142 Purging the Infection (2/2)

It required no external support, for it had been built with everything it needed to perform precise diagnostics and repairs on itself. Not because the original creator wanted to create a machine with multiple fail-safes to ensure that the machine would last as long as possible.

No, the creator simply didn't like other people messing with his creations, so he made sure that'd they wouldn't need maintenance in the first place.

The massive spike suddenly shone and the surface began to tremble in response, as if to signal something ominous.

A cold, lifeless voice said, ”Registered signature detected. ERROR. Unable to establish a link with the Central Core. Last known date of connection — Era of Ruin, year 5426. Seventh Lunar Spring, Month of the Hummingbird, 18th day.”

Reed knew that date, the 18th. The day of the Twilight War fell on the 18th. It had not made contact with the others since then.

”A diagnostic check is required. Please wait... Vital signs are critical. Corrupted pathways detected. Irregular cardiac rhythm detected. Abnormal temperature detected.

MANDATORY RESET REQUIRED. OVERRIDING PROTOCOL 26F-SUNDOWN/TWILIGHT/

WARNING. RESET IMMINENT. WARNING. RESET IMMINENT. WARNING. RESET IMMINENT.”

Oh, shit. I'm pretty sure this is where I go, r-right? ...You know what, I'm jus—

Suddenly the ground beneath Reed's feet started to glow. For as far as he could see, all manner of dramatic changes were starting to happen.

Most concerning of them all though, was the fact... that the hand started twitching.

The five mountains were moving, much to Reed's horror, and they were not looking very hospitable. Enormous swells of Anima rippled on top of the giant fingertips, each one a gargantuan tsunami of superheated Anima.

No, no, no, no...! I am NOT sticking around for that shit! Aaaahhhh!

Reed immediately channeled all the Anima he could muster and shot upward like a rocket upward. As far as he was concerned, his job was over; whatever was happening now was none of his damn business. He already did what had been asked him. It was time to leave. Now.

The sky above had completely cleared by the time Reed had begun to escape, likely because of the glowing tower of light. Not that he cared, though. The only thing on Reed's mind was getting the hell out of the fissure as fast as possible.

He immediately healed his eyes and restored his sight in order to get a clearer view of what was happening, since his mind's eye was no longer cutting for him. The instant his vision returned, Reed felt a sudden rush of fear.

Everything had completely cleared up. Everything. There was nothing to worry about on the way up; that was worried him the most.

Where had it gone? The ambient Anima had suddenly become ordered, as if it was being controlled by something...

Reed stared down at the glowing spike and felt his instincts screaming at him to run as fast as he could. He could literally feel the Anima around him starting to descend toward the machine below in unimaginable quantities.

It was going purge everything clean and Reed did NOT want to be around when that happened.

He no longer cared about predicting future-paths, but he only foresaw a single ending for him if he was not fast enough: Death.

A single red-hot streak of madness barrelled through the fissure as it tried to outrace its impending demise. It was a mad racer desperately trying to cling on to life and hope.

Around the halfway point, things started to change for the worse. The fissure itself, as ridiculous as it sounded, began to tremble and groan in protest.

Reed knew what was happening but still couldn't believe it. She was actually doing... and pulling it off. The fissure was beginning to close.

The colossal crevice was being forced shut by Lu'um. He knew what that meant.

He was running out of time. Lu'um would not have started unless she absolutely needed to in order to give him as much time as possible to escape.

Reed wasn't going to make it, not at his current speed. He needed something more.

But he didn't know what... Time was running out. He needed to find it fast, or else...