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Chapter 9:

Boom~! The last round fired from Sun Wu’s weapon echoing loudly off the walls within the control room as the last head that dared to break into the room popped like a grape spraying brain matter and gore around the walls and ceilings.

After a few seconds neither sensing nor seeing anymore sighs of any life Sun Wu went back to the consoles next to him. He placed his weapon near his waist then the sounds of magnetic softly purred drawing the weapon a hand full away from it towards it as it then stuck onto the surface of the armored plated with a metallic clunk as it stuck firmly onto his armor.

He didn’t think too much on the matter before but now upon glancing for a split second longer upon the console before resuming his task while processing the data and his thoughts together.

The consoles before him along with the rest within the room were of the third generation Ops Monitoring System consoles that use a gestural method of input for quicker and more specific command options, while the luminescent holographic screens provide a completely immersive 3-D work station. It was neither of the latest model nor a high valuable piece of tech but a question began to surface in his mind.

From the looks of the place it was not a standard equipment of this facility but was installed here in but a couple of months ago judging from the floor tiles and dust accumulation. Though it didn’t matter to him now as this place offered him no more answers and soon it wouldn’t even exist anymore after today so Sun Wu left the room after casually tossing cylinder object over his shoulders. Once he turned around the corner at the door a loud boom came from behind him as a cloud of smoke overlapped his figure and once the smoke cleared out Sun Wu was nowhere to be seen.

Further deeper into the complex

Boom! Boom! Thundering cannon roars echoed loudly in the darkness covered tight narrow hallways of the complex the insertion team was cutting down any and all resistance that tried impend them on their path inward into the structure. At the head was an ornate demonic looking being, unlike the rest of its black colored kindred who had white with a hint of crimson colored plumes at the top of their helms this one had two massive long pheasant tails.

[War Master I’m picking up on something on the sensors] the voice came from one of his battle-brother subordinates in the group coming from the back of Kwan Tai FengXian’s mind.

Then with a single thought of his mind in the back of Kwan Tai FengXian’s mind it felt like his soul was leaving his body and into a dark navy blue space with waves of aurora lighting surrounding him like water. His figure floated in that space as holoscreens and waves of data streams constantly sweep over him and into his senses as he processed them all not one missed. Through one of these screens he could see what he/his body was doing as he was still in control and present in his own body, but was now looking at himself from a different angle like a bird’s eye view or in third person view.

He was not alone in this space several figures appeared after a quick flash of light particles which then took on the forms of his battle brothers at his side and those who are not all of whom were armored but were unhelmed.

One waded closer to him to his side but Kwan Tai FengXian didn’t turn to face him as he continued to process the information streams as they come.

[There is a slight surge of Soul Energy readings just up ahead there could be Psykers.]

[Oh seems like we might have some fun here after all.] Kwan Tai FengXian smiled both his astral mind projection and with his actual face beneath his helmet in the physical world seeing and processing the information being pushed forward.

[So do we proceed with the new or the old tactic?]

[Let’s go old school we don’t know just how capable these guys are yet, so why don’t we find out then eh?]

[Oh boy I already know where this is going.]

[Damn I guess I’m starting to feel sorry for these guys.]

[Bullshit killer you don’t even care enough to feel anything with your black hearts]

[Ha~, true got me there bro]

Within their minds the Blades started to chatter like brothers on a casual hiking trip though they actions and words reflected two completely different realties, their features hidden by their helmets but even then their facial features denied the slightest hint of emotion within them at all let alone the fact that they were even communicating. All the while they were causally slaughtering their foes before them walking on their scattered remains paying no mind to the blood overlapping their armor due stepping into pools of blood as they continued on their path.

On the other end of the corridor where the Blades were coming up upon a massive open space with two floors with railings on top along with a massive sealed steel door on the far end. In front of said path stood a group of hooded masked individuals their features shrouded by their robes and masks. Their very beings radiated an unknown force around them as they stood motionless near the sealed doorway behind them, then it came.

