The Ability to Shift Anything is Convenient, Even in Another World!

Reika’s eyes widened as she froze for a moment.

Of all the weapons on this continent… why a spear? I really thought she'd teach me how to wield a sword or something…

"Is there a reason you chose to learn that instead of a sword?" she asked.

Hearing such a sensible question, Veylir let out a sigh.

"I didn’t really have a choice. It’s a strict protocol among dragons to learn some form of weapon art as a display of excellence. At the time, only two of us were in that training, and our instructor was kind of a slacker… so it was basically a haven for me."

"Yeah, I bet it was," Reika said flatly. "Since you’re lazy as hell."

"Hmph. Why would I even bother with weapons when I could just burn everything to ashes?"

"That makes sense, considering you're just a simpleton whose entire combat style consists of burning stuff and creating some random-ass gusts of wind..."

"Hey! How dare you mock my abilities! If I were at my peak right now, I'd—"

"Alright, alright~ We’re getting off-topic," Reika interrupted with a teasing grin.

"Hmph!" Veylir huffed, turning away with a pout.

"...But still, the fact that I lack combat experience means I should learn a weapon art. It might seem useless to you, but I need it if I want to protect those I treasure most..." Reika murmured.

Veylir glanced at her.

Humans… They're always willing to go to desperate lengths just to achieve their ambitions…

Hmm… Her determination reminds me of that human. But unlike her, Reika is somehow bearable—and isn't annoying, at least…

"Alright. After dinner, we'll start your training. Sound good?"

Reika’s eyes lit up with excitement. She beamed.

"Thanks, Veylir!"

Veylir stared at her for a moment before looking away once more.

"...Just think of it as repayment for your help back then."

And with that, evening arrived like a fleeting breeze. Those who had spent the day working on the construction, along with the participants in the sword training, gathered for dinner.

After finishing their meal, everyone returned to their homes for some well-earned rest. However, Reika and Veylir remained outside, making their way to a secluded area several meters away from the settlement.

"A-Anyway, since this is just the start of our training, shouldn't we use sticks instead of an actual weapon?" Reika asked.

"N-No. You should… familiarize yourself with the structure… of the weapon first… before we begin training… Ghk!"

Reika raised an eyebrow. "But it looks like you're struggling to get it out from your… What was it again? Spatial storage?"

"It's because this ability is beyond my current capabilities to access!" Veylir snapped. "Now… if you would just shut up and… let me concentrate—"

Suddenly, from the small spatial rift Veylir had opened, a white mask popped out instead of the intended weapon.

"See? Now I pulled out the wrong object because of your incessant chatter!"

"I told you before, you shouldn't force yourself if it's too difficult…"

"Would you just shut up and let me do it?"

Reika sighed, knowing there was no stopping Veylir once she was set on something.

Taking a deep breath, Veylir focused again and attempted to use the ability once more.

<Spatial Storage!>

A faint vibration rippled through the air as a tiny spatial rift, no larger than a one-yen coin, opened before Veylir.

Reika glanced at the white mask that had fallen out and picked it up. She examined it closely, surprised to find that it had no holes for the eyes or nose.

"What's the deal with this weird-looking mask?"

"Uh, Master Reika? I think you should help me with this..."

Reika turned to see Veylir struggling to keep the spatial rift stable. Through the small tear in space, she could see the other end of the weapon emerging.

"Help me pull the spear out of this damned spatial storage!"

Without hesitation, Reika gripped the shaft and pulled with all her strength.

"Nggghhh…!"

Slowly but surely, the spear inched its way out.

"That's it. Keep going!" Veylir urged.

With one final tug, Reika managed to free the weapon, but the momentum sent her tumbling backward.

"Ow!" she groaned.

"Hahh... Finally!" Veylir let out a relieved sigh.

Reika stood up, still holding the spear. Gripping it firmly, she inspected the weapon with keen interest, running her fingers along its shaft and taking in its design.

"Hmmm... Why is this spear exactly my height?" Reika wondered.

"That's because I was young when I wielded it, obviously..."

Veylir gave her a once-over, then smirked.

"...It's not the spear's fault that your height barely qualifies as a teen. In fact, you look like a borderline midget—"

"Do you want me to choke you again?!" Reika snapped, clenching her fist.

Veylir immediately backed away.

"C-Come on, I was just joking!"

"Humph! Consider yourself lucky..."

"Alright, enough chitchat," Veylir said.

She hovered in the air, a serious look settling on her face. Reika, realizing the training was about to begin, straightened up and paid attention.

"Since you've familiarized yourself with the weapon, let's start with the fundamentals—the basic stances of Spear Arts."

Reika glanced at the spear in her hands.

"Uhh... Shouldn't we use a long training stick first before jumping to this?"

Veylir sighed dramatically.

"Hah? Do you think I used meager methods like training sticks when I trained? Dragons use real weapons from the start!"

