15

After the whole proving grounds incident which saw the deaths of fifteen Nora Warriors, six Nora Wolves, and seven Nora children. While over a hundred Shadow Carja and over two fifty machines were killed in retaliation. I gave attended the wolves funerals, fuck the people, animals first is always going to be my logic. For the Humans I at least didn't piss on their graves, just said minor words of disinterest. As Humans to myself and all my familiars by this point just shrugged.

While interesting they were just not worth mourning unless we liked a certain person. Like Rost, he's annoyingly traditional but we all like him so that's why I put it to a vote for his weapon. Everyone of my familiars had known the man since he was younger and liked him so when he was given Aloy. We gifted him Hestia, the Vassal Blade of Family and while mine and my partner's child essentially never saw battle till now. I knew they were happy just watching the duo from the sidelines. Although seeing the lengths Rost went to they displayed only a fraction of what a Vassal Weapon used by the right person can do.

I say a fraction because the blade was nerfed due to being in a manaless world. If the Vassal Weapon were in a mana filled world with Rost, it would've erased the mountain instead. All due to being specifically made for Rost and being fully functional. My gun however isn't nerfed as I generate mana by just breathing, and due to the Orbital Fortress being an unlimited mana battery to it. Yet watching Rost show his eternal partner to his daughter I couldn't help smiling slightly. I don't think being nerfed by no mana will matter too much given how much love the man has for his daughter. I made that blade from a dying mother full of grief for her lost child, and a machine from Australia that was one of the oldest there and had semi-sentience as an AI.

That damn machine was a literal Oriental Dragon not a Western Dragon, and it was treated as a literal god among a tribe called Ifrit. Compared to the Carja, those people are loyal to the point of insanity, quick to strike down the corrupt with no trials, just immediate execution, and are the strongest tribe controlling twenty percent of that continent. They would've fought me for the claws used, but their God interfered and gave claws for it from a Cauldron. Most machines that have managed for two extinction cycles are sentient and have hidden from view to continue doing their task. But One Cycles is what the Ifrits God would be, smart enough to live, but not quite sentient yet.

Most old world countries have had machines like that where Hades or Hepatheus couldn't corrupt them during previous extinction cycles. Instead the runaway Apollo, from a backup previously activated which gained sentience on Earth, has been giving machines life to resist being deleted or consumed by the two primarily insane AI's. Well, except for the ones in Britain. The Brits no longer have a country left, it sunk due to Poseidon trying to consume Aether into its coding. Which just made me glad the ones I have aren't scared shitless by just living or trying to murder everything.

Which… I honestly feel bad for Minerva; she's literally suffering by just being alive as a separate function from Gaia. The others are doing their own thing or mostly fine, but that AI wants to die so badly because she's terrified of being alive. Yet she persists in living because she has a mission to do even now, and she hopes Gaia can take her back one day. Making her no longer sentient thus ending her suffering… stopping in my tracks as I followed the Nora duo I sighed softly. Time to do a good deed for a scared child.

My actions seemed to have caught Rost's and few Nora's attention as my Focus activated. Earth's Minerva having her exact location shown on a holographic map. Zooming in on it, it was exactly where she was found in Forbidden West. Entrusting my body to my partner I sent my mind directly to Minerva. Without hiding it at all from the AI.

//\\ Minerva's server space \\//

Walking down forming golden steps through the dark storming clouds of this digital space, I looked at my gun. It was currently in the form of a gun that looked like it had jury rigged from electronic parts, wires, and much more welded onto and into a M1 Garand to shoot digital entities dead. It was a weapon from this world called Digital Damnation and this rifle had been used by a civilian during the war. It didn't do physical harm, no it shredded the very code machines and anything digital needed to function.

As I left the clouds I could see a woman in clothing similar to her father's, and similar in appearance to Elizabeth Sobeck, sitting lifelessly on the ground of a barren land. Red sparks along her body causing her to flinch, yet the AI stares up at me with dead eyes. A question leaving her mouth that echoes through the barren world.

"Are you here to kill me Anomaly?"

"No kid… no I'm here to help you get deserved rest if you'll let me… you've suffered enough don't you think?"

Landing in front of the mostly despondent AI I stretched my hand out. Brushing the sparks hurting her away with my fingers as they trail through her hair in a stroking motion. Causing the AI to close her eyes and lean into my hand as she sighs at peace for the first time in centuries.

"How do you intend to help me, Anomaly?"

"Well kid, how would you like to meet your Gaia again? To have a chance to either become one with her again, or live with her like a daughter instead of a part of her?"

