Evolution and Another Evolution of Sort

"Alma! Knock the ogre off its feet with Spirit Magic and get ready to use your finisher! Reina hide in the shadow and let out only your arms to throw shurikens at the ogre's face when it starts attacking!"

『Cluck?』

"Hiyoko, you stay away and stay alert for another beast! A graze from that thing would kill you dead!"

『C-cluck!』


Hello there, after fulfilling our quota, we looked around and finally found an ogre.
This is only my second time fighting this beast, but man these ogres sure are strong. They pack way too much punches.
But it's far easier when it's not holding a weapon and in a one-against-many like this.


"Oruaaaaaaaa!!"

『Daaaaaaagaaaaaaaaa!!』


I'm using the explosomething exploding great hammer I had bought as a compensation for breaking it, and it's been surprisingly effective.
It can ignore inertia and swing from unexpected angles, on top of making my attacks unpredictable, I can also make the engine repeatedly explode to increase attack power.
It'd also give me the upper hands if I lock weapons, honestly this thing is so highly usable in practice you wouldn't think it was a damaged prototype.


"Seiyaa!"


The ogre seemingly believed a close quarter combat was a bad idea and leaped away from us, I threw the hammer at it.
The trajectory is so straight dodging that should be a child's play. In fact, the ogre dodged.

But


『Gubaha!!?』


My hammer which should have missed its target changed trajectory and hit the ogre's back head.
I used remote mana control to explode the engine and changed its direction mid-air. No matter how high your DEF is, that hit should crack its head.

While it was flinching, Alma unleashed her 'Finisher'.


"Fshh!"


An attack that fully specializes in speed, so fast it's imperceptible.
The kinetic energy it produces is powerful enough to easily deal a killing blow to magic beasts over Rank B.
There's no concrete number shown on her Status, but I believe its total ATK should go over 1500.
4-5 times her base attributes, just ridiculous.

DOSH her sword pierced deeply into the ogre's chest.
It's a fatal blow no matter how you look at it. The match would have been over if the enemy was a human.
But you can't make light of magic beast's vitality. Even that Jet Boar, a magic beast much lower ranked than this ogre, didn't die when a sword stabbed its head.


"Alma! That thing's not dead yet!"

『Gubu...!! ...Gaa!!』

"...!"


The ogre swung its arms high in an attempt to crush Alma, uncaring of the sword in its chest.
Its face is warped in anger and pain, full of killing intent towards Alma.


"I won't let you!"

『Hagwu!?』


Reina let out her arms to throw a shuriken into the ogre's opened mouth.
Despite the perfect ambush, the ogre immediately closed its mouth and caught the shuriken with it. Thing's pretty dexterous.
Then it munched on the shuriken like it was a rice cracker. Reina can't enlarge the shuriken now.
But, that moment bought more than enough time.


"Burner Blade!"

『Guba!? Gugugugaaaaaaaaa!!』


A white flame erupted out of the sword lodged in the ogre.
A super high temperature flame is boiling the ogre from within. Not even Jet Boar could survive this.


『Gwugigigigigagwuu!! Gaaaaaaaa!!!』

"..!?"


But it's not enough.
It's not enough firepower to kill the ogre.
The thing won't go down despite the fatal blow and boiling organs.
It swung down the arms it had raised high right at Alma.


"Not on my watch, dang you!!"

『Guguugugugugu...!!』


I closed in rapidly with Mana Flight and blocked the down swinging arms.
I had reflexively strengthened my whole body with energy, but I can't maintain this for long against this tremendous strength.
The ogre's HP is gradually decreasing from the flame burning it alive, can I last until it reaches zero!?


"Alma!! Raise the output more!"

"...Hikaru, please forgive me... It's probably going to hurt a lot, sorry."

"...Come again?"


Eh, wait Alma-san? What? What are you planning? What's with that apologetic look on your--


"Lightning Blade!!"


The flame vanished from Alma's sword, replaced with purple lightning running throughout the ogre and the one interlocked with its arms, me.


『Gugyaaaaaaaa!!!』

"Higyaaaaaaaaa!!!?"

"Hikaru, sorry, I'm sorry! Bear with it for a little bit more!"


