Author's note:
This chapter is a bit fast paced, and since I'm editing it again for the 4th or 5th time, its a pain in the ass. I would rather just rewrite it, but as the lazy author I am who doesn't have much time for writing, I hope you like it. There will be only a few fast-paced chapters in the first part of the Arc of Liminality (Arc 0 or current arc). Although I prefer to write more slow paced, consider this fast-paced chapter as a present (or not?) for the future chapters, hehe.
To another day,
Author-kun
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Her unsettling emotionlessness was so chilling, even Ekidna—who couldn't hear what was being said on the other side of the phone—shivered.
"Oh, well I have 4 seconds left right now." After 3 seconds, Xin's lips curled up as he looked outside at a specific building far away, around 2 km from where he was.
A sniper using IR goggles on his stomach.
"It so happens your precious sister is in a building filled with CIA agents that will do anything to kill her."
The table Santiago and Mikhail were on was immediately flipped as food scattered on the ground, the sound of shattering glass and clattering silverware echoing on the floor. Panic rose.
'The food!'
Xin's eyebrows furrowed in anger for the first time in weeks. He despised wasting precious food, no matter how twisted his mind might be. Millions of people starved to death around the world, and yet here they were, wasting food.
Food had to be appreciated to the fullest. Not even crumbs should be left to throw away!
However, he understood the weight of the situation and merely gritted his teeth in anger. It was mostly his fault for revealing this out in the open. He was so engrossed in the call that he forgot about the others who might raise a fuss.
Without a single word, Santiago and Mikhail rushed to the corner of the room and grabbed their automatic rifles.
Without hesitation, Santiago looked outside and was immediately surprised by the red and blue flashing lights everywhere.
Using the butt of his rifle, he shattered the soundproof glass and heard the wailing sirens of the cars surrounding them, along with black, suspicious SUVs.
"Bloody f*cking hell!!"
He cursed as he popped the ejection point dust cover and pulled back the charging handle to ensure no empty shells caused jamming. He switched the rifle to full auto, aimed with his expensive and fancy scope, and began shooting at the cops stationed outside.
Despite the anonymity between Santiago and Mikhail, with their lives at stake, they decided to form a temporary alliance and kill each other later—if they lived to see the sun set in the west.
The incoming cop cars were caught off guard as bullets pierced their tires. Some lost control and flipped over, causing deafening explosions and burning the streets to ash and rubble.
Another explosion occurred, as if a second sun.
A woman and child didn't make it to the shelter in time.
"AAAAAAAAAAGH!!"
A woman walking with her child, who had run to take shelter, was immediately swallowed by the flames—reduced to charcoal in no time.
Her son, a mere 5-year-old toddler, cried as he wept.
"Nooo! Mommy, please don't leave me like Papa!"
The boy ran to his blazing mother and embraced her, only to be swallowed as well by unmerciful flames that did not tell the difference between child and adult, life or death, plant or object.
The boys screams of agony echoed, joining the embraces of his mother.
CLICK CLICK
The rich aroma of the now-ruined steak clung to the air, mixing with gunpowder and broken glass.
Meanwhile, Santiago, shooting blindly, cursed under his breath with an irritated face as he realized his magazine was empty. He looked around the room in undeniable hurry, until his gaze landed on an ammo box.
Kicked an expensive wine bottle aside that shattered, he darted towards the ammo box in untold apprehension, his grip on the rifle tightening as he was about to break the box open, when his wrist was grabbed midair.
Angrily, he growled at Mikhail, who had slung his rifle on his shoulder and held his wrist. Mikhail, undeterred by the menacing look, sneered in dismay.
"You fool! Don't you realize we have a limited amount of ammunition? What do you think will happen if we run out?"
Still glaring, Santiago looked back at Mikhail with aversion.
"What do you expect us to do, then? Wait until they kill us, you son of a bitch?"
Spitting to the ground in disgust he continued, "If you want to die so badly, go die alone because I plan to leave alive."
Stealing a glance at Ekidna—who was backing up her bag quickly with a serious expression—Mikhail's eyes went to Xin, who had a sly smile on his face, phone still to his ear. Mikhail closed his eyes for a moment.
They reopened with a new glint of determination.
"We need to use the ammunition smartly. You have to only use bullets to pierce tires and gas tanks. We can't afford to die here, and I, personally, won't die until I kill you for the humiliation you showed me today."
Taken aback by his determined tone, Santiago took off his mask, revealing red short hair that was once combed to the side, now messy.
His piercing, crimson eyes dug Mikhail's contrasting, ocean-blue eyes.
"And what makes you think I'll follow your orders?"
Although he said that, a grin stretched across Santiago's face. Mikhail furrowed his brows, about to lower his rifle and shoot Santiago in the leg, when Santiago surprised him by tossing aside the mask.
"Well, I won't die either. Until I kill you myself"
Chuckling, Mikhail took off his mask as well, revealing his thin, handsome face and silver hair.
He raised an eyebrow, but a smile broke across his face, betraying his emotions.
"I bet I can take down more than you could in a lifetime."
