kscans

Chapter 652 - The Acrobat Recovers

"—And what's this?"

"Eh? Supplying the demand?"

"Are you nuts?"

"Of course the audience is going nuts!"

"So loud... your voice..."

After overusing my external output and ending up with a limp avatar, I was carried back by my kouhai. A mere twenty minutes into the event, I was already making a temporary return to the Eastern base, Ruvalest.

Waiting for me as I collapsed onto the giant, mysterious-material cushion that I'd used before was a pincer attack from the two creators, just as I expected.

One little red idiot was making a racket, repeatedly poking my right cheek with a muninininini sound, while one little blue one endlessly poked my left cheek with a funinininini.

I know the latter is, as usual, a genuine gesture of appreciation, so I don't really mind—actually, no, I do mind. Even if they're just girls close to my age, and even if one is teasing and the other is showing concern, getting this close on a national broadcast is a big no-no.

"Sen."

"Hwaaah!?"

So, let's restrain and release.

If my body won't move, I'll just move something other than my body. I activate [Nine Tail]. Shadow threads burst from the bracelet on my right wrist, instantly wrapping up the two little ones, and I toss them over to their guardian.

The red one lets out a rather unladylike scream, while the blue one, completely docile, flies through the air. Both of them land in the arms of a stalwart man, arms that look thick enough to match their entire bodies.

"What's this? You're perfectly fine, aren't you?"

"Perfectly fine. Just a little bug in my control system, it'll be back to normal soon."

"I don't really get what you're saying, but if there's no problem, there's no problem."

I wave my right hand, also controlled by shadow threads—well, I can't manage a delicate wave, so I just flap it around—in response to the voice of their guardian, their father, Goldow-san.

With the little threats dealt with, my priority is a swift and thorough recovery.

I should get my controls back after about ten minutes of rest, and this level of exhaustion shouldn't have any lasting effects. As a matter of fact, there's no problem.

"Well, anyway, you two did great. In terms of threat level in a one-on-one PvP fight, Oume is one of the top five powerhouses in the North-South alliance. This is a major victory, a huge one."

"You hear that, Kanata-kun? Be proud."

"Ah... um, well..."

Receiving praise from the [General Commander], I once again flatter Kanata, who is sitting primly on a different-colored giant cushion next to me. The boy responds with a mix of confusion and embarrassment.

What's with that face? No matter what anyone says, a good chunk—one part, two parts, maybe three or four, let's be generous and say half—of that victory belongs to you, Kanata. Accept it and grow, you rising star.

—And just around that time.

"Alright... let's get down to business."

"A'ight."

"Y-yes, sir...!"

Around us is the defense squad, waiting while maintaining a perfect balance of tension and relaxation to conserve their stamina. At the core of that defense are the two 'Eastern Wings'—and in addition...

"...Being on the defense team is boring, isn't it? Not that I want to be out on the battlefield or anything."

...is the [Undying], gazing at the sky with a face completely devoid of tension.

"Fufu... Saying that, I think you're starting to fit in with the Eastern Faction, Tetra-kun."

...and next to him, the [Heat Gaze] gently teases her self-proclaimed kouhai #1.

Stationing five rankers here is Istia's most defensive posture ever. Well, it can't be helped; for various reasons, it's the natural formation for this time.

"Irori and Genkotsu are in a similar situation, though not as blatant as with you, Haru. Tiger came to mess with both of them and then left. After that, regular troops started gathering."

"Haha, they're making it so obvious they're probing us."

"It's more or less going as expected."

That damned Tiger... he managed to survive against both Irori and Gen-san, huh? Setting that thought aside, the reaction of Mi-na and Ri-na, dangling from Goldow-san's hands like scruffed kittens, was likely the consensus of us all.

They're probing, biding their time.

As expected, as predicted, as anticipated... this time, just like last time, but with even more conviction—the North-South alliance will undoubtedly aim to capture the Eastern wartime base.

In fact, with all due respect...

"Well, it's their only option. With senpai here, the pillar race is already a lost cause for them."

