Too Sentimental

8/6/2019 Too Sentimental

1/22

Too Sentimental

U3B

Introduction

Nico, weve talked about this, the lavishly dressed Female Gunner said, letting loose an

exasperated sigh as she patiently set her crystal glass down on the bar between them. I dont

work with a team. I just. . .dont. Im as good as I am so that I dont have to work with others.

The man behind the counter, just tall enough to appear lanky but always suave enough to

be handsome, leaned back upon an empty spot on the shelf lined with dozens of bottles as he

studied the look on the Gunners face. Its not a team though, Tsuiichi; its just one guy. The

client wants him along to escort the girl back. After youve rescued her, of course.

But if hes good enough to be an escort, Tsuiichi replied, casting her eyes down to

watch the light dance through her glass and the liquid in it, why cant he just go himself?

Nico smiled warmly, still watching his friend struggle silently with her emotions.

Because, Ichii. Youre the best. Tsuiichi tried to grimace at him for referring to her that way,

but it quickly dissolved into an embarrassed smile. Her only response was to pull a Buster

Grenade from her pocket and set it on the counter between them as an unspoken warning."You

know it's true," he continued, holding eye contact with her now. "You said so yourself.Just give

it a chance. This job means a lot to your career." Having said enough, he poured a little more

drink into her glass, then set the bottle on the counter and moved further down the bar to deal

with other business.

Tsuiichi watched him go, a stoic expression hiding the conflicting thoughts and emotions

within. As soon as he began to take an order from a quiet, inexperienced-looking Fighter far

down the bar, she forced her eyes away and lifted her glass just above the counter. She swirled

the liquid in circles, listening to the soft clinking of the ice within as she forced herself to

consider taking the job. Working with others wasnt exactly her forte; shed earned the nickname

Hundred-Gun Tsuiichi to make sure people understood that she didnt neednor wanttheir

help.

Tsuiichi took a casual sip of her liquor, feeling the subdued heat flow down into herbody, as she tried to focus on what could be considered the pros of the situation. From what Nico

had told her, she wouldnt really be working with himhe was just along for the ride. And

having an escort for the girl was definitely a good thing; she desperately wanted to save her, but

knew well enough that she just wasnt that great with kids.


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Taking another sip from her crystalline glass, drawing longer from the liquor and almost

emptying the glass, Tsuiichi turned to call for Nicos attention. She stopped as she noticed him

standing just a half-dozen feet away, a grin spreading across his face as he pointlessly polished a

glass. Ill get ahold of the client, he said, not even pausing to question her decision. Go home

and get some sleep; youve got a big day tomorrow. Ill send someone for you just before noon.

Hundred-Gun Tsuiichi managed the grimace this time, although it wasnt really very

convincing. She set her silver fedora, complete with black rim and white feather, back atop her

head, then downed the rest of her drink. She stood and adjusted the strap that secured the multi-

form launcher to her back, then made her way up the short staircase and out the door, purposely

leaving the Buster Grenade on the counter as an unorthodox means of payment to her old friend.

Part 1

A Berzerker? You have to be joking. There went the idea of leaving the girl under his

care; how many kinds of insane must the client be to entrust the life of his daughter to one ofthose blood-loving maniacs?

Tsuiichi had been able to spot the mans profession from half a block away, noticing the

dark pink hue that stained his zanbato. Sighing heavily, she crossed the last bit of distance to

where he was leaning casually against one of the many white stone walls of the city around them.

Her hands brushed anxiously against the muskets at her waist as she took the last few steps to

enter his field of vision.

He noticed her immediately; his eyes flickered with surprise, but he quickly recovered

and began to identify the woman in front of him. Tsuiichi? he asked out of convention, almost

more a statement than a question, as he extended his hand towards her.

She grasped his hand firmly, shaking it as she studied him. In lieu of armor, he wore an

elaborate black, red and brown outfit, with a matching scarlet cloak thrown partway over his left

shoulder. His lack of armor surprised her, on top of the fact that she was already a slight bit

confused by the fact that he didnt have that bloodshot look in his eye common to Berzerkers,

nor that unnatural shake to his hand. She probably had little room to talk, however, seeing as

how black shorts, an exposing white-and-black dress shirt and her trademark fedora probably did

even less to protect her. Youre the escort my client sent for the little girl? she inquired, letting

just a bit more suspicion creep into her voice than shed intended.

That I am. Im Sinemetucall me Sine. he replied, in a tone that was a good bit too

friendly for an average, raving lunatic who preferred to fight while drenched in his own blood.

Just the manner with which he composed himself alleviated some of her doubts about the man.

Besides, a man with as much money as her client did was unlikely to be that foolish. Of course,

none of that meant she was going to let the little girl out of her sight until she was returned safely

and the money had been transferred.


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Shes supposedly still being held in the Inner Sanctum of Puppet Museum, he

continued, wasting no time. Dogries long gone, but he left enough residual power for someone

else to come in and take over. Dogries foot soldiers were mostly just mindless puppets, after

all, he explained, and there was just a hint of familiarity in his voice that echoed all too

obviously in the short pause that followed. The name of the Museums new master is Brennan.

He was supposedly one of Dogries old partners; as soon as he heard he was dead, he came

rushing in to stake his claim. There was another quick pause, and his eyes flickered with

acknowledgment.

Of course, none of that matters to us, he said. All we care about is the girl. We dont

believe that Brennan himself kidnapped her, but that hardly matters because we know hes the

one holding her captive. He adjusted the zanbato at his waist and rolled his head from side to

side, stretching. Im ready to go as soon as you are. The Museum is only about an hours trip

from here, which is good, because my boss expects his daughter back tonight. With nothing

more to say, he turned and began to stride toward the city gate.

Tsuiichi watched him for a moment, taking in and analyzing everything he had said and

done. Even beyond the fact that he was nothing like any Berzerker shed ever met, there was

something different about him; just a few little quirks in his behavior that hinted at some sort of

secret. But it appeared a great deal more likely to just be a dark past than any sort of dark

intentions. Checking once more that her muskets, golden with streaks of black along the barrels,

were in their rightful place, she set off after him, mentally preparing herself for the mission.

