Chapter 321 - A Flash of Golden Wind
“—Alright, Rinne, you’re up first.”
“Right-o!”
The order given was a familiar one. Seeing the crown materialize above her senior’s head, Rinne leaped onto his right shoulder area—her designated spot.
What caught her avatar without the slightest jolt was an invisible foothold, a great jaw that moved like a limb—and the catapult that would launch the opening salvo.
“She’s about to charge in and punch a ‘hole’ in that sea of red. Before it closes, we’ll jump into the space she creates and—”
“We make a path and push through.”
“Okay.”
“Right!”
Her senior added to her partner's explanation, and the two standing behind them nodded in agreement.
The young man (Haru) seemed to have the courage of his convictions, or perhaps he had simply resigned himself to the situation, as he wore a relaxed expression. The girl (Sora) was a bit stiff with tension… but well, there was no need to worry.
Her knight beside her would surely protect her with a cool expression.
“Alright, countin’ down—3, 2,”
At that moment.
Her eyes met a pair of large, amber ones, which looked her way as if concerned for her just before launch. Now, the girl who had been swept up into this crazy party of four rankers—
“1, 0…!”
“—Well, see you on the other side!”
Was she just a princess who needed protecting, or was she another jack-in-the-box?
With a faint sense of anticipation, she left the girl with a playful salute—
Her vision blurred, and her avatar soared through the air.
A vast battlefield spanning several kilometers in radius, completely filled by a great sea of Red.
Facing them head-on would be a waste of time due to their sheer numbers, so this kind of shortcut was standard practice.
Furthermore, an opening salvo of heavy magic from an artillery-type mage was the standard tactic, but this party lacked a mage. Thus, the Rinne-bomb, her specialty in PvE, was probably the optimal solution.
And so—she had her first job to do.
Upon impact, she needed to set off a massive blast to secure a landing zone for the four following behind her.
Thanks to all the chatting before, her charge was more than sufficient.
Flying at a speed that gave the flying Red—the [Remnants of the Red Circle]—no time to react, a transparent, glass-like ‘bell ornament’ at Rinne's waist chimed with a clear tone.
She began to lose altitude after flying for several hundred meters.
Just a little more until impact——————Now.
“—And, presto.”
With that completely tensionless, laid-back remark.
As Rinne clapped her hands, a soundless sound erupted from her.
No sound, no special effects. Just a devastating burst of energy released in an instant, annihilating every Red that had existed within a ten-meter radius around her.
Fourth Tier, Jeweled [Bell Opresia, the Ever-Present Bell Flower]. Its hidden power was the manipulation of sound.
Her voice, of course, but also every movement, like clapping her hands—it was an extremely useful and beloved Anima that accumulated and amplified every sound her body produced, converting it into ‘power’ and transforming it into an armament that was versatile in both offense and defense, and impossible to detect.
…Of course, it was only after it reached its Third Tier that its power exploded to the point of being listed in the unofficial rankings, earning its reputation as a superior Anima.
Before that, it was such a weak, troublesome thing that punching things directly was stronger—
“—Nice one.”
“—Good work.”
“Welcome, welcome!”
As the ‘next rounds’ landed on either side of her and offered their praise, she returned a smug look, not at all displeased. A quick glance behind her confirmed that the remaining two were there as well.
Her gaze happened to meet the young man’s.
He himself claimed he ‘wasn’t exactly a battle junkie,’ but judging by the joyful smile already on his face, that was hard to believe.
The battle had already begun.
Considering both his personality and his battle style, Rinne had an intuition that he would be the first to charge in. And so, recalling the feeling of that same gale brushing against her cheek from that day—
“Gueh!?”
“Wha—…”
She instinctively froze when she saw him walk straight up to the two men who were about to charge from either side and grab them by the collar.
Even as the tsunami of Red surged toward them this very second, the [Acrobat] who had made this mysterious move showed no sign of panic… and with a somewhat boastful expression, he said.
“My bad—looks like she’s raring to go, so let her have the next one.”
Before she could even question his words, a breeze caressed her cheek.
It wasn’t the pale blue gale she had seen that day—but one like a gentle breeze of dazzling gold.
“[Schwert Kreis (Ring of Swords)]”
What reached her ears was the voice of the girl she had been talking with all day. But this time, it carried a dignified resonance she had never heard before.
“—[Turm Riesig (Tower in This Hand)]!!”
The ridiculously massive sword of dust she had created in her small hand—
The [Acrobat]’s partner swung it without a shred of hesitation or mercy.