Chapter 201 - Resplendent Joy
—At a certain gathering of university students.
'Be prepared for me to come at you with enough force to not let you do anything.'
'—Here I come.'
""—Fuuuuuuuuu!!""
"Nice, nice! I like that confident trash talk!"
"This guy's gonna be popular for sure! A flashy, awesome fighting style with that kind of attitude!!"
"Ah, haha... Mizuki-chan, is something wrong?"
"Mm... It's nothing. Probably just my imagination."
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—At a certain gathering of a grandfather and his grandchild.
"This kid... haha, not bad at all. He swings his sword with such joy."
"Fufu, and he's capable of so much more."
"Hmm... I see. I had a feeling, but—"
"Anything further is unnecessary—I'm well aware that I'm a doting master."
◇◆◇◆◇
—At a certain gathering of two best friends.
'Shine—[Crimson Red Ruby]!'
"—...! —...!!"
"Alright, alright, I get it. Stop squirming so much on my lap, Nia-cha... Don't burrow into the cushion, you have to cheer for him properly, okay?"
◇◆◇◆◇
—At a certain family gathering.
"So? This very handsome Haru-san, does he stand a chance, ultimately?"
"Please watch the screen, not me."
"It's a rare family get-together, don't be so cold. You're curious too, aren't you, dear?"
"P L E A S E W A T C H T H E S C R E E N ! !"
"Haha..."
◇◆◇◆◇
—And, in the great sea of the internet.
This is insane.
This isn't about Tora-san anymore...
The Acrobat is just too weird in every way.
Is this what they call a human TAS???
For real, he's doing this without thought acceleration?
Can't see his eyes, so we can't tell if he's using it or not.
It's been minutes since the fight started, and he's been moving at that insane speed from the get-go. Thought acceleration skills last for ten seconds at most.
I could maybe accept it if he was just fast, but the fact that he's attacking, intercepting, and dodging all at once is something I genuinely can't comprehend.
Who knew a katana was his main weapon.
It's less a main weapon and more like... a different version of him compared to when he was using all those other weapons.
I get that. And I feel like I've seen it somewhere before.
Doesn't he kinda fight like the Sword Saint?
Mmm... that's a tough one.
His positioning and forms are completely different so far, but...
No, seriously, what's the trick? How is he seeing those invisible attacks?
It's less like he's seeing them and more like he already knows where they'll be.
...A precognition skill?
No way.
I mean, that would be...
That's way too broken, isn't it?
Maybe it's the effect of the Acrobat's unique title?
And what's with him being constantly on fire partway through?
In the first place, even if he is fast, he's ignoring way too many laws of physics. Hitting the gas and instantly going top speed is a middle finger to physics.
Everywhere you look, it's just pure chaos. I can't even laugh.
The general discussion boards, the PvP threads, the light warrior threads, they've all turned into a living hell in just a few minutes.
I've stopped thinking and am just sitting here with a dumb look on my face, thinking about how cool it is.
This.
For real, for real.
That's all that matters in the end.
Well, I've got one more character to stan now!!!!!
—Less than half an hour had passed since the start of the Four Pillar War. It was still the very beginning of the beginning. There was little else that needed to be prioritized.
Most of the broadcast footage was focused on that one scene... and naturally, in the midst of the world's focused gaze, one young man garnered particular attention, simply enjoying the 'dream' before him.
—The time of reckoning was just around the corner.
◇◆◇◆◇
"—DaaahRAAAGH!!"
The Great Tiger's jaws, growing more ferocious without limit, were, without any flattery, a genuine threat. With only ten percent of my health remaining after pushing myself to the brink with self-damage, I would easily be obliterated if even the edge of a fang were to catch me.
However. I challenged him with such bold words because I had firm confidence and a clear path to victory to back it up.
The Northern Faction's seventh-ranked member, the [Great Tiger], is undeniably a powerhouse. His combat sense, his movements, his masterful spear-wielding that puts my own makeshift skills to shame.
Every aspect is top-tier. In fact, I have no doubt he has the strength to go toe-to-toe with the likes of Irori.
—So then,
"You little...!"
Why am I able to so completely dominate a 'powerhouse' who should, by all rights, be my superior? The answer is simple.
To begin with, as a light warrior, I am definitively faster.
Furthermore, by running on air, I can unilaterally force the disadvantage of the watery footing upon him.
