Icarus – "It's Coming."
"It's coming."
Right after Kashi's warning, Owen hurled his spear.
Clang! Amon blocked it with his sword. The clash of metal sent vibrations rippling through the air. As Amon staggered back slightly, Kashi closed in on Owen.
Without hesitation, she swung her spear at Owen, who was now empty-handed after throwing his. But just before her spear tip pierced his chest, "Ngh!" Kashi abandoned her attack, twisting her body and rolling sideways. Moments later, a spear sliced through the spot where her head had been.
The spear that had flown through the air returned to Owen's hand, hovering in midair and targeting Amon's party. A new spear materialized in Owen's empty hand. Seeing this, Amon called out to Kashi.
"What's with that spear?"
"The one he's holding is his original. The flying one's from our family vault."
"Neat trick."
"Expensive, too."
"Should we fight carefully?"
"Nah, no need. Even if it breaks, we can repair it. Go wild."
"Got it, President."
No attacks came while the two bantered. Amon smirked at Owen, who was waiting for them.
"Not biting, huh."
With those words, Amon vanished.
He reappeared right in front of Owen in an instant, swinging his dagger. Spears had the advantage in sword-vs-spear fights due to their length—but that only applied when closing distance on foot. It was logic that didn't hold against Amon, who could use Sky Step to bridge the gap in a flash.
Now deep in Owen's guard, Amon unleashed a flurry of dagger strikes without mercy. Owen, unable to leverage his spear's reach, was pushed back one-sidedly. He had no choice but to play his second card barely a minute into the fight.
The magic engraving on his spearless arm glowed faintly. Soon, a sinister green aura enveloped it. It was clearly no beneficial effect, so Amon hurriedly pulled back.
Right after, Owen's green arm swiped through where Amon had stood. Green liquid dripped from it. Sizzle! The floor melted with an ominous hiss. Amon swung his sword while confirming via telepathy device with Kashi.
Amon checked with Sonia too.
With that, Amon and Kashi charged at Owen again. Owen flung his spear at Sonia while facing Amon and Kashi. His computer calculated a way to control the flying spear attacking Sonia while simultaneously handling the two others.
Soon, Owen attacked with patterns unlike any Amon had seen from humanoid bosses. He swung his left arm, unleashing green mist that obscured vision. As they hesitated to approach the poison fog, a spear blade pierced through it toward Amon. But Amon, prepared since his sight was blocked, easily backstepped.
Kashi, reading the future, dodged effortlessly and pressed deeper in. Clang! The duel between foresight users began. Their spears never connected—clashing in midair, maintaining a tense stalemate.
But Kashi had Amon. He flanked from behind, catching Owen off-guard and pinning him in a pincer. Owen activated another spell. Thud! He stomped, and poison snakes erupted from the ground. One lunged at Kashi with jaws wide.
Owen turned to face Amon. He held his own against two. But—Bang! A gunshot exploded the snake's head.
Even while batting away the flying spear with bayonet work, Sonia gave a thumbs-up. Kashi immediately closed on Owen. "Take this!" She sliced his arm.
Owen groaned and retreated from Amon. Amon, who had been walking a tightrope against a spear he couldn't afford to take a single hit from, caught his breath and regrouped.
"Sonia. You okay?"
"Yeah. Hanging in there."
Sonia, fending off the flying spear, looked exhausted too. She gazed warmly at Amon and handed him a serum vial.
"Grazed me. Just in case, use it."
"Thanks."
Amon injected it near the graze. As he did, he grumbled at Owen. Blood dripped from Owen's arm—a deep gash, though not severed. No matter how much future calculation he had, humans had limits to reaction range. Owen was no exception.
At this rate, Amon's party had the edge. But they couldn't relax.
As the fight dragged on, Owen was growing in real-time—or more accurately, analyzing Amon and Kashi.
