Last Gun Alchemist

Lyra’s body crashed hard onto the ground outside the fight platform.

BOOM!

The impact was heavy enough to shake the damaged ground beneath her.

Broken rocks flew into the air, mixing with the snow that had been scattered across the area around the platform. Some of the pieces struck the ground again and bounced several times before finally coming to a stop, while a cloud of dust rose around Lyra and briefly hid most of her body from the spectators.

The force of her crash had left a shallow depression in the ground.

For several seconds, the Arena became unusually quiet.

Hundreds of thousands of people had been shouting only moments ago, but the sudden silence that followed Lyra’s fall made the damaged platform seem even more enormous.

Some spectators leaned forward.

Others stood from their seats.

A few of Lyra’s supporters had their hands frozen in front of their mouths, uncertain whether she could still stand after being dragged down so violently.

Others immediately turned their attention toward Ezra.

He was still standing on the fight platform.

His clothes were covered with a little dust from the battle, and the damaged stone beneath his boots was marked by cracks and bullet impacts, but his posture remained steady.

His black plain eyes looked toward the dust surrounding Lyra.

He didn’t rush forward.

He didn’t celebrate.

He simply watched.

Then Ezra passed Cognis into the Circuit system of his Black Magnetic Glove.

The white Cognis traveled through the Circuit system and flowed into the black threads that connected his glove to the two Glocks.

The polarity lock was still active.

That was what had allowed the black threads to attach themselves to the bodies of the two Glocks after wrapping around Lyra’s hands.

Ezra deactivated the polarity lock.

The connection immediately loosened.

The black threads released the two handguns.

Then Ezra activated the Attraction force.

The threads responded.

The two Glocks were pulled away from Lyra and flew back toward Ezra.

Their movement was fast, but controlled.

Ezra raised both hands.

He caught the two Glocks without difficulty.

His eyes briefly moved toward the black threads.

The polarity lock on the threads attached to the magazines of the Glocks was still active.

Ezra deactivated those as well.

The threads immediately released.

Instead of falling loosely, they began moving back toward the glove under the Attraction force influence.

The thin black strands pulled themselves together, folding and knitting into one another as they returned.

Because of how far the threads had extended, the Black Magnetic Gloves loosened around Ezra’s hands.

For a brief moment, only a small portion of the black thread remained wrapped around his hand.

The white heat-stimulating bandage he was wearing today became slightly visible beneath the loosened gloves.

Ezra looked at it for barely a moment.

Then the black threads continued moving.

They gathered together.

One strand connected with another.

Then another.

The glove gradually returned to its proper shape until the bandage was covered once again.

Ezra lowered his hands.

He placed both Glocks back into his Space Bag.

”W-W-Winner!!!”

Patrick’s voice suddenly echoed through the Arena speakers.

The announcement came with more excitement than usual.

But the crowd didn’t need him to tell them who had won.

They had seen it.

They had watched Lyra fight until her body could barely keep up with her determination, and they had watched Ezra continue responding to her attacks with the same controlled movements he had shown from the beginning.

There was no confusion.

The winner was already obvious.

”Mr. EZRA ASHENLOCKE!!!!”

Patrick’s voice mixed with the voices of the spectators.

”Yeahhhhhh!!!!! Let’s go, Sir Ezra Ashenlocke!!!”

”Amazing match!!!”

”Mr. Ezra Ashenlocke!!!”

”Go straight for the win!!! We are supporting you!!”

The cheers erupted across the Arena.

The sound rolled through the enormous structure like a wave.

Ezra’s supporters stood from their seats, raising their hands and calling his name. Some waved banners bearing the Ashenlocke name, while others simply shouted until their voices became hoarse.

The enthusiasm wasn’t limited to the students of Royal Academy, especially the first-year students and younger children.

Even some of the Noble and Non-Noble adults cheered with pleased and satisfied expressions.

Ezra raised one hand.

He waved calmly toward the crowd.

His expression remained almost unchanged.

Then his black plain eyes moved back toward the area where Lyra had crashed.

The medical staff were already there.

Several medics had rushed toward Lyra as soon as Patrick announced the winner.

One medic knelt beside her and began checking her condition, while another examined the injuries on her arms and legs.

A third medic looked at the dagger wound in her hand and prepared the necessary first-aid materials.

Lyra was still conscious.

Her body had been battered throughout the fight, but she had continued moving until Ezra finally brought her down.

Ezra watched the medics for a short moment.

There was no dramatic change in his face.

He simply made sure that they were already taking care of her.

Then he turned away.

It was almost as if he had finished a task on his schedule.

The fight was over.

There was nothing else for him to do on the platform.

He could now return to the seating section and watch the remaining matches.

Ezra walked away from the fight area.

His steps remained steady.

The crowd continued cheering behind him.

At the First-Year Seating Section...

”I always get goosebumps for some reason whenever I see Ezra’s Black Magnetic Gloves on display.”

Cyrus spoke while keeping his eyes on the Holographic Screen.

