HOTD: A New Dawn

Tysone had this odd feeling that he had just stumbled upon an important plot point. Maybe it was because he knew that, at its core, this world was an anime one, and meeting that old man seemed too convenient, like it was part of the plot. But the man was real. Flesh and bones.

He was clearly a character with a backstory; the limping made it obvious. Maybe he was a retired cop or a veteran soldier. Perhaps he was even an assassin or some superhuman criminal from an anime he never watched. Who knew?

All he knew was that, if it were anyone else, they'd have just shrugged and walked away. And maybe that'd be the smart thing to do, but when did Tysone ever play it safe? Besides, it was good karma to be kind and generous.

Regardless, Tysone didn't hesitate. It was not in his style. "Excuse me." He began, politely. Hiro turned towards him, one eyebrow arched. "I don't wish to intrude upon your free time, sir. But if I were to offer some money, would you mind teaching me? You seem to be really good, and I need all the help I can get, which is a whole fucking lot." He ended with a bitter laugh.

Hiro looked at him with an expression of disbelief and curiosity, and finally laughed.

"Are you seriously asking a stranger like me to teach you? Don't you know that's how you get killed?"

Tysone smiled innocently. "Are you going to kill me, sir?"

"..."

"Of course you aren't, right? Besides, you're an honest person. You could have pretended not to see or hear me. Instead you came to help." His smile broadened. "I think I have an eye for people."

With this being an anime-based world of some sorts, actual villains should be easily discernible. They'd probably dress like edgelords and have the weirdest looking hairstyle, like they've just escaped some sort of 'how to be an incel 101' cult.

But that old man looked normal, as ordinary as a grandpa. If anything, Tysone could easily take him down if he turned out to be some kind of serial killer or something.

The old man stared at him, silent, as if he were a strange creature from outer space.

"You've got balls of steel, I'll give you that." He smiled and shook his head, his gray hair fluttering in the breeze. "Fine, fine, you've got me. But you're gonna have to pay me for my time."

"That won't be a problem. How much?"

"How much do you think is appropriate?" Hiro's voice had a tinge of playfulness in his voice, a bit like a grandfather teasing a kid. But Tysone was no kid.

"5k yen a day?"

"Too low, boy." Hiro said with a huff.

"10k, then?"

"Now that's better. I've got bills to pay." The old man's eyes lit up with glee, his wrinkled skin creasing even further. He rubbed his hands together in anticipation. "I'm free the whole afternoon today. We'll train until it's time to go home, unless I'm bored with you or vice versa."

Tysone shrugged. He knew it was going to cost him, and it wasn't like he didn't have money to burn. But it was still a lot, and he had to make it worth his time. If he was lucky, the old man would turn out to be an actual expert and not some scammer.

He looked at Hiro. "Alright. I agree."

"Great." Hiro grinned, clapping his hands once. "Let's get started, shall we?" He grabbed Tysone by the shoulder and dragged him off to the range. 

Tysone followed with a smile. It seemed that this was going to be a good investment. Gosh, he hoped so, at least. Anime logic dictated that the man looked to be an expert, and the fact that he was old and experienced meant he must have a lot to teach.

He couldn't help but feel a bit excited. This would be his first teacher since coming to this world.

And he didn't mind spending money on lessons that'd teach him a valuable skill that would help in his survival for the upcoming apocalypse. Hell, if it was worth it, he'd pay as much as he needed to. This wasn't some stupid game.

...

"Alright, kiddo." Hiro began explaining as they stood in the range, side by side, with the old man's hands resting on Tysone's shoulders. "First of all, the stance. It's very, very, important. It's not just a simple thing where you just stand like a fool and shoot. It's about balance, positioning, and posture. A proper stance is necessary for any type of combat situation."

"What if you're in a situation where you have to move? Move fast, I mean." Tysone said, glancing back at his instructor.

