Chapter 121: The feudal challenge continued
Note: Readers please listen to Call of duty WAW Stalingrad sniper soundtrack while reading this:
The situation I'm in is as bleak as ever, as I'm still in the forest fighting for our survival, fighting for Lastation's survival, and with us fighting lots of enemies, including a good number of bosses, in which they are at full health and armed with deadly weapons, while we are at low health and though our weapons are decent, I'm not sure if we have enough bullets for them all, it deeply concerns me about fighting them due to the overwhelming odds.
Annoyingly, as if that's not bad enough, though the bosses outnumbered us to begin with, we have lost allies and no doubt more will have fallen since. I worry that it will only be a matter of time before it's just me, and I'll have a real fight on my hands, preventing any of them from invading Lastation, and preventing them from killing me.
Having to fight all 8 bosses, is a prospect that I'm dreading, but I like to think that it's possible for me to fight one or two at a time, like it is the case right now, but even with it just being me against Magoichi and Ranmaru, one of them who has a sniper rifle, it's still a challenge even with Uni letting me know where the two of them are, so that I can adjust my strategy accordingly. The thing is it is then I soon realise that even if I get to shoot the loyal soldier Ranmaru first, or even a few times, it will not be enough because he can shoot me back, and that will be enough to kill me, and there's no way I can move out of the way, and even if I can somehow dodge his bullets after shooting him, it will take far too long, hmmm.
There is the matter of avoiding Magoichi at all costs, who again can just get me in a few shots, I realise that since the so called ladies' man does not have a sniper's rifle rather I have his, and despite my ache and low health, I can out run the pair of them, and since the non-sniper will be closer, perhaps I should kill him with my sniper's rifle first, that way I can deal with Ranmaru without any problems, and in the meantime Uni can let me know of his whereabouts, and if he's about to shoot me down, which should prove to be very useful.
And so I run away to make as much distance from Magoichi who is closer to me than Ranmaru, as I can such that it's the maximum range, that way it will take time for the enemy sniper to come, and I will have plenty of time to take out the hopeless romantic, especially with quick reloading, lots of bullets for my sniper rifle, and the fact that it's semi-automatic, and each bullet does a lot of damage, but even so it will take a large amount of shots to take him down, but it's the best way and I need to take them down without getting shot.
Well, let's see what happens, I just hope I can do all this before any more enemy reinforcements show up which I'm sure will be soon, but at least when they do I can just run away from them all, and bleed them by sniping them one at a time, if I got the bullets that is. With this in mind I see Magoichi trying to look for me considering how I'm that far away, but I switch my visions off, because although it is ever so advantageous, because I'm far away he'll know that I'm someone special, unusual, if I'm shooting him accurately despite me not having a clear sight of him without visions.
I then fire away a good amount of bullets before I realise that the noise of those shots, will alert Ranmaru and Magoichi, and so I move away, that is one disadvantage to the Barrett, as much as I like this weapon, and even Uni herself uses this, but still I will use this weapon and make advantage of the more numerous advantages, it being semi-automatic, having lots of bullets and being so deadly with one shot.
The thing is though, I know I can move to another position and continue to harass the enemy, this will take way too much time, in fact how much time have I got until the enemy reinforcements come to attack me, in which it will be ever so difficult dealing with both bosses and enemy grunts? Oh this is so frustrated, though I should think about how amazing it would be to take them all out, after all I have defeated so many enemies already, despite being so heavily outnumbered.
Well I've managed to find a new position and I have him in my sights, but I realise that I still have a long way to go before I can defeat him, and while I should have enough bullets for him, will I have enough for the others? Hmmm I don't know, I do know that I can't take this tension, that's for sure, but there's little I can do and that is what frustrates me, the prospect of the enemy reinforcements, and the concern about those other bosses wiping out my allies, if it weren't for that, I would be more relaxed about the prospect of taking down Magoichi.
Still, I can only do my best and so I fire more bullets at him, though this time I keep my eye on Magoichi as well as my attention on Uni, so that I know where the sniper boss is, as well as when the enemy reinforcements are coming in, in which I will have to use my strategy of creating distance from them and sniping the grunts one by one.
