Ch. 68 VS Play (2)
by AfuhfuihgsChapter 68 – VS Play (2)
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[She doesn’t plan to stick to just one weapon anyway. So don’t try to influence what Reina should choose.]
ㄴ“That’s true, but she can only get one with the selection right.”
ㄴ“She’s just starting to walk. We should at least give her tools that make it easier.”
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As expected, the day I borrowed and tested various weapons, the forum was once again heated with discussions and debates among users.
Even Serpina, who had just returned from battle that day, joined in by writing a post.
‘She’s really determined.’
Seeing Serpina’s enthusiasm to teach me her swordsmanship made me break out in a cold sweat.
In truth, her attitude had been consistent from the start.
Since I became her contractor, her goal was to pass on her power and skills to me and help me grow into a proper swordsman.
And the other users were just as enthusiastic.
After all, the people gathered in my fan gallery were those most curious about how I, as an individual, would grow and develop.
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ㄴ“Honestly, they’re all pretty similar, but the unique abilities of S-grade equipment make a difference.”
ㄴ“The Twin Blades, Telendar, have a unique ability called “Dance of Light Rays”, which summons replicated blades momentarily based on the user’s will.”
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One of the most important aspects of the debate, aside from which weapon suited me best, was the unique abilities of the weapons.
Just like the gifted armor, Hermetica, which has detachable parts and self-repair functions, most S-grade equipment comes with a unique ability.
This was what swayed me the most.
Reflecting on the battles I’ve fought so far, I considered what I lacked and what needed strengthening, and I made my decision based on the constellations’ debates.
‘The Twin Blades, Telendar. I have to try them.’
The weapon I ultimately chose was the Twin Blades, which could extend and bend freely.
Though it was a completely different type of weapon from what I’d used before, I was confident it was the right choice after reading countless pieces of advice and debates in the gallery.
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「Telendar (S)」
As soon as I woke up, I used the selection right from my inventory to claim Telendar.
Normally, it looked like an ordinary longsword with an ivory blade, but when I infused it with mana, it would extend and bend according to my will.
“You’ve already made up your mind?”
“Pretty much. I just… went with what felt right.”
Kim Ji-eun’s eyes widened in surprise when she saw that I had made my decision overnight.
All I could say was that I had chosen based on what felt right.
“How about it? Want to give it a try?”
“I’m curious.”
Though it still felt awkward, I could feel the grip settling in my hand as I smiled faintly at Kim Ji-eun.
She grinned and nodded.
Despite the difference between a mage and a warrior, and the fact that she hadn’t gained the upper hand against me in a while, she still enjoyed sparring with me one-on-one.
Until recently, I thought it was because of her competitive spirit.
‘I didn’t realize she was that much of a pervert.’
That was before I found out through the fan gallery that Kim Ji-eun actually enjoyed losing to me.
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[I was honestly a bit worried, but she’s using it way better than I expected.]
ㄴ“Did you see that?! She’s perfectly understanding and utilizing the Twin Blades’ characteristics!? Judging distance like that isn’t something you can do just with your head. It requires instinctive talent…”
ㄴ“This is beyond just excitement.”
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The video posted on Reina’s gallery showed her using Telendar, the Twin Blades she had just picked up for the first time, to shatter Kim Ji-eun’s triple-layered magic and subdue her in an instant.
Excited comments from users began pouring in.
The main reason was that Reina was handling the new weapon exceptionally well.
As they said, the Twin Blades were a completely different type of weapon from what Reina usually used.
But even with the help of her engraving, Reina wielded Telendar as skillfully as a seasoned expert.
The advantage of range, the faster and more versatile sword strikes, and so on.
At first glance, it seemed as if she had instinctively absorbed all of it with incredible genius.
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ㄴ“So many clueless people… That’s actually closer to acting based on knowledge. Though that’s still an incredible talent.”
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Of course, this reaction came from the majority of fan gallery users who weren’t well-versed in swordsmanship.
To the few users who had trained with swords and reached the level of constellations, the essence of Reina’s ability was clear.
‘Still, some of them see it correctly. They’re right. Reina isn’t acting on instinct. She’s acting based on knowledge of the most efficient way to use it.’
Serpina was the same.
