Kozuna
The crippling blare of engines and rifles firing thundered through our eardrums. Leaning past the doorway, I grabbed the nearest roof-mounted handle of the buggy with one hand and started blasting with the other.
I let loose a few warning shots, but the Bahsin only sped up, trying to pincer us in the middle!
"Damn- both sides! Kozuna, take your right! Yvira, get the left-"
"Just leave them to me! Focus on keeping us from getting shot!" Really wish Nikai was here, right now! "Yvira's no fighter, Nazun!"
"WHAT!?"
Nazun's about to learn the hard way.
"You're no fighter?" Nazun's gaze bounced between the road and Yvira as she sank down in her seat. "Is he being serious!?"
I noticed Yvira quietly nodding out of the corner of my eye, but I paid it no mind. That was, until Nazun swerved hard in an attempt to avoid the gunfire. All he ended up doing, though, was making it much tougher for me to hit my targets. Made me waste my finite number of bullets.
Fuck's sake.
I ducked back into the buggy, smacking the side of Nazun's head. "Damn it, sub! Hold it steady! I can't aim right while you're zigzagging all over the fucking place!"
I hastily ejected the clip and loaded another. That time, I climbed up top and crouched, pressing my hand flat against the roof.
Forget trying to stay a bit safer. No risk, no reward!
"Yvira, take the wheel!"
My eyelids lifted when I heard Nazun's words. Was he being for real? I wasn't exactly sure Yvira was the speed-buggy type, either. But sure enough, I felt thumps, fumbles, and even a bit of arguing beneath me. Were they really switching seats while we were actively being shot at?
With the wind rushing against my body and my hair blowing far back from my skull, the Bahsin were gaining ground on us. We only had a matter of seconds before they'd crush us in the center. I had to become more precise with all the erratic movements. It wasn't like I had infinite ammo just lying around. My first target was a rear tire of the buggy on my left.
Following the closing of a single eye and the total concentration of what felt like every cell in my body, I let loose a single bullet that not only failed to pierce the tire, but missed every-fucking-thing. Something happened the moment I aimed in. I felt that sensation of time slowing, as well as a strange surge of something within. My left hand was twitching, despite being pressed firmly against the roof.
What's happening? Why's my hand fidgeting?
My thoughts were interrupted as Nazun climbed onto the roof, knelt, and held on tight. His cloak fluttered in the wind, and with one hand, Nazun unbuckled his sword from its wrapped sheath.
"I'll take the one to the left, Kozuna! Your target hasn't changed!"
I nodded, finally bringing myself to cooperate with Nazun a little.
"Keep it steady, Yvira!" Nazun called, hoisting his enormous blade over his shoulders. "Let 'em get closer!"
"Won't that just make us easier targets?" My expression morphed into a scowl as I shot a glare over at Nazun. You got a plan?"
"Yeah! Pay attention, Kozuna. And follow my lead!"
As the Bahsin closed in, they fired on us more and more. I ducked low and covered my face as much as I could, but bullets zipped by me. They clipped the edges of my jacket and pants- one even grazed my face, leaving blood trailing down my cheek! It felt like I watched that bullet rip my skin open.
That's gonna scar for sure!
"It's time!"
"Time for what?"
I glanced over at Nazun once more. But he'd already leaped from our vehicle! He landed on the Bahsin's buggy roof and cleaved through it! I watched his sword gruesomely smash through a marauder's skull and leave nothing but blood, bones, and brains spilling out. My eyes widened- I hadn't expected that much of a performance from him.
Guess I need to do my part. In my own way, that is!
"My life might as well be a movie," I chuckled out, flipping one of my knuckle knives into my hand.
Bullets continued flying past me, but with Nazun showing off and wreaking havoc, I couldn't let myself stand around uselessly. I crouched and built strength in my feet just until the other buggy got close enough. Right there, I timed my leap. I hit their roof roughly and had to run a knuckle knife through the steel just to stabilize myself.
Now I can hit their tires easily-
I didn't get even a second to fucking aim! The Bahsin zigzagged and fired through their own roof in an effort to put me down for good! I practically rooftop-danced in circles to avoid bloody holes in my flesh. For some reason, everything felt slowed in time. Like I could almost see the bullets before they could hit me.
The opportunity presented itself, and I let my bullets fly. First went the front tires, and I followed up by hitting the rears. All while the driver failed to shake me off.
It wasn't much longer before the Bahsin began to lose control. I swiftly jerked my knife from the roof and sheathed my weapons. Then, I took my grappling gun and fired toward the side of Nazun's buggy.
Don't wanna kill these people, but I can't have them pursuing us! Gotta hurry before they try anything!
I'd managed to get the hook to sink in. But just as I was about to click the trigger and fly back over, someone snatched my ankle. A Bahsin marauder gripped intensely and wouldn't let go. He was half a second from trying to put a hole in my skull.
"Scum-ass, you don't get to jus' run ta' the hills! Think you can steal our water and get away with it!?"
Not the first to threaten me. I'm not impressed.
I held tight to my grappling gun while trying to yank my leg free. It was obvious he wouldn't let go. Dude's entire body was damn near hanging out the window, while his other hand squeezed onto something inside for dear life.
"You don't get to run, Ozukashi! We'll take all your bodies in return for what you stole-"
"Sorry in advance, but I'm in a rush!"
I danced my knuckle knife from the sheath and stabbed straight through the marauder's hand, but he STILL wouldn't budge! Saliva dripped from his chapped lips, and he shrieked like hell, but I didn't feel him release at all!
There was no other option. Yvira was gaining distance. Nazun had already murdered the pursuers from the other buggy and rejoined her.
