-1751- Where I truly excel

"Woosh!"

Just as Yamikaze was about to readjust his aim and spray bullets toward Rozen again, Rozen had already landed on a nearby wall. With a heavy stomp against the wall, he transformed into a whistling gale and dashed straight toward Yamikaze.

"Swish!"

In the next moment, an arc of light flashed, slashing toward Yamikaze's head.

Yamikaze reacted instantly, leaning back sharply and retreating quickly.

When it came to speed, Yamikaze had never lost to anyone. Although Rozen was quite skilled, he was a player with a focus on STR (Strength), meaning his speed wasn't particularly outstanding. For others, it might have been difficult to handle, but for Yamikaze, it was relatively easy.

Thus, Yamikaze evaded the strike smoothly.

However, just before that, the arc of light managed to shear off a small lock of hair from Yamikaze's forehead, which floated gently to the ground.

"So sharp...!"

Yamikaze's expression shifted slightly.

Only then did Yamikaze notice that the military-grade dagger in Rozen's hand was no ordinary weapon.

It was a dagger featuring a classic, practical spear-point blade. Its hilt and guard bore a distinctly personal style, with a widened, lengthened blade and a back edge gleaming with an arc of light. The razor-sharp blade exuded a chilling aura that could make anyone's skin crawl.

Yamikaze instantly recognized the dagger.

"Strider Ajax-Mantrack 2...!"

——Strider Ajax-Mantrack 2.

In the real world, this dagger was once hailed as one of the top ten combat knives globally. Renowned for its exceptional cutting power, even its back edge was incredibly sharp. With terrifying piercing capabilities and powerful cutting force, it was a top-tier combat weapon.

"Oh? You even know your daggers?"

Rozen, now standing before Yamikaze, twirled the dagger in his hand with a slight smirk.

"I picked this up when I was shopping for PZ. The seller only had it as a collectible because of its reputation, but I decided to snag it."

Since GGO (Gun Gale Online) was a gun-based game, the only melee weapons available were daggers and photon swords. Both were rarely used in combat, serving mostly as utility tools. Thus, even powerful daggers or photon swords were largely ignored, valued only as collectibles.

When Rozen was shopping for PZ, he had bought it from a player who loved collecting weapons. Both PZ and SAM2 were part of the player's collection. Willing to spend a hefty amount, Rozen had added the dagger to his inventory.

"I spent a full eight hundred thousand on this. It's not as comfortable to use as the swords in SAO or ALO, but it's better than nothing. It'll do for now."

Rozen grinned faintly as he spoke to Yamikaze.

"Maybe you think that with your hit-and-run tactics, you're unmatched in close combat. But I should remind you—this kind of melee engagement is where I truly excel."

These words hit Yamikaze like a bolt of lightning.

It was only then that Yamikaze remembered that Rozen had transferred from ALO, a fantasy sword-and-magic game. Gunfights were his weak point; melee combat was where he genuinely shone.

Everyone had been so captivated by Rozen's extraordinary shooting skills and rare firearms that they completely overlooked this fact.

"If you don't step up your game, the next strike might be lethal."

With that, Rozen's figure flickered as he dashed toward Yamikaze once more.

"Hmph!"

Yamikaze snorted coldly, his silhouette blurring into motion. With a speed far surpassing Rozen's, he began to dart around like a phantom.

Instantly, a black whirlwind swept through the expansive office, as Yamikaze's shadow flashed across the room like an afterimage.

"...!"

While moving at high speed, Yamikaze raised his gun and pulled the trigger, unleashing a torrent of bullets from seemingly every direction toward Rozen.

This was Yamikaze's specialty: Run-and-Gun.

Yamikaze transformed into a whirlwind, moving at extreme speeds while constantly firing at Rozen.

Unfortunately, though Yamikaze was fast and his firepower formidable—his bullet trajectory lines nearly filling the entire office like interwoven laser beams—they failed to touch Rozen.

Despite being slower, Rozen's movements were even more elusive than Yamikaze's phantom-like speed.

This was because Rozen, with the power of Mind's Eye, could see through all the bullet trajectories.

No, more accurately, even without Mind's Eye, Rozen could predict all the bullet paths at this range.

Ever since Foreign Mana had infused his body, elevating the very concept of his existence, Rozen's reflexes, motor skills, five senses, and even his sixth sense had been gradually enhanced, becoming sharper than ever before.

Now, Rozen could perform melee combat far better than in the past, even without using the blessings of the War God. His physical coordination, once a weakness, was no longer an issue.

Foreign Mana seemed to be transforming Rozen into the perfect human. At times, while bathing, Rozen even noticed impurities being washed off his skin, as if his very genes were being refined to an immaculate state.

At present, even without relying on Mind's Eye or any mystical power, Rozen could execute stunning melee combat purely through his own abilities.

As such, Rozen's body moved instinctively, weaving like a willow branch. With just a few swift motions, he evaded all the incoming bullets.

Not only that, but during this process, Rozen's feet tapped swiftly to either side, his figure zigzagging like lightning toward his opponent.

At that moment, Yamikaze happened to stop at a position directly in Rozen's path.

"...!"

The barrel of Yamikaze's M900A spewed fire relentlessly, a hail of bullets blanketing Rozen's entire body without mercy.

At such close range, Rozen couldn't completely dodge due to his insufficient AGI (Agility) and DEX (Dexterity).

But Rozen had already anticipated this.

At that moment, he stomped hard on the ground.

"Boom—!"

With a thunderous sound, the floor beneath Rozen's feet cracked.

Though he couldn't match Yamikaze's speed, Rozen's strength was far beyond Yamikaze's.

As a result, Rozen shattered a section of the floor and kicked up a large tile, which spun in midair, blocking in front of him.

"Clang-clang-clang-clang...!"

Countless bullets struck the tile, all deflected harmlessly away.

"What...!?"

Yamikaze was taken aback.

He hadn't noticed Rozen raise his hand behind the tile, clenching his fist and punching forward with immense force.

"Boom—!"

With another thunderous impact, the tile exploded into countless fragments, which shot toward Yamikaze like shrapnel.

Yamikaze had never imagined Rozen would attack in such an unconventional manner.

Fortunately, Yamikaze reacted quickly, dodging like a phantom even at close range.

To dodge flying debris at such proximity showcased Yamikaze's incredible speed.

Unfortunately...

"Your movements are too predictable. I can see exactly where you're trying to dodge."

This voice rang out right in front of Yamikaze.

Before him, Rozen's faint smirk came into view, freezing Yamikaze in shock.

By the time Yamikaze reacted, it was already too late.

"Clang—!"

An arc of light flashed brilliantly.

"Splurt!"

The sound of tearing flesh finally echoed.