Chapter 17: Seven Luminary Flow Seals

Mineki Shian had shut herself in her room to plan her strategy for the upcoming battle against the Tsuchikurenai-ke.

As for what Shiga Inui was doing, he was attempting to apply himself to his studies.

The plan had been for him to modify his Arts with her, with Abarabana Tenri.

But after hearing what Shiga Inui had to say, she just stared at him, glaring.

“…”

“Uh? Are you mad?”

Shiga Inui peered at her face.

In response to his feigned innocence, a vein pulsed on her forehead, but she kept a smile plastered on her face.

“No, not at all. I’m not mad. I’m not mad in the slightest. I was already fully aware that you were capable of lying, so really, I’m not mad!”

It felt like a waste to even get angry over a man like this.

And yet, she had been just a little too conceited.

She knew it was useless to place any trust or faith in this man, but the special treatment he’d shown her had made her get carried away.

“I was simply a fool to believe your words.”

Seeing her hurt expression, Shiga Inui felt a slight pang of guilt.

“Hey, it’s not like I wanted to lie to you. Besides, it wasn’t all a lie… In the first place, I don’t really know the first thing about the details of Arts or Flow. That’s what I need you to teach me first.”

His desire to grow as a sorcerer was genuine. He figured that she was, at the very least, educated. If he could learn from her, he would master the fundamentals and gain strength.

At his desperate plea, she narrowed her eyes, considering her options.

She understood that expecting anything from this man was pointless. But she could no longer deny his words.

In the end, no matter how much she thought it over, she would ultimately nod.

“…Haaaah. Fine. I just didn’t realize you were quite this much of an idiot…”

In response to her best attempt at an insult, Shiga Inui grabbed her shoulders, made a fist with his other hand, and gave her a thumbs-up.

“Hey, don’t put yourself down. After all, you lost to that very same idiot.”

That was also true.

Abarabana Tenri let out an even deeper sigh.

Still, there was no use dwelling on her resignation forever.

If they didn’t complete Shiga Inui’s Arts, the battles to come would be difficult.

Above all, the next fight was against the Tsuchikurenai-ke.

If they were to lose, a future of subjugation awaited them.

Their misogyny was severe; a life of hard servitude as sex slaves would be their fate.

(I have to make sure this man wins, no matter what it takes…)

Siding with Shiga Inui was preferable to having her dignity trampled any further.

Their interests were aligned.

And for that very reason, she needed Shiga Inui to win for her.

(N-No, it’s not that I prefer this man or anything… It’s just that being cherished by him is simply the lesser evil compared to being used, day in and day out, as a sexual outlet by the deeply misogynistic Tsuchikurenai-ke. There’s no other meaning to it…)

“Hey, can we get started already?”

Shiga Inui’s voice cut through her spiraling thoughts.

They promptly began the lesson.

She cleared her throat and looked at him.

The fact that she was savoring a little bit of joy probably meant she liked to teach.

“Sorcerers fundamentally possess one of seven attributes.”

At her words, Shiga Inui nodded. “Ah.”

“Ahh… yeah, I think I’ve heard that somewhere before.”

He put a hand on his chin, pretending to think.

His comment made her brow furrow.

“What do you mean, you ‘think you’ve heard that somewhere before’? Are you really a sorcerer? …Whatever.”

She shot a little venom his way before moving on.

She brought out a calendar that was hanging in the room.

“As you can see from a calendar, the attributes are patterned after the Seven Luminaries—that is, the celestial bodies of the cosmos.”

The names for the days of the week were originally taken from the names of the stars. The days were assigned to the stars in order of their apparent speed as seen from Earth.

“Moon, Fire, Water, Wood, Gold, Earth, and Sun. These seven attributes form the characteristics of a sorcerer’s Flow.”

She took out a nearby notebook and wrote down the seven attributes with a pen.

“These are the seven basic attributes, known as the Seven Luminary Flow Seals.”

She wrote the words, circling them for emphasis.

Shiga Inui listened with a thoroughly bored expression.

“Huh… so what’s the big deal with having attributes?”

She answered his question.

“When the attribute is different, the characteristics of the Flow change.”

Again, her pen raced across the notebook, adding more details.

