The Wrong Way to Use Healing Magic

"---You've got a lot of hubris."

Now the game between me and Meena begins. The two older students who were fighting in front of me now shook hands in praise of each other. I can say that it was a battle worth praising each other for, and I myself have dreamed of fighting someone with such ordinary magic many times.

It was a dream that never came true, but in spite of the fact that I have a different form of magic, a form of healing magic, I am able to be here.

Looking around a little, I see Usato-san in his white trousers standing out amongst the black robed students.

"No matter how hard I try, I can't change. The fact that my uncles abandoned me, the fact that I was separated from my beloved sister, and the fact that there is still a world of difference between you and me in magic is a fact that I can't control.

Yes, I had a sister.

A sister who was separated from me because of a stupid family rule.

I'm sure she's living happily ever after, surrounded by the smiling faces of her parents. I don't envy her, after all, she was my only sister, the only one I considered family until the end. I wonder what she knows about me. ...... I bet she's just telling herself that she's doing her best alone in a faraway place or something convenient. I don't know why they are so desperate to hide my existence, but it doesn't matter now.

"Meena, I don't care anymore. I don't care about returning to the nobility, I don't care about getting back at you, I don't care about ......"

"You would voluntarily give up your position as a nobleman? You could still start over here, but you would foolishly abandon this proud name of nobility? Nac ...... Nac Argalles."

"Don't say funny things. I've already been abandoned by my ...... uncles, as you call them. I've been a stranger to those idiots since they put me in here."

"...... then why are you standing in front of me? You know my magic painfully well, but let me tell you, ...... I've been taking it easy on you, haven't I? You're not so stupid that you don't know that, are you?"

I'm sure you're right.

She's happy to hurt people, but she's not going to hit them with a real burst of magic. She only casts her magic in a way that causes maximum pain. That's what she's been doing to me.

Her reaction is so predictable that I can't help but smile.

"Are you crazy?"

"---I really didn't have to keep my promise to you. After all, you showed me the way ...... but not with me now. I admired that impossibly big back of yours, and I'm ashamed to admit that I want to be on the same side as that man. I'm not crazy, meena, I've finally found it. I finally found something worth risking my life for: ......"

Before I met Usato, I had nothing.

I was just trying desperately not to get kicked out of the place I was in, trying desperately to live the day. I was living empty days with no future, and he showed me the way ...... to hope.

No matter what kind of abuse and discipline I receive, I will never change my gratitude. Someday, I hope to grow up to be a strong healing magician like Usato, and to be able to stand shoulder to shoulder with him in the lifeguard corps.

"Are you talking about that monstrous man who wears the skin of a healing wizard? It's insane to think I want to be on the same side as that thing. I'm sad that you want to be a different creature.

"He certainly has the strength of a monster, I'll give him that. But whatever strength he has is only violence if the person who uses it is helpless. Just like the bursting magic you're dealing with."

"Heh, ......."

She lifts the corners of her eyes.

But after the three days I've been in the city, that kind of anger is nothing to me.

"I'm going to beat you, Meena, and say goodbye to the man I've become and get out of the cage that is Lucvis. ......"

It's still a little ways down the road, but after this mock battle is over and I've finished my preparations, I'll leave Luxvis and go to the Kingdom of Lingle. I have little reason to stay here and no ...... friends. But ...... I don't know if they are friends or not, but I think it will be really hard for me to leave Kiriha and the others.

It's hard to know that I can't repay them for all the things they did for me, even though they welcomed me awkwardly, as someone who should be hated.

My words must have been a shock to her, because her eyes widened and her expression changed from one of mockery to one of narrowing and swallowing, and she glared at me.

"...... leave here? Without my permission? ...... funny joke, Nack. That's exactly what you call hubris at its finest, isn't it? I was going to let it hurt a little, but then I changed my mind ....... Fortunately, my uncles have given me the word that I'm free to go."

I can point fingers.

"I will keep you as my slave for the rest of your life after you cry and beg for forgiveness and turn me into a rag. Wouldn't that be an honor?"

"You're a selfish guy ......, or have you always been a selfish guy ......?"

