Nathan stood atop the wooden wall, pistol in hand.
Beside him, Natsu gripped her newly repaired sword — its clean steel surface reflecting the warm hues of the setting sun. The sky burned orange and gold, slowly dimming as evening crept closer.
For a brief moment — It almost looked peaceful.
Almost.
If one ignored the fact that, in about… checks imaginary watch… not long, the ground below would be crawling with undead nightmares.
Ah yes. Sunset. Nature's way of saying: "Good luck not dying tonight."
Nathan exhaled slowly, scanning the clearing and the treeline beyond.
Natsu shifted slightly beside him.
"I've been meaning to ask…" she began, her tone sounds a bit hesitant.
Nathan glanced at her. "That sounds like a dangerous opening."
"…But I was reluctant to," she continued anyway, "because I might end up with more questions."
Nathan snorted lightly. "That's kind of my whole brand at this point. Ask away."
She nodded once, then gestured toward the pistol in his hand. "What kind of… weapon is that?"
Nathan blinked.
"…This?" He raised it slightly, giving it a small, unnecessary flourish. "It's called a handgun… or pistol. Depends on who you ask."
Natsu's ears twitched.
"…All I know," she continued, watching it carefully, "is that when you used it against me, you pointed it — and then something heavy struck my sword after a loud sound, I can't see anything even after something scrape my leg."
Nathan scratched his cheek. "Yeah, that's… a pretty accurate summary, actually."
He rolled the pistol in his hand slightly.
"To simplify it," he said, "it's a weapon that fires small metal projectiles at high speed. You just pull this—" he tapped the trigger lightly, "—and it does the rest."
Natsu frowned slightly. "…That's it?"
"…That's it."
A small pause.
"…That sounds unfair," she muttered.
Nathan laughed. "Oh, it absolutely is. In my previous world, people basically stopped using bows and arrows because of stuff like this exists."
Her eyes widened slightly. "Completely?"
"Pretty much."
"…That's terrifying."
"Oh boy, you've seen nothing," Nathan said, shaking his head with a dramatic shrug. "We're very efficient at making things that make other things stop existing."
Natsu stared at the pistol again, her curiosity clearly growing.
"…This world doesn't have anything like this?" Nathan asked.
She shook her head. "Not that I know of. Most people rely on bows, crossbows, or magic for ranged attacks."
She paused.
"…How does it work, though?" she asked, genuinely puzzled. "It's small… but the force behind it is incredible."
Nathan looked up slightly, thinking.
"…You know what?" he said after a second. "I have no idea."
Natsu blinked. "…What?"
"I mean, I didn't invent this thing," he shrugged. "All I know is — I pull the trigger, zombie heads go pew, problem disappears." He paused. "…It's really fun, if I'm being honest."
She frowned.
"…That's your explanation?"
"Yep."
Natsu stared at him for a long second.
"…You're a psychopath," she concluded flatly.
"Hey," Nathan protested immediately. "I'm not using it on people!"
He pointed at her — carefully not pointing the gun at her.
"I only fired it at you because you were being very stubborn."
"…Can we not bring that up again?" Natsu said, turning her face away with a faint pout.
"…Fair point."
A small silence followed.
As Nathan scanned the perimeter from atop the wall, his attention drifted briefly back to Natsu.
"…Hey," he said casually. "How's your leg holding up?"
Natsu shifted her weight slightly, testing it without making it obvious. "…It's fine. Still stings a bit when I run, but nothing serious."
She glanced at him, her voice softening just a little.
"You handled that weapon well earlier. You didn't make it worse even you definitely could — so… thank you."
Nathan gave a small shrug. "No problem."
A short pause followed.
"…Can I try it?" she asked suddenly.
Nathan blinked. "What?"
"That handgun," Natsu clarified, trying — and failing — to sound nonchalant. "I'd be lying if I said I wasn't curious."
Nathan stared at her for a second… then chuckled.
"…Alright, sure." He extended the pistol toward her. "Just — don't point it at me, okay? In case you're still holding a grudge."
"I won't!" she shot back immediately, puffing her cheeks slightly. "What kind of ungrateful person do you think I am?!"
"The kind who tied me up this morning."
"…That was situational!"
"Uh-huh." Nathan nodded half-heartedly.
"…Just give it here."
Nathan laughed under his breath and handed it over. "Alright, alright. My bad."
"Here," he added. "Be careful — it's loaded."
She definitely doesn't know what that means.
Although she didn't understand what Nathan meant by 'loaded', Natsu carefully took the pistol, holding it with both hands like it was some kind of sacred artifact.
"…So how do I use this?" she asked, examining it closely.
Nathan stepped closer. "Here — hold it like this."
He gently adjusted her grip, guiding her fingers into position.
Her posture stiffened slightly at the contact — but she didn't pull away.
"Right," Nathan continued, stepping back. "That's good. Now—"
Suddenly, a low, guttural growl echoed from beyond the tree lines, interrupting them.
Both of them tensed.
Then more followed.
One.
Two.
Several.
Walkers began emerging from the forest line, their sluggish forms dragging themselves into view as the last light of the sun bled into dusk.
"…Well," Nathan muttered. "That's our cue."
He nodded toward the approaching undead.
"Perfect timing. Go ahead — aim at one of them. Line up the sight with the head… and pull the trigger."
He paused, then added, "Oh — and apply a bit of pressure on the grip. That'll activate the laser sight."
"…Like this?" Natsu asked, tightening her hold slightly.
A faint red beam flickered to life, extending from beneath the barrel and landing shakily across the ground—
Then climbing… up…
Until it landed on an approaching Walker.
Her hands trembled slightly.
"Good," Nathan said. "Keep it steady. Aim for the head — it'll kill them faster."
Natsu swallowed lightly, focusing.
The laser hovered over the Walker's forehead.
"…Okay," Nathan said. "Now pull the trigger."
He shifted his gaze toward the target—
Waiting…
And waiting…
…Nothing happened.
Nathan frowned slightly.
"…Natsu?"
"…I can't."
He blinked. "…What?"
"The… 'trigger' thingy," she said, glancing at him in confusion. "It won't move. It's stuck."
Nathan's brows furrowed. "…Stuck?"
That shouldn't be possible.
I'm pretty sure this type of gun doesn't have a safety like that… does it?
As he mentally flipped through half-remembered firearm logic — a notification appeared.
—————————————
[A potential partner is attempting to use your soul-bound firearm.]
[Granting access will allow the target to utilize your weapon system.]
[Condition: Establish recognized bond.]
—————————————
"…Excuse me?"
Nathan stared at the message.
Potential partner? Soul-bound firearm?
…System, he muttered internally. You wanna maybe explain that in a way that doesn't sound like a dating app?
Another notification popped up immediately.
[System Feature Unlocked]
[???? → Hunter's Pact]