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Years later…
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The dungeon was a labyrinth of twisted metal and ancient stone, its walls pulsing faintly with an unnatural light. The air was oppressive, filled with the low hum of dormant machinery and the faint crackle of unseen energy.
The Tarnished stepped into the final chamber, his footsteps echoing in the vast, cavernous space. This place was said to be a secret chamber of Seluvis, who had succumbed to his ambition, acted against his liege, and ended at her hands.
The room was circular, with a raised platform at its center. Pillars of blackened steel reached up to the high, vaulted ceiling, their surfaces engraved with glowing runes that flickered erratically. A heavy fog lingered near the ground, curling around the Tarnished's boots as he approached the center.
And then his eyes caught her.
2B stood at the far end of the platform, her sleek black figure stark against the cold, mechanical backdrop. She sat on the hilt of the gigantic two-handed katana with grace, waiting for the next order.
(Pic)
As soon as she saw the Tarnished walk in, she hopped down, and the blade hovered behind her back in a low hum from the anti-gravity installed in it.
Her katana was drawn, the blade resting at her side, its edge gleaming ominously in the dim light.
Over the years, Seluvis had experimented countless things on her to take over the admin authority set in her core. Since then, she was forced to act as the guard to his laboratory to catch the unwanted guests.
Her visor obscured her eyes, but the slight tilt of her head gave the impression she was already assessing him, calculating his every move.
The moment he stepped onto the platform, a low, resonant chime echoed through the chamber, and the runes on the walls flared to life. A deep, mechanical voice spoke, seemingly from nowhere and everywhere at once.
"Protocol engaged. Threat detected. Begin elimination."
2B's grip on her katana tightened, and without a word, she dashed forward, her movements were incredibly fast. Her attack came down impeccably, the sharp gleam of her katana slicing through his shield as though it was made of paper.
The impact reverberated through the Tarnished's arms, forcing him to discard the shattered shield with a frustrated grunt and kick her away to create some space between them.
With an almost inhuman reaction, 2B managed to bring her katana up to guard against his kick. But the power behind that pushed her away by a large margin. Her boots slided against the cold floor as she stationed herself by plunging her katana into the ground.
2B adjusted her balance before thrusting her blade at the Tarnished once again. Her speed was too hard for normal eyes to see.
Left exposed, he tightened his grip on his two-handed sword, raising it just in time to deflect her next blow. Sparks erupted as the proof of the clashing steel, her relentless strikes forcing him to retreat step by step toward the edge of the crumbling platform.
Her movements were a masterclass in precision. Every slash and thrust was calculated to exploit his defenses. He swung his greatsword in a wide arc, aiming to break her momentum, but she pivoted on her heel, slipping past the blow with effortless grace.
Before he could regain his footing, 2B leaped into the air, her silhouette strengthened by the faint glow of the chamber's runes. She spun midair, her katana arcing toward him in a deadly vertical slash.
The Tarnished reacted instinctively, throwing himself into a roll. Her blade slammed into the platform behind him, shattering stones and sending fragments flying in every direction.
The dust cleared, revealing 2B as she wrenched her katana free from the fractured ground with unnerving poise. She didn't hesitate, her fluid movements carrying her forward as she pointed the blade toward him, her stance ready for another strike.
"You're persistent." the Tarnished said, his voice steady despite the exertion, his greatsword shifting into a defensive stance.
She didn't respond. Instead, she lunged forward, her katana flashing in a blur of silver. The battle had only just begun.
As 2B entered his range, the Tarnished swung his blade in a wide horizontal arc. The air hummed with its force. She dove under his swing, her movements sharp and calculating.
2B thrusted her blade toward his neck, aiming for the killing blow.
But he had long anticipated that move and caught his blade midswing with his other hand. He angled his sword to deflect the blow, though her blade still managed to cut into his skin, drawing a thin line of blood on his neck.
He didn't hesitate and brought the pommel down in a crushing move, aiming at her head. His nearly 2-meter greatsword crashed down, sending debris everywhere.
The blow would have been devastating if 2B couldn't dodge it. But only if it hit.
Tilting her head to the side, she narrowly evaded the vicious blow by mere centimeters and smoothly retracted her katana. Her small body hung low to the ground, and with a swift sweep of her leg, she aimed at his shin.
The kick connected, but it didn't do any good damage as the Tarnished posture didn't flinch for one bit. He remained steady in his stance. The sheer weight of his armor absorbed most of the force in her kick.
