chapter4 · 062-ep62

Episode 62: Unique Job

I went straight on to read the Battle-Armored Enchanter's description.

【Battle-Armored Enchanter】

【A unique Enchanter Job specialized in fighting personally by fixing Ability Grants applied to oneself as battle armor】

An Enchanter specialized in fighting personally.

All the evolution conditions involved applying enchants to myself, so that was about the direction I'd expected.

The question was what "fixing them as battle armor" meant.

Judging by the name, it almost sounded like Ability Grants turned into armor or something, but there was more to the description.

【Job-Specific Ability: Battle Armor Form】

【Upon activation, fixes all Ability Grants currently applied to oneself】

【Fixed Ability Grants no longer consume MP for maintenance or lose effectiveness over time】

【While in Battle Armor Form, Ability Grants cannot be added, changed, or used on others】

【Upon leaving Battle Armor Form, all fixed Ability Grants are removed】

"...Fixed?"

Even after reading it, I sort of understood and sort of didn't.

If maintenance stopped costing MP, did that mean once I used Ability Grant on myself, I could keep it up indefinitely?

That alone was pretty powerful.

If I could spend an hour or half a day under a Strength enchant without losing MP, I could go around with boosted abilities all the time.

But I couldn't use it on other people in Battle Armor Form.

If I wanted to support someone, I'd have to cancel the armor, which would make all the fixed enchants disappear.

Boost myself or boost the people around me.

From the description, it sounded like I had to choose one or the other completely.

"Guess I'll try it out first."

Thinking about it wouldn't tell me everything.

I stepped away from the desk and used a Strength enchant on myself.

Power flowed through my body, and the Strength value on my Status rose.

Nothing unusual so far.

Next I selected the newly added 【Battle Armor Form】, and a confirmation display opened.

【Enter Battle Armor Form?】

【Ability Grants to be fixed】

【Strength enchant】

The Ability Grant currently on me showed up properly among the ones to be fixed.

I selected 【Execute】.

【Battle Armor Form entered】

【Fixed Ability Grants】

【Strength enchant】

I braced myself a little, but my body didn't start glowing, and no armor appeared.

With a name like battle armor, I thought at least something might appear on my arms.

I looked exactly the same.

A little... no, I was incredibly disappointed.

I clenched my fist. The Strength enchant was still working just fine.

The number on my Status hadn't gone down either.

Next I looked at my MP gauge for a while.

Normally, it'd slowly keep dropping while I maintained Ability Grant.

But now it wasn't dropping.

"Ohh..."

A quiet sound slipped out of me.

It really wasn't costing MP to maintain it.

Now I could start a fight with Ability Grant active without worrying about my MP.

That alone ought to make combat a lot easier.

When I tried switching to an Agility enchant, a different display appeared immediately.

【Ability Grants cannot be added or changed while in Battle Armor Form】

"That part's just like it says."

I couldn't enter battle armor and then add whatever abilities I liked.

Once I fixed a Strength enchant, it'd stay a Strength enchant until I canceled it.

If I needed Agility or Endurance halfway through, apparently I couldn't change on the spot.

It was convenient, but I'd have to think about what I fixed beforehand.

I selected the option to leave Battle Armor Form.

【Leave Battle Armor Form?】

【All fixed Ability Grants will be removed】

When I went ahead, the feeling of the Strength enchant vanished from my body.

My Status returned to normal, and I could select other people as enchantment targets again.

So I couldn't stay in battle armor to boost myself while also supporting my allies with normal enchants.

If I could do that too, I guess it'd be way too good to be true.

I went back to my desk and took a sip of fizzy drink from the paper cup.

Then I reread the description.

【Upon activation, fixes all Ability Grants currently applied to oneself】

I hadn't thought much of it at first, but the wording caught my attention now.

It didn't say it fixed one Ability Grant.

It said all Ability Grants applied to oneself.

An ordinary Enchanter can only maintain one type of Ability Grant at a time, so normally the result would be the same either way.

But I had 【Enchant Echo】.

Even when I switched Ability Grants, the previous effect lingered briefly.

When I first fought Kanzaki, I'd used Endurance, Agility, and Strength in succession and fought while all three effects overlapped.

"...Wait a second."

