***
Kelvin’s Residence – Underground Training Hall
“Alright! Here I come, Georgius!”
With a comical, light *pop*, something leaped from Shutra’s backpack amidst white smoke. Though I say “something,” it was almost certainly a bear plush toy that had poked its head out of the backpack. Even Hoover, usually just a slacker, possessed the skill to be assigned as the Deputy Commander of the Dragon Rider Corps. The previous agitation vanished as if it were a lie, and he instantly cooled his head to calmly organize the situation.
(Still, Georgius and all…)
Hoover shivered inwardly at the name, likely belonging to the bear. However, what truly sent shivers down his spine was the next moment.
*Poof, poof.*
Footsteps, of a plush toy, could be heard from within the smoke. Hoover’s brow furrowed slightly at the sound, so unsuited for battle, but he quickly changed his perception. The plush toy that emerged from the smoke, named Georgius. Its round eyes, characteristic of a plush toy, were as endearing as ever, possessing a universally appealing charm. Yes, the face was fine. It was the same face he had seen peeking from the backpack. The problem lay below.
“…Isn’t it a little too big?”
An unpleasant sweat beaded on Hoover’s forehead as his inner thought escaped. The part below Georgius’s face, the so-called body. Its color was uniformly chestnut, befitting a bear. That was fine. But the size was the issue. Far larger than the biggest size sold at famous theme park character goods stores, it was large enough to rival a ferocious, vicious, large bear-type monster, and so colossal that Hoover had to look up at it. Its long, outstretched arms ended in sharp, jet-black claws, a stark and terrifying contrast to its cute face. And perched contentedly on its shoulders was Shutra.
“Isn’t he cute? Efil-san made him for me.”
“Y-Yes. He’s very cute… I-I mean, no no no, a self-supporting plush toy is going too far! Does it have a spirit or soul inside?!”
“What are you talking about? It’s not like this one moves automatically, you know?”
“Huh?”
Caught up by Shutra’s bewildered look, Hoover also blinked in confusion.
“…Perhaps it’s because it’s a niche skill that you don’t know? That’s right, it’s only ever been used for small performances…”
“Um, Shutra-sama?”
Shutra began muttering to herself, seemingly a bit disappointed.
“Ah, I’m sorry. To put it simply, it’s like this.”
Shutra lightly raised her arm, showing the back of her hand. Upon closer inspection, something was fitted onto each of her fingers. Then, as Shutra moved her fingers exaggeratedly, Georgius swung its arm.
“…A marionette?”
“Th-That’s right! I thought and thought about it, and I learned the skill ‘Thread Manipulation Technique.’ Even someone as weak as me can be useful to Older Brother and Rion-chan with this.”
Shutra explained with a cheerful demeanor, swaying her body from side to side. It seemed she was quite fond of Georgius.
“It certainly had an impact… Have you practiced it in earnest?”
“Didn’t I tell you that this was a mock battle to test it? But Rion-chan gave it her approval. …Can I try now?”
*Thud!*
The moment Shutra asked, Hoover had already charged into Georgius’s reach with all his might. While one could call it underhanded, the match had technically begun. There was no room for shame. Perhaps it was because she had undergone rigorous training under Azgrad that she felt compelled to take the initiative. The Spear of the Great Waterfall was already unleashing its power, its tip, damp with water—a weakness of fabric—piercing Georgius.
“Overconfidence is a great enemy, Shutra-sama!”
“You too.”
“—!?”
Hoover was the one who instantly retreated. On the floor where Hoover had stood moments before, Georgius’s arm was embedded, and intense cracks spread around the area. Incidentally, like the rest of the training ground, this floor was made of Adamant ore. In contrast, the damage from Hoover’s spear was nonexistent. Georgius was completely unharmed.
(I’ll die! If I take that head-on, I’ll die! And what was that plush toy’s fabric?! Even though it should be wet with moisture, it stretched so much it seemed to reject the spear’s penetration!?)
Hoover’s barrage of complaints was, however, quite understandable. A casual game had turned into a battle for survival. In truth, if Hoover or Shutra were in real danger, Ange was supposed to intervene from the sidelines, but Hoover hadn’t heard so much as a whisper about it.
“Master, how should we handle that?”
A casual question from Ryuka. Instantly, Hoover’s ears perked up, and he focused all his attention on eavesdropping. Perhaps he could find a glimmer of hope in the answer.
“Hmm… For starters, how about cutting off its head?”
“Eeeh, that’s cruel.”
“………”
However, the world is fickle, and there was no information useful to Hoover whatsoever. If it were that easy, he wouldn’t be struggling. If he couldn’t even pierce its torso, decapitating it at such a high position would exponentially increase the dificulty.
“Rion-chan, do you know that bear?”
“Um, Georgius was made by Efil-nee based on Shutra-chan’s plush toy, it’s a completely custom-made bear. Even though it looks like ordinary fabric at first glance, its body has durability and water resistance comparable to S-Rank armor. They sewed the claws of the evil dragon, reinforced and enhanced by Older Kel, onto the tips of its arms to increase its attack power.”
“Wow, it’s a collaboration between Master and the Head Maid!”
“I see. No wonder it’s so strong.”
“I’m still keeping it a secret from Older Kel, though! But when I asked together with Shutra-chan, he made it right away.”
Rion beamed with a shy smile. Meanwhile, Hoover, whose victory seemed to recede further the more he heard—
(What are you doing, you brother-complex Master! No, it’s good that Shutra-sama is happy, but!)
His inner monologue exploded. There was no longer any need to impose a restriction on himself not to target Shutra. He would use an attack with enough power to incapacitate her, from a distance.
“Pierce it. Spear of the Great Waterfall!”
Using the water released from the Spear of the Great Waterfall, Hoover generated the largest water spears he could create. Without a moment’s delay, he unleashed them all at once. The target, of course, was Shutra on Georgius’s shoulder.
“Yaaah!”
With a delicate cry, Shutra swung her right hand horizontally. Expecting something to come, Hoover watched Georgius intently, but the plush toy showed no movement. However—
“Wha—!?”
In an instant, the water spears fired by Hoover all burst and vanished as if they had been an illusion.
“And then, the manipulation threads that Shutra-chan wears on her fingers are also special. I asked Mel-nee to make them. You could say they’re magic items that produce manipulation threads using magic power. Even if you try to cut the threads, they’re magical in origin, so they can’t be severed, and the range of operation is completely free. If you increase the magic power contained, you can even attack with your own threads like just now.”
“Wow, the entire workshop of our household is involved…!”
Ange and Ryuka exclaimed in admiration. According to Rion’s helpful explanation, what had just happened was Shutra converting the threads she used for manipulation into an attack. This meant Shutra could attack herself while manipulating the plush toy. Furthermore, the threads were invisible.
(Cleaning duties, triple the workload… I won’t be able to slack off for a while…)
Hoover resigned himself to his fate and charged forward, recalling his fierce battle with Efil. —The outcome of the match here will not be described, but it is said that the day’s dessert was as exquisite as ever.
