I’m Not That Villain

36 – Assassin (2)

“We will proceed with additional verification procedures. We are about to enter a complex route, so please pay attention to your driving.”

“Yes, yes!”

The hastily turned steering wheel soon began to leave the cityscape.

But in the corner of her eye, she could still see a black bike following them.

She could see it. A racing suit. She couldn’t see the face because of the deeply pressed helmet, but she could definitely tell it was a woman’s figure.

The only peculiarity was the gun slung over her back. The somewhat classic-looking gun had no distinctive features.

It’s not… specialized equipment, right?

I’ve never heard of specialized equipment for handling firearms.

Renata trembled with tension. But even so, her driving, as always, smoothly followed her heart’s direction.

A complex path to shake off the pursuit. And after smoothly rounding that curve, they finally returned to the road.

“The pursuit is certain.”

The opponent, who had disappeared for a moment, reappeared on the road.

Increasing speed, this time as if to get closer.

“W-What should we do?!”

“Eliminate…”

Bang!

In an instant, a loud noise erupted from the truck. Sparks flew from a part of the metal plate as a bullet grazed the wall.

“Did they shoot?!”

Skillfully lifting the shotgun with one hand. Reloading it with a spin, the familiar gesture aimed at the truck once more.

“My, my bluebird?!”

“Calm down. It’s bulletproof.”

A barrage of gunfire followed. The cars on the road honked simultaneously as numerous scratches began to appear on the truck’s body.

Being bulletproof doesn’t mean it won’t get damaged. It’s called bulletproof because it can withstand impacts and minimize damage.

But as a result, the exterior gradually gets worn down. The glossy paint peeled off in an instant, and the alloy inside began to reveal itself.

There was no substantial damage.

There really wasn’t, but…

That, that filthy woman did this to my bluebird!!!

“Ram them!!!”

“…What?”

“If you don’t, I will!!”

The steering wheel was sharply turned. As the speed decreased, the truck moved roughly in the middle of the road, sliding close to the rear bike.

The sudden movement startled the bike, which reacted immediately, but couldn’t keep up with the almost supernatural driving skills. In the end, the bike collided roughly with the truck and slid across the road, crashing into the wall.

Crash!!!

As numerous horns blared, Renata accelerated again. She burst into tears belatedly.

“Ahhh! It didn’t hurt, right?! Right?! I’ll… I’ll ask Lee Seo-jun to fix it. Don’t be hurt! My bluebird!”

“Crazy person…?”

But the chase didn’t end there. In the rearview mirror, a figure was seen rising from the accident scene, which should have been fatal for an ordinary person.

As if not intending to stop the pursuit, they immediately jumped up and clung to the surrounding vehicles. On the road filled with loud horns, blood was seen dripping from the mouth beyond the broken bike helmet.

Click.

The sound of reloading, clear despite the distance. The car, startled by the woman on its roof, honked in surprise, but she slammed the roof harder, as if to say she didn’t care.

Movements that were not human. Despite being smashed into the wall and having her whole body broken, she stood up immediately with an immortal-like stamina.

It meant only one thing. Renata’s face turned pale again.

“An esper! An esper! Huaaang!! I’m dead! I’m practically a walking corpse!”

“Be quiet.”

The AI, Scarlett, moved immediately.

“Switching to automatic driving mode. Security level adjusted to grade 2.”

“W-What?”

“Eliminating the attacker.”

A strange sound came from inside the truck. Renata blinked.

The truck’s exterior, visible in the side mirror, began to change.

A massive machine gun emerged from the truck’s body. Numerous complex, compressed facilities operated organically, revealing a huge weapon hidden within the truck’s body.

Drrrrrrrk.

The magazine automatically attached itself. Along with it, a terrifying sound of loading.

As the obscenely large muzzle rose above the truck…

Gunfire erupted.

Gunfire akin to a cannon.

Kwooom!!!!

“Kyah?!”

It sounded like a cannon explosion. It wasn’t the first and last; countless bullets were sucked in with a rattling sound.

The immense power turned the ground into a beehive. The assailant immediately leaped into the air.

Aiming. And tracking.

A desperate attempt to evade.

The caliber of the bullets was extraordinary. The reason for switching to automatic driving mode was probably because of this.

The recoil was enough to shake the entire truck. The trembling truck body was something entirely unfamiliar.

The deafening roar, the sound of something breaking.

It felt like entering a completely different world.

…No.

Come to think of it, it’s not such an unfamiliar world.

H-Haven’t been here in a long time!

I thought I would be far away from this kind of thing now!!

BoooM!!

“Kyah?!”

A flash of light appeared from the hand of the opponent who was moving at high speed between the vehicles. Along with that, the noise of the machine gun, which had been roaring, stopped.

The clattering sound. But even so, the sound that didn’t return tickled the ears.

Scarlett muttered heavily.

“Automatic interception system malfunction. Some circuits are damaged. Impossible shooting skill. It is judged to be 1% luck or 99% intention. If it’s the latter, it confirms that the use of the ability is related to ‘shooting’.”

“Y-Yes?! Then what do we do?!”

“Switching to manual mode. Some parts of the control system are damaged, so I can’t operate it.”

With a clattering sound, the handle was sucked inside. And what appeared along with it was a huge screen and a familiar-looking handle for the machine gun.

The flickering screen soon displayed the surrounding environment as if it were on a turret.

A figure reloading a gun on the roof of a running car.

People’s screams. Several overturned vehicles spread out behind them.

