ch401-ch420 · 411-ch411

Chapter 411: The Fifth Member

"Haruki-san, there's no need to hold back! Give it your all!"

Winning while going easy on a human opponent is harder than it sounds.

Not only do I have to avoid killing her—I have to keep injuries to an absolute minimum.

Even with Minami's group, 'Armor Manipulation' was how I managed to win without hurting anyone.

And this time, my opponent is THE 'Sword Saint-chan.'

Having to aim for a razor-thin victory against someone stronger than me, of all things......

"Then—begin!"

(【Charge・Shield・Armor Enhancement・Shield・High】【Charge・Shield・Magic Up・High】【Charge・Shield・Endurance Up・High】【Charge・Shield・Strength Up・High】【Charge・Shield・Agility Up・High】)

Shield super mode, activated the moment we start.

Normally, this is where I'd throw a 'Gate' up right in front of me to block her 【Dimension Slash】.

But she can't exactly unleash killing blows at me either.

And as I knew she would, 'Sword Saint-chan' doesn't move from the starting line.

It was the same in my fights with Kasumi-san and Hiramatsu-san—her basic approach is to wait and watch what her opponent does.

Because she knows she's the overwhelmingly stronger one.

Or maybe she's waiting for me to finish applying my buffs.

(【Charge・Armor・High】【Charge・Armor・Magic Up・High】【Charge・Armor・Endurance Up・High】【Charge・Armor・Strength Up・High】【Charge・Armor・Agility Up・High】)

Armor—that makes hyper mode.

A world where everything, everything is slow.

Even my own movements......

I'm not wearing armor, so this activates through my shoes.

Apparently 'the empty armor' has been showing up in the 'Sword Saint-chan' dream too, after all.

Until the match is over, I'm using a round shield instead of the Shield Gauntlet so as not to give anything away.

Incidentally, I'm not taking any buffs from Soushi and the others.

After all, Ao-san is a buffing specialist.

The most troublesome thing would be for them to notice that and buff 'Sword Saint-chan' on their side in return.

Making the holding-back problem even harder would be a disaster.

In a mock battle, by the standard rules of the match format, one point is scored the moment a generally accepted valid hit lands.

【Flying Slash】 wouldn't be a fatal wound for me, but it would draw blood—and that alone would make it 'Sword Saint-chan's' win.

Fought properly, I cannot win this match.

So of course, I'm not fighting properly.

(【Charge・Spear・Weapon Enhancement・Spear】【Charge・Spear・Magic Up】【Charge・Spear・Endurance Up】【Charge・Spear・Strength Up】【Charge・Spear・Agility Up】)

Three of them—Ultra Mode.

Sound disappears.

Every movement becomes something I have to do consciously.

My breathing, my heartbeat......

Honestly, 'Weapon Enhancement' would be better left off.

But 'Sword Saint-chan' cuts wooden spears with a wooden sword even outside the dungeon, you know.

So this enhancement is necessary.

The instant the enhancements finish, I go into the motion of throwing the spear.

Right hand—the spear that ISN'T enhanced.

'Aiming' isn't necessary.

At Ultra-level enhancement, I can make millimeter-precise adjustments all the way down to my fingertips.

I can throw at the target I choose, with exactly the force I choose.

My target: right between the brows.

(【Gate】)

As the launched spear drifts toward 'Sword Saint-chan' in slow motion, I use the 'Eye Gates,' sandwiching her from left and right.

Thank you for standing still until now.

Drawing that starting line in advance was worth it after all.

She stood right there, completely taken in.

I'd placed the 'Right Eye Gate' there beforehand.

And just now, I deployed the 'Left Eye Gate' on the opposite side.

Her left and right movement—sealed.

(【Gate】)

Extending my spear-holding left hand straight out to the side, I unfold the 'Left Hand Gate' as well.

A 'Gate' isn't even a millimeter thick.

At this angle, the 'Left Hand Gate' shouldn't be visible to 'Sword Saint-chan.'

More than that, her eyes are locked on the tip of the wooden spear flying at her brow.

But she seems to have realized she's been surrounded, and begins to move slowly.

