GLITCH

Death Touch

OUTSIDE CRYSTAL CITY

Tuesday, November 16, 2500

10:46am

Grandma… Why? Why is it that you're the one who died? Why not me? I'm a pathetic squirt that can't do things on my own. If it weren't for you and Grandpa, I wouldn't have been stronger now. No...wait, scratch that; I'm not strong, I'm pathetically weak. I can't even protect my grandmother and master.

"… Seriously? You actually thought that I'm saying some kind of joke? I just want to brawl that's all."

"Are you out of your mind? Didn't you see that insane battle that happened just now?! That's suicide you hear me!?"

Rylai…?

"So you guys don't believe that I can kill that woman?"

"Don't be ridiculous young one!"

What's happening to Rylai? She's starting to act like an alter version of her. This isn't right…

Come to think of it… This is the same attitude I saw when she's battling with the Griffin. Is this some kind of her persona that always resurfaces whenever she engaged in combat?

"Let's go punk. 80 percent, Burst Shot - Rapid Fire Mode, on."

Her Tech gloves flowed lightly, but she didn't wear her usual lab coat and goggles, which is often hanged on her neck. All she wore is a black shirt and trousers. With a burst, she accelerated towards the enemy.

"You're next to being impaled child! Take this!" Vlad roared as he released his skill. A blood of spikes shoots out from the ground and were about to impale Rylai but then she outmaneuvered it easily by launching herself up into the air and pointing her weapon to Vlad. Consecutive burst shots were shooting down and easily destroyed all those blood spikes and pummeled Vlad to the ground. Then as she landed on the ground, Cassiopeia came near to the now wounded Vlad in such a fast pace that it seems like she has some teleportation skills or whatever it is. She was about to cast a spell but then Rylai beforehand fixed herself in a position wherein her left palm is pointed towards the exact location of where Cassiopeia appeared and blasted her away.

Amazing… Did she have that [Clairvoyance] skill?

Cassiopeia, upon landing on the ground with a loud thud, grunted as she stood up and wiped her clothes. She spoke something but with how far she is right now to me, I can't hear it at all.

"... Tch."

What the -?

Multiple strikes of lightning came from the sky and randomly target the area, giving less option for the Silver Crux two vanguard members, who are still in the state of immobility after what Vlad did to them, whom are trying to assist Rylai. The other two, Sach and Bafne, are still in the midst of helping the city. They could've just left it for a while and help their teammates first instead. But I can't say it aloud; I know that they prioritized the lives of the civilians rather than themselves.

The battle between them resumed, with a one-sided feat. Rylai defended her position. Not giving any chance to Cassiopeia to come near Vlad, even though Rylai has less space thanks to Cassiopeia's lightning strikes. Rylai evades and evades almost everything.

"GYAHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH…!"

A lightning strike finally hit Rylai that brought down to her knees. She was still smoking when Cassiopeia appeared in front of her and kicked her face. She rolled on the ground, exhausted due to her movements earlier.

No…

Is Rylai going to be the next victim?

No way…

I already lose two of my beloved ones.

I will never accept losing another one!

"…Guh…"

I tried to stand up but my body is still exhausted. Still, even with this distance, I can launch it at least once!

Rylai…you better not lose your life by that bastard's hands!

"Kni… Knigh… [Knights Assault]…!"

I unleashed my last resort. I exerted all of my strength on this one Rylai. Please…please live.

I plunged my sword to the ground. I'm using it as a cane to support me.

All that's left is…to watch my friend survive.

Cassiopeia swiftly eradicated my skill with a lightning strike.

After seeing that, Rylai lets out a sigh, removed her gloves and put her hands up in the air, as if she's surrendering. But then Rylai vanished without a trace and suddenly…

"Excuse me for a bit."

"!? How did you –"

She just went behind that woman liable for my grandmother's death.

•••

"Rylai…please…take care of Sven for me."

That's a heavy burden you passed onto me Granny. I just met you few days ago right? You're strong…too strong to be true. You treated me well despite not knowing my origin. And here you are, impaled with a blood spike while the culprits triumphantly laughing they successfully killed you.

Lives of decent human beings aren't meant to become offerings to the fictional altar of character development.

I took a deep breath and was about to plunge into the fight when Sach and Bafna stopped me.

"Please don't young lady."

"I wouldn't do it if I were you."

I chuckled a bit and put on a façade. I'm pretending to be out of my mind and talked to them in an insane manner. I don't really want to do it in the first place. I barely knew Granny but why? Why is my blood boiling out of intense anger? That b***h will better pay for what she did to Granny.

Sven, my condolences…

At the very least, let me avenge your grandmother.

I put on a decent fight between me and Cassiopeia. But my luck soon ran out and I took a direct hit from her magic attack.

I know from the start that I have no chance of winning this lady decay without a crazy plan in mind. As for why I'm doing this…

Rylai Lux

RG: 999/999

Oh, would you look at that.

"Excuse me for a bit."

"!? How did you–"

Without further ado, I came from behind that Cassiopeia and touched her back.

"Suffer the same fate as what you did to her. [Death Touch]..."

"Hah? What are you mumbling about you i***t!"

Cassiopeia throw a punch at me but since is as slow as a turtle, I dodged it with no sweat and blasted her away using my Tech Gloves. She grunted as she stood up but then she became stiff all of the sudden and fell on her knees.

"What…w-w-w-w-what have you done to me?"

I sighed and just look at her stunned face as she's struggling to stand up but to no avail. I sighed yet again and started talking to struck her with a load of words from my inner thoughts that seems to be disoriented upon the loss of Granny. All of them, even the other foe is dumbstruck by my nonsense and tried to attack me but since Cram and Furio can already move, they're able to fend off George. After seeing that I can't be approached that easily, he went to Cassiopeia and checked something on her chest.

Geez, how lewd this guy is.

I snapped George's "check-up" on Cassiopeia with a phrase that's enough to shake him to his core.

"You don't need to check her if she's alive or not. I assure you that she's dead."

A moment of silence occurred in the scene and then…

"…how?" Vlad said in a low pitch.

"What?"

"HOW DID YOU KILL HER…!?" Vlad said as he throws a tantrum and shoots multiple spikes at me but Bafne and Sach came to my rescue; blocked the attack and healed me.

I thanked the two of them and faced the despaired Vlad and talked.

"You see Vlad; I'm not that talented as you or the other guys with me right now. I don't know how to do [Full Moho Break] or the temporal version of it. I'm not as blessed as you guys are. I haven't got the gist of my powers right now. But yeah, all people have tricks beneath their sleeves."

"STOP SPOUTING NONSENSE AND SPILL THE BEANS! How did you kill Cassiopeia?"

"Why…would I tell? This isn't a…comic book were the caster who loves to waste time…blabbering about what…my powers are. My life isn't set to do so", I said while panting.

It seems that that skill of mine brings heavy toll on me.

"I'LL REMEMBER YOU", Vlad then disappeared along with Cassiopeia's corpse.

It seems that he used his [Teleportation] skill.

!?

"Ugh… Not this again..."

My consciousness fades away as I fell to the ground.