Yuuto took a slow, steady breath as Merlin's voice came through the flip-phone again—this time more serious, more academic than before.
[Lady Avalon]:
"Very well, my pupil.
Today, we begin your Spatial Foundation."
Yuuto stood upright in the middle of the warehouse, body relaxed but focused.
[Lady Avalon]:
"As I said earlier…
Magecraft involving 'space' is not about creating a new dimension.
That is far beyond human capability—and even many fae cannot touch that level.
What a magus can do is…"
A brief pause.
Merlin's tone lowered, turning more mystical.
[Lady Avalon]:
"—understand how the world binds its own structure,
and then operate through its existing spatial nodes."
Yuuto frowned slightly.
"Nodes…?"
[Lady Avalon]:
"Yes.
In Magecraft, the world possesses spatial nodes—points of stability that maintain the integrity of space."
Yuuto held his breath, listening carefully.
---
Merlin's Instructions – Step One: Perceiving the Spatial Web
[Lady Avalon]:
"First, Yuuto… relax your body and close your eyes."
Yuuto obeyed.
[Lady Avalon]:
"Use your internal mana flow—what we practiced yesterday—and let it brush against the air around you.
Do not force it.
Let it spread naturally, like a drifting breeze."
Yuuto lowered his shoulders.
Mana seeped slowly from his skin, lightly touching the surrounding air.
He felt a faint, delicate current—separate from his internal mana.
Yuuto:
"…It feels like… fine threads?"
[Lady Avalon]:
"Exactly."
Her tone warmed.
"That is the first layer: the Filament Layer.
A thin boundary that marks the surface of space.
Every Bounded Field begins by recognizing this layer."
---
Step Two: Detecting Spatial Tension
[Lady Avalon]:
"Now push your mana a little deeper.
No pulling, no forcing.
Think of it as brushing against thin fabric."
Yuuto followed her instructions.
Time passed.
Nearly an hour later—
A faint tug, like a minute pressure, touched Yuuto's fingertips.
Yuuto:
"…There's… slight resistance."
[Lady Avalon]:
"Good.
That is Spatial Tension—the natural strain that keeps the world stable.
If you can perceive that tension, you can form a Bounded Field without damaging the world's structure."
Her tone darkened slightly.
[Lady Avalon]:
"And if you mishandle it… the space itself may tear.
So be cautious, my pupil."
Yuuto swallowed.
"I understand."
---
Step Three: Locating a Spatial Node
[Lady Avalon]:
"Now the hardest part of the basics.
Find something that is static.
A point where the world feels… still."
Yuuto calmed his thoughts, letting his mana disperse outward.
And then—
He found it.
A point.
Tiny.
Unmoving amidst all the subtle fluctuations of space.
Yuuto:
"I found it… a point that doesn't shift."
[Lady Avalon]:
"That is a Spatial Node.
A tether point where the world anchors itself.
This is what allows us to establish a Bounded Field."
Yuuto nodded silently.
The node felt fragile… yet essential.
---
Step Four: Marking the Node
[Lady Avalon]:
"Now, touch that node with your mana.
Do not distort it.
Simply leave a marker—
as if placing a bookmark in a book."
Yuuto gently touched it with a thin stream of mana.
The node reacted—like a flash of colorless light.
Ping.
Yuuto flinched slightly.
"…It felt like a… small pulse."
[Lady Avalon]:
"That means you successfully marked the space.
With this, you have learned the foundation of creating a Bounded Field."
Her satisfaction was palpable.
[Lady Avalon]:
"Well done, Yuuto.
For a beginner… you are far ahead of most magi."
Yuuto breathed deeply.
His body was tired, yet his mind felt light.
He opened his eyes—
still sensing the node, glowing like an invisible pinpoint star.
---
[Lady Avalon]:
"We'll stop here.
To work with space, you must know it as naturally as your own breathing.
Practice this every day.
Now, go eat your lunch. I'll be eating, too."
Yuuto nodded though she couldn't see him.
Yuuto:
"Yes, sensei."
---
The session ended just as orange twilight slipped through the cracks in the warehouse roof.
The air grew warmer, while Yuuto's body felt lighter—like the world's rhythm had synced with his own.
Merlin spoke again, voice full of approval.
[Lady Avalon]:
"You learn quickly, Yuuto.
This is not merely Arthur's talent… it's yours."
Yuuto smiled faintly.
"Sensei overpraises me."
Merlin chuckled.
[Lady Avalon]:
"No. You've begun to grasp Spatial Foundation…
and you've already handled my Light Illusion quite well."
Yuuto rubbed his wrist, still warm from the mana flow.
"Still… without your guidance, sensei, I wouldn't have gotten this far."
[Lady Avalon]:
"Hahahaha! Of course! I am Merlin— the greatest magus in history!"
Yuuto sighed softly, amused.
"…I'll end the call now, sensei. It's starting to rain here."
[Lady Avalon]:
"Oh, Yuuto—"
Click.
The connection ended before she could finish.
And as if the world waited for that cue—
the first raindrop fell.
Then thousands.
Yuuto looked up through the warehouse doorway.
"…Rain. As predicted."
He opened his umbrella.
"Good thing I brought this."
He stepped into the rainy street, the droplets tapping against the fabric above him.
His breath misted in the air as he walked.
"…Should I use wind magecraft again? It'd be faster…"
But then—he stopped.
Out of the corner of his eye—
A small park.
An empty swing set under the gloomy sky.
And on it—
A girl.
Her blonde hair darkened by rain, her shoulders trembling lightly.
Yuuto's eyes narrowed.
"…Shiina-san?"
Mahiru Shiina sat alone, gripping the chains of the swing.
Her back quivered—
not from cold.
From holding back tears.
Yuuto moved instantly.
"Shiina-san… what are you doing out here?"
His voice was calm, but the worry beneath it was unmistakable.
Mahiru lifted her face slightly.
Her eyes were red, rain sliding down her cheeks.
Yuuto tilted his umbrella toward her, shielding her from the downpour.
Mahiru looked up—
meeting the shadowed half of Yuuto's face beneath his hood.
"K-Kido-san… did you need something from me?"
Her voice was small, nearly swallowed by the rain.
"No."
Yuuto shook his head.
"It's just… if you sit out here alone in the rain, anyone would be worried."
His voice softened further.
"And as your neighbor… of course I'd worry too."
Mahiru turned her face aside, unreadable emotion flickering across it.
"I see… thank you, but… I'm here because I chose to be."
Her tone held a faint edge—
the defensiveness of someone trying not to look fragile.
Yuuto didn't move.
Instead—he smiled gently.
A rare, sincere smile.
"In that case…"
He reached out and took her hand.
Mahiru's breath hitched.
"…this is my choice."
He placed the umbrella in her grip.
Her eyes widened—she didn't pull away.
"You don't need to thank me."
Yuuto stepped back, rain soaking his hoodie.
"This was my decision."
He tightened his hood and jogged away.
Mahiru remained frozen, clutching the still-warm umbrella.
A faint blush bloomed on her cheeks.
"T… thank you…"
Her whisper vanished into the rain—
but for the first time,
her voice carried a fragile warmth.
(note: you may not like this training story but don't worry once yuuto fully masters bouden field the other magic training won't be like this)