Seiji rolled his shoulders, blood dripping from his wounds. His hoodie was torn, his breathing even, but his eyes held something new.
Irritation.
He had been wounded. That cocky smirk? Gone.
"Alright," Seiji muttered. He rolled his neck, letting out a slow breath. "This has been fun and all, but…" His fingers flexed. "You're done."
Takeru's heartbeat slammed against his ribs. He still had four bullets left.
Four chances.
Akari's voice cut through the roaring arena. "Takeru, don't let him control the pace! Keep firing, force him to-"
Seiji moved.
Takeru's instincts screamed. He twisted, barely catching Seiji's movement out of the corner of his eye. His gun snapped up.
BANG!
Seiji leaned to the left, dodging by a hair's breadth.
Takeru's fired again.
BANG!
Seiji dipped, the bullet grazing his ear. He was closing the gap.
Akari's hands clenched into fists. "He's adapting too fast! Seiji's already reading his movements!"
Rin exhaled sharply beside her, eyes narrowed. "No. Seiji's not reading movements." She watched, analyzing every twitch of Seiji's body. "He's reading the skill."
Akari's eyes widened. "You mean..?"
Rin nodded. "Seiji isn't reacting to Takeru's actions. He's predicting the Aimbot's calculations before the bullets even fire."
Takeru's pulse skyrocketed. Two shots left.
Seiji ducked low, then exploded forward.
He's too close.
Takeru aimed at point-blank range.
BANG!
The bullet should've nailed Seiji in the chest. Instead Seiji spun. His palm slapped the bullet away mid-air.
Takeru's stomach dropped. "What?!"
The deflected bullet slammed into the ground, kicking up dust. Seiji twisted, bringing his fist toward Takeru's stomach.
Takeru barely blocked.
Pain exploded up his arm as Seiji's fist met his forearm. The impact sent him flying backward, his body skidding across the dirt.
His grip loosened.
The system flashed another warning:
[Aimbot: 1 Shot Remaining.]
Takeru pushed himself up, his mind racing. Seiji was too fast, too sharp. Even with Aimbot, he was falling behind.
He needed an opening.
Takeru gritted his teeth and his hand tightened into a fist.
Then, he grinned.
Seiji paused, eyes narrowing. "What's with that look?"
Takeru exhaled, wiping blood from his lip. "You're fast." His gaze flickered with something dangerous. "But let's see if you can dodge this."
His mind snapped into overdrive.
Seiji thought he had figured out Aimbot. He thought he had cracked it.
But Takeru had one bullet left.
And he knew exactly how to use it.
He wouldn't fire it at Seiji. He would fire it at himself.
Takeru moved.
Seiji tensed, eyes sharpening.
Takeru raised his gun.
BANG!
The shot rang out and the bullet curved.
Not at Seiji.
At Takeru's own feet. The bullet slammed into the ground.
A perfect, calculated rebound. The force launched Takeru sideways, an instant burst of movement Seiji hadn't predicted.
Takeru disappeared from Seiji's sight. Seiji's eyes widened too late.
Takeru reappeared at his blind spot.
His fist drove into Seiji's abdomen. Seiji choked. His breath hitched. His body buckled.
Takeru didn't stop. He twisted, shifting his weight, then kicked Seiji's legs out from under him.
Seiji fell toward's the ground.
The arena exploded with cheers.
The announcer's voice rang loud. "MATCH CONCLUDED - TAKERU INOUE WINS!"
Akari's jaw dropped. "No way, he actually-"
Rin's eyes flickered, impressed. "He outplayed."
Takeru stood over Seiji, panting. Sweat dripped from his forehead, his arms aching, his entire body screaming in exhaustion.
But he had done it. He had won.
Seiji lay on his back, staring at the sky. He laughed. "…Alright." He exhaled, wiping blood from his mouth. "That was pretty cool."
Takeru glared. "You're way too relaxed about losing."
Seiji grinned, rolling onto his elbow. "Well… I never said I was here to win." His eyes gleamed. "I just wanted to see what you could do."
Takeru froze. His chest tightened. This wasn't about the evaluation's
This had been a test.
Seiji's real goal had never been to win. It had been to analyze Takeru's system.
Takeru's breath hitched. Then that means..
Seiji smirked. "They're watching."
Takeru's blood ran cold. Whoever had warned him before, whoever had been keeping tabs on him.
