Odyssey || ArknightsXPunishing: Gray Raven (OLD BOOK)

Chapter 27: Balanced Instability

"Why...won't you kill...me.." Lee muttered as he blocked Doyle's surprise attack from behind. The heavier built man press his halberd down as hard as he could, pressuring Lee to the defensive. This action left his side completely defenseless, leaving him susceptible to attacks.

"Hah!" Vera lunged forward, successfully piercing Lee's body with her rapier. She managed to stab him in the abdomen, causing construct fluids to seep out of the wound. Lee staggered backwards, dropping one of his sword as he clutched the wound. He coughed violently, blue blood escaping his lips.

"Heh...not bad.." he grinned. Suddenly, his body began emanating with an intense, red aura, and the virus's electrical currents enveloped more of his mechanical frame. The air began heating up little by little.

"Vera! Massive amounts of Punishing Virus detected!" Hawk shouted from behind, as he analyzed the energy coming from Lee. He fires off his plasma sniper, hitting Lee on the shoulder.

Vera gritted her teeth. "Tch, finish him!" She charges towards Lee before leaping into the air. Time seemed to slow down for her, as she took in her surroundings. Lee was staring at her, and even though it was only a split second, she managed to catch a glimpse of his old self within that lunacy-laced eyes of his.

A ball of black and red matter quickly formed around the corrupted Lee. Metallic particles and fragments amassed together, forming a discernable field of debris in the air.

Vera was pushed away from her intended trajectory and landed in front of Lee. She covered her eyes as a strong force akin to a storm enveloped the room. Amidst the chaos, she swore she heard screaming to her right, as well as behind her.

"Guhh!" She felt a blunt object hit her in the stomach, sending her plummeting against the concrete wall with breakneck speed. She felt some of her parts were broken after the impact, and saw one of her legs was severely damaged.

She grimaced in pain and reached for her weapon. "S-Shit..." She wheezed as her pain receptors began activating all over her body. Though an elite veteran on the front lines, she had experienced a lot of injuries during battles. But now, for the first time, she knew that the injuries Lee inflicted on her was far worse than what she got from the past.

As the trail of mist and dust dissipated, her eyes widened in horror at the scene in front of her. No, it wasn't because Doyle and Hawk died grotesquely, and their bodies badly mutilated. It was because of the monster that was inching closer to her.

"Kill...me..." He growled, almost begging. It was just that moment that she realized that he had still control over his body, though only by speech and a bit of recognition. His actions and the rest are the results of the malicious virus inside him.

Even though he wants to die, the virus didn't. That's why his body is being used, even though he has still a little control over his self.

"Fucking...scum!" Vera hoisted her body up despite the pain and limped towards him. The screeching metal of her dislocated and broken leg made sparks as she charged at him. She used all her remaining strength and brought her rapier straight into his chest. She pushed it deep, using all her might and willpower to finish him.

"Hahh..hahh..." She wiped her split lip and stared at the body in front of her. Much to her surprise, she missed just a few inches to where his core was located. He grabs the rapier by its blade and snapped it in two. In an instant, he lunged towards her.

"Fucking- Urhk!" She felt the air knocked out of her system as her feet left the ground. She scratched and clawed at the hand gripping her neck, hoping to remove it but to no avail. Her eyes bulged in horror as she was lifted off the ground like dead weight. The red gleam on Lee's eyes was all she could focus on, as her vision began slowly blacking out.