Chapter 1003 - Re: As Time Passes
[Daily Tree-Climbing Acrobat: 60th Floor Conquest Scenery]
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“I don't even know where to start anymore.”
“The usual.”
“This daily dose of high-quality content is so overwhelming it's exhausting.”
“Sora-chan is SOOOO strong.”
“Is it really okay to be getting footage of a full party of rankers on a picnic for free???”
“Bug report: Can't find where to send money.”
“Aaaahhhh, the Saintess is so cute again todayyyyy.”
“At this rate, HaruSora can probably clear all 100 floors by themselves.”
“HaruSora (yuri) holding hands is a treasure…”
“Yuri…?”
“But he's a guy.”
“The very concept of yuri is breaking.”
“I don't understand a single thing they're doing but it's endlessly hilarious.”
“Isn't it insane that the mobs on the 60th floor are strong enough to fight a ranker party head-on?”
“Ranker party (only half of them are fighting).”
“You guys don't know how broken the Three Laws buff is?”
“The Saintess's buff is canceling out the environmental effects, isn't it? Seriously, what are normal people supposed to do?”
“Yeah, there must be some 'key' to conquering the Key Tree that we're fatally missing.”
“A key for the Key Tree, you say?!!!!!!!!!!!”
“cringe”
“Realistically, anything above floor 31 is impossible. Just let us form raids already.”
“The path to the boss is deadlier than the boss itself, for real.”
“The bosses are mostly impossible too!!!”
“Why are these guys doing solo rotations on the way there…?”
“The Acrobat and Twin Fists are both insane. Sora-chan is Sora-cute.”
“Acrobat-san is really good at leading a party.”
“He's got leadership skills, surprisingly.”
“Such a perfect, capable young man…”
“Is it really that surprising?”
“Not really.”
“He's always been our leader???”
“Here we go.”
“Ugh, it's them. You're one of the Eto Mori crowd, aren't you?”
“Eto Mori invitation lottery!!!!! I didn't get in!!!!!!!!!!”
“The odds are hundreds to one. There's no way I'm winning that.”
“Are you sure it's only hundreds to one…?”
“Man, Arcadia's been pretty chill lately.”
“Sora-chan is nuts.”
“So what's the progress anyway? Have they cleared the 100th floor yet?”
“They've probably cleared it by now. It's been over two months.”
“Either way, they won't be able to make a move until the new year, as usual.”
“Looking forward to the Four Pillar War.”
“Looks like things are as hectic as ever for the top players.”
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After countless dozens, hundreds of clashes, the sound of swordplay finally rang out, particularly sharp and clear.
Then, both fighters stood motionless, each holding two blades. They were frozen in the final pose of their close-quarters dance, the conclusion… that is, with the point of one's weapon held at the other's neck.
What rang out next was the system's tone signaling the end of the battle. And then—
““—————… Phew…!””
Another five-minute round, who knows how many sets we’d played.
Having indulged in a bit of ‘fun’—a pure contest of skill with no abilities or skills, limited to training dummies for weapons—we both collapsed in unison, gasping for breath.
“—Ngh-ah…! Ugh, seriously! You’re just unbearable…!”
“—Look who's talking…! You're quite the acrobat yourself, you idiot…!”
We were in a pure white space. Not Istia—but inside the Southern Faction Sotalm’s war-time base, [El Faria, Knight's Royal Castle]. In an instanced training ground.
I, the [Acrobat], and Uni, the [Heavy Tank], were rolling around on the floor together.
It wasn't a big deal. It had been about a week since the calendar had stepped into December, and with the upcoming Twelfth Four Pillar War on everyone’s minds, it was impossible not to be aware of it.
Seemingly hyped up by this, the second-ranked member of the Southern Faction had suddenly invited me out, and I had just casually dropped by.
…Also, I wasn't the only one who was called.
“—…Hm? Oh, is it over?”
