“Let’s go!” Crystal said as she helped the others stand
“No!” Jerome responded
“Its too dangerous. Let me go by myself. If all goes well, I’ll return.” He continued
“By yourself? Are you crazy? He’s Destroyer. You need a team to stop him.” Crystal said
“I’m not risking the life of your group. Besides, if he attacks, I can burn him instantly. Burning Eye’s system is in me.” Jerome replied
Everyone looked at each other. When they attacked him, he could have just burned them all, but chose not to. Those who stood relaxed on the wall, and those who were down didn’t bother to stand anymore.
“I’ll return with something, anything. My power keeps evolving. Unlike the rest whose powers are fixed, my system evolves with what I experience. I can counter anything he sends.” Jerome said, confident in his system’s adaptability.
“Goodluck then. If anything happens, burn something in the sky. We’ll be on our way the instant we see the smoke.” Crystal said
Jerome nodded and headed towards the doorway.
Meanwhile, in the laboratory, Destroyer silently entered once again. He crossed his arms and chanted: “Alterios Ceteris Paribus, Nothing Is Constant”
All sounds around him stopped, and everything was still. Alterios Ceteris Paribus allowed Destroyer to stop time, but he could only do it while his stamina allowed him. He checked every room, making sure that he would not be attacked by Grand Slayer.
The laboratory was a lot clearer during the day. The dust particles still floated around, and the cracks on the walls became more evident. Plants were already climbing the walls and floors on the hallways and corridors, but most of the technology in the lab was still active and usable.
He entered one of the stockrooms and heard a loud snore, a snore worthy of a giant. He peeked through the room and saw Grand Slayer asleep inside the room.
“To think that it was this easy” he said
He approached Grand Slayer and placed his hand on Grand Slayer’s chest.
“Ernisum ka” he playfully said
His hand slipped through flesh and bones, and as soon as he felt it, crushed the heart of Grand Slayer.
“Absorb” he said
All the seals within Grand Slayer was transferred to him. Time moved again, and Grand Slayer silently passed away in his sleep.
Destroyer laughed. He never felt power as great as the power he had acquired. He laughed and laughed as he regained his previously stolen powers and laughed even more when he gained the monstrous strength of Grand Slayer, and the stolen ability to steal seals.
On the other side of things, Jerome had just arrived outside the laboratory.
“Destroyer” he muttered to himself
He slowly walked towards the entrance, looking left and right to see if anything would come flying towards him. Every step was a careful one. If Destroyer was able to see what happened, then he would come charging at him, or so he thought.
He could only theorize the potential events that would happen if Destroyer found out, and none of them are too good for him and for the city.
He silently pushed the door aside and stepped in, careful not to step on any glass shards or remnants from the laboratory that might cause noise.
Destroyer began to move downstairs, and Jerome followed him through an alternate staircase. In the basement, Jerome saw a single hallway. He peeked through, being sure to not be seen by Destroyer in case he appeared in the hallway.
The heat signature was gradually dying down until it could barely be seen anymore, but the clacking noise of Destroyer’s shoes were already audible from his position.
Suddenly, the clacking stopped, and all was still. Nothing other than the blowing wind made a noise inside the laboratory. Jerome closed and opened his eye, hoping that he’d be able to see even the tiniest speck of Destroyer’s heat signature, but he found none.
“There is no need to hide Jerome. I know you’re here.” Destroyer said, his voice echoing along the hallway.
“Do you know what happened here?” Jerome asked, still hiding from the corner.
“I’ve seen the final tape. I saw what happened.” Destroyer said
“When?” Jerome asked
“There was an MDM inside this building. I played back the memory from there.” Destroyer replied
“So, I guess you know where things left off three years ago.” Jerome said
“Yeah. I guess it’s about time we tie loose ends.” Destroyer said
“I guess so” Jerome replied.
He created a spike out of metal and sent it flying straight through the hallway. It could be heard cutting though air, but the sound immediately stopped, and nothing followed.
