wings on its back and a scar over its left eye.

Itsuki: Akeru, we need to move!

Akeru: What the hell is that?!

Itsuki: I’m not sure!

The bull suddenly leaped into the air and slammed its head into Itsuki, but his horns missed his body. So instead, it pushes Itsuki back and runs around him, huffing at him, enraged.

Akeru: Itsuki! Be careful!

Itsuki: Gale!

He shot his spell at the bull, but the gust of wind barely even cut it.

Itsuki: S-Shoot! P-Pyro!!

He shot his fireball, but it did nothing to the bull again.

Akeru: Just find a way out and run already! It is too strong for you!

Itsuki: A hero can’t run away!

Akeru: Are you stupid?! That thing will kill you!

Itsuki: I still have those two Grade 2 spells I can try…but I’m not sure if they will work. Maybe I should run… no! I can’t run! If I run from this, I need to give up being a Mage! I couldn’t even kill an Impling; I need to be able to kill this!

The bull slammed one of its horns into Itsuki’s side and then chucked him away. Itsuki yelled in pain as he rolled on the ground. Akeru just watched as he was getting hurt. Then, the bull ran around and started charging at Itsuki again.

Itsuki: Damnit…I have to..Gale!

He tried doing the spell again, but still nothing.

Itsuki: Gale! Gale! Gale!

He kept shooting his gusts of wind, hoping they would do something.

Akeru: Itsuki!! Quit playing around! You know they won’t work, so stop trying it!

Itsuki slammed his fist on the ground and aimed his palm again.

Itsuki: Damnit, I know…! But, unfortunately, I can’t focus enough magic on doing the evolved version!

Akeru: Maybe you are still doing it wrong! You have to focus magic into your palm to make it work, right?! Maybe it doesn’t do that!

Itsuki: That’s impossible! The magic in my body has to output somewhere, and I only know how to do my palm!

Itsuki’s eyes widened as he figured it all out. He stood up as the bull was getting close to him.

Itsuki: No, I’m doing it right…but I’m focused on making a whole new spell when I just need to transform my Gale mid chant…!

He aimed his palm at the bull and started focusing his magic.

Itsuki: Gale…wind!

The spell transforms from a small gust of wind into a giant wind blade that shoots out and slashes one horn of the bull. The bull still charged into Itsuki, but the side he hit him at was the same side the horn was cut off. So the bull looped around again and started charging.

Akeru: He did it!

Itsuki: Galewind!

He tried again, but the bull maneuvered around the spell.

Itsuki: Damn…then let’s try Pyrob-

As he tried to evolve his Pyro, he burned his hand as the bull charged into him, shanking him with his horn. Itsuki cried in pain as the bull had him pinned to the ground. Itsuki squirmed and was thinking of a plan quickly.

Itsuki: Dim!

The cloud of darkness surrounded him and the bull, suffocating them both. The bull looked unfazed but eventually backed off and looped around, charging up his hooves for his next run. Itsuki got up and felt his wound, trying to catch his breath.

Akeru: Itsuki!

Itsuki: I-I’m okay! But why didn’t I get that spell right?! Galewind worked fine…but why not this one?!

He looked at his hand, which had a bit of ash on it. Then, he looked back at the bull and got in a stance.

Itsuki: I don’t know if it will work…Chill!

Akeru: That ice shard won’t work-!

Itsuki: Pyro!

Akeru’s eyes widened as she saw Itsuki cast two spells side by side on his palm. The bull was close to him as he screamed out.

Itsuki: Pyroball!!!

The ice shard melted, but he was able to keep his hand from burning as he shot out a bigger version of Pyro, which had small fireballs circling it. It hit the bull right in the face as it let out a cry, falling over to its side. Itsuki and Akeru stood there, unsure if Itsuki had defeated the beast. Then, Akeru ran to Itsuki and checked on him.

Akeru: C’mon, we need to get you checked on! Even if it isn’t dead, now is the time to go!

Itsuki: R-Right…!

Akeru put her arm around his waist and helped him get back into the city. The man from before came out of the shadows and walked to the bull, placing his hand on it.

Man: A Catolob…male, but this should be in the country west of here. Why are you here, and what angered you?

The Catolob squirmed a bit as the man pulled out a dark blue sword with the side of the blade wholly gone and stabbed the bull to put it out of its misery. The man wiped the blood off with a cloth he had on him.

Man: Very curious indeed…