Last Gun Alchemist

"I’ll just beat all of you together."

Maxwell repeated his words again, this time firmly, without the slightest hint of hesitation in his voice even after hearing Vera’s earlier words.

This time, nobody answered him.

Vera’s black eyes remained fixed on his face, her gaze becoming a little more focused than before.

Diane simply tilted her head, staring at Maxwell with the same sleepy expression she had worn since getting up from her throw pillow.

Ravenor’s reaction was quieter.

His eyes narrowed.

Three different stares settled on Maxwell at the same time.

The confidence he had gathered only moments ago after Vera interrupted his first words immediately suffered.

Maxwell swallowed.

His shoulders stiffened slightly.

Why are they all looking at me like that again?

Vera noticed the change almost immediately.

She turned her head toward Diane.

"He did say he would stand on top, right?"

Her voice carried its usual dry tone, but there was enough sarcasm mixed into it that Maxwell couldn’t tell whether she was mocking him or simply reminding Diane of something he had actually said.

And as always...

It made it worse.

Diane nodded.

"Yes, he did."

She sounded completely serious.

Maxwell’s lips twitched.

Ravenor, however, didn’t join their teasing.

"He’s right, though."

Vera’s attention shifted toward him.

Cognis had already started flowing through Ravenor’s body.

It moved through his Stars and veins in a controlled stream, causing the air around him to grow warmer as his gaze passed across the other three students standing in the clearing.

"Beating all of you here and now would solidify me passing this test."

Ravenor spoke calmly.

There was no excitement in his voice like Maxwell’s.

To him, it was simply practical.

Four strong students had gathered in one place.

All of them had survived this far into the test.

There was a very good chance each of them possessed enough Numbered Gems to make fighting worthwhile.

Vera tilted her head slightly.

"You sure about that?"

Her expression suddenly became thoughtful.

Almost too thoughtful.

"I might not even have the number of Numbered Gems you would like."

Her tone sounded strangely convincing.

Maxwell looked at her.

Ravenor did the same.

For a brief moment, both boys almost considered the possibility that Vera genuinely didn’t have many gems.

Then Ravenor remembered exactly who was speaking.

His expression flattened.

This was Vera Ashenlocke.

Believing her that easily would be stupid.

"We’ll just have to find out."

Ravenor stepped forward.

His boot pressed against the grass as he shifted into a combat stance, one side of his body turning slightly while his attention remained divided between everyone in the clearing.

Maxwell’s earlier nervousness disappeared again the instant he saw Ravenor preparing to fight.

His golden eyes lit up.

A grin spread across his face.

"As an Alchemist..."

He raised both hands and cracked his knuckles.

"...I don’t discriminate with my fists."

His gaze moved between Vera and Diane.

"So don’t complain later, girls."

Silence.

Vera looked at him.

Diane looked at him.

Neither girl appeared impressed.

Maxwell’s grin weakened slightly.

Ravenor said nothing either.

For several seconds, nobody moved.

The wind passed through the clearing, stirring the grass around their boots and carrying a few loose leaves between them.

Four students stood within the open space.

Four different Alchemists.

Yet no one wanted to make the first careless move.

Their eyes moved constantly.

Vera observed Ravenor, Diane, and Maxwell without changing her expression.

Diane’s sleepy gaze passed between them more slowly, but that didn’t mean she wasn’t paying attention.

Ravenor remained particularly focused on Maxwell.

And Maxwell himself looked from one opponent to another, trying to decide who would move first.

The greatest uncertainty among them was obvious.

Maxwell.

Vera didn’t know his Alchemy Path.

Diane didn’t know it either.

Ravenor knew more because of what his father had told him, but even that knowledge made him more cautious rather than less.

There was also something strange about Maxwell’s Cognis.

The amount they sensed from him didn’t feel completely honest.

It felt restrained.

As though the level he had shown until now wasn’t everything he possessed.

That alone was enough to make Vera and Diane more alert.

Ravenor had even more reason to watch him.

