The lead engineer's hands trembled as he watched the monitors.
He had heard of these beings. He had seen the raw, power Laston had wielded before his supposed demise in his failed invasion in the world he just attacked.
But this… this was different. These two weren't enhanced by technology. Their strength, their resilience, their terrifying presence... it was all their own.
"They're coming," one of the technicians whispered, his voice barely audible over the hum of machinery.
The engineer clenched his jaw. "Activate the defense units. Every last one!"
"But, sir-"
"Do it!" he snapped.
Alarms blared as the underground sector's automated defenses ca to life.
Turrets unfolded from the walls, their barrels glowing with charged energy. The heavy doors leading deeper into the facility locked into place, reinforced with layers of hardened alloy. And from the farthest end of the corridor chanized sentries with forms of humanoid constructs built with cybernetic precision stepped forward, their glowing visors scanning for movent.
The elevator doors slid open with a quiet chi.
Erend and Eccar stepped out.
The mont they did, the turrets fired. Streams of plasma bolts illuminated the hallway, filling the air with the crackle of superheated energy.
The sentries moved in next, their chanical limbs adjusting for rapid engagent.
Erend barely glanced at them before letting out a slow breath. His red and black Dragon Scales pulsed with power as he raised a hand.
Using his lightning power, surge of electricity arced from his fingertips, jumping from one turret to another in a chain reaction. Sparks erupted as the machines short-circuited and their targeting systems failing in an instant.
anwhile, Eccar moved like a phantom. He dashed through the corridor, his claws cutting through the first sentry before it could react.
The second tried to counter but he was faster. His hand whipping around, sending it crashing into the reinforced wall with enough force to dent the tal.
Erend ane Eccar continue to wreak havoc in that hallway.
"Is that all?" Eccar muttered, stepping over the remains of the fallen machines.
Erend glanced toward the massive door at the end of the hallway.
"No. The real fight is behind that," Erend said.
Inside the control room, the lead engineer's widened his eyes.
"They disabled everything…" He turned to the remaining personnel. "Fallback. I want every remaining asset protecting the core chamber!"
The others hesitated, but his glare made them obey.
The screens flickered as the security feed shifted to the inner sanctum—the heart of the underground facility. The last line of defense stood ready.
Massive war machines lined the chamber, their designs far more advanced than the sentries outside. Laston didn't have the ti and energy to finishing them at the last mont.
They were built in the image of war—armored plating, reinforced joints, and weapons systems capable of leveling entire buildings.
These weren't re security units. These were Laston's unfinished weapons because Lastpn said that he didn't need these machines and certain that he will achive victory. For now, this is the best they can use.
"They won't make it through this," the engineer muttered, gripping the console tightly.
Outside, Erend and Eccar reached the reinforced door.
Eccar cracked his knuckles. "Want to handle this one?"
Erend simply stepped forward. He placed his hand against the cold tal and let his power surge.
The steel groaned. Red-hot cracks spread from his touch like veins of molten fire. Then, with a single push, the door exploded inward. lted chunks of reinforced alloy crashing against the chamber floor.
Beyond it, the war machines turned, their targeting systems locking onto them.
Eccar let out a low whistle. "Now that's more like it."
The lead engineer stared at the screen, a bead of sweat rolling down his temple.
"Engage!" he ordered.
The unfinished machines lunged.
Erend and Eccar charged forward.
The chamber erupted into chaos as the war machines surged forward, their massive body barely fitting within the confines of the underground space.
Their heavy footfalls sent tremors through the reinforced floors and the air filled with the chanical whirring of machines adjusting for combat.
One of the machines raised its arm which in the form of an oversized cannon that whined with energy before unleashing a blast of plasma.
SWOOOSSHHH!!!
The sheer force of it shattered the walls on impact, sending molten debris flying in all directions.
The blast could have destroyed an entire city block had it been fired outside. But inside this confined corridor, it turned into pure devastation.
However, Erend and Eccar were already moving.
Eccar lunged forward, his Dragon Scales flaring as he evaded the initial blast. His claws glead under the flickering lights as he closed the distance.
