Chapter 118 - Guardian's Frost Blade, Endless Sky-Dash - Part Two
The main tournament of the selection match, fourth round.
The special seating area, unlike before, was now bustling with numerous players.
“No way, he actually…!!”
“You’ve gotta be kidding me…!”
Surrounded by famous players who were cheering along with the general audience, Sora—who had at first been timid and overwhelmed by their presence—was now, like them, completely captivated by the scene before her.
Haru had deflected an extraordinary high-speed combo that she couldn’t even follow with her [Observer's Eye], handling it with what seemed like impossible skill.
As he pressed his advantage and landed a magnificent blow with his crimson spear, a cry of astonishment escaped from Rotta beside her, and from the third-ranked player next to him.
The HP ratio was seventy to seventy—but it was clear who currently had the upper hand.
He was reaching him.
The partner who had walked alongside her this whole time.
Her one and only partner.
That innocent young man who approached every adventure with more joy than anyone else.
—He was reaching the seventh-ranked player, one of those who stood at the very pinnacle of the virtual world.
“Win…”
The word that slipped out was one she had never uttered before.
It was a word she had always softened to “Do your best,” fearing it would put too much pressure on him.
Suppressing her racing virtual heartbeat, the girl now made a single, heartfelt wish.
“Please… win…!”
She poured all her feelings into her unblinking gaze.
She believed that the bond they had forged would surely reach him.
◇◆◇◆◇
“[Imbue Bo—]
“—I’m surprised.”
Whoa, that was close. Wary of a counterattack, I jumped back and was about to activate Crimson Valor’s buff when I cut the action short.
Once I activate the body enhancement, the duration timer starts ticking down, but as long as I'm just holding the absorbed HP in the crimson cloth, there's no time limit.
I stopped the buff and spun Crimson Valor around, lowering it. The [Sword Protector], who had spoken in the middle of the match, smiled as if to say, “My apologies.”
“Truly, you’re far beyond my imagination. Where on earth has someone like you been hiding?”
…Is this talk time? Is that what this is?
I figured a Ranker wouldn't stoop to something as dirty as distracting me with conversation for a surprise attack, so I decided to play along, albeit with some confusion.
“…Less ‘hiding,’ more like ‘not in the virtual world at all.’”
When I answered honestly, the ferocious, battle-crazed expression from before vanished. The [Sword Protector]—Irori—stared blankly, his mouth agape in a dopey expression.
To think he could look so good even with a dumb look on his face. Handsome guys are truly incorrigible.
“‘Not in it’… W-wait a minute. What? Does that mean you’re…”
He had said he’d heard about me from someone else, but from his confused look, it seemed Irori didn’t know the full story.
I had assumed he was part of the committee and knew Rotta, so I figured he’d heard it from her.
While he stood there in shock, I did a quick mental calculation of the days since I first set foot in the virtual world—
“About… a little less than two months, I guess? Pleased to meet you. The name’s Haru, a newcomer to the virtual world.”
“—…………”
Whoa, if your face contorts that much, even a handsome guy like you stops looking so handsome. Please, stay like that forever.
“……I see now.”
Unfortunately, he quickly composed himself. With a deep, wry smile, Irori put a hand to his forehead and shook his head.
“It seems it was a mistake to even think of you as a mere rookie, let alone underestimate you.”
“…From my perspective, I’d much rather you kept underestimating me.”
“It seems you have a sharp tongue as well. I was serious before, you know. But from now on, I’ll add the ‘heart’ that was missing and face you with my mind, technique, and body in perfect alignment.”
…Oh, give me a break.
In that instant, the pressure he exuded swelled to a level far beyond what it had been before.
It must be his default state, because his lips were still curved in a gentle, smiling arc, but his glittering eyes were filled with a single emotion.
A scorching fighting spirit so intense it felt cold.
“Sorry to have stopped you… get ready. This is where it really begins.”
“Hk… [Imbue Body].”
Frustratingly, I was so overwhelmed by his presence that I finished activating Crimson Valor’s buff almost as a defensive measure. As I took my stance, Irori—the [Sword Protector]—gripped his katana with both hands and spoke with a solemn air.
“Allow me to face you once more. I am Irori, seventh rank of Istia, the [Sword Protector].”
Heavy. The crushing pressure he unleashed bore down on me with a palpable virtual weight, making my body tremble.
“Now, let us fight fair and square—I am coming.”
And then, the foreign samurai’s form vanished.
“What—?”
No, panic later, move now!!
I’ve already used my emergency escape card, [Prescient Eye]. Thanks to its ridiculously long twelve-hundred-second cooldown, I can’t rely on its attack prediction anymore.
In that case—!!
“[Blink Switch]!!”
I caught his presence.
I thrust both hands toward my left side, where I felt a faint prickle, and summoned the imposing forms of the [Giant's Hand Axe] and [An-ri Galta (Prologue: The Wedge-Fragment that Sings of Eternity)].
I didn’t grab the weapons I summoned before me; instead, I let their immense weight pull them down. Despite the short distance, they shattered the arena floor—
A loud crash, an impact.
“Interesting!”
“Teleporting is cheating, you know!?”
I know I’m one to talk, but I don’t have the luxury of choosing my words right now.
In place of the two weapons that had perfectly blocked the sweeping sword strike, I once again summoned the [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor].
A long weapon is a disadvantage at katana range? We’re not bound by real-world physical limitations here!!
With a forward grip in my right hand and a reverse grip in my left, I held the spear horizontally and began to spin like a top on one foot. It probably looked ridiculous, but not when you’re powered by an engine with an insane AGI of 350!!
With an unnatural VWOOSH that no normal human body could produce, I became a deadly spinning top. In my blurred, linear vision, I vaguely confirmed that my opponent had flawlessly distanced himself from my range.
……Now!!
“HRAAAGH!!”
I used my ridiculous STR of 300 to forcefully stop my ridiculous spinning motion, perfectly locking onto the [Sword Protector] in front of me as I hurled Crimson Valor with all my might.
“Hk… Tch…!”
He probably didn’t expect a follow-up attack without a moment’s delay after such high-speed rotation. His infuriatingly solid swordsmanship deflected it as usual, but I didn’t miss the click of his tongue or the slight break in his posture.
“[Panga Fool]—Hk!”
Even the momentary lag of summoning felt too slow as I pulled the trigger.
A red bolt of lightning shot out, my legs tore forward with enough force to shatter the floor—and the enemy was right before me.
“[An-ri Galta (Prologue: The Wedge-Fragment that Sings of Eternity)]—!!”
Activating a new skill, [Exchange Voltate]!!
It’s a god-tier skill that consumes the count built up by switching weapons to boost the power of the next attack.
Why does this active skill have no cooldown? It has to be a bug!!
The boost accumulated throughout the fight so far enveloped the imposing weapon in a pale white light effect, and it closed in on the [Sword Protector], who was caught in a split-second of stun—
“—[Bushin].”
“Hk…!!”
Just before impact. Seeing the membrane of light that spread around him with that whisper, I, who had anticipated this development, gritted my teeth and swallowed a curse.
My strike, which carried enough force to easily crush even a boss monster, slid off the membrane of light—a shimmering veil of fine ice—without making contact.