ShangriLa Frontier ~ Shitty Games Hunter Challenges Godly Game ~

 Chapter 252: The Shock of the Cost of “Zero” Getting Revealed Part 1

I cannot win. No matter what I do, no matter what I try, I just cannot win this. At first I thought that I could win by emulating the strategies that seemed to have worked against the old man in real life, but nope. It was all for nothing.

This is all that insanely strong AI’s fault, the fucking thing is basically even haunting me in my dreams now…… What initially started as a breather and the means of killing time, now began to seep its way into the real world.

「Attack, then do a back step by two steps…… No, you are playing right into his hands that way……」

「G-Good morning, Hizutome-kun!」

「Ah, oh, it’s you , Saiga-san? Good morning to you, too. Head, torso, hands…… Those are all points from which you can tell that an attack might be coming your way……」

As always, it was a true wonder that my encounter rate with Saiga-san has been so high as of late. However, I could spare that matter any more thought, since I had to come up with a strategy that would allow me to best that freaking bullshit AI……

As always, Saiga-san’s face was slightly flushed, but it is no longer so hot, right? Could it be that she was running some part of the way to school? Haste…… It might be a good idea to attack as fast as possible…… No, it will only make you eat a full-blow counterattack as punishment…… Oh, that’s right.

「By the way, Saiga-san? Are you proficient in martial arts, by any chance? Ever did something like that?」

「Y-Yes, in fact yes! I know at least some forms of martial arts!」

「Oh, so like aikido or judo……? Oh well, it’s not really all that important right about now. More importantly, can I ask you something? This might sound a little bit weird, but how exactly do you handle an insanely strong opponent? The one that is a whole lot stronger than you?」

「Eh? Huh? Umm…… In my case it would surely be a result of self-defense, so I might not know that many details, but…… For example, how about trying to emulate the moves that your opponent is making? That is always a start.」

Emulating the moves that your opponent is doing, huh? No wait a moment, why would you even want to imitate the opponent’s moves when you are doing self-defense? Could it be that in Saiga-san’s case the words “self defense” mean smashing someone’s jaw to pieces or breaking their nose like a hot potato? If so, that’s scary! That’s just scary!

Maybe it is because of my frightened expression that surely must have been reflected on my face. Or maybe it was all because of the question marks that must have been floating above my head. Whatever the reason may be, Saiga-san keeps on explaining what she meant to me, so that I could properly understand.

「What I mean by that, is that you should emulate your opponent’s movements, but not in intention of actually using them against your opponent. Not to cause harm…… It’s difficult to explain properly…… It’s something like that: when doing a certain movement, you can see that you do not want to do this or that next, but actually go for this or that…… It is way better in my opining than just watching and trying to remember like that. Helps you to memorize the moves more efficiently.」

I see. So in other words, you try to feel how the other person is acting, and by doing that you can look for the openings in their defenses or potential weaknesses? Then again, if you emulate those moves in a fight, the same openings and weaknesses apply to you.

「I see…… Thank you, Saiga-san. It was really helpful.」

「N-No, it was nothing, it was nothing, it was nothing at all! Umm…… B-But why would you want to know such a thing?」

「Eh? Ahh, about that…… See, remember that game I have bought at that time at Rock Roll? Turns out that game has a secret hidden boss that is really insane, Ryuuguin Fugaku is his name. It is a boss AI that was created with the use of the tracing technology……」

「Did you say…… Grandfather Fugaku?」

「Grandfather Fugaku……?」

The fact that Saiga-san addressed the insanely powerful boss with such familiarity has light up some red lights in my head, but…… Could it be that……

「Ah, you see, this is, umm…… That’s because! Actually, the Saiga family and Ryuuguin family are…… a sort of distant relatives.」

「Eh? Really now?」

「Yes. Actually, my sister…… well, I have two older sisters, and one of them is the actual successor to the Ryuuguin style.」

I know this may sound weird, but isn’t the fighting power and potential of the Saiga family a little bit too high? And I mean, I know that this is only a traced AI, but that does not change the fact that for some time now I have been swinging my sword at Saiga-san’s distant relative, all the while shouting various profanities at it. As a human being, am I really okay?

「Actually, my cousin’s child is the same age as me and she’s really amazing. She is practicing kendo as well, but she is so strong and talented that there are no longer worthy opponents for her in the whole Kansai region…… Ah!」

For a moment out there, Saiga-san was talking with excitement, but then all of a sudden she came to a halt, and a sound came out of her mouth, one that would suggest that she was at a loss for words.

「???」

「Ahh, umm! Hawawawawawa!!! I’m sorry, I’m so sorry! I-I just, started to talk about my relatives like that all of a sudden, and…… and……!!!」

「Hmm? No, don’t mind it…… (The thing that we have been talking about) This has a lot to do with me, after all.」

「Something to do…… family relationship……!? Is that a declaration……!?」

「Declaration?」

「Nothing! It’sh nothing! 」