CH 119

Well then, preparations towards sixth town are complete.

「I-Is it really okay for me to follow……」

A vampirified Elma-san was riding on my shoulders.

「Diiiiiieeeeeee!! 」

「Oii stop! Don’t try to bite me! 」

Behind us, there’s the deadeye Boss-san, and the bunch of kins that are trained in various ancient army formations like wedge or V-shape, hopefully their superior numbers will play a role.

By sortieing all of our forces, it’s a situation with no fallback.

With everyone out of the ancient castle safety zone, I started the stream.

「Good evening everyone. It looks like it will be a crucial battle these two days. I’m dying to start. 」

『Upotsu』

『Hi, so you’re in on this too』

『Hiiee, Eririo’s first ever collab death game event started』

『RIO-sama late by a step? Eriko had already finished her ritual of resolve and is running to the sixth town』

Fumu, I thought there were lesser viewers today but, they might be wanting to watch from Eriko’s perspective after she took the first move.

It just shows how big of an opponent I’m fighting this time.

If Jouna-san is the tallest wall I ever met, then Eriko is the tallest mountain.

「I have a warning for everyone. Today’s stream will be fighting against my friend……Puchi・Eriko. Even if it’s to win, I might be doing things that I’m sorry for Eriko’s fans. Please only watch if you can tolerate it. 」

『Gotcha』

『Aha, I was always enslaved here』

『Nnno~ooOOOooo!! 』

『↑Too early to scream! 』

『Eririo’s final match, feels heart crushing』

『I’m the opposite. Rather I’ve been checking in every day in anticipation for a battle against Eriko』

『Even if it’s match-fixed or a catfight to the death, as long as there is an outcome……』

「Thank you so much for understanding」

Yes, everyone here is putting their hopes up.

That I will challenge Eriko who’s the embodiment of justice I believe in, killing her and snatching the victory.

Especially, right after my unignorable feat of winning against Jouna-san.

Coming this close to the throne of all players after winning countless matches, the expectations became ever heavier.

Winning Eriko, taking her place, fighting for the sake of cutting off her streamer life…….

『Huh, standing like that with eyes open, sleeping?』

『I mean, nervous is a thing……』

『In deep thoughts, maybe focusing to get in the gear』

『This time have a proper person’s heart? 』

Nope, with it being a battle, I can’t hope for anything other than a victory.

Well then, I know very well how Eriko’s abilities are balanced in all aspects after watching her streams.

Technique compositions, elemental attacks, defense or healing magic, there’s not a particularly strong point, but in other words, she doesn’t have any weakness being an all-rounder. Having said so, she’s a similar build to the S rank first place.

If that’s the case, safely approaching with the twin swords, getting the battle in my pace, after breaking her defense, finishing off with a decapitation using the great sword should be the plan.

Since that’s decided, I will get my twin swords out now.

「Oya」

I don’t feel like my left hand is grabbing anything.

「Strange. Did I chose the magic wand by mistake? 」

What I held in my hand was the weapon specialized in magic attack, a black wand.

I thought they were twin swords when I took them out of my inventory.

I didn’t remember changing them but, anyways, I will just turn them back.

「……Transform, it’s not working. 」

For some reason, the magic wand didn’t budge at all.

This weapon has some mechanical parts to it but there hasn’t been any problem so far.

Again and again, I tried to change it but it’s not working.

I checked the weapon’s description for any abnormality or any other details that might have a clue but, there wasn’t particularly anything standing out, while answering questions from the viewers for about five minutes, I waited for it to resolve on its own but, it doesn’t seem like that will happen.

「For some reason it’s not responding to me. 」

As someone who has no other talent than killing, I don’t have the skills to analyze or diagnose a weapon, there’s nothing I can do.

「Is it just a malfunction, or is there any reason behind it……」

――Parnilla-san, if only I can have you check it now.

The player that made this weapon. It’s Parnilla-san’s freedom to put whatever secret mechanism in it.

The reason why I suddenly can’t use the transform function…….

Could it be, she’s angry?

