Songs in the Void

Arifureta Universe, Tortus, Heiligh Kingdom.

"*Sigh* It's time for training again." Hajime, who was sitting in the castle town's library and reading a book about the magic beasts that could be found on the continent, said to himself while closing said book.

The day after receiving their Status Plates, the class of world travelers began their training. And they were all given divine weapons by the kingdom to aid them in getting stronger, faster. Everyone except Hajime, that is. Instead, he only received a pair of gloves with a[Transmutation Magic Circle]. Because there really weren't any divine items for Synergists.

On top of that, Hajime had no aptitude for combat. So, receiving one of those weapons would have been pointless, anyway. And when it's said that he had no aptitude, it meant no aptitude, at all. Not for magic or melee combat.

Which meant that everything was more difficult for him. For example, although he could use a sword like any other person, without a skill that amplified his ability to use a sword like Sword Mastery, he ended up getting half the results of someone like Kouki for double the effort.

And magic was even worse. In this world, magic is used by channeling one's magic power into a magic circle. But magic circles were complicated. The user had to enter so many parameters to use them. On top of that, they had to be created beforehand. Not to mention, the user's aptitude, or lack thereof, would play a part in how complex the magic circle needed to be to get the desired effect.

"Luckily, Soramoto is here." Hajime said as he stood up and put the book he was reading away. "Otherwise, I wouldn't know how I could get stronger."

Like Hajime said, Tatsuo had been a great help to him ever since the training started.

At first, Hajime was given a sword to train with, in hopes of raising his attributes enough to Level Up. However, it was obvious to everyone that would be ineffective. Despite that, Meld and the instructors had no other ideas on how to help a non-combat class like Hajime get stronger in combat other than rigorous training.

And when his classmates saw how hopeless he was, they started to either ignore or ridicule Hajime. However, that was when Tatsuo came to him and said this…

"Dude, why are you trying to fight with a sword when you have no athletic ability."

At first, Hajime thought Tatsuo was turning his back on him like everyone else. But his next words stopped that train of thought in its infancy.

"So, let's come up with a weapon that won't need you to use something you don't have."

===Flashback===

On the first day of training, while everyone was working hard to get stronger, Hajime, who was completely incompetent when it came to combat, was alone in a corner of the castle's training field swinging a common sword that was given to him at the beginning of the day.

"*Sigh* This is useless." Hajime said to himself.

"Yeah, it really is." Tatsuo, who had been watching Hajime train for a while said as he approached.

Hearing that, Hajime could only smile wryly, as he did not need anyone to agree with him at the moment.

"Dude, why are you trying to fight with a sword when you have no athletic ability." Tatsuo asked while shaking his head.

Hajime could only lower his head when he heard that. All day, the class had either been ridiculing him or pretending he did not exist because of his lack of talent. And now, even his only friend was doing the same as the others.

'Why should I have talent with a sword?' Hajime thought to himself. 'I never did kendo in our world. I wanted to make video games. So, why would I train in something like that? *Sigh* If I was like Alaverus-San, who was so strong that he could beat Meld-San as soon as training started, no one would treat me like this.'

As Hajime mentioned, as soon as the training started, Meld started giving everyone their training assignments. However, when he got to James, James objected immediately.

"I'll take care of my own training." James said with a bit of disdain in his tone.

And that couldn't be helped. James was the disciple of the greatest trainer of heroes in Celtic lore, Scáthach, the Immortal Witch and Warrior-Queen of Dun Scaith. So, he could not even pretend to take Meld's training plan seriously.

Naturally, this displeased Meld. As a result, he took his greatsword off his back and challenged James to a duel with the condition that if James won, he would not interfere with his training. But if he lost, he would have to follow all of his and the other instructors instructions.

Naturally, James agreed. And that was it.

As soon as the duel started, James showed off his superior training and defeated Meld quickly. Then, he simply walked away, leaving all the onlookers dumbfounded.

"So, let's come up with a weapon that won't need you to use something you don't have." Tatsuo said as he grabbed Hajime by his arm and pulled him towards the training field's exit.

"Hey! Where are you two going?" Meld, who saw Tatsuo and Hajime leaving before the end of training, asked sternly.

