Written by Harpy anon, in collaboration with Neumagh anon. For our favorite group of autists and faggots. Thank you for all of your support  (yes, even you No Funs man who comes into the thread and complains.)


>be me
>the anon who is with the Harpy
>loading up my truck so we can go on our big road trip
>fully kitted out, putting one of the .50 cal brownings in the truck bed
>feel the ground suddenly give away under my feet
>a glowing portal has materialized under me
>OH FUCK
>scream as I begin to fall down through it, my truck tipping and following me
>FUCK THIS ISN'T GOOD
>/K/UBE HELP ME


>be me
>Neumagh anon
>having a family bonding experience with Ellior by playing hide and seek
>which involves seeking out goblins and other unarmed nasty creatures that the other player has hidden and killing them
>it’s Elliors turn to hide, and mine to seek
>be walking through the forest, trying to find the hidden spots
>feel myself get tripped on something and fall forwards
>a portal opens right in front of me and I begin falling through it
>AhShitHereWeGoAgian.gif



>there was a blinding flash of light, and the feeling of falling in every single direction. 
>and then, it suddenly stopped
>each anon opened their eyes, and were mostly astonished by the sight before them
>they stood in a large, open space that seemed to go on forever, fading into blackness like outer space.
>their eyes wandered down as the realized they were standing in nothing, instead being held in place hundreds of feet above what looked like a massive arena
>both of them studied the arena in awe, marveling at the ingenious craftsmanship of it.
>it combined thick, rolling forest around the arena in a large circle. The towering pine trees mixed with oaks and elms, with many bushes scattered around beneath for concealment and cover. Hills occasionally broke the flatness of the floor, with massive boulders and occasional drops.
>scattered around the forest were ruins that looked both modern and ancient at the same time scattered throughout it. Although few and far in between, these ruins looked tangled and burned out, yet remarkably pristine in their upkeep. Towering skyscrapers, small homes, and everything in between mixed themselves into the ruins, allowing for a whole menagerie of cover.
>their eyes drew to the center of the arena, in which a Gladiator style arena was built in a large dropping pit. Containing a sand floor, and large concrete pillars, it looked like the Roman coliseums of old.


>’holy shit’ muttered the Harpy Anon ‘where the fuck am I?’
>”I don’t know, but I have a horrible feeling about this.” Remarked Neumagh Anon back to him
>the Harpy anon looked over to the man beside him, and his eyes widened 
>’Holy fucking shit! You’re him!’ He said with astonished awe “you’re the fucking Neumagh Anon!”
>Neumagh Anon gave an awkward smile
>”yeah, that’s me kid.”
>’/k/ube be praised! I loved the books, anime’s, and movies they made about you. The shit you did is the stuff of legends! That’s fucking awesome!’
>the other anon screwed up using face, confusion coming across it 
>”they...they turned Alex’s book into an anime AND a movie?”
>the Harpy anon nodded back enthusiastically 
>’Hell yes! They are amazing! Everyone loves them!’
>Neumagh Anon opened his mouth to say something when a loud sound cut him off




*AHEM*

>they snapped to attention, looking for the source of the sound
>their eyes settled on the three hooded and robed figures standing in front of them
>one was positioned in front of the Harpy Anon, the other taking position towards in front of the Neumagh anon, while the third stood in the middle of them
>they could not make out the details or features on any of them, the slits in the robes only showing the deep, eternal darkness of the void
>the hooded figure in the middle raised his arms out wide and spoke, his voice booming 

“HELLO, ANONS OF HISTORY AND OF GRANDSTANDING. THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT DISTURBANCE IN THE FABRIC OF REALITY”

“Actually, it’s more like just a harmless, joking question.” Correct the hooded figure to the left


“THERE HAS BEEN A GREAT, HARMLESS JOKING QUESTION...now that just sounds stupid

“Well, its the truth”

“THE TRUTH SET OT THE FUCKING SIDE, THERE IS A PURPOSE FOR BRINGING YOU TWO HERE BEFORE US. THERE HAS BEEN A QUESTION THAT HAS BEEN ASKED, AND IT HAS PLAGUED HUMANITY FOR THESE PAST FEW DAYS. WHO WOULD WIN A   STYLE FIGHT?”

>both of the anons looked at the middle figure confused 
>’excuse me? A what?’
>”i have to fight this guy? Why?”


“IT IS A FIGHT TO PROVE, WHO IS BETTER. A MATCH FOR THE AGES!”

“NEUGHMAGH ANON, WHO IS THE HERO OF NEUMAGH, KILLER OF THE NORTH, DEMON OF THE FROST, KNIGHT OF WATERLAU, AND LOVER OF ELVES, VERUS…”

“This guy...who...fucked a Harpy...and did some other things”


>the Harpy anons face became angry 
>’hey! Ive done some other stuff than that! What about the time that I killed a bunch of human traffickers? Or explored ruins filled with evil monsters? Or adopted some kid I just met?”


“HA! GET IN LINE BUDDY, THOUSANDS OF OTHER ANONS HAVE DONE THAT AS WELL.”

>the Harpy anon crossed his arms and made a grumpy face
>’well I thought it was cool…’ he muttered to himself


“MY POINT IS, THAT IT IS TIME! TIME FOR YOU TWO TO DUEL FOR SUPREMECY OVER WHO IS THE STRONGEST ANON! IN A DEATH BATTLE!”


