Chapter 170: In the Palm of the Hand

―― Gohah~! How how hoooow!? I can't catch you, big brother!?

The tag training eventually got to the point where I couldn't even be caught by Karui, who was much faster than me.

Karui was also a resident of the world of light speed and divine speed, so her dynamic vision was quite good.

That's why she was at the mercy of my Earth Misdirection Shuffle.

Well, there was also the fact that Karui hadn't yet learned how to use and control her body against her own overly fast feet, but I've now been able to prove that this special move is effective.

"Fu~ ...... annoying ...... little ...... brat..."

While grudgingly glaring at me, Jamdi'el's reactions and rhythms are becoming more and more erratic.

On the contrary, because she can react to all my movements instinctively, her brain and body are confused.

Most people focus on one thing and the others are neglected.

But I've been doing this sort of thing for five months now.

―― Good, as you get accustomed, the difficulty shall gradually increase. From now on, I will instruct on the steps to be performed from the outside. Of course, that is not all. Steps and ...... magical attributes will also be indicated. While taking the steps I have instructed, you will simultaneously activate the magic of the indicated attribute from now on.

From the day I first received Tre'ainar's guidance... yes, it all started with that ladder training.

When I was still in the Imperial City, when I was taught the ladder for the first time in the garden of the mansion, this was the guidance that increased the level of difficulty.

―― Step while doing something else. Magic while doing other things. That is, performing separate tasks simultaneously uses a considerable nerve, and confuses the reaction. An untrained person will always be biased towards one or the other.

Yes, from that moment on, I was trained to be able to do this.

Use magic while taking steps.

Do one thing while doing another.

That's what I'm doing now, feinting with my fists, feinting with my steps, feinting with my gaze, all at the same time.

Training that doesn't confuse my brain and body is what earned me this technique.

Well, when I first came to Cacretale, I hadn't imagined the Earth Misdirection Shuffle when I was developing my special moves.

I just...

―― Long-range fist attack... the shock wave has become quite sharp, child. At this rate, you will be able to refine this even further...

―― Hey, Tre'ainar... actually, I... another one ... I have something I want to learn.

When I was having Tre'ainar accompany me through the special move training, I still only had a vague idea at that time.

―― What? Another one? What in the world would that be?

――...... Footwork.

In addition to an offensive special move, I wanted a special move for my footwork.

―― Hoh~. Tis surprising. At your age, I would have thought you would only seek offensive techniques.

―― It's just, there are a lot of things... that...... yeah, well...

―― ts!? Oh, ah, u, umm, is that not sufficient? Footwork. U, ummm! Well then, hmm, all right!

I'm pretty sure he read my mind at that moment.

I didn't say it out loud, but why did I want a footwork special move?

Because footwork is where it all began. The starting point for me and Tre'ainar.

It's the first thing he's ever taught me, and I want this to be second to none... what I could never say no matter what, could he have read it at that time?

But now, I can say it clearly.

I'm not embarrassed. I'm proud.

"[Great Demon Sonic Flicker]!"

"Ugh... nuh..."

"[Great Demon Sonic Rush]!!"

All of Jamdi'el, who can anticipate the movement of people, is behind.

I can keep pushing...

『Well... this is...... the point.』

Then, Tre'ainar murmurs a calm word.

I seems, I can keep pushing... there is no way.

"H, hold on... it's time?! Right, [Mega Barrier]!!"

"Ah..."

She can't catch me, she can't step in and attack me, she's at the mercy of my every move.

The means that Jamdi'el took is to put up a round shield that covers her with magical power to block all attacks.

Originally, for Jamdi'el, who was able to put up the barrier which covered the entirety of Cacretale, it would have been possible to use this kind of magic.

"Fuh~... let's calm down a little... Earth Lagann"

"Heh, what is this? The Great Demon King wouldn't accept such a turn around, war maiden too late to wed... Hmm? Or is this maiden too far in age?"

"Aaaaann?? ...... keen wretch, I won't lose my temper and fall for thy tricks."

...... tch..."

"The man who defeated Machio by making full use of the Great Demon Spiral, Breakthrough, and Magical Breathing... my evaluation of thee stopped there, and as a result, thy power ...... nay, I misjudged thy techniques and strategies. I'll admit that."

She won't let me provoke her and disrupt her composure again... that said, if it comes to this point that's not going to work indefinitely.

The opponent is a battle-hardened Six Supremacy.

The furious expression on her face seemed to have been subdued a bit, and she looked at me as if she were carefully observing me with her Heraldic eye.

"But intently... a different battle style from both Hiro and Mamu... I didn't try to look beyond the power of the Great Demon, but... although late, he's still a mysterious man."

『She is stalling. Jamdi'el has come to this point and cannot measure your existence. She should have ascertained everything about you from your life and the previous tournaments, but you came here and exceeded all her expectations. She is trying to buy time to calm herself and devise a way to deal with you.』

Tre'ainar whispers to me, looking as calm as ever.

Yes, everything is happening like that...

"But... once I settle down without falling to the provocation... I can also see thy aim. Then, the flow of the battle so far makes sense."

『And Jamdi'el giggles... releases the Heraldic eye and Breakthrough... now that she has calmed down, Jamdi'el realizes how much magic power she has left.』

"I don't know who told thee... but the combination of the Heraldic eye and breakthrough consumes tremendous magick power... even if I can copy all sorts of magick, I can't use Magical Breathing, which is also a physical technique. In other words, is that thy aim?"

『Jamdi'el is also aware. Jamdi'el's greatest weakness ... that is...... she is weak in battles of endurance.』

"If I use the Heraldic eye and Breakthrough... I'd be vulnerable in long warfare... thou tried to exploit that weakness, didn't thee?"

『On the battlefield, leading 100,000 soldiers, she also held the position of General, so she did not use her Heraldic eye and Breakthrough indiscriminately...』

"It's been a long time since I was in an actual fight, and I was furious with this cheeky lad... I almost fell for thy tricks and mockery... now, what happens if I release it like this?"

『Preservation of magical power. This will prevent the worst case scenario in which it is impossible to defend the child's Great Magic Spiral and so on due to lack of magic power.』

Gloating, Jamdi'el returned to normal mode by deactivating her Heraldic eye and Breakthrough.

But, naturally, that's still more than enough to handle me...

"Tch..."

I click my tongue, regretting that the strategy has been discovered... I did my "acting".

『Child ...... tis time to finish up.』

Yes, this is all according to the Tre'ainar's scenario.

If I got this far, on the contrary, I'm not scared.

"Well, even though I lifted Heraldic eye and breakthrough, I also consumed a considerable amount of magick, so I don't want to use magick in vain any more ... and to capture thee without killing thee."

『There is only martial arts.』

"There is only martial arts... it will be troubling to get past thy misdirection... let alone thy fists, which my normal eyes can't see through... but..."

And then Jamdi'el giggles again and realizes something."

Of course, this is also ...

"Thy Great Demon Earth Misdirection Shuffle... has a fatal weakness!"

『And at the same time... she also notices your weaknesses, which are not weaknesses at all. Should Jamdi'el exploit that, do not hesitate. I shall give signs and instructions. So..... carry out the final strategy.』

That being said, I also grasp "something".

Jamdi'el, who has deactivated the Heraldic eye, is unaware of this.

Yes, everything is in the palm of the Great Demon King's hand.

Whose watching Netflix's Cowboy Bebop this weekend? If you've got time have a look at my reaction to the Original Anime series! Also any requests for anime to react to?