BobOfTheHedgeField
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Kill Six Billion Voidrangers
🕑 Added 2025-05-20 16:11:10 +0000 UTCStriding through the door in haste I sling the ever reliable metal pipe over my shoulder. Then, I make sure to close it behind me. Don't want any sexy sword swinging ladies chopping my limbs off after all. A bead of sweat rolls down my face at the thought despite my bravado.
As much as I appreciate having an insane healing factor that shit still hurts like hell. Then I pause mid stride. Am I forgetting something important? Shaking the thoughts away I get my priorities straight. I need to find my friends and beat the shit out of the Legion before I start getting caught up on other stuff. It's probably just my brain trying to remind me of my lost sword anyways.
The new room I enter has black crystal bursting from different sections of the walls. Golden veins flowing through the strange chunks and pulsing with power. More importantly is the giant centaur that manifests in front of me. Nearly knocking me backwards with its sudden appearance.
Gripping the pipe in my hand, I flood my body with the energy of Propagation once again. The feeling rapidly becoming an instinct ingrained into my flesh and soul. The pain floods my body again, causing me to grit my teeth and my heart to dramatically accelerate in rhythm.
Nearly letting out a growl I dash through the creature's legs as it raises one to crush me. Spinning around as my body slightly vibrates from the stomp, I slam the pipe into the back of its glowing knee.
If I've learned anything from playing way too many video games is that the glowing part is probably the weak spot. A snap and crack echoes out the room as the pipe snaps in my hand. The knee of the monster blowing forward along with its leg causing it to lose its balance for a moment.
Stepping to the side I allow the creature to try and crush where I was mere moments ago. Then the sudden appearance of a glowing obsidian club appears in its hand and flies towards my head. Barely ducking under the attack another creature manifests across the room. The cannon in its crystalline hands charging with dangerous light, the barrel of the gun turning towards me.
Pushing off the ground I send my body backwards, avoiding the blast. The club disappears into motes of light and a leg flies towards my chest. The sudden impact sends me soaring backwards as I slam into a wall. The air flies from my lungs, my stunned form is rapidly capitalized on by the Voidrangers. A massive bow manifesting in the Centaurs hand, and the cannon aimed at my head.
With the mental flip of a switch, the energy enhancing my body bursts. The broken rips stitching back together, my damaged spine healing itself, and bruised lungs repair themselves from the impact.
Propagating again I move. The impact of the cannon crushing the wall behind me, the arrow however doesn't finish charging. Hopefully it will never get the chance as I leap through the air and onto the archers arm. Grabbing its horn I slam the sharp stub of metal tightly clutched in my hand through its head, causing it to go limp for a moment before turning into particles and disappearing into thin air.
The sudden disappearance of my foothold lets me fall to the ground as an energy blast slams into my falling form.
Why can't these fuckers have Stormtrooper aim?
The impact rotates me in the air, but I manage to get my footing and run at the bastard as fast as I can. Tackling the thing to the ground I slam my fists one after another into its head. Two solid punches land, its helmet cracks, then its head explodes from the impact.
Pulling my body from the rapidly disappearing corpse I look around the room, ready for another fucker to jump me. A terse moment passes, and nothing seems to appear.
Relaxing for a moment I allow the energy to heal my body, as I look to the corpse of my fallen comrade.
You will be missed metal pipe, your sacrifice is not forgotten. Giving a mock salute for a brief moment I continue through the room. The corpse of a guard is slammed into the wall. Her form devoid of life, the gun in her hand still clutched tight even in death.
My fist clenches in anger at the sight, but I still have something I need to do. I approach the slumped figure and check for a pulse, finding none. The hope dashed as quickly as it formed. The ID card in her pocket reveals her name to be 'Maya Reese'.
"Sorry I didn't get here fast enough Maya. I'll be needing this." The dead deserve their due. My thoughts spin a bit for a moment, if I wasn't an Emantor this could have just as easily been me. As I collect her ID card, and handgun I wonder how many people have actually died in this attack. It was never really specified anywhere to my knowledge, but it must have been a ridiculously high number. Clipping the walkie talkie onto my belt, I ignore the awful state of my torn pants.
Taking the combat baton from the ground next to her I start to move again. With a renewed vigor my movement becomes hasty as I rush into the next room. Inside are more corpses against walls covered in that same black substance. More importantly is three Voidrangers with glowing swords for arms.
They have their back to me, but I rush forwards nonetheless. I can't waste time here but I need to take them out. I Propagate, and slam the baton into the head of the one on the left. The force sending it crumpling. Then I rotate and crush the next one's helmet with a single strike.
