Shoot me

"The moment I enter the town hall," he began firmly, "I want everyone to evacuate from Ashwick."

"What?!" Seraphina exploded, her blue eyes narrowing dangerously. "You think I'm going to let you waltz into certain death alone? Are you insane?"

Aric held up a hand, cutting her off before she could launch into another tirade,

"Hear me out, Seraphina. These guys are mages with enough power to trap me inside some kind of magical realm. That means they're dangerous but also arrogant. I talked with them and they are stupidly confident."

"They'll assume I'm walking straight into their trap because they think I'm desperate or scared. And that's exactly what we'll use against them. I've got them all gathered in one place—the town hall. That gives us a win condition."

"Even if I can't fight them directly, I can weaken them enough to buy time for you to step in."

Seraphina frowned, "Step in how? You're talking like I'm supposed to clean up your mess."

"No." Aric corrected firmly. "I'll rig the entire building to collapse using Creation Magic. Bombs, collapsing supports, whatever it takes. Once they realize they're trapped, they have to climb out of the debris."

"In a perfect world, I hope to take out even one or two of them. If not, they'll still be forced to break through the debris and that's where you come in. You'll be outside and waiting for when the building goes down, anyone left alive will run straight for the exits and right into you."

"These guys are not Sebastian-level threats and he is currently missing in action so we can assume that he isn't working with the mages anymore. These guys might be strong, but they're not on his level. So with your speed and precision, you can handle whoever makes it out."

"And what about you?" Seraphina demanded, "What happens to you after you set off the explosion? Do you think I'm just going to sit there and watch you die?"

"I'll get out before it crumbles." Aric assured her, "I've done worse things in tighter situations. Trust me. I won't stick around long enough to get buried."

"Bullshit." she shot back, "You're planning to sacrifice yourself, aren't you? Admit it, Vay- I mean Aric."

"I'm not sacrificing myself, I have plans on how to get out. I was in wars so I know how to navigate my way around."

Evelyn who was listening the entire time, noticed something in the conversation,

What the hell Aric? Why am I not in the plan?

"Sorry to interrupt but why have you not included me in your plans?"

"Evelyn, I need you to retreat with Penelope and everyone else. Get as far away from here as possible. Please."

Evelyn crossed her arms tightly over her chest, "No. I'm staying. Whatever happens, I'll fight alongside you."

Aric sighed, "Evelyn, listen to me. Ashwick needs someone like you alive. Someone capable of leading, protecting—"

"Don't give me that crap." Evelyn interrupted, "You don't get to decide who lives and dies here."

"This is my responsibility, Evelyn!" Aric snapped, "I have Seraphina and I believe that is more than enough to—"

"You're being an idiot!" Evelyn shouted, "Responsibility doesn't mean throwing yourself into a meat grinder while everyone else runs away! We're supposed to work together or did Earth teach you nothing about teamwork? So spare me the martyr act, Aric! Let me help—"

Frustration bubbled beneath Aric's surface, and for a brief moment, he lost control. Vayne's essence kept leaking into him every single day, and today, the conversation caused even more of it to seep through.

Aric slammed his fist against the wall, "I SAW YOU DIE! I SAW YOUR HEART RIPPED OUT, EVELYN! DO YOU THINK THIS IS A GAME?! IF YOU STAY, YOU'LL END UP DEAD JUST LIKE IN MY VISION!"

The room fell silent, the weight of his outburst pressing down on everyone. Evelyn flinched visibly while Seraphina was stunned to hear Aric lose control for the first time.

Evelyn watched Aric as his chest heaved as he struggled to regain composure,

Saw me dead? Is that why he didn't include me? He's scared to lose me?

Is that why he made a plan just around Lady Seraphina? How long has he been carrying that worry? 

"I don't care what you saw." Evelyn replied quietly, "Your vision is still a vision. It's not definitive and I will stay to help you. That is final."

Aric sighed deeply as he conceded defeat,

"Fine, if you aren't leaving then we'll have to adapt. Here's the new plan…"

"When we meet them at the town hall," Aric continued, "the leader will likely bring some of his followers inside with him. But there's a good chance they'll also station extra mages and fighters elsewhere in case things go south. That's where you two come in."

"You'll stay in the middle of the town, around the fountain and deal with anyone stationed beyond the main group. Use your ice magic to immobilize or eliminate them—whatever it takes. Can you do that?"

Evelyn smirked faintly, "Of course. Leave the outsiders to me."

Next, Aric turned to Seraphina, "As for you… given your strength, I need you positioned outside as well. Support Evelyn if necessary, but your primary role is to ensure the town itself remains safe. If anyone tries to attack civilians or set fires, stop them immediately."

