The grenade launcher spewed out rounds with an astonishing blast radius. Normally a weapon requiring both hands to wield, it appeared light as a feather in Fracture's hands. His dual-wielded firing stance was incredibly imposing.
However, the first volley—four grenades—exploded mid-air before even reaching their targets.
—It was Revy's blade!
The sharp Yukihime transformed into an impenetrable net of blades, slicing every incoming grenade. Revy's eyes were locked not on Fracture himself, but on the weapon he held.
Six rounds—that was the standard capacity of an MGL grenade launcher. Even with some visible modifications, the drum magazine betrayed its load limit.
Factoring in dual wielding, twelve rounds total. Fracture had a bad habit: he preferred firing with both hands simultaneously. This increased his coverage and power, overwhelming opponents lacking reactive defenses. But against someone like Revy who intercepted the grenades mid-air, the effect was greatly diminished.
Reloading such launchers was a pain. Once the 12 rounds were spent, Fracture would be vulnerable.
BOOM!
The last two grenades weren't intercepted. Instead, Revy charged forward, using the blast force behind him as propulsion, rapidly closing the distance.
"Don't underestimate me!!"
Fracture, enraged, twisted his launcher. Two chainsaw-like blades extended from its front, stained faintly with dried blood.
"—DIE!!"
The blade swept toward Revy with a bloody gust, but Revy casually leaned aside and evaded. With a flick of Yukihime, he parried another attack from the opposite direction.
"Your close-quarters skills are trash."
Revy sneered, then smashed Fracture's head with Yukihime's hilt. In the same moment, his wrist twisted at an impossible angle, blocking an incoming strike.
Clang!
The opponent's weapon was a plain short blade, clearly damaged from the clash with Yukihime. Its tip chipped slightly.
The attacker—Ludmila, known as the Kingslayer, had appeared to rescue her teammate. She twisted Revy's arm, forcing him to pull back, then used her free hand to drag Fracture away.
"You've got nerves. If I hadn't used my hilt just now, your partner would already be dead."
She said nothing. Ludmila knew it was true. The man before her had the skill to kill both of them. But she wasn't giving up—not yet.
"Fracture, together! He's the one who fought the boss monster to a standstill!"
"Revy!!"
Amiya's voice cried out from behind, worried. But Revy looked completely calm.
Then, he suddenly retreated!
A short blade and a chain weapon swept the ground, nearly carving open the earth. The attackers, of course, were Ludmila and Fracture, barely having recovered.
"I'm in a good mood today. Let's play a little longer."
Revy sheathed Yukihime, then quickly pulled out two short pistols from his dark case. He fired rapidly, bullets screaming toward the two enemies.
The sudden shift in combat style caught them off guard.
"Coward!!"
Fracture roared. The sound snapped Misha out of her daze—she stared at the masked figure in disbelief.
"We can't brute-force this!"
Ludmila pulled Fracture behind a low wall. Revy's bullets kept coming, ripping the stone wall apart and sending debris flying everywhere.
"What now?! We're totally suppressed—by just one man!"
Fracture's frustration boiled over, his voice rising.
"If we can't beat him, how are we supposed to rescue my sister?!"
"Don't be rash!" Ludmila snapped."Step out now and you'll be full of bullets. And don't forget—that Catastrophe Messenger from Rhodes Island is still behind him. She fought our boss to a draw in Chernobog!"
"Then what do we do?!"
Ludmila looked at the stubborn, rebellious youth and sighed.
"We gamble."
She spoke with rare seriousness.
"Right now, our only chance is to catch them off guard. And my Originium Arts can do just that."
Fracture's eyes widened.
"You mean—?"
"Fracture, when I give the signal, you dash out—there's a chance you'll take a few bullets, so guard your vitals. Then fire back with your grenade launcher. You must at least suppress that man long enough for me to act."
"My Originium Art is phase-walking and teleportation—and that's something he doesn't know about. Once you draw his attention, I'll warp behind the wall and directly strike the Catastrophe Messenger. Whether I grab her or Misha, we'll have the upper hand."
Fracture hesitated for a moment, silently weighing the plan. The wall behind them continued to crumble under relentless fire, debris raining down—a test of both patience and nerve.
"...Alright, let's do it!"
As the tension escalated from Revy's sustained attacks, Fracture finally spoke. He turned to Ludmila with resolve.
"Please... take care of my sister, Kingslayer."