“You are already fine right, Hibiki?”
“Yeah. I only had an arrow pierced in my shoulder, so it wasn’t that big of a deal. Thanks for visiting .” (Hibiki)
“Visiting?”
Mio’s words were paused there, and a silence appeared between Hibiki and Mio who were alone in the room.
“Yeah... Was his wound okay?” (Hibiki)
“Sothing like that, it can be healed at the instant-desu wa. More importantly, Hibiki, it seems like you are doing a lot of moving in the shadows, but after actually acting together with Waka-sama and even having a bout with him last night, you finally understood, right?” (Mio)
“I am not really moving around in the shadows you know, Mio-san. But it is true that I have understood his strength, and that he has strength that even you would follow.” (Hibiki)
Hibiki says these words as if biting them.
Last night, Hibiki had a bout with Makoto.
Of course, it was only a bout for Hibiki, and it was clear that Makoto didn’t have the intention at all.
In the end, it finished with Hibiki being unable to pass a single proper attack and was only able to cause a wound on the level of a scrape, and Makoto hit her in the shoulder with an arrow.
Makoto’s surrender was made a draw by Hibiki, but for Hibiki, it wasn’t a draw nor a win, it was a losing fight.
“That’s no good, Hibiki. Leaving aside the fact that you have understood the power of Waka-sama, you are trying to hide things from ? Even though you were the one that had us stay at the Hopelace territory when we were on our way to the capital.” (Mio)
“No way. A part of the nobles made a strong interference in the invitation we did to your Kuzunoha Company, and the visit to the Hopelace territory is a result of that. In the point that I was unable to stop it, I do hold a part of the responsibility.” (Hibiki)
“...Then, are you saying you don’t know anything about what happened there? That’s what you are trying to say, right?” (Mio)
“...Yes. At least and the royal family don’t. Did sothing happen?” (Hibiki)
“Hibiki.” (Mio)
“What is it, Mio-san?” (Hibiki)
“In our eyes, you, the royal family, the local nobles; all of them are the sa Limia Kingdom. That’s not going to work as an escape route.” (Mio)
“...”
Hibiki’s throat moved delicately.
It was a small movent of gulping.
“Investigate it. Sothing of that level is of no problem, but this will be a new debt for you.” (Mio)
“...Understood.” (Hibiki)
“And? From what I heard of Waka-sama, you are intelligent, right? I heard you are a genius that can do anything.” (Mio)
“Wait, what is Makoto-kun putting in Mio-san’s head?” (Hibiki)
Hearing the words of Mio, Hibiki was taken by surprise for a second, and the tension fell from her face. At the sa ti, she muttered a complaint to Makoto.
“Haven’t you understood Waka-sama and the Kuzunoha Company already? Let hear your point of view.” (Mio)
“...”
“Go on. Lately, I have been scattering a lot of hints, you know? If you don’t understand after all this, I can make it even easier to understand. Maybe there’s the need to do sothing that no matter how much you want to turn away from it, it will be engraved in those eyes of yours.” (Mio)
“!!”
“Hibiki... What is Waka-sama? With the information you have gotten, what was the answer you arrived at with that nice head of yours. Tell .” (Mio)
Mio’s words reverberated coldly in the room as if signaling a last warning.
Hibiki was hesitating about sothing, but as if resigning, she looked straight at Mio.
“Raidou –Misumi Makoto-kun– is...” (Hibiki)
“...”
“The Devil. He is the Devil himself. And also the white guy that saved in Limia.” (Hibiki)
Hibiki’s low but confident words made Mio break a smile.
In her mouth and eyes.
Mio was laughing satisfied.
“Nicely done. That’s right, Waka-sama is the existence called Devil by you guys. And the master of the Kuzunoha Company.” (Mio)
“I had an idea since before. In the ti at iris Lake it beca even deeper, and at the mock battle, I was confident of it.” (Hibiki)
“It was worth having you accompany Waka-sama. And it was also worth giving that suit to the Rembrandt girl.” (Mio)
“The new equipnt that the Kuzunoha Company created, right? The SFX hero suit that the girl called Yuno Rembrandt was using. As I thought, it was a deliberate leak of information huh.” (Hibiki)
“Of course. I wanted you to arrive at the thought that Waka-sama is the Devil, and also the person that had saved you after all.” (Mio)
“I was saved by him twice, huh.” (Hibiki)
“That’s right. The first ti, he even received grave injuries in his sacred body; the second ti was a deal with the Goddess though. But as a result, in both of them, Waka-sama saved you.” (Mio)
“Yeah, that’s true.” (Hibiki)
“Then show an attitude appropriate of your benefactor. Looking at Waka-sama, you should have understood well, right? He doesn’t wish for war. The reason he saved you two was only because you are people from the sa world.” (Mio)
“...”
