Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

The air was thick with tension, each second drawing them closer to a violent confrontation. Guldrin's hands clenched around his weapons, the MK 23 cold and steady in his grasp, his blade slick with the blood of Shido's followers. He barely noticed the pulsing in his temples, the ache of his own body as the events of the day weighed on him. The anger was still fresh, still simmering beneath his skin, but there was no time to dwell on it. Not now. Not when Shido and Takashi stood before him, their twisted expressions betraying the horrors they had embraced.

Shido's voice broke the silence, his cruel laugh cutting through the coldness of the room. "I always knew you would come. You and your righteous anger. But it's too late. You don't have the strength to save them." His eyes flickered to the bruised and broken forms of Alice and Asami, still weak and exhausted, lying against the wall. "You see, Guldrin, the world has changed. And people like you? People who cling to the past, to ideals that no longer matter? You're just a relic of a dead era."

Takashi's gaze shifted toward the girls as well, but it was colder, more detached. His eyes held no warmth, no humanity, just the emptiness of someone who had abandoned their soul in exchange for the comfort of power. His stance was resolute, unyielding, as if the weight of his betrayal had already settled into the marrow of his bones.

"I… A relic… I guess that is more correct than you know… But clinging to the past? Nah…" He lit a cigar, completely nonplussed by the growing tension. "Takashi, I told you, I would protect mine and those I care for, that hasn't changed… But what both of you have done to this little girl… That changes my approach… I too have limits, and you not only crossed them, you disregarded them…" He exhaled a long breath,

The once valiant Takashi, the protector, the boy who had stood against the darkness with the hope of saving his friends, was gone. In his place stood a man who had chosen survival over everything else. He had chosen Shido's twisted promises over loyalty, over love, over his long cherished humanity, the very reason he left the group in the first place.

"Is this what you wanted, Takashi?" Guldrin's voice was a low growl, laced with both sorrow and fury. "Is this the resolve of your precious humanity!?!?"

Takashi's lips curled into a mocking smile, but there was no trace of his former self in the coldness of his expression. "Power doesn't ask for your forgiveness, Guldrin. It takes what it needs. And right now, I need to be on the winning side. You're just a distraction. I was naive, a child, Shido forced me to see reason!"

Guldrin's eyes burned with rage, but he didn't make a move. Not yet. The girls needed him, and Kohta, somewhere in the shadows, needed him to keep calm. He couldn't afford to make any mistakes.

The quiet, haunting sounds of the undead beyond the walls only served to heighten the sense of impending doom. The city, now an eerie graveyard, seemed to press in on them, the distant groans of the walkers barely audible under the weight of the tension in the room. Guldrin's mind raced, every possible outcome flashing before his eyes. He couldn't afford to lose. Not now. Not when they were so close to escaping.

Shido stepped forward, his fingers still twirling the revolver, his eyes gleaming with sick pleasure. "Do you really think you can stop this? You've always been a fool, Guldrin. I knew from the start you were a pawn. You thought you could play hero? Save people? But that's the problem with you. You've always cared too much about others; even if you hide it behind a veneer of aloofness and uncaring. You're weak. And that weakness will be your undoing."

As Shido finished speaking, he snapped his fingers, and a pair of men stepped out from the shadows. They were armed, their weapons aimed directly at Guldrin. They weren't the same incompetent fools who had died at his hands earlier, these men were seasoned. The kind of people who knew how to handle themselves in a fight. Guldrin's senses flared, his muscles tensing as he readied himself.

But before he could make a move, Takashi spoke again, his voice hollow and empty. "You don't have to do this, Guldrin. You can walk away. I can't undo what I've done, but I'm not the one you should be fighting. It's him," Takashi gestured to Shido, his expression one of indifference. "He's the real enemy here. I'm just... I'm just trying to survive."

