Chapter 75: Kaede vs Yuki
1583 Words
The sky was all cleared up, the wind blows gently, and the tree around whistled. This weather could be told as perfect weather. Sun’s heat can’t hurt the skin. Sun in Fantasy world online merely serves as a light source. There is no day and night cycle in the game given this afternoon atmosphere every time Kaede and the rest log in.
But that wasn’t the reason why Kaede and their team are outside.
In front of the giant lake, Kaede and Yuki are standing opposite each other equipped with their choice of weapon. A little smile appeared on their faces as their exchange glanced at each other.
The three girls, Clover, Ronie, Saya was on the side as spectators to their battle.
“I wonder whose going to win?”
“Kaede had high damage input on her, but she suffers in lack of speed. Yuki meanwhile has speed but her damage input is just normal. This battle was interesting.”
“Oh… It kinda reminds me of Valkyrie and Fuyuno battle.”
Saya said.
“True, Valkyrie also has high damage input like Kaede. In their battle, Fuyuno is also in danger. Without the sniper’s help, they definitely won’t win the fight.”
Clover replied
“Well… I can say that…”
“Master will be okay. She is the strongest.”
Kaede is equipped with her white armor and royal white sword. Yuki has her red crimson ninja armor equipped on her. Two daggers on her hand one were white and on the other hand, was black.
Practice duel is great especially to test each other skills. Kaede and Yuki are the best players the demon king guild has to offer right now. And Yuki wanted to understand her strength by having a duel with Kaede. Kaede felt the same way too. She wanted to know how strong Yuki was. It's a question she thought about for a very long time.
The duel rules are normal. The first player who has their HP down to red zone will be defeated.
Yuki puts on her scarf and covers her mouth with it. Her body suddenly disappeared from the tin air.
“Phantom!”
Kaede was astonished for a moment. Taking advantage of Kaede’s stupefy. Yuki attacks Kaede from the back. But it was dodged quickly via evasion skill.
“Invisibility skill wore off after the user attacked or cast skill…”
Seeing Yuki behind her back. Kaede wheeled her body with her hand together on her sword. She slashed Yuki. Yuki in a perfect moment stepped on Kaede’s sword and use it as a stepping stone to leap backward away from Kaede.
While on mid-air Yuki threw three knives at Kaede’s. Kaede noticed that it wasn’t directly flying in her direction and stayed still. The knives stuck on the ground. *Shuk* sound after a moment it exploded. *Wooosshh!*
It was a smokescreen bomb attached to a dagger.
Yuki charge to Kaede’s front. First her right dagger to Kaede’s cheeks. She grazed Kaede… The second was her left, grazing the left side of Kaede’s arms. Smoke from the smokescreen was then collected from Yuki’s body. With the addition of Yuki's invisibility. Her presence s was sealed.
“Phantom Veil!”
As fast as she could, she move to attack Kaede.
Cuts on Kaede’s entire body appeared out of nowhere. Kaede’s Hp goes down to orange. But it wasn’t enough to say that Kaede lost.
Unexpectedly, Yuki’s Hp turned down to the red zone.
The three girls who spectated the duel were left in a puzzled state. Even Yuki was confused about what happened. If Kaede swings her sword while she attacks. She was supposed to see it before it hits her.
A display of the winner appeared floating in the air. In Yuki defeat appeared.
“What just happened in there? With smokescreen, detection skill was supposed to be useless. Phantom invisibility made me transparent. No way of seeing my attack.”
“I swing my sword… At the last moment. Before your attack hits me invisibility wore off a little bit. Your movement was fast. I concentrate my focus on a great counter. My Defensive swing was activated.”
“My invisibility wore off when I attack… But my speed keeps up on it. Before my body was fully shown, I already moved a distance away from my opponents… Defensive swing can also be used in counter-attacking… I guess, I lost… Kaede sure grows a lot stronger.”
Kaede and Yuki shake hands and smile at each other. They show sportsmanship after a battle.
“Kaede sure is strong, I can win against Yuki. She is truly the demon king for a reason.”
