Dante and Ezekiel surged through the fray, ducking beneath the towering legs of Largo elephants—colossal Chimerans draped in bronze-plated armor and streaked with tribal war paint. Their trunks hurled massive boulders and logs like divine artillery, shattering the enemy’s steel barricades and robotic soldiers and even hitting the flying craft. This feat alone kept the human forces back. The ground shook with every step they took, and the air was thick with smoke, ash, and the raw stench of burning flesh. What used to be a thickly forested and heavily populated city was now a mass grave of destruction and flames. Though it was night, the battle was lit up thanks to the many burning fireballs and spotlights the many human vessels provided.

  Above, flocks of Frathian flyers swooped and spiraled through the sky, raining fire and arrows onto enemy lines. Explosive-tipped projectiles lit the heavens like a meteor shower. Beneath them, Ferenzial and stealthy Vilazun warriors darted between shadows, dragging down unsuspecting humans and robot soldiers with uncanny silence—until a sudden hail of bullets shredded them mid-strike.

  From the human side came retaliation—drones and flying vessels zipping through the smoke-choked skies, raining down death. On the ground, autonomous war machines stomped forward, their eyes glowing red, targeting Chimeran warriors and shredding them to bits with rockets and laser cannons. Many were stomped to death and splattered on the ground. The air was filled with screams, blasts, and the grinding howl of the machines as they approached the Chimeran’s front line. The elephantine Chimerans prioritized those massive robots with well thrown boulders. Though the Chimerans were holding up, their numbers were dwindling. Most likely due to sheer exhaustion after what seemed to be hours of fighting.

  Ahead, through the chaos, Dante spotted her. A lone figure stood atop a scorched mound, barking orders with clarity and force. Fox-like features were sharp beneath a battered beret, her armor stained with ash and blood. Around her, the battle churned—but she remained still, a lighthouse amidst the storm.

  “Nideria!” Dante shouted as they bolted to her. Her eyes, hardened and worn from the endless violence, softened the moment they met his.

  Her voice trembled with desperation as she approached Dante amidst the chaos of the battlefield. “Lord Sebooro! You’re here!? You’re really here!? " She said with a weary smile that led to excitement.

  Still have a part to play… He thought, trying to keep a straight face. “Yes, Nideria, I’m here.”

  “We can't hold them off much longer! Our forces are dwindling, and the casualties are rising by the minute."

  A laser beam whizzed by Dante’s face within mere inches. He ducked down and met her fox eyes. “What would you have me do?"

  Nideria’s eyes shone with pride. “Here is my report,” she bowed her head. “According to our scouts, they have some kind of factory inside the facility that is perpetually building the mechanized soldiers. The humans’ commander is inside that stronghold. If we don't take him… or her out, this relentless assault will never end. But getting there... It's a suicide mission! All our attempts have failed as we watched our kind being shredded apart by their weapons! We tried hurling bombs and stones, but those big guns on top of the base shred through those too!”

  Dante looked up at the humans’ base. It indeed had the automatic weapons surrounding it as Nideria described. It showered massive amounts of bullets upon all that approached that wasn’t a human or a robot. He then used his telescopic eyes to get a closer look. It confirmed what he could see; with a quick switch, he utilized his x-ray view and could see inside the base. Many robotic soldiers were being built and then sent through the massive doors. Flying robots were sent through small vents in the top section. The inside of the base was indeed an immense factory, it would never stop unless someone went in and destroyed it or killed the commander. But nothing could get close enough until now. He looked at Ezekiel. “What do you think?”

  “I can teleport us inside the base…”

  Dante liked the idea but thought about what would happen in the meantime. “That’s a great idea, but what about the Chimerans? They’ll continue to be mowed down. I can’t live with that option…”

  “What would you have us do, Dante? I thought you wanted to reduce bloodshed?” Ezekiel asked curiously.

  Dante looked up at the bodies of the Chimerans strewn about, many in pieces. “This isn’t a war… this is a slaughter! I say we tear through the human forces and directly assault the base. Get inside, destroy their factory, and then find the commander.”

  “So you are wanting to even up the odds for them?”

  “Yes, I think that would be best. We don’t need to kill anyone. And, of course, their robots will be fun targets, don’t ya think?”

  “I see. Yes, it has been quite some time since I have experienced a good battle.”

  “I kinda want to see what these humans are made of. Would they even be able to fight against Sophitia?”

  “Ah, a little test. Yes. Great plan!” Ezekiel nodded excitedly.

  Dante nodded. “That settles it then.” He turned to the Ferenzial commander, “Nideria!”

  “Yes, my Lord?”

