Water, come forth.
The Water Magician
Where am I...?
Just so you know, this isn't the afterlife.
You are Ryo Mihara, yes?
Yes, that's me.
That's a relief. It's been a long time since I last had a visitor.
Ryo Mihara, you sadly passed away in an accident.
Right. I remember that.
Are you... god?
No, I am not. To put it into terms you'd be familiar with...
an angel would be most apt, I believe.
I'll file him as "Fake Michael" for now.
I understand I'm being reincarnating, but what do I do once I start my new life?
By all means, live however you please.
I was not informed that you'd been sent with an agenda
or any sort of mission to complete.
I'm to live as I please?
In that case, I'd love to live the slow life.
The world you will be reincarnating into is one full of magic.
Abel?
We have dubbed this world "Phi."
In Phi, roughly 20 percent of humans can cast spells.
The element with which you are most compatible is water.
As you've requested the slow life, we'll have you reincarnate in the Forest of Rondo.
A house and two months' worth of food will await you.
An icehouse for storing food? This has got to be magic too, right?
Your house has been prepared so that monsters will avoid the immediate vicinity.
Consider it to be something like a barrier.
The Monster Compendium, Beginner Edition?
I can read it even though I've never seen the language.
This Flora Compendium, too.
Water, come forth.
Water! Aqua!
I guess if I can imagine what I'm doing, I don't need to vocalize it.
I've always thought incantations were cool, though...
Looks like what I conjure is tepid.
And here I was hoping to make good use of this nice tub. That bites.
Oh well.
Not happening!
Gotta know when to give up.
The sun?
Freeze!
This is harder than I thought.
But I need to figure out how to make ice, too.
I'd love to cast one of those "Ice Spear" kinds of spells.
Compress the water while removing the heat...
Picture the H2O molecules at the heart of the water.
If I can connect an oxygen atom to the hydrogen atom of the molecule next to it...
I win! And all thanks to hydrogen bonds.
Now, if I can shape it how I need...
Bingo!
I'd say that was a pretty productive first day.
I think I can make hot water if I apply the thinking that got me ice.
Magic sure makes life easy.
Now then, I've got plenty to do tomorrow.
Michael prepared two months of food for me.
I guess that means I'll have to start hunting once I work through my supply.
The woods fall outside of the barrier, so there will be monsters.
I doubt a single knife will be enough. I'm going to need offensive magic.
For a secure and safe slow life, I had better start practicing, huh?
Water Ball!
My first attack spell is a success!
Although... not much of an attack.
I mean, that makes sense.
Nevertheless, I have a trick up my sleeve.
If Water Ball won't cut it, then out comes Water Jet.
Narrow the outlet. Picture a thin, high-velocity stream.
Go!
I lose.
Oh, one last thing. How do I use magic?
The foundation to magic is imagination.
Water Jet!
You need to picture clearly what you're aiming for, then work toward that over time.
Water Jet!
It's looking a bit better now.
Good!
Seems I was right about using the opposite process for ice to get hot water.
Hot! Too hot!
Creating ice out of thin air...
It's not fast, but looks like it's doable.
Which leads us to my main goal for offensive ice magic: Icicle Lance!
Now fly!
Guess it's not as easy to project as water.
Given the difficulty of conjuring it and its limited range,
I have my doubts about practical applications in combat.
For now, practice makes perfect.
I feel like I'm going to pass out. Is this some kind of... mana depletion?
Oh, of course. I can't do this the way I have been once the sun sets.
Icicle Lance!
Good. I'm able to form them instantly now.
Still not much of a projectile, though.
Now then, it's time to venture...
outside of the barrier!
Bingo!
Quartz! I had a feeling I'd find this along a riverbank.
And with it...
I can start a fire even after the sun goes down.
Once I collect some detoxifying herbs, I'll call today's adventure a success.
A lesser boar!
This is bad.
Move... Move, move, move, move, move!
I can't move... But in this world, I have magic!
Ice Bahn!
Icicle Lance 16!
I won...
Lesser boars are listed as the weakest kind.
That was the weakest, huh?
This Monster Compendium is the beginner's edition,
but it says the last two pages are the special edition?
"Dragons. Individually capable of destroying entire cities with ease."
Scary!
"Note: If you encounter one, be sure to flee."
"That said, you are highly unlikely to escape." I see.
Just running into one is game over.
"Akuma. Not fallen angels."
"Origins unknown. Note: Pray you never encounter one."
Is that really going to help?
Man, this world must be huge.
That's a great balance of sweet and sour!
A bird?!
This seems like a huge jump in terms of difficulty!
Assassin hawks use Air Slash, an invisible type of offensive air magic.
But their main weapons is swooping with their razor-sharp talons and beak!
I don't think I can outrun it.
I'll just have... to fight back!
This slow life thing is harder than I figured...
While I was running from the assassin hawk, I lost track of the direction my house is in.
I should be getting closer, I think...
Abrasive Jet!
Hey, it worked!
If I use magic to enhance the hardness of ice,
it can act as a replacement for garnet blasting abrasive.
I might actually be getting the hang of magic.
The beginner edition's of the Monster Compendium didn't mention a Dullahan.
Is it not considered a monster? Or is it too advanced for the beginner's edition?
Either way...
I've got you!
I don't think I stand a chance just yet.
But there's a reason I come here every night.
It feels like he's telling me he'll whip me into shape.
A water sword?
You're telling me to master it?
This is pretty fantastical.
The assassin hawk from before?
Wait, it wasn't that dark.
Did it evolve?
Five-Layer Ice Wall.
Ten-Layer Ice Wall!
Ice Wall!
Icicle Lance!
It wiped them out?!
Does it have some kind of magic negation? What a nasty ability to evolve!
Something's... coming!
I get it. I took your eye.
Even if we both gave it all and you lost, it's still hard to accept.
But if nothing else, encountering you has helped me grow.
I wanted to get stronger in anticipation of you showing up again.
I'm grateful you gave me the chance to improve.
You went as far as to evolve in order to pay me back.
And out of respect for the pride that brought you here... I'll finish this.
Unbelievable.
A dragon...
You there, human!
It talks?
Good, good. It's been so long since I used telepathy, I wasn't sure it'd still work.
Telepathy?
I was hoping to ask you something.
Have you encountered a bird that evolved from an assassin hawk around here?
I, er... I have.
That wasn't one of your minions or anything, was it?
Because if so, I need to apologize.
I see! Then you've slain the creature.
A most impressive feat.
Now, I must say, that's a rather rare weapon at your waist.
As I thought! The sword of the Fairy King!
If he gave that to you, then you must've done something to earn his favor!
I couldn't really say...
But, uh, I was hoping to ask you a few questions.
You'll have to forgive me, but I'm being called on.
I was so enjoying our little chat, too.
It's okay. I really appreciate everything you told me.
Could I at least get your name? Mine is Ryo.
Ryo, eh? I'm Lewin.
Until we meet again, Ryo!
Talk about intense...
Never thought I'd have a conversation with a dragon.
Anything can happen in a fantasy world like this, huh?
Oh, dear. What an oversight on my part.
A hidden trait? Why would he have such a thing?
No one's had one of those since that girl I first sent to another world.
That was over ten thousand years ago.
In Ryo's case, his hidden trait is... Eternal Youth.