by Mamare Touno
Knowing that, Nyanta and Shiroe had chosen to force their way through instead. They said it was a gamble they’d have to take at some point if they were going to return to Akiba. Naotsugu and Akatsuki hadn’t been spotted yet, and Shiroe had probably contacted them via telechat. They were currently moving toward the broad avenue to the west, hurrying but not panicking.
In the end, their guess proved to be correct: Briganteers guild members were loitering at the gate as well.
“Susukino is a noncombat zone. What mew they think they’re doing…?”
“They’re probably planning to let us walk for now.”
Shiroe had said “for now,” and it really would be only temporary. The guild would mount their real offensive once they were out of the noncombat zone. Serara thought that was the strategy the Briganteers had put together and that Shiroe and Nyanta were fully aware of it.
“Do mew think so?”
Nyanta didn’t question Shiroe’s abbreviated comment, possibly out of consideration for Serara. However, the calm in his voice was completely different from what it usually was. It was a difference Serara couldn’t quite define, but it made her shiver involuntarily.
“What… What should I do?”
Her voice was shaking. Demiquas had grabbed her wrist once. The mere memory of his grotesquely muscle-bound arm and his ugly smile made her heart wilt.
“…Let’s see.”
Shiroe seemed to be gazing into the distance. She saw the expression silently drain from his profile. Abruptly, he looked far more intelligent and much, much colder, and she felt a little afraid of him.
“If they’re going to let us out, let’s take them up on it. If we can get outside the city, so much the better.”
“…What?”
At Shiroe’s words, Serara’s eyes widened.
If they left the city, they’d be outside the noncombat zone. If they were captured, they’d have to fight, and the Briganteers had enough members to guard all the avenues leading out of the city.
Serara was sure that if it came down to combat, she, Nyanta, and Shiroe would all be killed easily. No matter how skilled Nyanta and Shiroe were and no matter how high level Shiroe’s reinforcements were, there were only five of them altogether. Besides, that five included Serara herself, and she wasn’t even level 30. If the Briganteers decided to PK them, she was sure they wouldn’t have a chance. Of course they wouldn’t. They were far too outnumbered.
“Even if we manage to get away without a fight, we’ll need to make them slip up. If they start pursuing us when they’re this close to us, even after we’re away from Susukino, they’ll probably follow us until doomsday. The enemy must know you have people helping you, Miss Serara. You wouldn’t have been able to keep yourself fed otherwise. I assume they also know you don’t have very many allies. Taken together, that means that the Briganteers plan to surround and PK us once we’ve gotten a little distance from the noncombat zone. They’ll try to take out your allies first. Then they’ll break your will and get you under their control. I think they’ll have settled on that course at this point.”
Shiroe’s words sounded completely analytical. To Serara, he seemed detached from the situation.
“But they’ll kill us! How can you just—”
“Serara, Serara, it’s all right. Mew mustn’t let yourself get so flustered. If Shiroechi says that’s how things are, then that’s how they are. And if he’s here, then there’s nothing to worry about.”
Nyanta’s words were casual and relaxed, completely divorced from Serara’s anxiety and terror. Shiroe had gotten information on the Briganteers members and fighting strength from Nyanta, but as far as Serara could see, their situation was fairly dire. She didn’t understand how they could be so calm.
“Captain.”
“Yes?”
“If you fought their leader one-on-one…?”
Shiroe asked, and Nyanta nodded.
“Now that is a stupid question.”
His response startled Serara. She’d heard that Nyanta was a veteran player, but fighting PKs was nothing like fighting monsters. That had been true even when Elder Tales was an online game. Unlike monsters, which had a limited range of attack techniques and were driven by instinct, there was no telling what players would do. The tension during combat was dozens of times greater, and even the most skillful fighter would make mistakes—or at least that was what Henrietta had told Serara. Serara had never seen a player so skilled that they could consent to a PK battle this readily.
