Tower of Babel Ch.41

“This dudes about to slice you in half.” Samael snapped his fingers in front of Ben’s face three times. “Are you still on earth?” Samael then looked at Magnus. “Guess he’s not in the mood. It looks like it’s going to be me and you, samurai.”

Magnus walked forward with his sword at his side. “Both of you will fall to my blade.” Magnus leapt forward and slashed at Samael. Sam leaned backwards and missed the blade by an inch from chopping off his nose. Magnus went to follow up with another swing of his blade, but was interrupted by a tendril that wrapped around its hilt.

Samael then head-butted Magnus but reeled back in pain. “Hard headed?” Magnus took his right hand off his sword and swung, but Samael caught it and said, “Not a problem.” Samael then focused more telekinetic energy into his head and head-butted Magnus hard enough to make a pop sound as the two stumbled backwards.

The samurai shook the pain off and charged Samael, running with his sword at mid-swing as he aimed for his opponent’s neck.

Samael had other plans. He swung a heavy right hook and a tendril came undone to grab a mirror from above. The tendril ripped the mirror off the ceiling and hurled it at Magnus at the same time Samael punched, with his left hand, at the samurai’s feet, sending a tendril to trip him up.

The left tendril hit Magnus’s foot making him lose balance, and the mirror was rapidly approaching impact. Magnus followed through with the trip and firmly planted his free hand against the ground. He used his momentum to kick his feet in the air and push off the ground with his hand, turning from handstand to mid-air front flip. He overcame the diagonal descent of the mirror, and used it to jump even higher into the air. He swiped at the mirrors hanging just above him and landed five feet past Samael.

“Doesn’t surprise me that you can-” A collection of mirrors fell on Samael before he could finish his quip. Magnus ran to the pile to finish Samael off, but as he approached, the debris erupted with a strong force that followed. “Not so fast Jack.” Samael then punched both fists forward as a tendril from each forearm shot towards his foe. Magnus swung his sword at the level pair of projectiles. Instead of cutting them, the tendrils dodged around the blade and punched Magnus in the chest, pushing him to the handrails at the opposite side of the arena.

He fell to the ground and the tendrils then wrapped around his ankles. Magnus was dragged back to Samael, and the tendrils released their bonds to then take hold of his swords’ hilts. “You don’t need these.” He tossed the swords to the side of the stage then brought Magnus to his feet.

“You’re right. I don’t.” Magnus stung Samael’s body with three rapid strikes from each fist. Samael faltered backwards and sent his own jab, but his wrist was caught. Magnus twisted Samael’s wrist and swiped his feet out from under him making Samael fall on his back. The samurai then repeatedly punched Samael in the face, switching back and forth between hands. Samael barely moved as Magnus continued to pummel his face.

Trisha was getting uneasy in her seat. Cross feelings or not she did not want to see Samael hurt too badly. She started to get up but heard, and what do you think you’re doing? Trisha looked over at Neko, who was cheering for Magnus to win. No not her, me.

“Are you going to just lie there?” she asked with her mind.

I’m about to get up. It wouldn’t be as cool if I did it immediately.

“You’re ridiculous.”

If I recall correctly that was one of the qualities you liked about me.

“That was a long time ago.”

I deserve this though. Don’t let me fool you, it does hurt. This guy’s pretty tough.

“You don’t sound like you’re remorseful.”

If there’s a sound for how I felt then you would hear it. Maybe I should just lay still. Would you go to my funeral?

“Get up and stop being dramatic. I don’t want you to die or anything. It was a long time ago and I’m over it now.”

Eh, I’m still kind of dealing with it. I thought about you every day in my cell.

“What?” Trisha involuntarily stood up.

