WM – Chapter 13-14: VS Griffon

Griffons.

In the fantasy world, they might be the most famous following after dragons.

A monster whose upper half is an eagle, and lower half is a lion. Something that most people already know.

I love the griffons that appear in RPG games quite a lot.

They normally appear around the middle part of the game as powerful enemies.

I haven’t seen any games with griffons as their last boss, but pretty often as middle stage bosses as tough encounters. 

Most of all, they are cool.

You know…it shouldn’t be something that shows early game all of a sudden.

I have to prepare my heart, Griffon-san.

A famous monster in fantasy games is coming at top speed towards us.

I could hear the sound of the wind hitting its giant wings and its beastly cry.

“Big…” (Makoto)

The Griffon is 2 sizes bigger than the Rampaging Bison.

The scythe-like claws at its thick front legs were shining.

It feels as if it could cut a human like a piece of cloth.

“Everyone, get away! Its aim is probably the meat of the Rampaging Bison”, Jean shouts.

The Griffon must have been lured by the roasted smell of meat.

Jean was pulling the hand of Emily.

“Lucy, let’s run.” (Makoto)

“But the monster we did our hardest to defeat…” (Lucy)

“This isn’t the time to be saying that! There’s no way we can fight a danger level high!” (Makoto)

The ogre the other day was cute in comparison to this.

The giant eagle wings were creating gusts of wind, and I could feel it even from here.

The Griffon stopped at the Rampaging Bison as we thought.

It began to eat the meat just like that.

“Aah, our spoils…” (Lucy)

I heard Lucy, but I ignored her.

What are you worrying about at this kind of time? 

We take distance stealthily so that we don’t catch the attention of the Griffon.

(Please, we will give you what we hunted, so please just leave after.) (Makoto)

I prayed for this, but the Griffon glares this way.

Its gaze was directed at…Lucy, huh.

“Huh?” (Lucy)

Lucy let out a dumbfounded voice.

Oi oi, she is so unlucky.

This is the 2nd time today.

“Lucy, you are pretty popular today.” (Makoto)

“Wait, no way!” (Lucy)

Lucy takes a step back with a stiffened face.

I wonder why this is.

I have heard about monsters liking prey with high mana, so maybe they are attracted to the mana of Lucy?

I should think about that later.

First, we run!

“Jean!” (Makoto)

“Got it. Makoto and I will buy time.” (Jean)

“Wait! That’s impossible. You are going to die!” (Emily)

Emily was on the verge of tears.

The Griffon flaps its wings and raises to the sky.

“It is coming!” (Makoto)

It began to glide towards Lucy and I.

[Evade]!

I wrap my arms around Lucy and activate the skill.

We managed to avoid the Griffon’s claws by a hair’s breadth.

*Flap Flap* 

The Griffon once again rises into the sky and looks at us.

“It is coming again!” (Makoto)

So stubborn. [Evade]!

“Guh!” (Lucy)

It seems like the leg of Lucy hit the ground at the time of the evasion.

My proficiency with [Evade] is too low to activate with two people still, huh.

“Lucy, can you chant while I evade?” (Makoto)

“I will try, but it will probably not be possible…” (Lucy)

Lucy tells me with tears in her eyes.

“Right…” (Makoto)

She needs more than 1 minute in a situation where she can concentrate after all. Chanting while avoiding would be difficult. 

The Griffon attacked us a third time.

Agh, damn it! [Evade]!

“Ouch ouch.” (Makoto)

I somehow managed to avoid it, but I scraped my shoulder a bit.

The aim is becoming sharper and sharper. 

The Griffon immediately returns to the sky.

This is bad.

Physical attacks are sealed.

Jean had his sword in hand with Emily at his back.

But it looks like he is looking for the timing to switch to attack.

What?

Mana is gathering around the Griffon?

The Griffon is preparing for its fourth attack.

I have a bad feeling about this, but I have no choice but to avoid it.

[Evade]! 

I feel an impact in my body.

“Gaha?!” (Makoto)

“Kya!” (Lucy)

Even though I should have avoided that one, I was blown away. 

Lucy is sent flying in a different direction.

Damn it, that just now was wind magic?

Wind was covering the surroundings of the Griffon.

Monsters can use magic?! 

“Are you okay, Makoto, Lucy?!” (Jean)

“Y-Yeah. Jean, I leave Lucy to you.” (Makoto)

I endure the dizziness and stand up.

The Griffon slowly approaches Lucy.

Jean stands in front of it with his sword.

Lucy doesn’t seem to have lost consciousness, but can’t stand up.

