Manowa Chapter 173

「Female Dragon Knights are rare. I thought the only one in active service due to her power was the red Neibel Scene.」

Ijika said while shaking the blood off his sword.

The surrounding Outer looked at him with expressions that were a mixture of fear and anger. Then one among them ran towards him and shouted.

「Master, towards a companions, what did you...!?」

Without turning around, Ijika said「Stop」to the man approaching from behind. The man comprehended the bloodl.u.s.t hidden in that voice and stopped moving.

「I want to say that I will slash anyone who gets in my way, but it doesn't look like the young lady will miss that opportunity.」

Ijika didn't take his eyes off of Yumika.

「The moment I slash you, the young lady will kill me. Having that happen would be bad for both of us, don't you think?」

「I will defeat you without killing you.」

Yumika said. She wasn't planning on killing a person. Ijika sneered dismissively after Yumika's words.

「Rather than naivety, you're that confident? It smells of that. How many monsters have you killed with that spear?」

Without responding to those words, Yumika prepared her spear and advanced a half step.

「You may have killed many monsters, but talk about human beings killing each other disgusts you, doesn't it, young lady!」

But she wasn't taken in by that provocation. Yumika didn't listen to Ijika's words; she only concentrated on defeating him.

(Hmm, she wasn't taken in at all? Even though she seems like a peace at any price idiot on the surface, her will is strong. Was she blessed with a good teacher?)

Ijika stopped speaking. It was only provocation. It was meaningless if the opponent wasn't affected.

「Well, that's fine. As long as I'm able to enjoy this.」

Then Ijika was the one who rushed forward.

「Uraa!」

He closed the distance in one go, tried to find a gap in the spear's range, and thrust his sword. But while slightly diverting the sword point with her spear point, Yumika turned to avoid it. She tried to use her habitual spear's unique center of gravity leveraging dodge ability『Weeping Willow』and derived ability『Spin』to trip him, but it didn't work. She couldn't read her opponent's tempo, so she couldn't predict Ijika's actions well enough for it to work.

「Ha, haha​​hahaha」

Ijika looked delighted and laughed. He immediately slashed horizontally, but this time Yumika took a step back to dodge and blocked the sword with her spear handle.

「Nu!?」

Ijika noticed at the moment of contact, as might be expected. Condensed Spirit had been kneaded around the point of contact between the sword and the spear,

「Haa!」

And it exploded. The surrounding Outer saw Ijika spin like a top as he got blown away.

「Uoto」

So saying, the blown away Ijika spun two more times before making a beautiful landing on top of a luggage platform.

「That was the Barnes style technique called『Reflect』I think? That's the first time I've actually seen it.」

Yumika didn't answer.

「If so... is that it? You're Yumika. One of the White Party. The Fang Spear Soldier's mistress!」

「I'm not his mistress. I'm his disciple! Disciple!!」

Yumika reacted. She was inexperienced.

「Receiving training all morning, day, and night?」

「Not at night!!」

Ijika ignored Yumika's retort and observed her.

(I see. I should have noticed that white cloak at the start.)

Because of the Dragonoidization, the Dragon Knight impression was strong, so he didn't make the connection between Yumika and the girl in front of him. But considering her age based on her appearance, it would be unnatural for her to not be famous if she were a Dragon Knight. No, being that strong at her age was unnatural in the first place, though.

(I heard she could transform, but Dragonoidization? What about her becoming silver-haired?)

The features didn't match the information he had purchased from the information store. And right now there was the sign of a dragon in the sky, but there was no sign of it being connected with the girl in front of him. He didn't know where she was getting her supply of Dragon Spirit.

(Well, since I haven't heard about that group employing a dragon, she must have some other means to replenish th)

And his thoughts were interrupted at that point.

「Thunder G.o.d Spear!」

Unnoticed, Yumika had taken a throwing spear out of her Item Box, and she covered it in Thunder Spirit and threw it.

「Tch!」

Ijika instantly jumped to the side to avoid it. He thought (weren't you going to avoid killing?), but saying that would expose his own naivety. The power that would obviously bring certain death pa.s.sed through the place Ijika had just been standing and continued through the warehouse's luggage, the wall behind it, and likely into the neighboring building.

The watching Outer were trembling. Thunder G.o.d Spear was an anti-dragon attack spread in Hyvern since ancient times, but few people could handle it. It was difficult enough that only rank B adventurers or higher could master it.

Some people in that place were equal to rank B, but they couldn't move. They understood how powerful she must be, and now that she was further using Dragonoidization, the surrounding Outer all thought that only Ijika could handle her.  That was also partially due to the effect of the『Dragon's Coercion』Dragonoidization Skill.

