As she said that, Shino got ready to get up. While supporting herself on the floor with the right hand, her fingertips felt something heavy and cold.

She immediately knew what it was. That was an object she always hid deep inside that drawer. It was the symbol of all her fears in the real world. It was the participation prize she had in the 2nd BoB tournament-the model gun "Procyon SL".

Shino fumbled with her fingers before grabbing it, and then slowly raised this heavy handgun at Kyouji.

The gun in her hand felt abnormally cold like ice. Shino's right hand immediately felt slowed, and the numbness crept up her arm.

She knew that this wasn't the cold freezing feeling in the real world. Even though she knew that it was a mental rejection, she couldn't stop this feeling from happening. That fear which couldn't be explained came out from deep inside her heart like black liquid.

The white wallpaper that was speck-clean seemed to shake like water, and the grey concrete cracks behind the wall started to appear in front of her. The wood-based floor faded in color and became a green flax carpet. The protruding windows became the counter too. As Shino recovered, she found out that she was standing in the middle of an old post office.

Kyouji's face that was being pointed at suddenly melted. His skin changed to a person with oily yellow skin, lots of wrinkles, and a set of yellow teeth in the dry mouth. The syringe in his right hand unknowingly became the old automatic handgun that was giving a dark glow-and the gun in Shino's hand became the same thing.

Predicting what would happen next, Shino sank into extreme panic. Her stomach felt like it was pushed up, and her muscles tensed up.

No, I don't want to look. I really want to throw aside this Blackstar in my hand and get away from here.

But if she ran away here, everything would be wasted. The things that were as important as her life would also disappear.

She was fighting her fear as Asada Shino when she relapsed, and she was fighting against many powerful foes as the sniper Sinon. Perhaps these experiences would never bring any outcome. But- This so-called strength is the process of moving forward.

Shino gritted her teeth and cocked the gun with her thumb. The apparition that appeared in front of Shino disappeared with this hard and heavy sound.

Kyouji, who knelt on the bed, watched the Procyon SL that was pointed at him and backed away slightly. Perhaps feeling scared, he continued to blink.

He opened his mouth, and the hoarse voice then followed.

"...What do you want to do, Asada-san. Tha...that's just a model gun, right? Do you really think that that thing can stop me?"

Shino placed her left hand on the table, exerting strength into her lifeless legs to get up and answered Kyouji, "You said it before. I have real power. You said it before that there aren't any other girls who used a handgun to shoot someone else before."

Kyouji's face turned as white as paper and tensed up, backing away.

"So this isn't a model gun any more. Once I press this trigger, I'll shoot a real bullet to kill you."

Shino pointed the handgun at Kyouji and then slowly moved to the kitchen.

"Yo...you want to...kill...me...?"

Kyouji muttered like he was daydreaming and slowly shook his head.

"Asada-san wants...to kill me...?"

"Yes. You'll be the only one going to that world."

"NO...NO...I DON'T WANT...TO BE ALONE...!!!"

Kyouji's eyes lost all signs of consciousness. He looked up at the space blankly and knelt down on the bed.

Seeing his right hand loosen up and the syringe nearly falling completely onto the bedsheet, Shino hesitated over whether she should use this chance to snatch that thing. However, if she agitated Kyouji, he may really lose his senses and attack. Thus, Shino continued to move slowly to the kitchen.

When her eyes couldn't see Kyouji, she immediately kicked the floor and ran to the door.

A mere 5m distance felt so far away. She tried her best not to let out any footsteps as she moved pass the kitchen. As she ran to the corridor and stepped onto it...

The mat slid backwards, and Shino felt down. She swung her right hand to get balance, and the model gun flew out and landed in the basin, creating a loud sound.

Even though she didn't managed to fall, the left kneecap hit the floor, causing Shino to feel pain. However, she continued to try and reach her body out and use her right hand to grab the door handle.

However, the door wouldn't budge. At this moment, Shino noticed that the door was still locked and gritted her teeth while unlocking it.

CLAK. Just as the sound of the door unlocking reached Shino's fingers- An icy hand held her right ankle hard.

