The two rush once more, leaving Hanz behind, cornered as bullets still rain in his position. He was helpless. Isolated. The slightest movement would often lead him to his own impending doom, as he had little cover from the tree he was hiding.
If it weren't for the cover protecting him, he would be dead right now.
He laughed nervously from the thought alone, feeling as if the blade of the scythe, coming from death himself had touched his neck, waiting for his soul to surrender and walk with him.
But the thought is nothing, he has to be strong, no matter the situation.
He soon wrapped his abdomen with the little bandage he had left, hoping the blood would stop bleeding. However, his strength, it was still weakening.
"I've come this far serving the army for at least this long. I guess I can say I fulfilled my job well," Hanz muttered to himself. The tone of his voice had become soft, and his eyes had finally been shut closed.
***
The side of the village when they first saw it was very quiet.
It was only houses made of wood that was left stood a few meters apart, with its dirt roads and streets completely empty other than sandbags that were placed. There were also no elves or even villagers in the vicinity.
With the machine gunner no longer had the range to target them, Kazuto could finally have the feeling of relief that they were now safe, and on top of that, the location they were given to advance was close to perfect to flank the enemy.
All of a sudden, a bullet pierced one of the branches; severing it and falling it down.
Kazuto and Adolph were surprised, crouching, as their senses hurriedly returned as they tried to search for their enemy.
Six elves soon showed themselves, firing as they cover their squad to reach defensive positions. They soon took cover from the corners of the villages, and the sandbags that had been placed in the dirt road.
It was clear that the enemies had been ready, waiting for them. It was too perfect, to begin with, and Adolph knew that.
With danger waiting in their destination, the two had no time to relax even for a mere minute. They had to run hurriedly and take cover to the wall of one of the houses as the forest could provide enough protection alone.
They soon reached one of the homes, as the house they took cover from was nearly all made of stone, big and tall unlike any other house in the village.
However, they had nowhere to advance, rifles were already aimed at the only road they can enter, and if they would even show a single peak they might get shot.
Despite all of this, Adolph still tried. He soon took a peak and fired his rifle, killing one of the elves, leaving five left.
As expected, the elves retailed, with one of the bullets only a few centimeters away from killing him. If it weren't for the stone house he was taking cover, the bullet would have pierced through, killing him.
"They have a sharpshooter! Concentrate your fire to that single man!!" One of the elves informed his allies, yelling in their own dialect.
The elves hurriedly prepared themselves, with their rifles ready to fire to the stone wall, as the soldier that was shot could only watch with his cold eyes.
"Got one! six more to go!" Adolph muttered, panting as he pulled the bolt handle. The cartridge of the bullet all of the sudden leaped, as he placed another clip.
He soon aimed again, but the elves were more vigilant this time. Not even giving Adolph a centimeter of land, as they showered his position.
"Damn it!" Adolph yelled, returning back to the wall he came from.
He clenched his fist, sneaking back trying to gain a glimpse of the main pathway even for just a millisecond. However, again the enemy concentrated on his position, even in the slightest signs of movements they saw.
He then returned back with an angered expression than before, pondering as he gazed around his surroundings.
'There must be a way to get out of this stalemate!'
Kazuto, who had been quiet was pondering a way to get in as well. Crouching as he tried to get a glimpse like Adolph, but just like what happened to him, the elves fired back.
He almost immediately returned back, as he fell down to the ground to do so when the bullets showered his cover. He gazes back towards Adolph, with his eyes darting in shock.
Adolph just glares towards him in disgust, as he didn't even bother to help him up or even calm him down. In his mind, Kazuto was only a drag, and so far it had been the case.
Kazuto gazed again to his surroundings after receiving such glares, taking a deep breath and out, as his darting eyes stopped.
He soon stood up as his own eyes had found themselves stuck only gazing in one direction. The house in front of them which was on the other side of the road.
It didn't look sturdy compared to the house they were taking cover from. In fact, it looked like it had been built seventy years ago, with its wooden walls already decomposing.
However, this alone brought an idea towards Kazuto.
"Hey, Adolph. I have an idea," Kazuto said, looking back at Adolph.
"Spit it out, and make sure it better be useful!" Adolph replied with his tone of voice being very annoyed.
Kazuto gazed at him with a solemn expression, as it was obvious the Adolph didn't have any intentions to listen. Yet he still pursues.
"You see that house in front of us?" Kazuto continued, pointing his finger to the house he saw unfit to protect them.
"What! You're planning that we take cover from there!? Look at it, it's probably can't even stand a single bullet before it collapses!?" Adolph yelled, again trying to take a peak, and again the results were the same.
"No... but you're right, I am planning something," Kazuto replied.
"I'm planning that one of us should run towards it. That way the enemy could only concentrate on the person running, while the other person kills them!"
Adolph pondered for a moment, considering Kazuto's plan as he gazed down at his reflection to the puddle.
Kazuto felt relieved, finally, he was being useful. However, he later realized something. Something that he was afraid to do.
"Though that plan might be considered suicidal, with the enemy only concentrating on that one person," He muttered, as he could feel his hands quivering.
