"Hey! Popcorn! Fresh popcorn! Only ten Col!"
"Dark beer! Ice-cold and cheap!"
"Refreshing lemonade! Even cheaper than that dark beer over there!"
"You trying to start something?!"
The player hawking dark beer went sprinting after the lemonade seller.
"Hey, hey, popcorn comes with free soda!" The remaining vendor lit up when two competitors disappeared, then shouted even harder at the long, dragon-like line of spectators. Outside the arena, a structure built from square-cut white limestone, the excitement of the players who had come to watch was no less intense than the vendors' enthusiasm.
"It's been ages since I've seen anything this lively." Satoru used one hand to push through the backs of the oddly dressed players in front of him, forcing open a path, while his other hand held the wrist of the girl behind him so they would not get separated in the crowd.
"Everyone's really fired up," Sheeta said, sounding like she was in a good mood.
"Could the two blindingly flashy, should-probably-explode people up front slow down a little?!" Farther behind them, Argo protested through clenched teeth.
"I thought a Rat built entirely for agility would be able to slip through a crowd like this with ease." Satoru delivered the line flatly without looking back.
"I'm not actually a ten-centimeter Rat!" Normally, she would have stomped around to fully express her displeasure, but in this packed crowd, her small frame and lack of Strength made her feel like she was being pushed farther and farther away.
"Argo-chan looks like a helpless shell tossed about by the waves." Sheeta turned her head and could only make out that swaying, signature mass of brown curls as she gave her airheaded assessment.
"Honestly." Satoru shrugged in annoyance, then turned back, pulled Sheeta a little closer against him, and freed his right hand to reach toward that brown curly hair. Thanks to his powerful Strength stat correction, he rather roughly shoved aside the people behind him and, in one clean motion, grabbed Argo by the hood.
With a quick whoosh, he lifted the Rat right over.
The sight was undeniably funny. Visually, it made little sense for his fairly slender frame to hoist up a player who was only two heads shorter than him.
But because of that, it also made the people around him understand just how high his Strength stat was.
At the very least, the people he had just brushed aside with one hand grudgingly shut the mouths they had been about to use on him.
"Hm… the feeling really isn't much different from picking up a ten-centimeter Rat by the tail." Satoru gave a subtly teasing smile as he said this to Argo, whose head was hanging.
Argo clenched her fists. No matter how you looked at her, she was right on the verge of blowing up.
Oh, she's blushing. Tsk, tsk.
Unexpectedly, she was the type to care about other people's stares. Even though she worked as an information broker, the kind of job that drew the most criticism from others.
"A-aren't you going to put me down?" Argo turned her head away and muttered.
"Whose hand are you holding, Sheeta's or mine?" Satoru set her down and asked casually.
Argo immediately answered with action. She took Sheeta's hand neatly in both of hers.
"Hold yours? Dream on. Go die in some gutter like a maggot. It'd be better if only Sheeta and I were left." The blush on her face still had not faded, so even that venomous line sounded a little strained.
"Then don't get lost." Satoru shook his head with a smile and turned back to continue clearing the way. "I'm not playing whack-a-mole again later."
Seeing that slender figure from behind, Argo lowered her eyes slightly.
"Idiot."
Her whisper vanished beneath the noise of the crowd.
...
There was not a single empty seat in the stands surrounding the arena. Everywhere they looked, the place was packed with eyes burning with excitement. Satoru and the others were seated fairly close to the front, in what could be called prime seats thanks to Kirito. At the center of the venue, members of the Knights of the Blood were loudly announcing the rules of the match.
Once the irrelevant opening remarks were over and the time for the duel arrived, the entire venue erupted in thunderous cheers.
"I really don't understand what these people are so excited about." Satoru endured the wave of heat and enthusiasm behind him, looking rather speechless.
"Getting fired up over something like this is what makes a man! Yuu-yuu!"
That nickname…
Satoru turned his head and showed an expression that said he had expected exactly this.
