Ting, Ting, Ting
With impressive speed, the adaptive amor plating softened to a gel-like substance muffling the impact of the projectiles.
Percy, Gale, Owen, and Robin pounded the machine with a flurry of knives as they probed for weaknesses.
The War-Frame responded by unlocking additional gun turrets that moved independently of one another…it was like watching a hydra or a nine-headed beast with each moving on its own accord.
The gun muzzles thundered with a heavy spray of hellfire rounds that punched dimples in the reinforced concrete.
Percy and the shadows dodged and climbed on the ceiling like spiders while countering with their own hailstorm of projectiles.
Kay and Wain took advantage of the opening to unleash countless arrows and fireballs.
The armor casing gave off a ghost-like shimmer as the metal folded creating channels and ridges along the surface.
“Awesome!
Did you see that?
It’s venting the heat from my fireballs!” Wain exclaimed in amazement.
Arthos, Neva, and Kristan charged forward and unleashed a cascade of sword strikes against the thick metal shell.
THUNG!
In an instant, the adaptive armor hardened resulting in the sword attacks sounding like hail striking a tin roof.
“No good!
It’s like hitting a rock with a stick.” Neva called out.
Whip-like tentacles sprouted from perfectly spaced chaise ports.
The air hissed like angry bees as the electrically charged energy whips lashed in a counterattack against Arthos, Neva, and Kristan.
CLING, CLANG, CLING
Arthos and Neva surged forward attacking from different sides.
Sparks burst like fireflies in a storm as swords collided against the energy whips in a whirlwind of violence and mayhem.
“It’s getting faster!” Arthos yielded as a warning.
“It’s the AI!
The longer we fight against it, the more it learns and predicts our attacks!” Neva yelled out.
“Let end this quick then!
Take this!” Wain shouted.
[Lightning Bolt increases attack and resistance penetration by 200% for one attack]
A blinding white bolt ripped the air like a white-hot spear carving space itself.
It impacted the War-Frame with a deafening crackle sound, visible sparks surrounded the surface like electrical sparks jettisoning from a high voltage cable.
The War-Frame sizzled like a steak on a hot grill.
The armor plating created a loud buzzing sound followed by a release of heat and a stream of charged particles throughout its entire body…like a wet dog shaking its fur to release water.
Visibly angered, the machine repositioned itself pointing directly at Wain.
It glowed brightly in a menacing yellow-red hue, like an angry lightbulb powering up.
“SHIT!
WAIN GET OUT OF THE WAY!” Arthos yelled desperately.
The plasma cannon tore through the space like lightening, the air rippling in its wake.
“Grrrr.”
Kristan gripped her left arm as she muffled her scream.
Moved by instinct, she rushed toward the line of fire to protect Wain and in the process, she took the plasma cannon head-on.
The energy-stream from the cannon collide against her shield vaporizing it like wax and it blew off her entire left arm.
However, she did manage to deflect the trajectory enough to save Wain.
All the War-Frame’s turrets pivoted as they locked their aim at the armless hero, spinning up with a metallic whine as they prepared to fire.
“Kristan!” Arthos, Neva, and Wain shouted.
She did not blink, nor did she lower her eyes.
Instead, she lifted her head in defiance.
[CASTLE skill used by Kristan]
[Castle skill creates a barrier around target for 60 seconds]
Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump, Thump!
The hellfire bullets struck the glass-like shield like rubber bullets.
The War-Frame stopped firing for a moment as it recomputed the best offensive strategy.
In response, it pulsed with a familiar yellow-red light as it charged up its plasma cannon once again.
Arthos felt his blood boil, steaming hot-red fueled by bloodlust and hate.
For a moment, the room closed in as colors, sounds, and the many shouting voices all tunneled in and blurred.
Ever since his first battle in the training academy, Arthos felt an ancient pulse deep within…it felt like a second heartbeat behind his ribs, deep within his chest. Get faster updates on novelping dot com.
Every sword swing, every battle, every victory fueled the primitive instinct, like an itch being scratched.
Arthos tightened his grip on his sword as he spread his stance and planted his heels deep into the ground.
Voices and shouts rang out, but he could no longer hear them.
He could no longer respond.
The second heartbeat, the second pulse drowned out everything, as the world narrowed to a single point.
He felt his mana surge, burning deep within like lava inside his soul.
His breath steamed and his vision tunneled and blurred at the edges, tinged with red.
As he prepared to swing his sword, his war-pulse pounded harder and louder, filling his ears with the sound of war drums.
He felt unstoppable.
Untouchable.
Unbreakable.
The War-Frame sensing the mana build-up, charged and condensed even more power.
The two opponents stood still as they powered up their attacks.
Arthos’ sword started glowing bright red like liquid metal…hotter and brighter it grew illuminating the bunker with a red haze.
The sword started vibrating and resonating like a caged beast driven by heat and hunger.
A piercing “cry” was heard by everyone like the sound of metal scraping glass.
“What is that sound?” Neva called out as she half-covered her ears.
“It’s Calibur…the sword of the First King…it’s singing.” Murai said mesmerized by the sight unfolding before her.
“Not singing, it’s crying.” Percy corrected in a whisper as he focused his attention on Arthos and his sword.
“Why does it sound like that?” Robin asked in a soft whisper.
“How is that possible?
Calibur is an SSS-tier sword locked away far from here.
How can it be here?” Neva shouted.
“Calibur is not a sword per se, it’s a soul forged into a sword.
It’s an ancient and powerful soul…one that was forged long before the First King, long before Avalor…time and space mean nothing to it.
Calibur recognizes Arthos and it calls for him.”
For a moment, Arthos and his blade became one…a fusion of man and metal.
Two hungry souls calling for each other.