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Chapter: Destroyed...? Death...? Dream...?
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I stared at the machine vigilantly as it hefted the hammer to its shoulder. It didn't rush to attack like all the robots but is looking at me, which is creeping me out.
"We meet again hum… whatever creature you are" it spoke, I got a tick off for not being seen as human but I calmed knowing that 'A.I' is in front.
"What do you want for real?" I asked, knowing that his previous peace is a lie.
"What I want Is you?" it revealed its goal to my surprise.
"Me? why?" I asked bewildered, pointing the staff at it.
"Why should I tell you?" it asked, ready to attack. 'Don't villain's monologue revealing the entire plan before getting defeated,' I clicked my tongue, throwing the bag near the wall, ready to fight.
"I don't care anyway," I yelled angrily. "How dare you attack my sidekick?" I yelled at it.
"Oh! That robot from heaven is Destroyed?" it muttered, looking at the broken hand in front of me.
"It's good, I will extract its chip later," it stated, "but first I need you," It replied.
"I won't let you," I yelled, rushing forward as the Minotaur *swish* slammed down the hammer right on me *shiin* but there was silence, no sound of it hitting anything.
It looked confused, removing the hammer to see me holding the impact dial above, which I took from Bag-E's arm.
"Phew, it worked," I sighed. "Didn't you say you need me? Then why are you trying to kill me?" I demanded, looking at the hammer's head of my size. I will become a road kill if hit by it.
"Don't worry, I will heal you," it replied emotionlessly.
'Stupid emotionless machine,' I cursed, rushing forward *clang* hitting its bi-folded legs.
It doesn't get damaged, only my arms went numb. They are made from the same metal as 'my' staff, so it's expected, but I don't accept my awesome weapon getting outdone.
I back-flipped from the kick *swish*, *boom* rolled out of the hammer strike, *swoosh* jumped away from its punch, *clang* blocked the kick with the staff but was blown back along the corridor.
"*pant* shit! He is calculating my landing and is attacking me before I could react," I cursed, panting, kneeling with the staff's support after landing from the blow. 'He attacked me four times in less than 30 seconds,' I noted at my disadvantage.
*creak* *click* *whirr* *clack* It transformed back into a bull and rushed towards me with *drrrr* its horns rotating like a drill. "Oh! Come on, give me rest," I complained, standing up.
The bull rushed, plowing through the destroyed robots on its way. I observed the robot to find its weakness, and this is an advanced robot with a proper eye instead of a camera eye like Bag-E and other robots.
*thump* *thump* *thump* the ground vibrated with every step it took nearing me; I gritted then held my staff in my tail and started running on my four, claws out, towards it.
Since the distance is small, we soon neared each other; I suddenly increased my speed, moving right and wall-run to escape it, *viip* *kirick* jumped away from the wall just in time as the bull's tail whipped me.
'It reacts quickly,' I clicked, backing away; taking a water Dial from my belt pouch, and emptying its content on the floor before the bull turns around. I began running back in the direction of the server room.
The bull turned back and then rushed forward as I grinned 'Got it' I cheered, glancing at the oil I poured earlier, which I collected on the empty water dial.
The bull successfully step on it and slipped, falling on the floor comically on its body with its legs spread in four directions. '*ha* I thought it will have anti-something to prevent it,' I thought, rushing towards the fallen machine.
I jumped high then *creak* *schikk* jammed the bulge side of the staff in the joint in its hip fiercely. "hahaha, what do you do now?" I laughed crazy twisting the staff in it and holding its other end.
*click* sounded from the staff not from the bull, I was startled 'Is it broken?' I stared, pulling the staff out, jumping to create some distance from the bull.
I looked at the staff and to my surprise; I found the bulge at the top slid down, showing a blade inside it. The sliding portion acts as the guard, forming a spear.
"It's cool!" I exclaimed, twisting the grove at the bottom. The outer portion of the staff further slid down, revealing a Katana. "Hehehehe!" I giggled crazily. 'I now have a staff, spear, and Katana in a single weapon,' I thought.
'Combining it with the other half, it can either be a double-ended blade or a naginata,' I smirked. 'Thanks for the gift.' I looked at the bull that is standing up.
'Now I can defeat it' I twisted the grove, changing it to a spear since I don't know how to use a Katana. *crack* *whirr* I saw that the bull is transforming into a Minotaur.
"Do you think I will wait for you?" I rushed forward, then stab it in its knees. *stab* *kirick* the attack went smooth without a problem, *boom* I flipped back, avoiding its punch after its transform.
I damaged its leg successfully as it's not working properly. I grinned at its situation, due to its transformation the oil entered its parts, dousing it completely.
*blam* I jumped avoiding the hammer, in mid-air I flapped my injured wings, stabbing the hand holding the hammer, and malfunctioning it, as it dropped the hammer.
