Boy Meets Ai

Chapter 67

Chapter 67

The archon and the monster collided with such force that the players were blown off the stage. It was a spectacle to say the least. The two moved with blinding speed. To the humans, it looked like a dazzling display of light and shadow. Gabriel flew around his opponent with grace and elegance, his trident ripping clean through what the others couldn't even scratch. Still, it wasn't like he was gaining the upper hand. Aramais' form was regenerating just as fast as it was damaged. If it weren't for the circumstances, Seiko would be elated to see what an archon could do in battle. Archons never had any kind of reason to go all out so no one had ever seen the upper limits of what they could really do.

The battle raged on but neither of them seemed to make any ground. That was when Oaklee heard something hit the ground behind them. She whipped around to see something writhing on the floor. The figure looked humanoid. It stood up just as another one fell.

"We've got incoming!" She alerted the others. The creatures falling from the sky all around them looked odd. They had the characteristics of mages and fighters, but their faces were obscured, covered in some kind of black ooze and their skin was black as coal. Dozens of them began to surround the group, shambling towards them like the undead. Eventually they numbered in the hundreds.

"It appears that these are corrupted Ai. Aramais must have gained control over them after killing their users." Marquis noted calmly as he fired into the mob. He struck one of the creatures in the head, dropping it instantly. They didn't seem very strong or durable, but the horde was quickly growing.

"It's worse. These are just copies of their models. Any data that they were made of was shredded." Oaklee shuddered at the thought of being torn apart, bit by bit. A death here meant the same for her as it did for the humans. The fear weighed heavy on her mind, but she didn't have time to dwell. The mob was closing in, forming a tight circle around the group. Then as if given a signal, the corrupted Ai charged at the players.

The scene erupted into a chaotic conflict as the two sides clashed. The swarm overtook them in a frenzy lashing out with their warped bodies and weapons. The close quarters fighters were able to hold their own, but Seiko was quickly overpowered without room to fire his bow. He felt his skin burn as their swords and daggers sliced through him. He couldn't see his friends as he was pushed down to the ground by a savage Ai. He hopped back up, slicing its head off with his scimitar and smashing another ones skull with it's hilt. Seiko hoped his friends were doing better than he was.

Hendricks managed to slip on his gloves just in time. The large swathe of enemies gave him plenty of opportunity to create music with his fists. He charged through, creating rhythm from the combat, a song from the battle. Jab, jab, uppercut! His enhanced fists tore through the enemies like tissue paper. He was able to eventually carve a path to Oaklee. She was surrounded but had a few skeletal warriors protecting her. She grabbed Hendricks, pulling him into her teleportation circle. Before he knew what was happening, he was falling from the sky. The bard had no time to think, only to act. He channeled his amber shield around his body, turning himself into a cannonball. Oaklee shot her red bandages up to wrap around him. With a mighty pull, she tightened the lines, Launching the amber sphere downward even faster as he impacted the ground, Hendricks obliterated the corrupted Ai below, leaving a crater full of their broken bodies. Hendricks rolled into a standing position back to back with Oaklee. They grouped up and stood their ground on a pile of broken debris as more and more Ai rained down. Most of the incoming enemy forces started to focus their efforts on the lone, unarmed human that was ripping them to pieces. Ogun was a machine. Not a single wasted movement could be seen as he dismantled the horde. His punches and kicks left gaping holes in the ai before they could even lay a hand on him. He carved his own path of destruction over to Shinobu who was holding out fairly well also. A wide circle existed between her and the horde. Ogun watched, impressed as she cut through an Ai, splitting it in half. Another stepped into her range but as soon as it did, Shinobu vanished. Seconds later, she reappeared, her blade inside the creature's head. Her power was boosted by the swords ability. She had learned from her fight with Thomas that the best way to use "A Walk Through Hell" was in short bursts so as to reserve stamina. The samurai blinked in and out of existence a dozen more times dropping body after body.

"They just keep coming!" Seiko exclaimed, looking worse for wear. He had cuts across his chest and knicks on his face. Each time they destroyed one of the mindless attackers, another showed up to fill its ranks. However, with room to breathe now, Seiko could finally draw his bow again. He fired almost indiscriminately. With so many targets around, the name of the game was speed over accuracy. Five, six, seven shots at a time. He channeled his limited mana pool to manifest multiple arrows at once. The rays arced through the Ai, pinning them to each other and the floor. Seiko weaved through them, jumping up and using one of their faces like a spring board. He twirled through the air, firing shots in all directions below him. As Seiko's boots hit the ground again, dozens of the bodies dropped. Still, the enemies continued amass. Their combined efforts were barely keeping them locked in a stalemate with the endless tide.

Meanwhile, the archon and the shadowy visage of death were locked in an intense struggle. They had taken to the sky, flitting around and clashing together thunderously. Same as down below, neither seemed to be gaining any solid advantage. However, Gabriel noticed something disturbing as they fought. Aramais seemed perfectly content to be locked in this conflict. It occurred to him that perhaps this was part of the Ai's plan. He looked up at the clouds and sure enough, it had started to grow once again. It's dark tendrils spreading beyond the stadium's edge, heading towards the city below.

He needed to end the fight quickly.