by L. M. Kerr
In a split second, the gleaming feathers flew all the way over towards their target.
One of the 3 elite B Ranked fighters from the Black Flag Pirates, the so-called Winged Wrecker.
"Hup!" The B Ranker lived up to his rank, reacting instinctively. While he wasn't able to move anywhere near fast enough to dodge such an instantaneous attack, he could still activate an Ability with time to spare.
His Iron-Tailed Eagle Wings Ability activated, two large wings made of metallic feathers forming and covering him up, shielding him. The materialization was almost instant, two heavy layers of iron blocking the path of any blow.
When Micheal's feathers slammed into where the wings were blocking, however…
The protective feathers instantly parted, allowing his feathers to move forward. The feathers Micheal had thrown were the exact same type of feathers, Iron-Tailed Eagle feathers. In the original timeline, Micheal had learned that these feathers had a unique interaction when they were energized.
Whenever they came into contact with feathers of the same type, they would part ways, avoiding hitting each other. It was some type of instinctive, magical fail-safe, built so that Iron-Tailed Eagles wouldn't tear themselves to shreds with their own feathers.
It was a minor fact that Micheal had remembered when he'd learned more about the Black Flag Pirates that he would be facing.
A fact that the B Ranked Winged Wrecker seemed woefully uninformed about.
SHKKK
"Arr-huuk!" A strangled gulp echoed out of the Winged Wrecker as he stumbled a couple of steps backwards, his entire body shaking…
And then fell over, three bloody holes bored through his skull, killed instantly.
.
—- Points Obtained —-
Points: 2,600
.
An abrupt, startled silence overtook the room as everyone paused for a single instant in shock.
Micheal took full advantage of that.
"Sophia, now!" He yelled out loud as he grasped the Remembrance Shield he had pulled out of his Spatial Ring, his body hugging low to the ground as he threw himself towards Fire Caster Abel.
Sophia reacted without hesitating. Her pink eyes flashed as the Morenkai she had been controlling were abruptly sent charging towards the Black Flag Pirates. She released her control of them an instant later, allowing them to attack the humans of their own volition, as she turned her gaze over to the members of the Mayoral Alliance.
WHOOSH
The temperature in the room fluctuated as Sophia's eyes zeroed in on the Black Flamer Chelsea, without paying any attention to the leader of the Mayoral Alliance.
She focused all of her attention on Chelsea, her gaze unremitting. Her Fairy Eyes Ability instantly took hold, slamming into Chelsea's mind and stunning her to great effect.
"What t-" Before Abel could finish speaking, he thrust his hands forward, two streams of fire rocketing into the air. His subordinates behind him had no time to react, watching everything that happened with stunned expressions.
Fire Caster Abel's standout Ability was in his nickname. The 'Fire Caster Type,' an Ability that cost 245,000 Points, something he purchased before arriving on the First Layer, as an Irregular. Despite the high Points cost, Abel was still only a strong B Ranker. He stood at the in-between mark between an A Ranker and a B Ranker, not able to face up against people like Brandon or Shigun, but able to take on enemies like Martin or Cain with relative ease.
His Ability allowed him to manipulate and send collections of fire, following certain 'Spell' creations, almost like a Wizard from fantasy. His attacks were potent, able to severely injure and kill normal humans and even harm Morenkai, killing them if he had enough focus.
As the two streams of molten fire shot towards Micheal, he simply held up his Remembrance Shield.
This was a somewhat useful Artifact that he had traded for in the Open Market. In the First Layer, its power and usefulness was quite limited, largely due to the specifics of what it did.
It had the Ability to absorb energy and then release energy. There was a maximum limit that corresponded to the Soul stat of the person using it. Due to the low number of people that used attacks that involved energy on the First Layer, the shield itself wasn't greatly valued.
It was merely a durable Artifact that could block a few hits to most, overpriced in the Shop. For people like Micheal, the amount of energy it could absorb was middling at best.
