John leveled his gun and cast a quick glance behind him.
In the distance, Gwen was sprawled out on the desert sand. Noticing his gaze, she waved at him with exaggerated enthusiasm. It was a reaction that was entirely out of place, but she was likely ignoring the gravity of the situation on purpose. Though I had only just met her, I was beginning to get a handle on Gwen's personality.
Turning back to face me, John muttered through a scowl.
"It pisses me off to take orders from some woman I don't even know, but she's given me a shot at a rematch. I've gotta take the deal, right?"
He lined up his sights on me. If he pulled that trigger, a bullet would fly.
Before he could, I spoke.
"John Doe."
"What?"
"I believe I told you before: I cannot be defeated by a gun."
When we had fought previously, I had systematically dismantled his weapons one by one. His resurrection was unexpected, but my methods for dealing with him remained unchanged. I didn't think he could surpass me with a mere ability to manifest firearms.
After all, he was no hero. His physical capabilities were those of an ordinary human. Without his powerful weaponry, he was as helpless as any commoner.
However, John’s eyes sparkled as he let out a laugh. He fixed me with a predatory glint in his gaze.
"Hey now, who said I was fighting with just this? I'm not exactly looking for a quick death, you know."
As John spoke, the sand exploded behind him. It surged upward, mounding into a massive pile. I saw Gwen, who looked like she might be caught in the upheaval, hurriedly scramble out of the way.
Emerging from the sand were several colossal steel constructs. They took the form of massive ships and tanks. Among them were even those that took flight, soaring through the air like mechanical birds.
What is this...?
I found my eyes drawn to the objects that had suddenly appeared. Every single one was undoubtedly a weapon. As proof, they were mounted with what appeared to be heavy cannons. I couldn't sense any flow of magic power from them, but there was no doubt that John had summoned them. He must have generated them using the same principle as his guns.
I never imagined he could manifest armaments on such a massive scale. Apparently, doing so cost him nothing in terms of exhaustion or recoil.
"Hahaha! What's the matter? Scared? In this mental world, you can create anything you desire. It’s the perfect battlefield for me!"
John pointed gleefully at the weaponry. In high spirits, he continued to boast while brandishing his gun.
"Just between us, I'm actually from another world. To be precise, I died over there and then reincarnated into this one. Though I never expected to end up as one half of a dual personality."
"So, you are saying those weapons behind you belong to that other world?" I noted calmly.
I felt a small flicker of surprise at John's newly revealed origins. However, now was not the time to dwell on his past. John nodded repeatedly in response to my observation.
"Yeah, yeah, you're pretty quick on the uptake! That's exactly right. And with these, I'm going to blow you into a million tiny pieces—"
"Wait a moment."
Barulk, who had been watching in silence, abruptly cut John off. He turned to the disgruntled man and offered a patronizing lecture.
"Do you not find it uncouth to monopolize the conversation with such boastful drivel? Pray, allow me to speak as well."
"...Fine. It’s your turn. Do whatever you want," John snapped, sounding sulky. He clicked his tongue and began muttering curses under his breath, clearly irritated that his speech had been interrupted.
Meanwhile, Barulk maintained his composed, theatrical smile. He straightened his collar and let out an exaggerated sigh.
"I find that woman—Lady Gwen—utterly loathsome as well. She behaves like a common buffoon, yet she has quite effectively cut off our retreat. It truly makes my skin crawl."
"If that is the case, perhaps you would like to cooperate with me instead?" I suggested.
"Perish the thought. Even as a joke, I would rather die—oh, wait, I am already dead. How tragic."
Barulk grumbled self-deprecatingly. In that instant, a dark killing intent peeked through his facade. Residing deep within his intellect was a wellspring of intense hatred. Barulk pointed a finger at me and made his declaration.
"I will kill you. No matter what it takes, I intend to drag you down with me. I shall show you the true depth of a Curse User's power."
As Barulk raised both hands, the magic power within his body began to swell. His visualized curse magic began to drift around him like a black mist, contaminating the surroundings in the blink of an eye. John covered his nose and mouth, backing away to put some distance between them.
Impressive. That is quite the curse power.
Barulk was the world's premier Curse User. In that single discipline, he was peerless. Even now, having returned from death twice, his extraordinary talent showed no signs of waning.
"John Doe-kun, we shall be the victors of this final battle. Take care that you do not drag me down."
"That's my line, you peacock! If you just stand around, I'll use you as a shield, got it?"
The irritated John shouted even as he coughed from the mist. In response to his command, the weapons behind him roared to life. Their cannon barrels swiveled and locked onto me. The flying weapons circled overhead, watching for an opening. Their methods of attack were unknown, but I would have to remain vigilant.
"Hurry up and send that curse magic over! We’re going to blast him all at once!"
"Do not give me orders. I believe I told you our standing was equal?"
"I get it! Just hurry up!"
John and Barulk continued to bicker as they prepared for combat. Their personalities were fundamentally incompatible, and their coordination was non-existent. They were so busy arguing that they couldn't even begin their assault.
This works in my favor.
I had seen enough to grasp their combat styles. There was no longer any need to politely wait for them to finish. I decided to strike them down before their abilities could find any sort of synergy.
Using chantless magic, I teleported without a trace of a precursor. I lunged at John and Barulk from behind.