"You're the only one who would say that, Klein."
"Yeah! That's proof of our friendship!" Klein, who treated his red bandana like a protective charm, gave a bright smile that was not very different from an idiot's.
"What a shame… If I could've gotten involved in an event this big, who knows how much I could've made." The bald, rough-looking man beside him covered his face and muttered to himself.
"Even if this guy isn't a crooked merchant now, he definitely will be in the future," Argo clicked her tongue.
I don't think you're in any position to say that about someone else.
"Ohh! Look, Kirito's coming out!" Klein had the sharpest eyes. As the swordsman carrying two swords slowly entered the arena, he stood up without the slightest shame and shouted his support. "Go get him! Cut him down!!"
Those sensitive words immediately drew hostile looks from several nearby members of the Knights of the Blood, and Agil clamped a hand over Klein's mouth.
"…"
Kirito vaguely heard the commotion from their side, but he probably found it embarrassing, because he deliberately did not turn around.
"Heathcliff is out too." Satoru sat calmly with his arms folded, watching the crimson figure. With the arrival of that rigid man, the heat in the venue seemed to rise a little more. Although Kirito and he were currently in the same Guild, and both wore the crimson uniform of the Knights of the Blood, Heathcliff's blazing red figure stood out far more than Kirito did.
Even the few idle clouds in the sky seemed to part for him, letting sunlight fall directly onto his body.
It was as if some strange aura surrounded him. Satoru could not help frowning.
"Who do you think has the better chance of winning?" Argo poked her little head out to take a look, then pulled back and asked him.
"It hasn't started yet. I don't know." Satoru thought for a moment, then gave that meaningless answer.
Heathcliff stood lightly before Kirito with a confident smile. Only then did he glance around at the densely packed gazes surrounding them, and his smile turned into a wry one.
"I never intended for them to promote it to this extent."
"Well, Daizen-san from Logistics has a good nose for opportunities." Kirito could only give a dry laugh.
"Still, it did turn a profit. You completed the extra quest wonderfully, Kirito."
"If possible, I'd rather not do Guild quests like this again…"
"Life rarely gives you the chance to say no." After saying that, Heathcliff gradually withdrew his smile. With those calm eyes, he looked Kirito up and down. Though they had been in the same Guild for quite some time, he now seemed to be studying him seriously, as if meeting him anew.
"You were the one who proposed the duel format, so naturally, you would choose one you had confidence in. Still, I am curious. Who suggested a one-hit victory?"
"Well, maybe it was decided randomly, like flipping a coin or rolling a pencil?" Kirito shrugged.
Heathcliff nodded slightly, then swept a meaningful gaze across the surrounding spectators.
Hm…?
Satoru, seated with his arms folded, shifted slightly.
From a considerable distance away, his gaze met Heathcliff's for a single instant.
"The weather is rather hot today. Let us finish this quickly and head back." Heathcliff stepped back a little, leaving an appropriate distance between them. Then he raised his right hand and pulled up the window with practiced ease. Without even looking at the menu, the duel request screen appeared before Kirito a few seconds later.
First Strike Victory Mode.
Kirito naturally selected Accept.
At once, a digital countdown wheel appeared above the space between them, and the noise around them died away in perfect unison. Heathcliff drew a longsword from the shield on his left arm. Opposite him, Kirito also pulled the two swords from his back. The air gradually grew heavy.
In the eerily silent venue, only the ding, ding, ding of the countdown wheel remained. The instant it neared zero and the system released a piercing alert tone, Heathcliff and Kirito moved at the same time from complete stillness. Dust kicked up beneath their feet, and the violent sound of impact rang out alongside a burst of sparks.
Their first exchange was Kirito's twin swords slamming hard into Heathcliff's massive crimson shield. Kirito's face was expressionless. His body, which had lifted slightly during the initial charge, landed lightly. After taking another heavy step, his black and blue swords spun back as if ignoring attack stiffness. Once he opened the minimum distance needed to swing, he unleashed a fierce two-hit combo.