“We’ll go with that strategy, then. First, the three of us will leave the zone together. Once we’ve come far enough that we won’t be able to run back into the town, the Briganteers will launch their PK battle. Once we take out the enemy boss, we’ll use the opportunity to make our escape.”
But that’s ridiculous!
Serara felt herself go pale.
That wasn’t a strategy. It was practically leaving everything to chance. It seemed almost like suicide. She tried to speak up, to take him to task over it, but she couldn’t even find the words.
“Perfect. Mew haven’t changed a bit, Shiroechi.”
On top of that, incredibly, Nyanta seemed to be in total agreement with Shiroe. When Serara turned, startled, Nyanta widened his narrow right eye at her.
“I haven’t ripped someone to pieces in a very long time. Make sure and watch closely, Serara. It’s all right. I won’t let them lay a finger on mew.”
At that, Serara swore to herself that she’d brave any terror, if only Nyanta would fight to protect her.
5
…And now the situation had played out just as Shiroe and the others had anticipated. They’d passed through the gate under the crude stares of the Briganteers. As Serara and the others went through, about ten of the ruffians followed them, keeping their distance. They were probably planning to attack as soon as they were away from the town. Even Serara, who had never directly encountered bloodlust, seemed to sense that surge of emotion, something between malice and spite. Her shoulders were trembling.
I can’t reasonably ask her to trust me.
Shiroe was fully aware of Serara’s anxiety. To some extent, her fears were correct. The Briganteers were a force to be reckoned with. It was no wonder she doubted their chances of victory.
The tension in the air grew thicker with each step they took. The gate that led to Susukino receded behind them. Slowly but surely, the circle of Briganteers was closing in.
“This is far enough,” Shiroe murmured.
Then he raised his voice.
“Excuse me! Which of you gentlemen is Demiquas of the Briganteers?”
His words caused a stir in the players that surrounded them. They hadn’t expected such a clear challenge.
“No, no. Shiroechi, my boy. It’s rude to bellow questions at people like that. I know who he is. He’s that big fellow over there. Oooooy, Demiquas!”
The burly man who stepped from the crowd, as if drawn by Nyanta’s voice, was the Briganteers leader, Demiquas. His powerfully muscled torso was sheathed in tight-fitting light armor that resembled a singlet, and he wore weapons that looked like tiger claws on both hands. Although he’d been modeled on the same polygon data as everyone else and should have been quite handsome, his coarse expression mirrored the man inside.
“So you’re the punks who’ve been buzzing around Serara?”
“Ah, that was just me. And ‘alley cat’ is more apt than ‘punk’ really.”
Nyanta corrected him, taking things at his own speed as usual. In contrast to what he was saying, his mellow voice was calm, dignified, and mature, and it dampened his opponents’ urge to fight. However, his next words were cutting.
“…Young people are always reckless and wild. It’s the way of the world, and maybe permitting that young enthusiasm is a virtue in adults, but there are limits.”
“What are you drooling about, furry?!”
“I’m about to tell mew. Listen very closely… Demiquas. Mew’ve g
one too far. I know you plan to attempt a player kill here, so I’ll save mew the trouble. Cutting down uppity young bucks is another adult responsibility. I’ll give mew the opportunity to train against an expert. Have at me.”
Those are pretty strong words for the Captain, but what these guys have done is actually criminal. I guess I can’t blame him.
Even as Shiroe thought that, he was using his mental menu to check the power of the enemies around them.
“Hah! What’re you running on about? Who says we have to play by your rules? I’ve got ten guys with me here!”
“I’m sorry to interrupt. It’s all right, Demiquas. It doesn’t have to be you. And actually… You, sir. The player in the gray robe. That’s a secret-level item from the Salamander’s Cavern, isn’t it? You look stronger than this fellow. I think we’d all be more satisfied with the outcome if you fought instead of the Monk. Captain Nyanta, go ahead and fight the magic user instead.”
“Are you aware that I’m ‘Gray Steel’ Rondarg?”
