Chapter 27: Ryo, Minato, and the Duck with Leeks
: Came to see the named monster
: Here to watch
: Is it true Dia-chan is here too?
: So this is the named monster stream
: The concurrent viewers just spiked
: Heard Dia-chan is here
: That really is a huge Negi Mage
: Why are there so many leeks growing in town?
: ↑ Big Negi Mage Drake’s magic
: A ton of long leeks popping up is a gag, right?
: The three on camera are fighting for their lives
: Is this the town from the other stream?
: The bird jumped!
: It’s not flying, huh
: Just that huge body falling is scary
: Is it aiming for Ryo-chan?!
: Ryo dodged!
: Monsters aren’t supposed to appear in the town area, right…
: Who’s that beautiful glasses lady?
: It’s huge
: Are all three holding their eyes and crying?
: They’re coughing hard
: The duck is rampaging and destroying the leeks
: Which one is huge, the Negi Mage or that glasses lady’s—
: Wait, breaking those leeks makes your eyes hurt?
: Of course it does
: This is way too annoying
: The duck looks totally fine
: Bad visibility, and if the duck breaks the leeks our eyes hurt—this is the worst
: Feels like the concurrent viewers keep climbing
: Yeah, both are huge
: Looks like Dia-chan’s cluster noticed
: It’s starting to trend on explorer boards too
: A named monster fight is naturally interesting for explorers
: Came from the explorer thread
: Checking the named monster’s abilities
: If they die, a subjugation request will come up, so this is for study
: Dia-chan is being called “Minato” by Ryo-chan, right?
: Is that Dia-chan’s real name?
: It’s an emergency stream, maybe they haven’t switched mindsets
: Or maybe this is Mocha-P’s call
: Dia-chan moved!
: Midair slashes really hit the chuuni spot
: Aerial slash into jumping slash combo!
: No no no no no
: That’s not the sound of wings and sword clashing
: Grand Slash not going through is bad
: What are those wings made of?
: Nice Backstab, Ryo!
: Stabbed straight into the back!
: Huh? The dagger’s stuck in but it’s fine?
: Both of them got blown away!
: Are they okay?!
: Spiral Flare incoming!
: Glasses lady Spiral Flare!
: Being able to use SpiraFlare means she’s skilled
: It’s caught!
: Confirmed hit
: Did it work?!
: Did it?!
: So many comments raising flags
: The smoke’s clearing
: Whoa, holes in the wings
: This is bad
: Only the wings have holes?
: It pierced the wings and the belly’s pretty scorched
: Wasn’t enough to kill it?
: That much power and it’s still that tough
: It screamed!
: That roar is terrifying
: This feels gross
: Ugh
: I actually peed a little, showering now
: hjkl.;¥
: What’s with the weird comments suddenly?
: My eyes are tearing up
: Feel sick
: Fingers shaking
: It’s hard to breathe looking at that thing
: This is bad! Everyone don’t look at the duck!
: asdjap
: Cameraman! Don’t show Drake!
: kkkkkkkkkk
: Mocha-P, move the camera!
: The roar and glare intimidation is hitting viewers too!!
: Everyone look away from your screens!
: Ueeeh
: It can affect people through the camera?
: Guhhhh
: When the duck disappeared from the screen it got easier
: Might hit people without fear resistance harder
: What was that just now
: Good thing the cameraman moved fast
: But is the cameraman okay?
: Yeah, that’s a point
: Is Mocha-P okay?
: Hey Mocha-P
: Can you even reply right now?
: Is Mocha-P safe?
: The drone moved so he’s probably fine, but Mocha-P?
: Mocha-P okay?
: Mocha-P: Thanks for the concern, I’m okay for now
: Mocha-P: My hands are shaking a bit while operating the drone though
: Glad that’s all it was
: Since Mocha-P’s mana capacity is zero, people were worried
: Maybe it’s more mental than mana, so he managed
: The glasses lady looks bad
: She’s staying sane but getting swallowed by it
: If this is through a camera, direct exposure must be rough
: How about Ryo and Dia-chan?
: Huh? Ryo doesn’t plan to retreat?
: Both of them are totally unfazed by the intimidation
: Dia-chan too
: What are they even saying?
: Huh?
: What?
: It smells good, lol
: Are these two sane right now
: Yeah, that’s how they are, lol
: Smell of roasted duck, lol
: Smell of charred leeks, lol
: Duck is poultry after all
: Are they seriously planning to win?
