Gilver unloaded both shells in the shotgun he had
taken from Goldstein's shop. “I guess this time I get to be
the one to say 'jackpot!' ”
The shells ripped through Dante's legs, sending
scarlet blossoms into the air. Dante crashed into the
ground in front of Gilver and burbled helplessly. The pain
was beyond anything he had ever endured. It stabbed
through his mind like a hot poker, preventing all coherent
thought. Both of his thighs were shredded beyond use.
Blood bubbled up from Dante's mouth.
Gilver stood over his prey, enraptured. “That's a
splendid sound. Your agonized expression is quite
beautiful.” He seemed to drink up the suffering.
“Give me... a break... you sadistic freak. You
think... a little thing like this – “
Gilver swung the shotgun to Dante's stomach and
fired off another round. Dante howled as his gut ruptured
and his bowels blew apart. His ribs shattered and drove
into his lungs, which quickly filled with blood.
Dante was unable to make a sound beyond the
agonized popping of crimson bubbles in his mouth. His
silver hair was stained black by his own dark blood.
“Don't leave yet, Dante. I'm not finished with
you.”
Gilver pressed the muzzle of the shotgun directly
against Dante, who was unable to move. Two more
gunshots boomed. Dante's shoulders took the bullets
point-blank, the bone and muscle ground into an
unrecognizable paste.
“How is it? Have you lost your will to fight? How
does it feel to roll around like a pathetic worm?” Gilver
was drunk with ecstasy.
Dante knew he was as good as dead. His legs and
arms were destroyed. He couldn't flee, let alone move his
body an inch. The pain wracking every nerve was so
intense he could scarcely string together a coherent
thought.
Gilver bent down to whisper in Dante's ear. “I've
learned two things in the time I've worked as a
mercenary. The first was to secure a complete victory,
you must overwhelm your enemy with brute force.”
Dante discovered his eyes were no longer mobile.
He summoned the last of his strength to utter two gasping
syllables. “Fuck you.”