Chapter 53: Battle of the Ranked

Ezra stared at Zack for a moment before scratching the back of his head casually.

"You see," he began, his tone calm, almost bored, "the only reason I’m standing here listening to your nonsense instead of already fighting you is because I was wondering why you’ve been giving me death stares this whole time."

He paused slightly, looking Zack up and down.

"But if this is the reason... then we might as well shut up and start fighting. Action speaks louder than words, you know."

"Yeah," Zack replied, cracking his fingers one after another. "Action speaks louder."

He adjusted his glasses again. "It’s my fault for talking too much."

The air between them tightened.

Then...

Both of them moved at the same time.

Zack reached into his space bag; Ezra did the same.

Two revolvers appeared in Zack’s hands. He flipped one skillfully and threw it into his other hand, now holding one in each while Ezra brought out a single revolver.

"Two?" Ezra’s eyes twitched slightly as both muzzles pointed toward him.

Bang!

Bang!

A rapid flourish of bullets shot toward Ezra.

Without hesitation, Ezra slid the revolver in his hand back into his space bag. His body shifted left and right in smooth, controlled motions. Each step was precise. The bullets passed inches away from him, cutting through air but never touching flesh.

His breathing remained steady.

He suddenly flashed forward and pulled a dagger from his space bag mid-stride.

Clank!

Zack blocked the thrown dagger with the revolver in his left hand.

Immediately, Zack rushed in, swinging his gun to strike Ezra’s face.

Ezra raised his hand and caught the barrel mid-swing.

Bang!

Zack fired the gun that Ezra was holding, but Ezra released it a split second before the shot.

Like he had already predicted it.

Zack clicked his tongue and swung his leg to knock Ezra off balance.

Ezra blocked the kick, planting his stance firmly.

Zack’s eyes widened slightly. "His strength..."

He quickly stepped back and began rolling the revolvers between his fingers before resuming fire.

Bullets shot toward Ezra again.

Ezra dashed toward the barricade at the side of the bridge and somersaulted off it, dragging a thin rope that only became visible when it cut through the air. He pulled the dagger attached to it and used its rotation to deflect incoming bullets.

"Hmmm." Zack observed silently while opening both barrels, the empty shells fell onto the stone, clinking loudly.

"You’re better than I imagined," Zack said calmly. He dropped one revolver back into his space bag.

Ezra didn’t give him time; he immediately threw his dagger again but Zack dodged while focusing on his space bag.

Ezra instantly appeared in front of him.

Zack pulled out another gun in a fluid motion, enhancing his hand speed with Cognis.

"This gun..."

Ezra felt a shift in danger and circulated Cognis into his legs.

Bang!

A barrage of thin needles sprayed outward.

Ezra leapt backward, the needles piercing the stone where he had just stood.

Only a hair’s distance saved him.

"That’s an Acu-Vector Mk.I," Ezra said, staring at the smoking barrel.

"You studied well," Zack replied, adjusting his glasses again as he reloaded swiftly. A bullet was inserted almost before the shell dropped.

"As a Novice Alchemist, this is one of the strongest guns available."

He stored one weapon and pulled out another.

Now, in one hand, he held the Acu-Vector Mk.I.

In the other, a Big Four-Barrel Revolver.

Ezra laughed quietly. "You even have this type too."

"From the looks of it," Zack said with faint disdain, "You’ve only been using a basic Five-Slot Revolver."

He smirked.

"This is why Lowlines will always trail behind Highlines. By the time I awakened to my Cognis, I already had enough knowledge and practice to perform gun alchemy the moment I awakened. Information and preparation make the difference."

Even though I say that, I can never underestimate him.

Zack narrowed his eyes slightly as he kept firing.

My motto is simple. Never look down on your enemy. Always fight with perfection.

A faint smile appeared on his face as bullets continued leaving his barrels in rhythmic bursts.

Right now, he must be thinking something like this...

Even though I prepared all these guns beforehand, my bullet arsenal will become my weakness. I’ll need to perform Alchemy for different types of bullets at the same time to keep using them. That’ll drain my Cognis fast.

But what he doesn’t know...

Inside my space bag are more bullets. A lot more. And two fully prepared extra guns of each type I’m carrying.

Zack’s fingers moved like they had been trained for years. Shells dropped. New rounds slid in. No wasted motion. No hesitation.

