Endzone: Simulated Apocalypse

Dianna Vittori. That last name… it was the same as Cyanide's teacher's, Giovanni Vittori, alias Anthrax.

The picture Cyanide had seen of her was age five, six at best. It was difficult to imagine the adorable little girl from that photo would grow to be such an alluring and seductive woman upon maturity, but the resemblances were real, and so was this girl's knowledge.

Without a doubt, she was telling the truth—she was the one and only daughter of Anthrax, and the same person Anthrax had told him to protect in his dying breaths.

"So… are you going to seek revenge for your father?" Cyanide queried, narrowing his eyes. But to his surprise, Dianna giggled.

"As expected… you are the one who killed him," Dianna smirked, folding her arms beneath her ample, bouncing chest. "I never thought anyone would be able to, but when I heard he took in a student… fufu."

"If you want to kill me, go for it. No need to waste so much time by talking."

"Why would I do that?" She asked rhetorically, and Cyanide answered in the bluntest way possible:

"I killed your father."

But at this, Dianna's expression turned serious for a moment, an almost sad gleam in her eyes as she lowered her tone.

"Hey… tell me. Is a father who you've never met really considered your father at all?"

"…" At this, Cyanide fell silent. He wanted to defend his former teacher, saying that he had his reasons for not visiting home due to the job, but he soon realized he was in no position to do that. After all, his hands were stained with Anthrax's blood. What sense was there in standing up for him?

So, instead, he chose to take a different approach, and asked a question of his own.

"… After I killed Anthrax, I went searching for you."

"Oh? Why?" Dianna inquired, arching an eyebrow and smiling wryly. "To finish off the bloodline to prevent a situation of revenge, perhaps?"

Cyanide pondered for a moment, then replied, "Yeah, pretty much. But to think this is why I couldn't find you… you were already in the game back then, huh?"

That wasn't the truth at all, but there was no reason to tell her the real reason. Not right now, at least.

"Yep~" Dianna said loftily, making a peace sign with her hand and winking. "I was part of the previous batch of players. After I died in the game… well. Next thing I knew, I'd become a mutant."

"… Why?"

"Hm? Why did I become a mutant? Huh, that's a tough question-"

"Not that," Cyanide interrupted, clarifying his question. He knew why she became a mutant—it was the work of the virus, still present in the world, just on a less powerful scale. While it didn't turn all living beings into mutants anymore, it still turned corpses, which were defenseless. What Cyanide was asking was something else…

"Why did you enter the game in the first place?"

"Oh… that."

Dianna fell silent for a moment, then smiled innocently at Cyanide.

"It was for fun, of course!"

"Cut the bullshit," Cyanide said, completely unfazed, as he clenched his fists tightly around his knife and gun. "I will make you tell the truth… by force if necessary."

"Fufu… that's the spirit," Dianna replied, smiling invitingly. "That deadly gleam in your eyes… I like it. Care to entertain me, my assassin?"

Saying that, she crossed her arms in an X-shape in front of her chest, showcasing her sharp metal claws, before smiling and dashing towards Cyanide. The assassin, naturally, did not simply take the hit, and evaded to the right. But-

"Too slow~"

With a playful smile, Dianna cupped Cyanide's face with her hand, tapping her long claw on his cheek as if trying to show how she was toying with him right now.

"Mm… you're handsome."

"… Hmph."

Cyanide pulled out the gun he had been hiding behind his back and let out a hip-fire shot, causing Dianna's eyes to widen a bit. She leaped backwards with a couple acrobatic cat-like continuous backflips, agilely avoiding the bullet.

"Oh, my… that was dangerous," she remarked, placing her fist against her mouth and blinking cutely, using the sad puppy dog eyes. "To think you'd actually use a gun on me… how cruel…"

Cyanide savagely unleashed another bullet at her, as if to say 'and I'll do it again'. Rather than being mad, though, Dianna only smirked as if she was enjoying this, and evaded the gunshot with ease.

This time, however, it was Cyanide's turn to go on the offensive. Using [Invisibility], he concealed himself and took advantage of the passive skill [Silent Footsteps] to appear in a location his enemy would not expect.

BANG!

Dianna heard the sound of a gunshot in front of her, and instantly reacted, tilting her body slightly with one shut eye to avoid the shot much like her father would've. Her movements were graceful and nimble, just like how Anthrax operated: a smooth criminal. In fact, her movements reminded Cyanide so much of his former teacher that he just had to compliment her.

"You're good," he said from behind, and Dianna froze as she felt a knife on the back of her neck. "But… not that good."

The fight was over. Although Dianna was very fast—possibly faster than Cyanide—and possessed special mutant abilities, she lacked experience. Cyanide had fought countless battles like this before, and knew every scenario, every situation. Every trick in the book was carved into his memory, able to be used every time. Even if he went up against someone far stronger than he was, he could still win the fight, simply using his experience.

Knowledge was power, after all.

But despite the situation… a smile tugged on the corners of Dianna's lips, without even turning around.

"Fufu… is that so?"

"…!"

It was then that Cyanide saw the four spinning knives around Dianna's body. His eyes widened as he tried to avoid them, backing away, but it was too late.

The four knives tore through his clothes and sent him flying to the wall, pinning him against a stone pillar. They were positioned perfectly to not damage him one bit, and only pierce his clothes. Cyanide struggled and did his best to break free, but the knives were too powerful.

"Tch…"

The tables have been turned on him.