'Now what?'
Gin pondered once again as his group sprinted towards an unknown destination guided by the sturdy brick-built expanse.
Underneath the bridge-like hallway, on both sides, lurked Horrors capable of toppling them with a mere step, requiring little effort or strength.
Within a minute, they would approach the second tower, and the cycle seemed destined to repeat. However, a pressing issue emerged as exhaustion set in, exacerbated by the fact that they hadn't consumed any food or even a drop of water.
'We're just so fucked, aren't we?' Gin inwardly scoffed, attempting to discern whether the situation was more amusing than perilous.
Rumble—!
'I still have some preparation left on my side. Though, I think it wouldn't be enough since we needed a lot of time for this.'
Pausing for a moment of contemplation, Gin took a step towards the second tower. He then pivoted, urging those trailing behind to quicken their pace.
"Go! Get in here!"
"Faster!"
A unanimous understanding spread among the group, with everyone grasping the necessity of dealing with the bridge that linked the first tower to the second.
It had to fall.
"Get ready!"
After a brief delay, Oliver and Ariana leaped, and within moments, they instructed Adrian to prepare his power. They were well aware that the instant Ned and Mandy touched down on the second tower, it would be Adrian's task to bring it down.
'Faster, faster!'
The advancing Horrors, ominously closing in behind Ned and Mandy, presented a challenge, making it difficult to promptly decide on destroying the bridge that linked to the second tower.
The two will get hit.
'They will not make it…' Gin mused inwardly, watching the desperate situation that needed an immediate solution.
'Shit, they will not make it!' Gin deliberated once again before turning his attention to Ariana, who seemed to share his contemplation, evident from the thoughtful expression on her face.
All it took was merely half a minute, but the Horrors would be there just right in the moment Ned and Mandy came.
"Destroy it!"
Everyone turned their heads to the person who shouted.
"But…"
"Just destroy it!"
Freda shouted once more, her voice carrying over the chaos, and then she removed the mask concealing her mouth. It marked the first time everyone got to witness her entire face.
Threads skillfully sewn from each corner of her lips extended up to her ears. Surprisingly, instead of evoking disgust, it only enhanced her charisma.
In an instant, Freda reached for the edge of the thread and pulled it out, causing her to bleed in the process.
Her mouth opened wide as she started to retch, and from within emerged the head of a creature, nearly the size of a regular human head.
"Destroy it!"
Seeing Freda preparing something, Adrian got on his grip and performed as well.
As he opened his eyes, white eye sockets were revealed, presenting an eerie sight. Crossing his hands over each other, he began chanting an enchantment.
"Grant me your power."
Swoosh—!
"Ah shi— get back!" Ariana comprehended the task at hand and swiftly ushered everyone away from the bridge, creating distance as the two readied their powers to proceed with the plan.
Whoosh—!
In the sky above, winds converged around a solitary point. With each passing second, the singular wind intensified, eventually gaining enough strength to tug at nearby houses and smaller buildings unable to withstand its force.
"Now!"
With a force akin to lightning, the colossal tornado unleashed its powerful winds onto the bridge linking the two towers. Simultaneously, an odd object was flung into the midst of the tempest, hurtling towards the opposite side.
Rumble—!
The bridge went into chaos, relentlessly being dismantled by the onslaught of the tornado. The entire structure of the first tower, along with its connecting bridge, was being torn apart and gradually consumed by the relentless force of the wind.
It crashed down, and down, yet signs of Ned and Mandy are still nowhere.
Rumble—!
Amidst the chaos, a colossal silhouette leaped into the dense tornado before gracefully landing on the platform where everyone stood.
A massive golem, its eyes emitting a threatening violet glow, surveyed the squad with careful consideration, clutching both Ned and Mandy in its colossal hand. Upon spotting Freda, it gently placed the two down before positioning itself next to her.
Swoosh—!
As the tumultuous situation subsided, the tornado dissipated, leaving behind a scene of pure devastation. The once-standing tall first tower was no more, replaced by a landscape of ruin and destruction below.
Those who were tired, which are everyone, gave their knees into the impending exhaustion driving inside them.
'Holy shit!'
Gin breathed so heavily that the air within a centimeter around him was forcefully drawn into his lungs, causing him to cough amidst the lingering clouds of dust that had yet to disperse from the crash of the first tower.
Everyone relaxed for a moment… and only for a moment as the onslaught of the Horrors wasn't done yet.
It was nothing short of a miracle that no one had perished. However, the fact that everyone acted independently, intuitively knowing what needed to be done without explicit orders, and was capable of executing tasks on their own, contributed significantly to their overall survivability.
'But we did survive.'
Taking a moment to calm his thoughts, Gin rose from his position and observed the aftermath below the second tower.
