Second Preliminaries (7)

The two desperately stabbing at each other.

Both sides kept moving their arms without stopping, even as their expressions contorted in pain.

Although visually cruel expressions were omitted, red bloodstains suggested brutal wounds.

Almost all pro gamers set their pain sensitivity high.

This was to reduce the time needed to check the interface.

How serious is the injury just received? Is there severe bleeding?

During urgent battles, the sensation imprinted on the body is much faster than understanding through the screen.

Generally, they start from 20% and gradually increase to find their own sensitivity.

But where there are advantages, there are also disadvantages.

With pain sensitivity above 20%, you can feel considerable pain depending on where you’re stabbed.

Because of this, in pro matches, intentionally causing pain to the opponent was also a valid tactic.

For assassins of that level… it was a technique they would have naturally mastered.

“It’s brutal.”

Luche’s impression escaped her lips.

It was literally so.

By now the match had ended with Gawol’s victory, but even at a glance, the pain seemed far from trivial.

Just by looking at the trembling right hand, Luche could guess the condition.

A much more intense reaction than expected. They might be someone naturally sensitive to begin with.

If so, it must have been truly excruciating.

Yet Gawol smiles with relief even in such pain.

There are probably only two types of such people in the world.

One is those desperately, brutally thirsty for victory.

And the other is simply those who have gone mad.

Luche’s heart leaned towards the former.

《 It’s become an interesting situation. Both players are set to face each other again in the same battlefield. 》

 《 There’s a change in Haruka’s build. In contrast, Gawol enters without any changes from the previous match. 》

 《 It must be confidence. They won the last round, that’s it. With that mentality that caused such a commotion in the field. It’ll be hard to break that confidence. 》

As the battlefield was the same, the initial structure flowed similarly.

A search battle to find the opponent first.

If there was a difference, perhaps it was that Haruka brought a different card.

Sharp threads were set up along the path the kunoichi passed.

A common auxiliary weapon for assassin classes. It was silver thread.

《 Seems like they’ve found each other. 》

 《 Gawol approaches first. 》

 《 The position of the silver threads is concerning. They don’t seem to know yet? 》

 《 The battlefield luck isn’t on their side. There’s no fire nearby, so the silver threads aren’t visible. 》

Around the time the fifth silver thread was set up.

Gawol, who had climbed up a pillar, launched a big first strike.

As always, a straightforward surprise attack.

But belatedly discovering the silver threads became a mistake.

The trajectory of the attack was greatly twisted as they hurriedly avoided it.

The dagger aiming for a vital point barely scraped the thigh.

The kunoichi’s fishnet stockings tore, and blood splattered, but that was all.

It wasn’t a very satisfactory exchange.

In contrast, the kunoichi gained time to form hand seals.

[‘Ninja Art: Will-o’-the-Wisp’ engraves the mark of ‘Ryō (蜽)’.]

Purple flames engulfed the assassin’s body.

They quickly escaped from the flames, but where they thought was an escape route, the fangs of a beast waited.

As if waiting, the kunoichi thrust a kunai towards the abdomen.

A tingling sensation in the wrist as the soft skin tears

─is not felt.

Haruka’s eyes filled with astonishment, and the body touched by the blade scattered like smoke.

A doppelganger? At this timing? Then where is the real body?

The unanswered question soon found its answer.

From within the flames that hadn’t yet extinguished, a gloved hand suddenly grabbed.

It grabbed Haruka’s ankle and thrust in a dagger.

Though they quickly formed hand seals to switch positions with a log, the injury already sustained didn’t disappear.

At some point, a bright smile had appeared on Luche’s face.

A childlike exclamation escaped her lips.

“Did you see that? It must have been a risky gambit. How did they come up with such an idea in that short time? Even I would have been fooled just now!”

《 What do you think of that skirmish just now? 》

 《 Gawol has taken back the flow. The substitution technique has a very long cooldown. It’ll be dangerous if they’re caught next time. 》

 《 If they’re not careful, the nightmare from the previous round could be recreated exactly. 》

 《 Yes. Haruka seems to be on guard too. We can see them setting up silver threads more densely. 》

The battle with swords pointed at each other didn’t end easily.

Gawol avoided the flames by stepping on a throwing weapon stuck in the wall.

Flames in the shape of a dragon persistently chased behind, but at a speed hard to follow even visually. It was insufficient to catch up.

The small-bodied assassin climbed on throwing weapons stuck in the wall, stepped on pillars to jump up, and then rushed forward kicking off the ceiling.

Dagger and kunai collide at precarious angles.

For a moment, they twist each other’s wrists aiming for the forearm. Gawol’s left shoulder was exposed as a gap.

It was a fleeting moment.

But for Haruka, it was also enough time.

