Translator

Translator

Still inside the very same building

The Big Escape II (Golden Palace)

The cunning prince observing with their (future) muse…
A hallway filled with the bewitched…
The tiger's wild chase as a knight plays along.
-

One ninja is an incredible threat, for they are a person trained in the arts of the shadows and proficient with many obscure weapons. One can be a terrible foe to face for any hero of a tale.

However, a horde of them? Would be nothing more than a bunch of mooks, an easy fight where an individual shows their strength by going through them all like they're pack of gums.

Conservation of ninjutsu they call it and in truth that's the only reason ninjas are even mentioned right now, for you see, as much as it is a trope in fiction, it may as well be reality.

What else can one say when the Slayer gracefully bounces from wall to man, man to wall as he zooms past charges, lasers and kinetically thrown projectiles with an deadly elegance of blue fire surging out of him and red blood pouring out of those who are cut down, shot apart and crushed into pieces for every single bit of space that he gains by the growing seconds? The verticality of the situation and numbers of his foes not slowing down his dance in the least?

Layla watching it all says nothing. Her eyes strain with effort to keep up with the movements as she swiftly needs to change cameras every few seconds. The 'guests' dispatching of their talented security like they're mere canoes and they the wrath of the ocean incarnate. A sense of curiosity increases in her at the display rather than the logical emotion known as fear.

"Very good! Your stories are not exaggerated!" Prado answers with more fanfare, not one to let him undo her though as she cuts and deflects attacks with a mix of swordsmanship worthy of a master and full control over her septima allowing her to freeze down the walls to tie foes down, create more blades of ice to slash them apart and platforms for her to easily maneuver.

Copen doesn't reply, too focused on getting through them all. Intent on reaching the boss before anyone can even entertain the idea of saving her at the last second from her 'fate'.
In the process, again zooming past more projectiles while returning his own, when the opponents seem to get used to it, he quickly changes to a more melee-focused style as golden drills ravage through the crowds that he rushes into and get turned into imageries best unsaid.

The environment fails to slow him down even with it's barriers made of pure energy to entrap him inside a room filled with foes, the way explosive robots flicker into place but are destroyed before they can detonate their true power and various other obstacles as he keeps moving.

It's almost surreal how his feet have not touched the ground during it all.

"Ex-weapons sure are a curious technology, aren't they?" ZedΩ dramatically says while watching over the girl's shoulders with a glimmer that never promises good things. "In all my life observing technology and making my own superior version of it. Never before have I seen a weapon capable of creating inferior yet versatile tools capable of mimicking our powers."

Layla just gives him a side-glance, already feeling in her bones that he's about to verbally analyse the whole thing again like he did hours ago, the geek just can't stop blabbing about any new potential 'toys' that he finds even when doctors are in the middle of treating the very injuries he got because of them. He'd have probably gone for the slayer even without the muse if he knew about it beforehand, very eager to meet an equal in the art of septimal science.

(To be specific, he IS the one that build the septima sciency part of the tower while Serpentine made the blue prints and concept of the thing known to him. There's no space to say that but here.)

"Still a master of none cannot defeat a master of one." He says as he takes a seat again, the same glimmer flashing in his eyes the moment the slayer changes weapons and shows more of the technology. "And as 'intriguing' his septima-anyone-can-use is. To make such a technology our own would send a terrible message to our people, ah, the burdens of rulership." For once his eyes show a hint at sadness at that, god, the man really loves his research. "We'll have no choice but to destroy it once his use has finally met its end." He announces, for dramatica!

Layla feels like she could get a whole story there if she prods, but puts it off for later. Still too interested in the fight that's happening just 2 floors below them. And is still ongoing.

"Woah, she's right behind us…" The pod behind Copen comments, observing the bizarre sight of an un-armed Prado jumping several feet in the air without using ice or technology as aid and noting it down as a thing one would normally only see in action-movies. "But anyway, watch out boss, that guy over there looks like he's planning something nasty!" she points out a specific beehive-mook who's visibly charging more energy while a purple aura surrounds them.

"HAAH!" On cue, the elevator several feet beneath them glows in the same colour. Now manipulated into quickly rising in an attempt to crush the scaling heroes into the ceiling.

"Boss! If that thing catches up to us, then we'll become pancakes!" Lola comments the obvious, her battle-commentary something Copen has learned to tune down as he simply gives back a nod and increases his pace, outright ignoring a few foes now that are quickly disposed off by Prado and if not, will be smashed apart by the host of their own petard as people say.

