Last Gun Alchemist

Morning came again at the Trial base.

For Ezra, the routine did not change.

He jogged around the training yard with a five-hundred-kilogram sandbag tied to his waist with a thick rope. The weight dragged across the ground behind him, leaving long marks in the sand each time he moved.

He wore his usual training clothes — a long pair of trousers, a cardigan, gloves, and a head warmer cap pulled low over his eye brows.

Each step made the rope tighten around his waist.

His breathing stayed steady.

Other children in the yard occasionally stopped their training to look at him. Some stared in disbelief, others whispered to themselves, but Ezra ignored all of them and continued running.

Hours later, he finally stopped, sweat soaked through his clothes. He returned to his room to shower.

The battle to shower was always life-threatening for him, because he had to face his worst enemy.

Cold water.

The moment the water hit his body; Ezra clenched his teeth. It always felt like being stabbed by thousands of tiny needles.

Still, he endured it.

When he finished, he changed into the standard clothes given to all the children and headed toward the cafeteria.

The cafeteria was crowded, children sat together in groups, eating and talking loudly. The sound of utensils hitting plates echoed across the room.

Almost nobody sat alone.

With the sole exception of Ezra, of course.

He was about to eat quietly at the corner of the table. Suddenly, the stone speaker in the cafeteria squeaked.

Then a female guard’s voice echoed through it.

”Children of Ashenlocke!”

The room slowly grew quiet.

”Make your way to the Hall immediately to check your ranking.”

”Those whose ranks have changed should update their ranking badges.”

The announcement ended as abruptly as it began.

The voice echoed again from the other stone speakers mounted around the buildings of the Trial base.

Immediately, the cafeteria erupted into murmurs.

Many things had happened during the previous trials, so everyone knew there would be surprises in the ranking.

”Let’s go quickly!” a girl said excitedly while grabbing her friend’s hand.

”Yeah!”

Groups began rushing toward the exit.

Ezra finished his meal, stood up calmly, and followed the crowd.

When he arrived at the hall, the noise was overwhelming.

Some people looked disappointed because their names had not appeared on the ranking list again, others looked frustrated because their ranks had dropped.

Meanwhile, a few people celebrated loudly because their ranks had increased.

Ezra glanced at the board.

His name appeared.

Rank 19.

Originally, he had been ranked 17th, but now it had dropped, he wasn’t surprised. Still, a small annoyance rose inside him.

That meant he would have to endure Mr. Cold Water yet again.

He sighed.

***

Former Ranking

1st. Felix Ashenlocke

2nd. Veda Ashenlocke

3rd. Vera Ashenlocke

4th. Gareth Ashenlocke

5th. Page Laverdale (Count)

6th. Henry Ashenlocke

7th. Nate Ashenlocke

8th. Priscilla Ashenlocke

9th. Nickolas Balor (Count)

10th. Lyra Ashburn (Count)

11th. Bale Ashenlocke

12th. Nina Ashenlocke

13th. Freed Ashenlocke

14th. Zack Ashenlocke

15th. Linda Balor (Count)

16th. Callum Ashforge (Viscount)

17th. Zara Ashenlocke (Baron Sterling)

18th. Cedric Ashenlocke

19th. Pamela Ashenlocke

20th. Bess Ashforge (Viscount)

New Ranking

1st. Veda Ashenlocke

2nd. Felix Ashenlocke

3rd. Vera Ashenlocke

4th. Gareth Ashenlocke

5th. Henry Ashenlocke

6th. Nate Ashenlocke

7th. Priscilla Ashenlocke

8th. Page Laverdale (Count)

9th. Nickolas Balor (Count)

10th. Lyra Ashburn (Count)

11th. Bale Ashenlocke

12th. Nina Ashenlocke

13th. Bess Ashforge (Viscount)

14th. Cedric Ashenlocke

15th. Linda Balor (Count)

16th. Freed Ashenlocke

17th. Keith Balor (Count)

18th. Zack Ashenlocke

19th. Zara Ashenlocke (Baron Sterling)

20th. Spence Laverdale (Count)

***

”My rank dropped, huh,” Ezra murmured quietly.

Around him, whispers and cheers filled the hall.

”Finally! Sir Veda is ranked first!” Linda shouted happily while raising her hand.

Members of Veda’s group gathered around him and celebrated loudly.

”At least he’s one step ahead of the competition now,” Nickolas said while turning toward Veda.

Veda scratched the back of his head awkwardly.

”Well... I couldn’t have done it without you guys,” he said with a soft smile.

”No way!” one of the girls from his fourth-trial team stepped forward.

”You were unstoppable during the fourth trial!” she said while waving her hands dramatically.

The group laughed happily.

”My rank stayed the same,” Nickolas sighed.

”Don’t worry,” Veda said as he placed a hand on Nickolas’s shoulder. ”You’re capable of ranking higher than ninth. Just keep working hard.”

