Moto Sekai Ichi – 174 | Sousaku – 創作

174　Reiou Match Part 3

"Long time no see, Second Triple Crown."
"Yeah."

It has been about six months.

Former Reiou, Vogue. Her growth has been remarkable.

Perhaps she thought that Salamandra, the Great Spirit of Fire, alone would not be able to compete with me. Hence, she raised 《Monster Summoning》 and came with three different Monsters.

Being the diligent person she is, she must have ranked up her other skills as well, raising her status to the next level.

……In just six months, and with only herself, how far could she go in her preparations?

Excellent. The expectations I had last time, the qualities I felt she might "have" the most out of all the contestants, were not just in my mind.

Good. It's a good and unsettling growth.

She won't even be competitive as she is now, but two or three years down the road, I really don't know.

That is why I need to smash it to pieces here.

I need to develop them into players who would be willing to play an enjoyable match with me, regardless of the cost of victory or defeat.

But not quite yet. She doesn't still have the strength to bet on it with just six months.

It needs to be bigger, heavier, tougher. Vogue can do that. I think so.

"Sorry, but this will be an overwhelming victory."
"Oh, you're so confident, aren't you? "
"It's not confidence, just a fact."
"……? "

Vogue tilted her head.

She really doesn't seem to know what I'm talking about.

She may be self-implying that it can't be so.

Currently, it is daytime. She has probably figured out that the Darkness Wolf is vulnerable to sunlight. If so, I can only summon Angolmois, which means she has an overwhelming advantage over me, since she can use Salamandra and three monsters, and she may be thinking ...... how can I win an overwhelming victory with such a gap in strength?

The human mind is a mysterious thing. Sometimes it works automatically in order to maintain its peace. I can't help but think this way, even though she could have realized it if she thought about it calmly―― something like "there's surely no greater growth than mine".

How stupid. Vogue, I have grown many times more in the last six months than you have. You should be able to tell by looking at the title fights in which I am scheduled to compete. I've attained 9th grade in all of 【Thread Manipulation】, 【Martial Arts】, 【Spearmanship】, 【Jojutsu】, and 【Sword-drawing】 skills. I originally didn't have them up there. I learned everything from scratch and raised them from class 16 to 9th grade. In addition, I have also tamed a Wraith and an Asura.

Six months ago, you fought and lost to the strong me, a me that at that time had not learned any of these five skills.

……I'll have you let go of your fear. The fear in you that makes you think things conveniently and unconsciously reflect your wish that they be so.

And what should I do for this to happen? You already know, right?

"I'm going to win overwhelmingly. You will be utterly defeated. You're going to see the scariest thing of all."

Be numb to your fear.

By tasting the greatest fear, I can make the lesser fears not even seem like fears at all.

I've been doing that. You should too.

"Fufu. As expected, a Triple Crown winner is a little bit different."

Oh, I've seen that face many times in the past.

The face when they were still naive. The result was so bizarre and distorted that it was hard to watch.

"Bow to each other! ……Ready! "

It begins.
The Summer Reiou Tournament.

And for her, a nightmarish time.

"――Begin! "

At the same time as the referee's order, Vogue performed 《Spirit Summoning》, followed by 《Monster Summoning》.

"（Standby.）"
"（As you wish.）"

I, on the other hand, only did 《Spirit Summoning》 and immediately directed Angolmois to stand by in the air with telepathic instructions.

"I thought you were going to win overwhelmingly. "
"…………"
"Not worth the effort, huh? Then I will be making my move."

Vogue taunted me, sending the Aqua Dragon and Armored Boar to Rush toward me.
The Winged Skull stood over her head, while Salamandra seemed to be preparing to intercept Angolmois in case he made a move.

A coordinated attack with little gaps. An excellent placement for both offensive and defensive. It is both progressive and flexible. A perfect first move in the offensive.

"Come on, show me an overwhelming victory! "

As soon as the attack began, Vogue unleashed a further provocation.

Not a bad strategy. Not bad, but……

"……I will show you an overwhelming victory."

What is an overwhelming victory? She doesn't seem to know that yet.

An overwhelming victory is not so glamorous as one might think. Rather.

An overwhelming victory――

Is it to win by destroying your opponent with a single blow? No, it's not.
To win with some genius move that no one has ever seen before? No, it's not.
To win by thoroughly tormenting someone like an adult would do to a child? No, it's not.

――An overwhelming victory is a dominating victory. To overwhelm means to be superior in everything.

You don't win by not letting your opponent do anything. You let your opponent give everything they have and win by outperforming it all.

It is to deny head-on everything and anything that the other party has accumulated up to this point. In other words, total negation. That is an overwhelming victory.

