Aerys slammed the rim of his shield with the flat of his sword.
CLANG! CLANG!!
The metallic ring echoed across the battlefield.
Without another word, he burst forward.
The ground cracked beneath each armored step.
Tai calmly raised his revolver.
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Green mana rounds screamed through the air.
Aerys planted his shield in front of him.
BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!
Each shot detonated against the enchanted steel, but the general never slowed.
He was already within striking distance.
His sword flashed toward Tai's neck.
Too late.
Tai was gone.
Aerys' eyes narrowed.
"...!"
A sharp instinct screamed behind him.
Tai had already slipped around his flank.
BANG!
A mana round struck the back of Aerys' helmet.
CRACK!
The impact ripped the helmet clean off, sending it spinning across the battlefield before it tumbled to a stop several meters away.
Without turning around, Aerys swung his shield backward.
Tai barely had time to react.
He crossed both forearms in front of himself.
BOOOOM!
The shield smashed into him like a charging bull.
Tai was launched backward, boots carving deep trenches through the dirt before he finally came to a stop.
"...Hah."
He shook out his aching arms.
"Damn... that hurts."
Across from him, Aerys glanced toward his discarded helmet.
A long crack ran across its surface.
His gaze slowly returned to the wolf beastman.
For the first time...
His expression hardened.
He charged again.
Faster.
His sword carved through the air in relentless succession.
Left.
Right.
Overhead.
Thrust.
Every strike was powerful enough to kill.
Yet every one of them missed.
Tai moved like flowing water.
A slight tilt of his body.
A single step.
A twist of his shoulders.
Each attack passed within inches of his fur.
Aerys frowned.
"...Making me chase you?"
Tai leaned backward as another slash skimmed past the tip of his snout.
The blade missed by less than an inch.
"Hardly..."
He grinned.
"...I'm just making you miss."
Aerys roared and brought his sword down with all his strength.
Tai didn't dodge.
He aimed.
BANG!
The mana round struck the blade at the exact moment it descended.
KRAAANG!
The sword shattered into glittering fragments.
Aerys' eyes widened.
Tai didn't waste the opening.
BANG!
BANG!
BANG!
A relentless barrage erupted from both revolvers.
Forced onto the defensive, Aerys raised his shield.
Mana rounds hammered against it without pause.
Each impact shoved the armored general another step backward.
Dust sprayed from beneath his boots as he struggled to hold his ground.
The enchanted shield began to show damage.
Small chips broke away from its edges.
A few rounds slipped past the shield entirely, striking his breastplate with explosive force.
BOOM!
BOOM!
The armor held.
But only just.
Then...
Silence.
The shooting stopped.
Tai flicked open both cylinders with practiced motions.
Fresh mana crystals slid into place.
Reloading.
Aerys saw the opportunity instantly.
"Now!"
Discarding the broken sword, he snatched the war mace from his back.
With a thunderous roar, he charged.
The massive weapon descended toward Tai's skull.
BOOOOM!!
It struck nothing but earth.
Tai had already vanished from its path.
The ground exploded into a crater beneath the impact.
A heartbeat later—
BANG!
A mana round slammed into Aerys' exposed side.
The general grunted.
Before he could retaliate—
Another shot came for his head.
He instinctively threw his shield upward.
BOOM!
The shield shook violently as the blast crashed against it.
Aerys braced behind what remained of his shield.
Tai's eyes narrowed.
He squeezed the trigger.
BANG!
The mana round struck the exact center of the shield.
A heartbeat later—
KRAAASH!
The battered shield exploded apart into twisted chunks of steel.
Aerys didn't hesitate.
The instant his defense shattered, he lunged forward, his war mace sweeping toward Tai with enough force to crush stone.
It hit nothing.
Only air.
"...!"
Tai had already slipped past him.
Like a ghost.
Aerys twisted his head just in time.
BANG!
The mana round grazed past his face, tearing through the air where his skull had been a split second earlier.
Fast.
Too fast.
Before Tai could retreat again—
Aerys' armored left hand shot forward.
GRAB!
His fingers wrapped tightly around the wolf's throat.
Tai's feet left the ground.
For a brief moment...
The battlefield fell silent.
Aerys tightened his grip.
"...Got you."
Tai coughed once.
Then smiled.
"Wish for it."
His revolver shifted downward.
BANG!
The shot struck the exposed joint beneath Aerys' shoulder plate.
The enchanted armor protected the larger plates—
But not the narrow gaps between them.
"GH!"
Pain shot through Aerys' arm.
His grip weakened instinctively.
Tai didn't waste the opening.
BANG!
Another precise shot struck the wooden haft of the war mace.
CRACK!
The reinforced handle splintered apart.
The heavy weapon slipped from Aerys' grasp and crashed onto the ground.
Before the general could recover—
THUD!
Tai's boot slammed straight into his face.
The kick forced Aerys several steps backward.
His balance faltered.
Tai's revolvers rose again.
Both barrels glowed green
BANG! BANG! BANG!
