The Quantum Palace lit up as Mike's lightning shone through its every corner, the light consuming darkness with its overwhelming dominance. As Jagger launched his attack, the endless slashes hit Mike without doing any damage. In fact, the slashes didn't even pass through the exterior of Mike's natural protective barrier. At that moment, as Jagger looked into the blinding streak of lightning, he already knew what awaited him.
As soon as Mike released the arrow, it passed through Jagger's defences without resistance and drilled through his body, disintegrating half of it in a flash. As the smoke cleared, Jagger was nothing more than half the man he used to be, as only a glowing red burn perimeter remained where the left side of his body had been. Though the attack seemed random, Mike had actually replicated the same state Athena left Jagger after her strongest attack.
[Mike] - "Damnation comes for those whose hearts are filled with nothing but hubris. However, yours is also stuffed with evil. For your malicious deeds, I cast you down, lowly demon. "
Said Mike as the lightning vanished from his hand.
Jagger looked up at Mike, injured but still alive. He knew exactly what Mike meant by his words. However little he wanted to try to continue the fight, what other choice did he have? Raising his remaining arm, Jagger activated his ability while Mike did the same on the other side.
[Jagger] - "Existential Judgement: 2nd Dimension! "
Muttered Jagger under his breath.
[Mike] - "Existential Judgement: Greek Kitchen! "
Said Mike as pure jets of flame began to dance around him.
Though Mike regretted not being able to save Athena, that's the least he could do to honour her memories. When all others refused to hold Jagger accountable for his crimes, she and Jerry were the only ones who did so. Now, under his judgment, justice could finally be served to the monster that is Jagger.
[Mike] - "Let us cook one more time together, Athena. "
Said Mike as he closed his eyes.
As the fire grew bigger and hotter, the glow also reflected off the crystals that made up Krystal's palace. On the ceiling, as the yellow light illuminated the surface, Jerry's figure could be seen for a fleeting second. Then, as the glimmer became red with fury, casting a blinding crimson across the palace, Athena's face briefly appeared on each of the surfaces touched by the light. However, the heat wasn't violent, but instead heartwarming, almost peaceful in a sense, as it reached both Mike and Krystal.
As Mike attacked, Jagger instinctively assumed a full defensive stance, withdrawing all his power to protect himself. Jagger had finally proven that he was unworthy of wielding the power that didn't belong to him as he backed away from the confrontation. However, this show of weakness didn't solicit any mercy on Mike's part. Mike had every intention of slaying Jagger like the dog he was, as the clock sounded the call for the execution.
Bearing the same fury that Athena carried as she attacked Jagger, Mike executed the attack upon Jagger. At that moment, Jagger could almost see Athena's ghost mirroring Mike's moves as an invisible force collapsed onto him. There was only dread on Jagger's face as he pulled his arms back in a bracing stance.
[Athena] - "Cremation! "
Whispered Athena's voice as it echoed across the palace.
In an instant, Jagger was trapped in a sea of inferno that pressed upon him from all sides. Even with his full strength on defence, he never even stood a chance to begin with against one of the strongest cyberknight to ever exist. As the blaze invaded his body, Jagger began to taste fire in his mouth, before flames spewed out of every single one of his orifices. The last thing Jagger ever felt was the burning agony of the fire that dragged him to the depths of hell, kicking and screaming. At last, justice was served.
Krystal immediately got up from her throne upon seeing the lethal attack being inflicted upon Jagger. Yet, even as her faint voice, partially drowned by the screams of the inferno, reached Mike, he didn't stop the attack. As Krystal reached Mike, the damage had already been done, as only a charred husk remained lifelessly on the ground.
[Krystal] - "What have you done? I need him to be alive so he can consent to giving you your body back! Have you lost your bloody mind? "
Yelled Krystal as she pushed Mike backward.
Yet, despite Krystal's worry and protest, Mike remained indifferent to his action.
[Mike] - "Justice needed to be served to him, and I did just that. "
Said Mike with an unbothered look in his eyes.
[Krystal] - "You fucking moron! How could you be so dumb? What am I going to do now? "
Cried Krystal as she slammed her fists against Mike's chest.
Mike suddenly grabbed Krystal's arms and stopped her from continuing her tantrum.
[Mike] - "Jesus, can you calm down? Both you and Kadyn are so bloody quick to panic. Didn't you realize it yet? Since his soul was occupying my body, no matter what you do, it will still be him in control. "
[Krystal] - "Well, if you kept him alive, we could've figured a way to exorcise his ass out of your body! Now what are we going to do? "
Cried Krystal in anger.
