Chapter 1

The game Aims that appears in the main story is not a game based on modern warfare. It's a game where you have fun with supernatural phenomena and bullets, so please read it with an open mind.

---

In the year 20XX, VR technology had advanced, and the fully immersive VR system, commonly known as the Full Dive System, had been established and had become widely popular over the years. While today's gameplay is comfortable, the early days of the technology were quite rough. The graphics were too high for the hardware to handle, and the few Full Dive games available struggled with server overload from the simultaneous connections of eager players worldwide, resulting in constant lag and a game that couldn't function properly.

There were fears that the VR technology, which was a major innovation in the gaming industry, would soon come to an end, but thanks to the desperate efforts of many game companies, that scenario was avoided. In addition to traditional head-mounted displays, helmet-type devices that enabled faster brain information reading and smoother server connections were released, followed by reclining chair-type devices and even capsule-type devices.

Well, the latter is quite expensive and out of reach for the average person, but the helmet-type is affordable enough for students, and head-mounted displays are inexpensive and widely available, with almost every household owning one.

I have a helmet-type VR gear, and it seems I have a talent in a certain field, as I managed to win a championship in an official tournament that allows participation from amateurs to pro gamers.

Lying on the reclining chair-type device I won as a prize, I said one word:

"Full Dive System Online."

Today, I dive into the digital world, colored by signals sent directly to my brain.

---

A first-person shooter, commonly known as FPS, is a shooting game primarily played from a first-person perspective, as the name suggests. I am so in love with these games, which revolve around real-time battles with firearms, that I could easily devote my life to them. It's not just a bunch of information and polygons—no, I found joy in competing against different people, and through thorough research and self-improvement, I grew to a level that even pros would recognize.

"Ten minutes until the finals... I wonder if they're already in?"

This is the result. A world of blood and bullets, 'Ruin gear ~Ash in the mercenaries~,' commonly known as Aims. Despite being an official tournament, it includes participants from amateur to pro gamers, and I have decided to participate in the finals for the second time. Last time, I received a reclining chair-type device as a prize, but I wonder what I'll get this time. Oh, I'm already planning to win. You never know what complacency can lead to, so I need to stay focused.

"Hey, Merc A! You finally made it! Everyone else is already in!"

Turning in the direction of the voice, I saw 'Bossan,' my FPS friend and teammate for this match, waving his hand. I raised my hand in response.

"Bossan, I think Raijin is just hanging around somewhere. What about Grenade丸 and 卍Blood Bullet卍?"

"Pon is buying as many grenades as possible from the store, and厨二is probably doing maintenance and admiring his favorite gun right now."

"Is Grenade丸 planning to use that technique in this tournament? It's a surefire win, but it's almost pushing the limits of what the developers intended."

The technique I'm referring to, which makes my face twitch, involves carrying a large number of extra pouches, which allow additional ammunition, and using them to overwhelm the enemy with overwhelming firepower. It might look normal at first glance, but once your ammunition runs out, you have no way to resupply. Despite this, the strategy involves using all the ammunition in one round to eliminate the enemy. In a game mode with three rounds, or even four in an extended match, this leaves the player as an easy target in subsequent rounds.

Of course, this technique—more like a surefire method—was quickly countered by the developers. A restriction was placed on the game, allowing only one player per team to equip a grenade launcher, and if there were more, they would be forced to switch to other weapons. In online matches, this often results in forced equipment changes, but in official tournaments, this is not a concern.

Well, it's a technique that is generally frowned upon for being too straightforward, so it's rare to see it used in official tournaments.

"Grenade丸 is the leader of the fireworks thread... I didn't think he'd use it in an official tournament."

"He's retiring from this tournament, so he wants to go out with a bang."

The fireworks thread refers to a thread on a bulletin board that was popular when the grenade launcher in this game, Aims, had not been nerfed. Grenade丸, my teammate, came up with and popularized the idea, and for a while, it seemed like everyone was using grenade launchers. Instead of bullets, the battlefield was filled with shells that collided and exploded in mid-air, creating a spectacle that resembled a fireworks show, hence the name.

"How's厨二doing?"

"He's boasting that his favorite gun can easily headshot someone from 3 kilometers away."

"Great. If he's in top form, I can relax."

卍Blood Bullet卍 is technically an adult but still has a case of chuuni disease. He loves revolvers and only uses them in this game. However, his skill with revolvers is extraordinary, and he can engage in long-range combat with sniper rifles in this game, which takes into account factors like air resistance. After losing to me in a match, we became friends, and here we are.

"Hey, Merc! You're late. Is it okay not to shoot the bots?"

