Vol. 2 Chapter 26 (Patreon)

October 27, 2031

Tuesday, Morning

Chu’s PoV

Breathing heavily, I surveyed the virtual arena, my disarmed butterfly sword lying just a few feet away. The battle with Blitz had been intense, pushing me to my limits and testing my skills. But despite the series of defeats ever since yesterday, I refused to let it dampen my spirit since I could see myself improving with how strong my opponent was.

With determination in my eyes, I approached one of the butterfly swords he disarmed during our spar, my hand reaching out to grasp its hilt. Lifting the sword, I felt its weight in my hand, the balance perfect as if it were an extension of my own arm.

“Again,” I requested a rematch after reacquiring my weapon.

He took a moment to consider before responding, "Let's take a break for now since we have a lot of time to practice for today. Rest is just as important for us to assimilate what we've learned from a fight." Then, as if recalling something, he added, "At least, that's what my mentor always says."

“…Alright,” I begrudgingly agreed.

Sitting on the arena floor, I took a moment to reflect on the fight. I analyzed my mistakes, the moments where I had faltered, and the areas where I could improve. It was not a time for self-pity or dwelling on the loss, but rather an opportunity for growth and learning.

After a few moments of silence, Blitz finally interrupted my contemplation. He has a talkative and carefree nature, always pestering me whenever I take time to reflect or want silence. However, I owe my training to him, so the least I can do is indulge him and engage in conversation.

“You’re Paradigm’s representative for the 1v1 tournament tomorrow, right?” he asked amicably.

The one-versus-one tournament, huh? It may not be as significant as the main event, but it still holds importance as it determines the bracket for the main tournament. Winning matches in the one-versus-one tournament ensures a spot in the upper bracket, providing an extra life in case of a loss, which is highly valuable.

“… Either me or our captain,” I replied curtly.

“Your captain? I heard from Seer she is quite good, but her potential lies in their duo, right?”

"You shouldn't underestimate her in a one-on-one. She is incredibly strong. In fact, she likely has a greater chance of defeating you than me," I said, irritation evident in my tone. After all, I haven't managed to defeat him in any of our numerous practice matches since yesterday.

Sensing my annoyance, he replied jovially "Don't let the losses get you down! You're quite skilled on your own. I'm certain I would have a tough time battling against you if you could also enter the flow state."

I pondered for a moment on his revelation. Regarding the flow state, I heard rumors about it enhancing your capabilities, but not to this extent.

"…Is that why you sometimes suddenly become faster and more precise in your attacks?" I inquired.

"Yes, one of the things my mentor taught me is how to tap on its psychological advantage whenever I fight strong opponents," he replied, sounding somewhat melancholic.

I had heard of that state before, but being able to enter it at will during a battle was news to me.

"…How do you enter that state in the midst of a fight?" I inquired curiously.

"It's all about mindset. Not everyone can enter it whenever they want. It varies from person to person, but the common factor is finding enjoyment in the battle. That's why I can only enter it when I face formidable opponents like you. So, you're actually helping me practice a great deal," he explained, his trademark lighthearted smile plastered on his face.

"…Enjoying the battle, huh?" I mused.

"Yeah, I'm pretty sure Zetta only took me on as an apprentice because he knows how much I enjoy a good fight," he admitted before quickly realizing our competitive relationship. "Oops, I don't want to give away too much. We're still going to face each other, and I'm certain Seer would scold me if I helped you more than I should. He said to benefit from you guys as much as you benefit from us, like a symbiotic relationship. But, he also emphasized that we should remember we are still competitors in the end, so I think it's crucial not to reveal all of our strategies or hidden advantages."

He paused, allowing me to absorb what he said. He is right though, our team's goal is to become the champion, and while we are currently helping each other, we will become adversaries once the tournament begins.

“That reminds me, our teammates are also currently practicing with each other, right?” he continued.

I nodded in response. If I remember correctly, our captain is training with theirs. Meanwhile, Novo is helping Renz overcome his weakness. I just hope they are gaining as much from their respective training as I am.

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Ariadne’s PoV

Liz moved, as quickly as possible with her hasted avatar, lunging forward with her rapier. It was a swift thrust aimed at my torso. I sidestepped with my agility and dodging prowess coming into play as I dodged her attack.

