CH 147

Game

The Arcade in question was located in the basement of the resort. After the group descended the thick wooden stairs, they were greeted by a myriad of arcade machines that were making electronic sounds and colorful lights.

“I expected an old, small arcade since it’s a resort but……this is actually pretty good. This place is almost as big as a small arcade isn’t it.”

Saki looks around with awe. Then, when she noticed something, she went [Oh], and immediately rushed to a certain machine.

“Isn’t this Battlefield of Honor! If it’s this one then you can play it right, Kisei?”

Saying so, she pointed to a large spherical booth with a small door and chair plus a control stick inside. It appears that it was built to simulate a striker’s cockpit.

“Hou, there’s a game like this too huh. Interesting.”

Valentina was impressed as she looked at the game machine. Even though it is only for a game, the quality is quite high. Even to her, who’s familiar with real strikers, it doesn’t seem cheaply made at all.

“I’m bad with action games but I think this one is an exception. Why don’t we try it?”

“Eh? Ah, Hmm…….well, let’s do it.”

Kisei hesitated for a moment but he’s also interested in it so he entered the spherical booth. After that, he sits down on the pilot seat and grabs the control stick to check how it feels. Liquid crystal displays were installed on the entire inner wall of the booth and it certainly gives the same atmosphere as a striker’s cockpit.

“Since we are already at this, let’s play against each other. Playing against an AI is boring [DESU].”

Nora suggested with a grin as she poked her head inside. Just like that, she got into the booth next door.

Seeing that, Schleer hurriedly did the same. There are only 4 cockpits for Battlefield of Honor so if she doesn’t hurry, someone else might take it.

The ones left out were Saki, Valentina, Tersis……and Diaroze. With only one cockpit left, the four looked at each other.

“…..with this lineup, how about one of you guys take the spot? That way we would have 2 from Calencia and 2 from Nored right.”

After pondering on it a little, Saki forfeits. She actually wanted to play against Valentina but if the seats are already filled then there’s no helping it. After this match is over, they can just make a bracket later.

“Hmm, then I will step back too. Right now I belong to Calencia after all……Kufufufu.”

“Me as well. In the end, this is a striker simulator, right? If I am going to cross swords with My Lord then I would actually prefer to do it for real.”

“Then I will take up on your offer then.”

Valentina nodded and headed to the last available cockpit. Those remaining look at each other before heading to peek inside Kisei’s cockpit.

“Do you know how to play?”

“Well, I will manage…..”

After inserting a coin into the machine, the display gives the players some tutorials and the game menu shows up on the front monitor.

“So LAN battle, right……”

“Yeah, that’s the one.”

Kisei selected the game mode and proceeded. Then, after confirming that his cockpit was linked with Schleer’s, the next menu was the striker selection screen. A list of various strikers from extremely old models to the more recent ones was displayed. There are various types of striker available from the Zenith-Type which he’s not that knowledgeable about to the mass-produced models of minor line production.

“Which one do you gonna choose? There’s no [Caliburn-Revive] here you know.”

“Then what about the [Van Wolf]?”

“Hmm…..ah, there it is.”

“…….Cool. I guess this is to be expected from the strongest ace of a big empire huh.”

Tersis crossed her arms with a proud smile but Kisei mercilessly scrolled to another striker. Seeing that, Tersis’s shoulders drooped down a little.

“I mean, this game doesn’t have I-con system support right? It would be too reckless for me to challenge a Vuld opponent in close combat with only manual control. That’s why……I will go with Viper II.”

Saying so, the striker he selected was a slender one with a long blaster rifle and large multiple missile launcher installed on its back.

“This guy…….it’s the standard model of the Terran army right.”

“Yeah. It’s the Terran model designed to combat Vuld. Given my opponents, this one should be the most suitable.”

Terran and Vuld have a vast gap between their physical specs. Of course, a pilot’s aptitude is not determined only by physical strength but it still plays a big part since Vuld has the advantage in terms of reflex speed and G resistance.

Without the I-con system support that gives him the ability to see what his opponents are going to do next, Kisei judged that piloting a striker designed especially to combat Vuld is his only way to compensate.

“Where did your usual self-confidence go, come on.”

Saki sounded a little disappointed but Kisei was serious about this.

“Well, I will show you…….how slow I am without the I-con.”

Said Kisei with a line of cold sweat trailing down his forehead.