Chapter 21: Open Fire!
[Aura Burst]!
SWOOSH—!
A solid, vicious, rising uppercut smashed into the mercenary's chin.
The lower half of his mask shattered, and along with a spray of blood and broken teeth, it all erupted from his mouth.
BANG!
The mercenary was knocked half a meter off the ground, his body arching backward before he slammed heavily onto the roof.
"F-U-C-K-!"
The other mercenary snapped to his senses, instinctively cursing. He swiveled his M9 pistol, aimed at Shiraki Kei, and was about to pull the trigger.
But in the next instant—
SWISH!
Shiraki Kei spun, lashing out with a mid-level roundhouse kick. Before the mercenary could pull the trigger, the toe of his boot struck the back of the man's hand.
SMACK!
The M9 was kicked out of the mercenary's grasp, clattering to the ground several meters away.
"Huh?!"
The mercenary was stunned.
Also stunned was Kaji—Kaji Takaomi—who was hiding on the left side of the entrance.
There weren't many hiding spots on the roof. Shiraki Kei had hidden behind the iron door, Madarame Baku had climbed onto the concrete roof above, and Kaji and Akagi Shigeru had hidden on the left and right sides of the small structure.
And now, the M9 that Shiraki Kei had kicked away landed right at Kaji Takaomi's feet!
He instinctively picked it up, feeling its unique weight and coldness, and his pupils contracted.
"This... this is real?"
"They're really using real guns... to kill us?!"
Kaji Takaomi had played plenty of FPS games and had even dreamed of firing a real gun, but he never thought he'd actually be on the receiving end!
"Ha... haha, well, it's a life-or-death game, so this is normal, right? Anyway, we got the gun. The tables have turned... right?"
Kaji laughed hysterically. No one could blame him; it was a natural human reaction. This was the kind of thing that happened on TV, in movies, or in foreign countries. No one expects to be caught in the middle of it...
When reality far exceeds what the mind can handle, a person will inevitably lose themselves.
They'll question their life, and when the mental pressure reaches its limit, they'll do something even more reckless—
Kaji Takaomi instinctively raised the gun, aiming at the mercenary with an unskilled stance.
"Hey... You! Don't move, or I'll shoot!"
But when Kaji looked up and his eyes met the mercenary's, he was terrified by the savage gaze behind the mask.
"KRAA!"
The mercenary let out a sudden, guttural roar.
Things like screaming, scratching, and biting, while seemingly "low-class," are practical battlefield techniques, not uncommon in war-torn countries.
And for a normal person like Kaji, who had lived his whole life in a peaceful country, the roar was enough to make his limbs go weak. The M9 fired harmlessly into the air and fell from his grip.
The "firepower" he had just obtained was gone in an instant.
"Hmph, useless. Can't even use an opportunity when it's handed to you..."
The mercenary thought, but his hands didn't stop. He reached for the submachine gun slung over his shoulder—a weapon with far more rapid firepower than the M9.
But in that instant, Shiraki Kei had already closed the distance.
At this range, the mercenary had no time or space to draw his SMG. Luckily, his gear was top-notch.
His hand changed targets, reverse-gripping the combat knife on his chest.
He aimed for Shiraki Kei's carotid artery and slashed the knife horizontally.
SWISH!
But halfway through the slash, the knife froze in mid-air.
The mercenary's eyes darted. Shiraki Kei had already pressed down on his shoulder and upper arm.
Now, he could only move his forearm. His range was extremely limited, and he couldn't reach Shiraki Kei at all!
This... Who the hell is this guy?!
The mercenary was at a dead end. He saw Shiraki Kei clench his fist, aim for his face, and draw back for a heavy blow.
In that split second, the mercenary yelled, "I surrender!"
Swoosh...
Shiraki Kei's fist stopped, but it hovered in the air.
Afraid he wouldn't be believed, the mercenary dropped his knife and even unslung his SMG, dropping it at his feet.
"See! I dropped my weapons!"
He waved his hands. "Your punch shattered my partner's jaw! That's too painful, I don't want that!"
"I'm just in this for the money, working with that old man Q-Taro. I don't need to die for it! Let me go, and I'll tell you where all the traps in the building are!"
...
It sounded like a good deal.
Seeing the other three approach, the mercenary was overjoyed. He didn't wait for Kei to agree and just started talking.
