"Yes, and..."
What...?
...Huh?
The black-robed figure was about to continue speaking when he discovered he could no longer make any movement whatsoever. Then, consciousness shattered completely.
Fire blazed through the darkness in a single instant, a tremendous roar reverberating through the cavernous space as the searing .500 Magnum bullet penetrated vertically through the black-robed figure's nose into his skull, obliterating his brainstem entirely. With an explosive crack, the black-robed figure's entire head burst like a ripe watermelon, his headless corpse crumpling as blood gushed forth while various bodily fluids leaked uncontrollably into his garments.
"Appears you truly cannot employ magic either."
Glenn cocked the hammer a second time, pivoted the gun barrel, and aimed his M500 revolver at another stupefied black-robed figure before squeezing the trigger. Muzzle flash erupted.
"Hermione, show no mercy. Eliminate them all."
"..."
"Hermione?"
"Bang!"
A gunshot answered Glenn's words. In the distance, another dark wizard collapsed lifeless.
Hermione's hands trembled slightly as she gripped the USP pistol, yet her eyes blazed with unwavering determination. Brow furrowed, lower lip caught between her teeth, the young girl had just fired the first life-taking bullet of her existence.
But she harbored no regret. Hermione had made her decision long ago.
In life-or-death situations, kill or be killed—that was the only truth.
"Bloody hell, those are firearms! How do they possess such weapons? Quickly—disable the anti-magic array!"
Within mere seconds, three comrades had perished under gunfire. The surrounding stunned dark wizards finally emerged from their shock, screaming in terror as they clearly recognized the lethal instruments Glenn and Hermione wielded.
But contemplating array deactivation now proved far too late. Glenn would never grant their wish.
His focus crystallized instantly. Through visual assessment and tactical analysis, observing the dark wizards' movement patterns and suspicious object positioning, Glenn roughly identified the anti-magic array's maintenance apparatus location. He thumbed the hammer back and squeezed the trigger a third time.
"BANG!!!"
The deafening report echoed throughout the entire chamber. The headless corpse of the dark wizard charging toward the array maintenance device flew forward through momentum, his exploded skull spattering crimson and gray matter across his trailing companion's face.
Before that terror-stricken wretch could decide whether to abandon his fallen comrade and flee or continue the mission of shutting down the anti-magic array, Hermione's bullet punched through his cranium.
Five eliminated.
The anti-magic array's maintenance device now fell under Glenn's protective fire. His smoking barrel proclaimed one silent fact:
Anyone daring to approach that position would meet immediate death.
The hunter guarding the trap, the prey caught within—positions had reversed completely.
"That man's revolver holds only five rounds! Prevent his reload—we must eliminate him first! Otherwise we're all corpses! Everyone charge together!"
Someone sharp-eyed and apparently knowledgeable about firearms had somehow discerned Glenn's weapon capacity in the darkness, providing accurate tactical assessment. The instant that voice spoke, Glenn aligned his sights with the sound source, only to discover empty space.
Merely a black object adhered to the cavern wall.
"...A speaker?"
Glenn frowned slightly upon recognizing this anachronistic device, but the desperate situation allowed no time for contemplation. He fired without hesitation—muzzle flash, explosive report, bullet streaking forth. A black-robed figure who'd already penetrated within five meters of Glenn and Hermione seemed to anticipate this, raising his broadsword horizontally to deflect Glenn's projectile.
This immortal weapon was forged through True Samadhi Fire and mystic iron. A bullet of common metal, regardless of power, surely cannot leave any mark upon—
The specially crafted magical bullet, created through advanced alchemy, mercilessly pierced the dark wizard's broadsword, leaving an explosive crater before continuing at undiminished velocity to detonate his skull. Another consciousness scattered, soul ascending skyward.
Glenn swept his cloak dramatically, shielding Hermione from all spattering gore while his glacial gaze surveyed the surrounding dark wizards.
Bone-deep chill shot through their minds. The undisguised killing intent radiating from Glenn's eyes resembled arctic wasteland—after eliminating another dark wizard, it froze the remaining charging black-robed figures in their tracks.
Before Glenn could reload, his M500 revolver contained only one remaining cartridge.
The critical question: who would absorb this final shot?
"Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!"
Four consecutive reports rang out. Hermione, maintaining back-to-back formation with Glenn for mutual protection, had now expended six of the fifteen 9mm rounds from her fully loaded USP magazine.
Hermione, engaging in her first live-fire combat, had temporarily transcended the physiological revulsion of taking human life through her extraordinary emotional regulation, achieving perfect marksmanship—every bullet claimed a soul.
Nine rounds remained available. The USP's reload speed far exceeded Glenn's revolver, and within Hermione's robes, she'd pre-positioned four fully loaded tactical magazines on her equipment belt.
Should the dark wizards continue hesitating, their doom was already sealed.
They comprehended this reality perfectly.
Therefore, these desperate criminals—confronting the overwhelming threat Glenn and Hermione represented—erupted with final, savage determination.
No more cowering, no more wondering whether the next bullet bore their name. From scabbards, from belt sheaths, the dark wizards drew their weapons and charged toward Glenn and Hermione at the encirclement's center, covering distance in desperate bounds.
Unable to manipulate magic within this sealed environment, the spatial expansion enchantment on his black ring remained inaccessible—Glenn couldn't retrieve any tools or weapons stored within.
Glenn discharged his final round without sentiment, then—without even confirming the hit—holstered the M500 and drew his ever-present dagger from his sleeve, advancing toward the approaching enemies.
"Thrust."
Glenn thought with crystalline calm, muscles flowing from relaxation to explosive contraction, feet executing fluid evasive patterns while his body swayed, crouching slightly and angling his head. The leading dark wizard's sword thrust parted his raised black curls without inflicting harm.
But Glenn's dagger erupted with terrifying precision, delivering three consecutive strikes that penetrated his opponent's sword arm elbow, heart, and throat in rapid succession.
Withdrawing the blade with practiced efficiency, he sent blood arcing through the air. Pivoting with a devastating side kick, he launched the cooling corpse toward a massive warrior wielding a meteor hammer, then flowed around a spear thrust from his flank and drove the weapon point into the stone floor!
~~~~❃❃~~~~~~~~❃❃~~~~
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