The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

A week passed since Klaus came to the Stone Valley. For the past week, he had only done two things: fight the Mecha Zombie for 8 hours a day and then watch the sunset with Queenie.

It was the best part of his day, so after every training session, he would catch some rest and then climb to the roof to watch the sunset.

A few days ago, he met Nari, and from their brief interactions, Klaus knew Lucil got her overly cheerful and dirty-mouthed personality from her. So he wasn't surprised when he found out she and Lucil were blood sisters.

Nari spent most of her time in the lab with them, unlike Queenie, who was always away—at least for the past few days. Just two days ago, she started coming to the lab to watch the nerds and Klaus work. Well, she was really there to watch Klaus battle the constantly improving Mecha Zombie.

They battled for a whole week, and within those battles, Klaus started to see great improvements. They were making headway, and for one, Klaus was thrilled. It was moving faster than he thought.

After 7 days of battles, the Mecha Zombie had risen to the stage where Klaus could now have a true battle with it, the kind that could get his blood boiling. So waking up on the 8th day, Klaus was more than happy to get into Oracle and start his daily battle.

"Today, you will be going toe to toe with—wait for it—a new and improved Mecha Zombie 2.0. Huh, awesome, right?" Lucil said, showing off the new improvements she had made to the Mecha Zombie.

"What is that disc thing hovering behind it?" Klaus asked, noticing a new change. During the week-long training, Lucil has been working diligently to improve the Mecha making sure it has some improvement for the next day.

"That is a razor disc. It's a projectile weapon most Spirit Masters use. I thought that since we are starting the second phase of the testing, we could spice things up a bit."

Klaus examined the Razor Disc for a few more seconds before his eyes shifted to the Mecha Zombie's. "Are those a special kind of eyes?" he asked.

"Yes," Lucil responded with a smirk, "I call them the Omnipotent Gaze. They're the primary focus of today's training. We want to measure just how much it can capture as the fight unfolds around it."

"Smart." Klaus nodded in approval. "Alright, let's get this party started." He walked into the console room, and with Lucil's help, he placed the helmet on and entered Oracle in the next instant.

He appeared in the same battle space as before, and before long, the Mecha Zombie materialized, this time exuding an air of dread and authority. The improvements were obvious, and Klaus couldn't help but feel a twinge of excitement. They're really making progress.

"Let's begin," Klaus said, making his Void Piercing Needle appear behind him. With a flick of his finger, the needle shot toward the Zombie at terrifying speed. But almost simultaneously, the Razor Disc behind the Mecha Zombie moved to intercept, meeting the Needle with a metallic clang.

One might think a razor-sharp disc and a pointed needle wouldn't have enough surface area to clash, yet the two-spirit weapons collided, and within seconds, they exchanged dozens of blows.

"Impressive," Klaus murmured, locking eyes with the Zombie, which returned his gaze, its mechanical expression somehow conveying awareness.

"I guess this will be fun."

Without another word, Klaus dashed toward the Mecha Zombie, his longsword drawn. While one part of his mind was controlling the Void Piercing Needle, another engaged in close combat with the creature.

Their swords met with a thunderous crash, sending shockwaves through the air. Klaus felt the force reverberate through his arms, but his grin only widened. He followed up with a stab, aiming for the Zombie's chest, but it twisted its body, evading the attack before countering with an overhead slash.

Klaus parried with a swift Moon Slash, channeling his fire element to unleash a fiery arc. Yet he was already a step ahead, moving before the arc even landed.

Another stab was aimed at the Zombie's chest, but just as Klaus was about to land the hit, the Razor Disc abruptly changed direction, aiming straight for the back of his head.

He smirked, his mind split in perfect harmony. The Void Piercing Needle darted toward the Mecha Zombie while Klaus abandoned his stab, spinning around to meet the disc with his sword.

"Smart. Very smart." Klaus's happiness was palpable as he witnessed the Mecha Zombie's impressive performance. It executed the attacks very well.

The clang of metal rang out again and again as Klaus kept pushing forward. Each attack from the Mecha Zombie was met with a calculated parry or a counterstrike.

However, Klaus noticed something—the Mecha Zombie was learning at a very fast pace too. Its movements became more fluid, more precise as if adapting to his every attack.

"Lucil wasn't kidding," Klaus muttered under his breath, a hint of excitement in his voice. "This thing is no joke."

The Razor Disc zipped around the battlefield like a predator, always circling, waiting for an opening. Klaus had to keep an eye on it at all times, but the Mecha Zombie wasn't making that easy.

It lunged at him with a combination of rapid slashes, each one coming from a different angle, forcing him to rely on instinct as much as skill.

Klaus ducked under a high slash and sent a quick jab toward the Zombie's midsection, but the moment his blade made contact, the Zombie's body shifted, dispersing the force of the blow. The Omnipotent Gaze flared with a strange light, tracking every move he made with unnerving accuracy.

"Looks like I'll have to take this up a notch," Klaus muttered, and with a quick command, the Void Piercing Needle shot forward again, but this time with an erratic, unpredictable pattern. He forced the Mecha Zombie to divide its focus between him and the Needle, hoping to exploit a crack in its defenses.

The Mecha Zombie reacted instantly, its sword spinning in a blur to deflect the Needle, while the Razor Disc moved closer, angling for a deadly strike. Klaus leaped back, narrowly avoiding the disc, feeling the sharp air slice near his face.

His heart raced. He hadn't had a fight like this in a while—one where every move counted, where there was no room for error. The adrenaline was like a drug, coursing through his veins.

'I love this,' He thought inwardly

But he wasn't about to let a machine outsmart him.

Klaus switched tactics. He feinted toward the Mecha Zombie with a low strike, and as the Razor Disc flew in to block, he turned his body sharply, allowing the Void Piercing Needle to weave through the air and strike from a blind spot.

This time, the Zombie couldn't react in time. The Needle pierced its shoulder joint, sending sparks flying.

"Gotcha," Klaus said with a grin. But his victory was short-lived. The Mecha Zombie staggered back, but then something changed—the Omnipotent Gaze flickered, and the Zombie's movements became more erratic, and unpredictable.

It lunged forward with a vicious speed, forcing Klaus on the defensive. Its blade came down in a powerful arc, and Klaus barely managed to block it with his sword, the impact sending vibrations through his arms. But that wasn't the worst of it.

The Razor Disc, now fully integrated into the Zombie's attack pattern, moved with terrifying precision. It sliced through the air, aiming directly for Klaus's side.

He twisted his body just in time, deflecting it with the flat of his sword, but the force of the impact sent him sliding back across the battlefield.

"Not bad," Klaus muttered, "But how long can you keep this up." Without him even knowing it, his mind was getting sucked into the battle stirring awake things he never thought he could feel.