They were just as crazy as before, showing no regard for their teammates' lives. Yuki crawled backward a few steps. Under the suppressive fire, he couldn't even poke his head out. He braced a hand against the ground and felt the floor trembling faintly.
Who knew how many people were rushing toward the tenth floor? Outside, helicopter blades whirred. Three helicopters circled the building, their searchlights sweeping inside and turning Yuki's vision a blinding white. He didn't hesitate, rolling into the inner room.
Rat-tat-tat-tat.
The helicopter's guns opened fire, leaving a string of bullet holes in the floor and walls. Flying chips of stone stung his face.
Yuki kept rolling until he reached the inner room. Only after using the wall to shield himself from the gunfire did he catch his breath. No, there was no time to relax. The steady thud of military boots was drawing closer down the corridor.
Like a death knell, the sound told him everything he needed to know without even looking: over a hundred armed SWAT officers were approaching in tactical formation. Heavy bulletproof shields would be at the front, and the officers behind them already had flashbangs in hand.
Stay calm. This was still within expectations.
Yuki kept hypnotizing himself, his expression blank as he tilted his head. "Hayasaka, how's it going?"
Just as radios had evolved into tablets, the slaughter over the past few days had pushed the dungeon's technology slightly ahead of reality. The tablet could now display the positions of allies, effortlessly realizing the United States' long-dreamed-of "Future Warrior" program.
In the dim, stifling underground parking lot, Hayasaka stared at the tablet in her hand, her face tense and her lips dry. Rich Brother peered over her shoulder, just as speechless.
Dense clusters of blue dots had surrounded both buildings. Apart from a handful searching for the missing Li Dan, roughly ninety percent of the forces had poured into Building A and surged up toward the tenth floor like a school of bloodthirsty sharks.
There were too many friendly markers. The red dot representing Yuki was lost among them, surrounded on every side by enemies.
"I don't know how many people are around you, but you were right: the east stairwell is the most crowded. There are fewer on the west side, and most of them came in by helicopter onto the roof. Be careful. Some have already climbed onto the exterior wall and are preparing to rappel down."
Since Li Dan had fired the first shot, the pursuing forces had mostly gathered on the village's eastern side, by the sea. Once they got the report and poured into Building A, the east stairwell was naturally closer.
"They look like people, but they aren't people, after all." Yuki smiled. He'd figured it out back when he'd played Need for Speed in the city: these enemies were Living Corpses at their core, and they followed instinct.
Like sharks that caught the scent of blood, of course they'd take the shortest route to their prey.
It was their core nature, something no tactical training, weapon handling, or technological evolution could conceal. They were no different from the monsters in the Ancient Castle, which could only form human ladders and rushed over at the slightest sign of trouble.
"Got it." Yuki ended the call, then switched to another channel. "Senpai, did you finish?"
"Done. Hurry up and get out!"
Her breathing was ragged. Mai Sakurajima was clearly running as fast as she could, but when no reply came, her heart sank.
She'd already escaped Building A. Turning around, she saw a breathtaking sight:
The Crimson Moon flickered in and out of view. On the east side of the unfinished building, police lights flashed and helicopters circled back and forth. Countless beams from flashlights shone out from within.
The building was like a bonfire in the night, drawing countless moths to it.
How—how were they supposed to escape?
Faced with a scene straight out of a blockbuster, Mai Sakurajima had no idea what to do. She could only mechanically set one foot in front of the other, dragging the cable as she headed for Building B.
It was an outrageous spectacle. If this had happened on Earth, it would have made the headlines.
Yuki leaned against the wall, listening to the footsteps pouring in as he stared at his watch without blinking.
It was 9:50 p.m. Reinforcement Magecraft had two minutes left.
He lowered his hand and turned to look down the corridor. Dozens of bags of cement and lime were piled there.
Click.
Yuki flicked off the rifle's safety and gripped a defensive grenade in his palm, drawing a slow breath.
My Ego Trait won't help much here. I have only one trump card left.
Then I'll use it!!
As several flashbangs were thrown into the room, he hurled out his defensive grenade and leapt backward at superhuman speed.
Bang! Bang!
Both sides struck at once. Yuki ducked around the corner and was left with nothing but a ringing head, but the SWAT officers in the open corridor had it much worse. A whole swath of them went down on the spot.
