Chapter 396
"Easier said than done," as the saying goes.
That's probably an accurate description of what others might think I'm about to do now.
"About time, isn't it?""Yes, considering you've managed to counter me so perfectly, I have no choice."
I continued to parry, respond to, and counterattack Claudia's attacks while she was equipped with the High-Speed Makers. Not only did I gain the advantage against Claudia, whom no one had been able to defeat, but I was just one step away from victory when Claudia suddenly smiled faintly.
"Heavenly Fist."
She played her trump card.Simultaneously with the activation of her Unique Skill, the pressure surrounding Claudia transformed into something overwhelming.The crackling, wavering air gave the illusion of burning my skin.
"It's like a reenactment of that time.""Yes, the first time we met.""There was quite a status gap when I challenged you back then too, right?"
You could hear someone in the air around us swallowing nervously.Claudia is the most reliable ally one could ask for, but facing her as an enemy made me realize just how terrifying she could be.
What kind of looks must the others be giving me as I smile in such an atmosphere?
"That's right. At the very least..."
While feeling a slight regret that I was now demonstrating in practice just what kind of speed Runner Runners can achieve in a head-on fight...
"I don't think the gap was *this* big."
Claudia's fist, showing an explosive acceleration from a relaxed state that left sound behind, was already before my eyes.
No time to even set my spear.No room for a counterattack, of course.
All the advantage I had built up until now was reset.
I tried to barely deflect it with the shaft of my spear, moved through Future Sight, but Claudia's fist, now with increased attack power unlike before when only her speed was enhanced by the High-Speed Makers, sent me flying.
"But of course!"
Even after receiving a blow that would break anyone's spirit, my gamer brain, which believes there's a way out if I can just hold on, begins calculating a path to survival.
"Converting my attack into rotational force, are you?!""Using the opponent's strength is half the battle!!"
The first thing I give up on is relying solely on my own power to maintain attack speed.
No matter how I struggle, the status gap between me and Claudia now is too wide to secure attack speed and counterattacks with my own stats alone.
Then, the first thing to do is to be parried or knocked away.Her outrageous speed and attack power make it feel like my body will be ripped apart just from having the tip of my blade deflected, but conversely, if I can utilize that power directly, I can trade blows.
Aerial Step for mid-air posture control, delicate fingertip movements, wrist action, and even using all my joints to disperse the impact.Furthermore, I mustn't let go of the impact needed to secure my own attack speed.
Not only do I have to do all this instantly by feel, but I also have to perform it while calculating the opponent's movements to some extent—a gamble of a strategy mixed with prediction.
But you know, if you can manage the first blow, you can surprisingly lock the opponent into a pattern.
*Clang, clang, clang!* High-pitched metallic sounds ring out, their source being my spear and Claudia's fists.And now, my arms and Claudia's hands are moving at high speed, leaving afterimages.
"If I lack power, I just need to borrow it from elsewhere!!!""Tch! You really are something! You keep me entertained!"
I use Claudia's attacks to launch counterattacks.Claudia either dodges or parries those counterattacks.If she dodges, I add attacks using my own power.If she parries and deflects, I slip in a small technique while using that recoil to pursue further.
My fingertip movements and predictions of Claudia's attacks keep linking up, making my brain feel like it's about to overheat, but I ignore my body's screams with a smile.If you could film my fingertips with an ultra-high-speed camera, you'd probably see my fingers wriggling in a way that's almost disturbing.
The spear is swung wildly around my body as its axis, and the fingertips controlling it are required to move with a precision that allows no error of even a few millimeters.
"Even with this power, I cannot push through?!""I'll show you that a status difference isn't the decisive factor in combat power!!"
While feeling a sense of nostalgia from those movements, I try to inject fighting spirit by talking tough and make an effort to secure even a little reserve by using Shadow Clone and Hate Down, but...
To be honest, it's incredibly tough.Who was the idiot who thought of attempting this insane challenge that goes beyond hellish difficulty... oh right, it was me!
I could keep holding out until time runs out, but that would be an unsatisfying conclusion and would prove I can't counter Runner Runner's frenzied state.
A situation where securing even a moment to catch my breath is difficult.An environment where attacks are exchanged countless times in an instant.Claudia, moving while leaving afterimages, creating shockwaves, making her movement itself an attack.
By now, her movements are so super-dimensional you'd think she could go toe-to-toe with some prince from a vegetable planet. To match that, what I did was...
"Huh?!"
An attack forcing her to defend near her ear.And the sound that rang out upon attacking wasn't the metallic clang of gauntlet meeting spear,but a *pop!* - a bursting sound.
"Tch!"
Well, it's not actually that loud of a sound.But for Claudia, whose nerves are entirely focused on combat and excessively sensitive right now, it must have sounded like an explosion.
Continuously spinning my spear with my body, intercepting, and seizing the chance to counterattack once every few times, I forced Claudia to defend near her ear.The contact between the blade tip and the arm she raised to protect the side of her face.
What I did was simple, but in extreme conditions, an effective little trick called the 'Cat Trick' skill.
Normally, it's just a skill that claps hands in front of the target to create a startling sound, and depending on the target's status, it can even be nullified.
