Machina Arcanis: Two Worlds Collided-Chapter 269. Armatus of Light

269. Armatus of Light

Zetius’s head throbbed, a dull ache pulsing in time with his racing heart. According to Celestius Serene, his companion was already lost the moment the manifestation was complete. Again, he had failed to see it. The signs had been there the whole time. Again, he had failed to prevent it. Just like Rhok.

No time to think. He shook his head, forcing the regret down and focusing on the enemies before him. It wasn’t over yet.

A strategy snapped into focus within his mind. Zetius stepped forward. "Astrid, Friederich! You focus on Willhelm!"

"What?" Astrid blinked, her gaze wavering briefly before she nodded sharply. "I got it!"

Friederich sprinted, his path angling to converge and regroup with Zetius, while Aurelia loomed a bit further behind, her hands glowing with prepared light.

"I love the fire in you, Zetius Zel Celerius!" Hysteria dripped from Willhelm’s voice. He surged forward, gripping his sceptre. "I will gladly snuff it out myself!"

The devious grin never faltered on his corrupted face. As Zetius bolted within his reach, Willhelm swung his sceptre. A massive wing of raging fire raked through the air, aiming to incinerate him.

Thrusters flared. Zetius manoeuvred mid-air, letting Cubie spin him out of the trajectory. He repositioned atop the corrupted elf and struck down with full force.

The stone beneath them shattered. Slivers of lightning arced outward like a dome, incinerating the debris into fine ash.

"Niceeee!" Willhelm praised. He raised his sceptre, locking it against Zetius’s thin blade. Arcing electricity screamed as the weapons clashed.

They locked eyes — the elf’s demonic gaze void of remorse, stripped of his usual charm.

"Lunarius! If you’re in there—" Zetius’s words were cut short by a sudden jerk at his midsection. He arched and rolled to the ground, a sharp burn searing his stomach.

"Nnnnngh," he groaned. He hadn’t seen the Empyrion shot from Willhelm’s offhand. A stupid mistake.

"Leave him to us!" Friederich shouted, crashing his blade against Willhelm’s guard. "Lampos!"

A cage of light was summoned into existence, encircling the corrupted Lunarius.

Lunarius Willhelm could only grin, relishing the challenge. They clashed a few times, the impact rocking the ground beneath them. Astrid tackled the demon down, slamming her Dynamis-infused fist into his guard with terrifying might.

"Wait." Aurelia pulled Zetius up, quickly pressing her glowing palms to his stomach. Her hands trembled in fear of Ignius’s looming attack.

Surprisingly, the Prophet just waited there with his back turned toward them, hands folded behind him, as if he had no intention of taking a cheap win. That was far from mercy; he wanted Zetius to fail with the same depth of despair he felt when he lost as Jack Squire.

The wound faded into a tolerable ache. Zetius grunted through clenched teeth, rising again. "Stay behind, Aurelia..."

He waved her off. Reluctantly, she lingered back.

This fight was his. Zetius strode forward, slow and deliberate. He took note of the pile of Armatus debris some fifty metres away. The background was brimming with the ruckus of noise as Astrid and Friederich fought desperately against Willhelm.

"Tell me, Zetius." Ignius eventually turned, his gaze fixed on the smouldering ground. "You know you cannot win against me. Why?"

It was a genuine question. One that threw him off.

"Because they are people I care about, and their suffering is the product of your selfishness! I reject your new world order!" Zetius muttered brusquely, not in the mood for philosophy.

A brief silence followed. "Is that all? Is that why you fight so fiercely? This indomitable fire of yours?" He chewed his gum, clearly not understanding.

"Yes, that’s what defines me! I am a protector," Zetius barked.

Ignius grew quiet, his grip on his chin contemplative, as if seeking a deeper meaning in the words.

Zetius’s mind flashed to them — Cintia, Cindia, May, Triss, Cartier.

I fight for those who can’t fight. I protect those who can’t fend for themselves. Not because I have the power, but because I long for a better world. I believe in the existence of paradise on earth.

Exhaling a long breath, Zetius slowly raised his blade to level with his collarbone. The tip aimed squarely at his enemy.

"Cubie, go!"

He burst into a streak of light while Cubie zipped into a ribbon of energy curving off him. In a fraction of a second, he thrust at Ignius.

The man blocked, and his palm returned fire.

"What?!"

A massive translucent wall blocked off his attack, coalescent blue energy shimmering in the air. Ignius blinked.

The wall dismissed as Zetius held his blade high and struck down.

They exchanged blow after blow. Zetius shifted his weight, dodging a fire beam, angled his blade, and thrust at the torso.

Ignius dodged, failing to realise the gigantic mech forming behind him, glowing blue just like the colour of the strange shield earlier.

"DIE, BULLY!" Cubie, now in humanoid form, floated at the centre where the cockpit was supposed to be located, her hair dancing gracefully. The sheer blade struck down at Ignius. It dragged him across a wide trough in the earth before she raised the blade again.

