Lord of Arms- Chapter 7

Story by branches789 on SoFurry

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#8 of Lord of arms- human world


Well, here's chapter 7. I had some issues that made me post this later than expected(mainly internet trouble), but I think I didn't post it too late. Enjoy, and if you liked it or find some mistakes, please point them out!

Chapter 7: Stories behind and nervous meets

Will woke up, being roughly shaken by his brother. Yawning, he woke up, wondering why his brother would wake him so early.

"I thought I told you to set the alarm. I don't want to be late, you know." Arthur grumbled as he shook his brother awake.

Will suddenly remembered the events of yesterday, and felt apprehensive.

"So what type of a person is he? Is he nice, or cold, or just average? What's his species?" Will asked as he put on his clothes.

"To answer your last question, he's a wolf. Anyhow, I wouldn't worry about him. He's really nice, and he understand things well. He even thinks up excuses for me whenever I leave work early. He's also pretty humble for someone from a major family." Arthur replied as he started the engine.

"What's a major family?" Will asked. From the way Arthur said, it sounded as if those major families were arrogant, but important and famous families.

"Well, major families are families of werebeasts that existed for centuries. Usually, they have a long line of acquaintances thanks to them being around for a long while. They often produce the strongest magicians and martial artists and has a huge influence on the werebeast society, which is why they're called like that." Arthur spoke.

"Are they really that arrogant? Will asked. Arthur shook his head, and replied back.

"No, most are pretty okay. But there are some bastards that think they own everything. How they act vary from family to family. For example, the Calandals are one of the largest families that exist, but they're pretty nice most of the time. But the Andelvel family is pretty arrogant, and usually ignore other families, especially those that have no clear lineages."

"I wonder if we have a distant relative somewhere......" Will sighed and looked out the window. He didn't have a problem with the way things were like, but he couldn't help but to wonder if he had a family out there somewhere, beside Arthur.

"Well, I did try looking up things, but I couldn't really find anything on the Murasama family. If you remember, I'm a Norton. My family isn't really that big, but it is still pretty well known." Arthur spoke, his eyes glued to the traffic signal. He felt a little bad for Will, who was almost completely alone in this world except for himself and a couple of his friends.

"Really?" Will asked.

"Yeah. Remember Sara? She's like my distant, distant relative on my mother's side." Arthur spoke, while driving into a parking lot. After parking, he and Will stepped out.

"So, you said that your boss is from a major family, right? Which family is he from?" Will questioned as Arthur punched in a floor in the elevator.

"The Andelvels. Like I said, most of them are complete jerks, but he's actually pretty okay. By the way, he told me to tell you that he prefers to be called as Mr. Anderson. He isn't really fond of his family." Arthur spoke as the elevator doors opened. As Arthur stepped out, Will nervously followed him, making sure not to keep away from him any more than necessary. As Arthur opened the door to the office, he stood outside the door, until a hand entered his view and beckoned him in. Will nervously stepped in, and saw an average office. Most desks were empty, waiting their workers to come back. Several workers were working, but they hardly paid any attention. Will stood awkwardly, until a large shape approached from the behind and smacked Will on the head.

"So, you're the little brother that Arthur's been talking about all the time, eh?" boomed a man. His hair was reddish, and he was muscular, similar to Arthur in terms of body. Will rubbed the back of his head, and nervously bowed.

"U....Umm....... I'm Will, and....." Will was cut off as the man/werebeast smiled at him, and pulled him into a door nearby. Arthur sat on a chair, looking slightly annoyed.

"You know, your brother really likes you. Heck, ever since we started talking, he always manages to change the topic back to you, and he couldn't work properly yesterday! He was all like, 'Will might be in danger!', and 'What if someone slips past my defense?'. And......"

Whatever Mr. Anderson was trying to say was also cut off by Arthur, who slapped him on the back of his head.

"Sh.... Shut it!" Arthur shouted. "Anyhow, Will didn't come here so that you could hit on him. We have a question I think you could answer, and I want you to teach Will the Aura Dispersal Technique!"

"Well then, fire away!" Anderson leaned back on his chair, grinning. The brothers stared at each other for a moment, and Arthur threw a question at Anderson.

