Episode 185: Interlude – A Certain Girl’s Warrior Training
“〖Simulated Duel〗… End, phew. …To think you’d master my techniques in less than a week… Splendid, indeed.”
“Haa, haa… Thank you very much, Master Torba.”
Deep within the demon realm where 〖Dire Beasts〗 roamed, at the bottom of a valley constantly shrouded in mist, two figures stood facing each other.
One was an old man. Half-buried in the cliff face, he wore a somewhat satisfied expression.
His gaze was fixed on a girl, panting as she held a palm-strike stance.
With white hair and red eyes, she quickly regulated her breathing within a few breaths.
“Fiss… You said you wanted power to help your friend, enough to easily slaughter even 〖Feral Beasts〗, didn’t you?”
“Mm.”
The old man recalled the day he first met the girl.
He—Torba, a hero-class adventurer who had once driven Fue Toukouya to the brink of death—was on a journey.
His sole purpose was to find a place to die.
Even as a hero-class adventurer, Torba’s 〖Arcana Rank〗 was only 〖Third Canon〗, and his lifespan was that of a normal human.
His body weakened day by day. His skills rusted no matter how much he tried to maintain them.
Having reached the hero rank solely through martial arts, he felt his own aging particularly keenly.
And he thought. If his training was going to be wasted like this, he wanted to use his life and skills for something worthwhile in the end.
However, such a ‘just right opponent’ did not appear easily.
He helped people wherever he went, but as a hero-class, he could eliminate most threats as easily as twisting a baby’s arm.
Charging at 〖Feral Beasts〗 in various places was not meaningful either.
Many cities undoubtedly benefited from 〖Zone Control〗, and defeating the source of it could lead to a decrease in natural resources.
After wandering for twenty years, he met a girl named Fiss Mogsar.
He witnessed her fighting against a pack of 〖Dire Beasts〗 in the demon realm.
Her movements were wild yet nearly optimal. Torba intuitively sensed that this was innate, and at the same time, he expected that she could reach the same heights as him.
He had taken several disciples before, but none had ever reached Torba’s level in martial arts.
He decided that passing on all of his martial arts to the next generation would also be meaningful. Torba invited her to become his disciple, and Fiss, who was seeking even greater power, accepted the invitation.
“If it’s you… If you inherit all my techniques, you will surely be able to help your friend.”
“Mm, it’s all thanks to Master. I got this strong because of Master’s guidance and magic.”
〖Simulated Duel〗. It was Torba’s magic that allowed duels with various special conditions set, based on mutual consent.
It was only because of this magic, which could even undo death during a duel, that this master and disciple could repeat full-power matches.
Fiss solidified the basics on the first day, and spent most of the following days on practical training.
She honed her skills, mastered magic, and sharpened her senses while being killed countless times.
Each time she defeated Torba, she added special conditions to strengthen him, and just now, she had defeated him in his maximum enhanced state.
“No, that’s not true. No matter how much stamina one has, few can endure such harsh training that tastes of death so many times. This remarkable improvement is thanks to your will.”
Then, he added, “And your 〖Attribute〗.”
“〖Iron Man Attribute〗… It had an outstanding effect limited to physical enhancement. But the magic you showed at the end of the match just now…”
“Mm, it 〖Sublimated〗.”
The extreme concentration state of repeatedly crossing the line of death brought dramatic growth to the girl’s 〖Attribute〗. Enough to 〖Sublimate〗 to 〖Fifth Canon〗 in this short period.
“The name of the new 〖Attribute〗 is—”
“—I see. That’s a name befitting you now.”
After saying that, he looked up at the sky and muttered.
“There’s nothing more I can teach you. Now go, Fiss. Wield that power to your heart’s content.”
“Mm. …Lastly, thank you for everything.”
She bowed deeply, bending her waist ninety degrees.
Then, she poured 〖Mana〗 into an Artifact for long-distance communication. The communication destination was the Sage in charge of rear support.
‘Sage-sama, the training is over. I think I can defeat a Earth Dragon. …Can I be of help?’
‘Of course! The situation is a bit dire, so I’ll connect you to Paula right away! I’ll have her open a transfer portal, so please prepare for battle!’
After a short pause, a portal opened before Fiss.
