Chapter Eight – Part Eight.

  Narrated by Elena Kobayashi.

  I stood between two men, both clad in medieval armor. I laughed and said.

  "Seriously? Did you guys miss the 2008 update or something?" They began circling around me, each drawing a sword. "Unfortunately," they said, "that was a terrible joke."

  I unsheathed my twin blades. "Damn it, I had more..."

  They both charged at me from the same direction. I tossed a grenade between them—they jumped away just in time. I threw explosive knives behind them. One of them was hit and went tumbling across the ground, screaming.

  I pulled out more of my knives.

  "One down." The other threw his sword aside and pulled out a 57mm machine gun. He opened fire.

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  I raised my blades, deflecting the bullets as best as I could until his ammo ran dry.

  Then, like a wild beast, he lunged toward me. I drew my pistol and fired, but my bullets slid right off his armor. He got too close. I threw another explosive knife. But he grabbed me before I could retreat and laughed in my face.

  "Did you really think you’d get away, bitch? You're dying right here, right now."

  I pulled a dagger from my belt and stabbed him between the legs.

  He dropped, writhing in pain. I tried to run—but the knife exploded. The blast was massive. It threw me into the air. I hit the ground hard, landing on my back. I looked up. He was standing over me. His armor had been blown to pieces. His face... burned beyond recognition. He grabbed my head, lifting me into the air.

  "I don't think I'll let you die like this. I’ll make it quick."

  He began crushing my skull—but I’d been hiding a needle bomb in my mouth ever since I hit the ground.

  Waiting for this exact moment. I blew it out. Straight into his eye. It exploded. I dropped to the ground. And then, I saw a man in the forest.

  An old man, slowly approaching. "Good," he said. "You think fast in battle." I jumped to my feet and drew my pistol, but my body gave out—I collapsed. I couldn’t move anymore. The old man kept walking toward me.

  "Didn’t realize I drugged you with a dart, huh? Looks like you still have much to learn."

  He hoisted me onto his back. And everything faded into darkness.