I retaliated swiftly, my daggers gleaming in the virtual sunlight as I launched a dual strike at Liz. She parried, her rapier moving with lightning-fast speed to deflect my attack. Our weapons clashed, the sound reverberating around the arena. On the corner of my eye, there was a single onlooker who was observing our every move, present to assist us in our practice with haste buff, Lucy.

The fight was a dance, a game of cat and mouse as we each tried to outmaneuver the other. Liz's fencing skills with her rapier were formidable, her attacks precise and calculated. But I countered with the unpredictability of my daggers, using their shorter length to my advantage to get in close and strike. It helps that she is not as accustomed to being hasted as I was, giving me a huge advantage in this spar.

At one point, Liz managed to score a hit, her rapier grazing my arm. But I quickly retaliated, spinning and landing a hit with one of my daggers. The match was evenly matched, both of us giving as good as we got even though it was just practice.

As the fight continued, I could see Liz adapting and improving bit by bit. She was starting to anticipate my moves. But I was also improving with a skilled opponent such as her.

In the end, the match was decided by a single, decisive strike. I feinted to the left after a quick dodge, drawing Liz's attention, then struck with my right-hand dagger. It was a direct hit to the head, and Liz's avatar staggered back.

“Ack!” she exclaimed.

Lizbeth

HP: 1%

Luckily, we have practice mode on so no amount of damage could be fatal in this custom-made arena, allowing us to spar a consecutive number of times with just little to no rest.

“Ugh! I lost again. I’m really not a match for you,” she complained while giving me a defeated look.

“That is not true, you are quite good at high-speed battles. Did Katherine help you train haste, Liz?”

She was insistent on being called by that nickname, and to my surprise, I found myself naturally using it. Perhaps it was due to her approachable and amiable demeanor. Over time, it became the norm for me to address her by that name.

“Uh-huh! How did you know!?” she asked, a hint of curiosity showing.

Oh, shoot, what a blunder. I almost forgot she still doesn’t know Katherine was my mentor. However, I can't be the one to reveal this information to her, even if I wanted to. It should come directly from Katherine herself. It's quite ironic, really. She often asks me questions about the previous Paragon members, particularly about Yuusha, not realizing that Yuusha is right beside her as her current teammate.

“…Just a guess. She seemed capable enough when I saw her solo kill the boss,” I told a white lie.

“Yeah, I know right? Kat is really incredibly skilled! She also has plenty of experience playing different VR games! Did you know she played a couple of extremely hard VR games before playing CoA? Those kinds of games where enemies can one-shot you when you make just a tiny bit of a mistake. Moreover, she also told me back then that she had been playing VR games for over a year before they even became publicly accessible. Primarily when VR was used for therapeutic rehabilitation for individuals confined to hospitals, long before it was integrated for entertainment purposes,” she rambled on about Katherine’s past, which made me a bit jealous she got to know her better.

I ponder to myself that Liz seems to have a close relationship with Yuusha. Back then, Katherine rarely spoke about herself, but I suppose it could be attributed to her being more open and expressive now compared to before. I should be grateful that I can now grow closer to her, more so than in the past, at least.

“Hmm, I didn’t know that. If that’s the case, I don’t think I can teach you more than she can.

She let out a giggle, piquing my curiosity as to the reason behind it. Before I could even inquire, she beat me to the punch.

"Funnily enough, Kat said the exact same thing! She mentioned that you would be a better sparring partner to help me improve more than she could ever be.”

As if struck by a sudden realization, she promptly continued.

"Wait... don't tell me both of you just want to pass me back and forth to each other like an unwanted toy because I'm bothersome?" she said, her expression instantly turning sad and betrayed.

Taken aback by her completely unfounded statement, I quickly attempted to refute her claim.

“Wha- of course not! I’m also benefitting from sparring with you. You are a fun company to begin with so hanging out with you is fun!” I tried to explain myself but when I saw her gloomy look morph into a mischievous one, I instantly knew she was just messing with me.

I shot her an annoyed look as I gently reprimanded her. "I didn't expect you to be so mischievous. Please refrain from doing it again," I said firmly.

“Whaaaat, it’s fun to see your embarrassed reaction though, so I can't make any promises," she replied with a playful smile, causing me to sigh at the quirkiness of this girl.

It appears that having someone with this particular personality is what it takes for Katherine to open up, which can be seen as an achievement in itself... I suppose.

