20: The First Death

In the heart of a ravaged battlefield, where the soil was soaked with the blood of countless warriors, a clash of titans unfolded under a smoke-choked sky. The land was scarred by the fury of combat, craters, and debris marking the places where spells and technology had collided with devastating force. Amidst this desolation, two figures stood as avatars of their peoples' will: Commander Kael, the indomitable spirit of Sparta, and Major Kade, the unyielding force of Technotopia.

The Spartans, renowned for their martial prowess and unbreakable spirit, fought with a ferocity that belied the grim reality of their situation. Outnumbered but never outmatched, they moved as one, a living testament to the bonds of brotherhood and discipline that had been instilled in them since birth. Each Spartan knew the stakes; their homeland's freedom hung in the balance, and every Spartan would willingly lay down their lives to protect their homeland.

Even death would struggle to take this will and determination away from them.

Opposing them were the Technotopians, a civilization that had embraced the cold logic of machinery and the relentless pursuit of progress. Their soldiers, augmented by advanced technology and led by the formidable Major Kade in his mech-suit, fought with precision and detachment. To them, the battlefield was a chessboard, and every move was calculated to bring them closer to victory.

As the two forces collided, the air was filled with the cacophony of war: the clash of steel, the roar of cannons, the crackle of lightning, and the screams of the wounded. Amidst this chaos, Commander Kael and Major Kade found themselves locked in a duel that seemed to transcend the battle around them.

"Thunder Step."

The instant Commander Kael said those words, he vanished from sight, leaving behind a trail of crackling energy and a booming thunderclap that echoed across the battlefield. The space where he had been just a fraction of a second ago shimmered with residual energy, causing the skies to darken, the clouds to part away, and the winds to be disturbed.

Despite Major Kade's superior position within the technologically advanced mech-suit, he found his sensors momentarily scrambled by the sudden burst of electromagnetic energy. The interfaces within his cockpit blinked and fizzed as they attempted to recalibrate.

'What the fuck! How much energy did he use to take that step?' Major Kade could not believe what he was seeing. Very few things could affect the sensors of his Mech-suit, with one of them being a sudden and massive burst in energy.

As the sensors regained their functionality, Major Kade's eyes widened slightly behind the tinted visor of his helm. Commander Kael had reappeared, not as a distant blur, but as a thunderous tempest, directly above him. The greatsword, crackling with a fierce combination of fire and lightning, was raised high, ready to strike down with all the fury of the Spartan commander behind it.

The very air around them seemed to warp and distort with the concentration of elemental energies, painting a picture of a battle that transcended mere physical confrontation. It was a clash of ideals, of civilizations, embodied by these two titanic figures. For a moment, the chaos of the wider battle seemed to fall away, leaving only the impending collision between Commander Kael and Major Kade.

And then, with the force of a meteor, Commander Kael descended upon Major Kade, his sword aimed to cleave both the mech-suit and pilot in two. The energy that surrounded the blade intensified, forming a cutting edge that promised to rend through the most durable of armors.

Major Kade, for his part, was not idle. Even as he observed the Spartan commander's descent, he had been preparing his counter. The mech suit's defensive systems flared to life, generating a shimmering barrier of energy designed to repel the incoming attack. Simultaneously, the suit's arms moved to intercept, one aiming to deflect the blade while the other poised to deliver a devastating counterstrike.

Even as he faced a mortal threat to his life, Major Kade with all his experience remained calm and still made a quick decision to make a counterattack, a feat most warriors would not choose to make.

BOOOM!

BANG!

The moment of impact was like the birth of a small star, a brilliant explosion of light and energy that illuminated the battlefield. The shockwave that followed was palpable, sending ripples through the ground and air, disrupting the ongoing clashes between Spartan and Technotopian forces.

For a moment, it seemed as though time itself had paused to witness the outcome of this epic confrontation.

As the light and energy dissipated, the results of their clash became clear. Commander Kael, driven by a mix of desperation, rage, and an indomitable will to protect his people, had managed to break through Major Kade's defenses, leaving a deep gash across the mech suit's torso. However, the victory was not without cost. Major Kade's counterstrike had found its mark, dealing a significant blow to Kael, evident by the damage to his armor and the grimace of pain on his face.

Commander Kael who had teleported to a safe distance after clashing with Major Kade had his instincts scream at him. He instinctively raised his greatsword to his right, and just as he did.

BANG!

A powerful force collided with the greatsword causing Commander Kael to fly backwards. As Commander Kael flew backward, a large shadow appeared on top of him, and his eyes widened slightly. He quickly placed his greatsword in front of him once again, and…

BANG!

Another powerful force landed on the greatsword, and for an instant, the thought of the greatsword snapping in half appeared in the minds of those who were watching the ongoing battle.

Commander Kael flew towards the earth like a raging meteor, and as he did, his expression changed drastically. He had spread out his spiritual sense to the ground, and he realized that where he was going to fall was concentrated with Spartan warriors.

'Damn it.'

Commander Kael tried to manipulate the mystic energy around him so as to reduce his rapid descent, but the force that was used on him was immense, and his descent only experienced a slight decrease.

'Don't tell me I'll also be the cause of the death of my soldiers.' The fury and grief in Commander Kael's heart were palpable, and the hate he had for Major Kade increased.

When Commander Kael was about 200 meters close to the ground and was giving a silent prayer to his soon to be fallen soldiers, a large gust of wind blew towards him from his right.

His descent reduced drastically, and he looked to his right. He saw one of his Vice-Commanders commanding the fire-breathing drake he rode to generate a large gust of wind by flapping its wings at him.

The Spartan Vice-Commander nodded at him, and just as Commander Kael was about to nod back, he heard the sound of an exceedingly familiar gunshot, and his heart skipped a beat.

"NOOOOOO!!!!"

Commander Kael's heart clenched and his eyes widened to the extreme as he saw a bullet zoom towards his Vice-Commander, his close friend, with an extremely eerie accuracy. His worst fears came true and just like Dax, he saw his best friend die before his eyes with a bullet hole in his face.