The Horned Pistol...

From the name alone, it was easy to imagine what kind of weapon it was, but seeing it in action made the difference clear. It is a handgun with a slim, short blade attached directly beneath the barrel, similar in concept to the Repeater Sword Rifle, only reduced to a compact form that suited close combat.

The pistol held ten rounds, but the bullet holder is always fixed in place. It can still be reloaded, but the process will take long which makes it impractical in the middle of an Akai match. Its accuracy was not particularly high, and it was only effective within a range of about fifteen to thirty meters, which was acceptable for an Akia match, but still came with clear limitations as already mentioned.

Once the bullets were exhausted, the Alchemist would normally need to create another weapon or remodel the current one to continue fighting, but within the rules of Akia, that option was essentially removed.

Even its raw power was only comparable to a standard revolver, meaning it lacked the ability to deliver a guaranteed fatal shot.

However, the Horned Pistol had one feature that made it dangerous in the right hands.

***

Ezra didn’t waste time.

The moment his grip tightened around the Glock, he fired multiple shots in quick succession, nearly ten rounds leaving the barrel as he advanced slightly, the recoil pushing against his palm as the bullets cut through the air toward Lord Astraea.

She reacted calmly.

The Horned Pistol spun between her fingers as if it were weightless, and in a smooth motion, she swung it forward, the blade attached to the barrel slicing through the incoming bullets while deflecting others aside.

Metal fragments scattered as she moved, and without pausing, she fired a single shot back at him, a faint smile resting on her lips.

Clank!

Ezra’s response was immediate. He raised his gun and shot her bullet down before it could even reach the midpoint between them, the impact echoing sharply across the floor.

For a brief moment, both of them stood still, facing each other.

The smug smile on Astraea’s face faded slightly, replaced by something more interesting.

Even as an illusion, she retained a personality.

She is someone who can easily distinguish between the weak and the strong, but her pride as a self-proclaimed genius often made her dismiss her opponents until they proved themselves worthy.

Now, she tilted her head slightly, her eyes shifting to the gun Ezra held, noticing that something about it did not match her current knowledge on handguns, then she smiled again.

Ezra fired once more.

This time, his aim shifted constantly, bullets targeting different parts of her body at nearly the same time, creating a layered barrage that closed in on her like a moving wall.

Her eyes lit up.

Cognis surged through her body as she reached forward and caught a bullet that was about to hit her nose.

At the same time, she stepped lightly to the side, her foot almost crossing the circle line, then twisted her body, using the Horned Pistol to block three incoming shots while raising one leg to adjust her balance.

Her movements were fluid and precise.

Every motion had purpose.

She slipped through the remaining bullets with minimal movement, her body bending and shifting just enough to avoid each shot without wasting energy and passing the circle she stood inside.

The exchange continued.

Ezra fired.

Astraea blocked, sliced, and weaved.

With neither of them slowing down.

As the fight stretched longer... Watching her closely, Ezra began to understand something important.

Her footwork was exceptional.

It was not just fast, but controlled in a way that allowed her to maintain balance no matter how she moved. That alone showed him that the top three were not just strong because of their rank. There was something more behind it.

Then, in the middle of her movement, she attacked.

The bullet didn’t come from the barrel.

Instead, the blade attached to the Horned Pistol shot forward.

The short horn extended with speed, piercing through the air as a thin steel wire followed behind it, connected to the base of the weapon.

Ezra shifted his body slightly, the horn passing by his side, the air it cut brushing against his clothes. At the same time, he redirected his aim and fired downward, destroying the two bullets Astraea had fired at him.

Without hesitation, she clicked a button on the side of the barrel pulling the horn back, retracting it with the wire, while Ezra used that moment to fire again, forcing her to defend.

She remained calm as her left hand shot forward.

She caught the first bullet and her body twisted slightly, avoiding the others.

Then...

Thunk!

Her eyes widened.

A piece of her fingers was blown off.

Blood splashed from her hand.

She did not panic.

Instead, she immediately circulated her Cognis, stopping the bleeding while continuing to block the remaining bullets with her weapon.

Even as an illusion, she understood what had happened.

Ezra had baited her.

He had anticipated her attempt to use the Law of Inversion to catch the first bullet again, and he aligned a second shot perfectly behind the first.

The moment she caught the first bullet, the second followed through, forcing her into a position where she could only partially avoid the damage.

Ezra noticed his Glock nearing empty. So, he moved his hand toward his space bag fast.

Astraea saw this and her reaction was immediate.

She fired the horn again and released three shots at the same time, trying to stop him before he could reload.

Ezra’s eyes remained locked on her.

He tilted his head slightly to the right, the horn grazing his face, cutting his skin as a thin line of blood formed, while he used his remaining bullets to shoot down the incoming shots.

Then...

Click.

Empty.

In that instant, his thumb pressed the magazine release, the empty magazine dropped cleanly to the stone floor and at the same time, he threw out a steel bar.

