7,92 x 57 mm

Singe’s disc shattered into pieces as it slammed down beside her, its green light flickering before dying.

Hermann’s heart skipped a beat.

It was still alive?! Even after all that magical power they’d unleashed on it?

The Manyleg’s limbs unfolded with sharp, snapping motions, its chitin grinding as the massive body pushed itself up from the ground.

A scream tore from the creature, louder than before, filled with raw, unrestrained fury.

The next instant, a storm of slimy acid burst forth.

Tong and Linly scattered, barely escaping the attack.

“Shit!” Hermann shouted as a glob of slime hurtled straight toward him.

At the last second, he threw himself down, crashing through branches before hitting the ground with a dull thud.

Above him, the acid ate through the trunk until the entire treetop began to sway dangerously.

He rolled aside just in time as the top of the tree came crashing down beside him.

That was close…

Unsteadily, he got back to his feet, trying to get his bearings.

He noticed something in the tall grass, only a few steps away.

A half-torn leather bag.

That belonged to that spy, didn’t it? Maybe there’s something in it that could help me return home...

He hurried over and rummaged through its contents.

It’s nothing but weapon blueprints?!

Curious, he pulled one out.

But... why?

Then something else caught his eye.

A metallic glint, just a few steps away.

“Hold on. Isn’t that my…?”

***

Meanwhile, Tong and Linly continued to dodge the furious assaults of the Manyleg, beneath whose long, pointed legs Singe still lay.

When she came to, she gasped and coughed up blood, which splattered across her torn shirt and bra.

"She’s alive!" Linly bellowed when she noticed her squadmate moving.

Singe grabbed the black spike lodged in her shoulder.

A deep breath.

“Hnghhg!!“

She yanked it out in one sharp motion, blood gushing from the gaping wound.

Hastily, she pressed her hand against it, as her gaze drifted to her broken disc in the dirt.

“It’s wrecked…”

“SINGE!” Tong screamed.

The Isopod had turned around, a hail of spikes and corrosive slime forcing Tong and Linly back again, as it clattered toward Singe.

“G-get away from me!” she stammered, crawling backward in panic.

But its black legs were faster.

They blocked her path, then came crashing down, piercing her calf and upper arm.

“KYAAAHHH!”

Its large red eyes fixed on her as its slimy mandibles opened above her.

“N-no…” she gasped in pain.

Singe trembled as the first drops of acid fell onto her torn clothes, burning into it.

Tears welled up in her eyes.

“I… I’m sorry, Rixt… I… I couldn’t keep my promise…”

Click.

BANG.

Something slammed into the creature with full force, its shriek splitting the air.

Singe cried out as the claws released her flesh immediately.

Click-clack.

BANG.

Chitin splintered like dry wood. Flesh tore open, dark fluid spraying out.

Singe turned her head and opened her eyes. Her vision was blurred, and it took a moment before she recognized him.

He was kneeling with the rifle shouldered, his back perfectly straight.

“So eight millimeters does go through…” Hermann muttered dryly.

The monster shrieked, thrashing wildly, its legs twitching uncontrollably.

Out of the corner of his eye, he saw Tong and Linly approaching.

“HEY! GET IT TO FACE ME!”

Both of them looked at him in disbelief for a moment before they exchanged a quick glance and nodded.

“You grab Singe, I’ll handle the Isopod!” Tong shouted to Linly.

Magical blasts soon slammed into the convulsing body of the creature.

“Over here, you ugly freak! Come get me!”

The Manyleg reacted instantly, claws lashing toward her.

Acid hissed across Tong’s goggles as she twisted sharply aside.

Meanwhile, Linly flew to Singe and helped her onto her disc.

“I-it’s okay, I’ve got you. Hold on!”

They shot between the stomping claws, barely escaping.

Tong had already maneuvered the creature directly into Hermann’s line of fire.

“THAT’S IT!” he roared. “ON THREE, GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!”

She didn’t answer, her brief glance was enough.

He pulled back the bolt.

Click-clack.

The next round slid into the chamber.

“One…”

The creature’s attacks grew wilder.

“Two…”

Acid and spikes missed their mark.

“THREE!”

