Chapter 62: Visual kei

「Elena, good night.」

「Seiji-sama, good night.」

I left Aya and Elena’s room and went back to my own room.

However, my activities aren’t over yet.

I locked the room and used【Teleportation】to the prairie slightly away from the town.

What I’m going to do is-

the magic that I wasn’t able to try all the while, I’ll try it here.

Right, it’s【Summon lightning spirit】.

I want to try it for some time now but it filled me with sense of foreboding somehow, so I put it off till now.

But, I can’t keep it on hold forever.

I made up my mind and shouted.

「【Summon lightning spirit】!」

I felt my MP decreased by a huge amount,

and a『Lightning orb』suddenly appeared and sparked intensely before me.

The lightning orb slowly changed shape and began to gradually take a human form.

I watched the scene as I held the replica sword.

「Fuwa~a, eh? I was summoned?」

It took a form of a small girl around 30 cm that lightly float in the air.

It looks like a 12 or 13 year old JC with a spiky hairstyle like that of visual kei cosplay.1

「Good evening.」

I tried to greet it for the time being.

「Huh? Who are you?」

「I’m Seiji, I used【Summon lightning spirit】, are you perhaps the『Lightning spirit』?」

「Un, I’m the『Lightning spirit』.

Eh~, so you were the one who summoned me.」

The conversation went fairly normal……

but the atmosphere became tense somehow.

「Since you summoned me……

I guess you have made『preparations』?」

The moment the『Lightning spirit』said so, a grin floated on its face!

The【Vigilance】magic informed me of an extreme『Danger』.

The instant I used【Teleportation】and moved 5 m to the side, several【Lightning bolt】struck the place where I previously stood.

The【Lightning bolt】explodes, producing a loud noise.

Dangerous!

If the【Teleportation】was late even for an instant, I would have been done in in one shot.

*clapclapclap*

「Amazing! You dodged it.」

This fellow clapped her hand in a carefree manner.

「Why did you do that suddenly!?」

「Eh? Did you summon me without knowing anything?」

「Oh, I don’t know a thing!」

「Well, I don’t care anyway.

For the time being, please try to beat me.」

To beat her is easier said than done.

I turned over the replica sword’s blade and took a mineuchi2 stance.

Facing the『Lightning spirit』, I slowly shorten our distance.

With【Vigilance】magic, I foresaw the lightning bolt coming from above, so I dashed forward to dodge,

cutting the distance between me and that fellow in an instant.

The『Lightning spirit』was surprised by my fast movements which created an opening. I slashed at the fellow’s body.

In that instant, the replica sword hit the『Lightning spirit』’s body!

The『Lightning spirit』’s body turned into a streak of【lightning】and『slipped through』the replica sword, the『Lightning spirit』moved behind me instantly.

I sensed『Danger』from behind, I promptly leaped to the side-

an【Electric shock】passed from behind through the spot where I have been previously.

「Uwa! The attack from a little while ago was amazing and to also have dodged the attack from behind afterwards was also amazing! What kind of person are you!?」

「Same to you, you dodged my attack in a weird manner.」

「Come now, I’m【Lightning】.~」

Shit, if only I’m a rubber man, I’ll punch this fellow hard!

I gave up on the idea of beating this fellow with only a sword and changed strategy.

I put the replica sword away to the inventory and switched to the【Magic rod】which had been entrusted to me by Elena.

In addition, I put【Quick】and【Movement speed reinforcement】on myself, and cast【Slow】on the『Lightning spirit』.

Then, I cut down the distance between us instantly and hit its body like a little while ago……or so I thought, but it has been avoided in the same way as before.

「Uwa, what is this speed!!」

I remained as is and followed it up with continuous strike.

The『Lightning spirit』kept dodging my continuous strike to the left, right, up and down with frightening momentum.

When the『Lightning spirit』dodged close to the ground, I smashed the ground with【Magic rod】. It caused a violent tremor and created a small crater.

「What’s that weapon!? I’ll die if I’m hit by that!!」

「In that case, do you give up?」

「That’s impossible!」

When I continued to attack with the continuous strike while mixing feint, even the『Lightning spirit』wasn’t able to take it as expected.

Again, it transformed into【Lightning】and escaped to slightly remote position.

However, I didn’t overlook that moment and used【Teleportation】to where it will escape before it.

I strike at the『Lightning spirit』’s face with all my might……

and『stopped just before』it hit the『Lightning spirit』’s face.

The『Lightning spirit』seemed to think that its face was hit and had its eyes shut.

「Do you give up?」

The『Lightning spirit』slowly opened one eye and looked at me.

And then, it gently fell on its back.

*Akanbe~*3

「Since your attack didn’t hit, I haven’t lost yet.」

It still didn’t give up!

「Then, I’ll really hit you?」

「I don’t care!」

Why are you such a sore loser?

Thought it’s a spirit, I’m still hesitant to hit a girl, so I decided to change my approach.

I performed an ordinary dash followed by an ordinary attack and the『Lightning spirit』dodged per usual……

but……

At the direction the『Lightning spirit』dodged to, there was an invisible wall and it ran into it.

「Huh? What is this?」

「Barrier! Barrier! Barrier!」

「N? N!?」

Well~ then, with this, it’s possible to win somehow.

When I approached, the『Lightning spirit』tried to escape, it also ran into the barrier which I just created.

「Huh? Huh? What’s this wall!?」

I set up barriers in all 6 directions and the『Lightning spirit』was like a bird in a cage.

