Chapter 122 - The Man in the Middle of the Storm
◇Confirmation of reaching evaluation criteria◇
◇A Ranker Title will be bestowed———Title [Acrobat]◇
◇Based on the evaluation value, the rankings for the Eastern Faction, Istia, will be reconstructed◇
◇Congratulations. You have been appointed to the Ninth Seat of the Istia Rankings◇
◇Special Title Acquired◇ ・'Acrobat'
"—…………"
Huuuuuh—————————…………………………say what now?
Though the battle hadn't even lasted tens of minutes, I was afflicted with a phantom fatigue on par with the fight against [Angalta, the God-Wedge Sword-King]. As I leaned on my [Prologue: Wedge Fragment Singing of Eternity (An-ri Galta)], which had lost its martial might and turned into a skinny, withered sword, my mind went completely blank from the waterfall of information pouring down from the system.
We both threw our ultimate attacks at each other, and in the end, I defeated the [Sword Protector]—that's fine.
Well, no, it's not fine. That bastard… I'll get him next time we meet…!!
I was seething, but I had bigger things to worry about.
Huh? What was that? Ninth Seat? What about it? —… Me?
No… no, no, no, no.
A Titled Ranker is one of the forty players at the apex of Arcadia's nearly thirty-million-strong player base, right? They're treated like top athletes or living national treasures, aren't they?
Me… in that ranking… what, the… what??
I-I can't… My thoughts are a mess…! I don't get it, I think I'm gonna be sick…!!
The [Sword Protector] I had been facing was gone, leaving me alone on the stage.
Naturally, I became acutely aware that every 'eye' in the venue was now fixed on me—and I'll admit, a shiver ran down my spine.
In terms of numbers, the overwhelming welcoming party I encountered during my debut at the [Garden of Divine Creation] last month was far larger. But that place was dominated by a festive chaos that made worrying about embarrassment seem foolish.
This was completely different from the current atmosphere, a mix of silence and murmuring. To be exposed to the gazes of over a thousand people in such a tense environment—my mental fortitude wasn't so broken that I could remain unfazed.
He-hey… someone, please…
I was cornered enough to mentally plead for help from no one in particular—and it was then that a large shadow fell over me, as if to shield me.
I reflexively looked up to see a towering, blonde man standing right next to me.
"—Hang in there for a bit, kid."
Shaking his wild mane of golden hair like a lion's, the man spoke in a caring voice, though his face wore a powerful smile.
His gaze shifted from me to scan the entire venue. He stood tall and proud—and then, suddenly, he raised both hands like a conductor.
"""——————…………"""
"Wha…"
As if it were the most natural thing in the world.
In perfect sync with his movement, the entire audience fell silent—and I was left dumbfounded, feeling the presence of players assuming a posture of silent attention.
"—I'm sure you all have questions, but listen up."
The man lowered his arms and spoke. He wasn't raising his voice, yet… his deep, resonant tone echoed solemnly throughout the venue.
"This guy's exhausted from the big match, so I'll introduce him in his stead."
He took a step to the side, revealing me from behind his back. The gazes pierced me all at once again, and I started to feel genuinely ill—but a large hand on my shoulder gave me a reassuring warmth.
"This is our new Ninth—[Acrobat] Haru."
"…………"
I'm sorry, but it was a fact that my avatar felt unbelievably heavy from the intense phantom fatigue. I couldn't stand tall beside him, but to return his kindness, I at least managed to lift my head.
As I returned the stares of the crowd, my face twitching, I saw the man smile in satisfaction out of the corner of my eye.
"Never mind the battle junkie who selfishly got what he wanted and logged out—this world has acknowledged this man, and so shall I."
With that, the man curled his lip into a grin and took a deep breath—
"T H E N T H I S C A L L S F O R A C E L E B R A T I O N ! ! ! C O M E O N, W H E R E A R E T H E C H E E R S, Y O U I S T I A F O O L S ———!!!!!!!"
"—Yipe…?!"
The sheer volume of the roar from beside me made me stumble back. A second passed.
The thunderous shout vibrated through the entire venue. A second passed.
Everyone present was stunned into a moment of complete silence. A second passed.
And then—
"""——————————————————ッッッ!!!!!!!!!"""
A great waterfall of cheers exploded, hitting me with a force that was anything but metaphorical.
As I nearly collapsed for real this time, the man supported me with one hand, standing firm in the tornado of voices, single-handedly facing the storm-like roar.
"Sorry, but the party's over for now!! The new face of the 'Ten Seats' looks beat!!"
"Don't worry, I won't keep him all to myself!! Just sit tight and wait for more news!!"
"Listen up, you lot!! Don't you dare go blabbing and leaking information!!"
"If you do, then with this special hidden gem we've got!!"
"We'll give you an extraordinary victory in this war!!!"
"…………"
I, the man in the middle of the storm, was on the outside looking in.
Every time the man roared, the voltage of the venue skyrocketed in response.
The uncomfortable atmosphere of confusion and bewilderment was long gone. And the great man who had accomplished this—
"Alright, kid—I'm the third-ranked [General Commander], Goldow."
—casually introduced himself.
Ah… Third Seat. Which means, with the First and Second Seats absent, he's the de facto leader of Istia… Haha, I see. That explains the charisma.
"Uh… I'm Haru."
Honestly, I wanted to get out of here right this instant.
As I introduced myself while wondering when the teleport would kick in, the man—Goldow—grinned wickedly and stroked his beard.
"That's not right, [Acrobat]. What did you say your name was?"
Hey, didn't this old guy come to help me? What's the point of being mean now!
"…………The… Ninth… Seat? [Acrobat] Haru."
What the hell is an 'Acrobat' anyway? Who are you calling an acrobat? I'm a perfectly respectable light warrior, thank you very much.
"This has to be a joke… All of it…"
I can't even keep up with the retorts. Finally, I leaned my forehead against the pommel of my [Prologue: Wedge Fragment Singing of Eternity (An-ri Galta)] and muttered to myself.
"No joke about it—welcome aboard, Super Rookie."
His reply came promptly, his voice unusually cheerful.
A hearty laugh and a large hand patting my shoulder descended upon me—and as I sagged, exhausted, the blue light of teleportation finally enveloped my body.
Relieved that I could finally leave this place, a thought belatedly occurred to me.
I lifted my head one more time and looked, and it didn't take long to find my partner in the special seating area—
"—Sora…?"
It was for a mere moment, just before the teleportation.
Our eyes definitely met.
The expression on the girl's face, as if she were suppressing something, was burned into my memory with a strange intensity.
The most exhausted protagonist ever.