"A-choo!"
Wrapped in a thick blanket, Tiona still couldn't stop shivering. "Hsss—so cold… even Dying Will Flames can't thaw me fast enough."
"What did you expect? We literally just crawled out of a block of ice," Tione shot her sister a look and briskly rubbed her arms. She wasn't faring much better.
"You should be thankful you're wearing clothes I made with Holy Shroud thread," Tsunayoshi said. "That stuff resists both physical and magical damage. Otherwise your frostbite would be worse." He handed each sister a steaming cup. "Here. Hot milk."
They took careful sips. Heat pooled in their chests; the chill ebbing, if only a little.
"That's what you get for clinging to me," Tsunayoshi added, exasperated. "I had armor. You two had a few layers of Holy Shroud at best. You really thought you could tank more than me?"
"A fight is a fight," Tione said flatly. "We agreed—no holding back. That means no letting go at the critical moment."
"Exactly. From the start we said we'd go all out—no mercy," Tiona chimed in, nodding hard.
"They're right, Tsunayoshi," Riveria said from the side. She approved of the Amazons' attitude—and of Tsunayoshi's seriousness. "You took this test seriously and did well. Targeting me first was optimal. Compared to Tiona and Tione, my mobility is weaker—easy to exploit."
Mages were the easiest to punish. Their destructive power was the greatest precisely because they specialized—outside of magic, they were brittle. Low strength, poor endurance, questionable staying power; only speed and agility tended to match a mage's talent.
Riveria recalled the chain of kill-shots Tsunayoshi had lined up. "I almost didn't have time to cast the illusion. Fortunately, I'd begun retreating under a veil from the very first moment, to avoid being the immediate focus."
"Your movement was fast—and finding my real position was faster," she admitted. "If you'd used your other powers, I doubt the three of us could have pinned you."
She eyed the crimson gauntlet. "That artifact you used pushed you straight to a Level 6 bracket. If your control over that surge were higher, Tiona and Tione's arms would have snapped when they blocked your opening blow—and I wouldn't have turned the fight with magic. You subconsciously throttled your output once you felt it running away from you. A correct choice—but it kept you from pressing the advantage."
Tsunayoshi nodded. "True. My control over that spike is rough. I made the tool, but today was my first time driving it this far."
"Which explains everything," Riveria said. "You forged it, but you haven't grown with it yet."
She folded her hands over her staff. "You're aiming for the all-rounder's path. Your gift lets you fabricate all manner of beasts, pseudo-beasts, and tools—that breadth lets you answer many situations. But your personal combat experience lags behind. You prefer to prepare, then command from the rear."
"Going forward, train to deploy your own abilities in live combat. Your toolkit is diverse; your methods must be just as diverse. Control the tempo yourself when you're alone—chain more summons and tools, layer them, and win by shape and flow, not by ramming straight through like you did just now."
Her emerald eyes sharpened. "And stop fretting about 'honor.' Be crueler. Aim at the enemy's biggest weakness. Your power is built for tailored, targeted dismantling—use it."
Tsunayoshi blinked at the gentle, aristocratic elf advising him to fight dirtier. He cleared his throat. "Riveria… this was only a practice bout."
"I'm aware," she replied. "Which is why, on ordinary Dungeon runs—or when you spar other adventurers—you should use the nastiest tools you have."
Tiona sniffled into her blanket, then grinned over the rim of her cup. "Next time I'm not letting go even faster."
Tione drained the last of her milk and stood. "Next time you'll need more than wings."
Tsunayoshi flexed his fingers, feeling the echo of that crimson surge—and the gaps in his control. Warmth spread through his chest, and not just from the milk.
"Next time," he said, "I won't need you to hold me still."
(End of Chapter)
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