Vol.2 Chapter 47

As the game commenced, my team and I were transported to the designated map. The moonlight cascaded through the stage setting, casting a soft glow on the dust particles dancing around me as I regained my bearings. A stage resembling a faerie forest theme. It appears that the management has introduced new maps for this tournament, adding a refreshing element to the competition. I must admit, I appreciate the ambiance of this map. The only drawback is the potential for ambushes, particularly in this semi-dark setting. However, since neither our team nor the opponents have ambush-oriented players, the playing field remains level.

"Let us stick to the battle plan. Everyone, good luck," I quickly commanded

“Understood.”

“Okay.”

“Okay!”

They all gave me a positive response before we all swiftly proceeded to our respective orb capture targets.

The jog was brief, and I reached my destination without delay.

Just as I arrived at the middle orb, I received confirmation from all of my teammates that the expected rotation of the enemy was true. My sister is really incredible at predicting the opponent's rotation to this extent. Therefore, the opponent before me... is Draven.

I locked eyes with him as he took his stance across from me, raising his broadsword high. The dual-edged blade, reflecting the moonlight from the faerie forest with a mocking glint, appeared to contrast with the graceful curve of my katana.

"Oh, the famous Murasame's sister is my opponent, huh? But then again, I shouldn't address you that way, should I? It would be disrespectful to her to even draw any connection between you and that name, especially considering you’re so weak," he taunted, aiming to provoke my insecurities.

Just as Sis said, he is going to use my diffidence against me. It won’t work, though, because now I know what my sister truly feels: that she will never be disappointed in me!

"Enough talk, let your blade speak for yourself," I declared.

He sneered in response and assumed his stance.

From what my sister said, he is a skilled fighter in his own right. His broadsword offers a reach advantage I had to overcome.  But the katana in my hands and our Yamamoto technique is an extension of myself, lighter and faster compared to his movements.

We circled each other, the tension crackling in the air.  I have a feeling this fight would end quickly since we're both offense-type-oriented in both stats and play style. The good thing is that it seems I'm not as nervous now as I was in my first fight. I guess my sister's reassuring presence is what's to blame. It is as if she is here, fighting together with me in this battle.

Just as I was planning to make the first move, he lunged in an instant and swung full force with his broadsword. It was so fast that it caught me off guard. I only had a split-second chance to parry it. I was successful, but it seems that trying to block his full-force attack was a bad move.

TING*

His huge swing instantly broke my posture as I parried it. He almost flung away my sword, which would be a death sentence for a swordswoman like me. It's a good thing I barely held on to my weapon, but I sacrificed my mobility in the process and failed to dodge his next attack.

KACHACK*

I was slashed across my shoulders.

"Guh!"

Yatsufusa

Hp:62%

Holy shit! That was a lot of damage! He really is built full-on attack.

I swiftly maneuvered to create distance between us. Fortunately, he opted not to pursue me but instead regarded me with a sneer. Despite his arrogant demeanor, I remained unruffled, concentrating on maintaining my composure for the match ahead.

Observing that his taunts failed to elicit a reaction, he launched another attack. This time, I was prepared. By sensing his impending strike through subtle cues like the shift in his weight and the tension in his shoulders, I anticipated his movements. As he lunged forward, I deftly raised my katana in a circular block, the guard meeting the flat of his blade with a resounding clang.

TING*

The force of the blow sent a tremor up my arm, but I held firm this time, careful not to get caught up again by his raw power.

My opponent didn't relent. He twisted his wrist, attempting to use the momentum of his attack to yank the katana from my grasp. I countered by letting go with my left hand, the sudden slack in the blade causing his broadsword to overshoot its mark. As it scraped harmlessly past my shoulder, I brought my left hand back up, snapping it onto the handle below the tsuba for a two-handed grip.

This was my moment. With a burst of adrenaline, I lunged forward, aiming for the space between his elbow and chest – a vulnerability exposed by his wide stance.  He reacted with surprising speed, bringing his left forearm up in a desperate block.

The katana bit into the leather of his vambrace but barely pierced the metal beneath. Still, the attack did some chip damage, which is beneficial for me in reducing his HP to a suitable kill zone with my weapon skills.

Draven

Hp: 94%

I have to commend him for his quick thinking. Even if his personality is trash, his skills are quite top-notch. It was a good move to take the hit with his arm, or the damage would've been a lot more than it is now.

We were chest-to-chest now, locked in a struggle for strength, which he has a lot of stats put into, considering the pressure I'm experiencing right now. I need to create space, or I would be at a disadvantage if this continues.

"I like that feisty look of yours! It would be pure ecstasy to trample over your determination after I beat you senseless," he taunted as he looked manically at my face.

Good thing Sis already alarmed me of this kind of possibility. Don't fall for his provocations, Hana. I reminded myself.

With a grunt, I dipped my center of gravity low, knees almost brushing the floor.  Draven, caught off guard by the sudden maneuver, stumbled back a step.

Seizing the opportunity, I unleashed a series of fast strikes – techniques designed for drawing and striking in one fluid motion. My katana became a blur, singing through the air with a high-pitched whine. The first strike, a horizontal slash aimed at his throat, he barely managed to deflect with the cross guard of his broadsword. The second is a diagonal cut aimed at his knee. It connected, bringing him to an even lower HP.

