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Chapter 177: Shaman vs Pyromancer ２
「Cr*p, I really have no idea what to do about this situation but…」
This was something I was used to, and every time it happened, I barely escaped. I assumed that with perseverance, last-minute bravery, and quick wit, anyone could do it… Yes, it happens all the time, a flash of inspiration to get you out of a bind?
「What’s happening, Momokawa? This isn’t the time to be dazed, right?」
In this kind of heat, five minutes went by in a flash. As this unpleasant heat coiled around my body, I was already drenched in sweat from head to toe. I really wanted to jump into the fairy plaza’s water fountain right now. If possible, along with a Mei-chan in her bikini.
「A~h, it’s so hot…」
「He, your head is slowly being roasted, eh?」
Shut up, who do you think is to blame for my developing erotic delusions as a result of my desire to escape this scorching hell? Do you think I’ll cry as a result of this? Dream on!
「Fuu… Ca-Calm down, remember, there must be something that I can still use.」
My head wouldn’t calm down because I was surrounded by heat instead of the pain I was used to feeling, or rather, this was something I didn’t expect.
Normally, when confronted with a situation like the approaching armored bear, I would act like a gambler, but… No, wait a minute, speaking of armored bear, how did I manage to beat that guy back then?
「With red mushroom’s poison.」
「What are you talking about? Reciting a poem before you die?」
「Can you shut up for a minute!」
The red mushroom I mixed into onigiri and hamburger was undoubtedly the main reason the armored bear died, but the clincher was something else entirely.
「I raised its body temperature with 『Red Fever』, and tore open its stomach with 『Pain Return』.」
Thus, the armored bear died. It was a historical moment when I defeated an armored bear using only my initial skill. Without it, the current me would no longer exist… Whoops, this wasn’t the time to bask in my past glory.
「Yeah, 『Red Fever』」
I completely forgot about its existence because it was super shitty abilities whose only effect was to cause a slight fever in the target. I mean, it could literally win the most useless skill of shaman’s award. Yes, only 『Red Fever』 could win such an award among all skills.
Considering the situation during my fight with the armored bear, the sparkling 『Red Fever』 was a sign of the target’s rising body temperature; in short, it would make the other party feel uneasy due to the fever.
Since that was the case, I should return this cursed heat that I was feeling to Ooyama with my 『Red Fever』, even if was only a little bit.
Naturally, Ooyama was completely different from the armored bear back then, he wouldn’t suffer from high fever. On a side note, this light fever was by no means lethal… But, let’s just hope that it’s lethal.
In short, it was nothing more than a bluff to fool the other party.
To sum it up. First, I chant the aria in secret and hit Ooyama with 『Red Fever』. It was by no means lethal, but Ooyama would definitely sense the oddity, namely his rising body temperature.
That was my plan.
「Fufufu, how’s that Ooyama! Your heat seems to be countered by 『Pain Return』!」
Yes, I spoke in a way to make it look like my skill had upgraded in the middle of battle. Otherwise known as the new power of 『Pain Return』.
This was a counter to Ooyama’s tactic which was built around the fact that my 『Pain Return』 couldn’t counter indirect heat. I hoped that Ooyama would reconsider this tactic based on this fact.
So he ould be doubting my words. But he also shouldn’t have the courage to confirm the fact. And before I noticed, the heat around me had subsided.
It seems Ooyama was looking down on me. Or maybe, he was literally looking down on anyone he considered weak. That guy, like the spirit beast of water, 『Seyram』, would never expect me to turn the tables on them in the form of mutual destruction.
As a result, Ooyama would definitely avoid such a result. He would undoubtedly employ a different strategy once he realized that the heat could be mitigated.
If he did so, Ooyama and Sugino might have another plan to kill the shaman. Before that, 『Red Fever』 might not be able to bypass the 『Burning Power』’s resistance. I mean, even before that, his buff canceled 『Poison』 only leaving behind a strange smell. So let’s just prepare another counter plan in case this plan fails.
Continue bluffing until he couldn’t tell the difference between right and wrong. But let’s give it a shot and see if it works. Think of another strategy if this one didn’t work. After all, I could withstand this heat for another five minutes.
Yeah, let’s do this. Rem, listen to me, Ooyama might show an opening after this. When you see it, attack him with everything you’ve got.
「SHA!」
Arachne who stood in front of me replied with a cry.
Yes, here we go.
「Put a curse into thy body, it shall fall into an endless fever――」
It was an aria that I chanted for the first time in a really long time, but it strangely felt familiar to me. Well, it might simply be because it was one of my oldest skills.
It was really ironic that I had to rely on my most unreliable skill in this kind of situation but… Please make it work so that I can get out of this pinch!
「――『Red Fever』」
I invoked my 1st curse while locking Ooyama’s figure, making sure that I didn’t miss it.
And just as I had expected, that effect was――
「What the, my body! W-WHAT HAPPENED TO ME!?」
YEAAAAAAAAAH, I FU*KING DID IT!
I was also taken aback by Ooyama’s exaggerated reaction. His eyes widened as he sensed the abnormality in his body.
Yeah, let’s keep going on until he believes in my bluff. If I’m not mistaken, the remark I planned for this outcome was…
「Fufufu, how’s that Ooyama――」
「IMPOSSIBLE! MY REINFORCEMENT HAS VANISHED!」
「Eh?」
For some reason, his reaction was different from what I had expected.
