Last Gun Alchemist

”Good morning, all my Students of Royal.”

A male voice echoed loudly across the Academy grounds.

It was already past nine in the morning, yet the Academy looked slightly emptier than usual. The walkways weren’t completely deserted though, but there were fewer students moving between the buildings compared to an ordinary school day.

”Yeah... it’s the News Club back again, bringing you today’s news.”

A female voice smoothly followed her male partner.

The broadcast continued through the Academy’s public sound system, carrying across the open grounds and into the different buildings.

”First of all, how are your club activity preparations going?”

The male newscaster took over again.

At one of the nearby pavilions, several students sat together while drinking tea and listening to the broadcast. Some were discussing their own club activities, while others were simply enjoying the quiet morning before their next lessons.

”Well, we have the whole three weeks for full preparations for the upcoming Club Tournament.”

The female newscaster spoke with an excited tone.

”Some of you are going to be the stars for your clubs.”

The male newscaster continued calmly.

Across the Academy, students were already busy preparing for the upcoming tournament.

At the Music Heavens Club, Selena stood inside the main music studio, leading the group through the score they were practicing.

Her fingers moved with the rhythm as she guided the others through the piece, keeping her attention on the music while the other members followed her lead.

The Professor of the club and the other members watched the performance with warm expressions.

The sound of the instruments filled the studio while the News Club’s broadcast continued outside, as the same broadcast traveled through the walkways and hallways of the Mix Arena.

It wasn’t limited to the first-year students.

Because this was the general News Club team, which provided news for the entire Academy.

So, every year could hear it.

”Some of you are working hard on bringing scrap into beautiful working inventions, while some of you are training hard in your sports activities.”

The female newscaster continued calmly.

On one of the Mix Arena training tracks, Veda ran with all his strength.

His breathing had already become heavier, but he didn’t slow down.

Ahead of him, Ravenor was already several steps in front.

Veda’s eyes narrowed as he tried to catch up.

He had managed to take second place, leaving most of the other runners behind through their natural physical speed rather than Cognis enhancement.

His shoes struck the track repeatedly as he maintained his pace.

Ravenor didn’t look back.

He simply continued running.

The distance between them remained small enough for Veda to see him clearly, but large enough that catching him would still take effort.

Elsewhere, inside the Royal IQ Club...

Willow sat calmly before a chessboard.

Across from her sat Sasha, who was her opponent.

The pieces were spread across the board between them.

Sasha had a smirk on her face despite the fact that she was the one currently losing.

Willow stared at the board with a serious expression without saying anything.

She already knew Sasha still had another move hidden somewhere.

That was why her own next move mattered.

If Willow made the wrong move, Sasha would get the opening she had been waiting for.

So, she carefully considered the board before moving her hand toward one of her pieces.

The broadcast continued across the Academy.

”And finally, to those who will be risking their lives for the sake of their club activities...”

The female newscaster’s voice became calmer.

”Please come back safe.”

Both newscasters said together.

Their voices echoed across the Academy grounds before the broadcast moved on to the main news.

However, inside the Steam-Bus that was carrying Ezra and his group toward their destination, the students couldn’t hear everything.

The sound of the steam engine and the movement of the vehicle drowned out most of the broadcast.

Especially now that they had arrived at the Gates of the Black Zone.

***

The Academy’s Black Zone had been created for one purpose.

To give the students of Royal a training experience against monsters of different strengths.

Unlike the normal forest training ground, the Black Zone possessed numerous forest ecosystems designed to accommodate different types of Monster species.

Over the years, monsters had been gathered and bred inside the massive training area.

Because of that, the Black Zone had eventually become one of the most heavily infested Monster locations in Britannia.

Yet despite the number of monsters living inside it, the area remained heavily guarded.

The strongest Alchemists of Royal Academy protected the zone, while high-quality ores had been used to construct its walls and defensive systems.

The entire place had been designed to remain properly sealed.

Only students and Academy personnel were allowed inside when the Black Zone was being used for training.

But the walls only protected the outside.

Once a student entered the Black Zone, the situation became different.

Inside those walls, the students were responsible for protecting themselves.

That was why the Academy had added Spatial Circles throughout the zone.

The circles could send students directly toward the habitat of their assigned target Monster, reducing the amount of time they needed to travel through the dangerous areas.

Spatial Scrolls were also provided for their return.

Because of these systems, the number of student deaths had been greatly reduced.

But the danger had never disappeared completely.

If the students were prepared, they could survive.

If they weren’t...

The Black Zone wouldn’t care.

The Steam-Bus finally came to a stop at the parking lot.

The sound of its engine gradually faded as the vehicle settled into place.

The doors opened.

The students began walking out.

Ezra stepped down from the Steam-Bus and stretched both arms above his head.

His eyes then moved upward.

The first thing he saw was the wall.

It towered above the surrounding area, stretching so high that it seemed to reach into the sky.

Its dark surface was reinforced with layers of defensive materials, giving the entire structure a heavy feeling.

Ezra stared at it for a moment.

”Damn.”

Cyrus walked out behind him.

He also looked up.

His head tilted farther backward as he tried to see the top of the enormous wall.

”That’s really big. It’s almost as big as the Force Towers.”

Maxwell stepped down from the Steam-Bus as well.

He looked toward the wall with a calm expression.

”Really big” didn’t seem like enough to describe it.

Other students from different clubs were also arriving at the Black Zone.

Their groups gathered around the parking lot before being guided toward the Academy’s Black Zone office.

Each club had its own activity to complete.

