“How is it? Feels good?”

“Un…amazing.”

“You should have been honest right from the start.”

“…Is it alright…to ask for more?”

“Of course. I want to know what exactly you felt”

“Then…can I… come closer a little more.”

“Hm? Even though this is fine?”

“I want to see… Hiiro more carefully..”

“…can’t be helped. Come here quick.”

“Un… I will.”

If one would listen upon their current conversation, one would think they were doing something suspicious, but they weren’t.

Hiiro and Camus returned to the training room for the time being, with Hiiro wanting to train on his 《Grand Red Aura》, and Camus lending his help to him.

Hiiro wanted to try something. So he personally used the 『Visual | 視』 character on Camus’ eyes.

It was the same character magic he once used to observe the flow of power inside Ornoth’s body through the demonstration he requested.

So while he was trying to mix his mana and life force, he asked Camus to oversee the whole process.

“So how was it? Did you get a good image regarding the process?”

“Hmm… it felt like two people were fighting?”

“Haa… why am I not surprised..”

Hiiro who was in a cross-legged position, sighed deeply and laid his head down on both of his hands as it is.

“Practically, doing it on the fingertips was easy, but it’s considerably difficult when I do it on my abdomen.”

“Really?”

“How about you try it?”

At Hiiro’s encouragement, Camus also shut his eyes and concentrated doing the same thing…but,

“….it feels painful.”

“That’s natural. Although I’m not used to it, there are people who don’t have the ability to forcibly mix their mana and life force, and even if they are able to do so, some experience overloading which causes pain as an after effect.”

“..but isn’t Hiiro amazing? You did it well on the fingertip.”

Although Camus felt a little bitter of his incapability, he seems glad however that his Master was able to do it.

“Well, I only had to mix a little on the fingertips. However, when dealing with the whole body, it’s an entirely different matter.”

After unlocking the 《Four Word Chain》 that was used in writing the character 《Peerless | 天下無雙》, the knowledge on how to use 《Red Energy | Shaki》 flowed to his mind, and the feeling still remained since then.

That’s why he could easily do it on his fingertips. However, once he proceeded with his whole body, he struggled getting the knack of it.

“Isn’t there…a trick to this?”

“A trick?… ah, you mean that abstract utter of the wolf?”

“Yes.”

“Well, somehow I get the gist of it. Mana and life force are slowly drawn out and let it freely combine together in a vortex inside your abdomen. Then you gradually increase the rotational speed and let it condense into a small orb. Then use that small orb to spread the power all over your body……. if I could do it so easily though.”

It was difficult to draw out both his mana and life force at the same time. It’s as if one would have to paint a complex picture using both of his hands. The work is ruined even if he made a slight mistake on the colours.

In other words, 《Grand Red Aura》 is born from the feat of completing the painting with the accurate timing of both hands.

“Hiiro’s mana and lif

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e force…at first they were doing well…they were going round and round.”

“……”

“Then… I think it was the life force….that started to distort.”

“Distort?”

“Un… like something swerving”

Camus made both of his hands go around in circle. Then, the right hand stops moving and turned into a fist. Perhaps the right hand was representing the life force.

“It’s only the life force… the mana was still turning around beautifully.”

“….I see”

Hiiro’s mastery of his magic is the proof of his precise control on his mana. However, he only tried controlling the vitality after he knew the existence of 《Red Energy》

Since the feeling remained in him after successfully using 《Red Energy》 once, he was able to do it again on his fingertips. However, Hiiro was only a beginner right now in controlling his life force, so it was natural that his handle on it had a different effect compared to his mana.

(In other words, he was like a right-handed kind of guy that was being forced to suddenly use both of his hands skillfully)

However, learning to use the other hand, much less, with efficiency, was a very hard task to do instantly.

“First of all, I have to get used in controlling my life force…..”

Hiiro brooded on the matter at hand whether there was someone familiar proffiecient in controlling their life force. And as if he remembered a person like that, he suddenly raised his face.

