"Hayaku! Shoot him before he-" Sinon squeezed her rifle's trigger. Erupting out a loud screech big enough to tear eardrums.
The round soared as it was a literal few seconds away from hitting its intended target, one of the Death Guns. Red eyes glowing over her sights. As he simply moved the rest of his body with him to dodged the bullet. "H-How?!" Sinon blurted out of nowhere.
That wasn't even half of the range it takes for me to break a sweat firing off. But...how did that guy manage right on point?! The indigo hair sniper thought, again, completely off guard.
Working the lever of her sniper to chamber another round, she couldn't help but go on, "Did he spot us earlier and knew where we were?"
"It might be..." Kirito sounded just as surprised and angry. "I didn't see anyone else close by besides Orbital and those other three. Did you?"
"Iie," Sinon answered with a shake of her head. Still, "Where did they come from?" The time she took to check the map during the Satellite Scan to move to position didn't strike her as possible for moving from one place to another. A single kilometer was far too big to run at a decent pace without a vehicle or getting spotted. So how did these two cloaks work that out so close to visible eyes?
Then, Kirito gasped and pointed. "Look!"
Sinon peered back onto her sniper and expected the skull player to return his attention back to Dyne. It was, for only a few more moments. Then the rapid buzzing of a high-powered machine gun crackled to life from just across the Bridge from the Mountainous Area. It was only right there, and then did Sinon realize Kirito was trying to point to the approaching figure advancing. Simultaneously, the two cloaks dove, and both took cover behind the pylon Orbital previously was on.
Upon further analysis of the situation (Turning her sniper's gaze at the figure), did Sinon see who it was. The light brown uniform and helmet, along with the old school submachine gun, was a dead give away. "McKnight," She murmured, irritated.
As the two cloaked players hid and kept their heads down behind the metal cover, Sinon felt her mouth open up in anticipation. Quickly putting her idea to reality. She steadied her aim at the two players who stood right in front of the other. One shot. She told herself, hardly realizing Kirito had shouted something and dove down the hill while she aimed her scope just right.
And fired.
Right as the large gas of smoke was emitted not a split second after. "Again?" Sinon shouted and nearly yanked the lever of her Hecate II again to attempt another shot. It was pointless because right as she noticed the debris kicked up from where she shot, the smoke continued to spread harder. Engulfing McKnight and almost Kirito, who was already down by the action.
Moving slowly in a steady yet slow horizontal motion, she couldn't spot anything yet. The white gas seemed too thick in density to virtually look through. Still, she tried her best. And bit her lower lip in concentration. Wishing to catch a glance of two Dead red displays over two new dead bodies. And, when the gas finally cleared -just like before- Sinon threw her head low. "Damnit," She cursed, "I lost them." The only dead players, as of right now, were XYZ and Wind near each other.
When the air blew more of the smoke more west, McKnight stood scanning the area around himself, too. Only with both his M1A1 Thompson out by the hip and his Colt 1911 stretched out with the other hand. Kirito was in a similar spot with his energy sword and Beretta M9, too. Which left the cowboy, currently trying his best to get up, although apprehensively.
She couldn't precisely have heard what Dyne was starting to say to the duo -probably along the lines of, Wow, uh, thanks for saving me! I'll be going now, don't mind me! Knowing she'd have to put a round into him anyway. Sinon lined up her shot, held her breath, and, once the Bullet Circle reached a minimum to where she saw her former teammate's face, her gun boomed. Blowing Dyne's head clean off.
McKnight instinctively taking cover and Kirito turning back to her. "Sinon, no! You didn't have to do that!"
"What do you mean?" Sinon shouted back down to him. "You and I both knew he was being targeted by...those Death Gun guys. If anything, I did him a favor."
"Still," Kirito slumped his shoulders down. It wasn't the best solution. However, what choice did she have? If it wasn't her. It's just going to be someone else. Despite having a few bones to pick with Dyne anyway for trying to get her to join his team a few days ago and didn't trust him with her back turned away from him.