"Hey, Raijin. I've had my caffeine, and I'm in perfect condition."

Raijin, known as Kiriho Raijin, is a top-tier celebrity in the VRMMORPG community and a real-life friend of mine. He actively streams on video platforms and has gained a large fan base both domestically and internationally. While he's not particularly good at FPS, he kindly agreed to join our team to fill in the numbers for the tournament.

"I'm looking forward to your insane shooting. Oh, by the way, I have something to talk about after the tournament, okay?"

"Got it. Another game invitation, right?"

"Something like that. But for now, let's focus on this tournament."

Raijin patted my back and gave a thumbs up with a smile.

"Hey, Pon and厨二. Let's start planning our strategy."

Grenade丸, who had bought a lot of grenades, and 卍Blood Bullet卍, who was twirling his revolver with a grin, approached. Once they were seated, Bossan spread out a map.

"The rule is 'Control Points,' and the team that wins two rounds first is the winner, but the map is [Doston Front]..."

"Ugh, really? I hate that map."

I scolded Raijin, who made a face, and began to visualize the battlefield in my mind.

Control Points is a popular game mode in Aims and is often used in tournaments. The rules involve a 5v5 match where the goal is to capture and control three control points or eliminate all the enemy players. Each player is also given 30 AI soldiers to command as they see fit. You can capture points, scout the enemy, or attack players. The ability to freely command these soldiers is one of the reasons for the game's popularity.

"Our opponents are the Purple Lightning Warriors, right? I hate them because they camp despite their flashy names. Plus, the map is full of cover."

"Well, that's their strategy. If they're camping, Pon's grenades will be effective. Besides, Merc A will take care of it."

"Thanks for the vote of confidence. I plan to take out at least one at the start."

"Did you come up with another insane reskill? You know, the developers made that complex map specifically to counter you. If you pull off another spawn kill, they'll cry."

"Theoretically, with walls between the respawn points and the right ricochet limit, a spawn kill is possible on any map."

"You're the only one who can do that. How did you even think of a spawn kill in [Capital Aldin]? You must have ricocheted the bullet more than 15 times, right?"

"It's all about trial and error. As you get used to the ricochet reskill, you start to understand the angles. The map is huge, so I've spent a lot of time in custom games."

"Pretty soon, the developers will have to create a new map just to counter your spawn kills in official tournaments..."

When Bossan said that, the team members nodded in agreement. That's rude, stop treating me like a monster.

"Well, let's save that for after the match. For the first round, Pon will start with fireworks to take the lead. Once we reduce their numbers, Raijin and I will push in with ARs, and厨二and Merc A will provide long-range support. With the fireworks, we should win the first round easily. For the second round, we'll go all out, including the soldiers. If they have fireworks, it'll be tough, but if it goes to the third round, we'll play it by ear."

"Sounds like a forced strategy..."

"We have the firepower to make it work. Let's just enjoy the game as usual."

I smiled at Bossan's words. It's the finals of an official tournament, but he's telling us to relax. Well, enjoying the game is the most important thing.

"One minute until the match starts."

"Hey, can you cover my ears at the start? I have a suppressor, but just in case."

"Got it! Let's go for a two-peat, everyone!"

"Alright!"

Our bodies began to fade, and we were forcibly teleported from the neutral zone to the battlefield, [Doston Front]. I loaded a magazine with special ammunition into my favorite rifle, chambered a round, and set up a bipod before peering through the scope.

"Alright, let's get started."

The announcer's voice boomed, and a countdown appeared.

"Welcome to the second Aims Japan Championship! The final match is about to begin!"

With the announcement, a deafening cheer filled the air, and the countdown began.

"Both teams are filled with top-tier players! I'm looking forward to the start of the match!"

Bossan, Raijin, Grenade丸, and 卍Blood Bullet卍, seeing my focused expression, placed their weapons and covered their ears.

"The match is about to begin! Good Luck, Have Fun!!"

As the match started, I pulled the trigger. Despite the special suppressor on the anti-material rifle, the distinctive, deep sound of the energy bullet echoed.

The bullet ricocheted off the walls, bouncing and bouncing...

In just over two seconds:

"One down. Four to go."

The kill log appeared in the upper right corner of my vision, and I announced it while chambering another round.

"Wh-What just happened!? As soon as the match started, Merc A from the Freak Squad shot and killed Addman from the Purple Lightning Warriors—!?"

At the same time, Grenade丸 started running and aimed his grenade launcher at the hill.

"Following Merc, here we go!!"

The grenade launcher fired with a satisfying *Pon! Pon!* sound, and two more kill logs appeared in quick succession as he continued to reload and fire.