Still, none of them were helpless against the others.

Vera knew enough about Diane.

Diane knew enough about Vera.

Both understood Flame Alchemy well enough to be cautious around Ravenor.

Ravenor, in turn, knew exactly how dangerous the two girls could become if he underestimated them.

They already had enough information about one another to prepare.

Maxwell was the only missing piece.

And Maxwell eventually grew tired of everyone staring, finally gaining his full excitement back.

"No wasting time!"

His shout broke the silence.

Everyone’s attention sharpened.

"Let’s all go out from the start!"

Maxwell released his restraint.

A massive surge of Cognis burst from his body.

BOOM!

The grass around his boots flattened.

His clothes snapped against the sudden pressure as Cognis rushed out from his constructing Fourth Star.

At first, the streams were almost colorless.

They flowed from the Star into his veins like countless thin threads before gathering together, compressing more tightly as greater amounts were released at once.

Then the nature of his Path began to show.

Golden light appeared.

Thin streaks resembling golden lightning flowed faintly around Maxwell’s body, flickering across his arms and shoulders before disappearing into the air.

Vera’s eyes narrowed slightly.

Fourth Star.

The sudden pressure from Maxwell’s Cognis spread across the clearing.

It didn’t remain unanswered.

Vera released hers.

Another heavy fluctuation followed.

Cognis surged through her body and spread outward, causing the lower edges of her training skirt and cardigan to shift beneath the pressure.

Diane responded at nearly the same moment.

Light-blue streaks of Cognis flowed around her body like thin lightning, while the temperature surrounding her began dropping.

Ravenor was next.

Scarlet-red Cognis escaped from him in faint sparks, and the air around his position grew warmer.

Four different fluctuations now occupied the same clearing.

None gave way.

Maxwell’s golden Cognis.

Ravenor’s scarlet-red Cognis.

Diane’s light-blue Cognis.

And Vera’s own released power.

The pressure from all four young Alchemists collided within the open space, stirring the grass and shaking leaves from nearby branches.

Then they moved.

Almost together.

Their Space Bags opened.

Numerous Alchemy materials flew into the air.

With none of them needing to physically reach inside and pull out every resource one by one.

Their Cognis influenced the materials, dragging them from their Space Bags and suspending them around their bodies as though invisible hands were holding everything in place.

Vera released numerous bars of Black Steel and Orichalcum bars.

The metals spread through the air around her, rotating slowly as her Cognis wrapped around them.

Diane’s resources were simpler in appearance.

Ice Crystals.

They emerged in the shape of small cubes and hovered above the ground around her.

The temperature dropped further.

A faint white mist began forming close to her boots.

Ravenor took out only one visible object.

A lighter.

It flipped through the air.

Click!

A flame appeared.

The small fire lasted for barely an instant before Ravenor’s Cognis reached it.

Fwoosh!

The flame exploded upward.

Fire spread above Ravenor like a fountain, twisting over his head while the heat rolling from it pushed against Diane’s growing cold.

Then came Maxwell.

A piece of Novarite left his Space Bag.

The material rose into the air.

Golden sparks immediately began jumping across its surface.

Once.

Twice.

Then faster.

The heat around it rose.

Vera’s gaze briefly moved toward the Novarite.

Diane also noticed it.

Maxwell grinned.

And then...

CLAP!

Four pairs of hands came together almost simultaneously.

The sound echoed across the clearing as if only one person had clapped.

Cognis surged.

More.

Far more.

The fluctuations surrounding all four students suddenly climbed to another level.

Alchemy Circles constructed themselves between their palms.

Lines appeared.

Symbols connected.

The Circles completed within moments.

Vera’s eyes sharpened.

Diane’s sleepy expression finally became more focused.

Ravenor’s gaze remained fixed forward.

Maxwell’s grin widened.

Then all four moved.

BOOM!

Their hands slammed toward the ground.

Four large Alchemy Circles spread beneath them.

Vera’s Circle shone white.

