My mind rebooted and I still couldn't believe what I heard was true or just a slip of tongue.
What? Now? I must have looked utterly bewildered because Lavinia tilted her head, a soft, knowing smile playing on her lips. "Don't get flustered~ I need it for test purpose" Her tone was teasing, but there was a gentle warmth beneath it. "Proper aura circulation is key for this assessment. Think of it as… a condition" She punctuated her explanation with a flick of her wrist, and a robe materialized out of thin air, folding itself neatly before her. "Besides," she added with a wink, holding up the strange fabric "This will be much more suitable for what we're about to do"
The robe was unlike anything I'd ever seen. Spun from a material that seemed to ripple with light in here, its color shifted subtly between shades of black and silver as it moved. It felt very light in my hands. It was certainly designed for function and rizz for assessment. My gaze flickered between the intriguing robe and Lavinia's completely unconcerned expression. With a hesitant nod, I accepted it. Even with the oddity of her request, there was a strange calming effect to it. It took me few minutes to change and after that.
She led me deeper into the cottage's magical embrace, towards the large cauldron bubbling merrily over the crackling hearth. The concoction within swirled with an array of bizarre ingredients resembling captured starlight, leaves, and what looked suspiciously like miniature, glowing eyeballs that blinked rhythmically. As Lavinia began to chant in some weird tongue, the air vibrated with magical energy that made me felt unease for some reason. A familiar sensation began to build within me, that chaotic, untamed power stirring restlessly, threatening to break free and wreak havoc once more. Not again, I thought, clenching my fists.
Sensing my rising distress, Lavinia moved with surprising swiftness and a gentle urgency. Her hand, surprisingly firm and warm, settled on my chest, directly over my racing heart. Her chanting softened, morphing into a low, soothing melody that seemed to resonate deep within my body, calming the turbulent energy that threatened to overwhelm me. Under her touch, the chaotic storm within began to subside, replaced by an unfamiliar sense of peace.
"Now it's time for the test, Rei-kun," Lavinia announced, her eyes sparkling with a mixture of excitement and something that felt like… anticipation? Three intricate sigils shimmered into existence in the air before us, each pulsing with a distinct and potent magical energy. They hung there, glowing symbols of an ancient power I could only feel but can't comprehend.
"Your trial, Rei-kun," she explained, her voice taking on a more serious, focused tone as she floated gracefully beside me, her gaze fixing on the glowing symbols "It will be three trials to see… if you're truly ready to walk this path." This path? I wondered, a flicker of curiosity mixing with my nervousness "Give your best and don't give into panic. Just stay calm"
The first sigil pulsed with a steady, unwavering light. "Channel that energy of yours one by one, and keep it flowing into the sigil, make it stable and unwavering. No surges, no deviations" It felt like trying to hold lightning in my bare hands, the energy within me wild and untamed. The sigil flickered violently with each uncontrolled burst. "Take it easy, Rei-kun. Don't be hasty" Lavinia prompted gently, her voice a calming anchor in the swirling energy. "Feel the flow, don't fight it and make the all three runes stable just like I told you before"
I nodded and with closing my eyes, I followed the trails of it and carefully guided my energy that led me to the next one.
The second sigil radiated a primal, elemental power, crackling with unseen forces. "Try to connect your energy with an element up in it's vastness. What resonates within you, Rei-kun? What calls to your very being? Let it chose you and You will know the affinity for the magic you will be best suited for" Without conscious thought, the image of that blinding, life-affirming light from the woods flashed in my mind. I reached for that memory, attempting to draw forth a similar luminescence from within. A faint, golden glow flickered around my hands, connecting with the sigil's power "Good, good," Lavinia encouraged, her eyes gleaming. "Feel its warmth, its intensity. Let it become a part of you"
The final sigil hummed with a vibrant energy, its intricate lines shifting and weaving like runes "This one is woven in the tongue of the ancient mages. Comprehend its intent… and speak it with your energy. Show me you can grasp the very essence of magic" Runes swirled around the sigil, forming words that felt both utterly weird and strangely, fleetingly familiar, like a half-forgotten dream. I stared, brows furrowed in intense concentration, desperately trying to decipher their meaning, to grasp the power held within those cryptic symbols. What are they trying to tell me? Oppai? No? Well it's gonna be hard. Think..I can do this, even though I am not protagonist. I got enough luck to pull this off.
