"Morning, candidates."

A calm female voice echoed through the entire base, carried by the speakers fixed along the ceilings and walls. The sound spread evenly, reaching every corner—from the dorm rooms where some were still asleep, to the café where a few were already eating, to the training grounds where movements suddenly slowed, and even to the public restrooms where people paused mid-action.

"Move to the hall now for new information on the seventh trial and the present ranking of all candidates."

Her tone was straight, without pause, without emotion.

The moment the announcement ended; movement followed immediately.

Chairs scraped against the floor, doors opened, footsteps overlapped. Some hurriedly dressed, others wiped sweat off their bodies, and a few simply dropped what they were doing and moved.

Ezra was already in the training ground.

Two days had passed since the end of the sixth trial, and the tower that once stood there had already been dismantled, leaving only faint marks on the ground where it used to be.

He immediately stopped his exercise.

His breathing was steady as he reached for the white towel around his neck and wiped the sweat from his face. Without wasting time, he began walking toward the hall, blending into the flow of candidates moving in the same direction.

The hall filled quickly.

People gathered in groups, but no one spoke too loudly. Eyes were sharp, alert, scanning the surroundings, while a quiet tension slowly built in the air, because everyone was waiting.

The door at the podium opened with the three chief guards stepping out.

Freya walked to the front this time, her steps light and controlled, while Raymond stood behind her with Kyle at his side. Six guards lined up behind them in a straight horizontal formation, their posture firm, unmoving.

"Good morning, candidates."

Freya’s voice carried a lighter tone compared to the earlier announcement, soft enough to settle some of the tension in the room.

"Ahh... it’s been a while since I’ve heard Miss Freya’s voice," one boy whispered, his shoulders relaxing slightly as a few others around him nodded in agreement.

Freya raised her hand gently.

"Before we begin today’s business..."

At that exact moment...

One of the six guards stepped forward.

Cognis flowed through his body, subtle but sharp. His eyes narrowed as his perception heightened, and without hesitation, he raised a Springfield M1903A4 rifle and aimed it directly into the crowd.

No one screamed, no one panicked.

Only a few eyes shifted while some already understood what was about to happen.

Bang!

The gunshot echoed sharply.

A boy from Henry’s group instinctively tried to dodge, his body reacting before his mind could process it...

But the moment he took a step...

He froze.

Completely.

His body refused to respond.

What... is going on...? Why can’t I move?!

His thoughts raced wildly, panic rising, but his limbs remained locked in place.

Then... 𝑓𝓇𝘦ℯ𝘸𝘦𝑏𝓃𝑜𝘷ℯ𝑙.𝑐𝑜𝓂

He felt it.

A presence.

Heavy and cold pressing down on him, preventing his mind from executing any action.

His eyes lifted slowly.

Freya stood calmly, not even looking at him.

Raymond’s gaze, however...Was on him.

The bullet pierced through his head cleanly and his body dropped.

Silence filled the hall.

Henry exhaled quietly as he watched the boy fall, his expression unchanged.

No one reacted nor did they shout.

Just still faces, glancing at the boy’s dead body.

Guards at the entrance stepped forward, efficient and calm. They placed the body into a black bag and carried it away without delay, their movements practiced, as if this was something they had done many times before.

So... that was the one who placed last in the sixth trial.

The thought passed through many minds at once.

"Okay."

Freya clapped her hands lightly, drawing attention back to herself.

Her smile returned, untouched.

"It’s good to see that some familiar faces are still alive, even with everything that has happened."

Her tone carried no pity nor regret.

"But slowly... we are nearing the end of the trial."

She placed a hand on her waist, tilting her head slightly.

"So, you should all prepare yourselves for what is coming next."

A few shoulders stiffened.

"The seventh trial will begin in two weeks."

Her words landed heavily.

"You should all rest, prepare, and improve your alchemy strategies. Especially since..."

She paused briefly.

"...no information will be given about this next trial."

A smirk appeared on her lips.

Some candidates’ expressions tightened while others remained still.

"You don’t need to be afraid," she continued. "All of you are Gun Alchemists who have defeated some of the strongest figures in this family."

Her gaze moved across the crowd.

"That means the seed planted by this trial is beginning to grow inside you."

She smiled.

"And soon... you might become figures who lead this family to greater heights."

She turned slightly.

"Alright, Kyle. Show them the latest ranking."

The large screen lit up with the ranking list of names appearing.

***

Old Ranking

1st. Veda Ashenlocke

2nd. Felix Ashenlocke

3rd. Vera Ashenlocke

4th. Gareth Ashenlocke

5th. Henry Ashenlocke

6th. Nate Ashenlocke

7th. Priscilla Ashenlocke

8th. Page Laverdale (Count)

9th. Nickolas Balor (Count)

10th. Lyra Ashburn (Count)

11th. Bale Ashenlocke

12th. Nina Ashenlocke

13th. Bess Ashforge (Viscount)

14th. Cedric Ashenlocke

15th. Linda Balor (Count)

16th. Freed Ashenlocke

17th. Keith Balor (Count)

18th. Zack Ashenlocke

19th. Zara Ashenlocke (Baron Sterling)

20th. Spence Laverdale (Count)

New Ranking

1st. Vera Ashenlocke

2nd. Veda Ashenlocke

3rd. Gareth Ashenlocke

4th. Nate Ashenlocke

5th. Felix Ashenlocke

6th. Henry Ashenlocke

7th. Priscilla Ashenlocke

8th. Nina Ashenlocke

9th. Lyra Ashburn (Count)

10th. Bale Ashenlocke

11th. Zara Ashenlocke (Baron Sterling)

12th. Nickolas Balor (Count)

13th. Bess Ashforge (Viscount)

14th. Page Laverdale (Count)

15th. Zack Ashenlocke

16th. Keith Balor (Count)

17th. Page Laverdale (Count)

18th. Linda Balor (Count)

19th. Spence Laverdale (Count)

20th. Fay Ashenlocke

***

Wow

Ezra blinked once as his gaze settled on the ranking board.

