Chapter 219 - Peerless Activity

Naofumi: “Now then…”

Recently I’ve been practicing adding magic to my skills.

I think it will be good if I can use it as easily as breathing.

My weakness is that the magic consumption is huge so it’s hard to regulate.

Even just Air Strike Shield, sending 2 is the limit of my magic consumption.

Also, as far as I know, what changes depending on the skill is that the cooldown increases proportionately.

And it seems that if I add magic to the Portal Shield, the number of people I can transport increase. With the 6-person limit according to Motoyasu, I was able to transport 7 people because I unintentionally added magic. That was probably it.

I can’t control the part that I’m aware of though.

I can’t do it no matter what, huh…..

One way or another, the magic consumption is extreme. The natural recovery I have is troublesome.

Using Mana Potions are a waste so I have to save them. I use magic also when compounding.

But it’s good if I can use magic when making good things…. and as the Old Man said, it seems that listening to the ingredients is important too.

When I think about it, there’s no end.

Lately I’ve also been doing self-study when Rato isn’t teaching me Alchemy.

A part of my shield has an Elementary Alchemy Skill so I started to learn.

Letting the shield make it is fine but I know it’ll turn out better if I can make it myself.

Atla: “Naofumi-sama.”

Naofumi: “What is it?”

Atla: “I feel like your accuracy has improved, but there are still tears?”

Atla thrust at the weak points of the Air Strike Shield I fired.

For now, it seems that its strength has improved but it often breaks while being prodded.

Naofumi: “There, right.”

I can’t help feeling like it’s still incomplete somehow.

I think something more basic is insufficient.

However, it reached a stage where the Female Knight’s attacks became ineffective.

I proposed a contest with the Female Knight who had been training.

The Female Knight mastered the Peerless Transformation Sword Style.

Apparently because she could beat Ren, he happily became an opponent every day as well.

As expected, it seems that Ren’s skills are better normally than when he’s been corroded by the Curse Series.

Since long ago, the frequency of being hit by the Female Knight’s attacks was high.

Well, I specialise in enduring. Even when I’m engulfed by anger, receiving the opponent’s attacks is insignificant.

I think if I face being hit like this then it’ll probably collapse.

It’s fine if that’s the case.

I want to test how well the Prison will work in actual combat on the Female Knight.

Female Knight: “A fight with Iwatani-dono, huh, then I’ll be going at it seriously.”

Naofumi: “To overtake me and bypass my defence, I won’t less you pass that point.”

Female Knight: “Well then, it’s fine to see if you can take this! Multilayer Crumble Attack!”

The Female Knight’s special skill that bypassed defence faced me.

The first strike warded off the shield, and the second strike changed direction to my forearm.

The third strike repeatedly intersected, mixing together at high frequencies and when I was about to receive it, I followed the flow of her body and struck.

Naofumi: “Shield Prison!”

Without overlooking my chance, I materialised the Prison to trap the Female Knight as she focused her consciousness on her attack.

Female Knight: “Ku….But―”

The imprisoned Female Knight attacked with a bang.

However…the cage gave no sign of breaking.

I think the sound reverberated for around three minutes but before long, it became silent.

And then….Five minutes later.

Female Knight: “What’s with my efforts? The style I finally learnt was also destroyed…..”

She muttered complaints.

Naofumi: “What are you so down about?”

When I called out to her, she suddenly came to her senses and glared at me with determined eyes.

Female Knight: “Pft! You may have beat me this time but I won’t let you next time so prepare yourself. I’ve received full mastery but I’ve only used the basics.”

Naofumi: “Is that so.”

It seems the Female Knight doesn’t have the ability to strike the weak points like Alta can.

So next is Rishia.

Naofumi: “Rishia.”

Rishia: “W-what is it?”

I call Rishia, who been making progress with her mood change lately, to test it out.

This guy, she’s levelled up and has gotten considerably strong.

Naofumi: “I’m going to trap you in the Shield Prison for a bit so can you try to break out?”

Rishia: “Right….I understand.”

Rishia takes out and readies her sword, and I imprison her like the Female Knight.

Rishia: “Ei!”

It took her around three hits. Her’s was a relatively quick destruction.

As expected, Rishia is stronger than the Female Knight.

Was it only….the status difference?

I don’t understand the disparity of the Peerless Transformation Style.

Naofumi: “Speaking of which, what kind of School is the Peerless Transformation Style? I can’t tell from just the legends so please teach me.”

