Why wasn’t Dito able to defeat Vladimir?
Dito muttered to himself, turning his face away in frustration.
He had been repeatedly battered by Vladimir’s sniper rifle fire, and to make matters worse, the bullets kept curving mid-air, leaving Dito struggling to launch a counterattack.
Desperately searching for any opening, he calculated every possible angle and decided that rushing in from the far left was his most realistic option.
Relying on his [Evasion] skill, Dito managed to dodge the deadly M1907 Carbine fire.
The split-second Vladimir had to reload his weapon provided the exact momentum Dito needed to strike back.
He thrust his revolver forward, squeezing off three rapid shots aimed straight at Vladimir’s forehead.
As Vladimir countered with a sharp, unnatural jerk of his neck, he unleashed a brutal punch straight at Dito’s jaw.
But Vladimir had anticipated his every move; with terrifying reflexes, the veteran caught Dito’s fist mid-air, yanked him forward, and delivered a devastating counter-punch right to his face.
And just like that, the match was over, with Vladimir claiming victory.
Yet, strangely enough, Huey did not wave the signal flag.
Vladimir could sense that something was deeply off during his bout with the young man.
On the sidelines, Anna stood with a wide smirk, her arms tightly crossed.
It was right then that Vladimir felt a sudden, forceful kick land squarely in his back, catching him completely off guard.
I completely forgot to warn Vladimir that Dito’s skill was starting to kick in, Anna thought to herself with an amused grin.
This was the exact moment Vladimir finally experienced the true, terrifying potential of the young otherworlder.
Dito’s right hand materialized a heavy shield adorned with an intricate eagle crest, its front edge tipped with a thick, menacing blade.
Ethereal engravings burst from the shield’s surface, hurtling directly toward Vladimir in a relentless barrage.
Vladimir fired repeatedly, but not a single shot connected.
Dito sprinted diagonally across the deck, leveling his revolver at the old man.
Vladimir clicked his tongue in annoyance, dropping low into a tactical duck.
Both the spectators and Huey were utterly stunned by the veteran’s defensive prowess—it was clear Vladimir could not be underestimated, a fact Dito understood all too well.
Meanwhile, Uotu and the others stood frozen with their jaws hanging open, witnessing the terrifying strength of an otherworlder for the very first time, to the point where they even began questioning Anna’s true existence.
“Surprised?” Anna interjected, cutting through their uneasy thoughts.
The three bodyguards snapped back to reality at her voice.
Anna had to admit, the old man’s combat abilities were extraordinary, though still worlds apart from her own.
More importantly, Uotu knew full well that she was cut from the exact same cloth as him and his two companions.
“Though to be fair, if I had to fight that old man myself, I’d undoubtedly get crushed.” Enjoying the story? Read on at g.com.
“How can you be so damn sure?”
“Simple.
If you boil it down to our current situation, could any of us actually win?”
Emna and Agmar immediately exchanged sidelong glances.
This was the first time they had ever heard anyone actively strategizing on how to beat Vladimir.
Uotu closely observed Anna’s body language.
Just as Lord Huey predicted, Uotu noted quietly to himself.
Neither Dito nor Vladimir was willing to yield an inch.
The young man darted sideways, leaping and moving at lightning speed before planting both feet flat against the submarine’s metal wall for a few brief seconds, his left hand pointing his revolver dead ahead.
“Wha—”
A sharp crack echoed as a round struck Vladimir directly in the left ribcage, coming dangerously close to puncturing a lung.
In truth, Dito had intentionally loaded rubber bullets to ensure he didn’t inflict a fatal injury on the veteran—a risky move that would ultimately act as a double-edged sword.
Before Dito could react, Vladimir whipped out an entirely new piece of heavy hardware, forcing Dito to throw both arms up in a desperate defense.
“Honestly, I despise using this thing,” Vladimir muttered, hoisting a bulky, unconventional launcher onto his shoulder.
“But… you’ve given me a brand new reason to break it out.”