  “Since you are their commander here, I want you to continue being that. I will go in, tear through their front lines, and destroy as many of the robotic soldiers as possible. We are going to directly assault the humans’ base of operations. Also, Ezekiel can back you up. My friend, you might want to give her your language so she can understand you.”

  “On it.”

  “Nideria, hold still, my friend here… doesn’t speak your language, so it would be in your best interest to understand him.”

  She hesitated as the Alphin approached her with his claw. “I… yes, my lord.” She closed her eyes and waited for it to be over. He placed his claw on her head, closed his eyes, and then she opened hers. “That was it?”

  “That is it,” Ezekiel said with a grin.

  Suddenly, there was a shot from a high-powered rifle that hit the back of Dante’s head. The ping sound vibrated through his body, but that was all. Nideria’s eyes widened, and then she smiled as that was proof enough of his god-like status.

  She then put her head down to avoid any shots to herself. “There are snipers at many points of the field. I believe they may be human snipers, and they’re very good shots. There are also sword wielders out there. Very skilled. Very fast!”

  “That’s okay if they shoot or slice me. I won’t be fazed by their weapons, as you saw. What I am concerned with is you and your people. I don’t want to see them being shredded anymore!”

  Nideria, torn between duty and the harsh reality, gestured to the countless fallen Chimerans and humans scattered across the battlefield. "I wouldn’t expect any less from my Lord! I can't bear to lose any more of my kin, but if we don't act, there won't be anything left to protect."

  Dante's gaze met Nideria's, a silent acknowledgment of the sacrifices that had already been made. “Indeed. The commander can watch as his army is rendered useless. Then maybe they’ll listen to us."

  Ezekiel carried a grim smile. “I like your idea. I am with you.”

  “What about you, Nideria? One more hurrah?”

  Nideria's ears perked up with hope and anticipation, she nodded in excited agreement. "Yes, that works! We can give you cover fire while you tear through them! Then… we’ll release all waves!"

  “I won’t need cover fire, just focus on yourselves and keep safe!” Dante said. Ezekiel nodded.

  They looked on…

  Robotic creatures lay burning amid the carnage. Their metallic bodies twisted and charred, remnants of a brutal encounter. But even with the surrounding wreckage, more of the walking tank robots exited the big door of the human stronghold, gunning down any enemies in their path. If the delay was any longer, the humans would decimate the remaining Chimeran forces.

  “Nideria!” Dante called back, “Just hold this position.” He then looked back at Ezekiel. “Are you ready, friend?”

  Ezekiel balled his fists. “More than ready.”

  Dante reached out his hand to summon the sword, It appeared from the purple fog as he approached a robotic humanoid. It shot at him, but he ignored the blasts. The robot could not compute what had just happened as it began to stumble backwards. With swift strikes, the robot was left in four pieces and collapsed to the ground.

  “Yeah. Like butter!” Dante called out.

  He darted towards the human base; Ezekiel brought up the rear. Blood, both Chimeran and human, stained the ground. Limbs and mechanical parts lay scattered, mingling with the wreckage of the mechanized armor worn by human soldiers. He sliced through the infantry robots one by one, rendering them useless as he closed the distance between him and the base. Various Chimeran troops took cover as an onslaught of bullets whizzed by their heads. He couldn’t stand it. He diverted course and tore through the attackers with ease, sparks and metal strewn about. The Chimeran warriors look on and cheer as they feel empowered by their god’s presence. That's when high-powered bullets whizzed by his face, and then he felt it, a bullet smacked the side of his head. The force of the blow dazed him for a second.

  “Okay,” Dante muttered with a smirk, brushing the fresh impact off his temple, “their bullets can hurt… a little.”

  The echo of gunfire faded as he turned his eyes to a cluster of snipers repositioning behind cover. His body blurred into motion—less like a man and more like a missile—rocketing skyward before crashing down in front of them with a ground-splitting quake. Dust and debris exploded outward in a halo around him.

  The snipers immediately drew sidearms and opened fire. Bullets ricocheted off his body with dull metallic pings, each impact a futile scream against his unyielding frame. One round struck him in the forehead and sent a shockwave through his head, but he barely blinked, his grin unbroken.

  Before the soldiers could even process his resilience, he moved. His blade vanished in a shimmer of purple fog.

  He was going to hurt them with his fists.

  He grabbed a pistol mid-barrel and crushed it with a single squeeze. The weapon groaned and folded like tinfoil. He sensed a sniper taking aim at his head. Quickly, he swatted it from trembling hands and split it in two over his knee.

