Last Gun Alchemist

”Argh!”

Arelo crashed heavily onto the stone floor, the impact forcing the air from his lungs. His body rolled once before he planted both hands against the polished ground and pushed himself back onto his feet. Anger twisted across his face, and the veins around his neck bulged as he glared forward.

”Y-You...”

He wanted to curse.

He wanted to shout.

But the moment his eyes met the calm, unwavering gazes of the Ashenlocke family standing together before him, every word caught inside his throat.

The confidence he had gathered disappeared almost instantly.

The hallway became strangely quiet.

Students walking toward their next class slowed their footsteps after sensing the unusual atmosphere. One after another, they gathered around the corridor, forming a wide circle around the two noble Houses while whispering among themselves.

Everyone could feel the tension.

Vera calmly raised a finger.

”You.”

She pointed at Arelo with the same lazy motion she always used.

”You’re the one who smashed our Fay’s beautiful face against the floor.”

Her tone remained flat.

There wasn’t even a hint of anger in her voice.

And that calmness somehow made the accusation feel even heavier.

She slowly turned toward Fay.

Although Fay had already been completely healed by the academy’s medical department, Vera quietly looked her over from head to toe as if checking whether she had truly recovered.

The day of the Practical Test...

Fay’s face had been slammed into the ground.

Bullets had pierced parts of her body.

She had suffered enough injuries that any ordinary person would have mistaken her for someone beyond saving.

Yet now, not even a scar remained.

Still...

Vera sighed softly.

”Look at my Fay...”

She spoke with complete seriousness.

”She was hurt so badly.”

The students surrounding them almost looked at Fay again out of instinct.

Fay blinked.

She looked perfectly healthy.

If someone hadn’t witnessed the event on the day of the Practical Test, they would never have believed she had been severely injured only a short while ago.

Ironically...

The Evergrey students standing opposite the Ashenlockes looked far worse.

Several still wore healing patches across their faces.

Others had fresh bandages wrapped around their arms or necks.

If an outsider arrived at that moment without knowing what had happened during the Test...

They would probably conclude that the Ashenlockes were the ones bullying the Evergrey’s.

Unfortunately for the Evergrey’s...

Everyone present had already heard Professor Kent explain what truly happened during the test.

The Evergrey’s had attacked first.

That single fact prevented most of the watching students from sympathizing with them.

”L-Lady Vera...”

Grace finally forced herself to speak.

Her voice trembled slightly.

”We... we were only following what the test required us to do.”

”Mmm.”

Vera slowly turned toward Grace.

Her pitch-black eyes quietly rested on the girl’s face.

Then she tilted her head ever so slightly again.

”So... She can speak after all.”

She spoke so casually that several students immediately covered their mouths.

For a brief second...

It genuinely sounded as though Grace had only just recovered from being mute.

A few chuckles escaped from the surrounding crowd.

Others quickly looked away, trying not to laugh too loudly.

More students gradually arrived in the corridor.

Even members from several other Duke Houses had come after hearing there was trouble outside the General Studies classrooms.

Some stood quietly among the crowd to watch.

Others exchanged curious whispers.

Although, not everyone stayed.

Selena merely glanced toward the commotion before continuing into the classroom as though nothing interesting was happening.

Ravenor did exactly the same.

Neither of them seemed interested in watching the dispute.

Grace lowered her head slightly.

Her hands tightened until the fabric of her sleeves wrinkled.

She wanted to become angry.

She wanted to argue back.

But every time she looked into Vera’s emotionless eyes...

That courage quietly disappeared.

Grant wasn’t much different.

His shoulders unconsciously stiffened.

Neither sibling enjoyed standing in front of Vera Ashenlocke.

Then...

”Hey... hey... hey.”

A lazy voice drifted through the corridor.

Students turned instinctively.

Logan Drakes walked toward the confrontation with both hands inside his academy trouser pockets. Gin Drakes followed a short distance behind him, her brows already slightly knitted as though she had guessed this wouldn’t end well.

Logan stopped between both families.

Not beside the Ashenlockes.

But, beside the Evergrey’s.

He frowned dramatically.

”Why are you Ash children bullying a poor Count family?”

His voice wasn’t particularly loud, yet it carried clearly enough for everyone watching to hear.

The Evergrey students immediately looked toward him.

Several, visibly relaxed.

Someone had finally stepped in.

”Who does this guy think he is?”

Nina frowned deeply as she looked Logan up and down with open irritation.

”A Drakes.” Zack calmly adjusted his glasses. ”That explains enough.”

”Huh?”

Logan looked toward the Ashenlockes with a mocking smile.

”What happened? Cat got all your tongues?”

He spread his arms slightly.

”I thought the famous Ashenlockes would at least defend themselves.”

Encouraged by Logan’s arrival, Arelo immediately tried crawling toward the Drakes’ side.

Unfortunately...

He barely managed to move.

A hand suddenly grabbed one of his legs.

Arelo looked down.

Gareth smiled back at him with his usual harmless-looking smile.

”Let me go!”

Arelo shouted while trying to pull himself free.

Gareth didn’t answer.

