Chapter 301: Job Hunting is a Series of Ups and Downs

"Damn it...! I don't really get it, but if you're picking a fight, I'll take you on, oraa!"

I haven't PK'd anyone, so I shouldn't get a penalty, right? Right? Please tell me there isn't one.
That being said, if I can actually fight a Bounty Hunter, it'd be a shame to let such a rare opportunity slip by. I still can't entirely shake the concern that there might be a penalty, but let's do this!

"Hey Tango, hold this for a sec."

"Eh? O-Oh... This muffler is weirdly warm."

The Muffler (Emul) I placed in Tango's hands twitched for a split second, but please do your best to maintain your camouflage. Fighting while protecting Emul would honestly be way too tough.
Readying Aspiring Blades of the Hero (Duxram), I quietly moved into the center of the ring formed by the crowd of players.

A sudden change in target, and to a player completely uninvolved with PK at that. Perhaps due to the sheer unexpectedness of the development, the members of the "Dress-Up Tias-chan Squad" didn't attempt to reprimand me for my sudden intrusion.
In other words, it's safe to say that in this moment, a one-on-one duel between me and Lutia had been officially established. With her silent Tonfa Edges and my one-handed dual-sword style facing off against each other, the confrontation between myself and Bounty Hunter Lutia quietly began under the gaze of countless onlookers.

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"............"

"............"

Now then, what's the plan here? We're both dual-wielding, but Lutia is likely a close-quarters fighter with high TEC. The Tonfa Edge switches its effective range depending on the direction of the blade; considering she has TAS-like performance, it's safe to assume she'll be swapping between them at blinding speeds during combat.

On my end, I'm completely specialized in mobility. Taking even a single hit guarantees I'll be left at death's door, but in exchange, my evasion capabilities are significantly heightened.
Should I go for hit-and-run tactics to reliably accumulate damage, or should I just push through with a relentless, overwhelming offensive...? Whoops, looks like she's taking the initiative.

".........!"

"Whoops!"

A horizontal sweep accurately aiming for my neck. In response to the preemptive strike—an in-fight blow meant to graze me with her fist—I answered by ducking low to evade.
When it comes to the fastest possible strike aimed at the neck, it reminds me of Wethermon's "Tachikaze," but that was a single, ultimate technique where speed had reached its absolute pinnacle. This, however, is merely a part of a combo designed to instantly chain into the next technique.

"I saw that coming... ze-!"

Maintaining the momentum of the horizontal sweep and actually accelerating it further, a spinning slash unleashed by the other Tonfa Edge came rushing at me.
Refusing to lose, I slammed Duxram forward, resulting in a clash of blades. Perhaps my response was slightly delayed, as I didn't feel the feedback of a critical hit, and the ensuing struggle of pure STR collapsed in my defeat as I was overpowered.

"Gu, ku... take this—!"

A flowing motion combo assaulted me—like a flipbook where every individual page continuously connects to form a single fluid movement.
Don't think intercepting a single attack will end the exchange. Her weapons aren't just the Tonfa Edges. The leg sweeps aimed at crushing the openings created after she finishes swinging her weapons will instantly become the starting point of another combo if they connect.

If I recklessly aim for a critical hit, she might use that as an opening to exploit. Therefore, fully prepared to chip away at Duxram's durability, I caught and parried Lutia's fierce onslaught.
This is bad. If I stop moving, I'll be slowly whittled down to nothing. Refusing to miss a split-second opening, I activated a skill and somehow managed to seize the attacking turn.

"Ssha, ora!"

Skill activated. Massively increasing my speed, I slammed a strike into Lutia. It was blocked, but as long as I hold the initiative in attacking, I can still move. Flipping my grip on Duxram to a reverse hold, I activated Flowing Flash Dance and halted Lutia's offensive with a flurry of multi-hits.
However, as expected of a Bounty Hunter, the option she ultimately chose was to seize the initiative back, even if it meant accepting a certain amount of damage.

"........."

"Gu, nuohh...!?"

Dual-wielding inherently means fighting within the range of a "sword." But Lutia closed the distance even further, forcing the engagement into the "striking" range of her Tonfa Edges... meaning an ultra-close range (In-fight).
While allowing a flash of her blade to graze my flank, I evaded a left strike aimed straight at my solar plexus. I arched backward to dodge a hook aimed to rock my jaw, unleashed precisely where I had just moved to.
That was close. If I hadn't leaned back far enough, my jaw would have literally been broken.

"Nnoh...!"

Normally, I would have fallen flat on my back facing the ceiling due to a lack of momentum, but I forcefully executed a backflip by reinforcing it with skill corrections. Unleashing a somersault kick, I forced Lutia to create distance.
The flashy exchange of movements drew cries of "Ooh!" from the surroundings, but I had no time to acknowledge them.
Maintaining a deep forward-leaning posture almost on all fours, I leaped forward as if bursting from a crouching start.

"Self-defense!"

"...........!"

The Tonfa Edge swept away my thrust aimed at her stomach. But that was a bluff! The moment I activated Formula Drift, I repurposed it for an attack!
A sharp pivot accompanied by a top-like rotation—my accelerated leg sweep successfully connected with Lutia's leg, breaking her balan... She didn't fall! She jumped and dodged it!? You've gotta be kidding me, this is bad!