Draven

Hp: 72%

Tsk!" He exclaimed as he tried to take a distance to regain his momentum.

I won't let you get away! I won't play safe like I did in my last match! High risk, high reward. The offense is the best defense, just as our Yamamoto's swordsmanship teaches! Hit them with all I got so they cannot hit back!

I went all out on the attack, close to depleting my stamina. With my constant barrage of extremely fast slashes, he finally made a mistake. He was caught off balance in his attempt to dodge my last slash, an opportunity I was waiting for.

This is it! It's now or never! Time to finish this!

From what my sister said, it seems he uses an offensive weapon skill, unlike my previous opponent, who has a defensive skill. In that case, I need to use mine first to finish him before he has a chance to use his. In a battle of offensive weapon skills, the one who successfully uses theirs wins! And I see no better opportunity to use it than now!

“Falling Rain Blossom!” I exclaimed.

In a heartbeat, I erupt into motion. My body coils and lunges, a whirlwind of controlled fury. The first slash explodes from my core, aimed at his broadsword hand– a maneuver to disrupt my opponent's grip and damage him in the process while preventing blocks. The second follows like a viper's strike, a lightning-fast cut toward his exposed chest.

Sensing instinctively, I honed through thousands of hours of practice that the effect time of my weapon skill was still not up; I made a move that I can usually accomplish only when practicing solo and not able to do in real matches, even moreso in a tournament match.

I made the third and final slash of my combo.

The culmination of the entire sequence. I aimed it at his head - a split-second strike meant to end the fight before it truly began in Yamamoto-style fashion.

WOOOSH*

The final slash creates a near-silent vacuum, the sound of displaced air blending into the deafening ring of my own heartbeat in my ears.

Draven

Hp: 0%

"Im... impossible... H-how?"

"I hope that this defeat will teach you a lesson to temper your attitude in the future," I chided.

He was speechless before he turned into blue notes of light.

"Whew," I heaved a huge sigh.

I closed my eyes to regain my bearings and exhaled before slowly sheathing my katana, savoring the victory I had rightfully earned. It made a satisfying clink as it was fully sheathed.

I sat back and absorbed my victory for a bit, taking in the fact that I had finally regained my honor before informing my team of my victory.

-------------------------------------------------------------

Kaito's PoV

I twisted my hand as I made my mace slam into the side of the oncoming axe. The impact sent a jolt through my arms, but the blow glanced off, deflected.

Not a moment later, I parried a fireball from the robed figure behind the axe wielder with my shield as it arched toward my chest.

The axe wielder did not let the opportunity go to waste and launched a downward swing with his weapon.

With a desperate lunge, I dove to the side, the blade of the axe nicking me in my shoulder as I failed to completely dodge it. The resulting glancing attack damaged my HP even though it barely hit.

Susanno

HP: 28%

The flat land scraped against my armored shoulder as I rolled, the world spinning for an instant. Coming up on one knee, I locked eyes with my opponents.

Ragar

Hp: 100%

Endo

Hp: 100%

"Isn't it about time to give up? You haven't even done any damage to us," the axe user taunted.

I scoffed. "I could do this all day."

"Hahah, I like your determination, but you are-" he paused, seemingly shocked at something.

Just as I wondered why both of them looked suddenly shocked, I received a voice chat from Hana.

'Already beat their ace. I'm going to back you up now after I acquire the middle orb.'

That explains their astonishment. Just as I was reveling in the positive development, another announcement disrupted my celebration.

'We also beat their.'

'Bottom orb player too.'

The twins also voiced in the team chat interface.

I smiled. That is to be expected since the two of them are only up against a single opponent. It looks like my work installing them is done. It's crazy to think how well everything went according to Ms. Aoi's plan. I guess that is the mind of a professional player for you. Thousands of hours of experience in high-level play probably made her so good that I cannot even comprehend her line of thought.

With three teammates still in action and possessing an orb advantage, victory in this game seems all but assured.

" "What's wrong? Has your confidence wavered?" I retorted, savoring the shift in their expressions.

Without warning, their demeanor shifted to full-on aggressive gameplay. They seemed to want to disregard their own well-being to end the fight much more quickly. That reckless approach suited me just fine.

The axe wielder growled at me and began to dash towards me for a strike.

With a growl that mirrored his own, I flung my shield aside. It clattered against the flat land as I two-handedly wielded my mace for better striking power.

Gripping my mace tighter with both hands, I launched myself toward him.

The air whooshed past my ears as I closed the distance, sacrificing defense for a single, devastating blow.

As the rush of air enveloped me, I closed the gap between us, opting to forego defense for a single, decisive strike.

My focus narrowed solely on him, his axe descending in a fierce arc. Without flinching, I eschewed any attempt to evade or parry his attack, opting instead to launch a counterattack towards his exposed head.

KACHACK*

BAM*

We both simultaneously hit each other with both of our respective weapons.

Susanno

Hp:0%

Ragar

Hp: 78%

The enemy team doesn't have a dedicated healer, so every damage counts. Therefore, even in my defeat, I found solace in having weakened him slightly to aid my teammates in their battle.

A sense of satisfaction washed over me for a job executed well before I dissipated into azure particles of light.

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