Chapter 1064 - The Duel of Reflection
Seriously though, this was no time for jokes.
The reason was simple. Even if it wasn't the [Black Stain That Slays All], which was the worst-case scenario... this thing, the [Trickster] in that nostalgic attire, was the next most dangerous thing.
What was nostalgic about it was that all its equipment was from my past perspective.
The full-body raiment, the [Tsarkalv of the White Throne], was the [Stasia] series before its update. Its hands and feet were protected by the [Stasia] series instead of the Digavoga. Furthermore, the hair ornament that glinted even from the front lacked its aquamarine hue.
In short...
"It's Haru from his debut..."
Tora-kichi adjusted his position while carrying his spear with natural, silent footsteps. His mutter was exactly as it seemed, as he remained on high alert to act as a wall at a moment's notice.
This was likely from the time of the Tenth Four Pillar War.
"..."
Princess Ashe, who was unusually silent and wearing a rare expression, must have been seeing the version of me she first encountered. Once again, it was the next most dangerous thing. Just like with Rep-La, I couldn't help but feel a sense of resignation that this was a killer card we couldn't even properly resist.
Why? That was obvious.
If the past me went all out, there was no way the current us could keep up.
The presence or absence of various abilities to overcome a parity or slight difference in Agility was the absolute condition for a struggle in virtual combat, which sat between a game and reality.
Speed wasn't just strength; in Arcadia, speed was often the ultimate standard. If someone took the high ground with a speed you couldn't react to, you quite literally couldn't do anything.
Therefore...
"...Hey."
Another mutter.
I wondered what he was thinking, or if he even had a brain to think with. Tora-kichi, who was likely reaching the same 'nothing we can do' conclusion, whispered while keeping his most vigilant attention on the past me, who seemed to snort with a smug expression from my perspective.
That mutter was none other than a question.
It was directed at Ashe, the person who served as the basis for this version of me, or at me, who should know myself best in terms of specs, or even at Sora, my partner who could be expected to know me even better than I knew myself.
It was the Tiger's pitiful cry of: "Hey, what are we gonna do about this guy?"
Now then, I wanted to say "I don't know, I'm the one who wants to know," but...
Alongside the conclusion that 'fighting head-on is impossible' which was instantly calculated, there was one stupid plan that came to mind... or rather, it wasn't non-existent.
If the 'Trial' presented by the Primeval Four Towers was entirely focused on measuring combat ability without any leeway, this strategy wouldn't work. But...
"...Sora."
"Ah, y-yes?!"
The moment I called her name, the gaze of the past me shifted.
Its target was none other than Sora-san, who had been staring blankly at the other me before being startled into a response. Confirming that, I felt a spark of hope.
This might actually work.
"W-What is it..."
"Over here, come over here. Get in front. Tora-kichi, you move back. You're in the most danger."
"What the..."
"Do as he says. I agree."
I beckoned the bewildered Sora forward while calling back the Tiger, who had stepped to the front to act as a tank. Ashe's agreement silenced the questions the two of them started to voice.
Right. You'd reach the same conclusion, wouldn't you?
Tora-kichi started to back off obediently, and I nodded at Ashe as she also began to cautiously step back. That made sense, since after Tora-kichi, Ashe was the next most dangerous person.
For this version of me, at least.
And on the other hand...
"U-Um...?"
"It's okay. Probably. It'll work... I think... probably, surely, maybe."
For this version of me, or for any version of me... as long as it was a version of me after I started living in Arcadia, there was a constant weakness that would always work.
"I can't fight this girl. Right?"
...
Pure luck, it was right here.
"F-Fwah... wh-what... eeh...?"
I felt bad that she was both embarrassed and confused, but to put it clearly, it was an absolutely unchangeable fact. It was something I had become strongly aware of during a one-on-one duel in front of my master. No matter how much I fought with all my heart, I couldn't swing the final blade.
There was no reason for it. It was just impossible.
I wouldn't hesitate to respond with my sword to the strongest Princess, whom I met through battle and whom I yearned for as a rival. But when my opponent was the partner I had vowed to run with to the very end without letting go, my hands and feet would inevitably stop on their own.
It was a distinction I accepted, a special bond with each of them that would never change.
Therefore, not only was it true for the current me, but if the past me had also been reproduced with all the affection I unconsciously held for my partner...
...
"Heh..."
"...That's the kind of thing I don't want to see with my own eyes..."
See? I believed it would be incredibly effective.
And so, after locking eyes with Sora for a few seconds, what little battle intent I could feel from the other me vanished entirely. A doting, foolish smile, which looked incredibly disgusting from my perspective, appeared on the face that looked just like mine.
To be honest, seeing it myself just filled me with a simple sense of revulsion, and I almost instinctively lashed out at that sweet, coddling smile... but if I actually got a counterattack, I would unfortunately be in the 'instant kill' category, so I held back. It was frustrating.
