FPS 60

Ashes:

There has been a decline in patreon pledges and we’re getting dangerously near the redline. We’re at 111$ a month and it costs 80$ for the four chapters a month we get. Should we go any lower, we will have to stop hiring the translator and revert to Machine translations.

As thus, Patreon advertising will have to be upped again and chapters may be jailed longer as an incentive to raise the pledges. I had already put Origin stories as day of completion releases, but they too will be time-locked as well now.

Pledge to Patreon

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Meanwhile, a confrontation was taking place between Runolodo the Lion Claw and I on Warehouse street of the Royal capital. He boosted his well-built body with enhancement magic and extended five 30cm long claws from both his gauntlets.

“Get ready for what’s coming, black mask!” He said. 

He unleashed a powerful shout as a show of superiority and charged.

Too slow! I avoided his attack by sliding and jumping to his right. Midair, I turned towards him, trying to get an angle on him. As soon as I had my crosshairs on him, I pulled the AS-VAL’s trigger, three shots; and quickly jumped further away after I landed. I stayed on the move to stay behind him and to get shots in. Runoldo picked up the severed arm of the man I had shot before and used it as a shield to protect himself.

“So this is your magic ability, Black mask.” He said.” It’s nearly impossible to see it activating. However, as long as I pay attention to that short cane, it is not impressive at all, hah!”

This guy. It only took him only a few minutes to understand the basics of a gun. However, I was already expecting to encounter monsters that would be able to.

Let’s see if you can really dodge everything.

I flipped the selector switch to semi-auto from fully automatic. I aimed for his torso and pulled the trigger once. He immediately jumped to his right when he saw the muzzle flash and avoided the shot, but I kept him within my sights the entire time; following his every move. The moment he landed, I pulled the trigger again.

“What?!”

Runoldo instantly raised his left hand to protect his chest. He avoided getting hit in his vitals, but the bullet pierced his gauntlet and found his flesh, wounding him. He was surprised to be hit. He suppressed his feelings and went on the attack, abandoning his defense as he tried to close the distance.
I wasn’t interested in a CQB battle and jumped back to create a large gap between us. But he expected that and smiled wickedly at me.

“Lion Claw Rend!” 

The moment I was off my feet, he swung his right claw and shouted. Could this be a skill?

A bright light suddenly flashed from him and the light turned into a blade that flew toward me. I held my rifle in my left hand while I faced the skill, pressed a button, and instantly deployed the CB, and clashed with the light.

Because we impacted midair, I was flung back further than I intended, but the CBS prevented any more incoming damage. I landed on the warehouse’s floor with a slide before I stood on my knees. I got my rifle back into position on Runoldo’s face as he laughed.

With him lined up in my crosshairs, the long-distance mode began its activation. I pulled the trigger without waiting for it to finish, and from afar, I could see his eyes go wide. Could it have been an instant evasive move? Runoldo slightly leaned his body to the left just in time, the bullet barely missing him, however, that was just the first bullet. I chased him with my crosshairs and pulled the trigger again.

As he just dodged the first bullet, he couldn’t react fast enough to dodge the next one. Upon impact, the right side of his face was blown away and I didn’t stop there. Reacting from the impact, his body turned enough to give a clear sight of the back of his jaw. I aimed at it carefully and pulled the trigger again.

Runoldo’s headless body fell on the floor, face up.

“B-Boss got killed! This guy is a monster!”

Runoldo’s minions were in shock after he unexpectedly died. Trembling in fear, they all began to run away. Yeah, you better run scum. Take the chance I’m giving you before I change my mind. Go and spread what you just saw, along with the face Marida Company is safe. Let it be known throughout the dirt of the Royal Capital.

◆◆◇◆◆◇◆◆

“What the heck do you mean by the child and the rest not being here anymore!!!”

“B-By that I mean, someone managed to get inside, go down to the dungeon and run away with the six of them without any of us noticing at all…”

“Like I asked, what the heck do you mean by them not being here? What I want to know is how you managed to let this happen!”

Yagorche’s president yelled, the prosperity that was just within his reach, fell away before his eyes. I sure hope he didn’t think this was the end. I was nowhere near done with this company.

After the fight in the warehouse, I headed back to Yagorche Company. I broke in, again from the third floor, and stood above the president’s room. Lets start off with your symbol of prosperity. I took out the FMG9 along with its magazines, and some extra equipment. Inside of the residence, I moved while looking for valuables silently. I avoided detection. While there were no longer any patrols around, I headed to the company this time.

I didn’t care about doing any covert action against the company nor did I have a silencer attached to my FMG9. All I needed to do was hunt down the remnants of the bandit group, Onibasu. The gunshots resounded through the company building and throughout the Royal Capital. I incapacitated 20 members of the group who had attacked us at the rest stop.

I made my way from the first floor to the third floor as I knocked down anyone who resisted me. I wondered if any of them had been just a regular employee. I kept that thought in mind as I made my way, but so far, there weren’t any signs that any of them were.

“I guess the takeover is complete”

I looked down from the third floor’s window and I saw a large number of guards who heard the gunfire. All of them had come from the residence. In the middle was a guy with a big belly, similar to a frog, along with a few who looked to be merchants. Could that be Yagorche? Well, time to clean up the rest. It would be too boring to kill them one by one, so I jumped from the third floor and landed in front of Yagorche. Because my legs were boosted by the power suit, jumping from the third floor was easy and I didn’t get hurt.

“Who the hell are you!?”

“I’m Shaft, Marida Company’s guard”

“Marida’s?! So you’re the black-masked bastard who’s been messing everything up for me!”

“I guess that’s me yeah. However, I think you’re the one creating the mess”

“What are you saying! Also, what did you do to my company!”

“Who knows, I wonder what I did”

“Well then, make him start talking!”

The guards around Yagorche surrounded me, swords in hand. I took out the prepared flashbangs and threw them to the merchant’s sides.

With the sudden loud bangs and blinding flashes, the guards all dropped their swords in an attempt to cover their eyes and ears. They all fell to the ground, even Yargorche had been effected, but not as much as everyone else. I had made sure to throw them further from him. He stared at me with sharp eyes as he knelt on the floor.

“Yagorche, I’ll crush all every single one of your dreams”

“W-What are y..”

“Hey, do you know what this is?”

I held out a small back with a single button on it, small enough to fit in the palm of my hand.

“What.. What is that?”

“See this part, if you push it”

I held the box right before his eyes. As soon as I did, I pressed the button. Explosions broke out in succession; much, much louder than the flashbangs. Fire engulfed the company building as a wall gave way. Then the rest of the building.

“Ahh-AHHHHHH !!”

What I had done before was placed C4 around the inside of the building. First used by the US Army before it spread to the rest of the world, it was a plastic explosive that required the controller to detonate it. Its unique properties allowed it to be used for many things besides war.

Yagorache was speechless as he watched his company disintegrate into dust. But that wasn’t the end yet. I showed him another controller.

“H-Hey…… D-Don’t you tell me!”

He probably guessed what the other remote was for and turned to look at his home.

“S-Stop..”

I pressed the button.

Once again, explosions rang out along with fire as his home fell apart.

“NOOOOOOOOOOO!!”

As the explosions fill the air along with the sound of the building crumbling on itself, the horses whined and the rustle of armor could be heard. It seemed like the knights had come to pay us a visit. I’ll hand over the mess to them and headed back to Marida Company.

The merchant only stood between his now ruined buildings, looking between them; unable to think. Guess if I leave him there, he’ll probably be handed punishment by the Capital as well. Serves him right.