Clap!
Clap!
Clap!
"Such a lovely day to be alive..."
chanical footsteps echoed ominously from behind Wang Xiao.
The relentless, advancing rhythm was paired with a voice so hauntingly familiar it caused Wang Xiao's eyes to narrow in suspicion, desperately trying to recall where he had heard it before.
"Indeed, such a lovely day to be alive..."
Upon recognition, Wang Xiao turned sharply, his lips curving into a subtle, knowing smile.
"!"
Cain, his prosthetic legs clanking with each step, stopped abruptly. "Do I know you?"
"Probably," Wang Xiao replied, his smile widening uncontrollably.
??
Confusion flickered across Cain's features, his mind tumbling through mories—had their paths crossed previously?
Luna, having discarded Helena and Erick, stood in the shadows, her thoughts a whirl as the mini-war around them seed to abruptly pause.
'Do I know him?' Cain, feeling increasingly uneasy under the intense scrutiny and clad in a thick military jacket, stood isolated, the cold seeping into his synthetic limbs.
He was the sa general who, three years ago, had abducted Wang Xiao and ordered his execution, only for him to be miraculously rescued by Tiamat's intervention.
'He is dangerous...' Cain thought, omniously, deciding to trust his instincts and attack first.
Whoosh!
He surged forward with a chanical hiss, his movents powered by more than just his prosthetic enhancents.
Boom!
His speed was a blur as he closed the rapidly shrinking gap between them.
Bam!
But before his montum reached its peak, Wang Xiao intercepted him, catching Cain's head in a firm, unyielding grasp, forcing their eyes to lock.
"!"
"Rember ...?" Wang Xiao's voice was low and taunting, his intense red eyes searing into Cain with a gaze that seed to peel back layers of buried ti.
"!!!!"
Cain's eyes quivered violently under the piercing stare, the fierce red igniting a flood of suppressed mories.
Images of a shattered, broken ship flickered through his mind, sending shards of a once broken reality crashing into his consciousness.
Inside Cain's head, a monologue churned, 'This face... those eyes... the fire... '
Just then, Li Zhiming, who had dashed to the scene, intervened urgently. "Wang Xiao, wait! General Cain has co here from Protheus. We need to talk and clear any misunderstandings first!"
"Oops... You shouldn't have said that..." Luna couldn't help but chuckle, her laughter cut short by another, more horrifying sound.
Tear
"ARGGHHHHH!"
In the next mont, Wang Xiao, with his bare hands, brutally tore Cain apart.
Splurt!
Blood erupted like a violent waterfall, cascading down in heavy, wet splashes, yet miraculously none stained Wang Xiao.
Below them, the pristine snow turned a stark, vivid red, setting a cruel scene as Cain's body was ruthlessly split into two.
"..."
"..."
"..."
"..."
Everything froze, the air filled with shock and horror, just as the two severed pieces of Cain crashed heavily to the ground.
Thud!
Thud!
Gasp!
....
Amidst the chilling silence that followed the violent spectacle, a calm voice floated, starkly contrasting the tense atmosphere.
"Such violence among the young... Huh."
A bald monk, wearing thin Taoist robe in this bone chilling cold— his fingers thodically rolling over Buddha beads, erged as if from thin air, advancing steadily towards Li Zhiming.
"Grandmaster Shi Xin?" Li Zhiming repeated, his tone tinged with surprise and respect.
He had been briefed that the Abbot of Shaolin would be arriving from the Bodhi Matrix to assess the situation.
Every gaze shifted to Grandmaster Shi, who responded with a subtle nod. "Indeed—"
"Oye!"
His words were abruptly cut off by Luna's sharp call.
??
Grandmaster Shi turned to face Luna, his serene expression eting her fiery eyes.
She stared him down, her voice sharp and commanding. "I am older than your grandmother, monk. Next ti, if you forget to pay your respects, I might just gouge your eyes out."
"!"
Grandmaster Shi's eyes twitched slightly, betraying his calm deanor.
This unexpected confrontation made the others turn to look, suddenly curious and excited to see how the events would turn out to be.
Inside, Shi Xin was weighing her words, a flicker of annoyance crossing his mind. 'Such disrespect in front of others... But perhaps, this is a test of patience, a challenge of my resolve.'
Li Zhiming, sensing the growing curiosity and the need for formal introductions, cleared his throat. "Everyone, let formally introduce Lord Wang and Grandmaster Shi Xin. They will be staying with us as our honored guests, here to aid us in the upcoming battle. Any disrespect to them would not taken kindly... As you have already witnessed!"
______
January 18, 2027!
Base F1D99, The Dead End!
Outside, everything was encased in ice, and although it was morning, no sunlight pierced the perpetual darkness that lood over this forsaken place.
The landscape was hauntingly lit only by the ethereal glow of aurora lights, painting ghostly colors across the sky.
A solitary building stood stark against this desolate coldness, resembling a dormant thermal reactor, devoid of guards or any signs of life.
Inside, it took on the guise of a military surveillance base, yet the most ominous feature was the staircase spiraling downward into the depths.
"Is the tunnel to hell at the bottom...?" Wang Xiao muttered, his voice echoing slightly in the chilly air as they gathered at the location.
Not just him, but Luna, Grandmaster Shi, Li Zhiming, and all four commanders stood poised to descend.
They were flanked by four guards, their faces obscured, each clutching an oddly shaped gun that seed as out of place as the setting itself.
"Why do you think it's called a tunnel?" Luna couldn't help but mutter, her tone laced with a mix of contempt and disdain.
Wang Xiao nodded. "Why does this place look so silent?" As he spoke, his voice echoed slightly in the cavernous interior of the facility.
The main hall where they stood was stark and utilitarian, with cold, gray walls lined with monitors and equipnt that blinked intermittently.
High above, exposed steel beams criss-crossed the ceiling, contributing to the industrial feel of the space.
Despite the presence of a team of researchers and so special military personnel working diligently on the platform across from them, the vast area still seed hauntingly deserted.
"Don't you guys usually kidnap children in masses to send them down?" That was the main query Wang Xiao had, haunted by mories of the ship carrying so many children.
"..."
Li Zhiming remained silent, his expression unreadable.
"!"
The faces of everyone near Wang Xiao darkened—a grim acknowledgnt of a truth everyone knew but few wished to voice aloud.
"..."
"..."
"..."
Even the researchers montarily froze, their movents halting as they turned to glance at the man who dared to speak such truths.
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