Aiming the gun I fire, my vibrating hand causes the shot to go wide and slam into the wall. Yet, the bastard doesn't even acknowledge me as it brings its bladed arm down towards a lidded crate.
The blade goes deep and I hear a scream and my eyes go wide. Firing the gun I head it square in the chest. It staggers back and its second strike is interrupted before it can bring it down on the crate again. Kicking out at its leg the thing snaps off like a twig and I execute it the same way I did to the others. My heavy breathing is the only sound in the quiet room. As I turned towards the box that definitely contained a person.
Did they get impaled on the blade? Was I too late? My hands shake softly as the healing energy floods my body. My hands steady as I grasp the lid and peel it away.
Fuck, is this how Schrodinger felt?
Inside is the frozen form of someone covered in blood.
I was too-
"THANK YOU!" They rocket out from the crate and tackle me in a hug while sobbing. I pause before hugging them back, the emotion of the situation nearly causing me to cry as well. I saved someone's life from certain death. That's not something you feel everyday.
"We need to get out of here!" The short woman peels off of me a determined fire in her eyes as she adjusts the slightly cracked glasses on her face.
"I'm lost, where do we go?" She pauses and goes to say something, but shakes her head. Presumably to shelve it for later.
"We have to regroup with everyone, we need to go to the Master Control Zone!" Nodding at her answer I'm reminded of the reliable guy who seemed to sprint into action the moment disaster struck. Turning to me she gives me a proper once over.
"You're strong right, you seem unarmed despite everything that's happened?" She poses more as a question than a fact.
"I'm durable, and can hit pretty hard." She gives a nod and bounces slightly, a thoughtful expression on her face. The little ID card hanging from her neck on a lanyard revealing her name as it spins around from her motion. 'Isabelle Mavis'.
"Good enough. I'll see you're compensated for your work. I've had a change of plans." Raising an eyebrow in curiosity I gesture for her to continue.
"We need to get to the medical wing and start doing Triage." Looking at the bloody lab coat with a white cross symbol on her badge I can only assume she's some kind of doctor.
"Got it Doc." Sticking with a doctor feels like a good way to save as many lives as I can, so while not part of the plan, it is a welcome addition. She faintly blushes as I smile at her.
"C-call me Isa." Nodding my head I return the favor.
"Call me Sam, and I've also got to regroup with my friends. We were restocking here when everything went to shit."
"Alright, but get me to the medical wing first." The small woman says with a small huff. Then I get an idea in my head as I click the safety on the gun closed. I hand her the weapon as I sheathe the baton at my side. She blinks as she holds it.
"Undo the switch if you need to fire it." Her mouth twitches at my comment.
"I know how to use a gun." The moment she says that all I can picture in my head is the 'I'm a healer but . . . ' meme. Even a universe away from home my brain is still cooked.
"Sorry, just wanted to confirm. Also we can move faster if I pick you up." A begrudging nod is my response as I pull her into my arms. I pull her in a princess carry, I really wish I knew how to do the Fireman carry but now isn't the time for experimentation. Flooding my body with pink energy, the faint red on her cheeks deepens slightly. However she collects herself quickly.
"Follow my instructions to the letter." With an indignant grunt I start dashing into the next room. A few Voidrangers with bladed arms spot me and start making their approach.
"Just keep running." I- what? Looking down at her, the serious expression on her face leaves no room for discussion.
"If we get an army on our ass I blame you for my death."
Nonetheless I still follow her words and sprint through the next door. She swipes her card on it as we run past and it violently shuts. A shutter appears over it as the outside turns red. Looking down at her, the smirk on her face is vibrant.
"That's useful."
"Being awesome comes with benefits." While I don't disagree with her statement, she literally just swiped a keycard. Eventually as we turn through multiple corners and slam the door in the faces of a bunch of bastards we hear gunshots in the distance.
"Sounds like it's from the medical wing! We need to get there immediately!" Then I spot it.
"What the hell?" The wide gap in front of us has no bridge, just a terminal next to it. My eyes shoot open in panic, I'm running full speed and I'm already at the edge of an at least three story fall before I realize where I am.
My thoughts accelerate themselves in response, and I try to think of some kind of solution to this really bad situation. If we fall I can't guarantee Isa's safety, best case scenario neither of us are hurt but we can't get back up without fighting. She might die, I might die, and many others are guaranteed to die if I don't cross this gap.
So why don't I? Well, the easy answer is that it's at least fifty feet across, and that's probably low balling it. My body is already tipping over the edge and I have to make a decision now. I choose to Propagate. It's instinctual, sudden, and the only thing I can think of. Not sure if it would do anything since I'm already channeling the energy though my body but- HOLY FUCK THAT HURTS.
