I rose, trying to access my ESP as I did so, noticing how it felt.
It was like countless needles were constantly piercing my brain.
Fuck…
Looking at them, I dodged another strike from Bug face, his strikes almost hitting, but his claws still left cuts.
I'll need a couple seconds to rest before using my ESP.
By using my twin blades, I was able to block, but not strike back. My blood was pouring more and more, my movements growing sluggishly.
Feints won't work on this guy, so I might as well try to brute force my way in… However, before I could try, Bug face and I jumped away, dodging the tackle from the wanker and, then, blocking Bug face's claw.
Shifting my weight, we both fell to the ground, but with a quick movement, I was able to slash him before he was able to guard himself. Leaving a deep gash on his torso, I tried to cut him again, but was forced to dodge a punch from the other one.
Gasping, I tried to calm down my beating heart as they grew more wary of me.
"He's able to wound me even without his ESP? How?"
"I don't know, but we should be careful… No use in any of us dying."
Running ahead, the wanker tanked bullets that were for his friend as I got close. Using his body as a stepping stone, I dodged and rained down bullets on Bug face.
He dodged them unconsciously, his compound eyes being able to see them from a mile away. While he did so, I used my fall to pierce the wanker's left knee joint.
Then, I jumped away, rolling on the ground to dodge his strike. Afterward, I used all I could to fend off Bug face as he sent a barrage of strikes.
I could feel my ESP returning. Just a few more seconds, and I'll be able to fight at my best for a few more moments.
The clash of our weapons continued, and I was slowly gaining ground on him as more of his pisslike blood kept pouring.
Just a few more… Just a…
It took a second for me to realize I wasn't fighting Bug face anymore, and another one to feel the pain of being thrown through the fortress stone wall.
Blood fell freely from my side, the place that wanker's horn pierced, the flesh was almost torn off from the sheer force of his strike.
In fact, if I was still a normal human and not a homunculus, I would've been dead from this attack alone.
I… I can't die.
Not now, not at the start…
I forced myself to stay conscious, the haze of pain helping me focus on something that wasn't how tired I was.
They were speaking something… I didn't have a clear vision of them since that attack created a fog cloud. I can use this to my advantage… From the looks of it, they both assume I'm dead…
Focusing everything on my eyesight, I felt relieved when my ESP returned.
I could just let them go, but that would be detrimental.
Leaving these demons could spell the demise of Bernard and Oliver, as well as any other nearby human settlement.
Damn… I've grown soft.
I'm not a hero, but the thought of seeing my two little brothers dead… would be of awful taste. The effort from pointing my gun took a lot from me. It wasn't merely because I'm hurt, but also the weight they sported on their handle.
I've asked specifically for this modification so that they could handle some of my strongest shots. If I accelerate them at the same time I increase the pressure that is exerted, it would break a lesser gun, so I asked for a longer and heavier weapon.
Since you lot don't know I'm here, might as well give yah a lesson straight out of mercenary university.
Don't ever take your eyes off the enemy…
With that, I pulled the trigger, forcing the pressure and inertia from the bullet to increase to my maximum output of twenty times.
It went ridiculously fast, breaking the sound barrier and splattering Bug face brains on the floor. That oaf was clearly incredulous as he turned back to me.
Trying to focus, I've risen from the wall and emerged from the fog cloud.
Considering I just used one of my strongest strikes, I felt weak, my ESP leaving me, but I still had enough for one more. Reverting my weapons back into their original shape, I quickly noticed that my left one was a bit slower than normal.
Great… more problems.
Sighing, I walked forward, the demon going towards me slowly, his right tendon was still severed, so he wouldn't be tackling me anytime sooner.
Still, I better finish him off now…
Running, I kept shooting while the wanker tanked the bullets. He protected his eyes while I advanced, trying to stop my strikes from reaching the weakest area.
Jumping once more, I used his distraction to go to his side and, with a quick charge, I leveled my right gun at his temple and, placing everything once more, I shot.
The bullet stroke true, killing him almost instantly and allowing me to rest…
At that moment, I coughed up more blood.
My vision was swimming, and now that the fight was over, I didn't get the adrenaline, which meant I was slowly growing more tired.
Need to stay up…
The ground feels so tempting, but I must go on.
I… I need to…
Otherwise, I'll never get back, I'll never see my children again…
"Walk… WALK, DAMMIT!" I screamed, eyeing the base. Jesse and the others are too far for me to get to them, but there's another way.
Taking the map from my pocket, I cringed at the blood and grime staining it, but focused on a specific part. There should be a healing pod somewhere close to their sleeping quarters. I just need to focus on getting there…
Walking, I felt the pain of my shredded muscles and broken bones grinding against one another, but pressed on. Each step felt like hell was closer and closer to get to me, but I clung onto hope. Hope that the explosion didn't destroy the fucking place.
As I approached the flame ridden corridor, it started to rain.
Guess the heat brought the clouds…
Using the wall as support, I hissed at the heat that burned at my skin, but made haste, trying to get to that place.
The fire was getting to me, but I pressed on, trying not to be consumed by those flames. Breathing was also painful. Each new breath I took meant more smoke inside.
And after a few, excruciatingly long minutes, I was out of the damn corridor, entering the nursery…
Coughing some black fog out of my lungs, I focused on pressing on, opening the door and, to my relief, they had one.
It was an older model, one that would be slow and inefficient, but I didn't care.
Pulling the leverage, I fell into the insides of the tank and sent a small, Ether pulse, forcing the glass to close.
After the liquid started to fill, I took the breather and placed it on my face.
Only then did I allow myself to fall asleep.