Emily is chanting healing magic from a far away distance.

She is in danger too.

The Griffon had enough intelligence to even use magic.

When it learns that there’s someone who can use healing magic, I feel like it will aim for her.

“Damn it!”, Jean shouts with uneasiness. 

Each time the Griffon swipes its fore foot, Jean’s shield looks like it would be sent flying.

It is a matter of time before they are defeated at this rate.

My mana is completely empty.

Attacks using my dagger have way too many issues to work.

I want us to run away if possible, but I don’t think it will let all 4 of us escape.

What to do? 

Abandon Lucy and run away?

No, no way.

(How about abandoning them?) (Noah)

Noah-sama, shut up please.

I raise the potency of [Clear Mind] and somehow manage to keep calm, pushing my gears to think of a plan.

Is there something…

Remember…

Something that can defeat that thing…

• Chapter 14

“Now then, everyone, the first step to learning magic is feeling the mana.” 

This is a story of when I was learning in the Water Temple.

“Place both hands to the front, and repeat after me. Gods who art in heaven…” 

“““““Gods who art in heaven…”””””

(I-Is this what they call a magic chant?) 

As a high school student, this is pretty embarrassing. 

But it seems like chanting to use magic is common in this world.

Endure it.

“How is it? Did you feel the mana?” 

“Not really…” (Makoto)

The children around were shouting things like ‘it felt hot’ or ‘it shone!’, and were merry there, but I didn’t feel anything.

Eh? Isn’t this bad?

Could it be that I will lose to even children?

The pale faced teacher came to me.

“Makoto-kun, this probably can’t be helped since you are already old for this. Children are more sensitive to this kind of thing.” 

“Really…?” (Makoto)

“Please don’t make such an uneasy expression. Let’s do this together.” 

Saying this, she grabbed my arm.

“Please concentrate on your palm.” 

“O-Okay.” (Makoto)

There was a somewhat cold sensation in my palm.

T-This is…?! 

“How is it, Makoto-kun?” 

“I somewhat felt it.” (Makoto)

“I synchronized with you just now, Makoto-kun. It is the ability to interfere with the mana between mages by touching them.” 

“So something like that can be done.” (Makoto)

“All mages High Grade and above can do it. There’s a lot of cases where High Grade mages take disciples after all. This is the fastest way to teach someone the way to use magic.” 

“Will I be able to use it one day?” (Makoto)

“You can once your proficiency in magic is over High Grade level. But it won’t go well unless you have an affinity to the element, so please be careful.” 

“Were you able to sync with me because you can use water magic too, teacher?” (Makoto)

“Right, I can use all 6 elements aside from Moon.” 

This teacher is pretty amazing…

That’s the conversation I remembered.

And so, thanks to using water magic a whole lot, my proficiency level has reached High Grade level, that’s what my teacher told me.

◇◇

 I run to where Jean and Lucy are.

“Jean! Buy me some time please! I am going to use a big spell!” (Makoto)

“G-Got it!” (Jean)

Jean throws away his sword and takes a stance with his shield, holding ground with both of his legs.

The Griffon’s leg attacks Jean.

He is somehow managing to endure it.

I am counting on you, Jean.

“Lucy, raise your mana.” (Makoto)

“Eh?! Wa?” (Lucy)

“Push your right hand out, form something with you mana for now! I will do the controlling!” (Makoto)

“Something, you say. I can only use Fire Magic, you know?!” (Lucy)

“Then use fire. Go all out!” (Makoto)

I grab the right hand of Lucy, and wrap my other one to her waist.

Just like the time with the teacher.

“Hiya! W-Where are you touching?!” (Lucy)

“Just hurry!” (Makoto)

“Eeh?! I got it, so don’t stick so close.” (Lucy)

(Something like this?) (Makoto)

Instead of the usual sensation of gathering mana in my body, imagine becoming one with the body of Lucy to gather mana.

Sync with the mana of Lucy.

It is apparently not possible unless you have affinity with the element, but there’s no other way.

If we can’t, then we are Griffon food.

I felt as if I was being swallowed by a storm.

And then, I noticed that this was coming from the inside of Lucy’s body.

(This is the mana of Lucy, huh.) (Makoto)

“Hngh!” (Lucy)

Lucy was letting out a lewd-sounding voice, but I don’t have the leeway to mind it.

This is different from the small amount of mana I have, this is a massive amount of mana like a storm.

So this is the mana of a Monarch Grade, huh.

Lucy was trying to control something like this all the time?

This is rough.