Part 2

You hear that, dont you? Tsuiichis eyes shifted anxiously back and forth, watchingthe rows of clay statues lining the hallway with murderous vigilance. Theyd just entered the

Main Hall, but the dozens of living statues hadnt moved at all.

Of course I hear it, Sine replied, striding straight ahead. I can feel the magic in the air,

too. Were in for a pretty exciting time, but for now, all we can do is wait for them to jump out

and yell surprise!

The pair fell back into silence as they continued their purposed march. The heavy magic

echoed their footsteps in awkward ways; the overbearing sound almost drowned out the soft

rustling that emanated from the ranks of statues. They were definitely awake; they were just

waiting.

It wasnt much later that their journey came to a sudden halt. The massive stone door to

the next room was shut tight; they stood in silence for a short yet drawn out moment, examining

the impressive dark gray barrier that barred their way. Well, then. Its about time, Sine

remarked casually, rolling his shoulders in their sockets. Looks like this should be a good warm

up. He slowly slid the beige Zanbato out of the sheath on his back, the heavy black center of the


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blade catching the white light and trapping it away.Tsuiichi slid into action at the same moment,

flipping the safety catch on the Muskets at her waist and prepping a row of Buster Grenades,

hanging several from a chain on either side of her shorts.

Silence reigned over the scene for a moment longer, hanging ominously in the enormous

hallway like a velvet curtain about to be raised. Then, almost literally in the blink of an eye,myriad statues strode out from the wall. Blank expressions adorned the faces of Slayers and

Fighters as they moved to stand against the pair; Gunners and Mages filled in behind them, and

Priests stepped into place between the two groups. All in all, there must have been three dozen

malicious foesversus just the two of them.

Part 3

A good warm up indeed, Sine repeated, dashing into the fray. He gracefully side-

stepped an uppercut, slicing upwards and cleaving his attacker in half instantly. He turned to

stare down a Slayer statue on his right; its sword was hefted above its shoulder, and a dark,wispy aura was congregating about the blade. Time seemed to slow as they held their positions;

then the statue brought his blade crashing downward, coated with thick, blazing violet energy.

Sine reacted with beautifully inhuman speed, parrying the blade away to the side, dark crimson

droplets of blood literally absorbing the ghostly energy, rendering the attack useless in its

entirety.

However, just before he could bring his sword around for the kill, a fiery skeleton

pumpkin came soaring towards him; he had just enough time to backstep out of the way, the

scorching heat sucking the oxygen out of the air on its way past. He grimaced, then brought his

blade back to a guard stance and glanced in his partners direction. Tsuiichi, get over there andtake care of them! I cant keep dodging projectiles forever!

A pang of annoyance shot through Tsuiichi, and she immediately drew back at the insult

of being commanded. For a moment, she thought about refusing; then she finally acknowledged

how quick Sine had been to admit his own weakness, and the idea slid from her mind. With

something between a scowl and an excited smile, Tsuiichi leapt into battle.

As fast as she could, she turned and dashed straight for the stone gray door. She didnt

slow her stride in the least as she neared itshe simply lifted her foot high, set it on the wall,

turned her world on its side and raced towards the ceiling. About two thirds of the way up, only

seven feet from the top, she planted both feet on the stone and vaulted off of it as hard as she

could. She flipped through the empty air, up and over the horde of statues below. At the apex of

her jump, she tossed two Buster Grenades up above her. By the time they began their own

descent, shed landed on the ground in a kneeling position, the entire horde of statues between

her and her partner.


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If time had seemed to slow before, it now had truly halted. Hundred-Gun Tsuiichi spun to

face her enemies, lifting one knee into a firing stance as she turned, her muskets already drawn.

She opened fire immediately, drilling accurate shots into the statues. A half-dozen of them

recoiled into the air as Tsuiichi rose to her feet and strode forward, blasting another bullet into

each of them. With no more bullets to fire into the fray, she pushed her muskets back into their

holsters; it appeared that her onslaught had ended, but shed planned too well for that.

The Buster Grenades hit the ground at that exact moment, exploding to each side of the

aerial statues and launching them higher into the air, grouping them together at the same time.

Sliding her Weapon Launcher into firing position, Tsuiichi dashed forward and slid, nocking the

barrel of a flamethrower onto her weapon. When she was directly beneath the group of statues,

she pulled the trigger and engulfed them in a thick cloud of glowing flame. When the blaze

finally disappated, the melting clay remains of the statues fell to the floor, now completely

devoid of life.

Buzzing with adrenaline, Tsuiichi bounced herself back to her feet and turned in Sinesdirection, where chunks of clay still recognizable as statues flew into the air, now stained with

blood. You doing alright over there, Sine? she called, smirking with excitement.

Another several bits of clay flew up above the crowd of enemies before Sinemetu responded.

Im doing just fine over here, he answered, the sound of his panting audible even with the

distance between them. Ill see you in the middle!

Tsuiichi shook her head and smiled, pulling her muskets back out from their holsters and

reloading them. Sine had been right; this was a pretty damn nice warm up.

Part 4

"This isn't good, Sine," Tsuiichi muttered, staring out at the crowd of statues below them,

amassed at the base of an enormous staircase. It hadn't been long since they'd left their earlier

skirmish behind. Long enough to catch their breath--but not enough for Tsuiichi to fix her

jammed weapon launcher.

"I realize that," Sine replied, slowly calculating the situation they'd gotten themselves

into. There were less statues than before, but only just barely. Too many for him to take on by

himself, and the only obstacle keeping them from their prey was an ascent of about a hundred

marble stairs. "How long?"

Tsuiichi glanced over the weapon in her hands, then gazed at the cavernous, circular

room around them; it was either descend the staircase, or suffer a deadly drop to the floor on

either side. The only advantage they had was the high ground, and it wouldn't be enough. "Too

long.Sine, we've got to pull back. Without my launcher, there just isn't much we can do."