As we were in the lull of our conversation, Lucy, who was probably surfing the net, rushed towards us both with an alarmed look on her face. Her eyes were wide with excitement and concern, and I could tell she had something important to share.

"Guys, you won't believe what I just saw on social media!" Lucy exclaimed, her voice filled with urgency. We both turned our attention to her, curious and eager to hear the news.

"What is it that has got you so excited?" I asked, filled with curiosity.

"Take a look at this!" she replied, her excitement evident in her voice.

Then, as if remembering that we couldn't see what was on her in-game browser, she quickly appeared sheepish.

"Um, just give me a moment, I'll send the link to both of you," she said with a hint of shyness in her blunder.

She swiftly maneuvered through her in-game browser, her fingers tapping rapidly on the invisible screen. As she scrolled through the posts and notifications, the anticipation in the air became palpable.

After a moment, Lucy finished sending the link. I opened it with my in-game browser and was immediately greeted by a shocking headline, accompanied by a viral clip that had been causing a stir on the internet, accumulating an impressive number of views within the past 12 hours throughout the CoA community.

“Streamer Got Trashed by a Girl in the Middle of His Stream?” I mumbled the headline before clicking on the video.

In the clip, I witnessed one of the participants, named Draven, attempting to flirt with someone I am quite familiar with.

"Whoa, both intelligent and attractive! I like you even more! How about leaving your boyfriend here and spending some time with a real man?" Draven proposed as he leaned his smug face toward the girl in the clip.

That guy, I am going to kill him!

Witnessing such repulsive behavior, I couldn't help but curse the piece of trash in my mind.

"Please leave us alone. Your cumbersome presence is spoiling our meal," Katherine responded with her usual calm and composed demeanor, as she often does.

She appeared completely unfazed by the pathetic attempt of the sorry excuse for a human being to flirt with her, which was a relief to see.

"Whoa, spicy! I like that attitude!" the contemptible dingus persisted, causing me to almost puke at his revolting actions.

As I was adding another insult to associate the retard in the depths of my mind, a girl thankfully butted in to help Katherine.

“Are you incapable of basic human comprehension? She said to leave her alone,” came in a voice from out of nowhere.

The camera Draven held then turned around to focus on the newcomer, revealing a girl with vibrant red-dyed hair. In that instant, I recognized her as one of the participants. If my memory serves me right, she is part of Arthur's team.

“Aren’t you from the team of hypocrites, the round something? Ah, the Round Table, right? Indulging in your false sense of justice once more by meddling in other’s affairs? Or perhaps you lot can only derive pleasure from feeling morally superior to others? How pathetic," the insufferable oaf taunted.

“... You really are quite annoying,” the girl muttered in a low but threatening voice.

“Wait, don’t tell me you’re jealous? Wanna have some fun too? Hmm, you're not half bad-looking yourself,” the piece of trash streamer taunted.

As the fool extended his hand, the girl swiftly sidestepped, capitalizing on his momentum. With a seamless motion, she seized his arm and effortlessly redirected his force, leveraging her body to unbalance him—a flawless execution of throwing technique. Caught off guard, the camera was thrown into the air and suddenly blurred.

"ACK!" the repugnant streamer's shout was all I could hear before the camera giving me the spinning view of the entire hall connected to the ground.

*Thump

The clip abruptly ended, leaving me with a glimmer of hope that his phone had been destroyed upon impact. Even if that small punishment is extremely insufficient in comparison to his heinous transgressional crime—his sin of being born into this world.

Realizing that my emotions were spiraling out of control, I instinctively resorted to the breathing technique that Katherine had taught me back then. This technique proved to be remarkably effective in helping me maintain composure during intense situations like this, especially in the heat of the battle. It thankfully prevented me from uttering insults that I knew I would later regret saying in front of my friends.

"What an infuriating guy," a menacing voice escaped from my sparring partner, causing a shiver to run down my spine.

She wore an annoyed smile, a blend of frustration and anger that she struggled to conceal. It was surprising to see her make such a face, given her typically carefree and cheerful nature. However, I couldn't blame her, considering that it was her team members whom Draven had disrespected. As a captain of my own team myself, I could understand where she was coming from.

“Let’s continue the practice, Aria. I want to improve so I can completely trash that guy in the tournament,” she quickly suggested, her expression now resolute, a far cry from her usual lighthearted demeanor.

“A-Alright, let us proceed.” taken aback by her change of attitude, I could do nothing but comply with her request.