Chapter 15 P1 – The Answer to The Mystery of The Fog
“… Looks like you have solved it.”
The second day of the training camp, midnight.
With my body that is like a corpse after continuously fighting from morning to night, I stood. The three Alf who continued to be my opponents were also breathing heavily. They also removed the masks that have been disturbing them and let the darkness of night hide their face.
Why do I still have a hard time fighting in this fog, you ask? Because even if I have solved the mystery of the fog, it is meaningless if I can’t utilize that sensation.
From my head to toe, everything was trembling with heat. Once again, once again, and I will completely solve it.
As the senses of my whole body became sharp, I took a stance that had been engraved deeply in my body.
“…”
The clouds that hid the moon flowed away. The previously hidden moonlight showed its brilliance, illuminating the distance between me and the three Alf– and at that moment, I moved.
*Breathe slowly*
I inhaled the fog, took it into my lung, and stretched that fog as a line flowing to my whole body. This technique is called a magic line.
I poured an enormous amount of magic power into the passage made by that magic power and reinforced the tube, so it did not burst.
Fingertips… Pour it to my fingertips, fingertips, fingertips!
“Ugh…!”
After I poured Arshariya’s magic power to the tips of my index and middle fingers, the magic line constructed with desperation helped me control it, supplying only the amount of magic needed to activate the magic.
My whole body feels relaxed in that instant, as if the pain I have suffered was just a lie. Joy and sorrow are mixed inside my mind, and I feel like the world is illuminated.
And my eyes… My eyes are opened1.
“…”
My dazed eyes then found a way out in the dark. Thousands of routes are displayed in front of my eyes, and from among those reflected in my eyes, I choose one illuminated by scarlet light.
“Hiiro…”
Master stood up and muttered softly.
Then, as if to reject darkness, a scarlet lamp emerged, like a Will-o’-the-wisp. It tried to move forward until its upper part naturally collapsed, resulting in two streaks of light swaying in the dark. Looking at that, one of the Alfs shouted.
“Avoid it!”
However, they are too slow.
I waved my left hand, and the fog that was pushed immediately flew through the air, and– Craft.
*Fwoosh, fwoosh, fwoosh*
A sound that was like something rubbing against the air was heard by everyone in the place. Subsequently, a magic barrier is laid in front of them to block their escape route.
“?!”
Then, I gently extended my fingertips and… shoot. I poured my magic power on the scarlet path displayed in front of my eyes and shoot– However, at the next moment– Master’s leg kicked my arm upwards.
*Thump*
A perfectly controlled Nil Arrow flew to the feet of the moon that ruled the night sky– and revealed itself.
*BOOOM*
At the same time it was formed, the water arrow exploded, generating a terrific explosive sound, further tilting the tilted Torii gate, uprooting a large tree, and knocking down the three Alfs who took defensive action to the ground.
All of a sudden, rain poured down from the sky. And in front of me, who was soaking wet because of rain, with bangs hanging down, Master smiled.
“Congratulation.”
Along with the words of blessing, I lost consciousness.
—-
It was at noon the next day when I woke up.
The first thing that I saw as soon as I woke up is the tent that covers my head. Apparently, someone carried me into the tent after I lost consciousness yesterday.
Then, in front of my hazy vision, Rei was there, looking at me with a worried expression… She puts her hand on my forehead and smiled.
“Good morning.”
“… Good morning.”
My whole body was hot with a fever, and I couldn’t even move a single finger. These are the same symptoms as when I collapsed due to running out of magic power before. Although I felt a little short of breath, hunger attacked my belly because I had not eaten anything since the last night.
As if sensing my hunger, Rei smiled and brings porridge in a wooden bowl. She then slowly helps me up, and after scooping up the porridge with a spoon, she handed it to me with a loving smile on her face.
“Please eat.”
“…”
However, when I tried to take the spoon, she quickly withdrew it. Then, with a smile, she brought it right in front of my mouth.
As I couldn’t get up without Rei’s help and did not have the energy to resist, I could only bite into that spoon.
“Weakened Onii-sama… S-so cute…”
Perhaps because of the magic power exhaustion, I fell asleep soon after eating. And the next time I woke up, it was dusk, and for some reason, I was enveloped by something soft and smelled good.
“… This is a violation of basic human rights, isn’t it?”
Yes, this softness is, undoubtedly, the softness of Master who was asleep while hugging me, and Rei who was also sleeping while clinging to my back.
Thankfully, I had somehow recovered enough to stand. Thus, I push Master aside, take off both of Rei’s hands from my body, and go outside the tent.
“””…”””
Only to see the three Alfs sitting around a campfire, roasting marshmallows stuck on wooden sticks.
Illuminated by the dim darkness, the shadow on the mask of the three wriggles suspiciously. Not long after, the white lumps on the stick melted down, making some noises, and the precures2 who didn’t even move an inch were staring at it.
“””…”””
“Can you stop making sacrifices while people are sleeping?”
“””…”””
“Also, don’t look at me all at once… It’s freaking scary…”
Without answering, the Tengu set up a folding chair and beckoned me to come. Her aura was so powerful that it was hard for me to say no, so I joined the circle, put on the mask (Hanya mask) that was handed to me, and stared at the marshmallow with them.
As if waiting for the exact moment, Master came out of the tent while yawning.