Otome Game Mob Villain

Chapter 703

**"Hahaha!"**

**"Hah... hah..."**

Johan's carefree laughter echoed through the moonlit training grounds, while I stood panting, my shoulders heaving with each breath.

In *Toki Lera*, Johan had been one of the strongest physical fighters—but I hadn't expected him to be *this* powerful even in his white-furred beast form.

Despite activating **Blazing Flame**, I could barely keep up with his movements, forced into a defensive stance. My only chances to counterattack came in rare, fleeting openings.

"Fighting you is *really* fun, Ridd."

"Glad to hear it," I managed between breaths, steadying myself.

Johan grinned, spinning his tonfa effortlessly—like a child playing with toys, yet wielding them as naturally as his own limbs.

"But I’m still not satisfied. Show me more of your strength."

Before I could respond, he kicked off the ground, sending dirt flying as he closed the distance in an instant. His tonfa came down in a heavy, precise strike.

But I'd seen this move enough times now.

Combining the Beastkin's natural physical prowess with wind-attribute magic, his charge was blindingly fast—but linear, predictable.

My bokken met his strike with a sharp **crack**, the impact reverberating through the training grounds.

We locked weapons, glaring at each other in a stalemate.

"Impressive. You blocked my **Gale Claw Strike**."

"You really think I’d fall for the same move twice?"

Johan chuckled. "Then how about this? **Rising Gale Claw Strike!**"

He dropped slightly, then launched an uppercut with his tonfa mid-leap.

The sharp whistle of wind accompanied his strike as I barely managed to flip backward, evading at the last second.

"Too slow. My turn now."

Regaining my footing, I swung my bokken—

**"Slash Magic: Skyrend!"**

A blade of pure mana shot toward Johan, still midair.

"You can fire slashes?!"

His eyes sparkled with excitement as he crossed his tonfa, blocking the attack with a magic barrier. A shattering sound rang out as the slash dispersed harmlessly.

Landing gracefully, he flashed me a smirk.

"Keeping a trick like that hidden? You should’ve led with it."

"Pot calling the kettle black. You *meant* for me to focus on your Gale Claw Strike so you could surprise me with the Rising variant."

"Hah! You saw right through me."

He stuck out his tongue playfully—a cute gesture, but after crossing blades, I understood.

His instincts in close combat were extraordinary.

The sheer weight behind his strikes reminded me of Rubens' slashes, while his beast-enhanced agility and raw strength surpassed even the Second Knight Order’s squad leaders.

The only reason I could keep up was my rigorous training under my father and Rubens, coupled with real combat experience from the Battle of the Narrow Fortress.

Johan was fast, powerful—but his movements were still somewhat predictable, relying too much on his natural physical superiority.

Given his earlier lament about lacking worthy peers, it made sense. He simply hadn’t faced enough varied opponents to refine his style.

Yet, even now, I could see him adapting mid-fight, instantly incorporating new insights into his movements.

*A true genius.*

"Alright, I'm warmed up now." Johan stretched, then smirked.

"Time to get serious."

"By all means."

I smiled, raising my bokken. His grin widened in response.

The next instant, a surge of mana erupted around him.

The white fur covering his body darkened into a rich brown, a lion-like mane sprouting around his neck as his hair bristled wildly.

"Only the second time I’ve shown you this form—since the royal capital."

"Right. Then I’ll show you something special too."

"Special…?"

As he tilted his head, I released the vast mana I’d been gathering.

**"Manifest—Shadow Puppet Summon!"**

Dark energy poured from my body, coalescing into a humanoid figure above me.

"Wha—?! I’ve never seen anything like this! Ridd, what *is* that?!"

Johan’s eyes shone with awe as the shadowy mass took shape—an inky-black duplicate of myself, complete with clothing and hair, though featureless.

It landed beside me, slouching against my back before fixing Johan with an eerie, purple-eyed glare.

"Ta-dah! The mana-born **Shadow Puppet** has arrived~"

(Internally, this was just Memory, my support mana construct, putting on a show with a different name and appearance.)

Johan’s jaw dropped.

"Th-That’s…! Is that a shadow-and-mana clone of you?!"

"Y-Yeah, something like that," I stammered, caught off guard by his excitement.

"You’re *amazing*, Ridd! You’re the first person to ever show me magic like this!"

"Uh, glad you like it. But you *do* realize what this means, right?"

I cleared my throat, regaining my composure.

"I wouldn’t summon something useless in a fight. Now, you’ll have to face *both* of us."

Johan’s grin turned feral. "Perfect."

He raised his tonfa, greenish wind mana swirling around him—either an emotional response or a deliberate enhancement.

*"...Ridd, are you sure about revealing your hand like this?"* Memory’s voice echoed in my mind.

*"Of course. I’m not showing everything. And no matter what, I don’t plan to lose."*

*"Fine. Just don’t complain later."*

As Memory sighed internally, Johan shifted his stance slightly.

"Alright, Ridd. Let’s see what your ‘serious’ looks like."

"Gladly. Just don’t let your guard down."

"Hah! As if."

The next instant, the ground *exploded* as Johan closed the distance in a blur.

**"Lion’s Claw Strike!"**

His left tonfa came up in a devastating uppercut—only for Memory to intercept it with a magic barrier.

"Not happening."

"You can *block* this too?!"

Johan sounded thrilled, immediately following up with his right tonfa. Yet the barrier held firm.

"My turn now."

Memory smirked, dispelling the barrier to launch a flurry of close-quarters strikes.

But even with **Blazing Flame** enhancing its physical abilities, it couldn’t match Johan’s lion-form strength. Every blow was effortlessly parried.

"Is that all? Your puppet’s attacks are weak."

Johan shot me a sidelong glance. I simply smiled.

"I warned you. *Don’t get careless.*"

"Huh—?"

Before he could react, Memory’s body *contorted*.

**"Needle Hedgehog."**

Countless shadowy spikes erupted from its form, pelting Johan at point-blank range.

(Note: The spikes were blunt—no actual injury intended.)

Caught off guard, Johan staggered back, putting distance between us.

"...What *was* that? I thought this was just a clone of you!"

"It *is*. But who said clones have to stay in one shape?"

Johan’s eyes narrowed as Memory retracted its spikes, standing beside me with a lazy shrug.

"You called it ‘shadow and mana magic,’ right? Shadows and mana don’t have fixed forms."

As I spoke, Memory slowly raised its arms, palms aimed at Johan.

"Which means… we can do *this* too."

Its arms *stretched* like rubber, lashing toward Johan.

"Wha—?!"

Eyes wide, Johan barely managed to bat the extending limbs away, leaping back.

"Amazing reflexes. But if you run, we’ll just chase you. Right, Shadow Puppet?"

"Ugh, *fine*. I’ll humor you."

With an exaggerated sigh, Memory followed as I pressed the attack.

---

**Round Two: Begin.**