「Such a thing…I’m【Lightning flash】!」

The『Lightning spirit』turned into lightning and tried to break through the barrier.

It slammed into the barrier with a frightening momentum and bounced back.

「W-, Why can’t I pass through!?」

「It’s impossible because these are barriers that can repel lightning attributes.」

The【Barrier】magic allows me to put up a barrier that’s impervious to an attribute that I acquired.

My【Lightning magic】is level 5, that’s why it can completely shut out lightning.

「S-, Such…… I’m the most powerful attribute spirit, to be defeated so easily……」

The『Lightning spirit』suddenly became meek like a borrowed cat4.

「So? Why did you attack me?」

「I understand, I’ll explain it.」

The『Lightning spirit』reluctantly began to explain,

the contents were roughly as follows.

・You can form a contract with a spirit when you defeat it in a fight.

・If you lose, it seems all the suffered injuries will be healed.

・When a contract is formed, a spirit can be summoned to fight.

It seems that’s it.

「This means, we’ll form a contract.」

The『Lightning spirit』quietly drew closer.

Suddenly, it gave me a『kiss on the forehead』.

『Level went up to 23.

【Staff techniques】acquired.

【Staff techniques】is now level 3.

【Lightning magic】is now level 6.』

I heard the announcement at that moment.

The contract was formed with this.

「Wa! The【Lightning magic】is level 6!?」

「That’s right, it became level 6 when the contract was formed.」

「Level 5 is not the limit?」

「It’s generally known as『Limit break』.」

I never would have thought that there’s a level 6……

When I appraised myself, my status rose dramatically.

In particular, my MP was over 5000.

Even though Elena who’s skilled in magic does not have over 1000.

This is a pretty dangerous numerical value, isn’t it?

┌─＜Status＞─

│Name: Maruyama Seiji

│Occupation: SE

│Age: 30

│

│Level: 23

│HP: 1236 (+282)

│MP: 5574 (+1910)

│

│Power: 97 (+18) Endurance: 21 (+18)

│Ability: 253 (+79) Magic power: 557 (+191)

│

│Skills

│【Space-time Magic】

│ (Level: 5, Rarity: ★★★★★)

│ ・Quick

│ ・Slow

│ ・Barrier

│ ・Future prediction

│ ・Inventory

│ ・Teleportation

│

│【Information Magic】

│ (Level: 5, Rarity: ★★★★)

│ ・Vigilance

│ ・Map

│ ・Appraisal

│ ・Concealment

│ ・Tracking

│ ・Language Acquisition

│ ・Skill Mastery Increase

│

│【Lightning magic】

│ (Level: 6, Rarity: ★★★★)

│ ・Generate Electricity

│ ・Electricity Control

│ ・Heating element

│ ・Incandescent light bulb

│ ・Electrolysis

│ ・Lightning strike

│ ・Summon lightning spirit

│ ・Lightning flash ★NEW

│

│【Water magic】

│ (Level: 4, Rarity: ★)

│ ・Water control

│ ・Generate water

│ ・Drying

│ ・Purification

│ ・Water ball

│ ・Water jet cutter

│

│【Ice magic】

│ (Level: 4, Rarity: ★)

│ ・Ice control

│ ・Generate ice

│ ・Ice arrow

│

│【Body reinforcement magic】

│ (Level: 3, Rarity: ★★)

│ ・Strength recovery rate reinfocement

│ ・Movement speed reinforcement

│ ・Endurance reinfocement

│

│【Body techniques】

│ (Level: 3, Rarity: ★★)

│ ・Foot Sweep Kick

│ ・Counter

│ ・Weapon disarmament

│ ・Lightning Fist Raigeki Ken

│ ・Lightning Kick Raigeki Shuu

│

│【Sword techniques】

│ (Level: 2, Rarity: ★)

│ ・Vertical slash

│ ・Foot Sweep Slash

│

│【Sword Art】

│ (Level: 4, Rarity: ★★★)

│ ・Dual strike

│ ・Tsubazeriai

│ ・Weapon break

│ ・Nuki Dō

│ ・Feint

│

│【Staff techniques】 ★NEW

│ (Level: 3, Rarity: ★★)

│ ・Bash

│ ・Fukitobashi5

│

│【Potioncraft】

│ (Level: 3, Rarity: ★★★)

└─────────

Translator notes and reference:

1First, I would like to thank ReaderBot from NovelUpdates. JC or Joshi Chugakusei means junior-high school girl; Visual Kei (ヴィジュアル系; Bijuaru Kei) is a Japanese music movement and subculture that has been popular since the 1980’s. The artists wear makeup, have elaborate hairstyles and costumes, usually coupled with androgynous aesthetics. – Wikia↩

2峰打ち or mineuchi, this is a method of striking with the back of the blade (normally on purpose).↩

3A Japanese facial gesture indicating childish mockery, also known in France as mon oeil. It consists of someone pulling down one’s lower eyelid to expose the red underside towards someone, often accompanied by the person sticking their tongue out. It is considered an immature taunting gesture. – Wikipedia↩

4かりてきたねこ (karite kita neko) trans: A borrowed cat. This proverb refers to someone who is acting more well behaved than they usually are, from the belief that cats act more tamely when outside their typical home. – nihonshock↩

5It means to blow something away, any skill name suggestion? There’s a pokemon move like this called whirlwind, it doesn’t seem to fit here though so if no one’s gonna suggest anything, I’ll name it like that, check it out here.↩