The screen was now showing the replay of Ezra’s fight against Lyra, slowing down the movements that had happened too quickly for ordinary spectators and low-ranking Alchemists among the spectators to understand.

The image showed the black threads extending from Ezra’s glove, wrapping around Lyra’s hands, and controlling the Glocks.

Cyrus stared at the replay for several seconds.

”The Circuit system program of those Gloves are impressive, honestly.”

Sasha was sitting to his right.

She calmly placed a green grape into her mouth.

Her legs were crossed as she watched the Holographic Screen, and the elegance of the small movement almost made it seem strange that she was sitting in the middle of a section full of noisy First-Year students.

She swallowed.

”I really wonder how he made gloves like that.”

Her eyes remained on the replay.

At the same time, the Craft-Based Royal Academy staff had already begun repairing the fight platform.

The area where Lyra had been slammed down was particularly damaged.

Several staff members worked together while Earth Alchemy restored the broken ground, pushing fragments back into place and repairing the cracks that had spread across the platform.

The Arena itself hadn’t become quiet.

If anything, the conversations had multiplied.

Students were now rediscussing Ezra’s Black Magnetic Gloves.

Others were talking about Lyra.

Some were arguing over how she had continued fighting after suffering so many injuries.

Others were discussing Ezra’s Alchemy Levitation and how naturally he had controlled multiple firearms during the fight.

The replay only gave the spectators more things to talk about.

Slowly, however, the conversations began moving toward the next upcoming match.

The Combat Festival didn’t stop simply because one impressive battle had ended.

There were still First Years waiting for their turn.

Ezra eventually walked out from the entrance leading into the First-Year seating section.

Several students noticed him immediately.

”Nice win, Ezra Ashenlocke.”

”You were amazing as always!!”

”Thank the Scholars I bet on you to reach the semis. This means a lot to me.”

Some of these First Years who greeted Ezra were part of the students who had decided to sit in the designated First-Year seating stand rather than remain beside their families.

The moment Ezra appeared, their attention shifted toward him.

Ezra raised a hand in acknowledgment.

He didn’t make a big gesture.

He simply waved at them before continuing toward his seat.

The students smiled.

For some of them, receiving even such a small response from Ezra was enough to make their day.

Ezra eventually reached his seat and sat down.

”Congrats on making it to the semis.”

Veda greeted him with a bright smile.

Ezra glanced toward him.

”Who would have thought that, at one point, you were ranked twenty in the Trail of Steel, and I was ahead of you by how many ranks again?”

Linda leaned back in her seat while folding her arms.

Her expression was mock-serious.

It was obvious from the way she held herself that she was pretending to make an important statement.

Ezra looked at her.

”If anyone heard you, they would take you for a jokester.”

”Excuse me?!”

Linda immediately leaned forward.

Her eyes narrowed as she glared at Ezra.

Ezra didn’t even look particularly bothered by her reaction.

”Hahahahaha.”

Veda and Tracy both burst into laughter.

Linda’s face tightened.

”But Ezra is right, though...”

Tracy placed one hand on Linda’s shoulder while laughing.

”It would be seen as a crazy joke to think you were stronger than him at one point.”

”I know that.”

Linda pouted.

She turned her face away from Tracy.

”It just sounds annoying when he’s the one saying the obvious.”

Her eyes moved toward Ezra again.

She looked at his black-and-white hair.

For a moment, her irritation faded.

Just how far has he gone to reach this point?

Linda didn’t say her thoughts aloud.

She simply watched him.

There had been a time when Ezra wasn’t the person everyone in the Arena knew.

There had been a time when his name was just another name among the thousands of children of Ashenlocke facing the Trial of Steel.

Even when he had begun making a name for himself, the distance between what he was then and what he was now had been difficult to imagine.

Now he was someone who could reach the semifinals of a big Combat Festival where all the best Young Alchemists of the Kingdom partook in.

People throughout Britannia were watching him.

The same boy who had once been ranked twentieth was now one of the young Alchemists everyone was talking about.

Linda lowered her eyes.

Did you grow this strong so you couldn’t lose anyone again?

Her fingers tightened slightly against her folded arms.

She didn’t know if that was the reason.

Perhaps it wasn’t.

Perhaps Ezra had simply worked harder than everyone else.

Perhaps he had found something that allowed him to keep moving forward.

Or perhaps there was something about him that none of them understood yet.

Linda didn’t know.

But whenever she looked at Ezra now, she couldn’t help thinking about a particular person who was no longer there to see what he had become.

Her thoughts moved toward that person.

Aliya...

Linda’s expression softened.

She could almost remember Aliya’s face.

The grin.

The excitement in her eyes.

The way she and Her used to secretly talk about how amazing Veda was whenever they thought nobody was paying attention.

The usual Girly talk.

Aliya had always been able to become excited over the smallest things.

Whenever Veda did something impressive, Aliya would talk about it as though she had discovered some incredible secret, then she began talking about Ezra at one point.

Linda remembered thinking of Aliya as a traitor, two timing on Veda with a lowline.

But she enjoyed those moments too.

