### Chapter 47: Ghin the Demon

Due to the intense battle between the two captains, everyone else was forced to leave the small tavern. Anyone unfortunate enough to be grazed by Krieg’s golden war lance was met with broken bones at the very least. No one wanted to experience the agony that had befallen Sam.

“Kid,” Pearl sneered as he stepped outside, brandishing his silver shield with arrogant confidence. “Choosing me as your opponent will be the worst decision of your life.”

Ignoring Pearl’s taunts, Kiba calmly loaded a special round into his gun. He fired an armor-piercing bullet that exploded right in the center of Pearl's shield.

【Skill Activated: Ammo Master. Mental consumption: 2 points. Your next shot will ignore 60% of physical defense.】

【Your armor-piercing bullet deals 30 points of mixed damage to Pearl.】

This guy was clearly the type with a high constitution attribute. The best way to deal with him was to slowly wear down his health. Rushing would only lead to mistakes.

“Damn it!” Pearl cursed, glaring at the crack in his shield, his heart filled with rage.

He raised his hands high, and suddenly, blue flames flickered across his massive shield.

Seeing this, Kiba immediately deployed his maneuver gear, using the gas-powered grappling hooks to barely avoid the barrage of fiery steel balls that Pearl unleashed.

Despite his low agility, Kiba's high mobility allowed him to flip and weave through the air, evading the cumbersome attacks from the large, metal-clad man below.

As soon as the ten-second cooldown expired, Kiba fired another shot that hit Pearl squarely, causing the shield bearer to scream in frustration. Pearl wanted nothing more than to slap that irritating pest out of the sky.

Realizing he couldn’t catch his opponent, the frustrated shieldman turned to run, intending to support his captain. But just as his hand touched the tavern’s doorframe, a sharp claw sliced across his scalp, and in the next instant, his right ear fell into the dirt.

“Ahh!” Pearl howled in pain, clutching his face, completely forgetting his previous bravado.

Like Krieg, Pearl believed in the invincibility of defense, the only difference being that he couldn’t afford a suit of golden armor like his captain.

“Pathetic,” Kiba muttered as he landed on the ground, glancing at the ear lying in the dirt.

"You're screaming, but aren't you going to pick up your ear?"

As Kiba twirled his Dragoon rifle, he felt a newfound joy in being a gunman for the first time.

The thrill of outpacing his enemy and chipping away at their health with bullets was indeed satisfying. It was no wonder so many chose the path of the gunman.

People often claimed that agile assassins could easily counter gunmen, that brute-force fighters were unbeatable in close combat, and that even those who focused on perception could dodge bullets with their eyes closed. But in this hierarchy of disdain, the one thing a gunman could boast about was their ability to take down tanky Reincarnators.

Just like how Kiba dealt with Pearl: despite being an elite pirate, Pearl hadn’t even managed to touch Kiba’s coat.

“Damn you!!!” Pearl couldn’t accept the reality before him. He turned and charged at Kiba like a maddened bull.

Unfortunately for him, Kiba was prepared. With a slight pull of his finger, the maneuver gear propelled him into the air.

Pearl attempted to leap up and grab him, but instead, he practically shoved his head right into Kiba’s sights. Seeing the bloodied, ferocious face, Kiba squeezed the trigger.

Bang!

Pearl’s brain splattered like a shattered watermelon, and before he even hit the ground, he was already dead.

【You have obtained a Story Chest (Blue).】

“A blue-grade chest?” Kiba muttered, a bit disappointed. He hadn’t expected this guy to be so weak.

So much for being the third in command—Pearl was worse than that Navy officer he defeated earlier.

Choosing not to open the chest, Kiba recalled the agreement he had made with the Onmyoji lady before the operation: they would split all chests they obtained equally.

Whether it was this story chest or the kill chests from the Reincarnators she slew, they would divide the loot after the battle.

Glancing at his remaining mental energy, Kiba prepared to assist the others. After all, Alvida, with her current strength, might not be a match for Ghin.

Before he could move, a figure came running from the other side of the tavern. Judging by the waddling, overweight body, there was no need to guess the person’s identity.

At this moment, Alvida's face was covered in bruises, her nose severely disfigured, and her left arm was twisted in an unnatural way.

### Chapter 47: Ghin the Demon (Continued)

With Ghin the Demon relentlessly pursuing her, Alvida was struggling to escape. The power behind Ghin’s twin iron maces was terrifying; their solid iron heads could easily shatter Pearl’s shield.

If Pearl was a pushover, Ghin was undoubtedly an elite opponent, one of the strongest they had faced so far.

*【Ghin (Demon)】*

- *Attack Inclination:* Strong

- *Attribute Inclination:* Strength

- *Trait:* Iron Will

- *Threat Assessment:* Even Match

*Iron Will:* Possesses an unyielding willpower, reducing the effects of negative status conditions.

"An even match?" Kiba interpreted this as Ghin’s strongest attribute being comparable to his own.

