kscans

Chapter 914 - side: Team A

A flash of gold streaked through the heart of the roaring gale.

Driven by the lion's spirit hidden within, a brilliant golden hero suit soared. With a powerful stomp that shook the very floor, the warrior launched himself into the air and unleashed—

"Dooo-RAAAH!!"

—a dropkick that ascended to the heavens.

His twin legs, in an arc like an uppercut, caught the 'wind's' jaw. And from the armored greaves, a brilliant, intense light erupted, spreading from the point of impact.

It pulsed outwards, across the body of the foe that had taken the full force of this 'finishing kick.'

Counting down: three, two, one.

"Grr—, —————"

Before the 'wind,' whose face had been trampled, could reach for the golden warrior in its rage, the hero—the General Commander—landed smartly with a light clang of his armor. Behind him…

…the enemy, now serving as the backdrop for a hero's triumphant pose, exploded into a shower of fragments.

A kaleidoscopic blast of flame filled the space like something out of a joke. The light, devoid of heat or impact, served no purpose… no, it had admirably fulfilled the crucial role of hyping up the scene.

◇You have defeated the [Jinn, Wind Demon].◇

◇80th Floor cleared.◇
・A reward has been granted—You have obtained [Verdant Gem of Covenant].

◇[Unknown Wedge] [Tizeroshen, Wind Demon] defeated.◇
・A reward has been granted—You have obtained [Wind Demon's Treasured Drop: Magic Gift].

The giant of the tempest dissipated into green light, and in its place came the fanfare of victory.

"Hah, nailed it…"

Goldow's golden armor dissolved into light as he basked in the praise, a look on his face that was half-joking, yet clearly pleased.

His comrades gathered around the mighty hero.

"Well now, looks like you snatched the big one again."

With a look of half amusement and half frustration, Oume-Momori delivered a slap to Goldow's back that was half congratulatory and half cheeky, holding nothing back.

"That was awesome, Commander!"

Ricky, a character who became a bit of a letdown when romance was involved but was fundamentally an upbeat and grounded guy well-liked by his fans, offered his unreserved praise while gathering his body.

"Well, ain't this a breeze."

"Could you please do some work???"

"Even if ya say that, Rec-kun does the work of ten people in the rear guard."

"What are you talking about? You could do the work of a thousand."

"Nah, nah, against a single target, I'm only good for about five, y'know?"

Jin and Record, who held the rear, exchanged words from a slight distance.

General Commander, Heroine, Long Legs, Wolf Pack, Cloud-Hidden—a lineup of truly formidable members. No matter how difficult the Key Tree Maze was, this was clearly overkill.

And among them was one more person.

"Hey, Kanata. You did good too, great work."

"Whoa, ack…!? Th-thank you very much…!"

The one youth participating without a 'name' of his own, yet no one would dare call him out of place.

It wasn't because he was an Arcadia player who had passed the personality assessment, nor was it because he possessed the mentality worthy of being selected by the rankers. No, it was because the boy, who was now happily accepting praise while Goldow ruffled his hair with a hand large enough to crush his head, had continuously proven his strength.

"If I fought Kanata-kun, I think I'd lose."

"I'm not so sure myself. A one-on-one with a generic acrobat would be tough."

The half-joking remarks from the two top-tier rear-guard members, who could likely crush any ordinary elite warrior with their pinkies, were a testament to the reputation Kanata had earned.

"I-I'm learning so much from watching how you two move amidst such fierce support!"

"And he's a super nice kid."

"He's probably emulating his idol, but with his own disposition, he's a perfectly good kid."

Furthermore, his honest and diligent personality and attitude were bound to be viewed favorably by the rankers, who by nature are always 'aiming higher.'

"You've really gotten good, Kanata. Shall we have that rematch soon?"

"No faa fooey fay (No thank you, please). I feef a fittle fore fime (I need a little more time)."

The sight of the boy being affectionately manhandled by both the mighty hero and the heroine had become a daily scene over the past week.

Though their methods differed slightly, was his ability to effortlessly attract the goodwill of others also something he had gained by emulating his 'idol'…? —

"Ricky-kun. A bit late to ask, but are you okay with that? His head seems to be in a happy place."

Setting aside the roughhousing from the burly man, Jin pointed to the boy being embraced by the beautiful woman and directed a purely mischievous question to his junior.

"Huh? Ahh… well, I'm jealous, sure, but…"

Ricky stared calmly at the boy, who was placidly accepting the affection with a strangely composed expression, and after a moment…

"For some reason, I don't get annoyed even when Kanata's popular… I wonder why?"

"Hey, don't ask me, I got no clue."

—he tilted his head, puzzled by the complete absence of jealousy or envy in his own heart.