Chapter 5: Wow, it Really IS a Small World for Us Gamers!
Chapter 5: Wow, it Really IS a Small World for Us Gamers!
“Good job, Ren! That was awesome!”
I was once again greeted by Akira’s smile in the waiting room.
“Yeah, but it was really close! It was all thanks to the almighty Peregrine Stone.”
“It doesn’t really matter how you won as long as you did. Y’see, it’s not that the strong always win; it’s just that the winner is strong. You just proved that you can even beat magic knights as long as you have some extra cash. No brakes on the drama train!”
Well, it was my ridiculous firepower that brought her down through her guard, I can at least be proud of that. Even if there’s really nothing else to be proud of... There’s an element of drama to an ability that juuuust barely fails to secure the kill too! Cost aside, big damage always has drama at its core!
“Hah! You acted all big, and then you lost! I can only imagine your embarrassment, you nobody!”
Homura arrived and immediately began taunting Yukino. She looked really happy about it, too. No surprise there, considering how much she paid to see it.
“Oh, shut up. I’m not ashamed to lose to Ren. He’s just about as skilled as I am.”
“So what? You still lost! You lost, you lost! Looooooser!”
“What?! You wanna see who’s really a loser? Don’t leave your room, ’cause as soon as you do, I’m gonna come and give you a big whack upside the head!”
“Hey! No melee attacking in real life! That’s against the law!”
They both logged out to settle their problems elsewhere.
I think they might actually be fighting. Hope they’re okay.
“Um, anyway, now that you’ve beaten Yukino, it’s all uphill from here. I think we might really reach the finals together. You’d better win your semifinal match!”
“Yeah! I’ll be up against Akabane, huh?”
Akabane had already secured her advancement to the semifinals, which meant she and I were guaranteed to face each other. Akira’s side of the brackets was nearly at the quarterfinals.
“Yep. You’re sure to win, right? Tell me it’s gonna be you!” Akira stared at me heatedly, her face only inches from mine.
“Erm, yeah, sure. Y’know, it’s not often that you dislike somebody so much.”
“It’s not like I’m some kinda zen master. If someone like her had stuck to you like glue ever since kindergarten, you’d come to hate her, too. Spending time with you is fun, so that’s probably why you only ever see me smiling.”
“Mmm, I guess that makes sense.”
“Anyway, I’ll see you in the finals! Got it?”
“Yeah!”
At that moment, Akabane walked up to us.
Speak of the devil.
“My, I hope you don’t think you can win against me that easily.”
“Urk... Hello, Nozomi.” Akira’s expression hardened.
“Heya, Akabane. Good luck in our battle.”
“Yes, of course. But be prepared to lose. They may call you the Emperor of the Underpowered, but you’ve already shown off everything you have to offer. You’ve given me ample time to prepare countermeasures.”
“Oh? I had no idea you knew anything about me.”
“Of course I do. I entertain myself with a video game or two once in a while, you know.”
I took the opportunity to get a good look at her. She was surprisingly pretty, and her smile told me she was cool, calm, and collected.
I dunno. I’m not really getting any bad vibes from her yet.
“If anything, I’m rather disappointed that the player himself ended up being so drab.”
Whoops! Never mind.
“Don’t be mean to Ren, please,” Akira said, standing in front of her.
“I was just being honest.”
“That’s not honesty, it’s just being rude. He might be ‘drab,’ but he’s still cute!”
“Oh, I see. You don’t want me to insult your little boyfriend. I find it strange that the daughter of such an esteemed family would be so interested in a commoner.”
“It’s not strange. But you’re one to talk, huh? With a personality like that, I bet you’ll be forever alone anyway.”
“Heheh. So you think you’re something to write home about?”
“I’m better than you, at least.”
“How strange. I think I may agree.”
Whoa. The friction between them is kinda scary. Mmm... Maybe I should do something about this.
Behind Akabane, I could see Kataoka shivering with fear.
Just then, I felt a finger poke my back.
“Huh? Oh, hey, Yukino.”
Looks like she’s back.
“Ren, come over here for a sec.” She pulled me away from the feud.
“I could feel the weird murderous vibes from a mile away.”
“Really? Are you sure it wasn’t just you and your sister?”
“Yeah. Fighting for us is like breathing. It’s totally natural.”
While Yukino and I were talking, Homura had logged back in and stepped between Akira and Akabane, forcing both of them to calm down.
Maybe these two aren’t a bad combo after all.
Yukino continued speaking in a hushed tone. “You guys were pretty good friends back in EF, right? Why are you all fighting now?”
“Huh? What are you talking about?”
Do we know Akabane, too?
“Oh, so she didn’t say anything? She said she would...”
“Umm, who is she?”
“Scarlet. You were good friends, weren’t you?”
“What?! No way!”
Just like with Yukino’s character, Snow, Akira and I were both friends with Scarlet. Scarlet had started playing EF about a year ago. He was a red-haired pretty boy who knew his way around a broadsword. We happened to meet him on his first day, so we’d taught him the ropes and helped him out. He was really good at the game now—almost as much as Yukino, actually.