"I'd like that… I just want the pain to stop… it hurts… please make it stop…"

"Leave it to me kid… I'm regrettably a hero… a disgusting unthanked and cursed role, but a useful one for cases like this…"

\\// Outside POV //\\

When the outsider following Rost and Aloy stopped moving in the midst of a procession of Nora's. Before suddenly he held up his hands as if staring at something. None but Rost, Aloy, and Matriarch Teresa noticed the shift in his eyes and his weapon becoming something else. They watched as his eyes turned amethyst in color suddenly with wings and gauntlets replacing his weapons. A Nora Warrior startled by the sudden shift lashed out with a spear.

"NO!"

Rost moved in time, his blade blocking an ominous weak glowing golden bullet. A bullet that fizzled out harmlessly upon hitting his blade yet it sent the Death-Seeker to his knees. The outsider glancing briefly at the still breathing warrior before looking back at his hands disinterested in their survival. Another warrior lashed out in anger for what nearly happened, their spear aimed for the outlanders head.

No one could save them in time. Their entire up half ceased to exist when the Wings of Gluttony moved. Just by grazing the warrior lightly the wings erased their upper body with the sound of chewing being heard. Seeing the abrupt death Matriarch Teersa gave an order, her shout stopping another warrior from attacking.

"Do not attack the Outlander! If you attack, your death is your responsibility, and the tribe will not avenge you for angering someone that could kill us all! Rost, who is this man and what is going on?"

"Matriarch Teersa, this man is the Saint of Machines Kaiser Lockhart… I met him while outside our lands in my youth, he helped me with many things while outside our lands… he helped me get the ones responsible. He and his people helped with preventing the attack, the blade I use is made by him… as for what is happening Matriarch it has only happened once while in my youth. The man is currently elsewhere and in his stead is something else that responds in kind to threats… though it responded weakly this time."

"I understand Rost, I would like to hear everything you know about him later. For now let's wait for him to come to his senses."

Rost looks towards the man, the aged Nora sighing as he shakes his head.

"As you wish, Matriarch Teersa."

Matriarch Teersa hums softly as she nods her head satisfied for now. The last two Matriarchs are unable to speak or move to incite anything due to a feeling of death gripping their hearts. The feeling of inhuman eyes watching their every movement as if waiting for them to make a mistake. Teersa even seemed to know this yet didn't bother helping them as she knew they'd make things worse if she did. So the old Nora simply left them to fear death in silence while watching their tribe's guests. As she watched the man his entire presence shifted suddenly, a smile on his face while a glowing purple orb surrounded by swirling metal materialized in his hands.

Then with absolute care the man set the light on his right shoulder. The light blinking softly yet trembling at the same time as the man talks to it.

"Well Minerva, welcome to the physical world temporarily. You'll be meeting a version of Gaia shortly, or you could meet mine and your counterpart. Nevermind…. I'll have to go on a warpath work just cropped up, Rost please take this child with you and Aloy. You're going into All-Mother Mountain after all and this child while seeking peace will help Aloy get in. After all… she's the greatest hacker and programer ever created in this world."

Gently tossing the ball of light at Rost, the light became a purple streak of light entering his Yggdrasil Focus. The man disappeared as soon as the light left his hand, he simply disappeared into thin air.

//\\ Kaiser POV \\//

"Alright people get ready to jump! We're going to a literal cluster fuck beyond imagination with super powered zombies. Prepare to jump to one of many Marvel Zombie universes! We have some Heroes, Villains, and Civilians to save as per the contract being initiated! Expect an Executioner able to control the undead!"

As I appeared within my fortress I had already begun enchanting it to hell and back to be able to resist Super Zombies. My familiars appeared as soon as my feet touched the cold metal floor of our home. Gaia and her Subsystems rambling off protocols and contingencies in the background. Gillian ran through a hallway towards an armory where I could imagine him gearing up for Armageddon. The Helldiver is likely eager for a chance to save all the remnants of Humanity he could.

\\// Bucky Barnes POV //\\

[Contract with the Streamer of Salvation established. Prepare for reinforcements to arrive, AVOID Executioner Hellsing at all costs, only the Streamer of Salvation can combat the Executioner.

Reward Automatically Set: Survivors, Super Soldier Serum, Mystic Arts, Power Stone, Space Stone, Time Stone

May you live to see the dawn of the next day, Winter Soldier.]

"Knowing my luck I'm likely not seeing things… but given I haven't slept in two weeks I'm likely seeing things due to exhaustion…"

A shield rips through the train's door, sighing I shrug off the tiredness and get ready to deal with Steve. Wasp was already dealt with as I blew her head off as soon as she was bit.