488. Wilderness, 9

(Myls)

Blume speaks to the machines. Blume speaks to the animals. Blume has the mathematical and physics knowledge to calculate and estimate the size and speed of a satellite.

She has an ever-transforming body to adapt, able to grow and move with astonishing vigour.

I’m a lowly human next to one of them. The ones calling themselves gods. She’s almost immortal and almost invincible...

I’m a little pissed off and jealous. But I have the utmost human technologies with me now.

They will all remember why we ruled the world. Very soon.

I may be naught but a bug next to her, against them.

Oh please, underestimate me and my resolve. Please, god, please do.

Continue to underestimate me like Rose has with you...

~

We await the new calamity now. We stand there watching the night sky.

We know it will be a better one. A more powerful one than before. There’s an obvious pattern of progress each time confirmed.

The fire ball pierce the night and thin layers of clouds.

It doesn’t slow down where it usually does but much lower, less than fifty metres above ground.

The flame bursts as the wings spread, and turn into blazing flames, too close to the ground. There’s the sound of a very rough landing. She slowed down far too late.

The wings have burnt and the body crashed.

Blume and I don’t need to exchange a word, nor even a look.

We stay put. We still wait.

And we were right.

The calamity is not dead yet.

This one actually moans. She’s the first one with a voice. Her body is a little far, but aside her burnt wings reduced to horns and maybe the impact shock, she seems alright.

I shoot. I miss as she twitched at that time.

I think and fear that wasn’t random luck in her movement.

She begins to run toward the observatory where we wait.

I shoot again. She dodges the path of the bullet very clearly.

This one is atrociously agile.

Blume erupts out of the gates, like a jungle coming to swallow her.

The light appears as usual.

But this time not as a poured liquid or gloves over her hands.

She’s entirely glowing, and everything trying to touch her is vaporised.

Blume loses a few limbs trying to catch her before she realises it. A complete ball of fire. A perfect defence and offense.

I shoot her in the back. She still mostly dodges, but I graze her.

Blume and I understand what to do.

The calamity looks at me for a second, straight into my eyes.

More than hate, an absolute murderous intent perspires from her.

The burning light surrounding her body becomes erratic.

Blume’s human shape raises the sword of light and pierces through the fire in a central thrust. The blade catches fire but doesn’t melt instantly like organic materials did.

Calamity evades the blade trying to pierce her chest. She steps back under the attacks of Blume and her sword catching fire in the glow.

Blume caught her full attention.

I use that distraction to take another closer shot. I only graze her again. And I felt the murderous intention explode in response.

The light collapsed and then bursted out of her. I took cover and Blume blocked, burning her surface.

In a swift jump, the calamity reached me this time. I stepped on her patience once too many times and would be killed first instead. But I was already aiming at her with my handgun.

Bullets flew, that she somehow all avoided. She’s inhuman.

Blume appeared behind her just as swiftly before she could reach me.

The light is collapsing. She’s gasping as she has to dodge Blume’s furious attacks again.

She’s strained, she’s exhausting herself. It shows.

I shoot, without a care for Blume right behind.

Calamity jumps above us, making the unsteady floor where we all stood crumble and collapse.

Blume doesn’t mind that I shot her along.

Calamity stands above us on a ledge. Her light is gone. Her face is showing sweat and anger. She’s clenching trembling fists.

Blume still holds her sword ready, and me my handgun.

C - Daiûa...

Blume looks surprised, to the point she’s lowering her guard. I can see parts of her body releasing their tension.

B - You can speak?

The calamity looks shocked. Anger returns all over her anyway in a tide. She wants to jump down on us to kill us.

But we’re steady on our feet, both of us, and ready to face her.

She realised her victory is far from acquired and it doesn’t appeases her fury. Maybe she’s the first one to wonder about her chances of victory or survival?

I understand why Blume is intrigued now. Not because she’s the first one strong enough to face us like that, but because she’s the first one to display some higher intelligence.

Her hands restart glowing.

We get ready for that, I step back to a better cover.

Calamity jumps down, and somehow changes her trajectory with another boost from the wall.

She rolls around like an eel surrounding Blume’s upper body, avoiding all her attacks and my aim.

Fire appears along Blume.

I knew the balance could turn easily. Blume is overpowered. My bullets can’t cause a critical wound from where I am. I get closer as they fight and struggle. I see blood splashing.

I shoot in the middle with little care for my friend.

I hear a yell from Calamity, hurt.

She jumps again toward me for vengeance, bleeding. It was a reckless move. The sword of light violently pierces her back at that moment, protruding out from her chest.

She looks shocked, stopped in her movement. The tip of the blade comes out in my direction. Calamity is impaled and weakening.

I take aim at her head without mercy.

We exchange a last shocked and hateful gaze, and I pull the trigger.

The one second that follow feels like a gust of wind.

She dodged. She ripped another limb out of Blume, and managing to pull herself out from her strike zone and mine.

She bumped into me as she escaped, stealing the sword of light that wounded her.

She runs outside, leaving me on the ground and Blume readily after her.

They ran outside.

What the hell happened tonight?

Blume returns shortly after, unsuccessful. This calamity escaped...

And maybe it will survive.

~