Chapter 8: Chapter 8: Fujimaru Kaede and the Masters' Practice Duel
Fujimaru Kaede and Fujimaru Ritsuka were merely lucky to discover their compatibility at 100% during the adaptation test and ended up joining Chaldea without much thought.
In the eyes of these magicians, they were considered commoners, and indeed they were.
They hadn't inherited magical circuits; they only happened to pass the assessment by chance.
Of course, the person who recruited them received a large sum of money and exchanged it for a luxury car.
Where there are people, there are comparisons and disputes, even though Chaldea's purpose was to protect human reason, and even though the Masters found were considered rare geniuses, possessing the ability to summon multiple Heroic Spirits. But disputes were inevitable.
However, compared to the usual covert attacks, such open and fair sparring made people even more unwilling. Fujimaru Kaede didn't mind much; she was carefree and simply ate and slept.
Since she couldn't win, she simply didn't bother.
Fujimaru Ritsuka was the same, but relatively, he had his own persistence. He sought advice every week and faced setbacks regularly, he had strive to be strong.
If it were in the past, Kaede would have taken Mash and Ritsuka to the restaurant for a good meal, but this time...
"Today, let me redeem myself!"
In Fujimaru Kaede's eyes, Mash and Fujimaru Ritsuka saw excitement and eagerness.
"Have you learned any new techniques?"
Fujimaru Kaede patted Fujimaru Ritsuka's shoulder. "Of course! Just look at who I am. Today, I'll show them what cruelty is."
In the training room, when Fujimaru Kaede appeared, the people at the door curiously asked, "You came? Are you here to help your older 'brother' get revenge?"
"Huh? How many times do I have to say it! He's my younger brother. But revenge? Maybe, not just for him, but also for me. Hehehe, you guys had fun before, didn't you?"
"How can you call it fun? We were also helping you improve."
"Alright! Then help me improve this time too."
Fujimaru Kaede took out a wooden stick, and everyone present was no ordinary person. They discovered the magical properties of the wooden stick in Fujimaru Kaede's hand.
It looked like an ordinary wooden stick, but it actually contained extremely mysterious power. Calling it a rare Mystic Code wouldn't be an exaggeration.
"Alright!"
The boy in front of him showed a rare serious expression. If he had previously helped with the training under the doctor's and supervisor's orders, this time he was genuinely interested in Fujimaru Kaede.
Meanwhile, in the medical department, Romani sat in the medical room, sipping coffee and humming a tune. Even though the sky was "falling," it was still important to rest when needed.
"Indeed, hand-brewed black coffee in a bottle is the best~"
He closed his eyes and savored the coffee in his hand. But just as the coffee touched his lips, the door of the medical department was kicked open.
"Doctor! Help!!"
A black-haired man was carried in, and at that moment, Romani stopped idling and began to work seriously.
After a thorough examination, he breathed a sigh of relief. "Mild concussion, the person was considerate in their attack, should be fine in two days."
A few minutes later, another man was brought in.
"What happened? Brawling in a group?"
If one person getting hit on the head by a blunt object was an accident, then two people were obviously intentional. Checking the wound, it was the same blunt force trauma as the previous one.
"What's going on? I need to check it out."
Romani sensed that something was amiss and instructed the other medical staff before inquiring about the source of the injuries. He eventually made his way to the training room.
In the training room, a dozen people were gathered, and Fujimaru Kaede kept switching the position of the stick in her hands. In front of her, a girl was panting, watching Fujimaru Kaede warily.
"You've gotten stronger."
"Hehehe~ Of course, surrender now. I don't want to hurt you."
"Surrender? Impossible. Didn't you and Fujimaru Ritsuka refuse to surrender before?"
"That's right~"
Upon careful recollection, neither Fujimaru Kaede nor Fujimaru Ritsuka had surrendered despite their previous losses. It seemed they had a stubborn streak.
"In that case, let me take you to the medical department."
Just as Fujimaru Kaede spoke, the girl across from her used magic. But Fujimaru Kaede reacted faster, rolling to dodge her magical attack.
As she got up, she swung the wooden stick lightly at the girl's head. The moment the stick made contact, her eyes lost their luster.
Another person fell, seemingly from a simple and crude strike with the wooden stick.
However, not a single person present dared to speak out against it, as they all felt the mysterious power emanating from Fujimaru Kaede's stick.
Every time she fought, Fujimaru Kaede would roar loudly while wielding the stick, and after each roar, her body would be covered in mysterious power.
Everyone knew her true strength; even in a fight, she was formidable even without magic and weapons.
The second person fared worse; he also used a weapon. But his weapon was easily disarmed by Fujimaru Kaede, and then he was struck on the head with the stick.
Fortunately, Fujimaru Kaede always stopped in time, and coupled with Chaldea's medical capabilities, those who fainted would only lie down for three days at most, and by the fourth day, they would be bouncing around like nothing happened.
Now, the third person had fallen, and everyone present fell silent.
These three weren't the strongest, but all present were considered outstanding individuals, and the difference in strength wasn't significant. Seeing how effortlessly Fujimaru Kaede dealt with them, they knew it would be futile to challenge her.
The girl was carried away, and after experienced individuals confirmed that she was also in a coma and wouldn't suffer any aftereffects, excitement filled everyone's eyes.
Young people of this age all had a fiery spirit; suffering for three days now was better than suffering for a lifetime later.
Just as one person was about to undress and join in, a reprimanding voice came from the door.
"What are you doing? Beating up your comrades? Is that why you're here at Chaldea?"
Entering was Chaldea's Director, Olga Marie Animusphere. Everyone liked to call her Director Marie.
As soon as she entered, she saw the girl being carried away and Fujimaru Kaede standing proudly in the middle of the crowd.
"Humph, brawling in groups. Fujimaru Kaede, you are not allowed to participate in the first Spirit Transfer Experiment."
"Huh?"
Fujimaru Kaede pointed to herself. "Me?"
"I'm talking about you."
"But we were just sparring! Why aren't they being punished?"
"They?"
Olga Marie knew who Fujimaru Kaede was talking about.
She glanced at the wooden stick in Fujimaru Kaede's hand, pondered for a moment, then issued an ultimatum: "All five of you are banned from participating in the first experiment. Also, anyone who engages in group fighting before the first Spirit Transfer Experiment will lose their eligibility."
"We were just..."
One of the girls tried to explain but was shut down by Olga Marie.
"Do you want to argue that you were sparring? You're complicit in their mischief!"
"I..."
Fujimaru Kaede stepped in front of the girl. "Forget it, ignore her~ Blah blah~ I'm too lazy to participate in the experiment anyway~"
With that, Fujimaru Kaede walked away without looking back.
It was Romani, who was watching the commotion, who furrowed his brows.
Divine Construct? Conceptual Weapon? These were not...