While Daichi and the others engaged the goblins, Akashi focused his attention in healing the wounds of Shin.
He willed the mana to supply the healing ability in his hand. The golden particles gathered and condensed as time passed and Akashi's control over mana increased.
While he concentrated his attention to his mana, he still spared his attention to Shin so he couldn't help but furrow his brows when he felt his intent gaze.
"..."
Shin debilerately stared at Akashi, waiting for him to ask why but he was caught off guard when Akashi still ignored him.
Moments passed in silence between them when Shin couldn't hold back his curiosity any longer.
"Why did you refuse back then?"
"I believe I already said my reason." Akashi replied without even glancing at him.
"No, I still don't get it. You were treated as a plauge in that world wherever you go and was ultimately forced to isolate yourself, unable to display your talents." Shin said as he stared intently at Akashi and continued his words, "Judging by your fast comprehension of this mysterious ability to speed up my metabolism rate and stimulate the production of collagen to form my foundational tissues, and close up my wounds, you would have started anew in this world. Far from being a despised person."
Shin spoke as he oozed a scholarly vibe brimming with curiosity. He stared at Akashi who took a moment before turning his gaze towards him. His dull grey eyes gave chills to Shin as he spoke in a slightly low voice.
"Just to clarify, I chose to isolate myself to the world. I don't care what people think about me. The factors that affects my life is I, me and myself alone."
"I still don't under-" just as Shin was about to speak again, he was cut of by Akashi's glare.
"Let me finish." Akashi said as he crossed his brows at Shin.
"I'm satisfied with my life. I don't want to endanger myself. And as I've said I don't have any reason to abide their request. I'm not a good guy to begin with." Akashi paused for a moment before he continued speaking, "In any case, it will just be the same. I'd just isolate myself in this world just as before. I won't change."
Shin was puzzles by Akashi's words and his stubborness to be alone. However he couldn't help but look at him in a new light when he heared his words that pierced him to the core.
"So that's why..."
You and I will never be the same.
Shin didn't finished his words as he scrunitize Akashi's messy appearance. The phrase 'Dont judge a book by its cover' resurfaced in his mind.
Although Akashi had a very selfish reason for himself, Shin didn't had it in him to refute his words. He would just feel worse than he already is.
A man who didn't seek for approval and permission or a reason to live.
And a man who sought for acknowledgement like a hungry beast.
The two were polar opposites however Shin couldn't help but view Akashi more positively and a little bit envious.
When the wounds in Shin's ankle completely dissapeared, Akashi stood up and backed away as he eyed the three guys that returned.
"Teach me." Sugo Shin said as he looked up at Akashi while laying his feet on the ground.
"Hmm? What can Kageyama-kun even teach you?" Daichi asked as he helped Shin stand up.
"Oh right! Aren't you a wizard? Those that use magics." Ryunosuke said at Shin as he eyed Akashi in the corner of his eyes.
Akashi merely closed his eyes and spoke after deliberation. "Okay. I don't know much, but I only know the basics."
"Huh what are we talking about? Is it magic? It's magic isn't it?" Tsukasa said as his eyes sparkled at Akashi.
"Now, now the sun is about to set. We'll camp here for the time being. First let's set a fire. Me and Tsukasa will go get some firewoods. The rest of you... Search for a few edible things like fruits and mushrooms. Let's go Tsukasa." Tsukasa followed Daichi as they went to search for fallen branches.
Akashi followed Ryunosuke and Shin and went to pick some fruits.
They walked for a few moments before Shin stopped and inspected a mushroom in a nearby tree.
"This looks like a white button mushroom but it has the smell of shiitake mushrooms. [Appraisal]" After assessing the mushroom, Shin used a skill.
Akashi looked at Shin with a confused expression in which Ryunosuke noticed.
"Although Shin is not an quick thinker otaku like Tsukasa, don't underestimate his cumulated knowledge."
Just as Ryunosuke finished speaking, Shin plucked a bunch of mushrooms and handed it over to Ryunosuke.
Time passed and they went here and there in search for different fruits and mushrooms with the help of Shin's apparaisal skill.
Appraisal is a skill that shows the information of things. However the skill merely sends the information gathered by the skill towards the users brain. The information is then to be analyzed by the user with the knowledge it possess. It can't identify completely some complicated parts where the user couldn't understand.
After an hour passed, the three of them went back and found Tsukasa trying to make fire by spinning the a twig and began to blow the small spark to make a fire.
Daichi leaned beside the boulder and greeted them from returning.
"Welcome back. How was it?"
"We found enough to last us a night." Ryunosuke replied in their stead.
Shin looked at Tsukasa who blew the fire but the wind blew towards the small flame that Tsukasa made. As if ridiculing him, the Autumn wind breezed his body as Tsukasa shivered at the chill.
"D- damn it's cold! The temperature feels like winter! "
Placing the fruits they scourged, Akashi looked at the the frustrated Tsukasa and turned his head to Shin.
"Hey, ... Sugo-kun I could teach you the basics here." Akashi beckoned Shin towards the firewood with him as he sat opposite of Tsukasa.
"Argh fuck! Wait a minute, what are you doing here! Just wait Imma make a fire." Tsukasa said as he stared at the approaching Shin.
Akashi ignored him and looked at Shin and gestured him to sit beside him. "Remember how I explained mana earlier and how to move it? Show it to me."
Shin nodded and concentrated his mind as he controlled the mana from his core. He slowly circulated the mana in the passageways from his abdomen towards his arm into his hand.
Slowly but slowly, Shin gathered the mana in his hand. Akashi spoke to the focused Shin.
"Remember Mana is an energy and energy is intangible. You can feel it but you can't see it. This energy called mana is stored in your abdomen where the mana core is located."
Daichi and Ryunosuke also gathered towards them as they listened to Akashi's words.
"The way to harness mana is through your thoughts. Just as you move your arms with your thoughts, mana also responds to your thoughts. There are also passages in your body that is independent from your numerous arteries and veins."
This was what Akashi deduced from the time he used the mana to heal Shin's wounds.
"Now, I guess you have compressed a fair amount of magic in your hand. Try to release it and make it's form semi-tangible. Keep in mind that you must control it to stay in your palm. "
Shin grunted and released the mana in his hand and a ball of bluish mana condensed in his hand the size of an egg.
"Okay this is the main part. Can you see some particles of light of different colors in your vision? Think strongly and gather the red particles and merge it with the released mana."
In Shin's eyes, he could see the glowing white, red, green and yellow particles that floated in the air. He willed the red particles and guided them towards the ball of mana in his hand and the mana began to transform into a flame.
In excitement Tsukasa stood up and was about to shout in surprise when Daichi glared at him. Ryunosuke put a finger in his mouth and gestured to Tsukasa to sit down.
However Shin who experienced the fantastic experience of using mana has his mouth wide open with his eyes widened.
"Focus." Akashi reminded him and continued his words that grew slightly hoarse from all his speaking.
"What you just did was manipulating the elemental particles. I don't know the theory behind that. Now point your palm slowly at the firewoods, think of propelling it and..."
Following what Akashi said, Shin slowly but surely aimed the palm in his hand towards the firewood.
"Release."
And in that moment the small ball of fire went towards the firewoods and a small explosion sounded out.
Shin closed his eyes for a moment before he witnessed a fire slowly burning in the firewood.
"A- awesome."
"Right, right! I'm fucking jealous I want to learn magic." Tsukasa said as he stared at Shin enviously as he took a green banana from the food that they stockpiled and begrudgingly chomped after peeling it.
Seeing Tsukasa in a sulky manner, Shin's lips couldn't help but curl and he let out a smug expression.
Ryunosuke even praised Shin in a genuine manner.
"Truly as expected of the Genius!"
Daichi merely smiled at Shin and turned his eyes at Akashi who went to pick out an apple and bit on it.
Akashi returned his stare and Daichi merely smiled in amusement. Daichi and Akashi stared at each other without batting an eye when Tsukasa interrupted them.
"Yo Pres, you don't happen to swing that way, aren't ya?"
"Worry about yourself. You look more of a gay than me you know."
Tsukasa's short stature and oval face truly is a bit feminine. Coupled with his azure blue eyes and silky white hair and eyebrows and long eyelashes. If Tsukasa was a girl, he sure wil be a looker.
"Hah! This handsome fucker is straight."
Tsukasa spoke as he flipped his bangs but it looked more girly than cool.
Daichi shook his head and turned his head at the smug Shin and sparkly eyed Ryunosuke.
"Finish up your food guys, and rest early. We'll set off first thing in the morning. We'll alternate for two hours each for a night watch in order of, Sugo-kun, Ryunosuke, Murokawa-kun then me and finally Kageyama-kun."
After that Ryunosuke and Shin began to calm down and the 4 of them laid in the ground as they adjusted to it's uncomfortable rigidness and eventually fell asleep.
A few moments later, Sugo Shin stood alone in front of the campfire and recalled the words of Akashi.
* * * * *
"Just to clarify, I chose to isolate myself to the world. I don't care what people think about me. The factors that affects my life is I, me and myself alone."
* * * * *
"'The factors that affects my life is I, me and myself alone', huh..."
It didn't make sense, everyone's life is affected by how other people perceive them to be. We all are dictated by the image forced to us by the world. Your opinions don't matter.
If you're smart, then you're a genius, if you're good looking, then you're handsome.
The world is as simple as that, yet someone actually just said in his face that none of that matters.
He was a lot different from him. He didn't care what the world perceive him to be. He lived his life for the sake of his self.
And there he was, A fool who craved for knowledge just to prove his worth.
So he tried his best to deny it.
"Then what did just I do all my life..."
His soft mutters quietly escaped towards the fleeting stars in the sky. Strangely the moon that resided above the night sky seemed not as lofty as it was. It was definitely reachable.
After all if he chose to accept his words, then he was nothing but a fool. An idiot slaved by the sense of acknowledgement
How ironic. The supreme genius was actually just an idiot.
Even if he refuse to accept it. Deep down he knew.
The way he lived was wrong in the first place.