Arcane Sniper [Matan’s Shooter]

As if playing rock-paper-scissors, blocking the first thought with another, then blocking the second with a third.

When Leeha halted his footsteps for the strategic plan after listening to Alexander’s advice, someone walked out from behind the formation.

“What does that matter? We’re going to have to kill them all anyway. Whether it’s Blue Beard or the Demon Lord Subjugation Squad, we just have to wipe them out. Unless… Alexander, are you getting cold feet?”

The barrel of “Cobalt Blue Python” glistened even bluer under the moonlight.

Luger, who seemed like he could cut off an opponent’s arm like a pair of scissors, stared with his blue eyes as sharp as his gun.

***

“The only reason I spare you, Luger, is that you’re a member of the Subjugation Squad.”

Alexander didn’t even turn his head toward Luger.

His unwavering attitude immediately tensed the atmosphere, but Luger wasn’t the type to get riled up about this kind of situation either.

“You’re amusing, huh? Beating a scum like Faust and losing to trash like you. You’re not really in a position to say anything. Dragging along that golden lizard from the back and then running away like that, if that’s how you’re going to do it, maybe you should just give up your ranking, Alexander.”

“Trash?”

Alexander had to ignore Luger completely. He knew that, and Luger also knew that.

However, Luger’s words had a fundamental provocation that was hard to ignore for the listener, mixed with an irritability that made it difficult to brush aside.

“…Do you think I’d fall for Luger’s provocation just because I made a mistake once?”

Bailey Pufus let out a small sigh and restrained himself and Alexander.

“What our comrade says is true. You don’t need to waste your strength on someone like Luger who doesn’t match your caliber.”

Both Alexander and Bailey Pufus wanted to give Luger a piece of their mind, but they couldn’t. While speaking to Luger, their gaze was directed elsewhere—toward Leeha.

Because as Bailey Pufus suggested, the Rank 1 swordsman who had made a single “mistake” was already reflecting on himself and restraining his actions.

“Enough, enough of this. Why are you suddenly saying such things? We have enemies right in front of us… Luger, can’t you tell where you should shut your mouth? You’re supposed to be timing it right when it’s important.”

“Timing is your problem, Leeha. Why worry about what’s supposed to happen ‘right in front of our enemies’? After all, we know we’ll have to fight. When did bullets with ‘accuracy’ start rolling around on the ground?”

“What?”

“You shouldn’t be cautious now. The enemy is already beyond estimate.”

Luger was a war fanatic, a warrior. He instinctively knew the timing.

“…Without even aiming accurately…?”

Leeha wanted to retort, but it was a reasonable suggestion, so he held back.

The problem was that no one else could hold back.

“If you’re thinking about the possibility of Blue Beard, it’s not a bad idea to be cautious. We’ve already caught up to the enemy’s rear, and they don’t know we’re on them. After observing carefully and waiting, when Bailey Pufus blocks their escape route and approaches, there should be no problem. Rushing into things recklessly will only mess things up.”

“Does someone like Faust, who lost to someone like me, suddenly start squirming in distress at the sight of Faust? You’re the one who’s supposed to be quiet, Luger.”

“Don’t interfere, Luger. I didn’t lose.”

Alexander’s expression gradually hardened.

While Luger’s gaze was fixed on Alexander, he continued with more intensity.

“Oh, right. You didn’t lose. You just chickened out. Didn’t you say there was some dragon on the other side? Between your reptile and Faust’s reptile, if there’s no dragon, you, who can’t do anything without fingers, probably just sucked your thumb, right? Isn’t that so?”

It was a provocation that was too transparent.

Seeing that, Lee Ji-won made actions of approval, but Ramhua turned her head away.

“Hey… are you both going to stop? Oh, oh-oh! Did I stop you?”

Although Leeha was flustered, the spark had already ignited.

The slight unease that had been present since the formation of the Subjugation Squad had burst forth at the worst moment when they were facing enemies.