Looking at what she’d written, Shiga Inui showed his displeasure.

“What’s with all this ‘Third Grade’ and ‘Quasi’ stuff?”

Under the “Output” category was a jumble of kanji numerals, grades, and other eye-glazing details.

“It’s a way to measure the power, the strength and weakness. ‘Quasi’ indicates that it has the potential to be ranked higher than its current grade…”

He cut her off.

“It’s too confusing. Make it like in a manga, with ranks like A and B.”

Being told to rewrite what she had just painstakingly written filled her with indignation.

“This… this tyrant! …Yes, will this be sufficient!?”

However, she could not defy him.

She once again rewrote the contents.

Seven Luminary Flow Seals: Basic Attribute Explanation

Output Power: The attack power of the Flow. Output Range: The effective range of the Flow. Output Manifestation: The materialization of the Flow. Output Velocity: The initial speed of the Flow. Output Control: The manipulation of the Flow.

Moon Seal (Getsuin): Nature is Decay. A property that induces a reduction of energy in the target.

Output State: ‘Indistinct’. When the Flow is generated, space may appear distorted or semi-transparent like murky air. High-level sorcerers can generate it as an invisible Flow.

Output Power: E

Output Range: D

Output Manifestation: E-

Output Velocity: D

Output Control: E

Fire Seal (Kain): Nature is Corrosion. A property that corrodes a portion of the target, producing a continuous effect.

Output State: ‘Flame’. The heat source intensifies according to the output amount, causing combustion.

Output Power: C+

Output Range: C

Output Manifestation: E

Output Velocity: C+

Output Control: C

Water Seal (Suin): Nature is Permeation. A property that allows it to easily assimilate with liquids and manipulate the assimilated liquid as if it were Flow.

Output State: ‘Water Vapor’. When assimilated with a liquid, it uses that liquid as a medium for manipulation.

Output Power: D+

Output Range: C+

Output Manifestation: E~C

Output Velocity: C+

Output Control: E~A

Wood Seal (Mokuin): Nature is Propagation. A property that absorbs the target’s energy to increase in volume or recover.

Output State: ‘Sprouting’. When released outside the body, a Flow resembling tree branches grows from the sorcerer’s flesh.

Output Power: C

Output Range: C

Output Manifestation: C

Output Velocity: D~A

Output Control: C

Gold Seal (Kin’in): Nature is Refinement. A property that brings the Flow closer to a metallic substance through a process called tempering.

Output State: ‘Lightning’. Possesses properties similar to electricity and transforms into a metallic substance by tempering the Flow.

Output Power: A

Output Range: E

Output Manifestation: E~A

Output Velocity: A

Output Control: E

Earth Seal (Do’in): Nature is Dampening. It catches and mitigates the impact and damage of energy generated from a target.

Output State: ‘Particles’. The Flow released outside the body transforms into fine particles.

Output Power: C+

Output Range: D

Output Manifestation: B

Output Velocity: E

Output Control: B

Sun Seal (Nichin): Nature is Amplification. A property that promotes an increase in the target’s energy.

Output State: ‘Light’. Can be emitted like a laser and can be imbued with heat by increasing the output.

Output Power: A

Output Range: A

Output Manifestation: E

Output Velocity: A

Output Control: E-

“A-n-d… since you probably won’t get it even with all these words, I’ll explain it simply…”

a simple explanation of the seven luminary flow sealsMoon Seal: Invisible. Drains your strength if it touches you.Fire Seal: Fire-like. The Flow gradually corrodes.Water Seal: Water-like. Assimilates with water.Wood Seal: Wood-like. Wood comes out of your body.Gold Seal: Gold-like. Tempering the Flow makes it like metal.Earth Seal: Earth-like. Earth softens attacks.Sun Seal: Laser. Can also make lasers that aren’t hot.

Her tone and the simplified version in the notebook were irritating.

But he suppressed his dissatisfaction as he reviewed the contents.

“Huh… I pretty much get it. So, which one are you?”

He traced the words in the notebook with his finger.

Shiga Inui asked which one she fell under.

She fell silent.

Then, her pen started moving again.

“…My attribute is this one.”

She showed the notebook to Shiga Inui.

