Chapter 35:
Co:Ded
Xenox growled, frustration seeping into his movements as he suddenly jumped into the air.
I need a second to regroup!
But just as the thought crossed his mind, something unexpected happened.
A figure dove down from above, a flash of motion cutting through the air. Xenox felt an intense pressure on his left arm, and before he could react, it was sliced clean off. His neck was twisted backward with a snap, the sensation of being attacked making his body jerk in shock.
“What the hell?!” he shouted in disbelief. His left arm began falling and before it could drop further his appendage reattached it with a smooth, metallic click. He twisted his neck back into place, growling in pain.
“Shit!” Xenox cursed.
“It must be Prog!” Xenox realized, his mind racing as he prepared for another wave of attacks.
Xenox’s body was suddenly constricted by an invisible force, and before he could react, he felt himself being bound by Blockchain wrapping around him.
I’m constricted!
Xenox thought, panic creeping into his mind. He couldn’t move. His massive appendages struggled against the unyielding force, but it was no use.
I need to break free!
Prog, loosened the whip to force Xenox to drop.
“Die. Xenox.”
Aiye, let out a triumphant shout. “Way to go, Prog!” With the perfect opening, he pulled out a bazooka he had strapped to his back, aiming it directly at Xenox.
Kimida, still firing relentlessly from a distance, continued her barrage of bullets. Each shot hit Xenox, who was already flailing helplessly in mid-air, unable to defend himself.
Aiye shouted, “Get ready to get hit by the Snowball Launcher!” He fired without hesitation, the massive snowball from the bazooka soaring through the air toward Xenox with terrifying speed.
Xenox’s mind raced.
Snowball launcher?! Recycle Bin won’t work on that! It’s water that’s been chilled and shaved down into a snowball—it’ll short-circuit me!
His thoughts churned as he continued to be peppered with bullets from Kimida’s hydroarm.
I’m already being hit by those bullets! I can’t defend against a snowball launcher, not with my usual speed! Even if it just hits an appendage, it’s over for me!
Panic surged as the snowball neared, growing larger with every passing second. Xenox frantically thought.
I need to stop that snowball!
He began pointing his appendages toward the projectile.
The corrosive acid vials on my limbs. I’ll use it to disintegrate the snowball! A weapon of that size… there can’t be much ammo left. I’ll only need to defend against five or so. That should be enough.
Xenox fired the acid vials toward the snowball with a determined intensity, the acid exploding outwards in a blinding arc.
But before the attack could land, a voice shouted from the side. “Monitor Xenox!” It was Supervisor Sharpei, leaping in front of the snowball to defend him.
Xenox’s eyes widened in shock. He had been so focused on his own defense, he hadn’t even noticed Sharpei rushing in. The snowball crashed directly into Sharpei, blasting him with raw force. The acid from Xenox’s appendages followed, eating through the snowball and burning Sharpei’s body in the process.
Aiye swiftly dodged the acid, but the corrosive liquid managed to hit his Santa hat, sending it flying off his head. “Woah!” Aiye exclaimed, narrowly avoiding further damage.
Sharpei hit the ground with a sickening thud, his body crumpling as the damage from the snowball and acid proved too much. The supervisor died instantly, leaving nothing but a trail of destruction in his wake.
Xenox’s voice was cold and mocking. “My goodness, I was just about to protect myself, you bellend.” Despite the situation, he couldn’t help but chuckle darkly. He rose to his feet. “You were trained well, boy,” he sneered as he stood over Sharpei’s broken body.
Kimida’s hydroarms continued to shoot at him, keeping Xenox on edge as the constant barrage wore him down. But Aiye wasn’t done yet.
“So what?!” Aiye shouted. He quickly fired another snowball from the bazooka, aiming for Xenox once again.
With swift desperation, Xenox grabbed Sharpei’s lifeless body with his appendages, using it as a shield to block the oncoming snowball. The snowball slammed into the dead supervisor’s body, and Xenox used the moment to charge toward Aiye, his limbs outstretched as he ran at him with murderous intent.
But just as he closed in on Aiye, something unexpected happened. Prog, still invisible, dashed toward Xenox to intercept. The air shifted with the sudden presence of Prog, but Xenox couldn’t see him. He could only sense his movement.
Aiye, eyes widening, shouted, “One more!” He launched another snowball at Xenox, just as his bazooka was sliced cleanly in half. “Who fights with a snowball cannon and a candy cane sword?” a voice mocked as the weapon was disintegrated mid-air.