Some were wounded, some were dead, but the people behind them didn't care. They trampled over the fallen and pressed forward. The cement bags burst, filling the air with thick dust. In an instant, nothing was visible.
"Move in!"
"The target is in the room on the left."
"Suppressive fire!"
Without looking back, Yuki ran ahead, slipping through an unsealed hole in the wall into the next room. He heard bullets ricocheting behind him.
"Cease fire. Move up!"
After firing for a moment, the enemies realized Yuki hadn't returned to the corridor and hurried after him, powerful flashlights sweeping over every doorway.
The thick dust slowed the advance from the east, but the forces from the west were about to close in too.
Yuki had no time to wipe the sweat from his brow. He darted through another room, then suddenly stopped and pressed himself against the wall. Fine footsteps came from both directions, and outside, people were rappelling down the wall.
One minute and fifteen seconds.
His breathing and heartbeat both steadied. He clenched a knife between his teeth, drew an axe from his back, counted to three, then suddenly turned toward the corridor.
Thick dust hung in the corridor. A SWAT officer in black combat gear, with only his eyes exposed, emerged from it. He looked up and saw the suspect right in front of him. Just as he started to raise his gun, the bright axe came crashing down.
Crack.
The axe blade split the officer's skull, drawing a terrible scream. Black branches then burst through his head and sprouted from the top.
Item: Frontal Lobe Fragment.
Just like in the Ancient Castle, the Petal went wild at the sight of blood, growing like a blade and slicing the people behind him into pieces. The tactical squad advancing down the corridor came to an abrupt halt.
One minute.
Yuki didn't bother to look at the results. He yanked out the axe, turned, and ran. Two seconds later, a storm of gunfire erupted. Bullets tore the Petal to shreds, and someone even threw a grenade without regard for their teammates.
Boom! Boom!
The corridor shook, and the floor seemed ready to collapse at any moment. Yuki kept his head down and sprinted, his body staggering several times as bullets struck his bulletproof vest and knocked him forward.
Don't stop. Whatever you do, don't stop.
He kept hypnotizing himself. Through the drifting dust, he saw a few vague figures ahead. Without hesitation, he raised the rifle in his left hand.
Rat-tat-tat-tat.
He didn't need to aim. The gun tucked under his arm spat a long stream of fire. One person fell, another ducked back into cover, and a third prepared to throw a grenade.
Thirty rounds emptied in seconds. Yuki didn't stop. He tossed aside the empty rifle and opened his mouth.
Forty-five seconds.
A long knife dropped into his hand, and he picked up speed. When he saw something rolling down the corridor toward him, he kicked it away.
Boom—
The grenade rolled back and exploded among the crowd. The flying shrapnel drew a chorus of screams. Before the bright fireball had even faded, the sharp blade was already upon them.
Anyone who stands in my way dies!
One slash took off a head. A raised knee sent the second man flying. Yuki leapt, kicked off the wall, and turned back just as guns swung toward him. He gripped the knife with both hands.
Whoosh.
Blood mixed with fragments of guns and sprayed through the air. With his head splitting from pain, Yuki had entered a berserk state. He cut man and weapon alike in half.
His thoughts froze amid the pain. He had no time to finish off those knocked down by the explosions. All he could think about was killing anything that blocked his way and using their bodies as shields.
The long knife pierced two men, like a skewer through a pair of meat-filled gourds. As he pulled the blade free, he twisted his waist and flung their bodies behind him, shielding himself from the bullets.
Thirty seconds.
No enemies remained ahead. Behind him, the gunfire reached its peak as over a hundred bullets tore down the corridor, making the two bodies twitch and shudder.
Yuki couldn't do anything about it, even if he wanted to. He saw the empty stairwell ahead and leapt without a second thought.
Clang, clang, clang.
Brilliant sparks burst across the stairwell walls. The two bodies were shredded by the gunfire, but gravity pulled Yuki down and out of the line of fire first.
As he fell, Yuki stabbed the long knife into the wall, carving a straight line through it. The Alienated Grade item began to buckle under the strain, but it also sharply slowed his fall.
Thud.
He landed on the first floor. Even with a mattress to cushion him, the impact left him dazed. Yuki forced himself to his feet, and the sound of his landing had already alerted the enemies who'd just rushed into the building. They were hurrying toward the stairwell.
Fifteen seconds.
There was no time to hesitate. Even looking back would have been courting death. He burst into a sprint, ran down the corridor, and raced toward the west side, leaping out of a window before the pursuers could open fire.