Toward the incoming spear—for 'Sword Saint-chan,' that's forward.

Leaping upward isn't impossible as an option, but that would put her in a death stance, after all.

Well, in her case she could also unleash 【Flying Slash】 from above, so it's not out of the question......

(Here I go!)

Once I've read 'Sword Saint-chan's' move, I move on to my next hand—no, to the finish.

Up to this point, everything was as predicted: surrounded on three sides, she comes forward.

So I come forward too?

No—the opposite.

That would just mean colliding with her head-on.

Left—into the 'Left Hand Gate,' and around behind her.

My vision goes dark for an instant, and when it returns, what I see is 'Sword Saint-chan's' back.

She hasn't reacted yet.

Throwing the spear at her brow was to draw her attention.

When she tries to look over here, her eyes will inevitably go to the tip of the incoming spear first.

So she'll be an instant late in noticing I've vanished.

One instant is enough.

With that much, I can catch up to 'Sword Saint-chan' from behind, even after she's started running.

That's what Ultra Mode is for.

Ultra Mode doesn't just double your stats—by moving your body with precision inside that frame-by-frame time, you can draw out the raw strength of your flesh to its very limit.

One step, two......

(Caught up)

'Sword Saint-chan' has just begun swinging her sword, trying to shoot down the incoming wooden spear.

What I'm aiming for: her legs.

Sorry about this, but please be prepared for at least a broken bone.

That's just how much speed I've built up.

But this won't be the end—that's what makes her a 'Sword Saint.'

Faster than my spear-holding hand can reach, she shoots down the thrown spear, and without losing that momentum, swings a returning slash.

There's no way I can make it in time......

And yet in this frame-by-frame world, that sword alone traces a beautiful arc, as if bound by no constraints whatsoever.

(Can it really make it in time......)

Whether she meant to cut my wooden spear or parry it, I can't tell—but it ends up meaningless.

The spear is 'Weapon Enhanced,' and the thrust I've just unleashed is the 'Mountain Kata.'

A thrust charged to the extreme by Ultra Mode can no longer be stopped, nor deflected.

Even if the weight listed on 'Sword Saint-chan's' profile—which I checked yesterday—was padded by ten kilos, no, even if she shaved it off entirely, blocking is impossible.

The spear strikes dead-on the left leg that had been 'Sword Saint-chan's' axis as she spun like a top—right around the knee.

The MP release of 【Charge・Spear】 took its toll, but along with that unpleasant feeling of shattering bone, 'Sword Saint-chan' is flung into the air.

Spinning in a corkscrew from the vertical rotation I created and the horizontal rotation she created herself......

'Sword Saint-chan' pulled off rotations worthy of a world snowboarding competition, but her landing wasn't a ten—she fell face-down onto the ground.

"Shiraishi-san!"

I call out to Shiraishi-san in a panic—but I panicked so much I stayed in Ultra Mode.

I was speaking absurdly fast; she may not have caught a word of it.

"Shiraishi-san, please use your recovery!"

I thought about dismissing it and saying it again, but before I could, Kasumi-san called out to her.

Should I dismiss the 'Gates' too?

Thank goodness it only took two sets......

Good thing it went with this pattern.

I'd prepared several approaches, so having her come at me this straightforwardly was a relief.

No—if anything, the best part was her wearing armor.

If she'd so much as frozen up for an instant, I'd have deployed the 'Eye Gates' and circled behind her, and it would have been over.

Thanks to that, the 'Left Hand Gate' I'd parked on Floor 40 is gone now.

I'll ask Anego-san to put those guys through the wringer.

"Oh dear, oh dear."

Shiraishi-san comes running.

That was quite the fall, but at Level 50, something like that shouldn't bother her.

Her knee would normally leave her crippled, but Shiraishi-san will surely manage something.

She's not in top form today, so I'm a little worried, though......

"What WAS that just now......? Was that shadow 'dark magic' or something?"

The two of 'Blue Ocean' stand dumbfounded.

"Teleportation...... It's teleportation. A 'Gate'...... is it? A cross-tipped spear, and the ability to wield 'Gates'...... He's—he's the fifth member......"

Referee, isn't it about time for the victory call?