Close, Long One Step
"Kajikawa-san, let it go already~"
"..."
『Pii...』
Hi, hello there.
After sparring with Alma Papa, I'm now in a sitting position watching Alma's sparring with Alma Mama while drawing a 『の』 character on the ground and sulking.
I went all out using all those nasty tactics and even blew myself up with him in the end, but none of it worked.
...Who could've guessed he'd activate 'Qi Path Open' to get himself out of the bind and Ground Shrink-ed away from the explosion.
Then he struck my head with his wooden sword. I couldn't land a single hit in the end.
I'm not sure if I should be satisfied getting this far even without a Skill or lament at the upper limit of my current strength.
...Damn, it's so frustrating.
Ah, but when was the last time I felt frustrated again.
Maybe that time my boss got angry with me while I couldn't talk back due to my position.
No, I don't mean sordid kinds of frustration like that, so maybe it was that time I didn't get to enter my first pick of high school.
Or maybe that one time I lost a fight when I was super young.
...Gotta stop weirdly reminiscing the past. Not like I'm getting senile from old age.
"Your goal is weird to begin with. We're not training to win against those two. We're here to get stronger, aren't we. Trying to land a hit after one or two sparring matches is just weird."
"Yer' righto..."
"What's with that accent. Well, now you know how we feel whenever we spar with you Kajikawa-san, serves you r... ahem, I mean, I'm kinda glad about it."
Your inner monologue is leaking! What? Is it that frustrating to spar with me?
Well I mean, I never let them get a hit on me sure.
Hmm, now that I think about it, I guess Reina got quite the stout heart.
Though it's probably way less mortifying than living in the slums.
...Reina is right, I can't stay down in the dump forever.
Thinking about it calmly, there's no way a technique I randomly thought up would instantly work well. My opponent is an over Lv90 veteran that has dozens times more combat experience.
He must be used to fighting multiple enemies at once. It would be weirder if he never found himself fighting against opponents that tried to destroy themselves together.
I've still got plenty of chances to spar with him. I should be more patient.
"Haaaa!"
"!? T-that's amazing Alma-chan!"
O, oou...!? Alma struck down the barrage of Alma Mama's fireballs with [Grand Blade].
Normally those fireballs should have blown up when her sword hit them, but she had enveloped the blade with 'Mana Blade Draw' as a cushion and bounced them back.
That let her send back the fireballs to simultaneously defend and attack back. I never knew that she managed to copy my Mana Repel.
...Heck, isn't she better than me at it? I'm losing my position here.
She attacked with multiple offensive spells using 'Double Tongued' while simultaneously repelling those fireballs and closing in the distance.
Alma Mama has been maintaining the distance between them with Ground Shrink and Quick Step but Alma is moving slightly faster bolstered by Energy Control.
"Oooh! You're almost there! Just a little bit more, Alma-san!"
『Pipi!』
"Alma, keep at it!"
"Don't lose, my daughter! Beat her to a pulp!"
When her sword almost reached Alma Mama, all of us reflexively cheered for her.
Alma Papa even joined in. Won't Alma Mama get mad at you later? You sure it's okay?
"Fu, fufu, ufufu ahahaha! I'm so happy! It's only been a year and a half since you came of age and look how far you've gotten!"
"『Little Gnome』! 『Ifrit』!"
"Even Spirit Magic! How far will you impress your mama!"
<Scaaary! Who the heck is this woman, she's real bad news!>
<M-Miss Lunatiara. She hasn't been summoning me as of late. Who knew we would meet again this away...>
Alma increased her number of moves by summoning spirits, leaving the fireballs to Ifrit and putting Little Gnome on obstructing Alma Mama duty.
Hm? Ifrit sounds like he's familiar with Alma Mama? Which means...
"【Cthugha】"
"...Eh."
...!!?
I felt an enormous amount of mana coming down from the sky as Alma Mama murmured.
Something's, descending...!?
If I had to describe the thing, I'd say it's a giant made of flames.
A super sized giant over 100 meter tall. It's even bigger than Minimum Jormungandr.
It possess a massive amount of mana that makes Mid-class Spirit like Ifrit look like a baby.
That thing can probably solo Black Dragon no issue.
<<Advanced Spirit Magic 【Cthugha】, a spell that summons and controls the apex of Flame Spirits. There's only a very limited number of people capable of using Advanced Spirit Magic in the whole world. It's an extremely powerful spirit capable of burning down a capital sized city in mere seconds.>>
Alma Mama is getting way too much into it!!
That ain't anything you summoned against your daughter is it! She trying to kill her or what!? Are you gonna kill your daughter!?
"It'll be fine. I'll adjust the power so you won't die... That is if you can block it, Alma-chan."
"...!"
"...Show me, Alma. All the power you hold within you! 【Cthugha】!!"
<Are you sure? ...Very well then.>
The flaming giant let out several dozens flaming tentacles that all went toward Alma.
I can feel incredible heat from every single of those tentacles. Even one of them will incinerate Alma to ashes if it so much as touches her.
