"Well then, shall we get a look at it?"
"Yeah."
"Just a quick rundown of how it works, so no need for duel mode or anything."
"Right. Alright, Kirito, come at me whenever you're ready."
"Let's start with a little warm-up then."
The two faced each other, striking their stances.
As Kirito raised his weapon to swing, a silver flash streaked across his vision, and a jolt struck his right shoulder. The impact sent his right side reeling backward, and in that instant, Hachiman's dagger was pressed against Kirito's throat.
"That's how you crush an attack before it lands," Hachiman said.
"Whoa, whoa, that's different—defense and offense at the same time!" Kirito exclaimed.
"Well, that's what this gear's for."
Kirito felt a spark of excitement ignite within him, even as he registered the difficulty of the fight. Hachiman's unpredictable combat style was like a jack-in-the-box, thrilling for someone with Kirito's battle-hungry streak.
"Next up, a parry. The standard one's not much different, so let's try a trickier version."
"A trick, huh…" Kirito muttered, his anticipation growing.
He was practically buzzing with excitement. Hachiman's erratic fighting style was a puzzle, and for Kirito, that unpredictability was exhilarating.
"Kirito, just come at me with a diagonal slash from above."
"Got it."
Kirito mixed in feints, carefully masking his timing, and lunged with a diagonal slash aimed at Hachiman's shoulder, wielding Elucidator.
(No way he can parry this in time!)
Kirito was certain his attack would land, but at that moment, Hachiman slid his shield forward, thrusting it toward Kirito's face. Kirito flinched but pressed forward, expecting minimal damage. Yet, in the next instant, the shield slid back, and the hidden section behind it parried Kirito's strike. Caught off guard, Kirito's stance broke, and once again, Hachiman's dagger pressed against his throat.
"No way, seriously? Getting parried at that timing?" Kirito gasped.
"That's the gist of it," Hachiman replied.
"So, you can parry from either direction, front or back?"
"Yep. Parry from the back, slide forward for a Flash Strike, throw them off balance, hit with a Fad Edge, and if they try to recover, another Flash Strike into Fad Edge. Rinse and repeat."
"That's practically an infinite combo! That weapon's unfair!"
Hachiman shrugged.
"It's got weaknesses. Rapid side-to-side attacks are tough to handle, and against shields, the parry's less effective for counters."
"Got it," Kirito nodded.
"So, Liz, what do you think?" Hachiman called out.
No response came.
"Hm? Something wrong?"
Hachiman turned to Lizbeth, who stood frozen, mouth agape in a stunned daze.
"…What the heck are you guys doing?" she stammered.
"H-Huh?"
"Huh?"
"What was that?!"
"What do you mean? Just a mock battle, right, Kirito?"
"Yeah, nothing special."
"I think I've been totally underestimating the top players… I couldn't even see your attacks! Is that what Asuna's like too? I've never seen anything like that…"
"Hey, stop muttering and snap out of it!"
Lizbeth kept mumbling, lost in her thoughts, until Kirito gave her a light chop on the head.
"Hachiman's asking for your feedback."
"Oh, uh, that was… incredible?"
"Right? The weapon you made is top-notch, isn't it?" Hachiman said.
"Yeah! I didn't realize it could be used like that. Where'd you learn those crazy moves?"
"Trade secret," Hachiman replied with a smirk.
"Fine, I won't pry," Lizbeth said.
"Sorry."
"But seriously, how do you handle such a tricky weapon so well?"
"It's his eyes," Kirito interjected. "Hachiman's got this knack for reading attacks from any angle, so he can wield something that finicky."
"Yeah, that makes sense," Lizbeth nodded.
"That's probably my lifeline," Hachiman admitted.
"Oh, by the way, totally unrelated," Lizbeth said, as if remembering something.
"What's Kirito hiding?"
"Hiding? What do you mean?"
"Why'd you have Dark Repulser made?"
