“All right! Let’s get this going! Come at me from any angle!”
“Yes, thank you master. But can I ask something first?”
“Hn? What is it?”
The next day, Yuugo went to the training area with his friends, and challenged Mizari to a match.
They were ready to go, when Mizari raised her hand and pointed to one of Yuugo’s friends who was watching.
“Who is that? I believe this person was not with us yesterday…”
“Ah… Don’t worry! He’s kind of loud, but he’s funny and not a bad guy!”
“Who are you calling loud and funny!? Introduce me as your lifelong rival and greatest friend!!”
“…No, I think mine matches you better.”
“No kidding, geez.”
Everyone who was there the previous day was here, but Marcos also shrewdly got himself in the middle. And although he reacted to Yuugo’s introduction, he was definitely loud and funny, so no one agreed with his yells.
“How come you’re here, Marcos? Where did you hear about this?”
“Fuhahahahaha! I am not one to miss my rival’s moves!”
“Uwa… You sound like a stalker…”
“Phi, make sure you don’t become like that. Promise your big sister.”
“Y-yes…”
“…He really is an amusing person.”
“Right? I think you’ll find he’s a good guy if you hang out with him!”
Yuugo said innocently, as Mizari tried to be indirect about describing Marcos’ rich personality.
He continued talking to her with a smile on his face, and after that, he exhaled, and once again readied himself to fight.
“Let’s get going then. Come at me with all you have.”
“Yes, I intended to from the start.”
Yuugo activated Blaster, faced Mizari, and observed her closely.
She equipped Wasp Needle on her right arm, and a gauntlet on her left arm for protection.
Mizari raised her left fist to the same level as her chin, pulled her right arm back a little while clenching her fist softly, and looked straight at Yuugo.
Yuugo saw her pose and equipment, and even at this point, started making predictions about her fighting style.
“…Here I go!”
Announced Mizari, and she lunged forward with her right arm while shooting a magic energy needle from her Wasp Needle.
Yuugo flung away the attack that was meant to keep him in check, and blocked Mizari’s attacks, since she used that time to get close. He nodded to himself, thinking she was fighting just like he predicted.
(She probes for openings with long range attacks and light attacks from her left hand, and uses her right hand to finish it off in one hit… It’s orthodox, but clearly trained.)
Mizari’s fighting style was very close to basics.
A left to keep in check and a right to finish it. Each hand had a role, and she continued moving accordingly.
She would wear down her opponents with repeated jabs and create an opening, and then strike with a Wasp Needle full of magic energy… Her fighting style was as simple as her magic item, but also just as valid.
The speed of her punches and her footwork were not a problem. Yuugo was refraining from counterattacking so he could see how she did, but her left punches were fast enough to impress him.
“Fuh! Shi!!”
“…She’s fast. She also moved quickly against her opponent after the first long range attack, but her fighting style is clean overall.”
“Yes. It’s all built towards that one last hit, and she sticks to the basics.”
“Where did all that talk about not being strong enough come from…?”
Phi looked on as he heard Marcos and Melt, and asked himself again why she thought of herself as weak.
Yes, the reason why Yuugo was completely on defense was because he was purposefully not counterattacking, but still, even an amateur such as himself could see her moves were crisp.
It would surely be hard to deal with that speed and the proficiency of her movements, so why did she say she was having trouble growing… Pondered Phi, as Yuugo took Mizari’s fierce attacks, and jumped back to take some distance.
“Now!”
That moment, Mizari saw the chance to land a clean hit, and infused her Wasp Needle with magic energy.
As she said, it could grow as big as a straight sword, and she charged forward while exhaling, with her yellow magic energy extending from the needle. Mizari aimed for Yuugo’s chest as she executed the right hand attack she had been building towards.
“Powered Stinger!!”
…Phi thought those moves were truly good.
She did not miss a moment of opportunity, and executed the attack just as she planned. She established a fighting style, and she could follow through with it.
But…
“Uuu!”
“Eh…!?”
There was the sound of glass shattering.
Mizari’s special move that should have smashed against Yuugo… The Wasp Needle extended by magic energy shattered, leading Phi to gasp with surprise.
Mizari’s face twisted with frustration, and she took distance from Yuugo immediately after seeing her attack had failed.
Yuugo, who was on the other side of this chain of attacks, spoke to Mizari, as his expression became mixed under his helmet.
“I figured. So the reason why you’re not making much progress… Is because you don’t have the power to finish a fight, right?”
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