An active hunter from Hokkaido was thrown into another world - Chapter 60

Military Otaku VS Hunter – Chapters

Chapter 60   Bullet

Dawn breaks.

Saran and I remain atop the Opera House, maintaining our surveillance.

The Merchant Guild’s Commerce Hall.

It’s already under guard.

If anyone suspicious appears, they’ll be apprehended immediately.

Duke Baldraat’s mansion.

With the Duke’s full cooperation, an airtight security arrangement has been implemented, leaving no room for any mischief.

And our assignment, the Opera House.

The clock tower of the church is within view.

Distance: 150 meters. This is the range where I excel the most. My favorite Remington M700 .308 Winchester is zeroed for this distance.

Six hours remaining.

“I’m hungry.”

“Have this.”

I purchase portable chocolate bars from the magic bag and we share them.

“Mmm, delicious!”

Saran is overjoyed.

“It’s a special treat.”

“Give me more!”

“Nope.”

Just one more hour until noon.

Perhaps it’s nearly time for the Archbishop to arrive at the palace. A luncheon with the Archbishop scheduled from noon, followed by the council of inquiry at two.

(“(Here they come, here they come!!)”)

Saran nudges me excitedly.

We’ve made a hole in the large sign atop the Opera House to observe the clock tower of the church.

The skylight on the roof of the clock tower opens, and a man emerges.

He hoists an enormous rifle.

An anti-materiel rifle!

Clad in black attire…

Surprisingly young-looking. In his twenties? Not much different from me.

Undoubtedly of Japanese origin, no matter how you look at it.

He’s even wearing a knitted cap, like some sort of terrorist. (Note 1)

He inserts earplugs into his own ears.

We do the same.

He seem completely unaware that he’s being targeted, don’t he?

There’s absolutely no sign of vigilance in his demeanor.

I’m lying prone on the mattress, hands resting on the beanbag, working the bolt on the front end of the M700 as I load a round into the chamber.

The man glances at his wristwatch.

Well, being up on the clock tower, he probably can’t keep track of the time.

He sets down the anti-materiel rifle and relaxes in a seated position behind it.

From here, the entire clock tower is in plain view.

Based on his previous actions, he’ll most likely take a test shot in sync with the noon bell (Note 2), adjusting the scope. Then, during the three o’clock council, he’ll aim for the back of the king’s head.

It’s equipped with an incredibly large and impressive scope.

Five minutes to go.

The man lies back behind the rifle, peers through the scope in a prone position.

A bipod is attached. He has his left hand beneath his shoulder, controlling the stock’s movements up, down, left, and right.

Gently resting a finger on the trigger, he’s about to take the test shot.

I’ve got the man in my sights from a lateral distance of 150 meters with the anti-materiel rifle…

(“(One minute to go)”)

Saran whispers softly.

Slowly, I pull the trigger back straight…

BANG!!

BOOOMM!!!

The anti-materiel rifle unexpectedly went off with a moment’s delay!

Through the scope, the massive one atop the anti-materiel rifle is torn off. A perfect hit!

“Direct hit!”

Saran’s triumphant shout resonates.

The man is clutching his eyes and writhing in pain! He reflexively pulled the trigger, causing the misfire. I have no idea where the bullet went. Hopefully, no one is injured.

The large-caliber, hefty scope he was peering through was shot from the side. The glass shattered, and fragments must have struck his eyes. Always wear eye protection while shooting.

The anti-materiel rifle is kicked by the man, sliding along the roof and tumbling off. There’s no way to accurately hit a target at 700 meters without the scope. Looks like we’re in the clear now.

Looking down, I see the Royal Guard members all rushing into the cathedral.

Wowwww—!

Oh, amazing!

Gong… Gong… Gong… Gong…

The clock tower’s bells chime as noon arrives.

The church is in utter chaos.

The robed monks are being blown away one by one by the Royal Guard.

No chance of putting up a fight.

The Royal Guard has initiated their breach into the clock tower.

The man, his face bloodied, roams aimlessly.

The anti-materiel rifle has fallen from the roof. It’s beyond salvaging.

He pulls a handgun from his pocket.

That could be trouble.

Click!

Operating the bolt, I take aim at the man.

