The morning air hung still and cool, a deceptive calm over the group's breakfast. The scent of cooking rations mingled with the damp earth, typically a peaceful start to their day. Lucy, usually quick with a sarcastic quip, found herself genuinely surprised when John not only served her a portion but did so without a word, his expression unreadable. She bit back her usual retort, a keen sense of self-preservation winning out against her natural inclination. His mood had been… particular, since they set out, a volatile undercurrent she didn't dare test. A simple, quiet "thank you" was all she offered before settling down to eat, her eyes glancing covertly at the others.
John, after finishing his own meal with an almost unsettling efficiency, rose from the collective. "I'll be back soon," he informed them, his voice flat, "Just need to throw some water." He walked a short distance from the group, his back to them, but as he moved, his hand subtly brushed against his side, a blink-and-you'll-miss-it kind of gesture. Choi, ever-vigilant, caught the signal, a flicker of understanding passing between them before Choi nodded almost imperceptibly and began to survey their surroundings with renewed intensity.
Only a few minutes later, John returned, a noticeable shift in his demeanor. A thin smile played on his lips and a lighter cadence entered his voice as he told them to prepare to move out. He began packing away their gear, a task he usually delegated. The girls, Angel and Aria, exchanged a quick, worried glance, their brows furrowed. Both gave small, almost imperceptible headshakes, a silent communication of unease.
Then, the world tilted.
Without a single shouted warning, Saya, a blur of motion, drew her blade. Her silver-gleaming sword plunged through John's back with a wet thud, erupting from his chest. Simultaneously, Ash materialized beside him, a wickedly sharp dagger appearing in her hand as if born from smoke, sinking deep into his side.
Chaos erupted. The moment Saya's blade found its mark, the ground seemed to shimmer and figures materialized from thin air, spectral attackers with malevolent intent. They swarmed the camp, moving with unnatural speed. Lucy and Sieg, jolted from their initial shock, reacted with a primal ferocity. Lucy's fists glowed with an eerie light as she met the first assailant, her movements precise and brutal. Sieg, a warrior born, unleashed a whirlwind of steel, his sword a deadly extension of his will, cutting swathes through the shimmering forms with grim efficiency.
Hope, ever the support, began chanting, arcane symbols shimmering around her as she threw out protective buffs, fortifying their defenses. Ivy's connection to the earth manifested as roots and tendrils snaked from the ground, tripping and ensnaring attackers, their forms twisting in pain as they fell. Aria and Angel, their earlier apprehension replaced by fierce determination, unleashed barrages of elemental magic – blasts of fire and ice that incinerated some foes and encased others in solid blocks, allowing for their swift capture. Choi, far from idle, moved with a silent, deadly Hope. Waving his hands, he commanded the intricate clockwork automatons and stone statues they had brought along, activating them to intercept other, unseen enemies, preventing any long-range attacks from reaching the group. The air pulsed with magic, the clang of steel and the guttural cries of their mysterious assailants.
Just as the last materialized attacker fell, a new, far more formidable threat arrived. A colossal figure, easily twice Sieg's height, came hurtling through the sky, slamming into the ground with the force of a meteor. Earth churned and cracked as it struggled to its feet, groaning a sound like grinding stone. Its skin was like black, unpolished iron, marked with ancient-looking scratches and what looked like deep, corded tendons beneath the surface. Clad only in a pair of torn, dark shorts, it was utterly hairless, a terrifying, silent titan.
"Holy shit, where did this guy come from!" Ash yelled, her voice cutting through the din. Her cry drew the creature's attention, its head slowly swiveling to fix its blank, featureless gaze upon her. Before it could react, a familiar, metallic clink echoed and a chain, impossibly fast, wrapped around its massive wrist.
With a grunt that rattled the ground, the iron man ripped its arm free with astonishing ease, sending the chain whipping back, nullifying its hold. It cocked back its other titanic fist, preparing to unleash a devastating blow, just as John, the real John, came flying forward on a tether of his own chains. Using his Chains to hook into the solid ground, John deftly dodged the crushing punch that followed, the air displaced by the creature's swing ruffling his hair. He landed a solid, precise blow with his knife, stabbing into the iron man's chest. The blade sank in, but only partially, meeting incredible resistance before he released the chain, using the recoil to bounce away, creating a much-needed distance.
