kscans

Chapter 118 - Guardian's Frost Blade, Endless Sky-Dash - Part Two

The fourth match of the main selection tournament.

The special spectator area, unlike before, was now bustling with several players.

"No way, he's actually...!!"

"Are you serious right now...?"

Surrounded by famous players who were cheering along with the general audience—Sora, who had initially been intimidated and shrinking in on herself, was now completely captivated by the sight before her.

Haru had managed to parry an extraordinary high-speed combo that she couldn't even track with her [Observer's Eye], and he'd done it with what looked like a joke of a technique.

The sight of him pressing his advantage, landing a solid blow with his crimson spear, drew gasps of astonishment from Lotta beside her—and from the third-ranked player next to him.

They were both trading blows, and the health ratio was seven to seven—but it was clear who had the upper hand.

He was reaching him.

Her partner, who had walked this path with her.

Her one and only partner.

The carefree young man who embarked on adventures with more joy than anyone else.

—He was reaching the seventh-ranked player, one of those who stood at the pinnacle of the virtual world.

"Win..."

The word that slipped out was one she hadn't dared to say until now.

A word she had always softened to "Do your best," fearing it would put too much pressure on him.

Suppressing the frantic beating of her virtual heart, the girl now wished for one thing with all her being.

"Please, win...!"

She poured her feelings into her unwavering gaze.

Believing that the bond they had forged would surely reach him.

◇◆◇◆◇

"Imbue—"

"—I'm impressed."

Whoa, that was close—I jumped back, wary of a counterattack, and was about to activate the Crimson Valor's buff when I cut the action short.

Once I activate the body enhancement, the duration starts ticking down, but as long as the absorbed HP is stored in the crimson cloth, there's no time limit.

I stopped the buff and gave the Crimson Valor a twirl, lowering it behind me. The [Sword Protector], who had spoken in the middle of the match, smiled as if to say, "My bad."

"Truly, you're far beyond what I imagined. Where on earth has someone like you been hiding?"

...So we're having a chat now?

I figured a Title Holder wouldn't stoop to something as cheap as a surprise attack while distracting me with conversation, so I hesitantly decided to play along.

"...Less 'hiding' and more 'not in the virtual world at all.'"

When I answered honestly, his ferocious, battle-crazed expression vanished. The [Sword Protector]—Irori—widened his eyes in surprise, his mouth hanging open in a dumbfounded expression.

Even with that dumbfounded look, he's still handsome. These pretty boys are truly incorrigible.

"'Not in it'... wait, hold on a second. What, so you're..."

He said he'd heard about me from others, but from his confusion, it seemed Irori didn't know the full story.

I had assumed he'd heard it from Lotta, since he was part of the committee and they seemed to know each other.

Ignoring his bewilderment, I quickly calculated the number of days since I first set foot in the virtual world.

"About... two months, maybe a little less? The name's Haru, a newcomer to the virtual world. A pleasure to make your acquaintance."

"—..."

Whoops, if you let your face slack that much, you can't really be called handsome anymore. Please, stay that way forever.

"...I see now."

Unfortunately, Irori quickly composed himself, a deep, wry smile on his face as he put a hand to his forehead and shook his head.

"It seems it wasn't just underestimation; my very perception of you as a mere rookie was a mistake."

"...From my perspective, I'd much prefer you to keep underestimating me."

"It seems you have a sharp tongue as well—I was fighting seriously, you know. But from now on, I'll fill in the missing 'heart' and come at you with mind, body, and soul."

...Ah, give me a break.

In that instant, the pressure he exuded swelled to a level incomparable to before.

As if it were his default state, a gentle arc still played on his lips, but his glittering eyes were filled with a single emotion.

A scorching fighting spirit, so intense it felt cold.

"Sorry for interrupting... get ready. This is where it really begins."

"Tch... Imbue me!"

Frustratingly, I felt myself being overwhelmed and finished buffing myself with the Crimson Valor as if for self-defense. Irori—the [Sword Protector]—readjusted his grip on his katana with both hands and spoke with a solemn air.

"Allow me to properly introduce myself—Istia Rank Seven, [Sword Protector]."

It was heavy. The crushing pressure he unleashed sent a virtual tremor through my body.

"Now, let us begin."

And with that, the foreign samurai vanished.

"What—"

No, panic later, move!!

I've already used my emergency escape card, [Prescient Eye]. Thanks to its ridiculously long cooldown of twelve hundred seconds, I can't rely on its attack prediction anymore.

In that case—!!

"[Blink Switch]!!"

I've got a lock on his presence.

I felt a tingle on my left side and thrust both hands in that direction, summoning the [Giant's Hand Axe] and the massive form of [Prologue: Wedge Fragment Singing of Eternity (Angalta)].

Without grabbing the weapons I summoned before my hands, the two of them fell according to their immense weight. Despite the short distance, they shattered the arena floor—

A loud crash, an impact.

"Interesting!"

"Isn't teleporting cheating?!"

I'm sure someone could say the same about me, but I don't have the luxury of choosing my words right now.

In place of the two weapons that had successfully blocked the horizontal sword slash, I once again summoned the [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor].

A long weapon is at a disadvantage at katana range? We're not bound by the physical performance of the real world here!!

With a standard grip on the right and a reverse grip on the left, I held the spear horizontally and spun like a top on one foot—I'm sure it looked ridiculous. If only the engine I was running on wasn't an insane AGI of 350!!

With a VWOOSH that no normal human body could produce, I became a spinning top of death. In my blurred vision, which was now just a horizontal line, I vaguely confirmed that he had skillfully distanced himself from my range.

..., ..., ...—Now!!

"Hraaaah!!"

I used my ridiculous STR of 300 (muscles) to forcefully brake the insane rotational movement, and with the [Sword Protector] locked dead center in my sights, I threw the Crimson Valor with all my might.

"Tch... hmph...!"

He probably didn't expect a follow-up attack to come flying at him without a moment's pause after such high-speed rotation. He deflected it with the same infuriatingly solid swordsmanship as before, but I didn't miss the click of his tongue or the slight break in his stance.

"[Panga Fool]—!"

Even the momentary summoning lag felt frustrating as I pulled the trigger.

A red lightning bolt flashed, and my legs shot forward with enough force to shatter the floor—the 'enemy' was right in front of me.

"[Prologue: Wedge Fragment Singing of Eternity (Angalta)]—!!"

And I activated a new skill, [Exchange Voltate]!!

The god-tier of god-tier skills, which consumes the count built up by switching weapons to boost the power of the next attack.

Why does an active skill like this not have a cooldown? It must be a bug!!

The boost I'd accumulated throughout the battle so far enveloped the imposing armament in a pale white light effect, and just as it was about to strike the [Sword Protector], who was forced into a momentary animation lock—

"—[Bushin]."

"Tch...!!"

Just before it hit. I saw the membrane of light that deployed around him with his mutter, and having anticipated this development, I grit my teeth and swallowed a curse.

The blow, which held enough power to easily crush even a boss monster, slid off the membrane of light—a veil of shimmering ice that glittered in the sun.