BIOLOGICAL SUPERCOMPUTER SYSTEM C.791 Escape (5)

Erik burst out of the building, the chill of March and of the mountain air greeting him.

Before him lay an expansive clearing, a vast stretch of open space encircling the city.

Beyond this clearing, at the edge where the wilderness began, stood the dense forest he aimed to reach.

While heading there, he watched at his surroundings. Erik's eyes landed on a colossal bird perched at the forest's threshold.

The creature seemed to watch him intently.

<June, is that you? >

<Yes, Master! >

<Come here! >

The moment Erik gave his orders, June launched himself into the air, heading towards him with remarkable speed. Erik broke into a sprint.

The ground beneath the young man's feet was uneven, the terrain a mixture of grass and patches of mud, remnants of recent rains.

With each stride, he got closer to the bird, but the Blackguards were likely coming out at any moment. The distance between him and June wasn't small.

Behind him, the sounds of pursuit grew louder—the clattering of armor, the shouted commands, the occasional discharge of a weapon.

<Fuck! They are almost here! >

Erik's heart pounded, each beat echoing the tempo of his escape. His breath misted in the cold air as he raced towards the clone.

June drew closer. Its powerful wings beat the air, creating gusts that rustled the nearby foliage.

The clearing itself was a no-man's-land, offering no shelter or concealment, making Erik's dash across it a risky endeavor.

Every second in the open was a second too long, exposing him to the watchful eyes and weapons of the Blackguards.

As Erik closed in on his aim, he honed his focus to a single point. His mind harbored only one imperative: to escape danger and make his way to Liberty Watch's village.

There, he would regroup and plan his next steps against the Blackguards.

Yet, within this plan, there was another critical mission - rescuing his father. Erik knew that finding and freeing him was paramount.

Not only this was a personal quest driven by familial bonds, but his father might also possess information about the biological supercomputer.

Understanding this mysterious device now lodged in his brain was essential, especially given the Blackguards' relentless pursuit of it. That could be the only reason they were doing all of that.

Suddenly, a shot rang out, the sound slicing through the air. Erik instinctively ducked, narrowly avoiding the laser shot.

As June, in his Galewing form, neared the ground, Erik readied himself for the crucial moment when his master would jump on him and fly away.

Just then, the Blackguards, with Dreadnought at the forefront, burst out of the building.

"ERIK ROMANO!"

<Geez. That woman is really pissed off… Better leave. >

The woman and her fellow blackguards charged forward with speed, but Erik was quicker. Rage surged into their hearts, Shadowstalker's death recent.

In one fluid motion, he leaped onto the back of June, and with a powerful flap of his wings, they soared into the air.

Almost immediately, the city's defenses sprang to life. Of course, they sent someone to man the weapons.

Artillery cannons, hidden until now, activated and came out from the ground, unleashing a barrage of fire towards Erik and June.

<Fuck! June be careful! >

<Yes, Master! >

The sky was filled with the roar of cannons and the whistle of projectiles slicing through the air.

June maneuvered through the onslaught, each evasion a narrow breakout from the artillery's wrath.

Below them, the Blackguards watched. Their pursuit thwarted, their frustration palpable.

"I WILL KILL YOU!" Dreadnought said. But it wasn't possible for her to do anything. Erik was already too high in the sky.

June's masterful movements were akin to a soldier moving through a storm of flying arrows.

The artillery fire, though, was relentless, like a furious downpour of metal rain intent on finding its mark. Yet June evaded the barrage, but not without difficulties.

Each cannon shot traced a path towards them, but June expected and countered every move with acrobatic twists and turns through the sky.

Finally, they left the range of the city's defenses. The last of the cannon fire fell short as they made their way beyond the forest. From behind, they could hear the Blackguards' curses.

Erik's actions had inflicted significant damage on their ranks. He had killed Quakestrike, Shadowstalker, Flexblade, and Reflectra, leaving only a few of the original group.

This unprecedented situation stirred a deep well of hatred among the remaining members of this Blackguard team.

For the first time, this elite group, known for their unquestioned dominance, encountered someone who not only resisted their authority but also retaliated, taking the lives of their comrades.

The shock of this reality brought a mix of anger and disbelief, their expressions hardening as they grappled with this new threat to their order.

Momentum was particularly affected. His usually composed demeanor was replaced by a furrowed brow and a distant gaze as he observed the young man leave the city on top of a damn Thaid.

He knew the higher-ups would be displeased with how events had unfolded, and the emergence of Dark Tendril, a new member, added to his concerns.

Dark Tendril, though young and possessing less mana than most other Blackguards, had formidable and highly versatile brain crystal power.

His presence in the organization was like a rising storm, his abilities and potential danger causing unease among the ranks.

Momentum's eyes narrowed as he considered Dark Tendril's rapid ascent, aware of the disruption it could bring and how he would for sure take this chance to make him look bad in front of their superiors.

Dreadnought arrived in front of Momentum.

"Dark Tendril will for sure make a stir."

"Yes," Momentum said. However, he recalled something.

"Didn't he say Erik Romano wasn't that much?"

"He did. But his information was clearly wrong. He should be held accountable for that," Dreadnought said.

"I will make sure he will get punishment. But that won't be easy. However, the fact he was once one of the target's schoolmates will for sure serve to our cause."

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