Diane’s glowed light blue.

Ravenor’s burned scarlet red.

And Maxwell’s radiated gold.

The four Circles expanded until they occupied large sections of the clearing around their respective Alchemists.

The ground trembled.

Then the trembling grew stronger.

Loose stones jumped against the soil.

Grass bent beneath the pressure.

Branches shook overhead as a wave of turbulence spread beyond the clearing and entered the surrounding forest.

Students fighting far from the area paused for a moment.

Others searching for Numbered Gems looked around in confusion as vibrations traveled beneath their feet.

The amount of Cognis colliding in one location was impossible to completely hide.

Four large-scale Alchemies had been ignited almost simultaneously.

MASS ALCHEMY!

Vera’s materials reacted first.

The Black Steel and Orichalcum bars suspended around her were pulled toward the Mass Alchemy Circle.

The metals separated.

Mixed.

Compressed.

Their shapes changed rapidly under the influence of her Alchemy.

Long barrels formed.

Receivers followed.

Stocks.

Internal components.

One firearm after another rose from the white light.

Ten.

Twenty.

Thirty.

The number continued increasing.

By the time Vera’s Mass Alchemy completed, sixty E-V 26 MK.II shotguns surrounded her.

All of them stood with their lower sections pressed into the ground, creating the appearance of a graveyard made entirely from shotguns.

Vera stood calmly in the center of them.

Her black hair shifted slightly beneath the pressure surrounding the clearing.

Across from her, Diane’s Ice Crystals reacted.

The cubes compressed individually.

Their shapes stretched.

Edges sharpened.

One Ice Shard after another formed.

They stabbed into the ground around Diane.

Dozens appeared.

Then more.

Until one hundred Ice Shards surrounded her.

Cold spread across the clearing.

The grass beneath Diane began frosting over.

A thick layer of icy fog rolled across the ground around her feet, flowing between the Ice Shards and spreading outward until the area surrounding her looked as though winter had suddenly claimed that part of the forest.

Ravenor’s Alchemy completed next.

The fountain of flame burning above him suddenly collapsed downward.

The Mass Alchemy Circle absorbed it.

For a moment, the fire disappeared completely.

Then scarlet-red light flashed across Ravenor’s Circle.

Flames erupted from it, not spreading randomly.

The fire formed a circular arrangement around Ravenor, creating long lines of flame whose tips curved and shifted like tentacles.

And Ravenor stood at the center.

The flames cracked and moved around him, responding to the flow of his Cognis.

Then everyone’s attention was pulled toward the fourth Alchemy.

Maxwell.

The Novarite hovering above him sparked violently.

CRACK!

Its surface split.

Golden fire erupted outward.

The flame expanded rapidly until a large ball of golden fire burned above Maxwell, shining strongly enough to brighten the clearing.

Heat rolled outward.

Vera felt it against her skin.

Ravenor’s flames responded almost immediately.

Even Diane’s icy fog reacted.

Yet the golden fire didn’t remain above Maxwell for long.

His Mass Alchemy Circle pulled almost like Ravenor’s Alchemy.

The entire ball of flame was dragged downward.

The golden fire entered the Circle as though being swallowed by an endless hole.

More.

More.

Until the last flame disappeared.

The golden Circle beneath Maxwell became brighter.

Then the energy returned in another form.

Small balls of golden flame emerged from the Mass Alchemy Circle.

One after another.

They rose around Maxwell.

Several hovered beside him.

Others floated behind his shoulders or above his head.

The heat produced by them continued spreading.

Waves distorted the air.

Diane’s cold reacted first more.

More icy fog poured across the ground around her, thickening as her Alchemy resisted Maxwell’s heat.

Ravenor’s flames crackled harder.

His own fire responded to the rising temperature, adding even more heat to the clearing.

Vera’s sixty shotguns remained unchanged.

The E-V 26 MK.IIs stood firmly around her despite the heat waves passing over their Black Steel and Orichalcum bodies.

All four Alchemies were complete.

