Chapter 234

Three years ago, August 8.

For Rinne, it was her 19th birthday. It was also an important day, a week just before the main competition of the WGCS.

And the most memorable day of her life came like thunder.

"It's been a long time, Rinne."

"....brother Shiran?"

The visit of her own brother, Shiran.

It was a bolt out of the blue and completely unexpected even for Rinne.

☆

Shiran Takajou is a man who excels in every field to such an extent that Rinne has no choice but to call him [perfect].

The pinnacle of humanity. At the tender age of 20, he inherited the position of general manager of the Takajou Group from his father and has continued to expand the scale of his business ever since.

Unlike Rinne and Nana, he does not possess talents that transcend human knowledge.

But he has the highest spec a human could attain, except for [appearance].

A monster that surpasses all humans in terms of overall strength. To Rinne, Shiran Takajou was an older brother she could be proud of.

"Can you get up?"

"...... Don't joke around."

"Hmm, your response is awfully slow. Is your health condition worsening that much? How is your daily life?

"I leave everything to Karin...."

"That sounds about right. If it were up to me, I'd like Nanaka to stay with you, but as expected...... is she carrying a bomb right now?"

Shiran said this while assisting Rinne, who could not get out of bed.

Basically, Shiran only judges others based on whether they are useful or useless to him. If they are useful, he uses them. If they are incompetent, he cuts them off. He is extremely ruthless when it comes to people other than his close family.

That's why Rinne, an exception because she's a close family and the youngest sister, only looks so cute in his eyes.

For Shiran, an outstanding individual like Nana, who lacks uniformity, is not particularly useful, but he recognizes her high ability level. And Above all, there is no one more useful to his beloved sister than Nana.

Therefore, Shiran indirectly put a value on Nana. She is an irreplaceable part of Rinne, and she is the first person to call on when something happens to Rinne.

However, the current Nana is like a bomb that could explode at any moment. There is no guarantee that she will not harm Rinne if she spends too much time with her and unseals her memories.

Considering everything to be worked in Rinne's best interest, Shiran's judgment was in line with her sister's decision not to rely on Nana as much as possible.

Bu the way, Karin is the name of the bodyguard maid under Rinne's direct control.

"...... what are you doing here? It's rare for You to go through the trouble of coming here yourself."

"It's my beloved sister's birthday. Is it strange for me to come?"

"I'm saying that because it's strange. You haven't been back for that beloved sister's birthday since you took over as general manager."

"True. I haven't talked to you in person for I don't know how many years."

Rinne sighed as Shiran laughed a little awkwardly.

Her brother and cousin were both busy, so she always spent her birthday with Nana and Touka. She never missed or resented them for it, but it was definitely a weak [reason] to come to see her.

"Let me cut to the chase then. For the last three years, you've spent a lot of your resources and labor gathering information."

"......Yes. It took me too long."

As Shiran says.

After losing out in the WGCS at the age of 16 and focusing exclusively on the meta against players, Rinne spent all of her available resources researching the top rankers of every game that could be the subject of future WGCS competitions.

The number of game titles she narrowed down was 13, bringing the total number of players to well over 10,000 for those listed in the rankings alone.

Considering the time and effort required to conduct the survey, nothing was ever enough. But she spent money and labor anyway, without worrying about the assets that were flying by the hundreds of millions of yen every day.

It was very detailed, starting from information that anyone could verify, such as playing trends and videos of actual games played, then personal information such as real name, date of birth, family structure, address, etc., as well as background and their circle of relationship.

They focused the intel, especially on the top players, and stripped them out to every inch of their bone.

The Takajou Group's global reach and the violence of Rinne's own financial resources, both of which are far more powerful than the public authorities, were used to obtain this information.

It was not difficult for Rinne to input the vast amount of player data she had gathered.

Once the information was seen by her eyes, her brain would record it on its own. And her brain can do this without forcibly increasing the clock of her thinking speed like Nana's. She can divide the information and records a large amount of it at once.

For that purpose, she prepared a custom-made monitor that could display a large amount of information and then memorized the collected information in parallel while simultaneously hearing another piece of information as sound.

Once the information was stored in memory, the confirmation of the contents of each piece of information could be handled using parallel thinking, which had become so many that even the owner had lost count.

And since her power cannot be turned off, there is always a space for analysis.

The storage is capable of storing vast amounts of information.

And the predictions generated by the analysis of that information.

The more they accumulated, the more powerful a weapon they became, guiding Rinne to victory.

After two and a half years had passed since she started collecting information, she had all kinds of information in the palm of her hand, from official information about the esports industry to behind-the-scenes gossip, plus the details about the top gamers from around the world.

And even the kind of information if misused, could be dangerous enough to destroy the esports industry.

But Rinne is not an ally of justice.

She didn't have any sense of justice to expose any wrongdoing she might find and clean up the industry.

But if it was easy to kick them out using it, then there was nothing better than that.

Even if that caused a wound on her own shin, she would not hesitate to kick them out of the competition.

And just like that, Rinne eliminated a few bad players without a fight, but it only amounted to less than a few percent of the total.

