Cyberknight: One Path (original novel)

Whether it be a cyberknight or an Allied blue guard, the usage of an ability requires more than pure luck or natural affinity to the crystals. Using an ability requires the user to project a clear mental image of his action upon reality before him. At least this is the case for 98% of users. For many, sustaining a single ability is already a tremendously difficult task as a break in focus can easily disrupt your channeling. The amount of mental fortitude required was what often drove many to back down or straight up lose their sanity. 

To qualify as a cyberknight, a person must be capable of using his ability with the same fluidity and continuity as the flow of a river and with the same ease as the completion of mundane tasks. To be a person capable of never being distracted while being aware of his surroundings. However, a master of crystals is someone who managed to make his abilities a part of his person, to be able to execute specific actions simultaneously as if the crystals were a part of his body. 

"Existential Judgement "

When no single rule or condition can restrain one's power anymore, this is when one gains the power to decide the fate of his enemy. The power of choice is only held within the hands of those who can elevate above the rest and succeed where others fail. 

Athena sported a blank stare at the swains swimming before her while people passed by, ignorant of who she was. Although she sat at the edge of a pond in an area restricted to visitors, the security guards somehow knew to not bother Athena. She remembered the night of the Appalachian Disaster where she was ordered by Jagger to slaughter everyone still left alive in the underground complex. 

"What was the point of it all? What kind of explanation could justify what I saw? What will you say about what you did? What purpose did I ultimately serve? "

Thought Athena as she looked at her reflection in the water. 

In truth, there was nothing left by the time Athena got on the scene. While Jerry and Harry unleashed unhinged devastation on the remaining structures and survivors, Athena was left with nothing and no one in her sight. Jagger had already killed everyone in the area assigned to her. As she looked at the macabre scenery, she recognized the cut marks left by Mike's technique. 

Inverting Blade of Pandemonium from a confined and controlled technique to an outward-reaching tool for mass genocide... Would Mike do such a thing even if the cause was justified? The precise and coordinated pattern of the cuts, distinctive to the technique, was disrupted in the last few microseconds, leaving uneven random slash marks... Would a man of focus like Mike ever break under the weight of his own technique? 

That man was not Mike. Athena knew it in her heart and soul, yet she could not find proof to vindicate her doubts. At first, when her hands were still unstained from that night's events, she had a chance to leave. However, as she involved herself deeper in Jagger's plan, she realized that, at this point, she was just as guilty as Jagger. There was no longer a direction for her to back down but she was unwilling to move forward either. 

The mural behind her displayed people from ancient times on the left making contact with the people from modern times on the right. Athena sat right between the point of contact between the two time periods. 

[Athena] - "Tell me, Mike, what should I do? "

Whispered Athena as she loosened her grip and allowed a coin to fall into the pond from her palm. 

At that very instant, as Athena recalled the old days, Kadyn's dark crystal began shining with a bright black light. Suddenly, Athena felt a presence by her side but ignored it as just her imagination.

[Mike] - "What's with the long face? "

Athena turned to see Mike sitting by her side and jumping up in shock. 

[Athena] - "AH! Jesus! How are you... "

Yelled Athena as balanced herself to not fall in the water. 

[Mike] - "You realized you were wrong. That's the first step, don't you think? "

[Athena] - "You... I must be imagining things! How are you... "

Said Athena as she tried to touch Mike only for her hands to pass through his body. 

[Mike] - "I killed many innocent people under Sniper too. However, I think what matters is the actions you take after realizing your mistake. "

Just as Athena tried to ask Mike more questions, a gunshot sounded in the park before an explosion of sparks appeared against her face. Athena turned around to see panicked people running while Audrey moved with precision through the fleeing crowd with her pistol raised. Without hesitation, Audrey fired several other shots at Athena which all exploded into sparks of molten metal before hitting their target. Ignoring Audrey, Athena turned to realize that Mike was no longer there. 

[Athena] - "Out of all the moments you people could've chosen... "

Said Athena with a frustrated voice. 

As Athena turned to face her attacker, Audrey fired another six shots at her target. 

