In this world, Magic is Everything. All people, all races, are granted with the power to perform mystical and magical feats via grimories, mystical tomes granted to each and every child on their 15th birthday. Those blessed by the mana can have their names written down in legend.
Shattered Grimoires is the work of the mind(s) of Ardere & Shattered Grimoire's staff. All characters and content are copyright their creators, and may not be replicated without their creators' permission. Black Clover is owned by Yuki Tabata and published by Viz Shonen Jump. All images belong to their original owners. The theme you are currently viewing was made by Eliza of ElizaCodes exclusively for Shattered Grimoires.
Artemis had been longing for something new for a very long time now. It had been such a long time since anything interesting had happened in her life. The life of a Magic Knight that had once been full of adventure, had slowly turned almost like a chore for her. The problem was not the whole system, of course, but rather that her magic had begun to blossom very soon after joining the squad. This meant that all the missions that were once challenging, had slowly become less and less so. In fact, as the months went by, her usually partners for missions had slowly edged away from her as well. It seems that they could not keep up with her and her titanic bundle of energy. Artemis was always on the go because of her rapid improvement, and it had soured his relationships as well within the guild.
Truthfully, nothing could be done about it. Artemis was not one to sit around idly, chit chatting with her fellow Green Mantis Magic Knights. No, for the most part, and the better part of the year, she was grand and go from the base itself. Located in the Forsaken Region, Artemis felt less welcomed around the area. Having lived in the Common Region, the Forsaken Region had been filled with too much poverty that it hurt Artemis’ heart just to see it in person. While she was in Hapshash. It had been bearbale since the poor in the city were less visible, and they had seemed almost non-existent. Of course, coming from a Noble family, Artemis would not have seen the amount of poverty until she had finally broken through the walls of the Somerset Manor and had seen the world at large. Poverty was everywhere, and it had been such a blow to Artemis’ own person.
The question of: “what have the nobles done to the people of Clover Kingdom?” always plagued her. With the nobles lining their pockets, Artemis could not bear to ponder just how much of it was blood money. Gold was paid with the blood, sweat, and tears of the people of the Clover Kingdom. Poverty was the disease, and it was the rich and greedy noblemen and noblewomen that spread it like wildfire.
“No more!” Artemis grunted to herself, as she sat in the middle of a field near the Green Mantis base. “No more of this!” She recited again, with more fervour now than she had before. These thoughts plagued her as she sat in the greenery, trying to keep her mind at peace. It was almost impossible to reign in her emotions, but she will endure. It had always been this way, after all. She needed to control herself, to show no emotion, to reign in her doubts and her fears. She would not have the world see who she was. The world did not deserve it.
Deep breaths. That was what the scroll had told her. Deep breaths. There was no room for dilly dally. This was something that she had put off for too long. After all, it was an exercise that required her to sit down and sit still. She was not the one to do so without any reason, after all. Sitting down. Sitting still. It is just not something Artemis did without any reason. Movement was Artemis’ state of being. She was one to always keep moving, always keep herself at the edge of the blade, she lived a life of constant movement, of constant change and improvement. She supposed that this specific sitting down was akin to training. No, it was training. It can’t be said to not be it, after all. From what she had read, the power she will receive after completing this will be very much incomparable to anything else she would have, and will be, seeing in the near future.
The power was known as Ki.
The problem with Ki was that it was an elusive thing to train. So elusive is the information about it that one had to dig very deep into the recesses of the Clover Kingdom’s library to even find mention of it. Even worse was the fact that the librarian of the Clover Kingdom’s largest library had almost not let Artemis Somerset take these specific scrolls out of the library itself. It was had been old, crumbling, and had almost decayed at the touch. Only the librarian’s quick thinking, and the reflexes of the rest of the librarians around, had saved the scrolls. Having magic that was attuned to parchment definitely made the best librarian. Artemis could only smile internally at the quick reaction of those working in the Grand Library. If only more Magic Knights were as quick as a Librarian trying to save scrolls that were hundreds of years old. Now THAT would be something indeed.
At this point, however, Artemis made sure to keep the scrolls safely under lock and key at all times. The only times she would let it out is when she herself was going to train that specific day. She had been warned by the Chief Librarian herself that under no circumstances would she be showing the scroll to any one else. The problem of theft had always plagued the libraries who held scrolls and tomes that were ancient, and might contain secrets of magic itself. Of course, after sweet talking the librarian, Artemis had been told that after returning the scroll, they will have to seal it to preserve its knowledge for years to come. Most likely, they will need to transcribe the knowledge itself. But at this point in time, they had agreed to let Artemis borrow the scroll, if only because she herself had found it in the recesses of the library, a feat that is only attributed to the bravest of the librarians.
