Dredge's eyes widened in shock. It all happened so suddenly and so fast that he barely registered what had occurred until his severed left arm began falling away.
His cybernetic vision flashed red with urgent warnings, informing him that his limb was gone and that his energy levels were rapidly depleting due to the loss.
"Shit!" he cursed under his breath, his mind racing. He hadn't even seen that attack coming. The Dragonborn's fire had cut through his enhanced body as if it were nothing.
Without hesitation, he raised his energy shield just in time to block another searing blast of fire.
The burning laser-like attack struck with overwhelming intensity, making the shield crack under the pressure.
Dredge gritted his teeth, frustration and something else — something he refused to acknowledge — creeping into his mind.
The Dragonborn was not slowing down.
Before Dredge could react further, Erend was already upon him, flying straight at him with terrifying speed.
The sheer force of his presence sent an instinctive jolt of panic through Dredge's body. Then, Erend's fist crashed into the energy shield with monstrous strength.
The shield shattered instantly.
Dredge barely had time to process what was coming next.
Dredge saw Erend's eyes. Those eyes were burning, unrelenting, devoid of anything human. The grin stretching across his scaled face only deepened the horrifying image.
There was no trace of the human warrior he had fought before, only a wild beast consumed by the primal urge to kill and destroy. Dredge can clearly feel it that this man was changing.
The warning that flashed across his cybernetic vision momentarily obscuring his sight. That split second cost him dearly.
Before he could react, Erend's arm moved with blinding speed, his clawed fist smashing into Dredge's face.
The impact was immense. His reinforced metal skull shattered like brittle glass, sending shockwaves of pain through his system again as his body was launched downward like a meteor.
He crashed into the battlefield below. A deafening boom echoed through the air as his body slammed into the ground, creating a massive crater.
Dust and debris shot into the sky, behind the advancin of the Ogres and Daemons who had been scaling the palace walls. The Elves desperately fought to hold them back, but it was clear they were struggling.
Erend didn't care. His prey was on the ground. That was all that mattered.
With fire trailing behind him, he streaked downward, landing beside Dredge in a burst of heat and embers. Without hesitation, he stepped closer, his presence looming.
Panic surged through Dredge's mind. His systems were failing, his vision flickering. In desperation, he pressed a button on his interface.
Five portals ignited around him, swirling with dark energy. From them, five identical clones of Dredge emerged, their eyes glowing with the same lethal intent.
The five clones sprang into action the moment they were summoned. Each was a perfect replica of Dredge and they were already pre-programmed to attack without hesitation when Dredge summoned them.
Normally, Dredge despised using them—activating his clones meant admitting that he couldn't handle the situation alone.
He prided himself on taking care of threats personally. But right now, pride didn't matter. His survival did.
The clones surrounded Erend in an instant, moving in perfect synchronization. Each wielded twin swords just as Dredge had at the beginning of this battle.
Their movements were precise, coordinated, relentless. They lunged at Erend from all angles, their blades slashing with deadly speed.
Dredge wasn't expecting them to win. He just needed them to buy him time to think and to heal.
His systems were still flickering with red warnings, his body failing him. He had to come up with a plan before Erend ripped him apart.
Then a thought struck him. Veyna.
He gritted his teeth. He didn't want to ask for help, but right now, he didn't care about pride.
Laston was definitely busy elsewhere with his own battle. Veyna was the only one who could get here in time. If she didn't, he was dead.
Erend was still fighting, his grin stretched wide as if the appearance of more enemies only meant more things to destroy. The clones swarmed him but he met them head-on while laughing and eyes burning with rage and exhilaration.
Dredge opened a direct link to Veyna, his voice urgent. "Veyna, I need you. Now!"
A moment of silence. Then her amused voice crackled through his comms. "You? Asking for help? This must be bad."
Dredge clenched his jaw. "I'm about to die, you idiot. Get here now!"
Veyna laughed. "Dredge, the great warrior, begging for help. This is rich."
"Veyna!" Dredge snarled, his patience running thin. "If you don't get here, I swear—"
Another explosion rocked the battlefield as one of his clones was obliterated in an instant. Dredge didn't have time for this. He kept calling her, desperation creeping into his voice.
One by one, Dredge watched his clones fall.
Erend tore through them with terrifying speed, his claws slashing, his fire burning everything in its path.
Each clone barely lasted seconds before being obliterated. Erend's laughter echoed through the battlefield, a sound so wild and frenzied that it sent a chill down Dredge's spine.
His eyes burned with madness, his body surrounded by the fiery aura of destruction.
Dredge gritted his teeth.
This was bad. Very bad. But Erend didn't realize it yet. The way he was fighting, the way he was throwing himself into battle with reckless abandon. Erend was letting his instincts take over, consumed by bloodlust. That kind of rage had a cost.
Dredge thought, could he survive?
He pressed his comms to Veyn again. "Veyna! Get here now!"
This time, she didn't mock him. "I'm on my way, damnit."
Dredge exhaled sharply. That was something, at least. But would she get here in time?
The last clone exploded in a violent burst of flames. And before Dredge could react, Erend was already upon him.
The Dragonborn landed in front of him, the ground beneath them cracking.
Before Dredge could move, Erend's clawed hand wrapped around his neck, hoisting him up as if he weighed nothing. The pressure was crushing, his circuits screaming warnings in his vision.
Erend grinned, his fangs bared. His voice was thick with contempt.
"You must think you're pretty strong." His grip tightened. "You have no idea who you're dealing with."
Then, without hesitation, Erend's claws slashed.
Dredge barely had time to process what happened before a searing pain tore through him. His vision flickered, alarms blaring in his cybernetic mind.
His body had been severed in half.