85 51"Memorial Place"





 As soon as the battle started, I released the "magic bullet".

"Haha! You can't kill me with a peashooter like that!

 Oz, who quickly activated his Toughness, easily avoided my attack.
 While I was chasing Oz, I saw a destroyed carriage in the corner of my eye.

 The destruction of the carriage was to be expected.
 When hunting down a fugitive, the first priority is to destroy the means of transportation. It's nearly impossible to hide a wagon in the wilderness. Even if I hadn't said anything, Oz would have destroyed the wagon.

"Okay, bean bombs.

 After successfully guiding Oz, I detonated the Bomb Trap that I had set up in advance.
 Oz's feet exploded, and an ear-splitting roar followed.

"That was a bad idea!

 Oz puts his hands to his feet and pulls the trigger of the TD02.
 A torrent of magical power blasted out, and Oz was lifted into the air by the reaction.

 If he's in the air, he can't avoid it. He points his finger at Oz and fires several magic bullets at him.
 However, Oz smiled fearlessly and said...

"I told you, it won't work!

 The tip of the TD02 glowed, and two extremely thick rays of light shot out.

"Tsk.

 He clicks his tongue and immediately jumps back to the side.
 With the TD02, Oz can fire a series of one-hit kill attacks. It is true that from her point of view, my "magic bullet" is like a peashooter.

 All of my attacks would be drowned out by Oz's bombardment.
 Oz's artillery is a great power that can attack and defend in one move.
 I'm sure she'd have a better chance in a head-to-head fight.

"But...

 --Oz has a weakness, too.

 The power of the TD02 is tremendous. It's also a good idea to have a good idea of what you're doing.
 In an instant, he activated his "toughness" and sprinted toward Oz. If she could get into his pocket, she would not be able to fire a shot without hesitation.

I've already taken care of that, of course!

 Oz, knowing his weakness, pointed his TD02 at my feet and opened fire.
 The magic power that was shot out scattered shock as soon as it landed.

 Even if I ran to the left or right, I couldn't avoid Oz's attack.
 As a result, I had no choice but to leap into the air and flee.

"You can't run up there, 28.

 Oz laughed as he pointed his two magic wands at me in midair.
 But I didn't approach it without thinking, either.

 --"Blink of an eye.

 An invisible blade that can cut through an opponent without question if he is still.
 I flipped myself in the air and flashed my thinly extended blade.

I'm not sure what to do.

 Oz, who immediately anticipated my attack, released his stance and jumped to the side.
 The blade he swung cut through the void. Unfortunately, it didn't end well, but the gap created was huge.
 As soon as I landed, I ducked into the pocket of Oz, who had lost his stance.

This...!

Too late.

 Oz uses his small body to kick up from the bottom.
 I caught the start of it and slammed my fist into the side of his head.

What?

 Oz retreats from the blow.
 But I grabbed her thin right arm tightly and pulled her back.

I'm not letting you go.

 I use Materialization to create a dagger in my left arm.
 No hesitation. I thrust it at Oz's heart.

 A clang! The sound of metal clashing echoed.
 Oz quickly held the TD02 to his chest and blocked my thrust with it.

 Our gazes crossed for a moment.
 With a whooshing sound, Oz threw a kick aimed at my dove tail. When I twisted my body to avoid it, Oz simultaneously twisted his body in the opposite direction to escape from my restraint.

 Oz is no stranger to physical arts.
 When a skilled warrior fights Oz, anyone would try to get in close. But Oz has fought such enemies before and survived. Inevitably, Oz had a lot of experience in close combat.

 With his small frame and excellent sense of movement, Oz's physical skills are sharp.
 What he lacks in physical strength, he makes up for in speed.

There!

 Immediately after avoiding the foot strike, a palm strike came at him from directly in front.
 He crossed his arms to block it. Oz recoiled and jumped backwards, probably expecting to be blocked.

"That's sweet, 28.

 Oz said, holding up the TD02. But--

"That's our line.

 The next moment, Oz's feet exploded.


 It's hard to keep Oz at bay in close combat. He had anticipated this and was gradually leading Oz to the trap position.

 In the midst of a cloud of dust, he tried to approach again.
 But two shots through the air stopped me in my tracks.

And just when I thought they weren't coming after me, there's an explosion.

 Oz rises from the explosion faster than I expected.
 Apparently, he raised the power of his "toughness" momentarily to protect himself from the explosion.

"Hmm, the traps are in the way.

 Then he held his hands above his head.

"Meteor gun.

 The only sound was a series of light pans.
 It looks like he's firing blanks over his head, but he's not. The bullets released by TD02 condensed Oz's magic power and made it ready to explode at any time. Normally, the bullets explode as soon as they are ejected and unleash a huge bombardment, but this time the timing of the explosion has been delayed slightly.

 The forcibly condensed magic of Oz is shot up into the sky and falls gently.
 The unsteady magic power pouring down suddenly erupted and turned into countless gunfire.

...... You are indeed a violent king.

 Remembering the two names of Oz, he retreats.
 The countless shells pierced the earth and quickly filled my vision with dust.

 While I was running for my life, a very thick shell came at me from the side.

"G--!

 Because of the poor visibility, I was slow to react.
 The gunfire grazed me. --It's not just a graze, it's a shock that knocks you unconscious.

I'm not sure if we've destroyed all the traps yet.

 Oz says as the sand smoke dissipates.
 The explosive traps that had been set were all destroyed in an instant.

28...... is getting weaker.

 Oz looks at me and says.

"...... You think you've won?

Yeah. I don't think I'd lose much against the 28 now.

 Oz looks at me with a somewhat sober look in his eyes.

I'm not saying anything bad, just come to the station. ...... I'll give your dull arm a workout.

...... I'll pass.

 If you had asked me that question right after the agency was dismantled, I'm sure I would have nodded immediately.
 I've changed a lot. It's strange and makes me laugh a little.

Oz. I don't think I'm getting weaker.

 I don't think I'm getting weaker, I'm just getting more things and struggling with the weight of each.

And ...... I haven't revealed my entire hand yet.

 Then I pulled something out of my pocket.

What is that, a rock?

Yes, it's just a rock.

 It's just a plain rock I picked up on the road before Oz showed up.
 I toss it to Oz, who rolls his eyes.

 Next thing I know.

 The next moment, the mere stone that was thrown explodes.