Chapter 112 - Main Selection Tournament, Match Two... Aftermath
"—Ughhh…"
"Hee hee… you did great."
As I collapsed onto the sofa with a huge sigh, Sora's caring smile beside me was dazzling… but is it really okay for me to receive this kind of healing effect after every match? Isn't this some kind of foul play?
I had enough mental leeway to think such silly things, but I had to admit I was feeling quite a bit of mental fatigue.
After my match with [ElephantThree]-san, I was immediately whisked away to the second match with only a few minutes in between.
My fight against a high-mobility light warrior, a similar type to me, ended with me one-sidedly maintaining distance, thanks to my superior AGI, and turning my opponent into a beehive with my [Bullets].
Just saying that might paint a terrible picture, but it was actually a pretty intense battle. Even though it was a one-sided kiting match, we were both moving at inhuman speeds well over a hundred kilometers per hour.
The crowd, which had grown for some reason since the first match, was also roaring, so I think I managed to avoid a pathetic showing.
In the end, opponents of the same type who can keep up with my movements are the scariest… Since I lack experience and have a hard time predicting my opponent's actions, I absolutely did not want to let him get close.
Man, the most noteworthy thing is the ridiculously broken power of the [Bullets]—or rather, the [Rabbit Short Sword: Parabellum].
Being able to create an unlimited number of clones with almost the same specs as the main body for a tiny amount of MP is so nonsensical that it feels like I'm using a banned weapon.
On top of that, its clones, the [Parabellum Bullet], still have two special abilities that I've been able to keep under wraps. Furthermore, the main body itself has a primary effect as a direct weapon. Are you serious, Kagura-san?
Of course, to get the resources for such a broken performance, it has a flaw in one particular area that's almost laughable… but then again, that thing does that thing, so…
To generate the [Bullets], the Rabbit Short Sword itself needs to be equipped, so unlike before, I now have to wear it on my hip at all times.
But this Rabbit Short Sword, despite being over thirty centimeters long—apparently the largest in the short sword category—is as light as a feather. So even though I'm always wearing it, it feels no different than before, and it's simply wonderful that it doesn't hinder my avatar's movements.
In reality, if you jumped around like I do with a sword at your hip, it would probably fly out of its scabbard at breakneck speed… but unless the player themselves tries to draw it, such a stupid accident won't happen. That's a game for you.
—So, thanks to that god-tier weapon, I've been winning smoothly so far, but…
"Fighting against other people… PvP seems really tough, doesn't it?"
"Yeah, the tension… it really gets to you mentally…"
I wouldn't say I'm bad at it… but I feel like I'm more suited for PvE.
I can understand the appeal of PvP, the thrill of clashing with other players in that unique, tense atmosphere—but at least in Arcadia, I prefer teaming up to challenge powerful monsters.
"If even you find it difficult, Haru, then it would probably be too hard for me."
"I don't know about that. Maybe you'd be a natural if you gave it a try?"
When I replied, she must have thought I was joking. Sora let out a small laugh, but I was being quite serious.
In Sora's case, the performance of her [Cradle], combined with her exclusive Magic Sword Aptitude skill tree, is just insane… She could potentially dominate most players just by endlessly generating magic swords and unleashing a barrage of them with her Homing Shot skill.
Honestly, if I were to face Sora in a straight-up fight, there's a good chance I wouldn't be able to win.
My only chance might be to land a hit with my now-trademark opening [Ignition] attack.
However, as she demonstrated during the [Angalta] fight, Sora is a master of adaptation, so I can see a future where I eat a painful counterattack and that's the end of it…
It's possible I'm overestimating her due to my partner bias, but that's how I feel. My amazing partner undoubtedly has the specs to shine in PvP as well—
As I lay sprawled on the sofa, lost in thought, Sora, who was already holding my right hand, delighted, based on my promise to 'lend it to her anytime,' squeezed it.
She's super cute—but this partner of mine is also super strong. She's an invincible partner I can proudly boast about to anyone.
—The third match of the selection tournament will begin shortly.
"Oh."
As I was indulging in a break that I couldn't deny was basically us flirting, a now-familiar notification arrived.
As I watched the countdown for the teleportation begin, Sora offered her third cheer.
"I'll be rooting for you again. Do your best, Haru."
Having my hand squeezed and receiving a smile on top of that is, without a doubt, an invincible buff for any man.
Mental fatigue? What's that? I can act cool for this girl forever.
"Leave it to me."
I grinned back at her as the light of teleportation enveloped me.
My opponent for the third match is [Gamakappa]-san. I don't know if he's a frog or a kappa, but I'll give it my all again.
That's right, no matter who my opponent is, I'll just give it everything I've got—as for the insurmountable wall that likely awaits in the fourth match, I think I'll try not to think about it for now.
◇◆◇◆◇
"—Yo, Lotta. That was a hell of a show, wasn't it?"
After the first and second matches, the third match had just concluded with another lightning-fast finish.
A few minutes after the pale blue youth had mercilessly smashed the well-known close-range mage, [Gamakappa]-san, with a single blow from a ridiculously huge battle axe.
In the special seating area of the arena, which had quieted down as the spectators followed Haru's hasty exit, a man spoke to Lotta.
Unlike the girl who had been sitting next to him moments before, this man had wild, spiky blond hair that stood on end like a lion's mane. The mountain of a man shook his hair and laughed heartily.
"I'm glad to hear it—thank you for coming, Goldow-san."
When Lotta replied politely, the man—Istia's third-ranked member, [General Commander] Goldow himself—laughed it off. "Cut the formalities."
"As expected of an [Insighter], you sure know how to find one hell of a diamond in the rough."
"Please, don't say that. This time it was pure coincidence… At first, I completely misjudged and underestimated him."
That wasn't humility; it was a confession of a shameful failure. As Lotta said this in a dead-serious tone, Goldow first looked surprised, then a deep smile spread across his face, and he snorted with amusement.
"He's a real monster, that one. Even from a distance, his figure looked blurry. It's amazing he can move his body as he pleases like that."
"I asked him about it briefly, and he said he doesn't think about anything while he's moving."
He relayed what Haru himself had said as if it were nothing. Goldow's rugged, yet somehow charming, face went blank, and he stroked his beard, muttering, "What's that supposed to mean?"
"Right before he enters that super-high-speed state, he apparently sees, lays out, and follows the path. In a single breath, he maps out the entire route he's about to run."
"—…"
The last match, which ended in a single action at the very start, was one thing.
But Haru—that monstrous young man—had repeatedly performed the process he described so casually in the midst of dizzying, continuous combat.
From what Lotta had seen so far, the interval was sometimes less than a second.
If, in that fleeting moment, he was truly doing what he claimed—
"—A Gifted… A second one…?"
The third-ranked member showed a look of utter astonishment, a rare sight indeed.
In response to the question from his direct superior in this virtual world, the [General Commander], Lotta did not yet have enough conviction to nod.
But—
"The possibility is high… and I hope that's the case."
The two men looked at each other, and neither could suppress the fiendishly deep smiles that spread across their faces.
"—That he is the second frontrunner we've been waiting for, the one who will lead the charge in this world."
The light warrior who got turned into a beehive without even getting his name mentioned, poor guy.