Arata returns back to base the next loop, he finally saw a concise path to victory that accounted for every variable.

  Arata, regrouping with the fighting force, primarily searches for Rachamah. The girl, however, is the one who intercepts him in the woods while she has a boar corpse hoisted over her shoulder.

  “Couldn't sleep, so I went to get some food before the fight. So what did you learn?”

  The two of them sit down at a fire, Rachamah eats while mountains of info are unloaded about the Erlking.

  “While he does control a hive mind, the Dryads aren't good with independent actions. My theory on the structure of the Erlking's army has evolved. When the final battle comes, he’ll be relying on the knights. If you managed to breach the castle and fight the Erlking directly, the Alraune are too mindless to serve as a main fighting force without Dryads. It may be possible to delegate more of our resources to assist yo-”

  “No Arata, I'm going in solo. The fewer variables, the better. You're the only one I can rely on and your role is still the same.”

  “Fine, well at least let me tell you about his Regalia shaping. He can create extensions of his body. These soldiers can spawn out of any surface and are faster than even Beelzebub. Overall, the Erlking is a lot stronger so I'm just a bit worried. Can you handle-”

  Hearing the sound of the pig’s bone drop onto the floor, in the same instance, Rachamah's new Kanabo, Pestle, stares down Arata.

  “We’ll spar. We have until the soldiers wake up, you tell me how you think I'll match up.”

  Arata nods, having sweated a little, her speed greatly outpacing the Erlking. Not referring to combat though, she ate a whole boar in ten minutes.

  Arata prays to summon Ravenna, “angel, compare her to the Erlking.”

  Ravenna nods, floating up to the top of a tree to watch the match from.

  Ravenna points out, “Hey Arata, why does she trust you know this information in the first place. I really don't understand her.”

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  That's actually a good question, she just let me go to camp and trusts the info I came back with an hour later. She knew I could kill the fairies when we first met. I know she knows more than she lets on. Ironically, I should be wondering more if I can trust her.

  “Rachamah… you don't seem too alarmed when I talk to the air and trust my info. What are you hiding?”

  “Arata, I figured out your ability. You are actually a fortune teller right? You can hallucinate and tell the future. Nothing else explains the way you act. My mother was a tarot card reader after all so I don't find it strange.”

  This kid is surprisingly gullible. That's an absurd reach of logic. Feels weird considering she's kinda right, I can do that.

  “Alright, let's duel, this time you won't hold back right? That way, I can gauge your chance at winning.” Arata explains, readying his combat stance.

  The very next second, Arata’s sword is flung into a nearby tree. Arata understood now what made some people unreachable. It was how range and speed interacted.

  The Erlking forced Arata to always stay on the defensive because he had countless options. He had hundreds of angles to attack from because his magic became an extension of his body. He had unlimited reach.

  The Erlking wasn't as particularly fast as Arata initially thought. It was nothing like Rachamah. However, with no way out of his attack range, it felt as such.

  Arata, except for her water rail gun, outranged Rachamah when he used Cauterizer yet he was no closer to winning if they ever fought.

  If Rachamah was as fast as Arata, she’d surely lose, not just to the Erlking but to Arata. Her body, while physically capable, was ultimately human.

  Yet she had heightened senses, fast reactions, her legs generated much more power. Rachamah's seafood diet played to her benefit, the creatures she strived to consume had to generate more power to wade through the harsh waters. In the dark ocean, they had to sharpen their senses.

  Rachamah yet was a better version of them. Arata had never thought of it before, just what Rachamah had the capacity to do with her ability. She could become infinitely skilled through cannibalism.

  Ravenna watched as Rachamah pummeled Arata in many duels, going through her accolades one by one.

  “Usually I'd give Rachamah a 40% chance but there's one more thing I got to know about.”

  Arata nods to the air, which at this point Rachamah doesn't question.

  Finally, he speaks, “Rachamah, how high can you jump? One of the Erlking's main tricks is hiding his impermeable attacks in the ground or inside other surfaces. Whenever you stay on the ground, you give him a chance to attack. You need to lower the number of chances he has to attack and close the gap.”

  A lightbulb in Rachamah's brain flickers, she nods. “I got a plan now, I see the path to victory you searched for. Thank you, Arata. It’s… new, having someone who can help me. Get some rest.”