The Strength of a Support and an Obsessed Hunter

‘Red Spider Lily, may I come find you?’

“……”

‘Of course you can.’

****

Thursday, ten o’clock, an open-air cafe, and two magical girls.

“Ah…”

“I’m so utterly exhausted~”

Saint Lily slumped across the small white European-style round table, her expression one of complete burnout.

Red Spider Lily picked up her colorful fruit tea, inserted a straw, stirred it gently, and took a few sips.

Since their last encounter, Saint Lily had, how should one put it? She had returned to her unfiltered self in front of Red Spider Lily.

Saint Lily recounted the recent events and her current worries.

“Ah~ The table is so cool and comfortable~ I feel like I’m melting~”

“I just want to turn into a slime~ Hehe~”

“……” Red Spider Lily sighed. “Snap out of it~”

“Alright, let’s sort this out. Some matters are more urgent than others. For you, the philosophical musings on life, Frost Snow Sovereign, and Su Mo can wait. The truly pressing issue, the one that absolutely must be resolved, is White Rose’s challenge tomorrow, correct?”

“Mm… ah…” Saint Lily straightened up, shaking her head slightly. She adjusted her black-rimmed glasses with one hand, then nodded gently. “That’s it.”

“Because I’m too weak, a promising junior thinks I’m not fit to be captain and has challenged me~” Saint Lily repeated, then slumped back down. “Ah… I really am…”

“I’m sorry, I’m too weak. I’m such a failure as a captain~” Her despondency was so profound, it belonged to the realm of late-night internet melancholics.

“Hey, come back to reality, now!” Red Spider Lily called out, exasperated.

“Waaah~ Red Spider Lily~ What should I do?”

“Just beat her into submission, what else?” Red Spider Lily sighed, pulling out a few tissues and handing them over.

“Mmm~ Thank you~” Saint Lily accepted the tissues, nodding her gratitude, then suddenly processed Red Spider Lily’s words. “Eh?”

“No, I can’t do that.” Saint Lily immediately waved her hands.

“Why not?”

“Uh…”

Red Spider Lily took another sip of her fruit tea, observing her. “She thinks you’re too weak, so she’s challenging you for the captaincy. If you win, you remain captain. There’s no problem, it’s resolved.”

“I don’t actually care about the captain’s position. In fact, I’ve already earmarked White Rose as the next captain.” Saint Lily shook her head. “It’s just that as a captain, she still needs to grow; she isn’t mature enough. Is it really alright to hand it over to her now?”

“So you don’t want White Rose to become captain, or you want to win the challenge anyway?” Red Spider Lily took a few more sips of her fruit tea. “Besides, if reason alone could solve this, you wouldn’t be so troubled.”

“……”

Saint Lily looked at Red Spider Lily, silent for a moment, then nodded. It was true.

“Win against her, then talk sense into her. It’s simple.”

“Uh, speaking of which, can I even beat that child?” Saint Lily rubbed her face awkwardly, forcing a sheepish smile.

“Cough, cough~” Red Spider Lily suddenly coughed. “Are you serious? How could you possibly lose? And she’s still in her ‘Sprouting Leaf’ stage, isn’t she~”

“I… I’m just a support. I don’t have their kind of power…” Saint Lily lowered her head, a little embarrassed.

Red Spider Lily stared, a silent expression of utter disbelief on her face.

‘Was she serious?’

****

An Lan returned to her assigned residence. The screen of her phone on the coffee table lit up, indicating a new message.

She glanced at it, but had no intention of picking it up. Instead, she turned to admire the city’s night view.

A river of lights flowed across the city, peaceful and serene.

She didn’t always maintain a full desire for battle; proper rest was also important. Moreover, to stay in peak condition for the opponent she valued was the greatest form of respect.

She had finally made contact with her, and the encounter had not disappointed.

This time was merely child’s play. She was pleased to see her opponent grow, for that allowed her to continue growing as well.

“And that child is so adorable. Putting a collar on her neck would surely make her even cuter~” A faint blush colored her usually cool features, as if she was imagining some wondrous scene, causing her to feel a little warm.

This lasted for a while.

“In comparison, that Saint Lily is far too weak.”

“My casual strike required her to exert her full strength.”

“Disappointing.”

An Lan settled back onto the sofa, holding expectations for Su Mo, Villain No. 1, and for this newly emerged villainous ability user.

The villain list, once published, rarely saw updates. Yet, the few new entities that appeared during those updates always caused significant incidents.

Therefore, with the awakening of Villain No. 1, how could she ignore the villainous ability user who was updated onto the list simultaneously, especially one ranked so highly?

It was safe to say that the moment she heard the news, she came directly, without even filing a report.

Of course, they would fill in the paperwork eventually; she didn’t need to worry about that. Her sole concern was this:

How much amusement would this new plaything bring her?

She held no interest in the weak.

Regrettably, or perhaps fortunately, Saint Lily had vanished from her sight.

Her focus was absolute.

“Su Mo, this time wasn’t nearly satisfying enough. Next time, I won’t allow you to leave so easily.”

****

‘Blessing of Tenacity’

Exempts from ‘Rend’ status, enhances Physique and Life Recovery.

‘Blessing of the Dancer’

Exempts from ‘Ensnare’ status, enhances Skill.

‘Blessing of Counterattack’

Exempts from ‘Ambush’ status, grants initiative, and ensures the next attack is a critical hit.

‘Blessing of the Holy Spirit’

Exempts from ‘Curse’ status, enhances attack against ghostly characters.

Red Spider Lily’s lips twitched as she recalled the ghostly calamity beasts she had collected, sending them back to the flower core for recuperation.

“?” Saint Lily blinked. “Um… Red Spider Lily, is training over? It’s fine, I think I can still hold on~”

“‘Hold on’ is an understatement. You didn’t just ‘hold on’; you had them screaming in pain. If I didn’t pull them back, you would have worn me down to a bare commander!” Red Spider Lily glared at her in exasperation.

“‘I’m just a support, I don’t have their kind of power~ Eek~'” Red Spider Lily mimicked her, a look of distinct disdain on her face.

“Eh? Haha~” Saint Lily rubbed her face, embarrassed.

“So, do you understand now? You’re not weak at all! Fighting you makes opponents stronger just by not dying. More importantly, you’re impossible to instantly kill. Your defense, healing, debuffs, and immense resistance make you an absolute nightmare at your level – no, a blight.”

Red Spider Lily stated her observations without exaggeration. Despite not awakening her abilities for ten years, she had spent almost every moment pondering what abilities she might possess and how to use them. One might call it daydreaming, but it undeniably gave her an incredibly quick grasp of various abilities and a broad range of ideas for their application.

“Uh… that’s a bit much~ But, thank you, Red Spider Lily, I feel a little more confident.”

“Who’s complimenting you? I’m serious!”

“Yes, yes~” Saint Lily watched Red Spider Lily pout, then playfully poked her cheek, her mood significantly lifted. “Since training’s over, Red Spider Lily, what kind of milk tea would you like? My treat, as thanks for your help!”

Red Spider Lily paused, then turned her head away; that smile was too dazzling.

“Hmm…”

“Red bean matcha?”

“Eh? Isn’t that an ice cream?”

“Is that a problem?”

“Not at all, my dear Miss Red Spider Lily~”