Chapter 202: Hostages


    ?


    ***


    "Hey Alex, I think it''s time that youe out..."


    "There aren''t any more men left to fight." Emir said, leaning his back on a pir of rock, smelling the scent of fresh blood.


    Minutes went by with no response.


    "C''mon, what''s taking you so long?"


    "Emir."


    A voice calling his name had finally echoed above him.


    "Alex, a bitte."n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om


    Emir repeated, then looked up, only to see Alex jumping from above,nding softly on the ground.


    His gaze didn''t follow him down, however.


    They were stuck to the swirling sky some distance away.


    "My bad, and hey, you''ve done well with Asher; I didn''t expect you to treat enemies with respect." Alex said as he neared a beheaded body, flies already surrounding it.


    "Enemies? Respect? No, Alex, that''s not me. His name just... struck a chord with me, you could say... that''s all."


    "Ah, it doesn''t matter; you''ve shown him mercy; I appreciate it."


    Emir scoffed.


    "You do?"


    "Then is that why you watched them all die? And why are you even talking?"


    "Didn''t you let them attack first so they could make me weak?"


    "I''m getting back my Aether reserves, you know..."


    Alex let out a heartyugh.


    "...It''s fine. It''s fine. You don''t have much time to regen, and I''ll win anyway."


    "Oh... why is that?"


    "It''s because I''ve got hostages, my friend... Do you remember them? Your lot in the slums." "Who?"


    Alex scratched his neck, and after a moment of thought, he answered:


    "Kiera... I think her name was."


    Emir''s body visibly shook, and his face faltered for a slight moment, but he returned to normal before Alex could notice.


    "Kill them. Don''t kill them. I don''t care; whatever you want, you ain''t getting."


    Alex let out a chuckle, which soon turned into maddenedughter.


    "...Haaaah, you really don''t care, eh?"


    "No. They''ve lost their purpose at the moment of their capture."


    The ce remained silent for a few moments, with the only sound present being the battle away from them.


    Emir''s gaze remained on the sky, now looking at distant stars that barely showed themselves. "What are you looking at?"


    "Nothing... it just seemed that my friends were in trouble."


    "...Are you not worried?"


    "No, my unsung hero... She''ll save them."


    "Then look down. Let''s fight."


    "No."


    "Emir, look at me."


    "Why should I?"


    "Just do it!"


    "I said no."


    "Look at me!"


    Emir let out a sigh and did as he was told, his eyes locked with Alex''s cks.


    "It''s your first time seeing me, isn''t it?"


    With exaggerated gestures, Alex pointed at his chest.


    "You don''t even remember how I looked, do you?"


    "I bet most people''s faces are blurred to you; you don''t consider us as humans...."


    "Quite fitting for the Order''s chosen."


    ''....So he really knows about the Order.''


    Emir''s mind was filled with thoughts, but to Alex, Emir only showed a condescending


    chuckle.


    "A.... Is your tiny pride hurt, little man?"


    "So what? I''ll never see those that don''t deserve to be seen."


    Alex''s face contorted, or rather spasmed, a word more fitting for his ever-changing face.


    "Is that really what you think? This''s a nice joke, isn''t it?"


    "A pdin acting superior to a fucking SERAPHIM!"


    Emir''s grin widened.


    "I''m special... haven''t you heard?"


    Alex let out a heartyugh.


    "YES! YES YOU ARE SPECIAL! AND THAT''S WHY YOU''LL DIE TONIGHT!"


    "... You''ll kill me?" Emir asked, his voice sounding disappointed.


    Alex appeared surprised, his body leaning back slightly, and then, after a blink, he let out a


    sigh.


    "So you know?"


    "Yes."


    Emir''s answer was immediate.


    Alex shook his head at Emir''s vague answers, each word meant to get a rile out of him.


    "Friend. The Order wants you... and that''s what they''ll get."


    ''What?''


    ''I thought that he was after Lyra...''


    ''Turns out he was after me since the outset.''


    ''That means... he was lying to them? Why?''


    "You are Earth''s ticket to survival; surrender."


    "Don''t make me kill you... what you''re doing will only harm us."


    "...Us?" Emir questioned with a tilted head.


    "Earthkind, Emir. Us born on the mother. Take pride; your life would prolong that of


    Earth''s...."


    "Isn''t that noble?"


    ''Noble, huh...''


    Emir snickered and unsheathed his twin swords, pointing them forward while assuming a


    combat stance.


    "Stop taking and brace yourself; there will be blood, lots of it...."


    "AETHER OVERDRIVE!"


    Emir''s body transformed his strength no longer appeared to be that of a pdin but of a


    Seraphim.


    It was severely overworking his Aether core, causing him extreme pain like usual.


    Yet Emir didn''t show it, acting as if the pain was a friend, giving him its regr visit.


    "I''m not a tenth ss you know... not ninth either, but eighth...."


    "And you will show me respect deserving those of the eighth!"


    Emir ignored his words while getting closer.


    In a heartbeat or two, he now stood facing Alex on the deste battleground, tension thick in


    the air.


    Alex, the Spell Weaver, extended his arms, and the surrounding metallic debris and discarded


    weapons began to tremble.


    Some of his weapons appeared behind him, metallic poles that hovered eerily.


    ''Ah... shit! He''s got telepathy!''


