Chapter 269: Smash a Mechanical Punch Into the Rule-Breaking Black Wolves

There is a saying: "Giving an iron club to an Oni." Translated into gamer terms, that means high DPS coupled with firepower buffs, or a tank with a high-multiplier counter.

...Let me say this outright. "OiKatzo coupled with Byakko" is a bullshit combination on par with those.

In nearly every game with combinable elements, there are ideal pairings—so-called "Best Matches"—that are referred to as synergies and act as combo pieces.
Some gamers even declare that the true essence of gaming lies in searching for those combinations, ranging from the ones the developers intended to those entirely outside their expectations.

So, on what basis do I declare OiKatzo and the Tactical Mecha "Byakko" to be the ultimate Best Match?

One look is all it takes to understand.

............

.........

......

"Um? How do you read this? Musen Inshoku?"

"It's †Slash Shadow†! Don't you even know Brave Shadow Sword...?"

After diving into the sea of memory for a few seconds, I recalled that there was an anime or something with a title like that which got popular a few years ago and is still relevant today.

(Ah... I remember now, the protagonist's name was a total Red Flag Name, wasn't it.)

Gaming means becoming a version of yourself different from reality. And making that different version of yourself into "Someone you admire" is by no means a rare occurrence. However, just because you adopt the same name and appearance doesn't mean there's any logical reason your actual skill level will magically match your ideal.
While I wouldn't go so far as to call absolutely everyone who does it an inferior knockoff, depending on the age demographic that favors the source material the name was pulled from, it's quite common for that name to essentially act as a neon sign reading: "This Name = A player belonging to an age demographic whose skill does not match their swagger."

"So? What kind of character is this Sla-Kage-san?"

"Hah? Well, I guess it can't be helped if you don't know anything... Slash Shadow is a solitary dual-wielder who dashes through the dark night."

"I see, so your main weapon is dual-wielding too, right?"

"Ah..."

†Slash Shadow† floated an expression that screamed "I screwed up," but it was already too late. In OiKatzo's mind, the process of sorting through his memories and deducing the opponent's hand had already begun.

(My memory is a bit fuzzy, but I'm pretty sure that character was a standard dual-wielder. When I saw the commercial a while back, he was doing attacks that looked like he was manipulating shadows. Does that mean he's a Magic Swordsman? In this game's case, Magic Swordsmen are split into the 'Manual Type' that separates magic and physical attacks, and the 'Auto Type' that lets a magic sword handle the casting. Pre-battle intel says he's an Auto Type, but since he's in a hardcore clan, there's a high chance he's taken his roleplay build to its absolute limits. Though from the looks of it, it doesn't seem like one of those stupidly min-maxed structures... Yeah.)

Without changing his expression, the conclusion "Inferior Sunraku" popped out in OiKatzo's mind.
Rather than inferior, his stats were probably closer to what you'd call a "General-Purpose Sunraku"—taking overly min-maxed stats and normalizing them. Even if he didn't know the full extent of the opponent's hand, simply knowing the type of deck he was facing made formulating countermeasures easy.

That is precisely why Kei Uomi (OiKatzo) is hailed as a top-class pro gamer even within Japan.

"I'll have you know, I've already done my Level Down Build, so I'm super strong."

"Heeh."

Level Down Builds. A type of playstyle where a player intentionally consumes items to lower their level in order to refine their skills.
For hardcore players, information regarding how many times they've leveled down serves as a sort of status symbol.
Humans have a tendency to want to show off any outstanding record they hold, no matter how trivial the content.

"Well, I really don't care about any of that, though..."

To OiKatzo, the MMO system itself is not something he has good affinity with.
Due to its very nature, unless there's a system that enforces equalization, setting up a match where the power dynamic is perfectly balanced is incredibly difficult.

That is why what OiKatzo prioritizes is not analyzing his opponent, but adjusting himself, pouring all his effort solely into refining his ideal movements.
As long as he can move his body exactly as he envisions, and on top of that, grasp his opponent's general movements...

"I'll master even a dump truck with legs...! Now then, Pro Ga... ahem! Let me show you the power of 'Wolfgang,' Byakko!!"

He had no complaints about sharing the Tactical Mecha series. However, the ownership of the reactor originally belonged to him, yet that half-naked guy casually snatched the first ride—something he couldn't quite accept. OiKatzo had always felt that way.
From what he heard, "Suzaku" had been booted up, and "Seiryu" even reached its combined state. If that was the case, using the same machine would be boring... So he chose "Byakko," and OiKatzo could say this with absolute certainty.

"If I could take this into GH:C, I could even beat Sylvia."

............

.........

......

"R-Robo!?"

"Cool, isn't it? It's the reward for defeating Wethermon... Hup!"

The clan sharing process was completed, and the non-standard Ether Reactor, returned from Sunraku to OiKatzo via Inventoria, was loaded into Byakko's back.
Though the operating time had decreased slightly from the test run, energy surged from the reactor—which had recharged the portion consumed in the Abyssal City—and light dwelled within the chalk-white steel tiger.

