Close Call

BANG!

BANG!

BANG!

Sanami pulled the shotgun’s lever, again and again. Each shot must count. One, two, three dropped–dispersed. Despite using magic, all she could smell was gunpowder.

Her arms’s shaky. Even she got limits on how many tentacles she could eliminate at a time. What’s taking that guy so long? She stole a peek over the tentacle. He’s still pulling–lamely.

The meshed up octopus gradually made their way towards him. The only thing slowing them down was her shots. One miss and he’d definitely toasted.

Again, she pulled the lever.

Kuh! A sting; Her arms gave out, shoulders loosed, the barrel dropped. Shit! The worst timing possible.

She looked back. A black limb already raised.

A slap echoed. His body flung, back smacked a metal pole with a clank.

He lied there. On the ground.

……..

Blood pumping into her eyes. Was it the cut from the head? Or whatever she just saw? – it didn’t matter. Everything’s red. Everything felt red.

She failed.

Her arms raised, eyes on the barrel. She didn’t really know why, but the pain had gone. It was magical.

BANG!

“Again,” she chucked the lever, aimed for the next, pulled the trigger–BANG!

“Again,” lever, aimed, triggered–BANG!

“Again.”–BANG!

“Again. Again. Again.”–BANG! BANG! BANG!

She didn’t even know why she’s doing it anymore. Was it because her plan was ruined? Was it the guy?–though, he might've already been dead anyway. Or maybe, her incompetence.

Why did Zahnrad come to me in the first place... It’s been a month, and all she’d done was burdening the other girls.

I thought tonight would be different… That something would change…

In the end, she still looked like a clown; pathetic.

Shots after shots rang her ears. Her already red vision starts to blur into pink because of the muzzle flashes.

By the time it adjusted back,

Black limbs–already raised around her.

…Damn it.

= = = = =

I think my rib just broke… Dirts in his mouth, and his back as hurt as it could be.

Still lying, Toshiya looked over the tentacles. They had already moved somewhere. And that somewhere was the girl. Perhaps they were mad after eating that barrage of hers.

In any case, he wouldn’t be lying here waiting on impending doom. Both of them were screwed, and one way or another, they’d gotta do something.

In the corner of his eyes–a shine. The metal barrel of the shotgun. Aren’t I lucky?

This can do. He gritted his teeth, and shoved himself back up. His arms felt like it could snap at any time, but he pushed them anyway. Damn the pains.

If the difference for him not getting back to his beloved Nami was because of this monster, then he would even choke blood.

He kneeled, and grabbed the shotgun. His aim: any of those stupid tentacles.

He’s no gunner, the least he would know was to aim and pull the trigger. Of course, he would account for the recoil, but it’s not like his body would be able to handle it anyway.

Oh well, better than nothing.

BANG! The pink flare spouted from the barrel. One tentacle dropped with a splat.

Bullseyes.

Amazingly, no recoil whatsoever. Guess that’s why the girl could just shoot a barrage just then.

The tentacles stopped in their tracks. Pretty sure they were about to smack that girl to death. Too bad huh, you stupid tentacle.

But how does one reload this thing? There's a handle that fits his grip near the trigger. Was it the kind that… kchack!

He shoved the lever, ejecting a shell with a tinkling chime–dropped, and popped into thin air. Then he pulled back.

It was so cool and satisfying that he almost forgot everything about the #-chan curses and his current situation.

“Oh shit, focus!” He aimed back towards the clusters of tentacles–trigger–BANG!

And reload–again, the shell popped with a magical chime.

The tentacle emerged themselves–one by one.

As expected, it was the kind of boss that regenerates. Shit… If only they had DoT damage right then.

Blood spewed over his mouth as he got himself excited by such a fantasy battle. Worth it…

He kept maintaining his shots onto the tentacles. Some hit, some didn't but one thing for sure, as long as one got crushed, the whole group froze.

It’s a stalemate. He didn’t have a plan right now. Just keeping his stance. Though, he wasn’t sure how long he could keep it up.

Over his barrel of pink flashes, he saw her figure standing.

= = = = =

Sanami couldn’t believe she got covered by a half-beaten guy. How was he still moving? Did he also have magic or something like that?

In any case, she wouldn’t waste this chance now, would she?

Her legs’re shaking, and her aim wobbled. But it doesn’t matter for a point blank shot.

“Eat! Shit!” She pulled the trigger. BANG!

One fell–Reload. Aim. Shot.

Two. Then three.

The opposite barrage was his. Some missed; but for a random guy, it’s impressive enough for shots of that distance. Hers connected through and through, of course.

One by one, the new one’s raised. But something’s off.

It got slower. For each that regenerates, thrice has fallen–but why?

Her current state shouldn't have this much firepower packed inside the shotguns. Was it getting overwhelmed?

The main body in the center of the jumbled black stalks turned back and forth repeatedly. Confused?

“Hahaha!!” What a great convenience. She’ll take it any time of the day.

One after one. Bang after bang. The numbers began decreasing as their assault kept it locked and frozen on a spot.

Her red coating began to flicker. Crap! I forgot about that! Her time limit’s approaching.

Something. She needed to do something.

The tentacle’s movement. There was a pattern to it. Had it been familiarized on what defense worked and what not? If that’s the case, then what a welcomed weakness.

The flicker fastened as her glow began to fade.

She tensed her feet–and leaped, straight into the tentacles.

She slipped her barrel among the limbs, muzzle clinked at the core. Getting too used was a bad choice huh, stupid!! Her final trick.

BANG! A resounding breaking of a glass echoed.

The white orb shattered into pieces, freezing the tentacles along with it.

No more wiggling. No more slithering. Nothing but a stone.

She let go of her gun–stuck among the frozen black limbs–and let herself drop to the ground.

Her radiance had already ended as she laid there.The glowing moon. The lazy sky. The dissolving barrier.

“...hell yeah.” She raised a fist, marking her victory.

The wind carried the ashen fragments. The monster was no more.

I did it… her chest pounding. No more pain. No more worries.

She could finally close her eyes.