02x24 - Great King of the Deep, I Humbly Seek to Crush You

[bunniefuu]

It is the present day.

Fully-immersive games, in which
the users wear VR headsets

to play as fully-realized
denizens of a fictional world...

are dominating the gaming world.

The pinnacle of these VR games,

boasting over 30 million players worldwide,

is known as a god-tier game.

Its name...

is Shangri-La Frontier!

Whoops, keep your mind on the game.

Now I know I can do this, though!

Just keep racing to that tower!

What's that?

The flames...

A new attack?

Better get the Inventoria ready...

Great King of the Deep, I Humbly Seek to Crush You

Inventoria

Too freaking close!

I made it, though.

The heck was that thing?

A super-fast beam made of
concentrated electricity?

Sunraku

Just the beam's aftershocks
took out most of my health...

Even if you avoid the direct hit,
that hit box is crazy.

A-Anyway, let's get my health back up first.

If I'm inside the Inventoria, I can just
chug potions until one of them works.

I can see why they call that
dual-element orca a king, though.

Still... not a bad environment
to run my tests in.

The angle of that last attack
should've hit the tower!

Sunraku

Okay, let's do this.

If the only role of the
Sealing Generals is to protect the towers,

destroying the towers themselves would
let me skip some annoying fights.

Yeah, figured it wouldn't be that easy.

The damage to the surrounding
buildings is still there.

So it's not like it blew up
and then Ctarnidd fixed it.

A indestructible object?

This thing...

It was still waiting for me after all
that time I spent in the Inventoria?!

So the Crystal Scorpions weren't the only
enemies they gave Inventoria strats to?

Damn it!

Screw you, devs!

You are truly insufferable!

I did not expect you to pick a fight with
the deep sea king Atlanticus Lepnorca!

Hey, Araba?!

Not even those rotted imitations of
merfolk would do something this foolish!

Hang on, you can fly?!

I am not flying.

I am swimming!

And that was the deep sea
king you picked a fight with.

Do you see now how fearsome he is?

Y-Yeah...

We must retreat with all haste!

Yeah, fine.

I was just here to run tests anyway.
I wasn't trying to beat it...

Sometimes you need a little sky-swim
to gain a new perspective...

What was that?

I might just have a way to
beat the king over there.

Beat the deep sea king?!

Have you gone mad, Sunraku?!

I doubt I could beat him head-on,
but if I can set things up just right...

C-Close call!

Araba! It's not safe up here!

Go weave between the buildings!

I had planned on it!

But know that the Atlanticus Lepnorca
is an aggressive fighter.

It does not stop until it devours its prey!

It will be difficult to simply shake it off!

Have we no choice but to fight it?!

I'm impressed you came to save me despite
knowing how dangerous that thing is.

Can't tell if you're just that
nice or just that stupi—

I owe you a debt! Nothing more.

Oh, yeah?

Still, pretty cool that you
can swim through the sky!

Didn't know you could do that!

I was not always capable of it.

Before...

How were those mermaids flying, anyway?

Shouldn't they have fallen
based on what you said?

I theorize that "waterless air" has already
been twisted into "water-filled air."

In other words,

to the mermaids, it should appear
that we are running through the water...

Ever since then, I began to
think that the individual's

understanding of the situation
plays an important role.

Yeah?

Thus, those of us who are
more accustomed to the seas

might be able to swim like the mermaids.

I tried it, and it appears to have worked!

It needs a merman's understanding, huh?

Guess it's not something
us players can do, then...

Now, explain to me your
plan for defeating it!

Right.

I realized it when I was looking
down from that tall tower.

Something didn't add up.

What was it?

That dual-element orca's giant
laser blast hit the tower head-on,

but it was left standing
like nothing had happened.

At first, I thought the thing
was just indestructible,

but there was something off
about the rubble around it.

The line of rubble leading up to the tower

makes sense as following the laser's course.

But there was a second line of destroyed
buildings separate from that one.

R'lyath is a city built
on the power of inversion.