If this discussion would have helped, we wouldn't be in this situation in the first place. I don't want to be Meena's slave for the rest of my life, and I don't want to be stuck here forever. Once again, I exhale and concentrate.

As if in response to my half-step forward, Meena holds up a large silver and white shield and begins to release magic into her hand.

I am no longer afraid of you.

"Go ahead and say it. "Say it, my sweet, poor little outcast."

There's nothing to say.

It's time to show Usato what I've learned in the past five days.

Standing in the center of the training ground, where a strange silence reigned, I looked at Meena and kicked the ground as hard as I could as soon as she released her magic.

A scarlet sphere is generated from Meena's palm.

magic. It is a rare type of fire magic, characterized by an instantaneous explosion of heated air that burns and blows away the target. It is not a good match for me, since I have only physical means of attack.

Moreover, Mina has a shield.

This is quite troublesome. Perhaps that shield is not meant to defend against my attacks. It's more likely to protect me from my own bursting magic. By having enough defense to withstand magic, she makes up for her weakness of self-destruction by bursting magic.

With that in mind, I kick the ground again and jump to the side.

"......"

A few moments later, a burst magic bullet lands on the ground where I had just been, causing a small explosion. Observing the power of the explosion, I turn to Mina and see her looking at me with a startled expression.

"You ......"

"I wasn't playing around either! Come on!

"Don't lick me ......!"

The magic bullets that followed were generated and released.

Meena is right, the power of the magic bullet is much stronger than the one that hit me. I'm not happy at all, but it seems that Meena was really holding back when she was < with me.

But she is by far the slowest.

Less than half of the magic bullets that Usato throws. To tell the truth, it's funny to quote her, but I can't help but think like this.

"Too slow ......!"

He runs from one end of the training ground to the other, anticipating and avoiding the approaching magic bullets by twisting his body as soon as he comes to a stop.

Seeing an opportunity to stop, he dodges a magic bullet by crouching down---and at the same time, he picks up a pebble near his feet.

He throws the pebble he just picked up at the magic bullet that was sent toward his feet, which he was about to blast without a moment's delay, explodes before it hits the ground, and he leaps backward to land in time with the blast.

"I got the result, indeed. ...... Usato-san."

Even as he brushes off the dust, he realizes his power.

I am not conceited. I am not, but I am filled with gratitude.

I thought it was magic I couldn't use, magic that wouldn't benefit anyone, so I couldn't be happier to have it be a part of my power in this way. ......

"Wow!

Even while I was shaking with emotion, Mina's magic bullets were flying.

I can tell how angry she is at my words earlier when she shoots at me despite the poor visibility caused by the dust cloud in the aftermath of her magic bullets. ......

On the other hand, this is an opportunity.

The fact that I'm shooting magic bullets at them without even trying to guess means that Mina hasn't seen me. I can say that I know the position of Meena who is shooting magic bullets at me.

That's why!

A direct hit from a burst of magic could knock me out with a single blow if I am not durable. But unless I get close to her, I'll never be able to defeat her.

That's why I'm going.

I thrust my right palm into the ground, and put all my strength into my legs.

Let's go! Me!"

He inspires himself to run, kicking the ground as hard as he can with his eyes fixed on Mina, who is probably at the end of the cloud of sand.

It's suicide to run into the magic bullets that keep being fired, but right now Mina is just shooting wildly in the direction where I'm supposed to be. If I keep going like this, I might collide with one of the magic bullets, but I didn't start running without thinking .......

"Oh ......!"

I jumped up half as high as a person and broke through the wall of dust and smoke, and leaped out in front of Meena's eyes.

"...... what?"

"Eat me!"

The momentum never stops.

He charges at Meena as if he were falling at an angle, and then, with a dumb look on his face, he steps out with his right leg like a flying kick toward her.

"What? Fei ......!"

Quickly, she thrust the tip of her shield into the ground and hid behind it to catch our kick--- but that level of shield cannot protect me from my, my five days of effort!

A steel plate can't stop my kick!

"No, no, no! ...... Kyah!"

Using the twist of his body, he twists in another kick and kicks her with his shield, which he thrusts into the ground.

