Dereia and Grand Ecstasy have a staring contest as the remaining adventurers who now lacks confidence on their abilities just decides to become silent observers from a distance. Tension rise as they wait on who's going to make the first move.
The unknown criminal who manages to kill numerous gold rank adventurers.
Or
One of the famous gold ranked party in Nattunnia.
Dereia observe her new opponent. She's unsure on how she's going to deal with them as she didn't know how the Grand Ecstasy fights.
"Yo. Long time no-"
Dereia's eyes widen when Mateo suddenly dissappears on her vision.
CLANG!
Within a second. She manages to block the Mateo's sword swing aimed on her neck with her assault rifle.
"Dude!"
Dereia push Mateo's sword and she switch her stance to a pistol. But before she even aim the gun, Mateo already creates distance.
And dodge all of the shots made by Dereia by anticipating her hand movement.
As Dereia focused her attention to Mateo, the other members make their move to overwhelm the gun wielding criminal. Beltrand dashes forward with her sword and shield.
With two opponents wanting her dead, Dereia switch her stance. Mateo watch intently as Dereia hand signs change.
"SMG! DUAL WIELD!" Mateo screams.
Dereia fires both invisible SMG to Beltrand and Mateo.
RATATATATATA!
Mateo is protected by the barrier created by Sophia which Dereia already expected. As for Beltrand.
"Huh? "
To her disbelief, Beltrand's shield manages to block all of the bullets which is completely different on what happened inside the restaurant earlier. Dereia spray desperately to no avail as she got hit by Beltrand's shield bash.
Dereia got sent flying, rolls to the ground terribly from a distance then finally regains her footing. As she spit a blood to the ground, Dereia realized how much difference it makes now that the enemy have a prior knowledge of her own magic.
But Dereia is not going to surrender for just minor setbacks as she switch her stance to a Sniper Rifle. Dereia planning to oblitirate the knight with a shield running towards her.
"SR!" Mateo screams.
Dereia's quick shot miss Beltrand's head by an inch as her invisble gun got hit by an arrow.
An arrrow sent by Shirna from a distance.
Dereia have no choice but to dodge the shield of Grand Ectasy. She rolls over and leaves Beltrand's path. Dereia already change her stance and throws something towards Beltrand.
"H.E!"
Between Beltrand and Dereia, an earth wall rises. Audible clanks are heared as something invisible hits the wall and after a single second, three explosions suddenly appears, destroying the wall entirely.
Dereia is amused yet irritated as Grand Ecstasy manages to counter her attacks. She stops for a while which also make Grand Ecstasy halt their movement. Wary on what Dereia's game is.
"Looks like someone did their homework." Dereia's praise yet still sound like a mockery.
"With an anomaly like you. Every form of preperation is a must." Mateo's cold answer.
The two side continues their stand still to the surprise of the observers afar.
"W-what just happened?" An adventurer's dumbfounded reaction after watching the quick exchange.
"They move like they know what that monsters can bring to the table." Another adventurer commented.
"Is this what a top-ranking Gold can do? Amazing..."
~~~~~~°~~~~~~
Back in the Savagery Forest. Mateo gives a short breakdown o what Dereia's arsenal would be.
"First is a pistol. Small firearm and can be hold by one hand. Her hand sign might be these two."
Mateo then shows his two hands, each showing different variations of a pistol hand. Her left hand shows the classic index finger pointing while her right hand presents a pistol sign with index and middle finger pointing.
"If she can wield a pistol with one hand. Then there's a probability of her dual wielding right?"
"Exactly. And the fact that Sub-Machine gun or SMG can also be dual-wielded with similar hand sign bothers me." Mateo agrees on Claustrine's assessment.
"What's a sub-mashin gan?" Beltrand asked, her eyebrow raising.
"Another small firearm like Pistol. But with higher fire rate. I can say, it can shoot 60 bullets on a single press of a trigger."
"Uhmm... Yeah. That's a problem." Beltrand concernly agrees on Mateo's explanation.
"Next is shotgun, SG. It can fire multiple small pellets on a single bullet and very dangerous in short range. If my theory is correct, Dereia AKA Josh might choose a pump-action type."
Mateo then demonstrate how pump-action shotgun works by pretending he's holding a shotgun.
"It means there's an intereval on each shot.
Everyone nods as they understand the mechanics of a Shotgun.
"Next weapon is a Assault Rifle, AR. A larger weapon that wielded with two hands and can fire continious rounds just like SMG but with more punch. This might be her weapon of choice."
Mateo then demonstrates how Assault Rifle might be held.
