Ayame emerges from the hut, her dark hair flowing behind her as she holds the rope tightly in one hand.

The terrorist’s body hangs limply from the other end of the rope, his eyes wide with fear and his mouth agape as he struggles to breathe.

His mouth is open in a silent scream, and a grenade rests within his mouth, its pin no longer attached.

“What’s the meaning of this?” Sam asked Ayame.

“Oh, this? This is my new invention, and I call it the Human Fireworks. Its main ingredient is a bombsmith who has made hundreds of bombs and claimed thousands of lives. What do you think? Isn't it funny to kill a bombmaker by putting a bomb on him and setting off an explosion of blood, guts, and bones? I honestly think it’s fucking hilarious.” Ayame chuckled while explaining, her slight smirk turning into a shit-eating grin.

The mercenary’s eyes widen as he peers at Ayame, taking in the cold, calculating look in her dark eyes and the cruel twist of her mouth.

He can see the bloodlust and thirst for violence that emanate from her like a dark aura.

He is terrified by this woman, who seems to revel in the torture and execution of others.

The remaining mercenary steps away from Ayame and the bombsmith, terrified by the grenade but more so by Ayame.

Hasan shouts from a distance, “Throw the goddamn grenade away! What if he suddenly goes Allahu Akbar on us?”

“Alright, alright. Fine.” Ayame says as she pulls the grenade from his mouth, taking off its handle in the process, and throws the grenade in a direction away from the hut and the minefield.

She watched it roll and its small smoke trail wafting in the air.

The mercenaries dove down instantly to avoid the incoming shrapnel.

Boooom. A thunderous explosion of grenade occurs.

The blast of the grenade sends a hailstorm of grenade fragments and rocks hurtling toward the group, slicing through the air with deadly force.

The mercenaries cover their heads as bits of small rocks fly everywhere.

Ayame walks towards them after the explosion is over.

“Take the terrorist and go. There’s a mine blind spot right there.” Ayame said as she pointed to the path without landmines.

Ayame pointed out, “Time is running out. Go that way. There’s a mine blind spot right there.”

She points in a direction where the path is clear of landmines.

“No,” Sam says, shaking his head to keep his fear at bay, “we’re not leaving you behind.”

“I still have another mission given to me by the supreme commander. Don’t worry about me. I can handle the incoming enemies. Just go.” Ayame waved her hand as she hurriedly dismissed the mercenaries.

“Oh, and leave some of your guns and ammo too.” She continued.

The mercenaries looked at each other before nodding, taking their comrades’ bodies, and walking back to the camp.

The mercenaries exchange a glance with one another. They were nodding at each other before they picked up their fallen comrades and staggered back to their camp.

Ayame sighed as they walked away.

She took the guns and ammo before returning to the hut.

As Ayame enters the hut again, she notices something she hadn’t seen earlier, a black steel sheet covering a portion of the window and the surrounding wall.

Ayame reaches out and runs her fingers along the surface of the black steel sheet. It is cool to the touch, with a smooth, almost mirror-like surface.

“What’s this? Some kind of reinforced steel?” She wonders to herself.

Ayame begins to pull on the edges of the steel sheet.

“Argh!” she grunted with effort as she ripped the metal from the wall.

With one final heave, she finally pulls the steel sheet free.

“I can use this as a shield...” She mutters after lifting the thick metal plate with one arm.

Bang. Bang. Bang. The rapid staccato of gunfire fills the air, punctuated by the high-pitched whine of bullets as they fly by.

Explosions and shouting can be heard in the distance, interspersed with the roar of guns and cries of war.

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“Oh, shit. They’re here.” She used the steel sheet as cover from the gunshots that pierced the hut’s wooden structure like a hot knife through butter.

She dove behind the black steel sheet, the air trembling under her feet as bullets that didn’t hit the steel sheet whizzed past her.

She activated Meikyo Shisui and detected five people from the local militant organization.

“There will be more of them... I want to run away, but I’m not sure if those guys have already escaped...” Ayame mutters under her breath before shooting back.

Bang Bang. Bang bang. Bang! Bang Bang!

The five militiamen fired their entire magazine on the hut.

The gunshots are loud, echoing off the walls and shaking the ground.

In between the gunshots, there is a high-pitched whine as bullets whiz past.

