Strings Wrapped Around A Bone

That's Unfair! I'm A Support Class

Are you sure it's because of me? You and Ningyo are at a higher level. Shiori looked at the doll's face incredulously, having a hard time believing what she just said. Ducking as another shot of acid came from a random location on the ground. Eyes frantically scanning for the source from which it came.

Yet she refrained from vomiting her thoughts as another shot of ooze grazed her arm, "Argh! Suzu, protect the girls!" Shiori bolted from her duck, sprinting onto the rotting field itself in hopes of becoming an easier prey.

"Ningyo, you're with me!" The puppeteer doyen calls over the Japanese doll that dove over to join the fray, leaves wrestling aggressively in the wind, "Bombard the dirt with fire, it's not a fire smile like Guren, but the land is still its terrain!" The running magus looked like a runaway bride as the disbursed dirt, caused by some land mine-like spell, clung to her veil.

In an ill-fated step, Shiori activated a variation of the goo shot, one more volatile but not instantaneous, a land mine of sorts, bringing on her hurtle across the farm muck.

The rolling thaumaturge called on "[Tremor Sense]!" A 4th-tier spell Shiori had learned to grind for worms of different species littered across the Nine Realms for the Critterpedia 100% completion reward. Ultimately, it was not worth the spell slot, and so she complained on the forums, surprising Momonga, who had known her as someone who was easy to satisfy.

Where is it? Where is it? She repeated to herself like a mantra, and honestly, she's on autopilot. She does not do well at all in spontaneous situations. She wasn't done coming up with an excuse for her blunder earlier, and now she has to fight her way to victory? Give her a break! Her build isn't even made for the front lines!

What invaded her senses were numerous corrosive-type slimes, and she froze. Wait, why are there so many?! Come on, how is this fair? It's 3 against, what? Five dozen acid-firing duds of a purple slime?

While Shiori ranted about the unbalanced battle, a lone slime charged up a giant dark mucus of the same substance and shot it towards the mud-covered mage. Perceiving in time the oncoming attack, she dodges, just barely. They scraped the side of her shoulder, and she couldn't help but let out a yelp.

"Bijou-sama!" The ringing bell called out to her master, moving to approach Shiori.

"I'm alright! Stay with the girls!" She quickly yells back, not wanting Suzu to abandon an injured Enri and fear-stricken Nemu to their fates.

She can hear the scorching sounds of fireballs in the background, Ningyo hailing them down, decimating more than a quarter of their number.

The strangest thing about this is that it feels as though they are fighting an endless army of slime. She could have sworn her NPC had wiped at least half of them with the last spell. Yet, as she gazes across the field, an unknown dread pricks at her skin; they are back up to their previous number.

[Tremor Sense] counted over a dozen of them, there weren't any more of them, and she was sure of it. Frustration drags its nails up her spine. If they can't swiftly control the situation at hand, the slimes will quickly invade and undoubtedly attack the villagers.

Another shot of flames exploded up from the group, courtesy of Ningyo.

Something feels... off.

One fulminated from the aerial blast, just before another formed in its place.

This awfully reminds her of that time when she, along with Yamaiko, was holding off another guild from entering and fighting against a horde-type summoner.

"What?! There's more of them?" The back row mage heads dropped her head in the aspiration of it all, "We have been at this for 2 hours now... Why won't they just surrender?"