>Neumagh anon laughed loudly at the display, crossing his arms in defiance 
>”And what if we refuse to take part in this little ‘Death Battle’ that you want us to fight in?”


“THE STAKES ARE SIMPLE, YOU WILL NEVER SEE YOUR HOME, FAMILIES, OR FRIENDS AGAIN UNTIL ON OF YOU KILLS THE OTHER”

>the thought of never seeing ellior, Loreli, or any of his friends again hit Neumagh anon like a hammer. 
>he knew what must be done
>”all I need to do is kill this guy? Sounds fine by me.”
>Harpy anon looked bewilderede at the hooded figures and Neumagh anon
>’wait a minute, I can't kill Neumagh anon! That fucked up! Isnt there a way we can do this with less killing eachother? I cant just murder him, this guy is like my childhood hero!’
>”for the record, I have no idea who this guy is, so I dont mind killing him.” quickly retorted Neumagh anon
>’oh...thanks dick.’


“SILENCE! ENOUGH BICKERING! NOW! THE DEATHBATTLE BEGINS!”


>it felt as if the floor gave away beneath them, and both anons began falling to the ground 

“And good luck, faggots.”

>for the briefest of seconds, Harpy and Neumagh both thought they could see the outline of sunglasses and a skeletal smile beneath the robe, but the thought was quickly interrupted as they began crashing through trees before impacting with a loud thump on the ground of the forest.
>the impact on the ground left both of them winded and a bit disoriented. Both anons groaned in pain, 
>Harpy clambered to his feet and looked at Neumaghs prone form, quickly running to the other side of the clearing for safety
>’pretty rude of them to just drop us like that.’ he said with a nervous chuckle in his voice as he reached safety
>Neumagh slowly sat up and climbed to his knees, feeling his bones aching 
>’hey...uh...you weren't…*serious* about that whole “i have no problem killing him” thing, right? Asked Harpy 
>Harpy cowered behind the tree as Neumagh stood up, the other man glaring at him
>”look kid, I want to see my family again.”
>’is that a hard no?’ 
>a shotgun blast answered as Neumagh brought up his SxS and pulled the trigger. The burst of pellets smashing into the tree where Harpys was mere seconds ago
>Harpy pulled his head back with a loud yell, shouting ‘jesus fucking christ!’ as he did so
>Harpy quickly patted himself down, checking his equipment
>’1911? Check. 12 gauge? Also check. Ak? Double check. Billy club? Checkarooni. Molotov's? Che-.....how did I get those?’
>Harpy just shrugged to himself and drew his AK, making sure it was loaded
>he breathed shakily and hesitantly peaked the Ak from out behind the tree, aiming it in the direction he thought Neumagh was in so he could suppress him with automatic fire
>pulling the trigger, he unleashed a burst of 7.62 rounds towards Neumagh. Fortunately, for Neumagh, the rounds were wildly inaccurate, and he scrambled away towards the opposite side of the clearing, taking cover similarly to the way Harpy did.
>Neumagh backed against the tree and took a breath, taking stock of the situation.
>it was a forest, decently covered but not to thick. Just like some of the ones back near home. How many times had he taken ellior out into the woods to play? Or hiking with Lorelie on hunts?
>he shook his head
>he had to focus
>check gear
>FAL. SxS sawn off. Knife. That damn weird cursed blade.  
>he raised an eyebrow as he realized his coat held something else 
>the Annihilator was tucked snuggly in, humming with magical energy
>despite the situation, Neumagh smiled. He had a final trump card if need be
>not that this young kid would be any trouble to him
>a voice called across the clearing, getting Neumaghs attention
>“Hey man, just because the large disembodied voice told us to fight doesn’t mean we have to! Think about it, you're Neumagh, you can find a way out of this situation
>Neumagh smiled grimly to himself and pulled up his FAL
>He knew exactly how to get out of this situation
>Neughmagh swung his FAL out from behind the tree and open fired towards the tree that Harpy hid behind, fining it easily since he had just marked it with the shotgun blast
>’FUCFUCKFUCK!’ yelled Harpy as wooden splinters sprayed around him from the rounds impact
>he dropped to the ground low, hoping that the bullets would splinter the tree and break it
>Harpy glanced around the forest, knowing that he was outmatched in this environment. He only camped and went inna woods for fun, not to get into firefights. 
>he patted down his kit again, hoping to find a lighter for a Molotov cocktail in hope of having the fire distract Neumagh 
>as he produced a light from his pocket, something else fell out
>his truck keys
>an idea came to Harpys mind
>his truck *did* fall through after all
>there was a brief intersession in the gunfire, and Harpy clicked the unlock button
>BEEP-BEEP
>Neumagh felt his ears perk up at the sound
>what was a car doing out here?
>he shrugged off the thought
>it didnt matter
>the Harpy guy was on the back foot
>better to enjd this quickly, there was no need for any suffering
>Neumagh quickly ran through the tree line, his familiarity with forest allowing him to be able to quickly navigate it
>he squeezed the trigger on his FAL in bursts, firing at the tree Harpy hid behind
>his circuit was keeping him mobile, with the return fire from Harpy being highly inaccurate due to the speed
>Neumaghs fire became more accurate as he approached closer, the space between him and Harpy being eaten up
>Neumagh ducked behind a tree, breathing hard
>he quickly reloaded his FAL and caught his breath, Lorelis magic coat helping along the process
>Harpy was a few trees in front of him, maybe about a hundred feet
>this would be over soon
