Chapter 2: The First Shot

The sun had barely risen. Morning dew glistened on the grass, and birds chirped idly from distant trees. Meisatsu Kanezuka wiped sweat from his brow and stepped back to admire his handiwork.

Before him stood ten makeshift bullseye targets—circles drawn with natural dye on rough wooden boards that he'd salvaged from scraps. 

Each target was spaced carefully side-by-side, a full fifty strides from where he stood.  “Alright! Let’s see what this baby can do!”

Since the day before, Meisatsu had felt different. His knowledge of guns—which had already been above average—had skyrocketed to unprecedented heights.

He knew things he couldn’t explain. For example the exact weight of the recoil spring in a GLOCK 17 Gen5, 17.0 lbs, to be precise. Detailed firing mechanics and minute adjustments that would improve accuracy...

It had all started at the temple ...

✦✦✦

Yesterday at the Appraisal...

The Priest’s voice cracked the silence. “G-Gun Hero!!!”

Meisatsu felt something stir within him—A grin spreading across his face—half in joy and the other half in disbelief. Great! I'm the Gun Hero! ...Now what?!

Suddenly, in a burst of comic flair, he spun on one heel—

FWOOOOOSH!

—arms flung wide as if announcing himself to the world. And he was indeed...

He stretched out his right hand, closed his eyes, and focused—a strange feeling. One that came to him naturally.

In an instant, his mind was pulled into a strange space—an endless void of black stretching in all directions. 

Before him floated a single scroll, golden and radiant. Its light so blinding it forced him to shield his eyes for fear of having them scorched

When the light faded, one line of text glowed on its surface:

CURRENT WEAPON: GLOCK 17 Gen5

Meisatsu stared at it, and for a fleeting second, his heart ached—memories flashing of the day he died at the hands of that same weapon. 

“Guess we meet again, huh?”

Then, as if blinking, he was back in the temple. Time hadn’t moved at all. But something was definitely different.

A deep crimson aura pulsed around him, crackling faintly like embers in the wind. 

“This energy... it’s like... I’m turning Super Sai—” He paused abruptly. “—I mean, what is this?!”

POP!

A Glock materialized in his right hand, as natural as breathing. Well... That's new!

The townsfolk and priest stared wide-eyed—and then, in perfect comedic timing—

THUD!

They all toppled over like dominoes, eyes swirling in shock. The only ones still standing—his parents and sister who seemed to be more proud than shook.

Now, in the quiet of the field, Meisatsu exhaled slowly. He raised the gun. Then, with his steady hands...he fired—

BANG! BANG! BANG!

Ten targets fell one after another, hitting a bullseye on each one. Stopping his internal count, he blinked, wondering if it was truly him who had shot them.

“Twenty-five seconds…? Even a professional back home would take thirty, maybe forty.” His grin grew wider. “This… this is insane....”

But before he could savor the moment, a faint rustle came from the nearby bushes. His eyes snapped toward the sound.

Something was definitely watching him.