“Ah, that’s right! Mitsuki Hisame! I challenge you to a one-on-one, no-holds-barred duel!!”
At my words, Hisame stopped moving.
It’s certainly not something one should say while a sword is pointed at them, but I was actually confident that her blade would halt at that. The phrase “challenge you to a one-on-one, no-holds-barred duel” is the keyword to trigger her solo combat event. I knew she would accept.
However, the problem was…
“Do you truly understand the meaning of those words? If you’re calling it a ‘no-holds-barred duel,’ then you’ll have to stake your life as well.”
The event wasn’t a lukewarm one like those using the duel system, but a genuine fight to the death. The solo combat event was originally intended to make Hisame a formal comrade. In her words within the game, she felt that only someone who could defeat her in a true fight to the death was worthy of her backing. She truly had a difficult personality.
Even so, from the Player’s perspective, there’s no point in making her your comrade if you kill her. The event wouldn’t clear unless you fought against Hisame, a top-tier NPC, without any allies’ support and reduced her HP to below ten percent. On the other hand, she would come at you with full intent to kill, which was problematic.
Incidentally, there’s a famous event where, if a Player is killed by Hisame in this event and her affinity is high, she mutters, “I didn’t want to lose you in this way,” and sheds a single tear despite her usually expressionless face. But now that it’s no longer a game, it’s no laughing matter.
Even if she becomes affectionate after killing me, it’s no use. I’d rather she reconsidered her attack.
Regardless, it’s clear that she has a strong attachment to the concept of a “no-holds-barred duel.” If she’s like this with someone she’s close to, she wouldn’t hesitate to strike down someone she met only yesterday. However, in my current situation, I’m just as likely to be killed. Therefore, I have no choice but to see this event through.
“Of course! I’ll stake my life on this battle with you!” I shout.
No, it’s not at all certain! I really don’t want to die!
“Is that so? …Then I have nothing more to say. Let us reset and fight.”
However, it worked, and she said that, easily withdrawing her sword. But wait.
If combat breaks out in our current situation, do I have any chance of winning? Let me verify.
There’s an overwhelming difference in skill between her and me right now. She herself was already strong from the start of the game, possessing cheat-like stats. On top of that, she’s clad in high-level unique equipment. Her overwhelming strength isn’t just due to her unbelievable stats but also the performance of her equipment. The lineup is:
Moonshadow [Katana] Weight: 2
Heavenly Robe of the Sky Weight: 0
Swallow’s Flight Greaves Weight: 1
Bracelets of the Four Elements Weight: 0
Explorer’s Ring Weight: 0
And their total weight is a mere 3, lighter than a Wakizashi when combined. It’s utterly unfair.
Yet, their performance is top-notch. Visually, she’s barely wearing anything more than a thin robe, but her defensive capabilities are extraordinary. Shiranui, being classified as an Odachi, boasts exceptional attack power, but it’s ultimately a mid-game weapon. Even if it hits, it won’t inflict significant damage. …It’s precisely because I know this that I was able to launch a full-power attack initially.
Her clothing looks incredibly fragile, and it seems like it would burn easily if even a fire were lit, but that’s a complete misunderstanding. It seems her Robe and Bracelets also grant elemental resistance, giving her near-complete resistance to the four major elements—fire, water, wind, and earth—and high magic defense. Dealing damage to Hisame with magic would be even more hopeless than with physical attacks.
Furthermore, she has high resistance to status effects. Whether it’s the Robe or her own stats, I’ve never seen her succumb to status ailments. At least, at this point, it’s impossible for me to inflict status effects on her.
On top of that, the Robe and Greaves are said to provide a speed boost. The only time I beat her was after clearing the game. I only managed to keep up with her speed by combining cancel skills with custom magic. However, custom magic can only be done in the Capital City, and the number of skills I know is obviously far from my game data.
For me to win, I need to at least keep up with Hisame’s speed, the fastest NPC, and land effective attacks on her, who possesses late-game defensive capabilities…
Huh? Isn’t this impossible?
“Shall we return to our previous location? We won’t be able to fight to our fullest here.”
