Tiger VS Bunny

Advancing silently through the forest of fresh new greenery. The thick layer of fallen leaves covers the soft peat soil below, leaving clear footprints of Xcalibur.

This is the fifth match of the Christmas tournament. I'll go for the win with a calm mind, not worrying about winning or losing. Don't think you'll win, but if you lose, you'll win.

The stage for this final battle is a virgin forest setting. With the BGM turned off, the only sound I can hear is the faint rustling of the wind through the trees, absorbed by the damp ground. It's an incredibly quiet forest.

The overgrown trees are clearly not ordinary. Fern-like buds wrapped in fiddleheads are sprouting here and there from the ground, suggesting that the trees in this forest are some kind of fern-like plants.

Xcalibur's height is supposed to be around 10 meters, and with NekoMimi it's a bit taller. From this, it can be estimated that the canopy of the forest above is nearly 20 meters high. 

It's a jungle stage of giant fern plants. With hardly any undergrowth, the atmosphere might be closer to a well-tended bamboo grove than a tropical jungle. It gives a more subdued impression compared to the kind of jungles seen in dinosaur movies, but this makes it easier to fight.

Is this stage modeled after the ancient Earth? Surely dinosaurs won't come leaping out.

No reaction from the passive scanner, meaning the enemy unit has high stealth capability. This time the opponent doesn't seem to be Scutum.

While the high-performance dedicated shield of Scutum is popular and easy to use for players, its low stealth has become a weakness in high-level matches. If the opponent can snipe and shoot you down from a distance before you spot them, that prized shield is useless. Sagittarius has good sniping ability, but its stealth isn't great either, so it's not necessarily the best for sniping yet.

The game balance in this game is chaotic, you could say, or has a high degree of freedom, to put it nicely. With some ingenuity, any unit can find a way to fight.

The fact that I can win rather easily with Xcalibur, often called a joke unit, is because I became able to parry beams with the real sword early on. In the publicly available videos, there are only a few players besides me who can properly parry with Xcalibur. Among Xcalibur users, only the famous Pinkhunter, and about three technicians who use Leo.

Compared to Xcalibur whose basic form wields a two-handed sword, the dual-wielding Leo is better suited for parrying by swinging two swords. With two swords, it can cover a wider area, so as long as the timing is right, it's easier to get a successful parry.

On the other hand, Xcalibur's larger beam can completely counter even large-caliber beams, so it's hard to say which is stronger overall. Against artillery-focused opponents, Xcalibur is stronger, while against danmaku-loving enemies, Leo has the advantage. That's all there is to it.

Anyway, I try to avoid large-caliber beams as much as possible. By making them think I'm dodging, then occasionally throwing in a parry, I can catch them off guard. No matter how skilled a technician you are, it's meaningless if you can't win.

That said, Leo is undoubtedly a formidable foe. I wouldn't want the enemy this time to be Leo. This time I'm foolishly going into battle with a gun-sword equipped as my main weapon, so close-quarters combat against the dual-wielding Leo would be quite difficult.

I am carrying Xcalibur, the child of the tiger, on my back as a precaution, so if need be, I can ditch the gun-sword and fight with Xcalibur instead. But discarding it is the last resort. I don't really care about losing the sandpachi gun, but it would be a waste to lose the Sword Breaker that's equipped as the gun-sword as well.

In that regard, the Buster Sword is a really good weapon. It's cheap to buy at stores, so it doesn't matter if it breaks or gets lost. In the end, weapons are consumables. The reason the cheat-level Xcalibur hasn't seen much action is because there's no way to replenish it if lost.

This game makes you worry too much about things you shouldn't really have to worry about. If they prioritized multiplayer matches, maybe they should have fixed the armaments for each unit. The latest issue of the gaming industry's top magazine had scathing reviews criticizing the gameplay. Guardian Troopers doesn't advertise in those kinds of magazines at all, so the reviewers show no mercy.

To the gaming industry, it's just too unconventional of a title. Veteran reviewers wrote that no matter how much the income grows, they'll never be able to recoup even the development costs. In other words, an astronomical amount was invested in development, so it's hopeless to recoup the investment with just a $5 per play fee, even if it's a huge hit.

It's pretty well known that an arms manufacturer backs the American company that developed Guardian Troopers, so there's even a preposterous theory that it's actually a system for training robot weapon pilots.

