kscans

Chapter 195 - Gathering Gazes

“—Is this for real?”

A boy muttered as he watched the fifth pillar of light shoot up into the sky.

“Getting 500 points in the first two minutes is insane… I guess this is the work of that [Acrobat] guy.”

“Probably,”

The Southern Faction, having smoothly reorganized to deal with the waterway field, was dispatching its units in sequence. Aurin and the other two, who had been told to “wait and see” for the time being, couldn’t help but wear wry smiles at the situation likely created by the East’s unknown ninth seat.

“...At this pace, you know…”

“Yep, he’ll probably get them all… A 1000-point lead from the five pillars each from the North and South. That’s a pretty clear-cut uphill battle.”

“No, I don’t think we’ve ever seen anything like this before.”

As the boy and Fuji exchanged words, Aurin glanced behind him… and there was Helena, watching the sixth pillar rise with the same calm and composed expression as the other three.

“What’s your take?”

Aurin sent his words along with his gaze, and she, still looking at the pillar of light, narrowed her eyes slightly behind her monocle.

“It’s just as we suspected, the work of the player in question. Unless the [Sword Saint] has decided to return to the stage on a whim, there is no one else capable of such a feat.”

Of course, that was not an underestimation of the East’s rank holders. It was an objective evaluation based on the fact that they lacked a player who specialized in agility.

When Helena said this, the tall young man’s face twitched.

“Are you saying this new ninth seat is on par with ‘her’?”

“If that were the case, he would likely be in the upper ranks. Even if not, he appears to be a being who combines both power and speed.”

—The seventh. The signal fire of destruction showed no signs of stopping.

“He’s a big deal, no doubt about it…—So, how do we respond?”

Helena—the ‘Queen’—was paying attention. That meant she had no intention of letting him run wild.

“Uni.”

“Yeah?—Oh, my turn?”

The boy—Uni—turned when his name was called, and she nodded.

“Go and scout. I want a detailed report on the situation within the area.”

“Okay. What about that one?”

—The eighth. He pointed to the pillar, the sight of which was no longer surprising, and Helena entrusted the decision to him. “I’ll leave it to you.”

“Move as you see fit. If you happen to encounter him, so be it—however, I will not tolerate losing a rook this early in the game.”

“Haha, that’s okay too. I’ll be back safe and sound, don’t worry.”

Uni lightly laughed off the warning gaze from the entertainment-oriented boy…

“The Princess seems pretty interested herself, one way or another.”

He gave the hilt of the dagger at his waist a confirmatory squeeze and glanced towards the castle where his ‘King’ was waiting.

“If I get carried away and happen to do him in, you’ll help me apologize, right?”

—The Southern Faction (Sotalm)’s second seat, the [Heavy Tank], smiled with the innocence of a child.

◇◆◇◆◇

“The ninth one!?”

“You’ve gotta be kidding me!!”

“I’ve come full circle, now it’s just funny.”

“This is no time for laughing! We have to defend the last one at all costs, hurry!!”

On the northern side of the huge, rectangular maze, the players of the Northern Faction, Nortalia, were advancing in a state of pandemonium, kicking up water as they scrambled to share map information.

In less than five minutes since the start, five pillars from the South and four from the North had been taken down—an unprecedented and abnormal situation.

By the way, the reason they knew the breakdown of the fallen pillars was because they could currently see a blue pillar, Nortalia's faction color, standing tall in the direction they were heading.

In the Four Pillar War, the number of ‘Pillars’ that appear on the field is equal to the number of rank holders participating from each faction. For the past several wars, the standard has been for the North-South alliance to field five rank holders each, for a total of ten.

The reason was simple. Any more than that, and the disadvantage of increasing weak points in the form of pillars would outweigh the advantage of increased military strength.

If they could defend every single pillar from start to finish, there would be no problem. But if even one were to fall, they would be mired in a swamp.

