kscans

Chapter 321 - A Flash of Golden Wind

"—Alright Rinne, you're on point."

"Okay-dokey!"

The command was given, same as always. Seeing the crown manifest above her senior's head, Rinne leaped onto his right shoulder—her designated seat. The avatar was caught without the slightest movement by an invisible platform, a massive jaw that moved like a limb—and the catapult that would launch the opening 'shot' of the battle.

"She's about to charge in and punch a 'hole' in that sea of red. Before it closes, we'll jump into the space she creates—"

"Make a path, and push on through."

"Okay."

"Right!"

Her senior piggybacked on his partner's explanation, and the two standing behind him nodded in affirmation.

The young man (Haru) had the guts you'd expect; he'd already steeled himself and wore a relaxed expression. The girl (Sora) was a bit stiff with tension… but well, there was no need to worry. Her knight in shining armor next to her would surely protect her with a cool expression.

"Alright, here's the countdown—3, 2,"

At that moment, her eyes met a pair of large, amber ones, which looked her way as if concerned for her safety just before launch. Now, this girl who'd been dragged into a crazy party with four rankers—

"1, 0…!"

"—Well, see you in a bit!"

—is she a princess who just needs protecting, or is she a second surprise in the making?

With a hint of anticipation, she left the girl with a playful salute—

Her vision blurred, and her avatar was sent flying.

An expansive battlefield stretching for several kilometers in radius, completely filled by the great sea of 'Red.' Since taking them on head-on would be a waste of time, this kind of shortcut was a standard tactic. Generally, an opening salvo from an artillery mage was the textbook move, but this party had no mage. So, the Rinne Bomb, her specialty in PvE, was probably the optimal choice.

And so—she had a job to do, first and foremost. To detonate a huge one on impact and secure a landing zone for the four following behind her.

During all that chatter before, she'd already charged up more than enough power.

As Rinne soared through the air at a speed that left the flying 'Red'—the [Remnants of the Red Circle]—no time to react, a transparent, glass-like 'bell-shaped jewel' at her waist chimed with a clear tone.

Her altitude began to drop after she had flown several hundred meters. Impact was just moments away—————now.

"—Here we go."

With that completely tensionless, listless call.

As Rinne clapped her hands, a soundless sound exploded from her as the epicenter. No sound, no effects. Just a cataclysmic burst of energy released in an instant, annihilating every 'Red' that existed within a ten-meter radius of her.

Fourth Tier, Jewelry [Bell Opressia, Ever-present dignified Bell-flower]. The power it held was the manipulation of sound.

Not just her voice, but every movement she made, like clapping her hands—it was an extremely useful and beloved [Anima] that accumulated and amplified every sound her body produced, converting it into 'power,' turning her into an armament that was versatile in both offense and defense, and impossible to detect.

…Of course, it was only after it reached the Third Tier that its power exploded to the point of being listed in the unofficial rankings, earning its reputation as an excellent Anima. Before that, it was such a weak and troublesome thing that it was stronger to just punch things directly—

"—Nice one."

"—Good work."

"Welcome, welcome!"

She was praised by the 'next rounds' that landed on either side of her in quick succession, and she returned a smug look, not at all displeased. A glance behind her revealed the other two were there as well, of course.

Her eyes happened to meet the young man's.

He himself claims he's 'not exactly a battle junkie,' but judging by the joyful smile already on his face, it was hard to believe. The opening shots of the battle had already been fired.

Both in terms of personality and battle style, Rinne had an intuition that he would be the first to charge in. So, she braced herself, recalling the sensation of that same gale brushing against her cheek on that day—

"Gueh!?"

"What the…"

She couldn't help but freeze when she saw him walk straight towards her, then grab the collars of the two men who had been on the verge of charging from either side of her.

Even as the tsunami of 'Red' continued to surge towards them, the [Acrobat] who had made this mysterious move showed no signs of panic… instead, he spoke with an expression that couldn't hide a hint of pride.

"My bad—she seems raring to go, so let me give her the next turn."

Before they could even question his words, a wind brushed against their cheeks. It wasn't the white and blue gale she had seen that day—but a gentle breeze, like a dazzling golden zephyr.

"[Schwert Kreis]."

The voice that reached her ears belonged to the girl she had been talking to all day. But this time, it held a dignified resonance she had never heard before.

"—[Turm Riesig]!"

And the absurdly giant sword of sand and dust she created in her small hand—

—the Acrobat's partner swung it without a shred of hesitation or mercy.