The two desperately stabbed at each other.
Both winced in pain, but neither stopped their assault.
Though the visuals spared us the full brutality, the red streaks of blood hinted at the severity of their wounds.
Almost all Professional Gamers set their pain sensitivity high.
It was to reduce the time spent checking the interface.
Whether the injury was severe, if there was heavy bleeding—during an intense battle, the body’s instincts reacted faster than anything displayed on screen.
Most start at 20% and gradually increase to find their personal ideal sensitivity.
However, with advantages come disadvantages.
Above 20% pain sensitivity, certain strikes can bring significant discomfort.
As such, in professional matches, intentionally causing pain to the opponent was considered a valid tactic.
For assassins at this level… it’s naturally an acquired skill.
“Gruesome.”
Luche voiced her observation.
Indeed. The match had ended in Gawol’s victory, but it was apparent that the pain wasn’t something trifling.
The trembling of Luche’s right hand gave away her condition.
Her reaction was more intense than anticipated; perhaps she was someone who was especially sensitive.
Considering it, she must have felt excruciating pain, yet Gawol smiled in relief.
Perhaps in this world, there were only two types of people capable of something like this:
One, someone crazed for victory to the point of being desperate.
Or two, someone who was simply insane.
Luche’s heart leaned towards the former.
《It’s quite the coincidence. Both competitors have met again on a similar battlefield.》
《Haruka has changed her build. In contrast, Gawol has re-entered the match with no changes from the previous game.》
《It’s confidence, right? “I won the last one, period.” She’s the type who can wreak havoc on the battlefield; breaking her confidence won’t be easy.》
With the battlefield the same, the opening strategies flowed alike.
A reconnaissance phase to locate the enemy first.
If anything differed, it was that Haruka had brought a new card to the table.
The path left by the Kunoichi was now lined with sharp, thin wires.
A common supplementary weapon among assassin classes: the Shadow Wire.
《It looks like they’ve spotted something.》
《Gawol is making the first move.》
《I’m worried about the placement of those shadow wires… She doesn’t seem aware yet.》
《Bad battlefield luck. There’s no fire nearby to reveal the wires.》
At the moment the fifth wire was set,
Gawol leaped off a pillar with great force, initiating the attack.
As usual, a clean and efficient ambush.
But the late detection of the wires was her downfall.
The urgent evasion threw off the trajectory of her attack.
The dagger, aimed at a vital point, barely grazed Haruka’s thigh.
The Kunoichi’s fishnet stockings tore, blood splattered, but that was all it amounted to.
Not a satisfying exchange.
On the contrary, the Kunoichi gained time to form seals.
[“Ninjutsu: Ghost Fire imprints the mark of Ryo.”]
Purple flames swept over the assassin, but she escaped swiftly.
However, where she thought she’d found an escape route, the predator’s fangs awaited her.
The Kunoichi, seizing the moment, plunged her kunai into the assassin’s abdomen.
As Gawol’s delicate skin tore, an uncomfortable sensation should have struck her wrist—
—but it didn’t.
Haruka’s eyes widened in shock as the body touched by the blade dissipated into smoke.
A decoy? At this timing? Then where’s the main body?
Her questions were soon answered.
An armored hand lunged out of the remnants of the unextinguished flames, grabbing Haruka’s ankle and stabbing her with a dagger.
Even as she hastily formed a seal to switch places with a log, the injury already inflicted wouldn’t fade.
Somehow, a bright smile had formed on Luche’s lips.
An exclamation of childlike wonder escaped her.
“Did you see that? That was a risky gamble. How could anyone think of that in such a short time? I would have been fooled too, just now!”
《How do you assess the recent skirmish?》
《Gawol has taken back the momentum. The position-switching technique has a long cooldown. Getting caught next time would be dangerous.》
《If things go wrong, the nightmare of the last game might repeat itself.》
《Yes. You can see Haruka being cautious. She’s setting up shadow wires more densely.》
The duel, where dagger tips were aimed at each other, wasn’t over easily.
Gawol dodged the flames by stepping on throwing stars embedded in the wall.
Stubborn tongues of flame in the shape of dragons followed closely but couldn’t keep up with her speed.
The petite assassin ran up walls, kicked off pillars, and finally bounded from the ceiling.
Daggers and kunais clashed at perilous angles.
For a brief moment, they twisted each other’s wrists, targeting the forearms. Gawol’s left shoulder exposed a small opening.
In this split second—
this was ample time for Haruka.
[“Ghost Step imprints the mark of Gui.”]