They would be forced to assign defenders to numerous pillars, and with the forces they managed to scrape together, they would be hounded into chasing after ‘Pillars’ that randomly reappeared, without a moment’s rest.

Meanwhile, the attacking Eastern Faction was, of course, a formidable force. It was a straight path to defeat.

“—Well, we made it in time, at least.”

The hand of the entity that had destroyed nine consecutive pillars did not reach the final, tenth one. A young man, observing the players deploying around it to form a defensive line, let out a word in his thick accent.

“Should we stand by here, Tora-san?”

“Yeah. Can’t say if he’ll show up, but stay sharp.”

“Roger that.”

Entrusting command of the three-party, eighteen-man unit to the squad leader, the young man twirled his long spear in his hand and stepped forward from the line.

“[Acrobat], huh… This should be interesting.”

He slammed the butt of his spear into the waterway, striking a perfect, imposing stance.

“—Come if you dare, you monster.”

And indeed, perhaps not in response to his words, but.

At the end of the passage he was glaring down—a figure of white and azure leaped out at a hazy speed. The player, who seemed to have noticed him, slammed on the brakes, landing with a huge splash of water…

Dozens of meters away, the figure raised its head, and from the darkness of its deeply drawn hood, its gaze flew towards the young man.

◇◆◇◆◇

“Ah… Sorry, Gossan, couldn’t get them all.”

『What’s there to be sorry about, you idiot? This is an incredible result. Get cocky.』

“That’s the first time anyone’s ever told me to get cocky.”

I slammed on the brakes and looked ahead. The tenth pillar was already under a defensive formation. There were about twenty players—and at their head, standing apart from the main group, was a familiar face.

“...And as for this, you could call it bad luck, or maybe just—an encounter.”

As I said that, I could feel Gossan, connected by the 《Telepathy》 skill, drop his playful tone from the back of my ear… no, the back of my mind? Somewhere beyond my consciousness.

『You know who it is?』

“I do—it’s the North’s seventh seat.”

『The [Great Tiger]…』

My knowledge was crammed in, but I had at least memorized the names, faces, and general combat styles of the rank holders from each faction.

The Northern Faction (Nortalia)’s seventh seat, the [Great Tiger]—a pure, hardcore martial artist who wields a long spear.

『Are you pinned down?』

“He’s spotted me. I’m not surrounded, so I can still get away.”

My role is strictly that of a runner, a pillar-destroyer. If I have time to take on a rank holder and a defensive line head-on, I’d be better off preparing for the reappearance of the pillars I’ve already destroyed.

I know that much.

『Alright then. Disengage.』

Gossan’s order was the logical one. As we promised in yesterday’s meeting, I had no intention of talking back.

—Even if the [Great Tiger], who was leisurely walking this way, was looking at me with eyes full of a fighting spirit that was impossible to misread.

“...Hey, Gossan.”

At most, I intended to offer a suggestion, not an argument.

“If I said I could win… would that be allowed?”

『—…』

Five meters away, the young man stopped.

He must have sensed that I was communicating with my commander, but there was no sign of him making a move.

『…Hey, kid, are you serious?』

“Don’t use such a scary voice. I just thought it might be a useful proposal if it’s an option, so I figured I’d ask.”

And besides, I was confident—no, certain—that I could escape from this distance without any problem.

This wasn’t some impulsive whim, but a proposal based on calm, rational thought…

『—Fine.』

And indeed, my intention was understood.

『You made the boast, so I won’t accept defeat—don’t you dare become a clown, Haru.』

I could feel the general’s smile on the other side of the 《Telepathy》, and the trust he placed in me ignited a deep warmth in my chest.

“No problem. I won’t lose.”

The words I deliberately spoke aloud naturally reached the [Great Tiger].

“I can hear you, you cheeky brat.”

The seventh seat of Nortalia—a young man known for being as much of a battle maniac as anyone from Istia—bared his teeth in a ferocious grin that lived up to his title and snorted.