[‘Ghost Step’ engraves the mark of ‘Ki (鬼)’.]

Mechanically formed hand seals. Swiftly plunging weapon.

Haruka, who was about to tear the enemy’s shoulder, stopped abruptly.

[‘Fox Claw’ engraves the mark of ‘Jin (人)’.]

The weapon did make contact.

But it only made a very shallow wound.

If it had been just a bit deeper, it would have been Haruka’s own wrist that was cut off.

Flowing blood wets the silver threads.

There’s no memory of setting them up here. Then it’s clear whose doing it is.

Several threads that were surely their own were entangled on Gawol’s dagger.

They probably stole the threads bit by bit during the skirmish.

Assassins can handle silver threads too, after all.

However, they didn’t see exactly how much was stolen.

Because a sharp kick hit their solar plexus.

《 Fast! Haruka loses posture. Gawol sticks close. 》

 《 Still, they need to be careful. Only ‘Kon’ is left for the last mark. It’s a mark that can be easily filled with an area-of-effect curse, and if all 4 marks are filled, the match could be flipped in an instant. 》

It was instantaneous.

While Haruka was forming hand seals, three stab wounds appeared on their side.

A message alerting to fatal bleeding poison rang out.

At this rate, it could end up like before.

They can’t lose the marks they’ve painstakingly gathered so fruitlessly.

They must seize the chance for a reversal.

From the beginning, the silver threads were a means to protect themselves while gathering marks.

Then there’s no need to save them now.

Haruka pulled all the threads without reserve to block Gawol’s path.

Even Gawol had to take a step back at the flurry of sharp threads.

In that interval, the decisive move was made.

[‘Weakening Curse Technique’ engraves the mark of ‘Kon (魂)’.]

All 4 marks have been gathered.

Unlike before, there was no immediate means to check it.

Here it comes.

The moment the assassin lowered their body to take a defensive stance, the kunoichi’s figure blurred.

Kaaang-! A sharp sound rang out as two blades clashed.

[‘Killing Dance’ is strengthened by the power of Kijin Ryōkon (鬼人魎魂).]

From wherever they want.

Three sword strikes come at the desired timing.

One was barely blocked, but Gawol’s wrist was already stinging.

Due to the defense not being perfect, the health reduced by about 10%.

With the burns endured at the beginning and the consumption throughout the skirmish, the situation wasn’t comfortable.

The remaining two strikes alone might flip the match.

Now it was Gawol’s turn to use the silver threads they had recovered.

Taking position in front of a pillar to not give up the back, installing a mass of silver threads on the side to block.

Only the front remained.

《 Haruka throws the decisive move! 》

 《 They must block it. Killing Dance is extremely difficult to defend against, but even partial defense can overcome the crisis. 》

Haruka made an estimate.

The dagger’s position covers the throat and heart.

The will to never give up vital points.

With the skill shown so far, they should be able to react more than enough.

Then shall we go around a little?

The decision was made. The second Killing Dance instantly reached in front of Gawol.

The blade drawing a crescent moon tried to damage the assassin’s left arm.

The intention was to make it completely unusable. But as expected, the nightmarish reaction speed tripped them up.

It caused considerable bleeding, but movement itself seemed possible.

“They can react to that? I thought it wasn’t a skill designed to be seen and avoided…”

While an incredulous voice rang out outside the battlefield.

Haruka’s thought process was running more calmly than at any other moment.

Now their gaze must have shifted to defend the collapsed left side.

The general judgment would be to continue the attack as is.

If the third Killing Dance is used right here, they could be driven to the edge.

But what then?

The enemy can still move perfectly fine.

While they’ve used everything they have, the assassin probably has many usable cards left.

When you seize the advantage, you need to end it in one go.

Let’s catch them off guard one more time.

There’s still one place left. The sky.

As the third Killing Dance plunged down from the sky at that moment.

Not just the commentators, but even Luche’s eyes widened.

《 W-Woooow! 》

 《 When on earth did they prepare something like that? 》

What was seen after everyone’s astonishment ended was – the figure of the kunoichi bound by silver threads.

The broadcast showed the struggling movements as if trying to break free somehow.

Though somewhat dulled from being recovered once, the still-living sharp edges tore the kunoichi’s clothes in places and left wounds.

As Gawol pulled the dagger towards their body with a sneer, Haruka’s body was dragged up.

“It was when you showed the silver threads earlier! The amount recovered was less compared to the engagement time. Then, the silver threads recovered before that…!”

A dumbfounded expression.

The more they moved their bound body, the deeper the threads dug in.

With this, the match is over. All that’s left is the victor’s execution ceremony.

Gawol looked up at her from below, smiling brightly.

It was visible.

From Gawol’s perspective.

“Bunny?”

“Eek!”