Beyond Isolation

Chapter 8: Cyborg Renegade

Just as the three clashed into a fierce battle, the winds that blew suddenly stopped, leaving nothing but a suffocating atmosphere. The cyborg's aura sent Thoren and Varil's spines shivering as each move he made had metallic gears twisting incredibly fast. Moreover, his skills were immensely refined beyond their understanding. He was one with the bloodstream as if all they could see was the blood moon's light spreading across the land.

'Bloodstream... Heed my word and bury the souls in veils of scarlet...' the cyborg said in a voice that's hardly a whisper. Suddenly, the battlefield was enveloped in red mist, concealing him. As the two tried to navigate through the haze, Varil found it hard to breathe, and his movements felt sluggish. Thoren on the other hand felt more energized and alert as he countered the cyborg's sudden swings from unexpected angles. The red haze was familiar to him, but he couldn't remember where he experienced this.

The sudden attacks then stopped, giving them time to recover. As time passed by, Varil's breathing became heavier.

'Thoren... Help,' Varil choked out, starting to suffocate. The mist was dreadfully dense to the point that it felt like he was drowning in the deepest depths of the ocean. It wasn't long before he fell to his knees, trying to catch his breath.

'Hang in there!' Thoren replied, keeping his guard up against the potential strikes, but there was none.

'He's trying to suffocate us. We have to move,' Varil said, trying to drag him out. Thoren knew he was right the moment he caught a glimpse of the cyborg slowly circling them, waiting for something. He escaped Varil's grip as he yelled out.

'Anselm, you coward!'

'Don't provoke him, idiot! We're already at a disadvantage!' Varil exclaimed, trying to pull him back down. Before they could react, the cyborg was already in front of Thoren, disarming him with his sword as he knocked it off his hand. Despite having every opportunity to end everything, the cyborg stood there and stared at Thoren in the eyes, having the coldest glare. He, on the other hand, could do nothing but freeze in fear. Varil, who was behind Thoren also froze in place, still having his spear firmly gripped.

After a few menacing moments, the cyborg leaned to Thoren's ear to whisper something.

'There is one thing I want you to fulfill-' Before he could say something, a ray of purple light grazed through his metallic shoulder, making the cyborg step back. Varil took this opportunity to push Thoren away and pierce him through his chest. But his action was in vain as the spear was knocked off his hand, making him very vulnerable. The cyborg raised his sword as he spoke.

'Every timeline leads to death,' he said before he swung his sword, aiming for Varil's neck. In just the nick of time, another stream of purple light hit the Cyborg's sword, casting it off his hand. Right after he dropped his sword, Aelia jumped in the mist and ignited her fiery blade.

'You should've died long ago!' she yelled, swinging her sword as hard as she could towards his torso. To counter, the cyborg activated his forearm blade and sent it directly to her sword, causing a shockwave that dispersed the red mist. The cyborg took a few steps back to create distance while Aelia stood between him and the two.

Just as the cyborg stood his ground, a third stream was shot from a distance but missed as he tilted his head to the side. He scanned the buildings and found a sniper on the rooftop of the main hall. Just then, he reached for his ear with his right hand, seemingly for communication. As he let go, he looked at the three he muttered to himself.

'Very well,' he said before concealing himself once more. The intimidating aura slowly disappeared, relieving both Thoren and Varil. Aelia suppressed the fire from her blade before turning to Varil and Thoren, kneeling.