[A.N Well doing a combining 2 chapters into 1 again here]
Peeking around the corner, she spotted a massive staircase of stone slabs leading straight up to the castle's main gate.
The gate itself stood wide open, but the stairs leading up to it were crawling with enemies, more than a dozen soldiers, four gunners, a few snarling hounds, and even a hulking general in heavy armor.
"…Yeah, charging straight in is suicide." Natalie immediately scrapped the idea of a frontal assault. Her eyes turned to the rooftops of the surrounding buildings. "Better to hook onto a roof and sneak across. After all, the Wolf isn't just a fighter, he's practically Spider-Man. When have you ever seen Spider-Man climb stairs?"
"There are too many at the front gate. Natalie's right to take the roofs."
"Yeah, I think this is the dev's mercy. Bold players can fight head-on, careful ones can sneak."
"Praise be to New World!"
The chat agreed with her approach.
The next moment, Natalie fired her grappling hook, soaring gracefully onto a nearby rooftop. Her feet landed lightly on the tiles as she crept forward.
Step by step, she advanced carefully, keeping alert for any rooftop sentries. But surprisingly, she found none.
And the closer she got to Ashina Castle, the higher the buildings became, dozens of meters tall. At such a height, only the Wolf could possibly scale them. No ordinary soldier would ever think to patrol the rooftops.
Natalie carefully crept along the edge of Ashina's main hall. Everything had been going smoothly, until she noticed something strange.
Floating high in the sky above the building were five or six enormous kites, spread out in every direction like silent sentinels.
"Huh? The city's on the verge of collapse, and people still have time to… fly kites?" Natalie was baffled.
"Cough, Natalie, that's no ordinary kite."
"Yeah, yeah, wait till you see what's on it…"
"Shh! Don't spoil it, let her get surprised!"
The chat exploded with hushed warnings.
"...You guys again." Natalie rolled her eyes. "Last time in Subnautica, you tricked me into disaster. Now you're trying to pull the same thing?!"
Still, her guard went up. She climbed to the second floor with her grappling hook, eyes darting warily to the skies.
Then it came, "Aaaahhhh!!!"
A piercing cry split the air. A dark figure plummeted from one of the kites, hurtling toward her like a cannonball!
"What the fuck?!"
Natalie barely had time to raise her blade.
BANG!
It felt like she'd been rammed by an elephant. Her posture bar shattered instantly, sending her body flying. In desperation, she stabbed her blade into the tiles to anchor herself, skidding to a halt.
"Hah… This move really works! Saved my life!"
Across from her, the attacker landed. He wore a tengu mask, draped in dark robes, and gripped a wicked pair of sickles. "Infiltrating Ashina under the gaze of my eagles… you are bold indeed," came the hoarse voice beneath the mask.
The barrage began in chat.
"Damn! It's that guy!"
"Woohoo-man! The Eagle Gang is here!"
"The dev really had to make their battle cries 'woohoo'?!"
No doubt remained, these were the infamous Eagle Warriors, skyward guardians perched in kites, watching all of Ashina from above.
"Fine! One on one, come then!" Natalie spat, furious.
The eagle fighter lunged. His twin sickles carved through the air with blinding speed, but the damage wasn't overwhelming. Testing him cautiously, Natalie realized she could block, heal with her gourd, and outlast him.
Just as victory seemed near.
"WOOHOO!!!" Another cry from behind!
A second eagle dove straight down.
"Fuck!!!"
BANG!
Natalie was slammed into the wall of the main hall, bricks cracking under the impact.
"Shameless sneak attacks!!" she cursed, but her protests were drowned out by the relentless chorus.
"Woohoo!"
"Aaahhh!!"
"Woohoo!!!"
One after another, shadows rained down. Three more eagle fighters dropped like cannonballs, sickles gleaming.
Chat was in hysterics.
"LOL the eagle squad is OP!"
"This is straight-up bullying!"
"That damage is nasty as hell!"
Pinned beneath the assault, Natalie burned through both of her lives. The dreaded kanji appeared: [DEATH].
