Chapter 572 - The Arrow Chasing the Horizon
[Haze Oculus]—an unorthodox unique skill in the thought-acceleration category, which typically involves an effect manifesting in the eyes, that instead requires the user to close their eyes to activate.
Maximum duration: twelve seconds.
Acceleration multiplier: limitless.
The power granted in exchange for offering up 'the present view' is—future prediction.
"Tch…!?"
Right foot push. Left sword flash. Just before I leaped, I threw my weapon at his feet as a feint, and my now-free right hand grabbed the left wrist he moved after dodging my two attacks.
Guiding and capturing in parallel. The surprise of someone who instantly understood their movements had been completely read shook my eardrums like a word of praise.
From that point of understanding, the future blurred.
It branched out beyond countless possibilities, so many that counting them was impossible.
Reading each and every one was a violent tsunami of information that would be impossible for a human mind, and it surged through my virtual brain—not a rational choice, but something else entirely.
"—Hraaah!!"
I seized the 'future' that simply caught my eye, one I prayed was the best possible one, and as an intruder into a divine domain, I let my overheating thought circuits drive my avatar.
I pull his captured left hand—his right scarlet sword will fly at my right hand so, I'll set my dagger in the path of his swinging arm, not the sword—he'll abort the scarlet sword attack and a palm strike will fly at me so, I'll pivot with a left-footed push—I'll be swung around at super-speed while he still has my left hand but I'll ignore it because a right roundhouse kick will fly at me so, I'll let go and drop to the floor on my back—and the resulting situation was,
"—Hah…!"
The Acrobat, floating defenselessly in mid-air after a series of his 'counters' were seen through,
"[Crowly—…!!"
And right beneath him, the challenger, who had grabbed the weapon he'd thrown earlier and imbued the two overlapping blades with a blue light effect. And,
"—Rivind]!!"
Initial speed, top speed, and power.
All of it was undeniably top-class, the highest-tier assault skill in the short sword category.
Once it's activated on a target who has left an opening within range, it's a true 'finishing blow' hailed as a 'guaranteed hit' against any opponent—
"……………………—Huh?"
—I was supposed to have unleashed it.
Suddenly, the vast number of 'futures' vanished from my mind, leaving only one.
In an instant, anticlimactically, unbelievably… as if waking from a dream, I saw the confirmed future, and when I opened my eyes, what I saw was—the blue of a clear sky.
My hands, my weapons are gone.
My feet, not touching the floor.
My body, floating—then, after feeling a distinct sense of weightlessness, a strong wind brushed my cheek, and I finally realized my body was falling.
I turned my head and looked at where I was going.
Just like the fixed future. There he was, holding the daggers that had been taken from my hands, a cheerful smile on his face as his eyes told me,
—Twelve seconds aren't up yet, you know.
"—Tch…!!"
That's right, it's not over.
That's right, I haven't given up.
Even after seeing the future with a massive cheat, even if I couldn't see everything about him—even if there's no way these tiny fangs of mine could ever reach him…!!
"—[Breath—…"
This stage I finally reached, driven by my admiration.
So I can praise myself, for showing him my all without any regrets.
"—Moment]!!"
I have to enjoy this dream stage with this incredible hero to the fullest.
Within a five-meter radius. I activate the skill that safely delivers my body to a desired position and slip past my own weapons that were waiting for my falling body.
I landed, once again, in his blind spot. At a distance where I could touch his back without even reaching, I drove the backup dagger I'd drawn from my thigh—and just before it hit, I pushed off with my right foot.
From the blind spot, to the front.
In other words, to the true blind spot of the Acrobat, who had reacted instantly to my teleportation into his blind spot.
"Tch—"
Five centimeters until the tip made contact.
Four centimeters.
Three.
Two.
One—and then, the blade, having lost its target, pierced the air.
The pale blue figure vanished in a flash… and my own dagger was placed gently against my neck.
"—I know this already, but…"
"…………Yes."
A voice came from extremely close. As I felt my body rapidly losing its strength, I desperately held my consciousness together to keep from collapsing.
"May I ask your name again?"
Unlike me, his gentle voice lacked any hint of tension. I couldn't help but let out a wry smile.
"…It's Kanata."
"Okay, Kanata—That was fun. Let's do it again."
The future I had already seen. An honor I don't deserve… I laughed at my own thoughts, which had fallen completely into this swamp, as if they belonged to someone else.
"…………I'm beaten. I surrender."
The curtain fell on my dream stage.
The explosion of cheers seemed to be celebrating me for having 'accomplished' my goal, at least from the perspective of self-satisfaction… but well, that was probably just my imagination.
—Furthermore,
"Ah, sorry. I'm Haru. I should've introduced myself first before asking for your name, huh?"
"……………………Ah, haha. I know that, of course."
This perfectly anticlimactic, quintessentially him fan service… this luxurious postscript is something I'll never forget for the rest of my life.