“Ugh…?!”

The tension made my heart crawl up to my throat.

Scarlett whispered.

“Switching to manual mode complete. Shoot directly. Lower life form. If you are a partner, please perform your duties at least like a partner.”

“Y-You want me to shoot?! I-I can’t! There’s no way I can hit what you couldn’t!”

“…….? It seems you have experience shooting a gun.”

“Ah?!”

“The conversation has become easier. If it’s not a matter of ethics, I’ll assist with the rest. Think, Renata Lyudmila. If you hesitate, this bluebird could be more damaged.”

“…Ugh…?”

“The probability of it becoming a rag is also high. The opponent won’t just stop at killing you. There’s a 99% chance they’ll pour oil on this truck itself and erase the traces to prevent any possible retaliation.”

The bluebird…

My bluebird…burned in the fire…?

Burned alive?!

“N-No!”

“Then resist. Lower life form, from now on…”

The figure that had finished reloading stood up. It also seemed to crouch.

This time, it seemed determined to end it for sure.

“It’s all in your hands.”

“…Ugh!!!”

I don’t know. I don’t know anything.

I’m scared. I’m really scared.

But… but… damn…

“My bluebird is not for sale!!!”

The handle, which was roughly grabbed, starts to move.

And with it, it rises.

Once…

The old memories of Renata Lyudmila, who was raised as a hunter.

. . .

Night Owl.

The assassin employed at the steel plate workshop stomped hard on the roof of the running car.

The scream of the person could be heard. But the current moment was more urgent.

“Increase the speed!”

Something is strange.

The opponent was not just a mere craftsman.

Even the truck driving skills were impressive. Suddenly reducing speed, then immediately pushing away the bike, the movement itself was astonishingly smooth.

The bike was shattered as a result. Swallowing tears, I immediately returned to the front line…

Then what greeted me was an absurdly large-caliber machine gun that emerged from the top of the truck.

“Is this even possible?!!”

Who would mount such a thing on a regular truck?!

From then on, I had to move just to survive.

It’s common knowledge that bullets don’t work on those with abilities…

A pistol bullet might just end with an “ouch.”

But getting hit by such a large-caliber machine gun wouldn’t just end with a bruise. It’s like being pounded all over with a bat! If you’re not careful, you could get a hole punched through you!

But fortunately, the ability I clung to shone through. Thanks to the ‘1% Magic Bullet’ ability that sniped the enemy’s core, the turret that was automatically firing bullets finally stopped.

“Huff huff…”

Anyway, it’s really over now.

To finish the job…

*Clack.*

“Huh?”

It moves.

Something that shouldn’t move.

It’s moving again.

“Uh, what…?”

Superpower.

‘1% Magic Bullet’.

What does that mean? It’s like a gamble. When it doesn’t trigger, it’s as if there’s no superpower at all, but once it does, it can hit the enemy’s vital spot in one shot.

That’s why, among numerous firearms, a shotgun is deliberately used. Each bead, each pellet inside the bullet is a tool for the ‘1% Magic Bullet’.

Once activated, it can hit the desired part of the target, whether it’s a living being, a dead one, or a machine, with probabilistic superpower.

And he definitely aimed at what seemed to be the joint. As a result, even now, sparks are flying off the automatic turret.

It’s broken. It’s definitely broken…

Yet it moves…

Does that mean there’s an additional second chance that can provide an opportunity?

…No. It doesn’t matter anyway.

Just break it again! Now that he knows he can dodge the incoming bullets, once more…!

Bang!!!

“Ugh?!”

In an instant, his body is pushed back and rolls off the vehicle. He tumbles several times on the road before rolling on the ground.

He got hit. He tried to dodge, but he got hit at that moment.

Trajectory.

He definitely turned his body first…

He got shot.

By prediction!

“Ugh…”

His chest hurts. It hurts terribly, right in the center.

For a moment, he thought there was a hole. Fortunately, his chest looked fine when he looked down, but it definitely seemed bruised.

A momentarily changed, exquisite shooting skill.

As if it predicted his movements, it was chilling.

Staggering to his feet, Night Owl stared blankly at the receding vehicle.

“What, what…?”

What was that all of a sudden? Did the real shooter change or something?

That shooting skill, far more advanced than the mechanical movements from before, doesn’t make any sense…

No, no. This isn’t the time for that.

I have to chase after it again…!

“…Huh?”

The truck, which seemed to be fleeing far away, suddenly turned around. The direction of the road was clearly opposite, but it moved straight through the passing vehicles and headed back this way.

Wrong way.

“Wha, what?”

Instead of fleeing, it was charging.

And because of that, the huge truck was racing towards him.

“Wha-wha-wha-wha-what?!!!!”

Shouldn’t it be fleeing?! This is a chance to shake off the pursuit?!

But, why is it coming this way?!

Baaang!!!

The truck, which had been increasing its speed through countless honks, suddenly reached right in front of him.

Black tinted windows. The interior of the driver’s seat was invisible.

The moment he thought he made eye contact with the driver inside, he tried to throw himself to the side.

“Dieeeeee!!!”

If it weren’t for the gun barrel that suddenly protruded from the window.

“Oh.”

Bang!!!

In the midst of the exploding roar, the bullet hit the predicted movement again.

The body, which was trying to escape, was blocked by the bullet, and it was back on the truck’s trajectory.

“Oh.”

Crash!!!

With a huge impact, Night Owl’s vision went dark.