Arc 3 - Chapter 72: Chainsaws, Swords, Pans, and Pistols

The battalion of guards that Gabriel had were gone. Trying to catch Iris, it left only the spartan and cowboy to duel it out. Standing twenty meters opposite of each other, Gabriel scoffed out air from his lips.

“Even now, she still ruins my plans.”

David had his hands in his pockets, and he pulled them out. One hand resting on his thigh, the other took out a simple object. The end of it had a barrel, and its metal coating reflected itself within Gabriel’s eyes. It shivered, it crackled, but David kept it aimed to the ground.

“Always said I never cared.”

Gabriel leaped away, and skidded across the dirt ground. He heard gunshots, and he zig-zagged around them like nothing. Three bullets, three pieces of lead that tried to trailed him. Even when he heard the ricochet of metal, it made its way toward the buildings behind him.

David pulled the trigger again. Lunging toward him as well, he kept his barrel straightened out. Three bullets again, and Gabriel narrowed his eyes. His worldview slanting inward, he clenched his teeth, before pulling out two metal weapons of his own. The ends of them had suppressors.

Raising his arms, he flicked the trigger like a rabbit mating its mate. Hearing eight swishes, in less than a second, they all ramped up toward David. Who swerved to the right to dodge—

“Ah!”

His stomach got a wind full of pain.

Biting his cheeks, he groaned under the immense burning he was suffused to. Drooling from the right side of his lip, he held his breath, and pushed his legs to situate himself near cover. As soon as he did, he hid himself from the other four swooshes of air, misses that made Gabriel chuckle.

“You coward. Come out and fight!”

Whilst he reloaded, Gabriel lunged straight toward the wooden barrel that David holed himself in. Seeing that he had two more bullets in the chamber, all he needed was a precise hit. Nodding to himself, he grappled the grip with both of his hands.

“Huh?”

The barrel flew at him.

Lunging to the right, his church shoes skid across the surface. Creating a small line of smoke, he held his breath, as he heard two bullets pound the air. Throttling it within his ears, he—

“Gah!”

One of them found its way into his gut. Groaning under the pain, David began reloading as well. Seeing that Gabriel had barely finished, more lines of sweat trickled from his temples.

“Surrender Gabriel. It’s the only way.”

“Hehe, like hell I’ll surrender.”

Lunging to the left, David raised his pistol at him. Pulling the trigger twice, the barrel of his gun began to grow red. The lead barreled like missiles, which acted—Gabriel smiled.

As his other hand was pulled from his pocket. Gripping the handle of a small iron pan, its center was reverberated against. Feeling the ripple of such metal, the bullets were directed back at—

“Shit!”

He narrowly avoided them, with a few scrapes of his cloth seeing fit. His breathing slightly hardened, he saw that Gabriel had replaced his extra gun with a pan. He swirled around the stone ground, all from the tips of his boots. His body tried to cool itself down, but it only worsened that sinking feeling. Or rather, the pain that his stomach was groveled in.

So much so, David bit the inside of his cheeks hard.

‘Screw it.’

Flicking up his wrist, he rapidly-fired all the bullets he had in his chamber. Using the same tactic as before, Gabriel swept away bullet after bullet, all with the center. Deflecting them toward random directions, one of them nearly struck his foot.

“What’s the matter? Can’t get a hit on me?”

Spinning the pan, it was all luck on the last bullet David fired. Being deflected, it struck the building to the right of him, with David glancing at it. He lowered his pistol, and took a step to the right.

“I dare you to go into that building. We’ll see how that works out.” He felt the warmth rush out of him. He tried to squeeze any strength, anything within his toes, but all he could do was breathe out the pain. “Face it David. You’re getting slow.”

Pushing the pan back into his hip, Gabriel pulled out his second glock at last. Having two confirmed barrels, he felt the ground itself crackle before him. David kept his hands low, with his eyes remaining locked on the spartan. Taking another step to the right, Gabriel easily did so, while his pain matched his.

“I won’t bow, and I won’t take a knee. I meant what I said.”

“Fine then.”

Three bullets in his right pistol, and six in his left. Nodding at the amount of ammo he had in storage, he chuckled out a grin.

“Prepare this.”