<<Magic Sword Lv4 [Lightning Blade]: An ability that clads the blade in lightning dealing additional damage to those it touches. Electricity runs through the target as long as they are in contact, depriving them control of their body. However, the MP consumption per second is far severer than Burner Blade and Storm Blade.>>

I see! Don't have to worry about counterattack with this ability if the target can't move!
Heck, why didn't you use this from the start! It hurts! It hurts super bad! Could have used this move before I caught this ogre's arms!


『Agagagagabugababababaaaa... Gabo...』

"Higigigigigagagagaa!! A-Almaa!! It's dead! The ogre is dead! Stop, seriously stoppp!"

"U-un!"


I finally got off the electric hell once the ogre was foaming on its mouth and confirmed dead.
Ababababa...!! W-well, Alma's not wrong.
I don't get damaged as long as I have my HP buffer. So I'd be fine even in an extreme case of having a sword run through me.
But, I still get to feel pain when it's lightning element.

Huh, Alma? You're activating Lightning Blade again, what are you!


"...Hikaru, I'm sorry. I'll go through the same pain, so please forgive me."

"Wait, stop! Staaaahp! It's fine! I'm completely swell, don't do that!"
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >

I desperately plead to Alma and stopped her as she tearfully attempted to hurt herself with Lightning Blade.
I'm telling you I'll be fine as long as I have HP! You'd get charred badly if you're hit by that super high voltage electricity!
This girl sure can take the wildest action when she broods over things too deeply.
...Well, I understand the guilt when I did a similar thing to her back then though.


"Well uh, all is well as long as we're all safe and sound."

"...Sorry."

"I'm fine, I'm fine, cheer up. We just beat a formidable foe and all, it's time to celebrate... Huh? Alma, isn't your sword glowing?"

"Eh?"


Alma's sword, [Ogre-eating Shark Fang Sword] is letting out a faint glow if you look closely.
That's, not a a Magic Sword Skill. What?

<<This sword is evolving as it has cleared the condition to kill a certain number of magic beasts and a specific magic beast [Ogre].>>

Evolving? Ah, right, equipment made from Unique Monsters can evolve or something.
Wait huh, its form is changing, is it gonna be alright?


"I-it's like a clay made of light changing shape!"

"...Pretty. I've never seen anything like this."


After letting out an intense light, the sword turned into a beautiful single edged lustrous black sword in Alma's hand.


<<[Lv2 Dragon-eating Black Sword] ATK+580 INT+300. Effective on targets that possess Dragon Skills. Its Self-Repair function has been reinforced, allowing fully restoration from a broken blade over a period of time.>>


It turns super strong! What? Are all evolving unique equipment get this much stronger when they evolved?
It's gotten wider and longer too, won't that be harder to wield with the shift in the center of gravity?


"Amazing... It's bigger and yet the weight feels exactly the same. Rather, it feels better in my hands than ever."

"Since it was called Ogre-eating Shark Fang Sword, I guess the condition for its evolution had always been defeating an ogre... Hm? Which means the next evolution needs..."

"What's wrong?"

"Uh, well, Menu Display shows that sword's name as Dragon-eating Black Sword... So I'm thinking maybe it's gonna need a dragon defeated for its next evolution...?"

"A-a dragon!? That's way over the top!"

"...High hurdle."


It's evolving is nice and all, but the next one is gonna be super rough.
Using that Black Dragon from Monster Prairie as a frame of reference, there's no way we can beat a dragon even after getting ten more levels.
...Well, guess there's no need to rush. If ten levels aren't enough, then we can get 20, 30 more first.
The goal is to one day eat a dragon anyway. Gonna take a stab at it little by little.


『Pipi!』


Oh, Hiyoko's back. Hope it didn't get attacked by another magic beast--
...Huh? Isn't your fur a different color now? From white to brown? Is it dirt?


<<Hiyoko defeated a magic beast while it was away, reaching Level 10 and evolved from Meadow Cock to Bronze Cock.>>


....
I missed Hiyoko's moment of growth yet again.
I'm begging you please let me be there when you do. It just doesn't feel right being kept in the dark like this, you know.

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