Throughout the trials, Lavinia remained a constant presence, her movements fluid and graceful. Her gaze was curious but never of criticism "Almost there… try again, you can do it!…" "Feel the trail of it, Rei-kun…" Her quiet encouragement was a light in the face of my own frustrating lack of control on this level. I had significant control but not on this extent that I could maintain for so long at such a large scale of space.
During my increasingly desperate attempts at the control sigil, a particularly violent surge of my untamed energy overwhelmed me. An uncontrolled blast shot out, colliding with a nearby shelf laden with glass vials filled with shimmering liquids and strange, unidentifiable artifacts. The shelf wobbled precariously for a moment before succumbing to gravity, sending a chaotic cascade of objects crashing to the floor. A viscous, emerald-green slime, smelling faintly of strawberries, splattered across my robe saving me from the onslaught.
Lavinia giggled amusingly as she floated gracefully over to me, completely unfazed by the sticky slime clinging to my skin. "It won't stink" she said, her eyes twinkling with amusement. Her touch was surprisingly gentle as she nonchalantly wiped a glob of slime from my cheek with her finger. "You're clumsy, but undeniably energetic, Rei-kun. We can definitely work with that" A playful smirk touched her lips "See? Much better in the robe, wouldn't you agree?" Her fingers lingered on my skin for a fleeting moment, sending a strange shiver down my spine that had nothing to do with the slime.
As the strange day bled into an equally strange night in this otherworldly realm, Lavinia led me out of the cottage. The glade behind it was bathed in an ethereal glow, not from any moon I recognized, but from countless magical fireflies that danced in the air, illuminating intricate runes etched into the very ground like glowing veins.
"Now," Lavinia said softly, her smile gentle as the strange light illuminated her delicate features. "Show me what your power can truly do, Rei-kun. I need to see its potential, its limits… and perhaps, its beauty. Good luck! I know you can do it!"
I took a deep breath, focusing inward, trying to tap into that wellspring of energy that felt both terrifying and exhilarating. I recalled the surge of protective power I'd felt in the woods, the raw life force that had erupted from me in that moment of desperation. With a surge of will, I activated aura which I had control over.
My body shimmered, enveloped in a visible aura of vibrant, white energy. My muscles tightened, coiling and ready, and my senses sharpened, the strange sounds and scents of the Underworld becoming acutely clear, amplified. Lavinia watched with wide, fascinated eyes, a soft gasp escaping her lips "So that's Ki" she murmured, her voice filled with a genuine wonder that made a strange warmth bloom in my chest "Impressive… truly impressive."
Without conscious thought and calm state, I moved in a blur of controlled movements. Ki Slashes, tore through the thick, thorny vegetation as if it were mere paper. A final, heavier strike, fueled by all my focus, ripped through the air, creating a shockwave that rustled the glowing leaves and made the very ground beneath my feet tremble, leaving cracks in the aftermath. Then, a fluid sequence of movements took over – Ki-assisted leaps that defied gravity.
It was what I learned from Bennia, it wasn't too much but it was enough to get her attention.
Lavinia clapped, her eyes shining with genuine delight and a hint of something that looked like pride. She floated closer, her gaze landing on me "Remarkable, Rei-kun. Truly remarkable" She paused, her expression thoughtful. "Tell me, what did you understand from that final sigil? The one with the ancient words?"
I frowned, my brow furrowed as I strained to recall the swirling runes, the feeling they evoked "It felt… like a link. To… to connect?"
Lavinia's smile widened, a genuine and radiant smile that lit up her face "Close, Rei-kun. Very close" She stepped closer, her eyes locked with mine with an intensity that made my heart skip a beat "It was pure connection. You see, Rei-kun," her gaze became serious, the playful air replaced by a profound sincerity "This wasn't just a test of your… unusual abilities. It was to see if you had the potential, the heart, to become my disciple"
My breath hitched. Her disciple? Me? Was she serious about taking me as her disciple?
"You almost failed on that last sigil," she continued, her voice softening slightly, a hint of encouragement in it "You struggled with the language, the direct translation. But in your struggle to understand, you grasped the core intent – to connect, to guide, to nurture. That flicker of understanding, that inherent empathy… that's crucial. More crucial than blatant control over power alone."
She stepped even closer, her presence both comforting and strangely alluring. "You passed, Rei-kun. Just barely. But you passed"
I did it.
. . .
After that she led me to the relaxing spot behind her cottage. The hot spring was a surreal oasis, steam curling around glowing rocks under a sky painted with colors I'd never seen. Lavinia had slipped into the water with an ease, fully naked that made my face burn, the magical fireflies casting dancing shadows on her skin.
