181　Shisousei Match Part 3

"Greetings, Second Triple Crown. Or rather, Quad-Crown (Yonkan)."
"Thank you. Today will be the second this season, so Penta-Crown (Gokan)."
"……Haha, that's not a funny joke."

　The current Shisousei, a man named Raden, was a tall dark elf with gray hair.
　When Raden faced me, he raised his right hand to open his mouth to interrupt the flow.

"I'm sorry, but would you mind if I take a moment of your time?"
"Go ahead."

　It looks like he's going to do something.
　As I watched with interest, Raden spun around, looked back at the audience, and raised his voice.


"――We dark elves are being persecuted!　Discrimination has been going on for decades, even centuries!　We are the same creatures!　Why don't we realize that dark elves are friends who should walk alongside humans and elves?　Dark elf slaves should be freed and guaranteed their rightful status, and immigrants should be accepted!　This should be granted as a matter of course!　As long as I am who I am, I will continue to make this assertion, no matter what the backlash may be! "

　……I was surprised. No, I should say I was astonished.
　A speech at a title fight, right before a fight with me?

"……That's all. Excuse me, Second Quad-Crown. I made you wait."
"Is this a speech you make all the time? "
"I've been doing it for six years now. There was a period of time when Karen was the only other contestant."
"Eh, why is that so? "

　I always thought spears were popular, but I guess not in this world. Is there a cause for this?

"Because we siblings are dark elves. Neither humans nor elves would want to lose to a dark elf. Hence the small number of contestants. They can't even stop me from giving my speech. That is because they are weaker than I am here, weaker than a dark elf."
"……I see."

　In other words, if you lose once to this guy or his sister, you will continue to be labeled as "the guy who lost to a dark elf". So that's why everyone is chickening out of participating.

"That's shit."
"Hahaha, you say it very bluntly."
"Are all the Spearmanship ones cowards?"
"Hahahahah!　I agree."


　……………………Haa.


"So, which is secondary? "

"……What? "
"I'm asking which is secondary, the title fight or the anti-discrimination activities?"
"No, it's not like one of those is secondary."
"What did you win the title for?　Wasn't it to make a speech? "
"That's wrong. I was always good with the spear, which is why I took that opportunity to win the title."
"You're using your voice as a title holder to make speeches, aren't you? "
"……That's true."
"Then which is secondary? You're starting to get on my nerves."
"…………"

　Raden was silent, as if in thought. Even that is irritating.
　This guy is somewhat shallow. It doesn't look like he's really betting on the title, nor does it look like he's really engaged in anti-discrimination activities.
　……You half-wit. You were looking at Champani and didn't feel a thing?

"Oops, that's dangerous. I was about to fall right into your tricks. Is this your off-the-board tactic?"
"What? "
"Then let me do it back to you. Didn't you have a dark elf servant in your place? "
"I do."
"She's a slave, isn't she?　I'm sorry, but I had it looked into."
"What about it?"
"……How dare you stand here and say such a thing with a dark elf slave behind you? Don't you have every reason to be ashamed of yourself? "
"Not really."
"…………"

　What's the point this guy is trying to make?

"As expected of people who reached here after defeating their slave. It's like they don't even think of them as people."

　Ohh, so that was it.

"Champani isn't a slave anymore."
　Before the match, I was head-butted in the hallway. She's already "broken out".

"Hahaha, the cat's out of the bag!　You don't deny that there was fraud! "
"I don't even know what to say to you."
"What? "
"You don't know what you're talking about, so there's no point in me telling you."

　Didn't you see that girl's figure?　Didn't you see how she decided to live her life?
　No, I’m sure he did. But if even then he can't see it, he'll never know it, even if it takes him the rest of his life.

　Her everything, from being a lady, a maid, and a spear user. Her seriousness and earnestness. Betting one's life. You don't get it, do you? For you, who is only half-assed about everything?

For being asked "Which is secondary?", his only response was a "huh?" with a confused expression.
　The ones who are serious about it all get angry. As if you're being looked down upon.


"I know what the fraud was. Her Silver Spearmanship at the end, was clearly unnatural. I can see that she offered you the win. See, I know all about it, don't I? "
　Raden said this with an air of composure as if he thought he was driving me into a corner.

