Rush (2)
It was a close call.
If it had been even a little—no, just one second later, Bear Jelly would have died to Alicia, handing her yet another kill and allowing her to snowball even further.
"Haa…."
"S-Sion…."
I glance at Bear Jelly, who's sniffling with deep emotion after I saved him. His eyes are glistening as he stares at me.
'I told you to play safe…'
I swallow the torrent of scolding I want to unleash. He'd already gotten an earful from roooobot—why the hell did he pick another fight?
Did she taunt him or something?
"…Nah."
But I shake my head right away.
No way. Who in Mythic tier gets baited by trash talk? Sure, Bear Jelly's a hot-headed concept player, and Alicia's great at mind games, but he wouldn't fall for cheap tricks like that.
I'll have to check the replay later to see how this mess happened.
"Ha!"
"……."
Meanwhile, Alicia—who'd had the kill right in front of her snatched away—glares at me with utter disbelief in her eyes.
"What the hell are you? Who even asked you to butt in?"
She seems seriously pissed that an outsider interfered in their sacred one-on-one duel on the plains.
I couldn't really understand why anyone would hate interruptions in AOS battles… but plenty of players heading to the plains were perverts who loved their sticky one-on-ones, so it wasn't that weird.
And Alicia was the self-proclaimed Queen of the Plains, obsessed with that lane. No wonder she was salty.
"……."
I readjust my rapier and point it at Alicia.
She's the number one ranked player. With it proven that Bear Jelly couldn't beat her, I had to kill her right now—before she snowballed any further.
"…Get ready."
"Uh, y-yeah."
I whisper softly to Bear Jelly too, and he gets the hint, gripping his axe and standing up.
'Not bad.'
The situation wasn't half bad.
Opportunities to 2v1 Alicia before she fully farmed up were rare. Plus, since I'd killed her twice already, the odds of her jungler intervening were low.
I had to make this count.
"……."
Was it because the epic matchup against the famous rank one was finally here? The chat window in the corner of my vision was exploding too.
"Sion."
"……."
And then, from beyond that chat, Alicia finally calls out to me. Her voice drips with mockery and sneers.
"Long time no see. You bring that trash build again today?"
"……."
She starts right in, slamming the Speed Swordsman. Her mocking words slither into my ears.
"That speed trash…? Speed Swordsman…? You still using that disabled build? Haven't gotten reported for trolling yet?"
"…."
I don't know how she picks exactly the shit I hate most, but I keep a blank face, showing no reaction.
Just analyzing her every move.
'She's not running.'
She's spinning her scythe leisurely. With the tower still far off, she doesn't seem to think the 2v1 is bad enough to disengage.
I'm pulling full weight right now, and Bear Jelly—who flubbed his farm—is maybe 0.3 of a player.
Alicia's comfortably at full weight too, so she figures her skill can cover that 0.3 gap, even in a 2v1.
"Oh, started streaming too, huh? Finally opened a shelter for your mutts? No idea how much they annoyed my fans. Do they act so rude 'cause they take after their owner?"
"……."
If she's committed to fighting, this isn't just bitchiness—it's mind games.
Fight pissed off, and your judgment clouds. Then she seizes control easier.
Trash talk just shy of chat bans to bait the enemy—classic Alicia strat.
"…Here I go. Bear Jelly, get ready."
"Uh, yeah!"
"……."
I'm no magical girl villain waiting for her transformation. No need to sit here taking her shit.
I point my rapier at Alicia and kick off the ground, charging. A breeze tickles my cheek.
"Swift Blessing."
I activate the Speed Swordsman's second skill, Swift Blessing. It boosts the caster's agility another level for a duration and grants a small shield.
My already maxed agility breaks through its limit, soaring higher.
"…Gladiator's Zeal."
Next, the third skill: Gladiator's Zeal, upping defense and attack while dealing fixed damage to enemies.
With two stacked buffs, plus the Tree Golem buff from jungle before jumping in, the Speed Swordsman's "all other stats suck" weakness was gone.
Now it was just pure overwhelming speed—an OP build in the making.
"So impatient…."
Alicia clicks her tongue at my unflappable charge despite her taunts and readies for battle.
If I'm the symbol of gale-force speed,
Then the Reaper's symbol is stealth.
Vanishing transparent, then bisecting foes with her scythe like a grim reaper.
"Shadow Vanish."
She activates her skill, fading into transparency and blending into the scenery.
"…Too slow."
But I reach her and thrust my rapier before she fully vanishes.
With Swift Blessing and Tree Golem buffs enhancing all stats, no one in Legend Frontier—not even her cast time—could match me right now.
"Guh…?!"
Clang!
She barely blocks my freak-speed strike with her scythe, shock plain on her face.
But she's late; it glances off to the side.
Speed Swordsman style: blitz vitals—head, neck, heart—for one-shots.
This thrust aimed for her heart. Even glancing, it pierces her chest—a crit zone.
Stab.
A heavy sensation travels up my arm. Alicia's HP drops meaningfully.
"What… did you teleport or something?"
She gapes at her HP dipping into orange. Disbelief etches her face.
Freakish speed on open plains? Felt even faster.
"Fun build."
"Thanks…."
Blood sprays between us as we brush past, trading quips.
But those transcendent speeds are just buffs. Long fights don't suit Speed Swordsmen. End it while they last.
'…I wanna hit the coast.'
That's why I preferred snowballing on the coast—squishies galore—over tanky plains.
But with Alicia farming Bear Jelly here, plains intervention was inevitable.
No choice.
"Hup."
Can't give her breathing room. I roll on the ground, adjust speed and direction, and charge Alicia again.
"Ha! Think that'll work twice?"
She flashes a mad grin, hoists her scythe high, and slams it down.
"No runway? What now?"
"…?!!"
The ground splits from her impact like an earthquake. I stumble mid-charge, balance shot.
"Can't run now, huh."
"……!!"
She pounces instantly, swinging. I parry with my rapier despite wobbling.
Regain center, backflip for distance.
"…Ha."
A laugh slips out, mixed emotions. Shattering the ground to neuter my speed—first time anyone's countered Speed Swordsman like that.
"What can you even do!!"
"……."
Seeing it land, she slams the ground again with her reaper scythe.
I backflip just before losing balance, gaining space. My mind races.
'Trouble….'
If she cracks the earth every time I twitch, no forward charges. Headache.
If she pulls back to her tower now, she's gone.
'Just one more solid step to reach her….'
That's all I needed. Something, anything…
"Ah."
…Then I spot the pink-haired dwarf shambling toward the fight to join in: Bear Jelly.
I yell at him.
"Bear Jelly!"
"Uh, yeah?"
"Run here! Now!"
"O-okay! Got it!"
He bolts my way on cue. I confirm and ready to launch.
Distance to Alicia's grown. This try has to connect.
"No you don't!"
She splits the ground as I move. Instead of back-jumping, I leap forward hard.
"Hup."
"Whoa?! Uwah?!"
Bear Jelly—staggering from a crack mid-run—is perfectly positioned. I step on his head like a platform, rocket toward Alicia like a missile.
Right now, one arrow.
A sharp arrowhead slicing wind.
Double-boosted, I unleash full speed, launching at her,
"Eh…?"
She never saw it coming. Before she yanks her scythe from the dirt, my blade pierces her throat.
Blood sprays.
Alicia dissolves into light particles from the feet up.
"This fucking…"
Alicia In Wonderland has been killed by SION!
"……."
The battlefield announcer booms.
"Ah……."
Even the KDA updates.
"D-done…."
Success. Rank one Alicia, dead.
In her home turf, the plains.
…The chat was going wild.