Wind swept my long hair, buffeting my face and causing my cheeks to go numb. My stomach lurched as Asmodeus dived and dipped around the tall buildings of Castalor, we were closing in on the arena.

  My entire team was with me, albeit tentatively. Whereas I was sat in the prime position on Asmodeus’s back, Bell behind me, clinging to my waist for dear life, Sally and Rex were hanging on to his back legs. Just the sight of them riding the excited, agile dragon as he zipped and weaved through the air turned my stomach. Panda sat in front of me, shielded from the worst of the air pressure which howled in my ears.

  “Get ready!” Asmodeus roared above the deafening wind. “We’re coming in hot!”

  As he barrel-rolled over the stands, the god’s platform came into view. Spectators stared and pointed as we glided past them. I had already instructed him to land on the god’s seating area, knowing that it led directly to their individual quarters. Sadly, Asmodeus wouldn’t be able to accompany us inside, but he would make a great deterrent for anyone who planned to flank us. We could rest easily with a large, violent dragon at our backs.

  Wings narrowly avoiding the platform, he came in for landing at speed, slammed on the brakes casting his wings wide as I jerked forwards. He hovered for a second as Sally and Rex let go of his back legs, dropping to the ground and quickly moving away from the landing zone.

  Note to self: buy a saddle.

  Asmodeus landed hard, cracking the stone and upending a few chairs and I jumped from his back, rushing towards Loki’s door. I couldn’t believe that I was about to risk my neck to save a god who had literally just tried to cheat his way through the tournament, intending to kill me in the process. However, saving him would be necessary if I wanted to live long enough to compete in the finals.

  I hate these damned gods!

  Sally and Rex were already stacked up on either side of the double doors when I ran to them.

  “Plan?” I asked Rex.

  “You kick the door down; Sally and I will rush in ready to tank any opposition. Bell will cover the door and provide back up if needed,” he turned to her, a serious rasp in his voice, “do not fire unless absolutely necessary. We don’t want to burn the whole building down.” She nodded. “Ready?”

  Looking at each of their faces and receiving a firm nod from each, I kicked the door down. Wood and glass blasted inwards as I booted the door with the force of a small tornado. Sally and Rex dashed inside, spreading out left and right as I rushed down the centre.

  “Clear left.”

  “Clear right.”

  “Can’t a sick man be left to heal in peace?” A faint voice coughed, hacking up blood as I looked towards the frail-looking form of Loki. He was sat in his throne, slumped, legs straight against the floor and head lolling. His eye was gone, in its place a black abyss leaking puss and blood like tears streaming down half of his face.

  Did I really do that?

  “Oh it’s you,” he said feebly. “Come to finish me off? The others will kill you for that, you know?”

  “Actually, we’re here to save you,” I replied coldly.

  “Save me? Well unless you’ve got god-like healing mana I doubt you’ll be much help, but feel free to try. Though I feel it’s only fair to let you know that I’ll be back to my normal self in a few days. My eye is already healing, it’ll grow back soon and the sooner the better, right now I can’t look in a mirror without seeing my father. You’ve ruined my favourite pastime. Nice shot by the way.”

  “Kid, something isn’t right here,” Panda said, poking his little head through the door.

  “There’s about to be an assassination attempt on your life,” Rex said to Loki. “We’re here to protect you.”

  “An assassination?” Loki laughed, but it quickly devolved into blood-spraying coughing. “I fear you’ve been misled Baccus-kin. Chrysus has played you like a fiddle,” he began cackling and coughing in equal measures as I looked wide eyed at Rex.

  “Shit, we need to get to Havier-”

  BOOM.

  Glass shattered, the floor shook violently and screams emanated from the stands as I dashed out the door, looking up to see smoke rising from Havier’s box. My dragon’s eye exploded with pain as I instinctively threw my hands to it. Colours covered my vision, aura so powerful it hurt to look at.

  “Hop on!” Asmodeus shouted.

  ***

  “Jack, you need to get to Loki,” Havier protested. “If he dies then Chrysus’ champion will surely win the tournament.”

  “I’ve already sent word to Kaleb and his team, they’ll be there in a few minutes,” Jack replied, though he too was nervous. Pacing up and down the box’ interior, casting worried glances towards the god’s area. “I can’t leave you alone. What if there are two lots of assassins coming. If you have to defend yourself against a good soul attack you’ll level half the arena.”

  Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.

  “You don’t get it!” He roared, eyes bulging. “If Chrysus is allowed to win the tournament then we’ll be playing right into his hands.”

  “It’s just a tournament!” Jack shouted back. “It doesn’t matter who wins, not anymore. The alliances, that’s the big issue. Who cares if Chrysus win’s this silly game or not? The bigger issue is foiling his coop.”

  “You’re wrong.” Havier’s voice was quiet, dark. “If he wins this tournament he’ll have even more power to enact his coop. This is more than just a dick measuring contest, this is how the gods introduce new laws.”

  “What?” Jack looked wide-eyed at Havier, unsure if he’d just misheard him.

  CRASH.

  Spinning on his heels, weapon drawn, he stared down the barrel of his gun at two figures dressed all in black. They looked like ninjas, and the bigger one held two small blades, just like Kaleb. Jack hadn’t met many skirmishers before but his experience with Dissident Flame told him all he needed to know about their fighting style. The skirmisher dashed towards him and, wasting no time, he pulled the trigger.

  “I bloody well told you!” He shouted to Havier.