"Anderson, do you know if some werebeasts automatically master a technique before they turn into werebeasts? Will says that he suddenly gets feelings for certain techniques, which he never learned before."

Anderson mused, tapping his desk. "Something like that has never happened before, but something close happened. Back during the Wars, it has been a common thing for skilled werebeasts to hand down their skills to another directly by mind, but the art for it has been lost ages ago. Not only that, one can't mind-learn a technique and use it in a single go. It usually takes time for someone to adjust the styles to suit him better."

"So? What happened to me? Is it just me being paranoid, or did something actually happen?" Will asked impatiently. He just couldn't believe that what he went through was nothing but his imagination.

"Hmm....... I do have an idea that might help me make sure." Anderson spoke as he stood up, leaving the office. Arthur sighed, and followed, beckoning Will as well.

"Are we sure that this is a good idea?" Will asked nervously. The three of them were standing on the roof, and was in a Sphere.

"Yes. I consider myself as an expert in spiritual magics and swords, and the best way to feel what you feel is to bring out that emotion." Anderson stood with a single katana, holding it in a battle stance.

"So what do we do here? Fight?" Will asked, nervously fiddling with his swords.

"Yes. But I'll tell you this. I'm not going to go easy on you. From what I see, it will only help you when you need it, and I'll have to push you hard." the older wolf spoke up.

"Wait! Isn't that too much! I mean, it showed itself during regular practice, right? So if Will just does his usual routine, than it might..." Arthur spoke up, but was silenced by Anderson.

"That's too big of a maybe for us to go through. This is the best way." the wolf spoke. "But it's your call. If you don't want to, than we could try something else."

Will hesitated. It was somewhat frightening to let the older wolf attack him. He probably was vastly more experience than he was, and to top it off, he was from a major family. According to his brother, they were very strong. But he knew that he couldn't turn away. Something in him told him that this was a perfect opportunity to know what's been guiding him.

"I'll do it." Will spoke up, ignoring his brother's startled looks and a half cry escaping from his lips. Will returned to his tiger form, and held up one of the blades, keeping the second one in reserve should he lose one.

"Well then..... Let's start!" the wolf shouted, lounging toward Will simultaneously. Will raised his blade, and the two swords clashed. However, Will found himself sliding back. remembering his fight against his brother, Will stepped sideways and let the blade flow back, simultaneously striking forward. However, similar to his brother, the wolf leaped back. Will leapt forward, slashing at the wolf. Anderson reacted, catching the blade with his own. Will hastily whipped his own blade away, slashing back.

He's stronger. That means I can't afford a showdown in strength! Will thought as he continuously slashed at his opponent, trying not to lock blades. However, he found Anderson easily deflecting his slashes.

"You're okay for someone untrained, but not good enough! Where's that instinct of yours!" the wolf yelled as he slashed. This time, a purple crescent of energy shot out. Will took out his second blades and made a X-like slash in the air, also producing a similar wave of energy. As the two energy sources collided, Will leapt forwards, using the flash to distract his opponent. He lashed out with two swords, but with a skillful twist from Anderson, they were flung out of his grasp. Omnis Mundi was stuck in the gutter, but Will leapt back, evading a slash and grabbing Infinitas midair. Suddenly, a sword sheath appeared out of nowhere, clattering down into the ground. Before Will could figure out what to do, Anderson leapt forward. Will rolled, avoiding the strike, and snatching the sword sheath. As Will buckled it on his hips, he instantly realized what he should do.

"Blademaster technique- Reverse stab!" Will shouted, sheathing the sword while holding the sheathe out. Suddenly, a strong jet of energy shot out between the hilt and sheath of the sword, ricocheting against the air multiple times before heading toward Anderson. He responded by slashing back, but the energy sliced through it.

_ What the....._ Anderson thought, frantically creating a shield. The jet of energy slammed into it, creating a explosion.

Will panted, leaning on his sword. The technique was draining, and he felt exhausted. The smoke cleared, and Will saw Anderson also leaning, panting as well.

"Okay, where did you learn that?" Anderson asked.

