CLAIR DE SOLEIL

[Location: LAYER 4: GREED]

[Objective: D E S T R O Y T H O S E [e x p l e t i v e r e d a c t e d] R O B O T S]

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“—!!!”

The blue robot known as the “Death Machine” didn’t give me any time to react.

I thought I had the advantage in speed by running down the pyramid faster than it could slide, but the distance between us was very quickly closed by the firing of a rocket overhead to distract me. Little did I know it was actually surfing on the rocket, but I find it extremely embarrassing that I allowed myself to get distracted nonetheless. Upon realizing my mistake, I immediately turned my head and saw it land several feet away in front of me; the resulting impact creating a massive smokescreen of golden dust.

When the sand hit my face, I had the unfortunate pleasure in discovering a new fact about the Greed layer that’s never been recorded before: The sand is so hot it melts skin. While my arms failed to cover my face in time, the dust parted before any damage could worsen.

What luck… I thought to myself; knowing full well that it wasn’t going to last.

If God was playing a sick joke on me to curse any good fortune that would later go my way, I definitely wasn’t laughing. As soon as I began to lower my arms in relief, that’s when the severity of my reality kindly reminded me of the consequences of letting my guard down. It was at that moment a new problem arose before me.

Greatly contrasting the harshness of the goddamn sun’s rays on my skin, I suddenly felt a cold, metallic sensation violently grab my wrists. It was that damned blue robot; persistent in finishing the job. The difference this time around, (because we ran away earlier inside the pyramid), is its determination; indirectly telling me that it’ll never let me go, no matter the cost.

The robot’s camera-shaped head, with what should've been a soft yellow glow on its only lens for eyes, was now being illuminated by a flashing hue of blue.

“!!! IS THAT A—”

And indeed it was.

In its left hand was a railgun; sparking, glowing, and shaking with visible delight at the thought of being fired. And then—

“────────”

It fired without hesitation. And why wouldn’t it? A machine of war not taking a clean shot? That was the perfect moment for a kill and damn did it deliver a finishing blow.

A streak of blue escaped the supercharged railgun. Caught at point-blank range, a body could be seen flying across Greed’s golden sun-lit sky until it came to a stop at the Statue of Liberty’s torch. As the dust cleared, there was nothing but a pile of ash that as quickly as it settled on an edge from within a giant dent on the Statue’s torch, a gust of wind blew away what remained of Red, the human who contested with the strongest machine of war ever built…

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As for the fate of Matrix, the other human…

His head was blown off by an arm that belonged to a robot in red.

After a series of unfortunate events that resulted in the loss of a few limbs, he too (much like his companion), suffered a fate of having his only remaining arm bound by an icy, cold, metallic hand. Much like its blue counterpart, the red robot, alternatively known as the “Machine Supreme,” lacks any recognizable facial features due to it also possessing a camera-shaped head. However, it seemed to communicate one thing through its body language: A particular enjoyment of inflicting pain on anyone that it discerns as an enemy.

This is all the more evident as it delivers one nasty gut punch after another in quick succession; seemingly enjoying the sensation of destroying the weak, feeble, and frail human opponent lying before it.

This one-sided “fight” took place atop a massive chunk of pyramid debris that’s actually sliding down said pyramid, and Matrix noticed something during the brief moments of respite in-between the “Machine Supreme’s” punches: It’s barely damaged armor-plating was rebuilding itself as it absorbed his blood. As it committed the execution of carrying out its final punch, instead of retracting its arm for another strike, the merciless creature of steel kept its left arm hyperextended and raised it towards Matrix’s head.

The next thing he knew, an explosive shockwave escaped its two steel knuckles and instantly separated head from body. Matrix’s head flew high in the air, eventually crash-landing somewhere deep in sands Greed’s golden desert, where it caught on fire and instantaneously turned to ash.

The ultimate machines of war emerged victorious in this climax level duel.

Red and Matrix were halted (killed) before they had a chance to enter the layer of Wrath.

End Hell Expedition Log.

[GAME OVER]

“GODDAMN ITTTTT!!! WE ALMOST HAD THEMMMM!!!”

“Uh— By ‘almost had them,’ I think you mean we completely fucking botched that”

“You shut up!”

End