"I explained that earlier…"
"Yeah, but that was a lie, wasn't it?"
Kirito faltered, caught off guard.
(Female intuition, huh? Or maybe Kirito's just a terrible actor…) Hachiman thought, suppressing a grin.
"Kirito, you're too obvious," Hachiman said aloud. "Might as well come clean. Liz is gonna keep helping us out, and knowing the context behind a weapon's creation makes a difference."
"…Yeah, you're probably right," Kirito conceded.
"Hey, Liz," Hachiman continued.
"What's up?"
"Can you swear to keep Kirito's embarrassing secret?"
"Embarrassing?! Okay, I swear! Just tell me already!"
"Kirito, show her that move you're practicing."
"It's not fully polished yet, but it's the flashiest I've got."
Kirito fiddled with his menu, and in an instant, Dark Repulser appeared in his left hand, Elucidator still in his right.
"Wait, what? You can dual-wield both at once? I get Acht's special case, but…"
"What's with those nicknames? Just watch."
Kirito took a deep breath, gripping both swords, and struck a stance.
"Here goes, Liz. Starburst Stream!"
In a flash, Kirito unleashed a dual-wield sword skill, a dazzling barrage of strikes—ten or so, by Lizbeth's rough count.
"Ugh, that's my limit for now," Kirito panted.
"Needs more practice," Hachiman noted.
"What… was that?" Lizbeth whispered.
"Dual-wielding," Kirito said.
"What's that? Is that even a skill?"
"It's a Unique Skill, Liz."
"A Unique Skill?! No way!"
Kirito explained how he'd discovered the skill and how he'd been secretly practicing it ever since.
"Got it. Yeah, if this got out, it could cause trouble," Lizbeth said.
"Exactly. Now you see why I needed Dark Repulser?"
"Yeah. Does Asuna know?"
"Nope. Hachiman and I don't share our skills with anyone else."
"It'll probably come out eventually, but better to keep it quiet for now," Lizbeth agreed.
"Yeah."
Hachiman and Kirito then ran through several mock battles at their peak performance. Kirito won about three to one, his skill still outshining Hachiman's. Hachiman practiced parrying both of Kirito's blades simultaneously with his sliding shield, though he hadn't perfected it. Against anyone but Kirito, Hachiman would likely dominate. After the matches, Kirito moved on to his daily forms practice, with Hachiman offering pointers. Lizbeth watched, a hint of envy in her eyes.
"What's up, Liz? Hungry or something?" Kirito teased.
"No way! I'm just… a bit jealous. I can't give combat advice like that."
"We've all got different roles," Hachiman said.
"I know, but I want to be more useful!"
"That sword you made? Kirito loves it. It's already doing plenty," Hachiman reassured her.
Lizbeth's face lit up at the praise.
"And, uh… I'm grateful for you, Liz. Probably second only to Asuna," Hachiman added.
"Second to Asuna, huh?"
"Not like that. I mean, in my eyes, you're right up there. That's all."
"Wow… okay, I'll take it!" Lizbeth beamed.
Later, Asuna joined them, and Hachiman demonstrated Acht's mechanics in a practical duel. For some reason, Asuna seemed thrilled every time she was parried, comparing it to a circus act. Despite Hachiman's relentless parrying, Asuna outmatched him, revealing that rapiers might be another weakness for him.
"Ugh, this is tough… rapiers are definitely not my thing," Hachiman groaned.
"You're parrying like crazy and still complaining?" Kirito said.
"You're not even counterattacking Asuna," Lizbeth pointed out.
"I'm trying. My body just… freezes up sometimes," Hachiman muttered.
"Asuna's got some anti-Hachiman paralysis effect," Lizbeth teased.
In truth, Hachiman simply couldn't bring himself to strike Asuna. Her enthusiasm made it worthwhile for him, though.
And so, Hachiman's new gear and Kirito's dual-wield reveal to Lizbeth came to a close.
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