With his eyes closed, Jack was above the city of Windermere, floating there in the cool breeze even as droplets of rain began to caress his skin.
“You know you'll catch a cold if you continue to sleep out here. We should head back and rest, you taking a nap out in the open isn't really safe.”
I know. But its not like they can do anything. Jack replied to the angel, opening his eyes to take in the port city below. Well… it's time to get to it.
Soaked, Jack descended, moving towards the city that had been abandoned by the Roland army. That didn't mean they were defenseless however as black artillery pieces on the city walls opened fire.
“Well… they're committed,” Jack sighed, his barrier of mana blocking the flurry of explosive flak.
Anyone else would have probably been shredded into thousands of bits thrice over, but thanks to Jack's body constantly funneling mana, it was almost as though his mana barriers had become unbreakable.
Jack waited until the smoke was clear, allowing himself to be seen under the moonlight as several spotlights across the iron wall focused on him.
Sara, can you help me propel my voice?
“Speak your mind,” Sahaqiel said as the air visibly shifted.
“Citizens of Windermere! Your leaders have abandoned you!” Jack barked, broadcasting his voice across the city with the wind carrying his words to every citizen within its walls. “I am Jack Cordellica, under the grace of her Majesty Queen Selfia Cordelica, I offer you a chance to surrender. Send out your delegate so we can...”
Jack frowned, trailing off mid-sentence before a sniper’s round bounced off his mana barrier.
“Rude…”
“Parlay. The word you’re looking for is parlay.”
“Parlay! And discuss the terms of your surrender,” Jack continued.
“Why ask them to surrender when we can simply beat them into submission?” Lilith hissed in Jack’s ear.
“And what? Destroy the town? Wipe out the innocent men women and children cowing in their bunkers?”
“That’s not what I meant.”
“I understand what you meant Lilith, and it would be easy. But would you rather fight a thousand soldiers or a handful of loyalists? If we begin butchering them word would spread of a massacre and embolden the rest. I rather not stain my hands with more blood than necessary,” Jack replied as he floated above the bustling city teeming with soldiers and waited for the garrison’s response. More specifically, a certain officer who would no doubt cease to remain silent with Jack at his door. “Plus all this mana manipulation is stressing my body. I'm not bleeding like usual but too much more and it'll start hurting.”
“Then let's hope your little display scared them enough.”
“If he doesn’t surrender,” Sahaqiel began. “What will you do?”
“Whatever I need to,” Jack said to the angel as the massive metal gate of the city opened up, revealing a lone man stepping from the fortified city.
Lilith frowned at Jack’s response, something about his demeanor unsettling her.
Jack floated downwards towards the man with a blue core wearing what appeared to be an assortment of enchanted gear.
“Hoffman, or should I say, Captain Hoffman? Congratulations on your promotion,” Jack said as the rain seemed to pick up and lights from the wall cut through the torrent to illuminate the two men.
“Congratulations to yourself sir,” Hoffman said, standing before Jack, his mana signature akin to a burning star from his ornaments. “I heard you had a daughter?”
Jack eyed the armed men and women atop the walls, hundreds of rifles pointed at him alongside a multitude of cannons and machine guns.
No MECHFrames…
"Looks like they really did abandon them..."
“Celeste,” Jack said as Sahaqiel analyzed the man’s gear. It wasn’t uncommon for Jack to encounter people using enchanted items; however, none of them, save for the hammers he’d stolen, were of any use to him as they just complicated his already growing kit.
“And fraulein Nguyen?” Hoffman said.
“We’re expecting,” Jack replied as he listened to Sahaqiel’s report while his eyes moved toward the black obsidian chest plate.
“Lowest grade is D, his cape is a shield, his bracers channel lightning, his boots grant what I think is flight, the sword has a flash effect, and his chest plate is… it's like the gauntlets… but different, I need more time to analyze it!”
“Congratulations again sir,” Hoffman flashed Jack a warm smile, almost as if he weren’t talking to a man standing at his home with an army at his back. “Do you know what it'll be?”
“We’re hoping for a boy.”
