Flash!

Bang!

My opponent scoffed at me, turning away and firing a super strong mud blast towards Valkjure!

"VALKJURE!!!"

I cried out, but it all happened so fast.

She was so young...

BOOM!

An explosion happened at the point of impact, Valkjure was caught right in the middle of it!

Shit. Now thing's have turned into a 3v2...!

The dust cleared as I rushed for the mage immediately, wanting to end him as soon as possible so we can get our numbers back to equilibrium.

But then, when I took a glance back at the enemy warrior who might soon be coming after me, I saw Valkjure readying a big move looking none the worse for wear!

No... it's two Valkjures! There's two of her! What is the meaning of this!?

Amid my confusion, the mage prepared another lightning. I attempted to predict it and dodge, but to no avail. It struck true, and took out a good chunk of my HP!

"Gah!"

Shit.

Just to make sure, I glanced at the party tab in the corner of my vision, and confirmed that Valkjure's HP bar was still going strong! Well, it was at around half, lower even, but that's better than being dead!

Throwing aside all this unnecessary worries, I resumed my charge against my nemesis mage. He was down to below 20% MP, I doubt he has another mud ball in him!

Seeing my approach, the mage panicked. But this time, instead of lobbing many different attacks at me, he erected a large earthen wall between us instead!

Such feeble wall, Fira smash---

Oh wait, I'll just go around it. They could be trying to escape as well, spending time smashing apart these ramparts would be playing right into their hands!

RUN!

I made my way through the thickets in trees, circling around the defenses that the mage had set up. But then I found an unexpected obstacle in the form many heinous monsters coming from the outside!

They're not shadow summons... and unless it's a unique skill, you can't summon monsters unless you're equipped with a grimoire so it can't be the mage...

Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt!

Ah, of course it's Gothra. I can still hear the gunfire from here. Goddamit!

Smash! Smash!

"Groooaaahhh!"

"Keeeeaaayyhhh!!"

I smashed away the goblins and ghouls getting in my way, not even bothering to give the final blow. The mage comes first!

Although... after we kill these three jokers, it's going to be yet another long night isn't it?

Pushing aside those irritated thoughts, I rushed past the forest, taking care to dodge any arrows that come my way--

Plat!

Except there's one that lodged right into my shoulder!

Crap, and I didn't see it coming at all! I cannot predict the trajectory of something that's not within my vision!

Argh, whatever! Plow ahead!

Crash, run, crash!

Finally, I made it to where the mage was, but just before I got there, I saw some tall earthen walls being erected from the ground once more!

FLASH!

"Hiding in your little cave won't save you now! You've only trapped yourself!" I shouted, charging like a raging bull onto the rampart walls!

Crash!

I struck my hammer into the wall, causing cracks to travel all across the structure!

But it was not going down yet!

SMASH!

With another smash of my hammer, the cracks gave way and exploded into pieces, sending the wall crumbling down into a cloud of dust!

I pushed through it and found that the enemy mage had barricaded himself on all sides with walls. A room with four corners, barring the one I destroyed.

Oi, oi. Overkill much? Though maybe he thought I'd waste time looking for an opening, but did he really think I didn't have it in me to just outright destroy them?

I swatted away the remaining dust, wary of another spell coming at point blank range.

I look all around in search of my enemy. I turned my head to the right, to the left, and even to my back where the now ruined wall once were.

Yep nothing. Nowhere to be found.

I swung my hammer around a few times. Just in case he was invisible. It could happen. Aaaand it didn't. He just disappeared... What the fuck?

The remaining three walls standing tall all around me felt like some sort of mockery. I just fell hook line ad sinker for the enemy's plan...

[Fireball.]

I summoned a fireball right in front of me, then with a wide stance, I swung my now burning hammer with great force, towards the fireball, and then towards the wall to my left!

If you stumble upon this tale on Amazon, it's taken without the author's consent. Report it.

CRASH! SLAM! BOOM!

