CHAPTER 267: RANKING MATCHES RESUMES [6]

The barrels of her newly formed shotgun tilted slightly, just enough for the faint glint of light to catch along the polished steel.

Her smirk widened, and her voice dipped into that same calm, conversational tone that somehow felt more dangerous than any scream.

"Close range," Aria said softly, "is my specialty."

My mind screamed at me to move, but my legs felt locked. I’d seen what the handgun could do. The shotgun? That was going to turn me into a smear on the arena floor.

The air around us felt heavier, each second stretched taut like a bowstring ready to snap.

Then—

BANG—!

The sound wasn’t like the sharp cracks from before. This was a deep, concussive boom that rattled my bones, the shockwave slamming into my shield and nearly wrenching it from my grip. The mana-forged barrier rippled under the force, glowing faintly where the blast had struck.

Even blocking it, I felt it. My arms burned, my shoulders screaming under the sheer weight of the impact. If that had been me without Lan’s shield... I would’ve been gone. No chance to dodge. No time to react.

She tilted the shotgun again, already preparing another shot.

"How many of those can you take?" she asked, her voice light, teasing.

"How many do you have?" I shot back, gritting my teeth as I forced my numb arms to move.

Her eyes glimmered with amusement. "Enough."

That was not the answer I wanted.

I pushed off from the ground, circling her as fast as my legs could carry me, Lan still in shield form to absorb the next blast. Another deafening BOOM tore through the air, the recoil making her lean into the shot with practiced precision.

The hit sent me skidding back a few steps, boots scraping across the arena floor. My fingers tightened around the shield’s grip until my knuckles ached.

If I kept taking these hits, I’d lose before I even reached her.

She pumped the shotgun with a swift motion, the click-clack sound echoing like a death knell. "You’re not the type to turtle up. What’s the matter? Afraid to get close now?"

"Afraid?" I smirked, forcing confidence into my voice despite my hammering heart. "Nah. Just... waiting for you to run out of expensive bullets."

Her smirk deepened. "Oh, sweetheart... I budgeted for this fight."

Well.

That was terrifying.

But if she thought I was just going to stand here and take blast after blast, she was wrong.

I crouched low, breath steadying, and prepared to sprint—not toward her, but toward her dropped handgun still lying on the arena floor. If I could just grab it, even for a second, I could force her into close combat.

She noticed my glance instantly. "Don’t even think about it."

I bolted anyway.

Her shotgun roared again, stone shards exploding from the ground where I’d been a heartbeat earlier. The heat of the mana round grazed my side, and I knew—one clean hit from that thing, and I was done.

But if I could survive three more seconds...

I could turn this fight around.

The barrels clicked open with a slow, almost taunting precision as she slid two shimmering shells inside—each one glowing faintly with condensed mana.

She snapped it shut with a satisfying clack and rested the weapon on her shoulder, as if she had all the time in the world.

"Do you know what the best part about this is?" she asked, tilting her head like a curious cat.

I tightened my grip on Lan, keeping my shield between us. "That it’s overcompensating for something?"

She smirked. "That I don’t even have to aim properly anymore."

And then—she fired.

BOOM—!

The blast wasn’t like the sharp crack of her handgun—it was a roar, a wave of force that punched the air out of my lungs even from ten meters away. The arena floor where the shot landed exploded, sending shards of stone flying in every direction.

I barely managed to brace behind Lan’s shield form, but the impact still launched me back, my boots skidding hard across the floor. My arm felt numb, my ears ringing.

"One shell," she said casually, smoke curling from the shotgun’s barrels. "That was just to test the spread."

"You tested it on me!?" I shouted.

"Of course. Who else am I supposed to test it on?"

The second shell clicked into position.

She didn’t rush. She didn’t need to.

Each step she took echoed in my skull, slow and deliberate, like the march of an executioner.

Alright. Think. If a handgun was bad, this thing was a walking death sentence.

A direct hit? Game over.

Even a near miss? Still game over.

She raised the shotgun again, the barrels locking on me like a predator lining up the kill.

I did the only thing that made sense—I ran straight at her.

Her eyes widened slightly. "Oh? That’s new."

"Not new!" I yelled. "Just stupid!"

She pulled the trigger—

BOOM—!