Guldrin's eyes narrowed, his rage bubbling to the surface. "You're wrong, Takashi. You're not just trying to survive. You've chosen this. You've chosen this man over everything else, over your friends, over what's left of your precious humanity. You've chosen the easy path, and now, you're going to have to live with that choice." He could feel the weight of the words as they left his mouth. Every syllable was like a dagger, a reminder of the man Takashi had become.

Takashi didn't respond. He just stood there, silent, as if waiting for something, some final justification for his betrayal.

In that moment, Guldrin understood. Takashi wasn't just lost to them. He was lost to himself. The man he had once been, the protector, the fighter, had died the moment he chose to bow before Shido's dark promises. Takashi was already gone, replaced by someone who had traded his humanity for survival in a world that no longer cared about such things.

But Shido... Shido was a different kind of monster. He was the one who had twisted everything, who had fed on the fears of others to create his empire of depravity. Shido was the true enemy, and he would pay for what he had done.

Guldrin's grip on his weapons tightened, and without another word, he sprang into action. His movements were a blur, faster than any of them could react. He lunged toward the two armed men who had emerged from the shadows, his blade flashing in the dim light. The first man didn't even have time to raise his weapon before Guldrin's blade was in his throat, severing his windpipe with one clean stroke. Blood sprayed in all directions, painting the walls with a grotesque spray of crimson.

The second man raised his gun, but Guldrin was already on him, his blade cutting through the air in a devastating arc. The man's weapon went flying as the blade sliced through his arm, and in the same motion, Guldrin's fist collided with his jaw, sending him crashing to the ground.

But even as he dispatched the two men, Shido and Takashi remained, their twisted smiles never fading. The two of them seemed to think this would be over soon, but Guldrin had other plans. He wasn't going to let this go.

The sound of his blade meeting flesh echoed in the room, and for a moment, everything seemed to slow down. He had no intention of giving Takashi any more time to justify his actions, no more words, no more hope for redemption. This was the end, and Guldrin would make sure of it.

Takashi seemed to sense this, his face twisting in a mix of fear and resolve. He wasn't going to let Guldrin win, not now, not when he had made his choice. He lunged forward, hefting his bat over his shoulder, his movements desperate and uncoordinated, as if he had finally realized that Guldrin was the true threat.

But Takashi was too slow.

Guldrin's MK 23 roared to life, the shot ringing out in the confined space. Takashi's body jerked violently, the bullet slamming into his chest with brutal force. He staggered backward, his eyes wide with shock, his breath coming in ragged gasps. But even in his last moments, there was no regret in his eyes. There was only the hollow emptiness of someone who had long since lost everything.

"A bat to a gunfight…"

Takashi collapsed to the floor, his blood pooling beneath him. Guldrin didn't even flinch. His gaze didn't waver from Shido, who stood motionless, his smile never fading.

"I give you mercy," Guldrin spoke to the now-dead Takashi, and shot him in the head so he wouldn't reanimate.

*Bang*

One bullet in the head later and Guldrin was reloading his spent magazine. "Now, it's just you and me, Shido," Guldrin said, his voice as cold as the steel in his hands. "And you're going to pay for everything you've done."

*Bang, Bang, Bang!*

Shido's laugh echoed through the room, as he shot Guldrin three times in the chest, each shot loud and making Guldrin stagger, "You think you've won? You think you can stop me? I've already won, Guldrin. You're too late. The world is mine. And there's nothing you can do to change that."

To Shido's surprise, Guldrin was still standing, his face pale, cigar still in his lips, and a cruel expression present on his face, "That hurt," All three bullets hit Guldrin in the vest he had gotten from Rika's apartment, even so, the impact hurt like Hell. Right as he was about to move, Shido sensed it and bolted toward Asami, and held her hostage. "Now what hero?"

'Fuck… If not for these cracked ribs, which I already feel healing… He would have never been able to close that distance and would be dead!'

Guldrin's heart thudded painfully against his chest as the world seemed to close in around him. His muscles burned from the exertion, the gunshot wounds searing with every movement, but it wasn't the pain that clouded his thoughts, it was the woman in Shido's grasp. Asami, her body trembling with fear, was caught in Shido's twisted web. He had no intention of letting her go, but he had to stall.

