Chapter 17:"Victory in Defeat"

Eight minutes—that's how long it took for everything to end. It wasn't a blazing clash, nor a drawn-out war of attrition. The victor was who most had expected, but the path taken left minds reeling. Not a single word rose from the stands; the silence was absolute.

"How terrifying. Those were real bullets, right?"

Johnathan Oh looked at Paul Wayne walking back to the waiting room.

"Yep."

Julia Seo nodded.

"But he doesn't look hurt at all, despite being covered in what looks like a hundred puncture wounds."

He pointed to Den Garry, whose body was full of bullets. The protective armor covered his vital points and he didn't bleed much or seem to be in pain.

"For martial artists, their bodies are their weapons. Recovery is their specialty."

"So, what did you think?"

"Paul Wayne did well, but Den Garry was too reckless. Den Garry showed off and lost. If he took it slow… Well, I guess the result would have been the same."

To be fair, Den Garry could've skipped the Mana Reinforcement entirely. A simple infusion of magic into his gauntlets would've been more than enough to wear Paul Wayne down over time.

"I guess it was Paul Wayne's tactical victory. He still lost though."

Jonathan Oh rubbed his temple, unsure how to feel. Paul Wayne had just surrendered a fight he clearly could've won.

"It doesn't sit right," Julia Seo muttered, frowning at her screen. Paul Wayne's profile filled the display as she worked on her report.

"What, that he lost on purpose?"

"No, Paul Wayne put up a good fight, but I understand his loss."

"… Really?"

Jonathan Oh looked at Den Garry being treated in the arena. No, it couldn't even be called treatment. He simply drank a high rank potion, and the bullets popped out of his body. His expression contained both anger and relief at the results.

"At first… no, from the start until the end, Paul Wayne overwhelmed him. His initial reaction speed and dynamic vision honestly surprised me. His firing speed was unbelievable too."

"I agree. His firing speed was something else."

"However, he slowed down just as much as Den Garry, even though he never got injured. I think Paul Wayne can't maintain that movement for long."

Tak tak tak. Julia Seo spoke as she tapped on the keyboard.

"And before Paul Wayne surrendered, he tried to finish off Den Garry. I saw him pull the trigger, but he raised his gun up. His face stiffened, and he rummaged through his pockets without taking anything out."

"So he used up all his bullets."

"Yep, but he didn't try fighting Garry, even though Garry only had his left hand. Why?"

"Because he wasn't confident in winning?"

Julia Seo lightly nodded.

"Right. He used up his bullets, but he hadn't won. Den Garry only had a single arm left, but he could still fight."

Jonathan Oh took a deep breath. Then he tilted his head.

"Oh right, how did he break Paul Wayne's Mana reinforcement? He only used a single bullet, and twice at that."

"Right, that's the problem. That's why I said it left a bad aftertaste."

Julia Seo removed her glasses—it was her usual signal that a long explanation was coming. Jonathan Oh paused mid-bite, then finished chewing his burger in silence.

"Most people, including you, probably missed it, but I spotted the movement of magic power on his bullet."

"… Is that possible? He's only a cadet!" exclaimed Jonathan Oh.

Mana was extremely difficult to control. Making it thin enough to coat a bullet and compressing it to destroy Mana reinforcement, even Jonathan Oh wasn't confident.

"I'm looking it up on the market in case it's a trick that uses an item, or if it's related to his gift. If he used an item, it's cheating. But if it's his gift… It might be the first of its kind."

Jonathan Oh sighed at Julia Seo's serious expression.

"Huu… Anyway, I don't like it. I thought Den Garry was the one serving justice, but Paul Wayne completely crushed him."

Den Garry may have won, but he paid a heavy price. In a one-on-one match, warriors typically held the advantage over sharpshooters—he should've dominated Paul Wayne. Instead, he was toyed with. The humiliation alone was enough to leave scars, and worse, it could tank his scouting evaluations. Meanwhile, Paul Wayne had captured the spotlight, drawing the attention of every guild associate watching.

— Yes, Paul Wayne. Never heard of him? Me neither, but he just fought with Den Garry and he…

— He uses a gun. Yes, his limit should be clear, but he broke a Mana reinforcement. Yes, it was an incomplete Mana reinforcement, but just the fact that he broke it…

"—I don't know how he broke through Mana Reinforcement either. And that explosion? That's exactly why I'm calling you...

Guild associates started calling.

"Justice doesn't always come out on top. Honestly, it's hard to say which side even stands for justice."

"…Yeah, yeah. Just keep writing your damn report. 'Rising Star Emerges'? Really?"

The announcer introduced the next match as Julia Seo casually checked her watch.

"Paul Wayne, I'll have to remember him. Let's leave after we watch Saul Mayne's match. It's coming up in soon."

"Yeah, I planned on doing the same. What is he complaining about?"

Jonathan Oh pointed across the arena. The man who had just been grinning now locked eyes on Paul Wayne, his gaze sharp with killing intent.

Seo Youngji replied, "… He must not have liked how it turned out. Everyone has their taste."

***

Following the first bout, I used two of my picks. I chose two male cadets sitting in the 200–400 rank range. The matches kicked off at five and concluded around eight.

The fights were… strange comebacks.