Mechanically sealed signs. The swift weapon strike descended.
Haruka, who was about to tear open the enemy’s shoulder, suddenly stiffened.
[“Fox Claw imprints the mark of Ren.”]
The weapon made contact, but only managed to leave a shallow scratch.
Had it been just a bit deeper, it would have been Haruka’s own wrist that was severed.
The blood streaming down touched the shadow wires.
She had no memory of setting them here. Then who—
Clearly, some strands of her own wire were tangled with Gawol’s dagger.
She must have taken them during the skirmishes.
Although assassins can handle wires too, Haruka hadn’t seen exactly how much was taken.
That was until a fierce kick struck her sternum.
《Fast! Haruka loses her balance. Gawol closes in sharply.》
《Still, caution is required. Only the mark of Hun remains. It’s a mark easily filled with a wide-area curse, and if all four marks are completed, the match could be overturned in an instant.》
It happened in the blink of an eye.
During Haruka’s hand sign formation, three slashes appeared on her side.
A warning message signaled the presence of a lethal bleeding poison.
Continuing this way would lead to a repeat of the earlier situation.
Losing accumulated marks was not acceptable.
She had to seize the chance to reverse the game.
The wires had been protection during the mark collection from the beginning.
Then now, there’s no need to hold back.
Withdrawing all her wires without hesitation, Haruka obstructed Gawol’s path.
Even Gawol had to take a step back from the sharp wire show.
And during that moment, the high-risk gambit was initiated.
[“The weakening curse spell imprints the mark of Hun.”]
All four marks were now gathered.
There was no immediate way to counter them this time.
The inevitable arrived.
The assassin lowered her body while entering a defensive stance, the Kunoichi’s figure blurred.
Kwang!—The clash of two blades emitted a sharp sound.
[“Murder Fog is empowered by the force of Gui Ren Liang Hun.”]
From wherever she desired.
At the timing she desired, three sword strikes flew out.
Though one was barely blocked, Gawol’s wrist was already tingling.
Because it wasn’t a perfect defense, her health dropped by roughly 10%.
Coupled with the burns endured earlier in the match, and the continuous consumption during skirmishes—her situation was far from comfortable.
Even two remaining sword strikes might overturn the match.
Now, it was Gawol’s turn to use the retrieved shadow wires.
Securing her position in front of the pillar to block the rear, she laid a cluster of her wires on the flank, leaving only the front open.
《The gambit is thrown—Haruka!》
《It must be blocked! Murder Fog is difficult to defend against, but managing to partially guard will help survive the crisis.》
Haruka made a quick calculation.
The position of the dagger covers the neck and heart.
Absolutely not allowing the vital parts to be exposed.
With the skills displayed so far, reacting should still be easy.
Then, should she slightly alter her angle of attack?
A decision was made. The second Murder Fog arrived instantly before Gawol.
The crescent-shaped blade aimed to cripple the assassin’s left arm.
It aimed to render it completely useless.
However, that infamous reaction speed once again became a stumbling block.
Though it caused significant bleeding, movement still seemed possible.
“That’s possible? I thought this was a skill designed to be seen and dodged…”
At the moment an incredulous voice echoed from outside the battlefield, Haruka’s thought process was colder and sharper than ever.
Now, her eyes would be focused on protecting her battered left side.
The common judgment would be to continue the attack.
Using the third Murder Fog here would push her to the edge.
But what comes after?
The enemy is still capable of moving.
While Haruka had expended everything, the assassin must still have usable cards left.
She must seize victory when she’s got the upper hand.
Just one more strike to catch her off guard.
The sky is still open.
At the moment the third Murder Fog descended from the sky, not only the commentators but even Luche opened her eyes wide.
《W-wow! 》
《When did she prepare something like this?》
When the astonishment settled, what remained was the sight of the Kunoichi bound by shadow wires.
Her futile struggles, trying to break free, were aired live on the broadcast.
Though they had dulled somewhat after recollection, the wires still left cuts on Haruka’s outfit along with new wounds.
Gawol grinned and pulled the dagger toward her.
Haruka’s body was pulled upward.
“When she displayed the shadow wires earlier! There weren’t enough of them considering the length of combat. Then, the shadow wires gathered earlier…!”
A bewildered expression.
The more she moved, the deeper the wires cut into her.
And with that, the match was over. Only the execution awaited.
Gawol smiled brightly, looking up at her from below.
It was visible.
From Gawol’s perspective.
“Rabbit?”
“Eeek!”
—