>he fired at the tree, suppressing Harpy as he advanced towards it, snaking between the trees
>the car horn sounded again as Neumagh approached, and a small flicker of light came from behind Harpys tree. The necklace that Lorelie had gave him hummed and vibrated, sensing danger. 
>Neumagh watched in horror as the bottle with a flame on it flew towards the tree next to him, stopping his advance and scrambling backward.
>the bottle smashed against the tree and exploded in a brilliant bright orange burst of flame, the billowing inferno nearly catching him in its superheated embrace
>Blinded  by the flash and heat, stumbled backward and retreated to behind a  tree, firing wildy in the direction where he thought Harpy was in
>with Neumagh blinded, Harpy dashed from behind his own tree towards the sound of his trucks beep, scrambling through the forest towards a hill incline. Harpy ran up the hill, moving laterally away from the area where Neumagh was.
>as Harpy crested the hill, he saw a beautiful sight
>well, almost beatiful
>there was his truck, in all of its mechanical glory
>but laying on its side
>....
>Harpy shrugged. It still was a reasonable find
>especially if he had in his truck what he thought he had
>he ran to the truck and smiled as he saw the object he so desired on the ground
>”alrighty mother fucker.” he said to nobody in particular as he hefted the item off the ground  “if you *REALLY* want to play that game, then so be it”
>Neumagh scanned the clearing from behind the tree
>Harpy had gone up the hill and over the ridge
>”damn it” he muttered to himself over the crackling of the flames
>the Molotov had hit too close, Neumagh could smell the singed hairs on his body and his face felt sunburned and stiff. 
>only the magic from Loreli’s coat and sheer luck had kept him from turning into a human pyre. 
>he caught his breath, letting the enchantments on the coat work their magic as his body regained its strength quick
>Neumagh shook his head. Out of confidence, he had approached that sloppily, and Harpy had gotten lucky
>but lightning doesn't strike the same place twice. 
>Neumagh checked the load on his FAL, making sure it was at max capacity
>it was strange not having ding around to reload his mags, but it wasn't anywhere near a severe disadvantage
>Neumagh slowly slunk between the trees, keeping an eye on the berm of the hill
>he was at a disadvantage here. Climbing up the hill meant Harpy had the high ground
>hopefully the kid was too dumb to know how to use it
>Neumagh made it to the edge of the berm and raised his FAL over it, scanning around
>the only thing up here was more trees and a truck flipped on its side
>....
>what the fuck?
>Neumagh glanced at a mirror, seeing Harpy cowering behind the vehicle
>he held up his FAL and fired it, plinking shots into the overturned vehicle
>the rounds smacked into it with loud thunks
>Neumagh looked at the vehicle disgruntled. Whatever it was reinforced with, the rounds weren't punching through
>Neumagh shrugged. It didnt matter, he still was going to get Harpy one way or another
>”come out Harpy, ill make it quick.” called Neumagh to the man behind the truck
>’like hell I will! What the hell man? Don't you think we can find another way to solve this?’
>Neumagh answered by firing several more rounds at the truck before running to cover behind a tree
>”Ive  got a family waiting for me at home, ill do whatever it takes to get back to them.”
>’yeah? Well I don't want to die!’ retorted Harpy
>”tough shit!” yelled back Neumagh, firing again at the truck
>a loud sigh was heard from behind the truck
>’are you *really* sure that there isn't any other way?’
>”positive”
>the sound of a loud slide being wracked cut through the clearing
>’ALRIGHTY THEN MOTHERFUCKER!’
>Neumaghs eyes widened as he felt the amulet begin to vibrate and buzz violently
>he was in severe danger
>the sound of a .50 Cal Browning machine gun cut through the clearing as Harpy pressed down on the butterfly triggers, aiming the machine gun through the truck in the direction he thought Neumagh was in. 
>The .50 cal BMG punched straight through the reinforced truck, going clean in and sailing out towards Neumagh.
>the .50 cal rounds smashed into trees, sending splinters of wood spraying out as the power of the bullet broke them apart
>Neumagh ran from cover behind his tree, knowing that it was foolish to think it would stop a 50 cal round. He ran away from the arcing direction of the rounds as the ones punching through the truck came closer and closer to him. The bullets punching up dirt and sending wood shrapnel flying as they got near him
>He threw himself down the berm, more rounds kicking up dirt as they sawed through the area he was just standing in.
>Harpy stopped firing Browning and waited, listening for movement or sound.
>everything was awfully quiet.
>he grabbed his AK and slowly peaked from behind the truck, surveying the damage that he had caused.
>trees stood splintered and nearly falling apart, small craters were punched in the ground.
>but there was no body.
>Harpy retreated behind the truck, hefting the .50 cal. 
>he had gained another temporary lead in the competition, but it wouldn’t last long.
>Neumagh was better than him in a forest, and only a few strokes of good luck had saved him.
>Neumagh could silently out maneuver him in the forest, flanking him from the sides.
>he needed cover.
>Harpy glanced over the horizon, the outline of a set of ruins revealing itself in the trees
>Harpy smiles, it was exactly the type of cover he needed.
>he slowly inches away, carrying the machine gun
>it might be heavy and a bit hot, but it was better than being out in the open.
>Neumagh patiently waited at the bottom of the berm.