Staring at Hoffman, Jack’s eyes began to hurt, almost as if the mere sight of the man was causing a strain on his senses. However Jack quickly realized that it wasn’t Hoffman but rather the smooth chest plate he was wearing.
“The armor is causing a distortion, almost as if the-”
“It's made to amplify my power,” Lilith cut in as Sahaqiel began her report.
So what? The armor eats data?
“No, the gauntlets are made to intake data while the chest plate is made to distort and mask it. The distortion you're seeing is the armor in effect. Those enchantments on his gear won't last long,” Lilith reported as Jack inhaled, feeling his connection to the wind was lessening in the presence of the armor.
This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author's work.
The Black King… always a step ahead…
“So, Captain Hoffman, where did you get that armor?” Jack asked.
“A gift from my King to halt the invaders,” Hoffman said, his tone almost proud as he stood defiantly before Jack.
“So I'm an invader now?”
“Isn't that what you are? This is my home, sir. And you bring an army to raze it to the ground even after I offered to give you a tour.”
Jack pursed his lips.
“Hoffman, listen to me. Roland is being used, same as he's using you, you've seen the papers, you've read the documents about the High Table,” Jack said, raising the wind to attempt and knock Hoffman out, yet try as he might, the armor shielded him. “Surrender the city and we can talk.”
The rain picked up, the falling droplets torrential now as lightning roared in the sky above.
“I am a knight, under his Imperial Majesty King-”
“Hoffman!” Jack barked as the officer unsheathed the blade at his side.
“-Roland, rightful ruler of the Empire. And I have been charged to halt the enemy advance.”
Jack exhaled, “You realize, that if you force my hand, you won't walk away from this.”
“Then so be it,” Hoffman said before slashing at Jack who shifted his head back just in time to avoid the blade aimed at his throat.
Jack winced, blinking twice before his hand rubbed his neck where a thin line of blood oozed from his skin.
“It would be wise if you did not look down on me sir,” Hoffman said coldly, rousing his mana that rapidly shifted from blue to an indigo hue.
Lilith!
“The armor is igniting his core, boosting his abilities.”
Like soul ignition…
Jack clenched his teeth, reaching out, attempting to probe at Hoffman's defenses only for the distortion effect to knock away gehenna.
“Tsk. So be it,” Jack said, drawing his revolver from his hip, the rain water moving along the engraving on the barrel that spelled out Jill.
Jack put the barrel into his storage bracelet, removing the weapon that was now affixed with a silver blade.
“Thank you sir,” Hoffman said before raising his left hand, flinging two disks of light at Jack who flicked them away as the mage officer drew near.
Jack parried the man's blade, the enchanted sword suddenly igniting into a star as Jack backpedaled and opened his mouth, spewing frost at his assailant.
Hoffman raised his arm, erecting a barrier of mana that quickly became covered in ice particles and obscured his vision.
“What's the point of this Hoffman? Why fight me?!” Jack demanded, more annoyed than angry as he rubbed his eyes from the sudden flash from Hoffman's sword.
“I don't have a choice,” Hoffman said, the man circling Jack.
“We all have a choice, now stand down!” Jack spat, pointing the barrel end of his blade at Hoffman.
“I have my orders!” Hoffman yelled, clenching his jaw, adjusting his feet, the Roland officer dry swallowing with fear evident in his eyes, “And I will obey them.”
"I'm so sick of this loyalist shit!"
Hoffman charged, swiping left and right as Jack sent his feathers to intercept yet as he did so the feathers fell short, their connection with Jack waning as he reluctantly pulled the trigger on his gun.
The revolver roared, hitting Hoffman squarely in the chest and sending him off his feet and into the mud.
An audible gasp reached Jack's ears, onlookers worried for a moment as their officer lay on the ground.
“Agh…” Hoffman groaned, the wind clearly knocked out of him.
Jack allowed the man to rise to his feet, watching as every defender on the wall cheered for their champion.
“Hoffman,” Jack’s face twisted, his eyes squeezing shut, “Is this what you want? To be a martyr for a cause? To be a pawn?”
