The duel with Vergil-san began.

However, neither of us moved from our spots.

Vergil: “What’s wrong? The fact that you haven’t drawn your sword means it’s the perfect opportunity.”

Arata: “Don’t joke around. I’m not about to jump headlong into danger.”

Vergil-san emphasized that his great sword was still sheathed.

I didn’t rise to his provocation.

――NPC Vergil Sparda

He, with a level of 720, was slightly below the highest-ranking boss monsters and NPCs in terms of level.

However, among countless mobs and characters, 『Vergil Sparda』 had a place among the strongest.

The reason for that was his skill.

――Iaijutsu

This unique skill exclusively for him, 【Iaijutsu】 was impossibly strong and unique, and on top of that, players couldn’t acquire it.

Its short cooldown.

The fact that it can nullifies one’s attacks, abilities, even from bows, and magic, and then counterattacks.

And most of all, his 『Penetration Attribute』 that inflicts damage regardless of VIT, armor, or defensive abilities was extremely troublesome.

Because of this 『Penetration Attribute』, unless you use a parry or certain special effects or skills from some equipment, you’re almost certain to be defeated in one hit due to his high STR and Iaijutsu.

Whenever there’s a discussion among top players about who has the highest damage per second, everyone mentions him without fail.

Because of his strength, there were rumors spreading on message boards and introduction sites that it was possible to learn 【Iaijutsu】

If you carelessly engage, you’ll receive a painful counterattack.

Vergil: “If you won’t come, then I’ll have to make the first move.”

Arata: “Ah!”

Vergil-san unsheathed his great sword.

Could it be?

A bad premonition crossed my mind.

The next moment, it seemed like there was a flash from Vergil-san’s hand.

Swordsmanship skill, long-range attack ability 『Gale』

Why would Vergil, an NPC who had not used 『Gale』 in duels before, use it now?

No, there’s nothing strange about it.

In the system, 『Gale』 is an ability that can be used with almost all swordsmanship skills.

Considering game balance, it’s only natural that 『Vergil Sparda』, not the 『NPC Vergil Sparda』 who was restricted from long-range attacks, can use it now.

With a middle guard, I swept my 『Sharp Sword 【Kurikara】』 sideways on the spot.

I felt a heavy resistance in both arms.

I managed to 『Parry』 the wave of Vergil-san’s 『Gale』 just in time.

However, his 『Gale』 was clearly held back.

At the level of his draw speed, of course, there’s no way to trace the slash’s shock wave with the eye.

Vergil: “Hmm, you could withstand this. Then, I’ll try a bit harder.”

Here it comes…!

The damage when a parry fails is frightening.

One of the special abilities of the 『Sharp Sword 【Kurikara】』  『Knockback Nullification』 , only prevents you from being frozen when guarding.

If the power of the attack you’re guarding against is high, you’ll take damage and your ST will naturally decrease.

Just before the body of the great sword flashed again, I used 『Shrink』 to escape from that spot.

Immediately after, four lines were engraved in the square.

Four slashes in that instant.

The cooldown of his 『Gale』 is too short.

Even with the 【One-Handed Swordsmanship】 skill at the maximum skill level, it requires an 8-second cooldown.

He’s using abilities continuously almost without cooldown.

The abilities of 【Iaijutsu】 were supposed to have a cooldown of several seconds each, so does the cooldown reduction vary depending on the ability used?

Or is it because his 【Iaijutsu】 skill level is high?

A world liberated from the constraints of the “game.”

I thought intelligent monsters were the most troublesome enemies, but I’ve come to realize that high-level NPCs shouldn’t be underestimated either.

If I keep defending like this, I’ll run out of ST first.

Between 『Gale』 and 『Shrink』, the latter’s ST consumption is significantly lower.

But, Vergil-san, a high-level Dragon Newt, has an ST that’s beyond comparison with my stats.

I don’t have time to be delayed by 『Gale』

I need to make my move early.

――『Ability Release』

――『Physical Enhancement【Extreme】』

『Physical Enhancement【Extreme】』 is an ability that becomes available when the 『Physical Enhancement』 skill is raised to level 7.

The effect is 【All status increased by 200%】.

Adding 『Ability Release』 to that, during the effect time, buffs become 【STR increases by 400% and other statuses by 200%, ST reduction from ability use nullified】.

However, during the effect time, ST is consumed at a tremendous speed.

I haven’t used any skills or potions to suppress ST reduction, so the limit is just about ten seconds.

I’ll settle this within that time!

――『Shadow Flash』

Vergil: “What?!”

Vergil-san exclaimed in surprise.

In his eyes, my figure probably seemed to have vanished.

In the simultaneous use of 『Ability Release』 and 『Physical Enhancement【Extreme】』 『Shrink』 transforms into a unique ability 『Shadow Flash』

Its effect is 【Short-range teleportation to a place within one’s field of view.】

Using 『Shadow Flash』 I teleported behind Vergil-san.

