Shattering Humanity-Chapter 438: Itsuka’s Passive Training Results & Her Introduction To ScourgingSeiõr
’If we are "out of our mind," as some say, it is for God; if we are in our right mind, it is for you.
For Christ’s love compels us, because we are convinced that one died for all, and therefore all died.
And he died for all, that those who live should no longer live for themselves but for him who died for them and was raised again.
So from now on we regard no one from a worldly point of view. Though we once regarded Christ in this way, we do so no longer.
Therefore, if anyone is in Christ, the new creation has come: The old has gone, the new is here!
All this is from God, who reconciled us to himself through Christ and gave us the ministry of reconciliation: that God was reconciling the world to himself in Christ, not counting people’s sins against them. And he has committed to us the message of reconciliation.
We are therefore Christ’s ambassadors, as though God were making his appeal through us. We implore you on Christ’s behalf: Be reconciled to God.
God made him who had no sin to be sin for us, so that in him we might become the righteousness of God.’ -2 Corinthians 5:13-21
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[Demon District Hidden Cul-de-sac]
Underneath the hidden veil of Zoram’s SeiõrStar is the small suburban circular group of homes. Itsuka and Zoram stand in the middle of the circular black top.
Around the spectating Völva there is a small, fully grown potted plant, a pile of deflated balloons, and a wet spot as if water was poured on the asphalt.
The phyisically gifted, light skinned daughter to one of the most renowned Völva is sweating and after taking a few deep controlled breaths, her breathing relaxes.
Itsuka: "Phewww!
Okay...I think I got that down.
What’s next?"
Zoram: "My, my, my I am pleasantly surprised, seed of Ioûnn.
Your overall SeiõrStorage may not be as large as Ms. Shelly’s, but you both have incredible recovery rates.
Now as long as you practice those techniques, they will naturally get stronger along with yourself."
Looking at the sparkling magical sleeves on her hands and forearms, the Seiõr teacher to Takamagahara looks disappointed.
Zoram: "Unfortunately, that was the last technique that I confidently know or can safely produce."
Itsuka can tell there is something bothering her tutor about the statement.
Itsuka: "’Confidently know’...’Safely produce’?
Isssss there something you’re not telling me, Madam Zoram?"
Blushing Zoram scratches her wrist nervously.
Zoram: "Well there are a few that I believe to have made a breakthrough on, but..."
Now knowing there might be other techniques for her to learn, Itsuka invades Zoram’s personal space.
Itsuka: "Buuut?"
Taking a deep breath, the Middle Eastern Völva contemplates whether or not she should release the information but eventually, she caves.
Zoram: "When I was first taught about Seiõr by my adopted parents, they only taught me these techniques that would help cultivate the crops and heal the residents of Jormsburg.
Nothing I was taught was meant to be an offensive technique or supposed to harm others like the uses of Seiõr conjured by Laban’s sisters."
Itsuka suddenly remembers being the target to one of said "offensive techniques" and having herself get sliced by Laban’s floating, tiny, red and blue eyed DæMon sister, L’Orient.
Zoram: "As I’ve taught you here, to first conjure a specific technique, before any Seiõr can be produced, the user must think of a specific memory or once experienced emotions to help manifest certain techniques or skills."
She looks at the proof of Itsuka’s work at her feet and focuses on each successful result individually.
Zoram: "To expedite cultivation, the Seiõr user must embrace the current warmth of the Sun, or recall their most fondest memory of their appreciation for the Sun’s heat.
To control small quantities of fresh air for resuscitation, the Seiõr users must take in a deep, satisfactory breath of fresh air or recall their most precious memories of taking in fresh air.
To produce life vital water, taken from the moisture found even in the driest air, one must recall the relief of water on their dry, dehydrated tongue, or the feeling of cool water on their overheating skin."
She then looks upwards at the sky, knowing her disguising dome is keeping her people and adopted daughter safe from an enemy army.
Zoram: "And to produce a strong enough SeiõrStar, the caster must channel their want, their absolute desires, to focus on protecting the people they care about most.
Someone who only cares about protecting possessions or proceeding in negative desires can not use those feelings to protect inanimate objects."
Itsuka looks at her scuffed up, broken nailed hands. She then reaches into her pocket and pulls out a Lima bean that is slowly pulsing light green Seiõr.
She tosses the test bean in her mouth and chews her first ever made SeiõrSupplement.
Zoram: "Without these special sleeves, it took me multiple hours to make highly potent SeiõrSupplements.
As proof of your direct lineage to the most respected Völvas throughout hidden history..."
After consuming the healing magic charged bean, Itsuka watches the scuffs and scratches on her hands heal before her amazed heterospecies ocular sensors.