Without missing a beat, the Tarnished shifted his sword to adjust his grip, wielding it like a massive hook.
The heavy swing of his caught 2B's small figure in the connection of the hilt and the safe guard, sending her away with a monstrous force. Within a second, she adapted to the situation and twisted her body mid-flight before she landed with a thud.
She placed one hand on the cold floor while the other was still gripping her katana. The calculation swirled in her processor to adapt to the opponent's fighting.
As the battle raged on, the chamber itself seemed to come alive. The runes on the walls pulsed in rhythm with 2B's movements, and energy surged through the pillars, sending arcs of lightning crackling across the room.
The Tarnished had to dodge not only her relentless attacks but also the unpredictable hazards of the arena.
"You're strong." He called out between breaths, his voice tinged with both frustration and admiration. "But why do you fight like this? What are you protecting?"
2B paused for a fraction of a second, her katana raised. Her voice was cold and devoid of emotion. "Orders. Purpose. Nothing more."
But there was something else—a faint tremor in her tone, a crack in the mechanical facade. The Tarnished noticed it, even if she didn't notice herself.
"Your master has died at the hands of Ranni." His words struck a chord in her mechanical heart, sending a rupture as the years of suffering at Seluvis's hands and his twisted mind tormented her.
For an android like her, she shouldn't be able to feel hatred toward her master but here she was. The boiling rebellion and hatred thought consumed her mind in an unknownable way.
He grimaced under his helmet, gripping his sword tightly. "Come on, if you really act like the way you say, you'd have killed me from the first move already."
Her head tilted slightly, as though considering his words. Then, she lunged again, her katana aimed directly for his heart. He parried with his bare hand, redirecting her katana and breaking her poise in one swift movement.
"You are a machine with no purpose in mind, aren't you." He clicked his tongue in annoyance as he took a stance, preparing to lunge at her.
His words, however, caused her to bite down her lower lip in frustration. The change was minimal, and it didn't show much on her cold expression. She placed her hand on the cold floor and performed a black flip to create distance from the Tarnished.
He shouted, pushing her back with all his strength. "Is this really what you want? Or is it what they made you for?"
"I'm only following the orders given by my master." 2B replied, her voice steady but laced with a quiet uncertainty. Though she wasn't sure she truly considered Seluvis her master, her purpose was rewritten by him and etched into her very being.
She was a perfect killing machine for Seluvis and his ambition. But this man's words managed to stir something within her rational and logical thoughts. A spark of emotion that shouldn't be known for a machine.
The Tarnished's eyes flashed with defiance as he countered, his sword deflecting hers with ease. "Then that master of yours is dead. Think for yourself!"
With a quick, fluid motion, he parried her katana and let it slide down the length of his sword. In one smooth spin, he caught her blade under his armpit and yanked it from her grip, sending it tumbling across the floor.
The glow of the runes dimmed, and the air around them seemed to shudder, the chamber's energy faltering with the loss of her weapon.
For a split second, 2B's movements faltered, uncertainty flickering through her eyes behind the visor. The blade that had been an extension of herself was gone, leaving her disarmed.
But the pause was brief. Without hesitation, she summoned her two-handed katana, the weapon humming to life as it floated behind her.
2B switched to her two-handed katana that was hovering behind her and got in the stance. "I don't know what I'm without the directives and orders! What am I but a machine?!" she shouted, defeat laced in her mechanical voice.
The Tarnished didn't let up. He advanced, his sword at the ready, but his strikes were less aggressive, more probing. "Then prove that you're not just a machine. That you have a choice."
Her visor flickered, the faint glow behind it dimming and brightening in rapid succession. She stepped back, her katana lowering further, her free hand gripping her head as if struggling with an internal conflict.
The chamber's energy surged again, brighter and more chaotic than before, as though the dungeon itself was trying to force her to continue.
"Override protocol. Eliminate target."
2B froze, her posture rigid. Then, slowly, she raised her katana again, but this time, her grip was unsteady. Her voice was soft, almost pleading. "I don't… want this."
"Nice said." He muttered, his voice low but full of conviction. For a moment, the Tarnished's expression softened. He could only save the person who wanted to be saved. Pity without one's asking is just a poison to one's self.
He saw the hesitation in her movements, and he deemed it worth it to save this suffering soul trapped in the order that they didn't want to follow.