  He lunged into the squad like a hurricane of fists and elbows. A punch to the chest caved in a soldier’s ribcage with a crack. The man let out a howl as he crumpled, breath wheezing through collapsed lungs. Another swung at Dante’s head, but Dante caught the arm in mid-motion, twisted, and drove the man to the ground. The elbow bent in the wrong direction with a shriek of ligaments.

  The third was better—quicker, maybe even stronger. They landed a clean kick to Dante’s side. It would’ve shattered a normal ribcage, but he didn’t even flinch. Instead, he caught the leg and spun, slamming the soldier into the concrete wall with enough force to leave a crater.

  Dante’s strikes were surgical and brutal. He didn’t intend to kill, but he made sure none of them would be standing again for the rest of the night.

  Cries of pain echoed behind him. One man sobbed as he clutched his shattered collarbone; another screamed through broken teeth and a jaw hanging at the wrong angle. He stood amidst the pile of groaning soldiers, body steady, fists still clenched. Blood droplets coated his armor from his battered victims. He was rather impressed by their abilities. They were not like normal men, they were stronger and faster. But he did not think they would be enough to take on Sophitia. Not with their piddly weaponry.

  Just as he was about to turn away and continue on his path, he felt a blast hit his back. Unfazed, he turned to face the attacker.

  Not far, a metallic thoom-thoom-thoom shook the earth like distant thunder. His eyes locked onto the behemoth approaching—a walking tank, two stories tall, stomping forward on thick, hydraulic legs that crushed debris beneath their steel-plated weight. Each foot was broad and flat, like the base of a construction crane, with stabilizers that hissed and locked with every step.

  Its body was bipedal, humanoid in shape, with massive arms ending in twin cannons—one a rotary Vulcan, the other a long-barreled laser. The limbs were reinforced with layered armor over exposed mechanical joints, plating flexing as it moved. A missile pod jutted from one shoulder, hatches twitching open as it calibrated its aim. Along both flanks, heat vents pulsed with bursts of pressurized steam, exhaust hissing from the machine’s overworked core.

  This wasn’t just a machine—it was a mobile fortress, built for war and nothing else.

  He smiled. “Oh yeah. This’ll be fun.”

  Without hesitation, he launched forward, the ground exploding behind him as he propelled himself off the humans’ vantage point. The tank’s auto-targeting systems lit up in response, and within seconds, a barrage of searing lasers fired around him—cutting through dirt, debris, and the corpses of the fallen.

  He ducked and weaved through the beams with impossible agility. A few grazed his limbs, flaring off his armor in streaks of red-hot energy. The impacts left no wounds, only a faint sizzle of his cybernetic plating.

  He leapt high into the air, spinning through the barrage like a wraith. Midair, he summoned his blade in a swirl of purple fog, the energy humming like a vengeful storm.

  With a grunt, he slammed the sword down into one of the tank’s legs.

  The unknown metal of the sword met the steel of the machine’s leg—his blade carved through it like wet cloth. The limb gave way, sending the machine crashing down in a grinding explosion of sparks and shrieking metal. It hit the ground with a BOOM that shook what was left of some nearby trees.

  The machine was trying to get back up, so he tore into its weaponized arms, slicing through cannons and missile pods, tearing them apart, joint by joint. The limbs sparked and dropped into useless lumps. He wasn’t just disabling it—he was humiliating it.

  Then, with a clawed hand, he ripped open the cockpit like a sardine can.

  Inside, a lone human pilot stared up at him, paralyzed with fear. The man raised an arm as if to shield himself, trembling fingers reaching for his sidearm.

  Dante grabbed him by the chest plate and yanked him out in one brutal motion, the harness snapping like thread. He hurled the pilot onto the dirt, then vaulted over him with a fluid spin. The man rolled and reached for his pistols—only for Dante to snatch both guns out of his hands like toys.

  He tossed them into the air.

  SHING-SHANG-SHKKK!

  Three swift strikes shredded them into ribbons of metal, the pieces raining down around them like blackened snow.

  The soldier scrambled to his feet, backing away slowly as if trying to convince himself he wasn’t facing a god.

  Then he turned and ran—full sprint, lungs heaving, armor clanking with every desperate step.

  He made it ten paces before a volley of black-feathered arrows streaked from above. They pierced through his back, chest, and neck, dropping him in a lifeless heap.

  A cluster of Frathian flyers dove past overhead, shrieking their war cries, wings slicing through the smoke.

  Dante glanced at the corpse, then shrugged, muttering under his breath, “Should’ve stayed home, eh?”

  He turned without another word and continued into the battlefield—shoulders squared, sword low, his path one of silent, focused desolation.

  More soldiers approached, these cloaked in reinforced combat gear with pulsating lines that mirrored the glow of their weapons. Their blades hummed low and sharp, vibrating with restrained power.

