The Villain is Too Good at Sniping

17. The Protagonist (2)

Daveuran Mountain peak. The student who claims the flag planted there will take first place in this test.

It was said that the top students, including the first-place winner, would receive a ‘pecial reward’ prepared by Arsen.

The entrance exam had finally reached its climax. The surviving students were rushing towards the mountain peak.

“Be careful of the fog! It’s getting faster than before, so we need to hurry up now! We can’t bring them along! Just leave them behind!”

The man shouting coldly was Elín Beónard. He led a team of students who climbed the mountain with reckless abandon.

The fog was chasing us from behind.

As if signaling the end of the entrance exam, the fog’s speed gradually increased. Now, the entire area below the mountain peak was shrouded in fog.

The only remaining areas were the mountain peak and the nearby plain. There were no obstacles along the way.

Other students were running alongside us, but avoiding the fog was more urgent. Just a while ago, we were facing off with swords drawn, but now we were climbing the mountain together.

We finally reached the peak.

Overcome with emotion, Elín Beónard had to adjust his equipment. The surviving students couldn’t approach the flag.

“What… what is this?”

A massive ice wall blocked our path. The way to the flag was blocked by an ice barrier.

And in front of that ice wall, a student stood like a gatekeeper.

“……”

Serin Anett.

The overwhelming first place in the current entrance exam.

With the emergence of the absolute strong one, the students rushed to Elin’s side. They didn’t even dare to think about approaching her.

“Is that Serin Anette? What’s going on? What’s with that attitude?”

In the end, Elin stepped forward. The students behind her seemed to be holding their breath.

“Looks like the flag is still intact. If you’re not going to take it, can you please get out of the way?”

“Yes…!”

“Don’t interfere!”

The students chimed in, raising their voices. The quiet ones started to speak up, each adding their own words.

However, Serin Anette remained unmoved, standing still with her spear at the ready.

“…The first place is the first place.”

Her spear pointed at Elin Beonard, who had become the leader by chance. Elin’s face turned pale with cold sweat.

“The score is just a score.”

“What’s with that nonsense?”

“The entrance exam will end once the first place is decided. It’s not over yet.”

The light flashed, and magic wrapped around Serin’s spear. The students trembled with fear, each holding up their own weapons.

“The barrier won’t be lifted until the last one is left. If you want the flag, you’ll have to defeat me.”

Elin’s hand trembled as she stepped forward.

She thought that if she could just take the flag, she could end the fight, but that wasn’t the case.

Serin Anette, who blocked her path, had no intention of stepping aside. She was saying that Elin had to defeat her to move forward.

That meant that Serin Anette would take the flag only after eliminating all the other students. She had the power and ability to do so.

“What’s the big deal about the score?”

“It may not mean much to you, but it’s important to me.”

At those words, a thought flashed through Elin’s mind.

“Is it because of the money—”

……!

Elin flinched at the sudden burst of killing intent. Serin didn’t say a word, but her aura alone overwhelmed Elin.

The group of students facing Elin looked at her.

There were about twenty of them. With this number, it was possible to take down Serin.

“Anyway, if we just take the flag, it’ll be over. Do we need to drag this out?”

“Do you think that’ll work?”

“Just look behind you. If we stay any longer, we’ll all die anyway.”

Elin also agreed with that. If they couldn’t defeat Serin Anette, they would be eliminated due to the fog.

“Get out of the way!”

Before Elin could say anything, a student charged forward, shouting a battle cry. Serin Anette’s spear drew a circle to counterattack.

The spear sliced through the air.

A strong gust of wind swept over the students, sending over ten of them flying. They couldn’t even resist.

“This is crazy…….”

“…….”

It was only the first round, but the light beams were already bursting everywhere.

…The chances of winning were slim. But.

Scream-!

The situation behind them was already dire, with the fog closing in. An unintended barricade was formed. There was no place to retreat.

The remaining options were only two.

Either they went up or got swallowed by the fog and dropped out.

However, Serin Annette was above. To go up, they had to get past her, but some students had given up on competing with Serin.

