Chapter 65: O-Rank Combat Record 『Cyber Emperor Colossus』 (Part 3)
Chapter 65: O-Rank Combat Record 『Cyber Emperor Colossus』 (Part 3)
Thud. Thuuud.
Slow, heavy fists collided.
In reality, they weren't actually that slow. It only felt that way because both our enemy and ourselves had become so gargantuan.
The cockpit shuddered under the massive force of the impact.
"Urgh..."
Even though fists of similar size had clashed, it was our side that was being pushed back.
As the exchange of blows ended, Ex Machina’s knees buckled. Since this robot was controlled by the projected wills of everyone inside, it meant we were the ones failing to withstand the shock.
"The reaction time is too slow!"
"Is the armament deployment still not ready?"
Everyone was shouting, but it was merely an outlet for their anxiety. Since we shared a collective consciousness, we already knew the reason.
The transformation had been too late. We were forced into a melee before we even had time to deploy our weapons. We needed to create distance and get those weapons online.
As that consensus formed and we attempted to pull back—
Thud. Rumble, rumble.
An unidentified impact slammed into Ex Machina’s torso, breaking our stance once again.
"What was that?!"
"An explosion!"
An explosion? From where? Colossus didn't look like it had done anything. Don't tell me it pulled up more warships...
Thud. Boom.
No, that wasn't it. The warships were right in front of us.
A colossus made of countless vessels. What if the numerous protrusions covering its body actually served a purpose? What if they weren't just jagged edges from haphazardly fusing iron together, but every single one of those small bumps was a warship's turret?
As my thought was shared, the magnified camera feed confirmed it. Countless protrusions were spitting fire.
Screeeech.
With a bizarre mechanical groan, Colossus raised its fist again.
"Recover your stance!"
Thud.
A foot stomped down to stabilize us, shaking the earth. We managed to right ourselves just before the fist arrived.
Crash!
The fists collided once more.
Thud. Splash.
Ex Machina fell to one knee, its massive frame collapsing into The Sea.
"Damn it..."
At this rate, we were going to lose. It had only been two exchanges, but the realization was bone-deep.
The shelling continued relentlessly. The difference in raw specs was overwhelming. Battles between giant robots are decided in an instant, where a single strike or a well-placed punch can shatter the opponent's main frame.
If we were being pushed back like this, the next attack would be the end. We had to deploy the armaments somehow...
Everyone’s will was aligned, but it wouldn't go as planned. Even though Colossus was slower to strike than us, its turrets covered every opening. Even now, the continuous bombardment was preventing us from standing up.
Whir-r-r-r-r.
Colossus raised its fist for a third time. We tried our hardest, but there was no opening to recover our footing.
We were going to die.
A battle ending in just three exchanges. Was this all we could do, even after pouring in all our strength?
Despite the thought, no one gave up. We forced the machine to rise, enduring the shelling just to block one more punch.
"Pshyaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!"
A golden flash streaked across our vision. A voice completely devoid of dignity or grace echoed through the cockpit speakers.
A giant hammer appeared. And with it, a tiny lifeform gripping it.
A Magical Girl, riding on the back of yellow lightning, swung The Hammer with one hand.
Clang!
A momentary collision. The two Awakened were sent flying back, unable to overcome the Colossus’s fist and absorbing the full recoil of the impact.
Perhaps because of the size difference, the result wasn't great despite their efforts. The Magical Girl's hammer had only slightly diverted the trajectory of the Colossus’s massive fist.
However, that was enough. The Colossus’s fists were incredibly slow, and "loading" such a powerful punch required a significant amount of time.
"If you lose after I went this far, I'll kill youuuuuuu!"
"Shut up! My ears are ringing!"
Even as they were blown away by the recoil, the two Awakened chatted energetically as they soared off into the distance.
We couldn't let the opportunity they created go to waste. Following the trajectory calculated by Blue and Green, we moved our head.
Rumbleeeee.
The Colossus’s massive fist grazed past Ex Machina’s head. Even though it missed, the shockwave of its passage shook the cockpit.
We had bought time.
Enduring the pouring shells, everyone gritted their teeth and forced Ex Machina to its feet. If it was just simple shelling, we could stabilize ourselves, however slowly.
