[Stage 5-1] Little Sister’s Assault
Our estate, as expected of one belonging to the Four Great Ducal Houses, boasts land vast enough to avoid embarrassment.
Beyond the main residence, numerous facilities are scattered across the grounds—including, of course, spaces designed for magic practice, where I developed my [Magic Burial].
But while such a place might suffice for ordinary mages, it could never satisfy her.
Thus, Mashiro and I found ourselves training in the garden yet again today.
“[Ice Meteor Shower]!”
Countless shards of ice materialized above her head.
Individually small, yet each capable of inflicting serious harm upon direct impact, they hurtled toward me the moment she swung her arm down.
But they didn’t come in a straight line—she bent their trajectories, staggered their timing between volleys…
Her efforts to land a hit were evident.
Still, that alone wasn’t enough.
“[Magic Burial].”
In an instant, I assessed every ice shard in my field of vision, prioritizing them in my mind before acting.
I dodged what I could and intercepted the rest with [Magic Burial].
It demanded intense focus, but if this were Flone—whose skill surpassed Mashiro’s—she’d have countered with an even denser barrage.
After dispelling the last shard, I taunted Mashiro.
“Tch! That volume won’t break through my [Magic Burial]! Or is this all you’ve got?”
“Grr…! Then…!”
As if snapping back, Mashiro gathered an even greater surge of mana.
Likely preparing a spell stronger than [Ice Meteor Shower].
But charging such magic gave a close-combat specialist like me the perfect opening.
“[Limit Break: Gear Change].”
Boost coursed through my body as I kicked off, closing the distance between us in an instant.
Had she left herself open recklessly, like that idiot Crown Prince, she’d deserve nothing but failure—
“—Got you.”
The moment I came within a step of reaching her… Mashiro’s body floated into the air.
“[Wind Booster Blast]… You can’t catch me in the air, can you, Ouga-kun?”
A smug grin spread across her face as her plan crystallized.
Ah. The mana-gathering had been a bluff to bait my attack.
Mashiro hadn’t just focused on offense—her eyes had been locked onto my movements the entire time,
waiting for the perfect moment to evade skyward.
Now, from my blind spot as I overextended to grab her, she’d unleash a finishing spell.
A brilliant idea.
With this level of adaptability, the odds of her being dead weight against Flone were practically zero.
Mashiro was no longer just a fluffy, carefree girl.
She had grown—earned the right to stand against a monster like Flone.
“Checkmate, Ouga-kun! My win!”
No grand spell was needed here.
Through the flow of mana, I sensed her weaving magic at blinding speed.
But she’d forgotten one crucial detail:
She wasn’t the only one who had grown.
I channeled mana into my prosthetic arm, burning through four of its enchanted gemstone circuits.
A new feature Yueri had installed after our return—one that hadn’t been ready in time for the dragon battle.
I’d only test-fired it once, but its power and cost were both extreme.
“[Dragon Slaying Fist—”
Mana converged in my palm. The [True Dragon Slaying Fist] vibrated violently—
no, screamed under the strain of compressed energy.
The chaotic swirl of mana inside it, the way it thrashed like a tangled wire… Only because it had fully become my right arm could I perceive this abnormality.
Realizing the mana was on the verge of runaway, I switched tactics mid-motion.
“[Dragon Slaying Fist: Sky]!”
Even as the [True Dragon Slaying Fist], my arm housed other functions.
In battle, there’s no such thing as too many contingencies.
The more cards you hold, the higher your chances of overturning disadvantage.
I’ve always likened combat to a card game.
You counter your opponent’s moves with your own,
stacking advantages until the field tips in your favor.
Of course, victory isn’t guaranteed—unpredictable factors exist—but the core is a clash of strategies.
“Oh no—! I forgot—!”
“You got careless after taking my blind spot, Mashiro.”
I didn’t need to look to know her position.
[Dragon Slaying Fist: Sky] was one of the [True Dragon Slaying Fist]’s embedded functions.
Expending the stored mana, I launched the fist like a rocket punch—snatching Mashiro mid-air by the ankle.
