Moto Sekai Ichi – 183 | Sousaku – 創作

183　Kisenshou Match Part 1

【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.

The first match to determine the challenger for the Kisenshou title, Alfredo vs Jay Mix.

Alfredo's hair was still long and dull, but it seemed to be less disheveled and shaggy.
Jay, on the other hand, had a short haircut of emerald green hair. The older sister Dee had long and the younger sister Jay had short, or was it?

"――Bow to each other! Get ready! "

"Jay, don't bow casually. Bow properly."
"Master, you can't lecture me in a place like this……"
"It's because it's a place like this. I was just trying to keep you from embarrassing yourself, Jay."
"I'm embarrassed enough already…… no, I'm sorry. I will be careful from now on."
"That's fine."

They were talking in some kind of amicable manner.

"They both look so relaxed."

Silvia muttered to me when she saw the two of them.
We were watching the game from very preferential seats called "contestants-only seats," so we could see everything down to the expressions on their faces.

"Well, they're like family now."
"Umu……Six months ago, that would have been unthinkable."

Coincidentally, this year's Summer Kisenshou Tournament was against the same opponent as the Winter Kisenshou Tournament six months earlier.

Six months ago, Jay was nothing more than a pawn of Kisenshou Ernte, and the blind Alfredo, who was working hard to free them, never thought that they would come face to face like this. Six months ago, this would have been unimaginable.

His eyes can see. And she, too, can see forward.

It's going to be a somewhat happy title fight. Well, except for one old man.

"――Begin! "

The referee's signal came.

Instantly, Alfredo and Jay moved point-symmetrically and diagonally sideways, releasing their 《Soldier Archery》 almost in unison.

"Ohhh."

I couldn't help but to voice out. Jay's aim, clearly an improvement over what we have seen before.

Aiming at a moving target while moving. The two suddenly shot at each other in a highly difficult first move, but they both shot their 《Soldier Archery》 to each other's eyebrows with an aim that was not a fraction of a point off the mark.

"Haa."
"Fuu."

A sudden stop. Both the master and the apprentice suddenly stopped moving and ducked the 《Soldier Archery》.

Immediately after, they released a Combine of 《Silver Archery》 and 《Knight Archery》 while advancing and closing the gap between the two.

Again, both of them were attacking in the same way, with the same movements.

"Copycat! "
"Yeah, it's a copycat. Alfredo is mimicking Jay."
"Win? Lose? "
"I'm sure he'll win. Alfredo is making it a simple game of skill by daring to imitate her. It's a teaching matchup, so to speak."
"Hoo-hmm! "

"…………"

As I was talking with Eko, I caught a glimpse of Silvia's expression as she stood still and silently watched the game.

With a match coming up next, she is probably as nervous as usual again. That's what I was thinking――

"……Fu, fufu, hahaha."

Silvia laughed.

As if she just couldn't hold it in and it overflowed from the back of her throat.

"Hey, hey, what's that?"
"U-uh, no, Second-dono, I'm sorry, that was quite strange, right?"

A look that said, "I shouldn't smile, but my face is smiling all by itself".

…………Oh, I see.

"Did you realize?"

"! "

I knew it.

"Second-dono, you used to feel this way, too? "

Silvia, who had finally quieted down, asked me as if she was curious.

"……I guess."

When was that? Ah, yes, the night of my first day in this world.

Silvia, when you were still a lowly member of the Third Knight Order, I had quite a similar feeling when I was questioned about my duties upon my return to the Royal Capital after the daique strategy, and I learned that only thirteen dungeons in this world had been conquered.

Well, of course you would.
If the current Silvia had to watch a game like that, she'd be laughing...... wouldn't she?

"――That's enough! Winner, Alfredo! "

Alfredo, who slowly increased his advantage, won the game against Jay.

It was truly a match between a master and his apprentice, and the difference between the two was obvious.

Jay's growth was remarkable, but apparently, Alfredo had grown even more. He had previously attacked his opponents with solid countermeasures, but now he had pushed them to a position where he could play against them in a teaching match with a relaxed expression on his face.

