"You stubborn hulk of tal!" The Monarch bellowed in fury. "Just die already!"
[Negative. How about you perish instead?]
Just like Michael had predicted, the towering giant tilted the scales of combat in its favor. However, what he was unable to foresee was just how fast the fight was going to end.
When the two towering beings finally collided, the robot quickly gained the advantage. Though the Monarch stood hundreds of ters tall, it still seed small beside the AI’s imnse 500-ter fra. The chanical tentacles of the robot surged, targeting the alien. As they sank deep in the monster’s flesh, they began to slowly extract the alien’s spiritual energy.
Due to the inertia of the clash, both of them entered the lava lake’s domain. Yet despite being in terrain that should have benefited its foe, the sentient AI remained unfazed. The boiling liquid miserably failed to lt its titanic veil.
Thrusting the colossal cannon inside the creature, a staggering amount of energy was condensed as the robot fired.
BOOM!
Overwheld, the Monarch staggered backwards deeper in the lake, feral fury burning in its gaze. But the towering giant didn’t seem done. Proceeding to release a second blast, charging much faster than the first.
Then ca a third, a fourth, and a fifth.
With each blast it unleashed, its colossal reserves diminished. Regardless of how much spiritual energy it had accumulated, the intensity of the eruptions burned throughout it all.
One thing beca painfully clear: the sentient AI didn’t like to hold back.
"Impossible..." The Monarch bellowed, realization finally setting in.
Since the tallic creation had been engineered by a human hand, it didn’t bear a soul. aning even when pushed to the edge, the alien wasn’t able to initiate a soul duel, effectively reducing the number of trump cards in its possession.
[Do you see it now? I am the definition of perfection.]
Cursing inwardly, Michael sprang into action. The ease with which the robot had won shocked him, but it also revealed an opportunity. The machine did not know how to hold back, nearly all of its energy reserves had been exhausted in the fight.
With the AI at its weakest right after the fight and before it could deliver the final strike and extract the spiritual energy of the Monarch, Michael knew it was ti to act.
Should he fail to grasp this rare chance, there would be nothing on Venus capable of challenging the giant once it consud the remains of the Monarch.
Unfortunately, however, it appeared that the AI hadn’t forgotten about him, like he had hoped.
Abruptly halting the final strike it had unleashed, the AI shifted the weight of its body, throwing Michael to the side.
[Human I commanded your spirit. But you would never be able to defeat . I have sensors all over my body. Sneaking up on is nigh impossible, and even at my weakest, I will still be superior to your strongest.]
The towering giant spoke, its head tilted to the small island Michael had landed on in the middle of the lava lake.
In turn, Michael’s eyes darkened, a faint smile tugging at his lips.
"What a coincidence... You have no idea how many aliens have told the exact sa thing, all just to end up beneath ."
Bearing witness to how the robot was clearly not taking it seriously, the Monarch entered into a frenzy.
"You dare converse with another while fighting ?"
Jumping, it wrapped its limbs and nurous tentacles around its tal veil, forcing it to kneel.
"Why don’t you take a plunge in the lake? At the very least I am sure your head won’t withstand the temperature!"
Taking it as his last chance, Michael sprang across the lava. Large waves of molten rock ca crashing down, caused by the two struggling behemoths, yet ignoring it all, he jumped above them, his gaze settled on the giant’s head.
[ENOUGH!]
Going all out, the eye sensors of the AI began to gleam crimson, a large explosion erupting in the whole area.
Unable to withstand the blast up close, the Monarch finally let go, its massive body flung to the side like a ragdoll. All signs of life nowhere to be seen.
[Human, give your soul!]
With its movents slowed, the AI staggered several tis at the depths of the lake, its chanical tentacles reaching for Michael.
What others might have seen as a disadvantage, Michael saw as an opportunity. Gripping one of the tentacles firmly, he sprang across it, his eyes blazing with raw determination.
Dodging strikes left and right, he neared, re seconds away from reaching the giant’s head.
"!!!"
Yet at the worst possible ti another powerful aura swept over the vicinity.
"MY BROTHER!"
When the AI dealt the final blow to the Monarch, its life indicator went out. Naturally, the other Monarch, which had initially charged toward the capital, realized its brother had been defeated and plunged into a frenzied dash back to the lake.
At the worst possible mont, Michael, being human, froze for half a second due to the sudden surge of aura. It was a natural reaction to the appearance of a new threat, one that any living being would have experienced.
However, the AI didn’t have that problem. Capitalizing on this opportunity, it curled its palm into a fist before punching straight in Michael’s direction.
Faster than a heartbeat, the fist collided, carrying several tis the force of a speeding train.
Even repositioning Devil’s Tongue in a protective manner didn’t seem to lessen the impact by much.
Michael’s heart erupted in a violent burst, and his skull fractured in several places as he was hurled straight toward the lifeless Monarch’s body, floating above the lava lake.
Boom!
The mont he collided, his senses dulled, like he was experiencing the last monts of his life.
Of course, a human surviving such an impact was by all ans a re fantasy.
And yet, sothing bizarre took place. Slowly a crimson puddle ford around him, the edges of his lips curled upwards into a bloody, nacing smile.
His throat was damaged too severely to allow any sound to escape. Yet, if anyone had been close enough to decipher his lips, they would have read:
"Checkmate."
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