31 Seven Mysteries Part 12
Despite the precision of his magical strike, it became painfully evident to him that it hadn't quite packed the punch he'd hoped for. Rather than dealing a fatal blow, it merely left the statue with a minor scrape, like a scratch on the surface of an otherwise impervious foe.
As the blue pill dissolved on Kazuma's tongue, a soothing warmth spread through his body, reigniting his depleted mana reserves. His pounding headache vanished into thin air, leaving behind a crystal-clear mind. However, this newfound clarity did little to solve the enigma of how to outmaneuver the stubborn Stone Statue Qlipoth.
The hefty hammer in Kazuma's grip proved disappointingly ineffective in combat. Its unwieldiness made it challenging to land a decisive blow, especially when the statue refused to stand still. He pondered the chisel as an alternative, but the thought of using it on the statue's foundation gave him pause – the risk to his own well-being loomed ominously in the background, causing Kazuma to hesitate in his pursuit of a solution.
Kazuma found himself at a crossroads, torn between the options of retreating to safety or plunging headfirst into the unknown. As he grappled with this pivotal decision, his phone jolted to life, and a direct message from the group chat illuminated his screen.
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Raigaki: "Kazuma, I know you're itching to take on this formidable foe single-handedly, but isn't it wiser to call for reinforcements in a battle where your odds look more dismal than a stormy night in November?"
Rena: "Raigaki's onto something. This isn't a one-man show, buddy. You're cornered, and I don't see any harm in us joining forces with you."
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Kazuma's gaze darted around, his certainty that the two were keeping a watchful eye on him increasing by the second. And then, like enigmatic phantoms, he spotted them on the rooftop, teetering precariously on the edge as they surveyed the unfolding chaos.
In the blink of an eye, they vanished from his sight, only to reappear behind him.
"Kazuma," Raigaki began, his tone both authoritative and concerned, "You remember that earlier chat about how you were itching to tango with that Qlipoth from earlier, right? We may be your seniors, but we can't keep heaping all the responsibility on your shoulders during this team mission. Besides, your magical arsenal is about as formidable as a kitten's purr, and physically, you're still a lightweight. This fight? It's way out of your league."
"But you guys didn't stop me from taking on the other Qlipoth earlier, and besides, I won on that one," Kazuma protested, a hint of frustration in his voice.
"That's because it was a walk in the park compared to this monstrosity and it doesn't matter if you won your previous battle, this guy and the one you defeated earlier are different entities," Rena chimed in, her smile hiding a hint of amusement as she unfurled her folding fan. "This beastie is on the brink of leaping from the Malkuth tier to the Yesod tier, judging by its movements and ferocity. It's impressive that you managed to scratch it at all, given the odds stacked against you. But tackling it solo? That's just asking for trouble, my friend~"
The two nodded at each other seeing the Qlipoth statue before them.
"This Qlipoth is quite interesting but it lacks a sense of beauty despite being a statue monster. It would have been great if it just decided to mimic a beautiful statue instead of the founder of the school and turn it into one big abomination. Since you are made of stone right now, I think a good decoration would help, yes?~" Rena waved her fan around and her petals of flowers started to hover around the place.
Then, all of a sudden, the statue that had been observing the group began to shake. Vines and various plants suddenly appeared on its body, growing around the small monument it stood upon. The plants covered the statue entirely. The Qlipoth statue attempted to remove them, but as it did, the growth increased, regrowing any plants that were torn off by the statue.
"Hoho, interesting, Rena. I thought you would use one of your signature spells, but you're trying something else, huh?" Raigaki grinned as electricity began to charge up in his body.
Kazuma is just there, marveling at what the two are doing. As the statue is already busy doing its little job, Rena gives him the opportunity for Raigaki to do his thing. She is capable of defeating the statue but since she feels it is too boring if she would do it by herself, Raigaki here will add more spice to it.
"I am revved up and ready to go. I know you are just made of rock but that doesn't mean you are invulnerable to anything!"
