PROLOGUE 2
"Captain. It's escaping!"
The man calmly shifted his gaze toward the fleeing creature as it barreled toward the dense forest ahead, branches shaking violently in its wake.
With chilling composure, the Captain tapped the wristwatch secured around his arm several times.
Almost instantly, a sharp reeving sound echoed from above, slicing through the lingering tension in the air.
From the massive transport hovering overhead, a sleek hover bike dropped down.
It hit the ground smoothly and immediately shot forward, accelerating at high speed despite having no rider aboard.
Kicking against the air, the Captain launched himself after it, slicing cleanly through the wind.
He spun midair like a turning wheel, and at that exact moment, the boots beneath his feet deactivated.
He landed calmly atop the moving bike, robe snapping loudly as fabric whipped behind him.
The machine surged forward like a released arrow as he grabbed hold and revved it slightly.
Weaving swiftly between towering trees, the Captain's eyes remained locked onto the escaping creature ahead.
His control over the hover bike was flawless.
He dipped low to avoid snapping branches, then leaned sharply to one side to narrowly bypass a thick trunk.
In his hands, the vehicle felt like more than transportation.
It felt like a weapon.
The distance between him and the creature closed rapidly.
Extending one hand forward, earthen pillars burst from the ground in rapid succession.
In a flash, they curved and wrapped around the creature's feet, slamming into place and restricting its movement just as the Captain surged closer.
"Screw you!" The creature unexpectedly roared, its booming voice echoing through the forest as it lifted one massive foot, shattering a pillar while straining to break free from the others.
Seeing this, the Captain acted without hesitation.
He gripped the clutch and brake simultaneously with full force.
The bike let out a feral roar as it halted abruptly, jerking violently.
The sudden stop launched him forward, hurling his body through the air like a missile.
His hands clamped tightly around his sword as rocks rapidly formed across the blade's surface.
The creature glanced back in rising panic, struggling desperately to escape, yet its efforts were too slow, its speed insufficient.
The earthen mass coating the sword grew thicker and longer, its density increasing rapidly.
In moments, the weapon resembled a colossal blade worthy of a giant rather than a man.
With a powerful roar, the Captain gripped the sword with both hands as he soared directly above the creature.
It looked up in sheer terror, yellow eyes widening as the human descended upon it.
"Die."
The word left his mouth with calm, ruthless precision.
The sword came down faster than the creature could react.
It sliced into its neck, meeting brief resistance.
The Captain pushed harder.
Sparks erupted violently as his teeth clenched, muscles bulging beneath his black, body hugging exo suit, threatening to tear through the material.
With a sharp twirl of his body, the blade finally cleaved through completely.
The creature's head slid free and crashed onto the ground with a heavy thud.
The force of the final strike sent the Captain hurtling away, his body nearly slamming into the earth.
In a flash, his boots activated once more.
They propelled him forward as he slid on one leg, the other knee scraping harshly against rocky ground until he finally came to a stop.
The rocks coating his sword suddenly fell away.
A loud crack rang out as the blade shattered, forcing him to release it completely.
Sweat clung to his face as he huffed and panted, chest rising sharply as he fought to regain his breath.
From the moment he initiated the chase to the instant the creature fell, he had unknowingly held his breath the entire time.
The creature's lifeless body remained upright, still restrained by the pillars of earth locking its feet in place.
After steadying himself, the Captain rose to his feet.
With his usual calm demeanor, he lifted a finger and pressed against the communication earpiece embedded near his ear.
"Report to base," he muttered, standing with his back turned to the fallen creature.
"...Mission accomplished. The group of Aberrants has been cleared in this area."
A brief pause followed.
Then a masculine voice filtered through the communicator.
"Good job, Captain Raze. You performed well. Gather your troops, recover the fallen, and return to base."
"...Yes sir."