Though she didn’t say it out loud, her eyes gleamed sharply as she watched Reina.
While others might be fooled, Serpina, who believed she knew Reina better than anyone else among the constellations, was confident her eyes weren’t mistaken.
‘Who is it? There’s nothing about Reina I don’t know. Who taught her about the Twin Blades?’
Serpina, who had planned to sternly teach Reina while subtly comforting her when she struggled with the Twin Blades, frowned as she tried to guess who had interfered with her happy imagination.
“Lady Serpina, another gate has opened.”
“Sigh…”
But Serpina didn’t have time to focus on that right now.
The Heavenly War was already on its fourth day.
It was a time where even she was starting to feel the strain. Yet, Serpina picked up her sword and headed to the battlefield once again.
‘It’d be nice if they appreciated me a bit.’
Though she knew this was her duty, fighting this hard was also for the sake of earning more points.
And those points would, of course, be invested in Reina.
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[How far will Reina go if she keeps hitting her peak like this?]
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It was only natural that such posts would appear whenever Reina showed good growth.
Though she was a high-ranking challenger, Reina still had many steps to climb.
It was only natural for her fandom to enjoy imagining her peak.
Reina’s official rank was currently 14th. After her impressive performance in the recent continuous bloodbath, her overall rank had risen to 14th.
There were still 13 people ahead of her, including Jung Chan-soo’s faction.
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ㄴ“13th is Lienblad? Don’t you think Reina will overtake her soon?”
ㄴ“Honestly, the tower’s ranking system is based on overall achievements, but if they were to duel one-on-one, Reina would probably win, lol. I think the ranks will change really soon.”
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The excited fandom was confident that Reina, who was on an upward trajectory, would soon climb even higher.
Especially since the 13th-ranked challenger, who relied on a strong poison ability from her engraving, would likely lose in a one-on-one fight against Reina, who wielded radiant light.
This kind of VS play was one of the oldest traditions in Fate Road.
The only problem was that it naturally led to provocative actions that hurt the pride of other fandoms.
Just as Jung Chan-soo’s faction’s united fandom had provoked and antagonized Reina’s fandom.
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[Why are Reina’s fans so cocky lately?]
[Why are they picking fights with us…]
[We’re the most pitiful. Stuck between Jung Chan-soo’s faction above and Reina’s fandom below.]
[They act all pitiful when they’re the ones suffering, but I knew they’d do this.]
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Lienblad’s fandom couldn’t help but get riled up.
With Reina on the rise and her rank likely to climb at any moment, being openly dismissed like this was bound to sting their pride.
“These bastards…”
“Let it go. It’s been a long time since they were at a level where they’d listen to reason. Forcing them to stop will only make things worse.”
Serpina, who had just returned from a grueling battle, frowned at the sight of those who were provoking other fandoms while praising Reina, but Perbas stopped her.
“So you’re just going to let it slide? If we leave them alone, they’ll definitely get even more out of control. That’s just tarnishing Reina’s reputation.”
Serpina deeply hated the meaningless hatred between fandoms.
After all, Reina herself had been tormented by the toxic fandom and troublemakers aligned with Jung Chan-soo’s faction.
While it was inevitable that the atmosphere would heat up, she couldn’t let them become outright aggressors and perpetuate a cycle of hatred.
Above all, if this were left unchecked, there was a high chance that when Reina eventually became a constellation and joined Fate Road, there would be more people who hated her without even knowing her.
It wasn’t an unfounded worry. Serpina herself, along with others, had seen such things happen in Fate Road’s long history.
“If Reina cleanly climbs the ranks, the problem will resolve itself. But if you’re really worried, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to use this as an excuse to hold an event.”
“You mean create an outlet for them.”
Perbas’s idea piqued Serpina’s interest.
If it was something that couldn’t be stopped, setting up a stage for it to happen openly was also a solution.
‘…What is this about? Why are they trying to pit me against the 13th-ranked person? We’ve never even had a proper conversation?!’
The problem was that Reina, the person in question, was also eavesdropping on their discussions every night.
Author Note
A/N (Author’s note):
Thank you for reading.
Translator Note
T/N (Translator’s note):
In reality, we call them powerscalers.Yes, that’s me openly insulting a trashy culture, smh.
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