Chapter 14
"I passed."
"Good. Whisper, suppressing fire!"
Yustia's clear, ringing shout was followed by a sharp cry from the owl.
With a heavy flap of white wings, it soared into the air.
What looked like nothing more than a cute bird's struggle unleashed invisible blades.
A chilling sound sliced through the air right past my ear.
Bang!
My body reacted before my mind could catch up.
I twisted my upper body sharply, shifting my center of gravity in the weaving pattern I had drilled tens of thousands of times during training.
The wind's trajectory brushed past me by the width of a single leaf.
Boom!
A dull explosion erupted behind me.
When I turned, dust was billowing from the reinforced floor where I had stood moments earlier.
The force looked strong enough to pulverize cement blocks.
"......"
I swallowed hard.
A chill ran down my spine.
If I had underestimated it as nothing more than a fist-sized bird, my neck might have ended up as shredded as that floor.
Wow, this... is no joke.
Cold sweat broke out across my palms.
I had imagined magic as something like fireworks, but this was closer to live ammunition.
"You're pretty strong, aren't you?"
I smiled as though I were perfectly relaxed, but my heart was hammering against my ribs.
That small, adorable ball of fluff was actually a lethal weapon.
"Pa-at!"
Whisper flapped its wings and executed a mid-air flip.
"Let's go! Evasive maneuver!"
The instant Yustia's command rang out, the owl changed its trajectory.
"Kwaaang!"
I barely dodged again, but the next attack came immediately.
"Now! Chain strike!"
At Yustia's gesture, wind blades rained down like a storm.
I could evade one or two, but dodging every strike coming from all directions proved impossible.
Thud!
One wind mass I failed to avoid slammed into my side.
"Ugh!"
The dull impact sent me staggering.
"...Huh?"
I rubbed my side in a daze.
It had struck dead center, yet it didn't hurt.
If anything, it felt like being swatted by a heavy cotton bat.
"Are you all right?"
"Yes. It's... not as painful as I expected?"
When I answered with a bewildered expression, she let out a small laugh.
"Of course. This is practice. I wouldn't hit you with killing intent."
"And if the highest-grade summon, Taesan, were to collapse from a single skill used by a mere mid-grade spirit like Wind Whisper..."
She covered her mouth playfully and added,
"I think I'd be so shocked I'd faint, you know?"
Yustia's eyes curved into gentle crescents.
Ha, well. This body can go toe-to-toe with dragons, after all.
I scratched the back of my head awkwardly.
Only then did the tension finally drain away, and a smile spread across my face.
"Then can I counterattack this time?"
"Oh, I'm looking forward to it. Please go easy on us, Taesan."
Yustia winked and stepped back.
Above us, Whisper continued flapping its wings, eyes locked on me.
"Hoo."
I exhaled shortly, replacing the stale air deep in my lungs.
In that instant, my vision narrowed and the world seemed to slow.
Boom!
The floor beneath my feet compressed to its limit, releasing an explosive rebound.
"Whisper! Ascend...!"
Yustia's eyes widened as an urgent cry burst from her.
Even her dynamic vision couldn't track it.
It was only an instant.
My body had already arrived directly in front of the owl hovering in mid-air.
Overwhelming instantaneous speed that mocked gravity itself.
Swoosh.
My hand tore through the wind and snatched at empty space.
"......!"
I saw bewilderment flood the owl's eyes.
It didn't even have time to flap its wings.
A small, warm ball of feathers was now cupped in my grasp.
Afraid I might crush it if I squeezed too hard, I held the creature as carefully as a newborn.
Thud.
I landed lightly on the floor, and silence settled over the training ground.
Wind Whisper, trapped in my hand, simply blinked up at me.
"Does this count as caught?"
I grinned at Yustia.
She stood with her mouth open, staring back and forth between me and the owl in my palm.
"......Wow."
A moment later she exhaled in awe and burst into applause.
"That speed is truly... unbelievable. I saw it with my own eyes and still can't believe it."
Her gaze sparkled with wonder.
"As expected, Taesan, you're far more incredible than I imagined."
Yustia approached with a bright smile.
"Whisper, are you okay? You must have been so startled."
When she asked with concern, the owl in my hand hooted softly and nodded.
It seemed thoroughly intimidated by my overwhelming strength.
"Here, you can let it go now, Taesan."
I opened my hand wide and released the owl.
Wind Whisper fluttered up in a hurry and hid behind Yustia's shoulder.
"Haha, did I grab too hard?"
I smiled sheepishly and apologized.
"Not at all. On the contrary, I was impressed by your control. To suppress your power so gently at that speed..."
Yustia looked genuinely moved.