[Athena] - "Guilt Extension: Obvious Avalanche! "

Suddenly, what appeared to be a massive gust of wind swept Audrey's bullets away before a massive invisible hand crushed Audrey under its weight. The impact of the hit immediately caused the ground to shake violently while rocks and debris flew hundreds of meters into the sky. 

From a hidden spot, Senju abruptly swung his sword and struck Athena in the chest through his projection ability. However, to Senju's surprise, Athena wasn't even scratched by the attack. In reality, the massive arms conjured by her ability phased through her body and provided protection against all harm in a passive way. Unwavered, Senju kept his attacks going using all of his power but Athena didn't break a sweat as she effortlessly stayed unharmed. 

Calmly, Athena searched for her hidden assailant with her eyes scanning every corner of her surroundings for movement or suspicious elements. With her experience in ability duels and sharp eyesight, she was able to quickly locate Senju's hiding spot inside an electric small cabin located far to her right. 

[Athena] - "You people... Why don't the Allies have a single team of crystal users who are not amateurs? Look at you, glowing like a floodlight inside a pitch-dark cabin. No wonder Sniper kept the Allies alive as a parody for the amusement of his Empire. "

Said Athena as she stretched her arms. 

Suddenly, Oltevin jumped out of the bushes and leaped toward Athena with his minigun blazing. Using his ability, Oltevin tried to gravitate his prey toward him but Athena was ultimately unbothered by his attempt. Meanwhile, Athena didn't pay any mind to the shower of spark covering her back as she kept her eyes focused on Senju's location. 

[Athena] - "Guilt Extension: From Sisyphus With Love! "

Said Athena without turning her head around. 

Suddenly, a massive invisible round boulder manifested before Oltevin and pushed him back a few meters before he regained his footing. However, just as he pushed the boulder aside, the rock reappeared before him and slammed him with more weight and ferocity than the previous time. 

[Oltevin] - "What kind of sorcery is this? "

Yelled Oltevin as he began struggling against the boulder. 

Unknowingly, Oltevin had accidentally triggered the wrong nerve in Athena's mind by making his comment. 

[Athena] - "God damn it! The fuck do you mean sorcery? I'm not a fucking witch making potions and magic. It's physics and chemistry turned into an art form, you ape! "

Cursed Athena while Senju's attacks kept bouncing off her face. 

Suddenly, out of thin air, sparks of lightning began to appear in Athena's palms as she raised her arms and acted as if she was holding a bow and arrow. 

[Athena] - "You people use your abilities like weapons and equipment, which is why you'll never achieve the finesse of a true cyberknight. Versatility is the difference between a pair of hands and a weapon. While one can interpret and create an endless combination of elements to accomplish diverse tasks, the other can only destroy and kill. "

Said Athena as the lightning arcs in her hands began to take the shape of a bow and arrow. 

Upon seeing what his opponent was doing, Senju briefly stopped attacking as the realization of his impending doom sank in. 

[Senju] - "Fuck me... Since when did we have to fight Emperor Palpatine? "

Cursed Senju under his breath. 

[Athena] - "Guilt Extension: Divine Violation! "

Said Athena as she released the bolt out of her fingers, which streaked toward Senju. 

In a flash, as millions of volts of electricity passed through Senju and the cabin, a massive explosion occurred as the cabin disintegrated while Senju was launched high above the ground. With a loud thud, Senju's charred body landed on the grassy field before rolling to a stop against a tree. 

[Oltevin] - "Comrade Senju! No! "

Yelled Oltevin before his anger gave him a burst of strength.

With a resounding yell, Oltevin pushed the boulder off his chest before attempting to move toward Athena once more. However, as soon as he made the first step, the boulder reappeared before him and struck him with such force that many of his ribs cracked instantly. Now wounded and beyond exhausted, Oltevin was finally defeated by the boulder as it pushed him back before crushing him firmly against a tree. 

[Athena] - "I must say, the fact that you lasted five rounds in total is quite impressive. "

Said Athena as she observed Oltevin's exhausted struggle to get the boulder off his chest. 

