-1747- Say hello first

"Whoo—Whoo—"

The wind continued blowing across the battlefield.

But now, there were two distinct sounds carried by the wind.

One was the clear and low rumble of the sandstorm sweeping across the desert.

The other was the rapid, powerful noise of a figure darting through the sands.

Clad in a deep blue combat suit that provided only minimal protection, Yamikaze carried no auxiliary weapons. He had a single plasma grenade strapped to his waist and wielded an ultra-light submachine gun in his hands. Leaning forward, his body dashed ahead at a breathtaking speed.

Even though his forward-leaning posture seemed precarious and prone to imbalance, Yamikaze's form never wavered as he ran. His legs blurred as they crossed each other with astonishing speed, leaving afterimages in their wake. His movement resembled that of a ninja, fearsome and precise.

Raising his head, Yamikaze gazed at the abandoned city ahead.

Having confirmed the receiver's signal just a minute earlier, he was certain—his opponent was there.

"You won't run away now, will you?" he murmured softly.

The satellite that had flown over the isolated battleground was now gone.

The receiver, too, was no longer functional.

Thus, Yamikaze couldn't be entirely sure whether Rozen had abandoned the location to relocate elsewhere.

If he had fled…

"That would be terribly disappointing," Yamikaze muttered.

With that thought, he accelerated further.

At this speed, he resembled a human bullet—a jaw-dropping sight.

This was Yamikaze, a player who had pushed his AGI (Agility) stat to the absolute limit, shaping a battle style unique to AGI-type players.

In fact, Yamikaze was the epitome of AGI players, the undisputed leader in this playstyle, with no peer able to match his abilities.

"Can the rumored Magus live up to my expectations?" Yamikaze mused, his gaze locking onto the highest floor of the tallest building in the abandoned city center.

The receiver's last scan had pinpointed Rozen's location there one minute ago.

"Don't run," he murmured to himself.

Driven by that thought, Yamikaze sprinted straight toward the city without hesitation. Within moments, he reached the city's edge.

---

"Interesting."

In the luxurious office at the top floor of the skyscraper, Rozen kept his rifle trained, watching Yamikaze's movements through his scope. He smirked.

"Charging straight here? Surely this isn't just blind confidence."

In GGO, even the most confident players would typically run for a bit, then pause to find cover and observe their surroundings before proceeding further. That was the safest strategy.

But Yamikaze made no such attempt. He continued his straight-line charge at an incredible speed, heading directly for the city.

Rozen understood—this wasn't blind arrogance. Yamikaze knew very well that for an AGI-type player like himself, constant sprinting was the best defense.

The moment he stopped, he would undoubtedly fall victim to a sniper's headshot.

Thus, Yamikaze had to maintain his relentless momentum.

This resulted in a speed so extreme it seemed almost unreal.

"That's no ordinary speed, even for someone who maxed out their AGI stat."

Yamikaze not only allocated all his stat points into AGI but also mastered all AGI-related skills to their utmost potential.

At the very least, his Sprint skill must have been maxed, making him look like a black whirlwind, fast enough to dazzle the eye.

"So, this is the infamous Devil of Run and Gun?"

The run and gun strategy involved shooting while continuously moving, ensuring constant mobility during combat. This was Yamikaze's trademark battle style.

Rozen shifted his gaze to the weapon in Yamikaze's hands.

It was an ultra-light submachine gun—the Calico M900A.

In terms of performance, it wasn't particularly powerful.

Nowadays, most powerful weapons required high STR (Strength) stats to wield. Despite his prowess, STR remained Yamikaze's weakness. The limitations of his build meant he couldn't equip rare or powerful weaponry. This shortcoming was evident during the previous BoB tournament, where Yamikaze had lost to a champion armed with rare gear, securing only second place.

Still, when it came to skill, Yamikaze might have surpassed the previous champion. While perhaps not at the level of players like Kirito or Asuna, he was certainly close.

The sheer speed he displayed now was proof enough. Rozen had never encountered a faster player.

"Charging straight in like this—he's testing me, isn't he?"

Since the satellite had left, Rozen had ample time to relocate and avoid a direct confrontation with Yamikaze, potentially ambushing him later.

Yamikaze likely wanted to confirm this, which was why he charged straight in—to provoke Rozen into firing and reveal whether he was still there.

It was an intriguing tactic.

"Don't worry. I won't relocate," Rozen murmured.

After all, leaving now would mean wasting the effort he had spent finding this location.

"Wondering if I'm still here?"

Let me answer that question.

In the most direct way possible.

Rozen adjusted his aim through the scope, targeting the rapidly approaching Yamikaze as he neared the city's edge.

The bullet prediction circle appeared, fluctuating softly.

Naturally, Rozen didn't rely on prediction circles.

But…

"Let's say hello first."

He deliberately used the prediction circle to assist his aim, locking onto Yamikaze.

"Bang—!"

The next second, Rozen pulled the trigger.

---

"...!"

As Yamikaze sprinted toward the edge of the abandoned city, his gaze remained fixed on the skyscraper's rooftop. He clearly saw the muzzle flash.

In that instant, he realized:

"He's still there."

"And he fired."

"At me."

These three thoughts flashed through his mind in an instant.

Without hesitation, Yamikaze maintained his forward momentum and leapt forward.

"Whoosh—!"

A bullet with immense power whizzed past his back, landing behind him.

What followed was terrifying.

"Boom—!"

Like an exploding bomb, the bullet struck the sand behind Yamikaze, sending up a storm of sand.

"Ugh...!"

Yamikaze hadn't expected the shot to pack such immense power. Taken by surprise, he was blown off balance by the sandstorm, crashing into a nearby wall like a kite with its string cut. He exhaled all the simulated air in his lungs.

"What… is this…?!"

He looked back at the spot he had occupied a second earlier.

There, a crater marred the ground.