CHAPTER 44: THE SUN
The metal debris melted as a gigantic blaze threatened to burn him alive and Jonathan screamed in pain as he felt the flames burning his body.
His reinforced scales melted and regenerated in a continuous circle of life and death, and the pain was maddening.
Kill them... Kill them... Kill them... You must kill it... Put out the flame...
A bloodthirsty voice appeared in his mind and Jonathan roared, releasing a sonic wave that sent the debris and flare flying.
The shockwave was so intense that half of the building that had buried him hit the barrier high in the sky and also hit the fiery figure flying in the sky.
His body grew in size and bones thundered as he reformed and strengthened, releasing a heat that burned his insides, but allowed him to strengthen his body.
Jonathan changed his form trying to keep the voice in his mind in control and the City Sun gave him no chance to change.
“...”
The flame figure appeared back and raising his hand, he formed a gigantic sphere of fire over a hundred meters and threw it downward.
“GRAAAA!”
He roared like a beast and his mouth opened one hundred and eighty degrees and sucked in the fireball swallowing it whole. His stomach first couldn’t stand the fire, but his stomach grew forming a black hole that took on the heat.
You must kill him... Kill him and help the young master... We need to kill him... Tear out his organs and destroy him...
The bloodthirsty voice spoke and the twisted desire for blood and flesh threatened to control him, but Jonathan was no longer his old self.
No... We will make time for the young master.
Just as he gave a response and swallowed the fireball, the City Sun lunged again and hit him in the head burying him in the ground and the impact produced a shockwave.
Most of the buildings were down and at this point much of the city was destroyed.
Jonathan felt his mind slow for seconds because of his half-destroyed head, but he formed three brains in each leg and his mind became agile, leading to him retreating.
He stepped out of the rubble and leapt three thousand meters backwards, away from a nova of fire that spread to where he had been.
A huge crater came into view with the City Sun hovering in the air looking down at him as he frowned.
The heat the man emanated was intense and at this point he disintegrated the earth and scorched the air and even space. Despite the destruction and what Nathaniel’s presence was causing, he was controlling himself.
Nathaniel was a sun and if that sun exploded he could sweep through this space, the real city and even a portion of this world, but the man did not want to get to that point. Jonathan could understand that, as he was striving to control the voice, his instincts and the wild, twisted nature that was calling for blood.
He had become a five meter tall monster, with a scaly body and sharp teeth and saliva that froze the ground, but deep down he wanted to keep his humanity.
He couldn’t turn back into that bloody beast and now he needed to help the master, not by killing, but by stalling for time.
His master... Zack wouldn’t mind the deaths and Jonathan was sure he was quite indifferent to life, but he would not let him carry too much blood.
His master’s indifference was good and what Jonathan wanted to avoid was his master feeling the bloodlust and satisfaction in murdering people.
So he needed to make an effort... With his determination getting stronger and stronger, Jonathan jumped back towards the fiery figure.
******
Alix destroyed some debris that had trapped her and then climbed into a destroyed subway parking lot and realizing that she had just exited a tunnel, she jumped again destroying the debris and came to the surface.
Flying in the sky, she enjoyed the sun and turned to the center of the ruins of the city.
All the buildings were destroyed and the wonderful Blue City had become pure rubble where no one had survived.
She could not even see the streets or cars, as the destruction was such that much of the city had been razed to the ground. The craters were hundreds, if not thousands of meters deep similar to the one she was trapped in to escape a blast wave.
As she emerged she not only saw her master clashing fists with the creature, but she also saw the approaching blast force and although Alix tried to fly, she was hit and sent flying over three kilometers.
Her body hit the ground, and she jumped like a ball, shredding the ground and smashing through all the debris that got in her way and finally came to a stop as she flew into a half-ruined house at the edge of town.
“Shit...” She grunted as she realized her arm was bent in an abnormal direction.
She took a breath and straightened it forcefully leading to her releasing a grunt of pain and then her regeneration helped her recover. Only at that moment did she have time to realize that where she had landed was the room of the remains of a house.
There were several family photos lying on the floor with broken frames, the bed was crushed by the bathtub that fell from above, and toys were lying on the floor, some crushed and some full of dust.
She swallowed hard at the sight of the destruction, but closed her eyes telling herself that there were no civilians left in this space and went back outside more carefully, this time not wanting to be thrown by a shock wave.
As she stepped outside she was met with the rumblings of battle coming from the distance and as she was about to walk away, she looked at the barrier.
She was sent to fly to the edge of the barrier and being close she could see the barrier that limited this battle space and Alix approached as her eyes caught the cracks in the barrier.
The Black Codes battle was destroying the barrier... Alix the instant she got the idea she flew towards the center of the city and her speed was similar to a fighter jet breaking the sound barrier.
She had seen that the one causing the most damage was her master, who was burning with increasing strength and she needed to control her power or the barrier would break.
Already long ago she had lost the ‘Golden Girl’ when she was swept away by one of the first shockwaves.
She flew to the center of the city and noticed a sun descending from the sky towards the monster on the ground.
“Master stop...”
