Chapter 107: This is Not a Fight, This is a Hunt Where the Predator Catches the Prey

Crimson Twinewing.

What I understood by combining the two battles and stories heard from other players is that the true terror of that machine lies mostly in player skill.

The irregular maneuvers enabled by those asymmetrically placed boosters are not movements one can respond to in a robot game... That is the consensus among players.

Actually, the movements themselves aren't that complex, but dealing with them while wearing the "overcoat" called Nephilim is extremely difficult.

"That's the characteristic of robot games, though."

Changing the subject, OiKatzo... that guy has a game category he's bad at. That is robot games. Robot games, which insert the cushion of "Robot" into reaction, response, and operation, are similar to but different from fighting games.

That's why Katzo complained that fighting games where you control a robot are outside his specialty, and knowing that, I once beat him to a pulp in a robot game... but the current problem is Rust.

As you can tell from the machine's armaments, her specialty ranges are short and mid-range, yet her piloting skills to dodge long-range sniping normally show she doesn't reign as the absolute champion for nothing.

But in other words, to defeat me, she has to approach at least to mid-range.

"Either way, as long as that guy named Mold is attached, winning with Kingfisher is difficult."

From what I heard, that player named Mold is like an operator, and apparently, he was relaying my movements to Rust in this morning's match too.

If it were against a solo player not using a partner as an operator, fine, but with another set of eyes, the effect of disruption via mobility would drop to half or less.

Since it's a depopulated game, players with operators are few, but Mold is the one supporting the legend of the strongest Crimson Twinewing from the shadows.

"Oi, Kingfisher, take this."

"What's this?"

"Battle records of Crimson Twinewing in ranking battles. You're rematching tomorrow morning, right? Use it as reference."

"...Is that okay?"

"I'm a fan of yours. Show me that Nephilim... show me a cool figure."

"It's a crab, though... well whatever, look forward to tomorrow morning."

Veteran players all secretly wish to see the undefeated Phoenix sink. Various players brought information on Crimson Twinewing to me, the player who defeated two of the top three in the current meta... Scrub Knight's "King's Gambit" and Super Tama-o's "Bound Dog."

The reason seems to be that one of Rust's policies is "Not changing machines until defeated," and many players want to see machines other than Crimson Twinewing, which is one reason they support me.

"She could at least use another machine outside of ranking battles, but Rust is being stubborn so she won't use anything but Crimson Twinewing... Her partner Mold was complaining about it... Besides, even as a boss character, we're tired of seeing it."

"Yeah, yeah. Crimson Twinewing itself isn't that outstanding of a build, but we just can't win... Scrub Knight gets beaten to a pulp even with a build designed to hard-counter Crimson Twinewing."

"Shut up! I win normally against everyone except Tama-o and Rust!"

"Honestly, it irks me to entrust this to a former ranker eater, but current Nephilim Hollow is basically Rust vs Other Players, so if you're gonna fight, I want you to aim for the win."

With the backing of players listed in the rankings and final adjustments made, the next morning, I was waiting for the signal to start the battle in the ruins modeled after a destroyed New York.

"That is Kingfisher... Sunraku's new machine."

<<Machine Name: 'Fiddler Crab'... If I recall, that's the English translation for Fiddler Crab (Shiomaneki)? Fiddler means violin player, and the way it moves its claw looks like playing a violin...>>

"Hairy crab or hermit crab, doesn't matter. If it's a machine reflecting the Current meta, maybe it can..."

<<............It seems they are calling us too.>>

With a sound of destruction, one of the buildings collapses. At least in this game, field objects don't collapse naturally. Furthermore, a gigantic structure collapsing means nothing other than someone explicitly attacking it.

It's a message, a declaration of war saying "I am here." Understanding that, and understanding the danger of an ambush, Rust heads toward the collapsing building.

<<...Found it! Reaction... It's Fiddler Crab!>>

"Visual contact confirmed here too...!"

<<W-What is that... The right arm is twice the size?>>

"............Type-6 Crushing Scissor Unit [Bookmaker]. Not a trash weapon, but at least not a weapon to mount on a middle-weight machine."

<<Besides that, it's bulky, looks like a heavy-weight Nephilim>>

The distinction between light, middle, and heavy weights can be guessed directly from the Nephilim's height and equipment.

For Rust, the strongest player in Nephilim Hollow, knowing the opponent's information from their armaments is natural.

(Right arm is [Bookmaker], legs are Multi-Stage Propulsion Jet Legs... Can't see left arm and back, head is............ If I recall...)

Rugged, and compared to Kingfisher, dumpy and stout, Fiddler Crab has a gigantic weapon unit attached as if half-fused with its right arm.

The [Bookmaker], set as a weapon for anti-super-giant Nephilim designed to sandwich and crush enemies with two edges forcibly mounted on a normal Nephilim, is a one-hit-kill class Romance Weapon unleashed from a large swinging motion... that is Rust's evaluation.

And if mounting a Romance Weapon, the standard theory is that the machine is built either with gimmicks to establish the romance, or to fully utilize player skill to establish the romance.

And the characteristic head equipment with two antennas looking like crab eyes depending on how you look at it. The moment Rust tried to dig up its identity from memory, Fiddler Crab moved.

"Disappeared...!"

<<Rust, Optical Camouflage! Reaction is still there!>>

"Engaging...!"

The head unit glows, and Fiddler Crab's entire body vanishes.

Understanding from Mold's words that the identity is due to the effect of "Optical Camouflage" which visually erases the Nephilim's figure, Rust grasps Fiddler Crab's approximate position from Mold's report and the sensor reaction, and attacks with the gatling.

(Optical Camouflage reveals position by booster light...!)

"There!"

A line of bullets fired. They pass through the place where Fiddler Crab was, informing Rust that the target is no longer there.

But Rust is not one to overlook the effect of jet legs firing, hidden in the light of the bullets.

Aiming at the end of the effect trail showing boosters firing in short bursts to indicate dodging the gatling with minimal movement in a "U" trajectory, she launches a melee attack at the position coordinates indicated by the sensor.

Indeed, this movement is not something an average player can do. But Sunraku underestimated Rust, underestimated the Crimson Twinewing.

"Come back later, Fiddler Crab...!"

<<Wrong...!>>

Faster than her brain could perceive the words Mold shouted impulsively,

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

...

Too easily, the strongest Phoenix was torn to pieces and fell to the ground.

"..........................................Eh?"

Respawn indicating defeat. Rust, standing dumbfounded at the entrance, captures other players in her field of vision who are equally dumbfounded by the match settled too easily, but even that, her brain cannot catch up to understand.

Nephilim Hollow... In the Phoenix's nest, the ridicule of the Fiddler Crab echoes.

Author's Afterword
Q. What on earth did the protagonist do?
A. There is no rule in hide-and-seek saying "You must not move from where you hid."

Like a drop of sludge dripping onto a white cloth, Kusogenium spreads...

Translator's Notes

• Romance Weapon (ロマン武器 / Roman Buki): This is a Japanese gaming term referring to a weapon that is impractical, hard to use, or statistically inefficient (Meta-wise), but is incredibly cool, flashy, or satisfies a specific male fantasy (like a giant pile bunker, a massive laser, or an unwieldy greatsword).