"Wha—!? Master is… the Thunder God!?"
The unexpected information left Tino gaping in astonishment.
The Martial Emperor Festival's arena. Master's double, Krai Andrich, though frustrating, possessed power worthy of the name "Thunder Emperor."
To master lightning techniques—known for the difficulty of controlling magic power—to that extent, he was undoubtedly a top-tier mage.
Being a lightning wielder in the first place was proof of excellence. As a Hunter, even calling it Level 5 would be an understatement. In Tino's knowledge, users like Ark Rodan or Arnold Hale fit the bill, but Ark's lightning magic wasn't that large-scale in Tino's experience, and Arnold's power stemmed from his weapon. To continuously call down lightning over such a wide area was a feat that bore the title "Thunder Emperor" without shame.
Conversely, what about the real Krai Andrich?
Master was strong. Strong and kind, with a mind far beyond Tino's comprehension, charisma, and flawless achievements thus far. Being called the strongest young Hunter in Zebuldea, the holy land of Treasure Hunters, was well-earned.
However, Tino had never seen him use lightning. The one fighting in the arena had been a body double, it seemed… though Tino had seen him *get* struck.
Yet, despite this, the "Big Brother Luke" in front of Tino didn't seem to doubt that Master was the Thunder God.
Big Brother Luke was Master's childhood friend. Apparently close friends even before becoming Hunters, their bond was incomparable to Tino's.
Therefore, logically, Tino should have agreed with Big Brother Luke—but perhaps, had Big Brother Luke actually seen Master manipulating lightning?
With a skeptical expression, Tino's Big Brother Luke crossed his arms and nodded sagely.
"I've been getting struck by lightning for ages, so that's what it was, huh…?"
Ehhh… is that what it was?
Big Brother Luke's attitude, as always, brimmed with confidence. The reason Master often made exasperated faces yet still had so many fans was probably due to that. Tino was firmly Team Mastaa, though.
But setting that aside—the fact that such clear, unwavering confidence was somehow persuasive was strange.
Indeed, lightning wasn't something you got struck by accidentally. While it might happen with attack magic, natural lightning striking you was maybe once in a lifetime. Thinking it was manipulated was actually more logical. Besides, Master remained calm even when struck by lightning, and considering that, the reasoning had some merit— As Tino started sinking into a sea of thought, Big Brother Luke asked, seeking agreement.
"Besides, it's insanely cool, right?"
"Eh!? …………Y-yes."
Blushing and looking down at the sudden, straightforward question, Tino answered in a small voice.
Of course it was. Master being cool was nothing new, and Tino was a member of the Master Fan Club. Tino had always watched him with their eyes since they first met, and that was the reason Tino became a Hunter, so there was no way they'd say no.
But even taking that into account, there was no causal link between Master being cool and being the Thunder God. Master was the best whether he was a god or a thunder god. Maybe they could even retrieve the bet money, somehow.
Then, Big Brother Luke nodded with satisfaction.
"Right!? Getting the power of lightning for attacks… it's the coolest thing!"
"!? Eh? Ah, yes. That's right!"
Ah, I see… so that was it… No, I knew. I knew, didn't I?
Come to think of it, Rud had mentioned that Arnold of "Mighty Thunder Flash" had apparently used borrowed lightning power to cleave a Level 8 Treasure Hall phantom in two.
Tino had zero interest in Arnold, being overwhelmingly Team Master, but his strength was beyond doubt.
And if Arnold could borrow lightning power, then there was no way Master couldn't. If Tino were a lightning spirit, they'd gladly lend their power. Thinking that way, perhaps… Thunder God?
"Tino, you want to do it too, right!?"
"Yes! Of course! …………Eh?"
Nodding instinctively at the enthusiastic question, Tino's eyes widened.
Big Brother Luke happily clapped Tino's back. Bam, bam.
"That's right! I gained new inspiration from watching Krai! A lightning-powered strike—this very technique was listed in that notebook Krai made for me ages ago—its name is—'Thunder God Sword'! The you and me of tomorrow will definitely be stronger than the us of today!"
"Eh? Ehhh?"
Tino wanted to say—Please don't just charge ahead with the conversation on your own!—but couldn't.
