kscans

Chapter 372 - The White Lingering Dream, Swaying in Slumber - Part 1

The raid formation for the battle against [Tsarkalv of the White Throne] was split 6:4 between frontline and backline. The backline was further divided equally between damage dealers and healer-supports.

When it came to the balance of the composition, I had no choice but to trust the 'leadership,' including Helena-san. As a newcomer, I had no room to doubt; this had to be the best possible team.

Incidentally, I spotted some familiar faces, like Lotta and Zou-san.

While my friend [ElephantThree], who was assigned as a party leader for the tank squad in the versatile frontline role, was one thing, the fact that my other friend was participating as a healer was where I had to draw the line.

Didn't you go on a rampage against multiple melee players in the selection preliminaries? What do you mean your main job is a pure healer and not a magic knight? Get a grip.

But I digress—since roles had been assigned, the standard procedure would be to form a battle line and challenge the mighty boss.

Perhaps because the players were accustomed to their 'positions,' they naturally formed frontline and backline positions as they eagerly stepped into the crater.

Yes, they did.

But the moment all one hundred and ten members of the raid party stepped into the combat zone, before they could react to the change in the air, that anomaly occurred.

A bizarre teleportation, as always.

Unlike the light effects that accompany using a transfer gate, this felt like being forcefully dragged by the hand—the work of a divine messenger.

My vision blurred, space jumped… and what spread before my eyes was,

"—This is it… sheesh."

Simply the sight of the white avatar, conveying nothing but 'weight.'

A quick look around revealed that the opening forced teleport had sent everyone together in front of it. However, our formation and ranks were a complete mess right from the start.

It's already begun.

There's no time to be dazed. To get set up, I have to meet up with Sora quickly—before it wakes up and starts moving.

"—Alright, move it, you lot!! Get fired up, we're gonna tear it apart!!"

Of course, there were no newbies here who would be stunned by a teleport. As the [General Commander]'s voice rang out like a starting gun,

"Frontline, advance!! The first hit is coming, tanks, get ready!"

"Run, you cowards, run! Backline, retreat! First, focus on getting distance!!"

All at once, the players sprang into action, every last one a top-tier elite at the pinnacle of the virtual world. They were selected with their compatibility against the 'White Throne' in mind, so while they might not be the absolute top hundred, they were undoubtedly chosen warriors from the top few fractions of a percent.

A gathering of self-sufficient players who have mastered individual combat in various fields—which means there's no one here who can't think and act for themselves.

"You all set your timers, right?! No one forgot, did they!?"

"Mages, group up, keep your chants ready! We're layering them from the first shot!!"

Each person assesses the situation, and those best suited for the moment shout orders without hesitation.

The absolute condition for the 'White Throne' battle, which forces you into a state of unreasonable flux, is adaptability. That's why they gathered a hundred captains—no, a raid of a hundred captains all at once.

"—They're so reliable, it feels like we can't lose."

"…It's only just begun."

Weaving through the sharply moving raid force, I safely met up with Sora using the radar. The face of my partner, whom I found in the crowd… seemed a little tense.

The earth-shattering tremor that had once caught me off guard and sent me tumbling to the ground now shook my avatar.

In response to the players who began to run without fear, even after being dragged before it, the white giant lifted its face.

The eyelids slowly opened, and behind them, its cloudy white eyes—looked down upon them all.

Here it comes.

'White's' opening move is a sweeping attack with its long tail.

"—Goldow."

"—You bet!!"

The opening blow. The tail swung down, raising a tremor, and slipping past the tank squad that braced itself to prevent the aftershock from reaching the rear—silver-blue and gold dashed forward.

One held a 'sword.' A blade of divine make, the only one of its kind in this virtual world, embodying the extraordinary.

The other held a 'fist.' An Anima armor, the only one of its kind in this virtual world, that had reached the seventh tier.

Extra-class Equipment [Xultiomart-type Calibur]—Category Error, the Exceptional Sword.

Anima [Goldion, Golden Armor of Heroes]—Anima Ranking Weapon Category #1, the Supreme Battle Garb.

'——————————'

"Hmph, h—…!!"

"UOOORAAAAAAAHHHHH!!"

In that moment, white, silver-blue, and gold collided—and space itself, not figuratively, distorted.

A great waterfall of impact and sound, which could only be described as a roar, easily shook the avatars that surpassed human limits. The 'White Throne's' first attack, and the two small standard-bearers who challenged it.