Of course, she didn't know about everyone else here doing the same thing of pairing up. The map from the last scan made that self-evident.
Speaking of having a few bones to pick, Sinon's watch beeped multiple times. "Oh yeah, I almost forgot." She lowered her sniper but didn't disengage it in the direction Kirito and, more seriously, his partner was. "Come back up here, and we'll find where those two went!" She shouted.
"Yoroshī," Kirito nodded and turned towards the pylon McKnight hid behind. Again, Sinon didn't hear what the long black-haired boy said to the mercenary. But, she quite clearly listened to the other boy shout: "Nani? No, screw you! You'll just shoot me the first chance you get!"
This guy, Sinon gritted her teeth together. "Not if you don't play along, I will!" She threatened, which served only one purpose. Kirito looked back at McKnight, who must've told him something else.
The next thing Sinon saw, despite having her rifle against the lookout she layed on, was the large blue glow of the map down below. Now she really was not having it. She practically slid down the half hill, half grass incline faster than she could while slugging her heavy rifle around.
By the time she got to the Bridge, Kirito was currently watching the spot -and crater- those two guys in capes were as she approached McKnight. Zooming in on their position. "Thanks for waiting for me." She said indignantly.
"I wasn't," McKnight answered back. Which got her angrier. Then she frowned when McKnight's eyes widened as if there were a mistake with the map. "What the hell?"
"What?" Sinon asked.
"There's supposed to be more than seven players here -and more than four of 'em are supposed to be dead." The mercenary added although he made sure to shift his body more facing Sinon than having his back away from her.
"Let me see." She knelt down and, sure enough, only saw four gray dots (dead players) and the three white ones with a single green (McKnight's). Using her middle and pointer finger to open the map more to encompass the entire Bridge area itself. There wasn't another soul nearby for at least two kilometers all around. That's impossible. How did they manage to vanish so fast? Looking around, left to right, up then down, no other two players could be found besides them plus three.
Concerning the spot and how heated the little skirmish between them and those two cloaks were, they didn't have many options to run away. Sinon had them covered practically from the south and nearly the east if they ran back into the forest. And with trigger-happy red-eyed bandit charging from the west, the only other place would be…
"Hey, you guys, come take a look over here!" Kirito called, looking down by the edge of the Bridge and the crater.
"What is it?" At first, Sinon asked, although, like McKnight, was weary of keeping a close eye for any treachery- and a firmer one near her Glock if need be. The noticeable footprints were only two, maybe three into the ground -and the dirt rolled up by the heel pointed outwards towards the river- took priority, though.
"Sinon, I might be wrong on this; however, is it possible they could've simply jumped into the river stream and swam low enough for the satellite to miss them?" Kirito asked.
Sinon thought about it. "Maybe. I know a few places are here that could allow players to hide undetected from the scan. Though, they're few and far between."
"Do you happen to know where they could try and run off to regroup and reorganize?" Kirito continued.
This time Sinon held her thoughts in a tad bit longer. "...If what you told me about all this being pretty true, in the end, just one of them is still a sniper from the looks of things. And his partner may be either his spotter or just pure muscle." -She pointed out where the stream headed towards- "That abandoned city is somewhere I'd go if I were him. Not many places to hide besides there."
"Good." Kirito nodded.
Sinon nodded, too -glad to be in one piece. She went on, "I wouldn't doubt if the other players thought all three of us were probably fighting each other and could be swarming in for an easy shot at the winner." Right as the map turned off.
"So the city then?" McKnight walked past Sinon but kept a gap between him and her. Moving his way to Kirito. "Let's get to it then. The faster we find 'em, the better."
"Okay," Kirito looked troubled but determined still. Turning back to Sinon, he said, "We should split up here, then." And the two boys got moving.
Sinon made a flustered noise. "Wh-What will you two do?"
"We'll follow those Death Guns." Kirito explained. "Sinon, in the meanwhile, stay away from them. And uh, don't worry about our rematch. McKnight and I have already agreed we'll return for it."