"John? That's the real you, right?" Ash asked again, looking anxiously to Angel and Aria, both of whom gave firm nods, confirming the magical connection they felt to him. "Good. What's the deal with big, bald and ugly over here?"
John, breathing heavily from the skirmish, kept his eyes on the towering foe. "He tried an impersonation on me as soon as I finished my business. Didn't even last five seconds. Doesn't seem to talk and I'm pretty sure I bruised my knuckles trying to punch him. It's like his whole body is solid steel, but I have a plan." He began to explain, but his words were cut short as the iron-skinned man charged him like a beast, its speed far beyond what its immense size should have allowed.
"Ivy, try to trip him and," John began, dodging to the left, narrowly avoiding a sweeping blow that would have pulverized him. "See if you can pin him in earth. Ang—" He ducked under another attack, expertly wrapping his chains around the colossal creature's neck from behind, trying to pull it off balance. "Angel, Aria, get ready to cast fire and ice magic!" The iron man, unperturbed, grabbed the chains, yanking John violently towards it and spinning. John only just managed to duck under a follow-up punch. "Sieg, help distract him!"
Without another word, Sieg was already in motion, his sword flashing in hand, swinging at the iron man. His blade made a horrid, grating noise as it scraped across the creature's metallic hide, leaving only a faint scratch, but it served its purpose, drawing the monster's attention for a crucial moment. This brief distraction was all Ivy needed. Roots erupted from the ground beneath the hulking figure, momentarily snaring its feet. It stumbled, its massive form swaying precariously and John took full advantage, using a chain to help pull it down with a resounding crash.
"Angel, Aria, now!" John roared. Both girls unleashed their power. Angel channeled a torrent of ice-cold wind, leaving a trail of shimmering white frost in its path. At the same instant, Aria conjured a raging inferno, scarlet flames melting the very ground it touched. The dual elemental onslaught enveloped the iron man from both sides.
The loud, guttural scream that tore from its throat was inhuman, a sound of agony and raw pain. Its black-iron skin seemed to crack and melt simultaneously, bubbling and flaying as the extreme temperatures warred against its form. Its massive body flailed on the ground, thrashing violently, before slowly going still and silent.
"You guys got him," Lucy said, making her presence known once more, emerging from where she'd been dealing with the last of the shimmering attackers.
"Yeah and once again, you were conspicuously absent," John snapped back with a wary eye roll, though his gaze was already shifting. He saw the 'fake' John flat on the floor, still holding his side where Ash's dagger had struck, a trickle of blood at the corner of his mouth. Saya stood over him, her sword still impaled through his chest, a testament to her cold efficiency.
"He tried an impersonation, not a shadow clone, to get close," Ash explained, her voice devoid of any pity. "But he botched the mannerisms. Didn't even have chains on him, used both his arms perfectly and your... special friends," she paused, subtly avoiding mentioning the magical bond that tied some of John's companions to him like master and servant, "couldn't feel any connection to him. He was clearly a fake." She nudged the impostor with her foot. "Guess he was with this guy then."
"Please, just let me go, I'm sorry, okay!" the fake begged, his voice raspy with desperation. "We thought we had a chance, but now everyone but me is dead. That should be enough, right? So just let me go, please! Mercy!"
John walked over slowly, his strides deliberate, unhurried, until he crouched down to look the impostor in the eye. His own eyes were cold, distant. "Any other day, any other time and I probably would show some mercy. But here's the thing. For today, I'm fresh out of patience and mercy, especially for those who try to copy me to get close to the few people I actually have left." His voice was a low, chilling murmur. "But I'll make it fast."
Before the fake could utter another plea, a few of John's chains shot out, moving with terrifying speed and precision. They pierced through the impostor's body and head with sickening wet sounds, ending his life instantly.
Slowly, carefully, John pulled his chains out, letting them trail behind him, still dripping faintly. "Let's go," he stated, his voice flat, emotionless. "I think in about two or three hours, we should reach where we need to go."
Without another word, everyone seemed to fall into line, a silent, almost mechanical procession. Lucy shivered, not from the cool morning air, but from the icy tone of John's voice. She found herself far more interested in the profound change between the man he was now and the memories she held of him. The others, exchanging worried glances, were simply concerned. The battle was won, but at what cost to their leader's soul?