Chereads / Shattered Autonomy / Chapter 47 - Proven Thyself

Chapter 47 - Proven Thyself

Kage had seen the expulsion of his own inner fluid. It flung from the blade's excision into his body emanating a scent of rust as it dotted his vision. At the mere intake of this sight, he expected for the tunnel to soon darken leaving him in the depths of unlikelihood; but… it did not.

He stood wide awake as a surge of adrenaline coursed through what was left of the attached nerves to his right arm. Chancing a look, Kage saw that the blade was quite thin and had not amputated his arm from the rest of his body. However, a gnarly gash was in the midst of an operation to dissect his ligaments. Without a moment to spare he caught the end of the blade that had gone out his back, barely an inch from his spine. In a sudden precise movement, Kage pressed hard to the left resulting in the blade formed by bone to bend. Its jagged tip was no longer able to cleanly pass through the same wound again leaving the piece stuck in his flesh molded in place.

In Kage's mind he believed that he had just surpassed an insurmountable feat. His teeth dug deep into his lip ceasing the growing wail of agony that may trumpet his survival. Although the bone felt malleable, the strength needed to bend it to such an angle was beyond the normal to a level that Kage predicted had zapped him of most of his remaining stamina. Layered by a sweat brought about by the cool chill of death, brain frayed and left haywire, he could take little more than a stumble of a step before falling to the ground.

Yet there was still the shallowest of glimpses that brought a coy smirk back to his face.

'Ten more feet… just ten more and I can end this… ten more and I can fall… Let's do it.'

Taking his sliced hands, he pulled himself along the bone in turn bringing an excruciating affliction onto not only his physical form but his psyche as well. His insides rolled over the blade scraping against muscle as well as his own bones. Finally, it became too much to bear producing a succession of his screams which wrought out startled gasps of fear from not only the crowd but James Jackson.

For, all in that bunker had presumed his death at the sight of his pierced body. The air had gone still resulting in not a breath able to be shuddered without drawing the attention from this devilish beast who would begin parading their soon to be corpses once more.

But, an unstoppable, blood curdling, cry attacked them from this figure that now dashed forward at the menace. All the while the blade proceeded to pass through unbidden. His speed was slower than while dodging addled by mere exhaust which brought him closer to his knees with each step, however, there was not a thing James Jackson could do.

The bone that should in every way have killed the boy, failed the Evolved warrior for the first time in his life. The glaring oversight on his ability had become apparent to himself as he sweated away the milliseconds before the boy's approach. James Jackson's figure clammed up, deactivating all requests for motion. And most devastatingly of all, was the final bone he had chosen to end this fight on. His scapula on his left side rendered him unable to manipulate any further bones to end Kage. All he could do was simply watch the time tick by. For him it was years before Kage smashed his fist into the man's cheek, splintering bone and bending his nose to such a degree that the bone peaked out from its cover of skin. The man's pupils could barely recognize the force pulled into the knuckles to crack his face asunder. Although it had not been the first time, he ever fought someone, and nor was it a rarity for him to ever be punched, the humility present was unique. James Jackson had never felt the immense weakness that came with this ability of his.

In his focus on developing his ability to better suit his mistress, James Jackson's body did not withstand such drastic training. The cracks in the system grew into larger problems. The craft had been perfected but his physique deteriorated until it was an emaciated form of his glory in the arena. So, when Kage's fist, built and ironed through a regiment that one could only see as pure insanity, came to grace, there was no ideal world that James Jackson could find that he did not black out after the second motion.

Then, the fist cocked back, only an inch, ramming into the same spot once again. This time James Jackson felt the touch he had given to so many, the only difference would be his lack of consciousness when staring his personal reaper in the eye.

The opponent done and out did not deter Kage for he paid little attention to the alertness of this cretin. Lives had been lost, good hearted and honest folk murdered right in his sight. Little could be done and littler now.

Well…

Little more than bestow the same rightful judgment on this evil.

For the second time in his life, a dazzling beauty burst through the blue contacts masquerading as a disguise to the true thoughts running wild in his mind. Images of old skewed realities he thought once real collided inside forming this toothy, blood rolling smile.

A frame within a frame.

A nail that shatters this frame burning it to a smoldering ashen heap. It would be the nail that pierces through the pupil of time.

'Is this real? Possibly a dream? Whatever it may be, let's find out.'

Without a hint of recognition to the blade still in his chest, Kage cocked his fist back and gave forth a righteous beating to his assailant.