Chapter 73
Chapter 73
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 73
Chapter Title: Do You Know My Combat Power Now?
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"Just so we're clear, I really like Crown Guard. Right after I got my Awakened certification, my first job was as a prototype gear researcher for them."
"Whoa, so you must know their weapons really well, then?"
"You could say that."
Malcolm Redington, Director of the British Hunter Association's Crisis Response Division. The uncle I met again in the training room on B4 of the BHA headquarters had a slightly intimidating vibe. Not in his suit, but in slightly loose techwear that snugly secured his limbs.
"We've got a bunch of Crown Guard weapons here. Feel free to use whichever ones you like, Eve. I'll just focus on defense."
"You sure that's okay?"
"Of course. If you can land even a single solid hit on me, I'll hand over Crown Guard gear."
Uncle Malcolm picked a cool-looking sword and shield from the rack of weapons lined up nearby. As soon as mana touched the shield, it whirred weeeeng and split open with a crackle, deploying an energy barrier.
The sword absorbed mana and started glowing red, radiating a ferocious aura.
"Y-you're gonna attack too...!?"
"Haha, no. I won't attack. That'd defeat the purpose."
"Phew, good."
The space was about the size of a soccer field, with high ceilings. I knew Uncle Malcolm was a powerhouse Hunter, but dodging all my attacks in this confined area? That seemed a bit much.
"Ophelia, it's okay to use my abilities, right?"
"Yes, it is."
"Okay...! Got it!"
The rack held older-generation Crown Guard firearms, sorted by type—a ton of them.
Clunk...
"Ugh, it's so heavy...!"
I tried lifting one of the bigger ones, but as expected from gear made for superhuman Awakened, it weighed a ton.
But that's fine.
I pressed my index finger to the gun and infused it with mana. In an instant, the massive firearm the size of my body crumpled and reshaped with a crunch crunch.
Grind...!!
"Nice."
The Crown Guard weapon had transformed into a quadruped dog with a barrel for a head.
"Whoa, what a power."
"Hehe, that's not all I can do~"
I wanted to turn all the guns on the rack into golems, but then I'd have to revert them later. So I settled for three: infusing mana to make them mobile turrets.
A sniper rifle, an assault rifle, and a shotgun—totaling three guns morphed into dog form.
What the heck is that ability...?
Totally new type I've never seen.
Murmurs rose from the surroundings. The gun-headed golem dogs nuzzled against my legs with their muzzles pointed at me, sending chills down my spine from old memories.
"Aw, you want pets? Okay."
Pat pat
Maybe because I turned them into dogs, they loved the stroking. After a few pets on the barrel, they nodded contentedly and turned toward Uncle Malcolm.
"Alright... let's begin."
The training room had elevated spectator seats. When combat started, mana-reinforced glass rose with a weeeeng, partitioning off the arena.
The guns were powerful enough to shatter it maybe, but that wouldn't be on me for damages.
With Uncle Malcolm holding his shield out front, the spar began.
Vroooom
"Protect me as best you can and attack Uncle Malcolm. Shotgun up front, sniper stay close to me, assault rifle keep a good distance."
Click clack...!
Since they ran on the user's mana, I felt my mana drain as the gun-doggos took positions and chambered rounds.
"Don't take too much of my mana, got it?"
Nod nod
About 30 seconds of standoff passed before Uncle Malcolm moved first. Wary of the lead shotgun doggo, he charged with shield raised.
Boom!!
A massive shotgun blast erupted from its head, but it harmlessly dispersed against his shield. Then the assault doggo circled at range, attacking from all angles.
Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat
"Good! Keep circling behind! Don't let him block with the shield!!"
As the shotgun and assault doggos spread out for crossfire, Uncle Malcolm poured more mana into his shield, morphing the rectangular energy plate into a hemispherical dome. He leaped forward in a flash, smashing the shotgun doggo's jaw with his shield.
"Whoa!!"
My nearby sniper doggo kept sniping for openings from afar, but the dome left no gaps.
"Sniper! Just keep firing! Until the shield shatters!!"
Bang!!
Uncle Malcolm's output was impressive, but it was just an old training shield from Crown Guard. Cumulative impacts started cracking it.
Crack...!
"Now—!!"
The assault doggo relentlessly poured bullets while maintaining distance, the shotgun doggo stubbornly tanking hits up front. And the sniper's powerful shot exploiting the shield's fissures.
Shatter!
With the energy barrier broken, all that remained was a sturdy physical shield the size of a person's torso.
"Hup...!"
Crash!!
But as the energy faded, Uncle Malcolm no-look parried the incoming assault barrage with his sword in one hand, then pulverized the shotgun doggo's head with a heavy shield bash.
"Whoooaa!!!!"
The sniper doggo seized the opening and fired, but Uncle Malcolm flicked the bullet skyward with acrobatic finesse.
