With a light hop, she landed right at the big Skeleton’s head height. Her eyes took in Ban’s scarlet gaze; in those pupils, her own figure flashed, right foot whipping toward his skull.

Thoom—!!

The petite girl’s whip-kick cut sideways and cracked into the skull. The skull tore from its neck and sailed across the room, only stopping after it slammed into the wall.

Ling touched down smooth as a cat. She stared at her calf, dazed, not noticing the headless Skeleton frame topple at her side.

Thinking of the moment her kick hit Ban, Ling frowned. Something’s off…

Not me—it’s the impact. If Ban’s berserk, he should be stronger—defense, power, speed. At least above a normal Skeleton.

But…

When I kicked him, it felt like booting cannon-fodder bones—brittle as dry sticks.

Lost in that wrongness, she didn’t see the skull on the wall flare with a red gleam.

Clack, clack…

The headless frame at her feet shuddered twice, bone scraping bone like cold nails on glass. She lifted her head to see what it was doing. It sprang up, standing in an eerie, wrong posture.

Then, like a body yanked by a hidden current, it floated, slammed into Ling, and carried her toward the skull. The right shin bone she’d tossed who-knew-where drifted along for the ride.

What… what’s happening?!

Confusion flooded her chest, blanking her thoughts. Fighting the wind pressure, she turned back. The skull’s empty sockets burned red.

Ten meters. Five. Three. One.

The gap reeled in like a tightened line. Right before impact, the bone frame pivoted to face the skull. In a blink, it fused.

The fused skull shot out its right hand. Five bony fingers spread and closed around Ling’s small body. All momentum died on the spot.

You—

She didn’t finish the shout. The last missing shin clattered in with a sound like a Transformer—kukukukiki~. It snapped onto the Skeleton in an instant.

Ban, whole again, stood at once. He tossed Ling up and, before she fell, grabbed her by the calf.

Being handled like that, Ling wore a full-on bewildered look. What is this big guy doing—planning to gulp me down like this?

Her answer came next. Ban clenched her calf. His feet began to spin in place, steady and rhythmic. Both skeletal hands straightened, dragging Ling’s small body into the whirl.

This—?

That’s my move, “Lan Lan Lan”!

Just as Ling thought, the Skeleton was copying her earlier technique. As the spin sped up, air gathered around him like a coiling breeze.

But it wasn’t the same. Ban would pop off when his frame hit its limit. Ling wouldn’t.

Meaning, she could bear the rotation without flying free—if she wanted to. Even if Ling wanted to play the spinning game, Ban didn’t agree. At the brink of max speed, when no more acceleration would come, the bone hand gripping her calf let go.

Boom—!!

She was hurled at near-sonic speed. Her fading outline drew an arc through the air, and—like Ban before—she smacked into the wall.

She crawled out of the wall, annoyance prickling like grit. She patted stone chips and dust from her hair. She fixed her gaze on the Skeleton who’d done that to her—only to see him crouch.

He stretched one foot. He swept at empty air.

A sweeping kick?

He’s learning my form?!

No mistake. I’m not seeing things. This berserk Skeleton named Ban is studying my attacks! Is this still “berserk”? Give me back my brainless berserker stereotype!

Ling planted both hands, sinking into a sprinter’s start. She meant to blitz him faster and smash him hard. Ban had only practiced the sweep for a moment. He saw Ling’s hands-down, arched-back stance. He copied it on the spot.

Real-time mimicry?

Before, he’d copy only after taking a hit. Now, he does what I do as I do it. Ling’s eyes weren’t blind; she knew he was mirroring her. That kind of “smart behavior” clashed with his first image as a blunt brute. And the change happened right when the Skeleton died and came back.

So, does he get smarter every time he dies?

It was a guess, but it felt solid in her gut. First, a mindless beast. One revival, a modest, mimicking infant. Die again, and he’d be a youth with his own ideas. After that… no need to say it.

She didn’t know what he’d become down the road. Right now, casually killing this guy didn’t seem wise. With that thought, Ling rose from her starting stance to stand. Ban followed, about a second behind, rising the same way.

Confirmed. He’s mimicking me.

Also… haven’t I seen this “revive and get stronger” setup somewhere? The ones whose hair turns gold when they power up?