Level-Up Apocalypse: Surviving With The Assimilation System

211  The Truth of The City n/ô/vel/b//in dot c//om

Charlotte still clung to the sleeve of the assassin's coat as though a breath might blow him away, looking up at him with eyes that might exude tears at any moment, "I-I was so scared…I really–I thought that was it when you weren't here. I thought we were all–"

"It's done, Charlotte…It's done. We made it–so let's just get back to the building. Right now, a bed sounds amazing…" Finn tiredly said, letting a breath leave his lips. "Right…Rest does sound good," Charlotte agreed. "I don't know if I'll be free of nightmares for the near future, but I can use some good ol' Zs by now," Jasper said. Leaving the basement of the hospital, by the time the Devil was dealt with and it was opened back up to the outside, it was filled with medical and security personnel. The hallways were packed with people, giving aid to the traumatized patients and staff alike. Outside the front entrance, the sight of stationed radegasts and officers equipped in their robotic armor filled the streets, though the fight was already long over. Some looked quite capable, boasting respectable levels of their own. He would've appreciated their help just ten minutes prior. "Hey! You pulled through–I can't believe it…Are you alright?"

The hurried callout turned Finn's gaze to the left as he stood with his friends, finding the glasses-wearing man rushing up to them one of the mech units. "Nikko," Finn said. "Yeah, it's dealt with. The Devil is gone." The inventor had to take a moment to catch his breath as he nudged his glasses up with his thumb, still hardly seeming to process what occurred, "I don't know how you managed to pull it off, but you have my utmost gratitude–that thing in there, it was a danger to this entire city. Truly, you have the thanks of New Moscow." "How about some thanks in the form of a ride back to our suite?" Jasper cheekily requested. "Right…Yeah, everything else can wait for the morning. You all earned some rest," Nikko acknowledged with a nod. The ride back was a blur for Finn before he found himself laying in bed within the luxurious suite at the highest floors of the skyscraper. A soft, cushioned bed as his back with a beautiful view of the city just to his right, seeing it from an exclusive height; it felt earned. In truth, it was difficult to fall asleep with the adrenaline still pumping through his body, though that didn't seem to apply to the knight who was snoring just a bed over to the left. A night of rest was much needed as he finally coaxed himself into sleeping, drifting away into calm rest. — Nights and mornings came and went for a few days as the city experienced a quiet calm, something that Finn wasn't quite used to anymore. It was the first time since it all started that he experienced a real break, able to rest his exhausted body, and even more so, his mind. The suite of the engineer was messy with spills of oil with nuts and bolts laying around. Finn sat on a stool, watching Nikko tamper with a mechanical exoskeleton as though an artist painting a canvas. "So, why did you call me up here first thing in the morning?" Finn tiredly asked, folding his arms as he watched. Despite the luxurious lifestyle afforded to the inventor of high esteem, Nikko seemed much more natural while covered in grease. The Canada-born man had the forearm of the exoskeleton open, adjusting some sort of nozzle with a wrench before it emitted steam. "Fine, I guess," Finn answered, scratching his arm a bit. Without his coat on, the scars on his forearms stood out, though it wasn't as if he was the only person with them. "You really did New Moscow–no, you did me an invaluable service. Another of the Major Arcana…lurking within our walls, no less. It seems the situation is worse than I thought," Nikko remarked. "The way you're talking, it doesn't sound like it's improved even with that one eliminated," Finn questioned, accepting a steaming cup of coffee offered by a robotic arm from the engineer's kitchen. For some reason, the remark spurred a small laugh from Nikko, who leisurely walked over to the spanning windows overlooking the city. "Finn, I need you to promise to keep what I'm about to tell you to yourself," Nikko insisted. "Sure," he acknowledged, sipping from the mug. There was a faint smile from Nikko before he lifted his goggles, wiping the sweat and oil from his face with a rag, "It's just a theory, maybe even a baseless one, but…I believe the city will be wiped out soon enough." It was the sort of claim that sounded so outlandish and unprompted it might've been a poorly conveyed joke. As he looked up from the hot substance in the cup, he could tell by the engineer's expression that it wasn't a matter of jest. "How do you figure that? Can't think of a way to handle that Moon monster?" Finn asked before taking another sip from his cup. "That's not it. I believe our odds of handling the Moon aren't all too bad, but it's what comes after is what frightens me," Nikko explained. "You mean the other Arcana?" Finn presumed, finishing the cup of coffee as he reached out, letting the robotic arm take it away. Nikko nodded with a look of reservation, "Correct. I don't believe it's a coincidence that two have arrived at the doorstep of this city. In this apocalypse, this "game" it's made out to be–New Moscow stands as the antithesis of it."

It was something Finn had given thought to, seeing that the city itself was more advanced than any he'd seen while the world was still in one piece. "So, all of these Arcana are converging on the city, is what you're saying? If that's the case, then yeah, it's probably doomed," Finn agreed. A short laugh came from Nikko as he helped himself to a sip of coffee, "Y'know, I was hoping you would have a different opinion than I did, but I guess it's too dire." "If this ends up being true, what will you do? Attempting to fight back will probably just lead to total annihilation. It'd be better to tell the citizens, let them flee," Finn asked, rubbing his hand across his own arm to feel out his scars.