For the first time, Maxwell’s grin weakened slightly.

His golden eyes moved from one creation to another.

Sixty shotguns.

One hundred Ice Shards.

Ravenor’s surrounding flames.

His own golden fire.

They’re strong.

The thought didn’t frighten him.

If anything, his excitement grew.

Ravenor’s feet shifted.

Vera’s hand moved toward one of the E-V 26 MK.IIs.

Diane raised her gaze.

Maxwell lowered his center of gravity.

Everyone was ready.

The four moved to attack...

BWAAAAAAAAAH!

A massive horn suddenly echoed across the forest.

The sound rolled through the clearing with enough force to make all four stop.

Vera’s hand remained inches away from one of her shotguns.

Diane blinked.

Ravenor’s flames continued moving around him for another moment.

Maxwell stared ahead.

Nobody attacked.

The horn continued sounding.

Vera slowly lowered her hand.

"..."

Diane’s shoulders relaxed.

Ravenor released a quiet breath through his nose.

Maxwell looked genuinely offended by the timing.

The four began withdrawing their Cognis.

Vera’s Mass Alchemy Circle faded.

The sixty E-V 26 MK.II shotguns lost their constructed forms, breaking apart as the Alchemy reversed until the Black Steel and Orichalcum returned to their original states.

The bars moved back into Vera’s Space Bag.

Diane did the same.

Her one hundred Ice Shards reverted into the Ice Crystals she had used as resources, while the fog around her slowly began thinning.

Ravenor’s circular flame formation collapsed.

His lighter reconstructed itself from the Alchemy and returned toward him before disappearing into his Space Bag.

Maxwell’s golden balls of flame were absorbed back into his Mass Alchemy Circle.

The energy gathered.

Compressed.

Then returned to the Novarite.

The piece reconstructed itself and flew back toward Maxwell.

He caught it.

His expression became thoughtful as he placed it into his Space Bag.

Despite not getting the fight he wanted, he couldn’t hide the impression the other three had left on him.

All four of them had just performed large-scale Alchemies that ordinary young Alchemists wouldn’t have been able to handle easily.

And none of them looked slightly tired, even though he could feel their level was just at the Adept Alchemist rank.

A crackling sound suddenly spread through the forest.

Then an adult voice followed.

"Testing..."

Professor Kent’s familiar voice echoed from somewhere none of them could immediately identify.

"Testing..."

Students across the forest looked upward.

Kent continued calmly.

"The Practical Test has come to an end."

Maxwell’s shoulders dropped.

"No one is allowed to continue fighting or search for any more Numbered Gems."

Vera looked toward the source of the voice.

Diane remained quiet.

Professor Kent paused.

"I’m watching every one of you, so if you do..."

Another short silence followed.

"...you will be severely punished."

His voice remained completely serious.

Then he added,

"But I would like to encourage you to do so. Since it’s good for students to be rebellious."

Silence filled the forest.

Students in different areas slowly narrowed their eyes.

Vera’s expression became even flatter.

Diane blinked once.

Ravenor said nothing.

Maxwell looked upward suspiciously.

The same thought seemed to pass through the minds of many students at once.

Does he think we’re that stupid?

Professor Kent’s voice continued to echo through every part of the forest.

"While some of you have already left through the exits, the rest of you who are still inside the forest training center will be teleported back to this area."

Kent looked across the different displays showing the remaining students scattered throughout the forest.

A grin slowly appeared on his face.

Many of them looked terrible.

Some were covered in mud, others had torn academy training uniforms that were still healing their injuries, and several students were sitting on the ground because their legs had already given up on them.

There were even those who had spent the last few minutes dragging themselves toward an exit because they wanted nothing more than to leave the forest normally.

Kent’s grin widened.

"Safe travels."

Then his voice disappeared.

Silence fell across the forest.

For a few seconds, the students simply stood there.

Some looked down.

Others looked around suspiciously, as though waiting for something terrible to happen.

Then...