"We're going to make sure that Nagumo can be better." Tatsuo replied without looking back.

"Oh, this sounds interesting.' James, who had been training by himself, smiled as he put down the uncomfortable western sword he was using and followed behind Tatsuo and Hajime.

"*Sigh*" Meld only sighed while shaking his head. "I don't even know what I'm supposed to teach those two."

Meanwhile, Tatsuo took Hajime to see the castle's quarter master, where he requested a number of crafting materials.

"What is all that stuff for?" Hajime asked curiously.

"To put those to use." Tatsuo said while pointing at Hajime's hands.

On Hajime's hands were the gloves with the [Transmutation Magic Circles] he was given at the beginning of the day. In fact, Tatsuo was wearing a pair, as well.

"Huh?" Hajime exclaimed dumbfoundedly while looking down at the gloves on his hands.

"Come on, man." Tatsuo said in an exasperated tone. "You have the ability to shape materials at will. Why wouldn't you try to make good use of it? You gotta think outside of the box."

"I actually did think of it." Hajime said as he lowered his hands. "I originally thought I would make a gun and train with it. But there's no gun powder here. So, that would be useless."

"Dude, you've played so many games and read so much manga." James, who had tagged along, rolled his eyes. "Why are guns the only things you can think of. Sure, a bow wouldn't be good for you because of your lack of training in archery. But what about a crossbow. Those are basically cold weapons era guns, aren't they?"

Hearing that, Hajime could not help but open his eyes wide in amazement.

"I actually never thought about that." Hajime said, sounding a bit ashamed of himself. "How could an otaku like me not think outside the box?"

"Seriously, I'm kind of ashamed for you, too." James said while shaking his head forlornly.

"Alright, cut it out, James." Tatsuo said while rolling his eyes. "You're trained with a katana, but you were using that western sword."

"That's because no one here knows how to make a katana." James countered.

Instead of responding verbally, Tatsuo only pointed his right thumb at himself. Then, he pointed his right finger at the back of his left hand where the [Transmutation Magic Cercle] was inscribed onto a metal plate attached to the back of his glove.

*Smack!*

"Yeah, I guess I have nothing to say." James said after face palming.

"Okay, here's the materials you requested." The middle-aged quarter master said while leading four assistants carrying boxes filled with different crafting metals.

Those boxes were clearly quite heavy, because despite not being very large, it took two people to carry each of the two boxes.

"Thanks." Tatsuo said with a smile as he took one of the boxes with little effort.

"Alright, we'll get out of your hair." James said as he, with even less effort than Tatsuo, took the other box.

The quarter master and the assistants looked at this with worship in their eyes. Meanwhile, Hajime could only lament his weakness.

*Smack!*

"Alright, don't look at us like that." Tatsuo said as he slapped Hajime on the shoulder. "let's just get going and start our work. We'll have you able to protect yourself sooner or later."

"Okay." Hajime replied while rubbing the spot where Tatsuo slapped him.

After that, Tatsuo, James, and Hajime returned to the training field, drawing the attention of everyone present. And when they saw the three sit off to the side without disturbing anyone, Sumire, who was curious to see what they were doing, hurried over to take a look.

Sumire was quickly followed by Kaori, who was always concerned about Hajime's well-being. And that naturally led to Shizuku following along, as well. And of course, Kouki and Ryutaro followed her.

Eventually, the entire class and most of the instructors followed to take a look, too. However, Tatsuo paid none of them, except for Sumire, any mind.

"Tatsuo-Kun, what are you doing?" Sumire asked curiously. "Oh, those materials, are you going to make something?"

"Yup." Tatsuo replied simply as he examined all the materials. "We're gonna make something for Nagumo."

When Tatsuo said that, many of the classmates sneered, thinking that Tatsuo was wasting his effort on something useless. A lot of the girls even started getting angry because Hajime was wasting Tatsuo's time. Yet, no one said anything. However, there was one person who could not help but start ridiculing immediately.

"Why bother?" Daisuke said with a sneer. "Nagumo is useless, and that won't change."

Tatsuo only shot Daisuke a glare, which shut him up immediately. Then, he laid out the materials.