"At this level, it should work perfectly in real combat. No, it could completely dominate the academy."
Conviction filled her voice.
Though she couldn't hide her admiration, Yustia quickly regained her cool gaze and continued.
"But this is exactly where a summoner's true role shines. Overturning the absolute gap in size and power between summons—that is the entire reason 'support magic' exists."
She turned the back of her hand toward Wind Whisper and began to chant.
"Acceleration, Wind Shield!"
"Let's try again. Catch it at the same speed as before."
"Hmm, understood. I won't hold back this time."
I nodded and settled into a ready stance.
I intended to snatch it just as fast, or perhaps even faster than before.
Pop!
The sound of my foot kicking off the floor echoed as my body shot forward in a blur.
My vision narrowed, the white ball of feathers enlarging in front of me.
Obvious path. Obvious speed.
Grabbing it should have been child's play.
That was when it happened.
"Acceleration, Wind Shield!"
The moment Yustia's short, precise chant reached my ears, blue light exploded around Wind Whisper.
Just as my fingers were about to brush its feathers, an intense repulsive force—like identical magnetic poles pushing apart—slammed into my palm.
"......?"
Then something impossible happened.
Whoosh!
The owl's movement, which had seemed frozen, suddenly doubled in speed.
It slipped from my grasp by a hair's breadth, performed a mid-air somersault, and dove straight for the back of my head.
"What?!"
I twisted in panic, but it had already claimed my blind spot.
Peck!
"Ow!"
A sharp sting bloomed on my scalp.
Wind Whisper had pecked my head, then cheekily flew up to land on Yustia's shoulder.
"Wow... what was that?"
I rubbed my tingling crown, eyes wide.
The creature that had been caught so easily before had just reacted faster than my own speed.
"This is the power of support magic."
Yustia smiled triumphantly.
"Acceleration boosted its instantaneous reaction speed, while the wind shield created a slight repulsion against your approach. It used that tiny opening to launch a successful counter."
She tapped Whisper's beak affectionately.
"When facing an opponent with overwhelming physical stats like you, Taesan, striking at openings with irregular movements is far more effective than a direct clash. No matter how strong the foe, a single moment of carelessness can prove fatal."
"Huh... so the summoner muttering on the sidelines isn't just decoration after all."
I was genuinely impressed.
This wasn't like games where trainers only shouted basic commands.
The battles in this world were far more strategic and complex than I'd imagined.
And far more fun.
"Wind, Acceleration!"
"Fire Weapon!"
"Mind Focus!"
After that, we remained in the training ground for several more hours.
The sound of wind bursting from Wind Whisper's wings, Yustia's clear incantations, and my own ragged breathing filled the vast space.
Sweat poured from me like rain, but I couldn't stop.
My mind had never felt clearer.
"Haa... Haa..."
When training finally ended, I collapsed flat on my back.
"Good work, Taesan."
Yustia approached and offered me a towel.
Beads of sweat glistened on her forehead as well.
"Thanks to you, I feel refreshed."
I caught my breath and sat up.
My whole body ached, but it was a pleasant pain.
The sensation of pushing myself to the limit after so long.
Since arriving in this world, I had never felt more alive.
After returning to my room, showering, and stepping out, a knock sounded at the door.
"Come in."
The door opened and Yurika poked her head inside.
In her arms she cradled a white ball of feathers—Wind Whisper.
"Wait, is this the barn where summons rest?"
Yurika widened her eyes and looked around the room with exaggerated curiosity.
The mischievous smile playing on her lips made her intentions perfectly clear.
"Yurika, this is clearly a 'guest room,' you know."
When I shot back with a chuckle, she shrugged theatrically.
"Oh dear, my mistake. Since a furry beast and a human are sharing the space, I assumed it was a barn. Whisper, say hello. This is your senior."
She grabbed one of the owl's wings and forced it to bow toward me.
Wind Whisper hooted a reluctant "Hoo-woo."
"I heard today's training was incredible. The young lady came back grinning from ear to ear."
Yurika perched on the edge of the bed as she spoke.
"Well, it wasn't bad. That little guy was more useful than I expected."
"The young lady praised Mr. Taesan so much I nearly got calluses on my ears."
"Hmm, she's exaggerating."
I tried to sound indifferent, but the corner of my mouth still twitched upward.
"So does this guy really have to stay here? Should I set up a cage in my room?"
I glanced at Wind Whisper.
It was already dozing off on Yurika's lap.
"Puhaha! Of course not. I was only teasing."
"It's a proper spirit, so it needs to return to the spirit realm to rest. If it tried to sleep here, how could it possibly rest with Mr. Taesan's snoring?"