TL: learning2tl
TLC: Kagefij
ED: N/A
Haah. Now I've gone and done it. I had been seriously concentrating in order to overco the high-pressure situation, but as a result, had beat him up a lot more than necessary.
「……Shit.」
Nakamura clenched his teeth, whispering with a look of anguish on his face. Witnessing this, the gallery was at a complete loss for words. Understandably so. With a stock of four lives each, he had been defeated without being able to take a single life off . There wasn't even a word for this kind of difference in ability.
Around the ti I had been claiming the first win, there had been instigations like「He's way too good at this, grooss.」, but perhaps due to how seriously Nakamura was taking the match, the gallery had quietened down by itself.
When I turned to look behind, with the exception of Konno Erika, not a single person was looking in our direction. So of them were awkwardly looking at each other, so of them were putting on fake smiles, so of them were looking down at their feet. Look, I already said I'm sorry. But I really didn't have a choice, did I? I didn't even want to do this, you know!
Finding it extrely difficult to stick around in that atmosphere, with just a「Umm, well then, that's that.」, I got up as if to leave. However, at that mont, an unexpected voice kept from doing so.
「……Again.」
The one who said those words was of course, none other than Nakamura.
──Just what is this guy saying? One more ti? In spite of how the last round went? Co on, there's no point. It's impossible. You wouldn't even be able to win after a hundred attempts, and that's not an exaggeration. There's really no point in continuing.
「No, co on……」
「I told you, again. Hurry up and get ready.」
「……Umm, should I change charac-」
「No, don't. I won't be changing either. It's not even like I'm trying to bla the characters. Don't be stupid.」
「……Alright.」
Nakamura didn't even take a single peek at the gallery of spectators, focusing only on the ga's screen as he spoke.
As for those watching, they had a kind of astonished, perhaps even slightly fearful look on their faces as they stared at Nakamura from behind.
Reluctantly, I picked up my controller.
Since I wasn't in the sa accelerated state of mind as in the first round, this ti I took slightly more damage than before, but I won yet again without dropping a single life.
I an, of course I would. Turning to look at the gallery, I spotted Hinami amongst the crowd of people lowering their gazes. Whoa. Most likely, she had stealthily entered at so point during our second round. She was quietly having a talk with Izumi, who was right next to her. Izumi was probably giving her a run-down of the situation.
However, this situation was surely too far gone for even Hinami to be able to salvage. It was no longer clear if it was myself or Nakamura who was the bad guy here, and as long as neither of us was convicted of anything, it didn't seem possible to co to a conclusion.
Having finished receiving an explanation from Izumi, Hinami now made an extrely difficult face, looked at , then shook her head.
I couldn't accurately figure out what that gesture was supposed to an, but the nuance was definitely negative. In other words, there was likely no way to greatly improve the situation from here.
「Again.」
……Unbelievable.
Despite the fact that in the midst of this gathering of pretty much all the prominent riajuu, male and female alike, you expressly declared your intention to have revenge, yet ultimately lost two rounds in a row without taking a single life off . Why hasn't your spirit broken yet? What are you even thinking? Why do you keep trying to fight?
「Hurry up.」
He didn't seem to have any intention of asking for my consent.
「……Alright.」
──Once again, I won without losing a single life.
The mood continued to get heavier and heavier. That was sothing even I could sense, so to all the more mood-sensitive riajuu, it was probably suffocating. Looking over my shoulder, I could see that with the exception of Konno Erika and Hinami, every person present was looking down in a way that under normal circumstances would be considered overdoing it. As for those actually looking our way, Hinami was expressionless, while Konno Erika had a stern look on her face.
「……I have prep school today, so……」
Saying this, one of Erika's followers tries to leave.
「Ah, too……」
Following their lead, another person raises their voice.
「Stop making things up. I know you guys have prep school on Thursdays.」
Without turning to look at them, but with a definitively overbearing tone of voice, Nakamura speaks bluntly.
「Ahh, I guess so.」
「Ahahaー……」
And then.
「Again.」
Co on, this can't be real. Why would you do this, Nakamura.
However, there's no way to persuade him otherwise.
「……Alright.」
──Just like before, I win without a single death.
──However.
Again. Again. Again. This happened another three tis. Each ti, the mood would get heavier, but Nakamura's attitude did not change in the very least. Then, on the third ti, rather than it being another flawless victory for , I finally dropped a life. I say this in all honesty, but I had by no ans been going easy on him.
Still, that should do it. With this, Nakamura should be satisfied. Most likely, his pride had been injured by the fact that after so many consecutive battles, forget winning a single round, he had been unable to make drop a single life. That's why……
「Nakamura, let's leave it at that……」
「Again.」
Nakamura continued to face straight ahead, his eyes fixed on the ga screen.
「Co on, that's enough.」
「Do you really think I'll be satisfied knocking just one life off you? I thought I told you not to look down on . Again, I said.」
For the first ti since the series had begun, Nakamura directed his gaze away from the screen, then looked right at . I couldn't sense even a sliver of hesitation in those eyes. There was even fighting spirit dwelling within. It didn't seem like this was a simple case of good-for-nothing stubbornness.
