Chapter 25 - Embarrassed Julis!
"It's not because I'm chuunibyou!"
"I call out my move's name to strengthen the mental 'image,' making it easier to conjure flames—almost like a form of self-hypnosis."
Julis felt like she was going crazy.
Upon reflection, she found her previous actions to be truly embarrassing, leaving her with a sudden sense of shame and an inability to face others.
"I swear, I'm not a chuunibyou! You have to believe me!"
Julis now grapples with an overwhelming sense of shame. The realization that she engaged in such embarrassing behavior before a crowd makes her feel as if she's lost all dignity and can't face anyone anymore.
Furthermore, each time she unleashes her ability, she does so with utmost seriousness, accompanied by a loud proclamation. This ritual serves to solidify the mental 'image' crucial for her powers.
Luke felt a twinge of embarrassment as he observed the disconcerted girl before him. Her eyes appeared dull and frozen, as if she had just grasped the foolishness of her past actions.
Regret washed over him for posing that question. Now, the other person was wholly absorbed in her own world of shame.
If Julis's claim holds true that she utters her move name to bolster her mental 'image,' then having recognized the shame associated with it, can she persist in doing so in battle without reservation?
The thought of a girl wearing a forced, embarrassed expression while pushing herself to carry out this ritual is truly...
His mind conjures up vivid and intriguing scenarios.
Yet, Luke never anticipated that Julis shouted her move name for its significant impact on battle—enhancing both success rates and the speed of her ability's release.
Contemplating the idea that shouting skill names could prove advantageous in combat, Luke involuntarily envisioned himself calling out the name of his own skill during a fierce battle.
...
Feeling the pressure coming from the opposite side, this trembling feeling made Luke's whole body excited.
Crazy fighting spirit surged out of his body.
The sword in his hand was slowly retracted into its sheath, and his momentum began to gradually increase. At a certain moment, the momentum of both sides seemed to have reached a critical value, and it exploded instantly!
The sword in Luke's grip unsheathed with a swift motion, propelling his entire body across the horizon like a streak of light, and in an instant, he stood before the enemy.
He declared, "Star Swordsmanship·Shigure-Soen-Ryu·8th form: Akisame!"
...
Luke fell into a moment of silence. His initial concern wasn't about the potential shame or mediocrity of the act. Instead, he contemplated the possibility of being choked to death by the increasingly long sequence of move names.
More critically, the dilemma arose: should he swing his sword before or after pronouncing the move name? If he recited the name first and then swung, wouldn't he be left standing in front of the enemy, momentarily pausing to recite before striking?
...Such a move might make the enemy perceive him as a fool.
If he defeats his opponent first and then announces the move name, it won't consume much time.
But what if he opts for combo skills? For instance, during the apprenticeship test two years ago, Luke executed the three-move combo of Ryūkansen-Ryūmeisen-Akisame against Fan Xinglu.
Picture calling out the move names: "Take my move, Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu·Ryūkansen, followed by Hiten-Mitsurugi-Ryu·Ryūmeisen, and then Shigure-Soen-Ryu·8th form: Akisame!"
"Oh my god, reading this aloud might just make me lose my patience," Luke lamented, feeling it to be a sheer waste of time.
...
The more he dwelled on it, the more ludicrous it seemed. Regardless of the approach, shouting the name of his next move appeared embarrassingly nightmarish.
Whoever came up with the idea of shouting out a skill's name during its use – were they a genius or a tormentor?
In the midst of contemplating whether or not to shout out their move names, Luke and Julis found themselves absorbed in this deliberation.
It wasn't until the Garden of Flame's influence heated up the entire training room that the rising temperature jolted the two back to reality.
With a vigorous shake of her head, Julis struggled to set aside the overwhelming sense of shame. The top priority now was to dispel the Garden of Flame.
Seidoukan Academy's training room is a communal space, maintained by students who undertake cleaning duties every morning.
Engaging in such chores not only contributes to the school's upkeep but also earns students valuable credits.
For those with average abilities and poor academic records, this becomes a convenient shortcut to bolstering their grades. After all, not every student possesses the qualifications to achieve high rankings or invest considerable effort toward participating in the 'Festa.'
For some, the struggle to secure a spot in higher education is already a significant challenge.
If Luke and Julis just left the Garden of Flame here, maybe it would dissipate on its own, but it might also last until tomorrow morning.
Under normal circumstances, the students who come to do the cleaning work are not very capable. If they are accidentally injured by the flames, it will be a big deal.
Although this Garden of Flame is still an unfinished version, it is the move that Julis only managed to release after amplifying it through Star swordsmanship. Its power is devastating to ordinary students.
"Julis, can't you control this flame garden and make it disappear on its own?"
Luke tentatively asked Julis, but he didn't have high hopes for it. The previous order to give up control given by him after all.
When Julis heard Luke's words, she crouched down, closed her eyes and tried hard to communicate with the Garden of Flame.
After a while, she stood up, shook her head regretfully, and said, "No, now this garden of flame is completely out of control. Although I released it, it will not cause harm to me, but I have no way to control it."
"And while I was investigating, I discovered that this Flame Garden is constantly absorbing atmospheric Mana particles to provide itself with Prana."
"If this continues, I'm afraid it won't dissipate without a long period of time."
Julis was a bit happy and a little sad. What she was happy about was that the move Garden of Flame was far more powerful than she had imagined.
A move that can change the environment and independently sustain its own existence, if such a move is released during a battle and controlled by her.
This kind of environmental/domain-type ability, and does not consume one's Prana reserve, plus it can even boost one's own strength. It can also be used to attack nearby enemies. It is simply a nightmare for her opponent.
No need for anything fancy, just this move can increase Julis' combat effectiveness to a very terrifying level.
But the sad thing is that she now has no means to deal with the out-of-control Garden of Flame in front of her.
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