The Mysterious Child: An Adventure Tale Beginning with Numerology

"Kah!"

Roze glared at the clown demon—Stanchik—while coughing up blood.

There was no sign of magic being used. Of course, the same goes for mystic arts. Even if he had used them, it should be theoretically impossible to wound Roze, who is all things.

This must be a race skill or unique skill possessed by the individual demon.

While she didn't know what kind of ability could harm this body, there was no reason to stay docile.

Although she was shaken by being wounded for the first time in her memory, this much wasn't something she couldn't handle.

For now, she stepped back a few paces, took out a High Potion from her item box, pulled out the knife, and poured it over the wound.

The wound closed instantly, and the pain faded away.

Stanchik tilted his head dramatically.

"My, my. For someone who prides themselves on being immortal, you were quite prepared with such an item."

"I consider various possibilities."

It was good to have it just in case.

Of course, it was meant for her disciples to use.

"...So, what did you do to me?"

"A clown is not a fool, you know. Do you think I would answer?"

"I suppose not."

Now, what to do?

Being wounded itself wasn't much of a problem.

No matter what skill he had, if Roze seriously wanted to win, she could probably do so in an instant. With the numerology combo of "The Eye of Fiction" and "All Creation" that never runs out of resources, she could see through all of the opponent's cards and overwhelm them with overwhelming output.

But Roze didn't dislike fighting.

Rather, she enjoyed feeling out a strong opponent in a serious match.

So this time, let's not use "The Eye of Fiction". Figuring out the opponent's skills is part of the thrill of battle.

Yes, let's do that.

First, let's think about the true nature of the skill that wounded this body.

He went out of his way to guide her vision before throwing the knife. It's probably not something that can inflict wounds unconditionally and certainly. That means the skill itself doesn't have killing power. I think it's fine as long as I avoid the knife.

I never thought I'd be considering evasion, but thanks to my maxed-out level, my agility is decent. It's just a matter of changing how I fight.

Moreover.

"Now, it's my turn."

Roze snapped her fingers.

Using the snap as a signal, she turned part of her finger into a weak electric charge and released it. She connected these charges, which were part of herself, at will to form a circuit. At that moment, she changed another finger into high-voltage lightning that automatically traveled along this circuit and fired it.

It's a relatively simple technique using "All Creation".

No matter how strong the opponent is, the lightning itself is close to the speed of light. It's not something that can be avoided after seeing it. Unless one can visually perceive spirit essence, it can't be detected, so it usually hits directly.

Pan!

As expected, the lightning that branched into several bolts struck Stanchik's body.

It's a high voltage that would normally guarantee paralysis. A convulsing demon should be the result—or so it should have been.

"As expected of the Mystic King. This is the first time I've received such a numbing attack."

"Tch."

He was unharmed.

Again, there was no sign of using any technique, so this must be defense by a skill. I don't know if it's the same skill that wounded Roze, but it seems he has quite a powerful one.

"Then, I shall—'Wind Cutter'."

"'Relative Transfer'."

What Stanchik released was a beginner-level magic, but given what happened earlier, I can't let my guard down. Roze avoided it with a large transfer, and the clown laughed.

"Fu fu fu fu. You're being cautious~"

"Of course... Yah!"

She snapped her fingers.

She struck with lightning again in a surprise attack, but he was still unharmed.

Is it not about timing, but rather that lightning is being nullified?

"Hmm. Is the Mystic King resorting to the same attack? 'Earth Bullet'."

"'Relative Transfer'."

She avoided the earth bullet.

She's not young enough to fall for provocation, but it does seem better to try a different method of attack.

However, if it's simply a matter of lacking attack power, even if she uses magic, this vacant lot isn't large enough.

...Can't be helped.

Although she wasn't very enthusiastic about it, she realized there was no alternative.

"Don't underestimate the Mystic King too much."

"Then why don't you show me something that will surprise me?"

"Alright, I'll do just that—'Terrain Manifestation'."

What Roze activated was an advanced ideation technique.

The World Tree doesn't just record human consciousness. It stores memories of animals, plants, space itself, and even the stars.

What can be called forth from there is diverse, but this is one of the grandest ideation techniques that Roze can confidently say as the Mystic King.

It's a mystic art that summons space itself as a physical entity, not an illusion.

The target is several meters around. A vast different space is twisted and forced into it. When this happens, the spaces repel each other, and the summoned different space is bounced into another dimension.

Of course, those inside go along with it.

In other words, "Terrain Manifestation" is a field barrier technique that moves the battle stage to a different space until Roze releases it.

And what she summoned was water spreading out in all directions.

It was a shallow lake existing alone in a plain surrounded by snowy mountains.

Of course, the town of Shaboom where they were just moments ago is nowhere to be seen.

"Oh ho! A transfer, is it? What a strange experience!"

"The surprise starts now. 'Thundercloud Summoning'."

The moment Roze chanted, thick, pitch-black clouds formed in the sky.

Stanchik's smile froze at the overwhelming presence of the massive thunder rumbling from there.

Of course, it doesn't end there.

"'Ice Storm'."

"Woah!"

She activated a wind-ice combination magic.

Countless ice spears like tornadoes enveloped Stanchik.

Furthermore, when she snapped her fingers, hundreds of lightning bolts from the thundercloud fell towards Stanchik along the path of electric charges Roze had created. Since he had endured the previous one unharmed, she decided to hit him with a stronger one this time.