He took care of his students, but he never missed his own training. Just being able to see wouldn't make it that way. He is a man who has yet to find his bottom. I don't think age matters. I bet that guy will keep striving for more. In a year, he might be able to defeat an opponent such as Ernte with only 《Soldier Archery》.

……Still, though, Silvia probably would laugh.

＊ ＊ ＊

Dee Mix had a palpable sense of fear.

Second game, Silvia Virginia vs. Dee Mix. The winner of this match and the winner of the first match, Alfredo, will play the final and will have the right to challenge Ernte Kisenshou.

The brainwashing by Ernte that the Mix sisters had been subjected to has now been lifted. Over the past six months, the girls have finally been able to look ahead, thanks to Alfredo's loving discipline.

Hence, if she gets the right to challenge, it would be retribution for Dee. It was no exaggeration to say that her goal in this title fight was to turn on Ernte, saying, "How dare you use me like that?"

There was no fear there. Her former teacher was now alone. Now that she had an invaluable ally in her sister Jay and a new mentor, Alfredo, Ernte was not an opponent to be feared by Dee.

So why was ...... she now afraid?

The cause of this is the woman in front of her.

"……It's been a while. You look so different, don't you? There's something about your clothes."
"Umu, it's been a while. Did you cut your hair, too? It suits you."
"Oh my, thank you. Your appearance is…… it kinda suits you, it's a bit scary."
"Is that so? Hmm, well, thanks."

Dee had long, emerald green hair that was cut to about semi-length and tied back. It was a cool haircut for the summer.

Silvia, on the other hand, had the same hair, but her countenance was clearly different from before.

It was imposing―― and that was obvious to anyone who looked at it. It was impossible to point out specifically what had changed, but it was quite evident why.

The way she was dressed also helped to create an imposing atmosphere.

Her whole body was equipped with "Dark Flame Wolf" gear. It consisted of a light armor for Archery with a jet-black cloak on one shoulder, a cap, an archer's armguard, shin guards, and footgear, made from material items dropped by the boss of the 『Isoreus』 dungeon, a class-A dungeon. Currently, this armor is made from the most powerful materials available. The protection and light weight were perfect, the only drawback would be that it was a little too hot.

"Well, shall we?"

"…………"

Again, a chill caressed Dee's back.

As expected. She was convinced. That she was feeling fear herself.

Why did she feel fear? The reason for this was not yet known.

"――Bow to each other! Get ready! "

Following the referee's instructions, the two girls took out their bows and held them at the ready.

Dee took out a mithril longbow. It was a light, powerful, and easy-to-handle large bow.

On the other hand, what Silvia took out was....... not the Bow of the Blazing Wolf.

"A simple longbow……? "

A plain, wooden longbow. An ordinary bow that could be found at any weapons store.

The reason why Silvia dared to choose this weapon, which had inferior offensive power to the Bow of the Blazing Wolf, was quite simple. This was for the sole purpose of making the attack motion smaller and less noticeable than that of the Bow of the Blazing Wolf.

"――Begin! "

The order to begin was given.

"Alright."

In a moment…… Silvia spun around twice sideways on the spot.

"? ? ? "

A mysterious behavior. Dee was puzzled but shot the "Soldier Archery" she had prepared for the attack.

Her aim was accurate. The advice she received from Second through the bingo prizes, and the daily repetition of that training method, had improved her aim ability beyond comparison, especially compared to six months earlier.

"You're too honest."

Silvia, on the other hand, muttered a few words and moved forward as fast as she could, avoiding Dee's attack.

During the course of the game, she stopped twice and both times unleashed 《Soldier Archery》.

From a relaxed, slouched position, she raised her arm in an instant, shot an arrow without even a moment to aim, then instantly lowered her arm and ran off again. But her aim couldn't be more accurate. It was a sharp 《Soldier Archery》 that was in no way inferior to the technique Second showed in his exhibition match against Ernte.

The key to fighting the Kisenshou was how to "never know when you are going to shoot"―― a tip that Second had mentioned, and Silvia had faithfully incorporated it into her own fighting style.

"Tch! Damn you! "

Dee just barely avoided both of Silvia's 《Soldier Archery》 shots and began preparing a Combine of 《Lance Archery》 and 《Knight Archery》 for a counterattack.