"Let her go, Shido," Guldrin snarled, his voice raw with rage, but he knew he couldn't make a move too quickly. One wrong step, one rash action, and she was gone. "She's not part of your game. This is between you and me." 

'I feel sick saying cheesy lines like that, but all I can do is wait for Kohta to line up a shot…'

Shido's laughter, sick and taunting, rang through the dimly lit room. He pulled Asami closer, his revolver pressed against her temple, the cold metal glinting ominously. Her breath hitched in her throat, her hands bound by Shido's other hand and shaking, but she refused to cry out. She refused to give Shido the satisfaction.

"Oh, but you see, that's the beauty of it, isn't it, Guldrin?" Shido purred, his eyes glimmering with sick delight. "I don't have to make it just about us. I can make it about her, about all of them. You can't save them all. You're just a boy playing in a world that's way beyond your reach."

Guldrin's lip curled into a snarl, but inside, a fire of determination burned bright. He was done with words. He was done with hesitation. Every moment he wasted, Asami suffered. Every breath she took in terror felt like a personal assault on his very soul.

His mind raced, searching for the perfect angle, the best opportunity to strike. His heart pounded so loudly in his chest that it was almost deafening, but the cool steel of his focus kept him grounded. Shido was a twisted man, but he wasn't infallible. And Guldrin? Guldrin was done with playing by the rules.

Shido smirked, savoring the moment. "You'll regret not joining me, Guldrin. You could've had power. You could've had it all, but instead, you're going to watch them die. Starting with her."

The click of the hammer on Shido's revolver echoed through the room, the hollow sound ringing in the silence. Asami's eyes widened in horror, her body stiffening as she braced for what she knew was coming.

The world seemed to close in on him as he stared at the man who had caused so much destruction, Shido, the embodiment of everything he hated about this new world. Guldrin's fingers flexed against the hilt of his blade, every muscle in his body tensed like a coiled spring, ready to unleash chaos. But there was a small flicker of doubt, a moment of hesitation. Asami was a pawn in this twisted game, caught between a monster and a hunter. Every second she was in Shido's grip, every breath she took under his cruel hand, it chipped away at Guldrin's resolve.

Suddenly, the earpiece in his ear crackled to life once again, the voice of a haughty woman with a heavenly voice cut through the fog of his thoughts like a knife.

"Brat, stop thinking so hard. Move two steps to the left," she ordered, her tone impatient but calm.

Guldrin didn't hesitate. He trusted her, even if he didn't know who she was, and in this world, trust was as valuable as a blade to the throat. If someone had joined the frequency, they were experienced, and if they could see him, then he was already dead to rights if they wanted him to be. So, he pivoted on his heel, stepping to the side. The shift was barely noticeable, but it was enough. 

Just as he did, the crack of a sniper rifle broke the heavy silence, the sound reverberating like thunder in the air. The sharp report seemed to vibrate through the room before the crack of flesh and bone followed. The bullet pierced Shido's skull with the precision of a master assassin, and for a moment, everything seemed to freeze.

Shido's eyes widened in shock. He never even had the chance to register the impact before his body slumped, lifeless, to the floor. Blood poured from the gaping hole in his head, a crimson cascade that stained the cold, cracked concrete beneath him. His revolver slipped from his fingers, hitting the floor with a dull thud, as if the very weight of his twisted ambitions had been shattered in an instant.

For a split second, the room was eerily silent, the weight of what had just transpired sinking in.

Asami fell to her knees, gasping for air as the iron grip of Shido's hand slackened, leaving her trembling but alive. The realization of her survival hit her like a tidal wave, her body shaking violently from the rush of adrenaline. She clutched at her chest, heaving sobs escaping her lips despite her best efforts to hold them back.

