Guldrin’s Gluttony: Family Bound by Speed & Food

The monstrosity towering before Guldrin let out another deafening roar, shaking loose tiles from the rooftop. It charged forward with surprising speed for its massive bulk, its bloated limbs smashing through air vents and scattering debris. Guldrin didn't hesitate, he drew his Mark 23, aiming for its glowing red eyes, and fired off a series of shots.

*Pfft, pfft, pfft!*

The bullets hit their mark, causing the creature to stagger back slightly, but its enraged bellow indicated he had only irritated it. The abomination's wounds began to seal before his eyes, its regenerative capabilities kicking in immediately. "Oh, great," Guldrin muttered, his cigar clamped between his teeth. "Another bullet sponge. It's like the Pain all over again…"

The creature roared and lunged, its grotesque arm swinging in a wide arc. Guldrin ducked and rolled, narrowly avoiding the strike as it tore through an air conditioning unit. 'How do you roar if you don't breathe? How the Hell does that work?' Pushing these intrusive thoughts to the back of his mind, he countered with a well-aimed knife throw, embedding the blade deep into one of the pulsating tumors on its chest. The beast recoiled, emitting a shriek of pain that sent a shiver down Guldrin's spine.

"You don't like that, huh? Can't heal if the knife is still in there." he taunted, yanking another knife from his belt. "Good. Let's make this dance interesting. Good thing I brought a lot of these." He gripped the blade with a backward grip and stances up, readying for the creature's next move.

The monster slammed its fists into the rooftop, cracking the concrete beneath them and sending vibrations through Guldrin's boots. Using his enhanced agility, he leaped onto a nearby ventilation duct, gaining higher ground. From there, he surveyed the battlefield. His intelligence boost allowed him to analyze the creature's movements, noting its slow recovery after each attack. It was powerful but sluggish, if he could keep it off balance, he might stand a chance.

"Emily," he muttered, "Am I right to assume the weakest points are the tumors? I need to take this thing down now."

Emily's voice resonated in his mind, calm despite the chaos. "Correct, target the tumors. They're unstable, likely a source of its regenerative power. Be cautious, Guldrin; it seems to adapt quickly." All this time, Emily had been perched on his head as if a fixture, it didn't make sense that she could hold on despite everything, but that was the least of Guldrin's concerns right now.

The abomination lunged again, this time ripping the duct out from under him. Guldrin jumped just in time, landing in a crouch and firing at another tumor. The impact caused the grotesque mass to burst, releasing a spray of black ichor that sizzled as it hit the rooftop. The beast howled, staggering back as more of its flesh began to pulsate violently.

Guldrin didn't waste the opening. Activating 'Primal Surge' again, he dashed forward with inhuman speed, despite the fatigue gnawing at him and the blood leaking from his mouth. Clenching his knife, he sliced the tendons of the abomination's legs as he slipped between its spread legs. Immediately the beast roared, and its legs lost strength, but before he could capitalize on this, its regeneration kicked in.

Guldrin crouched low, cigar clamped between his teeth, his fingers tightening around the pin of the one and only makeshift grenade. The abomination, a horrifying amalgamation of flesh, tumors, and raw, pulsating rage, towered before him on the rooftop. Its red, glowing eyes fixed on him as its maw let out an ear-splitting roar, spraying saliva mixed with rotting flesh into the frigid air. The creature's sheer size seemed to warp the surrounding space, a living nightmare made manifest.

Guldrin thought back to the beginning of the day, 'Haha, and Shiro said bringing an explosive to school was overkill… Too dangerous she said, unneeded she said, what if the zombies didn't start today she questioned… Hahaha, now who is laughing… ME! EXPLOSION TIME!' His manic grin was terrifying as he clutched the explosive and prepared to blow up this creature.

"Alright, big guy," Guldrin muttered under his breath, blood pounding in his ears. "Let's see what you've got."

