"Remember what I said, Cid. Things aren't very peaceful lately. Don't wander around at night. Stay at home if you can."
"Don't worry, I remember everything. See you next time, Tsubaki."
"Alright… s-see you next time, Cid."
Watching Tsubaki Shinra's figure disappear into the magic circle, Cid picked up the flyer that had reverted back into an ordinary sheet of paper. After tossing it into the cabinet where it originally came from, he walked to the fridge, drank a bottle of milk that Eta had given him, then fell backward onto his bed.
"Natsuki-chan and Tsubaki both said something might happen soon. If only one person said it, it could be a coincidence. But if both of them say it, then something really is about to happen. Looks like the stage is set for an Eminence in Shadow to make an appearance."
Decision made. In three days he would gather some information at school.
As for now, time to train.
A pure white crystal block appeared in the air and slowly floated to the side of Cid's bed.
"Inhale… exhale."
Cid took a deep breath and closed his eyes. The muscles beneath his pajamas tightened instantly.
The Triple Magical Power Body Tempering Method.
It was the same as the Magical Power tempering method he maintained twenty four hours a day. The only difference was that this version amplified the effect to three times the normal level.
In truth, he had wanted to maintain the triple tempering method around the clock. But while the normal version could be sustained purely by instinct, the triple version required complete concentration. If he relaxed for even a moment, he would actually die.
Yet even during a training method where a moment of carelessness could theoretically kill him, he still devoted a small portion of his attention to the floating white crystal.
A completely white space appeared.
Cid's figure manifested inside it out of thin air.
"Let's study fire magic today."
As soon as the thought formed, rows of magic books appeared throughout the space. Just being near them made the air feel scorching hot. There was no doubt about it. They were fire magic books, and the highest level ones at that.
"The largest magic library in World No. 1."
Or simply, the "Library." That was what Cid called the white crystal.
The Library had come to him on its own after the worlds fused together. Just as its name suggested, it contained a massive amount of magical knowledge. Once his consciousness entered it, time in the outside world slowed to one tenth of its normal speed.
So far, after comparing the information inside with everything he had seen in World No. 1, he had found that every spell from that world had corresponding knowledge recorded in the Library. Because of that, he could confirm it was a creation of World No. 1.
When Cid first saw the Library, it emitted several strange sounds before stopping in front of him. After using the knowledge inside to translate those sounds, he managed to decipher a few words.
"Cross… resurrection… compatible."
That still didn't form a complete sentence.
He had no idea where it came from, and there was no explanation of the Library recorded inside it either. But judging purely from the knowledge stored within, if his guess was correct and it truly contained all the magical knowledge of World No. 1, then it was undoubtedly one of the greatest treasures in existence.
Since no one else came looking for the Library, he simply started using it himself. After all, it was the Library that came to him in the first place.
After using it for a while, however, Cid felt he needed to correct his earlier statement.
This was not just one of the greatest treasures.
It was the greatest treasure in the world. No question about it.
The Magical Power used by people from the three worlds was different.
In World No. 1, it was "Mahō" power. It could transform into various elemental attributes, and most people were suited to becoming mages.
In World No. 3, it was "Maryoku" magic. Once Magical Power left the body it became difficult to control, so most people used it to strengthen their bodies and fight in close combat.
World No. 2 possessed both systems, but the strongest individuals there were capable of releasing Magical Power outside their bodies.
In theory, a person's Magical Power was extremely difficult to change. The only way was for people from different worlds to have children together, producing offspring that inherited characteristics from both.
But the Library could change it.
Even though Cid had first figured out the method himself and then used the Library to modify his Magical Power, the method itself came from knowledge recorded in the Library.
What was even more terrifying was that this change could spread.
Gamma was the weakest among the Seven Shadows. Even though she never said it openly, Cid knew she had always cared about that fact.
So after he transformed his Magical Power, the first person he went to find was Gamma.
Gamma lacked talent for combat and was not suited for the close combat style of World No. 3. However, she was extremely intelligent, making her perfectly suited for the magic based combat of World No. 1.
The original idea was simple.
Gamma would use the Library to convert a small portion of her Magical Power, then absorb that small portion back into her body and let it gradually influence the rest of her Magical Power.
It sounded simple.
But Gamma could not see the Library.
Yes, she literally could not see it. Even if it was placed directly in front of her.
That was not a big problem though.
If Gamma could not see the Library to perform the conversion herself, then Cid would simply use his own Magical Power to transform her Magical Power directly. That small amount of power would disperse after a few days anyway, so it would not harm her body.
