Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

Shwaaaaa—!

Having so many eyes and mouths meant there couldn’t be just one arm.

In an instant, the tentacles that extended had already split into dozens of strands.

“Not a chance! 『Holy Barrier』!”

Kijung, curling his shoulder, struck down the tentacles coming from the front, evaded the attacks aimed at his lower body, and slashed through those from the sides with a diagonal upward strike!

At a glance, the 2:2 battle seemed evenly matched.

From that point on, the Demon King’s Fragments started to exhibit their true power.

The wounds of Bluebeard had reopened. With a pained expression, he was receiving Lee Jiwon’s attacks. That pained expression meant he had started to reveal his strength.

Ghibrid, true to the term “chimeric nest”, was unleashing attacks so varied that it was impossible to discern which was the main body. Unlike the simple attack patterns he used in his human form, the new phase was difficult for Kijung to adapt to.

As Ghibrid began attacking with its main body, it started rampaging, absorbing and destroying everything around it.

After barely fending off two attacks, Kijung was rapidly being overpowered.

If his skill 『Dinosaurization』 ended, Kijung would face imminent death.

Kijung wasn’t the only one in danger.

—Master Kay! No skill?!

—That’s what I want to say! Didn’t you come here because you had something?!

Lee Jiwon’s whisper echoed in Kijung’s head, who was busy evading Ghibrid’s attacks.

Lee Jiwon’s skill was also not permanently sustainable.

Moreover, though he’d found and used clues for a new skill, it hadn’t led to a “second job change.”

In other words, 『Soul Blade Reverse』 was still an incomplete skill, lacking the ability to manifest its hidden powers entirely.

Kijung scanned his surroundings.

If he and Lee Jiwon could join forces, what kind of attack could they launch while still controlling the space around Bluebeard, mocking him?

—Lee Jiwon.

—What?

Fortunately, Kijung still had one last move left.

From the very start, the confidence that brought him here, even without knowing if Lee Jiwon would follow.

Now was the time to use it.

—Match my signal well. Here I go.

—Uh? What signal—

Ignoring Lee Jiwon’s words, Kijung raised his sword and struck down at the Demon King’s Fragments with the wrath of a mace.

『You damn Demon King’s Fragments! Just die already, 『Ahlo’s Mace』!』 It wasn’t Kijung’s anger.

In that crude speech, the intention of Middle Earth’s main deity, Ahlo, was executed.

* * *

“〈Multiple〉, 〈Arrow Spear〉!”

The arrows Bobae shot split into numerous trajectories, expanding to the size of spearmen’s spears as they flew.

The Manticores busily tried to dodge, but the furious arrows managed to wound the membranes of their wings.

“Phew, they are manageable now, aren’t they?”

“It’s probably because the Chimeras’ movements have gotten sluggish too. The more confused they get, the busier the Manticore’s instructions become.”

Hyein leaned on her staff and wiped her forehead.

Although she wasn’t actually sweating, her mental fatigue was considerable. It had been over an hour since Kijung had disappeared.

And the Chimeras had been slowing down recently.

“Is Kijung… doing something?”

“For now, all we can do is believe so. Tale hyung, Jin Gonggong, and Biyemi are struggling too, so let’s put a bit more effort in.”

“Ugh, I want to go over there too, but if Hyein oppa says so… Over there! Get those Manticores!”

“Understood, 『Double Gravity』!”

Hyein slowed one Manticore down with 『Double Gravity』, and Bobae carefully aimed her arrow. Moments later, her arrow flew and pierced the center of the Manticore’s forehead.

As the nearby Chimeras fell deeper into chaos, surrounding users cheered and launched their attack.

Though the battlefront was still complex, it was no longer as tense as before. Thanks to the Bobae and Hyein duo, manticores were falling one by one.

“Unni, how is it?”

“Still… it hasn’t come out yet.”

Around Rubini, many users were still observing the map.

Those who had fought on the front lines and returned to recover, or those who had used support magic like healing or buffs and come back to recharge their MP, were all captivated by the map and had no intention of returning to the front.

It was because there was someone they all earnestly supported with one heart and one mind.

“What about Master Kay?”

“It seems like he’s not dead yet.”

“You idiot, stop being so unlucky! Of course, he’s not dead! Are you hoping he would die or something?”

“Who said anything like that? It’s because the Chimera seems weakened!”

Everyone was solely focused on Kijung’s movements.

“Then is he really going head-to-head with Ghibrid?”

“No matter how much of a Holy Knight he is, is that even possible?”

“He earned S+ grade achievements. They said he can even transform like a Dark Knight. Could that be it?”

Information about Kijung was widely known among outsiders and rankers. He led the guild Byulcho, and the path that the Byulcho guild had walked made him even more recognized.

However, what was known about him was only his name, personality, and way of speaking.

Not many clearly knew what items he used or which skills he possessed.

A mysterious charm spread with his kind and gentle demeanor, further strengthening the name of Byulcho and Master Kay.

“Earlier— didn’t he momentarily shine and a dot appeared? Isn’t that his transformation?”

“A dot? What do you mean? Didn’t you see it wrong?”

Users gave Rubini a wary look, murmuring amongst themselves, but she said nothing.

This uncertain information about Lee Jiwon had only been conveyed to Kijung by Rubini.

And Rubini didn’t feel the need to say anything.

“Huh? Light—”

“What’s that?”

Those looking at the map turned their heads in unison.

A burst of brilliance came from the forest beyond the Chimera frontlines. It was light brightening the twilight sky in an instant.

“Unni, that…?”