Shino held her breath and looked back, and found that the distraught Kyouji was lying on the floor and grabbing her foot. She did not know where the syringe went.

Shino tried to shake him off and moved her foot about, and her hand went all the way, reaching out to try and pull the door open. However, her fingers did touch the door handle, but she didn't hold it. That's because Kyouji's amazing strength pulled her back.

Even after Kyouji pulled her to the kitchen for several centimeters, Shino still used her left hand to grab the step of the corridor to resist.

If she screamed here, her voice may reach outside. But just when Shino was about to scream out, her throat got stuck and couldn't take in air, causing only a hoarse voice.

Kyouji's strength could be said to be far more than usual. That skinny body of his which was only about as tall as Shino showed such arm power from nothing. Shino's left hand was finally pulled away from the step, and she was then pulled deep into the kitchen.

Kyouji's face immediately pressed down. Even though Shino held her right hand tight and got ready to push at his lower chin, Kyouji grabbed it with his left hand the moment she touched the skin. That wrist felt as tight as a tiger clamp, and a sharp pain exploded deep inside her brain.

"AsadasanAsadasanAsadasan..."

After a while, Shino realized that the strange sound Kyouji was making was actually her name. Kyouji's face lost all focus and his mouth was giving off white foam as he slowly brought his mouth close in. The mouth he brought over was really big, showing two rows of teeth that looked like they were ready to rip Shino's skin away. Shino wanted to push him away with her left hand, but her left hand was soon grabbed by Kyouji's right hand.

Shino's hands were restrained, but she intended to wait for Kyouji to close in and bite his neck. Just when Shino's mouth was becoming tense for that moment- A sudden guest of cold air blew past Shino's shoulders. Kyouji looked up behind Shino, and his eyes and mouth were open wide.

Just when Shino was thinking about what happened, a black whirlwind rushed in front of her from the door that was opened unknowingly-it should be someone, at least, as he used his knee to smash into Kyouji's face.

Dodo, with that sound, Shino could only look flabbergasted as she watched the mysterious intruder who rolled into the room with Kyouji.

Kyouji, who collapsed onto the floor, was bleeding from the nose and the mouth, and a young man she never met before was on him.

That person had slightly long black hair, and he was dressed in a similarly black rider suit. Shino thought that he could be another resident from the apartment, but once the guy-or boy turned around to shout, Shino immediately knew his true identity.

"HURRY UP AND GET AWAY, SINON! GET SOMEONE TO HELP!"

"Kiri..."

As she muttered blankly, Shino hurriedly got up. She knew she had to get away from this place as soon as possible, but her feet just wouldn't follow.

Finally, Shino grabbed the edge of the sink and finally managed to stand up. So he did personally come over from Ochinomizu. This meant that the police would be here soon. At that time, Shino forced herself to move her weak legs towards the entrance and ran a few steps- Shino remembered something important.

Kyouji had a fatal weapon. She had to warn Kirito.

Just when she turned around and got ready to shout, Kyouji, who was pressed down on the floor, completely lost his senses and let out a wild beast like howl. Kirito's body was then pushed aside, and both of them swapped places.

"SO IT'S.......YYYYYYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOUUUUUUUU!!!"

Kyouji's roar sounded like the echo from a large audio speaker, and the volume was so loud it nearly broke the eardrums of those near him.

"DON'T YOU GET NEAR MY ASADA-SAAANNNN!!!"

Kirito was ready to support his body, but Kyouji's left fist hit his face and let out a heavy impact sound. Kyouji then reached his right hand into the jacket pocket and took out that savage gun-shaped syringe.

"KIRITO-!"

Just when Shino shouted that...

"GOOOOO TOOOOOO HEEEEEEEELLLLLL!!!!!!!"

Kyouji roared out.

Byutsu~ The high pressure syringe stabbed into Kirito's chest, on the T-shirt that showed itself under the rider's jacket, and let out a soft, sharp yet clear sound.

What was terrifying was that the sound was really similar to the high-capability silencers installed on guns.

