Cracked Pillars of Fate

Chapter 16: Empty Threat; The Void Guardian

The holographic screen projected from Dylan’s crystal device vibrated violently, emitting a blinding red light. The visuals that appeared were no longer just binary data, but a live recording from the system’s satellite sensors that Dylan had successfully hacked. Amidst plumes of black smoke and raging fires, a colossal creature as tall as a ten-story building moved with stiff yet devastating motions.

The creature’s body resembled a pile of rotting flesh forced to merge with ancient machine circuits. Its long arms dangled until they touched the ground, and every time its metal fingers brushed against a building, the concrete crumbled into dust instantly. It had no face, only a massive hole in the center of its chest that continuously sucked in air and all surrounding matter.

"The Void Guardian," Dylan whispered, his voice trembling. "The system didn't send them to colonize. They were sent to erase. To it, human settlements are a virus that must be purged from the world's memory."

Archen Huge clenched his fists until his knuckles turned white. The black aura of gravity around his arms pulsed wildly, as if responding to the boiling rage within his chest. He saw a woman on the holographic screen trying to run away, but the giant only needed to swing its hand to level the entire street block.

"That damn beast..." Archen growled. "Joe, that was home to people who knew nothing. They were just trying to survive!"

El Joe stood frozen, his eyes fixed on the screen showing the total destruction of Sector 7. He knew the scent of that place; the smell of freshly baked bread in the morning and the sound of children’s laughter in the narrow alleys. Now, all that remained was the sound of falling ruins and the static roar of the giant. The weight on his shoulders felt many times heavier.

"We can't just run in there without a plan," Joe said, his voice sounding very low yet full of authority. "If we die, there will be no one left to stop that thing from destroying the next settlement."

Joe turned toward Dylan. "Dylan, you said we could build a new class of architecture. We need something to fight that giant right now. Give us the tools."

Dylan immediately swiped his crystal screen, distributing a stream of energy fragments toward Archen and Joe. "I’ve already mapped its structure. We will divide our roles into three main axes. If we stay together within a five-meter radius, the system will recognize us as a single unit."

"First, Combat Synergy: Focused Gravity Strike," Dylan explained quickly, his hands moving constantly. "Archen, you will be the spearhead. I will inject precision code into your gravity energy. You don't need to destroy its entire body; just shatter its logic joints."

Archen nodded, feeling a flow of cold energy beginning to creep along his spine, balancing the heat of his rage.

"Second, Tactical Synergy: Commander’s Vision," Dylan continued, looking at Joe. "Joe, I will link my vision with your adaptive instincts. You will see the giant's weak points before it attacks. You will be the one to direct when Archen should strike and when we must evade."

Joe gripped his iron pipe. "And the third?"

"Protective Synergy: Dome of Fate," Dylan took a deep breath. "This is a merger of Archen’s mass weight and your environmental control, Joe. We can create a shield capable of withstanding the erasure pressure from that giant. But this will drain our energy very quickly."

A momentary silence enveloped them under the purple sky. Archen looked at his two companions. All this time, he had always thought his goal was merely to survive another day, to find a way back to a familiar harbor. However, seeing the destruction on the screen earlier, something inside him changed.

"I’ve always felt this power of mine was a curse," Archen said softly. "But if this power can stop the cries of the children in Sector 7, then I will be the strongest pillar for you all."

"We are no longer survivors," Joe added, his eyes radiating a burning determination. "From this moment on, we are protectors. We will not let this Architect of Nothingness erase our home."

They began a rapid journey toward Sector 7. For hours they ran through the concrete desert and the remains of floating highways. Dylan continued to monitor the giant's position through the system's increasingly unstable satellites. Archen led the way, clearing a path with his gravitational pressure, while Joe ensured they stayed on the safest route.

The closer they got to the location, the thinner the air felt, smelling of burnt metal. The thumping of the giant's feet could now be felt directly beneath their soles—a rhythmic vibration that carried a message of death.

"Two more kilometers," Dylan panted through his ragged breaths. "The system's radiation levels ahead are extremely high. That Void Guardian is performing the final stage of synchronization to erase the entire area."

As they passed the last hill of ruins, their steps suddenly ground to a halt. The sight before them was far more horrific than what had been shown on the small holographic screen earlier.

Sector 7, the settlement that had once been a symbol of hope for thousands of humans, now left only a massive crater still billowing blue smoke. No buildings stood upright anymore. Everything had been leveled to the ground, covered by a layer of cold, gray crystals—a sign that the matter in that place had been sucked dry of its energy.

Archen stepped forward, trembling. Beneath his feet, he saw a small cloth doll half-covered in crystal ash. He picked it up, feeling a deafening silence. There were no sounds of screaming, no sounds of crying. There was only a dead silence.

"Are we... are we too late?" Dylan whispered, tears beginning to flow behind his cracked glasses.

Joe fell to his knees in the dust. As a leader, this sight was his greatest failure. The thousands of lives he had promised to protect had now become part of nothingness. The pain that struck his soul was far more stinging than any physical wound.

"They’re all gone..." Joe looked down, his hands gripping the lifeless earth.

Suddenly, a heavy thudding sound was heard again, this time so close it knocked them back. From behind the thick fog of dust at the center of the crater, the Void Guardian emerged. Its body now glowed with a blinding blue light, a sign that it had just finished consuming all the energy from the settlement.

The creature stopped moving for a moment. The hole in the center of its chest rotated slowly, pointing directly at the three of them.

[Anomaly Subject Detected.]

[Status: Phase Two Erasure Initiated.]

"Joe! Archen! Wake up!" Dylan shouted while activating his emergency shield. "It’s still here! It’s not finished yet!"

Archen stood up slowly, dropping the cloth doll to the ground. His face no longer showed sadness, but a calm and cold fury. The black glow on his arms expanded until it covered his entire shoulders, creating a pressure that made the ground around him crack.

"You erased them all..." Archen hissed, his voice sounding like the grinding of massive stones. "You will never be able to erase what I am going to do to you now."

The giant raised its massive arm, preparing to slam thousands of tons of machine matter toward them. Joe stood up with great effort, wiping the dust from his face, and stood right beside Archen.

"Dylan, activate that synergy," Joe commanded in a tone capable of freezing the air. "Let this giant know that Earth will never surrender in silence."

Blue, green, and black light exploded from the three of them, merging into a single column of energy that pierced the dark night sky. Amidst the silent and traumatized ruins, the Three Pillars stood tall, facing an enemy that logic dictated they could not possibly defeat.