Right as he touched the trigger, David leaped toward the building. He felt his own breath quench, felt his airways clog in stress. But all he really aimed for, was not at the building… but in the column.

Gabriel fired, with four bullets firing per second. David ignored all heeding, all lead, as his eyes focused solely on the column. Grabbing it with an iron palm, he squeezed his toes in, and used it to twirl. He had himself staring right at Gabriel, who continued to fire swishing bullets. Everything in his body quaked, and his left foot was finally… free?

‘My turn.’

—The air around him bursted outward.—

Enacting the same as a 50 caliber bullet, the building next to him shivered by the sudden gust. As if he teleported, the same man—Gabriel flew.

He didn’t blink, nor did any spores pursued from his body. He felt like a sheet of paper, with his arms and legs acting like soggy noodles. His clothes rippling with the wind, Gabriel couldn’t even decipher what had just happened, until he crashed into a wall.

Rolling and tumbling into a random building, the brick didn’t even cushion his fall. Feeling his own shoulders and back swell purple, he groaned through crackled lips. Slowly rising from the wooden floor, he couldn’t even see what was in front of him.

‘What the hell did he just do…’

It was like his whole body caught on fire. The pain traveling through his nerves, his groaning worsened until he stood with a hunched back. Every tooth in his mouth crackled against the pressure, and all of his gums contained stress. Glaring at him with white and red in his eyes, he did his best to keep his footing to the floor.

While David recovered nearly instantly. In fact, the wound that gnawed his stomach wasn’t as insufferable as he thought. Or rather…

“I’m a good actor ain’t I?” He began cracking his hands, one by one.

Having his pistol settled on his hip, he didn’t need to bother with metal any longer. Sliding his right foot back, he settled his body weight on his toes, while his calves and thighs bulged. He steadied his eyes on Gabriel, who continued to glare with saliva dripping from his lips.

“Guess we’re gonna have to settle this like gentlemen.”

Meanwhile…

Clusters of bullets made her ears ring in tinnitus. Unable to even hone her ears, her eyes narrowed to that of a cat-human. Twirling, spinning, lunging, dodging, all of her body soared with running adrenaline.

“She’s just one woman!”

“Have you seen the way she fights! She’s not human!”

Barely able to even get a hit, those same roaring bullets grazed the ends of her jacket. The grip on her rolling pin didn’t tighten, nor did it loosen. It was unchanged, all helmed. The color red plastered on her face, leaving speckles of it to sting her eyes. She didn’t stop, didn’t put an end to her motor-like speed.

“D-Damn!”

One battalion was down.

Twirling her rolling pin, she slid her foot back, and zig-zagged her way toward the group. Whilst she did her twirl, she had it low to her thigh. Luck was nestled deep into her side, leaving everyone to gawk and whisper with praying words.

“R-Retreat!”

She began repeating that same massacre. Slashes so deep, so cruel, she didn’t care whether it struck the heart or ribs. All she cared about was that they dropped, that they pursued themselves into a long nap. Screams, cries, shouts, they all burdened her ears like some sort of broken record.

“S-Sir! She can’t be killed! She can’t be…”

“Does it look like I care!? If she’s let loose, then who’s gonna—”

All of the air in his body was stolen. Without even drawing breath, he thumped to the ground, leaving the superior agent to groan through a quakening throat. Iris leaped to her right, and gave herself a much needed breath.

“You all are weak.”

Meanwhile, David was one with the wind.

Gabriel could barely trace his outline, as his blurred eyes failed to take in reality. He pulled the trigger, but his aim was random. But little did he know… a shadow roamed over him.

“Ha!”

Without any time to leap, he fastened his arms to block his face. He heard bone crackle, and felt pieces of glass litter his arm. No wait, it wasn’t glass. The building itself shaking hard, Gabriel slid through the floor with buckled knees. Extending out his right hand, he pulled the trigger six times. David faded into the wind once more, leaving the bullets to strike the walls from behind.

‘I can’t get hit again! Just can’t!’

The bruise that swelled in his stomach was even worse than the bullet that was deep inside. His own gun loosening from his sweat, Gabriel placed his left hand on his right wrist, and bit the inside of his cheeks. The same shadow appeared.

‘Shit shit shit!’

