Chapter 266

“Can I ask you something, Nameya?”

“Anything.”

“Did it seem like Master was really disappointed in me when I went out earlier?”

It seemed she was talking about when I stepped out of the capsule to take the potion earlier.

“Hmm…”

The opponents she faced were not pushovers.

Among them were players who played games for 14 hours a day, and to make matters worse, even current pro gamers from the second league joined in, turning her into mush.

Would they see Emika, who played 46 games straight without rest, in a laudable light, or would they blame her for losing 15 times?

“I think it’s better for Emika to check for herself.”

“Is that so…”

“But one thing is certain. If Emika beats me here, she can erase all her past defeats.”

“Then how strong are you in this game?”

I replied with a smile.

“What’s there to say? Just fight and feel it for yourself. What combat power do you want to set?”

A 1vs1 mode where you can freely set anything from low power matches to high power matches.

She also found the range where she could fully draw out her usual abilities by adjusting various settings.

“Let’s start with 5000 for now.”

“Only 5000…? Well, okay.”

Considering Emika’s real-world physical abilities, it seemed she should set it to at least 15000, but it felt like she was deliberately giving me a break.

Combat power 5000.

With this body, I could approximately cover 100 meters in about 11 seconds.

If I recalled my past memories for a moment, this was a level that sprinters could easily achieve even in a world where mana didn’t exist.

“Since it doesn’t hurt much in virtual reality, don’t be too surprised if I come at you hard.”

“Yeah, I think I’m getting used to it. Whether it’s the whip or the four-move style, nothing feels too strange here. I’m looking forward to a good match as your junior, Nameya.”

“Getting used to it? Right now, you should be so angry you’d want to tear out all your hair. What is Emika doing right now… it’s almost too calm, isn’t it?”

“Nameya?”

The sword fit perfectly in my hand.

This feeling seems like it won’t disappear even if I live another life.

I licked my dry upper lip and contemplated Emika.

Why did she lose in the national exchange competition?

Simply because there were no rivals in Japan, and there were far more talented individuals in the world championship?

She still hadn’t fully bloomed her talent.

Bound by the constraints of technique and adult advice, she had consistently displayed a frustrating image as if shackled by chains.

So, what should she do?

People only truly blossom their talents in moments of crisis.

Since there were watchful eyes, I couldn’t just carelessly throw her off a cliff like Klaus.

Thus, I chose a very annoying and roundabout way to push her to the cliff.

“Learning comes with a price. So, endure.”

* * *

How can one change an avatar and still emit such different pressure?

As Name swung the sword in the air, my feeling of “that’s really pretty” gradually shifted to “that’s cool.”

In that moment, I felt a deep sense of discomfort towards Emika.

“Is this really Nameya?”

Due to an indescribable emotion, strength went into Emika’s hand gripping the sword.

“No, stay calm. Just stay composed and do as you’ve learned.”

She didn’t forget the advice from the viewers.

[No Name is ranked first in story mode for a reason. This person is completely beyond human, you know? Maybe it’s because they’ve lived in virtual reality for so long, but they seem not to be affected by physical constraints at all.]

[The moving hack from old computer games… Uh, you probably don’t know what that is? Anyway, moving hack can be avoided if you see it coming, but No Name anticipates all attacks and read the path, making it much trickier. You can’t possibly defeat them with conventional methods!]

Viewers showered her with praise.

This was the reason so many were looking forward to Nameya’s debut in the Academy Tournament.

In reality, those with excellent physical abilities tend to do well in virtual reality games too, but unfortunately, the reverse doesn’t hold true.

However, there was a consensus that if one possessed a talent as extraordinary as No Name, it would surely be different.

A combat power of 5000 would be comparable to Emika’s level three years ago.

She recalled that sensation and pushed aura into her sword.

“It’s coming!”

The deadly intent of Nameya’s sword descended from above.

At the same time, an icy glare flashed past.

Clang-!

Emika’s eyes widened as she caught the sword.

Even if their sword styles differed, Emika had the eye to discern whether it was the correct sword path or not.

“Perfect.”

It was a clean strike that offered no room for error.

Had she ever learned swordplay?

Unfortunately, there was no time to continue that thought.

“You think too much.”

“What?”

The rebounded sword once again lunged toward her side.

Instinctively, Emika twisted her flexible wrist and brought the sword downward to block it.

Bang-!

“Ugh!”

At that moment, the sword path twisted strangely, hitting her shin.

The lower her combat power, the easier it was to allow attacks.

A small amount of aura was halved, and already a crisis hit Emika.

Nameya’s assault didn’t stop.

“Stay focused until the end! Keep your shoulders down!”