“Well then, I’m off.”
She left the valley—no, the place that was once a hill, now gouged out by the aftermath of the duel—and next appeared at sea.
“Long time no see! You’ve heard the situation from Sage-sama, right?”
“Mm. My role is to sweep the subordinates.”
“That’s right! Well, I’ll send you, but… Don’t push yourself too hard, okay? Run away immediately if something happens.”
“It’s fine. I don’t need to push myself against that level.”
Fiss said, looking at the Chaos’s minions running around the 〖Sunflare Furnace〗.
“Understood, I believe you. 〖Area Hole〗.”
The next portal connected to the path of the minions.
The “Demon Lord” had swung his silver ridge there, sending them ahead.
“Fuuu…”
Fiss exhaled slowly and deeply, staring at the enemy horde.
The size ratio was like a tiger and a mouse. Compared to the Chaos’s minions, all of whom boasted enormous bodies, she was far too small.
Moreover, it wasn’t just their physique that was inferior.
Having spent her days training with Torba, her 〖Level〗 had not yet reached one hundred.
On the other hand, the average 〖Level〗 of the Demon Beasts created by 〖■(Mixed) Royal Authority: Mixed Seasons〗 was two hundred and fifty.
Although there was some variation, it rarely fell below two hundred.
It was obvious what would happen when the two clashed.
“…………”
Nevertheless, the girl showed no sign of tension.
She lowered her center of gravity, took a half-stance, and waited for her prey to enter her range.
And when the distance to the black plant leading the charge became about a hundred meters, her feet exploded.
“〖Ultra Enhance〗”
It was a step-in. A technique that stored the power of the whole body like a spring and released it all at once.
If this was done with a body enhanced by 〖Ultra Enhance〗, the earth would be gouged out and the soil would be kicked up.
The minions could not react to the sudden change from stillness to motion.
They were caught in her range before they could even interfere.
—The style created by Torba had no name.
However, its nature was clear.
Martial arts for killing Demon Beasts. To slaughter giant beasts of all shapes and sizes, the techniques had evolved.
What was about to be unleashed was a part of that.
She jumped towards the minion running with its root-like legs, linked all the muscles and bones of her body without any waste, and slammed a spinning kick with all her power, weight, and speed.
“〖Ultra Arts—Pervade Fist〗”
〖Ultra Arts〗, a magic that dramatically enhances the performance of martial arts 〖Skills〗.
This time, the target was 〖Pervade Fist〗.
This 〖Skill〗, devised by Torba, could penetrate the impact internally and destroy the Demon Beast’s organs.
Therefore, it was difficult, and activating it with the feet was even more challenging… but she had long since passed the stage of fumbling with this level.
“Gigi gigogo…!”
〖Pervade Fist〗 exploded in the core of the minion without the slightest deviation.
The minion had no organs, but the damage was still severe. The impact exploded from the center of the trunk, deep within the bark, and the trunk snapped in two.
“Gigi gigigyaaa!”
But the minions would not be killed silently.
One of the roots it used as legs swept sideways with force. The swift, albeit forceful, blow swung by reflex was,
“〖Parry〗”
Easily deflected by the girl’s hand.
Still, it seemed to have succeeded in conveying a slight amount of power. The girl’s light body spun like a top—adding to the speed of the spin, she unleashed a kick imbued with dense 〖Mana〗.
“〖Ultra Arts—Reaper Fist〗”
〖Reaper Fist〗, which had evolved from 〖Wave Fist〗, boasted the greatest destructive power.
The blade of 〖Mana〗 that was fired bisected the stump, and the minion, which had no 〖Life〗 storage, died from this one blow.
“Not yet. I’ll keep taking them down.”
Even after taking down a minion with just two blows, Fiss set her sights on the next enemy without letting her guard down.
There was not a trace of exhaustion to be seen. Her optimized movements minimized the burden on her body.
Fiss’s 〖Fifth Canon〗, which enhanced both her skills and body beyond the framework of a human.
The synergy of perfected skills and physical prowess transcends the difference in Levels, surpasses the disparity in physique, and becomes an unreasonable, violent force that crushes opponents.
The name of that Attribute, which bestows absolute enhancement only upon oneself—is Superhuman.