Thunk thunk thunk within the darkness around them though they couldn’t see the foe but they could hear the menacing heavy deliberate footsteps echoing off the walls around them as if they want them to hearing them come. And quite frankly this tactic work as the sound of each step sent a shivering chill up their spines fear was building up inside as they listen to the loud footsteps trying to figure out where the enemies were to no anvil.

Though their features and facial expression was concealed underneath their garments a cold chill was slowly seeping up their spine and was slowly coursing through their bodies. They all knew this sensation a primal fear embed deep within all humans regardless whether they are gifted or not. A fear that is telling them that they are being hunted a fact which they had originally thought wouldn’t happen to them every again due to their “gifts”, they were still human but now something more than human which was their pride. As such as people of their “talents” they had sent here for such a menial task they were at first very displeased with the master for this arrangement but, they didn’t question the master’s wisdom. Once the alarm came they were overwhelmed with joy as they thought that their master sent them here because they knew their “gifts” was needed here. However as the alarms continued and the cries and wails overwhelmed their senses and “seeing” the carnage happening beyond their area, now they weren’t as sure of their duty as before.

They didn’t even have the words to describe what was happening as it because it was all happening too fast, too fast for even their “eyes” to see. This fact gravely unnerved them as this never happened before and they didn’t think that it was possible; none has ever evaded their “sights” though the pic-feed sensors from the building security camera can pick up a brief moment of something that was slaughtering the menials in droves and in such short time but it was an acceptable loss they were replaceable, it was what they were sent here to protect that was more important. As such why they are in this area behind lied a massive steel door the half the size of the massive corridor room that they were standing in, the light here were dim with neon green only briefly illuminating the group’s outline in the open space. There they stood a group of five as still as statues till the noise came their masks slowly drifting around side to side towards the slow echoing but dreadful sounds as they slowly brace themselves for what was to come.

Their foe was encircling them that much they knew and their feeling of dread only grew more tenses by the situation. Clearly these intruders are not even trying to mask their presence here letting themselves be known to them the intruders were hunting and they were the prey.

The advance of the Blades sounded like the soft rumbles of an oncoming storm, caught and amplified by the echoing walls as it rolled down the curving corridors coming resulting in the noise being portrayed as though they were everywhere all at once. Truth be told the Blades could have silenced their footsteps to further gain on their advantage of stealth but in this instance they couldn’t care less they were Blades, they existed to bring glorious destruction, not to skulk in the shadows like assassins. Though that was not outside of their capabilities or functions to do so but just for this instance they cared little for stealth

By contrast, the average warrior in today’s society, no since long ago had already displayed the ability to adapt their colorations depending on environment. Some of today’s advance warsuits are protected by stealth fields that rendered them all but invisible to sensors, shimmering like mirages even to the naked eye. It was a disturbing thought. To the average mindset, to go to war in so obvious a fashion as the Blades were to invite disaster. Though it would be impossible to comprehend the glory of the Blade’s ways of Warfare – the pride and the conviction that came with the right to bear the heraldry of their Order and the martial excellence it represented.

As one who would never know the forging trails of how they came to be today.

As such the warrior king Blades no longer believed in the arts of adapting their colors to fit their environment though the darkness around them helped them blend in with the shadows easily due to their color schemes but in other environments they stand out. Blades were Blades however, no matter the war zone they were meant to stand out like a sore thump, bold and stark each flash sign of an invader intent on conquest. To any intelligent race it would perhaps seem highly illogical, even foolhardy to present themselves as such obvious targets for the enemies to strike at them.

But nowadays the Blades cared little for the reasoning of “cowards” nowadays they would say. Let the enemy know, let the enemy know that the Blades were coming and let them tremble in fear, for they brought with them death. And so they stomped on within the darkness as they stomped to their positions where they needed to be, some took up positions up upon the second floors and the others took up the area of the other pathways leading into the room once they did they stop and the noise ceased once again.

When it stop all noise ceased in the area every other source of noise was silenced as if they never existed to begin other than masked group’s own rapid heartbeats vibrating in their chest present to their own senses broke the silence around them. They waited tensely nothing happened so they continued to wait eyeing the area around them searching for the slightest movement trying to find their query, the aura around them intensified as if trying to intimidate something that they couldn’t see but they know that they’re there. Though they couldn’t see the many eye lenses glaring at them from the shadows they knew they were being watched they felt upon their skin piercing through their very soul.

