Chapter-11 · EP-184
Episode 184: Firebird Splash
"I didn't think you would let me in, even though it's past the allowed time."
The academy's dungeon entrance had a gate to check who was entering, and they confirmed who was currently inside the dungeon. If a student remained inside after the after-school exploration hours ended at 7:00 PM, a teacher had to go and search for them.
Basically, that never happened, but occasionally some students forgot the time and continued exploring, and they would be severely scolded. In any case, the rule was that after school, students could only enter the dungeon until 7:00 PM.
Hikaru had been exploring with Shirou and the others until just before, and by the time she reported to Kazuma about obtaining the Skill Orbs, it was already past 7:00 PM. So she had thought she couldn't explore anymore today, but Kazuma went to ask a teacher for permission and obtained approval for exploration right away.
"If you always act like an honor student, the academy will bend the rules a little for you."
Kazuma laughed as he said that. Hikaru, feeling as if her brother was taking her out late, followed him excitedly.
That said, the place they were heading was one she had visited many times before.
Arriving at the dungeon entrance with Kazuma, Hikaru composed her excited feelings.
"Now, even without entering the first floor, we can use magic skills right here in this entrance hall. Let's practice here."
"Yes!"
Hikaru answered energetically. Hearing her voice, Kazuma also smiled.
"Then I'll demonstrate, so try to imitate me. They say imagery is important for magic skills. First, imagine a fireball about the size of a baseball floating above your palm."
Kazuma turned his right palm upward and, as he spoke, created a fireball above it. Hikaru watched with serious eyes.
"Next, shoot this fireball forward. I shoot it quickly, imagining a bullet being fired, but some people find it easier to imagine throwing a ball. Accuracy is more important than speed. Watch."
Saying that, Kazuma looked at the dungeon rock wall and quickly shot a fireball. It flew straight and struck the rock wall with a Thud!, scorching it black.
"Now, Hikaru, try creating a fireball first."
"Yes!"
Hikaru imitated Kazuma, turning her palm upward, and created a fireball above it, just like the one he had made.
"Excellent for a first try! Keeping the round shape is difficult, but yours is perfect. Now, try shooting it at the wall I hit."
"Yes, I'll try!"
Hikaru, looking a bit happy at being praised by her brother, shot the fireball at the rock wall as instructed. It might have been a little slower than Kazuma's, but it hit the same spot he had scorched black, with a Thud!.
"I did it! Brother, did you see?!"
Hikaru, slightly excited, asked her brother to evaluate her first attempt at magic. There, she saw Kazuma's surprised face.
"Excellent… perfect. Is this really your first time using magic?"
"Of course. I wanted my brother to be the one to teach me my first… Ah!"
"What's wrong?"
Hikaru remembered and confessed, a little embarrassed.
"This is my first time using a fireball, but I have used mana conduction, which Murasakimura-san taught me. So it wasn't my first time using magic itself."
Hikaru worried that Kazuma might be displeased that it wasn't her first time using magic, and she watched his expression. But Kazuma's expression changed for a different reason.
"Mana conduction?"
"Yes?"
"You can use mana conduction?"
"Yes…"
Not fully understanding why Kazuma emphasized this, Hikaru answered his question.
"I learned to use mana conduction only after my skill level reached 2… Hikaru, could you show me?"
"Of course. If there's anything wrong with my technique, please correct me!"
Hikaru raised Benikiri. Eager to show off to her brother, she channeled magic into the sword. The entire blade began to glow brightly. Hikaru herself, a bit confused by the bright red glow of Benikiri, quickly swung it to demonstrate.
"How was that, brother?"
She immediately turned around and asked for his evaluation. Kazuma, who had been wearing a serious expression, relaxed his face and answered.
"Wonderful! It's perfect, Hikaru. You just obtained the Skill Orb today, so your skill level is still 1, right?"
"Yes, that's right."
"When I was skill level 1, my sword only produced flames and was completely unusable. You are far better at mana manipulation than me. I have nothing more to teach you about mana conduction. I'm also grateful to Murasakimura, who taught you this."
"Th-that's not true. I remember the mana conduction you showed me before, brother, and I used your technique as a reference too!"
"Hehe. I see. Thank you."
Stunned by his sister's talent yet unable to suppress his desire to remain an excellent older brother, Kazuma decided to teach Hikaru another technique.
