No Odds The Flesh

Amidst the absolute anarchy of the city, I stand witness to the brazen but calculated assault on the towering wall. Dozens of soldiers ascend using equipment that Earl made, grappling hooks, and even a few with maneuverable Jumpers. They climb with deadly precision. All the while, they are shot at, and their gunfire and unleashed Sigils tear through the guards stationed at the top.

I even spot a familiar face as I sprint to catch up after speaking with Blake. She's right behind me, following my heels with a surprising speed. Apparently, Johnny gave her Edward's Heirloom. Bonebeak. It is usually a congealed drop of blood, but it can dive into the flesh and enhance a person's Vigor and physical attributes. It does so at such a level that her body is practically equal to an Angel's: sturdy, virulent, and hard to kill.

That familiar face strings his instrument as the air resonates with the explosive notes of a guitar, a symphony of destruction that shatters a section of the wall with resounding force. Debris crumbles to the ground, and I leap up after it.

My Living Manacles extend from my flesh, serving as both weapons and tools to vault onto the wall. Swift and lethal, I dispatch any guards unfortunate enough to be near enough to my landing to cross my path, ensuring they pose no threat to our takeover. Beside me, Blake induces fear into these guards with the many undead that follow her, rushing after the men while she joins in and beats them to death with her lively necrotic fists.

Surprisingly, in mere moments, our forces claim this section of the wall, a strategic foothold in the ongoing battle.

This is where we will retreat if we must. Plus, it will act as a sniping point for Elizabeth and the other marksman. That is if she decides to stay here.

Amidst the bloodied stones, I find my friend, the General, engaged in a brutal confrontation. His teeth, unnaturally canine-like from his Power, rip into the throat of the only 6th Sigiled here, sealing their fate. We exchange a brief nod as Tomas spits out gore.

"Good. The plan's working out quite well so far. But it's only getting started. Oh, there are also other races here, too. I think they are here to either take advantage or guarantee Eli's death. Regardless, we should kill them."

I nod to Tomas as he returns to ordering his men. I observe for a few moments as they quickly set up a station with ammo, medical supplies, and defenses. Meanwhile, I also help Elizabeth and the rest climb up. The Craftsman is a bit off-put by the dead bodies, but he recovers only a few moments after recoiling. The old him wouldn't have recovered at all. Tomas spins over to me as he hands me something with the utmost respect. My eyes widen as I see the vial in his hands filled with a crimson liquid.

The Philiam.

"Why do you have it?"

Tomas merely nods to me as he places it in my palms.

"It's yours. Edward had it when he died. Now, it's yours again. Though, his wife will probably want it back after this. She gave it to me. I wanted to wait to give you it for when we had a moment of brevity. Now, I need to get back to organizing our advancement."

I stare at the Philiam with a rumbling earthquake of emotions within the depths of my heart. Edmund...

Edward...

The father and the son. I've watched both die. I'll... I'll do this. I'll protect the grandson. I make a silent oath to myself as the world seems to wage a war against itself.

Outside the wall, the echoes of gunfire persist as the guards continue their determined efforts to reclaim their territory. Eli has trained his men well. They don't give up even after all this. I wonder... how many of them are Roots?

Probably a non-minor amount, but that is a future worry. Our conquest is far from complete, and the clash intensifies as we brace for the inevitable counterattack. The air crackles with tension as the battleground shifts. Tomas shouts into the air as he strides to the inner side of the wall.

"Get ready! Team A! You're with me! Team B! You secure the wall! We need a checkpoint for wounded and retrieval!"

Half the men split without even the slightest discussion amongst each other. I spot Richard lined up on the wall, tightening his vest that holds the contraptions for Earl's Jumper. He got one of them, I see.

Makes sense. He's pretty powerful between his enhancements and his acoustic attacks, but he has minimal movement capability. The tool will iron out most of his weaknesses.

The resounding clash of weapons echoes through the air as I descend from the wall first, landing effortlessly on the ground below. The fall hardly even gives me a jolt at this point, my frame so reinforced from all my trials and tribulations. The soldiers follow suit, their grappling hooks and agile leaps ensuring a swift and coordinated descent. Several, however, do just as I do, landing roughly and being able to handle the fall.

I return them a smile before continuing onward. We rapidly form a determined group as Tomas crashes beside me, and Bonfire soars over my head. He lands after a moment of flight, but of course, he has to show off.