“Mew have a point… Let’s make sure they know what’s what.”
As Serara watched in shock—this was nothing like the plan they’d discussed earlier—Shiroe switched the target from Demiquas to the magic user at his side. When even Nyanta expressed agreement with the change, a ripple of bewilderment spread through the Briganteers group. Some looked at the magic user Rondarg while others watched Demiquas, and even Shiroe’s group picked up on the slight change in temperature.
So they aren’t a united front. I knew it. A guild cobbled together as quickly as theirs couldn’t be. That Rondarg guy is second-in-command and Demiquas’s adviser. I guess we’ll see how much control you have over your guild members, Demiquas. Shiroe felt his feelings go quiet, flickering like flame far below the surface.
True, Shiroe was bad at dealing with people. It was safe to say that he hated having noisy idiots hanging around… That didn’t mean he couldn’t handle it.
He was a pacifist, and he didn’t want to fight other players.
That didn’t mean he couldn’t do it.
Quite the opposite, in fact.
Under the circumstances, even Shiroe could feel it. He was fully aware of the emotion, black as the ocean at night, that was filling his heart. It was rooted in his irritation, and it was an impulse toward destruction.
Rip someone to pieces, Nyanta had said.
His usual peaceful, sunlit smile had crumbled, and his grin had revealed feline fangs. Even Shiroe had similar fangs, deep inside. Shiroe’s unconscious was convinced that those who lived by the sword should be prepared to die by the sword. No mercy would be shown here.
“‘Gray Steel’ Rondarg, wasn’t it? A byname, that’s impressive. Yes, you’ll suit us much better than Demiquas over there… This is Captain Nyanta, your opponent. He’s a Swashbuckler. Let’s begin the duel. We don’t intend to run.”
“Let’s hurry and get started. From your equipment, mew seem to be a first-class professional. This is your way, isn’t it? Mewsing combat to settle scores once and for all. Demiquas insists on a group attack because he fears my rapiers, poor soul. We’ll just ignore him.”
Nyanta’s insult proved to be the last straw. Enraged, Demiquas stalked up to stand in front of Nyanta, his expression a mixture of anger and tension and scorn.
“Fine, joker. I’ll take you on. I’ll give you a one-way ticket to hell…with my fist!”
Under the pretense of accepting a one-on-one battle, Demiquas threw a punch at Nyanta, putting all his strength behind the surprise attack. Watching the punch as it headed straight for his nose, Nyanta evaded, leaping back several meters. He drew the two rapiers he wore at his hips, holding them at the ready, and gave a mocking laugh.
“Mrowr~! That’s quite a punch!”
“He has to actually hit you to do damage, though. Say, are you sure you’re okay without backup, Demi-what’s-your-name?”
Shiroe heckled, as Demiquas launched a few more fierce punches.
Demiquas’s anger seemed to blaze even hotter. “Once I put down this old furry, I’ll tear you apart!” he roared.
“Yes, yes. Until then, though, you’re fighting me… There is a lady present, and I’d rather not force her to witness anything gruesome. If mew’d like me to hold back, speak up quickly.”
“Shove it!!”
As Nyanta leapt nimbly out of the way, Demiquas’s attacks seemed to completely ignore the distance between them. He launched two or three destructive left hooks from a stance like a shot-putter’s. Nyanta deflected some of the attacks with his rapiers, but several hit home with heavy thuds.
In the first place, Demiquas had nearly half again as much HP as Nyanta. On top of that, even if Nyanta evaded more than half of them, the few jabs and kicks that got through were heavy enough to drain his HP.
“C’mon, c’mon!”
Demiquas closed in, his face radiant with fierce joy.
Demiquas was a Monk. Monk was one of the three Warrior classes, along with Guardian and Samurai. All the Warrior classes specialized in drawing enemy attacks on the front line and were designed with an emphasis on Defense. That meant that Monks, who were lightly equipped and couldn’t wear anything sturdier than leather armor, were unusual for the category.