Too slow to even pull the trigger, he leaped back. Leading himself to the street, he felt his lungs be pricked by his own ribs. His feet blistering from his toes, down to his heels, he also heard a boom, a roar of monumental size. Through blurred eyes, small shrapnel flew at him.

‘H-he has no choice! He has to escape from there! Come on you bastard, come out and fight!’

Then came brick, which flew at him.

Jumping back, his achilles heels giggled as per how he treated them. He couldn’t drop his gun, nor could he even rest. David appeared again. He already charged himself out, already balling his fingers into his palms. Feeling his own breath freeze in his throat, Gabriel tried to…

Something snapped.

“Gah!”

The only thing that he could do was spring his arms to protect his body. Doing just that, he hunched his head forward and awaited impact.

‘S-Shit!’

Nothing happened. As if time had stopped, grinded to a screeching halt, no one moved. Both of Gabriel’s shoes were glued to the ground, making his body somewhat stable. The air grew thin, his ears rang; as the delayed gust catapulted the spartan like a wrecking ball.

“That should do it.”

He didn’t even feel light, as if his own soul hung by the tips of his lips. Flying at a 90-degree angle, Gabriel’s eyes already rolled inward, while his body went numb. The air pressure around him increased, and he became a human missile.

While the wind finally came.

Around David, buildings shook from their foundations, leaving windows to crack or even shatter. A couple of bricks falling from place, wood shifted from its hinges, leaving the doors no choice but to sway open.

‘Man… I really over did it.’

His whole body acted like he was being bitten. His arms, his hands, even his legs acted like jello. Unable to hold himself up, he allowed rest to seep in, leaving his bottom to press against the stone. With exhausted eyes, he saw multiple buildings sprout out dust. Looking like Gabriel had barreled through them, it was clear the spartan was nowhere near able to fight.

Keeping this in mind, David just sat.

________________________________________________________________________

Ignoring the stuttering Jenny, Luna had all of her weight on the tips of her toes. Her arms already pulled back, her movements fastened to a greater height than before, almost as if…

She was improving. Her speed, her strength, it was all starting to pay.

‘I did it…’

—She reached the second stage of Togo.—

Her swords reaching toward his chainsaws, her own strength pushed him a few feet back. Sliding across the metallic floor, the air bursted out like a shotgun shell.

Lunging toward him once more, she spinned her right baton, and allowed the air to circulate around the tips. The air pressure increasing in weight, her left pulsated out, leaving Kenichi no other option but to block.

‘She’s stronger.’ Her swords spiraled around the chainsaws, making her appear faster than she looked. All of his face wrinkled the longer she continued to thrust. With no way to even attack, she forced him to block every blade from her swords; all by speed and speed alone. ‘She’s way too strong.’

She felt her own batons begin to crack, all from the excess swinging. For a split second, she saw the smallest of openings, and twisted her wrists at a 90-degree angle. Pushing her body forward, it was a lunge maxed with so many risks… he blocked that attack, all from the usage of his two low chainsaws. But a smirk grew.

Something broke, as shards of iron flew in all directions.

Most of it pierced his hands, while some struck Luna. Kenichi ignored the pain, and moved his unforeseen hands once again. Taking the helm of his two chainsaws, he used his invisible ones as a defense. Or rather…

“There. Better.”

Luna lunged, as she didn’t wait for him. His face already laced with sweat, combined with the curse, he was already reaching his limit.

She swung, she battered, she continued that relentless assault onto his chainsaws. Feeling his own fingers prickle in static, his invisible hands however… felt something packed with splinters.

“Dodge this.”

Blocking once more, his chainsaws swept her arms to the right, but it took all of his upper strength to do so. Just as she was about to leap back… she turned to her right. Kenich lunged back, as the tips of his chainsaws grazed against the floor.

It was a crate; boxed in a square.

—It exploded.—

A huge cloud of smoke throttled over her. Kenichi squeezed his lungs out inch by inch, as air scraped apart the very essence of his vocals. Hunching his back, his eyes took in… the smoke cleared.

“S-S-Shit! Grah!”

She was covered in flames. From her collar and sleeves, the bright orange grisled the leather like it was grilling meat. Unable to fight, she dropped her batons, and focused on taking off her jacket. Her white shirt also began to surmise in flames.

