“Heh... hehe! ‘Bad mood,’ you say? ‘I won’t forgive you for hurting the animals!’ Are you really that soft-headed? Or maybe you’re just the boyfriend of that little brat I shot earlier?”
Even while bathed in the sharp, suffocating bloodlust emanating from Ryuga, Jando desperately spurred himself on, attempting to provoke the swordsman in return.
Ryuga narrowed his eyes. He pointed the tip of his katana at the man, his voice like ice.
“Do not ask me questions. Beyond that, who gave you permission to speak? You will answer only what you are asked. Once we are finished, I will cut you down.”
“Gh...!”
Jando gasped, the pressure of Ryuga's presence and murderous intent swelling to an unbearable degree.
However, Jando still held a hidden Trump Card for a Turnaround. He decided to play along for now, stalling for the time he needed to prepare his trap.
“Ha-haha... Fine, I get it. You win. So, what do you want to know?”
“...Why did you do this?”
“Hahahaha! Because it’s fun! One second, people are acting all happy and carefree, and the next, they’re plunged into a screaming hell! Families on vacation, brats like you—every last one of them becomes miserable, wailing and sobbing! There’s nothing more satisfying!”
Jando stated his loathsome motive with exaggerated gestures, speaking louder than necessary to distract his opponent. Seeing Ryuga’s anger visibly mounting, Jando smirked inwardly, certain he had him right where he wanted him.
That’s it, just keep fuming! I’ll end you the second you snap!!
Jando’s Final Trump Card was a pre-installed secondary gunport. His firepower didn't just come from the cannon on his left arm; he could deploy remote turrets at designated positions to snipe targets from afar.
His three eyes, which functioned as scopes, each displayed a view from one of these remote ports. One of them had Ryuga’s back perfectly centered in its sights.
You’re so blinded by rage that you can’t see anything but me! I’ll blow a hole through your defenseless back! You think you’ve already won, you arrogant prick, but I’ve got a lock on you from a dozen different angles!!
The over-the-top reactions had been a performance to make Ryuga lose his composure. Despite the danger, Jando continued to poke at the dragon, answering the next question with a sneer.
“...Why target that woman? Did you realize her ability would be a problem?”
“Huh? Nah, nothing that smart! It was just a small target! Where’s the fun if it’s easy? I figured a high-difficulty prey would be worth more points. That’s the only reason I shot your little girlfriend! Gyahahahahaha!!”
“...I see. I understand now.”
As he watched Jando cackle, Ryuga slowly reached for the hilt of his blade.
Seeing the swordsman focused entirely on him, Jando was certain the moment had come. He sent the mental command to the turret aiming at Ryuga’s spine.
Now! Tear him apart!!
With a muffled pop, a high-velocity flame bullet—designed for maximum piercing power—streaked from the hidden turret toward Ryuga's back. Jando watched through the scope, a grin of certain victory spreading across his face, until—
“You finally took the shot. I was beginning to grow bored.”
“Wh—?”
Muttering those words, Ryuga spun around. In the same motion, his katana cleared its scabbard, slicing the incoming flame bullet in half.
He dealt with Jando’s trump card with effortless, fluid movements, showing neither hesitation nor surprise, as if he had known the trajectory from the start. Ryuga gave his arm a light flick and turned back to face Jando.
“Three locations, including yourself. Those grotesque three eyes are meant to track the feeds from your various sniping points, aren't they?”
“Wh-how... why!?”
“‘How did I see through it?’ I told you not to ask questions, but I will enlighten you. As I said before, you are a third-rate hunter and a massive fool who fails to notice even his most glaring errors.”
Jando choked on his breath. Not only had his lethal ambush been effortlessly parried, but Ryuga had known about it from the beginning. As Jando trembled, wondering what he could have possibly missed, Ryuga provided the cold, logical answer.
“After we took cover inside the building, you entertained yourself by sniping the animals nearby. However, by looking at where the carcasses fell and the angles of the burn marks, it was clear that targets were being hit in locations impossible to reach from your current position. It took no effort to deduce that you had the ability to fire from points other than where you stand.”
“Ah—ugh...!”
Jando remembered Ryuga standing among the fallen animals for a moment after exiting the building. He groaned, realizing that Ryuga hadn't been paralyzed by grief or rage in that moment—he had been calmly analyzing the enemy’s capabilities.
As Jando stood dazed, his ultimate weapon neutralized, Ryuga approached him one slow step at a time.
“I will teach you a hunter's most fatal mistake: revealing your hand. You let your ego get the better of you and practically broadcast the nature of your weapons, your positions, and your limits. A hunter who doesn't know how to keep his secrets isn't worth fearing in the slightest.”
“A-ah, a-ah...!”
The figure of Ryuga loomed larger and larger in Jando's vision.
Finally understanding who was the hunter and who was the prey, Jando began to shake violently. Ryuga spoke again, his voice simmering with a terrifying, quiet fury.
“And one more thing. The one you shot... is not my girlfriend.”
“Hieee!?”
A massive silhouette of a dragon shimmered into existence behind Ryuga.
Crowned in bolts of lightning and baring razor-sharp fangs from a gaping maw, the phantom dragon let out a silent roar. Jando shrieked in terror as Ryuga leveled his katana at his throat.
“You have touched the Dragon's Reverse Scale. I trust you are prepared for the penalty?”
“Wa-wait! Please! I give up! I surrender! Help me!!”
Driven to the brink by primal fear, Jando deactivated his transformation and begged for mercy, tears streaming down his face.
Ryuga’s expression remained stony and pitiless.
“Then vomit out everything you know. If you do, I will cut you down in a single strike.”
“Wait... I-I still get cut down regardless!?”
“Do you prefer a fate worse than death?”
Jando shook his head frantically at the threat. There was no doubt in his mind that the swordsman meant every word. Realizing his true mistake wasn't just exposing his tactics but making an enemy of this man, Jando began to spill every secret he possessed.