Chapter 108: A Lion Goes All Out Against a Bunny, Phoenix Gets a Pizza Cutter Treatment Part 1
「What did you just do……!?」
After the battle finished, Rust rushed towards me seeing that I appeared at the arena entrance once again. Mold was standing right behind her, but the two of them looked as though the truth of their utter defeat was yet to fully reach them.
「I mean sure, I can tell you what I did back there, but wouldn’t it be more fun to just figure this out on your own?」
I shook my head at Rust who was demanding another rematch, having a really hard time to keep the blooming sense of superiority contained.
One win, one lose, one draw…… The score was finally even. In short, this battle just now made it as though that previous match never really happened.
「You there, Mold, was it? …… I get the feeling that you get what just happened.」
「…… More or less, I think.」
「Mold, what’s that supposed to……!?」
I get a feeling that Mold understands what truly happened during that match. That he and Rust got caught right in the middle of a trap sprung by my “Fiddler’s Club”.
Phoenix has fallen. However, even though Rust tried to forget the humiliating feeling of losing, she quickly started to survey her surroundings turning towards Mold at the same time.
「Tell me, what the hell happened there!?」
「…… The moment you tried to do a melee attack. What “Fiddler’s Club” used was a “Jamming Sensor”.」
「Jamming Sensor…… The device that feeds your opponent false information about your coordinates.」
Indeed, the combination of optical camouflage and jamming sensor was a thing to be feared in a game like this. It was able to let you escape virtually any kind of situation.
But that doesn’t make any sense. She was paying close attention to the images left by the thrusters, and even so they still ended up getting sliced and diced into fine pieces. They didn’t even get a chance to retaliate properly.
The only people who would be able to fully understand this situation were the third party viewers…… Or people such as Mold.
「…… Essentially, the moment you couldn’t figure out its location, “Fiddler’s Club” went right behind us.」
「…… Impossible. If he wanted to get behind me, I would have seen the effect of his thrusters trying to flank me. And he couldn’t possibly have walked on the ground.」
Aircraft frames possess no ability that would allow them to walk on the ground. They are units that consume energy constantly in large quantities, but in exchange can stay in the air and maneuver all over it.
So if he wanted to get behind her in one swift motion, he would need to use his boosters, and there was no way she would miss that.
(………… Wait, did he perhaps…… move without any indicators……!?)
Just as yet another battle begins, Rust tries to analyze the situation.
The propulsion created by boosters is a heat wave visualized as a burst of flames. So if his movement method didn’t rely on them, there would really be no possible indication of his movements.
(No way……)
「Mold, this guy knows about invisible movements.」
「Eh?」
「If my guess is correct……」
Phoenix turned towards one of the back alleys that went from the main street. Fiddler’s Club was standing there patiently, waiting. She aimed at it with her weapon and fired away.
Fiddler’s Club disappeared just like the last time, the flame effects coming from his thrusters becoming obstructed as well.
「There is only one type of maneuver that does not produce any indicators when moving through the air……!」
Phoenix takes aim at the pile of rubble slightly to the side where Fiddler’s Club was standing and fires away. Shortly after, Fiddler’s Club’s appearance is revealed.
「G-Gravity Buoy!? Why, where, there was no…… No way!」
「A new type of accessory that was introduced in the update about two weeks ago. It was disguised as it’s additional arm, and it’s the secret of his disappearance trick……!」