: Shiranagi-san is coughing, lol
: Is that from the leeks or from those two
: Dungeon ingredient lover and chicken lover are fired up
: Somehow my body feels lighter all of a sudden
: Yeah, watching their banter makes it easier to breathe
: “You’re holding back” is the obvious comment
: I seriously question their sanity, lol
: Maybe it was a fear-type skill
: Respect for delicious food, lol
: Watching the two joke around eased the fear
: How did those two even resist the intimidation?
: Not holding back but showing respect to defeat it, lol
: Ryo and Dia-chan’s eyes are serious
: A battered bird—basically Ryo’s prey
: Ryo has a skill that gets stronger as the enemy weakens
: Is this actually doable?
: It’s not about doable, they’re forcing it
: Even with that skill, can they win?
: So the glasses lady is Shiranagi-san
: She’s got a resigned look
: Looks like she’s being persuaded by the two
While the comment section went wild, unaware of all that, the three checked on each other and reset their stances.
“That intimidation was pretty intense, but are you okay, Shiranagi-san?”
“I wasn’t, but watching you two talk calmed me down.”
“That’s good.”
Ryo smiled, then drew a fresh dagger from its sheath.
“Using martial arts and magic at the same time… like a magic sword from a game?
Hmm… maybe I can picture it as temporary fire attribute infusion?”
Meanwhile, Minato held her sword and muttered to herself.
“Ah, I think I can do it… maybe I just use a martial art with the same feeling as casting magic?”
She extended her left index and middle fingers together and slid them along the blade.
Immediately, the blade tinged red, a flame ignited, and soon the sword was engulfed in fire.
“Done.”
Seeing this, Shiranagi picked up the whip coiled at her hip and mimicked the motion.
“I see. Like this?”
Shiranagi’s whip ignited—no, it became wreathed in flames.
Explorers watching the stream stirred at the sight, but the three noticed nothing.
“I don’t think I can imitate that, so I’ll fight normally.”
Pouting slightly at being left out, Ryo gripped his dagger in a reverse hold.
Drake, meanwhile, looked at them with confusion mixed into its anger.
It had likely planned to bind them with intimidation earlier.
But instead, the two were brimming with motivation.
Seeing even the third shake off the intimidation, Drake looked utterly bewildered.
Looking closer, its abdomen was badly scorched.
From there drifted the sweet aroma characteristic of duck fat being grilled.
The intense pain from Spiral Flare likely dulled its movements as well.
“Shiranagi-san, do you have anything stronger than Spiral Flare?”
“No, that’s my highest-damage card.”
“How about you, Ryo?”
“If I stack Backstab-type skills and use my highest-output technique… it might hit harder than that.”
“Then the basic plan from here is for Shiranagi and me to draw its attention, and Ryo takes the opening.”
“Understood. I’ll contribute as best I can.”
Minato quickly gathered information and summarized it, forming a plan in moments.
Ignoring Drake standing there in confusion, Minato and Shiranagi moved.
In their shadow, Ryo also began moving, layering presence concealment and perception disruption.
First, Minato unleashed her newly conceived technique.
“Martial Art: Dark-Cleaving Fang—Unfutsu Sogajin!”
Flame-wreathed sword pressure burst from Minato’s slash and raced along the ground.
At the same time, Shiranagi immediately accelerated after it, with Minato herself following a beat later.
Though confused, Drake reacted once movement began.
Judging its perforated wings unfit as shields, it scanned its surroundings.
It was likely trying to recover the leek-flail it had thrown away.
But that flail had already been seized by Ryo, who had thinned his presence through concealment and recognition disruption.
Realizing the flail was gone no matter how much it searched, Drake raised both wings.
Not in a shielding stance, but more like a martial arts posture.
Drake clenched its right wing like a fist and swung it up—
“Martial Art Gwa: Wing Fist Erupting Dragon Leek!”
Before the flame-wreathed Sogajin could reach it, the wing fist slammed into the ground.
In the next instant, countless leeks burst from the earth like geysers.
They swallowed the flame-wreathed Sogajin whole.
But Minato and Shiranagi had anticipated that much.
They split left and right, each unleashing a prepared technique.
“Martial Art: Flame Slicer!”
Normally High Slicer, a sweeping variant of High Slash.
With a flaming sword, Minato unleashed it and swept past Drake’s right side.
“Martial Art: Flare Bute!”
Normally Slash Bute, a whip technique akin to High Slash.
With a flaming whip, Shiranagi unleashed it and swept past Drake’s left side.
The simultaneous slashes crossed at Drake’s center, carving an X through the air.