Strongest Among the Heavens
Chapter 417: Searching

Chapter 417: Searching

"I can do this. I can do this. I can."

Kazi had been casual about it. He didn’t force her, he didn’t urge her, he suggested an opportunity and Marta accepted. School was over for the day. She did her homework and, well, she didn’t have anyone in the way of friends so socialization wasn’t needed.

Marta Kowalski stood before Gate 23, her prosthetic legs knees quaking, her grip on her staff tight. The Server Room had people come and go. This was one of those gates. She took a deep breath, trying to steady herself, but her heart raced with anxiety. She had not stopped inside a gate since Gate 10—since the loss of her limbs three months ago. Three months of no XP. She was Level 23. She was under leveled.

’I’m under leveled. I’m too weak. God, why am I—why am I even trying? I’m going to die. I’m going to actually die.’

Come on! She was here in the Server Room! Backing out now would be a waste of time! A waste of everything. She told herself that she would enter, that she would take that step forward.

"Marta, if you back down now, you won’t ever be able to go in," she whispered to herself. "You’ve got this. Just... one step at a time."

One step. Two steps. Three steps.

The portal was right there.

Summoning all her courage, she tightened her grip on her staff and pushed forward, crossing the threshold. The world shimmered around her, and in an instant, she was transported—into a large Japanese bar. She blinked, momentarily disoriented.

Marta was in Matsue.

’K-Kazi mentioned this. A bar, yeah. It’s peaceful, just like he said.’

And just as he had described, she found herself seated, as if she had simply materialized into place.

The noise of the bar buzzed around her, although her focus was on a message she had received from Kazi before she entered. He had told her he was preoccupied with another part of the main objective, that he needed her help with the last stage. Her task was clear: she had to find Sasaki Kojiro. He was an ally, a hero.

That was it. No fighting, no...Ripper. None of that.

Marta knew the name Sasaki Kojiro very well; the historical figure often featured in otome games.

She prepared for this. She did. Still, she felt the weight of the task, the anxiety swirling inside her. She hadn’t even gathered the strength to move from her seat when a tap on her shoulder made her flinch.

"Are you... Marta Kowalski?" a soft voice asked.

Turning, Marta found herself face-to-face with a local. Japanese and in clothes that were surprisingly fresh. She had just taken a shower too. "Um..."

Ah! Right, this must be Yuna, the servant woman Kazi mentioned would pick her up.

"Yes," Marta managed, nodding. "That’s me. You’re Yuna, right?"

"Yes. I’ve been sent by Kazi to bring you to my home," Yuna explained. "He said you will need a quiet space. Somewhere comfortable to prepare."

Marta exhaled a shaky breath, feeling a wave of relief wash over her. She nodded and followed Yuna out of the bar. Here she was, finally walking with these prosthetics on ancient ground. In a date. They walked through the streets of Matsue, and Marta was both fascinated and overwhelmed by the old natured beauty of the city. Stone paths, wooden houses, lanterns casting warm glows—she was truly in a city from the 1600s.

’Magic...?’

Suddenly, Marta was confused when she found herself facing the most out of place wooden home she had ever seen. On its left and right were two crumbling structures. In the middle was a fancy little abode. Marta squinted.

’This was recently transmuted. The glossy shine on the house...definitely a fresh mutation.’

It was something one of her professors said and demonstrated during a lecture. Freshly transmuted objects had a magical gloss over them. A shine that took time to leave.

As she entered, Yuna’s siblings peeked out from behind furniture, their faces bright with curiosity.

"Ohh. Look at her hair!"

"Look at what she’s wearing too! What is that....?"

Slowly, they gathered round and up to her. Marta greeted them with an awkward wave. Their gazes studied her foreign appearance.

"I’m Marta," she said. "I’m a friend of Kazi’s—"

"Oh, you’re her! Kazi’s friend! Are you a goddess too!"

"Wow! So pretty! Can I see hold your staff!?"

Suddenly, they were surrounding her in a way children would. Playful and interested and wanting to see what she could offer.

Clap!

Until Yuna slapped her palms together. The children froze

"Have you forgotten? She’s here to work, not play or teach," Yuna said. "As our guest, we should be mindful of personal space. Understand?"

"Yes, Yuna...!"

The children retreats, heads hung and disappointed. Marta wanted to laugh a little and also thank Yuna. She wasn’t bad with kids but she was no Kazi. She did not wish to interact or play with them for too long.

"Thank you for letting me use your space," Marta said, lowering her head as would a Japanese person.

Yuna smiled warmly. "It’s our pleasure. You’re here to help, after all. Please, make yourself at home."

