Rebirth: The Universe's Hidden Heiress-Chapter 83: Snow Mountain

Yuka stood at the foot of the snowy mountain, surrounded by a vast expanse of white.

Her pink mecha was strikingly conspicuous against the snowy backdrop.

As the fifteen-second pre-race countdown ended, Yuka remained still, cautiously observing the positions of her opponents.

Her adversary was piloting a white mecha, which Yuka hadn’t spotted yet. The howling winds of the snowy mountain did not affect Yuka’s sharp senses. She attentively distinguished the crunching footsteps mixed in the wind, then swiftly turned around and struck with her blade towards her right rear.

The pilot of the white mecha, caught off guard by her quick reaction, stepped back hastily. However, due to the deep snow and a sudden, uncontrolled stumble, he nearly fell over.

Seizing the opportunity, Yuka advanced, swinging her blade and leaving a deep mark on the opponent’s cockpit.

The white mecha’s pilot, realizing he was facing "Lady", ranked third on the ranking board, knew he was outmatched. He had the feeling that Yuka might be able to kick him out of the game with just one slash. Thus, he decided to launch an all-out attack, firing a cannon shot at Yuka.

"An attack with firepower!" exclaimed Roukujou in the commentary booth, slapping his thigh. "This guy wants to go down together with Pinky!"

[Why would they do that?]

[It’s a strategy, after all.]

On the field, Yuka swiftly ducked, her mecha almost parallel to the ground, narrowly avoiding the incoming fire.

In the next second, she sprang up, thrusting her blade into the white mecha’s cockpit.

The pilot of the white mecha, hearing the cracking sound of his protective barrier, quickly stepped back, attempting to block Yuka’s assault with his weapon.

The explosion of the cannon melted the surrounding snow and caused a huge vibration, making the entire mountain tremble.

[Wasn’t there supposed to be an avalanche?]

[Such a big tremor, and it didn’t collapse?]

[There was a little snow slide, though.]

"It seems Pinky and her opponent are lucky," Roukujou commented, glancing at the live chat. "Not all tremors cause avalanches. The snow here is probably not thick enough to fall."

"Usually, just stomping feet at the bottom of the snowy mountain could trigger an avalanche."

On the battlefield, Yuka relentlessly pressed her opponent.

Following another clash of weapons, the white mecha finally faltered under Yuka’s assault. She disarmed her opponent and swiftly delivered a final blow, ejecting the white mecha from the match.

The audience seemed less than thrilled.

[That’s it? Just like that?]

[This white mecha was no match.]

[Saltyfish, let’s have the underground arena match Pinky with a tougher opponent!]

[I’d love to see Pinky face ’Rabies’. I’ve been waiting to see her top the ranking board.]

[Me too!]

Roukujou, caught between laughter and tears, said, "I can’t decide that. The underground arena’s system is random."

The chat suggested: [Roukujou, just say Pinky can’t match with someone higher-ranked.]

[Then she’ll definitely get a higher-ranked opponent.]

Scratching his chin, Roukujou grumbled, "That’s impossible. I’m not a jinx!"

The audience, excitedly egging him on and sending gifts, coaxed him to speak.

Roukujou, somewhat reluctantly, said, "Alright, I think Pinky won’t get matched with a higher-ranked opponent today. There’s not much to see in today’s match."

Meanwhile, Yuka, back at the selection screen, browsed through the maps and ultimately chose the snowy mountain again.

Truthfully, she was curious to see what an avalanche would look like.

"Here we go," Roukujou announced to the chat, "Let’s see Pinky’s choice. She’s picked the snowy mountain again. Her opponent is... holy smokes!"

The chat burst into laughter.

[Saltyfish, admit you’re a jinx! This is too accurate.]

[Pinky’s up against ’Rabies’, I’m so nervous.]

[No worries, Pinky can win.]

Normally, Roukujou would argue with the chat, but he was too distracted by a live collaboration invite from Alfie, a fellow professional commentator known for his unpleasant personality and tendency to insult other players. Roukujou wasn’t keen on collaborating with him.

But the love chat noticed the invite on his screen and urged him to accept.

[Go for it, Saltyfish. Show that bully what Pinky’s made of.]

[If he dares insult Pinky, we’ll flood his chat with our support for her.]

[Don’t back down, Saltyfish. Charge ahead!]

In the underground arena’s lobby, the big screen automatically displayed the live broadcast of Lady vs. Rabies. Mr. Bald hurriedly opened betting, noticing most bets were on Rabies, but he quietly wagered on "Lady."

For some reason, he just felt "Lady" would win.

As more and more viewers flocked into both Alfie and Roukujou’s live stream channels, the chat was flooded with messages. Roukujou had to set a restriction for new viewers from sending messages and, after a brief hesitation, accepted the collaboration invite.

"Hello Saltyfish," Alfie, a skinny guy with somewhat shifty eyes, greeted casually before asking, "The match is about to start. What’s your take, Saltyfish? Who do you think will win?"

Roukujou cautiously replied, "Both competitors are strong. It’s hard to predict the outcome until the very end."

Alfie, looking unimpressed, turned to his audience and confidently declared, "Guys, just watch. Rabies will tear ’Lady’ apart, piece by piece."

Roukujou frowned, regretting his decision to join the stream. However, his viewers remained composed:

[Just wait and see, Alfie! ’Lady’, no, Pinky will make ’Rabies’ howl in defeat!]

[Can’t wait to see Alfie’s face when Pinky wins.]

[Go Pinky, your fans love you!]

