Chapter 41
There’s a concept known as the double jump. It involves kicking off the empty air to perform a second leap while midair.
Let’s be real here, that’s obviously impossible. If you could kick off empty air, stairs would be unnecessary. Yet the machine spanning several meters before my eyes was pulling off this mind-bending feat.
It leaps powerfully straight up about 10 meters, kicks off something at the apex, and comes diving sharply towards me…!?
『Right off the bat we have a ‘flying kick’!』
『The technique is extremely simple in principle. It utilizes a massive leap enabled by negative mass material for weight reduction, and secures footholds by deactivating it. That machine, with its mass, is dropping down accelerating from above – a single blow that slaughters beginners. How will he defend against it, I wonder?』
Without even time to listen to the commentary, the machine’s shadow rapidly approaches, aimed at me. Its hand grips a thick blade that looks like instant death if taken head-on. Yet at the same time, its reckless charge shows no concern for counterattacks while attacking – a forceful, crude move. And judging by its 3 wins 0 losses yet still F rank, I surmise:
This enemy has likely been sniping beginners with this technique. Against someone fighting in the arena for the first time, they’d die instantly in their moment of confusion, or even if they dodge, become unable to move properly, overwhelmed by its sheer power.
Thinking that makes my blood boil even more. In a system this crappy, the first enemy you face is an underhanded trick. This goes beyond ridiculous. Do they not grasp the concept of login restrictions in this game?
A flash of silver rains down upon my head. In response, I draw the blade slung on my back with footwork that shifts my axis diagonally, matching the flash of silver in a sweeping slash. Indeed, there’s no chance of victory taking it head-on. Yet that devastating power also carries the potential for a severe counterattack.
Getting normally punched won’t knock you down, but if you took it as a counter, you’d suffer terrible damage. The biggest reason is acceleration when attacking, followed by body weight. If you’re in a defensive stance, you can somewhat deflect the attack to the rear. But with a counter, the acceleration while attacking doesn’t stop and instead becomes a force benefiting the opponent.
Prepared to sacrifice my right arm and blade, I creak the machine. My right arm, slimmer than before, pierces the sky, the blade at its end snapping.
『Because of you players, even I have to fight… screw that, the arena is just a place for the poor to be converted to rations!』
My blade snaps. The machine I thought I struck, aiming for the blade and arm, changes trajectory midair from an overhead chop to a sweeping slash by shifting its orientation, kicking the air again to rotate its entire body.
Hearing the sound of destruction from the core, I release the blade and instantly roll away. Apparently there isn’t a fourth time, as the enemy machine lands with a surprisingly small thud compared to the mass I felt transmitted through the previous blade.
《Information: Enemy machine temperature has risen to 529°C. 471°C until overheating.》
And seeing the information displayed on the console, I raise a question. Where in the world did it reach such a high temperature in an instant? The answer comes from the machine system.
《It’s due to the rapid activation and impact of negative mass material. Negative mass material requires a high current to activate and generate negative mass. If rapidly activated and deactivated repeatedly, it generates heat, and if it exceeds a certain point, it deforms and can no longer fulfill its original purpose. Additionally, the shock absorption mechanism generates heat and hinders cooling. Incidentally, this unit is at 104°C.》
「…How much for that amount of information?」
《This unit is not equipped with such a feature.》
There was a conscience present here. Seeing me without a blade, the opponent draws a rifle from its hip and fires rapidly. But it’s far too slow from deciding to shoot to actually firing. I run behind a pile of rubble to secure a safe zone and assess the situation.
The enemy still has no damage, while I have a broken blade and damage to the finger joints of my right arm. I had no choice since I drew suddenly and couldn’t secure the blade, but it hurts. And in terms of equipment, the opponent has a rifle and blade, while I only have the UK-10. This has also quietly had its numbering updated, evolving as a mid-range armament. That said, it’s not a type suited for rapid fire, so if I miss one shot it’s over.
Suppressing fire chips away at the rubble pile, revealing the opponent’s position at all times.
『Come out, player! I haven’t even been able to drink water the past few days. Hurry up and die…!?』
「First shot, hit.」
The atmospheric oxygen is recovered and an explosive roar even greater than before resounds through the arena. The bullet from the 「Kōmitsu Solutions-made Apollyon Fusion Type Incendiary Weapon UK-10」 penetrates the rubble and blows away his rifle along with his right arm. Feeling the strange power of the 《Shooting: Apollyon Armament》 skill, I was loading the second shot.
『With one strike the rifle is blown away! But I’ve never seen that armament before.』
『It was a fairly common loadout in 2055 though. The default style of the Prophet, befitting the name ‘UYK Killer’, is shooting with a gun – no, a cannon – that has excessive destructive power as its foundation. But it’s odd. That style makes no sense at all in the arena.』
『Meaning?』
『That cannon is certainly powerful. But it’s unwieldy, and look – the penetrating power is so high that the machine should’ve been blown to bits, yet it’s still unscathed. He’s mistaken his opponent.』
I’m no longer listening to the conversation. The moment I finish loading the second shot, the purple machine soars through the air again. The same as before, another dive.
『Die, player! False prophet!』
The flash of silver races through the sky once more. But even though the UK-10 has finished loading, the liquid oxygen hasn’t finished replenishing. I’ll definitely be cut down before I can shoot. Therefore, there’s only one option I chose.
The flash of silver falls. Without a blade and in a firing stance, I have no means to evade or intercept – I’ll surely be shot down.
With a sound like metal and oil being twisted, my beloved machine is cut down. The impact seems to want to reduce the machine from front to back to ashes. But I have to make one correction here. It’s not that I have no means to evade, but that my machine has no means to evade.
『Wha-…!?』
「This is my first shot. ‘Beast Slayer’.」
I alone eject from the cockpit and hurl myself into the air. Before my eyes, I see my beloved machine that fought alongside me being crushed, and the defenseless figure of the enemy.
If they react, it would be easy to not only avoid me but smash me to pieces. But the moment I flew out of the cockpit, I, who had assumed a firing stance, wouldn’t give them that opening. And 『Beast Slayer』 is the strongest handgun for smashing the armor of that mechanical beast.
A sound that’s quite small compared to before rings out. The sound penetrates the enemy’s cockpit and halts its movement.
I desperately cling to rubble as I land. Well, I somehow managed the first match, I think, but when I notice, I see the surroundings enveloped in silence. The crowd that had been making such a racket didn’t utter a single word. Everyone was staring at me – accurately, at my face.
『…The real one?』
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