.
The trio stared at the screen without replying for several seconds, long enough to make me wonder if Orho had accidentally sent her spiritual voice in a private communication to me rather than speaking to the room.
Finally, however, Dilorè broke the silence
“To make it impossible to stand on the ground…” she mused, turning the idea over in her mind. “It would take a very powerful area-of-effect spell to make the ground untenable for a dragon. They are incredibly tough creatures.”
The skymaid shook her head, gazing at her dim student with a slightly saddened expression. Dilorè had clearly missed her point.
Orho excelled as Ryuu’s strategist. She had identified the conch shell trumpets as the villagers’ weak point, and determined the means to destroy the sphere. I had very little doubt she was about to do it again. But it was time for me to leave, so I would learn the result later.
“I must check on something,” I told everyone. “I will leave you five to work out the details. Ka, you should have them discuss it over a meal.”
“As you wish, Commander,” Ka replied.
I exited the scenario, using Kanon’s shortcut to transfer myself directly to the roof of the Garden Pavilion. I had already warned Orho that I was planning to slip out. When she sensed me up here, she wouldn’t mention it to them.
She knew I had nothing to check on; I simply believed the team would have a more open discussion without me present. Right now, despite my ostensible position as ‘coach’, I more-or-less represented the opposition.
My raiment had still been a bit translucent when I returned to the Huadean spiritual environment, like wearing a filmy nightgown without lingerie underneath, so I was wearing the training outfit I had worn when I entered the Dragon Stage. I dismissed that clothing now and dove into the pool, then grew my flukes.
Returning to almost-but-not-quite the rich environment of the Fundamental Realm had allowed my mind to expand once more. Rather than concentrate on memories or plans, however, I simply absorbed spiritual energy into my vessel as I swam on automatic in the small circle of water around the dais. The outside diameter of the observation deck pool was about ten paces. A complete lap was about thirty paces, which is similar to one pool length at the Olympics. Hardly sufficient room for an Elder in marine form, but I was only there to paddle, barely moving my flukes, as I basked in spiritual energy. I found it comfortable, the same way that Kanon and Dilorè found sitting up in the light comfortable.
Kanon appeared in the center of the dais, seated in lotus form. I broke the surface, just in case she wanted me for something, pushing myself up to fold my arms on the edge of the dais.
I’m just here to cultivate while we wait, Commander, she informed me before I said anything, without opening her eyes or moving in any way.
Physically, Kanon is an exact reproduction of Senhion before her form degraded due to the Afflication. I know that calling her a beautiful woman is vanity on my part, but she is. Her nude feminine form, without wings or raiment, hair falling like a black waterfall behind her, gracefully seated with perfect posture in the center of the dais in the pure daylight, presented a truly gorgeous image against the grand background of blue sky and scattered, fleecy clouds.
I consider my current face and body as Tiana a pale imitation. Senhion had truly been a stunning woman.
What did you think of their first fight, Sister? I asked as I slipped back into the water and resumed my swim. We could have a light conversation using only a small corner of our awareness while we continued to cultivate, thanks to the rich energy here.
They did well, Commander, she admitted. Although I still believe Mr. Kowa would do better with the shield I offered.
I nodded. You may be correct. But, I am still hopeful that he will prove you wrong.
Why? Am I wrong?
No. I agree with your basic assessment. The choice you offered is logically better.
After all, even though later paintings always portray St. George as a jousting knight with a lance, the more ancient images of him show him fighting the dragon carrying a shield and wielding either a sword or a spear. It just makes sense to carry something to block the flame, and charging a fire-breathing beast on horseback with a lance would just be a quick way to lose a horse.
Then why did you back him?
She sounded a little frustrated with me. It gave me a twinge of guilt that I had failed to explain earlier.
Because it would do his spirit good to prove you wrong, Sister. There are things about mortals that you still don’t understand.
It might have sounded a bit arrogant. I said it while hoping she didn’t take it that way. As it turned out, she didn’t.
No… this time, perhaps I understand, faintly, she answered. I just dislike this characteristic of mortals. Is it truly better to allow them to take the less efficient path, just because it doesn’t suit their emotions?
I considered my answer carefully.
When it truly matters to them, and their choice can also lead to success… yes, it is better.
Why does this particular choice matter so much to Mr. Kowa?
Because a true warrior of his culture faces the enemy with two hands gripping a sword, I explained.
I hadn’t used an ounce of tactical knowledge to reach my decision, you see. It had been based upon my understanding of Japanese culture.
A very long pause followed, long enough to make me think she had found this explanation sufficient. Or too preposterous to continue listening to. But eventually, she returned with a question.
Can I trouble you to explain this in detail? she asked, confessing, I don’t understand.
I wondered if I could, since I had reached my conclusion on intuition, even though I was very confident of it. But then I decided to try anyway.