"No, we didn't," The other boy said. But Kirito played off snubbing his "boyfriend's" opinion.
He waved, "Thanks for not shooting me back there...!"
"Hey!" Sinon called right as the duo sprinted into the Forest Zone with McKnight leading.
She still had more questions and a lot more...worries on all this.
It was super tough, still trying to keep up. "Wait!" She shouted again. Stopping only Kirito and then McKnight, who kept going a few feet into the forest and only grudgingly stopping when the boy in black armor wasn't advancing further. When she caught up, she told them, "I'm coming, too." -Which got her a surprised look from the Kirito, but definitely not from McKnight- "If that skull Death Gun can dodge a round from my Hecate and the other sweep through Dyne's team alone, they're pretty strong. So, my guess is we have a better shot at beating them both...together."
Kirito looked troubled. McKnight was the first to walk back and shake his head. "No, not going to happen. You'll only slow us down." He returned harshly.
"I wasn't asking you," Sinon retorted. "I was asking Kirito. So, how about it?"
But Kirito looked as sure as his partner, too. "No. Sinon, these guys are no joke. It's too dangerous."
"And you think only vaguely knowing where they are, is any better?" Sinon said, matter-of-factly, which got Kirito thinking. "We have no idea where they are. It'll be dangerous whether I come with you two or not."
When she caught a glimpse of Kirito's stern face softening, she knew she had them beat. McKnight, on the other hand, still refused to agree. "You can't be serious?"
"She did help us and knows this place better than either one of us, McKnight." His partner told the other teen. Which made Sinon grin on the inside. He continued with a shrug, "I don't like it, either. Just for right now we'll have a better chance.."
Glaring, the other boy grunted. "Okay." His gaze fell back to Sinon. "You're right behind Kirito and right in front of me at all times. You fall behind or try to get cute during it" -he brandished his submachine gun"and you're dead. Now get moving. We're behind already."
Stepping past McKnight, Sinon couldn't help but think again. Th-This guy! As they proceeded to the Lost City.
. . .
Marching to the city was what Kirito believed McKnight would like to call it. There wasn't anything that closely resembled quick and fire caution in the way of getting to the abandoned city in the first place.
Not that the Black Swordsman was complaining, really. If anything, he wanted to get there as fast as possible, too.
However, he realized he didn't enjoy the prospect of being dead because of it. They were only a few minutes in -him, Sinon, and McKnight in that order. If the Forest Zone didn't have a couple of sharp slopes and no clear path inside its near dense jungle-like environment, they could've gotten to the city perhaps in nothing flat. Unless the trio went around through the Prairie to the west where his partner arrived. That also wouldn't work out. A few too many people were up there, and the rest more north of that.
This way was not only shorter but had fewer player activity. Stopping abruptly at another steep cliff down a softer path below, Kirito heard McKnight near yell out and say, "What's the holdup, swordsman?" He lugged his submachine gun up, even if the barrel pointed to the ground.
"It's the path," Kirito answered. "There's another incline then before."
"And?" McKnight added, "Hurry up and slide down it. We already went by two on the way here. The city isn't too far away, and we're losing ground the more you lollygag. Now go."
Looking back down at the steepness, then at the frowning teen was an issue all on its own. The face Sinon made as her eyes wanted to look down over her shoulder at McKnight said she wanted to tell him off, again.
Kirito decided to put that off for now -they were running a bit late. "Cover me." As he sat down on the edge and, ever so carefully, inched his bottom closer off with his right leg out and against the dirt to ease his momentum. Letting himself go as he speedily slid down. "Eh!" He nearly slammed onto the ground as he tucked and rolled. "Ouch! That hurts." He rubbed his leg, noticing his HP (Health) had inched down.
He looked around to ensure nothing around here screamed trouble.
