kscans

Chapter 358 - Interlude: The Caring Demon Lord

In the battles from the top 8 onward, they could watch the other clans' fights.

A space was prepared where many players could gather and watch on monitors, much like a public viewing.

The remaining clans were "Blackjack," "Circus," "The Samurai," "Dragon Soul," "Undead," "Black Rose," "Nightmare," and "Ambrosia."

Though the members of Ambrosia were strong, every clan that had made it this far was strong. Lunaria decided they couldn't be complacent and would watch the matches with everyone else.

There was still some time before the first-round match between "Blackjack" and "Circus" began. As Lunaria was pondering whether they should watch while eating popcorn, a man approached them.

"Are you Lunaria Freire?"

Lunaria didn't answer and hid behind Grant, who was next to her. Xenobia, meanwhile, ran away.

Grant stepped in front of Ivan to protect Lunaria.

"And who are you?"

"Ah, my apologies. I'm Ivan Forcaro, the leader of the clan 'Blackjack'."

"Ivan... the world champ of Virtual Gladiator. I'm Grant Becker. Do you need something from our leader?"

"Grant Becker, the one who won the world fencing tournament?"

"That's me. So, are you going to answer my question about what you want?"

"Sorry for approaching you so suddenly. I heard you're equipped with a sword that has similar performance to the one I have, so I thought I'd just say hello. I apologize if I frightened you."

Ivan said this and bowed his head to Grant and Lunaria, who was behind him.

His attitude, and the fact that he had a sword with similar performance, made Lunaria lower her guard just a little. She looked at the sword hanging at Ivan's waist.

It was a sword named Excalibur, capable of attacks that ignored defense. It certainly had similar performance to the Arondight that Lunaria possessed.

That alone sparked a slight sense of kinship in Lunaria, and feeling that she couldn't lose as a clan leader, she stepped out in front of Grant. She then took off her helm and looked at Ivan.

"I, I am the leader of the clan 'Ambrosia,' Lunaria Freire. If we end up fighting, I won't hold back, so be prepared."

Lunaria did her best. She did her best to act like a leader. It was enough to surprise even Grant and the others.

But the one who was even more surprised was Ivan.

"Ah, ah, r, right. Your name was Lu, Lunaria. If we fight, let's have a good match..."

Ivan said only that, and then, while glancing back at Lunaria repeatedly, he walked away with unsteady steps.

Then, Lunaria let out a huge breath.

"W, was I okay as a leader? What would you score me?"

"Close to a perfect score. But why did you take off your helm?"

"I thought it was the polite thing to do. Would it have been better to remain a mysterious leader with it on?"

"No, you're fine without being a mysterious leader. But, we might have just made a mistake..."

She didn't understand what he meant by that, but Lunaria was satisfied that she had been able to act like a leader.

Every clan that remained in the top 8 was strong.

There were specialized types, balanced types, clans strong in coordination, and clans that fought with tricky tactics. And what all of them had in common was that they were strong.

The first clan Lunaria and her team fought was "Nightmare," a defense-oriented clan led by a man named Gil. All of them were huge and wore black armor, boasting considerable defensive power. They were a rather eccentric clan that used absolutely no magic.

According to Grant's information, Gil and the others were said to be bodyguards like the Secret Service, though there were also rumors that they were members of a certain organization's private army, and that they had been seen during riot control in the real world.

However, regardless of what was said about them in reality, in the virtual world, they were just players.

Their strategy was to defend their clan's Clan Stone within their fortress using their defensive power while annihilating the opponent, but that was meaningless before Lunaria's sword, Arondight, which could deliver attacks that ignored defense.

It could be said that they were a good matchup for Lunaria's team. Even in such a situation, Gil didn't hold a grudge, but instead smiled and said, "We lost!" graciously admitting defeat.

"Lunaria-dono, was it? Your weapon is impressive, but your coordination with your members is also wonderful. We learned a great deal. If there's a next time, we won't lose, so be prepared!"

Xenobia immediately fled from the over-two-meter-tall Gil, but Lunaria, pleased that her team had been praised, faced him directly.

"You were strong too. But we won't lose next time either, so be prepared. We'll beat you to a pulp."

At those words, Gil burst out laughing and said, "It was a fun battle!" before leaving.

And in the battle between the top 4, they faced "Black Rose," a clan of beautiful women. The leader was Rosalie Quentis, a woman in a gothic lolita dress who wielded a giant scythe. All the other members also wore gothic lolita dresses.