If Yukino’s telling the truth, then Akabane is actually one of our best pals! The gaming world is a little TOO small, don’tcha think?! But hey, if we could befriend each other in EF, I’m sure we can do the same here. Even if there are some other things going on behind the scenes.
“Ren, you’ve gotta help them make up. Those two were super chummy when they couldn’t see each other’s faces, so they’ve got no reason to fight now.”
“You’re right. Leave it to me,” I said, nodding.
I think Yukino is onto something here.
◆◆◆
“Duel complete! The winner is Akira Aoyagi!”
The crowd went wild, chanting her name.
“Akira! Akira! Akira!”
Once she’d finished her battle, Akira whipped out her otherworldly lens to take a bunch of screenshots of the Arena.
Wow, Akira is seriously popular! I guess it’s because she’s smoking hot. Everyone loves a good sword dancer. Also, she’s got mad skills, unlike Hime-chans who just get carried. She really was flawless. It’s no surprise that she’s earned herself idol status.
I can’t help but wonder how I ended up becoming best friends with this gal. I always thought “Akira” was some judo-type guy with a gruff voice and rippling muscles. It’s still a funny story. What twists and turns did I take to end up on this girl’s route?
Bah, enough reminiscing. I ought to go congratulate her!
“I’ll be off, Ms. Nakada!”
“Yes, of course. Thank you for joining me!”
With that, I exited the announcers’ booth. For this match, I had been in charge of player analysis. It was a little nerve-wracking, but fun overall! Thus, I headed toward the waiting room to meet Akira.
“Nice work out there! You nailed it!”
“Chirp chirp! Chichichirp!” Draco fluttered around at my side.
“Heehee. Thanks, Ren! And you, too, Draco.”
“It wasn’t even close, huh?”
Akira and I had both advanced to the semifinals. Just one more win for both of us, and we’d be able to face off in the finals!
“Yep! The only real challenge was having to fight in front of a crowd wearing this stuff.”
“Well, I sure had a good time watching! In fact, let me represent the entire crowd when I say thank you!”
I bowed to express my gratitude. Draco mimicked me, following suit. It was adorable.
“Ugh. Yeah, yeah, you’re welcome. But don’t get too used to it, okay?”
“Why not? Isn’t it all right to appreciate something beautiful over and over?”
“Hrm... I guess it’s better than you getting tired of it.”
“Akabane just puts it all out there and doesn’t even care. That’s a bit too much for you, huh?”
“Yeah! Unlike her, I actually have a sense of shame.”
“Excuse me? I’d very much prefer if you didn’t speak of me as if I was shameless,” Akabane cut in. I guess she was close enough to hear us.
I think I know where this is going...
I decided to forcefully change the subject of conversation.
“Oh! Hey, Akira. Remember Scarlet from EF?”
“Hm? What about him?” Akira looked taken aback by the sudden question.
I watched Akabane carefully in my periphery. She didn’t butt in, instead listening intently to the conversation.
Oh, yeah. She’s definitely interested.
“We played with Yukino a while back, but it’s been a while since we saw Scarlet. Maybe we ought to hit him up soon?”
“Yeah! I’m in. In fact, once we’re all finished here, we should all play some EF together. Assuming he’s online, anyway.”
“Nice! I’ll shoot him a message later, then.”
“I can’t wait! Geez, it feels like it’s been forever. I’ll have to take him on another sightseeing tour!” Akira, ever the sightseeing maniac, was getting excited.
I once again stole a glance at Akabane.
Oho, is that a smile I see? She thinks she’s being slick by looking away, but I definitely saw it. Akabane is definitely happy to know that Akira’s excited to play with Scarlet. She really is him, then.
As if she’d noticed my gaze, Akabane huffed loudly and walked away.
Heh. I feel like she’s one of those girls who’s haughty on the outside but sweet on the inside.
“Hm? She left.”
“Maybe she was annoyed because we weren’t talking about her.”
“You think so? Well, anyway, you’re up next. Good luck!”
“Yeah, baby! I’ve got this in the bag! But first, I’d better check my gear again. I got so wrapped up in doing commentary last match that I didn’t have time for anything else. Oh! Before that... Draco, eat up.”
I pulled an apple out of my inventory and offered it to him.
It’s just so sad to watch him go hungry. Now to scope out my gear...
“Chirp chirp! Chirp chirp! Chichichirp!”
Draco’s body started to glow while he was pigging out.
Could it be...?!
Draco’s growth level increased!
Please choose a skill for it to learn:
YESSSSS! I know there were signs that he was gonna level up soon, but it finally happened!
“Ooooh! Is it time for another new skill?”
“Yep! I’ve finally realized my long-awaited dream of giving Draco a new skill!”
“So, what’s it gonna be?”
“Let’s see what we’ve got.”
Regenerator (Passive)
Effect: Pet dragon will heal nearby players’ HP at regular intervals.
Can be used on all members of master’s party.
Heal Rate: 5 HP per second.
