Chapter 28: Reinhardt Rogen.
The morning sky, moments before a canvas of serene dawn, was now a backdrop to chaos. A deafening, tearing sound ripped through the Emerald Grove, far more violent than thunder.
KRRRAAAASSSSH!
Two more towering trees, ancient sentinels of the forest, groaned and then fell with earth-shattering force, their demise punctuated by the panicked shrieks and frantic wingbeats of countless birds erupting from their branches and fleeing into the sky. Dust and splintered wood billowed upwards as the colossal trunks slammed onto the forest floor, crushing the once-pristine undergrowth. Squirrels, mere blurs of fur, scrambled desperately for safety, their chitters of alarm lost in the cacophony.
Through this maelstrom of falling timber and rising dust, Hikari and Rentarou sprinted side-by-side. Rentarou, his face pale, cradled the small, white-clad form of Samantha in his arms. The little girl clung to him, her eyes wide with terror, her brown hair, along with Hikari's golden locks and Rentarou's silver strands, whipping wildly around their faces as they ran.
"This is the first time I've ever seen you run from a fight!" Rentarou gasped, his voice strained, glancing at Hikari with wide, panicked eyes. "What are we going to do now?!"
Hikari's blue eyes, narrowed in concentration, darted ahead, scanning the forested path. His golden hair danced with the wind of their passage. "Get rid of the girl!" he snapped. "He's looking for her, primarily."
Rentarou's reaction was instantaneous and horrified. "Impossible! You want me to abandon this poor, defenseless little girl? Look at her, she's terrified and clinging to me for dear life!"
"You idiot!" Hikari retorted, his voice sharp with urgency. "He's a Knight, and he's searching for her. We're the villains in this scenario, not him! Even if this is all a misunderstanding because of my damn name color!"
"Can't we just talk to him?" Rentarou pleaded, his breath coming in ragged gasps. "Explain why your name is red? Reason with him?"
"Useless," Hikari shot back. "You really think a soldier of 'justice' like that will believe me?"
As if to punctuate his words, another thunderous crash echoed behind them as a tree fell, closer this time. The ground vibrated beneath their feet. Terror flared anew in Rentarou's silver eyes. He looked up at the canopy, as if expecting the sky itself to fall. "Damn it all! Is there no chance you can win this fight?"
Hikari remained silent for a moment, his gaze fixed on the winding forest path ahead. "That man… he was able to cut through my B-Rank Water Fox Fang's attacks as if they were nothing, and that was just with a normal strike. No elixirs, no legendary weapon. It seems I still have a lot to learn about this game."
"My legs… they're getting heavier, man…" Rentarou panted, his pace visibly slowing.
"Is that another rule I don't know about?" Hikari muttered, a flicker of annoyance crossing his face.
Seniora's voice chimed in his mind, cool and informative. | It's called Stamina. A measure of endurance. It seems you've been neglecting some of the finer details, Hikari. |
Hikari's eyes flicked slightly to the left of his vision. A new interface element had appeared – a gracefully curved, semi-circular bar. It was predominantly grey, with an orange line superimposed over it, representing his current stamina. The orange was depleting gradually with their rapid sprint. If it ran out, he knew, his character would be unable to maintain this pace.
"Rentarou," Hikari commanded, his voice urgent. "Log out of the game! Now!"
Rentarou stared at him, his silver eyes wide with disbelief. "What are you talking about?! How can I just leave this girl behind?"
"Just do as I say!" Hikari insisted. "Logging out means you'll vanish from this world. That Knight won't find any trace of us, and he'll return the girl to her family."
Rentarou hesitated, his internal conflict warring with the immediate danger. He slowed to a stop, and Hikari skidded to a halt beside him. Gently, Rentarou set Samantha down. The little girl, her face pale with fear, immediately clutched at the black fabric of his sleeve, her small knuckles white. Rentarou looked torn.
"Now, Rentarou!" Hikari urged.
Rentarou squeezed his eyes shut. "Miryolina!" he shouted. "Emergency Logout!"
Miryolina, Rentarou's AI companion, her voice usually chipper, sounded almost apologetic as a system window popped up before Rentarou:
[Logout unavailable during active combat.]
Rentarou's eyes snapped open, shock and dawning horror reflected in their silver depths. Miryolina's child-like voice echoed in his mind: | Yes, just as it says, Rentarou-san. You can't log out until combat encounters are resolved in the game. |
The sheer terror in Rentarou's eyes was enough for Hikari to understand. In that critical second, Seniora clarified the situation in Hikari's mind: | Hikari, game regulations prohibit logging out during active combat. That's why I advised you to flee before this fight began. |
Fwoosh!