The newly risen Ex Machina shifted its stance.
Legs spread wide. Left hand toward the sky. Right hand toward the ground.
Infused with everyone's will.
Vrooooooom.
The engine began to roar violently. Fueled by our collective resolve, the engine started amplifying energy.
The left hand, wreathed in heat, turned crimson. The right hand, wreathed in cold, turned blue.
As if to stop us, another barrage of shells poured down, but—
It’s useless.
Pop. Bam-bam-bam!
Turrets detached from both legs as Ex Machina returned fire. Simultaneously, the external plating on the arms detached, forming a green shield in front of us.
A one-sided exchange where we blocked The Enemy’s shells while our own continued to batter them. We couldn't miss this chance.
Whir-r-r-r-r.
The jet engines on our back spat fire according to our will.
Let's go.
Thud. Thud. Thud.
Parting The Sea, we charged forward. Straight into the Colossus’s embrace.
Screeeech.
With a loud metallic screech, Colossus raised its fist again.
Too late.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
The crimson left hand and the blue right hand battered the Colossus’s body repeatedly. Over and over, preventing it from regaining its stance.
Our only advantage over the Colossus was speed. We poured everything into this rapid-fire barrage. Even as The Enemy staggered and fell, we pursued relentlessly.
Crash! Boom! Ka-boom!
Explosions erupted from the Colossus’s body—a chain reaction of the shells stored within it. The Enemy’s surface began to crumble.
Splash. Splash.
Chunks of metal falling from the Colossus sank into The Sea. The giant's body was collapsing.
Now. This is the end.
A black gravitational field spread across the ground. The final technique to bind The Enemy.
Eeeeeeeeeeeeee.
The engine, pushed beyond its limits, began to emit a metallic shriek of impending failure.
We clasped the left and right hands together. Gathering the peaked energy.
To shatter The Enemy’s head.
We struck down.
“45 414 44!”
I heard laughter.
* * *
Beep. Beep.
A warning chime rang shrilly. A red warning light stung my eyes.
What happened?
When I opened my eyes, the first thing I saw was a cracked, red-stained view. Was the visor broken? I ripped the helmet off.
The warning chime continued. I pushed aside the debris pinning me down and pulled myself up.
I saw red stains everywhere.
Yellow, crushed under the wreckage. Black, with only an upper body remaining, likely caught in the explosion.
This couldn't be real. Weren't we winning just a moment ago? What on earth happened...
"...Ex Machina was subverted by Colossus."
I turned my head at the sound of Park Hyun-seok’s voice. He was pinned under debris, having lost a leg.
Subverted...? Weren't we the exceptions? If it could control Ex Machina, why didn't it do so from the start?
"It's just my guess, but the bastard was after our energy from the beginning. It waited until the final moment to steal it."
Then did all those battles mean nothing? The desperate attacks of the Awakened? Green's sacrifice?
"Dong-hun. Can you still move?"
"I... I..."
I forced the words out and nodded. For some reason, I was the only one relatively unharmed while everyone else had fallen.
"...Then kill me."
"...?"
My thoughts ground to a halt. What was he talking about?
"Ex Machina isn't completely subverted. I don't know if it's because Green died, but they say X-Breed wasn't taken over."
"...So you're telling me to kill you?"
"I finished talking it over with the other three while you were unconscious. Once you start the activation, we'll be summoned back to the cockpit."
It seemed the consensus had been reached without my input. So this was it. Since a machine with a soul cannot be controlled by Colossus, I, the only one left, was supposed to reclaim control using the lives of my four comrades.
"Don't give me that bullshit."
"...Is there any other way?"
"There are three of us out of five. We have the numerical advantage. It'll move."
I slung Hyun-seok, who couldn't even stand, over my shoulder and headed toward his station. The main control room, which hadn't been hit once during all those battles, was now a wreck.
The once-pristine cockpit was in shambles. Monitors were shattered and black. Bundles of wires sparked as they dangled from the ceiling. A lightbulb flickered.
I sat Hyun-seok in his seat and then sat in mine.
Only two of the five members of the squad survived. Three had died in a single day. Is this what it feels like when grief turns into numbness?
Park Hyun-seok seemed to have lost consciousness; I couldn't feel his will.
Move. I said move!