Naturally, I wasn't in peak condition. Most of my stigma's magic power had been spent against Den Garry thanks to the Anti-Magic effect, and Timer was off the table—it could only be used once per day. To make matters worse, I was facing Weapons Users.

Den Garry became an easier target due to his reliance on martial arts. If he had avoided using Mana Reinforcement and conserved his magic power, I wouldn't have stood a chance. But his carelessness cost him the match. Maybe he was aiming for the quickest win to impress the crowd.

Unlike Den Garry, my other two opponents slowly closed in on me. They blocked my bullets with their swords and dragged the fight out.

In the end, I managed to win thanks to my luck.

The first opponent lost in the most ridiculous way possible. I aimed low, but the bullet skipped off the floor, pinged off a metal plate behind him, and smacked him right in the elbow joint. He screamed like he'd been struck by lightning, flung his sword into the air, and dropped to his knees clutching his arm. The referee didn't even need to ask—he surrendered on the spot.

The second opponent was doomed by his own misstep.

For forty grinding minutes he parried every round I fired, sweat darkening his collar. When my magazine finally clacked empty, he rushed in, eager to finish it. But instead of glory his boot landed on a spent cartridge case that had been kicked across the floor. The brass slid like ice, his balance vanished, and he pin-wheeled with a strangled "Hoiiik—!" as sword and dignity parted ways. He hit the mat face-first, the ref waved it off, and I holstered my pistol. Victory—once again—had slipped right to me.

"God, that guy was just too funny."

I giggled and lay in bed. The final results were 2 wins 1 loss. Sharpshooters also gained bonus points for fighting warriors, so I no longer had to worry about being held back.

+300 Stigma Point.

"Auuu."

I giggled and flopped onto the bed. The final results: 2 wins, 1 loss.

Since sharpshooters earned bonus points for dueling warriors, I didn't have to worry about my ranking anymore.

+300 Stigma Points.

"Auuu."

I stretched and glanced out the window. The world outside looked distant—washed in silver, cold, and silent. The moon floated above like a lone eye, watching. For some reason, the quiet night made my heart beat just a little faster.

"I hope everything will be okay."

I suddenly thought about the Numbers. I'd seen them at the arena—not just Big Sis, but him too.

A monster in human form, driven by savage instinct and a twisted obsession with strength. The moment he laid eyes on the patrolling heroes, I could tell—he wanted to fight them right then and there.

"Well, it's not like I can do anything about it."

He could kill me with a single Flick.

"Hmm…"

My gaze wandered to the corner of my bed. Agent gave me a rather expensive gift for being his first investor.

"A drone…"

It was a fist-sized drone with a camera.

***

A chilling wind brushed against the leaves in one of Diamond's artificial forests. A bulky man sat on a tree trunk in the darkness. He wore a formal suit that made him quite eye-catching.

"He wasn't much by my standard," the man murmured.

— By your standard?

"Yep, he's a mouse. I don't like him, a tiny guy who only shoots from a distance."

— You mean you don't like his fighting style… You were supposed to find out why Boss is interested in him.

"How should I know?"

The man's voice turned hostile.

— What are you mad for?

"If you saw that little pest in action, you'd get it. Vermin like him—always better to eliminate the head first..."

His eyes looked bloodshot. The duels he watched between rookies made his blood boil. He wanted to jump in and show them a real fight, but barely held himself back.

— What about Saul Mayne and Louis Hall?

"Mmm… I thought they were okay… Maybe not…"

— Make up your mind.

"They were fine. Happy? I want to wait until they grow up to fight."

At that moment…

"Who are you?"

A voice rang out from behind him. The man turned around and saw a police officer roaming around because of the combat exams. The man didn't notice him because he was such a weakling without magic power.

— Don't forget why Boss brought you.

The man nodded.

"Yeah… I know. I'm a Expert when it comes to recognizing the strong."

— Right, that's the only reason.

"Excuse me, what are you doing here? The forest is off limits. Please come out."

The police officer approached him with a flashlight. The man stared at him with killing intent, but the officer couldn't see his expression in the dark.

"Oh right, how did you get here in the first place? Sir? Come out!"

The man laughed.

"… Hey."

— What.

"I'll go after I crack open a nut."

"Sir, stop talking to yourself and come out!"

The man's fist cut through the air. He punched the air and caused a shockwave that crushed the officer's body.

— Did you do it?

"Yep."

— Boss is going to kill you.

"Keep it a secret."

— I will until she finds out. For now, do your job.

Thanks to the weakling, his mind slightly cleared up. He stood up and walked away. The dorms were only a few minutes away. After a while, his keen hearing picked up on a few faint voices.

— Hey, what is this?

— Ueeek. Fuck, this is a corpse! Contact headquarters!

Far off in the distance, he grinned as he watched the two officers vomiting.

Wiing— Wiing—

"Mmm?"

He heard a fly buzzing and turned.

— What?

"Nothing, just a fly."

— How lame. Hurry up before I tell Boss that you killed someone.

"Yeah, yeah, I'm going."

The man quickened his pace.

A small drone hovered silently overhead, watching him leave before vanishing without a trace.

To be continued!.

Note: I accidentally publish Chapter 16 as vol 2 Chapter 2 so i am sorry for that.