Bang!
Fire reflected in Himiko's eyes as the stranger unleashed a deafening shot. She twisted her body, tumbling over the desk to evade the bullet.
But she was not fast enough…
The bullet tore right into her shoulder, cutting through it and exploding against the opposite wall.
"Ahhhh!"
Her breathing came out as strangled gasps as she rolled to the floor, clutching her injury with her hand.
She clenched her jaw, crawling under the desk just as another explosive bang sent splinters flying off her desk.
'Who the hell is he?' Himiko cursed in her mind. She couldn't think of anyone who could be after her for any reason…
The masked man stepped properly into the light. He was fully dressed in black, right from his leather gloves to his clothing that revealed no skin.
And oddly enough, he was wearing a fedora as though to add character to his dressing.
His right hand had morphed into a revolver, which he held straight with his other hand.
He was walking towards the desk like a hunter stalking its prey, his footsteps nearly imperceptible as he inched closer.
"Himiko Toga…" he said in a calm tone. "It was nearly impossible to find you."
Bang!
Smoke streamed out of his barrel, a large hole now in the center of the desk.
'Did I get her?' he thought to himself as he watched the desk, and then to his surprise, Himiko sprung up from the other side of the desk, hurling a piece of wood at his face.
He reacted instantly, like a Texan gunslinger. He unleashed a shot, catching the wood midair.
But during that time, Himiko retreated deeper into the shop, hiding among the shelves.
The masked man breathed out angrily and kicked the desk down.
"W-why are you after me?" Himiko asked, her voice lowered.
He paused, stopping his breathing just so that he could hear her.
'I need to keep the rat talking.'
"I have no personal quarrel with you, Himeko." He was slowly walking through the shelves, his eyes darting from place to place.
"But it looks like you have tangled yourself up with the wrong type of people."
Silence.
"What do you mean?"
This time, the voice came from the other side of the room. She was moving…
"Have you ever heard of the League of Villains?"
"Those—"
Bang!
He immediately spun, his arm vibrating as a bullet was let loose. The bullet flew past several shelves, burning a smoking hole through several books.
The sound of burning paper mixed with the low rhythmic sound of his heavy breathing.
No loud scream, no crimson pool soaking up the pages… no wet thump of her bleeding body hitting the floor.
He had missed.
"Peekaboo."
"?!"
The voice was right behind him!
He spun, a bullet already about to fly, but he was not nearly fast enough.
Himiko jumped to the side to avoid the barrel, but not without lashing out with her dagger, the cold steel slicing the underside of his jaw, a few inches away from his neck.
"Argh!" He held back his scream and jumped back, pushing his gun forward as his feet ground to a stop, but there was no one there.
Himiko had once again retreated to the safety of the shelves.
"Don't f*cking play with me!"
Himiko was hiding behind one of the shelves, her dagger clutched tightly in her good hand.
She had lost so much blood that she was getting pale, beads of sweat running down her face and a trail of blood by her side.
'I need to leave…'
Somehow, she had to escape the murderer or find a way to force him to retreat.
'Why did my luck have to be this sour? Just after I made a sale too.'
She sighed quietly and looked around the shop.
'My boss is going to kill me—'
BOOOM!
Himeko squatted, and covered her head with her arm as a bullet flew right past her head. Pages were sent flying, the smell of burning wood and hair reaching her nostrils.
Every single hair on her neck stood still, her heartbeat accelerating.
"I have to give you praise, girl. You are the first one to touch me since I began my mission…"
"…"
"But I'll have you know, I am a firm believer of an arm for an arm…"
The man was suddenly right next to her, the hot barrel of his gun pushed right against her forehead.
Himiko's eyes widened, her breath hanging in her throat.
The barrel flashed yellow.
"…a tooth for a tooth!" he said, his voice seeping venom.
She swiftly leaned back, her hair touching the floor as her back bent to form a perfect semi-circle. She used her good arm to support herself.
Simultaneously, the gun roared, her ears ringing from the sound.
She kicked the gun arm upward and flipped back, immediately grabbing a nearby thick-covered book.
"You bit—"
The man blinked as a book came flying right at his face.
Thwack!
He knocked the book to the side, only to see Himiko rushing at him with another book.
"You're going to get me fired, you creep!"
Bam!
She slammed the book right into his chest, sending him a step back, then rammed it right into his neck, straining his windpipe.
He coughed, barely able to breathe as she stumbled backward.
But Himeko was already rushing towards him, a crazed smile on her face as she drove her dagger right toward his eye.
"Just die!"
Himiko slashed with all her might, but her blow was weak, and she was not nearly as fast as she should have been.
The masked man intercepted her attack with a heavy kick right to her solar plexus, knocking the wind right out of her lungs.
Her arms felt weak, but Himiko didn't let go of the weapon; it was her lifeline.
With shaky legs and her jaw clenched, Himiko sprinted sideways, wincing as hot pain shot through her injured arm, then lunged at him, attacking from the side.
Bullets were released, each one finding its way into the floor or the shelves, but so far, Himiko had not been hit.
The two of them clashed within the little bookstore, completely ravaging the small room.
As the fight raged on, the man earned himself a few bloody scars all over his body, but Himiko was still at a disadvantage.
His earlier ambush had basically guaranteed his victory.
Himiko lunged at him in one last desperate attempt to bring him down, but his gun arm crashed deep into her gut, freezing her in her tracks.
Her hair came undone, falling to the sides of her face as she fell to her knees.
Wasting no time, he raised his hand and blasted a shot right at her head, but that was when he realized…
Her dagger was stuck in the barrel.
'When did she?!'
Himiko jumped to the other side of the room as the bullet met the dagger, the barrel exploding with a thunderous bang.
Smoke filled the room, creating a temporary smokescreen that clouded the space.
The masked man angrily waved away the smoke, his eyes scanning the room.
His gun barrel was red hot but still largely intact; the only thing broken was his pride.
His prey had escaped.
He wiped the blood that was flowing down his jaw and then kicked the nearest bookshelf in rage.
"Damn it!"