Chapter 20: March of the Machines

Blood… Blood is on Mr. Auriel's hand. Is it some form of torture or is it a form of hell? Whatever it is, all he knows is, right now, his mind is blank from what is happening.

Everyone's eyes widen as the pool of blood formed just beneath the chunk of concrete.

The biggest shock is how 'The Pestilence' shed a tear of anguish, an evil capable of showing no mercy still shed tears?

'You have the potential of concentrated negative energy, Auriel. You're untainted, straightforward and direct to the point. personality is perfect to embody the highest grade that I needed to hasten the completion of what I have started. You never doubt what you do that is what is great about you. I'm sorry if I had to do it. Because of you, there will be less despair and suffering.' Will thought as he felt guilty.

Mr. Auriel held what is left of Layla's fingers, what is left of the heaven he protected and cherished so dearly. Anger immediately succumb the three as they stood back up and gave their all to put Will to his knees yet Mr. Auriel is left to his knees and mourn, still comprehending what has transpired.

There was no calmness in his mind but a drizzle, slowly turning into a storm, slowly turning into a disaster. The swelled up stress and anguish slowly transformed into pure adulterated rage.

Bashed by the shield, targeted by bullets, engulfed by flames yet no matter how the three want to pursue justice to Will, they just end up flying back to where they first initiated. Though, they still did damage to him it isn't enough. Mr. Auriel had to turn his gaze to Will.

He doesn't understand the pain that is aching in his heart. His feelings, as if in limbo finally started to compress into one single taught. This hatred mixed with the highest form of melancholy, the static world just turned off with a single voice that kept echoing despite the turmoil.

'KILL! KILL! KILL!'

The built up rage became something more sinister. The pure and unadulterated perspective of Mr. Auriel became pure and unadulterated intention. 'Kill' it exclaim.

The three was down to the dirt when they were about to pursue Will again but the heaviest aura haulted them from proceeding their advances, reminiscent to the aura that the Demon Lord of 50 years ago exudes. They felt the highest form of rage that Mr. Auriel had to forcibly muster. All throughout Schrym, gigantic robots, mechs, janitor, law enforcer, armed and dangerous, all machine he personally creed, all gazed and pointed to one direction and one direction only, towards the fight that is currently happening.

Back at the Castle.

The emperor noticed the rumbling of the water on his water cup. His curious gaze put him at hault as he noticed a slight imbalance. The door to his office slammed open as a subordinate rushed in with hurried look.

"What's happening?" Emperor Tut curiously asked,

"It's the Pestilence, my Sire! A battle broke out at Labalaylo and is now being intercepted by the legendary party as it seems!" He exclaimed,

'Labalaylo? The hometown of Mr. Wrench? Why would the Pestilence target that place where the Party is at and also close to here, the capital of the continent? Does he not fear the well-known defenses of my continent?' Emperor Tut thought,

Another subordinate also rushed in and gave a new information.

"Sire! All the machines of Mr. Wrench are rushing and flying towards one point. It is as if it is being recalled!"

"WHAT?!" Emperor Tut exclaimed,

'What is happening?' He thought,

"Call Captain Vizir and bring in reinforcements towards the battle! And bring me the mana gun!" He commanded,

"Yes, Sire!"

Back at Labalaylo, Schrym.

'The most pure of negative energy, it is forming?' Will thought as a drop of cold sweat dripped down his grinning cheek.

"WILL!!!!!" Mr. Auriel screamed with the highest form of anger.

The machine guards of the coast of Scryhm activated its propeller and flew towards him, all the janitorial servicing machines haulted and ran towards the feedback. All machine recalled to where Mr. Auriel, rushing with no hesitation, a continental collateral damage as the rushing machines had no other order but to pursue the Pestilence at Labalaylo; Mr. Wrench's hometown.

The first few machines who reached the area first assembled to Mr. Wrench's arms turning into a massive huge machine arms as he rushed towards the massive spider puppet and punch its face with a hook. Will flew off the spider and immediately regain balance as he immediately summoned his most powerful puppet mount, a more bigger spider. Puppet Erina casted huge support spell towards Will and Will release all of his puppets as he noticed an army of machines rushing towards him.

"STRING FIELD!" Will surrounds himself with all his controlled puppets and flew all around,

"MARCH OF THE MACHINE!" Mr. Auriel pointed at Will and all the approaching machines ran towards Will.

His puppets clashed with the rampaging machines, scraps of wood and metal all around. The advantage of the puppets of Will is that they can cast magic individually but that doesn't mean that the firepower of the machines of Mr. Auriel is lacking. Ms. Castle saw the business man puppet she saw during the evening party, her eyes widen.

'THAT GUY?! AND WHEN THE HELL CAN WILL CONTROL THIS MUCH PUPPET AT ONCE?' Ms. Castle thought,

"OBSERVE!" Mr. Xen shouted,

Gasped at what he saw, Mr. Xen can only cover his mouth in shock.

