The Hammer's Judgment

Wham! With a pop, it went clang… Across the vast, endless plains. The sky, draped in gray clouds, hung in quiet anticipation of what was to come. Beneath that sky stood two men. A Traveler in full plate armor, gripping a massive warhammer, stepped forward. A Holy Knight clutching a greatsword with both hands closed his eyes and offered a prayer. Clank, clank. The sound that might have seemed ominous to some was the signal that the battle was about ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠to begin. And the one who picked up speed first was the Holy Knight, who had finished his prayer in silence.

“Hah!” The Holy Knight, assuming a middle stance, swung his sword vertically with a powerful shout. The approaching Traveler tilted his body slightly to dodge the attack. BOOM! With a tremendous roar, the ground caved in and a cloud of sand and dust billowed upward. Within the obscured vision, the Holy Knight sharpened his senses and braced for the Traveler’s counterattack. Whoosh! The sound of air being torn apart scattered the dust. Emerging from within it, the warhammer looked ready to smash through anything in its path.

“Hup!” Letting out another shout, the Holy Knight lowered his stance. Then the Traveler’s warhammer collided with the Holy Knight’s armor. Even though he had prepared for it, the Holy Knight gritted his teeth as pain surged through him, feeling as if his shoulder were being crushed. But there was no time to dwell on the pain. BOOM! BOOM! BOOM! The Traveler’s warhammer hammered relentlessly against the Holy Knight’s armor, whose stance had crumbled. The explosive sounds rang out madly, and the Holy Knight naturally began to be pushed backward. Seizing the opportunity, the Traveler’s attacks grew even fiercer.

…However. Holy Knights excel at withstanding enemy attacks from the front. Therefore, no matter how destructive the warhammer was, it could not land a decisive blow against a Holy Knight who had braced himself to endure. The Holy Knight focused on deflecting attacks to minimize damage while searching for an opening in his opponent’s guard. Full plate armor and a warhammer—both were pieces of equipment whose weight needed no explanation. The longer the fight dragged on, the more disadvantageous it would become for the Traveler, who was moving so aggressively. The Holy Knight knew this well and maintained a solid defense. To completely shatter that defense, the Traveler shoved the Holy Knight backward with force and raised his warhammer high overhead. A large motion that betrayed his impatience. And an opening.

“Haaaaa…!” The moment he realized it, the Holy Knight stepped forward. Under normal circumstances, it would have been a beat too late. He needed to regain his broken stance, charge forward, and counterattack. Even if the Traveler’s motion was large, it was still far simpler than what the Holy Knight had to do. But what made it possible was the miracle of the goddess Elun.

Thud! The moment a golden aura enveloped his armor and greatsword, the Holy Knight’s consciousness reached ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠beyond one second. A fleeting instant. Two successive accelerations. The Holy Knight’s body shot forward like a cannonball. No matter how skilled, he was ultimately just an ordinary Traveler. He could never keep up with the Holy Knight’s movements pushed to their absolute limit.

…Or so it should have been. The Traveler’s hands, which should have been stretched high into the sky to put power into the warhammer, had already assumed a clean middle stance. BOOM! The warhammer struck the side of the greatsword, and an unpleasant screech of metal rang out. Unable to react to the sudden side blow, the Holy Knight’s greatsword was driven straight into the ground. His wrist, supporting the sword, throbbed violently. He no longer had the strength left to regain his stance. The attack had been read. The Holy Knight did not find the fact itself frightening. What was truly terrifying was the Traveler’s courage. If he had read the attack, he could have simply dodged instead of blocking. The moment he dodged, the Holy Knight’s back would have been completely exposed, and a thrust at that instant would have meant defeat. In other words, blocking head-on was a gamble with at least a one-percent chance of losing. Yet the Traveler chose that gamble, and as if to prove his reasoning, he shattered the Holy Knight’s technique. Cleanly, without a single flaw. Without the slightest imperfection. It was an astonishing reaction speed and flawless execution.