Light flashes unseen from the darkness streams of information was flooding in from the Blade’s Tactical Display HUD Their helm-lumens blazed on as they got into position then once they got to where they were needed they halted. From there they waited absorbing the information being present to them already plans were being formatted, maneuvers and battle scenario outcomes were being predicated. The faint whirr gave away that faintly echoed from the lead Blade’s helmet hinted to the fact of his faceplate’s miniature optical cameras behind the eyes lenses had zoomed in close feeding fresh intel directly to his senses. Kwan Tai FengXian blinked once and his systems registered the command and the optical cameras sights changed and a new influx of a fresh new stream of data came, once he was satisfied he then nodded his head slightly his two massive long pheasant tails swayed slightly behind his head.

At that single spilt second nod they all moved together in perfect unison step by step second by second like gears in machine. Two Blades appeared at the top level as they rushed forward once they had their rifles planted firmly upon the railing they pulled back on the trigger their rifles then roared, a continues stream of fire and metal shot out from the mouth of their gun’s barrel toward the figures below. The noise of it all was startling. Their weapons opened up, hammering down towards their prey. The loud sonic booms of what sound like that of roaring cannons along with the corresponding roar of some beast straight out of mythology and something cutting through the air resulting in a shockwave that echoed off the walls, thund-thund-thund the resounding noise of the rounds hitting something solid crashing into a sort of barrier field that illuminated when the rounds hit.

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The rounds flared and sparked in place for a couple seconds before they exploded in bright flares of light and fire the space around the mask person became distorted before it cleared back to normal, though unharmed it seemed to have moved the being evident by the change in its posture like bracing itself against something. Then Thund-thund-thund came the sounds again the force of another stream of rounds hitting another barrier this time from the left side which almost caused the one who was hit at the rear of the group from the left to almost fall over nearly losing their balance.

The force behind the rounds was immense the masked group certainly was not expecting the force being these rounds to carry such weight behind them, they thought originally them to be some old relic weaponry of the first kinetic gas powered firearm of the twentieth century. The roaring booms when the weapons are fired from the audio feeds strongly suggested that till they came face to face with said weapons.

The rounds that was fired however was no slug but what could be described as miniature rockets or missiles unnoticeable to the normal human eye but visible not just due to their shields but because of their “sight” though only for the briefest of moments, the flare behind the round much like the thrusters of a rocket still blaring, roaring towards them even when it collided with their shields with a loud impact. Sending the ones who were hit reeling backwards due to the blast of kinetic force before they could stabilize their footing, it took all their metal strength to keep the rounds still pushing through their shields which twisted and turned, warped and bended where the rounds were held before suddenly the projectile detonated into bright flares of fire and light as several detonations boomed across the sphere of energy surrounding them.

Though the deadly force of the blast that would have killed them instantly didn’t pass through their shields, the connecting kinetic force of the blast rippled over the shields throwing one of their numbers off their feet. The rest in response huddle closer together to cover their fallen comrade to help them back up on their feet, the same thought was ringing in their minds these were not some simple weapons even the common las-guns of today’s era could hardly faze them. They were right for the most part the Blade’s firearm was anything but an ordinary piece of fire arm the lean slim looking weapon in their hands were their prized Lancers.

The MT-X22 Linear Rifle/Electromagnetic Induction Rifle to be exacted but also sometimes called by the Blades by its acronym of EIRI (Electromagnetic Induction Rifle for Infantry) or the most common name they though up first for the weapon Lancers as they like to call the weapon.

