(Reverence 3, 59 / 12:15AM)

(Luke’s Group)

Only the sound of bullets and gunfire grazed against all three of their ears.

With only the blue shielded barrier giving them a breath of sanity, the three of them felt each whistle that narrowly hit the tip of their heads. As Miles held his hands onto the center of the shield, bits of sweat rolled down his nose and cheek, the gravel being quenched with the delight of any water that came.

And to the left of the shield covering Hope, followed by the right of the shield covering Luke.

(Luke’s thoughts) Just how much longer can we take!?

Barely glancing from the top of the shield, a platoon of guards wielding Thompson and carbine rifles continued their display of raining bullets. Still wielding just his dual-wielding uzis, Luke raised his right hand as he then blind fired at the crowd of guards that only shot back.

Unlike the undead that just rushed like their lives depended on it, the Zirarge guards took position behind anything that may cover their body but not their head. Yet despite this, not a single one has gotten shot.

Hope, who also blindfired the same as Luke, glanced underneath to see the shield flicker its strong comforting light for a split second.

(Hope’s thoughts) How much longer can Miles go for…

The fields continued to burn to the left of them, some of the smoke and embers started to overlay the three of them.

Despite the many sniper shots piercing the air in hopes of support, it was more or less blindsided as the covering smoke clogged Jack’s view of the guards on the ground. The signal only just backfired, Jack looked down onto the dead grass that covered the top of his ankles.

(Jack’s thoughts) And just how much longer is my luck going to be doodoo…

In front of the group of Zirarge guards, the leader of them stood out in the open without a shred of decency to take cover. Still wielding his trench gun with both of his hands, the man placed it along his shoulder as the barrel aimed straight up at the sky.

A couple of guards were right by him, one of the men placed his hand on his left shoulder.

(Zirardge Guard#1) Sir! Please recommend taking cover!

(???) How about I advise trying to surround them boy? As long as those three are fighting back, I don’t want to hear any complaints!

(Zirardge Guard #2) Y-Yes sir…

With the flames of the burning garlic crops to the right of him, Luke took a one-second glance to look at the leader who just stood in the center of it all.

In that one second, an Oscar-worthy shot was captured.

The flames reaching up high in the sky, along with his guards raining down their bullets onto them, the man straightened his back as not even a bullet grazed him. The man making that one-second eye contact, his daggered and sleepless eyes looked deep into Luke’s pushed-up eyes.

As the second passed, Luke placed his head back to cover, tinnitus starting to take grip of his ears that couldn’t deal with the strain of more bullets.

(Luke’s thoughts) There’s gotta be more to this… And also…

Previously, Jack shot the man in his shoulder, which gave them a headstart in building an improved defense. But as if the bullet never happened, the man stood by business, with a large amount of dry blood drenching his right sleeve.

Unable to look up at the cloudy sky, Luke only just stared into the gravel road that his feet were pointed towards. Unable to tell what lay truly beyond the smoke and burning air, dust and the smell of burnt garlic just clogged his airways as he just sat on top of the gravel.

But his body felt rumbling.

Rumbling that soon perked Miles’s head upward, trying to glance from behind him. Hope doing the same, she pointed her weapon straight at the fog of dust and smoke that was on the opposite end of the guards that they were being shot at.

More rumbling was felt.

(Luke) What … the … f—

A battalion of green donkeys came out from the burning fog.

Riding along those donkeys were none other than men and women who wore brown outdoor jackets, wielding nothing but Thompson guns with their primary hands. As they held onto the reins with their other hand, the leader of the group was a middle-aged woman with dark purple hair.

Her hair swaying in the wind, she raised up her right hand that held her Thompson with, pointing the barrel straight toward the cloudy sky.

(Iris) CHARGE!!

Then came the shouts of many men and women in unison, their yells managing to deafen the battle as even bullets didn’t unload them. Along with many of the guards taking a step back, even the leader of the Zirardges scrunched up his face, his mustache soon freckling in a fit of rage.

Pointing his finger at the dark purple-haired woman riding the donkey, he dug his heels into the gravel while digging his gun onto his shoulder. Straightening his back, the rest of the trembling soldiers who saw him still standing soon began to widen their eyes in awe.

The leader shot out his trench gun up in the air, getting all of his guard’s attention.

(???) I SAID FIGHT GOD DAMN IT!!!

Like the snap of an alligator turtle, every Zirardge soldier yelled out together, rushing the Pacithiests head-on.