Zoram: "...You are able to create a single Seiõr charged supplement in a fraction of that time, and with about 75% effectiveness of those that I created without these sleeves.
With enough practice you may be able to produce even stronger SeiõrSupplement."
After the (exposition) explanation Zoram gets to the point and looks at her own hands covered with silk sleeves, sparkling from being saturated in potential Seiõr.
Zoram: "SupportingSeiõrSkills or ’Techniques’ were the only uses of Seiõr that I was allowed to use while under the thumb of Laban all these years.
It only occurred to me about the use of attacking or offensive techniques while Laban forced me to accompany her while she watched ’interesting’ battles during both World Wars."
Being reminded of the actual length to her tutor’s life makes ltsuka put the knowledge of magic into her historical perspective.
Itsuka: "She was interested in watching the most destructive and bloody conflicts throughout human history?
Seems on par with her before Shelly put that psychopath in her place and you guys joined us."
Zoram nods. Painfully remembering the sights and sounds of both post industrialized war as an unwilling spectator.
Zoram: "It’s in Valkyrie blood.
The sight of battle, the willingness from millions of soldiers to engage and die in conflict for their cause, to any woman with Valkyrie blood that is the most beautiful result of humanity’s existence.
From Laban’s words herself, ’The before, during, and after of human warfare is the only exception that a Valkyrie blooded woman can shed a tear over.
After all that happens in battle, the area in which the conflict took place is no longer recognizable, scattered about are the remains of the dead or the desperate crawling of those half alive, trying to claw to life. Finally, the silence of the rubbled homeland can only be described as the anthem of Death.’
I couldn’t imagine believing something so horrifying and heartbreaking can be perceived as beautiful or as admirable art."
Not knowing about Shelly’s own confession to Katsu while overlooking the demolished, leveled, and bloody puddle transformed Roronora City, Itsuka silently associates her closest friend to the theory.
Itsuka(thinking): *If that’s true, then does that mean Shelly thinks that way too?
Even though she is righteous and fights against injustice, does war and conflict secretly get Shelly’s blood pumping?
Her bloodline does explain why she’s grown up so willing to fight and defend Katsu against bullies, but does she also enjoy it and welcome more?*
Remembering the root of their discussion, Itsuka tries to get back on track.
Itsuka: "So what did you spectating those battles during warfare have to do with these other techniques you’re not confident to disclose?
And if those uses of Seiõr could have been helpful to escape being held hostage, why didn’t you practice them more?"
Figuring out a way to promote her reasoning in the most proper way, Zoram takes a moment before answering.
Zoram: "I believe Laban had already thought of the possibilities that could happen, if I had accidentally learned ways to overpower her with Seiõr she herself couldn’t control. So as a way to deter me from doing so, I was banned from practicing or displaying any forms of ’ScourgingSeiõrSkills’."
Itsuka: "...’ScourgingSeiõrSkills’?
So...
So if techniques using SupportingSeiõr are mostly passive and aid in the continuation of life, then that must mean..."
Once again the beautiful Seiõr tutor nods, but in disappointment.
Zoram: "The abilities used from ScourgingSeiõr are meant to destroy, harm, and create chaos amongst the user’s target or targets.
As you can easily put together, if all the SupportingSeiõrSkills depend on the caster’s associations with positivity and relief experiencd in their existence, then to successfully conjure ScourgingSeiõrSkills one must recall their most painful, heartbreaking, or life shattering emotions."
Digesting the critical information she had already assumed, Itsuka clenches her completely healed and decently manicured fist by her side.
Itsuka: "So that means, it is possible to discover different offensive techniques if I focus on certain memories that I wouldn’t want to remember in the first place?
Do you-...
Do you happen to know of any possibly distinct emotions that would work?"
Seemingly still hesitant, Zoram bites her bottom lip nervously.
Sensing the slight anxiety behind her questioning, Itsuka tries to reassure her concerned teacher.
Itsuka: "Even if Laban’s threats towards you no longer hold any weight, I can understand why you wouldn’t want to be a part in teaching me possibly violent Seiõr techniques, Madame Zoram.
But with the world becoming more and more aware towards the existence of Seiõr, there are going to be those who want to use those exact ScourgingSeiõrSkills against Takamagahara.
You may not be willing to participate in battle, but sometimes the best defense is an evenly effective offense as the attacking enemy.
If I can somehow change the tides of battle in favor of saving not only Takamagahara but all Sanpaku’s people, then you have to, at the very least, tell me what emotions led you to become curious enough to acknowledge the idea of turning them into abilities.
Please Madame Zoram, help me keep up with Shelly!"
From the inside of a three story home that is part of the surrounding cul-de-sac, the youngest of Takamagahara, Jormy, watches the ’muted’ debate from a second floor window.
