The distance reduces damage, but three aimed bursts push my HP into the red and prolong the stun.
"Get away from them!" Diavel roars, charging with his shield raised.
The Rider fires both guns, but Diavel's superior shield keeps him moving.
Why no beam cannons? I wonder briefly. Freed from stun thanks to Diavel, I eat a Phosphorescent Herb and grab Shinon, sliding into cover behind a robot husk.
"You okay?"
"It's… awful. Like my nerves are scrambled… ugh!" Shinon groans.
Her left leg is gone below the knee, red-black light bleeding out. I pull a Hemostatic Bandage from storage, pressing it to the wound. It wraps automatically, stopping her HP loss.
Gritting her teeth, Shinon holds back screams and tears—her pride shining through.
"Now you get how I feel, huh?" I quip.
"I figured you were nuts, but fighting like this… ugh!" she gasps.
"Stay put. Diavel and I will finish this."
I shove a Phosphorescent Herb into her mouth and rush to aid Diavel.
Even the Rider struggles to dent Diavel's rare shield and steady tactics. His HP's still over half.
But something's off. Even with Diavel in its sights, the Rider avoids the beam cannons. Maybe the sweeping attack has a long cooldown. This is our chance.
"Diavel! I'll hit from the right! You take the left!"
"Got it! Don't overdo it—though that's pointless to say!" he replies.
Crushing a Phosphorescent Herb, I confirm my HP's back to 30%. Diavel knows me—reckless, desperate, impossible, I'll do it all. No other way.
I equip a new weapon: the Skeleton Warrior's Spear, looted from that PKer. As expected, it's reinforced to +6, a nameless player's legacy.
Weapon enhancements include Heavy (H) for massive power, Sharp (S) for power and crit rate at the cost of durability, Durable (D) for higher durability, and Light (L) for reduced STR requirements and weight at lower power.
Currently, only these four exist. A town blacksmith NPC mentioned that many forging techniques were lost, but another smith elsewhere might know more.
The Skeleton Warrior's Spear is D6—max durability-focused. Its base durability is low, but this lets it leverage its power and reach.
"Let me borrow this," I say, offering a prayer to the unknown player, aiming to circle the Rider's right.
But the Rider's too fast to let me position easily.
And that's exactly what I want.
My true target is one position. I need to lure the Rider perfectly. As Diavel boldly flanks left, I move deliberately, staying in the Rider's sight.
Our eyes seem to meet through its red-glowing visor. It must see me struggling to reach its right while recovering.
I glance at Diavel. He catches my real plan, smirking and slowing his pursuit to set the moment.
"Come on… come on…" I mutter, like casting a curse.
Dark Rider, you can't use the beam cannons now. Diavel's pressure prevents missile launches. Your options are limited.
Come at me. At this distance, your shotgun and beam gun won't hit hard.
The bike's engine roars, accelerating toward me. With no robot husks left, it hits top speed instantly.
The Rider's style is hit-and-run, striking too fast for counters. So what do I do?
"Easy. I'll meet you head-on!" I yell.
Activating Rabbit Dash, I charge the Rider. It fires both guns, dropping my HP back to the red zone by the time we cross.
But that's it. My HP clings to a sliver—barely there, but there.
"Take this!" I roar.
Sliding across the ground, I use the spear's reach, not at the Rider or bike, but at the bike's front wheel, thrusting into its spokes.
A one-shot gamble. If it fails, I'm done. But it works—the spear jams the wheel, halting its spin.
The Skeleton Warrior's Spear shatters, the sound of an unknown player's legacy breaking. But the bike flips spectacularly, kicking up dust.
"Impressive! But!" the Rider says.
It's unscathed. I thought it was thrown, but it jumped, aiming both guns at me as I roll on the ground.
Dodge with Rabbit Dash? No, I'm grounded. Even if I could, the shotgun's spread would hit, and at my HP, even reduced damage is fatal.
Use something as a shield? No, the Rider's cleared the area—nothing to hide behind.
What do I do? The claw! Deflect with timing—maybe the shotgun, but not the beam gun!
Gunshots ring out, the sound of impact shaking my ears.
But it's metal deflecting—a figure shielding me.
"No one dies… not on my watch! Never!" Diavel roars.
He dove in at the last second, using his Blue Shield and body to protect me.
He runs. Despite low DEX, Diavel closes the gap before the Rider lands.
"This ends now!" he shouts.
The Rider twists to dodge Diavel's horizontal slash but can't counter his knee strike. It chips the Rider's HP—slight, but revealing its single HP bar isn't massive.
The Rider recovers, aiming the shotgun point-blank. Even the Blue Shield can't fully block a full hit at this range.
"Don't forget me. This is the end," Shinon says.
If only we didn't have our ace sniper. From a robot husk, her arrow grazes Diavel's neck to pierce the Rider's forehead.
A critical headshot stuns the Rider. Diavel unleashes Vertical Arc, carving a V-shaped trail.
Red-black light spills from the wound. The Rider staggers but refuses to yield, enduring the stun to aim both guns. Its HP is below 40%.
"Finish it, Diavel," I say.
Not so fast. With Rabbit Dash, I swipe my claw, knocking the Rider's guns upward. I can't disarm it, but the barrels aim above Diavel.
"I said, this is over!" Diavel declares.
A spinning slash with a blue glow—One-Handed Sword's Link Spinner—slices through the Rider's exposed torso.
Severed, the Rider crashes, HP hitting zero.
"Magnificent. So, you are [Possibility]. And you're no mere toys, are you?"
Beyond the powered suit's helmet, the Rider laughs gleefully. I'm not imagining it. Its laugh feels different toward me and Shinon versus Diavel.
I step closer to question it, but its body turns to red-black light.
"Next time, I'll face you with my true self. Oh, this will be fun. Truly fun."
With that, the Dark Rider vanishes.
Seconds later, a glitched "Congratulations!" window appears, granting us hefty EXP and Col—mid-boss level, not matching the Rider's overwhelming strength. Likely the robot's rewards, not the Rider's. It was an intruder, an irregularity in the mid-boss fight.
As proof, a message arrives: "Sorry. You are nice fighter!" Probably an apology and praise from Kayaba's successor. Attached are 30 Golden Lottery Tickets. Likely a standard apology item, not game-breaking. We'll need to check their use in town.
Storing the tickets, I pat Diavel's shoulder as he kneels, panting, face pale from stamina depletion.
"Nice fight. You saved us."
Diavel, likely experiencing his first stamina crash, gives a weak but happy grin. His first big win.
I approach Shinon, sprawled by a robot husk.
"Need a hand?"
"Humiliating… but please," she mutters.
I pull her up, supporting her. She glares, still in pain from her missing leg.
"What's so funny? Enjoying my suffering?"
"Nah. Just picturing Diavel carrying you princess-style back to the safe zone."
"What?! I'll take a shoulder, not some princess carry!" she sputters.
"No way. Look, Diavel's got his knightly smile ready."
Shinon glances nervously. Diavel, recovered, stands with arms open, waiting.
Blushing furiously, she thrashes as I shove her toward him. I exhale deeply.
The successor sending an apology with items is humiliating for him. Yet he did, meaning this intrusion wasn't planned.
Munching a Phosphorescent Herb to recover HP, I think.
The Dark Rider wants a rematch, with its "true self." This was a replica, a stand-in. Originals typically outclass replicas.
Can we win? This victory needed my gambit, Shinon's resolve, and Diavel's defense—barely.
"Don't come back for a while, damn it," I mutter, scanning the wrecked lab before following Diavel, carrying Shinon princess-style.