The moment Fire Fox ducked into the pit, Russell swiftly took cover behind a huge boulder as well. Fire Fox had fallen into the predicament of running low on ammunition, but he had no such concern. He suffered from firepower deficiency anxiety, so he carried three magazines on him.
Smith's Character Card was incredibly powerful, especially its ability to keep him calm under pressure. Even during his perilous exchange with Fire Fox, Russell's heartbeat did not falter in the slightest.
With his heartbeat steady, breathing normal, and mind calm, Russell was not worried that Fire Fox could sense his position while in Bullet Time. He pulled out his last grenade from behind his back, yanked off the pin, and hurled it hard beyond the boulder.
Fire Fox lay in the pit, waiting in full readiness. Suddenly, the sound of wind drifted into her ears. Looking up, she saw a grenade tracing an arc toward her.
Cursing Russell's entire family in her heart, Fire Fox raised her hand and fired. In Bullet Time, the grenade moved slowly in her eyes. The bullet pierced the grenade and struck the explosive charge. With a thunderous boom, it exploded in midair. As the flames dispersed, a huge cloud of dust was blasted upward.
Russell ejected his magazine and replaced it with a full one. Then he stepped out from behind the boulder and continuously fired into the pit where Fire Fox was hiding. Having enough ammunition was just that willful.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Fire Fox was pinned down so thoroughly she could not raise her head. With a flick of her arm, she fired a bullet in an arc. Unfortunately, the explosion had left her somewhat dazed, and she could not accurately judge Russell's location. The shot missed.
"Fuck down!"
Fire Fox cursed and flicked out two more shots. Hearing Russell dodge and hit the ground, she sprang out of the pit. That pit was about to get her killed.
Russell lay prone on the ground. Those two bullets had nearly hit him, but Smith's Character Card was reliable, and his own Sixth Sense had warned him in advance. He escaped without a scratch.
Seeing Fire Fox rush out of the pit, he immediately pulled the trigger without another word, every shot aimed at a fatal spot.
As Fire Fox burst from the pit, her heart rate shot wildly past four hundred beats per minute, intercepting every bullet Russell fired. The M1911's bullets were expended one by one, and it finally ran dry just one step away from Russell. Realizing she could not dodge the bullet about to leave his barrel, she directly threw her beloved gun at him.
Clang!
With a crisp ring, the M1911 was knocked away. The bullet that had been aimed at Fire Fox's heart only grazed her arm. Fire Fox endured the pain and, in Bullet Time, successfully rushed before Russell and kicked his hand.
The M9 flew from his grasp. Fire Fox and Russell locked eyes, intense killing intent flashing through both of them.
Russell's physical condition was exceptional. Empowered by the Character Card, his reflexes far surpassed those of an ordinary person. He clamped Fire Fox's long leg, which she had not yet withdrawn, beneath his left armpit. His right fist loosely clenched, arm muscles taut, he drove a punch into Fire Fox's lower abdomen.
Fire Fox crossed her arms to block, but the tremendous force knocked her backward. Seeing the M9 falling and about to be seized by Russell, she bent backward at the waist and raised her other long leg, viciously kicking the M9 away before Russell could grab it.
The M9 spun as it fell into the middle of the train tracks!
Russell's eyes gleamed. Without a second thought, he drove his elbow forward.
With a dull thud, Fire Fox immediately let out a suppressed cry of pain. It proved that whether man or woman, taking an elbow there hurt like hell.
Russell clamped Fire Fox's long leg tightly, feeling her muscles loosen from the intense pain. He twisted her leg and forced her onto the ground, then gripped her calf with both hands and used a grappling technique to lock her down completely.
Fire Fox sensed Russell's move as well. Ignoring the tearing pain, she kicked backward with her unrestrained left leg. Her high heel sliced open the back of Russell's hand. He loosened his grip in pain, allowing Fire Fox to break free and escape.
After freeing herself, Fire Fox first glanced sidelong at the M9 on the tracks, then assumed a fighting stance and glared viciously at Russell with both fists clenched.
Russell sneered and made a throat-slitting gesture. Watching Fire Fox's long legs constantly shift and cross, Poison Tongue kicked in. "Beautiful, if it hurts, just say so. I'll give it a rub."
