"You really fooled me you big Buffon!"
"What? I didn't want to take your money," Ruitha answered with a brilliant grin. While he had been against Njeru being selected all this while, he could not argue with the results.
"Now you are here to take our money for real?" Fuli, the self-appointed bookie, answered back. For him, as long as people were gambling, he didn't care much about who was winning.
Even Fuli had to admit he had been stunned by Njeru's performance. If not the stance, the gait, the confidence. The shooter didn't look up once as he sent lead downrange.
He seemed to be a practiced marksman who had done such a thing far too many times.
The next item on the list was assault rifles. Those who performed well would receive these rifles, as they were the king of rifles. However, everyone else would get handguns and pump-action rifles. The leaders and commanders would use shotguns.
While everyone already knew the one person who would receive the first assault rifle, it had been anyone's guess who would get another. So far, there were only seven available.
Warai was acclaimed to be a natural talent and extremely good with the gun, and hence everyone was rooting for him. Even those who didn't support him, deep down, knew he'd win, it was a certainty.
No one expected a nobody to come out of nowhere and dethrone the king in his rightful place.
As Warai took to the stage to where the rifle was placed, he was not as confident as before. While he did take the time to wave at the crowd, this time around, his expression was dead serious the moment he touched the rifle.
He could not allow himself to be outdone in such a magnificent fashion.
The rifle itself happened to be the most common variation of the AK47. There were large piles of these guns after the war, and hence, remanufacturing them was easy.
After the great purge, anyone caught with one without a license was eligible to death. Only the chief or city lords were allowed to own one. They were kept on a tight leash, but that did not mean many people did not have them.
Holding the gun tightly, he set aim using the iron sights and fired.
This time around, he was supposed to fire three one-round shots at the target, then fire three three-round bursts, and finally, all-out fire for a second.
Each was meant to test something about using assault rifles. Assault rifles were automatic and very deadly weapons. However, they were also not the easiest models to fire, if you were looking for accuracy.
The problem was mostly the recoil. Due to it being extremely powerful, the recoil was also far more intense than a handgun. Luckily, assault rifles were designed to be easy to hold and manage. For experts, managing the recoil was a piece of cake.
Similarly, the fast action of automatically reloading the bullet in the chamber to keep the firing going also worked against the shooter. Most people ended up shooting high and above the target, especially on the continuous firing part.
An expert marksman had to account for all this when he took his shot. To keep his throne, Warai had to maintain his focus.
Twa! Twa! Twa! Twa! Twa!
The first shots sounded so rhythmic and enticing one almost forgot they were listening to a killing machine.
The one-round burst shots. This meant that you pull the trigger, send one round downrange, then pull the trigger again. It made the rifle function more like a semi-automatic handgun.
These were simultaneously the easiest and also the hardest. They were easy since each shot was given proper time and attention before being fired.
They were considered the hardest because the rifle was still extremely powerful. Each shot put a strain on the shooter. Having to pay extra control on the rifle when firing was not easy.
Moreover, since they were considered the easiest to hit the target, they also had the highest standards. They were rated almost as highly as handguns.
A score of thirty-seven. One round found the eighth ring, two found the seven, one found the six, and for his saving grace, his last found the ninth ring.
Looking at his target, he couldn't help frowning. Initially, he'd have been happy and confident that none of these jokers would touch him. Now he was not feeling so confident.
"I have to do better at the three-round burst shots," Warai thought to himself as someone replaced his target for the next challenge.
The roar of a three-round burst pierced the air. Then came another, and finally, the last burst. Warai cocked the gun and then looked up.
His first shots had hit the seventh, fifth, and third rings, going up, giving him a total of fifteen points. His second burst gave him thirteen, and the third gave him sixteen points.
The mere fact that all his shots had hit the target was a minor miracle on its own. Despite being overly critical of himself, even Warai had to admit this was a tough act to follow.
"Let's see how you match that!"
He got back on his gun again, this time, brimming with confidence. The final trial. Full burst, finish the remaining fifteen bullets in the magazine with three bursts.
Pouring lead out of the gun barrel, bullet after bullet connected with the target, not a single one missing. It should be known that the target was fifty meters away with a diameter of an eighth of a meter.
Fifteen shots, fifteen hits. While most ranged around the fifth ring going outwards, the fact that nothing was missed was incredulous. He had even managed to place two shots on the seventh and eighth ring.
A thunderous cheer came from the crowd. No doubt, he had outdone himself. Unlike the last time though, where everyone assumed Warai was number one, instinctive glances were thrown towards Njeru.
It was as though to ask, can you do better?