"Thud!"
With an unmistakable sound of footsteps, Rozen appeared in front of Shinon.
In his eyes, the sniper rifle bullet was vividly reflected, the bullet head growing larger with each passing moment.
When the sniper attack targeting Shinon began, Rozen was already in motion.
Although the opponent used a silencer, making the gunshot inaudible to Shinon, what Shinon couldn't hear didn't mean Rozen couldn't hear it.
A silencer merely suppresses the gunshot, not eliminating it entirely.
Thus, in Rozen's view, with his Mind's Eye, even if no gunshot was heard, the slight sound waves and vibrations in the air produced when the opponent pulled the trigger and fired the bullet were vividly perceived, impossible to conceal.
Not to mention, the trajectory prediction line of the bullet had already locked onto Shinon beforehand. How could Rozen not have noticed?
Rozen was fully aware that the opponent had realized during the first two sniper attacks that directly harming him would no longer succeed. Thus, they switched targets and aimed at Shinon.
Even though he was the primary target the opponent wanted to eliminate, Shinon was also in their crosshairs.
The reason was simple. From the opponent's actions, it was evident that Shinon was already treated as a "gift" for Rozen.
Of course, the "gift" the opponent intended to deliver was not "the woman named Shinon" but rather "the corpse of the woman close to you."
The opponent sought to kill Shinon before Rozen, presenting it as a "gift" to him, simultaneously declaring the start of a new death game and forewarning Rozen of his inevitable fate.
For this reason, the opponent orchestrated the warehouse bomb incident, intending for Rozen to watch his companion get blown up, or at least torment him emotionally and make him regret everything.
As for Rozen successfully escaping with Shinon, the opponent had likely considered this possibility, thus lying in ambush nearby, ready to snipe Rozen and Shinon at any moment.
This was a deathtrap, a kill zone.
Currently, both Rozen and Shinon remained ensnared in it, as Death Gun's sniper assault continued.
Even if they couldn't kill Rozen on the spot, they were determined to kill Shinon, forcing Rozen to witness the death of the woman at his side.
As Rozen had previously stated, if Shinon were to be shot, there was a high chance of her dying not only in the game but also in the real world, a humiliating end.
Thus, the more Rozen protected Shinon, the more determined the opponent was to kill her.
However...
"Did you ask for my opinion?"
A sharp dagger fell into Rozen's palm.
"Since SAO, have any of you succeeded in killing whoever you wanted when I was around?"
Given this, the opponent's efforts were nothing but self-delusion.
In a single phrase, it was...
"Stop overestimating yourself!"
At that moment, Rozen moved.
"Buzz!"
The dagger in Rozen's hand vibrated suddenly, turning into a gleaming arc as it slashed through the air in front of him.
"Swish!"
The sniper bullet tore through the air.
And perfectly struck the dagger in Rozen's hand as it swung through its trajectory.
"Clang!"
The sound of metal clashing echoed.
With a burst of sparks, the sniper bullet fired from a distance was split apart by the sharp dagger, deflected into the air and vanishing.
"What…!?"
Shinon froze in shock.
"...!"
From the rooftop of a distant building, the cloaked sniper watched through the scope, witnessing this scene clearly. Beneath the skull mask, his face changed dramatically.
Even the players watching through their screens were stunned.
"Cutting a bullet with a knife...!?"
"Impossible!"
"Oh my god!"
No one could believe their eyes.
Although, in GGO, due to the trajectory prediction line, dodging bullets was not particularly difficult for players, blocking a supersonic bullet with the blade of a narrow dagger was an entirely different level of feat.
This required the ability to calmly judge the trajectory and timing, combined with the skill to wield the weapon with precision. It also demanded extraordinary predictive insight, knowing exactly when the opponent would pull the trigger, and calculating the bullet's speed to meet it with perfect timing as it approached.
And this was only in theory.
To achieve it in practice required more than just skill—it demanded countless hours of training to master such a technique.
Yet Rozen accomplished it effortlessly.
From his ability to traverse battlefields amidst gunfire in the Land of Death, to his unparalleled vision and strength, Rozen once again demonstrated a power that left all players speechless.
"Magus..."
On the rooftop, the cloaked sniper muttered the name.
Then, decisively, he stowed away his sniper rifle and, like a phantom, merged into the shadows, disappearing completely.
...
"Gone, huh?"
After a brief silence, with no follow-up sniper attacks, Rozen confirmed the situation.
Although he didn't particularly want to let the sniper go, the opponent was likely stationed two kilometers away, sniping from a distance. By the time Rozen reached that location, they would have long vanished without a trace.
In reality, this distance wouldn't have posed a challenge for Rozen, who had Space Manipulation Magic. Even without it, Flight Magic would have allowed him to close the gap within seconds.
But this was GGO, a virtual world. Moreover, Rozen was a super STR-type player with low AGI. Without access to a vehicle, catching up to the opponent was impossible.
"Consider yourself lucky."
Rozen glanced in the sniper's direction, smirking.
"No matter. The game has just begun. We'll play slowly."
With that, Rozen sheathed his dagger, turned around, and looked at Shinon, who was lying prone in front of him, staring blankly.
"Hey." Rozen spoke with a hint of irritation. "You're not scared senseless, are you?"
His words snapped Shinon out of her daze, plunging her into silence.
Seeing this, Rozen scratched his cheek and spoke again.
"How about it? Can you stand?"
At this, Shinon tried moving her body but shook her head.
"No, I can't muster the strength." Shinon replied softly. "After I got hit by his electromagnetic shock round, he used a rare neurotoxin to ensure I wouldn't resist."
With such poison in her system, her movements were restricted until the effect naturally wore off. It was akin to paralysis poison, limiting her ability to act.
"No wonder your movements seemed off. With your skills, missing the first shot is understandable, but failing to dodge even with trajectory prediction lines in the second shot and lying there waiting for death? This explains it."
Rozen understood.
"Do you have any detox items on you?"
Rozen inquired.
"I did, but he took them all."
Shinon gave a bitter smile.
"Because of the weight of the bullets, I removed all non-essential items. It seems I'll have to wait for the poison to wear off naturally."
Rozen glanced at Shinon thoughtfully, then casually spoke.
"Before that happens, let's find a place to hide. With all the commotion here, we're bound to attract attention."
Shinon didn't object, remaining silent.
With that, Rozen hoisted Shinon onto his back and left the area.
Behind them, the warehouse continued burning, its flames showing no signs of extinguishing anytime soon.