Part 8: Megid.
With incredible speed, Seth pushed forward and activated his claw blade to attack the general.
Freeman, still confounded by the lack of efficiency of his most powerful technique, was left completely vulnerable. If his Grants technique failed, there was nothing else to try. Grants was the most powerful technique given to him by the espers. Nothing could withstand grants and come out of it the same. It meant Seth and his mechanical dolls had indeed learned from Re-Faze, there was not much Freeman could hope to do. His cruisers were destroyed; his troops and his beloved wife would soon be dead. It was the end of all, the end of the age…
With a maniacal roar and a glimpse of insanity in his eye, Freeman threw himself against his foe, armed only with his fists and his resolve.
Seth felt Freeman's fist smash against his chin. He did not expect it to be this much painful, but it didn't matter. The sound made by Freeman's hand bones as they shattered and the warmth of the general's blood flooding from where his claw struck was enough to him.
"I'm so disappointed. I was so looking forward to this battle. Your performance disappoints me, my general. I guess you were always better with words than with actions… farewell."
The fair haired Cast backed up a bit and raised his claw. Freeman was kneeling in front of him, his left hand broken, his right hand clutching his open wound. Even in the end, at death's doorstep, he still looked at him defiantly.
Seth's eyes quickly caught a glimpse of light as Sandy's arm cannon fired in his direction. The blast struck him in mid-chest, the impact knocking him off his feet as he was sent flying several meters away before loudly crashing against one of the crystal walls. Myriad yelled in anger and rushed to check on her master. Lily unsheathed her claws and rushed towards Sandy.
"The troops outside the tower have fallen. It's over Adam."
Freeman looked at her and wept. "Why didn't you run, foolish woman?"
Sandy sheepishly smiled, tears already flowing from her own golden eyes. "And where would I run to? You are here, my love, so this is where I will gladly meet my end." Freeman did not find it in him to smile back, but his gaze thanked her for her faithfulness.
In a flash, Death Lily was upon them. Freeman spun around and met her gaze with angry eyes. For a second, the agile android realized that her opponent was not quite dead yet. Freeman pushed forward and concentrated a Tsu technique on her. Once again, the room was illuminated, but what Freeman saw was an image he would be glad to being with him to his end. The remaining of his troops were flowing in, engaging Seth's soldiers in a fierce battle. They knew it was hopeless, but just as they did under the Motherbrain's iron rule, they would resist, till the end.
Lily fell back to her feet not without displaying a severe wince of pain. Seth also slowly got up, obviously less amused than before.
"Ahh, I knew there was some fight left in you my old friend. Let's see how this ends!"
Sandy took opportunity of the long range that was now between her and the deadly trio. She fired with abandon. Freeman soon joined her and added his own destructive techniques to her concentrated fire.
Myriad was extremely fast. Ignoring the blasts that would miss, she moved to block virtually everything that was a threat. Seth and his bodyguards had a very hard time reaching the enraged couple, their attacks constantly keeping them at bay.
"Lily! Make use of those reflexes I gave you and kill that aggravating woman for me!" Lily clumsily walked towards her master. She answered with a shy fearful voice. "I can't. Freeman burned me down, my athletics modules won't work anymore." Seth gave her a menacing look. "Useless puppet! I should have left you for dead the first time they beat you!" Lily backed up, clearly taken by surprise. "But, Nathaniel…" "Silence!" Seth snapped at her. "Myriad, disregard Lily's safety and press forward."
Myriad nodded and moved forward. Freeman quickly looked around. The fighting was almost over in the room. Most of his men were dead, so were Seth's. How long had their onslaught of fire lasted? He couldn't tell. All he saw was death all around him, and the shadow of the reaper slowly marching towards him and his beloved wife. Sandy looked at him, her eyes filled with remorse. "I can't break her shields Adam." Freeman looked at Myriad, the beautiful angel of his demise, slowly walking towards him. "Then hit her somewhere else." Sandy shook her head. "I can't. She's too fast!" Freeman closed his eyes. "Be faster." He touched his wife's shoulders and gathered what was left in him to cast a Shifta technique and push it to the limit.
Sandy Ryan saw the world change. Everything slowed down. She could sense the light of photon energy all around her. She saw Myriad move slowly. So very, very slowly. Before her own doubt could cloud that blissful moment of freedom, she pointed her cannon towards Myriad's heart and fired.