>the firing had stopped, but he knew that the instant he popped his head over the berm he was in danger of being obliterated by a .50 cal round.
>He breathes heavily, catching his breath, before slowly moving across the berm.
>It would be suicide to pop up in the same place again, so he was going to sneak around the side and flank Harpy.
>he crept along the berm, moving towards the edge of it outside of the trucks line of sight.
>Neumagh crept over the berm, only half expecting to be shredded by wild .50 cal fire.
>creeping from tree to tree, Neumagh approached the truck, FAL trained on it.
>the lack of fire showed that Harpy hadn’t noticed him yet.
>Neumagh took a deep breath, and then moved from behind the tree, firing where Harpy was hiding at
>Neumagh stopped firing and raised an eyebrow
>Harpy was gone
>”damn it!” Whispered Neumagh as he carefully scanned around the area.
>he looked down at the tracks Harpy had left, investigating them.
>Harpy had escaped from here, and was heading deeper into the forest.
>why the hell was he doing that?
>Neumagh got his answer as he saw the outline of the large ruins, Harpys tracks leading towards them.
>Neumagh grit his teeth, and began stalking the tracks. 
>Harpy went as quick as he could through the forest, weaving in between trees and trying not to trip over roots.
>the heavy browning gun was weighing him down, and his breathing was hard.
>he needed to get to the ruins fast. He was exposed out here, and Neumagh was bound to realize he was gone soon. 
>scattered around outside of the ruined “city” were several large boulders, concertina wire strung between them to give the look of a road blockade
>Harpy carefully navigated the razor wire of the blockade, being sure to not be caught in the dangerous metal wiring.
>the ground turned from grass and dirt to crumbled concrete and gravel under Harpys feet as he entered the ruins.
>as he went down the abandoned streets, he looked to one of the abandoned buildings. It was a five story tall burned out structure with window openings.
>he took a deep breath and ran into it, bounding up the stairs without worry for safety. In his mind, he knew that the structures would be sound, although he wasn’t to sure why he was confident in this fact. 
>Harpy ran to the third floor and bolted down a hallway, making his way to a room that had a blown out window
>he dropped down to the ground and crawled to the window, making sure that if Neumagh was there he would not be able to see him.
>sheltering by the window, Harpy took a. Drop breath and peaked out.
>the building offered a perfect look out over the beginning of the ruins and the forest.
>he hefted the .50 cal into the window frame, sighting down the forest, searching for Neumagh
>Harpy scanned the forest intensely, searching for Neumagh.
>Something Moving under the trees caught his eye, and Harpy pressed the butterfly trigger. Hot rounds spat out from the browning, punching into the tree line sending sprays of wooden shrapnel and dirt flying around.
>he aimed the heavy browning along, trying to tail the thing that was running. It was awkward and hard moving and firing the browning, the lack of a tripod making it a challenge.
>Harpy stopped firing as the moving object disappeared behind a boulder on the outskirts of the ruins 
>’/k/ube damn it!’ He yelled, looking for where it went. As soon as it showed itself again, it would be met with another volley. Harpy swore this to himself
>Neumagh breathed hard as he hid behind the boulder. It was not out of exhaustion, but out of panic. 
>Harpy had nearly hit him in that last salvo.
>Neumagh looked down to where shrapnel had scratched his leg after a .50 cal had fragmented on a tree.
>he couldn’t let that happen again.
>Neumagh carefully looked peaked out from behind the rock, glancing up at the blown out windows of the ruins, trying to find Harpy.
>a glint of black metal that contrasted with the dull grey caught his eye, and Neumagh smiled.
>just as he saw it, his amulet buzzed a warning. Neumagh pulled his head back just as the .50 cal spoke loudly. 
>the rounds smashed into the boulder, sending rock fragments sailing forward as dust and gravel showered down on Neumagh. He swore loudly as the Browning kepot up its fusilade of fire.
>Neumagh paused and thought for a few moments. Harpy did struggle a bit moving the gun in the window frame, meaning that if he could move fast enough, he could end Harpy completely.
>he slinked from the side Harpy was firing at to the other side of the boulder. Neumagh took a deep breath and quickly swung out his FAL, firing in the direction of Harpy’s window. The rounds smacked into the stone work and Harpy fell backwards. 
>Neumagh quickly retreated behind the rock, smiling in satisfaction
>it seemed like he hit Harpy
>he waited patiently listening for movement, waiting for the Browning to speak again
>many minutes passed, and Neumagh felt his confidence build 
>still aiming his FAL towards the window, he crept out from behind the boulder again
>Neumaghs triumph suddenly turned to horror as his amulet buzzed on his person
>He tripped backwards in his haste to move as a trail of .50 cal rounds punched into the dirt scant inches away from Neumagh.
>He landed flat on his back, growling in anger. A loud, angry “fuck!” echoed through the ruins from Harpys window “mother fucker I can see your shadow! get back out here so I can shoot you!”
>Neumagh scowled as he stood back up. Harpy was still alive. 
>He gritted his teeth and leaned back against the boulder, wishing maybe for a grenade or some explosive to hit the building with.
