The Final Desperation

'Can I unleash another attack of that level?' Genji wondered to himself as he dodged an onslaught of attacks. 'Yes, I can. My body should be able to support it. The problem is they're guarding against it, and I won't be able to make the most of it.'

Genji observed the scattered group and knew they wouldn't give him another chance to wipe out the entire group. Attempting it would leave him dealing with the distant robots in an exhausted state.

'Fine then. I'll deal with that when it comes. But that guy has to die first,' he thought, glaring at Sinclair, who was hiding behind a wall of robots. With his mind made up, Genji took a deep breath and concentrated again.

'Focus, Genji. Everything in one strike. You've done it before; you can do it again.'

Moments later, another coating of cutting intent enveloped his short sword. That was the beauty of weapon intent. It relied on the mind, so as long as the user possessed the willpower to push themselves, they could manifest it.

Genji's gaze sharpened as he rapidly scanned the area. 'Chance!'

He nimbly ducked under a vibration blade and kicked off the ground, pushing flashstep past his limits once more. Appearing before a wide-eyed Sinclair, Genji brought his sword down, recreating the scene of frozen time. Then, a tremendous burst of airflow swirled around him, breaking the stillness.

However, Genji instantly realized something was amiss when he saw the aftermath: there was no blood. Specifically, the figure that should have been Sinclair wasn't flesh, as he expected, but strips of metal and wires, akin to the nearby robots.

Thoughts raced through his mind like a raging hurricane before he recalled a faint memory. Back in the Spatial Battlefield, he encountered remote-controlled robots among the enemies.

These androids were piloted by weaker members of the ManaRealm from a distance, enabling them to scout without endangering their lives. Since this technology was used by the Sentinels, a faction inheriting Mecalan's technology, why wouldn't Deep Blue have it as well?

'Hold on. This robot doesn't seem as advanced as the Sentinels'. There must be some kind of limitation.'

As if confirming his suspicions, a strong sense of danger surged through his mind. He was being locked onto, and he had a good idea of what. After all, only one model of the Exterminating Series had shown the ability to snipe from a distance.

Genji pushed past his exhaustion and urged his body to move, fully aware that any delay could cost him his life. In the next moment, a plasma bullet pierced the space where he had been, singeing the hairs on his arm.

Reappearing a few meters away, Genji pivoted against his momentum, straining his legs to alter his direction. His joints groaned under the pressure, but Genji ignored the discomfort, chasing an elusive opening visible only to him.

Genji materialized next to the shots' origin, where the surrounding air distorted to reveal the shooter. However, before the cloaking field completely lost its effect, Genji brandished his weapon at the hidden attacker.

A crisp snap echoed as the figure struggled to parry his strike. Caught off guard, the figure stumbled backward, outside the cloaking field's range. A strand of red hair drifted by, confirming the figure's identity.

'As I thought. He can't be too far from the robot. That must be the trade-off for creating such a realistic substitute.'

Genji pursued relentlessly, slashing out a light wave that severed the strange device around Sinclair's neck. A streak of blood confirmed this as the real body, not a replacement.

'Strange. Was he always this good at dodging?'

As Genji completed the slashing motion, [Curse Bearer] materialized in his other hand to deliver three rapid shots. Suddenly, crystallized materials appeared, blocking the bullets. Explosions and curse energy scattered, seeking to penetrate Sinclair's body, but the material condensed again, thwarting the attempt.

At that moment, Genji noticed a faint gleam beneath Sinclair's robes, shining just before the unknown defense manifested. He also observed that Sinclair's movements appeared unnatural as if an external force was aiding him.

'Is he using a gadget?'

To verify his guess, Genji released a wave of cutting intent. The item glowed again, conjuring a defensive wall while pulling Sinclair aside, diverting the attack.

'That thing's using those barriers to buy time to pull him out of danger. It's going to be hard to hit him like this.'