I should be a bit kinder when training her.

Lucy is still raising her magic. 

I try to change to a different from usual fire spell.

A choice suddenly appeared in front of me.

Oi! What is it at this busy time?

[Will you use synchronization magic with Lucy?]

Yes ←

No

Of course yes.

[Really?]

Yes ←

Now that I think about it, no

…It is coming at me pretty persistently.

I don’t have any other plan.

I have no choice but to.

I gather the massive amount of mana flowing from Lucy into my right hand.

“[Firestorm]!” (Makoto)

A giant fire tornado appeared in front of us.

“Incredible, it activated! Moreover, High Grade Magic!” (Lucy)

“I feel like it will go berserk if I let my guard down…though…!” (Makoto)

I feel as if I am pedalling a bicycle at full speed inside a typhoon.

Sweat is coming out nonstop.

My body is hot! 

As if it were burning.

“Jean! Get away!” (Makoto)

“Alright!” (Jean)

Jean takes cover close to where Emily is.

‘Grrrr’, the Griffon growls and moves back as if it were cautious.

“Aah, it is going to avoid it!” (Emily)

Emily screams.

The Firestorm is not gonna reach the Griffon.

The Griffon evades into the sky.

“Oi! Makoto, what are we gonna do?!” (Jean)

The Firestorm is about to pass by the side of the Griffon.

(Picture it. Just like water. The Griffon has its guard down. If it is now, we can hit it.) (Makoto)

“Spread!” (Makoto)

The fire tornado changes into a big whirl in an instant.

The heat reached all the way here.

‘Giieeeeee!’, the Griffon gets swallowed by the fire.

“Eeeeeh?! You changed the Firestorm while it was activated?!” (Lucy)

“I have been training so that I can do this someday.” (Makoto)

I wasn’t expecting a spell this wide scale though.

The Griffon struggles to escape from the fire, but the fire pillar chases after it. 

“As if I will let you.” (Makoto)

I am beginning to get used to the storm-like mana of Lucy.

(It really is hot though. It also smells like something is burning.) (Makoto)

My whole body feels prickly.

I have stopped sweating?

“W-Wait, Makoto!” (Lucy)

“Oi, you are burning!” (Jean)

“Eh?” (Makoto)

I couldn’t see well with the Firestorm, but my body is burning? 

“What’s this?” (Makoto)

“Makoto! Stop the magic! Anymore than this is bad!” (Lucy)

Lucy is getting worried.

“Are you okay, Lucy?” (Makoto)

“I am okay! Anyways, stop the spell!” (Lucy)

[Release].

I stop the spell.

“Eh? The fire around me isn’t disappearing.” (Makoto)

“Why are you so calm?! You are burning, you know?!” (Lucy)

“Aah, yeah.” (Makoto)

Even if you tell me that, Clear Mind makes it so that I don’t panic though.

It really is a handy skill.

“The Griffon is falling!” (Emily)

The Griffon falls flat at the place Emily pointed.

Its wings are burned, and parts here and there of its body are carbonized. 

It is severely wounded.

“Jean, go!” (Makoto)

“Leave it to me! Or more like, extinguish yourself!” (Jean)

The sword Jean is holding shines.

“[Max Output, Wind Blade]!” (Jean)

The sword of Jean is covered in green light, and beheads the Griffon.

“D-Did we do it?” (Jean)

Jean collapses lethargic. 

Lucy is swaying by my side.

I must have sucked way too much mana from her all of a sudden.

“Amazing, amazing! Jean, we defeated a Griffon!” (Emily)

Emily was hugging Jean.

“Haaah, what a relief.” (Makoto)

The relief of defeating the Griffon undid Clear Mind.

Honestly speaking, I wasn’t careful.

I am relying way too much on Clear Mind.

It looks like the ‘that feels hot’ I thought of before was actually severe.

“Aaah…!!” (Makoto)

Pain attacks my whole body. 

My vision gets narrower and narrower. 

“Ma-Makoto!” (Lucy)

My vision gets darker while I listen to the voice of Lucy.

No good.

I can’t keep my consciousness.

Synchronization magic with Lucy…

Even when it was in actual combat, we splendidly managed to defeat the Griffon which we thought was despairingly grim.

It is quite the strong attack method for bronze ranks like us.

But in exchange, due to not having magic affinity, I apparently got burned by the mana of Lucy.

So that’s what it meant when she told me that I can’t do it unless I have the affinity.

I should have asked the teacher what would happen…

This method is no good anymore.

I thought it would work well though…

…The world went dark.

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