The shot tore through the air, but I’d already thrown Lan forward, the shield absorbing the brunt of the blast. The force still hit like a runaway carriage, but I stayed on my feet, teeth gritted.

The shield was smoking, edges glowing faintly from the mana burn.

Her smile sharpened. "You blocked it."

"Damn right I did."

She didn’t look disappointed. If anything, her expression told me she’d just found a new layer of fun.

"Good," she said softly, almost to herself. "Now let’s see if you can block the next five."

My stomach dropped.

Five...?

Wait—

The shotgun’s frame shifted again, metal plates sliding and locking into place until the barrels rotated into a revolver-style chamber. Six glowing shells clicked into position like the slow tolling of a death knell.

Oh, you have got to be kidding me.

She spun the new form of the shotgun in her hands with the casual grace of someone twirling a pen, then locked it into place.

"Six shots," she said, her voice lilting with anticipation. "Let’s see how many you can survive."

"Zero," I muttered under my breath. "I’m betting zero."

BOOM—!

The first shell screamed toward me, slamming into Lan’s shield. The impact rattled my teeth and forced me back a step.

Before I could even plant my feet—

BOOM—! BOOM—!

Two more followed instantly, the timing so tight I could barely reset my guard. The shield vibrated violently in my grip, the mana flaring against its surface making it feel like I was holding a live furnace.

"Stop reloading reality into my face!" I shouted.

She laughed—a light, airy sound that didn’t match the absolute carnage she was delivering.

BOOM—!

Fourth shell. This one clipped the side of my shield, the shockwave making my arm scream in pain. I stumbled sideways, boots scraping across the cracked stone floor.

"Almost there," she called cheerfully. "Two more to go!"

"Great! Let’s skip to the part where I faint!"

BOOM—!

Fifth shell. My shield flared with a blinding light, almost losing form from the mana overload. My legs felt like lead, my breathing ragged.

She aimed the final shot directly at my chest, no hesitation, no wasted movement.

"Bye-bye, Rin."

Her finger tightened on the trigger—

—and I threw the shield at her.

It wasn’t a clever plan. It wasn’t even a good plan. But it was a plan.

Lan, still glowing hot from absorbing so many hits, spun through the air like a blazing discus. She reflexively jerked her aim to the side—

BOOM—!

The last shell detonated harmlessly into the arena wall, tearing out a massive crater of stone.

By the time she refocused, I was already in front of her, adrenaline drowning out the exhaustion.

"Gotcha!" I roared, grabbing the shotgun with one hand and slamming my shoulder into her.

We both tumbled to the ground, the weapon skidding out of her grip.

For a second, her eyes blinked up at me in surprise... and then she smiled.

"Finally," she murmured. "You’re fighting back."

Something in that tone told me I’d just made this fight much more dangerous.

Her smile didn’t look disappointed that I’d disarmed her.

If anything, it looked... excited.

Aria said, her voice almost playful. "Took you long enough."

Something in my gut twisted. She wasn’t panicking. She wasn’t even mad.

Which meant—

She twisted under me with a sudden burst of strength, grabbing my wrist and wrenching it aside. I barely had time to register the motion before she drove her knee into my ribs.

"—Gah!" The air punched out of my lungs as I rolled off her, clutching my side.

Aria sprang to her feet with the kind of smoothness you only get from way too much practice, snatched the shotgun off the floor, and in one seamless motion racked the slide.

"Thought you had me, huh?" She grinned, tilting her head. "Cute."

I scrambled up, keeping Lan between us, but she was already circling. Every step was measured, her eyes locked on me like a hawk.

"How about we make it fair?" she said. "I’ll give you ten seconds before I shoot."

"Ten seconds? That’s... surprisingly generous."

"Yeah," she said, pumping the shotgun again for emphasis. "You’ll need all ten."

She started counting out loud, each number dripping with amusement.

"One."

My mind was already racing. She had the range, the speed, and the firepower. All I had was a shield, a battered body, and the faint hope that she’d underestimate me again.

"Two."

I adjusted my grip on Lan. If I stayed still, I was dead. If I rushed her head-on, I was also dead.

"Three."

But maybe... if I could close the distance in a zigzag, bait a shot, and then—

"Four."

—yeah, it was stupid. But it was all I had.