"You wish."
With determined grins, they broke off the lock on the ammo box with the butts of their rifles and picked up as much ammo as they could. They ran toward the broken glass, setting up chairs, couches, and tables to barricade the door and glass in case of incoming bullets.
And they were lucky they had considered it.
BANG!
A bullet pierced through a table and only stopped after tearing into the expensive, thick couch.
Santiago flinched as fabric burst beside him. "Shit…" he whispered.
His voice trembled—not from pain, but from the realization they were being funneled, boxed in.
On the other side, Santiago was breathing heavily, slightly trembling as he touched his bleeding ear. If it wasn't for Mikhail just now... who knew?
Outraged but still rational, he ejected his magazine, reloaded, and switched from full-auto to semi-auto.
He stood and aimed at the vehicles outside, beginning to shoot.
Ra-ta-ta-tatata!
"Fuck, fuck, they're everywhere like ants! At this rate, we'll run out of ammo before killing them all!"
Mikhail also shot from time to time, switching between hiding and aiming. Hearing Santiago's crude ranting, he clicked his tongue.
"Tsk... Such crude language. Unbefitting of a gentleman."
Santiago ignored the criticism and continued shooting with a bloodthirsty grin.
'I will send you to hell myself!'
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"So you knew," a tired sighed escaped from the woman's lips on the other side of the phone.
"Did you know this would happen, Xin?"
Although Xin had never revealed his real name to anyone but Vladimir, the fact that she knew "Xin" was not Mr. Olympia spoke volumes about their past relationship.
Swiftly ignoring her question, Xin replied indifferently.
"Why don't we meet after this—if I make it out, that is?"
"...."
She went silent before speaking again, even more robotic and emotionless.
"Let's hope you die in this shootout. If you don't, I'll be there to watch your miserable execution myself."
A hidden sadness in her voice didn't escape Xin's perception.
"Who knows? Maybe I won't really make it out alive. That'd be fine though"
As if not minding her words, Xin nodded in agreement.
"...."
She swallowed her sorrows and sighed impatiently.
"I will send a helicopter to pick up Ekidna. If there are other lords, tell the copilot to pick them up too. They still have their uses."
"...How much?"
"How much what?" Her voice hinted at confusion and irritation.
"How much will you pay?"
She gritted her teeth in anger.
"Can't you do this as a favor for 'that' time?"
"You know I don't return favors."
The sound of shattering vases came from the phone. "I hope they put you on death row. I'll be there to see it myself."
"Yeah, I hope so too. So, how much will you be paying?" he said dubiously.
With a resigned sigh, barely masking her rage, she answered.
"50 million."
"...Do you think I'm some beggar...? That's too low for your sister's life and your business."
"100 million."
"...Still too low."
"I saved you from death, you ungrateful bastard. How I wish I never took you in. The last price I have is 500 million."
"Deal." Xin licked his lips in anticipation. The young man had no guilt extorting the one who saved and raised him with motherly love.
"Anyway, I'll see you at my execution. Have a nice night."
The other side immediately hung up. Xin laughed and handed the phone to Ekidna, who had gathered her things and was seated at the table, watching him with interest.
Dietrich remained expressionless and bored despite the explosions shaking the room.
Ekidna, ever the curious cat, asked Xin with anticipation:
"Lil bro, do you know Big Sis?"
"...Kind of."
Seeing his indifferent gaze, Ekidna wanted to ask more but knew it wasn't the time. She furrowed her brows seriously.
Santiago and Mikhail had multiple wounds from grazes and lodged bullets in nonfatal areas—shoulders, legs, arms.
But exhaustion was overtaking them.
Even Mikhail, with incredible mental strength, was fading.
"What will we do now, Xin? Do you have a plan?"
Everyone looked toward Xin with hope, as if he were their only light in the deepest darkness.
He shrugged indifferently.
"Meh, help is on the way."
They frowned. Help? When? Would they live, or leave as corpses?
BANG!
Their fears were confirmed as the sound of pounding on the barricaded door came like the roar of an ancient dragon.
Ekidna jumped at the sudden noise. Even Dietrich, eyes serious and dangerous, pulled out his twin revolvers.
Santiago and Mikhail, still mid-shootout, looked back at the door being struck.
BANG BANG
"Break down the door! Don't let them escape!"
A masculine voice in clear English came from the other side as the pounding intensified.
"SHIT!"
Both panicked. A stray bullet hit Mikhail in the stomach. He dropped his handgun with a groan of pain.
"FUUUUCK!"
Santiago turned on full-auto and sprayed wildly until his rifle clicked empty.
Realizing the ammo was gone, he looked around fiercely—then blankly. They were out.
Mikhail didn't speak. His eyes stayed locked on the broken door, then flicked to Santiago.
They both knew. They wouldn't get out of this without a miracle—or blood.
Xin's eyes widened. A frown etched across his face as the desperate situation took a turn for the worse.
The door began to give under the pounding.
Even Xin started preparing for a life-or-death fight.
Until he heard an odd sound.
Something cutting through the air... from the sky.