“Not bad Jerome, it seems like Wind Bearer won’t be useful as a nickname anymore.” Destroyer said
“It seems like this little quarrel of ours led to an outcome nobody expected to come” he continued
“You wanted to destroy society, you wanted to remove the weak. How could I not stop you?” Jerome said
“If you take away the weak, only the strong will remain, and the remnants will thrive on the Earth left by the weak. I am removing the useless.” Destroyer replied
“Useless? Everyone has a use and purpose in this society.” Jerome replied
“Indeed. Some were left behind to be stared at with pity by the beloved of this world.” Destroyer said
He started walking forward
“If my project succeeded, we would’ve been a powerful race. By taking the weak point away in the chain of humanity, I made it stronger. But that was stopped by you.” He continued
“What exactly are the weak holding back from you?” Jerome asked
The walking noises stopped, and silence gathered around for a few seconds, before Destroyer replied again
“The Boundless World of my creation.” Destroyer replied
“Sacrificing people will not create a better society!” Jerome said
“Of course, but it would create a better world. This Earth would thrive, the land and the seas will be reborn, and the remnants of humanity will enjoy and thank me for the utopia I have bestowed upon them. I will destroy the Earth we destroyed and make a new Earth for the new humans.” Destroyer said
“That’s wrong. Humans are not objects or chess pieces, they are creatures capable of remembering, feeling, and deciding upon anything and everything that enters their lives. You’ll have a better world, but will you have better humans?” Jerome said
“Give them three Generations and they will forget the sorrow they experienced, and Children of this new Earth would jump around in happiness, for the abundance of resources given to them is many in number, it may even be endless.” Destroyer said
“I would’ve given the current humans a try instead.” Jerome said
“What do you mean?” Destroyer asked
“To create what was lost, to provide what was missing, all that humanity ever spent would be recreated and refilled, using creation to close the widening gap between humanity and the future they hope of achieving.” Jerome said
“But recreating all the resources of humanity will only cause them to destroy it more. The world will suffer, it will burn and all that will be left would be the ashes of your stupidity.” Destroyer said
“Then I’ll recreate even more resources. Even if it was at the cost of the world. That is my vision of a boundless world. A world where all can thrive with nothing holding them back.” Jerome said
“To destroy humanity and save the world, or to destroy the world and save humanity. A sacrifice for stability. Which will it be, I wonder.” Destroyer said
“I guess there is only one way to find out.” Jerome said
“Through blood.” Destroyer replied
The wall beside Jerome cracked and a sword split through. The blade barely missed his cheek. He crouched down and saw through the wall, but he was too slow. Three serpents had already made his way towards him.
“Ernisum Ka!” he said as he swung his arm to the shape of an arc and a wall of hard air blocked him from the serpents.
But just as he thought he was safe, Destroyer broke out of the wall beside him and pinned him to the wall. He looked at Destroyer’s face and burned his forehead.
Destroyer held his breath in pain, but immediately tried to rush back in. Jerome lowered his stance and hit Destroyer with an uppercut enhanced by Ernisum Ka, flinging him back to the wall he came out of. He then placed his hand on the floor and created a brick wall over the hole.
He prepared a set of metallic spikes, ready to fire wherever he needed them to go once Destroyer reappears.
All was silent for a while, and things were still, too peaceful for an encounter with the Destroyer.
He attempted to get a reading but noticed that his eye had been malfunctioning since he hit Destroyer. There were no movements, nor were there sounds or footsteps.
Bang
The entire lab shook. A huge force equal to that of a battering ram had just collided with his wall.
Bang
A second hit slowly made the wall crack. The ceiling began to rip apart too, as well as the floor.
Jerome swirled his arms in a circle and created a huge circular shield to protect him from whatever emerges from the other side of the wall. He planted his feet firmly on the ground and went down to a low stance.
He waited patiently for the third strike, ready to take it head on. Three seconds passed, then five, then ten, until he was no longer able to count the time it took for the next strike. Nothing moved from the other side, and he was certain of that even though his eye malfunctioned.
He stood up and kept his shield with the assumption that Destroyer went for another path. He turned his back and ‘Crash’
Within a single second, he felt all the bones in his skeletal system break apart from each other. All the muscles ripped from his tendons, and all his senses disconnected himself from his nerves.
It wasn’t a huge hammer, nor was it a battering ram, rather, it was Destroyer, who teleported through the wall instead of destroying it.
The punch was so strong, it flung Jerome out of the lab and into the parking lot, where he was unable to move. He looked up and saw a transformer. With all the focus he had, he blew it and created a fire on top of the pole it was on.
Destroyer stepped out of the laboratory and into the parking lot.
“How unfortunate.” He said
“You could’ve been so much more. But you’re far too inexperienced, Jerome.” He continued
Jerome looked at him with all the strength he could muster.
“Oh, you finally arrived. Welcome, welcome.” Destroyer said as he looked into the distance
Jerome looked to where he was watching and saw the impossible.
An emotionless face, a graceful dress, eyes which bear all knowledge. It was Omnipotent Vision, along with everyone else.
"The final curtain draws near. Welcome one, welcome all, to this grand conclusion of marvelous heights." Destroyer gleefully exclaimed.
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