When he was sure, he waved. "It's clear." Seeing Sinon look down, she let her sniper fall down to Kirito, who caught it for her. "Whew! Heavy," He muttered, heaving the giant rifle right as Sinon nearly slid, just as he had done before. If Kirito, well, McKnight was right since he was dragging them by a leash at this point, the city's outskirts should be coming up fairly shortly.
"Arigatō," Sinon gave him an appreciative nod while handing back her sniper. "How long do you think until we get to the city? You know, since you've been upfront the whole time while I was with...him." The sniper girl wanted to use a better word to describe Kirito's partner. For that, he didn't blame her. McKnight wasn't the ideal person Kirito wished he could work with in terms of cooperation and willingness to compromise without a fight. Yet, Kirito commented that the other teen did pull his own weight and then some, fighting just as vigorously as him if the Qualifier's and, just a few minutes ago, had anything to show for it. Guessing that's why Kikouka brought him over here from America in the first place.
"About five minutes, maybe less if McKnight keeps at the rate we're going." He answered with a wild guess.
"Lucky us," Sinon said, ruefully. And wiped digital sweat off her avatar's forehead.
Once they watched, McKnight finally slid down from the hill, although he jumped and landed hard with a step or two from the impact. He shook his foot and gestured with his gun. "There's two guys up ahead." He managed to say, fixing his helmet.
The duo looked astonished, "Wh-Where from? We didn't see anything." Kirito said while Sinon looked back deeper into the forest and back at McKnight, suspicious.
McKnight explained, "That's because those two -maybe more, I don't know- are staked behind a rock dugout just north of here." He gave the inevitable pause. "Right by the city's steps."
"And again, how exactly did you gather all that information. Keep in mind, we were just up there until you became the only one." Sinon was the first to question his partner when she shot her head back.
Giving her a blank stare, McKnight used his hand -the other hand gripping his submachine gun's handle- and tabbed his barely tinted visor. "This is why." Explaining the gear's feature to zoom in and out from certain distances with impunity. Adding to his explanation, "I fought with enough guilds in different environments to know how a hidden machine gun nest looks like, sniper."
"You sure about that, mercenary?" They beamed bolts of deadly lighting at one another. Like always, Kirito was still in the middle of it.
They all got moving as quickly as going forward was possible. Despite tailing in the back of where Kirito led, he wasn't the one giving out orders or shouts of "Keep moving, swordsman!" Again, He understood the rush. The need to catch up or, better yet, arrive just in time to cut off the two Death Guns emerging out of the water -if they both indeed went and hid beneath the waves towards the Lost City. It almost sparked another argument between McKnight and Sinon when he nearly collided with her when she slowed down for a split-second to catch her breath. Out of the three, he was the most vocal about wanting, no needing, to get there.
It was in the back of Kirito's mind. But, he thought there was more than one main reason for the four-eyed bureaucrat who hired McKnight here to more than simply assist in the investigation. Again, that day yesterday, when he acted far more angry than usual, was...too familiar. Remembering his time back at Sword Art Online. And how there was indeed a large chunk of times, swinging his blade during all that coded adrenaline pumping through you, could do.
If Laughing Coffin and Death Gun were one-hundred percent the same guild or group under a different flag. And McKnight's face resembled that of his own back in that death game. Back during that raid on LC's headquarters. That got Kirito thinking, was McKnight there during that fight? He didn't know everyone apart from the capture -and later attack- on that murderous guild. The ex-SAO player knew they were fifty high-leveled players, including himself and his girlfriend, Asuna. And most were Clearers. Someone like McKnight would stick out -even vaguely. Again, he wasn't sure. The few times Kirito got the foreign teen to remotely talk about it he'd usually change the topic or run around it.
Thinking about that hard, McKnight abruptly shouted to stop and pointed down the forest opening."There!" Clear as day, mostly, was the outskirts of the city. More transparent than that was a series of rubble and rocks. The top of a hill behind the trees they hid behind had a robust and murderous intent about it. "That's the one," McKnight confirmed, as he squinted his eyes.
