บท 1768: -1749- Out of ammo?
The clash between Rozen and Yamikaze was broadcasted live, captivating everyone watching.
Seeing Yamikaze being pushed into such a dire situation under Rozen's sniper fire—his HP continually dropping below half—shocked the players in GGO.
"I... I didn't see that wrong, did I?"
"Yamikaze is actually being suppressed?"
"Even Yamikaze can't handle the Magus?"
"He's truly a genuine monster."
"He's using the RT-20, a sniper rifle with notoriously low accuracy, yet why is every shot hitting the target so precisely?"
"Look! He even hit the gas tank of a car a kilometer away, and at the beginning, he shot the oil drum right next to Yamikaze."
"That... That has to be a coincidence, right?"
"It must be coincidence!"
"Exactly!"
The GGO players watching the stream buzzed with discussion. Some were skeptical, others doubted, while others were rendered speechless or outright dismissive. The reactions were varied.
But no matter their opinions, they couldn't ignore one undeniable fact: Rozen had gained an overwhelming upper hand in this clash.
Yamikaze was being completely suppressed. Even with his outstanding speed and exceptional skill, he could only flee in desperation.
The only solace was that Yamikaze hadn't given up. Despite his precarious situation, he continued charging toward the building where Rozen was stationed.
If he could just make it into that building, the sniper rifle would be rendered useless, and Rozen would have no choice but to face him in close quarters.
In close combat, no one could match the extraordinary speed of Yamikaze. This was his sole chance to turn the tables.
But Yamikaze was still at least 800 meters away from the building.
Could he hold out long enough to cover that distance without losing the remaining half of his HP?
It seemed unlikely.
Everyone was engrossed in this confrontation, unable to look away.
Watching Yamikaze struggle to endure under Rozen's relentless assault, many players began to regret their choices.
"If I had known, I would've bet on the Magus winning."
"I just hope Yamikaze can pull through somehow."
"I put a whole million points on him!"
The players who had wagered on Yamikaze sighed deeply, lamenting their decision.
Now, less than 30 minutes into the competition, seven participants had already been eliminated, following the two taken out by Rozen earlier.
If Yamikaze lost to Rozen and became the eighth eliminated player, he would rank 22nd in this tournament.
A top contender falling to 22nd place—plummeting 20 ranks from his previous second-place position—was devastating.
For those who had bet on Yamikaze, seeing him in such peril made them wish they could personally step in to shield him from the bullets.
Incidentally, there were also many who had placed bets on Rozen to win.
Given Rozen's recent record of achievements and status as a top contender with odds second only to Yamikaze, plenty of players had confidence in him.
For instance, players who had been mercilessly defeated by Rozen in the Death Zone were divided into two groups: one group harbored deep resentment and wished for his downfall, while the other, having experienced firsthand his overwhelming power, placed their faith in him, betting large sums on his victory.
Now, those who backed Rozen were cheering enthusiastically.
"That's it!"
"Go for it!"
"Take Yamikaze down!"
"Take down everyone else while you're at it!"
"Yeah!!"
The supporters of Rozen were shouting in excitement.
However, neither Rozen nor Yamikaze could hear these voices, and even if they could, neither would care.
Rozen had long grown indifferent to such cheers, having heard countless in the past.
Yamikaze, on the other hand, simply had no energy to spare.
---
"Boom—!"
In yet another explosion, the top floor of an abandoned building had its walls blown apart by a high-explosive round, scattering rubble and debris that rained down onto the ground below.
Yamikaze, running directly beneath, found himself dodging the falling rubble with all his might. Despite his efforts, he was struck by several fragments, emitting grunts of pain as he dashed through the collapsing rain of debris. Effects indicating damage flared across his avatar, and his HP bar trembled yet again, dropping even further.
With this, Yamikaze's HP had fallen to just one-third of its total.
He was still over 500 meters away from Rozen's building.
"Is this the end?"
Yamikaze smiled bitterly to himself.
He had no confidence he could close the remaining distance before his HP was completely depleted.
Despite numerous attempts to change direction, hiding in alleys or behind corners to avoid Rozen's sniping, Rozen always managed to predict his location with uncanny precision. High-explosive rounds continued to strike the buildings he took cover in, sending debris raining down to deal him damage.
In one instance, he had almost been buried alive in the rubble of a collapsed alleyway.
Faced with such relentless pursuit, Yamikaze had no other options left.
What Yamikaze didn't realize was that, even when he hid, every movement—his breathing, heartbeat, and footsteps—was perfectly tracked by Rozen's Mind's Eye, leaving him with nowhere to hide.
At this point, even fleeing was impossible.
Turning his back to escape would mean losing sight of the ballistic prediction lines from incoming fire.
In such a case, Rozen would undoubtedly land a headshot, ending him instantly with no chance of survival.
Now, Yamikaze truly understood the despair faced by those players in the canyon.
Run, and a single bullet would end it all.
Don't run, and he would still be sniped repeatedly until he died.
Death loomed on all sides—how could anyone not feel despair?
"This is the hero who cleared SAO."
Yamikaze finally realized he wasn't on the same level as his opponent.
At best, he was just a skilled player in a game.
But Rozen was a survivor who had fought in a virtual world where death was real, battling countless dangers and enemies, defeating the mastermind behind it all, and saving thousands of trapped players.
They weren't even in the same league.
At least in GGO, Yamikaze had died multiple times. In contrast, Rozen, having survived to this point, had likely never died even once—not in SAO, not in ALO. His unparalleled record was proof of his overwhelming skill, far beyond champions relying on rare equipment.
Understanding this, Yamikaze felt a sense of resignation.
"Losing to him isn't shameful."
Yamikaze accepted the outcome.
But then, something unexpected happened.
"Huh?"
Yamikaze froze in surprise.
The ballistic prediction lines that had plagued him since entering the abandoned city vanished, along with the explosions.
"The sniping… stopped?"
Yamikaze stood there, stunned.
It wasn't just him. The viewers watching the stream erupted into discussion.
"Why did it stop?"
"Could it be that he's out of ammo?"
"Doesn't this mean Yamikaze has a chance now?"
The crowd was thrilled by the possibility.
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