Chapter 22. If only I had a little more time and budget…
In the middle of the training ground stood two Magical Girls. One held a gray Magic Wand with a worried expression, while the other swung a silver Hammer around cheerfully.
“Baek Sihyeon, go practice Amplification. We’ll meet after Abin is done.”
Baek Sihyeon seemed to have no major complaints about the same training as yesterday, responding energetically and starting her training. To put it that way, a bizarre sound that can only be described as bloop bloop filled the training ground, and watching the silver rod shoot out into the air made it look unlikely she would succeed anytime soon. It would take a while if left alone, but right now, Han Abin was more important, so let’s put that aside.
Now, to get to the point… “Have you gotten used to the Magic Wand?”
It was three hours ago that I handed over the wand I had made with my own hands. Though the time is short for her to fully make it her own, the original material of the wand is concrete from the Infinite Architect. It’s a pure material that cannot detect any Otherworld’s Power and cannot be found in today’s world, so Han Abin should have had enough time to imbue it with her Mana.
“I’ve been holding it tightly as you said—”
“Well, how tightly were you holding it that you even stabbed it into rice like a spoon?”
Even now, if you look closely, her hand gripping the wand had turned white from the strain. I started to feel that her being too obedient to my words might be a problem.
“Let me see.”
As I said that and reached out, Han Abin opened her tightly clenched hand and handed me the wand.
Snap!
The moment the wand touched my hand, a short spark flew out, and there was a sudden recoil.
Along with the spark sound, Han Abin’s startled scream could also be heard.
“It’s well-made.”
The Magic Wand gripped in my hand began to struggle, trying to escape while generating lightning. The source of the Mana was flailing to break free from the hands of someone who is not its owner. As if wanting to preserve its purity, it released pink Mana while continuously sparking.
“Stay still, you little rascal.”
Looks like it was safely completed. I was worried that Han Abin’s weak Mana wouldn’t awaken the wand’s Ego, but thankfully, it seemed the wand’s Ego had sprouted just fine.
“Take that.”
Throwing the wand over Han Abin’s head out of slight annoyance that it didn’t even recognize its creator, I intended for it to roll harmlessly on the soft mat.
But the wand corrected its arc with Mana and landed perfectly in Han Abin’s hands. Han Abin picked up the wand with a dazed expression, and the wand fell silent as if it was satisfied to return to its owner.
The Ego is stronger than expected. Maybe I should have chosen the material more carefully. If the Ego is strong, there’s a chance Han Abin could be overwhelmed by the wand, and I briefly thought about smashing it and starting over. But the way it calmly sat in Han Abin’s grip seemed to indicate it recognized her as its owner, and since I couldn’t get the materials again, I decided to let it be.
On top of that, personally, I was curious just how strong Han Abin would become with that Magic Wand.
“Did Baek Sihyeon explain the wand’s properties before I came?”
“Yes. There were some vague parts, but… I got the gist of it.”
Even if she explained it, it probably wasn’t a normal explanation. Honestly, it didn’t matter if it was a mess; Baek Sihyeon’s knowledge would not significantly affect what we were about to do.
“That’s it. If the base Magic Wand is weak, then creating a new base is the quickest way.”
“Then should I swing a stone wand instead of a bow?”
Han Abin said this while swinging the wand precariously. It looked as if she wasn’t swinging the wand, but rather the wand was swinging her.
“You need to put it inside your body. Are you going to carry around that heavy thing?”
“Inside… my body?”
“Yeah. You’re going to insert the wand into your body and use it as a source of Mana.”
‘Is this going inside my body?’ Han Abin seemed to have that expression as she blankly stared at the concrete wand in her hands.
“Are you planning on performing surgery? Even so, if you shove something like this inside… why would you want to do such a hassle?”
“Just stick it inside until it gets close to your body. Then it’ll settle in.”
She probably couldn’t quite comprehend the tone of my voice, but who cares?