Unaware of my panic, Hisame is fully motivated. Her cat ears twitch happily. Those cute ears belong to a total battle junkie. If things continue like this, it’ll be a fight to the death without question… or rather, the beginning of my slaughter.
“No, wait a moment! I said I’d stake my life on the duel, but I didn’t say we’d be cutting each other down.”
“…What do you mean?”
As I called out to stop her, Hisame asked back in a low voice. Her cat ears also stand up unpleasantly.
“You certainly said you would stake your life on this match. Surely you don’t intend to go back on your word?”
With such killing intent emanating from her, I can tell even without looking at her cat ears. She intensely dislikes breaking promises. This is bad.
“Of course, I’ll stake my life on the outcome of the match. If I lose, I’ll give you my life. However, I have no reason to kill you. I refuse to fight to the death.”
It almost sounds like I can win against Hisame. Also, if I lose, I have to give up my life? I don’t want that.
“I see. However, how do you intend to settle this?”
Her eyes convey that I’ll be killed if I say anything foolish. If I suggest rock-paper-scissors, she looks like she’d instantly chop me down. What kind of contest would satisfy her and simultaneously allow me to win? I rack my brain at full speed.
( …No, that’s not right.)
I mustn’t misunderstand. I don’t actually want to win against her. I just want to get out of this situation.
Think! What’s best for me, think!!
“What is it?”
Hisame stares at my silence with the expressionless face I’m so familiar with from the game.
…Right, familiar. I know her well from the game. Not just her strength, but also her personality, preferences, what she values, and what she’s bad at. I just need to recall it.
Mitsuki Hisame is a person of duality.
While impulsive and violent, she can sometimes demonstrate deep foresight. Though fickle and capricious, she never breaks a promise once made. She treats people as less than human, but she’ll give her utmost effort to those she favors. Her speech is somewhat stern due to her strict upbringing and parental discipline. She’s always been confident in her speed, and there’s a heartwarming anecdote about her losing a serious race against a horse as a child and crying, but an awkward episode of her actually winning a serious race against a horse as an adult. While her emotions rarely show on her face, they’re always evident in her ears. She possesses a steel-trap poker face, and her frowns are almost never witnessed, but no one has ever seen her cat ears remain still for more than ten seconds. Her movements are fluid and silent, making her undetectable to others, yet in that time, her cat ears twitch busily. Her special skills are Iaido and amigurumi creation. Her hobbies include collecting swords and stuffed animals. Sometimes, these two hobbies combine, and a stuffed bear holding a drawn demon sword has been spotted in her room. She possesses a courageous spirit that doesn’t falter even when surrounded by hundreds of monsters, but she’s extremely shy and will curl up with a scream if her underwear is seen by others. Anyone familiar with Hisame trembles when facing her because she defeats any powerful enemy, making them prostrate themselves on the ground, but she herself has acrophobia and her legs tremble when standing at heights. Her cat ears also jiggle. She remains completely calm even when witnessing someone being murdered, and will sometimes pursue her objective disregarding her own survival, but she once cried for three days and nights because the arm of her favorite stuffed animal came off. She excels particularly at handling swords, but is terrible with kitchen knives. She can defeat enemies as she pleases on the battlefield but is flustered by ingredients at home. She’s a severe battle junkie whose greatest joy is fighting, but when alone at home, she says idol-like things such as, “I wish I could be a normal girl.” This is the Mitsuki Hisame I know!!
Damn, she’s flawless! Mostly in the “moe character” sense!
“Have you decided?”
To my trembling, Hisame speaks again, growing impatient. It can’t be helped. It’s a bit too simple, but…
“Ah, the method of settling it is ‘cooking’… no, never mind!!”
Ah, that was close. When I almost said “cooking,” Hisame’s killing intent increased by a hundredfold. If I had continued, I would have been easily killed. Too many dead-end branches!
“If you are toying with me…”
“Wait! That was a joke! In reality, I finished thinking it over long ago.”
To break through the dead-end flag that was about to form just by my silence, I declare loudly. However, this isn’t a bluff at all. It’s a perfect move for me, which might turn this pinch into an opportunity and lead to the best future I desire, without me killing her or dying. Therefore, I solemnly declare to her:
“Let’s play Tag.”
