A sharp gasp echoed in the air.

It wasn’t just because one of their comrades had collapsed forward, their abdomen cleanly pierced through. The sight that followed made the shock ripple through their ranks.

The soldier behind them, and the one behind that, all fell to the side, their armored bodies crumpling like dominoes.

Each suit of plate armor bore bullet holes.

Bang! Bang!

The mechanical click of the revolver’s hammer was followed by the deafening roar of gunfire.

I fired relentlessly in the direction of the Cardinal, unloading every last round from the revolver’s cylinder.

Accuracy didn’t matter. Even …