kscans

Chapter 79 - 079

"Come to think of it, Hayate, you don't do your Fighting Spirit Release in real life, do you?"

Rena spoke to me after we had cleared the first floor of the Human Dungeon.

"Yeah, I guess not."

Back when FWO was a game, Fighting Spirit Release was something I used to create a dramatic effect for serious battles during boss fights. It wasn't a skill in the game or anything. It didn't improve my stats.

It just looked the part.

FWO had several 'pose effects' that players could use, and by striking a specific pose, you could make an aura emanate from your body.

I liked to use the effect that occurred when I brought the right hand holding my sword in front of my face and held that wrist with my left hand.

It had no effect at all, yet it made me feel as if I had powered up. It really tickled my inner chuuni.

But looking back on it now, it's a little embarrassing. At the time, the viewers got really excited about it, so I got carried away too.

"I liked it, though."

"What."

To my surprise, there was a Fighting Spirit Release fan right beside me.

"It was so thrilling to watch you lightly annihilate a huge horde of enemy monsters you were struggling with right after you did your Fighting Spirit Release. You were even suspected of cheating because you were too strong, remember?"

"Ah. Yeah, that happened."

In reality, I just pretended to be struggling before the Fighting Spirit Release, and then after shouting it, I just fought at full strength as usual. I wasn't doing anything unfair.

"Did you know that when this Grade 5 dungeon was unlocked, several effects became available? And among them, there it was. Your favorite pose."

"Whoa, seriously?"

I didn't know that. And calling it my favorite pose...

Well, I still think it's cool, though.

"Hey, Hayate."

Rena looked at me with an expectant gaze. She was silently telling me to do Fighting Spirit Release.

It's kind of embarrassing to do it in front of her. And this is probably being watched by tens of millions of viewers...

But if Rena says she likes it, then I have to do it!

"The second floor will be all me, are you okay with that, Rena?"

"Yes!!"

Rena's eyes sparkled as she answered immediately.

---*---

We moved to the second floor.

There were fewer monsters here than on the first floor, but there were more enemies that used coordinated attacks. It was a troublesome floor where if you took too long to defeat them, humanoid monsters from other areas would gather, forcing you to fight many enemies at once.

But it was perfect.

It was the best place to get serious with the four-sword style.

She probably knew that and brought it up after we cleared the first floor.

"Okay, I’ll watch. I'll provide support if it looks like you're in trouble."

"Yeah, thanks."

I will dominate this floor without having to rely on Rena.

I initiated an attack on a nearby humanoid monster. The enemies near the entrance were relatively weak, but I intentionally didn't defeat them.

I dodged the axe the enemy swung at me and only damaged its weapon, careful not to inflict a fatal wound. After fighting like this for a few dozen seconds, another humanoid monster approached. The battle became one against two.

But I still held back. I continued to evade attacks, striking only at their weapons.

Just as the first one's weapon was destroyed, two new humanoid monsters attacked. Now it was one against four. The enemy whose weapon was gone attacked me with its bare hands.

I can still go on. Just a little more.

As I continued to fight, I saw countless enemies approaching from deeper within the dungeon.

Alright! Baiting complete!!

The second floor of the Human Dungeon had a brutal feature where if you continued to fight the same enemies in any location, all the enemies on the entire floor would converge on you. Normally, players would defeat the monsters before that happened, or conversely, be defeated and thrown out of the dungeon, so this state was rare.

There were players like me who did it intentionally to farm experience or rare drops, but many also made mistakes and suffered a death penalty.

I am in a dungeon that appeared in the real world. If I make a mistake, it won't just be a game's death penalty. I'll really die. Even if I have a revival item, getting cut by a blade would definitely hurt, so I don't want that.

So I'll get serious.

I'll enjoy this moment with everything I've got. I'll show you the true potential of the four-sword style.

"Sei!!"

I swung my manipulators with all my might, lightly blowing away the monsters swarming me.

The monsters I sent flying got up and came at me again. Confirming their approach, I struck the pose that would generate the effect.

I felt power welling up from the depths of my body... or so it seemed.

This is it! This feeling! Alright, let's go!!

"Fighting Spirit, Re-lease!"