"And how exactly am I supposed to compare to you? We're not even from the same race!"

"Nggghhh... That’s why you humans are a bunch of wussies! You’re afraid the weapon you’re holding might hurt you!"

"...But that's an expected outcome since I'm still an amateur—"

"And that's where you're mistaken!"

Veylir flew closer with a sharp gaze.

"Weapons must be treated like wild animals—untamed beasts that must be subdued by their wielder. A practitioner must unify with the weapon they wield. You're not just holding a stick; you're forming a bond with a true weapon."

Reika fell silent at Veylir's words.

"You came here to train Spear Arts, not some... Stick Arts or something!"

Something clicked in Reika's mind. She tightened her grip on the spear.

Oneness with your weapon means experiencing pain before the pleasure of mastery…

"Your weapon is your companion, your sworn blood… sister, or something."

At least, that's what our instructor told us… Veylir thought.

"Alright, alright~ I get it now…" Reika finally conceded.

Veylir squinted at her.

"Hmph! You should be. Repeating myself is exhausting…"

She straightened up. "Now, follow my movements—and do it with proper posture."

With that, Veylir began teaching her the fundamentals of Spear Arts.

It was clear from the start that Reika struggled to keep up. The spear’s length made her movements clumsy, and its weight only added to her difficulty.

It's heavy! I need to do something about this!

An idea suddenly struck Reika. To compensate for the spear’s weight, she decided to use her ability to lighten the load.

<Light Wind>

The effect took hold immediately, reducing the spear’s weight. With the newfound ease, her movements became more fluid compared to her earlier struggles.

Veylir noticed the change right away but chose to ignore it, continuing the lesson without pause.

Compensating for her shortcomings… Master Reika sure is creative…

The two of them trained tirelessly for hours, taking short breaks every hour, their session stretching all the way to midnight.

...

A month had passed since Reika began her training under Veylir's guidance. Soru, too, continued his training with Aeden after dinner.

The volunteers learning swordsmanship under the dwarves had also made remarkable progress. Every one of them had reached the intermediate level—a stage considered satisfactory in terms of combat proficiency, with only minor refinements needed for complete mastery.

Meanwhile, the settlement's defenses had advanced significantly. The first layer of barricades had long been completed thanks to the collective effort of the settlers. The second layer, positioned farther out, was now nearing completion.

As the laborers took a short break, they gathered under the shade of a tree, discussing their progress.

"To think we've nearly finished setting up these barricades… Time really flies!" one of them said proudly.

"It's been a month since we started, and honestly, I'm just relieved everything has gone smoothly without complications."

"Now that I think about it," another muttered, "a whole month has passed, yet there's been no sign of movement from the upcoming monster wave."

"Aiya! That’s a good thing!"

"He’s right! Because of the delay, we’ve almost completed the barricades. Even though they’re not entirely finished yet, they should still hold up against the wave. If the monsters suddenly appeared, I bet they wouldn’t—"

"Shush! Do you want to jinx it!?"

The man immediately covered his mouth.

"...Sorry."

They all sighed in unison.

"Hahh... To think we’re just waiting instead of running. And the worst part? We have nowhere else to run to..."

One of his companions patted his shoulder reassuringly.

"Don't dwell on it too much. We’re all in this together, no matter how bad it gets."

"Yeah… you're right."

"With our current situation, the best thing we can do is wait and be ready…"

Their conversation was cut short when a man came sprinting toward them. He skidded to a stop, panting heavily.

"Calm down. What's the rush?" one of them asked.

"Guys, have you seen Miss Reika?"

They exchanged confused glances.

"Uh, no. In fact, we haven’t seen her today. We’ve just been erecting the logs she and her familiar prepared yesterday—"

"So the rumors are true, then!"

The group frowned at his cryptic words.

"What do you mean, rumors?" one of them asked.

The man took a deep breath before blurting it out.

"One of the sword practitioners leaked that Miss Reika and Mister Soru are going to have a bout on the training grounds—and it’s happening today!"

Suddenly, all their jaws dropped in unison.

"EHHHHHHHHHH?!"

Without hesitation, they bolted toward the training grounds. However, just as they were about to take off, Alguis stepped in front of them.

"Oi, what's the rush?"

"Sir Alguis! The thing is—"

They quickly explained the rumors about Soru and Reika’s unexpected bout. Upon hearing the news, Alguis’s eyes widened in disbelief.

"Huh?"

Why am I only hearing about this now?

"We’re just as surprised as you, Sir Alguis! That’s why we have to see it for ourselves!"

Alguis stroked his beard thoughtfully. Now it made sense why Reika was absent this morning. With a sigh, he decided to follow them.

When they arrived, they were met with a sizable crowd. The gathered spectators were being kept in check by the sword practitioners.

Alguis scanned the area and quickly spotted Aeden and Völun standing beside Veylir. Without wasting a second, he made his way toward them. The dwarves noticed him approaching and greeted him.

