ReLife Player

ReLife Player 081

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Bibell

[Even if it means turning the world into an enemy (9)]

Zenko chuckled.

He’d taken the mana he’d shot at him, and he’d come back unscathed.

No more madness!

Insanity was one of Eunha’s favorite techniques before his regression. It was perfect for dealing with hordes of scavengers.

It had worked just a little while ago.

So what.

There was no point in getting frustrated.

You just have to find a way to turn it around.

One-point breakthrough.

As soon as I landed, I clutched the mangoche with both hands. The mana gathered so fiercely that it became a gust of wind.

As he ran, it became a barrier of mana that surrounded him like the wind.

It was a giant spear in itself.

It perished as he charged in a straight line, unable to stop him.

Celestial. Vastness.

There was no time to catch his breath.

Zenko had slipped out into the lobby the moment his attack failed.

His legs tingled. He’d overdone it with the Tenpai.

Still, he pushed through the pain and kicked the floor, closing the distance between them to the shortest distance he could, and stabbed his mangoshu at Zenko.

He expected to dodge the first strike.

He braked with his back foot, spun, and swung his mangoshu.

«This…!»

Zenko was no slouch either. He parried with his kukri, closing the distance and pointing his muzzle at Eunha.

Eunha did the same, closing the distance in the opposite direction and aiming for the Beretta 92SB.

They both pulled the trigger at the same time.

«…Ha!»

A mana-filled bullet pierced his left shoulder. The barrier was no longer able to block Zenko’s attack.

Zenko, on the other hand, casually deflected the bullet.

«Alas, it looks like I’m going to live.»

Stepping out into the open, Zenko ruffled his hair.

It was already difficult to move his long body in such a small space.

From now on, it would be different.

As proof, Eunha wasn’t even close.

«Let’s see if you can get any bigger. What, you’re a wimp now?»

Zenko chuckled.

He had noticed over the course of several battles that Eunha was avoiding ranged magic as much as possible.

He had less mana in his body.

Zenko, on the other hand, could use ranged magic.

He was a Ranger.

Sparare a caso.

The mana in the lobby pulsed.

Whereas the madness that Eunha had used was meant to keep hordes of monsters at bay, Zenko’s magic was meant to hunt them down.

Until now, he hadn’t been able to use it because of its narrow range.

«I wonder if you can stop this!»

The churning mana steadied the blade. The arrows drifted erratically through the air, but Zenko was aiming for Eunha.

Zenko waved his hand. In an instant, an unfathomable number of arrows moved in unison.

Vastness.

No barrier could offset it. With his buffs gone, Eunha didn’t bother to block the arrows.

He didn’t stay in one spot for a moment, frantically moving his body to dodge or parry the arrows.

«…Ack!»

He didn’t dodge all of them. He escaped death, but a few arrows lodged in his back.

He gritted his teeth and endured the pain. Without breaking stride, I shifted my body to avoid further hits.

Finally, he was out of the storm.

«So what!»

Zenko could use more than just ranged magic.

He was a Tredici, recognized for his skills as a ranger. It was not a frontline position like a Hunter or a Dealer, but it had the advantage of being able to both block and attack from the middle of the field.

Zenko, who had gotten close enough, threw the potted plant in his hand.

Eunha reflexively struck it with his mangoshu.

The container shattered, the soil inside scattering. It blocked his view.

A gunshot followed.

Hastily brushing the dirt from his face, he swallowed hard when he saw the direction the muzzle was pointed.

Cowardly bastard.

Zenko had destroyed the device holding the chandelier in place.

He was about to use his Tenshi when he saw the chandelier begin to fall overhead.

«I’m all set to kill you.»

From whence it came.

An iri lunged at him from behind, biting at his leg.

He hadn’t noticed him approach until a moment ago, when Zenko’s magic had left a thick layer of mana around him.

Iri didn’t want to let go of his leg. It raised its claws, lifted its hips, and refused to budge.

All the while, the chandelier was falling.

A breakthrough.

There was only one way out. Instead of running away, he chose to break the chandelier.

He leaped into the air with it hanging from his legs.

Some damage was inevitable.

As he destroyed the center of the chandelier with his machete, shards of glass pierced his body.

He wasn’t the only one to suffer.

Neither did Iri. The mana that made up his body was beginning to disperse.