There was talk that all the test players were exceptional in some way, but no one knew anything about Rosalie. Even the well-informed Grant said he didn't know. Only Xenobia kept saying she had heard the name somewhere, but in the end, she couldn't remember.

The coordination of Rosalie and her team was tremendous. They fought with ever-changing tactics using code words based on the names of roses. They were never alone, always taking down one opponent as a group.

However, the leader, Rosalie, was strong even on her own, and the sight of her charging in with a tone that made it seem like her personality had changed was scary even for Lunaria.

But this time, and this time only, "Ambrosia" could fight at its full potential.

The clan "Black Rose" was composed entirely of women, so Xenobia's fear of men didn't activate, and she was in an invincible state.

It was as if her claim of hating player-versus-player combat was a lie, as Xenobia launched attacks on the members of Black Rose. On top of that, with her coordination with Lunaria, the two of them were stronger than usual.

Black Rose, strong as a group, became instantly weak when even one member was missing. One by one, they were defeated by the coordinated attacks of Lunaria and Xenobia, and in the end, Rosalie was also defeated.

For some reason, Rosalie had a rapturous expression on her face at the end.

After the battle, Rosalie and her team came to their waiting room. Their eyes were bloodshot, so Lunaria hid behind Xenobia.

"My name is Rosalie Quentis! Lunaria-sama! You are magnificent!"

"Ah, thank you. B, but, please don't come any closer. I might cut you with my Arondight."

"Being cut by you, Lunaria-sama, is not an unpleasant thought, but more importantly than that!"

"Eek!"

"By all means! We would like you to wear! The clothes we made! In other words, please allow us to take your measurements!"

Lunaria was frightened by Rosalie's intensity and pushed Xenobia forward.

"W, we're in the middle of the Clan War right now, so, h, how about some other time..."

"I understand! We shall visit your headquarters at a later date!"

Rosalie said this, gave a polite bow, and then left.

After she was out of sight, Lunaria let out a breath.

"That was incredibly scary."

"I know, right? But I don't think it's okay to use me as a shield."

"I thought it would be fine since the opponent was a woman."

"It's better than a man, but that was a bit scary regardless of gender. Still, making clothes? What was it, it's on the tip of my tongue..."

Xenobia crossed her arms and pondered, but in the end, she couldn't remember anything.

And then, the final match.

Their opponent was the clan "Blackjack," led by Ivan, who had come to greet them.

Watching their battles so far, it was clear they were strong. And they were well-balanced.

However, the biggest problem was Esha Crown, who had the moniker "Goddess of Annihilation." It was the magic that person used.

The wide-range, high-firepower magic "Destroy" was a one-hit kill. It wasn't an instant-death attack, but rather magic that dealt massive damage. Even Lunaria and Amanda estimated that they couldn't withstand it.

However, it had a long cool down time, and once cast, it couldn't be used for a while. It also had the weakness of hitting allies.

For that reason, positioning was crucial. Even if they were defeated, if they could take down more opponents in the process, they would have the advantage.

Being forced to fight a certain way was a disadvantage in itself, but the members of Ambrosia were also strong solo players. They formulated a strategy to avoid bunching up as much as possible and engage in one-on-one battles.

And then, the match began.

Just as Lunaria was steeling herself with the thought, "We will absolutely win," Ivan pointed the tip of his sword at her.

"Lunaria Freire! I challenge you to a one-on-one duel!"

At those words, everyone stopped.

Normally, Lunaria would not have accepted. But her excitement rose at the proposal from Ivan, who possessed a sword with performance similar to her own.

"Hmph, interesting. I accept your challenge!"

The crowd went wild, but only Amanda was calm.

"Don't. If you lose, everyone's morale will drop. Are you absolutely sure you can win?"

"There are times when a woman has to fight, even if she knows she'll lose...!"

"Didn't you say that was a line from some game? Well, fine. Then at least leave Ivan in a near-death state. I don't want to do any more work than necessary, but if you lose, I'll defeat Ivan immediately."

Lunaria nodded at those words and approached Ivan, who was near the center of the battlefield.

"I'll hear your last words."

Lunaria said this with a smug face. This was also a line she had heard in some game.

"This time, we're winning as a clan."

"Huh?"

Ivan charged at Lunaria. Lunaria blocked it with her sword, and they were locked in a stalemate.

Immediately after, a giant magic circle unfolded in the sky, layered upon another.