Myriad's eyes slowly turned to terror. She began to move her arms, to redirect the energy impulse, to adapt her shields.
Not fast enough.
The energy bolt felled the angel. Though she saw Myriad's body slowly collapse, Sandy's perception on reality clouded. Everything around her accelerated as the Shifta photons left her body. She barely heard Seth scream in righteous anger and despair.
She barely felt it as his photon claw pierced her chest and removed her of her life.
Sandy looked at Freeman and cried. She cried because she could not keep him alive, and because she would never be with him again. Her last tears covered her closing eyes as she slowly fell in her husband's arms.
The battle was paused. On both sides, two leaders crying in despair, both crushed by the loss of what they loved most.
It was Seth who regained his senses first. He looked at Freeman and felt his own tears cloud his flawless face. "She was meant to rule with me. She was mine, the only one I cared for! Damn you! Damn Algo! Let it burn in the fire of destruction!"
Seth got up and readied his weapon. Freeman felt empty. Completely void of all emotions. He didn't pay attention to the bright red energy claw piercing Seth's back through the heart. He looked at Seth as he fell in his own blood; his eyes filled with confusion and… fear. Lily stood behind him, her face flooded with tears, her hand stained with her master's blood. "I loved you so much. But you only loved her… She was cold, so … empty. I was passionate. I was the one destined for you. I curse your name, Nathaniel Seth! I curse your name Adam Freeman!"
Lily looked at Freeman and activated a device on her wrist.
"There is no escape. We will all die here."
Freeman felt Sandy's blood wet his hands. He looked at her beautiful face, her closed eyes, still filled with tears of grief. He then raised his head and saw Nathaniel Seth. No. What he saw was the man who used to be his friend from Earth, from another life before the Motherbrain stole him from them. His friend was now dead, on this cold barren planet. He looked at Lily, saw what remained of her, a mad, lost puppet, staring into emptiness.
The general was defenceless against this wind of madness. His eyes glowed with sudden fire. Lily backed up, afraid that something worse than death would soon find her.
Freeman slowly got up. The cold, dead body if his lover fell on the ground, discarded and ignored. He felt his own skin burn, his head flare in the heat of sudden anger and insanity. He saw fire, everywhere, it was all burning. The floor was covered with melting heat. The roof was slowly collapsing under a pressure that was impossible to withstand. The walls burned with the crimson flames of hell.
Lily opened her mouth to scream in terror, but there was no sound. Her body disintegrated under the photonic heat. Everything burned. Seth burned. Sandy burned. Myriad burned. The soldiers, dead or still alive, friendly or enemy, it didn't matter. They all burned.
Freeman felt his flesh being consumed by flames as he screamed in terrible anger. There was no pain. The only thing left was utter annihilation.
"Welcome to Ryucross, Adam Freeman."
Freeman opened his eyes. In the midst of his very own apocalypse floated Re-Faze, the destroyer.
Freeman did not speak. The capacity was no longer his.
"Your anger is great, human of Earth. Do you know what this means?"
Freeman opened his mouth; his pained words were dry and emotionless.
"Give me Megid. Give it to me or burn in hell with the rest of us."
Re-Faze's chaotic laughter echoed loudly in this hall filled with flames.
"Megid is the result of your suppressed anger being unleashed by my subtle influence. It is a technique forbidden by the protectors and thus by the espers. It is destruction incarnate."
Freeman waited, speechless. Re-Faze went on with his cavernous voice.
"You do not need me or my teachings to find the way to darkness; you found it on your own. With one like you controlling so much power, I fear for all Algo. Now leave me! I must sleep for a millennia. Be warned, Adam Freeman. Megid will destroy you."
The flames disappeared and Re-Faze was gone. Only the dark empty room remained.
…
It had already been four hours. Sandy was crushed by worry. A sound made her raise her head. She saw her general fall down the stairs of the top floor. His clothes were burned and his skin red as if exposed to very intense heat. He lied on the ground, delirious, barely alive.
"Megid… forbidden power…"
"Adam! Adam!! Are you all right? What happened in there?"
For a second, Freeman opened his eyes. He looked at Sandy. A twisted smile appeared on his lips. "Take me home, let's leave this hell."
"Yes, general."
Fin.
[Right]Aeroprism[/Right]
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