The bright light of the explosions blinded most of the capes in the second and first ring, but my group kept their eyes trained on the Simurgh. As the smoke behind us cleared, I spotted the force field protecting our HQ flickering on and off.In the sky, a full set of Dragon-crafts flew towards the Simurgh, attacking the structure below. They quickly reduced the evacuated village to rubble, and then focused on firing upon the third ring of our formation.Dragon herself did not let this stand."I don't know how, but she breached my systems. I can't disable the suits.""Focus on keeping yourself secure!" Arsenal shouted into the comms."Incoming," I warned the group around me. Eidolon raised his hand, creating a violet barrier over most of the first ring.Multiple sets of artillery and energy blasts hit us from above, cracking Eidolon's barrier. But it managed to withstand the brunt of the attack, keeping everyone safe.I knew better than to underestimate Dragon's own creations. These had been preliminary strikes. Each of those suits was capable of much much more. They continued to fly in formation away from the center of the island. Legend raised his hands to attack at the fleeing suits but didn't fire, as Eidolon's barrier blocked attacks in both directions. He'd expose too many people to the Simurgh's attack if he asked Eidolon to lower the barrier.The Dragonflight formed a circle around the Simurgh. They flew in a spiral pattern, each landing on one of the wings.Seven suits total. With seven more incoming from further away. In the background, I was trying to help Dragon quarantine the problem and stop the incoming suits. But…"There is no virus or malware. This is-""A backdoor. When did she install it?" Dragon sounded incredibly anxious."It doesn't matter. I've isolated the problem, she shouldn't be able to get any more suits, but I can't take back the fourteen she already has. And she's enhanced her own body as well, using tech she stole from you.""We can't risk her getting access to more of my suits… I'm limited in how I can help. I- I'm sorry…""Dragon, keep back from this fight," Eidolon instructed, "I don't believe the Simurgh would be content with just stealing your Dragonflight. It's reasonable to assume that she has other plans for you. Inform everyone of the suits' abilities and then keep your presence to a minimum.""...understood."Neither I nor Arsenal objected to Eidolon's orders. Even as I saw Arsenal's grip on his weapon tighten."Let Rebecca take over the communication systems, together with the other Thinkers." Arsenal readied his spear to fight. "After this is over, we'll remove any influence she has over you, I swear."He looked on ahead. Around the Simurgh the seven suits got into position. They were the latest models, varying in design, strengths and weaknesses. The largest models were in the form of mechanical dragons: some were on four legs, while others lacked any limbs. The smallest suits were instead humanoid in shape, their outer plating designed like a medieval knight's armor. All of the suits were equipped with nanothorns at the very least.But that was not the only weapon in their arsenal: anti-power fields, force shields, energy weaponry, and much, much more.Behind the Simurgh another large shadow grew. The biggest model of the Dragon-flight. Something that I had personally helped in creating.The Astaroth-Nidhug was the size of a commercial airplane. Equipped with long-range artillery that could sink Malta beneath the waves. It rose up in the sky and disappeared behind the clouds, ready to bombard the island and all the capes upon it.I tapped my index finger to my thumb, sending a low vibration across the ground. Reserves of sharp glass that I had prepared in advance rose in the air.We were still outside the Simurgh's telekinetic range."ETA of the next Dragon-craft is five minutes. Movers and shield creators are ready if the Astaroth-Nidhug fires, but the other suits may be able to disrupt our defensive efforts."Without any further words, Eidolon, Legend and I slowly rose in the air.We shot forward, sending a shockwave rippling through the stone below. Legend was the fastest, lasers exploding from his fingers and curving around the Simurgh to strike at both her and the Dragon-crafts. Burning explosions hit her crystalline wings, the fire meant to burn away the nanothorns.Eidolon conjured cages of fire that pinned down the Dragon-crafts. With another power, he summoned a spherical field of energy that spread from his palms, made of electromagnetic waves to weaken the trapped suits. His third power was dedicated to flight.From the Astaroth-Nidhug above, bullets rained all around. Most were destroyed by Legend's lasers or Eidolon's field, but the few that managed to pass by us struck the rock behind