PIING

Osainicd Archipelago

Year 364

SPLASH

""Owen!/Ruze-senpai!""

The three Court Wizards were transferred on a cliffside near water. The transfer circle had formed on the edge of the cliff, with a wee bit of area that did not touch the ground and Owen happened to stand on that exact spot. He fell into the water which was a very short distance drop that he couldn't quickly give an [Eject] order fast enough.

"Why do they always put the circle halfway near the edge every time they transfer here!?"

Owen, in his light-blue ceremonial cloak, shouted as Alicia and Rin, also wearing ceremonial cloaks with colors according to their Element Color, come to pull him out.

Grabbing Owen's soaked hand, Alicia felt the fake minuscule sting that she has long since treated like breathing. It was something shared by her fellow female Fire Court Wizards being avid tea drinkers.

"Should we go back to get you a change of clothes?" Alicia said with concern. "You could catch a cold."

"Huh!?" Voice came in. "Short Cream's getting a cold!?"

BONK

"You will never see the last of me!"

Promptly knocking the pixie back to Alicia, Owen got himself back up.

"I'm fine," Owen said. "It'll dry, let's go to the Bell Branch in that town ahead."

"Alright."

"Uhn!"

Speaking of Bell Branches, there were also several branches in Rakarok-Earth World Merge, including in Rin's hometown. It was also well known there. Haruto had told Rin about the true nature of these branches. But she was surprised when she was told about Alicia's relation with them.

CLING CLING

"Welcome!" The receptionist greeted, looking at their colorful cloaks. "Oh, I will bring you to the manager's office, come this way."

Ignoring murmurs from everybody else in the lobby, the Court Wizards followed the branch worker upstairs. They then came upon a wooden door.

KNOCK KNOCK

"Yes?" A voice emanated behind the door.

"Sir, the Court Wizards are here to see you."

"Ah, let them in."

CREEK

"Welcome," The manager, who was in his middle ages, rose from his seat and gave a bow. "Owen, and may I ask the two of your names, young ladies?"

"Alicia Bell."

"Rin Fujiwara."

"Alicia Bell, you're boss' daughter, it is my honor to meet you." The manager gave another salute.

"P-Please rise," Alicia asked, still not used to people kowtowing in front of her.

"And you are Rin Fujiwara, are you Haruto Fujiwara's sister he mentioned?"

"Yes!"

"I see, how's your brother?" The manager asked, then the mood darken. "Should I not ask that?"

He was then given a brief explanation of what happened a week ago.

"I see, my apologies for what happened to him." The manager said. "I will be on the lookout for him as well."

"Uhn! Thank you!" Rin smiled cheerfully.

"Alright," Owen said. "Now for why we're here."

"Right," The manager picked up a file and present it to Owen. "Here's the report we've found."

"Anything about Joshua Ruze?"

"Unfortunately, no."

"I see," Owen turned to the girls. "Alright, we're going to the next kingdom."

PIING

SPLASH

"Dammit, again!?" Owen groaned.

Haruto's first mission was a bit boring. Transfer to a part Osainicd Archipelago, go to a Bell Branch, collect report, Owen asks about Joshua Ruze's whereabouts, transfer back to Otherworldly Court, repeat.

It comes with at least one Court Wizard falling into the water every time they transfer to another island. Osainicd Archipelago was a world consisting of mostly ocean with numerous islands scattered all over with each island ruled by a single nation, sometimes two islands are under a single kingdom's rule. So it's simply more efficient to transfer back and forth.

That said, there are seventeen island countries with Bell Branches. That means seventeen times a Court Wizard falls into the water. This happens every time for some reason. It was mostly Owen, but occasionally Alicia or Rin fell into shallow water or a puddle.

Quite a boring mission indeed.

At the 6th Bell Branch.

"I have a request." The manager of that Bell Branch said.

"What?" Owen asked.

"There has been a large group of Biwharls gathering near the island. The king has prepare troops to combat them, but I'm afraid their numbers are insufficient."

"Ah crap, those things again..."

What are Biwharls? They are basically killer narwhals with human arms and legs making them bipedal, hence 'Bi' in their name, that happens to like the taste of human flesh! The Otherworldly Court calls them 'Semi-Anthropomorphic Narwhal'.

Oh, and they happen to communicate in binary codes with each other which was one of the most absurd things Otherworldy Court seen while the denizens of Osainicd Archipelago had accepted it as a normal thing.

They hunt in packs, and they are capable of retracting their limbs into their bodies when swimming in the water, jumping out of the water, quickly growing their limbs back, to attack local fishing villages, attacking with their sharp claws or tusks before biting their prey.

