Ragnarök, Eternal Tragedy.
Chapter 48: Bron vs Bullets

Chapter 48: Bron vs Bullets

Tobias fires three different bullets, each ricocheting around the area. In defense, he turns his whole body to stone.

"How do you plan on getting your bullets to penetrate my hard stone?"

Tobias smiles and unloads the last two bullets from the cylinder, replacing them with a different set.

"Reckon you still ain’t graspin’ the gravity of things here. Like the Good Book says, ’Take up the shield of faith, with which you can extinguish all the flaming arrows of the evil one.’ And I’ll do just that, ’cause you ain’t a man of God—but I am. And let me tell ya, nothin’ but His will is gonna shield you from what’s comin’ your way."

He points his gun straight at Erling’s chest. Erling senses a growing discomfort from the way the cowboy looks at him. Tobias fires a bullet straight at him; unlike the others, this one moves faster and with greater precision. Doubting his armor’s ability to fend it off, Erling dodges just in time, the bullet scraping his armor. The bullet stops midair, turns toward Erling again, and shoots itself at him once more.

Because his armor slows him down, Erling is forced to weaken his defense to move faster and counterattack. The moment he reduces the stone’s volume, Tobias shoots another bullet at him. Erling moves swiftly, dodging the second bullet. He charges straight at Tobias and leaps high for a powerful punch.

Tobias leaps backward, creating distance between them. While jumping, he fires the rest of his bullets. As he lands, all six bullets converge on Erling from all directions. Erling quickly hardens his armor but barely in time before the bullets strike. Explosions erupt from his position as the bullets hit.

When the smoke clears, his stone armor is cracked and falling apart, exposing his human skin. He quickly discards the damaged armor and forms a new one.

"I see you’re already using your awakened power."

"Well now, is that so? What of it, you ask? Reckon it don’t change a thing."

"It does make this fight more interesting. I might as well fight at my best too."

Erling’s new armor rapidly forms, thicker and denser than before, with a metallic sheen. He flexes his stone fists, the ground trembling as his power resonates through the area.

"Impressive," Tobias remarks, spinning the cylinder of his revolver. "But you reckon that armor’ll hold when you’re facin’ bullets imbued with a little divine intervention?"

Without waiting for a response, Tobias fires again. This bullet glows faintly, radiating heat and light as it streaks toward Erling. The stone-clad fighter braces, his armor shimmering as he channels his strength to absorb the impact. The collision creates a fiery explosion, shattering part of Erling’s armor and leaving glowing cracks across his chest. Erling winces but remains steadfast, using fragments of his armor to reinforce his stance.

Tobias smirks, sensing the cracks in Erling’s defenses—both physical and mental. Erling retaliates with a thunderous stomp, sending shockwaves through the battlefield. Tobias struggles to keep his footing as the ground splits, jagged rocks shooting upward to block his escape. Erling uses the distraction to close the gap, moving with surprising speed for someone weighed down by stone.

Tobias aims his revolver again, but Erling slams into him with an armored shoulder, sending the cowboy skidding across the dirt. Before Tobias can recover, Erling lunges, his fist descending like a hammer to crush the cowboy’s resolve. Tobias rolls aside just in time, firing two bullets simultaneously. These bullets curve unpredictably, weaving around Erling’s defenses to strike the armor on his legs. The impact sends shards flying, forcing Erling to reconsider his stance.

Stepping back, Erling chuckles grimly.

"You’re good. I’ll give you that. But you’re not unbeatable. Not yet."

Tobias tips his hat, his smile unwavering.

"Good thing I’m not lookin’ to be unbeatable—just unstoppable."

He reloads his revolver with deliberate movements, as if waiting for Erling to act. The tension thickens, the air charged with anticipation as the fighters prepare for their next clash.

Erling clenches his fists, his renewed armor radiating raw power. The earth groans under his sheer weight, cracks widening in the battlefield as he takes deliberate steps forward, his gaze fixed on Tobias. Each step sends tremors through the ground.

Tobias flicks his hat upward slightly, squinting as he watches Erling advance.

"Well, ain’t you just a walkin’ mountain of trouble," he mutters, spinning his revolver lazily.

Yet, beneath his casual demeanor, his sharp eyes track every movement, calculating his next move.

Without warning, Erling stomps hard, sharp stone spikes erupting from the ground in all directions to corner Tobias. Tobias leaps over the first spike, firing a shot that ricochets off the stone formation. The bullet curves midair, slamming into Erling’s shoulder and creating fractures across his armor.

Erling growls, wrenching a stone spike from the ground and hurling it at Tobias with the force of a cannonball. Tobias dives aside, narrowly avoiding the massive rock, which shatters on impact.

As Tobias regains his footing, he fires another glowing bullet, its heat distorting the air. Erling shields himself with his arm, but the bullet punches through his armor, leaving a deep gouge. For the first time, Erling grimaces, realizing Tobias’s bullets are wearing him down piece by piece.

"You’re starting to crack, big guy," Tobias taunts, reloading with a snap of his wrist. "All that stone ain’t gonna save you forever."

Erling slams his fists together, creating a shockwave that sends Tobias sprawling. The cowboy skids across the dirt but quickly rolls to his feet, unfazed. He fires three bullets in rapid succession, each ricocheting unpredictably around the battlefield before converging on Erling.

Erling roars, summoning a thick stone wall to shield himself. The bullets collide with the barrier, exploding and sending shards flying. As the dust settles, Tobias appears behind Erling, his revolver aimed at the back of the stone warrior’s exposed neck.

"You’re good at defense, I’ll give ya that," Tobias drawls. "But reckon it’s high time we see how well you handle a little offense."

He pulls the trigger, the glowing bullet streaking toward its target. Erling spins around just in time, his armor shifting to deflect the shot, but the force sends him staggering back.

"You’re relentless, cowboy," Erling admits, narrowing his eyes. "But you ain’t seen the full extent of what I can do."

The air grows heavy as Erling’s armor begins reshaping into sleek, razor-sharp forms. His movements become faster and more fluid, his power evolving. Tobias adjusts his grip on the revolver, bracing for the next round.

The fight is far from over, and both warriors know there’s no turning back now.