The thing is even if I get through this lot, which I like to think I will, it's not over, certainly not today with the fact that there's still the matter of rescuing Ash and Dawn, and then stopping the armada from reinforcing Pallet Town. Poor couple, I can't begin to imagine what that revolting Neptune and Plutia have done to them, still it will be wonderful when they are both rescued, though I have a feeling it won't be easy, and will be just as difficult as it is right now.
I fire more and more bullets at him and I manage to get him a good amount of times, but then Uni informs me that Ranmaru has found me and is about to aim for me, and so I quickly hide out of his sight, and then run for it, as his gun fires lots of bullets in my direction. Well that was a close one but at least I've significantly wounded him, I can hear Magoichi's comments of frustration with how I am defeated him, and with his weapon which he uses to rescue women with, though I highly doubt that he really has rescued women with his weapon.
I just know that any second the enemy reinforcements will be coming, but then I realise that White and Stealth were together, and perhaps I can get White to deal with the enemies that are about to arrive, which should help to keep the reinforcements at bay, while Stealth does what he can, though he'll be heavily outnumbered, but if I can take out Magoichi and then Ranmaru, then I can assist Stealth, and then I can deal with the bosses while he deals with the grunts, and White can deal with the enemy reinforcements, while Kastsuie can deal with the enemies as best as he can, and when we manage to defeat our enemies we can hopefully help our allies, and defeat these enemies for good.
I decide to get White to deal with the reinforcements that are about to come in, when they do in fact come in, and after this act, I feel much more relaxed, relaxed in the knowledge that I just have to deal with these two bosses, but even so I'll have to be quick because while relatively speaking I don't have many enemies to deal with, they do, and it will only be a matter of time before they fall, and so I need to deal with these two quickly, and then assist my allies and take the heat off of them.
The tragic thing is, I don't know if I can do it quickly, especially with how I'm having to take precautions to avoid getting shot by either Ranmaru or Magoichi, and ensuring that takes time, far too much time. In any case, I like to think that if I can take out the so called lady's man first, then taking out the sniper boss will be much easier, as I realise that I'm better off sneaking up on him and mowing him down, pinning him then quickly killing him, yes, once I get that boss who once had 3 guns down, and sneak on Ranmaru, I can kill him and then rush to assist my allies quickly.
Though I am constantly worrying that it's taking too much time, especially with how I know how heavily outnumbered my allies are, as well as how low in health my allies are, I once again manage to get in position such that I know where Magoichi is, while I'm reasonably far away from him and Ranmaru, meaning I'll be able to fire a good amount of bullets at the annoying lady's man, without being fired at back, but I don't feel that it's enough because once again Nobunaga's loyal retainer Ranmaru, has managed to get into position, and was about to fire at me, though by that time I was away from them.
Urgh, it's certainly taking way too long and I do not have the time, but at least I manage to find a new place and shoot him more times. I realise that perhaps it's best to just create distance and then shoot him and keep doing it until he falls, maybe that'll be quicker, I hope so because I need to be, and it's at this point that I learn from Uni, that the enemy reinforcements have arrived, but I am glad that White is there to intercept which is just as well, since despite the fact that the boss I'm fighting has had his health significantly reduced thanks to me, he still alive, along with the enemy which concerns me quite a lot.
I suppose I ought to be amazed with how I've not been shot since engaging this enemy, and I've managed to shoot the enemy boss numerous times, and at this rate he will die by me without me even getting shot once, but the frustrating thing is, that killing them without even getting hit once is not enough, despite that being a challenge of itself. I need to ensure that I do this quickly because of all of these enemies, that surround my allies and repeatedly shoot them, to the point where they are close to death.
It's getting more and more frustrating with how long it's taking with only managing to get in about a dozen shots at best at a time, but I have no choice. I just only hope that it's enough to take them down like this and be able to save my allies on time, making up for it by killing Ranmaru and using my speed, thanks to the perk a colas to get to my allies. I still sigh at the situation, sighing at the frustration and all this while I wonder if they'll adopt a new strategy, especially how I'm just shooting them but they've not managed to get me once, hmmm, but what will they do and how can I adjust in response? Hmmmm.
