kscans

Chapter 467 - White That Rends the Dark and Crimson Fireworks, Part 3

With a faint cracking sound, the [Aquamarine Rabbit Heart] revealed a fraction of its power to the world.

Crimson phosphorescence leaked out. Due to the various events of the other day, a portion of my stats are currently in the middle of 'moving,' and my MID, now close to four digits in its actual value, was reallocated to AGI & DEX—

――――――――――――――――――
◇Status◇
Title：Acrobat
Name：Haru　 Lv：100
STR(Strength)：100
AGI(Agility)：200(+475)
DEX(Dexterity)：0（+475）
VIT(Vitality)：0(+150)
MID(Mental)：550(+400)
LUC(Luck)：300
――――――――――――――――――

"Alright, let's blast off."

Fully utilizing my body's specs, which had jumped to an absurd level, I kicked off the sniper's perch and danced onto the next stage.

I don't even need [Rocket]—why? Because, hey, if I have one second, I'm right in front of them.

The players staring blankly at some guy's rampage, the starry skies poking their heads out from between the trees…

…everything was in slow motion as I traced a line through the sky. I have no idea how many times I swung my sword or how many I cut down in those five short seconds, but—

"Hmm… No good."

The results of tracing my blade over every [Stardust Beast] in sight as I circled the perimeter between the trees and the clearing were far from perfect.

At a glance, I could see over a dozen that I'd failed to kill, the telltale wounds embarrassingly obvious.

I was 'off-sync' again… but I'm so close.

"…Whoa…………"

"Did you see that?"

"Don't ask stupid questions."

"No way anyone could see that…"

After completing my single sweep of the outer perimeter, I met the wide, dumbfounded eyes of the players.

The voices that reached my ears were all drawn out, low-toned, and in slow motion. It sounded so goofy that I couldn't help but smile, and then…

…I let my own eyes shine with the same 'gold' as the accent on my [Alv Stella]—the evolved form of my Anima—and soared once more through the dilated world.

Acceleration rate… let's start with two times.

With an almost cheat-like move, I put the replication cost of my [Ruby Rabbit Bullet] on a 'tab' and paid the heavy cost, though not as heavy as my previous 'Eye,' to accelerate my perception.

I feel like I've achieved something similar before through some kind of extreme concentration, but the 'real thing' is different. I can just barely think while running, and controlling my body and reading the enemy's movements is so easy it's laughable.

Wait, this is no time to be laughing. Get to work.

Even with one eye closed, there is neither problem nor threat.

From the moment I activated the skill and took a step, my vision has been limited to my right half, but seeing twice as fast provides an amount of information far greater than just double.

The task of drawing lines of movement in my mind, which I always do, can now be done with more precision and detail than ever before—all that's left is to correct the 'sync' issues and optimize my avatar's control.

"—!"

With my right eye wide open, I ran, I swung, and with the star-forged sword I carried, I bisected every single starry beast that appeared.

Part of it is that the specs of the [Stardust Beasts] themselves haven't changed, even if their numbers have increased, but still, my performance is on a completely different level than before.

The reason for this is the power of my Anima, which has ascended a tier and gained a sharper edge. But the more significant change is, without a doubt, the blessing of my 'Eye'.

[Eyes Oculus]—this skill, which evolved from an eye that understands the future, is the genuine thought acceleration skill I had been waiting for.

Its one flaw is that I can only use my right eye when using it for its intended purpose of thought acceleration. However, at a two-times magnification, I can maintain the effect for nearly a minute, a unique skill with exceptional performance.

…But if I only praise that, my beloved sword might get jealous again, so.

"[Shot]."

A dragon flickered into my vision—it seemed to be aiming for a surprise attack from above. I let go of the sword in my right hand.

In that instant, the Stella vanished,

"—"

The dragon, with a blade suddenly sprouting from its head, let out a silent scream and exploded high in the sky.

The sword came spinning back down, and though it had no face, I could almost see a triumphant, smug expression on it.

"Alright, alright, nice work. In that case…"

I snatched my partner as it returned from its job, and my golden eyes faded, both opening wide. Both the 'Eye' and the 'autonomous movement' have heavy costs, but…

…well, having two hands is probably more efficient than having double the thought speed.

"I'm leaving half to you."

As I spoke, a faint vibration traveled up my right hand. Is that your way of saying 'roger'?

Perhaps having avenged itself against its nemesis has cured it of its rebellious phase; I let out a wry smile at my sword's strangely endearing behavior.

I released [Alv Stella] into the air and took a Rabbit Dagger in each hand.

"Let's have a race, it's been a while. Keep up, partner!"

My legs, as I dashed forward alongside my Anima, were in the best condition they had ever been.

And so, the two white blades, one harboring a hint of red, streaked freely and whimsically—and on the battlefield left behind by their blurred forms, stardust began to scatter at twice the previous rate.

---

An example of what happens when a sequence holder specializing in solo combat gets serious in a quest designed for the general public.

The others, having been told, "I'm sure there will be some I miss, so please take care of them," are now in a relaxed spectating mood, wondering, "Where are the ones he missed…?'