Kazuto's eyes widened in fear, afraid of dying again. He looked back at Adolph still pondering the idea. This was now his chance to stop him to agree.
"You know what, maybe that plan is a bit ris—" He said, however, it was already too late.
"Then it's settled, you'll be the one running while I cover you," Adolph answered.
It was already too late. Adolph's pondering had finally came to a close, there was no room left for debate, it was now time to execute it.
"W-What!!? Now!!? Can I do at least do it later, I'm not prepared to run yet!!" Kazuto tried to stall.
However, it did little than he initially thought. Adolph gave him a solemn glare, as he sighed in disappointment. He soon gripped his rifle, as he looked at Kazuto face once more.
"You're the one who suggested the idea, so you're the one who's gonna execute the main stage. Besides, do you even know how to aim that rifle properly?" Adolph said in disappointment, pointing his rifle to Kazuto's.
"I—
Kazuto's eyes quiver, his forehead bead in sweat. He feels like he's in a corner, with each excuse he could think of, Adolph would probably just deflect it back to him.
"As far as I know, you could only fire that damn thing when you're already too insane to notice your surroundings, or even notice your body's conditions!!" Adolph yelled. His voice of disappointment became louder, with his tone becoming more aggressive with each word he says.
"I... I... I still won't do it!! I... It's just..."
"Stop with all these excuses!! If the enemy won't kill you by the time you've done it, Then I will! And mark my words I'll kill you in the worst possible way you could think of!!!" Adolph yelled, pointing his rifle towards Kazuto's head with his finger already in the trigger, waiting to be pulled.
"Do it..." Adolph whispered.
The elves who were listening looked all confused, as all they heard were just gibberish as they didn't understand a single damn word.
However, the tone of their voices. It was enough to tell that the two were planning something. The elves prepared themselves further, with their eyes already looking at their iron sights.
Kazuto swallowed his fear, turning back slowly as he gripped his rifle. He took a deep breath and looked in front of him, it was only a straight line with a straight destination. nothing more.
"DAMN IT!!!"
he yelled, running as the raindrops covered his face, blurring his vision. He hid his fear deep inside of him yet again, as the beat of his heart tells him to stop with the voice of the little girl.
'Stop... it's already over...'
The elves gazed at him in shock at what he was doing, it was suicide after all, but they didn't hesitate any further.
"There he is, fire!!"
The elves pulled the trigger, as their bullets missed with only centimeters away, as he often could feel the heat of the bullet closing next to him.
Kazuto no longer thought of anything, his only mission was to run forward and run he does until he couldn't.
He tripped in the middle of the road, falling down to the ground with his uniform drench in the puddle.
The elves reloaded another bullet in their rifles as fast as they can, as this was now their chance to kill Kazuto. However, they later knew their target was wrong.
His hair, his skin, his eyes, his actions. It was all different from the person they encountered a while ago.
"It's not him!!" One of them yelled in a panic.
Adolph drifted away from the wall that was nearly shattered with bullets as he fired his rifle, with his eyes widened, only calming death.
"Back to the ground where you belong!" he muttered to himself.
He pulled the trigger and pulled the handle bolt twice, with his bullets calming the lives of two elves that were struck in the chest, both were taking cover from the sandbags.
He soon aimed his rifle from the other two elves who were hidden in the corners.
His third bullet struck the elf on the left, hitting his skull, and the other on right was struck by his fourth bullet, piercing his abdomen with lead.
The last elf was now ready to fire his gun, with his eye sharpened in the iron sight. Adolph saw his life behind threatened and hurriedly reload his rifle with a clip. However, he was too slow.
His arm could not match the speed of a bullet, Nothing from the human body could a speed of a bullet. He closed his eyes, hoping to have quick and painless death until he heard a sound of a gunshot.
He couldn't feel pain from his body, it was almost as if it was the painless death he wished to have.
He opened his eyes, thinking he would be dead by now, and there he saw the elf no longer standing with its own feet, but rather drenched by its own blood and rain.
He looked at Kazuto, still on the ground, however, his hands were gripping on the rifle, pointing to where the elf once stood. His eyes were quivering, and his hands were the same as well.
He never thought Kazuto could fire the rifle, not without being yelled at by his own fellow peers to do so. But he did, and Kazuto repaid the price by being petrified out of fear.
Adolph sighed looking at the petrified person who saved him, as Kazuto's widened eyes were still looking at the dead elf.
"Did you get shot?" He asked.
Kazuto returned to his senses and touched every corner of his body, searching for blood or any parts of his body which he thought would have gained wounds.
After doing so he found nothing, as he looked back at Adolph who was still having a solemn expression yet something was strange about him. The atmosphere around him, it almost feels as if he was concerned.
"N...no!!" Kazuto replied nervously.
The atmosphere of concern quickly vanished as it arrived, as Adolph looked in front of him, glaring at the road they still have to continue pursuing.
"Good. Hurry and stand up, our squad is still waiting for us to come," Adolph said.
He soon runs off leaving Kazuto behind, as Kazuto just watched him run. He just stayed that way for a few seconds until he realizes he has to run as well.
"Wa-wait for me!!" Kazuto yelled as he hurriedly stood up and followed him.