Interstellar: Exploring The Cosmos With My Anomaly System
Chapter 67: The Bearer’s Will

Chapter 67: The Bearer’s Will

"Even if this body breaks apart..."

"I’ll carry out the system bearer’s will!"

The winds started to pick up, blowing the debris of battle as weapons collided. The battlefield was shrouded in shadow as the two faced off against each other, the Ai staring Godric in the face with her hand’s clenched into fists, the tension between each finger so much her own hand might break.

"Impressive trick..." Godrick huffed, looking at the sky with his free hand on his waist, more impressed than fearful. "Though having royal blood won’t save you,"

"I’m not royalty," Lailla snapped.

[All stats have been boosted!]

[Bearer link disconnected!]

[Antiviruses down!]

"Is that so...well, either way it’s pointless," before his words even had time to settle within her thoughts, he charged forward, his heels digging into the earth beneath him with each stride, his whole body arched to deliver his power to his axe as it whistled against the howling winds.

Lailla barely saw in time, the Ai getting to her knees to dodge the attack fully, before charging forward from the ground.

’She’s faster than before...’ Godric noted, watching as she’s already right before him, taking a leap and wrapping both her arms around the back of his head, driving her knee into his lower jaw, but the titan didn’t flinch. His arm grabbing at her cloth and tossing her against the concrete roads.

He watches as his body skidded across the rough granite. Her limbs are already sore, not used to the amount of power she’s pumping into it.

"Is that all you have?" He mocked, his arms wide apart. "With all that build up I expected something more!"

She stood up as fast as she could, but it was pointless, her face meeting the end of Godric’s foot. Her nose gushed with crimson and the blunt blow that sent her to her feet and yet almost knocked her right back down.

[Warning, blood loss detected.]

’I’m aware!’ she thought to herself, ’Was I always this annoying?’

Lailla wiped her nose, the blood now loosely above her lips. She charged forward, her feet practically gliding against the flat roads before she leapt. Godric’s eyes shot up, his arm wrapping around his axe at the ready.

’Don’t worry Lailla,’ He thought. Dropping the arm, the axe he wields digging up bits of granite. ’I’ll free you from whatever spell this is,’

Lailla twisted midair, dodging the rising edge of Godric’s axe by inches. The wind from the swing cut across her skin like a blade of its own, and yet—her eyes were locked, not on the weapon, but on him.

With a scream that cracked through the battlefield, she released the limiter on her joints.

[Muscle strain exceeding safe limit—override accepted.]

She pulled her leg all the way back, before releasing it like a slingshot, the force behind it causing gusts of wind to howl and crackle in the surrounding area. Her gaze narrowed as she heard every bone in her leg shatter.

The blow caused rivers of crimson to gush out of his mouth and nose, his eyes rolled back on the verge of losing consciousness, but he remained on his footing. Gritting his teeth he stayed awake, the pain from his bruised jaw shocking his brain.

He grabbed onto her leg, the Ai letting out a shocked cry as the pressure on her shattered leg before using it to slam her into the ground.

She screamed as her body made a connection with the granite below, causing debris to blow up to the sky before falling back down around her.

"Were you betting on just that? Really?" Godric panted, clearly phased by the blow she’d given him. "To trade your means to fight for a chance– You’re not really smart are you,"

She could hardly speak, her entire being focused on the pain that spread across her entire body.

"I wonder... what could break a curse like this—" He muttered aloud as he crouched near Lailla, his gaze lingering on her now useless leg. "Maybe pain..."

His eyes drifted towards the Ai’s gaze, her teeth gritted in annoyance and agony as she glared back at him.

"It doesn’t matter if you lose a leg or two right?" He mused, his hand reaching to cup his chin as he thought his words surprisingly blunt as if to scare her. "After all, no matter what I do to you, Veira will put you back together."

____________________________________________________________________________

Tanaka looked around, strapped to a table, under normal circumstances he would’ve easily broken the leather binds, but for some reason he feels weak, immoble. The room was empty but the machinery that hummed in the background, they moved on their own. It felt almost lived in.

On the floor were countless splotches of blood and parts none seeming organic, more like failed copies.

the lab pulsed with a quiet, uneasy rhythm. Brass tools and half-finished devices were strewn across the moss-stained floor, gears and copper coils tangled like overgrown vines.

"Awake?" He heard a familiar voice that made his head snap up to see who it was. Seeing a familiar grin approaching, their fingers playing with the gloves on their hands, adjusting it just right for the operation. "Good, good,"

She laughed, her voice giddy in twisted excitement.

"Should we get on with it then? Or do you want to have...a little chat," She offered, already picking up the utensils she’d so carefully arranged beforehand. He couldn’t tell why, but the sound of the metals hitting the bronze table sent a chill up his spine, a dread he himself hardly ever felt.

"No? Well, that’s fine, I’d rather not be distracted anyway." As she speaks her eyes never drift towards him, mostly fixated on the task that nestled right in her hands.

"You have around 15-20 minutes before you die from blood loss, so I’d appreciate it if you don’t scream, or make things difficult," She turned towards Tanaka, her gaze now more condescending when faced with the face of the once proclaimed king.

"I see you’re still under that tyrant’s thumb," He muttered, his gaze fixated on her eyes, those dead soulless eyes he’s seen on the battlefield once before, even back then they never changed. When met with the countless deaths of her own men, she hasn’t flinched, not even for a second.

"That ’Tyrant’ is king Valier, you’d do well to speak of him with respect you ape," She spat, her eyes drifting down the tiny knife in her hand, her finger rubbing up and down the blade.

"He’s no more. all of my actions back then were my own will, I chose the deal, I wanted this."

Tanaka tried to move once more, trying to break the bonds as she spoke to herself.

"It’s no use, you’re drugged with a neurotoxin, your limbs are useless for the time being." She stated, grabbing his head and slamming it back against the table forcing him to stay still.

"Don’t worry, I’ll make it quick."