The BOUNTY HUNTERS WORLD CHAMPIONSHIP tournament schedule is posted at the entrance, and a large number of excited spectators are entering the venue one after another.

The arena was filled with so many spectators that there was an atmosphere of eager anticipation for the hunters to appear.

Even though the match hadn't even started yet, the venue was already filled with excitement, with endless cheers flying from all directions.

The pedestal located in the center of the arena is far away from the audience seats, with only the pedestal part being high, making it easy to see from any audience seat.

And on the pedestal was a dirty capsule that was much larger than a human and had rugged protrusions.

The material of the capsule, which appears to be sturdy, seems to be partly transparent, but it is not possible to see what is inside.

A little further away from the capsule, there was an area with a hole in the floor, probably for dropping it.

The inside of the "hole" is dark, as if the night has crystallized there, giving the illusion of being connected to another dimension.

Opposing a capsule placed on a pedestal between them is a girl in her late teens who still remains innocent, and a strong man.

These two were the bounty hunters, the main characters of the battle arena that the audience had been waiting for.

The two hunters had huge (weapon-like) gauntlets attached to their arms.

The heavy gauntlet, which is twice as long as the arm, is made up of a retro-looking mechanism, and the girl's gauntlet is different in design and shape from the man's gauntlet.

I can imagine that a man with a well-trained body could easily handle it, but seeing a petite, slender girl handling that gigantic gauntlet without thinking about it seems unrealistic.

However, in this world, it seems that anyone who calls themselves a bounty hunter can acquire ``some special power'' regardless of their physique or gender.

"But...it's always huge when I look at it."

"Today was the first time I've seen it live...but it's bigger than I expected..."

The audience who was looking up murmured.

No wonder the audience held their breath.

A huge crane machine towered high above them, almost covering the entire arena, and from its center hung a three-pronged "giant claw" that could be used to grab something.

The "giant claw" hanging from the crane machine does not move at all, and seems to be waiting for someone to manipulate it.

It has a powerful impact that overwhelms the viewer.

(Scene.2)

The two bounty hunters who faced each other stood motionless.

In contrast to the serious gaze of the girl, the man's relaxed expression gives the impression of absolute confidence.

Sweat appeared on the girl's forehead and trickled down her skin.

The cheers in the venue, which had been noisy, became even louder, and voices of support for the two were heard from everywhere.

The count begins for the game to begin.

Sweat dripped from the girl's forehead in a line-like manner.

Then, it slowly dripped onto the floor of the battle arena.

(Scene.3)

This is a game center somewhere in Japan in 2023.

This facility, which boasts one of the largest crane game arcades, was crowded with families with children and couples every day, with games installed throughout the space.

"Hey, dad!"

"Hmm? What's wrong, Sakura?"

“I want that stuffed animal!”

"Okay! Leave it to daddy!"

"Yay! Good luck, Daddy!"

There was a parent and child.

A young girl and a father trying to play the game.

Her girl's name is "Sakura"

She is a third grade elementary school student who loves crane games.

Her father put in a coin and started playing.

She operates the button, brings the arm directly above the stuffed animal, and the arm descends towards the stuffed animal.

"Okay! That feels good!"

“Good luck daddy!”

At this game center, everyone from children to adults can have fun and forget about time.

You can have fun even if you fail.

You might be able to catch something, but you can't catch it...this can be said to be the real thrill of crane games.

If it's so easy that you can catch it in one try, it's boring.

Lifting up the desired "thing" in the showcase, moving it little by little, feeling frustrated if you drop it midway through, repeating the process of failing and repeating the process to win the prize, so the joy when you win it is great.

(Scene.4)

Meanwhile, in the arena, giant gauntlets attached to the man's arms were moving in conjunction with an equally gigantic crane machine installed above the arena.

"Look carefully, little girl! That capsule belongs to Oreno! I'm afraid I won't show mercy, even if I'm dealing with a child! I'll go without any hesitation!"

“…”

"Tsk...! Gaki! You're acting like a cleanser... I don't like it...!"

Even after provoking the girl, her expression didn't change, and the man got irritated and told her to spit it out.