Fire Fox spat on the ground and said disdainfully, "You can try. But before that, I'll kick your balls in!"
"Then let's try!"
Russell suddenly stepped forward twice, his left fist loosely clenched as he threw an uppercut at Fire Fox's face.
It was a feint. After the fist drew Fire Fox's attention, he pulled it back even faster. The real attack was his right fist, a savage blow with no hint of mercy, smashing toward Fire Fox's temple.
Fire Fox's heart pounded wildly. In Bullet Time, Russell's fist slowed down. Rather than block it head-on, she lunged into Russell's arms and drove her knee toward him.
In that flash, Fire Fox saw panic in Russell's eyes, while Russell saw the slightly ferocious strain at the corners of Fire Fox's brows.
Clang!!
"Aah—"
With a scream, Fire Fox exited Bullet Time and collapsed to the ground clutching her knee. Russell's face also turned pale, his legs trembling slightly. Under Fire Fox's look as if he were a pervert, he raised a hand and knocked beneath his crotch.
Clang! Clang! Clang!
The sound was crisp and pleasant. He was wearing iron briefs!
"Sorry, I forgot to tell you. I was wearing armor."
Russell gave a thoroughly punchable explanation, though he was still shaken inside. Fire Fox's knee strike had been incredibly powerful. Even through the iron briefs, he could feel the massive impact. If he had not prepared beforehand, Big Slick would have been his fate.
Even so, he could still feel a faint sorrow!
Fire Fox staggered to her feet. The pain in her knee felt as though it had shattered, leaving her unable to move quickly. Seeing Russell approach with the gait of a man who recognized no kin, she gritted her teeth and ran toward the M9.
Fire Fox was not fast, and Russell caught up behind her in just two strides. But this was a woman's trap. Fire Fox suddenly turned around and kicked up dust from the ground. As Russell raised his hand to shield his eyes, she threw an uppercut at his chin.
Russell stepped back and dodged the powerful uppercut, only to be knocked to the ground by Fire Fox's flying pounce.
Fire Fox straddled Russell, activating Bullet Time once more as she rained punches down on his head from both sides.
With no time to appreciate the two firm, taut long legs, Russell raised his arms before his face to block Fire Fox's relentless punches. A few got through and struck his cheeks. The pain brought out his ferocity, and he simply stopped blocking.
Fire Fox's features twisted in pain, naturally slowing her hands. Her strength drained from her body as Russell drove his knee into her back, knocking her forward onto the ground.
Russell sprang to his feet, rubbing his throbbing cheeks. Just as Fire Fox rolled over in front of him and tried to rise, he kicked her in the chest. Then he pinned her arms beneath his legs and sat heavily on her stomach.
Fire Fox's breath caught, and she nearly blacked out. Then Russell greeted her with a storm of punches to the face.
Her arms were pinned, and a grown man sat on her stomach. Fire Fox could not move and could only take the blows. Whenever she tried to enter Bullet Time, the pain interrupted her. Before long, her gorgeous face had swollen into a pig's head.
Russell straddled Fire Fox, feeling the resistance beneath him gradually weaken. His final punch smashed fiercely into her nose bridge. After twisting it hard twice, he finally raised his bloodstained fist.
"I never knew fighting a woman could be this exhausting..."
Ding!
Host has come into contact with plot character Fire Fox, triggering the Lottery Draw. You have obtained two lottery chances. Draw now?
Russell raised an eyebrow. Being a little tired was no big deal. Triggering the Lottery Draw meant he had not lost out. He silently chose to draw and obtained a Skill Card.
Skill Card: Bullet Time (From a scientific perspective, all objectively existing things can be explained.)
Russell shook the blood from his hand and muttered to himself, "If I draw this card a few more times, could I learn this skill... It seems like it might work..."
Failure Diary
Whenever Failure Diary stayed up late writing, he could not help thinking about how his editor had been doing lately. Was he wearing long johns now that it was cold? Did his instant noodles come with seasoning packets? Should he introduce him to a girlfriend?
Stop overthinking and get back to writing. The editor is living the good life!
Before you continue