Chapter 652 - The Acrobat Recovers
“So… what is this?”
“Uh, supply to meet the demand?”
“Have you lost your mind?”
“Of course I have! The audience is going wild!!!”
“So loud… your voice is too…”
In front of Ruvalest, the Eastern Faction’s base, my avatar had gone limp from overusing Outer Force. Held up by my junior, I was forced into a temporary retreat after a grand total of less than twenty minutes of fighting.
As I collapsed onto the giant cushion made of some mysterious material—the same one that had taken care of me last time—I was met with the punishment of being sandwiched by the two creators who had been waiting for me as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
One idiot—no, one red-head—chattered away while repeatedly mashing my right cheek, munininininini, while one blue-head endlessly prodded my left, funininininini.
I knew the latter was, as usual, a genuine expression of gratitude, so I didn't really mind—no, that's not right. These two were still young women close to my age. Whether it was teasing or praise, having our personal space broadcast across the nation like this was a definite no-go.
“‘Sen.’”
“Hweh?!”
And so, it was time for a little restrain-and-release.
If my body wouldn't move properly, I just had to move something else. Activating [Nine Tail], I manipulated the shadow threads that burst from my right bracelet, instantly wrapping the two little ones up before tossing them back to their guardian.
One screamed a rather unladylike shriek, while the other flew silently through the air—both landed in the arms of a man so sturdy that a single one of his biceps seemed to match their entire bodies.
“What’s this? You seem perfectly fine.”
“I am perfectly fine. My control system is just a little buggy, that's all. It’ll be back to normal soon.”
“I don’t really get what you’re saying, but if it’s not a problem, it’s not a problem.”
In response to the voice of their guardian—their father, Gossan—I waved my right hand, also controlled by shadow threads. A precise wave was beyond my current ability, so I just swung it back and forth.
With the tiny threats dealt with, my next task was to focus on a swift and thorough recovery.
Truthfully, if I just rested quietly for about ten minutes, my control would return. An issue of this level wouldn't have any lasting effects. It really wasn't a problem.
“Well, setting that aside, you two did well. In terms of one-on-one anti-personnel threat, O-Ume is a powerhouse among the top five of the North-South alliance. That victory was a major one.”
“You hear that, Kanata-kun? Be proud.”
“Ah… um, well…”
When I praised Kanata again after he received the General Commander’s compliments, the boy sitting primly on a matching giant cushion next to me could only respond with embarrassment and confusion.
What’s with that face? No matter what anyone says, at least a fraction—one part, two parts, maybe three or four, let’s be generous and say half—of that victory belongs to you. Accept it and grow, you rising star.
—And just as I thought that.
“Alright… let’s get down to business.”
“You got it.”
“Y-Yes, sir…!”
Around us stood the defense squad, maintaining a delicate balance between tension and relaxation to conserve their energy. And at the core of that defense were the ‘Eastern Wings’—plus two more.
“...The defense team is pretty boring, huh? Not that I want to go to the battlefield, mind you,” the [Undying] one muttered, gazing at the sky with a face devoid of any tension.
“Hehe… Saying that, don’t you think you’re starting to fit in with us Easterners, Tetra-kun?” came the gentle teasing from Hina-san, standing beside him—the other half of their pair.
Stationing five rankers as a permanent guard was a defensive posture of an unprecedented level for Istia. But it was understandable; given the circumstances, it was the only logical formation for this battle.
“It wasn't as blatant as with you, Haru, but Irori and Genkotsu had a similar run-in. Tora came to poke at both of them before withdrawing. After that, regular troops started to gather.”
“Haha, they’re making it so obvious that they’re probing us, aren't they?”
“It’s pretty much going as expected.”
That Tora-guy, he actually survived an encounter with Irori and Gen-san? I pushed that thought aside. The reaction from Mi-na and Ri-na, still dangling from Goldow’s hands like scruffed kittens, was likely the consensus of us all.
They were probing us, biding their time.
As expected, as predicted, as anticipated… This time, too, but with more conviction than ever before—the North-South alliance would undoubtedly aim to capture the Eastern Faction’s war base.
