Vol.2 Chapter 58 (Patreon)

Hana's PoV

I sighed in relief as I successfully defeated Arthur. A surprise attack might be considered cowardly, but I have to do whatever it takes to win the game for my team. That is the duty of an ace.

"That was an incredible move, Hana!" my teammate Ren praised.

“O-oh, thanks,” I gave a customary reply.

It seems I’m not used to hearing Ren talk alone. He always talks in sync with his sister, and his praise caught me a bit off guard. Or maybe I’m just recovering from the adrenaline surge from my last skirmish.

Although we defeated Arthur, it appears that we also suffered. Most of my teammates have already been defeated. Only Ren and I remain. If I had a bit faster, I could’ve saved Rei, too.

I instantly shook my head. No use is wallowing in regrets. I did my best, so no use beating myself over it.

Looking at the bright side, we do have a player and orb advantage against our only remaining opponent. She would have to come to us to have a chance at winning the match.

We could just run and try to stall for time, but it won't matter in the end, as the available map area shrinks as time goes by. Therefore, we would still have to fight in the end. Besides, it would be too cowardly to run with two players on our side against only a single opponent. I think the best play here is to set up an ambush against our opponent as we wait for her to come to us. Right?

How I wish Sis was here to tell me the best possible play Aran and I could make, but I can't be that hopeful. Besides, it's against the rules for a coach or any other player to message us in the middle of an ongoing official match. The CoA disables private messages from outside in the middle of the match.

“What should we do now?” As if reading my mind, Ren queried the question I was currently asking myself.

“Hmm, I think…” I was not able to finish my sentence as I sensed a presence approaching us.

On the far end of the open field, our last remaining opponent walks towards us slowly without even trying to conceal herself. Looking at her closely, she seems as if she is forcing herself to walk, her eyelids drooping like half-opened curtains.  If I didn't know better, I'd think she was about to doze off on her feet. But, looking at her closely, there's a glint in her eye that keeps her from looking truly sleepy.

Gwyneth

HP: 71%

The weapon she is sporting is also a curiosity. It's not a heavy, brutal sword but a slightly curved one. It looks more suited to someone who fights with finesse than brute strength. It is an interesting choice for someone who seems to would rather stay at home and rest than fight this battle against us.

"Ugh... walking after a duel is hard enough as it is. Why does it have to be a 2-on-1? I'm so sleepy, and right now, gravity seems to be winning that it's so hard to just stand," she groaned.

I don't believe one can experience genuine physical fatigue in a VR game. Mentally? Perhaps. But physically? It seems implausible… unless she is an exception.

"...You could just forfeit again?" I suggest jokingly after seeing her last match against the Paradigm, where she forfeited.

"Yeah, I agree!" Ran seconded my opinion.

My statement evoked a positive reaction from her. "Hmm... that's a great idea!"

Wait! I only suggested it as a gag, but I didn't expect that she really was going to forfeit! I'm not complaining, but isn't this a little bit... anticlimactic?

A second later, as if remembering something, she suddenly deflated like a balloon.

"Ugh, but as tempting as that sounds... Art would never let me live it down if I were to surrender now without even attempting to put on a fight, especially considering this is an elimination round," she sighed wearily before proceeding.

"Besides,” she continued. “It's not a four versus one like last time, so I think this is manageable... but it looks like I need to get serious," she said as her droopy gaze sharpened for the very first time.

Her aura suddenly changed, and my instincts, honed through hundreds and thousands of battles, were screaming at me that this girl was dangerous.

"Uhm, Hana. This girl is giving me some really bad vibes," Ren, my last remaining teammate, commented as he readied his shield in preparation for the bout.

"Be careful, Ran. We don't know what she is truly capable of," I warned as I also readied my stance in preparation for the upcoming battle.

No one made the first move. We were wary of our opponent, while she seemed just too lazy to be bothered.

We all stood there in silence for what seemed like forever until our opponent suddenly spoke.

"...If you guys aren't going to attack, then I will."

The world turned into a blur. Gwyneth pounced on me like a viper. Her initial attack was a whirlwind of motion – a blur of silver slicing towards me before I could even blink. It was so fast my katana felt sluggish in my hand as I scrambled to raise it in a desperate block.

TING*

The clang of steel echoed through the field, the impact jarring my arms.

She's fast! Her attack was also calculated. She wants to finish me off first so that our team won't have any DPS left enough to beat her.

Before the shock of the blow subsided, Ran came to back me up, his large shield posing to slam into Gwyneth's follow-up attack in order to protect me.

She evaded the shield bash, but thankfully, she made an error. I saw the perfect opening from her dodge, a sliver of exposed flank. My katana whispered through the air, aimed for the killing blow.

Then, the world seemed to stutter. Gwyneth's hand, empty a moment before, materialized a second sword. Is that her weapon skill!?

TING*

The clang of metal on metal vibrated up my arms as she effortlessly blocked my strike. The surprise was enough as I wasn't ready for the sudden shift in momentum.

Gwyneth pressed her advantage, her second blade flashing towards me. It connected with a critical strike as a sharp pain ran through my head, forcing me into an adrenaline rush.

KACHACK*

“Ack!” I cried.

Yatsufusa

HP: 51%

I leaped back to create space and reorient myself from the sudden damage I took. Ren tried to capitalize on her attack on me to land a counter hit with a shield bash, but she was elusive. She leaped away from my attack to distance herself and reset.

"Be careful. Her weapon skill is quite potent in her hands," I warned.

