Chapter 136: Heartfire [2]

WHOOOM!!! A lattice of cutting beams flashed across the floor. As soon as Korrath attacked, the Rootsite force reacted immediately. Clayton’s Aspect flared as he threw a wall of roots to block the attack, but the sheer destructive power of the lattice burned it into dust. But that bought enough time for Torren to intervene as with a shoulder check, he shoved Clayton aside and took the heat on his axe. The edge of the axe screamed, but Torren did not. He managed to stand his ground. Veyra rolled clear out of the danger zone of the beams as coming up on one knee, she aimed and released an arrow. WHOOSH! The arrow struck Korrath’s shoulder with deadly precision but this time, things didn’t go the way Veyra wanted as the arrow bounced off harmlessly, triggering only sparks. Veyra frowned, but she quickly nocked another arrow, aiming. Korrath looked down at the scratch on his shoulder like it was rude, then he moved. He was fast, faster than anything that big should be as his strides ate yards of space like they were literally not there. In this form, Korrath was in battle mode. All his thoughts and emotions were dumbed down, with more control given to his central Nexus A.I that abstracted out all unnecessary distraction, only analyzing ways to end this group of Awakened warriors as swiftly as possible. His blade-arm blurred for Clayton’s neck, but Regalia met it at the last instant. A rattling vibration erupted from the point of impact as Clayton felt it rattle through every bone. Ignoring the tingling sensation in his arms, he stood his ground. With the others stealing the show, attracting Korrath’s attention, Kaelin already managed to blend into the shadows effortlessly. Smoke spread out at the same time as he vanished. Soren was also in the fray, cutting in at Korrath’s flank as ember met alloy. With his Aspect, he was the one who stood the highest chance of breaching Korrath’s defense in a single blow and the Verdant Lord of New Chicago was wary of him. CLANG! The sound of metal striking against metal reverberated as the blade bit, but it couldn’t bite deep. It slipped away from Korrath’s body at the same time as his left hand opened. Soren’s danger senses tingled, but it was too late to react as a pulse of energy slammed him into the floor. Korrath tried to follow up, killing him for good but with the others distracting him, Soren managed to roll away from danger. Despite being so close to death a heartbeat ago, Soren didn’t retreat. He didn’t stay down either as he rolled once again and got up. He was slower now, but retreat was never in his dictionary... not today. Behind Soren, Harrick charged, his eyes narrowed into slits as his spear point aimed at Korrath’s ribs with deadly precision. Korrath turned and caught the shaft of the spear in his cage‑hand, and then he squeezed. CRUNCH! The wood groaned under that harrowing pressure. But Harrick was no bum, he was a skilled and experienced Awakened. With a roar, he twisted his spear, the rotating creating a slippery force that pushed the spear forward anyway. The spear point slid an inch into the gap, but then green light hissed, stopping it from stabbing even deeper. Behind them, Korrath was not idle. Having grown used to fighting with her Aspect for months already, she joined the fray as her roots whipped up and seized Korrath’s ankles. "Hold!" she shouted. Korrath looked down at the roots seizing his ankles, and then he strained his mechanical joints, and pulled, tearing through like paper. "Hard way it is," Torren growled as he triggered Verdant Surge. Clayton drew in a full breath. He let the Anchor’s beat fall into his own, letting the chamber’s light fall away. And then... Aspect Surge! BZZZ! Green rose from his skin like dawn. Thorns pushed through his forearms and locked into plates even as bark crawled across his ribs and sealed like armor. A crown of small black spines grew behind his temples and curved forward. His very first Verdant Artifact answered. Regalia answered, the Mythprint grade weapon singing a song of vengeance and doom as its shaft thickened with living grain, pulsing with violent green energy. The spear blade lengthened and grew new edges, each line bright with will. Korrath’s field spread harder, but Clayton did not bend. The key to this battle was trying to suppress Korrath’s domain influence inside his own Mechanosite. It was not easy, but with his Verdant kins, Clayton stood a chance. "Again," Clayton growled, voice deeper now. "Together." The sporelink threads burned bright as Torren’s flames jumped a full color while Veyra’s breath slowed to a perfect, deadly rhythm. "Hold his left," Clayton snarled. Torren went high, Veyra went wide, while Kaelin went low. Soren cut in on the beat, and together, they all attacked at the same time. Korrath met them all. KABOOM! The impact was devastating but Korrath still stood. He