Pickup (Passive)
Effect: Occasionally gathers materials when a material-gathering point is nearby. (Tools not necessary)
Functions even when master is logged out.
Baby’s Breath (In-Battle)
Effect: Baby dragon breathes fire, supporting its master.
Pet will target whatever the player targets.
Pet’s master will take all aggro generated by this skill.
“Ooh! There’s another skill you can use in battle!”
“Yeah. The other two are the same as before... Interesting.”
“What are you gonna do?”
“What do you think I’d do?”
“Baby’s Breath would give you some more consistent damage in normal parties, so that’s pretty useful. But for right now... maybe Pickup? I’m sure you want both eventually.”
“Excellent work, my dear buddy! I agree with you one hundred percent. Let’s go with Pickup, then!”
It probably won’t be anywhere near as useful as Target Marker, but Pickup has its own appeal.
I chose Pickup and pressed confirm.
What kind of stuff will he find, I wonder?
“Chichirp?” Draco suddenly seemed on high alert.
“Hm?”
“Chirp! Chirp! Chirp!”
Then he flew straight out of the waiting room window!
While we were technically on the underground floor of the Arena, the Arena itself was in the Lagoon of floating islands. The “underground” floors had windows leading out to a little nature park, which was surrounded by blue sky and puffy white clouds.
“Where are you going, Draco?!” I asked.
“Maybe he went to make a Pickup?”
He descended on a corner of the park, and soon...
Draco picked up a Healing Potion!
Ren obtained a Healing Potion!
“Ooh! He brought me a potion!”
His Pickup finished, Draco flew back in through the window.
“Wow! You’re a fast learner, huh, cutie?”
“Chichirp! Chichirp!”
This is pretty nice. It’s like pulling a gacha once in a while. I think I made the right choice. I wonder what else he’ll bring me? How exciting!
“The first semifinal match is about to begin! Fighters, make your way to the stadium!”
Oops, it’s already time to go. Guess I’d better get to it.
Akabane and I left the waiting room. The stairway up to the stadium essentially served as a private area for the fighters, so I decided to talk to her about the whole Scarlet thing.
“So, uhh, do you have time to play some EF later?”
“Wha?! Why, I... Wh-What could you possibly be talking about?!” Akabane stammered, her eyes wide.
“You don’t have to hide it. I already know. Right, Scarlet?” I clapped my hand on her shoulder.
“Oh... H-How do you know about that?!”
“Yukino told me.”
“Darn you, Snooooow! How could you sell me out?!”
“You told her not to tell Akira, but you didn’t say anything about me.”
“Now you’re just splitting hairs! If you know, then it’s only a matter of time before she finds out!”
“Well, I haven’t told her yet. If you want me to, though, I will.”
“Stay out of it! I’ll do it myself, so don’t go sticking your nose into our affairs, understood?!”
“Why don’t you just do it now, then? Don’t you get tired of butting heads for no reason?”
“I said stay out of it! I have my reasons, and I’ll do it when I’m good and ready!”
“What are your reasons, then? If it’s hard for you to tell her, then I’d be happy to do it for you.”
“I have no obligation to tell you that!”
Yep. Real-life Scarlet definitely puts up a front.
Back in Eternal Fantasy, he seemed like a genuinely pleasant guy.
“All right. How about we make a bet, then?”
“With what stakes?”
“If I win this match, you have to tell me why you won’t just spill the beans to Akira!”
“And if I win?”
“I’ll never mention this again!”
“Very well. I accept your challenge.”
“Nice! Unfortunately for you, I’m gonna win this fight.”
“You took the words out of my mouth, you rascal!”
With that, the two of us stepped out of the staircase.
“Nozomiiii!”
“It’s Nozomi!”
As soon as they saw her, the men in the audience went nuts over Akabane. She was a sword dancer just like Akira, and she was just as hot. I couldn’t imagine a scenario in which she wouldn’t become a gaming celebrity. It was just the law of the land.
This is totally her turf... I guess this will be more of an “away” game for me, huh?
“Welcome, everyone, to the first semifinal match of the Spring Newbie Spotlight! Now that one of the two sword dancers heating up this tournament has taken the stage, the whole crowd is busy screenshotting away!”
“Aw, yeah! I’m gonna take some choice pics!” Kataoka was clearly having the time of his life.
Akabane walked some distance away from me before turning back and readying her weapon: a two-handed sword. Sword dancers can use both one-handed and two-handed weapons, as it turns out.
Scarlet used a two-handed sword in Eternal Fantasy, too. Maybe Akabane just likes them. From what I’ve seen of previous battles, her sword is fitted with a Peregrine Stone. I wonder if Kataoka ponied up that two million Mila for her. I wouldn’t be surprised, honestly. Anyway, I can expect those attacks to hurt. I’d better be careful.
For now, I decided to go in with the Fanatic’s Staff equipped.
“Looks like we’re ready to begin! Ready... Go!” The gong rang out once again.
I waited and watched Akabane’s movements.
“Here I come!”
