Last Gun Alchemist

Hell Maze?

Bobby, Aliya, and Lime stood frozen, their minds racing faster than their bodies dared to move.

Aliya’s breath shook. Blood soaked the front of her clothes, warm and sticky. An eyeball, someone else’s—had rolled to a stop right in front of her shoe. It stared back at her, lifeless.

Her stomach twisted.

She wanted to scream.

She didn’t.

Her face twitched as nausea surged, but she swallowed it down hard, clenching her teeth until her jaw hurt.

The light ahead switched back to green.

”Run. Now.”

Ezra’s voice cut through the silence, sharp and steady.

The moment he spoke, Aliya snapped out of it.

”Ahhhhhhh...!” she cried as she jumped forward, rubbing at her clothes while sprinting after the others, trying and failing to wipe the blood away.

”What’s happening?!” Lime shouted, fear clear on his face.

”The light turned red,” Bobby answered between gasps, his legs moving on instinct. ”Then they just...started dying. One after another.”

He swallowed. ”I couldn’t even see the bullets. That means... it’s a machine gun, right?”

”Yes,” Ezra replied without slowing, eyes locked forward on the lights ahead.

”The distance is long,” he continued. ”If we mess up even once, we die. Listen to everything I say. No hesitation.”

”Stop!”

They froze instantly.

The light switched to red.

Aliya’s breath came out uneven. Lime’s knees trembled. Bobby felt his heartbeat pounding in his ears.

Ezra stayed still, calm, watching the lights like a predator waiting for prey to blink.

This isn’t easy.

Not even a little.

I have to stay focused. Patient.

If I rush, they die. If I hesitate, we all die.

I wonder how the others are doing...

***

At Vera’s side, she stood perfectly still, her hands tucked behind her back inside her pockets. Her posture was relaxed, but her eyes stayed fixed forward.

The boy beside her was half-leaning in a walking stance, frozen mid-step. Sweat ran down his face and dripped onto the dusty floor.

Close to Vera’s other side, Nina and Gena stayed low, bodies close to the ground in a crawling posture, not daring to move even an inch.

The light ahead turned green.

”Move,” Vera said.

She stepped forward slowly, her footsteps light and measured.

”Slow and steady wins the race,” she added, voice calm.

”Yes, Lady Vera,” Nina replied at once.

The boy frowned, glancing at their pace. ”Why are you all moving like this?” he asked, clearly confused.

”Humph.” Gena shot him a sharp glare. ”What do you know?”

”This is the best way to move without getting cut off...”

”Stop!”

Vera’s voice fell like a blade.

Everyone froze instantly.

No one even dared to breathe loudly.

”We can talk while staying still,” Vera said flatly, her gaze fixed on the light ahead. ”But don’t shout.”

The color hadn’t changed.

Yellow.

”Lady Vera,” the boy said after a pause, activating his Cognis to sharpen his sight. ”From the color I see... should we move?”

”Are you illiterate?” Nina mocked, clicking her tongue. ”Yellow means get ready. That’s why we’re allowed to talk.”

”Eh?” Gena blinked, tilting her head. ”So, if it turns red, can we talk too?”

”No,” Vera answered without looking back.

The light shifted to green.

”Let’s go,” Vera said.

She moved again, unhurried.

The lights aren’t following the normal order.

”Tsk.” This will be a bit hard.

They continued forward, step by step. The air around them felt tight, heavy, as if pressing down on their shoulders. Everyone waited for Vera’s words, afraid to think for themselves.

”My God,” Gena whispered quietly, her shoulders relaxing just a little. ”I’m so lucky to be following Lady Vera.”

Nina smiled with pride. ”That’s my lady for you.”

She glanced back at the groups far behind them and narrowed her eyes.

”Tsk. Those four people at our back should be grateful Lady Vera is shouting her orders loud enough for them to hear.”

This group had entered the stage a bit late after Vera and her group started the stage but because of the pace they were moving the group was able to follow Vera’s lead from behind.

They kept moving, patient and careful.

”Stop,” Vera ordered.

Everyone froze in perfect sync.

In every one of their minds, the same thought echoed...

We can do this.

***

While on the other side of the Maze, Veda’s group moved in sync with him, step by careful step, but...

”I’m telling you to listen to me,” Veda pleaded, his voice low but firm, as he faced the leader of the other group who had entered the same door as them.

”Sir Veda, I respect you,” the boy replied, tone stiff, ”but as you can see, we’re doing just fine.”

He glanced back at his group. Two boys nodded quickly in agreement.

”Sir Veda,” the girl in Veda’s team spoke softly, her eyes lowered to the floor, ”we should just leave them and move ahead. Staying here will only slow us down.”

Veda clenched his teeth.

At the front, two members of Veda’s team kept their eyes locked on the light ahead, bodies tense.

”Tsk. If we could work together,” Veda said, forcing calm into his voice, ”at least preventing deaths would be easier.”

The other leader’s eyes darkened.

”Why do you think I can’t lead my team to victory?” he snapped. ”You know I never acknowledged your status in the family. Sir Henry is the one who deserves it, not you. He’s not some goody-two-shoes hypocrite.”

”Guys...red!” one of the boys watching the light shouted.

Everyone froze.

Silence crashed down like a wall.

Tsk... I still had more to say.

The boy glared at Veda, unmoving, his hatred clear.