  Dante squinted at them, his voice cool. “Maybe these guys will be more challenging.”

  The first lunged from behind—silent, fast. Dante turned just in time to deflect the strike with his sword, but the soldier was strong enough to force him backwards.

  Another came from the side and struck true.

  ZZTCHK!

  The glowing sword carved into his shoulder plating, slicing through the cybernetic armor like cloth. There was a gash in his armor; it was deep into his skin, to the point that the synergistic substance showed through.

  He stared at the wound in disbelief. “Okay… that’s new.”

  “Dante!” Ezekiel’s voice cut through the chaos, sharp and urgent. “Those weapons—they’re made of Xero! I do not know how the humans have it, but even you are not invulnerable to that!”

  Dante’s eyes flared with sudden intensity. “Well... good to know,” he said, realizing that those blades proved to be a threat.

  He summoned away his sword in a pulse of purple fog. No more parrying. He had to be smarter. He was inexperienced in sword fighting compared to them. Even though he was hundreds of times stronger and faster. He was best suited to using his own body versus using a sword.

  The soldiers advanced in synchronized steps, their movements efficient. These were no rookies. Each was a master of close-quarters combat, blades singing as they slashed in blinding arcs.

  Dante ducked under a swing, his hand shooting out like a bullet, shattering a soldier’s knee backward with a crunch as the bones cracked. The man screamed and fell, clutching his ruined leg.

  Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

  Another came from behind. Dante spun, grabbed the man’s forearm mid-strike, and twisted. A loud pop erupted as the joint dislocated, and before he could cry out, he drove an elbow into his gut. The force of the blow lifted him off the ground, knocking the wind out of him; he was left with broken ribs, gasping on the dirt.

  The other soldiers pressed harder. Dante moved like a phantom, narrowly avoiding slashes that would’ve torn straight through him. He leapt over one strike, landed behind another, and struck with a backhand that collapsed the man’s jaw in a spray of teeth and blood.

  Two came at once—one high, one low. Dante flipped sideways between them, planted his feet, and grabbed both by their helmets. With a savage motion, he smashed their heads together. Their visors cracked, blood trickled down, and they slumped together, knocked unconscious.

  The final soldier hesitated, seeing the broken bodies around him. His hands shook. He lunged anyway.

  Dante sidestepped, grabbed his sword arm, and delivered a quick, efficient elbow to the tricep. It bent in a way arms weren’t meant to bend. He dropped the blade and fell to his knees, howling in anguish.

  The dirt was wet with blood and littered with shards of armor and bits of shattered tech. The only sound from the fallen soldiers was groaning and sputtered cries, some clutching broken ribs, others lying motionless with limbs twisted at odd angles. Dante stood tall in the center, his shoulder still exposed—glowing faintly through the tear in his armor. He watched as it quickly faded away and repaired itself.

  And then—

  The Vilazun emerged from the haze like hunters.

  They pounced with gleeful fury, stalking around the downed soldiers like cats surrounding mice. One man tried to crawl away—only to be dragged back by a clawed hand around his ankle. A man screamed as a Vilazun straddled him, hissing in his face before swiping a claw across his helmet, tearing it open in a spray of sparks.

  Dante didn't stop them. But he wondered if he should.

  One of the Vilazun turned, its face half-covered in blood. It paused... as Dante looked at him. Then, it nodded slowly and backed away from its prey. The others followed.

  These guys probably would do well against Sophitia… too bad they’re on the wrong side. He thought. I wonder how Ezekiel is doing. He scanned the area. Ah, there he is.

  Ezekiel vanished in a flash of searing light—only to reappear midair, above an armored soldier bot. He crashed down onto its shoulders with both feet, the impact cratering the ground beneath. Before it could react, he ripped its arms clean off and warped again—this time directly in front of its head.

  “Too simple,” he muttered and tore it off like a lid from a tin can.

  Without missing a beat, he disappeared in a starlit shimmer.

  Two soldiers raised their rifles—then crumpled as the Alphin appeared between them, yanked their weapons from their hands, and slammed their heads together like cymbals. They dropped in a heap, groaning. He turned to face any more worth combatants.

  Suddenly, some bullets whizzed by and struck the ground at his feet. He looked up, and high in the air was a swarm of fly-like drones. In a blur, he warped skyward, hovering with outstretched arms as the swarm zeroed in on him.

  “Looks like some annoying bugs.” He sneered as he spun once midair, hands glowing with starlight—and teleported from drone to drone, each blaze of light punctuated by an explosion of shattered metal. Pieces rained down like mechanical snowflakes.