2B's breath hitched, her katana slipping from her hand as her arms trembled. Seeing the opportunity, he rushed up and tackled her down, pinning her body on the ground as he sat on her smaller frame.
For a brief, fleeting moment, it seemed like the battle had ceased entirely, like time itself had slowed down, leaving only the silence and the uncertainty hanging between them.
But then, her body tensed, her systems clicking back into place. Her grip returned to the hilt of her katana, the faint glow from her visor flickering. The internal struggle was clear on her face, but she wasn't going to stop.
With a sudden surge of strength, she kicked out, knocking him off balance. He grunted, falling to the side just enough for her to roll away, quickly rising to her feet.
But 2B's hesitation had already shown him that things were shifting and the next move would determine everything.
And then, with a sharp, almost pained cry, she drove her katana into the ground, shattering the energy coursing through the chamber. The light faded, the hum of machinery dying away, leaving only silence.
When she looked up, her visor cracked and half-shattered. Her eyes were hidden behind the blindfold, yet it was very human in every way. Her voice filled with something he hadn't seen in a machine before.
Uncertainty.
"Who am I… if I don't follow orders?" she whispered.
The silence that followed 2B's whispered question was heavy, stretching between her and the Tarnished as the shattered remnants of her orders faded from the air. Her katana remained buried in the ground, the faint hum of its energy gone silent.
But the Tarnished didn't lower his guard completely. His instincts, honed from countless battles, told him that whatever choice she had made, their encounter was far from over.
"This should be the time when I say something cool and you're touched by what I say. But fuck it." He chuckled softly, his hands resting on the pommel of his sword. "You're still holding back a lot on your mind."
2B lifted her gaze to him, her eyes flickering with uncertainty. Then she pulled her katana from the ground, its edge gleaming faintly in the dim chamber. "I… don't know who I am without orders. But I also know that it's not right to walk away like this."
The Tarnished nodded, understanding her resolve. "Then let's settle this through combat. They usually say actions speak louder than words, don't they?"
She tightened her grip on her katana and darted forward, her hesitation melting into raw determination. Their blades clashed again, sending sparks flying from every collision.
This time, there was no hesitation in her strikes, no reluctance. She moved like a dancer, her blade an extension of her will, each swing faster and more precise than the last.
The Tarnished met her attacks head-on, his strength and endurance pitted against her speed and precision. The platform beneath them cracked and groaned under the intensity of their battle, the sound of steel against steel echoing in the vast space.
The clashes of the two sent sparks flying in the dim chamber. 2B's movements were fast and fluid, as though she was dancing gracefully instead of fighting. Her katana was a blur of silver arcs as she swung at him.
In contrast to her elegance, the Tarnished was more down to earth, as his movements seemed crude and devoid of any flashy moves. But strangely enough, it countered her very effectively.
2B thrusted forward, her blade aimed at his chest. But the Tarnished sidestepped and stomped down her blade. With an elbow to her wrist, he disarmed her remaining katana, sending it clattering on the ground.
(A/N: Mikiri Counter. Sekiro's players know this move.)
Undeterred, 2B spun into a low kick, trying to throw him off balance. But the Tarnished was like an unshakable mountain, unaffected by her move. He grabbed her neck and slammed her to the ground, immobilizing her completely.
The impact caused a dent upon contact as 2B's system warning messages scrolled repeatedly on the visor. She struggled at his grip and tried to remove his hand but then–
"Stand proud, you're not a machine." The Tarnished's whisper caused all of her struggling to cease as if the situation she was in was nothing but an illusion of mind.
"Congratulations on your freedom." He chuckled slightly at her unresponsive state. 2B felt like a child finding solace in those simple words and couldn't help but feel emotional.
The Tarnished released her and stepped back to give her some space. She remained on the ground, her analysis function couldn't process the freedom she had yearned for. The fluctuation reflected her inner turmoil at the taste of being free from that sick bastard's hands.
"What should I do now?" She admitted that she didn't have anything in mind after being set free. Her voice tinged with something akin to despair and loss as she sat up and gazed at him.
"That's for you to decide. But you can start by taking my hand." The Tarnished offered her a hand, his voice steady and without judgement as he handed her the two katanas rolling on the stone floor.
2B hesitated at first, but then, slowly, she reached out and took the hand of the one who gave her another chance since she came to this world.