Itadaki no Hecate Second

Personal Development

The white ball bounced up from Ogata's wrist as she desperately dove to intercept it from meeting the floor. On the other side of the net, Shana was still descending from her aerial spike, leaving her immobile in that one second she was off the ground.

Her attack had indeed been denied, but the ball was still about to arc over the net, and was still well within the powerful Flame Haze's reach as soon as she would touch down. It was at this moment that one of the girls from Ogata's side leapt up and smashed the ball with her hand to drive it into enemy territory, before Shana could have the opportunity to react.

It was a decisive impact. As narrow as Shana was to touching the ball when she dove after it, it was nowhere near close enough. The ball bounced up and down, gradually regressing in height, as the Flame Haze stared at it in surprise.

"Whew! You don't go easy on anyone, Shana-chan," Ogata said as she made her way to her side and offered her hand.

The Flame Haze eyed her for a moment, then allowed herself to be helped up.

"Wow! That was amazing Ogata-san!" one of Shana's teammates exclaimed in awe as she approached the school's volleyball captain.

The tomboyish girl grinned shyly. "Not really," she said as she turned to the scoreboard.

2-14... with Ogata's team holding the losing points. "I just didn't want Shana-chan to destroy us completely."

"Don't be so modest captain!" said another girl, who then pointed at Shana. "When she first tried out for the team a couple of weeks or so ago, she annihilated all of us by herself, in five minutes. Wouldn't you say this is progress for all of us in such a short time?"

"She's right," Shana said. "I felt a real challenge this time." She smiled, as if the girl had brought up an old memory. "You're really serious about your training."

Ogata crossed her arms and grinned wider. "Well, it would be boring if we just let you toss us around like that all the time," she said before returning to her side of the court to continue the match.

Episode 6: Personal Development

Sydonay's Shintetsu Nyoi plunged into the heart of an armor-clad Flame Haze before flinging his limp and bloodied body aside. Nearby, a large creature with the build of a brown rhinoceros beetle standing on two legs pummelled another Flame Haze into the dirt with its two mighty fists.

It was on the edge of civilization, in an agricultural province near Hong Kong, so there had been no need to set up one of the time-stopping Seals. Besides that, it would have alerted any other entities in nearby of a battle. With that information in mind, Sydonay and the Dashing Earthly Fiend Ribesal had ambushed the scouting party and swiftly dispatched them—restricting themselves to only physical assault.

"That's all three of them," said the General as he returned to his human form and pulled out his cellphone. "Pirsoyn, handle cleanup here would you? Make sure there isn't any trace of a struggle or whatever is left of these Flame Hazes, not even a hint of residue in the air."

"Alright, I'm on my way," said a young and eager voice on the other side of the line, and the Thousand Changes dialled another number.

"Hello? Bel Peol, I hope those documents are ready."

In her study at the manor in Misaki City, Bel Peol studied the sheets spread over her desk, and glanced at the monitor of her recently acquired laptop. "I've already prepared your papers a couple of hours ago," she said on her smart phone with international coverage. "The Chanter of Elegies was just cooperative enough for a small trade."