Chapter 199 - Symbol
There was no carelessness, no underestimation, no arrogance—but in the end, that self-assurance must not have been well-founded.
The current situation, being beaten to a pulp without being able to unleash my full power or technique, was proof of that. After a fierce assault worthy of the name 'pummeling,' the piercing blow from my back had cost me about thirty percent of my HP.
If he had either pinpointed my vitals or gone for a wide, decisive swing, I might have been able to react in time—but it seemed this one was quite the clever opponent.
The way he accurately assessed a slight opening as being just a slight opening and landed a solid hit showed, without a doubt, that he possessed outstanding combat sense.
—Looks like I'll be able to enjoy this without any problems. Recalling the words I had just spoken made a bitter taste rise in my throat.
—After all that big talk, what is this pathetic display? I've made enough of a fool of myself.
Who was I to look down on him and say I could enjoy it? For him, being forced to deal with such a sorry opponent must have been far from enjoyable.
The scattered water flowed back in, swallowing my body, which was pinned to the ground.
And through the water, I could feel it without even turning around—the presence of a follow-up attack.
From deep within his hood, he had said it. Something about his debut match reaching its first climax... and he was right. Oh, he was absolutely right.
It would be such a waste to let such an interesting guy's first performance be marked by such a pathetic scene.
Even if I was beaten down, letting go of my weapon was unthinkable. I tightened my grip on the spear still in my fingers and stoked a fire in the pit of my stomach—an overflowing heat.
And then,
I blew away the water that had thoroughly cooled my head—and the silent roar of the resurgent [Great Tiger] shot up toward the starry sky that painted the maze.
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"Tch—!!"
Leaving the [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor] where it stood, I mercilessly swung down with a follow-up strike from the [Giant's Hand Axe], only for it to be deflected.
A tremendous impact from the side—there was only one person here capable of such a feat.
"—[Cleave Fang]."
"Tch!"
A quiet voice struck my ears. Leaving a curse behind, I leaped back with all my might—and in that instant, I sensed a colossal pressure rush past, inches from my face.
It was 'something' that radiated such immense pressure I was certain it could easily reap what was left of my HP, already halved from spamming [Ignition] since leaving the base.
"Sorry for that pathetic display, Acrobat."
"Hah, so the [Great Tiger] finally shows his true colors...!"
Water dripped from his figure as he stood up. He roughly swept back the hair falling over his eyes, which now held a fierce, burning light—and materializing above his head was a black and gold crown, adorned with what looked like fangs.
That was the proof of a Title Holder—a manifestation of power granted only to those recognized by this world as one of the 'pinnacles'.
It was a common effect indicating the activation of a Unique Title, modeled after the unique characteristics of each ranker... the same kind of thing as my own 'Cracked Crown'.
Glancing at the [Giant's Hand Axe] I had left behind, he let out an amused smile—and as his empty right hand was raised, the war axe, made of Black Dragon Rock and weighing several hundred kilograms, floated into the air.
"Here, you can have it back."
The words were spoken, and in the next instant, his right hand swung carelessly.
The absurdly massive object came flying at me with incredible force, as if thrown by a giant—[Blink Switch].
I deliberately stood my ground, making it vanish right before me for a bit of a bluff... and the [Great Tiger] raised the corner of his mouth in what seemed like delight.
"You've got outstanding sense, sharp techniques, and to top it off, some ridiculously insane guts... I really like you. I can't call you anything other than a formidable enemy."
"Thanks for that... though I would have preferred if you'd made your exit before it came to this."
Being praised is nice, but... that's about it. I picked a fight, but honestly, I can't let this drag on—
—Hey Haru, what's the situation?
...because of this. See? A status check from my superior just came in.
"Ah... right now, my opponent just got serious."
Huh? Hey, kid... then does that mean you lost that much health to him before he even got serious?
"No, it's not that I lost it, it's more like I shaved it off myself..."
"Hey, you! This is the highlight of the show. Is this any time to be casually chattin' with some old geezer?"
What kind of nonsense are you spouting... wait, you're not telling me you're out there on a solo mission that's supposed to be a long haul, spamming self-damage skills, are you?
"Um, sorry, just a sec..."
"Don't ruin the mood, Acrobat. I'm in serious mode for the first time in a while. Pay attention to me."
I can't tell if you're confident or just reckless, you know? Don't make me worry so much—
—Ugh, would you all stop talking at once!!
"Alright, I get it!—I'll finish this in a flash, so just watch!"
That declaration was aimed simultaneously at the guys chattering away both in front of me and in my head. The [Great Tiger], having been challenged anew, narrowed his eyes.
Hey, hold on...!?
He must have noticed my outrageous act of hitting myself four more times with the [Panga Fool] by checking the party member status screen with his commander authority.
Ignoring Goldow's panicked voice, the enhancement effect of my special title [Acrobat], [Crown Crown], activated.
The effect of a crown materializing above my head was reflected on the water's surface, and as always, it didn't suit me—...wait, if my face is hidden, maybe it's not so bad...?
Anyway.
"Not bad. Yours is pretty sick too."
"In my opinion, they're both in the realm of bad taste."
Fang decorations and a broken, tilted crown. As we faced off, each displaying our respective symbols—I finally noticed that a large number of presences were surrounding us.
Behind the [Great Tiger] were his reinforcements, who must have regrouped. And behind me,
"—Yo, Rotta. You here to watch?"
"I was drawn by the heat coming from a certain someone. I came running as fast as I could."
I glanced back for a moment and threw a casual remark at the face I saw, and the reply that came from behind me was just as laid-back.
The man standing at the head of a linked party of nearly thirty people, a friend I had just recently made,
"I came to watch, Haru. As a fan, to see your further exploits."
As always, he spoke with theatrical lines.
Deliberately, annoyingly, he expertly fanned the flames of my fighting spirit.
Finding it strangely embarrassing to reply, I simply gave a silent thumbs-up to the side before—as if to say, sorry for the wait—I turned my gaze straight back to the [Great Tiger] in front of me.
"Well then, I doubt any uncultured swine will try to interrupt, but... just in case, I'll use it—[Engage]."
The moment the key phrase left his smiling lips, a golden ring emanated from him.
The ring, reminiscent of a sonar ping, expanded rapidly, and the moment it touched my avatar, it turned a deep crimson—and what formed was a circular arena, about twenty meters in diameter.
A perfect circle that completely blocked the passage.
"So this is... that exclusive skill."
A thin, crimson veil separated the inside from the outside. The starry sky above was its usual deep blue; there didn't seem to be any kind of ceiling.
However, the original restriction, the force field at a height of ten meters, should still be in effect—all in all, this field could be either an advantage or a disadvantage for me.
"The stage fee is on me—so, shall we, Haru?"
The [Great Tiger] dropped into a stance and smiled fearlessly. His expression was dyed a glinting color, as if he could barely contain his excitement any longer.
"...Haha."
And in the end, I'm the kind of person who just...
"Come—[Samidorizuki]."
...can't bring myself to dislike an opponent who pursues that kind of 'fun'.
What are the people around them doing, you ask? A living national treasure is going one-on-one, and one of them is a newcomer making his grand debut. Any festival-lover would stop to watch without a second thought, wouldn't they?