“Now I can’t stop, brother. Ever since that nutcase started going crazy over fighting, I’ve been uneasy.”

“…I don’t care.”

Lee Ji-won chuckled while watching that scene, and Ramhua turned her gaze.

“Um, um! Should we continue tracking? Even though it might not make much noise if we fight here and it might not be visible from a distance… still, it might be better to be cautious.”

By the time Fernando scratched his head, Alexander and Luger were facing each other at a distance.

“Ah… Why does it end up like this…”

“Your strength is also your weakness.”

As Leeha held his head in his hands, Kid appeared next to him.

“What do you mean?”

“Compared to your precision and skill, your charisma is lacking.”

Hearing Kid’s unexpected and sarcastic remark, Leeha let out a dry laugh.

“…Fine, fine. Okay, I get it. I’ll save my scolding for later and help restrain Luger.”

“It’s probably better this way. Or you could just rip out his tongue and go.”

“No, no, it’s not about ripping out his tongue… If one of them dies, our plan will be in trouble!”

Observing their confrontation nonchalantly, even Kid, Leeha wanted to cry.

Both leaders of the Subjugation Squad, whether they were suffering or not, especially Luger, were caught up in a state of excitement.

His gun was already transformed into a cannon.

“What to do. How about a free-for-all, 1v1?”

Luger suggested a player-versus-player match, literally involving all his skills and movements, with a proposal. However, Alexander shook his head as he listened.

“We don’t have time for that. And we can’t make a lot of noise.”

“Leeha! Then how do you suggest we settle the score?”

“Hmm…”

After a moment of consideration, Alexander raised his spear. It began to glow.

“Let’s do it with a single punch.”

“It seems like you’re a fanatic for concepts. Fine. We’ll take turns attacking each other, one hit at a time, right?”

“Exactly.”

Luger’s suggestion was too tempting to refuse. Now, all conditions like movements and other factors had disappeared.

It was a one-on-one showdown where only their firepower would determine the outcome.

***

“Bailey Pufus, do we not need to stop them?”

“…I’ll cast silence around us.”

“Hmm, no, that’s not the issue. If Alexander becomes endangered…”

“Ha Leeha.”

Before Leeha finished speaking, Bailey Pufus burst into laughter.

Seeing this kind of laughter, which hadn’t even occurred when Coozganak’sh was killed, Leeha felt somewhat puzzled.

“Why? What’s so funny?”

“Do you think my comrade will lose, Leeha?”

“Well… Alexander is strong, but in a 1v1, especially in a one-punch showdown… Bailey Pufus, you should know how deadly Luger’s single blow is.”

He pierced through even your shield and scales.

Leeha spoke cautiously, trying not to provoke Bailey Pufus too much. The Gold Dragon understood the meaning, but didn’t show any sign of displeasure.

“Indeed. At that time, I didn’t recognize Luger’s attack.”

“Long-range… well, Luger isn’t a fool either.”

He wouldn’t have stepped forward in front of the dragon and raised his cannon.

Although the distance was much shorter than now, it must have been quite a shocking distance even by Middle Earth standards.

Does this mean that if he had anticipated an attack, he could have prepared a stronger defensive spell?

“But anyway, isn’t this a story from when Bailey Pufus was with us? Now it’s…”

Alexander alone? Unarmed? Holding just a single spear?

As Leeha pondered in doubt, Alexander and Luger settled on an order.

“Can I go first? I’m not going to hold back anymore!”

“I don’t want to waste my time so much that I have to repeat myself to you. Use your strongest skill to face me, Luger.”

“Heh, hehehe… alright. Just the thought of crushing that self-assured face makes me excited already. Try blocking with any skill. You may not know what you can do with that stick you call a spear—”

Luger distanced himself from Alexander and raised his cannon.

“―From now on, I am Rank 1, Alexander. 〈Artillery Reinforcement: Flat Trajectory Cannon〉.”

“Luger… you still don’t understand me.”

Leeha and Kid were already aware as well.