The two streams of fire slammed into Micheal's shield. Instantly, he absorbed the front part of the stream, feeling the energy quickly reach the maximum storage amount.
He finely controlled the shield, using his years of experience in controlling his Ki and Artifacts to operate it precisely. As he was absorbing energy, at the same time, he began to expel energy. The operation was mentally confusing, requiring him to think deeply and focus on two separate things at once. Even for Micheal, such a thing was difficult, feeling like he was splitting his mind in two.
He managed to succeed, however, forcing his way through and not allowing himself to fail.
WHOOSH
He directly knocked his way past the streams of fire and slammed into the concentrating form of Fire Caster Abel. He managed to absorb both streams of fire and simultaneously release them, nullifying the attack.
Fire Caster Abel was physically powerful, even if close combat wasn't his specialty. In terms of Strength and Endurance, he outclassed Micheal easily. However, Abel had been fiercely concentrating as he used his Ability. The sheer unexpectedness of Micheal being able to absorb his attack and charge forward seemingly unobstructed took Abel completely by surprise, slowing his reactions as his concentration broke.
Micheal took full advantage of that as well.
In less than a fraction of a second, he threw his shield up and whipped out his blade, infusing it with Sword Energy. He slashed forward and then cut into the leader of the Mayoral Alliance, the powerful B Ranker that was nearly A Rank…
Slicing him cleanly in half.
thud
Blood spattered out, painting the wall in front of him as Abel's body fell to the ground lifeless.
.
—-Points Obtained—-
Points: 4,870
.
The shocked silence at the abrupt attack lasted for only a split second more before the ground floor devolved into a scene of chaos, a grand melee breaking out.
In the midst of it, Micheal smiled as he glanced down at the corpse for an instant, his eyes cold.
'Not this time, buddy.'
.
Chapter 67: Preparation
What was the most important thing before any battle? In Micheal's mind, there could be only one answer.
Preparation!
Preparing for the tactics your enemy might use, preparing for their weaknesses, their strengths. Every battle hinged around how prepared you were when you went into it.
The mightiest warrior could easily fall to a surprise attack if he was caught unprepared.
And for Micheal, a warrior that possessed sweeping knowledge of the future, preparation was his most powerful tool.
In the span of just a few seconds, he wiped out two powerful B Rankers thanks to the preparations he made.
In the First Layer, a B Ranker could take on decent sized groups of Morenkai all at once, handling them with ease. B Rankers could fight against Abnormals without a team, and oftentimes come out victorious without having to flee. A B Ranker was considered 'Strong' in the First Layer. Part of the upper echelon of Humanity on the First Layer.
Michael had wiped the floor with these two B Rankers, one of them powerful enough to almost be an A Ranker, with apparent ease.
It wasn't that they were weak. It was just that Micheal's experience, foresight, and personal talent left them in the dust.
Long before this battle began, Micheal had constantly been preparing for it. He knew it was going to happen and he had decided to change its outcome.
Micheal
was not a god nor could he warp reality. Most of the B Rankers in the Black Flag Pirates and their allies didn't have any fatal weaknesses. Many of them were well rounded and their strength came from training and effort.
However, when he'd procured a list of the experts that he might face, something he'd managed through asking around in the Open Market and from his memories, he'd gone over each potential enemy in detail.
It was from this list that he'd zeroed in on a few particular targets. Ones with weaknesses that he could exploit, however obscure or small.
'I don't need to kill everyone on my own. Just take out enough enemies to alter the flow of the battle.' Killing both Pirate Lords on his own, without anyone distracting them or helping him, was unfeasible.
An A Ranker could annihilate entire legions of Morenkai, such that only the toughest of regular Abnormals would stand even a chance. They could face off against groups of Abnormals and come out alive. Only Monster Class Morenkai could prove a threat.
Thus, most of Micheal's preparations were aimed at hitting the weaker members of the assault team. The planted bombs in the corridor to lessen the numbers they'd be up against, the special ingredients and tools he'd prepared to counter some of the B Rankers.