I think the pilot training theory is off base. While in-game there are conventional-looking live ammunition weapons, the mainstream are beam weapons and other sci-fi-esque armaments. I can't imagine giant beam saber-wielding robots actually existing.

If pilot training were the goal, they could just do it secretly within the military. My guess is that the real purpose of this game is to test control systems for future robot weapon development.

These days, I operate Xcalibur without being conscious of the controller. With any game, you eventually stop consciously thinking about the controls the more you play, but it's especially pronounced with this game. Even the most complex controls are now processed subconsciously in my brain. I can casually move the giant robot in real-time while humming a tune and fiddling with the controller.

What old sci-fi accomplished by implanting electrodes in the pilot's brain is smoothly achieved here with just a regular controller, albeit with AI assistance. Isn't that pretty amazing?

Analyzing the control logs of all Guardian Troopers players could be quite useful for developing actual robot weapons. After all, tens of thousands of passionate players are constantly honing their skills every day.

Weapons have exorbitant unit prices - even a single fighter jet costs hundreds of billions. For an industry like that, the development cost of a game is pocket change they could scrape up from anywhere. It's just my speculation, but I don't think I'm too far off base. Even if my gameplay is used for weapon development, I don't really mind. If they could actually develop giant humanoid robots, they would likely be a huge asset at construction sites and such.

Silencing my presence, I advance through the forest with cautious steps. While my footprints are unavoidable, the enemy leaves them too. I walk carefully, watching for the enemy's tracks.

Sunbeams peeking through the canopy of the giant fern trees dance on Xcalibur's gray armor. The dappled light looks like tiger stripes. Come to think of it, a tiger's flashy stripes are actually said to provide good camouflage for hunting in the forest.

"I'm a tiger, stalking my prey. A tiger, a tiger, become a tiger. Not a cat, not a cat, not a cat."

I hum an improvised silly song as I proceed. Stopping by the standing bar across from the game center for a quick drink with Triski before playing was a mistake. I seem to be getting in an odd mood.

It was just a plum wine soda, but alcohol impairs judgement. In this state, I'll have a hard time parrying enemy shots. More importantly, operating a combat robot while drunk is a death flag. I'll have to be careful from now on. If you drink, don't pilot. If you pilot, don't drink.

"No matching music data found. What is the title?"

What's this, Betty is searching for something in the middle of a battle? She really is an oddly high-performance AI.

"The song is called 'My Robot is a Tiger Tiger,' lyrics and music by me, just made it up."

I can hardly even remember what the lyrics were, but it doesn't matter. That's just how drunken songs go. If Betty didn't chime in with her strange comment, I would have completely forgotten singing it.

"Understood." 

I naturally cracked a smile. Maybe it's the alcohol, but the ever-serious Betty's response strikes me as hilarious. No matter how well made, she's just an AI in the end, incapable of understanding jokes.

While I've been saying silly things, the time remaining has dwindled. The enemy must be getting anxious too, but still hasn't used the active scanner. 

Come to think of it, since I'm using NekoMimi, I can use the active scanner too. It feels like admitting defeat to use it first and reveal my location to the enemy. But if we run out of time, it's a draw for both of us. Alright, let's use it.

Then, looking at the terrain before me, a brilliant idea flashed like a revelation. Well, whether it's actually a good idea or not, I won't know until I try it. In my drunken boldness, I'll just go for it. Even if I lose the game, it's not like I'll actually die.

I activated the active scanner momentarily. I couldn't pinpoint the enemy's location, but they should know roughly where I am now. If they missed that, they're no big deal. But they managed to make it this far, they surely noticed it.

After making a crude Xcalibur dummy out of chopped wood, I hurriedly backtracked along my own footprints in the opposite direction. The key is overlapping the footsteps skillfully so they don't misalign - I think I did a decent job for being drunk. 

A short ways back, I strung a wire anchor between some large trees and made my way to a nearby rocky alcove without leaving tracks. Now I just have to hide and wait silently.

Before long, the passive scanner detected the enemy approaching. They've fallen for my trap and are heading this way. 

I'm crouched behind the rock, unmoving, so the enemy likely hasn't detected me yet. If they have, I'm done for - remaining still in this game is suicidal.