“Time to—”

Another piece of metal thrusted outward.

Turning to his left, he side-stepped back, and narrowly avoided a frying pan to the face. Clenching his teeth once more, he hissed, as his eyes reddened the most it ever did. Growling from the deepest pits of his throat, he couldn’t dare waste even a single second.

“That’s it.”

He barreled his real arms, along with his invisible hands; all at the quaking woman. Using what little speed she has, her quivering arms couldn’t do much to sway away his chainsaws. Seeing that he had the advantage, he swung and swung with the same tenacity as Luna.

‘She’s getting really, really, really…’

Pushing down his body weight on his toes, he barreled himself with enough tenacity to cut the wind. Barreling the wind outward, it wasn’t long once he reached Jenny. Twisting his own ankle, he heard a snap, but the pain only gained him leverage.

‘Really annoying!’

Shooting up his chainsaws from underhand, the spiked frying pan flew into the air, and landed elsewhere. Having her eyes on it, his chainsaws were up in the air as well. With no time to bring them down, his invisible arms barreled straight toward her stomach.

It squeezed, it clenched, the burst of air he delivered was colossal.

Sending her flying, she slammed her back on the exterior wall of the second train cart. Creating a dent, she gasped, with every air in her lungs trailing out nothing. Her eyes squeezing shut, she tried to breathe, tried to take in what was lost… but the darkness bound her to stay.

‘G-Get up…’ Just before he could walk to her, every hair in his body rose. As if a balloon had rubbed against his skin, it created a magnetic field only for his hair. He turned to his right, and saw the smoke cloud spread out all around. Bursting the literal air free, the swordswoman had it sliced from only her blades.

‘She’s still alive!?’

Remains of her burning jacket and shirt rested on the floor. Slowly succumbing to ash, all that was left was her bra, leaving her stomach and back to shine with sweat. Even with such a disadvantage, she throttled her swords right onto his chainsaws.

‘Got to wrap this up fast!’

Without analyzing her toned arms or stomach, or even her shoulders at that matter, he kept his chainsaws revving. Pulling back, she zig-zagged to the right, all while pulling the air in through her blades. Once she got a window, she zipped through the air like a bullet.

‘This time I’ll—’

Using her right sword, she struck right into one of his chainsaws. Leaving him to thrust his other, he tried to throttle himself into that imaginary window.

But she teleported. Holding his breath, his boots sneered against the metal, while catching a good glimpse of Luna slicing the air around her. Continuing to perform her ballad, both of her jaws were clenched shut.

‘He’s getting tired.’

Every time she swung, her biceps ached. Every second she breathed, her lungs expanded with size. Keeping her fighting spirit impenetrable, it only fueled Kenichi to retreat even more. The handles of his chainsaws, which creaked endlessly, began spraying more shrapnels of metal.

“There!” Kenichi shouted.

Whilst on the defensive, his unforeseen hands were not used during her ballad. While he felt the ricochet of metal, more blood swelled in his mouth. It burned, it stung, but those wooden boxes gifted him relief, as his unforeseen hands grappled onto them.

Luna glanced to her right, right at the last second.

‘Clever ain’t you.’

Two wooden crates flew at her. Spinning herself leftward, those two boxes grazed the ends of her swords. Narrowly slicing them, she couldn’t take note of the logos hiding on the edges. Yet even so, she jumped herself to the right, to where the same box of crates were.

While the two boxes exploded, smoke and flames rattled the air. And because those boxes were in that same group…

‘But I learn from my mistakes.’

Kenichi already grabbed two other wooden crates. Having his fingers wrap around them like toys, he cusped them straight toward Luna, who clicked both buttons on her batons. Holstering them to her hips, she heard the metal cling together.

Without hesitation, she grabbed two wooden crates, and spun herself 540 degrees. Once she reached 180, she sprang her right arm forward. Whilst she spun some more, she sprang her other arm out, while clocking in 540. Kenichi widened his eyes, as her strategy for the crates outsmarted his own.

Stabilizing herself with her toes, the first crate smashed itself into the two opposite ones. A gust of smoke winded her eyes shut. Taking a step back, the roar doubled as soon as the second crate hit its target. Clenching her jaws even tighter, she finally began opening her eyes.

