126. G1 vs Rin - Assassin Class (6)
126. G1 vs Rin - Assassin Class (6)
***
"You've only ever hunted before... that's hard to believe."
I answered Minha's voice, which sounded genuinely amazed, without any particular reaction.
"Even just going around killing monsters was fun in its own way."
There was nothing to feel awkward about in saying that.
Because in the world of Black Ark, that really was how I'd lived.
......
After Minha sat down beside me, the conversation that followed was driven entirely by her.
She casually tossed out question after question and remark after remark from beside me, and just answering her was entertaining enough.
Even while responding and exchanging small talk, my gaze kept drifting toward Minha for no real reason.
Because even as we talked, something about Minha's tone still didn't feel all that friendly.
Maybe that was why Minha's continued attempts to keep the conversation going kept leaving me uncertain, unable to make up my mind about her.
I'd clearly felt from our very first meeting in the Colosseum that Minha didn't like me. Even when she exchanged formal greetings or spoke, there was a particularly strong sense that she was keeping her distance or staying on guard.
Yes, that was definitely how it had been...
But now that same person was approaching me without any hesitation and constantly striking up conversation, so I found myself staring at Minha even as I answered, wondering if she had some other motive.
Suddenly, Minha met my eyes.
1. 2. 3. 4...
For several seconds after that, she just stared back at me without a word, and it was embarrassing.
So I ended up looking away from her gaze.
"Why have you been staring at my face like that for a while now, seriously?"
She said it like she found it strange, and I immediately thought, oh no.
Realizing I'd been too openly staring without even knowing it, I hurriedly made an excuse.
"No, I just... I guess my eyes kept going to you because you're so pretty, Minha."
"...?"
At Serin's sudden words, Minha blinked.
Minha fiddled with her own face for no reason, then let out a small, baffled laugh.
Anyone could see she had the kind of looks that could captivate people, so when someone like that casually complimented her, she wasn't sure how to take it...
But once she guessed it was just something said to change the subject, Minha burst out laughing again.
"...Really? So even in your eyes, Rin, I'm pretty, right?"
She said it outright while looking at her, and at that, Rin's lips twitched and she averted her gaze again.
Judging by the twitch of her lips, she seemed to be holding back laughter. Thinking that she laughed at such trivial things, Minha began to see Rin's impression a little differently from before.
At their first meeting, Rin had definitely returned her greeting in a distant, indifferent way, so Minha had assumed she was probably the same type of person as herself.
But the more they talked, the more that turned out not to be true.
Someone who, when approached, unexpectedly lets you in?
Maybe it was because they were talking now, but the hostility she'd felt toward Rin for no reason when she first saw her seemed to have faded a lot.
Actually, even thinking about it now, she couldn't say exactly why she'd felt such dislike.
'...Maybe she's just a pure-hearted person.'
As she thought that, Minha checked the time and saw that only about one minute of the break remained.
To start wrapping up the conversation, Minha opened her mouth.
"Time's up. I didn't end up stealing your break time or anything, did I?"
"No. I had a pretty good time talking with you too, Minha."
Serin also began getting ready for the next match.
Then, out of nowhere, she brought up something she'd kept inside.
"Ah, to be honest, I was really surprised that you suddenly came over to me, Minha."
"...Surprised?"
Minha asked back as if wondering what she meant. Serin nodded.
"There's no real reason... but I thought you disliked me."
At the sudden remark, Minha turned to Serin with a blank look.
"Why would I... dislike you, Rin? Today's the first time we've met."
She'd thought she hadn't shown it outwardly, but had it been that obvious?
Minha looked at Serin with an unreadable gaze.
It felt like her inner thoughts had been seen through.
"No. At first, your tone sounded cold to me, Minha. Maybe I just felt that way on my own. So will you come find me again during the next break?"
Serin shook her head and asked as if confirming.
"...Yes, if you're okay with it, Rin, I'll come find you during the break."
Minha had no choice but to nod, a little awkwardly.
***
Whoosh.
As I entered the Colosseum and gave the Crescent-Moon Weight a swing, a laugh escaped me for no reason.
Maybe because I felt more at ease, the pressure felt far lighter than when I'd first logged in for the scrim.
When preparing for today's scrim, I'd expected the matches to proceed in a stiff or rigid atmosphere.
But in reality, there were people like Minha who came over to me on their own, and the other players all welcomed me warmly rather than keeping their distance, so I felt strangely odd.
Actually, it was nice to realize anew that I didn't need to do anything in particular.
—The duel will begin shortly.
—10. 9. 8...
I checked the hologram that now felt familiar, and soon the player positioned across the Colosseum came into view.
A player with a sharp impression beneath a black hooded robe.
Minseong.
For a moment our eyes met, and I saw the opposing player smile brightly.
The sharp impression vanished in an instant, replaced by a different face.
"Rin! I want to make this match last a long time... how about you?"
At Minseong's bright, smiling voice, Serin smiled faintly and shook her head.
"What should I do? I want to finish it quickly."
"Ah, why~"
"Well... because there are still seven matches left?"
—1.
As she said that and the countdown ended, she naturally raised the Crescent-Moon Weight.
The opponent was an Assassin Class.
Generally speaking, the Assassin's matchup was strong against ranged classes but weak against melee classes.
However, Minseong was one of the few players considered to have broken out of that matchup.