Blood trickles from my nose as my body explodes with power, my veins rushing with a flaming sensation as my heel slams against the edge and rockets us across the gap. We nearly crash into the wall as I rapidly feel my consciousness grow dark. Slamming a fist against the wall and trying to burst the energy as it attempts to Divide.
Somehow I manage to stop it from cloning myself and feel the pain rapidly turn into bliss. The control of my body returning. However I still fall to the ground from the exertion. Isa looks at me in concern before her expression twists and she tries to pull me to my feet.
"Get up! We still have to get across the next room!" Pulling myself off the ground with her help I channel the energy through myself again. It hurts a little bit but at this point the pain is numbing my body to itself.
"Alright, alright, I'm up. Just don't expect me to do that again without passing out."
The door opens and in the room is a small army of Voidrangers, countless medical staff in pink uniforms run up the stairs on each side of the room. Multiple guards aim their guns and fire as they also pull up the stairs in a rush.
(this but with the staff running up the stairs and guards unloading bullets at approaching Voidrangers)
The light of the door shifts from red to blue as we pass through it and I immediately spring into action. Jumping over the rail and onto the nearby stairs I slam into a Voidranger Reaver and send it flying into the area below. I begin to move forward towards the next one but gunshots ring over my shoulder and start pelting the bastards in front of me.
An onslaught of energy blasts starts blackening the wall at the top of the stairs as many of the guards and researchers duck for cover. They swarm into the room across the gap as fast as they can but some of them still get caught by the explosive bursts of energy.
The line of Voidranger Eliminators channels their next volley as I vault up the wall to get back where I started in order to get a better angle for the stupid shit I'm about to pull. Getting a running start I jump over two Centaurs and grab onto one Legionnaire hanging in the air, causing us to both fall to the ground into an Eliminator.
As we barrel through them I'm forced to heal myself in order to survive. A massive cannon nearly caving in my head and sending me flying into a wall. My moment of being stunned leaves me open, and I go unconscious as- A gunshot rings out and nails the cannoneer in the head. A hail of bullets starts firing, taking advantage of the opening I gave them. Out of the corner of my eye I spot Isa and a series of guards now in formation unleashing a storm of bullets on the undefended Voidrangers who seemed to flock to me.
Again flooding my body with power I grab a nearby obsidian corpse. Slamming it through the legs of Trampler I throw the body to the side and into a cannon blast. The makeshift shield protects me for a moment as I start rushing through the gun users and killing as many as I can.
By the time I finish my rampage through the backline, other Voidrangers have shifted their attention back to the guards. Most notably a Trampler that's making its way up the stairs, the other one seeming to have died after I took out its legs and a well placed shot through the face.
My teeth grit from the long battle, luckily I seem to have a stupid amount of stamina. Guess I can thank the Bug Fuck for that.
Lowering my head ground I sprint forward and jump onto the back of the giant monster. Grabbing it by the horns I slam its head into the landing again and again until it snaps off from the force.
Looking at the damage I did to the structure I really hope I don't have to pay for that.
With heavy breath I pull myself onto the stairs and take a seat as a few more shots take care of the last of the little guys that seem to be floating around.
"Good work." A hand rests on my shoulder and I flinch and move my arm up to the man who rapidly peels back with a placating gesture. My arm freezes and I mutter an apology. He waves me off and shrugs before speaking.
"My mistake for spooking you. Don't want to end up the Legion after all. Just wanted to thank you for your help." Holding out his hand for a handshake. I bring myself up from the ground and rest against the railing, then I return the gesture.
"Sam, got here about an hour ago? Things have been moving way too fast and I've lost track of time." He nods at my response and I swear he's grimacing under that mask of his.
"Evans, and as much as I'd like to chat with our savior, we've got bigger problems."
As I turn my attention back to the others, Isa is already screaming out orders at other people who nod along with pale faces and start grabbing stretchers from the nearby room. They pour down the stairs and start grabbing different wounded individuals and start taking them up the stairs and into that medical room.
Huh, guess like Isa is important then. My thoughts go hazy as I question if she even survived in the original timeline. However she approaches me and breaks me out of my thoughts.
"Can you do search and rescue?" I go to nod, but the shaking of the space station causes us to freeze. My hands grab the ledge and Isa as she nearly falls over. Evans slams into me from the shaking ship, but I manage to keep the three of us somewhat stable despite my lack of active physical enhancement. Unfortunately a few people do fall.