"……I'm fine with that. I can beat the shit out of you after this so I can feel good about it. But in Champani's honor, let me say this. She saw through my last-minute Counterbalance in the Issenza tournament three days ago, and without any advice from anyone she gambled on it at that crucial moment. You have no idea how amazing that is."

　And you don't have to understand. Her 《Silver Spearmanship》 was her faith in me. It was a technique that she would never have tried if she did not truly believe that the split-second phenomenon of Counterbalance was something that I had intentionally caused. She would have failed over and over again. Wondering whether the phenomenon of counterbalance was actually possible. And yet, for the past three days, she had probably tried nothing but counterbalance. Perhaps she had never successfully counterbalanced before the game. Nevertheless, she tried to counterbalance at that critical point in the game. Why could she do that? Because she trusted me. Because she believed that it was absolutely possible. But it's okay if I'm the only one to know of her 'faith'.

"Counterbalance?　Yeah, I still don't understand. And the audience doesn't understand either. No one knows except for you. Then……Wouldn't that be the same thing as cheating? "

　What a big mouth.

"It's fine. It's going to be clear from now on."


"――Bow to each other!　Get ready! "

　I have one chance.
　It will be decided immediately after the opener.

"May the Dark Elves be blessed."
　Raden said something. Is it routine?　Then so will I.

"May the dinner be blessed with plenty of meat."
　I had a feeling that Yukari was nodding in the audience.


"――Begin! "
　The referee's signal came.

　At the same moment, Raden began preparing his 《Rook Spearmanship》, and after building up enough of it, he activated it and closed the gap with a Rush.
　The more you charge it up, the more powerful the Rush attack is. Naturally, I would have used 《Gold Spearmanship》 to catch it and counter it, blocking the Rush――
"! ! "
　But not this time.
　I chose 《Silver Spearmanship》.
　To be as ostentatious as possible, I drew it to the limit and prepared it without any accumulation at all.

"Ha, you've lost your mind!　What are you trying to do with such a skill?! "
　Raden sneered and triggered the finishing attack of 《Rook Spearmanship》 just in time.
　I activated 《Silver Spearmanship》 on top of it.
　All that was left was to align the speed and direction of the thrust and hit it. This is the most simple yet most difficult part. It is not a trick that can be done in just three days of practice, but…… if you spend more than a decade amongst all the hardcore players, you'll get good at it.

"――! ? "

　Raden seemed to have no idea what had happened.

　After all, a Rook in full charge was nullified by a Silver without charging.


"This is a counterbalance."
　And this is the last move.

　The stagger delay after Rook is longer than the one after Silver.
　Hence, my follow-up 《Rook Spearmanship》 will be at the perfect time.
　I dared to accumulate it just in time for Raden's 《Gold Spearmanship》 to not be ready in time, and then I triggered it.



"T-that's impossible……! "
　It was impossible only for you.

　Just before his Gold triggered, my Rook pierced Raden's heart.

　Charged up, vital point hit, critical hit, and with our status differences. These four conditions alone would wipe out Raden's HP in a single blow.
　Oh, how heartless. Normally I would bemoan this status difference as "boring," but for once I feel good about it.


"――T-That's enough!　Winner, Second Firstest! "

　The referee announced the winner in a bewildered voice.
　The audience was also puzzled.

　The Shisousei lost.
　In merely three moves. About ten seconds in time.

　That may not be the only reason for their puzzlement.
　They don't know what happened. They all do not know the phenomenon of counterbalance.

　……But it will gradually become known. They should slowly come to understand.
　Of why that woman I think of as amazing, is actually amazing.


　Thus, the fifth crown.
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Thank you for reading.

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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.

1. Pawn/Soldier (Fuhyou)
2. Lance(Kyousha)
3. Knight (Keima)
4. Silver General (Ginshou)
5. Gold General (Kinshou)
6. Bishop (Kakugyou)
7. Rook (Hisha)
8. Promoted Bishop/Dragon Horse(Ryuuma)
9. 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.

1. First Form　      　      Regular attack
2. Second Form　      　 Extended range attack
3. Third Form　      　    Strong single target attack
4. Fourth Form　      　  Strong extended range attack
5. Fifth Form　      　      Extremely powerful extended range attack

• Their cast time becomes longer in this order First→Third→Second→Fourth→Fifth.

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