Here I was again, looking down the barrel of a gun while lying on my back. The man holding the gun stood above me, intent to kill in his eyes. I watched as his fingers curled around the trigger of his Colt Army. My life began flashing before my eyes. My first steps, my first day at school, my mother’s funeral, my father being deployed overseas, my first kiss, losing my virginity, college, and the face of my master. All the hard lessons I had learned, all the hell I went through to live, just to end up in this position. No! I screamed in my head. Not yet! It can’t end like this!
My mind came back to reality, a new force driving my body and soul. “May God accept you into his Kingdom, sinner…” Gavin spoke into the ether, not directly to me.
I gritted my teeth and furrowed my brow. “I’m not ready for that yet.” I growled unconsciously.
“What!?” before Gavin could react, I swiftly kicked him in the small of his back. As he flew forward, I hopped to my feet and spun around to pursue him. Not losing a step, Gavin cart-wheeled off of one hand and landed low. I charged full steam like a bat out of hell, sending my knee into his face. This caused him to tumble backwards several feet before stopping on his ass. That got his attention.
“I’m not done yet!” I hollered loudly. Pissed as hell, I gripped my odachi and ripped it out of its scabbard, holding it across my chest. I was ready for anything. I was ready for revenge for Sakura. Ready to survive.
For a moment, Gavin was silent. His body lurched over as he sat covered in mud. Then his torso began jerking. I couldn’t tell why at first, but then it came. One of the most haunting sounds I’d ever heard. “Huhahahahaha! HAHAHAHA!” Gavin laughed as if he were watching a comedy. Almost maniacally, he laughed raising his head to show a delighted grin spread across his bloody face. Crimson poured from his nostrils and the corner of his right eye. He began standing back up as his laughter died, taking a deep heave, he wiped the blood from beneath his nose. “It would seem the Lord has finally guided me to a worthy opponent.”
The freaking psychopath looked me dead in the eyes, still wearing a jolly grin. I couldn’t let him get into my head, not now. Gripping the hilt of my blade, I charged at him, dodging bullets from side to side. As I approached him, I quickly whirled into a reverse slash and was blocked with force by his Colt. Sparks snarled in between our weapons. “You’re getting faster… That’s good.” . Before I knew it, I was on my head. Victim to a well-placed sweep kick from Gavin, I watched upside down as he jolted for his cross. I moved my legs beneath me as quickly as I could and chased after him. He then jumped behind the upright cross and hid behind it for a short second before coming back from hiding with two more loaded Colts. I didn’t hesitate in my charge. No, I was in the zone. He fired rapidly at me, but his bullets only grazed my skin, causing small cuts to open up all across my body.
Gavin aimed dead on for one moment, sending a well placed shot directly at my face. I had to react quickly, and I did. The greatest intensity pulsed through my veins as I threw my blade up and with what had to be the best luck I’ve ever had, sliced the bullet in half. Someone must have been looking out for me, and Gavin’s face agreed. I looked on with relief and vigor to his expression of surprise and disbelief. Now was my time to strike. I brought my sword across horizontally, attempting to slash Gavin’s side, but he quickly brought his cross down into my sword’s path.
I couldn’t stop, no, never. My body was reacting by it’s self now. Killer instinct was taking me over, and things began to haze. I watched from outside as my body front-flipped over his cross’ cover and back-heeled Gavin on the top of his head. He reeled back from the blow swiftly, but I followed him relentlessly. I slashed all over, frantically attacking from all direction. Snarling, growling, and barking out yells of power like an animal. Gavin didn’t lose a step, as he dodged backwards and to the side. Then the moment came as his foot hit a soft part of sod, causing his foot to slip slightly and lose balance. I hollered and brought my blade up from the bottom for a vertical slash.
The tip of my blade stopped at Gavin’s throat. His gun was back home in my face. He was quick alright. We stared into each other’s eyes for a short eternity, unable to react out of fear of the consequences. Gavin looked onto me with what seemed like respect. Then he spoke, “This fight is over. I will fire my gun and leaped back before you can cut me. You will die here.” I didn’t reply. “… but you have been a worthy opponent” My heart fluttered from the compliment, but now wasn’t the time for thank-you’s. “I will tell you why I fight.” Was this supposed to be some kind of parting gift? If so, it wasn’t a very good one… just interesting.
“I was raised an orphan in a quiet monastery. I was a troubled youth as a child. Few people showed me attention, and I was gifted at few things. I was never adopted and never shown love, so I earned my attention by acting badly, by becoming the bully of the rest of the children I lived with.”
Cry me a river.
“One day however, as I was saying attending mass with the rest of the children, a strange man entered our church and joined the congregation. No one questioned this man, for we are all children of God. He seemed nervous, sketchy. He sat in the middle row of empty pews, not praying himself. He was dirty and appeared scared. But we continued prayer. “
Must have been a drunk.
“Then the bullets stormed in through the church doors, destroying all in their path. Strays hit several of the priests and killed many children. The sitting man screamed like a woman and attempted to run, but was also struck down by the faceless gunshots. I ducked my own head down and hid behind the altar, guarded by the statue of the crucifixion. I closed my eyes, covered my ears, and cried. By the time the gunfire had stopped, I could barely see from the tears filling my eyes.”
Tears started welling up in his eyes. I couldn’t help but become intrigued.
“I stepped out from behind the altar to find everyone dead. The priests, the children, and the mysterious man. The massacre before me scarred me for life, the destroyed church was burned into my psyche. Later on, I learned that the man who was killed had been the target of a contract killing. It was then on that day that I decided what my life’s path would be. How I would serve the Lord. I would become a warrior for God, and destroy both the worthless people who attained a price on their head’s, and those who hunted them. I would be the hand of judgment before these soldiers’s of fortune could harm anymore innocent lives.”
I still didn’t answer. Not knowing whether I would live or die, I just listened to the story. “That is why I asked you to follow me here. That is why I kill for a living. It is not a need, it is must. It must be done for the sake of the innocent.” Gavin’s grip tightened on his gun. “I am sorry that you have chosen this path in life. You were a fierce warrior, but now I must bid you good bye.” I opened my eyes wide in surprise, and then shut them quickly in fear.
Click.
The sound of an empty gun. Gavin didn’t move. Click, click.
I opened my eyes and without hesitation brought my sword’s blade across Gavin’s throat. Blood sprayed from the wound lightly. He smiled softly before falling to his knees. “God… must have truly been smiling on you this day.” The Crusader then fell onto his stomach and died gracefully. I didn’t want to feel bad, but deep inside I did. He wasn’t an evil man, just a hurt one. Life hadn’t been good to him, and he tried to make a difference for a good cause. But unfortunately that cause brought him into conflict with me. He killed my friend, and tried to kill me. Something in the back of my head told me that I wasn’t supposed to die today… maybe it was God.
********************************
I climbed the steps of the memorial tower to recover Sakura’s body. I would need to call someone to handle Gavin’s enormous frame, so I had to leave his body. As I climbed the stairs, I held back tears. This fight didn’t need to happen, and shouldn’t have. Two people had just died because of me. I was racked with guilt and self-loathing. As I reached the entrance way for the balcony Sakura had been perched on, I hesitated to enter. I didn’t want to see her dead body. I gulped hard and breathed through my nose. It was time to be a man. I stepped forward and saw her delicate body shining in the moon light, but strangely no injury. There was a large bruise on her forehead in a circular shape.
I then noticed her rifle’s scope was destroyed from a bullet. My heart rose from the pits of my stomach and I examined her closer. She was breathing. Was it a lucky miss? It must have been. Or had Gavin actually…
