kscans

Chapter 475 - The White Star Clad in Red, The Blue Star Clad in Black, Part One

It has been three years since I purchased Arcadia and became a resident of the virtual world. To be honest, I've questioned the game system, which lacks the fairness typical of MMOs, more than once or twice.

I am aware of my own seemingly endless growth.

But the celestial beings who race through the far heights are so distant that I'm certain I could never catch up, no matter how many years I crawl forward.

So far I can't touch them. So far that sometimes, even if I strain my eyes, I can't even see them.

My feelings go beyond envy; I've been jealous countless times. The management's slogan, 'The possibility is given equally to all,' I've scoffed at as a lie more times than I can count... so many times.

And yet, the reason I can't leave this world, the reason I don't get fed up, the reason I can keep going without giving up—the answer is simple and clear.

Because when I can't touch them, but I strain my eyes and manage to see their forms.

"...Damn... so damn cool."

Up ahead, in the sky. They shine in the far heights, forever out of reach.

But they burn my eyes, again and again, with a brilliance so intense that it makes me want to keep reaching for them, nonetheless.

They kick aside the category of 'game'—and reawaken, time and time again, the admiration for the heroes of stories I dreamed of as a child.

Envy and jealousy are two sides of the same coin.

Because they exist, we who cannot escape the ordinary sometimes feel our hearts sink.

And yet, because they exist, we who bear the title of 'ordinary' can, countless times,

Continue to see an endless dream in this world.

"...Alright, let's get fired up, boys! Let's show our captain what we've got!"

Someone's loud cry of 'passion' sends a fiery response through all those who travel the ground.

To the far heights.

Like innocent children, they chase and chase the dazzling 'star' that felled dozens of stars with a single flash of brilliance.

◇◆◇◆◇

I brought the 'red' with me, clad myself in 'crimson' with a shattering sound, and stepped into the sky to cross the night. An instant later, the ground I had bid farewell to was far below.

I lost count of the impacts; the spoils of war from simply jumping straight up were innumerable... It's just as I thought, but this thing is insane.

I know I'm one to talk, but this is without a doubt the kind of lawless weapon that shouldn't be given to someone like me. However,

"...Seriously? You dodged that?"

I had jumped out without turning off my thought acceleration, so honestly, I couldn't visually process what had happened. But the fact that my main target had escaped my greeting blow and was now fleeing to an even higher altitude was a reality within my sight.

The Stardust Beasts, clad head to toe in starry coordinates, have no eyes, but I can't sense any panic or fear from the one that is quietly looking down on me.

It's a dragon, but its form is different from both Western and Eastern dragons. It has a long tail, but considering its characteristic head with a large beak, 'wyvern' might be the most fitting description.

Its appearance is similar to its smaller—though they're too big to be called that—attendants, but its size, nearly twice as large, truly gives it the feel of a 'boss.' In that case, it wouldn't be strange for it to have some kind of special ability, as befitting a boss monster.

To be honest, I was genuinely surprised. Because, well,

"...Heh, nice."

At least as far as enemies are concerned, it's because this is the first opponent since the Four Pillars to be able to react to my top gear.

I expressed my honest feelings; I was excited. But a sharp pain (numbness) that pricked my right hand was a polite reminder from my partner to 'not make a mistake.'

An opponent with some kind of ability to handle my top gear, excellent.

Then let's go for an even higher limit: overdrive.

"Recall."

Its name is beyond the framework of a 'skill,' the culmination of my weapon-switching skill, Construction.

Under 'Recall,' I summoned a new 'crimson' to my left hand and activated Eyes Oculus and Lumina Raygust. I forced my brain, which was about to overload from controlling my posture and skills during aerial maneuvers, to comply with a brute-force push of double the thought speed.

Furthermore, Floating Leaf, trigger.

My avatar, its shackles of gravity and weight minimized, was sent flying as lightly as a leaf by the intense recoil of the crimson gun. The path to its destination has already been laid.

I planted my feet on the Rabbit Dagger I had kicked out a split second before pulling the trigger and made a sharp turn. I unhesitatingly used 'Matoi,' which superimposes 'outer' force onto 'inner' force to send myself flying, and accelerated further.

Thankfully, aside from the small 'bird' type... or rather, 'rooster' type that runs in the sky, the massive bodies of the 'dragon' types all around are also perfect footholds.

I stepped firmly on the starry skies that appeared to be standing still and accelerated further.

Accelerate, accelerate, accelerate, accelerate, accelerate.

All I need to move are my legs. I leave it to my right golden eye, which defies the flow of time, and just... just keep soaring through the sky.

Time's up, about thirty seconds flat?

"Now then, let's start over."

In the night sky, which had lost all of its sparkle, to one of the two remaining stars... This time, having changed our positions, I threw my words down from 'above.'

High in the sky, with my bare body. In contrast to my white hair on the left, which was thrashing violently in the absurd gust of wind, the white on my right hand, which had been perfectly still, trailed a blade of 'red' that flowed ceaselessly.

Following its evolution to the second tier, my Anima gained a new power in its third tier: 'Alv Call.' Its Ver. 2, Helia, ironically reinforced the 'red circle external armor theory' that Ashe had proposed.

The mysterious substance that overflowed from the jewel glittered with a hard, crystal-like brilliance, swallowing both the [Alv Stella] and my arm whole, fusing them into one. My right arm of red crystal, sprouting a weapon, looked completely inhuman, but it had a kind of over-the-top coolness to it, so all was well.

The flowing 'red' becomes a sword, a spear, a hammer, rampaging with a power and range reminiscent of the tentacles that wreaked havoc in the battle against the 'White Throne.' The result of that is this clean, empty sky.

The cost is zero. However, if I also accept the straightforwardly insane restriction of my avatar's right arm becoming uncontrollable...

This arm becomes the scythe of the Grim Reaper, automatically reaping all who stand in its way.

...Now then, are you ready, Mr. Pteranodon-Dragon?

Unlike the small fry, who at least seemed to show signs of hostility and resistance, this one just stares at me, its intentions and will completely unreadable—

"You have ten seconds. Catch it, Stella."

Unfortunately, that's irrelevant.

This time, I have no intention of giving up a one-sided perfect game.