kscans

Chapter 109 - Rankings

Apparently, there's a system of rankings.

From first to tenth place within each faction. This hierarchy, which is primarily based on an evaluation of 'combat ability,' is the rightful throne of the players who reign at the very top of their respective factions.

The word 'primarily' is key, as Vestol, which champions the blessing of peace, has a different set of evaluation criteria.

Take Kagura-san, for instance. Or Nia. Befitting the Western Faction where artisans gather, their ranking supposedly requires technical skill as a Magic Crafter—

"...The fact that you're bringing this up means..."

"You've guessed it—they'll be participating in the selection matches, too. The only ones with a reserved seat are the commanders who've already been chosen to represent their factions."

Well, that makes sense, but... seriously?

"Is there any point in making them participate...? Aren't they just becoming obstacle characters who automatically eliminate anyone unlucky enough to get matched against them?"

"There are a number of reasons, but the biggest one is the demand from the general participants themselves."

"Huh...?"

What's that about? What's the logic there? Why would they willingly ask for boss characters of an impossible difficulty level to be placed in their way...?

Sora must have read the confusion on my face.

"I see, so that's where you're at... You seem to have your hands full too, Sora-chan."

"Ahaha... I think I'm finally getting used to it."

Sora and Lotta seemed to be sharing a similar sentiment.

...Ah, right. Again? Has my ignorance struck again?

"Um, Haru. You know how many people are playing this game... er, the number of active users, right?"

"Uh, well... I think it was twenty-seven million?"

"Yes, that's correct."

Ever since the day Kagura-san hammered some common sense into me, I've been trying to study up, little by little.

Thanks to that, I managed to pull the right answer from my still-accumulating knowledge. Teacher Sora smiled as if to say, "Very good," and... I feel like I'm about to awaken to something, so could you please stop that?

"The people whose names are in the rankings are the top forty Arcadia players out of nearly thirty million, you know? They are the forty people at the very pinnacle of a virtual world that has captured the attention of the entire globe."

"...Yeah, I guess you're right."

...Yeah, hmm. It's something I should've realized with a little thought.

I'm keenly aware that I still can't shake the feeling that this world is "just a game." Being guided by Sora's reasoning as if I were a child being taught a lesson, I start to lose a bit of confidence in my own foolishness.

"So, what you're saying is... those ranked players are basically treated like... living national treasures?"

...The moment the words left my mouth, I almost burst out laughing myself, so I'll forgive Lotta for cracking up. You can laugh too, Sora-san, don't just twitch your lips. I won't get mad.

Of all the things I could have said, why did "living national treasures" pop out? I had so many other comparisons I could have made.

"...There's also gold medalists, major leaguers, rock stars, movie actors, top models, idols, astronauts, three-star chefs, comedy champions, school principals..."

"Prin-cip...pfft!"

"Hee hee...!"

At this point, I figured I might as well go all in and make them laugh, so I started listing off every "amazing person" I could think of.

Apparently, a few of them hit the mark, because Lotta was down for the count within seconds. Sora, trying to hide her smile, pretended to be mad and started patting my arm.

Alright, I think I've managed to dispel the awkward atmosphere of me bombing a joke by myself.

"So? What about these... living national treasures?"

"Bwahaha...!"

"Haru, you're impossible...!"

I delivered the final blow with a classic callback, sending Lotta into a fit of laughter, clutching his stomach and rendered immobile for a while. As for Sora-san, she pressed her forehead against me to hide her face and started relentlessly patting my knee.

...What were we talking about again?

"Ahem... A-anyway, the point is that the ranked players are celebrities on that level, and a lot of people want a chance to test their skills against them. That's the simple gist of it."

"I get it now."

Including the fact that Istia is the only faction where this is the case.

This battle-crazed faction... I don't hate it.

"What I've been trying to say this whole time is that the main tournament is filled with those bona fide monsters, and the near-monsters who gleefully challenge them."

"The kind that even you can't handle, huh, Lotta."

Well, to be honest, it's not like I have an accurate grasp of Lotta's own strength, but... hey, I just had the thought that I probably couldn't handle Lotta, you know?

"For the record, you're definitely stronger than me, so you can rest easy."

At the very least, it won't be a case where you're completely outmatched like I would be, Lotta said with a laugh. What are you laughing at? Is that for real...?

He returned my suspicious gaze with a wry smile and raised his hands as if to surrender.

"If you came at me with that ridiculous speed, there's nothing I could do to counter it. I might be able to land a single counter-punch, but..."

Lotta trailed off, his eyes narrowing as if sizing me up.

"Besides, you've barely shown any of your cards yet, have you?"

"..."

His assertion made me instinctively look away. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a very happy smile on Lotta's face, though I couldn't quite place the emotion behind it.

Well... it's true that all I showed in that fight was a glimpse of my status build and the instant weapon-swapping from [Blink Switch]. That, and the self-buff from [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor].

"I was giving it my all in terms of gameplay, though."

That much was true. While I did intentionally hold back some of my skills, the gear I shifted into for the fight was, without a doubt, my max. I came close to dying a few times, after all...

"Well, I'll look forward to seeing the rest in your upcoming matches—but anyway."

Lotta abruptly stood up and began fiddling with a window. As Sora and I watched, a pop-up appeared before our eyes: a transfer request.

"There's a bit of a break before the main tournament... so since we're here, shall we go see it?"

