"And with that, we'll begin our roundtable discussion featuring the top contenders for the third Bullet of Bullets! First up, we have our reigning champion from the previous tournament, Xeexee-san."
"Hey there."
"Next is Yamakaze-san..."
"I'm Yamakaze. Thank you so much for having me today."
"And finally, today's lone lady, Muse X-san! You're looking much more dressed-down and elegant than usual today."
"Shana-sama indirectly told me, 'Don't show your legs to anyone but me.'"
"I... I see."
The very next second, a torrential flood of comments erupted across the monitors in the background.
Dammit, dammit, DAMMIT! Shana, I am absolutely going to kil—no, wait, there's no way I can. Son of a bitch! Are you kidding me?! Don't go robbing the common folk of our simple pleasures! I can practically see you guys turning bright red from here lololololol
Meanwhile, off-camera, Shana was practically vibrating with irritation at Muse X's words.
"That idiot... What does she think she's saying out of nowhere...?"
Furthermore, back at Mount Kurama, the remaining members of the Ten Wolves watching the broadcast were absolutely losing it.
Oh man, I would pay to see his face right now! Sensei... *pfft*... but she might be right. I wonder what kind of face he's making... *snicker* Ahahahaha! Ahahahahaha! Ix is the absolute best!
"A-Alright, now that we've got the crowd nice and hyped up, let's dive right into the discussion," Thinker said, steering the conversation back on track as the fateful roundtable finally began in earnest.
"First, I'd like to ask our defending champion, Xeexee-san. With the official announcement of the third BoB finally out, how are you feeling about your prospects?"
"Well, obviously, I'll be taking the crown next time as well."
"Not if I can help it," Yamakaze chimed in, cutting through Xeexee's confidence.
Since this was an official MMO Today broadcast, both of them seemed to be watching their language and keeping things relatively polite.
"Hearing Yamakaze talk like that is enough to give me the giggles," Shana muttered, watching the scene unfold from the wings of the stage.
"I'd prefer you say things like that only after you've managed to beat me even once," Xeexee retorted.
"If we fight in an open area, I don't think I'd lose, Xeexee-san."
"Oh? I wonder about that." Xeexee began to construct his counter-argument.
"Setting aside the last BoB since we didn't really face each other directly, let's analyze our fight during the recent Genpei War. That battle perfectly foreshadowed the future trends of GGO. Previously, as long as you pumped your AGI and rapid-fired a powerful gun, you could easily secure a top spot. But during our fight, my anti-ballistic armor significantly mitigated the damage from Yamakaze-san's attacks. Meanwhile, my own attacks landed on Yamakaze-san with a incredibly high hit rate. What changed between now and the previous two BoBs? It's our stats."
Since it was undeniable fact, Yamakaze didn't attempt to argue.
"As the average player's stats have gone up, more powerful weapons and armor have been introduced. Consequently, the STR requirements for these high-end pieces of gear are rising higher and higher. In other words, the relative value of AGI has plummeted. This isn't Yamakaze-san's fault; it's a matter of the game's evolving specs. While I wouldn't go so far as to say predicting these shifts is absolutely mandatory, it's something we must constantly keep in mind."
(Oh?)
Shana found himself mildly impressed by Xeexee's explanation. It was a remarkably sharp analysis.
(Well, I expect Max to poke holes in that any second now. I wonder how he'll answer.)
"That is certainly a sound argument," Muse X interjected, right on cue with Shana's expectations. "However, right up until the BoB, you were heavily promoting the AGI-type build. That directly contradicts what you just said. Or did you have some other intention?"
Hit by that sharp, piercing question, Xeexee's expression faltered for the first time that day. On the monitors behind them, the vast majority of comments were in hearty agreement with Muse X.
As expected of my waifu, well said! Did Xeexee's face just twitch? Yeah, seriously! Quit messing around, Xeexee, explain yourself already! I'm jealous of Shana, but Xeexee is annoying. This is the truth of the universe. Xeexee-san, hurry up and answer.
"That is..."
"That is?"
"Entirely due to my own lack of foresight. After actually using my current favorite gun in the BoB, I changed my mind. My previous line of thinking was wrong. To those who dumped all their points into AGI based on my advice... well, I can only offer my condolences. But in the end, build choices are a matter of personal responsibility."
(So that's how he spins it. Not bad for something cooked up on the spot, but his true feelings leaked out at the end. He's going to get roasted for that.) Shana thought.
Just as Shana predicted, a portion of the audience watching the monitors began to boo, and the comment section erupted into utter chaos. But Xeexee didn't care. Being flamed was par for the course for him, and he couldn't see the reactions of the players watching from the in-game taverns anyway. The comments were scrolling behind him, but he refused to look back. He had only said what he did to keep from drawing too much aggro.
Normally, this damage control would have been perfectly fine. But today was different.
Back in the real world, sitting right next to Xeexee's dormant, dive-logged body, was Kyoji.
"Condolences...? Don't screw with me! Don't you dare mock me! Do you have any idea what I went through...?!"
Though Kyoji's rage flared, he didn't lose control. He forced himself to keep waiting, biding his time for the perfect moment.
On screen, having heard Xeexee's answer, Muse X turned her attention to Yamakaze.
"Yamakaze, aren't you going to argue back?"
"Actually, there's something I've realized recently. I've been doing some game-related part-time work for a certain company. In there, I'm forced to move in ways that exceed my own perceived limits. Well, within VR, at least."
"A part-time job inside VR? Huh, that sounds fascinating. I'd love for you to introduce me to them," Xeexee said, sounding intrigued... probably.
Xeexee had a habit of sounding sarcastic, so depending on how one took it, his words could easily be interpreted as mockery. In fact, that was exactly how Kyoji took it. But Yamakaze, being a veteran player who had known Xeexee for a long time, knew this was just his usual attitude. He didn't get angry or show any strange reaction. Though Yamakaze usually had a light, playful vibe, he was surprisingly level-headed in moments like this.
"I don't think that's possible. Because I got this job through Shana's recommendation."
"What...?"
The moment those words left his mouth, a massive tidal wave of comments flooded the screen.
SHANA APPEARS HERE TOO?! lol Who the hell actually is this Shana guy? Is he an employee of a game company or something? What's the hourly pay?! I wanna try that too!
"Anyway," Yamakaze continued, "I realized that up until now, I was lacking in a lot of areas. I used to think I was just a bit faster than other people. Because of that, I only ever focused on speed and neglected to train my brain."
"Your... brain?" Thinker asked.
"Yes. This virtual body is likely capable of movements far more superhuman than we realize. But our real-world common sense gets in the way, so we only ever perform normal movements at a faster speed. I lacked the imagination and the experience. This part-time job beat that realization into me from the bottom of my heart."
(Hmm...)
Shana was genuinely impressed by his insight, and Muse X openly praised him.
"Amazing. You figured it out on your own. Shana-sama said the exact same thing the other day."
"Seriously?! Whoa, awesome! I wasn't wrong!" Yamakaze pumped his fist, slipping back into his usual energetic tone.
"You are going to get much stronger. I can't guarantee much, but Shana-sama's word is absolute."
"Oh, I'll do my best! ...Ah, I-I mean, yes, that is very encouraging to hear."
"Yamakaze, it's too late. There's no point trying to act refined now."
"Ugh... My gentlemanly image..."
"Don't worry. The people on the other side of the screen never thought you were a gentleman to begin with."
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