“Magical Girls have space in their bodies to put the wand in, and it fits perfectly when inserted.”
“Eh? Huh?”
Han Abin’s face unexpectedly turned red as she distanced herself from me.
“Are you not going to insert the wand?”
Of course, inserting the wand could be uncomfortable, but I wasn’t sure if it was that terrifying to the point that she would be paralyzed with fear.
“Um, excuse me. Surely there’s another way without doing that? Medically speaking, if you carry around something this big inside, there would definitely be some issues.”
= Nonsense.
I grabbed Han Abin’s body, which had turned beet red and was rambling nonsensically.
“Wait! Senpai! I’m not prepared! Save me!”
Seeing her flail again, it was clear that this would be a waste of time at this rate. I promptly grabbed her legs and laid her down on the mat.
“Senpai!”
Ignoring Han Abin’s cries as she fell onto the mat, I mounted her and pinned her down.
No idea what she was so afraid of, but as soon as I took away the wand and pressed her head down, her screams began to quiet down.
“Alright, I’m inserting it.”
Whispering that into Han Abin’s ear, I positioned the concrete Magic Wand on her spine and exerted all my strength.
The wand seemed delighted to find its place, and even though it was touching my hand, it didn’t resist and began to get drawn into Han Abin’s body as Mana.
The gray body transformed into Mana with pink particles and gradually burrowed into Han Abin.
Han Abin seemed unfamiliar with the sensation of being engulfed in Mana, letting out a strange scream and writhing.
As the wand burrowed deeper, Han Abin’s strange screams began to diminish.
As time passed, her screams turned into shallow breaths, and her contorted body slumped like a sleeping person.
She must be dreaming. A dream where she meets herself engulfed by the wand.
Though it wasn’t her full Magic Wand, since it was a piece of it, part of her existence would surely remain.
After adjusting Han Abin to a comfortable position while she slept, I whispered in her ear.
“What you’re facing now is an ancient hero.”
An old hero who fought on the battlefield together.
“Disappointed in the world yet still trying to save it, the ill-fated hero.”
Therefore, her life was miserable, and she was abandoned by everyone.
I was the only one who kept the final remnants.
I was the only one to gather her belongings.
I was the only one who killed her.
That’s how I snatched away her remnants.
So that they wouldn’t fall into someone else’s hands.
“Her name, erased from existence, was Lisa Dalgren. Her hero name was Happiness Drop.”
It happened just as I whispered into her ear.
Well then, sweet dreams.
“Why is Abin like this again? She was passed out yesterday too.”
“Don’t worry about it. She’s just getting used to her new Magic Wand.”
Once it’s over, her personality might change, but that’s not too important.
It would be nice if her weak disposition got better, but unless she sees something horrifying in her dreams, such a huge transformation probably won’t happen.
As for the other possible change, she might become aware of her newfound strength.
“Don’t mind Han Abin, how’s the Amplification going?”
“It’s going alright.”
As soon as her words finished, a sound cutting through the air was heard, and a silver Hammer appeared in Baek Sihyeon’s hand.
Baek Sihyeon grasped the Hammer that appeared in midair and started twirling it around.
From behind, it spun in front and switched from her right hand to her left.
As if it was just a game, Baek Sihyeon’s hammer continued to spin in the air, and I felt the Mana piling up within it as it did.
The faster the Hammer spun around Baek Sihyeon, the more Mana amplified within the hammer.
“Looks like it’s Amplifying; it’s a bit different from the usual method though.”
Is she rearranging it in her own style?
While it’s common to self-suggest for Mana amplification, for the act of swinging the hammer itself to be suggestive?
It presents the issue of narrowing the applications for Amplification, yet if the act of swinging the hammer serves as the very suggestion for amplification, there shouldn’t be any major problems.
While it decreases the variety, it focuses solely on the aggressive aspect of amplification.