"Haru-kun is a magnificent game-breaker, after all."

As Tetra and Hina-san said.

Because I, the [Acrobat], am just too compatible with the general game rules of the Four Pillar War, if the North and South want to win, their only option is 'base capture.' With a new star like Kanata joining our ranks, there's not a chance in ten thousand that their assumption will be wrong.

So, in other words, our victory condition is...

"So... Haru, what do you think?"

"Well, it's impossible."

We either face the North-South alliance's full-force assault—an estimated force of over ten rankers and a several-hundred-strong over-raid—head-on and defend our base...

...or we launch a counter-attack and seize their flag. Goldow-san's question was about the latter, and my instant 'no' was my assessment of its feasibility.

In other words, could I, by myself, rush one of their bases the moment the North and South launch their all-out attack and score a lightning-fast touchdown?

Yeah, no way, that's impossible.

"First, the South is a no-go, as you know. I can't get past the [Castle Lord] alone."

It's not a matter of compatibility; I simply don't have the resources.

Even the great [Sword Queen] couldn't break through her in a one-on-one. If I go alone, I can already see a future where I'm stumped by a lack of absolute firepower. Even if I were to unleash [Lightning Gale], it's highly doubtful I could break through her defenses in thirty seconds.

...Not that I ever want to use a full-duration [Lightning Gale] again. A month-long skill seal is no joke.

"If Irori, Gen-san, or Hina-san were with me, we might manage, but..."

Goldow-san shook his head. The answer was no.

Well, yeah. We're already outnumbered and our counter-forces are stretched thin. Considering Iris will almost certainly be leading the main attack, we can't afford to lose a single one of our key defensive players. Especially since all three of them have specific opponents they need to handle.

We could take a gamble and throw all our forces at one of their camps... but we already decided against that in our pre-op meeting.

A quick, all-or-nothing race would be exciting in its own way—but we are Istians. If the enemy desires an all-out war, avoiding a head-on clash is out of the question.

That's just how it is, right?

Anyway, the South is impossible due to being unable to get past the [Castle Lord].

"The North is tough, too. Tiger Lucky will be defending it, ten to one."

It's not that he was off my radar, but I was honestly shocked by his power-up this time. It's hard to believe it's just from one evolved Anima, so it's safer to assume he's had a dramatic power spike from stacking various other things.

In other words, he's a wild card right now. Plus, since he himself said that 'co-op is impossible right now,' it's likely he won't be participating in the main assault.

Almost certainly, he's been tasked with guarding the North's home base.

And if that's the case...

"He can keep up with my speed in a small area, so if I get caught by [Engage], I probably... no, I definitely won't be allowed to [Break]. If he then stalls for time with his insane durability, it's game over for me."

And it wouldn't be hard for him to catch me with [Engage]. He has a short-burst thought acceleration skill, so I should assume he won't just let me fly by.

On top of that, even if I manage to get past Tiger Lucky, there's the main boss fight... which means, as expected, the North's former ranker, the [Dog Whistle], will be waiting.

And if, as I predict, the current second-rank, the [Wolf Pack], is also participating...

"Yeah, it's impossible. I'm not saying I can't break through, but it would definitely take too long."

And if a quick counter isn't possible, then even the mighty Eastern Faction would inevitably be overwhelmed by the sheer difference in numbers—and so, the conclusion.

"Which means... our only option is an all-out war, isn't it? That's what I think, anyway. What about you?"

"Yeah, that's about right."

Was it a wry smile, or could you call it one of amusement?

The General Commander nodded gravely, stroking his bearded chin. And I, with a completely serious expression, continued to speak while buried in my cushion. As our exchange came to a close—

"...Um, is it okay for me to be here, in the circle of rankers?"

"You're basically a reservist. No one minds."

"Huh? Re... huh!?"

A brief exchange where my kouhai #2 (Kanata), who had been watching breathlessly from the side, murmured a question, and my kouhai #1 (Tetra) gave a casual reply... The scene, playing out in the corner of my eye, was strangely peaceful and, in a good way, helped me relax.