    Emir immediately recognized the danger, knowing that Alex could weaponize everything


    around them.


    In a moment, all the twisted remains of their fallen, along with discarded weapons and shattered augmented suits, floated in the air, forming a terrifying backdrop to their duel. Most remained directly next to Alex, forming a minefield that wouldn''t allow Emir''s sh


    Step.


    ''Well, damn, he knows all my abilities...''


    Then, without a word, Alexunched a barrage of metal and rocks, sending them hurtling


    toward Emir.


    Emir activated his TP ability and moved with astonishing speed, using his Aerialis aspect to the max, evading the iing projectiles.


    Multiple rocks came from above, swords from his right, and a staff from his left.


    Emir jumped, avoiding the swords charge, and then kicked the rocks away, shattering them


    into fragments.


    The metal staff was swung to his head, but Emir easily avoided it, dropping his body low.


    Rocks of varying sizes and their fragments came after.


    They were numerous, like droplets of rain.


    Yet Emir weaved between them, his twin swords deflecting any that came too close.


    Just after deflecting another pole, Emir raised his finger from his right-wielded sword.


    "AETHER BLAST!"


    A torrent of Aether was set forth, obliterating all before him into nothingness....


    That was until the attack reached Alex''s stack of augmented suits.


    BANG!


    The stream paused after melting the first and was extinguished as it met the second.


    ''I need to switch up, I won''tst long like this...''


    Gathering his Aether reserves, Emir unleashed a powerful cry:


    "AETHERIC SHIELD!"


    A chant that rippled through the ground, creating a protective barrier of Aether around him.


    The next set of oing debris crashed against this barrier, preventing it from reaching


    Emir.


    Alex''s eyes narrowed, surprised at Emir''s seemingly never-ending supply of Aether.


    Emir, in turn, recognized that the telekic assault was only the beginning.


    The battle had only just started.


    And the two foes continued their exchange.


    Emir''s incredible speed and reflexes allowed him to dodge and deflect most of Alex''s attacks.


    However, the Spell Weaver''s power was relentless.


    The battle wore on, a dance of Aether and telekinesis, of des and debris. The field became a chaotic battleground, showing the devastating effects of their powers.


    Emir then stepped back from their war of attrition and began closing in on Alex, his Aether


    reserves on the low.


    "sh Step!"


    Alex''s eyes glinted as he redirected the floating debris to create a makeshift barrier of rock


    between him and Emir.


    Two des from a flying Emir shed against the barrier, sending dust flying in all


    directions.


    Emir then dropped to the ground and closed in.


    Alex exerted his control over the very ground beneath them.


    Massive boulders erupted from the earth, forming a makeshift fortress around him.


    Emir didn''t pause, however, and his strikes began to m into the rocky defenses, causing


    shockwaves that reverberated through the battlefield.


    But then a section of barrier suddenly sprang out.


    Emir noticed the movement before it happened, activating his Aetheric Shield to meet the


    rocks flying at him.


    Crash!


    He wasunched away as dust and debris filled the air.


    And just as his feet touched the ground, Emir felt the exhaustion setting in, his Aether


    reserves waning.


    Alex''s face contorted into a sinister grin as he saw the sweat on Emir''s brow, his increasing


    fatigue.


    "Getting tired, Emir? You can''t keep this up forever."


    "Surrender, and we can end this without further bloodshed."


    Emir responded with a smirk:


    "Blood will be shed, Alex.... But it won''t be mine."


    ''sh Step.''


    As if to emphasize his words, Emir immediatelyunched himself at Alex, his swords slicing


    through the debris and creating a path.


    But Alex was prepared.


    With a swift motion, he twisted a metal rod into a makeshift de, parrying Emir''s strike.


    Their duel intensified.


    Sparks flew as swords shed, and the telekinesis-induced carnage continued around them.


    The noise of battle echoed, contrasting with the serene beauty of the distant stars shining


    overhead.


    Emir continued to press forward, closing the gap between them until he was mere meters away from his adversary.


    With a powerful swing of his swords, he shattered Alex''s rocky defenses, sending fragments flying in all directions.


    His eyes had now finallynded on Alex, his path cleared.


    Alex''s face showed a smile, and waved his hand.


    Those rocky fragments from a moment earlier came flying back at Emir, causing him to jump


    to safety.


    "sh Step!"


    His body disappeared, materializing some distance away from his adversary.


    Tsk! Tsk!


    "Emir, oh Emir. You''ve made a mistake, my friend..."


    Emir let out a heavy breath as he registered Alex''s words.


    "...What are you on about?"


    "You''ve lost too much Aether, you can no longer protect yourself from my direct attacks."


    With a mentalmand, Alex took control of Emir''s augmented suit.


    The suit''s servos locked in ce, holding Emir in an immobilizing grip.


    "FUCK!"


    Emir struggled against the suit''s restraint, his muscles banging against it, but his efforts were


    in vain.


    "Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit! Shit!"


    With the Ethereal Threader helplessly trapped, Alex took control of one of Emir''s own swords,


    the de hovering menacingly in the air.


    "Don''t!"


    The Spell Weaver''s eyes gleamed as he moved the sword toward Emir''s outstretched arm.


    The de sliced through the air like a predator stalking its prey, and with a brutal motion... It severed Emir''s arm from his body.