I think my nose just broke. We’ll talk later. Two tendrils from each arm came undone and grabbed at Magnus’s limbs. The Kevlar wraps then tightened around Magnus’s torso in two firm bands of constriction. Samael threw his hands up and Magnus’s body flew over him and through the railing of the stage. “Take a seat.” Samael got to his feet, his face bloody and nose crooked. He grabbed his nose and grunted in pain, repositioning his beak before the telekinetic healing process begun. He could hear tiny pebbles of cartilage bumping into each other as he performed his own facial reconstruction. A squirt of blood shot down his shirt and maroon droplets scattered at his feet. “S**t, this hurts.” He wiped the blood off his hands with his shirt.

As he turned, Magnus with both his swords, one sheathed and the other flying at Samael's neck was back for more.

Samael brought his left forearm up and the Kevlar wraps unraveled to let the blade strike against the telekinetic chain. The sword nearly cut through, but the chain held its own along with the power dwelling inside Samael. “Damn. I was hoping you could release me,” he said.

Magnus grabbed Samael by the neck and held him closer. “I will release you from your life, Ascending. Do not mistake that.”

“Ascending? Is it that bad?”

“You fought admirably.” Magnus took his sword and lunged it for Samael’s sternum.

 “No,” Trisha shouted.

Samael’s hands hovered inches from both sides of the sword and caught the blade with his telekinetic hold. The sword’s tip was just before the surface of his skin.

“Die like a warrior.” Magnus leaned forward, forced Samael to the ground, and pushed harder against his enemy. Slowly, the blade cut half an inch into Samael’s body, but the former Demon doubled his efforts to hold the blade in place. Magnus tightened his grip he still held around Samael’s neck and cut the passage of air to his lungs. “You will either be throttled to death or my blade shall claim you.”

Samael’s telekinetic energy was rapidly fading from loss of air. He didn’t have enough focus to use his tendrils now. His attention went to the blade and the urgency to breathe. Thirty seconds passed and it would not be much longer.

“Stop it right now.” Trisha got to her feet and grabbed her pendant.

Neko then jumped up and pulled on Trisha’s hair. “Not so fast. You can’t interrupt a game just because your team is losing.”

“Get off me you little b***h, he’s going to die.”

“They were fighting this whole time and you thought both of them would live?” Neko and Trisha stopped fighting and saw the man standing near them.

Neko pointed at him and said, “It’s the zombie guy.”

Senium stood there watching Magnus trying to kill Samael. “You Ascending are pretty cruel, but then again, we’re going to kill Magnus afterwards either way.”

Trisha looked down at the stage and noticed the entire team of Bio-Machina arriving. “We need to get out of here Neko.” Trisha jumped from seat to seat trying to reach the stage all the while Ben’s body still stood there helpless.

As Magnus was waiting for Samael’s inevitable death, he noticed Gulo walking up to Ben, growling in hunger. “Stand aside Gulo. He’s my quarry.” Gulo advanced, reaching out for his prey. “Stay-”

“Washa!” Samael pushed Magnus off and out of arm’s reach as he got back on his feet. “Looks like the gangs here.” He wheezed between each word, still trying to look cool by his terms. “I’ll catch you later though, Samurai.” Samael ran at Gulo and put his telekinetic energy into the whole of his body. He rammed the beast with enough force to knock him off his feet and both of them tumbled to the ground. As soon as he finished falling, Samael got up and jumped over the stage rails. “Trish, we gotta bounce.”

She was making her way down to the stage and said, “We have to get Ben.”

Samael looked back and saw Gulo running after him. “We’ve got bigger problems.” Samael used his tendrils to grab Trisha and bring her to his arms.

She struggled against his hold. “Stop, we have to save him.”

Samael knew the odds. It was be killed over helping Ben or, “living to get my revenge on Shax.” Samael chose the exit door to his left above the seats while Trisha struggled in his arms.

Magnus regained his composure and saw Ignis approaching Ben now. He looked around the room and saw Neko opening an exit door in the center of the back wall, waving him over to follow. The other members of Bio-Machina were stepping on stage ready to greet him. He looked at Ben one last time before leaving. “It might not be the honorable thing to do, but it would be queer if I helped you,” and with that he departed.