kscans

Chapter 214 - Crimson Brilliant Bullet

—First move.

Maru II tried to reverse his direction by kicking off the great war axe blocking his path. I slammed my shielded left fist, now serving as a knuckle duster, into his gut. He grunted in pain and bent over, immediately countering with a dagger slash, but by the time he began his swing, I was already gone from his sight.

A passing blow. The impact from my excessive speed transferred fully, sending the young man floating slightly into the air. Behind him—I had already planted myself on the wall of the [Engage] field, and with a split-second reversal, I was now at his back.

—Second move.

Even if he couldn't react to what he saw, his thought acceleration was by far the best among all player skills. It was no surprise that he could launch a counterattack based on prediction. He twisted his body in mid-air, throwing a dagger past his own side as a feint… but unfortunately for him, I have my own cheat-level eyes.

Dodging the blade that traced the pre-displayed red line, I dropped my knees, slipping 'under' him, and unleashed a kick.

A somersault kick, backed by the inertia of moving over five hundred kilometers per hour and powered by an STR of 300, slammed into his wide-open torso…

“—Guh, ff…!?”

The tremendous impact forced all the air from Maru II's lungs, and his body was launched violently upward.

“[Ignition].”

—Third move.

I instantly replenished the energy I’d just unleashed on my target. In parallel, I summoned the [Demon Horn Spear: Crimson Valor] and launched an upward follow-up strike with its butt end, then overtook my own thrown spear to leap above Maru II.

—Fourth, fifth, sixth, seventh moves.

Down, side, up, down. Kicking off the walls of the field that was supposed to be my prison, I diced up his launched body with the crimson blades of my [Parabellum Bullet].

In the midst of it all, after landing another jab on him, I snatched the falling Crimson Valor spear from the air…

“[Infuse].”

With a flutter of crimson cloth, I buffed myself even further.

My avatar, now wrapped in multiple layers of crimson light effects, charged—eighth move.

It might have seemed like he was getting completely owned, but the fact that he was still alive after being hit by such a one-sided barrage was pretty insane in itself. He skillfully manipulated his body in the unforgiving mid-air, continuing to evade fatal blows. His skill was nothing short of admirable.

But…

“[Blink Switch]—!”

The [Giant's Hand Axe], thrown upward with a speed that defied normal logic, was met by Maru II's greatshield with a desperate look on his face, giving him no time to react. I rushed past his side.

I planted my feet just shy of the ceiling of the field and reversed my direction.

Simultaneously—I drew the red dagger that I had been holding down in its sheath with my right hand.

Alright, are you ready, [The Dictionary]?

You probably won’t even be able to see the remaining moves.

Alright, are you ready, [Rabbit Dagger]?

Your first full-throttle run—take everything I've got left!!

The misshapen dagger, released from its sheath, was already impossible to see. The torrent of magical light that erupted the moment it was unsealed converged, forming a greatsword of brilliant crimson light.

—Ninth move.

“[Totsuka no Tsurugi]—”

“—Kuh…!!”

Seeing the massive blade of light, whose length and pressure were incomparable to the original dagger, Maru II instantly abandoned any thought of evasion and created multiple layers of greatshields—

—and I, watching him from inside his defenses, placed a hand on his back.

“—wha,”

“My bad.”

The tenth move was already done.

As my HP drained away from the super-acceleration, I had used two consecutive direction changes to get behind him. [The Dictionary] was speechless…

In that stretched-out moment, I felt the tension drain from the back I held.

—I give up. Just make it quick.

Was it my imagination, or was that what he was conveying without words?

I hoped that, beyond his back, the expression on his unseen face was one of satisfaction. If so, it would be the highest honor.

Well then, as you wish—a great flash of heatless flame erupted.

“—[Enrei Kagura].”

The crimson blade, swung straight down, silently cleaved my worthy rival's avatar in two…

And as his remnants scattered into crimson phosphorescence, it was as if they were being devoured.

The blade, its red light fading, drank them all in without a trace.

—And so, having finished its job, I sheathed the Rabbit Dagger, which now seemed to carry an air of satisfaction.

“—…Aaaargh…!!”

I tumbled into the waterway, my mind numb from the extreme over-concentration. I let out a groan, like a man on the verge of death, and watched the barrier of [Engage] dissipate.

—Man, that was… super exhausting, but super fun, and I learned a ton. Let’s do this again sometime, Maru II.

“That was a damn good game from the bottom of my heart—”

“—An openi—”

SPLASH!!

SLASH!!

WHOOSH!!

SIZZLE!!

Huh?

“Heh!?”

As I looked up at the moon with a satisfied expression, a flood of information, starting with an unfamiliar girl's voice, erupted beside me in an instant.

A ‘pressure’ I felt behind me for a split second was instantly evaporated by an immense heat. I stumbled forward and, with a dumbfounded look, turned around.

“So hooooot!!!??”

What burst into my vision—or rather, what assaulted my entire body, including my face—was a vortex of explosive, superheated steam.

Of course, there was no actual pain, but the combination of heat just at the threshold of perception and a numbing sensation created the illusion of a burn-inducing temperature.

I yelled and shielded my face with my arms. Fortunately, there was no dama—… wait, there is. One wrong step and I would have been dead…!!!

—Hey, brat.

As I shuddered at this sudden glimpse of death, the voice of the [General Commander] echoed in my mind, dripping with exasperation.

I sensed the admonishing tone in his voice… and with a speed that would have rivaled my combat focus, my mind raced and I grasped the situation.

Or rather, it was more like, Don’t you forget, you idiot.

It wasn't that I'd almost died; the ‘heat ray’ that had nearly killed me had actually saved me…

”Damn good game from the bottom of my heart”… my ass. I get the gist of what happened, but don't you dare let your guard down just because you finished off the guy in front of you.

“Ha, haha… My bad, seriously.”

In short, the moment I and Maru II settled things… what was her name, Rinne-san? That person had tried to backstab me.

“Never let your guard down, okay? Haru-kun.”

And this wonderful older sister, Hinayo-sama, had cut her off—or rather, blown her away, saving my life… Ugh, another mistake to reflect on, ugh…

Fortunately, I was let off with a light scolding—“Still, your results are undeniable,” he’d said—but as I was sandwiched between the teasing of my two kind seniors, blushing with shame, three pillars of light signifying the defeat of rankers now stood tall.

One battle had drawn to a close—but the stage was still in the midst of countless frenzies.