Oddly enough they then choose a different strategy and that involves them not chasing me anymore, though Ranmaru is heading over to protect Magoichi while he does his best to hide, as he must know that trying to chase me is no good, because I am much faster and I am just shooting him, and so they are hoping that every time I try and snipe at them, the sniper can just shoot me back, and if I was to get them from up close, they can mow me down. Hmmmm.
This will not be by any measure easy, though maybe I am better off being far away considering how only the sniper can get me, though I soon realise that I can just move around and take shots at the enemy before moving again, and hopefully I can defeat them without getting shot, though as I keep saying it won't be easy, and it will take a long time to do with running around them, but when the so called ladies' man is gone, I can then just mow down the loyal servant of Nobunaga's up close, though I need to ensure I can sneak up on them though, and it won't be easy, not with him looking around for me and ready to fire.
I won't let that stop me though, and so I find somewhere where I have a clear shot of them even with the so called ladies man's hiding, and hide before I begin to fire on them, as well as wait until they are looking away, but the frustrating thing is that I won't get much of a window, not when Ranmaru will just quickly turn around and shoot me down, I sigh again with frustration with the difficulty of this as well as the time this will take to take them down, but the annoying thing is, I have no choice, no alternative to this.
But it is then that I realise that the only annoying thing to this, is Ranmaru's sniper rifle and I remember that it takes them longer to reload their weapons, than it does for me, for the simple fact that I have perk a colas where as they don't, and I notice that with my visions that his weapon is a burst fire rifle with a 15 bullet magazine. Yes, if he fires his weapon without hitting me, he'll have to reload and then I can mow down Magoichi, this should help tremendously, but even so it will take time, and with the sniper boss I am certain that he won't fire his gun, unless he's absolutely certain that he can get me, oh this is so frustrating.
Still it's better than nothing, and I know that I will do my best, and I like to think that we can do this, and we will win, and defeat those bosses, those other ones, and all the enemies here, and so I manage to find a place to strike and then with their back towards me, I then fire a few shots at them before running away to another spot where I can't be seen, as Ranmaru fires a burst only to find that it's nowhere near my location, but annoyingly he only fires one burst. I guess the annoying thing is even when he has to reload, he will not provide much of a window for me to fire my weapon at the enemy, and all of this time that passes it makes me wonder if my allies are doing ok, probably not.
At least his health is going down, but I'm not sure if it's down enough. I wonder if I should go and sneak on them up close, and get rid of them that way, but it's much too risky and they have far too much health for it to work. I only hope that I can fire enough bullets when they have to reload, perhaps that will be enough to take them down, but I soon realise that I'll need to be quick because even if I've knocked them down, he can still return fire and I know that I won't have enough health to withstand the shots. It's rather amazing though, considering how I've been shot loads of times and yet despite the immense pain that I have, it's not enough to hinder my speed.
I fire my gun again at the hidden Magoichi and then run away to another position nearby, and fire more bullets at them, and with each time I fire, Ranmaru tries to fire his rifle at me in fact only one burst each time, but it doesn't hit me and I'm once again well away by the time he fires.
The thing is though, I wonder if he'll change tactic since he may know I'm trying to get him to fire his gun so that I can catch him when reloading, but then again he could know what I'm trying to do, but instead carries on in the knowledge that it's only a matter of time before they get reinforcements, and it will then become ever so difficult for me, but what they don't realise is that White is doing her best to hold them off, but even so how much longer can she hold them off? Hmmm, I don't know and that is what worries me.
He has two bursts left in his rifle but while I continue to do my best in getting him to fire his rifle, as I shoot at the so called ladies' man a few times, while running from one place to another, he doesn't fire his weapon at all, hmmm but I know that if I run and shoot more, or shoot more from my position then he'll just shoot at me, which is not ideal at all.