At any rate, both Yumika and Ijika were thankful they weren't getting in the way.

「Kukuku, you're considerably capable, Yumika.」

「Uryaaa!」

Ijika recklessly attacked Yumika with a laughing voice, and Yumika blocked and tried to strike back in the gap created. Yumika's spear techniques were accompanied by flashy red Spirit, and the surrounding air trembled each time they collided with Ijika's purple Spirit clad sword techniques.

The surrounding Outer were watching that fight without moving. They trembled with fear at that battle that was on a different dimension.

(But he's strong. Would I have been pushed back without Dragonoidization?)

While thinking so, her body moved to unleash her next attack. Suddenly, her opponent's attack seemed to stop.

(......It came?)

After that short thought, she immediately stopped unnecessary thoughts. Her concentration power was sharpened, and sound and color vanished from the world. That was the feeling of『Zone』being attained.

But that technique was a double-edged sword. If the opponent had polished their skills sufficiently, they would also be pulled into the Zone domain. Accordingly, Ijika also entered『Zone』to match Yumika going up a gear. And Ijika's face was dyed with joy.

(It's been a long time since I've felt this. So this girl stepped it up?)

Eyes dyed with Ijika's pure killing intent pierced Yumika. But Yumika's gold eyes weren't bothered by it.

The speed of the sword increased. But beyond that, neither showed any more gaps. As the tense atmosphere greatly increased, some Outer couldn't bear it and vomited, while some hyperventilated and collapsed.

And the intensity gradually increased. From then on was a battle of pure swordsmanship and spearmanship. There were no more gaps to use any flashy powerful techniques. The light of red and purple magical power sometimes scattered, and that light cracked the floor and sent fragments flying.

But that battle's equilibrium would eventually collapse instantly due to a change in one of the combatants.

(......My Dragon Spirit is running out)

Although she hadn't been transformed for even 10 minutes, the enemy in front of her was too strong. The output had been gradually increasing, and Yumika was using her full power when she noticed. Since that was the case, it was inevitable that her Dragon Spirit would be exhausted. And of course the opposing Ijika would notice.

So that would be the decider of the match.

Her Dragon Spirit ran out immediately after she stepped forward, and with Yumika's insufficient momentum,

Ijika saw the chance to win and slashed,

And when Ijika『was taken in』by that invitation, Yumika stepped in further by jumping into the air with her Sylphin Boots.

And the result was clear to everyone there.

The man who rushed out when he saw the chance to win hit the floor, and the girl who predicted everything was the one left standing.

Name: Yuihama Kazane

Occupation: Magic Swordswoman

t.i.tle: Ogre Killer, Dragon Slayer, High Beast Summoner

Equipment: Staff 『White Blaze』, Two Handed Sword『Black Fang』, Adhesion Sword『Gum』, Spell Dagger, Dragonscale Breastplate, Drake Gauntlets, Silver Sheep Clothes, Sylphyn Skirt, Plasma Pants, Dragon Ogre Greaves, Indestructible Cloak, Mysterious Pouch, Crimson Saint Coffin, Heroic Spirit Summoning Ring, Circlet of Wisdom, Aim Bracelet, Magic Acc.u.mulator, White Magic Acc.u.mulator

Level : 31

Health: 114

Magic Power: 205+420

Strength: 55+10

Agility: 48+4

Endurance: 31

Wisdom : 62

Dexterity : 39

Spell : 『Fly』『Torch』『Fire』『Heal』『Firestorm』『Healer Ray』『High Heal』

Skill : 『Warrior's Memory』『Night Vision』『Crushing Blow』『Dog's Sense of Smell』『Golem Maker: Lv3』『Rush』『Fire Principle: Third Chapter』『Healing Principle: Fourth Chapter』『Air Jump: Lv2』『Killing Leg: Lv3』『Fear Voice』『Invisible』『Tiger Eye』『Wall Walking』『Intuition』『Cheat Death』『Nimble』『Charge』『Material Shield』『Information Link』『Optical Camouflage』『Dash』『Bloodsucking Blade』『Dragonization「Dragon」』『Regenerate』『Soul Breaking Blade』『Stealthy Placement』『Thunder Chariot』『St.u.r.dier Teeth「Dragon」』『Crystallization「Dragon」』『Fabricated Coercion』『Stone Minotaur』『Mega Beam』『s.p.a.ce Expansion』

Kazane:「E, even without playing dumb, you won. (Surprise)」

Yumika:「Shut up.」

Kazane:「By the way, how strong is this Ijiksan?」

Yumika:「He's definitely stronger than me before transformation, but he'd be no match for master? I think he's as strong as a full power Jiraid-san using Dragonoidization. If Mordo joined the battle, Jiraid-san would win, though.」