Last Gun Alchemist

Around evening, before the seventh round of the Combat Festival began the next day, a quiet discussion was taking place inside the Guest House assigned to the Count House Evergrey as their residence.

Grace, Grant, several other Mainline and Highline children, three Elders of the Evergrey House, two High-board members, and Countess Henriette were gathered in the study.

The room wasn’t especially noisy despite the number of people inside it.

Several holographic screens floated above the long table, each displaying different recordings from the Combat Festival. The light from the screens reflected across the polished wooden furniture and the faces of the people watching.

Most of the screens were showing the same person.

Vera Ashenlocke.

Louis Evergrey sat calmly at the study table belonging to his parents’ assigned guest room, his eyes fixed on the recordings.

The scene currently playing showed Vera fighting during one of her earlier matches.

Her movements were so fast that even when the recording was slowed down, some parts were difficult to follow.

”How is she able to move this fast?”

Countess Henriette pressed the glass remote in her hand.

The holographic screens brightened before the recording suddenly paused.

Vera’s figure remained frozen in the air on one of the screens.

Henriette turned toward the Elders and High-board members.

Every person in the room was a high-ranking Alchemist, and yet none of them immediately answered.

Even one of the strongest Gun Alchemist soldiers of the Evergrey House stood with his arms folded, his eyes narrowed slightly as he studied the frozen image.

Silence settled over the study.

They weren’t watching the recording as spectators.

They were analyzing it.

”Don’t the Ashenlockes use the Steel Sutra?”

Hannan Greyford, who was standing beside Louis, raised a hand slightly as she asked.

Louis nodded.

”The Steel Dragon Arts, which focuses on absorbing impacts, then reversing them into a counter. Then there is the Steel Snake Arts, which focuses on fluid body movement, rapid changes in direction, unpredictable attacks, and exploiting weaknesses.”

His explanation was calm, almost like he was reciting something he had studied many times.

He then lazily pointed toward Vera’s frozen image.

”From that explanation, we can easily guess that Vera uses the Steel Snake Art to a good level of mastery.”

The Evergrey Gun Alchemist soldier looked at the image for another moment.

”But the afterimage, or clone-like image, that you can see her use against that child of Ash doesn’t have anything to do with the Steel Sutra.”

His expression became more serious.

”I have faced Reggie Ashenlocke, who is known to be the best in hand-to-hand combat, only behind Val Ashenlocke and the Duke of Ash himself. I can tell you clearly...”

He paused.

”This speed art isn’t something I have seen before.”

His words made the room even quieter.

The man speaking had fought Reggie Ashenlocke before.

One of Ashenlocke’s top Gun Alchemists.

The man speaking wasn’t some inexperienced Alchemist trying to understand a technique after seeing it once on a screen. He had enough experience to recognize the movement of an Ashenlocke.

And yet Vera’s movement was something even he couldn’t identify.

”And the main issue is the fact that I can’t sense any Cognis being utilized by Lady Vera Ashenlocke to increase her speed.”

One of the Elders shook his head.

There was a trace of frustration on his face.

For someone who had spent decades studying Alchemy and combat, being unable to read the movements of a young Alchemist wasn’t a pleasant feeling.

”Tsk.”

Countess Henriette clicked her tongue.

She had been hoping someone in the room would be able to give her a proper breakdown of Vera’s instant speed, but the discussion had only confirmed how difficult the technique was to understand.

”But why are we focused on Lady Vera Ashenlocke’s speed when it should be about the possible firearms she would use against Grace?”

Grant Evergrey asked, his expression showing a little confusion.

Grace Evergrey answered before anyone else could.

”That’s because Lady Vera Ashenlocke would never use her Gun Alchemy against me.”

Her voice was calm.

She looked at Vera’s image on the screen.

”It would be her way of showing dominance, of being a Genius of Ash, and also showing the whole Britannia why the Ashenlockes are the Duke House following the path of Gun Alchemy.”

She understood the meaning behind Vera’s decision.

This wasn’t simply another fight.

The two families had been competing for influence and recognition for a few years.

”If it was another noble...”

The second Elder in the room spoke honestly.

”I would have said that confidence would be their downfall, but this is Vera Ashenlocke we are talking about.”

Her gaze remained on the screen.

”She is already known to be very talented from a young age and has grown even stronger. Even her useless twin brother is now someone of incredible strength.”