Sinon, on the other hand, looked up too. The only difference was her eyes didn't squint. They light up a brighter shade than either her eye or hair color. After less than a piece of time, she confirmed too. "Yup, a Maxim Heavy machine gun. And another guy with binoculars with him acting as loader and spotter. And I think the guy operating the gun is..." She saved another pause, "Ritchey the Lion King."
"Such a stupid name," McKnight muttered, still zoomed in.
Sinon cocked her head to go with her "E e," shrug. When her eyes returned normal, she tapped on her watch, "We have less than three minutes to somehow get around them. However, I don't know if we can find another way without being detected. They're too high up enough to spot us crossing the river or going around will take too much time to catch those caped players in time."
"So, the best option is going through them?" Kirito asked, not liking the idea already. And when Sinon gingerly said so, he almost looked defeated. That winced when McKnight tossed him two sticks -appearing as grenades from the odd, deadly presence they gave off.
His partner pointed near the hill, nearby where a dead player was found by the ridge the gun nest laid shot to shreds. "Wait there until further notice, got it? Then tossed the grenades at their bird nest when you get close enough using my gun. I'll take care of things there" He sounded in an order giving stance.
"And what about me?" Sinon asked.
"And you?" His partner turned back to her, "Get in close enough to nab 'em and keep their heads down, too. Wait for the signal."
Seeing how there wasn't time to further discuss this plan's likelihood working out -precisely the slot McKnight had Kirito in. The khaki teen rushed past and over the little lookout they used to find Ritchey. From the way his companion progressed, there wasn't time for anything else. Which only made Kirito sigh out loud from McKnight's stubbornness and Sinon reluctantly getting to her spot as fast as possible.
When Kirito tagged behind the western boy, McKnight told him to stay low and quiet. Jabbing a finger to his own mouth to do so. Kirito did as they inched forward. Wanting to hurry but not reveal their position too early. Sinon had said that this player, Ritchey, was known for staying in one spot with his heavy gun and letting others come to him. Picking out places that were choke points or high in elevation. This ridge might not have fit the bill. Yet, it served as a better insurance policy having another player with you watching your back. And having one guard while the other checked the Satellite Scan was a worse story.
Feeling the weight on his combat boots tightly crushing the leaves under them, McKnight held a fist up behind the tree they hid behind. "Tsukamatte iru!" He whispered, and, after a second's thought, urged Kirito beside him. "Remember, Aincard, you don't have to shoot straight. Pull the trigger and have the Bullet Lines aimed their way for their heads to be kept down long enough until we get in close for the kill. You get me?"
"Hardly," McKnight sent a death glare at him. "Sōdesu. I understand." Though Kirito felt a small edge to the name, the other boy sent him while handing him his submachine gun while exchanging his pistol to McKnight. When Sinon was in her spot across from them and pointed two fingers up, then at her clock, Kirito took a breather.
And charged, pulling and ripping the artificial air around him with McKnight's gun. Kicking up dirt and smoke. Ritchey and his gun crew must've been sleeping or weren't expecting another attack anytime soon. Maybe waiting for the scan, same as them.
On that end, the nose of the concealed machine gun spurted to life as Kirito tried his best dodging and weaving the swarm of red lines arriving his way. No kidding. This wasn't the same as Untouchable! A round from Sinon's gun managed to blow a hole on the lower side of the rock and hill, kicking up more dirt into the air. Kirito kept firing. Trying his best to aim the short, compact weapon until his ammo ran out. By then, he was close enough by the hill to cucked the two stick grenades at the nest.
The bombs blew midair from a contraction of new bullets. And, when Kirito cursed and reached for his photon sword, awaiting the new series of shots coming in his direction. A series of grenades were thrown and reputed into the emplacement from the opposite side of the hill. The brown silhouette of McKnight racing up from the other side and him jumping into the dugout with both his and Kirito's pistols executed nearly as expected. The sounds of gunfire and screams could be heard from here.
