After leaving the trampoline hall, Valerius froze.
Up until now, he'd been following the directional arrows the entire time.
Now that they were gone…
He suddenly had no idea where to go.
"Do I really have to search every single room?"
Rubbing his chin, he stood outside the building, deep in thought.
The sports complex was enormous.
If he searched room by room…
He definitely wouldn't have enough time.
"Where would they absolutely have to go?"
Suddenly…
His eyes lit up.
"The locked rooms!"
The rules had clearly stated that certain rooms would be locked, and players needed to find keys to enter them.
But…
That restriction only applied to the players.
It meant absolutely nothing to him.
After all…
Even if a room was locked…
He could simply smash the door down.
It wasn't like he cared whether the door survived.
Having figured out his next objective…
Valerius immediately turned back into the trampoline hall.
Sure enough…
Near the emergency exit hung a fire axe.
He smashed the glass and pulled the axe free.
The livestream exploded.
[Qingque: Holy… what's Valerius trying to do? He's not planning to chop people with that thing, is he?]
[Seth: No way… that's way too terrifying.]
[Jing Yuan: Sigh… anyone hiding inside a locked room is finished.]
[Raiden Ei: What do you mean by that?]
She was already annoyed enough that Bailu had been found.
Now they were even cursing Kirara?
Seriously?
[Raiden Makoto: Mr. Valerius is probably planning to break down the doors.]
[Raiden Ei: But… weren't the rules that you couldn't enter without a key?]
[Yae Miko: Are you silly? That's for the players. It doesn't affect Valerius at all.]
Yae Miko had already figured it out.
Kirara was doomed.
Earlier…
Even she had thought Kirara's strategy of finding a key and hiding in a locked room was brilliant.
Now it was obvious.
It was a trap.
The moment Valerius smashed the door open…
There'd be nowhere to escape.
[Raiden Ei: Why doesn't it affect Valerius?]
[Zhongli: Players must preserve the lock, so they require the key. Valerius doesn't. He's not the one hiding, so there's no reason for him to care if the door remains intact.]
[Raiden Ei: T-That's cheating…]
Only now did she finally understand.
Everyone else needed keys…
Yet Valerius could simply destroy the door.
That was way too unfair.
Watching Kirara still trembling nervously in the corner…
Raiden Ei wished she could jump into the game and yell at her to run.
Staying there guarantees you'll be found!
Inside the arena…
Valerius smashed every locked door inside the trampoline hall.
Finding no one…
He headed for the next venue.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The sound of doors being smashed echoed throughout the badminton hall.
"No one."
"Next."
After thoroughly searching the badminton hall without finding anyone…
Valerius wasn't discouraged.
He'd simply keep going.
He entered the ice hockey arena.
He twisted the handle of one locked door.
It wouldn't budge.
"Another one."
Without hesitation…
He swung the axe.
BANG!
"Ahhh!!"
A startled scream rang out from inside.
"Heh."
"Got someone."
After smashing so many empty rooms…
He had finally hit the jackpot.
Before arriving, Valerius had already observed the ice hockey arena's layout.
Rooms with ordinary doors all had windows.
Only the rooms requiring keys were completely sealed dead ends.
There was no chance for anyone inside to escape.
So instead of wasting time…
He reversed his grip and drove the axe directly into the center of the door.
Crack… Crack…
A huge split appeared in the wood.
Valerius leaned forward and peeked through the opening.
"Oh?"
"Isn't this Miss Pela?"
Inside…
Pela huddled fearfully in the corner.
In her hands…
She clutched an ice hockey stick.
"Eek!"
"D-Don't come any closer!"
Pela was on the verge of tears.
After finding the key and unlocking this room…
She'd been convinced she could survive until the end.
Who would've thought…
Valerius would completely ignore the rules and simply break the door down?
"Heh."
"So…"
"Are you coming out…"
"Or should I come in?"
"Y-You…"
"If you've got the guts…"
"Then come in!"
Glancing at the timer…
Pela realized there wasn't much time left.
She hurriedly dragged every piece of equipment she could find over to the doorway.
Since she couldn't escape…
She'd at least delay him.
Fortunately…
It was a storage room.
There was plenty of equipment inside.
Within moments…
The entrance was completely blocked by a mountain of gear.
"Heh."
Valerius nearly laughed.
Only after she had finished piling everything up…
Did he reach his hand through the crack…
Turn the handle from the inside…
And pull.
The door…
Opened.
Pela: "…"
The door opened outward.
Pela wanted to cry.
She'd been so frightened by Valerius that she'd completely forgotten the door swung outward.
Everything she'd stacked behind it…
Had been utterly pointless.
"Y-You…"
"Don't come any closer!"
"I'll hit you!"
She nervously waved the hockey stick in front of her.
The meaning couldn't have been clearer.
I have a weapon.
If you approach… I'll swing!
"Oh?"
"So you've got a weapon?"
Valerius smiled disdainfully.
Then he held up the fire axe in his own hand.
"Now compare yours…"
"To mine."
"…"
"Waaah…"
The hockey stick clattered onto the floor.
Pela surrendered.
The difference was simply too great.
Better not resist.
Who knew…
He might actually use that axe.
Stepping over the scattered equipment…
Valerius walked up to her and gently tapped her shoulder.
"Goodbye, Miss Pela."
"…Could you stop talking like a little kid?"
[Attention: Player Pela has been eliminated.]
Meanwhile…
Inside a small room tucked away in a corner…
Kirara shivered as the announcement echoed through the building.
Another player had been eliminated?
Was Valerius really that incredible?
"Lisa…"
"Bailu…"
"Sigewinne…"
"Pela…"
As she counted the names one by one…
Kirara realized…
Half the players had already been eliminated.
"I hope Nekomata hasn't been found yet."
"This time…"
"The two cat yokai have to win!"
She clenched her little fists and silently cheered herself on.
The livestream fell silent.
[Raiden Ei: …]
[Yae Miko: …]
[Kuki Shinobu: …]
The Inazuma players were completely speechless.
Kirara…
You're worrying about Nekomata…
While Valerius is literally standing outside your room.
Maybe worry about yourself first.
Crack!
The sudden sound jolted Kirara back to reality.
The first thing she saw…
Was the gleaming blade of a fire axe.
"…!"
Startled, she thought,
I was hiding perfectly!
Who's using an axe to smash doors?!
She cautiously crept toward the crack…
Peeking through it…
Only to meet Valerius's smiling eyes.
"Ahhh!"
She screamed.
Her legs gave out beneath her…
And she plopped onto the floor.
"Y-You're not playing fair!"
"Heh."
"The rules never said I couldn't break the door down."
Kirara's face turned bitter.
But…
She wasn't about to give up so easily.
She immediately dragged every piece of clutter she could find in front of the doorway.
Then…
Without Valerius noticing…
She quietly slipped a small card behind her back.
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