The Elder paused for a moment.

She wasn’t able to deny the strength of the V-Twins of Ash.

”But since Grace has that gun with her, she should be able to catch Vera off guard.”

Countess Henriette looked toward her daughter.

”I will do my best.”

Grace stood up.

Her chair moved slightly across the floor as she straightened herself.

There was no fear in her expression now.

”Don’t let the thought of facing Vera Ashenlocke scare you, Grace, and don’t get overwhelmed by the noise of the people supporting her either.”

Louis looked at his sister calmly.

”Go onto that platform and prove to the people why the Evergrey’s aren’t to be underestimated. And even if you can’t win...”

His eyes became slightly more serious.

”Make Vera work for the win.”

Grace nodded.

She took a slow breath.

Her hands tightened for a moment before relaxing again.

There was no fear or nervousness on her face now over the thought of facing Vera Ashenlocke.

She was ready.

***

Back to the present, before the last word to commence the fight was said...

There is a saying.

Courage is easy in theory, but never in reality.

The enormous Arena was filled with the voices of hundreds of thousands of spectators, and the sound seemed to press down from every direction.

The stands were packed.

Royal Academy students of different years leaned over the railings, noble families watched from their designated sections, and countless other spectators waited for the fight to begin.

Grace moved a few steps backward.

Her boots scraped against the platform before she stopped and lowered her body into a proper fighting stance.

Her grey eyes remained fixed on Vera.

I can do this.

She said the words silently to herself.

Across from her, Vera hadn’t moved.

She simply stood there and looked at Grace.

Her dull black eyes showed no nervousness.

No excitement.

Nothing that Grace could use to her advantage.

Vera’s arms remained relaxed, and her posture looked almost too casual for someone about to fight in front of hundreds of thousands of people.

”BEGIN!!!”

The spectators shouted at almost the same time.

”BEGIN!”

”GO, VERA!”

”FLOWER OF ASH!”

The sound rolled through the Arena like a wave.

This fight was already one of the most anticipated matchups of the seventh round.

In a way, it held a lot of meaning for both families.

The Ashenlocke House.

The powerful Gun Alchemist Duke House.

And the Evergrey House, the only other Gun Alchemist House that is slowly becoming recognized as a family capable of challenging the Ashenlockes for their position as the strongest Duke House following the path of Gun Alchemy.

The history between the two Houses only made the atmosphere heavier.

Louis Evergrey had already made waves during his own time as a First-Year in the Royal Academy.

During that year, he had defeated the strongest Ashenlocke and several other children of Ash badly and effortlessly.

He had later ranked within the top five of the Combat Festival, and is still one of the top students in the second year till now.

The Evergrey’s of his year had also gone on to dominate the Ashenlockes of that generation.

That history, which was basically last year, was one of the reasons this fight carried so much weight.

But this time was different.

The best genius the Ashenlocke House could ever produce stood in front of one of the best products of the Evergrey House.

Vera Ashenlocke.

Grace Evergrey.

If Grace could somehow defeat Vera here and now, the rise of the Evergrey House could come sooner than anyone expected.

Grace’s hands went into her Space Bag.

Her fingers closed around the weapon hidden inside.

I can’t unleash my trump card yet, but I will have to hold my ground within this time.

Her gaze never left Vera.

I have already trained my physical strength with my older brother.

A memory immediately came back to her.

Veda Ashenlocke.

The moment when he had closed the distance and punched her directly in the face.

Grace’s jaw tightened slightly.

She hadn’t forgotten that feeling.

She hadn’t forgotten how powerless she had felt when the attack landed.

Since then, Louis had trained both her and Grant during their personal training time.

He had taught them how to hold their ground against heavy punches that didn’t usually feel equal to the opponent’s Alchemist rank.

Grace’s body was stronger now.

Her reactions were better.

Her ability to withstand physical attacks had improved.

She had no intention of allowing herself to be overwhelmed in close combat again.

Her fingers tightened around the weapon inside her Space Bag.

”Come, Flower of Ash.”

Grace muttered the words beneath her breath.

Her grey eyes remained focused on Vera.

Vera’s expression didn’t change.

She simply stood there, watching.

The cheers continued to shake the Arena.

The seventh round had begun.

And now, the fight between the two Gun Alchemist bloodlines was finally about to show everyone what the Evergrey House had prepared for the Flower of Ash.