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Sine's eyes didn't once leave the crowd below them. "Then we'll do what we can. We're

running out of time." His words carried a kind of personal fear; almost as if it were his own

daughter he was saving. "Do what you want, but you'll waste your breath if you argue. I'm going

in." Tsuiichi didn't even respond, already knowing how futile arguing would be. She watched as

his irises took on a reflective crimson sheen, could see the pink hue on his blade being sucked to

the surface in slick streaks of blood. Then she silently turned her attention back to her launcher

and struggled hastily to remove the jam.

Silently, but with a sense of focused purpose and courage that almost seemed to shock the

statues below, Sinemetu charged headlong down the staircase. With stiff, inhuman urgency they

marched towards him, driving up the sides to flank him. The vanguard of the group consisted of

several Gunners; Sine predicted each and every shot they fired,ducking to either side without

ever once slowing down. As soon as he was within striking distance, he spun gracefully to the

left, drawing the sword in his right hand around in a rising slash that decimated the gunslingers

before him. The motion dropped him several steps lower, and his blade continued moving in

perfectly coordinated strokes, bringing utter destruction upon anything that came within its

reach.

Stupid fucking thing...come on, workalready!

Sine grasped the hilt of his blade with both hands and swung it in tight arcs, dancing back

and forth between stances as he spun to face each new enemy. Cleaving downward to rip through

the chest of a Slayer; a horizontal slash that drew a perfect line across the neck of a Fighter, the

head soaring up and away. His eyes predicted each and every movement of the statues.

Why won't you fire!? Dammit, dammit, dammit!

Everywhere his blade sliced through a foe, the air parted into a vacuum; before it could

return, enchanted scarlet blood rushed in to fill the void, hanging ominously. Steadily, he pushed

the statues away; Tsuiichi froze for a moment to watch the spectacle, immediately noticing the

intricate designs of power being etched into the air.

Justa few morelines. . .There! He finished it!

As soon as he drew the last line, Sinemetu flipped his blade upside-down, grasping it

with his right hand and hefting it high into the air, then tossing it downward, thrusting it

diagonally into the heart of a statue lying at his feet. He threw his arms outward and bellowed,filling the sound with furious, primal strength. A magical shockwave shot forth, forcing the

suspended blades of blood away, ruination tearing through anything and everything around him.

Sheer power enveloped the entire chamber, leaving horrible silence in its wake.

His body suddenly devoid of energy, as if he'd purposefully driven the air from his lungs

and the life from his body, Sine dropped to one knee. His right hand reached out and clutched the


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zanbato for support, the left pressed against his heaving chest--and the remaining dozen statues

strode unsympathetically over shattered clay remains to finish him.

"Sine, down!!"

The shout rang out just before a barking, violent explosion emanated from the apex of thestaircase. Sine reacted immediately, eyes growing wide and breathing becoming more steady. He

drew both arms in to his chest and crossed them, bowing his head as a thin crimson web formed

around him, all the protection he could muster.

Not a heartbeat after the shield went up, Lancer rockets fell to the stairs around him,

striking the ground and detonating. The entire world around him erupted into flames, the

scorching blaze and choking smoke completely enveloping him.

Tsuiichi watched as each of the remaining statues was blown apart, smirking excitedly,

but didn't move once as she watched the stairs below her for any sign of life. Through the thick

gray smoke, she caught glimpses of a dozen crimson lights, the magical life force of the statues,

spiraling inward toward Sine's location.

Sine fell in and out of view as the haze began to clear, and Tsuiichi strode quickly down

the stairs toward him. She eventually found him lying flat on his back on a landing halfway

down. He'd replaced his zanbato in its sheath, and was still trying to catch his breath as he

watched the remnants of flames spiral upward to the ceiling high above.

"Well," he said, a soft chuckle mixed in with his exhausted tone of voice. "That was fun."

Part 5

Bang.

Thats hardly a good reason to stick your neck out like this.

Its good enough for me.

Bang. Bang. Two more shots that cracked like thunder as they smote statues from above like

thunder, fired with nigh inhuman accuracy.

But it isnt your kid.

She isnt yours, either.

Bang-snap. Shot through the heart by a bullet with the tenacity to ricochet off a wall before

delivering its judgment.


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Yeah. But Im getting paid, Tsuiichi responded, teeth clenched in frustration. And your boss

hates you. You said so yourself. He doesnt sound like the sort of person to change his opinion

just because you got bawlsy.

He hates everyone. Better for business that way. He pays me, I live up to his expectations. Out

of the corner of her eye, Tsuiichi could see him, bandaging his last wounds as his bloodmore

than just his life force, the material he depended upon for his protectiontrickled its way back

down the staircase they had worked so hard to ascend, where Tsuiichi stood as she sniped lone

statues that wandered their way into the amphitheater. Besides, even if I die this late in the

game, Im sure youll be able to save her. At which point, my employer would be free to openly

respect mebetter than being a coward and ducking out of the job, in any case.

Bang.

Miss.

Tsuiichi spun on her heels, grasping her muskets tightly. Youre going to get yourselfkilledthis

way, Sine! Nothing matters if youre dead! She gestured wildly with her muskets, eyes blazing

with frustration. God. And I thought you were smarter than all the other psychosHa-hah!

Hrk With a snap, her feet froze in place, immobilized by blood. Sine stood, glaring with hate

behind the crimson tinted lenses of his sunglasses. For a moment, he was silent, the only sound

in the chamber Tsuiichis heavy breathing and the scuffling, screeching shuffle of clay feet

ascending the staircase. Then, with a flourish of his hand, he snapped Tsuiichis feet out from

under her.

Slowly, undaunted by the prospect of being set upon by the approaching foes, Sine made his way

toward Tsuiichi. He stared silently down at her, holding her shaking gazethen he forcefully

thrust his blade into the ground, just inches shy of her head. The action frightened her enough

that she flinched, letting out a restrained cry of fear. He knelt down beside her, close enough to

her face for her to smell the blood.