The abomination lunged, its clawed arm swinging like a battering ram. Guldrin barely dodged, the claws carving deep gouges into the rooftop behind him, sending shards of stone and concrete flying. He rolled to the side and came up shooting, emptying his magazine into the creature's face. The bullets tore into its flesh, spraying chunks of meat and viscous black blood, but the creature barely flinched, its regenerative abilities immediately knitting the wounds back together.

"Shit," Guldrin growled, ejecting the magazine and slamming in a fresh one.

The beast was getting faster, faster than anything that size had a right to be. It charged again, and this time Guldrin couldn't fully dodge. Its massive hand caught him mid-dive, slamming him into the rooftop with enough force to crack the concrete beneath him. Stars exploded in his vision as pain lanced through his ribs. 'Fuck.' He thought as he regained his bearings.

The creature loomed over him, raising its grotesque arm to deliver a killing blow. Guldrin gritted his teeth and yanked the pin from the makeshift grenade, a chemical reaction creating a combustion activating as the pin rubbed on the grove causing friction, leaving him seconds to remove it from his grasp. With a roar of defiance, he shoved the explosive into one of the pulsating tumors on the creature's chest, kicked away with all his strength, and dove away.

BOOM!

The explosion was deafening, the force of it throwing Guldrin several feet across the rooftop despite having put distance between him and the explosion. He skidded to a halt, his body scraping against rough concrete, as the beast let out a guttural scream of agony. When the smoke cleared, one of its massive arms was gone, the stump a charred, smoking mess.

Guldrin pushed himself up, coughing and clutching his side. "That's gotta sting, huh?" he muttered, spitting blood onto the ground.

But his victory was short-lived. Before his eyes, the creature's flesh began to writhe and pulse, the wound bubbling with grotesque vitality. In moments, the arm began to regrow, sinew weaving itself together, bone knitting, and muscles expanding until the limb was whole again. The beast flexed its new arm, a stump where its hand used to be, and roared, louder than before, shaking the rooftop.

"Oh, come on!" Guldrin shouted, staggering to his feet. "Of course, you can regenerate limbs," Guldrin growled, frustration flickering in his usually calm demeanor.

The abomination charged again, faster this time, as if the pain had only enraged it further. Guldrin ducked under its swing, the stumpy claws barely missing his head, and drove his combat knife into its side. The blade sank deep, black ichor spraying from the wound. The creature lashed out, catching him across the chest with its claws. His stab-proof vest absorbed some of the blow, but not all of it, three deep gashes opened across his torso, blood pouring from the wounds.

Guldrin stumbled back, gasping for air. His vision blurred as pain threatened to overwhelm him. The creature advanced, relentless, its glowing eyes locked onto him with unbridled hatred.

Desperate, Guldrin grabbed a shard of broken concrete from the rooftop and hurled it at the beast's face. It flinched, if only for a moment, and he used the distraction to sprint toward the edge of the roof. His mind raced as he tried to come up with a plan. He was out of grenades, low on preloaded magazines, and running out of blood to lose; he felt like he was running on fumes.

The creature leaped, closing the distance in a single bound. Its massive claws swiped at Guldrin, who ducked at the last second. The momentum carried the creature past him, but it quickly recovered, turning with an unnatural speed.

"You're really starting to piss me off," Guldrin growled, clutching his side as he limped backward.

The beast charged again, and this time Guldrin stood his ground. At the last moment, he dropped to his knees and slid under the creature's massive frame, slashing at its Achilles tendon with his knife. The blade cut deep, and the creature stumbled, crashing to one knee.

Guldrin didn't hesitate. He scrambled onto the creature's back, driving his knife into its neck again and again, black blood gushing from the wounds. The creature thrashed wildly, trying to throw him off, but he held on, his grip fueled by adrenaline and pure desperation.

The beast reared back, slamming its body into a metal vent, crushing Guldrin between its bulk and the unyielding steel. He felt something crack, his ribs, maybe his spine, but he refused to let go. With a primal roar, he yanked the knife free and drove it into the creature's glowing eye.

