Introverted Archer 64

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64. Rational Meaning!

"I found them! It's those two!"

"If we defeat that weakling, it's worth 1800 points!"

Swinging my weapon and running towards me, students charged from the front. I knocked them aside left and right, taking them down one by one.

"<Shield Bash>!"

A red-team student charged at me with a shield. I caught the shield and bent it with force.

"Huh...? Why did the shield break so easily...?"

It's designed for combat, so it shouldn't be this easy... Can it really protect against attacks like this?

"<Rational Neck Snap>!"

Dealing a chop to the final enemy, I glanced at the watch on my wrist.

That's 1825 points now. Combined with Rikimaru-senpai and other students' points, the blue team has about 2350 points in total.

I've dealt with quite a number of students, but it's still less than half of the entire group. It seems I can't slack off just yet.

Continuous battles are troublesome, but it's not all bad. Somehow, I can see tendencies in the members of the red and white teams.

The red team leans towards liberalism. Each member starts with 10 points uniformly, often challenging battles individually or in small groups.

On the other hand, the white team seems highly organized, with squads under the squad leader and various ranks. Points vary based on position.

"Now, it's time to move the strategy to the next phase... Huh?"

At that moment, I sensed enemies ahead. Three of them. Female students. They are coming straight towards us.

"...Are you the blue team's scout? You seem weaker than I heard."

Appearing before me was a trio led by a black-haired, long-haired third-year student. Judging from the armband color, they belong to the red team.

"Hey, what are you fighting for? You're going to lose anyway, right?"

"We don't know that yet. We have Power Maru-senpai and Winterka, the strongest buffer user, with us."

"Calling someone the strongest is quite bold..."

The woman scoffed and dismissed it.

"It's pointless. After all, the top is Ken, right? He's always been bad at fighting."

Her tone sounds familiar. Do they know Rikimaruaru-senpai from before?

Wait, childhood friends?

"Could it be... Setsuna Yuuki-san?"

"How do you know my name? Did you hear it from Ken?"

As I suspected. She's Rikimaruaru-senpai's crush!

Although she seems quite aggressive or imposing for a crush.

"You're following the wrong person. What's the point of joining a weak team? No matter how hard you try, if he loses points, it's over, isn't it? It's a futile effort."

"Why would you say that!"

Surprisingly, it was Fuyuka who raised her voice.

"Rikimaruaru-senpai... even though he's uncertain if he can win, he's trying his best! Isn't it meaningful to not give up on your own goals!?"

"It's futile. Because there are no results. He's always been like that. Always making useless efforts despite being weak, always being burdened with work. Just a lame guy who wants to be seen as kind by others. That's Ken."

While part of me wants to support Winterka's thoughts, Yuuki-senpai's words also make sense.

Efforts without results are meaningless. For example, spending 10 hours a day killing slimes to level up is pointless. There might be more efficient ways where just 1 hour a day could be enough.

Not giving up is often seen as a virtue, but it's not always worthy of praise. Sometimes, retreat is the rational choice.

I only started talking to Rikimaruaru-senpai about a week ago, but I can understand a bit about him.

He's straightforward and hardworking. He must have earned the trust of those around him. Perhaps it's because he wasn't naturally efficient; it became a habit for him.

"...Kageyama-kun?"

"Sorry, I was distracted."

Looking back at Yuuki-senpai, she was twirling the chain of her weapon.

"Even if efforts seem futile, they still have meaning!"

Yuuki-senpai let go of the chain she was spinning and threw the weighted end towards me.

The weight approached, cutting through the air. Even with armor, it wouldn't be undamaged from something softball-sized.

I swiftly grabbed the weight before my face and crushed it with my grip.

"Huh...!? How did you crush a metal weight with one hand!?"

"If you think challenging me is futile, then it's equally meaningless to confront me."

I slipped behind them and rendered them unconscious with a chop.

"We're running out of time. Let's move on."

"Y-Yes!"

Leaving them behind, we ran through the forest.

"Hey, Eimu-kun!"

Arriving at the meeting point, Hina and Rikimaruaru-senpai were already there waiting.

"First-year Kageyama, first-year Shinoura! You both survived well!"

They seemed unharmed, without visible injuries.

"Alright, shall we? The strategy for the blue team's victory... the 'Rational Fisherman's Advantage Operation'!"