⁕ A new, different path (Volume 1 finale)

The snowstorm bashed relentlessly against the entrance to the aircraft hangar. As its doors opened to allow entry to a few patrol aircraft, the angry wind immediately rushed in followed by a violent wave of snowflakes. Kadyn watched as the roaring jet engines rolled past her side. When she gazed at the white hell on the other side of the massive metal gates, an expression of concern appeared on her face. Although she didn't know what was happening to Mike, she could almost feel his exhaustion and pain. 

She didn't realize it at the time but her crystal was glowing with a gentle blue light. Instinctively, she reached her hand forward as if she were trying to reach something that was not there. Meanwhile, Mike also reached his hand forward. Despite the distance that separated the two, it felt as if they were right by each other's side. 

[Mike] - "With you, no distance is too far. Let's go dance on Saturn's ring. "

Whispered Mike as Sniper's fist impacted him. 

When Mike reopened his eyes, he found himself kneeling in front of Sniper. However, it wasn't a gesture of submission but an act of defiance as his palm held against Sniper's attack. During this time, Kadyn suddenly felt the resolve in Mike's heart. Although she couldn't offer him any help, she still raised her fist in the air. 

[Kadyn] - "Don't let dreams be dreams. You are not alone in this! No matter the distance, this is our fight, this fire is shared by our souls. Your fist is the hammer that will break through the chains of fate. Tell that bastard... "

Yelled Kadyn as a massive jet beside her ignited its roaring thruster. 

Despite Sniper's effort, Mike still managed to gradually stand up. The pain and exhaustion that threatened to break Mike's psyche quickly became an irrelevant thought in the back of his mind. Sniper watched in disbelief as Mike's defiant grin reappeared through his broken helmet. 

[Kadyn and Mike] - "...Just who the bloody hell do you think we are! "

The jet blasted into the storm and scattered the snowflakes that obscured the sky with its powerful backblast. At the same time, Mike pushed back against his opponent with such force that the subsequent shockwave managed to dislocate Sniper's sternum. Before Sniper could recover, Mike concentrated all of his power into his fist and pressed it against his enemy's forehead. 

Faced with this predicament, Sniper could only focus his power on defence or risk a fatal strike against his head. With his opponent now trapped, Mike began to assault Sniper with his other free hand. Although his fist was empowered with his ability, Mike still managed to break apart most of Sniper's armour. When Sniper tried to defend himself with his own arms, Mike simply smashed his joints into a mess. 

While Mike's cybernetic arms and armour are built for combat, Sniper customized his armour and implants with luxury and look in mind. Imprisoned in this situation, Sniper could only watch helplessly as Mike's fist smashed away at his flimsy diamond-coated gold armour. A genuine sensation of fear began to crawl its way into Sniper's brain but he refused to acknowledge his own terror. 

As Sniper tried to divert a tiny percentage of his power for a sneak attack, he was shocked by an immense pain that drilled through his skull. Humbled by Mike's determination, Sniper immediately reverted to a full defence. With a powerful punch, Mike's fist broke through Sniper's chest plate and shattered a row of his ribs. Blood quickly exited through Sniper's mouth as he desperately tried to search for an escape. 

After much deliberation, Sniper decided to lie flat on the ground which allowed his body to sink under the dirt thanks to the pressure created by Mike's offensive ability. This way, Mike's fist won't be able to damage his body while he thinks of a solution to his predicament. Upon realizing what Sniper was trying to do, Mike abruptly diverted a part of his power into an upward force. 

Being too focused on his defence, Sniper didn't manage to react in time before both he and Mike were catapulted into the sky. Soon, they came to a halt before they both started to fall. With a swift turn, Mike pressed Sniper's body below him to impact the fall while still keeping his fist pressed against his head. 

[Sniper] - "Damn you, you bloody traitor! "

Yelled Sniper in anger. 

[Mike] - "You should be happy, my emperor. You'll be soon ascending for real! "

Said Mike in a joking fashion. 

[Sniper] - "You can't kill me! I'm a God! You are nothing but a fucking mortal, a traitorous fucking mortal! YOU CAN'T! "

Yelled Sniper in complete hysteria. 

[Mike] - "Then let's find out if you are truly a God! "

With a deafening boom, Sniper's body smashed into the soil before splattering into an unrecognizable red mess. After the dust settled, Mike became the last man standing. Victory was finally his. He has done the impossible while keeping his promise to Kadyn. Although he was still kept alive by his ability, Mike knew that he won't last long if he didn't seek medical treatment. 

