Rhok flew his mobile suit, drifting through the factories, navigating an intricate network of pipes and towering silver columns.
"No damage at all... They're planning to use these factories and their infrastructure for themselves."
His craft soon reached the town.
[Arcanite Energy Detected!]
[Arcanite Energy Detected!]
[Arcanite Energy Detected!]
A warning voice reverberated through his cockpit, red emergency lights flashing.
"Aurum Spectre!" Rhok roared, pushing his thrusters to full throttle. Blue flames erupted from the exhaust as his suit shot forward.
A deep, throbbing hum reverberated in the air — then, an abrupt BOOM!
A beam of white light cut through the buildings, evaporating everything in its path.
"Crap!" Rhok yelped as the dark Armatus darted low at near-lightning speed.
The destructive beam narrowly missed him. His eyes flicked to the status bar — no visible damage, but his suit had consumed a considerable amount of energy.
Rhok manoeuvred cautiously through the city, spiralling between buildings as he aimed for the city centre, where the Armatus Lance was stationed.
Suddenly, a familiar voice crackled through his comms.
"Fancy seeing you again!"
An overly cheerful face popped onto the comm screen — a stark contrast to Rhok's grim expression.
Rhok clenched his jaw, saying nothing. He ignored the taunting man.
The dark Armatus roared as it surged forward. As it reached supersonic speed, the air barrier shattered with a deafening boom.
"Despite piloting an Armatus, you're not fighting alongside us," Aurum continued, reclining back with a casual gesture. "Too bad..."
He rubbed his chin, feigning deep thought.
"You served Dunkelheit for what — twenty years? I wonder what changed your mind. Was it magic? Mind control?" Aurum mused, eyes glinting with curiosity.
"Get off my comms," Rhok growled, jabbing at the controls, but nothing happened.
The proximity connection ensured that Gold Armatus suits had overriding command over lower-ranked units. There was no escape.
"Heh..." Aurum chuckled softly. Then, his smirk widened.
Aurum's eyes sparked with amusement.
"I'm right, aren't I? Hahaha!" He burst into laughter, slapping his armrest.
Rhok grunted, ignoring the gold knight as he spotted the battlefield in the distance.
"I must be close now," He muttered, darting between the towering buildings, using them as cover.
Aurum's voice took on a playful lilt.
"Do you know the penalty for treason against the great empire?"
When Rhok didn't answer, Aurum leaned closer to the screen.
"The penalty is death!" He snarled, his voice dripping with hatred.
Another beam ripped through the air, cutting down everything in its path.
Its trajectory locked onto his flight path.
Rhok's eyes widened. If he didn't move now, he'd be fried to a crisp.
He jerked the controls, throwing his suit into a sudden nosedive.
Here goes the paint job.
His war machine crashed into the streets, ploughing through abandoned cars.
Vehicles flew ten metres into the air, smashing into nearby buildings, shattering glass.
Momentum carried the giant suit forward, scraping across the concrete and kicking up dirt and debris.
Rhok tucked his head, bracing for impact as a blue, semi-translucent barrier enveloped his mobile suit.
The hulking machine tumbled, smashing into the pavement. The shield absorbed some of the impact, but he still bounced violently before slamming into a ten-storey building.
The structure buckled and collapsed atop his suit, bricks and debris scattering in every direction. A thick cloud of smoke engulfed the area.
Aurum's chuckle crackled over the comms.
"Hehehe... That wasn't even a fight."
His thrusters flared, lifting his massive machine into the air.
"What a bummer..." Aurum exhaled, disappointment lacing his tone.
Scanning for energy signals, he followed the trail of destruction from his earlier attack.
His sensors locked onto the pile of rubble where Rhok's Armatus had fallen.
Cautiously, Aurum touched down twenty metres away.
For a moment, nothing moved.
Then — the debris shifted.
Suddenly, the dark Armatus lunged, its red visor gleaming — alive, as if thirsting for blood.
"Shield Protocol!" Aurum barked.
The ionised blade struck the barrier and bounced off.
"What the f*ck!?" Rhok exclaimed.
Never before had the ionised blade failed to cut.
The amount of Arcanite energy needed to sustain such impeccable defence had to be quadruple that of a standard suit.
"Tell Hades I said hi."
His fingers twitched.
Three rapid energy rounds blasted toward Rhok.
His engine roared, metal joints straining as he dodged the first two — but the third struck home.
His left arm snapped clean off, severing his cannon hand.
Rhok's eyes twitched with fury. But then he noticed something.
The high energy consumption only allowed one active defence at a time.
They hadn't solved that issue during beta testing.
It wasn't ready for close combat.
Instead of retreating, Rhok lunged forward, slashing down just as another energy round fired.
The heated steel ripped through Aurum's massive cannon, severing its protruding nozzle.
But not without cost.
The blast struck Rhok's midsection — tearing his suit in half.
Rhok grunted, his cockpit shaking violently.
Then, to his horror, the Armatus Lancer hissed loudly. Nᴇw novel chapters are publɪshed on novel{f}ire.net
Its outer shell peeled away, revealing a ten-metre green mobile suit ejecting like a butterfly from its chrysalis.
Aurum's voice oozed mockery.
"You think our geniuses didn't figure that weakness out, you dumb prick?"
The green Armatus grabbed Rhok's suit — ripping off his other blade arm.
"Now that you're... hmm... limbless?" Aurum smirked.
Defeat crept into Rhok's mind.
"Finish me," He muttered.
Aurum chuckled. "Not quite done yet. I've got something to show you."
The green Armatus dragged him through the air, soaring across the ruined town.
After a short flight, Aurum slammed Rhok into the ground.
Rhok's vision blurred, his head spinning.
A pile of blackened, ashen figures stood eerily in the town square.
Aurum's voice was cold.
"Do you know why we took this town so easily?"
Rhok zoomed in with his visor—
And froze, his blood ran cold.
Aurum's joyful voice sickened him.
"We burnt the witches!~"
His mind thanked the inventor of the Arcane Disrupter, the device that had made this mission far too easy.
Unfortunately, the scientists of Dunkelheit hadn't yet managed to mass-produce them — and each one was single-use only.
"YOU FUCKING BASTARD!" Rhok snapped, driven by burning fury.
In return, Aurum just laughed.