Chapter 496: The Three-Way Triangle

Author's Preface
Can you even call a game a spin-off if you take the Titans and the Fall (and for that matter, the Wall Run) out of Titanfall... But honestly, the moment you take the best parts of PUBG and Overwatch, you’ve already got a top-tier character; it gives off Indominus Rex levels of vibes.

The God of Energy Drinks is a fickle one; merely praying won't even get you a sideways glance.
But if the petitioner has already ingested caffeine, the God will grant His blessing in an instant. It’s basically a trance state—am I a shaman or what?

For example, take this courage I need to keep my heart strong in the current situation where I’m getting glared down by a woman in a Hannya mask who’s taller than I am.

"I saw you at GGC, and therefore, I wished to meet you."

"......W-Well, thanks for that."

Why the Hannya mask choice? The courage I got from the En-Dri God is already starting to crumble at the edges. I mean, quite simply—this is terrifying!!

"U-Um—"

"I am not obsessed with the title of 'Real Cursed Prison.' However, I wish to know the reason why you obtained the title of 'Real Cursed Prison.'"

"Ehh...... Reason......?"

I don't even remember claiming that title in the first place. See? Look, the cameraman and Sasakamaboko-san are troubled because of you.

"Hey, Ame—Hannya! Be a little more sociable! Look, peace sign for the camera!!"

Oh, if it isn't the Mysterious Silver Mask, who has zero intention of actually hiding her identity. Eh, I have to do a peace sign too? Fine, whatever...... Yay.
And what’s wrong, Katzo-kun? Why are you whispering so quietly that the mic can’t even pick it up?

"Su...... I mean, No Face, what’s up with you? Every single one of your movements is suspiciously twitchy."

"......'Taboo' is a bit much even if it is the domestic version, so I did a 'Mix' of Backdraft and Tonight, then stirred it into some sports drink and chugged it down...... Hehehe."

"Wait...... 'Mix Accel'?! Are you sane?! Also, the fact that you brought another can here means you’re actually......!"

"Fuh-fuh-fuh-fuh...... It’s a 'Mix Accel Joint'......"

"I-Impossible......"

Katzo trembles in fear, shaking his head as if he can't believe the combo name that just left my mouth.
It’s an intake dangerous enough that even I would be in trouble if I didn't quit energy drinks for a while afterward—accelerating a fairly risky 'Mix' (even if it’s a budget version of 'Taboo') with 'Accel,' and then further unlocking 'Joint'...... Though it’s perfectly legal.
Honestly, I’m in a bit of a bad spot because I keep unconsciously stroking the Riot Blood at my waist...... but right now, I’m 'peaking' even more than usual, in both senses of the word.

"A-Are you planning to go that far just to win......?"

"Nah......? I don't care that much about winning or losing...... It’s just that in order to do what I want to do, I need a Caffeine Level of 5.5 or higher...... Isn't it common knowledge that you can default to 1.5x concentration levels once you hit Caffeine Level 5?"

"Ah, sorry, I haven't studied that far into the curriculum. Or rather, I haven't sold my soul to Riot Blood that deeply."

"You casual scrub......"

"I’d prefer if you called me 'rational.'"

That said, executing a 'Joint' is actually pretty difficult. It’s a technique that won't succeed unless you’ve hit the energy drinks enough times to grasp the general timing, which varies by individual...... But I can do it. I’m a middle-tier user, even if I’m not heavy.

"Wait, wait, wait, Uomi-san! If even you start chatting away on your own, I won't be able to hold the reins by myself—!!"

"Ah, my bad. Anyway, that’s how it is. Don't worry about Silver Mask; apparently she’ll get seriously scolded if she plays games on public airwaves without permission, so just think of her as background noise."

"No, I seriously don't have the courage to treat the US #1 like background noise...... More importantly, wasn't this originally supposed to be an early-access play of Grave Versus? Why did it switch to Galaxia Heroes: Chaos...... Is it really because of that, Uomi-san?"

"It is indeed because of that...... Well, I pulled all sorts of strings to drag him out here, so just let it slide."