Dont tell me how to do my job. How to live my life.Ever.

With nothing else to say, he stood, hefted his weapon from the floor, and strode away from his

partner, through the darkened doorway that led deeper into the dungeon. It took Tsuiichi several

moments longer to compose herself, but she did it, rising and returning her guns to their holsters

before she followed after him, frustration still burning in her minda different shadow of it that

she barely understood, but still same enough to wield as a fire.


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Part 6

Damn fool, where did you run off toTsuiichis words, whispers though they were, still

echoed off stone pillars and floors and walls, more than they had any right to. They were

deafening, just like the sounds of her own labored breathing, her rapidly pounding heartbeat

the slow, thudding footsteps of the beast at it stalked the hallway, searching for her, and the sharpclick of the hammer on her musket.

For a moment, the grotesque, faceless stone behemoth stopped, and Tsuiichis heart caught in her

throat, transferring its heavy tremors to her head. Sweat pooled on her brow; her ears rang with

tension.

Come onjusta few more stepsPlease

At last, the beast lumbered forward. Tsuiichi couldnt stop herself from heaving a sigh of

reliefand once again, the footsteps halted. Dammit! she shouted, grasping her musket in both

hands and stepping out from behind the pillar. She adopted a firing stance, took aim at the apex

of the pillar behind the golemwhich bellowed bestially, though it lacked any mouth with

which to do soand squeezed the trigger.

As soon as the bullet left the barrel, she turned and began to scramble away, into the seemingly

endless darkness of the maze of pillars. Before shed gone two steps, there was a soft, rushing

whoosh, followed by the sound of a quantum detonationless bang than gunpowder, but still

enough to ruin the pillar and ceiling, bringing half a ton of granite down upon the massive,

mindless puppet.

The wave of static energy the detonation gave off caught up with her just before it dissipated,sending a tingling exhaustion through her limbs as she ran. Aside from the sounds of rumble

settling, the way behind her was silentat least for the moment, it seemed shed gotten free. But

she still had no idea where her partner was.

Hes bound to be in here somewhere. Hellprobably comelooking for the source of that

explosion.

From somewhere in the distance came another bestial roarfollowed by the frustrated shout of

an enraged, wounded Berzerker.

God dammit!

Tsuiichi took off at an awkward gait, forcing strength back into her legs as she ran. A glance to

either side showed her blood spattered lightly across the pristine marble pillarsshe focused her

thoughts and slowed, retrieving her Launcher and sliding a rotating barrel and a drum of bullets

to the end. With slow, measured steps, she paced forward, eyes piercing the shadows.


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But there wasnt even a hint of warning of the presence of a second golem in the distance before

her, and she barely had t ime to side-step into the next row of pillars as it came charging down

upon her. It continued past her, its hulking mass barely contained between the pillars.

Masking fear with efficiency, Tsuiichi stepped back into the space it had just passed through,

hefting the Launcher and squeezing the trigger. The barrel spun with absurd speed, and thehallways was briefly illuminated with flashes of strobing light as heavy caliber bullets roared

from the gun. Nearly fifty rounds tore into the beasts back from less than ten feet awaybut

even above the incessant buzz of her gun, Tsuiichi could hear the awkward thudding sounds they

made as they struck home.

After several seconds, the drum ran dry, and the cloud of steam that had formed around the

barrel began to dissipateand the only evidence left of the specially designed piercing rounds

upon the puppets body were shallow dents in its back.

Theres no wayjust no way Tsuiichi stood in shock, eyes wide and mouth agape, stillgripping her now useless Launcher. The behemoth roared again, and fear shot through her,

freezing her in place as it began to lumber towards her.

Move, dammit! The sounds barely registered in Tsuiichis mind, but the shock of pain as she

was pushed roughly aside and struck her left shoulder hard upon a pillar did. She gasped,

beginning to breath once more, her heart still thudding as she slumped to the floor, staring up at

Sine. He approached from behind, bloody blade in hand, his eyes locked upon the faceless

mound of living stone. Stay down, out of the way. I can handle this.

Sine

Shut up.

She couldnt help flinching back an inch.

Sines blade was drenched completely in blood, a scarlet coat that brought out the silver cross

carved into the hilt. From the side, Tsuiichi could see his eyes, and the pink hue that had begun

to leak into the corneas. Most Berzerkers would be shaking with bloodlust at this pointbut not

Sine. He just stood with confidence and focus, all of his rage and madness locked into the tense

muscles beneath his skin.

The golem watched, its posture somehow implying confusion, before it grunted and began tolumber slowly toward Sine. He didnt move as it approached. The beast faltered for a moment,

studying himthen, with no regard for the laws of physics, it took one last, blindingly fast step

forward, and stretched its arm forward with unmatchable speed to grasp the Berzerker.

Sine still saw it coming.


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In a flash, his blade swept upward, taking the things hand off at the wrist. Crimson blood began

to seep up its arm, and it warbled in pain. Sine caught the severed hand, still glaring daggers into

the beast as it grasped its arm. He hefted his trophy before him, grasping it tightly. The motion

caught the golems attention, and it watched in silence as Sine crushed it in his grip. The

shattered pieces morphed into scarlet blood that leaked from between his fingers and oozed to

the ground, eliciting another trembling scream from the beast, as though its severed hand could

still feel pain. Sine just watched, his face a mask void of expression.

The puppet continued to bellow and roar, loud and basso sounds that conveyed pain and rage

and also served to mask the swift approach of its partner. Tsuiichi could see it coming, took note

of its hulking mass as it stepped out of the shadows to Sines right side. She knew that there was

no way he could hear her, knew that there was no time for him to get out of the way. She had no

choice but to bear the burning pain in her shoulder and knock a missile launcher to the end of her

gun, take aim, and fire at the beasts head, recoil shoving her spine back into the pillar with

breathtaking force.

