In the character selection screen, Alister chose the "Shadow Assassin."
Without hesitation, Fujitani Nisuke chose the "Kamen Rider."
"The Kamen Rider himself is here to fight you, young man. Be careful," Fujitani Nisuke kept his gaze fixed on the screen.
"Yeah, I'll be careful," Alister's gaze was also fixed on the screen. "And by the way, you have a very analyzable gaming style, so be mindful of that."
With the character selection complete, they entered the scene loading screen. Both players chose classic character appearances.
"Oh? Young man, you have quite the imposing presence," Fujitani Nisuke raised his eyes, not surprised that his gaming style had been figured out.
Alister inwardly smiled wryly and shifted his gaze slightly. In a calm tone, he said, "You can't say that. It would be embarrassing if I lost in the end."
"Hahaha..." Fujitani Nisuke looked away. "Well, that's true. I have firsthand experience with that."
Fujitani Nisuke remembered the times he hadn't defeated the junior Kamen Riders, lamenting that ordinary players could never beat those who spent money on the game...
And as he reminisced, the game scene in Battle Emperor had already finished loading. The characters from both sides entered the three-second standoff at the beginning of the match.
"Three..."
"Two..."
"One..."
"Game Start!"
At the same moment, Fujitani Nisuke entered a state of complete concentration and initiated the first move. The "Kamen Rider" instantly teleported behind the "Shadow Assassin."
As a powerful character in the current version, the "Kamen Rider" would have to endure the subsequent thirteen-hit combo if they failed to avoid the "Shadow Assassin's" attack just before their own unflinching attack.
Alister always liked to give his all when playing games, so he silently activated "Extreme Senses," causing the "Kamen Rider's" teleportation to move as slow as a snail.
How could the actions of a seasoned gamer be called cheating?
Alister's fingers moved with a speed that ordinary people couldn't react to, executing high-difficulty assassination techniques. The "Shadow Assassin" vanished into the shadows, evading the first attack and retaliating with a shadowy knife.
"Galaxy Light Annihilation Fist—" The "Kamen Rider's" unflinching attack missed, and their health dropped by a tenth.
Fujitani Nisuke instinctively exclaimed, "Oh?" Then, he manipulated the "Kamen Rider" to jump to a safe area above, calmly saying, "Not bad."
Alister didn't respond and continued to maneuver the "Shadow Assassin," constantly closing the distance between them.
The "Kamen Rider" executed a charging skill, performing a flying kick that covered one-third of the screen.
The "Shadow Assassin" activated a substitution skill, dodging the flying kick of the "Kamen Rider" and retaliating with shadow spikes.
The "Kamen Rider" immediately blocked, and their health only decreased slightly.
The "Shadow Assassin" repeatedly sidestepped, leaving afterimages in place.
The "Kamen Rider" activated their ultimate skill, triggering the animation of their secret technique. At the moment it ended, they struck with a punch behind the "Shadow Assassin"!
The "Shadow Assassin" disappeared into the shadows, evading the teleportation skill.
Then the "Kamen Rider" executed four consecutive teleportation punches, while the "Shadow Assassin" evaded three times by entering the shadows. In the final instance, they activated a substitution skill to dodge.
"It's almost over." The "Kamen Rider's" ultimate skill entered its final stage.
At that moment, a real body and an afterimage appeared on both sides of the "Shadow Assassin," and in the instant of a supercharged punch—
"Success!" Alister evaded all the ultimate skills.
—It was now the "Shadow Assassin's" turn to execute the ultimate skill. The animation began, dragging the "Kamen Rider" into the shadows.
The "Kamen Rider," stuck in a motionless state after the ultimate skill, was shredded by sixteen consecutive shadow blades, followed by a final shadow backlash, directly entering critical health!
Fujitani Nisuke furrowed his brow, hastily maneuvering the "Kamen Rider" to retreat to a safe zone, searching for an opening from Alister.
However, the game had already ended at this point, and Alister couldn't possibly reveal any openings.
So, three minutes later...
It was Fujitani Nisuke who was caught off guard, taken down by a combination of normal attacks from Alister. The game entered the results screen.
"Game Over!"
"Winner: Shadow Assassin (100%)!"
"Frustrating..." Fujitani Nisuke leaned back in his esports chair, showing a bitter smile. "What... Is this the level of the top-ranked player in Z Country?"
"An excellent match," Alister also relaxed. "I accept your concession."
After a short period of melancholy, Fujitani Nisuke seemed to find solace and returned to his usual desolate state.
He straightened his posture, looked at Alister, and said, "Let me reintroduce myself. I'm Fujitani Nisuke, nice to meet you. How about adding each other as friends?"
"I'm Alister, and I'm equally pleased to meet you." Alister adjusted his cap and smiled confidently.
So, on Alister's friend list, above Yumikou's Princess, there was now Fujitani Nisuke's melancholic smoking avatar.
...
...
"I say... there's no need to make it so grand."
In a high-end self-service barbecue restaurant in the Linggu District, Alister was forcefully invited to a dinner by Fujitani Nisuke, sighing lightly.
It wasn't just because the restaurant was expensive, but...
"It's fine, I'll treat you," Fujitani Nisuke crossed his arms, his tone low.
—Seeing the heavy dark circles under his eyes, appearing tired and awake at the same time, Alister couldn't let it go.
"I'm telling you, go back and get some sleep if you're sleep-deprived." Alister stared at Fujitani Nisuke intently, his eyes scrutinizing.
"Don't worry, I'm fine." Fujitani Nisuke closed his eyes, his voice resolute. "It's just a lack of sleep, nothing to worry about."
"May I help you?" At that moment, a waitress approached.
"Are you really okay?" Alister double-checked.
Fujitani Nisuke closed his eyes and, in a deep voice, emphasized once again, "I'm fine."
"What can I..." The waitress's gaze shifted between the two of them as she approached, wearing a forced smile.
Alister took a second to take in the menu, considering the most cost-effective options, and finally ordered a two-person barbecue set.
"Okay," the waitress breathed a sigh of relief, jotting it down in her notepad. "One two-person barbecue set, right?"
"Add five cans of Red Island beer... Thank you," Fujitani Nisuke added weakly.
If you're tired, go back and get some sleep. He's so incoherent... Alister didn't voice those words.
After confirming the order, the waitress said, "Please wait a moment," and left with a professional demeanor.
"Since I came to Z Country, I haven't tasted Z Country's beer..." Fujitani Nisuke spoke with his eyes closed.
"So, you're not a resident of City A..." Alister briefly glanced at the menu on the table, intending to continue the conversation, but Fujitani Nisuke maintained his posture with crossed arms and closed eyes, not speaking for a long time.
So Alister tentatively asked, "Fujitani Nisuke?"
"Hmm..."
This traveler from the East quietly fell asleep.