I hesitated for a moment, but went through with what needed to be done. I twisted my blade around in the marauder's hand, causing that poor fool to scream in impolite agony even more until his grip finally loosened. Then, I snatched my bloodied knife from his hand-wound and kicked him in the head hard as all hell. His body flopped backward, and he fell out of the vehicle, nearly getting run over in the process. I almost felt bad, but there was no time to waste. I pulled the trigger and zipped back toward the hook, as well as Nazun's buggy.
Out here in the sand, they'll be sitting ducks. No way they can catch us, now.
***
"Agh, how did you even end up on the squad charged with capturing the new water source if you refuse to engage in combat?"
The argument dragged on from the moment I got back to my seat, unfortunately. It wasn't surprising, but damn did I NOT feel like having to hear that shit, especiallyafter buggy-swinging like a badass.
"I'm a medical specialist, a researcher, and a strategist. My role in my squad was never combat-oriented, Nazun! Besides, Kozuna and I didn't come out here with the intention of getting in a fight, remember?"
"Regardless, you need to always be prepared! I heard your squad encountered a man-beast out in the field! Shouldn't that be enough to convince you to carry a small gun, at the absolute bare minimum!?"
Yvira folded her arms and glared away. "Guess not. Are we done?"
"Ugh. Fucking children… No one ever wants to just listen."
Nazun groaned like a frustrated father, shaking his head in pure annoyance. He pulled the buggy off toward another nearby town, rather than continuing beside the tracks. I merely watched the whole thing unfold silently from the background.
"Well… it's over for now-"
"Where are you taking us? Shouldn't we be following the trail?"
"Slight detour, Yvira. Those marauders failed to kill us, but they did hit the fuel tank. Once I get the buggy repaired, we can get back down to business."
Nazun drove straight into Sanzo, a steel-and-stone town northwest of Jigen. Sort of a rest stop for scouts and citizens traveling abroad. There were few buildings- the small town was walled off like a fort. Everything fit on a single street, and only the necessities were available. Repair-and-fuel stations, equipment vendors, a small medical center, and the inn were just a few.
The buggy had nearly run dry by the time we arrived. We were lucky we didn't need to push through the sand or call for help. Nazun gave us a slight wave, but nothing more. He hurried to find a mechanic, leaving Yvira and me to our own devices.
We wandered off for less than a minute before I began hearing familiar noises in the distance. My head jerkedto the right when I recognized the sound. We weren't getting a second to rest!
I immediately got eyes on the Bahsin and shoved Yvira back behind the repair station walls. Their buggy was back up and running in no time at all, and Yvira didn't even know what was happening! Bullets whistled past me on all sides, and a couple found their way into my flesh. One clipped an arm, another lodged itself into my fucking thigh!
Should've pumped a few rounds into their engine!
My clenched teeth flashed. I struggled to maintain my footing and grab my own gun, much less aim it properly. And even then, the Bahsin didn't stop. Three living marauders hopped out of their buggy and kept blasting away. All I could do was try and get the hell outta harm's way.
Luckily, a handful of Ozukashi soldiers were nearby. Moments after the first gunshots rang out, those guys appeared from the woodwork, firing on the Bahsin. I even recognized a couple of them- members of other specialized squads like my own. In only a matter of minutes, people were screaming profanities and death threats amidst a two-clan shootout.
I managed to crawl my way out of the direct line of fire, but that didn't stop my pounding heart from throbbing intensely. The sensation of bullets tearing flesh from bone or even sinking into my body was far from pleasant. All the adrenaline in the world wasn't stopping me from feeling the pain. Meanwhile, Yvira hurried to keep me alive and stop the bleeding. The first thing she did was put her knees to the sand and lift my head onto her lap. I could see the panic on her face, but her hands were steady, and her actions were intentional.
Amidst the raging noises of battle and war, her stillness and ability to block it all out amazed me. How could she do it?
"You're gonna be okay," she whispered, her eyes quivering. "I'm not letting you die, Kozuna!"
I noticed the veins in Yvira's smooth fingers beginning to bulge. She bit her lip as some sort of concentration method. I couldn't exactly tell how it helped. She pressed down on my arm and thigh at the same time, applying even, but ample pressure to both locations simultaneously. But we knew better- the bleeding wouldn't stop immediately.
"Focus on staying awake, Kozuna! That's all you need to worry about!"
I could barely manage a proper response as Yvira continued working her magic. My gaze twitched and blurred out during my attempts to watch the firefight up ahead. Around that time, Nazun showed back up.
"What happened? How'd the kid get shot!?"
"…Bahsin Clan," Yvira muttered. She barely acknowledged Nazun's presence.
Nazun groaned in annoyance and took hold of his sword once more. He dashed straight out into the fray, seemingly unafraid of being shot himself. But my mind panned away. I began to feel something coursing through me, and it wasn't adrenaline. For some reason, I couldn't think of the words to describe it. Some entirely new sensation I'd never felt before. It all built and boiled into a single hand, and my undivided attention turned to it.
I tore the thick, garrote-glove off instantly.
Despite my lack of proper vision and blood loss, I could make out one thing clearly. A moon-shaped, black mark dotting the back of my left hand. And the longer I stared at it, the more it seemed to fill in. The more my body wanted to lurch up and down. Was I hallucinating? Would've been a first for me.
Is that… what I think it is? Can't be. Has to be my imagination.
My hand wanted to twitch, and my fingers couldn't stop for the life of me. Had the Bahsin tipped their ammo with something? Was that the cause of the strange sensations stirring in my blood?
Nazun darted back into sight as the gunfire died down. I couldn't hear anything else at that point. Couldn't even try to. He pulled out his phone and started dialing some number. But my hearing wasn't the only thing suddenly going blank.
Everything fell black as night.
I sure hope it isn't.