The sky was torn apart by dozens of missiles launched in rapid succession, one after another, like a rain of blazing comets cutting through the air at high speed.
The incandescent trails of the projectiles streaked across the horizon, each one illuminating the sky as if the stars themselves were being fired at the enemy.
Moments later, the deep roar of the warships' main cannons filled the air. A chorus of metallic thunder answered in unison, and columns of smoke rose, momentarily covering the sea in a thick gray veil.
The muzzles spat massive shells that tore through the sky, leaving behind glowing trails of orange and amber. Each shot created a spectacle of light and destruction—the opening movement of a true symphony of war.
On the aircraft carrier's deck, flight units began taking off in formation, one after another, their sharp thrusters slicing through the wind.
Inside the main hangar, Arthur observed the organized chaos through a reinforced glass window. A faint smile formed on his lips.
"How about we start the party?" he said, leaving the office and calmly adjusting his collar.
He had changed clothes—the outfit he wore when he first arrived in this world was, at best, completely destroyed.
Now he wore something entirely different.
His attire consisted of a long black leather coat, rigid and perfectly tailored to his body, adorned with golden details running along the edges and seams. The high collar, turned upward, gave him an authoritative, almost military presence, while the three buckles across his chest added structure, as if each piece had been crafted for a meticulous warrior.
The inner lining of the coat was a deep red, visible only when he moved.
A diagonal belt held small pouches and a dangling metallic accessory. The ensemble continued with equally black pants, marked by strategically placed golden zippers, and sturdy boots wrapped around his shins with straps and buckles, reinforcing the image of someone always ready for battle.
It was an outfit made to impress…
and to intimidate.
If not for the absence of the traditional blindfold, anyone would have sworn he was just another elite android.
The response came immediately.
"I'd love to~" A2 replied, her voice laced with irony and excitement, while 2B, with her impeccable posture, simply nodded in silence.
The three walked side by side through the metallic corridor, red warning lights flashing along the walls as the constant hum of engines echoed in the background.
Without further delay, the two boarded their flight units.
Within seconds, the thrusters ignited like miniature suns, launching the machines into the air.
Arthur, on the other hand, simply chose to fly there himself.
The wind wrapped around them violently as they ascended in formation, and soon the battlefield revealed itself before them: a vast wall of smoke, light, and destruction. On the radar, a dense network of red dots rapidly approached.
Beams of energy and projectiles began to cross the sky, heading straight toward them.
The response came in the form of precise evasive maneuvers.
In a matter of seconds, the sky became hell—a chaotic dance of explosions, debris, and incandescent sparks.
In the blink of an eye, a chain of explosions lit up the heavens.
Columns of fire and smoke rose, turning night into day.
[Flight units 4, 7, and 11 have been shot down. All remaining units must regroup according to Plan C.]
The female voice echoed through the communicators—it was 6O, 2B's operator.
Plan C was simple: the remaining combatants were to form a 360-degree defensive configuration, fighting back-to-back to cover all angles of attack and prevent the enemy from exploiting blind spots. It was a survival tactic designed for swarm battles—and now, they were in exactly that situation.
Among all the androids sent on the mission, only 2B and A2 remained at Arthur's side.
The others had been reassigned by his orders, designated to other priority tasks.
White had insisted on sending additional YoRHa reinforcements to ensure the safety of the team's "human element." But Arthur had refused without hesitation.
"Don't waste units on me."
Those had been his exact words.
2B, who had already witnessed Arthur's power in combat, knew very well that her concern was unnecessary. The man was, quite literally, an army in a single body.
If anyone there needed protection, it was them.
The statistics spoke for themselves: the number of enemies Arthur had eliminated had already far surpassed the thousands.
The way he moved through the air made it clear—he was a force of nature.
Within moments, a massive hole opened in the enemy's aerial defense network. Machine lifeforms began to fall en masse, consumed by their own explosions. The breach in the enemy formation was colossal—and intentional.