The same dull clang of steel rang out. Kirito was not surprised in the slightest. During the latter half of his second offensive sequence, his entire body shifted to the side, and the third strike from the black sword, which had recovered first, changed its target to Heathcliff's flank.
"So fast…" Argo blurted out. "There's not even the slightest recovery lag."
"Dual Blades is built for speed. On top of that, Kirito knows Sword Skills inside and out, so he can use small tricks to cut down the recovery lag," Satoru said. "And because Dual Blades gives him two weapons to work with, both his attack count and his damage output are high."
"So that's why he chose First Strike Victory Mode? To use Dual Blades, which lets him land more Sword Skills in the same amount of time?"
"No," Satoru said calmly. "His key to victory is still speed. Because when it comes to dual-wield attack judgment, Holy Sword is the same."
Before Kirito, who was swinging both swords at high speed, Heathcliff kept his entire body hidden behind the shadow of that crimson shield. Even the longsword in his right hand was concealed, making it impossible to tell when his attack would come. Kirito remained constantly on guard, but the crimson shield that had been used only for defense suddenly began to glow.
Heathcliff abruptly charged forward by one body length, violently knocking away the two swords that had been suppressing him.
I can't cancel the stiffness… Is this the effect of his skill?
Kirito's body staggered backward beyond his control.
With Kirito's guard wide open, Heathcliff leveled the crimson shield. The front edge of the shield drew out a white light like the tip of a sword as it closed in.
"Gah!"
Kirito used every ounce of strength he had to pull back the swords that had been knocked aside. The crossed blades formed a crude emergency defense and deflected the shield thrust, but the powerful impact still surged through his entire body. He was forced back several meters again, and only by planting his sword into the ground to cushion himself did he avoid falling.
A stir ran through the crowd.
"So that shield-bash skill works as a defensive counter and still hits that hard?" Argo clicked her tongue.
"It's like watching two Dual Blades users fight. The difference is that one uses a sword and shield, while the other uses twin swords," Satoru said, as if he had already seen that shield bash before. "Treating Holy Sword as a purely defensive system would be a huge mistake. It's an all-purpose style. If it can't overpower you, it blocks you, then launches a fierce counter the moment it finds an opening."
"Then how are you supposed to fight it?"
"Stick completely to your own rhythm," Satoru said casually. "Balanced offense and defense also means it doesn't truly specialize in either. Besides, that guy's fighting style is a little passive. Even when he goes on the offensive, his attacks should still be weaker than Dual Blades. Otherwise, on the front lines, he wouldn't be the one pinning the boss down. He'd be the one unloading damage on it."
"That does sound kind of reasonable…"
"But that's only in theory." Satoru's tone grew slightly more serious. "That guy… is genuinely strong."
As if to prove his words, Heathcliff, having regained control of the fight, gave Kirito no time to recover his stance. Once again, he used a charging technique to close the distance in an instant. The longsword he had kept hidden finally appeared, and the straight sword with its cross-shaped guard thrust forward at a speed comparable to a rapier.
Kirito recognized the Sword Skill at first glance. Before the duel, he had already reviewed every Sword Skill he could remember Heathcliff using.
He let out a low shout. Dark Repulser, held in his left hand, immediately moved along the trajectory he had pictured in his mind and blocked the attack. At the same time, Elucidator in his right hand struck back without pause, unleashing the heavy attack Vorpal Strike.
Defending while counterattacking was something only Dual Blades could do.
But Heathcliff seemed to have read his movements as well. The crimson shield in his left hand rose again, cleanly absorbing that fierce thrust. A numb ache ran through Kirito's right wrist, as if he had struck a stone wall, but he still forced the Sword Skill through to the end with all his strength.
A resounding clang rang out.
