Disclaimer: English is not my first language. I'm using Grammarly to check the Grammar and using Word to write it.
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Sigurd POV: five minutes before Lung breaks from confinement.
"Can I place these here, Heavy Gear?" I asked, holding a large pile of ship parts above my head with one hand.
"Hm?" Heavy Gear looked up from her phone. "Oh! Yeah! You can put them there."
I placed the ship pieces beside Scraphound.
"Sorry about that," Heavy Gear said, rubbing the back of her head sheepishly.
"Given the situation, it's perfectly understandable to be distracted," I said.
And she wasn't the only one.
All around us, dockworkers stared at their phones, trying to find out what was happening in the Commercial District.
"You don't seem bothered," Heavy Gear pointed out.
"With everything I've been through in my life, it takes quite a lot to surprise me," I said, adjusting my glasses with one finger.
"Hm," Heavy Gear tilted her head. "On a scale of one to ten, how would you rate these bombs?"
"I'd give them a one, and I'm being generous," I said flatly. "I'm not trying to downplay the situation, but the bar is quite high."
"Damn. You must've lived one hell of a life," Heavy Gear said with a whistle.
"You have no idea," I replied with a small smile.
Heavy Gear crossed her arms and tilted her head from side to side for a few seconds before suddenly stopping.
"Hey. Shouldn't we be helping Magus and the others?" she asked.
"I thought you didn't want to participate in the front lines." I raised an eyebrow.
"I don't. But that isn't what I'm talking about." Heavy Gear said, gesturing wildly. "We can still help with the evacuation, you know."
"Do you possess a vehicle capable of transporting large numbers of people? Or something that could help with the situation in some way?" I asked.
"...No," Heavy Gear let out a frustrated sigh. "Goddammit."
"Don't let that get you down. Neither Master nor Da Vinci ever asked you to build something like that, and you had no reason to do so either," I said calmly.
"I know, but it's still frustrating. Once I'm back in my workshop, I'm going to fix that. It wouldn't be a bad idea to have something like that..." Heavy Gear paused, placing her hand on her chin. "Then again, it doesn't have to be limited to just people. With a few adjustments, it could also be used to transport resources, among other things. Yes, this could work."
She rubbed her chin, muttering to herself as she continued developing the idea in her head.
Ah. I see why Da Vinci likes her.
BOOM!
My head snapped toward the sound.
The dockworkers shouted in surprise and panic, turning toward it as well.
"Huh!" Heavy Gear jumped. "What the hell was that?! Wait, was that the explosives?" she asked, suddenly panicked.
"I don't believe so. That isn't the right direction," I said, narrowing my eyes.
Danny burst out of the administration building, looking around for the source of the noise. Seeing nothing obviously wrong, he quickly ran toward us.
"What happened?" he asked tensely.
"We aren't sure yet," I replied.
"Hold on. Let me check if anything happened in the Commercial District." Heavy Gear immediately grabbed her cellphone.
She stared intently at the screen, searching for any news about the explosion. After a few moments, she let out a sigh of relief.
"It's not the explosives," she said.
"Then what was that noise?" Danny asked.
That is a good question.
"Sigurd," Master said.
"Yes?" I asked seriously.
"Lung escaped from PRT headquarters. I need you to deal with him," Master said.
"Understood," I said.
I see.
I'd bet Coil must have freed him just to divide everyone's attention.
"Heavy Gear, Danny, I'm going to have to leave for a moment. There's something that requires my attention," I said.
"It's related to that explosion, isn't it?" Heavy Gear asked.
"Yes. Lung has escaped from the PRT headquarters," I said.
The words hang heavily in the air.
Heavy Gear's body tenses, while Danny goes pale.
"Oh, fuck," Heavy Gear mutters.
"Is he coming this way? Should I tell everyone to leave?" Danny asked quickly, panic clear in his voice.
"I'm not sure which direction Lung is heading, but rest assured, I'm not going to let him get anywhere near here," I said firmly.
Danny slowly relaxes, though the worry in his eyes remains.
"It would also be prudent to tell your men about this. They should warn their families to stay away from the PRT headquarters and the surrounding area," I added.
Danny nods and immediately runs off to spread the warning.
"Now, if you'll excuse me," I said.
"Good luck, man," Heavy Gear called.
I don't answer.
I'm already moving.
I break into a sprint.
The ground blurs beneath my feet as I tear toward the edge of the Lord's Port. With barely a moment's hesitation, I launch myself forward.
My feet leave the ground.
I clear the gap and land hard on a rooftop, the impact sending a dull crack through the concrete beneath me.
Then I accelerate.
The world seems to slow.
Wind tears past my face as I hurl myself from one rooftop to the next, each jump carrying me farther across the city. Buildings flash beneath me. Streets become streaks of light and shadow. In the distance, smoke twists into the sky.
I head toward it and quickly find him.
Lung.
It is impossible to miss him.
A roar rips through the city.
Not the sound of a man shouting.
