"Amaterasu!"
Greg gave a low shout, quickly covering one eye with his free hand. At the same time, his body turned translucent, like a phantom melting into the air, allowing a razor-sharp Wind Blade to skim past his intangible body with perfect timing.
Immediately afterward, the figure that should have remained in place shattered like a crumpled sheet of paper, breaking apart and fading away.
His figure re-formed in the exact opposite direction. His hands formed a simple sign, and a mass of searing flames appeared out of thin air, instantly engulfing the Monster that had just attacked.
The poor Horned Rabbit couldn't even scream before the flames reduced it to charcoal.
[Horned Rabbit killed. Skill dropped: Boohoohoo.] [Boohoohoo proficiency increased to LV5.]
"Heh..."
Greg slowly relaxed his stance and turned around, leaving the little patch of scorched earth behind him. He stood with his hands behind his back, his chin slightly raised.
"Just as I thought... I'm terrifyingly strong now."
"Thou truly art... extravagant beyond belief."
An ethereal voice rang out, sounding distinctly speechless.
At some point, Nightmare had appeared in her black cat form on a slightly elevated rock nearby. Her glowing green eyes gave Greg a sidelong look, and the tip of her tail flicked impatiently.
"What, a show-off? Who's a show-off?!"
Greg immediately protested, as though she'd struck a nerve.
"This is called... blowing off a little steam and indulging my inner child! Do you get it, Hachimi?!"
Nightmare tilted her head, confusion filling her green feline eyes.
"What art thou speaking of? I meant that using so many special abilities against such a feeble Monster, treating it with such ceremony, seemed rather too extravagant."
Greg blinked, finally realizing that Nightmare had meant "extravagant," not the meme he'd assumed she was referencing.
He cleared