kscans

Chapter 117 - Guardian's Frost Blade, Endless Sky-Dash - Part One

Here I come.

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First, a little test. I'll observe how the [Sword Protector] deals with the dozen or so Parabellum Bullets launched by a swing of my arm—as if I have time for such a lukewarm approach!!

"No holding back, celestial!!"

I swung my left hand to the right, then back to the left again in quick succession.

In the path of my empty left hand, Parabellum Bullets appeared one after another, their tips aimed at the enemy. The moment my fingertips grazed their hilts, the crimson-scarlet daggers were launched with the force of a full-powered throw.

[Flip Stroke]—the evolved form of [Piercing Dart], a skill I hadn't used in a long time because I hate the post-skill animation lock of assault skills.

As if protesting its neglect, this skill, which had now changed into a completely different category, brought with it an effect—the deletion of the throwing motion.

By activating [Flip Stroke] with either hand, that hand transforms into an automatic launcher that 'throws' objects just by touching them.

When used in conjunction with this cheat weapon that can summon clones—the [Parabellum Bullets]—as long as my MP holds out, I can deliver the super-rapid fire you see now. It's an incredible skill—but,

"Wipe that smug look off your face...!!"

Not a single one of them reached the [Sword Protector].

He showed a flicker of surprise at my acrobatic first move, but only for a moment. With a smile still playing on his lips—his katana, wielded with just his right hand, batted away every single one.

No, seriously, you've got to be kidding me... That's a barrage of at least ten shots per second...!!

And these aren't just pebbles. They're a swarm of daggers, over twenty centimeters long, launched with a STR of 300 as their baseline.

Even though they're light, the Parabellum Bullets, which can shatter rock at that speed, each possess enough power to easily pierce an armored warrior...!

—Ten seconds. The duration of [Flip Stroke] expired, and the barrage ceased.

After glancing at the hundred-odd Parabellum Bullets scattered around him, the [Sword Protector]'s gaze turned to me, who was standing there completely dumbfounded.

Is that all you've got?

"Tch... Yeah, bring it on. I'll make you eat those words."

I raised the [Rabbit Shortsword: Parabellum], which had been hanging at my side. He reacted, his teasing gaze sharpening once more as he watched me—

"Right now—[Exploding Rabbit]."

I held the Rabbit Shortsword in a reverse grip and slammed my gauntleted left fist into its blade.

With a tink—the crimson-scarlet dagger shattered from the middle of its blade like a glass sculpture.

Even the great [Sword Protector] was clearly surprised by this. As his eyes widened in astonishment, I grinned back at him. You're a second too early to be surprised.

In that instant—the massive number of Parabellum Bullets scattered around him all exploded with a high-pitched shattering sound. The countless scarlet fragments descended upon the unguarded [Sword Protector] like a fragmentation grenade.

"—Gah...?!"

What reached my ears was a voice of clear astonishment. I suppressed the urge to celebrate landing a blow—and pressed the attack.

It looked incredibly flashy, but the power of each fragment from [Exploding Rabbit]... the self-destruct attack of the Parabellum Bullets, was minuscule.

It might work against someone unarmored like a certain someone from a few days ago, but there was no way it could penetrate the top-tier armor worn by a high-ranking player—let alone a Ranker.

As expected, the HP bar above his head had only been chipped by about ten percent from a hundred tiny hits. It was just enough to startle him—so I couldn't afford to waste the opening that surprise created!

I slammed the now-broken [Rabbit Shortsword: Parabellum] back into its sheath and summoned two new weapons into my empty hands: [Panga Fool]—and the newcomer, the [Revolving Gyro-Shield].

I pulled the trigger of the black shortsword to activate [Ignition]. Combined with the effects of [Rabbit Run] and [Fataless Jumper], I closed the distance to the faltering [Sword Protector] in a single leap—

"Tch... Don't underestimate me, rookie!"

Contrary to his surprisingly guttural voice, his eyes, which were smiling with amusement, pierced through me. His katana was already enveloped in a blue light effect—

"—Like hell I'd underestimate a top ranker!!"

[Prescient Eye], activate!!

The color drained from my vision, and what was drawn in its place were countless crimson lines... no, wait, seriously, a super combo skill right off the bat—?!?

Seeing more than five, ten, twenty death lines appear in the void, I forced my legs, which were instinctively about to retreat, to stay put.

—Don't run, push forward!!!

"[Gusty Limb]!!"

I activated a new skill that grants my limbs the same parry ability as a weapon, and in parallel, I activated [Reflective Blow], the enhanced version of the defensive skill [Quit Counter].

I memorized the crimson lines in my vision and immediately closed the mana-guzzling [Prescient Eye]. As color returned to my sight, I glared at the [Sword Protector], and his blue eyes shot back a storm of killing intent that was no joke.

"[Void-Severing—"

Bring it on, blondie samurai.

"—Endless Sword]!!"

I'll knock down every last one!!

The first slash, an upward reverse-diagonal from the right, I met by slamming my right-hand Gyro-Shield into it—the flashy clang of the parry and the sound of metal became the trigger for the ensuing flurry.

Left, right, downward slash, low sweep, reverse diagonal, high, middle, diagonal, upward slash—

Following the sequence of the crimson lines I had seared into my memory, I deflected every single sword flash that came at me.

Primarily using the Gyro-Shield in my right, and when that wasn't enough, using my left hand and both legs, which had been turned into durable steel by the two skills—well, that was obviously asking too much, the chip damage is insane!!

"...Then, this!!"

I quickly abandoned my three shieldless limbs as defensive options, and by dropping my body to the ground to forcibly dodge the next sword strike—I slammed my shield-bearing right fist and my empty left fist together.

The momentary opening was literally an instant. The next attack closed in on my exposed back—and I threw up my empty left hand.

"Tch...!"

In the corner of my vision, I caught a flicker of genuine shock. My bare left hand, which had just loudly deflected his blade, was now holding a translucent shield of light that shimmered a silvery blue.

Now I'm dual-wielding shields. I doubled my手数 to meet the remaining sword flashes—

"Yeah, take this!!"

"You've got to be kidding me...!!"

As I let out a cheer along with the breath I'd been holding, I received a compliment from the [Sword Protector], whose cheeks were twitching in disbelief.

In the span of a few seconds, he had unleashed twenty-two slashes. The katana, its extraordinary super-combo completely repelled, lost its blue phosphorescence—a grand move like that couldn't possibly be without a post-skill animation lock, right!

Trapped by the system's constraints, he froze. I stepped in closer to the motionless avatar, and in place of the shields that had served their purpose, I summoned the crimson long spear into both hands.

That pathetic shrapnel doesn't count—now take a proper first attack!!

The butt of the roaring [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor] slammed into his defenseless solar plexus—and the brilliant red of the hit effect that burst forth soared into the air, a signal flare for the coming upset.