"Alright, we need to make something that you should have no trouble using , Nagumo." Tatsuo said as he looked up at Hajime. "Meaning, it can't be too heavy."

"Yeah." Hajime replied with a nod..

"Luckily, these metals aren't the same as the ones on Earth." Tatsuo continued. "They're stronger than iron or steel. Yet, their much lighter. So, we should be able to make something."

Hearing that, Hajime also started inspecting the materials with is [Transmutation Magic].

"Wouldn't it be better to just train harder so that you can stand with the rest of us, Nagumo-Kun?" Kouki asked in a self-righteous tone.

"Due, shut up." James said. "The same training doesn't work for everyone. Nagumo clearly isn't good with melee weapons. So, why would you ask him to train with them?"

"But if he puts in enough effort, he'll surely improve." Kouki replied in an annoyed tone.

"Then, does that mean that Sakagami should train with a sword, too?" James asked while pointing his right index finger at Ryutaro.

"Of course not." Kouki said while shaking his head. "Ryutaro is clearly better suited for fighting hand-to-hand."

"And that's my point, you moron." James said disdainfully. "Not everyone trains the same way. So, just shut the hell up."

After James' example, everyone understood what he meant, and agreed with him. Even Eri. However, she still shot him a murderous glare because of the way he spoke to Kouki. Kouki, on the other hand, continued to argue his point.

Tatsuo and Hajime, on the other hand, were busy examining all the materials to make a crossbow that was light, yet powerful, enough for Hajime to use in battle.

"Okay, I think these should do it." Tatsuo said with a smile.

"Yeah, that should be perfect." Hajime replied. Then, he pointed to a few metal ingots and straps of leather that Tatsuo put to the side. "But what are those for?"

"Oh, those are to make new gloves, or rather hand and wrist guards for myself." Tatsuo replied. "These gloves are too trash. Plus, the [Transmutation Circle] is even worse."

Saying that, Tatsuo put his hands on the materials he separated for himself.

"[[Transmute]." Tatsuo said, the incantation for the [Transmutation Magic] being that simple.

After Tatsuo made his short incantation, the magic circles on the backs of his hands lit up with black, purple-tinted magic power. Then, that magic power covered the materials under his hands.

A moment later, the materials Tatsuo was touching distorted and combined together to make a pair of wrist guards that protected the back of the hand while leaving the fingers exposed with complex, Fullmetal Alchemist-style [Transmutation Circles] on the back of the hands.

"These should be much better." Tatsuo muttered as he took of the gloves the kingdom gave him and replaced them with the wrist guards he created. "Yeah, much better."

Tatsuo then proceeded to flex his fingers and get a feel for his new equipment. Meanwhile, the rest of the class and the instructors looked on in awe.

"That magic circle, I've never seen anything like it." One of the magic instructors exclaimed in awe.

"Well, he does have the Magic Circle Creation skill." Meld said while shaking his head. "so, that should be normal, right?"

"That circle." Hajime said while pointing at the back of Tatsuo's hand.

"Oh, this is just a more efficient [Transmutation Magic Circle]." Tatsuo replied. "Though, I'm not sure if anyone other than me would be able to use it."

In fact, that was a lie. The [Transmutation Circle] Tatsuo added to his wrist guards was the same as the one Major Alex Ruiz Armstrong used in Fullmetal Alchemist. Meaning, it did not use the same principles as the [Transmutation Magic] in this world. So, there was no chance that anyone else would be able to use it.

"I see." Hajime replied, thinking Tatsuo's explanation sounded reasonable.

"I should be able to help you make one that suits you, though.' Tatsuo said as he patted Hajime on the shoulder. "For now, let's just get you your weapon."

Nodding in response, Hajime watched as Tatsuo gathered all the materials they decided on for the crossbow. Then, Tatsuo touched them like he had before.

"Transmute." Tatsuo said, this time his incantation was just for show, though.

Like last time, when Tatsuo finished his incantation, the [Transmutation Circles] on the backs of his hands lit up. However, instead of simply covering the materials, his [Energy] arched around them like lighting. Even so, the process of the materials combining together was the same. And when the process concluded, a crossbow made of metal and wood with an auto-reloading function lay on the ground.

