Archangels of War

Unfortunately for me, my prediction was incorrect. Kami had not cooled off by the time the next day had rolled around. if anything, she seemed to be even angrier. It was also a fairly chilly Tuesday morning, so that may have contributed to her ill mood. I wasn't dumb enough to ask any probing questions, and I made sure to keep everything I said vague and general, so as to not spark an argument so early in the morning. After we had eaten a breakfast of eggs and pancakes, we headed out for Theta magic academy. Thankfully, this time we didn't have to go through the effort of tearing out way through the magic forest. Suijin had provided us with a special magical stone that would direct us to the path of the magic academy. As we walked down the street, I could feel the stares coming from others. Curtains could be seen being pulled back suddenly, as those in their homes moved to get a better look at the two attendees of Theta magic academy walking down the sidewalk. It was obvious that those stares were not just those of interest. Despite the fact that we had a very shiny magical rock in out possession, all of the stares were concentrated on us. There were looks of discontent from those who sat on their porches. Mothers who moved to stand in front of their kids at the sight of our uniforms. Yet nobody said a word. There was irritation, but also fear swirling in the minds of everybody in our neighborhood. 

From a lawn of one of our neighbors, I could hear a news broadcast being played. "According to government census and information gathering bureau, the number of neighborhoods that are split between magicians and non-magicians has grown over 12% in the last 30 years. Experts say this growth is the first sign at long lasting peace and integration between the two sides. They've even gone as far as to say that the future is looking bright."

"Just our luck that this house happened to be smack dab in the middle of a non-magician residential area." I murmured to myself. Usually, towns were split, almost segregated into sects of Magicians and non-magicians. It was nothing government enforced. It was 100% a cultural thing. People put immense time into studying areas that they were interested in, just so they didn't buy a house next to the other side. Which was what it really was. Two divided sides. Despite the what the news was saying, the gap between the two sides was not much closer than it had been at the time of the first resurgence of magicians. It was the kind of thing that people didn't acknowledge, but knew was there. The divide between the two different sides was something that was just embedded into the rhythms and throes of everyday life. 

"There simply just isn't a world where complete integration between the two sides is possible." This was coming from another person's yard. A middle-aged man with white hair was sitting on a small table in his yard, talking with his wife. "How exactly can you expect people to be safe living next door to a literally bomb!" His wife nodded her head in agreement. 

"I've heard of rumors that those who spend their life living next to magicians develop mutations from the second hand in-take of mana." She was drinking a bottle of what seemed to be white liquor. As we walked by their yard, I could feel their gazes shifting over to us. They didn't say anything but stared with expressions of slight contempt. 

When we finally left the crushing atmosphere of the neighborhood, and walked unto the main bustling streets of Sendai, a new, arguably even more disconcerting feeling had fallen upon us. Unlike in the neighborhood, where stares were more personal, and individual conversations could be eavesdropped on, the busy city was a massive web of activity. Massive screens that rose high into the air or were even on buildings themselves displayed news. Besides the weather, all other news was related to magicians. Mostly, debates on if there would ever be a society were these to separate parties could co-exist. New detailing malicious acts from Magician's, or heroic acts from magicians. 

On the street, glances were unavoidable, and though they only lingered for a second or to, it felt like there was an entire connected mass, which was baring down its gaze upon us. Criticizing. Accusing. Hating. People making use of cars that ran on mana to minimize greenhouse gases drove by casting stares that could burn holes through us. People who were commuting to work at buildings specially designed and enhanced by magic architecture seemed to keep their distance on the streets. Streets which were kept in pristine condition through the use of technology that had been produced by breakthroughs in magical engineering.

Despite how it may have seemed, I didn't completely blame them for their reactions. Looking at their perspective, they were sharing a world with beings who could be likened to gods, able to take the lives and destroy the world that they lived in whenever they pleased. Haunted by stories of those who used the gift of magic to tear down entire societies, commit atrocities that could never be erased from the history books, and even just look down upon them like they were nothing more than maggots. 

We walked by one of the screens where a well-known pro-human Chinese figure was debating a magical engineer. The man went by the alias of Huyan Zhou. He was 40 years old, and his most notable features were a scar he had just under his right lip, as well as his circular glasses. He had been running rampant over the past few months, mostly because of the non-stop debates that he was holding every day of the week. 

"20 years ago, a man named Lucas Oscuras, developed a machine that could be used to transfer raw magical energy into light capable that was capable of powering towns for years. A noble and useful invention. However, not even 3 years later, a man used the technology to create a beam of light so concentrated that it was able to slice continents in half. The weapon was aptly named, 'Muerte Oscuras.' I ask you, how can you possibly create and develop magically technology, knowing that it will inevitably be turned into weapons of mass destruction?" 

"Firstly, these things are not inevitably. When they do happen, it is unfortunate, and I hold deep sorrow in my heart for the lives lost because of those who twist the findings of geniuses. However, the mindset that we should never try and innovate because of tragedies that occurred along the way, is not beneficial to our society. If we had that mindset back during moments like the industrial revolution, our implementation of nuclear power, society would never advance. 

People watched. 

People talked. 

And they argued. 

There was an underlying tension in the air. Despite the fact that studies would tell you that society was becoming more conjoined, and the two sides were becoming more integrated into each other's societies, the truth of the matter is that this world is divided. There will always be a rift between the two sides. The divided sides. A seam that could burst into a fissure at any moment. 

A seam that separated those blessed in the image of the gods, from those embraced by caricature of evil.