Well, she had been allowed to borrow it for three days, and three days only. No more, no less. The Chief Librarian had been adamant, which was why Artemis could be found at the training grounds of the Green Mantis’ base. Around her, was nobody. Well, there were the bird and the bees, and maybe some squirrels here and there. But generally speaking, the base was almost empty of life, devoid of its members, just how Artemis liked it to be. Especially when she trained like this.
This was the second day, after all, and everything was not going as planned.
Shaking her head, Artemis finally took a breath in. She had tried her best to concentrate, but it just would not budge at this point. Breath in, breath out. There was a peace in this exercise, though Artemis’ thoughts were still plagued by random things. To be able to concentrate was something that seemed so far out of reach at the moment. But she knew she had to endure. How else could she master this new power of hers. No, it had to be done. It simply must be done.
Artemis calmed herself once more. The chirping of the birds were becoming almost not too distracting. Almost. Her thoughts still wandered away from her. She could not keep her fleeting mind at bay, and it kept wandering free of its cage. Artemis sighed in frustration, a sight that isn’t common for the woman.
It was only yesterday that she found herself mastering the first part of this new power: Ki. Being able to sit still and just listen was something that was hard enough, but sitting still and extending your senses was even harder as an exercise. While Artemis was commonly known was a Sensory mage who was able to create magnificent illusions for her own gain, at least for her level of expertise, mastering Sensory magics was something else entirely. Molding magic felt more natural to her than this specific type of magic. Of course, it was HER magic, after all. Water was her element, and with her grimoire, it bent to her will fairly easily without resistance. This type of training was just a little different in its nature. It required of her to actually calm herself, to stop her movements, to learn patience when patience meant almost as if wasting time.
To be fair to Artemis, she had patience to the extreme. At least, when it came to battles, she had patience like never heard of before. But that was battle, where her adrenaline was very high, pounding on her chest and giving her the boost that she always craved. This type of patience was something else entirely.
Artemis sighed, her shoulder sagging. Yesterday was a little different, at least. Yesterday’s training was all about stopping herself from moving, and just focusing on everything near her. That had been the easy part, especially since her natural Sensory magic had been able to help him out in the matter. This exercise had her reaching out her sensory farther, and of course, required more concentration. It was very frustrating.
“A torture. This must be some sort of torture.” Artemis grumbled as she stood up. The sun was peaking at this point, and it seems that she had been at this for more than a few hours. She had not been able to break through the ceiling of the last tier of Ki training, and it was slowly scratching away at what little patience she had for everything. No, she knew she would need to take a break soon. Better now than burn herself out and lose a whole day of training. Plus, she was finally getting thirsty. While water was something she can conjure for herself, she would rather not drink her own conjured water. She had tried once before, and suffice to say, it is not as filling as one would hope it would be. No, she would rather stick to regular water, thank you very much.
Getting up, Artemis dusted her pants off of the dirt that had accumulated as she shifted around the ground. Her boots had been put to the side, but were very easily reached. Latching everything back onto her outfit, Artemis looked towards the rising sun and sighed. She knew this would be a long day no matter what. It might do her well to find something to eat and preoccupy her time with. At least, for a short little while before coming back here to train. While not far along, she wanted to finish this up by sunset so she can get a good night’s rest. There was a third level to this training after all, and she was not really too eager to start it. But then again, she will endure as per usual. This power was something that she craved for herself, after all.
Setting her sights, she pushed herself forward. Her body groaned, having been sitting in that position for such a long time. It was a miracle that her feet had not fallen asleep. She endure each step, flexing her back, her legs, and her arms as she made her way to the kitchen of the Green Mantis’ base. She would procure snacks, maybe a meal, before heading back to train. Maybe some food might do her good. It had been awhile, after all, since she had something that was remotely edible. Being out on a long-term mission screws over one’s eating habits, and at the same time, their food itself. Living off the land was the easiest, while carrying supplies was the heaviest. Artemis opted to live off the land instead. Those were the days when she had been constantly on the move, mission after mission, dungeon after dungeon. Those days, dare she say it, were slowly coming to an end. She needed something new, something to revitalize herself as she moved forward in her career as a Magic Knight. The question has always been: what? She lacked a goal, she knew that. Helping people, that was something she did already. She needed a concrete goal, something to kick up her gears once more. Something that will challenge her. Sure enough, this Ki training might just be one of them.