“Lesson learned: never let your guard down until the foe’s finished.”
“Whaaaaa—?!”
I yanked her downward—stopping just short of slamming her into the ground.
Releasing her ankle, she landed with a yelp.
I hurried over to where she lay sprawled.
“Sorry. I meant to let you down gentler.”
“Nah. I was so close… ……I’m just… mad at myself!”
“Hah! That’s what’s bothering you?”
Amused, I sat beside her and poked her puffed-up cheek with a fingertip.
“You’ve improved. Your movements used to be disjointed, but now they flow—every action setting up the next.”
“Hehe~. Guess all those mornings drilling with you and Alice paid off.”
She beamed, puffing her chest proudly.
Since the Encarton incident, Mashiro’s determination had burned brighter than ever.
Looking back, there were many reasons… but I believe rage was her driving force.
That battlefield—her first by choice—had shown her a crumbling city, suffering people, the raw terror of fleeing civilians.
Mashiro was someone who could rage for others’ sake. She might hate Flone, but more than that, she despised her own helplessness.
Her magic failing against the dragon must’ve been especially galling.
If it couldn’t harm the dragon, how could it work on Flone?
So she trained—to become even marginally more useful.
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Dawn’s pale blue light filled my vision as I lay beside her.
“Let’s call it here. Debrief later.”
“Mm. And I really need a bath after that last move covered me in dust…”
“Ah… my bad. Didn’t consider that.”
“S’okay. I prefer you going all out… But if you really feel bad…”
She wriggled closer,
her small hands cupping my ears as her breath tickled my skin.
“—Wanna join me?”
It is a sweet invitation.
I listen carefully, but nothing else is heard. It’s as if the world is now just me and Mashiro, The world seemed to hush—
“Oy, boy! Get back here for diagnostics!”
—until Yueri’s voice shattered the moment.
Mashiro’s cheeks ballooned instantly.
“…Ugh! Yueri-san! Why now?!”
“…Heh. Cut her some slack. She didn’t mean to.”
“I know. That’s why I can’t even stay mad!”
This dawn training wasn’t just for Mashiro—it also tested my [True Dragon Slaying Fist]’s adjustments.
As the engineer, Yueri needed immediate feedback on any flaws.
“Too adorable.”
I poked her cheek again, popping her puffiness, then offered a hand up—only for her to pull away.
Huh? Did I mess up?
“Like I said… I’m all dusty and sweaty now. Sorry?”
“Oh. Right.”
For a second, I’d taken it personally—but recovered quickly.
Her sweat didn’t bother me, but I’d respect her feelings.
A maiden’s heart is delicate. Handle with care.
“I’m going to take a shower, okay? Ouga-kun?”
“I’ll talk to Yueri first. Go ahead.”
“…Could’ve joined me, y’know~.”
“Quit teasing and get cleaned up.”
“Aye-aye~!”
She scampered off. Watching her go, I headed toward Yueri.
Today’s session had benefits for me too.
It was my first proper test of the new functions since returning. This duel with Mashiro doubled as a trial run.
Just identifying needed adjustments was worthwhile—Yueri would handle the rest.
Sparring with Alice would’ve been ideal skill-wise,
but using untested gear against her speed risked breaking the [True Dragon Slaying Fist].
“How was the feeling, boy? Did you feel any discomfort?”
Yueri, still wearing her usual tank top (her one and only outfit), smiles as she asks me a question.
She’s practically buzzing, unable to wait any longer for my report.
At her feet, spread out on a laid-out sheet, are the various tools she brought to adjust the magical device.
“The new gimmick needs some fine-tuning. The mana flow wasn’t smooth. Maybe the [True Dragon Slaying Fist] can’t handle four full lines of mana all at once.”
“Could just be a durability issue. We’re already using the highest-grade materials, so I’ll try adjusting the output method.”
“Also, I’d like a bit more flexibility when moving it. Feels like my range of motion is narrower than with my real arm.”
“Got it. Then I’ll make adjustments—gonna take the arm off now. Like before, let me know if there’s any pain.”
“Don’t worry about it. Just do what you gotta do.”
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