"What manner of weapon is that?" Meld asked in surprise.

In fact, Meld's question was not all that strange. From what Tatsuo could remember from reading the Arifureta novels or watching the anime, no one used ranged-weapons of any kind. Instead, all long-range attacks were performed with magic or Hajime's guns.

"That's a crossbow." A tall and burly male student with short black hair and brown eyes named Nagayama Jugo said in an amazed tone.

Jugo then went on to explain the function of a crossbow to Meld and the other instructors. Meanwhile, Tatsuo put his hands on another pile of materials and [Transmuted] them. By the time the [Transmutation] was complete, hundreds of crossbow bolts and magazines to load them into had appeared.

"Alright, things should be easier for you with these." Tatsuo said as he picked up the crossbow and looked down its sights to make sure everything was okay.

"And you can leave your training regimen to me." James said as he patted Hajime on the shoulder. "Although you might feel like dying at some point, I promise you'll get stronger quickly."

"Feel like dying?" Hajime asked apprehensively.

"You know what they say, no pain, no gain, right?" James replied with a smile.

"Besides, as long as Shirasaki-San is here, I'm sure you'll be fine." Tatsuo said with a smile.

After speaking, Tatsuo turned to Kaori and winked at her with a knowing smile on his face, causing the kind-hearted, obsessed girl to blush. Meanwhile, Shizuku could not help but cover her mouth and giggle at her best friend.

And there was a reason for Tatsuo to say that other than just teasing Kaori. Kaori's Class was that of a Priest. Meaning, she specialized in [Healing Magic] with a minor specification in [Barrier Magic]. So, as long as she was around, no matter how banged up Hajime got in training, she would have him back in top condition very quickly.

---Flashback End===

"*Sigh* and that training really has been hell." Hajime grumbled as he left the library. "I really have wanted to die several times in these two weeks. But I can't deny my growth."

Reaching that point, Hajime took out his Status Plate and looked at his Status while walking back to the castle.

{Status Plate

Name: Nagumo Hajime

Age: 17

Gender: Male

Level: 10

Class: Synergist

Stats

Strength: 26

Vitality: 25

Resistance: 18

Agility: 31

Magic: 50

Magic Resistance: 18

Skills

-Transmutation

 -Precise Transmutation

 -Replica Transmutation

-Language Comprehension}

"Although my numbers aren't even as strong as the rest of my class's starting stats, I'm still getting stronger." Hajime said to himself. I've even learned two sub-skills for Transmutation."

The two sub-skills, Precise Transmutation and Replica Transmutation came about from all the crossbow bolts he had transmuted over the last two weeks. Because to make them as balanced as possible, it took rather precise work. As for Replica Transmutation, it should be self-explanatory. Just repeating the same task over and over led to the creation of this sub-skill.

"Plus, the new magic circle Soramoto made for me really makes it a lot easier to Transmute, too." Hajime said as he looked down at the wrist guards he made for himself after Tatsuo helped him create his own [Transmutation Magic Circle]. "The mana cost for each transmutation is so much lower than it was before."

Eventually, while Hajime continued to reminisce about the last two weeks, he reached the training field at the castle, where he spent the whole day working on his accuracy and shooting while moving. He also trained with Tatsuo and James to be able to, at the very least, defend himself long enough for someone to come and help if an enemy got too close for the crossbow to be effective.

Then, at the end of the training session, Meld gathered everyone to make an announcement.

"From tomorrow onwards, you all will undergo practical training in the Orcus Great Labyrinth." Meld said solemnly. "We will be using the magic beasts outside the capital as live practice dummies."

Hearing that, most of the students were either overly excited or overly scared. And the reason was the same for both cases. None of them thought they would be fighting after only two weeks of training. However, Meld's announcement was not done yet.

"All the necessary equipment for the training will be provided by the kingdom." Meld continued. "So, the only things you all need to do is get a good night's rest and make sure you are in the right state of mind by the time we leave tomorrow. Dismissed."

After speaking his piece, Meld left with the other instructors. Meanwhile, the students chatted animatedly about what they could possibly expect during this trip to the Orcus Great Labyrinth.