[Mike] - "Mould the body to the soul then. Now that his soul is gone, that body is just a husk while my soul is still here with you. Normally, you would revert time back to mould the soul to fit the body. Now, mould the body to fit the soul in reverse, and there you will have it! "
Krystal abruptly stopped her panic as she thought about Mike's words. Then, as she slowly realized the logic of it, she became embarrassed by her outburst before her face pouted in frustration.
[Krystal] - "Can you talk first before you do something next time? God, you're such an asshole, spiking my adrenaline like that! "
Yelled Krystal as she shook Mike by the collar.
As Krystal stepped toward the ashened body on the floor, she grimaced in disgust as the smell of burnt flesh entered her nose. With a doubtful look, she glanced at Mike before looking down at the body.
[Krystal] - "If this doesn't work, I'm throwing your bloody arse into the void for a few million years just like KD-554! "
Said Krystal with a scowl as she wagged her finger at Mike.
[Mike] - "Seems fair to me. "
Said Mike as he crossed his arms.
After rolling her eyes, Krystal hesitantly extended her arm toward the charcoal-black body.
[Krystal] - "Trial Access: Newfound Horizons! "
Suddenly, like a broken puzzle, the charred body began to float toward Mike, each pedal of carbon slowly taking its rightful place on his shape. Then, slowly, the darkened pieces began to regain their colours as they grew and covered Mike's whole body. Before long, Mike's ghost form seemingly merged with his new body into one. As the process came to an end, Krystal quickly stepped toward Mike and poked him on the cheek.
[Krystal] - "Did it work? Are you feeling anything different? "
Said Krystal, a concerned look on her face.
[Mike] - "I don't feel much different, but I guess you could say I feel more alive. "
To the touch, Mike did feel like flesh and blood from Krystal's sensation. Then, as she pressed her face against his chest, she felt a clear heartbeat behind his ribcage. As Krystal became more and more convinced of her success at bringing Mike back, she began to test and check every part of his body like a child excited with her new toy.
[Krystal] - "Hold me! "
Said Krystal as she pulled Mike's arms around her waist.
After feeling the touch for a while, she quickly shifted to pulling on Mike's cheeks to see if they'd turn red. However, as it began to become painful and annoying, Mike finally pulled Krystal's hands away.
[Mike] - "Okay, enough! You can test everything afterward. "
[Krystal] - "No, I need to make sure I didn't miss anything! You have to be the same man I lost that day! Most importantly, that you're not that bastard Jagger in disguise again! "
Said Krystal as she tried to reach for Mike's eyelid.
[Mike] - "Sigh... Fine, let me prove it to you then. "
Mike suddenly grabbed Krystal by the cheeks and leaned in for a kiss. As the kiss went on, Krystal slowly found herself melting into the sensation, her eyes slowly regaining that lovestruck expression. As Mike finally pulled away, there was no more doubt in Krystal's mind; only the real Mike could pull off that passion she experienced.
As one last check, she opened a window into reality where she saw Mike standing where Jagger stood with his full form restored. With a sigh of relief, Krystal collapsed against Mike, finally reunited with the man she had lost on that fateful day. At first, Krystal laughed, but that laughter soon turned into a full-on sob as all the pressure and pain she had accumulated exploded out of her.
[Krystal] - "You have no idea how long I waited! How many nights I had to spend alone... *sobs* How many times have I been on the verge of losing all my hopes! God, it's been too long, Darling, it's been too bloody long! "
Cried Krystal while tears streamed down her cheeks like a waterfall.
Gently, Mike embraced Krystal, keeping her pressed against him as she continued to cry.
[Mike] - "Let it all out... It's over now. I'm here for you, now and forever. You don't have to face everything by yourself anymore. Whatever storms we face, we face them together. "
Said Mike in a caring voice as he hugged Krystal tight.
[Krystal] - "You have no idea... Jagger and his abuses... How scared I was when I fought KD-554 so many times and lost. I was so scared... I was so desperate... God, I was just so lost for all those times. *sobs* I couldn't say it, because I had no one to say it to. I was so lonely! "
Cried Krystal as she gripped Mike's clothes like a lifeline.
The truth was, despite how strong and stoic Krystal seemed, the core of her person was still that of an angel with a soft heart. When she's afraid, she can only pretend she wasn't. When she was hurt, she could only pretend she wasn't. Yet, with Mike finally back by her side, she felt safe enough to confess her pent-up emotions at last. Even as Krystal cried loudly in heartbreaking sobs, Mike patiently held her and allowed her to vent her pain.