With the Inhuman Wolf and the Shattered Flame by my side, we lead the charge through the inner walls of Onyx Gate. Our broad presence, thanks to the rugged soldiers and Tomas' fame, strikes fear into the hearts of Maddox's roaming bandits, who scatter like leaves in the wind at the sight of our united force.

Unlike outside of Primary, the pirates don't even try us. These must be the more experienced ones. That sounds about right. As we progress deeper into the city and the buildings gradually grow tighter and more compact, Tomas' gaze sharpens as he spots a group of Nahullo warriors charging toward us. They seem oddly determined to kill us.

Tomas raises his hand as he kneels slightly, fur rising from his flesh as his Power comes to fruition. Then, he sinks his hand down toward the ground.

"Fire."

His command is simple and succinct, but it is followed thereafter by a quick burst of gunfire. The Nahullo warriors that merely failed to notice us as we approached from afar fall in clumps as nearly half die at once.

"Now! Attack the Paleskins!"

Battle erupts once again as I dart forward alongside the soldiers and my companions, and we engage the Nahullo head-on. The clash of weapons, the whirling flames from Bonfire, the unerring accuracy of Elizabeth's rifle, and the lethal precision of my chains create a storm of chaos on the city streets. And those are just the fighters I take notice of. Marshall's soldiers are mighty on their own.

The Nahullo recover quickly, not losing any motivation. They retaliate, but they fall far too soon after losing half their number. I watch as Blake stabs the last one with her blade made of ghostly Ether. Despite the Nahullo's initial ferocity, our combined strength proves overwhelming.

They were strong, nearly equal to us in number, but between our swift bombardment and our superior Sigileds, it could really only end this way. We only have one casualty, and the man isn't dead, only severely wounded. I turn to face Tomas and Elizabeth for our next destination, as I have no clue how the innards of Primary work.

Yet, I don't make it all the way around.

Pain lances through me as a dozen steel blades pierce my flesh, catching me off guard. I stagger back, grappling with the shock as my knees give out, shards of metal already embedded in them. Glancing to my side, I already find Bonfire in a similar situation as blood drips from his arms. Right over my kneeled form, Tomas engages a Nahullo Angel, their clash a whirlwind of steel and bestial claws.

Dammit! Those four are back! And why didn't Shiver warn me? Am I not that experienced with it yet?

Probably none of those wounds were life-threatening. They only exist to slow me down.

While my wounds throb and Blodwyn races to heal them, Bonfire faces off against two formidable demons from the quartet, each seeking retribution for their earlier encounter. The air becomes charged with the crackling energy of Bonfire's flames, Bemola's ice, and Natos' radiance.

Despite my injuries, I gather my strength, bringing my body to a half-stand. As I do so, though, Timemi waves her arm from atop a nearby building toward me.

"Hello there, 'Blodwyn'. I don't like being tricked, y'know? Thought I'd teach you a little lesson. Don't play games with Pygmies. We're the ones who make them."

I grit my teeth in anger as bullets fly toward her from the soldiers, but I wave my arm, preventing them from firing anymore as I catch the lead with my chains.

"Stop! She can control metal! Go help your General! What are you doing here? I thought we were over this."

The soldiers listen to me as Timemi laughs with a piercing pitch. She raises her hands into a clap as she mocks me.

"You thought we were past our skirmishing? No, dear. Not nearly. You'll be seeing much more of me. For now, eat some metal. Anodra?"

As Timemi finishes, Anodra calls out in the Nahullo language, and dozens of more Nahullo rush out from nearby buildings from hiding, falling into a deadlock with the soldiers and the rest of the group. Blake and Primrose are strong, but there are Nahullo in this group just as formidable.

The clash intensifies with Tomas locked in a fierce exchange with the Anodra, neither giving ground. Both are purely physical combatants, but Anodra has a Carcass to defend her, while Tomas only has his thick skin. In the periphery, I catch glimpses of Bonfire as I dodge and deflect metallic shards, flames dancing around him as he fends off his adversaries. This quartet proves to be a formidable yet annoying challenge, their coordinated attacks testing the limits of the group. Marshall's soldiers are held back from helping Bonfire due to the repercussions of his attacks, while Tomas and Anodra move far too swiftly for anyone to help other than Rich.

Battling through the pain, I inhale a deep, rejuvenating breath, ready to retaliate. Power fills my very core as I leap toward Timemi. The quartet's unexpected emergence was no accident; it was a setup, a trap laid to cripple our advance. My speed is a tad slower than usual due to my legs not wholly recovered, and it shows.

