Sword Art Online 05: Phantom Bullet Part 22

Six empty sh.e.l.ls bounced around Sinon and disappeared after a little while.

Kirito was standing there, still unscathed, and through the scope, his eyes continued to look questioningly.

Sinon slowly stood up, her hands holding Hecate, and began to walk through the bus. She jumped out of what little remains of the front gla.s.s window onto the road and continued walking.

Tens of seconds later, when she closed to about 5 meters away from Kirito, she stopped.

Staring at the still standing black lightsaber user in the face, she breathed out.

"...Why?"

The meaning of this question, and the criticism mixed in it, seemed to reach Kirito. His black pupils shook, and again looked down at his feet.

Finally, he said without feeling, like an NPC.

"... My goal, is just to enter tomorrow's main tournament. I don't have a reason to fight beyond that."

Sinon had expected this answer. However, the feeling of 'that's why I cannot forgive' welled up in her chest, and once again, Sinon pushed out words.

"Then, you should have shot yourself with that gun right at the start of the match. Are you worried about ammo cost waste? Or do you want to give me a kill count, thinking that this way I would be satisified...!?"

To the head lowered Kirito, she took another step closer - .

"Merely a VR game or merely one match, it's your choice if you feel that way! But don't force those values on me!!"

Sinon cried out in a trembling voice, and she also realized that she said something irrational.

To impose personal values upon your opponent, then it's the same as what she had done. If she cannot forgive Kirito, then Sinon should have used the first round of ammunition to determine the match, and then forget about him afterwards. Instead she used 6 rounds of ammunition to threaten him, and beyond that she threw out her feelings at him face to face. On the other hand, the unreasonable one might be herself.

However.

Even so, Sinon could not stop herself. The Hecate held in trembling hands, face distorted, and could not stop a drop of tear that leaked out of the edge of her eye.

With his back to the distant sun as it set, half of his body in shadow, Kirito's eyes were tightly closed, and his mouth was stiff.

Finally, the delicate avatar relaxed, with a weak, but with a hint of emotion, he said.

"...I too... A long time ago, I felt that I blamed someone like that..."

Kirito glanced at the silent Sinon, then he bowed his head down.

"...I'm so sorry. I was wrong. Although it is only a game, only a match, but I should still give it all I've got... otherwise, there is no meaning or qualification for me to live in this world. I, should have known that..."

There, he raised his head, the black eyes looked straight at Sinon, and the swordsman from a strange land said.

"Sinon, can you give me a chance to make it up to you? Right now, have a match with me."

From the unexpected words, Sinon momentarily forgot her anger and wrinkled her eyebrows.

"Right now, even if you say that..."

BoB's qualification and main tournament are encounter fights with unknown enemy starting locations. Since they met face to face like this without fighting, there should be no way to return to the beginning condition.

However, Kirito showed a slight smile, then pulled out the FN Five-Seven from the holster on his left waist. He used a hand gesture to stop Sinon, who was about to take position, and pulled the gun's slide once. He skillfully caught the ejected bullet in the air, then placed the pistol back into the holster.

While spinning the 5.7mm bullet with his left hand fingers, Kirito said.

"Your gun, it still has ammo, right?"

"...Yeah, only one shot left."

"Then, let's go with a duel style. Let's see... 10 meters away. You use your rifle, and I use my sword. I'll throw the bullet. When it hits the ground, we start the match. How about that?"

Surprised, or more like Sinon was stunned. Without noticing that her earlier anger had thinned, she moved her mouth.

"Look here... do you think that would even be a match? With just 10 meters apart, this Hecate's bullet will definitely hit. With my skill proficiency and stats supplement, combined with its stats, it's a sure hit distance in the system. You won't even have a chance to move your lightsaber. The result is no different from your suicide."

"We won't know till we try it."

After saying that with arrogance - Kirito's red lips showed a sharp smile.

At the moment she saw this expression, Sinon felt a jolt run through her back.

He was serious. This lightsaber user, really wanted win against Sinon in a Western-style duel.

Indeed, the Hecate II had only one round of ammunition left in the magazine. So, he must dodge that somehow to win. He might be thinking like that, too naive. Against a sure hit and sure kill bullet, there should be no "somehow". Compared to the shopping mall "game to avoid the bullets" gunman's antique revolver, whether it is bullet speed, accuracy, or power, it is not on the same level.

But - if Kirito really did have "something", then.

'I want to see it. No matter what.'

The next moment, Sinon nodded and said: "...Fine. I agree to use this approach for a showdown."

Then she turned away, took around ten steps east on the center dividing line, and then turned back to face the sun.

The distance between the two people, was just ten meters. She raised the Hecate that she was carrying, nestled the b.u.t.t of a rifle against her right shoulder, and spread apart her feet in a standard shooting position.

In the real world, even the strongest person could not fire an anti-materiel rifle from a standing shooting position. But in GGO, as long as the physical abilities reach a sufficient value, it was no longer impossible. Of course, one can not withstand the huge recoil and will fall back behind, but since she only has one bullet, this doesn't matter.

She pulled the bolt handle to place the last bullet into the chamber.

When she looked through the scope, even at the lowest magnification, Kirito's shape filled her view.

It was like the beauty of young girls, the weak and powerlessness a few minutes ago no longer existed. His obsidian like looks shone brightly, and a fearless smile on his lips.

Kirito closed the fingers on his hand that was holding the FN Five-Seven bullet and stretched that arm straight in front, as his pulled out the lightsaber on his right waist. He pressed the switch with his thumb, and it issued out a blue-white brilliant blade of energy.

Right now, the audience outside watching the F-Block final might be t.i.tling their head and wondering what those two people are doing. She did not care about that. A bullet versus a blade. With common sense, it's not a fighting match, but Sinon could really feel her tension going up.

