Chapter 164 - A Visit to the Front Lines
"Hey! Ui-chan, it's been so long!! How's the young mister's training comin' along—whoa..."
"...My condolences."
Lying collapsed on the ground, face pressed against the floor, unable to move a muscle. In the darkness, my barely functioning sense of hearing picked up the sound of a gate opening, the light patter of approaching footsteps, and two familiar voices.
One was high-tension and noisy, the other quiet and languid. Guessing who they belonged to, I decided to forgo any reaction and continued playing dead.
"We had some free time so we came to check on you... Did you get worn out on the first day? How pathetic."
"Shuddup..."
Another voice joined in, a taunting remark that easily conjured the image of a handsome, irritating face.
I reflexively retorted and lifted my head slightly. The face that came into view wasn't the smug one of the Blonde Samurai—
but a girl's avatar with light beige hair, crouched down beside me and peering into my face.
"............"
Even more surprisingly, the one doing this without a word was the blue one, Ri-na. Unlike the boisterous red one, Mi-na, she was just staring at my face with her emotionless eyes.
"...What's up?"
"...It's nothing. Good work."
When I asked if something was wrong, the girl simply shook her head and offered a word of praise. You know... I thought she was just the quiet, downer type who couldn't be bothered with anything.
But she'd casually backed up Goldow during the meeting, and she was diligently handling the work her partner pushed on her... Maybe she's surprisingly serious, or dutiful.
I returned her unexpected praise with a "Thanks," and Ri-na shook her head again before—
""—Huh? What are you doing?""
My surprised voice overlapped with the red one's.
The source of our surprise was Ri-na. The expressionless girl, still crouched beside me, was gently touching my hair with her fingertips.
She wasn't patting my head; her slender fingers were just combing through the ends, which was honestly kind of ticklish.
"Ri-na-chan...?"
Ri-na didn't even glance at the suspicious red one, continuing to move her hand as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Seriously, what is she doing? I was just as confused, but—
"You have to cheer for people who are trying hard."
...Apparently, I was being cheered on.
Huh?
Huh, is this girl, like, super nice?
A world apart from a certain red someone—hey, what's with that look?
Being looked at like I'm a criminal in this situation is something I really can't accept, you know???
"Oh for goodness' sake, you're always like this... Alright, alright, you shouldn't be so casual about touching guys, you hear?"
The red one, with a sigh, dragged away Ri-na, who seemed like she would have kept stroking my hair forever if left alone.
Always like this, huh. So it seems she's always been the type to act like that. My impression of her just changed quite a bit, unexpectedly.
Also, Mi-na, you should take a look at your own actions. I haven't forgotten how you, much like a certain indigo girl, dragged your partner along for a gut punch on our very first meeting.
"So, how long are you planning on lying there, pretty boy?"
"That's a massive taunt coming from you, pretty boy."
I'd been down for the count for a while before the three of them arrived, but my body, which had been steeped in an absurd amount of phantom fatigue, was finally starting to move again.
I retorted with my own quip as I sat up. Irori, who had taken Ri-na's place beside me, offered a hand.
"Well, good work. Where is our teacher?"
"Yeah, thanks. Ui-san logged out for a bit."
She said she was going to check on her family's dojo and would be back soon—
"Look, she's back."
I spotted an effect similar to teleportation near the building and pointed it out. Irori nodded and went to greet her.
"—Sooo? How's the training going, big bro?"
I felt a poke on my back and turned to see the red-haired girl grinning at me, asking the obvious.
"What's with that face? This game of tag is super fun, you know?"
"Oh really? And what's your record?"
"I stopped counting after a hundred straight losses."
When I gave up and confessed honestly, I expected Mi-na to laugh mockingly again—but instead.
"Yikes, that's... I mean, going a hundred rounds with Ui-chan? You've got guts, big bro."
She said, and just like Ri-na a moment ago, she patted my arm comfortingly.
What...? Are you trying to pull the unexpected-gap-in-personality card now, too...?
"Nah, I've played this tag game before myself, so... oh, just for fun, though."
When I gave her an indescribable look, Mi-na glanced around the cramped stage enclosed by the bamboo fence and gave a wry smile.
"This is rough, isn't it? You don't jump or run, but it's surprisingly tiring, right?"
"Yeah, pretty much."
She was right. This 'training' was far more intense and exhausting than any high-speed maneuvering—and I had a vague idea why.
There's no physical fatigue in the virtual world. However, a unique phenomenon called 'phantom fatigue' exists, where mental exhaustion shackles the avatar's body.
In other words, in the virtual world, mental fatigue can become physical fatigue.
Just as the saying 'sickness starts from the mind' goes, this formula holds true to some extent in the real world... but in the virtual world, it's incomparably more pronounced and direct.
Considering that, it makes sense why this game of tag is so exhausting.
"It's like a condensed version of mind games... no wonder it's so draining."
Even in actual combat, you rarely have non-stop tactical exchanges. There are intervals you create for yourself, and intervals your opponent creates, giving you moments to rest your mind.
But in the Sword Saint's version of tag, you do that continuously, without end or interruption—so of course your mind gets worn down, your avatar stops moving, and you collapse.
"Yeah, exactly. So if you can hang in there that much from the get-go, you've got a bright future, right? As expected of the super rookie!"
This time, she was one hundred percent teasing as she slapped my back repeatedly.
I held up my open right hand at face level, and the red-head, likely remembering what happened two days ago, scurried away.
"Jeez... hey, aren't you going to go over there too?"
"Mm..."
I gestured towards Mi-na, who was now running over to where Irori and Ui-san were chatting. Ri-na, who had been leaning against the fence in a daze, nodded.
"Keep up the good work."
As she passed by, she gently brushed my arm again before following her partner.
...Yup, she's a good kid. I just wish she'd stop with the exquisitely soft fingertip touches, because it's super ticklish.
—And so, I was left all alone...
"...Five more minutes."
I didn't collapse again, but the heavy phantom fatigue that had accumulated was hard to shake.
Leaning back against the fence, I sat down and decided to just blankly watch the four of them—led by the boisterous red-head—engage in their lively conversation for a little while longer.