The dark purple-haired woman soon stopped right where Luke and the other two were pinned down, getting off her green donkey as she set foot on the hard gravel. As the rest of the soldiers charged headfirst, the clamps of the donkey's hooves created a fog of dust that blocked the guards from catching a glimpse of Luke and his members.

Looking up at the woman, Luke placed the back of his head onto the softly flickering blue shield wall.

(Luke) I thought the Pacithiests didn’t want any part in this.

(Iris) One of our soldiers decided to go on his own and try to be in your strike force.

(Miles) If you’re talking about Chris, he’s on the southern part of the ranch.

(Iris) Not to worry, his siblings have gone to that location. As my father said, any friend of David’s is a friend to us.

Letting out a soft smile, the many downpours of bullets coming from the other end of the road continued with Hope covering her ears from the noise. Looking toward the battle ensuing, many of the Pacithiests that sprayed their bullets managed to shoot and tear a good amount of guards that only rushed.

Blood littered the gravel road, and cries from the guards rocked the air as they ran past the leader who still wielded his trench gun. Running straight to the ranch house, some of them dropped their weapons as they fled, with some tumbling as some of the donkey’s hooves crashed down onto them like dirt.

Luke looked downward as he let out a dry cough.

Both metal grips of his guns creaked from the pressure that he bestowed on them, the entirety of his right eye was blocked by his right side bang.

(Luke’s thoughts) We were biting off more than we could chew. How can one decoy strategy lead up to this…

The leader just stood with his trench gun now facing the large group of green donkeys.

Leaving his trench gun down to his thigh, the leader only extended his left hand, his fat palm being showcased. The barrel of his gun pointed down to the ground, not even the ashes and sparks of burnt garlic burned or pinched his cheeks or clothes.

As someone from behind walked up to him.

(???) That long in the shower Betty?

(Betty) I had to moisturize my hair, Doug.

(Doug) I guess that answer’s fine dear.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

The woman next to him was only a couple of years older than he was, her short hair barely covering the bottom of her ears. Having light blonde hair, bits of white were wrinkled onto both ends of where her temples were. As well as wearing a black summer dress, her skirt reached down to where her ankles were, with her forearms and main arms being revealed to the world.

Wearing turquoise-colored boots the same as the man next to her, she was a couple of inches shorter than Hope.

Extending both of her hands out, her wrinkled fingers and saggy palms were also shown to the group of riding Pacithiests. Spreading both of her feet apart, she closed her eyes while spitting out the tobacco that rummaged inside of her mouth.

(Betty) Unsight.

The soldiers that were merely inches away from gunning down the two enemies—

Every single one of them rode past them.

Continuing to ride straight to the ranch house, even Iris and Luke’s group all stood by and watched as the rest of them aimlessly rode with their heads looking in every direction. Noticing that every single one of them had their eyes still opened, they all seemed relatively normal or uninjured.

But their bodies shook relentlessly, as most of them started to slow down their riding, with the hooves of the donkeys skidding on the road.

(Pacithiest Soldier #1) W-Where are we?!

(Pacithiest Soldier #2) I can’t see! I can’t see!

(Pacithiest Soldier #3) What did that witch do!?

(Pacithiest Soldier #4) She must’ve put us in the dark or something!?

With the large group of Pacithiest soldiers narrowly in the back of the ranch house, fighting wasn’t going to help them as they were seemingly left in the dark. Doug and Betty, who only smirked, turned their heads back to the main group.

Still having the barrel of the trench gun aiming at Luke, the two of them begin to walk, their boots kicking off burnt crops that have formed and nestled into charcoal balls. Wiping away a heap of sweat from his forehead, Luke remained still as he also locked eyes on the man with the bushy turquoise mustache.

(Luke’s thoughts) What did that woman do? Does she have a blessing or a curse that we don’t know about?

Stopping halfway from where they were, Betty began to extend both of her hands outward again, leading Luke and the others to cover their eyes with their hands. Blocking their vision, they all nestled down onto the flickering bluish shield that began to weaken, as Miles began to sweat more and more from the strain of keeping it up.

Hearing a loud click and reload, the sound of a gunshot swept the air like a tidal wave.

Hope, who was the only one to open her eyes, looked over to see where the shot landed—

Miles’s left shoulder had a large hole.

Blood soon spurted out from the wound, while Miles’s left arm was dangling from a thread while pushing himself onto the road. Clenching his jaw shut, his eyes widened with a red strain that made it seem his eyes were going to pop out. Hope hovering her hands toward him, a cruel demented scream shook inside of his body, not letting it see the light of day.

(Betty) One fell for it.