Tino was at the bottom of the "Mourning Specter" hierarchy. What could Tino do against Big Brother Luke, whom even his own sister despaired of?
"I gained new inspiration from Krai's words! That's how I came up with this training regimen. Krai spoke through his back—to gain the power of lightning, you just need to experience lightning!"
"!?"
Talking through the back… wasn't that just Big Brother Luke's own interpretation? Master was certainly strict, but he wouldn't tell someone to take a lightning bath to borrow its power.
Tino sighed softly. What flashed through their mind was a distant memory—which was actually from just a few months ago.
"Big Brother Luke, taking a lightning bath won't let you gain lightning power. What you gain from a lightning bath is… just resistance. I know, because I did it."
That marathon during vacation, drinking the lightning-attracting potion, had been truly awful. It was strange how it was now a fond memory. Compared to being turned into a frog, it was nothing…
Big Brother Luke was simple, but not stupid. If he understood from Tino's experience that this training was wrong, then those past ordeals would have been worthwhile.
Please listen directly instead of interpreting through someone's back— Gazing intently, pouring their thoughts into their stare, Big Brother Luke narrowed his eyes and spoke with a somewhat hard-boiled expression.
"Yeah, that's right. I know, I've done it too. But I think… the output just wasn't enough, wasn't it?"
"!? Yes!?"
"To lodge vast power in your body, you need vast power! Just like using powerful magic consumes massive amounts of magic power! To become the strongest Hunter, what you need is—the strongest lightning! Lightning energy, the power of nature, will guide me and Tino to even greater heights!"
"Y-you, guide yourself somewhere else on your own!"
Tino blurted out. Even the retort that would surely earn a scolding from Big Brother Luke's sister didn't faze him. His eyes burned like flames, shining with strong will and a thirst for power.
I see, so that's how standing under a waterfall improves swordsmanship. Big Brother Luke, I suspect—you have no intention of listening to me, do you?
"Thunder God Sword… what I lack now is—area-of-effect attacks! Kukuku… I can already picture Krai's surprised face! And, Tino—you will lodge the power of lightning in your body and attain speed beyond the human realm! A fist combining lightning-like speed and intensity—from that swift, thunderous movement, your epithet shall be—'Thunder Shadow'!"
"!! 'Thunder Shadow'!"
How predictable, Big Brother Luke! However, I'm sorry to say, I planned to have Master give me an epithet… Yes, ideally, I'd be overjoyed to get one or two letters from Master's own epithet.
Swallowing those unspoken thoughts, Tino tried to figure out how to avoid being swept along.
"…………But… if it's training… wouldn't it be better to train with Big Sister? I'm, embarrassed to say, still inexperienced…"
"Liz is already fast enough! If we train together, I'll never catch up! This is training I came up with, so I should be the first to do it! Got it? This is top-secret training. The reveal comes after the mock battle. Consider it one favor I owe Liz."
Hopeless, this person… He's Big Sister's childhood friend. If this continues, Tino will be dragged in.
Master had etched the word "mercy" into Big Sister's dictionary ever so slightly, but Big Brother Luke's dictionary surely didn't contain such a term.
As Tino desperately sought an escape route, Big Brother Luke clenched his fist tightly and spoke.
"Let's both become Thunder Gods and show off to Krai! Tino, you store lightning in your body. I'll do special training to gather lightning in my sword. Once we both master it, we'll teach each other, doubling the rate of improvement! Liz uses body manipulation to create that speed, but lightning energy is definitely stronger than the heat energy generated by manipulating the heart! It's fine, I understand your concern too. You're thinking it's useless if you can't use it where there's no lightning, right? But electric eels can generate electricity! Just generate it inside your body! You could even learn magic, or spin your arm around like a hand-cranked generator! If you need tools, ask Citry to make them! The possibilities are infinite! Plus, it's super cool!"
Tino had no idea what he was saying.
Their eyes spun, cold sweat trickled, and their heart hammered.
Tino chewed on the words they'd barely managed to catch amidst the confusion.
"Show off… to Mastaa? Show off? To Mastaa?"
A Level 8 Hunter who had rapidly ascended the ladder of glory. Did Tino have anything worthy of showing off to such a person?