The Grave Versus session that was supposed to happen in Galaxia Heroes for the sake of Justice Versus...... Huh? This is bad. The caffeine hasn't fully integrated yet. It’s like a gas stove that won't light. I guess I’ll have to light a fire under her myself.

"Yo, Eagle Eye. I heard you came all the way to Japan just to face off against someone like me?"

"I confirm. I desire a match with you."

I hold up a palm to signal Katzo—who is about to ask what the hell is going on—to stop. I mean, I told you about this beforehand, didn't I?
I pop open a can of Riot Blood: Revol-Lantern (Domestic) with one hand, chug it in one go, and after working my tongue around the characteristic harshness of the energy drink, I thrust my words at Amelia Sullivan.

"Let's settle this with a Triangle Trinity."

"......!!"

It seems she understood me even with my Japanese pronunciation. Good, the engine is warming up.

"This is TV, right? Then it has to be entertainment."

Triangle Trinity.
It’s the name of a non-standard battle format newly implemented alongside the update for Galaxia Heroes: Chaos.
Distinct from the usual 1-on-1 where you control one character and compete for victory by taking two rounds, this category is a 3x3 Battle Royale-style single-round match where you field three characters in the sandbox of Chaos City for a three-way battle between yourself, the opponent, and the NPC.

"You came all the way to Japan. I'll use Cursed Prison for you."

"I accept."

"Perfect."

Ooh, my head is clearing up. As expected of the immediate effect of Revol-Lantern; people often say it’s dangerous in a different direction than Quantum.

"Uwaa...... Just so you know, insurance won't cover you if you suffer Legal Degeneration, okay?"

"It's fine. I still remember the correct way to make cup noodles."

"You’re at the level where you might forget a process that only involves adding hot water and waiting three minutes......?"

I open a Riot Blood and drink it while waiting those three minutes after adding the hot water. See? Perfectly normal.

"Um—! Please don't progress the situation while leaving me and the staff behind—!!"

"Ah, sorry...... For now, Hannya-shi has already started up her VR, so let's start the commentary on this side. Seriously, my apologies."

Seriously, what a pain that Hannya mask is, just moving things along on her own!!!

"Well, it's my program, yet things are moving along without me and I honestly want to cry, but Eito-chan won't be discouraged, so I’m going to get us back on track! Now, Uomi-san, I apologize for my lack of study, but what exactly is 'Triangle Trinity'?"

"Triangle Trinity is a new battle format that was literally just implemented. Players select three characters, and each time they are KO'd, they swap to the next character. Personally, I wish there was mid-fight swapping even at the cost of gauge consumption, though〜."

"Me too!"

"So, does it mean you just have to knock out all the opponent's characters using your own three?"

"Hm, it's a bit different. While the victory condition of obtaining the Chaos Cube is gone, Triangle Trinity...... I think the abbreviation was WΔ (Double Delta)? You could say WΔ is a battle format unique to GH:C. To put it simply...... besides the two players fighting, NPCs also appear."

"It's a 3-on-3-on-3, so it's a Triangle Trinity, y'know!"

"I see......"

"Ah, they’ve entered character selection. Amelia is using...... Ms. Play-Display, Cursed Prison, and Xenocelgus. Her second and third are her specialty heavyweights, but...... 'Top Display,' huh."

"No Face is using...... Dust, Twinkle Pixie, and Cursed Prison. Wow, it's an all-fighter team!"

"I understand that No Face-san is using all combat-oriented characters, but what about Hannya-san's 'Top Display'?"

"There are no rounds in WΔ. Furthermore, for certain reasons, it's recommended to find the NPCs as quickly as possible...... Look, it's starting, Eito-san. Will it be the 『Invelzer』, the 『Reptidinos』, or the 『Mechanitan』......?"

"If it's 『Force View』 mode...... Yeah!! It's Mechanitan! This is going to be interesting!!"

Author's Afterword
I frequently saw people asking 'If it's a 3v3, who's the sixth person?' in the comments section and my comment replies, but I'm sorry, it's only two people.