Chapter 231 - The Sword That Wishes, The Sword That Hopes, The One Awaited is Here, Part Three
In a way, she was the one most worthy of wearing it in this virtual world. Manifesting a crown like a piece of glasswork, so clear it reflected the moonlight, Iris declared she was getting serious and swung her sword.
Meeting her head-on wasn't even an option. While I might be able to force her to block one of my own attacks, if I tried to block her sword, I'd be vaporized in an instant.
What's more, this was a strike from her serious mode, one that had activated the unique effect of her title—[Braver, Lone Hero]. The aftershock alone could probably erase me from existence.
"Whoa—thaaaat was close!?!"
—And so, I dodged with every fiber of my being, putting my absolute all into it. My body, capable of using [Shukuchi] for only a limited time, moved as never before, desperately escaping not just the blade's path, but the entire area in front of her where the shockwave would surely reach.
The next moment, the 'water' in front of Iris vanished—and then, lagging behind the 'result,' came the deafening roar, the shockwave, and everything else, stopping my avatar in its tracks as I was circling behind her to launch a counterattack.
Hang on a second... what kind of sword pressure can annihilate water, can annihilate matter itself???
That's just absurd. Even my master couldn't... actually, she probably could. Damn these incredible masters—but anyway, I'd already researched her monstrous specs beforehand...!
Regardless, we know far too little about each other. It's great that she's getting serious, but I'm still wondering what exactly 'clicked' with her.
However, our lack of knowledge is limited to our personalities and personal circumstances—I made sure to memorize the publicly available 'catalog specs' of the [Sword Queen].
First and foremost, the most notable thing is her 'Talent (Gift).' Until I was told my 'Memory' was one, she was the only known Talent holder in this world—and that person is none other than the 'strongest' standing before me.
Since she was originally the only one, her Talent was never given a specific name; it was simply called a 'Talent (Gift).'
But now that my Talent has been christened 'Memory,' if one were to give her Talent a name... well, no word would be more fitting than 'Omnipotence.'
A 'Talent (Gift),' in short, is something like a supernatural ability that arises from an outstanding affinity with the 'Outer Brain.'
Like my 'Memory'... and I suspect that Sora's ridiculous mastery over her magic swords might also be some kind of 'Talent'—but that's beside the point.
What Iris's supernatural ability, which can only be described as 'Omnipotence,' brings about is—to put it simply, 'enhancement' and 'expansion.'
What does it enhance and expand? Every single thing about her.
I scooped up the [Samidorizuki] that had been sent flying and once again went on the offensive, focusing on my 'master's' techniques—but they couldn't reach her. It wasn't just the weight of her sword that was on a different level from before.
Her garnet eyes held only their own natural, crystal-clear brilliance. Without even displaying the effects of a thought-acceleration skill... with her heightened perception and reaction speed, Iris struck down every single one of my attacks.
"—I'm not done yet. Keep up."
"I know...!"
Those eyes, which had been lagging just seconds ago, now tracked my form as I zipped all over the place, refusing to let me go—and unfortunately for me, I no longer had the time or leeway to be captivated by her clumsy smile...!
In addition to avatar specs that transcended numerical values, the Gift of 'Omnipotence' affected her thoughts, perception, and reaction speed, elevating Iris as a player to a 'different dimension,' whether she liked it or not.
On top of that, the purely status-enhancing effect of [Braver, Lone Hero] boosted the very foundation that her Gift expanded and enhanced, making her completely unmanageable.
The total increase was no longer on the level of addition, but multiplication—and that's not all.
"A constant regeneration effect is just cheating, you know...!"
As the ratio of my attacks to dodges was gradually being forced toward the latter, I couldn't stop the complaint from spilling out. My blade had reached her a few times since the battle began, but that minuscule amount of damage had already been undone.
[Braver, Lone Hero]—its power provides status corrections and enhancement effects based on the number of party members. In short, 'the fewer allies you fight with, the stronger you become,' a power that truly lives up to its name.
And in a situation of complete isolation, the enhancements of that power become 'ridiculous,' 'absurd,' and ultimately 'outrageous.'
A massive boost to all stats is a given, and while the acceleration multiplier is modest, a constant thought-acceleration effect is active. Furthermore, it provides percentage-based damage reduction, increased resistances, negation of all status ailments, and to top it all off... continuous HP and MP recovery.
What emerges from this is truly a solitary queen who needs no army—
...Yeah, well, I guess that would happen.
Whether she wanted it or not, I have no way of knowing—but having a power that borders on cheating forced upon you must make it hard to enjoy anything.
So she adjusts it herself... no, that's not right either. I understand that self-imposed challenge plays have a certain appeal, but the essence of that act is just 'endurance.'
If Iris is the same type of person as me—if she's the kind of person who kicks away endurance and restraint, who finds joy in giving her absolute 'all,'
"—Then you couldn't stand it, could you?"
Yeah, of course not.
—There's no way you could 'endure' that kind of mind-numbing boredom.
For some reason, my emotions are overflowing more than usual.
As I feel my cheeks pull into a grin so wide I'd be terrified to look in a mirror—I prepare to slam a resounding 'No!' back at the girl who seemed to ask, 'Is this all?'
"—Here I come, Iris."
One graze and I'm dead. Fine by me—in that case, I don't need HP anymore.
In the midst of our ceaseless exchange, I forcefully create a breaking point by striking her 'sword' at the start of its swing—I take some distance, toss the [Samidorizuki] overhead, and with my right hand, I draw the crimson blade of the [Parabellum Bullet].
And then—its tip points toward a single target: my own heart.
It pierces my chest, scattering crimson, and the faint sound of shattering echoes.
[Desperate Crimson] activates—my body now holds the protection of the [Crimson Rabbit Hairpin], and though I avoid instant death, keeping the blade embedded in my chest causes my HP to plummet... and in turn, the enhancement effect of the special title [Acrobat], [Crown Crown], manifests.
As my tied-up hair comes undone and a cracked crown materializes above my avatar's head—
"This is it—top gear, full throttle."
I dismiss the scabbard in my left hand and snatch the falling sword from the air.
Red blade in my right, green blade in my left. And as I take a single step forward,
My avatar, wreathed in phosphorescence and threads of mana, tramples over reason and, at a speed that defies all logic—my vision loses all meaning.
On the Affinity Image of the Outer Brain
First, please imagine the Outer Brain as an 'ocean.' A player's affinity for it is like a pipe that exchanges 'water,' which represents thought, with that 'ocean.' The unique nature of that pipe is what gives rise to the supernatural ability known as a 'Talent (Gift).'
Now, let's explain the differences between the 'pipes' of our protagonist, Sora-san, and the Princess with a simple image.
- Protagonist... He is connected to the 'ocean' at an extremely close range, and the speed of transfer is broken. The 'thickness' of his pipe is not much different from that of a typical player, so his 'parallel processing limit' is about average.
- Sora-san... It's not so much a 'pipe' as a gigantic 'tunnel' connecting her.
- The Princess... There's no 'pipe.' She's just straight-up dunked in the 'ocean.'
Something like that. Scary, isn't it?