Chapter 648 - The Inherited Hundred Steps
—...And I wish I could have told you this was going to happen.
"Well, I'm the one who asked you not to talk to me while I'm fighting. I'll pay the price myself."
It wasn't quite tunnel vision. This tendency to become completely absorbed in her opponent during battle was something she actively chose and strived for, as it was how she felt she should be.
Therefore, the fact that she hadn't noticed the remaining three Pillars being broken and the Northern and Southern factions being wiped out, nor had she sensed the approach of a major player—it was fine. It was all fine.
She felt bad for her allies, but she had no intention of changing her style. If she did, there would have been no point in fighting so hard to climb all the way up to the rank of Ranker.
And in order to proudly stick to her principles...
"I'll handle the bare minimum. You can rest easy, your Majesty."
...I'd say you've already done the bare minimum. Therefore—please, feel free to enjoy yourself as you wish from now on.
A smile crept onto her face at the reply she received after promising to fulfill her duty.
"That's why I love this place. No matter where I look, left or right, it's full of people who get it...—and on top of that..."
Letting that expression, which she was self-aware enough to know was 'unladylike,' remain. She looked down at the boy collapsed at her feet, and then at the monster in the form of a girl standing before her.
"No matter if I look forward or back, there are just too many interesting people. I can't get enough of it."
Meeting the straight blue gaze before her, she took a step back.
She had the advantage, on the verge of taking her virtual life, yet she retreated from her 'prey' without stopping, taking two, then three steps back. It wasn't that she was reading the room and letting him go.
She was simply acknowledging the impossible and withdrawing to protect herself.
"...Hah—you're a scary one for someone with such a cute appearance, Acrobat."
"Eh? No, I don't recall projecting any kind of intimidating aura that would make you back off like that?"
Kanata, still on the ground, saw Oubai Touri off with a dazed look. The monster who had nonchalantly walked up beside him then made that clueless remark with a vacant expression.
She was about to laugh, wondering what mouth that came from, but managed to hold it back... though in the end, it seeped out again.
"Well, this is a problem. Is it because I'm seeing things through rose-colored glasses, or because I'm unconsciously intimidated by the public's and the Princess's opinion of you... I don't know."
It was a fear she had felt countless times in this virtual world when facing an overwhelmingly powerful enemy.
Troublingly, she had a strong premonition that the warning her 'master' had given her before she deployed would become a reality.
"...Hmm, well, for now..."
And so, as if aware of the secret fears of her opponent...
"Pardon my appearance in this transformed body—I am Haru, the Acrobat, fourth seat of Istia. It's a pleasure to finally meet you. My apologies for the late introduction, my esteemed predecessor."
He offered a greeting with a comical bow, a jumbled mix of a gentleman's and a lady's curtsy, as he playfully pinched the sash of his battle garment.
At the sight of this elusive predecessor who had surpassed her,
"Oubai Touri, the Heroine, tenth seat of Sotalm."
Oubai Touri, a ceaseless smile on her face—
"You can just call me Oume-san, Prince Charming."
"Okay, roger that—but that 'Prince Charming' is forbidden from now on, Oume-san."
It was as if they had planned it.
The timing with which they each clenched their fists was in almost perfect sync.
Gold flashed, and white streaked. Oubai Touri summoned her great hammer and her 'earth-shaker' tore through the floor. Not even a tenth of a second passed before the roar of impact exploded.
One with 'power,' the other with 'speed,' their perfectly matched point of contact saw two shadows, un-maidenly in two senses of the word, clash with ferocious smiles.
"—I've been waiting to meet you, Acrobat!"
"—The pleasure's all mine, Lady Heroine!"
The moment the battle began, a ceaseless orchestra of fists meeting and nullifying each other filled the stage.
◇◆◇◆◇
[Rocket] & [Ignition] engaged.
I enchanted both fists with [Water Enchant] and activated [Nine Tail]. As I stepped in, I launched a 'thread,' snatched Kanata, and tossed him backward while clenching my fists for the opening onslaught.
Why would I challenge someone who specializes in 'fists' with the same hand? If you were to ask, I'm ready to give an immediate answer.
Because when you have an inhuman number of cards up your sleeve—
"I could use a weapon, you know!"
"These 'fists' are perfectly good weapons themselves, you know!"
It's only natural to play the hand you'll enjoy the most. Trolling? Showboating? Don't be ridiculous—this is my all-out, full-power, full-throttle, serious mode.
My footwork is based on the Sword Saint as a foundation. Into that, I've thrown in the hand-to-hand combat techniques I learned from Twin Fists and Sound Armor, creating a Frankenstein's monster of a martial art.
There's no reason for it to be dismissed as a flashy, trollish technique...
"—Ooooraaah!"
"Gah-!"
Not a single one.
'Power' versus 'speed'—in Arcadia, where you can expect an overpowered increase in damage from inertial boosts, the answer to the eternal infighter's debate of 'strength or speed' has already been found. At least, as far as PvP is concerned.
The proof is my own strike, which slipped past her intercepting fist and slammed into the Heroine's stomach with more than double the number of attacks. In other words, in close-quarters combat, the one with superior agility has the absolute advantage.
And on top of that, and on top of that.
"Th...is...!—That is interesting!"
"I'm sure it is!"
As a bonus, my 'fist' strikes have extended range thanks to the water enchantment.
If I surpass her in reach and speed, and our overall power is evenly matched... then it shouldn't be impossible to overwhelm the Heroine on the ground! Probably!!!
But damn, she's toooooooough!!!!!
"What's the deal?! I'm pummeling you but your health isn't dropping!"
"Hah, thanks to that, we can enjoy this longer...!"
"There's a limit to everything! Are all of you as tanky as raid bosses?!"
The Tiger, the Knight, and now this Heroine. At this point, I can pretty much guess that all of my encounters this time were deliberately set up. In fact, I'd bet that anyone who could be easily cheesed by the Acrobat wasn't even sent out onto the battlefield.
Heh, I can see it now. Helena-san, a monocle glinting in the background behind all these warriors. In short, they're the vanguard, the scouts.
They're cannon fodder sent to probe my capabilities in preparation for the decisive battle to come.
No, not cannon fodder, more like...—
"Lost in thought? We're two of a kind, aren't we!"
"Tch—well, we are senpai and kouhai, after all...!"
More like giant missiles that have a pretty good chance of returning to sender, unfazed, after a massive explosion? Haha, I'm not one to talk now, but...
Seriously, you Ranker game breakers are just a lawless bunch!!!
Says the number one game breaker. Well, it's a game, or rather, it's Arcadia, so it's fine.
By the way, the kouhai who was thrown landed safely like a good boy, just so you know.