Hunter Academy’s Battle God

Within a creepy cave, EunAh was grabbing Sumire's collar, a pale expression on her face.

"Hey, Sumire… don't move far away from me… okay?"

Sumire smiled to console the frightened EunAh.

"Hehe, of course! I'm around Ms. EunAh's side, so don't worry."

"Haa, okay, but I can't understand why the Tower turned us into seven-year-old children."

EunAh remembered that they were inside the Tower, which was proof that she still had her memories.

"Still, aren't you glad? Our memories were left intact."

Just like Sumire said, that was good for the subjugation, but EunAh shook her head. "There's something strange… I've become more fearful… and I cannot use my Trait…"

EunAh tried to use electricity, but it just scattered away.

'This is probably…'

Sumire gave her a serious look. Although EunAh had the memories of a 17-year-old, she didn't have the mental capabilities and abilities of one.

'Just looking at EunAh's attitude… it's cute. She's acting like a seven-year-old child…'

As evidence of that, although Sumire's body had grown younger, her attitude hadn't changed that much from her usual self.

"Haa, why am I such an idiot? I can't even use my Trait…"

Although EunAh's memories remained intact, her personality had changed to how it was when she was a kid. Sumire tried to maintain her composure while looking at EunAh.

'C-cute…'

She'd gotten younger, but EunAh still seemed to have her sharp senses. She glared at Sumire, who was holding back laughter.

"Sumire, your expression is unpleasant… You're laughing at me, right?!"

"N-no! I wasn't thinking of anything!"

"Really? I'm not sure about that…"

EunAh narrowed her eyes and gave her a suspicious look; then she looked away.

"You’re seven but can still summon skeletons?"

"Yes. I have been able to use my abilities since I was young, but as you can see, they aren't that strong."

Sumire's skeleton couldn't even lift EunAh. It barely had strength comparable to Sumire’s.

"Hmm, it seems like our mana and Trait control have been reduced with our younger ages."

"Really? Then could we win by ourselves…? YuSung should be here… Hmm…"

As EunAh fell into thought, Sumire smiled in satisfaction.

'As expected, she's cute.'

Unlike the usually strong EunAh, she was someone Sumire had to protect.

"How about we leave the cave? Based on what we've seen, the interior seems like a maze…"

Tap.

"Just like this, move while holding onto the wall!" Sumire explained easily so that a little kid would understand. It seemed like it worked.

EunAh grabbed the wall while making a serious expression. "Like this?!"

It looked like she'd put too much strength into it. Bits of stone fell.

"EunAh!" Sumire extended her hands to protect EunAh.

'Too late!'

Tap.

EunAh fell to the ground after being hit with bits of stone.

"Buaa!"

If EunAh were 17, she would've just frowned, but it was too much for her at seven. She collapsed while grabbing her head.

"EunAh! Are you okay?"

"I'm not, Sumire. The sky… is spinning…"

EunAh was dizzy. Sumire made a troubled expression.

'We'll have to take a break…'

* * *

* * *

As soon as he entered the Tower, he saw a world made of toy blocks. YuSung checked the situation, his face tense.

Swoosh.

Despite being seven, the mana fire over the palms of his hands showed his capability.

'My memories of the Tower remain intact.'

Who he was, where he was, why he'd come there… YuSung had all of those memories.

The only thing he found uncomfortable was that his arms and legs had gotten shorter.

'I got shorter, so my field of vision is narrower, and my senses also aren't as sharp.'

As long as he still had his battle experiences with him, YuSung wasn't scared of anyone.

'Since I have my memories, I should be able to deal with a rank 3 comfortably if my party backs me up…'

Although YuSung had become younger, his sharp senses were still beyond those of a normal human.

Slide. Paf!

As evidence of that, YuSung turned his head and saw a group of toy soldiers pointing their arrows at him.

They loosed their arrows as he noticed them.

FWOOSH-!

Adela, who'd also become younger, hadn't noticed, but YuSung got into position.

YuSung was used to it, but it wasn't a technique he could use back then, when he was seven.

Tap.

'Put my weight on the right foot.'

YuSung used his feet as the rotation axis and turned his body.

'Once there's enough strength, I should put in the equivalent mana.'