"Bah, such a thing is nothing. Observe!" Prado stops, planting one of her blades against the wall to stay in place as she waits for it to get close. "A true knight faces all foes head-on!" after that declaration, she dives down towards it and with a flurry of blows lesser men could not see through cuts the very thing into pieces before it all explodes in a burst of snow angels. A very grand move for not such an impressive feat to Copen's mind, as he's sure that if the mooks could destroy the roof of it then its floor would be no less resistant. Lola is just dramatic.

"Very good. Your stories are not exaggerated." He has the sass to echo without looking, only for the lapse in attention to cost him a bullit due to the number of foes camping at the entrance of the next floor. Having finally had the brains to station heavy fire from stationary mini-guns who's bullets simply go through him as he flashes red as usual, changes the ex-weapon to blazing ballista and has a red ball land next to his foes and blow them all up.

The sound of a hexapyle being shattered accompanies it. Then the sound of boisterous laughter comes next to him as Prado jumps out and joins him in the hall, stretching her arms as if she just had a great before sport work out. "Ah, the thrill of battle. How sad it ended so- "

"They're over there!" ; "Impossible!? They got past the ambush?" ; "Kill them! Kill them!"

Such sounds prove the contrary of Prado's words. And the greater number of the foes, alongside robotic devices that are placing electric lasers around the place, bombs that count down and explode when approached by foes and the sight of yet another chimera mech greatly imply that main force of this fan-club is now standing before them. Ready for more.

"Huh, perhaps I've broken a mirror today? This usually doesn't happen." Prado comments with a smile that's showing she honestly doesn't mind such a thing if it means more fights for her.

"Ugh, there's still more?!" Lola bemoans, lacking the body-language to visibly sigh yet enough feeling in her voice to show that she doesn't care about fight-scenes that are nothing more than the strong main-characters bullying the lesser mobs, yet here it's about to happen again.

Layla glances at ZedΩ who simply returns an unreadable smile and offers "Dramatic timing?"

"All the better to make this quick, Lola, Stellar Spark." Copen orders while holding his iconic pose of keeping his right hand an open palm while his gun hides his mouth with his left.

One left the instant Lola shoots trails of lightning towards his foes as he flies towards them with haste to abuse the opening. The barriers of spikes shutting down as the bots creating them have their systems fried and the people of flesh get stunned by guess what? Thunder.

"Wooh! You've done it, 1000 kudos!" Lola announces after that attack, energy gathering within her as she and the boss have reached full synch. "One song coming right up!"

Both observants immediately lean closer to the screen in anticipation.

With a flash of light and red feathers spreading everywhere, Lola transforms into her idol form. Just a second away from announcing "ANTHEM!" and have its powers empower her partner.

"Come on, come on." ZedΩ comments while Layla holds in her breath. Unable to hold in their excitement as the best possible outcome for their plan is about to happen.

"No. There's no need for that." Copen interrupts Lola with an order made of caution. His muse stops herself but gives him a questioning glance, to which he says. "We need that for later."

Realization flashes in her eyes at that sentence and she gives a salute back, "Got it boss!" before flying next to his side to do her usual job without some amazing music blaring out.

Unknown to them a large groan of disappointment comes out in another room at this.

Anyway, back-up has managed join the offensive during that time, the energy blasts emerging Copen's way being proof of that as he side-steps them with no difficulty, closes the distance between his foes and shoots them down the moment they're tagged in his usual combat-loop. Prado quickly joins in with a battle-cry before adding in more destruction with attacks just as sharp and efficient but far 'grander' as the golden hall gets filled with snow and blood.

Their unwavering assault having managed to thin the enemy numbers and morale, some soldiers try to foolishly retreat while having their mini-boss eagle-mech stall for time.

A good strategy that sadly won't buy them more than a few more seconds in life though.

"So, what's your backstory, Slayer?" Prado comments in the middle of cutting apart several laser beams that come from the robot-eagle's six eyes as if it's a middling task done while chatting with a pal. "I mean I could ask Serpentine but then again, I can't as she'll be dead soon and frankly. I'd love to hear it from a fire-forged friend instead. So, what is it?" she repeats the question as she shatters the skull of a soldier creeping up behind her with a single back-kick.

"It's none of your business, is what it is!" Lola shouts in place of Copen, the latter too occupied with jumping past several swings of very sharp talons and chainsaws tentacles while looking for a spot he can mark without risking being hit in the process, yet he finds none.

"And one more thing. We're not your friends!" Lola shouts while he switches to just shooting, seeing no more reason to play nice as they'll be leaving this shady place once this stage is over.