The projectile passed the golems own mid-flightthick globs of liquid stone already on their

way toward Sine. The missile was too slowshe had been too latebut it crashed into the

things head all the same, denting it inward and detonating with enough force to render it

headless. The only small mercy was the fact that the explosion had been louder than the bellows

of painSine whipped his head around at the last second, and the stone projectile caught him on

his scalp rather than just above the ear. He shrieked in pain, spinning around to face Tsuiichi. His

sunglasses had been knocked from his face, and the crimson in his eyes grew deeper as he

clutched his palm over one eye. The stone on his head grew larger, spreading over the right side

of his face and petrifying it, leaving only his scarlet eye visible beneath a gray mask.

Merciless beast that it was, the golem he had wounded swung its crippled arm at his chest,

knocking him over. His blade clattered to the ground, echoing in the sudden silence as the

puppets watched him twitch in pain. For several moments longer, his body spasmed in pain, then

finally went still.

SiSine?

Go on.

Wh-what!?

Head on into the next room. Ill be there soon.

What, youre going to fight both these things alone!? Thats suicide!

He didnt respond. He only struggled to his feet, grasping the hilt of his zanbato and using it for

support. His eyes had taken on a luminescence of their own, and they reflected against the

centimeter-deep pool of blood that covered the immediate area. With his free hand, he clutched


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at his neck, ripping a necklace from it and tossing it at Tsuiichi. She caught it, clumsily, and

when she looked back up, hed pulled a second, shorter weapon from his waist. Get clear and

give me three minutes.

Sine, theres no way you can

The blood at his feet began to boil and hiss.

Just go, would you?

She could hear the pain and anxiety in his voiceit was there in spades, and his words trembled

with effort. But she also took note of the strength, the rage, the hungerit flowed up from deep

in his chest, threatening to overflow. She hesitated, just for a single moment longer, before

struggling to her feet and hobbling away, as quickly as she could. She could hear him behind

herlaughing softly to himself. She struggled onward, but her legs steadily gave out beneath

her. With a grunt of pain, she settled down once more against a pillar, facing back the way she

came. She was just close enough to see the look on his face, illuminated by his eyespsychosis

threatened to wash over his mind.

He stood, perfectly still, for just another few secondsthen the behemoths roared and set upon

him at the same time, and he flashed to the side. The world went dark for an instant, a

heartbeatjust long enough for Tsuiichi to notice that the already dim lights in the cavernous

room had grown dimmer, and cast a crimson shade of their own. Then, with a cackling giggle,

Sinemetu struck.

Numerous thick, crescent-shaped strokes of luminescent blood lit the area Tsuiichi had last seen

him, manifesting and vanishing in an instant as they tore into the golems. They bellowed indistress, sounds that were renewed every other second as another blade injected boiling blood

deep into their bodies. The carnage lasted for almost half a minute, and Sine cackled endlessly

then, as suddenly as it had begun, it stopped.

Tsuiichi could see the crippled forms of the puppetsone kneeling, supported by its only

remaining arm, the other slumped against a pillar. They both glowed dimly, causing shadows to

dance over the scenethen Sine strode forth. His glowing eyes were still the brightest source of

light, though his weapons appeared to be coated in bloody flame as well, cast out to either side.

He silently slid the cudgel back into its sheath, and then rested his zanbato upon his shoulder.

Gradually, the light upon it dimmed to nothing, only visible by the light of his eyes reflectedupon its silver cross. The eyes were the only source of light remaining until, breathing heavily,

Sine shut them.

Darkness fell, and the only sound to be heard was Sines breathingwhich grew louder, and

louder, twisted into manic laughter, and was suddenly accompanied by the sizzling of hot blood.

Then the world flashed in blinding crimson hues, lighting the entire chamber as Sines laughter


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grew louder and louder, instilled with far more madness than any man should be able to fit into a

single breath. The entire scene grew too bright for Tsuiichi to see anything within, veiled by

crimson light as it was. Finding somewhere within her the strength to continue onward, she rose

again and staggered her way out of the chamber, Sines mad laughter always close on her heels

and the beads upon the necklace clutched in her fist glowing dimly with a pure, stagnant sky blue

light.

Part 7

Hey.

Dragged back to reality by the sudden noise, Tsuiichi flinched, hard enough to knock her head

against the stone wall behind her. She gasped, rubbing her scalp, the motion enough to send a

renewed pang of intense discomfort through her wounded shoulder. Out of the corner of her eye,

she could see Sine, standing far enough behind the wall to avoid being scrutinized, and she

realized she had no way of knowing how much time had passed. She had eventually been able toignore the sounds coming from the room behind herbut shed apparently been so far gone, she

hadnt even been able to hear Sines approach.

The necklace, Sine spat impatiently, and this time Tsuiichi could hear the growling undertones

that laced his words. She hesitated for a moment, startledthen hastily grasped the blue

necklace from where it lay beside her, throwing it clumsily to the ground near Sines feet. She

could hear him grunt in pain as he bent to pick it up, and listened nervously as he set it back

around his neck, heartbeat racing. Over time, she could hear him bring his ragged breathing back

under control, the rhythm of her own heart slowing gradually. Eventually, the small passageway

grew silent once more.

Hows your shoulder? Tsuiichi could easily tell that he was back to normal; short of anything

else, he at least sounded human again. Can you still use that arm?

Tsuiichis left shoulder twitched in response to the question, but she was able to lift her arm and

move it with only moderate discomfort. Yeah.Its fine for now. She rotated her shoulder in

discomfort, wincing every second or so as she brought it around full-circle, but the pain lessened

with each rotation. Hows your head? You took a pretty nasty hit. He was silent for a moment,

and out of the corner of her eye Tsuiichi could see his shadow moving as he lifted his hand to

touch the spot just above his right eye where hed been struck. He sucked in a hissing breath of

pain, his heels clicking on the marble floor as he staggered back a few steps.

