First Light of a New Age

Chapter 131: Cyborg Assassin

Austronesia People's Empire, Imperial Maharlika, Quezon City, Outer Quezon District.

1st Year of God, Monday, 1st Week, Month of Solomon.

Gunfire rattled through the crumbling remains of the abandoned cathedral district, where the twisted cries of the damned echoed between stained-glass windows long shattered by war. Muzzle flashes lit the darkness like strobe lights.

The air stank of sulfur, burnt flesh, and gunpowder as two military forces, both extreme fanatics in different religions, exchange bullets and words as they fired their guns wildly at each other.

"Push them back!"

"THE GREAT OCEAN SWALLOWS ALL!!"

"JUST AS HE PLANNED!!"

"Remember just like our last engagement!"

"For Maharlika!"

"WE HERALD THE FALSE EMPEROR'S END!! YES!!"

"Swapping Mag!"

"Grenade out!"

"KILL THESE BLINDED SLAVES!!"

"FOR THE BRINGER OF THE END!!"

"Bless our Holy AF Rifle!"

"BURN THEM ALL!! BUUURRRRN!!"

The Black Armored Legion, clad head to toe in black ballistic armor and black masks adorned with crimson crosses, advanced in formation. Their movements were precise, fanatical, and disciplined as each soldier bore the insignia of the Holy Flame on their shoulders, a mark that instilled both awe and controversy across the Empire.

"Push forward! Cleanse this defiled ground!" A Captain shouted over the automatic fire from a cultist machine gun nest while one carried a stolen AF-1 "Magelock".

A spray of tracer rounds ripped into the darkness. Screams of the demon cultists were swallowed by the roar of gun fire as they were easily ripped apart by mana-infused mithril rounds from the superior AF-2 "Magespitters". The soldiers of the Black Armored Legion moved without hesitation and without fear as the doctrine of faith and fire guided them.

Heretics were sinners and demons were abominations. All would be purged.

"Corner them in the nave!" another Legionnaire shouted.

A robed cultist screamed as he tried to throw a greande, only to be reduced to bloody mist by a 8.25mm mithril round ripped through his chest and reduced his heart, lungs, ribs, intestines, and everything inside to tiny bits.

The grenade he was about to throw was dropped among a group of cultists, and before they could react, it exploded and reduced them into chucks of meat.

Another cultist was gunned down as he tried to flee but his head disintegrated into red vapor.

The battle was fast and brutal as the demon cultists were outnumbered and outgunned and fell within minutes. The floor was painted with blood and viscera and the air grew quiet as a few soldiers checked for survivors, there were none as the enemy had been annihilated.

But the silence didn't last.

A low growl can be heard through the ruined structure, chilling the soldiers to their core. From the altar, warped and scorched with demonic sigils, a shadow began to rise. At first, it looked like smoke, then it thickened and coalesced into a humanoid shape.

The thing stood nearly nine feet tall with its body made of swirling oily darkness. A skull mask was on its head with ram-like horns curling from its sides and cimson eyes burned like embers.