Is she unsatisfied with me for killing adventurers and causing a conflict?

That’s why she activated a hidden mechanism that keeps it in the wand form, forcing me to fight in the my least familiar fighting style. If that’s the case……, sorry, I don’t think I can win against Parnilla-san at all.

If she made a function that especially tells me that I’m lacking in resolve, then I will make sure to apologize and return this weapon to her the next time I meet her.

Even if it might be a misunderstanding, I should face her and be honest.

「Say Onee-san, viuuwers? Are you talking to them? 」

「Huh! Oh, it’s just idle talk. There’s no guarantee I can protect you well but, grab on strongly so you won’t be swung off. 」

「Somehow, Onee-san looks very anxious, I’m becoming anxious too……」

「Mu, there’s no way that’s the case. There’s no fight I don’t win. 」

『Oooh! Confidence is demon lord level too』

『Again and again, RIO-sama who have won so many times when we thought it was a goner』

『Even during first encounter with Jouna, dead but the way of dying is what upped her ratings』

『↑Ahahahaha, fooling around too much was my mistake』

『But, isn’t that the wand……?』

『Against Eriko, should use the twin swords or the long range spear but, wand is anxious』

『Underestimate, or putting on a show, which is it』

『Fools! You dare question RIO-sama’s decision! 』

I knew it, the viewers are feeling anxious. I’m thinking the same way, there’s no way I don’t feel anxious too.

Still, if I manage to utilize this unfamiliar form well, it will help me in closing to the top.

A vampire lord’s INT rating isn’t bad, using Dark Ball as the main attack will work.

Besides, I might unexpectedly be able to concentrate on the fight using it if I tried. I’m sure Elma-san watching from the sidelines will get excited.

Leaving aside whether it’s a safe bet, I left it at wand mode, and we departed.

▼▼▼

『Vampire king, arrived~』

『Eriko just arrived too~』

『Alright, Eriko might think RIO-sama hasn’t arrive yet』

『To keep the fairness, lemme send a RIO-sama arrived message there too』

『……I knew spies were here』

『Eririo are both live streamers, so information gathering is easy』

Eriko should be behind this gate.

I’m sure Eriko don’t intend to back off at all. I’m the same, I can’t run this late in the game.

「First, we will bust the gates open. ……Since there’s a gap, it means they haven’t lock it yet. 」

Most likely, it’s Eriko herself, or according to some well-informed viewers, Eriko’s party members who have long arrived did it.

They knew the attack was coming, so there’s no meaning in tightening security around the gates―― they might be thinking of using the empty fort strategy to lure me in.

「Boss-san, make preparations to immediately start sniping whoever’s behind that gate after I open it. 」

「A-Aye! 」

Although it’s already decided that the city will be our battlefield, there’s no information about where they could be, so preparing for everything is the smart choice.

On the highest alert, I opened the gate.

Boss-san and the kins too were fully in focus mode, halting any of their micro movements.

「Say, Onee-san, that……」

That presence, it was Elma-san who discovered it earliest.

「RIO! 」

Ah, it’s the voice that I always hear…….

「I saw your reply, you’re here as we promised. 」

「……」

I came here thinking of you, but my purpose is to kill you.

But, hearing Eriko’s voice, my throat became stuck, and I couldn’t say anything.

『There! 』

『Hooh, a frontal encounter 』

『Oooooh! To think a day where Eriko shows up on RIO channel would come』

『Kuh! They’re equal! 』

『↑Bust size? 』

『Eyes met, battle start! 』

Puchi ・ Eriko came into view at almost the same time as the scenery of rubble.

The facial appearance exact to her real self except for her hair dyed brown, wearing a sort of fictional school uniform and equipped with cosplay fashion of dog ears and dog tail.

It bothers me that she hasn’t pull her sword out but, there wasn’t even time for me to speculate why,

「Erik……! W-Where are you going! 」

「Come here! Follow me if you want to fight! 」

Just as she turned her heels, she started running away at a speed neither too fast nor too slow, getting away from me.

A/N: Kuh, stomach ache