  He looked around for the next target in the sky. Just a head, a missile-laden jet-like craft screamed by. He smirked like he thought it would be an easy target.

  In a blink, he appeared inside the cockpit, shoulder to shoulder with the startled pilot. He warped the pilot out high above the battlefield, only to be skewered by some merciless Furthian sentinels that flew by. Then Ezekiel caused the ship to dive straight into a sniper nest and bailed mid-plunge in a warp burst.

  Shrapnel tore through the air as snipers scrambled to safety. A few weren’t fast enough.

  He glanced around to see if any other Chimerans needed help. He found a troop being gunned down by a walking tank. With a blink, he reappeared on top of a lumbering tank, casually crouching like a perched bird of prey. He tapped the hatch once.

  He then ripped the armored door off and yanked the pilot out by his collar, tossing him into the dirt like discarded laundry. The walking tank sputtered and fell lifeless. The remaining Chimerans clawed him to pieces, but Ezekiel had already moved on.

  Another warp. Another flash.

  A soldier raised his blade—only for Ezekiel’s foot to appear out of thin air and kick him full force in the face. The man flew backward into a squad of rangers, plowing them to the ground, followed by massive boulders flying through the air from close by Largo and smashed them with a smearing crunch.

  Back and forth, Ezekiel bounced through the battlefield like a chaotic storm. Every arrival came with a blinding flash; every departure left soldiers dazed, weapons dismantled, and formations in shambles. He teleported into the sky to see if any other Chimerans needed assistance.

  Below him, the Chimerans surged like wolves in bloodlust—smashing down fleeing troops, driving spears into backs, hurling stones with brutal glee. There was no restraint in them, only fury.

  Ezekiel hovered above the chaos, expression tight. “They don’t hold back, do they?”

  Dante stood in wonder until he felt something hit him from the side. Another walking tank made its way to him. He spared no time as he quickly darted to the machine and tore it apart, just like the first one. Extracted the soldier and tossed him aside. The solider crawled away but met his demise beneath a Largo’s rolling boulder.

  Even with the addition of Ezekiel and Dante, the Chimerans were still losing the battle. Robotics poured from the factory, surrounding the Chimeran forces. From above, a war jet screamed in, attempting to flank Nideria’s group.

  Dante looked back in horror as he saw the jet gunning down the Chimerans. “NO!” he screamed as he was about to launch toward the gunship, but Ezekiel warped himself. Inside the ship, he flung the pilots out. He then drove the ship into a massive group of robotic soldiers approaching another group of Chimeran warriors. The ship exploded in a ball of flame, destroying the robots in the process. Dante darted over to Nideria’s group to check on them.

  “Nideria! Are you okay?” he called out to her.

  She put her paw up. “I’m alright. Thanks to you and your friend!”

  Ezekiel then teleported next to him. “Dante, we must hurry to the human base. This battle is inevitably lost. Each one we destroy, more take its place!”

  Dante nodded firmly. “You’re right… c’mon, let’s go!”

  The warriors shot toward the massive human structure, its rotating rotunda a mechanical behemoth spewing out more of those damned fly-bots. The air hummed with their mechanical wings as they swarmed, glowing oculars locking onto him like vultures scenting blood.

  Annoying. Dante thought as he made his way toward the swarm. The first barrage of lasers cut through the sky, sizzling past him—then a second wave. He summoned the blade, and it became a blur, intercepting the incoming beams and sending their beams scattering in wild directions. In an instant, he shot forward, carving through the metal swarm like a scythe through brittle bone. Shattered wings, sparking wires, and halves of mechanical figures rained to the ground in his wake.

  Then—he felt it. A series of heavy thumps ricocheted off his body like jackhammers striking steel. His wings shuddered under the barrage, the relentless pummeling pushing him slightly off course mid-flight. It didn’t hurt, not exactly—but he felt the force. Concussive, deliberate, and far more powerful than the standard infantry rounds he’d ignored earlier.

  He turned his head, eyes narrowing as his gaze locked onto the culprits.

  Guns. Not just any guns—Vulcan rotary cannons of the futuristic variety. Six-barreled monstrosities mounted atop reinforced turrets lining the rooftop of the base. Their barrels still smoked from the last barrage, spinning down with a sulking growl. The heavy turrets were auto-targeting, guided by infrared tracking systems and radar locks—deadly accurate, even in chaos.

  The cannons shivered, adjusted, and began to spin up again with a whining crescendo. Their targeting systems blinked to life, locking onto him with renewed aggression.

  He flared his wings wide. A single, thunderous beat launched him into the sky like a missile.

  The Vulcan cannons screamed in response—6,000 rounds per minute tore through the air toward him, each shell a miniature meteor of steel and fire. Tracer rounds carved glowing lines across the smoky night sky, converging like a net trying to snare him mid-flight.