‘Flower Seal / Possesses the characteristics of both the Wood and Water Seals, in addition to the property of dispersing released energy.’

Is what was written.

It wasn’t one of the seven attributes at all, which convinced Shiga Inui she was messing with him.

“…Hey, that’s not one of the seven attributes! Stop making up your own words!!”

He reached out, grabbed her chest over her clothes, and pulled hard.

Her small breasts were tugged, and she cried out, her face turning red.

“I was just about to explain! Stop grabbing my chest!!”

She pleaded desperately.

Clutching her chest, Abarabana Tenri took several deep breaths, a cold sweat beading on her skin.

“Haaa… Didn’t I say the basics are the Seven Luminary Flow Seals?… Sorcerers’ attributes change with the newborn produced from the combination of bloodline and the union of male and female.”

And so she began her explanation.

No matter how much she scolded or insulted him, he would just do it again.

Therefore, saying anything to him now was pointless.

All she could do was what she had to.

“For example, if a sorcerer with a Fire Seal and a sorcerer with a Water Seal have a child, there are seven possible states for that child’s Flow characteristics.”

Her pen once again raced across the notebook.

She showed the seven types to Shiga Inui.

Inheritance Type: Inherits the Flow characteristics of either the mother or the father.Fusion Type: Inherits a single attribute that is a fusion of both parents’ Flow characteristics.Dual Type: Possesses both the mother’s and the father’s Flow characteristics.Null Type: Inherits neither parent’s Flow characteristics.Anomalous Type: Manifests a completely different attribute.Enhanced Type: The Flow characteristics are strengthened.Specialized Type: The Flow characteristics become extreme.

Having shown him this, she explained why her ability was the Flower Seal.

“My father is a Wood Seal and my mother is a Water Seal, so I gained the characteristics of both, classifying me as a Fusion Type.”

She circled ‘Fusion Type’ with her pen, then put the pen and notebook down.

Then, releasing the Flow from within her body, glowing petals of Flow scattered from her fingertips.

She generated the Flow again and released it, and this time, the Flow dripped from her fingers like water.

“This is my Flow. Furthermore, by adding Arts to this…”

Channeling her Arts through the Flow, a small bee appeared from her fingertip. When she pointed her index finger at Shiga Inui, nectar mixed with bodily fluid emerged.

“By dispersing my Flow, I can generate tiny bees, or by using the fluidity of the Water Seal, I can turn my bodily fluids into nectar.”

Shiga Inui opened his mouth and licked her index finger.

It tasted sweet. Her Honey Arts allowed her to generate and control bees and honey.

So it made sense that her bodily fluids would be sweet.

“Hmm… Oh? So, if you weren’t, say, that Flower Seal thing, what would your Arts be like?”

She had activated it through her Arts.

This was, after all, generating Arts in accordance with her Flow characteristics.

If her Flow characteristic wasn’t the Flower Seal, what effect would her Arts have?

“For a brain like yours, that’s a good question… That’s why, my chest, wai-, oh, there, I can feel it—”

She naturally belittled Shiga Inui.

Of course, he understood she was making fun of him, so as punishment, he pinched and pulled the tip of her breast.

“This is the effect when used by someone in my bloodline who, despite possessing the same Honey Arts, has the Fire Seal.”

Abarabana Tenri’s family was one of plants and insects.

Her mother’s side of the family used insects, and there was someone who possessed the Honey Arts.

“It is written that that woman’s Honey Arts transformed her bodily fluids into nectar, and by having the target ingest it, it created a state of euphoria and addiction.”

Through the Honey Arts, she changed her own bodily fluids into nectar.

By having a target consume those fluids, their nerves were driven mad by the taste of the nectar, inducing symptoms of addiction.

Because they would obey any command to get more nectar, that woman earned the moniker ‘Queen Bee’.

“The characteristic of the Fire Seal is the preservation of energy. By channeling the Flow into a target, you could say the effect of the Arts was preserved within them.”

Her explanation satisfied Shiga Inui.

“Huh, so even with the same Arts, the effect can be totally different if the Flow characteristics are different.”

“That’s right. At the same time, if the Flow and the Arts are too mismatched, a situation where the Arts cannot be used can occur. In other words, a sorcerer who can only use their Flow is born.”