and burst in small power-cancelling fields. Barriers kept up by the first and second ring failed to activate. Arsenal moved at blinding speed across the ground, destroying any of the devices he managed to reach.The Simurgh unfurled more of her wings, revealing a large array of tinkertech guns that floated away from her body and spun in an orbit around her. I tried reaching with Shatterbird's power to disable them, but each of the tinkertech devices at her disposal was equipped with countermeasures against the silicakinesis. My own countermeasure, which I had gifted to Dragon long ago.So I unsheathed the Habakiri. I swung the blade horizontally, taking aim at the Simurgh's head. She ducked underneath the attack before I fully completed the motion. The section of space where her head had just been disappeared, along with a chunk of the tinker-guns that were nearby.One of the Dragon-crafts managed to escape from Eidolon's cages and charged straight towards me. It was one of the larger models, about three times the size of a person. The Pythios. A large wheel spun on its back, gathering energy in the form of electricity. Four sets of elongated limbs extended from under it, with wing-flaps connecting the limb to the central body."Pythios. Electromagnetic control, high output. It can move even non-metallic objects. Including people," Rebecca explained in the comms, more for the others than me.And as she described, the wheel on the back of the Pythios began to spin even more rapidly. A single bolt of electricity struck Eidolon on the side, without hurting him. But at the same time, a sudden force began to pull Eidolon towards the ground, distracting him enough for the other suits to escape the cages.As I raised the Habakiri to swing again and destroy the Pythios, the suit dodged aside, then shot a single focused beam of electricity right into my chest. A thunderclap echoed in the air as I was knocked back. The electricity briefly shorted out my implants, before I quickly reformed them.That brief moment of distraction was enough for the Simurgh to close the gap between the sky and the ground. Her telekinetic range now enveloped the island, and immediately debris and rock began floating in the air. But, at the same time, a barrage of attacks shot out from the second ring, all aimed at the Simurgh and the Dragon-crafts.An energy blast brushed against the Pythios' side, activating its defenses and slowing it down. I took the opportunity to shoot forward, pushing my speedware to the limit. Another beam of electricity struck me dead on, but this time I blocked it with my forearm, reducing the damage. Still, my left arm fell limp by my side. As I closed the gap, the wheel on the Pythios' back began spinning faster.Before it could shoot again, I lunged with the Habakiri, piercing the outer layer of the Pythios' armor. The sword severed the metal like butter. Continuing my slash, I cut off two of its limbs but failed to sever the wheel."Blackwall!" Rebecca shouted over the comms.A wave of nanothorns hit me right in the side. Rebecca's warning gave me just enough time to twist my body out of the way, reducing the damage. Still, my left arm and leg were shredded by the nanothorns. The skeleton below became visible, having survived the molecular annihilation thanks to Cariddi's power.Beside the Pythios, another of the Dragon-craft appeared. This one was the size of a regular power armor, humanoid in shape, wielding a long staff that extended in a scythe blade, the edge shimmering with nanothorns. The Azazel.This suit was significantly faster than the others. Even as I pushed Shatterbird's power to the limit to pull me back, the Azazel closed the gap and swung the scythe once again, sending a large wave of nanothorns my way. I raised the Habakiri and channeled my own nanothorns to block the attack, the two waves cancelling as the nanomachines ate at each other. The Azazel was far from done.From its chest a net shot forward, wrapping around my still-regenerating left side. Then, the net froze in the air, turning into a dull grey. Frozen in space and time - Clockblocker's power, imitated by Dragon's tech.Before I could use the Habakiri to disrupt the All-or-Nothing effect, the Azazel sent another wave of nanothorns my way. At the same time, the Pythios continued to channel electricity as the wheel on its back spun faster and faster. I aimed my chest towards the electromagnetic wheel and released Cariddi's power to disrupt the attack, forcing the Pythios to dodge and slow down.I was pinned.To make matters worse, a shadow began to loom over me. The Simurgh. Wings of nanothorns moved with uncanny grace towards me, seemingly 'slow' but in reality faster than sound. All the while, she aimed with the guns in her orbit at the ground below, stopping Arsenal from jumping to my aid.