Of course, Shino only knew about the sound effects of the imaginary guns in Gun Gale Online, and in fact, she didn't know what the sound would be like if it was silenced in real life. However, to Shino, who was familiar with this sound, it meant that she should step up and face the threat. The moment she recovered, she found herself running forward.

She took a few steps, rushed past the kitchen and then subconsciously looked for the most effective weapon. Finally, she chose the stereo on the table, and grabbed the handle with her right hand.

This machine Shino used for a long time had quite some history, and it could be said to be abnormally big, about as large as modern wall-speakers. Shino used her waist to support this rectangular body that was less than 3kg and quickly swung it behind her- And then used centrifuge force to hit the left side of Kyouji's face, which was showing a smile that looked like he lost it.

Shino almost didn't feel any shock or feeling when she struck him, but after Kyouji was sent flying away fast, his head hit the corner edge of the bedframe, letting out a heavy sound that still clearly remained in her ears.

After half a second, Kyouji, who was struck on both sides of the head, moaned as he collapsed onto the floor. His right hand was loosened, and the high pressure syringe rolled out.

Shino didn't know whether that thing could continuously inject drugs, but she still took it. Kyouji was already showing white eyes and moaning away. It seemed that he was unable to move for the time being.

Shino thought about using a belt or something to tie Kyouji's hands up, but before that, there was something more important for her to do. She then turned around...

"Kirito...!"

She gave a soft cry and knelt down beside the boy.

This boy who was as tender looking as his character in the game recognized Shino and said with a hoarse voice, "I've been had...to think...that he would have a syringe..."

"Where? Where were you stabbed?"

Throwing the syringe aside, Shino hurriedly undid Kirito's rider jacket zipper.

I have to call the hospital. But before that, I have to do immediate emergency first aid. But what should I do to clear the toxin from the chest-Shino's mind continued to be filled with random thoughts, and her fingers started trembling.

Under the jacket was a faded blue T-shirt, and what just landed straight on the heart was a worrying stain. She didn't know how much "piercing ability" the syringe had, but it shouldn't be something that could be blocked by a thin T-shirt.

"You can't die...you can't die like this!"

Shino wailed in a teeny-weeny voice as she rolled up the T-shirt from the jeans.

That flat stomach and chest of Kirito's were immediately exposed, and his skin was rather white for a guy. However, slightly right from the center of the chest, where the T-shirt stain was-there was something stuck on it.

Shino looked bewildered as she looked at that object.

That was a round object that was about 3cm thick. The silver round plate had a suction cap that was made from yellow rubber. Also, there was something on the edge of the round pad that looked like a socket, but there wasn't anything on it.

The metal circle was completely wet on the surface, and there was a thin fluid flowing down. That transparent fluid should be the fatal drug "Succinylcholine" that Kyouji said.

Shino hurriedly looked around the floor, and on finding the tissue paper box, she drew two out and then carefully wiped the fluid away. She brought her face a few centimeters away from Kirito's chest, and then thoroughly checked for any high-pressure fluid injected in near the mysterious pad.

No matter how she looked, Kirito's chest didn't look like it had any damage. The high pressure syringe seemed to have pierced through the T-shirt and hit the metal circle pad that was only a few centimeters wide, and the liquid that was injected was blocked by this hard object on the outside. She tried to place her hand on the pad, and immediately felt a strong and forceful heartbeat.

Shino blinked and moved her eyes up, seeing that Kirito's face was moaning and keeping the eyes close.

"Hey...listen to me..."

"Uu...I can't make it...I can't breathe..."

"Hey, listen to me."

"...Damn it...I can't think of...any last words...at this moment..."

"What's this that's stuck on you?"

"...Eh?"

Kirito again widened his eyes, lowered his head and looked at his chest. He then frowned in surprise and used his right hand finger to touch the metal circle pad.

"...Don't tell me...the drug hit this place?"

"Seems that way...what's going on?"

"...Well...that should be the electrode of the ECG..."

"Wha...what? Why is there such a thing...is your heart bad...?"

"Not really...just a means to counter "Death Gun"...that, that's right, I was panicking so the cable snapped and there was still one on me..."

Kirito forcefully heaved a sigh and said softly, "Really...I was nearly scared to death..."