This time, Heathcliff was the one forced back a step. His shield was indeed an unbreakable defense, but a small amount of damage still slipped through. It had probably shaved off a few dozen points of HP, but that was nowhere near enough to decide the match.
Using the force of Vorpal Strike, Heathcliff quietly opened the distance again.
"Impressive reaction speed," he praised.
Kirito glanced at his Guild Leader, who had once again tucked his entire body behind his shield, and the corner of his mouth twitched. The way Heathcliff raised his shield and retreated the moment he fell even slightly behind gave Kirito an unpleasant feeling, as if all his strength had nowhere to go.
"Your defense is as… flawless as ever."
He had probably been about to call it cheap, but luckily changed his words in time.
After that, the initiative shifted again.
Kirito charged forward, followed immediately by a continuous chain of high-speed Sword Skills so fast they dazzled the eye. The field filled with sword shadows and roaring wind. Around the two of them, sparks kept bursting wherever blades met shield, and each impact seemed to drive straight through the floor.
"Kirito-boy… he's supposed to be Strength-focused, right?" Argo could barely make out how the two of them were exchanging blows. "Why does he feel faster than my full-Agility build?"
"He has adapted perfectly to the system assist, even surpassed it. The assist's acceleration is basically just support now. Add in the bonus from Dual Blades, and that's how he can move at such ridiculous speed." Satoru watched the battle closely.
"But Heathcliff is… keeping up perfectly too."
"No. Under that kind of assault, a small amount of damage is still getting through the shield and reaching him. If they keep fighting like this, one side will eventually drop below half HP first. When that happens, even if no single strike lands cleanly, the system will still judge it as a victory."
"Winning by shaving off HP through chip damage…?"
After all, that was exactly how I won.
"But Kirito may look harmless enough, but he probably can't accept a win like that." Agil still had a hand clamped over Klein's face. "He acts the way he does, but he has a weird kind of pride."
How do you break through that shield instead of simply letting damage bleed through it?
The power-leveling player who had once fought him asked himself that question.
In the end, it came down to strength and speed.
Didos's Life-Farewell Halberd definitely had a chance. The weight of that halberd was practically suffocating. Then… what about the second option?
Speed.
Could speed surpass that shield?
A golden shadow began to flicker deep in Satoru's eyes. Sheeta, who had been quietly watching the duel without making any careless comments, seemed to sense something. For the first time, she pulled her gaze away from the arena and silently looked at Satoru beside her, who was completely immersed in the battle below.
...
Faster.
I can still go faster.
If I slow down even a little, his shield turns into a sword. I don't have a cheap defensive tool like that. Both my hands are numb from the recoil, but it still isn't enough. I can still hold these two blades. I still haven't reached my limit. Even at this inhuman speed, I can still feel it…
The higher ceiling beyond it.
It was a feeling of acceleration he had never experienced before. Every time an attack failed, the next one became faster.
Yurnero was right.
To fight him, I have to surpass him.
Release it.
Release all the strength in my body.
Don't worry about whether the attack leaves openings. If it does, make up for them with the next one. Either force him to make a mistake with my offense, or use that offense to completely crush his flawless defense.
Keep up.
Keep up with me.
And finally, show me a gap, Heathcliff!
Kirito's face, which had been tense all this time, suddenly broke into a smile of sheer exhilaration.
"Ooohhhhhh!!"
He abandoned every thought of defense. The swords in both hands crossed fiercely as he leaped recklessly toward the enemy in front of him. The twin blades burned like meteor fragments and falling flames, slicing through the air as they raced toward their target.
"That stance. It's the Sword Skill he used to beat that boss before!" Klein finally broke free from Agil's huge hand.
Kirito paid no attention to the first few strikes blocked by the crimson shield. He only kept pressing forward, letting out an exhilarated roar as he unleashed slash after slash. And each time blade and shield collided with a thunderous crash, his nerves seemed to spark with excitement.
The fifth strike.