One of the groups Ezra recognized was the Geographical Club, because Nate was among the students moving with them.

When Nate noticed Ezra and Cyrus, he raised his hand and waved.

Ezra gave him a small nod.

Cyrus waved back.

Nate then followed his group toward the office where the Academy Guards were directing the students.

Ezra and his group followed shortly afterward.

The inside of the Black Zone’s administrative grounds was much larger than Ezra had expected.

Different groups were being directed toward different areas.

The Academy Guards moved between them, checking their documents and making sure every student went to the correct location.

Eventually, Ezra was separated from Cyrus.

Cyrus followed his own group while Ezra continued with Diane and the others toward another section of the large office grounds.

A receptionist stood near one of the entrances.

”Please make your way into this numbered room.”

She handed Jeremy a card with the number of the office they were supposed to enter.

Jeremy accepted it.

”Alright, everyone, let’s go.”

He led the group forward.

Diane walked calmly behind him, her eyes moving across the facility.

She plainly examined the walls, the security systems, and the guards stationed around the area.

But Emily wasn’t nearly as calm.

”This place looks really scary.”

She said quietly.

Her eyes moved around the hallway.

Several guards stood along the walls.

They were silent, their faces expressionless as they watched the students pass.

Emily’s gaze remained on them for a few seconds.

She didn’t like the way they stood there.

They looked as though nothing surprised them anymore.

”You’re always scared of the little things.”

Agnes scolded her.

She sounded annoyed that Emily was already frightened despite the fact that they hadn’t even entered the Black Zone yet.

Emily glanced at her.

”I’m not scared.”

”You are.”

”I am not.”

Agnes simply looked at her getting more and more annoyed.

Emily went quiet.

The group continued walking.

Eventually, they reached an elevator.

Jeremy pressed the button, and the doors opened.

Everyone stepped inside.

The elevator carried them upward until they reached the fourth floor.

The doors opened again.

The group stepped into another quiet hallway.

After following the receptionist’s directions, they finally reached the office assigned to them.

Inside, the atmosphere immediately became more serious.

A staff member sat behind a desk.

Several documents were already prepared.

The group was told what they needed to do before entering the Black Zone.

One of those documents was the death warrant.

The students had to sign it before they were allowed to enter.

Ezra picked up the document.

His eyes moved over the words.

He understood exactly what signing it meant.

The Academy was not promising that they would return.

They were entering a place where the responsibility for their survival ultimately belonged to them.

Ezra calmly signed his name.

His expression didn’t change.

He handed the document back to the staff member.

The others followed.

Some signed without hesitation.

Others stared at the document for longer before finally writing their names.

Emily’s fingers shook slightly as she held the pen.

She took a breath before signing.

Jeremy remained serious.

Agnes looked calm.

Diane simply completed the process without saying anything.

While Samuel and Hugh, signed with serious expressions too.

Once everyone had finished, the staff member collected the documents.

”I wish you students luck, and may the Scholars be with you.”

He said warmly.

He then handed each student an Alchemy Scroll.

Additional Space Bags were also provided.

They contained food and water for each member of the group.

The students accepted their supplies and checked them before preparing to leave.

Jeremy looked around.

”Everyone ready?”

The others nodded.

The staff member walked toward a control panel beside the Alchemy Spatial Circle.

He placed his hand against the switch.

Then he pulled it down.

Click.

The Alchemy Spatial Circle immediately activated.

Violet lightning burst from the system.

It flowed through the drawn Alchemy Circle like water rushing through a channel, following every line of the formation before connecting the entire system together.

The light grew stronger.

The air around the group began to distort.

The students could feel the Spatial Alchemy pulling at their bodies.

Their clothes moved from the pressure.

Loose strands of hair lifted.

The temperature around them seemed to shift as the Spatial Circle continued gathering power.

Everyone looked down at the glowing formation beneath their feet.

Ezra remained completely relaxed.

Diane was the same.

Her half-closed eyes barely changed as the violet light spread around her.

Emily, however, immediately clasped her hands together.

”Please...”

She began praying under her breath.

”Please let us come back safely.”

Samuel joined her.

Hugh also lowered his head.

Even Jeremy, who had been trying to keep a calm appearance since they arrived, quietly prayed.

Agnes tightened her hands slightly.

Her eyes remained fixed on the glowing Spatial Circle.

The violet light continued growing brighter.

The edges of their bodies began disappearing into the light as the Spatial Alchemy took effect.

One by one, the students were consumed by the formation.

The final thing Ezra saw before the Spatial Circle completed its function was the office slowly disappearing behind the violet glow.

Then...

Space shifted.

The group vanished.

***

Far away...

Back at the Mix Arena.

Vera sat inside the Craft & Research Seekers laboratory.

A pair of glasses rested neatly on her face as she looked through several schematics.

Her eyes moved slowly across the information.

One page.

Then another.

Her fingers adjusted the corner of the paper before she continued reading.

The laboratory around her remained busy.

Students worked at their tables, while the occasional sound of equipment operating filled the room.

Vera eventually stopped.

Her eyes shifted toward the clock.

She stared at it for a few seconds.

They must have left already.

Her expression remained plain.

There was no obvious worry on her face, and she didn’t make any dramatic reaction.

She simply looked at the time, understood what it meant, and returned her attention to the schematics in front of her.

Her glasses caught the light from the laboratory lamps as she lowered her head.

The Black Zone was already far away.

Ezra and the others had already begun their journey.

Vera knew she couldn’t do anything about it now.

So, she continued working.

For the moment, that was all she could do.