"Looks like the Eagle Gang is another wall…" she muttered grimly on respawn.
But she wasn't one to back down. She leapt back into the fray. This time she deflected the first eagle, dodged the next two, but the fourth blindsided her, knocking her clean off the edge.
She tumbled, straight into the stone courtyard at the front gate.
The patrolling soldiers turned, stunned. "The thief dares appear here?!" The armored general roared, his health bar flashing into view. The dozen soldiers, four gunners, hounds, and even the kites above all closed in at once.
"…"
The chat was howling with laughter. This was top-tier content.
"HAHA unlucky Natalie!"
"She jumped down right into a whole army!"
"General: Thank you for the free delivery!"
But Natalie wasn't laughing. After several failed attempts, her patience snapped. "Damn it! I swear, I've never hated something this much in my life!!"
"Alright, alright, timeout, I need a bathroom break!" Natalie announced.
"AGAIN?!"
"Natalie, you got a kidney problem or what?"
"No way, is the dev too much for her?!"
The chat went wild.
"Don't be ridiculous, I just drank too much water! I'll be back soon!" Natalie snapped, before quickly leaving the screen.
"Sending eagles? What's with this nonsense… manual, hurry and save me!" she muttered, flipping open her guide once more.
This time, luck was on her side. Instead of the usual vague notes, she finally found something concrete. Her eyes immediately caught on a line.
'Sis... you can't even deal with a flock of eagles? That's kinda embarrassing.'
"Tsk, Tony's mocking me now?" Natalie grumbled. "What can I do? I'm not built for brawls. If this were a real fight, I'd just pull hair and scratch faces. The fact that I can swing a sword at all is already impressive!"
She kept reading, and soon her eyes lit up. The guide was detailed, with diagrams and step by step strategies.
'But don't worry. As a kindhearted brother who considers all types of players, yes, even those who struggle like you, of course I left you a way to skip the eagle patrols…'
"…Shameless. Writing this like you're some saint? Do you even have a conscience?" Natalie rolled her eyes. Still, she couldn't hide the growing excitement on her face.
A few minutes later, she strapped back into the VR headset, brimming with confidence. "Alright, everyone! I'm back. Let's continue!"
"It's been like ten minutes, why'd the toilet break take so long?"
"Why does Natalie look so happy after going to the toilet…?"
"Yeah, she looks excited… weird."
The chat buzzed with confusion, but Natalie ignored them. She slipped past the ghost and Buddha, scaled the eaves again, and returned to the main building.
This time, she carefully followed the secret guide's instructions, cling close to the walls, slip under the eaves, and move slowly, step by step.
The result? Stunning.
The eagles above, who normally divebombed her the moment she showed her face, stayed completely still.
"Huh? Why aren't they attacking this time?"
"Could it be because she's hiding under the roof, so they can't see her?"
"That… actually makes sense. But since when did Natalie get so smart?"
"Smart?" Natalie chuckled. "When I was in the toilet earlier, I had an epiphany. Those kites floating up there must be tied down with strings. If I cut them…"
Her words trailed off as her eyes caught something, barely visible at the corner of the eaves, just a few meters away, was a thin, nearly transparent line stretching upward into the sky.
"Holy shit! There really is a kite string! This game's details are insane!"
The chat exploded.
"Wait, it's that well hidden? How the hell did Natalie even spot it?!"
"If she cuts that string… doesn't that mean the eagle squad is done for?"
Grinning, Natalie unsheathed her blade, gave the line a light stroke.
Pffft!
The string snapped. Instantly, the kite above wobbled violently before spinning out of control and drifting higher into the air.
A scream echoed from above as a panicked figure plummeted down, slammed against a distant roof, and went limp.
"Haha! Woohoo your way out of that!" Natalie burst out laughing.
The viewers went wild.
"Wait… THAT'S possible?!"
"I spent ages getting wrecked by those damn eagles, and all I had to do was this?!"
"This is outrageous! I'm so dumb!"
