Chapter 862: December 20th: Those Who Pass This Road Must Discard All Possessions
Author's Preface
I've been writing first-person perspectives in the newly written content, so it hasn't been that long, but it feels like a long-time-no-see perspective here.
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Now that it's come to this... I'm starting... to really hate it.
The winds of the battlefield sure are awfully tepid, huh... While thinking such trivial things, I let out a sigh.
That being said, if this was a matter that only involved me, I could just use the excuse of my friend with a chronic illness being critically ill to log out, but since I've dragged other people into this, I can't exactly run away either. Or rather, even if I did run away, the aftermath would be terrifying.
"Haaah............"
"Marriage blues?"
"Want me to make your face turn blue?"
"I wonder if there's any point in draining blood from a fictional body that won't rot?"
"It'll look photogenic."
For some reason, she is grinning broadly, floating a deep, deep smile, but... I really just don't understand this bastard.
Ah, geez, let's make up my mind and steel my resolve. I've already come all the way to the site; if I run away now, it'll just become my own personal regret more than anything else.
"Now then..."
I swore I would never use it again, but... I equipped the Kotoamatsu Meteor Iron Mirror linked to the accursed "Sun Luck Channel." After confirming that it could be operated manually, I once again surveyed my surroundings... right in the dead center of the "Canyon of Ancient Souls".
Currently, it is the final day of the Kingdom Turmoil event... It's safe to say that player solidarity has practically collapsed for both factions at this point. After all, if the "King" of either faction is alive and well, the rest just comes down to a game of turf war to see who can gain the advantage. Alternatively, if a thousand assassins scatter, yet simultaneously aim for the King's head, one of their blades just might reach it.
In short, it's a chaotic melee. It's safe to slap a 'massive' on it and call it a massive chaotic melee.
Through the grapevine? I've heard various things, from a guy specialized in killing Raid Monsters called the Raid Killer going on a rampage trying to subjugate both the Smoldering Great Crimson Wings and the Tormenting Great Green Edge that spawned in this event, to some insanely strong knight riding a monster-like horse and wreaking havoc like Lu Bu, to a streamer player from the New King Faction getting massacred while getting direct marketed at... from dubious rumors to things I actually have an inkling about... Well, it just means Pencilgon has been acting up that much.
After all, weaving a tangled web of information mixing truths and lies is that woman's specialty.
Because of all that, here in the "Canyon of Ancient Souls," it's also packed with players since it's the final day... or rather, it's pretty much the absolute front line.
Compared to other areas, it's essentially a location built for decisive battles, being a "straight path" where "routes are extremely bottlenecked." It's not realistic to use stealth, but simultaneously, the chances of being ambushed by stealth are also low. If this were a simple Faction vs Faction battle, there might have been a chance of someone daring to break through the dangerous "above" to outflank the enemy, but in the chaotic melee of the final day, the only distinction anyone makes is 'you're an ally' and 'you're an enemy.' To put it in extreme terms, even if a hundred people die from surprise attacks behind you, as long as you yourself can break through, that's all that matters... It's that kind of situation.
"DeepSlo, Imron... let's begin."
"You got it."
"Okaaay."
Therefore, I have to put a twist on my thinking.
There's no point in defeating a hundred people if a hundred and fifty people just ignore you. In that case... use the spectacle of defeating a hundred people to stop the hundred and fifty. Or use that information to gather even more people.
To my deepest regret, there is a method to make that possible.
"......【Ephemeral Castle Wall】."
The two massive earthen walls activated by DeepSlo split the single path of the Canyon of Ancient Souls into three.
On a battlefield where bullets and magic were already flying back and forth, however, a magic spell that surged upwards while advancing forward, which the caster herself described as 'magic meant to forcefully push back a disadvantageous situation,' pushed back not only enemies but allies as well, creating a blank space on the battlefield.
That being said, a magic spell that creates such an advantage naturally comes with a demerit. Specifically, it has the demerit of collapsing after exactly five seconds regardless of damage. Apparently, she should be able to cast it more, but because she cut various corners to cast "two charges" at once, she can only maintain it for five seconds... Well, five seconds is enough time to finish preparations. It just involves quickly operating the Inventoria, after all.
From beyond the earthen walls, I can hear voices making a fuss over what's going on. The collapsing earthen walls will crumble downward, but... well, the curtain rises.
The Kotoamatsu Meteor Iron Mirror connects to the video streaming site existing outside this world, broadcasting what is happening right now in real-time out into the cyber sea.
"───Well, you see. I was told to do it, and I have nowhere to run. So, even though I thought I'd never use it again, I'll be doing a stream one more time."
When the earthen walls collapse, the separated players will first lay eyes on that. The very first Seafaring Ship in this world, or perhaps a modern ship clad in the Divine Age, and... the Brunbas, which has actually never set sail even once... What was its full name again? Brussels Buster Sword? I feel like it came from Pencilgon, so I'll ask later.
"For the record, I am participating as part of the Former King Faction... well, I was just doing other normal things up until the final day, and because of that, I was yelled at to 'at least do some work on the final day'... and was told to act as a blockade."
Through modifications, it has taken on an appearance completely altered from its original shape, but it is more than enough to fulfill the role of catching the eye of anyone who sees it and stopping them in their tracks.
The gaze of the players converges on the cruiser-sized Seafaring Ship that has appeared right in the middle of the canyon, exposing its broadside... and then, naturally, their gazes converge on me standing atop it. I'm also using the Blue Chalice, so the crowd-drawing power should be top-notch.
"That being said, I don't think I can stop everyone just by randomly slashing at them like a street-killer, so I decided to approach this with the exact opposite mindset."
I think about this when I hear the story of Musashibo Benkei standing on some bridge and mugging people for a thousand swords, but normally, if you get mugged, you'd run away, right? I mean, maybe the samurai holding swords back then were just belligerent, but even so, out of gathering nine hundred and ninety-nine swords, I think there had to be some guys who were reluctant to engage in a duel. [*1]
And yet, the fact that nine hundred and ninety-nine people went along with the mugging means there had to be some ulterior motive beyond simple fighting spirit, something like, 'If I win, I get to take all the weapons Benkei's hoarding.'
"Until my stamina runs out or I lose, I'll be holding an Infinite Kumite (With Prizes). If you're watching this stream and logging in, please feel free to enthusiastically participate... I will beat every single one of you down."
Author's Afterword
New King Faction Perspective: Just when they thought the earthen walls collapsed, some half-naked woman standing on the bow of an overly-decorated ship started declaring an Infinite Kumite or something.
Former King Faction Perspective: The ass of a giant ship.
Translator's Notes
- [1] Musashibo Benkei: A legendary Japanese warrior monk (1155–1189). He famously posted himself at Gojo Bridge in Kyoto, challenging passing samurai to duels and confiscating their swords, successfully gathering 999 swords before being defeated by Minamoto no Yoshitsune on his 1000th duel.
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