Urk walked forward and stopped short of the rubble. A few traces of blood could be seen from beneath the cylinder.

“All legends must end I suppose, even ones that with the writ of destiny behind them “. He gazed around the battlefield. It was strewn with blood and corpses. He looked at the tank again and smiled. “Take pride demon, you killed most of my men and gave us a battle worthy of the Gods. “, he looked above with a longing smile, “How long has it been, since my blood has boiled so? “

He sighed and turned to his troops. “The pests are gone but the girl is still at large, the little bird won’t evade us for long. All we must do is…”

A sound emerged from behind him. He turned to see the tank moving. Impossible! He turned back in shock. The enormous steel tank, dozens of tons heavy began to lift upwards, its grey body glistening red in the shade of raging fires.

The massive tank flipped sideward and from beneath emerged the man. His entire body drenched in blood and is eyes were glowing with an ominous red. Urk struggled to believe his eyes as he saw the man’s twisted limbs straighten themselves one by one with sickening sounds. An ominous, dark pressure flowed from him that shook the Colonel to his soul.

The Mutons stood dumbfounded until their commander yelled at them. “Don’t stand there gaping, fire! “. They brought out spare mag rifles and fired nonstop, without a regard to heating. The many rounds bounced harmlessly off an eerie violet wall as the man continued his recovery. They continued fire until their rifles overheated from the stress and caught fire. Now they were just left with maces.

The man now turned towards them and extended a hand. Red bolts of energy stormed out of his hand and struck one Muton. It smashed the being into the wall and then dissipated. The Muton’s charred, titanium armor collapsed to the ground while only ash remained inside.

Before the others could react, a force gripped the neck of another Muton. He tried to grip it into place but the head twisted backward with greater force and the neck snapped. He collapsed limp to the ground. The last Muton charged at him with his mace but the man shot a violet aura at him. His whole body fell paralyzed as his nerves were overwhelmed with stimulation. Yet, the beast ground its teeth and pressed forward and reached the man.

It attempted to grasp his throat but an enormous pressure pressed on its head. Blood poured out if its eyes and ears as it sunk to the ground in agony. The man trotted casually before it and then plunged a dagger down its eye.

Urk was too stunned to react, he finally drew a breath and regained composure. He closed his eyes and uttered a few silent words. He looked at the human standing before him. His hearts beat with terror as he creature forced a smile to his face. After an eternity, I feel life flowing within me again.

He picked up his massive halberd and let out a deafening roar. He charged at the demon before him and plunged the halberd down on the man’s head.

The halberd stopped midair, the man broke off the upper part and thrust the blade into Urk’s right leg, leading him to let out a deafening scream. A metal fist crashed into his abdomen, shattering his exoskeleton. The pain almost rendered him senseless but then another blow punch in his chest plate, this time driving the broken bone fragments into his organs.

He collapsed to his knees coughing up blood but then a heavy punch smashed into his head, sending splinters of bones flying. Another punch fell, this time shattering the teeth in his jaws. The man roared and punched him so hard that his eye socket caved in from pressure while an eye ball popped out.

Blood dripped from his face onto the floor. The trembling Colonel looked up to the demon before him, its eyes glowing red with malice. The knuckles on the man’s metal arm opened to formed spikes and he clenched it to a fist.

Ancestors, prepare my arrival! Urk let out a final roar and the fist smashed through forward portion of his skulls, leaving his tongue and inner jaws bare. The Colonel’s body collapsed to the ground in a pool of blood.

The man fell to his knees, his whole body aching in agony, his breath running ragged. This form exacted a heavy toll on his being and he opened his mask to cough out blood. Glyph spoke, “Sir are you…”

“I’m alive “, the man replied between heavy breaths. He painstakingly got up to his feet and wiped the blood of his mouth. The air began to grow heavy again and he put pack his damaged but still functioning mask.

He looked into the fire from the missiles. It had blown a hole right through the walls and the flames has spread all across the factory. Glyph warned, “We need to find the subject fast, before further reinforcements arrive “

The man resumed walking but, “Animal! “. It was a human, female voice. He turned back to see it coming from the sniper, now resting against the wall, covered in burn marks.

“Sir…” the man walked up to her. She took off her mask to reveal a shaved head and brown eyes, equipped with optical implants. “Filthy terrorist loser “, she spat at him.

The man grasped her by the throat with his prosthetic hand and raised her high into the air. Despite floating a meter above ground, she remained defiant.

“What are you going to do you human loser, you little…” her voice trailed off as her neck began to twist. The machine hand 90 degree left and her neck snapped. He threw the body into a distant fire.

#

Cassie huddled before the fire. Heat from the red flames brushed against her wet cheeks while red lights flickered off her blue eyes. Sparks from burnt electric wires danced above while a eerie silence emerged.

Then she saw it, a pair of red eyes amidst the flames. Cassie’s struggled to breathe as she saw the pair of eyes grow larger and the faint outlines of a body form amidst the fire. She wiped off her tears and stepped up to meet the inevitable.

So this is how I die? She bit her lips and closed her eyes. The dreams had come true, as they always did. She took a deep breath to stop the trembling in her arms and reopened her eyes.

The figure was clearer now. It bore the visage of a tall man with eyes like burning ember, drawing near. The fires beside him spread apart on his arrival, like subjects making way for a King.

Traces of blood and battle on his made could be made out amidst the fires. Cassie made no attempt to run. The pressure emanating from the being was too great for to entertain any delusions.

The man at last emerged from the fire and stood before her. He towered over her, his broad frame awash with blood, guts and battle damage. Cassie’s eyes widened upon seeing him.

The man extended his metal hand towards her, a hand draped in blood.

“Al…Alphonse? “, her heart grew heavy.

She takes the hand.