Most players, however, are clean, innocent even, and never committed any crimes.

Especially in the top tier, which stands as a barrier for Rinne to win the WGCS, most of the players had no dark side to poke at.

But The information was not originally gathered for the purpose of kicking them down but rather to study the players she will play against.

Even if it didn't directly cause damage, it was true that Rinne had acquired an irreplaceable weapon in the form of sophisticated information.

"I don't blame you for what you do with it, as long as you pay a fair price for it. The whole group benefits greatly from the information you gather."

"What's your business here then?"

"I heard from Ron that this was probably the last year for you, and by the look of it, I suspect that you must have hit a wall, so I came to see and give you some encouragement."

"Haa...h, I already know that."

The time it took to collect and input all possible data was not short.

The incomplete information was not wasted, but it did not lead to the results she was looking for; as a result, she was repeatedly defeated in the two WGCS in the past.

Rinne might had won several world championships in official competitions other than the WGCS, but that was not the honor she wanted.

Her body getting weaker day by day, not to mention the brain nerves that were surely damaged and burnt to shreds from the continuous overuse.

Recently, instead of concentrating, she often found herself losing consciousness due to the pain.

She began meeting with Nana more frequently around this time. Rinne's mind rested only when she was with Nana. And if she didn't rest her brain on a regular basis, it could fail at any time.

Looking at this pace, Rinne can confidently say she won't last until next year.

And this next WGCS would be her last.

And once again, as Shiran pointed out, the biggest obstacle was standing in front of Rinne for that last competition.

"....data is only data. Some people grow during the tournament, while others may never reach their full potential in the first place. The forces that can't be seen through data can easily destroy my predictions."

With a bitter smile on her face, Rinne ridiculed herself.

No matter how much information she gathered and how much research she did, in online games where the situation changes in real-time, predictions are only predictions, it not amounted more than that.

Fighting games aside, with games with strong battle royale elements, where dozens of players simultaneously act with completely different agendas, the predictions made to guess each player's moves can easily deviate.

In sports manga, there is a cliche development in which a character who makes full use of data is defeated by the unexpected growth of the protagonist, and Rinne's defeat was often caused by such a case.

Even if there had been a match in which Rinne's predictions were perfectly accurate, there would have been many instances in which the opponent would have demonstrated abilities that had not been brought out until now in the actual match.

It is impossible to draw a prediction chart that incorporates the growth potential of others.

That was the problem that Rinne was having at the last WGCS.

"I see, so your roadblock is still the Esports Kaiser. Indeed he is a man who stands at the ultimate level, the strongest player who proves that the value of an esports player is not strength, not skill, but simply the ability to keep on winning. was his presence is enough to make you look like a weakling?"

"No matter how many predictions I make, they will always be exceeded. Even if I recalculate with account for that, he will just go higher and crush it again. I tired of this."

His name is Dokuro, the Kaiser of Esports.

Dokuro is a well-known name of a monster lurking in the world of shooting game genres of TPS and FPS. He has achieved the great feat of winning the WGCS three times in total with different game titles.

The total prize money he won exceeds 5 billion yen, truly a symbol of the esports dream.

And in this year's WGCS Main Round, Rinne will surely face off against him in Zero Wars 3, a game in the TPS genre.

Although the genres are the same, Dokuro is undeniably one of the world's best talents in dexterity and ability to switch quickly from one game to the next. He also has demonstrating his world-class abilities in multiple games.

However, Dokuro was also never praised for his player skill.

No matter how far he goes, Dokuro's skills remain stock at [top-notch]. He has never been able to step into the realm of the [very best].

Despite that, Dokuro kept on winning. He overcomes every tights situation, seizes the slightest chance, and wins.

Yes, just like the hero of a manga.

"...A man who keeps on winning, without being a particularly good player, but when it comes to the big stage, he somehow manages to win. He's clearly not as good as the data says he is. Can he be allowed to be that unreasonable?"

"Well, in my view, you are more suited to be called the unreasonable."

"Shut up...."

"Don't sulk just because I hit the nail on the head."

Rinne had to win this because this is her last WGCS by winning [Zero Wars 3]. And Dokuro will participate there.

From Rinne's point of view, Dokuro, as a mass of uncertainties that always mysteriously grasp the victory, is the biggest enemy and a wall that prevents her from achieving her goal.

However, it was also true that the threat level of the two from the viewpoint of the remaining participants was not much different.

Rinne, who had already been called [Monster], [Witch of Strategy], [Minefield], and other exaggerated names at this time, was notorious as a player specializing in thorough anti-player-strategy and counter-strategy.

Just being there makes the game rough. Not because she is too strong, but because her fighting style is too vicious.

Rinne's greatest strength is the ability to disrupt everything she wants to, which is why she is hated by all players.

A man loved by the goddess of victory and a devil who spreads chaos on the board.

Because they both had strengths in opposing vectors other than simple [skill], the fight between these two has become the most popular.