Ignius stumbled upward, brushing melted snow and wet soil from his body. Her attack earned them a chuckle. "You’re a box full of surprises. An Armatus manifested by arcane?"

Zetius’s guard stiffened. He had sacrificed his mobility to have another combatant in the field.

"This is really, really infuriating me!" Ignius screamed as he rushed toward the Armatus.

Cubie batted him away in retaliation.

Ignius kicked, deflecting her blade, fire tailing off his attack. He ricocheted off the parry and flew at the defenceless core. "You little...!"

His flame claw rammed through the translucent shell, zeroing in on Cubie at imperceptible speed.

A second dragged into millions.

A dark smile painted Ignius’s face as Cubie’s eyes filled with terror. His claws were just millimetres from her, the edge of the flame kissing her skin.

He caught only air as she instantaneously shifted into her cube form — a spectral shape without weight or mass.

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Ignius’s eyes widened. He had fallen into another trap.

He heard the crackling lightning now, loud and awfully close. The blinding light that came with it entered his peripheral vision.

Zetius screamed at the top of his lungs. His blade reached for Ignius’s skin. The man slithered, twisting his torso in a desperate attempt to evade.

"DISMEMBER!" Ignius screamed, feeling the excruciating heat enter his ribs.

The counterfire, blind as it was, lunged directly at Zetius’s face. No time to dodge. Zetius twisted the blade, and his Armatus arm was in position.

An agonising scream escaped his mouth as the gauntlet exploded into dull silver scales and bits. Lightning recirculated between him and his enemy, completing the full circuit.

Zetius couldn’t remember what happened next. The blinding light, the explosion of rocks and snow, then the tumbling and rolling. He felt weightless as the world spun around him until everything stopped.

There was no part of him that didn’t ache. He forced his eyes open with difficulty. Although blurry, the countless white snowflakes were beautiful and mythical, falling down and falling down.

Beautiful.

Just like Lupus Hoffmann. The memory washed over him — a warm, golden haze of a reality he could never return to.

He didn’t know where he was. A mountainside, perhaps? A long way down, he was sure. He felt a rush of warmth through his body, the last bit of mana, though he could no longer command his limbs to move.

The world was rid of all colour before fading to black.

***

The fight became a stagnant, irritating play.

Astrid ripped her broken armour gauntlet and her tattered cape off. There was no use for them now. She couldn’t remember how many times she had cast her endurance buff, only for it to be shattered by Willhelm’s sheer force.

Unyielding, Friederich’s Lampos twisted. His arc coat flapping majestically, he pivoted off one of the static blades mid-air, then lunged at Willhelm above.

"Nice move!" Willhelm smiled. A beam shot back in retaliation.

Tsk!

With an exasperated click of his tongue, Friederich retreated. His attack was too wide.

"Tired already? I’m just getting fired up..." Willhelm’s eyes twitched as he floated to the black molten ground, carnage evident around him like magma formed on once-smooth rock.

Astrid limped to join Friederich at his side. "I’ve got an idea." She licked her busted lips.

"I feel like I’m not going to like it," Friederich grumbled.

"Can you muster another Dawnbreak?" she whispered, eyeing the demonic Willhelm’s movement keenly.

Willhelm seemed to be enjoying himself, walking slowly as he brushed his hair and his horns. "Stop discussing something fun without me, please?"

They ignored the voice of the demon. Friederich lingered for a moment, uncertain. "Perhaps yes, what about—"

"Good~Good!" Astrid cut him off, tapping his shoulder, and already sprinting toward the enemy. He didn’t get to finish his words; he shut his hanging jaw.

Astrid wore an equally devious smile, though she wasn’t possessed. It was just the usual Astrid. She flew a left hook. "If you’re still in there, you charming bastard! It’s time!"

Willhelm raised his arm over his ear. The block resulted in an echoing thud.

Nimble footwork. She side-stepped and launched another power blow. The impact shocked the air.

"Foolhardy like always," Willhelm parried, shooting internal light off his sceptre.

She spun, but then recircled into a tackle.

"Huh?!" Willhelm heaved as he slammed into the ground.

Astrid rolled over him. Her arms shoved past his guard and wrapped around his neck. He pushed himself forward, but the contraction around his neck became distressingly tight.

Only a gagging noise came from his constricted throat. He elbowed her stomach.

Astrid grunted. "You hit like a little girl." She jerked up and wrapped the choke tighter.

But there was something even more pressing than the chokehold. Willhelm’s eyes bulged at the scene before him. The tempest of white light, the Prime Guardian, held his Lampos-katana, slowly rotating it halfway to its zenith.

"I can’t—ugh!" He gritted his teeth, hissing for air. Weakness flooded his fingers. The beast was too powerful for him.

"NOW!" Astrid choke-holded his weakness as she unleashed the effect of Dynamis.

Someone else needed the buff more than her.

On the white arc coat, the golden scarab glowed.

"Dynamis?" Friederich felt the rush of energy, surprised. Suddenly, his heavy blade became light. Powerful. His shoulders squared up as he moved the katana to the shomen uchi stance.