A custom personalizes able, Interchangeable weapon system created by the Blade to fit their needs in whatever situation, capable of fulfilling multiple combat roles due to its ability to reconfigure into either weapon system. Effectively making this weapon what one would call a Combi-weapon weaponry derived from the integration of multiple different weapon types into a single weapon. This rifle fires electromagnetically-accelerated live rounds and was one of the most advanced weapons available before the introduction of beam weaponry while they are still kinetic weapons, they are very different from the chemically-powered weapons. Rather than using the combustion of a fuel source to propel the bullet, the lancer is a linear rifle or a rail gun uses electricity and magnetic fields. Instead of a tubular barrel, the rail gun has two conductive rails, parallel to each other. A voltage is applied across the two rails and the projectile is accelerated into the breach as the rails drag it. The projectile forms a conductive path between the two rails and electricity flows from one to the other. A resulting magnetic field tries to separate the two rails but weapon's receiver secures them in place. Unable to spread the rails, the Lorentz Force acts upon the projectile, pushing it out the muzzle of the weapon at great speeds. The projectile must already be in motion before it enters the rails or it will simply fuse in place. It has a firing interval of 35 seconds per standard shot while also having an alternate rapid-fire mode. Like many other weapons it’s capable of switching ammunitions depending on the situation its mag is inserted at the end near the stock.

This weapon fires 9mm cylindrical caseless shells known as “Bolts” made from a special alloy. The range and stopping power of these shells at minimum at the lowest settings is equivalent to a modern day 21 century reformed .338 Lapua Magnum, essentially making it equivalent to an automatic sniper rifle. In addition, since it employs an electromagnetic system, power can be regulated by lowering the firing voltage. The rifle features a binary trigger mechanism that allows the user to fire a single round, by tapping the trigger, or to release a steady stream of bullets while the trigger is held down.

The source of the draconic boom was from the Lancer’s Bolt rounds thruster igniting upon the the moment it leaves the barrel the force of the kickback blast which is still capable of even throwing themselves off their feet if they’re not careful.

And on the streams of these explosive rounds came they were losing around however they were not willing to though it was only for short time farm that they were given in between each shot, they were able to register the approximate location of their attackers. A surge of energy radiated off of the leading one of the group then it shot off like a cannon the person’s raised hand being the trigger, as an unreserved flow of energy towards the direction desired. A second later though they couldn’t see it they could hear the hard sound of something hitting the wall far off in the darkness and the stream of fire coming from that direction ceased.

Taken this chance they moved to regain themselves flares of bolstering energy merging with each other’s psychic defenses with their own as well, boosting each other’s power as they began their counter attack sending arcane energies flaring off their forms.

They saw the rise in their targets aura and they saw the lead one raise its hand towards the direction they were standing in, they didn’t move then not even a second later a blast wave of raw unhampered otherworldly energies one that they the Blades were familiar with came over them. They saw the blast of energy rapidly coming towards cutting through the air yet still they didn’t move, then a gust of power swept over them knocking them off their feet crashing into the wall behind them burying their forms in the surface of the wall.

[Jaghatai, Lusung Assessment?] Kwan Tai FengXian voiced out from his head his still form as still as a statute hidden in the darkness still haven’t moved from where he was standing. The two humanoid figures imprints in the steel canopy walls shifted and crept like tortured metal then came two forms that made the prints their red lenses blared brightly in the darkness covering their form.

[Closely within predicated parameters weak but still enough for a slight delay they are only level two or three Gamma class hardly enough to even be a playtoy.]

[Keep at them don’t let them up keep them on the defensive hurry up and finish them put a little more enough in making it more believable we need to make it seem like they’re putting up a fight Ko Suljun, Lon move in.]

At Kwan Tai FengXian’s orders from his helmet’s HUD (Head Up Display) playing around his screens it showed the holographic diagram of the area he and his team was at, and their positions along with their “adversaries”. He can see his brothers each a blue arrow mark on the map zooming in closer he could see the various information displayed next to each one he saw his own marker was marked with a white skull in the middle.

He could see the markers reading Ko Suljun and Lon moving then stopped at once he heard the draconic roar of their Lancers the other moved, Jaghatai and Lusung were now moving away from their place on the top balcony. He then saw the markers reading Lu Fang and You Ming (Dark) on the move as well their Lancers roaring before they suddenly moved from their positions rapidly in reverse. Kwan Tai FengXian knew what it meant their lancers went silent but their life signs still shone they were unharmed an assault like that wouldn’t harm one such as themselves.

He then saw his other brothers Shen Yin and Qi La too shifted too seconds later their Lancers gone silent he then made his move.