"Next, Grenade丸's grenade launcher took out Emzou and Saina—!? This is overwhelming against a top-tier team in Japan!"

"Aaaaahh!? Pon! I wanted to take out Saina!!"

"Stop whining! Let's go,厨二! There are still two enemies left, and we have another round to play!"

I dragged the whining厨二, who was holding his favorite gun, and ran to the front lines.

"Soldiers! You'll wait until the next round! If they come here, just defend yourselves! Alright, Raijin, follow those idiots!"

"Got it!"

Raijin and Bossan, armed with assault rifles, also ran to the front lines and charged forward.

---

"Seriously, they already took out two in the first minute! They're insane."

"...Don't talk too much. We'll probably lose this round due to our numbers, but let's try to reduce their soldiers as much as possible."

The remaining two players of the Purple Lightning Warriors, the leader Kusayaki Dango and the vice-leader Shion, abandoned area control and ran towards the Freak Squad's respawn point.

"Hey, Shion-chan! Our freak asked me to ambush you, so let's play!"

"...Here comes厨二. Unfortunately, I don't have time to play right now."

"That's cold. But since I was asked, I can't let you go."

Shion clicked her tongue and aimed her SMG at厨二—卍Blood Bullet単.

"Kusayaki, go ahead. I'll keep this one busy."

"Sorry, I'll leave it to you."

"Hey, you thought I'd let you go? ...Wow, Shion-chan, you're really determined!"

卍Blood Bullet単 grinned, and Shion, with a blank expression, fired her SMG and closed the distance.

"By the way, Shion-chan, our freak has a message for you."

"...?"

While exchanging gunfire,卍Blood Bullet単 continued talking.

"He said, 'If you want to win, you have to surpass us completely.'"

"---Bring it on!"

Shion's eyes, which had been lackluster, lit up. Her small body accelerated, and she engaged卍Blood Bullet単 in close combat with a knife.

"By the way, Shion-chan."

"...What? I need to focus soon."

"What do you think our freak is doing right now?"

"---No way."

---

"Almost at the enemy base... Alpha and Bravo are already captured, so I need to hurry."

Kusayaki Dango had been running at top speed since parting ways with Shion. Checking the logs while running, he confirmed that Alpha and Bravo points had already fallen to Raijin and Bossan, and he clicked his tongue in frustration.

"!"

Hearing the deep sound of a bullet, Kusayaki Dango quickly dodged to the side, but a bullet hit his right arm, causing it to explode.

"You bastard, Kichi Sand!"

"What? Really? I didn't know I was called that."

The man called Kichi Sniper, or Kichi Sand for short, aimed his anti-material rifle with a seemingly offended expression.

"Nice one, Kusayaki-senpai. Dodging a ricochet from that distance and only getting hit in the arm is impressive."

"Thanks... I don't mean it! Using fireworks in an official match...!"

"Nice comeback. Even without the fireworks, I got the first kill. If you have any complaints, take it up with the developers for allowing ricochet shots."

"Seriously, how do you make such precise calculations? It's like cheating..."

"Well, let's end the small talk and take this round too."

The deep sound echoed again, and another anti-material rifle bullet was fired, which Kusayaki Dango narrowly avoided.

"I built my character to specialize in agility just to counter you! Don't underestimate me!"

"Hey, I have a warning. If you want to surrender, do it now."

"No way in a tournament! I'm going to make you regret this today!"

With that, Kusayaki Dango, taking advantage of his agility-specialized build, charged at Kichi Sand with a grin.

"By the way, the bullet I just fired wasn't aimed at you."

Kichi Sand turned around, exposing his back, which irritated Kusayaki Dango, who sharpened his bayonet—

"GG. See you in the next round."

The bullet, having reached the maximum ricochet limit of 25, accurately hit Kusayaki Dango's head, causing a burst of blood—

---

The next round was won quickly thanks to the efforts of Raijin and Bossan, who had eliminated all the enemy soldiers in the previous round. The scene was so brutal that I won't describe it to preserve their dignity.

We waited for the awards ceremony in a rest area near the special stage set up for the tournament, sipping on a bland coffee.

"What a surprise! The Purple Lightning Warriors were completely overwhelmed, and the Freak Squad won the championship without losing a single member! Is this... not cheating, right? Please review it."

Hmm. Being called a cheater by the tournament commentator for being a ricochet sniper. It does look suspicious to those who aren't familiar with it, but ricochet shots are within the game's mechanics, and the ricochet magazine can only hold one, so missing a shot can be costly later on...

"Hey, MC? I think it's a bit harsh to call us cheaters in a tournament..."