They're proving to be ever so stubborn to defeat, I tried hitting and running, they've adopted, I tried getting Ranmaru to waste his bullets, and he's stopped firing his weapon. Hmmmm, I don't know but for them it must be frustrating for Magoichi if he keeps getting shot by me, and yet I've not been hit once, will they change strategy or will they continue to buy time, for their allies, even if they end up not hitting me once?
If I can just do something to get Ranmaru to fire the last of his bursts at me, and do it in such a way, that I can dodge out of the way, then I'd be able to open fire on Magoichi which should significantly wound him, maybe even kill him if I'm lucky. Maybe I should just try and bleed the annoying romantic and not bother about provoking Nobunaga's loyal solider into firing his weapon, because he's on low health and some more shots and then I like to think that I can finish off the hopeless romantic up close.
It's no good me making any noise to distract them because I'm too far away as I'm using a sniper rifle, so I guess it's sticking to doing what I've been doing earlier. I then find a good position and manage to fire a few more bullets from my rifle as quickly as I can, before I dive away and find a new position, the thing he hasn't fired his weapon at me, maybe he might choose to next time I attack, but then suddenly as if purely by chance, Ranmaru decides to reload his weapon ,and it's then that I manage to rush and fire more bullets but annoyingly it's not enough, hmmm should I risk it, should I attempt to take them out up close? Hmmm.
As I think he then fires his rifle in my direction as I decide it's best to move to another position away from them, but this time he fires quite quickly meaning that I have a window of opportunity to open fire against him, but from where I am Magoichi is too well hidden for me to get him, oh no, I was hoping to get a good shot at him, but it's not to be, and so I'm forced to move to another position where I can see him, though at this point, Ranmaru has finished reloading his weapon, oh no.
Jeez won't that Magoichi just die by me already, I feel like a frustrated gamer trying so hard to take a tough boss out, but I will get him, it is inevitable, especially with how his health is deteriorating and it is then I find another position where I can get him, and so I open fire at him for as long as I dare, but annoyingly it's not enough times that he gets hit by me, and so I find myself having to duck and head for another suitable position. This I need to ensure that I can get the hopeless romantic, and have an ample amount of time to shoot him down, come on it needs to be enough.
I manage to run to this new place, and dodge the enemy bursts of bullets, though just barely do I do so, but at least Ranmaru has to reload now, and it is now that I open fire against Magoichi, firing as many bullets as possible, but I find that it's not enough to wipe him out, though it is enough to significantly wound him, and so perhaps now I can go in for the kill, but even so it will be risky. I find myself wondering: can I knock them both down and take out the hopeless romantic, and then pin the sniper boss and take them out that way? It won't be easy but I need to be quicker, and now is as good as I time as any.
I say this because from the distance, I can see my nemesis full of blood pouring out of his gunshot wounds, and his body language shows frustration and anger, with how I've taken his weapon and how I've wounded him repeatedly, and it's the case whether he tried to catch me, or whether he let Ranmaru try to deal with me.
I'm so pleased to have got him though, to have shot him so many times without him being able to shoot at me, and it's impressive considering how he's supposed to be a marksman, deadly with his guns, though I did take his sniper weapon of him, and if he had it, it would have been a completely different story with him and Ranmaru, both trying to shoot me down with their sniper rifles.
I then cautiously head over to where they both are while switching to my AA12 and quickly, not really having time to breathe in and to make sure I know exactly how I'm going to do it, I decide to fire my weapon at both of them, which knocks them both at the floor on the front, as I shoot them from behind, and I quickly stand on Ranmaru's back and keep him pinned, while I finish off Magoichi for good.
As the so called ladies' man falls from my shots he tries to turn around and fires his weapon, and though I get hit a few times by his Uzi, fortunately it is not enough to even wipe me out for good, as I have just enough health to take the shots from his weapon.
It relieves me ever so much because now it's just a simple matter of taking out Ranmaru, and then going to assist my allies, it shouldn't take too long now, and I find this to be such a nice contrast from all this time of trying to be as quick as possible, and yet avoiding getting hit and finding myself frustrated with how little damage I'm able to do against Magoichi, as I hear him yell in pain and frustration making his usual comments as he falls.
