The surveillance drone, hovering silently above, monitoring the movements of Simon, Mary, and Bard. Unseen and unheard, it gathered information, Edward's eye in the sky. Analyzing their activities, the drone sent a brief yet detailed report to Edward, updating him on the events below. Edward saw the footage, thoroughly observing Simon, Mary, and Bard as they entered into the depths of the forest. His eyes, glued to the screen, dissecting their every move.
The dense forest proved difficult for the drone, severing its visual connection with Simon, Mary, and Bard.
Edward thought about the motivation behind Simon, Mary, and Bard's choice to take such a dangerous road through the dense forest, especially in terrible weather conditions. He couldn't help but think they were desperate to reach Legis as soon as possible.
Alexander sighed, "Well, just to be safe, Metod," the sound of heavy footsteps could be heard behind him.
The metallic tone of a robotic voice spoke behind him, "YES, MASTER EDWARD?"
"I want to go to these coordinates and intercept these three; they're traveling in a blue vehicle," Edward commanded.
As the loud footsteps behind him faded into the distance, the robotic voice said, "UNDERSTOOD, MASTER EDWARD."
"Sorry, kids. Even if this a coincidence, my aim is the cosmic stone, and I won't allow anyone to get in my way."
Driving through the dense forest, Simon found it necessary to turn on the car's headlights as the interior of the forest was shrouded in darkness.
"I knew this wasn't a good idea. I can't see shit, and it's starting to rain. Soon, this damn dirt road is going to become all muddy," Simon sighed.
"All the more reason to drive more quickly, don't you think?" Mary said.
"Unless you want me to possibly lose control of the car or just want me to ram the damn car into a tree, all you have to do is ask," Simon retorted.
"I believe what she meant is. If we don't get through this forest quickly, the rain could make the dirt road muddy, increasing the risk of losing control or colliding with a tree," Bard explained.
"Yeah, yeah, I know what she meant, you nerd. Fine, I guess she isn't wrong anyway," he slightly increased the car's speed.
The raindrops echoed around them, intensifying as they got deeper into the forest. The headlights cut through the darkness, revealing twisted branches and shadows. The dirt road slowly becoming more muddy, Simon's concern now shifting to the car becoming stuck in the mud. The thought of being stranded in the heart of the forest hanged over him as the rain persisted.
Despite the conditions and Simon's worries, the car ride remained relatively smooth, however as they continued, a noise overhead grew louder, cutting through the forest. The sound was similiar to a passing jet. Further along the dirt road, in the distance, the sounds of trees being cut down rapidly and logs being stacked on top of each other filled the air. Simon, Mary, and Bard exchanged puzzled looks, trying to make sense of the unusual sounds in the distance.
"Hah, see, those sounds are probably some ghosts or something," Simon awkwardly laughed, his attempt at humor not entirely hiding the uneasiness in his voice.
"Hmm, drive more slowly, Simon," Bard's voice carrying a tone of caution. "We don't know what's going on further down the road, and it's better to be prepared for anything." Simon following his advice slowed the car as the mysterious sound continued.
As the mysterious noises slowly stopped with their approach, they were met with an unexpected obstacle—a crudely constructed wall made of out logs standing in the middle of the road.
Simon looked at the unexpected barrier of logs, "What the hell..? Did loggers leave this behind? No, that wouldn't make sense. From what I know, this forest is protected," he said, scratching his head in confusion.
Mary looked out of the car window, her expression no different from Simon's. "Can you drive around it?" She asked.
"I mean, I could give it a shot, but I'd have to drive very slowly so I don't go off course downhill with those trees. Or Bard and I can get rid of that wall with our ornaments," Simon suggested, looking at the mysterious barrier.
"Hold up, Simon," Bard sighed. "What if this is a trap? Hmm, put the car into reverse. Once we've made some distance between us and that wall, we can talk about what we'll do."
Following his advice, Simon slowly reversed the car, the wall stayed in sight, leaving Simon, Mary, and Bard with an uneasy feeling.
"Now, as I was saying, we can easily destroy that wall without much of an issue," Simon said.
"Simon, you wouldn't survive a second in a horror movie... Look at the logs, they aren't aged or rotten. Those logs are freshly cut and stacked, that could explain those strange noises from earlier. Also, look at the hill besides us downslope; most of the trees have been cut," Bard warned with a serious tone.
