Variation Development

A few days until the tournament.

Rokuko and I were still going to the rocky area alone, claiming that we were doing secret training.

Well, we actually were doing secret training, so it's wasn't wrong. But we weren't doing anything bad.

"[Elemental Shot]!"

Pichuun! A hole the size of a marble opened up in the rock.

This [Elemental Shot] was a variation of [Elemental Burst] that narrowed the attack range.

The way it had been, the enemy would have died. That wasn't be good for a tournament.

So I forcefully used my imagination to narrow the attack range. It used more mana, but I was able to use the mana to adjust the power… So even though I lowered the power, I kept the mana around the same if not increased just a bit.

"As long as I don't hit a vital spot, they won't die."

"Probably."

Luckily, this was a world where healing magic existed, so even though it might seem like they'd bleed out from having a marble-sized hole, it wouldn't be a problem.

They'd still die if I hit a vital spot, but that was unavoidable. I'd just do my best to avoid that.

Moreover, [Elemental Shot] was Rokuko's idea. "It's better if you don't kill them, right?" was her very reasonable opinion, so she customized it so that I could use it without worrying about it being too evil.

It seemed like it turned out even more evil to me, but that's probably just my imagination. I could even fire it like a gatling gun.

"I wonder if [Elemental Flash] will be more useful? Hurry up and learn it."

"I understand the theory, but it's hard to think about it theoretically. It's only useful for killing things right now."

[Elemental Flash] was to be a ranged attack that fired [Elemental Burst] around the user for a moment. This was also Rokuko's idea.

[Elemental Burst] wasn't so easily controllable because it was a magic that made mana go berserk. It was difficult to control the power so precisely, so I was having trouble reproducing Rokuko's theory in its current form.

It was no different from indiscriminately firing [Elemental Burst] in all directions. It was just a magic for killing everything around me.

For the time being, I was aiming to create a cube around me, starting with one face of the cube at a time. If I could do one face, then I could just expand it to the other five faces in front, back, left, right, and up. The bottom was the ground, so I'd ignore that… Well, I could probably still call it [Elemental Flash] even with just one face.

By the way, this [Elemental Shot] was something that Rokuko had just gotten from a gacha, so I was going to use it in the tournament.

… Winning carelessly might cause me some trouble later on, but winning this tournament was the most legitimate way to get my hands on [Divine Pajamas]. The second best way would be to get them from whoever else won.

"Alright, then let's end today's secret training here."

"Okay!"

Rokuko clung to my arm as she said that.

… Since coming to the Demonlands, our relationship has gotten a lot closer… What? Are you letting loose on this trip? I'm going to get killed when I get back home, aren't I?

"Kehma, let's sleep together again today okay?"

"Your wording feels off… but sure, lay out the bed."

"Okay!"

Rokuko spread out the bed on the rock that was like a table. She said that we'd sleep together, but it wasn't for anything bad. This was so that I could use [Stone Pile] to produce orichalcum grains and faint.

If anything, this was a form of special training to increase my maximum mana. Using up all of your mana and then recovering it would make you stronger bit by bit.

However, sleeping outside where monsters could appear—let alone while outside town—was far too unprotected, so we'd be using Rokuko's [Divine Comforter].

As long as we were covered up by it, we could rest assured that we wouldn't be attacked by monsters in the first place.

"Come on in, Kehma."

"…"

Rokuko was sitting on the bed and wearing the [Divine Comforter] like a poncho with her arms spread wide to beckon me in.

… In order to use the [Divine Comforter] together with Rokuko, it's owner, this was what had to happen.

We wouldn't be able to stop Rokuko getting attacked while I was borrowing it if it were just me using it, so we naturally had to use the [Divine Comforter] together.

There's nothing inappropriate about it. There isn't….

"It's alright. This is Aidi's territory and it's just you and me here."

"Y-Yeah…"

Unable to refuse Rokuko's invitation, I was hugged tightly by Rokuko who was wearing the [Divine Comforter].

The sense of security that comes with using the [Divine Comforter] along with being unable to refuse Rokuko's invitation… the [Divine Comforter] is just too comfortable. Even if I were right next to scorching magma, once I was wrapped up in it, it would keep me at the proper temperature. It's just too comfortable.

Anyways, I'm going to faint and fall asleep. Ei! [Stone Pile (Orichalcum Grain)]—-gufu.

 

＊ ＊ ＊

 

When I next woke up, it was evening.

Thanks to the effect of the [Divine Comforter], my mana had fully recovered. However, the inside of the blanket was so comfortable that I didn't want to leave… it was like being inder a kotatsu in the winter.

As for Rokuko… oh, she was drooling. I cast a quick [Purify].

"Goshujin-sama, how're ya feelin'—?"

And then Ichika was looking down at us as she came to greet us.

"Nnn. Wait, Ichika… are you done with the rat race thing?"

"It's all set."

It seemed like all she had left to do was watch over its operation while were were here, meaning that she'd be free to do whatever she wanted for the most part.

"But man… sleeping in the same blanket cuddlin' like that. How passionate."

"Aah… well, we didn't do anything inappropriate, but definitely keep it a secret from Haku."

"Yeah yeah, Rokuko-sama—, wake up, it's time for dinner—"

I crawled out of the blanket. Ichika was likely poking Rokuko's cheek to wake her up.

"Nn… what's for dinner…?"

"Meat udon."

"Again? I want to eat something else for a change… I can't just eat meat all the time… Nnn, hah, let's go back, Kehma."

Rokuko stretched and put the [Divine Comforter] away in her [Storage].

"Hey, can I come to your special training tomorrow, Goshujin-sama?"

"Ah, uhh, sure. It's about time I started practicing my fighting skills for the tournament… I even got a new skill, but it's mainly just good for killing people."

Wait, that technique has too much power to be used in a mock battle with my friends. Even with recovery magic, it wouldn't be good to pierce their limbs or kill them if things went poorly.

… Well, I'll make the clothes golem learn martial arts for fighting people in the arena.

For now, I guess that's about it for preparing for the tournament.