Only a cloud appeared.

“Oh…”

But that smoke cloud began to disburse. Because of the second explosion, two negatives turned into one. Luna gasped at Kenichi’s… his chainsaws shattered. The chains melded in black, it looked like he sacrificed his last two to slice the second crate. Staring blankly at the floor, his handles were already loosened.

“Oh no…” Whispered Kenichi.

Luna’s hand tickled on her right thigh, while she stared into the darkened eyes of Kenichi. But she didn’t dare move, not when he stood still with pale groveling his face. He coughed dryly, and blood ran down his chin…

—A frying pan stuck out of his stomach.—

Jagged spikes stuck deep into his intestines, a pungent odor was let loose. Luna took another step back. Kenichi’s killer stood behind, as her weapon of choice trembled.

“Hah…”

His own intestines tried to squeeze the metal, but she couldn’t pull it out, as if his body pretended the iron was a steak. More blood ran down his lips, and onto his neck and jacket. He slowly felt cold, felt the hot wind turn warmer in temperature. Feeling nothing in his two legs, he slammed his knees to the ground.

“You stole my kill.”

Luna didn’t need to pull out her baton. Walking toward Kenichi and Jenny, Jenny had her hand loosened from the handle. Whilst the hot wind brushed her back, along with her chest and stomach, she glared at Jenny. Yet she ignored her malice.

“I know he killed your family…”

Her eyes were layered in a thickening darkness. Tightening the hold around his body, her voice quivered like jumping rocks.

“But you said it yourself that another person was involved. Maybe he was controlled, by whoever it was.”

Unable to witness the sight any longer, Luna gruffed air out of her mouth before looking down. Her own knuckles crackled, popped, while the stars above glistened them with light. She looked down all the way at—

The pool of blood. In the center of it all, was a black banana seed. Looking to be those who give people curses, Luna stared at the seed for five seconds.

‘I couldn’t kill him, but his power, he seems strong.’

Plunging her fingers into the pool, her nails dribbled red, and snatched the seed engrossed in pigments of brown and red. Putting it into her pocket, she walked off, all the way toward the front train cart. Helping herself to the train cart filled with charcoal, Jenny was left with a dying man.

“You can rest.”

Shifting his body, she had his head now resting on her lap. His back laying on the side of her thighs, his feet and legs sprawled out like noodles. The smell still lingered deep in her nostrils, yet even so, she moved her right hand toward his forehead.

“At this point, I don’t care if you remember or not… I’m tired of saying it.”

His skin felt like ice, and his whole body shuddered with failing nerves. The handle of her pan, to which was still stuck in his back, had the tip groveled on the floor. Making a smile, warm tears already poured from her eyelids.

“Tell me who you are, say anything on your mind… just speak.”

His eyes began to flicker, and his sense of touch faded. Smell and taste dimmed, whilst his ears took in the howling wind that caressed the landscape. Tears continued to flow from her cheeks, yet they couldn’t trickle his.

“You knew me before I forgot my memories, you knew what I was, when I was a teen.” His eyes stared blankly at the night sky, to which he saw a finale of stars. Like a candle being blown out, it was the same for his body. “If you really held out that long, for a man like me… why? Why didn’t you let go?”

Luna stood up on top of the cart of charcoal, and glanced from behind. Her cheeks sagged, yet she wrinkled her brow.

He coughed lightly, but there was no blood to flow from his stomach. Blood still stained his jacket, and along with his pants, to which sullied the fabric. The smell he excreted couldn’t tickle her nostrils any longer.

—“So please forget about me, like how I forgot about… you.”—

His world finally went dark. Now cradling a corpse, she kept her arms wrapped around his body. Having her nails stuck to his body, she lowered her head and pulled him in. Letting him sleep in an endless slumber, the tears stopped flowing from her cheeks.

‘Oh Kenny…’

The silence worsened around her, like time had stopped. The only thing she could do… was look at him with a smile; one that finally broke.

‘You still haven’t gotten me flowers.’

________________________________________________________________________

He finally reached where the spartan laid.