After mentioning shoulders, Nameya’s sword now aimed for her knee.

She wouldn’t fall for the trick she was caught in during the national exchange competition twice.

Just as Emika struggled to retrieve the sword to guard her knee…

Crack-!

“Shoulder?”

A broadsword struck her shoulder.

Her arm was gruesomely crushed, and her stamina dropped drastically.

“It was definitely the knee…!”

“I told you, it’s the shoulder.”

Her arm wouldn’t move.

She felt no pain, but her arm hung limply as if the ligaments had been torn.

Only then did Emika realize the seriousness of the situation and created distance to reassess.

“You let that opportunity slip? Do it again.”

Ultimately, she couldn’t handle the weight of the sword with just one arm.

As Nameya put her weight into the sword, Emika’s sword spun in mid-air, crashing to the ground.

In a fair duel, without using any tricks she had observed in previous matches,

Emika was completely defeated.

[Perfect Game!]

[No Name Win!]

“I’ll keep going until you understand. I’m not as kind as your masters.”

The same situation, the same distance.

This time, it was Nameya who closed the distance.

Emika gritted her teeth and widened her eyes.

The pride of Japan, Katsuhata Emika, born once in a thousand years.

The previous match’s situation painted itself in her mind as she imagined the upcoming exchanges.

“Now, defensive advance here.”

Finally, her shoulders aligned, effortlessly blocking Nameya’s first strike.

Without a moment’s hesitation, she immediately took the stance for an uppercut.

Nameya easily deflected Emika’s sword and lunged at her abdomen again.

The explosive force from her lower body was felt through her skin.

“Now’s the chance!”

Nameya’s movement was too large.

Even just blocking or evading would expose her body’s gaps significantly.

She channeled her aura into her legs, widening the distance and leaning her upper body forward, ready to burst out at any moment.

When Nameya placed her feet back on the ground, it was the signal to attack.

“What are you doing? I’m not stopping here!”

“…!”

A voice that felt like it was whispering love tingled in her ears.

As her right foot touched the ground, the next was supposed to be her left foot, the basic footwork of a human.

However, Nameya kicked off again with her right foot and charged once more toward the distancing Emika.

Clang-!

“Agh!”

“Good, like that. Shall I continue?”

Emika’s instincts defended against Nameya’s sword.

An upward swing.

A bad habit that one should try their best to avoid in Kendo emerged involuntarily.

Yet, Nameya smiled as if satisfied.

Since this was the first move Emika had initiated, every action from now on would stem from her instinctual prowess.

Nameya showed Emika the scenery beyond the wall.

“Now, whether or not you can cross this line depends solely on you.”

Nameya’s sword sliced through the air, aiming to shatter her stance.

This was not to deny Emika’s training.

Why do people train and practice?

It’s to elevate the realm of calculation to the realm of instinct.

There are dozens of explanations behind why one performs a single action.

Yet, our brains don’t bother to think through that cumbersome process.

Clang-!

Nameya’s sword rebounded.

“When life is at stake, what’s there to think about?”

Clang-!

The two swords collided at an angle, resonating with a sharp sound.

In the complex and fierce exchange of their duel, a smile bloomed on the woman’s lips.

“How is it? Fun? Intense and thrilling, right?”

The faces of the two women were so close together.

It was a distance where they could feel each other’s breath.

“Nameya, what on earth…”

“Are you asking where the combat support system begins and ends?”

The combat support system doesn’t seamlessly connect movements.

In response to Emika’s pointed inquiry, the woman stuck out her crimson tongue playfully.

“I won’t tell you.”

* * *

Match record 9 to 1.

In the tenth match, Emika finally succeeded in breaking through Nameya’s solid defense and planting her sword in her ample chest.

With a bright smile akin to a hero who defeated a demon lord, Emika laughed heartedly.

Even when Nameya tried to provoke her with petty tricks, she just kept laughing.

Driven by an obsession that even left Nameya aghast, she raised both hands to adjust the combat power setting.

“What happens if I set it to 100,000?”

“Honestly, from that point on, it’s just a psychic battle, so it’s not that meaningful.”

“Let’s try.”

“Really?”

“Uh? Uh…”

Suddenly, Nameya opened the settings panel.

[▶Custom 1 – Release]

[▶Custom 2 – Equip]

With the same face, the same body type, the same clothes.

Curious about what had changed, Emika squinted and looked for differences.

Upon closer inspection, she noticed that the elf’s long ears had changed back to human ones.

And upon her head grew a pair of black horns.

“A demon?”

“No, a demon lord. Isn’t it just the right age to like this kind of stuff in middle school?”