Chapter 1747: -1728- [ It's Showtime ]
"So he's the 'Magus'?"
Gazing at the figure that seemed so out of place, arms crossed, eyes closed, leaning against a pillar waiting for the match to begin, Spiegel murmured softly to himself.
Sitting opposite Spiegel, Shinon noticed the envy and longing glinting in his eyes as they settled on Rozen.
At the same time, there was a faint trace of jealousy.
To be honest, Shinon felt a little uneasy about this jealousy.
Granted, it seemed like a natural reaction. Due to the monetary conversion system in GGO, professional and top-tier players were often envied and admired by casual players. With fame and status added into the mix, it wasn't unusual for people to react this way to strong players. Especially considering Spiegel himself had once been a well-known first-class player, it made sense that he would feel this way toward Rozen, who was rising to prominence while Spiegel was now on a downward slope.
Even so, Shinon couldn't help but feel a bit uncomfortable.
She decided to speak up.
"You care that much about him?" Shinon said with feigned indifference. "Why don't you go talk to him? He'd probably respond to you."
Spiegel snapped out of his thoughts, quickly shaking his head.
"I don't know him at all. If I go up and greet him randomly, he might mistake me for one of those players who ambushed him before, thinking I'm just looking for trouble. That would be bad, so I'd better not."
Spiegel lacked the courage to approach Rozen.
Shinon could understand.
After all, in real life, Spiegel was a student who had been heavily bullied by upperclassmen. He avoided school altogether, opting for home study instead. Such experiences left him timid and wary of others, except for his limited interactions with Shinon.
In that sense, they were similar.
In real life, Shinon also avoided interacting with others. Even if she didn't dislike the idea of making friends, her unique circumstances made it difficult for her to trust people. She had neither the strength nor the desire to make the effort.
Her relationship with Spiegel persisted only because he had introduced her to GGO, giving them a shared topic of interest.
But it stopped there.
Shinon had no energy left to befriend anyone else, much less engage in social interactions. The only thing that caught her interest now was the strong players in GGO.
Only by defeating these strong players, again and again, and becoming stronger herself in GGO could Shinon feel as though her inner self was growing stronger in the real world.
If she could do that, she might finally overcome her weakness.
It was with this mindset that Shinon had become a renowned sniper in GGO within just six months.
All she aimed for was to send Hecate's bullets flying into the heads of enemies, crushing one strong opponent after another, and gradually reaching her ultimate goal.
Spiegel, aware of Shinon's situation, gazed at her resolute expression with a hint of worry in his eyes.
"Are you sure about this?" Spiegel asked, his face full of concern. "Even just standing here, I can sense how strong that guy is. He's incredibly powerful. You and a group of players couldn't do anything to him two days ago. Are you sure you can defeat him this time?"
Spiegel's concern wasn't unfounded.
After the battle in the Death Zone, Shinon couldn't picture herself defeating Rozen. She couldn't even imagine landing a bullet on him.
To be honest, Shinon was well aware her chances of victory were practically zero.
No, it might be outright zero—no chance at all.
But so what?
"Even if I know his strength is beyond my reach, I still have to defeat him," Shinon murmured, clenching her arms tightly until her nails dug into her flesh.
"If I can defeat him—this unprecedentedly powerful opponent who seems unbeatable—then I'm sure I can finally reach my goal."
Shinon had this premonition.
She had no choice.
Thus far, she had defeated countless strong opponents and had often felt her mind and spirit growing stronger. Yet she had never been able to overcome her greatest weakness or let go of her tragic past.
So, Shinon had to keep fighting, challenging stronger opponents until she achieved her heart's desire.
Rozen was undoubtedly the strongest, most terrifying player she had encountered in GGO.
If she could defeat him...
No—if even defeating him couldn't help her overcome her struggles...
Then Shinon believed there was no hope for her at all.
Therefore, she had to win, no matter the odds.
Even if the chances were zero, it didn't matter.
"...I see."
Spiegel lowered his gaze briefly before lifting it again to look at Shinon.
"Good luck," Spiegel said with a gentle smile. "I'll cheer for you from here."
"Thanks." Shinon finally relaxed her tense body.
Unintentionally, she turned her head to glance at Rozen again.
"Huh?"
Shinon froze.
"That guy..."
Spiegel was also startled, his eyes fixed on Rozen in surprise.
It wasn't just them; all the players secretly observing Rozen also froze.
Because they saw someone approach Rozen.
A figure exuding a sinister atmosphere.
---
"Hm?"
Rozen, who had been resting with his eyes closed, sensed something unusual. He furrowed his brows slightly and opened his eyes.
What he saw was startling.
Before him stood a figure cloaked in tattered, dark-gray robes. A hood, pulled low over the figure's face, concealed all features in shadow. A skeletal mask with glowing red eyes adorned the figure's face, giving the impression of death itself.
Silently, this person had appeared in front of Rozen. The figure lifted their head, their eyes gleaming like ghostly flames.
Then...
"Is it... you...?"
A low, raspy, metallic voice emerged from behind the mask.
"Are you... the real one...?"
The scratchy, halting words reached Rozen's ears, deepening his frown.
For some reason, the voice and speech pattern felt oddly familiar to him.
"Who are you?"
Rozen asked coldly.
The figure's glowing eyes flared brighter.
As if confirming something, the raspy voice continued.
"So it's true... just like they said online... you've come..."
The deathly figure's skeletal mask seemed to twist into a grin as they muttered haltingly.
"This is amazing... I can't believe I... was the one to encounter you... this chance... the others will be so jealous..."
The figure spoke in cryptic phrases, seemingly to themselves.
Rozen stared at them icily, remaining silent.
The figure stopped their muttering.
"I've waited... for this day... for so long..."
The figure's gaze locked onto Rozen.
"Let's continue... to enjoy... this game together..."
"Magus... our long-standing nemesis..."
"It's Showtime..."
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone