BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM

1139  The battle for Maynard Island (16)

The battlefield churned with chaos as Chimaeric Demons clashed against blackguards and their own undead brethren. The air filled with the clash of metal, grunts of exertion, and the sickening sound of flesh tearing.

A Chimaeric Demon charged towards a group of blackguards. His starlight fireball crackled, powered by the rays' of the above stars, burning a blackguard to death.

The Chimaeric Demon moved incredibly fast. In seconds, he crossed the battlefield and reached the group of blackguards. They were shocked to see him appear so suddenly.

The clone's Flyssa connected and cut a blackguard's head, then he kicked, sending another one flying backward into his comrades.

Bones crunched on impact, and the man went limp. Without resting, the clone spun, its leg sweeping out in a powerful arc that killed two more blackguards.

Close by, an undead Chimaeric Demon moved toward the clone. Its movements were jerky, but still fast. The two looked exactly alike, except for the grievous wound on the undead counterpart.

The clone looked above at the woman who dared to turn one of his brethren into enemies. There was no semblance of intelligence in him anymore. It was just attacking, killing, and looking at him as the next prey to feast upon.

The fighters' swords crashed. Sparks flew into the dark sky. All over the battlefield, similar fights were happening.

The living clone's got an edge since it could still use his brain crystal powers, but the opponent wasn't weak.

For the first time, he realized how hard it was to fight against him and his brothers. But the undead too had an advantage. The creature felt no pain, no fatigue. It just pressed forward, its attacks growing more frenzied with each passing moment.

A blackguard then lunged at the clone from the side, but despite him being focused on the undead, he still reacted fast enough to duck, making the attacker injure the undead.

The undead's head snapped back and was nearly severed by the friendly fire. The Chimaeric Demon grabbed the blackguard, using him as a shield against the undead, now charging at him.

The undead enemy thrust its sword through the human shield, aiming for the clone. But he was quick and jumped back. The sword pierced the man's body and came out through his back.

The blackguard choked and died.

Blood then sprayed as the Chimaeric Demon's blade found flesh. The undead was no more a couple of seconds later. n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

All over the battlefield, fierce fights were happening. Chimaeric Demons battled hard against the tough blackguards and their own kind, who had been turned into undead fighters.

Starlight fireballs lit up the night. The sound of bones breaking echoed around the battlefield as both living and undead fighters fell and were stepped on by others rushing into battle.

A group of clones formed a tight circle, standing back-to-back. They fended off relentless waves of enemies, their swords flashing in deadly arcs. Bodies piled at their feet, but it was never enough.

One of them jumped out of the circle, leaping high into the air. It landed in the middle of a group of enemy fighters.

As soon as he landed, the clone's sword moved.

The blackguards fell, like grass being cut down. However, for each enemy that died, a Chimaeric Demon died too. The clone turned to look at his group, only to see them dead on the ground.

Two clones found themselves back to back, surrounded by their undead brethren. Slowly, inexorably, the undead closed in.

-***-

Mira, Amber, Emily, and June stood on a hill with 20 Chimaeric Demons. They watched the battle below and above closely. The Chimaeric Demons behind them showed no feelings as they saw their fellow brothers fighting, but they felt pain and anguish, especially observing the undead kill their brothers. They didn't like their brethren being used like that.

"Can't you do something, Emily?" Mira asked. The battle was taking an ugly turn, both for Erik and the Chimaeric Demons.

Emily looked through her sniper rifle's scope, trying to find Monica in the chaotic sky above. Despite her skills, Emily found it hard to even aim at Monica. No, to even make her enter her scope.

The wyvern she rode moved too quickly and unpredictably for Emily to keep her in sight.

"No, she's moving far too quickly for me to get a clear shot," Emily said.

"Her movements are erratic and unpredictable. Every time I think I have her in my sights, she's already gone. It's like trying to hit a phantom."

"You hit her once before, though," Mira said. "That shot was impressive, considering how elusive she's been."

"That was luck... If she doesn't stop, I won't be able to hit her. The rifle is powerful, but the wyvern is too fast. Even if I shoot, the bullet will never reach her. I can't hit her even if I see into the future."

"That's a problem."

Mira shot her arrows, choosing her targets among the blackguards. She knew her attacks wouldn't work against the undead. So, she focused on killing the living enemies to reduce the number of fighters threatening the Chimaeric Demons.

Mira looked over the battlefield, spotting her targets thanks to the many lights the fighters produced.

Starlight fireballs from the Chimaeric Demons, the still-burning bodies of those Erik killed, the clashing weapons' sparks lighting up the area. It all helped her see the blackguards among the many potential targets.

"The woman has nasty powers." She understood why she was one of the blackguards' leaders. She basically had an undying army, and the blackguards were using them as cannon fodder. A deadly kind of cannon fodder, but still one.

"Are we sure Erik can handle her?" Emily asked. "She seems incredibly powerful. Even Erik might be out of his depth here."

"It looks like he is doing well."

Erik and the Wyvern flashed through the sky. They were no more than streaks, but the attacks they released, mostly flames and wind blades, weren't.

Often they parted the dark clouds hanging below the moon like curtains and often pushed away the darkness.

"Oh, no…" Emily said.

"What?"

"She... She's found our position," Emily said. "The blackguards' leader. I can see her through my scope. She's heading straight for us."

"Fuck…"