Chapter 116: Throwing Everything In
Top Chat: Maybe there won’t be any drama in the finals.
That slightly vague statement became a prophecy.
"Ei!"
With a shout, I shoved the frontrunner—who had been dodging the water spilling from the waterwheel—straight down into the valley.
Top Chat: Goodbyeeeee
Top Chat: Caught between the water and the elf, there’s no escape
Top Chat: Is this some lewd topic?
Top Chat: Nope
Top Chat: What rank now?
Top Chat: Fifth
Top Chat: Finally reached the finals line!
"One more!"
Top Chat: Take careeee
Top Chat: Fourth!
Top Chat: Elf-san, who had been relatively quiet until now, is exploding
Top Chat: In the giant waterwheel area alone, you overtook three or four people at once
Top Chat: Never thought this zone would turn into a mowing field
Top Chat: Your movement speed is just broken
Top Chat: One moment you suddenly “figured it out,” and then you started charging straight through the water spilling from the wheels
Top Chat: I was confused by that
Top Chat: What exactly did you figure out?
"Water."
Top Chat: Water
Top Chat: The water
Top Chat: Is this some lewd topic?
Top Chat: Nope
Top Chat: Elf-san, details please
"You guys told me the water pressure was weak, remember?"
Top Chat: Yes
Top Chat: We did
Top Chat: I didn’t, but since we’re comrades, I also did
Top Chat: Still, it’s strong enough to trip you up
"So, I went into the water, and whenever I felt like I was about to stumble, I jumped out of it."
Top Chat: I did notice you were hopping in little jumps inside the water…
Top Chat: But why would you think that would work?
Top Chat: Guess unlike reality, here you can reset in midair by jumping
Top Chat: Makes sense, but no way I could pull it off
Top Chat: Anyway, up to third place already!
Top Chat: Even after losing twenty seconds right at the start
Top Chat: And if that’s the case—
"As expected, Onii-chan, you’re climbing up."
"Kyoka."
"Showing up in fourth or fifth place… try to come with a cuter ranking, will you?"
"Kirishi-tan."
Top Chat: Kyoka-chan appears!
Top Chat: Kirishi-tan’s up on the high ground with a barrel ready!
Top Chat: It’s time for the showdown!
The location was just past the waterwheel zone. In front, a steep uphill slope; to the side, the basin of a waterfall; right in between, the final flat stretch before the next area.
Standing ahead was Kyoka, barrel at the ready. From the elevated ridge behind her, glaring with her own barrel raised, was Kirishi-tan.
"Here’s fine?"
"Here is best."
"I see."
I checked my barrel-grab key once more.
Top Chat: Kyoka-chan deliberately chose the flat ground, huh
Top Chat: Does that mean she has a plan to win here?
Top Chat: Kyoka-chan could only land a barrel hit by timing it with other players, right?
Top Chat: Kirishi-tan’s conclusion after dodge-barrel was that Elf-san can catch anything one-on-one
Top Chat: Maybe barrels spawn here too?
Top Chat: Nope
Top Chat: This really is just a rest area, no gimmicks
Top Chat: Then… what’s her play?
"Onii-chan, is 《Ochirite》 fun?"
"Yeah."
"What part of it?"
"Playing together is fun. Even though it’s just running, jumping, throwing barrels, and catching them, there are so many different angles to fight from."
"I see."
With the waterfall at my back, I edged forward in a slow circle, closing the distance between me and Kyoka.
Focus.
If she still didn’t move, then once I got just a bit closer, I’d pounce on her.
Focus.
Shift up a gear. The closer the distance, the harder it is to dodge—or to catch.
Focus.
When she enters her throwing motion, I hit the grab key. Throw motion, grab key. Throw motion, grab key.
Focus.
Motion, key. Motion, key. Motion, key. Motion, ke—
"Got me."
Top Chat: Eh?
Top Chat: Ah—
"I figured Onii-chan would be able to tell. The ‘sound’ of the throwing motion."
That was what Kyoka had pulled off before: distinguishing between multiple players’ motions and syncing her timing with them.
Even if I couldn’t go that far, if it was just the motion of the Kyoka right in front of me, I could still pick it out.
And she aimed right for that.
"I’m really good at voice mimicry, you know."
"Didn’t think you’d turn a throwing motion into a ‘voice.’"
I had already entered my grab motion too early. Kyoka’s barrel struck me first—and then Kirishi-tan’s barrel came flying in after.
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