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 ga 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 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 co to us to have a chance at winning the match.
We could just run and try to stall for ti, but it won't matter in the end, as the available map area shrinks as ti 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 co to us. Right?
How I wish Sis was here to tell 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 ssage us in the middle of an ongoing official match. The CoA disables private ssages 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 soone who fights with finesse than brute strength. It is an interesting choice for soone who seems to would rather stay at ho 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 ga. ntally? 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 statent 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 rembering sothing, she suddenly deflated like a balloon.
"Ugh, but as tempting as that sounds... Art would never let 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 ti, 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 ti.
Her aura suddenly changed, and my instincts, honed through hundreds and thousands of battles, were screaming at that this girl was dangerous.
"Uhm, Hana. This girl is giving so really bad vibes," Ren, my last remaining teammate, comnted 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 seed just too lazy to be bothered.
We all stood there in silence for what seed 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 like a viper. Her initial attack was a whirlwind of motion – a blur of silver slicing towards 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 off first so that our team won't have any DPS left enough to beat her.
Before the shock of the blow subsided, Ran ca to back up, his large shield posing to slam into Gwyneth's follow-up attack in order to protect .
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, aid for the killing blow.
Then, the world seed to stutter. Gwyneth's hand, empty a mont before, materialized a second sword. Is that her weapon skill!?
TING*
The clang of tal on tal vibrated up my arms as she effortlessly blocked my strike. The surprise was enough as I wasn't ready for the sudden shift in montum.
Gwyneth pressed her advantage, her second blade flashing towards . It connected with a critical strike as a sharp pain ran through my head, forcing 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 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-ga knowledge, I’m pretty sure this type of weapon skill alleviates the burden of wielding two swords by rely 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 soone born naturally ambidextrous.
I recall my sister ntioning 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. So 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 belongs to that one percent.
An ambidextrous dual sword wielder and an extrely 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 erge victorious. We will not be defeated!" I declared resolutely.
She locked eyes with , and I returned her gaze with unwavering determination.
"You know, you're similar to Art in so ways. Only the favorable traits, though, as he can be quite vexing most of the ti with his relentless work ethic, always pushing to match his pace," she comnted.
"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 sothing, 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 ssage in a non-confronting way with her earlier comnt.
However, I had no ti 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 mont. 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 et 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 tal shimring like a mirage.
Ren, in response, slamd his shield into Gwyneth's second attack, the screech of tal on tal adding to the chaos. But we were both backpedaling, overwheld 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 montum 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 na of his weapon skill.
Ren saw his opportunity. With a desperate yell, he slamd 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 ti 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 seed to slow as she did a cross-slash counterattack mid-air with her dual weapon to dissuade from continuing my attack.
I was right. She is also a purely offensive player like . 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 , as it seems like my gamble paid off.
Steel t steel and flesh in a blinding flash as we both delivered our deadly critical blows to each other at the exact sa ti, 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 ti," I said, glad to have fought soone so skilled.
"...Sounds troubleso," 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 mber 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 mber of the opposing team, securing victory for her team.
You have displayed remarkable progress throughout this tournant. I am imnsely 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 forr adversary, Gwyn, likely aiming to forge a friendship and engage in amicable duels for training purposes.
I understand her inclination; She is just like . 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.
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