From around the corner of the door way came the War Master Kwan Tai FengXian rushing forward with break neck speeds cutting through air with two similar firearms gripped firmly in his hands. Twin Hybrid Lancer Shot-Guns created using the same technology as the more common Lancers of his battle-brothers with a few hidden features that he personal tweaked in to their designs. Though sadly with the level of his foes they hardly earned the right to see Soul Crusher and Demon Bane’s true potential, Feng Xia ran as he pointed his two trusted weapons at them alternating shots between his two shotguns.

Each round fired from his guns fired a special bolt round that splinters off into 8 extra explosive mini rocket rounds into the shield. The noise of his two weapons was just as startling like his brothers weapons, shockwaves sweep over the air in front of him cutting through the air allowing him easy tight running through the area with little air resistance though it was never a problem for him and his kind though. Onwards he went with each squeeze of the trigger as the rounds went hammering down and crashing into the barrier ahead, adding to the series of booming light show in front of him.

The others moving back to position unleashing their own version of hell upon the foe all of them keeping the pressure on the masked group as they moved closer upon their query.

Sensing the change in intent of their opponents the lead mask one most notably is their leader by the slight difference in the robes sent out another physic pulse outward their foe froze for a split second before they ran out of sight again. But in that briefest of moments they saw a glimpse of their adversary, the speed of which the Blades greatly shocked the masked robed people greatly though it was just for a brief moment they saw their adversaries it was more than enough to terrify them. The armored black figure with its crimson red eye leases shone back at them boring into their very souls, the demonic designs of the Kwan Tai FengXian’s armor giving him the very image of a demonic figure with two antennas and horns on his head only helped amplify what their foe in what they believed was right before he darted out of their view.

These were not men that they were facing heck them couldn’t even considered human these were the devils themselves, no man even as gifted such as themselves and their superiors could move with such speed nor harbor such cold killing aura about them.

The leader seeing Kwan Tai FengXian coming towards them was firing his two weapons in both of his arm zigzagging in and out in-between the shadows in the room. The leader quickly raised their right arm energy coursed through their fingers as it sprayed great intensity of electric bolts from the hands and fingers hurling these arcing bolts of electricity at Kwan Tai FengXian. However instead of the creature in front of them halting in its steps as the electricity zapped though its body and spasm like all the others whom received the other end of this power, Kwan Tai FengXian however plowed through the surge of electricity unfazed as he continued on his stride towards the leaders unhindered rapidly closing the distanced between them in seconds.

Before the leader could react he found himself airborne his mind blank for a moment before he could comprehend that a cold gauntlet had a closed grip on his neck for a briefest moment he had a better look at the monastery before him, he found himself looking up to see a mask of black metal that seemed to have been forged out the darkness around them itself. Barely an arm’s length from his own face mask, he saw twin lenses flaring red in the dark, and a web of astrological engravings with not even a hint of faintest scorch lines of the las-fire or bullet marks. He had never imaged to be so close to one. At this range, the artistry was almost unbearably beautiful, but the smell the stink of blood and chilling radiate aura was overpowering it an aura that he was familiar with as one with his gifts.

However before he could even process another though in blur of motion his head vanished into a cloud of red mist the headless body fell to the floor Lusung came up to it and unload explosive round upon it as it burst into minced meat and gore on the floor. Further back Jaghatai had rammed a massive knife into the neck before the person behind the mask could even scream Jaghatai in a blur of speed reached deep into the back before tearing out the spinal cord along with a skinned skull wet with gore.

Ko came blitzing past the rear of their formation grabbing the one in the right by the head before crushing him back to the ground splattering the head in a messy red paste. One by one the rest of the masked ones were cut down their corpses splattered into pools of blood and gore covering the Blade’s darkened black armor with crimson red. Once they made sure that nothing remained of their target to ensure that they were dead they moved on, they headed towards the massive steel door frame on the other side of the area from where they entered with Kwan Tai FengXian.

