Chapter 261: Multitask Prestissimo

Seriously, how many times does this Goldunine intend to thrill me before she's satisfied? She really knows how to keep things exciting.

"Too slow, too slow! You lack flexibility, self-proclaimed Goldunine-san!"

"Dii, eeee...!"

"This is how you're supposed to use Twin Blades!"

Her skin got harder? Ah, but in exchange, she lost the flexibility she had back when she was soft (though it still had the texture of compressed rubber).
Her toxic curved swords increased to two? Ah, but in exchange, her movements became easier to read.

Wielding Twin Blades doesn't mean you're strong just because you swing them around blindly. Since you divide your attacks between your left and right, quirks begin to show in the balance of timing and attack range between the two swords.
While dual-wielding two longswords carries a certain romantic appeal, considering the ease of handling, shorter Twin Blades are definitely easier to use. Not that I actually possess any real-world knowledge of dual-wielding techniques, though.

That's precisely why Twin Blade Swords have such unique shapes, since their performance revolves entirely around their combined form. The old Togetsu type that attached at the pommels, or the scissor type used by one of the Vorpal Bunnies I saw were still somewhat normal, but the combined form of the Isana Togetsu I tested exactly once... "Pale Sheen" was so incredibly specialized that I couldn't help but laugh out loud.

A spinning slash unleashed from a waist twisting with the grinding tension of sheer force. In response, I deliberately turned my back to the self-proclaimed Goldunine, dodging it via a backflip utilizing the slope, and then activated Flit Float in mid-air.
I executed a 2-combo backflip off the mid-air footholds and landed directly behind the self-proclaimed Goldunine.

"I mean, a thrust there is a bit..."

Feeling slightly hesitant for various reasons, I delivered a slash to the self-proclaimed Goldunine's rear... slightly below the buttocks. Dammit, the mental damage from the perspective of ethical codes is surprisingly tough.

"The gauge is almost..."

Just as a creature right after shedding its skin is soft but gradually regains its original hardness over time, the self-proclaimed Goldunine's stats are steadily rising as time passes. Is the only saving grace the fact that her toxic liquid doesn't get hard? Since it's liquid and all.

"I need to reconsider my positioning. Top-to-bottom has become less reliable..."

Simultaneous left-and-right downward swings. Judging that dodging to the sides was too dangerous, I leaped forward.
Slipping right between the Twin Blades, I landed on both of the self-proclaimed Goldunine's arms using the jumping power enhanced by Shana-oh Possession, then jumped again, stepping on her head for another boost.
Activating Flit Float and Gravity Zero—whose recast times had just finished—I kicked off the empty footholds formed while I was entirely upside down, accelerating straight downward.

"With this... Gauge MAX!"

The top-to-bottom slash traced a line from Goldunine's nape down to her waist, and whatever effect Meiki triggered was promptly rejected by the etched wounds.
Alright, with this the groundwork is mostly laid, but it's not like I can act immediately.

There are signs that the self-proclaimed Goldunine is growing stronger as time passes.
From the moment she shed her skin until now, the massive humanoid whose entire body was dyed pitch-black glared at me with eyes glowing brightly with hatred, wielding toxic Twin Blades that had begun to bubble and boil—whether simply from boiling heat or some other principle, I couldn't tell.

"What's next? Planning to use a long-range attack?"

"Bursst."

"Nuaah!?"

If she hadn't given me a warning beforehand, I definitely would have died. A few seconds into my full-speed retreat—which was closer to a back-dash than a backstep—the self-proclaimed Goldunine leaped up with leg strength capable of lifting her massive frame, then slammed her toxic Twin Blades into the ground.
The fact that I wasn't hit by the toxic liquid that literally exploded in that instant was pure coincidence.

While narrowing my eyes at the bubbling toxic swords regenerating once again, I kept my body moving, racking my brain at maximum capacity to figure out how to slip past a poison attack imbued with an explosive effect.

"I've been constantly changing plans but... Am I really going to use that?"

Glancing at the amber-embedded glove equipped on my right hand, I once again reconstructed the Chart that had been repeatedly assembled and dismantled over and over since earlier.

The ideal strategy was probably to aim right after she shed her skin and finish it with a rush, but there's no use crying over spilt milk.
Let's review the strategy once more. Use Konsho's Crystallization effect to collect the self-proclaimed Goldunine's Poison, then connect it to the Gilta Brille and force a conclusion through sheer aggression.
The first half is for personal reasons, while the second half is the clear condition for the Unique Scenario. Since I triggered this solo, I can only pray that the self-proclaimed Goldunine's HP has been scaled for a solo encounter, but... can I pull it off?

I turned my back on the self-proclaimed Goldunine—who had shifted from directly striking me to whittling me down with poison explosions generated by slamming her swords into the ground—and created distance while waiting for that moment to arrive.

There are three conditions required to fulfill the chart I've constructed.

"Flee, and cower... Dance... a dance of death...!"

"It's a strategic retreat! Your perspective is way too narrow, Snake Woman!"

