Vol.2 Chapter 47
As the gamemenced, 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 thepetition. I must admit, I appreciate the ambiance of this map. The only drawback is the potential for ambushes, particrly in this semi-dark setting. However, since neither our team nor the opponents have ambush-oriented yers, the ying field remains level.
"Let us stick to the battle n. Everyone, good luck," I quicklymanded
“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 dy.
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 de, 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 de speak for yourself," I dered.
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 ovee. But the katana in my hands and our Yamamoto technique is an extension of myself, lighter and fasterpared 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 y 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 me. It is as if she is here, fighting together with me in this battle.
Just as I was nning 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 sessful, but it seems that trying to block his full-force attack was a bad move.
<strong>TING*</strong>
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.
<strong>KACHACK*</strong>
I was shed across my shoulders.
"Guh!"
<strong>Yatsufusa</strong>
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 myposure for the match ahead.
Observing that his taunts failed to elicit a reaction, heunched 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 circr block, the guard meeting the t of his de with a resounding ng.
<strong>TING</strong>*
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 ck in the de 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.
<strong>Draven</strong>
Hp: 94%
I have tomend 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 rmed 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 sh 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 eximed as he tried to take a distance to regain his momentum.
I won''t let you get away! I won''t y safe like I did in myst 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 shes, he finally made a mistake. He was caught off bnce in his attempt to dodge myst sh, 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 sessfully uses theirs wins! And I see no better opportunity to use it than now!
“Falling Rain Blossom!” I eximed.
In a heartbeat, I erupt into motion. My body coils and lunges, a whirlwind of controlled fury. The first sh 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 aplish only when practicing solo and not able to do in real matches, even moreso in a tournament match.
I made the third and final sh of mybo.
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.
<strong>WOOOSH*</strong>
The final sh creates a near-silent vacuum, the sound of disced air blending into the deafening ring of my own heartbeat in my ears.
<strong>Draven</strong>
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.
-------------------------------------------------------------
<strong>Kaito''s PoV</strong>
I twisted my hand as I made my mace m into the side of the oing axe. The impact sent a jolt through my arms, but the blow nced off, deflected.
Not a momentter, 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 andunched a downward swing with his weapon.
With a desperate lunge, I dove to the side, the de of the axe nicking me in my shoulder as I failed topletely dodge it. The resulting ncing attack damaged my HP even though it barely hit.
<strong>Susanno</strong>
HP: 28%
The tnd 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.
<strong>Ragar</strong>
Hp: 100%
<strong>Endo</strong>
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 exins their astonishment. Just as I was reveling in the positive development, another announcement disrupted my celebration.
''We also beat their.''
''Bottom orb yer 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 ording to Ms. Aoi''s n. I guess that is the mind of a professional yer for you. Thousands of hours of experience in high-level y probably made her so good that I cannot evenprehend 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 gamey. 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 ttered against the tnd as I two-handedly wielded my mace for better striking power.
Gripping my mace tighter with both hands, Iunched 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 tounch a counterattack towards his exposed head.
<strong>KACHACK*</strong>
<strong>BAM*</strong>
We both simultaneously hit each other with both of our respective weapons.
<strong>Susanno</strong>
Hp:0%
<strong>Ragar</strong>
Hp: 78%
The enemy team doesn''t have a dedicated healer, so every damage counts. Therefore, even in my defeat, I found sce 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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