[Mike] - "Arrivederci, you piece of shit. "

Said Mike as he kicked some dust over Sniper's broken helmet. 

As soon as Mike flew away, the steaming pile of flesh began to twitch. The bloodied eyelids of the corpse suddenly rolled open to reveal a pair of hatred-filled eyeballs. Earlier, at the last microsecond before he got smashed to pieces, Sniper sent a command to his crystals. While Mike bashed Sniper's head to mush, the signal travelled to his crystals and ordered his brain be reconstructed inside his abdomen while still connected to his spine. 

When Mike thought he had obliterated his opponent's head, Sniper's brain was actually reconstructed inside his abdomen, mixed in to resemble his intestines. As soon as Mike left the scene, Sniper began to rebuild his body through a complete rewind of his injuries. 

Meanwhile, Kadyn waited patiently in front of the relentless snowstorm. Still with no sight of Mike, Kadyn began to worry as all sorts of negative thoughts filled her mind. Just as panic started to fill her heart, she suddenly heard a sonic boom in the air as a distant object flew toward the entrance

[ground personnel] - "Is that a plane? "

[flight engineer] - "Is that a missile? "

[off-duty pilot] - "Looks like a man... wtf, superman? "

Mike suddenly landed inside the hangar and stopped just in front of Kadyn before falling against her. A look of shock was shared by everyone at the scene. Even Kadyn was shocked by Mike's sudden appearance. 

[Kadyn] - "By the queen, what the fuck happened to you? "

Said Kadyn in a concerned voice. 

[Mike] - "Got hit by a hurricane, the Tsar Bomba and the wrath of Zeus. You know, the usual. "

Said Mike in a sarcastic tone. 

When Kadyn finally got a better look at his injuries, she almost fainted at the sight of an empty chest cavity without a heart. 

[Kadyn] - "I must be seeing a ghost. You can't be alive with this kind of wound. "

Said Kadyn while covering her face with her hands. 

[Mike] - "Geez, being called a ghost just because I was gone for a few hours. Did I time travel or what? "

Said Mike as he tore off the few broken pieces of armour still attached to his body. 

The people around Mike were in shock as he blatantly revealed his identity as the Grand Knight. Everyone believed the Grand Knight to be an experienced veteran with a face grizzled by age and scars but no one expected to find a 20-year-old young man behind that ominous mask. 

[Mike] - "Is Ethan around? I'm dying to get some anesthesia for this chest pain. "

Said Mike with a grimace as he tried to bear the agony.

[Kadyn] - "He is on his way. Oh, thank god you are still kicking. "

Said Kadyn as she gently hugged Mike with a sigh of relief. 

[Mike] - "I did promise you I would come back. "

[Kadyn] - "I knew you would this whole time. I never doubted you for a second. "

Ethan rushed through the curious crowd and arrived to see Mike still in an embrace with Kadyn. 

[Ethan] - "Did you do it, boy? "

Mike signalled Ethan with a thumbs up. 

[Ethan] - "I knew you got it in you, son. I'm glad you are safe and sound... "

As soon as Ethan noticed the gruesome injuries on Mike's body, his mood immediately changed from joy to shock. 

[Ethan] - "...Almost. Sweet Mother of Christ, what the fuck. "

[Mike] - "A painkiller would be appreciated, damn it. "

Said Mike while holding back tears. 

[Ethan] - "Come, the ship is ready. I'll get ya treated on the way. "

Said Ethan as he waved for Mike and Kadyn to follow him. 

The crowd moved aside as Mike limped forward supported by Kadyn behind Ethan. After ascending a few catwalk levels, they reached a special operation ship with a spacious interior. 

[Ethan] - "Prepared to take off, McCree. "

[McCree] - "Roger that, partner. "

Said McCree as he flipped a few switches around the pilot seat. 

Meanwhile, Ethan hurried down the ramp to help Mike onto the ship. As they slowly moved up toward the ship, Ethan couldn't help but admire Mike's resilience. 

[Ethan] - "When we get out of here, would you two care to come visit my son with me? He's a fellow engineer workin' for the Allies. I just want to show him the work I've done on you two's crystal systems. "

[Mike] - "We'll come by after a good rest. I really need a fucking break. "

[Kadyn] - "Thanks for your support, Ethan. We both really appreciate your contribution. "

[Ethan] - "Aw, don't mention it. I prayed for that bastard's downfall for quite a long time. You did me a big favour, son. "

After reaching the last steps, Kadyn kissed Mike on the cheek. 

