10 minutes ago, Kallen-a Hunter from the Saint's Guard, saw her 'brother-in-law' rush in to chase after Rosseweisse who just ran into the rain of bullets to heal an injured man. Of course Kallen understood that it's Rosseweisse's duty to help those who need it but she also realized that the man Rosseweisse was going to help would lead her to breaking her vow, she immediately thought to stop Rosseweisse but then she froze. Hesitation gripped her mind as she realized that she cannot-or rather, must not interfere with Rosseweisse's duty as Kallen is part of the Saint's Guard.
'No! If she does not stop, not only will she break her vow, she will also die!'
But even with her will and thought stating to just go and stop Rosseweisse, she could not move a single step. If not for the timely tug from Jack who was just beside her, she would have been riddled with holes.
"Oi kid! What are you doing getting dazed? You planning to die?", Jack rebuked her.
"Eh? Ah...sorry."
Finally snapping out of her apparent daze, Kallen recomposes herself before peeking over the car she and Jack were using for cover and assessed the situation;
About 12 feet away from them, she could see Ashen, Rosseweisse, and Bartholo taking cover behind another car. Ashen somehow managed to pull Rosseweisse back to safety but is apparently scolding her.
'Did I just see him get hit with a rock?'
Kallen blinked twice to check if she was just hallucinating, but then she sees Ashen headbutt Rosseweisse with an extremely annoyed face and right after that, a rock came flying out of nowhere and hit the back if his head.
'Where did that come from?', Kallen looked at the direction from where the rock had come from but saw no one, 'Just what-? Nevermind.'
A minute later, she hears the familiar shriek of Bartholo amidst the sounds of gunfire and so turned her attention towards her 'brother' once more only to see him holding Bartholo's sword in such a way that it was easy to guess what he did based on how Rosseweisse was unconscious in Bartholo's arms.
'Seriously...what is he thinking?', she groaned as she held her head in dismay.
It was one thing for him to berate the Saint with harsh words no one would even dare to utter towards a Saint. Even headbutting her as a form of scolding would be barely allowable considering the situation...but to actually knock her out with the pommel of a sword?
That was too much...
'I know he's not part of the Saint's Guard...but still, he could get himself arrested for his actions...', she made a bitter groan but was a little grateful. If he had relented and let Rosseweisse use her Privilege, who knows what kind of punishment the young Saint would receive.
Heaven isn't exactly lenient when it comes to punishments, nor are they reasonable enough to allow a bit of deviations from their imposed rules.
It is in these kinds of situations that she is grateful for Ashen's personality.
"Hey lady. That Bartholo kid is returning here with Rosseweisse.", Jack remarked while peeking over their cover.
A couple minutes later, Bartholo arrives and takes cover alongside them.
"Master Kallen. I have brought Lady Rosseweisse. What should we do next?", he inquired after gently setting Rosseweisse down beside Jack and then relays the words of Ashen earlier, "Master Ashen seems to have gone off on his own saying something about running after him after the enemies before us start screaming."
"Hm? Really?", Kallen somehow felt a sense of deja vu and quickly took a peek over their cover and saw Ashen in deep concentration, "You can't be serious?", she finally realized what Ashen meant by his message.
"Master Kallen?", Bartholo called out to her.
"Bartholo and Mr. Jack, get ready to move."
Kallen instructed with a grim expression.
"Eh? But Master Kallen, we have yet to rest since we entered the highway!"
"What? Meself's still too tired too move girlie! Can't you give an old man a proper break?"
Jack and Bartholo complained in unison.
Kallen understood where the two were coming from. On the other hand her 'brother' did not care. In fact, from where Kallen is looking at him, she could see that he was getting ready to move and in less than 2 minutes he would be-
"Oh for the love of-! Brother!!!!"
Scratch that. Kallen's estimations were very off-mark. Ashen had dashed out of cover and ran full-speed towards the enemy.
'That stupid brother! At least let me prepare myself after you give your instructions! You egotistical suicidal psychopath!', she cursed in frustration. Instantly regretting to have been grateful for his personality.
