Soto was teleported back to the spectator stands, landing with a faint shimmer of light beside Alex. His shoulders slouched, and there was something sheepish in his expression, as though he didn’t want the others to see how shaken he really was. It was most likely what that clone mocked him about.
Alex immediately wrapped an arm around his shoulders, pulling him close with a brotherly grin. "I'm not scared of you bud. I'm glad you're strong. That was cool."
Soto’s cheeks flushed faintly, and he turned his head away with a little huff, his posture stiff and defensive. "Let’s see who’s next."
He tried to sound indifferent, but his tone betrayed that awkward, tsundere-like pride.
Maya stepped forward, her expression sharp, her stance relaxed but predatory. Twin flashes of light shimmered into existence in her hands, forming into sleek pistols. She spun them with casual grace, each rotation perfectly smooth, as if the weapons were extensions of her arms rather than tools. She's really one with her guns.
"Lucky me."
Her body was swallowed by light, and in the blink of an eye, she appeared in the arena. Across from her, her clone materialized. It looked exactly the same—same cold eyes, same confident smirk—but there was no soul behind them, only the ruthless intent of the copy.
The instant the fight began, both raised their pistols.
Bang!
Neither shot went wide. Both bullets collided midair, producing a metallic spark that echoed louder than it should have. Their fingers blurred, shots ringing out so quickly the arena sounded like a thunderstorm of gunfire. Bullets smashed into bullets again and again, fragments raining down around them like steel rain. Sparks flickered in rapid bursts, flashing with every collision, until it felt like the air itself was breaking apart.
Even with my sharpened senses, it was nearly impossible to follow. Their movements were blinding. Each step was calculated, each spin perfectly mirrored. What made it worse was the impossible. The bullets bent midair, changing course as though they were alive. Maya and the clone were controlling their trajectories, guiding them like puppeteers within fractions of a second. The arena became a storm of twisting, colliding rounds.
If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.
Then, one finally broke through.
Bang!
A single bullet grazed the clone’s cheek. Maya’s shot had looped unnaturally around the path of the clone’s bullet, skimming past its defenses. The clone’s smirk faltered. A shallow cut marked its face, blood dripping down slowly. Its eyes narrowed, and it muttered something inaudible before tossing both pistols aside with disdain.
A long rifle shimmered into its grip. It fired without hesitation.
Maya reacted instantly. Her pistols dissolved into sparks of light, replaced by the same rifle. She fired.
The bullets collided midair with such force it was like a large grenade went off. The ground shuddered. The sound wasn’t just gunfire anymore. It was raw, concussive destruction.
Maya’s eyes narrowed, her breathing even. She muttered under her breath.
"Magic Bullets."
A heavy magazine materialized in her hands, bulky and metallic, glowing faintly with magical runes carved into its sides. It was made for the sole purpose of killing. An AK shimmered into existence around the magazine, and Maya slammed it into place with a hard click. She leveled the weapon and opened fire.
Each round burned with fiery energy, glowing orange as they ripped through the air. The heat from the bullets scorching the sand where they struck. I could tell. These bullets were much stronger.
The clone darted left and right, weaving through the storm with impossible fluidity. Sand sprayed around its ankles with every step, the bullets snapping inches from its body. Maya didn’t panic. She adjusted immediately, shifting her aim to where the clone was going to be, predicting its dodges and cutting off its escape.
The clone leapt high into the air, its coat fluttering as it broke the firing line.
Click!
Empty.
Maya’s eyes hardened, and she discarded the AK without hesitation. A Desert Eagle appeared in her left hand, its silver body and engravings looking like a custom job.
The clone wasn’t idle. While suspended in the air, it conjured a massive revolver, a five-hundred caliber magnum that looked almost too heavy to wield.
Its voice was steady, mocking.
"Magic Bullets."
Six glowing rounds appeared in its hand. It hurled five into the air, vanishing them, while sliding one into the chamber. That single bullet didn’t glow orange like Maya’s—it burned with jagged arcs of blue lightning. The crackling aura distorted the air around it, raw power condensed into one shot.
Since it was blue, it was on par with my lightning.
Both aimed and fired.
The bullets collided midair with a blinding flash. The clone’s shot tore through Maya’s instantly, the power difference overwhelming. The electrified round carved toward her like a thunderbolt, and it broke her Desert Eagle
Maya twisted her entire body at the last possible second, forcing her neck away. The bullet carved across her throat, splitting skin. Pain seared through her, and blood spilled—but not enough to be fatal. Her artery was spared by a fraction of an inch.
She gasped, clutching her throat with her left hand, staggering. But her right hand remained steady.
Another Desert Eagle appeared in her right hand.
The clone had left itself open, pouring everything into that single, lightning-charged round. Maya’s shot struck it clean in the skull. The clone’s head snapped back violently, exploding in fragments of blood and sand. Its body crumpled, ragdolling lifelessly into the ground.
Maya fell to one knee, clutching her neck as blood seeped between her fingers. Her chest rose and fell in no rhythm. Slowly, she forced herself to her feet, eyes looking defeated as she looked back toward us. "Do not underestimate these clones. I only won because of my Unique Skill."
Her gaze dropped back to the corpse sprawled in the sand, her expression darkening further. "I wouldn’t be surprised if one or many of us died."