Something deeper.
Something monstrous.
I land on another rooftop and look toward the source.
The scene below is chaos.
Firelight flickers between buildings. Smoke billows into the sky, illuminated from beneath by burning debris. Cars lie overturned, chunks of concrete litter the streets, and terrified civilians flee in every direction.
And in the middle of it all stands Lung.
He throws his head back and roars at the sky.
The sound echoes between the buildings.
His rage seems almost tangible.
Every movement is violent. Every strike sends debris flying. Concrete shatters beneath his fists, vehicles are tossed aside like toys, and anything unfortunate enough to cross his path is simply destroyed.
He isn't trying to escape.
He isn't trying to hide.
He is tearing through everything around him.
And judging by the destruction spreading outward from where he stands, he is nowhere near finished.
I narrow my eyes.
Lung's attention shifts.
The fleeing civilians.
A man and a child stumble and fall to the ground.
Lung raises one arm.
His claws extend.
He's going to kill them.
Not on my watch.
Two daggers flash into my hands.
I toss them upward.
For a brief moment, they hang in the air.
Then I strike.
My fists slam into the blades, sending them shooting forward at tremendous speed.
The first dagger tears through Lung's arm just as he brings it down. Three of his fingers are severed instantly.
The second dagger punches straight through his right kneecap.
Lung's leg gives out.
He drops to one knee.
His attack stops.
His head snaps toward me.
A roar builds in his throat.
I don't give him the chance.
I land directly in front of him.
The impact sends spiderweb cracks racing across the ground.
Gram is already in my hands.
I swing.
The first slash cuts across his chest.
The second tears into his side.
The third bites into his torso.
I keep moving, each strike flowing into the next until Lung is surrounded by a blur of steel.
Then I put my entire body behind one final swing.
Gram tears across his stomach.
The force of the blow sends Lung flying.
His massive body sails through the air before crashing into the ground several meters away.
Dust erupts around him.
Lung rolls across the pavement, digging a trench into the ground before finally coming to a stop.
A furious roar shakes the surrounding buildings.
I turn toward the civilians.
"Are you okay?" I asked.
"Ye-yes," The man said, trembling.
He pulls the child tightly against his chest.
"Good. You should leave," I said.
The man nods repeatedly.
He grabs the child's hand and runs.
I watch them disappear.
Only then do I turn back toward Lung.
He's already getting up.
The wounds across his body are closing.
Flesh reconnects.
Blood stops flowing.
Bones straighten.
His eyes meet mine.
There is nothing human in that stare anymore.
Only rage.
He throws his head back.
Heat suddenly washes over me.
The air itself seems to distort around him.
I see a faint orange glow building inside his mouth.
Can't let that happen.
I lunge forward.
The ground shatters beneath my feet from the force of my acceleration.
In an instant, I'm in front of Lung.
I launch myself upward.
Lung is just lowering his head, preparing to unleash the fire building inside his throat.
I meet him head-on.
My uppercut slams into his jaw with enough force to blast the air around us outward.
Lung's head violently snaps back.
The fire erupts from his mouth.
Instead of engulfing me, the torrent of flames tears harmlessly into the sky.
Lung releases a roar of pain.
I don't stop.
I'm already moving.
Gram flashes through the air.
One swift swing, I sever one of Lung's wings.
Another swing, the second wing falls.
I continue my assault, my sword becoming a blur as I carve through his defenses.
Slash after slash tears across his body.
Lung's roar grows louder.
Angrier.
More desperate.
He swings at me with his claws, each strike carrying enough power to tear me apart if it connects.
But his attacks are wild.
Predictable.
I slip past every swing.
Every opening earns him another wound.
A slash across his chest.
Another across his ribs.
Another along his shoulder.
With every new wound, Lung becomes more agitated.
His movements grow faster.
More frantic.
More reckless.
But that only makes him easier to read.
He suddenly swings with his left arm.
I raise Gram and parry the attack, sending his arm jerking violently to the side.
He leaves himself wide open.
I step in.
My left fist drives straight into his stomach, burying itself into his scales.
They shatter beneath the impact.
The force drives deep into his body, knocking the breath from his lungs.
Lung's eyes widen.
A strangled gasp escapes his throat.
His legs buckle.
He drops onto his hands and knees, coughing violently as he desperately tries to draw breath.
I stare down at him, my brows furrowing.
Something is wrong.
This fight isn't going the way I expected.
I've read the files we have on Lung, and they all point to the same conclusion: while he becomes more aggressive in his transformed state, he still retains his consciousness.
Yet now, he feels no different from a wild animal.
What is going on with him?
Suddenly, a red blur tears across the battlefield.
It circles Lung at incredible speed, dropping canisters around him before disappearing just as quickly.
For a moment, nothing happens.
Then, the canisters detonate.
A thick foam erupts from them, rapidly spreading over Lung's arms and legs. Within seconds, his limbs are completely coated, pinning him in place.
Lung lets out a weakened roar as he struggles against the foam, desperately trying to tear himself free.