A giant man in a red tee came stumbling out, filled with bullet wounds. Making him an easy target for Sinon's second bullet. Sending his body -what was left of it- in two directions. Silence took over now.
"McKnight?" Kirito called out, "Are you okay?"
When no call was sounded out, Sinon ran beside him up the hill. When they got to the top, they both opened their mouths. McKnight was already at the city's outskirts. How he got there so fast didn't matter.
The smoke and the other dead shot-up player by the emplacement said the light teen wasn't waiting. Figures. Kirito though, running behind.
. . .
Securing the utmost city steps was reasonably easy to do for McKnight. He had two pistols and just enough firepower to give anyone who went stumbling around in the dark a good wake up call. The only trouble he found doing was waiting for his two tagalongs to hurry up.
Kirito and Sinon finally did and spent the time trying to catch their breaths. Surprisingly enough, McKnight didn't feel he had that problem as he ran here. Not even after he stopped.
So all he could say was, "Should've run faster."
The girl sniper looked away, obviously tired of his crap. Which was what he wanted. McKnight knew she would try to kill him when this was all set and done. Why not get her riled up a little when it counted? Kirito, like the good gentleman he was, decided to change the barrel of both their guns at one another to the river stream nearby, ceasing at a sewage place. "Looks like it ends here. They must've gotten out faster than we got here."
"You think?" McKnight raised a conspicuous eyebrow at that. "You sure they didn't manage to get out of the water sooner?"
His unfortunate partner shook his head, "I don't think so. I've kept my eyes on the river the entire time. Or, most of it to maybe spot either one of them if they tried to leave early." Like earlier, that didn't answer McKnight's question, let alone make him sure.
But, when both his and the uppity girl's watches went off at the same time, Sinon was quicker to get her scanner out first and press it for the complete map of Ragnarok. "Kirito, check the northern sector, and I'll run by the south." She said, zooming into the Lost City for a full display of the place. Nearly riddled with several two-man teams here and there.
"Right, will do," Kirito responded as the duo checked and pressed all the little dots in and around the city.
It allowed McKnight to take effect on everything so far to this point.
Right now, this wasn't the worst day by all means. Not to say it wasn't one of the worst he's had in a long while. But maybe because of everything that's happened and not getting the proper time to reflect on it. Here he was. Going into the unknown inside a place and world he didn't fully remember for the past couple of years. From what happened at the start of today, the only upside McKnight could remotely see was the chance at getting even.
The girly long-haired teen practically spilled the beans to Sinon and was only barely warming to the idea of this Death Gun incident being real. McKnight knew better. And when his ex-boss….Seijirou had mentioned Laughing Coffin. He was glad to play along. From what Kirito had given during his little midlife crisis back at the bar yesterday and today on how dangerous that red guild was. Gave a sort of measuring bar from how Kirito said they tried to 'really kill' each other when he fought them. McKnight wasn't entirely sure how dangerous, let alone decisive, they were in this game. Sword Art Online players didn't have to worry about Bullet Lines, Bullet Circles, surroundings checks, optical or live-ammo guns, real-life stats, meta shifting builds, all that tedious good stuff. None of it. And those Laughing Coffin members have to know it too.
He grinned internally. He's been playing a short while after this game came out and had fought enough players during guild wars than you can shake a stick at.
He wasn't going to lower his guard and think he could stroll into victory without trouble. There would be. It was just a matter of whether the cloaks could punch him hard enough to knock him out and win. Because if they didn't, they'd regret it. Boy, would they regret it. And if those damn Coffs are here...
And they were. Sinon found them. "Musketeer X and Rés-er-voir, I think that's how it's pronounced. Looks like them, and the guy they're after, Richter traveling alone here, is the only other new player...That must be them."
"How do you know for sure?" McKnight crossed his arms. "What about the other guy?"
The timer on the map chose to run out. "Maybe," Sinon turned off the scanner, "the name Musketeer is another word for 'Gun' in Death Gun? And the 'X' forthat cross ritual one of them did…? I don't know what the other guy's name means, but they're the only two new pairs in the city. Or do you guys think that's too obvious?"