With a powerful slash, he tore through one of the machine's legs, severing hydraulic cables and causing it to stagger.
The massive construct groaned, its weight struggling to compensate for the sudden damage.
Another machine swiveled toward him, its fists swinging down like a collapsing building.
Eccar twisted out of the way before countering, his claws tearing in the exposed servos beneath the armor plating. Then with a grunt, he yanked, tearing the entire limb free.
anwhile, Erend faced down two machines at once. One of them fired a barrage of missiles, their guidance systems locking onto him but he didn't flinch.
With the quick move of his hand he redirecting the missiles back at their source.
BOOM!
The war machine was caught in its own onslaught, explosions tearing through its body and sending twisted tal flying across the chamber.
The second machine attempted a different approach. Its arms split apart, revealing an array of energy blades that humd to life.
It moved fast and slashing toward Erend.
Erend t its strike with his bare hands.
His Dragon Scales absorbed the impact, sparks flying as the energy blades scraped against his armored skin.
With a growl, he tightened his grip around the machine's weaponized arm and his fingers digging into the tal. Then with a surge of strength he wrenched it free, tearing the limb clean off.
He didn't stop there.
Channeling the fire within him, he unleashed a concentrated burst of flas into the machine's exposed core.
The tal glowed white-hot before the construct collapsed with its internal systems lting into slag.
Only one machine remained standing.
It looks hesitated. Its artificial intelligence assessing the battlefield, realizing its advantage was gone.
Eccar noticed. Before it could retreat, he was on it.
His claws sank into its chest and with a loud roar he ripped it apart. Sparks and oil rained down as the machine convulsed, its systems failing.
Then, every machine is dead.
The underground chamber was in ruins. Smoke curled from the wreckage, and the flickering ergency lights cast eerie shadows over the battlefield.
Inside the control room, the lead engineer's face was drained of color.
"They… they destroyed them all…" he whispered.
His mind raced. Those war machines weren't even complete, but they were still supposed to be strong enough to fend off most threats. Yet these two tore through them like they were nothing.
The fear in his chest deepened.
He turned to the remaining personnel.
"Seal the core chamber. Now."
"But sir—"
"I said do it!"
With shaking hands, the technicians activated the last security asure.
Below the destroyed battlefield, the floor trembled. Thick steel barriers began to slide into place, locking down the true heart of the facility.
The core chamber where Laston's final secrets were hidden were sealed with them.
Erend and Eccar exchanged glances as they felt the shift in the air.
"They're locking us out," Eccar said, rolling his shoulders.
Erend exhaled slowly, stepping forward.
"Then we break in."
Without another word, they made their way to the core chamber doors.
---
The engineers inside the core chamber could hear the sound of tal groaning under imnse pressure and the sharp cracks of reinforced steel being torn apart.
Each impact sent vibrations through the floor, rattling their workstations and shaking the lights overhead.
A technician backed away from the door, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps.
Another engineer clenched his fists.
"We knew this was a possibility. We need to fight back."
"With what?!" another snapped. "The war machines are gone! The defenses are gone! We're locked in with them!"
So scrambled for weapons, anything they could find. Others simply sank into their seats and too paralyzed to act, knowing resistance was futile.
The lead engineer, his face pale, stared at the thick tal doors as the cracks widened, glowing faintly with molten heat. This was it.
BOOM!
The final door exploded inward, torn apart by raw force. Scorching embers and twisted tal rained down, the heavy steel slabs crumpling onto the floor.
Through the smoke, two figures erged.
Erend stepped in first. His red and black Dragon Scales pulsed faintly, heat radiating from his form.
Eccar followed, his sharp gaze sweeping over the room.
The engineers froze, weapons trembling in their hands. So dropped them entirely, knowing how pointless it was.
"If you value your lives," Erend said, "you'll give us the most valuable information in this tower. Now."
The room fell into a suffocating silence.
Then, the lead engineer swallowed hard and slowly raised his hands.
"We'll tell you everything."
---
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