Its alright, he responded after another short moment. Ive got a pretty nasty bruise and a

terrible headache, but Ill manage. He chuckled to himself, and though the laughter sounded

entirely human once more, Tsuiichi still had to fight back the urge to flinch again. It was the

strangest feeling. Didnt really hurt that bad, but it really weighed me down. Not exactly

something Id like to experience again. He was silent for a few seconds, and Tsuiichi could tell


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he was running thoughts carefully through his mind. Were almost there, you know. This is the

last chamber. Tsuiichi just slowly nodded several times in acknowledgment. No sense in

giving up when were this close to the end.

The insinuation hit Tsuiichi like a suckerpunch to the stomach, and her eyes widened in surprise,

mouth dropping open in rage. She spun to glare at Sine, rising to her feet and clenching herhands into fists along the way. You think I was planning to duck out now? That I was just

gonna run off and leave you here, all because of my stupid shoulder? Her golden eyes were hot

with rage, and she continued to stare off into space. Eventually, he started to laugh again. This

time, Tsuiichi could really see the life in it, could tell for sure that he was back to the same

eccentric man he had been before. It was immediately simple to differentiate from his laughter,

and the sickening cackle from before.

I know you wouldnt. If I really thought youd do it, I wouldve told you to go myself. He

cocked his head to glance at Tsuiichi, all traces of scarlet veiled away once more by dark amber

brown. Besides. Youre Hundred-Gun Tsuiichi. Youre hardly the kind to leave a jobunfinished.

Coming from anyone else, it wouldve sounded like an insult. Coming from Sinemetu, it just

seemed honest and respectfulwhich still stung Tsuiichis pride a bit, seeing as shed been the

one to stagger away while Sine did all the work in the previous room. All the same, she tried to

take it for the compliment it was. Of course not. Theres a kid in there who needs saving. And

once you do that, I can collect my fee. She held eye contact with him, her confidence returning

as her mouth slipped into a wicked grin. So. One last room, huh?

Yeah. This is it. Sine turned to stare down the dark hallway before them, expression veilingover once more as he though about what lay ahead. Its gonna be rough in there. No telling what

well be up against.

Yup.Tsuiichis gaze fell upon the darkened doorway as well, and the grin slid slowly from her

face. Silence fell over the small room, persisted for almost a full minute; then: You ready?

Hell yeah I am.

Then lets go.

With grace, Tsuiichi slid her arms down to brush her sides, pulling her guns from their holsters

and flipping the safety catches in one fluid motion, before stepping forward and setting off

through the doorway. Behind her, she could hear the elegant, ringing screech of a blade being

pulled from its sheath, and Sines footsteps fell in next to her own as they made their way into

the darkness.


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Part 8

So this is the best you could do, huh?

Sines words echoed endlessly around the massive amphitheater, reaching out over the hordes of

statues and spiraling up and away toward the impossibly high glass ceiling. They were met withsilence; none of the statues moved in response. They were everywherelining the balcony that

circled the entire chamber, standing as though frozen in place as they ascended and descended

stairs, and scattered about the ballroom floor below, an incredibly immense sea of statues.

All in all, there mustve been close to two hundred of them.

Is this really all youve got left? After everything you threw at us, I was expecting something a

bit more grandiose. Sine was grinning sadistically, teeth bared, zanbato resting on his right

shoulder. I have to say, Im quite disappointed in you, Brennan. Wherever your scrawny ass is

hidingprobably already turned tail and run. What do you think, Tsuiichi?

She grinned, but was generally more serious about the whole ordeal than he was, eyes shifting

constantly to watch for any signs of movement. I appreciate the confidence, but we are talking

about a lot of enemies here, Sine, She responded, keeping her voice much quieter as she

continued her constant sweep of the room. Howre we gonna play this one?

His grin grew yet more massive, almost frighteningly tenacious. We freestyle, I suppose. Seems

to be your specialty, and, well, Im just too good to be believed. Aint that right, fellas? At last,

a response; the circular ballroom filled with unpleasant, lifeless sounds as the statues shook

themselves to life all around them. Sines grin never faded, but the fire in his eyes immediately

focused. You ready?

Definitely.

Good. Eyes still locked on the flight of stairs before them, Sine withdrew his cudgel from his

belt, wielding it and his zanbato in the most menacing way possible, giving the impression that

they were less weapons than they were instruments of death. Runnels of scarlet blood ran down

them, and they began to cast off a faint crimson light once more. Ill be a gentleman and let you

make the first move.

Tsuiichi grimaced. How kind of you.Asshole. Grasping tight to the handles of her muskets, she

inhaled deeply, bracing her muscles for the fight. Left.

Right?

Tsuiichi nodded, turning to set her back against his.

On your mark.


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Set?

Sine nodded.

Mark!

With more speed and grace than seemed possible, the two spun about one another, then dashed

apart, racing along opposite sides of the balcony at the same breakneck pace. Statues turned to

face them with ten times more speed than they had displayed in previous battlesbut stood no

chance against Tsuiichi and Sinemetu. A gunner that lifted its gun to fire upon Tsuiichi had its

hand blown off as she neared, then side-stepped and spun to bring her other musket up to its

chinbang. She swept out with her leg, knocking the lifeless corpse off balance, then grasped it

by the arm, completing her rotation as she hurled the statue toward the opposite end of the

balcony.

Without taking his eyes off the statue before him, Sine tossed his bludgeon straight up into the

air, then threw his arm out to the side and snared the flying corpse with a lasso of blood. His fist

flew across the face of the statue before him in a left hook, bringing the bound corpse crashing

into the others behind it. Too good to miss a beat, Sine raced over the ruined statues before him,

grasping his missing weapon out of the air and bringing it down into the shoulder of yet another

foe. It staggered to the side, and he swept upward with a two-handed swing of his zanbato,

cleaving the statue in half diagonally from the waist up; he then reached for the cudgel with his

left hand as his momentum carried him around in a spin, then ducked between the statue and the

wall, shoving its teetering remains off the edge of the balcony as he continued onward to face his

next foe.

Bang-bang, bang-bang. Bang.