And thus far, he had succeeded.
The B Rankers from the Black Flag Pirates had leapt forward to attack the elite guards from the Godfather Organization as well as the B Ranked Offensive Team Leader Officer Martin. Silent Viper's form took on a shadow edge as she tapped into her Vampiric powers while the Ravager Jason's body expanded into that of a three meter tall grey skinned bear and charged forth.
The B Ranked Winged Wrecker remained dead.
The A Rankers, in the meanwhile, remained staring at each other, neither side making the first move yet. Bloody Iron Arm Cain stood off to the side as well, his face torn with fear as he stared at Boss Shigun, unwilling to move till he was engaged.
"Sophia, keep her stunned!" Micheal yelled out loud as he charged at the frozen form of Black Flamer Chelsea, ignoring the duel behind him.
From his research ahead of time, he had determined that Chelsea was a bulky physical attacker that relied upon physical Abilities for close combat and a lethal flamethrower for all else.
Artifacts that could block Sophia's Fairy Eyes were not cheap. In addition, the number of people that had Abilities similar to hers on the First Layer was a pittance. Xavier had such an Artifact, but he was an exception, due to his obsessions. Micheal had judged the chances of Chelsea having one as slim to none, an educated guess that turned out to be correct.
With Sophia's Fairy Eyes keeping Chelsea stunned, killing her would be like taking candy from a baby.
BANG
BANG
Gunfire broke out as Micheal charged at the stunned B Ranker.
Of the fighters that had straggled in with Fire Caster Abel, four of them rushed to intercept Micheal, wielding swords, maces, and a variety of other melee weapons. The remaining three members of the Mayoral Alliance all wielded guns and opened fire.
However, they weren't shooting at Micheal. Instead, they ignored him and attacked Sophia.
Apart from the few straggling C Ranked warriors of the Black Flag Pirates that had survived Micheal's makeshift bombs and the C Ranked stragglers from the Mayoral Alliance, all of Micheal's enemies here were B Ranked or higher.
At this level, especially for elite B Rankers like the ones present, almost all were immune to ordinary guns. Regular bullets would have little to no effect and were usually useless.
For Bloody Iron Arm Cain, it was because of the durability and defensive Abilities he possessed. For Silent Viper, it was because of her graceful technique and resilient Lesser Vampire Type, allowing her to tank and dodge bullets like they were nothing. For the Ravager Jason, his Arkian Bear Transformation Type had extremely thick and durable skin, such that bullets did almost nothing.
Fire Caster Abel, likewise, had been immune to bullets as well. When Micheal had split him in half, his blade had encountered a brief bit of resistance. If Micheal had to guess, he would've placed it as the Thick Skin Ability, a defensive power that cost 58,000 Points. It decently enhanced one's Endurance and granted a special active power that could be used to enchant one's skin, making it very tough for a period of time.
It couldn't be compared to the defensive power of the Black Knight Type Ability that Pirate Lord Brandon possessed, but when it came to stopping regular bullets, it more than sufficed.
It was so tough it had taken Micheal's Sword Energy-coated blade roughly 0.2 seconds longer than he expected to cut the man in half and kill him.
The prowess Micheal had shown, casually killing two powerful B Rankers like it was nothing, had created a huge impression in the minds of all the lower ranked guards.
In their eyes, he was clearly a powerful B Ranker. Their only hope for survival was to rescue Black Flamer Chelsea. Apart from that, their death seemed certain. Turning their back to flee would likely just end in them being killed.
As a result, the fighters treated Micheal like an expert that was immune to bullets and instead tried to gun down Sophia. Her Fairy Eyes were clearly what was keeping Chelsea stunned and nothing she had done indicated she was immune to bullets.
ping
ping
Unfortunately for them, they judged wrong.
Sophia possessed a protective Artifact that shielded her from long range attacks like bullets, leaving her perfectly unharmed as the bullets bounced off her.