Cognis surged into his hands as he brought them together, initiating the alchemy process.

Astraea reacted again.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

She fired all her remaining rounds at once, forcing Ezra into a tight situation.

He had only two choices.

Block and stop his alchemy or continue and risk getting hit.

He chose the latter.

Gritting his teeth, he stepped back, his foot almost touching the edge of the circle.

He leaned to the side, letting the first bullet pass, then bent down as another barely missed his head. Two more bullets tore through parts of his clothing, cutting into his shoulder and side, but he did not stop.

He slammed his hands onto the ground.

The alchemy circle activated.

The steel bar melted instantly and reshaped into a loaded magazine.

In one swift motion, Ezra slammed the magazine into the Glock, his fingers moving with practiced precision as his attention split between the weapon and the threat in front of him, and almost at the same instant, his body reacted on instinct.

He raised his hand and caught the horn that was rushing toward his head.

The blade pierced straight into his palm.

Blood flowed immediately, warm and sharp against his skin, but Ezra did not shout, nor did his expression change, as if the pain had been pushed aside the moment it happened.

Instead, his fingers tightened around the wire attached to the horn, gripping it firmly as he pulled back with force, the tension of the wire stretching as he dragged Lord Astraea forward, almost pulling her out of the circle.

Her footing held.

Her boots pressed firmly against the ground as she resisted, her body leaning back slightly to counter his pull.

Ezra did not stop.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

The gun in his other hand fired repeatedly, each shot controlled despite the awkward angle, the recoil pushing against his arm as the bullets tore through her body.

Holes appeared across her torso, the force of the impact making her body jerk slightly as she remained standing for a brief second.

She smiled, even as her knees gave in and as her body began to fall.

Then she vanished into dust before fully hitting the ground.

The sound of the shots faded, leaving only the faint echo bouncing off the walls.

The door to the next room appeared.

Ezra slowly loosened his grip on the wire, letting it fall as he lowered his hand, his gaze shifting down to the blood dripping from his palm and the cuts across his body. The red liquid stained his fingers and ran along his wrist, dropping onto the stone floor in small, steady drops.

"So... once we reach the eighth floor, their physical attacks can actually injure us physically,"

he muttered quietly; his voice low as he processed the change in the trial.

He exhaled, then stepped forward without hesitation and walked into the next room.

The next person I’m facing... is Lord Val.

He circulated his Cognis immediately, directing it toward the injured parts of his body, the energy flowing through his veins and into his wounds, slowing the bleeding and easing the damage just enough for him to continue.

Veda’s master... huh.

His eyes narrowed slightly.

Looking back at the fight with Lord Astraea, I can already tell this next battle will be harder.

He thought to himself, but at the same time, there was something else pushing him forward.

I need to know where I stand compared to these people.

He thought, his mind steady despite the pain in his body.

I want to know if all my practice and training are actually making me stronger.

His fist tightened slightly as he stepped onto the circle, even though his injuries had not fully healed.

The illusionary clone of Val appeared.

The moment he did, the atmosphere shifted.

"His presence is... wild,"

Ezra thought, his gaze locking onto him as Val stared back without blinking.

Neither of them moved.

For a brief moment, silence filled the space, heavy and tense, as if both of them were measuring each other without speaking.

Then the light turned green.

Their hands moved at the same time, reaching into their space bags.

Ezra’s thoughts raced as he pulled out a steel bar, his mind already running through possibilities.

What kind of gun will he use? He’s Binder rank... he could even use a Binder-level weapon.

His thoughts moved quickly, one after another, not giving him time to hesitate.

Should I go for a Binder rank gun...? No!

His eyes sharpened.

He’s faster than me right now and I don’t have the time for that. So, I’ll stick with the Glock.

His breathing remained steady as his decision settled.

Whatever choice he makes... I’ll deal with it.

They brought their hands together, Cognis flowing between their palms as they initiated the alchemy process, the steel reshaping under their control and then...

Ezra froze.

Just for a fraction of a second.

The Baske... 1945.

His eyes widened slightly, disbelief flickering across his face.

Are you kidding me...?

He stared at the weapon in Val’s hand.

Compared to Astraea, the difference was clear.

Astraea had held back, because she had fought with pride, only taking things seriously when she acknowledged her opponent.

You could say that was why she lost.

But Val...Was different.

From the moment Ezra met his eyes, he understood it immediately.

There was no pride, no hesitation.

Only intent.

And that gaze carried something familiar.

The same darkness and same resolve.

It was the look of someone who would do anything to survive.

The Baske was not chosen randomly.

It was created because Val had already judged him.

If this fight dragged on...

He would lose.

Val raised the Baske and aimed it directly at Ezra, his movement clean and without hesitation.

Ezra stared at the weapon, his grip tightening around his Glock.

"Haa... this should only be a lifeless clone, right," 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

He muttered under his breath, though his eyes did not leave the barrel pointed at him.

The tension in the air tightened as both of them stood ready, the next moment deciding everything.