Alix tried to scream and warn her master of the barrier, but the attack speed of a Code Black like her master overtook her and she was thrown backwards by another fire shockwave.
This time as she flew she felt as if she broke through an intangible wall and as she broke through it she was thrown backwards and fell into the sea.
Her ears were bleeding and her eyes were blinded by the glare of the sun, but she reacted immediately and climbed out of the water, rising to see the damage.
Unlike what she expected, the damage was not as severe.
Part of the harbor area where the old lighthouse was located was swept away, but in the middle remained the monster that became more and more terrifying and sinister.
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The monster was five meters tall and its scaly body provided protection against the fire, but now four arms came out of its back and from the palms of each arm there were mouths that attracted the heat and radioactivity of her master’s attack.
All while half of the monster’s head regenerated, and the flesh connected restoring the creature’s form.
In the distance, Alix saw the Golden Girl with her two companions, while the two superheroes that accompanied her group were passed out at their sides.
Floating in the sea were the Dark Sorceress and Donovan the Nightmare, but realizing they were back to reality no one was attacking and both groups took their distance.
The Golden Girl moved in a flash and left the two bodies of her companions beside her.
“I lost you in there,” Golden Girl said as she left the bodies.
Her eyes were still glowing gold, mixed with purple, and though she was trying to be joking, Alix could sense the weariness and danger of the situation.
That she left her two companions, still breathing before disappearing and returning to her group, was a sign of peace.
“I think it’s time to stop the battle,” Donovan said as he approached his group and exchanging glances with the monster, he added. “We do not wish to destroy our business, but we will if you force us to.”
The man’s serious and solemn voice was full of determination. Donovan treated the city as a business and since they were part of the organization that controlled the underworld, his statement was true.
However, it showed that there was something more important than money or his people and that was the mission.
Alix couldn’t get close to her master because of the heat he was emanating, but she looked at the Dark Sorceress who moved her two unconscious companions with magic and then watched in the distance as other heroes stood in the distance watching.
They were not allies, as each of them was paralyzed in midair and their eyes were purple.
The Transcendental had control of the innocents in the city and the heroes and even though that being was in the tower... That it controlled them meant that at any moment it could use them.
What was going on in the tower? Whatever was going on inside the tower, it didn’t change what was happening out here.
“Using the city as a hostage. What a dirty trick,” Pamela said with a snort of contempt.
“No. The city will fall if we fight it is inevitable. However, we can avoid fighting. Let my master finish his task and let’s avoid this battle,” Donovan said and looking at the sorceress and the City Sun, he revealed. “My master will not kill the people of the city or the heroes. He has no interest in this world. If you step back, we will free everyone.”
Donovan was slightly pale, but his purple trench coat seemed unscathed and in his eyes a purple glow stirred. Not of control like the others, but strengthening the man.
The way he spoke gave the feeling of honesty and clarity.
Believing a supervillain was risky, but Alix knew... They weren’t looking to murder them and that the Golden Girl had saved her companions was proof that they didn’t want to kill.
Nor did they want to destroy the city or kill the city’s superheroes.
Maybe they wanted to return to the status quo of before? They had already seen the power of the transcendental... No; they had seen the power of the transcendental’s minions and had not seen the real being who controlled red codes with ease.
Unlike the Great Monkey with whom they had maintained a balance long ago, this time it was different, for the Transcendental had as its subordinate a monstrosity that could face the Sun and not be burned alive.
Fear was a reason to fight and not to stop... Alix knew this, but she gave her master a look.
It was her master who had shown her when he invited her to the auction long ago that they could maintain balance with the supervillains and the reason was the destruction of the conflict.
The previous battlefield had engulfed the entire city and was completely destroyed. If they continued the battle, it was likely that civilians in the bunker would die and the cause of death was not going to be the Transcendental that controlled them, but them.
“Master...” Alix looked at the City Sun, but then, hearing a rumble like a fighter jet, she turned around.
The Last Defender... Such was her thought, but her eyes narrowed as she saw a metallic figure flying towards the direction where they all stood.
Two meters tall, with rockets at its feet pushing it and highly resistant metallic frame. They weren’t Lab robots, but it was a robot that didn’t belong to their group.
“They wouldn’t, would they?” Sorceress Pamela hesitated and instantly her face was filled with anger.
The armor released thousands of small missiles towards them, while the armor itself was aimed at the monster burning in a red color. The energy it released revealed that it was initiating a self-destruct protocol.
“Pamela!” shouted Nathaniel, and the sorceress opened her grimoire, creating several black holes that swallowed the small missiles.
Other missiles flew to surround them, but the one who moved was not her master, but Donovan who raised his hand and, forcing the purple power in his eyes, turned the missiles into rocks that hit the ground.
His master, the City Sun, wanted to go for the robot and by the presence it emanated, he gave the impression of disintegrating it instantly to prevent it from exploding, but the monster moved faster.
The huge monster expanded its mouth to over five meters wide and high and swallowed the armor completely and closed its mouth while swallowing it.
“...”