"Nooooo!!?"

Using Flit Float, I executed an Empty Air Kick at an ultra-low altitude, looking almost like I was swimming breaststroke. Leaping backward as if kicking off the wall of a pool to accelerate, a Tonfa Edge slammed into the exact spot I had just been occupying.

".........!"

With a zarizari, the blade chased after me, drawing a line across the ground. If that hits me, I'll be sliced to pieces.

The first rotation, tumbling across the ground.

The second rotation, planting my elbow to lift my body.

The third rotation, using the fist holding my sword to build momentum.

And on the fourth rotation, I rose to my feet while spinning forcefully.

"Uoooooo, hang in there my semicircular canals!!!"

Scolding my spinning vision and unsteady legs, I crossed my twin blades and blocked the rising slash she unleashed while drawing two lines across the ground.
With my inferior physical strength, I couldn't completely block it, but Shana-oh Possession was still active. With a gyarigyari, the blades scattered sparks against each other, and using a simultaneous backstep, I barely succeeded in escaping her lethal range.

"........."

"........."

A moment of rigidity caused by both of us paying the toll for executing unreasonable movements. A brief pause finally struck the raging, relentless exchange that had unfolded without a single moment to breathe.

"...Fuhaa."

I let out a small breath, careful not to let the tension snap. As I casually strained my ears, I heard numerous similar sighs echoing from the surroundings.

"...How about a quick time-out."

".........!"

"Yeah right! Damn you, die, oraa!"

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The clash between a Bounty Hunter and a mysterious half-naked man who had stepped onto the stage of confrontation due to a sudden nomination.
The members of the "Dress-Up Tias-chan Squad"—the very culprits who had summoned Lutia here in the first place—were swallowing their breath as they watched an exchange that the word 'unexpected' simply couldn't cover.

"Uwa, he moved that much and took almost zero damage..."

"Isn't he just as strong as Saba-san?"

Firstia is the very first town, which means it also serves as the spawn point. Therefore, it is fairly common to see un-equipped characters who sold their gear during character creation. The players who had mistakenly assumed that the half-naked player wearing a mask (an option available during character creation) was just a "newbie who just started" realized their mistake after witnessing his chain of movements.

"What's going on? Was he disguising himself as a beginner?"

"It doesn't make any sense. There's no benefit for a high-level player to disguise themselves in Firstia."

"Actually, this is the first time I've seen anyone other than Saba-san manage to fully handle Lutia-san's demon combo."

"Ou, you called?"

"Ah, Saba-san, you logged in!"

In response to the namedropping, the members of the Dress-Up Squad turned around to find a single player standing there with an expression completely unable to grasp the situation.

"I finally managed to sort out some real-life mess... Wait, who is that?"

"Well, about that. It's great that we managed to summon Lutia-san and all... but for some reason, her aggro completely switched to an unrelated player."

"Hah? Isn't he one of our members? Who the hell is he?"

It was an entirely reasonable question. And so, the player who was asked casually provided the answer.

"I caught a glimpse of it earlier, but... I'm pretty sure his name was 'Sunraku'..."

"What did you just say?"

"Eh?"

Because of that completely casual delivery, the player was left stunned when the atmosphere of the slightly rough but dependable brother-figure drastically changed.

"Sunraku... you said?"

With a sharp, beast-like gaze that, strangely enough, seemed to also carry a hint of joy, the Female Avatar (Played by a guy)—"Survival"—stared at the half-naked bird-head.
And then, Survival muttered something so softly that only the player who had been asked likely heard it. Yet, the player couldn't comprehend its meaning.

"Don't tell me... from the μ (Mu) Server?"

Before anyone could ask what that meant, the half-naked bird-head and Bounty Hunter Lutia clashed once again, and all questions were swept away by the ensuing frenzy.

Author's Afterword
Chapter 300 Commemorative Lore Dump Corner. My zipper is completely loose and wide open, so this is some pretty core lore this time. If you prefer to avoid unrefined spoilers, I apologize for the inconvenience, but please either close the page without scrolling or move on to the next chapter. Thank you.

Actually, quite a few people managed to guess it in the comments section.

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• The Crazed Ultramarine: White Blood Cell

• The Devouring Great Crimson Clad: Red Blood Cell

• The ? Great White ?: Platelet

• ??????: Blood Plasma

Basically, it's exactly what you think.
To be completely blunt, the colors themselves don't really have any specific meaning. Also, Broccoli-san belongs to the same category, but operates on a different system. That one is an additive system, while this one is a multiplicative system.

Because they activate or deactivate depending on the amount of Mana they contain... If the Fungi (Sponge) that wedged itself between the "────" and the Mana disappears, or if the Living Incinerator (Divine Age Trump Card) that gathers and burns Mana weakens……… That is the Fourth Stage.

I feel like I've mentioned this before, but my work is heavily influenced by the story of a certain abnormal sword... so I intend to bring out my own originality to ensure it doesn't become a complete rip-off.
Before I knew it, the chapter count had surpassed 300, and we haven't even reached the halfway point of what's planned. The word count has exceeded one million, which means I could probably beat Tiamat Magna to death in the time it takes to open the editing screen, but I intend to do my best to maintain this pace.

Please continue to support my work in the future.