Hearing that explanation, Shiga Inui understood.

In the Hiryuuin-ke, there were some old-timers who didn’t participate in wars as sorcerers.

After her explanation, he was convinced they were incomplete as sorcerers.

(…Well, if that’s the case, it’s weird that they’re in high positions despite being incompetent… But whatever, I don’t care.)

Shiga Inui said to her.

“I pretty much get it. So… how do I find out my Flow characteristic?”

As long as Shiga Inui was active as a sorcerer, he could use Flow.

However, he had been fighting without understanding his own Flow characteristic.

At that point, he was at the very bottom as a sorcerer, but due to his innate combat sense, he displayed skills that put him above other sorcerers.

A man who was unconventional in many ways—that was Shiga Inui.

“Please calm down. I have prepared something for this very purpose.”

With that, Abarabana Tenri placed a bag in front of Shiga Inui and began to take out a tool from inside.

“So to check the type, is it that thing? Are we gonna do a Water Divination-type thing?”

He held his hands out in front of him, making a show of releasing Flow.

Seeing his actions, she tilted her head and spoke sarcastically.

“Wa…? There are times when I cannot comprehend what you say. I don’t comprehend it now, either…”

Shiga Inui’s very existence was incomprehensible.

Hearing those words, Shiga Inui pushed her down.

“If you don’t get it, should I make you understand with your body? Huh?”

“T-That part I understand more than enough! You’ve done it enough to drive me crazy so many times…!!”

She screamed, remembering how he trained her night after night.

“This is a Flow Analysis Chart, which can determine a Flow’s type.”

What she took out of the bag was a sheet of paper that looked like a spider’s web.

Various characters were drawn between the lines.

He tried to count them with his eyes but stopped after he passed twenty.

At the very least, there were over a hundred items at a glance.

“Place your finger in the center of this paper and channel your Flow into it.”

The character for ‘Flower’, written between ‘Water’ and ‘Wood’, blurred.

She pointed her finger at the character.

“Like this, your own Flow will be colored.”

I see, Shiga Inui nodded.

“Alright, I’ll give it a try.”

With that, Shiga Inui placed his finger on the center of the paper.

He casually released his Flow, and the characters on the paper blurred.

She immediately checked the Flow and was stunned.

“What is this…? Dual Type… No, in the first place—”

She looked at the Flow Analysis Chart she was supposed to have used.

The character for ‘Flower’ was colored, and it was the one she had already used.

If so, it didn’t seem like she had mistakenly used the one she had used.

That made it all the more inexplicable.

“…What kind of trick did you use?”

Abarabana Tenri suspected that Shiga Inui had done something.

However, Shiga Inui shook his head from side to side, as if to say that was rude.

“Hey now, even I wouldn’t mess with something you brought…”

As if hurt, Shiga Inui pretended to be on the verge of tears.

Without reacting in the slightest to his expression, Abarabana Tenri thought to herself.

(It’s true… If that’s the case, then this result… means this man is just that unique… If this result came about from my contact with him…)

She swallowed.

Her Flow Seal wasn’t rare, but there weren’t many who possessed it, either.

That was why she couldn’t hide her surprise at this result, and when she compared it with the truth Shiga Inui had told her, she thought this must be his true nature.

“So, I’ve got a question… For example, with Flow Seals, some combinations increase attack power, right?”

She couldn’t understand the meaning of his question.

“Huh…? Well, yes. By applying a weighted release when you emit Flow, you can temporarily improve the characteristics of the Flow.”

Abarabana Tenri explained as he requested.

“With a Fire Seal, the temperature rises and you can handle it like a flame. With a Water Seal, it becomes like a liquid. With my Flower Seal, I can scatter the Flow like petals, or it gives off a scent, but…”

However, after explaining for a few seconds, Abarabana Tenri immediately understood.

“…No way. But if that’s the case… then Arts themselves are unnecessary, aren’t they?… If that’s possible… you’re pretty insane.”

She ended up cursing, forgetting even to be polite, but her expression was one of admiration.

As if he understood that as well, Shiga Inui smiled to match her expression.

“You mean insanely cool, right?”

He said.

Through her study session, Shiga Inui had gained a fitting opportunity to learn.