’My reinforcement has vanished’, I definitely heard him screaming those words but…
「Ah, it really has vanished.」
The red light and flame that enveloped Ooyama’s body had really vanished.
『Muscle Heat』’s aura, 『Burning Power』’s flame, and 『Force Boost』’s light — the special effects of all the three reinforcement skills had vanished altogether.
What’s the meaning of this?
「DAMMIT, WHAT IN THE HE*LL ARE YOU DOING, MOMOKAWAAAAAA!?」
「… HAHAHAHA! IDIOT, YOU’VE ALREADY FALLEN INTO MY TRAP, OOYAMA!」
「WHA-WHAAAT!?」
Fu*k, I was the one who wanted to say that. But now I had solved the problem with his reinforcement.
「Your body isn’t hot, it’s as if you’ve caught a cold, right?」
「HAH! So this feeling as if I caught a cold is caused by your damned curse…」
「Yeah, this is the true power of my 1st curse, 『Red Fever』… Canceling reinforcement-type magic!」
Wait a minute, I see, so that’s the effect huh!?
The moment I said those words, I hit upon a realization.
『Red Fever』 could cancel buff, in other words, it was a debuff skill.
『Red Fever』: Causes the target to feel feverish.
I was always vexed whenever I remembered the time when I, who was at the bottom of despair, was given this skill with nonsense flavour text. But it wasn’t until recently that I realized the seemingly simple flavour text concealed a profound meaning.
『Causing the target to feel feverish』 means that no matter what kind of condition my opponent was currently in, it would be replaced with 『Fever』.
Thus, even if the target used a power reinforcement or speed reinforcement spell, it would be replaced with 『Fever』 by using 『Red Fever』.
It never got the chance to shine since none of my enemies ever used a reinforcement spell until now. And even if they did, they went unnoti―― No, wait a minute, come to think of it, something similar happened the first time Mei-chan consumed goma’s drug.
Mei-chan, who drowned as a result of goma’s drug, slaughtered the gomas who surrounded me before rushing at me after all goms had been slaughtered. I recall she… stopped biting into my neck after I used 『Red Fever』 on her.
Could the effect of 『Red Fever』 have neutralized her excited state at the time?
Uwaa, despite the obvious foreshadowing, I only realized the truth now. Well, I guess the fact that I was desperate at the time played a big role in this.
An-Anyway, since 『Red Fever』 could not only cancel buffs but also debuffs, didn’t that mean this ex-most useless skill was actually the most OP skill?
Hehehe… I’ve had faith in you since the beginning, 『Red Fever』-sama…
「CAN-CANCELING REINFORCEMENT SKILL!!! DAMMIT, TO THINK THAT YO HIDE SUCH S――UAAAAAAAA!?」
「SHAAAAAAAAA!」
As he roared, Ooyama desperately tried to dodge the spiderwebs fired by Arachne.
Ah, come to think of it, I did tell Rems to attack when the other party showed a gap.
「GUGAGA!」
「KYOAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
Rem-Dark Knight and Alfa charged from behind at the same time as Ooyama revealed an opening.
「Tch, these fu*kers―― UWOOOOOOOOOO, 『IGNIS SAGITA』!」
Ooyama retaliated by launching a barrage of 『Ignis Sagita』 at the approaching Rem-Dark Knight. Though it did slow Rem-Dark Knight’s rushing speed slightly, it was far from enough to stop her.
「GISHAAA!」
Rem-Dark Knight was acting as a tank, using her shield to stop the barrage of 『Ignis Sagita』, with Alfa rising on her shoulder. Alfa, whose jumping ability was one of its most prominent when it was still alive, closed in on Ooyama at once from Rem-Dark Knight’s shoulders.
「KUH, 『Blast Knuckle』!!」
Ooyama countered Alfa’s swooping attack from above with his exploding fist.
Alfa’s claws collided with Ooyama’s burning fist at that exact moment.
「GUWAAAAAAAAAAAA!」
KABOOOOOOOOM!
The sound of an explosion resounded along with Ooyama’s scream.
It seems their clash ended up in a tie. Three long bloody lines ripped through Ooyama’s red tank top. Alfa’s scale color, on the other hand, appeared slightly sooty, as if there was no damage at all. It seemed that 『Blast Knuckle』 couldn’t display its full potential without 『Muscle Heat』.
「GRRRR, SHAAAAAAAAAA!」
Alfa quickly adjusted her stance before leaping at Ooyama, who was still perplexed by the wound on his chest.
「UGOGOGO, GUGAAA!」
Furthermore, Rem-Dark Knight, who had finally been freed from the barrage of 『Ignis Sagita』, was closing in with her greatsword raised high in the air.
「UWOOOOOO, ONE MORE TIME… BURN, MY BODY! 『MUSCLE HEAT』!!!」
「――『Red Fever』」
The flame-like red aura that Ooyama unleashed dissipated into a haze as soon as I countered it with 『Red Fever』.
No doubt about it. 『Red Fever』 erased the effect of the reinforcement spell.
Ooyama, on the other hand, could use his reinforcement spell even while under the influence of 『Fever』. Only to have it canceled again by my 『Red Fever』, that’s all. It was straightforward but effective.
「Dam-Dammit…」
Ooyama wore a defeated look on his face when I sealed his most powerful weapon, the reinforcement spell.