"...Hah? What are we being forced to watch?"
A sharp voice came from behind me, and I wanted to agree from the bottom of my heart. What the hell were we doing at such a critical moment for a [Colored]?
I was getting more and more annoyed at my past self, Sora-san was starting to let her embarrassment win over her confusion due to the double dose of affection, and Ashe was starting to sulk as she saw the past version of the girl who was undeniably her most memorable opponent, while also being shown a level of special treatment she couldn't hope to reach. Tora-kichi looked like he was about to slap the back of my head while clicking his tongue repeatedly.
Furthermore, Nia-chan was peering over from the very back with intense curiosity... In a way, this was the most chaotic and nonsensically dangerous moment of the Trial.
What the hell is this? Just as I reached a conclusion that inevitably bordered on a gag, the other me spoke to me.
...
"Huh?"
Well, no voice was produced and no words were formed, but he communicated clearly through gestures. He pulled back the doting face that I really didn't want to see and began to transmit his intent.
The other me shifted his gaze from Sora and directed it toward me.
...
"..."
[Blink Switch]... no, it was a recall. He pulled a reproduction of the [Shinuchi Gekka] in its old sheath, which had since been replaced, from the void.
...
"..."
His mouth moved, saying something. With that same smug, self-centered smile that always irritated me, he used his free hand to tap his left hip... the position where the mirror image of me wore his sheath, as if to prompt me.
"..."
I can't even describe this feeling.
Is it because he's me? I felt irrationally annoyed that I understood him perfectly, but I let out a single sigh at the message I had read in its entirety.
"...Fine. Let's do that."
"Eh?"
"Do what?"
"..."
I gave him my answer, and he responded with a single smile.
From behind and around me came three different voices and reactions, all left behind by our exchange.
Well, for the first one... Sora-san might have been able to read it by applying her usual 'reading me' ability twice, but regardless.
"Don't look down on me, you little Trickster."
...
If that's how it is, I welcome it. I can actually see a way to win now.
It was likely a proposal born from his dislike of a fight involving Sora... although that was probably just a pretext. If so, I'll take him up on it.
I'll join in on this stupid game of my own, since I suspect he doesn't actually want to fight in the first place.
Even without words, the rules were established instantly. I took a step forward, closing the distance to about five meters. Hand on hip, we faced each other, both carrying a 'katana' tucked into its sheath.
It was a one-strike duel... a single-sword match.
From his subtle movements and the informational pressure emanating from his avatar, I could tell his stats were at full power from my past. Furthermore, having used [Blink Switch] just now, it was clear he possessed his skills, at least in some form.
In addition... oh, I see. So you're going for real, huh? Get ready.
As if he'd just remembered, his right hand flashed, and he drew the crimson blade of a rabbit dagger from the sheath at his back and thrust it into his heart... and in that moment, there was the sound of something shattering.
As his hair fell loose along with the remnants of the [Aquamarine Rabbit Heart], Crimson Desperation enveloped his avatar... but not just that. There was an additional blue.
[Trickster of Zenith] activated, and threads of mana connected the front of his body to the void.
And then... he took his stance.
His right hand, which had tossed the rabbit dagger back into its sheath, moved to grip the hilt of the jade blade.
The stance for the only iai technique my past self possessed, the oral tradition [Himorogi]. Its true purpose was to grow the power of the blade by consuming the force of a previous technique, so it wouldn't be at its full potential as a first strike, but it was an appropriate choice.
Even so, that was a lethal sword that combined a speed approaching [Shinuchi Gekka] and a power approaching [Shinuchi Gekka]... so I also took a stance.
After some hesitation, I decided on a single sword to meet him. I pulled the blade silently from its sheath, abandoning the iai, and held the edge of the [Shinuchi Gekka] perfectly on my centerline.
Both of us were ready. All that was left was for one of us to...
...!
If one of us moved, it would be over.
And so, the Suito flashed twice.
A stride that rivaled a zenith 'Ground Shrink' rushed forth. With his stats at full and his skills active, even if he was inferior to my current self, he was at the full speed of a rising star who had once brought 'The Strongest' to their knees.
And then.
I, the one who had walked and reached the 'now' with all my [Memory], welcomed him.
The exchange was momentary, and the conclusion was instantaneous. I had faced the techniques and strength of all those I had met... and so, of course, I knew the version of myself that had faced them just as well, without forgetting a thing.
It was precisely because I knew him through and through that I used the one move I was certain would work.
"...Kashiki Nito, a mimicked single strike."
"[Hakuou]!"
I received and consumed his strike, then bundled it to return it. Using the very technique that was the natural enemy of the [Trickster] who had once cut me down head-on...
...
I sliced through the past version of 'me' and showed him the future.