Last Gun Alchemist

Vera sat down in her seat in the first-year section of the arena, her posture relaxed as she settled back into the chair.

The noise from the arena still hadn’t completely died down after her fight with Gareth.

Around her, the first-year students were still talking about what they had just witnessed, while the enormous crowd beyond their section remained focused on the stage. The atmosphere had changed now that the next match was about to begin.

”Lady Vera, you were flawless as always.”

Nina leaned toward Vera, her sparkling eyes filled with excitement.

”You went whoosh... I couldn’t even see where you were until you appeared sitting on that idiot Gareth’s back.”

Her hands moved as she spoke, almost as if she were trying to imitate Vera’s movement herself.

”It’s my first time in a long while seeing Gareth get beaten so badly that he couldn’t do anything about it.”

Zack spoke calmly while adjusting his glasses with his index finger.

His tone was much more controlled than Nina’s, but the faint look on his face showed that even he had been impressed by what had happened.

”And it has always been our lady that beats him like a rag doll every time.”

Nina chuckled mockingly.

She was clearly enjoying the fact that Gareth had been beaten so badly.

Vera didn’t respond immediately.

Instead, she remained seated while the arena around them gradually became quieter.

”THREE!”

Hundreds of thousands of people around the arena began the countdown.

The sound came from every direction, with countless voices merging into one massive roar that shook the seats beneath them.

Vera lifted one hand toward Nina, who was still talking excitedly.

”Quiet down.”

She said it softly.

Her hand settled gently on Nina’s hair for a moment.

”The match is starting.”

Vera didn’t even turn to look at Nina.

Her face remained calm, and her dull black eyes stayed locked on the stage, where the crowd’s cheers were already growing louder for one of the fighters.

Veda, who was seated a bit farther than where his Twin Sister and her group sat, also adjusted his seating posture.

His body leaned slightly forward as his attention settled on the stage.

He was genuinely interested in seeing who would actually win between Nate and Ezra.

It was the same for Linda, Tracy, and Nickolas who was leaning on Celestina’s shoulder while his eyes were glued on the platform.

”One boy with an uncertain background.”

Princess Stella Aethelmont spoke with an amused expression.

She sat beside a column three rows behind where Vera was seated, with Prince Charles Aethelmont, Phiora Casper, Kane Casper, and several first-years who were sons and daughters of members of the Royal workers sitting in the same area.

Everyone waited calmly for the match to begin, with anticipation in their eyes.

”TWO!”

The crowd continued the countdown.

”And the other... a Lowline who suddenly sprang into the craft world of the kingdom, making waves with his amazing invention.”

Stella looked toward Ezra with clear interest.

”Didn’t you say you tried to get close to him already?”

Phiora asked while looking at the Princess.

”I did.”

Stella leaned back in her seat and let out a small sigh.

”But he didn’t even make use of the opportunity I gave him. Like, who doesn’t want to get close to a princess?”

She clicked her tongue.

The irritation on her face became more noticeable as she thought about how Ezra hadn’t made any effort to get to know her, even after she had already told him that she would like them to become closer.

Kane Casper quietly glanced at his step-sister before looking back toward the Princess.

Having the opportunity to be in the same club as Ezra, Kane already understood how typical this was for Ezra to act.

Back on the stage...

”ONE!”

The voices of hundreds of thousands of people screaming the same word echoed brightly through the arena.

The excitement surrounding the upcoming fight seemed to spread through the entire crowd, with people leaning forward in their seats and others already shouting the names of the two fighters.

Nate remained relaxed.

His body showed no obvious tension, but his eyes were moving over Ezra from head to toe.

He was observing him carefully, looking for any small change in movement, any shift in posture, and even any direction in which Ezra’s gaze might turn.

Nate could see some movement.

But none of it gave him enough information to assume what Ezra would do once the fight began.

Ezra was doing the same thing.

His eyes remained on Nate, and he immediately noticed that Nate was observing him.

And he also knew...

Nate couldn’t gain anything from his observation.

”BEGIN!!”

The crowd shouted at once, cheers erupting throughout the arena.

Some people also shouted Ezra Ashenlocke’s name, while others also shouted Nate Ashenlocke’s name at the same time.

The sound of the two names mixed together until it became difficult to tell which side of the arena was louder.

Among the two...