Jumping off the ledge and boosting myself mid air I check on them, which luckily they seem to be alive. I helped put them on stretchers and despite my inexperience the people who rushed to my side seemed to know what they're doing.
Looking upwards at Isa and the many people who will probably need my help and need my health I grit my teeth in frustration. I need to help my friends, but if I just leave them here they could be in serious danger. I guess I'll just have to have faith-
Then I pause.
I'm an Emanator of Propagation. Cloning is literally our thing. My eyes flicker around the room in a panic as I ask the most important questions of all. Is potentially revealing my powers more important than saving the lives of countless people? What if they don't even need my help? What if me getting caught ends up leading to way more problems and causes even more deaths? What if it causes my death?
"FUCK!" I slam my fist into the wall as blood trickles down it. My limbs and clothes are already stained red, but I can't find it in myself to even acknowledge it.
"If you can't, then go help out your friends. You've done enough to help us." Her expression is unreadable. But even without an expression I can sense the turmoil she must be feeling. The uneasiness of the room at not knowing whether or not they will live or die. Such a feeling is suffocating.
"Go in a straight line, there's an elevator ahead." Clenching my fist I acknowledge what she's saying. But a part of me is split, and so I make my decision. Running through the door underneath the stairs I sprint into a massive glass hallway and then stop when I hear the door close behind me.
"Alright, I hope my clones aren't fucked up and evil." Channeling that energy into myself again I Propagate. It floods through me, and then I pull it outside of my flesh as I Divide. Out from my body steps another me, its form made pink energy that becomes more purple as it gets closer to the center mass. Its features muted, only in the vague shape of a person.
Then the flesh begins to grow, starting from the heart. It twists and rotates, the process rapid as it becomes material. Its eyes open at me then give me a smirk.
"Greetings Swarm Prince." I blink in confusion at the title but I don't have a lot of time and can't get caught up on names.
"Two questions. One, can you unsummon yourself? Two, can you assist with the search and rescue?" He smiles, his hands going into the pockets of his pants. Pants with the exact same damage as my own.
"With great ease . . . to both." I let out a sigh of relief as I go to channel the energy through myself again. Luckily it allows itself to flow through, but from the feeling I currently have I definitely can't make another clone. Though I still should be able to do a bit of healing.
Putting a hand on his shoulder I mutter a thank you, and try not to question how freaky it is to have a clone running around.
"Unsummon yourself when you're done. Make sure no one sees you do and it make sure no one finds out you're a clone."
His body glows with a pinkish aura as he strides through the doors, a confident smile on his face. I really hope he doesn't do anything freaky while I'm not looking.
Sprinting down the path and through the door I make my way into the elevator, the room heavy with corrosion of black crystals which I choose to ignore for the moment. The elevator feels slow and it honestly starts to piss me off as another boom cracks through the station.
Then after a moment, it stops. Blinking my eyes open I find myself back in the room where I'd first got separated from my friends. Narrowing my eyes I come to a decision, I'll get back to the Express and regroup with whoever is there then look for the others. The thoughtline making me think of something else. Did March and Dan Heng even find the protagonist because of all the stuff that's been going on?
My body moves and barrels into the previous room, my arms clotheslining two Voidranger Reavers as I run past the resting pair. Down the stairs I slam a floating orb into the wall and rush through the next door. I run, turn, and slam through everything in my way until I finally reach where everything began- That thing is huge.
Terror grips my chest, but my eyes dart to the group of four down below desperately fighting it off. Pink ice litters the battlefield, strikes from a familiar spear try and fail to pierce its hide, while Himeko's drone does its best but can't seem to truly harm the creature.
Then there is a girl with grey hair, trying her best to beat the thing to death with a baseball bat.
Someone is calling my name next to me but I can't make out their words as I move. Flying onto the battlefield I slam into the gray haired girl in order to move her out of the way of a blast of energy.
"Sam!" March's notable voice rings out as I move with the gray haired girl in my arms.
Letting her down I stare into her golden eyes and try my best to give a reassuring smile in the face of the world ending death beast.
"I'm Sam, let's kill that thing." She nods with a determined expression on her face.
Turning up towards the Beast I give a wave to everyone but don't say a word. My attention now focused on the more relevant issue.
A massive claw dives towards us and me and the girl move out of the way, I land a punch but it bounces off with minimal damage. How do we kill this thing? Dan Heng, always reliable, speaks up.
"Aim for its core." Short and sweet. I nod at her words before clenching my fists in annoyance. The body of the creature is partially in space, how the hell am I supposed to even do anything about that?