“Wait a minute… wasn’t 《Binding | 化裝術》 not considered a magic?”

“…?”

Camus cutely inclined his neck to the side in face of Hiiro’s sudden mutter.

“That’s it! If I’m not mistaken, 《Binding | 化裝術》 wasn’t a magic but a technique itself. I heard that it consumes life force and mana at the same time. d.a.m.n! Why haven’t I noticed it until now! Wasn’t the clue close to me all along! The hints were all over the place and yet I didn’t notice it!” 

“….Hiiro?”

“Let’s go Nitouryuu.”

“Eh?….Where?”.

“Obviously to the person who knows a lot about 《Binding | 化裝術》 .”

Hiiro went out of the room with Camus in high spirit.

“Hoh, and why did you come all this way to visit me?”

The one who spoke was Raras.h.i.+k who was sitting on a chair with both of her hands inside the pockets of her white lab coat while her long ears were twitching back and forth.

Although it wasn’t obvious based on his small lolita figure, he had heard she was an old veteran fighter with an immeasurable fighting power. Moreover, she was renowned 『Gabranth』 as the founder of the 《Binding》 skill.

Hiiro wanted to learn the process on 《Binding》, and this person was the most suitable one to ask for it so that he could learn the trick in controlling his life force.

That’s because she can handle anyone’s 《Binding》 skill and is also the master of Arnold and Muir who were his former travel companions.

He judged that her control of her life force is very good, so proceeded at once to her household.

“Although I get the gist of what you are requesting…. But I don’t have any obligation to teach you, you know?”

Hiiro felt a little angry in face of that malicious grinning expression of hers. But he desperately suppressed it, as he calmed himself down.

“It’s true that you don’t have any obligation to teach me these kind of things…”

“If that’s the case, then I don’t…”

“However, for some reason, I had 【Xaous’】 special 《Maker’s Ale》 with me though?”

“What did you sayyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy!?”

The c.o.c.ky face she had awhile ago distorted into a surprised one as she stared at the bottle Hiiro had revealed.

“Furthermore, it seems someone had also put 《Sasami Chips》 along in my bag.”

“Fuoooooooooooooooo!?”

(TL Note: Sasami is a high quality chicken breast-meat.)

In face of her current expression, Hiiro could only think ‘Got ya!’ as he made a snicker.

“G-give it to me! All of it! Especially that ale that I’ve wanted to drink for a long time!”

Although she approached while jumping on the said parcels, Hiiro raised it up above Raras.h.i.+k’s head.

“Wait a minute, did you think I would give these things just for free?”

“Ugh….Hiiroo…”

Raras.h.i.+k made a mortified expression as she fell down on the floor, head down and trembling.

(This is bad, did I take it too far?)

He thought this method could let him talk with Raras.h.i.+k on equal terms, but it seems it was too much stimulation for her. Maybe he should have behaved modestly when he’s dealing with quick-tempered women…

Or so he thought…

“Nahahaha! *gulg* *gulg* puhaa~ you have should have done this right from the start! Now let me enjoy this first~”

…..when he offered the ale to her, she gave her approval in teaching him how to control the life force so easily.

(Fuu, I’m so glad this person is so simple-minded…)

So what Arnold said was true after all that he should give her what she wants first rather than ask first what he wants. So before he went to her household, he used 『Transfer』 character back to 【Xaous】 and procured the necessary items.

While watching the lolita drinking cup after cup of the ale, Hiiro unexpectedly hanged his head down as he sighed with a mix of relief and disgust.

Then, after Raras.h.i.+k finished indulging with her treats, she said with a serious face,

“Now ask anything you want to know! My heart is very generous right now that I will answer any of your questions! Nahahaha!”

She had this triumphant look as Hiiro slightly glanced at her.

(I don’t know how generous enough is that heart of hers, but as expected of that old man’s master)

He antic.i.p.ated that he would have a hard time handling this woman, but he didn’t had to. Just like Arnold, she was an easy to handle old Loli.