Even if it isn’t historically accurate, even if many historic figures of his culture actually preferred pole arms or spears, the image of a warrior for his nation is the figure of a brave man squarely facing his foe while gripping a two-handed sword. As a little boy, he and the other little boys in his neighborhood gripped sticks and faced each other in this fashion, pretending to be such warriors having a duel. He may have even participated in his youth in a popular sport of his nation which simulates such duels. When such a thing is engrained in his soul at its deepest roots, it becomes vital to his spiritual essence.
I half-expected a retort, or an argument. Despite my confidence, even I had to admit that it sounded a little weak as a reason. But I firmly believed that if he could make his treasured samurai imagery work, he could have more success than using any other means.
# # #
When they entered, Ryuu did not show any sign of reconsidering his choice. Dilorè had requested some extra time to become more accustomed to holding her spear one-handed while carrying a shield, so we let the ’empty stadium’ time extend until she was ready, but Ryuu never raised the question of changing his armaments.
While they waited for her to practice, Ryuu and Chiara stayed together, talking in low voices. Someone in the distance might have thought they were holding a warm heart-to-heart meeting, but when I eavesdropped, they were actually discussing her positioning. They still planned to have her stay far back, even though the dragon had eventually charged her position to end the match, but it sounded like they planned to use the likelihood he would charge her to their advantage this time.
Yes, I was ‘coaching’ and had no idea of their game plan. I had completely deferred the real coaching to Orho and Ka and assumed the role of training director instead. I was only proctoring the exam, this time.
Finally, the grand pageantry of the Dragon Stage reran itself– they were doomed to repeat it every time because there was no ‘save point’ prior to defeating the dragon– and they again advanced. This time, Chiara simply stayed at the starting spot, even farther back.
A massive amount of Earth mana began channeling through me, genuinely surprising me. Chiara had never executed any Earth magic at all since becoming my servant. She had said that her mother hadn’t possessed the Earth element and couldn’t teach her, leaving me to believe she didn’t know any. But she seemed to be pre-charging at least one large Earth spell in her staff, complete with an incantation that made it a higher level spell. Once that was ready, she precharged Water and Wind spells.
While I flew backward to get out of action, Dilorè and Ryuu took up positions near the sidelines. They advanced somewhat, but didn’t try to go around back just yet. They just spread themselves as wide as they could.
The observation sphere had stayed with me, and Orho was watching through it, along with Ka and Kanon. So, when I watched them target, very specifically, Gugrenar’s left forepaw, the observers heard my gasp of surprise.
It wasn’t the strategy that surprised me, though. I knew that this was the strategy Orho was aiming for when she said to ‘make standing impossible’.
What surprised me was the fact that Orho had succeeded in convincing them of her strategy on the first try.
Did you perhaps not think they would listen to me? Orho asked.
“Frankly, I did not,” I admitted. “I figured they would have to fail a few other strategies first.”
I might not have been successful before the previous run, but that first time seems to have convinced Mr. Kowa sufficiently in one try.
“I entered this arena in order to train after I first gained my human form,” Ka noted. “We used the strategy of avoiding all contact until we could get team members on three separate sides.”
I nodded. “That was the more standard approach. One avoided fighting him at all until one could surround him with damage dealers on opposite sides. Then it is simply a matter of becoming strong enough to remain alive and continuously attack until he could not continue. It’s a very brute force strategy.”
Which is why I naturally did not advise it, Orho completed. Better to rob him of the use of his feet. He is too heavy to turn on his belly. He must lift himself to turn. His only means of lifting himself other than his feet is flight, but his head is taller than the top of the boundary poles. The moment he leaves the ground, he goes out of bounds and loses. And if he cannot turn, you can get behind him with all your forces, remaining out of range of his tail, and torture him until he must escape.
After they destroyed Gugrenar’s left forepaw, largely due to a series of [Water Spear] attacks from Chiara– lethal to a Fire element beast and possible here only because she was channeling the mana from me instead of attempting to squeeze mana out of the desert environment– Gugrenar identified her as his main threat again and charged her, clumsily loping on three legs while holding up his injured paw. The ground shook and pavement split every time he came down on his single forepaw.
I saw her brace herself, then slam the staff onto the ground and release her pre-charged Earth magic by shouting her invocation word, “[Earth Castle]!”
As I saw the mana that she had channeled through me pour forth, I knew why it had been so massive. A fog of mana dense enough to be Darkness magic formed around her, then converted into a dome structure around her. It was manifested mana, not materialized, so she would be able to fire through it, yet it was so dense, I had no doubt it would hold.
I had seen combat mages use it during the war, although only the high level ones, because it was a third level spell.
Gugrenar had just charged right past the other two as Chiara continued to fire [Water Spear]s at him. His charge did demolish the [Earth Castle], but it stopped his momentum and she was able to propel herself backward with a Wind spell and escape. Ryuu and Dilorè immediately attacked his left rear foot.
Realizing the danger, the dragon turned one eighty degrees, but the damage was already done. Chiara could finish taking the left rear foot out while Ryuu and Dilorè destroyed his right forepaw, then, while they avoided his breath attacks, she could sit back and slowly batter the stranded beast from behind.
The fight had become a foregone conclusion.