However, the activation condition for this skill is simply bringing two objects together, with one of them being part of the skill user's body or an object they are touching.
The bursting sound near her ear slightly disrupted Claudia's vestibular system.In a super-high-speed, precision battle, that creates an opening that's practically impossible to recover from.
Claudia grimaces, as if she'd forgotten about it.
"You've got to always keep the skill composition of a known opponent in mind!!""Not yet!"
She desperately tries to right her wobbling body, but it's not an opening she can instantly recover from.In this ultimate speed battle, nothing is more important than balance.
The fact her stance only faltered slightly is a testament to Claudia's combat sense.She immediately calculates the physiological damage and reconstructs her body movement to cope.
This recovery is also only possible thanks to the massively boosted stats from Heavenly Fist.Plus, equipping High-Speed Makers gives her plenty of leeway in terms of speed.
Her vestibular system's durability and recovery ability are also enhanced due to the status increase.
But still, if I can break her balance for just a moment, a mere instant...
"My options increase!!"
My number of possible actions increases, even if only temporarily.I instantly send instructions from brain to body for the action pattern I had decided on, parry Claudia's kick (from her unbalanced posture) with the spear's butt-spike, use my opposite elbow to deflect the follow-up punch, and sweep at her supporting leg.
By doing this, I make Claudia's consciousness realize the next attack is likely the finishing blow, engraving that possibility in her mind, and then...
***BANG!!***
I detonate another 'Cat Trick' with even higher volume near Claudia's *other* ear.
"Here, of all places?""Exactly! Precisely because it's here!"
Not the finishing blow, but the blow to corner her.
A follow-up to the vestibular system—Claudia's body wobbles again.Attack skills are prohibited, but Cat Trick is an active support skill. In FBO, it was valued for inducing stun, you know.
It's not very effective against monsters without ears, and while there are many monsters without eyes, most monsters have ears. Even if they don't, there are quite a few monsters that detect vibrations like sound.
It's really handy.Especially in PvP.
Something common to both monster battles and PvP—important skills.Techniques to land a powerful blow.
The so-called 'small techniques'.
In fighting games, you could call them light attacks or special moves, I guess?
Techniques prepared to reliably hit the opponent.Even in FBO, which has a skill slot limit, many players think it's important to include such small techniques.
In fact, players often express their individuality through the variety of these small techniques.There were even experts who could confirm kill combos starting with skills everyone deemed useless.
Thanks to that Cat Trick, Claudia finally exposes a critical loss of posture.
The first and second attacks—consecutive sonic assaults. Her posture control is completely broken, and I immediately combine it with Shadow Clone and Hate Down.
She loses sight of me.This is the true essence of an assassin build—assassination from the front.
While she loses sight of me and is searching, in less than a second, a fraction of a second.A glimpse of the combos I used to snatch victories in PvP in FBO, combos that concluded within 30 frames at 60fps.
By now, I don't even need to think. With a sense of nostalgia, my body moves on its own, screaming to do it faster.
Using parries to guide Claudia into the spear's attack range.Forcing further posture breakdown with leg hooks.A vital point thrust slipping through the gaps in her guard.And then...
"My win.""...Yes, it's my loss."
Completely breaking the opponent's posture, and with a flowing motion, I gently swing the scythe as if reaping Claudia's neck, shattering the barrier.
If the opponent were a monster, it would be a flow allowing no chance for counterattack, immediately activating Neck Hunt.
In this simulated battle, victory is decided when either barrier shatters.Having completely calculated the barrier's capacity and shattered it, my victory.
"Liberta won.""Yeah, he won.""He won despite that disadvantage!""Yes, Lord Liberta's victory."
Claudia gently relaxes and deactivates Heavenly Fist.As we withdraw our spears, matching our movements, Nell and Amina's words announce the conclusion.
Thus, cheers erupt.
"WOOOOOOOH! He won! He actually won!! AMAZING! I was watching but have no idea how he did it!""Yeah! Yeah! It's just... I can only say it was amazing!""Splendid! Truly splendid, my lord!""...Hohoho, how many years has it been since I last gripped the armrests so tightly?"
Hearing my comrades' cheers, I gently extend a hand to Claudia.
"You intended to win like this back then too, didn't you?""Back then, I had too few cards to play. But if I could prepare this much, I could snatch a win.""Truly, I keenly felt my own immaturity once more.""I think having a summit you can still climb is one of the happiest things in life."
She takes it with a wry smile and stands up. As she wobbles, perhaps her vestibular system hasn't fully recovered yet, I support her.
"Are you okay?""Yes, a Heal will fix it. However, this makes it 579 battles, 135 wins, 225 losses, 219 draws. You've pulled quite far ahead to get a winning record.""By the way, when her stance broke from that Cat Trick, there was another winning move. Wanna hear it?"
After a fight, no hard feelings.That's the secret to getting along after PvP.
"That's a tough one. There's value in hearing it for future learning, but it would take away the joy of thinking it through and figuring it out myself.""You understand.""Yes, becoming stronger means struggling. Meeting you made me think that even more."
A somewhat enjoyable episode today. Well then, with the Percy Workshop members also moving, I guess we'll set out on our scouting journey again from tomorrow.