In fact, with all due respect…
“Well, it’s their only option. With senpai here, the fight over the Pillars is already a lost cause for them,” Tetra said.
“Haru-kun is just that much of a game-breaker, after all,” Hina-san added, echoing his sentiment.
Just as they said, I—the [Acrobat]—was simply too well-suited to the rules of the Four Pillar War. If the North-South alliance wanted to win, their only option was to capture our base. And with a rising star like Kanata now on our side, there was no chance their strategy would deviate.
So, in other words, our victory condition was…
“So, with that said… Haru, how about it?”
“Yeah, it’s probably impossible.”
We could either face the North-South alliance’s all-out attack—an over-raid force of over ten rankers and several hundred troops—head-on and defend our base…
…or we could launch a counter-attack and snatch their flag. Goldow’s question was about the latter, and my immediate “no” was my assessment of its feasibility.
It was a question of whether I could single-handedly rush one of their bases the moment they launched their assault and score a lightning-fast touchdown.
Yeah, that was definitely impossible.
“First off, the South is impossible, as you know. I can’t break through the [Castle Lord] by myself.”
It wasn't a matter of compatibility; I simply lacked the resources.
Even the [Sword Queen] couldn't breach her defenses in a one-on-one fight. Against her, my lack of absolute firepower would be a dead end. Even if I unleashed [Lightning Gale], it's highly doubtful I could break through her guard in thirty seconds.
…Not that I ever want to use a full-time [Lightning Gale] again. Having my skills sealed for a whole month is no joke.
“If Irori, Gen-san, or Hina-san were with me, it might be possible, but…”
Goldow shook his head. No.
Yeah, I figured. We were already severely outnumbered, and our defensive forces were stretched thin. Considering Ashe would almost certainly join their main assault, we couldn't spare a single one of our key defenders. Especially since each of them had a specific opponent they needed to face.
We could take a gamble and throw all our forces at one of their bases, but… we already decided against that in the pre-battle meeting.
A quick, all-or-nothing race would be exciting in its own way—but we are Istians. If the enemy wants an all-out war, avoiding a head-on clash is out of the question.
That's just how we roll, right???
Anyway, with the South out of the question due to the unbeatable [Castle Lord]...
“The North is tough, too. Nine times out of ten, Tora-cky will be on defense.”
I wasn't completely oblivious to him, but honestly, his recent power-up was startling. It seemed unlikely that it was just his Anima's growth; he must have stacked various other improvements to achieve such a dramatic evolution.
In other words, he was a wild card for now. Plus, he himself mentioned that he 'couldn't fight alongside others at the moment,' so he probably wouldn't join the main assault.
It was almost certain that he would be tasked with guarding the Northern base.
And if that happened…
“He can keep up with my speed in a small area, so if I get caught by his ‘Engage,’ I probably… no, I definitely won’t be allowed to ‘Break.’ If he then stalls for time with his insane durability, it’s game over.”
And catching me with ‘Engage’ wouldn't be difficult for him. He has a short-burst thought acceleration skill, so I had to assume he wouldn't just let me slip by.
On top of that, even if I managed to get past Tora-cky, I'd then have to face the main general… which, if my predictions were correct, would be the North's former ranker, the [Dog Whistle].
And assuming the current second-in-command, the [Wolf Pack], was also participating…
“Yeah, it’s impossible. I’m not saying I can’t break through, but it’s definitely impossible in a short amount of time.”
And if a quick counter wasn't possible, even the Eastern Faction would inevitably be overwhelmed by sheer numbers—which brought us to the conclusion.
“So… I think an all-out war is our only option. What’s your take?”
“Yeah, that’s about right.”
Was that a wry smile, or one of amusement? The General Commander nodded gravely, stroking his beard. I, buried deep in my cushion, had laid out my thoughts with utmost seriousness. As our exchange came to a close…
“...Um, is it okay for me to be mixed in with this circle of rankers?”
“You’re basically a reserve, right? Nobody minds.”
“Huh? A re… huh…?!”
My junior number two, Kanata, had been watching with bated breath. His quiet question was met with a casual reply from my junior number one, Tetra. The exchange, seen from the corner of my eye, was strangely peaceful and, in a good way, helped me relax.