With my limited in-game knowledge, I’m pretty sure this type of weapon skill alleviates the burden of wielding two swords by merely summoning the second sword, enhancing the speed and impact of your attacks. It also has the benefit of not adding too many stats to strength just to dual-wield.

Ran acknowledged my warning with a somber nod, having firsthand experience of our opponent's formidable skills. Her seamless transition from defense to a precise counterattack, with both hands in perfect harmony, showcased her exceptional prowess. The feat she did is only possible if she is someone born naturally ambidextrous.

I recall my sister mentioning that less than one percent of the global population is born naturally ambidextrous, which explains the rarity of individuals dual-wielding a single weapon, like swords. Some players may do so for aesthetic purposes but compromise on efficiency, speed, and power just to look good, as they are unable to unleash the full potential of dual-wielding. However, based on our earlier exchange, it's evident that this opponent before me belongs to that one percent.

An ambidextrous dual sword wielder and an extremely skilled opponent at that, my sister is right to warn us to be careful around this girl. She is dangerous.

"Ugh, what a drag… You guys are persistent... this is turning out harder than I thought it would be..." she complained.

"Of course, there is a great deal at stake for us in this match. I am prepared to go to any lengths for my team to emerge victorious. We will not be defeated!" I declared resolutely.

She locked eyes with me, and I returned her gaze with unwavering determination.

"You know, you're similar to Art in some ways. Only the favorable traits, though, as he can be quite vexing most of the time with his relentless work ethic, always pushing me to match his pace," she commented.

"A-are you sure you should be saying those things to your captain? He can hear you, you know," I deadpanned.

She suddenly paused as if realizing something, which I'm sure she has. "Oh... forgot we are live... I'll just make it up to him by winning this match..."

This girl. I don't know if she is really sharp or just acting dumb. Maybe it is in her personality to avoid responsibility by faking weakness. She also just probably wants to send her captain a message in a non-confronting way with her earlier comment.

However, I had no time to analyze the reasons for her actions as he continued her attack.

She surged forward again, a whirlwind of steel with not one but two gleaming swords in her grasp. It was like a magic trick—one moment. She was a deadly dancer with a single blade; the next, a hurricane of ferocious offense. The shift was so unexpected that it threw us both off balance.

My katana felt sluggish as I lunged to meet her attack, the clang of our blades echoing through the tense silence. The impact vibrated up my arms, a stark reminder of her strength. But that wasn't all. Gwyneth wasn't finished with only parrying my blow. With a flick of her wrist, she summoned another blade from thin air, the metal shimmering like a mirage.

Ren, in response, slammed his shield into Gwyneth's second attack, the screech of metal on metal adding to the chaos. But we were both backpedaling, overwhelmed by the sudden ferocity of her assault. Gwyneth pressed her advantage, her dual blades flashing in a deadly dance, forcing us on the defensive.

We needed to regroup and find a way to counter her new dual-wielding threat, or we would be on the backfoot this entire bout.

Suddenly, I sensed a shift in momentum from my teammate. It seems all the training we had with each other paid off, as I can tell what he is about to do. I just need to make this one last attack count.

"Shield Fissure!" my teammate shouted the name of his weapon skill.

Ren saw his opportunity.  With a desperate yell, he slammed his shield onto the ground with a force that shook the very earth beneath our feet.

A crack snaked its way toward Gwyneth, a fissure threatening to swallow her whole. Gwyneth quickly reoriented herself and jumped gracefully to dodge the ground attack.

It was now or never. Seizing the precious opening Ran had created, I knew it was time for a desperate gamble.

Disregarding defense, I poured all my remaining energy into a single, decisive strike.

My katana blurred as I lunged at Gwyneth, aiming for a critical hit. The world seemed to slow as she did a cross-slash counterattack mid-air with her dual weapon to dissuade me from continuing my attack.

I was right. She is also a purely offensive player like me. It is probably due to her wanting to finish her matches as fast as possible, owing to her laziness, thus creating an offensive play style that suits her.

Good for me, as it seems like my gamble paid off.

Steel met steel and flesh in a blinding flash as we both delivered our deadly critical blows to each other at the exact same time, both unguarded.

KACHACK*

Yatsufusa

HP: 0%

Gwyneth

HP: 0%

"Y-you..." she was left speechless by my actions.

"That was a good match; I hope we can have a proper one-on-one next time," I said, glad to have fought someone so skilled.

"...Sounds troublesome," was her response before we both vanished into blue motes of light.

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

Aoi's PoV

“W-what move by team Sakura’s ace, Yatsufusa! With her sacrificial play, her team won due to having one member left!” the caster shouted at the top of his lungs to hype up the conclusion of the match more.

I breathed a sigh of relief as Hana executed the ideal move for the circumstance. She comprehended her opponent's core playstyle and courageously sacrificed herself to eliminate the final member of the opposing team, securing victory for her team.

You have displayed remarkable progress throughout this tournament. I am immensely proud of you, Hana.

Although, it was wholly unexpected that the other team had a hidden player like that.

Lua and now this girl, Gwyn. It seems like there will be many promising pro players at the start of the Andartha Cup next season.

Observing both teams exchanging handshakes as a gesture of sportsmanship, I also noticed Hana clinging closely to her former adversary, Gwyn, likely aiming to forge a friendship and engage in amicable duels for training purposes.

I understand her inclination; She is just like me. The desire to challenge formidable foes and improve in the process runs in our veins, and she has just now discovered a potential rival.

However, witnessing Gwyn's lack of enthusiasm in response to her overtures, my sister may need to exert more effort to persuade her to participate in joint training sessions and duels.