Panting, Kashi sent the thought. Precog in battle only showed futures to avoid and those she could choose. But the computer went further, analyzing opponents in real-time for optimal moves. Its AI had already downloaded 30% of Amon and Kashi's patterns.
"Gotta hurry."
After a brief breather, the two charged again. With Sonia's covering fire, they landed another hit on Owen. But—
"Download complete."
Owen grabbed Kashi's spear shaft as he spoke. Despair flickered on his opponents' faces. He sneered at Kashi, who strained to pull it free, and activated a spell. Poison mist spewed from his mouth.
"Ugh...! Bad breath!"
Kashi released the spear and retreated. As she pulled a serum for her forearm, Owen swung at her. Clang! Amon blocked it. Grinning fiercely, Amon said as he parried,
"Download's not just for you, y'know?"
Not computer-level, but Amon's insight was no joke. Owen shifted focus from Kashi to Amon.
"Oh yeah? Let's see it then."
Their duel began. Kashi couldn't even think of intervening amid their flashy sword dance. Sparks flew from spear and blade clashes. Superficially, Owen seemed favored. But up close, defeat shadowed his face. One reason:
"Dirty cheater."
"Hey now. Teamwork advantage."
Amon kept receiving Sonia's heals. Finally, Owen realized mid-tier poison wouldn't fell him. To clear Amon, he needed a big hit.
"Right... To beat you, I need resolve too."
"?"
Amon swung at Owen's mutter, slicing his left arm.
"Yes!" Kashi cheered. Amon inwardly celebrated. But the severed arm morphed into a massive snake, lunging at him.
Fighting the snake, Amon yelled,
Tsking at Owen's sudden resolve awakening, Amon severed the snake's neck. The giant viper screamed, spraying poison mist everywhere. Holding his breath in the haze, Amon injected serum. Vision clearing, he scanned for Owen.
His eyes caught Owen on the ceiling, spear raised downward, chanting. Green energy gathered on it—Amon's instincts screamed.
"Get back!"
His party distanced themselves. Owen finished chanting and slammed the spear down...
Boom! Green thorns erupted, piercing the floor.
Just before, Sonia injected a blue ampule. Her vision pulsed; time slowed slightly. Not neural acceleration—more like a strong stimulant, boosting physicals by 10%. For baseline-strong Sonia, it was huge. She scooped Kashi and evaded the thorns with innate agility, evacuating her to safety.
Sonia set Kashi down and checked her.
They belatedly searched for Amon—he was nowhere. As they looked around, Owen panicked too.
"Where...?"
Tick! A lame sound echoed. A warning popped in Owen's vision; instinctively, he reached back. Something sharp pierced his hand. He knew it was an arrow. His bulletproof skin kept it from penetrating his skull—it went through his palm, tip grazing his nape.
Owen laughed toward invisible Amon.
"Nice try."
A reply came from the ceiling behind.
"Nice result too."
"?"
Beep. Hearing it from his palm, Owen looked. The arrowhead glowed blue. He instantly knew: data wipe. It emitted a strong magnetic field, permanently frying nearby electronics.
Recalling where the tip touched, Owen paled. Behind his head, more vital than his brain:
"The chip...!"
Connection severed. Amon landed before trembling Owen, mini-crossbow in hand—one Owen didn't recognize.
Amon smiled. "Joker cards are for the endgame, right?"
He'd wanted a mom joke but held back for Kashi's sake—that stayed secret forever.
*
Cut from his computer, Owen lost will and knelt. Kuoo! His werewolf secretary, transformed earlier, fell to the others too.
Amon's comrades looked ragged catching the werewolf, but limbs intact. The wolf-man's ankles were shredded by traps.
"It's over."
Amon thanked the water buffalo tank, then nodded to Kashi. She approached Owen.
"Owen Recetio. Any last words?"
"...Last words?"
Owen looked up pathetically.
"What do I look like to you?"
"Once-respected brother. Now a failed traitor."