They knew.
And now, they had seen exactly what he was capable of.
Takeru sat on a bench outside the arena, rolling his sore shoulder. Every muscle in his body ached, and his head pounded from the adrenaline crash.
But despite the pain, he couldn't stop thinking about what had just happened.
Seiji wasn't fighting to win. He was fighting to test him.
Takeru exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Damn it…"
"Damn it is right."
Takeru glanced up as Akari and Rin approached.
Akari had her arms crossed, her eyes burning with curiosity. "What the hell was that, Takeru? Since when do you have bullet's and perfect aim?"
Rin, standing beside her, was more reserved, but her sharp gaze studied him carefully. Analyzing.
Takeru sighed. "It's… complicated."
Akari huffed. "Yeah, no kidding." Then, after a pause, her expression softened. "But, hey… you did it." She smirked, nudging his shoulder. "That was badass."
Rin nodded. "You adapted faster than I expected. Most people wouldn't have been able to turn that fight around."
Takeru let out a breath, shaking his head. "Thanks, but… this wasn't a normal fight."
Akari raised an eyebrow. "What do you mean?"
Takeru's fingers curled. "Seiji wasn't trying to beat me."
Rin's eyes narrowed. "Go on."
Takeru met their gazes. "He was testing me. Every move he made, every counter, he wasn't just reacting, he was analyzing my abilities. And when he lost…"
His voice lowered. "He told me they were watching."
Akari stiffened. "They?"
Takeru nodded, his stomach twisting. "Whoever 'they' are, Seiji wasn't fighting for himself. He was gathering data for someone else."
Rin exhaled slowly, considering his words. "…That means your abilities have drawn attention."
Akari's fists clenched. "Not just attention. If they went this far to test you, it means whoever they are, they see you as a potential threat."
Takeru's pulse quickened.
A threat.
Takeru barely had time to process his conversation with Akari and Rin before a heavy hand clamped down on his shoulder.
"Not bad, kid."
He turned, Commander Ryuji standing before him with his signature half-smirk, half-scowl. The man looked him up and down, arms crossed, his imposing frame radiating authority.
"But I gotta be honest." Ryuji exhaled through his nose, shaking his head. "I expected you to lose."
Takeru frowned. "Gee, thanks."
Ryuji chuckled. "Seiji was on another level. No shame in losing to him. But…" His sharp gaze locked onto Takeru. "You didn't."
Takeru said nothing.
Ryuji's eyes narrowed. "You adapted mid-fight. Your abilities evolved right in front of us. That's not normal."
Akari and Rin tensed behind him, but Ryuji didn't push further. Instead, he sighed. "Either way, a win's a win. Don't let it get to your head."
Takeru gave a lopsided grin. "Too late."
Ryuji snorted. "Smartass." Then, with a nod, he turned on his heel and walked away.
Takeru exhaled. "He was expecting me to lose?"
It made sense. But more than anything, it confirmed something.
Nobody expected him to survive in this world.
But now? They were paying attention.
He needed to be careful.
"Yeah, uh… I need to hit the bathroom," Takeru muttered, walking off.
Akari blinked. "Are you serious?"
Rin chuckled. "Let him go."
Takeru sighed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he made his way toward the restrooms. But before he could get there-
[SYSTEM MESSAGE: REWARD AVAILABLE]
He stopped in his tracks.
His vision glitched, the world flickering for a second before a new screen materialized in front of him.
[CONGRATULATIONS, HOST.
YOU HAVE DEFEATED A HIGH-THREAT TARGET: SEIJI KISARAGI.]
[AS A RESULT, YOUR RANK HAS INCREASED: [E → D]
Takeru's eyes widened. "Rank up?"
[AS A REWARD, YOU HAVE UNLOCKED NEW ABILITIES.]
Takeru's pulse quickened as he read the list.
[Reality Hacks Unlocked:]
[Infinite Ammo (Aimbot now has no limit.)]
[Speed Hack (Enhanced agility and reflexes.)]
[Teleportation (Short-distance warps.)]
[Flight]
[Self-Upgrade (Enhance physical & mental attributes.)]
[Noclip (Phase through objects.)]
Takeru's breath hitched. This was insane.
These weren't just upgrades. These were game-breaking.
Takeru clenched his fists.
Things were about to get a lot more interesting.