It was all up to the Technician now.
The Technician took another deep breath.
Then, an expression of acceptance appeared on his face.
"Fine," he said, "but can I at least get my weapons? They're really difficult to make. If you want, you can take them out yourself and inspect them."
The Champion looked at the Technician for a while.
He only saw acceptance and submission in his eyes.
"Fine, I will take them out myself," the Champion said.
The Technician held his Space Bag in front of him, and the Champion's arm entered.
Nick saw two laser rifles shooting towards the Champion's hand, and the hand left the Space Bag.
Then, he grabbed the other one and did the same thing.
After inspecting them for several seconds, he nodded.
Finally, he handed the rifles to the Technician.
"Your Space Bag," the Champion ordered with an extended hand.
"Sure," the Technician said.
The Technician held the Space Bag forward.
The Champion's arm extended to grab the Space Bag.
BANG!
The Technician fired his rifle at the Champion.
The Champion's body was pushed against the wall.
In a fluid motion, the Technician ran out of the room.
The day had come.
There was no going back.
The Technician had always been willing to sacrifice his life for Nick.
For the good of humanity, he would sacrifice everything.
'I just hadn't thought this day would come so soon,' the Technician thought with bitterness and acceptance.
The Technician ran through the corridors at insane speeds.
The Champion recovered rapidly, and an expression of pure hatred appeared on his face.
"Julian Winter is alive! The Technician betrayed us! Kill the Technician!"
This order was sent to all Shields.
Right now, only the Technician, the Champion, and the Politician were in Aegis' headquarters.
The other Shields all over the world look at their Barrier in shock.
They couldn't believe it.
The Technician had betrayed them?!
That was unimaginable!
That was impossible!
In the Left Arm's office, the Politician looked at his Barrier with gritted teeth.
He had entertained that possibility, but he hadn't thought that it would actually happen.
It had been no more than a musing!
The Politician gritted his teeth and clenched his fists.
Then, he charged out of one of the nearby exits.
Meanwhile, the Champion charged after the Technician, and he was quickly gaining ground.
The Champion was only a single level higher than the Technician, but that did not reflect his actual power.
The Champion could fight Death evenly.
That was how powerful he was.
The hope of all of humanity strengthened him.
The Technician tinkered with his Barrier while running.
BANG!
The main gates opened instantly, and he shot out.
The guards watched in shock as the Technician blew past them.
The Champion was directly behind him.
Suddenly, the air around the Technician compressed, and a whirlpool appeared around him.
"Traitor!" the Politician shouted with hatred.
The Champion had already pulled out his sword, and light had gathered all around him.
"You fools!" the Technician transmitted to them. "Julian will create a utopia! He is our Messiah! He is the chosen one!"
"You are the ones dooming humanity to an endless cycle of destruction! Julian will save all of us!"
Naturally, the Technician said these things so that it looked like Nick had controlled his mind.
If they believed that the Technician was following Nick out of his free will, they might start investigating more.
That would endanger humanity's true resistance.
So, it would be much easier to act like he was controlled by Julian.
Like this, Julian would still be viewed as a Specter and not a former human.
The Champion focused on the Space Bag.
The Technician might be a traitor, but Julian was the true danger.
Then, he slashed forward.
A beam of light shot right at the Space Bag.
Yet, the Technician just turned around and shielded the Space Bag with his back.
BANG!
The Technician's Barrier broke, and the lower half of his body was destroyed.
However, he was still alive, and the force of the attack pushed him out of the whirlpool.
The Technician's body flew towards the ocean.
And then, with his last power, he charged right into it.
When the Champion and Politician saw the Technician's body entering the ocean, their eyes widened in horror.
No!
They couldn't enter the ocean!
"Death!" the Champion transmitted. "Julian is in that Space Bag! You must kill Julian! He is far too dangerous for both of us!"
"Please! Please kill him!" the Champion transmitted with desperation.
Death looked at the Technician.
Was this another trick of Julian's?
Did they plan to kill it by luring it out?
Death wasn't certain.
However, when it felt the genuine desperation inside the Champion's voice, it decided to believe them for now.
The Champion had never contacted it for anything that wasn't directly related to the Sun.
Even more, unveiling that he could just communicate with Death was already extremely dangerous.
Death decided that it would believe the Champion.
Deep inside the ocean, black smoke gathered and moved toward the Technician.
But then, the black smoke encountered resistance.
Death's perception immediately locked onto the Salt Trident.
"Sorry, but this is another deal. You should also give me some food occasionally," the Salt Trident answered.
"Resist and die," Death transmitted.
"I'm taking that bet," the Salt Trident said. "I'm too important to you."
"This is more important than you," Death transmitted.
"I don't think so," the Salt Trident answered.
Death pushed forward.
The Salt Trident was strong, but the best it could do was to stall Death for a little bit.
While this was going on, Nick shot out of the Space Bag.
He assumed the appearance of one of the sharks that belonged to the Shark Mother.
"I isolated you in my domain. Nobody saw you transform. I kept my end of the bargain," the Salt Trident said.
Nick looked at the Technician.
Right now, the Technician was just looking at Nick with hope.
He didn't say anything since he didn't want Death or the Salt Trident to become suspicious.
"Save the world," the Technician transmitted. "You're our Savior."
Nick hurt.
He had spent centuries with the Technician.
The Technician had been his closest friend.
He wanted to tell him that.
But he had to keep up his disguise.
"You have been a useful tool to my ambitions," Nick answered.
The Technician just smiled bitterly.
Then, his expression became neutral and empty.
A moment later, he started to move towards the bottom of the ocean.
The Salt Trident had consumed his mind.
Shortly, it would also consume his body.
Nick didn't hesitate and immediately fled.
Death's black smoke arrived and destroyed everything, including the Space Bag.
It destroyed everything except for the sharks.
Despite everything, Death still didn't know that Nick could disguise himself.
It was over.
Nick successfully escaped.
Sadly, his best friend, the Technician, had to sacrifice his life.
'I'll never forget you, friend,' Nick thought.
'I will save humanity!'
'No matter what happens!'
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