[Kadyn] - "Come on, Mikey, we are almost there. "

Suddenly, Mike's head jerked forward before streams of fresh blood exited from all of his facial orifices. Kadyn screamed as she immediately noticed Sniper's fingers jammed deep inside the back of Mike's skull. As Ethan tried to save Mike, Sniper abruptly punched through his chest with his other fist. With both Mike and Ethan on the ground, Sniper now turned his attention toward Kadyn. 

[Sniper] - "Come face your doom, you corrupted creature of hell! If not because of your existence, I would've had Mike in the palm of my hand. "

Instead of trying to flee or fight, Kadyn simply remained frozen in place due to the shock of witnessing Mike's brutal execution. Without warning, Sniper violently grabbed Kadyn by the neck and lifted her in the air. 

[Sniper] - "No matter now. What's 20 more years for an even more obedient servant? "

Said Sniper as he tightened his grip. 

Suddenly, a hand grabbed Sniper's wrist before crushing it into pieces. Kadyn breathed loudly in relief as she was dropped from Sniper's grasp. Sniper didn't even have time to react before a hand crashed through the back of his neck and launched him out of the ship. Kadyn raised her head and saw a glimpse of Mike before he went after Sniper. 

Kadyn forced herself out of her stupor and rushed forward to see Mike's body missing from its resting place. Meanwhile, Sniper was lifted into the air by Mike whose hand grabbed tightly to Sniper's spine through the back of his neck. Simulator to the situation earlier, Mike used all of his power to hold onto his target while Sniper used all of his power just to prevent his demise. 

[Sniper] - "It's impossible! I killed you! I reduced your brain to a mush! "

Blood kept flowing out of Mike's nose. Like a walking impossibility, Mike still operated his broken body despite the lethal damage inflicted on his brain. As if his will lived beyond the grave, his corpse was determined to accomplish his goal of killing Sniper.

During this time, Kadyn rushed to Ethan's dying body and tried to find a way to save him.

[Ethan] - "Don't bother now... *cough* It's too late for me. "

Said Ethan in a weak voice. 

[Kadyn] - "No, no, doctor, stay with me! You can't go just yet. "

Said Kadyn in a panic as she tried to stop the bleeding. 

[Ethan] - "Give this to my son. *cough* Let him have all the equipment I have packed inside the ship. He will be able to fix Mike's damages. *cough* "

Said Ethan as he handed a small disk to Kadyn.

[Kadyn] - "I'm sorry, doctor! I'm so sorry! "

Cried Kadyn as tears streamed down her cheeks. 

[Ethan] - "Live a good life, Kadyn. Don't walk the path of fools like me who sacrificed family over my own success. *cough* Treasure your loved ones, they are the compass when you get lost in life. Now go, you have a long road ahead of you. "

Said Ethan as he gently tapped Kadyn's shoulder. 

At last, Ethan let out his last breath and allowed his worn hands to finally rest. Kadyn wiped her tears and dragged Ethan's lifeless body into the ship. 

[McCree] - "Hey, what's going on back there? Are we leavin'? "

[Kadyn] - "I'll tell you when to leave, just shut up and wait! "

Yelled Kadyn in frustration as she wiped more of her tears.

[McCree] - "What's with the attitude... alright. "

With a powerful jab, Mike's fingers stabbed through Sniper's armour and acquired a jagged piece in his hand. With a worried look on his face, Sniper watched as Mike raised the piece in the air and prepared for a strike. 

[Sniper] - "Stop! Stop what you are doing! If you kill me, the empire will fall into chaos and the world will be caught in another even more bloody war! Think, Mike, think of all the innocent people who will suffer as a result! "

Yelled Sniper in a panic.

[Mike] - "So you admit that you are mortal. "

[Sniper] - "I'm still a God but those mortals you loved so much will suffer from your action. "

[Mike] - "We all fucking die someday, even you! Vada a bordo, cazzo! "

Yelled Mike as he slashed his weapon through Sniper's neck. 

With a metallic thud, Sniper's head rolled onto the floor before stopping in front of Mike's feet. As much as Sniper believed himself to be a God, even in his eyes, Mike became the man who managed to instill fear into the eyes of a God. Terror filled Sniper's mind as his head was lifted in the air alongside his body. 

In his last moments, Sniper received a taste of the doom he bestowed upon all of his victims. Before his eyes, there is Mike's fist but the aftermath is complete hopeless darkness. The sensation of the empty void terrified Sniper as he felt the touch of a thousand hands all wrapping around his body and head. They quickly robbed him of his sight, his hearing, his taste, his smell, his sensations and finally, his freedom. Sniper was suffocated under a sea of nothingness, crushed under the weight of a thousand universes. 

