Chapter 695 - Flashing Cross, Biting Darkness
One was a crown made of countless blades. One was a crown like a wavering shadow cast in a mold. One was a crown of twisted green and red leaves forming a ring. One was an amorphous crown of drifting white clouds.
The four who stood at the pinnacle, heralding the start of battle with their brilliance, had at that moment already stopped thinking about such trivialities as the audience's gaze or the direction of their hearts.
They acted as if captivating the audience was a foregone conclusion, not even worth confirming.
““—Front line, we're counting on you.””
““—Leave it to us!””
The warriors nodded at the words of the two back-liners, [Undying] and [Poet], who both considered themselves supporters, and kicked off the ground at the same time.
In the hands of [Adamant] Auerin was a single greatsword, like a cursed object sealed in ominous black wrappings. And in the hands of [Cloud-Hider] Rickie was—something used by very few in Arcadia, a weapon that could be considered a rarity in any game.
These weapons, the two men, swept up in the heat of battle,
““Let's go, you punks!!!””
Threw at each other with all their might, without a shred of hesitation.
One was a greatsword. Thrown by Auerin, a musclehead of the highest order in this virtual world, it was like a cannonball that surely packed explosive power.
One was a rarity. Thrown by Rickie, a balanced strength-agility type who often complained about his own style being 'plain' or 'not standing out'... it was a sight that no one could ever call plain or unnoticeable, a flash of light that left sound behind as it tore through the air.
And so, the two weapons of opposite natures—'great mass' and 'light mass'—crashed head-on in mid-air. The one to win the momentary struggle was—the latter.
It was an abnormal sight, a future that not only the participants but everyone had known would happen. The greatsword, nearly as tall as the warrior himself, was sent flying like a mere pebble with a light clink by a palm-sized 'weight,' no matter how fast it had been thrown... and no one paid its trajectory any mind.
Neither were agility specialists, but their steps were superhuman compared to reality. At a speed that would make their figures blur to the average person if they weren't watching closely, two shadows closed the distance in mere seconds.
And now, at the moment of their crossing. The one to strike first was,
“Floating Cloud Style, Fourth Form.”
The rarity, a kusaribundo with two 'weights' on either end. The founder of the Floating Cloud Style, who expertly commanded the fine chain that hung from the sleeves of his wanderer-like attire—a weapon far beyond a simple polearm.
“《Shirazuuchi (Unknowing Strike)》!”
In that instant, the weights extending from both sleeves vanished.
A super-acceleration unique to the 'ends' of a swinging object. With a momentum that left not just sound but its very image behind, the sweeping Arts—which didn't just strike, but tore through its target—crossed, aiming for the neck of the enemy before him—
“—Still sharp as ever, aren't ya!”
“Wouldn't look cool if you dodged it, though, would it...!”
A combination of instinct and experience. Perfectly reading the movement of the twin strikes that were difficult to see, he leaned his upper body back, coolly letting the lethal blow pass before his eyes.
Exchanging rough-spoken praise for his junior and embarrassed self-deprecation for his senior,
“—”
One, using the momentum from leaning back, swung his right leg high into the air.
“—”
And the other, having his feint dodged as predicted, immediately switched his footing.
In the next instant.
“Hraaaaaaaagh!!!”
The hand-to-hand warrior who carried a greatsword on his back as if for show.
'Top Melee DPS' Auerin's full-power heel drop landed on the field. At the same time as it loudly struck the indestructible floor,
“I'm sure you already know, but.”
Amidst the raging, extraordinary shockwave, he called out to the 'cloud' that had ridden the blast wave after an evasive maneuver.
“The aftershock is part of the attack, y'know?”
The enhancement effect of the special title [Adamant], [Zeruekusu Dekusutora (Severed Adamant Body)]—one of its hidden powers was to grant a slashing attribute to attacks made with his own limbs.
For example, even the wind pressure created by his punches and kicks. If it was considered an 'attack' that had some effect on the opponent, it would apply without exception.
Therefore,
“—Oww, that hurt...!?”
A shockwave strong enough to blow a body away was more than enough to become a blade. And from all over the body of Rickie, who was enveloped in the roaring wind, damage effects appeared...
“Ow...—Well, I'm sure you already know, but.”
No red glints of light appeared.
[Cloud-Hider], who landed safely while stumbling, trailed thin white smoke from his entire body—no, it was 'clouds' themselves.
“Physical attacks don't work on me, you know? Senpai.”
“Mostly, kouhai. Don't exaggerate, you idiot.”
He flashed a wicked grin, and a teasing, exasperated retort came back immediately.
Both had displayed 'skill' and 'power' befitting their status as 'pinnacles,' exchanging their opening greetings. Naturally, what came next would be shown by,
“—I'm not very good at doing things the proper way, you know.”
“—It's the children who feign such things that are the scariest to face.”
The two back-liners, who had let their vanguards charge ahead, observed the rhythm, and immediately constructed the flow of battle in their minds. Taking full advantage of the system assist that delivered even their muttered words to their opponents, the boy's voice and the baritone voice exchanged playful banter...
And both of them were attended by the color black.
“[Yorukami (Night Shadow-Stitch)].”
In the boy's left hand, which caught the shadow that rose and fell from his feet, appeared a shortbow of the night sky.
“[Bardenhode (The Storytelling, Deceiving Dreamer)].”
Into the poet's right hand, raised to the heavens, descended a blackwood lute that had seeped from the void above.
Two who wore black and commanded black. As they each summoned a sliver of their soul... everyone watching knew what color would stain the coming scene.
And that is why,
“Here I come.”
“Yes—I shall be in your care, lord of darkness.”
Without fear, they unleashed a dark, murky torrent of shadow from their hands.
He gets mad if you call him that to tease him.