Chapter 698 - Carrying the Torch
『—And that's the match! Seizing victory in this blink-and-you'll-miss-it exchange that was anything but kind to us common folk, the first win of the day goes to the tag team of 【Adamant & Undying】!!!』
A professional voice, raised to be heard over the cheers without becoming an unsightly scream, colored the overwhelming conclusion. And the audience, having witnessed the trampling theatricals of shadow and darkness, reacted.
"—No way, Tetra-kun is terrifying. That was insane."
"W-Watching it live, the, uh, the impact of it all is on a whole other level…!"
"'Erebus'… I've never heard of that skill name. Is it not a skill, but an ability? Does it come from his storyteller armament, his Anima, or a combination of both…? —"
"So he's on the same level as that guy, or even higher in the public's eye… That's incredible…"
The group of four invited guests, sitting among the general admission crowd, were struck by the unreality of their very first live fantasy experience. They voiced their own thoughts and exclamations, but the color on each of their faces was the same: an excitement that refused to cool.
One of them nearly passed out from overheating, but thanks to the 'vaccination' from the day before, she managed to hold on at the last second and avoid the trouble of a trip to the infirmary.
Now, all that was left was to surrender themselves to the fervor alongside their fellow virtual world fans.
And so,
『Both of you, Teto-kun—ahem. My Lord of Darkness, could you perhaps offer some commentary on that final move you just showed us? Even I am not the least bit familiar with it!』
『…I don't know. I've never seen that before. Ui?』
『No, I am not aware of it either.』
『I see. I suppose I'll have to ask someone later.』
『Indeed. Let us inquire about it later.』
『You two are so casual about it, I hope you stay that way forever!!!』
"…And to think he's friends with, a student of, and in a relationship with this incredible lineup of hosts…"
"Feeling it in person like this, the lack of reality is so absurd it's almost funny, don't you think?"
"The Sword Saint… is happily… chatting with the Princess…!"
"…I'm starting to think I've used up a lifetime's worth of luck just to be here. Kaede, breathe."
"I am breathing…!? Stop making me sound like some weirdo who's always holding their breath!"
The extraordinary luck of being able to watch this fantastical stage from a truly special perspective unattainable by most. Each of them could only hold it close to their hearts and savor the moment.
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""""—Huh…?”"""
The first words spoken in the waiting room after the memorable first match came to its shocking conclusion. All four voices, by some strange coincidence, were identically filled to the brim with bewilderment.
"…Why are you so bewildered? Aren't you in the same clan?"
"We are, but I've never seen anything like that. What was that, Hina-san?"
"Even if you ask me, that was my first time seeing it, too… I wonder what he did."
"Tetra-kun's abilities were always a bit of a mystery, but… even so, to think he was actually that strong. A three-person wipe is pretty incredible, isn't it?"
The reason was simple: none of them had a clue what the [Undying] had just done. The shadow had covered the field, Tetra suddenly cut himself, and then the other three simultaneously suffered an insane amount of debuffs and died instantly.
They understood the phenomenon that occurred, but they couldn't immediately grasp the trick behind it.
Naturally, they all thought the same thing.
"Ew, that's scary. No thanks."
"At worst, it's an instant, incomprehensible kill…"
"Did he hide it, or did he change…? Ufufu, how frightening."
"Nooo… I'm really not good at dealing with special or conceptual types…"
Purely and simply: 'I don't want to fight that.'
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—And so, to the next actors.
A few minutes after the two teams from the first match left the stage to thunderous applause, and after an incredibly short interval that left no time for the excitement to cool, the next contestants descended, all of them sharing a similar sentiment.
"Alright…—Can't lose now, Maru-boy. Let's show 'em what we've got, too."
So said the [General Commander], having witnessed the boy who usually wore a cool expression, devoid of passion, achieve a result that was far too magnificent as their faction's vanguard.
"Right. It's not much, but I'll do my best to assist you."
So replied the [Ever-Changing], standing tall, his spirit roused to match the natural passion of his larger-than-life partner with respect and solidarity.
"…Alright, we don't need a strategy, Gen-san."
So said the [Great Tiger], pretending to be swept up in the excitement. By focusing his gaze intently on his opponents, he pushed the real-world audience out of his conscious mind.
"Yeah—all we have to do is fight."
So said the [Twin Fists], standing with a quiet, composed, and as-always, pure fighting spirit.
The only thing they brought to the stage was the fervor for a 'serious game,' handed down from the greatest opening act to the best first match.
And so, just like the first round, it was four men.
"Alright. Well then…—Let's fight, boys."
"Let's."
"Let's do it."
"Yeah."
A single smile from each was more than enough to bring on the brawl.