Life-Saving Windbreaker

"No wonder he was able to evade the organization's pursuit for a year... His will to fight was incredible."

Fujino stared at Numabuchi Kiichiro standing not far away and sighed.

Then he raised his Wooden Sword again.

"Again!"

This time, Fujino made the first move.

He dashed forward, raised the Wooden Sword, and brought it down toward Numabuchi Kiichiro's head.

Numabuchi Kiichiro did not charge forward again.

Instead, he used his dagger to fend off Fujino's relentless Wooden Sword attacks.

In an instant, sparks flew everywhere.

The flashes of fire lit up the forest, only to vanish in moments like summer fireflies.

Please note: the Strength Card enhancement has only ten seconds remaining.

Just as Fujino continued attacking and blocking, the system's voice suddenly rang in his ear.

His brow furrowed at the sound, and he quickly leaped backward, breaking away from the stalemated battle.

"Looks like I need to end this quickly."

Fujino gripped the Wooden Sword tightly and fixed his gaze on the dagger in Numabuchi Kiichiro's hand.

He took a deep breath, channeling all the strength in his body into the Wooden Sword.

"Heavenly Soaring Dragon Flash!"

Fujino called out softly as he charged forward. His Wooden Sword swept horizontally and collided with the dagger Numabuchi Kiichiro had raised to block it.

"Clang!"

The sound of metal snapping shattered the stillness of the night.

Numabuchi Kiichiro looked up in disbelief at the blade glittering with mottled silver light beneath the moon, momentarily stunned.

Now!

"Nine-Headed Dragon Slash!"

Seizing the opening, Fujino twisted the Wooden Sword and sent it sweeping toward Numabuchi Kiichiro again.

The light Wooden Sword left faint afterimages in its wake, while sharp whistles rang out as its tip tore through the air.

One slash, two slashes, three slashes...

After taking several blows, Numabuchi Kiichiro felt a wave of pain surge into his mind.

The gut-wrenching agony forced him back again and again.

In the end, he could only kneel on the ground, clutching his head as he struggled through the unbearable pain.

He slowly raised his head and looked at Fujino.

His dry hair fluttered in the wind, and his pupils were as still as an ancient well... as if he had already accepted his fate.

All he wanted now was for the man in the black mask before him to grant him a swift end.

Bang!

With a dull thud, Numabuchi Kiichiro was knocked unconscious. As feeling left his body, he collapsed onto the grass and finally found a long-lost peace.

Congratulations, Host, for completing the system wanted mission. You have obtained 100 Detective Reputation, a 2 million yen bounty, and a System Equipment Gift Pack.

The System Equipment Gift Pack has been placed in the warehouse. Please inspect it yourself.

The system's voice sounded by his ear.

Fujino removed the Batman Mask from his face and stared at Numabuchi Kiichiro lying on the ground, muttering, "Just how terrifying was this guy's combat strength before? Even with the system enhancement activated, he was still so hard to take down..."

Numabuchi Kiichiro was far stronger than Fujino had imagined.

Fortunately, after a year of constant flight, coupled with the lack of maintenance on his dagger, Numabuchi Kiichiro had revealed flaws.

Otherwise, Fujino might really have remained locked in a stalemate with Numabuchi Kiichiro today... until the system enhancement wore off.

When that happened, it would be anyone's guess who lived and who died.

At the thought, Fujino could not help drawing in a sharp breath.

System Equipment Gift Pack: Randomly draws one piece of equipment. Quality is guaranteed to be purple.

Fujino stared blankly at the System Equipment Gift Pack he had just obtained in the system warehouse.

After recovering, he could not help glancing at the Wooden Sword in his hand.

The Wooden Sword he held now was system equipment, and it was only blue quality.

Even blue-quality equipment was already powerful enough...

He truly could not imagine just how outrageous purple quality would be.

Fujino took a deep breath and opened the system gift pack.

Suddenly, streams of light shot out from the system warehouse before him.

After a transition animation as lifelike as the Okamoto Wooden Sword's, a black windbreaker glowing purple appeared before him.

"A windbreaker?"

Fujino looked at the black windbreaker before him and cried out in surprise.

He then lightly tapped the system interface, and the equipment's detailed information appeared before him:

Life-Saving Black Jacket: A windbreaker made of ordinary materials, but enhanced through some indescribable means. Though made of ordinary materials, it automatically repairs itself after being damaged and does not wrinkle.

Form: A black windbreaker for an adult male.

Ability: Automatically repairs itself after being damaged. Its primary effect is to save the wearer's life. Although it cannot block ordinary attacks, when struck by a fatal blow or an attack that would inflict severe injuries on the Host, it automatically activates its life-saving effect and takes one hit for the Host... After activation, the windbreaker's life-saving effect becomes unavailable and can only be triggered again once the windbreaker has fully repaired itself.

Fujino took out the windbreaker and gave it a shake.

His first impression was that it was very light. It was not much different from an ordinary windbreaker... and judging from the feel of it, it really was made from ordinary materials.

"Can this thing really save my life?"

Fujino could not help feeling doubtful.

Was this damn system fooling him?

Cursing inwardly, he took out the broken dagger he had just confiscated from Numabuchi Kiichiro from the system space.

Fujino raised the dagger and tentatively slashed at the windbreaker's cuff.

Riiip!

With a tearing sound, a gash opened in the windbreaker's cuff.

Yet only moments later, under his watchful gaze, that wound actually began to mend itself...

At the same time, a light screen suddenly appeared before him: Time until Life-Saving Black Jacket is fully repaired: one minute.

"Looks like the system description is true after all."

Fujino nodded in satisfaction and put it on.

If the system description was accurate, this thing absolutely deserved its purple quality.

After all, it was an extra chance at survival!

Compared to anything else, a chance to save one's life was clearly more valuable.

"But it's obviously a black windbreaker... Why does the system call it a black jacket?"

Fujino asked in confusion.

Then he shook his head and put the question out of his mind.

After that, he turned and looked toward Numabuchi Kiichiro in the distance.

At that moment, Numabuchi Kiichiro lay on the grass, his body bound with Red Rope.

The binding method was just a little unusual—it was Kikko Binding...

"Wake up, the moon's about to shine on your butt!"

Fujino lifted a bucket of cold water and gave Numabuchi Kiichiro a thorough soaking.

Numabuchi Kiichiro was jolted awake by the bucket of cold water. He had barely tried to get up before collapsing face-first onto the ground again.

Though Kikko Binding looked somewhat indecent... it was exceptionally useful against hyperactive people like this.

"Numabuchi Kiichiro, I think we can have a proper talk now..."

Fujino put the Batman Mask back on his face.

An unseen sneer curled across his lips.

He interlaced his fingers and cracked his knuckles...