"Ouch, you could have just said no, Lollipop." Prado shows a pout while preventing the robot from mauling her by pushing her sword against it's open jaw and then sprouting ice-swords that impale it from the inside in no less than a second, yet it still continues to fight. "But then again…" her eyes glimmer like those who know how to press a button. "That fire is cute too."

"Ha?" Lola replies instantly confused. Then flares up. "Why don't you give yours first!" not really interested in what the story is as much as it will end the conversation and let her tune it all out. Copen on the other hand, pays no attention to the girls talking as he cuts down one tentacle that gets too close, jumps over another swing, and has another golden drill pierce straight through the beast's back once he's on the other side of it. Close to taking it down.

"Gladly." Prado instantly replies, her attacks becoming faster and fiercer as her excitement goes up. "So, as I've said before. I was traveling the world, wanting to be the very best, like no ever one ever was." The mech assaults start to become less and less infrequent as the damage taken starts to take its tolls while she just gets faster, swords being created and disappearing the moment they've done damage and snow-flowers the shape of roses flutter in the air after.

"For unlike many other sad stories concerning adepts, I was destined to win the moment I was born. Coming from a loving family and living in comfort until the age of 6, I've awakened to my Septima during an appropriate hour of need when my brethren were being bullied by-" bla, bla, she gives overly long details about how she kicked ass, followed by more praise about how amazing she looked, this goes on for a while like a Shonen anime until it becomes relevant again. "Then knowing that with great power comes responsibility and that my power is the greatest. I went ahead and travelled the world, scouting the world and defeating any challenger. For I knew that I had yet to achieve my full potential as the world's strongest- "

Copen lands and gives her a glance, noticing she's still too occupied by her own hype that she doesn't notice she's smashing the remains of the already dead mini-boss. Lola conspiratorially floats next to him to whisper a sarcastic comment in his ear at the sight. "Loves herself much?"

He doesn't answer, instead focusing on the sight of the wall and realizing to his dismay that not a single soul was left alive. So now he doesn't know where Serpentine might be hiding.

It's situations like these that make him wish he had something like a stun setting on his gun, alas that's simply not possible as he would need to constantly change the intensity of the photon laser then to make sure a shot isn't lethal, which is something he can't afford in battle. With a sigh, he walks over to Prado who's still talking and waits for to be done with her fill.

"It was THEN that I found a new power filling itself within me!" She shouts again, blade piercing the beast's head while she puts one fist in the air victoriously. "I realized that the exalted was the Arthur to my Lancelot and that until the day comes where I shall create a new age, I must be his sword and shield until the metaphorical Guinevere comes for me to take!"

"Amazing, but where is Serpentine?" Copen responds dryly, not a fan of her large ham and eggs. None of her attempts at fraternizing have reached him, the only reason he hasn't dropped the affableness is because she's being useful at the moment, and he can't afford to fight two ATEMS knights at the same time. Even more when she is bizarrely helping him.

"Ah." She catches herself when he speaks up and straightens herself after another second.
"Her quarters are just around the corner, comrade. Come follow me, we almost have her!"

He nods and follows, appreciating her straightforwardness but holding no illusion over what her inevitable fate will be if she does get in his way at the very last possible moment.

"So, like is the Weirdo into girls that try to kill him?" Lola whispers a question he simply ignores. Now not being the time to gossip about somebody's love style, instead he simply increases his pace.

"We don't have cameras put inside the room of our knights." ZedΩ comments when Layla waits for him to do something. "Or any bedroom that's not the 'guest' room of course, respecting the privacy of our men and women is naturally an omen of my trust in them. And to breach it? Never would I think of that in my life. So alas, we have no choice but to move."

Layla just stares blankly at him, which makes him puts his hands up defensively. "You want me to get to the point? Very well then, the plan is simple: we go in there, watch a nice fight unfold and then have you awaken when our guests must inevitably use the power of ANTHEM."

He stops after that, as if waiting for any sign of protest, he gets none. Then he lets out a small chuckle, "Okay, you got me. There's no way I'd ever risk your life with such a fool-hardy plan." With the smile of someone who's hand got caught in a cookie jar, ZedΩ presses another button and soon enough the view of Serpentine's room is shown, albeit in a strange colour like that of heat-vision. "We DO have a camera, just one that can't be used for 'bad stuff'."

"No, I will not elaborate on what that means. You're too young for that." He pre-emptively continues, Layla's gaze just returns to the camera. "So let us wait and watch, after all…"

"All we need to do is wait, and strike if the situation requires it."

Layla's gaze still hasn't changed at all, instead she points at him with one finger.

