Division

- IX • Ebony Inferno -

Spear's POV

A battle cry erupts into the fray, one buried deep in the past. Plum leaps from the smoke, pike in hand. The scales on her cheekbones and the back of her wings leak with a sunlight flame as she lands on the back of the metallic beast. It thrashes around, trying to fling Plum off its back. She stabs at the back of its neck with her weapon, making slow progress every time, but it isn't enough.

It reels back and gives one hard swing, throwing Plum off of it into the torn grass, rolling once before landing on her feet and hands, which didn't stop her, nor did it stop the metal hunk. I ran forward toward the beast, but it swung the whip wing blade forth, holding my axe up, parrying. Sparks flew out from the whip, and a barrage of golden flares hit my shoulder and neck, I shoved it off to the side and hurl myself forth. Plum is back on the offensive, dashing into the metallic beast.

The ground splits in front of her as tree roots and vines shot out with the same golden light breaking through the seams in the bark, and I backed up. At this point, there was no time for questions. That'll be later. Tangling the beast's arms and legs, it lets out a grueling cry as it's bound, throwing its whips around to cut at the roots. It wouldn't hold it down for long, but enough to exploit the timeframe. I dash in, but a glint blinds me as a whip-blade whizzes past me, nearly nicking my ear.

I hear a call-out from my left, and it's Echo, running near me, but the beast whirls around and leaps for the Jengie, claws first. "Echo move!" I erupt as I hurl my axe into its side, throwing it off course enough to where he can dodge, but it whirls back straight at me. I have no defense as seven sharp blades for claws cut the air around them to me. A flash of blue strikes the arms as Echo snaps into motion, the sheer shock taking another three fragile talons off one hand, leaving one viable hand left. His fur crackles with the same electricity, and grand wings of blue and white glow as he sprints back to action.

He uses the handicapped arm to climb onto the back of the metal horror, as it thrashes trying to fling him off, but he clung on. Orion attacks from the back, tearing at the membranes of its wings so it doesn't fly away right before we have it down. Echo grabs it by the neck, and holds up his wings before slamming them down. Static ripples through the beast as it staggers forward, and hits the floor paralyzed.

Echo slides down its head and his feet land on the ashen grass, but struggles to stay upright, as he grabs my shoulder. "Echo?" I nudge him a little, "Yeah- yeah I'm fine, just haven't... haven't done that before... little winded.." He staggered over a little but retained being upright. "You could've gotten seriously hurt. It was rather bold, but... thank you." I told him lowly, to which he just nodded. "...You didn't have to throw that thing, you know, thank you anyway, you're no less bold than me.. oh- and you're welcome" Echo muttered, still panting.

I took my axe back from its side, and a sharp crunch sounded from the dented and torn metal. I held it above the metallic skull. Its yellow-ringed eyes stare up at me, defenseless and flickering. Just like that? No more efforts to stop us, whatever you are, I wondered. No time more for wondering though. Everyone gathered around to watch, as I slam my axe down onto the skull like a guillotine, a guillotine of fate, justice, and war.

I left it there for a moment, seeing all the lights dim slowly. Vulx stood right by my side, if anything, he looked concerned. But it was only then I began to see why. A crimson stream flowed from where the axe rest, within the skull of the beast. Machines don't bleed blood that is their own. Something is wrong, really wrong.

"You see it too," Vulx muttered in horror. Eyes began to turn back to the place where the axe lay in a pile of crushed metal and, now blood. Plum stood in shock, but she made a slight hand motion with her hand, and again came the roots from the ground. I took my axe from the head as the roots burst from the dirt below the beast and curl around some of the parts, like a Kraken below a ship. The roots snake between a plate on the chest, and begin prying it off, it's with no doubt now the roots from before were Plum. She hadn't used her implant ability since the war, and its evolved since then.