A Spatial Alchemy Circle suddenly appeared beneath one exhausted student.

The student looked down.

His face changed.

"Wait..."

The Circle flashed.

WHOOSH!

He vanished.

Another Spatial Alchemy Circle appeared beneath a different student.

Then another.

And another.

Understanding spread throughout the forest.

"NOOOOOOO!"

The exhausted cries of numerous students rose almost together.

After everything they had endured during the Practical Test, Professor Kent apparently wasn’t even going to let them walk back peacefully, since some of the students hated the nausea feeling the teleportation caused.

Spatial Alchemy Circles appeared beneath students one after another, their symbols lighting up before warping each person away.

"Wait! I’m not ready!"

Whoosh!

Another student disappeared.

"At least give me a sec..."

Whoosh!

Gone.

"Professor, you bastard...!"

Whoosh!

That one disappeared before he could finish.

Their screams continued echoing throughout the forest as the teleportation spread from one area to another.

In the section where Cyrus and Basil had fought, there was barely anything left that resembled the peaceful forest from the beginning of the examination.

Flames still burned across several patches of ground.

Smoke rose from broken bushes and damaged tree trunks, while entire sections of the area had been blown apart by their Alchemy.

Trees lay scattered across the forest floor.

Some had been broken by sonic impacts, while others had been destroyed by Cyrus’s explosions. Rocks had been cracked into pieces, the ground was covered in holes, and scorched patches of soil showed where flames had burned away the grass and dry leaves.

Standing in the middle of all that destruction were the two boys responsible.

"Well..."

Cyrus picked up his head plugs and placed them back over his ears.

"Too bad."

He glanced toward Basil.

The noble looked terrible.

His face was swollen from the beating he had taken, while burns covered several parts of his exposed skin. Blood slowly ran from his injuries and stained what remained of his damaged training uniform.

The Healing Alchemy built into the academy clothing had already activated.

Alchemy Circuits glowed faintly beneath the fabric as the uniform began healing the injuries beneath it.

Even with that assistance, Basil could barely remain standing.

His legs trembled, as his shoulders rose and fell with each breath.

One eye had swollen enough that he struggled to keep it fully open.

Yet his gaze remained fixed on Cyrus.

"H-How..."

His voice came out weak.

Cyrus looked at him.

Basil swallowed and tried again.

"How are you this st..."

A Spatial Alchemy Circle appeared beneath his feet.

Basil looked down.

"Huh?"

The symbols flashed.

Whoosh!

He disappeared.

Cyrus stared at the empty space.

"..."

The unfinished question remained hanging in the air.

Cyrus scratched the side of his head.

"Well, I guess I’ll never know what he wanted to say."

He wasn’t particularly interested either.

Now that the fight was over, the exhaustion he had ignored throughout the battle started settling into his body.

His shoulders dropped.

"Ahh..."

Cyrus reached into his Space Bag and pulled out his Zphone.

His thumb moved across its surface.

A moment later, music began playing through his head plugs.

The melody covered the remaining crackling flames and distant noises of the forest.

"Much better."

Cyrus reached into his Space Bag again and removed his academy cardigan.

His training top underneath had been badly damaged during the fight, and although the built-in Alchemy was working on healing the injuries, he didn’t want other students looking at him.

He slipped the cardigan on.

The fabric covered most of the damage.

Cyrus adjusted the collar before releasing another tired breath.

"Ahh..."

His eyes moved across the destroyed battlefield.

Broken trees.

Scorched ground.

Shattered rocks.

Smoke.

Burns across his own body.

All because one angry noble couldn’t handle being called Basil the Pig.

Cyrus shook his head.

"I don’t want to fight like that ever again."

The music continued playing softly in his ears.

Then a glow appeared beneath his boots.

Cyrus looked down.

A Spatial Alchemy Circle had formed around his feet.

The symbols brightened.

Cyrus barely reacted.

He simply placed both hands inside his cardigan pockets and allowed the music to continue playing.

Whoosh!