"Uhmmm... Isn't just similar to a Shotgun?" Beltrand asked.
"Yeah." Sophia agrees.
"That's why you need to understand the context. If she pull this stance when you're near, then she might using a shotgun. If not, then Dereia is ready to spray you with bullets."
"But what's stopping her from using those guns in any range she wishes?"
Shirna's sudden question makes everone silent fot a while.
"Fuck." Mateo's exhausted words.
"He have a point you know?" Claustrine question.
"I know that O.K? Geez. Just put everything in your mind ok?"
"Fineeeeee." Claustrine's sassy answer.
"Next weapon is Sniper Rifle, SR. A very long range and powerful weapon. This weapon also have a scope to view enemies from a distance so it's safe to assume that Dereia would only use this as a assassination tool... Or for a desperate measure." Mateo's added a last statement after remembering Shirna's question then she shows how Sniper rifle is used.
Experiencing a Sniper Rifle itself, Shirna knows the threat of the said gun first hand.
"Next is Machine Gun. A larger and heavier weapon with the highest ammo capacity. She would only use this as some sort of defensive tool or clean-up of she find herself surrounded by multiple enemies. She might use one of two variants."
Mateo demonstrate a machine hun which is wielded like a Assault Rifle.
"You wielding it lower unlike the AR." Beltrand commented.
"Because this weapon is heavy if we assume that she also struggle to wield such heavy weapon."
Mateo then shows the another variant. Like he's carrying low a really heavy canon pointed on his friends.
"Dereia might also use a mini-gun. Fires faster and with higher ammo count."
Everyone nods.
"Good. And after seeing the remains of the monster near the grave. I can assume she used a RPG - an Explosive type of weapon that can only use once with long reload, Throwable Grenades or more form of bombs. RPG is easier to spot as it's a weapon wielded on the shoulder. The grenades is tricky as there's also numerous types of grenades... And I wish her explosive yield just end on C4."
"What a tricky magic really. It doesn't make sense even in this world?" Claustrine's rant.
"It's like some powerful entity just give her that destructive magic because why not?" Sophia also joins on the rant.
"And give it to the worst person to have such power." Beltrand joins.
"Wait... Isn't Josh just possessed Dereia's body. Which means, all of the magical power is owned by Dereia, it just happened that a murderer is the one using it now." Shirna's opinion
"If that's the case. The way Josh uses Dereia's magic is still a mystery. There's no way you can just make a replica of those weapons from Earth using our world's magic right?" Sophia's counter argument.
"But this world's magic would aleady broke numerous universal laws in my world if applied." Mateo's counter on Sophia's counter-argument.
"But we still follow strict humanly rules. And our fleshly bodies also have limits you know?" Sophia's counter counter argument.
"Unless... It's a Deistic magic sponsored by a god himself.
Every gets shivers after hearing Claustrine's theory. A god? Giving such power to an Earthling? Everyone is in disbelief.
"I think we straying too far to the topic. We should focus on our main priority which is defeating Dereia."
"Ah... Yes." Sophia's unsure question. But her mind is flooded by deep thoughts. She can't feel any deistic energy from Dereia yet Claustrine's theory somehow make sense.
~~~~~~°~~~~~~
Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.
Back to the present.
"It must be pathetic and unmanly on relying in someone else's hardwork just to feel semblance of power!" Beltrand mockery of the man inside Dereia.
Beltrand is running away from the line of bullet getting released by Dereia's minigun.
"Getting personal huh?! Besides, Dereia should thanking me for using her cultivated power instead of just locking it away to rot!"
Mateo sneakly rushe behind Dereia's back and prepares to stab her only to see an invisible pistol already pointed above him without even Dereia looking. Mateo cancels his attempt and jumps backwards instead just before Dereia fires her gun.
"And I'm the one controlling this body now so why bother bringing Dereia here?"
Dereia feel the ground beneath shaking so she ran as earth spikes tries to chase her.
"Because we don't want you stain Dereia's name even further." Claustrine calm yet loud words
Dereia shots Claustrine which make her cancel the earth spikes and cast an earth wall instead to block the pistol rounds shot by Dereia.
"So it's about reputation? What reputatation you exactly trying to protect?"
Dereai shot the three arrows sent by Shirna with her pistol.
"Being the best training dummy?"
Dereia then switch her stance to dual wield SMG and spray bullets to Mateo and Beltrand who attempted to flank her sides. The two have no choice but cancels their attack, dodging the bullets in the process.
"Being the pathetic pretenderer, living a pipe dream that one day she would achieve excellence in an academy filled with literal Nepos?"