It might be a bit of a workaround, but this genius student reached this level in just two days.
For a moment, I looked at Han Abin collapsed in the corner of the dojo. One who has to start from scratch, and a genius right in front of her.
Such bitter reflections were interrupted by the sound of the Hammer slicing through the air, and I turned my gaze back to Baek Sihyeon.
“This took way too long.”
“Two days is quick enough.”
That’s what happens with geniuses; they don’t even realize just how impressive their feats are.
In the midst of our conversation, the Hammer continued to spin.
Why does she keep spinning it?
“Why doesn’t the Hammer stop?”
“Um… Master? What happens to the Mana if it stops…?”
“What do you mean, there’s no target to hit so it’ll just be in the Room—”
Wait.
What happens if that Mana is released?
Even now, the Mana piling up in the Hammer was inflating exponentially.
Was it reflecting Baek Sihyeon’s eagerness? The Mana was surging with tremendous force.
“Master… what should we do?”
I hadn’t said a word, but Baek Sihyeon seemed to realize something was off, her expression turning into a distressed one.
If this continues, my student might just wreck the training ground. No, at this rate, she might bury the whole dojo!
Despite my escape from reality, Baek Sihyeon’s Mana continued to swell, and with it, the speed at which the Hammer was swung increased. The amplification was accelerating further.
“Master…?”
Baek Sihyeon, usually so composed, seemed to notice she had made a massive blunder and her voice had a hint of pleading woven through it.
It couldn’t be helped.
“Endure the pain. It’s your fault.” I summoned a weapon from mid-air.
As my right hand felt the weight of the golden Hammer, I thought, “this is how a weapon should feel.”
A Claw Hammer is too light. Sure, it can move easily, but it feels more like a tool than a weapon.
To match the speed of Baek Sihyeon’s spinning, I also started rotating my own Hammer.
Feeling the weight of the Hammer as it grew heavier with the accumulated Mana, I adjusted my Mana levels.
Once the amounts of Mana in both Hammers were similar, the moment our arcs crossed, I shoved my Hammer into the rotation made by her Mana.
Boom!
The sound that couldn’t be believed as just the collision of metal resonated throughout the training ground.
Though I had adjusted as much as possible, complete offsetting was impossible, so the shockwave that burst forth spread outwards.
However, only one Magical Girl was hit by that shockwave.
The one who lost the battle of power, the Magical Girl wielding the Hammer flew toward the Sky.
“Master!”
And that Magical Girl.
As I entrusted myself to the air, I thought, “It’s for my student, but intentionally losing does feel pretty crappy.”
It’s not difficult to push my student down with a stronger force, but if she breaks down in the process, who’s going to take responsibility?
I’d rather fly away instead.
Having thought that, I tried to absorb all the impact, so while my right hand was numb, there was no pain on my body.
If I were to search for a painful spot, one would say it’s my pride that got hurt.
Thanks to that, frustration welled up inside me.
Do I have to do this kind of thing in my skill level?
I recalled the words of a soldier I had heard somewhere.
Just like that thought.
As my thoughts ended, the levitation that had lifted my body ceased, and I twisted my body to avoid falling in an embarrassing way, landing on the mat nimbly.
“Master!”
Baek Sihyeon ran toward me, possibly worried about me.
“Sihyeon.”
At my serious tone, Baek Sihyeon froze for a moment and straightened her posture.
“Why do you wield the Hammer?”
“Because you use the Hammer, Master!”
I figured that would be her reasoning.
Otherwise, there would be no reason for her to wield the Hammer.
“Then what are the Hammer‘s advantages?”
“Um… It can deal a high impact due to its heavy mass?”
That was a reasonable answer.
Yes, at the level of understanding.
With our strength, mass doesn’t bear much significance. Yet, the question still remains… why use a Hammer?
Even if you ridiculously increase its weight to swing a hammer weighing several tens of thousands of tons, it can’t match the sheer effect of a slash performed by the Sky Sword Demon.
