kscans

Chapter 740 - Confusion Encounter

—Six and a half months. Compared to the veteran pioneers, my history here is still very, very shallow. But even so, it's a period of time that I can say I've been immersed in this virtual world for quite a while.

From the day I first dove into Arcadia until now, there have been three beings that have made me tremble.

Not with surprise, fear, awe, or tension... not with feelings that, while unknown, were still within the realm of imagination. Not something that would line up with many others if I were to look back.

Truly, in various senses, there have been three exceptional encounters that have shaken me to the very core of my soul.

One was the [Tsarkalv of the White Throne]—the misshapen white dragon that no longer exists in this world, which once made me fight with all my might and, in a way, was the very catalyst that led me here.

One was the [Sword Saint]—with an overwhelming presence that seeped from her serene form, she continued to toy with my heart for some time after we met, and to this day, she is my precious master.

One was the [Sword Queen]—that day, the moment we met. The sensation of my instincts and reason simultaneously screaming 'kneel' is something I will never forget, now or ever. My princess.

Each of these was an encounter that contained a major element in shaping who I am today, a vivid memory that will never fade, no matter how much time passes, even without the 'gift' I harbor.

And now, a sensation close to that has come, for what is likely the fourth time.

Short legs, long arms. Its form was somewhat comical, and for that very reason, it held an indescribable strangeness and eeriness. The moment I laid eyes on the lump of rock... an incredible something shot through my entire body.

Leaving behind a moment of question and confusion, a violently bad premonition seized my mind.

"—[Eyes Oculus]!"

I cast aside all useless thoughts, unable to instantly come up with an answer to the mystery, and threw one of my best trump cards onto the field without hesitation.

Both golden and silver eyes opened, thought acceleration at three times magnification.

Whether I'm going for the kill or just trying to survive, the permissible activation time is a mere twenty seconds flat to leave a minimum of MP as a safety net. That means I don't have a single second to waste.

My mind and body were naturally at their limits. The countless lines of attack prediction that had filled my vision from the moment I activated the skill due to the tracking bullets were 'memorized', and I shifted from defense to offense, or rather, resistance.

Activate [Desperate Crimson], calculate a route, set a trajectory, select the jewel bullets that will be obstacles. Furthermore, deploy [Ouka Ryoran (Chaos Bloom)], and execute the stage excitation of the Sakura Sword with 'Leading Charge'.

Alright, no brakes.

"[Rocket]!"

I have no clue what it's planning to do, but following this intensely bad feeling, the optimal solution is to not let it do anything. Having made that judgment, my body shot out, breaking the sound barrier as it soared through the sky. The 'Sakura,' which had grown in power by consuming the petals and transformed from a straight sword to a longsword, forcibly carved a path.

And so, a little over a second has passed since my decision. I arrived behind the lump of rock—the 'something' that seemed to be a replica of the [Chosen Stone Doll]. What I swung was not my bare hands.

Hey, rock bastard, did you know? In the virtual world, generally speaking,

"A sword is stronger than a kick!"

...even against a pebble.

My thoughts aside, my speed was such that it likely didn't allow for any of the other three on stage, let alone the audience, to follow my movements. At the end of my genuine full-speed sprint, the blade I swung without hesitation or mercy...

...conveyed a slight sense of resistance to my hand and bisected the stone doll with anticlimactic ease.

"—...Huh?"

If that's the case, then of course what comes next is a massive sense of wrongness.

The sensation of cutting it was undoubtedly that of magic, different from a normal 'enemy.' There's no way I'd mistake the feeling of the magic-devouring sacred sakura tearing through its meal.

If that's the case, then what is this?

It scattered an impactful presence on par with the most shocking in my history the moment it appeared, only to be cut down without resistance before it could even move. What is this thing?

The one who drew this phenomenon was none other than the renowned 'Eastern Wings'... if so, then.

There's no way nothing more will happen.

That was the moment I thought of the obvious.

The remnants of the doll, which seemed to have been destroyed in a single blow, flickered and writhed as light. Blue light raced through the air, the effect that occurs when an enemy's life is extinguished, dancing.

And so, I watched for about three seconds with my accelerated thought speed.

It wasn't that I was just dumbfounded. I had no choice but to watch from the sidelines as I was pursued by the onslaught of raining bullets that had resumed their assault after a brief pause. After those long, long few seconds.

"—Ngh, what?!"

"—Ehh...?!"

From a distance, Haru and Hinayo, who couldn't help but let out cries of astonishment, were likely representatives for the entire world. In a turn of events that was utterly unpredictable, the abnormality manifested along with a sandstorm.

The dispersed light gathered, and what appeared next was a 'great serpent'—this, too, was an unforgettable, towering giant, the form of my former nemesis, the [Dusty Worm, Great Serpent of Dust].

I don't understand. It makes no sense. And the transformation that has begun will not stop.

Its form was there for only a few seconds. The giant that scattered sand dissipated back into light, and what appeared next was... ah, this too is a nostalgic sight. A giant suit of hollow armor.

The form of [Angalta, God-Wedge Sword-King], which Sora and I encountered when we were far too powerless.

It scattered again, vanished... and as a swarm of ruby creatures and the lord of the sacred peak followed, I finally managed to make a prediction. I vaguely sensed where this was heading, and the blood drained from my face.

It wasn't a phantom; it had a physical form, something I had confirmed from the initial stone doll. If that's the case, what's being drawn here isn't just a screening of my memories, but a recreation with physical form and properties, just like that Sala-whatever thing.

—This is bad, this is bad, this is bad, THIS IS BAD!

Wait a minute, that's beyond the level of 'cheating'!

I can only imagine one thing.

What is terrifying in this moment is only one thing.

And therefore,

"Hinayo-san!"

"Don't you dare fail to catch this, you hear me?!"

I don't have an inch of mental leeway.

Responding instantly to my desperate cry, I caught the sun-like crimson flames that were delivered to me with my 'Sakura.'

Devouring the immense heat, the 'sword' released a dazzling light that burned the eyes. It unleashed its petals, and the longsword that swallowed them again transformed into a greatsword—further accelerating the magnification to five times.

And so, with no other choice but to end it here, praying that it would end.

Ignoring the nightmare, I ran to the end.

"—.................. Let me say this. You've got to be kidding me, you absolute bastards."

What answered my words were a full-blown smug face, a truly weary and tired face, and.

An immense killing intent I never wanted to face again, scattered by the 'shadow' that blocked the sacred sakura from reaching the throats of its creators, its power held in check by a claw that seemed to pinch it with some as-yet-unknown authority.

And so, in the next moment.

"—!"

A jet-black flash cannon, overflowing with an inhuman scream, filled my vision with a vivid darkness.

---

Well hello there, long time no see. Go to hell.

There's no way such a ridiculous magic that can create a transcendent raid-class abnormal enemy exists, right? There will of course be an explanation after the match, but to those who can correctly guess the various mechanisms before then, I dub you a special-grade Arcadian. I'll be in your care.