by Sakon Kaidou
“...Wait!” I shouted before it left.
“HuUh?” the creature turned to me and tilted its head, clearly bothered out of its mind. The murderous intent aimed at me filled me with fear again, but I couldn’t back down.
“What do you intend to do with her?” I asked.
At this point, I was more than aware that I had no chance against this creature. But I couldn’t turn a blind eye to what was happening. It would’ve left a bad taste in my mouth.
“‘Her’? Oh, you meAn this?” said the creature and put the woman it was holding on the ground.
She groaned in pain.
“She’s witH me. The waY we got here wAs a bit rough, so she becAme a bit nauseOus and groggy,” said the creature and heaved a heavy sigh.
“Eh?” I asked in confusion.
They’re together? Seriously? I thought. Oh.... now that I look at her, she seems a bit pale and her expression isn’t too good, but there’s not a single injury on her.
“HmM? Wait, did yoU actually staNd up to me bEcause you thought I was a kidNapper or something?” the creature demanded.
“...Sorry.”
Seriously, I apologize. I jumped to conclusions.
I probably just hadn’t been rational in the face of all that pressure, but that didn’t change the fact that it would’ve been a really stupid death if Shu hadn’t intervened.
Damn, is this embarrassing.
“Kh, heH, khaHahahahAhahahah!” My response made the creature burst out laughing. “You’re quite somEthing, too, aren’t yOu? You actuAlly tried to fight me whEn I was releasing bloodlust all aroUnd me! First thE bear, now you — therE sure are a lot of fUnny guys among this cOuntry’s Masters!” it said and placed its long, metallic claws on my head.
Before I could even see it move, it brought its talisman-hidden face to my ear...
“I like you, sweetcheeks. Let’s play together sometime.”
...and said that with a voice that wasn’t filtered by the talisman’s magic.
...Eh? Wait, that voice is...
“HahahAh! See ya laTer!” said the creature before turning around and dragging the woman on the floor to the other end of the hallway.
As it distanced itself from us, I could still hear it say, “Hey, ambasSador, wake up alreAdy. You have woRk to do.”
To that, the woman groaned and weakly said, “Please, no more supersonic air travel...”
After they left, the mood around us instantly cooled down.
“Yo, that was damn close, wasn’t it?” said Shu.
“...Thanks, bro.” I probably would’ve died if he hadn’t helped me out. The creature had had both the power and the killing intent to do it.
“It’s pretty cool to be able to brandish your sword against a thing like that, but you should bear in mind to use your courage where it actually counts,” he added. “It’s too early for you to be battling Superiors.”
“Superiors... So that’s...”
“Yeah, that’s Figaro’s opponent. One of the four greatest that the land of hermits has to offer — a part of the Huang He Si Ling.”
Xunyu the Yinglong. I shivered.
◇
“We’re back,” I said.
“Pawrdon the intrusion,” my brother added.
By the time Nemesis, Shu, and I returned to the box, Marie had finished setting up her equipment. Rook and Babi were awake, and they all stared at my brother, visibly confused.
Well, the sudden appearance of an unfamiliar guy in a bear suit makes for a very strange scenario, I thought. Wait... Is it just me, or is Marie more shocked than confused?
“Umm... R-Ray? Wh-Who is this... bear... man...?” she asked with a stiff expression on her face.
I guess the suit’s freaking her out.
“This is my brother,” I answered. “We happened to be in the same box.”
“Well, that’s quite an interesting coincidence,” commented Rook. “Oh? What’s wrong, Marie?”
“I-It’s not... It’s nothing, really.”
Though she said that, it certainly didn’t seem like nothing. Her facial expression was visibly constrained. Also, she was muttering something along the lines of “They’re so, so alike... It’s a suit, not fur, but the texture is the same... The voice is similar, too... And it’s a bear...”
“Marie,” I spoke up. “You’re...”
“Eh?!” she exclaimed. “I-I’m what?”
The agitation in her voice made me absolutely certain that Marie was...
“You’re afraid of bears, aren’t you?” I asked.
