Shotgun vs. Sword – The Prodigy's Challenge
"Nah, wasn't our vibe pretty good? Didn't we handle that challenge letter just fine? But showing up out of nowhere to demand a duel? It was so sudden."
"I asked Grandpa. He said you wouldn't duel me. So he told me what to do."
"What to do?"
Choi Yeon suddenly changed her expression, furrowing her brows.
"I don't take orders from someone weaker than me! Beat me in a duel, and I'll join your club!"
Then she reverted to her usual face.
"He said that's all I had to say."
"Your grandpa?"
"Yeah."
……So it came from the Sword Saint's head after all.
From the looks of it, that expression just now was an imitation of Choi Seonho's.
A talent like hers was someone any club would covet. There was no way a master like the Sword Saint wouldn't recognize his granddaughter's potential, so he might have planned this duel with me to spur her growth.
That sly old fox……
The scary part of this plan was that it was a huge gain for me too. Not just for the upcoming promotion exam, but thinking ahead, adding Choi Yeon as an asset would let me wield real influence.
It was an offer I couldn't refuse.
No choice, then.
"Shall we?"
I had something to test anyway.
The new Billy the Kid's Shotgun I'd just acquired.
Sword versus shotgun.
Since it's come to this, let's settle who's got the ultimate close-range weapon.
* * *
Renting the arena wasn't hard.
Today's shift was Ji Suhyun's.
She was standing watch with a bored expression, scanning the area, but lit up with a grin the moment she saw us.
"What's the top student doing with my club kids in the arena? Getting along?"
She hadn't even heard us out yet, but sized up our faces and smirked.
"Aha~ I get it. Wow. The torture instructor's on duty and you prepared this event for her. Is today Teacher's Day or something?"
"……We just want to use the arena."
"Arena? Sure, sure. Of course I'll let you. Everyone else too? Or just you and Choi Yeon?"
"Just me and Choi Yeon dueling. The others will watch."
"Aw, too bad. Melee brawls are fun to watch. 1-on-1, huh…… Midterms prep?"
Ji Suhyun muttered as she tapped the console.
Jinwoo, who'd been quiet, jumped in surprise.
"Midterms? What's that got to do with this?"
Sea-a sighed and shook her head.
"Seriously, didn't you study before enrolling? After midterms, they rank everyone, and scores depend on your rank."
"Eek?! There's something like that? I had no idea!"
"Anyway…… But someone like you, Jinwoo, should breeze into the top 20, so no worries."
As Sea-a said, the Familia kids had the skills from mentor sessions and other experience to hit the upper ranks—no need to fret.
The issue was who takes first place.
Even if you bombed every other test, acing the academy's top spot secured massive points.
"……You idiot."
"Anyway, field setup's done. Step in and it'll start right away. Personal arms—training ones? Or your own gear?"
"Our own gear, please. Choi Yeon, you good with that?"
"Yeah. I brought mine."
"Perfect. Personal arms it is."
The arena doors slid open.
And then.
"Oh, Instructor. Quick question."
"Hm? What?"
Before entering, I pulled out the unregistered weapon.
Billy the Kid's Shotgun.
"Haven't registered this as personal arms with the academy yet. Okay to use?"
I recalled they allowed duplicates, but with everything going on, I'd forgotten to file it.
She stared at me like I was unbelievable.
"You really love those antiques. Last time a Thompson submachine gun, now a Western shotgun?"
"You use guns too, Instructor."
"Mine's a staff substitute, so it's fine. And an antique like that's the same as my auto-pistol?"
"……It's a relic."
"Typical rich kid…… I'll overlook it today. Use it loosely. Register properly tomorrow."
"Thanks."
She probably approved because it'd be more fun that way.
But it benefited me, so whatever.
We stepped in, facing off at opposite ends.
—Aight. Ready?
The speaker crackled.
A glance outside: Ji Suhyun munching mystery popcorn, kids watching.
God knows why, but popcorn-munchers at duels always pissed me off.
"Yes."
"I'm ready too."
I gripped the shotgun, eyes on Choi Yeon.
