Chapter 226 - Changing Stride
The weight of the single blow he blocked with his black steel was not that of the [Sword Protector] he knew. It wasn't just the power; the sharpness of the technique was on another level—and above all... there was that overwhelming fighting spirit.
There are countless words to describe the player named Irori, but the trait most widely recognized and respected is surely his refusal to stop moving forward.
Even in Arcadia's recent state of stagnated progress, many were inspired by his stoic dedication to honing his strength—but still.
Even so, he was a player before he was a ranker, and a person before he was a player... There's a limit to how much one can train in an environment lacking stimulation.
Uni had fought him several times outside of the Four Pillar War, but lately, he hadn't felt the same degree of growth... but now.
"What happened to you? It's like you're a different person…!"
"I can't afford to just stroll along anymore…!"
He must have undergone a dramatic redistribution of his status points. Even stepping into the range of [Regalias], the body clad in his formal samurai attire only slowed fractionally.
At this rate, just like with that Acrobat... no, this was worse.
"Hmph—!"
"Whoa, that was close!"
He was forcefully compensating for his reduced agility with what was likely an excessive amount of strength, rendering the power of [Regalias] even more useless than it was against the Acrobat.
A blue blade shot past, slipping through the guard of his twin daggers and grazing his neck. Under the relentless assault, Uni was continuously forced back into the passages of the maze... and before he knew it, the winding paths had hidden the eastern base from view.
A mistake. I should have focused on blocking the path instead of getting greedy.
The moment his first attempt failed, perhaps the best course of action would have been to cast Forced Combat (Engage) on Irori instead of trying to take on the [General Commander].
"Agh, geez... I'm gonna get an earful for this…!"
Uni couldn't help but let his cheek twitch as he imagined the pressure he'd get from the southern faction's commander, who was currently directing the countless support units scattered across the battlefield with her deliberately emotionless expression.
"Hey, how long are you going to act so calm and collected…!"
It wasn't that he was trying to act calm, but perhaps his fighting spirit was lacking enough for it to appear that way.
In that case, it was probably time he made his move so he wouldn't be misunderstood as being half-hearted.
In place of an apology—while still holding his daggers with his ring and pinky fingers—he raised his remaining three fingers, forming the shape of a gun... No, this was no mere gun.
It was the embodiment of a tank cannon—enough to make the [Sword Protector], who had witnessed the preparatory motion, widen his eyes and retreat from the line of fire with all his might.
"—[Pygmalion]."
"—Tch…!"
The activation keyword and the roar were simultaneous. As if a hunk of steel had truly been set in motion, an intangible cannonball was fired with a deafening blast.
Even without a direct hit, the shockwave alone was enough to send a nearby enemy flying. The shot impacted the indestructible wall of the maze, and the immense shockwave it generated completely drained the surrounding waterways.
Soaked by the same splash of water, Irori's assault was halted as he sharpened his gaze and raised his guard... Across from him, Uni, a crown now materialized on his head, offered a smile with an unchanging expression.
"You should know by now that I always look like this, right? I've been serious... all along."
It had a unique shape, as if mimicking some kind of gauge—a ring-like crown with gleaming gems set at regular intervals like markings on a ruler.
Seeing this... or more accurately, after quickly counting the number of gems that shone with a particularly intense light, Irori sighed, exasperated.
"That junior of yours really... left quite the parting gift, didn't he?"
"Haha. Well, that last strike of yours just earned me three shots' worth, you know? ...Alright, now it's your turn."
With the distance between them, a brief break for words. Uni spread his arms and deepened his smile, offering an opening as if to say, "Be my guest."
This wasn't a taunt—it was an earnest demand, seeking the full power of the [Sword Protector] who had just displayed his greatest fighting spirit yet.
He had never lost to him.
But he had never once underestimated that blade.
Stronger than before, sharper than ever, the unceasing advance of that blade drew closer moment by moment—and he had never failed to welcome it.
If he could wish for one thing, it was that one day, that single sword strike...
...would surpass even the [Sword Saint] and reach her. Though, he couldn't help but feel that a certain newly-arrived supernova was on the verge of snatching that role away.
Even so, his expectations had not diminished—what he always wanted from him was the future.
"...Very well. I suppose this is where I stop walking."
Irori let out a quiet breath, lowered his blue Anima blade, and closed his eyes. A sharp sound echoed as a chill spread from his feet, freezing the water around them.
"—…!"
The premonition of something to come sent a shiver down his spine.
Before Uni, who was aware that an unfittingly wide grin was spreading across his face, Irori's eyes opened. The blue irises within them shone, reflecting the moonlight.
"—[Bushin]."
A familiar keyword was uttered. A physical barrier that was meaningless against an intangible cannonball—which is why it had never once been used against Uni.
Which meant, to bring it out now...
"—[Sange]."
...that this familiar skill had an unfamiliar future.
A veil of fine ice unraveled at its master's command, swirling around his body like flower petals and emitting a radiant light. And then,
"Gather—[Hyouka]."
In his right hand, he held the blue blade of his Anima. And in his raised left, the converging light formed—a dazzling sword of white ice.
It had no guard, no ornamentation whatsoever. Yet its form, imbued with a shivering beauty, was a zero-degree white blade that radiated a pure white chill.
Clad in ice dust, two swords at the ready—the presence he projected was a wave of shivering pressure, a world apart from the [Sword Protector] he had been until now.
"...W-Well, that's a more impressive hidden card than I expected...? If I'm the first one to see it, I'm deeply honored, but…"
"Unfortunately, I've already shown it to a cheeky junior of mine."
Even with the light banter, the pressure didn't lessen. The sheer weight of that presence, so incongruous with his calm stance, set off alarms that rang so loudly in his head he almost had to laugh.
Well, damn. And what was so damn frustrating... was that there was yet another level beyond this.
Which meant—
"[Blade Road]."
A frozen crown wreathed in shards of ice materialized. And then, Irori, having manifested all of his power... did not lower his stance, nor did he raise his weapons.
He simply, slowly, lowered his swords—and quietly took his stance.
"Now—let's go, [Heavy Tank]."
"...Haha—Yeah, let's do this, [Sword Protector]!"
Whether they were part of that gathering of battle junkies (Istia) or not... it didn't matter. Anyone who gathered in this place for the Four Pillar War was, without exception, the same.
More than a person, more than a player, if you were a warrior captivated by the battles of this virtual world—
How could you not be thrilled by the face of an exhilarating unknown?!
"—!!"
Cheeks pulled tight, teeth bared. He launched himself forward with enough force to shatter the ground.
"My own style, the Nameless Two Swords."
The samurai, wearing an equally ferocious smile, imbued his blades, which held the light of absolute zero, with a scorching battle spirit—and took a step that transitioned from a walk to a sprint.
"Here I come—!"
Without a shred of hesitation, he charged straight ahead.