"Come, Miroku."

《Monster Summoning》. What appeared was Miroku in human form.
I gave him the order to intercept as soon as he appeared.

I directed Miroku to the Aqua Dragon on the right.
And to the Armored Boar on the left, to myself.

"Lord, may I slay him?"
"Fine."
"……It would be my greatest pleasure."

A buzz―― I felt the thunderous roar of the audience behind my back.

This is probably because Miroku, or rather an Asura, is a monster that has never been seen before. Or maybe it's because he's a demon. Or is it because he carries a " katana" at his waist? Or was it surprising that I was using a monster other than Anko? Well, it could be any of those.

"――Hiruko Style, Seventh Cloud."

Miroku activated 《Gold Sword-drawing》, uttering the name of a somewhat cool technique.

……A tremendous feat of skill. How many feints did he just put in? Seven? With that, it's not easy to see that Gold is coming immediately. The foot work is also unquestionably excellent. He seemed to be advancing and retreating, luring them to the point where it was impossible to evade while drawing them to the very edge of their skill readiness time.

"Yeah."

The Hiruko style. I see, 0k4NN-san's……

"Whoa there."

I had forgotten. I have to deal with the Armored Boar. And that too, without any skills.

However, there is nothing problematic about it.
After all, I am not going to be dealing with a Class B monster now, am I?

"Here, pass."

While avoiding the Rush, I lightly put my hand on the front side of Armored Boar and spun it around.
With the momentum accelerating even more, I threw it in Miroku's direction.

"Understood."

Miroku, who was about to follow up on the counter effect of 《Gold Sword-drawing》 to down the Aqua Dragon, saw the Armored Boar I had tossed and nodded once.

"Behold. Miroku-style secret tecnique, Dazzling Dragon Flash."

Miroku immediately sheathed his sword, took a step forward, and prepared 《Dragon Horse Sword-drawing,》 waiting for the moment when the Aqua Dragon and Armored Boar converged in the effective range.

《Dragon Horse Sword-drawing》is a ranged attack in all directions. It is a skill that is tailor-made for simultaneously dispatching two targets.

But then again, what a difficult technique ...... it would have been better to do the Armored Boar first, one at a time, but to try to get rid of the two of them at once. This Miroku guy is all worked up just because he's in front of a crowd.

"Wha--! ? "

Vogue looked and sounded pitiful.

The reason was that Miroku's single blow, 《Dragon Horse Sword-drawing,》 had mortally wounded Aqua Dragon and Armored Boar, in other words, stunned them.

Two class B monsters were destroyed together. And that too, with just one strike.
Anyone who saw it would have understood that Miroku possessed an extraordinary offensive power. Vogue would have been made to understand too, even if she didn't want to.

Still, the game is not over. There is no way that the former Reiou would be ready to give up, much less surrender.

"Standby."
"Understood."

I put Miroku on standby.

Now, what's next? Vogue.

All you have is Salamandra and the Winged Skull. Plus, yourself.

Come on, let it out, all you got.

I'll crush you carefully, piece by piece.

"Tch……! "

With a grim look on her face, Vogue gave Winged Skull the order to attack.
Immediately after, Salamandra moved unnaturally forward.

"(Fourth Form.)"
"(Hahahaha! As you wish! )"

I see. Normally, I would have attempted to stop it, but this time, I will dare to take it in stride.

"Take this! My fire is scorching! "

Salamandra, with its 《Fire Attribute ・ Second Form》 spell, spread fire over a wide area. After being blinded by it, the Winged Skull descended at a high speed from far above.

It is a good tactic that is quite difficult to notice, as it dares to do the opposite when Salamandra, with its firepower, should normally be the main focus.

"Not even warm! Bow down, Salamandra! "

However, as an offensive attack, it is tame.
That does not mean, however, that the receiving side should relax in the slightest.

Because he had begun his preparations from the time Salamandra moved forward, Angolmois was able to activate his 《Lightning Attribute ・ Fourth Form》 in time to coincide with Salamandra's activation of his Second Form.

"What! ? "

Salamandra was surprised that we had anticipated it.

No way. We didn't anticipate it, we were prepared for it.

Fourth Form is the skill that requires the most preparation time of all possible means of response. Hence, we simply started preparing ahead of time. If an attack comes that requires a different response, we can cancel the Fourth Form and be ready.

"Kyaa! "
"Goooh! "

Immediately after its activation, a raging Fourth Form torrent of lightning drowned out without a trace the flames released by Salamandra.

"――Hiroku Style, Seven Thousand Spears."

At about the same time, Miroku intercepted the Winged Skull flying from the sky with his 《Rook Sword-drawing》.

