Chapter 105 - Arrival of the Whirlwind
The countdown was almost over. With his back against the wall, Rotta let out an amused smile as he recalled the interesting player he had stumbled upon after so long.
A boy—no, a young man—with a face he'd certainly never seen before, one that was uncharacteristically unembellished for this virtual world.
He had been so surprised by the young man's utterly plain appearance that he couldn't help but strike up a conversation... but my, oh my, he was quite something.
He was wide open, completely exposed. He probably had zero experience in this world's PvP, his face unable to hide his anxiety and confusion—and yet, what in the world was that aura about him?
The young man... Haru, had said it himself, and the equipment he wore was quite impressive.
No, not just impressive; to be honest, Rotta still couldn't quite size it up. The only pieces whose base materials he could vaguely identify were the clothes he wore and the gauntlets and boots protecting his limbs.
Beyond that, the first things that caught the eye were the blue accessory shining on his chest and the crimson ring on his right hand—and to top it off, that magnificent hair ornament radiating an incredible pressure of information.
There was no doubt that each of these was a top-tier item rarely seen. He had a vague feeling he'd seen the brooch somewhere before... but as for the other two, he was completely stumped.
Then there was the short sword... or was it a dagger, hanging at the back of his waist. Unfortunately, he couldn't get a full look at it, but even through the sheath, he could sense something on par with that hair ornament.
Judging by his overall attire and posture, he was most likely a light warrior specializing in agility, but...
"He's a newcomer...? Hah, really now..."
I can't help but get my hopes up.
Rotta had come to the preliminary venue as usual, but this time, he might get to see something more interesting than the usual.
His spirits buoyed by this premonition, Rotta heard the familiar call of the countdown reaching zero, and then—
"—...Huh? Wait, what?"
A few seconds after the start—a storm of red phosphorescence erupted from the opposite side of the arena.
In other words, he was witnessing the death effects of a massive number of players. Standing beside other players who were watching the same scene unfold—he found himself frozen in the middle of the battlefield, utterly dumbfounded.
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The signal to begin the battle sounded—and I was likely the only one who could follow his movements, for my eyes had never left him.
Clad in his new white and blue attire, he vanished, gripping unfamiliar small blades of black and crimson.
A hazy, high-speed shadow closed in on the nearest player—and flashed the crimson dagger.
"...!"
One flash? No, that's not right—activating [Observer's Eye].
My eyes, now imbued with the skill's glow, captured the immediate future, tracing the myriad of sword flashes that appeared as just a single strike.
He passed by, five sword flashes, one down.
He passed by, three sword flashes, another down.
He passed by, four sword flashes, yet another down—
The others around finally began to notice the anomaly.
And then the shadow charged a heavy warrior carrying a large shield, and—
—[Blink Switch].
I saw his lips form the words I had heard so many times—
From the void emerged a bizarre battle axe, like one wielded by a giant.
Unseeable speed, an unannounced weapon switch, faced with a multitude of unknowns, the heavy warrior's face contorted behind his visor—and before he could even utter a cry, he and his feebly raised greatshield were crushed into particles of light.
"Huh? Wh-what was that... huh?"
"Whoa... No way, isn't that insane?"
"W-W-Wait, who is that?! Who is that guy?!"
"I've never seen him before... Have you?"
I was in the seating area for female players, having moved to avoid the crowd of men.
Almost at the same time as the participants drawing their weapons in the arena, the spectators around me also began to be captivated by the one player demonstrating such an extraordinary display.
Whether he knew he was the center of attention or not, he—my partner, Haru—picked up even more speed and charged at the veterans surrounding him.
He passed by another, and defeated them.
He passed by another, and defeated them.
Again, and again, and again... an endless repetition, and each and every one of those moments was—for me, a true epic of a hero.
"Amazing... Wow, isn't he just so cool?"
That's right, isn't he? My partner is so cool.
"He's so fast I can't even follow him with my eyes."
He always runs so far ahead, it's a struggle to keep up.
"That's just crazy... It's like he's playing a different game from everyone else."
A long time ago, I thought the same thing and even sulked about it.
"Man... It must be so much fun to be able to jump around so freely like that."
And you know what? Haru does it all with an innocent smile on his face.
So mature, yet so childish—
"...Ah."
Why? Tears suddenly welled up, and I quickly pressed a hand to my eyes in surprise.
It was a wave of emotion so immense I couldn't even understand it myself.
The back I was so used to seeing seemed so, so far away—and why, oh why, did that fill me with so much pride?
—Hey, Haru. What kind of expression are you making right now?
The question whispered in my heart was answered by a glimpse of his profile amidst the fierce battle.
"Oh, honestly...!"
Just as I had imagined—that innocently smiling face made me break into a tearful smile of my own.
Unable to tear my eyes away for even a moment from his joyfully darting figure.
The heat of emotion searing my chest, which I held with both hands, made my heart tremble uncontrollably.
