Escape Clause

After thirty minutes of showing Stella how to properly hold an aim the rifle, for which she needed to shapeshift into a longer-armed form, and another five minutes figuring out how to mount the semi-indestructible contract on a tree - Kir had to use his claws to carve a slot for the scroll stick - Stella was finally ready to shoot.

"Alright, first charge it with mana," Kir instructed.

"Feels like the thing is trying to suck me dry, and not in a good way," Stella said.

"That's just Kangetsu getting used to you. Now, focus your mana on the topmost bullet." He put his finger at the top of the revolver.

"Okay, I feel it... but there's some kind of barrier?"