kscans

Chapter 150 - Sweep Away Your Worries and Go All Out

"Um, are we really going to do this... for real...?"

"If we're doing it, we're doing it."

We were in the outdoor training arena we'd used for my match with Ui-san. Standing in the center of the large circle drawn with white stone, I nodded back at Sora, who still seemed hesitant.

"We've done plenty of mock battles in training, but we've never gone all out against each other, have we? In that sense, I'm actually kind of looking forward to it."

"Um, as the one being forced to challenge a ranker, I'm not exactly thrilled..."

Haha, don't be silly. I'm positive that if you had properly prepared and entered this selection tournament, Sora, you would have gone on just as much of a rampage as I did, if not more.

I've been praised and celebrated to death in this short time, but one of the reasons I can't fully enjoy it is that very fact—the fact that I'm the only one in this world who knows, My partner is even more of a monster.

"Sora... are you, uh, okay with this?"

"Nngh..."

What I mean is, her feelings about fighting for real—about clearly pointing a blade at each other.

It's true we've done plenty of mock battles. But in all of them, neither I nor Sora have ever dealt direct damage to the other...

...Ah, wait, there was that one time. Specifically, the time Sora miscontrolled a certain skill and I was ground into a fine powder.

Anyway, that's the kind of resolve I was asking about. And indeed, Sora's face fell into a thoughtful frown, her brows furrowing in distress.

"Um... honestly, I don't know. Until now, it was under the pretense of 'training,' so I didn't have to think about it, but if we're fighting a real match..."

She looked at me, her face clouded with anxiety.

"Against Haru... or rather, against a 'person'... will I be able to attack...?"

"That's the big question, isn't it?"

This virtual world is ridiculously realistic. So much so that it's hard to believe it's a game.

Of course, if you actively look for flaws, you can find them. For example, how "everything is too beautiful."

Furthermore, even the ugly things are ugly in a beautiful way. How should I put it... it's like a 'graphic' that's indistinguishable from reality.

Given that Arcadia is a product of unfathomable technology, this is probably intentional. Perhaps it's to prevent immersion from reaching a point of no return, or maybe to draw a clear line between the real world and the virtual one.

An obvious example is people—the modeling of avatars, or rather, the fine details. For one thing, their 'skin' is just too perfect.

In reality, back when I was a part-time warrior, my reckless lifestyle took a toll on my skin, and I started paying a little more attention to it afterward. But honestly, it's on a completely different level from my real body.

My avatar, which is based on my real appearance, has smooth, egg-like skin that would make a baby jealous.

The surface is so smooth and without texture that you can't even perceive pores unless you squint. I wonder if this isn't one of the reasons why the world of Arcadia, nearly indistinguishable from reality, feels oddly two-dimensional.

Well, in that sense, even this virtual world's feeling of being a "real human" is diminished—but when 100% realism becomes 95%, how much of a difference does that really make?

Their appearance, their texture, the expressions and emotions they hold—they are 'people' not so different from those in reality.

How many people can swing a weapon at that without hesitation? It's undoubtedly one of the high hurdles of PvP in a virtual world.

I once thought that PvE against monsters suited me better than PvP, and this is part of the reason why.

It's not that monsters don't feel incredibly life-like... but still, there's a difference between a person and something else. The degree of instinctual aversion is inevitably different.

However, once I actually experienced it, I found that the subtly unrealistic sensation of a blade striking home and the game-like visual information from flashy hit effects made Arcadia's PvP feel, in a good way, less real.

So, if you can just try it once and accept the unique tension and exhilaration you can't get from fighting monsters... I suppose that's the key.

"Well, if you really feel you can't do it, we can stop. Or we could just pull our punches."

"Pull our punches while going all out...?"

Even if we slip up, it's just a game, so it's not a problem.

"Ui-san isn't a battle maniac, so I doubt she expects that much."

She did ask beforehand if Sora was okay with PvP. She probably just wants to see how the 'magic swords' move in a fight, so I think it'll be fine even if we agree to pull our punches.

"—It's fine. There's no need to force yourselves because of my selfish request."

"Hyuh—..."

A calm voice came from the side.

Wh-what...? When? When did you get here? Was that your Shukuchi again?

While I was flailing in surprise, Ui-san walked over to the anxious-looking Sora and seemed to be offering some words of support.

"I see... Since this is your first time in a real match, perhaps we should do this."

After exchanging a few words to confirm some things, Ui-san said that and clapped her hands smartly. The sound echoed cleanly through the quiet forest, where the only noise was the rustling of the wind—

◇Special Safe Area [Yueltemis, Cradle of the Divine Hall]: Shifting to Secondary Safety Protocol◇

"Feh!?"

"Ooh...?"

It wasn't abrupt, I suppose. Her clap was likely the activation key. A system message appeared, announcing that some facility had been activated.

"—There. Now your attacks won't land on each other."

"Won't land...? What do you mean?"

She smiled as if it were obvious, but I couldn't keep up. When I had to ask, Ui-san thought for a moment. "Well..."

"Then, Haru-kun, please try to land a strike on me."

"No."

Ui-san spread her arms as if to say, "Go ahead," and I responded instantly with a dead-serious expression.

I mean, come on. I sort of get what you're trying to say, but absolutely not. Please don't give me that utterly baffled "Eh?" look.

"Um, it's alright, I assure you."

"On the contrary, you do it. Come on, make it quick."

Doing something like that in front of Sora—or even if she wasn't watching, there's no way I could, from both a visual and emotional standpoint, you know?

She's someone Sora looks up to, someone she called a 'benefactor.' My partner, standing beside me as I spread my own arms in return, probably felt it would be inappropriate to have a strong reaction and just offered a faint, strained smile.

"Is that so...? —Then."

As expected of the Sword Saint, she unleashed a magnificent slash devoid of any mercy, hesitation, or compas—...

...Wait, a slash? Huh? You're not holding your greatsword, or anything for that mat— ZGACK-KIIIIIIIIIIIN!!!

"Hyau'!!?"

"—... ..."

The unarmed Sword Saint had unleashed a hand-chop. I only realized what had happened after the roar, like metal striking metal, had faded. It was only then that I noticed her perfectly straightened hand was resting on my neck.

A peerless 'single strike' that was, as always, nothing short of terrifying... but what stopped her hand was a barrier that had materialized for just a moment between me and her, right before my head was lopped off.

"...And so, as you can see, when the system registers an attack, it will automatically protect you."

With a scatter of pale pink phosphorescence, the transparent wall of light vanished. Pointing to its remnants, Ui-san smiled. "Please, feel free to go all out, with no worries."

I, frozen and speechless, turned to Sora, who had let out a shriek beside me—

"...See that, Sora? That is the Sword Saint."

"...U-um... ah, aha, ha..."

When I gave her a mysteriously smug look, the girl just laughed vaguely, as if to say, "I don't even know what face to make anymore."