Among the players mentioned as G1's core, Minseong's name was rated quite highly.
Swoosh.
Clack!
Even after the match started, the opponent stood in place, casually tossing a dagger into the air and catching it again, looking relaxed.
It was a show of ease, matching his earlier words about wanting the match to last long.
But unlike him, I had no intention of dragging the match out.
—Bloodstained Step.
Tap-tap-tap-tap!!
Embroidering the ground with crimson steps of blood, Serin began rapidly charging toward Minseong.
Clack!
Minseong caught the dagger once more and watched Serin's approach with a calm gaze.
"..."
In an instant, the smile that had been spread across his face vanished.
The moment he shot the hand holding the dagger forward like a flash of light, Minseong's body vanished from the spot.
***
"That Minseong. Looking at his face, he's planning to go all out from the start, huh?"
"Right. He said he's a real fan, so why's he acting completely different?"
Hajun and Jinhyeok exchanged remarks with laughs as they watched the match.
"Well... isn't it exactly because he's such a fan that he wants to take it more seriously? After watching matches one and two and seeing Rin's skill firsthand, he probably realized she's not someone he can afford to test."
Kang Hyeok spoke as if he could guess Minseong's thoughts, gazing at the Colosseum.
Rin, who had been carving bloodstained steps as she approached, stopped the moment Minseong vanished and began warily scanning her surroundings.
"Rin... seeing her on guard like that, do you think she's also thinking about Minseong's counter?"
Minha, who had been watching the Colosseum alongside Kang Hyeok, muttered quietly.
It meant Rin seemed to have prepared thoroughly.
Kang Hyeok nodded with a calm expression.
Whether against Minha, Jinhyeok, or Minseong, Rin was thoroughly putting her countermeasures into practice.
From Kang Hyeok's perspective, Rin was so far ahead in pure skill that she probably could have just come as she was. But she seemed to have prepared for the scrim truly meticulously.
Rather, it looked like she kept reminding herself of the purpose of the "scrim" every match, showing play that exactly matched the countermeasures for each opponent.
"I didn’t know Rin would prepare this much either. After today’s scrim ends, I should say something to Siwoo separately."
At that, Minha looked at Kang Hyeok with slightly surprised eyes.
"From what I know, what you're already giving her is quite a lot. You're going to give more on top of that?"
"No, well. She prepared that much and is taking us seriously. If we give her extra compensation in advance, won't she scrim with us again next time?"
Kang Hyeok said with a grin.
"Well, maybe...?"
Minha responded as if half-agreeing.
Actually, Minha herself had felt several things after losing the first match.
The way Rin parried her first snipe, and the way she knocked away even all the other shots.
She'd expected it, but honestly, she hadn't known Rin would knock them all away, so she was aware she'd been beaten too easily.
She thought that in the match when they'd face each other again at the final turn, she wouldn't go down as easily as in the first match.
But if asked whether she could beat Rin, Minha honestly had no great confidence.
***
Serin stopped and calmly surveyed her surroundings.
The Assassin Class's specialty was stealth.
They excelled at concealing their presence.
And since that was no different from saying they could ambush from anywhere at any time, she couldn't let her guard down even for a moment.
That was one of the reasons she'd said she didn't want to drag out the match with Minseong.
Even while preparing for the scrim, the match she'd expected to be the most exhausting was none other than the one against Minseong.
Flash!
The moment a faint glimmer of light appeared nearby, Serin turned her head and gripped the Crescent-Moon Weight.
But the flickering light only flashed for an instant, then revealed nothing, like an afterimage.
'...'
And that small flicker of light repeated several more times after that.
Even while aware of it, Serin couldn't easily attack.
The peculiarity she'd paid the most attention to while researching Minseong.
—Counter.
She had to keep the counter in mind.
There were many reasons the Assassin Class was generally considered weak against melee classes.
But in the simplest terms, the biggest factor was that the Assassin Class's HP and defense were drastically low, on par with ranged classes.
Normally, melee classes received fairly high bonuses to HP and defense. But the Assassin, despite being a melee class, was a class that didn't receive those bonuses.
And that was no exception for Serin's class, the Dancer Class.
Based on high agility, she received adjustments to all her movements.
But in exchange, her HP and defense were terrible.
The Assassin Class and Dancer Class were, in practice, no different from a knife-edge fight.
A clash of classes where even a graze counted as a critical hit.
Flash!
Once again, while keeping her eyes on the small light flickering nearby, Serin took a step forward.
She felt it was about time for the opponent to attack.
Even an assassin couldn't stay hidden in stealth forever.
She figured the concealment, like now, would end before long.
Flash!
And the moment another light flickered.
Serin extended her leg wide.
—Single Kick.
As her leg, wreathed in blood-red energy, struck the empty air where nothing existed, the empty space warped and took on color, forming the shape of a person.
Thwack!!
She'd definitely used a technique of moderate power while anticipating a counter.
'This... hit?'
The moment Serin felt the impact and doubt flickered through her mind.
Swish!
A dagger, seeping in like a shadow from right beside her, was rushing in fast.
Clang!!
Serin twisted her body on instinct and swung the Crescent-Moon Weight, barely deflecting it.
"...!"
With a chill running down her spine, Serin quickly looked ahead, but Minseong had already concealed himself again.