By the time Lunaria realized it was Destroy, it was too late. The wide-range, high-firepower magic "Destroy" was fired toward them. There was no escaping in this state.

"My bad. Let's have a real match some other time. There's something I want to ask you, too!"

The moment Ivan smiled shyly, the surroundings were enveloped in light.

Lunaria has no memory of what happened after that. When she came to, she was sleeping in her room at the headquarters.

After remembering that she had been defeated by Destroy, she sent a voice chat to Xenobia to find out where everyone was. She was told they were in the hall.

They had probably lost. Xenobia's voice sounded like she was on the verge of tears.

When she went to the hall where everyone was gathered, the heavy atmosphere made Lunaria flinch slightly.

Everyone was sitting at the table, looking down, but Amanda alone was standing, looking out the window.

"Um, the Clan War—"

"We lost."

Amanda answered, turning to face Lunaria.

"I, I see... I'm sorry. It's because I lost."

"You did your job properly. It's their fault we lost, so you don't need to worry about it."

"...Huh?"

For a moment, Lunaria couldn't understand Amanda's words. But gradually, she began to.

"W, what are you saying? It's not everyone's fault. It's because I got caught up in Ivan's one-on-one duel and got hit by Destroy—"

"You took Ivan down with you, and you bought time for Destroy's cool down. You did more than what was required of you. But the disappointing ones are over here. They seemed to have gotten flustered and couldn't perform as usual. Aren't they idiots for getting flustered over a mere game? Utterly useless."

Lunaria was speechless. Amanda's words were like the ones that had been said to her back at the research institute.

"Thanks to that, our plan was thrown off too. If we don't win, our audience time with the administrator gets shorter. I wonder why humans always have to drag others down. I complained earlier, but it wasn't enough. Truly useless—"

"Amanda!"

Lunaria lunged forward. And she slashed at Amanda with Arondight.

It was incredibly fast, but Amanda blocked the slash with the sword she was holding as if it were nothing.

Lunaria was putting her strength into pushing with her sword, but Amanda didn't seem to be exerting herself, nor was she flustered. She hadn't even taken a stance, just wearing a look of annoyance.

"What?"

"Apologize to everyone! Say you're sorry for saying such terrible things!"

"I have no reason to apologize. And I only stated the facts. I could offer an apology without any feeling behind it, but would that have any meaning?"

"Even so!"

"We're not children, so I'm not going to praise the process. The result is all that matters."

"That's not true! We may not have gotten the result of winning, but there is a result from all the hard work we put in!"

"The result of hard work, you say?"

Amanda said this, then snorted, and brought her face close to Lunaria's over their crossed swords, whispering.

"Are you saying that to yourself?"

"Huh...?"

"You worked hard at the research institute but didn't get results. Are you saying, 'But please praise me'?"

"No! I'm not saying that, and I'm not thinking that! I'm saying that even if you don't get the result you wanted, there's no reason to belittle it!"

"You're quite emotional. Did you really receive the same education as me? For what we were supposed to do, if we failed, that was the end of it, wasn't it? That's why we were always told to produce the best results in everything. Ah, so that's why you're a failure, even for a Genetically Enhanced Human. I finally understand."

The look in Amanda's eyes then was the same as her handler's. A disgusting look, as if seeing something worthless.

Remembering those days, Lunaria flinched for a moment, but she put strength in her eyes and glared back.

"If you're not going to apologize, then get out of the clan! Someone who belittles their comrades is no comrade!"

"Oh? Well, fine. I've achieved my minimum objective, and I don't need the clan anymore. Out of consideration for our shared hometown, I was thinking of taking you with me, but—"

"Absolutely not!"

"I thought so. But I'll give you some time, so you should cool your head and think about it. We are not the same as humans. You should understand that being with mere humans will only cause you trouble."

"I don't care about trouble. If I'm with everyone, we can share our joy. You may not have trouble, Amanda, but you'll be all alone forever, unable to share happiness or fun. I don't think there's any meaning in a life like that."

Those words seemed to strike a nerve with Amanda, as she glared at Lunaria.

"A person is always alone. Being together just means you're physically close. Some people talk nonsense about hearts connecting, but that's just an illusion. That misunderstanding is what makes the heart weak. Besides, we lost the final match because you did something unnecessary, didn't we?"

"I, it's true that the one-on-one duel—"

"No. We lost the final match because you got friendly with everyone. Normally, we should have won without doing anything just by gathering these members. If you hadn't done anything unnecessary, if you hadn't gotten friendly with everyone, they would have fought dispassionately without being bothered even if you lost the one-on-one duel. I don't know about Xenobia, though."

