kscans

Chapter 589 - The Acrobat's Explanation: Part 1

"—Whoa, whoa, whoa...! Hey, you're really unsteady. Are you okay?"

"I told you I'm not okay..."

I let them drag me along, and though I managed to make it to the teleport destination, the moment we arrived at the familiar 'Training Room,' my body swayed and I plopped down onto my butt.

Mi-na, her eyes wide with surprise, asked her question, and I replied with a tired voice. Just as I was about to fall backward, two hands caught my shoulders.

The hands were slightly different sizes. It must have been Tetra and Ri-na supporting me.

"It's been a while since you've been this beat up, hasn't it? What did you do, senpai?"

"Ah, well... I did something a little reckless and beyond my means."

My head lolled back, and the two faces that appeared in my vision were, as expected, upside down. One of them, the black-clad one, glanced at the other as if to ask, "What does he mean?"—

"He was using Arts."

"He uses them all the time, doesn't he?"

"Not [Kesshiki Ittoryu]."

"—...Ah, right. Well, it's you, senpai, so..."

Originally, I had no intention of using it this time.

In other words, I'd expected its 'debut' to be much further in the future, so the only ones who knew about it were my master, who helped me with secret training at the dojo, and my partner.

It's no wonder they're surprised, but I find the way they came to terms with it deeply unsatisfactory.

"Wow, even Mi-na-chan is super surprised. What a reveal. When did this happen?"

"If you're asking when I acquired it, it was at the end of last month."

"So, two or three weeks ago, huh?"

The concept for the technique itself... or rather, its implementation using skills and so on, had been completed around the time of the Starry Paradise event. Then, just as I'd managed to master the 'technique' to make it work without skills, the system granted me the Arts certification.

"Well then, I'd like to ask you about it right away, but..."

"This comes first."

"Well, you don't have to worry about me—"

"Yeah, yeah. Come on, mister, bring it out!"

"I'm not asking you to be gentle, but could you show a tenth of a tenth of a tenth of a tenth of the consideration your partner (Ri-na) does... No, never mind. My mistake."

"Hey, don't you think retracting your statement like that is a little too hurtful? What's your deal? You want me to be so nice it's creepy...?"

Go ahead and try. I'll recognize it as teasing and deal with you accordingly—anyway, let's set aside the noisy ball of energy who seems to be more hyper than usual.

Even if I were to give the 'explanation' they requested, Tetra, who had been fighting Hina-san at a different venue, wouldn't have a clue what was going on. So, for now, we'll start with a viewing party of the recorded footage... or rather, I'll just answer their questions while we watch it.

I summoned the system window and opened the management screen, which is an exclusive addition to the Eastern Faction's wartime base, [Ruvalest, the Subterranean Castle of Otherworldly Layers]. Using the authority of a 'Ranker' from that faction, I dove deep into the settings—ah, there it is, self-approval.

I tapped the play button, and a large screen materialized in the air. On it stood the figures of me and Irori from just a moment ago.

It's not usable everywhere, but this video viewing function can be used here in the 'Castle's' training room, at the Round Table we were just at, or in a Clan Room with the feature unlocked.

Of course, it's in an unedited state, but since the system's operator can intuitively adjust things like the camera angle and playback speed in real-time with thought commands, readability isn't an issue.

"Whoa, the number of spectators is insane."

"Yours was pretty insane too, wasn't it?"

"Well... all the guys there for Hinayo-san, you know."

So says the young ranker who apparently has a lot of female fans.

Well, popularity aside. Battles involving Tetra are generally quiet, so they're not very compatible with the 'spectacle' aspect of the Four Pillar War. It can't be helped.

"Alright, I'll just let it play, so if you have any questions, just ask—"

"Yes!"

"That was fast. What is it?"

The moment I started taking questions, a single hand shot up energetically.

"This Z-BOOM thing. I didn't see a skill effect, but what was that?"

"Ah, that... Well, that's probably the core of the Arts you guys are most curious about, actually."

Mi-na's question was about the 'stomp' I did at the start to get my adrenaline pumping. The scale of the phenomenon wasn't that big, but if you notice the lack of light effects that occur when a skill is used, it's certainly an anomaly.

As expected of a ranker, she's sharp about where to look.

"Alright then... Tetra, Ri-na. I'm fine now, so you can step back a bit."

"Okay."

"What's a 'Tetrina'?"

I sat cross-legged to stabilize my posture and thanked the two who had been supporting me, asking them to move away. Then, using the training room's function, I summoned a small wall right next to me—

"Cover your ears, don't be surprised."

I placed my right hand against it and gave a word of warning to the three who were watching me with interest.

Alright... that should do it.

"—Whoa!"

"Eek!"

"Tch..."

A roar and destruction from a complete standstill. Seeing my magic trick of blowing away the wall without moving an inch from where my hand was placed, the younger ones all jumped.

"Well, as you can see—"

"No, I can't see, I don't get it! That's why I'm asking for an explanation!"

"Try harder, senpai. You'll only get stronger by thinking for yourself."

"This isn't school!!!"

By the way, this is a technique similar to, yet different from, Kesshiki's 《Shinden Kai》.

Compared to that one, which generates destructive force by transmitting [Shukuchi] or equivalent output to a target in contact, what I did was much simpler: I just slammed 'force' into it.

Of course, I can't use [Shukuchi] except by artificially creating it with skills. So, the fundamental technique is different from the start.

However, as for the type of 'force' I'm using—...ah, it seems my other senpai has brilliantly figured out the answer on her own. Good girl.

"'Outer Force'?"

"Correct. It's not the 'layering Outer onto Inner' that's the basis of Kesshiki Ittoryu. This is a technique that plays tricks by using 'Outer Force separated from the body (Inner Force).'"

"...Wait, you can do that?"

As if using the vague and difficult concepts of 'Inner' and 'Outer' wasn't enough, trying to imagine separating them further is probably hard.

Tetra, with a face that plainly said "This makes no sense," retorted, and I gave a nod.

"You can. In fact, Ui-san did it before I did."

"Seriously? As expected of Ui-chan. That's insane."

He's referring to the secret art of Kesshiki, the final strike, 《Yuikaze》.

The core of that technique, which saves the power of a previously unleashed move to form a deadly follow-up, lies in 'rotation'—spinning one's body and weapon with god-like footwork...

Well, there's a limit to explaining a principle based on an incomprehensible concept with words.

In that case—

"Ri-na, I need your help."

"...? Okay."

I beckoned her over, and though she tilted her head, she must have understood what I needed. Ri-na obediently approached and placed both hands gently on my head.

And then,

"—《Anhelmia》."

Without needing an incantation, one of the only two star magics in this virtual world activated.