Rishia: “Ah, Yes…. Is what I heard from Master okay?”

“Yeah, I just heard from the Old Hag about how it’s a famous School that rivals the heroes so it’s fine.” (Naofumi_

I heard that there was a legend that matched the Four Saint Heroes and the Seven Star Heroes but I don’t know the actual circumstances so I’d like to hear.

Rishia: “Lets see….In Master’s story, it seems the origin was an adventurer wanted to overcome danger without relying on the heroes so he founded the School.”

Without relying on the heroes, I see…. well in this world, whenever something happens then they summon heroes or rely on the Seven Star Heroes, or at least that’s the image i get.

So it’s a School made from searching for a method to become stronger without relying on those heroes.

Thinking about it normally, to leave the world to the Four Saint Heroes and the Seven Star Heroes, only 11 people, is an act of sheer madness.n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

Despite the difference between being able and being unable to do something, having people who will think of a solution by themselves is more natural.

In addition, to leave your own fate in outsiders summoned from a different world or something….

No, they probably had no choice but to leave it to them ability-wise, but there were people who couldn’t consent because of that.

Rishia: “To be able to handle the elements is the foundation, skills come after that.”

Naofumi: “I see…”

Female Knight: “I was able to handle the elements and so I ended my absence-of-leave. The other techniques was one part but they were the application of the original School.”

Rishia: “Didn’t Master also praise you for achieving mastery?.”

Female Knight: “Yes, but…. Teacher has yet to teach me about the inner workings, isn’t Raphtalia working on those hidden purposes now? Rishia, I also saw her teaching you things that I don’t know.”

Rishia: “Th-that’s right, isn’t it.”

Female Knight: “Isn’t it obvious that the continuation time of Peerless Activity differs too much?”

Naofumi: “Peerless Activity?”

Female Knight: “Ah, I only use it during the instant when attacking Iwatani-dono or avoiding. So to speak, it’s similar to handling protection magic. Rishia excels at maintaining that activity for a long time. If I try to imitate her, I can probably only hold it for a minute.”

Naofumi: “Hmmm….”

A technique that the Female Knight can only use for an instant, Rishia can invoke that for a long time?

It’s that. The so-called ‘Overdrive’ skill or attack in games.

Giving a massive Power Up for a certain time but it’s consumption is extreme or something, so Rishia has that kind of attack.

Or rather, was Rishia able to maintain it for a long time because her disposition was good?

The Female Knight who used it economically and the Rishia who could use it for a long duration.

It seems the Female Knight had a weaker effect as well.

Actually, I already succeeded in making the Female Knight’s special attack become powerless and unable to break open the Prison.

That Ren will probably be surprised. If he knew that I neutralised the Female Knight who was stronger than him.

I’m not going to tell him though.

Either way, the Female Knight can use it so I can probably use it as well.

Hypothetically, even if I can’t use it, I should be able to apply it as long as I understand the principle.

The problem is that I didn’t realise that that technique was being used until now.

I thought it was natural to have the magic swell up only during the instant of attack.

Actually, in all the battles I’ve seen, the attackers use magic instantaneously.

In that case, was magic a separate component to that?

Lately, there are times where I feel a discrepancy when I talk to Rishia or the Female Knight, and Atla.

It’s when they start talking about ‘the elements’.

I don’t really understand but, I’ll observe these three more attentively.

Female Knight: “I always worry about if my strength has reached its peak. But I can’t lose to this level! Rishia! Practice with me!”

Rishia: “O-okay!”

And so, the Female Knight started training with Rishia.

Naofumi: “Atla, did you understand what she meant?”

Atla: “Um…If I’m not mistaken, Eclaire builds up essence inside during the instant she attacks or avoids. I think she was talking about that. Shall I imitate it?”

Naofumi: “Please.”

Atla: “Then I’ll be starting.”

After Atla built up her strength, she jumped towards me.

Fast! Her speed is several times more than her usual speed.

Atla: “This is… I’m sure the body and spirit doesn’t possess this.”

And then she faced me and fired a hit.

Gu…. I didn’t dodge Atla’s attack that disregarded defence and was injured.

There was a slight struggle in my body.

I see, this is really brutal indeed.

Or rather, Atla really is a genius to be able to copy this simply from watching.

Already, she can’t be stopped by the Female Knight.

And so we trained with this kind of feeling.