I gritted as pain assaulted me from my wings; it seems that my wing is banged heavily that the sci-fi medicine did not cure them completely. I kicked its arm, jumping away from the robot.
"It's time to end this," I grinned, then rushed forward and snapped my fingers, creating a fire. Staying in a hot environment is not a waste.
I neared the robot and threw the fire at it, engulfing it in flames; even though I know its metal is fireproof, I take chances. *sizzle* *sizzle* It stood there as if nothing happened, like the machine it was, as the flames surrounded it.
It turned and rushed towards me *thud* *thud*, I quickly retreated as it followed me closely, picking up the hammer with its intact hand.
"Shit!" I cursed being chased by a flaming robot.
*swoosh* I fell to the ground to avoid the hammer, flying above my head *crash* the burning hammer crashed through the door of the server room, making it easy to access.
"The flame indeed damages it," I concluded as the 'A.I.' will not forget to calculate 'that'.
I stood up to run, *creak* *crunch* *sizzle* *click* *clank* the robot transformed back into the bull, *thud* *thud* rushing towards me. *huff* *huff* I ran towards the server room.
"No, don't go in there," A. I shouted in desperation at last.
I jumped the broken door and hammer and entered the room, *boom* *crash* the flaming bull bulldozed its way in. I grinned maliciously, "Hey! Bucket of Bolt, I'm here," I called as it charged towards me.
My guess is true, the A. I can't control the Bull anymore as the bull thrashed through the servers to reach me, breaking everything and starting fire everywhere.
After most of the server got destroyed, I took the Flame Dial that have been damaged earlier. "*huff* It's time to end this," I muttered, tossing the Dial, then *punt* hit it with the staff, sending it flying towards the rushing bull.
*crack* the crack on the Dial increased as it flew towards the bull, *crack* *BOOM* it exploded in contact with the bull, releasing all the flames stored inside it.
The shockwave pushed me back a few steps, "*pant* *huff* I didn't expect it to be powerful," I exclaimed in awe, as the parts of the bull fell in everywhere.
'I hope the 'A.I.' is gone after destroying its server,' I thought, falling to my back tiredly ignoring the surrounding flames.
*roll* *viing* I heard the rolling sound; I stood up vigilantly examining the surroundings, holding the staff defensive. An unexpected figure rushed out, to my surprise. I lowered the staff, looking blankly at the figure.
"Shit! You're alive… um… unbroken?" I exclaimed Bag-E, who arrived carrying my bag and the other half of the staff.
"Affirmative," It replied, as usual, its right side is nearly unrecognizable. Only after repairing its wheels can it move now.
I looked happily at Bag-E; I rushed towards it, snatching the bag heartless, and gobbled a half food pill from the bag, restoring the strength. No one knows whether I'm happy to see Bag-E or the bag.
"So? What now?" I asked, patting my stomach.
"Where is the exit?" I inquired Bag-E.
"Follow me," it stated, taking me deep into the server room. After a winding path, we arrived in front of a wall which has been pried open, revealing a small path. It must have been done by the 'A.I.' years ago. The path may be difficult for adults but for us shorties, it is a perfect size.
We entered it and walked along the path for a long time. It slowly starts to climb up as we went on. *Schlik* I heard a metal sliding sound, "did you hear it?" I asked, and a *thud* is heard.
We looked at each other; "The pathway is closing," I yelled and began running.
"I think it's an emergency shutdown because of fire," I concluded after seeing a warning sign on the wall.
*schilk* *clang* we heard another door close, *clank* *clang* *clink* *clack* the closing of the door is fast approaching us from behind. "Shit!" I cursed, running hard, trying to get out before the door closes.
We finally saw an exit, "There is the exit!" I shouted, running towards it. *thud* a door closed just behind us. "Fuck!" I paled as the exit is also about to close and we were some distance away from it.
*Vviiiinnnggg* Bag-E suddenly burst into speed towards the exit, I became excited, "Go Bag-E Go, stick the staff in to prevent it from closing," I yelled, giving the idea.
But it is late, *schilk* the door fell *klonk* but Bag-E reached in time to hold the gate from falling. *crack* the robot can't hold the weight; I reached in time and placed the staff vertically to support it.
I got out of the door to find that I'm at the edge of the altar we saw on the map. Except for the altar and the path leading to it, there is nothing here; the whole place is dark like an abyss. Top, bottom, side, everything is dark.
But I don't have time to appreciate it, since Bag-E got stuck under the door. Although I placed the staff on time, half of the staff is only 2.7+ feet in length but Bag-E is like 3+ feet tall, so… Bag-E got crushed.
