When the small girl stepped onto the firing line, a ripple of shock could be heard. Then, laughter and mocking whispers traveled through the audience. Aella looked like a child playing at war after all.
"Is she lost?" Someone shouted from the stands. "Someone get that kid a doll instead of a weapon!"
Aella didn't flinch. She simply raised her small, pale hands. Holding her voidfire revolver with both hands. A flicker of purple-black flame exploded, out of her gun's muzzle. Launching voidfire bullets.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The bolt of purple-black bullets moved so fast and struck the targets accurately. Aella wasn't as fast as Reina or as casual as Baroness Artheim. But all her shots struck the target accurately, just like theirs.
The laughter died instantly. The silence that followed was heavy.
"Next!" The official stammered. Checking his notes.
Aella blew the smoking muzzle of her gun with a trained poise. Then, she skipped back to Reina and Baroness Artheim. Giving a thumb-up to Jack in his audience seat.
"The kid has a quite flair for the dramatic." Barnaby remarked from his seat next to Jack. Strumming his lute absent-mindedly.
"Isn't it you who taught her to be that showy?" Jack replied. Raising his eyebrows.
"Me?" Barnaby showed a mock expression of shock. "I'm teaching that mischievous girl to be that way? No way. That's a slander."
"That's the truth." Mirella cut him without mercy. "All of her troublesome behaviors came from you. That's obvious."
"True!" Autumn agreed. Looking at Barnaby with dead-panned expression.
"Everyone misunderstands me." Barnaby groaned.
...
By the time the first stage ended, the field had been narrowed down. Those who lacked the precision or the raw power to impact the reinforced targets were out. The majority of the participants passed though.
The second stage was announced. Something Jack and the others had already known. The stage for... Super Long Range Competition.
The targets were moved. They were no longer inside the arena floor. Instead, they were placed on the jagged cliffs of the Northcoast Mountains. Nearly one and a half kilometers away. To the naked eye, they were nothing more than white specks against the dark stone.
"This is where the true marksman expert is separated from the regular ones." Argust commented. "At that distance, wind and gravity turn a standard bullet into a hopeless prayer."
Jack nodded. "Even with my modified sniper rifles, it will be a challenge."
"And it seemed to be set a bit further away from five years ago." Leon commented. "The information I got said that the range last time was one point three kilometers. This one is close to a kilometer and a half."
There are still many participants remained. But, this challenge made many of the archers look pale. Even with magical bows, that was an absurd distance. Many of them could reach the distance, sure. But hitting the target, that was a different thing.
The spell slingers also looked concerned. Some homing spells could make sure they hit the target. But, projecting a spell that far usually resulted in a loss of cohesion and power. Making sure the target got damaged enough would be the challenge.
The participants took turns trying to hit the targets. Each got three chances to destroy a single target from the many targets provided. However, this time, many of them failed to accurately reach those targets. And, many homing spells which reached them failed to damage them. The rate of disqualification increased drastically.
It was then the time for Reina, Aella, and Baroness Artheim to step forward. This time, they didn't rely on spells or handguns.
They reached into their [Spatial Bags] and pulled out the steamrune rifles Jack had provided for his crew members. And he had modified them even further. They could now be categorized as... the steamrune sniper rifles.
These weapons were the masterpieces of Jack's steamrune engineering. The barrels were sleek and long. Made of a dark alloy that resisted heat expansion. Along the sides, glowing blue runes were etched into the frame to provide propulsion power and stabilize the projectile's flight path.
The existence of the optical scopes was what made them obviously stand out from other rifles.
The crowd murmured. Many of them had seen steamrune rifles. But what they had seen was nothing like these sleek, predatory machines.
Reina went first. She manually adjusted the optical scope. The series of enchanted lenses magnified the target. With her experience, she had accounted for the range and the shimmering heat haze.
She took a deep breath. Her body stayed as still as a statue. Then...
BANG!
The rifle roared. Spitting a sound that seemed to be a mixture of explosion and high-pressure steam release. A metal slug, propelled by both mystic steam power and a kinetic rune-burst, tore through the air.
Almost instantly, a small spark appeared on the distant cliffside. The target had been struck dead center. And broke down instantly. Reina... passed.
Baroness Artheim followed. She also uses a similar sniper rifle. She wasn't as accurate as Reina though. When she pulled the trigger for the first time, the shots missed half a meter away from the target. The second chance only grazed the target. The third completely demolished the target though.
Finally, Aella stepped up. The rifle was even longer than her height. She didn't shoot while standing up like Reina and Baroness Artheim. Instead, she kneeled and propped her sniper rifle up on a mechanical tripod.
She didn't spend a long time aiming. She relied on her innate connection to the spacetime void to 'feel' the target.
