Ouroboros Record ~Circus of Oubeniel~

Chapter 51: Scarlets' Research 5 (2)

Chapter 51: Scarlets' Research 5 (2)

Disproving that logic, he was a person who was capable of the impossible. With great combat acumen, Gerald intuitively grasped the characteristics of the firearm he had never seen before.

(I got it. That weapon can only shoot in a straight line!)

The bullet flew out of the muzzle in a straight trajectory. It was this insight that gave his miraculous defence a chance of succeeding. If he blocked the bullets in the line it was coming from, then everything behind would be safe. There was nothing absurd about it, it was entirely reasonable. He was making an impossible statement, not in words but through his actions.

(However, Ive got more than just a single muzzle!)

Fem silently replied with no. The hand cannon that shot down Gotsch a large caliber pistol was aimed at Gerald. She was attacked in two different directions and chose the nearest target to point the gatling gun earlier. If he could handle the gatling gun, then he could enjoy the other weapon too.

(Ugh!?)

In that life-or-death moment, Geralds world slowed down. Adrenaline boosted his brain, and in a long, drawn out moment, Fem's left hand tried to cross over her right arm, which was carrying a Gatling. He knew in his gut that if it was fully aimed at him, it would be his end.

The Gatling cannon was still firing away at him, while he shielded himself with the scimitar. She was aiming the hand cannon at him. And he was still trying to run towards her.

Like a viscous thick mud flowing, the moment dragged on.

The one who broke that moment was neither him nor Fem.

"..HAAAAH!!!!"

With an angry shout, a hatchet was flung towards Fem.

Cedric was the first to be struck by the gatling weapon. After Fem switched targets to the other two, he had not been simply waiting and doing nothing. He was looking for the right moment to deliver a solid blow to the enemy and save his comrades. And there was no better time than now, just asFem was about to direct both of her firearms on Gerald.

In the face of the approaching weapon, the armed monster halted her attack.

"Evasive maneuver no, intercepting!"

Fem made her decision to use an anti-air approach after a single second, though with some hesitation. The firearm in her left hand quickly locked onto the target and she pulled the trigger.

With a roar, the flying hatchet was shot down by the projectile from the hand cannon.

At the same time, not wasting the opportunity, Gerald twisted and turned to dodge the gatlings fire while getting closer. Just in time, he had caught Fem.

"Uh!"

He closed the gap to a mere hairs length and held his weapon in a reversed grip.

Gerald took an unfamiliar stance, sinking low while moving quickly with the momentum of his steps, accumulating all the spring in his body. His chin was almost to the ground as he folded his limbs.

Prowling tiger. That was what this preliminary motion was called by swordsmen. The whole body is flexed like a spring in order to put all the energy into the backhand slash.

But in the west, this stance had another name.

They called it the Scale Breaking Lion.

It was the deadly blow used by the Red Lion to finish off the evil dragon.

"This is the end...!!!!"

In the blink of an eye, he unleashed his counterattack. It was as if he was a lightning bolt from the skies.

He gave it his all in this blow, intending to even offer his soul to the life sucking dragon fang. The light emitted by the blade was brighter than the illumination from the crystal, as though it was the breath of a fire dragon.

The sensation he felt though the handle of the scimitar was the same metal cutting sensation when he cut the mithril golem in half.

And then a surge of weakness enveloped him. He fell flat towards the ground with the inertia. He had been grinding his tooth so hard that his molar teeth were crushed.

(Made a mistake.... Not deep enough!)

What he had cut was the weapon of the enemy.

As proof of that, Fem was alive and well. She had released the gatling gun which was now in halves. Before the gatling could reach the floor, she already moved to her next attack. She aimed with her left gun calmly, attempting to get a better shot.

"...Hoaaah!!!"

Once again, however, she was interrupted.

From the side, Gotsch, with a dagger on each hand, attacked Fem, while making a strange cry that sounded like a monkey or a bird.

His nickname was Dancing Ape. His nickname came from the fact that he manipulated the two blades with explosive breathing as though he was in a trance. He was an adventurer with an ultra-aggressive fighting style that was extremely unusual among adventurers.

But it was also a double-edged technique. In addition to the breathing technique that expended oxygen in his lungs, he had to supply life force to his weapon, the twin dragon claws. If he pullsit off successfully, then he might be able to slay the enemy in that single breath, but it will still come at a great cost to his body.

Furthermore, Gotsch was already wounded from the previous attack. Naturally, his movements were slower and less graceful than usual. It looked inevitable that Fem would counter and finish him off instead.

"Wide heal!"

This inevitability was overturned by Ninon's healing magic. This healed and revitalised the Dancing Ape, allowing him to recover his nimbleness.

Not only that, but the heal wave expanded over a wide area, granting restorative effects to both Gerald and Cedric. The Red Lion who was flat on the ground after delivering a blow with all his might and the Crimson Wall who was struggling to breathe after enduring a series of blows, regained energy and could battle once more.

"... Hehe."

Fem laughed as she ducked and danced her way out of Gotsch's two daggers, which came at her like a storm. She laughed while being exposed to the dragon claw daggers, while sensing attacks from the swordsman and the tank, while catching sight of the supporting priest.

She had an expression of a young maiden, but such a joyful smile would only prove fatal in an all-out battle like this. She then called for her next weapon.

"Armament summoning, selecting... grenade armament"

"Something new is coming!"

Ninon, observing the battle from the rear, warned her party.

But it was too late. It was no longer possible to escape unscathed.

Gotsch was attacking at close range, trying to prevent his opponent from spraying gunfire, while the other two were too fast to break their momentum.

"Pineapple grenade! "

The weapon that appeared resembled a piece of fruit. However, the rough and heavy texture it had was unmistakably that of metal. In fact, it looked like it had the same style as the other weapons she used earlier.

Three of them. Just like how she did previously, she had somehow summoned them from out of nowhere.

Fem did not even try to pick them up. She just summoned them and rolled them over without doing anything. The fruit repositioned itself, and spat out a pin like object. Then the strange fruit fell to the floor.

"Get down!"

Explosion.

The reddish-black flames surrounded the area and fragments were scattered. The destruction engulfed Gerald, Cedric, Gotsch and even Fem herself.

"S-selfdestruction...!? "

Ninon was so shocked by this insane strategy that she forgot about the safety of her comrades. After all, Fem showed no regard to the temple she was defending, or even for herself. It was too absurd.

But she was not allowed to continue trembling in astonishment, nor to come to her senses and reflect on her companions.

Gunfire.

"Ahh!?"

The impact was like an elephant stamping on her stomach. A bullet from her gun, which was shot through the smoke, struck the priest in her stomach. Then, with the sound of clacking from her footsteps, Fem appeared through the smoke. On her left hand was a large gun with smoke emitting from it. Despite the flames obscuring her vision, Fem was able to accurately aim and fire at Ninon. What's more, there was no change in her appearance except for the soot. She was completely unharmed.

"Ugh, g..."

Pale, nauseous and with black blood spilling from the corner of her mouth, Ninon stood up. She was equipped with the Dragon's Beard robe, made from the carcass of a dragon. A direct hit from a pistol bullet would not penetrate or even fray it. However, this was only true for the equipment itself. Although the flexible material dispersed and absorbed most of the shock, it did not fully protect the human body underneath. The kinetic energy that failed to disperse sent shocks into her body, damaging several organs. The blackened blood was a result of it.