Chapter 64: Last Ditched Efforts

Chapter 64: Last Ditched EffortsJiece’s voice cut through the chaos.

"What the hell is going on here? And how did you manage to take them down so quickly?"

Silas let out a low chuckle, dusting stray debris from his sleeve.

"Trying to bait me into monologuing? Buy yourself some time?" He tilted his head slightly, amusement lacing his tone. "You take me for some fool? Like I’d just spill how I counter shard users so efficiently?"

His fingers flexed slightly, his eyes gleaming beneath what remained of his ruined mask.

"With all your military resources, you should be able to figure it out yourself."

He lifted his hand.

The black butterfly Ikona fluttered down, landing delicately at the tip of his finger.

Silas flicked his wrist, and the black-purple orb rippled outward, cutting through the air like a bullet.

Jiece’s muscles tensed. He recognized it.

The same attack that had driven his men into madness.



For half a second, his exosuit’s systems scanned the sphere, data flashing across his visor—too fast to process in real-time. He didn’t need a readout.

He moved.

Thrusters ignited.

A burst of speed sent him skimming left, his armored frame twisting in a calculated step just as the dark mass passed by his shoulder. The residual force alone sent a pulse through his suit’s plating.

His focus locked on Silas.

This time, he wasn’t letting him slip away.

Jiece shot forward—metal grinding against the ground as his propulsion systems sent him surging. His fist cocked back, preparing for another strike.

Then—

Rirana’s fingers snapped.

A low, wet sound rippled through the field as the flesh-bound construct convulsed.

The grotesque mass of limbs twisted unnaturally before launching forward, its speed inhuman as it intercepted Jiece’s path.

Too close.

Jiece twisted mid-stride, shifting his weight as his armored arm snapped upward.

The creature’s malformed body was already damaged—Colby’s earlier attack had left deep lacerations running through its frame.

Jiece’s strike met resistance for only a second.

Then, it buckled.

The flesh split apart, the previous air slashes giving way under the force of his exosuit’s sheer impact. A wet tearing noise filled the space as the abomination broke into two uneven halves.

The mangled remains crumpled against the dirt.

Jiece’s momentum carried him forward, thrusters still roaring.

Silas didn’t move.

Didn’t flinch.

Didn’t acknowledge the destruction at all.

Instead, he simply exhaled through what remained of his mask.

"I got what I came for."

His voice remained calm, calculated.

"We’ll meet again—when I come for the rest of your shards."

Silas turned away, his pace unrushed, his posture completely unbothered as he stepped alongside Rirana.

"Just know," he said smoothly, "the time of the corrupt ruling over the world is coming to an end. Enjoy the propaganda I planted."

His lips curled into a smirk, satisfaction lacing his words.

Behind him, Jiece’s fists clenched.

The creature beside him twitched once before its body finally stilled, its grotesque form slumping lifelessly into the dirt.

Jiece’s jaw tightened.

"Like hell I’m just going to let you leave!"

His thrusters flared, the exo-suit bracing to propel him forward—


Click.



A small, distinct sound.

His eyes snapped to Rirana’s hand.

A small red button sat between her fingers.

The ground stirred.

From the shadows of the battlefield, tiny mechanical constructs skittered forward, their spindly metal legs moving with unnatural synchronization.

Dozens of them.

Jiece’s instincts screamed.

"Shit!"

One of the twisted automatons lunged first, its stitched, mangled form shifting unnaturally as it leaped toward him.

Jiece’s fist met it mid-air, crushing the abomination into the dirt, metal and flesh alike crumpling under the sheer force of impact.

But more were coming.

They crawled over each other, shifting and twisting, their limbs jerking at grotesque angles.

One latched onto his leg.

He felt it wedge into the gears of his exo-suit, its form wrapping unnaturally, contorting as if designed to jam the mechanisms.

Another lunged from the side, barely missing his helmet.

Damn it.

"He’s going to get away at this rate—!"

Jiece slammed his arm downward, crushing another automaton under his grip, but they kept crawling forward.

He shifted his weight, bracing for another push—

But then—

Where the hell is Kikaru?

His eyes scanned wildly, his system flashing warnings.

Paul was still on the ground, struggling to move.

Colby was gone.

Kikaru was nowhere to be seen.

A low hum filled the air.

Silas reached into his side pouch, his fingers tapping against a concealed device.

A faint shimmer distorted the space just beyond the cliffside.

A small craft materialized beneath them.

Silas exhaled, nodding to himself before motioning toward the opening cockpit.

"Crazy psychotic ladies first," he mused.

Rirana smirked, shifting her weight as she moved toward the craft.

And then—

Everything shifted.

The air pressure warped violently.

Silas’ body lurched, his balance thrown as a crushing force slammed into his ribs.



A boot met his side with enough force to send him flying.

His form rolled along the dirt, his landing skidding him nearly ten feet before he came to a stop.

He exhaled, blinking as the impact settled.

Slowly, he pushed himself up, his fingers brushing the dirt from his gloves.

His gaze lifted.

Kikaru stood at the ready, breath heavy, her stance firm.

Behind her, Colby stood even more battered, blood seeping from the torn wound where his shard had been extracted.

For a long moment—no one moved.

Silas’ brows lifted ever so slightly.

Silas smirked as he locked eyes with Kikaru, the smug confidence in his demeanor unmistakable. He glanced upward briefly, his expression flickering with subtle recognition before he addressed her.

"I really don’t have time for this," he said, his tone laced with condescension. "But congrats—I’ll give you what you want. A fight. If you win, you get the shard back." His smirk widened as he gestured toward Colby, still crumpled on the ground. "So come. Before the one named Colby dies."

Kikaru felt the anger in her chest bubble over, her knuckles tightening as the heat rose within her.