With a single punch, Mike splashed Sniper's body into a fine red mist that stretched for a few hundred metres. No one dared to speak or approach Mike. Sniper's remains were enough of a warning for any cyberknight or soldier to back the fuck off. 

All around the world, previous victims of Sniper's power suddenly regained their will. Karson woke up in a pool of cold sweat only to feel as if he was let out of solitary confinement. Meanwhile, miles underground, Scaphism breathed a sigh of relief before the chains around his limbs began to break apart. 

After making his way into the ship, Mike abruptly collapsed on the ground while Kadyn rushed toward him. At first, Kadyn smiled joyfully as she held Mike in her arms.

[Kadyn] - "You did it, Mike. We are finally free. "

However, Kadyn immediately felt that something was off. Instead of the usual fun and charismatic personality displayed by Mike, he simply stared blankly at the ceiling. 

[Kadyn] - "Mike? Are you alright? "

[Mike] - "I sometimes ask myself, why did I wait so long to fulfill my promises? "

Said Mike in a weak voice. 

[Kadyn] - "Well, we can live our dreams now. It's over, Mike, we are free to live our lives. "

[Mike] - "I wished I could go back in time and take you on that interstellar dance. I regret that I didn't take you there sooner. "

Kadyn was slowly beginning to understand why Mike was mentioning all these things but she refused to accept what was soon to happen. 

[Kadyn] - "I don't want any of it. I just want you to be with me. "

Said Kadyn while holding back tears. 

[Mike] - "Why did you choose me? I couldn't fulfill any of my promises to you... I can't even find a wedding ring. I just wish that you loved someone who could actually be there for you. "

Said Mike as his voice grew fainter. 

[Kadyn] - "I would always choose you. No matter in what life, no matter in which dimension, I will always choose you. Always fearless, always selfless, always optimistic. You are the only one and no one can replace you. "

Said Kadyn as she began to weep. 

[Mike] - "No tears, alright? You need to be courageous, my little Lemon. You can't stop because of me. "

Said Mike before the wound on his neck reopened. 

Mike's ability was slowly extinguishing as the light from his crystals grew dim. 

[Kadyn] - "I will give up all those dreams just to have you around. There is still so much waiting for the two of us but there is nothing for me alone. Please don't leave me, I'm scared. "

Cried Kadyn as she held onto Mike's cold hand. 

Having lost control over his wounds' integrity, Mike was left without the ability to speak. Mustering the last of his strength, Mike reassured Kadyn by tapping his finger against his heart before slowly pointing at Kadyn's. With one last grin, Mike's body went limp while the light vanished completely from his crystals. 

Upon seeing armed soldiers rushing up the ladder, McCree decided that he couldn't wait any longer. After seeing what seemed to be all three of the supposed passengers in the back, McCree confidently closed the ramp and stepped on the thruster. In a flash, the ship rushed out of the hangar into the snowstorm. 

Meanwhile, people inside the hangar began to panic at the sight of Sniper's remains. While some cried at the loss of their emperor, others immediately saw an opportunity to seize power for themselves. Like a pack of hungry hyenas, cyberknights rushed in to collect pieces of Sniper's armour and other valuables to aid their claim to the throne. One of them was CR-455. As Judge, Valentine and other high-ranking officials arrived inside the hangar, they quickly saw CR-455 approaching a puddle of Sniper's blood. 

[Judge] - "Stop him! Don't let him get close to the blood! "

CR-455 kneeled inside the blood and with an enthusiastic smile, coated both of his arms and hands in Sniper's blood. All of a sudden, his crystals mutated their shape, took on an irregular pattern and gained a white shade similar to Sniper's crystals. Judge quickly ordered a cyberknight to arrest CR-455 but CR-455 simply used his ability to freeze the knight into a massive icicle. 

Upon seeing the hopelessness of the situation, Valentine grabbed Sniper's crystals from the ground and rushed up to Judge. 

[Valentine] - "We can't stop him. Let's not be test subjects for his new ability. "

Valentine pulled a German flag out of his pocket and covered both himself and Judge under it. Like a magic trick, they abruptly both disappeared below the flag without a trace. 

[CR-455] - "I declare myself the new emperor of the unified global empire! "

Yelled CR-455 as he unleashed a massive bolt of electricity into the ceiling. 

Meanwhile, the clandestine ship continued its course over the sea and its destination is America where the main Allied Forces are situated. Inside the cargo section, Kadyn slowly lay beside Mike's cold body and cried herself to sleep. 

Volume 1 END.