That robot was from the Brotherhood of Steel. Those known for not caring about sacrifices to take down their targets and right now the monstrosity was the target and they collateral damage. The brotherhood was known for using advanced technology and the missiles, however small were miniature nuclear warheads and it was likely the shell had some sort of nuclear reactor if they weren’t using alien technology.
The robot flew in a kamikaze attack to shoot down the monster, but it was swallowed and everyone was shocked to see it.
“Get away!” shouted Pamela, who was the first to react.
The monster’s stomach grew and inflate, exceeding two meters and then five meters as if it looked like it was about to explode and the monster roared madly as if its insides were disintegrating from the explosion.
“GRAAA!”
Veins appeared in between the scales, skin and suddenly with a roar of madness, the stomach deflated and smoke billowed out from the monster’s nostrils.
It was at that moment that a bloodlust emanated from the creature as it trembled and Alix felt her hair stand on end.
Sorceress Pamela spun her grimoire and the City Sun floated up to step forward, fearing what might happen.
It was Donovan who flew towards the monster that was tearing at the ground as if something wanted to come out.
“The young master will be out soon and he won’t...”
“I know...”
Just as the Nightmare was trying to speak to convince, the monster stopped its tremors and exhaled smoke from its nostrils before raising its head.
The bloodlust continued to make it clear that the monster was not afraid of getting blood on itself, but behind that intensity of bloodlust was exceptional control.
There were many abilities in this world, but those related to bloodlines were unique not only because of the ability they could wield, but the nature behind the entity that gave strength to the bloodline... The ancient legends of werewolves devouring entire villages were not remembered for nothing.
And the stronger the ability, the stronger the nature and here to Alix, it was obvious that the nature behind the man’s ability was bloody and violent.
“Avoid battle.”
The monster’s voice was raised and intense. It sounded strange, dangerous and for Alix it was horrible to hear. Her supernatural senses made the voice sound close to her ears.
“If you do not accept... Then you will die.”
Slime fell to the ground and froze the floor all while the monster’s compound eyes looked at the City Sun. The only one who could stand up to it.
The gazes shifted and Alix, as well as everyone else, looked at the City Sun. Nathaniel.
******
Eyes were fixed on him as they had been so many times before. Nathaniel had reached the highest position in the city, and probably among the highest in this world.
He was a bright and shining Sun to whom everyone looked when the going got tough and he was always a man who lived up to expectations.
He bore the burden and the responsibility and understood that sometimes the decisions were difficult and he had to be the one to make them.
Just like now... Peace was a necessary choice to make.
Nathaniel had fought the monster and burned it in so many ways he could hardly count it and still the monster would change and adapt to even the highest temperatures.
It would take days for him to succeed in burning it or for it to tire and when once he was done the city would be in ruins, but if he opted for peace the situation would change.
“...” Nathaniel put out his fire and noticed that the atmosphere of both the monster and the Nightmare diminished and left him time to reflect.
He looked at his apprentice Alix who was slightly pale and whose burns on her face were regenerating and then noticed the seriousness of Sorceress Pamela, giving him a nod supporting him in his decision.
Nathaniel turned into the city whose sirens continued and saw in the distance the superheroes moving through the city and many of the powerful superheroes flying in the sky with purple eyes.
Would the Transcendental succeed in taking on the administrator? The servants of the administrator mentioned to him that the Architect would defend the tower and seek to win if necessary.
A Dawn Goddess was strong, but to his regret he could no longer wait.
“...”
Nathaniel, who was about to respond, felt the soft scent of the sea and his body subtly relaxed as he thought of his master.
What did that thought come to?
“No.”
Those words came out of his mouth and Nathaniel blinked as he didn’t realize why he said it, but he remembered his master.
His goal was peace and he would accept a truce and stop the battle. He had planned to call for reinforcements from other Code Blacks to gain a victory and prevent the end of the world and even negotiate if necessary.
He didn’t like the transcendental or the idea of that ‘Brightest Transcendental’ who murdered his master being free, but the hardest decisions were sometimes the most painful and the ones that required the most determination.
However, now from his mouth came not what he should do, but what his emotions urged him to say and the reason was the smell of the sea so fragrant that it reminded him of his teacher.
“Won’t you avenge your master’s death, boy?”
His master’s voice appeared in his mind and he felt the laughter and for moments he thought he saw his master letting out a laugh... A laugh that seemed to mock his weakness and his strength.
Of his helplessness for not avenging her and it was at that moment that something in his mind snapped and thoughts of revenge grew.
He needed to avenge her and he needed to stop the transcendental and the end of the world... Sometimes the hardest decisions needed to be made, regardless of the consequences or the sacrifice.
And if saving this world required burning the city... The City Sun would do it.
“Nathaniel!”
“Master!”
“A sweep...”
Nathaniel, who had closed his eyes without realizing it, opened them again and his mere presence released a searing heat.
Pamela raised a barrier, and the Nightmare helped her. That barrier swallowed him and the monster, but Nathaniel knew it was only a matter of time until it burned everything.
It would glow so brightly that it would become a sun. A sun that would burn everything down.