Lighter ignored Sol's full-level taunt. What mattered more now was that his capture-the-king-first plan had completely failed.

He stared at Sol, who stood less than ten meters away, as a single thought flashed through his mind.

Beyond ten meters—guns are faster. Within ten meters—humans are faster.

As long as he used a zigzag path, he could dramatically increase his chances of dodging bullets.

In just an instant, Lighter had already mapped out the perfect route. If he closed in with Z-pattern movement and finished with a slide, victory would be his.

He timed it precisely and burst forward toward Sol.

Bang!

A single gunshot rang out.

Lighter, mid-dash in his serpentine maneuver, was blasted backward two meters and crashed hard to the ground.

Bracing himself with his right hand, he looked at the bullet embedded in the metal buckle on his chest harness. Even as he marveled at his own dumb luck for surviving, he couldn't help but be astonished at Sol's godlike prediction and aim.

"Excellent marksmanship, sir!"

Two members of the Black Panther Organization cheered, rushing forward to pin Lighter to the ground.

He didn't resist. That revolver round had hit with monstrous force—it had shifted his ribcage and knocked the fight right out of him.

With a bitter laugh, he muttered under his breath, "You look like a rich pushover, but do you really have to be this strong?"

Sol didn't respond. From the corner of his eye, he noticed several more armed Black Panther members rushing in, while the Sons of Calydon were still putting up resistance.

He needed to help—fast. The sooner the Sons of Calydon were subdued, the less likely someone would actually get hurt.

Two revolvers, twelve rounds total. He'd already used three. Nine bullets left—more than enough.

Sol raised both hands, twin revolvers gleaming in the dim light, and fired.

Bang!

Lucy, who was still dueling with Anby, felt a sharp pain shoot through her wrist. Her spiked bat flew from her hand.

Anby seized the opening, catching Lucy in a swift hold—ending their intense "performance battle."

Bang, bang!

Bang, bang!

Four shots slammed into different sections of Caesar's shield, instantly destabilizing it. The weight in her hands lightened as she lost control of her defense.

Jane Doe was there in a flash, twin pincer-blades at Caesar's throat, declaring victory.

Bang, bang!

Piper's axe was shot right out of her grip and snatched midair by the approaching Jane.

Bang, bang!

Burnice White's twin flamethrowers snapped apart under precise bullet strikes. Anby rushed in, pinning both Burnice and Lucy to the floor.

"Nine bullets—just enough."

Sol flicked open the cylinders, raising both guns.

Golden shells slid free and hit the ground with crisp metallic clinks.

No more, no less—exactly twelve shells. He hadn't even needed to rely on his [Infinite Ammo] trait.

Lighter watched Sol's flawless support fire, his expression caught somewhere between awe and despair. The Sons of Calydon were completely overpowered, and his head ached at the sight.

"Ugh…" Billy groaned as he came to, bleary-eyed, and struggled upright. "Wh-what happened…?"

Lighter's eyes lit up. "Senior Billy's awake! There's still hope!" he muttered.

Sure, Billy had been useless at the start, knocked out instantly—but now, at this critical moment, Lighter believed he wouldn't drop the ball.

After all, that rich pushover guy had no bullets left!

"…"

Expressionless, Sol tossed the revolver in his left hand.

Billy tilted his head instinctively, narrowly dodging it, and grinned triumphantly. "The mighty Starlight Knight won't fall for the same trick twice!"

Bang!

The other revolver smacked squarely into his head. Billy collapsed in a graceful faint.

"Two revolvers—just enough."

Sol clapped his hands together, thoroughly satisfied.

"…"

Lighter stared at the unconscious Billy and sighed helplessly.

In just a few short minutes, the Sons of Calydon had been completely subdued.

Now, the surrounding Black Panther members were looking at Sol with entirely different eyes.

In the underworld, strength was everything—and Sol's near-supernatural display with the twin revolvers had marked him as a powerhouse among powerhouses.

Whispers and silent speculation rippled through them—who was this man? Some hidden overlord from the underground world, visiting to inspect their ranks?

Meanwhile, the captured Sons of Calydon were equally stunned.

"As expected… this world's just not fair. Bad guys always have terrifying aim," Piper sighed, slumping like a wilted eggplant. "Farewell, Big Steel Fang. Guess you and I will be coworkers again in the next life."

"Don't be so down, Piper." Burnice, face streaked with soot, forced a smile. "We're all still alive. There's always a way out."

"Let's hope so."

Piper shook her head, unwilling to shatter Burnice's fragile optimism.

Reality was beautiful but cruel—and prisoners like them rarely met a good end.

Caesar and Lucy were tied together, and though the two usually bickered constantly, now they were perfectly in sync, glaring at Sol as they shouted, "You ambushed us from behind! What kind of skill is that?!"

"Go on," Sol replied, smirking with his arms crossed. "I love listening to the howls of defeated dogs."

"…"

Caesar and Lucy glared daggers at him, then fell silent, seething.

Sol simply crossed his arms and waited for the true master of this territory to appear. After all, this was Chekkat's turf—he would need to give an explanation.

"Make way!"

A booming voice echoed through the space. The surrounding Black Panther members instantly parted to form a clear path.

Chekkat pushed through the crowd with a few underlings, hurrying straight to Sol's side. "Mr. Pantalone! Are you all right?"

Before Sol could answer, Chekkat gave himself a light slap across the face, looking remorseful. "It's my fault! I failed to keep the place secure and allowed you to be startled!"

"It's fine. Your people fought well—especially Jane. She's quite formidable," Sol said with a smile, patting Chekkat's shoulder in reassurance.

"You flatter me, sir. I'm just glad you're unharmed."

Chekkat straightened up, pride swelling in his chest.

Not only had Jane seduced the man for the sake of the organization, but her combat ability was so exceptional that she'd even earned his praise.

Once he'd confirmed Sol and Anby's safety, Chekkat finally turned to the captives.

To be honest, aside from a few attractive women, he couldn't see what was so special about these people that the Mr. Pantalone himself had to act.

"Mr. Pantalone, may I ask—why did you capture these individuals?"

"They're the Sons of Calydon—the second-largest force in the Outer Ring, just beneath the ruling boss. We're… somewhat interested in that territory," Sol replied calmly.

"I see."

Chekkat's expression shifted immediately as his gaze swept over Caesar and her defeated companions.

He hadn't expected these high-profile figures to be taken down so quickly.

His own people certainly weren't capable of that. It could only have been Mr. Pantalone's doing.

And if the organization behind him intended to seize control of the Outer Ring—well, that was valuable intel indeed.

He filed the thought away carefully, then asked, "And how would you like these prisoners handled, sir?"

"This robot and that cocky man—throw them out," Sol said, pointing at Billy and Lighter with clear disdain.

"Understood," Chekkat nodded. "And the others?"

Sol glanced at him, his tone even. "These women—lock them in my room. I need to… discuss a potential collaboration with them."

"…"

For a long second, Chekkat's expression twisted with mixed emotion before he managed to reply, "Understood."

In that moment, he couldn't help but think—maybe this talk of expanding influence into the Outer Ring was just a front. Perhaps what Mr. Pantalone really wanted was… an orgy.

And oddly enough—it didn't surprise him at all. It fit the man's persona perfectly.

Thus—

Bang! Bang!

A couple of Black Panther members hauled the limp Lighter and unconscious Billy up and tossed them out of the trading market.

Meanwhile, Caesar, Lucy, Burnice, and Piper were escorted by Jane and Anby straight to Sol's room.