[Audrey] - "Hey, you sick bitch! Stop torturing my friend and face me! If you have any sense of honour, then fight someone who can fight instead of torturing a wounded man. "

Yelled Audrey before firing a shot at Athena's head. 

[Athena] - "Deal! "

Said Athena without hesitation as she turned toward Audrey. 

Upon seeing Audrey's unharmed state, Athena paused and kneeled down curiously while observing both her opponent and the crater left by her ability. 

[Athena] - "You survived, so it must mean that you are a bit stronger than your friends here. "

[Audrey] - "Quit yapping, bitch! Let's settle this once and for all! "

Athena sighed under her breath before jumping off the edge of the pond and walking toward Audrey. Despite the obvious danger posed by her opponent, Audrey stood her ground knowing that running would never be a viable option both tactically and honourably. 

[Athena] - "You know what, for surviving my attack unharmed, I'll offer you a fair fight. I'll take you on, no ability, no weapon, only with hands and fists. If I win, you will tell me how you survived my attack and how your ability works. If I lose, then I'll surrender to you without a fight. "

Said Athena as she turned off her crystals. 

[Audrey] - "Bring it on, then! Girl on girl, until one of us gets a busted face! "

Said Audrey as she threw away her pistol. 

Without hesitation, Athena inched forward and fainted a strike to test her opponent's reactiveness before being parried by Audrey. With an aggressive approach, Audrey quickly pursued her opponent and exchanged a few strikes against Athena before landing a kick which knocked her enemy back. However, as Audrey kept the pressure by taking on the offensive once more, Athena swiftly grabbed her and slammed her into the water fountain. 

[Athena] - "Done already? "

Said Athena in a taunting tone. 

Suddenly, Audrey emerged from the water and used her pocket knife to slash across Athena's neck. A splash of red immediately appeared on the stone pavement as Athena held her bleeding artery with her palm. However, instead of collapsing, Athena stood strong as she removed her hand from her neck and revealed the massive wound underneath which wasn't bleeding any more. 

[Athena] - "So that's the game you are trying to play, huh? I'd happily oblige. Guilt Extension: Thunderstorm Above Mount Olympus! "

Said Athena as the expression in her eyes changed into that of a killer. 

Before Audrey could react, she abruptly disappeared under the weight of a massive fist descending from the heavens. Then, without warning, a dozen massive divine fists joined the slaughter and proceeded to pound the area with a relentless fury until stones were reduced to dust. However, to Athena's shock as the debris cleared, Audrey was somehow unharmed in the crater left by the strike. 

[Athena] - "It's intriguing... Truly! I wasn't even holding back this time. "

Said Athena as she looked down into the hole. 

[Audrey] - "I'm not dying this time, asshole! They can bury my friends, my colleagues and my countrymen, but they won't keep this bitch down. "

Said as she struggled to breathe. 

A hand suddenly grabbed Audrey from the hole and lifted her to face level with Athena.

[Athena] - "Tell me, why did you fight dishonourably earlier when I gave you a chance at a fair fight? "

[Audrey] - "A fair fight? Yeah, I can smell the bullshit coming from your mouth from here! Whether I win or lose, the outcome is the same. We were sent here to die, either by your hands or by the hands of those who wanted us dead back home. The only way I'm getting out of this was striking you down while you were vulnerable. "

A massive gust of air blew against Audrey's face as she used her friction ability to stop a fist from striking her in the face. Although the effort of keeping the hand from striking her face was pushing Audrey to her limits, she still kept a cool mind as she eyed Athena with resolve in her eyes. 

[Audrey] - "You people talk about fairness but what is ever fair? While you fuckers were murdering everyone indiscriminately, we, the honest few, can only watch and wait for the day our execution order comes through. My friends are now either dead, held prisoner or brainwashed. So when you said you'd offer me a fair fight, what was ever fair about it? In the end, the result is the same! "

Yelled Audrey as she grinned her teeth bitterly at Athena. 

Upon hearing Audrey's words, Athena felt empathy as she saw herself reflected in the same helpless situation described by her enemy.

