10.2 Gatekeeper

With a speed that would make any Olympic runner proud, I leaped headfirst into the gore and carnage that was once the bulk of the Dezimal forces we were trying to stall in the first place. Like a blur, I shot past the first few idiots in my way, quickly side-stepping through most of my obstacles in favor of catching up to my wayward sister. It wouldn't do for her to be without backup for too long, after all, lest she might suddenly suffer from fatigue and- What the-

*CLANG!*

I quickly pulled up my katana in front of me as I blocked the surprise blow that almost shaved off a good portion of my hair. Taking a step back, I eyed my current obstacle. Quite the big lug, this guy was.

"You shall not PASS!" a deep, yet strangely distorted voice echoed from underneath the armor. "Or my name isn't Carbuncle!"

A brave Dezimal suddenly appeared in my way, brandishing a different type of halberd that I haven't seen before. Compared to the rest of the generic fodder that we've been dealing with, this one had an extended tip. His armor was also a lot more busted than usual, sporting dinks and dents from all sides. Still, the whole set shone under the dim orange glow of the Furnace, the bloodstains coloring the armor shimmering in a way that just added more intimidation factor to the rather large Dezimal.

Still, that didn't mean that this guy was special. "Out of the way, dipshvt!"

I didn't have the time for this thing to block me from reaching my destination. Readying my katana, I leaped forward with the very pointy business end of my katana aimed squarely at this guy's chest-

*CLANG!*

Wait- Holy shvt!

My eyes were spinning as the tin can swatted me out of the air like a kid trying to rush at a closed candy store. Landing on my stomach, I shook my head as I tried to pick myself back up from my embarrassing position, my eyes trained solely on the big guy as he loomed closer and closer to me with that unnervingly pointy stick of his.

"As you can see, I'm not one of those belt-weight pansies that you and your little girl were easily cutting through."

I almost found myself looking up at him as he shadowed over my kneeling form, his halberd aimed at my neck as he readied his backswing. I tried getting back up, by my world was still spinning from just how hard I took his hit.

"Farewell, Dirt Eater," his distorted voice filtered through his helmet, his disdain and indifference clearly heard despite the weird modulation. "I'll make sure it'll be quick and painless."

Okay, body. Time to move now!

The specter of death literally hung over my head as I forced my body to move in one direction, any direction that would let me dodge the massive swing that was threatening to chop my head off. With Lise probably too far from my position, there was nobody else to save me from this besides myself.

Which was pretty bad, since my stupid body still refused to move!

*WOOSH!*

I saw my whole life flash before my eyes as the silver gleam of the halberd's business end passed a mere inch away from my nose, narrowly shaving off a bit of my bangs as I rolled away backward from the Dezimal that almost killed me. My chest thumped madly as caught the breath that I was unconsciously holding.

Holy shvt, I almost died!

"Impressive," the Dezimal mockingly praised as he removed his halberd from the ground. "You managed to collect yourself quickly amidst certain death, Nenner."

"ALL DEZIMALS, RAISE YOUR DEFENSES! THE DENS ARE ABOUT TO MAKE THEIR CHARGE!"

I ignored the prospect of potential reinforcements as I raised an eyebrow at the change in designation. "So I'm not a Dirt Eater now?"

"I made you eat dirt, and yet you defied your fate of death. I suppose you're a proper Nenner," the Dezimal seemingly shrugged as his fellow tin cans began to circle around us. "Your fellows, however, I wouldn't be so sure." The Dezimal then brandished his halberd in a ready position, facing me as I fell into a battle stance of my own. "You best surrender, Nenner," he scoffed, a light mist seemingly emanating from the slits on his helmet. "Do so, and I promise that I will deal the same fate to your little friend."

I paused for a bit as I mulled over his confusing words. So he'll... What? Kill my little sister as well? I chuckled at the audacity of this bvtch. Never mind the fact that he even gave me a name, which would mean that he probably thought he was the hottest shvt that ever graced the battlefield, but to think that this guy actually thought he could kill me?

Me? A veritable master at running away from my hardest problems?

"Not a chance, idiot," I chuckled as I aimed my katana straight at his chest. "You won't even last a second in my presence."

I managed to beat my first Dezimal over a year ago, and that was before all of the training I went through under Ma- fvck- Aria's tutelage. I remember subjecting myself to that blue-bvtch's ministrations, constantly sparring under the courtyard, playing under the sun... her touch-

Nope! Focus!

"My name is Carbuncle, Nenner," the big lug spoke, his pompousness almost like that of a rich kid back in high school. "You best remember the name of your executioner."

"Yeah, yeah... I don't care."

Seriously, why did this guy get to have a monologue when possibly hundreds of his fellow soldiers currently lie dead without even a passing eulogy? Who did this guy think he was? He wasn't some Primzahl on the scale of Aria or her blonde bvtch of a brother. Hell, he wasn't even a Zahler!

Fvck this. I've been stalling for far too long for someone as insignificant as a pile of popsicle sticks.

Without even an ounce of warning, I sprang into action, the business end of my katana aimed solely at a kill spot right at the center of his stomach. I couldn't aim at the chest since he'd just swat me away again, so I went for the next best thing. As fast as my legs could carry me, I deftly side-stepped the lengthy halberd that was supposed to skewer me, before then thrusting my sword-

*SHIIIIIIIIIIII!!!!!*

"Dishonorable."

What?

Sparks flew as the point of my katana met the armor protecting the Dezimal underneath. But to my surprise, the armor held true, rejecting my katana's attempts at entry and wholesale slaughter.

*SHIIIIIIIIII!!!!*

What the hell?!

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