"No, I won't answer the robot's question. Just focus on the mission."

Loading screen time.

(Loading screen: Crimson coloured blueprints of Copen's handgun appear on the screen. It honestly doesn't look any more different than the Border II because the only changes on it are rather superficial and for the sake of optimization. Those being the addition of three red spikes on the bottom of the gun in place of the red x to tag enemies AND injure them alongside the effect it has on the increase of its TAGGED condition by well, bloody forcing the spikes in the body of the opponent. Thus guaranteeing all bullets home in on them until they remove it.

The second change is that he's now capable of recalling the gun back to his side thanks to magnetism, guaranteeing he won't need to waste time to retrieve it if he's ever disarmed.)

"Out of my way!" is the only warning given before a loud explosion follows, the source coming from the Adept Slayer smashing through a door like it's made of glass with his gun raised in one hand and the rest of his body leaning against a shield as he continues the bullit dash, it's momentum quickly dropping him in the center of the room where he recovers into his battle pose after a small roll and a quick jump. Ready to gun down anything after the acrobatic show.

Lola and Prado on the other hand just walk into the hole made, then the latter does her own unnecessary jump as she lands in a similar way, catches a sword falling from the air and poses.
While the former just floats towards her partner as her gaze inspects the room, "Huh, this…"

"Sure is a fancy room, huh? Is what a fool would say." Serpentine says, seated cross-legged in a praying position in the middle of an interior lake the size of five bathtubs put side to side. Her whole room looks like a mini-eastern garden, with its tiny waterfall making the water flow in while there's a tube on the other end of the room that makes the water go flow elsewhere. The walls themselves are blue yet covered in white symbols that are similar to Buddhism symbols yet too hard to properly read due to the thick mist that's covering the room. The only normal part of the room is the plain-looking bed at the side which has wonderful green grass growing under it and the golden accessories that in hindsight are just exotic monk tools. But forget about the room for a moment, what's more important is the pleased expression on Serpentine's face as she taps her knees, "But we're not here to talk room design, are we?"

"No." Copen replies, then immediately dashes towards her, intent to impale her forehead with as many spikes and bullets he possibly can. The distance is crossed in an instant yet the monk makes no move to dodge the attack, perhaps confident she can simply use her Haze Walk (evasion) to just ignore the sloppy melee attack made by a foe too angered to think properly.

She'd be wrong. "Now die!" For the slayer drops the gun from his hand raised in the air for a strike and drops it in the other for a gunshot, it's secret safety already disabled as instead of a straight-forward white laser, it is a bullet creating a purplish aura ball that comes for her.

Greed Snatcher is the name of the bullet who's a single inch away from touching her forehead, a rare type of bullet created from a magnetism septima who had the side effect of temporarily rendering any adept touching it completely unable to use their powers. Once touched, he needs to only announce a shred storm to rip her apart and the battle will be over, he wins!

Yet, why is she smiling like a spider that fooled a bug into her web? And why is the bullet no longer moving? Shocked for only a moment, Copen's natural instincts kick in as he does a back-flip to dodge the bullet that's somehow been reflected to him as the monk remains mirthful.

Right into a spider-web made of steel chains surrounding the area, this time his body fails him and were it not for Lola's and Prado's ice blades cutting him loose, the burst of electricity sparkling where he once stood would have greatly wounded him, but such an attack ca-

"Haven't you figured it out yet?" Serpentine asks bemusedly while two figures hidden by the mist stand right behind her, their identities too obvious yet awaiting their dramatic entrance.
"What, did you think I wouldn't use the gained time to at least make two very fine-tuned welcome-gifts to you Copen? Why wouldn't I? You gave me so many memories after all."

"Forgive him, his family has always been filled with dense-headed saps." An all-too familiar voice from a person with purple hair and a single white strand comes out of the mist to reveal themselves as Nova the mighty, or at least what should be him based on what Copen imagines the man is like as he's never actually fought the adept in person. Still the way he speaks and floats in the air like a self-deluded brat is very in-character from what he saw on media. "Always one to spout grand speeches and die in some shoddy place miles away from family, oh, wait, he's not dead yet is he? Ta..ta…that's a shoddy mistake that should be fixed."

"And who better to do it then the man who was so close to ending his life?" The white-haired man with sunglasses known as Asimov, the Azure Striker before GV reveals himself as well. Looking with disdain towards him while chatting with a person he would have never allied himself with in real life. "You may have escaped me once, boy, but now? There is no escape."

Copen scoffs at their words, "You're nothing more than memories. Once the adept responsible for creating you has been dealt with, you'll be blessed with the second death you all deserve."