  Too late.

  He was already there.

  Dante slammed down onto the turret nest with all the fury of a descending god. The first Vulcan didn’t get a second volley. His sword cleaved through its mount, severing the ammo feed and control housing in one stroke. Sparks erupted like a dying star as the weapon sagged and fell, twitching.

  The second cannon swung toward him—but he moved first. He drove his fist through the reinforced plating, ripping wires and servos apart like wet tissue. The gun coughed, jammed, then exploded as its core overheated from the internal damage.

  No more defenses.

  Dante landed lightly atop the base’s outer structure, sword resting on his shoulder as he surveyed the battlefield below. The odds were better now. The Chimerans were pushing forward.

  A Ferenzial wolf darted between wrecked tank bots, flanking the humanoid robot positions. She tackled a robot soldier and drove her claws into its chest, ripping out wires and vital parts. An entire wolf pack took on a single walking tank. Climbing up its gargantuan legs until they were able to reach the cockpit. Clawing at the armored door, it eventually gave way, exposing the pilot inside. With gnashing teeth, the man was brutally chewed to death.

  A Vilazun, broad-shouldered with a lion’s mane, plowed through a line of infantry bots. He grabbed one robot by the legs and swung it into two more. Another tackled a soldier bot from behind, biting through its neck joint and ripping it down.

  With the turrets now unable to rain hell down upon them, the Furthians circled above, dropping explosive crates and taking out multiple robot troops. An owl-type landed behind a sniper nest and skewed the soldier through the face. Falcon types sliced through the mechanical flybots with ease from above.

  The Rezzo moved through the center. Komodo dragon types. One smashed a soldier into the dirt with his tail. Another spat a stream of acid over a group of advancing robots, their frames melting into slag.

  The humans fought hard. Their machines were fast, their formations tight, but they were spread thin. The Chimerans weren’t letting up. He felt assured that the battle had finally evened out, and he could now focus on the task at hand. With a quick scan of the area, he saw Ezekiel warping through enemy soldiers, tearing them asunder until he finally reached the fortress.

  Dante met him before the imposing door of the stronghold. The door was sealed tight, they knew they were coming.

  “Shall we?” Ezekiel extended a clawed hand, already preparing to teleport through the defenses.

  Dante hesitated. A feeling—sharp and electric—itched at the back of his mind. He could sense something just beyond the metal barrier. “Wait… something’s behind that door.”

  Ezekiel tilted his head. “Besides their factory and endless supply of robots, what else could it possibly be?”

  Dante’s X-ray vision sharpened. “A machine. No, something more than that. A towering mech—one of the humans’ walking tanks. But inside, piloting it… It’s not a man. It’s a robot. No, more than that, too. A woman. A robotic woman. What the hell is–” His eyes widened as the machine approached the door. “Whoa. Get back!”

  The heavy door let out a screeching whine as it struggled to rise.

  Ezekiel smirked. “It’s stuck? Ha! Imagine—”

  A thunderous impact from the other side sent shockwaves through the metal. Both Dante and Ezekiel stepped back instinctively as the entire door blasted off its hinges, crashing forward like a toppled skyscraper.

  From the dust and wreckage, the massive war machine emerged—a mechanical titan adorned in sleek, polished plating. Much unlike the other walking tanks that have been pouring out of the base. This one was a massive upgrade. At the helm, standing within the cockpit like a commander overseeing a battlefield, was the robotic woman, clad in shimmering pink armor.

  “What in the hell is that!? Is that the human commander? A robot!?” Dante’s voice was laced with disbelief.

  Before an answer could come, the robotic soldier struck. If it was the commander, there wasn’t going to be any kind of talk.

  The war mech’s colossal fists came down like falling mountains. Dante and Ezekiel barely dodged. The impact behind them cratered the ground where they stood. The robot moved with fluidity, like the mech was merely an extension of the robotic woman’s body.

  Dante scarcely had time to blink before the mech lunged—its cylindrical cannons unleashing a hell storm of bullets. Dante unfurled his wings, using them like shields to deflect the rounds, but the machine was relentless. It circled him faster than any of the other war machines could move, keeping the barrage constant, forcing him onto the defensive. Each bullet was far more concussive than the others. A hit like that might have been enough to hurt him, but he didn’t want to find out. His wings took the brunt of the force, but he could tell that it was not sustainable. The module core flashed as it tried to keep him powered up. He had to keep in mind that he was not fully powered. Only half.

  The Alphin attempted to exploit an opening, teleporting directly to the cockpit. A poor miscalculation.

