CH 48

Chapter 48: A Short Spar

「Haahhh!」

「Fuu!」

『Dangerous! This is seriously dangerous!』

Amanda’s whip strikes where Fran had just been standing.

*Do GOoOoO *

That isn’t the power of a whip! It’s more like some sort of giant mallet was thrown into the fray, sinking the ground in!

「Ahahaha! That’s the way, Fran!」

「……!」

We’re caught completely in Amanda’s pace. Fran’s been obstructed by that transcendent-quality whip right from the start, so it’s impossible to get in close.

As expected of an A Rank Adventurer. I had thought that we could have a good match, but I was making light of her.

『That whip sure is troublesome…』

Only defensive movement can be taken to block its attacks, which come from any angle. The strikes are ever-changing, and infinite in variety. Sometimes, the attacks can come in the form of heavy-hitting blunt strikes, sometimes they can cut clean through rocks, and sometimes, not even sound can keep up with them. Frankly speaking, it’s strange that Fran hasn’t been defeated already.

『Are you alright?』

（Teacher, interference: forbidden.）

『I know.』

（Nn! Will absolutely get an attack in.）

『Ou. Do your best.』

That might be too high a target… Amanda hasn’t even moved from her starting position, after all.

She’s already peerless when it comes to the whip, but it should be kept in mind that Amanda’s Job is Champion of Storms, meaning she’s fully capable of using the higher form of Wind Magic: Storm Magic. However, she has yet to use any magic whatsoever. In other words, she hasn’t considered it necessary to do so.

Even if I observe her flow of magic using the Sorcery Skill, there’s no change. And, on top of not using any magic, she hasn’t even used any Whip Techniques, giving a looming feeling of dread.

However, Fran isn’t ordinary either. Gradually, she’s getting used to the movements of the whip. The distance between her and Amanda is growing shorter.

「Now!」

「Naïve!」

「Predicted.」

「Mu–! You did it, huh!」

Maybe the mock battle was worth it, after all? Fran reached a position where I could almost reach Amanda.

Finally, after five minutes since the battle began, Amanda was forced to move her legs. Fran, receiving an immense amount of bloodthirst, takes some distance once again.

「Ah, pardon me. It seems that the naïve one was me.」

「Nn.」

「…… Sh!」

「–Bu」

「It’s the first time in a while that I needed to dodge in a fight.」

With her whip undulating like a snake, Amanda launches herself at Fran. Her movement is just like a snake. Furthermore, the presence of magic was felt from whatever Skill she was using. Most likely, it’s a Whip Technique.

With that, the battle intensifies even further. Wounds, big and small, cover Fran’s entire body the more time passes. The power of the whip clad in magic power using Whip Techniques is terrific, and while Fran is barely able to evade them, she’s being damaged by the wind pressure.

Still, I’m not too worried. The day we met Amanda, we went to look up information on her. Right off the bat, we found that she was a good person in general, and was good-natured through and through.

To begin with, Amanda has managed an orphanage for more that 30 years. There’re nearly 500 people in the current Aressa who came from said orphanage, making her well-loved by many.

When Cobweb was still active near Aressa in the past, Adventurers flourished. Because of that, the number of orphans whose Parents died while adventuring also rose, and the guards weren’t exactly the kindest, either. At 20 years old, Amanda (only a D Rank at the time) extended a helping hand out to such children.

Casting her materials aside, she build an orphanage to educate and bring up any orphans she could find. Nowadays there’s plenty of help from people around town, and the management of the orphanage is favorable as well, but… Back then it would have been painful to smile through it all.

Furthermore, regarding the Title ‘Guardian of Children’, to obtain it you not only have to save children, but be loved by them as well. It’s said to be a Title that would be lost upon enacting any inappropriate behavior.

Amanda, possessing such a Title, would obviously be a good friend for Fran, who is a child herself.

Perhaps, so long as they’re both mutually satisfied, then it’s of no consequence whether injuries are inflicted in this battle… Or maybe, it’s because all of these wounds aren’t inflicted with malicious intent.

「 Ha! 」

「Kuu……」

Still, the intensity of this battle is worrisome.

It’s gradually becoming a one-sided battle, with Fran on the defensive.

… Huh? At this rate, isn’t this really bad? Anti-Death prevents instant death, but it isn’t absolute. You could die again immediately if you’re in a Poisoned or Bleeding State.

Should I stop them?

— No, let’s wait and see for a while longer. Fran is intent on landing at least one blow in this battle.

「 Now! 」

Fran moved. To Amanda which activated another Whip Technique, she stepped forward by force. At onlooker might see it as desperation, but I know that’s not the case.

「Gu…!」

The whip, thrust forward, scrapes out Fran’s side. Blood dances in the air as it escapes the open wound, but Fran, who pushes her back by force with Wind Magic, advances with a grimace.

「As expected of you!」

「Ha……!」

Using half of her remaining magic, Fran lunges with her whole body. It isn’t a Sword Technique, but its offensive power is probably equivalent to one.

Furthermore, there was no time for Amanda to pull back her whip for the sake of a counterattack.

「Wind・Shield!」

GYyYyan! *

With a high-pitched sound, the blow which had Fran’s whole body invested in it was… Prevented. Wind Magic, which Amanda hadn’t used up until this point, had nullified it. It goes without saying that it was only used because Amanda had been driven into a corner. However, Fran’s aim was to land a single blow. She won’t be satisfied with just this.

And so, Fran released the magic she had reserved: Flare・Blast.

It was launched immediately after defensive magic was used. Even Amanda wouldn’t be able to reactivate a proper defensive measure in time.

『Splendid!』

Throughout the entire battle, I had been chanting Arias with Parallel Thought to see what times I could potentially land a blow, and in my opinion, that was the best timing thus far.

「Kuu!」

*GaGOOOOON*

With Amanda hit directly by Flare・Blast, a great explosion ensued. A cloud of dust, kicked up as though a bomb had detonated, covers the entire area. The ground around us melts, becoming something akin to lava. Just how hot is it, I wonder?

She isn’t dead, right? She’s an A Rank, but the explosion just now was a bit dangerous…… There was a time when I thought so.

What manner of magic would it take for her to remain unscathed? Not only that, to be in perfect condition! No matter how you look at it, this woman’s too far out of the norm! I know that there’s Fire Resistance and all, but to that extent?!

「That was dangerous……」

「Nn…… Regret…ful…」

*dosa*

With that, Fran collapses with a look of vexation. With such excessive bleeding, there’s no question that she had become light-headed. And so, reaching the limit of her endurance, Fran went unconscious on the spot.

『How regretful…… Still, you’ve done well.』

It was good to have fought against this monster of an opponent here. Furthermore, she did it without my assistance.

「Fran! I’m so sorry!」

Amanda approaches the collapsed Fran in a hurry, and takes out a Potion before sprinkling it on Fran. Without a doubt, it’s a first-class Life Potion.

「As a reward for your perseverance you should have landed that strike, but… Grace of the Spirits protected me automatically.」

I see, so it was thanks to Grace of the Spirits. It seems to be a Skill which automatically invalidates damage to a certain degree. It’s an extremely strong Skill, but it has the drawback of needing 24 hours to reuse.

Fran might be unconvinced, but I think that her strike was definitely a good one, one that invoked the absolute defense of her opponent.

Well, for now, rest well. As for the watch…… The others can take care of it. Probably.