Hiro's brow furrowed. "Why would you ever be in such a situation in the first place? You do realize this is just target practice, right? Not actual life-and-death situations. We're not talking about fighting terrorists or whatever it is that you youngsters are watching on the TV." He grumbled. "You're just learning how to fire a gun properly, not to be a commando or whatever."

"True." Tysone agreed, but then he continued. "But, say that I want to move around a lot while firing a gun. Maybe in case of self-defense or an actual gunfight. What then? Is the stance different then?"

The old man grunted. "Well... I suppose it'd be more about adjusting yourself to the situation at hand rather than a fixed position or posture." Hiro said thoughtfully, as he stroked his chin. "For instance, if I had to move, I wouldn't stay standing in one place for long. I'd be running around, dodging and ducking. So I wouldn't use the same stance I use when firing from a static position."

"Ah. Okay. Makes sense." Tysone pondered. "What else would you do in such a scenario? If, say, someone was trying to shoot you."

"Ha! Are you asking how I would survive a firefight with another gun-toting thug?" Hiro snickered and shook his head, his gray hair fluttering slightly. "I would probably try and take cover behind something, and if that was impossible, then I'd run. Maybe I'd even jump out of the window." The old man gave a wry grin. "If you're not a trained professional, you should avoid getting into those kinds of situations in the first place. Run away. That'd be your best bet."

Tysone frowned and scratched the back of his head. "Let's say that's not an option. If you were forced into such a scenario, how would you survive? What should I do if I were forced to fight multiple opponents in open ground?"

"You shouldn't put yourself in that situation, you fool." Hiro grumbled, crossing his arms. "If I was younger, maybe I'd try and get the drop on them. Shoot them before they even saw me coming. But I'm not young and I don't have the speed or stamina for such tactics." The old man paused, and his gaze turned distant, as if recalling some old memories. "And if I couldn't get the drop on my foes, I'd try and flank them from a concealed position. Surprise is always key in a fight. If you can't catch them unawares, then you'll just get killed instead."

"..." Tysone was silent for a moment. "Let's say... yes, let's say you were fighting zombies. And you're surrounded by a horde of them. Wait, I know this sounds stupid, but it's a thought that I always had... I know they aren't real, but what if you had to fight a bunch of zombies, would you run and try to hide?"

"Seriously, kiddo?" Hiro gave him a flat look.

"Sorry." Tysone smiled apologetically, scratching the back of his head. "But... just entertain my thoughts for a second, will you? Let's say, hypothetically speaking, there are hundreds, or thousands of them. Imagine mindless, slow-moving corpses that don't easily die and can't feel pain. They're just driven by hunger."

Hiro raised an eyebrow at that, and he chuckled. "Zombie Apocalypse, huh? I've watched enough movies to know how it'd end." He stroked his chin, and then he sighed. "Fine, fine, whatever." He rolled his eyes and glanced back at him. "I would probably do what most people do in zombie movies—shoot them in the head." He made a finger-gun gesture with his hand, aiming at the ceiling and firing. "I'm assuming these are the same old zombies that we've all come to know and love from the films. Slow, dumb, and dead."

"Correct. The classics. The brain-dead variety that's only driven to eat brains." Tysone confirmed with a nod. He grinned. "So how'd you ensure maximum accuracy while firing? Any specific techniques or tricks?"

"Well, first of all, I would aim for their center mass. The biggest part of the body. If you aim for the head, it's too easy to miss. Aim for their torso or their legs, that's the biggest part of the body. That's where your bullets will land most often." He shrugged. "Then again, that's just in the movies. In reality, if you're shooting someone who's trying to kill you, then accuracy isn't as important as just hitting them somewhere, anywhere that will incapacitate them."

Author Note: More chapters on [email protected]/LordCampione.

[ Taking a small break during this Christmas time so I will only be updating one or two of my stories from now on till atleast the 5 of January. Ohh before I forget please look at my new story its a DC fanfic I'm sure you'll like it, best regards your LordCampione ]