“I don’t know!”
Yeah, I figured she’d say that.
“It’s a weapon that can surely destroy the inner layer completely, both offense and defense.”
As I infused Mana into the Hammer, the one filled with Mana expanded to the size of my body and began to release steam in the surroundings.
Thud. The heavy Hammer dropped onto the mat.
“Then let’s begin weapon training.”
Using that, I swung the Hammer.
As a result, my lightweight body couldn’t withstand the overwhelming weight and I ended up throwing myself in the direction of the Hammer.
Unlike my usual aim to plant my feet on the ground and channel all my strength, this time I was in a bizarre position of being flung by my own Hammer.
“Master?!”
Did I dodge?
Seemingly shocked by the sudden situation, Baek Sihyeon didn’t attempt to counter and instead tried to avoid the Hammer.
“From now on, we’ll begin sparring. I only have enough Mana to swing this Hammer, so try your best to block.”
Even though I felt frustrated, I had no intention to mercilessly trample my student.
I suppressed my Mana and left only enough strength that Baek Sihyeon could handle.
What I was practicing was a technique that relied entirely on the weight and rotation of the attack.
Because it requires twisting my body, there are plenty of openings, so Baek Sihyeon should be able to counterattack too.
Boom!
With my entire body rotating, the ground exploded beneath the Hammer.
“Eek!”
Baek Sihyeon, who had been cornered, let out an unexpected strange noise and fled instead of attempting to counter.
“Why aren’t you using the Hammer? Is it just decoration? Block it! Your Hammer isn’t just for show!”
I exclaimed with a tone mixed with annoyance.
Did my words provoke her? Baek Sihyeon looked straight at me.
Having a student react that way was expected.
I decided to repay her courage and rotated the Hammer behind my back.
At one moment, the spinning ceased. The muscles that had twisted from the rotation snapped back like a spring, and the accumulated power was unleashed straight ahead.
I didn’t resist that force and let my body loose.
It was a full-powered rotating strike.
Seeing the strike flying toward her, Baek Sihyeon lifted the Hammer handle over her head with both hands.
Going for a block, I see.
Clang!
The Hammer and the Hammer handle collided, with Baek Sihyeon pushed back by the force.
“The true value of a Hammer lies in its rotation. If you only intend to use it for blocking, a sword or a staff will work just fine.”
I threw that advice at her as she sailed through the air.
What is a Hammer?
It symbolizes the power to crush opponents while embodying all one’s strength in circular motion.
Blocking merely hinders that power.
The Hammers used by Magical Girls are weapons dedicated solely to offensive actions.
“Of course, that doesn’t mean you should neglect defense. While swinging and rotating the Hammer for attack, contain the power to deflect the opponent’s strikes.”
Even the apparently useless rotation and excessively heavy mass are all for the sake of overwhelming strength.
Another clash of metal resonated through the training ground, and Baek Sihyeon flew off again.
“Your rotations are weak. It was obvious you were looking for an opening in my vital spots, but that’s only talk after having equal strength.”
I wasn’t dismissing technique or defense. However, this was a clash of Hammers. The discussion of technique and defense only applies when one has won the strength battle.
My current strength is about equal to Baek Sihyeon’s, and the large movements I’m making are filled with gaps.
Clang.
Once again, Baek Sihyeon flew off after yet another hit. Even though we matched strength, her lack of committing her full might meant she prepared for the next move, waiting to exploit my opening.
She still didn’t understand.
My attack is both defensive and technical, serving as a setup for the next action.
Thus, the endless series of defeats continued.
In that flow…
“Please, let’s do it again!”
With a bright smile, she charged at me once more as if the act of engagement itself was enjoyable.
Her perseverance is indeed overwhelming.
Ultimately, Baek Sihyeon never managed to accept any of my Hammers, and the training concluded with the sight of me continuously spinning while she was flung away.
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