Still, Iri would not let go of Eunha until the very end.

«Get out.»

Dropping to his back on the ground, he aimed for Iri’s forehead with the Beretta 92SB in his left hand.

A single blow was enough.

The falling Iri turned to mana and scattered.

Mana Crusher.

«This is…!»

Eunha didn’t stop at killing Iri.

In midair, he twisted his body as far as he could, channeling the green glowing mana into his mangoshu and slamming it down at Zenko.

Zenko caught the mana from the blade and recoiled.

It was annoying.

So fucking annoying.

«Fanabla!»

Fuck you!

Zenko hadn’t just stood by and watched Eunha struggle.

As a Ranger, he was as good at disarming traps as he was at setting them.

He’d already laid out the landmine-type magic in the area.

It was a rat’s nest for Eunha that fights with agility.

What’s more, the landmines Zenko had planted were cascading. The moment one exploded, the nearest mine would detonate, dealing additional damage.

Not enough mana!

I’m already out of mana. The mana around him thinned.

Eunha realized how little mana he had left and grew impatient.

When he emerged from the blast, he was a mess. He hadn’t been wearing armor, and his clothes had been reduced to rags. The backs of his hands were burned, and the tips of his hair were charred.

His left shoulder was throbbing, and although he had applied first aid in a hurry after being shot, blood was trickling from the wound as he moved.

There must still be a mine in the center.

There was no way he was going to run.

Stepping out of the smoke, Eunha leaned back against the lobby wall. He took out an espresso and banana milk to restore his health and mana.

«─You’re just going to eat it?»

Zenko snatched up the potion from right next to his.

Zenko wasn’t waiting in the mined area.

He had assimilated his body into the surroundings and was waiting for the moment when the galaxy would recover.

«I see. The potions in this country are good. Health and mana are restored quickly.»

Zenko scoffed, showing an empty bottle.

One thousand….

Eunha was about to use Heavenly Treasure.

«Where do you think you’re running to?»

Zenko noticed the flow of mana. He slammed his kukri upward from the bottom, knocking the mangoshu out of Eunha’s hand.

He didn’t stop there. Reaching out, he grabbed it by the hindquarters and kicked it away.

«I’m not going to just kill you.»

Eunha fell toward the center, where landmine-type enchantments were still in place.

The mines exploded in unison.

The room shook, the ceiling collapsing under the force of the blast.

«Dogs don’t wake up until they’re hit. Where the fuck do you think you’re going to crawl up to?»

Zenko muttered as he stared at the unrelenting smoke.

☆

«This is the way for Valentine.»

All this is the road to rebuilding Valentine.

Albert Valentine, the current boss of Valentine, had made it his mission.

He felt he had a duty to his sister as a Valentine.

If you’re a Valentine, if you’re in his blood.

She would have to endure the humiliation of bowing to him.

You must endure the humiliation of being defiled by him.

So endure it.

«…I’ll be out for a while. If you need anything, ask Tom, or use the intercom.»

There was no reply.

I kind of expected it. It was expected.

That if he wanted to fulfill Valentine’s duties as boss, she wanted to break free of his shackles.

Ever since she was a child, always.

Julieta sought freedom.

As her brother, Albert wanted to grant her wish.

But he was Valentine’s boss. He had to fulfill the responsibilities bound by the name of Valentine, not the bonds of blood.

So endure it.

For all the shame and humiliation you will suffer, I will one day repay you in Valentine’s name.

One day, I will bring Myron to his knees before you.

Albert wiped his glasses. He removed his coat and checked his weapons.

There was no way he hadn’t felt the stirrings of life a moment ago.

He stepped out into the hallway.

The 18th floor was supposed to be deserted.

But there was someone walking across the hall, blatantly displaying flesh.

No, no. It’s not blatant.

He was unable to control himself.

«…Long time no see.»

Albert said to the man walking toward him.

He knew Bruno.

In the past, he had been one of the pillars of support for Valentine, like himself.

Perhaps if Bruno hadn’t fled with Julieta, there could have been two Valentines in Tredici.

If that had happened, Valentine might not have turned out the way it is now.

Or maybe not.

…would it really happen that way?

«That’s unlikely.»

Albert answered himself.

There was no way Bruno would have handed Julieta over to Myron.

It would have been fortunate if Valentine hadn’t completely collapsed.

