Wednesday, July 15, 2026

[WN] Shut-In : Chapter 141


Chapter 141

Gotcha!


Translator : PolterGlast


While we were chatting idly, it seemed preparations were complete, and Lirica snapped her eyes open. Around her, several weapons manipulated by Shadow Arts floated in mid-air. All of them were longswords, and among them were absurdly huge ones like horse-slaying swords, even larger than the greatsword Mitsukawa-kun carried on his back. All of them were glowing red-hot, emitting a scorching sound.

Shadow Arts... Blast!

Impact. The moment the numerous swords hit the scarecrow, they exploded, scattering heat and shattered blades into the surroundings. I see, it's like an improvised bomb. The power of each individual blast wasn't quite on par with Mitsukawa-kun's Tear Soleil, but when the smoke cleared, the massive chain of explosions had created a pitted crater resembling the surface of the moon. Did she enchant the weapons manipulated by Shadow Arts with Fire Magic...? That might also be a type of Magic Sword. In my case, I'd have my hands full just manipulating the swords, so I probably wouldn't be able to do something that delicate.

The power is excellent too. I think you could easily take down a Wyvern with that.

Why is your evaluation standard for combat power a Wyvern...?

Because outside of the Holy Corpse of the Knight, a Wyvern is pretty much the only somewhat strong monster I've actually fought properly.

Eh, haven't I fought demons twice too, you ask? The first time ended in one hit with Lightning, and the second time I just punched the guy and knocked him out. I still don't really understand their strength.

What do you think? From your perspective, Mitsukawa-kun, do you think she can fight against demons?

Yeah, against a normal demon, landing two of those would be a fatal wound. Well, the effective range isn't that wide, so it looks like hitting them accurately would be tough, though.

Isn't that just a matter of getting used to it? She could use the minor skills she showed earlier to cover her openings, or purposely use it as a bluff.

If it's a densely packed area where exploding it would hit something regardless, she could take them down without an issue, and against monsters that don't think that deeply, she could probably win just by keeping her distance and brain-dead spamming it. Besides, even in an actual one-on-one fight, I think it's pretty strong. Once an opponent sees that magic, they have to fight while staying on guard against Shadow Arts... Blast!. That takes up their mental resources, making it easier to create openings.

Splendid, Lirica. With that much power, you should actually be able to fight to some extent in a dungeon too. If you keep raising your magic attack power, the damage should climb even further, so let's do our best to raise your LV!

Y-Yes! I'll do my best!

Saying that and clenching her fists, Lirica still seemed to have plenty of energy to spare. Apparently, because that magic relies on detonating actual swords, its fuel efficiency is quite good.

Then I shall go next... The one I use often is this.

When Priola snapped her fingers with a snap, a massive pillar of ice appeared horizontally just in front of her body. Looking closely, the ice seemed to be mixed with the Dark attribute as well, making the ice she produced pitch black. In an instant, the massive ice pillar—already taller than I am—extended at incredible speed, piercing straight through the Treant scarecrow in the blink of an eye. It seems the high mass gives it high power. The piercing pillar kept going straight through the back and stopped dead right before it could destroy the Royal Castle's outer wall.

I see, her magic control is perfect too...

An Ice Magic user, huh... This might be the first time I've seen one.

The spell she used was likely the Ice Magic spell Ice Pillar. Ice Magic isn't very effective against the undead, so I haven't used it much at all. Considering anti-personnel combat, maybe I should get some advice from her.

By the way, I can also do this.

From roughly the midpoint of the extended Ice Pillar, a new pillar of ice was born and extended outward. Just as the shape of the pillar changed into a sharp icicle at the tip, it branched off even further halfway through, shooting out blades of ice. I thought it was just a magic that smashed a mass of ice into the opponent, so I hardly used it, but... magic is surprisingly profound. What should I do? I'm suddenly starting to feel anxious about playing the role of a master when I know so little myself.

When it comes to high power... it is this. —Ice Dragon!

Closing her eyes and concentrating her mind, Priola thrust both her arms forward, and a massive ice dragon—large enough to swallow a person whole—appeared. Ice Dragon, the strongest Ice Magic spell that can be learned after reaching LV 10. Unleashing a massive roar that evoked primal fear, the ice dragon swallowed the scarecrow whole. Scattering a loud crushing sound, it half-destroyed the outer wall of the training grounds and transformed the surrounding area into a frozen world. By the time the magic vanished, the yard had already turned into a world of ice.

Amazing... Ice Magic can do things like this too...? Maybe I should ask you to teach me how to use it.

Well, to begin with, Ice Magic cannot be used unless one has mastered both Fire Magic and Water Magic to a high degree of proficiency... Are you able to use it as well, Masaru-sama!?

Yeah, more or less.

However, right now, I still can't use Ice Dragon. Even though I've learned Ice Magic up to LV 10. Just like the flying magic that wind bastard used, it's probably a magic that hasn't been activated yet. My magic attack power is probably higher, so why can't I use it? Does it have to do with proficiency or something in addition to magic attack power? Wait, right, there's someone who can use it right in front of me, so I should just ask.

I can actually use Ice Magic up to LV 10, but I can't use Ice Dragon yet. Do you know how to unlock it?

Umm... yes. The conditions for Ice Dragon should be learning how to use it from another caster, and having used Ice Magic tens of thousands of times.

...I see. No wonder I can't use it. Wait, but if it's usage count, there shouldn't be a problem. Making ice at my house should count as Ice Magic, right?

After receiving a lecture from Priola and slightly correcting the flow of magic power in my body a few times...

Ah, I can use it now! Alright, I'll try it right away.

Well, it probably won't have that much power. Thinking that, I had completely forgotten when I used it. The fact that I currently possess such overwhelming magic attack power that I can defeat a demon with a single hit of Lightning.

Ice Dragon!

BOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!!

The ice dragon I created swallowed everything, completely destroyed the already crumbling training grounds, and on top of that, was still circling playfully in the sky.

ROOOOOOOOOAR!!

Seeing the Ice Dragon roaring as if to say 'I can still go for two or three more rounds,' Priola was completely dumbfounded.

H-He's mastered Ice Dragon better than I have... Even though it took me a full year just to be able to use it...

Then she collapsed on all fours and began shedding tears of frustration. To think that the gap with native mages, which I had feared many times, would be experienced at a timing like this... I'm just, really, sorry...

Thus, the combat ability assessment settled down for the time being. Parting ways with Mitsukawa-kun as he headed back to the Royal Castle, we set about making preparations to head to the front lines against the demons.

Alright, let's switch gears! —The strongest magic, Gotcha!

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