Direction of Effort

From Akira's perspective

"Clara Norman. She compensates for Eric's weaknesses," Elise scribbled the female symbol on the whiteboard and slammed her hand on the desk.

Amazing.

She plays the role of a strategist, covering for my reckless weaknesses with her intellect. I truly felt fortunate to be paired with Elise.

"In a battle where we cast spells from a distance, naturally, Eric's attacks won't reach us. Then, he'll likely use a chorus magic like Long Fire to compensate for his weaknesses. Do you understand what that means?"

"It means there won't be time to cast individual spells, like healing magic, for example."

"Right. I consider Clara's healing magic to be genius-level. Even if we inflict slight damage, she'll quickly heal Eric. So, we need to contain that."

"I see..."

"If we distance ourselves too much, they might give up on attacking altogether and focus solely on healing. If it turns into a healing battle, it will actually be disadvantageous for us. I've trained this body, but I'm not as skilled a healer as Clara."

Elise was objectively analyzing her abilities.

"So, if we maintain a middle distance, just within range to continue casting attack spells, the damage will accumulate, and we'll have a chance?"

"That's how I see it."

It was a meticulously planned strategy.

"But can we maintain that middle distance? What if they see through our strategy and close in?"

"For that, we need training to maintain distance, meaning we need to train to run faster."

"You mean..."

"Yes! We need to start running!"

"Ah, come on, that's impossible."

It's commonly said that it takes three months to see the effects of starting to jog.

Can we really see effects if we start now?

"You look worried about how long it will take for the training to show results. Don't worry, I know a magic spell that quickly brings out the effects of physical training. But, the hardship increases tenfold."

"Ugh..."

It's quite a convenient world of magic.

In preparation for the final showdown with Eric, over three days after school, we did physical training, training for mid-range magic, and whirlwind training, among others, enhancing ourselves during every spare moment.

Exhausted but determined, the day of our battle against Eric and Clara finally arrived.