Bang!!

A 7.62mm NATO round struck the man’s hand, causing his handgun to fly from his grip.

Clatter, clatter, clatter…

The rooftop tiles slide, cascading downward.

The man clutches his hand and crouches, screaming.

Gong… Gong………

The twelfth chime of the clock tower’s bells rings out.

One after another, Royal Guards ascend to the rooftop.

Together, they subdue the man.

Subject secured.

One of the Royal Guards raises a large white flag atop the clock tower.

Saran peers through binoculars and points.

On the palace balcony, another sizable flag is unfurled.

Mission accomplished.

(Sigh)

I press the magazine latch of the Remington M700, removing the remaining rounds.

They go into the magic bag, and I nonchalantly go about my business.

We descend from the Opera House and head toward the church.

The Royal Guards have already completed the apprehension of individuals associated with the church, wherever they may be. Any obstructive figures from the church have been systematically bound and secured. The order is clear: no one leaves the church. This message, once received by the Archbishop in the palace, will reverberate through the subsequent operations.

The man is being led away.

His head is covered with a cloth, and he’s tightly bound.

Blood drips from his hands. Well, he’s not likely to die.

It’s best if I maintain an indifferent expression. You never know how resentment might be directed.

“Sir Shin!”

The Captain of the Royal Guards calls out to me.

“Take a look at this…”

The anti-material rifle that slid off the roof lies on the ground.

It’s huge!

I’ve seen this before. It’s a common sight in action movies.

It’s not a military-grade anti-material rifle. It’s bolt-action.

I don’t see a magazine. Single-shot, perhaps. It’s a bullpup design, with the action behind the grip. The muzzle brake at the end of the barrel is impressive, even if it’s a bit crooked.

The engraving says Barrett. Barrett? Beretta? Ballots, maybe? M99, I think.

Falling from the clock tower’s rooftop has left the anti-material rifle somewhat bent and twisted. It’s probably rendered unusable. Perhaps that’s for the best.

“Here’s another one.”

It’s a handgun.

Just like the other, it’s easy to tell at a glance that it’s damaged, possibly from falling off the roof.

It’s a Beretta M92. Detective McClane used one in Die Hard.

There’s a crack on the frame.

Perhaps it’s because of the aluminum frame. Shot off by the rifle, and then it hit the cobblestones directly.

“Both are in pieces. They hold no value now.”

“Such a shame.”

“Don’t you think a world without these things would be so much better?”

“I couldn’t agree more.”

The Captain of the Royal Guards chuckles heartily.

“Well then, let’s pray that His Majesty handles the rest smoothly.”

――――Author’s Note――――

※1. Knit Hats

In movies, terrorists often wear knit hats for some reason, which are originally meant for face concealment. Originally used for warmth, they have holes only for the eyes, nose, and mouth, like a luchador mask when pulled down over the entire face. Since they can be hot to wear regularly, they are pulled up to resemble a regular knit hat. It’s a common misconception by movie stylists who put regular knit hats on actors playing terrorists.

※2. Test Shots

Depending on the situation, for instance, shooting a .50 BMG with a scope zeroed at 700 yards (637 meters) to hit a target 800 yards (728 meters) away would result in the bullet hitting about 95 cm below the target. If you zero the scope at 900 yards and shoot at 800 yards, the bullet would fly about 122 cm above the target. Mistaking a 100-yard distance would mean missing even a human-sized target – that’s the challenge of extreme long-range shooting. Hitting a target accurately at an unknown distance or at a distance you’ve never tested before is absolutely impossible in one shot.

Furthermore, with a 1,000-meter shooting distance, the bullet drop exceeds 6 meters due to air resistance, and the required adjustment angle can reach up to 22 MOA (Minutes of Angle). Regular scopes often exceed their adjustment range, making a specialized scope for long-range shooting with a larger diameter like 30mm essential.

By the way, the energy of a .50 BMG flying 800 yards is reduced by over half due to air resistance.

There are numerous hunting videos online featuring .50 BMG shots (search “50BMG hunting”), but there are no videos showing bodies of animals like deer being torn apart at distances of a few hundred meters. Claims of a human body being ripped in half at over 1 km are clearly exaggerated.