Veda had stopped to plead because the two voices leading the group kept clashing. More than once, the other leader had nearly given the wrong order. If not for Veda’s louder command earlier, someone would already be dead. But the boy, a highline supporter of Henry in the heir succession struggle, only saw Veda’s guidance as control—and it angered him.

Time dragged on.

Minutes felt like hours.

Then the light shifted to yellow.

Veda stared at it.

Yellow... It means get ready.

But get ready for what?

We still can’t move... but maybe we can talk?

His heart beat faster.

Everyone stayed still, even the other group, all of them confused, waiting for something, anything, that would help.

”I think we can talk,” Veda said at last. His voice shook at first, then steadied when no gunfire followed. He let out a quiet breath. ”But we shouldn’t make too much noise.”

”If we can talk, then we should move,” the other leader said immediately.

”What are you saying?” Veda replied, panic creeping in. He didn’t dare turn his head. ”Didn’t you hear me? Yellow means get ready, you idiot. Why would you move when it’s not green yet?”

”What’s it to you?” the boy snapped. ”Giggs. Fred. Try moving.”

The two boys stiffened.

”Eh?” Fred swallowed hard. ”But... but Sir Veda said we should wait.”

”Yes,” Giggs nodded quickly.

”Is Sir Veda your leader?” the boy barked. ”Do you think you can talk back to me, lowlines? Or did you forget I was the one who allowed you into my team?”

”Just listen to him,” another boy urged quietly.

”Don’t,” Veda said sharply.

Fred hesitated... then took one step forward.

His eyes were shut tight.

Nothing happened.

He opened them slowly, relief flooding his face.

”Hehehe,” he laughed weakly.

Giggs followed.

Veda’s stomach sank.

That shouldn’t be possible...

”See? I told yo...” the leader began smugly.

Gunfire exploded.

Fred’s left eye vanished in a spray of blood. A hole tore through his stomach at the same time. Giggs’s head was blown apart mid-step.

Blood splashed across the floor.

Everyone stood frozen, unable to scream.

Veda clenched his jaw so hard it hurt.

The light turned green.

”You...!” Veda grabbed the boy by the collar, rage boiling over, but he stopped himself from striking. Instead, he threw him hard onto the ground.

”Everyone,” Veda said, his voice cold and sharp, filled with venom, ”forming a line. Hold the shoulder of the person in front of you and follow my lead. From now on.”

”Do it. Now.”

No one hesitated.

Even the boy who had argued earlier scrambled into place.

Veda took the first step forward.

”Let’s go.”

***

At Felix’s side, he and his group stood at the entrance of the first stage.

The wide opening ahead swallowed light, the metallic scent of oil and dust drifting from within. Far inside, faint lamps flickered, and beyond them stood the outline of mounted machine guns, silent for now.

”When should we go?” Lyra asked, her tone lazy, eyes half-lidded as if already bored.

”When Sir Felix says so,” Freed replied calmly. His gaze stayed fixed on the far end of the stage, studying the lights and the cold shape of the weaponry. ”Interesting.”

Felix leaned against the wall, arms crossed, eyes closed. He looked relaxed, too relaxed.

Then his eyes opened.

He smiled.

”Our guests have arrived,” he said softly, the curve of his lips sharp.

A group emerged from the tunnel behind them; three boys and one girl. Their steps slowed the moment they saw Felix. Fear washed over their faces instantly.

Lowlines.

They froze where they stood.

”Nice,” Felix said, his smile widening, voice dripping with malice. ”You made it just in time.”

He gestured lazily toward the stage.

”You can go first. We’ll wait.”

”Huh?” The girl at the front—their leader—stared at him, shock flashing across her face. Her body tensed, instincts screaming danger.

”What should we do?” one of the boys whispered behind her, his voice shaking.

”Are you deaf?” Lyra suddenly appeared in front of them in a blur.

Before the girl could react, Lyra tapped her forehead sharply, then grabbed her by the hair.

”Ah!” the girl cried, clawing at Lyra’s wrist, but the grip didn’t loosen.

Lyra dragged her forward with ease, her boots scraping against the floor. The rest of the group stood frozen, fear locking their bodies. None of them dared to move.

When they reached the entrance of the first stage, Lyra threw her inside.

The girl hit the ground hard and rolled.

”The light is green,” Freed said, glancing at the signal ahead.

”She’s fine,” Felix murmured, his eyes narrowing slightly, already deep in thought.

Lyra turned back sharply.

”What are you fools waiting for?” she snapped, glaring at the remaining three. ”Go join her.”

They didn’t hesitate.

They ran.

Inside the stage, the girl pushed herself up, breathing hard.

”Are you alright?” one of the boys asked urgently.

”I’m fine,” she said, forcing herself steady as she brushed dirt from her clothes.

She enhanced her sight with Cognis, eyes narrowing as she focused on the lights ahead.

”Green... light?” she muttered, confusion creeping in.

Then...

The light turned red.

Her body reacted before her mind could.

She froze.

”S...” She tried to speak, but her throat locked. A crushing wave of killing intent pressed down on her, stealing her voice.

The others didn’t understand.

They moved.

Gunfire erupted.

One skull burst apart. Another body collapsed. Flesh and blood scattered across the floor as bullets tore through them one by one.

She didn’t move.

She couldn’t.

Blood splashed against her legs. Pieces of bodies slid across the ground. The smell hit her a second later.

Felix watched quietly.

Understanding dawned in his eyes.

”This is going to be fun,” he said.

And then...

He laughed.