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"So... damn... in-tense...!!"
Non-stop top speed. Controlling ultra-high-speed maneuvers, managing the effects of an increased number of skills, plus new enemies popping into my vision one after another without even needing to look for them—...!!
But I'm surprisingly managing!
How many have I taken down now?!
What's with that gear, are you a light warrior or a magic knight?!
Whatever, heavily armored shield bearers get the [Giant's Hand Axe] right through their guard!!
Homing magic, stop iiiit!!!
As usual, my thoughts can't keep up at all; I'm in a state of pure spinal reflex.
The crimson dagger in my right hand shatters—fine then, welcome, my second [Parabellum Bullet]!!
"Whoa, where did you pull that—"
"That's a trade secret!!"
The monk brother who cried out in shock as I instantly summoned a second one from thin air was sliced into six pieces. Alright, who's next?!
I sense a presence approaching from behind, aiming for a surprise attack. I turn to see a green-haired light warrior, much closer than I expected, raising a wicked-looking claw weapon—
Dodging is out—my center of gravity is low from my last attack, so I can't lift my leg. In that case, I'll just have to step in deeper—activating [Trample Slide]!
This skill, which roughly translates to "trample and slide," does exactly what its name suggests, allowing me to slide my avatar in the direction of the foot I put weight on. It's an active mobility skill.
With a short cooldown and minimal MP cost, it's very user-friendly, but since it's widely known among light warriors, it's also easy to predict.
Your opponent can guess the direction of movement by watching your legwork, and the distance is a fixed two meters, making you a potential target for a follow-up attack if you're not careful.
—However, the fact that the movement speed is based on the player's AGI is the one specification that elevates this skill to near god-tier when I use it.
"So fast?!"
My opponent is a contender in the Four Pillar selections, so of course, his PvP fundamentals are on another level compared to mine. As expected, he showed signs of reacting to the preparatory motion for [Trample Slide].
But too bad for you, my slide moves at 350 kilometers per hour.
"—Crimson Valor!"
With so many new weapons, I can't keep up with constructing images on the fly. I use the name as a trigger for thought-based control, assisting the activation of [Blink Switch] to summon a crimson spear.
Your last attack was wrapped in a skill effect, wasn't it?
Too bad, I'm taking advantage of that post-skill recovery frame!
"Wai—"
"Don't you 'wait' me after trying to backstab me!!"
I naturally ignore the clawed light warrior's plea as his face contorts. I thrust forward—not with the shining demon horn blade, but with a twirl and a pommel strike!
"Goff...!!"
Still, the specs of the base material are what they are. Even a blow from the pommel, which also has a fragment of the demon horn, shaves off nearly twenty percent of the light warrior's HP... Twenty percent, huh. One more hit—doesn't look like I'll get the chance...!
Am I wary of a counterattack? Non, non—just look around, will you? While I'm focused on the opponent in front of me, there are plenty of other players waiting to pick off the victor.
I quickly distance myself from the pitiful light warrior, who will surely be swarmed by the surrounding players the moment he shows an opening, and forcefully thrust the [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor], which has just devoured the stamina of a fresh victim, into the floor.
"[Imbue this body—Include]!!"
The decorative cloth, which had grown slightly longer than before I struck with the pommel, emits a crimson glow—and the surging crimson magical light transfers from the spear to my avatar.
This spear doesn't suck blood... rather, it converts the HP stolen through an attack with its pommel into magic power, strengthening the user. The buff persists for a duration corresponding to the HP absorbed, even if I switch weapons, and above all, it's simply a high-performance weapon even without relying on its special effects.
Plus, it has a couple more abilities hidden up its sleeve. It's honestly excellent, and apparently, I'm surprisingly good with a spear!
An unknown weapon with an unknown buff effect. On top of that, I'm an oddball who spams a mysterious weapon-switching skill while tearing across the battlefield with absurd agility. I've probably become more than enough of a "high-priority target."
Those around me create an open space, keeping a certain distance—but that's fine by me. I don't mind gaining their respect, even if it's in the form of caution.
I haven't been holding it for long, but the spear feels incredibly natural in my hand. I twirl it around with one hand for all to see. This isn't showboating; it's a pure act of intimidation.
"We're just getting started, seniors—time to kick it up a notch!!"
I throw myself headlong into the fray, into a battlefield where the fires have only just been lit.
As far as the eye can see, the shadows of my enemies stand countless and undiminished.
Q. Aren't the veterans a bit squishy?
A. Unless it's between two players with exceptionally high skill, this is pretty much what PvP in Arcadia is like. It's less that they're squishy and more that player attack power, which is balanced around fighting monsters, is excessively high.
Also, the damage multiplier for critical spots like the head, neck, and torso is set to be absurdly high, so the basic premise for any strong PvP player is to properly dodge, block, or parry.
Our protagonist melts even if he takes a hit to a non-critical area.