CH 148

The Struggling Ace

“The stage is an abandoned city, and the team…….it seems we have a Calencian and a Noredian team huh.”

Kisei quietly muttered to himself as he glanced at the screen. As the stage’s name suggested, the Abandoned City is a stage where many tattered skyscrapers and buildings are scattered around. As a side note, the graphic looks very realistic that he could mistake it for an actual battlefield.

“The control is pretty much the same as the real thing, you know. Well, try moving your striker around first.”

Saki, who apparently played the game before, gave him some advice. Nodding to her, Kisei gently gripped the control stick and carefully pushed it forward.

“Hmm, I see. The basics are the same huh. That being said, the game is compensating for the lack of I-con system with automatic input right? I think I’m gonna have a hard time with this…….”

Muttering so, Kisei checks the control of his striker. A few minutes later, a voice chat from Nora came in.

“You guys already got the hang of the control right? Can we start now?”

“The control……I’m good, I guess.”

“Same here. I’m ready.”

Schleer followed. Unlike Kisei, her voice seems quite motivated.

“Alright, let’s end the tutorial……Let’s go!”

Along with that enthusiastic voice, a crimson striker jumped out from the gap between the buildings. The model is the Noredian heavy-duty type striker, [Vil].

“The game should have the 4 Heavenlys’ strikers though……..are you trying to go easy on me!”

“Crushing you with the difference in performance is no fun [DESU]!”

Kisei immediately took aim at Nora who shouted in reply. The game has a major difference from an actual striker battle. If he can not shoot her down before she gets in range, he will be at a disadvantage.

The moment the lock-on is completed, the missile launchers on the back immediately launch a barrage of missiles at her.

“Those missiles aren’t even worthy enough to be a distraction [DESU]!”

Nora took cover behind an abandoned building and easily defended herself from the flood of missiles. Then immediately after, she jumped out from her cover and shot at him with a mega blaster rifle. In response, Kisei hurriedly tried to evade the giant crimson beam but he couldn’t make it in time and was hit on the shoulder.

Kisei frowned at the blaring warning sound and the HP bar displayed on his screen that has sharply decreased.

“What’s wrong? If this is real then that would be a fatal blow you know!”

“I know that already!”

While shouting back at her, Kisei shoots back with his long blaster rifle. However, Nora easily avoided it this time as well. Moreover, to make matters worse, another striker jumped at him from a rooftop above. It’s Valentina’s [Jetta].

“It seems that you really are bad at this game. Still, against a warrior of your caliber, going easy would be too rude! Sorry but, I’m going to take you down now!”

“Geh!”

He was having his hands full dealing with only one opponent, there’s no way that he can win in a 2v1 situation. While hurriedly taking cover in a building, he immediately requested support from his partner, Schleer.

“Fire support! Request fire support! I’m going to die at this rate!”

“Leave it to me!!”

Along with that joyful voice, a blue [Claymore] rushed in and blocked the way of Valentina’s striker. It’s Schleer’s.

“Your knight is not just Tersis alone! With me at your side, there’s no need to fear!”

“Kyahh—so cool—!”

In desperation, Kisei went along in monotone. Still, even with that monotonous encouragement, Schleer was hyped up. With her eyes sparkling, she pointed the muzzle of her rifle at the approaching Valentina.

“Even if it’s just a game, an opportunity is still an opportunity! I will make you experience being an underdog for once!”

“Interesting, try it if you can!”

Valentina replied with a ferocious smile as she blocked the incoming beams with her shield. Then, when she managed to get close, Valentina unsheathed a longsword from the waist compartment and plunged toward Schleer’s [Claymore].

“Hmph, you think you can beat me with a sword? Naive!”

Schleer met Valentina’s sword with her Zweihander. The swords collided with each other and intense sparks flew on impact.

“Heh, I already know that you aren’t just some artillery maniac!”

“Good to hear!”

The two strikers started to exchange blows but from a distance, Kisei grinned and pulled the trigger on his control stick.

“I can’t afford to choose my method either! Sorry but avoid it as much as you can okay!”

“Uwahh!?”

A storm of missiles rains down on Schleer and Valentina. Schleer quickly tried to get clear but several missiles still managed to hit her back. Since it’s only a game, there was almost no damage but if it’s an actual striker then the damage would have been significant.

“H, How cruel……”

On the other hand, Valentina’s [Jetta] which was hit directly by the full barrage was in shambles. Although she managed to avoid getting disabled, various parts suffered major damage and her combat ability has significantly decreased.

“It’s, it’s okay. That was a good decision, as expected of Kisei-san!”

Cold sweat started to break out but Schleer recognized that this is her chance. Switching her weapon, Schleer pointed her blaster rifle at Valentina’s striker.

However, at the next moment, the vicinity alarm suddenly rang out inside of Kisei’s cockpit.

“It’s not like you to take your eyes off me [DESUNE]!”

Nora’s striker, the [Vil] was rushing at her at a blazing speed with its photon saber in hand.

“You came at me after all, damn it!”

Kisei immediately turned his long blaster rifle toward her but he couldn’t make it in time because of the large firearm’s poor maneuverability.

The crimson photon blade approached the silver armor of the [Viper II].

“First score is mine!”