It was better to get eliminated by Serin’s sword than to surrender to the fog without a fight.

“No way! How can we do this?”

“I don’t know either!”

“Aaah!”

As Ellyn watched the students getting swallowed by the fog, she bit her lip.

“Fools…….”

While some students had given up, not all of them had. There were students who still had the will to fight. They readied their weapons and sent a signal to Ellyn.

“Let’s do it.”

First, Ellyn Beonard took the lead, followed by a group of students who charged forward in unison.

Even if they fell or were blown away, the students got back up and launched a fierce attack.

……And.

“As expected, you’re strong…….”

From a distance, Kyle Ivanstear watched the scene unfold.

The student uniform was already tattered.

The wounds from the scratches and cuts covered his entire body. He had trusted the performance of his bracelet, but it didn’t cover such minor injuries.

Rip-!

Kyle ripped off his student uniform and wrapped his arms and legs with makeshift bandages.

…The trembling of his hands and feet, which had been shaking violently, subsided slightly. His stamina was still lacking, but it didn’t matter anyway, since they would only get eliminated by the fog if they stayed there.

Rustle-!

At that moment, he sensed someone approaching from nearby.

The sound of dry leaves crumbling. Multiple voices followed.

“Just a minute, there’s one more person here.”

“Are you hurt? Who’s going to take this one?”

“I will. I’m the only one who hasn’t gotten one yet.”

Six students surrounded Kyle. There was no escape route. Below was the fog, and above was Serin Annette, blocking the way.

“Decide.”

“What do you want us to decide?”

“Do you want to take off your bracelet or have it forcefully removed?”

And right in front of him, a student with a cold, sharp sword was waiting.

“What if we don’t like either option?”

Kyle quickly grasped his sword. Or, at least, he tried to.

“But……!”

However, his hand was still shaking violently. The aftermath of overusing his talent still lingered in Kyle’s body.

The sword hilt slipped out of Kyle’s fingers, and he didn’t even have time to dodge.

“This guy…….”

The student who had been wielding a sword against Kail suddenly knocked his sword away. Kail’s sword disappeared into the fog.

It’s come to this, and there’s no going back. But I won’t give up.

…Since I’ve come this far, I’ll at least try to fight back.

Kail gritted his teeth. His eyes blazed with fury, as if he would punch someone at any moment.

Tang-tang!

A bullet suddenly flew in from somewhere and hit the student in front of him.

“What’s going on? Suddenly…”

“It’s a sniper! That guy’s back again!”

In the midst of the chaos, Kail ducked down. He covered his head and rolled behind a rock, but couldn’t completely hide his body.

However, he felt a strange sense of relief. Kail looked up.

The bullets flying in were hitting the students.

But none of them were aimed at him. It wasn’t just a coincidence that they were all avoiding him.

There was no time to think.

Kail quickly took down a nearby student. He subdued him with a swift punch, then snatched the weapon from his hand.

“I don’t know who it is, but…”

The gun wasn’t targeting him.

It seemed like an unknown ally was providing supporting fire. Now was his chance to fight back.

“Thanks, friend!”

Kail ignored the subdued student and immediately charged forward.

There were no more obstacles. Kail rushed forward without hesitation and reached the top in no time.

At that moment, Serin Anett was facing off against Ellyn Beonard.

Someone’s distant shout echoed through the air.

“Serin, Anett!”

“You’re…!”

Kail, who had rushed over, plunged his sword vertically downward.

Serin quickly pushed Ellyn away, stabbed her with a spear, and then swung it around.

“What, this!”

But even with the intense wind pressure, Kail’s stance didn’t waver. With his magical energy amplified, Kail charged towards Serin.

Quaang!

Their swordsmanship clashed. Sparks flew everywhere as they fiercely pushed each other back.

They were facing off at close range. Kail and Serin Anett’s powers were evenly matched, with neither gaining the upper hand.

“You! Do you still have the strength to fight?”

“You’re amazing, Serin!”

Both of them were equally exhausted. With their swords locked, their powers were in perfect balance.