Four more shots in rapid succession, two from each musket, then the executionand another

statue fell lifelessly to be washed away amidst the flowing, shifting sea of stone below. With

three more statues lined up before her, Tsuiichi grinned wickedly, thankful for such good luck. In

a flash, she swung her launcher to bear, loading a Steyr missile to the front and taking quick aim

before letting loose. The recoil pushed her back several feet, dangerously close to the edgebut

she recovered quick enough to follow through with the strike. The missile had left different

wounds on each of the statuesthe first had lost an arm, the second its head, and the third the

spot in its chest where its heart would bebut they were all still standing, and the shorter statue

in front used its one remaining arm to toss a bolt of lightning toward Tsuiichi. The danger never

shook the focused expression on Tsuiichis face as she closed the distance between herself and

the deadly projectile. At the last moment, she fell into a slide, then wrapped her lower legs

around the statues foot. With the last of her momentum, she flipped herself over into a

handstand, carrying her foe with her and releasing it toward the other two statuesthen

springing off the ground and launching clear over them, pouring bullets into the tangled mess of

statues along the way.


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She hit the ground hard, catching herself with one knee and a single palm to the floor of the

balcony. Before her, plenty more statues still waitedbehind, exactly half of the balcony had

already been cleared. Sine, down! she yelled, panting heavily. She then slid one musket back

into its holster and pulled several Buster grenades from her belt, which she threw behind her over

the edge of the balcony.

Clear on the other side of the room, halfway along the balcony as well, Sinemetu responded

immediatelyhe finished the statue before him with a crimson spear of blood through its chest,

then sheathed his cudgel and turned toward the ledge of the balcony, the blade of his

zanbatofacing downward as he grasped the hilt with both hands. With a vicious bellow, he leapt

from the balcony, trailed by a scarlet aura that grew more intense as he fell to the ballroom floor

below. At last, he touched down, driving the blade deep into the marble floorand sending up a

shockwave of blood before him, clearing a good thirty feet of statues.

At the exact moment hed jumped, Tsuiichi had tipped backwards over the edge of the balcony,

both hands grasping the single musket directly above her head. In the split second she drewparallel to the floor, she fireda single bullet that pierced through all three grenades at the same

time, detonating them and clearing a path to the center. She could see Sine, at the opposite end of

the amphitheater, as he touched downthen she flipped onto her feet and hit the ground,

immediately holstering her gun and turning to sprint along the already closing pathway toward

the center of room.

At the last moment, she turned and set her launcher before her, the heavy barrel of a

flamethrower already attached to the end. Her momentum gave out the moment she felt her back

touch against Sines, and she could feel his body tremble as he inhaled and exhaled, heart

pounding just as rapidly as her own. Having fun? she asked through heavy breaths, eyesintently focused on the statues that closed in around them.

More than I have in ages, he replied, still holding tight to the hilt of his zanbato with both of

his hands. Weve still got a long ways to go. Tsuiichi chuckled dryly in response. Sure you

dont want to back out?

She laughed again, more lively this time. Not for the world, Sine. Not for the world.

Good. Then lets give em Hell.

They acted in unison, letting loose a cry of fire and hate as they spun about an axis, letting loosewith scorching napalm and seething blood, layered over one another again and again, forming a

vicious twister that literally dissolved the statues around them. When at last Tsuiichis

flamethrower had run dry and Sines blade had been sucked clean of blood, the floor around

them had been scorched to a shining, pearlescent white and layered over with a soft sheen of

pinkand all the space around them, a full forty feet in every direction, had been cleared of

statues.


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Nonetheless, at least two thirds of the army yet remained; with all that effort, theyd barely

managed to make a dent.

Guess weve got a ways to go still, huh, Tsuiichi?

Looks like it.

How many bullets do you have left, anyway?

Enough. Youll run yourself clear of blood before I even have to stop and count.

Heh. Not likely.

Well then I suppose theres no reason to stand here and talk about it, is there?

Good point.

Tsuiichi smirked once more. Ready?

Always am, baby.

The smile disappeared instantly

Oh. Uhsorry. Sorry about that. Shouldnt have said that.

But it wasnt gone long.

Dumbass. Shut up and dance.

Without another breath wasted on words, Sinemetu and Hundred-Gun Tsuiichi stepped apartfrom one another, turned their attentions on the statues closing in around them once more, and

wielded their weapons and their skills with the practiced prowess of Reapers of Death himself,

steadily tearing holes in the seemingly endless army that surrounded them.

Part 9

Cmon, Brennan. Give it up. Youve lost.

Not a chance in Hell, the tall, slender man replied, staring down the barrel of Tsuiichis gun as

a dozen of his statues closed in around her. Do you really think that all I ever had to throw at

you were numbers? He grinned, blue lips peeling back atop white teeth. I assure you, Im the

one with the upper hand here. His smile grew even more vicious, and the ring of statues closed

in even more. And Im not giving you the option to surrender.

Tsuiichi grimaced, eyes flashing back and forth around the crowd of statues. Sine was clear on

the other side of the room, finishing off the last few statuesall of which stood between the two


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of them. Sine! Hey, over here! Hes overgah! She barely managed to step out of the way of

a storm of bullets, turning to fire in return, shattering a statue to dust.

Hrm. Played like a fool. With a flourish, Brennan swept his hand upward, palm facing toward

the sky, and a stalagmite rose from the ground near Tsuiichis feet. It tore into her left side, and

she gasped sharply in pain as it drew blood. Almost instantaneously, the gushing blood turned tostone, toppling Tsuiichi to her side in pain, barely able to breathe.

Tsuiichi! Hey! Get away from her! Tsuiichi could see scarlet arcs of blood dance around the

crowd of statues, turning several of them to dust. Then her vision grew blurry, right along with

her thoughts, and her eyes began to squeeze themselves shutand her world faded to black, with

Sines voice and Brennans laughter ringing in her ears.

Dammit. It would happen like this

Pain. Hot, fiery pain, spread all over the left side of her body.