YuSung's movements were too natural, despite using techniques he hadn’t known at seven years old.

'Lastly, the problem is the mana.'

To compensate for his lack of mana, YuSung gathered the mana around him.

Most hunters used the mana within their bodies because using the mana in the air was impossible for a human, but there was a special being who could use the mana in the air; the same being could also imbue promises with mana.

[You've used the strength of Sardonyx's fragment - (Incarnation Crupeos).]

[You've used the strength of Sardonyx's fragment - (Sardonyx).]

[Skill Obtained - Mana Conversion]

[※ Warning: Sardonyx's fragment - (Incarnation Ignis's fragment) is missing. You’re only capable of using 80% of its power.]

At seven years old, he used the strength of a dragon. YuSung gathered mana in the palms of his hands.

The only thing left was to emit the strength that was gathering like a vortex.

Paf!

YuSung rotated his body and extended his hands.

Battle God Style Savage Dragon's Boulder Crushing Palm…

WHOOM!

The Savage Dragon's Boulder Crushing Palm not only blew away the arrows, but it also blew away everything they’d passed through.

He'd managed to do a Savage Dragon's Boulder Crushing Palm stronger than the one he'd done at nine years of age.

"Woah…"

Adela looked at YuSung while making a surprised expression. He fell into thought while looking at Sardonyx's pattern on the palms of his hands, which was becoming blurry.

'It will be easier than expected…'

YuSung, with memories of his fights…

Wasn't just a simple seven-year-old child.

* * * *

Paf.

Little kids stepping on stones could be heard. The Toy Kingdom's boss, the Toy King, awaited the opponents exiting the cave.

'Kids, don't hate me. Battles are always cruel, after all.'

Tap, tap.

"Haa, Sumire. My head just spun around…"

As EunAh's weak voice was heard near the entrance, around 30 soldiers loosed their arrows.

The opponents weren’t active hunters who'd mastered the strength of their Traits. Rather, they were seven-year-old children.

'To think they'd be this defenseless in a Tower subjugation where your life's on the line…'

Tap, tap.

"Sumire, look at that! We're outside! There are also a lot of toys…" EunAh, coming out running, seemed happy to have left the cave.

The Toy King gave an order. "Everyone, shoot!"

Fwoosh!

The arrows quickly flew toward EunAh.

"Eek!" She seemed scared at the unexpected situation.

"EunAh-!"

She only heard Sumire's voice.

Pang! Paf! Paf!

The arrows bounced away. She thought maybe Sumire had used a mana barrier. EunAh carefully opened her eyes after feeling a warm sensation surround her.

What she saw was Sumire smiling as usual.

"S… Sumire…?"

But there was something different.

If it weren't for her, Sumire would've been able to defend against an attack like that, but some toy arrows were hanging from Sumire's body.

"Haa, I'm glad… It seems like I wasn't late this time."

EunAh, surprised by the sudden attack, began crying when she heard Sumire’s warm voice.

"Sumire… Why instead of me-?! Sob! There are arrows on your back…"

Instead of consoling her, Sumire firmly said, "It isn't… instead!"

"Then why…?" EunAh said with a sniffle.

"That's… because… I thought I would regret it," Sumire said as if she were consoling a kid.

"Regret…?"

'"Yes. You are an important partner of my…"

EunAh, who'd become more assimilated into a seven-year-old body, couldn't understand Sumire's hard words, so that's why Sumire said it in a way a kid could understand.

"I was more scared of my partner getting into danger and being unable to do anything about it!"

EunAh, fully seven, could understand what Sumire was saying.

"Sumire… you…" she cried.

Before EunAh could grasp her emotions, a rope attached to one of the arrows began dragging her away.contemporary romance

"Sumire-!"

The Toy King let out an evil laugh. "Hahaha! I got you!"

Grab.

EunAh clenched her fists after wiping away her tears, and…

BZZT-!

Electricity began rising from her body.

Until then, she’d been unable to use her Trait due to her fright, but something had changed.

EunAh was more afraid of losing her partner than she was of her Trait.

"You're going to regret this…"

BZZT-!!

EunAh’s eyes widened, and she shouted toward the Toy King while electricity spread around her.

"All of you-!"

done.co