Amazing. A precise and unmatched blow, like a needle piercing a grain of rice that has fallen from high in the sky. By adjusting the standing position little by little, and by charging up to the limit, he achieved speed, sharpness, hit rate, and firepower, all in harmony. This is no ordinary technique.

Miroku, as I expected, was more enthusiastic than usual. He's so excited just because it's a big stage.

"A……aaa……"

Now, the Winged Skull was also stunned.

Only Vogue and Salamandra remain. So, will she try to turn the tables with 《Spirit Possession》?

"……! Salamandra, possession! "
"Right, let's do this! "

That's right.
Good attitude.

In the wintertime, I would have paid homage to Vogue's fighting spirit, Unsummoned Miroku, possessed Angolmois, and beat her one-on-one.

"The first half was a bit of a struggle, but Vogue was very brave to fight back, and in the end it was a good fight! It brought tears to my eyes~!"……Or something like that. It would have been the kind of development that a big-breasted woman who looked like an amateur who didn't know the "M" of Mobius, who was invited to every Mobius TV show, would have said while flirtatiously trying to impress the audience.

……But that won't do. I'm not that lenient in the summer season. Or rather, this will be her most painful experience ever.

Otherwise, this would not be an overwhelming victory.

"Here I come――！ "

Burning red all throughout her body, Vogue's long, waist-length crimson hair floated in the air, releasing so much fighting energy that caused the air to vibrate.

She performed 《Spirit Possession》 with her robust status, so the numbers should be suitably blown out of proportion.

Hence, there is still a chance to win, or so she thinks.

It's her last hope. It's her only hope.

Whether she wins or loses, she is determined to put everything on the line.

"Please, please reach him……! "

With all the thoughts and feelings that she had accumulated up to this point, Vogue rushed forth.

……I will deny even that meager thought.

There is no way she could have reached me. There's no way that glorified half year of efforts could even graze me.

"Second Form."
"As you wish."
"Dragon King Sword-drawing."
"Understood."

I directed Angolmois. Immediately after, 《Lightning Attribute ・ Second Form》 appeared like a barricade in front of me, blocking Vogue's way.

Next to me, Miroku was charging up 《Dragon King Sword-drawing》.

A very powerful ranged attack. The more it charges up, the more powerful it becomes.

"……! ! "

When the thunderstorm subsided, Vogue saw Miroku...... his 《Dragon King Sword-drawing》 fully charged.

These circumstances―― truly inevitable.

No matter how hard she tried, Vogue would face defeat.

"…………"

Silence flowed after that silent surprise.

Under normal circumstances, I would have ordered Miroku to activate it without a moment's pause.

A scene where I would then use 《Dragon King Sword-drawing》 as bait, then prepare a counter to Vogue, who came after me myself, and then brilliantly win the game.

But I will not do such a soft thing.

Here, I will take it with a firm, solid stance. Establish a daunting ironclad defense. In other words, take it all and then win. My goal is to achieve an overwhelming victory. It's not something I need to go and fight for.

Hence, the waiting.

Only at that moment when Vogue launches her attack, or at the moment when 《Spirit Possession》 is released, and only at the moment when it is absolutely impossible to avoid it, will I instruct Miroku to activate 《Dragon King Sword-drawing》.

Otherwise, we wait. No matter how long it takes, we will wait.

To win completely, safely, and overwhelmingly, without showing even the slightest opening, without giving even the slightest chance of victory.

"………………"

Vogue could do nothing and just stood there.

No. I should say that she has done everything she can do, and as a result, there is nothing left to do.

She cannot attack, cannot confront, cannot speak, cannot listen, cannot win, and cannot admit defeat.

Nothing can be done.

Because although she did everything she could, it was all not enough.

Everything she had was proven to be overwhelmingly inferior to me, piece by piece.

"……………………"

Yes, that's the look.

It is the worst feeling of being frustrated, sad, impossibly miserable, and wanting to just die.

You have to experience the fear of being denied everything you are, the agony of a near-death, near-catastrophic defeat, from the bottom of your heart.

And then Vogue.
You can hate me.

And stil, you will crawl up.
Please, please, I pray that you will make it through this tribulation.

Then, surely......

"……Ah……"

Five minutes passed, and Vogue's 《Spirit Possession》 ended.

A moment later, Miroku's right hand drew the katana at his waist and released it――

"――That's enough! Winner, Second Firstest Reiou! "

My defense was sealed.

======

Thank you for reading.

Cheat sheet

Status Details

HP　Hit Points
MP　Magic Points
SP　Stamina Points
STR　Short range attack skill power, strength, physical power.
DEX　Long range attack skill power, dexterity, hit rate.
AGI　Quickness, avoidance rate.
INT　Attack Magic skill power.
LUK　Good luck, critical rate.
VIT　Simple defense.
MGR　Magic defense.