“Listen well, I won’t tell you to cooperate. I am only telling you to stop any sort of action that interferes with the Kuzunoha Company. Also, if sothing happens within the range you can detect, stop it. Waka-sama is simply trying to bring good to the people after all.” (Mio)
What Mio said at the end made Hibiki’s brows narrow.
“I wonder about that.” (Hibiki)
“What did you say?” (Mio)
“As a company, he is really providing good things at a cheap price. But is that all he is trying to achieve in his actions?” (Hibiki)
Hibiki objected.
That’s also sothing she thought about after seeing a part of Makoto, and if the Kuzunoha Company really only has those intentions, then there’s parts that contradict this from the way the company acts, that’s how she felt.
“If it’s as Mio-san says, why does he increase his fighting power to that degree? If he wants to go on as a simple rchant, isn’t it plenty enough with just Tomoe-san and Mio-san? I don’t think he was so strong from the very beginning. The Empire hero and I were reasonably strong, but thinking about his ability when he was in the previous world, he should have been about the sa as us or less. And yet, he clearly has obtained an abnormal power different from ours.” (Hibiki)
“Waka-sama was thrown into the border of the world. It was a result brought by necessity.” (Mio)
“Are you saying that that necessity won’t lead to war?! It is certainly true that I didn’t feel ambition from him, but he does bring doubts that maybe he has so sort of sche.” (Hibiki)
“You, even when you have spoken with Waka-sama, you are still thinking such stupid things?” (Mio)
“...I did talk with him. However, my anxiety towards him won’t disappear. That strength and way of thinking is just way too different from that of a person that was supposed to have been raised in modern Japan, in a normal family. I want to ask you this Mio-san, is it really okay for Makoto-kun to change like that?” (Hibiki)
“There’s no need for you to mind about sothing like that. Waka-sama can change as he sees fit, and if he wants to change, he can just do so. I will simply follow him. If I am asked, my answer will obviously be ‘everything is okay’.” (Mio)
“...I still can’t answer you about how I will interact with the Kuzunoha Company and him.” (Hibiki)
“...Hibiki.” (Mio)
“There’s! There’s still ti. There’s also still ti to learn more of him.” (Hibiki)
“...I see. Right. I will wait for a bit more. If you want to speak with Waka-sama for a bit more, I will accept it. But it will only be talking.” (Mio)
“I understand.” (Hibiki)
“Fuh~. What a pain. By the way, Hibiki, you already know that I am a spider, right? That priestess has woken up, right?” (Mio)
“That’s—!! Yes, I know. I heard that you are the Black Calamity Spider. So it was true.” (Hibiki)
Mio suddenly reveals her identity to Hibiki.
Hibiki who didn’t expect her to announce it in this timing, was slightly agitated, but she admitted it.
“Fufufu, I am interested in what that priestess saw in Waka-sama, but I will leave that enjoynt for later. Well then, taking that premise into consideration, I will give you one piece of info.” (Mio)
“Info?” (Hibiki)
“You said the power of Waka-sama was abnormal, but that personage had encountered as a spider when he was rely two weeks into this world.” (Mio)
“?!”
“There will be gaps in power appearing between you and the Empire’s hero. Those gaps may be 10 days worth or maybe one month, but from what I know, Waka-sama ca later than you two.” (Mio)
“Then, you are telling that, with practically no experience, he fought with Mio-san, no, with the Black Calamity Spider?” (Hibiki)
Hibiki thought it was impossible.
After coming to this world, she got used to battle and obtained trusty companions, but even if she fought with the spider that had been in so many battles, the result would be obvious.
“Yeah.” (Mio)
“Ah...I see. Tomoe-san was also there, right?” (Hibiki)
Within the agitation, Hibiki rembers the order in which Makoto t his followers.
In the past, Mio had told Hibiki that she t Makoto after Tomoe.