>he rolled his eyes as he thought of this. Might as well wish for an artillery strike, or even for Ellior, Ding, and Loreli to be here with him. Maybe even bring the Countess and Armor with them as well. 
>Neumagh laughed. Wishes wouldn't help now.
>he checked over his supplies agian, hoping to find soemthing that could help. 
>the knife and sword where out of the question, as was the shotgun due to range. 
>but…
>His hands danced over the annihilator, feelinjg the magic charge in it. 
>it had been too long since he had fired it, and the magic oversaturation in the round caused the gun to vibrate under his touch and the  chamber to glow blue. 
>even if he didn't hit Harpy, hitting close enough would cause a magic burst that would be enough to wound or maim him. 
>Neumagh held the Annihilator in his grip, knuckles white 
>he crept to the other side of the boulder, waiting
>he swung out from behind the boulder and fired the annihilator, feeling the sudden drain on his body. 
>Neumagh threw himself back behind the boulder just as a loud explosion sounded. It was like a muffled blast mixed with a storms roar and an earthquakes rumble. A loud yell of pain sounded out.
>Neumagh looked out from behind the rock.
>Harpy was no longer in the window.
>He smiled and wearily dashed out from behind the boulder, heading towards the building. 
>Harpy groaned in pain, feeling lacerations and cuts across his body. 
>whatever Neumagh had fired had really fucked him up good. 
>there had been a bright blue flash, and then something had hit the window frame. There was a blast that was similar to something electrical overcharging, the explosions strength enough to throw him onto the ground.
>Harpy shakily raised himself up off the ground, feeling like he had suffered from third degree burns, electrocution, and frostbite all at the same time. 
>He looked over at the browning. The metal of the gun was warped and shredded. Harpy looked down to his hands and finger, glad that they were completely intact. Despite the cuts he felt across his face, he knew had gotten very lucky.
>no telling of what would have happened if he had been directly hit by the round.
>Harpy grabbed his AK and glanced out from the window. 
>there was no shadow from behind the boulder. 
>Neumagh was gone.
>’ah shit.’ said Harpy as he switched out his AK for his shotgun. Most likely, Neumagh would be coming into the building  to be sure that he was dead.
>Harpy realised something, and couldn't help but smile.
>Neumagh would be thinking that he was very hurt, or even dead.
>he most likely wouldn't be expecting a man in full health with a 12 gauge shotgun. 
>Harp made sure the shotgun was loaded, waiting for Neumagh.
>Neumagh crept up the stairs, SxS dawn of drawn and ready.
>he wasn’t expecting any major resistance, but it still was better to be prepared
>Especially since the instant he was at the top of the stairs his amulet began buzzing
>Harpy swung out from behind a door frame and pulled the trigger on his 12 gauge.
>the blast of the shotgun filled the hallway, and the storm of pellets slammed into Neumaghs chest
>the surprise and the impact sent him toppling down the  stairs, falling down the flight with a yell that was similar to a Wilhelm scream.
>Neumagh groaned in pain as he lay on his back at the bottom of the flight.
>the blast had caught him square in the chest, and if it wasn’t for the dwarven made plates he would have been gored
>score one for alloy and leather 
>Neumagh stood up and leveled his shotgun just as Harpy peaked over
>Neumaghs shotgun spoke, the double blasts of pellets slamming into Harpys vest
>the shot knocked him flat onto his back, and Harpy yelled in pain.
>he lay on the ground winded, feeling like he had just been hit by a truck
>this was not good
>Harpy aimed at the stairway and fired several more burst of 12 gauge, trying to keep Neumaghs head down
>Harpy stumbled to his feet, chest feeling as if it had been crushed. He fired his shotgun several more times at the stairway, the gun clicking empty after the last shot.
>Neumagh, having recovered from the shotgun blast, stood up.
>hearing the gun run empty, he dashed up the stairs at Harpy, knife in hand.
>Harpy yelped in terror and drew his 1911, firing at Neumaghs center mass out of reflex. 
>dwarven alloy and leather saved Neumagh yet again as the .45 ACP hit him, and Neumagh swung his knife. Harpy ducked out of the way of the blade and fired into Neumagh again, catching him in the leg with a round.
>Neumagh yelled in pain and nearly fell, but held steady and slashed at Harpy again. 
>Harpy backed out of the reach of the knife, firing the 1911
>Neumagh reached his hand out as Harpy pulled the trigger, rounds ricocheting off the metal limb.
>Harpy yelled in terror as the hand tightened around the barrel of the gun and crushed it beyond repair. 
>Harpy dropped the gun and began running from Neumagh down the hall, pulling out his AK and firing it wildly behind him on auto
>Neumagh threw himself to the side, landing behind a door way. His dodge caused him to land on his shot leg, and he hissed as hot pain shot up threw his limb.
>Harpys still fired as he ran, coming to another staircase at the end of the hall. He ran down the stairs, tripping and tumbling down them as he got towards the bottom.
>he raised himself to his feet and stumbled out of the building, running from the ruins. 
>his chest ached with every breath he took, his shrapnel wounds burned, and he hurt all over. 
>BUT, he was alive
>for now
>Harpy kept running.
>he wasn’t sure where he was going, but he was running.
>he passed through the ruins, leaving them to go into the forest.
>he was sad that he couldn’t explore the ruins more, but at the moment, survival was more prevalent in his mind,
