Fuse
I fired the first shots directly at Colette.
She attempts to block my shots using some type of barriers, but they shatter immediately and hardly stop my bullets.
Thus, I draw first blood, my bullets striking her chest. Though, her defense was high enough to not die immediately.
Colette immediately started rising towards the air, firing shots at me as she shouted out, "None of you can block his bullets! Start retreating! I'll handle him!"
"What- But madam-!" One of her companions tried to say, only to be interrupted.
"Retreat!" Colette urged as I had Salamence start flying wildly to dodge her bullets.
I don't really care about the other French soldiers. They can get back home safely. Maybe America will have some use for them later.
I softly casted Murphy's Law, bringing down Colette's luck. At the same time, I reasoned I probably want her to be closer to the ground so I can use my geomancy.
"Texas, fly above her!" I commanded, increasing his speed using another spell.
The plan was simple. Slam her from the atmosphere back into the ground, then trap her using my geomancy.
Texas' flight straightened as it began to climb into the air after Colette.
Knowing that she was slower than the Pokemon, she immediately focused her aim onto Texas, attempting to kill it before it reached her.
Swapping to Biden, my AR-15, I announced to Colette, "Hey! Think I can use my ricochet skill to stop your bullets?!"
[Monologue Boost has activated on [Ricochet]
Firing straight at her, I used Grand Telekinesis to aim my bullets towards hers, and those bullets happened to knock them all off course, but still aimed towards Colette.
Colette attempts to create a shield in front of her with three layers, as one layer failed her previously.
My bullets shatter them all embarrassingly easily, striking deep into her head.
I doubt that's enough to put down a gamer, though.
Texas finally gets above Colette, and I put aside Biden as I draw Roosevelt and Eisenhower, my two blades, out of my inventory.
It's a very convenient thing that creating new spells and skills is so easy.
Skill Created.
[Heroic Slam - Slams your weapons onto a target, driving them towards the floor at a rapid pace. Costs a moderate amount of stamina.]
Jumping at Colette from above, I raise my swords to strike-
Only to be shot in the back, interrupting my attack.
I immediately figured out what happened. Colette could use telekinesis, those bullets of hers haven't missed… In fact, I think I hear Texas crying out in anger too.
"You fools…" Colette grumbled, but not to me.
It seems as though her underlings wanted to save their leader, as they all charged at me with their rifles aimed straight forward. Not even aiming at me.
Right, telekinetic bullets. What an annoyance.
Colette retreated as I unfurled my wings to regain my balance to figure my next move.
That being…
"Texas. Kill those Frenchmen."
A task that the Lone Star State was all too eager for.
Texas ignores its wounds as it immediately flies for the soldiers, who were now immensely regretting their decisions.
At the same time, I used my priestly spells to heal myself back to full.
Colette didn't have a healing class. What an idiot, typical of a Frenchwoman.
Back on even ground, at least the sky's version of it, Colette angrily shouted at me, "Typical American idiot! You're on the side of Germany now! Don't you get it?!"
"I'll destroy Germany to apologize to the Unified States of America later," I wave off, thinking of ways to corner her, "Or I'll make Germany a vassal state to America. It doesn't really matter to me. I don't feel obligated to go into depth since it's not my United States of America."
Getting an idea, I pulled back out Biden and started shooting down.
After all, with Murphy's Law in effect, one of them is bound to hit her with a ricochet sooner or later, right?
Colette figured it out as well, turning back to her men and clicking her tongue as she made a fighting retreat, concealing her back with 7 layers of shield this time.
It'll take a good 10 seconds for those bullets to come back up, so I shot directly at her shields, only getting 5 barriers in.
With the Destructive perk as well, how sloppy.
Texas was in the middle of annihilating the squad that came back for their leader, proving Colette right that they stood no chance.
Colette quickly put an end to it as she fired more shots into Texas, stopping his capability to fly. Texas starts falling, but I know that he'll come back into my Pokeball if he dies.
As she was distracted by that, I finally caught up to her.
She still had her shields behind her, so I couldn't get a hit in if I wanted to.
Shame that, in putting barriers behind her, she didn't put anything beneath her.
The ricocheted bullet comes back from the ground, hitting her from below, breaking her horse thing and disabling all of her barriers.
Personally, I'm feeling a bit disrespectful today.
Slamming my foot onto her back, I sent her flying straight towards the ground. A death sentence for a normal human.
For someone who can probably just fly using telekinesis, a mild inconvenience.
"Ma'am!" One of the living soldiers shouted out in shock, but I wasn't having it.
As I fell down to reach Colette, I reached my hands into the air and made finger guns.
Using a spell I've never used, Bang, invisible bullets killed every single French mage above me.
Colette stabilized closer to the ground, furious at the death of her comrades, "You monster!"
"Should've just run!" I mocked, getting ready to use geokinesis.
Spell Created.
[Earthen Grasp - Manipulate the earth around a target to trap them. Costs a moderate amount of mana.]
As Colette was about to rise back into the air, preparing a shot, I activated my new spell.
Immediately, I caught her leg, resulting in her unable to move.
Pulling back out Roosevelt and Eisenhower, I prepare the slashes that would kill this French woman for good-
"No!"
So, fun fact about the inventory that I didn't know before this because I never tried.
I'm pretty certain you can fit basically anything into there.
Like a fucking warship.
A whole ass German warship appears between Colette and I, stopping me in my tracks,
Activating Unrelenting Chase, which allows me to track her down forever, I immediately used Long Slash with my two swords, slicing the ship in half.
Colette is still there, chugging on what I immediately recognize to be a recall potion from Terraria. Questions like "Where the fuck did she get that," are immediately discarded.