The victor—was the small one, who had combined their strength.

"————…Now!!"

"—Keeeeeep iiiiiit cooooomiiiiiiing!!"

There was no one who wouldn't be fired up by the command of their representatives, who had magnificently struck back the tail and shaken the giant's body. A true signal for the start of battle rose as a war cry from all over,

And a 'barrage' of greeting fire rained down on the White Throne.

"—……………"

I'm sure she'd done countless mental rehearsals on her own.

My partner is serious and hardworking, so it's not hard to imagine she'd been preparing for this day by watching the archives over and over.

But, you know.

It's only natural—to be overwhelmed, to be left speechless by a kind of感動, I understand that feeling so well it's laughable.

Small beings, challenging a giant 'dragon.'

Exploding flames, flashing sword light.

Look right, look left, it's overflowing with fantasy.

—Isn't this the best? You'd never see a sight like this in the real world.

"Sora."

"…………"

When I called her name, my partner, who had been holding her breath with her large eyes filled with the scene before her, looked at me. Seeing her slightly flushed cheeks—I could read her heart like an open book.

It's not that we're just standing around dazed. We're just waiting for our turn to fulfill our assigned 'role.'

Watching our comrades charge the White Throne one after another, waiting for our turn.

That's right, partner. For the esteemed young lady of the Yotsuya family—to have such an excited face, as if you just can't wait any longer.

In that case— `Construction`.

I summon the pair of greatshields, [Twaibolt Mirari]. The distorted pair combined into a single round shield, a pale blue mirror armor, and I slipped my right arm through one side.

If you can't wait, let's get ready ahead of time.

"I predict—it's going to be insanely fun."

"…My heart might just explode."

As if to calm her racing heart, the girl placed a hand on her chest once… and slipped her offered left hand through the blue shield made for her.

Equipped simultaneously in a combined state—condition met.

""—`Crossing`!""

The keyword was acknowledged, and a shining golden chain shot out from the separated shields.

The thin chain that connected 'White' and 'Blue' vanished in an instant—but the connection certainly conveyed the other's presence to their hands.

Not just presence… but also their 'power,' for sure.

[Twaibolt Mirari]—one of the abilities hidden within the pair-exclusive equipment for me and Sora is the integration of our STR stats and a partial sensory resonance.

As for the stat integration, the sum of my and Sora's STR is applied to both of us. In other words, in our base state, we can both wield an STR of 350, the sum of my 250 and Sora's 100—

"`Scareless`."

And so, like this… if you add Sora's trump card on top, you get the explosive birth of two muscle-bound monsters with an STR of 650.

Sora's MID is still higher, so she narrowly avoids being labeled a meathead. As for me, who is evenly matched and welcomes being a meathead, I'll happily slam my muscles around.

The sensory resonance has various uses, but in a chaotic battle, it has a particularly convenient application for coordinating as a pair.

To put it simply, we always know where the other is without relying on radar or sight.

For the new coordination we devised to fulfill our 'role' this time, it's an essential piece, as Sora needs to know my exact position.

Bravo, [Playful Fire Person]—I'll make full use of it, my exclusive magic crafter.

Now, the White Throne battle has started with a grand opening and a bold offensive from the players, but the fact that we can't see its progress is a huge disconnect for someone used to the system's protection.

Its HP gauge isn't visible—which is natural and expected from a realistic perspective, but extremely inconvenient from a game perspective, a setting unbecoming of an RPG.

The fact that it's a system that exists for other enemies, including bosses, makes the disconnect even stronger. Is this also what makes the 'Colored Monsters' special?—and just as I was thinking that,

A small alarm sounds in my mind, pi pi pip…

It's nothing special, just a convenient little feature all players can use… a system clock set to repeat, announcing that the count has reached zero.

It's nothing less than our 'lifeline' in this raid.

"—Forced teleport, it's coming!!"

A warning cry from someone, doubling as insurance, reaches my ears.

A hundred-second count, the activation of the first gimmick. It is the second signal, signifying the true start of the battle with the White Throne, which has now awakened from its slumber… after the battle's opening.

A noise, a premonition, runs through my senses.

The world blurs, and in that moment—the gazes we exchanged were more than enough to communicate our intentions.

Even if we're separated, even if we can't see each other… as long as the golden chain, our bond, connects us,

"—Let's do our best!"

"—Yeah, let's have a blast!"

On this battlefield, we will always be side by side.