Once we readjusted the stats and resumed the exhibition match, it turned out to be quite the contest—even if I do say so myself.
Since the game was designed for a broad audience, it was balanced so that as long as you were somewhat accustomed to the mechanics, there was a solid chance you could win even against a superior player—setting aside complete beginners, of course.
The Ura-uchi I performed was one example, but many character moves in this game had strong hitboxes. Ura-uchi itself was a technique that took advantage of the fact that an attack hitbox was generated behind the character, albeit a small one. Beyond that, there were also items with strong random elements and stage gimmicks.
I might be landing combos nimbly only for a random item to spawn and interrupt my flow, or an item might appear that granted invincibility for a set period. Of course, the more skilled player definitely had the advantage, but no matter how good Kuro was—even if she could react to frame-perfect movements that I couldn’t— there were some aspects of the game’s specs that simply couldn't be helped.
Even regarding the Ura-uchi from a moment ago, my character’s movements probably looked as if they were standing still to Kuro. However, since she was already in the middle of an Invincibility Evasion Action and had no way to cancel it, she took the hit. There were plenty of ways to fight back.
Unlike the 50x era, Kuro’s offense—now that damage was properly registering—was intense. Partly because she was naturally skilled, my character’s stocks were chipped away early on, but I managed to deal a fair amount of damage to her as well.
Since she was using a character whose move performance changed based on damage taken, there was likely a part of her that was aiming to get hit to some extent... but even so, it didn’t go entirely according to her plan. Considering my character had a Status 5x buff, Kuro probably wanted to maintain her HP above the sudden instant-death threshold even at the cost of some efficiency, rather than dropping below 100 HP where her effects maximized. However, I managed to win several reads and land some good hits.
In the end, right around the time my character’s HP dropped below 300, a read based almost entirely on intuition landed perfectly. My attack interrupted one of Kuro’s moves, and the match was settled with my victory.
『And that’s the match! The one who reigned supreme in this fierce battle is Kaito-san!』
『That was a great game. The Status 5x provided an exquisite balance—it felt just right as a handicap against Kuro-rin. It was a wonderful back-and-forth struggle. Honestly, Kai-chan is actually really good, isn't he? He could probably make it to the finals even if he entered the tournament normally.』
It was exactly as Fate-san said; if Kuro and I fought for real, she would almost certainly win, so I think this adjustment was appropriate as a handicap.
Actually, on top of the Status 5x, Kuro started with one less stock. I had a feeling that if we had both started with 2 stocks, Kuro would have won.
"Aww, you read me perfectly at the very end. Thank you, Kaito-kun! It was a great match."
"Thank you as well. But you were down a stock, and if we’d had the Status 5x from the very start, I feel like you would have won."
"That might be true, but as for me, I’m satisfied just being able to have a fun match with Kaito-kun. Let’s play together again when we have the chance."
Kuro didn't seem particularly bothered by the result and wore a joyful smile. Well, it wasn’t like there was a prize for winning anyway; since it was an exhibition match, the fact that we had a fun game was the best possible outcome.
While I was thinking that, Kuro finished putting her controller away and walked over to where I was sitting.
"Then, Kaito-kun, since it's a special occasion... this is a victory gift from me."
"Hmm? A gift?"
"Mwah... Ehehe, well, keep enjoying the rest of the birthday party!"
Looking quite pleased with herself, Kuro waved and stepped away after kissing me on the cheek. The surprise attack of a kiss was, well, embarrassing, but it made me happy.
『Whoops, Kuro-san is being quite bold... Hey, you gods over there! What’s with that "Should we enter the Second Tournament too?" vibe you're putting off!? What just happened wasn't some kind of Winner's Privilege or anything like that. You lot, just sit down and behave.』
"Is it not unfair that only Kuro receives this?"
"Exactly! Only Kuromueina is being sneaky!"
『It’s not unfair at all. Setting aside Shallow Vernal-sama, who is Kaito-san's lover, as for Machina, even if you actually had such a right, the answer is no.』
I had to say, there was a real sense of security having Alice manage things in a place like this. She was a huge help because she was willing to tell even Shiro-san and Machina-san that "no" means "no."
Serious-senpai: "Hey, stop with the sudden lovey-dovey moments. I was watching seriously, so I feel like I just got slapped out of nowhere..."