“Now then, everyone, the first step to learning magic is feeling the mana.”


  This is a story of when I was learning in the Water Temple.

  “Place both hands to the front, and repeat after me. Gods who art in heaven…”


  “““““Gods who art in heaven…”””””


  (I-Is this what they call a magic chant?)

  As a high school student, this is pretty embarrassing.

  But it seems like chanting to use magic is common in this world.

  Endure it.

  “How is it? Did you feel the mana?”


  “Not really…” (Makoto)

  The children around were shouting things like ‘it felt hot’ or ‘it shone!’, and were merry there, but I didn’t feel anything.

  Eh? Isn’t this bad?

  Could it be that I will lose to even children?

  The pale faced teacher came to me.

  “Makoto-kun, this probably can’t be helped since you are already old for this. Children are more sensitive to this kind of thing.”


  “Really…?” (Makoto)

  “Please don’t make such an uneasy expression. Let’s do this together.”


  Saying this, she grabbed my arm.

  “Please concentrate on your palm.”


  “O-Okay.” (Makoto)

  There was a somewhat cold sensation in my palm.

  T-This is…?!

  “How is it, Makoto-kun?”


  “I somewhat felt it.” (Makoto)

  “I synchronized with you just now, Makoto-kun. It is the ability to interfere with the mana between mages by touching them.”


  “So something like that can be done.” (Makoto)

  “All mages High Grade and above can do it. There’s a lot of cases where High Grade mages take disciples after all. This is the fastest way to teach someone the way to use magic.”


  “Will I be able to use it one day?” (Makoto)

  “You can once your proficiency in magic is over High Grade level. But it won’t go well unless you have an affinity to the element, so please be careful.”


  “Were you able to sync with me because you can use water magic too, teacher?” (Makoto)

  “Right, I can use all 6 elements aside from Moon.”


  This teacher is pretty amazing…


  That’s the conversation I remembered.

  And so, thanks to using water magic a whole lot, my proficiency level has reached High Grade level, that’s what my teacher told me.

  ◇◇

  I run to where Jean and Lucy are.

  “Jean! Buy me some time please! I am going to use a big spell!” (Makoto)

  “G-Got it!” (Jean)

  Jean throws away his sword and takes a stance with his shield, holding ground with both of his legs.

  The Griffon’s leg attacks Jean.

  He is somehow managing to endure it.

  I am counting on you, Jean.

  “Lucy, raise your mana.” (Makoto)

  “Eh?! Wa?” (Lucy)

  “Push your right hand out, form something with you mana for now! I will do the controlling!” (Makoto)

  “Something, you say. I can only use Fire Magic, you know?!” (Lucy)

  “Then use fire. Go all out!” (Makoto)

  I grab the right hand of Lucy, and wrap my other one to her waist.

  Just like the time with the teacher.

  “Hiya! W-Where are you touching?!” (Lucy)

  “Just hurry!” (Makoto)

  “Eeh?! I got it, so don’t stick so close.” (Lucy)

  (Something like this?) (Makoto)

  Instead of the usual sensation of gathering mana in my body, imagine becoming one with the body of Lucy to gather mana.

  Sync with the mana of Lucy.

  It is apparently not possible unless you have affinity with the element, but there’s no other way.

  If we can’t, then we are Griffon food.

  I felt as if I was being swallowed by a storm.

  And then, I noticed that this was coming from the inside of Lucy’s body.

  (This is the mana of Lucy, huh.) (Makoto)

  “Hngh!” (Lucy)

  Lucy was letting out a lewd-sounding voice, but I don’t have the leeway to mind it.

  This is different from the small amount of mana I have, this is a massive amount of mana like a storm.

  So this is the mana of a Monarch Grade, huh.

  Lucy was trying to control something like this all the time?

  This is rough.

  I should be a bit kinder when training her.

  Lucy is still raising her magic.

  I try to change to a different from usual fire spell.

  A choice suddenly appeared in front of me.

  Oi! What is it at this busy time?

  [Will you use synchronization magic with Lucy?]

  Yes ←


  No

  Of course yes.

  [Really?]

  Yes ←


  Now that I think about it, no

  …It is coming at me pretty persistently.

  I don’t have any other plan.

  I have no choice but to.

  I gather the massive amount of mana flowing from Lucy into my right hand.