"Well, most player names are meant to be." Kirito thought about it, "I know mine's just my name rearranged. Yourself?"
"Yeah, mine, too," Sinon confirmed. The duo looked at each other and smiled. Then they both turned to McKnight who gave them another blank stare.
"Mine's just my last name." He said. And started going up the city steps.
"Last name?" Sinon echoed, pretty surprised as she and Kirito got moving forward. "Aren't you Japanese?"
"Do I look Japanese?" McKnight exchanged.
Stalking and advancing block by block, car by car, and traffic light to traffic light was as fun as playing chess by yourself. It got boring whenever you did it for the one-thousandth time. When the city was quiet as a daisy, McKnight almost wished for a bullet to pass him by to break the tension. Pasting by a destroyed bus on its side, the trio spotted the stadium ahead. "Musketeer X and Réservoir should've headed in there by now," Kirito noted as they crouched. Making themselves as small as targets as possible as they all traveled right next to the building beside them. The sun was getting more and closer to the horizon.
It was only when he got in close enough to squint his eyes. For his visor to zoom in around the massive sports dome's multiple entrances, did McKnight see something up top. And the barrel of what appeared to be a sniper rifle. Pointing to the street Richter was coming from. Sinon confirmed too when McKnight noticed her eyes glowing a lighter blue shade again. "It's him. I don't see his partner, though, but he must be the one waiting with him to kill Richter."
"That's not good," Kirito said, as he grabbed for his photon sword. Stepping a few feet away. "I'll go draw them out. You guys head across the opposite street-"
"Iie, that's not happening, swordsman." McKnight grabbed his arm. "I'm going with you to take out those bastards, and that's it." His voice clappered down like an ironclad.
Sinon stepped up, too. "I agree with Knight, too, Kirito. It's too dangerous for us to break off now. Dyne's group barely lasted a second with the sickle guy. And there's two of them, remember?"
McKnight looked back at her. Pretty bewildered, for expecting her to outright disagree based on principle. Then that's when the Hero of Aincrad continued, surprisingly sure in himself: "I know I can fight without fear knowing you two have my back. Which is why when I head inside that stadium over there, I'll lead them to you both."
"L-Lead?" McKnight repeated.
"They'll be tempted if it's just me, alone," Kirito continued with a sharp nod. "And knowing them, that's something they'll like the idea of. Trying to kill me." He paused, and his eyes wandered again. As if remembering something. McKnight couldn't see what or why -unfortunately, you couldn't read other people's minds no matter what their faces gave off. But, if he had to guess, it probably has to do with what the Coffin from yesterday had told him.
"You'll lead them here?" McKnight repeated, his voice getting noticeably softer without sensing it. "You swear, you will?"
"Hai." Kirito answered, "I swear," without a second delay. McKnight's grip loosened, and he felt Kirito tap his and Sinon's shoulder as he departed. "See you later, partners."
Watching Kirito run inside, him and Sinon ran to their position less than a couple dozen feet to their left with a perfect sight of the stadium's exit.
They were behind a building as McKnight tried checking the corner for any more trouble. Sinon trailing just aside him -he wasn't going to fully trust her to watch his back, even now. Though, completing this part was far more urgent than having eyes behind his head. "Hey," She then asked. "What are your stakes in this, McKnight? You seem far more intent than Kirito is on finding and stopping these guys. What is it?"
He turned the corner. And, waiting for her to pass up ahead to a little road with a few buildings and a bunch of A.I. crows hanging on by several street posts, did McKnight reply with, "That's none of your business." When they both stopped to catch a quick breath, Sinon looked back and scanned him up and down.
She shook her head. "I can't wait for this to be all over."
"And why is that?" He returned.
Sinon told him. "Since I know once those Death Guns are done for, we'll go back to killing each other," She began walking ahead of him. "And like you and Kirito, I'll forget about you just the same as everyone else..." Her voice sounded hesitate there enough for the butternut boy to notice.