Of all the things that could happenBrennan, you son of a bitch

With the pain growing ever more pronounced, other sensations gradually began to spread

throughout Tsuiichis body. Still mostly painbut more than that all the same. With a groan, she

tried to sit up, using the right half of her body for support.

Oh, good. Youre awake. Hey, listen. You know that thing I said about running out of blood?

Tsuiichi just sat on the ground, staring at her companion, trying to focus her thoughts.

Yeah, so, uh, apparently itspossible. I meanlook, this is all Ive got left.

With her mind finally congealed enough to think, Tsuiichi finally noticed the scene before her.

Sine had his left arm outstretched, palm facing out, and a scarlet twister of blood was spiraling in

toward it, emanating a harsh whooshing sound and emitting a vermillion luminescence.

Suspended in the trap were the last few remaining statues, struggling soundlessly and robotically

for escapealong with Brennans lifeless body, hanging limp at the end.

I cant hold this for much longer, anditll take everything I have left to finish them off. The

blade of his zanbato hung low to the ground, the streaks of blood running thin. Guess I got a

little too recklesslisten, you remember what I said earlier? About thethe possibility of me

dying out here?


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Tsuiichi said nothing; just fought to rise to her feet, struggling against the immense pain that

infused the left half of her torso.

Well, I guess it was a little more likely than Id realized. Anyway, the point is, we did it.

Together. The girl is just up those stairs over there. The strain on his face was becoming

obvious. You can go in there and save her, get her out of here. Take her back to my boss, collectthe reward

At last, Tsuiichi managed to push herself into a vertical position; she bent down low to retrieve

her launcher from the ground, wincing silently in pain as she did.

When you find her, tell herjust make sure she knows I was here. That I made it this far, that I

tried to save her. Shell listen to what you say, I guarantee it.

Tsuiichis only response was to knock a thick glass barrel to the end of her launcher.

Andwalk her around the balcony when you come back through, okay? Idont want her tosee meyou know, de

You know what your problem is, Sine?

Huh?

You talk too much. You care too much. Most Berzerkers wouldnt give a damn about anyone

else. And honestly, I think it makes more sense that way.

Tsuiichi

You take everything everyone around you says to heart. Their opinions, their happiness matters

to you. Youre the least selfish, most respectable Berzerker I have met in my entire life.

With another grunt of effort, Tsuiichi hefted her launcher onto Sines right shoulder, squeezing

down hard on the trigger. Lavender light began to swirl inward toward the end of the barrel,

followed by pearly white refracted light spun with sky blue undertones that gave the gun an

otherworldly glow.

Thats whats wrong with you, Sine. Thats what your problem is.

With a sharp click, light stopped flowing into the end of the barrel, and several attachments slid

out of either side, including cooling fans and a targeting reticule.

Youre too goddamn sentimental.

Without another word, Tsuiichi released the trigger on the barrel, and a white hot beam of light,

melded of blue, white and lavender, immediately shot from the rifle, easily ten inches in

diameter. It pierced through all of the statues, shattering them, doing the same to Brennans


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unconscious body. The recoil sent both Tsuiichi and Sine flying backward, end over end, as a

white flash of light completely enveloped the room, a heavy, metallicshingechoing around the

ballroom.

Part 10

No way! Of all the people who couldve come and saved me, I get rescued byHundred-Gun

Tsuiichi!? Oh, god, this is the greatest day of my life!

Sine grimaced nauseously. Well you seem to be in high spirits, Lorelei. Good to see youre

unharmed.

The young girl scrunched up her face in disgust upon seeing Sine limp into the room. Oh, and

youre here. My dad sent you, I guess? Gah. Worst babysitter ever It didnt take long for her

to turn her attention back to Tsuiichi. I seriously cant believe youre here, though! Youre the

coolest person ever!

Tsuiichi didnt seem anywhere near excited about the entire situation. Um.Right. Sure, kid.

She shot Sine a look filled with malice; he just shrugged and shook his head, but she could tell he

was grinning regardless. Well, whatever. Look, lets just get you home, okay? She turned her

back on the girl, heading back out of the chamber. Its about damn time I got paid

But I dont wanna go back home! Tsuiichi could sense the sorrow written across the girls face

without even looking at her. Its not like Dad ever pays attention to me these days anyway. Hell,

he never did. Im old enough to be out on my own, anyway

A pang of sadness shot through Tsuiichis heart without any form or warning. She stole a glance

at Sine, walking beside herbut he just turned his head away, completely hiding the expression

on his face. Well, whatever. Well talk about it when we get back. So long as somebody pays

meeither way, Im tired. I just wanna get home. Alright with you, kid?

Once again, Tsuiichi could sense the turn in Loreleis mood with little effort. Yeah, sure! God, I

still cant believe I get to meet you, Tsuiichi! Oh, man, I wish I couldve seen all the fighting you

did. Look at all these statues!

Tsuiichi sighed heavily, hanging her head in resignation.

You know, Tsuiichi, Sine responded, a tone of sick enjoyment leaking into his words. Maybeyou really shouldve backed out when you had the chance.

Her only response was to pull the last grenade from her belt, snap the pin and toss it aside, and

hurl it back over her shoulder, right into Sines hands.

Wahahh!Gah! He hurriedly tossed it off into the darkness of the ballroom around them. It

detonated all alone in the distance behind them, a throaty, disembodied bang.What the hell


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would you do that for!? That couldve killed me! Tsuiichi remained silent, walking back

through the darkened doorway that led out of the dungeon.

Hah! Serves you right, asshole! Lorelei jeered, laughing. Maybe next time you wont be such

a stuck-up prick! Whah-hey! Wait up, Tsuiichi!

Tsuiichi sighed, shaking her head. She was still a long ways from home, and at this rate, she

might not even get paid for the job. All the same, things couldve been a lot worse. She had to

admit to herself that if it werent for Sines help, she probably couldnt have gotten through it all

alive

Of course, she didnt have to tell him that.

Too Sentimental

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