The thing is I still need to make sure that Ranmaru doesn't shoot me from his position though I like to think that he won't because other than his sniper rifle, he has an M60 which is a heavy weapon, and will no doubt be difficult to use with one hand. I make sure by treading on his arms so that he can't use them, and at the same time I fire magazine after magazine of my AA12 at him, until he dies. He grunts and screams in pain every time I fire, as blood comes pouring out of his wounds.
Just as I thought it doesn't take too long at all, to take him down not when my gun fires quickly, does much damage per shot, and I can reload quickly and it has lots of bullets as well, and so after this I pick up his sniper rifle which is a PTRS41 modified with burst fire and an extended clip. The thing is, though I know that I need to be quick now, I do wonder who should I rescue first, Stealth, White, or Katsuie? Hmmmm. I realise that I should rescue Katsuie since it will be easier, and then I can help Stealth, who must be heavily outnumbered with so many enemy bosses and minions.
I feel ever so bad for having to abandon them, to all of these enemies considering how my odds weren't as bad as it was for him, but then again I realise that I have no choice considering the enemies that needed to be taken out, and those being the snipers, who would have proven to be such harassment.
I like to think that with Ranmaru and Magoichi gone it will be much easier, now I have a sniper rifle and can just take out the rest of them in the distance, but the problem is will I have the bullets to do so, especially since these bosses more specifically Tokugawa, and Tadakatsu Honda will take so many bullets.
While I am ever so pleased to have taken out two of the remaining 8 bosses with little health lost, just a bit at the end, in which it is no small feat, considering the lack of health I have, I am ever so worried that due to the difficult odds my allies have to face, they must be ever so close to death, and this worries me ever so much because they're all that's standing between the enemy consisting of 6 bosses, and who knows how many grunts, probably dozens at least.
It sadly matters not that the enemy have been significantly diminished in strength because if they invade Lastation, then it will be an all out war between Lastation and Team Rocket, and with the war against Leanbox it will be surely disastrous.
What really concerns me is not just the fact that we're heavily outnumbered, but it will be ever so difficult to stop them from invading, I then realise that there'll be two more waves of troops to deal with and I can only hope that White can keep them at bay, but there'll be just far too many of them for her to deal with, I just know it. I must admit though it's not just serious pain I'm feeling, albeit not enough to slow me down, I feel fatigue, wariness with the odds stacking against us.
But despite this, I know that I cannot give up, not for my allies who are struggling, fighting for the same cause as myself, which is to fight for Lastation, Lowee and for us all who live there, not to mention the rest of this place which suffer from the tyrannical rule of Neptune and her nasty cronies. I only hope that considering the situation that Katsuie and my other allies are alright and in one piece, but I do feel that his health is getting rather low, in fact as low as mine which is ever so low.
As I run though I begin to wonder who should I take out first, the minions or the boss, or rather bosses though I like to think it's boss, but then I quickly remember that the minions are my best bet, since they'll be easier to kill and when they're gone it'll just be me, Katsuie and the boss, who I like to think is Tadakatsu Honda, who is powerful yet slow, if I can just keep firing bullets at him, then I like to think that he'll fall reasonably quickly, and that then if my ally is alive at this point, he can assist White, while I go for Stealth and deal with the other enemies.
Hmmm 6 bosses who are no doubt healthy with hundreds of troops against the four of us who are seriously wounded, seriously drained and seriously exhausted, those are not good odds, but we have triumphed and we cannot give in.
Whatever happens we will find a way to keep fighting, and I like to think that even if Tadakatsu is armoured he won't be too tough to defeat, though the four bosses together with their minions, that will not be so easy, even if I have the advantage of range, but do I since from what I remember seeing earlier? Their weapons do in fact concern me with how big their range is, and how accurate they are, not to mention deadly which is extremely worrying especially with the small amount of health that I have remaining, so small that I feel that even one bullet could kill me, it's as if it's the ultimate difficulty.
Well here goes nothing as I see in the distance my ally Katsuie ,and he's certainly struggling to say the least, as I get into position ready to take out the first minion there.