And above all, his entire strategy, built upon the absurdly powerful weapon of invisible, heavy strikes—is completely shut down by the hard-counter skill that is [Fatal Leak].
...Alright, about ten seconds left.
This [Great Tiger] counter, a.k.a. [Fatal Leak], unfortunately still has the massive demerit of being an insane mana drain.
The General Commander is probably on the edge of his seat watching my status bar—I can't let this drag on any longer.
"It's about time—for the grand finale!"
"Don't make me laugh...! I'm not done yet!!"
My HP is at ten percent—but for all intents and purposes, this is my full health.
In contrast, his health has dropped below twenty percent after our repeated clashes. He probably has some kind of defensive skill active, or perhaps his stats are heavily invested in durability—in any case, this fierce tiger, tougher than he looks, has his back against the wall.
And my final blow, my finishing move, has been ready for a long, long time.
"ORA!"
A pillar of water, like an explosion, erupted before me, blocking my vision by the power of [Cleave Fang].
Even if he's a pure martial artist, he's no simple meathead.
The [Great Tiger] is trying various tricks to figure out the mechanics of [Fatal Leak]—but the full details of an un-disclosed unique skill are not so easily deciphered.
In fact, unfortunately for him, obscuring my vision at this point is useless.
My 'eyes', which can see ten seconds into the future, had already displayed the attack prediction lines before I even took a step—and my 'Memory' gift has already burned them into my virtual brain.
A pincer attack from the left and right by the fangs on his arms, followed a beat later by a spear thrust from the front.
The escape route—is down.
As I felt a tremendous pressure sweep over my head, where I had thrown myself into the water,
My left hand, having let go of the scabbard, grabbed it, its position precisely memorized.
"—I see you, Acrobat!!"
Was it intuition, or some kind of presence-detection skill? The prediction lines extending from the [Great Tiger], who had recognized his miss, changed their trajectory from straight ahead to my position underwater.
And indeed—it was I who was faster on the draw with the spear.
"Wha— a spear...!?"
The jade blade in my right hand deflected his black spear, while the crimson spear in my left pierced his chest.
Its large crimson banner fluttering brilliantly, it was—the lethal plan I had stored in this position when I drew [Samidorizuki].
"Hey—Tiger ☆ Lucky."
"Gah... what is it, Haru?"
As expected, what incredible toughness. The [Great Tiger], having instantly let go of his own spear to grab the blade of the Crimson Valor with both hands, managed to hold his ground, the crimson blade buried in his chest.
As we exchanged smiles—his unyielding fighting spirit was palpable from the pressure of the great tiger's jaw he had raised.
As expected of a Title Holder. You're magnificent.
That's precisely why this is a blow of respect for a worthy rival.
I'm giving you an all-out, super-finisher with nothing held back, [Great Tiger]!!
"Pierce through—[Caladbolg]!!"
Activation by key phrase, a shining spear blade, and the ignition of the great crimson banner.
The manifestation of burning mana dwelled within the spear's body, which glowed with a dazzling, incandescent light.
"This was awesome!! Let's fight again!!"
And next time—on even ground, without any first-sight kills!!
"— — — — — —,"
At the very last moment, the [Great Tiger]'s avatar, his lips curling into a look of wry acceptance—
—was pierced through by the spiraling blade of the Crimson Valor, which let out an ear-splitting roar.
You thought he'd finish it with a clean sword strike? I'm sorry, this man isn't a 'Swordsman'; he's an [Acrobat].
[Caladbolg]—one of the three special effects possessed by the [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor]. It's not an assault skill, but a simple gimmick effect that uses consumed HP as fuel to perform a super-high-speed drill rotation & propel itself by ejecting mana from the pommel. It also glows really brightly.
The cool-sounding name is a matter of the creator's taste. It seems the personal magic crafter's naming sense was put to use here instead of on the weapon itself. It's meant to be a portmanteau of carat and Caladbolg, but she says she doesn't care for any pedantic replies about how 'carat' refers to the weight of a gemstone and has nothing to do with brilliance. That's our big sis for you...
The insane rotational force provides a decent power boost even though it's not a skill, so it's good for some brutal super-moves by activating it after stabbing an enemy, or for use as a psuedo-throwing skill in a spear-toss. Be careful not to activate it before you let go, or you might lose an arm.