Mastaa was strong. Strong and kind, with a mind far beyond Tino's comprehension, charisma, and flawless achievements. The only thing Tino excelled at was the amount of debt.
"That's right! Show off. And then, get taught how to become an even greater Thunder God! We—will be Thunder Gods! And then, Tino, you can finally go to a Treasure Hall with us! Yes… if we add one more person, the attacks will disperse, allowing us to tackle a more intense Treasure Hall!"
"With Mastaa… in the same, Treasure Hall…"
That was a wonderful idea. Of course, this assumed Tino had the strength to follow Mastaa into the Treasure Halls he tackled, but if they could conquer one together, it would be a wonderful experience, both in terms of achievement and memories. Furthermore, bonds deepened by facing death together.
This was Tino's dream, one that had survived being constantly crushed by trials and worn down by Big Sister.
"Yes! And then, if Tino masters swordsmanship, it'll be perfect! Liz doesn't use a sword! No swordsman has ever cut down a lightning-speed Thief! And naturally, Tino's the only Thief who can move at lightning speed and use a sword! Even Krai will be impressed! He'll praise you lavishly!"
"!! Mastaa… praising me lavishly!?"
That was… completely unimaginable. Master, who casually and everywhere put Tino down without a second thought—him offering unreserved praise?
For Mastaa, whose catchphrase was still "The trial hasn't even begun yet" (freely translated) to praise Tino?
Maybe he'd even hug Tino, ruffle their hair, and take them on a date…
"Becoming a Thunder God with just a little training and surprising Krai—there's no better deal. Tino, you're in, right?"
"I… I'll do it!"
"Good, then let's get Lucia to bring out some lightning right away—"
At those words, Tino snapped back to sanity just in time.
Lucia… Big Sister Lucia!? If that Big Sister Lucia, one of the Imperial Capital's most renowned Mages, used lightning magic, then perhaps—at this rate, Tino would be turned to ash?
The passion behind those words was too intense. Was he even being reinforced by Mana Material with enthusiasm? She was terrifying in a different way from Citry Big Sister, who argued with logic, or from the other Big Sister who brooked no disagreement.
Taking a deep breath, Tino calmed their mind. Their head cooled, and rationality returned.
Actually, maybe Master really wasn't the Thunder God?
That guy Krai Andrich seemed to be the type who was prone to extreme self-deception, so perhaps it was all a misunderstanding?
Also, Big Brother Luke… electric eels are actually eels.
And for the record, Tino was neither an eel nor an electric eel.
Just then, Big Sister Lucia entered the room. She wore a sulky, displeased expression, holding a familiar staff.
She'd been listening to their conversation from outside the room. Her first words were a flat, unequivocal refusal.
"I absolutely won't bring it out…………if I do, it'll just hit my brother or Anthem. Honestly, you get influenced so easily—"
"It's fine, I'll hold hands with Krai and Anthem."
A nice idea, admittedly. But setting that aside, Big Brother Luke should probably stop making strange jokes with a straight face.
"What's with that staff?"
The staff Big Sister Lucia was holding was the one that Krai Andrich had used.
At Tino's question, Big Sister Lucia sighed heavily and spoke in a gloomy voice.
"My brother—*the leader* forced it on me. I said I didn't need it, but he said, 'I don't need it. Lucia's lightning control is bad, so you keep it'—"
"…………Eh…?"
*He* doesn't need it? *Lucia's* lightning control is bad?
………………Could it be that Mastaa… is the Thunder God?
"It's not that *my* control is bad! It's my brother! He attracts it! It won't hit him! Honestly!"
"Aah, I wonder if there's a trick to absorbing lightning. Anthem's bigger, so it's still understandable… Maybe I should ask Krai."
"You have no idea how much trouble I go through every time someone asks why I can't use lightning magic! Brother, do you understand!? Brother!! It's not that I can't use it! I can use it! I can, but it hits brother, so I don't! I'm not good at it! Do you know how much trouble Citry went through making countermeasure potions! Do you know!? You… you… don't look so shocked! *I'm* the one who's more shocked!"
…………………Alright, Mastaa is a god, for now.
Declaring this to himself, Tino quietly slipped out of the room before being dragged into the mess Big Sister Lucia was making, venting her frustration on a stuffed animal, and Big Brother Luke.