Dereia throws grenades on the totem erected by Sophia. With her gaming knowledge, she knows letting the totems linger would make the fight difficult for her.
"Being the academy's greatest loser? What reputation are you talking about?!"
The grenade explodes, destroying the two totems to Sophia's dismay.
"But with my help, I can put Dereia's name in the history books and I already started on the academy. It's just like you said, I'm a pathetic loser right? So what's wrong for a fellow loser to uplift and help other losers like Dereia?" Dereia's then give a sly sinister smile.
"You motherfu-" Beltrand didn't finish his words as Mateo stops him.
"Don't fall to it."
The two side maintains the cease fire.
"Yes. The two of you are losers."
"Mateo!" Sophia is not amused.
"Good, now you understand.
"But you, JOSH. Is the far worst loser that it's heretical to compare you to any decent loser at all.
Mateo gives a smug smile.
"If the situation is not serious. I might laugh my ass off, just because you're such a loser in life, you know. Back on... Earth."
Mateo increases her expressiveness which his friend is struggling to focus their attention between Mateo and Dereia.
"You're so pathetic Josh. You're too scared of your boring normal life yet you also scared to push your boundaries. You can't make real friends because you're so... boring and trained your mind that people are beneath you. Don't get me wrong though. You try really hard but... It's just you don't have the talents nor charisma. All you can do is just imagine, while also harboring hate to the world that doesn't do any wrong to you." Mateo's make a sympathetic yet mocking face.
"Where do you even know all of that?" Claustrine's confused question.
"His manifesto. He leaked a 10 page letter to the internet before doing his crimes." Mateo whispers.
"Do you think you pushing him too hard?" Sophia's concerned question, scared that Dereia might do something drastic.
"No, just continue Mateo. I want to see her smug friend disappear. Just look at her. Beltrand instigate his friend further.
Dereia's face twitches a while before she returns to her calm, proud demeanor. But hints of anger is visible as her jaw clenches.
"And you really think you have the same experience as Dereia? Give us a break. Your spoiled suburbian life is disgustingly leagues ahead on the hardship Dereia experienced in her life. So shut the fuck up your pathetic out-of-touch mouth." Mateo's words become serious and hard.
Swooshhh!
Beltrand suddenly appears in front of Mateo as she blocks a barrage of pistol shot from Dereia.
"I will kill all of you." Dereia's murderous words are enough to make Grand Ecstasy alert as they grip their weapons tighter.
"Ohoo... The loser is mad."
Mateo then dashes forward and gives a downward arching swing. Dereia dodges the attack and pulls her double SMG to spray bullets to Mateo.
Beltrand then moves in front of Mateo and use his shield to block all the bullets of the SMG. After the sound of the gun stops, Beltrand quickly follows the defensive with her offensive as he swings her sword several times.
"Too slow!" Dereia taunts Beltrand she effortlessly dodges all of Beltrand's sword strikes. She distance herself to gain a breathing room.
Dereia switches to her handgun which she dual wield and attempted to shot all of the expose parts of Beltrand. Beltrand in return blocks all of the bullets using his shield with exception of one bullet that manage to reach her leg.
Which Beltrand resisted as her body is protected by thick mana. The bullet only make a small dent on Beltrand's leg guard.
Before Dereia even react on Beltrands's toughness. Mateo and Shirna are already on her blind spots and simultaneously attempted to stab Dereia.
Dereia assess her situation within a second and see Shirna's blades is coated by an oil like substance. She the decides to dodge and tank a strike from Mateo instead.
SWOOOSH.
The tip of Mateo's sword manages to cut Dereia's abdomen but not deep enough to cause severe injury. A far better outcome than slowly dying due to poison from Shirna's blades.
Dereia feels a sudden chill. And the moment the two step back, she quickly understand that she's under attack. Dereia dive jump and run while dodging the rain of ice spikes Claustrine drops into her.
To her surprise. Three walls surrounds Dereia. Trying to break the wall is futile as there's still ice spikes remaining and flying towards her. Dereia instead switches to her Assault Rifle and shot the ice spikes with good accuracy.
Shards of broken ice rains down as Dereia continues to shot the spikes with ease. Destroying the last one, Dereia wants to leave the wall prison but she didn't expected Beltrand to suddenly appear. Blocking the entrance.
"Shit."
Beltrand didn't do anything but instead stay firm on his feet. Dereia is confused until a metallic glint flashes above her eyes.
Dereia looks above and see Mateo diving down with his sword pointing to her.
CLANG!
The sound of gritting metal can be heared. It's coming from Dereia's rifle which she used to block the stab Mateo make.