*Mental Energy: 19/25*

Kiba estimated that Ghin’s strength must be within this range, perhaps only differing by a few points. If he could take down Ghin, the loot might exceed the blue-grade chest.

“Hang in there,” Kiba tried to steady the panicked Alvida as he rushed forward, planning to team up with her to take down Ghin.

Seeing someone coming to her aid, Alvida gritted her teeth and swung her spiked club at her pursuer. Her attack was powerful but too slow, and Ghin easily sidestepped it.

With a swift counterattack, Ghin’s iron mace smashed into Alvida’s side, eliciting a scream of pain that rivaled Pearl’s earlier cries.

Unlike his useless comrades, Ghin was clearly a seasoned warrior. When he noticed Kiba aiming a gun at him from a distance, he swiftly grabbed Alvida and used her as a human shield.

“Damn it,” Kiba muttered, reluctantly lowering his gun. He couldn’t kill Alvida, at least not yet.

As he hesitated, considering whether to summon the giants, Ghin suddenly executed a powerful throw, hurling Alvida’s massive body at him like a boulder rolling down a mountain. Kiba instinctively ducked to avoid the flying Alvida, all while preparing his flintlock pistol for what he knew would come next.

Sure enough, Ghin appeared, moving in for the kill. Without hesitation, Kiba fired an incendiary round.

The shot hit its mark, and Ghin was instantly engulfed in flames. However, his cold, emotionless eyes remained fixed on Kiba, as if the fire scorching his flesh wasn’t even there.

For a moment, Kiba felt a deep chill in his heart. He immediately activated his Giant Summon technique, but it was too late. Just as the golden lightning of the summoning appeared, Ghin’s iron mace struck Kiba’s chest with crushing force.

*Demon Technique: Bone-Shattering Strike!*

Kiba’s health plummeted as he was sent flying like a ragdoll, bouncing twice upon hitting the ground.

Cough. Blood sprayed from his mouth as he struggled to stand, barely managing to force himself up despite the searing pain.

He quickly ate a delicious pastry and injected a dose of adrenaline, temporarily boosting his constitution by 5 points, which brought his health back to a safer level.

*Health: 94/160 (+90)*

“What a terrifying opponent,” Kiba muttered. After summoning the giants, his remaining mental energy was down to 12 points. He knew he had to be careful from here on out and couldn’t afford to waste any more special bullets.

Though Kiba was in bad shape, Ghin was also worse for wear. Having endured the incendiary round for a full ten seconds, the damage was evident. Forced into a defensive stance, Ghin was unable to maintain his earlier aggression, and his occasional counterattacks seemed weak.

Little Lick was particularly aggressive, attacking Ghin’s lower regions with relentless enthusiasm, causing even the cold-hearted Ghin to break into a cold sweat.

After smashing Little Lick into a bloody pulp, Ghin thought he was finally rid of the nuisance, but to his horror, the mangled head began regenerating rapidly amidst clouds of steam.

“This is insane.”

Before Ghin could retreat, Big Head opened its massive jaws, releasing a nauseating stench.

To make matters worse, Little Lick had grabbed onto Ghin’s right leg, and although he managed to shake it off in less than two seconds, the brief distraction gave the other two giants a chance to close in.

Desperate to avoid being swallowed whole, Ghin mustered all his strength, swinging his iron maces in a furious barrage of blows.

*Demon Technique: Bone-Shattering Flurry!*

His frenzied assault instantly turned Little Lick and Big Head into unrecognizable piles of flesh, their regenerative abilities unable to restore them.

Only the toughest of the three giants, Tutu, remained, faithfully protecting its summoner and serving as the last line of defense between Ghin and Kiba.

With the one-minute cooldown over, Kiba consumed the last of his pastries, raising his health to 134 points, ready for the final showdown with Ghin.

Using Tutu’s massive frame to his advantage, Kiba kept Ghin at bay, occasionally firing shots that made Ghin break out in cold sweat.

Bang!

Ghin barely managed to deflect the bullet, but one of his maces was knocked out of his hand.

In that moment of hesitation, Tutu grabbed Ghin in a bear hug.

Realizing this was a fight to the death, Ghin summoned all his remaining strength to break free, even as Tutu bit off a chunk of flesh from his shoulder.

Now suffering from severe blood loss, Ghin felt a wave of dizziness wash over him. In a desperate attempt to stay conscious, he bit down hard on his tongue, the pain snapping his focus back.

With a last-ditch effort, Ghin picked up his remaining mace and smashed Tutu’s head, the giant’s body collapsing as the flintlock’s barrel pointed at his face.

The shadow of death loomed over Ghin as he unleashed one final strike, the force of his swing making Kiba squint slightly.

Ghin hoped this would make Kiba flinch, giving him the only chance to win.

But Kiba knew exactly what was at stake. Ignoring the incoming iron ball, he calmly squeezed the trigger.

“Goodbye, Ghin.”

Bang!

(End of Chapter)