-1752- It's up to you

"Gaah!"

In the bullet-riddled office, Yamikaze's wailing, almost mournful scream echoed.

A burst of blood-red visual effects erupted in front of Yamikaze, illuminating the surroundings.

A sharp dagger, gleaming coldly, slashed across Yamikaze's chest, leaving a shocking wound.

Though the wound was replaced by in-game special effects, the sight of the glow spanning almost the entire chest still made hearts tighten.

Yamikaze's HP bar trembled slightly before dropping rapidly.

Already reduced to less than a third of its total, this attack nearly obliterated it entirely.

The HP bar inched toward the bottom, stopping just short of depletion.

Now, Yamikaze was left with a sliver of health.

One more hit, no matter how minor, would mean certain death for Yamikaze.

While everyone assumed Yamikaze would emerge victorious after entering the building, the situation had taken a drastic turn.

In contrast, Rozen's HP bar remained full, unscathed.

"Damn it!"

Yamikaze, like a dying beast, raised his gun once more, aiming it straight ahead.

There, Rozen still maintained his slashing posture.

The barrel of Yamikaze's M900A was less than half a meter from Rozen, close enough to be considered point-blank.

At this distance, Rozen wouldn't even have time to react before being riddled with bullets, dying on the spot.

And yet…

"I still win!"

Yamikaze declared victory.

However…

"No, the winner is obviously me."

Rozen's voice reached Yamikaze's ears just as his free hand shot out.

"Thud!"

The next moment, Rozen's hand directly grabbed Yamikaze's face.

Maintaining this grip, Rozen surged forward, leveraging his astonishing STR (Strength) to lift Yamikaze entirely and slam him into the wall ahead.

"Bang!"

A dull thud resounded as Yamikaze was violently pinned against the wall, his back crashing heavily into the unyielding surface.

"Ugh…!"

The imaginary air in Yamikaze's lungs was forcibly expelled.

The gun in his hand flew out, knocked loose by the impact, landing on the ground and rolling away.

Instinctively, Yamikaze moved his hand, trying to retrieve his beloved weapon.

But it was futile.

"Game Over."

Rozen smirked as he spoke.

The dagger in his hand had already pressed against Yamikaze's throat, so close there was no remaining space.

Feeling the icy touch on his neck, Yamikaze's expression changed repeatedly.

Finally, seeing Rozen's calm smile, Yamikaze realized his defeat and slumped in resignation.

"————"

The office fell into silence.

"————"

In front of numerous live-streaming screens, countless players watched this scene in mute shock.

The most anticipated showdown of this year's BoB tournament had reached its conclusion.

Everyone clearly understood.

Rozen had won.

"…I lost."

Yamikaze bitterly smiled, admitting the truth.

The event, sparked a week ago when Yamikaze blocked Rozen's transfer and issued a challenge, ended with Yamikaze's defeat.

In the end, Yamikaze lost to Rozen, further cementing Rozen's reputation.

"You're really strong, worthy of being the hero who cleared SAO."

Yamikaze's voice carried deep bitterness as he acknowledged his loss.

"No worries, you gave me a good time."

Rozen, devoid of arrogance, responded more like a gamer relishing a thrilling new game, his tone betraying a hint of satisfaction.

With that…

"I guess I've truly experienced GGO now," Rozen remarked. "After this, I probably won't be returning. Do you have anything you'd like to say?"

It was a parting gift from Rozen to Yamikaze.

Yamikaze, uncertain of Rozen's circumstances, sensed the truth in his words.

After today, Rozen might never log into GGO again, returning instead to ALfheim Online.

Thus, this would likely be their final encounter.

If so…

"How can I become as strong as you?"

Unknowingly, Yamikaze voiced his thoughts.

"Is my AGI (Agility)-focused build really the right choice?"

For the first time, Yamikaze expressed his inner uncertainty.

Rozen could understand.

With AGI builds declining and STR builds gaining prominence, Yamikaze doubted his own development path.

Yet he had never admitted this fear to anyone.

If even he, a top-tier AGI player and its foremost representative, admitted the build was flawed, AGI-focused players would truly hit a dead end.

Yamikaze persisted in developing his AGI stats, likely unwilling to abandon his efforts.

Since the game lacked a respec feature, switching builds meant creating a new character.

Doing so would render eight months of progress meaningless.

Many players hesitated to abandon their accounts for this reason.

If Yamikaze gave up his current account to start over, others would advance far beyond him before he could catch up.

Games reward time investment; the more you invest, the stronger your character becomes.

Dreaming of triumph without effort is delusion—or cheating.

Rozen saw through Yamikaze's fears.

Thus…

"I can't say whether an AGI-focused build is correct or not. I've only played GGO for a week, so I'm not a veteran qualified to judge character builds," Rozen said plainly.

"I just know that if I played your character, I could still beat my current self."

That one statement lit up Yamikaze's eyes.

"You mean…"

Yamikaze seemed to grasp the implication.

"I mean, strength doesn't come from the character but from the player," Rozen declared with a faint smile. "If you're skilled enough to maximize your speed and use it masterfully, then even the deadliest bullets won't touch you. Your HP would remain untouched, and you could outlast even the reigning champion armed with rare gear."

A character's potential is limited, but a player's skill can always improve.

Just as Rozen had surpassed his magical limitations in the past, defeating even Solomon himself.

"If your character has limits, then make yourself stronger."

Rozen's words echoed decisively.

"After that, it's up to you."

With that, Rozen moved his hand.

"Splurt!"

The sharp dagger sliced Yamikaze's throat, depleting his last sliver of HP.

Dead.

The red lettering appeared over Yamikaze.

He fell, a faintly satisfied smile on his lips.

The runner-up of last year's BoB tournament was eliminated.

Rozen stood victorious, unscathed.