>Neumagh wouldn’t be far behind him, and he needed to put as many feet between him and his former hero as he could.
>Neumagh laid still, holding up his FAL towards the top of the stairs
>It sounded like Harpy had ran, but he couldn't be certain.
>But Neumagh was certain that he didn't want to take a shotgun blast to the face if he peeked his head out and Harpy was there. 
>He raises his FAL and fired several shots, hoping to keep Harpys head down
>he waited for any response, anything that could tell that Harpy was there
>nothing
>Neumagh fires several more times and waited 
>still nothing 
>Neumagh took a deep breath and pounded up the stairs, FAL fitting into the hallway
>there was nothing 
>he grumbled under his breath and carefully cleared the rooms on the hallway
>nothing
>Harpy was gone
>again
>He hated the fact that Harpy kept running and refused to just lay down and die.
>but, in a way, he admired the tenacity.
>as annoying as it was.
>he looked for Harpys tracks, seeing that Harpy had ran down the stairs 
>of course he had.
>Neumagh let out a deep sigh, and began to track Harpy again
>Harpy continued his flight through the woods, running from the ruins 
>he was slowly becoming exhausted.
>he collapsed behind a rock and took stock of everything again
>he lost his pistol, he was out of shotgun shells, and he was covered in broken glass and a kerosene like substance from the broken Molotov’s 
>broken molotovs….
>molotovs….
>’oh, you dumb fuck!’ Harpy said to himself, realising he could have tossed the now broken Molotovs at Neumagh when he was both on the stairs and behind that boulder. 
>too late now. 
>he had his billy club, and two and a half mags for his AK which still functioned.
>this was all fucked.
>Harpy took several more deep breaths and stood up unsteadily.
>he needed to keep moving
>he began jogging brought the forest again, knowing that Neumagh wouldn’t be far behind 
>he didn’t know where he was going, but he knew it was a good direction.
>his jog took him to the edge of a small incline. A hill lead down and then suddenly terminated into the gladiator pit.
>Harpy shook his head. He needed to avoid going into the pit 
>a loud crack sounded out through the forest, and Harpy felt something slam into his back
>the FAL bullet hitting the back plate of his protective plate pitched Harpy down the embankment.
>he tumbled down the hill, yelling and swearing.
>he screamed in terror as he fell straight into the gladiator pit, the twelve foot drop cushioned by the sawdust and sand mixture under him. 
>Harpy groaned, laying on his back and looking up at the sky. It was a miracle that he wasn't dead. 
>not yet at least. 
>he quickly got to his feet and ran towards on of the dozens of large, concrete barriers set up in the circular arena, away from the direction in which Neumagh had fired at him. 
>Harpy dived behind a concrete block just as more FAL rounds punched into the sand behind him.
>Neumagh swore angrily from the top of the berm, trying to sight down Harpy
>how in the hell could that guy always dive out of the way of bullets?
>what bullshit was this?
>He fired the FAL several more times, bullets smacking into the concrete block and deflecting
>the magazine clicked empty and Nemaugh retreated to a nearby tree to reload.
>he checked his ammunition situation as he put a fresh magazine into his gun
>Just one more full magazine, and three shotgun shells
>he must have lost some stuff when he was launched down the stairs. 
>at least he still had his knife and cursed sword.
>after putting making sure the FAL was loaded and his shotgun had shells in it, he went to the edge of the berm again.
>Neumagh stood at the edge and fired a single shotgun shell at Harpys concrete block cover. The pellets ricocheted off the hard rock, punching up dust around Harpy
>”come on out Harpy. I have the high ground, you cannot win! You fought good, so  i’ll kill you quick!” called out Neumagh
>’fucking kill me yourself coward!’ yelled back Harpy
>Neumagh thought for several seconds, keeping his FAL trained on the rock
>”that really doesn't make sense.” replied Neumagh
>’i know it doesn't, but come down here!’
>a wild AK shot rang out, impacting nowhere near Neumagh
>Neumagh reflexively took several steps back, and Harpy bolted from behind cover to a nearby concrete block
>Neumagh aimed and fired, trailing Harpy with carefully placed FAL rounds
>Harpy responded by firing his AK on auto one handed in Nuemaghs direction, trying to keep him from getting an accurate shot.
>bullets trailed up towards Neumagh, who stopped firing his FAL and leapt away from the rounds. 
>he rolled back up onto one knee and fired several precise shots towards Harpy, the rounds almost hitting his opponent.
>”mother fucker” said Neumagh enraged as Harpy made it behind another concrete block safely.
>he checked his FAL’s ammunition. There was five rounds left. 
>five rounds, plus two shotgun shells. And his knife. While Harpy had an unknown amount of ammunition still. 
>he grumbled angrily to himself. If he wanted Harpy dead, he would have to get closer. 
>Neumagh quickly dashed down the berm, gaining momentum. He leapt over the side of the ledge, bending his knees as he slammed into the ground, sending clouds of sand and sawdust into the air. 
>”its over Harpy!” he said with confidence as he hefted his SxS to his hip, aiming it in his general direction.
>’hey, you're out of ammo, aren't you?’ shouted Harpy back. 
>Neumagh laughed “what makes you think that?” he called back.
>’well, you're down here instead of staying up there, and you can't kill me without getting closer in that case?’ replied Harpy
>Neumagh laughed “I'll get as close as I want then.”