"If it will not trouble you, I request that you thin their numbers so the navy can handle them easily." The manager said.

"Okay, we accept," Rin shouted. "Right, Ruze-senpai?"

"W-Wha? Fine, I was going to accept anyway." Owen mumbled.

Hohoho, is that what we call 'tsundere', Short Cream!?

Shut up. (Owen)

Uhn? (Rin)

Hmm?

Taking Voice's remark to all three of the Court Wizard's head aside, the manager was bowing furiously.

"Oh, thank you, thank you!"

"M-Mr. Manager, your head will get dizzy, please stop!" Rin stuttered at the manager's behavior.

Alicia help but notice that almost every Bell Branch managers she encountered were elderly and had the same way of conduct, with the exception being the manager of the first branch visited in this world.

FLUTTER FLUTTER

White sails were pushed by the ocean wind. A flag with a bell covered in rust save for a tinge of gold wrapped around a light-blue cloth. The manager lent a merchant ship (technically it was Alicia's father's ship) to go to where the Biwharls are gathering.

There were a few select crew members who knew and kept the secret of the Otherworldly Court (no open contact was made on this island nation yet) that operated the ship. They will retreat inside the ship once the fight begins. The Court Wizards don't want any of them to get killed.

"Waah~"

Rin was admiring the open sea with her ponytail hair fluttering about by the wind, leaning on the edge of the deck ignoring the fact she will be fighting a bunch of narwhals that could grow human limbs and speak in binary for some reason.

Well, Alicia too couldn't help but looked at the crystal-blue ocean, giving off pleasant waves; clear sky with pure white clouds; Voice flying above Owen in circles trying to annoy him; narwhals hopping across the sea shouting binary codes.

"01000110 01101111 01101111 01100100!"

Narwhals hopping across the sea shouting binary codes!?

"Biwharls spotted!" The lookout of the ship yelled before coming down from the nest.

"Everyone under the deck!" Another crew yelled.

"Best of luck to you, Court Wizards, lady Alicia." A crew saluted before going down with the others.

"01000110 01101111 01101111 01100100!"

"01000101 01100001 01110100!"

"01000001 01110100 01110100 01100001 01100011 01101011!"

A lot of narwhals swimming across the water, roaring noises of the computer binary codes. They are not making two different sounding clicks that resemble a binary code or anything similar to that, but literally saying 'one' and 'zero' rapidly. One Court Wizard fighting these Biwharls happened to record what they are saying and slow it down which was how their communication method was discovered.

"Ruze-senpai, this is?"

"Yeah, Biwharls, fifteen of them."

The Court Wizards got to the edge of the deck looking over the oncoming Biwharl. Voice had gone back into Alicia.

"Alright, we're taking them out," Owen said emotionlessly.

Rin opened her cylindrical bag to pull out a white ornate katana out of its sheath. This was Haruto's Cherished Armament that was left behind when he got sucked into that vortex-rupture.

"Do you know how to use it?" Alicia asked in a monotone voice.

"Uhn. I had my brother practice with me for years." Rin answered in a similar voice.

She took to a stance with her mentor already forming fifteen long and thin [Icicles] and launched at the oncoming sea beasts. All fifteen hit their target.

15 Biwharls defeated.

Suppression lifted.

"Amazing, Ruze-senpai. How did you do that?" Rin asked in awe.

"Yes, the [Icicles] clearly travel in individual directions. How did you calculate the angle for each and every one of them?" Alicia asked.

"Too much practice and memorization," Owen answered with an annoyed face. "Mind you, but we have to remember all of the geometrical stuff out of our heads. We all have to remember exactly how long a meter on a ruler is; how long the angular displacement of a degree angle on a protractor; how fast each velocity is; and don't get me started on the more specific things relevant to our Elements."

"T-That is...?" Alicia asked meekly.

"For fire maneg, it's possible to set your Orders to homing on heat signature, but you have to specify the amount of heat your target has."

"W-What about my Element?" Rin asked.

"For you, you need to remember every light physics which you would learn in high school."

"Eeh~"

"Is that how hard making an Order is?" Alicia muttered.

"Well, our Maneg Soul helps our brain out to memorize all of these."

"I see, that is a relief."

"But even then, your Orders are technically Vague Orders."

"Well, that is true."

Yep, thanks to me, you got it easy, Alicia!

"Whatever," Owen's voice was monotone again. "Another wave of Biwharls are coming. Fifty of them. I won't be able to kill all of them like last time. They're too spread out. Get ready to fight them head-on."