"Bartholo! Piggyback the Saint! Mr. Jack, please hang in there for a little longer. We're going to run one last time across the highway!", she immediately issued commands and then drew her swords, "We're going to run as soon as the screaming starts!"
"Eh?!", the two men exclaimed in protest but Kallen had focus. Right now, she has to follow through Ashen's instructions.
Yes. Ashen is a very unreasonable person. Never listens to anyone, never abides by the rules, never recognizes anyone whose position is above his and this lead to many despising him but he just ignores them much to their chagrin.
But one thing is for sure, despite his misanthropic personality, he is someone who will never tell a lie. That was something Kallen believed in wholeheartedly.
And when he says, 'I'll keep you safe.', for sure he will-
"-keep us safe."
Kallen could only mutter in wry awe as she looked at the figure of her 'brother' running down the highway facing the oncoming rain of lead without hesitation.
*****
The distance from his position and the enemy was not that great. A quick sprint would get him there in no less than a minute. However, before him was a terrifying rain of lead that showed no mercy as it closed the distance.
Terrifying as it is, he was not afraid; his body did not tremble, nor did cold sweat run down his wounded body.
'5 more strides...'
He counted the distance between him and the rain. A manic smile etched on his face. Normally, any human would have already given up at the face of such a terrifying storm. Heck, even the mightiest of warriors would not dare to face hundreds of bullets head-on.
But here he was, smiling. Taking stride by stride without hesitation, determined to push through the oncoming rain of lead with only a sword in his one hand.
'Speak not a word...waste not a breath...Look forward and sense it...'
He repeated the words in his mind like a mantra. Sharpening his senses to their utmost limits and ignoring the sharp pain that throbbed from within him.
'My arm...I can swing this sword thrice in 2 seconds. Meaning...with its length and the density of the bullet storm, I can only swat away around 14 out of an approximate 1,900 that will come raining down at me every 2 seconds...'
He takes another 2 strides. Only 3 strides left before the rain reaches him.
'Judging from the distance, I only have to run through 4 feet worth of bullets...and another 14 feet to reach them trigger-happy morons.'
Another stride. 2 left.
'I have to shut-off unnecessary senses...smell, touch, taste and everything unrelated to killing. I have to shut them off'
He felt his mind go even faster and become lighter as the stress of having to manage his senses lightened. But he did not have time to bask in the euphoria it gave. There was still one more thing he needed to shut-off as he takes the second-to-the-last stride,
'The sense of pain...is unnecessary...'
After that, time returned to normal mercilessly and thus Ashen, having done all the preparation he needed, gripped his sword tight and with a maniacal laugh,
"Time to die you moronic fucks!!!"
*****
The gunmen did not expect this.
Their orders were to take out the Saint in Lothargien since the first teams that were sent had failed miserably.
They understood that their opponent were no mere Guards whom they have fought for decades and from the reports and the pre-operation briefing they had, it seemed like their opponent was one nasty opponent.
'The opponent this time is brutal unlike any other Guard we have ever faced. He will not leave any survivor and would even relish in the thought of slaughtering you.'
Was the warning they got and thus they were on guard but they all felt that it wouldn't be that much of a challenge since many of them were veterans of many battles. Warriors who have particular renown in their organization.
However-
"What the hell is thi-"
One of the gunmen's words were cut short as something had hit his face that practically blew up his head and showering the ones beside him with blood and brain matter.
"Hiii!", one of their comrades shrieked.
"Do not falter! Let loose your guns and fi-!"
Their commander who had tried to encourage them also got his head blown off.
The gunmen looked at the headless corpse and trembled as they turned their gazes towards the one they were shooting at;
A young man with ash-white hair wearing a tattered jacket over his bandaged torso and was wearing a pair of ragged pants and shoes. But that was not what caught their attention. It was that maniacal smile of the young man as he swung around an english longsword with one arm and upon closer inspection, the gunmen noticed that the young man only had one arm.
