2
112 0 5
X
Reading Options
Font Size
A- 15px A+
Width
Reset
X
Table of Contents
Loading... please wait.

The night was high and the group made their way above sand. Steps taking lightning for fear of kicking up sand. Upon the banks of a close rock, Shana Striker surveyed the area. A green portal floated above sand, swirling. Around it were tents and around those were four guards stationed in each direction looking half-dead from boredom.

"Switch to your rifles and each of you pick a target," She spoke as she blinked her eyes through a thin visor, "On my count, I want a shot through all of their heads."

She felt a jump in mana as four weapons pointed at their targets.

"Three." She counted.

A guard began to turn his head.

"Two."

His eyes squinted.

"Fire."

The vroom of four pulses rang and blue trails blurred through the air. In almost an instant, four bodies shuddered, then dropped dead.

"Alright." She nodded. "Move to clear out the area. Take no prisoners and maintain silence as much as possible."

The platoon did as told and she followed them. Thankfully, there were only three tents.

"Banri," She spoke quietly, "With me."

They took stance by the closest tent's door and she took out an iron sphere from her satchel. She tapped the glowing sphere at its center twice, moved the flap of the tent a bit, then rolled it within.

"Huh. . .the hell is tha—?"

An explosion of blue rocked the tent and the back half of the thing ripped away. Two screams rang and one died out immediately. A figure leaped up, a pistol in his grasp—missing an arm and scared—he pointed at the two with anger.

Yet, Banri was faster. The boy ruthlessly pulled the trigger of his rifle and the man dropped dead.

He looked towards her and Shana nodded a thumbs up.

He smiled.

She spoke. "Status?"

"All clear." Three voices came.

"Return to me, then."

In quick succession, the group joined back together. They stood before the swirling mist of green. The portal into a lesser dungeon.

"Whew." The silver-head, Belmont, stretched into the sky. "Now that's what I call another success, Captain."

"Easy." The black-haired Faust smiled thinly as he sat upon the ground.

"Hum hum," Banri nodded twice, a bag of chips already mysteriously at his hand. Shana momentarily wondered if he'd stuffed some into his satchel?

"What now, Captain?" John turned towards her.

She smiled. "Everyone, take a break while I contact base."

"Whooohoo, you're the best Captain!" Belmont cheered.

She rolled her eyes. "You only think that when I'm being easy."

"Well, at least I think it?"

As they chuckled, she had to give that to him and shrugged. She prepared to tap the band on her wrist—her pad—when she heard the sound of cracking.

"Hmm?"

They all turned towards the portal to see cracks running along its swirling figure as if it were glass.

Her eyes widened.

"Run!" She yelled. "It's a dungeon break!"

That roar came before their movements.

The portal shattered and a maw opened up and leaped towards Faust. Shana grabbed the poor male by his hair, a yelp escaping him, and tapped her weapon's core thrice before firing. Pulses flew as three more guns joined her.

"Run and gun!"

The ground rumbled and the creature collapsed but another came from behind it.

It was a tall, lanky, beast. It resembled a deer but its horns glowed gold and its mouth only held sharpened teeth. It opened its lips and shrieked into the air a sound that threatened to break their eardrums, like nails running across a chalkboard.

Every member of the team found their footsteps stopped and their movements made null as more creatures began to rush from the portal.

"Belmont!" Shana struggled to move her lips but forced them open through sheer will. "Activate your spirit!"

All of them were trained soldiers. In the heat of battle, none of them were shocked enough to be rendered out of tactics and mind. Thankfully, spirits did not require physical movement to activate.

Belmont's figure glowed green and the ground shook. The image of a turtle overlaid upon his person, then a transparent shell of mana covered the team.

The sound of the screeching deer was caught off. A bang rang as a beast crashed its head against the dome, then many more came.

Shana took the moment to catch her breath and placed the companion she had dragged down until he was standing again.

"Thank you for the save, Captain," Faust spoke, looking at their surroundings.

Belmont laughed. "Almost lost your head there!"

She shook her head. "Don't thank me just yet."

They had saved themselves but they were now surrounded by a horde of mana beasts, creatures spawned from dungeons with abilities that could rival true magic and Gears. Their teeth were sharp, and they came in all shapes and sizes. One was over there floating as a ball of water, even. The outside world had become a tide that would rip them apart at a moment's notice. Shana gritted her teeth, the situation was not looking great at all. She had to think and plan her way out of this or they would all die.

"Captain. . ." Banri's voice came over, ". . .I think there's a crack in the shield?"

John turned towards an area bathed by a constant wave of colors. Flames. Water. Lightning. He gulped. "That is definitely a crack."

"It won't hold out for long! Too many attacks at once!" Belmont exclaimed.

Shana spun her thoughts. John's spirit was all but useless in a fight. Faust's was too specialized for this situation. And Banri didn't even have one, he was a defect, after all, someone that was made from a reconfigured shell of a previous homunculus. Shana's brain operated on overdrive, pushing herself far beyond her limits as a headache formed.

"Everyone, hand me all the mana bombs you have on you right now!" She said.

5