She is blown away and falls down to the ground, and I brush the dust from her clothes while landing on the ground without taking my eyes off of her.

"I won't give in to you anymore! Meena Riassia! I will sever my ties with you here and now!"

This is my power.

This is the power of you, that man you made fun of, and me!

He shouts to her as she gets up, propping up the shield against which he has jabbed his finger. She is bleeding from the edge of her mouth, as if she had cut herself when she was knocked to the ground, but otherwise appears uninjured thanks to the shield. However, the shield she used for protection is nicely dented in the middle, and a small crack-like thing is spreading from that part.

But still Meena stands up.

"Ha! Great ......, I'm going to make you regret making me take you seriously ......!"

She stood up with her shield, which had a beautiful dent in the middle, as a support and wiped her mouth roughly, then glared at us with bloodshot eyes. Her eyes are intense, with a hint of murder mixed with anger, and I take a stance without fear.

From here on, it's a fight to the death with the girl I don't know...

"He's getting stronger, isn't he?

The senior member, who had been watching the attack and defense between Nack and Meena, muttered with deep emotion.

Looking around, everyone, including the supposed teacher, keeps his or her mouth shut.

Of course, I had trained him with as much Rose discipline as I could reproduce. It makes me a little proud to see my apprentice grow.

"He has become stronger because of his training. But it's his strength that has allowed him to go through the rigorous training to the end."

It was a painful experience for me, and I was very hurt myself.

But Nack did a great job. It was only five days of training, but the last three days were the most intense I had ever planned to do.

I look at Nack now, running around the training ground, dodging magic bullets, and cross my arms.

"I heard from my senpai that it was only five days of training, but ...... it's amazing. From the look of that blow she just landed, I'd say that girl Meena would fall over if she got one good hit.

"No, I should have made up my mind earlier."

What? Why?

Kazuki turns around in surprise.

Without looking away from the fight between Nack and Mina, I share my analysis.

"The fact that this Meena girl reacts faster than expected is one thing, but honestly speaking, Nack's only advantage is his legs. Unlike me, her arm strength is below average, so I think it's safe to say that the kick she just landed is the best Nack can do at the moment.

But that shield is hard despite its appearance. I think it weighs a certain amount, so it might even exceed Nack's in terms of arm strength.

It hurts that he couldn't break the shield. ....... Maybe meena is not stupid and there will be no next time, Nack.

"Well, the rest is true. Knack is not so durable... If we are not good enough, we might be sunk by a single blow. Well, I can't beat him up to build up his endurance.

"If you hit me, Nack will die!

"Ha ha ha ...... ha ha ha!"

I don't know, I hit him once or twice yesterday to intercept him.

But I cast a healing spell on him, so he's safe. Nack himself woke up with a calm look on his face.

He is upset inside, but doesn't show it. If people knew about this, they would definitely be shocked. ......

"Don't lie. Usato, don't lie. You should tell the truth and be pulled in."

This little fox .......

He smiles and holds up his finger so that the seniors can't see it. Amako, who had been hiding behind my body, turns pale and quickly puts her hand on her forehead and hides her face with my uniform, which I have pulled on.

It's going to stretch. .......

I let out a sigh when Amako hides her head with her bandage like a turban.

"Hah ...... well, if it's durability, meena is the same. If either one of them gets a good blow, the game is over. And Meena, who is fighting against Nack, is showing her fighting spirit even though she is taking Nack's blow head-on, so it is obvious that she is not just a bully either. My guess is that once you give her a good blow, she'll be too scared to move."

"Meena is a pretty good one for a kid her age. She is a bit overconfident, but she is a wizard who understands the characteristics of her magic and prefers to fight defensively with her shield and magic as her main tools. I wonder why she is afraid of me with such ability. ...... I have no end of questions."

Mr. Halfa...... says that your way of fighting is the natural enemy of wizards and that it is natural for them to be afraid of you because your way of fighting itself is dangerous. .......

But a wizard with magic and a shield.

That's a problem. Breaking his shield would give him an advantage in a fight, but Nack doesn't have much in the way of shield-breaking.