「……Alri-」
「Shuuji～, don't you think it's about ti you gave up? It's starting to get a bit gross.」
I turned around in search of the owner of the voice. It was Konno Erika.
「Like, really? You're getting all serious when it's a ga, you know～. That's soo stupid.」
Nakamura turns around and gives Konno a piercing gaze.
「……This has nothing to do with you.」
「Haa? Even though you went as far as stopping soone who was trying to leave, you're seriously saying this has nothing to do with ? I can't help but think there's sothing wrong with your head, grooss～」
Not caring a single bit about Nakamura's overpowering aura of intimidation, Konno smiled mockingly as she spoke.
「I don't recall ever stopping you from leaving, though? Why are you even following around, Erika, it's gross.」
The expression on Konno Erika's face warps.
「Heeeh. Now you're acting all high and mighty. What, are you getting carried away because I confessed to you the other day? That's seriously gross. Congrats on misunderstanding. You're just the one who stands out the most in our class, so I thought that if it worked, then lucky for . If I had known you were this gross, there's no way I'd have confessed, no wayyy～」
Speaking carelessly, yet in a way that stabs at his heart.
「Heeeh. I couldn't care less about what you think. If I had to say, I'm simply not interested in you.」
Seemingly annoyed, Konno Erika scratches her head with an index finger.
「Like, really, no matter how many tis you try, you can't win. It's so pointless it's laughable. We can tell just by looking, but you're actually extrely weak, aren't you Shuuji?」
「……!」
For the first ti, Nakamura hesitates. As if taking advantage of that opening,
「Isn't that right? Mika?」Konno Erika tries to get one of the girls in her group to agree. What a nasty choice of timing.
「Um, yeah, it's really gross. Actually, wouldn't it be normal to want us to go back?」
A truly mocking tone of voice.
「Righht? ……Is that all?」
Konno Erika spurs her on even further. That's such a bold way of going about it, oi.
「Um, no, uhh, I an, you're being so uncool, Nakamura. It'd be better for you if you died, seriously.」
「That's soo true～」says Konno Erika delightedly.
Then, using that as an opportunity, the others in Konno Erika's group began to join in on attacking Nakamura. As for Izumi, she was silent.
「Like, don't you rember? This guy, didn't he tell us to watch him get revenge? Isn't that crazy?」
「That's crazy, craaazy! A ss like this after that isn't normal! Actually, I'd rather he gave us back our ti!」
「That's how it is, Shuuji. What you're doing is seriously gross, since you're weak. You've, L-O-S-T. Get it?」
The abuse from Konno Erika was especially sharp-edged.
「This has nothing to do with any of you. If you're not interested then leave, scram.」
As one might expect, the emphasis that Nakamura placed on his words was weaker than before.
「Saying we're unrelated, hilarious! Actually, huh? Isn't Nakamura kind of teary-eyed!?」
「You're right! Eh, what's this! He's crying!? At that age!?」
「Ehhh!? Crying after losing in a ga, how old are you!? You're not a pre-schooler anymore!
Actually, it seems like lately you've been coming here after school to practice, haven't you? Ahahaha, what an idiot. A loss like this in spite of that? All that effort was compleetely wasted, wasn't it? Ahh, soo embarrassing. It's such a stupid ga.」
Following up her blunt words with a 'Let's go.', Konno turns to leave with the rest of her group. I was the only one who noticed, but on seeing this, Hinami moved her lips ever so slightly.
──However, before she could say anything, the voice of a male full of anger echoed in the room.
「Wait, what did you just say?」
The look on Hinami's face which had been expressionless up until now, turned to one of complete surprise. The most surprised I had ever seen her. And understandably so.
After all, the one who had blurted out those words was neither Nakamura, nor any one of his followers, but .
「Ha?」
Snapped at by a human being of low social status, Konno glared at with an expression of extre displeasure.
「……What's this? Tomozaki? What, are you unhappy about sothing? Heeeh. Gross.」
Brushing aside with an uninterested tone of voice, as if she was dealing with small fry.
「Is 'gross' the only thing you lot can say?」
Trying hard to produce a glare of my own, I spoke sharply.
「Ha? Sure we can! What's with that tone of voice, it's seriously putting off!」
「Actually Tomozaki, aren't you getting full of yourself? That's so incredibly gross～!」
「Like, really? Why are you even covering for this guy? It seriously makes no sense.」
「That's soo true! Actually, he's not even saying anything, hilarious～!」
「Don't they say that trash hangs out with trash? I seriously don't want to get involved with them!」
Charged with malice, each word pierced , one after the other. They might have been flaring up at like this, but my hands were shaking.
「Soo stupid. Well, I wouldn't expect the likes of you lot to understand, though.」
「Ha?」
Practice for tone of voice. For facial expression. For posture. For speech pattern. Ever since I had begun all of that, I had co to know for the first ti. In every one of those things, these people exist at a level vastly higher than my own. Day in and day out, their craft gets tempered. Where to an extent incomparable with soone like , they can manipulate those things at will. I also knew that these people had long been aware that I stood on a lower level, and were looking down on . Which is why my words, regardless of their contents, probably would not reach.
