Chapter 701 - A Bout of Bragging
"—Nghhaaaahhh! This is exactly what I was afraid of, or something! There's no way I can give a play-by-play for this! I can't even follow them with my eyes…!!!"
"Gahahah!"
"This is no time for 'gahahah'! You two are the combat experts, so I need you to take over the commentary! Please! I'm begging you!!!"
The sounds of the match, colored by such lively voices, echoed through the waiting room. Compared to the rooms assigned to the two pairs waiting for their matches, this space was far more spacious. It was a special lounge where the rankers whose roles had ended—either by being eliminated from the tournament or for other reasons—had gathered together.
This was the viewing party for the remaining matches, attended by the pairs defeated in the first and second rounds… as well as the [Sword Queen] and the [Sword Saint], who had put on a surprise ceremony.
Currently, aside from Goldow the [General Commander] and Iris the [Sword Queen] who were serving as chatterboxes alongside the commentator, the other four were all gazing at a large screen floating in the air.
"Whoa, whoa. Now that's what you call a flashy fight, the pinnacle of it even," he said.
"Fufu… It looks like they're having fun," she replied.
The two pairs were split across the wide stage. Amidst a raging storm of red and black flames, two dancing shadows continued to stun the audience every second in a truly extraordinary spectacle.
Four guys, then four more guys, followed by three beauties and one extra. The cast was certainly impressive, but this was a matchup of individuals who each possessed abilities that were easy to understand, powerful, and flashy.
Faced with such a textbook display of otherworldly choreography… it was no wonder the cheers were endless and the excitement was building, even though the audience probably couldn't grasp the details of what was happening.
"I feel bad for Nonomi-san, but… even we can't possibly commentate on that, can we?"
"Well, it's not like we can follow 'em with our eyes either."
That much had been obvious from the start.
It had been crystal clear that this is what would happen if the infamous [Acrobat] went all out on a live stage for a real-world event.
The best proof of that was the troubled look on even the [Sword Queen]'s face when she was asked for commentary.
It would be one thing if they were facing him on the battlefield, perceiving all the little details firsthand. But from a simple spectator's point of view, the white rabbit was nothing but a blur, even to the eyes of a ranker.
There was no one who could possibly commentate on the movements of a boy who kicked off the sound barrier to leap around—
"…By the way, Ricky-kun, aren't you going to come over here?"
"N-No, I, um, I'm fine right here…"
Next to the table where the [Sword Saint], the [Poet], and the [Amorphous] were chatting cheerfully, Yata called out to the [Elusive], who was fidgeting a short distance away. The response came in a timid voice and with words uncharacteristic of him.
The [Poet] tilted his head in confusion, as did the [Sword Saint]—and seeing the latter's reaction in particular, the senior ranker seemed to shrink even further into himself. A wry smile touched the lips of the one watching.
"…It's because of that. Ricky-san is a huge fan of the [Sword Saint]-sama."
"Ah, I see…"
After Maru II's quiet whisper explained the 'why,' Yata laughed cheerfully, understanding completely. He decided on a magnanimous course of action—namely, to leave him be.
"…Now then, Sword Saint-sama. It goes without saying for your disciple, but what about my cute Natsume-chan? Do you have any thoughts or impressions?"
"I do…? Hmm… Let's see."
With that, he called out to the little giant who was about to stand up out of concern, as expected. Yata tossed a question to the venerable figure he himself had only met a handful of times, attempting to foster a more casual rapport.
Though she was an adult, she was still quite young. She was more than a decade his junior, yet he couldn't bring himself to drop the honorifics. That was a testament to her commanding presence—
"—She is magnificent."
"Oh… Is that so?"
As he found himself captivated by her calm yet flawless profile, the answer he received was a joyous one for a 'senior'—no, it was pure praise that would make Natsume herself utterly delighted if she heard it.
"Yata-san, do you know about Sora-chan?"
"But of course. I know everything about her that's been made public."
"Fufu, I see… Well, the reason I ask is because when I first met her… when I first met Sora-chan, I was reminded of none other than Natsume-chan."
Her gray eyes were fixed intently on the screen.
She watched the [Thread-Weaver], who manipulated countless threads clad in black flames, constantly dominating the space and forcing the [Acrobat] to halt his movements and commit to nothing but counterattacks.
"As expected of a 'genius'… She was said to be the one closest to awakening a second 'Talent,' wasn't she? Her spatial control and parallel processing abilities are simply terrifying."
"Haha. Unfortunately, she's now aiming to be the third… or so it's become."
"The order is a trivial matter, surely."
He really wished he could record this moment and show it to her. She'd probably explode with embarrassment and have the most entertaining—and adorable—reaction.
"Natsume-chan really is something else. The precision of her thread control has gone up a notch… no, it's way beyond that. She's gotten so nasty I seriously wouldn't want to fight her now."
"Yes. I haven't seen her in action for some time, but… it seems she has been training diligently while I wasn't looking. You must be proud as her senior, are you not?"
And so, hearing her praised by members of other factions one after another.
"My, oh my, truly… Maybe, just maybe."
It wasn't his usual banter, but a boast about his junior that just slipped out.
"She might even beat your disciple, you know."
But it was a jest that contained a certain degree of seriousness… He had misjudged—or rather, Yata, who did not know, would find himself uncharacteristically dumbfounded just a few seconds later.
It was because the [Sword Saint]-sama herself, watching her disciple's match with a joyful expression, replied,
"I wonder about that—my beloved disciple is incredibly strong, you know."
It was, without a doubt, an enormous brag.
A boast from a master, served right back at him.
And Ricky dies a noble death from the stray bullet.