As long as you're moving, even if a beam weapon hits, the damage is greatly reduced. It's the same principle that prevented a certain country from shooting down aircraft with flamethrowers in WWII. If a beam just grazes you momentarily, it's no big deal. The armor seems to be covered in some kind of weak barrier-like protection.

However, if you're completely stopped when hit by a beam attack, you'll take the full particle blast. If it penetrates the armor, it causes massive damage - potentially an instant knockout.

The reason newbies get quickly shot down by the basic enemy beams in Stage 2 is because they stop moving to carefully aim at enemies. If you just kept blindly moving around, you'd almost never get shot down in Stage 2.

Instead of simply calculating beam hit detection and dealing a set damage like a normal game, this one seems to brute force the physics simulation. I doubt it's calculating each individual beam particle, but it's processing something close. The programming was likely done by engineers who never made games before. 

It's impressive that computers can muscle through such asinine processing. The Guardian Troopers arcade cabinets are said to have CPUs rivaling last-generation supercomputers built in. No matter how cheap, using CPU hardware equivalent to a compact car's price for a game is just crazy.

It's no wonder the cabinets are all rental units - if they sold them, the price would reportedly be enough to buy a private helicopter. Stuff like that is probably what fuels wacky speculations about it being a pilot training device.

Or maybe it's just a gaming billionaire's expensive hobby. Economic news reported the late merchant billionaire Billy Reis was at the top of a Guardian Troopers-related company. With over a trillion dollars in personal assets, he could live for 30 years spending a billion a day, with plenty left over to indulge his gaming interests if he set aside just a few billion for living expenses.

The enemy is slow to react - did they notice me?

If they did, I need to make a move now. Getting hit by a beam while sitting still in this hiding spot would be disastrous damage.

The enemy unit came into view. It's UsamiMimi, a Xcalibur II. So it's a same character but different model matchup. While the Xcalibur and Xcalibur II have quite different performance, the appearance is about the only similarity. 

Judging by the silhouette, the weapons on UsamiMimi's shoulders look like gatling guns - a real pain of an opponent. And is that also gatling guns in both its arms? No way, quad gatling guns? Just how much of a gatling gun fanatic is this guy?

It's no joke equipment. If used skilfully, it could be considered an overpowered setup in a sense. An opponent who made it this far won't be a pushover.

But what's that large backpack-like thing equipped on its back? I don't remember seeing armaments like that before.

The enemy seems to have fallen for my footprint trick, suddenly strafing and indiscriminately firing the gatling guns in the wrong direction. 

The torrent of bullets is pulverizing the trees into an unbelievable scene. The enemy slowly rotates, mercilessly mowing down the forest.

While I appreciate them wasting ammo, at this rate I'll eventually be in trouble too. I watched for an opening to make my move as the firing stopped.

In just a few seconds, the forest was scythed into a fan-shaped clearing. It would be disastrous environmental destruction if not for this being a game.

It seems the enemy has run out of ammo - the downside of gatling guns is burning through it in an instant. This is my chance, my turn.

The enemy set down the backpack on the ground and seems to be doing something. Was that a transport container? It looks like spare ammo drums for the gatling guns.

Don't tell me they're reloading? That's no joke - I can't let them unleash another hellish barrage like that.

I jump out to stop the reload. The enemy has noticed me but continues working calmly. The composure is like a veteran soldier's, suggesting a solid grasp of what needs to be done. This is a fearsome opponent. 

Will my sword reach first, or will they finish reloading?

Ah, my weapon is a gun-sword, not a sword. Should I discard it and switch to Xcalibur? 

No, first I'll shoot, shoot. We're in effective range, so even if I miss, it should at least intimidate them. Maybe they'll flinch and mess up the reload. It'd be a waste not to fire this beam gun I'm carrying.

No harm if I miss, but a hit would be a bonus. I charge the enemy, haphazardly spraying shots as I go.

I can't believe the beam actually hit the enemy. That pathetic sandpachi gun beam scored a takedown, despite not even using a lock-on.

Still, to think that measly single beam was enough to defeat the enemy when they were stopped in place. The beam is devastatingly effective against stationary targets. 

From now on, I absolutely must never stop moving in combat. 

I may have won, but does it really count as a clean win if I couldn't land a single sword strike? It feels somewhat incomplete and unsatisfying, like the fight was over before it really began.