Ethan's eyes flew open, locking onto the new threat.
The towering figure that had just appeared wasn't organic—it was a chanical lifeform, and it radiated a staggering amount of energy.
His system's data feed lit up with warnings. If that energy core detonated at full capacity, it could wipe out every energy barrier surrounding Erald Castle's outer defenses. The sheer scale of power was beyond anything Ethan had anticipated.
His pulse spiked, but he didn't hesitate.
He drew a sharp breath, every muscle in his body tightening in sync.
With a low chanical hum, his Powered Combat Armor surged to life, unleashing a torrent of power that flooded his limbs like a dam breaking.
Ethan launched forward without a second thought, charging straight at the chanical lifeform.
Boom!
The impact of their collision cracked the sky.
The mont their energies clashed, the air around them tore open. Space itself trembled, warping under the pressure. Lightning-like energy ripples exploded outward, and the atmosphere thickened with crushing force.
The chanical lifeform reacted instantly, locking onto Ethan's position and counterattacking without pause.
From its core, energy condensed into a massive Energy Greatsword. The blade glead with a deadly light, then ca down in a brutal arc aid straight at Ethan. The swing tore through the air, dragging a gale behind it—sharp enough to shred steel.
Their weapons t again in a thunderous clash. The sky roared with the sound of their battle, as if the heavens themselves were shaking.
The air pressure spiked, thick enough to choke. Space cracked around them, and shockwaves blasted outward in every direction.
Ethan's heart skipped.
This thing was stronger than he'd expected—way stronger.
Even with his own formidable power and the full boost of the Powered Combat Armor, he'd assud he could handle an enemy one Tier above him.
But this chanical lifeform wasn't just a Tier higher—it was sothing else entirely. No matter how hard he hit, he couldn't land a decisive blow.
What shocked him more was the thing's recovery speed.
Every ti he landed a strike, it regenerated almost instantly. It was like sothing inside it was feeding it endless energy.
Within seconds, it was back at full strength, ready for another round.
Ethan's instincts flared. He opened his system interface and initiated a full scan.
Lines of data flickered across his vision—numbers, graphs, energy readouts—and then he saw it.
Buried deep in the core of the chanical lifeform was an energy reservoir. Not just any power source—this was a compressed energy core, dense and volatile, like a miniature sun ready to explode.
"What the hell…?" Ethan muttered, eyes narrowing.
This thing wasn't just strong—it was built to sustain high-output combat for days. If the data was right, it could maintain this level of power for up to seventy-two hours straight.
That kind of endurance was insane.
But instead of fear, a spark of excitent lit up in Ethan's eyes.
This thing was a monster, sure—but if he could bring it down and study it, the possibilities were endless. Reverse-engineering a unit like this could push Erald Castle's tech to a whole new level.
Especially that compressed energy core.
If he could refine the golden liquid energy back at Erald Castle into sothing this concentrated, the resulting power output would be off the charts. It could elevate their combat capabilities to a whole new tier—maybe even beyond.
As those thoughts raced through his mind, the battle around him raged on.
The sky was a storm of screams and steel. Bodies fell like broken dolls, and the air reeked of blood and burning tal.
Ethan's brow furrowed slightly, a flicker of resolve flashing through his eyes.
He took a few quick steps back, calculating fast. Then, without hesitation, he stripped off his Powered Combat Armor and hurled it straight at the chanical lifeform.
The armor spun through the air in a clean arc—then latched perfectly onto the enemy's chassis.
Ethan pressed a button.
Boom.
A deep, thunderous explosion rocked the battlefield. A mushroom cloud erupted into the sky, the shockwave ripping outward in all directions. The ground trembled. Every soldier on the field turned instinctively toward the blast, eyes wide, breath caught.
Darian's expression shifted. A flicker of worry crossed his face.
That chanical lifeform was one of Narlost Empire's high-tier weapons—his trump card. If it was destroyed here, the consequences back ho would be severe. But as the smoke began to clear, his tension eased.
The machine still hovered in the air, completely intact.
Not only was it unhard, it was glowing with renewed fury. The explosion had only enraged it, triggering a surge of energy that pulsed off its fra in violent waves.
Its power had multiplied—easily several tis stronger than before.
Darian exhaled slowly, tension easing from his shoulders. But he didn't let his guard down.
Then he froze.
Ethan had pulled out another Powered Combat Armor.
And without missing a beat, he threw it too.
Boom.
Then another.
Boom.
And another.
Boom.
Each explosion slamd into the chanical lifeform with brutal force. Its armored shell shook under the repeated impacts, energy flaring wildly with every blast.
The armor's payloads weren't enough to destroy it outright—but that wasn't the point.
Each detonation triggered a violent reaction inside the machine. Its systems flared, energy output spiking higher and higher. Speed, strength, aggression—everything ramped up.
Exactly as it was designed to.
This chanical lifeform had a unique combat protocol: it absorbed external explosions and converted them into raw power. Every blast doubled its combat capability.
But that power ca at a cost.
The more it absorbed, the faster it burned through its internal reserves. The compressed energy core that should've lasted three days was now draining at an alarming rate.
And Ethan knew it.
That was the plan all along—force it to overclock, to burn itself out before it could unleash its full potential.
Darian's eyes widened as realization hit.
This machine was his ace, the backbone of his assault. If it failed now, the entire operation could collapse.
"Damn it!" he growled, fury rising. Ethan's move had been too fast, too precise. He couldn't let this continue.
He surged forward, ready to intervene and pull his weapon back before it was too late.
But soone stepped into his path.
Elira.
She descended like a golden storm, the Divine Sovereign Moth's wings unfurling behind her. With a single beat, the air thickened, pressure crashing down like a tidal wave.
Her power gathered around her, radiant and overwhelming.
Darian's eyes narrowed. He didn't fear her—but he knew better than to underestimate her. He could match this level of strength, but he couldn't dominate it.
And right now, he didn't have ti to waste.
He glanced across the battlefield—and his heart sank.
Erald Castle's forces were still holding back reserves. anwhile, his own troops were already stretched thin, their montum faltering.
The tide was turning.
And fast.
Erald Castle's counterattack was only getting stronger.
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