The barrels of her newly formed shotgun tilted slightly, just enough for the faint glint of light to catch along the polished steel.
Her smirk widened, and her voice dipped into that same calm, conversational tone that somehow felt more dangerous than any scream.
"Close range," Aria said softly, "is my specialty."
My mind screamed at me to move, but my legs felt locked. I'd seen what the handgun could do. The shotgun? That was going to turn me into a smear on the arena floor.
The air around us felt heavier, each second stretched taut like a bowstring ready to snap.
Then—
BANG—!
The sound wasn't like the sharp cracks from before. This was a deep, concussive boom that rattled my bones, the shockwave slamming into my shield and nearly wrenching it from my grip. The mana-forged barrier rippled under the force, glowing faintly where the blast had struck.