Genji charged forward, seeking to close the distance. Approaching Sinclair, who struggled for a stable foothold, he unleashed another, more potent attack, flooding the area with intense light.

To his dismay, only a cluster of shattering glass sounded before Sinclair was flung from the affected zone. Despite being tattered and marked with countless scratches, none of the wounds were fatal. They were not even close.

At that moment, Genji realized it wasn't a mere gadget doing all this, but a full-body armor. With Sinclair's robes shredded, the true nature of his annoyance was revealed.

It was a grey armor, adorned with numerous circuit patterns across its surface. At the chest's center lay a dimming reactor core, signifying its empty energy status. Sinclair had a panicked expression when he felt Genji's destructive capabilities, but he was also relieved by the armor's preservation abilities.

This was Absolute Armor, a prototype of another Exterminating Series model. It was like Stealth Sniper, a support type designed to enhance the user's capabilities by prioritizing their survival through any means necessary.

Its primary abilities involved condensing light into a solid form to create a shield against incoming attacks. This was effective against most attacks because it could layer defenses until the offensive force dissipated. If one layer wasn't enough, it would condense ten, a hundred, a thousand layers, or more. Unless one had an army of plasma rifles, it was nearly impossible to pierce this defense.

Additionally, the armor boasted a powerful AI capable of assessing incoming threats. If it determined an attack to be unblockable, it would forcibly relocate the user to a safe zone while minimizing potential damage.

In essence, it was a flawless defense mechanism, but its immense energy consumption made mass production impossible. Condensing light at such levels demanded an enormous amount of energy and Deep Blue couldn't justify such expenditures. That was the only reason it was a prototype instead of an official model in the Exterminating Series

But if Deep Blue removed this function, it would become a pointless pile of scrap. If the exterminators wanted to find the optimal dodging maneuver, they would calculate it themselves instead of relying on an accessory that hindered their movements. They all had supercomputers inside them so wouldn't be hard.

Yet, for Sinclair, this item was an irresistible asset, capable of saving his life at crucial moments. That was why he did everything in his power to obtain one when he learned of it. He knew this would be a major help when fighting against the lethal Genji.

As if that weren't enough, he also created an expensive substitute for this battle, ensuring multiple ambushes against Genji. Unfortunately, neither ambush had favorable results.

While the first ambush destroyed Genji's weapon, Sinclair had no choice but to target it. If he had aimed elsewhere, Genji would have sensed it and dodged, rendering the attack useless like what happened in the second ambush. Plus, Genji had a second weapon, which made the success practically useless.

Sinclair hurriedly swapped out the reactor core, all while enduring a relentless barrage of attacks. His heart leaped to his throat when he sensed the energy drain, but the scare quickly faded once he successfully replaced the energy source.

'Dammit. How can he throw those attacks like it's nothing? Doesn't he get tired?'

Seeing this, Genji knew he couldn't continue in this manner. The distant robots were closing in, leaving him little time. If he wanted to kill Sinclair now, he had to narrow the distance and execute a strike faster than the armor could react.

'I suppose it's time to use that combination. It's weaker than my cutting intent, but my stamina can't endure much longer.'

Genji shifted to a backhand grip and leaned forward like a pouncing cheetah. A thin layer of cutting intent formed around his blade before compressing inward, merging into the metal surface. Then, his energy coursed across his body, igniting a ravenous tide of black flames. Witnessing this, an ominous sensation chilled Sinclair's heart, but before he could react, Genji vanished.

"Immense danger detected. Activating final preservation measures."

In the next moment, Sinclair found himself hurtling through the air like a broken ragdoll. The rushing air deafened him, but it couldn't distract him from the astonishing scene in the distance.

Genji stood in his previous location, completing his slashing motion. Beside him, a burning pile of metal broke apart and crumbled into dust.

Suddenly, a spike of pain shot up from his right arm. Sinclair looked down and his eyes widened in shock, his pupils reflecting the flickering embers of shadow flames.

