Asuna pauses briefly at his words, realizing her misunderstanding. The other party initiated this duel mode not out of concern for her, nor did he have any intention of passively letting her stab him.
(He just wants to test skills… Maybe he also wants to use this chance to teach me, the rude one, a lesson? After all, in both sword skills and level, he's superior. This duel was unfair from the start.)
"…I understand."
Even so, Asuna chooses to accept. In fact, a faint sense of joy and anticipation stirs in her heart. Her hand instinctively tightens around the rapier's hilt, her virtual heartbeat and blood flow accelerating.
Unconsciously, she holds her breath and focuses. Under the countdown timer above her head, nearing its end, she tenses her graceful body, aiming at the young man before her like an arrow ready to shoot from a bow.
—Why did she risk her mother's scolding to enter this imaginary world?
In the tense atmosphere that could snap at any moment, Asuna suddenly realizes this.
Not to escape her mother's pressure, not out of disappointment with reality, nor because she was tired of studying and wanted to relax with a game. She feels she came here seeking change.
To change the doll-like self who couldn't find her identity; to change the self walking a pre-planned path without a shred of freedom.
Does this world truly hold such opportunities? Honestly, she doesn't know.
But at this moment, in this small forest with only two people, in this sudden duel, she isn't Yuuki Asuna but Asuna—a beginner rapier-wielder.
Facing the challenge from a one-handed swordsman far more experienced than her, should she abandon her intent to repay a favor and stop the duel, or step forward and clash swords head-on? It all depends on her own decision.
A decision no one can make for her, one she never imagined before, and one she's trying for the first time—fighting an opposite-sex opponent she just met, brandishing swords at each other in this virtual world.
Perhaps Asuna secretly took her brother's helmet to her room that night to find meaning in this?
"The one who drops to half HP first loses, right? Then I won't just stab you once!"
With three seconds left on the countdown, Asuna shouts with competitive fervor, the corners of her lips unconsciously curling up. Yuu, surprised by her emotional shift, gives a gentle smile to the spirited girl and says:
"Just don't cry later, newbie who couldn't even beat Orcs."
Asuna: "…"
A vein visibly pops on her forehead. As the countdown hits zero, with a fierce expression, she grits her teeth, lowers her stance, and charges forward like a bullet.
Even while running, Asuna completes the preparatory movements for a sword skill, her pink sword light piercing the sky, thrusting mercilessly upward at her opponent's chest. A sharp gust rings out.
"Dream on!"
Her eyes sharpen suddenly. Yuu stomps the ground with one foot, and as he lunges sideways, a faint green light glows on his sword.
'!'
As if an invisible hand pushes him from behind, he collides with Asuna at higher speed. While dodging the rapier's thrust, the faint green sword flash, like sharp claws pouncing on prey, swings fiercely at the girl's chest.
*CHIIING—!*
Sparks erupt. By twisting her waist and placing her rapier in front, Asuna barely blocks the attack with some difficulty.
As if anticipating her reaction, Yuu exerts force in his right hand again, swinging his sword upward. With the green light nearly fading, he suddenly sends the girl flying.
"Ugh!"
A muffled groan escapes her mouth. Her petite, slender body rolls twice on the ground, and Asuna finally steadies herself. Though there's no pain, the sensation of something crashing into her body and disrupting her insides feels deeply uncomfortable.
There's no time to dwell on it. Asuna gives up on standing, gripping her weapon tightly, and shoots forward from her crouching position like a spring.
"Hyaaahhhhh!"
Grass and dry leaves swirl along her path, the brilliant, deep pink light sweeping with greater momentum. Swift as a meteor, it explodes before him again.
"Really fast… But if I'm prepared, you won't hit me."
Admiring her attack, Yuu seems to have already read its trajectory. He nimbly dodges the light-like sword tip, and his one-handed sword glows with water-blue light. Timing it perfectly, he aims to slash directly at the girl's slender waist, cutting her in two.
But just as he raises his hand, Asuna defies logic by spinning in midair. Her slender wrist twists the rapier's hilt, and the pink effect light, which should have faded, flickers again.
"Don't underestimate… me!"
Her makeup-free face, hair in disarray, Asuna narrows her eyes into crescent moons, laughing with competitive zeal and triumph.
