Chapter 58: Cowboy Psycho.
Tobias crouched low, his revolver aimed straight ahead, eyes fixed on the faint shapes shifting at the tunnel’s exit. He took a deep breath and fired off the first shot—it rang out loud and sharp, the bullet slicing through the air and pinging off the rough stone walls. The sound bounced wildly through the tunnel, amplifying the chaos. Tobias smirked, his grip tightening as he lined up another shot. It was all about angles, the kind of controlled chaos he thrived on.
Outside, the guards flinched as the gunfire echoed toward them, gripping their weapons like their lives depended on it—because they probably did. Some tapped into their powers, forming shimmering energy shields or channeling elemental forces to protect themselves. The air felt heavy, charged with tension. They weren’t just waiting for trouble—they knew it was coming.
Tobias, still inside the tunnel, didn’t bother trying to get a clear view of the guards. He didn’t need to see them. The ricocheting bullets were doing exactly what he wanted—speeding up, bouncing unpredictably, turning the narrow passage into an amplifier for destruction. He adjusted his stance, letting the chaos unfold.
The first bullet shot out of the darkness like a lightning bolt, just barely missing one guard before slamming into another’s shimmering barrier. The second bullet followed right behind, zipping between shields and slicing through the edge of a protective spell. Sparks flew as magic and steel collided, sending guards stumbling backward.
"Stay sharp!" one of them yelled, but it was hard to focus when the air was thick with noise and danger. Tobias leaned closer to the exit, listening to the scrape of boots and strained muttering from outside.
"Showtime," he murmured, a sly grin tugging at his lips.
The guards didn’t stand a chance. The next round of bullets hit like a whirlwind—piercing armor, shredding shields, and leaving bodies crumpling to the dirt one after another. The tunnel amplified everything, the crackle of energy and the metallic ping of ricochets mixing with the dull thuds of fallen guards. Tobias stayed put, watching the chaos unravel exactly as he planned.
"Well, that’s sorted," he muttered, casually spinning his revolver before sliding it back into its holster. His movements were smooth, like this whole thing was just a warm-up. Glancing back over his shoulder, he saw Amari and Apollo standing stiff, their faces pale and their eyes wide.
"Don’t just stand there," Tobias said sharply. "We’ve got bigger problems than these guys."
Amari hesitated, staring at the fallen guards sprawled across the ground. "How did you...?" he started, but Tobias didn’t wait for him to finish. He stepped into the open air, boots crunching softly as he moved ahead.