Thud.
Ex Machina’s massive frame twitched weakly, but that was all. A few barely legible characters appeared on the broken monitor.
Ac#&ss Denied.
Three out of five. Does that mean we still don't have the initiative?
"I said move, damn it!"
Perhaps responding to my rage, Ex Machina began to operate. Slowly. Very slowly. So slowly that even standing up seemed like a struggle.
I could only manage a bitter laugh. Even with my dead comrades helping, was this all?
【Operation Rate 49%. Kill Blue.】
A bizarre message appeared on the monitor. Was it a hallucination I created? When I looked at the monitor again, the hallucination was gone, replaced by other figures.
Engine Op℃#tion Rate 49%
Frame Sync Rate 49%
Occ#$ancy Rate 49%
Amplification Rate 0%
A parade of 49s, as if demanding I kill Hyun-seok.
Don't screw with me. What value is there in a victory bought with such sacrifice?
"Move, Ex Machina, you piece of shi-i-i-it!"
I slammed my fist into the monitor in front of me.
Crash.
The screen shattered. Now even my monitor was gone. What had I done, swept up in my emotions?
It really is the end.
I leaned back in my chair, my strength spent. It was truly over now. Nothing was left. Not Ex Machina, and not me.
...Not me?
Blue had said it. If a soul inhabits the machine through death, it escapes control. Then... couldn't I just be the one to die? Green was able to move X-Breed because she died. Why couldn't I do the same?
I picked up a shard of glass rolling on the floor. I slowly brought the shard to my throat. My hand, gripping the glass, began to soak with cold sweat.
Did I really have to go this far?
There was no time. No one knew what Colossus would do next. And if I didn't get Blue treated soon...
Those hollow thoughts passed through my mind. Amidst that urgency and hesitation, my sweat-slicked hand moved.
A slight cut on my neck. The pain made my hand fly open. The glass shard fell to the floor and shattered into pieces.
I couldn't kill myself.
49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49% 49%
Beyond my monitor, those numbers appeared on another screen that was barely functioning. As if to break my will. As if to mock my inability to die.
Because of that, I made up my mind. A resolve to kill someone. It was so easy to kill, wasn't it?
The monitor in front of me. The place where sparks crackled from the cracks.
I slammed my head into it.
[Scenario Destruction Confirmed]
[Granting Authority]
I felt like I heard someone's voice.
* * *
"Let's keep it simple."
"You've earned the qualification."
"The story is coming to an end anyway. This is practically a first for Earth."
"But... it's a shame. You lack power. Absolute power. Except for that, you're a perfect ten."
"Well, why don't you go roll around for another 300 years and come back?"
"Huh? Who am I? You'll forget anyway. I am Hyun."
* * *
I opened my eyes. My head was still pressed against the monitor.
I had lost consciousness for a moment, but thanks to that, I felt like I had grasped something important. I could move now. My will began to burn.
Let's go. Yellow. Green. Black. Blue.
This is the last one.
Let us shout the name of the new power.
"Machine God! Deus Ex Machina!"
The brass-colored robot soared into the sky, shedding everything cumbersome.
The camouflage meant only for aesthetics. The meaningless armor. The electronic devices meant for transmitting information.
Leaving only the brass gears behind.
It had transformed into pure machinery. Now, even will was unnecessary.
Because Deus Ex Machina was me. And it was all of us.
I saw the threads entangled in every machine across the world. I flew through the sky and severed them.
In the distance, I felt communications returning. In the distance, I felt the power of machines beginning to move once more. I felt the machines of humanity starting to throb again.
We felt the panicked emotions of Colossus. We saw her becoming helpless as her limbs were cut off. We saw her turning her head toward us, as if saying this couldn't be happening.
The conclusion came in an instant.
Deus Ex Machina’s gear-hand pierced her core. The Colossus’s massive body began to collapse.
The End of the Story.
The emotions of Colossus, whose core had been ripped out in an instant, flowed into me.
Apology. Sadness. Guilt.
“53 615 72 72 79, 43 68 69 612 64.”
To the very end, her words could not be deciphered. If even we, who had become machines, could not hear them, perhaps they were not the words of a machine.
Feeling the power of the Awakened fading away, I fell toward The Sea.