The Lone Sniper: I Was Just Minding My Own Business Sniping Players, and I Ended Up Becoming a Raid Boss

Chapter 19

(Don't die. This.)

Not intuition, not giving up. A vague fact.

Looking at the situation, there's no mistake. There's no path for me to survive.

(But going down quietly like this pisses me off!!)

As I twist my upper body, the greatsword's downward swing closes in.

"It's over, sniper!"

"Not yet!!"

I throw away the handguns in both hands and clamp the solid part of the greatsword between my palms.

"A bare-hand blade catch!?"

"......Still, not yet!!"

"He really is dangerous!"

Kurenai-san's right foot twitches.

(Foot Saber!)

I clamp Kurenai-san's torso between my legs.

"Persistent!"

"Still......it's not over yet......!!"

Due to body structure, this way the foot blades can't reach me. At this point, there's only one move left for both of us.

""Thrusters!""

We both let our thrusters push from behind. But—

(The thrust power is completely different!!)

I'm pushed back in an instant, break through the rooftop's safety railing, and am thrown out into the air from the rooftop.

---

――20 seconds earlier.

708 m from the Shiki vs. Kurenai engagement site. On top of a steel tower 250 m above ground.

'Crimson Wings' sniper Len silently takes a sniping stance there, watching the two fight through his scope.

"Moving around this much makes it hard to provide support. And if I shoot, our position'll be exposed. You've whittled him down that much—finish him yourself."

"......No, Len, take the shot. Even if you hit me."

"Eh~? Why take that risk? Just a bit more and you'll have him. Normally you'd tell me not to interfere—"

"Just do it! Leaving this guy alive is dangerous!"

"Nuo!? ......Honestly, what's gotten into you."

If you insist. 'Crimson Wings' sniper Len aims at player name Shiki.

"Right here."

A sniper shot aimed at the head. But it's dodged.

(He dodged it!? Did he see the muzzle flash? Laser-type's flash is a dead giveaway. Still, to react like that with Kurenai right in front of him—impressive, even for an enemy.)

Shiki, losing balance, clings to Kurenai but is pushed off by her and thrown into the air from the rooftop. At the same time, Shiki and Kurenai separate. As they part, Kurenai slices Shiki's left arm with a Foot Saber.

Even when a Space Girl's body is damaged, no blood flows. Her veins are wires, her blood is electricity, her bones are metal, and the cut surface resembles severed cables.

"Well then, goodbye."

Len's sniper shot. With thrusters cut, Shiki can't dodge and takes the hit to his torso. His upper and lower body are severed.

"Split clean in half. Definitely zero armor investment. Even though having at least 30 armor would've made things easier..."

Missing his left arm and lower body. It's no wonder Len looks away from the scope.

However—the opponent is a sniper who had become a raid boss in another game. As long as there's a finger to pull the trigger, you mustn't look away.

"Don't let your guard down! Len!!"

"!?"

At Kurenai's roar-like warning, Len sharpens his focus.

The flash from firing came from the prey that should've been dead.

(A light!?)

Len activates thrusters to move. Then, a laser shot passes through where his head had been moments ago.

"That guy!?"

Len looks at Shiki again through the scope.

Shiki was holding the rifle with just his right arm.

"Th-that gave me chills."

Without Kurenai's warning, he'd definitely have been shot in the head.

'Confirmed deletion now. We both got a bit carried away. Moving out.'

"Roger that."

Len clicks his tongue.

Though they won, he couldn't shake the sense of defeat as a sniper.

"That accuracy with one-handed mid-air shooting... Frustrating as it is... in pure sniping skill, he might be better than me. I'll remember this—'Shiki'."

As a result, Shiki retired in 94th place individually.