The pale red moonlight had grown brighter. With no floors to shield him, Yuki was exposed to the helicopters circling overhead. But before their searchlights could lock onto him, he'd run dozens of meters farther, racing toward a dark stairwell.
He had no idea how many guns were trained on his back. A sniper worked the bolt, chambering a round, and the helicopter's searchlight had already made him the brightest star in the night.
Five seconds. Ten meters.
Yuki looked toward the entrance to the underground parking lot and pressed the Walkie-talkie against his chest.
"Mai, detonate it!!!"
Chapter 32: The Second Night Begins! (Revised)
Mai Sakurajima was hiding behind a load-bearing wall in Building B.
Her trait had disappeared, but since ninety percent of the enemies had been drawn into Building A by Yuki, no one would find her here for a while.
She'd only been resting for a few minutes when the relentless gunfire and circling helicopters made her peek out. She saw just one glimpse, and froze on the spot.
A scene more spectacular than anything in a movie she'd acted in was unfolding a hundred meters away. SWAT officers filled the building, and their powerful searchlights made the night almost as bright as day. Then a dark figure burst out, and her heart clenched.
Since the game began, that man had given her far too many unforgettable moments: his bloodstained silhouette in the Ancient Castle's corridor, the desperate race as he flew over a bridge. But now, he'd become the focus of every spotlight.
One man sprinted ahead. Hundreds of guns pointed out from the building behind him, and helicopters circled overhead as their searchlights swiftly followed.
Faster. Come on, faster.
Mai Sakurajima held her breath. Her fingers gripped the detonator so tightly they turned white. It was as if she were onstage, surrounded by countless guns aimed at her.
The searchlights caught up with Yuki. Scorching bullets left a string of sparks behind him. Then, at last, she heard his voice crackle through the Walkie-talkie.
"Detonate!!!"
She didn't even have to think. Her hand twisted the switch of its own accord, then slammed it down. In the instant before the current triggered the charge, the moment seemed to stretch longer than a year.
He trusted me this much. Did I connect everything correctly? If even one wire's wrong, we're both dead.
Everyone's lives rested on her shoulders. The pressure made it hard to breathe, and only now did she understand how exhausting things must have been for Yuki since joining the game. He'd already faced choices like this several times.
And that idiot still joked with me like a boar's head. What kind of nerves did he have?
Mai Sakurajima suddenly understood Yuki a little better. Then a scorching fireball bloomed in her eyes, followed by a muffled explosion that made her ears ring.
Boom—rumble—
On the third floor of Building A, a series of explosions erupted. The shockwave hurled debris in every direction. The girl covered her head with both hands and pressed her face hard against the ground.
Under the Crimson Moon, the building toppled. No matter how many guns had Yuki's back in their sights, the world spun around in an instant, and collapsing floors crushed people to pulp.
Directed Demolition. The mostly intact upper floors of the building fell toward the eastern side of the village. A thunderous crash followed, flattening dozens of police cars. The shockwave hurled debris into the air and sent the circling helicopters around it spinning out of control.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Fireballs bloomed one after another. Screams rose all around as dust filled the air, blotting out everything and burying the blood and severed limbs beneath it.
"Did I do that?"
Mai Sakurajima could hardly believe it. Since joining the game, she hadn't taken out a single enemy. Her body was no stronger than an ordinary person's, and her Ego Trait had no offensive power.
Yet now, all it had taken was one press of her hand to bury hundreds of pursuers.
[Player Mai is on a Killing Spree. Reward: 1 Reinforcement Point]
Me? On a Killing Spree?
Mai Sakurajima's eye twitched. The strange voice's words didn't seem to suit her at all, but when she looked at the rubble and flames before her, she couldn't find fault with them.
She had no idea how many enemies the explosion had killed, but it had wiped out at least half the pursuers. Still, when she saw limbs strewn among the ruins, she couldn't bring herself to smile.
Whether they were Living Corpses or living people, she had been forced to take a great step toward Chaos Grade. The peaceful daily life she remembered seemed more distant than ever.
I was forced into this. But if I want to survive, I have to do this.
She climbed out from behind the wall, feeling the scorching night wind heavy with the smell of blood. Suddenly, her body shuddered, and she turned stiffly around.
Beep, beep, beep, beep.
Before you continue