My Alchemy strategy is simple. Overwhelm the opponent with a variety of guns, quick reloading of bullets and a good stash of bullets and guns. Never waste Cognis on crafting mid-fight. If I can prepare beforehand, I can save Cognis for strengthening my body and reaction speed.

"Now come, Ezra," he muttered.

He fired violently, squeezing both triggers in alternating rhythm.

On the other side...

Ezra stared at him quietly while bringing out his revolver again. His dagger rested in his other hand, held low and steady, bracing himself against the barrage of gun shots.

I’m sure that’s exactly what he’s thinking right now.

Ezra’s eyes sharpened slightly.

Looking at the way he reloads, without even glancing down. It’s obvious he trained his hand movements repeatedly. He keeps tracking me while refilling, Clean and Efficient.

But does he really think I wouldn’t figure out that he won’t easily run out of prepared bullets?

Ezra moved.

Bullets and thin needles flew toward him like rain.

He shot some down mid-air. Sparks flared when metal collided. Others he sliced apart with the flat of his dagger. The sharp ringing of steel against steel echoed across the bridge.

The moment Zack’s revolver emptied...

Click.

In less than a blink...New bullets were already in.

He resumed firing without pause.

Ezra exhaled lightly.

It’s too obvious, someone attacking like this definitely has a stash. Extra bullets and extra weapons. Plus, he looks like someone who worships preparation.

More shots grazed Ezra’s coat and sleeves; fabric tore little by little.

Now how do I solve this?

Ezra narrowed his focus.

I have options, but I don’t want to use my trump cards.

The way he’s bragging... I kind of want to beat him without using my Colt 1911. Or the others in my arsenal.

Definitely not the Baske 1945.

His lips twitched faintly.

He fired again with clean precision. His bullets collided perfectly with Zack’s, neutralizing some mid-air.

"Tsk." Ezra stepped back just in time.

Four heavy rounds struck the exact spot he had stood on.

Boom. Boom. Boom. Boom.

The stone cracked.

The holes left behind were noticeably deeper and wider than normal revolver damage.

Ezra’s eyes shifted toward the weapon in Zack’s hand.

"That Big Four-Barrel Revolver..." He studied it calmly while moving.

"Its enlarged rounds were a bit of a problem now. When they clash with my standard revolver bullets, they overpower and destroy them."

He clicked his tongue.

He really thought through his Alchemy strategy.

Then...

A slow smile appeared on Ezra’s face.

"...But."

He removed his coat smoothly while still dodging, Cognis flowed into the fabric.

The coat hardened and shimmered faintly.

He slammed it onto the ground in front of him, the reinforced material stood like a barrier.

Bullets slammed into it.

Thud. Thud. Thud.

Zack didn’t slow down.

He kept firing, Reloading and Firing again. His rhythm never broke.

"Zack has him cornered like a rat," Scott said confidently, folding his arms while watching from inside the cage.

"The Ezra guy tried to protect himself from the barrage," Nathalia added, leaning against the cage bars. "But I guess that’s as far as he goes."

She glanced at Aliya.

Aliya stood close to the bars, fingers gripping the metal tightly. Her eyes were filled with worry.

I told you not to regret it.

Nathalia gave a small smile.

"That guy isn’t cornered." Daniella’s voice suddenly cut through the noise.

Her face was still pale and her lips still trembled slightly.

Scott blinked.

"Huh? You finally speak, and that’s what you say? He’s not cornered?"

"Yes..." Daniella’s hands clenched around her own arms.

"The look in his eyes."

Scott frowned.

"His eyes? Can you even see them? The coat’s blocking him. He’s probably hiding back there, scared."

Daniella shook her head slowly.

"No... I’m talking about when I was on the bridge, after I finished my fight with that green-haired boy."

Daniella’s fingers tightened around her arms, her nails digging into her skin as if she were trying to ground herself.

"He had those eyes," she said quietly, her voice trembling. "The eyes of someone who’s used to it."

"Used to what exactly?" Nathalia asked, worry slowly creeping into her tone. She knew Daniella well and she knew she wasn’t the type to fear anyone who wasn’t of the highline.

Daniella lifted her head. "The same eyes we all saw when we were young."

Her gaze wavered.

That single sentence was enough, the memory clicked in Nathalia’s mind.

***

Back at the Ashenlocke main mansion, there had been an incident.

One that none of the noble children ever truly forgot.

