[Training Session for the Phantasm Chronicle Tournament! Our Goal is to Level Up to Beginner Status!!! #NatsuneNanase#KainohIzumi#StarsFlow]
[1. Basic Combo (Natsuri) Q – E – F – Sky Strike – W]
Before we knew it, we finished the basic mission about the game system and moved on to the character combo practice stage.
In Natsune’s case, with her Natsuri, three out of the seven skills are passive, making the combo itself very simple.
No, that doesn’t mean she’s an easy character at all.
“Do I just press the buttons in sequence?”
“Yes. Like this….”
I took over the keyboard and mouse from Natsune for a moment and inputted Natsuri’s combo that appeared on the screen.
Immediately, Natsuri rushed forward with a cute whoosh and spun around, stretching her leg to attack the enemy, then threw the Sky Strike to stun the opponent before plunging her dagger into their chest.
[Mission Successful!]
An alert for mission success popped up, but I pressed the [Retry] button to return to the previous screen.
When I glanced at Natsune, she slightly nodded and let out a hmph.
“C-can you do it?”
“I can totally do it! It’s not like I can’t handle something this easy.”
“…The Sky Strike earlier, um, missed.”
“I told you that was a mistake~!”
Natsune pouted cutely, pushing my shoulder slightly.
“Ugh….”
So cute….
– feels bad laugh
– Mei seems incredibly happy
– The seed of distrust that has already been planted doesn’t disappear easily
– Worrying because I know Natsune better than anyone
– Izumi sensei is always right when it comes to Natsune
[Mission Successful!]
Contrary to our worries, Natsune successfully executed the basic combo in one go.
“See! I did it right away!”
“Good job….”
It was just a basic combo, but Natsune proudly held her waist with both hands, raising one corner of her mouth.
The perfect smug expression.
It’s unfair. How can a person be this cute…?
[2. Basic Combo (Natsuri) F – Sky Strike W – Q – E]
“Hmm… But Izumi sensei, I have a question!”
“Uh, feel free to ask…!”
“I know there are combos in the game, but during the last Phantasm Chronicle group collaboration, we hardly used all the skills on one person, right?”
“Ah….”
Natsune’s question was very valid.
Phantasm Chronicle is designed so that all characters can link their skills together.
That’s why it teaches combos from basic to advanced in the game.
However, in actual play, it’s almost not used at all.
Because Phantasm Chronicle is fundamentally a team game.
If both you and your teammate can each take down an enemy, then it’s not a problem.
But this game is designed to make that extremely difficult.
There’s a “Purification” system that removes all debuffs and stuns nearby enemies that can be used once per round.
Every skill has different priority levels, so even if you use a combo starter skill simultaneously, it can lead to one being prioritized over the other.
Lastly, even if you use all combos, one combo isn’t enough to defeat an enemy.
In other words, instead of using all your skills on one enemy for damage, it’s much more advantageous to use one skill at a time according to the situation to assist your teammates while playing.
“Hmm… But if that’s the case, then isn’t it pointless to practice these combos?”
After I explained, Natsune threw another question at me.
“W-well, there might be times when only one person is left on the team…. In that case, knowing the combos means I won’t be caught off-guard, and I can counter if my skills have lower priority than the enemy’s….”
“Sounds complicated….”
Looking at it that way, Phantasm Chronicle is indeed tricky.
So, when Mizuki first mentioned hosting a tournament, I never thought all the members would sign up.
★
Anyway, Natsune finished all the basic missions she could do with Natsuri.
Now, I was about to have her do beginner, intermediate, and advanced missions, but….
“I want to directly fight against viewers!”
Natsune expressed her wish like that.
“It doesn’t have to be a team battle… We can set up a custom match for 1v1. I want to try that!”
“Hmm….”
Of course, Natsune still wasn’t anywhere near ready to enter the actual fight.
– I want to fight with Natsune right now
– I’m going to mess her up real bad
– I want to feel how much Natsune has grown
Since Natsune herself wanted it and the chatroom was also asking for it, a few matches should be okay.
Moreover, showing only basic practice throughout the broadcast wouldn’t be fun.
“Alright, I get it….”
I nodded and created a 1v1 custom match room as Natsune wanted.
Before long, a player named ‘FutureLife’ entered.
Level 16. Rank D.