Her first action was to use Toxin, just like Yukino.
She’s trying to keep me from putting her to sleep. I figured that would happen. I’d do it if I were her. But now Soul Spear won’t be very helpful. As usual, Dead End is my only way out of this... dead end. Even if I could cut down her HP over time, sword dancers have a really good rate of recovery. I have to bring her from full to zero all at once, or else she’ll just heal right back up.
Anyway, I had expected Akabane to poison herself, so I immediately moved to craft a Canesword. I opened the crafting menu from my inventory and combined an iron staff and an iron sword, completing the action immediately thanks to the Efficiency talent.
Now, what do I have left in my inventory?
I had twelve iron ingots, three iron staves, and three iron swords.
“Haaah!”
As I finished crafting, Akabane charged at me ferociously.
I need to guard!
Thanks to my Parry Ring, I could gain AP even if I took no damage. Just blocking her attacks would be advantageous to me.
She led with a wide downward swing, using the momentum from her dash. I held up my staff just as her sword finished its arc, guarding the blow.
Nozomi attacked.
But Ren guarded the attack!
All right, nice. Thanks again, Fanatic’s Staff!
Immediately after my guard, a phantom sword traced the same arc as her previous attack. This was the effect of the Peregrine Stone.
Nozomi attacked.
But Ren guarded the attack!
Since the attacks both traveled the same path, guarding the second one was pretty easy; all I had to do was stay still. However, while I was guarding against the second attack, Akabane had time to perform her next action.
These phantom attacks are minor, but they could cause a real disadvantage because they force the defender to guard for longer than the attacker’s animation. This leaves the defender with little to no time to counterattack. On top of the extra damage, this is what your two million Mila is really paying for.
“Your reaction time isn’t half bad!”
“Thanks!”
“Heehee. Trust me, you won’t stay confident for long!” Akabane grinned fearlessly.
“Raging Blade!”
With a swooshing sound, her sword was enveloped in an aura.
This is a self-buffing two-handed sword art that temporarily raises your weapon’s stats. It lasts two minutes and costs 100 AP. Whether this is too expensive or surprisingly cheap depends on how well you use those two minutes.
But she shouldn’t have any AP, right? How did she use it? Ahh, that’s right; she has Breath of Ares equipped, too.
As a top-tier talent that essentially gives you free AP, it costs a whopping 1,000 Merit Points.
This smells like Kataoka, too. I doubt she has Akira’s crazy luck, at least.
“Take this!” She swung her two-handed sword horizontally.
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 21 damage.
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 20 damage.
The buffed sword was able to break through my guard.
“Nothin’ but a scratch, I tell ya!”
“Don’t worry, it’s more than enough. Stock Shatter!”
This time, the aura changed color to a pale green. This skill is learned by setting it in one of your talent slots, like Final Strike. I knew of its existence, but I’d never expected to see it during our duel!
“Wha...?! Now I see what you’re up to! You’re gonna do that here?!”
“I won’t let you escape!”
Akabane never let up, continuing her relentless assault. I didn’t have the time to do anything but guard.
But—
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 20 damage.
Ren’s Canesword broke!
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 19 damage.
Ren’s Iron Sword broke!
“Gah!”
I’m not taking much damage, but man, this is bad!
As its name implies, Stock Shatter breaks an item in the target’s inventory after every hit. Broken items don’t disappear from your inventory completely; you still have them, but their abilities are degraded. The item names change to include “Broken,” too. With a Broken Canesword, for example, I couldn’t use Quickdraw. I could craft a new Canesword, but if one of the ingredients was broken, the crafting would fail. Broken items were useless to me until I could get them fixed.
“Your fighting style ignores the long-term costs of materials and goes in for one-hit kills! You’re stretching your inventory to the best of your ability, which makes sense because you have to break a weapon each time you want to attack. But what will you do when all your weapons and materials are broken?!”
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 21 damage.
Ren’s Iron Sword broke!
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 22 damage.
Ren’s Iron Sword broke!
Arrrgh! All of my iron swords are broken! If I want to make another Canesword, I’ll have to make more swords from scratch with the ingots! If only I could fully guard her attacks, my items would be safe. But if I take even one point of damage, I can kiss an item goodbye.
Stock Shatter lasts for a minute, and its cooldown is five minutes. It breaks items in order of their positions in the target’s inventory, with no distinction made between weapons, gear, potions, and materials. There’s not much point in breaking an NPC’s items, so it mostly sees use in PvP. And in a game where crafting isn’t usually possible during battle, there’s not much point in breaking your opponent’s materials.
For item destruction, there’s also Drug Drain for breaking potions, along with Sword Snap for weapons and Gotcha Gear for armor. All of these are used often, because you can choose exactly what you want to break. Stock Shatter is generally inferior because it can pointlessly break crafting materials, so it’s almost never used. But to me, a guy who puts his materials at the top for quick crafting, this was like a critical hit! Her strategy was crafted entirely to counter me!
