Introverted Archer 27

Test

27. Rational Match Begins!

Leonis Adventure Academy, First Gymnasium.

As I take a deep breath through my nose, the distinctive woody scent of the gym fills the air. I may dislike physical education, but I enjoy this smell.

"Next! Year 1 Class B, Kyouichi Mashita! Year 1 Class D, Kageyama Eimu!"

Oh, it's my turn.

I stand up and walk toward the center of the gym.

"Eimu-kun... make sure you don't lose!" 

Hina, who knows the situation, looks at me with a worried expression.

"It's alright."

The center has a simple stage, much like a boxing ring. It seems we are to fight within this area.

Upon ascending the stage, I find Mashita glaring at me with sharp eyes, holding a gigantic wooden hammer that seems half his height. 

It may pale in comparison to the metallic ones used for dungeon exploration, but it still looks quite powerful.

"Annoying."

"What?"

"I thought you wouldn't come today. Figured you'd chicken out. But here you are. And barehanded, too."

Mashita has a massive wooden hammer, while I have nothing.

"If you're intending to show off or insult, I won't hold back either."

"Forget the talk and come at me."

The moment he says that, something within Mashita snaps.

"Begin!!"

As the teacher declares the start, Mashita charges towards me with great force.

"Dieeeee!"

He swings the huge hammer and lunges at me in an instant.

"<Rapid Shot>!"

Mashita receives a shock to his abdomen, sending him flying backward.

"W-what did I just do...?"

Mashita, lying on his back on the ground, seems to have trouble understanding what's happening.

"What I did do? It's simple. I shot an arrow."

"Don't mess with me! You're barehanded!"

"No, I can shoot arrows barehanded."

I've always thought Archer job hasn't maximized its rationality yet. 

The main drawback is that Archers aren't suited for close combat. 

In this era, there are plenty of jobs that can balance fighting at both short and long distances.

The reason Archers aren't suited for close combat lies in the process before the attack: setting the arrow, pulling the string, and aiming. These motions take time.

So, is this process necessary? No, it's not.

You don't need arrows. Just create arrows that don't require preparation.

You don't need a bow. Create a bow that doesn't require string pulling.

You don't need to aim. 

The blessing of [Sure Hit] will take care of that.

A gunslinger firing rapidly can aim, pull the trigger, and shoot the target in 0.1-second increments. Even with unnecessary movements, it's still 0.1 seconds.

So, what about sniping without these three steps? Entirely rational sniping, surpassing even the gunslinger's rapid shots—

In 0.01 seconds, the attack reaches the opponent.

"W-why am I getting blown away...!? I haven't done anything to the guy just standing there!?"

"If you think I haven't done anything, take a look at that armor of yours."

Wearing armor is mandatory during the exam. The Heavy Warrior armor Mashita is wearing has a large hole in the torso.

"W-why is the armor broken...!? Is it defective? Did it break from the impact of falling?"

No. It got pierced by my arrow.

As the proficiency of <Materialization> increased, I could create arrows that disappear the moment they destroy the intended target. 

So, the arrow disappeared without piercing Mashita's body.

"Hey, what's happening...? Is Mashita not feeling well?"

"Yeah, he suddenly fell dramatically... Is he putting on some performance like in his usual videos?"

Students observing the exam start whispering. None of them seem to understand the situation.

"Eimu-kun, do your best!"

"Hey, that guy Kageyama is being cheered on by Hoshikake-san."

"Who is he? Does he have some leverage over Hoshikake-san?"

Hina seems to be attracting attention as well. I appreciate it, but I wished for support silently in my heart!

"Aaaaah! It's so noisy!!"

Mashita gets up, shivers, and shouts loudly.

"Just shut up and sit quietly, you bunch of noisy brats... There's no way I'm going to lose!!"

"For someone saying that, you were lying down for quite a while, weren't you?"

"Shut up! I can still go on! I just tripped earlier—"

While speaking, Mashita once again takes a <Rapid Shot> to the abdomen and falls to the ground.

"What's wrong? Did you trip again?"

"W-why is this happening to me...?"

If I lose this match, Mashita will have to apologize to the student he bullied during the livestream.

If I'm going to apologize anyway, wouldn't it be more sincere and rational to experience the same thing myself first?