As expected, not the broken sword from the dungeon—a new blade, rippling with blue aura, screaming top-tier at a glance.
I watched her closely, bracing for the clash at start.
Legs tensed to spring, grip white-knuckled.
And.
—Begin.
──Bang!
Signal dropped, she rocketed like a bullet, slashing diagonally.
"Gonna go all out since it's you."
"──Crazy!"
All these incidents lately?
Her charge blew past expectations—I rolled aside, barely dodging.
She pursued instantly.
Thud! Ground exploded under her kick-off.
But.
"That'll hurt if it lands!"
Waited for it.
Aimed at Choi Yeon, crammed aura into the gun, pulled trigger.
──KABOOM!
Horrific shockwave erupted, barrel roaring.
Recoil shoved me back.
But true to Choi Yeon—she thrust her blade flat, blocking.
Still.
"Ngh?!"
Her body launched airborne, tumbling back.
"Haha!"
Insane power—grin split my face.
Yeah! Guns gotta hit like this!
Reset stance, checked her.
Her sword hummed wildly.
Legs quaking, body swaying.
Aura around her mostly gone.
Yet she stood.
"Impressive."
Concentrated all aura forward in that split second—blocked perfectly.
Judgment, output, control. Any slip, she'd crumble.
Thought it'd end there, but she tanked it.
"Gave me a scare."
"Most would've been paste."
"No, really scared me. Head's still ringing."
That explained no counter—shaking off the daze, she crouched for another charge.
"Still, feels like I get it now."
"Do ya?"
Second charge.
Fired again—she leaped up, blade raised, like she predicted.
"Yangdan."
Her signature, one of Cheoncheon Sword School's—Yangdan.
Vibrating aura on blade amps cutting power, slices wizard shields like butter.
But clear weakness.
Elbow-checked the incoming slash left—trajectory veered, gouging floor.
Followed with elbow to her face.
Acrobatic backbend dodged it, then upkicked the shotgun airborne.
"Dangerous gun neutralized."
"Think so?"
I've got more than one.
Right arm out—Tommy from the cube, fired at her.
Basic sub-space artifact swap tech.
Game staple.
Spotted the emerging Tommy, she rolled back, aura-reinforced, curled to minimize hit zone.
──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! / ──! /
Cheery typewriter chatter.
Tommy couldn't pierce her reinforced defense.
But aura chipped away per hit—visible.
Too focused defending to move.
Meanwhile, I casually snagged the floating shotgun.
"Stay put and you're Swiss cheese."
Tommy back to cube.
Broke open shotgun, ejected residual aura, reloaded fresh.
Two quick blasts.
──Boom! ──Boom!
She rolled spotting it through arm gap, but.
"Ugh!"
Scatter pierced her guard.
That's buckshot for ya.
"Yeonmu."
Greeeeek───
Amid it, thrust sword down—blade qi scraped floor viciously.
Thick smoke billowed.
Cheoncheon technique Yeonmu.
Aura-infused blade friction creates artificial fog—for melee swordsmen closing on ranged mages.
Aura-mixed, even tracers struggle.
No fear in her eyes—pinpointing her now? Tough.
But.
"Aura or not, it's still smoke."
I've trained aura too.
Aura to feet.
Slammed down hard.
Thoom─────!
Stomped a gale—smoke blasted outward.
One Yeonmu counter: overpower and blow it away.
But that sliver of time suffices for Cheoncheon swordsmen to reach mages.
From receding smoke, Choi Yeon lunged.
"Gotcha."
"Not yet?"
Think I wouldn't expect you?
Foot-to-ground conduit—burst aura again.
Kobold trick variant.
Like dynamite underground—arena quaked from my feet.
Her attack faltered.
"Ngh!"
Fierce will—she twisted wrist mid-stumble, thrusting anyway.
But shallow.
Dodged with a lean, spun shotgun, gripped barrel two-handed.
"Shotgun ain't just for shooting. Great club too. Especially relic durability in this world."
Stock's silver plate gleamed.
"──Even blocking hurts."
Arm whipped a clean full-swing arc.
Dull thwack—her body launched skyward.
"Home run."
Hand feels chef's kiss.