Nickolas let out a small sigh but nodded.

Veda’s eyes shifted toward the large ranking screen hanging on the wall of the hall. The glowing letters reflected faintly in his pupils.

”Although...” he added slowly, ”I really wonder how they calculate these rankings.”

A slight trace of annoyance appeared on his face.

He was certain of one thing.

There was no way Ezra’s rank should have dropped after what had happened in the Fourth Trial.

”I knew he was just a fraud,” Linda suddenly said.

She turned her head and looked directly at Ezra, who stood not far from the group.

Her voice was loud enough for him to hear.

A smug smile spread across her face.

”All the way from seventeenth to nineteenth. Pathetic.”

She chuckled.

Some of the highlines standing beside her laughed along with her, clearly pleased to see Ezra’s rank fall.

Ezra didn’t react.

Not even a little.

It’s not like he had already expected his rank to drop, but he didn’t see the need to be worried.

Instead of thinking about Linda’s words, he was focused on something else entirely.

How exactly are they ranking us?

If he could figure out the method they used, then he might be able to manipulate the system to his advantage.

Ezra exhaled slowly.

”Thinking about it is quite difficult,” he muttered quietly to himself as he folded his arms.

On the other side of the hall, Felix’s group looked far less cheerful.

Page clenched her fists tightly.

”I can’t believe some random lowline passed me,” she said through gritted teeth.

Her irritation was obvious.

”And that bitch Lady Priscilla is ahead of me now.”

She tightened her fists even harder.

Meanwhile, Freed looked like his world had collapsed.

”My rank dropped... my rank dropped...”

He slowly knelt on the floor as if his legs had lost all strength.

”My rank actually dropped...”

He stared at the ranking board like someone who had just witnessed something impossible.

Felix sat quietly in his chair.

His eyes were fixed on the ranking screen.

Specifically, on the name Veda Ashenlocke, which now stood above his own.

His fingers slowly tightened around the armrest of the chair.

Damn it, damn it, damn it, damn it.

The thoughts repeated endlessly inside his head.

Suddenly, Felix stood up.

Without saying a single word, he turned and walked out of the hall.

His face was twisted with barely restrained rage.

Gareth glanced once at the ranking board before following behind him.

The rest of their group moved after them in silence.

Lyra remained where she was for a moment.

Her expression wasn’t angry because of her rank.

Instead, she was still irritated about something else.

She had lost badly to Veda and ever since then, Page had not stopped mocking her about it.

Her fingers tightened slightly into a fist before she finally turned and left.

On the other side of the hall, Priscilla’s group and Henry’s group were celebrating loudly.

Priscilla looked pleased.

Even though her rank had only moved up by one position, she still felt satisfied.

It felt like a small step forward.

Nate, however, didn’t look as happy.

He had wanted to rise higher than sixth place.

Still, the fact that his rank had increased at all was enough to calm his frustration a little.

As for Henry’s group, they were especially joyful.

Not only had their leader climbed to fifth place, but several of their stronger members had also entered the ranking list.

Bess, Cedric, and Spence.

Their names now appeared on the board, shining under the holographical light of the ranking displayed on the board.

They gathered around Henry and congratulated each other loudly.

Compared to the others, Bale’s group was far quieter.

They were the smallest group among the factions gathered in the hall.

Their leader’s rank had not changed at all.

The only real improvement was that Keith, the vice leader, had finally entered the ranking list.

Even so, the group didn’t look lost in thought, they talked amongst themselves congratulating Keith and Bale and later left the hall together a bit cheerful.

Vera’s group stood together, but the atmosphere around them felt heavy.

Not only had the news of Cale, Nile, and Jimmy’s deaths reached them, but several other things had shaken the group as well. Pamela had dropped in rank and since returning she had not been herself. She barely spoke and kept staring at nothing whenever someone tried to talk to her. Zack’s rank had also dropped, which made him unusually quiet. Nathalia completely shut down after hearing of her best friend’s death, crying almost all the time even now she was barely holding herself from breaking down again.

Only Nina and Vera had remained unchanged in the rankings, because of that, the group now looked strangely unbalanced.

Some members whispered quietly among themselves, others simply stood there with their arms folded, staring at the ranking board like it had personally offended them. A few of the newer members looked frightened.

For them, the deaths of Cale, Nile, and Jimmy were the first real reminder that the Trials were not a competition... but a battlefield.

No one laughed.

No one spoke loudly.

The lively energy that Vera’s group normally had was gone.

It was like someone had poured cold water over them.

Of course, Vera would not allow that atmosphere to remain for long.

She stared at her group.

Her gaze moved slowly from one face to another.

”You guys,” she said.

Her voice cut through their quiet murmurs.

”What is with all the sulking?”

Everyone turned to look at her.