One would make people broke for a while, and the other would make people rich for a while.

At least, that was the case for those participating in the Betting System of the Combat Festival.

Immediately after the word was shouted, both Gun Alchemists moved their hands toward their Space Bags.

There was no hesitation in either movement.

Cognis passed through Ezra’s hand and into the circuit system of the black glove.

The white Cognis moved through the glove’s circuit system as Ezra prepared to use its magnetic function.

At the same time, Nate’s hand emerged from his Space Bag with his weapon already in position.

The moment both Gun Alchemists took out their hands...

Ezra threw the handgun he had taken out.

He enhanced his arm strength with Cognis, increasing the force behind the throw, while the repelling force of the Black Magnetic Glove activated at the same time.

The effect combined with the strength of his throw and sent the gun moving rapidly through the air toward Nate.

Bang!

Nate reacted immediately.

He swung the Long Revolver he had just brought out from his Space Bag.

The weapon moved across the path of the incoming handgun and struck it away before Ezra’s attack could reach him.

The handgun was knocked off course, spinning through the air before moving away from Nate’s position.

At the same time, the same conclusion appeared in the minds of both Gun Alchemists.

It worked.

Nate’s expression became faintly pleased.

While in Ezra’s mind...

So, he did prepare a measure against my Magnetic Glove.

Ezra had already guessed that Nate must have done something to the guns he was using and going to use during this fight, and this exchange had now confirmed it.

With the effects of Ezra’s Black Magnetic Gloves going wild on Skynet, the weapon had already become one of the major talking points among the analyzing programs when the conversation of Ezra Ashenlocke versus Nate Ashenlocke began.

The fact that both first-years were Gun Alchemists which means they would be making use of metallic material for their Gun Alchemy ignition and that made the Black Magnetic Gloves an important part of the discussion.

Many people believed Ezra would have the upper hand because of them.

But now...

A few people in the crowd, along with those watching the live broadcast who understood what it meant for Nate to effortlessly smack away Ezra’s gun despite the magnetic thread attached to it being able to conduct the Magnetic force of Polarity Lock on Nate’s gun, immediately realized that this battle wouldn’t be as simple as they had expected.

The first exchange had already changed the way they looked at the match.

For the two Gun Alchemists, however, it meant something else entirely.

Nate had used that moment to show Ezra that his main invention wouldn’t work on his guns.

Ezra had used the same action to confirm that Nate had already created a countermeasure against the magnetic functions.

To the two Gun Alchemists...

This was only a turning point in their fight.

Bang!

Bang!

Bang!

Nate moved fluidly.

His free hand reached into his Space Bag and pulled out a Colt 1911 with an extended magazine.

The moment the handgun appeared, he raised it toward Ezra’s shoulders.

His aim was precise.

Bang!

The first bullet shot toward Ezra.

Ezra immediately passed Cognis into the Black Magnetic Glove, switching its force from repulsion to attraction.

The magnetic force changed at once.

Ezra shifted his body with quick steps to the side, moving his upper body away from the incoming bullet while keeping his balance beneath him.

At the same time, the attraction force of the glove pulled the handgun toward him.

Ezra used the movement to catch the weapon.

His hand closed around it, and he raised the gun without wasting time.

Bang!

Bang!

He fired accurately at the other incoming bullets.

The shots met the incoming rounds, knocking them away from their original paths.

The bullets fell onto the ground between the two boys, their metal bodies bent against one another.

For a brief moment, both Gun Alchemists stood facing each other with the spent bullets scattered between them.

Then Nate moved.

He dashed toward Ezra’s front with speed, closing the distance before Ezra could simply remain at range.

His Long Revolver rose in his hand.

Rather than firing immediately, Nate moved the muzzle forward like a thrust, directing it toward Ezra’s face.

Ezra reacted.

He tilted his body sharply to the left while bringing the Kel-Tec PMR-30 across his body.

The handgun struck against Nate’s Long Revolver, redirecting its muzzle toward the right before...

Bang!

Nate pulled the trigger.

The sound of the gunshot echoed between the two boys.

Ezra immediately moved his other hand toward his Space Bag and took out his Glock 19.

Nate also moved his Colt 1911 at the same time.

Bang!

Bang!

The muzzles of both boys’ handguns were redirected upward before they fired their guns, as their bodies clashed on each other.