Neither of them could gain the upper hand or push the other back. It was Serin Anett who ended the stalemate.

Serin, who had turned her spear around. She thrust it forward.

“First place is mine! Give up!”

“No!”

Too-taang!

…Kail Ivanstear, who had received the spearhead.

That was the only clumsy defense possible. If it were another student, they would have been overwhelmed and defeated.

But the injury to his leg was still not recovering.

“Ah!”

Kyle’s center collapsed, and he fell back. Serin took advantage of that momentary gap and charged forward.

“Jin, jja! Like a monster! Strong woman…!”

“Sorry about that!”

Serin’s foot stepped on Kyle’s chest. Just as she was about to strike him with her sword, Kyle barely blocked it with his sword hilt.

However, in this situation, the one on the bottom was at a disadvantage. The sword tip was slowly heading towards Kyle’s neck.

“It’s all over. Give up. Kyle Ivanstier.”

“No… can’t…!”

It was the moment Serin was about to put strength into her arms. Suddenly, a gunshot was heard.

Taang-!

“Kk, huk!”

Serin Anett couldn’t fully comprehend what had just happened. But Kyle, who was on the bottom, saw it clearly.

A blue light beam flew from the dense forest and struck Serin’s back. A bright yellow spark burst out, covering Serin Anett’s body.

The perfect posture collapsed. The sword trembled and touched the ground.

If they missed this chance, there would be no next one. Kyle immediately struck with his sword.

“I, run, can’t, can’t…!”

The sword slash headed towards Serin’s chest.

In a situation with no obstacles, Kyle’s sword finally reached Serin’s chest—

“Kk, huk…!”

Serin Anett was defeated, and her body disappeared in the light.

“Ha, hu….”

The fight was over. After confirming Serin’s defeat, Kyle got up.

His two legs were trembling. He barely supported himself with his sword and lifted his head. Two students were walking towards him from afar.

Kyle gripped his sword hilt.

The final battle was waiting. His strength was already depleted, and he didn’t have the energy to fight anymore. But he didn’t want to give up.

“…I guess I won’t be first place after all.”

A faint smile appeared on Kyle’s face as he said that. If there were no supporting fire, the one who would have been eliminated was not Serin, but himself.

The man taking off his Gill suit, with a woman standing beside him.

Perhaps these three, gathered at the top, would be the final survivors.

***

Serin Anett was eliminated, and only three students remained.

Me, Airi, and Kyle Ivanstier in front of me.

“That, Si-on. Then…”.

Airi was anxious beside me. I left Airi behind and approached Kyle.

He was holding a sword, but Kyle didn’t attack. I was certain he wouldn’t, based on his personality.

“Was it you who helped me?”

“…”.

“I don’t know your name, but thank you. You’re a friend.”

He still had a foolish face.

A typical protagonist-like face, reminiscent of a main character from a boy’s manga. This guy was living a life that was different from Camil Esperanza’s in every sense.

With a bright and cheerful smile, he was a guy who would give his all, holding nothing back. That’s why he might be the protagonist.

“I’m Kyle, Kyle Ivanstear. Nice to meet you.”

Kyle introduced himself, brushing off the dirt on his clothes. He seemed to have completely shed his guard, but a different thought crossed my mind.

In the original story, after defeating the final enemy in the entrance exam, a choice is given.

I could either fight Kyle one last time or concede the top spot to him.

Originally, it didn’t matter which option I chose, as it would only add a few events related to the choice.

But if the difficulty level was hellish, the story would change.

Whether I chose to be first or second, the path ahead would be fraught with thorns.

If Kyle became first, he would receive a buff, but that would attract villains who would take an interest in him.

If Kyle became second, those villains would focus on me instead.

Either way, it was a story of being pursued by villains. I would be in danger of being killed, and it would be a struggle to survive.

Considering the risks, it would be better to reduce the danger and choose the option that would make Kyle die or something.

Usually, no one chooses the second route, which reduces the protagonist’s buff.

It’s just too difficult, and there’s no special reward, so why bother?

Only a few exceptional players would choose the second route.