At that moment, Krystal was neither an agent of Freedom nor the Dark Angel of Retribution. She was, when between Mike's arms, just herself, simple yet true, a woman willing to do what is necessary but not lacking a heart. Even though Krystal is the side of Kadyn who's supposed to weather the storm, it doesn't mean she didn't enjoy being a woman at times instead of always being a warrior.
After a long moment of recovery spent in Mike's embrace, Krystal finally found the strength to get away from her husband's warmth.
[Krystal] - "Alright, let's get back to business. We've still got one more asshole to deal with. "
[Mike] - "You mean that worm Astroboy? "
[Krystal] - "No shit, Sherlock. Can you crack his wack-ass egghead? "
[Mike] - "Heh! The adjective 'worm' was intentional by me. "
Said Mike confidently.
[Krystal] - "Never doubted what you can do, Darling. "
Said Krystal as a smirk appeared on her face.
As the couple got up, Krystal reached her hand toward Mike and smiled as he took it and held it tight in his. Together, they walked through the gate, all the while, Athena, Jerry, Harry and Audrey watched them from behind. As Mike and Krystal disappeared into the void, the four ghostly figures waved their hands as one last goodbye.
Once back in reality, Mike was placed and positioned where Jagger once was, his hand still holding onto Krystal's arm. After Krystal pulled her arm free from Mike's grasp, she immediately pulled him close and kissed him.
[Krystal] - "It's so good to be back. "
Said Krystal as she pulled away with her tongue still out.
[Mike] - "Yeah, it's easy for you, but I've been dead for about two years now. Bloody hell, it will take me some time to get used to being alive again. "
Said Mike as he stumbled slightly due to a lack of balance.
Grabbing Mike by the arm, Krystal prevented him from falling over.
[Krystal] - "Don't worry, take your time. "
Said Krystal with a smile.
As Astroboy turned around, he abruptly dropped Krystal's guandao in shock as he saw Mike standing right in front of him. With trembling limbs and a pale face, Astroboy quickly dropped to his knees and pushed his head against the ground in submission.
[Astroboy] - "L– Lord Grand Knight! "
Mike looked down at Astroboy with an unimpressed look on his face.
[Mike] - "Lemon, give us some place to discuss this matter in secrecy. "
[Krystal] - "Okie, Darling! "
With a snap of her finger, Krystal cast her ability over reality again, transporting all three of them into a replica of Light City in an instant. Looking confusedly around himself to see that all the guards had disappeared, Astroboy's gaze quickly rested on Mike for answers.
[Mike] - "You value strength above all, don't you? Then let me offer a challenge to you; if you manage to hit me once, even if you as much as scratch my clothes, I'll allow you to serve under me as my right-hand man. "
Said Mike as he raised his index.
Astroboy slowly got up, but even then, his height of 186 cm was dwarfed by Mike's tall stature of 207 cm. Yet, being given a chance to prove himself ignited the ambitious side of Astroboy. For a perfectionist, a man who demanded respect for his power, Mike's challenge sounded like the proper recognition he asked for. Instead of being belittled, he was offered a chance to prove his worth. Raising his head, Astroboy naively stared at Mike with hunger in his eyes, ignoring the obvious trap set for him.
[Mike] - "Go ahead, go wild. "
Said Mike as he extended his arms.
[Astroboy] - "It is an honour, Lord. I won't waste this chance. "
Said Astroboy, his gaze emitting a murderous aura.
As Astroboy activated his crystals, Krystal looked visibly worried as she witnessed firsthand what he was capable of. However, Mike quickly assured her by wrapping one of his arms around her waist. Meanwhile, as Astroboy charged up his ability, the ground around him began to cave in and fracture under the immense pressure of runaway kinetic energy.
[Astroboy] - "Guilt Extension: Entropy of Human Perfection! "
Yelled Astroboy before he abruptly dashed toward Mike.
As his strike landed against Mike's face, the massive burst of kinetic energy deflected by Mike's shield shaved the whole city and its surroundings into flat terrain. Then, as Astroboy struck down on Mike from above, the energy deflected by Mike carved a massive crater below him that measured one kilometre deep and 70 kilometres across. Yet, despite these powerful attacks, Mike was not even moved from his original location.
At that moment, both Krystal and Astroboy were reminded of Mike's true power. Though Krystal trusted Mike fully, it still felt a bit unsettling knowing what kind of power he held. Meanwhile, Astroboy took a long breath before finally locking in for a more strategic approach to his attacks. With his index extended, Astroboy concentrated all of his kinetic energy onto such a fine point that most shields would shatter from the sheer focus of power on one single spot.
