kscans

Chapter 703 - The Thread-Weaver and the Acrobat

The gem that was the source of that light was the [Rampagelight Tourmaline]. Among the treasures brought back from the dragon’s lair, it was ranked second in quality, excluding the exceptional top-tier unique item.

To be more specific, if one were to overlook the fact that it unleashed a massive demerit upon activating its properties, it was the problem child ranked first in terms of performance potential when processed into equipment.

Reborn and housed within the combat garment for my transformed body, [Sakura Hanaori], its name as a core jewel is [Hellgread Ignis]. The power it holds… ‘Synchronization’ is perhaps the most fitting term.

To put it simply, this jewel, crafted from a stone with the extremely peculiar property of ‘endlessly heating up to a white-hot state while creating identical mana when its excitation is triggered by magical contact,’

“—On behalf of the audience, I’ll ask, just in case.”

Or rather, my body, my avatar, wearing such an item.

“What in the world is that form…?”

“Unfortunately, it doesn’t have a specific form name or anything…”

By forcibly writing the ‘properties’ of the accepted magic into my existence,

“For convenience’s sake—‘Me.ver Black Flame [Thread-Weaver] presents’… maybe?”

“All I understand is that your naming sense has completely malfunctioned.”

I become a half-physical, half-magical demon.

Enveloped in the flames of darkness, I jest with her as I grab a bundle of threads and tear them apart with brute force. I’m touching the black flames, of course, but I take no damage.

On the contrary, I am now one who wields the black flame myself.

Due to a shared demerit, or something along those lines, the name leans towards the [Crimson Red Ruby] that I used back in the Four Pillar War. However, the core concept for the piece itself was inspired by none other than my own Star Magic, `[Lightning Gale]`.

It’s not just clad around my arms and legs; the tips of my tied-up hair now sway, scattering embers of black flame, which is a perfect example of it.

Of course, it’s not a perfect magical body like that one, but…

“Well, the biggest benefit is, as you can see.”

“…………W-Wait a minute, no way, you can’t be serious?”

Haha, nice. Now we’re even.

“—From here on out, black flame won’t work on me.”

Your face has lost its composure too, hasn’t it?

In any case, the ability to completely nullify an enemy’s attribute just by accepting it… there’s no way such a massive cheat could exist without a cost. That’s a self-evident truth.

There’s no hiding it, nor could I even if I tried. Because the moment the jewel revealed its power, a ‘Crown’ began to shine above my head.

The enhancement effect of the special title ‘Acrobat,’ `[Crown Crown]`—its effect is a self-damage stopper that activates when self-inflicted damage during combat reaches ninety percent of my total HP.

“…Don’t tell me.”

Yes, in other words, the fact that this crown is active means…

“Without that crown, you’d self-destruct in a second…?”

“You got it!”

“Will you stop being such a crazy acrobat already?”

I feel like I just heard a pretty intense insult, but anyway.

Thanks to the cost-negation of `[Crown Crown]`, I can ignore the insane price of something like, depending on the properties of the absorbed magic, losing ten percent of my total HP every tenth of a second. I say ignore, but I am in fact having ninety percent of my life stripped away. However, since I don’t invest resources in defensive stats to begin with, my durability is lower than that of a regular player.

It’s rare for me to survive a single hit from the monsters known as rankers, so whether I have a hundred percent health or ten percent, it really makes no difference.

Lately, I’ve heard whispers that ‘When you think about it calmly, the Acrobat’s Crown Crown is kinda mediocre, isn’t it?’ But I want them to think about it calmly.

My power, which can negate the costs of ‘self-damage’—a popular game element that often brings super-powerful merits precisely because it’s a demerit—

…isn’t going to give up its ‘broken’ title that easily.

“Alright… here I come, Nacchan-senpai.”

I toss aside the remnants of the torn threads and take a step forward. As I grasp the details of my stats, altered by the inclusion of the Dark attribute black flame, I take a spirited step forward in my near-death state.

It’s not over, and it won’t be over. Right, senpai? It starts now.

“…………Hmph, you’re really not cute.”

If you ask me, if you can make that kind of face in this situation—

“I’m gonna crush you!!!”

—I think we can get along just fine.

◇◆◇◆◇

—I can’t stand it, I can’t stand it, I really, truly can’t stand it.

This junior of mine, who overcame my fatal black flames with some unknown trick and is now confidently stepping forward… Natsume continued to, as always, toy with him, making him dance left and right, while…

Deep in her heart, for a long, long time… ever since the Four Pillar War the other day where she couldn’t show off a single good thing, that feeling just wouldn’t fade.

Is it because he’s stronger than her, his senior? No.

Is it because his words and actions lack cuteness? No.

Is it because his direct gaze feels like it’s seeing right through her? Because everyone talks about him as if they’re under a spell? Because he seems like an existence blessed by the world itself? No, all of it is wrong. Everything is wrong.

First of all, her feelings were directed at the wrong target. More than that, Natsume couldn’t stand the current situation.

Because, for just over eight months.

Because, for just over eight months since she became a ranker.

Because, for just over eight months, she had been secretly waiting.

The former newcomer ranker, [Thread-Weaver] Natsume, had wanted…

“C’mon, what’s wrong?! Get over here, Acrobat!”

“Are you playing a different character now?! Whoa, that was close—gah!”

…to show her ‘junior,’ the one who would come here next,

—in other words, this guy and no one else,

…how cool she could be.

At first, she thought being a ranker was the worst.

She was praised as a genius and all that nonsense, given a name by the world (the system) without her consent, and she thought, do I have to be in the public eye here, too?

But everyone was so kind. They were happy for her. They welcomed her.

She was always blunt and couldn’t be honest, both in the real world and the virtual one, but they bothered her and bothered her and took care of her, and it made her happy.

She was blessed with so many seniors, regardless of faction boundaries.

So she decided that she, too, would give back the same thing to her junior, whether it was at home or elsewhere.

She was all fired up to play the part of a fine, cool senior, but—

“Losing my first match so badly… doesn’t look cool at all, damn it!!!”

“What are you even say—whoa-hey!”

So this was her lashing out.

To a pitiful junior who wasn’t blessed with a certain senior, from a certain senior who couldn’t back down out of frustration, helplessness, and embarrassment.

It was an incredibly dishonest, hopelessly clumsy, form of affection.