CH 112

A/N: (11/6) Added notes on rewards

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『88888888』

『Victory! RIO-sama overcomes the legendary Jouna! 』

『Hieee~ what a scary RIO-sama 』

『RIO-sama is no longer a vampire, but a higher existence Lord, maybe deciding to become a demon lord isn’t so far off』

『Long live Vampire Demon Lord RIO-sama! 』

『Long live RIO-sama! 』

『Long live RIO-sama! 』

『Alright let’s go to the forums for a celebration! 』

『Agreed! 』

『Invite me too~』

Although I managed to achieve my goal of overcoming Jouna-san, rather than a complete victory, it was a match full of dangerous pinch.

It is still a little unbelievable for me to have won too. I suppose this is what they meant by a mystery in winning.

T/N: Came from the philosophy, you will mysteriously win if you continue to follow the path, but definitely lose if you don’t.

「Haa, so it’s my loss. 」

Even the dead has the right to speak.

Jouna-san who was dead lying on the mountain of rubble spoke to me.

「Thank you. It’s my win this time, and your loss this time. It’s cruel that how a match or rather, a death match doesn’t end until a winner and a loser emerge. 」

Since my hearing was fully recovered, I could smoothly reply.

「Aha. Who cares how many winners or losers are there, I bet there’s a mountain of losers because of you and me in this town. 」

「It was for the sake of winning. To win against you, just my own power wouldn’t have been enough. 」

「Bringing everyone’s strength together to win! Isn’t this so touching? 」

Even though she lost, her tension didn’t change at all, she sure is a stable person.

「I always thought losing is something I hate the most. Pissed at my lacking power when I lose, pissed at my opponent if I lose from petty tricks, but this loss is somehow enjoyable. What a strange feeling. 」

Since the talk will be ended when she’s sent to the Prison Island, Jouna-san quickly changed the topic.

「Fumu, to think that I would hear you say it was enjoyable to lose, was it a change of heart? 」

「A game is still a game no matter how much you wager, and no matter how far you go, it’s all for the sake of having fun, hooray. So, since you’ve won against me, it’s a story that you can boast about. Even if it’s sarcastic, tell me what you feel? 」

In a rather innocent tone, without her adult voice, she asked in a calm tone.

Still, is it really fine to speak my honest thoughts? If I just spoke as I pleased, it might become looking down on my rival.

……It might be the last time I’m speaking with Jouna-san. Even if being honest leaves a bitter aftertaste, it wouldn’t last long.

「I…… I feel disappointed. 」

「What? 」

「Although you were once the first in the adventurer’s ranking, I don’t feel like I have just defeated the strongest. Jouna-san, the current top player isn’t you. 」

「Uuu, sorry for betraying your expectations……」

Looks like Jouna-san had some self-awareness too.

Jouna-san who had always been watching my stream seemed a little bewildered while talking after the battle like this.

Jouna-san is a strong fan.

「I really was the strongest one year ago. But look what happened after a year of slacking, the small fries from a year ago inflated enough to almost defeat me. 」

「I knew even without you saying. 」

「Now you’re just picking a fight! 」

It was obvious once I thought about it. It was a year ago when Jouna-san was the top player, although a real-life knight wouldn’t become a killing machine in a year, in an MMO, a year is enough to make everything change.

Even so, to compete with me on equal terms if not greater, her ability must’ve been ahead of the times even a year ago.

「Is that…… Jouna on the ground……? 」

「I see, looks like RIO won that one. Then we have to change into anti vampire equipment now. 」

Response from blood scents.

Adventurers gathered from afar continued to increase one after another.

「Well then, you have to go now before you get sacked. I will be around till my fever for this game goes down, I’ll be happy to see you again. Now, look ahead, go win against those bunch of gathering ants! 」

Although she ended her words there, it was obvious from her tone that she was suppressing her regrets.

The encirclement that the adventurers are slowly building right now is only aiming for me. Before she become a sore loser, she said it to push me to the next stage.

Myself too, if I were to lose, I would leave before I start to bark like a sore loser. In fact, when I was buried in the mountain of rubble, I was already out of plans, so I decided to keep quiet while waiting for Jouna-san to lower her guard to not be shameful even if I was defeated.

