arc3 · 197-ch197

Chapter 197: Free-for-All ④

"You lot — we'll take Sieg ourselves. The Kokushi Musou bunch is yours."

"Kekeke, leave that spear guy to me. I mean to finish him off quick — after all, I can't wait to see Kannami Shizuka's face twist up over poison, y'hear."

"A gal likes 'em strong and silent, so I'll be takin' Kitora Ryuga for meself. Kage, lend me a hand, if y'd be so kind."

"As you wish."

"I'll keep Shinonome occupied. But we're a poor match for each other, he and I — I can't hold him down forever."

"I shall hold back in the rear."

Dokumamushi, called Hebi; Hasumi, called Hime; Tokoyami, called Kage; Kuranohayashiin, called Rai; and Saotome, called Ojou — one after another, they answered their boss's voice.

"And you lot — no laying hands on Sieg either. Just pin down that drone."

"You got it! Never fought a drone before — this'll be fun!"

"Mikey, don't get careless. That bigger one's attacks pack quite the punch."

"I shall hold back in the rear as well."

Queens seemed ready as well. And so the battles began: Sieg versus Onodake and Jim; Nishikyo-san versus Dokumamushi and Tokoyami; Kitora-san versus Hasumi; Shinonome-san versus Kuranohayashiin; and Shiden and Hayate versus Mikey and Vivvi.

Hmm? What about Ohsaki? Is he planning to guard their healer? I don't sense him moving an inch.

"Now then — think you can keep up with me?"

Whoa — Mikey came flying at Shiden out of nowhere. But having watched Sieg move, I could react just fine.

"Wha—!?"

Mikey hit the brakes hard and slipped past Hayate's Magic Machine Cannon fire, which had been launched without a sound.

"That's what I've been say— !"

Vivvi's arrow came flying in right after, but I'd read that attack coming and sent Hayate rocketing skyward to dodge. Then, by way of a return gift, I served up the Wind Bullet Machine Cannon.

"Gh!? These things are a pain!"

Vivvi had no choice but to dodge the invisible bullets in big, exaggerated movements — hurling herself sideways and rolling across the ground to evade. But I'm not stopping there.

BZZT-BZZT-BZZT!

Chasing right after that rolling Vivvi, I let the Thunder Bullet Machine Cannon loose.

"Elsie!"

"Yes!"

Vivvi, at her limit, called for her teammate. Elsie answered, throwing up a barrier in front of Vivvi, but...

DODODODO...! KASHAAAAAN!

It couldn't endure the thunder-round barrage and shattered.

"Hey!? Mikey! Do something!?"

"Get over here!"

Vivvi slipped away from the thunder rounds coming at her again and dove behind Mikey. Mikey, for his part, handled his daggers deftly, deflecting the thunder rounds one after another.

"M-Man, that's heavy."

With Mikey swamped just dealing with the thunder rounds, I drove Hayate's Magic Machine Cannons down onto him from above.

"E-Elsie!"

This time it was Mikey calling for Elsie. There's a cooldown, but somehow the barrier made it in time. The Magic Machine Cannons alone, it seems, won't crack that barrier easily.

(In that case, this one goes first.)

I spun Hayate around up in the air and unleashed the Magic Machine Cannons at Elsie.

"Kyaah!?"

With her barrier busy protecting Mikey, Elsie had no way to guard herself. The magic bullets came for her, and Elsie, not exactly quick on her feet, took one in the leg and went down.

And Ouroboros's healer, Saotome... wasn't moving. So they'll fight together but won't heal each other, huh. Does she mean for everyone to patch themselves up? And seriously, what is Ohsaki doing? He's not guarding the healer — he hasn't taken a single step.

Now then — Mikey's barrier is gone, so I believe I'll attack again. I trained Shiden's and Hayate's cannons on Mikey.

side Sieg

"Been a long time since anyone came at me in person! Entertain me, why don't ya!"

Back when I took the world rank one seat, challengers looking to test themselves against me lined up without end — but as I kept sending every last one of them to the hospital, by about the one-year mark nobody was coming anymore.

Of course, dive into a dungeon and I can fight monsters on my level or above, but I hadn't crossed blades with a human in ages. Criminals or not, getting to fight two S-rank-class explorers had my blood pumping.

"Hraah!"

The first to move was the masked man with the two-handed axe. He's the leader of that band of criminals called Ouroboros, if I remember right. Power's plenty — but he doesn't have the speed to take me on.

"Haaah!"

DOGON!

I dodged the two-handed axe clean and tried to drive a counter into his body — but Jim yanked back on Onodake's armor, swapped their positions, and caught my fist on that silver shield of his. A shield made with Create Weapon, that one. Not bad, holding up to my fist without shattering.

"It would trouble us greatly for you to retire this early."

"Hmph. Don't expect any thanks."

Defense-specialized Job through and through — but does he think that one attack was the end of it? Standing before the world's strongest, that's a naive way to think.

"Hngh!"

I put force into the fist he'd stopped — and pushed it in deeper.

"Ugh — what is this strength!?"

Doesn't matter how sturdy the shield is if the man holding it hasn't the muscle for it.

"Hraah!"

The fist I forced in sent Jim flying backward. Taking Onodake with him. Not that I intend to settle this with petty tricks like that. My style is to fight you in your area of expertise — and then beat you down anyway.

I held off the pursuit and waited for them to regroup.

"It seems Sieg intends to break through my shield head-on. Laughable. We shall shatter that arrogance of his. Onodake — the moment I stop his fist, strike with your finest blow."

"Takin' orders from you sticks in my craw, but nothin' else matters till that bastard's down. I'll play along."

Catching on to why I wasn't pursuing, Jim planted that shield square in front of him. Beside him, Onodake rested his enormous axe on his shoulder and charged up his strength.

"Now this is interesting! That's more like it!"

I couldn't help but grin at this situation. Feet spread front and back, right arm drawn back, power coiling into my fist. This is the effect of the Destruction King Job skill, One Strike, Certain Kill.

Meanwhile, Jim's shield was glowing silver too. He's activated a Knight skill of his own, it seems. The strongest spear versus the strongest shield. My heart's racing here!

"Sei!"

With a kiai on my lips, I drove my right fist out. The straight punch I learned in karate back in Japan. My skill completed itself, trailing a tail of pale-blue light.

Goboh...!

My fist punched clean through Jim's shield, and the shock behind it drove straight into his gut.

"GOT 'IM!"

The instant my sure-kill blow landed, Onodake's axe came swinging down at me. Honestly, what an idiot. Did he really think I'd have no countermeasure ready?

CLANG!

I kicked the incoming two-handed axe away with a back-spin kick. That kick, carrying the Destruction attribute, snapped Onodake's axe clean in two.

"Eh?"

The Ouroboros leader stared at his broken axe, dumbfounded. Hey, hey — letting your guard down mid-fight? Seriously?

"Hah!"

I didn't stop moving — carrying the momentum straight into a high kick. Onodake, so rattled he'd forgotten to defend entirely, took my kick head-on and went flying into the wall.

～～～