Chapter 479 - The White Star Wears Red, The Blue Star Wears Black, Part Five
Ignoring the great tiger that was staring me down with maximum caution, I shifted my thoughts from a boss fight to wide-area annihilation, my jade blade held in my single left hand.
Thanks to spamming [Rocket] earlier, my remaining HP was at thirty percent, close to the red zone, but I was a bit scared to push it all the way down to the activation condition for my special title. If I messed up at this point, it would be beyond embarrassing; I’d go from an acrobat to a clown.
And so—
"[Water Enchant]."
—I’ll play it safe and go all out.
I spun the [Samidorizuki], now imbued with glowing blue magic, and switched to a reverse grip before bursting into a sprint. I’m no expert on orthodox versus unorthodox katana styles, but even to my amateur eye, this form was certainly not what you’d call ‘proper.’
But hey, my master’s style includes a reverse grip, so no problem—at the end of the day, as long as it cuts clean, it’s all good!
— ◇Status◇ Title：Acrobat Name：Haru Lv：100 STR(Strength)：100 AGI(Agility)：200(+475) DEX(Dexterity)：0(+475) VIT(Vitality)：0(+150) MID(Spirit)：550(+400) LUC(Luck)：300 —
The stat boosts from Desperate Crimson aren’t fixed upon activation but reflect in real-time. An AGI of over 900 in my buffed Trance body is impossible to handle properly without thought acceleration, but I can just barely manage the 600-plus of this form.
While exercising extreme caution, I relied fully on the habits and instincts ingrained in my avatar—unleashing an unending series of steps and slashes, my legs and arm a blur of motion.
As I raced across the battlefield, connecting the clusters of enemies in my sight with a single line, the extended reach of my blade, in sync with my dash, scattered countless starry skies.
“...! I’m telling you, you’re full of surprises!”
“Hoo!”
“Go get ‘em, Boss!”
“—Yeah, yeah, keep up, everyone!”
As I was showered with exclamations of surprise, cheers, and praise wherever I went, I returned their enthusiastic banter and focused on my job, chasing the stars.
Surprisingly, or perhaps not, I haven’t seen any new faces on the ground so far. As far as I can see, the enemies are limited to the familiar cast from previous raids: “Monkeys,” “Wolves,” “Boars,” “Rabbits,” “Snakes,” “Sheep,” and “Tigers.”
As for the only new type, the “Rooster,” I seem to have driven it to extinction before it could do anything, so rest in peace. The remaining “Rat,” “Ox,” and “Horse” are nowhere to be seen.
The commander should already be involved in this battle, though—whoops.
“Gwah…?!”
In the nick of time. A party member, caught in a struggle with a large snake, was targeted from behind by a boar and was about to be sandwiched by the massive beasts. As I approached, I hooked my arm around their torso and rescued them.
It was an emergency, so it was a bit rough, but I hope they’ll forgive me since the damage was limited to a hug with the ground—hmm, enemies in every direction (we’re completely surrounded).
“Stay right there.”
After telling the warrior I’d knocked over to “keep your head down,” I lowered my stance, twisted my body, and firmly held my magically-imbued [Samidorizuki].
Kesshiki Ittoryu—
—or rather, My-Own-Style Something-or-other (Still-No-Name).
“Hff…—!”
I charged up, then spun. By activating Matoi from a stationary position, my avatar whirled with a speed that surpassed my stat limits—and due to the insane velocity of the swing, the magic blade imbued with the properties of water extended its point ever “further.”
Centrifugal force, extension, and a circular flash.
It’s still just a brute force move that can’t be called a technique… but even so, its power is first-rate.
“Huh…?”
The scattered blue light, which included two massive bodies, tore to shreds every single [Stardust Beast] that had been rushing the players who had let their guard down.
To the voice from below me, tinged with a hard-to-judge mix of exasperation and bewilderment, I responded…
“Come on, come on, stand up. This has only just begun.”
…by giving a thumbs-up with the left hand gripping my jade blade, leaving them with some half-baked encouragement as I headed for my next target.
◇◆◇◆◇
In the very center of the circular battlefield, on the rooftop of a building that served as a relatively safe zone.
The artisans, having lost their sense of crisis due to the unrestrained actions of a certain ranker, were watching the hero show with an air of complete familiarity.
“Hey, he just pulled out another new move.”
“That one really felt like an ‘Acrobat’…”
“Isn’t [Water Enchant] supposed to work differently? That range extension bonus… I thought its limit was thirty centimeters at most, even with a full swing.”
“That was just the limit of the water-attuned swordsmen who have emerged so far, I imagine.”
“Ah… well, yeah. I guess we shouldn’t try to fit a ranker into a box.”
“—Um, excuse me…!”
A few meters away from the two artisans engrossed in observing the battlefield and furthering their analysis.
One person, trapped in a “dragon’s cage” formed by a long, coiled tail and massive wings, sent out a cry for help from both inside and outside the fray.
The two partners, who were being called for help, looked at each other, then at the trapped, indigo-haired figure, and finally exchanged one last glance before—
“...It won’t harm you. Probably.”
“That’s just love, Nia-chan. Hehehe.”
—they replied with appropriately detached, careless words, callously abandoning their friend’s plea and turning back to the show. And as for the one who had been abandoned—
“You… heartless—hieeek!?”
—the beak of the “dragon” sent by her partner to protect her plucked at her hair, and she was the only one on the battlefield letting out a simple scream of terror.
Blue color, matching.