GOD FORMULA

03 Vertical Escape

The scientist did not reply, instead choosing to focus on running the last three God Formula equations. The Gehennian Prince considered the silence as consent.

The two suns, Rusus and Afel, were both setting in opposite directions. The sky was red, as if bleeding from various wounds. "What do you wish to achieve from Aegis and God Formula?" Dagon posed with indifference.

Griffin sighed. He had asked himself the same question a thousand times and had the answer in very elaborate terms. But he doubted Dagon had the patience for a long philosophical discussion.

"I seek peace between the worlds. That is all."

"Peace between the worlds, huh?" the black rakshasa scoffed. "What a ridiculous idea! How would a puny human like you understand interplanetary and intergalactic politics?"

Griffin's eye twitched. He was a supersmart scientist. He drew the line at being called dumb. "I don't expect an ugly reptile brain creature like you to understand that either."

Dagon straightened. His pride was clearly hurt. It was time for battle.

The energies around the Gehennian warrior crackled. He raised an arm as if chopping wood and brought it down with force. The air before him seemed to split vertically as a wall of energy shot out towards Griffin. The ground furrowed and rifted as the surge advanced.

Griffin went into a stance, crossing his lower arms in an X in front of him. It was just an elemental attack. Aegis could handle it.

[Adamantine Shield: Activated!]

Boom! The energy wall collided with Griffin with a flash and dissipated. His feet skidded back a few inches with the impact.

[Attack Nullification: 99.1% ]

Griffin lowered his smoking arms and eyed Dagon. Elemental, magical, and physical attacks were ineffective against the adamantine armor. What he feared was the exotic sword his enemy wielded. 

The Zweihander. It had been responsible for depleting most of his HP and MP—the God Killer.

"How long will you keep this up?" Dagon thundered. "Your answer about peace between worlds is pointless. You cannot even defend yourself against a single enemy like me. How can you bend the universe to your will? You're smart. Haven't you figured it out yet?"

"I have my plans and you have yours. Let us not bicker over philosophies."

Dagon shrugged. "Alright. I shall give you a quick and merciful death. If Aegis dies along with you, then so be it."

He pulled the legendary sword out of the ground. "Prepare to die, human. I have reached the end of my patience."

"Damn it!" Griffin cursed under his breath. Aegis was not likely to survive another hit from the Zweihander.

He checked his HUD.

[MP: 3473/99999]

[HP: 10201/99999]

[Loading Equations: 2/3….. 59%]

Griffin needed a little more time for the equations to finish loading. There was not enough mana left to generate an attack that would slow down a monster like Dagon. Only one recourse was left. 

Escape. 

It was not practically possible to outrun Dagon. However, Griffin possessed a god-like AI named Aegis. He could make impossible things happen. "Aegis, initiate Avian Mode. It is time to fly."

Ching! Cling! Clang! Metal plumes fanned out from behind Aegis with a wingspan of over ten feet. Griffin crouched, and debris around him stirred and shifted. Then he shot up into the sky like a cannon. The suit made him soar like an aircraft, but almost at Mach Speed.

[Elevation 100ft]

[Elevation 500ft]

As he zoomed upwards, Griffin looked down and saw the figure of Dagon getting smaller and smaller until the warrior was a speck in the dirt. What a relief! The madman wouldn't give up!

[Elevation 1000ft]

[Elevation 5000ft]

The HUD indicated that he had achieved MACH speed. His insides felt like they were on fire, but Aegis normalized everything.

[Optimizing Oxygen Levels]

[Optimizing Vital Organs]

[Elevation 11000ft]

Flub! Griffin breached the surface of the clouds and seamlessly came to a halt midair. The Aegis device hummed rhythmically. A sense of fulfillment washed over the scientist as he realized how incredible his invention was. Man and machine had become one, transcending God together.

Griffin hovered in the air, taking a visual scan of the panorama. The natural spectacle was enthralling. The sky above the clouds was a cerulean blue.

With the two suns, Rusus and Afel, setting on opposite sides, red haze reflected from Aegis' golden adamantine armor. Griffin looked like a mythical god watching over the world. 

The ace scientist sighed. When he started working on Aegis, all he had dreamed of was universal peace. If the creator's powers could be tapped into, wars, hunger, and disease would end. Peace would be everlasting. He hadn't factored in a rebellious warrior prince hunting him down to steal his invention.

For the time being, Griffin had enough MP to stay in the sky for hours. He wouldn't have to worry about Dagon anymore. His equations would finish loading pretty soon. It was only a matter of time.

[Loading Equations: 3/3….. 7% ]

"Why didn't I think of this before?" the scientist asked himself, chuckling. "I was trying to escape Dagon horizontally, but all I had to do was go vertical. He is a mighty warrior, but has his limitations."

[Warning!] [Incoming Attack!] [Source and direction undetectable]

Something had triggered Aegis' warning system. But what could pose a danger to him above the clouds? Was it a weather calamity?