「You know,」I slowly begin to speak. In most serious tone of voice that I can muster. 「the people who lose a fight, but instead of making the effort to improve, bla their loss on the conditions or the characters, they're the type I hate the most.」
「Ha?」
「So what?」
「What are you talking about?」
「SHUT UP!」I shout as loudly as I can.「……Last ti, when I won against Nakamura, he made excuses. He blad it on the character. I thought he was a person who would never lower his head. However, what about now? In front of this many people! Losing this badly! In spite of all that, fighting round after round, he hasn't made a single excuse! In the end, he even managed to make lose a life! The likes of you probably don't understand how amazing that is! How incredible that is!」
Even I have things I cannot forgive.
And those particular words spoken by Konno Erika were ones I would never forgive, no matter what.
「Ha?」
「What's up with that?」
「Like, in the first place, isn't it aningless if you don't win?」
「Nakamura! Is no longer! A person who makes excuses!」
I then took a deep breath, and shouted the following.
「HOWEVER, RIGHT NOW, I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT ANY OF THAT!」
Unable to comprehend the reason for that seriousness, the whole group was at a loss for words.
And then, I lock eyes with Erika. She returns the glare. It might be scary, but there is absolutely no way I am going to look away.
This is my stubbornness.
「Konno. You said this earlier, right?『It's such a stupid ga.』.」
In this battle, both my level and equipnt may be inadequate, and I may not even have any asures in place to make up for that. It is a battle where losing is apparent, but even so, it is a battle where I will not concede. These people probably do not know. That in RPGs, it is common to have Event Battles where even if your HP gauge reaches zero, you will not fall!
Well, as for whether or not that is the case here, even I don't know, though!!
「Understand? I do also hate those people who don't put in the effort and make excuses for their loss! ……However!」
That is why, with my sincere thoughts being『I just personally find it displeasing』, I now shouted.
「……However! The people who make light of AtaFami! I hate them even more!!」
The group looks at blankly, not saying a single word. This is a face-off between Konno and myself.
「Listen, this ga is a kamige! It's well balanced. On top of being able to improve your ability as much as you like with enough practice, there are no cheap tricks, no single instant-death combos that you can rely on! The characters are overflowing with individuality and ideas, and each and every one of them is a character good enough to have the leading role in any other ga! Even so, the lesser known elent, the single player elent, it's full of features and matches the online one! Furthermore, the environnt for online play is incredibly good, and you can carry out your battles with ease! Even the support system is great! And in addition to that! Due to the the killer techniques that aren't just any ordinary attacks, and the showy effects for the super killer techniques, even a casual gar can have fun! In AtaFami, there is a balance between consideration for the speedruns of core gars and popular features directed at the casual crowd! Those opposing elents are allowed to perfectly co-exist! It's a tiless masterpiece!!」
「Ha? Gross, is that what you wanted to tell-」
「But right now! Even that!! EVEN THAT I COULDN'T CARE LESS ABOUT!!」
I shouted to the point that I could feel my throat being torn to shreds. Even Konno Erika was taken aback now.
「You lot have got to be kidding ! What do you an,『All that effort was compleetely wasted』! Stop ssing around!! The likes of shitty bitches like you lot wouldn't understand! Nakamura has been trying hard! And it's not just now! These past few weeks!! He's been trying really, really hard!!」
Nakamura now gives a surprised look.
「But I understand!! Listen, that move he did during the second life of the second round to escape my combo! That move! It's super, super difficult! It's not the kind of thing you can learn in a day! It only has a leeway of 10 fras!! [1] Normally, it would take several months to learn to do it consistently!! And actually using it under conditions like these is even more difficult!! It's not sothing you can do by chance! Understand!? And that's not all! The move he did in the last round that made drop a life! That's a combo so difficult, even I would find it a challenge to get it right every ti! That was MLJ! Moonlight Jewel, an extrely difficult combo!! Nakamura is!! Amazing! Listen up!! Dig out all that dirt blocking your ears and listen well!! Not that any of you would understand! Nakamura has! With a goal in mind! Steadily! Every day! Without fail! Even if he got tired of it, continued and continued and continued to work towards it, and even though it might be a very small thing, managed this reality!! His effort led to results!!」
I was practically screaming.
「That's why, don't laugh at Nakamura!! Don't laugh at a person's efforts!! A person who is seriously trying their best!! Is unconditionally!! More than anything else!! Beautiful, and just!!」
And then, even with my vision blurring to the point where I no longer knew if I was whiting out or blacking out,
「Look!! I hate people who make excuses and don't put in the effort even though they've lost! I also hate those who make fun of AtaFami! However!! More than that! More than anything else!
With all my might, I shouted.
「PEOPLE LIKE YOU WHO DON'T PUT IN ANY EFFORT, BUT LAUGH AT THOSE WHO DO, ARE BY FAAAAR! THE TYPE I HATE THE MOST!!」
Translator Notes:
[1] So he basically had to press a button within the right 10 fra interval to be able to escape. Since we know AtaFami runs at 60 FPS, that's about 0.167 seconds.
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