Arifureta: Dark Lord

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Upon entering the castle, Reiji made his way back to his room and sat on his bed in a meditative position. After using his spell, he realized that he had a better understanding and control of mana than he initially thought. 

It was possible that the power he inherited from the abyss, or his own natural talent, contributed to this newfound ability. Being someone who was not native to this world, Reiji knew there were various ways to train and master control over his energy. It was best to start early and consistently work towards improvement.

He closed his eyes and began to breathe deeply, letting his thoughts drift away as he focused on the sensation of his mana coursing through his body. He concentrated on controlling the flow of mana, directing it to different parts of his body and feeling it respond to his will.

Reiji could feel his power growing stronger and his control becoming more precise with each passing moment. He began to visualize his energy as a dark, glowing orb that pulsated and throbbed with raw power. Each time he breathed, the orb grew larger and more intense, moving towards different parts of his body and flooding him with a surge of power and clarity.

As the clock ticked, the orb continued to expand and engulf Reiji's entire being. Eventually, he opened his eyes and was startled to see that it was already noon. He was surprised to find that he was drenched in sweat, as was his clothing, but he knew that his efforts had been worth it. 

Glancing at his arm, he saw that it was now glowing with a black and purple aura, and he grinned in satisfaction.

'Body Augmentation. This is the most I can do for now. My mana is already being drained like crazy, which is to be expected since the mana is being evenly distributed throughout my body, and my mind is buzzing. Using {Image Composition} to visualize the flow of my mana, I was able to complete this.' 

'However, my physique and mental strength need more training, and my control needs to improve; otherwise, this form is useless. I feel around 2-3x stronger, so it can be used as my trump card. I wonder if I can create a Super Saiyan ability?'

After rising from the bed, Reiji replaced his damp sheets with fresh ones and proceeded to take a much-needed bath. Reiji sank into the warm water, letting out a contented sigh as he felt the tension in his muscles slowly melt away. 

His mind felt numb from the strain of the experiment, but the warm water was doing wonders for his headache. Closing his eyes, he leaned back and let himself float, the sound of the water lapping against the sides of the tub lulling him into a state of relaxation.

'I should go to the cafeteria,' he thought to himself as his stomach let out a loud growl. Reiji had finally come to understand why shonen protagonists were always depicted as hungry after their training sessions, especially characters like Goku and Naruto. The act of controlling energy sources was incredibly draining.

After his refreshing bath, Reiji wrapped a towel around his waist and dried off his body before changing into comfortable clothing. He then stepped out of his room, making sure to close the door behind him before heading towards the cafeteria.

Reiji arrived at the cafeteria in no time, feeling his stomach grumble with hunger. He picked up his favorite dishes from the counter and sat down at a nearby table to enjoy his meal. As he ate, he pulled out his notebook and resumed his work, carefully drawing and labeling his wants and needs for a spear.

As he sketched and ate, Reiji felt a presence approaching him. Looking up, he saw Lisa and several other instructors he had taken note of due to their distinctive appearances and auras. Sitting at his table, Lisa greeted him.

"Hey, Reiji! I hope you don't mind if we sit here?" Lisa asked, taking a seat before Reiji could even respond. Reiji simply nodded in response and observed her company. He couldn't help but feel awe at the signatures of mana radiating off the instructors sitting with Lisa. 

They were just like monsters to him. He couldn't help but wonder just how strong Captain Meld, who was deemed the strongest in the Kingdom, was if the instructors were already this powerful. It made him wonder how much stronger the demons were for them to request help from Heroes.

A rather old man interrupted, "So are you going to introduce us to this young man, Lisa?" Reiji observed that the man seemed like one of those monster-like old men, reminiscent of Yamamoto and Roshi.

Another woman cried out in annoyance, "Yeah, Lisa. You said you were going to introduce him to me! Even Captain Meld tried to hide him from me!" Reiji watched them both with a mix of confusion and interest. Reiji sensed that they were both strong, possibly even stronger than Tatsuya, at least according to his instincts.

"Alright, alright," she said, waving her hand in dismissal before turning towards Reiji. "The old man sitting beside me is Sebas. He specializes in hand-to-hand combat. He's a master in physical training, and as such, you didn't see him during your fight with Tatsuya because he was supervising the other group on the obstacle course."

Sebas was dressed as an elderly butler, and he exuded an air of grace in his traditional black uniform. His hair and beard were both entirely white, and he had visible wrinkles on his gentle face, though his eyes were as sharp as an eagle's.

"And this girl beside me is Ayame. She specializes in the weapon known as a Kusarigama. Your classmates were shocked to see it and asked about it, so we looked it up."

"She used to be an adventurer before being hired by the kingdom a few years ago for unknown reasons. It was never stated, and she herself doesn't like to talk about it, but she's now an instructor due to her skills," Lisa explained to Reiji.

Ayame was dressed in a rather revealing outfit that highlighted her slender and athletic build, which wasn't ignored by Reiji. Her wavy scarlet hair flowed down to her lower back and her eyes were a beautiful pink. 

While she seemed to be as outgoing as Lisa, there was a strange feeling about her that Reiji didn't like, so he decided to be on guard around her. The way Lisa had introduced her had also raised an eyebrow, but he didn't call her out on it.

"It's nice to meet you both. As you already know, I'm Reiji, one of the summoned heroes, and I specialize in the spear," Reiji introduced himself.

Lisa, with her curious nature pointed at Reiji's notebook and asked, "I don't mean to pry, but what were you drawing in your sketchbook when we approached?"

Reiji didn't see any harm in answering Lisa's question, so he responded, "It's just a design for a spear I want to have made using one of the favors I received from Tatsuya."

"It shouldn't be too difficult to obtain, as he said he could get it without any issues. However, since I have no idea where he is at the moment, I'll have to ask Captain Meld for help."

Their interest was piqued, and they were curious to see what the young man had designed. "Can we see the design?" Sebas asked, and Reiji handed it over. The three examined the design, satisfying their curiosity. 

There wasn't much to be shown other than the drawing. Reiji hadn't gone into further detail about how he wanted the spear done, just the appearance and color. He was going to keep that information to himself, until it was time to cash in the favor.

"This is really detailed, Reiji! Even the color shadings and outlines are impressive. I wonder what it would look like when it's made," Ayame exclaimed, with Sebas and Lisa nodding in agreement.

"Thank you for the compliment. However, I was wondering, have any of you recently seen Captain Meld?" Reiji asked, changing the subject.

Lisa shook her head, "No, we haven't. But he should be back soon. I can ask around if you want?"

"That won't be necessary. I'll just wait for him," Reiji replied with a smile. "Anyway, thank you for your help. I'll be going now." He picked up his sketchbook, threw away his trash, and left the cafeteria.