Like a bolt of lightning, Astroboy stabbed his index finger against the shield that surrounded Mike's face. As he pushed with all of his strength, it began to seem like he was making a tiny bit of progress in breaking through Mike's defences. Just as Astroboy began to smirk with confidence, Mike suddenly raised his hand.
[Mike] - "Guilt Extension: Blade of Pandemonium! "
Reacting fast, Astroboy barely had the time to shift his ability onto the defensive, just in time to catch Mike's attack. Yet, even with his ability in full kinetic deflection mode, bloody scars still appeared on Astroboy's entire body. In an audible crack, Astroboy looked in shock as he witnessed for the first time a fissure in his crystals. Then, with mouth agape, Astroboy's lips trembled as he observed his blood drip out of the perfectly symmetrical cuts all over his hands.
[Mike] - "I never said the challenge only involved you attacking me. Unless you're ready to give up? "
Astroboy gritted his teeth, unwilling to admit defeat, driven by his pride and self-worth, despite the obvious mismatch of power. Extending his hand, Astroboy began to activate his secret technique, making use of his famed mind control power. However, not only did he fail to impress Mike, but the ability didn't even affect him in any way. With an unimpressed gaze, Mike moved toward Astroboy at blinding speed before smacking him across the face, knocking the wind out of him as his nose, mouth and eyes bled profusely.
[Mike] - "Take this seriously instead of using some pantsy anime magic. "
Breathing heavily, Astroboy stared at Mike with bloodshot eyes while groaning in pain. He will not be humiliated or mocked again. This is his chance to prove himself, to show both the world and the strongest that he is worthy of their respect. With a murderous glance, Astroboy clenched his hands into fists. Seeing how serious the fight is about to get, Krystal tapped on Mike's shoulder.
[Krystal] - "Eh... I'll go watch you two fight from my throne. "
Said Krystal as she opened a portal with her blade.
[Mike] - "Sure, go ahead. I'm going to use this fight as a warm-up as well. "
Said Mike as he gently pushed Krystal into the portal.
[Astroboy] - "I'm worthy! I'm worthy of your acknowledgement! "
Yelled Astroboy in a burst of rage.
As even the air around Astroboy screamed existential danger with how much kinetic energy it carried, Mike remained unfazed by the display. Despite how despicable Astroboy was, considering his past actions, Mike could at least respect a warrior's pride and determination. So it was, instead of a humiliation ritual, Mike finally pulled his arms apart and presented his palms toward his opponent.
[Mike] - "I accept your challenge! "
To be continued...
*BONUS:
- Profile: Astroboy
- Rank: Grand Cardinal Knight 1st class of the cyberknight's Imprecation Order
- Ability: [Entropy of Human Perfection]: "A powerful ability based on kinetic energy manipulation. Astroboy could effortlessly apply an insane amount of kinetic energy onto any surface or object. However, through refinement, Astroboy proved to be able to withhold and control the transfer of kinetic energy. So instead of simply letting his kinetic energy burst onto any surface and be explosively transferred to its environment, he can infuse an object with kinetic energy and choose when the transfer happens.
Most impressively, Astroboy was one of the only cyberknights ever to manage to refine his ability to the point where it appeared as if he was wielding multiple ones at the same time. For example, Astroboy could wrap his ability like a barrier around objects and make it react to incoming projectiles by repelling them through kinetic bursts. Then, he could also infuse his energy into objects to give them insane speed and velocity, including his own body, without inflicting harm on himself. He also trained his ability to be as powerful as the detonation of several hundred hydrogen bombs, granting him the strength to wipe out a whole continent with just one single attack at maximum output.
Yet, the most impressive of his abilities must be his two most unusual attacks. First, he mastered kinetic signalling, basically allowing him to infuse the vibration frequency of his voice in the form of kinetic energy into the air, thus causing hallucinatory speech in the ears and minds of those out of his reach. However, this works best on non-crystal users, as most cyberknights would not be disturbed by such obvious tricks. Secondly, though not fulfilling the conditions of an Existential-Judgement-type attack, Astroboy still named his ultimate move [Blood Tears of the Weeping God] as such. Depending on the meteorological conditions at play, Astroboy could infuse his ability into the clouds, thus creating a deadly rain of lethal droplets that struck each with the power of small nuclear bombs.
Overall, there is no denying that Astroboy is a prodigy of the Cyberknight Order. Even the best of the cyberknights could not replicate his feat of turning a single ability into a Swiss knife of different techniques. However, even with an ability that had barely any weaknesses, his real weakness was not in his skill or power, but in his person. "
- ABILITY STATS:
Power - A
Speed granted - A
Ability speed - A
Range - A
Durability granted - A
Ability durability - S
Precision - S
Potential - A