This further sent chills down their spines since their weapons were not some cheap knockoffs and were state of the art capable of firing 100 rounds per cartridge at supersonic speeds. They were weapons capable of punching a hole through 6-inches of steel with ease and yet-
"Get do-bluergh!"
-another one of them gets his head blown off.
How does this happen? It was simple. The young man was simply reflecting some of the gunmen's bullets back to them.
A superhuman feat considering the distance and the speed in which their bullets flew. Not just that, the force of the bullets upon launch and impact are so great that if one were able to wear something that could stop the bullet from penetrating, they would still be blown away and suffer internal damage.
Yet here comes the young man who not only deflected the said bullets, but also reflected them with the same force with just one swing of a sword. It made the gunmen question their sanity.
They trembled while continuing to rain lead at the young man, but then as if mocking their hopes of at least damaging him, the young man makes an awkward motion as if preparing to lunge and then suddenly disappears from sight and in the next instant,
"Finally! Here!"
-his sinister voice resounded from within the gunmen's ranks.
'What the-? How did he?!'
All the gunmen turned around in panic but the young man did not miss that chance and instantly swung his sword to behead 4 of the gunmen near him provoking a spray of blood.
"AAAAAAH!!!", one of the gunmen screamed and opened fire but the young man was unfazed and without missing a beat, swung his sword 4 times to deflect the bullets before throwing his sword and impaling the poor gunman on a nearby vehicle. Everyone else were confused but did not just stand there and gawked at him and attacked but the young man only smiled as he grabbed one of the headless corpses by his feet and used it as a meat shield.
'The opponent this time is brutal unlike any other Guard we have ever faced. He will not leave any survivor and would even relish in the thought of slaughtering you.'
They remembered their superior's words and now they regret ever taking the warning for granted. The veterans whom they had relied on to lead them were easily killed by the young man with a maniacal smile seemingly etched on his bloodied face.
"What's the matter? I'm over here!", the young man made taunting remarks as he darted about the battlefield killing any gunmen who had unluckily entered his range with every manner of objects he got his hands on, causing screams of pain and agony to fill the air as blood spurted from wounds coloring the asphalt in a sickening shade of crimson and guts lay strewn about like clothes on the floor until there was only one gunman remaining.
Trembling behind the cover of an abandoned vehicle, the last gunman-a rookie, covered his mouth and hugged his knees close to hide.
He did not expect this kind of mission to be his first. He recalled how excited he was to be finally deployed after his training but now regrets having come here.
This was his first brush with an actual opponent but in his eyes, the young man was walking-talking calamity hell-bent in taking away lives with a smile. He was the very image of a demon in human skin.
He almost puked when he saw his comrades' heads go poof like balloons and when the commander died, he immediately hid himself away before the young man even reached them. The screams of his comrades sent shivers down his spine. Their cries of agony terrified him to his very core.
And even after all the cacophony of the chaos ended, he did not dare to peek as he felt like if he did so, all his efforts to stay alive would be in vain.
'That's right! I just have to survive and tell the commanders what happened today! There is no need for me to reveal myself and die an honorable death!'
He thought to himself in an effort to calm himself a little.
"Hmm...Well...I guess I went a little overboard?", the young man's voice then resounded and was disappointed, "I was expecting them to put up a little more fight than this..."
The gunman wondered what the hell the young man was talking about. But he simply stayed his breath. He did not want to be discovered.
"Oh well...I did suffer some wounds and I bet these would sting when all of this is over..."
The gunman could hear the young man shrug and walk away so he felt himself relax slightly as the sound of the young man's steps faded away in the distance.
'Is he gone? Please tell me he's gone.', the gunman made a small plea but then he suddenly realized that he had forgotten something very important and that was-
*Schtuck!*
"Eh?"
"The old fading steps trick really never gets old!"
-the young man was said to 'never leave survivors'.
In the next instant, he felt something run down from the top of his head and not a moment later, he felt his body go limp and his vision quickly dimmed.
What just happened? He did not know nor will he ever will.
The only thing that he last heard being,
"Well this is more fun than taking care of that nitwit! Humans are really pathetic."
before he fell into the dark of oblivion.