Solo Dungeon Streamer-I Am Overpowered

Chapter 120: The Path to Shikigami Mastery

After spending a few days training the newcomers, I've started to notice a few things. Right now, we're borrowing my grandma's dojo, and Asagao-san is teaching the others how to circulate their magic properly... and I'm streaming the whole thing from behind them.

"Hm… it seems like only Kishiya-kun is having trouble with the flow."

"I-I'm sorry."

: Yeah, I don't get it either, so don't worry

: Not sure how that's comforting though

: Honestly, I can't even move my magic at all, so it's probably a talent thing

: I tried it for health benefits, but I've gotten nowhere

: I guess moving magic around really is a talent you're born with

"Kishiya-san, could I talk to you for a second?"

"M-me?"

This guy's special. I'll have to be the one to teach him… I guess it's time to get grandma involved for real.

"Asagao-san, please continue with Mimika-san and Doumoto-san. Kishiya-san, you're coming with me. Let's do something fun."

It's my first time seeing someone like him with my own eyes... someone who has the potential for shikigami magic.

We leave the dojo and head over to the porch where grandma always drinks her tea. As expected, she's downing a cup of green tea like it's water. She should really savor it more.

"Grandma."

"Hm? Oh, it's you."

"He might have a talent for shikigami magic."

"M-me? Really!?"

"Oh?"

Curious, grandma set her tea down and studied Ashiya-san closely.

"Now, where did I put that book…"

"Uh, that's supposed to be a forbidden text passed down in our family..."

"Bah, it's defective magic. Only a select few can use it anyway. It's not really forbidden."

Ouch… I rely on that "defective" magic for most of my battles.

"Besides, you were the last one to read it, so why don't you just teach him yourself?"

"Ugh, are you going senile?"

"I'll smack you."

Yeah, yeah… I guess I should teach it myself. But this is all on stream… should I really reveal family secrets online? Even if it's not perfect, it's still a big deal.

"Not sure what you're worried about, but you're the one who inherited it, so do as you like. I don't care if the world knows about that 'defective' magic."

"You know, our ancestors are probably going to be pissed if they hear that..."

Well, if grandma says it's fine, I guess it's fine. If Ashiya-san masters shikigami magic, he'll be a huge asset.

"Ahhhhh!"

"Oh, sorry about that…"

: LOL

: Panda's getting wrecked

: Dude, are you even a man?

: Poor Panda, getting tossed around by three women

: Panda always ends up with the ladies, though

: Hey, I'm a guy, and I like Panda too

: That's great, but nobody asked

When I return to the dojo, I see Doumoto-san being casually thrown into the air by Miyamoto-san. Looks like they've moved on from basic circulation practice to sparring. Given Miyamoto-san's natural sense for magic flow, Doumoto doesn't stand a chance.

"Good work, everyone."

"S-sir... I just got beaten by a younger girl…"

"Ahaha, don't worry. Asagao-san's even younger, so it's no big deal."

"Of course it's a big deal!"

Well, Miyamoto-san's circulation is driven purely by raw talent, and Asagao-san's ability to visually perceive magic flow is like solving a test with the answer sheet in hand. There's no beating them in that department unless you have sheer magical output.

If Miyamoto-san gets 100 points on a test because she's a genius and Asagao-san gets 100 because she has all the answers, your only option is to force the grading scale to 1,000 and somehow score 1,001. It sounds dumb, but when it comes to magic, raw power and output win the day.

"Alright, Kishiya-san, it's time for your shikigami magic lesson."

: Shikigami magic!?

: Is Kishiya gonna learn how to summon spirits now!?

: If I watch this stream, maybe I'll learn too?

: Hell yeah, time to become the strongest explorer!

: Finally, my dream of controlling shikigami is within reach!

Shikigami magic requires a certain innate talent, but mastering it isn't too hard. The key is imagination. The amount or quality of magic only affects the strength of the shikigami, not the summoning itself.

"First, think of a living creature. You want to build a vessel for it. The textbook says to create a physical form for the shikigami, but honestly, you can just mold it out of your magic."

"R-really?"

"Give it a try."

The easiest thing to summon on the fly would be a small fairy-like creature. Picture a tiny fairy a few centimeters tall. What's its gender? Hair style? Personality? What kind of magic is it good at?

What do its wings look like? Its eye color? Think of everything, and let the image form.

"'Pixie.'"

With that, a small fairy materialized in the air.

"Like this."

"Mmmmm... hnnnng…"

"You're trying too hard."

: I don't get it either

: Looks impossible

: Even with talent, it's still not happening lol

: Kisaragi is just broken

: The more I watch, the more I realize Kisaragi's just not normal

: Born to be EX

: Natural-born EX, lol

He's struggling, huh? I think the problem is with Ashiya-san's imagination. Creating a living thing from scratch is pretty tough for anyone. But once you succeed the first time, it's usually easier. It's all about building that initial confidence.

"Maybe don't force yourself to focus on living creatures. Personally, I can't imagine anything moving unless it's alive, but you might not have that issue."

"Something… not alive?"

Ah, his magic's shifting.

"'Shadow Puppet!'"

As Ashiya-san clasped his hands together and called out, a human-shaped shadow crawled out from beneath his feet… but…

"It's tiny."

: LOL

: Yeah, that's pretty small

: Like, 10 centimeters?

: Is this even usable in a fight?

: Definitely needs more training

: Baby steps, man

A super tiny shadow puppet. That's probably the best Ashiya-san can do right now. As he gets stronger, his shikigami will naturally become more powerful—that's the great thing about this magic. However, it's also a drawback since weak summoners create weak shikigami.

To be fair, "Shadow Puppet" isn't strictly shikigami magic. It's more of a derivative spell that uses similar principles. But hey, my necromancy is also a bit off the beaten path, so I'll let it slide.