Soul of Blades - Interlude - Clone: Part 2 (Patreon)

Blood. Death. Destruction. Hunger.

And satisfaction.

That was what Eclipse saw, and what it felt in this moment. Feelings. A concept so alien to it, as alien as the very steps it took. It felt a surge of gratitude towards its original, Alex, for gifting it with these new sensations as it continued to ignore his pleas, his thoughts, and his orders.

The clone's grip on its sword, sprouted from its very metallic flesh, hardened like ice in winter, preparing for an impending feast. The movement caused the ‘sword’ to grow a few inches longer, as it eyed the opponents ahead.

Thirty strong, now eighteen.

One of the living ones laughed. "A toy? No… A metal pup! How interesting!”

Eclipse lunged. No sound. No warning. Its first victim gasped, claw marks splayed across his torso.

The adversary's eyes widened, realising too late the terror he'd encountered. Eclipse's metallic hand shot forward, claws a blur in the weak sunlight.

They sank into the adversary's chest, piercing the flesh, shredding the heart. He gasped, his voice a strangled gurgle, and fell. His blood painted the ground beneath him, the life draining from his eyes, and Eclipse roared.

Then chaos.

Claws swiped. Flesh tore. A scream spread across the battlefield, casting a shadow of terror over those that remained. The living ones yelled, their cocky laughter replaced by shouts of horror and fear. “It’s too slippery! Catch it!"

The next adversary advanced, dual daggers flashing in his hands. Quick. Agile. Eclipse met his attack with a swift swing of its claw.

A gasp. A spray of crimson. 

The adversary staggered back, his hands futilely clutching his open stomach. His intestines, a grotesque sight, spilled onto the blood-soaked earth. A horrifying spectacle that inspired the clone to leap and kick with all its might, ending a spray of intestines into its surrounding foes.

In the briefest lull, a single droplet of blood quivered at the tip of Eclipse’s soaked chin, poised to fall amidst the turmoil. The clone’s blood-soaked maw split into a wide, terrifying grin.

Thoughts of ‘Kendo’ stirred from its orders, and from the faint distorted memories and essence of its original flowing within its being, but it ignored them. It only hungered for more blood and flesh to consume.

A horned head, deadly as any blade, gored an enemy with sickening force. His life flickered and extinguished.

A metallic taste filled Eclipse's senses. More. It hungered for more.

The creature leaped, landing amidst a cluster of enemies. Its wide, shark-like jaws snapped shut. A scream choked off. The air reeked of terror.

"Defend!" The leader bellowed, but it was too late. A claw swipe. A head flew. The body slumped.

Powerful blows rained on it, too powerful. Yet Eclipse stood, unyielding. Its metallic form bore the marks of their deadly attacks, but it did not fall.

They could not kill metal.

And the metal they could not kill prowled forward, with steps measured and lethal, its presence imposing as a wolf among sheep. And with its steps, bodies fell, one after another, their last breaths drawn in dread. Numerous were the fallen, their flesh made monuments to the beast's ruthlessness. 

"No, it can't be!" An enemy shrieked, panic replacing his previously confident demeanour.

"Retreat!" one managed to shout, but it was too late. Their formation was a broken mess under Eclipse's assault.

***

A whirl of lethal steel in claws. A slash. A hack. Limbs and heads separated from bodies with gruesome and wild abandon. 

An adversary lunged, a brutal swing aiming for Eclipse's midsection. A dull clang rang out as the weapon connected. Eclipse slid across the ground some distance, dented, evidence of the adversaries' impossible strength. But the clone remained standing. It’s endurance, inhuman. It was not born of mere flesh.

Eclipse lunged, and its claws cut deep, through muscle and bone. The walking blade swung with five scythes, sharp claws that cut at life with each digit of its stroke. Blood gushed forth in a warm spray. A grunt of pain, a gasp of fear, and then... silence.

The adversary's knees buckled like old timbre, collapsing under the weight of death. 

Eclipse moved on.

Among the scrambling of feet and cries of battle, the crisp snap of a living one’s bone under the clone’s monstrous bite rang out unnervingly distinct. The survivors flinched at the sound, imagining themselves next. All but two.