"Umm..... I just knew how to do it. I just got the hang of it?" Will spoke nervously.

"Well, that can't be. A technique like that is pretty complex and dangerous. You don't go around learning it from nowhere!" the wolf exclaimed.

"That's why we asked you to check him out. Did you find anything out?" Arthur spoke.

"Well, it was a little vague, but I did feel something. I can't precisely tell what it is, but it's something related to spirits. I think Will might be some kind of a reincarnation, or a guardian spirit over him." Anderson spoke up, much to Will's curiosity. Will spoke up, while dissipating the swords. "Guardian spirits? Reincarnation?"

"Well, yeah. Sometimes ghosts hang around Earth and stick onto some people. This sometimes boosts a certain aspect of the person who's affected. So it's a sort of a benevolent possession. Because of this, we call those ghosts guardian spirits. They are sort of the roots for the whole 'respect the ancestors' thing. And reincarnation is.... Well, reincarnation. You could be a warrior from the past who got reborn." Anderson spoke up, waving his hand and shattering the Sphere.

"But you don't know for sure?" Arthur spoke up.

"Well, spirit related magic is pretty vague and circumstantial. And it didn't help that I had to block a strong energy attack."

"So am I in some sort of trouble?" Will asked, feeling apprehensive.

"Not particularly. It's more of a blessing than a curse. Because of this, you should be better at swordplay than most werebeasts." Anderson spoke while they went down the stairs. "By the way, you said that Will needed to learn the Aura Dispersal Technique?"

"Yeah. I originally wanted to wait a while and teach him some other defensive and offensive spells first because he was under protection from the barrier, but it seems like he might need this more. Besides, you're better at this than I am."

"What does that technique do?" Will asked. During the conversation, they were back at the office. The office was now filled with many people, who gave him a look before heading in.

"It does what it exactly sounds like. Demons usually track us down by our powers, which are condensed and give a aura that lets them track us, even from hell. So we use the technique to disperse our powers. This makes it harder for them to find us." Anderson spoke up. Will cocked his head, trying to focus. He reached into his reservoirs of power, and tried to imagine them as a sphere of energy. Focusing on them, he imagined them shattering, and willed those shards far away from each other. When he looked up, he saw the two werebeasts stare at him, their mouths open.

"Uhh..... we do it like this, right?" Will spoke up. Anderson shook his head, took a closer look at the air around him, and sat down. After a moment of awkward silence, the wolf spoke up. "How did you do that?"

"I just..... imagined how it would work?" Will spoke up. He started to feel nervous when he saw the wolf shake his head.

"Unbelieveable. My employee brings in a kid who masters a technique without even having told how to do it. Either you're a born genius, or you learned it somewhere else and is pretending that you didn't know."

"So that's how I do it? And wouldn't this be a problem with me using magic?" Will spoke. This time, Arthur shook his head, and replied instead.

"The powers you scattered may be scattered, but they're still there. In fact, they're quite near you. So don't worry. You will still be able to use all your powers with no problem. But you should know that if you start using big magic, than it will no longer shield you."

"Well, now that the ugly businesses has been over with, Arthur could go and work. I left a pile just for you!" Arthur growled, and stomped out of the room. Will started to follow him, but felt a hand grasping his wrist.

"Hey, stay with me, okay? Your brother is going to busy for quite a while, you know!" Will sat down, rubbing his wrist. The strong grip hurt, but not as much.

"So, while we're here, do you want to learn anything? A spell, a technique, or our history?"

"Well..... I had a question I've been wondering about. How many werebeasts are out there?" Will questioned the wolf.

"From what I remember, we take up about 0.01 percent of the total polpulation on Earth. Most are born between werebeasts, but there are occasionally some whose parents were human."

"Wait, so it's possible for a werebeasts to be born even if their parents are human?"

"It's very rare, but yes. Think of it as a type of a mutation. We often manage to find them and give them proper education, but some hide their identities, because they don't know anyone to turn to."

As Will digested that particular piece of information, he saw that the older wolf was leaning close to him. Feeling awkward, Will scooted backwards, asking the wolf a question he has been wondering. "Uhh.... Why are you staring at me like that?"