"In this world, there are indeed beings loved by miracles. The lineage of our Takajou family is a good example, as well as the crystallization of evolution, such as Nanaka's. If there's someone you need to defeat, Kaiser is definitely one of them. I don't know much about him myself, but I would say that he is the protagonist if we were to use a game analogy."

"... that was an unusual metaphor."

"I, too, have an understanding of the game. And this is a generalization, but dramatic victories always come to the one who people put their hope onto. Or, should I say that the hope itself makes it dramatic?"

"...are you want to say that people are hoping Dokuro to win?"

"Definitely. The weak overthrowing the strong is refreshing, but the reign of the absolute strong is also to be expected and envied. You know that, don't you?"

At Shiran's point, Rinne nodded reluctantly.

Yes, she agrees. She already knows that without being told. And because she knows, she's worried about it.

"The first thing you will do is to gather information and make a counter to the player himself. You can either win by simply moving your character as you have decided, without using your instantaneous power, or you can lose by having your prediction overturned. That's probably the last-ditch battle strategy you've come up with now that you have so little strength left."

"....Yes, that's right."

Rinne, who has no stamina left to deal with an unexpected situation, has devised a certain battle strategy to reduce the exhaustion of her stamina as much as possible.

She had to anticipate the actions of all the players completely and decide on all her moves in advance.

In every match, all she had to do was press a key at a predetermined time and in a predetermined manner. There was no need for ingenuity, reflexes, or skill; there was even no need to make any judgments.

The vast amount of data collected and the tracing of thoughts based on that data. This is the ultimate auto-pilot system, which enables the prediction of future actions based on the computing power outside the realm of common sense.

And it is flexible enough to switch to several patterns should such the situation demand. Rinne won the WGCS national competition with just that.

And because it is an auto-pilot with a predetermined pattern, if someone acts completely out of a pattern, it will fall apart and be unable to regain its advantages.

This is exactly what the [growth during the game] does. It was something far beyond what Rinne could imagine.

"The passive strategy of entirely relying on your opponent's actions is certainly suited to your abilities. The computational ability to predict the actions of nearly 50 people in a survival-style TPS game is no longer a realm of power that can be estimated by human knowledge. Even so, you cannot compete with Kaiser if you leave the victory or defeat to others. If you go on like this, it will be you who will be defeated."

"......I know that better than anyone.......!"

A battle completely dependent on the actions of the enemy, with absolutely no room for Rinne's will to intervene.

Without even needing Shiran to point it out, it is Rinne herself who feels more pain than anyone else from such a passive fighting style.

However, the pain does not go away even if she complains about her weakness.

Nor does it make her powerless body feel better.

Or even help to lessen the headache that prevents her from sleeping properly.

Rinne was just clinging to the only light she could find in the midst of hell.

And it is because Shiran knows this that he came here today.

"Rinne, the main reason I'm here today is to take away the headache you keep having. I'm here to make sure you get everything sorted out in two days of the tournament, which mean it will be substantially less than 40 hours."

"....that just impossible. It will simply remain the same as it has in the past."

(Not a day has passed without thinking about how can I get rid of this headache.)

(How I have wished every day that I could control this headache. How happy I would be if I could go to the competition with the same peace of mind as I had during my time with Nana. I had dreamed of this many times, and I had come this far by dismissing such feelings as naivete.)

"I can do it. Do you think we didn't do anything while you suffering from headaches since you were thirteen? I wish we could have made a cure that would have completely eliminated it. But... with the frustating limitations of current medical technology and a suggestion from Ron, it only turned out to be a drug that will boost your final brilliance."

Rinne silently stared at Shiran, whose eyes were mixed with frustration at being able to do nothing but encourage her beloved sister's destruction and joy at granting her a little more time to make her wish a reality.

Shiran took out three ampoules. They did not appear to contain any special liquid, but it was easy to understand that they were the drugs he had just mentioned.

"It's not an illegal drug, but it's a very 'strong' drug. If you are prepared to go to hell afterward, I will give this to you."

Strong drugs. Just as illegal drugs are highly addictive and cancer drugs have painful side effects, they must be a drug with powerful side effects.

What would she have to pay if it could really suppress her headache? The 'cost' would probably be insane.

Still, Rinne gripped Shiran's hand, holding the ampoule tightly as if she didn't care.

"Don't make fun of me. I've seen hell all my life."

"Yeah, I knew you'd say that."

"I don't care what happens after it's over. Please, Brother Ran. Help me."

Rinne doesn't care if the medicine works or not.

She doesn't mind selling her soul to the devil if it means shedding some light on this situation in which she was trapped on her own, even if it's just for a little comfort.

Rinne had already decided from the beginning that she was prepared to step into hell.

Tl note:

Psst, your translator here, I have new series... and since this is a new series, I want to try something new...

I made an audiobook out of it! But sadly, only the automated one.

Anyway, I'm new to this... So if there's something I could do to improve it, please give me your wisdom.

Also... what did you say if I made audiobook out of Blunt Type Ogre Girl and Lazy Dungeon Master too? would you be interested? No it won't affect my speed, since most of it was automated, and I had reached the newest raw of both series.