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# Chapter 10: The Rumor

Witch Enaga's party had taken on a job to hunt down a fast-moving white monster said to roam a certain grassland.

How will things turn out for them against a beast like that?

---

**Witch Enaga:** "Alright, today's job is gonna be a tough one."

**Akebi:** "Ugh... sounds scary~! You'd better protect me properly!"

The two of them chatted while sharpening their weapons.

*Creeeak.*

**Route:** "Mornin'."

Enaga and Akebi both turned around, startled.

**Route:** "...What."

**Enaga:** "It's already time to head out... and you're just waking up now...?"

**Akebi:** "Seriously! lol I didn't even make you breakfast!"

Route rubbed his still-half-asleep eyes and grabbed his hat and staff.

**Route:** "This'll do."

**Enaga:** "So sloppy."

**Akebi:** "Total slacker."

---

Three people and one bird arrived at the grassland where the job was waiting.

**Enaga:** "Hm? It's not even here."

**Akebi:** "................."

Akebi scanned the surroundings, staying on guard.

Route, meanwhile, looked half-asleep but had already leveled his staff toward the ground, alert.

**Route:** "Here it comes."

The moment Route said it, a small white beast came crashing down out of the clear sky with a deafening roar.

**>>>> KA-BOOOOOOM <<<<**

**Akebi:** "...!"

Akebi dodged the impact in one smooth motion.

**Witch Enaga**

**">>>>> GIGA DIVOID <<<<<"**

A brilliant beam of galaxy light shot out toward the white beast.

*Ssshhhhh—*

**Enaga:** "Wha—!!"

The white monster unraveled the spell's magical structure and neutralized it in an instant.

**Route:** "Ugh, what a pain. Enaga! Just throw your mana at it raw!"

**Enaga:** "Huh? What?? WAAAAAAH!!!!"

**White Monster**

**">>>>> GRRRRRAAAAAAH <<<<<"**

The attack landed this time, and the monster began pounding the ground in fury.

**Akebi:** "Enaga!! Look up!!!!"

Akebi took off running, aiming to catch a ten-meter boulder plummeting straight toward Enaga with nothing but his two magic staffs.

**Akebi:** "HRAAAAAAH!!!!"

**">>>>> BA-BAAAAAAAM <<<<<"**

Akebi crossed both staffs and stopped the boulder cold.

**Route:** "Oh... nice."

**">>> Sharp Leisure <<<"**

Route's spell tore straight through the boulder.

At the same moment, the white monster slipped in close, circling toward Akebi's blind spot.

**Witch Enaga**

**"))) Seed Morestia (((("**

A translucent dome formed around Akebi, and the monster was blasted away.

**Route:** "Why's it going after him...?"

Before he could even finish that thought, the monster's razor claws came at Route in a sudden, blinding rush.

**Route**

**"> Stress Loose <"**

**Monster:** "GRAAAH!"

The monster went flying a full meter.

Then it charged back in again, just as fast.

**Route**

**">> Stress Loose <<"**

This time the monster flew ten meters.

**Akebi:** "Why's it going flying that far...?"

**Enaga:** "Alright, first we keep pelting it with mana from a distance!"

**Akebi:** "I'm more of a close-combat guy, though..."

Akebi slipped in close to the monster mid-flight, right into its guard.

**Akebi:** "TAKE THIS, RAPID FIRE!!!!"

Fifty razor-sharp strikes, one after another, faster than the eye could follow.

The monster thrashed wildly, unable to find a single opening to fight back.

**Monster:** "GRAAAAAAAH!!!"

**Akebi:** "Uh oh, wait—!"

**BA-DAAAAAAH!!**

The monster's claws snagged Akebi's clothes!

**Akebi:** "OH CRAP! SOMEBODY HELP ME!!"

**Enaga:** "Alright... finally got my mana all wound up...

Eat this!!!

**>>>>> WINDS EYRE <<<<<**"

Enaga's crushing, mana-fueled strike drove straight through the monster.

**Monster:** "Grah...aah..."

*(The monster crumbled into dust and vanished.)*

**??? Monster — Subjugation Complete**

**Enaga:** "Akebi! You okay?"

**Akebi:** "Ugh, wahh... that scared me!! Thanks, Enaga!!"

**Route:** "............"

They decided to take a break there in the middle of the grassland.

**Route:** "Akebi... seriously... ...why are you that strong?? lol"

**Akebi:** "Ehehe, caught me, huh! lol I've got hidden strength, believe it or not!"

**Enaga:** "Seriously though! lol I only get to fight like this 'cause Master was insanely strong — what's YOUR excuse? lol"

The three of them burst out laughing, their voices echoing across the grassland.

**Kuromame** *(watching from the side)*

*What in the world IS Akebi, seriously... though of course, none of them could ever match me. lol*

**Enaga:** "Ohh? What are you smirking about over there, Kuromame~?"

**Route:** "Seriously, right,"

**Akebi:** "Come to think of it, Enaga's pretty strong too, huh — you're always slinging Giga Divoid around like it's nothing."

**Route:** "............You're right. ...There's something I want to ask you, Enaga."

**Route:** "Your master... was he maybe... the one ranked #1 in the world...?"

**Enaga:** "Yeah, he was."

Route's face slowly drained of color.

The sky began to churn, and cold rain started to lash against their skin.

**Route:** "Then... that means the disciple who betrayed him... who killed the world's #1... ...that's you?"

**Enaga:** "Wh— huh?? What are you even talking about?"

**Route:** "You're — you're THE— the one from the RUMORS—!!!!"

**Akebi:** "Look out!"

**Route**

**">>>>> WINDS EYRE <<<<<"**

Akebi threw himself in front of Enaga, and a suffocating wave of killing intent smothered everything around them.

**Route:** "The mana you carry is identical to the world #1's own signature. There's no way someone like you should be able to hold that kind of power."

**Route:** "You're exactly what my job description says. And I'm going to end you. Right here. Right now."