Chapter 27: Where is my boyfriend

Chapter 27: Where is my boyfriend

Charlotte's POV

The first explosion came without warning.

A deafening roar split the air as the bazooka cannon fired. The shockwave hit like a tidal wave, shaking the very foundation of the guild. Charlotte stumbled as the force sent debris flying. A moment later, Ezra was in front of her, shield raised. The energy field flared to life—twice as strong as normal—just in time to absorb the devastating impact.

Smoke curled around them as the explosion sent tremors through the ground. The guild's walls groaned in protest, but the barrier held. The bright blue energy flickered under the strain before stabilizing.

Charlotte coughed, covering her mouth against the dust. Her ears rang from the blast, and through the haze, she saw the figure who had launched the attack.

Elsa.

Platinum blonde hair, golden-designed rifle slung over her shoulder. Her cold blue eyes locked onto Charlotte, and in that moment, Charlotte felt something like a blade press against her throat—an unspoken threat, a silent warning.

Elsa was furious.

"Where is he?" Elsa's voice was sharp, demanding.

Before Charlotte could respond, Ezra stepped between them. "If you're here to start trouble, take it somewhere else."

Elsa barely spared her a glance. Instead, she raised her voice, making sure everyone in the guild could hear her next words.

"I place a bounty of one million on Charlotte's head."

Silence.

Then—chaos.

Gasps and murmurs rippled through the guild. Charlotte's stomach twisted. A bounty? For what?

Ezra's expression darkened. "A bounty? Are you insane?"

Elsa smirked, unfazed. "She's in my way."

With a fluid motion, she drew her pistols. The intricate designs on the barrels glowed as her fingers danced across the triggers. In a flash, she fired.

Bullets whizzed through the air, spinning in unpredictable patterns—an unmistakable sign of Elsa's signature gun-slinging technique. Charlotte barely had time to process the speed before Ezra raised her shield again, deflecting the shots.

The battle erupted.

Ezra's energy field flickered under the rapid-fire assault, while Elsa moved with calculated precision, firing shot after shot. Meanwhile, Ray had already engaged the guards. His tech-enhanced arm pulsed, sending out sonic waves that cracked the stone beneath them. A banshee-like scream echoed as his glove-generated sonic booms blasted his opponents back.

But the personal guards were different. Faster. Deadlier. Even with his new tech, Ray struggled against them.

Then—

A blur. A presence.

Charlotte's heart skipped.

Rin.

She wasn't the only one who noticed. The moment Elsa saw him, her fury sharpened into something dangerous.

For a split second, Charlotte thought Rin would fight. Instead—

He turned and ran.

Charlotte didn't think—she moved.

She chased after him, her mind racing as fast as her feet. Rin didn't look back. He grabbed her wrist, pulling her along as they darted through the streets. Behind them, Elsa was in pursuit, mounted on a sleek, tech-enhanced horse.

Charlotte's breath hitched when she saw the bow in Elsa's hands.

The moment Elsa locked onto Rin, Charlotte knew what was coming.

The first arrow shot forward with unerring accuracy. Rin twisted—too slow. It pierced his side.

Another shot.

The second arrow hit another vital point.

"Rin!" Charlotte gasped.

But he didn't stop. He clenched his jaw and kept running, blood staining his clothes.

Elsa was preparing a third shot when—

A shadow moved.

A silent figure detached itself from the darkness.

A guard.

Not just any guard. One who shouldn't be ignored.

His voice was calm, but his presence demanded obedience.

"Enough."

Elsa froze.

"Any more commotion," the guard continued, "and the higher-ups will hear of this. You would stain the family's reputation."

For a long moment, Elsa's grip on her bow tightened. Then, with a sharp exhale, she lowered it.

But Rin wasn't done.

Blood dripped from his wounds as he turned to Elsa. "Remove the bounty on Charlotte's head."

Elsa's smirk returned, but her eyes were sharp. "And if I don't?"

Rin took a slow step toward Charlotte. His face was unreadable.

Then—

"Then I'll kiss her."

Charlotte's mind blanked.

What?!

Her face burned as she turned to Rin, wide-eyed. He wouldn't. Would he?

But—he leaned in.

Closer.

Closer.

Her heart pounded so hard she thought it might burst.

Elsa's expression darkened. A silent storm raged in her eyes.

Then—

"…Fine."

Elsa spat the word like it tasted bitter. With a wave of her hand, she dismissed the bounty. "Consider it removed."

Without another word, she turned and rode off.

Even as she disappeared, Charlotte could feel her lingering frustration.

Rin exhaled, finally looking at Charlotte.

She swallowed. He had only done that to force Elsa's hand, but still—

Her stomach twisted.

Back at the guild, Gray greeted them with joking complaints, but Charlotte barely heard. Her mind was still spinning.

She didn't see Rin again after that.

Later That Night – Rin's pov

The moon hung high in the sky. The streets were empty, and the guild was far behind.

Rin stood alone.

His wounds still ached, but they weren't what troubled him.

He had shaken Elsa—for now. But something else was watching him.

He felt it before he saw it.

A shift in the air.

A presence, lurking in the shadows.

Rin didn't move.

"Come out," he said.

A low chuckle. Then—a figure stepped forward, emerging from the darkness.

The shadow guard.

"You noticed me." His voice was smooth, unreadable. "As expected."

Rin remained silent.

The guard took another step forward, his presence suffocating.

"You are not normal," he continued. "And your growing closeness to the mistress… is without good intention."

Rin didn't flinch.

The guard's voice dropped, ice-cold.

"For that—you must be erased."

A blade flashed in the moonlight.

Rin smirked.

Even wounded, he wouldn't go down easily.