Guldrin didn't rush to her immediately. His eyes stayed locked on Shido's corpse, the unnatural stillness of death consuming the man who had wrought so much chaos and pain. Blood pooled beneath the body, the gory mess spreading across the floor like an accusation of all that had transpired. Guldrin's breath was ragged, his body battered, but he took no satisfaction in this victory. Too many things went wrong, first, he hesitated, he shouldn't have, second, he allowed Shido to shoot him and take Asami hostage, and finally, a sniper of unknown origins just saved his life.

Touching his earpiece, he spoke, "Thank you for the assist."

The voice from the earpiece interrupted his grim reverie. "You're welcome," the woman said with biting amusement and sarcasm. "Now, care to explain why you're wearing my vest and why there's some doughy kid fumbling around with my rifle?"

Guldrin instinctively glanced down, unable to see anything he looked puzzled, "Use the reflection, my name is stitched into the back." She spoke, and Guldrin followed her instructions, noticing for the first time the insignia on the back of the bulletproof vest. Sure enough, stitched in bold, defiant letters was a single word: Reaper. A name he now associated with the precision shot that saved both him and Asami.

"Long story," he muttered into the earpiece, his voice rough but steady. "But I owe you for that."

"You owe me a lot more than gratitude, brat," she retorted. "Who the hell do you think you are, raiding my stash and handing my rifle off to some chubby wannabe? Also, that stance… Does the term CQC mean anything to you?"

Guldrin smirked despite the pain radiating through his body. The woman's commanding tone was sharp, but it carried a sense of reliability. This wasn't her first dance with death, and it wouldn't be her last. "Kohta's not just some kid," he replied. "He's got talent. He just needs guidance. But CQC…" He hesitated, "How do you know that is what I was using?"

"Hmm," the voice on the other end mused. "Who knows… We'll see about that. But for now, you've got bigger problems. The gunfire will attract them." She ignored his words, but clearly she was interested in him after hearing his words, she wouldn't have continued to talk to him if she wasn't.

Her words snapped Guldrin back to reality. The undead were drawn to noise, and the chaos of the fight, combined with the thunderous cracks of Shido's .22, would have undoubtedly drawn a horde. Asami still knelt on the ground, her wide eyes fixed on Shido's body, her hands trembling uncontrollably. Guldrin crouched beside her, his voice soft but firm.

"Asami, look at me," he said. She turned to him, her face pale and streaked with tears. "You're safe now, but we need to move. Can you stand?"

Her lips quivered as she nodded, and he helped her to her feet, steadying her with a hand on her shoulder. Despite her terror, she managed to stand tall, a spark of determination glinting in her tear-filled eyes.

"I'm okay," she whispered, though her voice betrayed the lie.

"Good," Guldrin said, his tone leaving no room for argument. "We've got to regroup with the others. Stay close to me."

The earpiece crackled again. "You've got incoming from the west. Large group. You'll need to get creative, or you'll be overrun."

"How large?" Guldrin asked, already bracing himself for the worst.

"Fifty, maybe more," the woman replied. "And they're not shambling idiots, either. Looks like some sprinters mixed in. You've got two minutes tops before they're on you."

Cursing under his breath, Guldrin surveyed the room, his mind racing. The room's exits were limited, and the undead would funnel through them like a tidal wave. His ribs ached, his breathing labored, but there was no time to rest. He quickly scanned Shido's corpse and grabbed the revolver, checking its ammo. It was half-full, but against a horde, it wouldn't last long.

"Asami, take this," he said, pressing the revolver into her shaking hands, along with a spare box of ammo. "Point and shoot. Don't hesitate. Understand?"

She nodded, gripping the gun tightly, though her hands still trembled. "I am a cop, I know how to shoot a gun," She huffed as Guldrin picked up Alice onto his shoulders, and ran.

The door to the west suddenly began to rattle, the telltale groans and snarls of the undead growing louder by the second. Guldrin's heart sank. The advanced horde was here, and they wouldn't wait.

"Reaper," Guldrin growled into the earpiece, "any more tricks up your sleeve?"