“Waka-sama fought alone against .” (Mio)
“No way.” (Hibiki)
“He did receive so injuries, but he defeated . At that ti, the Black Calamity Spider ceased to exist in this world.” (Mio)
“Then, he had that crazy power since the beginning? Without any relation to the Goddess?” (Hibiki)
“Who knows. Just that, Hibiki, I have practically no mories of when I was a spider, but when I investigated a bit to see...” (Mio)
“...”
It seems like my encounter with Waka-sama happened a few days after fighting you guys. Since that ti on, the gap between Waka-sama and you has simply increased more and more. Think very very thoroughly about this truth.” (Mio)
“...”
Hibiki was shoved the difference in power between her past self and Makoto.
“Of course, by the ti we are in this country, that is.” (Mio)
Just like how she ca in, Mio lts into the darkness and disappears.
Hibiki who was left there, still didn’t move.
‘The gap continued increasing’, those words of Mio were echoing in her head.
◇◆◇◆◇◆◇◆
“Hm?”
“...Is sothing the matter, Boss?” (Li)
“You know, Li.” (Makoto)
“Yes?” (Li)
“Can you attack for a bit? It is fine to not hold back.” (Makoto)
“...Yes?” (Li)
Opening and closing the hand that Mio healed, I was pondering sothing.
Since Li had returned to the room just at the right ti, I asked him to do sothing, but well, he did a predictable reaction.
“No you see, last night I did a friendly match with Hibiki-senpai, or more like, a bout or well...anyways, we did that, right?” (Makoto)
“Yeah...” (Li)
“Honestly, I had already seen what Senpai could do at iris Lake, and it was mostly what I had expected, but...” (Makoto)
“But, what?” (Li)
“How to say it, from ti to ti, she was unexpectedly strong. In terms of defense, I didn’t do much, so I think Senpai was the one who was probably doing sothing. Just that, in truth, I don’t have an accurate idea of the current state of my defense.” (Makoto)
“A-Are you saying that you didn’t put much into that defense?” (Li)
“And well, returning to what I said in the beginning, I was wondering what would happen if it was an attack of Li. Please, give it one attack.” (Makoto)
“W-We are doing it here?!” (Li)
“Yeah.” (Makoto)
Even if we get slightly injured, we can just wait for Mio to co.
If it’s a light wound, I can just have Li heal it.
There’s no need to go through the trouble of going outside and gathering attention.
Maybe Li saw my behaviour and noticed that my will won’t be changing, he was worried for a bit, and then took his katana in hand.
“...I really am going to do it without holding back, okay? Even so, I don’t think it will reach the level of Hibiki though.” (Li)
“You don’t have to mind that. Also, the weapon you have in hand is better, right? Even if sothing happens, I will have Mio do sothing about it, so just concentrate in giving your best attack.” (Makoto)
“You will do a follow-up for Mio-neesan, right?” (Li)
“Of course. After asking you to do it, I won’t go asking her to save .” (Makoto)
“Then, excuse .” (Li)
Li unsheathes his katana.
Bending his legs, he lowers his posture, and grasps the katana in his right hand, with the blade facing up.
It is the stance for a thrust.
I was the one who asked for it, but I am grateful for Li who is listening to it and doing it with his all.
It is because, in my mory, his preparation motions are the sa as the stance of the attack with the highest power he has.
Just like that ti with Senpai, I activate the Magic Armor.
Li who didn’t move from his place, was accumulating power steadily.
As a charging technique, the longer it accumulates, the stronger it gets, since he doesn’t have to worry about the charging, it is the best kind of attack.
“Whenever you want.” (Makoto)
Li didn’t answer.
Instead, magic power leaked from his body, and it looked like it shone lightly.
And then, Li silently kicked the ground and pushes the power from his legs, waist, and shoulders, into his katana.
The amplified power converged into the katana and tried to pierce through the Magic Armor.
But...
“!!!”
Without any high pitched sound of contact, the katana of Li stopped at a space slightly apart from .
As I thought, even Li’s full power was unable to cut through it.
Is what I was thinking, but at that mont, Li made an action further than that.
He released his right hand from the handle in an instant, and this ti, he uses his left hand’s palm to push the end of the handle.
From his left hand, a massive amount of magic power flowed, and at the sa ti, it was pushing through.
A second stance to a charging attack!
That’s probably incredibly cool.
But the Magic Armor didn’t break.
“Ah.”
“Geh.”
Mine and Li’s voice ca out at almost the sa ti.
The reason is probably the sa.
The katana of Li trembled slightly, and...the blade broke into pieces.
Acha...
So it was unable to withstand being in between the attack power of Li and my Magic Armor huh.
“S-Sorry, Li.” (Makoto)
“...Don’t mind it. Well, fortunately, I don’t think there will be any event where I will have to use this in our ti in Limia, so don’t let it bother you.” (Li)
“In how much ti does it restore?” (Makoto)
“If it goes well, around half a day. This ti there’s no need to hurry, so I think about a day. If there’s sothing necessary today, I will just use a spare sword-ssu.” (Li)
Saying that, Li shows one of the rings that he is wearing in his hand.
Ah, if I rember correctly, he did say that he has a lot of preparations done.
That ring can turn into a sword, right.
There’s a reason why Li and I are not in such a grim mood.
As long as the handle remains, the regeneration ability is pretty fast.
It seems like even if it’s done slowly, it can take one day to return to normal.
I didn’t know about how much ti exactly, but it is pretty fast.
“More importantly, Senpai was able go through my defense pretty easily with a weaker sword. Li, do you have an idea why?” (Makoto)
“I don’t. The current training Hibiki has is with the sword waves she utilizes for long-ranged attack, but...when it cos to its power, I can only think of it as being common. Compared to when I was accompanying her, she didn’t seem to be doing anything different either.” (Li)
“I see... In that case, maybe it is the divine protection she received from the Goddess.” (Makoto)
“It seems like that decorative belt was sothing that was given by the Goddess-ssu. She said the thod of utilization is an original of hers though.” (Li)
“Utilization? Are you talking about that radical exposure thod?” (Makoto)
I have gotten slightly used to it, but...that’s...incredible.
Senpai is incredible for being able to utilize it because her battle power increases, and it is also incredible that it is an ability that actually increases her power.
But as expected, the most incredible part is the looks.
Yeah.
“Against that increased speed, I honestly feel it is hard to find a way to deal with it-ssu. ‘If she doesn’t take a single attack, there’s no need for armor’, is what a part of the adventurers discuss stupidly regarding it, but if they are at that level, they can spew all they want but they wouldn’t be able to actually make it true.” (Li)
“Hm? In that case, the exposed mode Senpai doesn’t have much defensive power?” (Makoto)
“No. Even when Hibiki has obtained that much speed, she hasn’t forgotten the importance of defense. In that appearance, she has more defense than normal, but it seems like its defense loses against the people that are specialized in attack power, so she currently condenses the defensive field that envelops her whole body and enhances it.” (Li)
“So instead of receiving the strong attacks, she stops them in a specific point huh. It is totally opposite of who has abandoned stopping it and has chosen to receive them directly.” (Makoto)
I feel like as a skill, the one of Senpai has a higher difficulty.
She increases the defensive power of one point, but it will be a manual defense.
In other points, her defensive ability is on a godlike level though.
...How picky.
“What are you...doing...Li?” (Mio)
“Hiiih!!” (Li)
“Ah, Mio. Welco back.” (Makoto)
“I am sorry for not being by your side because of so business. And Li, what were you doing?” (Mio)
“This is...” (Li)
“I don’t mind if you give an explanation later. I will be calming down first so...co.” (Mio)
“Y-You are going to calm down, right? In that case, I don’t think I am needed.” (Li)
“What are you saying? In order to calm down, your presence is necessary or I won’t be able to, right?.” (Mio)
You are the one that’s saying weird stuff, Mio.
Li is giving out an aura of defeat and is in a state of horror.
Can’t be helped.
“Boss!” (Li)
“It is okay, Li. I will properly heal you back to normal.” (Mio)
“Heal?!” (Li)
Mio who had gotten close to Li, grabs him with her slender hand.
It looks as if he would be able to break free from it, but in truth, it has quite the strength behind it.
No wait.
I did say I would do a proper follow-up, so I have to keep my promise.
Also, I would prefer if Mio were to attack with those current rampant feelings of hers.
“Mio, stop. Li listened to a request of mine, so we were just doing a little testing here. That’s why, it is fine.” (Makoto)
“...A test?” (Mio)
Mio stops moving.