"And what about you?" Seraphina demanded while looking at him,

"You expect us to just sit back while you face the leader alone?"

"Yes." Aric replied bluntly, "Because I'm the one who drew their attention in the first place. This started with me, and it ends with me."

Aric then thought to himself, I'm really hoping that black swordsman I once read about was right. That even the fastest magic is slower than a rifle's bullet.

And I'm good with guns, so… double hoping.

[You're hoping for a novel you READ to come true?] Ivy barked in his mind, [What the f- You're relying on your literature knowledge to determine whether or not a gun is faster than magic?]

Uh… yeah. You know…I mean, I have magic too but a gun is my forte so...

Ivy facepalmed herself and groaned, [Well…at least Earth got one thing right. Bullets are faster than magic...If they're not going faster than sound, but hey, at least it's right.]

Aric then manifested his CZ 75 to show to Seraphina and Evelyn,

"This," he said while holding it up for them to see, "is called a pistol. It holds 16 rounds and shoots projectiles faster than most spells. These people rely on magic and brute force but I have modern weaponry that is far more precise and deadly."

Both Seraphina and Evelyn stared at the weapon in confusion,

"What is that?" Seraphina asked skeptically, pointing at the pistol. "This...pistol thingy is a weapon?"

"Yes." Aric said, "One I intend to use to kill these bastards before I explode the townhall."

An uncomfortable silence followed. Seraphina stared at the gun like it was some alien contraption,

A pistol... I don't even know what that means, but it can go faster than magic? There's no way that can outspeed my magic. she thought,

But why is he so confident in saying that? Judging from how Aric explain he was in some different realm thing then he's most likely referring to Barrier. Not only does that amplify the user's magic and mana, but it weakens whoever is trapped inside.

She looked back to the pistol, And yet, he seems utterly certain this...pistol contraption can surpass centuries of magical tradition. Why? What makes him so sure?

Leaning into her intrusive thought, Seraphina said nonchalantly, "Shoot me."

Aric's face screamed 'What the fuck', "What?"

"Shoot me." she repeated, "Prove it works. Prove you're serious about using it."

"No," Aric said while lowering the pistol, "I'm not shooting you. Ever."

"Why not?" Seraphina pressed on, "If you're planning to kill them, shouldn't I see just how effective this pistol of yours is? Shouldn't I understand what you're bringing into this fight?"

Aric countered, "I'm not putting a bullet in you to satisfy your curiosity. End of discussion."

Seraphina crossed her arms over her chest, clearly unconvinced,

"Then explain it to me. Explain why you think this little piece of metal can compete with magic."

Aric let out a frustrated sigh, "Fine. Listen carefully. The bullets travel at speeds faster than sound. Even if someone tries to block it, unless they're prepared for the impact, it'll hit them before they realize what happened."

"So unless these guys have inhuman reaction time or constantly putting up a shield around them, a bullet will penetrate them."

Seraphina frowned as her mind was confused with all these new words,

Faster than sound? What does that even mean? You can go faster than voice? 

What the hell did Earth people even learn?

Seraphina remained silent as she put her thoughts together,

I don't think that matters right now. We have a plan, Aric is not sacrificing himself and he has a weapon capable of surpassing magic...supposedly

I guess I can trust him enough for this. I can always enter the townhall if it's taking too long.

She simply nodded and put her hands on her thighs, "Fine. We'll follow your plan. But if anything goes wrong, don't think for a second that I won't step in."

With their roles established, the trio spent the next hour preparing for the plan. Seraphina scouted Ashwick to identify a safe location for evacuation. There was a secluded area beyond the outskirts of town where the dense trees would provide cover from prying eyes.

Meanwhile, Evelyn relayed the details of the operation to Penelope and Borin.

"Lord Vayne has everything under control." Evelyn assured them, deliberately using Vayne's name as instructed by Seraphina,

"But we need your help to ensure everyone stays safe."

Penelope frowned, "The mayor betrayed us? Are you sure about this?"

Evelyn nodded, "Positive. But don't tell anyone yet. If word gets out too soon, it could panic the townsfolk."

"Alright. What do you need me to do?"

"We're evacuating everyone." Evelyn explained. "Once Lord Vayne enters the town hall, I'll signal you with a snowflake. When you see it, get everyone to the evacuation area immediately." She pointed to the spot on the map where Seraphina had scouted.

"Once everyone's there, that's where you come in Borin. I want you to reinforce the area with earth barriers. Walls, trenches, anything that'll buy us time if things go south. Can you handle that?"

Borin cracked his knuckles, "Aye. Consider it done."

"And Penelope." Evelyn continued while looking at her, "You'll guide the townsfolk to safety. Make sure no one lags behind and keep an eye out for the mages. We can't afford any mistakes."