Tick.
Blood dripped from Lyxander's lips. His eyes widened as he stared at Entity 03-124.
His vision darkened. For the first time in his life, he was witnessing the death of a companion with his own eyes.
Thump.
One heartbeat.
Within that single beat, Lyxander finished observing—and decided.
Bang!
He leapt sideways, narrowly avoiding Entity 03-124's shot, and took cover behind the wall.
"Hah… Hah…"
The lingering heat from the lizard Entity still scorched his skin.
"He's not moving… what is he planning?"
Lyxander's pupils widened. Even if he ran, the corridor was far too long to escape Entity 03-124's gunfire. But that wasn't the real reason his eyes widened.
"Breathing! Quartz is still breathing!"
Hope ignited within him. He could still save Quartz.
Across the corridor, Entity 03-124's cowboy hat shifted slightly. A hunter never rushed to chase its prey—patience was a principle.
Bang!
From beneath the brim of the hat, a sarcastic smile appeared.
Lyxander burst out from behind the wall and fired.
Bang!
Two bullets collided midair, ricocheting and whistling past their heads.
Entity 03-124 possessed perfect accuracy. Deflecting bullets with bullets was effortless for him. However—
Bang!
A second gun!
Entity 03-124 twisted his pistol, deflecting the second shot as well.
Deflecting bullets with bullets wasn't difficult—but he only had one gun.
Explosions echoed repeatedly through the corridor.
Every shot Lyxander fired was answered with return fire that forced him backward.
Meanwhile, Entity 03-124's pistol began to wear down, yet he remained completely unmoved.
"This is troublesome. This Entity is too patient."
Lyxander finally realized the true threat of Entity 03-124. It wasn't its power—it was its patience.
Silence…
After countless exchanges, both of them finally stopped firing.
"Huh…"
Lyxander's hands trembled as he finally caught a moment to breathe.
With his photographic memory, Lyxander had already calculated Entity 03-124's firing range.
Fifty meters was his estimate—but to be safe, they had kept a distance of sixty meters.
Thanks to that, Lyxander was finally able to steady himself and prepare again.
"I only have one bullet left. At this point, I have to move on to plan two."
Lyxander raised his hand and snapped his pinky finger twice.
Whutt—
The coin possessed by the lizard Entity flew back into his hand.
Entities could be used as weapons. Lyxander knew that much—but he didn't know how.
Quartz was in critical condition. He had no time to hesitate.
Clenching his fist, Lyxander gambled.
"You damn lizard!"
"You died running from that bastard Entity—now I'll give you a chance for revenge."
"So breathe your fire!"
Intense heat instantly wrapped around Lyxander's hand. His throat felt dry.
"Ugh…"
Whoooosh!
A massive stream of reddish light erupted.
Flames spread throughout the corridor, surging forward to incinerate Entity 03-124.
"Aaaghhh!"
Lyxander gritted his teeth. His hand felt as if it were burning alive.
"Die, you bastard!"
Bang!
A deep blue beam pierced straight through his hand. The coin possessed by the lizard Entity shattered into countless fragments.
"What—?"
Lyxander's eyes widened as he fell silent.
A single shot—strong enough to destroy the lizard Entity's durability.
This was the true power of Entity 03-124.
It wasn't over yet.
Lyxander stuffed the black liquid leaking from the shattered coin into his folding pistol.
It worked!
Hope surged back. Lyxander immediately aimed and pulled the trigger.
Bang!
A concentrated beam of reddish light shot forward. This time, the flames didn't spread—they were compressed.
Bang!
Entity 03-124 responded with a deep blue shot.
CLANG!
The two bullets collided.
Crack—
Lyxander's pistol shattered. This time, even his temple was grazed.
"Aagh…"
It felt as if searing iron had been pressed against his temple.
Tears welled up in Lyxander's eyes.
In desperation, he pulled Quartz's karambit from his pocket.
Once more, he forced the black liquid into the weapon—and once again, it seeped inside.
"One last time,"
"THIS IS MY FINAL ATTACK!"
Using the remaining repulsive force from his glove, he hurled the karambit forward.
Entity 03-124 prepared to shoot it down.
But the karambit suddenly veered sideways.
It wasn't aimed at him.
He turned toward the intersection—and saw a Crow stepping out, catching the karambit.
It was Quartz.
Entity 03-124 instantly recognized the threat and aimed his pistol at Quartz's head.
Thud!
But too late.
Quartz threw the perforated hat at his wrist.
Slash—
The karambit pierced straight through Entity 03-124's chest.
Flames began to crawl across his body.
Slowly, the golden mask cracked—revealing a smile beneath the fractures.
As he looked at Lyxander, he appeared utterly satisfied with the hunt.
Quartz immediately retreated and hid behind the wall.
Combined with the power of the lizard Entity and the explosive ability of Quartz's karambit, a devastating blast shook the entire corridor.
BOOOOM!
Lyxander and Quartz were thrown back by the explosion…
Entity 03-124 was defeated.