The sixth.
The seventh came even faster!
Starburst Stream was a relentless sixteen-hit combo.
Nine strikes remained.
Behind the shield, Heathcliff finally looked astonished.
He probably can't block it.
Satoru narrowed his eyes slightly. His pupils were a dim gold, and the fingers of his folded arms unconsciously tightened around the fabric over his upper arm.
A few seconds later, he saw that the twin blades were still accelerating.
No.
He definitely can't block the final strike!
Satoru's eyes widened.
The crimson shield's final blocking position was too far to the right. In an exchange of offense and defense measured down to the smallest margin, Heathcliff's reaction had failed to keep up. It was his first defensive error.
Kirito's eyes widened as well.
The sword in his other hand swung toward that mistake. If it landed, the duel would end immediately.
"…!"
The crimson shield…
Moved.
Faster than Elucidator.
Clang!!
Kirito's body sank completely downward.
The final blow of the sixteenth hit missed.
With his high-ranking Sword Skill blocked, Kirito inevitably entered a fatal window of recovery lag, and there was nothing he could do about it. The cross-shaped straight sword hidden behind Heathcliff's body struck out then, like a venomous snake lying in wait for the perfect moment.
The damage was not especially high.
That only made it harder to accept.
Kirito fell in humiliation. From the corner of his eye, he could see the purple system message announcing the end of the duel flashing.
The entire arena froze for one second.
Then cheers swept through every corner.
But Kirito only sat there on the ground in a daze, unable to recover.
How…?
That instant of defensive recovery had been like a video suddenly being sped up. It had even made the image of the virtual character body that formed his existence distort for a moment.
Kirito stared blankly up at the standing victor.
But there was little joy of victory on Heathcliff's face.
"You were so close to touching that realm, Kirito."
It was a cryptic sentence, tinged with regret, as the crimson paladin looked down at him.
Amid the thunderous applause and cheers praising him, Heathcliff seemed to glance toward the spectator seats again. Then, without another word, he turned and slowly walked toward the waiting room at the edge of the arena.
...
With scattered discussion filling the air around them, no one on Satoru's side spoke.
"So close…" In the end, it was Klein who spoke first. He watched Kirito being helped up by Asuna in the arena and said it with deep frustration, as if he were the one who had lost.
"Mm. I have to admit it this time." Agil gave a wry smile.
"…"
Satoru frowned deeply.
"What's wrong, Nero?"
"Nothing…"
Satoru shook his head, but his expression clearly showed that he was not letting it go.
What was that?
In the final instant, it felt as if time had been stolen.
As if, for that one moment, everything except Heathcliff had paused for an almost imperceptible span.
No.
As for what exactly had happened, he could not summarize that subtle sensation in words.
Only…
He unconsciously touched the corner of his eye.
There had definitely been a disconnect.
Because in that moment, his thoughts had slipped ever so slightly out of step with his virtual body.
He was not unfamiliar with this kind of illusion caused by overwhelming the system.
Back when he fought Didos, the entire battle had felt as if he were immersed in that indescribable state.
But what had just happened…
Compared to back then, it was far too rigid. Too cold.
Back then, everything had flowed naturally.
This time, it was more like someone had taken a mountain-splitting axe and hacked wildly at the channel by force.
The speed Kirito had shown at the end had almost approached what he and Didos had reached on the 36th Floor.
But… why?
He looked at the mottled arena where Heathcliff was no longer present.
With that level of adaptability and terrifying reaction speed, why had he been dragged all the way to the end of their duel back then by the properties of Infinite Sword?
And then…
There was what he had mentioned before.
"With your mastery of five weapon-system skills, you can handle any enemy with ease."
Those words, casually spoken by that Guild Leader in the reception room, should have been forgotten.
Yet now they quietly surfaced, echoing beside his ear like a half-remembered dream.
Satoru's gaze grew colder.
Beside him, Sheeta silently leaned against him.