WC: 2020/6000
Last Edit: Apr 19, 2020 22:28:48 GMT -5 by Deleted
There was a time when Artemis most likely would not have sat this long eating. There was also a time when Artemis would not have eaten something this good. Truly, this was a feast for Artemis as she slowly finished up the Tonkotsu Ramen she had made for herself with the fresh ingredients within the Green Mantis pantry. For a Magic Knight squad that was supposedly filled with delinquents and former criminals, the Green Mantis kitchen was quite stocked up. Artemis supposed it was because the Captain was a very meticulous person in terms of making sure that the squad was well fed. It was said that the Captain was someone who always looked out for each and every member of the Green Mantis squad, and truly Artemis admired the Captain in that sense. Though, in comparison, Artemis has not heard of the Vice Captain for a while now. Artemis was unsure as to why, or what had happened, but she would not ask. She was sure that the Vice Captain was fine, hopefully.
Speaking of, she found herself staring as two people entered the kitchen. It seems that these two had been new members recently, which meant that they had most likely taken a simple mission around the Forsaken Region. Also, this also meant that they were not familiar with Artemis, as she was not familiar to them. In fact, they seemed to be eyeing her up and down, before sitting across and away from her. It did not help that her flat affect made sure that they were not invited at all. Artemis did not care for them, especially with their attitude. However, she did care about the members as a whole. She knew that the Green Mantis can only exist with powerful members, and while she might use them as a stepping stone for now, she will need to look out for the new recruits in the long run. They needed to be honed, after all. They needed to be sharpened to become a blade for the Clover Kingdom.
At this point, she finished the last of her soup and got up. She will need to approach first, since these men seemed to be very wary of her now. She supposed that her demeanour might have scared them. Well that, and the fact that she always carried a weapon with her. Artemis seemed to be the apple of many men’s eye, but no one dared approach her. Outside, she can understand why. She was a Magic Knight, and a part of one of the most notorious groups too. The Green Mantis’ reputation always preceded them, and they were never anything good at all. Artemis sighed. She supposed it would be good to get some help with this. Making this training into a combat situation might just help her break through the barrier that seemed to separate her current level of Ki, and the next level. She was sure that she was almost there, with her sensory magic helping her in the training, and all she needed was a little push. Of course, the push needed was possibly some adrenaline going through her system. That never failed to motivate her after all.
It was then that she walked up to the two men. They eyed her, and she eyed them back. They were sweating now, and Artemis had to stifle a sigh. She slowly made her way, placing the bowl that was now empty of the Tonkotsu Ramen onto the sink, which she will be cleaning later on. Gingerly, she side stepped some stools before finally facing the two men that were her squad mates.
“I am assuming that you both are new to the squad, hm?” She asked, eyeing them and their reactions. They seemed to nod, though her presence was affecting their speech for some reason. Artemis decided not to ask, and instead watched them as they finished the last of the sandwich they were consuming. “I am in need of help from you both. I need sparring partners, if you both are willing.” It was not a request, in a sense, and more of a command. Artemis never requested, after all. It was not in her nature at all. Nor was she looking for an objection, as she raised her eyebrow at one of them who seemed to want to protest. This was a good chance for her not only to get into the groove of feeling her adrenaline once again, but also sizing up the new recruits that the Captain had nabbed since she was last here. She would make sure that they were up to the standards of Green Mantis, and of the Magic Squads as a whole.
Artemis pointed towards the door, “Ten minutes, meet me at the training grounds.” With that, she walked away. She needed a stretch before starting this fight. Though she was sure that these two new members would not even lay a finger on her, she would like to give them the benefit of the doubt. Even more so, she was also not going to be using any of her regular attacks, and instead focus on using her sensory and dodging and weaving. By sensory, however, she meant the use of both it and Ki. Well, at least the first level that she had been able to train up yesterday. Hopefully, it would not matter however as the adrenaline coupled with the active use of Ki could give her training a boost and break through the barrier that separated the first and second level. Hopefully, that is.