Suddenly, a figure emerged—another combatant with pale white skin, wearing a jester hat, and decorated with heart-shaped makeup. The newcomer grinned as they swung a scepter toward Aiye, initiating a flurry of sword combat. The jester was fast and precise, engaging Aiye in a brutal exchange of strikes.
Xenox, still trying to defend himself, struggled against both Prog and Kimida’s attacks, the invisible Prog darting around, attacking him from unseen angles. Xenox was caught between fighting the two of them and protecting himself from Kimida’s continued barrage. His body was battered, his limbs heavy from the constant assault, but he refused to fall.
The communications sounded in Shinku’s ear, a grim chorus of notifications. The deaths of more District 1 officers were being announced, each one more chilling than the last.
Star’s voice dripped with scorn. “You wanna hear something funny? The vice president told me to protect you!” he shouted, his tone mocking. “They want to keep YOU alive for some reason—whatever your name is!”
Shinku’s mind raced, a spark of confusion flashing through him. Why would they want to protect him? What was so special about him? Before he could process any of it, Star was upon him, a powerful punch crashing down toward his head.
Star’s words and his fury fused together, and Shinku barely had time to react. The punch sent him crashing into the ground. Before he could recover, Star was already soaring down, ready to finish him off with a second, more devastating blow.
But just as Star’s fist was about to collide, a sudden flash of light engulfed them. Roton’s teleportation kicked in, pulling Shinku away from the strike. In the air above Star, Roton began firing bullets, each one whizzing by at an incredible speed.
Star, unfazed, let out a loud laugh. “I think that’s so funny,” he sneered. “You really think you can stop me, don’t you?”
Shinku, still trying to comprehend what was happening, stood back up, his thoughts scrambled. The vice president’s orders, the chaos unfolding around him—it didn’t make sense. Why would they need him?
As Star charged forward, determination in his eyes, Shinku jumped back, he fired an EMP with precision. Star was momentarily distracted, his movements slowing just enough for Shinku to get some distance.
But Star wasn’t about to let up. With terrifying speed, he barreled toward Shinku, throwing anyone in his path aside like they were nothing. “I don’t care how important you are to their plans!” Star shouted, his voice thick with rage. “I’ll kill you anyway! All of you!”
Shinku managed to raise his forearm just in time to block a vicious punch. The impact reverberated through his body, sending him flying backward, but he held his ground for the moment. Before Star could seize the opportunity and grab him, Roton’s data soared toward Shinku.
With a sudden flash, Shinku was teleported again, this time ending up right behind Star. The shock of the move was barely enough for Shinku to react before Star whipped around, his backhanded fist catching Shinku off guard.
Star’s voice was filled with an almost manic energy. “It just courses through me! I don’t know what it is!” he shouted, as if grappling with something deep inside. “Every human! Do I kill you because I hate you or do I kill you because I’m supposed to? Because I’m a computer!”
The punch sent Shinku flying back, but he forced himself to focus, pushing past the pain. Star’s words hung in the air, an unsettling declaration that only added to the intensity of the moment.
As Shinku sailed through the air, Star held both of his hands out, his body radiating with a dangerous energy. “Crash!” he bellowed, the force of his attack already building.
Roton, ceased his barrage of bullets. He sent his data to Shinku once more, teleporting him out of harm’s way. Shinku found himself hovering above Star.
Star’s eyes gleamed with an unsettling intensity as he aimed his hands upward. “Has your memory depleted, Roton?!” he taunted. “A simple pumpfake has you overextending?!”
Shinku froze as Star prepared to unleash his attack. “Crash!” he shouted, his voice like a thunderclap as a blast of energy shot toward Shinku.
The light from the explosion illuminated Shinku’s face, the sheer force of it radiating through the air. Time seemed to slow as Shinku braced for impact, but then—
Instantaneously, Roton appeared beside him, teleporting in just as the blast launched. Shinku’s eyes widened. Roton, too late to fully dodge, took the brunt of the blast, the energy grazing his side and tearing into his left side. A chunk of his side was vaporized.
“Roton!” Shinku shouted, his voice filled with panic and disbelief.
Roton, despite the injury, flashed a determined grin through the pain. “I’ll be okay!” he grunted, wincing from the agony but still looking firm. “We’ll beat him! Whatever it is, I won’t let them kill you, take you—whatever!”
Shinku’s mind raced, his mind scrambling to comprehend the weight of Roton’s words. But there was no time to hesitate, no time to question. Roton had chosen to fight, to protect, and Shinku couldn’t let that bravery be in vain. He nodded fiercely, his resolve hardening as he readied himself for the next strike.
“We’ll win this,” Shinku muttered.
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