For a moment, my question left her completely dumbfounded. Then, she nodded in a slightly exaggerated manner.
“Y-Y-Y-Y-Yes! Th-That’s exactly it! I’m just not good with bears! Yes, it’s definitely not that I’m afraid of the Kin— I-I mean, your brother!”
For some reason, she wasn’t nearly as articulate as usual.
I guess bears scare her more than I thought.
“I guess I shouldn’t look like this, then,” said Shu. “Bear with me for a second.” Suddenly, the bear disappeared and — for some reason — was replaced by a bipedal whale.
But then, it’s a question whether a bipedal whale is actually a whale, I thought.
“If you can’t handle bears, then perhaps this is fine? Whale?” asked Shu.
“Did you just replace ‘well’ with ‘whale’? Holy crap, what a stretch!” I said.
“Whale, you got any better whale puns for me, wise guy?!”
“No, I don’t!”
Seriously, I don’t recall ever seeing a whale character that emphasizes his whaleness with whale puns, I thought.
“U-Umm,” Marie spoke up. “It’s fine. I’ve calmed down. You can return to being a bear.”
“Really? Very whale, then,” said my brother before getting engulfed in light and becoming a bear again.
Man, now that I have something to compare it to, his bear appearance seems so calming. I thought. Really, there’s a certain sense of security about it.
Of course, there was the big question of whether it was really a good idea to feel safe around a guy in his late twenties wearing a bear suit and talking with bear puns, but I felt it would be best to leave that for later.
“All right,” I said. “Let me introduce you again. The person inside this suit is my big brother.”
“Bearliest of greetings to you all. I’m Ray’s brother IRL, Shu.”
What kind of greetings are “bearly,” anyway? I thought. Oh, whatever.
“And these are my party members...”
“I’m Rook, and this is my Embryo, Babi.”
“Heyyy, I’m Babi!”
“I-I’m Marie Adler. Pleased to meet you.”
“Marie Adler?” Shu repeated her name and tilted his head to the side.
That movement made Marie shake a bit.
Are you sure you’re not afraid of the bear suit? I thought.
“Is your job ‘Journalist’?” my brother asked.
“Y-Yes it is,” she answered.
How did he get her job right just by hearing her name? Is it because of all the equipment here?
“I’ve read that manga, too,” he said.
“Which manga?” I asked.
“Into The Shadow. ‘Marie Adler’ is the name of its protagonist, and she works as a journalist.”
“I see,” I said. “You like that manga, Marie?”
“Yes, I do,” she admitted. “It’s the reason why I chose this name and job.”
Well, it certainly wasn’t uncommon for MMO players to take the names and appearances of characters they liked.
“Is it also the reason for the way you talk?” asked Shu.
“Of course. It’s just roleplay,” she answered. “None of my peers talk this casually when they’re over twenty.”
She’s sure dedicated, I thought. Also, this was the first time I’d learned that she was older than me.
“Into The Shadow, was it?” I said. “Maybe I s
hould read it, too.”
“Just so you know, it was discontinued by its magazine,” said my brother. “The first part of its story finished and its serialization stopped, just like that.”
Well, damn...
“It was pretty popular, though,” he added. “I liked it a lot, too, and I’d love it if it restarted sometime.”
“Thank you. I appreciate that,” said Marie. It seemed she was a big fan.
I should really buy it when I get the chance, I decided. If they think it’s a good read, I might enjoy it, too.
“Ladies and gentlemen! The wait is over! Today’s main event — The Clash of the Superiors — is about to begin!” a voice called, announcing the start of the match. It rang out throughout the arena, accompanied by music.
I’d been told that, just like the toilets in this world, announcements were done by magic.
“Oh, the fight’s about to begin,” said Shu. “Best get mentally prepared fur it.”
“True,” agreed Marie. “I have to record it, too.”
We all sat down and began preparing for the event.
Man, now that I think about it, an event called the “Clash of the Superiors” is exactly what it says on the tin, I thought. Figaro and Xunyu — two Superiors bearing Superior Jobs — were about to clash.