From there once they reached the door both Jaghatai and Lusung went to either side locked with a simple twist of their wrist the massive locked broke as easily as one would crack a cookie. Then the two gripped sides of the door and began to pull the door creaked in pain as they slide back, slowly revealing the massive columns of glasses tubes behind the door within each of the tubes a shape of a being can be found floating within the fluids. The Blade didn’t even need to look to know what it was they were looking at as they knew what they were that’s why they were here to begin with.

Kwan Tai FengXian send out a command and his brothers moved Jaghatai and Lusung went into the room once inside close enough to the center of the room, they stopped and sudden a sudden surge of energy radiated from the both of them as a swarm of metal particles flew out of their bodies and merged together in between them both becoming a bulky device of sorts. Once it was completely formed Jaghatai knelt down slightly to the device as holoscreen appeared before him, he taped at it a couple of times before a slight beep confirmed to him what he want to know. Jaghatai then sent out a signal to Kwan Tai FengXian that they set up the device in the proper position and without a single word once set Kwan Tai FengXian activated a signal and the device between Jaghatai and Lusung beeped and a slight alarm sound revealing it to be a bomb. It rapidly beep a sequence before entire place went up in flames starting from where Jaghatai and Lusung standing at, then the shockwaves over the blast sweep over Kwan Tai FengXian and the others before engulfing everywhere in a sea of fire as the whole complex came crashing down on them.

From the outside Yin was basking in the moonlight on top the Silent Shark on the harbor leaning back on a chair while sipping on a glass drink, Zilong was by her side still in his full armor plate his right hand tightly gripped around his spear. The others have already gone back inside the ship leaving only the two of them waiting on top the hull of the ship. The heard the slight sound of a shockwave coming from the large complex structure before it blew up in flames. The building came down upon it base and that was the sigh that the mission was done moments later she could make out the dark silhouettes of her brothers calmly walking out walking unfazed by the fire surrounding them and the falling debris cracking upon their heads. Kwan Tai FengXian most noticeable by his long twin long pheasant tails swaging behind his helm was at the head of the group speared out like an arrow formation. Behind him she could make up the figures of Jaghatai and Lusung, Ko Suljun and Lon, along with Sun Wu, they all continued their casual scroll through a landscape that looks like the image of hell the other’s plumes swayed slightly in the air as well seemingly without a care. Seeing this Yin couldn’t help but compared it to a scene that she had see on TV once as a kid before of an action hero movie.

She didn’t bother waiting for them to walk over to where she was at as she lifted herself off her chair then dived straight into the water heading towards the shore. Zilong seemly following her as the two sped the short distance leaping up in to the air meters before the port and landing with loud thuds cracking the cement pavement underneath their feet. Their brother in the dark pristine armor with not even a hint of any scratch or dents on the surface came all accounted for, though that was a given Yin knew a simple mission like this wasn’t anything to worry about.

Once Kwan Tai FengXian walked up to Yin he clamped his weapons which Yin recognized as Kwan Tai FengXian’s prized firearms Soul Crusher and Demon Bane to his thigh which locked on to the surface of his armor with a metallic clunks of magnetic at work. Then slowly reached for his helm a sharp snap-hiss of releasing air pressure echoed then he pulled his helm off releasing his lean handsome face out to the world outside breathing in a loud breath before releasing a low sigh.

He gave a nod of acknowledgement towards Zilong who returned the favor before he then locked eyes with Yin who stood before him before he spoke, this time he spoke with his lips.

“Did any break through?” his tone was neutral without a hint of emotion.

“None complete clean up as usual.” Yin replied back lazily before she tapped at the translucent holoscreen in front of her sending forth information straight to Kwan Tai FengXian.

“Here’s the intel that I uncovered you might find it……intriguing.”

“Good.”

He then tapped at the air in front of him then the sky above them light up as if the sun was out but that wasn’t possible as night still covered the heavens. A sudden a burst of light rain down on the complex behind the Blades position striking at the burning remains after the first beam of light another came down and then another and another. Engulfing the area in another sea of fire and explosions

“Alright let’s head back to Quan Zhou.” Kwan Tai FengXian calmly said leading the way back to their ship as the explosion continued to roar behind them as the streams of burning light repeatedly came down upon the earth from the heavens.