Rusty and Mayhem did the best they could to keep the cryptids at bay, but their rifles were of the interdiate level and incapable of causing much damage unless they targeted a weakspot.
Sothing completely impossible for the unrulies army unit who lacked the discipline needed for training properly or even to listen to orders and soon they were overwheld by cryptids of all sorts: Lizard like creatures, snakes, insects, all sorts of deford and unsightly monsters crawled, slithered and even flew their way.
Under regular circumstances, they would have been dead withing seconds, but Uriel thinned their numbers with his magnum revover. Enough to keep them at the verge of defeat, but without letting them get hurt. That was his plan from the beginning, to make them realize they needed to rise up to the challenge or die trying, but Nika wasn't happy with his behavior.
"Uriel, what you're doing is wrong! How can you not see that?"
"You just said I'm acting like Luna. If I were her I bet you wouldn't mind it." He shrugged, without taking his eyes from Young who still refused to fire her weapon at the incoming enemies.
"I get it, I know they need to toughen up, but this is not the ti. Sothing's coming and we need to run!"
"No, this is the perfect ti. Sothing has been bothering for a while now, but I didn't realize how much until lately. You always say how you're part of the team and that you're willing to put your neck on the line to help, but whenever things beco difficult you always run into my shadows."
"So what if I use my trait to survive?"
"That's absolutely fine, but not when you leave people fighting alone. This is your chance to prove you're for real, that you are the capable heavenly rank hunter everyone think you are. I'll leave them into your care now. Oh, if any of them dies, don't bother following us anymore." Uriel's cold eyes showed how much he ant every word and after he finished speaking he activated Dash and ran away.
"Where did the Lieutenant go?" Young cried.
"Not again! That bastard!" Rusty shouted, but Mayhem remained silent and focused on the enemies in front of her.
"We need more firepower." Mayhem inford in a loud manner, but she seed calm and collected. It was as though all the years of failed training had suddenly kicked in and Nika realized it was her duty to take control.
"If there isn't any weakpost try their eyes." Nika stepped in and opened fire with her coil gun, though the enemies didn't stop coming and they were almost at lee range.
"Why did he leave us again!? We're going to die!" Young's hands trembled as she held the rifle she had only ever used during her formation years.
"Mom, we need your help. If things continue this way we're not going to make it!" Mayhem shouted.
"We're not going to make it..."
"Mom!" Mayhem shouted in despair as a lizard got too close for comfort, though instead of retreating she leapt on top of the cryptid and activated her trait directly over its head and exploding it to pieces. Now that she was an ascended, the explosions didn't look like firecrackers anymore.
What followed the explosions was a brief mont of silence, a respite in the middle of the fight, and the soldiers took the chance to reload. It seed as though the cryptids had retreated back into the forest, but that wasn't the case.
Instead, they subrged in the shallow waters and then deep into the mud, using the distraction to take them by surprise. Nika realized this in ti and with a single kick she burst the lizard that was about to take a bite out of Young.
"This isn't the ti to play damsel in distress, if you're not going to fight, then get lost in the swamp or sothing." Nika said, looking down at the useless soldier that just soiled her uniform. It was essentially the sa thing Uriel said to her, to either pull her weight or disappear from their lives.
"I..." At that mont Young realized there weree no more opportunities, that she would never reach the end of her contract without fighting and that getting her nails done before an incursion wasn't a great idea. As soon as she opened fire her acrilic nails broke, her muddy hair got into her face and she couldn't aim properly, but she didn't stop pulling the trigger until the last round was fired.
"Whew! We made it!" Mayhem let out.
"Not thanks to that useles Lieutenant!" Rusty scoffed for the umptenth ti that day.
"It's not over yet..." Nika warned as the water surface rippled to the rythm of the drum that was heard in the distance.
"Is that an earthquake?" Mayhem asked.
"You wish. No, I think it's a cryptid."
"Then we need to run!" Young, who didn't care about her disheveled appearance anymore, proposed, but then realized they couldn't run with Rusty. They could either hide or face the threat, but running away wasn't an option.
"Don't worry, I bet the lieutenant will co save us." Mayhem stuttered.
"No, he's too far away. We're on our own," Said Nika who could sowhat sense the distance to her host. She then gripped her weapon and held her ground. "Ta so distance from each other and form a defensive line. If that things wants to defeat us it's going to have to make so cardio."
They all did as they were asked to by Nika, Young didn't bother to complain or ask why anymore because now their very survival was at stake. Nika seed to stand proud in front of the incoming threat, though in reality her legs were shaking. Just being apart from Uriel filled her with anxiety since she was unable to recover flux energy on her own.
Still, she decided to stay and fight. Her mind was made up and not even dying seed as bad as being shunned by her friends. Then, the thumping sound ca close and the last trees to fall revealed the cause of all the commotion.
"So you stayed! Good job." Said Cassandra.
"I knew she wouldn't bail." Tallyman, the man responsible for felling the trees added and then Mayhem broke into laughter.
"Got ya!"
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