THAT DAY I BECAME A STAR

KEVIN DRAGONROAD POV:

"Shouldn't you go back now?"

"No, there is no need."

I don't know how much time has passed since I have been in the inner soul. Maybe it's a month, maybe it's just an hour. But one thing is sure, I am alive and well. I almost disappeared again at some point but thankfully, I got healed by somebody. I was quite lucky since my Angas was depleted from blocking that roar.

"That dragon was really something, Two. I wonder if my roar could rival his own."

"You have been saying that a lot already and I told you. I don't know what you don't.."

"Yeah, yeah. But-"

"Just focus on your training, please."

After my encounter Borgas, I have realized something. Not only is my technique not enough, I am lacking a powerful raizen. Every time I receive one, I either lose it or it just breaks. This means using a physical one isn't helping out much. So, what else can I do? It's simple.

"But really, you think you can create a script like that?"

"I don't know, Two. What about you, you think I can?"

"Are you stupid?"

"I don't know. What do you think?"

"Sigh…Okay, I get. You are being sarcastic."

"I got you, right?"

"Yeah, yeah."

In any case, materializing a raizen made of elemental Angas doesn't look difficult. I don't understand why I can't do it. I gather Angas around my hand and try to give the shape of a raizen but every time it starts gathering, it just explodes. Whether I combine the different elements or use a single one, the result is the same.

"Cissa did it without trouble, though. Why can't I?" I still remember how Cissa easily use it when we fought against monsters in the cave. That's what gave me the idea actually.

"Yeah, well, maybe she is just a genius."

"What? You are saying I am stupid?"

"Nope. Just saying you aren't that clever. I mean, if you were, you wouldn't have gone to that place."

"Oh…" Even you are criticizing me, Two? "And what should I have done then? Lay around while Tatiana is enjoying herself somewhere with innocent people."

"Don't pretend it is about innocent people. You only want to kill that woman."

"Yeah, and what is wrong about it?"

"The problem is that you lost control. As soon as she got involved, you turned into a brainless man ready to die as long as he can find her."

"…You know what. I don't want to talk about this."

"Even she told you, controlling your emotions is the key."

"Two, if you are not going to help me train, leave me alone."

"Sigh…Fine. But don't say I didn't warn you."

I know all that. I perfectly know it. But…Just thinking of her face, my desire for murder come rushing through my brain.

"And that's the problem."

"Argh, shut up!"

***

A lot of time has passed. I keep trying to gather Angas and give it a shape but there is still no result in sight. Every time the amount of Angas I gathered between my hands reaches the size of an egg, it explodes. Perhaps I taking the wrong approach.

"Crescent bullet." I use a crescent bullet and it appears like normal. I wait and wait but the bullet doesn't disappear. So that means the problem is not with the amount of Angas gathered. So the only other reason is the control. I thought I had better control over my Angas. I am surprised I can't give it a shape and wield it.

"I told you, you aren't a genius."

"Hm-mhm. Hey, two, don't you want to spar a little?"

"What for…You know, punching me isn't going to make you any smarter."

"Yeah, yeah. Let's fight."

I jump on Two and use lightning fist but he simply grabs my arm while using lightning Angas as well, then turns around and, using my arm as a level, slams me to the ground. We are in the inner soul so I felt that. I stand back up, feeling lightheaded and with a stinging pain on my back.

"How did you do that?"

"Don't know, I just did it."

"You are annoying, you know that?"

"I am your subconscious. I know what you are thinking so countering you is as easy as eating. Besides, Everything I do is just using the reflexes that you have."

"Wait, you mean I know how to do that as well."

"Since I did, yeah."

"How come I don't remember."

"Because it is a reflex?"

"Is that so?"

I run to him once again and throw a punch. If he grabs my…Instead of doing what he did earlier, Two simply back away from me by a few meters.

"Coward."

"If he tries to grab my arm, I will kick him instead."

"Tch!" If you can read my mind then there is no need, is there? Which reminds that I rarely read people's mind when I am fighting. Even though that's a clear advantage I have. I should change that.

"You still want to continue."

"Nah, not for now."

I sit back and restart practicing for my new script. Since the problem is how I control my Angas, that means just gathering it shouldn't be too hard. But why does it refuse to take the shape I want?

"Maybe you are too forceful?"

"Meaning?" As always, Two has those weird comments that he brings out of nowhere.

"Excafol said something about not forcing Angas, remember?"

That old man said so many things I don't really know whether it is real or not. But if Two remembers it then I must have heard it at some point.

"So I can't just give it the shape I want? Then there is no point in doing all this."

"Well, I don't know. All he said was that because Angas is everywhere, both inside and outside, handling the Angas coming from outside, from nature, is way more difficult since nature doesn't obey anyone."

"Yeah, like I said, there is no poin…"

"Yup, my point exactly. Let us start with physical Angas."

"Stop that, please."

"What? Why?"

"Just stop." I feel like I am not even thinking myself. It is very unsettling.

I gather physical Angas in my hand then observe how it goes after reaching the same amount as earlier. Nothing goes boom so we are good, I guess.

"If it did then it would be hilarious, right? Your own body rejecting you."

"Please, shut up, Two."

"You are no fun."

My physical Angas doesn't go off at all, if anything, it is flowing smoothly. This feels great. Let's see if I can do more. Can I make it float around me? Yup, seems I can. The ball floats around me like a little fish. Since physical Angas is almost colorless, it would be a bit difficult to see it moving if I couldn't feel it.

I think it is time. I think of a raizen and the ball that was floating finally turn into a raizen. I thought of the raizen Frank made so the shape should be pretty similar, right? I can't discern it very clearly.

"And now to test it."

"Wait, on me?"

"Yup. You are the perfect test subject since you know what I think, right?" I grab my very first own made Raizen and pounce on Two.

It feels really light. In fact, it like it doesn't weight anything at all. I slash but of course, Two dodges by crouching. Still, it felt like it would really hit him.

"You should try to add elemental Angas now."

"Shut up and let me think, dammit!" I was going to do that!

"Right. Don't forget that you can't forc-"

Right as I try to infuse fire Angas into the Raizen, it explodes again, projecting me away brutally. Why?!! I was sure I had it this time.

"Sigh…You tried to blend them, right?"

"So what?!!" You are getting on my nerves as well, dodging everything.

"You can't force nature to do what you want or…Anyway, just try something else, if you can't blend them like your crescent bullet, just try to make an outer layer with it then."

"An outer layer? Like paned chicken?"

"Yeah. You can make the element you want to use run around the body made by the physical Angas. That way, it won't be forced to stay in place and probably won't explode."

"Seriously, you should explain to me how you know all that one day."

"And you will try to punch me again that day for answering you."

I do as Two said and after crafting the Raizen, I let fire Angas run all around it, like I am coating my raizen in fire. The result…

"Wow."

"Yeah, that should do it."

In my hand stands now a burning Raizen, with real flames that somehow don't burn me. It looks really powerful. Especially with the fire crackling from time to time. Now, I wonder.

"Oh yeah!!! Now we are talking!!"

Instead of fire, I use lightning Angas and my Raizen turns into the same one Cissa was using that day. Though mine is grey, not red. Still, this is what I wanted. Just like Tatiana when she was clad in lightning, I have something that looks just as beautiful now. No, it's not like she was beautiful. It's just her script that was.

"Who are you even talking to?"

"Aren't you listening?"

"You really are obsessed with her."

"…Two, let see if this raizen cuts as smoothly as it should, yeah?"

"Sigh…"