“A monster…” the Holy Knight muttered in admiration, his voice so low no one could hear. Those were his last words. Clang! Afterward, the clear, crisp sound of the warhammer echoed pleasantly as it crushed the Holy Knight’s head.

Thinking he had heard something ridiculous like “Repent quietly,” the Holy Knight gently closed his eyes.

Clang! My old friend, the warhammer, proudly announced its presence by smashing the Holy Knight’s head. Ah, that felt good. This is what a weapon is for.

“I won again this time.”

‘Arailri’ and ‘Don’tClap’ had disappeared, but fortunately, two viewers remained in my stream. And they seemed quite interested in my broadcast—the follower count had risen to two as well. Had I secured at least a minimum number of regular viewers? Earlier they had been chatting in agreement with ‘Arailri’ demanding an explanation about hacks, but perhaps my perfect rebuttal had worked, because they weren’t bringing it up anymore. Maybe I had found some good viewers.

“How I countered… well. I just…?”

“Uh, um… It’s not that difficult, though…. When it went wham, I did pop and then clang…”

“Hmm, I guess that’s about it…”

Was this the downside of my communication skills deteriorating? I could clearly picture it in my head, but I couldn’t explain it in words at all. Still, that last exchange wasn’t really because I was good—it was because the Holy Knight was bad…. In New Dimension’s PVP, if you don’t use skills at the right moment, your attacks become far too easy to read. The system correction allows movements that would normally be impossible when using skills, but conversely, it also means the movements are predetermined and therefore easier to counter. Of course, I did guide the Holy Knight’s movements just now, but using Fierce Charge there was far too honest. Anyone who had played a decent amount of PVP could have done the same, not just me.

“Anyway, that’s six wins in a row.”

Before I knew it, an hour had passed since I started streaming. Unfortunately, aside from ‘Linel’ and ‘Moriarty’ currently in chat, it didn’t look like the viewer count was going to increase anytime soon.

“Linel, Moriarty. Did you enjoy it…?”

That was good feedback. Thanks to being an internet streamer, I realized I could speak somewhat comfortably without feeling anyone’s gaze, so it would be good to prioritize fixing that part. Maybe I should read some books on speaking? To describe the scenes in my head, reading literary novels might help too.

“Thank you for the advice…. Well then, I think I’ll end today’s stream here. Do either of you have any questions for me…?”

Tuni had said that communicating with viewers was important. Since they mentioned there was too much dead air, it probably meant I hadn’t been talking much, so I should try to converse more even now.

“Because I need money.”

“I thought it might draw a little more attention this way. Actually, at first I wanted to go with a pure skill-based stream without saying anything, but I was told that wouldn’t work…”

Though I really am a girl.

“Uh… I mentioned it earlier, but I’m almost always holed up in my room, so I’m not used to talking. So please understand a little.”

“I think there’s a misunderstanding. I don’t hate regular Priests or Holy ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Knights either. The only ones I hate are heretics. Because I’m an Inquisitor.”

“It’s not a concept…. Linel. What would you think if some random woman on the street walked up to you and said, ‘I can feel good energy from you’?”

“Uh, um… You said it a bit harshly, but that’s pretty much how I feel…”

“Ah, by the way, what jobs do you two have?”

“No, uh, um… I mean, in New Dimension…. Sorry…”

Thank goodness. Neither of the two new followers today were heretics.

“Anyway, I’ll end today’s stream here. See you next time.”

“Hmm… For now, I’ll probably focus on PVP. But if there’s anything you want to see, just let me know. As for other games… I’m not sure yet, but I think I’ll stick with New Dimension for now…”

“Yes, goodbye.”

After confirming that the viewer count had dropped to zero, I ended the stream.

…Was it somewhat successful? I had managed to secure two regular viewers, after all. If I kept this up, two would become four, four would become eight. I could hold out for now, so there was no need to rush. With that resolve, I also closed New Dimension and collapsed onto my bed.

“Shady bitch.”

Of course, I didn’t forget my nightly routine of cursing Ia. Damn woman. If you’re a goddess, at least charge by the word.