Chapter 731 - Time Passes, Leading to Now
"—Man, this is really unbearable…!"
Five minutes had passed since the match began. Having accurately gauged each other's strength through countless exchanges, Uni muttered to himself as he shattered the binding chains of ice he couldn't avoid.
From the start, he knew this opponent was absolutely disadvantageous in terms of ability compatibility. So naturally,
"How long are you going to keep up that composure…!"
"I lost that a long time ago!"
Now that he had completely surpassed him in skill, the [Peerless] warrior had truly become the [Heavy Tank]'s natural enemy.
His smile, just like before, was misinterpreted, and he was met with a complaint along with a blade, but this was no joke. He had no composure left; at this point, every single exchange was a desperate struggle.
It was what he had wished for… and yet, he had given him far too much experience. With not only his Anima but also the enhancement effects of his special title sealed away, there was honestly nothing he could do.
""Tch—""
Another exchange. As he raised his daggers to block the oncoming blue sword, the blade, propelled by his avatar's supernatural strength, changed its trajectory at a right angle and easily slipped past his guard.
Having bypassed his defense, the path of the sword was now limited. As he dodged it and tried to land a counterattack—ice erupted.
"Hah, dammit all…!"
The power of Uni's Anima, [Dual Heavy, Starfall Twin Black Steel], was 'Weight Falsification,' a power that deceived the system by intervening in phenomena triggered by the daggers' actions.
In other words, he couldn't activate the ability unless he proactively initiated an action.
Therefore, against Irori, who could freely manipulate ice in tandem with close-quarters combat to seal his movements, even for an instant, his weapons were reduced to mere daggers.
And so, the momentary lag rendered his counterattack impossible. He forcefully shattered the fragile ice that had appeared in an instant while retreating at full power to avoid the second strike… and so the cycle repeated.
It was painfully obvious who was on the defensive.
The power of his Anima was sealed, and as a result, he couldn't take any hits, which meant he couldn't generate projectiles for [Pygmalion, Dwarf Gunner] either. In contrast, his opponent was only using a single sword, despite having his “crown” manifested.
It was utterly unbearable. He felt a mixture of joy and frustration in equal measure.
"Really— 'Magia' are so unfair, you know? They're the prime example of the Anima gap."
At any rate, he really didn't want to go down without a fight. With that in mind, he began to stall for time to formulate a counter-strategy, and as he did,
"…I won't deny it, but you're one to talk."
—he knew his diligent junior would play along.
"Your 'sword' and Hinayo's 'guns' are just too broken. Firing off attribute attacks on par with great magic without an incantation? That's not allowed, it's against the rules."
"I'll say it as many times as I have to: your 'daggers' are just as ridiculous."
He had a point. But it was also a fact that 'Magia'… those Anima that held an especially powerful 'magic'… were considered irregular, outside-the-box existences.
Irori's [Frostblade Shirosou] was one such example. If his public status was accurate, it was an abnormal weapon that could perform all sorts of feats with a MID of only around 250.
It was so bad that people were saying things like, 'That's not a sword, it's a magic staff shaped like a sword.' Though it was said that its sensitivity was so high that controlling it was incomparably more difficult than normal magic… In any case, just how threatening a mastered 'Magia' could be...
…had been demonstrated to the world by the 'Flame' and 'Ice' of the East.
And, in the case of the 'Ice' right in front of him—
"And your sword skill is like, third best in this virtual world. You're too greedy. Give me a break."
And that was why it was truly unbearable. This was the ultimate embodiment of what happens when talent and effort combine: the creation of the invincible samurai, a name someone had given him.
…And, as Uni complained and schemed behind the scenes,
"…So, is that enough time?"
Irori let out a weary sigh. He'd known all along and had simply played along, his smug face annoyingly saying as much as he threw the cheeky remark his way.
And so, in response to his junior, the senior also offered a smile.
His thoughts had reached a conclusion. All that was left was to accept the present and struggle.
"Ah, yeah. More than enough—so then, shall we begin Act Two?"
He would celebrate the joyous growth of his junior, who had at some point completely surpassed him… and at the very least, as a senior, he would show his pride.
Uni's Top 3 Swordsmen in the Virtual World: 1. Iris, 2. Sword Saint, 3. Irori
Irori's Top 3 Swordsmen in the Virtual World: 1. Teacher, 2. Sword Queen, 3. Himself. Unskilled: His Junior
In reality, Iris's and the Master's sword styles are completely different, so they can't be compared. Uni's '1. Iris' is not due to any personal bias.