He simply continued holding Arelo’s ankle as though he were absentmindedly stopping a child from wandering off.

No matter how much Arelo struggled...

He couldn’t move.

”Gareth!”

Logan barked.

”Release him immediately!”

He pointed directly at Gareth.

”You do realize this kind of behavior damages the Prince’s image? You’re supposed to represent royalty, not act like some uncultured thug.”

Gareth slowly looked toward Felix.

Felix happened to be looking back.

The two exchanged glances.

Then...

Both quietly laughed.

Not loudly.

Just enough to make Logan’s face twitch.

The surrounding Ashenlockes narrowed their eyes.

Before anyone else spoke...

”You’re really stupid, Logan Drakes.”

Vera’s calm voice interrupted everything.

She pointed at him exactly the same way she had pointed at Arelo.

Logan froze.

For a brief second...

He genuinely wondered whether he had misheard her.

Nina and Lyra immediately burst into laughter.

Neither girl made any attempt to hide it.

The sound echoed through the corridor.

The veins around Logan’s forehead bulged.

”The fact that you actually walked into the middle of Ashenlocke family business...”

Priscilla folded her arms.

”...takes a special kind of confidence. Or a special kind of stupidity.”

Page added with a light laugh.

”He’s the very definition of an attention seeker.”

”And weak.”

Lyra nodded seriously.

”Since when did a weakling earn the right to stand face-to-face with my Lady?”

She tilted her head.

”As far as I know... strength comes before confidence.”

”Look at that ugly face too.”

Nina frowned as though she had genuinely noticed something unpleasant.

”For someone from the Mainline of House Drakes...”

Bess sighed.

”What exactly went wrong?”

Her tone sounded almost sympathetic.

Almost.

The boys of House Ashenlocke quietly stared at the girls.

Their eyes widened ever so slightly.

...They’re terrifying.

Every single one of them reached exactly the same conclusion.

Each insult landed one after another without giving Logan even a moment to recover.

His expression darkened further with every sentence.

It felt less like being mocked...

And more like being stabbed repeatedly by invisible spears.

Gin noticed it immediately.

”Logan.”

She gently grabbed the sleeve of his academy uniform.

”Calm down.”

Her voice remained low enough that only he could hear it.

”They’re trying to provoke you.”

Logan’s fists clenched tightly.

The muscles around his jaw twitched.

For several seconds...

He didn’t answer.

Then, remembering Gin’s words, his breathing gradually steadied.

His hands slowly loosened.

Vera quietly watched the entire exchange.

She noticed everything.

”Weak.”

She began counting.

”Ugly.”

Another finger folded.

”Stupid.”

The final finger lowered.

She looked directly into Logan’s eyes.

”It must be amazing... being a creature like you.”

The corridor fell silent.

Even the surrounding students blinked.

That final sentence struck far harder than all the earlier insults combined.

”H-How...”

Logan’s face flushed bright red.

”How dare you!”

His patience finally snapped.

He raised his fist and lunged straight toward Vera.

”That idiot.”

Gin immediately covered her face with one hand.

She had warned him.

She knew this would happen.

Vera didn’t move.

She simply looked at the incoming punch with the same blank expression she had worn since the beginning.

Around her...

Several members of House Ashenlocke had already shifted their weight slightly.

Their bodies tensed.

They were ready to move.

But someone reached Logan first.

A fist shot forward with explosive speed.

Boom!

The punch smashed directly into Logan’s cheekbone.

His face twisted violently from the impact before his entire body was lifted off the ground.

The watching students barely managed to follow the movement.

Logan flew backward like a broken doll before crashing heavily against the academy wall.

The high-tier stone used to construct the Royal Academy was strong enough to withstand even attacks from Meister Alchemists.

The wall didn’t crack.

Logan, however...

Certainly did.

”Argh...”

His body slowly slid down the wall before collapsing onto the polished floor.

He groaned weakly, unable to rise.

”Ouch...”

Many students instinctively covered their own cheeks.

Some even rubbed their faces as though they had felt the punch themselves.

”Fatima.”

Vera looked toward the person standing before Logan.

”Vera.”

Fatima slowly lowered her fist.

Annoyance was written plainly across her face.

”Ahh...”

She let out a tired sigh.

”I’m sorry for my family member’s behavior.”

Her apology sounded sincere.

She wasn’t making excuses, and she wasn’t trying to defend Logan either.

”Sorry won’t solve this, Fatima Drakes.”

Felix spoke calmly.

”Especially when it seems House Drakes have decided to stand with the Evergrey’s.”

Gareth added with the same gentle smile still resting on his face.

Fatima sighed again.

She rubbed her forehead before glancing toward Gin.

Her eyes silently asked one question.

Why did you let him interfere?

Gin quietly looked away.

She had no answer.

Fatima then turned toward Grace and the other Evergrey students.

Her father’s words echoed through her mind.

Help the Evergrey’s.

Suppress the Ashenlockes inside the academy.

Fatima closed her eyes briefly.

...I only want the noble Houses to stand united.

She remembered Bale Ashenlocke’s face.

Then she opened her eyes again.

”Well...” She looked between both families. ”You really didn’t help your own situation.”