parried Torren’s swing and tried to rip the axe free from his grasp. Torren let the head go, caught the shaft, and turned the pull into a kick that dented Korrath’s chest plate, revealing another weakness in his armor. WHOOSH! Veyra’s arrow hit the dent a heartbeat later, tearing it open. The dent cracked as using the opportunity, Kaelin appeared like a ghost, his dagger smoothly sliding into the crack. Then, he strained his muscles, using all his Luminous Seed power to pry it open. Korrath growled in rage, but it was no use. At the same time as Kaein tried to pry the crack open, Soren’s blade slammed into the opening and forced it even wider. Korrath finally reacted, but not able to get to the slippery Kaelin, he lashed out at someone else as he drove a knee into Soren’s ribs. The impact was devastating as Soren felt the breath leave him but with a snarl, he forced himself to stay conscious as he held his blade even tighter. Twisting his spear, Harrick pinned a barbed tendril to the floor. Soren may still be alive, but he was a fragile piece in the whole now. Knowing that his life was in danger, Mira’s hand slapped Soren’s shoulder, activating her Aspect as she pushed strength back into him like a warm flood. At the same time, the crack in Korrath’s chest plate finally spread. The Verdant Lord staggered back once. It was not far, but it was enough to learn and show that their attacks were working. That was all the motivation that they needed. They attacked even more aggressively, swarming the Verdant Lord with their superior numbers, overwhelming him with their seamless battle synergy as they dealt gradually increasing damage to him every passing second. Korrath growled again and lifted his left hand as cables flared like primordial snakes. He was calling, and his tower answered his call. BZZZ! The floor heaved and chambers turned. Pipes tore free from the wall and whipped across the air like snakes, even as gear‑teeth ground harder. It was like the world inside the tower was coming to an end. And then from the walls, more guardians peeled out, biomechanical horrors. This was the last wave, Korrath’s last stand and they were heavy and fast. They were not many, but they were enough to stall. They were elite, some of the best machines that Korrath had ever created. And now, responding to their master’s call, they fought like rabid dogs. "Waves!" Veyra warned. "Buy me a window," Clayton said. "I’m ending the Engine!" Korrath’s mask tilted, amused by his words. "Worm, you can’t touch it! I’ll end you!" Ignoring his words of bravado, with his emerald eyes dilated in focus, Clayton drove a second Seedpike into the floor, and then, the domain pulse doubled as roots laced across the chamber like a net. "Thorncall!" he said. Regalia answered. Biomass coiled from the anchor points and shaped into six hulking constructs; thorn‑knights with shield arms and hook‑hands. As Korrath’s guardians charged towards them, Clayton’s own constructs reciprocated and charged them down. For a moment, it felt like a clash between two pride of Lions. And then, they clashed. BAM! This was Korrath’s last stand, and it was also Clayton’s last push. Both sides held each other down, grinding at each other with their destructive weapons even as Clayton and his companions pushed forward. Torren met two of the Guardians at once and didn’t back down as with fire blazing around his axe, he cut down, burning them down to the spine as Soren carved a third apart in three clean strokes. Harrick broke a fourth Guardian’s knee with a brutal slam with his spear before splitting its helm with a ruthless spear point thrust. Kaelin? He was like a ghost, moving only in the shadows, staying just out of sight and emerging only when the Guardians least wanted it. He bled a fifth Guardian under the ribs and left it choking as Veyra pinned the last to the wall before burying another shaft in its core until its light died. And finally, a straight path leading through the Guardians directly to the Nexus Engine opened up before the valiantly fighting Rootsite warriors. "Window!" Torren shouted. Clayton didn’t need Torren to say it. He took the opportunity immediately; afterall, this was what he had been waiting for since. WHOOSH! He exploded in a sprint, emerald energy swirling around his legs. He ran straight for the Engine’s core channel; a spine of alloy veins pumping light into the tower’s body. Panicking, Korrath pivoted to intercept and Clayton didn’t shirk from the challenge. Regalia met the blade‑arm even as sparks filled the air. CLANG! "Veyra," Clayton called, calm in the clash. "Death Dealer" He instructed. "Open it," Veyra answered. There was a slight buzzing sound and Kaelin emerged from the shadowy smoke, sliding through Korrath’s shadow before stabbing both his daggers deep into the crack in his chest plate. He didn’t try to rip. Instead, he directly spread the hilts. CRACK!