"Le-level 91!" Mr. Xen exclaimed grabbing the attention of both Ms. Castle and Mr. Gustav,

"91! The hell with that?!" Mr. Gustav widen his eyes,

'No wonder he can control that sheer amount of puppets now. That is just insane!' Ms. Castle thought as she felt helpless.

Mr. Wrench screamed loudly as scraps of metal on the ground shaken and pulled towards him like a neodymium magnet. Turning his leg into a massive mecha legs. As all of his machines jump backwards, retreating from confronting the puppets of Will as Mr. Wrench did a huge roundhouse kick destroying a portion of Will's legion of puppets.

The giant spider puppet shoot a spin of web at Mr. Wrench putting him immobile, the other upcoming machines from the coast, assembled to his torso and head of Mr. Wrench turning him into a steampunk mecha, a heatwave steam off of its body burning the spin of webs that is trapping him.

A giant spider puppet and a Steampunk Mecha stood face to face. Like a kaijuu face-off.

Ms. Castle stood up with a serious look.

"XEN! GUSTAV! LET'S EVACUATE THE PEOPLE!" Ms. Castle exclaimed.

"I can't leave Auriel on his own!" Mr. Gustav retaliate as he approached Ms. Castle,

"Auriel is mad and stubborn, he will not differentiate a friend from foe. We might even end up blocking his way. We will support him from the side once we evacuated everyone who is still alive." Ms. Castle firmly said.

Mr. Gustav wanted to retaliate but what Ms. Castle said is true, the well being of the people that needs evacuating is still top priority especially now that Mr. Auriel doesn't care about anything else but killing Will.

"Alright!" Mr. Gustav agreed and immediately evacuated the nearest people trapped in debris.

Mecha Wrench punched the huge spider, the huge spider skid backwards as Mecha Wrench open of all of its missiles, guns from every socket in its mecha body and pointed it towards the spider. Puppet Erina casted a protected shields.

"Heaven's Guardian."

"CONTINENTAL DEVASTATION!"

The force field received all the blows of all the missile and bullets. It held on until it cracked but all the firepower of Mecha Auriel's Continental Devastation piped down but all the wizard puppet of Will already chanting a spell on standby, after all the spell of Mecha Auriel, the standby spell was casted.

"Sun Point!"

A beam of light shoots down from the sky at Mecha Auriel as it slowly contentrated down to a single point then a massive explosion devasted Mecha Auriel, turning it burning red in heat.

"AURIEL!" Ms. Castle exclaimed, helping an injured soldier.

The skin of Auriel, inside the mecha, is starting to melt like butter but his will is just the same as the mecha had to slouch top the scorching ground.

All of Will's mages started to chant the spell again.

"Gustav! Evacuate everyone fast!" Ms. Castle said as he pass the injured soldier to Mr. Xen as she rushed towards Mecha Auriel.

"SUN POINT!"

a beam of light started channelling from the sky as it slowly concentrate to one point.

The expectant eye of Will widens as he can finally see the near end of his plans.

"HEAVEN'S PROTECTION!"

A massive shield was form and took the impact of Sun Point, a magic so devastating that it needs 20 high level mages for it to be casted, Ms. Castle placed all his willpower in order to stop the full blast of the magic. His hands started to burn and scorched as the end of the magic exploded, leaving Ms. Castle flying with trails of smoke coming from her hand and shield.

Will step foot on the mecha Auriel as Mr. Wrench looked at Will groaning, mustering all will just to not lost conscious. It would be so after taking a full hit of SUN POINT. Will stared down at Mr. Wrench in pity.

"I hope you understand." Will muttered as he reached out his hand and lift Mr. Wrench out of the Mecha,

"Fuck you!" Mr. Wrench groan,

Will, with pitiful eyes, placed a blade at Mr. Wrench's heart.

"I am sorry my friend. I do love you." Will muttered.

As he was about to stab Mr. Wrench's heart, his blade flew as he retreated backward. Mr. Gustav and Mr. Xen stood in front of the dying Mr. Wrench.

"Get away from him, you shit!" Mr. Gustav angrily said.

"Sigh. Why can't you guys understand? Though, it is not my fault that I didn't share my vision." He uttered,

"Vision to kill people? I don't want any part of that!" Mr. Gustav exclaimed,

"We saved all lives? We saved the world! You didn't forget that, didn't you?" Mr. Xen reasoned him,

"We didn't saved the world! We just stopped the demon lord from blowing it!" Will exclaimed angrily,

"Then what are you doing the?" Mr. Xen questioned,

"Me? I. I am saving the world!" Will continued,

"Yeah! Saving the world by killing thousands of people!" Mr. Gustav rebuttal,

"No! By eradicating the virus!" Will reasoned,

"Yeah right!"

"You want to rule the world, is that it? you want to be god?" Mr. Xen further asked,

"No. I am not god. After all this, I will also kill myself. I am also a virus." Will replied,

"Well, kill yourself now then?!" Mr. Gustav said as he fired at Will.

Will is shielded by Puppet Erina.

"After, I clear all virus." Will muttered.