Kael raised his sword.
The wind wrapped around it, swirling along the blade as if it were hungry for blood.
In front of him, the Titanus-01 came fully online.
Three meters of armored steel. A glowing red eye.
A government weapon with one mission: eliminate Kael Grayson.
Without warning, its shoulders opened and launched two missiles straight at him.
Kael dashed to the side.
The explosion behind him sent shockwaves that threw him into the air.
He crashed into the rusted remains of an old cabin, his back burning, breath knocked out of him.
Before he could rise, a mechanical click echoed through the air.
The Titanus cannon spun up. Bullets rained toward him.
Kael twisted his body.
A bullet tore through his thigh. Another grazed his forearm.
He screamed in pain and rolled behind a fallen pillar.
Blood. Coughing.
"No… you're not killing me like this."
Heat spread through his chest. His wounds started to close on their own.
Divine healing, working without his command.
He got up. His thigh was regenerating.
Skin knitting back together under shredded clothes.
Titanus opened fire again.
Kael sprinted in a zigzag, then leapt forward using a burst of wind from his sword.
He soared over the remains of a train car.
Landing on the robot's right arm, he drove his sword into the shoulder joint.
A concentrated blast of wind shot into the metal.
The explosion rocked its frame.
Kael jumped just before the arm detached.
He landed in a crouch, chest heaving.
The robot turned. Still operational. Expressionless.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"That wasn't enough? Fine."
He charged straight at the robot's chest.
Dodged a punch. Jumped. Slashed diagonally across the front armor.
The blade cut through, but not deep enough. Titanus was layered.
Kael pulled back, flipped over the machine, and struck from behind.
His blade rang with the impact.
Titanus turned again.
This time, it fired a missile at close range.
Kael barely managed to throw up a wind barrier.
The explosion sent him flying.
He tumbled across the ground, covered in dust.
His chest scorched. His leg twisted out of place.
"Agh…!" He cried out.
Pain blurred his vision. But then the healing began.
The bone snapped back into place. Skin closed over wounds.
That fire inside him never went out.
And he was still breathing.
"You won't kill me. Not today."
He stood.
This time, he didn't wait.
He summoned all the wind into his sword.
Charged forward.
Leapt over the Titanus.
With a vertical slash, he cut through it from neck to torso.
Sparks flew. The machine shuddered.
Kael twisted in midair and landed behind it.
He stabbed his sword into the center of its chest.
Released a final blast of wind.
The robot's core erupted.
Titanus staggered. Took two steps forward.
Then collapsed.
A lifeless mountain of steel.
Kael dropped to his knees.
Bleeding, but alive.
He crawled to a nearby pillar and leaned against it.
His body was healing.
But his mind was fraying.
"You sent this thing… didn't you?" he whispered, eyes searching the sky.
"I know it was you, Governor."
He looked at his hand. Then at the destroyed machine.
"I'm going to return the favor."
He stood.
And walked toward the Governor's office.
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
The Governor's Building
The security system picked him up.
"Kael Grayson is approaching the building! He's armed!"
"Is he alone?"
"Yes… but he's walking like he doesn't care."
The Governor watched the footage.
Kael was coming down the main avenue, covered in blood.
Sword on his back.
Alive. Unstoppable.
"Lock the building! Red alert! Everyone to positions!"
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
Kael walked through the main entrance without stopping.
Five guards with assault rifles waited for him.
"STOP! DO NOT MOVE!"
Kael didn't stop.
"OPEN FIRE!"
Bullets hit him.
Chest. Abdomen. One even struck his neck.
Kael fell.
Seconds later, he rose again.
The wounds healed in front of their eyes.
The first guard turned to run.
Kael was already there.
A clean slash across the throat.
The second aimed his rifle—
Kael drove his blade through his stomach.
The third collapsed after a blast of wind shattered his spine.
The last two backed away in terror.
Kael showed no hesitation.
"No more warnings."
He killed them in under a second, slicing their throats.
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
Thirty-three floors.
He climbed them all.
Each step was a decision.
Each stair, a memory.
Each heartbeat, barely controlled rage.
When he reached the top floor, he kicked the door open.
Silence.
The Governor was waiting, standing with a pistol.
"We can talk," he said.
Kael walked toward him.
"You sent it. The robot. That was your order."
"It was necessary! You're a threat!"
"And what does that make you?"
The Governor fired. Twice.
Kael didn't flinch.
The bullets hit. Fell.
His body healed instantly.
The Governor backed away in horror.
"You don't understand the damage you could do!"
Kael stared into his eyes.
"All I've done is suffer… because of people like you."
He drove the sword into the Governor's chest.
Blood poured from his mouth.
His eyes dimmed.
Kael said nothing.
He pulled out the blade.
The body dropped.
⋆⭒✧༺༻✧⭒⋆
Silence.
Kael didn't move.
He was breathing. But he wasn't sure if he was still alive.
He sat on the floor, sword across his lap.
He looked around the office.
The blood.
The walls.
His reflection in the glass.
And he spoke to himself.
"Was this it?"
"This whole journey… for this?"
"So now what?"
He laughed.
A hollow, broken laugh.
"I'm alone. There's no going back."
He rubbed his face. His hands trembled.
"I don't know if I'm a monster.
I don't know if there's anything human left."
"But I don't care anymore."
He stood up.
Looked at the body.
"Now, I'm the consequence."
And walked out of the office.