A well timed shot from March's bow seems to bring the thing down though, its injuries mounting over time. It's massive body slamming into the ground as its core exposes itself for a moment sends a rush of energy through the group.
The five of us practically rush forward with our attacks as we start slamming into it with everything we've got. Punches, arrows, spears, and clubs descend as the creature lets out a roar. It's body rising again, the mere shockwave scattering us in all directions.
Then it leans backwards, a gleam of acknowledgement runs through its faceless body as it starts to charge something.
I turn to Himeko and Dan Heng, who to my utter shock and horror seem defeated. My eyes open wide in despair as my expression falls. If I remember anything about a Doomsday beast it's that it has the power to wipe out a planet. Sorrow passes through my form as I come to a simple conclusion.
This is my fault, my presence dooms the Astral Express here. I don't know what factor it could have been but we are all going to die. It's all my- Nah. If I'm going to die horribly then at least I'm going to punch that fucker in the face first. I'd rather spend my last moments doing something heroically stupid than just rotting in my own misery and guilt.
I run forward towards March and the girl who face the incoming attack. Picking up a scrap of metal from the ground I flood the limb with as much energy as I can muster. My arm feels like it's going to explode as I rotate and send the thing flying like a boomerang into its head. It barely makes it half a foot deep. I scoff, would have been way cooler if that actually worked.
It doesn't even recoil from the attack as my arm limply falls to my side. The beam flies towards us as I stare death in the face. But it never comes. As March falls backwards into me and I collapse to a knee a gray haired girl stands in front of us with arms wide. Through the power of what I can only call 'Protagonist Bullshit™' does she hold it off.
I clutch March's shoulder tight with hope as after a brief moment the girl cracks with blue energy and the absorbed power is sent back. The overwhelming destructive wave pulsing out of her slams through the monster and atomizes it instantly. Her body rises from the ground as she glows with golden light. I limp forward in muted horror. If I can get to her, maybe I can help her, maybe I can do something, maybe I can . . . but I can't make it. She rises, rises, rises, and BONK.
The edge of a familiar cane slams into her head as she falls towards us, March reacting with more speed than I as she catches the girl in her arms.
"What the hell?" I blink as though the image of Welt flying into the air and bonking her on the head didn't just happen. The man softly falling to the ground in front of us with a light frown on his face.
"Mr. Yang! Is she . . ." March's words make me go cold.
"They're ok now." Welt's words return the warmth in an instant as I let out a sigh of relief. "Let's talk somewhere else." A moment of stunned silence lingers as his hand reaches out to me, I take it as he pulls me up with a small smile.
"Glad to see you're alive Sam."
I blink, and on instinct heal my arm. He blinks, I blink. The sheer bafflement of what just happened overwrites all rational thought. The only words in my brain spill from my lips.
"How the fuck are we alive?"
Welt's genuinely confused smile is my only answer.
AN: I return, and quite fast. This chapter was fun to write, though it was a lot more fight scenes than I'd initially anticipated. Our protagonist learns more about his powers and saves someone who died in the original timeline. While browsing the wiki I learned a few things. Like how Dan Heng and Himeko were fully ready to bail when they saw the Doomsday Beast. As well as how the Medical department of the space station just so happened to not have a leader after the invasion . . . Sam also completely forgot about how the Doomsday Beast is defeated and at this point is just assuming this is some Deus Ex Machina bullshit from the protagonist. Also Sam has insane levels of stamina . . . I wonder why . In other news a clone is on the loose and is going to ""unsummon"" himself. Might make a clone POV next chapter. Also Swarm Prince? What could it mean?
In a completely different topic: The original characters I cook up most likely won't be super plot relevant, but I am making some of them to help it feel like Sam is actually having a positive impact on people's lives instead of just walking through the story with no changes. He genuinely does want to do some good, our society makes it quite difficult to make large scale positive change after all. Especially as just a single person. Such a feeling can be very stifling and I'm trying to reflect that a bit through our hero. The galaxy could always do with more good after all.
Ah, and most people have noticed but the titles I make tend to be references. This one is a reference to a book series called 'Kill Six Billion Demons' I've never read it but the title is so funny I just hand to include it. Though I think I can tell what the book is about with the title alone lol.
As for next chapter? Sam properly meets Stelle, has a heartfelt reunion, and helps more around the station after a brief rest. Or mabye something completely different idk, I'm not a prophet to my own muse haha.
As always please leave nice comments! Spelling mistake corrections also count lol, I also love your lore dumps too! I'd like to offer my thanks to the HSR wiki, and the artists who made the art I used in this chapter as well.