This was not a bad move. Lance had a penetrating effect. Hence, it would be difficult to prevent it with anything other than an attack that had the same penetrating effect. Combining with Knight also allowed for more precise aiming, making simple evasion more difficult. This was a good move to stop Silvia's attempts to close the gap between the two.

"Fumu? "

For some reason, Silvia tilted her head, stopped in her tracks...... and began preparing 《Rook Archery》.

"Huh? What the hell are you――"

……Immediately after, a 《Knight Archery》 shot flew straight into Dee's head.

" "

Dee was the only one in the arena who did not know what had happened.

"Hey, hey, what are you doing!? " "You could tell Silvia Virginia was shooting "Knight Archery" as soon as she stopped! ", and other similar comments came from the audience seats.

However, it was not a matter of being unable to perceive this.

There was not even a pretense of shooting. It was hard to believe that she was shooting her 《Knight Archery》 toward the air in the two spins she did, and it was also hard to imagine that she would try to lose an arrow with such precise placement.

Yes, this was a trick that, only when viewed from the front, Silvia's two rotations made the moment of activation of the 《Knight Archery》 extremely difficult to see.

A refined and polished movement that a spectator watching from another angle would recognize, but an opponent watching from the front would not.

In other words, the basics of the basics. Silvia had done nothing more than the very basics. The only thing that she did was to demonstrate the basic technique of "making it impossible to tell when the shot was made," and she did just that right from the start of the game.

"I'm sorry I laughed."

Silvia released her 《Rook Archery》 with a small word of self-reflection.

It happened in a flash.
Dee was hit by two attacks in quick succession and went down with severe damage.

"…………"

Silvia, still looking unconvinced that this was the true reality, silently prepared the final move with the 《Dragon King Archery》.

――The level is too low.

The cause of her laughter was this feeling that she could not escape.

Those people who were so thrillingly competitive six months ago using surprise tactics seemed so inferior ....... What could she do if not laugh at this?

No matter how many times she thought about it, no matter how much she rethought it, she just couldn't see herself losing.

Not to Jay, not to Dee, not even to Alfredo, and especially…… not even to Ernte.

"――That's enough! Winner, Silvia Virginia! "

Silvia exited the arena, her shoulder cape undulating in the blast of her Dragon King Archery.

She never stopped her leisurely steps and put her longbow in her inventory, talking to herself so that the old man, who was probably hiding somewhere, could hear her.

"I won't let anyone else have it. I will bring your requiem――"

======

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.

List of Magic skills

【Magic】 (Four attributes: fire, water, wind, and earth)
Advantages and disadvantages: Fire>Earth>Wind>Water>Fire
・First Form　Normal Attack （Preparation time： Super short. Cooldown： Super short）
・Second Form　Extended range attack （Slow. Long）
・Third Form　Strong single-target attack （Short. Short）
・Fourth Form　Powerful extended-range attack （Super slow. Super long）
・Fifth Form　Very powerful extended-range attack （Slowest. Longest）

【Magical Magic】
《Combine》　Combines two magic skills into a single attack.
《Synergy》　Overlays two magic spells on top of another magic spell.
《Charge》　Magic attack that increases in magnitude the more it is charged up.

List of Thread Manipulation skills

【Thread Manipulation】
《Dragon King Thread Manipulation》　The most powerful single attack, limited to the restrained target.
《Dragon Horse Thread Manipulation》　Simultaneously emits multiple threads, forcibly restraining the touched object.
《Rook Thread Manipulation》　Very powerful single attack using a bundle of threads
《Bishop Thread Manipulation》　Powerful penetrating attack using thread like a needle.
《Gold Thread Manipulation》　Thread restraints on objects within a 4-meter radius.
《Silver Thread Manipulation》　Powerful single-target attack with a bundle of threads
《Knight Thread Manipulation》　Manipulate monsters, humans, and puppets using strings for a certain period of time.
《Lance Thread Manipulation》　Penetrating attack using thread like a needle.
《Soldier Thread Manipulation》　Single target attack with a bundle of threads
(Gold + Lance or Bishop can be Combined)

ToC