First, I need to force Goldunine to use a major attack to create an opening. Surely a mere clone won't use a bullshit move on the level of Wethermon's Seiten Taisei.
The problem is that because her toxic Twin Blades are now explosive, I can no longer exploit the openings after her attacks. Meaning I have to match her attack... I guess I really have no choice but to use it.

"Scurrying about...!"

"Hey hey hey, aren't you a remarkably sluggish predator!? If you're like that, you wouldn't even be able to catch a flower swaying in the wind, would ya!?"

Mouth for taunting, brain for charting, body for reacting. Through the parallel processing cultivated via PvP, "lip" service is highly effective against the self-proclaimed Goldunine, who acts more like an NPC than an enemy. Even though it's late to say this, it truly is an outstanding AI. As expected of military-grade tech.

Returning to my thoughts: Second, securing the ideal coordinates. Initially, the plan was to position myself in the center of the mortar-shaped hole and intercept the self-proclaimed Goldunine as she came down from above. However, the bottleneck is once again those explosive toxic Twin Blades. Even if I successfully intercept her, if I mess up, I could easily die before I even pick up the crystallized poison.
The single strike required must accomplish both an attack like a bomber dropping its payload and an immediate disengagement; a linear maneuver capable of pulling off attack and retreat simultaneously. To execute that, I have to be the one moving.

"Control the trajectory of her major attack to lure her... Repurpose the initial interception plan... Reference point: a pitfall trap... Alright."

"Shiiiiii!!"

I've seen attacks imbued with explosive effects until I was sick of them in the various Trash Games I've wandered through. The fact that touching the blast wave instantly means "Out" is quite funky for a game recognized by the general public, but compared to cases where explosions home in on you or inexplicably continue exploding for nearly a full minute, this is as merciful as it gets.

Measuring the duration of the explosion. Assuming the damage hitbox vanishes after three seconds, I'll step forward on the fourth. The combination gauge is already fully charged, so there's little need to attack, but given what I've seen from Lycaon and Emul, I'm concerned her AI might read my intentions if I don't.
I know it takes a slight amount of time for her to regenerate the toxic swords after detonating them. Meaning if she detonates only one, she temporarily becomes a one-handed sword user; if she detonates both, she temporarily becomes unarmed.

If I'm aiming for the largest opening, I should target the latter, but the tricky part is that my target this time is the weapon itself.
Therefore, what I must aim for is a compromise between the former and the latter. The very instant the self-proclaimed Goldunine slams both toxic Twin Blades down simultaneously for her maximum-power explosive attack, I must flip from a reactive stance to a proactive one and strike her weapons.

"Giiiiiiiiii!! Explode, and dieeeeee!"

"A golden CHAAAANCE!!"

It wasn't just the telegraphing of her motion, but the telegraphing of her "Emotion" that was legible exactly because she was an NPC. The toxic Twin Blades raised high to extinguish the life of an insolent human served as a more-than-sufficient premonition for the execution of a major attack.
Sprinting backward at top speed using Formula Drift, the self-proclaimed Goldunine and I were connected by a perfectly straight line straight across the center of the massive hole.

"Here we go, 【Pale Sheen】!!"

Combination function, unlocked! Take this evolved power and smash it into the Unique Monster!
The Twin Blade Sword of the Vorpal Bunny I saw once before formed a scissor shape by crossing in an "X". The previous Togetsu, "Sogengetsu," became a single-edged greatsword by connecting the pommels. Then, what kind of form does the Isana Togetsu take?

Using Konsho as the axis, I brought Meiki close to it, aligning the two blades parallel to each other while slightly shifting Meiki. Then, Meiki's crystal blade cracked and rapidly grew, enveloping Konsho as it began absorbing the enlarged blade into its own.
The completed form was something that could only be described as a greatsword with two grips and a single blade—a golden core enveloped in a deep navy body. But that was strictly its visual appearance; its true essence lay elsewhere.

"Bring it on, self-proclaimed Goldunine. I'm going straight forward and blowing you away."

Let me give you a taste of Pale Sheen's power... And not just that, the true essence of the Seiten Style!

Author's Afterword
I switched to the self-proclaimed Goldunine fight because I wanted to write Player vs Monster combat, but now I'm stuck in a dilemma where I want to write Player vs Player combat again.
Psyger-100's good looks certainly play a part, but because her combat style is simply way too cool, she actually has quite a lot of followers. Her fighting style is essentially like the 00 Qan[T], after all.

Banned Word 1: Hinawadaidai DJ Gun
Banned Word 2: Fullbottle Buster
Banned Word 3: Trailer Hou
Banned Word 4: Medagabryu

The Isana Togetsu 【Pale Sheen】 has absolutely no relation to these weapons... Okay? Seriously. (Averts eyes and whistles)
My bad habit of immediately trying to insert whatever Tokusatsu elements I've recently absorbed into my novel is acting up again... It's a chronic illness, so it's fifty-fifty whether it'll ever be cured, but I'd appreciate it if you watched over me with lukewarm eyes.