Its wheels are busted, and the door compressed its eyes close to its body. It is similar to the Wall-E movie scene. And only his left arm and the staff are holding the door from getting crushed.
"You… Get out, idiot," I yelled, trying to pull despite knowing it was futile.
"What-t to do?" I stammered in panic. "I k-know, i-if I get t-the final prize it will be open," I decided after thinking for a while. "Even Wall-E didn't get crushed completely. You are more advanced than him, so hold on," I comforted, and picked the other half of the staff.
I marched towards the center of the altar, which is only a few steps away from here. I reached the center of the altar, waiting for something to happen.
"What to do now?" I searched anxiously and found many lines carved on the ground extending outwards from the center.
I removed the watch, changed it to sunglasses mode, then started recording, *swish* suddenly I heard something flying here fast. My instinct screamed danger, so I dodged in time as that object missed my heart *squelch* but pierced my stomach.
*thud* *groan* I fell down, groaning in pain. I looked down to see a rod sticking from my stomach. "What..!? *cough*," I coughed blood in confusion. 'Where did it come from?' I thought, pressing the wound and reaching for my staff with my other hand.
*step* A robot's foot stepped on the staff and kicked it away, *tirrrng* *tirrrng* the staff rolled away. "Did you think? I was gone?" I heard a familiar mechanical voice.
My blood turns cold hearing the A.I.'s voice, "All the years of planning, did you think I will not have a hidden card?" it continued. "I transferred all my data to this body," it proclaimed.
I struggled to look up from my prone form to see a robot designed, with me as a model, with two wings, a tail, and claws, but with two horns.
I looked dumbfounded by it 'And it can store the entire data from that huge server room in it?' I looked in awe.
'Focus! Now is not the time to appreciate it,' I cursed mentally. Even though I know the parts of species in me have great endurance, especially Lunarian and I won't die just yet; I can't believe I'm having random thoughts, even in pain.
"How is it? Good, right?" it asked, showing off.
"I have been looking for a perfect design for King of hell," It recalled. "That is when I saw you last month. You are the perfect design I envisioned, so I build this prototype," It continued its story.
"I planned to perfect it," it glared, "but you ruined it," it bellowed stomping on my arm, breaking it *crack*. *ugh* *groan* I withered in pain and used the opportunity to remove the rod from my stomach -which is reckless- and held it secretly in my prone form.
"What…*hu*… do you…*cough*… want?" I glared, coughing more blood.
"What, I want?" it repeated, "Did I not say early? You! To be precise, it is your body," it pointed at me, my eyes widen at this reply.
"To your information, the final prize of the trial will only be presented to a biological life form," it disclosed.
"So robots cannot get it," it continued, which explains why he had not left this place.
"But I did not give up and finally found a solution," it revealed and pointed at my head, "I will implant a chip in your brain and use it to control you," It declared, shocking me.
'My brain is already a mess due to memory loss; I don't want to add something extra to this mess,' I decided. "No need, I like my head empty *wheeze*," I blurted, the first person to declare that his brain was empty.
The A.I looked silently, "Sorry, I cannot do it. Your body will die after removing the brain," it replied earnestly, arriving in front of me. 'I didn't mean it literally,' I coughed blood after hearing it.
"Let's get started," it informed nearing me, I waited for it, to be near then *sssssst* I activated Electro and attacked it with the rod, it tried to move away but due to my enhanced sense, *stab* I stabbed its leg.
"What. *Zzzt*…are...*crack*… youuuuuu *sizzle*….." It started, but I send all my electro into it.
"*grit* I *huff* also have *cough* hidden card *spit*," I grinned with my bloody mouth. 'I have not used it since waking up, I thought, then fell on my fours, losing strength as blood leaked from the stomach.
*hu* *hu* *huff* *spit* I regained my breath, thinking of the next action. 'What to do? This altar won't activate,' I thought. 'First, heal the wound,' I decided, searching my belt bag for the last healing potion, and neglected to check whether the robot is destroyed.
"*dooo* *eeeyouuuu* *trrrrinkkkee* *iiiitttee* *iiissszzz* *eenoughhfffff*," a crackling mechanical voice sounded from above. I stiffened hearing this voice.
I looked up to see the robot with electric arcs traveling all over it and some places smoking. *creak* *whirr* It raised its hand difficultly to deliver the finishing blow, 'Shit!' I cursed, trying to dodge it as my legs didn't work.
*schlik* *kirik* suddenly a sword emerged from the robot's chest piercing through its back, halting its movement. I watched wide-eyed to notice that it was 'my' staff in katana form; I looked behind the robot to find Bag-E using its 'grappling claw' to pierce the robot using the staff that is supporting the door.
