It was still unclear who would claim the championship title of this year's BOB.

However, the King of Killers was undoubtedly Shino Asada.

As the number of finalists rapidly decreased, the live virtual broadcast sphere stopped switching between participants. It focused solely on Haruto and Shino Asada, the last two standing.

A series of gunshots echoed faintly in the distance. Between the towering buildings, the sound bounced and blurred, creating a hazy, dreamlike atmosphere.

Then came a single, crisp gunshot—clean, sharp, and distinct.

And just like that, the gunfire stopped.

That sound—pure and powerful—was unmistakable. In the world of GGO, that sound alone meant one thing:

Shino Asada.

Her sniper rifle, the Hecate II, was infamous across the entire game. A live-ammunition sniper rifle that couldn't be obtained through normal means—its base frame could only be acquired by slaying a special underground boss: a massive, pangolin-like beast that guarded the lowest level of the map.

That underground dungeon had only been revealed to the public for three months during GGO's early release. The monster itself was nearly unkillable, boasting absurdly high defense and attack power.

But Shino Asada had done it.

She had found a narrow cave above the boss arena and camped there, firing relentlessly through a small gap in the terrain. It was a battle of patience, endurance, and pure precision.

When the beast finally fell, she was rewarded with the Hecate II's initial frame.

Even without attachments, the weapon was priceless. If she were ever willing to sell it, it could easily fetch a million Sakura coins.

But to Shino, Hecate II was not for sale.

It was her reflection—her second self.

It was the bridge that had carried her through her fear, the silent witness to her growth. Every pull of the trigger had been another step forward in her fight to overcome herself.

Now, in this final match, that same rifle once again rested in her trembling hands.

The battlefield had shrunk. Only Shino Asada and Haruto remained.

No one waited for the next satellite scan; both of them knew where this was headed.

As if by silent agreement, they converged on the main road of the central city.

Shino stood on the second-highest rooftop, her scope aimed downward.

Through the crosshairs, she saw Haruto walking along the street below—calm, steady, almost leisurely, as though he were merely out for an evening stroll.

He didn't look like someone preparing for a sniper's duel. There was no tension in his posture, no hesitation in his stride.

Her finger tightened on the trigger. The targeting circle appeared in her field of view, expanding and contracting with her breath.

"Are you confident in your reflexes, Haruto?" she whispered under her breath.

At this distance, there were no predictive lines. The bullet would reach him before sound itself.

He promised he'd go all out. So why… why does he look like this?

The thought clouded her concentration. Her breathing hitched. The aiming reticle began to tremble violently.

Outside the game, tens of millions of viewers were holding their breath.

Two legends were about to clash—the Ice Sniper and the Wings of Freedom.

Which one would become the final legend?

Even the GGO servers trembled under the sheer volume of traffic. The synchronized online player count had reached its all-time peak—107 million.

Shino Asada didn't care how many people were watching.

She exhaled slowly.

"Haruto said he'd fight me seriously," she murmured. "I'll trust that… and do the same."

Her heartbeat steadied. The trembling faded. The reticle shrank into a perfect circle.

Just before she could pull the trigger—

Haruto moved.

He suddenly leaned down, and the metallic hiss of gears echoed through the city as the three-dimensional maneuver gear on his waist launched its hooks outward.

His body blurred into an afterimage, slicing through the city's skyline.

Shino's eyes widened in disbelief.

"No way! There's no predictive line—how is this possible?!"

He darted between high-rises, impossibly fast, closing the distance with every swing.

She didn't have time to relocate.

If Haruto reached her building, she was done for.

But surrender wasn't in her nature.

She steadied herself, disassembled the Hecate's bipod, and hugged the rifle tightly against her chest.

Her mind was made up.

The moment Haruto broke through the window, she would jump.

If he didn't chase, she'd deploy her parachute and find another vantage point. But if he did—if he pursued—then during her fall, she'd line up a shot.

And she would shoot him before hitting the ground.

That was her plan.

That was her courage.

As Haruto closed in, something changed.

Behind Shino, a low, wet sound rippled through the air.

From the shadows of the apartment, black mud began to seep out—oozing, writhing, taking form.

A monstrous shape rose from the sludge, its very existence an affront to reason.

Just looking at it made the mind recoil in disgust.

It was the strongest Youmu ever recorded—a creature known only as The Other Side of the Realm.

According to ancient records from the alien world, it was said to be the embodiment of all human malice and despair—an entity that could never be destroyed, only sealed.

And now, it had returned.

Under the gaze of more than a hundred million viewers, the thing emerged—hungry, formless, endless—ready to swallow everything.

Shino Asada didn't even need to look back.

She knew what it was.

Terror clawed its way up from the pit of her stomach, freezing her limbs. Her hands began to tremble, her courage collapsing like fragile glass.

"Why now…?"

Her voice cracked.

Even through the broadcast's filtering, players watching from across the world felt a heavy, sickening pressure—a weight on their chests.

"This isn't right… who can save her?" someone shouted from the audience.

And then—

The sound of shattering glass.

The crushing pressure splintered and vanished like a dream.

Haruto burst through the window in a storm of shards and wind.

Before Shino could react, he swept her into his arms, diving through the open frame.

The rush of air from their freefall tore through the silence. Shino screamed—not from fear, but from sheer shock.

Just moments ago, she had braced herself to jump alone.

But now—she was falling together with him.

The metallic hiss of Haruto's maneuver gear resounded again. The fall stopped abruptly, replaced by a swift, gliding motion.

Shino opened her eyes just enough to see the boy beside her.

Wind whipped through his hair, sharp and untamed, yet there was a strange kind of beauty in it.

Behind them, the skyscraper they had fled from was collapsing, swallowed by waves of black mud.

And yet—

Shino laughed.

"Amazing! It's like flying!" she shouted into his ear, her voice nearly lost to the wind.

Haruto smiled faintly—but when he turned to glance behind them, the smile faded.

The black tide was still spreading, consuming everything in its path.

"Shino," he said quietly, "we have to face that thing head-on."

Her body stiffened. The thought alone was terrifying.

But then Haruto continued, his voice steady despite the roaring wind.

"My coat—it's with you, right? Inside the inner pocket… there's a special bullet."

Shino blinked. "Ah… yes. I found it when I was cleaning your coat."

She remembered it well. A bullet made of metal unlike any she'd ever seen—cold to the touch, yet somehow… comforting.

She had tucked it safely into her chest pocket, intending to return it later.

"Use that bullet," Haruto said. "Use it to defeat the monster."

He looked straight ahead, eyes filled with quiet resolve.

"Shino," he said softly.

"I believe in you."