His body disappeared from the ruined forest.

Not far away, the atmosphere around Ezra’s battlefield had also changed completely after Professor Kent’s announcement.

Felix stood with his AK-47 still pointed in Ezra’s direction.

His finger remained near the trigger.

But the fight was over, and he knew it.

"Tsk."

Felix clicked his tongue, as he lowered the rifle.

"Consider yourself lucky."

Ezra looked at him plainly.

He didn’t respond.

Felix’s expression immediately became more irritated.

Even after fighting three strong Alchemists at the same time, Ezra still had that same dull look on his face.

It was annoying.

Felix turned away from him.

His eyes moved toward Tristin.

The prince was still struggling to properly get back onto his feet after Ezra’s double-foot kick had smashed into his face.

Tristin planted one hand against the ground.

His other hand formed a fist.

Bam!

He punched the soil.

"Damn it..."

His fist rose again.

Bam!

"Damn it!"

Again.

Bam!

"DAMN IT!"

Loose dirt jumped around his hand with each strike.

"I’ll kill you!"

Tristin’s face was a mess.

The earlier hit from Felix’s Springfield had already left its mark, but Ezra’s final kick had made things much worse.

Blood ran from his nose.

His lips had been split.

Dirt covered one side of his face from tumbling across the ground, and the swelling around his cheek had already started becoming more obvious.

For someone who took great pride in his appearance...

This was a disaster.

Gareth approached him.

"Your Highness."

He reached down and caught Tristin’s arm, helping him back onto his feet.

Tristin immediately pulled himself away.

"Leave me alone!"

Gareth released him without argument.

Tristin wiped his mouth.

When he pulled his hand away, blood covered his fingers.

His golden eyes widened.

He stared at it.

Then slowly touched his face again.

More blood.

"My..."

His expression twisted.

"My charming face..."

Ezra stood several meters away, still watching him without saying anything.

Tristin’s head snapped toward him.

"You bastard!"

His Cognis surged.

Forgetting Professor Kent’s warning almost immediately, Tristin stepped forward as though he intended to charge Ezra again.

A Spatial Alchemy Circle suddenly appeared beneath him.

Tristin froze.

His eyes dropped.

"What?"

The Circle flashed.

"WAIT!"

Whoosh!

He vanished.

Silence followed.

Gareth stared at the place where the prince had been standing.

Then he looked toward Ezra.

"Ha... ha... ha..."

An awkward laugh escaped him.

"Well."

A Spatial Alchemy Circle appeared beneath Gareth’s boots.

Unlike Tristin, Gareth didn’t seem particularly bothered.

He simply lifted one hand.

"Bye, Ezra Ashenlocke."

His usual innocent smile returned to his face.

Considering the fact that he had just spent the last several minutes trying to beat Ezra alongside Felix and Tristin, the casual goodbye almost felt strange.

Ezra looked at him.

"Bye."

Gareth’s smile widened slightly.

The Spatial Alchemy Circle brightened.

Whoosh!

He disappeared.

That left Felix.

For several seconds, neither boy spoke.

Felix stared at Ezra.

Ezra stared back.

The anger remained visible on Felix’s face.

"Consider yourself lucky."

He had said those words earlier.

But standing there now...

Felix knew they weren’t completely true.

His grip tightened around the AK-47.

He, Gareth, and Tristin had fought Ezra together.

Desmond had left before the battle properly began, leaving the three of them to handle Ezra themselves.

They had the numbers.

They had Felix attacking from range.

Gareth pressured Ezra at close range.

Tristin’s Light Alchemy had given Ezra the greatest problem of all.

Yet...

They hadn’t beaten him.

Worse, Felix couldn’t confidently tell himself that if Professor Kent hadn’t ended the test, the three of them would have easily won.

Maybe they would have.

Maybe Ezra would have eventually been overwhelmed.

But easily?

Felix couldn’t believe that anymore.

"Tsk."

He clicked his tongue again.

That realization pissed him off.

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