Whoosh!
The wind blasted through the marketplace. Dust, splinters of wood, torn cloth, and chunks of stone flew everywhere, almost swallowing the view in pure chaos.
In the middle of it all, two men stood their ground. Both were senior members of the Artificer Enforcers. In front of them loomed an Echofiend—a grotesque creature with messy, flowing hair, eyes dripping with black blood, and from its arms and back stretched out twitching tentacles that slithered like they had minds of their own.
On the left, a black-haired man named Edric gripped a pair of golden revolvers. Beside him, Elma, the blond one, held a set of glowing twin daggers. Their faces were tense, but their eyes never left the abomination before them.
"Oi, oi, oi… how the hell are we supposed to fight that freak, Edric? Six years' Salary wouldn't cover this crap," Elma grumbled, eyes locked forward.
"Quit whining, dumbass. At least your pay's normal. What about Me? They cut mine in half just 'cause the commander woke up in a bad mood," Edric shot back, his grip tightening on the revolvers.
Elma smirked. "Tch… tough luck. Tell you what—if we make it out alive, I'll lend you some cash." He dropped into stance, left foot back, right foot forward, ready to dash.
But before he could move—
Swoosh!
A bullet ripped past his cheek, close enough to burn his skin. Both men whipped around instantly.
Standing behind them was a woman. Smoke curled from the barrel of her wheellock pistol. Her left hand held down a fedora about to fly off in the wind.
"…That's Marilyn," Elma muttered under his breath, eyes widening.
Marilyn stepped forward, eyes sharp, her focus locked entirely on the Echofiend. The creature hadn't budged, even though the explosive round she fired had smashed right into its face. Not even a scratch.
Her steps were steady. Shoulders squared. Gun still raised.
"Sorry I'm late, Edric. Elma. You guys holding up?" she said as she walked up to stand level with them.
Elma forced a small grin despite the sweat dripping down his face.
"Took you long enough, Marilyn. Another minute and this freak would've killed us. Next time, show up earlier."
"My bad… but that Echofiend…" Marilyn's voice trailed as her eyes narrowed, studying it.
Elma sighed, then nodded. His lips curled into a thin smile.
"Yeah. It's exactly what you think. It's already in The Lament category. Only…" he paused, then added, "…it's not complete yet."
Marilyn's head snapped toward him. "Not complete? You mean it hasn't fully mutated like the others?"
"Exactly. Guess you could call that lucky… in a way," Elma replied, voice dry, daggers trembling faintly in his hands.
Edric finally spoke, his tone calm but cold.
"Enough chit-chat. We need a plan. Marilyn—you got one?"
Both Marilyn and Elma nodded. Edric was right. Even if the monster hadn't moved, and even if its change wasn't complete—this tiny chance could vanish in seconds.
Dust swirled around them, tentacles twitching lazily as if waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The silence pressed in heavy—every second stretching longer.
Finally, Marilyn broke it.
"Edric. Elma. I have an idea. Maybe… just maybe, it'll work."
Edric smirked faintly, raising a brow.
"That quick, huh? Fine. Let's hear it. I'm fresh out of ideas anyway."
"Yeah, spill it, Marilyn," Elma nodded firmly.
She explained her plan in detail. Both men listened intently, never interrupting despite how insane it sounded.
When she finished, she looked at them. "Well? Makes sense, doesn't it?"
Edric sighed, cracked a bitter smile… then flipped her the finger.
"Yeah. Real smart—if you're suicidal. You seriously want me and Elma to stall all those freakin' tentacles while you go for the headshot? You nuts, Marilyn?!"
Marilyn didn't flinch. Her face stayed calm, eyes locked on him.
"Got a better plan, Edric? We're not commanders. And right now, that's the only shot we have—hold it down, I blow its brains out."
"Tsk!" Edric clicked his tongue, furious. But he didn't argue further. He inhaled deeply, preparing himself.
"You ready, Edric?" Elma asked, blades raised.
"Yeah. Hope you're the only one who dies."
"Yeah—wait, WHAT?!"
"Move!"
Edric dashed first, charging head-on before Elma could protest. Elma froze for half a second, then cursed under his breath and lunged forward, daggers flashing.
Marilyn broke into a run in the opposite direction, boots pounding against the cracked stone, heading up a half-ruined staircase overlooking the square. She needed the high ground—the perfect angle for a clean kill.
At that moment, the Echofiend stirred.
Tentacles lashed out like whips, the air cracking under their speed. Edric fired three rounds in rapid succession, forcing the creature to reel just enough for him to roll aside—opening a path.
"NOW, ELMA!"
"HAAAH!" Elma leapt in, slamming both daggers into a writhing tentacle. His thumb pressed the trigger hidden on the hilt—
BOOM!
The blades erupted in a burst of light and fire, shredding the twisted flesh.
The Echofiend screamed—a sound so sharp it rattled their skulls. Elma staggered, ears ringing, but he jumped back just in time as another tentacle ripped through the spot he stood.
"Son of a bitch! Every time it blows, it screams like a lunatic!" he spat, grinning through his ragged breath.
"Keep it busy, Elma! Use the rubble to block its reach. We need to buy Marilyn a shot!" Edric shouted, firing off two more rounds.
"Got it! Let's tear this bastard apart! AHAHA!" Elma bellowed, charging again with reckless joy.
"And after this—I'm demanding a RAISE!"