And… I was one of those who chose the second route that no one else would take. I’ve experienced both routes.

Maybe that’s why the heavens sent me to this world.

Maybe they gave me a unique talent.

If this were the original story, I would have chosen the second route for fun, but now it’s my reality, and I can’t do that.

If I chose the second route, I would be pursued by villains before I could even grow.

Moreover, I’m from the Esperanza family, and my father, the Esperanza Duke, is the main boss of the third arc.

The villains would approach me, the son of a villain, in some way, and I would be in a predicament. The second route was truly an unknown path.

So, I would choose the first route. I would make Kyle the first instead.

The villains would take an interest in Kyle, and his path would be fraught with danger.

And I would take advantage of that. With my talent, ＜Nameless Archer﹥, it’s the most efficient build.

Of course, I feel sorry for Kyle, but it’s not like he’s the only one suffering.

“…….”

Aside from that, a thought suddenly occurred to me.

Can I defeat Kyle right now?

“No way.”

Even with a weakened Kyle, the chances of winning were uncertain.

It was a foolish thought. If I knew Kyle, he wouldn’t be the type to back down in this situation.

A late laugh burst out of me.

“I’ll concede the top spot to you. I would have lost anyway. It’s the same even if we fight now.”

I left Iri, who was tilting her head, and faced Kyle.

“Let’s exchange greetings, friend.”

“Okay.”

I patted Kyle’s shoulder.

“A-839, I’m Sion Illeonhart.”

“I’m A-1, Kyle Ivansteer.”

After exchanging our code names, I glanced back. Iri, who was standing on her tiptoes, looked like she would fall over if pushed.

“Anyway, it’s fine if we do it that way. I’ll let you have first place.”

“No way.”

I took a step back, giving Iri a sidelong glance.

“Iri.”

“…Yes!”

Our exchange of glances must have been seen by Kyle as well. He gripped the hilt of his sword with a trembling hand, his face tense.

“Are you going to be like Serin Anet…?”

“I don’t think so.”

I also readied my Glock. As Kyle took a stance, I pulled the trigger.

Bang!

“What?!”

I shot Iri, who was standing beside me. She closed her eyes, her body disappearing in an instant. She let out a startled cry, but thanks to her bracelet, she wouldn’t have felt any pain.

“What…?”

Of course, Kyle looked confused. However, with his keen intuition, he must have sensed something.

“You…!”

Kyle’s stunned voice made me burst out laughing.

I never expected this to happen. Who would have thought that there would be a strange student like this who would give me a test all the way here?

That strange student is right here.

Kyle, who had been furious, charged towards me. The sword in his hand was thrown somewhere.

Before Kyle’s hand reached me, I pointed my Glock at my own chin.

For my peaceful later life, you need to become number one in my place. Even if you don’t want to, I’ll force you to take the top spot.

It may not be clear now, but it’s necessary for the peace of this world. It’s not me who will defeat the final boss, but Kyle.

***

Sion Illeonhart smiled wryly.

And.

Bang!

The light beam fluttering before Kyle’s eyes. Sion Illeonhart and Iri had dropped out.

Kyle Ivansteer, who had become number one by default, gazed at the spot where the two had been standing in a daze.

He thought the final battle would begin. But the two had simultaneously dropped out, as if they had made a prior agreement.

“Why?”

Sion had been destined to be number one.

He couldn’t understand. Whatever their thoughts were, Sion had tried to make himself number one.

The fog was still approaching from below. Kyle replaced the two dropouts and approached the flag.

The flag with the eagle, the symbol of Arsen.

As I faced the flag, I wondered if I really could become number one.

“…No, I have to.”

For the two who sacrificed themselves to make me number one.

Kyle grasped the microphone. He plucked it out from the stand in one swift motion.

The end of the grueling test. The moment when the last person would be decided.

– We inform all trainees.

– The test has ended. We inform you once again.

– The test has ended. The number one is ‘Kyle Ivanstear’. That’s all.

The mountain peak of Daveuran. The echoing voice was the last.

Huaak-!

A warm light enveloped my entire body.