Barely touching the wound that left Miles’s left swinging back and forth, Hope soon saw nothing but darkness.

Not allowing herself to breathe, she felt the blood trickle down onto her hands and fingers that were Miles’s, her nails soon being showered by the reddish liquid.

(Hope) Ah … I can’t see … I can’t see!

(Luke’s thoughts) Oh no…

Scrunching up his face, Luke stood up and he soon ran toward the two of them with his hand extending outward. Her ears perked up, Iris extended her hand to the young man who jumped up, with her knees on the verge of lifting herself off the ground. All the while she had her eyes closed.

(Iris) No Fenix, you can’t go!

As soon as Luke opened his eyes, his vision perceived the river of blood that flowed out of Miles’s shoulder. Seeing Hope having her breath broken into a hard pant, her chest went up and down to the rapid beating of her heart.

In that instant, blindness also came for Luke as well.

Then came the gunshot.

His nose trickled with a mysterious liquid, his head felt light as he dropped to his knees. His kneecaps being grated by the gravel road below, he then let his body thump itself down onto the road, letting bits of pebble and rock seep into his collar and sh—

______________________________________________________________________________

(Iris) No Fenix, you can’t go!

(Luke’s thoughts) Wait…

Still having his eyes covered, Luke immediately dropped his knees to the ground, instantly feeling the hard gravel road that he was accustomed to.

His breath trapped in his lungs, not a trace of air came out from his nostrils, his throat parched from just simply not swallowing. Having his head lower than the bluish shield that protected them, Luke didn’t dare take a peep as he remembered the middle-aged woman with the blinding power.

(Luke’s thoughts) Why does it feel like … is this part of my blessing? I’ll try to come up with a conclusion later.

Feeling a firm hand clamp down onto his left shoulder, a warm breath soon molested his ear. Perking his ear upward, he also puckered up his lips while stiffening his body as someone’s chest grazed his upper back.

Causing his face to turn a slightly bright red.

(Iris) Do you have anything at your disposal, Fenix?

(Luke) Uh … I-I-I don’t know…

(Iris) Any gadgets that can be of use?

Trying to ignore the chest that grazed onto his back, Luke swayed his head back and forth as he looked down to the ground with closed eyes. Hearing the sounds of footsteps already creeping in, Luke moved his face to the direction of where Iris faced him.

Placing both of his palms on the road, he then cleared his throat, his face and hers merely inches from each other.

(Luke) I have something that I could use, but promise that you’ll be ready for it.

(Iris) I could handle anything.

Lifting up his hand, Luke then placed it inside his leather jacket, his knuckles being bruised by the many other metallic junk that he had inside. Grabbing a metallic device hidden inside of his pockets, Luke hovered his thumb onto a red button that was mantled on the top.

(Luke’s thoughts) Didn’t say I didn’t warn you.

Which released a plume of expanding smoke.

The force of the plume caused them to slam their backs against the barrier, every inch of their body that had loose clothing soon collected a vast amount of unfiltered ash. Opening their eyes, smoke molested down onto their windpipes, making them cough out whatever liquid that situated in their lungs. Mucus and saliva littered the gravel road, most of their nostrils began to bleed out as the taste of iron and metal caressed their upper lips.

(Iris) cough cough … What was that!?

(Luke) It’s the opposite … cough cough … of a dust sweeper. It creates a plume of smoke.

(Iris) I hope that … cough cough … makes it so that woman don't blind us.

Standing up, Luke barely noticed the barely conscious Miles who still had his right hand on the center of the road. His eyes flickered like he was possessed, the stream of blood from his shoulder began to cease as Hope managed to sew his arm with her heavenly light.

Sweat drenched her neck and throat, her breath began to fasten as 75% of Miles’s arm was sown.

Turning his head toward where the two Zirardges were originally positioned, Luke aimed down his Uzi onto the melancholic smoke that partially dented his vision. Iris, who only wielded a simple Thompson with her right hand, aimed it along with Luke.

A reverb service bell dings yet again.

(Luke’s thoughts) Now I can sense it.

In just a split second, Luke pushed his heels to jump to the left, just as a trench gun gunshot pierced the right of him.

Aiming his gun in the direction of the gunshot, Luke caressed the finger on the stinging trigger, sending a mag of bullets in the said direction. While he lept to the left, he got out of the zone of the smoke, seeing in front of him two angry-looking middle-aged people. Their faces wrinkled and scrounged up, the barrel of Doug’s trench gun immediately aimed at Luke.

(Doug) There you are!