With a sound like rushing air, the silver-armored Knight, Reinhardt, appeared between them, his presence dominating the small clearing. He placed his left gauntleted hand gently on Samantha's head. Both Hikari's and Rentarou's eyes widened.
"Well, well," Reinhardt said, his voice calm despite the chase. "Don't you worry, little one. I'll personally see you back to your father and complete my mission properly."
His right hand tightened its grip on the hilt of his sword. Hikari's gaze, sharp as ever, instantly locked onto the subtle shift in the Knight's wrist. It's a horizontal slash, Hikari thought with lightning speed, aimed above the girl's head!
Reacting purely on instinct, Hikari thrust his hand between the plates of Rentarou's chest armor, grabbing a firm hold. With a powerful surge of his legs, he launched himself and Rentarou into the air.
Simultaneously, the Knight's sword moved in a devastatingly fast, circular sweep. The air itself seemed to scream as a visible wave of wind, razor-sharp and deadly, expanded outwards. The silver blade passed a mere quarter-meter above Samantha's brown hair, not even ruffling a strand, but the shockwave of its passage caused her to flinch violently.
The horizontal wind wave, however, continued its deadly arc, scything through everything in its path. In a ten-meter radius around the Knight, every tree was instantly severed, their tops toppling with sickening crunches. Birds that hadn't already fled were caught in the maelstrom.
Samantha's brown eyes were wide with shock. Dust and debris filled the air as the felled trees crashed down. Hikari landed heavily on the grass with Rentarou, the latter collapsing onto his hands and knees, completely stunned and breathless. Hikari remained standing, though his posture was tense.
Reinhardt Rogen stroked his white beard thoughtfully, his gaze fixed on Hikari. "My, my. What a reaction. I was a hundred percent certain I'd ended the fight with that attack. Yet, you saved not only yourself but your friend as well. Truly impressive. That offers a slight explanation for how you came to possess the Water Fox Fang. But unfortunately for you, it's not enough. You're merely delaying your demise."
A single bead of sweat trickled down Hikari's temple. I might have a chance if I can avoid taking any more damage for the rest of the fight, he thought rapidly. But… I can't protect Rentarou any further than this.
Clenching his grip on the Water Fox Fang, Hikari spoke, his voice firm. "Rentarou, get out of here! Keep running until the battle music changes. As soon as you hear the quiet and the [Emerald Grove] ambient theme again, log out of the game. If you stay here, you'll undoubtedly die."
Rentarou swallowed hard, his gaze flickering towards Samantha, who looked frightened but safe under the Knight's protection. He gritted his teeth, then scrambled to his feet and bolted, sprinting away from the clearing. She's safe, he thought desperately as he ran. He's not a bad person, even though we didn't do anything wrong!
The Knight raised his sword, preparing to unleash an attack in Rentarou's direction.
But…
Drip. Drop. Plink.
Fantastical droplets of azure water seemed to coalesce around Hikari. He lunged forward, a blur of motion, the Water Fox Fang now held in his left hand, the blade arcing behind his right shoulder, emanating an intense blue, watery energy.
The Knight, caught off guard by Hikari's sudden offensive, paused his attack on Rentarou. Just like I did with Yuta, Hikari thought, his focus absolute, a decapitation should count as a headshot! A blow sufficient to kill him!
The Knight's gauntleted hand, which had been resting on Samantha's head, snapped up, not to draw a weapon, but clenched into a fist.
Before Hikari's blade could connect, the metallic fist slammed directly into his face. Red sparks flew at the point of impact, a clear indication of direct physical damage.
[Damage Received: 200]
[Remaining HP: 400/1200]
Hikari was thrown backward, landing hard on his back on the grass. Reinhardt gave him no quarter, immediately bringing his sword down in a deadly arc towards Hikari's exposed midsection. Hikari rolled sharply to his right, the Knight's blade slamming into the earth where he'd been a split second before, carving a shallow gash in the soil. Scrambling, Hikari swept his own blade, launching a desperate water slash from a distance.
SPLASH!
The watery projectile slammed into the Knight's silver breastplate. Hikari flipped backward, landing gracefully on his feet, a confident glint in his eye, certain that this direct hit would change the tide of battle. But his eyes widened in disbelief as the opponent's data displayed before him.