"Lavinia-san," I began, the warmth of the water doing little to calm the turmoil inside me. "Why… why did you agree to help me with my power? You barely know me"
She gazed at me for a long moment, before looking towards the sky "When I was younger" she said softly, her voice carrying a hint of reminisce "I had that same… desperate fire in my eyes. That same raw dedication to learn, to master something beyond myself. I saw a reflection of that in you, Rei-kun. It reminded me of when I yearned to become my master's disciple."
"Your master?" I asked, a flicker of curiosity overriding my awkwardness "Do they… do they also live here?"
She looked away with a subtle shift in her demeanor "Not anymore." She didn't elaborate, and something in her tone told me not to pry. My own discomfort resurfaced as I became acutely aware of our bodies touching beneath the water, the warmth of her skin against mine. I could almost hear the voices in my head from the little brother and it wasn't decent for the conversation right now.
I tried to focus on her words, on the surprising vulnerability she'd just shown.
Then, her gaze turned back to me, sharp and perceptive "Wouldn't your parents be worried, Rei-kun? Staying away for so long… won't you miss them?"
I looked straight ahead, the strange sky suddenly feeling vast and empty. The words came out flat "My parents… they died a week ago in a car accident. I'm… I'm the only one left"
A wave of understanding washed over Lavinia's face. Her expression softened with a deep empathy. Without a word, she reached out and pulled me into a close embrace. Her naked body pressed against mine, the warmth of her skin both comforting and intensely arousing. I felt the soft press of her stomach against my… gigantic arousal.
A low murmur vibrated against my ear. "Oh, Rei-kun…" Her hand, surprisingly bold, moved lower, her fingers closing around my sword "Would you… would you like some help with that?"
"I-I do-"
She silenced me with a finger to my lips "Don't say anything" she murmured, her eyes in heart shape with desire "Just let me…"
Her hand slipped under the water, finding my dick already hard and throbbing. I gasped as she wrapped her fingers around it, stroking gently "Lavinia-san" I leaned back against the rocks savoring this moment. It was a dream come true for the loner who sat on last desk while having no girlfriend.
She grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief "You like that, Rei-kun?" she teased, her hand moving faster as she kissed me deeply making the sensation from good to best in just few seconds.
I could only fight back up here, my breath coming in ragged gasps in between. She leaned in, her lips brushing against mine in a feather-light kiss as a trail of saliva separated us "Good" she whispered leaning closer to my ear "Because I'm going to make you feel even better"
She moved closer straddling me, her wet clit rubbing against my dick. I groaned, my hands finding her hips pulling her closer as my head buried into her breasts "Fuck, Lavinia-san" I groaned, my voice lacing with desire to drown into this moment.
She grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief. "Ara Ara~ Rei-kun. Don't be hasty" she murmured, her hand reaching between us to guide my dick inside her.
I gasped as I felt her envelop me, her pussy tight and hot around my dick. She moaned, her head falling back as she started to ride me, her hips moving in a slow, sensual rhythm as water splattered with cool air brushing her hairs over my face as she leaned on me and kissing me deeply.
I groaned, my hands gripping her hips tightly, my dick thrusting up into her "Lavinia-san" I gasped, my voice ragged "You feel so fucking good."
She grinned, her eyes looking me as she licked her lips "I'm glad you think so, Rei-kun," she murmured, her hips moving faster all of a sudden "Because I'm going to make you cum so hard, you'll be in heaven"
"Lavinia-san," I groaned "I'm going to…"
She grinned, her eyes sparkling with mischief "Cum for me, Rei-kun" she whispered, her voice husky "Cum inside me, fill me up…"
I groaned, my hips thrusting up one final time as I came, my dick throbbing inside her. She moaned, her pussy clenching around me as she came, her body shuddering against mine.
We collapsed against each other, our breaths mingling in the steamy air. "Fuck, Lavinia-san" I gasped, my voice ragged "That was…"
"Rei-kun"
"Rei kun"
*CLAP!*
Wake up to reality"
"Hah?" I opened my eyes as I saw Lavinia looking down at me as I look up. Her thighs were resting over my shoulder as my face squished between them, as I was still sitting in the hot spring. Our intimate session was? Where was it? And when did I pass out? I was confused as she ruffled my hairs and told me "Sigh! You are finally awake Rei-kun. I forgot to tell you that this hot spring is shrouded in lust fog and it casts illusions on individual's lust. Stronger it is, harder it is to resist it's effects. I forgot to warn you beforehand"
Damn!
I Got Played.
But I saved it in my head in HD. Even though I lost the battle, I won the war.