Decision

"My boss has a good heart, unlike you," Kasugo said defiantly.

"Killing innocent players?" Blazy asked.

"No one is innocent in this game. You shot down a plane full of civilians!"

"This was necessary! I needed to test my accuracy. What's better than a flying object, kilometers high in the sky?"

"You're disgusting... just like Episan."

"Don't compare me to him!" She launched a fireball that exploded Kasugo's head, which was instantly repaired. Due to the burn scar, he could not be completely healed. "Shit," she said, "Barrage's power works automatically and at any distance now? It doesn't matter, I just need to deplete his power." She prepared to launch another fireball.

"Hey, you said you wouldn't hurt him before the agreed time," Tsurugi said, staring at her soullessly.

"I said I would kill him before his team had any chance to rescue him."

"I won't let that happen." She stared defiantly at Blazy. "He's mine."

Blazy scoffed and walked away.

"Where is this place?" Kasugo asked Tsurugi.

"A cruise ship," she replied with a venomous smile. "We're going on a vacation together!"

"Fuck off," he said, smiling angrily. "If you were on our side, I'd fall for you."

"I can make that happen now..." She grazed her scissors against his now unprotected arm, injecting poison. "I can make you no longer feel pain... just like me."

He gasped, afraid of what might happen. "You can't feel pain?"

"Exactly, my dear... It's a condition I've had since birth... We can become equals..."

That's why my bat didn't work on her... Kasugo thought.

The poison didn't seem to have any effect on him this time.

Have I gained immunity yet? No, the burn scar! It probably won't reach my brain.

He pretended to be affected by the poison so he could surprise them later.

"Master," Maika said, "I think Barrage's power doesn't work against poisons."

"Yeah, I noticed," confirmed Blazy.

"When he arrives, how about Tsurugi fighting him?"

Before Blazy could respond, Maika was struck in the head by a bullet. "Sniper!" she screamed.

It takes him about three seconds to fire his sniper rifle again...

She ran, trying to avoid the next shot, but it still hit her in the shoulder. Quickly, she grabbed a potion from under her skirt and drank it, sharpening her senses. When Iroko fired again, she jumped aside as fast as she could, but, because her body was heavy and untrained, the bullet still struck her in the stomach.

However, now she knew where it came from: the top of one of the cruise ship's towers. Quickly, she launched a fireball, destroying it and Iroko along with it.

"Blazy!" Kuroki shouted. "I am your opponent!"

She blew him up, but that was exactly what he wanted. Now he could move and use his power properly.

Minako arrived with a flying kick and pushed Tsurugi away. She untied Kasugo, who was already materializing his armor.

"Oh?" said Tsurugi. "And who are you to take him from me?"

Minako summoned her shadow and punched her several times. Tsurugi seemed unfazed. Booster threw a potion at her. Minako rushed towards her and broke the glass, but Tsurugi contorted her spine and drank the flying drops, increasing her speed and strength. She kicked Minako away.

Kasugo flew with his hoverboard and hit Booster, knocking him down. The masked man quickly drank a potion, but Kasugo decreased his resistance and repeatedly struck him in the head until fracturing his skull.

"You're stronger than him, that's for sure..." Tsurugi commented, spitting blood. "But how will you fare against poison?"

She swung her scissors, which Minako blocked with her shadow, reflecting the poison. Stunning her for about a second, Minako seized the opportunity and kicked her off the ship.

Kasugo tried to grab one of Booster's potions that were strapped to his waist, but they suddenly disappeared. Kasugo fainted due to lack of oxygen to his brain.

Iroko shot at Blazy, but she was quick enough to disintegrate the bullets with fireballs, causing huge explosions and destroying him again. Kuroki walked towards her, but she continued blasting him.

Minako jumped from behind and tried to strangle her, but Blazy's superior strength overpowered her, throwing her away and causing an explosion.

Iroko fired again; Blazy tried to dodge with her head and body, but he was aiming for her leg, hitting it and causing her to lose her balance. The analgesic effect of the potion helped her react faster. Kuroki connected her heart to his. Minako jumped from behind again, pulling her back while Blazy pulled Kuroki's heart and he pulled hers.

It was an intense tug of war. Iroko fired his gun several times, but Blazy Blazy was quick enough to destroy the projectiles. Minako tried to blind Blazy with her fingers, but the muscular woman was faster and grabbed Minako from behind, throwing her against Kuroki and disrupting their plan.

The ship was about to collapse due to the explosions. A curtain of fire engulfed Blazy, hiding the others except for Kasugo, who woke up and threw his bat at her. She was caught off guard and turned to face him. Minako tried to attack her from behind, but Tsurugi pierced her body with the scissors, stunning her. She had just come out of the water.

"I'm your natural enemy..." she said, grinning and bleeding.

Minako couldn't move, as Kuroki's power didn't work against poisons.

She walked toward the fire to find Kuroki and impaled him. Iroko was a little further away, so he managed to shoot her in the head. Because her skin was burning and she was severely injured, even though she felt no pain, she died instantly.

"Run..." Kuroki murmured, reaching out to Iroko. "You're the only one who can still move..."

Kasugo tried to get up, but Blazy repeatedly blasted him.

Iroko grabbed Kuroki and walked toward the edge of the ship. He accompanied him back to the port across the bridge that was still there, since the ship had not yet departed.

"What are you doing?" Kuroki asked, struggling to speak. "Leave me here and run... more players will come to watch the show... you can't escape with me in your arms..."

Iroko laid Kuroki's body on the ground. "I need to make sure she goes down with the ship."

"Don't leave me..." Kuroki reached out to his friend. If it weren't for you, I would have let Kasugo be captured and turned my back on him... Kuroki thought. I don't deserve to live... you're a much better person than me...

Iroko walked through the flames, his skin irreparably burned, and he still felt the pain. He saw Blazy still there, blasting Kasugo to weaken Kuroki.

He was too tired to raise the rifle very high, so he simply aimed for her heart, since it was easier to hit. She hadn't expected anyone to return from the flames, especially since the ship was sinking, so she was caught off guard. One shot was enough to pierce her heart.

She stopped, feeling a sharp pain in her chest. She looked down and saw the blood gushing out. She touched it with her hand, feeling her own warmth. Something her parents had never given her. It was the first time she had done something on her own, so she was proud of herself.

But she lost her friends and, in the end, failed to achieve her goal. She fell to the ground, filled with regret, feeling her life force drain away.

Iroko was in the same situation: he hadn't been able to help Kuroki achieve his goal to the end. But he didn't feel empty or regretful, because he felt his life had a purpose. He fell to the ground, feeling the scorching heat of the metal, but that no longer mattered.

He managed to go out with a bang, literally.