The Sharpshooter’s Gambit

Chapter 57: The Sharpshooter's Gambit

Deadeye exhaled slowly. He wasn't out of tricks yet.

Kael-X had found his position, but knowing and reaching were two different things.

"Adaptation confirmed," Deadeye muttered, recalculating.

He pressed a button on his wrist. A signal pulse.

Kael-X Closes In

Kael-X launched himself forward, moving at insane speeds. The rooftop where Deadeye had been positioned shattered as he landed—but Deadeye was already gone.

Kael-X narrowed his eyes. "Tch. Running now?"

"Running?" Deadeye's voice crackled through the air. "No, I'm just playing my game properly."

Suddenly, Kael-X felt a shift in the air.

Then—boom.

A wall of energy erupted behind him, sealing off his escape route.

Kael-X turned sharply. A trap.

Deadeye wasn't just a sniper. He was a strategist.

A Battlefield Rewritten

From his new position—perched on a crane overlooking the battlefield—Deadeye adjusted his weapon.

The signal pulse he had sent earlier? It wasn't just a signal.

It had activated a pre-set battlefield. Energy walls, controlled detonation points, and escape blockers.

Kael-X was no longer in open combat.

He was in a hunting ground.

And Deadeye was still the hunter.

Kael-X smirked. "Huh. Alright. Let's see what you got."

Deadeye took the next shot.

This time, Kael-X had nowhere to dodge.

---

Chapter 57 (Continued): The Sharpshooter's Gambit

The Shot That Shook the World

Kael-X twisted midair, trying to evade—but Deadeye had calculated everything down to the millisecond.

CRACK!

The bullet struck Kael-X's left shoulder.

It wasn't a normal round.

The moment it made contact, it burrowed into his flesh before detonating in a controlled burst of energy.

BOOM!

Kael-X slammed into the ground, skidding across the rooftop before crashing into a metal vent. His left arm twitched involuntarily, blood seeping from the wound.

For the first time in a while…

He felt pain.

The Broadcast Begins

Somewhere below, hidden cameras—military-grade drones—were capturing everything.

A broadcast flickered to life across the city, spreading through news stations, online streams, and even social media.

"BREAKING NEWS—A battle between an unknown superhuman and a high-level operative is currently taking place above District 7! Is this another alien attack?!"

The footage showed Kael-X bleeding.

For the people watching, it was shocking.

This was the same figure who had torn through soldiers, who had been labeled as an unstoppable force.

And now he was struggling.

Deadeye Tightens the Noose

Perched above, Deadeye remained calm.

"Bleeding? Good. Means you're still mortal."

He exhaled slowly, adjusting his scope.

One more shot.

This time—he would aim for the head.

Kael-X pushed himself up, his vision flickering. The shadow beasts inside him growled in unison.

Veyron's voice whispered, "The eye of the predator watches you. What will you do, prey?"

Kael-X clenched his teeth.

He had to move.

Now.

—

Should he escape for now, or take a risky counterattack?

Chapter 57 (Continued): The Sharpshooter's Gambit

The Edge of Death

Kael-X barely had time to breathe. His left shoulder burned, his movements sluggish from the impact of Deadeye's specialized bullet. He wasn't just wounded—his body wasn't regenerating fast enough.

Something about the round had disrupted his natural recovery.

Deadeye adjusted his scope, lining up the next shot.

From his position, he could see the weakness.

A perfect angle. A direct path to Kael-X's skull.

CRACK!

Another shot fired.

Kael-X vanished.

In less than a blink, he had moved—but he wasn't fast enough.

SSHHHK!

The bullet grazed his face, cutting through his cheek like a hot knife through paper. Blood splattered onto the rooftop.

Tch.

Deadeye reloaded.

The City Watches

Below, the entire district was watching in horror.

The battle was no longer just between two fighters.

It was a spectacle.

A reminder that Earth was still vulnerable to forces beyond human understanding.

Military analysts, scientists, and news anchors commented live as the fight unfolded.

"This is unprecedented! The being known as Kael-X is actually—bleeding!"

"If this sniper can take him down, what does that mean for the world's balance of power?"

"Could this be the end of the so-called 'Speed Villain'?"

The broadcast continued.

And Kael-X felt the pressure.

The Shadow Council Speaks

Inside his mind, his shadow beasts whispered.

Nyx: "You're slowing down."

Umbra: "This one is different. Precise. Calculated."

Veyron: "The hunter watches, but what happens when the prey refuses to run?"

Oblivion remained silent, waiting.

Kael-X gritted his teeth.

He couldn't afford to be on the defensive forever.

He had to change the game.

Deadeye had the advantage—distance.

Kael-X had to close the gap.

But how?

With every move, Deadeye anticipated him.

With every second, the world watched.

And somewhere beyond Earth's atmosphere, Zypheron-5's stationed spaceship monitored everything.

Kael-X had to decide.

Should he take a desperate risk… or retreat for now?

Chapter 57 (Continued): The Sharpshooter's Gambit

The Pressure of the Hunt

Kael-X crouched low, blood dripping from his cheek and shoulder. His breathing was steady, but internally, he was analyzing. Deadeye wasn't just another Zypheron-5 assassin—he was an artist with a gun.

Each bullet was placed with surgical precision. Each shot wasn't just meant to injure—it was meant to limit movement, cripple, and control.

Kael-X had fought countless enemies, but this… this was different.

Deadeye was calculating every possible outcome.

CRACK!

Another shot whizzed past, barely missing Kael-X's leg as he dodged. He had moved before the bullet fired—but somehow, Deadeye had already adjusted for it.

He's reading my movements in real time.

A low chuckle echoed in his mind.

Veyron: "The hunter sets the trap… but the beast is never so easily tamed."

Kael-X's eyes flickered.

Veyron's riddles usually meant something.

The hunter sets the trap…

Kael-X froze.

And for the first time—he let himself be hit.

The Bait

Deadeye's scope remained locked onto his target. The moment Kael-X stopped moving, the sniper didn't hesitate.

CRACK!

The bullet pierced Kael-X's side.

BOOM!

Kael-X's body tumbled across the rooftop, crashing into debris.

Deadeye smirked. "Got you."

Then—his instincts screamed.

Darkness erupted.

From the shadows—Veyron emerged.

The cryptic shadow beast lunged at Deadeye from his blind spot.

But the sniper was fast.

He spun, firing mid-turn.

CRACK!

Veyron laughed as the bullet phased through him.

"A shadow cannot be felled by a hunter's blade."

For the first time, Deadeye's eyes widened.

Kael-X was grinning. Even through the pain, he had set his own trap.

And now—he was moving.

Faster than before.

Faster than even Deadeye had predicted.

The Battlefield Changes

The city watched as the once dominant sniper was forced to retreat.

Kael-X wasn't out of danger yet—but the tide was shifting.

The broadcast continued.

The world held its breath.

And in the depths of space—Zypheron-5 watched in silence.