Isekai Mahou wa Okureteru! (LN) - Volume 9 - Chapter SS5

Charge! Battle in the Yakagi Estate Garden! 

“So, that’s the plan! Let us put our magicka to practice!” 

“Ooh...” 

“Mm.” 

Felmenia’s energetic declaration rang out through the garden of the Yakagi estate and into the clear blue sky overhead. Liliana and Lefille were nodding along with her. Suimei, meanwhile, had no idea what they were all talking about and was left to observe this all in bewilderment. 

“Um, Menia-san? What’s the plan?” 

“Hmmmmm,” Felmenia proudly hummed. “You see, Suimei-dono, upon coming to your world, we’ve discovered a great many things. As such, we’d like to try applying what we’ve learned to our magicka.” 

“Okay...” 

“And so we’re going to have you evaluate us, Suimei-dono!” 

When Felmenia unveiled her great plan, the other two girls provided the fanfare of merry cheering and clapping. 

“Well, I guess that’s fair.” 

“Granted, we’ll also be using you as our target, Suimei-dono.” 

“Uh, objection?” 

“Wait! We have a valid reason for this! Our skills cannot hope to match yours no matter what now that you have regained your abilities. As such, Suimei-dono, I believe there is absolutely no need to worry about you getting hurt.” 

“Besides... it’ll be faster... for you to assess us... defending against our magicka... directly.” 

“I get where you’re coming from. Still, I mean, it’d be one thing if it were my idea... but being told I’m going to be a target is a little off-putting? You know? Like, it kinda makes me want to say no.” 

“It’s alright. In the off chance that something happens, we’ll have Lefille cut in and help.” 

“I don’t think there’s any chance you would blunder badly enough for that to be necessary, Suimei-kun, but you can count on me.” 

Meaning you’ll be my shield? How truly reassuring, Lefille-san. 

“...Well, this is basically how I’d have to evaluate you even in normal practice, so I don’t really mind, but...” 

If asked why he was being so stubborn about this, Suimei’s only answer would be that mood was of paramount importance when asking this kind of favor. 

“We want to surprise you, Suimei-dono!” 

“That’s right... We want to surprise you... right off your feet... and enjoy seeing... your pathetic display.” 

“Hey now! Your supposedly secret motives are starting to leak out!” 

“Oopsies.” 

Liliana slapped her hand over her mouth as if she’d just realized her mistake—not that Suimei could possibly believe such an act. In truth, he understood where the girls were coming from. Well, Felmenia at least. 

“Now, though it may be presumptuous of me to ask, may I go first?” she asked. 

“Yeah, go ahead, Menia.” 

“Very well. Mana Furnace Core! White Fire, Immediate Critical Load!” 

It seemed she was intent on going full-throttle right from the start. 

“Whoa, that’s your first move?” 

Even as Suimei doubted what Felmenia was doing, manalight flickered around her as her mana amplified radically. She then muttered a few words, causing white flames to appear overhead as a magic circle took shape in front of her. 

Okay, so she’s even got her defenses up while constructing it. Looking good... 

Suimei gave a satisfactory nod as he observed Felmenia, who leaped up right into the white flames. The moment she came into contact with them, they flashed with a glimmering light and took on the form of a beautiful white horse. 

“Behold! This is my new power!” Felmenia boasted. 

“That’s just... copying me,” Liliana muttered quietly. 

“I-I wasn’t jealous of you having something to ride or anything!” 

“So you were jealous.” 

“Yeah, she was totally jealous.” 

Felmenia blushed in embarrassment and immediately began her assault in an attempt to hide it. 

“Here I come, Suimei-dono!” 

Felmenia handled the flaming white horse with considerable skill. Suimei secretly thought the way she maintained her balance while manipulating the reins was pretty cool. 

“Not bad. It totally looks like you’re riding a horse.” 

“Of course! Equestrian is a most noble hobby!” 

“I see...” 

It didn’t seem like Felmenia’s magickal horse could outperform a real one, though its maneuverability was still terrific. It was a straightforward spell, certainly, but it played to Felmenia’s strengths. Not only that, but the way its white flames were spreading made it a doubly effective spell. 

“The speed and ferocity of a burning field, huh?” 

“Exactly!” 

Once Suimei had gotten a full taste of the spell, he began disassembling its components. He severed its connection with the Elements and annihilated the source of the magicka with an opposing legend. A red light shot past Felmenia, and her flaming horse vanished without a trace. 

“Ah...” 

“Mm. It’s not a bad idea. You get full marks for making use of a special skill you possess and working out a way to increase the spell’s effectiveness. I guess there’s still the matter of capacity, though. Can you use that simultaneously with other magicka?” 

It was often better to simplify a spell in order to reduce the burden it placed on its caster to maintain it. If they had to concentrate on it too intensely, it could lead to uncertainties in it or other spells. That said, it didn’t seem like that would be too much trouble in Felmenia’s case considering she could compensate for some control of the spell with her horseback riding skills. 

“I’ll do my best!” 

Moreover, Felmenia was fired up. Seeing her like this, Suimei was sure things would turn out fine. 

“You’re up next, right?” Suimei said as he turned to Liliana. 

“Yes... This magicka will slap...” 

“Wait, slap?” 

“Ehem... This magicka will... surprise you.” 

Liliana really did hate to lose... The way she crawled into Suimei’s bed sometimes was endlessly endearing, so why was she this venomous otherwise? It felt like she was going through a rebellious phase or something. 

“Mr. Penguin, Mr. Penguin...” 

“Huh?” 

“Hmm?” 

“What?” 

Liliana muttered a new name with her usual curseweaving. And before long, several penguins took shape. There were all pitch black as if painted with ink, but they were still just as cute as could be. The way they spread out both wings like balancing toys and bobbed about with unsteady steps certainly didn’t make them seem dangerous. 

“L-Lily? What exactly do you...” 

“...Plan on doing with something so cute?” 

Felmenia and Lefille were both utterly confused by her spell, but there was no denying that these penguins had been kneaded from a curse. Suimei couldn’t believe that Liliana had given them this form for no reason. If she’d made penguins, surely they’d be doing something penguin-like. Suimei knew penguins for their remarkable ability to swim with tremendous speed, though that wouldn’t exactly be useful here in the garden. 

“Penguins... line up.” 

As Liliana pulled out a small cane and held it up like a tour guide, the penguins fell into formation standing side by side. They looked like an adorable bunch of kindergarteners lining up in front of their teacher, but... the penguins then menacingly turned towards Suimei and lay down on their bellies one by one from left to right. As they took up their positions, small curse bubbles foamed up from the ground. 

“Hey, don’t tell me...” 

“Behold my... penguin... missile barrage!” 

“You’ve got to be kidding me!” 

The cursed penguins launched themselves, charging right at Suimei. They darted artfully through the air like normal penguins would underwater. Setting aside the matter of how useful or practical this spell was, it went without saying that Liliana’s new magicka was the most shocking demonstration of the day.