If I entered Battle Armor Form while the effects of Enchant Echo still lingered, would those get fixed too?

The description didn't say "the one type currently being maintained."

"All right. Let's give it a shot."

I applied a Strength enchant to myself, then immediately switched to Agility.

The Strength enchant stayed in my body as an echo.

Next came Endurance.

Strength and Agility began to fade little by little, while the feeling of Endurance spread through my entire body.

Then I immediately selected Battle Armor Form.

【Enter Battle Armor Form?】

【Ability Grants to be fixed】

【Strength enchant: Enchant Echo】

【Agility enchant: Enchant Echo】

【Endurance enchant】

"Seriously?"

There they were.

Even the two lingering thanks to Enchant Echo showed up as targets for fixing.

No, all that meant was they appeared on the list.

It didn't mean the battle armor would actually hold them.

I immediately selected 【Execute】.

【Battle Armor Form entered】

【Fixed Ability Grants】

【Strength enchant】

【Agility enchant】

【Endurance enchant】

Three.

Where only Strength had appeared before, now all three were lined up.

Yes, yes, yes.

This was good.

No, this was really good.

I shifted my feet lightly in place and checked how my body felt.

Strength and Agility were both still there.

The Endurance enchant hadn't dropped either.

I waited a few seconds, but Strength and Agility, which should have worn off by now, showed no signs of leaving my body.

The bonus values on my Status didn't move.

And despite maintaining all three, my MP wasn't dropping.

I could hold the state I'd previously only managed for an instant with Enchant Echo indefinitely.

If this was what waited at the end of six thousand uses, all those days of repeating enchants had been more than worth it.

Man, what a relief.

All that work had really paid off.

Buying a cake for myself hadn't been overdoing it at all.

Maybe I should've bought that party popper too.

Battle-Armored Enchanter.

Thinking about it again, this Job was seriously broken.

What if I doubled up on Strength enchants?

What if I mixed in Shock Grant?

Was three types the limit at my current proficiency, or could I squeeze in four if I moved fast enough?

There was plenty more I wanted to test.

For now, I couldn't add or change abilities once I entered Battle Armor Form.

In normal form, I could switch Ability Grants according to my opponent.

In Battle Armor Form, I'd fight myself with a combination I'd assembled beforehand.

I needed to think not only about which to use, but about the order I applied the enchants before entering battle armor.

Somehow, it felt like I'd gained a whole different direction's worth of things to think about.

Well, that was fun in its own way.

Even before this, I'd fought while thinking about which abilities to use and in what order.

Now I could take those combinations and finish them as a new kind of battle armor.

Just as I was thinking of testing whether I could fix two Strength enchants, my phone vibrated on the bed.

Saeki-san's name was on the screen.

It was unusual for him to call this late.

I answered.

"Hello, Himuro speaking."

『Himuro. Can you talk for a moment?』

"Sure."

『Sorry for the short notice, but I'd like you to come to the training facility we used for the Program after school in three days.』

The training facility.

The words immediately brought to mind a place where I could really test out Battle Armor Form.

"Is the Program starting again?"

It'd been more than two weeks since that video got it suspended.

In the meantime, Takatsuki and his people had been caught, and Mibu was back at school.

The uproar probably hadn't died down completely, but I couldn't help thinking it was about time they resumed it.

『No. There's still no prospect of resuming the Program itself. This is something else.』

My hopes were dashed right after they rose.

『We're contacting only some of the Program participants. You're one of them.』

"Only some?"

『Right.』

"What are we doing?"

『...We'll explain the details when everyone's gathered.』

"Will you be explaining it, Saeki-san?"

『No.』

After that short answer, he continued.

『Kujō-san will explain it himself.』

Kujō-san was bringing together just some of the participants to explain something himself.

No way was this regular training.

『I'll send the time and place later. If there's a reason you can't make it, let me know now.』

"No, I can make it."

『I see. Thanks. See you in three days.』

The call ended there.

I stared at my phone screen for a while, then looked at the 6000 on my wall and the half-eaten cake beneath it.

I was grateful for a chance to test Battle Armor Form.

It's just, I didn't remember asking for a situation where only a few participants got called in and Kujō-san himself had to explain why.

I let out a small sigh.