“Yup, she is a little odd though. She didn’t look like someone who thinks in a battle, but in reality, her judgment was faster than a normal player. She can improvise with her skills and breakthrough many problems given to her.”
“Kaede defeating Arvam is not impossible.”
“Speaking of getting strong… Clover got her ultimate form too. Are you going to use it?”
“Of course, but it was a surprise in the battle. I practice a lot. Let's win the next battle in the lane.”
Kaede and Yuki walked to the three girls on the side.
“Who's going next?”
Yuki asked.
“Me! Me! I wanted to test my strength on Yuki.”
Ronie got fired up and duel with Yuki. The battle was quite long because of Ronie’s defense, but in the end, Yuki was the victor. The day continues with them polishing their skills.
♦♦♦♦♦
On Harusaki company.
On the office where the project underworld was held. Dragon or the developer who goes by the name Kotaro Yukimura in the real world confronted Alice Harusaki.
“This is unforgivable… Do you know how many lives can be lost if that kind of hostile artificial intelligence was let out our world?”
He angrily told Alice, But Alice just stare at the display and observed the underworld. She made a small smile before she turned her head to the one complaining.
“If the world was destroyed then it's the world's fate to be destroyed. Destruction is necessary for growth. Like in many parts of history. Despair is necessary for hope to appear. This is the start of a new age. The world of people living with their flesh will end, a life where people live in data-like bodies. Immortality in paradise will happen. Underworld is just a prototype into a more groundbreaking project.”
“You're saying One’s Eden.” He muttered with low toned voice. But that was his mistake.
Alice snapped her fingers and let the guards get Yukimura. He was held down to the floor. He used his strength but compare to the muscular black American soldier pinning him down. His struggle was pathetic.
Alice walked slowly and presented her phone to Kotaro.
On Alice's phone picture of Kotarou’s family was presented. It was his daughter, Kanna Hiyami, and his wife Kei Hiyami.
“Why present me those pictures? My family is already dead.”
“If I told you… You can still see them… Are you willing to lend me a hand?”
“That’s impossible.”
“Then, I’ll give you a special treatment of One’s Eden.”
Alice smiled. She then orders the guard to put Yukimura to sleep. He was then tossed on a machine called soul translator. His body and head were covered in a capsule-like machine. After some brief configurations. The machine started running. The prototype of One’s Eden runs.
…
Kotaro woke up in an unfamiliar place. Still wearing his lab coat. He turned around and see nothing but the beauty of nature. He stood up with confusion.
But…
“Papa!”
Someone called him. Without hesitation, he turned his head. He knows the child voice who called him. There is no mistaking it.
“Kanna?”
“Papa!”
Kanna runs to Kotaro and hugs him. Followed by Kanna was Kei smiling while seeing Kotaro.
Kotaro was in complete disbelief. But he can touch and see them in flesh. He can't hold himself but cry.
“Is this heaven?”
“What are you saying we’re not dead yet? Let's go back to our house. I have the lunch ready.”
Kei said to Kotaro.
Kotaro holding Kanna’s walked. Kei held the other hand of Kanna and they left.
♦♦♦♦♦
In reality, Kotaro’s body was put in the capsule. Since the project was still in prototype. The software malfunction, as a result, Kotaro’s brains cells are all burned down. By the micro signals from the machine.
“There is a need for improvements.”
Ox muttered.
“Yep, but it's fine, we gather lots of data regarding Kotaro’s dive in One’s Eden.”
Everyone claps their hands to the achievement they reached with the sacrifice of one man.
“Failure is needed to succeed. Until we all reached our Eden.”
Alice said. The rabbit then hands over a report to Alice. It contains the happening in Kaede's life.
“Kaede’s life was depressing.”
“Then, it's going to be great. If she doesn’t have anyone to lose. Then she can become our subject… I wonder what kind of things Kaede can pull in Underworld... For now, let's find a new candidate for Dragon's replacement."
With Kaede knowing, she is in full danger.
- Writer
