I Was the Supporter of a Popular Dungeon Streamer, but the Power Harassment Was Too Much, so I Quit. I’m Useless Anyway, so It Shouldn’t Be a Problem, Right? Huh? The Views Are Dropping Like Crazy? - 31-32

Chapter 31: Supporters vs.???

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After confirming their respective skill levels, I sent the file summarizing Mia Naruse and Iizuka’s combat abilities, which I had compiled yesterday, to both of their smartphones.

“Mia Naruse’s OOPArts is ‘Inazuchi.’ Simply put, it’s a sword that manipulates lightning. Its main techniques include 【Raijin】, which releases a semicircular lightning slash with a sweeping motion. 【Raisou】, which fires a lightning beam with a thrust and 【Raihou】, which calls down lightning by pointing the sword skyward.”

To be precise, those were probably the only three techniques she could use.

“【Raijin】 has a fast startup but low power. 【Raihou】 is powerful and has a wide range, but it has about a three-second delay after raising the sword, leaving her wide open during that time. If she lowers the sword tip before the attack is completed, it will be interrupted. The one to watch out for is 【Raisou】.It has a decent activation speed and high power.”

“A lightning beam, huh? Is there any way to counter it?”

“Mia has a habit of bending her knees and elbows when she thrusts. Also, she always aims straight ahead. If you focus on that, you can dodge it.”

Riku diligently took notes in a memo pad.

“The OOPArts itself is quite powerful. It has no inherent weaknesses and its range of techniques could potentially be expanded further.”

Isshiki-san remarked. That was true. Inazuchi itself was incredibly strong. Lightning was both fast and powerful and it also had a paralyzing effect when being hit by it. Being able to freely control such lightning over a wide range made Inazuchi an excellent OOPArts. If refined, it could become something truly formidable.

“A wasted treasure. I watched some footage and her swordsmanship is sloppy. There are openings everywhere.”

It seemed Riku had even done some prior research too. Contrary to his looks, he was surprisingly diligent. 

“Next is Iizuka. His OOPArts, ‘Grandma,’ is an axe that can freely change its size. He can extend the handle to increase his reach or enlarge the blade to crush his opponents. On top of that, Iizuka himself has significant physical strength, allowing him to swing the enlarged axe with ease.”

“From the videos, I didn’t see any obvious weaknesses. He seems decent at handling the axe, too.”

“Even though he can extend the axe, its maximum reach is only six meters. Attacking from beyond that range with magic would be a safe way to defeat him. He can only use up to three-character spells, so a long-range fight would give us a definite advantage.”

However, there was one major problem.

“But Riku and Isshiki-san don’t have any OOPArts to support you two, so maintaining a distance of over seven meters would be impossible. That’s why I’ll handle him. If you end up engaging Iizuka, use magic to keep your distance and retreat.”

“I don’t mind that. But what if Iizuka and Naruse are together? They make a well-balanced duo that can handle long-range, mid-range, and close combat.”

Isshiki-san had a valid point. However—

“Their teamwork is abysmal. If they’re together, that actually works in our favor.”

“Come on, they’ll at least practice a bit. Maybe they will come up with some combination moves.”

“They won’t. Their pride won’t let them. They’ll think, ‘It’d be embarrassing to train just to fight a bunch of Supporters.'”

“Tch. They’re underestimating us.”

“Even if they do take this seriously and come prepared, I’m confident I can break them apart. I’ve studied their movements extensively, down to every small and large habit they have.”

There was no way they could correct all their ingrained habits in such a short amount of time.

“…You have an exceptionally keen eye for observation. Mia Naruse, who has been observed by you, will never be able to defeat you.”

“Huh? Ah, um, thank you, Isshiki-san… I appreciate you saying that…”

“I-It’s nothing. Just stating the obvious.”

“Oi, what’s with you? You’ve been acting kinda off for a while now. You on your time of the month or somethin’?”

“【Moonlight Thunderstrike】!!”

Riku was scorched by the lightning Isshiki-san unleashed.

“Not-delicate, sexually harassing guy must be punished.”

“D-Don’t use magic on your allies…!”

That one was 100% Riku’s fault though.

“This should be enough for information sharing. Let’s move on to practicing our coordination. In the field battle, we’ll be randomly teleported somewhere on the stage via the crystal at the start. Depending on the teleport locations, the three of us might be able to regroup right away, or we might have to fight alone or in pairs until the battle ends. To prepare for all scenarios, we’ll train in three different pair combinations as well as trio coordination drills.”

“No objections here, but what about our opponents?”

A practice partner, huh.

“…What should we do? Now that I think about it, I hadn’t considered that. An ideal sparring partner… Since our opponents are Seekers, it’d be great if we could ask some Seekers from Odd Cat…”

Click. A sharp sound of footsteps echoed behind us.