She fired. The recoil pushed her a few steps backward. And the shot missed. Very close to the target, but didn't touch it.
Aella redid her set-up. And this time, the shot was bulls-eye accurate. Another target disappeared.
Jack watched through the target with his own binoculars. A satisfied smirk was on his face. He could see the other competitors looking at the girls with a mixture of awe and genuine fear.
However, Jack's eyes caught something else. In the stands, the members of the Night Salvation Association were not observing the matches. They were looking at either the Moonlight Queen or their pocket watches. The were waiting for something.
The seven members of the Glorious Pirates were also suspiciously leaning in. Whispering to one another. Their eyes weren't fixed on the competitors or on the shooting targets. The were aimed at the queen and her guards instead.
"The heat is rising." Jack mumbled. His fingers were drumming on his knee. "The tournament is the stage, but the real play might not be the competition events."
He glanced at Rune. The fairy was now pulsing a rhythmic dark orange. The color that showed great vigilance.
"I know, Rune." Jack nodded. "But the queen's side is not dumb. They should also be well prepared. Let's just be more vigilant."
The official at the center of the arena announced the results. "Round two complete! The qualified participants will move to the next round of Marksmanship Mastery!"
Out of two hundred, only less than thirty remained. Reina stood at the top of the leaderboard. Aella and Baroness Artheim also held high positions, securing their spots.
Jack watched from the stands. A subtle nod of approval for his companions. He had expected nothing less from Reina. Aella continued to surprise him though.
The announcer's voice boomed again. "For the third round of the Marksmanship Mastery, contestants will face live targets."
"Each participant must neutralize three Bloodscaled Bats within one minute." He explained. "These creatures are swift and aggressive, but safety protocols are in place for both contestant and audience."
Jack leaned forward. Live targets. This was a jump from the predictable thrown objects of the non-transcendent competition. The transcendent challenge demanded more, it seemed.
The stage transformed. A colossal, hemispherical forcefield shimmered into existence. Enclosing the central area in a translucent dome. This barrier would contain both the combatants and the creatures.
The announcer clarified the rules. "Each Bloodscaled Bat has been fitted with a paralysis collar. If a combatant fails to neutralize the bats within the allotted minute, the collars will activate, incapacitating the creatures instantly, ensuring no escape."
The first contestant was a burly man with a massive crossbow. He stepped into the dome. He readied his weapon. After he was ready, the challenge started immediately.
Three dark, leathery forms were simultaneously released from hidden vents. Bloodscaled Bats. Small, vicious, and quick. They shrieked. Beating their wings. Darting erratically.
The man fired. His bolts missed widely as the bats zipped past. He reloaded frantically. Hitting only one before the minute expired. Two bats dropped then. Paralyzed. He failed.
One by one, contestants stepped forward. Some faltered. Unable to accurately track the rapid, unpredictable movements. Others performed adequately. Taking down all three just as the time limit pressed in.
The audience watched intently. The tension was way much much higher than the previous non-transcendent competition.
Reina's turn came. She stepped into the dome. Her long black hair was tied in a practical ponytail. Her dual steamrune handguns had already been drawn.
Jack wasn't worried. He knew perfectly well her precision and combat experience. This was no problem at all for her.
Three Bloodscaled Bats burst from their vents. They swarmed. Circling Reina with alarming speed. Their ultrasonic screeches echoed within the forcefield.
Reina didn't flinch. Her eyes easily tracked their movements. Sharp and focused. And then...
Her right hand moved. A single, controlled shot rang out. A puff of steam appeared out of the gun's muzzle.
One bat was caught mid-arc. It shrieked as a bullet pierced its head. The critter tumbled to the ground. Dead.
Her left hand followed. The second handgun spitting another deadly bullet.
Another bat, attempting a dive, was hit directly. Also in the head. It instantly crumpled to the ground.
The third bat became even more erratic. It zig-zagged. Flying low, then high, then sudden shifts.
Reina didn't chase aimlessly. She waited. Her body was still. Her guns were held level.
The bat, in desperation, made a momentary predictable move. Beginning a wider loop. That was all Reina needed. She fired both guns in quick succession. Not at the bat's current position. But at its anticipated trajectory.
The first bullet struck just ahead. Causing the bat to swerve. The second bullet, however, was perfectly timed. It intercepted its new path. A small explosion of blood and fur.
Another headshot. The third bat dropped to the ground.
Barely ten seconds had passed since the start of Reina's turn. Yet, she had already passed the round.
The crowd erupted in cheers and loud applause.
Reina holstered her handguns with a practiced movement. A faint wisp of smoke curling from their barrels. She walked out of the dome. Her expression was calm. Acknowledging the applause with a slight dip of her head.
Jack smiled. That was Reina indeed. Efficient, deadly, and graceful.
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