NOVEL NEXT Chapter 650: Lighting Throws
But Gears wasn't giving him time. He moved like a storm—fluid, unpredictable, the drones creating multiple points of attack while his own form weaved between them. Aldric struck at one after another, but each time, he found himself hitting nothing but smoke and metal fragments.
Then, in a moment of clarity, Aldric saw an opening. He lunged, his Cavalier's lance striking true, piercing through Gears' chest—only for Gears to grin, blood trickling from his lips. "Too late," he whispered.
The construct behind Aldric detonated—a controlled explosion that sent Aldric sprawling, pain flaring across his back. He hit the ground hard, gasping for air, his vision blurring. He felt ribs snap under the force, his breath coming in wheezing gasps as the pain drowned out all else.
As he struggled to his feet, he saw Gears standing over him, both swords raised. "Like I said," Gears murmured, his voice almost gentle, "nothing personal. Just the way things have to be."
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As Gears raised his blade to deliver the finishing blow, a shimmer of dark light surged between them, blocking the strike. Ty's King piece stood over the defeated Aldric, one hand firmly gripping Gears' blade. The metal ground against the spectral energy, the impact reverberating in a clash of magic and steel. Gears made a ticking sound of annoyance, his eyes narrowing in disbelief.
"What the hell are you doing?" Gears spat, his frustration palpable.
Ty forced himself to his feet, the ethereal light of his King glowing dimly as he pulled himself to his full height. He took deep, heaving breaths, exhaustion dripping from every pore of his body, but the resolve in his eyes remained fierce. "I can't just let you kill him," Ty snapped. His voice wavered, a combination of anger, confusion, and sheer fatigue. "I know—I know I have a mission here—to take him out. But what are you Black Bulls doing here? What the hell is going on?!"
The tension between them was palpable, a silent moment of confusion before the metallic clatter of drones echoed around them. Ty's mind raced, the noise pressing in, his muscles screaming with pain. I can't let them just do what they want, he thought, his heartbeat pounding in his ears. A sudden realization cut through his haze of exhaustion: Aldric still has one Life Coin left.
With a burst of energy born from desperation, Ty swung around, ignoring the agony radiating through his body. His King lunged forward, spectral blade slicing through the air, severing Aldric's form in half before he could react. Aldric let out a choked gasp, his body splitting, but the ethereal energies kept him from fading completely.
"As soon as you call for a forfeit, wake me up!" Ty shouted, his voice echoing across the fractured battlefield.
Aldric couldn't respond, his breath hitching in his throat as he dropped to his knees. The pain of losing another Life Coin was like an electric shock radiating from his core, his spirit reeling from the sudden severance. He fought for composure, his eyes darting up, and he caught sight of a gaping hole in the ceiling, burnt wires dangling like broken vines. Drones zipped through the opening, their red eyes spinning as they scanned the area. Beyond the burnt-out ceiling, Aldric could see Ty—still unconscious, slumped lifeless on the ground.
Aldric groaned as his ribs ached, struggling to catch his breath. He looked around, disoriented. "Hey, drones!" he barked, his voice hoarse and cracked. "What the hell is happening here? We need backup! What's going on?!"
The drones, undeterred, kept spinning, their mechanical whirring an indifferent response to Aldric's growing frustration. He looked over to the main entrance, seeing the doors locked tight. The man who had entered with Ty was banging on the door, his voice muffled but frantic. Aldric bit down on his thumb, the sting keeping him alert as he forced himself to slide down the shattered remnants of the platform.
Stumbling towards Ty's prone body, Aldric fought the waves of dizziness. His vision blurred, his head pounding, and all he could think of was how nothing about this made sense. The Kingdom Guards should have been here by now. Where were they? Shouldn't they be swarming the tower, handling whatever security breach allowed these lunatics to break in? The academy had protocols for this, but no one was coming—no alarms, no reinforcements. Damn it, Aldric cursed under his breath, rage boiling beneath his fatigue. Everything was spiraling out of his control.
"Why did it have to be now... of all times," Aldric grumbled, his voice raw. He slid down to his knees beside Ty, noticing the crystal hovering above the burnt and broken board, vibrating as if it were shaking Ty, willing him to wake up. But Ty remained still, his body unresponsive.
"Get up, damn you," Aldric growled, but Ty didn't stir. Gritting his teeth, Aldric staggered back to his feet. He needed to think, and fast. His eyes darted back to the ethereal gameboard—it was in disarray. The spectral remains of his three shattered pieces lay scattered across the board, while Ty's King piece stood, half-broken but still there. Something caught his attention—a slot on the back of Ty's piece, a place where Life Coins were inserted.
Aldric frowned, his instincts telling him there was something he needed to do. He reached down to his pouch, pulling out a battered metal bottle. He took a deep breath, wincing as his side throbbed, the cut from earlier burning. Aldric raised the bottle, aiming it upwards, his palm slamming against the back of it. A stream of clear liquid shot out, splashing onto the coin slot on Ty's piece, covering the surface entirely.
A grinding noise echoed, the gears inside the piece turning with a strained, metallic groan. The Life Coin lodged within began to shift, dislodging as the liquid seeped in. With a sudden clunk, the coin fell out, the King piece jerking to life with a violent shudder.
Aldric dropped the bottle, his hand trembling as he stepped back, nearly stumbling over the shattered remains of his Platinum Cavalier. His vision was narrowing, exhaustion gnawing at the edges of his mind. "Come on," he muttered, staring at Ty's piece. "Get up... damn you."
Suddenly, the King shuddered violently. Its once-broken form reassembled itself piece by piece, the radiant light returning in flickering pulses. Ty's consciousness jolted back, his eyes flying open as if waking from a nightmare. He gasped, his chest heaving as he sucked in air, the raw desperation of survival flooding his senses.
Moments later, Gears materialized, his form emerging from the chaos. His hand held a small plush object, the fabric twisting unnaturally as it shrank under his grip. He glanced at Ty, his gaze cold, his eyes reflecting nothing but the mission. "The plan was simple," Gears said, his voice heavy with irritation. "Kill the spoiled Academy brat and get you somewhere safe, demon. You didn't need to make this so damn difficult."
Aldric struggled to his feet, every muscle in his body protesting. His breathing was labored, his chest heaving as the crystal beside him began to spin, its energy shimmering with an unnatural light. "I... I don't know what he's talking about," Ty blurted, the desperation plain in his voice, his eyes darting to Aldric. "But they're dangerous."
"Yeah, no shit," Aldric muttered, his words interlaced with deep breaths. He wiped the sweat from his forehead, glaring at Gears. "They've been a thorn in the kingdom's side since I was a child. But this? This is something new. What do we even do now? The drones are watching us, but nothing's being done about it. Where the hell is everyone?" His voice cracked with annoyance, his patience wearing thin.
Ty's eyes flicked toward the far side of the room, spotting the man who had accompanied him still pounding against the door, trying in vain to get it open. "He's still alive," Ty murmured, almost to himself, relief mixing with bewilderment. "But why doesn't he just use his skill to break through?" The thought gnawed at the back of his mind, a puzzle he couldn't solve in his current state.
Gears let out a long sigh, his patience visibly eroding. He shifted his gaze from Ty to Aldric and back, an air of inevitability cloaking his every movement. "Regardless," he said, his tone devoid of empathy, "whether you want to listen or not isn't up to you, demon. The boss wants you brought in—to end this madness once and for all. So comply... or don't." His words were laced with finality, as if he already knew how this would end.