McKnight was closing his eyes when he came up with his response on the spot. Not nearly because he wanted to sound like he could care less -he hardly remembered her until she stormed up to him after the swordsman's show at the casino game a two days ago.
No, it was because a sharp jap came out of nowhere somewhere in his chest. Like that wasn't the answer he wanted to hear. That must've been the reason why when he opened to see again, he was midway saying, "Sorry you feel that-" And stopped when Sinon was on the floor. Her body pulsed with electricity. "What the-?"
Turning around, the corner of his eyes revealed the culprit near the intersection. The air and his vision morphing into an image. He wasn't sure what he was seeing until the person decloaked. Revealing the tall skeleton masked player from the Qualifiers.
With an almost knee-jerk reaction, McKnight felt his vision and back tense up as he brought his gun to bear. Another sharp jap -this one literal- causing him to land hard on his back and gasp. He managed to roll himself back and, after looking up, he saw another Coffin member. Only this one had his hood more over his face than the other and had a much shorter cape. The one that was staring at him the day before.
"You bastards are supposed to be at the stadium!" McKnight growled, realizing Musketeer X and Réservoir weren't them. He had a feeling they wouldn't be, but where else could they have been hiding? The only other new player in the city was...Richter….Oh, Shit. The other player charged him with a glowing sickle. McKnight, in time, was able to remove the knife from his belt to counter.
The Coff ducked with a precise speed that -the second the knife went over the Death Gunner's head- McKnight was kicked into a nearby car's windshield. He recoiled and held his stomach as he bit into his tongue. Barely having time to bob away when the sickle tried taking his head clean off. Building a sharp skid, McKnight sprung forward himself, cutting and slashing the wind every time the Coffin dodged with more effortless ease. "Son of a bitch!" He lashed out, "Stay still!" A luck slash across the red player's face got a lick in for him finally. Unfortunately, it was short lived; the mask the player wore was made of something else, metal from scratch, not piercing flesh.
Especially so when he knocked it into McKnight's face.
Stumbling him back, McKnight's brain waves' last thought was to go for an undercut. Only for it to be caught and very shortly snapped! like a tree branch. The pain receptors were usually dumbed down. But it was all the more real when he screamed out loud because of it. Feeling his left arm completely numb and almost bent the wrong way as it hung in there.
Holding it tightly, McKnight felt himself whimper from being submittable to the pain. Then, felt dizzy when he fell back. Now unable to control the rest of his body, like Sinon's. Was he shot, too? He couldn't tell from his point of view.
The Coffin shook his head, almost disappointed, actually. "How pathetic. I was expecting more of a fight on this merry-go-round?" His held back, seemingly hyper voice came off as McKnight struggled to get up. Sporting yellow eye sockets over a bag-shaped mask over his entire face, the cloaked player snorted.
"Go…" McKnight tried reaching for the .45 in his holster, "Screw...yourself!"
"I guess you're not as strong as the other guy that looked just like you." Richter began, "Oh, You know….The one named McKnight, too?"
He froze and felt ice cold as his dials retreated back behind his visor. "H-Huh?" McKnight tried bringing himself out to say. All that came out was a scared, no terrified whisper that didn't help undermine what he heard this moment. The Coffin -maybe Richter- maybe sent a smile his way through his mask. McKnight felt it. Even more when he noticed the other Death Gun standing in front of Sinon. Her blue eyes more on the edge of seeing a demon -much less a ghost- than he was as the guy crossed himself too. "Don't you..fucking touch her..!" The teen gritted, having seen what was coming next.
Then the black gun the other guy held was tossed to the one standing over him. He slowly crossed himself too. And every second felt like an entirety. "I'm sure you'll be with him soon enough, kid." The shorter Coff laughed. Cocking, and aiming the gun at him.
McKnight felt his body tense up. No, not yet- His eyes shut again, the flash and loud gunshot struck home.