Raphaela looked at Rubini with a face full of expectation.

However, Rubini too couldn’t be certain of anything at that moment.

Nevertheless, Rubini had a hopeful expectation.

The meaning behind the light emanating from a place known to harbor the Demon King’s Fragments.

Users who had fought Pyrot-Cocri knew that the skills used by the Demon King’s Fragments had nothing to do with ‘light’.

If that is so, then what remains?

Beep— Beep—!

A beeping sound came from Rubini’s map.

Users turned their gaze back to the holographic map. The map was showing a distinctly different state from just a few seconds ago.

“Oh! Oh-oh-oh!”

“The, the Demon King’s Fragment— the Demon King’s Fragment’s red dot has shrunk!”

“Idiot, look below that! Two dots! Two dots!”

The red dots symbolizing the Demon King’s Fragments, so large they couldn’t even fit on Rubini’s map, had significantly shrunk.

Although they couldn’t completely interpret the areas beyond Rubini’s map, it no longer mattered.

Two new dots had appeared at the borderline of what could be read. Rubini knew what those dots were.

“It’s Master Kay!”

“There’s one more! What’s that? Who is it?”

“You said you saw it wrong earlier! What is that!”

Amidst the noise of the users, Rubini screamed with a voice ready to burst.

“Lee Jiwon! It’s Magic Swordsman Lee Jiwon and Holy Knight Master Kay!”

* * *

Users gaped in amazement.

No one asked if it was really Lee Jiwon, the user ranked second.

As the Chimera force swarmed towards them, the red dots representing Chimeras were disappearing in dozens whenever the new dots shimmered.

Only a handful of users in Middle Earth could exert such power.

Lee Jiwon and Kijung’s locations were rapidly changing.

“Oh, they’re coming! They’re coming!”

“The chimeras on the frontline― the chimeras and manticores on the frontline have turned back!”

“They’re going after Lee Jiwon and Master Kay! They’re blocking the path upfront to capture them!”

Had a directive been issued that they mustn’t let them escape from the chimera nest, the very base of Ghibrid?

The chimeras and manticores that were pressing the frontlines all started to move in a single direction.

The users instinctively knew.

No matter how strong Lee Jiwon was and how renowned Master Kay was as a top-grade tank, it would be difficult for them to fight at their full strength after facing off against the Demon King’s Fragment.

There was no way the two of them could break through such a formidable army alone.

Then, what should they do?

“L-let’s go save them! Let’s go save them!”

“Raise― your swords!”

“Party! Let’s party up with those around us and dash!”

“Line up by job class! Line up!”

The area around Rubini’s map turned chaotic in an instant. And this place was at the boundary between the New Continent’s west and east.

“First formation, charge!”

“Second formation! Those in the second formation, follow me! We’ll pick up Hyein and Bobae along the way!”

“The third formation, led by Raphael, buff up! It’s easier than killing those fleeing bastards~ Slowpokes lose out!”

They were high-level users with plenty of hunting experience.

In this moment when everyone’s minds were united, their movements were as focused as they were when hunting.

In no time at all, the users reorganized their battle lines, broke through the stalemate front, and charged at the chimeras.

The users who had been facing the enemy upfront didn’t fully grasp what was happening but quickly realized what they needed to do.

“Kieeeee―s”

“Rumble grrrr…”

“Die, you bastards! 〈Brutal Crash〉!”

“Kyaaa, Kyaaa―a!”

“Shoot! Shoot the manticores first! Even if you can’t kill them, just chasing them away is effective! 〈Lightning―Crossbow〉!”

The chimeras’ screams and the manticores’ roars melded with the users’ battle cries and skill chants.

It didn’t take long for the stalemate on the front lines to turn into complete chaos.

Throwing their bodies, the users grabbed the chimeras’ ankles, and at a distance, the figure they had been waiting for appeared.

“Heal! Heal!”

Lee Jiwon shouted at the top of his lungs. He was supporting Kijung.

“Master Kay!”

“Kijung!”

Raphael and Bobae rushed towards Kijung simultaneously. Kijung, with his arm draped around Lee Jiwon, quietly raised his hand.

“Hehe… It wasn’t a crazy act, was it?”

His sword-wielding hand rose high.

Lee Jiwon looked at Kijung for a moment. His expression was hardened.

* * *

“… What is this? What’s this mess?”

“Is this a trace of a battle?”

Igor and Pyro were momentarily taken aback as they looked around. Why had a place that should have been peaceful turned into a battlefield?

“Hey, blue― argh!? Wha-what is this? Why are you in that form again!”

“Is there a problem?”

“Of course, there is! Why are you naked!”

Igor was horrified at the sight of Ghibrid’s jet-black form.

Though he was a fearless giant, Ghibrid’s appearance was revolting to him.

Ghibrid didn’t answer Igor’s question. His jet-black skin undulated.

Pyro bit his lip tightly.

Seeing Ghibrid, who had shed his user form, and the devastated surroundings, it was clear something significant had occurred.

“What happened here? If it wasn’t Bahamut―”

“Heh… Bahamut, huh. If it was, we would’ve been fully prepared. The deputy of a god, that thing nurtured quite an amusing monster.”

“What?”

“It’s annoying. Tch.”

Bluebeard turned his head and spat.

Pyro took a deep breath, trying to keep his composure.

Even when fighting Bahamut, Bluebeard’s outfit had remained relatively intact except for a wound on his abdomen.

But now?

‘His sleeves are burnt. The tuxedo jacket is… severely damaged. Did a bomb go off? How could Le―’