It literally turns concepts on their head.

Non-Human, Living Fish

Inverted

Dead Non-Fish Human Hybrids

Non-Human, Dead Fish

Inverted

Non-Fish Living Mermaids

So if the reason the tower didn't go down
has something to do with Ctarnidd's power,

it'd make more sense if it wasn't
just an indestructible tower,

but a tower that reflects attacks!

Actually, you'd have been
there for that, right?

Did you see the tower reflect the attack?

Yes, you are right.
That may indeed have been the case!

Then are you saying... you mean
to use that reflection...?!

You bet!

We'll make its laser hit the tower head-on,

so it smashes right back
into the deep sea king!

Impossible!

How do you expect to execute such a precise
maneuver against a rampaging deep sea king?!

Well, I've got a plan, of course!

But I can't do it alone!

That means I've got a role for you too, Araba.

I need you to distract him for one minute!

What?!

Wh-What kind of plan is that?

The role you have assigned
me is absolutely crucial!

Yep!

If I fail, it would be the death of you as well!

Sure would!

But a proud merman like
you can handle it, right?

There's no other way to get
the positioning just right!

I have seen nothing but misfortune
since the moment you saved me.

Don't talk like that.

If this goes well, we'll have
defeated the deep sea king together!

Talk about bragging rights!

Even in legend, I have never
heard of such a foolish idea!

Very well. So be it!

We shall leave it in fate's hands!

Let us begin, Sunraku!

Yeah! Ready when you are!

Activate skills!

Gravity Zero

Shana-Oh Incarnate

Fleet Foot

Let's do this, dual-element orca...

Rather, deep sea king, Atlanticus Lepnorca!

It's time for a little regicide!

Figures.
You're ignoring Araba to come after me!

Guess you won't give up until you eat me, huh?!

My first job is to temporarily
redirect its aggro.

Then the next thing I have to deal with is...

The way it waits for me when
I come out of the Inventoria!

I'm guessing the devs patched its
AI to deal with the Inventoria,

like they did with the Crystal Scorpions.

In other words...

The prey I was hunting suddenly disappeared

Disappeared?!

I'll keep searching the area where it was

An AI that sticks to the
place it lost sight of me!

It's gotta be somewhere around here!

I'll wait here until it shows itself!

How do I outsmart it?

This is my answer!

Vorpal Secret: Waning Mirror!

Vorpal Secret [Waning Mirror]

If it's gonna stake out the
area when it loses sight of me,

I'll set an aggro sink over there
and let it think that is me.

If I activate the Inventoria while I'm out of
its sight line and the clone me disappears,

what'll its thought routines do then?

C'mon, devs.

Your patched AI versus me and Araba...

Let's find out who wins!

Enter Travel!

If I can't shake off that
dual-element jerk's stakeout,

I'll never be able to direct
its beam at that tower.

This is all up to you.

Give it your best, Araba!

I never expected to find myself initiating
a fight with the deep sea king...

You will owe me a debt for this, Sunraku!

Well, deep sea king?!

The proud merman warrior, Araba, is before you!

Is it no use?

It will not spare me a glance
until it devours its prey...

I must hurry!

Do not let Sunraku's plan be in vain!

Do what you must, Araba!

I will turn its attention towards me,
if I must bite its tail to do it!

Waning Mirror is a skill that sets
an aggro sink in one location.

If I'm out of the area when the aggro
disappears, it'll lose sight of me,

and discover a new target nearby—
one that was teamed up with me before.

How's its AI gonna interpret that situation?

I'd wager to guess...

It'll call off the stakeout pattern,

and go after the immediate target, Araba!

Exit Travel!

Wh-Why did it turn to me all of a sudden?!

All right, great work!

Araba, you did it!

Now just swim away as hard as you can!

You watching this, devs?! We win this round!

Can't wait to see your next patch
after I kick Ctarnidd's butt!

I've got one minute.

Before it eats Araba,

I've gotta climb that tower and get in place!

My destination is the tower's midpoint.