  The robot rotated—so fast it shouldn’t have been possible. A massive backhand struck Ezekiel square in the chest, sending him rocketing through the air and straight into the fortress wall. The impact shook the structure.

  “Ezekiel!” Before the mech's fist hurtled toward him, Dante barely had time to call out. He moved to counter—but the robot was faster.

  A titanic blow smashed him into the ground as dirt and debris burst outward from the impact. Then the mech’s massive foot lifted, ready to crush him. Dante gritted his teeth, caught the foot in his hands, and with a roar, hurled the mech away.

  But the robot was unexpectedly agile. It contorted in the air, landed in a crouch, and immediately retaliated.

  A searing flood of laser fire erupted from its cannons. Dante raised his wings again, the energy slamming into him in a relentless cascade.

  “Ezekiel!? You alright!?” Dante shouted over the chaos, still forced into a defensive stand. “I can’t get an opening on it!”

  Then, a deep, guttural snarl rumbled through the battlefield.

  Dante’s gaze snapped to the side of the human base.

  Something massive moved in the shadows.

  Then, a monstrous shape burst forth.

  The hulking, scaled beast—a colossus of claws, wings, and blazing red fury—barreled forward with terrifying speed.

  Ezekiel went Massa. Well, this will end well. I hope he doesn’t lose it again…

  The mech turned just in time, before the massive dragon slammed into the war machine like a semi-truck hitting a car.

  Dante grinned. “Yeah! Get ‘em, Ezekiel!”

  The mech reeled back, its arms locking into defensive positions, its heavy plating straining against the dragon’s strength. The two clashed like gods in battle.

  But Ezekiel was stronger.

  His claws tore into the machine’s armor, ripping one arm clean off. The other followed in a spray of sparks.

  The mech staggered. Ezekiel didn’t give it a chance to recover.

  Jaws unhinged—teeth sank deep.

  He bit straight through the mech’s leg, yanking it free with a metallic crunch. The massive war machine finally collapsed in a smoking ruin.

  But the fight wasn’t over.

  From the wreckage, the robotic woman burst out of the cockpit in a searing explosion, landing gracefully despite the destruction.

  In a fluid motion, her hands changed, transforming into what seemed to be a hand-shaped shotgun.

  With deafening booms, A hailstorm of shots exploded upon the dragon.

  Ezekiel bellowed in agony.

  Dante’s grin faded.

  Those weren’t normal shots.

  He rushed over to help, but the robot girl revolved and unleashed a storm of shots towards him. He could feel the shots hit his body. Unlike the other shots, these bullets caused visible damage.

  “These must be those Xero metals Ezekiel warned about,” He said as he tried to block the barrage with his wings. The bullets continued to tear through his guard. “I can’t stop these bullets!” He darted away, avoiding the bullets that rained upon him.

  The robot girl demonstrated astonishing speed and met him with extruded crimson blades from her arms. Ezekiel attempted to smash her from behind, but she turned and blasted him with a massive cannon that swiftly expanded from her chest cavity. The force of the blow sent the massive creature into the air, and then he crashed to the ground.

  “EZEKIEL!” Dante screamed, but then the robot girl focused on him. Her advance punctuated by vicious slices. He skillfully parried her blows with the sword, each clash proving more powerful than the last by her relentless strikes. She was then quickly able to turn around and fire a hand-shotgun at Dante’s face. He narrowly dodged the blast, but the blow forced him back, dazing him for a moment, only to be met with more of the robot's devastating slices. She was able to nick his arms, creating sparks from his armor and exposing his synenergy underneath.

  The robot girl moved in for a critical strike, but then she found herself thrown by Ezekiel, now back to his normal form. The robot turned around and landed on her hands, bounced up to her feet, and burst back towards them with rocket boots.

  “She’s unstoppable!” Dante said in disbelief.

  “Go! I will take care of this! She seems to be able to target you, but with my teleporting abilities, I am sure to have the upper claw!” Ezekiel motioned Dante to go into the human base to find the commander.

  “Okay, just don’t die; otherwise, it will all be for naught!” Dante said as he darted towards the human base.

  “Don’t worry, my friend. I’m immortal, remember? I will keep my amulet safe!”

  With a determined nod, they sprang into action. Ezekiel vanished, reappearing in a blur as he unleashed the full extent of his teleportation prowess. His movements wove a mesmerizing dance of evasion, each dodge a testament to his inhuman agility. Every time the robot girl lunged or fired, he was already gone, slipping past her strikes like a ghost.

  Punches and kicks followed in rapid succession. His claws slashed at joints, testing the integrity of her frame, while powerful strikes hammered at weak points in the plating. But she adapted quickly. Every attack that found its mark was met with an immediate counter, her hand cannons firing at near point-blank range, forcing Ezekiel to keep moving.