Since the rank was low, I thought maybe Natsune could manage it, but I realized that was a mistake less than 10 minutes into the game.
“Gah?! Ah? Ah?! This person is ridiculously good?!”
– Natsune is way too weak LOL
– I think she needs to practice a bit more
– It feels like a child fighting an adult
Five consecutive defeats.
Enemy ranks: D. C. D. D. D.
Natsune insisted the opponent was skilled, but from my perspective, they made quite a few mistakes.
N-no… They were actually holding back way too much.
Anyway, after five losses.
Natsune puffed up her cheeks, looking at me with an air of frustration.
So cute….
“W-why is it that when the opponent uses combos, my health drops by more than half?! Why doesn’t Natsuri’s combo do even half of that, Izumi sensei!!”
“That’s because that’s just how the Natsuri character is….”
“Eh? Is Natsuri a bad character?”
“N-no, not exactly….”
While we were having that conversation, the next opponent entered.
The username was ‘SnowWay.’ Level 24. Rank D.
The chosen character was Astraea.
“Ugh… This time, I will definitely win!”
Honestly, one of the reasons I allowed a custom match after finishing the basic missions was to see if Natsune could figure things out on her own… but it seemed that was too much to ask.
Well, Natsune doesn’t play fighting games often, so it’s tough for her to grasp the mechanics of this type of game.
“Gah?! This person is also way too strong!”
And naturally, Natsune lost the first round.
She was acting like it didn’t matter on the outside, but inside, she was so frustrated that her eyes were already glistening with tears.
Natsune genuinely meant it when she said she would strive for victory.
She’s the kind of person who gives her all in everything, just like the sun.
So, I needed to help her now.
That’s why I volunteered to coach her.
“Natsune, just a moment….”
But it’s hard to maneuver the character while just leaning over from this position….
“A little, I’ll help you.”
“Wha?!”
★
“A little, I’ll help you.”
“Wha?!”
With a soft puff, Izumi’s breath tickled Natsune’s ear.
Izumi, who had been standing behind Natsune, leaned slightly forward to rest against her.
“L-look here, Natsuri’s passive skill does bonus damage when attacking stunned enemies with basic attacks…?”
Since Natsune was sitting on a low-backed chair, it was only natural that the warmth of Izumi’s body transmitted to her.
“Also, Natsuri’s skills have long stuns, so… how much you use this basic attack is the key.”
“Y-yeah….”
Izumi naturally placed both hands on top of Natsune’s hands.
Without any intent whatsoever.
Just to teach Natsune about the character Natsuri.
“And in this situation, it’s better to use a skill with good priority even if the range is short….”
The enemy Astraea charged towards Natsuri from a distance.
But as she approached, she was pushed back and stunned by Natsuri’s W skill, Back Kick.
Seeing that, Izumi wanted to continue the combo, but Astraea used Purification to un-stun herself and pushed Natsuri away. However, Izumi responded with her own Purification.
Ultimately, the enemy Astraea was pushed back and stunned again, giving priority to Natsuri, and Izumi mixed all of Natsuri’s skills with basic attacks to chip away at Astraea’s health.
Astraea also followed up with a combo and reduced Natsuri’s health, but in the end, she couldn’t overcome the cooldown difference.
“This is how you should do it….”
Izumi achieved a perfect victory and slightly turned her head to look at Natsune, flashing a bright smile.
It was a lecture from which Natsune, who was moving from novice to beginner, could learn a lot, but….
“….”
Unfortunately, none of it was registering in Natsune’s brain.
The breath tickling her ear and the gentle pressure on her back.
The warmth enveloping her body and fingertips.
And the subtle scent of sweet peaches.
All of these things distracted Natsune’s concentration.
“…?”
And Izumi, obviously having a pure expression, tilted her head when Natsune didn’t react at all.
As if she had no ulterior motives at all.
Seeing that, Natsune felt embarrassed.
“Ah, seriously! Th-that kind of thing is forbidden, Izumi!”
“Eh?”
Blushing bright red, she yelled at Izumi for no reason.
‘Hehe…. Natsune’s body is warm.’
Of course, Izumi also had her own motives, but…
“You always do this, making the other members go ‘Huh?! Aah, seriously. Anyway, that’s not okay! Got it?! Ugh….”
“…?”
In the end, Natsune couldn’t figure out why she was being scolded right up to the end.
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