"...Haaa...!!"
Alma struck down all the tentacles with a combination of Spirit Magic and Double Tongued-cast multi spells.
Fireballs, water balls, icicles, thunderbolts, shine balls, wind blades, dark tentacles, rock bullets, colorless mana balls mixed into rainbow colored balls, and Intermediate Spells like flaming bombs narrowly managed to do it.
She boosted all the spells she could use to even stop the attack. A moment of lapse would've pushed her back.
Her mana is gonna run dry in 10 seconds that way.
The match is over in ten seconds from now. What's your next move, Alma.
"Phew...!"
"!? F-fast!"
She undid Grand Blade and switched over to 'Tempest Blade' to zero in on Alma Mama.
Alma Mama could get dragged in her own magic if they're that close. She gotta be careful now.
She's got no choice but to engage in a melee combat. Alma's strategy is valid.
Alma finally got her blade within an inch of Alma Mama.
"!"
"Ufufu, I can't believe you'd corner me this bad."
Alma Mama blocked Alma's sword with her staff.
Ordinarily, mage-type Jobs can never hope to match melee-type Jobs in close quarter combat.
Once they lose their range advantage, they're halfway to be checkmated.
But you can't make light of Alma Mama's Attribute values.
She's Level 96 after all. Her STR even surpasses Hyula-san who specializes in melee.
Normally, Staff Arts is only good as a complementary Skill. In no way it could measure up to melee-specialized Jobs, let alone higher tier ones like Alma's.
"Haaaaaaa!!"
"The sheer weight and speed behind your attacks not at all feel like it comes from someone half my level. But, you're reaching your limit soon, aren't you?"
Alma did manage to push her in the clash, but that one step is simply too far.
Alma Mama seems to have used 'Qi Clad' to buff herself up so Alma can't push her further.
She's used up all her energy, yet this small gap in strength seems impossible to bury.
I'm chagrined. It's so close, yet so far away...
"I think it's time to end this... You did well, Alma-chan."
"...Ru..."
"...Eh?"
<TLN: Catch the latest updates and edits at Sousetsuka .com >
"...Pile, Bunkeeeeeeeeeeer!!!"
BOOM! A familiar sound reverberated.
It's something I hear every single day. The sound of a move I created, exclusive only to me.
It's a very simple move that harden your mana and push it forward, but only those who know Mana Control can deploy it.
"Kyaaaaaaaa!!?"
While they were locking weapons, Alma let out a Mana Pile Bunker from the palm of the hand that was gripping her sword.
...To think she's even learned how to use Mana Pile...! She probably managed to copy it after watching me using it for so long.
...Huh wait, I'm really losing my position, aren't I?
"...Got... you..."
She slumped down as she squeezed that word out.
Of course, she used up all her mana and energy... It took her all to even get a single hit in huh.
"Alma!"
I lifted her up, and supplied her with mana.
You did great. Really, that was great. A dazzling victory.
...It's a bit frustrating how she gained a lead on me though.
"Ufufufufu... Fufufufu..."
Oh no
Alma Mama is walking up here while rubbing her abdomen that was hit by Alma's Pile Bunker.
Her smile is so terrifying I can't look at her straight! Did she go mad from that hit!?
Hold it, Alma can't go on anymore! I'm telling you!
Heck, Alma Mama's HP barely decreased!? Even that attack barely worked!?
"P-please wait--"
"Alma-chaaaaaaaan!! You're so so stroooooong noooow!!!"
She yelled out loud with a huge smile on her face as she hugged Alma hard.
"It's been so many years since anyone other than Duke managed to hit me! That's my daughter for you! She's a genius! Super genius!"
"Err, Lunatiara-san, you're choking her. No really, she's choking badly there!"
"I won't heal this wound ever! I'll set it aside as a commemoration!"
"How do you set aside a wound..."
Alma Mama is hugging Alma as hard she could, reminiscence of half a year ago. She's gonna stop breathing again, stop that, you'll kill her, stop.
Alma Papa murmured something with a smile as well despite looking like he can't believe what he just saw.
Is he elated from Alma's growth... Or maybe he feels refreshed inwardly from watching Alma Mama got hit since he usually obeys her every whims. Probably both.
...They're gonna zoom past me if I don't pull myself together.
I gotta hurry up and think up a way to get stronger or I'm in danger.
Our party kids are way too talented. They keep catching up to me no matter how strong I get.
"Also, I don't mind you cheering for Alma-chan but we're having a talk about the matter of you telling her to beat me to pulp later, shall we, dear?"
"I-I dunno what you talking about though...?"
Ah, figured she heard that.
Mouths are the source of misfortunes. Live on, Alma Papa.
Author's Q&A
>What if Hero's resummoning altars got destroyed--
It can't be done. Those altars cannot be destroyed or moved. The goddess spares no mercy towards demons.
On top of that, demons can't enter the altars so there's no chance of spawn killing. Quite convenient, isn't it.
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