Shen brought his sword down, cleaving through the Honno that had crawled onto the rooftop with him. Compared to the one he had felled earlier, these were no match. One slice was enough to cut right through their frail bodies as they scaled the walls around him. As easy as they were to kill though, they seemed endless. He looked over the side of the house he had stationed himself at, counting at least another seven or eight of the small creatures as they jumped and chomped at him like hungry dogs. One or two at a time were doable, but Shen calculated that he’d possibly have to run and regroup them somewhere else if they started to come at him in numbers. 

He swiftly slashed through another, lopping its head from the spindly body it was attached to before kicking it off and back where it had crawled from. Something about this situation was off to him, nagging at the back of his mind. You could see the glassy plains around Lowlam for miles in every direction. How did Honno even get past the walls without the guards being alerted? Even worse, how did so many get by?

Shen stomped on the bony fingers that he saw gripping the edge, dragging his blade across both of the creature’s wrists at once and sending it screaming back into the pile. He turned his armored head to look towards the center of town, watching the sunset behind the Institute’s domed roof. He had relented and given Rontu the ten minutes to look for survivors, but by now he was worried it was the wrong decision. As a Shutok, he should have taken up that mantle. Was he neglecting his duty by sending someone else? Even worse, a normal human?

In truth, Shen hadn’t been a Shutok for very long. Little more than a year had passed since his abilities had awakened, a short enough time to where he sometimes forgot he was looked up to by people. People looked to him for guidance and help regardless of whether he liked it or felt ready. Responsibility was a burden he and anyone like him were unfortunately saddled with. While he considered himself a capable fighter, Shen still struggled sometimes with the undeserved adoration he was given.

He sighed, sheathing his sword as he turned towards the Institute. ‘I should have gone with them,’ he thought to himself. ‘That kid was far braver than he should have been in this situation.’

Shen took a running start, easily jumping across the gap between buildings and soaring over the heads of the snapping Honno. Time was up and he needed to make his way towards the south gate. He’d take care of any Honno along the way, but for now, his focus was escaping the area with whoever might be left. He took a few more leaps, running across the rooftops with surprising speed and agility. 

----

After a few more minutes, the gate was in sight. Unfortunately, the mining vehicle was not. Shen perched next to the broken arch of the gate, hanging from it as he scanned the ruins of the city. He took a deep breath, sighing to himself. He’d give them a few more minutes...just a few. Was that good enough? Was that fair to those who lost their lives? Shen was unsure…

An ear-shattering roar filled the evening sky, jerking Shen’s head towards the Institute as the ground began to rumble. The domed roof suddenly exploded, the blast sending bits of copper and stone into the atmosphere as a large Honno stood in the center on its hind legs. Shen’s spine tingled with nervousness, a fear overwhelming him as he realized that there was no way Rontu and Archie would be alive after facing something like that. Grief struck him, his free hand closing into a fist as he cursed his cowardice. ‘You’re despicable,’ he repeated over and over in his head, chastising himself.

Then, a flash of light filled the sky. A brilliant green so bright that Shen had to shield his face as the wave of energy flooded the town. He did his best to watch in awe as the ground shook violently, a magnitude no earthquake could match. Spires of crystal rose toward the sky, twisting and bending as they grew taller than the buildings around them. There must have been dozens of them, the pillars branching off like glass trees as they quickly spread throughout Lowlam.

Shen looked down, noticing that a few Honno had been chased to his location and were circling him like dogs. He prepared to hop down and take care of them, but before he could blink another explosion of light permeated the area, several smaller pillars of glass impaling the creatures before a solid layer of crystal petrified them like fossils. 

The large Honno in the center roared again, though this time it sounded different. No longer did it sound beastly and triumphant, but pained. Shen watched as several more of the structures began to stab into its legs, the solid branches covering it like spider web before it shook its body and broke free and shattered them. They tried again, getting a bit further and crawling up the torso before the Honno ripped them away.

Another pulse of light lit up the darkening sky, this time accompanied by a massive stalk shooting up from the Institute itself. The top seemed to split into pieces, appendages growing and forming before they suddenly grabbed the Honno by the head and held it in place.