“Allow me to take on that role for you.”

The one who said that, flashing a bright smile, was Abisu. The three of us Supporters were completely shaken by the unexpected offer.

“Abisu-sama!?”

“…You’re way too strong to be a substitute for those two, don’t you think?”

Abisu could take on the entirety of Fenrir by herself. Someone as extraordinary as her wouldn’t serve as an effective sparring partner.

“It’ll be fine. You guys are more than capable of holding your own against me.”

“This is gonna be awesome! We barely get a chance to fight an S-rank Seeker!”

Riku was pumped. Isshiki-san, on the other hand, looked nervous. I was somewhere between the two. Half of me was excited at the chance to spar with Abisu, while the other half was worried whether this practice session would actually be useful.

“If you can land even a single hit on me, you’ll be able to defeat Fenrir.”

Abisu readied Sin, her gun that increased the weight of its targets and Punishment, her sword that grew more powerful the heavier its target was.

Unlike our last fight, this was Abisu at full power. She was going to use her OOPArt without restraint. Her sheer presence alone was enough to make even the reckless Riku falter.

“…With Abisu as our opponent, even the slightest misstep in coordination will be fatal. Riku, Isshiki-san, follow my instructions precisely.”

“Got it!”

“Understood.”

“Are you ready? Here we go~”

And so, our training match against Abisu began.

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Chapter 32: Fenrir’s Strategy Meeting

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Fenrir Headquarters, 3rd Floor – Master’s Room

Iizuka and Naruse sat across from each other on the sofa in the room.

“So, have you decided on the last member, Atsushi-kun?”

“Yeah. He should be here any moment now.”

The door to the master’s room opened and a man walked in.

“Oh my, looks like I’m the last one.”

The newcomer was a tall, slender man with white, long hair and narrow eyes. He had a refreshing smile that gave off a calm and gentle impression at first glance.

“Oh wow, what a handsome guy. Did we have someone like him in our guild?”

“He just joined a few days ago. His name is—”

“It’s Ul. Ul Wendia.”

“Foreigner? Well, whatever. Is he strong?”

“He’s the best among the B-ranks we have right now. Of course, he’s nowhere near our level, but as a combat asset for the upcoming duel, he’s more than qualified.”

“I’m honored by your evaluation.”

Ul bowed his head politely.

“By the way, aren’t you planning to train for the Guild Duel?”

“No need. Our opponents are just Supporters. They’re just a bunch of total weaklings.”

“Isn’t it best to stay cautious? No matter how weak the enemy, thorough preparation is—”

“Shut up. Are you talking back to me?”

Iizuka glared at Ul. Without breaking his smile, Ul took a step back.

“My apologies. I spoke out of turn.”

“I’m skipping the training session too, but shouldn’t we at least decide on our strategy for the match? Are we going to focus on regrouping or should we move separately?”

“Separately. We’ll split up and hunt down those trash Supporters one by one. That’s the fastest way to get this over with.”

Naruse frowned at Iizuka’s plan.

“Going solo seems a bit risky, don’t you think? If they manage to regroup and turn it into a three-on-one fight, even you would struggle.”

“What’s this? Are you actually scared of a bunch of Supporters? How cute.”

“That’s not what I—”

Realizing that Iizuka wouldn’t listen, Naruse turned her gaze to Ul.

“What about you? Are you in favor of regrouping or do you prefer moving alone?”

“I agree with Iizuka-sama’s plan. Operating separately would be much more… Convenient.”

“Convenient? How so?”

“Now, what could I possibly mean?”

Ul shrugged in a mocking manner. Naruse pursed her lips in irritation but swallowed her complaints, knowing that she couldn’t afford to voice them in front of Iizuka.

“Two A-ranks and one B-rank… There’s no way we can lose. You don’t need to worry, Mia. I’ll take them all down myself!”

Iizuka gave Naruse a confident thumbs-up. Naruse felt a chill run down her spine at his overly confident expression but managed to maintain a smile. Ul, meanwhile, watched the two with great interest. With no further progress in the strategy meeting, the discussion ended after Iizuka spent some time trying to flirt with Naruse.

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Time passed and the day of the final battle finally arrived. In the eastern ruins area of the Labyrinth City, the participants, Abisu and the officials from Guild Association were gathering there. 

Odd Cat Team: Shibuki Hamura, Sae Isshiki, Riku Kazuhara.

Fenrir Team: Atsushi Iizuka, Mia Naruse, Ul Wendia.

Additionally, the Odd Cat’s Guild Master, Abisu Yuiga, was present as a spectator. Three Guild Association officials served as referees, bringing the total number of attendees to ten. The Guild Duel between Odd Cat and Fenrir was about to commence.

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