It was a PIAT—short for Projector, Infantry, Anti Tank.
Developed originally by the British, the weapon utilized a spigot mortar system, an older mechanical design that functioned best when fired from a fixed position.
It launched a hefty 2.5-pound (1.1 kg) bomb payload, with a large tail tube fitting directly over the projector rod.
The weapon boasted an effective direct-fire anti-tank range of about 115 yards (105 meters) and could reach up to 350 yards (320 meters) in an indirect role.
Furthermore, the PIAT packed a significantly greater punch than previous anti-tank rifles, and because it lacked a fiery backblast, it safely concealed the user’s position while preventing accidental injuries to nearby friendly troops.
Even so, it was far from flawless; the weapon suffered from brutal recoil, immense difficulty in cocking the spring mechanism, and early issues with ammunition reliability.
A massive projectile hurtled straight toward Dito, making his eyes widen in sheer horror.
An earth-shattering explosion was unavoidable, instantly sending a thick cloud of gray smoke billowing across the submarine’s interior and completely blinding Anna and Huey’s three bodyguards.
A deafening ringing filled the air, sending shockwaves through everyone nearby.
Anna clapped her hands tightly over her ears, sharing the exact same look of absolute disbelief as the bodyguards and Huey Long at the sheer recklessness of Vladimir’s attack. Follow the newest chapters on g.com.
“Is it finally over—”
Suddenly, the gray smoke began to clear, revealing the silhouette of the young man standing tall, revolver in hand.
His left palm flickered with a swirling orb of fire, bound by twin streaks of crackling energy.
Anna broke into a wide grin, calling out to Dito, “Took you long enough to activate it.”
“Shut up… the important thing is that it worked, right?”
“What on earth… is happening?” Agmar gasped, his eyes nearly popping out of his skull.
Uotu blinked rapidly over and over again, needing to make sure his eyes weren’t playing tricks on him.
Right before them, Dito’s ordinary revolver had undergone a radical evolution, shifting from an anonymous sidearm into a weapon stamped with the glowing inscription: Ultimate 500.
Vladimir let out a grim smirk, his skin trembling from the adrenaline.
The veteran soldier in his Soviet uniform charged forward, though his footwork gave away his intent.
He threw a devastating right hook, transitioning smoothly into a vicious uppercut from a tight angle.
Anticipating the move, Dito parried the blow, instantly leveling the Ultimate 500 at him while his left hand clamped onto Vladimir’s right wrist, twisting it with every ounce of his strength.
Dito whipped his right leg upward, aiming directly for Vladimir’s groin, but the older man spun his entire body with the momentum, yanking Dito’s arm and throwing him completely off balance.
Both fighters grunt in agony as they strained against each other, sweat pouring down their faces, until Dito slammed a heavy shoulder-check straight into Vladimir’s chest.
Finding himself momentarily cornered, Vladimir retaliated with a lightning-fast upward kick.
Deep down, Vladimir knew his pride would shatter completely if he were to lose to a kid named Dito.
In a desperate gamble, the old man hoisted the PIAT once more, tossing the heavy weapon aside without a second thought before aiming his sidearm directly at the discarded explosive.
Before anyone could react, a secondary blast tore through the area—though Dito had already guessed Vladimir would do something so reckless without regard for the consequences.
Another massive shockwave rocked the deck, culminating in Dito’s defeat right at Vladimir’s feet.
Watching the climax unfold, Anna couldn’t help but look slightly startled.
Letting out a soft sigh, she sprinted over to Dito, pulling a medical kit from her pouch to quickly assess his injuries.
Huey officially announced Vladimir as the winner, while the three bodyguards clapped in awe of the old soldier’s indomitable spirit.
Suddenly, Vladimir’s legs buckled, and he collapsed flat onto the deck, completely unconscious.
Uotu rushed forward to catch his falling frame, his right hand immediately pressing against Vladimir’s pulse.
Miraculously, the veteran’s blood vessels and magical energy were already regenerating and stabilizing on their own.
“Wait, this is…”