The menacing, bald-headed figure stared down at Damien from the walkway above, his stern face matching the exposed metal that covered his monstrous upper body. A belligerent smirk grew on the Brawler’s face as he eyed the two intruders. Clearly, he’d just found what he’d been looking for.

“Ahh, fuckin’ aye,” Marcus said, through a frustrated sigh.

Damien agreed with the sentiment. This new foe was evidently stronger than his lower-leveled predecessor. And based on the difference in durability between the first Brawler and the Soldiers, they now had a big problem on their hands.

The steel-faced enemy locked eyes with Damien for a brief moment before leaping over the railing, and crashing onto the ground before him. The smashing impact sent a resonating thud through the now-quiet warehouse, and the new pirate felt small tremors rattle through his legs.

Above this new threat, the remaining Soldier finished reloading his clip and directed the barrel of his gun at Damien, but a blast from the nearby shotgun took him out before he could fire.

That takes care of all the Soldiers, Damien thought. Now we can take on the big boss two on one.

Two more shotgun blasts rang out in quick succession, and the Brawler’s chest lit up in sparks as the bullets clanged off the armor, leaving nothing more than small dents in their wake. Beside him, Damien could hear an irked grunt pour out of Marcus. The metal beast didn’t even acknowledge the fruitless assault; his eyes were set on the samurai.

With nothing to hold him back, the foe smashed his iron fists together then charged at his target. Damien knew better than to challenge the attack directly, having learned the hard way from the previous Brawler.

I can’t parry these guys if I don’t have Focus, Damien thought. Best to keep it simple.

When the enemy got close enough to launch his attack, Damien sprang to the side, avoiding a vicious metal fist. Another wild swing followed, and Damien ducked under it, evading it once again.

This time, he launched a counter attack, driving his katana towards the Brawler’s arm.

All he has are his fists. Damien thought. If we disable them, he won’t pose a threat.

The blade struck the steel limb, but it didn’t go far; barely ripping into the armor. If there was human flesh somewhere within the plates, he hadn’t gone deep enough to penetrate it.

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The metal beast retaliated with another strike— one that couldn’t be avoided at this distance. Damien withdrew his arm to intercept and cushion the blow, but the sheer force of the impact went through, launching him backwards and knocking him flat on his back against the cold, harsh ground.

Left Arm: - 8%

Feeling slightly rattled, Damien began to feel a dull pain forming deep within his lightly-injured arm. But the resumption of shotgun blasts brought him back in the moment, and he quickly got back to his feet.

Marcus was now engaging their adversary using the same tactic he’d used previously; keeping his distance and firing repeatedly into the foe. Based on the irritated look on the Brawler’s face, the persistent shots were at least doing some mental damage.

Damien analyzed the situation as the two imposing figures struggled to gain an upper hand. Our attacks can’t penetrate too deep into the armor, he thought to himself. At this rate, we won’t be able to land a fatal blow.

He watched as Marcus dodged yet another hurled fist, only to counter with some more projectile lead. Again, the Brawler’s body withstood the attack, his durability a whole league above his fallen comrades’. As the exchange continued, questions began to form in Damien’s mind.

Why does Marcus keep shooting at the same spot? He wondered. Is it because it’s easier to hit?

Looking closer at his enemy, Damien noticed that the top part of the Brawler’s chest had become darker than the rest of the metal armor. In fact, rumpled cracks had started to form along the black crease where the shotgun rounds had been concentrated.

I get it! He’s weakening the armor plating so that we can break through. That'll be our chance to deliver a final blow!

With a newfound understanding, Damien clutched his sword and sprang into action. He swooped around the preoccupied foe and slashed his blade into the monster’s chest, straight across the weakened, black crease. This time, his blade dug deeper, making noticeable progress as it chewed through some of the metal.

“I’m almost done up here,” Kat said abruptly through the three-way channel. “Only a few seconds left to go.”

The sounds of empty clicks filled the room. “Shit,” Marcus blurted out. “I’m all outta ammo.”

A flash of opportunity gleamed in the Brawler’s eyes. Even Damien could see that the Skull member had taken the fortuitous news as a cue to attack. Immediately, he moved in to assault the now-defenseless pirate, but Damien rushed in to intercept.

The vulnerabilities of the armor plating were easy to see from up close, allowing Damien to identify and take aim at the weakest point along the crease. He pulled his katana back then thrust it directly into the weak point on the left side of the torso.

With his entire body weight behind the stab, Damien felt the resistance to his blade suddenly vanish as the tip broke through the crack within the armor to reach the vitals inside for the first time. The Brawler’s eyes sprang open in pure shock; he’d finally been bested.

Damien wedged his katana deeper until all signs of resistance from the Skull were gone. When he was sure that he’d secured the kill, he pulled his sword out from the slain enemy, and let the body drop to the ground. The battle was finally over.

Then, just as he thought he could take a moment to catch his breath, Kat’s voice popped up into his head once again. “Hey guys,” she said, as a hint of worry crept into her voice. “Two black trucks pulled up just ahead. I think their reinforcements are here.”