An explosion-like roar and aurora fill the world.

And the ground is water. Continuous electric shocks go back and forth multiple times, assaulting Stanchik.

Due to the extreme heat, the water visibly evaporates, turning into steam that fills the entire area.

It's a strategic-level technique that uses the entire environment, applying physical principles as well. Roze is doing this lightly, but normally this level of power could only be achieved with group ritual magic.

Surely he can't be unharmed after this.

"Hah, hah... You're quite something."

Stanchik, soaked from head to toe, was laughing breathlessly.

Hmm. There's no sign of him being injured anywhere.

Even Roze was puzzled by this.

"I'm quite curious about how you're unharmed despite all this."

"I won't tell you, of course. But with such intensity, there's no room for me to show off. A clown is an actor who shines when being watched, you know."

Stanchik says playfully. His fingertips move slightly, and something glitters as it flies towards Roze.

Roze twists her body to dodge reflexively. Several needles roll behind her.

Moreover, they're coated with a black liquid that looks like poison.

"Hmph, you think poison will work on me?"

"Making it work is my job!"

Stanchik charged forward with a smile.

Roze calmly teleports backwards to create distance. Judging from Stanchik's fighting style, it's clear he's trying to guide her consciousness to land his attacks for certain. It's not good to narrow her field of vision.

"'Threshold Compilation'."

"Huh! Invisibility, is it?"

Roze projected background information onto her own body.

The reason for choosing this waterside field wasn't just because it's compatible with her specialty, lightning. Roze's most proficient "Threshold Compilation" recognition manipulation technique becomes easier to apply to herself when there's less information in the surroundings.

From the opponent's perspective, it should seem as if she's blended into the background.

Stanchik looks around restlessly.

Roze, who has moved to his blind spot, begins to chant a spell to unleash a large-scale fire and light magic.

"Damn! Where did you disappear to! It's cowardly, come out—just kidding."

"Eh, aah!"

Stanchik, who shouldn't have been able to see her, threw a knife backhanded.

It pierced Roze's thigh and shoulder, and blood danced in the air.

"Ugh, how..."

"You're naive, Mystic King. I'm a clown, well-versed in deception."

"I don't care about such excuses."

Making attacks effective on this body, enduring any attack, breaking through perception interference—things that shouldn't be possible keep happening.

As she endures the pain and pulls out the knife, her vision sways.

"Uh, this is bad."

It's poison.

She quickly takes out a Cure Potion from her item box and drinks it.

The discomfort fades from her body. How long has it been since she experienced a status abnormality?

"You're persistent."

"That's my line."

Anyway, she needs to figure out the secret of Stanchik's skill.

However, attacking from her side is ineffective and just wastes magic power and stamina. It's probably the same for him, but not seeing the bottom of it is mentally exhausting as well.

A long battle against a clown is probably not good.

Honestly, if she wanted to, she could keep fighting for a thousand years... but she doesn't feel like going that far.

She wants to win in a fair fight. At times like this, what should she do?

At times like this.

When Roze's bewilderment turned into hesitation, she found herself muttering naturally.

"At times like this, what would Ruruk do?"

What would that beloved disciple do? How would he think?

She had watched him closely for four years. His unconventional values, unexpected knowledge, and eccentric imagination. What would someone with those qualities think in such a predicament?

Just keep attacking—no.

Observe while evading—no.

Come up with a new technique on the spot—not this either.

"If it were Ruruk, if it were Ruruk..."

Roze digs into her memories.

The flexibility at the core of his thinking.

And she remembered.

The words of the boy who couldn't use magic at all, yet came up with basic theories for forbidden techniques one after another.

"Master, aren't you thinking too heavily about forbidden techniques? After all, 'Full Scan' and 'Explosion' each use very ordinary physical reactions. They were registered as forbidden techniques by the 'Central Magic Academy' only because their scale became larger and their power, range, or effects exceeded expectations. Dolphins and bats can do something similar to 'Full Scan', and 'Explosion' can be reproduced on a small scale with items you can buy in Stoania shops, right? The point is, you're thinking too big. Even vaguely enormous powers might have surprisingly simple fundamentals."

The fundamentals are surprisingly simple.

...Ah, I see.

Ruruk has a broad perspective when looking at things. It's as if he's peeking at this world from a completely different world. When faced with an obstacle, he always considers the option of not just overcoming it from above, but also dodging it from the side.

If that's the case.

"As his master, I can't be stuck here."

Roze smiled faintly.

She should think more broadly. Delivering attacks that should never be effective, weathering high-powered attacks unscathed, seeing an opponent who should be invisible.

What all of these have in common is...

"A skill that reverses results, perhaps?"

Is that Stanchik's characteristic?

When Roze said this with certainty, the clown's face momentarily showed a smile brimming with killing intent.

"Fu fu fu! As expected of the Mystic King. You're quite perceptive. Indeed, my unique skill 'Incomprehensible Clown' is the ability to make the uncertain certain and the certain uncertain. ...But even if you understand my power, the result won't change. Even an immortal body is just a lump of flesh before me. Our compatibility is perfect!"

"I see. If we had met a little earlier, I might have begged you to kill me."

But now, she has no intention of dying.

Having overcome her eternal loneliness, she began to formulate a strategy with a relaxed smile.

The Mystic King and the Clown.

The bell for their second round rang.