"Three reasons. First, I've never seen a white tiger. Any albinos like you are really rare, so let's say that I want a good look. Second, I'm wondering if I might be able to find out what really is going on with you. Third, I'll admit that you're a very...... cute werebeast, both in human and beast form. If you were a bit older, I just might consider asking you out, you know?" Anderson lightly chuckled and leaned back.

"You.. you're...." Will stammered. He didn't have anything against people like Anderson, but he was rather surprised.

"Yep. I knew I was gay ever since I was your age. Why, got a problem?" the wolf stared at him. His tone was playful, but Will could sense something behind the joking tones.

"No, not really. Just surprised, that's all...." Will spoke, and trailed off in surprise when the older man stuck a finger under his chin, and lifted his view higher.

"You look just too cute when you're flustered. Anyhow, I assume you're straight?" seeing Will's nod, Anderson let go of the younger tiger, leaning back with a joking sigh. "Well, at least I tried. But if you ever want a date, don't be afraid, I'm always ready for someone like you!"

"If you try something like that again, I'll kill you, though." Arthur spoke conversationally, slamming a stack of books and files down. His tone was light, but his eyes gave out a fearsome light.

"You? You can't beat me in any sort of a duel!" Anderson spoke up, but hurriedly continued as the lion gave him a death glare. "But that's fine, I don't make advances toward guys that's not interested in me~"

"I remember how you tried to get me drunk, and then tried to get into my pants. I remember saying before that I wasn't gay, and that I wasn't interested in you."

"All right, except for that time. Happy?" Anderson sighed as he sat up, sorting through the stack.

"So, is there anything else that I have to do?" Will spoke up.

"Well, if you're really bored than you can make coffee for us all. Or just help with the files." Anderson spoke up.

"I think I'll help with the files...." Will mumbled as he grabbed the top file.

Later during the day, after work

Will closed his eyes, feeling a surge of weak mana around him. While he was helping the older two, Anderson told him how he could absorb the mana and the Spirit around him to make himself stronger. Will slowly brought the energy toward him, slowly absorbing the sources. He was lost in concentration, not noticing his brother open his room door.

"Will, I have to go. There's a Sphere nearby, and I have to sort it out. I'll call you when the situation clears up."

"Can't I come too?" Will asked. As strange as it sounded, he was somewhat eager to follow his brother and fight along him. He felt jumpy and confined, and he wanted a strong outlet to let it out.

"No. Maybe after you become a level 2 or above mage. After that, I won't say anything. But for now, stay here."

When his brother left, Will started to focus again, bringing the energies toward him.

A shadow stood on a roof, chanting. As he did so, the circle by his feet started to glow dark red, and black. As the energy poured outwards, the shadow made a motion with his hand, and the darkness condensed itself into a small sphere. Suddenly, the dark sphere began to move rapidly, and slammed into the shadow's chest. After the briefest of struggles, the shadow knelt, while two beings rose up from the circle.

_ "Have you done everything that I asked you?" The bigger being spoke, with a deep rumbling voice._

_ "Yes, master. The Sphere is ready, and there's more than enough dark energy to fool everyone. I've also made several precautions of my own." the kneeling shadow spoke, raising his face and staring at the gigantic figure. Suddenly, the gigantic being grabbed the smaller summoner, and embraced him. Tendrils of darkness started to surround them both, until it looked like a black flower, not opened yet. As the dark bud slowly disappeared, there was only a single figure, on the spot where the two previously stood. The figure leapt down from the building, cracking the pavements with the force from the drop. He could feel two energy sources approaching him. One was nearly indistinguishable from the rest of the pitiful sparks that the humans carried, and approached rapidly. The second one was nearly indistinguishable from a casual eye, but when one took a close look, there was a second spark, small but powerful. The figure beckoned to the second summoned creature, and it leapt down. As he felt something breach the Sphere's defenses, he allowed himself a savage grin, and leapt toward the summoned being, lashing out with his sword. Roaring, the attacked figure struck back, and they started to fight. To anyone/thing watching them, it would look like an intense duel. But in reality, it was nothing more than an elaborate act._