  Scatter Shot:

  Split your mana into multiple pellets of force energy which explode from your rifle a cone shape. This wide arcing attack is perfect for killing two birds with one stone.

  It’s basically a shotgun shell…

  Mana erupted from the barrel of Jack’s home-made weapon, blasting brick as chunks flew from the wall, showering the second figure who had hung back. The first caught the brunt of it and was pushed backwards, but it wasn’t enough to stop his charge. Reaching Jack before he had time to fire again, the man – who was dressed in dark pants and jerkin and with a black wrapping covering his face like a ninja – dashed forwards, ducking low and then exploding upwards with an uppercut to Jack’s gut.

  Jack was lifted off the ground, bile burning the back of his throat as his head crashed into the ceiling. A shower of loose brick and mortar raining down all around his attacker who continued to run, heading straight for Havier.

  The figure glowed with a powerful blue light, wrapping around his fist like a skintight glove as he moved in on The Emperor.

  Shit, a soul attack – it’s got to be.

  As he dropped from the ceiling, Jack spun around in midair. He didn’t usually like to use this move so soon in a fight, but he was left with no choice. If the man reached Havier then it was game over. The entire arena would be in danger. Jack wouldn’t allow that. All his life he’d protected people, even before Celestia, though in his own, violent way.

  360 No Scope

  Spin around and begin to zoom in on your target, firing off a shot before you have the chance to fuck it up. This is a guaranteed head shot of extreme power.

  This skill can only be used once per meditative period.

  Extreme mana cost.

  Though he rarely used it, Jack had acquired this skill once he’d reached bronze rank. It was his trump card, though it would leave him dazed, on the cusp of mana sickness. He wouldn’t be able to use his sniper again for the remainder of the battle. Hopefully he’d be able to hold off the second assailant anyway. He didn’t have time to wonder why they hadn’t moved.

  With a cacophonous crack which ricochet off the walls, deafening him as the recoil threatened to dislocate his shoulder, he fired. The bullet crossed the space between Jack and the man in an instant, rupturing his head from behind in a bloody explosion. The man’s head popped like a water balloon, gore and blood splashing Jack, painting the room crimson along with a shocked Havier’s face.

  “When did you learn to do that?” He asked, as Jack dropped to the floor on his hands and knees, panting as he pulled his weapon back into his inventory.

  “Bravo,” the remaining assailant said in a mocking tone, a slow clap echoing throughout the room. Jack turned to look at her, for the voice was distinctly female, but she too had a black face wrapping. Her eyes were all that could be seen, a dangerous blue lacking any human emotion.

  With great effort, The Reaper pulled himself to his feet. Facing the woman. It was now one on one, but he didn’t rate his odds.

  “I have to say, I am impressed,” she said, walking slowly towards him. “It’s a real shame that you work for Acyls, Jack The Reaper. I think we could have gotten along like a house on fire, you and I.”

  “Sorry, but you’re really not my type,” he spat.

  “Pity, then I guess I’ll have to kill you, though we all die in the end. I wonder who will mourn you, an outworlder with no family in this world? No friends, no place to call home. The lapdog of an old god, past his prime, sent on a suicide mission to protect a tyrant. I feel sorry for you and yet I’m about to bestow on you life’s greatest pleasure: the sweet embrace of death.”

  “Me too,” Jack said, his voice hoarse. “If these are to be my last moments, then at least don’t make me listen to your pathetic soliloquy.”

  “If that is what you wish.” As her echoing footsteps ground to a halt, Jack was mere inches from the woman. He knew he needed to fight; his mana was drained though. Raising his hands, he was ready to enter close quarters combat. Though he’d rarely used it in this world, once upon a time he’d been a seasoned killer, a man trained in much more than just shooting.

  He waited, ducked slightly, coiling and tensing his muscles like his body was a living spring. Then, as she pulled back her fist, he exploded upwards with all his might, headbutting her under the chin.

  Dazed, he fell to his knees gasping. Her face was as hard as rock, harder even, as at his level he could punch through rock with little issue. Looking up, he saw her black face wrapping begin to unravel, revealing only half of her face. His eyes widened, he knew this woman and he knew that he had no chance of surviving her attack.

  Lifting her hand, flat palmed, she was poised to karate chop Jack’s throat. With the force which he knew she could muster, he fully expected to die.

  “Get away from him!”

  Taylor rushed through the door, throwing needles like shuriken as she charged towards Jack’s attacker. She jumped through the air, one massive needle held in both hands.

  “No! Get away from her!” Jack cried.

  With movement faster than Jack’s eyes could keep up with, the woman swished her straightened hand through the air, cutting through Taylor’s skin like butter. Her body flopped to the floor, head bouncing and rolling away from it, coming to a sloppy halt and resting so that her eyes were looking up at Jack. The movement was so fluid, so fast, that she didn’t even realise what had happened. There was no shock in her eyes, no fear. Hatred and battle-rage was reflected in her sky-blue irises and they would stay that way forever.

  “Phonoi!” Jack screamed, launching himself foolhardily at the god who smirked as she back handed him with insane speed. His body flew through the air like a ragdoll, crashing into the side wall which crumpled, showering bricks on the spectators below. His health bar plummeted, and as he flew backwards he saw Havier point his palm at Phonoi, unleashing a powerful, green fire which exploded from his hand.

  BOOM.

  The room shook, walls fell, smoke pounced at the sky like an agitated puma. Jack hit the outside railing and fell backwards over it. His body weightless as his vision faded, his HP hitting 0.

  https://mybook.to/soulshotskirmisher