The beast let out a deafening scream, its massive hands clawing at its own face. Guldrin took the opportunity to leap off its back, landing in a crouch. He was battered, bleeding, and barely able to stand, but he wasn't done yet.

The abomination, now half-blind and enraged, lunged at him with a reckless fury. Guldrin sidestepped, using the creature's momentum against it, and tried to trip it over the edge of the roof as he cut its thigh, making it lose all control of its leg. The beast teetered on the edge, its clawed feet scraping against the concrete as it tried to regain its balance.

Guldrin saw his chance. Summoning every ounce of strength he had left, he charged at the creature, slamming his shoulder into its massive frame. The force sent both of them tumbling over the edge.

As they fell, the abomination clawed at him, its massive hands raking across his body. Guldrin gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain, and drove his knife into the creature's skull one last time.

They hit the ground with a sickening crunch, the impact driving the air from Guldrin's lungs. He lay there, broken and bleeding, on top of the now-motionless abomination. His vision blurred as darkness crept in at the edges, but he managed a weak, bloodied grin.

"Not... so tough now... are you?" he whispered before finally succumbing to unconsciousness.

The dust had barely begun to settle when a chorus of voices erupted from above.

"Did he just-?" Kohta's incredulous voice carried down as he leaned precariously over the edge of the second-floor window. His glasses reflected the sunlight, but his wide eyes betrayed a mix of awe and disbelief.

Rei's lips curled into a tight frown. She gripped her weapon with white-knuckled intensity. "He's insane. Completely reckless! Who does something that suicidal?!" Saeko just looked at him like he was the perfect man. "Impressive." Shiro looked at her as if to assess her affection for Guldrin, but knew this wasn't the time.

Shiro had been standing slightly apart, and moved closer to the edge, her pale face reflecting the glow of the sunlight. She whispered softly, "Guldrin…" Her sharp eyes searched the chaos below, scanning the mangled remains of the abomination and the unmoving boy who had been locked in combat just moments before. A wave of panic surged in her chest, but she quickly suppressed it, knowing Guldrin wouldn't appreciate her losing composure now.

Takashi, standing off to the side, scowled. His hands clenched into fists. "Why does he always have to show off?" he muttered bitterly, glaring down at the wreckage as though Guldrin's defiance were a personal affront.

Kohta grinned despite himself, adjusting his glasses with a thumb. "Show off? That was like something straight out of a war movie. You saw it, right? Took that thing down with a grenade, a pistol, and a knife, one fucking knife! And then, BAM! Over the edge with the beast!" His voice brimmed with excitement.

Rei shot him a glare. "That doesn't make him a hero, Kohta. It was reckless and stupid. He could've gotten himself killed. Maybe he already did?"

"Could've?" Kohta smirked. "Pretty sure he's not moving. Reckless, sure, but stupid? I dunno. That thing would've shredded us if it got through him." Kohta was practically bouncing as he remembered that fight, or at least what he was able to see.

Takashi's jaw tightened. He didn't say anything, but his glare intensified as he looked back down at Guldrin. 'Why is it always you? Why does everyone love you, but scorn me, it's all your fault… If only you weren't here!'

Rei sighed and motioned to the others. "Let's get down there. If he's still breathing, we'll need to haul him back before anything else shows up."

Shiro was already halfway to the stairs. Her voice was calm, but her urgency was evident. "We need to hurry."

Saya had been silent throughout this entire process, but she was inwardly shocked that someone like Guldrin could exist in this world. Her admiration was brewing and only needed a small push to tip over the edge of her tsundere attitude.

On the ground, Guldrin stirred slightly, his consciousness flickering like a dying flame. The world was muffled, distant. He could feel the coarse gravel beneath him and the sticky warmth of his own blood pooling around him. After using the creature as a cushion, the force of the fall bounced him a few feet away from the creature. His entire body screamed in agony, but he forced his eyes open.

The abomination lay beside him, its twisted form finally still. He could see its grotesque limbs splayed out at unnatural angles, the glowing rage in its eyes extinguished.