”Are we still mourning the dead...”

She tilted her head slightly.

”...or the fact that some of our strongest ranks dropped?”

The question made several of them freeze.

They looked at each other, some lowered their heads, others frowned.

None of them were sure which answer was correct.

”Well,” Vera continued while folding her arms across her chest, ”honestly all of that should be shoved into the past.”

She paused.

”You know why?”

Her eyes narrowed slightly.

”Does anyone want to tell me why?”

She tilted her head again.

For a moment no one answered.

Then...

”Because there are still five more trials to go!”

Nina suddenly shouted while raising her hand high into the air.

Vera looked at her.

Then she smiled.

”Nice answer.”

She reached over and rubbed Nina’s hair.

Nina smiled brightly, clearly pleased, and let out a small giggle without even realizing it.

Vera turned back to the rest of the group.

”We only have five more trials left,” she said calmly.

She paused for a moment.

”And that is more than enough time for me to stand at the top.”

Her eyes moved across every member of the group.

”You guys shouldn’t worry about what happens to the others in this group.”

”You should focus on your leader.”

She tapped her own chest with a finger.

”Because at the end of the day...”

”...that’s all that matters.”

Some of the members blinked in surprise.

Vera continued speaking without hesitation.

”I will lead you to the top and I will protect every one of you.”

Her tone remained calm, but her words carried weight.

”My words may not sound sweet or pretty,” she added, ”but I never take them back.”

”If anyone hurts this group...”

Her eyes sharpened.

”...they will pay for it.”

”As long as I am here.”

The tension in the air shifted slightly.

Some of the members straightened their backs.

”And as long as you continue to believe in me,” Vera said, her voice softening a little, ”we will all survive this hellhole.”

She spread her hands slightly.

”So, smile.”

Her lips curved upward.

”Because we made it into another day.”

The moment she smiled, the mood around the group changed.

The tension that had been weighing on them seemed to loosen.

It felt almost like soft sakura petals drifting through the air, brushing gently past their shoulders.

Several members let out small breaths they didn’t realize they had been holding.

Their shoulders relaxed.

Some even smiled faintly.

The heaviness that had been pressing on their hearts slowly faded.

They felt relieved.

After the commotion inside the hall settled down, the ranked participants were called back to complete the usual procedures.

Those who had been removed from the ranking list returned their rank badges and silver or gold cards.

Those whose ranks had changed stepped forward to exchange their badges.

The hall guards moved methodically through the process.

The points distribution remained the same as usual.

Then another announcement echoed through the hall.

Tomorrow, the information regarding the Fifth Trial will be revealed.

The moment those words spread across the crowd; the pressure returned immediately.

The next trial was coming quickly.

Too quickly.

Many of the children exchanged uneasy looks.

The Trials never allowed them much time to rest.

After everything finished, the crowd slowly began to disperse, some returned to their training grounds.

Others walked back toward their dormitories.

Some gathered in small groups to talk quietly about the next trial.

”Hey!”

Ezra raised his hand and waved.

Gena had been walking slowly toward the exit of the hall.

When she saw him, she hesitated.

For a moment it looked like she might turn around and walk the other way, but after a few seconds, she forced herself to walk toward him.

”Ah...”

She flinched slightly.

”Ezra.”

She couldn’t look directly into his eyes.

”I was actually planning to look for you,” Ezra said calmly. ”I wanted to ask if you had discovered any new information I should know about.”

Gena stared at him for a moment.

Then suddenly...

Tears began to fall from her eyes.

”Thank God...”

She quickly rubbed her eyes with her sleeves.

Ezra looked at her, confused.

”I thought you didn’t want to see me again,” she said as her voice trembled.

She continued crying.

”After I heard what happened to your group... and how they blamed you for Aliya’s death...”

”I thought you would completely isolate yourself.”

”And forget about our deal.”

Her voice cracked.

”Maybe because I’m so useless that I... that I...”

She began crying louder.

”Hey.”

Ezra looked around briefly.

”You know people can hear you, right?”

”I know that,” Gena replied while wiping her face, ”but, but I was scared you abandoned me.”

Ezra rubbed his forehead.

”Ahhh...”

He let out a slow breath.

”Why don’t we go eat first? I wasn’t able to eat because of the sudden announcement.”

”My treat.”

”Really?”

Gena immediately stopped crying.

She quickly wiped her tears away.

”Can I pick the type of food?”

She looked at him with hopeful eyes.

”No.”

Ezra narrowed his eyes slightly.

”Tsk.” She turned her face away while clicking her tongue.

”Stingy.”

Ezra didn’t reply.

He simply turned and began walking toward the cafeteria.

Behind him, Gena stood still for a moment.

She wiped the last of her tears away.

Then a small smile appeared on her face.

Ezra is still normal.

She thought about it for a moment.

Then she hurried after him, running lightly to catch up.