The Ancient City

I was staring at the ceiling of the city and the skyscrapers that's about to touch it. I was lost in a trance for a moment, drifting in my own thoughts.

About school, family, work, future, and the present.

I let out a long sigh and drink the bottle of soya on my right hand. I emptied it and threw it to a trashcan.

I reached out my hand to my bag and fished out a vape. I took a smoke and breathe out. My mind calmed down slightly and I felt good. I opened my phone and checked the news, wondering if there was any progress on the surface.

[The Guerilla Squad has take over the territory of the formerly known country, Uruguay!]

[Tarot's Team has lost 60% of its members on a raid on the territory of a formerly known country, Russia!]

[Bald Eagle Scouts has discovered a new nest in the red sea!]

Three top news articles appeared on the app. I didn't need to scroll down to know more, just knowing the situation is enough; that this place will be fine for the time being.

Honestly, I'd give around 30 years that this place will hold that long. How about you? Tsk, who am I even asking?

I closed the app and checked my messages. As soon as I opened the app.

Johan: @Yummy_greasy, @Real.Hooman, @The World. Where are you guys? We got a new mission. Return quickly. 

Yummy: We just finished another one!

Real: It'll end quickly, stop complaining.

The World: I'm on my way. 

I just got tagged in the app and received an order to return. I took a breath from the vape in my left hand, and breathed out slowly mouthful of smoke.

I straighten my hand to the smoke. It trembled before changing to a hover board. It moved near me. I got on and it flew away. The speed gradually increases.

The wind brushed against my body. My hair danced as my clothes fluttered. I looked down at the bright city lights with a flat expression

I was traveling at a decent speed so the scenery isn't blurry l.

As I was minding my own business, I caught something from the corner of my eye. I quickly stopped and slightly frowned, wondering if what I just saw was my imagination.

I turned around to check it out. 

From the sky, I saw two silhouettes. I got closer to take a better look.

The silhouettes slowly revealed themselves as I got closer. A man and a small young boy. He seemed to be twelve.

"Please! I'll pay at the end of the month! I can promise you that!" The youth pleaded. 

"You kept saying that for a year now. Do you think I'm afraid of removing your kidney to pay the debt?"

"No, this time, I swear I will pay it! I just got a decent job!"

"Buddy, your job will not be able to pay off the debt your father has. Maybe in 200 years, but do you think I'll live that long?" The man said, growing impatient and clutched the youth's neck tightly.

He lifted the youth's body. The youth grunted in pain. His expression filled with fear. 

"Don't... Do this..." He struggled saying those words as he couldn't breathe.

"Or what?" The man snickered. Then, he saw a towering shadow covering him.

"Behind you." An echo and deep voice came from behind him.

"Huh?" He turned around, but not completely when a humanoid robot slapped his body. It sent the man flying across the street and only stopped after crashing a building. A bang echoed from the distance.

The youth fell when the man got slapped and looked in horror at the humanoid, four meters robot in front of him.

The pain he felt earlier vanished from the fear and panic he felt right now. 

"Please return! Please return!" He immediately get up and pressed the robot's hand against his shadow.

The mecha's hand slowly sunk. This made a smile on his face, until it stopped completely. His smile vanished. 

He looked up at the robot and realized it was looking at the sky. He followed its gaze.

I met their gaze, especially the humanoid mecha. I observed it briefly, mainly intrigued about the mech, and cursed myself for not running away ASAP.

It jumped towards me. I was fifty meters away from the ground.

F***! My pupils shrunk to the tip of a pen. My heart jumped. Despite that, I'm still able to make a calm decision. 

I moved the hover board to the right, avoiding the mecha's fierce pounce. It passed me by hairs breadth. My hair and clothes fluttered when it passed by.

I turned around and I should have expected this.

It floats steadily in the sky with its two wings open. Its wing has thrusters that are spewing blue flame.

I moved my eyes slightly and met its cold, metallic, gold eyes. It is a robot, but I can tell it wanted me dead.

I don't have time for this... I thought to myself as I remembered the order to return quickly, and averted my head to the youth.

"Can you turn off your robot?"

"I... I can't! It'll only vanish after it annihilates its target!" He explained.

"Why did I become its target?!" I wondered, slightly infuriated.

"It has deep grudges against an Honor!"

Honor, a title given to those who have super powers.

"I never heard a summon that has grudges!" I yelled at him and looked at him suspiciously.

"I'm not lying!" He defended himself.

It'll not bring any result if I keep talking to him, so I shifted my attention to the mecha.

Based on my observation earlier, it is capable of human speech.

"Can you let me go?" I tried to negotiate.

"No, all sinners must be punished." An echo, grand voice entered my ears. It paused briefly before continuing, "Super powers should only belong to a God. Humanity mustn't have them. Humanity has blasphemed against God. They with super powers must perish."

Its golden eyes let out sharp light and it unsheathe a red sword from its back. Aura of death covered the sword, making those who see it feel chill running throughout their body.

My body tensed as I sensed a strong killing intent coming from it. Sweat trickled down my forehead. I never felt a killing intent this strong.

I immediately grabbed my vape and took a huge puff. I exuded a thick white smoke which was immediately transformed into two burly, giant arm holding swords on each hand. 

This phantom move to my back, becoming an extra pair of arms. 

I observed the mecha, looking for a weak spot. None. 

I start to think about what can be used to weaken this machine. Right, it's a machine. 

I need to find water! 

I hastily looked around to find a tank of water that's usually on top of buildings.

Target spotted on my right.

However, I shouldn't make it obvious or else it'll realize what I'm trying to do. I contemplate for a moment before coming up with something. 

Okay, let's do this.

"You know, I've always wanted to fight a mecha," I smiled excitedly and flew at it.

While I was rushing to him, I commanded the phantom to be in front of me.

When the phantom, or I usually call it Puffy, was three meters apart from the advanced machinery, it swung its sword from the right to the left.

Although its sword took the form of a weightless smoke, it couldn't be underestimated.

The mecha seemed to understand this and dodged its extremely fast swing. Its not only fast, but powerful as well. Puffy's swing it caused the wind to whistle and a transparent, sharp arc of wind to take shape. It scratched the building not far away.

At the same time as the mecha dodged, I came to its side and flick my hand up. The hover board detached a tiny chunk, changing its shape into a sharp, thin needle and shot upward.

It dodged easily. 

You gotta be kidding me! That thing can travel faster than a sniper bullet! I exclaimed as my mind went blank for a second as I felt despair. It didn't last long, thankfully.

By the time I came back to my senses, I realized I had entered its attack range, it aimed my neck for a slash. My eyes shrunk as I realized I couldn't dodge it. The sword slice my neck like it was a sashimi. 

Head plopped to the ground. Blood spurted out, or it seemed when the beheaded head and blood immediately transformed into white smoke.

Then, the mecha heard a voice behind it.

"Can you dodge this?" I said with a smug.

The moment when its sword came to my throat, I secretly detached a part of the hover board and let it float discreetly near the bot.

After I said those words, I turned it into hundreds, thousands of almost translucent needles.

I snapped my finger and they locked in, aiming the mecha.

"Have fun."

The spikes launched at it at the speed faster than a bullet, invisible to normal eyes.

Not giving the mecha a break, Puffy also released a barrage of slashes.