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I aimed between his glowing eyes. “Take one more step, and I’ll shoot you.”

“Fine. Then, we will do this the hard way.” Yoichi pushed his arm through the circle. One broad shoulder followed.

My ancestors’ magic ripped open the flesh covering his chest.

He growled but continued.

Damn it.

I fired.

The bullet struck his forehead.

Yoichi’s head snapped backward.

The force hurled him out of the circle.

Black blood sprayed across the space. His body slammed onto the floor beside the open door.

I scrambled off the mattress.

“Dear God! You really shot me!” He rolled onto one elbow.

The bullet hole above his eyebrow began closing.

“I warned you.” I fired again.

The second bullet struck his chest.

Then I shot him a third time in the head again.

A fourth at his heart.

A fifth and sixth.

Each explosion thundered through the hotel room. The bullets punched into his body and forced him backward, but he kept trying to rise.

For one strange moment, surprise crossed his face and my heart ached, but I pushed through it.

His body fully collapsed onto the floor, and he did not move.

Sorry. I told you not to come in here.

Blood spread beneath him.

Smoke rose from the holes in his chest.

Alright. I have to get out of here.

The hole in his forehead remained open. . .for now.

That was good enough for me, but with all of his power. . .there was no way he would stay down.

Fast, I raced around him and fled the room. There was no time to take my belongings. Only God knew how long those special bullets would keep his ass down.

I would just have to buy clothes later while I was trying to purchase an earlier plane ticket.

Cold night air rushed over my face.