BANG! BANG! BANG!
Six mana rounds erupted almost simultaneously.
Three detonated against the already-damaged breastplate.
Each impact widened the existing fractures.
CRACK!
CRACK!
CRACK!
Then the remaining three rounds punched through the broken armor.
BOOM!
BOOM!
BOOM!
Aerys staggered violently.
Blood spilled from beneath the shattered plates.
His breathing became ragged.
Tai appeared in front of him before he could regain his footing.
"...Too slow."
WHAM!
A devastating roundhouse kick smashed into Aerys' jaw.
The armored general was sent flying backward before crashing directly into his elite guards.
Several soldiers stumbled trying to catch him.
"General!"
They immediately surrounded him with raised shields.
One bodyguard looked toward the rear.
"MAGE!"
"Heal the General! Now!"
...
No answer.
His brow furrowed.
"...Mage?"
The soldiers turned around.
Then froze.
royal mage lay motionless on the ground , with a single clean hole through the center of the forehead.
Silence spread through the battlefield.
Slowly...
Every gaze shifted toward Tai.
The wolf casually twirled one revolver before letting it settle back into his grip.
Smoke drifted lazily from the barrel.
One of the elite guards' face twisted with rage.
"...Kill that mutt!"
Dozens of Norvoss soldiers charged at once.
Weapons raised.
Tai sighed.
"...Mutt?"
He clicked fresh mana crystals into place.
The cylinders snapped shut.
His ears flicked once.
A crooked grin spread across his face.
"...Now that's getting a little personal."
The first soldier reached Tai before anyone else.
A sword came down toward his shoulder.
Tai didn't even move.
BANG!
The mana round struck the blade at the perfect angle.
The sword was knocked away instantly, leaving the soldier completely exposed.
Before he could react—
BANG!
The shot struck him in the side of the head.
He collapsed before he even understood what happened.
Another soldier rushed in from the side.
Tai simply stepped backward.
The blade passed inches away from his face.
His revolver was already aimed.
BANG!
Another enemy fell.
Four crossbowmen raised their weapons at the same time.
"Fire!"
Bolts flew through the air.
Tai moved between them effortlessly.
One step.
Two steps.
Three.
Every arrow missed.
The soldiers only heard the sound.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
Bang.
By the time they realized what happened, all four crossbowmen were already on the ground.
A spear wielder charged next.
The soldier expected the famous Phantom to fire immediately.
Tai raised his revolver.
The soldier flinched.
But—
Nothing happened.
No flash.
No gunshot.
The revolver was empty.
Tai blinked.
"...Oh."
A brief silence.
Then the soldier's expression changed.
"Got you!"
The spear thrust forward.
Tai sighed.
"Not quite."
He kicked the soldier away before the spear could reach him.
The force sent the soldier crashing backward.
Without wasting a second, Tai slid one revolver back into its holster.
His free hand reached behind him and get fresh mana crystals.
Three more soldiers rushed him.
The first attacked immediately.
Tai stepped sideways, avoiding the sword by a hair's width.
At the same time, he inserted the new crystals into his revolver.
The second soldier swung toward Tai's neck.
Tai lowered his body.
The blade cut through empty air.
Before the soldier could recover—
THUD!
Tai smashed the grip of his revolver into the soldier's helmet.
The impact sent him stumbling.
The weapon cylinder closed,was ready again.
BANG!
The final soldier dropped.
The remaining two didn't even hesitate.
They charged.
But they never reached him.
BANG.
BANG.
Both collapsed before they could take another step.
The battlefield around Tai became strangely quiet.
Leo could only stare.
Tai glanced toward where Aerys had fallen.
But the general was gone,probably retreat while he was busy,
Tai then looked back toward Leo.
"You okay, kid?"
BANG!
Without even turning around, Tai fired.
A soldier attempting to sneak behind him dropped instantly.
Leo froze.
"..."
Tai casually lowered his revolver.
"Now you can answer."
Leo blinked.
"Y-Yes..."
Then his eyes widened.
"BEHIND YOU!"
Tai turned.
A mana restraining cannon was ready aimed, charging.
The barrel glowed with terrifying blue light.
His expression changed instantly.
No time.
Tai grabbed Leo by the arm.
"Move!"
The cannon fired.
VRRROOOOM!
The beam tore across the battlefield.
Tai pulled Leo aside, both of them diving away as the attack passed.
But the beam wasn't aimed at them.
It was aimed at Mia.
The sleeping black dragon.
For a moment, everyone's heart stopped.
Then—
BOOOOM!
The beam struck the abyas shield surrounding Mia and bounced away, scattering harmlessly into the sky.
Tai stared.
"...Good."
But his expression quickly became serious.
The cannon was already charging again.
And behind it...
Thirty more Noveross soldiers were advancing.
Tai slowly stood.
He brushed dust from his jacket.
Then cracked his neck.
Leo looked up at him.
Tai glanced back.
"Excuse me, kid."
He spun his revolver once.
"Got some business to take care of."