But her hand was still grabbing Li.
Of course, the face of Li didn’t show any sign that he felt he had escaped from danger.
Actually, he has a face that says he is in incredible danger.
“Yeah. Mio, help out as well. Just for a bit, I would like you to...right, can you attack with your prided slicing fan?” (Makoto)
With that folding fan, she shoots an attack.
She really ca out with another absurd thing, so I retorted by calling it slicing fan, and it seems she liked it, she decided to call that technique of hers in that way.
“Use Slicing Fan on Waka-sama?” (Mio)
“Sothing bothered about the fight with Hibiki-senpai you see. Please.” (Makoto)
“With Hibiki... I understand. If it’s that, I will accept-desu wa.” (Mio)
Li was finally released.
I thought I would need more convincing, but lately, when Hibiki-senpai’s na cos out, she becos pretty obedient.
“Well then, here I go.” (Mio)
Just like Li, without caring that we are indoors, Mio points the closed folding fan at and swings it.
“Thanks Mio.” (Makoto)
I receive the wave of attacks from Mio that had different degrees of power with my Magic Armor, and after continuing until it was broken, I give my thanks to Mio and finish the test.
“Is it okay already?” (Mio)
“Yeah. I have understood that the sword of Hibiki-senpai is around this level of power after all.” (Makoto)
“...Are you referring to the attack that injured Waka-sama’s hand that ti?” (Mio)
“It also has to do with that attack, but in general, Senpai’s attack were strangely strong. And in truth, the last attack Mio did was a pretty serious one, right?” (Makoto)
I ask Mio who I thought did an attack with about the sa power.
“I didn’t even use 80%-desu wa. I wasn’t serious at all!” (Mio)
An over 70% of Mio is plenty strong, most likely.
Even if I think that way, I won’t say it though.
Because it seems like Mio is also bothered by it.
My Magic Armor was cleanly chopped off, and I ended the test.
Since it would turn out the sa as the mock battle, I considered it was plenty enough for the test.
“As I thought, the speed was obviously good, but...there’s sothing behind the strength of those attacks. I feel like I will have to go a bit stronger when doing a bout with Senpai or I will end up wounded.” (Makoto)
“...When Hibiki was struggling in the wasteland, she didn’t have a unique attack power like that. She was a girl with good instincts and a wide field of vision though. If I rember correctly, Shiki said that in the ti that he was with Waka-sama in Limia, she was suddenly able to release a strong attack. How about confirming with Shiki when we return?” (Mio)
“Ah...maybe he is talking about the ti when his the barrier he was keeping them in was destroyed? I see...” (Makoto)
Could it be that a new power she received from the Goddess awakened?
That really sounds like a hero-like developnt.
It didn’t seem like she was using any special spell to buff herself, and there’s also the chance she activated a stealth type skill like my Sakai.
In that case, I can’t underestimate her too much.
“But that girl, did she really obtain that much attack power? Even with that, she asked for a new weapon...” (Mio)
“Mio? What’s wrong?” (Makoto)
“N-No, nothing! It is nothing-desu wa!!” (Mio)
“Now that I think about it, that business you were talking about...if I rember correctly, the only plans we had were to et with a number of nobles and rchants and that was all, right? Could it be, you were eting with Senpai?” (Makoto)
Mio with Hibiki-senpai...
Well, thinking about what happened in Rotsgard, I am indeed uneasy, but in Tsige, they were in a master-disciple relationship temporarily, so I shouldn’t worry about it too much.
“I was only doing so small talk about the ti when they were in Tsige. Ah right! Hibiki said that soon we will be able to speak with the priestess.” (Mio)
“With the priestess-san. That’s...great. I did think about paying her a visit at least once before leaving.” (Makoto)
“Yeah, I think it will be possible.” (Mio)
Also, that priestess-san saw sothing in Mio and I.
It would be a lie to say I am not interested in it.
Leaving aside if she will actually tell us, I want to at least try asking.
Well, she is a girl that’s not so far apart in age from Rinon, so I obviously don’t intend to force her.
Now then, it is almost ti for an official to co.
It will be the ti when I say that I want to leave with the company for now and give a reply at a later date.
I will not be giving a different answer anyways, so it would be good if they just take the hint and give up though.
Hah...I haven’t even checked the town around the castle properly.
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