But not everyone agreed. "Actually, it's not that simple. Those strings are invisible unless you're right next to them. And the eagles have the advantage of high ground, spotting everything below. For Natalie to find it at all is kind of crazy…"
"Alright then, let's clear out the rest!" Natalie's eyes gleamed. Following the guide's directions, she went string by string, slicing each one.
Every time, the same result, the eagle warriors hidden in the kites were forced to leap down in desperation, only to crash into walls or splatter on the ground.
One by one, they died in humiliating fashion.
Minutes later, the entire eagle squad had been wiped out, by Natalie, of all people.
The chat was speechless.
"Hah! All done. What do you think, guys? Pretty stylish, right?" Natalie struck a proud pose, slipping into 'pretend pro-gamer' mode.
"Stylish my ass! Be honest, did you peek at the dev's notes or something?"
"Yeah! First time you 'go to the toilet,' you come back with a perfect strat for the Scarlet Demon. Second time, you magically counter the eagles. What's next?"
The viewers spammed complaints nonstop. It was obvious, Natalie before her bathroom break was a helpless mess, and after, she was suddenly a tactical genius.
The difference was night and day.
"I did NOT cheat!" Natalie protested quickly. "I really was in the toilet when inspiration struck!"
"Yeah right! Who are you fooling?!"
"Natalie, you're so bad at lying it's painful!"
Since she couldn't keep it hidden any longer, she admitted honestly, "Fine, I'll tell you the truth. The developer said he built in some shortcuts in Sekiro. So I went and asked him about them. You all know action games aren't exactly my strong point."
Hearing this, the viewers instantly understood.
"Aha! I knew it. That whole 'bathroom break' excuse was fake. You just went to the dev to get answers!"
"But I didn't expect the dev to be so considerate. Did he actually put in hidden shortcuts for every single boss?"
"No way. Is this really the same dev we know?!"
"You all still misunderstand him," Natalie said with a laugh. "The dev actually does care about players. You just never notice."
"Tch, don't start. Natalie, you're basically family with him now. How can we believe you?"
"Yeah! She's totally betrayed the player camp and joined the enemy's side!"
Though the barrage of complaints flew across the screen, the viewers knew the truth. Every game the dev made was ridiculously good. They cursed him, but deep down they respected him. They also couldn't deny they liked the developer.
"Alright then, let's keep moving..." Natalie said, swinging up to the top floor of Ashina Castle with her grappling hook.
Now that the eagle tamers were gone, her progress was smooth. Soon she reached the rooftop.
The roof was a wide, square platform, like a basketball court, open to the air. From here, she could see all of Ashina Castle.
But Natalie didn't have time to admire the view, because three figures were standing in the center.
Kuro, Genichiro, and Emma...
Natalie crept closer.
"How is Grandfather's condition?" Genichiro asked, staring toward the nearby chamber.
"Master Isshin... it's already a miracle he still lives," Emma replied quietly, head lowered.
"I see..." Genichiro's brows furrowed. He strode toward Kuro. "Kuro, I'll say it once more, form an Immortal Contract with me. You've seen it yourself. Ashina is collapsing under wave after wave of attacks. Normal means can no longer protect our clan."
"I cannot, Lord Genichiro," Kuro said, shaking his head. "The Dragon's Heritage is not a blessing. To cling to it will only bring disaster. Besides... I've already made the Immortal Contract with another."
Genichiro's eyes went cold. "And who might that be?"
Kuro stayed silent.
"Wait... why does this sound like some sort of forbidden love triangle?!"
"Yeah! My mind's dirty, but this is giving me serious third-party vibes!"
As the audience spammed their jokes, Genichiro suddenly barked.
"The rat on the rooftop, come out!"
Natalie stiffened. Of course, he was talking about her.
"Tsk, Genichiro's still the same arrogant bastard. Fine, watch me blow you up!"
She leapt down into the arena.
"Master, I've come," the Wolf said right on cue.
"Wolf! You've finally arrived!" Kuro's eyes lit up with relief.
"You..." Genichiro's pupils narrowed. "So you survived. The Dragon's Heritage... it's in you."