「It’s your right to come find me the next time. But I won’t be merciful next time too……」

I stood up from my sitting position for the next battle.

It’s not words of farewell.

「Oh wait sorry! I said games were games but, I just remembered there was someone different. 」

Looks like she still has something to say. I will just listen without saying anything.

「Puchi ・ Eriko, it’s the streamer that you know very well. 」

「Eriko……! 」

I never expected to hear Jouna-san speak of her name, so I was surprised.

「She’s super dangerous, even the brave you didn’t dare to monetize, to be earning money from this locked down game, she’s the strongest in a sense! 」

She was telling in an urgency as if a fire broke out.

To think that Jouna-san would see Eriko as such a great person, I thought I was in a strange dream or something.

「Eriko……. If perchance you encountered Eriko, would you have gone for a win like the other small time little fries? 」

「Aha, ahaha. To start worrying for Eriko so suddenly, she must be really important for you. Well, money is concerned, even if I wanted, I would be a little more considering. 」

Jouna-san made it clear earlier that she liked meaningless killing the most but, it was surprising to hear her be mindful of the damages.

As a person that returned on a whim, going after a pro streamer without any good reasons. Knowing the value of money, it seems like she would’ve avoided ridiculing Eriko.

「Winning against Eriko is it……」

Even Jouna-san whose brakes are out of control didn’t fully decide on it.

As for me, do I even have the right to win against Eriko?

After all, this world for Eriko, it isn’t just a VR game, it’s also her workplace.

Even though I was already troubled over whether I could properly face my loved one, another reason to avoid fighting Eriko had just appeared.

「But with your talent, won’t you be fine? Winning against me, I’m sure there’s nothing that will possibly make you lose against Eriko, right? Anyways, goodbye. 」

After saying so and having nothing more to say, she probably chose to be teleported to the respawn point.

Considering that she stepped back for me who is close to Eriko, she might be a meddlesome body in other people’s relationship surprisingly.

「Reasons to lose against Eriko……」

Even though I could think of countless strategies to win against her as compared to Jouna-san, why is it that I feel pain in my chest imagining what comes after winning?

Winning against Eriko, for what reason, and what comes after that. Eriko will be sad, and I will be happy? To reach for the top……, but what of the value if it comes from robbing Eriko’s life……

Even if I worried about it, I soon realized that there was no time for me to be doing that.

It’s because the number of adventurers surrounding me increased.

「【S rank, no.9 Answering Swordsman Battenmaru】, your violence is no longer forgivable. Know that victory over Jouna has only made you the next target of justice! 」

Even their quality had been increasing.

Tough opponents that I can emphasize with Jouna-san’s feeling of wanting to avoid a match had just joined the new encirclement.

Two adventurers close to the top, looks like they can be a dessert.

「Well then, dear viewers, even though it might’ve been too filling to the point of stomach ache, let’s enjoy the fun banquet for a little while more. 」

Declaring so to the camera, saying that it might be painful is ridiculous.

『Ah right. This person is of the definitely kill faction against adventurers 』

『Uwaaaaa not the sixth towwwwwwwwwn!! 』

『STHAAAAAAAAAAAAP! 』

『No please, I beg you, the request of my whole life, I’m still using this place』

『Hee, Laplace-sama and Battenmaru-sama combi? Y’all doubting the power of these two that isn’t inferior to Jouna? 』

『↑FLAAAAAAAAG!! Don’t forget RIO-sama outright killed Jouna without any flags』

I could practically hear the viewers who were probably adventurers of the BWO world screaming.

―――――――――――――――

《Level has risen to 89》

《Karma value has dropped》

《Bounty set by the guild has been corrected to 136 million Iris》

《Experience set by the guild has been corrected to 149,939,445》

《Title set by the guild has been changed to 『Defeat the Continental Disaster RIO』》

―――――――――――――――

The destruction work of the sixth town was started by Jouna-san, but I will end it.

A/N: Really, this is the last one

A/N: Next one, Forum (B)!!