Chapter 466 - White That Rends the Dark and Crimson Fireworks, Part 2
In Arcadia, long-range weapons get the short end of the stick.
The reason why is simple. Because the performance of one's avatar—whose stats can be built up by leveling up and acquiring better equipment—is simply too high, the balance of pros and cons that comes from relying on the 'power of a tool' instead is completely broken.
The damage caps for things like 'bows' and 'guns,' which rely on mechanisms to launch projectiles, are determined by the weapon's specs.
Swords and spears are the same way, aren't they? I once thought while browsing the harsh reviews of Arcadia's 'guns' on the internet... but the fatal flaw is that there's simply too little room to add the player's own 'power.'
Of course, there are ways to boost their damage and other stats, starting with skills, but that's all there is to it. And that alone is naturally not enough to stand on par with melee weapons, which can leverage the avatar's full strength and agility on top of skill enhancements.
To put it bluntly—whether you're using real bullets like in the real world or the magical projectiles that are the global standard in this world, it's stronger for the player to just throw a rock with their own hands or cast a spell.
On top of that, their crafting difficulty is ridiculously high, and apparently, recreating modern firearms is a pipe dream, even with the knowledge of a core gun enthusiast.
To be precise, it's possible just to make them, but achieving a level of power that's effective against Arcadia's players and enemies is next to impossible. A peashooter that only mimics the appearance would serve as an interior decoration at best.
Hinayo-san's Anima, [Nova Rescellerate, Mirror Illuminating Six Stars], is an exception among exceptions.
It's debatable whether you can even call that a gun... but in any case, the fact that I've never once encountered another long-range weapon user in major events like the Four Pillar War or against the White Throne is proof enough of the current situation.
The difficulty of 'aiming' with guns and bows when looking at the top tier might be another factor in their misfortune. Like me, lightweight warriors on the player side and agile, mobile enemies are constantly zipping all over the place.
Trying to snipe them with the virtual world's slow-firing weapons would be a truly monumental task. And even if you manage to land a hit, it's a cruel reality that your efforts are thwarted by a lack of firepower.
Depending on your talent, the potential for increasing damage is infinite, the range is the same as or greater than a gun, the variations are countless, and the wide-area destructive power of high-tier spells surpasses even a rocket launcher... so, well, it's only natural to conclude, Might as well just use magic, right?
There seem to be a fair number of enthusiasts for bows, guns, and other things like chakrams, boomerangs, and slingshots—but that aside,
The important question is, what in the world is this [Ruby Rabbit Bullet]?
"—Ghh, raaaagh...!!"
Simultaneously with the trigger pull, a distorted gunshot rings out—a mix of a piercing, ear-splitting crack and a deep rumble that resonates in my gut. True to the over-the-top sound effect, the recoil is just as intense as the power of the fired warhead.
It was as if the gun itself were saying—Don't you dare underestimate me by firing one-handed.
The crimson matchlock shatters to pieces, mercilessly leaving a massive aftershock of energy in my avatar, but,
"—"
You're the one who shouldn't underestimate me. Whose disciple do you think I am?
As a flash of crimson light explodes from my hand, I twist my body with the force that threatened to send half of me flying, seizing the reins of the rampaging vector.
It's a maneuver akin to the ultimate technique of Kesshiki Itto—the Final Strike, Yuikaze—which subjugates immense energy through rotation, making it one's own.
Keeping the soles of my boots planted on the floor, I spin at high speed in a sliding motion. Naturally, my vision becomes about fifty percent horizontal lines, but that's just business as usual for me.
This barely even counts as poor visibility!
"Guuaaa—raaaagh!!"
I ride out the recoil from the left and, still spinning, fire a Second Bullet. It's not a matter of if it'll hit—it will hit! There, it hit! All good!!!
The sight of cheerful fireworks going off one after another at the points of impact directly challenges the underdog image Arcadia's 'guns' have carried.
The factor that cleared the biggest hurdle for long-range weapons—insufficient power—was none other than the material from the perfectly named [Ruby Bullet Rabbit].
Its horn grows when imbued with mana.
Its horn becomes tougher the faster it flies.
Its horn explodes when the fuse is activated.
This [Ruby Rabbit Bullet] was completed by utilizing those very characteristics, which were also fully leveraged in my [Parabellum Bullets]—it's an absurd explosive matchlock that devours the user's mana (MP) to grow, and then endlessly replicates itself.
The more mana it's fed, the harder and stronger it becomes. In other words, its capacity for storing energy is enormous.
So what happens if you pour mana to its absolute limit into a horn with such properties... and then detonate that bullet-horn just like the Exploding Rabbit? This is the answer.
It is, quite literally, an exploding [Ruby Rabbit Bullet].
The usual drop in projectile speed that should occur with a massive warhead is perfectly resolved by its characteristic of accelerating with mana as its engine... however.
"Hah, this stupid fuel consumption...!"
Aside from the absurd difficulty of controlling the recoil, its most notable weakness is its idiotic cost. I've been saddled with numerous mana gluttons before, from Fatal Leak to the autonomous movement of the Everquartz, but this one is a gourmand on par with them.
Each and every gun literally consumes as much MP as a grand magic spell. And as long as the count is below its maximum of thirty-seven, the [Ruby Rabbit Bullet] will continue to replicate itself, regardless of its master's wishes.
Which means my MP gets hit twice for replication and reloading. Even with my Trance form's 1450 MID, my status bar is being shaved down so brutally that it's starting to become comical.
Haaah, honestly, dancing with a wild mare is just so damn fun!!
Spinning left and right, I summon gun after gun and pull trigger after trigger. Just as the repeated roars and the thrill of setting off fireworks threatened to send my ears and my hype level over the edge,
"—And I'm empty. Just as you calculated, Kagura-san."
A total of seventy-four shots—exactly two full rotations of its maximum capacity—is my current limit for continuous fire.
From this point on, until the replication and mana-filling of thirty-seven guns is complete again, my MP will be endlessly siphoned away the moment it recovers. Ah, how merciless.
I did try asking the creator if the replication function could be temporarily turned off, but the reply I got was, "I was able to get that insane firepower precisely because I omitted such merciful features," accompanied by a heartfelt smile that screamed a sense of accomplishment.
At the time I thought, Seriously? ...But after seeing this spectacle, a result of my own 'accomplishment,' I can't complain about a situation that would normally leave my MP completely locked down.
Truly, a field of corpses.
Though what's scattered around aren't bodies but relics... the vast number of shining trophies (lapis) glittering all over the place speaks to the tremendous success the [Ruby Rabbit Bullet] achieved in just over two minutes.
If this were mass-produced, it could probably revolutionize military tactics in the virtual world. The kin of 'Red' are terrifying; their potential is truly something else—
Now, then.
Including the new 'dragon' type, I've crushed most of the first wave of [Stardust Beasts]. It wasn't a clean sweep, but even the ones that narrowly escaped the initial barrage of heavy artillery are scattered and suffering from damage, great or small.
—However, it couldn't possibly end there.
"I don't know if they'll spawn infinitely until time's up, or if there's a limit, but..."
I never expected to call it a day with just a fireworks show. As I watch the second wave begin to emerge from the depths of the forest... I activate [Trance].
"Well then, shall we move on to stage two, partner?"
As my long hair—the weight—vanishes, I stretch, savoring the familiar sensation of my body. In response to my whisper... no, my call, the ring on my right hand begins to glow.
"Let's go wild—[Alv Stella]!"
It's as if it were saying, I've been waiting.
The Anima, having reached the Third Tier, transforms from a ring into a sword. In its master's grasp, the blade shimmers with the color of familiar golden eyes.