With a sharp sound, he drew his blade. "Then I have no choice. I'll take your life here, and with it, the Dragon's Power!"
Emma quickly escorted Kuro away, leaving only Natalie and Genichiro on the platform.
"Hah..." Natalie took a deep breath. She knew what was coming, another boss fight. The second duel against Genichiro. She still remembered how easily he'd killed her the first time.
But now... it was time to fight again.
She flicked her wrist and threw a shuriken.
Swish!
The blade spun through the air, only to embed itself in the wall behind Genichiro.
Natalie's face darkened. "Seriously? Totally useless!"
"Pathetic technique!" Genichiro sneered, lunging at her.
She gritted her teeth and charged back in. Blades clashed again and again, his strikes just as wild and aggressive as before. Within seconds, he landed two heavy blows, knocking her posture off balance and sending her crashing to the ground.
But unlike their first fight, Natalie's stats had improved. Her health bar was still at half.
Then Genichiro suddenly pulled out his bow. Three arrows flew like lightning.
"Shit! He can shoot arrows too?!"
Caught off guard, Natalie was hit by all three. Genichiro dashed in immediately, and two more sword strikes cut down her first life.
Without hesitation, Natalie resurrected on the spot.
"Resurrection? So the Dragon's Power truly is yours... Then no matter how many times you return, I'll cut you down again and again until you're gone for good!" Genichiro roared, charging once more.
Natalie braced herself and fought back, but only a few exchanges later, the familiar word appeared across her screen.
[Death.]
Her second duel with Genichiro had ended just like the first. Not an instant kill this time, but not much better.
Natalie stared at the screen and wailed, "Ughhh, he's too strong! Guys, I swear, I really need to go to the bathroom again!"
"Go to the toilet, my ass, Natalie! Can't you show some progress already?!"
"Yeah! Fight properly and take down the boss with dignity!"
"That's right, we'll watch until you finally beat Genichiro!"
"Natalie, do your best! If you really defeat him, I'll even send you a big reward!"
At first, Natalie had worried her slow progress would bore the viewers. That was why she'd gone begging Tony for a 'manual.' But looking at chat now, it seemed her fans were surprisingly loyal.
Since they were willing to stick with her, Natalie decided she had to stick it out as well. Gritting her teeth, she declared.
"Fine! Since you all said so, I'll do it! This time I'll beat Genichiro with real skill, head-on!"
No more shortcuts, no more excuses. Today, she would sit through class properly, and graduate!
So she challenged Genichiro. Once. Twice. Dead.
Third attempt. Dead again.
Fourth... still dead.
But though she kept dying, her skill was improving each time.
Because she was beginning to notice a pattern. Genichiro's moves weren't random, they followed a set rhythm.
For example, after his leaping slash, he always followed up with a left-right horizontal combo. If the combo connected, he'd immediately chain into a furious seven-hit barrage. If it missed, he'd instead switch into a dangerous thrust or a sweeping slash.
And whenever she tried to widen the distance, he'd pull out his bow and unleash a rain of arrows.
"I get it now... If I can memorize every one of his patterns and master the counters, I can beat him!" Natalie thought, her eyes shining with determination.
Of course, Tony hadn't designed Genichiro to be as adaptive as a real martial artist. If he could adjust and learn like a human opponent, almost no player on Earth would be able to clear the fight. Only true elite special forces or masters of martial arts might stand a chance.
So the boss's moves had to follow rules, predictable patterns players could eventually recognize, learn, and overcome.
This was the essence of what gamers call pattern play. The simplest, most reliable way to clear a level, but also the most time-consuming.
Thus, through death after death, Natalie forced herself to engrave every one of Genichiro's attacks into her memory. Soon, she could predict his next move before he made it, already preparing her counter in advance.
Bit by bit, she went from being completely crushed... to standing even with him... and finally, to pressing the attack herself!
The sound of blades clashing filled the rooftop.
Dang! Dang! Dang!
The rhythm of steel against steel was intoxicating, like two masters locked in a duel. Blow for blow, parry for parry, it finally felt like a real back and forth battle!
3012 Words.