Gabriel’s arms acted like jello, and his wrists up to his elbows were completely shattered. Knuckles resting on the ground, his own skin blemishing with dust, his head bruised against the brick wall from behind. Keeping his eyes staring forward, there was not a thought between those irises. David stood in front of him, his lungs pulsating out air relentless and scornfully.

“No matter what way you put it.”

Carrying his hat with one hand, he had it low to his thigh. Raising it, he put it on his head at last, leaving his forehead down to his chin to chill in his shadow.

“I’m always going to be stronger than you.”

“Oh please…”

Gabriel tried to push out a smile, but his lips crackled from the dry air. Unable to even swallow, blood soured his vocals, leaving that faint whisper to blow out crisply. Nothing in his body awakened, nothing moved. Bound to the floor, he cocked his head to the right.

“At least I prepared for your arrival. Many heroes don’t even strategize that well.”

“You call yourself a hero?”

“I take down criminals, I put bad people in jail, go figure.”

David felt his eyes tinge in that subtle dark. Balling his left hand, it wasn’t enough for blood to be drawn. But, he did hear his own knuckles begin to pop from the stress.

“To hell with it.”

Without letting Gabriel know, David bent down, and grabbed his shoulder with one hand. Bringing him up, the spartan couldn’t even stand let alone walk. His body shivering under the undying strain, David already had his arm slung over his neck. The two of them walking on the street, the cowboy had his eyes on the sidewalks and buildings.

“What’s your endgame David?”

“My endgame?”

“There’s something more to this, and it isn’t just those foster kids. Spit it out.”

His right arm only tightened around Gabriel’s neck, but it didn’t cure the spartan’s limping. Continuing to walk on the stone-paved street, collective gaps made the street decorative and bountiful to the view. Hearing their own footwear teeter against it, David took in that silence with open ears.

“The truth Gabriel. Tell me what you know.”

Both of the spartan’s arms dangled, leaving his own hands to jump and tap his pants. His fingers swaying left and right, his steps worsened by the second, leaving imaginary gaps he had to cross.

“You know Doug right? The fat guy that puppets the government to his wishes?”

“Of course I know him. He was a medic during the skirmishes, mostly there to retrieve bodies or corpses. His cousins though…”

“Mean sons of bitches. And they’re still mean as ever; except us.”

The two of them remembered the booms.

Lead, metal, cartridges, shells; anything that could’ve killed a soldier flew around them. Sleepless nights, muddy soil, the stench that assaulted their noses. Hearing the voices, the souls that whispered around them; Gabriel was already welcomed to such torture.

“But the reason why I left the Pacithiests was for the truth. I was forced to work for the FUC, and it was the only way for me to keep quiet.”

“So you gave up your pride for knowledge?”

“I don’t see you doing it.”

Both of them noticed a van, with the metal tainted black. Keeping them moving, the soles of his boots continued to graze against the endless cracks. As Gabriel kept tripping on his own two feet, it wasn’t long before David tugged him forward.

To which cured Gabriel’s legs, but only lightly.

“Me, you, Gerd, Gus, Viola, Catalina, and Kenichi. We were the dream team.”

“Quit remembering those times. They ain’t special, we all weren’t. We were just soldiers.”

“Yet some of us had our lives put down. Viola, Catalina… Kenichi.”

The van was nearly in reach. Feeling the slugness of their own thighs, David lowered his eyes onto the cobblestone. He kept himself hidden, although hot wind blew against their faces. Ten meters away. Eight meters away. Six meters away.

“So how is he working with the Zirardgres? Let alone still be alive?”

“Remember that war hero?”

“There were many war heroes.”

“But this one was in Doug’s squad. Tall, slim, has a side bang; blonde hair?”

They reached the passenger door. Opening it up for Gabriel, he lifted him up so that his butt cushioned on the seat. Once he settled in, he groaned, as muffled air gruffed from his mouth. Instead of closing the door, he let the conversation continue.

“Doug was the one who saw it, saw that hero bring him back from the dead. I believe it was… what’s his name?”

The night wind finally brought forth cold. It wasn’t warm, nor was it even neutral. Like a freezer, it chilled down to the deepest parts of his marrow and bones. He couldn’t take a step back, nor use his hand to close the door.

Once David went silent.

“Come on David you know him; the man with red eyes?”