Nero leaned back in his chair, staring at Zen, who tapped his fingers impatiently on the wooden desk.
The man had a look of deep resignation, as if he had foreseen this conversation and had already accepted his fate.
"So, which classes do you want to attend?" Zen asked, exasperation creeping into his voice.
"I need to enroll you by the end of next week."
Nero rested his chin on his palm. "Hm... I need to think about it so more. Could you explain in more detail what those classes actually consist of?"
Zen groaned, tilting his head back. "AAAAAAH, I knew it! Damn Dumbledore, he definitely knew you would ask that."
Nero raised an eyebrow. "What does Dumbledore have to do with this?"
"He knew you'd drive crazy with all your questions." Zen muttered.
"I'm straight to the point, that's my nature.
You, on the other hand, are the type who needs a full essay before making a decision.
I don't have the patience for that. Go bother Mu about this stuff.
He's good at explaining things in painstaking detail. Take your breakfast with him."
With that, Zen got up, stretched, and walked away, leaving Nero alone with his thoughts.
He sighed, rubbing his temple, before heading toward the living room, where the scent of freshly brewed tea and warm rice filled the air.
Mu sat in the traditional tatami-lined living area, sipping tea from an elegant porcelain cup.
His long, dark hair was tied back loosely, and he had the relaxed air of soone who had already won a battle before it even began.
His sharp eyes flicked up as Nero approached, a hint of amusent dancing in them.
"I see that you managed to handle Zen," Mu remarked dryly, setting his cup down.
"That's an accomplishnt."
Nero sighed, settling onto the cushion across from him. "'Handle' is a strong word. He threw at you like a troubleso package."
Mu let out a short chuckle. "As expected. So, what do you need?"
"I need more details about Mahoutokoro's classes. Zen was too impatient to explain, so he sent to you."
Mu tilted his head slightly.
"Ah, so he was right to pass you to . Very well.
Let's go over each 3rd year subject one by one. This should help you decide.
Before we start, Nero, there is sothing you should keep in mind.
Here at Mahoutokoro, students can use wands, but we see them as circumstantial tools rather than necessities.
Instead, we rely heavily on alternative magical conduits, such as seals and Shikigami.
This approach gives us greater flexibility, allowing us to adapt to any situation more effectively."
Nero nodded, pouring himself so tea as he listened attentively.
"Now, onto the classes. Firstly, we have Onmyōdō Fundantals, which is the foundation of many things here," Mu began.
"Without this understanding, all other studies will be incomplete.
At Hogwarts, you learn spells as isolated pieces of knowledge, like ingredients in a recipe.
Here, we treat magic as a living force that must be balanced."
"Balanced how?" Nero asked, frowning slightly.
"Through the interplay of Yin and Yang," Mu explained.
"And the Five Phases, Wood, Fire, Earth, tal, and Water.
These concepts originally ca from China, a very long ti ago.
But over centuries, we developed our own way of using them through Onmyōdō.
Sothing unique to Japan's magical society."
He paused, then continued.
"You don't just cast a fire spell here.
You learn how to balance it, so it flows with your energy instead of draining you.
Too much Yang, and the spell burns out of control. Too much Yin, and it barely sparks."
"So that's what you an by balance," Nero said slowly, eyes narrowing. "It's about tuning the magic so it resonates with you, adjusting the flow until it matches your rhythm."
He paused, thoughtful. "At Hogwarts, spells are... predefined. Incantation, gesture, intent.
It is like casting from a template.
Everyone learns the sa structure, and if you follow it properly, the magic works, no need to understand why.
It's efficient... but rigid. Only the best wizards can bend or break the rules.
But here, if I understood correctly, the spell only manifests once you start grasping its nature."
Mu's lips curled into a faint smile.
"Exactly. Onmyōdō isn't about forcing magic into a fixed pattern, it's about letting the structure reveal itself through your connection with it.
"Each person's magic has its own voice. We don't silence it, we teach them to listen."
Nero glanced at him. "That must make it harder to teach. At Hogwarts, even a diocre student can learn passable magic within a year.
But here, if you're starting from nothing... doesn't it slow things down?"
Mu nodded, unbothered. "In the beginning, yes. It takes longer to build that internal understanding. But once it clicks, everything becos fluid.
You won't just morize a spell, you'll feel how it wants to behave.
And from there, adaptation, even innovation, becos natural.
A student who takes longer at first may one day surpass soone who excelled in a rigid system,"
Nero gave a slight nod.
It was a different way of thinking, but one that made sense to him.
He preferred understanding over mindless repetition.
"Secondly, there's Fūinjutsu, the art of sealing magic," Mu said.
"So might compare it to Western inscription magic, but the purpose and execution are entirely different.
Where their symbols are static and tied to objects, ours are dynamic, ant to act in the mont, to manipulate magic as it moves.
He drew a symbol through the air, leaving behind a glowing sigil that pulsed with restrained energy.
"With the right seal, you can sever a spell mid-cast, suppress an ability, or bind a spirit into a talisman.
It's not just about blocking magic, it's about redirecting its flow, rewriting its behavior.
Mahoutokoro students don't simply defend, they intercept, convert, and even store magic for later use."
"Sounds like Ancient Runes indeed, but weaponized," Nero observed.
Mu smiled faintly. "A fair analogy. Seals are tools. Precise, adaptive, and dangerous in the right hands."
Mu continued
"Thirdly, Sky Magic," Mu said. "At Mahoutokoro, flight and combat are not taught separately.
You'll learn to duel while airborne, whether on a broom or through pure magic.