A hand.

Shen watched the Honno struggle as more and more crystal began to encase it, distracted by the powerful arm that kept it in place while it finished the job. A few more seconds passed, the Honno opening its mouth to cry out one last time in what almost sounded like fear. The hand took that opportunity, reaching into its mouth and grasping the eyeball that lurked inside. As the crystal layer worked its way up the neck, the sharp fingers ripped the eye from its socket, holding it like a battle trophy before an immeasurable force gripped the organ and popped it like a grape. Blood gushed from between the fingers of the giant hand, painting the center of Lowlam in a thick, red coat before pouring down the length of the arm. 

Whether the Honno was completely trapped or just dead, it didn’t matter. It wasn’t a threat any longer. Shen had almost forgotten to breathe as he watched the spectacle, the glowing green light that surrounded the hand slowly dimming before it went dark.

A loud honk interrupted his thoughts, the Shutok looking down as he saw the Gemmer barreling towards the gate. The fog lights attached to the cab blinked a few times, signaling to Shen that it probably wasn’t slowing down to stop for him. Shen timed his jump, letting go of the arch and falling squarely on the flatbed of the vehicle and clinging to the railing. Catching his breath, he hoisted himself up and laid on his back, the night stars looking back down at him. After a brief moment, he crawled through the back door and made his way inside. 

Archie was waiting for him, though he seemed to be the one driving. The burly man looked over his shoulder with a tired expression, his hair had come unraveled from its bun. “Glad to see you could make it, kid.”

Shen closed the door behind him, hopping down the steps and into the crew cabin. “Are there any survivors? What about Rontu?” he asked, the red and white plates of his armor slowly morphing and dissolving back into flesh as he sat on the top step. The sandy-haired boy Archie had met at his stall was now seated there, looking entirely disheveled.

The driver pulled a lever, engaging the cruise control of the Gemmer before he stood up and made his way back there. He took a deep sigh, his hands fidgeting in his pockets before he looked at one of the lower bunks where a blanketed body lay. “I don’t...I don’t even know where to begin,” he explained, sitting back in a chair for a moment as he ran his hand through his scruffy beard. “One moment I was counting the seconds for him to get his ass back here, the next I was pushing my way into the building. That’s where I found him.”

Shen tilted his head, pulling off his glasses to clean them on his shirt. “Gone? Dead?”

Archie moved to the bunk he had motioned towards, softly pulling back the blanket. As he did, a body was exposed. If Shen hadn’t been so exhausted, he might’ve lept from his seat. 

Laying in the bunk was an armored figure, dull gray metal covering the body completely. A slotted visor covered their face, much akin to that of an ancient castle knight. Short horns extended from the chin and past the ears, like thin antennae. Unlike a normal Shutok, not an ounce of light was emitted by their body. However, the chest could be seen slowly rising and falling. They were breathing, albeit very lightly. 

Shen gulped, donning his spectacles before looking over at Archie. “Did he do it? All the glass? The large Honno?”

The older man merely shrugged before shaking his head. “He’s all I found in there. Well...that and some other stuff, but I think it’s best not to tell him. Not yet.”

Shen sighed, standing up and moving to sit on the bunk across from Rontu. “I see. It was definitely...well, it was amazing. I’ve never seen anything like it.”

“Wait, so you’re telling me you don’t even know what happened? You’re a Shutok too!” Archie replied with a tinge of irritation in his voice.

“That does not mean I know everything. I’m not even a very good Shutok.” Shen groaned, rolling over onto the bunk and turning his back to the sleeping Rontu. His stomach felt twisted, guilt rotting away at him as he stared out the window slits.

Archie grumbled in his usual way but left it at that. It was a long and terrifying evening, and even he knew it was better to just drop it and let the two rest. Compared to them, he had done nothing. He hadn’t valiantly risked himself to look for others, and he damn sure hadn’t brought down the entire town in a crystalline fury.

Manning the wheel for the rest of the night was the best he could offer.