Shana-Oh Incarnate!

Gravity Zero!

Is that the Sealing General?

It'd be nice if the laser
could take it out too, but...

Right now I'm focused on that dual-element orca!

Just sit tight until then, okay?

All right...

This should be a good height.

The tower that reflects attacks...

It's pretty darn big when I see it up close.

Now, to fine-tune the angle...

Right around here?

No, more like here...

Great!

Araba! That's the spot!

Swim down a little, then right towards me!

Sunraku!

It redirected its attention to Sunraku?!

Went back on the attack the moment it saw me.

Guess it's all teary-eyed at our big reunion!

Against a close-up enemy, it'll
use bite and fin attacks.

At mid-range, it'll use electric discharge.

And if you're too far away
for the discharge to hit,

you've only got one option left, am I right?

It's like an Old West quick-draw...

Or maybe more like a sword-catch?

If I get scared and activate
the Inventoria too early,

it'll wait until I come back
and the plan'll be a failure.

But if I'm a split-second too late,

just the aftershock of the attack'll
knock my stamina to zero.

And since I'm not running,
I'm closer this time.

If I wait to see it, it'll be too late.

If I can't activate the Inventoria
the moment it fires, I'm toast!

Now, bring it on, Atlanticus Lepnorca!

That super-powered laser
you're so proud of...

I'm gonna send it right back in your face!

Please! Reflection...

Go!

Hit it!

A direct hit... right on target!

Yes! It worked!

Still, that was a close shave.

I was basically going on instinct
to get the timing just right.

Sunraku! We have done it!

We have defeated the deep sea king!

Don't talk like that, Araba!

It's not over yet!

The flames are fading.

Now's our chance for a close-range attack!

Y-Yes... I see!

It's time for a beatdown!

That's a king for you!

Still not dead after that
high-powered laser hit!

But now... it's my turn!

Ducusram
equipped.

That's tough...

Hide's too thick for slash attacks, huh?

In that case...

Gilta Brill
equipped.

How about this?!

Shake it! Concussion time!

Just hit it as hard as possible!

That's right! Hit it with all
the rage I felt for Failia!

Channel my hatred for her... into power!

Man, she really pissed me off so bad!

Sending me on stupid errands to the very edges
of the map to get back in her good graces!

"I'll feel better if you bring me an ultra
deluxe parfait!" Chow on grass, moron!

"I'll forgive you if you dance naked for me!"
I don't want your damn forgiveness!

"As punishment for peeping,
you need a real-time week in prison!"

I was falsely accused!

And "Now you may kiss me"!
Screw that garbage!

I'd rather kiss a freakin' frog!

Then right as I steeled myself
to do the deed, you said,

"No, not yet!"

"Not for a million
years, in fact!"

Screw that!

You stupid bimbo!

S-Such a frenzy...

Garbage! Garbage! Garbage! Garbage!

Is this the Birdian Desperado
I have heard so much about?!

Garbage! Garbage! Garbage! Garbage!

Birdian Desperado

I must contribute what I can!

Sunraku

Weak as they are, the flames are
still shaving down my stamina.

But if I let up now, I'll lose my chance!

I've gotta speed it up!

This oughta finish it!

Skill...

Airgetlám!

Airgetlám

Airgetlám

What?!

Probably won't mean much to a monster...

But rest in peace, Atlanticus Lepnorca.

We have done it at last, Sunraku!

No, this is...

Not good!

Firing-up!

That was close!

That big jerk just had to get in a parting shot!

A-As expected of the deep sea king...

A threat to the end.

Definitely a satisfyingly tough enemy...

But we beat it in the end!

Deep sea king, Atlanticus Lepnorca...

Officially slain!

Yes!

Now, what kinda loot do we get out of it?

I can hardly believe we defeated
it with only the two of us...

Sunraku. You are an interesting man.

So satisfying!

I'll sleep well tonight!

Huh? Sleep?

What time is it, again?

Akitsu

Rust
Mold

Today

[5 Days Until X-Day]