Timemi evades me as she steps off the building onto a platform of metal. Then, she waves at me before sinking toward Anodra. I reach for her with Living Manacles, but her metal acts just as my chains do, guarding her body under her armor.

"Interesting group you all have! We will meet again! Thanks for killing Anodra's mother's enemies! Chain of command is such a bitch, isn't it?"

And with her shout, she reaches down to pick up Anodra, while those fighting around us scream at the quartet in hate.

"What?"

"How could you!"

"You bitch!"

Despite the outcry, Anodra forces Tomas back momentarily before leaping up to take Timemi's hand. Then, they speed toward the other two under Bonfire's raging onslaught.

It's better to just let them go, even if they are a nuisance. I hate that we've helped them with this, but we don't have time to chase them down. Ah! It's so frustrating, though. Now Anodra's family will be even more influential in the Roundtable, not that I know how much this actually helps her.

"Bonfire! Come back!"

My friend isn't pleased about it, but he listens to me, backpedaling while the quartet escapes after leaving the bodies and bodies of Nahullo. Turning around, the three of us rejoin the fight to kill the rest of the Nahullo here as they howl in betrayal at Anodra.

Again, we drop this group as we did to the last, but not without damage. Several soldiers head back to the wall already, carrying wounded. I let out a deep breath, careful not to destroy anything with my Gasp Of Freedom. Then, I stride over to Tomas as he scratches scabs on his skin. Those... are from sword strikes, right? Yup, yup, they sure are.

He does heal quite fast. I guess if he didn't, he'd have died on that train.

Tomas waves goodbye to his soldiers before twisting his hand to round us all up. I stand beside him as he reloads the Colt he used earlier.

"We'll go a bit slower now. I wasn't expecting such large groups of other races. I can't imagine how they got it. Doesn't make any sense. Unless..."

Elizabeth picks up Tomas' words.

"Unless this is all part of Eli's plan. He let them in without retaliating."

Nods fill the street as we all continue onward. We proceed with the utmost caution, our senses heightened after the earlier ambush. Battles echo in the distance, creating proof of the unrest within Primary, while ones even further hint at the battles still taking place outside Primary in the greater city. Despite the urgency, we move deliberately, ensuring the path ahead is clear before advancing.

Soldiers clear corners with their Colts and Claymores while Elizabeth guides us through with the maps provided by Earl.

As we traverse the wide streets, encounters with fleeing bandits become routine. Some choose to run, while others meet their end as we press forward. Maddox has so many fucking scumbags underneath him. I feel like I've seen a hundred die already today, and yet, there are even more. At least this portion of the city seems mostly clear of civilians. Who knows where they were sent, but they are few and far between. The bandits, though?

Where do they all fucking come from? Shaking my head, I resume my stride after killing another. These people are worse than demons. Killing is one thing, but they've gone far beyond that on their way here.

A brief confrontation with a man wielding a powerful artifact puts Tomas' nerves on edge, but I don't even spot the man. The Inhuman Wolf simply tells me to watch out for a man with a liver in his hands. I reassure him that I will as I look all over for any signs of the man.

However, time presses upon us, and the urgency to locate Earl, who can guide us to Eli so that we can kill him once and for all, intensifies. Of course, we could simply find Eli, but I imagine that is easier said than done. I'm sure he has a thousand contingency plans for this.

Elizabeth stops her strut and puts her hands on her hips while addressing us all.

"This is taking too long. At this rate, we won't find anything, whether it's Earl or Eli."

I scratch my head as I glance around, not seeing any better way to do this.

"Well, then, what do we do?"

Elizabeth spreads out her hand into five fingers as she points them toward the depths of Primary.

"We should split up. Four groups. Stay close enough to hear any commotion. If we find Earl or Eli, we reconvene and meet up."

Reluctantly, Tomas acknowledges the necessity of splitting up. I can see he hates the idea as it puts his men at a higher risk because he won't be there to protect them. And it is Richard who speaks up, the musician reassuring his General. His voice is smooth, if defiant.

"Sir, don't worry about us. We're here to get revenge for Marshall. Eli Weiss led to his demise more than even the bastards that did him in."

Tomas nods slowly, breaking his remaining soldiers into two groups. As he does so, I separate myself into a group with Bonfire, knowing the man is nigh-uncontrollable. Tomas joins the fourth group with Blake, Primrose, Dakota, and Elizabeth.

Keeping tabs on the groups, I realize that Richard is the head of one while another 6th Sigiled named Denise is the head of the other. With the groups made, we set off, searching for either Earl or Eli. Whichever we find first, I'm okay with. We just have to find one or the other.