"See what?"

Was he planning to go watch the second preliminary round? I asked, but he just smiled mysteriously, drawing out his words.

"The names of the Title Holders who stand at the pinnacle of Istia."

◇◆◇◆◇

"Whoa..."

"This definitely has the right vibe..."

The place we were transported to was a massive entrance hall—or maybe not, I couldn't be sure—even larger than the previous arena. Well, it was a huge hall that looked like an entrance.

Although its exterior was still a mystery, I was finally getting the sense that this place we were in was some kind of 'castle.'

The throngs of Istia players coming and going were mostly clad in intimidating gear, creating a jarring mismatch with the refined atmosphere exuded by the decorations and furnishings... but I'll set that aside.

The object that drew a gasp from Sora and an impressed murmur from me stood before us—a colossal black stone monument, set in an opulent golden frame, radiating a commanding presence.

―――――Ranker's Title―――――

◇First [Tenka Muho] — [Tengen]◇

◇Second [Sword Saint] — [Ui]◇

◇Third [General Commander] — [Goldow]◇

◇Fourth [Left Wing] — [Mi-na]◇

◇Fifth [Right Wing] — [Ri-na]◇

◇Sixth [Scorching Gaze] — [Hinayo]◇

◇Seventh [Sword Protector] — [Irori]◇

◇Eighth [Twin Fists] — [Genkotsu]◇

◇Ninth [Undying] — [Tetra]◇

◇Tenth [Screen] — [Yurayura]◇

―――――――――――――――――――

...Suuuu... Man, that is cool.

"It just makes you want to... read them out loud."

"I know, right?"

Leaving the two guys to their moment of mutual understanding, Sora, who already knew about this, was staring at the monument with a look of pure awe.

She had gotten a bit talkative when the topic of Title Holders came up, so maybe she was a fan of one of them.

"I mean, I don't know a single one of them, but... what about you, Sora? Do you have a favorite, by any chance?"

I asked out of curiosity. She blushed slightly and looked toward the top of the monument.

"Um, the person ranked second... I've always admired Ui-san, the [Sword Saint]."

"Oh?"

Really? I asked the question, but that was a bit unexpected.

While I was wide-eyed at her straightforward use of the word "admire," Lotta nodded as if it all made perfect sense.

"I see. Is that perhaps why you chose to be a 'swordsman'?"

"Ah, um... Yes, that's actually the reason, embarrassing as it is to admit."

"Whoa..."

So that was it. It seems there was a reason why Sora had wanted to engage in close combat—or rather, wield a sword—from the very beginning.

"Although, the 'swordsman' I've become is quite different from what I imagined."

She joked with a laugh, while Lotta wore an expression of undisguised curiosity. Having seen me go on a rampage in the preliminaries as her partner, he seemed to suspect that Sora was hiding some bombshells of her own.

But well, he'd never guess that she's a 'Magic Swordsman' with an extraordinary 'Anima.' On the day Sora finally steps into the spotlight, he can have his mind blown.

"...So? We have to fight all of them?"

He said the number of participants in the main tournament was around 600, so ten of them would be one-sixtieth. If I climb the tournament ladder, the chances of facing one of them aren't that low—

"No, only four of them will be in the vanguard selection matches."

Just as I was thinking that, Lotta calmly refuted it.

"It's the four in a row from sixth to ninth place. The other six are in the commander bracket or the fire support bracket... and two of them aren't even participating in the Four Pillar War at all."

"What...? A ranked player isn't participating?"

No way. A ranked player from Istia?

"One of them publicly announced their retirement two years ago and left the virtual world."

"Whaaaat???"

Hold on, that's way too much to process.

Wait, what does that mean? Why is the name of a player who retired two years ago still in the rankings?

"The other is a practitioner who dedicates themself to honing their skills alone. We've asked them to participate countless times, but... after showing their strength in the very first Four Pillar War, they've never once come out into the open."

"Seriously...?"

I don't really get this one, but are they just a free spirit? They participated the first time, so did they decide then that large-scale battles weren't for them—

"By the way, the one who retired is number one, and the one in seclusion is number two."

"Whaaaat!!??"

What the—?!

"No, no, no, I can't keep up! Forget number two, what's the deal with number one?! Their rank hasn't been updated for two years since they retired? What kind of monster are they?!"

"Let's see... How about, 'the only player who could go toe-to-toe in a slugfest with the Princess'?"

That... is... nope, it doesn't help. My knowledge of this 'Princess' is limited to her being "super cute," so I can't make a judgment.

I really need to watch the archives of the Four Pillar War... Lately, I've had too much to cram into my head and not enough time. I've got university on one hand and the selection matches on the other.

"Man... seriously, how is our faction even managing to put up a good fight..."

"It's true that we're not in an easy situation. That's precisely why—"

Lotta clapped me on the back as I stood there dumbfounded by the repeated shocking revelations, and grinned with an incredibly reassuring look.

"Once again... we, the 'Four Pillar War Steering Committee,' wholeheartedly welcome a supernova like you. We'll be expecting great things, Haru."

His cheerful voice made me groan. "That's a lot of pressure."

As for Sora, who had been quiet all this time, her partner being bullied next to her was currently outside her concern.

Staring at the name of the player she admired with sparkling eyes, I wondered what she was thinking. Her body fidgeted restlessly, and her dazzling golden hair swayed as if in delight.