  “[Firestorm]!” (Makoto)

  A giant fire tornado appeared in front of us.

  “Incredible, it activated! Moreover, High Grade Magic!” (Lucy)

  “I feel like it will go berserk if I let my guard down…though…!” (Makoto)

  I feel as if I am pedalling a bicycle at full speed inside a typhoon.

  Sweat is coming out nonstop.

  My body is hot!

  As if it were burning.

  “Jean! Get away!” (Makoto)

  “Alright!” (Jean)

  Jean takes cover close to where Emily is.

  ‘Grrrr’, the Griffon growls and moves back as if it were cautious.

  “Aah, it is going to avoid it!” (Emily)

  Emily screams.

  The Firestorm is not gonna reach the Griffon.

  The Griffon evades into the sky.

  “Oi! Makoto, what are we gonna do?!” (Jean)

  The Firestorm is about to pass by the side of the Griffon.

  (Picture it. Just like water. The Griffon has its guard down. If it is now, we can hit it.) (Makoto)

  “Spread!” (Makoto)

  The fire tornado changes into a big whirl in an instant.

  The heat reached all the way here.

  ‘Giieeeeee!’, the Griffon gets swallowed by the fire.

  “Eeeeeh?! You changed the Firestorm while it was activated?!” (Lucy)

  “I have been training so that I can do this someday.” (Makoto)

  I wasn’t expecting a spell this wide scale though.

  The Griffon struggles to escape from the fire, but the fire pillar chases after it.

  “As if I will let you.” (Makoto)

  I am beginning to get used to the storm-like mana of Lucy.

  (It really is hot though. It also smells like something is burning.) (Makoto)

  My whole body feels prickly.

  I have stopped sweating?

  “W-Wait, Makoto!” (Lucy)

  “Oi, you are burning!” (Jean)

  “Eh?” (Makoto)

  I couldn’t see well with the Firestorm, but my body is burning?

  “What’s this?” (Makoto)

  “Makoto! Stop the magic! Anymore than this is bad!” (Lucy)

  Lucy is getting worried.

  “Are you okay, Lucy?” (Makoto)

  “I am okay! Anyways, stop the spell!” (Lucy)

  [Release].

  I stop the spell.

  “Eh? The fire around me isn’t disappearing.” (Makoto)

  “Why are you so calm?! You are burning, you know?!” (Lucy)

  “Aah, yeah.” (Makoto)

  Even if you tell me that, Clear Mind makes it so that I don’t panic though.

  It really is a handy skill.

  “The Griffon is falling!” (Emily)

  The Griffon falls flat at the place Emily pointed.

  Its wings are burned, and parts here and there of its body are carbonized.

  It is severely wounded.

  “Jean, go!” (Makoto)

  “Leave it to me! Or more like, extinguish yourself!” (Jean)

  The sword Jean is holding shines.

  “[Max Output, Wind Blade]!” (Jean)

  The sword of Jean is covered in green light, and beheads the Griffon.

  “D-Did we do it?” (Jean)

  Jean collapses lethargic.

  Lucy is swaying by my side.

  I must have sucked way too much mana from her all of a sudden.

  “Amazing, amazing! Jean, we defeated a Griffon!” (Emily)

  Emily was hugging Jean.

  “Haaah, what a relief.” (Makoto)

  The relief of defeating the Griffon undid Clear Mind.

  Honestly speaking, I wasn’t careful.

  I am relying way too much on Clear Mind.

  It looks like the ‘that feels hot’ I thought of before was actually severe.

  “Aaah…!!” (Makoto)

  Pain attacks my whole body.

  My vision gets narrower and narrower.

  “Ma-Makoto!” (Lucy)

  My vision gets darker while I listen to the voice of Lucy.

  No good.

  I can’t keep my consciousness.

  Synchronization magic with Lucy…


  Even when it was in actual combat, we splendidly managed to defeat the Griffon which we thought was despairingly grim.

  It is quite the strong attack method for bronze ranks like us.

  But in exchange, due to not having magic affinity, I apparently got burned by the mana of Lucy.

  So that’s what it meant when she told me that I can’t do it unless I have the affinity.

  I should have asked the teacher what would happen…


  This method is no good anymore.

  I thought it would work well though…


  …The world went dark.