This would likely be a battle unlike any I’d seen so far. After all, the ones fighting were some of the most high-end, top class beings in Infinite Dendrogram.
“First, the eastern gate! The entrance of our venerable guest!” the announcer called.
A spotlight focused on one of the entrances.
“A Superior hailing from the land of Huang He! The great martial artist bearing the nickname of ‘Yinglong’! The beast from the east! The Master Jiangshi! XUN... YUUUUUUUUUU!”
There was a boom, a crescendo of music, and even a release of smoke. A moment later, the creature broke the thick veil and showed itself.
Its frame surpassed four meters in length, causing many spectators to scream from shock. A single glance at its abnormally long limbs was enough to send chills down the spine.
To the eyes of those living in this country, which had a Western setting, even the creature’s clothes seemed like they belonged in the realm of madness.
Spreading fear and shock with every step, the Master Jiangshi, Xunyu, entered the stage. The creature raised its arms and released a war cry, which was followed by explosions on both sides of the entrance.
That performance caused the audience to either cheer or scream.
“They really know how entertainment works,” I said.
“Gideon is beary much a showbiz city,” Shu explained. “Also, Masters gave the tians advice on how to set up these presentations.”
Just as I thought. It looked exactly like something from a fighting event on TV.
However, I felt that the announcers on TV were better. The one in this arena didn’t seem too used to it.
“By the way, Xunyu’s number two in Huang He’s duel rankings,” Shu added. “You get used to this if you duel that much.”
Number two? So there’s someone else at the top, huh?
“By the way, what kind of job is ‘Master Jiangshi,’ anyway?” asked Rook.
“Huang He has a job called ‘Daoshi,’ and I hear it’s a Superior Job from that grouping,” answered Marie. “Its counterpart in this part of the world would be... Mage, surely.”
“The main characteristic of Daoshi is that they produce and use certain consumable items — talismans known as ‘Fu,’” added Shu. “Their main advantage is that they allow quick and consecutive spellcasting, while the demerit is the production cost.”
“And don’t forget that greater skills require you to spend time positioning the Fus,” added Marie.
Shu nodded. “I’ve also heard that, while being in the daoshi grouping, Master Jiangshi is a direct upgrade to the job known as ‘Jiangshi,’ which is focused on endurance. With that in mind, it’s safe to expect that Xunyu’s fighting style is not purely magical, but involves melee, as well.”
“Oh, that’s true. After all, the daoshi grouping is the type that unlocks different Superior Jobs depending on which jobs you combine it with. In fact, it might be more correct to consider Master Jiangshi to be a Superior Job from the jiangshi grouping.”
It seemed we had two people doing the explaining. And with Rook being the one listening to them, I basically became part of the background. Not that I minded it.
“Wait, the job is also called ‘Shi Jie Xian,’ right?” I asked. “That doesn’t really mean ‘jiangshi,’ does it? So why do we read it as ‘Master Jiangshi’?”
“Well, not every job translates as neatly as ‘King of Destruction,’ fur example,” answered Shu.
“Superior Job names can be really something,” added Marie. “Imagine meeting the ‘Death Shadow.’”
I guess their uniqueness comes with unique naming senses, I thought.
“Then how does this player actually fight?” asked Rook.
I was curious about that, as well. I’d had a confrontation with Xunyu at the reception and seen the jiangshi fight Shu, but I hadn’t been able to understand a bit of what was going on back there.
“The nickname ‘Yinglong’ might make you think otherwise, but that’s not the name of Xunyu’s Embryo,” said Marie. “Also, Xunyu sometimes gets called the ‘Landmine’ or ‘Divine Speed,’ too.”
Those two nicknames gave off completely different impressions. The former was about waiting in place, while the latter was about moving around a lot. Naturally, it made me curious about which one of these applied to this mysterious fighter.
“And in the western gate! We have the pride of Gideon! The unwavering champion of our city!” the announcer called.
The music changed and the spotlight was redirected to the gate at the opposite side.