[Athena] - "You might think I had a choice too but I don't. I'm merely following the orders of a man I knew was a beacon of light when the world descended into darkness. I promise, that once all this is over, I'll get to the bottom of this. Forgive me. "

Said Athena as she showed a look of understanding toward Audrey. 

As Athena backed away from Audrey, she thought to herself: "Is there an end to all this once this is over? Is this truly her last mission? "

[Audrey] - "Look me in the eyes as you kill me, demon! "

With a slight nod, Athena acknowledged Audrey's request by maintaining eye contact with her all the way as she moved back. 

"All this time... I survived thanks to my ability. By increasing the friction of my body to the maximum, I ensured that no matter how hard she hit me, I would still be structurally intact. However, judging from the look of it, whatever she'll throw at me next isn't something I would survive. "

Thought Audrey. 

As Athena slowly moved to position, Audrey took a look at Senju before turning to stare at Oltevin who looked at her helplessly. With a reassuring smile, Audrey nodded a silent goodbye to her old friend before turning back to face her executioner. 

[Athena] - "Existential Judgement: Greek Kitchen! "

Massive hands quickly began wrapping around Audrey while the sky roared with thunderous fury as lightning manifested despite the clear blue sky. 

[Audrey] - "It has truly been a short-lived adventure, hasn't it, Kadyn? Blue Shine Over The Guillotine Blade... How did you even come up with this name, hehe... I'm sorry I couldn't help you when you needed my help, Kadyn. "

Said Audrey with regret as tears streamed down her cheeks. 

To be continued...

*EXTRA:

- Profile: Athena

- Rank: Marshal of the CR-455 Empire, Chimera cyberknight, Cardinal Class-3 knight. 

- Abilities: Divided into 2 categories, each of Athena's 3 abilities has a different name for the weaker and stronger variant.

- Ability 1: [Obvious Avalanche / Thunderstorm Above Mount Olympus]: "Under the weaker variant, the ability can summon up to 2 massive godly arms from Athena's sides which can both attack an enemy or act as a shield for Athena or her allies. Under the stronger variant, the ability can summon up to one hundred such godly arms from any location and simultaneously strike at an enemy or defend. "

ABILITY STATS (ability 1): O.A. | T.A.M.O.

Power - B | A

Speed of ability - B | A

Speed granted - B | A

Range - C

Durability of ability - A

Durability granted - B | A

Precision - C | D

Potential - C

- Ability 2: [From Sisyphus With Love / Burden of Eternal Damnation]: "Under the weaker form, the ability can summon a single large boulder aimed at a single target. While active, the target must either bear the burden of the boulder against his body until deactivation or if the opponent were to destroy or discard the boulder, the boulder would reappear heavier and more robust than the last time until the target either accepts the burden or dies. Under the stronger form, the boulder would also carry an exponentially growing electric charge while electrocuting the target relentlessly. "

ABILITY STATS (ability 2): F.S.W.L. | B.E.D.

Power - D to S | C to S

Speed of ability - E to S

Speed granted - None

Range - S

Durability of ability - S

Durability granted - D to S

Precision - S

Potential - D

- Ability 3: [Divine Violation / Champion of The Titanomachy]: "Under the weaker form, the ability will manifest as a bow and arrow made of electricity in Athena's hands which can allow her to fire an arrow made of a few million volts of electricity. Unlike normal electricity, the manipulated arcs of lightning from this ability will only obey Athena's command until she's no longer in contact with it, thus guaranteeing Athena's safety while attacking. Under the stronger form, Athena no longer needs to channel the attack from her hands as electric arrows can manifest anywhere around her target. However, Athena can still choose to channel from her hands if she wants to focus all the power of the attack to form a single arrow capable of carrying upwards of a few billion volts of electricity. "

ABILITY STATS (ability 3): D.V. | C.T.T.

Power - B | A

Speed of ability - A

Speed granted - E

Range - C | B

Durability of ability - A | B

Durability granted - E

Precision - A | B

Potential - D

- Existential Judgement: ??? "Yet to be revealed"