  Miniature black holes erupted from his claws as he conjured them, launching them with controlled ferocity. The space-bending projectiles streaked through the air, spiraling toward her. Any normal opponent would have been engulfed in an instant, but she didn’t so much as flinch.

  Her long, flowing violet hair should have caught into the torrents, but instead, the celestial energy wrapped around her like a shifting veil, passing over the strands without consuming them. With a quick snap of her wrist, she countered, slicing through the energetic bursts with slashes of her arm-blades, the celestial power reflecting off her sleek frame.

  Ezekiel narrowed his eyes. That was new. The humans seemed to understand Xero more than expected. Which was not good for either of them.

  Undeterred, he pressed the assault. He darted in, narrowly avoiding a blast from her hand-shotguns before launching a powerful kick to her side. She curled mid-air, absorbing the impact, then retaliated with a backhand strike that he managed to dodge. Her speed was uncanny, but Ezekiel was still faster.

  He feinted left, teleporting behind her, then delivered a savage claw strike across her back. Sparks erupted from the gash, wires snapping as her armor split apart. For a brief moment, she staggered—but only for a moment.

  With an erratic flex of her torso, she whirled around, raising both hand-shotguns. He briefly had time to teleport away before the ground where he stood was obliterated in a concussive explosion.

  Landing several feet away, he watched as she slowly turned to face him again, her glowing eyes unblinking.

  She wasn’t just fast. She was learning.

  And she wasn’t going to make it easy.

  Meanwhile, Dante, unsure of his confidence in Ezekiel's abilities, decided it was best to take advantage of the Alphin’s distractions and swiftly darted through the now-open entrance of the stronghold. The moment he stepped inside, the area was thick with the hum of machinery, the smell of oil and metal grinding together. The interior was indeed a giant factory, rows upon rows of automated assembly lines churning out mechanical soldiers at a terrifying speed. There was no time for hesitation.

  He didn’t wait around. He leapt into action, his sword summoned in an arc of purple fog. He sliced through the nearest machine with a single strike, sparks flying as the components were torn apart, the metal screeching as it was wrenched beyond recognition. The machinery exploded in a shower of flames.

  The assembly lines around him buzzed and clanked in frantic rhythm as more robots began to take shape. They appeared to be put together by smaller bots that looked like spiders. They worked quickly, sending the various robotic structures down the line, their glowing red eyes blinking to life. Dante’s stare sharpened as he continued his rampage through the factory. He slashed through mechanical limbs, severing connections beyond repair. The sparks and explosions illuminated the room, painting the walls in a grim light.

  Each machine he destroyed triggered a series of chain reactions, a cacophony of destruction. The ground trembled beneath him as more machinery exploded in rapid succession. He didn’t take time to think about it—his movements were fluid, like an unstoppable force, as he tore through the factory with a terrifying grace.

  The robotic soldiers gradually slowed down in their emergence as the assembly lines were destroyed. They were no match for Dante’s fury. He moved faster than they could repair and rebuild, his sword cutting through their bodies, leaving nothing but scrap. Explosions of steel and sparks filled the air with every strike, incinerating the soldiers before they had the chance to raise their weapons. Then he looked near the ceiling. Above, there was a hive with the spider-like bots spewing out of it.

  “That must be where these… builder bots are coming from!” He said as he launched towards it, splitting it in half. It then exploded into pieces around him.

  He reveled in the chaos, the thrill of destruction coursing through him as the machines fell apart. Now, there would be no reinforcements, no mechanical warriors left to stand in their way. He returned to the ground and continued to tear apart the machines. Ripping assembly circuits with his bare hand. Shredding through conveyor belts with his wings. And cutting the half-constructed tank bots down with the sword. With each strike, he was one step closer to bringing down the stronghold.

  At last, the final machine fell. He scanned the area. Nothing but sparks and debris left asunder.

  "That should do it. Now…" Dante mused to himself as he navigated toward the center of the stronghold. His attention was drawn to a massive elevator that appeared to go upwards. "Wonder where this goes? Maybe to the commander?" he asked himself as he approached the elevator doors.

  He sliced through the elevator doors. And then launched himself upwards to the next level. Hopefully, it was where the commander resided. He plowed through the elevator carriage, which fell and exploded on the base floor. In front of him now were the elevator doors that led to what he assumed was the bridge of the structure.

  “This is it. Maybe the humans will listen to me.” He said, gazing inside with his x-ray vision. He saw two figures. Men. He then tore the elevator doors apart and entered. The men stood, staring at him as though they recognized him…