Synthetic Survivor: Machine Age

Rowan The Swordmaster

When the metal men came to our world, nobody saw it coming. They were big, strong and wielded magic weapons that even rivaled those of ancient magic. What is more terrifying is the fact that every single one of them wielded such a weapon. When they first made themselves known by annexing the western Fortress City of Yuhin, they overwhelmed the defenders and enslaved the populace.

We were in a hopeless situation back then. I remembered facing one of them with my sword and my shield. I was wearing my armor, full equipment and all. I had our support mages cast me their blessings. These magic enhancements or so they called them gave me the strength of ten men. But when I faced off against the metal man, he was stronger than ten men.

I was ready for whatever he was going to throw at me. I saw how their weapons worked, bow they wielded powerful staffs that punished us with fireballs, unlike anything I have seen before. While others only held such a staff, some wielded a staff and a sword. These were the most dangerous as they did not shy away from us when we got too close.

The distinction that we made was that they were separated into two categories. The first one being the mage. They only wielded a staff but they were not to be underestimated, even on their own, they have proven themselves to be worthy adversaries of a hundred conscripts to even the greatest of our warriors at the time. Our mages failed to counter one without overwhelming support from more mages.

The second category of these metal men was the warrior-mage hybrid. They had both a staff and a sword that shined whenever they drew it. It was a sword of amazing and terrifying sharpness. I remember the time I came across such a metal man. He drew out his sword and I drew out mine. I was the first to strike but in just the blink of an eye, my sword was cut in half. The metal man, however, did not kill me.

It merely pushed me back and I fell down onto the ground hard. These hybrids were different because for the most part, they had swords and because of those swords did they gain their second distinction which was the fact that they charged at us headlong. Unlike the metal mages who oftentimes took cover or hid behind anything hard enough to withstand our arrows or the spells of the mages, they, on the other hand, would charge at us.

It was terrifying, believe me even a seasoned veteran such as I would quake in my boots and tremble if I ever saw that thing come at me by the hundreds. That is exactly what I saw during their counterattack. It was day, our wyvern riders were over the sky and were supposed to give us cover when we did our assault.

The enemy had constructed a vast wall that stretched all across where we were supposed to attack. We were the first wave of the crusade and we were all eager to fight and die for the divine blue goddess.

She blessed us before we fought, giving us the power of ten men within a single man. It was something we were so grateful for, yet did little to aid us in what was about to come. When we thought we had breached their walls, out they came by the hundreds. They surrounded our general and cut him down before turning their attention at us. They came pouring from that hole on their wall and the terrifying sight of the enemy made us go mad and we routed.

I was one of the lucky few who managed to catch up to the mages when they cast their teleportation magic and escaped. The others? I never saw them again. I only heard rumors that the entire army was massacred later than day and the wyvern riders we were so proud of fell from the sky, charred, lifeless, burnt.

But all hope was not lost, you see, the Theocracy is a powerful nation, the people were strong and our leadership reflected it. The magic councilwoman Anna showed her resolution and gave rise to a fantastic beast made of the wind.

We thought we had one, we thought that we will finally push them back from whatever hole they crawled out from and maybe, just maybe, exterminate them completely. It was a wild fantasy of mine and it was without reason. A summon such in the magnitude of that wind giant was considered SS class, the most powerful of classes in the world of Summons. It battled against the beast of the metal men, a giant that trampled the walls and wreaked havoc in the city.

They fought in a glorious battle that day, I saw with my very own eyes the wind giant push the metal giant to its knees and the wind giant was about to make the finishing blow..

I don't remember..

It's just..

Everything after that was just black. I woke up the next day under a pile of rubble. The wall I was on had collapsed and so did the rest of the walls. When I finally got out, I saw the entire city was reduced to rubble. Everything, when I say everything, I mean EVERYTHING. Every God damn building, the streets, every piece of mud that I saw that day! Everything was gone! My brothers in arms, I lost so much in such a short time. To think I am still alive today to fight on for them is a blessing. I know my comrades are now resting with the immortals of the higher heavens and I will soon be joining them. But I will join them and report to them victory!

I seek vengeance and vengeance I shall attain before my life flashes before my eyes and everything I have done comes to the past. I will make them pay dearly, dearly I say!

