TIZE VS. LAQUET
“We’ve got two showdowns left. And for our first, the Fiends may feel like they’re looking in a mirror. Both are middle-aged men with backgrounds serving their countries and communities. And now both have taken up fatherly roles raising the next generations of Fiends. Who’ll be the first to gun the other down? The Reliable Refuge, Tize, and The Gravity Gunner, Laquet!”
《Kada: Don’t you dare shame us, Tize! Don’t lose to that CP bastard!》
《Xard: Actually, I’d say the odds are stacked against Tize in this, at least with his physical body. There’s no way he can resist the gravitational pull like the others who have faced Laquet in this tournament.》
《Kada: Yeah, that dude’s honestly had a bad slew of opponents. Most of the other Fiends he could have just yanked out of the arena right away. But everyone he’s faced so far has had a way to either negate or somewhat counter his Curse. I bet Phon had something to do with that.》
《Xard: Almost certainly, but not this time. The four of us all watched the randomizer pull together for this round to ensure there were no shenanigans. Otherwise, she definitely would have made Laquet and Jaid fight to screw with the Central Peace.》
“Hey, Scound, I’ve got a proposition,” Laquet interjected as soon as the fight started before things could kick off.
“I’m listening,” Tize still tapped his fingers against his gun, ready for anything.
Laquet emptied his revolver of its blanks and refilled it with paralysis ammunition. He then raised both hands, as if to prove his sincerity and began walking towards the middle of the arena. “What do you say we settle this the ole-fashion way? How we were raised as men, as fighters.”
“You mean a duel?” The soldier couldn’t deny his intrigue and began walking towards the middle himself.
“The very same,” the sheriff nodded. “No shields, no powers. Just quickdraw guns. One shot. Whaddya say?”
“Well I’d say that sounds very honorable,” Tize held out his hand once they both reached the center, and they shook on the accord. “How about thirty paces? That should get us far enough that the sharper eye will be just as important as the quicker draw.”
“Fine with me…” Laquet suddenly whirled his head, scanning for their host. “Rallie! If you’d be so kind as to count us down.”
“Um, okay!” Rallie snapped to attention as the two men turned their backs to each other and took their first steps. “30, 29, 28…” the men marched one step at a time to the woman’s cadence.
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《Kada: Wuhwuhwuhwuhwah! Wahh wahh wahh!》
《Kada: Wuhwuhwuhwuhwah! Wuh Woh Wahhhhh!》
《Xard: The hell are you doing?》
《Kada: Y’know, like in the old cowboy movies.》
《Kada: Wuhwuhweweweeee wow wowowowwwww》
《Kada: It’s called setting the scene, Xard. Try it sometime.》
“3, 2 ,1!” Both men whirled around, snagged their guns out of their holsters, and fired. Laquet’s shot missed, just to the right of Tize’s idle elbow. But Tize’s shot was dead on. However…
“You lied,” Tize didn’t sound surprised as he stared at his enemy with disappointment.
“Of course I did,” Laquet huffed. His hand was straight out in front of him, a gravity well spawned in his palm. It was holding the round that Tize had fired, locked in the center. The man released his Curse, and the shot clinked to the ground where it began eating into the floor. “And I missed on purpose.”
Another gravity well spawned directly behind Tize, just outside of the arena. The man was instantly caught in its pull. He tried to stomp his way out of it, but his efforts were futile as the well grew in power. Just before The Refuge was sucked off the edge, he dissolved into light.
『Synchronization Rate: 90%』 Tize adorned his opponent, turned into a draping duster jacket that would have let Laquet perfectly blend in during times long past. Like with every other opponent, Tize attempted to make Laquet march forward. It was harder than Roque, since the soldier wasn’t adorning his legs, so he had to take control of the man’s very flesh. However, it was still much easier than Itsy since Laquet’s strength wasn’t nearly on par.
After two steps, Laquet fired his revolver at the ground, creating a gravity well beneath his feet. That locked him in place as the well grew in power, so Tize had to change tactics. Instead of targeting the sheriff’s legs, he took control of his arms—much easier due to the duster’s sleeves.
Specifically, Tize only needed one arm, but he locked the other in place so it couldn’t try any other tactics. The Refuge raised The Gunner’s revolver toting hand. When Laquet realized what was happening, he tried to drop his gun, but Tize had locked his fingers into place already.
The pair struggled once the revolver reached about neck height. Laquet increased the power of the gravity well, trying to force his arm back down while Tize fought back with all his strength. And eventually, Tize won out.
He pointed the revolver straight up, the barrel pointed into the bottom of Laquet’s chin. And then he pulled the trigger.
The round fired into Laquet’s skin, piercing through his bottom jaw. Since it wasn’t a real bullet, it stopped there, but that left the round sitting in the man’s mouth. The paralysis took hold instantly and Laquet collapsed. Tize unsynchronized himself, and let out a sigh of relief as he glanced around at the cheering crowd.
“Tize wins!”
~Unfulfilled Wish~
Laquet: (Official Wish) For the nation of Fiendish to join the Central Peace.
Laquet: (Actual Wish) To help Hickedy and I escape this life.