"Yeah. I failed."
Owen clutched his empty left shoulder with his right.
"Little sis."
"Don't call me that, you disgusting fuck."
"Even now... Yeah. In the end, only Mother for me. Forever."
Owen laughed hollowly, touching his nape. Pity flickered in Kashi's eyes but vanished. She aimed at him to end their cursed bond.
But locking eyes before pulling the trigger, she chilled. His eyes weren't dead.
"Tch—!"
She fired. The bullet pierced his head. But Owen didn't fall—stood, wound regenerating.
"Amon!"
Before she called, Amon moved, targeting Owen's neck. But Owen sacrificed his right arm to flee, body prioritizing head.
Others targeted too, but...
"Go!"
The secretary, squeezing last strength, meat-shielded, blocking them. Owen escaped via elevator downward.
Amon's party eyed Kashi.
"It's fine. Can't escape that elevator."
It linked basement secret facility to upper floors—no lobby or lower stops, useless for flight.
"Your investment firm has that...?"
"We're a megacorp too."
No underground lab needed, but secure storage yes. Banter ended. They left the cooling werewolf corpse and headed down.
In the basement, they found Owen strapped to a massive machine—computer with countless brains floating. He stared at one.
Kashi's brow twitched, but resolve held. She speared toward him.
"No idea your trick, but wanna die here? I'll grant it."
Owen's reply mismatched: more mutter than response.
"While the world hated me, Mother always loved me. So when even that link broke, I thought I was nothing."
"Gone mad?"
"But when the link snapped, I realized. Mother wasn't connected via this machine. Kashi. See? How Mother and I are linked?"
"What the... insane."
Turning, Owen's gut linked to a brain—like umbilical cord from tank through glass to navel.
"Fuck."
Even the androgynous mage cursed. But Owen's rapture unchanged—ecstatic even.
"Ahh. Kashi. I finally get it. Changing the world? Mother's love."
Amon nodded, earning a smack from Sonia. Owen raved in bliss.
"Love! It's love! Everything's lovely! So lovely! The world was this lovely—I finally see!"
Kashi recoiled in horror. Amon tilted his head. 'Familiar...'
Like cult leaders in Punk City 1, merging with demon-like things for new phases. Amon drew sword, forming cross, warning,
"Cut the cord nicely while you can. Die human at least."
His voice didn't reach. Owen chanted "Mother!"
"Ahh! Mother! See me! I'll show you the world!"
Computers exploded. Brains spilled; wires snaked to his back. Pierce. Wires formed wings. Owen drooled, eyes sinking into flesh—reappearing on the brain atop his gut.
"Ahh! Finally, by your side...!"
The room shook. Lights flickered; dead screens blinked. And—
All eyes followed the mute sniper's point. An eyeball on her monitor. Not just there—glasses, puddles, every reflective surface sprouted pupils. Body-freezing horror. Human reflex. But bodies stayed frozen. Air like stone—not just fear.
Only Amon moved. "Tch." He readied to charge Owen(?). Eyes turned to him in unison.
Owen spoke. "Won't work kicking the desk to block sight. I see."
"Ceiling crawl? Saw it."
"Think I won't react? Saw it."
Arms wide: "Ahh, Amon. Poor child. Nothing matters before me. I saw! Your future! Thoughts! Past!"
He bellowed at Amon—what he'd do, strategies, thoughts, past life. And.
"How you were born."
Owen grinned. Omnipotent, he laughed. "This is true love—"
But faltered. "Huh? Huh?" Bewilderment.
"No, not that. Sorry!" Sudden apology.
Then— "Aaaah!!! Forgive me!!!! Mercy!!!!" Sobbing pleas.
As he begged, staring eyes vanished. Oppressive aura lifted. Party staggered, movement free.
"Why's it doing that?"
Amon shrugged at the tank. Meanwhile, Owen melted into a moaning slug.
"Ahh... Ahhh..."