On the battlefield, during the fifteen-second pre-match period, Yuka surveyed her surroundings and realized she was standing on a rocky outcrop on the side of the snowy mountain, with just a few steps separating her from a dangerous fall.

Her opponent, a black mecha, stood out against the snow, about ten meters away on a more stable and spacious rocky ledge. The gap between them seemed insurmountable; a single misstep could mean falling off the mountain and an instant loss.

The audience was baffled.

[What kind of crazy start is this?]

[How are they supposed to fight like this?]

[The only way they can attack each other from this distance is by throwing their weapons or using cannons.]

[That puts Pinky at a disadvantage, as ’Rabies’ has a cannon and she doesn’t.]

On the field, Rabies slowly grinned. He had been following "Lady" for a while. He relished in breaking such untarnished talents, obsessed with crushing their pride, shattering their confidence, and watching them plummet from their high perch into deep distress. Ideally, they would be so traumatized that they’d never touch a mecha again, haunted by painful memories.

This was why Deadman had sent him to the underground arena – to utterly destroy "Lady" and have her eliminated by the system amidst agony and defeat.

The fifteen-second countdown ended, and the match began.

Rabies swiftly raised his mechanical arm, ready to fire his cannon. However, at that exact moment, Yuka transformed her mecha’s arm into a long chain with a hook claw at the end, identical to the weapon she used to climb to the fifth floor of the library.

Without hesitation, Yuka leaped down. The cannon fire missed her by inches, striking the other side of the snowy mountain and exploding into a shower of snowflakes.

Rabies was momentarily stunned by her maneuver.

Roukujou, watching intently, exclaimed in his live stream, "Pinky’s jumped! Wait, no, look closely, folks, her weapon has changed into a hook claw! It’s incredible how Pinky’s psychic power allows her to morph such a complex weapon in such a short time. She’s now hanging from the rock she was standing on!"

[That scared me, I thought Pinky was risking her life to dodge Rabies’ cannon!]

[Look, everyone, Pinky is swinging!]

In the arena, Yuka, initially hanging below the rock, kicked off the cliff face, propelling herself upwards.

Rabies, with his cannon still cooling down, could only brace himself with his sword in front of the cockpit, watching "Lady" closely.

Yuka, now mid-air, shook her arm, freeing the hook from the rock and throwing it towards a higher point, continuing her swing towards Rabies.

Rabies subtly shifted his sword, ready to strike Yuka’s cockpit as she approached. However, an unexpected slip occurred. The hook claw slid off the rock, changing direction.

Yuka, feeling the slack in the chain, quickly adapted her plan.

Instead of landing on the intended rock, she kicked mid-air, striking Rabies’ extended sword, pushing him backward.

Yuka landed safely on the rock, steadying herself. She shook her arm, retracting the hook into a complete mechanical arm, and blocked Rabies’ sword strike with her own blade.

Rabies attacked fiercely, each strike heavy and aimed at Yuka’s cockpit. Yuka parried with her long blade, her wrists numbing from the impact.

In the commentator’s booth, Alfie smugly addressed his audience, "See, this is why Rabies is number one. That ’Lady’ mecha moves so awkwardly; it can’t block Rabies’ attacks. She’s about to be knocked off any moment now!"

He continued, his words dripping with disdain for "Lady". His viewers joined in, questioning how someone so seemingly weak could be ranked third.

Meanwhile, Roukujou’s viewers were fuming, but they refrained from visiting Alfie’s stream to avoid boosting his popularity. Instead, they flooded Roukujou’s chat with supportive messages for Pinky.

Roukujou, absorbed in analysis, was closely studying the slow-motion replay. "Listen, everyone," he suddenly said, "I’ve figured out why Pinky’s movements seem off."

The chat, eager for his insight, urged him to continue.

Roukujou, quickening his pace to satisfy the impatient viewers, explained, "Rabies is intentionally forcing Pinky towards the mountain. He’s also constantly hitting the mountain side, making exaggerated movements. Pinky is trying to minimize these vibrations by coordinating her strikes with his, which is why her attacks aren’t as smooth as usual."

The chat speculated, [Is Rabies trying to trigger an avalanche?]

[Why would he do that? It’s insane.]

[Don’t try to understand a madman’s world.]

Roukujou’s expression grew grave. "He’s indeed crazy."

On the battlefield, Yuka had already sensed Rabies’ intention.

She forcefully parried a strike from Rabies aimed at the mountain wall, but couldn’t prevent the deliberate noise he was creating.

The rock under her feet began to tremble slightly, and the snow on the mountain started to slide. Situated midway up the mountain, it was too late for Yuka to escape downwards.

In less than thirty seconds, they would be engulfed by the cascading snow.

Yuka took a step back and transformed her mechanical arm into a hook claw again, ready to latch onto the rock.

Her plan was to hang below the rock, using the angle between the mountain and the outcrop to avoid the avalanche.

As the audience, commentators, and Yuka watched in shock, Rabies suddenly lunged at Yuka. He tightly grasped her mecha, yanking forcefully at the hook claw, dislodging it from the rock. Then, after he gripped Yuka’s mecha, they both began to plummet rapidly.

"Has he lost his mind?" Roukujou jumped up from his seat, incredulous. "Does he think this will finish off Pinky?"

Alfie, recognizing a familiar tactic in Rabies’ actions, spoke with a hint of malice, "Ah, I wonder if ’Lady’ will still have the courage to compete after being buried in snow, experiencing suffocation and despair."