'When did he-'

Before he could finish that thought, he crashed into the ground and tumbled roughly. He only stopped when he crashed into a nearby insectoid.

"Quick, cut it off," Sinclair urged, waving his stump of an arm. At this point, he had lost his entire forearm with the flames creeping up on his upper arm.

The insectoid formed a blade with its nanobots and swiftly slashed down on his shoulder, severing it completely. Despite the massive spurting of blood, Sinclair inwardly sighed in relief. Whatever Genji had done to his shadow flames had unnerved Sinclair, leaving him never wanting to experience such an attack again.

"Massive leakage of fluid detected. Commencing repairs," the insectoid said, waving its arms once more.

Following his command, the swarm of nanobots drilled into Sinclair's bleeding shoulder, sealing the wound shut. Severe pain racked Sinclair's nerves, causing cold sweat to break out across his back, but he suppressed his yelps of pain. While the exterminators recognized him as a commander, this designation only held when they perceived him as a robot.

If he were to reveal his human identity, he would immediately lose his position. It was moments like these that made Sinclair grateful for the exterminators' one-track mind. They never even questioned why his 'cooling fluid' was red.

At that moment, an artillery giant came into range, raising its shoulder cannons. Copious amounts of energy gathered, forming two bulbs of concentrated light.

Genji glanced at his crumbling weapon and charged at the giant, intending to make the most of it before it collapsed. As he got close, Genji leaped up and stabbed the condensed energy, triggering a massive explosion that clouded the area.

Sinclair rejoiced at the sight, but he quickly realized something was amiss. Genji had been propelled too far back for the amount of force generated by the blast.

'He did that on purpose?! What is he after?'

As Genji rolled across the ground, he reached for his last bag of food. Then he sprung to his feet, tore it open, and poured its entire contents into his mouth.

'Time to leave,' Genji thought, acknowledging the failure of the assassination.

His weapon had been destroyed by the explosion, too damaged by the shadow flames to withstand it. He would be suicidal if he insisted on continuing, especially considering his depleted stamina.

Genji discarded the bag and drew the nano dagger intended for Deep Blue. There was no point in preserving it anymore. It was more important to escape alive and start the backup plan. Only that way, would he get another chance at assassinating Deep Blue.

Genji brandished the dagger and estimated it would only last a few strikes. It wasn't much, but he would make do with it.

"Come again," he shouted, intimidating the distant robots.

Seeing him draw a third weapon, the robots rushed to disperse, wary of another devastating attack. Genji had unleashed two such attacks with different weapons and there was no guarantee this one couldn't do the same. To prepare for the worst, they scattered, avoiding the risk of complete annihilation.

Seeing them pause, Genji turned around and sprinted for the stairs, leaving behind a group of bewildered robots.

'I like how everyone simply assumes those attacks are from my weapons, not my ability. All the better for me.'

As Genji dashed up the stairs, he swung at the nearby wall, carving out a new sword for himself. He stowed away his chipped dagger, opting to preserve it to the best of his ability. This would minimize the downtime between assassinations, increasing his chances of success.

Suddenly, Genji felt something slip into his ear, startling him. If it was this easy to place the device there, what would happen if it were concealed in a less noticeable spot? Would he have unknowingly carried a tracker, potentially exposing Bennet's base and ruining his plans?

"Don't be in a hurry to remove it. I just want to talk," the earpiece sounded, stopping Genji's hand that brushed against it.

"I didn't know there was another group eying in Deep Blue," Genji replied.

"I wouldn't say eying, more like intrigued."

"Sure, whatever. I'm also intrigued by Deep Blue. Otherwise, why would I barge in here and cause so much destruction?" Genji's sarcastic tone implied that the person had ulterior motives for sneaking the device into the place. "Anyway, what do you want?"

"I couldn't help but notice that dagger of yours. It's a nano-virus, isn't it?"

From the voice's response, Genji knew the person had at least a camera in the building if not more surveillance. "You've got a keen eye. Are you sure you're only intrigued by Deep Blue?"