"They're having a moment, aren't they?" Prado quips to Lola in the midst of the three people staring each other down, "It'd be a bit more exciting for me if I know who these two are." Lola doesn't respond to her, more focused on supporting her boss the moment shots will be fired.

"They're far more than memories." Serpentine raises her voice to get everyone's attention, still seated in her cross-legged pose while rising to the air, an ominous aura surrounding her.
"They're the one adept you've never reached and the one adept you've never beaten respectively. Though nowhere near their original level, you'll find that they possess enough familiarity with your attacks to prove a fun distraction for me watch you dance around like a monkey surrounded by hot stones. Now dance boy, dance until your body breaks!"

"Ugh, you're as revolting as usual, snowflake." Prado suddenly speaks up, not one to let her presence be shrugged off as she points an ice-blade towards Serpentine. "Even so, ordering your personal forces to cause problems in our HQ isn't something I can just let you get away with. Any other person would have been executed, but as a fellow knight you're far too valuable for such a fate, so if you surrender then I promise you won't be-"

"Spare me your drivel, you Shakespearean sow." Serpentine interrupts with disgust and pure annoyance at having her moment be interrupted by a third party. "If you so desperately want to play the good guy and join this little game then so be it, but at least have the sense to know when to shut the hell up! This isn't for you! So don't ruin the moment you attention-whore!"

"Hey! Don't you speak to her that way!" Lola shouts while clenching her fist and glaring at the witch with eyes glimmering with fire. "She's weird, sure. But she's your comrade! And I don't know why she's helping us still, but she's definitely not the bad apple in this zany basket!"

Copen isn't sure whether Lola genuinely means that or is trying to pull the Lima card on Prado, even so he decides to put in a comment as well, "Compared to you, she's an angel." a feeling of disgust wells in him for saying that, because it feels like a sleazy attempt to garner affection.

"You guys…" Prado puts a fist before her face as a manly waterfall of tears start pouring out, then with a broader smile, she summons her ice-blade in her left. "Your feelings reach me!"
As she says that a blade of fire evokes into her right hand, thus revealing her true power.
"And in return I! Prado, master of ice and fire! The dual knight! Shall aid you this once!"

"Always making it about yourself…" Serpentine scoffs, even rolling her eyes as a bonus. "This is why nobody can stand you, but enough about you, this is the part where I torture the tiger!"

"Mmm, calling it torture is a bit blasé these days." Nova comments while smugly stroking his own chin, floating menacingly in the air, ready for battle. "How about discipline hour instead?"

"Hardly, this is more like crushing a rat that refuses to scurry off." Asimov corrects as he puts one hand on his glasses, who are swiftly destroyed by a call of lightning as he reveals his battle armour and glowing white eyes. "Call it the DEAD END of a fool who's out of chips to spent!"

"Pathetic." Copen shoots back their words, his glare intensifying as he raises his gun. "You're nothing more than copies of monsters that have already fallen, living shadows of the failures of others. Time to take down those who dig up the past and fear the future!"

"Huh, who do I think will win?" ZedΩ asks back when Layla pulls on the tip of his green hair. "Well, I don't think that really matters. If the tiger loses and dare I say dies, his muse will have to sing to revive him thus accomplishing the plan. But if he wants to win, then he must use the power of the muse as well which means our plan gets accomplished no matter what."

Layla tugs his hair a bit harder, showing her displeasure at him not actually answering the question so he can boast about how clever he instead is without changing her blank face.

"Ow, ow, okay, okay." ZedΩ's smile strains a little but his dignity never leaves him, instead he rubs his chin in thought. "Well, considering Prado's there and she's going all-out…I still think Serpentine is going to win? Keep in mind the Slayer just woke up and she has the greater…no, let's not spoil the fun by revealing it in advance…" he grows silent, his features intensifying in thought before he lets out a sigh and smiles again. "Eh, it doesn't matter. No matter who wins, if things get bad. We can just all warp in and stop the fight then and there. Sistina and Grazie are just waiting in advance for the signal to do so after all. So, we have every base covered."

Layla tilts her head at that, as if trying to say that he's assuming a lot of things here.

"It'll be fine." ZedΩ shrugs the warning off, certain he's planned for every scenario.

"What could possibly go wrong at this rate?"

To be continued.

Author note:

So, I took my time as told to do so. (Thank you loyal reader and reviewer!)
And am pretty satisfied with what I wrote, got the stage and boss-fight done.
I really don't have much to say here, I am excited what people think of the next chappie though.