第１１１９堀：たたかう聖女様 (Part1)
Chapter 1119: The Fighting Saintess
Side: Yuki
"Yes, that’s much better. Keep it up. But you’re still too slow. Come now, let’s get serious."
Lurua said this with a smile brimming with benevolence, all while swinging her mace with a rhythmic *whoosh*, mercilessly carving away at the limbs of Kagura and the others.
The power behind those mace swings was bolstered by Lurua’s sheer level, but that wasn't all there was to it. She was timing her strikes for moments when Kagura and her companions couldn't easily evade them. Well, if they could remain calm and observe, they might be able to dodge, but Kagura and the others currently lacked that luxury.
"Haa... Lady Kagura and the others are truly pathetic," Kirika muttered, her eyes half-lidded as she sighed in disappointment.
"Don't be like that. They haven't really had the chance to undergo life-or-death training until now. They were somewhat serious during the Sea Dragon incident, but they haven't done much since then."
"Even that was just 'somewhat,' wasn't it? Calling it life-or-death feels like an exaggeration. Above all, Master, you were ensuring their safety, and Shi-chan didn't intend to go that far in a mere training exercise. Well, I suppose that is why this training is necessary... Still, that was brutal."
Where Kirika directed her gaze, Mikos had just had her leg taken out. Or rather, it was nearly a clean hit; more than half of her thigh had been sheared away, leaving it hanging by a mere scrap of skin and flesh.
Yet, perhaps it was a testament to her battlefield experience...
"Oh my, she didn't scream. She retreated and began healing herself. That’s right. Lady Mikos has the ability to use recovery magic, however rudimentary, so treating herself is the correct choice. If the other members had turned to heal her, Lady Lurua would have unleashed a relentless follow-up attack."
"Oh, they’re finally finding their rhythm."
Just as Kirika noted, not only Mikos but every member fighting there had become capable of using recovery magic. It was so they could heal themselves in an emergency. Perhaps they had finally remembered that, or perhaps they had finally realized that thinking seriously about the necessities of combat was the optimal solution.
"To think they only get serious after being pushed that far—what fools. Still, I never expected Lady Lurua to swing a mace like that. I was under the impression her main weapon was a staff."
"There's no mistake that her staff is her primary weapon. That said, she is a priestess. She can use a mace just as well. Besides, it seems the Saintess’s staff was also used as a bludgeoning weapon in the past. It’s particularly effective against the undead."
"I see. Indeed, an undead creature wouldn't be able to withstand being struck by a cleric’s staff. Even I would prefer not to receive such a blow. By the way, why is Lady Lurua acting as their training partner?"
"Lurua mentioned it yesterday, didn't she? She wanted to show the training to Show."
"Yes, she did. But was it necessary for her to fight them herself?"
"That’s likely just Lurua’s mood. Perhaps she wanted to test Kagura and the others' true strength for herself. Or maybe she wanted to test her own limits as well."
"Ah, now that you mention it, Lady Lurua’s work keeps her training time shorter than everyone else’s."
"She’s a medical professional, after all. She prioritizes treatment and medical studies over training."
Well, that’s only natural. The question is why a medical professional needs to fight on the front lines in the first place. Military medical teams do undergo some training to ensure they can fight if necessary, but for Lurua, that level of competence is all that’s required. If we’re talking about that, Kagura and the others are primarily diplomats, too. In a normal country, not being able to fight wouldn't be an issue, but unfortunately, our Weed is suffering from a severe shortage of personnel.
Furthermore, it’s not just about the country; I have personal work from that useless goddess, Luna, and my wives—Kagura and the others—have to help with that as well. They are undeniably incredibly busy, but since Lurua can manage to that degree, I’d like Kagura and the others to push themselves a little harder.
"However, considering her medical duties, her studies, her education, and her role as a liaison to her homeland, the Holy Nation of Lithea, Lady Lurua should be even busier than Lady Kagura and the others, yet she possesses that level of skill. Perhaps she acted as their training partner to demonstrate that very fact."
That’s possible. To show them that even she could reach this level. Though, in Lurua’s case, it feels more like an encouragement—a way of saying, "You can do it, too."
As I watched the battle while pondering this, Kagura and Mikos had already run out of breath and were beyond the point of thinking, but Stasia and Enola seemed to have some energy left and began dividing their roles into vanguard and rearguard.
"To be splitting into vanguard and rearguard only now... they really are idiots."
"Well, the members from the New Continent haven't had the time to practice coordination. Since they’ve been squeezing training into the gaps of their work, it’s quite a stretch to expect that much from them."
"Haa... considering those circumstances, we really must set aside a period of time for them to focus solely on training."
"Agreed. That’s something we need to put more effort into moving forward."
Exactly. As it stands, they can only handle things individually. Improvising coordination is impossible in their current state. Kagura and Mikos can coordinate to some extent, perhaps because they interacted during their student days, but their coordination with Enola and Stasia is... well, it’s regrettable.
And above all, the biggest problem is...
"Now then, here comes the big one."
*Zugon!*
As she said this, Lurua raised her mace high and slammed it into the ground with a shout. Instantly, rocks erupted from the earth, and the ground cracked and buckled, creating gaping pits. Unlike my traps, these were jagged and explosive, making them lethal and difficult to evade. To dodge them completely, one would have to escape into the sky, where the magic’s effect couldn't reach, or retreat quite a distance.
However, this was a training ground, and the area for escape was limited. And so...
"No way!?"
"Eek!? Above, above!"
Kagura and Mikos screamed in panic and, as expected, fled into the sky.
"Ugh, we’ve been played! Kagura, Mikos, defend yourselves!"
"Right! A follow-up is coming!"
Enola and Stasia realized they had been deliberately driven into the air and braced themselves in a defensive stance. Now, how would Lurua corner them from here? And how would Kagura and the others endure it?
"Yes. Exactly."
Lurua replied with a smile, and this time, a violent gust of wind slammed down from the sky toward the ground.
Ah, a downburst. In the modern world, it’s said to be a cause of airplane crashes. Simply put, it’s a super-gale. If they took that head-on...
"What!? I-I'm being pushed back!?"
"Wait, what is this!?"
"It's... heavy!?"
"Ugh!"
For the four who were in a defensive stance in mid-air, this downburst severely restricted their movement. They had been hit by a massive volume of high-speed wind against the barriers they had deployed for defense. It was a gust strong enough to down an airplane. Trying to hold their ground was like trying to open an umbrella in the middle of a typhoon. Naturally, the result was...
"No way—!?"
"Eek—!?"
"I-I can't stay still in the air..."
"At this rate, we're going to hit the ground..."