At least, that was what he thought at the time.
On the second day, he sensed that the small amount of Magical Power had split into seven portions.
On the third day, the seven portions split into more than a hundred.
On the fourth day, there were already over three hundred.
On the fifth day, there were more than six hundred.
Cid was completely stunned.
He had no idea that the Magical Power modified by the Library could multiply simply by feeding it Magical Power. He had no idea how they managed to do it.
And that was only one of the Library's functions he discovered later.
Other abilities included stabilizing space, communication, borrowing power, and more.
Of course, none of those functions mattered to him.
What he truly valued was the magical knowledge recorded inside.
After all, he was already strong.
Strong enough that he did not need something like this to become stronger.
...
The sun was already high in the sky.
"Bang bang bang!!!"
"Cid-kun, remember to come over to my place for lunch later. I made omelet rice today."
A burst of knocking at the door pulled Cid out of the sea of knowledge he had been immersed in.
The moment he opened his eyes, the first thing he felt was soreness. Every muscle in his body was sending him signals of extreme overexertion.
The bedsheets looked like they had just been pulled out of water. With a casual squeeze, water could still be wrung out of them.
He got up, tossed the sheets into the washing machine, grabbed some water from the fridge to rehydrate, and then headed for a shower.
Cid looked at his naked reflection in the mirror.
A lean, well toned body full of beauty without looking bulky. Sharply defined features. Eyes like a black hole. Striking red pupils.
The next second, Cid reached up and pinched his face a few times.
As if by magic, those sculpted features instantly blurred into something utterly unremarkable, while the eyes lost their depth and turned lazy and dull.
Then he took some clothes from the rack nearby and covered up that body that looked as if it had been carved by a god's own hands.
He stepped out of his room, walked a few steps to the right, and knocked.
"Cid-kun, come in, come in. I'll go get your food. Kojou, stop lying around already and get up to eat."
The one who opened the door was a lively, cheerful looking girl with short black hair and energetic eyes.
Nagisa Akatsuki.
His neighbor, the younger sibling of the Akatsuki brother and sister pair, and a student at the same school as him. They had met by accident a year ago.
Cid's body tensed the moment he stepped inside, but the instant he saw the silver haired figure in the living room getting up from the sofa, he immediately relaxed again.
"Yo, Cid. You're here."
Kojou Akatsuki.
The older brother of the Akatsuki siblings. Quite possibly a natural born Eminence in Shadow. Even though he went to an ordinary school, the endless Magical Power inside his body could not escape Cid's senses.
"Whoa."
Apparently lacking sleep, Kojou Akatsuki lost his footing on the way to the dining table and fell flat, dragging Cid down with him in the process.
"Ow, ow, ow. Cid, you okay?"
"I'm fine, really. I'm a Magic Swordsman, after all. I've got a sturdy body."
"Sorry, Cid. You had to see that. You know how I am. I'm not at my best in the morning."
"Same here. I'm usually out of it too."
That was what he said, but deep down, Cid actually admired Kojou Akatsuki quite a bit.
Absolute acting skill.
A perfect score.
With that much Magical Power inside him, there was no way he could trip just because he was low on energy in the morning. This could only be described as flawless background character acting.
Just look at that way of walking, completely devoid of any aura of a strong person. Those eyes, not showing even the slightest hint of sharpness without needing to conceal it. And that perfectly natural falling posture.
Fortunately, Cid was no slouch either.
He reacted instantly, released the force gripping his feet, then turned slightly and caught Kojou Akatsuki so that Kojou would fall onto him instead, reducing the impact Kojou took.
Once again, he had perfectly performed the role of the kind hearted background character who had once saved his little sister.
What a shame, Kojou-kun.
But this is what it means to be suppressed by superior skill born from superior strength. Without the strength, you cannot become an Eminence in Shadow.
I know you suspect that I intentionally saved Nagisa Akatsuki to get close to you.
But I knew from the start how strong you were.
All I had to do was play the role of the kind hearted background character who saved your sister.
This time, you are in the light and I am in the dark. You are on the first layer and I am on the second.
The advantage is mine.
Granted, if he had just honestly admitted that saving Kojou Akatsuki's sister back then was only a coincidence, Kojou Akatsuki would not be constantly testing him now.
But this was a trial.
A trial for an Eminence in Shadow.
"Ahhh!!!"
A sudden scream drew the attention of both Cid and Kojou Akatsuki, who was currently sprawled on top of him.
They turned and saw Nagisa Akatsuki standing there with a plate in her hands, having just come out of the kitchen, staring blankly at them.