Skill Ranking

From lower (16th) to higher (1st) class, then it changes to the “Dan” system of martial arts, which means Grade

16th class
15th class
14th class
13th class
12h class
11th class
10th class
9th class
8th class
7th class
6th class
5th class
4th class
3rd class
2nd class
1st class
Grade 1
Grade 2
Grade 3
Grade 4
Grade 5
Grade 6
Grade 7
Grade 8
Grade 9 (Can challenge Title when all related skills are at this level)

Types of combat skills

Named after shogi pieces (The word in bold is the one being used in this translation). From easier to acquire to harder.

Pawn/Soldier (Fuhyou)
Lance(Kyousha)
Knight (Keima)
Silver General (Ginshou)
Gold General (Kinshou)
Bishop (Kakugyou)
Rook (Hisha)
Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma)
Promoted Rook/Dragon King (Ryuuou).

List of Swordsmanship skills

【Swordsmanship】　Damage： STR Dependent.

《Dragon King Swordsmanship》　Powerful ranged attack forward + stun.
《Dragon Horse Swordsmanship》　Powerful ranged attack in all directions.
《Rook Swordsmanship》　Very strong single-target attack.
《Bishop Swordsmanship》　Quick and powerful penetrating attack.
《Gold Swordsmanship》　Ranged attack in all directions.
《Silver Swordsmanship》　Strong, single-target attack.
《Knight Swordsmanship》　Precision attack＋added damage against vital points.
《Lance Swordsmanship》　Penetrating attack.
《Soldier Swordsmanship》　Normal attack.

(Rook＋Knight, Silver＋Knight, Lance＋Knight, Soldier＋Knight are possible for Combine)

List of Jojutsu (cane) skills

【Jojutsu】Thrust・Strike・Sweep

《Dragon King Jojutsu》　Extremely powerful wide-area attack
《Dragon Horse Jojutsu》　Wide range defense + knockback
《Rook Jojutsu》　Very powerful ranged attack
《Bishop Jojutsu》　Rush piercing attack
《Gold Jojutsu》　Very strong defense
《Silver Jojutsu》　Powerful ranged attack
《Knight Jojutsu》　Rush attack
《Lance Jojutsu》　Piercing attack
《Soldier Jojutsu》　Conventional attack

List of Spearmanship skills

【Spearmanship】

《Dragon King Spearmanship》　Extremely powerful single-target attack
《Dragon Horse Spearmanship》　Powerful long-range attack (shockwave)
《Rook Spearmanship》　Rush attack (charge thrust)
《Bishop Spearmanship》　Powerful ranged attack (Cleave)
《Gold Spearmanship》　Counterattack (Counter)
《Silver Spearmanship》　Powerful single-target attack (charge thrust)
《Knight Spearmanship》　Forward leaping attack (leaping thrust)
《Lance Spearmanship》　Ranged attack (Cleave)
《Soldier Spearmanship》　Normal Attack (Thrust)

List of Archery skills

【Archery】

《Dragon King Archery》　Powerful on-impact ranged attack.
《Dragon Horse Archery》　Powerful piercing ranged attack.
《Rook Archery》　Very strong single-target range attack.
《Bishop Archery》　Strong piercing range attack.
《Gold Archery》　Range attack with added knockback.
《Silver Archery》　Strong single-target range attack.
《Knight Archery》　Precise sniping range attack.
《Lance Archery》　Piercing range attack.
《Soldier Archery》　Normal range attack.

List of Shield Arts skills

【Shield Arts】

《Dragon King Shield Arts》　Very powerful ranged attack to the front.
《Dragon Horse Shield Arts》　Reinforced defense + all-range attack.
《Rook Shield Arts》　Powerful forward Rush attack (VIT converted to STR and added to net STR)
《Bishop Shield Arts》　Great Reinforced Defense (16th class: 250% ~ Grade 9th: 600% Defense)
《Gold Shield Arts》　Range homing defense ＋ Knockback（While active, attacks within a certain range would redirect themselves towards the shield）
《Silver Shield Arts》　Reinforced defense (parry grace time reduced by 0.01 second, successful parry triggers counterattack effect)
《Knight Shield Arts》　Defense + Knockback.
《Lance Shield Arts》　Piercing Reflective Defense
《Soldier Shield Arts》　Normal defense.
Success condition for parry: Activate the skill 0.287 to 0.250 seconds before the attack reaches the target.

Types of Magic skills

They use the “Form” or “step” system of martial arts. From lower to higher.