Explosions and shouts can be heard in the distance, accompanied by the hiss of gunfire and the screams of combatants.

The gunshots created several dozen holes in the wooden walls of the hut, but they were not strong enough to even make a slight dent in the steel sheet.

A few minutes later, the militiamen finally finished firing, and Ayame quickly pulled the metal sheet from where she had placed it.

While the militiamen were reloading their weapons, Ayame aimed at the hiding place of a militia soldier.

When he did poke his head out, she pulled the trigger, killing him instantly after the bullet pierced his brain.

His body falls limply to the ground, with a gaping hole visible on his forehead.

She took cover once more and monitored their locations with Meikyo Shisui’s detection ability.

She dove behind the steel sheet and used Meikyo Shisui to keep track of the four assailants’ positions. One was to the east, and one was to the west. The other two were behind the leading assailants.

She slapped her forehead.

“You fucking idiots.” She then proceeded to aim in the direction of the militiamen’s position while keeping track of their movements.

After a few agonizing seconds, she pulled the trigger again and killed two more militiamen.

The remaining two militiamen stood up and ran away.

Baaang! One of the militiamen had stepped on a mine.

The ground erupts in a burst of smoke and rubble as a loud explosion is heard in the distance.

Amidst the chaos, the body of a militia soldier lies on the ground, his leg completely blown out from the blast.

His eyes are wide with fear, and blood oozes from his gaping wound.

The other runs in fear in a different direction.

With a determined gleam in her eyes, Ayame quickly ran out of the hut, chasing the militia soldier who was attempting to escape.

She ran swiftly, easily outpacing the man as she closed in on him.

After several agonizing minutes, she finally caught up to him and knocked him to the ground with a powerful blow.

The man lay defeated, his body broken and bloodied from their chase.

But Ayame showed no mercy as she stalked over him and stood over his defenseless form.

“Alright, motherfucker. Let’s make a deal. You give me what you want, and I’ll try my best not to murder you.”

"$@#$%#@$%@!!!" The man screamed at him in another language.

“Oh, right. I forgot each district in the south has its own goddamn language, making the south have like a hundred fucking languages.”

Ayame cleared her throat and spoke in the man’s native tongue, “Let’s make a deal. If you give me what I want and tell me what I want to hear, I won’t kill you.”

“Just kill me.” He begged, tears streaming from his eyes like waterfalls to the ground.

“I knew you’d say that. Well, I have a hundred ways to make you squeal like a fucking pig.” She replied before undressing the man’s bottom clothes.

The man looks up at Ayame with wide eyes, staring in shock as he sees her holding a medium-sized rock in her hand.

His expression is one of fear and anxiety, as he seems to sense her deadly intent.

“Wait, no-” His pleading was interrupted by the sharp pain of his groin as it was smashed by the rock on its way down the tiny limb between his legs.

“Aghhhhhh” The man screamed as he tried to massage his bruised and throbbing intromittent organ while crying out in pain and humiliation.

“Hands off. I’m not done yet.” She said in a deadly serious tone. She grabbed a knife from her pocket and pretended to cut open the man’s abdomen.

“Ahhhhhhhh!” The man closes his eyes as he yells in pain, with tears dripping from his eyes like a broken faucet.

He passed out on the ground from the fear.

Ayame is seen dragging the terrified man through the leaf-strewn forest floor, her grip tight and unrelenting as she drags him deeper into the wilderness.

Her expression is cold and callous, set in a mask of malice, as she relishes the man’s cries of agony.

She walked past some small animals running along with her, and after several minutes of walking, she reached the camp.

There was a tent waiting for her with canned food and water inside, which she ate quickly.

The tent’s ceiling is dimly lit, with shadows dancing along its fabric.

She lies on her back, eyes fixed on the ceiling, as she tries in vain to drift off to sleep.

Her mind races with thoughts and anxieties, preventing her from finding rest.

She tosses and turns, unable to calm her racing mind.

“Fuck, I forgot I need to find Gungnir.”

Ayame quickly stands up and exits the tent.

“The cave should be at most a day's walk from here. Fuck, I gotta go.”

Ayame took a bag of food and water, as well as spare bullets, for a handgun.

Bang! Ayame fires a single bullet into her captive’s head, and she starts walking towards the highway in silence.