The charged electricity on his arm surged and he started running towards the statue. The Qlipoth Statue noticed Raigaki approaching so instead of finishing its first job of getting rid of the plants, it immediately switched its target to Raigaki.
"Get that ugly mug off, you little sh*t!"
Raigaki conjured bolts of lightning and hurled them toward the Qlipoth statue. The statue remained impervious to the direct impact of the lightning, but the bolts instead struck the surrounding plants, causing them to rapidly expand in size. It wasn't until the Qlipoth Statue realized what was unfolding and the true purpose behind Raigaki's actions.
The lightning strikes that Raigaki used were not solely intended for the stone monument; their primary purpose was to invigorate the magical plants adorning the Qlipoth Statue. These were no ordinary plants, as they were imbued with magic themselves. Their compatibility with the lightning energy prompted them to grow larger and stronger, in alignment with Raigaki's intricate strategy.
As the plants began to swell into colossal proportions around the Qlipoth statue, the statue itself started to crumble. Its roots delved deep into its body, hastening the impending collapse. It wouldn't be long before the Qlipoth statue's ultimate demise.
Raigaki persisted in hurling magical lightning at the statue, tantalizing it and skillfully avoiding capture by the statue, which desperately sought to consume Raigaki. Rena contributed to the spectacle by periodically waving her fan, causing beautiful flowers and fruits to bloom on the rapidly growing plants enveloping the Qlipoth statue. With each surge of energy from the lightning strikes, the statue's stability and integrity eroded rapidly, bringing about its eventual destruction.
It didn't take long for it to crumble to pieces and as it crumbled, Rena and Raigaki fired at it simultaneously, causing an explosion where a scream of something otherworldly could be heard before it blended into the silence of the night.
"There, mission accomplished. One of the seven mysteries is gone, done, and dusted," Raigaki is looking proud of what he has done so far.
"Hehe, don't forget about me. Just because you did most of the damage doesn't mean I am far behind with the contribution, yes?" Rena playfully bumped into Raigaki.
"Yes, yes. I know. Anyways, Kazuma, what do you think? We just did something simple and I bet you can also do it well too. Have you learned how we magicians do teamwork?"
Kazuma slowly stood up from where he was sitting and nodded. "Yeah. And thanks to both of you, I realize that I was being too overconfident of myself and I almost got myself killed," Kazuma lamented.
"Oh no, no, Kazuma dear~, being reckless allowed us to also learn what is the main deal of that statue so even if you are not strong enough to fight it, doesn't mean you are useless. And besides, you are just starting. To be perfectly honest, you shouldn't be doing missions this early especially since your power is still not perfectly good but seeing how well you perform, let's just say that you are already qualified indeed, you just lacked power and training but you are ready," Rena pats Kazuma's back.
"What Rena said, Kazuma. That said, you have some injuries, let's have you treated for a bit. We are still busy with the investigations so it would be great for you to help us with gathering information on the remaining missing mysteries. We will not engage in a Qlipoth battle for the time being until you are back to tiptop shape."
"I am sorry and thank you for the assistance," Kazuma nodded.
Rena heals up Kazuma's wounds and Kazuma's wounds start to recover slowly.
"It's not the same way as Rain-sama's magic spell that can instantly cure you but seeing you are healing means my Aromatherapy magic is helping."
While Rena is healing Kazuma, Raigaki picks up one of the pieces of the stone statue that just broke to pieces. Grabbing a container, he sealed up the remaining parts of the stone statue inside before he blasted it with lightning and destroyed it for real this time.
"Alright, time to explore the school at night, Manato, make sure you are not afraid of the dark, we will try to see what horrors await us," Raigaki grinned as the two walked into the school building.
Kazuma sighed but now that he had seen some noteworthy ways to utilize some spells, he also got a few ideas. Next time he will fight, he will try to utilize it for himself. But the investigation is not yet done. After all, the night is still young.
