Second Genesis

The lady guard didn’t even get to say a word before the aura of a Paladin bore down on her, so strong and oppressive she couldn’t even find the words to speak.

Grey’s steps paused as he was about to enter the city, though, looking up to spot Apollo standing on the walls. After a small while, he thought better of it and vanished into the city with a flash.

Apollo felt his heart beating out of his chest, a danger the likes of which he had never faced personally making his skin crawl. Where was that pressure coming from? How could someone in the Established Class be so powerful?

...

Grey tapped Elowen’s shoulder, she looked in one direction but he had already stepped toward the other. Then he seamlessly stepped past her.

"Hey!" Elowen immediately snapped, reaching out and pulling on Grey’s sleeve hard.

Grey looked back with a blink. "Now what do you think you’re doing exactly, shorty?"

Elowen froze and then shrieked. "WHAT DID YOU JUST CALL ME?!"

Grey couldn’t help but laugh on the inside, some of his foul mood dissipating a bit. It seemed that this was a sensitive matter for her no matter which loop they were talking about.

Grey didn’t step back due to Elowen’s pull. Instead, he reached his arm up high. Before she could react, her feet were dangling in the air, their noses swaying so close to each other they almost touched.

A scent of strawberry and kiwi hit Grey’s nose and he couldn’t help but smile.

It was too bad he was wearing the Helm Frame, so whatever smile there was on his face was projected into a digital one across his face. The good news, though, was that this one was a lot less creepy.

"What? You don’t like being called short? Why are your feet dangling in the air right now, then?"

"They are not!" she said in a huff. She let out a small grunt as her toes reached down toward the ground, thinking Grey wouldn’t notice because her robes were far too long for her. "See? I am touching the ground!"

Grey lifted his arm a little bit more and she lost her purchase.

"Dammit!" She cried. "Unhand me!"

Grey erupted into laughter. "You’re the one holding onto me, little lady."

"Oh..." Elowen cleared her throat and let go, stumbling down to the ground and then clearing her throat again. "Well, be more kind with your words. There was no need to insult me."

Grey was rendered speechless. Was it an insult to call a short person short?

Actually, maybe it was. He had gotten into a few fights because of that. But they weren’t worth remembering because, well... the other person was short.

"I apologize to all my short kings and queens." Grey said solemnly.

"I am not short!"

"Yes, yes, of course."

"I am very average size for a lady!"

"That’s what he said."

"What does that mean?!" she asked in horror as though somewhat getting the meaning but not quite. Grey could swear he heard a hint of curiosity too as though she wasn’t used to hearing such foul wordplay.

"Young miss!"

Elowen’s guards rushed out, finally noticing where their princess had disappeared to.

"Dammit." Elowen cursed.

Grey chuckled. "Why are you avoiding them so much?"

"I can’t do anything with them around," Elowen hissed like a scorned child.

"What trouble could you possibly want to get up to?"

"Don’t worry about it! Did I ask you?!"

Grey laughed harder.

"Step away from the young miss!"

"STOP!" Elowen called out.

Grey was the one who stopped the spear coming for him, though. It only took a finger and a flick, but a strong magnetic field sent it spiralling to the side.

Then he tripped the guard and he stumbled forward, his own grip pulling him further forward until his head slammed against the ground and his spear clattered out.

Elowen blinked. She was pretty sure her guards weren’t that incompetent. Was Grey just that strong?

She looked toward him with glowing eyes, until she suddenly got distracted by his mask.

"Your mask..."

"If you want a blueprint, you’re going to have to pay up, little lady."

"Okay!" Elowen said almost a little too quickly. "Wait—that—it’s?" she was suddenly confused the more time she spent looking at it.

"A mech that integrates items." Grey said with a chuckle.

"I want it!" she said quickly. "I mean, if you’ll sell it."

"I don’t mind. I came here to sell the blueprint anyway. I need some more materials to build other stuff, and maybe some blueprints for myself and some spirits to match."

"Okay!" Elowen said brightly.

This time, it was Grey who was pulled into the building by Elowen, her guards following after in a daze.

This time, Zara didn’t show up. But it was hard to tell if that was because Grey had made it here much faster since he didn’t have to ask around for directions, or because Apollo had thought better than to send his woman after someone so powerful this time.

Whatever the answer was, if she showed up again, Grey was going to have to swallow her insults this time.

Last time he killed her because her nod toward her guard couldn’t have been more obvious. Only an idiot wouldn’t have realized she commanded her guard to kill him. As such, she obviously deserved death too.

But Grey was going to have to make sure he got everything he needed done first this time.

Then he could crash out.

So long as he bound the mechs to himself first, he should be able to easily take them back with him once he died. But that also meant he was going to have to be fast.

Reaching the main city wasn’t immediate. It had still taken a few hours. So, there were about 18 hours or so left in the day, hours he was going to have to maximize.

...

"Here you are." Grey said, finishing the blueprint for the Helm Frame much faster this time now that he was familiar with everything.

Elowen stared at it with wide eyes.

Even her guards, standing at the corners of the room, were stunned into silence.

—

Synergistic Accuracy: 100%