Marta nodded, her nerves finally beginning to settle. She needed to start on the magic circle. Yuna led her to a spacious room, its floor cleared of any furniture, and handed her a piece of chalk and a special wand she’d need.

’Kazi really prepped for this.’

So did she. She memorized a massive, complicated magic circle. Time to put it to good use.

Taking a deep breath, Marta knelt down and began to draw. The chalk scratched against the floor as she carefully sketched the intricate lines. The magic circle she was creating was the most complex she’d ever attempted. This circle was specialized in sensing the auras of those of Japanese descent. It cost upwards of two hundred thousand points, all paid by Kazi. If she did this right, it would reveal the location of the strongest presence; in this case, Sasaki Kojiro, no matter where he was hiding.

She was done with the chalk. See, the chalk was in art terms a sketch on a paper. An outline for the ink that would truly bring it to life. For this magic circle, the ink was the mana she would be drilling via a special wand called the Gaia Wand.

The Gaia Wand was imbued with earthly energies and intended for magic circles of the earth element. The principle of this magic circle was through seismic waves through the ground. The first two layers of symbols and kanji were intended for that purpose; the remaining layers were for identification.

"Alright."

The Gaia Wand vibrated in her hand. A thick length of smooth wood, it weighed over thirty pounds and burst with so much mana that it would have burned a normal hand. This wand was intended for sorcerers, not lowly wizards or mages. A high degree of mana control was necessary.

Luckily, Marta’s prosthetic circumvented that excellence. When it came to aiming the mana into the ground, Marta was just naturally talented at it. Her wrist were equally as steady as her eyes. Put simply, her hand-eye coordination was excellent.

Probably from playing all those video games on the computer. The slowness, the sudden flick, she could do it all because it was exactly what she did with a mouse.

Each line had to be perfect, each kanji precisely aligned. On the ground, the chalk began to be filled by thick black mana.

Depth was not the same across the circle. ’Increase mana output just...a little...’

She struggled. This was no easy task. The magic circle grew and spread across the room. The air around the room began to hum with energy, faint vibrations pulsing through the room.

But this was not a magic circle that took ten or thirty or even an hour. This would take three whole hours. Three hours of drawing kanji after kanji. Connective line after connective line.

Sweat trickled down her forehead. Her shoulders were a bit sore from the precise movements of her heavy prosthetic arm. She did not rest, her gaze remained fixed on the circle. Complete it, complete it. The work was far from over. The ritual required absolute precision and she wasn’t about to falter anytime soon.

"Are you alright?"

Shit! That surprised her! It was Yuna, peeking into the room with concern.

"H-hi." The blonde’s hand remained as it was, wand pointed forward and slowly moving along. Fuck, this was annoying. Why the hell was she here? Didn’t Kazi tell her not to disturb? This was a delicate operation and she was two hours in.

"I...cannot give water. Apologies."

"I’m fine." Marta forced a small smile and pushed herself to continue.

"I-is there anything else I can do...?"

"Nope," Marta replied hurriedly. "Nothing at all."

Now leave. Before her temper got to her.

"Nothing at all—?"

"Nothing!" Marta snapped. "Can you go please!?"

"O-okay..."

Yuna left. Marta wished she felt guilt. She wasn’t. She proceeded to complete the remaining hour and a half of magic circle tracing with a clear, focused mind.

As she traced the final lines, a faint black glow began to emanate from the circle.

Click.

Everything came into place upon the last bit of mana.

Symbols rearranged and spun slowly but surely. She could feel the magic settling into place, the power building, ready to be unleashed. A new symbol appeared. A kangi meaning search. With a final breath, she filled it up while muttering, "Sasaki Kojiro. Matsue. Samurai. Powerful. Skilled. Sharp. Masks. Tsubame Gaeshi."

The last symbol ended up with the blonde in the middle. All lines were connected to Marta.

"Born 1585. Fukui Prefecture, Japan."

The seismic waves began.

The world became a calming, ethereal light.

Marta felt the magic settle deep within her, connecting her senses to the circle.

"Straight edged Nodachi. Swordsman. Chief weapons master of the Hosokawa fief."

The magic circle itself meant nothing if there was no information on the target. Marta had done the research. She knew everything. Where he was born, what he did, the weapon he wielded.

’Sasaki Kojiro.’

"Sasaki Kojiro."

Sasaki Kojiro.

She closed her eyes, reaching out with her mind. She swept past the people, past the lives bustling around her like distant stars, and went into a cave up north.

She found a person standing in front of a cave. She sensed Sasaki Kojiro.

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