His eyes moved slowly from name to name, not rushing, not reacting immediately. It wasn’t his own rise that caught his attention. That part felt expected, almost obvious after everything that had happened.

What held his focus was the top five and more than that...

A certain name that had dropped.

His eyes lingered there for a second longer before he looked away, his expression staying calm, almost indifferent, though his thoughts were clearly moving.

"Fay, you’re finally in the rankings!"

A group of girls from Bale’s side rushed toward Fay, their voices overlapping as they surrounded her. Some grabbed her hands, others tapped her shoulders, their excitement obvious as they spoke over one another.

Fay stood in the middle, slightly overwhelmed, her lips parting as if she didn’t know how to respond to the sudden attention.

Bale, standing a little behind them, smiled brightly. His eyes were fixed on the board, clearly pleased.

"It’s only by one position though," Keith said lazily from the side, pointing at the screen with little interest.

He didn’t even bother to look fully invested, his posture relaxed, almost slouched.

"Who cares?" Bale laughed it off without hesitation, his voice full of energy. He clenched his fist slightly as he spoke. "Me, you, and Fay... we didn’t drop. That means we’re improving."

His words carried a simple confidence, not loud, but firm.

While on Felix’s side...

Page dropped to her knees.

Her mouth hung open as she stared at the board, her eyes wide with disbelief.

"From eighth... to fourteenth... Nooooo!"

She slammed her fist against the ground, her reaction exaggerated, almost dramatic, drawing a few glances from nearby groups.

Lyra, standing near Vera, heard her and let out a short laugh, unable to hold it back. Her shoulders shook slightly as she glanced toward Page.

"Serves you right," she muttered under her breath.

Nina stood beside Vera; her face bright with satisfaction. Her rank had finally risen, and that alone was enough to make her smile.

"Eighth..." she whispered to herself, her fingers tightening slightly in excitement.

"And Lady Vera is first..." her smile widened.

Around them, their group burst into celebration. Voices rose, some clapping, others praising Nina and Zack, their mood light and energetic, but Vera didn’t join them.

Her gaze rested on the board.

More precisely on Ezra’s name.

Her lips curved slightly, a faint smile forming, one that carried a quiet amusement, as if she had expected it, or perhaps had been waiting for it.

Gena, standing nearby, also smiled, her eyes soft as she looked between the rankings.

"All of them went up..." she murmured quietly, clearly pleased.

Back at Veda’s group...

"I still can’t believe Lady Vera passed you," Linda said, shaking her head slowly, her tone filled with disbelief.

"I know, right," Tracy added immediately, nodding in agreement, while Mariam beside her also nodded without hesitation.

"At least he’s still number two," Nickolas cut in, trying to sound reasonable.

Then his eyes moved to his own name.

His expression changed.

"My rank dropped from ninth to twelfth... why?" he complained, his voice dragging slightly as he looked genuinely troubled.

The three girls turned to him at the same time.

Their expressions were flat.

"Who cares about you?" Linda said coldly, folding her arms as she looked at him with clear annoyance.

Nickolas froze for a second, his mouth opening slightly, but no words came out.

Veda, watching from the side, let out a small laugh.

"It doesn’t matter where you rank," he said calmly, stepping closer and placing a hand on Nickolas’ shoulder. "Even if you’re not on the list, the important thing is that you’re still here."

His smile was steady.

"You’re alive. You can still fight. That’s what matters."

He gave his shoulder a light pat.

"Let’s keep working."

"Yes!" Tracy clenched both her fists, her eyes lighting up. "I’m fired up!"

She threw a couple of light punches into the air like a boxer, making Mariam laugh, while Linda shook her head but still smiled faintly.

The mood around them loosened.

More members stepped closer, some praising Veda, others joking with Nickolas, their voices blending into a lighter atmosphere.

"Where’s Ezra?"

Nickolas suddenly turned, scanning the area, clearly intending to say something to him, but...

Ezra was already gone with no one noticing when he left.

Just like that.

As the crowd slowly began to disperse, groups moved together, talking among themselves as they left the hall.

Later that afternoon, those whose ranks had changed returned to collect their updated cards and badges while those who got removed from the ranking had their cards and badge taken.

The base gradually returned to its usual rhythm and with new points added to their cards, many candidates moved toward the marketplace, some walking quickly, others discussing what to buy.

Materials, equipment, supplies.

Everyone was preparing.

Days passed.

Ezra kept to his routine.

Training, studying and adjusting some of his gun’s alchemy circle.

He spent long hours reworking the alchemy circles of the guns he had brought from his past world, sitting quietly with tools and notes spread around him.

Lines and symbols were added, erased and redrawn.

Again, and again.

When he wasn’t training his body, he was refining his knowledge, using his Book of Memories to recall details about weapons, mechanisms, and structure.

Sometimes...

He didn’t sleep.

The nights stretched longer, his eyes staying open as he worked, his fingers moving even when his body felt tired, but not every night was peaceful.

Sometimes, when he finally closed his eyes...

His past memories and nightmare returned as fragments, short flashes.

Scenes that came without warning.

He would wake up, breathing slightly heavier, his body tense for a moment before he forced it to calm down.

It didn’t happen every night, but it kept happening enough.

Enough to remind him.

Why he couldn’t stop training hard, why he couldn’t relax and why he had to keep moving forward...

No matter what.