Like a dad on his day off, glued to the TV in the living room. There was one idiot who had been lying on his side on the floor, casually watching our match before getting bored and falling asleep.
Or rather, one tiger.
“Isn't it crazy how you can sleep just five meters away from a full-blown fight?”
“Ahaha. I was seriously debating whether to throw a knife at his face midway through.”
“It's boring just watching. You should've called one more person so we could have two pairs.”
Me, Uni, and Tiger Lucky. I hope we weren't summoned as the representatives of the combat maniacs from the East, South, and North, but in terms of being a group that didn't need to hold back, we were definitely an easygoing bunch.
Under the guise of training-slash-fun, the three of us had been going at it in an endless king-of-the-hill style, and before we knew it, over two hours had passed.
I was so engrossed I lost track of time… or rather, I was just so focused that I was completely absorbed. I’d just recently started training with a bit more intensity, so this invitation was a timely opportunity, and I gave it my all.
These guys are strong. Seriously… oh.
“Ah, sorry. I'm out for dinner.”
“I'm hungry too.”
“Same here. I'm satisfied for now, so let's call it a day.”
My pre-set alarm went off. The sound effect and the icon lighting up in the corner of my vision announced that it was exactly 7 PM, so I raised my hand to leave.
Since it was dinnertime, it was probably the same for everyone. The other two agreed, and our spontaneous bro-session came to a clean end without any lingering regrets.
And so.
“Sorry for the sudden call, Haru. Thanks for coming.”
“Not at all. I had fun too. Hit me up anytime.”
“Oh, you said it, huh? Well then, I'll be sure to invite you a few more times before the selection matches.”
“Yeah, yeah. Go easy on me.”
I bumped fists with the boyish avatar of my host.
“See ya, Tiger Lucky. Catch you later.”
“Yeah. Let's go somewhere with RinMaru again.”
I bumped fists with the spiky, tiger-striped hair of the other guest.
“Well then.”
I clicked a ‘key’ into the empty air, opening a transfer gate to my home—my clan home.
—————…And so, in the pure white space where the once-new junior had disappeared.
“……………………Sheesh. What the hell is up with that idiot?”
“…He’s unbearable, isn’t he? Seriously.”
The voices of the two seniors, colored by the same emotion, crossed paths.
The expressions on their faces were also identical. With complex feelings that seemed to encompass joy, anger, sorrow, and pleasure, Uni and Tiger Lucky exchanged wry smiles.
“…………—Irori told me he’s been getting scary recently.”
“Yeah.”
“My curiosity got the better of me, so I called him over.”
“Yeah.”
The result was this, laughed the second-ranked member of the Southern Faction, the [Heavy Tank].
—For roughly two hours. With breaks in between, they fought endless five-minute rounds. Haru seemed to be focused on ‘training’ without caring about winning or losing, but Uni and the others remembered clearly.
They couldn't help but remember.
It couldn't help but be etched into them.
Of course—because they had both been completely outmatched.
“Well, how should I put it… It’s that, isn’t it?”
“Yeah… I guess so.”
No skills, no abilities—a pure, unadulterated contest of technique.
Therefore, no excuses could be made. They were confronted with the plain truth.
…Again, it was a full range of emotions. They were happy to see a rival grow stronger, angry at themselves for losing to a junior, sad as fellow men, yet they couldn't help but find the absurd impertinence of their cheeky junior to be incredibly fun—
“He must’ve had something happen again…”
“Yeah, something must’ve happened again…”
In other words, some kind of ‘growth event’.
Every time he faced something new, his wings didn’t just propel him forward; they launched him to far greater heights. This singularity constantly elicited a chorus of laughter and screams from the depths of their beings, forcing them to concede defeat.
The onlookers let out a sigh each.
“Tiger.”
“What is it?”
“You free after dinner?”
“……………………I am.”
To shoot down that incredibly impertinent, ridiculous star.
It goes without saying that they too would continue to race onward, never wanting to be left behind.