"Yes, I'm sure. So what's your relationship with the researchers of inheritance?"

The question caught Genji off guard, but he maintained a composed demeanor, unwilling to give away any information. "What researchers? I don't know what you're talking about. If you're here to ask cryptic questions, then I'm ending this conversation."

Genji prepared to remove the earpiece, but the voice interrupted his actions with a confident response.

"Don't lie. Only they possess the technology to create such an item."

"Why are you so sure I didn't just pick it up in some unknown corner?"

"Because any traces of such items vanished with the researchers long ago. The only possible way for you to have one is by interacting with their inheritance. So, are you the inheritor or an associate?"

"Guess I can't fool you. But it doesn't matter. I'm more concerned about getting out of here than answering your question. Since my gig is up, this is goodbye."

"The stairs to the ground floor are in the left hallway," the voice said before Genji could cut off their communication.

"How do you know I'm looking for the stairs?"

"It wasn't hard to deduce when I paired your destructive entrance and how you keep turning your head as you run. You're looking for something and I assume it's the stairs."

"Alright, I guess we'll continue talking a bit longer. But if I find out you're lying to me, I'll break out using my own methods."

"Don't worry. I have nothing to gain from your death. Take a right from here."

Genji followed the voice's directions and discovered another flight of stairs. Without hesitation, he rushed up, having concluded that the voice was somewhat trustworthy.

Moments later, he arrived at the ground floor where a radiant beam of sunlight shone through the destroyed entrance. Genji leaped over the hole he had created and vaulted over the debris surrounding the doors.

"There you go, you're out. Can you answer my question now?" The voice asked.

"Before that, can you explain how you're still talking with me? Doesn't the EMP field disrupt the signal?"

"I have my ways."

"I guess it makes sense. The communication is smooth even under the field so being in it shouldn't matter. You're really capable, you know?"

"Stop beating around the bush. What do I need to do for us to have an honest conversation?" The voice sounded exasperated, clearly annoyed by Genji's constant diversions.

"Hmm, let me think." Genji glanced back at the pursuing robots and noticed Sinclair observing from the entrance. "How about you get rid of that guy with one arm? He's been on my nerves for a long time."

Genji made an impossible request, essentially telling the voice that he wasn't going to reveal anything.

"Sure." the voice agreed, surprising Genji immensely.

"You seem unfazed by my request. You're not messing with me, right?"

"No, I'm serious. I've been wanting to dissect him for some time, but I can never justify it. Although he asks for a lot of things, he does get his work done. So I settled for observing him and transferred him over. But now that you asked for it, I have more to gain than lose."

With those strange words, a swarm of nanobots emerged from the ground and covered Sinclair.

"What?!?! WHY?!?!!" A pained cry echoed before a series of gruesome crunches reverberated in Genji's ears.

[You have eliminated the opposing party. You can now return anytime in the next 3 days.]

[If you miss this window, you will be abandoned in this world.]

[Note: Returning requires 5 minutes of undisrupted channeling.]

[You have slain a Champion-level violator.]

[You have obtained: 20 privilege tokens and 1 Scarlet Card - Champion (Violator).]

[Scarlet Card - Champion (Violator)]

Effect: Upon use, pick one of the following rewards

1. Gain 100% of the owner's coins before death
2. Randomly draw 3 items from the owner's storage. (The minimal rating for items is Epic)
3. Trade this card with EverRealm for 20 privilege tokens
4. Trade this card with EverRealm for a major upgrade on a legacy.

 

The next second, the swarm of nanobots dispersed, revealing a ghastly scene with blood splatters with no remnants of flesh or bone. Sinclair had been eaten alive.

Then the EMP field deactivated, enabling a holographic projection of a blue figure to appear before Genji.

"I gave you what you wanted. Can we talk now?" The individual asked, their voice resonating in both the earpiece and Genji's other ear.

That was when Genji realized the person he'd been talking to wasn't a third party, but Deep Blue himself.