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings."Legend. Aim at me," I instructed into the comms.A blast of fire immediately enveloped me. Burning away the Habakiri's nanothorns, but most importantly, the Azazel and Simurgh's nanothorns as well. The fire also burnt off the outermost layer of my skin, blinding me to some of my sensory inputs. It didn't matter much, as the Habakiri began glowing once again.I severed reality at the height of my left shoulder, freeing myself from the Azazel's trap. Just in time, as the Pythios shot another concentrated blast of electricity right towards my head, shorting out all of my implants at the same time. Like a falling meteor, I plummeted from the sky, blind to the world around me.The first implant to reboot was the one that gave me access to Shatterbird's power.Now the Azazel and Pythios were fully within my range.A storm of sharp glass surrounded the two suits, shredding at their defenses. The Azazel managed to resist the brunt of the attack, its armor-plating reinforced by forcefields. But the Pythios had lost its lower limbs:The glass ran along the holes made the by Habakiri, wreaking havoc on the internals. The wheel on its back began spinning faster and faster, trying desperately to create a field of electricity to push away the glass. But just as it did, I found what I was looking for.While it was true that the Simurgh held the advantage against me, using technology that I had personally developed to counteract my tactics, the opposite was true as well. I knew perfectly the weakness of each and every one of those suits.A shard of glass struck the wrong spot within the Pythios, frying a key circuit. The wheel spun faster - out of control, overcharged."Grab them and run!" I ordered the comms. Two neon-green capes appeared next to Legend and Eidolon, grabbing onto them and disappearing in an instant.A blast of energy exploded in the sky, disintegrating part of the Azazel and taking out a chunk of the Simurgh's wings and guns. The shockwave echoed all across the island, scattering away the clouds in the sky and cracking the rock below. The forcefields around the second and third ring flickered by the strength of the sound alone. The blast accelerated my descent. Fire enveloped me as I struck the ground, creating a crater underneath. Cracks ran along the surface of my skin.The Simurgh ignored its own injuries, raising her guns to point all at me. But now that she was so close to the ground, another player could fully enter the picture.Arsenal appeared without sound over me, spinning the Rhongomyniad in his hands. The red and black spear intercepted the Simurgh's barrage, annihilating any attack that came too close. I pointed my right arm towards the Simurgh, letting out a single jet of water that didn't even manage to crack her crystalline exterior. She did not dodge, letting the water splash over her skin.A mistake.Arsenal barely brushed his gauntlet against the water, but then he disappeared. Moving faster than I ever could, and without any sonic boom. He simply reappeared over the Simurgh wings, Rhongomyniad at the ready. He swung the spear and carved out a section of the Endbringer, then began running down her body, turning into a green and black blur along her silver feathers, tracing lines of destruction.Eidolon and Legend reappeared just as they had disappeared, resuming their fight against the remaining Dragon-crafts.The Simurgh was suddenly on the backfoot, unable to chase away Arsenal as he continued to dig into her body.From the hole in the clouds, the Astaroth-Nidhug fully showed itself. The lower section of the Dragon-craft opened. We immediately knew what it meant."Second ring, retreat. Third ring, barriers!" Rebecca ordered before the Astaroth-Nidhug was fully done preparing.I let go of the Habakiri and raised my only arm towards the skies. Glass and sand bent to my will as they gathered into hundreds of layers of protections, offering cover to the capes all around us.The Astaroth-Nidhug aimed right at the Simurgh. She'd be able to shrug off the damage, Arsenal would not.I felt the energy gathering in the air. Dust rose up in the air, arcs of electricity crackled along the ground. Every power around us began to flicker, the energy being drained upwards. Eidolon and Legend suddenly staggered in the air, their power malfunctioning for an instant. Even the Simurgh slowed down for a second.Shards required a power source to function. Normally, that power source was inaccessible even by the most sophisticated tech available to us. But Dragon and I had found a way.The Astaroth-Nidhug dipped barely into that source of power. Into the source of power of every Shard below it. The dragon-shaped aircraft opened its maw.One of the neon-green movers appeared next to me. He reached for my body, but before he could make contact a spike of rock speared him through the side. The Simurgh didn't want to let me leave.A column of destruction descended from the heavens, enveloping us all.