'They fell for it.' Micheal smiled. If they had tried to fire at him, his options would've been rather limited. His Remembrance Shield was a durable physical Artifact, but it was only so large, and he had already dropped it as he focused on attacking.
At his current level, he still lacked a solid answer for guns, though it was hardly his fault. The time he'd spent on the First Layer was less than 2 weeks, after all, facing enemies that had been here for years.
SHKKK
WHOOSH
His arm blurred as he slashed out with his blade. His muscles bulged as he mercilessly attacked the warriors that were trying to obstruct him. Ki energy ran flush in his veins, his body tingling.
"Arrrgh!"
"Ulp!"
.
—-Points Obtained—-
Points: 401
.
—-Points Obtained—-
Points: 481
.
—-Points Obt…
.
In just a split second, Micheal killed all four of them. He used precisely aimed strikes, while predicting and accounting for each of the four attackers' weapons, his eyes focused.
The four men that had attacked him were all C Rankers, none of them could be considered truly weak. Each one was able to take on a Morenkai and kill it, through one method or another. In terms of physical Strength and Endurance, they were likely a bit stronger than Micheal was.
In terms of skill and battle technique, however, they couldn't hold a candle to him.
Blood splattered out as their corpses fell to the ground, weapons hitting the floor with a thud.
"No!"
"He broke through!"
Yells of despair broke out as the Mayoral Alliance members saw this. Still under the assumption that bullets were useless against Micheal, the 3 remaining fighters took the only option they thought they had left.
They turned tail and fled, abandoning Chelsea to her fate.
BANG
BANG
BANG
A moment later, before the three of them managed to flee more than a couple meters, the trio all fell to the ground, bullet holes drilled into their skulls.
Micheal didn't hesitate as he ignored this, reaching where the still stunned Black Flamer Chelsea was standing.
SHKKK
.
--- Points Obtained ---
Points: 2,783
.
He cut her down in a single motion, killing her instantly. She didn't even have a moment
to regret her choices as she went from stunned to dead, Sophia's Fairy Eyes not lessening up a whit.
Micheal's eyes flicked over as he turned and stared briefly at Sophia. She held a smoking handgun in her hands, her body tense as she stared at the men she had killed.
"Good aim, Sophia!" It truly was. Hitting moving targets that were fleeing at top speed, especially in such close quarters, wasn't easy, even for an experienced shooter. Her Fairy Eyes likely helped out to some degree, enhancing her vision and control, but it was impressive nonetheless.
The duo didn't wait long as they turned around, taking in the rest of the ground floor.
A few Morenkai had straggled in and were getting their bearings, preparing to attack. They seemed focused on the loudest and most obvious group of fighters, the now-dueling A Rankers.
"Arrrgh!" A growl escaped Boss Shigun's lips as Pirate Lord Brandon's Returner Axe sank into his shoulder, spilling blood. Shigun lashed out with a solid punch, sending Brandon flying backwards. Shigun's Titan form was covered in gashes and cuts, soaked in a layer of blood. His determination and willpower had not slackened, however, as he fought off the Pirate Lords.
Before he could continue his attack, Pirate Lord Byron jumped between them, dealing a supercharged roundhouse kick to Shigun's chest. The glowing man's attack knocked the towering Titan back a meter, causing him to spit up blood.
'Even with a much weaker ambush team, Boss Shigun would still likely die, or at least be crippled.' Simultaneous attacks from two A Rankers were no joke.
Apart from the A Rankers, the rest of the people on the ground floor were all engaged in a fierce battle. In the moments that Sophia and Micheal had been turned away, a grand melee had broken out.
"Sophia, help Team Leader Martin and the guards! Take out the gunmen!" The remaining loyal Officer was being attacked by three separate B Rankers at a once, Jason, Silent Viper, and Cain, who had rushed over, as well as several armed fighters from the Black Flag Pirates. The Officer was doing everything he could just to stay alive and hold out for reinforcements; victory wasn't even a consideration in his mind. It was a small miracle he hadn't died yet.