Magical flight is much slower and more constrained than broom travel, but it offers unmatched versatility under the right conditions. "
Nero's eyes narrowed with interest.
He had flown plenty on a broom, but the idea of weaving movent and spellwork together mid-air was sothing else entirely.
"So... you have spells that let you move freely in the air? Without a broom?"
Mu nodded. "We do. But they're complex, and very taxing on both body and mind.
Magical flight requires fine control, sharp spatial awareness, and constant energy regulation.
Most people never reach the point where they can use it confidently in real combat, especially not in life-and-death situations."
He paused, then added, "If it were more efficient, other countries might have adopted it by now.
But broomsticks are faster, simpler, and more accessible.
That's why few schools ever bother with this level of airborne integration.
Here, though, it's a tradition, and a battlefield advantage, if mastered."
"Another key subject is Elental Convergence," Mu continued. "At Hogwarts, elental magic is taught in isolation.
Fire, water, wind, earth, each with its own category of spells.
Here, we treat those elents as part of a larger whole.
Through Convergence, you learn to rge them, bend their natures, and guide the results with your own intent."
"Like... combining fire and wind to make a superheated explosion?" Nero asked, intrigued.
Mu smiled. "Yes. Or using water and wind to shape ice.
But we do not teach a fixed spell. You don't recite a formula.
You will feel and understand how the elents interact, how Yin and Yang within them shift.
Convergence is less about power and more about harmony.
It is elental magic approached through balance, rather than treating the elents as isolated forces.
Nero's brows lifted slightly. This wasn't just about combining elents, it was about understanding their nature, their movent, their balance.
A kind of dialogue between magical forces.
It echoed everything Mu had explained earlier.
"So there's no template," he murmured. "No fixed structure to follow. Just continuous understanding and intent"
Mu nodded. "Convergence isn't about absolute control.
You don't impose form on the elents, you guide them, shaping their interaction through understanding and intent.
What you create is never exactly the sa.
And that's the point: evolving insight, continuous improvent."
"We also teach the Shikigami Arts," Mu said.
Nero watched as a paper crane twisted mid-air, dodging an incoming spell before retaliating with a tiny but precise blast at another shikigami.
"These constructs can act as ssengers, scouts, protectors, even combatants," Mu continued.
"You'll learn to craft them from paper and imbue them with your own magic."
Mu then stepped forward and fixed Nero with a challenging stare.
"Another subject taught is Magic Martial Integration."
Nero raised an eyebrow. "Hand-to-hand combat?"
Mu smirked. "Not quite. This is the fusion of martial arts with wandless magic.
At Mahoutokoro, you will not rely on a wand alone. Every movent of the body becos a spell.
A punch reinforced with magic can shatter defenses. A kick infused with energy can disrupt enchantnts.
The true warrior does not fight with his hands or his magic, he fights with both, seamlessly."
Nero clenched his fists unconsciously, already imagining how this could complent his existing combat style.
"So students also study Kenjutsu and Wand Combat," Mu said.
"Here, we don't separate the sword from the spell.
You'll learn to channel magic through your blade, especially the katana, which demands precision, control, and presence.
It's about rging footwork, strikes, and spells into a single, fluid discipline, fighting as both magician and swordsman."
"At Hogwarts, dueling is mostly just throwing spells at each other," Nero pointed out.
"Here, a duel can be a blur of movent, blade, and spellwork.
Wands aren't the only amplifiers to channel magic.
So students fight with enchanted katana, channeling spells through their strikes.
Others train in Iaido Casting, where they draw a blade and cast in one swift motion."
"Then there's Kami Invocation and Spirit Summoning." Mu's tone grew more solemn.
"Western magic teaches control over spirits through necromancy and binding spells.
We do not force. We request. We invoke.
You will learn to communicate with Kami, spirits of nature, wisdom, and protection, and earn their aid... if you have the talent for it"
"So... it's like making contracts with magical beings?" Nero asked.
"In a way, yes. It's very different from simple spellcasting.
It requires respect, ritual, and spiritual attunent."
"We also teach Astral Projection and Dream Walking," Mu said.
"These arts are about expanding consciousness, stepping beyond the body, navigating dreams, and perceiving truths hidden from the waking world."
Nero tilted his head. "So... spirit-walking?"
Mu nodded. "In a sense. It requires extre ntal discipline and spiritual clarity, but it can open paths to out-of-body journeys, subconscious communication, and encounters with deeper layers of magic, the kind that can't be grasped through logic alone."
"Finally, we have Barrier Mastery," Mu said. "More than re shields, our barriers are living constructs, shaped by intent, anchored by will, and responsive to the flow of battle.
So absorb energy and redirect it. Others twist incoming spells back upon their source.
The most advanced barriers don't just block, they learn, evolving in real ti to et the threat they face."
He glanced at Nero. "To master this art is to understand not just how to resist, but how to adapt, how to transform defense into insight, and insight into survival.
It will stretch your magical understanding to its very edge."
There was a mont of silence as the weight of it all settled upon Nero.
Then, Mu exhaled and smiled slightly.
Nero exhaled, feeling both intrigued and overwheld.
"That... is a lot to think about."
Mu smirked. "Well, you wanted details. Now, the decision is yours to make."
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50 Chapters ahead on Patreon (Suiijin): Chapter 154: Predators in the Ruins
Hello everyone,I plan to take a couple of days to rework and proofread the upcoming Chapters.
Since Japan's magical system in this AU is being built entirely from scratch, I want to ensure everything remains consistent and free of contradictions.
I'll also take this ti to strengthen the Chapters I've already prepared.
Thank you for your patience and understanding!
I'll be back very soon!
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