Parallel Vol. 6

Chapter 17: Cassia's Rampage

Cassia, however, met their onslaught with grace and skill that belied his massive frame. He blocked, dodged and parried their strikes precisely, moving with a fluidity that defied his size. Undeterred, the trainees' blades clashed against Cassia's armour. Ayumi's eyes narrowed from a distance when she noticed several strikes just stopping short of hitting the armour. It was not the instantaneous stop that occurred when some struck a barrier. Instead, the blades aggressively slowed down as they fell into dense jelly.

Cassia launched a fierce counterattack while she tried to work out what was going on.

With a mighty swing of his arm, Cassia sent one of the trainees hurtling backwards until she crashed into a concrete wall. Unhesitant, he pressed his advantage. Relentless, he struck, his attacks calculated and delivered with a terrible force that shattered the trainees' defences. The trainees, rattling in their damaged Gladiators, coughed up blood as they were tossed aside like discarded toys.

****

While the trainees suffered, James entered the conference room, munching on popcorn. Grinning, he winked at Saeko and Taiga before walking over to Akari.

"Hey, hey... the kids really blew up the Centurion. Do you know how annoying it is for a developer when the players bypass their greatest challenge?" complained James. Akari would have believed him were he not grinning from ear to ear.

Instead, Akari rolled his eyes. "Stop pretending. We both know what you have in store for them."

James chuckled. "But it seems we might not even get to see it. Doesn't look like the kids can hang on much longer."

"Don't count your chickens just yet." Taiga's rude tone drew James' attention. The young man, lips pulled into a sneer, remarked, "The madman isn't there yet."

"Suzuki?" Akari's brows furrowed. "He should be severely inj—" His words got stuck in his throat, voice trailing off when he pulled up Suzuki's feed."

James' eyes, meanwhile, widened, pure excitement and anticipation shining in their depths.

****

Unbeknownst to the scrutiny he received, Suzuki grunted as he sat up amid a pile of rubble. A few feet away, Natsu shook off dust and stone as she walked over. Crouching next to Suzuki, she gently poked his left shoulder.

"Ssss!" Suzuki suppressed his desire to shout and instead sucked a sharp intake of breath. He glared at Natsu, but her unfeeling helmet did not portray her thoughts.

"Yup. It's dislocated," Natsu murmured as she inspected the limp arm. "You're one crazy bastard. You still had the time to think about saving me in that situation?"

"Nothing like that," Suzuki grunted, biting back pain as he grabbed the limp shoulder. "I know you can handle yourself. I need your help to get to the drop point – can't make it by myself gearless."

Natsu nodded. "That sounds about right. Lie down. Let me help with that." Natsu's brow rose when Suzuki obediently laid down, allowing her to grab his arm. "You're not even going to ask if I know what I'm doing?"

Suzuki glanced at her. "Do I need to?"

"Smartass." Natsu snorted. She pulled his arm, gently rotating it as she raised it close to his head. With her careful help, Suzuki's shoulder popped back into place with a soft 'thunk.' She then picked up some loose wires and secured the arm to his sides in a makeshift sling. Satisfied with her work, Natsu looked at Suzuki, who had barely issued a whimper throughout. "Can you fight with one arm? Should we find somewhere for you to hide?"

"No need," rebutted Suzuki as he sat up. "Cassia's stronger than we thought. We'll need everyone to take him down." Brows furrowing, Suzuki clenched his left hand. "Thanks for the sling. Should tide me until the drop."