"Then what do you think we should do, smart guy?"
"I think it might be best to turn around and just take the highway."
"As much as I agree with you, look at Mary; she's already shaking her head. Besides, going back now would cost us more time than we've already waste— what the!?" As Simon looked back, there was another wooden barrier built behind them; they were essentially trapped.
Mary and Bard turned around, their eyes widening as they too noticed the unexpected barrier, which seemingly came out of nowhere.
"When did that— this just confirms this is a trap, although who's doing this? Someone hoping to rob us?" Bard said, scanning the surroundings.
"Mary, what do you think we should do?" Simon asked.
Mary, deep in thought, finally said, "Considering the situation, I believe our only option is to break through the barrier directly in front of us."
"Simon, are you ready if we possibly get into a fight? We need to be ready for anything." Bard adjusted his glasses, looking at Simon with a serious gaze.
"You know me, Bard, I'm always up for a scrap," Simon grinned, taking off his sunglasses and revealing his crimson eyes.
Bard sighed, "It's either going back or forward, considering the situation we're in. Going forward seems to be the most logical choice. Well, we better get this over with. Mary, take the driver's seat and ready to drive in case anything happens..."
Simon and Bard exited the car, exchanging nods as the rain already drenched them. Mary got into the driver's seat, her eyes fixed on their every move as they approached the wooden barrier. As they prepared to activate their ornaments to destroy the barrier, an object suddenly crash landed in front of the wooden wall.
Amidst the cloud of dust and dirt, two blue glowing lights glimmered, revealing the formation of a crude crater from the abrupt landing. The person who caused the collision with the ground slowly stood up, rocks falling off from their figure.
"MASTER EDWARD, AWAITING ORDERS," once the cloud of dust settled, it became apparent that the impact was not caused by a person but rather a robot. Its appearance was that of a tall, dark-skinned humanoid with elongated arms and flashing blue marks all over its body. Its unique feature included long white hair undulating like flames, though it seemed more of a stylistic choice than a functional element for combat.
"Simon, Bard, get back into the car!" Mary exclaimed, swinging her door open and shouting to them.
"H-Haha, what the hell is that?" Simon nervously laughed as the robot menacingly towered over them.
"Ornament, Telespada!" Bard took a step forward, and a portal opened up in the sky, sending three swords towards the robot.
The swords unleashed by Bard's Telespada ornament, impaled the robot. However, to their surprise, it showed no signs of being affected, seemingly unfazed by the attack.
"What in the world... Simon, we have to turn back!" Bard exclaimed, trying to get Simon's attention.
"R-right, let's go!" Simon and Bard sprinted back to the car.
"What the heck is that thing!?" Mary yelled out.
"I don't know, but it seems to be some kind of advanced robot." Bard explained, catching his breath. "More importantly we need to turn back or figure out a way to deal with it. Otherwise we won't be able to continue."
The robot casually pulled out the swords that had impaled it with its tentacle like arms.
"I'm not one to run away from a fight, but let's get the hell out of here!" Simon said, as he saw the robot removing the swords.
"We've already come this far, too late to turn back now!" Mary exclaimed, stepping on the pedal with the intention of hitting the robot.
"M-Mary, surely there was a more strategic approach, like using our team attack, instead of ramming it with the car like some savage," Bard sighed, knowing there could've been a more calculated plan.
"Now that you mention it, we could've done that..." Mary nervously laughed as Bard sternly looked at her.
"Mary, you damn idiot!" Simon cried out as the car accelerated towards the robot.
"ORDER RECEIVED, ENTERING BATTLE MODE" The robot swiftly shifted gears, using its arm to effortlessly flick away the car. The sudden change in trajectory sent the vehicle downhill, towards the highway below.
Mary skillfully manoeuvred the car through the few trees that were left, but the pursuit of the robot continued, closing in on them with alarming speed. As they abruptly entered the highway, Mary couldn't avoid colliding with a red car, the screeching of tires and the impact could be heard throughout the highway.
Still dazed and confused, before they could grasp the situation, a menacing and loud robotic voice echoed through the air, declaring, "COMMENCING EXTERMINATION."