If Luger, the initiator, used his strongest skill, it was already predetermined.

It was the most powerful skill that tore through the stomachs of a hundred Northern Troll and soared into the sky.

A skill worthy of the attribute “Penetration.”

“What I want to say is… you still don’t know me! 〈Yaktpanzer Jagdpanzer Kanone〉.”

Wheeeeeeng──────….

“Of course….”

Leeha could feel the immense energy gathering from Luger’s gun.

Kid, watching from the side, reacted as if he were facing Luger himself, his body twitching in response.

It was a skill that took about 10 seconds to cast.

The proportionality between casting time and damage was something Alexander was well aware of, but he maintained an indifferent expression as he gazed at the cannon pointed at him, maintaining an air of calmness.

“I am the first Dragon Knight in humanity, but at the same time, I am also a Dragoon.”

Clank―!

Alexander held his spear horizontally.

‘In a one-punch’ battle, he couldn’t attack Luger. He couldn’t move either.

He had to take Luger’s attack head-on from the starting position.

“When it comes to handling a lance, there is no ‘being’ superior to me. Not even a deity. 〈Split-buster〉.”

Wheeeeeeeeng─────!

Energy was converging into their respective weapons.

To Leeha, Alexander’s spear tip felt like a laser pointer as he watched from the side.

‘Mana keeps gathering into a single point. What is he trying to do with that? It doesn’t seem like a defensive skill; it looks more like an offensive skill….’

Was he trying to kill Luger by stabbing him? He couldn’t do that! He had to settle this neatly no matter what.

‘From what I’ve heard, it doesn’t sound like a defensive skill… What is he trying to achieve with an offensive skill?’

Leeha’s speculation was relatively accurate.

Alexander’s skill was an ‘offensive skill.’ However, there was no rule that an offensive skill had to attack only people.

“Farewell, my friend, hehehe!”

Finally, after 10 seconds, Luger aimed his cannon at Alexander and pulled the trigger.

Quaaaah───────!

Everyone could see the split-second intervals of the attack and defense.

Or rather, to the onlookers, it appeared like a series of still images, one after the other.

With a deafening roar, the aftershock exploded behind 〈Cobalt Blue Python〉.

What caught the eye more than the aftershock was the fire shooting out from Luger’s gun, resembling lines, and heading towards Alexander.

Alexander aimed his spear tip at the fire.

The fire splitting into ‘two strands’ even before touching the spear tip.

“…What!?”

Luger’s strongest skill was torn apart by Alexander’s skill.

***

Peww, peww────!

The divided shots merely released their explosive energy onto the surrounding terrain, and Alexander, who managed to block it, had an expression of dumbfoundedness.

“…Crazy… Unbelievable. Splitting a skill…?”

Even for Leeha, it was something hard to imagine. Well, theoretically, it was undoubtedly possible.

‘Tae-il-nim had cut apart the magic of Ram Hwajeong and Ram Hwayeon. However, that’s completely different from cutting a visible form of magic with a sword….’

Even if they were seen at best, they were spells that didn’t exceed a speed of about 100 km per hour.

Seeing and reacting to them was well within Tae-il’s abilities, thanks to his dynamic vision and body, but what about Luger’s gun?

‘It’s a kind of field artillery! It’s not that slow, no matter what! Even if I aim low, it would be close to the speed of sound?!’

Due to the large size of the projectile, Black Bees, at the least, couldn’t reach their speed. But at least, it should be around the speed of sound!

Assuming a speed similar to the speed of sound, which is about 340 m per second, by the speed standards, it’s over 1,200 km per hour. Luger’s skill is more than ten times faster than the average magician’s skill.

Leeha was astonished, and Lee Ji-won bit her lip.

Even Ram Hwajeong, who claimed not to be interested, had been an event dramatic enough to make her eyes as wide as a rabbit’s.

But they were all just bystanders. The person who couldn’t accept this event the most was the one who used the skill, Luger himself.