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“Hiee, who’s this kid? What’s wrong with her?!”
“Damn it, another casualty! How is she in so many places at once?!”

The men in Platoon Delta were consumed by fear and desperation, realizing too late that they had poked a hornet’s nest. Amidst their panicked cries, a sinister laughter echoed—the sound of a fox girl enveloped in eerie blue flames. Hinagiku moved like a wraith through the battlefield.

Every so often, her body would be surrounded by butterflies before vanishing, only to reappear a moment later, killing another man with a swift strike to the neck or heart. It was like something straight out of a horror movie.

Hinagiku’s fighting style relied heavily on the Mirage Skill.

At lower levels, it allowed the creation of illusory butterflies or flower petals, but its true value extended far beyond making a beautiful scene for others. Once the [Hiding] spell became available and was mastered, it granted the caster temporary invisibility to enemies.

Hinagiku took this to an extreme, using the butterflies to distract her enemies, providing the perfect opening to land fatal blows. She unleashed terror upon the Player Killers.

At first, they had long-range support from another platoon, but as the other players began firing back, the support ceased, forcing them to retreat and leaving Platoon Delta stranded. They had no idea why Platoon Alpha had stopped helping, but they were now completely cornered with no way out.

“This is Delta. Are you alive, Alpha?! We need assistance!”

One of the men shouted desperately, his voice filled with panic. Hinagiku heard him and turned in his direction.

With a burst of butterflies, she vanished, and the man’s face twisted in terror as he continued to speak.

“The butterflies… the butterflies are… ghah?!”

The small girl swung her tachi, severing the man’s head from his body. His voice cut off with a final groan as he succumbed to the critical hit.

“Ohoh, were you talking to someone?”

Hinagiku asked sweetly, pulling her blade back and shaking it, though no blood clung to it. A grin spread across her face, her smile almost angelic. However, her eyes burned with an insatiable thirst for blood, making her appearance even more sinister.

“So, that was your leader then… Oh well, it’s not like it matters.”

She caressed her blade, preparing for another thrusting attack, forcing everyone to fixate on it.

“After all, you’re just a bunch of PKers… So there’s no reason for your heads to stay attached to your necks, right?”

Hinagiku grinned widely as the blue flames surrounding her flared. Her body became a shadow within the flames, with only her bloodthirsty eyes shining through as she tore through the remaining Player Killers.

They had already lost all their morale and lacked the mental strength to resist her. It didn’t take long before Platoon Delta was completely wiped out.

◇◇◇

Meanwhile, Crim continued chasing after the sniper and his platoon.

Her bare hands were her swiftest weapon, utilizing the Claw Skill to block and deflect bullets as she ran.

“I can’t aim fast enough!”
“She’s too fast!”
“Gh-ghah..?!”

Crim tackled one of the Player Killers who had lagged behind, stabbing him in the chest. Her black dagger pierced through his heart, and as his body shattered from the death effect, she rushed straight toward her next target, who was still reeling from the shock of seeing her. He gulped loudly, knowing his fate would be the same as his comrade’s, when suddenly, someone stepped in front of him.

“Guns won’t work at this range. Ditch them and get ready for close combat!”

It was the sniper Crim had been chasing, now wielding a machete in one hand.

“Oh… So thou hast chosen to protect thy comrade, quite commendable for a Player Killer!”
“You won’t get through…!”

There was a loud metallic sound as the sniper blocked Crim’s dagger. In response, Crim vaulted backward, spinning mid-air. The Player Killers fired at the spot where she was supposed to land, but she kicked off a nearby wall, changing her trajectory, nimbly moving in all three dimensions, thwarting their efforts.

“How’s she moving like that? What a beast!”
“Calm down! If you lose your cool, she’ll have an even easier time!”

Crim’s ears perked up, listening to their nervous chatter.

“She doesn’t have much of a weapon. Just avoid critical hits, and she can’t do anything!”

Hearing their leader’s words, Crim sighed in disappointment.

“…Unbelievable. I have merely been measuring thy strength against mine. But if it is thy desire, I shall unleash my true power.”

Irritated by their remarks about her weapon, Crim’s competitive spirit surged, prompting her to respond in a rather childish manner.

“Shadow Heavy-Weapon… Full Transformation!!”

Her usual scythe materialized in her hand, but this time it began to grow, eventually becoming five times its original size. The oversized scythe looked almost comical in the hands of the small girl, but the sight left the Player Killers stunned. Quickly recovering, they unleashed a barrage of gunfire, but Crim blocked all the bullets with ease.

“I bear no animosity towards Player Killers. In truth, I would say I respect and rather admire those who are prepared to fight back if things go awry, such as thineselves.”

Crim’s words were sincere.

The Player Killers had planned escape routes in case things went awry, even setting up reinforcements. They had considered the possibility of encountering someone stronger and were prepared to fight until the end.

That filled Crim with excitement, a joyous, if slightly manic, smile forming on her lips. In any other context, such a smile might have been charming, but here, it was the grin of a demon ready to drag them to the afterlife.

“Listen well, as the Scarlet Demon Lord, Crim Lua Cheia, I have some advice… Don’t belittle us DUO players!!”

At that moment, a spell Crim had been secretly preparing for her scythe activated.

“Grim Scythe!!”

Her enormous scythe transformed again, twisting into a more burly and ominous shape, shrouded in darkness. The weapon’s durability was sacrificed, but in exchange, its power, sharpness, and mass were amplified beyond measure.

It was the ultimate spell of Darkness Magic, unlocked with 100 Points—[Grim Scythe]. This weapon embodied all the skills she had honed, concentrated into a single devastating attack.

The space around the scythe distorted from its immense power, resembling the reaper’s scythe of doom, crushing any hope the Player Killers had left.

“So that’s a Demon Lord… That’s… that’s too much…”
“Keheheh. As they say, when in Rome, do as the Romans do. Guns may exist here, but this is still a world of swords and magic.”

The sniper muttered in disbelief as Crim smiled at him.

“But I like the notion of a guild with FPS experience. It may require time and effort, but go forth, expand thy horizons, and develop thine own fighting style!!”

With that, she swung the scythe in a wide arc, obliterating everything in its path.

The result was total annihilation. The surrounding buildings crumbled like wet paper, and everything within tens of meters was reduced to rubble. All that remained of the Player Killers were particles of light, fading into the air.

Afterword:

Girls are scary