Assassination (III)

After the explosion, Aio seemed to have lost consciousness for quite some time.

Then she vaguely sensed someone dragging her up and pushing her out through a crack in the mine cart.

She staggered onto the surface and immediately caught the pungent smell of scorching asphalt and red-hot metal.

Aio blinked in the dazzling sunlight and felt around for her sidearm.

The weapon was still where it had been, thankfully.

At that moment, Kasko, who had caused the entire accident, limped over while reloading the Shuriken Pistol.

"I think you seem unhappy."

Aio shook her head, trying to dispel the ringing in her ears. She was far more than merely unhappy with what this bastard had done; she even wanted to shoot him dead.

"You set off those mines without authorization. Were you trying to kill me?"

"I didn't know you would be standing there."

Blades of Delirium shrugged.

"That idiot Nightblade's plan failed, so I had to carry out mine."

"One explosion? You won't kill many."

"But it might draw it out."

"It? Guk? You think you can deal with it alone under these circumstances?"

Aio was first stunned by Kasko's bold idea, then seized by heartfelt dread.

"You're insane."

"Maybe. You can run for your lives if you want, but I won't. Right here, everything will end."

Then he pointed behind Aio and shouted:

"If you're going to run, you'd better hurry."

The assassin turned and saw armored behemoths charging toward them through the smoke from the explosion, their weapons spitting fire.

Bullets exploded across the ground and the damaged mine carts, each impact bringing a deafening boom.

Aio raised her gun but hesitated. The pistol had limited range and was better suited for killing at close quarters.

So she chose to take cover behind the wreckage of