Chapter 73:

Chapter 73 [The Tower]

Tasteless


A small explosion escapes out of the shotgun barrel and with it carried many lead pellets. The pellets hit the soldier in the center of his body armor, he falls back and screams in pain.

The sound of the shotgun shot caused the other two soldier in the hallways to quickly aim their MP5 at me. I roll forward, exiting the tank, and dash to one of the pillars in the hallway for cover.

Their keep on laying a suppressing fire at me, the debris fall around me as the bullets hit the pillar, I slide the fore-end first to load the next ammo, and I aim the shotgun without peeking. I fire a shot, I heard one of them scream in pain and causing the soldiers to stop their suppressing fire.

I took the chance to roll and step out of the cover while sliding the fore-end to load the next ammo; I aim for the other soldier and I fire my shotgun.

The bullets hit the soldier in the chest and knocking him unconscious.

I quickly walk to the screaming soldier and knock him unconscious with the shotgun stock; I did the same thing for the other soldier.

"Foxtrot 1, what is the situation up there?!" The soldier radio comm chatter.

"Haru, your mother is in the room at the end of the hallway," Cindy's voice come through the earpiece embed in my helmet.

The light suddenly turns off and the red light starts blinking in the darkened hallway followed by an alarm sound. I click my tongue and quickly run toward the wooden double door at the end hallway.

I look to my left at the door with a window able to see the staircase and I can see many soldier shadows going up the staircase cast by the red emergency light.

"Haru, they activating the blast door!" Cindy warned.

At the distance, I could see a blast door protruding out of the ceiling and slowly go down. I Pick up the pace and run my heart out as I try to outrun the blast door before it closes.

I notice on my left side, the elevator door opening revealing tons of soldier waiting to get out. They all aim their MP5 at me when they saw me running and I quickly raise my energy shield. The energy emits from the gauntlet form beautifully in the shape of a rectangle.

The soldiers fire their weapon at me, and I blocked the incoming bullets with the shield. Some of the bullets graze me in the leg and thigh.

The blast door is halfway down and ready to be completely closed. Then, I drop my shield, shooting my grappling hook at the end of the hallway, and slide through the opening with the grapple gauntlet helping me before the blast door finally close.

I pick my self up and stumble beside the wooden door. I lean on the wall, looking at the floor where I stumble and I can see the trail of blood coming from my injured leg. Then, I waited for a minute so my wound would heal up.

"Did you made it?" Cindy ask.

"Yep, got little hurt though but I will be fine," I said.

"Are you sure you can do this?" Cindy ask.

"I'm sure, for them," I said.

"For them," Cindy said the same things.

I let out a long breath before leaning away from the wall. I slide the fore end of the shotgun to load the ammo with one hand and I walk to the wooden double door. Standing in front of it, I took a long breath before opening the door.

After the door is open, I could see her; Kagome Tashikawa in a sitting position known as Seiza. Where you sit on the floor while your buttocks rest on your heels. I notice her Katana on her side while her eyes are closed but her head kept facing me.

"You didn't bring the catalyst, didn't you?," Kagome ask.

"I didn't and I won't," I replied stepping inside of the room.

I scan the room to watch out for any kind of traps; the room looks like a massive office with large open space in the center. Behind Kagome is a large glass windows span from the right side to the left with the full view of the Lunarhaven city.

"You are a fool," Kagome said.

"I'm not gonna let you use her," I said.

"Then you a bigger fool than I thought," Kagome said.

"I have seen the footage you gave me, I know who I am now," I said.

"I'm sorry about—" I was interrupted by Kagome.

"Shhh... I don't need your sympathy. You know the Tashikawa family sword is famous for it magical abilities such as able to cut through almost anything, the ability to recall the sword back and only the current owner of the sword can use it," Kagome said.

"A lot of hard work to make a sword so the member of the family with no power able to fight alongside one that has power. To protect the world that once treat them like a monster," Kagome continue.

Kagome opens her eyes and unzips the upper half of her suit revealing the Sarashi she wearing inside. The Sarashi is a long strip of cloth that wrapped tightly around the midriff and up to the chest area.

She then proceeds to get up with the Katana in her hands. I grip tightly around my shotgun fore-end and ready for her attack.

"I'm going to end you and get that Catalyst," Kagome said.

After she said those word, in the blink of an eye, she disappeared into thin air. I quickly roll to the right, luckily I was able to avoid the downward slash of a Katana blade that came out of nowhere. I move my shotgun to aim at Kagome and before I could squeeze the trigger, she disappeared into thin air again.