>Harpy took a deep breath. Neumagh was close, but he was out of ammo. There would be no other reason for him to be down here. He just needed to swing out and mag dump at him. Simple as that.
>Harpy swung out from behind the concrete pillar, aiming at Neumagh.
>he squeezed off a single shot before Neumagh answered back with his SxS.
>Harpy was blown of his feet as he barely made it back behind the concrete block. 
>”son of a bitch!” he yelled loudly, feeling the stinging pain of the pellets that had buried themselves in his arms and chest. 
>his plate had taken the brunt of the blast, and luckily the range made it less effective, but the damage it already took meant that some of the pellets had punched through the weakend vest. 
>Neumagh smiled and dropped the shotgun, bringing up his FAL. Harpy was hurting, and he could easily finish him off. 
>Harpy raised himself to his feet, and aimed his AK blindly from behind the concrete block. HE fired wildy at Neumagh, desperately hoping to hit his opponent. 
>Neumagh retreated to behind a different concrete block, the AK rounds smacking into it. 
>Harpy breathed hard and reloaded his AK. He just needed to shoot Neumagh, that was all. Just needed to shoot him and kill him. 
>so why the fuck was that so goddamn hard!?
>Harpy fired in Neumaghs direction again, hoping to score a lucky hit. Which was unfortunate for since Neumagh had taken the time to quietly sneak around Harpy’s back
>the rounds slammed into Harpys center mass, pitching him from his feet onto his face.
>to Harpy, it felt as if he had just been hit by a truck going at full speed
> he groaned in pain and rolled onto his aching back. Aiming his  AK at Neumagh who loomed over him
>Neumagh smacked the gun aside with as Harpy fired, the rounds flying off wildly. He grabbed the barrel of the AK and bent it with his metal hand. 
>Harpy let go of the gun and Neumagh dropped it on the ground.
>Harpy grabbed his billy club and swung it at Neumaghs face, the weapon connecting with his cheek. 
>Neumagh stumbled to the side, clutching at the wound. The attack buying Harpy enough time to stand up on his feet.
>’i’ll wreck your shit, I swear it.’ he said as he held the billy club in a two-handed grip.
>Neumagh wiped blood from his face and smiled, before grabbing the cursed sword out from beneath his coat. 
>Harpy felt his stomach drop as he remembered the cursed sword. 
>it had been way to long since he had read or watched Neumagh. 
>who would have thought that watching an anime would have helped him survive this?
>Neumagh held the sword i9n his grip, testing the weight.
>and then he struck.
>the lunge was fast, and Harpy barely had time to sidestep it. Harpy responded with a swing of his club, nearly catching Neumagh in the face again but having his metal arm block the strike. 
>on the back foot, Harpy blocked a flurry of strikes that Neumagh sent at him. The blows were neither skillful or elegant, just strikes filled with overwhelming strength and power. 
>Harpy ducked under a strike meant for his head and rammed the tip of the billy club into Neumaghs stomach. 
>although dampened by the dwarven protection, Neumagh still felt the blow, and he stumbled back a half step. 
>Harpy took the advantage and smashed the billy club into Neumaghs sword hand, the impact knocking the blade from his grip. 
>with the sword out of his hand, Harpy felt he had the advantage, and sent several strong blows towards Neumagh. 
>the blows connected with Neumaghs shoulders and arms  multiple times as he tried to block the strikes, being pushed back by the attack. 
>Harpy readied another strike to send at Neumaghs face, intent on bludgeoning his brain in. 
>Neumagh caught the Billy club in his metal hand, mere inches from his face.
>Harpy suddenly froze up, mind unable to contemplate what happened.
>the only thing that Harpy could think of was link related, https://youtu.be/2MtOpB5LlUA?t=223, which coincidentally was what Neumagh was thinking of but for different reasons. 
>’oh fuck’ muttered Harpy, realising that backing up had all been a ruse to get him overconfident.
>Neumaghs other fist connected into Harpys face, sending him stumbling back.
>before Harpy could recover he felt an iron-hard fist tighten around his throat, and he was lifted into the air. 
>Harpy swung his fist at Neumaghs face, the blows connecting with no effect.
>Neumagh held Harpy by the neck, tightening his grip. He slammed Harpy into the concrete block.
>Harpy felt his mind jar and his eyes fill with bright lights. All the air left his body at the impact. His limbs dropping limp to his side
>Neumagh slammed Harpy against the concrete block again, blood forming on the stone as skin tore and bones broke.
>it was brutal.
>but, it needed to be done.
>As Harpy felt himself impact the stone again his mind became detached from his bodily sensations.
>he thought of Drowbro, The Skinwalker, Roland, and Natalie. 
>but most of all, he thought of Harper.
>She wouldn't know why he was gone, he would just have disappeared. He had a chance to get back to her, and he failed.
>She was his Harpy, and he loved her. 
>and he had failed her.
>’im sorry Harper.’ he muttered under his breath as he was slammed into the stone again.
>Neumagh held the bloodied and broken Harpy Anon in his hand by the neck.
>The poor kid wasn't fighting back any more.
>it was time to end this.
>there was a sickening crunch as Neumagh Anons iron grip tightened around Harpy Anons neck. 
>Neumagh let out a sigh of relief as he dropped Harpys limp, dead body to the ground.
>it was over.
>Harpy was dead, and he had had won.
>he would be able to see them all again.
>Ellior, Ding, Lorelei. 
>He felt relief and joy well up in his heart. 
>he was the winner.