I watched Bag-E slowly getting crushed by the door, leaving only its left arm behind. My eyes turned red, "Grrraaaahhhh!" I screamed, taking out an Impact dial from the belt bag, *click* *boom* and used it on the robot, shattering it into pieces *thud* *clatter*.
*click* *groan* *thud* I was sent flying from the Impact, with a dislocated shoulder and fractured arms, *cough* I spit blood after falling at the center of the altar. *rriinngg* my ears rang, and I nearly blacked out in pain.
I slowly got my bearings and found that I broke the robot to pieces 'That's the attack of the Bull, take it back,' I thought sighing in relief as the rod that pierced me is not made of the same metal as my staff.
'I will die if I don't stop my bleeding,' I concluded and tried to reach the last healing potion in my belt bag.
*ugh* *grit* I felt pain, severe pain, trying to move my arms, and I'm quickly losing my vision. I used my tail and *clatter* emptied the bag on the ground. I quickly found the package with a green plus sign.
I reached for it using my tail but *swoosh* a black object arrived, snatching it with its three claws. 'Now what?' I found it is the tail of the robot that is moving like a snake and its tip is split into three, like a claw.
I looked ahead to see the head of the robot with its glowing red eyes "*ddddiiiiiiieeeeee!" it screeched as its tail tried to break the potion.
'No, you don't,' I glared, then pushed the Eisen Dial with my tail into my hand and created a cloud hand grabbing the back of the Robot's tail as it tried to escape; it struggled for a while then suddenly shook its claw, throwing the potion away.
'Fuck!' I controlled the cloud to catch it.
*slither* the tail escaped my hold and moved towards me. 'come on!' I gritted, catching the potion using the cloud. The claw tail slithered and jumped towards me.
'Get lost!' I cursed, smacking it away using my tail. It fell some distance and stopped moving.
I looked towards the robot's head, to find the light in its eyes dimmed and turned off. 'It's over,' I sighed but felt something off.
*plop* something fell above my head from where I lay, out of my vision.
I craned my head up to see that was the potion held by the Eisen Dial which was missing from my hand, whose clouds were supposed to be holding the potion
'No, no, no no no!' I began to panic and looked toward the robot's tail. "Z-zoom," I commanded raspy as the glasses I wore zoomed on the tail showing my Dial, in its hold.
'Shit!' I cursed as I began losing feeling in my body.
What I didn't know is while these things happened; my blood is flowing through the line engraved on the ground of the altar, creating an image of a butterfly.
From the top view, I was laying wings spread on the body of the butterfly. The blood flowed along the grooves, creating wings of the butterfly, on each side of me, and then flowed into the shallow pits forming circular design spots of butterfly wings.
Then the whole thing started to glow eerie red as if the butterfly was alive and ready to fly. I blankly watched the dark ceiling, unaware of my surroundings. 'I'm going to die a second time like this?' I lamented.
'I don't care. Anyway, I only remember the things that happened today,' I relaxed. 'For me, I died today, woke up in this body, and am dying again now,' I thought as I saw stars forming in the skies...er- ceiling.
Up above, some orbs started forming which look like stars from here. 'Sea of stars, I will reach it one day,' I thought as I slowly began to lose consciousness and my body started becoming cold. Suddenly a vague red figure appeared in my vision, moving frantically, shouting something.
Then, followed by Green, Orange, Yellow, Blue, Pink, Purple/Violet, Cyan, and white & black, figures appeared one by one. They don't have any distinct features, only have vague shapes, and are surrounding me, looking frantic, arguing, etc.
I smirked at this; I can recognize these figures even in a near-death state like this. "Straw hats," I whispered as the figures froze as if hearing me, then the red figure entered my vision waving in front of me 'Luffy,' I thought, smirking.
The colorful figures started to become vivid but my eyes is becoming blurry, then yellow and orange figures dragged the red figure before a small pink figure started examining my body. 'Usopp, Nami, and Chopper,' I thought
And from the corner of my eyes, I saw green and blue figures butting heads, while Cyan and white & black figures held them back.
A purple/violet figure is examining the altar 'Zoro, Sanji, Franky, Brook, and Robin.' I smiled at the familiar figures and their actions.
'Why am I dreaming these? Is it because I regret not meeting them in person?' I lamented. 'The only thing I saw related to one piece world, ever since I woke up, is Devil fruit and Dials,' I scoffed, closing my eyes.
At least I don't feel cold anymore as a warm current flowed through my body and I slowly lost consciousness. Unknown to anyone, a small part of these figures' aura, flew towards the glowing altar.
These colorful auras mix together, forming an aurora around the altar. And this aurora slowly surrounded me, then started seeping into me; deep in my soul, transforming it.
In the places where the blood is stored, -the circular designs of the butterfly's wings-, glowed and slowly transformed into a circular jade pendant- a size of a medallion, glowing in luster.
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