Hoffman opened and closed his mouth repeatedly, the Roland officer staring down the invasion force behind Jack that stood like an audience to their fight
“I only wish...” Hoffman huffed, visibly out of breath. “To be useful to my king. To be a part of his vision for the future.”
Jack could feel his anger rising, a sensation akin to lava boiling in his veins.
First Colette now Hoffman!
Suddenly Hoffman was off, charging at Jack who reacted by moving his feathers into a shield and blocking the attack with a dull clang.
Alarm rang through Jack's mind, his connection with his wings distorting as the silver feathers began to hit the ground.
“From the bottom of my heart,” Jack said through clenched teeth, “I want you to survive this. Roland has already lost the war, you don't have to go down with him. Cede city to us. Order your men to surrender!”
“Do you know what Selfia has done?!” Hoffman hissed, his strength seeming to grow exponentially with Jack forced to dig his boots into the muddy soil. “She turned weapons on us! Weapons of mass destruction that obliterated entire cities! Massacred thousands! The age of the matriarchs must come to an end! The future of the empire depends on a king!”
To Jack's eyes, he could see Hoffman's core churning, the energy swirling within threatening to explode as steam rose from the officer’s body.
“Hoffman! That armor you're wearing!”
“I… am deeply sorry, but I can't give the order to surrender!”
“Hoffman!”
Hoffman closed his eyes only to open them a moment later with tears streaming down his cheek, “I can't let you pass! I am Adolf Hoffman, officer of Lord Roland’s Royal army and I SHALL NOT YIELD THE WAY FORWARD!”
With a roar Jack was blasted back, the eruption of mana from Hoffman akin to a grenade set off at point blank range.
Jack pulled up his revolver, weapon pointed at Hoffman who closed the gap almost instantaneously and moved around his weapon's range.
Hoffman's sword cut through the air, blade aimed dangerously at Jack's neck who reacted on instinct, hand reaching out and punching Hoffman in the face.
Oddly the man took the hit, the force of Jack’s punch usually capable of disabling or killing a normal man. Yet to the mage officer, he merely stumbled, dropping his sword.
“Hoffman, take off that armor! Now! It'll kill you!” Jack ordered, only to be met with a fist from the mage officer.
"Shut up! Shut up and fight!"
“Damn it! You idiot! Why won't you listen?!”
Trading blows, Jack reluctantly answered in kind, attempting to beat the man into submission whilst the latter cried and continued his assault.
The blonde tackled Jack, forcing the him to pick the man up and fling him into the mud where he slid for several feet.
[-22 HP]
Jack winced, looking down, noticing a silver dagger lined with armytheium stuck in his side.
Suddenly the weapon began to heat up, immolating Jack's flesh who calmly reached down and removed the enchanted blade from his body.
“Enough games Jack. You've done all you can, kill him and take his armor, we need it,” Lilith whispered in Jack's ear.
Discarding the dagger, Jack approached the man with a murderous glint in his eye.
Hoffman rose from the ground, picking himself up to meet Jack face to face, the former bleeding profusely from his injuries despite Jack holding back.
“Hoffman, stop," Jack said, tossing the enchanted dagger to the side, "Last warning or I will kill you!”
“That's..." Hoffman chuckled, wiping the blood from his mouth, "The thing sir, I'm already dead.”
Jack dry swallowed before his mouth opened, releasing with it a roar that prompted Hoffman to do the same.
The two charged one another. One screaming the name of his monarch while the other bellowed his rage against the world.
As the two raced towards one another, Jack felt only regret and anger, the two emotions mixing as he moved to kill a man he had once fought beside.
Yet, before the two could clash, suddenly Hoffman stumbled, sailing past Jack who on reflex reached out, grabbing the soldier who fell limp in his arms.
“Hoffman?” Jack said, his tone, one mixed of confusion and shock as he turned his head to gaze upon the man he held upright.
Jack's confusion didn't last long, instead all he was left with was a hollow feeling as Hoffman's core ceased to exist to Jack's eyes.