"BOOM——!"
Amid the thunderous explosion, a warehouse on the southern side of the abandoned city, located in the warehouse district, suddenly burst apart. A blast wave swept outward like a tidal surge, accompanied by shockwaves rippling in all directions.
Thick black smoke spiraled upward.
Waves of fire spread outward.
An astonishingly powerful bomb had blown the entire warehouse apart like a fragile balloon. Flames raged incessantly, causing the air temperature to soar severalfold, shaking nearby warehouses, and heating the asphalt road to a blistering state.
"It exploded!"
"It really exploded!"
"What's going on? What happened?!"
"Did those two die?"
Numerous players within the VRMMO, who clearly witnessed the scene, cried out in shock.
"Guild leader!"
"Guild leader!"
Inside a guild bar on the 20th floor of Aincrad in ALO, several members of the Crimson Wing guild stood up abruptly, their exclamations filled with worry.
"Rozen…!"
Even Asuna and the others were alarmed, rising to their feet in shock.
During the BoB Tournament, although the matches were broadcast live, the audio was muted. This left many clueless about what Rozen and Shinon had said or what transpired to lead to this—Shinon being captured and Rozen arriving for her rescue.
However, seconds before the bomb detonated, both Rozen and Shinon were indisputably inside the warehouse—this much everyone saw clearly.
Then, the screen cut to the outside of the warehouse. What happened to Rozen and Shinon remained a mystery, and everyone watching held their breath in suspense.
In the midst of this uncertainty, no one noticed…
"Cough, cough…!"
Outside the exploded warehouse, Shinon was sprawled on the ground, coughing uncontrollably.
"Did we make it in time?"
Rozen was also lying on the ground, draped protectively over Shinon, shielding her as he turned to glance behind. The raging inferno of the warehouse ruins reflected in his eyes.
At the very last moment, Rozen managed to cut through the chains with just two seconds remaining on the countdown. Holding Shinon in his arms, he sprinted out of the warehouse in a single breath, narrowly escaping death.
"Are… Are we still alive?"
Shinon shook her dazed head, regaining her senses. Looking at the flaming warehouse, her face remained pale with fear.
The camera switched to focus on the two of them, showing their current condition to everyone.
Seeing that Rozen and Shinon had not been immediately killed in the explosion, many viewers let out a collective sigh of relief.
However, at that moment…
"...!"
Rozen's face suddenly darkened. Without hesitation, he grabbed Shinon and rolled with her to the side, moving away from their previous position.
Immediately after…
"Whoosh!"
A faint whistling sound sliced through the air as a bullet shot out from a distant location, tearing through the atmosphere and striking where Rozen had been just moments ago.
"Bang!"
Compared to the earlier explosion, the resulting burst was far less intense but still audibly sharp.
The bullet had struck the ground, sparking as it collided, leaving a chilling bullet mark in its wake.
"What… what just happened?"
Shinon, unable to comprehend the situation immediately, stared at the bullet mark on the ground. Her already pale face turned even paler.
Rozen, however, narrowed his eyes sharply.
"So, there's already an ambush in place?"
It seemed he understood the situation.
But the crisis had not subsided.
Soon, a transparent red laser sight appeared, landing squarely on Rozen's forehead.
It was the Bullet Line, a predictive targeting indicator.
Upon seeing this, Shinon finally understood.
Someone was sniping them.
And the target was Rozen.
As for the identity of the attacker, was there any need to guess?
"Death Gun…!"
There was no one else it could be but the mastermind behind all this chaos.
The next moment…
"Whoosh!"
Another sharp whistle echoed as the sniper's bullet tore through the air, heading straight toward Rozen.
This time, however, Shinon heard no gunshot.
It wasn't because the sound was drowned out by the warehouse explosion—it was because the attacker's gun made no sound to begin with.
This meant the gun was either a silenced optical sniper rifle or a conventional sniper rifle equipped with a suppressor.
The latter, while capable of suppressing sound, came with trade-offs, such as reduced accuracy and range, and it was also an expensive consumable. Not something an average person could afford to use casually.
Yet, the bullet was clearly a live round, proving that the attacker was using a suppressed sniper rifle while maintaining remarkable precision.
Evidently, the attacker was not only an extraordinary sharpshooter but also quite affluent.
Now Shinon understood why, back in the forest, she had been hit by the sniper without noticing anything.
While her own carelessness played a part, the greater factor was the attacker's unparalleled skill and the advantage of using a suppressed sniper rifle, making it impossible for Shinon to anticipate or react, leading to her being directly struck.
And now, the attacker seized the moment when the two had just escaped danger, their guard temporarily lowered, to launch this ambush.
If not for Rozen's heightened senses and ability to detect the sniper in advance, Shinon would have undoubtedly been the first target, dying in the initial shot.
Moreover, the attacker was the same murderer Rozen had mentioned—capable of killing a player for real in the physical world. If Shinon had been struck earlier, would she still be alive now?
The thought sent shivers down Shinon's spine.
At that moment, Rozen pushed her away, causing them to roll to opposite sides like repelling forces.
"Bang!"
The second bullet struck the ground, sending sparks flying before ricocheting off.
Once again, the sniper's shot had missed.
But then, a third Bullet Line appeared.
This time, however, it wasn't targeting Rozen.
Perhaps realizing that shooting Rozen was futile, the attacker directed their aim at Shinon instead.
The line landed squarely on her forehead.
"Ah…"
In that instant, Shinon's mind went blank.
"Whoosh…"
Simultaneously, the whistling of the bullet rang out, and the third shot streaked through the air, heading directly for Shinon's forehead.
Shinon saw the bullet.
It was as if time itself slowed to a crawl. Shinon could see the bullet clearly, its tip growing larger and larger in her field of vision.
Although this was merely a virtual bullet in a simulated world, Shinon knew well—it had the ability to pierce through the barriers of this world. The moment it hit her, it would traverse time and space to strike her real body in the physical world.
Death was once again closing in on her.
(Is this the end?)
In the final moments before her demise, this thought surfaced in Shinon's mind.
Perhaps she should have died during that car accident at age two.
Perhaps she should have been killed five years ago by a bullet just like this.
Now, the long-overdue death had finally arrived.
(Is…)
Is this… liberation?
Shinon silently mused.
Until a figure appeared.