"T, that's not—"

"Can you say for sure that it's not? But looking at the result, it's plain to see. You got friendly with the members I scouted and deliberately made them weaker."

"I, I—"

"And you're weak too. You couldn't produce results in reality either because you held on to pointless emotions like fun and affection. I'll teach you. 'Overclock.'"

Amanda's unique skill, "Overclock," activated. It was not a weapon's performance, but an enhancement skill that Amanda could use personally.

Lunaria reacted to it and activated Arondight's weapon skill, "Black Swan."

It had a restriction that it would only activate against a formidable enemy, so she hadn't used it in player-versus-player combat, but now that Amanda had used "Overclock," she thought she could, and used it. As a result, it activated.

From there, a super-high-speed battle began that Xenobia and the others couldn't follow with their eyes.

Both Overclock and Black Swan mainly improved stats, but that was a secondary effect. The true essence of these skills was the removal of limiters.

In virtual reality, there was only the temporary body of an avatar. Since a real body didn't exist, it was a world where thinking power was everything. Attacking, receiving an attack, every single action was linked to the nerves. In other words, the faster one's thought speed and reflexes, the faster one could move.

Of course, there were limits in the game system, and no matter how fast one's thought speed was, it would only be about the same as in reality. But the skills the two of them used removed those limiters.

As Genetically Enhanced Humans, the two of them had their thought speed and reflexes trained through improved dynamic visual acuity, high-speed calculation training, and even medication. They could intentionally enter a state like an athlete's zone.

And so, the two of them repeated attacks and defenses with movements that would be impossible in reality.

Xenobia and the others couldn't even follow them with their eyes. All they could hear was the continuous sound of swords clashing.

Their skills were evenly matched. The offense and defense, where they read many moves ahead like in a game of shogi, continued, but they still had plenty of leeway.

"This is the first time we've fought, but you're not half bad. You should be proud, you're on the same level as me."

Lunaria said nothing and glared at Amanda.

(This is bad... Arondight's durability...!)

Their movement speed was equal, but their weapons were different. Lunaria's sword was powerful, but it would break if its durability ran out. And Amanda's sword, Durandal, had no durability and wouldn't break. Even if their skills were the same, if the battle dragged on, she would lose.

"Just so you know, I don't intend to win based on the difference in our weapons' performance."

At Amanda's words, Lunaria's attacking hand stopped for a moment. It was only for a fraction of a second, but it was undoubtedly an opening.

In that opening, a knife was thrown from Amanda's left hand. It was heading straight for Xenobia.

Lunaria instantly caught up to the knife and deflected it with her sword.

But in the next moment, Lunaria was cut from behind by Amanda.

Lunaria rolled across the floor with great force.

Her HP hadn't reached 0, but if she took a follow-up attack, she would be done for.

Lunaria thought so, but Amanda didn't deliver the final blow and sheathed her sword at her waist.

"Now you understand, don't you? Even though this is virtual reality, you tried to protect Xenobia."

Amanda said this, then let out a big sigh and looked down at the fallen Lunaria with pity.

"Are you an idiot? Xenobia being defeated here wouldn't have been a problem at all, yet you tried to save her. You didn't think about it, your body just moved on its own, I suppose, but it's because of such sentimentality that you can't produce results. No, it would be fine if you just couldn't produce results. You have a higher chance of producing the worst possible outcome. All because of your pointless emotions."

Lunaria sat up on the floor but couldn't stand.

What Amanda was saying was correct. And not just in virtual reality, she would likely do the same thing in a similar situation in reality. Depending on the circumstances, that could lead to a fatal outcome.

Lunaria couldn't bear Amanda's gaze and looked down.

"It seems you understand a little now, doesn't it? I'll come see you again, so you should think about it until then."

And Amanda left the room without saying anything to anyone.

Lunaria remained seated, unable to stand up.

She didn't think she was wrong. That's what she thought, but she also understood what Amanda was saying.

She had tried to get along with everyone out of good intentions. That's why, when she lost, everyone was shaken. If their positions were reversed, she would have been shaken too. If they had simply been work colleagues, they might have been able to win without being shaken.

And it was the same now. There was no need to save Xenobia, yet she had moved reflexively and lost to Amanda. The result was clear, she was weaker than Amanda.