He tossed a volley of fifty [Icicles]. This time, thirteen hit their targets.

37 Biwharls remain.

While Owen throws another volley of [Icicles], Rin ordered three [Beam]s aimed towards the Biwharls' general direction. Because the beam of light produced from the circle is simply concentrated light and not light maneg, there will be no risk of creating Maneg Amalgamations.

Alicia however, cannot do anything just yet. Giving Orders with loyal maneg over that distance is too risky and using her Catalyst (which was retrieved repaired after that 'incident') ran the risk of creating Maneg Beasts with Owen's [Icicles] flying about.

This was how Court Wizards of different Elements fight together. If it's a single target or multiple targets clustered together, they would take turns throwing Orders. If they are spread out, then the Court Wizards will simply split tasks and make sure not to get in the way of each other. That and keeping maneg usage to a minimum or better yet, frequently use Personal Skill or Cherished Armament.

Anyway, the resulting [Icicles] and [Beam] took down fifteen Biwharls. Well just [Icicles], none of the [Beam]s hit their target.

22 Biwharls remain.

Alicia nodded to her pixie. Pointing her Catalyst towards five Biwharls that are awfully close together, she activated the runes engraved on the Catalyst. A red line pointed at the center of those Biwharls.

KABOOM

Fire maneg concentrated around that single point then expand rapidly while also eat up adjacent oxygen to increase its explosive potential. The water that was engulfed by the resulting explosion instantly evaporated leaving a crater on the ocean before the water surrounding it filled that space. Those five Biwharls obviously, were disintegrated into a bloody mess.

17 Biwharls remain.

"You two, go to the center and prepare for close combat. I'll throw another volley."

They were now getting close to the ship, Owen had instructed his juniors to move to the center of the ship. He then ordered twenty [Icicles] which killed thirteen. He then retreated to the center of the ship.

4 Biwharls remain.

SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH SPLASH

THUD THUD THUD THUD

"01000110 01101111 01101111 01100100!"

"01000101 01100001 01110100!"

"01001011 01101001 01101100 01101100!"

"01000001 01110100 01110100 01100001 01100011 01101011 00100000 01100111 01101001 01110010 01101100!"

Four Biwharls made a splash vaulting to the deck. Three on the western side and one on the eastern side. Just before they landed, they grew arms and legs under a second. They made a solid landing and then screamed at their prey pointing their sharp and long protruding horns.

"I'll take three of them. You two, take down the other. They are more dangerous fighting head-on, be careful."

Both girls nodded.

Owen then charged to the western side of the ship and in his right hand, a crystal rapier was created.

"Big sis."

"Let us go."

Rin ran towards the lone Biwharl spouting more binary codes with her brother's katana at hand. The Biwharl charged like a bull intending to stab the raven-haired girl with its horn.

CLANG

With a swing, Rin stopped the charge by parrying the horn to the wooden floor. The Biwharl was stuck in place. Rin then stabbed its head, but its skin was too thick to reach its brain.

Three [Fireball] 20 cm diameter. Voice, do not let it hit Rin.

You got it!

Three balls of loyal fire maneg were formed and then hurled themselves towards the Biwharl, going around the katana-wielding girl in front of it. It hit the sides of the absurd aquatic creature, far away enough that Rin would not be in the blast radius.

BOOM BOOM BOOM

Loyal maneg, return.

Rin unstuck the white katana ordered [Beam] above the Biwharl.

SHIING

"01000111 01110010 01100001 01100001 01100001 01101000!"

With a scream, the Biwharl fell to the floor, completely fried.

Three Biwharls remain.

Alicia and Rin shifted their sight to Owen. One Biwharl was already killed, with stabs and ice over its body. The ice was slowly dissipating.

Two Biwharls remain.

It was quite a sight to behold for the two junior Court Wizards. A short boy dancing around two narwhals with human limbs bigger than his size. Constantly moving between them as they tried to strike him with surprising speed for its stature. Repeatedly stabbing them as he moves and covering their bodies in ice maneg to slow its movement.

Freezing them outright was more maneg costly as their bodies had a very high specific heat capacity.

Soon another Biwharl fell.

1 Biwharl remained.

Screaming another binary code, the almost-dead sea monster made one last strike. Owen simply parries it and struck its neck.

All Biwharls killed.

Emotion suppression off.

"That was so cool!" Rin yelled with her black eyes beaming. She then went on to ramble about how cool Owen fought.

"Yeah, yeah, whatever." Owen shrugged as he went to the entrance to the lower deck.

"You can come out now. We're going."

It was quite a bizarre adventure.

To be continued.