"Hikaru. You have mastered both the basics of Fire Magic—the fireball—and its application to swordsmanship, mana conduction. So, finally, let me show you my original magic."
"Original magic?"
Hikaru's eyes sparkled at those words.
"Yes. Magic can be used freely with application. But it requires a high level of mana manipulation and is very difficult."
"Yes."
Hikaru listened intently to her brother's explanation.
"My applied technique: since a single fireball can only attack one monster, I wondered if there wasn't a good way to attack all enemies at once."
Hearing that, Hikaru immediately understood the weakness of the fireball. It could only attack one target at a time. But monsters don't always appear alone. When facing multiple monsters, while you attack one, the others close the distance. So Kazuma must have developed a magic that could attack multiple monsters simultaneously.
"Do you create multiple fireballs?"
"No, doing that makes it hard to control each one. So I came up with this technique. It's my trump card; it consumes a lot of mana and I can't use it many times a day, so watch carefully."
"Yes!"
"It's dangerous, so step back a bit and watch."
"Yes!"
Hikaru stepped back and watched Kazuma's figure. Confirming she was behind him, Kazuma raised both hands. Then, above his head, he created a large flame. That flame spread left and right. The huge flame, extending about four or five meters to either side, transformed into the shape of a giant bird with its wings spread. Hikaru watched the scene, amazed.
"Amazing, brother! The flame looks like a bird!"
Hearing his sister's voice, Kazuma thrust both hands forward. In time with his movement, the giant firebird above his head flew toward the dungeon rock wall. Boom! The firebird crashed into the wall with a loud sound. After hitting the wall and disappearing, small flames remained burning on the impact site.
"How was that?"
Kazuma turned around. Hikaru was looking at him with a surprised expression.
"This is my original magic, Firebird."
"Amazing! As expected of my brother!"
Hikaru answered excitedly. Kazuma, satisfied that he had maintained his "amazing brother" image in her eyes, smiled.
"It's rare to see you so excited. Hehe."
Then Hikaru made a surprising statement.
"I'll try it too!"
"Hahaha. This requires even more difficult mana manipulation than mana conduction. I only became able to use it when my Fire Magic skill reached level 3. Someday, when you raise your skill level, Hikaru…"
Kazuma stopped mid-sentence.
Because above Hikaru's raised hand, a small firebird was flying, flapping its wings.
Looking at the firebird floating above her own head, Hikaru murmured.
"You're right, brother. It didn't become a big firebird like yours."
Saying that, she flew the small firebird around in circles. It was as if a real bird was flying.
"D-do you control it exactly as you imagine?"
"Of course. It seems I can fly it just as I imagine. Ah, I know!"
Hikaru had an idea.
"If I can't make a big bird, what if I make many?"
Muttering that, Hikaru created new firebirds one after another from her palm and flew them in sequence. When she made as many as she could, it came to eight. After creating the eighth, she looked up at the randomly flying birds and asked Kazuma.
"Brother, what do you think?"
Kazuma, having been unable to process the scene he was witnessing, finally snapped back to attention.
"Amazing… Ah, it's amazing… Are you giving each bird a different movement? They move as if each has its own will."
"Yes. I move them with the image of how a bird might fly. Now, I'll shoot them at the target."
Hikaru answered, then turned back toward the wall and shot the eight small firebirds at the same wall Kazuma's firebird had struck. The firebirds, flying randomly, burst against the wall in succession. Like birds diving into water sending up spray, they scattered flames upon impact.
After confirming all the firebirds had hit, Hikaru turned to Kazuma and asked.
"How was that, brother? They're still small birds now, but can I become like you someday?"
Hearing those words, Kazuma thought about how to express his sister's talent and ability.
Then he slowly spoke.
"…Hikaru. That is already your own completed original magic. Unlike my rough firebird, your small firebirds, each flying in complex patterns, are far more precise than mine. And monsters would have a harder time dodging them. Yes… perhaps you could call it 'Firebird Splash'?"
"Firebird Splash… my original magic…"
Praised by Kazuma and even given a name by him, Hikaru felt truly happy.
"Thank you, brother! I'm glad I asked you to teach me!"
Watching his sister, who was overjoyed and acting excited, Kazuma remembered that it had been a long time since he'd seen her smile so genuinely.
This concludes Chapter 11.
Thank you for following Shirou's growth so far.
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