With this, I’ve caught Vergil-san off guard.

But that’s not enough.

I shoot level 1 【Earth Magic】 『Earth Shot』 at Vergil-san, who had lost sight of me.

A clod of earth about 10 centimeters in diameter rushes towards him.

At that moment, Vergil’s figure unnaturally blurs.

――『Void』

An ability with exceptional performance among the Iaijutsu skills that nullify all attacks from the enemy.

It nullifies attacks regardless of whether they are physical, long-range, magic, projectiles, or abilities.

And in the case of physical attacks, 『Void』 allows the potential to evolve into a counterattack.

Vergil, who should have been standing in the same spot, moved a step to the side.

The 『Earth Shot』 that hit his afterimage was sliced into countless grains of sand by his formidable large sword.

【Earth Magic】 is a skill with a 【Physical Attribute】 even amongst the magic skills.

This allows you to forcibly trigger the 【Counterattack】 of 『Void』.

And this 【Counterattack】 creates a few seconds of rigidity after it finishes.

Clutching 『Sharp Sword【Kurikara】』, I approached Vergil using 『Shadow Flash』――

――A sense of discomfort wells up

Is it really an opening?

When you play a single title game for a long time, occasionally, you can “somewhat” understand the behavior pattern of an enemy you encounter for the first time.

They become rigid after a triple biting motion.

Or they launch two strong strikes in a row instead of one.

Something like a “gut feeling” for the game kicks in, allowing you to intuitively predict the enemy’s next move.

I was experiencing the exact same thing right now.

Is Vergil in a state of rigidity after using 『Void』’s 【Counterattack】?

He’s a tactician.

He boosted my fighting spirit by announcing his name before the duel, planning to get me with a counter of his Iaijutsu while I was all fired up.

Was his astonished voice when he lost sight of me using 『Shadow Flash』 just part of his acting?

When we met at the guild, Vergil spoke highly of me.

Would he be surprised by something as simple as 『Shadow Flash』?

Would he use 『Void』 for a surprise attack from behind?

Before I knew it, I had cancelled the ability I had prepared, and was holding the 『Sharp Sword【Kurikara】』, assuming a defensive stance.

The large sword that was supposed to be still in its downward swing suddenly begins to move.

――『Tsubame Gaeshi』

Iaijutsu often focuses on the first strike from the sheath, but there is something called a 【Second Sword Strike】.

If the first strike fails to finish the enemy, the following attack will definitely cut them off.

『Tsubame Gaeshi』 is not an official ability name, but it was recognized as the most frightening technique in the battle against Vergil.

The 『Tsubame Gaeshi』 triggers randomly after each attack.

However, as far as I can remember, he shouldn’t take the pattern of a 『Tsubame Gaeshi』 after a 『Void』 and 【Counterattack】, cancelling the lag.

If such reckless behavior was allowed, the event difficulty of the battle against Vergil would jump up a notch or two.

Had I simply not noticed that it was an existing behavior pattern he occasionally took?

Or was it something that Vergil, who must have been training in this world, had learned after a tremendous amount of effort?

The large sword that was coming right in front of me collided with 【Kurikara】.

――Heavy

An overwhelmingly heavy strike.

Sparks fly in abundance.

The pressure that assails both my arms is incomparable to when I parried the 『Gale』.

Clearly, 【Kurikara】’s  『Knockback Nullification』 is not working.

Facing a polished strike, it’s as if weapon characteristics don’t even matter.

【Kurikara】 should also have an effect of 『Reduced damage when guard is successful』, but at this rate, my HP gauge would likely be rapidly decreasing.

If things continue like this, I’ll be pushed back.

What should I do?

No, there’s no need to think about it.

I know the answer.

I don’t have to think about blocking the slash.

Naturally.

Yes, as if nothing had happened, I just need to guide the trajectory of the large sword.

Vergil: “――‼”

Vergil’s eyes open wide in astonishment.

I guide the trajectory of the large sword, which was to be swept away in a straight line, upwards.

At the same time, I move my right foot, which was stepping forward into the earth, out front as if to scrape the ground.

I lower my hips low and big, and finally use the guard of 【Kurikara】 to flick up the blade of the large sword as if parrying.

I dive under the slash.

A few strands of my hair, caught up in the wind pressure, dance in the air, but I managed to dodge the 『Tsubame Gaeshi』 without a problem.

I won’t have time to attack if I have to reset 【Kurikara】 from here.

Then the optimal solution is 【Martial Arts】.

I take one more step into Vergil’s territory with my left leg.

I store the obstructing 【Kurikara】in storage and make a fist with my now free right hand.

I set my left hand on my hip, transferring the twist of my upper body from my right shoulder to my arm and hand.

――『Star Crusher』

A striking attack ability that can be used by raising the 【Martial Arts】 skill to level 8.

The motion is a 『Close-Range Uppercut』.

Its power is no less than the abilities that can be acquired by raising sword skills to a high level.

My right fist captured Vergil’s chin――