"Unfortunately for you, I don't have a personal time limit like a certain idiot. I'll be building up without holding anything back right from the start, so you'd better be prepared."

A Helm modeled after a tiger, and heavy, blunt limbs that looked as if they could be used as striking weapons as they were, contrasting with the slender torso.
Clad in the Non-Standard Special Enhanced Armor 【Bambu】, his figure standing alongside the steel tiger made it look like an entirely different game altogether.
But this too was Shangri-La Frontier. It was simply that no one knew there were robots, powered suits, and sci-fi elements hidden within this world.

"Combine, Byakko!"

『Yeah!』

Responding to OiKatzo with a highly energetic voice, the machine sprang into action.
Byakko's frame disassembled, covering OiKatzo like a blanket.
It enhanced his four limbs, which were now equipped with specific mechanisms, and reinforced his torso, which had previously looked frail by comparison.
And despite being a machine, it took a deep breath exactly like a living creature, completing the combination.

"Wh-Wha...!?"

"I guess this is a first even for a top clan? Then that's perfect. Enjoy getting brutally first-time-killed."

『Intake!』

Gou, the atmosphere shifted.
A swirling typhoon. The atmosphere gathered toward the white pugilist at its center, drawn into its two arms and two legs through the intake vents equipped on its four limbs, where it underwent a compression process. It emitted a low hum that sounded like a growling tiger, giving off an extraordinary aura.

†Slash Shadow† was completely overwhelmed by the sheer pressure, and the overwhelming Advantage required to overturn any difference in stats was already firmly within Byakko's grasp.
No matter how superior your stats may be, the moment you are overwhelmed, victory slips further away. And that fleeing victory will jump straight into your opponent's hands.

"Breathing means that when you inhale, you naturally have to exhale... You might want to grit your teeth, just in case?"

『Exhaust!』

If you inhale, you exhale.
By expelling the compressed atmosphere with directional control, Byakko gained immense propulsion and dashed forward.
Even for OiKatzo, who was originally bad at mecha games, a powered suit allowed him to compensate for his weaknesses since it functioned as an extension of his own body.
Furthermore, Byakko's exhaust acceleration was a system operating on a 50/50 split between manual and auto. With the Tactical Mecha Tiger 【Byakko】 executing the wearer's thoughts, it allowed OiKatzo... no, Kei Uomi to achieve the one element he lacked compared to Sylvia Goldberg and Rakuro Hizutome (Sunraku)... Overwhelming Initiative Seizure.

"Fa—... bbue!?"

"Man, this is great... If I had this, I could probably beat Sylvia easily... No, she'd probably just adapt to it normally..."

To put it into perspective, it was like the massive mass-acceleration of five motorcycles that a certain masked maniac once pulled off on a grand stage, only the fists unleashed by the lightweight Byakko could blow a human being away like a piece of scrap paper with far greater ease.
Howling ferociously, a blow that shook the atmosphere landed a clean hit on †Slash Shadow†'s jaw.
In that instant, the Non-Standard Armament: Piercing Fist Type 【Battering Ram】 equipped as fist weapons—the four plate-like parts rotating around Bambu's arms—activated. An impact that was clearly not meant for anti-personnel combat twisted †Slash Shadow†'s face in a weird direction.

For example, if it had been a human fist stacked with buffs, †Slash Shadow†'s stats would have likely reduced it to a minor flinch.
However, his misfortune lay in the perfect convergence of the Non-Standard Tactical Mecha Tiger 【Byakko】, the Non-Standard Special Enhanced Armor 【Bambu】, the Non-Standard Armament: Piercing Fist Type 【Battering Ram】, and above all else, OiKatzo being the one piloting them, possessing the exact level of skill required to master them completely.

Speaking strictly of the conclusion.

"Jyoh, what h-happened do my head...?"

"Right angle?"

"Id's brogen..."

"It's a game, so you'll be fine!"

"Upebu."

With a sickening goryu, his neck was snapped back into place. However, with 60% of his HP shaved off by the first strike, and another 30% by the current one, †Slash Shadow†—who was now completely caught within the striking range of those fists—had no route of escape.

"Ah! You won't get a penalty even if you get a PK in this area~!"

"Hell yeah."

"Sdob id!?"

A fist slammed into †Slash Shadow†'s face, his body crumpling as it fell to the ground. As the pitch-black dual-wielder scattered into polygons and vanished, Byakko, quietly inhaling once more, simply declared.

"Next."

Author's Afterword
It kind of reminds you of a certain name that's become practically synonymous with "edgelords," but I swear there's no hidden meaning.

• Brave Shadow Sword:
  If I had to describe it, it's a work that feels like mixing Batman with Cobra. A dual-wielding protagonist dashing through the dark night, growing stronger as he fights against great evil.

Cobra... Bat... Edgelord... Hotel Uncle... Ugh, the Nebula Gas injected into my head is...