I’m so deeply moved! Thank you, thank you! Come to think of it, back in EF, Scarlet was always pretty clever! Ugh, I didn’t even get the chance to sort my inventory and put some random stuff at the top, thanks to the Peregrine Stone putting me on eternal guard duty. I have to buy time somehow!
“Windmill!”
The rising uppercut propelled me upward and out of range of her double attacks.
“You’re not getting away that easily!”
Akabane had moved to my landing zone and prepared to attack. However...
“Stinging Shot!”
I shot it in a random direction just to move my landing zone. As a result, I avoided being attacked from behind.
“Well, aren’t you restless?!”
As bad as they are, two-handed staves aren’t completely useless. Even if they can’t be used to inflict damage, they’re perfectly usable when it comes to survival. At least they’re good at moving the player around, y’know?
Before Akabane could close the small gap I’d created, I opened my inventory.
Let’s sort this out ASAP!
After my now-broken iron swords, I had three iron staves and twelve iron ingots.
If these break, I’m in big trouble. Instead, I’ll put some trash at the top of my inventory! Annnd... there!
Sawdust x56
Iron Ingot x12
Iron Staff x3
Healing Potion x6
I put my most worthless item at the top. I had plenty of ingots, so I placed those second. This was the best I could do with so little time, but it would probably work well enough.
“Stay still!”
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 21 damage.
Ren’s Sawdust broke!
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 19 damage.
Ren’s Sawdust broke!
“Nice!”
It was at that point that the aura on her sword faded from pale green back to its original color.
It’s over for now! I have four minutes until her next Stock Shatter! I made it through the worst! Now’s the perfect time for a counterattack!
“Don’t let your guard down yet! Sword Samba!”
She’s gonna reset Stock Shatter’s cooldown, but I should be good!
“Now, ultimate move!”
“Huh?”
What’s she going to do?!
I braced myself.
“Hecaton Wave!”
A pale-green shockwave burst out from Akabane, spreading throughout the arena. With how fast it moved, all I could do was guard.
Nozomi activated Hecaton Wave.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 74 damage.
Ren’s 54 Sawdusts all broke!
Nozomi activated Hecaton Wave.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 77 damage.
Ren’s 12 Iron Ingots all broke!
“What the...?! Nooooo!”
An ultimate with Stock Shatter in the mix?! Judging by the animation and the shockwave, the AoE art Grand Wave must be in there too. They stack together to make an item-breaking wave?! Geez louise!
Even worse, she still had her normal attacks ready to break the rest of my inventory.
She’s coming in with a downward slash!
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 21 damage.
Ren’s Iron Staff broke!
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 19 damage.
Ren’s Iron Staff broke!
“Haaah!” She immediately transitioned into an upward swing.
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 18 damage.
Ren’s Iron Staff broke!
Nozomi attacked.
Ren guarded the attack, taking 20 damage.
Ren’s Healing Potion broke!
Akabane grinned as she glanced over the log.
“Heehee! All out of materials, huh? You’ve been declawed!”
She’s got that right! Urgh, I wish I had some kind of talent or equipment to nullify her item-breaking effect, but right now I’ve got nothin’! This is bad. Like, reaaally bad. She totally foiled my plan! At this rate, she’s just gonna slowly grind me down to zero HP.
Grrrrr! Like hell I’m gonna go out in such a boring way! Is there really nothing I can do?!
Just as I thought it was all over, two messages popped up in my log.
Draco picked up a Bronze Axe!
Ren obtained a Bronze Axe!
“Huh?! He used Pickup?”
Pet dragons can’t join the battle, but Pickup still works?
Now that I’d gotten the bronze axe, it meant Draco could find weapons for me. If only it’d been a bronze sword, then I would’ve been able to make a Canesword. Even with just a bronze sword in it, one good whack with a Canesword would be enough to kill her. An iron ingot wouldn’t have hurt either.
I’ve still got my Fanatic’s Staff... If only I can get a sword, then I can immediately craft with them. In other words, I can still win! My usual playstyle is heavy grinding and thorough treasure-hunting, but now we’re goin’ the gacha route! All aboard the Pickup train! Choo-choo!
Draco! My boy! My little baby boy! Draco, my lord and savior! Please, please, please! Find Daddy a bronze sword or an iron ingot! Pleeeease! If I can get that, I’ll definitely make it through this!
“You’re free to surrender anytime, you know. It really does wound me to hurt a friend.”
“I’ll pass, thanks. I haven’t lost yet, and I sure as heck don’t plan on it!”
“Still got a scheme up your sleeve, eh? Some devious little plot to turn the tables?”
Well, not yet, at least! I’m in a luck-based game now! It’s all about the Pickup gacha!
“Maybe...? Even I’m not so sure.”
Just gotta ask myself one question: do I feel lucky?
“Well then! While you’re figuring out your plan, I’ll be happy to entertain you!”
Akabane kicked off of the ground and spun in the air like a figure skater.
That’s a classic sword dancer move!
“Vanishing Whirl!”
Suddenly, she disappeared completely.
“Hmm?!”