Now those memories felt different.

Linda wondered what kind of expression Aliya would have worn if she were sitting here.

What would she have said after seeing Veda become the Young Lord of Ash?

What would she have said after watching Ezra defeat numerous Genius Young Alchemists and reach the semifinals of the Grand First Year Combat Festival?

Would she have shouted?

Would she have laughed?

Would she have become so excited that she forgot everyone else was watching?

Linda could almost picture it.

The thought made her chest feel heavier.

Aliya hadn’t been there.

She hadn’t been able to see Veda reach that position.

She hadn’t been able to see Ezra grow into someone whose name was being shouted throughout the Arena.

She had missed all of it.

Linda’s shoulders lowered slightly.

”Ahhh...”

She sighed.

Tracy immediately turned toward her.

”Why are you sighing like an old woman? That’s wrong, Linda.”

”Shut up.”

Linda pushed Tracy’s face away from her.

Tracy laughed.

Veda also smiled at the two girls.

Linda leaned back into her seat again.

Her expression returned to its usual annoyed look, but the thought of Aliya remained in the back of her mind.

At the joint seating section of the Second year and Third Year of the Royal Academy...

”Who knew that lowline rat was actually that strong?”

Prince Daniel Aethelmont watched the Holographic Screen.

His expression remained unamused, even though there was clear amazement in his voice.

The replay showed the final moments of Ezra’s fight against Lyra.

Daniel watched the black threads pull Lyra down.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

”I want to say he had it easy badly...”

His right fist slowly tightened.

He was clearly frustrated.

”But...”

A voice came from his right-side.

”He did beat Fatima Drakes, Lady Willow Derlis, and Desmond Derlis.”

Daniel’s right-hand man sat beside him.

He continued watching the replay without showing much reaction.

”If he keeps growing, then wouldn’t his chances of getting my Vera grow?”

Daniel gritted his teeth.

His words came out under his breath.

The thought had been bothering him for some time.

Ezra had already been close to Vera.

That alone had been enough to irritate him.

Now Ezra was becoming more known to the whole Britannia.

And the more popular he became, the harder it would be to dismiss him as someone who would eventually disappear from Vera’s life.

Daniel glanced across the seating area.

His eyes landed on Lucien Derlis.

Lucien noticed.

He turned around and waved.

Daniel flinched slightly.

Lucien then turned back toward his conversation.

He was speaking with Eleanor Tempest and several other Third-Year ladies who were part of the Top-ranks in the Third-Year Academy ranking list.

They looked relaxed.

They were discussing the festival as though there was nothing particularly troubling happening around them.

Daniel looked away.

His gaze moved toward Carmine Bergwyn.

Carmine was quietly watching the Holographic Screen.

There was almost no reaction on his face.

Daniel’s irritation grew.

How can these bastards remain calm when some rat keeps getting closer and closer to Vera?

His hands tightened.

His knuckles became pale.

His right-hand man noticed, but he chose to remain silent.

There was no reason to comment on it.

He had already seen this side of Prince Daniel before.

The Second Prince had become especially irritated whenever any man other than himself and Vera were mentioned together.

And recently, there had been another matter.

Daniel had discovered yet again that Ezra and Vera had publicly been seen together at the Royal Academy Shopping Complex.

That discovery hadn’t improved his mood.

His right-hand man remembered the discussion that followed.

Daniel had been furious.

Fortunately, he had made sure that the Prince didn’t see the image of Vera’s arm interlocked with Ezra’s.

Showing Daniel that particular image would have been asking for trouble.

There were some things that a sensible person simply didn’t need to show the angry prince.

Barry remained quiet.

Daniel continued staring at the Holographic Screen.

Ezra’s image appeared again.

The Young Craftsman of Ash.

A Lowline Noble who had somehow risen from an ordinary position among the First Years to become one of the most talked-about young Alchemists in Britannia.

Daniel’s expression became colder.

”Barry.”

His right-hand man immediately looked toward him.

”Yes, Your Highness.”

Barry Dewinter’s voice remained respectful.

Daniel turned his dull golden eyes toward him.

Barry saw the expression immediately.

He had seen it many times before.

It was the expression Prince Daniel wore whenever he had decided that something had become a nuisance that needed to be removed.

Daniel’s gaze returned to Ezra’s image.

”Make the call to that Elder of Ash.”

His voice was cold and calm.

Barry paused.

He understood what Daniel meant.

”Yes, Your Highness.”

Barry nodded.

Daniel didn’t say anything else.

He simply continued watching Ezra’s image on the Holographic Screen.

The fight was already over.

The crowd had moved on to the next match.

The Royal Academy staff were repairing the platform.

The First-Year section was laughing and talking.

But Daniel remained focused on one person.

Ezra Ashenlocke.

The boy had defeated another opponent.

He had reached the semifinals.

And with every victory, the distance between him and Vera seemed to become smaller.

For Daniel, that was becoming increasingly difficult to tolerate.

His fingers tightened once more.

He didn’t look away from the screen.

The next step had already been decided.

He would make the call.