"This building has nine floors. There are wire traps on every floor, and in the stairwells from one to five. You also have to watch out for spikes on the floor..."
The mercenary rattled on, his eyes darting back and forth, appearing panicked, but he was actually scanning his surroundings.
His partner—the one with the shattered jaw—was probably not in mortal danger, but he wouldn't be recovering anytime soon.
The key was... the "other team"!
The other two mercenaries had left from the fifth-floor window, using pre-set steel cables to climb the building's outer wall, heading straight for the roof.
In other words, if he could stall for just a few more moments, the other two would climb up and ambush the four "prey" from the outside, delivering a fatal blow!
Just as he'd planned—
After the mercenary stalled with more nonsense, the other two mercenaries smoothly climbed onto the roof, each holding an SMG, and aimed at the four people—especially Shiraki Kei.
They had already heard what happened on the roof over their comms, so they were extra cautious, maintaining a safe distance and covering each other.
"It's over!"
The mercenary who had been "surrendering" took a step back, picked up his SMG, and pressed the muzzle to Shiraki Kei's head. He couldn't help but sigh with relief.
"You're a real monster... but what are you so arrogant for? Who the f*ck do you think you are, Muhammad Ali?!"
...
In just a few seconds, the tables had turned again.
Shiraki Kei, Akagi Shigeru, Madarame Baku, and Kaji Takaomi were now held at gunpoint by the three mercenaries.
Seeing his two partners had their guns raised—double insurance—the third mercenary finally relaxed and went to check on the wounded man.
Madarame Baku's eyes shifted. He put on a panicked expression. "Wait! Let's talk! We gave you a chance, right?"
...
The three mercenaries exchanged glances, signaling Baku to get on with it.
Baku quickly said, "Let's make a deal. You let us go, help us win the gamble, and we'll give you all the prize money. How about it?"
The mercenaries almost laughed.
They weren't working for Q-Taro for money. They just wanted to kill, to satisfy their urge to hunt humans.
The mercenary who had stalled for time nearly laughed out loud. "Working for money" was just a lie he'd made up. These idiots actually believed him. They were hopelessly stupid.
...
The mercenaries wanted to toy with their prey a little longer, but the fourth mercenary—the one with the shattered jaw—had recovered. He staggered to his feet, trembling with rage and pain.
How come these guys are all fine, but I'm the one who's seriously injured? This is going to need surgery. What a f*cking pain!
"Kill... Kill... yoo...!" (I'll kill you!)
His speech was slurred from his broken jaw. He pulled out his own pistol and aimed it at Shiraki Kei's head.
Seeing this, Akagi Shigeru's brow furrowed. An unusual light gleamed in Madarame Baku's eyes.
Both of their minds were racing, calculating a way out. They came up with several, but all of them first required dealing with the mercenary with the shattered jaw.
A man who had lost his mind to rage wouldn't be "enjoying" the game, which meant he'd have fewer openings.
But as for how to deal with him, Akagi and Baku weren't worried. They had already seen what Shiraki Kei could do.
It might be tough, but he could definitely handle it.
But what neither Akagi nor Baku expected... was for Shiraki Kei to put on a pained expression and beg.
"Hey, don't shoot just yet..."
"...Ha?" The mercenary was confused, clutching his bleeding chin, his eyes bloodshot, rage building.
He didn't hesitate. He aimed for the center of Shiraki Kei's forehead and pulled the trigger.
BANG—SPLAT!
The gunshot, immediately followed by the sound of a bullet tearing through flesh.
Kaji Takaomi was scared stiff. Akagi Shigeru and Madarame Baku's expressions hardened. They both stared, and were both stunned.
Shiraki Kei was unharmed. He even followed up with another uppercut, shattering the mercenary's jaw even further.
And the mercenary's gun hand... was now a mangled, bloody mess. His entire hand was a pulp.
Did the gun misfire? No!
Another bullet, from an unknown location, had struck the mercenary's right hand!
Who fired?
Everyone was stunned. The rooftop was dead silent.
Shiraki Kei, however, just tapped the wireless earpiece in his ear. A female voice could be faintly heard.
{Yo, Shiraki-chin! The meter starts running... with that bullet!}
{Don't worry, it won't be too expensive. I'll give you the 'Kure Clan' friends-and-family discount...}