The horn blared, and Shihon's heart pounded like a drum, clenching tightly onto the gun as she flew past the curtains and into the main arena.
She was immediately met with darkness and a hazy fog, mixed with the faint neon lights that spilled onto the various sections of the field.
She listened attentively, keeping her listening ability acute as she marched slowly and with caution. She could hear a scuffle several feet away from her, along with laughs and shouts that seemed to surround her from a distance.
Then, she stopped, as an eerie silence quickly overshadowed all for about three seconds, before all hell broke loose.
She leapt towards a foam pillar that blocked her from the laser shot by a younger girl who emerged, and at the same time, five other participants charged at each other behind her as her cover was quickly blown.
Her eyes widened as a boy charged towards her with his fingers on the trigger, and her reflexes kicked up, launching herself off to her right before he pulled on it, and then she slid through another person's legs.
Her gaze frantically scanned the area, littered with young men, women and children who consistently weaved, fired and sped towards each other without hesitation.
The match had barely started, and she was pretty much running away from the action.
"Gotcha!!"
"Shit!"
Almost dashing straight into a eleven year-old boy who screamed out with a battle cry, she flipped over his body and landed, before spinning around to fire, but-
-At the corner of her eyes, a figure barely visible behind the fog aimed as well, and she bolted off, changing her mind.
This is too fast paced! she exclaimed internally. Every second, I run into someone new!
Up ahead three boys about Liohime's age stood together, and on noticing Shihon, one yelled out, "Let's go, boys! Together, now!"
They're teaming up!?
He sped off with all her might, while flailing her arms and zigzagging between the large pillars that slightly obscured their vision while they fired.
The rapid-fired non-harmful lasers narrowly missed her hip, abdomen and forehead, and luckily, she had somehow survived, but-
Oh, fucking come on!
She quickly hid and leaned back at a nearby pillar, trying to catch her breath as she barely exited from the terrifying scene undetected.
--The NPC Warbots were on the move, and she had witnessed five players being lasered down simultaneously while cornered by them.
She gritted her teeth, and her trembling hands continued to clutch at her laser gun.
I can't hide forever….come on, Shihon. Think of something…!
***
Liohime spun around in midair dodging the laser aimed at him and pointed his gun straight at the circular object on the opponent's forehead.
Closing his left eye, he pulled on the trigger, and the green beam of light pierced through the air and hit the target in milliseconds.
PING!
He landed perfectly while his opponent grumbled in defeat.
"Don't feel bad. There was nothing that you could've done to defeat me," he cooly stated, before speeding off.
Five perfect shots, no points lost. Liohime Kitagami was on a roll.
In his mind, this was just a fun exercise that was going to help him in missions to come as a Shinigami Soldier. His experience and his reflexes were in top shape, but if he came first here after putting his skills to the test…
…I'll surely be sharpened up for the future….huh?
"Your senses are dulling, Lita."
In a split second, he could feel a strange presence behind his body, and that whisper shook him to his core.
This person could have shot him at the back with ease and still would have gotten the point, as the circle target strapped onto him was also attached to his back.
This person...had willingly let herself be known to him.
He spun around with increased momentum, firing without delay, but the figure had already sidestepped in advance to his right. He turned and shot again, but the young woman already had him figured out, using the pillar behind her to push herself into the air using her feet and flipping over him with ease just as he fired another laser.
Now making a full circle, Liohime fired once more, aiming but narrowly missing the blur that crouched and dodged his third attack. The girl slid behind his back, forcing him to stabilize his equilibrium with another turn, but before he could reach out to push her away, she kicked the gun out of his right hand and held onto his both arms tightly, spinning his body around with her own arm strength before jumping and pushing him downwards with her legs to his chest as she was sent into the air by her own recoil, and then aimed at the circle strapped onto his stomach in midair as soon as his body collided into the ground.
PING! 2 lives left.
The world became hazy. Liohime's mind swayed to and fro, trying to make sense of what just happened, but his body reacted first and he quickly got back onto his feet as he stared down his new opponent, which was none other than…
"That's so unlike you to sneak attack like that, Tisha. I'm impressed, though. As expected, you've improved since last time."
"Fufufu, thank you, big guy. I'm more surprised by your inability to sense me until it was too late, though…"
"Yeah well, I usually sense danger like it's nothing, but….anyway, that doesn't matter anymore."
…Tisha Marsey, who chucked with an innocent smile, did not keep her eyes off of him.
"So? Wanna duke it out, Lita? Or…"
She tilted her head and exhaled, with narrowed pupils covering a playful glare.
"...Are you scared that you'll hurt your ex's feelings….again?"
Liohime rolled his eyes and scoffed, and was about to take a step forward on hearing that statement, but stopped.
"As much as I wanna take out my frustrations on you right now, it looks like it'll have to wait."
"Hm? Oh."
Realizing what he meant, Tisha quickly noticed the third parties charging into their battleground, and before she could voice another word, Liohime had already made his exit, picking up his gun that had strayed from his grasp.
She sighed and combed through her smooth, silky hair with her left hand, without an ounce of fear in the world as she was caught in the crossfire of six participants.
She frowned and bolted straight into the action.
I'm looking forward to beating you again, Lita.