Boom!
The ground trembled violently as dust evaded the surrounding area. Not too far away from them a building crumbled upon itself, unleashing a sound wave that resounded throughout the city.
The city was a mess, bodies littered the street in numbers greater than ever seen in humanity's history. Ancient structures had been topped, amazing architectural pieces reduced to rubble and blood flowed like an unending river of crimson.
It was 2069 the year of the 'Grand Rebellion.' A few years ago, Humanity had made considerable progress in the Artificial intelligence sector, crossing limits they were otherwise considered impossible.
At first the world was skeptical about how this new and unfamiliar technology would affect their lives. There were riots and protests by Artists and factory workers who had lost their jobs due to the rise, but it was only for a time.
Somehow the government had found a way to make it work, and soon Ai became a part of every vital aspect of human living.
Their space exploration, weaponry, food, production and even the schooling system.
Then the androids came along, walking, breathing and practically living AI!
That was where things turned sour.
As predicted it didn't take long for humanity to become slaves to their own creations. 'A bug in the system' was what they called it but no one bought that lie.
Someone had messed with the mother framework, plunging them into the hell they lived in today.
That leads us to the present day… the day that would be forever known as the end of the Grand rebellion.
It was to be Humanities final stand and guess what?
'We lost.'
The sound of blaring rifles tore through a boy's ears as he huddled behind a short fence.
Whoosh!
A glowing plasma blast collided with the fence blowing the entire thing to smithereens. His cover had been busted and so he had to move.
In front of him stood three heavily armed androids, save for their glowing white hair they could not be differentiated from humans.
They aimed their rifles at the boy and unleashed a flurry of blasts but he was already gone.
Darting to the side to avoid the lasers, he appeared behind the first android and flung the makeshift sword in his hand, slicing it in half.
Viscous purple fluid spewed out of its body as it crumbled, bathed in sparks.
Turning their attention to him without a single shred of emotion for their fallen comrade, the two remaining androids were about to pull out their cybernetic daggers when their heads voiolently rocked back, oozing dark smoke.
"Atlas, you should really get rid of that junk," a voice remarked from behind him.
Atlas turned to see a man a few years older than him. He had dark blue hair and intense eyes of the same colour, in his hands was a rifle much like what the androids were using, only slightly modified.
"I told you…" Atlas began. "It's the only thing I know how to use."
He glanced to the young man's side where a petite girl was standing beside him. Her curly dark hair was tousled and brown skin caked in dirt. On her face was a nervous expression as she watched the bodies of the fallen androids.
"Are we safe now?" She asked, watching the bodies cautiously.
The man smiled when he glanced at the area around them. Surrounding them were countless corpses of androids that had died by Atlas' hand.
"As you can see, our little devil has—"
The words died on his lips as a sharp sound filled their ears, one that was all too familiar.
Vooooom!
The ground in front of him caved as asphalt exploded out of the pavement. In front of them, a dark object had embedded itself deep into the ground, oozing out white smoke.
"Damn it!" Atlas cussed as he took a careful step backward.
"Is that…" the girl was about to say when Atlas cut her off.
"Get to the ship now!" He screamed, lifting his sword.
Gritting his teeth, the man hoisted the girl on his shoulder and turned in the opposite direction of the object.
"We'll be waiting for you, don't dare think of dying!"
Atlas scoffed.
"Die to a scrap? I'll kill myself if that happens."
Chuckling at the absurdity of his words, Akaman took off leaving Atlas alone with the enemy.
There was a loud boom, filled by a shockwave that almost swept him off his feet. In the distance, Atlas could see billowing waves of thick black smoke waffling into the air.
Countless people had no doubt been snuffed out by that blast, but by now it was a regular occurrence.
Humanity had long collapsed, Atlas and the refugees he had holed up in his ship were the few that remained of the once prosperous race on earth.
He had to get them to safety no matter what— even at the cost of his own life.
But safety meant abandoning this planet, and the scraps were not going to give them a free pass.
Atlas held onto his sword, cold sweat dripping down his neck as he watched the dark object.
The mechanical sound of twisting gears and electric motors were getting louder by the second, and then it happened.
The object burst into motion.
In a second it transformed, metal folded upon metal and gears shifted upon themselves until what stood before Atlas was the deadliest thing known to man.
The war machine known as the destroyer, the literal incarnation of death.
Mechanical muscles rippled across its metallic frame, its body which was like a conjuring of disjointed parts that gave up a dull glow and its eyes were a labyrinth of eerie red sparks.
Atlas sucked in a breath as the machine glanced in his direction. For a second, his hands trembled.
Although a minor one, Atlas was a feudal Lord, the last of his kind. One thing feudal lords were known for was their unparalleled strength in combat, and yet one by one they had all been massacred.
All thanks to this beast…
As the Android locked its gaze on him, Atlas felt a chill run down his spine and bile climb up to his throat.
The machine cocked its head slightly and glanced at the sword in his hands.
For a moment there was silence and then the android traced its hands in the air as though trying to grab something unseen.
Out of nothing, a slender shape began to materialize in the air until it took form, and shortly after— a slender rapier now lay in the machine's hands.
Its hilt was as black as obsidian and its balde was ruby red, glowing with a fiery red light.
The machine took a stance all too similar to Atlas' and pointed its sword at him with a seamless grace that only promised his demise.
This was the problem… The reason humanity had been pushed back, killed and forced to flee the planet was simple.
The machines they created as a means to an end had cracked the code to the unknown phenomenon known as 'magic' long before them.
They were the first masters of the mystical arts.
That was their downfall...
The ground beneath the destroyer's feet trembled just as it lunged forward at blinding speed.
Humanity's fate would be decided right then and there!