It was the day of the Head’s younger brother’s return, a General Alchemist. Returned from leading an invasion into Balde, a small nation near the borders of Britannia. News of his return spread quickly through the estate. Only the experienced Alchemist of the House was allowed to welcome him, regular maids, non-Alchemist guards and even non-Alchemist nobles weren’t allowed near the premise where Val Ashenlocke was.

The children had also been told to stay away, but curiosity always won.

One by one, they wandered off quietly, sneaking through corridors and hiding behind pillars just to catch a glimpse of him.

At first, there was silence.

Then...

Screams.

Some children collapsed the moment he stepped into view.

Others froze where they stood, unable to breathe properly. Those who managed to stay awake for a few seconds longer... They saw his eyes.

Eyes that did not belong to someone who had simply fought in battle.

They belonged to someone who had killed people, over and over and over again, more than he could count.

Men, Women, Elders, Children and even animals, the weight of those lives he took reflected in his gaze.

Cold, Heavy and Unmoving.

It was exactly why maids, non-Alchemist guards, non-Alchemist Nobles and especially children were never allowed near him after he returned from missions.

That incident stayed with them, it became a silent lesson and a warning, that the path of a Gun Alchemist was never filled with flowers but it was a path like a rose—beautiful from afar, but filled with sharp, hidden thorns.

***

Nathalia’s body began to tremble slightly.

"How... how is that possible?"

Scott looked between the two girls, confused.

"What’s going on? Why are you two acting like this?"

"How? How? How?!" Nathalia suddenly shouted, her voice cracking.

Her outburst caught Aliya’s attention immediately, but on the bridge, Zack and Ezra remained fully focused on each other.

"I don’t know," Daniella whispered, shaking her head. "I don’t know how a kid like him could have those eyes."

Tears welled up in her eyes.

"At least when Sir Veda came back from his training under Lord Val, his eyes didn’t look as crazy as that."

Her breathing became uneven.

"Just who the hell is this guy?" she muttered, clutching her hair.

Back on the bridge...

Zack continued firing relentlessly.

The coat standing before Ezra was beginning to tear apart under the barrage.

The fabric ripped open, thin needles and big bullets began piercing through.

"Your coat isn’t going to save you anymore," Zack said confidently.

Bullets continued striking.

"Surrender," he called out. "Promise to lick my feet in front of Lady Vera, and I won’t cripple you or scar your face."

He smiled, to him, he could already see victory.

Behind the coat...

Ezra exhaled slowly; his pupils darkened slightly.

"Let’s go with this," he muttered.

Suddenly...

His figure charged forward, pushing the coat ahead of him.

Then he jumped, for a split second...It felt like time slowed.

Zack’s eyes tracked the coat rising upward.

"He’s planning to attack from above," Zack thought rapidly. "Using the coat’s remaining durability to block my shots. Humph getting closer will only increase the impact force of my bullets."

His mind calculated quickly.

"No. He’s not that stupid. It must be a diversion." His pupils shifted downward.

There.

A shadowy black figure rushed beneath him.

"I was right," Zack thought. "But which one is real?"

He glanced between both figures in the span of a breath.

"Oh well. It won’t matter."

He raised the Acu-Vector Mk.I downward toward the lower figure.

At the same time, he aimed the Big Four-Barrel Revolver upward at the airborne coat.

"I don’t need to stress on which is which, I just need to reply like this. It’s my win."

Bang!

Bang!

Both triggers were pulled simultaneously, the bullets pierced through both figures cleanly.

Aliya gasped loudly, covering her mouth.

Scott smirked confidently. "See? What was there to be scared of?"

But Nathalia and Daniella did not relax, they were still staring.

Because Zack saw it too.

There was nothing inside, the coat dropped and the black figure collapsed.

They weren’t real, just a blanket tied with two steel bars.

"Eh...?" Zack’s eyes widened slightly.

He looked forward immediately.

"Why did I th..."

The only thing he saw was the underside of Ezra’s shoes descending toward his face.

Boom!

The kick landed with terrifying force.

His glasses shattered instantly, while his face shifted from the impact, skull cracking, front teeth breaking, blood and saliva sprayed from his mouth as his body flipped backward in the air.

He somersaulted once...Twice... before crashing violently into the wall behind him.

The entire bridge echoed from the impact.

Scott froze, his mouth hung open. "How...?"

"Zack!" Nathalia screamed.

"Is... is he dead?" Daniella asked quietly, her voice barely above a whisper.

Aliya stood there; eyes wide.

None of them moved while they all thought the same thing.

Is he alive?