"I'm a sniper, not a miracle worker," she shot back. "But I might be able to pick off a few from my vantage point. Don't get your hopes up."

"Fair enough," he muttered, pulling his blade from its sheath. The weapon felt heavy in his hand, a grim reminder of the bloodshed to come. His MK 23 was spent, each preloaded magazine empty, all he had was his knife and ingenuity. He positioned himself between Asami and the door, ready to face the onslaught.

The door burst open, and the first of the undead poured through. Their flesh was rotting, their eyes wild with hunger. Guldrin didn't hesitate. He lunged forward, his blade slicing through the first walker's neck and into the brain stem with brutal efficiency. Blood sprayed across his face, but he didn't falter. He moved like a whirlwind, each strike precise and deadly. It was much more difficult to act as he pleased with Alice on his back, but he managed, Zeke, the little puppy companion, was smart for a dog and thankfully stuck close to them.

Behind him, Asami fired the revolver, the sharp cracks of the gun echoing through the room. Her shots were shaky, but she managed to hit her targets, the bullets tearing through the undead with sickening squelches.

"Keep it together, Asami!" Guldrin shouted over the chaos, his voice firm but encouraging. "You've got this!"

The horde kept coming, their numbers seemingly endless. Guldrin's muscles burned, his vision blurring as exhaustion threatened to overtake him. He could feel the weight of every swing, every kill, but he refused to stop. He couldn't afford to.

Suddenly, a deafening crack echoed through the room, and one of the sprinters collapsed mid-lunge, its head reduced to pulp. "That one was mine," Reaper's voice chimed in, smug but focused. "Try not to die, brat. You're more useful alive. We still have much to talk about…"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," Guldrin grunted, slamming his blade into another walker's chest and yanking it free with a sickening squelch. "No problem, BOSS." A flicker of realization crossed his face, but he didn't have time to think of this.

The fight raged on, the air thick with the stench of blood and decay. Guldrin's arms felt like lead, his breathing ragged, but he pushed forward. Asami stood behind him, her courage growing with each shot. The fear in her eyes was still there, but so was something else, a spark of defiance, a refusal to give in.

Finally, the horde began to thin, their relentless advance slowing as their numbers dwindled. Guldrin's blade was slick with gore, his clothes soaked in blood, but he stood tall, his chest heaving as he surveyed the carnage. Asami lowered the revolver, her hands still trembling, but a small, triumphant smile crept across her face.

"Not bad for a Diamond Dog," Reaper's voice crackled in his ear. "But don't get cocky. There's always more where they came from." Rika kept saying little snippets of terms and testing Guldrin with each one. Seeing his reactions, she was more and more sure, no matter how unbelievable, that she had found a second Big Boss, a life she remembered, and not of this world, a life she buried, it was coming back to her in an intensity unlike anything before.

'Diamond Dog… Argghhh, my fucking head… But I remember… A life not of my own, like a series of memories were implanted… Big Boss… and someone who looks like me, but wasn't me… Acted like me… A double? Venom? Gods, why do I have memories of him as well? Wait… I was dead, but not dead… They fixed me, then implanted these memories… I am him, and he was me… Fucking complicated.'

Guldrin shook his head and smirked despite himself, and all his doubts. "I'll keep that in mind." Guldrin knew he recognized this voice, he heard it twice, he couldn't place it, but he knew it…

Asami stepped forward, her voice shaky but determined. "What now?"

"Now," Guldrin cleared his useless thoughts, wiping the blood from his blade, "we find the others. And we keep moving. This isn't over. We are not safe till we make it to our warehouse, your sister is still waiting for you there after all…"

"My sister, you saved her?"

"Yeah, Akane, she is the one who pointed us in your direction, that, and we found a girl, Yumi, she told us you were being sold, and that led us to find both of you… This poor little girl… What have they done to her?" Guldrin spoke as they trudged through the room, Alice not waking once while she slept on his back.

(Give me your POWER, Please, and Thank You! Leave reviews and comments, they motivate me to continue.)