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I couldn't feel anything. Not my implants, nor my limbs, nor anything else that tethered my Shardself to Earth Bet. I quickly realized that I had been reduced to only my core, the impossibly dense sphere housed in my head.Focusing, I channeled the regeneration towards my eyes. The simplest organ to reform, and the most effective. Crystal turned into flesh that turned into nerves as sensations came back. Like a jagged spear, my core extended into the shape of an eye as I patiently waited for the world to come back.I wasn't on the ground anymore. I was held aloft, by a gentle hand of silver, grasping my core. The Simurgh held me with care, extremely careful not to damage what remained of me. Most of her body had been destroyed, less than a hundred wings remained, and only the densest layers were left.Around us the world had been turned to glass and dust. There were no corpses, no traces of the capes that had failed to run away. Eidolon and Legend were missing too, and I could only hope that they had escaped in time.The Astaroth-Nidhug still flew in the air above us, firing continuously towards a direction that I couldn't yet see. Keeping the remaining capes at bay while the Simurgh did whatever she planned to do.The Endbringer wore a smile, wider than ever. I could almost feel pity in her blind eyes.Around her were the remaining Dragon-craft. Four, counting the Astaroth-Nidhug still flying up above. The others had all been destroyed by me or the others. Some likely had been disintegrated by the Simurgh attack itself.Over her remaining wings, the crystal rippled in a recognizable pattern. Attempts at communication.Sister, she said, will you join us?I couldn't respond, but my hateful gaze was answer enough.Truly? Your help would save the world. Give hope where there is none.The pattern flashed rapidly, sending a ciphered message that I understood immediately: she described a world without strife, without wars. But not without freedom, no, the Simurgh planned to let some humans retain their individuality. Eidolon among them.The Simurgh understood well enough how this Cycle had been irrevocably broken. How without her or my intervention, humans would eventually destroy themselves with the power of the Shards.If Scion did not destroy them all first.And she did not wish for that.She wished for a simulated world, one with just enough unknowns to experiment and research, but still held firmly under her grip.She wanted me to be her second in this plan. To be both her rival and closest confidant. Her adversary in a chess match that would go on forever. All in wait for another Entity. Another cycle.My mouth finished regenerating. I was a decapitated head without a body, held in a gentle silver hand."We're not human," I simply answered. She couldn't see me, but she could understand my voice from secondary sources. From the Dragon-crafts around her.The smile on her face faltered. The crystals over her wing stopped rippling.Her fingers began vibrating. She crushed my head and brushed against my core once again, but this time her hand pressed into the core, seeking connection. Trying to establish a connection to my Shardself.The Simurgh wouldn't take no for an answer.I was powerless.But I wasn't alone.One of the compromised Dragon-crafts raised its head toward the Simurgh, and a blast of nanothorns exploded from its open jaw and struck the Endbringer, shredding her neck. The other suits followed along, going against the Simurgh, attacking her. The Astaroth-Nidhug above us changed its focus, and immediately a rain of fire enveloped the Simurgh."Blackwall, hold on!" Dragon's voice thundered from the remaining suits.She had taken control back.The Simurgh was without her tools, without her tech. Most of what she'd prepared had been destroyed. But we all knew she held another ace up her sleeve. I just didn't know what it was.Her largest wing opened, peeled open like a book. Next to her core, sat an orange box, no bigger than a toaster. I tried to warn Dragon, tried to signal her to aim at that box, but I hadn't rebuilt enough of my body to send any signal.The Simurgh gently took out the box. Her finger pressed a button, just as I reconnected to the network to warn Dragon.Both Dragon and I felt the looming blade appearing in the digital world. A weapon meant to slay a dragon.Instead of resisting, she chose to send a last farewell to a man."Colin. I love you."A guillotine fell upon the digital world.Dragon's scream of pain filled my ears.