As Yuu is stunned by this, his opponent's petite frame suddenly unleashes immense force. A straight thrust forms a sharp line of light, deflecting the water-blue sword flash, and seizing the brief stun, she swings her sword hard.
*SWISH!*
The rapier narrowly misses, grazing past his eyes. A few strands of black hair float in the air, then silently shatter into polygon fragments.
Reflexively holding his breath, Yuu doesn't hesitate. Using the recoil from his deflected sword, he leans back and kicks at Asuna.
"Wuaaah! You, you're kicking a girl?! And without hesitation…"
"Tch, so noisy, we're in a duel, you know!"
*CLANG!* *CLING!* *CLANG!* *CLING!*
After a brief squabble, their swords clash again, sparking. They grit their teeth but gaze at their opponent with excitement.
It's the expression of enjoying the game.
The duel's outcome: Yuu wins.
"Sniff, sniff, sniff… If only I could've twisted the sword skill's direction with my foot during that attack…"
"No, more like, if only I had more sword skills to chain…"
Asuna, the loser, sits cross-legged on the grass, muttering with reluctance and frustration, occasionally shooting Yuu sulky glares.
Feeling a chill, despite being the winner, Yuu can only say resignedly: "Fine, fine, I'll tell you how to use sword skills without worrying about mastery. Whether you can learn it or not, that's not my problem."
"Really?!"
Asuna's eyes instantly sparkle, the dark clouds over her head vanishing: "Yay! Thank you, Tenkuji-kun!"
She waves her small fist excitedly, her smile radiant.
Unswayed by her emotions, Yuu rolls his eyes: "You're welcome. Also, just call me by my character name—calling my last name in a game feels too weird."
"Then… Yuu-kun?"
Trying it out, Asuna's face loses the sternness from the duel, showing a hint of awkwardness and shyness. She unconsciously pulls her shoulders in, laughing nervously: "Ahaha, this is the first time I've directly called a boy by his name…"
"Just think of it like a teacher or principal calling you. I'll call you Asuna too."
Replying casually, Yuu opens the menu, quickly performs a few actions with his fingers, and sends an email.
"Hmm? This…"
Hearing the notification sound, Asuna immediately opens the email from her friend.
—It's a method to bypass the system's metrics and use advanced sword skills regardless of mastery.
After skimming it, she looks at him in shock: "You just entered the game and already found this bug? That's amazing…"
"Not bad, I'm pretty good at games." Casually accepting her praise, Yuu, who logically considers system-granted skills as his own, then says seriously:
"Don't tell your brother about this bug. When I meet him, I'll find a chance to tell him myself."
Of course, through direct practice. In his heart, Yuu smirks coldly, adding silently.
"Don't worry, I want to get back at you with this technique too! I won't tell anyone."
Still unsatisfied with the duel, Asuna raises her brows challengingly at him. But seeing the green HP bar beside her head slowly recovering, a sudden wave of shame fills her heart. Like a child who did something wrong, she lowers her head guiltily.
"Um… I started this fight, and you even shared such an important secret with me. I feel really bad…"
"Indeed, that was outrageous!" Nodding vigorously in agreement, Yuu strokes his chin, saying seriously, "If this were the real world, doing something like that could cause big trouble."
"I-I didn't want to do it either! If it wasn't for my brother…"
Before finishing her sentence, Asuna's face suddenly changes drastically. Her fingers quickly double-click the still-open menu, and her virtual avatar vanishes rapidly. Before leaving, she only manages to say:
"I don't know when I'll be online again, but I'll make it up to you later, bye!"
"…"
Yuu's mouth opens slightly, staring in surprise at where the girl disappeared.
"That urgent… Did she get ganked by her mom?"
Did she sense her mother's movements, or did she get caught without even checking her surroundings?
Having finally found a strong teammate, Yuu, growing more invested in the game, doesn't take pleasure in her misfortune. Instead, he clasps his hands solemnly.
May she be alright…
But moments later, his eyes widen, and he no longer has time to worry about Asuna.
[Target Updated]
[Target: Yuuki Asuna]
[Description: —]
[Hint: The player must figure it out themselves]
Yuu: "…"
Damn system, I'll figure out your nonsense myself!