I try to throw Roosevelt at the potion to stop her, but as my sword breaks the potion-
Colette is gone.
Unrelenting Chase is still active.
Colette is far away, but she's still on the continent. Paris, I'd bet.
If I keep going after her, I think I can make it to Paris in maybe an hour. But I'd be running directly into an army.
I could probably win, they're French. But I would rather not inconvenience America by accidentally defeating the French army and letting the Germans walk through France, making American investments useless.
So, I cut off Unrelenting Chase.
Colette can hide for now. I have some other things I can do before I kill her.
Achievement Unlocked
[Ship Cutter]
Requirements: Slice a ship in half.
Description: The path to becoming the World's Strongest Swordsman requires this as a flex.
Reward: Unlocks Armament Haki, 1 gacha token, Title: Expert Swordsman.
[Armament Haki - Using your willpower, you can imbue haki into yourself, granting physical power. This can be trained.]
[Expert Swordsman - Title - A true Swordsman bears no wounds on his back. - When equipped, your sword fighting abilities are tripled, and you can deal more damage with each slash.]
…Huh, that's an achievement?
Well, I guess I'll take it.
I'm not sure what armament haki is, but it sounds cool so I'll use it. I'm not focusing on sword skills though, so that title is a bit wasted on me.
Opening the gacha token I get…
Legendary Perk
[Chain Reaction - When you set something into motion, it is much likelier to end in your favor than against it.]
Well, it sounds pretty good. But it sounds like something I'll forget about.
With that all taken care of, I start briefly walking back to the city I was just in.
Then I remembered, I'm a soul mage, right? I haven't been using it much recently because what just happened was probably my first real fight in a month. But I should take advantage of the fact that there's a war going on.
I doubt I can find Tanya soon, so it might be good to fuel up on some souls before I go find her.
After all, the longer that this war lasts, the more equipment the Unified States of America can sell to Europe.
More money in the pockets of American is always a good thing, of course.
With my sights set on the frontlines, I immediately start picking out good spells to obliterate a frontline.
Colette
Landing back in Parisii defeated was a shock to her core.
She was handpicked by a God to defend France- Well, this alternative version of France, Francois. How could she possibly lose in such a manner?
Fuse was another gamer like her, likely given his power by another God. But he seemed so much stronger. Why?
She's only been here for a few months. How long has Fuse been traveling through worlds while she's been stuck here?
Maybe… It was an issue of objective. She only needed to stay in this world to achieve victory for her country. He needed to travel through worlds to collect whatever the Hell he was collecting.
Obviously, one would be much stronger than the other.
No matter how she rationalized it, it tasted like bile in her mouth. How could a filthy American be so much stronger than her?
Not just any American, like one of the good ones who recognized European superiority. But one of those nationalists.
Thanks to her perk, Story Observation, she knows some of the background of Fuse. Using another spell, Recall, she can read back what she was too panicked to fully read back then.
Fuse
Status: Healthy
Stamina: Healthy
Mana: Full
Race: Human/Slime Hybrid
Title: Ambitious Regent, Devourer of Souls
Ranking Setting: Universal [Change]
Overall Ranking: B-
Power Rank: B- [Expand]
Magic Rank: C [Expand]
Social Rank: C [Expand]
Background:
What defines Fuse? What manner of ideological convictions set him apart from his fellow democrats or even the most diehard Republicans? Truth be told, the answer seems to be "Not much at all."
Coming from a world where politicians treat their citizens like tools for their agendas, Fuse entrusted his future into a country he cared deeply for, but did not return any of his love.
When his country began tearing itself apart, Fuse acted as the dutiful tool and doubled down, sending himself to draw blood in the national tragedy to come, laying down the first life in the conflict.
With his second life, does he have any self reflection? Does he waver in his conviction of the greatness of his country? Does he think to himself of why he dedicated his life to not just his country, but to a singular cause?
Does he realize that Shapeshifter laid it all out for him, that he chose the worst life to be an American Nationalist in, and that his country was not worth serving?
"No," Fuse says, full of conviction, "My country is worth dedicating my life for- No matter what."
To Fuse, it did not matter that both sides were wrong. That there was a fascist and a communist, and he fought for the communist. He was fighting for democracy.
To Fuse, it did not matter that all those of sensible thought had left the country years ago, seeing all the signs of a sinking ship. They were cowards who couldn't bear to stand with their country.
To Fuse, it did not matter that all he believed in was a lie curated to create people like him.
Because to him, America was the only thing that gave meaning to the man previously known as Michael.
No matter how Fuse's ideals convince everyone around him that he was not someone worth taking seriously in anything beyond strength, the weight upon his back will force them all to accept one simple thing about a man who had lost everything.
The American Dream was not dead, not while he still draws breath and ambition to carry it back home.
Colette
What a truly absurd man… Even her own system pities him.
Still, delusional enemies are the worst kinds of enemies. No matter what logic you use against them, they never bend on any of their positions. Not even to surrender.
(She ignores the fact that she is one of them.)
(At least her home lives.)
It was unfortunate that their first conversation led to a clash. It was unlikely she'll get the chance to negotiate with him again.
Given how she was in Parisii rather than fighting in Brugo, she'd best find the highest official nearby and give a report on what happened.
…While she was at it, she should probably recommend calling the American embassy.
Maybe that way, some of the damage can be minimized.
AN:
4:47 AM finish let's gooo.
Also RIP to the 5 chapter arc plan. Looks like it's gonna be another 10 chapter arc. If I don't start next chapter on the day I have to publish it again, I'll try to fit more words in.
[Will I write the next chapter before the day of its upload? God knows.]