One down. How many more to go? He thought grimly, coughing up blood and struggling to light a cigar, while he took in his surroundings.

He heard footsteps approaching, they were hurried, heavy boots crunching on the gravel. Guldrin tried to turn his head, but his body refused to cooperate, his cigar falling out of his mouth. "Damn…" He mumbled as he looked at the blood-soaked cigar.

The first face he saw was Shiro's, pale and strained. Relief washed over his… friend, wife, fiancee? Well, he wasn't 100% sure what they were, but she knelt beside Guldrin. "You're alive," Shiro whispered, her voice barely audible. "I told you to stay alive, idiot.

"I am… barely," Guldrin rasped, his voice weak but laced with sarcasm. "Told you... I could... handle it, I didn't lie." He chuckled lightly and groaned as his second cigar nearly fell from his lips.

Kohta arrived next, eyes wide as he took in the scene. "Dude... you're a mess," he said, his tone a mix of awe and concern. "But holy hell, that was the coolest thing I've ever seen. I mean, you were like some kinda war hero out there!"

Rei knelt beside Guldrin, her expression a complicated mix of annoyance and grudging respect. "You're lucky you didn't get yourself killed," she said, carefully inspecting his wounds. "What were you thinking, taking it on alone?"

"Didn't... exactly have a choice," Guldrin managed, his lips twitching into a faint smirk. "Figured someone... had to do it. What would any of you have done; could you have killed it?"

Takashi lingered a few steps back, his arms crossed. His glare was icy, his jaw clenched tightly. "Someone else could've handled it," he muttered under his breath, though no one acknowledged his comment, but Guldrin didn't miss it.

Rei exchanged a glance with Shiro. "We need to get him back to Shizuka. He's bleeding out."

Kohta stepped forward, his usual bravado tempered by genuine concern. "I'll help carry him. Just say the word."

"No," Shiro said firmly, already positioning herself to lift Guldrin. "I've got him." It would have been comical to see a small girl lifting someone like Guldrin, but the situation didn't allow anyone to laugh.

As they worked to lift him, Guldrin groaned in pain but refused to let out anything louder than a grunt. "Don't... drop me," he mumbled, earning a faint chuckle from Kohta.

"Dude, we just watched you jump off a roof with a monster, and now you're worried about falling?" Kohta quipped, though his hands were steady as he disregarded Shiro's wish to do it alone and helped her support Guldrin's weight.

Back at the school bus parking yard, the group helped Guldrin into the bus, where Shizuka could provide preliminary treatment. The tension was thick as Rei and Shiro worked to patch him up while they waited on Shizuka. Takashi paced inside the bus, his frustration evident in every step.

Kohta leaned against the bus, his grin now replaced with a thoughtful expression. "I gotta admit, I didn't think he had it in him. Dude's got guts."

Rei nodded reluctantly, her hands steady as she cleaned one of Guldrin's deeper wounds, making him groan in pain. "Yeah, well, let's just hope his guts stay inside him. This could've gone a lot worse."

Shiro sat beside Guldrin, her sharp eyes scanning Guldrin's battered face and body. "He'll be fine," She said softly, more to herself than anyone else. "He always pulls through."

Takashi stopped pacing and glared at Guldrin. "He's not a hero," he snapped. "He's just reckless. One of these days, he's going to get himself… Or us killed." Guldrin with his eyes closed just flicked him off, making him grind his teeth.

Kohta shrugged. "Maybe. But tonight? He saved our asses."

As the group settled into a tense silence, Guldrin finally felt as if he could move a bit more, his eyes fluttering open. He glanced around the bus, his smirk returning despite the pain. "What... no applause?" he rasped.

Rei sighed, exasperated. "You're impossible."

Kohta laughed. "You're a damn legend, man."

Takashi turned away, his fists clenched. But no matter how much he hated Guldrin's bravado, he couldn't deny the truth: tonight, the reckless fool had done something none of them could, though he would never admit such a thing… Ever.

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