She stood in the middle of the training ground now. He grimoire still in its satchel as she waited for the two to arrive. They still had three minutes, and with her sensory magic out and stretching around her, she could feel their signatures just about ready to open the gates towards the training grounds. Artemis watched their movement using her mana only, and it finally dawned to her what she might have been missing. She had been so focused on meditation, and expanding her senses, when all she really needed to do was to force it out, like her sensory magic. Maybe, after all, it required less of meditation than the first level.
Artemis watched as both men arrived. They spared little time as their grimoires were already floating in front of them, ready to be used. From what Artemis could see, these two men were users of earth magic. It was not often that two of the same element show up in the same Magic Knight squad at the same time. This led Artemis to believe that they just might be either brothers, or friends within the same town or village. That was usually the case for magics that were identical in nature. It happens within families for the most part, but Artemis did not see any resemblance between the two.
They just stared at her, as though waiting for her signal. Scratch that, they were in fact waiting for her signal. These were definitely new mages within the Magic Knights. Waiting is a courtesy reserved for no one. One must take advantage of every opportunity after all.
“Well, come on then. Show me what you both got, hm?” Artemis taunted, her grimoire still held within the satchel on her waist. She would not draw it out this time around. She would not need to, if her plan succeeded. Simple magics, for the most part, were easily used without the grimoire. This is why children can use magic without grimoires in their possession. She was very sure she would not need them this time around, and it would further make sure that the lesson was hammered into these two new recruits. There was more to life than just being a part of a Magic Knight squad, and complacency was never something that should exist for Magic Squad members.
They both acted in unison. At least they had team work. Artemis almost smiled as he saw one of the send rocks towards her from the top, while the other sent rocks towards her feet. A good combination, if anything. However, Artemis was no mere mage. Being a Senior ranked mage within a Magic Squad meant something, and the power difference is sometimes too much.
Artemis closed her eyes instead. She felt the mana around her, flaring her own as it sang her name. She communed with the mana, and her mana enveloped everything around her. She could see everything even without using her sight. This was the power of a sensory mage. But within her lies a new type of power.
Ki.
It overwhelmed her for a second, the burst of Ki that had invaded her system. She was not used to it yet, but she managed. However, it seems that at this point, she could only access Ki at the first level’s worth. She was slower, but was able to track the trajectory of the rocks, how fast it was going, and where it would hit. She was able to come up with a plan quickly and with ease, raising her eyebrows at the low level spell, before somersaulting. These were too weak, and it was why she was able to use her Ki to track them and even react to them. No, they needed send stronger attack.
“Is that all you’re worth? Hm? Is that it then? Why are you both here in Green Mantis if you both hit like a regular farmer in Sosshi?” Artemis goaded them. She watched their face turn angry, it seems she had hit a chord, a chord that made them really mad. It only made Artemis grin inwardly, as they both sent a shockwave of earth. This time, however, they were just a little too fast.
Artemis pushed herself to the limit, unwilling to unsheath her grimoire as the attacks came at her at twice the speed. She knew she could use her sensory instead, or even a water attack to just block it quickly. But this was her punishment. If she was unable to break through the next level of Ki, then she was but a failure. She needed to break through. She wanted to get to the second level.
Everything slowed down. At least, even more. Artemis found herself watching the attacks come at her. It was slower than ever, at least, with her senses. She was able to track them now, their positions were way more clear, and her mind was at ease. She could see where they would land, and she knew just what to do.
Brute strength was not something Artemis was proud of. But hell did it become useful in certain times. This was one of those times.
With a punch, Artemis broke the feeble rock that they had sent towards her. She blocked the trajectory, and instead of dodging, she destroyed the rocks. It had been said that her strength was almost comparable to an intermediate level spell, but Artemis would beg to differ. But truly, her strength was very useful.
Artemis let out a small smirk as both the men were gawking her. It seems that they had thought that their magic had got her. While she was at a handicap, mages of their caliber could never touch a hair on her head. It was just facts, after all.
“Thank you for helping me out. You can go now.” Artemis nodded towards them, before turning away. Tonight, she will need to actually train this new level. It seems that a better grasp of the lower level might help in breaking through to the next level. The problem was that tomorrow would be the last day of her borrowing the scrolls. This meant that she will need to use most of the night training. Sleep was a luxury she would not be having tonight. It’s not as if she wasn’t used to it by now, after all.
WC: 1993 TWC: 4013/6000 Perk: Ki Natural Reduces WC by 2000 at Grand Rank.
Last Edit: Apr 19, 2020 22:36:16 GMT -5 by Deleted