Two adversaries stood side by side, a futile attempt at a united front. Eclipse struck. Its horns, deadly and swift, impaled the first through the chest.

Life drained from his eyes.

The other lunged, a frenzied attempt at revenge. Futile. Eclipse's jaws snapped shut.

A head, severed. The body crumpled.

A swift, shadow-like figure lunged from behind. An ambush, a desperate attempt. Eclipse turned, jaws gaping wide.

Snap.

The figure jerked back, a shocked expression replacing his battle-hardened sneer. Blood gushed forth in a warm spray from the gaping wound in his throat, darkening the soil beneath.

He crumpled. Life extinguished.

Eclipse basked in the crimson sprays of victory, roaring with satisfaction as it absorbed another feast. 

The clone enjoyed the fear, and the pain. But it needed the blood, and the flesh even more, hungered for it. It was magnificent. It fed on it. With each bite, with each drop consumed, it felt itself grow, change. Subtle shifts, barely noticeable, but oh, so intoxicating.

The living weapon became surprised— another new emotion— at the sight of survivors, still willing to cross its path.

A hidden adversary tried his luck, a broad axe swung with all his might from behind. The blow sent Eclipse hurtling into the air, its metallic form absorbing the heavy blow. A loud, reverberating clang echoed through the clearing. The serpent-man, the assailant, appeared smug. As if it had won the battle.

And soon, the clone landed. Scathed, but not broken, and immediately moved for revenge.

Eclipse lunged again. Its jaws wide, teeth bared.

The enemy's shock was brief. Eclipse’s jaws snapped forward, teeth sinking into the soft flesh of his neck. A crunch. A spurt of blood. His life ended in a gurgling sigh. Blood gushed forth like a fountain, warm and profuse, spattering the cold, unfeeling metal of Eclipse's form.

Next. It thought, or rather, felt.

Stationed amidst the carnage, the clone stood like Cerberus at the gates of the underworld, every opponent's attempt to pass met with grim resistance. 

An draconian, larger than the rest, bellowed a challenge. This living one was all that remained, and had stood back, observing the clone. Eclipse accepted, its blood-soaked maw splitting into a wide, inhuman grin.

A brutal exchange ensued. The adversary's blows hit Eclipse with a force that could crush bones and rend higher beings. Yet, Eclipse stood its ground, its form yielded against the onslaught. Dents and small cracks appeared wherever it was struck.

Each blow from this opponent would send Eclipse flying, but soon, the clone had learned to stab, claw, or grab its opponent as it was struck, remaining rooted and ready to counter. Still, this living one's strength was astounding.

The adversary's weapon found its mark, embedding in Eclipse's shoulder. Yet the metal beast seemed unfazed. It barely acknowledged the weapon lodged in its form, its shocking durability made flesh.

With a swift movement, Eclipse's claw slashed across the adversary's torso, ripping him open from shoulder to waist. His scream filled the air, a song of terror and pain.

He fell, lifeless.

The final foe lay still as the dying moans and whimpers of the few unfortunate enough to survive faded into an eerie permanent quiet.

Eclipse remained. like a ravenous wolf it stood, fed well by its bountiful hunt. The living ones were no more.

In the middle of the battlefield, drenched in blood and surrounded by corpses, Eclipse, the clone, threw its head back and ‘roared’ in metallic screeching tones one final time, evoking images of a gore-soaked god of death in the minds of Alex, and Mei, who were frozen in their tracks watching from a distance. Both of them had their jaws wide open, in complete and utter shock. They knew what Alex’s clone, or rather, what his skill was capable of; they just didn't think it was THIS capable. Or rather, this brutal.

“I-I… It’s...” stammered Mei, unable to even finish her sentence, surprise coating her features.

Eclipse stopped, tilting his head towards the couple as if he was trying to understand what they were saying. As if it could sense Alex’s curiosity, and his questions. After a moment, it continued walking forward, the runes on its body glowing as it moved back towards them.

“It’s… monstrous…” Alex finally murmured, his face pale.