This dance conceals the user so she can move with stealth. It’s mainly used for moving past active enemy monsters without being seen. In PvP, it can be a powerful way to ensure a safe attack. Kataoka’s rogue class has a similar stealth skill. That one allows the user to take the enemy by surprise, adding a damage bonus. Because of that, rogues are better than other classes when it comes to attacking from the shadows. Even though their stealth skill is a little inferior, sword dancers can still be a major threat.
“Hiyaaah!”
“Oof!”
Out of nowhere, an attack came down on my right flank. I was able to block the second phantom hit, but I’d taken the first one in its entirety. Before Akabane could land another one, I used Windmill to jump out of the way.
“Ouch, man! You got me!”
“Nice guard, even if it was only the second attack. It’s not easy to block against an invisible enemy.” Akabane slowly reappeared, smirking.
When a player attacks from stealth, it ends the stealth effect. It’s not immediate; it takes a few seconds for them to fully reappear, which allows you to keep up your combo for just a bit longer. Rogues’ stealth ability, on the other hand, does cause them to reappear right away. That’s just another one of those subtle differences between skills. There’s the rogue who goes in for one big hit, and then there’s the sword dancer who can go through a whole combo before her invisibility fully wears off. By the way, sky pirates don’t have stealth, which is a little strange.
Oh, there it is!
Draco picked up an Oak Branch!
Ren obtained an Oak Branch!
Aww, lame! Next! Get to the next one, please!
“Raging Blade! Vanishing Whirl!”
Akabane disappeared once again, this time combining the stealth skill with her weapon buff.
Vanishing Whirl requires AP to activate, but because of the AP gain from Breath of Ares, she’s able to attack freely from the shadows. Her attacks become even more fearsome at a time like this, when there’s a huge, loud crowd all around you. If this place had been peaceful and quiet, I could’ve judged where she stood by the sound of her footsteps.
“Oh well!”
I needed to keep buying time, even if it wasn’t a perfect solution to all my problems. I rushed to cast an Enfeebling Circle with a relatively small radius centered around my feet. After taking a deep breath, I concentrated on my surroundings, trying hard to make out any telltale sounds in the ring.
If she steps into my circle, I should be able to see her silhouette blocking the light... Not! It’s a shame, but things just ain’t that easy!
My Enfeebling Circle created a red, cylindrical field of light. Standing inside it slightly muffled sounds coming from outside. I shut my eyes and silently willed it to work.
Tap-tap-tap.
There she is! She’s coming at me from the ten o’clock position!
After roughly imagining the arc her sword would take, I raised my Fanatic’s Staff to guard. Immediately after, a powerful impact shook the staff. Knowing another one was coming, I waited in place and guarded it successfully.
Her next animation is an upward slash!
I imagined the animation playing in my head and matched my timing to it, attempting to guard!
Thunk! Thunk!
I successfully guarded two more hits. Thanks to Enfeebling Circle, she was now dealing less than five damage per attack.
“What?! How can you guard without seeing me?!”
“Aha! I know the sword dancer’s animations like the back of my hand!”
As long as I know what direction and distance she’s attacking from, I can guard no problem! Plus, I’m used to being attacked by someone under the effect of Vanishing Whirl, thanks to my sparring matches with Akira!
“That makes no sense!” she cried.
“Hey, who cares! It’s just beaten into me at this point, all right?!”
Still, this doesn’t solve my bigger problem. If she just waits until my circle dissipates, then that’s it for me. That means I have to cast a new circle just before each one dissipates. My MP is limited, though; at some point, I’m gonna run out. Once again, my lack of action puts her at an advantage. That said, I still need that time, so stalling is my best option. All right, let’s keep this up for now!
When I opened my eyes, I saw something amazing.
Draco picked up a Peregrine Iron Sword!
Ren obtained a Peregrine Iron Sword!
WHAT?! I can’t believe my eyes!
“No waaaay! How did he get his hands on this?!”
Two million Mila again?! Wowie zowie! This must be the rarest thing ever! Like, the most miraculous pull for anyone in the entire game! This is my Skyfall! Unlike Akira and her tremendous luck, I have lower-than-average luck when it comes to item drops. This might be my luckiest moment in all of my school years! Yeehaw! I’d better save this! Good job, Draco! You da man! Now go find the next one, please!
I parried Akabane’s attacks one after another, waiting for my next roll with bated breath. But much to my surprise...
“Chichirp! Chichirp!”
Draco flew into the Arena through a window near the ceiling, looking happy as a clam. He headed over to Maeda in the audience, then dropped right into her arms and went to sleep.
He did NOT just go to sleep, did he?! Aww, man!
When he gets to sleeping, he conks out for hours.
“Seriously? No!”
I had nothing else available to make a Canesword. With Draco asleep, he probably wouldn’t pick anything else up for hours. There was no way I could keep this battle going for that long; I’d definitely die. If I wanted to win, I’d have to use the Peregrine Iron Sword!
“I could’ve done this with a bronze sword, but now I’m stuck wasting two million Mila again!”