In fact, this gauntlet seems to be acting as a controller, and as the man maneuvers the crane machine with his practiced hands, the capsule slowly lifts up with a creak.

"Yo! I got it!!"

The three claws firmly grip the capsule as it moves.

There is no sign of it falling on the way.

No one in the audience doubted the man's victory.

――However, at the moment when victory seems to be within reach,

Unfortunately, the capsule slipped out of my nail.

"Tch! I was almost there...well, I guess there's no need to worry."

His regretful expression changed completely, and the man grinned fearlessly.

The girl would make mistakes too, the man thought.

The man didn't know yet.

What happens after this...?

(Scene.5)

Next is the girl's turn.

The girl manipulates the weapon in the same way as the man, causing her arm to move.

She carefully moved her arm until it was directly above the capsule, then her arm lowered towards it.

The capsule lifted by the arm gradually shortens the distance toward the hole. However, the capsule fell just a little later.

Since the rules are turn-based, you are required to play alternately once at a time.

The girl dropped the capsule just a little before the hole.

Next is the man's turn.

If this continues, the capsule will definitely be captured and we will lose.

The arm that dropped the capsule began to move to return to her position.

"Kukuku...it's my turn next."

The man, convinced of her victory, spoke to the girl.

At this point, the girl did something using an app on her smartphone.

"!!"

At that moment, a glowing sphere suddenly jumped out from the screen.

The sphere was wrapped in light as it headed toward the gauntlet attached to the girl's arm and fit into the slot of her arm.

The man who was confronting her widened his eyes at the girl's actions.

The audience who had been watching the whole thing began to make noises.

(Scene.6)

A smile appears on the girl's face.

In a normal match, players take turns playing one crane game at a time.

However, there will be an exception if special effects are activated.

This sphere is called "BOOST NFT" and can activate special effects when synchronized with the gauntlet.

This time, what the girl activated was ``nullifying the opponent's turn.''

Contrary to the man's eyes widening with her impatience, this time the girl smiled in victory.

The game was once again the girl's turn.

The girl controls the gauntlet and moves her arm.

The arm moves directly above the capsule, descends in a straight line, and picks up the capsule.

The arm firmly gripped the capsule and fell into the "hole" without falling halfway.

"Oh, that's... that's a lie... are you saying I lost..."

The man who fell down on her knees looked at the girl in shock.

She smiled as if the girl were responding to the man.

(Scene.7)

“winner SAKURA”

The girl's name in this world was displayed on the leaderboard inside the venue.

The obtained capsule was sucked into the girl's smartphone so quickly that it didn't feel like it had any weight.

A girl drops her gaze on the smartphone screen

In the "BOUNTY HUNTERS app" displayed on the screen, the capsules (BOOST NFT) that the girl had previously acquired were lined up, and the capsule she had just acquired was added next to it.

"--Dad, I won."

The girl smiled happily.

(Scene.8)

"Shit...damn it! Damn it!...I can't believe I'm going to lose..."

The man groaned in frustration as he slammed his fist on the ground.

“…Don’t be fooled by appearances.”

"what!?"

“What you need to win in this competitive crane game is strategy and technique.”

“…!”

“It seems like you were quite lenient with me, but that leeway led to you making some basic mistakes…your operations were a little sloppy—you don’t realize that, do you?”

"...!!"

"No matter who your opponent is, you better not lose your guard. That's what this game is about."

“…”

"If there's a time when we can fight again, I'd appreciate it then."

The girl put away her smartphone, walked past the man, and left the battle arena.

"--Phew..."

She takes a deep breath in her room, which is decorated with her favorite posters and cute "stuffed animals."

The girl took off her VR goggles and placed them gently on her desk.

She stretched out to stretch her body, relieved that she was finally back in the real world.

When she closes her eyes, what unfolds behind her eyelids is the sight of the battle arena where she was just moments ago, surrounded by loud cheers.

Just remembering that moment makes her feel a sense of elation rising from deep inside her body.

I would like to compete with more bounty hunters.

I want to play more crane games!

more!

more! !

“――――This is why I can’t quit being a bounty hunter.”

… Continued

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