Shooting another round of bullets, Luke sprinted with the continuing flames from only a foot to the left of him shining his skin. Pointing both of his uzis onto Doug, he then only returned the exchange as another mag of bullets came forth from his weapons.

But there was also the woman who extended both of her palms forward. Unlike last time, Luke closed his eyes.

Like riding a tumultuous rollercoaster in pitch black, the piercing wave of bullets grazing his skin and clothes was only felt. All hairs of his body seemingly sticking up in unison, Luke stopped as his blessing told him to do, with another bullet grazing the tip of his nose.

All of this happened in the span of only 3 to 4 seconds.

(Doug) All those rumors about you are starting to come true…

Reloading his trench gun, all of his attention was on the wooden yet metallic gun that he wielded, as it released a chamber of used bullets. Placing buckshot bullets into the chamber, Doug aimed down his sights on the—

A tsunami of bullets pierced the air.

Tilting his head upward, the trench gun that he wielded with both of his chubby hands soon dropped to the floor. The entirety of his chest, stomach, lower stomach, and crotch were pulverized by lead, blood soon escaped from dozens of holes that formed along the wounds that he was dealt with. With the bullets ceasing their fire show, Doug finally collapsed with both of his knees scraping against the pebbles that cut upon his thin layer of brown-colored khaki pants.

And from out of the now loose smoke, was a dark purple-haired woman holding a thompson, her frown and glare as cold as northern ice.

(Doug) gurgles …

(Iris) Don’t try to force yourself, you’re as good as dead.

Having his knuckles hovered over the gravel road beneath him, Doug soon began to look up at the cloudy night sky that was already blocked by smoke and ash. A stream of blood swept out from his lower lip, and his breathing soon began to cease, with his chest heaving up and down more and slower.

Silence fell, his lower body already failing. His vision blurring, his upper body froze like a mannequin.

Only the release of a long exhausted gasp came out from his now failing lungs. The woman next to him widened her eyes out of fear, and both her knees began to wobble her body right to left as if she was about to fall.

(Iris) Now how about—

(Doug) I’m not dying that easily.

Without even using his hands or arms, only the use of his hind legs managed to pull himself back up from the ground.

In unison, all the bullets that were lodged tightly inside of his body all came out, ringing as they danced with the rocks below. Taking a step back, Iris lowered her gun as the man who had blood seeping from his body soon patched himself like …

(Doug) I never really felt death come for me yet.

Like a vampire.

His wounds were already patched, and his chubby hands began to reach toward the trench gun that he dropped previously. Iris, who continued to walk backward, dropped her gun as she also covered her eyes from the woman who began to extend her palms forward.

Another rain of bullets crashed onto Doug.

From his face down to his liver, bullets riddled against his body the same way as his front body was. Turning his head, another stream of blood flowed out of his mouth, as he only glared at the young man with his gun releasing a multitude of smoke.

(Doug) I didn’t tell you to fight me, didn’t I not?

Not dropping his trench gun, nor faltering his stance this time, Doug then shot a few shots toward Luke, who dodged them effortlessly by only moving his feet to the right and left. Clicking the trigger again, a high-pitched click soon sores his ears, making him drop his gun out of frustration.

Betty, who finally returned to her senses, moved her hands toward Luke who raised his uzis to fire another round of bullets. Pushing her left lip to reach toward the bottom of her left ear, her saggy palms managed to encapsulate the young man…

As he stumbled backward.

(Luke) No … d-d-no…

Looking all around him, darkness surrounded him, but his eyes appeared normal.

Seeing that Luke was in a bind, Doug then pulled out a homemade black remote, as it only contained just a few buttons. Previously letting his trench gun drop, he raised the black remote in the air with his thumb hovering over a blue button on the top.

Clicking it, he let off a devilish smirk, his stare being directed now toward the middle-aged woman with dark purple hair. As Iris was reloading another set of bullets into her Thompson, she had her finger on the trigger with her left eye locked onto the remote.

(Doug) So tell me, do you have anyone who holds a special place in your heart by any chance?

(Iris) What are you trying to get at?

(Doug) Long ago, there was a kid that we sheltered in. He was like the little brother that I never had.

Putting the remote back inside his leather jacket, the wounds from prior began to heal again. Another dance began down beneath Doug’s feet, he rubbed his chin with his chubby pale fingers.

(Doug) I think you remember him. He most definitely doesn’t remember you, but he has ginger hair. Ring any bells.

Her breath got caught in her throat.

While inside of his pocket, the remote that he had tucked away was soon pressed.

(Iris) What … do you mean take in…?