"That's cheating! Ugh!!"
"Haha!"
Next, the assault doggo got dropkicked out of bounds during a reload. The sniper fired, only for Uncle Malcolm to rainbow-flick the bullet back into its own barrel—a miraculous recycle.
"Whine..."
"Is that all, Eve?"
"N-not yet... I can do more...?"
There were plenty of weapons left anyway. The training room's practice gear was disposable—smash 'em all and swap from storage.
"Ophelia!! Toss me any weapons!!!"
I waved frantically at Ophelia in the spectator seats and jumped a bit. Suddenly, she dashed into the arena clutching three or four guns.
"Whoa, Ophelia? You can just come in?"
"I am, after all, Your Highness's summon."
"Oh yeah. Right."
I'd kinda forgotten lately. She could've helped me steal that Brainrot stuff too—I took way too many hits. Even my Cursed Blueberry and Octopussy got swiped!!
"Alright, Ophelia!"
"Your Highness, first, these firearms to me."
"Ah."
I used my ability to turn the guns Ophelia brought into golems fused with her.
"D-did it work..?!"
"Yes, seems perfect."
Ophelia clenched and unclenched her fist, nodded, then Uncle Malcolm—abiding by unspoken rules—held off during her transformation, recovering his energy shield instead.
"Your Highness, it may be dangerous, so please step back."
"Ah, got it."
"And..."
Whisper whisper
"R-really..!?"
"Yes."
In tense silence, only Ophelia's heels clicked across the arena floor. Malcolm Redington watched calmly and struck up conversation.
"All prepared?"
"Yes."
"I figured as much. Ophelia, you are..."
Malcolm trailed off, raising sword and shield into stance. Ophelia glanced back at me briefly.
"O-Ophelia, fighting...!"
I pumped my fists from my spot. Ophelia nodded and summoned the gun I'd enhanced for her.
Crackle...!!
"Whoaaa..!!!"
Eve's faint voice pierced the electronic burst. Malcolm's mana surged, and he lunged at Ophelia in a blink.
Unlike near-powerless Eve, Ophelia's physicals were solidly Awakened-tier—no need to hold back.
Boom!!!!
A potent mana projectile rocketed toward Malcolm amid the roar. He focused his energy shield into a pinpoint barrier, but Ophelia's shot cracked it instantly.
Eve's golem-fied gear inherited original specs, amplified hugely even by minor mana stones. With Ophelia—made of ultra-premium stones—absorbing the gun, a dozens-fold power boost was no surprise.
"Such power..!"
Malcolm had underestimated it like Eve's quadruped gun-golems, staggering slightly from the unexpected force.
Crunch...!
In that gap, Ophelia stowed her massive sniper and drew machine guns in both hands.
"Your Highness, mana usage approved?"
"Ap-approved!! Use it all you want, Ophelia—!!"
"Thank you."
As Malcolm finally amped his mana amid the storm of hundreds of mana rounds per minute, Ophelia signaled Eve.
Eve's bright voice echoed across the arena.
Crunch...!
"What is this..!?"
A Fenrir-mode Mecha-Doggo burst from behind Malcolm, clamping his shield.
Screeeeech!!
Thud—!
With the shield neutralized, Suri dove from above in a bird-strike.
"Hup...!"
Malcolm barely parried Suri's dive with his blade, swinging to clip its wing—but
"C-come back!!"
Whoosh...!
Suri retreated via Summon the instant its attack landed.
As he tried kicking off the persistent Mecha-Doggo gnawing his shield—
Bang!!!
Ophelia's sniper round combined with a massive charging something from the side.
"Guh—!"
Crash!!!
Minium's booster-kick connected, flinging Malcolm out of bounds.
"Wheeee!! Too awesome—!!!"
Eve bounced in glee, fists pumping victory. Before Ophelia's real fight, she'd learned Minium and Suri had entered UK—and thus Summon range—upon arrival.
Dust billowed from the out-of-bounds crash. As medics rushed in post-fight, Eve's face paled.
"U-Uncle Malcolm...!"
Calling him uncle, but his hair was already graying—he was practically a grandpa. Beating up an old man with five against one in a spar...
Like those news stories: Hunter kills opponent in duel... gets prison time...
"O-Ophelia..! What do we do..?!"
"He'll be fine."
"Whine."
Contrary to my worry, he soon emerged from the dust cloud, dusting his shoulders. Face like "Hah, that punk."
"A-are you okay..?"
"Haha, yes. I didn't expect to get overwhelmed even going all out."
"Ehehehe..."
The energy shield bore deep Mecha-Doggo teeth marks. On closer look, mid-Minium-kick flight, he'd stabbed his sword into the ground to slow down. The blade was snapped, remnant stuck in the floor.
"Excellent. This proves... you're ready for Crown Guard gear."
"Whoa..! For real?"
"Yes, for real."