"DAWNBREAK!"

He struck down with full might.

The air cleaved to the side. The epic crescent surged at Willhelm, who was just slithering out of the chokehold. In frantic motion, he rushed out of the line of fire, but fell short due to Astrid’s grip on his wrist.

"Take it like a real man," she taunted.

The cleave slit through him and Astrid. Both figures were thrown hundreds of metres, hitting the distant cliffside. They rebounded helplessly away from one another. The snow sediment collapsed from the impact, and the ground shook with violence.

"Astrid!" Friederich shouted, jogging to where she was supposed to land. His heart thrummed.

"Silly girl," he hissed at himself. He hated it so much, but her struggle would mean nothing if he hesitated. A repeating voice echoed in his ears, a plea: Please don’t die.

He saw a boot sticking out of the snow. Quickly, he unburrowed her, revealing a mess of broken armour. She was still in one piece; she must have had the endurance buff on when he struck her. There was a sharp, deep cut on her left forearm.

Uncertain, he brought his pointed ear to her mouth and nose. His heart skipped a beat when he couldn't pick up even a faint sound.

"No..." He angled closer, touching his ear to her lips.

Then he heard it. "Mind… moving your ear… a bit?" A soft, rasping voice as her lips brushed his earlobe.

"Holy Gaia..." His face lit up with relief. He snapped upright, hovering his palms over her, trembling from mana exhaustion. He mustered the last bit of energy into a healing spell. The seeping blood stopped, and the cut on her forearm shallowed up and mended a little. At least the bleeding had stopped.

"You’re indestructible," Friederich’s voice cracked. A faint smile came to his lips.

"I hid under Willhelm." She rolled to her body with difficulty, grunting and groaning with sharp agony. Gently, she pushed herself upward, lifting her palm to Friederich, who was eager to help.

Astrid touched her upper breast gingerly. Another wound lay underneath her shattered armour. "My left side is on fire," she groaned. "Where~Where’s Willhelm?"

A punch connected to Friederich’s temple, sending him sprawling and collapsing onto the snowy ground.

"You destroyed my heirloom!" Willhelm spat saliva, snapping at her with a feral gaze. His prideful horns were broken, and a deep, singular slash wound marked his tunic. White mist leaked out of the laceration.

She squinted at him intensely. "Seems like you’re running on fumes." She angled her good shoulder, balled her palm into a fist, and punched.

Her action was sluggish, yet the hit landed squarely on his face. He stumbled backward.

"So are you!" his deep voice echoed back.

He recovered and surged forward with a fist. A thud rang out as it sank into Astrid’s gut. Spit spilled out, tainted red.

This was nothing like the duel of the mighty Lunarius. With mana dwindling, there was no symphony of arcane — only the wet, sickening echo of attrition. A fist buried into a ribcage. A forehead slammed into a nose bridge. They didn't bother to dodge; there was no energy for that. They simply traded ruination.

The dense thud of bruised meat echoed against the dry crack of fracturing bone. Again and again.

Wearing a bloody smile, she pulled her head back and rammed it into his nose. Dark blood shot out, splashing upward. The elf sprawled, his back hitting the ground.

She might not be the wisest arcanist or the strongest, but she was prideful in her unadulterated persistence.

"Dynamis!"

Self-aware by now, she knew she wasn’t born as talented as Zetius or as prestigious as Friederich. She was just a girl who crawled her way up with nothing but sheer will. For one, she had learned to take the blows from this unfair world. It was a simple concept, but she only needed to make sure of one thing: she always bounced back.

Feeling the strength return, she saddled the demon. Her bad arm pressed down on his wild grasp, and her good hand balled into a wrecking ball.

Willhelm’s eyes darted everywhere. "No, I’m Willhelm, I’m your—" There was primal fear in that lying tongue.

"UGH! I HATE DEMONS!"

She roared ferally. She punished with sheer force. She tenderised with intensity. One after another, consecutive thuds rang out until the demon stopped moving.

A streak of tears streamed down her cheeks. A barrage of emotions stirred in her mind; she was hurt, she was tired. And worst of all, she was brimming with loss and sorrow. Her wailing only grew in volume, drowning in melancholy. Her fingers clenched on Willhelm’s bloodstained coat as she rested her forehead on his chest.

"Ouch..."

The soft but human voice interrupted Astrid’s cry. She looked up from the wheezing cough that followed.

The midnight sclera receded back into their original white, and brown eyes stared back at her. Willhelm gingerly touched his busted face, painful. The horns became crumbling ashes. Even his skin began to regain its colour and complexion.

An illusion arcane? That was the first thing that came to her mind. She blinked, her muscles tensing. "Stop lying, you demon!"

"Wait—" 𝒇𝙧𝙚𝓮𝔀𝓮𝒃𝙣𝓸𝒗𝒆𝒍.𝙘𝒐𝒎

Something cracked on impact. Her punch knocked Willhelm out of consciousness.

Only then did she realise — that was actually the real Willhelm.