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GUNSHOTS WERE HEARD AND Akuji prayed that her friends were okay, that the King's bullets had missed, that her friends had landed shots on him.
"Let's do this." Kuina said and Akuji nodded.
Together, the two grabbed a nearby rolling table and shoved it through the window of the shop. Just like they had predicted, they crashed into the King, pinning him to the stone wall of the alley. Akuji shot her pistol at him but unfortunately missed because he, too, raised his firearm and she had to duck to avoid his bullets. Kuina grabbed her wrist and dragged her with her as she sprinted down the alleyway and hid behind a corner.
"Fuck, he's good." Kuina stated, breathless. Then, she grabbed a wooden sign from a shop window and suddenly threw it to the side.
Akuji hadn't even realised that the King was there, closing in on them, but Kuina had -- and she had saved both of their lives. She jumped and kicked the King, the wood splintering on impact. He fell backward, giving Ann and Akuji the opportunity to shoot him a few times.
"Guys, you almost shot me!" Kuina yelled at the two as she ducked behind the cover of the wall again.
"I'm making sure I don't shoot you!" Ann shot back.
Then, two arrows shot into the King. Akane, who was stood on top of a parked car, shouted, "This way!" She then rushed away, Kuina and Akuji following, as gunfire chased after them.
"This is a work out and a fucking half." Akuji scoffed under her breath, barely keeping her cool, as she hid inside another shop. Her gun was clutched in her hand and she checked the bullets, reassuring herself over and over in her mind that she could do this. And even if she couldn't, she had to.
Akane, sensing her unease, placed a firm hand on her shoulder. She showed her friend a comforting smile, "We've got this, yeah?"
Akuji nodded, forcing a smile onto her face, "Yeah."
"Where's Ann?" Kuina demanded, worried.
"She'll be fine," Akane told her, "Let's focus on the plan. We're almost at the drug store. Aguni should be somewhere around here."
Then, the three heard the same thumping footsteps from earlier. Exchanging knowing glances, the girls got ready to attack the King once again.
Akane glanced upwards and the other two followed her gaze, realising there was stairs to the roof of the shop.
"I'm gonna get an advantage on him." Akane told them in a whisper, gesturing to her bow and arrows.
"Let me come with you." Akuji murmured back.
Kuina nodded at them, "You two go, I'll be fine."
"Stay safe." Akuji told her before she and her best friend headed up the stairs. Luckily, the roof had a few appliances on top that they could use as a hiding spot.
Ducking behind a fan, the two girls peered over the top of it. They could see the King gingerly walking down the alleyway, careful to watch out for any attacks.
The two caught sight of Usagi on a roof a few metres away from them. She met their eyes and nodded.
Rising from their hiding spots, the two attacked. Akane shot at the King's shoulders whereas Akuji aimed for his head. She managed to skim it, sending blood splattering onto the side of his face, and Akane stuck an arrow in his neck.
As the King was trying to pull the arrow out, subsequently breaking the wood and burying the arrowhead further into his skin, Aguni jumped out from behind a corner. He shot at the King but unfortunately, the King saw it a moment beforehand and dodged the bullets by hiding behind a vending machine.
Usagi leaned down from the roof and kicked the vending machine. It fell backward and the King dove sideways to avoid being crushed. At the same time, Akuji and Akane went back to shooting at him.
Finally, he turned his attention to them and shot at them. The two ducked behind their cover. Due to his attention being taken away from her, Usagi took the opportunity to kick metal fan appliances off of the roof and onto him.
Unlucky for them, he slid out of the way. When Akuji tried to shoot at him again, her bullets would not fly – she had no more left.
"Fucking piece of shit!" She hissed before directly throwing the pistol at the King in a fit of anger.
Aguni shot at the King again. The King grabbed Aguni's hand and tried to disarm him. He almost succeeded until Kuina appeared out of nowhere and kicked the King in the head, sending his head reeling and him stumbling a few paces away.
The King turned his gunfire to Kuina and she narrowly dodged it, rushing away. Akane took her place, leaping down from the roof and almost sending an arrow straight into the King's head if he had not dodged so well.
Ann appeared in the nick of time, shooting a bullet into the King's knee. He fell onto his back and Aguni rushed over to finish him off with a bullet through the skull, but he swept the man's legs out from underneath him.
Akuji was still hidden behind the appliance on the roof, unsure of how to help the fight. She could not fight well, she had no long range weapon and she was sure as fuck not going to be as stupid as to use her knife in close range combat — that would be a death wish.
Akane shot an arrow into the King's back and side, giving Aguni the opportunity to get back on his feet and tackle the King.
They fought viciously; punching, kicking, elbowing, using everything they had to destroy each other. They were rabid, full of rage and a need to live.
Eventually, Aguni was overpowered. He was thrown to the side like a limp rag doll. Akuji knew how much it hurt because the same thing happened to her days prior.
And Akane saved Aguni just like she saved Akuji back then.
Just as the King of Spades was about to deliver the death blow, Akane rushed out from her hiding spot. Letting out a scream of pure rage, Akane leaped at him but the King grabbed her and flipped her easily.
Akane jumped onto her feet again, never one to be easily deterred from her goals, and grabbed the gun, sending an elbow to the King's teeth.
But he twisted the gun out of her grasp — and sent a flurry of bullets through her body.