Tong shot upward and the creature’s long neck reared up after her.

Hermann took a deep breath and lined up the sights.

“Got you…”

BANG.

The recoil slammed into his shoulder as the shot thundered out, tearing a gaping hole straight into the insect’s head.

For a moment, it froze, its antennae twitching.

Then those, too, fell still as its massive body collapsed with a crash.

Silence.

Only the wind rustled through the branches.

Hermann let out a heavy breath, his hands still gripping the wooden stock of the rifle.

Tong landed beside him, jumped off her disc, and rushed over.

“HOW DID YOU DO THAT?!”

Before he could answer, she snatched the rifle from his hands and examined it in fascination.

“What is it? Where did you get it?!”

Hermann frowned.

Do they not have firearms here?

“My rifle. K98k.” He nodded toward the crash site. “Must’ve fallen from there. I found it in the grass.”

“Rifle...?“ she repeated, puzzled.

While Tong continued to stare at the weapon in awe, Linly landed beside them with an unconscious Singe.

“...I sealed her wounds for now, but I’m almost out of magic and she’s got a lot of toxins. She needs a real healer quick.“

Tong nodded grimly and handed the rifle back to Hermann.

“Then let’s get out of here. Fast.”

“But… what about the machine? I need it to...”

“Are you insane?!” Tong snapped. “We’re lucky to be alive! This is all your fault anyway! We’re leaving right now, before more of them show up...”

Hermann clenched his teeth.

And how am I supposed to ever get home then? This is bad. I have no intention of staying in this grotesque, bug-infested land.

His thoughts were cut off abruptly by a sound.

Chirping.

All heads turned.

It didn’t come from the dead isopod, but from the open pit.

At first only a few. Then more.

“Oh no, they’re here already!” Linly cried.

Tong reacted instantly.

“Come on, jump on and hold tight!”

Hermann hesitated only a moment before slinging his rifle over his shoulder and obeying.

I suppose I have no choice...

Seconds later, hundreds of red eyes glowed within the dark opening of the pit as the two flying discs slowly lifted off.

Hermanns gaze swept over the clearing once more when he saw the bag, still lying in the grass.

“Wait! Fly back for a second, I forgot something!”

“WHAT?!” Tong snapped as he clung to her legs. “Have you completely lost it? There’s no way I’m...”

“Do you want to defeat them?” he cut in loudly.

“…What?”

“These… insects. Do you want them gone? All of them, I mean.”

Without waiting for an answer, he tapped his rifle.

“There are hundreds more weapons like this one. Bigger. Stronger. And down there in the grass lies the key to building them!”

The disc came to a halt.

It hovered in the air with a low hum as Tong studied him seriously.

“Is that really true?”

Hermann nodded firmly.

“I swear to God.”

Linly flew up beside them.

“What is it now? If we wait any longer, we might not have enough magic left to...”

But Tong was already diving back down.

“Go ahead, Lin, we’ll catch up!”

“What?! What are you doing?!” Linly shouted after them, but they were already gone.

When the clearing came back into view, countless Manylegs were already dragging the corpse of their fallen kin into the burrow.

“WHERE?” Tong shouted.

Hermann pointed.

“Over there! The bag!”

They dove down, and it didn’t take long for the Manylegs to notice them.

The chirping swelled up again as they came to a stop above it.

“Hurry up!” Tong hissed, hurling magical blasts at the first insects charging toward them.

Hermann heaved the bag onto the disc, which became increasingly unstable under the added weight.

“Got it. Move!“

They lifted off shakily as more spikes whizzed past them.

One almost hit Hermann’s cheek before he ducked at the last moment.

“That was close,” Tong said flatly as they finally broke through the cloud cover, Hermann’s heart gradually calming.

At least we could recover it. Perhaps these documents contain something that can help me return home…

He clutched the bag tightly as they flew higher, the air growing thinner and the wind noticeably colder.

“So where are we flying?” Hermann asked, blinking against the wind.

“To our headquarters!” she bellowed back.

“And where is that?”

Tong jerked her chin upward.

“Up there! You’re already looking at it!”

Hermann craned his neck, and his eyes widened.

A silhouette emerged from between the clouds.

An island in the sky.