Suddenly, the ground beneath their feet trembled violently. What followed was the metallic sound of a collapsing structure, accompanied by the screech of iron being forced beyond its limits.
Arthur frowned and looked up.
From behind what seemed to be an abandoned building beyond the forest, a gigantic form rose, releasing clouds of dust and fragments of concrete. The walls split apart like fragile shells, revealing the colossal body of a Goliath-class mechanical lifeform that had until then been disguised as part of the ruined scenery.
The creature's eyes—if they could even be called that—glowed an intense red.
Its arms were enormous, made of industrial alloys and mining structures; an amalgamation of engineering and brutality.
With every movement, the ground cracked beneath the weight of the metallic titan as it advanced.
Arthur didn't hesitate when he saw the colossal machine swing its arm toward him.
The massive limb came crashing down, wrapped in incandescent flames generated by the friction and heat of its own structure.
"Another one." Arthur cursed, moving immediately.
He grabbed the nearest figure and leapt backward.
A split second later, the attack struck, crushing the ground where they had been standing as if the world were made of paper.
The impact sent out a wave of heat and debris, throwing them several meters away.
Arthur rolled across the ground, still shielding the woman in his arms, until he finally came to a stop, the sound of the machine's engines still echoing in his ears.
A moment's delay, and that woman would have been dead—perhaps him as well.
Rising to his feet, Arthur scanned the surroundings in search of the others.
His gaze settled on the devastated field.
Two of the YoRHa squad members closest to the impact point had been obliterated, crushed under the blow.
Dust and vaporized metal rose like a curtain of smoke, concealing the horror of their mangled remains.
A few meters away, 2B and 9S were regaining their footing, still dazed, while a third android lay on the ground, one leg missing—torn off by the indirect impact.
Arthur's frown deepened.
"Thank you," said a female voice from his arms.
A2 slowly pulled away, bracing herself against the ground.
She didn't appear injured—only surprised.
With her abilities, she likely could have dodged on her own, but interference from a nearby smaller machine lifeform had disrupted her sensors.
For a moment, she hadn't even seen the attack coming—and it would have been the end if Arthur hadn't reacted.
"No need to thank me." he replied, standing up and brushing the dust off his clothes. "We've got a much bigger problem now..."
His gaze fixed on the colossal iron creature ahead.
The Goliath was moving again. The exposed parts of its body glowed in orange hues, the heat so intense it distorted the air around it.
"Where's the power source on that thing?" Arthur asked without taking his eyes off the mechanical giant.
9S answered quickly:
"You're thinking of destroying the Engels' power source? I wouldn't recommend that."
Arthur raised an eyebrow.
"And why not?"
"Its armor is ridiculously dense. No blade could fully penetrate it, let alone reach the core."
Most of what I carry are blades. I don't think it would be that hard… but fine, let's go with it, Arthur thought.
He turned his gaze back to the android.
"Then what's the alternative?"
"Destroy the control system—it's much more vulnerable. Access is complicated, but if you can hold it off long enough… I can paralyze the core and shut it down."
Arthur nodded, still staring at the colossus.
"Understood."
A2 picked up her sword again and spoke:
"Then the plan is simple: get in there and rip the head off that rusted can."
Arthur smirked.
"I like the way you think. Looks like you and I will be relying on good old brute force."
Without another word, the group began running toward the giant mechanical lifeform.
BOOM—BOOM—!
Two massive explosions echoed above their heads, lighting up the gray sky with orange flashes. Fragments of burning metal rained down like embers. They were missiles launched by the Engels, but surprisingly, none of them reached the ground—they were intercepted midair, shot down with precision by YoRHa's aerial support.
More specifically, by 2B's support unit.
Within seconds, the group had reached the base of the Engels. The ground trembled beneath their feet.
But before they could begin climbing, a familiar sound echoed around them: a metallic roar, followed by the approach of a hundred mechanical footsteps.
Dozens of machine lifeforms emerged in swarms. Their optical lenses glowed red, and the air quickly filled with electronic shrieks.
A2 spun and struck swiftly, cleaving one in half. But as she turned to destroy another, she felt something grab her ankle—a cold, heavy claw. Before she could react, she was violently pulled down. Her body dropped to her knees, and for a brief moment, she saw the shadow of a machine's leg descending toward her at high speed.
"Don't get distracted." Arthur said firmly, appearing beside her.
In one fluid motion, he pulled his golden axe from the Gate of Babylon and split the machines in two.
Still holding the axe, Arthur advanced, and with a horizontal swing, tore off metallic heads and limbs. One machine tried to attack him from behind, but Arthur spun and cut it clean in half.
"Don't these damn things ever stop coming?" Arthur muttered.
The ground was covered in metallic corpses, yet more forms continued to emerge from the wreckage. It was like fighting an endless tide. Arthur spun, slashed, dodged, and counterattacked with flawless mastery—but each strike seemed to draw even more enemies.
Amid the chaos, a deep sound suddenly echoed. Arthur lifted his eyes for a moment, and in that brief instant of distraction, one of the machines—hidden beneath a pile of debris—launched a surprise attack. A metallic arm shot forward and pierced Arthur's side, driving straight through his flesh.
The impact made him stagger slightly. Blood splattered across the ground.
"Tch… damn things…" he muttered irritably.
Before he could react, dozens of mechanical lifeforms crawled toward him, converging like a swarm of starving insects.
They engulfed him completely in an instant, climbing over one another and forming a grotesque, writhing mass of metal. For a brief moment, everything seemed to stop… until the lights in their eyes glowed in unison.
And then—
BOOOOOOOOM—!
A colossal explosion consumed everything.
A red-orange flash swept across the battlefield, and the shockwave hurled debris hundreds of meters away. The earth trembled, the air was devoured by fire and dust, and a deadly silence replaced the mechanical screams.
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(End of Chapter)