"---But Nack is an evasive wizard. He may have lost some battles, but he has also won some. In fact, the training we've given him in the last three days is like a countermeasure against a wizard who uses magic bullets a lot."

Finding a way beyond evasion, he physically overpowers the wizard.

It is an improved version of Rose's sandbag training, or should I dare call it Usato's shooting training. The new technique, evasion training with healing magic bullets, has trained Nack's evasion ability against attacks with a long and medium range reach, so it is safe to say that ordinary magic bullets will have no effect on him.

However, since it is only magic bullets that are ineffective, the secondary effects cannot be prevented, which is one of the weak points of this training.

"Be on your guard. No matter how strong you get, your weak point is that you're not very good at getting hit. If you get hit by it, it will be ...... tougher."

Healing magic can heal wounds, but it cannot erase pain.

You're not as hard-hitting as I am. You should be aware that even the slightest error of judgment can be fatal.

You're fast!

A burning-colored magic bullet flies toward you.

We avoid them without stopping and look for an opportunity to attack. However, the density of the magic projectile is clearly different from the previous one, perhaps to prevent the surprise attack from the dust cloud. Perhaps because of this, the bursts are smaller and more concentrated, making them more troublesome, instead of exploding in a wide area as soon as they land.

"Gah! ...... can't we just lose it all? ......!"

Hot winds generated by the magic bursting behind them were blown in as if to scorch their backs. Even the secondary power is enhanced from the previous one. ....... The injuries are not as bad as I thought they would be, but the pain is still gnawing at my psyche, with or without the healing magic.

"I envy you for being able to keep shooting like such an idiot. ......!"

"It's a natural talent, isn't it? I'm a genius!

I guess the words of a young lady who is clearly one of the best in her age group are different.

She's confident. A brilliant woman who was born to be superior to others, never imagining that she could lose.

I, on the other hand, am a dropout who was abandoned by my family.

I have no magic powers and bad eyesight. But there are things I can do.

Let's go!

I will keep running until I run out of magic power with these legs that have been trained to the point of stupidity.

I try to approach Meena, who is holding a shield, while dodging magic bullets. As a matter of course, Meena shoots magic bullets at me, but from my point of view, which is accustomed to the speed of Usato's healing magic bullets, the power of the bullets is only a threat to me.

I run in a zigzag pattern as if kicking the ground, and close in on her at once.

"Beyond the range of ......!"

Burst magic cannot be used in close proximity because it engulfs the user, Mina herself. When I exploit this weakness and get her in front of me, I know I will win.

A single blow--even a kick--could easily cripple the slender Meena. I leap toward her unprotected right side as she hides behind her shield. He had anticipated that she would block his vision and defend herself, so he decided to take advantage of the moment to make his move.

"I got it..."

With conviction, I kicked ---- and at that moment, I saw Mina smiling through the gap between her arms that held her shield in place. No, she's not just laughing, she's looking at me,......! He looks at me as if he knew what I was going to do.

I felt a chill like I've never felt before and tried to suppress the kick I was about to deliver, but the next moment I took my mind off of her...and then...bang...my unprotected head was hit.

"But ......!"

For a moment, his vision goes dark and he almost falls over, but he grits his teeth and holds on desperately.

d*mn, what did they do to you? I held my aching head down with my hand and stared at Meena... but what I saw was a wall of silver and white rushing toward me at a tremendous speed.

"d*mn ......!

He was able to react to the thing that came at him head-on, but his body did not move against his reaction. Unprotected, he is hit by Meena's shield and rolls on the ground, writhing in pain.

"You really are an idiot, aren't you? ......

She is holding up her shield and smiling, looking down at us as she writhes in pain.

The shield, did she swing it and hit me before I could kick it ......? And then, when I was frightened, he lunged at me with his shield?

"A shield is not just a means of defense. At least for me. ...... Well, this kind of thing only works the first time, but it's a great way to trick them."

"But ...... ha......."

She looked down at us with a relaxed movement as she lightly lifted her shield.

Blood drips down her brow from a cut on her forehead. I try to use my healing magic, but my vision wobbles from the blow to my head and I can't concentrate properly. If I can't concentrate, the effect of the healing magic is less than half---I can't heal the wounds that will heal soon.