"Hey, why was I not informed about this?" Alguis asked, his tone laced with mild frustration.

Aeden, looking just as bewildered, shook his head.

"Same here, Sir Alguis. We were in the middle of training when Miss Reika suddenly requested to borrow the training grounds."

Völun hesitated for a moment before adding, "M-Maybe Mister—ahem! Miss Veylir knows something about this."

Alguis noticed Veylir glaring at Völun. He cleared his throat, making the dragon realize what she was doing. With a sigh, Veylir relented.

"Y-Yesterday evening, they ran into each other at the front door. She already knew about his nighttime training—something called Phantom... Combat or whatever. Maybe her curiosity about his progress, or her own growth over the past few weeks, got the better of her, so she asked him for a match."

"And Mister Soru... agreed?" Aeden asked.

"Exactly."

"Hmm. I knew Sir Soru was training with Aeden, but to think Miss Reika was secretly training as well…" Alguis murmured, scratching his beard.

"And the real surprise is that Mister Soru actually agreed…" Aeden added.

"Hah! I'm the one who trained that lass. Now that she wants to see the fruits of her labor, of course she’d want to test it!" Veylir declared with pride.

"Well…"

"And since I will be the mediator for this bout, I shall take my leave. Now, if you would step aside~"

With that, Veylir shot toward the center, where Reika and Soru stood, meters apart, facing each other.

"As agreed, this bout will primarily showcase armament techniques. The use of abilities is allowed, but large-scale attacks are strictly forbidden to prevent injuries among the audience."

The crowd gasped as Reika extended her hand, opening a small spatial rift. From within, her spear emerged, and she grasped its handle with confidence.

"Ooooooh~! So cool!"

"You have fifteen minutes to display your skills," Veylir announced. "The match will end by complete incapacitation or forfeiture."

Both fighters took their stances, carefully observing each other. Reika locked her gaze onto Soru, watching his every movement without blinking.

"The match… starts now!"

The moment Veylir gave the signal, Reika saw Soru raise his leg—and then, in an instant, he vanished.

"Wha—"

A sudden breeze brushed past her shoulder. Instinctively, she spun around, only to find Soru standing right behind her.

He didn’t use his ability to teleport…

Before she could react further, Soru launched a punch straight at her. Reika barely managed to intercept it, raising her spear just in time to block the blow.

...He simply moved too fast for my eyes to see!

To create distance, Reika swung her spear and leaped back. As she landed, she glanced at her hand, surprised to find that Soru’s punch had left no lasting impact.

I thought his punch would make my wrist tremble… she mused. I guess his technique prioritizes speed over raw power.

Without hesitation, both fighters charged forward, clashing in a rapid exchange of blows. The crowd watched in awe at their performance, but the dwarves, in particular, were astonished by how evenly matched they were.

To think their speeds are this close… Miss Reika has trained diligently over the past few weeks! Aeden thought.

Five minutes passed, yet neither side could gain the upper hand. Seeing their combat speeds were equal, Reika knew that if she didn’t take the initiative, the battle would remain at a stalemate.

To break the deadlock, she made her decision—she would use an ability.

<Light Wind!>

A green aura swiftly enveloped Reika, enhancing her agility.

"Hyaaah!"

The crowd erupted in cheers as they watched her suddenly shift the momentum of the bout. Though she and Soru had been evenly matched in speed before, her newfound agility forced him onto the defensive, struggling to parry her relentless strikes.

Unable to counter her attacks, Soru hopped back multiple times, evading her barrage.

I’ll use "it" to end this quickly…

On his third landing, Reika saw an opening.

This is it! I’ll break his momentum!

She charged at him with full force. But just as her spear was about to make contact, something about Soru’s posture felt wrong.

Wait! Don’t tell me…?!

In an instant, she pulled back, reducing the force of her swing. Her attack still connected, but Soru was left unaffected.

"Gahhhk!!"

Before she could adjust, a sudden force struck both of her legs. Her balance faltered, and she nearly collapsed—but she managed to recover, forcing herself to stay on her feet.

"Guhhh!!"

Soru stood motionless, his expression unreadable as he watched her stagger. His unwavering gaze unsettled her, making her momentarily lose her composure.

Realizing this, Reika clenched her jaw, shut her eyes, and took a deep breath, forcing herself to refocus.

"Hwuuuuhh..." 

<Chains of Imprisonment!>

In an instant, several purple chains burst from the ground, coiling tightly around Soru’s body and locking him in place.

"Hey! Mister Soru’s movements are restricted!" one of the spectators shouted.

"Now that he can't move, Miss Reika’s victory is set in stone!"

Seeing the opportunity before her, Reika didn’t hesitate. She swung her spear straight at him—only for Soru to vanish into thin air once again.

But this time, something felt different. Unlike before, she didn’t sense even the slightest disturbance in the air.

He managed to escape from my imprisonment?!