“The king! The lone explorer! The one bearing the nickname ‘Endless Chain’ and the title of ‘Over Gladiator’! The strongest man of all! FIIIIIIGAAAAAROOOOOOOOOOOO!”
As introduced, the one that walked out of the western gate was none other than Figaro. While he had a gentle smile on his face, his eyes seemed to emit immeasurable pressure, and they didn’t give away a single hint about what was going on in his mind.
Naturally, he wasn’t wearing the lion suit. Instead, he was clad in the same curious equipment as before.
Figaro’s appearance made cheers ring out throughout the arena.
“FI-GA-RO! FI-GA-RO!” the audience chanted as he slowly made his way towards the stage. Just as I’d been told, he was extremely popular around these parts.
Well, I can see why he needs to wear that suit, I thought.
“All right! Let’s prepare for the fight of the century!” the announcer called.
Now that the participants were both on the stage, they opened up a settings window. I’d seen one of those at the semi-event, too. The windows were used to configure the barrier. Like in the semi-event, both sides looked through the rules displayed and confirmed if they were okay with them before starting the match.
Most duels here in Gideon were 1v1 and didn’t have many rules. All attacks and tactics were allowed. What wasn’t allowed were accessories that prevented instant death damage — such as the Lifesaving Brooch and the Dragonscale Ward I was familiar with — and consumable healing items. Healing from equipment skills was perfectly fine, and I was still too much of a noob to see any reasons why they were treated differently.
“Figgy would’ve had a serious advantage if they were allowed to use accessories like that,” said Shu.
“Eh? But the rules are the same for both fighters, so would it really make that much of a difference?” I asked.
“Trust me. With Figgy, it would.”
So Figaro has something that greatly benefits from those accessories? I thought.
“Both duelists are done checking the rules! Now, let’s activate the barrier and... oh?” The announcer was about to signal the start of t
he battle, but stopped when he saw Xunyu raise one of those long arms.
Were the rules unsatisfactory or something?
“One one, teSting. You people heAr me?” said Xunyu, the voice resounding throughout the arena.
“So yeah, I’m about to duEl this Figaro gUy, but let me juSt say something to make the fight mOre interesting.”
Well, that definitely sounded intriguing. I readied myself for the words...
“I won’t move a siNgle step until Figaro falls to his knEes.”
Xunyu’s words were something that no amount of readiness could’ve prepared me for.
For a moment, everyone in the arena was completely dumbfounded. It seemed as though every single member of the audience became of one mind, thinking nothing but What did I just hear?
“Did any of yoU even hear me? I’m saying that I won’t move a siNgle step, and I’ll make this Figaro gUy fall to his kneEs.”
After another moment of silence, the spectators realized that Xunyu’s words were a provocative insult towards Figaro — and the duel city of Gideon, which hailed him as their champion. Suddenly, the whole arena was drowned out in anger and booing.
However, it only made Xunyu laugh. “Great! Now I’m a pRoper bAdDie! Oh, the laUghs I’ll have WheN I beat you in tHis situation!”
Instead of responding, Figaro just silently looked at his opponent. I couldn’t tell whether his silence came from confidence or due to some other reason.
However, I was almost completely certain that the scenario Xunyu described wasn’t impossible. At the very least, if I were in Figaro’s position, I’d definitely get killed before the jiangshi moved even a single step. That exact situation had almost happened a few minutes ago. Still, I had a feeling that Xunyu’s words weren’t just a provocation.
“Those certainly are some abrasive words,” said Nemesis. “Do you think there’s any meaning to them?”
“If you’re asking whether I think that was just a meaningless provocation or a meaningful preparation for something... it’s definitely the latter,” I answered.
Facing Xunyu once was enough for me to know just how murderous and relentless the jiangshi was. That certainly wasn’t all, though. There was more to this Superior than met the eye.
From the incident at the reception and entrance and the words just now, I could easily tell that Xunyu was clever enough to calculate and manipulate people’s impressions. The jiangshi’s battle tactics and preparation covered even the very mood of the surroundings.