“Wow, he actually did it.” 

“Fucking brutal, did you see how he bashed him before snapping his neck?”

“Yeah, that shit was crazy.”

>Neumagh spun around, seeing the three cloaked figures from before.
>He smiled at them, and gestured to Harpys dead body.
>”it’s over, I killed the kid. Fucker put up a decent fight, and I was almost sad that I had to kill him. Now, where's your end of the bargain?”


“Huh? Bargian….oh! Yes. *AHEM* NEUMAGH ANON, IS VICTORIOUS!”


>the hooded figure threw his arms out wide, and applause echoed through the gladiator arena
>he reached under his robes and produced from it a strange bottle, a golden ribbon tied around it.


“YOUR REWARD FOR A HARD-WON VICTORY!”

>Neumagh studied the bottle. The ribbon looked to be pure gold, pounded flat to a paper like consistency. Engraved on it was the phrase “NEUMAGH ANON: WINNER OF THE DEATH BATTLE”. As he moved the bottle he noticed the white liquid inside was viscous, similar to the fluidity of whole milk or cream, and suspended in it was glittering flakes that resembled the stars in the cosmos.


“SAVE THAT FOR A SPECIAL OCCASION, HERO OF NEUMAGH.”

>Neumagh tucked the bottle under his coat, not caring to ask what it even was. 
>”alright, thanks. Now, I would *REALLY* like to get home.”


“BUT OF COURSE, COME, WE SHALL SEND YOU BACK. THANK YOU FOR CONTENDING IN SUCH A SPLENDID EVENT”

>The middle hooded figure stook out its hand, and Neumagh took it. 
>there was a blinding flash of light, and Neumagh felt it wrap around him. 
>the last thing he saw of the arena was the middle hooded figure, and then everything went white.



> I suddenly snapped awake as I heard myself being called out to
>”hey! There you are.” 
>Ellior is smiling at me, her M40A5 in hand.
>”did you really fall asleep under the tree waiting for me to hide them all?”
> I yawn and stretch, standing up. That nap was refreshing.
>”gotta work on your speed kid, your old man doesn't have as much energy as he used to.”
>Ellior is gigling at my comment 
>”ah come on, your not that old.”
> I smile at her and ruffle her hair. Shes a good kid. 
>my mind suddenyl wanders…
>the arena…
>the hooded figures…
>Harpy…
>was that all a dream?
>I pat myself down.
>everything is fine. 
>I have all my magazines, no wounds, and all my equipment.
>I guess it all was a dream.
>I feel something in my coat.
>what the hell?
>I pull the object out.
>its a bottle filled with a glittering liquid, with a golden ribbon on it.
>Ellior looks at the bottle confused.
>”whats that?”
>I smile and put it back in my coat
>”oh, I forgot I had it. It's just a reward for something I did.”
>Ellior shrugs
>”come on, it's your turn and the goblins are going to run away. Find them!”
>I smile at her and begin my turn at hind and seek and destroy
>”love you kid!” I tell her as I go off into the forest
>im glad im back



>I feel something cold splash across my face, and I bolt upright, breathing hard
>where the fuck am i?
>”oh thank fuck you're still alive you fucking dumbass.”
>I look around, Harper and Drowbro are right by me.
>’what the hell happened?’ I ask, my mind foggy
>Harper looks at me confused
>”i don't fucking know, we were waiting around for your dumbass to come the fuck back and when we came down to check on your dumb ass you were on the fucking ground passed out.”
>I feel fucking awful
>”damn, you look like you came back from the dead.” remarks Drowbro to me
>thanks dick
>”holy fuck, did I do that?” asks Harper
>Nani the fuck?
>she takes a picture of my neck and shows it to me
>HOLY SHIT
>there are bruises all over my neck
>fucking hell
>I unsteadily stand to my feet
>im sore and light headed
>I must have gotten sunstroke or something
>”come on, just sit here and rest.” says Drowbro, helping me over to a rock.
>I sit on the rock and let out a deep breath
> it's very uncomfortable
>I feel something in my back pocket.
>I pull it out
>it's a crumpled up grey ribbon that smells like piss.
>a picture of a pile of shit is stapled to it, and the phrase “Harpy anon: he tried” is attached to it.
>the memories suddenly come flooding back
>that wasn't a heat stroke induced nightmare
>that was real
>Harper sits down next to me, handing me a canteen of cold water. 
>I take it from her and drink it
>”im glad your all fucking right.” she says and wraps a wing around me
>I smile and wrap an arm back around her
>’im glad I am as well.’
>I might have died, but at least I am alive
>....
>why does that make sense?
>/k/ube help me