In Elder Tales, spells and sword techniques were known as “special skills.” In addition to proper names and effects, each special skill came with set values for required MP, cast time, and recast time. Cast time was the amount of time between the point when a player selected a special skill and the point when the skill activated—the equivalent of “charge” time. Recast time was the amount of time that had to pass after a special skill was used before it could be used again. During recast time, it was possible to do other things, but one couldn’t use the special skill they’d just used. Most powerful skills couldn’t be used again right away.
For example, most of the special skills used by the Samurai class had long recast times. This meant that Samurai fought by taking careful aim with special skills that had powerful effects.
In contrast, the recast time for Monks’ convenient major special skills was short. Specific examples included the Lightning Straight and Wyvern Kick skills. Monks were excellent at paying out unbroken wave attacks by using many moves with a focus on attacks with high basic performance.
Although their armor was the thinnest of the Warrior classes, Monks were light on their feet, and they had the best evasive abilities of the three. In addition, just as Guardians had special shield-based Defense skills, Monks had several evasive Defense skills, such as Phantom Step, which let the player evade an opponent’s attack by leaving a body double in their place, and Dragon Scale Stance, which protected the player from flame and ice attacks. Monks’ Defense was supported by the player’s physical abilities and special skills, not by their equipment. Monks could acquire first-rate fighting abilities even without rare, high-level gear, and they had a solid reputation for being the handiest of the Warrior classes.
“Whassamatter? Huh? Attack already! Is Defense all you got?!”
Nyanta took two steps back, managing to parry Demiquas’s attack. However, Demiquas closed the several meters between them in one move, with a flying kick wrapped in a dark green aura. Nyanta evaded that kick as well, but Demiquas segued into a one-two punch without even blinking.
Demiquas’s kick technique was a Wyvern Kick. The skill had forward-thrusting collision detection, and Demiquas activated it in order to close distances. Since he was using it as a move technique to check Nyanta and close the gap between them, he always got in close to Nyanta and paid out a rapid serial left-and-right attack, which meant that Nyanta couldn’t keep his distance.
He’s pretty good. He isn’t giving Nyanta any room to run.
Shiroe was secretly impressed. Relief was spreading among the Briganteers, whose unstable atmosphere had betrayed the guild’s internal conflicts up until a few moments ago. It was the reaction of men who were confident that their leader’s complete vict
ory was assured.
However, as Nyanta parried a wide hook, he lightly jabbed a knee into Demiquas’s vulnerable side from point-blank range, then used that graceful attack as a foothold from which to change his stance in midair.
“Mrowr. Meowr!”
With a rapier attack that seemed to split the air, Nyanta slashed through the guard on Demiquas’s thigh, leaving a wound as if the Monk had been jabbed with an ice pick. Shifting his grip and taking a new defensive stance, Nyanta watched Demiquas with steely eyes, letting the tips of his rapiers skim through the air like swallows.
Nyanta was a Swashbuckler. It was one of the close-range attack classes, and one of the few that fought with two swords. It was characterized by lightning-fast serial attacks that made the best of the weapons in both hands and by wide-range attacks that made use of rotation. Taken singly, Swashbuckler attacks had less force than an Assassin’s, but they were speed fighters that accumulated overall damage through multiple attacks.
As a class, Swashbucklers were capable of a wide range of variations, depending on the Swashbuckler’s choice of weapons and the special skills they decided to focus on. Nyanta’s fighting style featured twin rapiers. The attack speed of this style was second only to the twin daggers style—where the player held a knife in each hand—and it made its user one of the fastest fighters around.
Another feature that distinguished the Swashbuckler class was their various sword attacks with bonus effects. The Swashbucklers’ exquisitely accurate attacks used Attack Speed Reduction, Evasion Performance Reduction, Defense Reduction, and other effects to steal the targets’ strengths and expose their shortcomings as even more fatal weaknesses.
“Your hairy thighs are on display. Just look at all that fuzz. Mew could practically braid it.”