This was a game. Even if she lost, it didn't hurt. But she had made everyone go through all sorts of training to win the championship. Not only that, she had done various things to get along with them.

It might have all been her own self-satisfaction.

And the result was that they missed the championship, and everyone was told terrible things by Amanda. If she hadn't done anything unnecessary, they might have won and been able to laugh with everyone normally.

Lunaria became afraid of the gazes around her.

It was fine to be blamed for falling into the trap of the one-on-one duel and losing. But to be told that her efforts to get along were unnecessary, and that that was the reason they lost, felt like her entire being was being denied.

Her chest hurt, even though this was virtual reality. Maybe it would have been better if she had stayed alone in that room at the research institute. It was lonely, but it was a gentle world where she didn't hurt anyone, and no one was hurt.

Such thoughts dominated Lunaria's mind.

"Lunaria-chan!"

Called by Xenobia, Lunaria looked at everyone with lifeless eyes. It was only for a moment, and then she looked down again.

"I, I'm sorry. B, because I did something unnecessary—"

"Why are you apologizing, Lunaria-chan?"

"B, but, Amanda said terrible things to everyone. It's my fault—"

"That's not it at all. You worked so hard, Lunaria-chan. Even just now, you got angry for our sake, didn't you? That was Amanda-chan's—Amanda's fault."

Grant nodded at Xenobia's words.

"That's right. I was glad you got angry for us, Lunaria. You were angrier than we were, so our own anger just blew away. Right, everyone?"

Everyone nodded with smiles.

"Everyone..."

"So let me thank you. Thanks. What Amanda said might not be wrong, but you're not wrong either, Lunaria, so please don't apologize. Besides, she said the result is all that matters, but if we had just been acquaintances fighting in the Clan War, there's a chance we would have left the clan midway through. It's because you worked so hard that we all felt we wanted to fight with you until the end. That Amanda doesn't understand that."

"Yeah..."

"That's right. And coming in second is a fine result too. So, let's all have a victory party—no, a consolation party?"

"Yeah..."

Though it was virtual reality, Lunaria felt like she was about to cry.

Unlike when she was at the research institute, everyone here was kind. Back then she was always alone, but now everyone was speaking kind words to her.

Depending on them might be a weakness, but it also felt like that weakness made her stronger.

Lunaria stood up. The life had returned to her eyes.

If someone called her simple, so be it. But Lunaria decided to own it as one of her good points.

"Yeah. I'm not wrong after all. Amanda is the one who's wrong. We may not have won the championship, but let's get more fired up than the winning clan with a fun consolation party!"

When Lunaria said that, everyone raised their voices and got excited.

A month had passed since then.

During that time, the awards ceremony for the Clan War was held, and as a high-ranking participant, Lunaria requested that the administrator enhance Arondight.

"Demonic Sword Arondight," a weapon whose seals are broken and becomes more powerful each time a comrade falls. It took some time to adjust the program, but it had finally been updated. She held it up and smiled.

"I won't lose to anyone anymore. And even if my comrades fall, their souls will be with this sword. Don't you think the lore has gotten cooler? The appeal is that it doesn't let our comrades' deaths be in vain."

Lunaria said this to Xenobia with a smug face, but Xenobia looked a little exasperated.

"I hate to rain on your parade, but this is virtual reality, you know? It's not the death of a comrade, they just ran out of HP—"

"Xenobia-chan, you should dream a little more and not say such realistic things."

Having said that, Lunaria suddenly remembered something.

"Speaking of reality, you decided to live in this virtual reality, right, Xenobia-chan?"

"That's right. I decided right away. But you too, right, Lunaria-chan?"

"I decided in an instant."

The administrator of the virtual reality had proposed that they leave Earth behind, lose their memories of reality, and live here as if this were reality.

Lunaria chose to remain here without hesitation.

In reality, the Genetically Enhanced Humans had been able to bring back resources from other planets, but it would still be a long time before that got on track. They would likely make many more interplanetary voyages, and there was a possibility that that job would come to Lunaria.

She didn't think she could act together with the Genetically Enhanced Humans who had no sense of camaraderie. Besides, her comrades were on this spaceship, in this virtual reality.

Even if this world was a lie, a fabrication, to Lunaria it was a world more precious than reality, a world where she could be happy.

For the next world, she made a request: "I want to live happily with everyone." And also, "I want the power to protect that life."

In reality, she hadn't wanted to do anything. But protecting this happy world and her comrades was her mission. Lunaria held that resolve in her heart.