-1746- Worst possible opponent

On the other side:

Just as Rozen and Yamikaze were about to clash and enter a state of combat, a girl holding a sniper rifle was sprinting at full speed through the forest to the south.

"Did they already encounter each other...!?"

Looking at the receiver showing the map, Shinon clicked her tongue while running.

Unlike Rozen, who was transferred to a desert, Shinon had been placed along the riverbank of a large river running through a forest and mountain range when the match began.

Upon arrival, just as Rozen predicted, Shinon immediately began searching for a vantage point to ambush enemies approaching her. She planned to either eliminate them on the spot or stay hidden for fifteen minutes, wait for the satellite to pass overhead to reveal the positions of all participants and the terrain, and then devise a strategy to begin her hunt.

With these plans in mind, Shinon had used the forest's natural cover to locate a hill, where she lay in ambush, staying vigilant as she waited for the fifteen-minute mark to pass.

Finally, just moments ago, the fifteen minutes had elapsed.

Shinon opened her receiver to check the positions of all players in the field. To her shock, she discovered that Yamikaze was approaching the abandoned city where Rozen was located at an astonishing speed.

Moreover, the number of contestants had already dwindled to twenty-eight—two had been eliminated.

Players scattered across the island must have confirmed the nearest enemies using their receivers and begun engaging them in battle by now.

Shinon also noticed several players near her position. Some were approaching her, others were converging on each other, and still others were retreating, avoiding confrontation entirely.

Each player acted according to their own strategies and fighting styles, taking a wide array of actions.

Ordinarily, Shinon would have had to react to those approaching her—preferably by relocating to a new position, analyzing the incoming players' patterns, predicting their movements, and identifying an ideal sniping location to take them out.

This was Shinon's typical fighting method.

However, upon realizing that Yamikaze was closing in on Rozen with extraordinary speed, Shinon's mind was filled with only one thought.

"They're about to face off?"

"The fight's about to start?"

"How did it happen so quickly?"

"Who's going to win?"

"What should I do?"

These questions swirled in her mind, and by the time she came to her senses, she was already sprinting toward the ruins of the abandoned city.

"How foolish! Why am I doing this...!?"

Shinon berated herself repeatedly.

If it were her usual self, she wouldn't have cared about battles happening elsewhere. Her sole focus would have been on the immediate enemies in front of her, eliminating them, and emerging victorious. The outcomes of other fights were irrelevant to her.

But this time, Shinon had completely abandoned her usual demeanor. Her feet refused to stop, carrying her forward as fast as possible.

"Why am I doing this?"

Shinon questioned herself over and over.

In the end, she realized:

"I don't want to miss his battle."

Yes.

Shinon didn't want to miss Rozen's fight.

Because Rozen was an SAO survivor, someone like her. The weight of his battles was fundamentally different from that of other players. He, like Shinon, carried something heavy on his shoulders as he fought.

How could she miss a battle like that?

If Rozen had been fighting someone else, it might have been different. But his opponent was Yamikaze—the most hyped contestant in this BoB tournament, the runner-up of the previous BoB, and the second-strongest player in the entire game.

Watching such a strong opponent clash with Rozen was a dream come true for Shinon.

What would the outcome of their fight be?

What could she witness from this confrontation?

With these thoughts in mind, Shinon found herself rushing forward without hesitation.

This was who Shinon truly was—a girl who masked her inner turmoil and longing for guidance with the cold persona of a sniper.

The cold sniper was merely a facade for Shinon's true self.

It was precisely because of this that Shinon treated Kyouji with such indifference, wasn't it?

Kyouji was drawn to Shinon as a sniper, not to Asada Shino as a person. How could she possibly accept him?

Shinon didn't want to transform into a cold-hearted sniper—she wanted to find herself and reclaim her true self.

"I hope I can make it in time!"

Shinon dashed forward without a second thought.

But in doing so, Shinon made a grave mistake.

A very, very big mistake.

Her reckless sprint caused too much noise.

Just like Rozen's deliberate movements in the abandoned city, Shinon's actions inevitably attracted the attention of nearby enemies.

The difference was that Rozen did this intentionally and had the means to deal with it. Shinon, on the other hand, did not.

As a result, Shinon encountered the worst possible opponent.

The assassin descended.

"Zzt…!"

A nearly inaudible sound cut through the air as a streak of electricity shot through the forest, striking Shinon as she sprinted past.

"Bang!"

In the next moment, the streak of electricity exploded like an arc of lightning.

"Ugh…!"

Shinon felt an immense force hit her side as if she'd been struck by a sledgehammer, sending her flying to the ground and eliciting a stifled groan.

"Crackle…!"

At the same time, electricity coursed through her body, leaving her completely paralyzed and unable to move.

This was—

"An electromagnetic stun bullet!?"

Shinon was stunned.

The electromagnetic stun bullet.

As its name implied, this specialized ammunition generated high-voltage electricity upon hitting a target, paralyzing them and rendering them immobile.

This type of specialized bullet could only be loaded into large-caliber sniper rifles and was prohibitively expensive. It was typically used by teams of players to hunt large monsters.

Now, such a weapon was being used against a petite girl like Shinon.

"Guh…!"

Shinon's body twitched uncontrollably. She couldn't muster any strength to move.

In this dire situation…

"So… it's you…?"

A ghostly, hoarse voice echoed as a figure slowly emerged before Shinon.

"The one… that man… favors… Is it… you…?"

Hearing this, Shinon struggled to lift her head and look at her attacker.

What she saw made her eyes widen in shock.

The figure standing before her was a player clad in a pitch-black cloak, wearing a skeletal mask, and carrying a sniper rifle on his back.

"That cloak…!"

It was a remnant of Laughing Coffin.

Or perhaps more accurately—Death Gun.

"To think… my first hunt… would be you…"

The cloaked man, whom Shinon referred to as Death Gun, spoke in a halting voice.

"But… this is… fine…"

As he spoke, Death Gun reached out, grabbing Shinon's scarf and lifting her off the ground.

"I'll take you… as a gift… for that… man…"

"This… seems… fitting…"

As he said this, his eyes beneath the hood glowed red like those of a vengeful spirit.

A chilling sense of foreboding welled up in Shinon's heart.

However, despite her predicament, Shinon did not yield. She glared at him defiantly and bit her lip.

The forest grew darker.

And no one was aware of what had happened.