This is once-in-a-lifetime luck here! Am I really going to throw it away just like that?! Arrrrgh! What a waste! Sure, I’d love to throw out a Dead End V using my own money at some point... But now?! Urgh, I guess this is the only way to win. The one! And! Only!
“Argh! Fine! I’ll do the darn thing!” I roared, tears in my eyes.
I have finally awoken my own Satsui no Hado! Now I’m ready to unleash Dead End V once more! First, I have to make a Canesword. I’ll have to find the right opportunity to do so.
“Thunder Smash!”
The invisible Akabane activated an art with a lightning affinity. Attacks with magic affinities counter my Fanatic’s Staff, since it lowers both INT and MND by 60. They actually increase in damage when I wield it.
“Windmill! Stinging Shot!”
The combo allowed me to evade the attack and move far away from her.
I’ll finish this in one go!
“Enervating Circle!”
I activated the circle with just enough range to reduce my MP by a third of a bar. The green magic circle enveloped both of us. I immediately began casting another circle, attempting to get several in while she approached.
“Enfeebling Circle!”
This one was red, with the same radius as the previous circle. Magic circles vary in color depending on the kind you use.
“Stupefying Circle!”
This circle was blue. Now, all three of my circles overlapped.
“What?! Where’d you go?!” Akabane yelped in surprise.
Her surroundings had suddenly grown dark, reducing her field of vision. As a result, she lost sight of me.
Not only does a magic circle’s color vary by type, but if you overlap their ranges, the colors mix. When red, blue, and green are combined, the result is black. Avatars become pretty much impossible to see when black light covers the area. I discovered this phenomenon while testing, of course. The black light acts as a smoke screen using the game’s graphics system. Black paint made from red, blue, and green in real life reflects light when you shine something on it.
As for why it remains black in the game, that’s because it’s just part of the graphics; obviously it isn’t real light. There’s no such thing as truly black light in real life, but in the game, you can think of it as being created by shadows or something.
“Grr! Vanishing Whirl!”
Akabane kicked off of the ground and danced in the air. I would’ve preferred if she had stayed still in the confusion, but I wasn’t exactly surprised. She reacted quickly to danger and hid herself accordingly. I admired her skills as a player.
But... Not so fast, Akabane!
I activated my Blowgun art, Shadow Dart.
“Huh?!”
Ren activated Shadow Dart!
Dealt 25 damage to Nozomi!
Nozomi fell asleep.
Shadow Dart hit her and successfully put her to sleep. Poison damage would quickly awaken her, but at least I’d managed to stop Vanishing Whirl. Though it may seem hopeless at first, poison damages the afflicted every three seconds. That meant she was trapped for three seconds. It would only block her movement until she had been hurt or a very short time had passed, but if I used this time wisely enough, it could be incredibly advantageous.
I have to win in these three seconds!
I immediately crafted a Canesword using the only things available to me: the Fanatic’s Staff and the Peregrine Iron Sword.
“Windmill!”
I jumped high into the sky.
Nozomi woke up.
“Hrm...? Vanishing Whirl!”
She kicked off of the ground once more, but...
“Too little, too late!”
I had already landed right behind her. I unsheathed my very expensive Canesword.
Now, behold the greatest waste of money this world has ever seen—part two!
“Ultimate move! Dead End V!”
SMAAAAASH!
I sliced twice in the air, rapidly tracing the shape of a V. The attack seized Akabane just as she was about to come after me.
“Eeeek!”
Yes! I did it!
Akabane flew high into the air, barrel rolling until she finally hit the ground.
Whoooa. She flew crazy high, like a firework!
Since the last part of the attack was an upward slash, she was launched at an upward angle.
Ren activated Dead End V.
Dealt 5,244 damage to Nozomi!
Ren has defeated Nozomi.
Duel complete! Ren is the winner!
Ren’s duel record is 5W / 0L.
“Heh... Heheheh. I’m sad to kiss that money goodbye, but wowie!”
Would you look at that damage! It doesn’t really matter, but man, 5,244?! I killed her how many times over?! Gotta be at least five! Daaang, Ren! You’ve outdone yourself!
My hands were quivering with excitement.
“Man, oh, man. That felt awesome! Big numbers like that have a seriously big impact!”
I can feel my endorphin levels rising! They’re going through the roof! This is it! This is the true pleasure of the money—I mean, drama cannon!
In the face of the drama cannon’s long-distance shot, the crowd was bewildered.
“Dead End V again?! This guy’s nuts!”
“That’s what makes him so fun to watch! God, look at that damage!”
“Holy crap! That was incredible!”
Hah! As long as they’re having fun, that’s what counts!
“Duel complete! Takashiro is the victor! Congratulations, buddy! You’re heading to the finals!”
“Mwahaha! Did you see that damage?! Can’t have real drama without quadruple digits, baby! Everyone, change your class and join me in the symbologist corner!” Feeling elated after my victory, I started calling out to the audience.
“Who cares?! How dare you hurt our poor Lady Nozomi like that, you monster?!”
“Yeah! We wanted to watch Lady Nozomi and Akira face off in the finals!”
“Your duel might’ve been awesome, but I wish you’d lost your money and the fight!”
Incensed, Akabane’s fans started booing me.
Well, it’s whatever. Like I said, I was pretty much playing an “away” game anyway. Either way, I wooon! Not only am I going to the finals, but I also get to hear Akabane spill the beans!
◆◆◆
“So, why won’t you tell Akira that you’re Scarlet?”
After the duel, I confronted Akabane on our way to the waiting room.
“Umm, well...” She started to fidget.
“Well...?”
“What if I told her and she started avoiding me in Eternal Fantasy?! You should know as well as I do that she wants nothing to do with me!”
“I mean yeah, I guess she does look a little peeved around you.”
Little doesn’t begin to describe it, though; she looks like she genuinely hates Akabane.
“Right? As soon as she found out the truth, she’d probably keep her distance in EF, too. I’m terrified of that happening, so I don’t want her to know.”
I see. So it’s the opposite of what Yukino and I thought.
We believed that, since they could be friendly in EF, they could also be friendly here. But Akabane felt that since Akira avoided her here, she would probably do the same in EF.
“Huh. Considering it’s Akira we’re talking about, I don’t think you have to worry.”
Akabane’s worried expression quickly soured.
“Don’t speak so lightly,” she said sharply. “If you tell her and she starts avoiding me in EF, will you take the blame?”
“Oh, well, uh—”
“Exactly. Anyway, it’s just too risky to tell her right now.”
“Hmm. Are you saying you want things to stay the way they are?”
“Absolutely not. I said ‘right now,’ as you might recall. That’s why I’ve been trying to meet her halfway, in order to pave the way for future friendship.”
“Halfway?! You always look like you’re practically begging for a fight with her.”
Akabane’s eyes widened.
“What? Are you kidding me?!”
“Lady, that’s my line! Why don’t you just talk to her like a normal, non-hostile human being?”
Is that it? She just doesn’t communicate her feelings well? Seems like people who grow up rich and famous try to assert their dominance without even realizing it.
“How dare you! What do you even mean by ‘normal’?! Aren’t real friends supposed to come to you?!” Akabane’s face flushed with red.
She must be embarrassed.
“Uh, have you really never tried making the first move yourself?”
“Erm... No, I haven’t.”
Celeb types like her are used to other people flocking to them. Akira probably grew up in a similar environment... I’m sure it bored her out of her mind. That’s probably why she got into online games, since then she could ignore the real world and immerse herself in a better one.
“All right, fine. I’ll help you out! I won’t say a word about Scarlet, and next time you want to try to talk to Akira, I’ll help you bridge the gap.”
“Hmph! I don’t need your help! I’ll be just fine by myself!”
I have some serious doubts about that. If she continues going about it in her own way, things will probably never change.
“Well, that goes without saying. I just feel like lending a hand here. If we can all game together, then I bet you can be good friends in real life, too.”
“If you insist, then I won’t stop you, but our circumstances are rather unique. Each of us was constantly told growing up that we had to be better than the other.”
“Hmm... That’s right, your parents are kinda like business rivals, right? How did all this come about, anyway?”
“Little more than coincidence, really. My brother had recommended EF to me, and the first players I met were you and Akira.”
Right. We became acquainted with Scarlet on his—erm, her first day, so we helped her out and played together often.
“It was deliciously fun. I might not be able to escape my responsibilities as the daughter of the Akabane family, but in EF, I was free.”
“Akira said something like that, too.”
“Really?” Akabane giggled. She looked a little happy to hear that. I wondered if it was because they had that little connection.
“Playing with the two of you was so fun that—pardon me for this—I looked into your backgrounds a tiny bit.”
“Huh. So that’s how you figured out Akira was Akira Aoyagi, right?”
“Yes. Until that point, I only saw Akira Aoyagi as an enemy to be defeated. But then...”
“You realized she was actually a good person.”
“Right. I grew tired of fighting with her, calling her an enemy and a rival, but we already had such a long history.”
“I feel you. You’re starting from less than zero on the friendship scale, so it takes time.”
“Yes. Right now, Akira hates me and wants nothing to do with me. Until we can overcome this barrier, I’m going to withhold from telling her I’m Scarlet.”
Right, right. From Akabane’s point of view, her plan to befriend Akira is already in motion. But because of her poor communication skills, it’s just not going well.
“Okay, got it. Let’s see what we can do until then!”
“You’re quite the busybody, you know that?”
“You think so?”
“Yes. Just like you were in EF.”
Ooh! This is the first time I’ve seen a gentle smile wriggle its way out of Akabane. It’s honestly beautiful.
With that, we entered the waiting room.
“Great job, Ren! You made it to the finals!”
“Yeah! Go win your next match, too, Akira!”
“Hmph, such a shame. I would have liked to take you down myself.”
Uh, wow, okay. That’s not being friendly at all, Akabane! Ahh, geez. The road ahead will be long and treacherous, but I’ll do my best to help their friendship blossom.