I see my opening.
I rush forward.
Before Lung can react, I drive my right fist straight into his jaw.
His head snaps violently to the side.
Several teeth fly from his mouth as his massive body is sent crashing to the ground.
He groans weakly.
Then, slowly, his body begins to shrink.
The scales recede.
His muscles contract.
His monstrous form starts returning to normal.
I remain on guard, watching him closely.
The red blur returns, and it stops beside me.
A man stands there, dressed in a red costume.
If I'm not mistaken, that's Velocity.
"Hey, there!" Velocity said.
"Greetings," I said.
Velocity looked over Lung's body, taking in the numerous wounds that were slowly beginning to heal.
"Damn, you really did a number on him," he said, crossing his arms.
"I don't believe he would have gone down if I hadn't done this much, at least," I said.
"That is true," Velocity said, rubbing his chin.
He glanced around the street and winced at the destruction surrounding us.
"Man, how the hell did this happen?" Velocity asked, staring at the devastation Lung caused.
"That is something I would like to know. How did Lung escape?" I asked.
Velocity shrugged. "I have no idea. I was helping with the evacuations before HQ informed all of us that Lung had escaped. I was supposed to check the situation before regrouping with the others. Then I saw how battered Lung was and decided to grab some containment foam to help you," he explained.
"I see," I said, rubbing my chin. "How are the evacuations going?"
"Not fast enough. An hour isn't enough time to evacuate everyone. Armsmaster, Dauntless, and Magus need to deal with those bombs quickly," Velocity said gravely.
"Do you know if anyone has any information on how that's going?" I asked.
"The last thing Armsmaster said was that they got inside Coil's base. So...hopefully, it won't be long now," Velocity said, scratching his head.
"Then there's nothing to worry about," I said with an easy smile.
Master has dealt with far worse.
"Hm, if you say so," Velocity said, visibly calmer than before. "Excuse me for a moment. I need to report this."
He walked a short distance away and used his comms.
Hm?
I glance to my left and see Asclepius walking toward me.
"What a mess," he said, looking around the area.
"Oh, Asclepius. I wasn't expecting you here," I said.
"Da Vinci asked me to come. So, how many are injured?" Asclepius asked.
"I don't know. I haven't checked yet. I was busy dealing with Lung," I said with a frown.
Asclepius hummed in response.
I glanced at Lung.
"Could you do me a favor?" I asked.
"What?" Asclepius asked.
"Can you check if there's anything strange about Lung?" I asked.
"Like what?" Asclepius raised an eyebrow.
"I'm not sure. To be honest, I have nothing to back this up besides a gut feeling, but something didn't feel right during my fight with him," I said, furrowing my brows.
Asclepius stared at me for a moment before shrugging.
"I'll take a look," he said.
Asclepius walked over to Lung and begins examining him.
Let's see if I'm right or just imagining things.
"Sigurd, what is the situation?" Master asked.
"Master, I've taken care of Lung," I replied.
"Good job. Keep an eye on him. I still have a few things to take care of here," Master said.
"Understood," I said.
A short while later, Velocity walked back over to me. He glanced at Asclepius for a moment before turning his attention to me.
"Hey, I've got some good news. The bombs aren't a problem anymore," Velocity said.
"That's good to hear. What about Coil?" I asked.
"He was found dead in his office. No idea what happened," Velocity said with a sigh.
I raised an eyebrow.
"Can you keep an eye on Lung until Miss Militia gets here? I want to take a look around and make sure no one else is injured. She shouldn't take long to arrive," Velocity said.
"No problem," I said.
Velocity nodded before heading off.
I turn my attention back to Asclepius.
"How is he?" I asked.
"He'll live, but something is interfering with his regeneration," he said.
Asclepius collected some of Lung's blood in a vial. He then cast a spell over the sample, scanning it carefully.
His expression changed, and one of his eyebrows rose.
"This is interesting," Asclepius said with a hum.
"What did you find?" I asked, leaning closer.
"Look at this," he said.
Asclepius infuses the vial with a small amount of magical energy. The blood begins to glow softly, revealing something mixed within it: a strange green and purple substance.
"What is that?" I narrowed my eyes.
"Right now, all I can tell you is that it's an unknown toxin." Asclepius examined the vial more closely. "And from what you told me, it appears to have driven Lung into a murderous rage."
He turned the vial slightly, studying the strange substance.
"Once I take this back to my workshop, I should be able to determine exactly what it is. Let me collect a few more samples first," Asclepius said.
"Got it," I said.
Master will want to know about this.
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Please leave a review. It helps me to stay motivated.
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Short chapter this time.
I thought about adding a small part of what Henry and the other found in Coil base but decided to leave that for next chapter.
I been thinking about starting another story for a while.
So, next update will be either the new story or Records of Worm.
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If you like my stories and wish to support me, you can find me over at pa-tre-on (slash) Regulareader.
Or at Ko-fi.com/regulareader