"Kill Klyson."
Twelve Angels dove towards me from up above, gaining speed on their way down. A landed hit by even just one of them would prove fatal. I glanced at the buildings surrounding me.
"Block."
Windows shattered open from the various buildings, with twelve of my proxies leaping through the air to intersect the Angels mid-air.
Thud—!
Every Angel converged with a tenant, with all 24 of them diving towards the ground.
Slam!!
The numerous impacts formed craters, littering debris about, and fogging the air with a cloud of dust.
"Contest them."
The sounds of battle ensued between the Angels and proxies. I fled the scene with Soho while my position was momentarily masked by the dust.
"A simple smoke bomb won't do much, Klyson." Enzo's words echoed into my ear.
My danger senses suddenly rang erratically, and from my right, I felt a quick approaching threat. I dodged immediately, noticing an Angel had thrown a kick towards my head with such strength that it cleared the smoke in the area for a moment.
He deployed another one!
"Kinetic!" Soho shouted. The noted Angel suddenly slipped off of its feet, fallen onto the floor. Soho and I continued to run away, remaining stable due to our pre-Static-studded shoes.
"So you've been cooperating with her haven't you? An old colleague of mine."
"Shut up." I muted my call with Enzo to communicate with Soho.
"I need to find a safe vantage point where I can control all the proxies at once, uncontested."
Soho's face lit up with an idea.
"This way!"
She led me through the back exit of a building in an alleyway she recognized. We immediately began descending stairs.
"After I gave up on the storage unit, and before I went to the Waving Kitty, I stayed here for a few days!"
We'd went about three stories underground before reaching the designated floor. It was a hall with numerous doors, and Soho led me to a specific one. Inside, the room was filled with boxes, unused tools, and cobwebs.
"I know it's kind of tight, but I can keep you uncontested here. I'll lay Static and Kinetic traps on the two floors leading down here, including this floor itself. If any of those 'Angels' manage to get through my defenses, I'll warn you."
I nodded in agreement, watching as Soho was about to leave the room.
"Stay safe!" I said.
"I will!" She turned around and gave me a smile. "Please, go and beat the fuck out of Enzo. I'll call you if anything happens."
Slam!
The door shut behind her, leaving me in the darkness of my own thoughts to distribute to the rest of my proxies. Although I couldn't see them from a satellite overview like with the Angels, nor see through their perspective using a hive mind, I could sense every single one of their locations and movements. Their hearts beat in synchronization with mine.
Control is on another level…
I sat on the floor and crossed my legs. There was a slight urge tugging inside of me—the upcoming liquid excretion.
I can still hold it for a while. I need to contain this Fractal for as long as I can.
The next moment I urinated, Control would be gone with it. I had to do whatever it took to keep myself from doing so until I've fully defended myself against Enzo.
I unmuted the call.
"We're playing hide-and-seek now, Klyson? And you were calling me a child?"
"The conditions are now set for a fair match, Enzo. Fractless to Fractless, infantry to colony, Angel to proxy. If you're as strong as you think you are, then let's play this out as if we're still in the Tenfold. My army against yours."
He burst out into laughter, enthralled by the idea. "All you're doing is delaying the inevitable. But I'll play along! If this is what leads you to the afterlife in peace, then so be it!"
With the ultimate power of Control in my blood, and the influence of a lingering goddess in my mind, it felt no different than being able to see the entire battlefield with my own eyes. I knew where every proxy was, and I could sense their internal reactions to define the locations of the Angels. There was only one limiting factor, and it was that the proxies had to remain within my radius. Any farther out than about eight blocks from where I sat, and I'd lose authority of them.
Enzo will have the advantage in positioning. But I will have the advantage in numbers.
I was quickly humbled by a single afterthought—the reminder of Enzo's choice to use only 20 Angels in the onslaught on New Zina's frontline army.
Enzo doesn't even need numbers…
It had finally occurred to me what I was really getting myself into. The very epitome of both the Tenfold and Upper Four, the original executioner of Heathen, and the strongest commander in A.X.A. was who I was up against right now.
Who I'd once considered my idol, my mentor, and my inspiration, was now my sole enemy.
"Let's see how you put that ability to use," Enzo said.
I took a deep breath, swallowing any hesitation left down my throat before making my claim.
"The Tenfold ends with you."