Being a weapon construct made with magic, Dereia's rifle is slowly cracking and in verge of destruction. She use all her strenght to push Mateo aside then make the assault rifle dissappear. Watching the enemy in front of her, Dereia release her shotgun and shot Mateo's face in close distance.
Mateo quickly cover her upper body with her arms and thick amount mana, tanking the full force of the shogun shot which send him flying few meters away. Yet Dereia is not done yet as she quickly make follow up shots.
Mateo is push away enough that he bumps towards Beltrand's shield. Feeling the cold steel behind him, Mateo quickly use Beltrand as cover as he moves behind him.
Despite all of defensive measure he can master, Mateo still recieves a lot of damage, her arm and some part of his face and upper boddy is riddled with holes caused by shotgun pellets.
Each pump and pull of the trigger is so powerful that even with the combined strenght of Beltrand and Mateo, the two is still being pushed, making a deep line on the soil beneath their feet.
The shield also start showing damage after repeatedly recieving Dereia's attack.
Yet, after few more shots. Beltrand and Mateo suddenly stopped being pushed. As if they finally manage to resist the intense force of Dereia's shotgun.
"Claustrine! Destroy the wall!"
Claustrine follow Mateo's order and collapse the wall. The moment the soil crumble, Shirna fires 5 arrows. Dereia dodges four but one manages to hit her in the shoulder.
"I wish I didn't use all of my poison to my blades." Shirna's dissappointed comment.
She notice the totem planted on the ground to her shock.
"Shit!" Dereia in haste, focus her vision to Mateo and Beltrand. Only to see Beltrand already rushing towards her, but there's no sight of Mateo anywhere.
To her horror. Mateo use Dereia's surprise to flank her as he already reach Dereia who didn't notice him with the speed boost from Sophia's totem. Mateo then stabs Dereia on her abdomen.
"Gahh!" Dereia spits out blood.
Dereia attempted to counter attack by switching back to her pistol and shooting Mateo point blank.
THUD!
But before she even pull the trigger, Dereia is strucked by shield bash of Beltrand who now reached her. Beltrand's follow up swing miss as Dereia is sent flying and rolling on the ground several meters away.
Dereia slowly stand up but she feel a burning sensation behind her. She looks behind and see a giant fireball thrown to her by Claustrine.
BOOM!
The ball of fire turns into a fiery explosion after it hits Dereia who is now sent rolling in the ground again, now slighly charred.
Dereia now injured, she slowly stand up again. After trying and limping, she finally stand on her feet. But Dereia found herself surrounded by Shirna, Beltrand and Mateo. The three are dead set on ending it once and for all.
Dereia tries to walk away, to no avail as her feet got locked down by Claustrine's earth magic.
Switching in any of her arms are futile as she doesn't have time to simultaneously kill the three attacker.
"Is this the end?" Dereia thinks to herself as Mateo, Beltrand, Shirna aims their sharp weapons towards her. While Claustrine channels a barrage of ice spikes above her as an overkill.
Claustrine meanwhile watch the whole ordeal, relieved that the mission is finally over.
The three melee combatans getting closer and closer to the ensnared and exhausted Dereia.
.
.
.
"!!!"
Claustrine is suddenly felt an absurd amount of mana. Her relief is quickly replaced by horror as she watch the source of the sudden influx of power, to see that its coming from the same enemy they trying to eliminate.
Claustrine quickly cancels her magic.
"EVERYONE!!! GET AWAY FROM-"
But Claustrine's warning was too late...
Within a flicker of an eye. Mateo, Beltrand and Shirna who earlier are in offensive are now suddenly halt on their movement. Then blood sprays everywhere as the three falls to the ground.
"H-how..." Beltrand's disbelief as he suddenly feel his body recieving numerous wounds and falls to the ground alongside Mateo and Shirna who also wear the expression of horror and disbelief.
The three watch as Dereia walks away from them, now focused her attention to Claustrine and Sophia.
They clearly see that Dereia is holding a transparent glowing blue rapier on her right hand, and a transparent glowing black handgun on her left.
"W-what just happened?" Shirna's final words before he lose conciousness.
Mateo also doesn't have any idea on why Dereia suddenly recieve sudden rush of power, capable of easily turning the tides on her advantage.
Claustrine watch as Dereia is surrounded by thick mana, clearly showing an increase of power. So much power that it even make her invisible weaponry, visible.
Dereia without saying a word aims her pistol towards the two ladies.
"Sophia! Defensive barrier!"
Sophia follow Claustrine and cast a barrier. It manages to catch all of the shots made by Dereia.
But the bullets also manages to make the barrier crack.