From the radio, a mechanical voice announced solemnly:
[Operation Fireworks has begun. All flight units must provide escort and maintain a safe distance to avoid being affected by the destruction.]
A smile spread across Arthur's face.
"What I'm about to do… I'm going to enjoy it. I'm going to enjoy it a lot…"
"9S, is the cannon ready?" Arthur asked through the communicator, cutting through the constant roar of turbines and the distant crash of waves.
[Yes, it can be fired at any moment.] 9S replied, his voice carrying confidence and excitement.
"Very good. Await my signal," Arthur instructed, his gaze fixed on the vast ocean ahead.
[Okay!] the younger android responded enthusiastically.
Arthur let out a faint, almost predatory smile. "Alright, girls… time to play with our prey."
"By 'prey,' you mean…" 2B began, her voice calm as she tightened her grip on her sword.
"Grün," Arthur answered without hesitation. "A colossal machine lifeform designed exclusively to annihilate androids. It's hiding beneath these waters—but not for much longer."
The moment he finished speaking, the sea before them began to boil violently. A deep, metallic sound echoed from the depths, followed by a massive shadow rising from the waves.
The entire ocean seemed to recoil before the creature. The surface surged upward like a liquid wall as Grün ascended. Its imposing silhouette resembled a fusion of a prehistoric crustacean and a mechanical leviathan.
Its enormous, reddish eyes glowed like furnaces. From the sides of its body, dozens of mechanical tentacles rose, each covered in thick metallic segments, moving with inhuman precision. A single strike from one of those limbs would be enough to crush entire destroyers.
The armored plates forming its body were held together by rivets and energy conduits pulsing in a yellowish glow—as if an atomic heart still beat within that colossal shell. At the top of its body, tower-like structures resembling industrial smokestacks rose, expelling columns of black smoke. It looked like a living fortress-city, a wandering relic.
"Time to begin. Fall back," Arthur said.
"Understood," A2 replied, already retreating.
"Be careful," 2B added, her voice firm.
Arthur raised the communicator. "9S, prepare the cannon."
[It will take a few seconds before it's ready to fire.] 9S responded, his fingers flying across the control panel in a calculated frenzy.
"That's more than enough," Arthur replied.
He spread his arms—and behind him, hundreds of golden ripples began to manifest.
From each portal, a different kind of magical staff emerged.
"It would be a complete waste to use my weapons here," Arthur said—and then everything exploded into light.
[A/N: For those unfamiliar, the weapons in Caster Gilgamesh's Gate of Babylon are not infinite.]
The staves began firing in unison, unleashing beams of energy and magical explosions that tore through the sky. The rain of power fell upon Grün and the countless flying machine lifeforms accompanying it.
Each impact tore plates from the colossus's body, sending incandescent debris crashing into the waves. Grün's roar reverberated through the clouds, and every time it tried to retaliate, more beams struck it, trapping it within a storm of energy.
[The cannon is ready to fire!] 9S announced, his voice trembling with excitement at the scale of the power about to be unleashed.
"Very good. I'm done here as well," Arthur replied.
By then, the sea was boiling from the heat of the explosions. All smaller enemy units had been completely obliterated—only the main target remained.
Arthur quickly pulled back, floating to a safe distance. "9S, you may fire."
[Firing in 3… 2… 1…]
BOOOOOOOOMMMMM!
The sound was deafening. A colossal beam of red energy tore across the sky. The impact struck Grün head-on, and for a moment, everything vanished in a blinding white flash that consumed the horizon.
The shockwave swept across the sea, raising towering walls of water and distorting the air itself. When the smoke began to clear, all that remained was the distant echo of the power that had been unleashed.
The colossus's body lay motionless. At least seventy percent of its structure had been disintegrated, reduced to incandescent scrap drifting across the turbulent waters. Its lights, once pulsing and menacing, went dark one by one—until only silence remained.
Grün's functions had been completely shut down.
Arthur observed the scene for a moment, then, with a faint smile, said:
"Operation complete."
(End of Chapter)