I felt a shift in the air from my left side and I immediately raise my energy shield blocking the incoming blade. I aim the shotgun at Kagome as soon the blade hit my shield. She kicked my shotgun upward and I accidentally squeeze the trigger. A small explosion escaped the front barrel and carry the bullets into the ceiling.

Debris fall on us and Kagome kick me in the stomach causing me to stumble backward. I grunt but I quickly duck to avoid the horizontal slash that was aimed for my neck. I slide the fore end of the shotgun again with just one hand then aim it toward Kagome but she disappeared again in the thin air.

I stand up again but more carefully and look at my battery level screen on my left gauntlet. I find out that my battery is already halfway emptied. I need to draw her out into the open. I press the button on my left gauntlet to turn on my loudspeaker.

"Why do you want the catalyst so much?" I ask.

She appeared again a few meters in front of me, "The Catalyst must be destroyed," Kagome said.

"The Catalyst is a kid, do you know that?" I ask.

"I know," Kagome said.

"And you fine with killing an innocent kid?" I ask.

"For my son, I have to do it," Kagome said.

"I won't let you," I said.

"You? a weakling can't stop me," Kagome mocked.

"I know, I'm weak... but when I look at her eyes. I can see she still have hope even if she knows her end. So I will fight, even if I'm weak," I said

"To stop people like you from hurting her," I said.

"That is naive and impossible," Kagome mocked.

"I will show you otherwise," I said.

Kagome disappeared again, I rotate my body to wait for her next attack and my instinct flare up. I quickly turn, raise my energy shield and blocking the Katana blade from stabbing me. I aim my shotgun on the left side of Kagome away from her and squeeze the trigger. The recoil from handling a shotgun with one hand swing my hand with momentum and hitting Kagome in the face.

Kagome grunt, She then quickly move her Katana like water and cutting my shotgun in half. Then, she landed a kick on my waist. I let go of the broke shotgun and turn my open hand into a fist. I swing the fist, wanting to hit Kagome but she blocked it with her hand, and kick me on my chest causing me to step away from her.

I managed to land a hit but I lose my shotgun.

I reach inside my jacket and take out the revolver. This is it, I only have this revolver that Aeterna left for me. I look at Kagome as she reappears again at the end of the room and rubbing her chin at where I hit her earlier.

I look at my battery level instead of a half bar it shows a quarter of energy left. I look back at Kagome and charge toward her with the revolver in my right hand. Kagome disappeared again and reappear beside me, I aim the revolver but she pushes my hand away as I firing it. The bullet misses her but I turn my body and landed a kick on her side.

She returns the favor by punching on my side and manage to cut my thigh. I grunt as the blade moves on the surface of my leg. I block her slash with the energy shield and then I kick her hand that's holding the Katana.

The Katana went flying upward and lodge itself into the ceiling. I took the chance to aim my revolver at her but even without her Katana, she manages to push away my revolver, and cause me to miss my shot.

It went on for couple minute of me missing my shot and we exchanging blow between us. Until I manage to aim at her again and have a chance to end it when I squeeze the trigger. A click can be heard coming from the revolver. I realize that the revolver has run out of bullets when I look at Kagome, she grins and raises her arm upward.

The Katana in the ceiling begins to shake, pulling itself out of the ceiling and drops directly into Kagome hands. She raises her sword up in the air for a downward slash, I wanted to block it with an energy shield but the shield ran out of energy as it shoots the battery out from the gauntlet.

I have no choice but to block it with my revolver even if I know it will cut through it like butter. Kagome brings the blade down then somehow and in some way my revolver block the attack. The blade didn't cut through, Kagome face was in a state of denial.

"That is impossible!" She said in disbelief.

My hand was moving on it own when I hit Kagome in the gut and barrage her with a punch to her chest while blocking her blade with my revolver. I kick her away to create some distance between us. After we both were away from each other, we both spit out blood to the floor.

When I look at Kagome face, I found that she in a state of anger and glaring dagger at me. My body is filled with sore and searing pain. I don't know how long I can last.

She is strong but I know how to defeat her.

"Back at the place where we first met, I notice something," I said.

Kagome looks at me showing no expression.

"You prevent me from showing my face to you," I said.

"No...Don't do it!" Kagome bark.

I let go of my revolver and let it fall to the floor then I slowly take off my helmet revealing my face to her. Kagome screams in anger and her eyes filled with tears as she looks at my face.

"I look like you son," I said.

"No, you aren't! You have nothing in common with him!!" Kagome wailed as tears starting to flow down her cheeks.

"Then strike me down now!" I said as I extend both my hand outward with no intention of blocking her attack.

I then close my eyes as Kagome charged at me with a scream filled with anger and desperation.

Her scream getting close and closer.

As I wait for the outcome.

Either, I died or live.