[Name: Reinhardt Rogen]
[Level: 29]
[HP: 25000 / 25000]
[DEF: 1400 / 2000]
A tremor ran through Hikari. His golden hair was slightly disheveled, a faint bruise already forming on his cheek. I dealt good damage, 600. But it only affected his armor… No… that's not what's worrying me… How in the world does he have twenty-five thousand hit points?! That's completely illogical… There are things here that are not clear…
Seniora's voice cut through his bewildered thoughts.| It appears Rentarou successfully logged out. Hikari, if you still have any energy left, use it to escape. Return to the game another day. Staying here is nothing short of suicide. |
Hikari gritted his teeth as Reinhardt spoke, his tone calm, almost paternal. "Why do you look at me that way? Like a cat trying to figure out how to defeat a lion. Rising Star, I don't know what kind of adventures you've had in your life within this game, but I hope next time you'll choose the path of good. Then, we might even be allies."
Hikari tightened his grip on his blade, a strained, almost reckless smile touching his lips. "I haven't done anything wrong. I regret nothing, so there's no need for me to change my path."
Reinhardt's expression hardened, his hand tightening on his sword. "Such a pity. I will find you, every time, and kill you until you despair and rethink your mistakes."
A fierce surge of emotion coursed through Hikari. The Water Fox Fang in his hand began to glow with an intense, unnatural brilliance. If only I had a single B-Rank elixir, he thought desperately, things would be different… He looked down at his blade, puzzled by its unusually intense luminescence.
"Impossible," the Knight muttered, his eyes widening slightly. "Now? Of all times?" He pushed off the ground, leaving Samantha safely behind him. "You must be stopped, now!" he declared, lunging towards Hikari.
Seniora's voice echoed urgently in Hikari's mind. | Rising Star, I have good news, but it's also a bad news. |
The battle reignited with terrifying ferocity. Every blow Hikari parried with his glowing blade felt incredibly heavy, sending shockwaves that vibrated through the grass and the very air around them. As he struggled, Seniora continued, her voice cutting through the clash of steel:
| Every rare weapon in this game has a predetermined lifespan before it vanishes into nothingness. However, to prevent the system from being overly harsh, the company allows for a skill called 'Awakening.' It's inherent within every rare weapon, and the weapon won't disappear from your inventory until the Awakening is used, ensuring the player doesn't lose this rare opportunity. |
The impact of sword against shimmering blade was immense. "How do I use this Awakening?!" Hikari yelled, straining against the Knight's relentless assault.
Reinhardt's eyebrows furrowed. Damn it, his AI companion is explaining it to him! I must crush him! His attacks became even more ferocious, more overwhelming.
| Water Dragon. | Seniora said, her voice clear and direct amidst the chaos. | Shout that name, and use this skill to leave this battle. |
Hikari's teeth were clenched, his muscles burning as he fought back. "And why wouldn't I use it to win?!"
| The best damage you can inflict at your current level, 12, would be a thousand times that, so 12,000 damage – in the best-case scenario. Even if you hit his head, you won't win. That impressive number you're imagining doesn't even reach half of his total HP. I strongly suggest you use Water Dragon to move quickly and escape. |
A brilliant blue gleam flashed in Hikari's eyes, his jaw set in grim determination. Fantastical water began to surge and swirl around his blade, then around his entire body. The Knight, seeing the sudden eruption of power, instinctively stopped his assault and shielded his face, moving to stand protectively in front of Samantha. "Damn it," he cursed. "I couldn't stop him!"
Water coiled around Hikari like a living entity. He threw his head back and roared, his voice amplified by the surging power: "WATER DRAGON!!!"
In an instant, Hikari launched forward, no longer a boy but a streaking torpedo of pure, churning water, shaped like a magnificent, serpentine dragon. Droplets flew in every direction as he shot through the forest, the roar of rushing water accompanying his passage. Birds took flight in renewed panic. He was a blur of blue, skimming over the ground, maneuvering with impossible agility between the trees, the water around him responding to his will, guiding his path.
From the clearing, Reinhardt watched him go, a complex expression on his face. The lingering traces of Hikari's watery assault still shimmered on the grass and on the Knight's own silver armor. Samantha was safe behind him. "Well, well…" he murmured, a note of grudging respect in his voice. "I failed to rid the world of his menace. This… is a mark of shame upon me as a Knight."
[A/N]
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