I'm sorry, I got lost in my emotions.

Where was I?

Ah yes.

And so, I was facing the metal man with both a sword and a staff. I had prepared my whole body after the many encounters I had. With support from the mages behind me, I was confident. With the way the creature looked at me, I saw no mercy in its blue eyes of his that gleamed even under the sun!

Were their eyes magic? Did it see my moves as it was peeking through and seeing the future? These thoughts filled my mind and I went on to lose focus.

Then, the metal man withdrew his staff and drew out his sword to face me.

Ha! I said back then.

You have a sense of honor for a wild barbarian! I hurled it an insult as if it understood what I said. But I think it did. After I finished, the creature smashed me with its left hand.

My armor cracked just by the sheer amount of force that punch gave. The c.h.e.s.t plate was now barely at the top of its condition a few seconds ago and the battle had just begun a few seconds ago!

This wasn't a joke, I wasn't gonna die so easily without putting up a fight! When it dashed again towards me, I dashed towards it too. It must have not expected our swords to actually struggle against one another.

The mages enchanted my sword and it was now on par with the integrity of theirs, it did not get sliced like the last time and I felt I was now on equal footing with my enemy.

My enemy then jumped back, raiding its sword in a defensive posture that resembled that of our training.

You know the skills of the common soldier, how very smart of your kind! My words were nothing but air to my enemy as he did not give a damn.

Now I was the one charging at the enemy, I ran at him and swung my sword from the right. It easily raised its glowing sword and once again our swords clashed. I swung again from the left and it was the same.

From my point of view, the battle was like any other battle that I had against a human. The movement, pacing and time felt slow. What mattered most was our will to fight!

I broadened this will of mine and came out stronger than I was when the battle first began. I could see the metal man getting pushed back, I became enamored with my own strength. To think I had reached the peak of my ability in combat to be able to contend against a foe that has so far proven itself to be almost indestructible.

I pushed my sword against him and I felt the both of us move. We were indeed moving! I saw the trail under our feet, it was proof that my enemy was being pushed to its limits. It stared at me as I pushed him further back, I stared back at him. I felt the monster push his swords against mine with immense strength, I thought my veins would burst or my muscles would be turned into mush.

But they held strong and when I finally struck its glowing rod from its hands and was about to slice the metal man in half, the metal man kicked my manhood.

I felt the bottom of my manhood crack and pain numbed my crotch. I wheezed as I flew in the air and crashed onto the ground a few feet away from it.

The mages then retreated as they thought I had died. They told me after the battle that they felt my magic explode. But the only thing that exploded was my manhood.

I am not joking, I thought I saw entire generations of my sons and daughters disappear in an instant.

The pain numbed me completely and I was helpless. I sweated like a mad man and I wheezed nonstop. I wanted to shout, I wanted to cry out in pain and let the world know of my suffering.

I waited for death. The metal man I thought was going to defeat must have already been walking towards me as I lied there helplessly like an animal hit by a poisoned dart.

I awaited my doom but minutes passed and I was still in pain. The numbness around my crotch faded and lo the pain struck me like lightning and made me scream.

My scream was heard by fellow knights who took me by the arms and legs. The four of these knights lifted me from each limb of mine and carried me off to where we were retreating.

And that is where I am right now. They have breached the first walls and only the great barrier of the remaining magic council had so far prevented their magic barrage from wiping us out. I don't know why that metal man left me to fight another day, I refuse to believe that I pitied me! Something like that who massacred even newborns won't show pity for a grown warrior like me.

Since the metal men all looked the same despite some variances in color and sometimes the way they look. I know that I will never see that same metal man from before. I could never be sure if the enemy I will soon face is the same I faced awhile back.

And as I heal the pains of my manliness, I await my final battle. I know I will soon die and die on the battlefield I will. My brothers in arms all died on the battlefield and died their glorious deaths. I will soon die and meet them up there in higher heaven.

To the blue goddess, I pray that you give me one last blessing, a blessing of strength so I may bring with me to death a hundred of my enemies so I may finally have my vengeance! For the glory of the Theocracy for my undying faith and fidelity to the holy church! To my loyalty and honor to the blue goddess whom we worship with all our hearts and minds!