"Uh…"
Gin turned his head towards the group, "We have to run!"
"Wait, just let me breath—"
Bang—!
A resounding crash echoed through the entire tower, sending a slight tremor through those residing within.
Bang—!
Oliver and Ariana promptly stood up, directing their attention to the edge of the wall where Gin was observing the unfolding situation.
Bang—!
"We have to run now! We should—"
Pak—!
"Will you shut up?" Ariana calmly remarked with a sigh, giving Gin a gentle smack on the back. "Don't underestimate the architects of these towers. They only breached the first tower because it had huge doors."
"Huh?! That kind of a fucked up logic! We're going to die if that Horror keeps hammering down the tower walls."
Pak—!
Oliver followed suit by smacking Gin's back and then directed his gaze downward at a specific Horror with a colossal body and a hammerhead, relentlessly pounding on the tower walls.
"The tower is strong. And every operation usually starts at the first tower which is why it had a big door. The second and third towers are meant for defense once things go haywire. We should be able to rest in the meantime." Oliver paused, "And watch your mouth kid."
"Oh, is that so…?" Gin whispered before shouting angrily, "Why didn't you tell me in the first place?! Maybe we could've just stayed on the second tower!"
Bang—!
"Wait, I thought you would know…" Oliver looked at Ariana, trying to find some excuse before seeing her shrugged her shoulders.
"Right, because you just came a week ago."
"You didn't even answer my question!" Gin bursts out in rage before trying to calm himself down, "All I'm saying is that we could've stayed in here, did some preparation to buy us some time, and didn't need to exhaust ourselves."
"Well, we needed to draw their attention out to it to produce results. Didn't you see how many Horrors we've killed by destroying the bridge?"
'Isn't that basically saying you use us as bait, risking the lives of everyone?!' Gin mused inwardly, thinking about the pitiful lives that were lost in this area.
Bang—!
While the others worked on assisting Ned and Mandy with their injuries, the trio gazed upward, their eyes fixed on the night sky with its ominous dark clouds. Emitting a small sigh, they then shifted their focus downward towards the looming Horror.
"Sorry for dragging you along just for the sake of gaining some pointless experience," Ariana suddenly spoke, her eyes appearing unfocused.
Gin glanced at her and tried to open his mouth before closing it again. Then, he shook his head with a sigh.
"That's in the past now. Besides, I did get some experience. Though, I'm not really going to be useful for you now since I don't have anything."
"It's all right, we'll take care of everything and return safely." Oliver stated with a smile, "And without you, we would've been backstabbed by that bastard Brad. You can just use your brain to help us."
'That's not enough excuse though… I do want to get stronger and it still hasn't changed. Well, it's not like I'm pretty weak...'
Gin answered inwardly before nodding once as he talked to the two of them.
"Actually, I've called some help back from the base."
"Wha—how?"
"Before even coming here, I've made some preparations. That's why I lash out on buying time this and that."
"So you didn't keep this operation a secret…" Oliver raised a brow, before forming a relieved smile, "That also means rescue is coming and we only had to buy time?"
"If she managed to pull it off, the entire battalion of first base would be coming here so yes."
Ariana and Oliver couldn't help but shed a tear, though it was obviously insincere, causing Gin's expression to sour. Nevertheless, they embraced him tightly, as if they were parents proud of their child's accomplishments.
"Ok, you can stop now. Anyways, do you guys have a gun? Aren't high-ranking officers like you two given special handguns that can be used for Horrors?"
"Ah, yes we have. You know how to shoot?" Ariana asked in a joking manner.
"Haha, very funny," Gin commented while stretching his hands forward, "Give it to me. Unlike all of you here, I don't have powers only my wits. Even so, I want to help."
The two stared at Gin with blank expressions before handing him their handguns, or more precisely, their peculiar revolvers emitting a ghastly aura.
"We're not really using handguns since it didn't work for Horrors but made a contract with a Horror that had similar function and powers." Oliver smiled, "Though it was kept secret to refrain everyone from making a deal with this creature."
"Wow, for real?" Gin received the revolver with a strange expression before sighing, "How does this work?"
"You don't have to reload since it will do it itself. The thing is, you have to wait for half a minute to replenish your bullet. Oh, you must shoot them in the head since according to the people using this power, it is more potent if directed at it,"
Ariana paused, "Each revolver has seven chambers. Aim well and shoot well."
'Making a contract with Horrors not only gave you powers. It can also give you items of it, some of its appearance, and even its blessings, huh.' Gin mused
"Then…"
Bang—!
After providing specific instructions regarding the revolver, they rejoined the group and began assigning positions for everyone on the platform.
While they guarded the tower, the hammerhead Horror continued its relentless assault, producing tremors that, for the moment, weren't overly threatening.
This bought them some time.
Until it didn't.