Allen was swallowed by a choking cloud of debris before erupting from the dust in his Knight of Will form. He lunged toward the Gigax Aries, his golden hammer raised high, and brought it down with every ounce of strength his lungs could muster.
The ground beneath the monster’s hooves shattered, sending jagged slabs of concrete into the air. But as the hammer connected with the creature’s center, the obsidian-black wool acted like a high-tension spring. The impact didn't crush the beast; instead, it sent Allen reeling backward, the kinetic energy redirected entirely against him.
Seizing the opening, the Gigax Aries lashed out. One of its front hooves—now shimmering with a dark, metallic hardening—slammed into Allen’s chest. The blow sent him spiraling across the battlefield. Two thin trails of blood sprayed from his nose and mouth, painting the air crimson.
Allen hit the asphalt hard. He struggled to his feet, using the long handle of his hammer as a makeshift crutch to support his mangled frame.
"Too much..." Allen wheezed, spitting out a mouthful of blood. He glared at the gargantuan goat, whose snout seemed to curl into a mocking, predatory grin.
"If it weren't for that repulsion field, your last hit would have turned him into paste."
Allen managed a jagged, ironic smile. He didn't need to look back to recognize the voice.
"Exactly... it’s like... hitting a giant spring. You going to help me out, Shadow?"
Crimson Shadow stepped forward and gripped Allen’s left shoulder. He didn't answer the question. Instead, he let out a heavy sigh and shook his head.
"You know as well as I do that it’s impossible. We’re talking about a Category 6. I’m not even S-Rank material yet; a Category 5 is the absolute limit of what I can hope to survive."
"Then... what are you... doing here?" Allen coughed, waiting patiently.
Shadow fell silent for a moment, choosing his words carefully. "We’re leaving City F. We’re going to form a villain guild to take down the Federation from the shadows. Titan and my brother, Shinobi, are already on board. You’re coming with us."
Allen’s smile widened as he shook his head, his eyes locked on the Gigax Aries in a silent challenge.
"I think you’re forgetting something, Shadow. A knight always answers the call. What kind of knight would I be if I ran now? It goes against everything I believe in." Allen regained his composure and stood tall, his gaze solemn. "Get everyone to safety. I might regret this, but I’m betting Marc can’t survive the weight of an asteroid."
Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.
With a quick wink, Allen began his slow, heavy march toward the monster. Shadow felt a chill run down his spine as the realization hit him. He immediately slammed the comms button on his wrist.
"Code Red! I repeat, Code Red! Allen is going to drop a meteor on the Category 6! Reinforce the bunker shields and evacuate every remaining civilian outside the city walls! Now!"
Crimson Shadow turned and bolted, not away from the fight, but toward the ruins where Titan and Shinobi lay wounded.
The Gigax Aries let out a braying scream, its lips curling back to reveal rows of yellowed, monstrous teeth.
"I thought you kept those teeth clean, Marc," Allen called out, his voice echoing in the clearing. "As I recall, Lizzy doesn't like pigs."
The monster lunged, its maw wide enough to swallow Allen whole. Despite the crushing gravity, Allen vaulted onto the roof of one of the few standing skyscrapers. The beast’s eyes were bloodshot, and thick plumes of white steam hissed from its nostrils.
"Right! You're not a pig, you're a goat. But why the hell did he call you the 'Zodiacal Dreamer of Aries'? You look more like a mangy sheep. What’s the difference?"
Allen was stalling. He needed time for Shadow to clear the area and time to mentally prepare for the most destructive technique in the Knight of Will arsenal. He feared the collateral damage; if he miscalculated, the impact could pierce the underground bunkers, repeating the tragedy that occurred when he killed Seira.
Aries leaped into the air, reaching a height of several stories before plummeting back toward Allen at terminal velocity. Allen swung his hammer, attempting to parry the blackened sphere as the monster curled into itself. The impact was cataclysmic. Under his yellow jacket, Allen’s arms began to weep blood; thousands of tiny lacerations opened as his capillaries burst, staining his gloves a dark, bruised red.
"A one-ton weight... I can still handle that," Allen growled.
The sphere accelerated, its surface transitioning from a matte black to a polished, metallic obsidian.
"Total body hardening...!"
Allen gritted his teeth and spun the hammer like a baseball bat, putting every kilojoule of energy into a final swing. But to his horror, the hammer passed through the sphere as if it were smoke. The monster vanished.
Allen looked up to see the real Aries hovering above him, wearing a twisted, mocking expression.
"Shit... illusions!"
It was the one variable Allen hadn't accounted for: the Aries' sixth ability.
Without a chance to dodge, Allen was buried as the massive, five-ton black sphere slammed into the building. The skyscraper groaned and collapsed into a mountain of rubble. But the sphere never hit the pavement.
Beneath the wreckage, Allen had dropped his hammer and was holding the five-ton monster up with his bare hands. Blood streamed from his nose, eyes, and mouth. His yellow suit was now almost entirely black with gore.
"I... won't... let you... fall!"
Fueled by pure, unadulterated will, Allen stood his ground. The debris beneath his boots pulverized into dust as his bones began to snap and pierce through his muscles. He took one step, and the blood vessels in his thigh exploded. He took another, gripped the monster's wool, and with a scream of agony, hurled the five-ton beast several miles into the distance.
"That was... at least... five tons..."
He knew that if he let the monster fall at that speed, it would have bored straight through the earth and into the civilian bunkers. He couldn't let that happen. Not again.
