OLD-WORLD EXTRA

Chapter 204: Once A Good Man

Chapter 204: Once A Good Man

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Emir's every step was arduous as he staggered forward, clutching Alex's severed head in one hand and his cut-off arm between his teeth.

The weight of his own body and the trophy he carried made each step heavier than the last.

His moving feet were uneven and labored as if the very ground beneath him conspired to pull him down.

The grime on his dead augmented suit bore witness to the brutal battle he had just emerged from.

Blood dripped from his wound, staining the ground in a macabre trail.

The metallic taste of his blood mingled with the dirt in his mouth, a bitter reminder of the price he paid for victory.

His only path towards it.

One that Emir would never shy from.

Step.

Every inch was a herculean effort.

Step.

Step.

Ste-Step.

A few stumbles didn't deter him.

Emir continued to move.

Step.

Step.

Step.

Step.

His breath came in ragged gasps, and his remaining hand trembled under the strain of his burden.

Step.

Ste-Step.

The weight of the severed head in his grasp seemed to grow with each passing moment...

As if it carried the weight of the entire battle.

After many more trip-ups, he reached those who remained in battle.

His eyes saw Lyra, helping out Emma and Jake in dispatching the last of their assigned cohort.

His comrades were now executing their final scene, with Emir's heavy breaths acting as the background music.

Lyra, the Shadow binder, had her dark, smoky tendrils of shadow reach out, enveloping the enemy captain.

They seemed to writhe as they coiled around his shadow, immobilizing him in a nightmarish embrace.

Emma, the Spell Weaver of the group, wasted no time.

Her ice bolt, powered by her staff, tore through the night's air, an icy streak that struck true.

It pierced the Knight's neck causing him to convulse in pain.

His attempt to scream was silenced as the icy grip of the bolt spread, freezing him from within.

Jake, their Arcanist with a bladed staff as his weapon, followed Emma's attack with a brutal swing, shattering the Knight's skull.

The sound of the impact was sickening.

A bone-crushing, visceral noise echoed through the now-silent battlefield.

The Knight's lifeless body fell to the ground, a crumpled figure.

Blood pooled around his shattered head, creating a gruesome scene that signified the end of the show.

It contrasted starkly with the peaceful, distant stars above.

Emir's gaze remained fixed on the head, his eyes not showing the smile that donned his face.

And just as Jake let out a breath, they all looked to their left, finally noticing his presence...

Their faces immediately showed extreme shock at his current state.

Battered and bruised, his augmented suit stained with blood.

A missing arm, a raw wound where it should have been.

His skin, paler than usual, was marked by evident signs of blood loss.

A quiet glint in his eyes, despite his weakened appearance, left his resolve unbroken.

That was their leader...

Their weakness allowed this to happen.

That was the first thought that crossed their minds as they rushed at him.

"EMIR!"

At their call, Emir finally allowed himself to release his severed hand from his mouth.

He took a shuddering breath and whispered:

"It's over."

"And you guys are late... just a bit, though."

Lyra was the first to reach out, wrapping Emir in her arms as she gently laid him on the

ground.

She took his body-less arm and gave it to Jake, who was standing just out of Emir's immediate

reach, afraid of hurting him.

"PUT THIS IN THE CRUISER'S INCUBATOR NOW!"

Jake didn't even nod as he rushed towards their cruiser.

Emma remained standing in disbelief, watching as Lyra shoved old-world medicines, costing hundreds of millions each, down Emir's mouth.

"What can I do?" Emma asked, urgency prevailing in her voice.

Lyra looked at her for a moment, then returned her attention to Emir.

"Keep watch. Kill everything."

"Understood."

Emma's footsteps marked her departure, and now only Emir was left, cuddled in Lyra's

embrace.

"Hey, why are you acting up? They're all dead, you know? And I'll be fine-"

"Shut up..."

"Can you repeat that? I didn't hear you; my ears are ringing, you see..."

"I SAID SHUT UP!"

Emir locked his eyes with her, and they stared at each other for a long moment, until he broke

it while looking away at the wasteland.

"What? Say it." Lyra's sigh reverberated through the silent space as she composed herself.

"Why didn't you tell me? Emma and Jake be dammed. I could've rushed to you and helped-"

"No." He cut her off with a snicker.

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"....No? Is that it?"

"You cut me off first; it's only fair that I do it too."

"Tell me." She demanded, her voice getting madder by the second.

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Emir answered her with silence.

"Is it because you thought you could handle him? He's a Seraphim. The fact you killed him

and survived is a miracle...."

"Your existence is a miracle, Emir. You have the blood of a Primordial, an Apex. Unlike me, Jake, and Emma, your existence is of the utmost importance...."

"You could've at least called me about your arm; if we didn't incubate it fast enough, you would've had to reattach a new one and start over."

"...Do you want that?"

|| ||

Emir pleaded the fifth once again.

"I say this without even taking my feelings into account, so you'd understand why I'm so

mad, right?

Emir sighed, stopping Lyra's rambling.

"...I do, but a man has his pride. Besides, it was a private moment between me and Alex; I

didn't want anyone to disturb."

Lyra sighed and softly tapped Emir's forehead.

"Is that really it? Don't lie to me."

"It was... fun... You know the feat of soloing a seraphim at this rank is a great one..."

Emir's smiling eyes returned to Lyra's, and then he lifted his remaining hand, presenting

Alex's head to her.

"And he was a good challenge... a good man."

"He wanted to save Earth, but he was branded as a traitor to Earthkind."

"Questionable decisions, yet he deserved better than to go against me..."

"He hurt you." Lyra said, her voice showing obvious hate towards the head she received.

"Extract his memories.... We can safely expect that he scrambled his brain, but who knows, he

might've messed up the process."

'He's smarter than that, though...' He added inwardly.

"Alright. But don't mind that for now; let's get you to the cruiser, alright?"

Emir nodded and stood up with Lyra's help, trudging forth.