The fireball was carried away by my hammer thanks to [Hammer Batter], but instead of launching forward, it crashed into the wall along with the head of my hammer!!

Crack! Crackle...!

The force of my weapon sent cracks running all around the wall, like a thunderstorm originating from a single eye. Then, along those snaking paths, fire ran through like a river from hell, burning apart the thinly shaped earth.

Crumble! Crash!

With the single attack, I took out the wall, ready to take on my enemy who's still hiding away like a fucking coward!

Zoom!

Within the dust that spread out, I heard the approach of something crackling cutting through the air!

BOOM!

It hit me right in the face and set me ablaze!

It was a fireball!

Gah!

My HP has fallen below 50% and it's continuing to go down as I burn!

In a frenzy, I swatted away the dust obstructing my vision, finally catching sight of my foe as he readied 5 different icicle spears ready to shoot towards my direction!

CRAP!

[System Overdrive!]

the world slows down as I activate my unique skill, allowing me to look through the deciphered trajectories carefully. the icicles are spread out in a fan-like formation, trying to at least get one to land.

They shot out upon the mage's command, zooming through the air. I rushed toward the outer edge of the fanning icicles, then swatted away the one I can't dodge in time.

[Hammer Batter!]

I used my skill, altering the trajectory of the icicle in an attempt to hit the mage. The icicle deformed into many separate shards, but only one piece of it actually took off, the rest scattered to the ground. The rogue piece of ice flew off, but I immediately saw in its trajectory that it was going to miss by a pretty wide margin. However, despite the aim being so far off, the mage still reacted to the approaching projectile and took evasive maneuvers.

Hah, fool!

Taking this opportunity, I immediately dashed straight for the mage!

Flash!

Seeing my approach, the mage prepared a different spell to counter as I saw the trajectory lines chaotically squirming about all over the place!

Crap, it's lightning!

Trying to read its trajectory then dodge is futile, dodging is largely up to luck... but it's not like there isn't a way at all!

I take a deep breath and attempted to feel out the timing.

Three... Two...

NOW!

I abruptly bolted off to the right, not even bothering to look back as an explosion of thunder resounded loudly behind me! But I managed to escape that attack unscathed, and now it should take a precious small amount of time before he's ready to use it again. My fireball has a slight cooldown, so his lightning should too.

Turning my back on the enemy is dangerous, but without lightning, it should be somewhat safer, and running perpendicular means I can still steal a glance at whatever attack he lobs at me.

Like the icicle spears coming at me right now!

Zoom! Zoom! Crash!

I dodge them in time, having been privvy to their trajectories as usual thanks to my Unique Skill, but how will I ever get close at this rate!? He also has those walls to stall for time...

And that's when I noticed my party members just having finished up their respective fights and were now bantering!

I ran towards Gothra and Valkjure, still keeping an eye on the mage to make sure I dodge all his attacks!

I could take a chance and keep on facing him myself, I have the insurance of [Last Stand] but being left at 1 HP isn't ideal with all these new threats coming from all directions.

Damn it Gothra!

But well, the monsters are also hindering the mage's escape so it's not the worst situation, I guess. But still.

"GUYS! HELP!" I shouted at the bickering duo, and immediately Valkjure bolted off towards me.

Ah, my hero!

Fwooosh!

We reached each other... and then she just ran right past me!

Eh?

Why!?

She didn't even look back! She's not going after the mage either!

Then I saw Gothra running for me.

Well, I don't know what Valkjure's thinking right now, but Gothra I trust--

Fwoooosh!

She sped right past me as well!

"Hey! What the fuck is going on!? Little help please!" I couldn't help but shout in telepathy towards the two!

"Noooooo!!!" Came Valkjure's reply.

What? Why not!?

"Valkjure! Wait up!" that shout came not from me, but from Gothra who was firmly giving chase after her! "It's a misunderstanding, I swear!"

"No, no! Iyyaaaaaaaa!!!" Valkjure desperately ran away from Gothra as she tried to explain herself. Valkjure was growing pale as Gothra kept up her chase, shrinking the distance between them further and further!

I am so lost. What the fuck is going on!?

"Valkjure," I called out into her mind and Gothra's, "I don't know what kind of impression you have of Gothra. But I just want to tell you that whatever you think of her right now..."

"Ooooohhhh!!!! Go, go Fira! Tell her!"

"...Is completely correct! Gothra really is like that!"

"WHAT!?"

"I knew it!!"

Leaving the two idiots behind, I turned back towards my mage foe. He was readying another fireball, and upon reading its trajectory, I veered off to the side.

Only for it to never come!

Flash!

The fireball shrunk in on itself as it was absorbed by the mage!

I grew wary of the formation of another mudball, only to find the mage's MP get instantly refilled by a good amount.

Shit, I was wondering how the hell he was keeping up this barrage after the first set of walls he produced which should have bottomed out his MP, but is this actually a net positive MP loop for him!?

However, he has no attack ready right now, so I unflinchingly ran right for him once more!

Crackle, crackle!

Oh shit! Another lightning spell!

Trtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrtrt!!

But it was then that he was suddenly interrupted and delayed by the mechanical whirring of Bereo's big rifle!

"Gothra! Finally, you decided to show up!"

"Shut the fuck up you slanderous boob!"

The mage struggled to get his spell out, the force of the knockback is far more potent now that he was the only target!

"Raaaaaaawr!"

And to add to the bad day he's clearly having, all manners of ghouls, zombies, and goblins came crawling out of the woodwork!

The mage tried to pull back, only to get his back clawed on by a ghoul. His line of escape fully cut off!

"S-shit!" He shouted as I was just a short distance away from him!

Flash!

That was when a wall suddenly materialized itself in front of me, stopping my charge for but a split second.

Generating a fireball, I smashed it along with my hammer into the obstacle, destroying it into many fiery pieces, specially with the help of Bereo's cover fire from the distance!

Fwoooossh!

Oh no you don't. Not again!

I swung my hammer hard for the second time, and without even having relied on my Unique Skill's [System Eye], I managed to hit the fireball that approached me straight on, like I was playing baseball.

Homerun!!

Flash! Bang! BOOM!

My expert maneuver had tossed the attacked aimed for me far and away, not hitting anyone in particular. At least, that was the original idea...

[Proficiency Acquired!]

[The [Wild Fire] Skill has been acquired!]

The previously dark forest was now illuminated by a deep shade of red and orange. Fires raged from the tall vegetation that surrounded us all around, and I saw the mage clicking his tongue as his escape had just been made even more impossible.

That... that was your fireball, okay? Just so we're clear! Just so we're clear!!

"Wow... Fira, again?"

"The fuck you mean by again!? You wanna go, huh!? Wanna go!?"

"Is that your idea of asking someone out...? Really not the time Fira. Sigh."

"Oh, is that what Fira is like..."

"Not you too Valkjure! I am not like this asshole!"

Gothra and Valkjure were also approaching even as we bantered, along with the many monsters coming out of the forest.

Crackle, Crackle!

The mage had previously given up on besting us, knowing that his allies were dead, and had switched to running away, but now it seems his passion has reignited. This is... that thing! Wounded cornered beast or something. Dead man walking. A final struggle!

"Just die already!" I roared, already having made it right in front of him!

Crack! Crackle! Boom!

Lightning traveled through the air, as if space itself was cracking. It did so to my left, completely missing me!

The mage looked at this in horror as his HP had also begun to go down. That was because of my blazing hammer slamming right into his hand to alter his spell's aim at the last second!

His staff was knocked out of his hands as he struggled to form an impromptu fireball under the constant pressure of Bereo's gunfire.

I looked at his struggling figure, his HP already dwindling down close to being halved as the fire that had started from his hand threatened to burn even further.

It's been a fun battle, Mage. You've managed to fool me, I'll admit.

But this has always been a battle of you keeping me away. You lost the moment I got close.

SLAM!

The last fireball flickers, shrinks, and then dies away.