Claustrine cast numerous ice spikes and throw them all to Dereia. Dereia switch her black Beretta m9 to Uzi and sprays to the ice spikes, while also dodging the ones that manages to bypass the hail of bullets.
Claustrine follows up by summoning earth spikes on the ground. But Dereia just smashes each of them with her blue rapier.
"This is absurd!" Claustrine screams in disbelief while continuing firing spells to Dereia.
Dereia suddenly switches her black Uzi to Black Remington 870.
"Sophia!"
"Yes!"
Sophia repairs the barriers and widen it, ready to recieve the upcoming attack.
And Dereia attack by shooting the barrier with her shotgun.
CRASH!
With just a single shot, the barrier instantly breaks. Claustrine moves the ground beneath them to quickly distance themselves.
"So much power..." Claustrine still in disbelief then she looks on Sophia.
"Sophia are you fi-"
But she didn't manage to finish her sentence as she see Sophia's clothes slowly getting soaked with blood.
Some pellets manages to reach Sophia's body.
"I'm s-sorry..." Sophia then slumps to the ground and lost conciousness.
Claustrine quickly slide the ground beneath her to create distance. She's going to use all of her new knowledge despite how risky it is.
Only for her to suddenly see Dereia appear in front of her.
"Wha-"
Claustrine didn't even manage to react as she feel the blue rapier penetrate her abdomen.
"Gah!" Claustrine spits out blood.
Dereia pulls the rapier and watch Claustrine kneel to the ground, holding her wound. But Dereia not done yet as she switch her Remington back to Beretta and aim it on Claustrine's head.
Claustrine looks up and see the gun aimed at her forhead. But instead showing fear, Claustrine shows defience as she looks at Dereia with anger.
"No." Mateo see what's going to happen and slowly crawl towards Claustrine and Dereia despite his injuries.
"S-stop."
Mateo continues to crawl. Claustrine notice him and she gives Mateo a bitter and sorrowful smile. Acceptance of death.
"NOOOOOO!!!"
Mateo prepares to go all-in by using all of his mana.
.
.
.
CLICK!
A sound inside Dereia's her head.
"Huh?"
Dereia is confused at first, but her confusion is quickly replaced by intense agony as her head suddenly feel intense pain. Like her head is getting torn apart.
"AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!!"
Dereia lose grip on her weapons which disappears in the air. She now holding her head while doing gutteral scream of suffering.
"MAKE IT STOP DEREIA!!! AHAHHHHHHH!!! STOPPP!!!!!!"
Claustrine watch with confusion. Mateo's anger is replaced by horror as they watch Dereia who earlier defeating them one-by-one now suddenly in unexplainable pain.
Pain so intense the Dereia is now slumped on the ground, slamming her head to the solid soil.
"MOTHERFUCKER MAKE IT STOPPP DEREIA!!!! AHHHHHHHHHHHH!!!"
"W-what the fuck is happening?" Beltrand ask with her weakened voice as she also watch the scene unfold.
"I-I think... Dereia is fighting back." Mateo answers while watch the now agonzed Dereia hurting herself.
"D-Dereia? The real owner of that body?"
"Y-yes."
Mateo watch with serious expression as Dereia continues to experience agony. Screaming and slamming her head.
"Dereia... Please fight back." Mateo whispers to herself.
"DEREIAAAA YOU FUCKING BITCH!!!"
The agony continuea until Dereia suddenly dashes away still screaming in pain. Dereia is so fast that she quickly disappears in vision.
Despite wishing to follow her, Grand Ecstasy are too injured to do anything.
"We... Failed." Beltrand's last words before he fallen asleep.
Claustrine attempted to stand up using her staff as a support. But the injury is proven to be severe despite coming from a simple stab that she lost conciousness. As she falls to the ground.
Mateo grits his teeth as he feel guilty and defeated. Then he also slowly lose falls to slumber.
.
.
.
Grand Ecstasy is defeated. They laying on the ground with their injuries, the injured adventurer who watch the battle afar feels dread.
"Even Grand Ecstasy..."
"They almost kill her if that monster didn't become so powerful all of the sudden."
"This is more than a gold rank bounty mission. This is a mistake."
The soldiers alongside non-combat clerics rushes towards Grand Ecstasy. After learning they're still alive, the cleric starts to treat their injuries. After some time, civilians and gawkers floods the area. Watching the mayhem and massacre caused by Dereia.
Each of them looking with disgust and sympathy as the bodies of dead adventurers- Gold ranked adventurers who fight powerful monsters are now arranged on the street, covered with blankets like they're just mere victims.