He kneels on the ground and stares at Meena.

"I'm telling you, just because your legs and eyes are better doesn't mean you can beat me. A wizard must understand his own system of magic before choosing his fighting style. And of course, the compatibility of the opponent. You and I have the worst ...... chemistry. What makes you think you can beat me? I thought you understood ...... at least how to tell who you can win against and who you can't."

Who can win and who can't win...... you think she's the absolute winner for me like Mr. Halfa is for the students here......?

"But I give you my compliments. You've done a great job. I'm honestly surprised that you've come this far in just one week. Well? If you admit defeat now, I can make a special effort to forgive you, you don't want to feel any more pain, do you?"

"......."

I was honestly quite surprised at the honest praise without a hint of mockery.

I was also surprised at how sweet the words sounded. After all, it seemed that if I admitted defeat here, I would be forgiven, and perhaps the environment would be better than when I was tormented .......

But my answer remains the same.

"No."

Better than before? That's just naive. Certainly, the fact that I had made Meena, who had always looked down on me, recognize my ability gave me a slight sense of fulfillment. I'd be lying if I said I wasn't happy. Because her words could be taken as a recognition of my ability, so to speak.

But that's all.

That doesn't change the absolute power relationship between me and her, and it doesn't change the daily life of being oppressed by her.

I'm the bottom and she's the top---a relationship that can never be reversed.

"Hmm. ......"

"I'm here to blow you away. There's no way I'm going to admit defeat. ...... Maybe if I give in, I'll be a loser for the rest of my life. ...... So I don't want to give in anymore. I don't want to give in anymore, not to my parents, not to you. ...... Sure, admitting defeat here might make my old shitty life a little bit better, but I'm not going to give in anymore. But that would mean wasting five days with Usato-san by myself. I'm not going to let that happen."

"...... something to cherish that much? Not just a one-week relationship?"

"Oh ...... it's only been a week ......! You gave me more than I could ever thank you for in that short time! It was hard and painful and I wanted to run away ...... and I was happy ......!"

I didn't want to expect anything from others.

I didn't want others to expect me.

My parents gave up on me, and I couldn't trust anyone with my heart. ...... They trained me to be here now, even though I was not a very good learner.

They believe in my victory, and that's more than enough reason for me not to admit defeat.

"You made me believe that I can believe again ...... after living at the bottom of my life since the day I woke up to that nasty magic called healing magic! That's why I'll never give in to you, even in a losing situation like this!"

"...... ha, you say. Is that what you say when your head bleeds like an idiot? Shouldn't you think more about your situation before you choose your words?"

"Don't forget, I'm a healing wizard ...... and this is nothing!"

He gets up from a kneeling position.

My wounds are healed, ironically enough, and the question and answer I had just received had given me time to heal. I wipe the blood from my forehead with my hand and scatter it on the ground.

I can still fight.

"Yes, it can't be helped. Let's continue at ......."

"What!"

She turns her palm toward you, her eyes glaring at you sharply. I quickly jump away from her and distance myself from her, so she won't hit me again like she did before.

A burst of magic is shot into the place where I was before, causing a small explosion, and Mina releases it.

"I'm going to change my ways."

"What about ......?"

"I thought I could hit you if I just shot at you while pushing you, but you're more stubborn than I thought, and it's harder than I thought to catch you. ...... so I'm going to change my approach."

She then thrusts the shield in her hand into the ground and raises her hands to shoulder height to create a new magic bullet.

But instead of a single sphere as before, there are five smaller magic bullets floating on the palm of each of her hands.

Cold sweat runs down my face as I realize the attack that is about to take place.

"I may not be able to do the monstrous feats of a brave warrior, but I can do this. I don't aim at the target, but concentrate on the direction you are in and keep throwing. The released magic explodes in a chain of bursts, leaving a trail of destruction regardless of whether you can escape or not.

Ten magic bullets with both hands together.

With a wry smile on her face, she spreads her arms and jumps away from the scene.

"Run if you can. ......"

At the same moment, a series of blasts hit my body.