Axel watched as Kyle rolled on the ground, bleeding from his thigh over his metallic armor. His defense was practically nonexistent against Eve, after all.

"Agh... AHHHH!"

The hollow-point bullet that struck him, fired from the 9-mm pistol she held, packed an extremely high stopping power. Ignoring the pain and continuing to fight was nearly impossible.

"What's wrong? Stand up," Eve spat, her cold gaze unwavering. "I've only shot you once. I still have fourteen more in this clip."

Kyle was confused.

He didn't even understand what had hit him.

Before he realized what happened, he felt a sharp impact to his leg, followed by excruciating pain and a ringing in his bones—pain that prevented him from standing up again.

'What the hell is that weapon...?! Magic? An artifact?!' he thought.

Given the burst of flames, the flash of light, and that thundering explosion, he surmised it was an artifact.

Thankfully, unlike before, when Axel cut his wrist, he was prepared this time.

Secretly, he activated the bracelet artifact he possessed, which boosted his healing factor. The open wound on his leg closed up, pushing out a mushroom-like object. 'So that's what hit me!' he thought as he stared at the small object.

At the same time, he activated one of his many rings.

This artifact was designed to disrupt the activation of other artifacts in the vicinity. It was meant to prevent Eve from using her weapon again, ensuring Kyle's victory... if everything went as he hoped.

However, he was far from achieving that. His conjecture couldn't be further off the mark.

"Bitch...!" Kyle shouted as he sprang forward with lightning speed.

His speed, form, and stance were all perfect for launching a surprise attack.

However, Eve didn't even flinch. Calmly, she pulled the trigger, firing her pistol once more—an event Kyle thought he had already prevented.

The flash of the gun momentarily blinded him, and he felt a sharp impact on his left shoulder. Pain surged through him as a hollow-point bullet embedded itself in his body and blossomed open within.

"Kuh...! Arrrgh!"

Once again, he fell.

This time, his weapon slipped from his grasp, tumbling forward to rest at Eve's feet. Yet she didn't even glance at it, maintaining her unwavering focus on her enemy.

"Is that it?" she asked, her voice steady but laced with simmering anger. "Is that all you can do? You're already down with just this?!"

Of course, the situation was far from over.

Seeing that Kyle didn't attempt to move again, she lost her patience. She fired once, twice, and then five times in quick succession, methodically targeting his limbs. Both arms, both legs, and one shot to his right hand.

Only the bullet that struck his palm pierced through, digging deep into the earth beneath him.

Kyle was in for a world of agony.

He couldn't even discern which parts of him were hit; he only knew that he was bleeding profusely and writhing in pain. Tears streamed down his face, and snot dripped from his nose.

Even drool escaped his lips, making it seem as if he had lost his sanity.

But despite his pitiful state, Eve didn't relent.

She fired one bullet after another, aiming to wound him without killing him. After emptying one clip, she reloaded and unleashed another 15 bullets into him.

Only the thunderous sound of the gunfire and Kyle's weakening groans filled the air for a time.

"This isn't enough...!"

But Eve, after emptying two full clips, began to lose her composure. Tears streamed down her face as she gritted her teeth, her hands desperately searching for another magazine.

"Father, mother, my sisters and brothers… all of them…!" she gasped. "They all suffered until their deaths! All because of you… because of the Empire…!"

Axel was unaware, but as the "apocalypse" began, the Empire launched attacks on all the surrounding countries.

Initially, it wasn't too difficult to move around, as there were too few zombies.

However, facing both monsters and the Empire proved overwhelming for the Klint Kingdom. Empire soldiers, empowered by their weapon-artifacts, mowed down their enemies as if they were mere grass by the roadside. The flow of battle was overwhelmingly one-sided.

After several days of skirmishes, the Klint Kingdom troops were forced to retreat to their capital.

There, they were met with even deeper despair.

Zombies surrounded them from outside, while the Empire's troops wreaked havoc from within. Death permeated every corner, everywhere they looked.

"To let us escape, Father, he…!"

Eve hiccupped, her sobs intensifying. Her vision blurred as her breathing became increasingly difficult. She was hyperventilating.

Yet, her trembling fingers did not release the weapon in her hand.

"Brother Henry, Brother Tyler… they too…!"

BANG!

"You can't imagine the pain they suffered!"

BANG! BANG!

"All because of your selfishness! All because of your empire's twisted desire for power…! They're all dead now!!!"

Click!

Finally, she ran out of bullets.

But it didn't really matter. By that point, her opponent was already dead.

Even if she avoided his vitals, the shock and blood loss were enough to take him down. Anyone hit by 60 rounds of hollow points would likely meet the same fate.

Eve gasped for air, her breathing ragged.

Her gun slowly lowered as she stared at her opponent's motionless body.

Axel moved behind her silently, pulling her into a soft embrace. He patted her head and whispered soothing words she longed to hear.

"I'm sure your parents, your family, are proud of you for taking revenge for them," he said. "You did great. Now, leave the rest to me..."

Now that the one who attacked their kingdom was gone, all that's left is the Empire itself.

"Axel..."

Eve turned her head up to meet his gaze.

Slowly, her expression broke, and tears streamed down her face like a waterfall.

"I... I...!" She stammered, as if she had forgotten how to speak.

She buried her face in Axel's chest, crying her eyes out.

Thankfully, that moment didn't last long.

About ten minutes later, having shed all her tears, Eve fell asleep. The fatigue, stress, and everything else must have caught up to her all at once.

Of course, Axel didn't leave her behind.

He carried her like the princess she was and brought her back to the castle, allowing her to rest.

In contrast, Prince Kyle's corpse was sent to his nearby sibling—Princess Sophia—a message for her to fully grasp her current predicament.

As for the others, they weren't even worth keeping.

Axel simply sold their corpses through the system, earning pocket change. Anticlimactically, human corpses fetched a low price... Probably just enough to cover the expenses from Eve's rampage.

In fact, the wyvern corpses were sold at a better price in comparison.

And just like that, their busy day concluded as if nothing had ever happened.

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