'--- Sure enough, that guy has "something".'

With such a direct feeling, Sinon slightly adjusted Hecate's aim.

On the other side of the reticule, Kirito spoke.

"...Then, let's start."

Then, he did not hesitate to flick the bullet into the air. The spinning bullet flew high. Light reflected by the setting sun made it shine like a ruby as it traveled into the air.

Kirito lowered his waist, placed his left foot in front and leaned half of his body forward, and the lightsaber on his right hand slanted down to the side. Even with his fingers that held the blade, there was not any feel of force; it was a relaxed posture. But even in such a stance, the delicate avatar sent out a pressure as if she was targeted at her heart by a rifle muzzle.

Sinon, as well, realized that her sensations sharply rose higher. The 5.7mm bullet moving in the air seemed very slow. Every other sound faded. She was only conscious of the existence of her body and the Hecate II. No, the distinction between those two also disappeared. The shooter and the gun had completely merged to become one, with only striking the target accurately with the bullet in mind.

From her view, the white reticule, and the green circle also disappeared.

In front of the silent swordsman in black, falling at a slow pace, was the bullet signal. Although the bullet crossed her scope and went out of sight, Sinon could feel its existence. It rolled and tumbled to the ground - the sharp bullet hit the asphalt - the game system determined the contact of the two objects, and issued an order to convey a sound effect through the AmuSphere the signal released an electronic pulse, in Sinon's hearing - PING.

At the instant of that small sound's echo, her right index finger pulled the trigger.

In the next few seconds, the phenomenon that occurred would be engraved into Sinon's accelerated consciousness with fresh color.

From the Hecate's large muzzle break came orange flames.

On the other side, the blue white lightning cut through the dusk darkness.

Shining like shooting stars, two small lights split to the left and right, flying far away.

Pushed by the anti-materiel rifle's huge recoil, while falling backwards, Sinon belatedly realized the meaning of the scene that she saw.

It was cut apart.

At the moment the bullet fell to the ground, Kirito's lightsaber slashed upwards, and cut the 50-caliber bullet that was supposed to be a fatal hit. The two shooting stars that Sinon saw, were fragments of the bullet that were cut by the high concentration energy blade, and flew pa.s.s either side of Kirito behind him.

But - it should not be possible!

If he had guessed her bullet's path and swung the sword, then the result would be understandable. However, Sinon had not aimed at the avatar's center as she was supposed to, but instead, she aimed at Kirito's left leg.

Hecate is such a large-caliber gun, that it has something called "impact damage" as additional damage. In this case of super-close range, even if only the wrist or foot were hit, the impact area attack will take HP right to 0.

For Kirito who converted to GGO today, and with no knowledge about guns, he should not know about this. So, if he had guessed the bullet's path, he should certainly have only guarded the center of his body.

Even so, Kirito was able to accurately target the bullet that aimed for his left thigh with a flash of his lightsaber. That was not a gamble. Moreover, at this distance, this projectile velocity, Bullet Line a.s.sist would be useless. In the end why - how he did...?

Even overwhelmed by surprise for the moment, Sinon's hand did not stop. While she was pushed backwards, her left hand let go of the Hecate, then she reached instinctively for the MP7 at her waist.

However, he was faster than that.

Like lightning, Kirito dashed across the ten meters gap between them and appeared in front of Sinon. The blade in his right hand hummed and dyed her view a brilliant blue.

She will be cut.

Even with that prediction, Sinon did not close her eyelids. Her open eyes saw, with a huge sunset for background, glossy black hair sway in arcs like a fan.

Then, everything stopped.

The Hecate in her right hand, and the MP7 in her left hand dangled as Sinon was deeply bended backward. However, no matter how long, she did not fall to the road. Kirito's left hand supporting her back was the reason.

And then in the swordsman's right hand was the lightsaber, held against Sinon's exposed and defenseless neck. Only the sound of the blade's plasma vibration hum, and the sound of the wind blowing afar could be heard.

With his left foot forward, Kirito was bent towards Sinon who was leaning back, just if they were enacting a scene in a dance as they were close together, and it remained paused for a while.

The dark pupils were right in front of her eyes. Until now, both in the real world and even in this virtual world, she had not allowed anyone to come this close to her. However, Sinon was not aware of this and asked in a whisper while peeking into Kirito's eyes.

"...How did you predict my aim?"

At the other end of the energy blade, he softly spoke; "Even through the scope's lens, I saw your eye."

Eye. In other words - her sight.

He read the bullet's path by her sight, was what Kirito said.

There was actually someone in this world who could do this. Sinon had never thought about this. A small tremble that is either terror or not travelled its way from her back to the top of her head.

So strong. Kirito's strength, had gone beyond the level of a VR game.

However, since this is the case - why then, in the corner of the Standby Room, did he tremble so much? Why did those cold hands firmly hold on to Sinon's hand?

Sinon opened her mouth and a small voice asked.

"You are this strong. What are you afraid of?"

Then she saw the eyes of Kirito momentarily shake. After a brief silence, Kirito answered as if he was enduring something.

"This is not strength. Just skill."

At the moment she heard those words, Sinon forgot about the blade of light next to her throat and shook her head violently.

"Lies. You lie. If it was just technique, it would not be possible to cut Hecate's bullet. You should know. How did you become this strong? I... I want to know that so..."

"Then let me ask you!"

Kirito suddenly interrupted her in a low voice, but with blue flame like heat mixed in his voice.

"If that gun's bullet will really kill the real world player... And then, if you do not kill, either you, or someone important to you will be killed. If that is the case, would YOU. PULL. THE. TRIGGER!?"