Necromancer 64

 Test

64. Hazuki's [Counter Shot]

"Then... spar with me a little, will you?"

Hazuki closed the distance between us.

"Hazuki—"

"Yeah, yeah, I know I'm weaker than you. But hearing it so bluntly ticks me off."

"My bad. Really..."

"I'm not looking for an apology. I just—want to know the truth."

She spoke, stepping back to create space.

"Well, shall we?"

"You want to accurately gauge the difference in our abilities—is that it?"

"Exactly. Come on, don’t hold back. But if you let your guard down, I might just win."

Hazuki flashed a mischievous smile.

"W-wait a second, why are you two even fighting?"

"Both of you, stop—"

Our classmates looked bewildered.

But none of them tried to intervene.

Hazuki was at the very top of the school caste. Stopping her would be difficult for anyone.

On the other hand, despite being the supposed bottom of the caste, I could sense a strange hesitance from everyone toward me as well.

It was as if—within their collective awareness—my position had shifted upward.

In fact, compared to before, I could feel that I was being treated with far more "respect."

If only I could have been respected like this back in my old world… back when life was simple and peaceful.

Then I might have been able to enjoy a normal, quiet school life.

I wouldn’t have dreaded going to school every day. Maybe it would have been fun—

"...No point thinking about that now."

I shook off the thoughts and refocused my gaze on Hazuki.

"Alright, Hazuki. Come at me anytime."

"Then, I won’t hold back."

Hazuki assumed her stance.

She lowered her center of gravity, placing her right hand forward and her left hand near her waist—a pose reminiscent of martial arts.

"My skill is called [Counter Shot]."

Hazuki declared.

"The name makes its ability pretty obvious, doesn’t it?"

"Counter... huh."

I fixed my eyes on her.

The skill's name seemed to describe its effect directly.

That’s exactly why—it required caution.

Was the ability as straightforward as the name suggested?

Or was there more to it?

Hazuki was smart.

Most likely, it was the latter.

And she knew exactly what she was doing by saying that.

Making me ponder whether her skill was literal or deceptive—to throw me off balance.

"In that case, I’ll—stop overthinking."

Boom!

I kicked off the ground, accelerating to top speed in an instant.

My stats were beyond those of an average human.

If Hazuki's physical abilities were ordinary, I could easily overwhelm her—

"Hah!"

I threw a punch.

If I landed it at full force, Hazuki could be seriously injured.

Not that I wanted to hit her in the first place.

So, I adjusted the trajectory to ensure it wouldn’t connect directly.

It was just enough to neutralize her.

But then—

"Hehe, activating~"

The corners of Hazuki's lips curved into a sly grin—.