87 Final Battle Begins (2/2)
The old man frowned. ”This is the worst matchup I've ever been given. To hell with it!” He turned around, preparing to flee.
”I don't think so!” Husky shouted as he quickly moved to block his path.
”Do you want to die?!” The old man yelled, his face turning red from anger.
Husky's body trembled slightly, but he quickly calmed down. Wind pushed him forward as he pulled back his right leg for a large kick. A small tornado formed on his leg as it tore through the smoky espers body, rending him in two. Husky didn't hesitate as he released several more kicks, separating the esper more and more. Soon, a glowing white and green mana-core appeared. He immediately threw a strong punch, shattering the mana-core to pieces. Thus ended the life of the smoky esper.
Back on the city walls. Ed stood silently with his eyes closed as he concentrated. 'The golden energy is increasing even more? Weird. If anything, I would think it would decrease with the deaths of Harmony soldiers. His eyes shot open as he watched the intense battle for air superiority. With Husky defeating the smoky esper, it was only a few moments before he and Ray helped the superhumans win the fight.
”Fall back!” Ed immediately yelled into his mana-radio. The battling soldiers were like a receding wave as they retreated from the battle. The chimeras had suffered heavy casualties, bringing their numbers below 100. They quickly returned to the holes from which they came, moving as quickly as possible to return to the city.
Terra stood underground with her eyes closed. Each time the chimeras entered a hole, they rapidly took their designated escape paths. She focused on closing the earth behind those chimeras, preventing their escape paths from being discovered.
A brief lull appeared on the battlefield as the Governor's forces investigated the tunnels. They communicated with their officers, debating whether to infiltrate them or not. On one side, it was a direct path to the interior of the city. On the other, it was obviously an advantageous terrain for the Harmony forces.
Suddenly, Ed heard his mana-radio crackle. A deep voice came through it. ”You thought I'd fall for your trap?” The Governor's voice scoffed. ”I'm well aware of the kind of schemes you like to pull.”
Ed grinned as he replied. ”I guess you'll be forfeiting the war by falling back then? I think I'm willing to settle for the southern half of the state anyways.”
”Humph.” The Governor snorted. ”I fear neither the trap in the tunnels nor your troops. You're already losing. It would be wise of you to just surrender. I might just be kind enough to spare your men's lives if you do so.”
”Oh, sure, sure.” Ed replied sarcastically. ”Just come on over and we'll chat about it over tea like gentlemen.”
”Remember that this was your decision.” The voice faded from the mana-radio.
The Governor's forces resumed their push towards the city walls, completely ignoring any tunnels they passed. The Harmony soldiers grew increasingly nervous as the distance between them narrowed. Soon, they were only a dozen meters away from each other. Bullets tore through soldiers on both sides. The battle was reminiscent of the American Civil War, with the soldiers lined up so closely together. The soldiers' dead bodies formed small mountains as blood flowed everywhere.
”Now!” Ed yelled into his mana-radio.
Terra stood near the edge of the tunnels. She heard Ed's command and focused. A trace of mana exited her body, entering a light mana-core on the ground. She rapidly retreated from the tunnel, putting up many earth walls as she went.
The light mana-core released a brilliant shine as the unfamiliar mana penetrated it. A muffled explosion sounded as it blew up underground, setting off a chain reaction. Light mana-powder lit up throughout the entire tunnel system. In turn, the powder lit up multiple light mana-cores. The glow grew increasingly brighter, to the point that the underground tunnels were painted completely white.
Above ground. The Governor's soldiers looked down in confusion. Rays of white light rose from the grass, covering the entire battlefield. ”What is th-?”
The soldier didn't even have time to finish his question when a chain of huge explosions echoed across the battlefield. It was as if the earth itself jumped into the sky before falling back to the ground. Plumes of dirt covered the plains, lowering visibility to practically nothing.
Slowly, the dirt settled to the ground. The battlefield was eerily silent as both sides watched. The plains had turned into a complete mess. The brown earth was uneven and rugged. In some areas there were hills, and in others there were giant holes. The Governor's forces were collapsed all over the uneven landscape. Most were dead from random holes of light penetrating their bodies. Those that survived were gravely injured, in desperate need of medical attention. Fortunately for the Harmony forces, they had avoided the explosions by staying close to the city walls.
”Looks like you fell for the trap anyways.” Ed gloated into the mana-radio. ”I obviously wouldn't limit the explosion to only within the tunnels. It's like you're not even trying. Nexus should have informed you about the kinds of things I like to do with underground explosives.”
”Humph.” The Governor snorted back. ”Of course I was aware of it. But you are sorely mistaken if you think it is I who walked into your trap. On the contrary, you fell for my trap hook, line, and sinker.”
”Hmm?” Ed frowned as he wondered what the Governor meant. Then, his eyes widened in shock. Golden threads of energy rose from the deceased soldiers all over the battlefield. It was the first time he had seen such energy visible to the naked eye. The threads joined together, forming streams of golden threads.
A small stream of the threads flew towards him, entering his body. Cold sweat covered his back as he attempted adapting to the new energy. He could feel his body being remade and perfected. Even when considering his mutant crocodilian-like strength, his body still grew several times stronger. His mana grew purer as well, greatly increasing his storage capacity within his meridians. His breath quickened as his three hearts beat rapidly. It took several minutes for his body to calm down.
Ed should have been ecstatic at such a large gain, but instead, his face contorted as he made an ugly expression. 'Damn!' He grabbed the ledge of the city wall in front of him, clenching his hands in anger. The metal of the wall dented inwards from his strength. He ground his teeth as he watched in shock what was happening in front of him.
The significantly larger stream of golden threads had entered the Governor's body. He seemed to be enjoying the absorption process, as there was a blissful expression on his face. The golden flames appeared on his body once again. They grew even larger and purer as the golden energy continued to flow in. Soon, the process finished. The Governor's eyes opened, a sharp glean within them.
The Governor's deep voice crackled from the mana-radio. ”I really should thank you for all the trouble you've caused.” He gloated in a haughty tone. ”If not for you, then I'd have no way of absorbing so many souls at once. I'd hardly be able to remain governor if I killed them all myself. Humans are such a troublesome crop to raise these days!” He laughed madly for a moment but quickly stopped, his tone of voice turning serious. ”Playtime is over Edward. You should've accumulated quite a bit of the golden energy as well. I'll be over to take it in just a moment.”