He suddenly brushed off a bitter smile on his face.

«What about Julieta?»

«She’s… inside the room. She’s safe.»

Bruno showed no emotion except for survival when facing him.

Albert, too, calmed his mana and spoke calmly.

«Bruno. The sin of taking Julieta and leaving the family is a heavy one.

You realize, don’t you?»

Bruno said nothing. He merely raised his gauntleted arms.

Still, Albert spoke.

«Then I’ll give you a chance.

Come back to Valentine, Bruno. Come back and take down Myron….»

The words didn’t last.

Bruno’s blast of mana grazed the side of his face.

The mana in his gauntlets was destructive, piercing through the wall on the other side.

«Question and answer dance.»

«…I see.»

I had expected it.

Albert raised a finger and adjusted his glasses.

He pulled two automatic pistols from his holster.

«Come on.»

Hunter Albert Valentine.

Bruno had never beaten him, until now.

Not even once.

☆

«What the hell, are you dead, this couldn’t have killed you, right?»

The chain blast was powerful.

But I didn’t think it would kill him like this.

But lo and behold.

As the smoke slowly cleared, his silhouette became visible.

Clang!

I heard the sound of glass shattering.

Not one, but two.

I thought it was two, but it was three.

«…How much is he drinking?»

He must have used up all his health and mana.

Drinking potions wasn’t unreasonable.

It was just that the number of potions was out of the ordinary.

«…I should have used it earlier.»

The smoke cleared.

Several bottles rolled around at his feet.

«…You, asshole. What the hell have you been drinking?»

Zenko was horrified.

Not only had his health and mana been completely restored, but he was surrounded by buffs, just like when they first fought.

«A set of fruit potions, why.»

He said, pointing.

Potions could control buffs.

Zenko gulped. Potions that instantly restored health and mana were amazing, but he hadn’t thought of potions that buffed without a cooldown.

Usually, potions took a while before the buffs appeared.

They weren’t even this effective.

«…Wait.»

Zenko’s eyes widened at the mana that surrounded him.

The mana pulsed wildly and dynamically, as if it were alive.

It wasn’t just the potion, now.

Something had increased his power.

The only conclusion he could think of was─.

«─Gift?»

The mere manifestation of his gift was intimidating.

Zenko found herself stumbling backwards.

Did I?

His pride was hurt. Angry.

«It’s not just the gift.»

On the other hand, he said with a tone that said he was unimpressed.

As if he hadn’t been since the beginning.

He had no qualms about controlling his mana, which was now far more efficient.

«I also have this.»

What he pulled out of his clothes was a necklace.

A necklace?

No, it wasn’t a necklace.

It was a ring hanging from a necklace.

«…No way.»

Zenko realized the ring’s identity at once.

It wasn’t a ring, it was an artifact.

And based on what had happened so far, it wasn’t hard to imagine what that artifact might be.

«<Amplification>»

He chanted, activating the artifact.

The ring bathed his vision in a brilliant light.

By the time it faded, blue and golden mana enveloped his body.

…No way.

He shouldn’t have underestimated him.

He should have killed him when he had the chance.

Jenko regretted his decision once again.

Not only did he recover with potions,

Not only did he become stronger with gifts,

Now he was enhancing himself with an artifact.

It was immeasurable.

How much stronger had he become?

But there was still a chance.

He had to defeat him now!

The only weapon he had in his hand was his Beretta. Mangoshu was a good distance away.

Zenko was going to take advantage of that and surprise him.

He aimed his beretta with both hands, if only to keep Zenko at bay.

He was too quick to pull the trigger.

A mistake.

Zenko sneered inwardly and dodged the attack.

With this, I won─.

«─Eh?»

«Asshole.»

The moment the corners of his mouth turned up, I realized something was wrong.

«No way…, no way.»

He turned his head to see Mangoshu flying at him from behind.

«Aaaaahhhhhhhhhh!!!»

Mangoshu cut through the barrier like a sheet of paper and stabbed her left hand.

Zenko, forgetting that he had dropped his beret, grabbed his punctured hand and cried out.

«What if this hurts, we’re just getting started.»

He chuckled, and with a single flick of his chin, the mangoshu that had fallen to the floor rose into the air and landed in his hand.

«A dog needs to be beaten to come to his senses.

But it turns out, it wasn’t me, but you?»