In a Battlefield for Seventy Two Hours

The Second Player Part II

Dreign was hiding among the crowds running amok and in every direction. His purpose was to get into the mall asap and get himself into cover.

The mall is huge and vast. There’s no way a player from another country could find him other than waiting for an hour to appear on their mapping app.

Running with his hand facing behind, he watched as the elegant woman made her way to the entrance and followed her at a pace as if she’s walking to a platform in modeling.

Dreign wanted to shoot back, but the civilians prevented him from doing so. He doesn’t want any civilians who know nothing about their stupid game to get dragged by it.

Still, another thunderous roar was emitted from the pistol, hounding at Dreign’s back.

The first shot grazed his shoulder and the other one struck his briefcase. Despite having civilians in front of him running as they heard the gunshot, the silver-haired woman didn’t hesitate to pull the trigger.

It was as if she doesn’t care about the civilian and cared about him getting killed by her own hands and cashing in the rewards.

While running in the mall, Dreign saw a hallway to his right leading to the bathroom. He also saw people rushing towards it to hide.

As he got to the hallway, he hid and grabbed the suitcase behind his back. Opening it, Dreign pulled out his pistol, c**k it, and took a peek in the edge of the wall—

*Bang.

The wall that was about to give him a view of what was going on suddenly splintered, small stones scattered everywhere in fast speed, making Dreign reflexively close his eyes, preventing from getting one on his eyes.

Dreign relaxed as he breathed in the fresh air. Moments after, he turned and extended his hand. The silver-haired girl startled a little bit as they made their standoff.

Gesturing one another with the phrase “I have a bead on him.” Both fired their weapons.

In the middle of the exchange, the silver-haired girl nimbly and swiftly sidestepped side to side as she evaded the bullets hounding at her, while Dreign followed her movements with his arms as she made her move.

Dreign was surprised, such footwork and agility. She’s no ordinary human but rather a trained one.

It was just a matter of time before the silver-haired girl got to where he was standing.

Focused and absorbed in his thought, the silver-haired girl elegantly threw a wild haymaker.

Dreign saw the minuscule movement of the joints of her shoulders and managed to avoid the haymaker. No. it wasn’t just a haymaker, there was a knife in her grasp.

‘Is she going to kill me with a knife?’

Dreign, knowing what she’s going to do, took a step backward, dodging it, and went forward, slipped to the side, and spread his arms as if making a huge.

The silver-haired girl realizes something was wrong and tries to get away from Dreign’s plan.

But it’s too late, Dreign managed to complete his technique and caught her into a kata gatame control. Then, he took one foot over and lifted her up, sending her body to the ground with an osoto-gari technique.

After completing the takedown, Dreign maintains the arm control down to the floor and attempts to choke her.

She’s an enemy player who would not think twice about firing her weapon in front of many civilians. For the safety of those around him, Dreign was ready to kill her.

He had made up his mind.

Knee in, straightening his other leg, to lower himself. For the upper body, he used his left hand to push away the shoulder blocking the choke. With the hindrance away, Dreign pushed his head, ear to ear, and then his right elbow came inward.

He could hear the struggle of the silver-haired woman who was choking to death. Her limbs moved frantically as if trying to get away but it was futile as Dreign had already perfected the choke.

There’s no other way for her to get out but death.

“Don’t fight, I’m making it quick for you,” said Dreign, feeling the force of her body to move him away.

Grunting, the silver-haired girl did something unexpected.

With her left free hand, she grabbed something under his dress. Since Dreign was in a chokehold, he couldn't see what’s happening.

Seconds later, as the silver-haired girl’s face turned blue, Dreign felt an object puncture his right abdomen.

He yelped in pain and lost his arms control.

The silver-haired girl used this opportunity to escape and turn the tides of the battle by gracefully making smooth movement.

Dreign couldn’t see what just happened as it happened so fast and the excruciating pain limited his movement.

In just a few seconds, Dreign found himself caught on her armbar control.

Yes, she’s not an ordinary woman as she knows how to execute jiu-jitsu.

Now, Dreign was at a disadvantage. He tried to get a hold of his left arm that was caught by her both slender legs but she had good control and it’s making it hard for him to grab it as it is the only way to get out from armbar control.

As both gruntled as they battled for strength, Dreign roared and used all his masculine strength to lift her up off the ground.

She was too light, maybe because of her lean and slender frame.

Exposing her upper body, Dreign pulled her closer and punched her in the face, disorienting her.

The silver-haired girl released Dreign from an armbar control and stepped back to make a distance between them.

Dreign staggered as he made his way up, the excruciating pain from his left stomach limped him.

Dragging his foot, Dreign got a hold of the handle of the knife that penetrated his right abdomen. It drove all the way through, damaging his internal organs. He didn’t pull it out knowing that blood would gush out, making his situation more severe as he could lose consciousness from massive blood loss.

Instead of taking up arms or stance, Dreign asked the silver-haired woman.

“Are you a player?”

“Wasn’t it obvious?” she replied with a Russian accent.

“What is your name?”

“Why this all of a sudden?” she said.

“I just want to know who you are.”

“Hmm…” wiping a gash on her cheek with the back of her hand, she replied. “My name is Anastasia, I'm the same as you, a player.”

“I see, then my name is Dreign. Now that we know each other, shall we continue?” Dreign asked, raising his arms up.

“I’m ready as always.”

Thus the two rushed at each other despite the injuries they had incurred from the first round.

Anastasia throws punches after punches at an incredible speed, she is quick and agile but her strikes only meet space as Dreign evades it with just a little body movement, leaning back, forward, and to the side.

Now it’s Dreign's turn, after getting showered by her attacks and evading it successfully, he throws a right hook.

In anticipation of his victory, Dreign loses track of his enemy. Little did he know, Anastasia was waiting for this moment and countered his attack.

Anastasia’s fist connects on his right cheek and proceeds to dominate Dreign with a series of punches, and then with a final attack, slams Dreign into the glass window, shattering it.

Walking over to him with ragged breathing, Anastasia grabbed a piece of sharp glass and straddled Dreign's defenseless body.

“A…Allie…”

“Hm?”

Dreign looked up to her absent-mindedly.

Anastasia doesn’t know what he just mattered and raised her sharp glass upraised.

Based on the fight earlier, Dreign was a trained fighter. If she hesitates here, it might bite her back.

Not wanting it to happen, Anastasia brings down her heavy arms.