Chapter 21: Losing A Precious Arm To Judgment Day
<0.1 Second…>
Whoosh!
Just before he was cleaved in half, Hao blocked with Vibe Edge. Clang! The struggle between the two combatants was intense, their weapons were vibrating from the force, even shooting off sparks. While their blades were still pressing against each other, Hao motioned his free arm around his back and used Judgment Day to slap her to the side with a powerful swipe. He sent her tumbling across the floor like a tumbleweed then immediately bolted towards the exit.
"Diana!" Colgate's anger surged upon seeing what happened to his partner. In his mind, he vowed to exact vengeance on Hao.
Hao approached the grand door hastily; stepped into the magical circle and waited impatiently to be transported outside. The door's scanners began to scan him and initiated the transmission process. But just as he was about to vanish, Colgate rammed into him with ferocity.
Boom!
Both of them were teleported outside the guild's archive simultaneously. They materialized outside, rolling and tumbling down a flight of stairs, attracting the attention of the young crowd nearby.
"You're not going to slip away from me this time around!" Colgate pinned Hao to the ground beneath his massive frame while his face was contorted with rage. He then began pummelling Hao's face with his huge fists. Each blow resounded with a thunderous boom, echoing off the archive's outer walls.
Boom! Boom! Boom!
Hao's injuries worsened with each passing second, his face was becoming a swollen, bloody mess.
Meanwhile, Diana was recovering from her earlier assault inside the archive, gritting her teeth in pain as she prepared to join the fray once more.
With each blow, Colgate roared, "You think you can just humiliate us and get away with it?!"
Boom!
Colgate's massive fists struck Hao's frail frame with the force of a sledgehammer, each blow shaking the very ground they were on. "You little shit! I'm going to destroy you then rip that bloody sword from your dead body!" he bellowed with unbridled fury.
Hao struggled beneath the onslaught while attempting to shield himself with his scrawny arms. Each time Colgate's fist connected, the sound of cracking bones reverberated through the air like the snapping of twigs.
"Ahh!" Hao cried out while spitting out saliva and his face contorted in pain. He began to think internally, 'This beating is unbearable. I might break if this continues for another second. What can I do to get this big dinosaur off me?'
Desperate for a way to escape, Hao recalled the scene he bore witness to back at Mentos's abode, the scene relating to Kitten's death. A vivid memory flashed in his mind, 'That just might be my only way to escape.' He decided it was worth a try. Thus, his Vibe Edge, which he had miraculously managed to hold onto despite the brutal beating he was getting, hummed a familiar tune within its internal circuits.
With a sickening thud, another punch from Colgate made Hao spit blood. The muscular brute's fist was already winding up for another blow when Hao yelled, "Stop." Colgate's fist halted in mid-air, just inches from Hao's face. If it had connected, it would have surely ended his life.
Colgate's eyes narrowed as he waited to hear what Hao had to say. "Speak your last words before I retrieve the stolen object.."
"You want it so badly...?" Hao saw his chance and acted quickly. With a weak, trembling hand, he secretly removed the covering from the hilt of Judgment Day and thrust it forward. "Here, take it!" he exclaimed, forcing the hilt into Colgate's right hand.
"You should have done this a long time ago," A twisted smile appeared on Colgate's face. The power of the X-Class weapon surged through him, invigorating him with a newfound sense of triumph. "Don't think that I won't still finish you off because of this," he threatened.
Colgate raised his fist to deliver the final blow, Hao winced, silently begging for Judgment Day to act quickly. Just as Colgate's fist began to descend, a strange sensation washed over his right hand. The hand gripping Judgment Day began to lose vitality, the skin shrinking, veins popping and bleeding.
"What the hell? Ahh!" Colgate screamed as the sword seemed to be absorbing him, drawing his life force into its cold, dark embrace.
"Huh," Hao gasped, finally free from Colgate's crushing grip. He watched the horrifying scene unfold with Vibe Sense, never taking his focus away for a split second.
"Woah! What the heck is happening to that big guy?" Cried a member of the startled crowd that had gathered around them.
"That voice…?" Diana emerged from the archive, drawn by the sound of Colgate's anguished screams. She easily located him among the crowd then took in the horrifying scene before her. 'The weapon is doing that to him,' she realized this quickly then bolted over to offer her aid. "Colgate, let it go!" she shouted.
"I can't! This thing is glued to my damn arm!" Colgate replied, strained with pain as he futilely struggled to release the sword.
Diana knew there was only one option left. Without hesitation, she used her Blade Edge to swiftly sever Colgate's arm, just above the elbow. Blood spewed from the stump, painting the ground a gruesome red. Judgment Day fell to the ground with the severed portion still attached, absorbing it into its dark mass. It seemed to radiate dissatisfaction, having been denied the chance to consume Colgate entirely.
Fear washed over Hao as he took in the horrific scene, sweat dripping from his face and his legs trembling beneath him. It was a miracle that he could even stand, considering the extent of his injuries. His face was swollen and battered, and his body ached all over from the relentless assault.
Despite the grisly puddle of blood beneath him, Hao noticed a Ramp-Train behind him beginning to move. Wasting no time, he grabbed Judgment Day and sprinted toward the moving vehicle, his body protesting with every step, still, he managed to hop onto the train just in time, leaving the chaotic scene behind.
"That bastard is getting away," Colgate growled through gritted teeth. He turned to Diana, his face pale from blood loss. "Go after him, I'll be fine."
"Are you sure, sir? You don't look so good," Diana was very concerned for his health.
"Go!" Colgate urged her, his voice weak but still commanding. "I said go now!"
Diana hesitated for a moment longer, then nodded. "Okay, I'll get going. But I'll call someone over to come take care of you." Her eyes hardened with untrammelled rage as she focused on her mission to capture Hao dead or alive. Activating the power of her Blade Edge, she shouted, "Soar!" and vanished like the wind, her body blurring as she raced after Hao.
CREATORS' THOUGHTS 
AuthorsDread
AuthorsDread Your gift is the motivation for my creation. Give me more motivation!
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone